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FactsSlang
- A-level - The basement floor of Mudd Library. This is where students gather for late-night study groups, last-minute essay corrections and a quick cup of coffee. It’s the only part of the library where you won’t get fined for having a bite to eat.
- BBC - Abbreviation for the much-revered Brown Bag Co-op.
- Commando - Intensive cleaning of a co-op in which all members must participate. The term also extends to students living off campus. Commando night is when all the people living in a house get together, play loud music, and scrub the whole house clean.
- Conabe - Any student of the College who aspires to be in the Conservatory of Music.
- Connie - Any student who is actually enrolled in the Conservatory of Music.
- Co-oper - Any student who belongs to a co-op instead of the regular Campus Dining Services meal plan.
- Fairkid - An abbreviation for Fairchild dormitory.
- FTL - Failure to Launch; an Oberlin graduate who doesn’t leave town, even after his/her degree is complete.
- Harkie - Used as a synonym for hippie, this term applies to anyone who eats or lives in the Harkness Co-op and residence hall.
- Mt. Oberlin - The land that was taken out when the swimming pool was excavated. It’s a 30-foot high dirt mound, jokingly called a mountain because Oberlin is so flat.
- Obie - Any Oberlin student or alumnus.
- Obiematch - A campus-wide on-line matchmaking service.
- OCMR - Oberlin College Mail Room. “What’s your OCMR?” means “What’s your mailbox number?”
- Pitchers - Wednesday nights at the ‘Sco, when beer costs only a quarter a cup!
- Pomo - Any student who is a little too impressed with postmodern literary theory—quoting Jacques Derrida all the time—or someone who just dresses/acts/talks with an air of artistic pretension.
- Professor Beers - When students bring their professor(s) for a drink to the ‘Sco on Thursday afternoons they get free beer!
- Prospie - A prospective student at Oberlin.
- Sexile - An unfortunate yet common occurrence at Oberlin; “sexiling” means kicking your roommate out of the room (especially open doubles) while you engage in sexual activities with one or more partners.
- Special Meal - A term used in co-ops, these weekly meals usually have a creative twist to them and are a favorite, yet labor-intensive, activity enjoyed by co-opers.
- Stevie - An affectionate term for Stevenson Dining Hall.
- The ‘Sco - An affectionate term for the Dionysus dance club and bar, located in Wilder.
- The Arb - Short for the Arboretum, a peaceful place off campus to take a walk or play Frisbee.
- The Arch - The Memorial Arch in Tappan Square is a common meeting place and reference point in the middle of campus.
- The Inn - The Oberlin Inn’s first-floor bar; it is usually filled with more locals than students.
- The Rat - Abbreviation for the Rathskellar; this restaurant/dining hall is popular amongst faculty and staff. Students need to use cash or Flex dollars to eat at the Rat.
- The Scum - A derogatory term for the Dascomb dining hall and residence hall.
- Womb Chairs - These funky, colorful, and cozy 1960s-style chairs adorn almost every floor of Mudd library.
Things I Wish I Knew Before Coming To School
- Bring your own bike—it comes in handy.
- Don’t buy bed sheets and linens from the school—they’re expensive and low quality.
- Don’t worry about going to “Disorientation” during Orientation week—it’s pretty lame, and the police usually end up breaking the party up anyway.
- First-year seminars are great! Don’t overlook them.
- How exclusive certain student groups and organizations can be.
- If you are on work study, the best on-campus jobs are at the libraries, and working for the Student Union.
- It’s not a good school for people who don’t like to voice their political beliefs, or hear other people’s political beliefs being voiced all the time.
- Opt for a divided double over an open double.
- The Sexual Information Center sells safer sex supplies for really cheap.
- You can take music lessons from students in the Conservatory.
- You can take out DVDs and VHS from the AV center on the fourth floor of Mudd for free.
Tips to Succeed
- Ask others about professors before choosing your classes.
- Check your ObieMail e-mail account at least 10 times every day.
- Complete your distribution requirements as early as possible.
- Don’t be afraid to change advisors.
- Don’t skip classes too often—it will catch up with you.
- If you can, study abroad one, if not two, semesters—it’s a good way to see the world and refresh your opinions about Oberlin.
- Keep an open mind, but don’t let critical discussion be deadened by the vice of amiability.
- Take advantage of the amazing library, the art collection, Excos, and extracurricular activities.
- Take classes in as many different departments as possible.
- Talk to your professors during office hours.
Urban Legends
- A family of bats lives in the attic of Talcott and they harass students periodically.
- If you pass through the Arch in Tappan Square before you graduate, you’ll never graduate.
- If you step on the plaque in the middle of Tappan Square, you’ll fail your next exam.
- Someone once found a human brain in the garbage behind Asia House.
Traditions
- A Cappella Study Breaks - Just when you think you might go nuts if you have to write one more essay or study for one more exam, Oberlin’s student a cappella groups come to the rescue. Every semester, right around final exams, the Obertones, Nothing-But-Treble, and In-A-Chord gather under the ramp in front of Mudd Library to sing their hearts out and lift the spirits of their exhausted and exam-weary peers.
- Clothing Swap - Every spring, students gather clothes and accessories they no longer wear or need, and donate them to the Clothing Swap program. Then, at the end of the semester, all clothes are put in Wilder Hall, where anyone may pick through them and take whatever they want. Many students find an entirely new wardrobe at the Clothing Swap, while others use it as a means of getting rid of excess layers before the summer really kicks in. It’s a great way of recycling clothes!
- Drag Ball - This spring event is the biggest party of the year, when the entire Student Union building is transformed into a dance hall, and people come from miles away to share in the excitement. Students often prepare for months in advance to create the most convincing drag king or queen. At the actual Ball, a celebrity drag king/queen is hired as the MC to direct the catwalk competition and judge students’ elaborately designed costumes. Although the Drag Ball is a fun way of raising understanding of transgender/transsexual issues, it is also an opportunity for all students to get together under one roof.
- Safer Sex Night - Another well-attended event is the annual Safer Sex Night, which takes place in the ‘Sco, and is aimed at promoting awareness about (obviously) safer sex. This is the time when students sport their skimpiest, sexiest, and most risqué clothing and party it up with free condoms and lubricant being tossed around the room.
- The Arch - Dedicated in 1903, the Memorial Arch commemorates the missionaries who lost their lives in the 1900 Boxer Rebellion in China. Today, the arch serves as the setting for Oberlin’s commencement ceremonies. The arch has become a source of controversy, as some perceive it to be an emblem of cultural imperialism. In 1989, four members of the Asian American Alliance suggested that graduating seniors should walk around, rather than through, Memorial Arch during Commencement. This political statement has become a tradition for a significant number of students, and even faculty.
- The Art Rental Program - Each semester, the Art Rental Program allows Oberlin students to rent original works of art for a minimal fee. Many students camp out overnight in the Allen Memorial Art Museum courtyard in order to take home works by Andy Warhol, Picasso, and Toulouse-Lautrec.
- The Big Parade - Towards the end of spring semester every year, students prepare for the Big Parade, one of the few events that successfully brings town and gown together. Students get involved by designing and painting signs, building large paper-maché puppets, and preparing martial arts/dance performances. Everyone gathers in Tappan Square to eat hot dogs or veggie burgers, watch the parade and other performances by students and townsfolk.
- The Rock - Every week, new designs and messages are painted onto the six-foot-tall stone situated in Tappan Square across from the Conservatory. The tradition began in 1962, when the largest rocks in Tappan Square were painted one day before Easter. A nearby sign read: “Glacial Easter Eggs Laid by the Class of 1964.” Today, both students and people in the town paint the rock with artwork, personal messages, or political statements.
School Spirit
Oberlin students generally take pride in being conscientious thinkers. As a result, they are always finding new things about the school to complain about. Despite this fact, however, many students harbor a deep pride for Oberlin. Thus, while they may spend hours criticizing it, they will be quick to defend it in comparison with other colleges and universities. The truth is, most students recognize the quality of their college’s academic and cultural life. If Oberlin apparel is any measure of school spirit, a significant number of students routinely don the letters O-B-E-R-L-I-N across their sweatshirts and T-shirts without thinking twice.
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