Asian American students feel minorities have become underrepresented at Oberlin and that the College has lost its progressive edge. They will present this message to the campus this weekend during the 11th Biennial Midwest Asian Pacific American Student Conference. The weekend-long program is entitled "Solidarity Through Resistance: From Our Communities to the Classroom," and features a slew of speakers and workshops addressing topics ranging from the organization of immigrant labor to the role of the administration in student-led movements.
Members of the Asian Pacific American (APA) community are criticizing the administration regarding the racial composition of this year's freshman class, which contains only 97 students of color out of 838. Moreover, the APA claims that Oberlin's administration "officially turns its back on low income and first generation students through Need Sensitive admissions." Only two APA faculty positions have been created over the past three decades at Oberlin. Some of the APA's primary concerns are to implement an Asian American Studies Program at Oberlin, to re-establish a full-time APA Community Coordinator position and hire an increased amount of APA faculty, and to encourage the administration to commit more seriously to enroll low-income and first generation students.
A group of four speakers will commence the weekend's events at 4:30 p.m. in Wilder 115 with a cross-campus dialogue discussing "A Platform for Action: Students Creating Change." The panel plans to consider the various means in which students have built solidarity and raised awareness on campuses. Kamala Visweswaran will deliver the weekend's keynote address at 11 a.m. in King 306, entitled "The Role of Faculty and Administration in Student-Led Movements." Later that day Evelyn Hu-DeHart will deliver the banquet keynote address, speaking on "Asian Americans and Asian American Studies in the New Millennium." Registration for this weekend's APA events will take place in Wilder Lobby from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.
In commemoration of particularly outstanding Winter Term projects, Oberlin's Winter Term Committee is hosting a Celebration and Forum Monday at 7:30 p.m. in Wilder Main. Moreover, the Committee has proposed alterations in the existing Winter Term structure designed to help students use the month more productively.
Citing an editorial in the Dec. 3 issue of The Review as the main impetus, the Winter Term Committee became concerned that many students have stopped taking Winter Term seriously, frustrating those students who apply themselves fully to a project during the month off from classes. "Those very devoted see it as a little uncool that people can do whatever they want and everyone gets the same credit," said Chair of Winter Term Committee Katherine Stuart. After a recent comprehensive review of the Winter Term program, the Committee has issued recommendations in an attempt to impose more stringent requirements on student projects. The biggest proposed change is the creation of three categories of projects; academic study, field experience and personal growth and development. No limit would be placed on the number of credits earned in the former two categories, but the recommendation would cap the amount of possible credits in the latter category at one.
Stuart said the new proposal would not affect students' ability to leave campus for Winter Term, an aspect many students take advantage of. Oberlin's existing Winter Term policy has not been reviewed since 1983, and Stuart stressed the necessity of "assuring ourselves that we're best fulfilling student interests." The Winter Term Committee will present the document with recommendations to the faculty during the General Faculty meeting in March.
Monday's celebration will present some of this January's most accomplished projects, nominated by faculty members. The program will entail students "sharing the most interesting experiences they had," Stuart said.
Copyright © 2000, The Oberlin Review.
Volume 128, 14, February 18, 2000
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