Campaign kick off successful

Around 400 alumni, their family and friends were on campus for the Capital Campaign kick off this weekend. They took part in a weekend of celebration and learning.

"The intent of the weekend was to bring people back to campus," said Jane Mathison, director of public events for the College.

Although the weekend served as the public kick off for the $165 million Capital Campaign, Mathison stressed that the weekend was intended to focus on the College.

"People were given a comprehensive view of what Oberlin is and strives to be," said John Hays, associate vice president and campaign director of development.

"Illuminate: The New Oberlin Century" consisted of a Friday night gala, a day of symposiums on Saturday, the Science Center groundbreaking, as well as the annual alumni council meeting early Sunday morning.

"What really connects people is their academic experience," said Mathison, explaining why the symposiums were arranged for the former students. "Basically they went to school all day Saturday."

The symposiums were a combination of lecture and discussion on a wide variety of topics including physics, God and the power of performance of music, poetry and drama. One symposium, "Civil Discourse: Resposnisbilites of Citizenship," the convocation lectures, and was the most well attended discussion. Moderated by Dean of Students Peter Goldsmith, lecturers James Freedman, President Emeritus and Bicentennieal Professor of Law and Liberal Arts at Dartmouth College, Professor of Politics Ronald Kahn and Carl Rowan OC '74, a nationally syndicated correspondent, spoke about the rights and responsibilities of citizens.

Saturday also brought the ground breaking for the new Science Center complex. Construction will be complete in 2001, one of the major funded projects supported by the Capital Campaign.

"[We want to show the alumni] what the campaign is attempting to raise support for," said Hays. That not only includes the larger projects of the campaign, but also the day to day things that affect students. Since they were seeing students in their day to day atmosphere, alumni were able to see just that. The campaign will also be used to sustain the quality of Oberlin through continued support of the educational facets of the College.

Hays said, "[The weekend] creates a record... that carries a message to the broader group of alumni." For Hays, this means alumni will pass on the comprehensive view of Oberlin put across by the event for which the campaign is raising money.

Over the weekend the Alumni Council had an opportunity to show their support for the campaign at their annual meeting. For Hays, this means alumni will articulate the view of Oberlin conceived at the campaign kickoff.

Assistant director of the Oberlin Fund Donna Ancypa OC '91, said "[The goal of the alumni council is] to bring people closer to Oberlin even if they don't get a chance to come back to the campus."

The Executive Board made a major decision in its Sunday morning meeting. It was decided that all of the alumni volunteers who comprise the council should make contributions to the Capital Campaign. "It's in the spirit of contribution, not the amount," said Ancypa.

Last year, 93 percent of the alumni volunteers gave some type of contribution to the campaign. "These alumni volunteers are known as leaders and we want them to lead by example," she said.

The meeting also included a question and answer session with President Nancy Dye. Ancypa said alumni were interested in what Dye had to say on many different topics including town-gown relationships, program houses and the annual enrollment of minority students.

Hays, Mathison and Ancypa all agree that the weekend exceded expectations.

The Capital Campaign was publicly kicked off and alumni had a chance to visit their alma mater, reliving some of their former college days.

"No matter when we graduated, we always have some Obie-ness," said Ancypa.