The more things change... a truism

To the Editors:

I'm writing in response to several articles in the Dec. 4 issue ("The recent mood of Oberlin" by Evan Malsbury; "Building a diverse community" by Harry Dawe; "An alum's advice" by dt ogilve; and "Rutherford Hayes steals the show" and "Malpractice in the Conservatory?" by Emily Manzo.)

As we used to say in French House, "Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose." The more Oberlin changes, the more nothing has really changed. First-year students' optimistic willingness to interact with others still sinks into cliquishness and isolation. The debate still rages over "closed" vs. "open" organizations and how best to foster student interaction using a non-fraternity/sorority dining hall system. Students still wonder if their education is worth the expense and whether they'll be able to land a good job for the future, given that their professors seem hopelessly mired in the past.

Students are sounding a wake-up call through protests, letters and avant-garde art. All this self-expression is great practice for breaking the ice and selling one's self, whether in job interviews, negotiations with one's employer or conversations with strangers.

I cringed, however, at the thought of a New Music student's deliberately dropping the lid of a Steinway concert grand piano to get the stodgy old Conservatory's attention. You definitely got MY attention as an alumnus and a musician. There's no excuse for damaging the community's fine instrument to make your personal "statement."

To paraphrase Anacin's old TV commercial from the 1950s: "Sure, you've got a headache ... Don't take it out on the lids."

-Eric B. Nye, OC '70

Vincent Calianno stole more than the show

To the Editors:

Sophomore Vincent Calianno's composition, "Rutherford B. Hayes", was performed on the Nov. 4, 1998 Student Composers' Concert, and student critic Emily Manzo felt the piece "stole the show" (Dec. 4, 1998 Review). Unfortunately, the piece stole a few other things as well.

Director of Piano Technology, Ken Sloane, and his co-workers had to spend considerable time and energy apart from their normal work load to fix the pianos used during the composition's rehearsal and performance. Calianno's scoring for a piano lid to be dropped from full height caused several hundred dollars of damage to the pianos he used. One would think that when parts started to fall off the pianos from dropping the lid that an alternative would have been sought to achieve the percussive effect, but apparently the theatrical aspects of the piece overruled concern for the damage to the instruments.

We know that Oberlin must insist on providing an environment that nurtures innovation in artistic expression, but we cannot allow that to happen in an environment which does not nurture respect for our community property. The pianos at the Conservatory belong to the entire Conservatory community, and their protection and care should be a priority for us all.

-Ken Sloane, Director of Piano Technology
Allen Wright
Andrew Berton, Piano Technicians
Michael Lynn, Associate Dean of Technology and Facilities

Oberlin deserves a postage stamp

To the Editors:

The 150th Anniversary of the famous Oberlin-Wellington Rescue, in which hundreds of courageous Oberlinians defied the Fugitive Slave Law and assisted former slave John Price in escaping from slavery, will occur in the year 2008. In my opinion, celebration of this heroic event would be greatly enhanced by the issuance of a postage stamp, in Oberlin, Ohio, jointly commemorating the Underground Railroad and the Rescue.

Those who agree that such a stamp should be issued should petition both the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee of the Postal Service, and their local Congresspersons. Although the Anniversary is still nine years in the future, the CSAC receives thousands of requests for stamp subjects each year, so it's best to make such requests early.

A sample petition follows:

I (We), the undersigned citizen(s) of the United States of America, hereby petition for the issuance of a postage stamp, commemorating the Underground Railroad, on the 150th Anniversary of the Oberlin-Wellington Rescue, to be held in Oberlin, Ohio in the year 2008.

Mail petitions to: Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee, c/o Stamp Management, U.S. Postal Service, 475 L'Enfant Plaza, SW, Room 4474E, Washington, DC 20260-2437

Other colleges and universities have already been the subjects of issuances by the Postal Service. I believe that it's high time that Oberlin, a center for liberating ideals, be so honored.

-Alex Rogolsky, OC '83