Tearful Goodbyes For Good Reason
Importance of Arch Highly Significant
Tearful Goodbyes For Good Reason
It's that time of year again. The arch has been cleaned, the doors of King have been stripped of flyers, the mailroom walls are naked. We now look presentable again. While the buildings and grounds undergo change, we who inhabit and frequent them are doing a little changing of our own. With the moving boxes and packing tape comes a sort of reassessment of one's life, as measured in personal possessions and places to put them. We always have too much "stuff," too many papers, clothes, CDs; you name it, we've got it. Or someone down the hall or street does. As with the material goods one accumulates in college, we also accumulate a store of knowledge, emotion and experience. They both seem to come in excess, whether we realize it or not, and parts of both are used constantly while other parts are left neglected and forgotten. It depends on who we are at each point in our lives, what is important to us, how we interact with others and the context in which we see ourselves.
The important thing to remember, however, is this - we'll take what we need and get more when necessary. This applies to "stuff," certainly, but also applies to the rest. Certain experiences have affected us more than others, while others will affect us down the road in ways we can not even imagine now. We will draw from those when the time comes. Oberlin is a special place because the people and experiences it offers are diverse and many. While we've taken advantage of much of it (hopefully!), certain aspects may impact us later on. This could be why the alumni letters to the Review are always filled with such love. Sure, rose-colored glasses are cheap and easy to come by, but there is merit in appreciating these four (or five, or six...) years for what they are - a chance to grow, develop, and obtain more than we think we'll ever know what to do with. But once in the "real world," as Obies are so apt to call it, the things we've learned and the people we've met will teach us more about ourselves than anything else.
So, bid farewell to the students, College and town, and never forget the Oberlin experiences you'll have at your disposal when you need them most. They'll be there, whether you think you'll remember them or not.
Importance of Arch Highly Significant
A professor once said, "The political is personal, and vice versa." This is true everywhere and especially exemplified at Oberlin. As prospective students we are given an image laden with Oberlin's liberal stance, not to mention that whole "changing the world" idea. That's politics. As graduates, we are given a decision - to walk under or around the arch. The arch commemorates the Oberlin alumni serving as missionaries in China who were killed during the Boxer Rebellion. Graduates who walk under the arch support the honoring of these alumni, while those who walk around feel that their presence in China was imperialistic and should not be so memorialized. Students on both sides should respect the opinions of each, however, and remember that our diverse viewpoints are a strength, not a weakness.
So the fact remains - we are politicized from the moment we enter Oberlin till the very end of our college career. What then, should be done with this? We have a very activism-friendly campus. Many see this as a great manifestation of our genuine concern for the well-being of the rest of the world. Others are not quite as impressed, claiming Oberlin students are too willing to protest any and every issue that pops up. The really great thing, though, is that many of us do realize our campus exists in a greater context and focus on changing the true injustices that permeate it. This should be lauded and respected. Such a perspective needs to be applied to the town in which we live as well. We all know the stats regarding the dismal condition of the public school system and the lack of economic prosperity for most townspeople. But very few actually get involved with the Oberlin community.
It is true that the alumni killed in China were there living this very ideal, to get out and try to make a difference. It is also true that perhaps this attempt was not welcomed nor wanted by the Chinese people, hence, the rebellion. Students who jump at the chance to protest for the sheer sake of activism need to get a clue and figure out what really needs to be done. But for the sake of those who have some knowledge and insight as to the rest of the world, be that our town, our country or our planet, cheers. Maybe you will change the world. Whichever path you choose to walk on commencement morning, make it a conscious, personal decision. No fault should be placed for that.
Copyright © 2000, The Oberlin Review.
Volume 128, Number 23, May 26, 2000
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