The Oberlin Review \\ Perspectives

Does OSCA matter? What role does OSCA play at Oberlin College?

Deb McNish is the Director of Residential Life and Services:

OSCA is a huge contributor to the community. Its longevity at Oberlin will be infinite. Profound leaders in the community come from OSCA.

Thomas Francavilla is a college first-year:

Yes, OSCA matters. There are a lot of students who would really prefer not to eat CDS.

James Quinn is a college senior:

Clearly, OSCA matters to me. I've been in OSCA for 2 1/2 years. It really makes a difference. I'm connected to the things that are here to keep me alive. It's often someone I know who is cleaning the halls and cooking food; it is often myself. It makes it so I am not like this mind in an ivory tower who's being fed and attended to.

Pauline Shapiro is a college first- year:

Yeah, OSCA is important. It's one of the main reasons I'm here. It's a great experience to clean together and eat together in a community. It gives a great sense of community.

Ian Macdonald is a college sophomore:

I think OSCA is an important presence on this campus. It's a unique, educational, community building experience for students. It's very important.

Stephen Menyhart is a college first-year:

Within the college, one of the major mottoes is "Learning and Labor." The co-op is one of the main ways of becoming independent people after college. The idea of school is to teach us to think creatively. Thought with no action has no value in the community.

Guy Mendilow is a college junior:

Yeah, it matters. I didn't realize how much it taught to me until I lived in a different community. It taught me about group decisions, making group facilitation; about all the intricacies of making a community work. For 48 years, OSCA has played an essential role in Oberlin education. A lot of people from OSCA have gone on to tremendous things in the community.

Mark Frey is a college sophomore:

OSCA definitely matters. OSCA is an important place for students to learn about themselves while exploring a cooperative lifestyle. OSCA also serves as a more reasonably priced board option that allows the best flexibility and community space available on this campus. At a time when the college is interested in encouraging a sense of community OSCA is doing just that.

Allowing students to be responsible for their own food and mess builds responsibility and respect for those who, at other times, may be responsible for doing the cooking and cleaning for them. Learning about working together and supporting one another is a skill that is not easily taught in a classroom but is taught every day to those students in a co-op

OSCA is an excellent opportunity not available on most campuses. Organizations like OSCA and EXCO help to bring prospective students to this campus and keep those already here, here. Student initiated and student run, OSCA is a selling point for the college. By threatening OSCA's relationship with the college the college fails to live up to its reputation as a forward thinking institution.

Erica Zaklin is a college junior:

OSCA provides the only organized solution to the hell that is CDS.

Tracy Murry is the Co-op Area Coordinator:

There are a lot of people who come to the Oberlin specifically for the Co-ops. They're important because of history and their connection to the college. Its mission is similar to that of the college. They provide community service, group relations, just a complete picture. OSCA is an alternative to traditional college, but it compliments the college as well. Co-ops around the country are never as diverse as the colleges. In fact, OSCA is one of the most diverse and it's not diverse at all. More research needs to be done on that.

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