To entice you to join the festivities, we’re including some more snippets from your classmates’ profiles.
John Logigian wrote: “During Winter Term in Washington, D.C. in a cold January 1973, I was interning for Oberlin's Congressman Charles Mosher when I grabbed my classmate Deborah Wise who was also interning at the Capitol to make a random lunchtime run over to the Supreme Court to observe some of the proceedings. After a few minutes, I began to realize that Debbie and I were in the presence of history as one of the Justices started reading its decision in a case whose name we did not catch. What was the case name?............it was just Roe v Wade. After listening for a few more minutes, I turned to Debbie and whispered 'I think this could be on tonight's news'. Little did we know....”
How Oberlin, and especially Winter Term, gave us opportunities to try out many new things: Cindy Brown did, to her chagrin: “I don't know why I thought this was a good idea, but there was a famed figure skater on campus during my time there, and I decided to commit body and spirit to becoming skilled at something I had never tried. Dragged myself to the rink every January morning. Despite her tutelage I ended the project with bruises, shame, and a deep knowledge that this was not my path.”
Oberlin for many of us catalyzed our careers. Tom Neuhaus, who will be with us to share his experience pioneering Project Hope and Fairness in the chocolate industry, got his start in food at Oberlin. “I made Baked Alaska for 100+ once in Asia House. Ice cream was made in a snowdrift. Had about 12 servers who all had to douse the desserts with rum at the same moment and light. Fire chief was not invited.” Wayne Lei recalled: “I remember the Baked Alaska Tom – it was remarkable and lovely memory.”
Oberlin was where some of us found lifetime partners. Glenn ’73 and Lena Orlin, will be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary at her 50th reunion.
Penny Kemler let us know that no matter how far we go from Oberlin, it’s still with us: “I adored Oberlin and cried when I graduated because I didn’t want to leave. During my sabbatical leave last year, while training as an Alexander Technique teacher, I was able to return to Oberlin as a visiting faculty member to help teach the Winter Term project in Alexander Technique. I loved the students who I worked with, and they reminded me so much of my fellow Oberlin students. It was an amazing time for me.”
Rob Edison has vivid memories of a course he took: “My final summer before graduation I took the Introductory Field Geology Course offered by Drs. Powell and High in Powell, Wyoming. There were a myriad of wonderful memories, but two stand out. After hiking up a mountain in Yellowstone Park, the professors led us to a scree slope and told us one of the reasons we came up there was so we could run down on the scree slope, and then they took off running and sliding like a couple of kids! We followed and it was an amazing ride down. On the other occasion we were sitting at the bottom of a cliff in the desert-like setting listening to Dr. High lecturing. I was sitting a few feet away from him when he suddenly stopped talking, leaned over and with a quick flick of his geologic hammer, dispatched a scorpion close to where I was sitting. Thank you, Dr. High!”
