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BIPOC LENSES ISSUE 7

EDITORS NOTE Hello everyone. Before we get into this newest issue of BIPOC Lenses, I wanted to take a second to state this: BIPOC Lenses stands with Palestinians in their fight for liberation and opposes the actions of the current U.S. administration and the Israeli assault on Gaza. BIPOC Lenses centers around POC voices but also strives to fight against colonialism, capitalism, and imperialism. The Israeli assault on Gaza is a genocide. We call for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the occupation of Palestine. If you have a platform, you have a voice. Use it. Interact with social media posts, spread mutual aid, and stand with organizations like Students For a Free Palestine. Go to the protests we have here in Oberlin and challenge the institution we attend. We in the States must spread awareness and use our privileges to fight for Palestinian lives. When reading this issue, please take a moment to ask yourself, "What can I do to help." Though it is only one part of the issue, it is the most important for me. I hope in the future, BIPOC Lenses continues to fight for POC communities and those affected by colonialism, and imperialism. Thank you for reading through this issue, and please join Palestine in its fight for liberation.

Editor-In-Chief

Writers

Models

Nikki Keating

Students for a Free Palestine Joey Tang Marta Reyes ABUSUA

Joel Tang Juwayria Zahurullah Kaylyn Ready Mia Brito Salma Ahmed Michael Varlotta

Artists Michael Varlotta

Photographer Serafina Yan @serafina_luvs_cats

Manager Ella Powell Treasurer Arya Menon

CONTENTS BIPOC LENSES

Issue 7

1 Editors Note 2 Photoshoot Purpose 3 RED 4 Students for a Free Palestine 6 Reclamation 8 BROWN 10 BLUE 12 POC Internships 14 GREEN 16 Profiles-Marta Reyes 18 PURPLE 20 ABUSUA 22 Michael Varlotta 23 COLORS 25 How to Get Involved

Photoshoot Purpose This photo shoot is dedicated to highlighting and creating space for students of color on campus. This issue had models showcasing their favorite colors and asked them why. This issue and photoshoot represent only a fraction of POC students at Oberlin. Instead, this photoshoot is dedicated to showcasing some of our amazing students on campus.

RED Joel Tang

Burgundy is a very sensual and sexual power in the scheme of colors, and to wear it with the subtle dominance of black, allows me the expression of embracing my own sensual power within the juxtaposition of both colors. It's a tried and true method, and although cliche, this color pair allows me to express parts of me I don't often allow myself to be shown. In other words, they are very sexy colors and I feel great wearing them!

Students for a free Palestine Thirty-three years ago, Nelson Mandela stated in an interview that “we identify with the PLO [Palestine Liberation Organization] because just like ourselves they are fighting for the right of self-determination.” Like Mandela and the African National Congress, now heroes of their struggle for the liberation of indigenous South Africans, the PLO was once designated a terrorist organization by the United States. For reasons that lie in the deeply troubled and immensely bloody geopolitical histories of both Israel and the United States, it should be noted that for either state to designate an entity as a terrorist organization is flagrantly hypocritical, and serves only to push the interests of the state in question. Israel’s blatant mistreatment of Palestinian civilians, in complete defiance of international law, would be unacceptable to anyone who saw the reality of the situation. But when opposition to Israeli oppression is labeled terrorism, and criticism of Israel’s prerogative to break international law without consequences labeled hate speech, that historical mistreatment of Palestinians is justified in Western media and Western minds. Of course, for Israel, any Palestinian is a potential terrorist. Like the United States, Israel views Arabs and Muslims as an everticking time bomb – always capable of the kind of violence that necessitates the flattening of buildings and destruction of families in retaliation. We are in the midst of exactly that kind of Israeli retaliation. Palestinian resistance is considered dangerous to Israel no matter the form it takes. Peaceful protest, like the Boycott, Divest, Sanction Movement, is criticized as antisemitic. Armed resistance is unacceptable, it is savage, it is the proof that Israel utilizes unashamedly to justify the continuation of its apartheid regime. Palestinians’ very existence is a threat to Israel’s fabricated history, by which it assigns Israeli Jews greater rights to Palestinian land than the Palestinian families who have inhabited it for millennia. The continued “war on terror” means bombing children in Gaza, or installing hundreds of obstacles for the movement of Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, including checkpoints, roadblocks, and other physical barriers. Palestinians must not be allowed to make a case for themselves, for, if they are, they may end up convincing the world of their humanity. Like any successful colonial project, Israeli existence is built upon fabrications, rewritings of history, and endless erasure. Zionist accounts of early Jewish immigration to Palestine describe the land as neglected, essentially empty, and in need of redemption. The lie that Zionists “made the desert bloom” is not only incorrect, it also further cements the condescending Western view of “the Orient” as the remnants of a once great civilization, which the present-day locals are incapable of preserving correctly. As with Britain in Egypt, the task of redemption in Palestine fell to Zionist colonizers, who had a special connection to the land because of their ancestral ties to its material history. Palestinian material culture has been vastly underrepresented in the far more politically fruitful endeavor of remembering only the Jewish and Israelite sections of Palestine’s past. Furthermore, official state history leaves out the reality of the Nakba, in which the then-aspiring state of Israel intentionally cleansed Palestine of half its indigenous population. This was not a flight, not a willing exit of Palestinians from their homes – it was an expulsion carried out by terrorism and the use, or threat, of physical force. Plan Dalet laid the blueprint for widespread terror and destruction in order to capture Palestine from the hands of Palestinians – though British colonialism meant they never really held it in the first place. Israel has followed in the footsteps of the great settler colonial powers: Canada, the United States, and Australia. It matches all the criteria to be classified as a settler colony, and it is employing the same myths that other settler colonial states were founded upon (remember Manifest Destiny?) to establish its legitimacy as the sole owner of Palestinian land. The global anticolonial struggle, whether it is to be found in Latin America, Africa, Oceania, or the United States, is also a struggle for the liberation of the Palestinian people. The age of colonialism will not come to an end until Palestine is free, and Palestine will be freed only through anticolonialism. Israel’s status as a settler colony, long understood by academics who study the subject and by other indigenous groups, must be acknowledged before its occupation can be combated effectively. Coexistence is a fine thing to strive toward, but peace will never be legitimate as long as it rests upon a colonial framework. That framework must first be dismantled, and reparations given accordingly. Then, and only then, will either group enjoy true and lasting peace.

OUTREACH AND AID

SPREADING AWARENESS AND RESOURCES Use every democratic tool at your disposal to demand a ceasefire. From participating in your local protests to calling on your PM to recognise and denounce the war crimes being committed. For those in Canada, USA, UK, Australia please see link to add your name: linktr.ee/savegaza

Use this QR Code to Find your specific state representatives to contact

Palestine: A Letter to Our Communities Statement on Justice in Palestine: A Letter to Our Communities at Denison University, Kenyon College, Oberlin College, and the College of Wooster

Sign this petition!

iF Charity

The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund

Here are some organizations to get involved with.

Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP)

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) 5

Reclamation Racial equity burns a bright sun among that veiled haze of a shadowed aggression, we speak of a time where living harmoniously is as foreign as those truths we pretend are lies, and these violent attacks upon our communities are considered normal,

ordinary,

and fine.

i toe the line between what is known and what becomes the unknown, to stay on one side homogenous or on the other side, heterogeneous, but no one tells you what to do when you live between both, so, in the spirit of growth, will they let me claim my descent, or will they resent my existence once again? i couldn’t speak the languages spoken a generation ago by my own ancestors, yet i never noticed any differences until society told me so. and when life came for me in the form of violence and hatred, - it was done publicly the system itself wanted me burned and buried beneath a cross and those fists that slammed my world radiant made me patient but lost. and when my pleas to the world fell on deaf ears, my tears and bruises made way for battle scars, cuts and mars i wear with pride, i confide now that they have become my armor, Bouncing off every slur and insult that comes my way. i survive once again.

and after i treat my wounds and suffer my sins in silence, thrown out of my naive innocence to endure the stresses of being too brown, too exotic, too incorrect, to shine. I never understood how so much hatred existed beneath the layers of a society built upon the freedom to choose better lives than previous generations before, but, as it turns out, living life privies us to a truth that my existence is considered Wrong. Abominable Strange. Broken. Different. Revolting.. Problematic. Immoral.. Insane. And in this gilded idea of security and safety in a world far apart from those ideals, I have only found myself a pawn to the habits of the many. day by day I deal with the effects of the violent insanity, and equity feels nothing more than a slip of paper upon a myth of equality hidden far away in a dungeon under lock and key, So for when,

I ask,

will I ever be free?

Joel TC

6 8

BROWN Juwayria Zahurullah

I feel like it’s pretty rare for people to say brown is their favorite color, because it’s just not looked at as a “pretty color”. But I think brown is so beautiful! I love the richness and sweetness it holds, the warmth and comfort of its different hues. Brown is the color of earth, of my family, of me. 9

K A Y L Y N

R E A D Y

My favorite color is blue because it reminds me of the water of the world. Water has always been an inspiration for my movement, as it allows me to express both the intense emotions and the more calm ones. Blue allows for a vulnerability and boldness within the same breath, as does water, as does dance. The sereness of the color makes for relaxation, blue sky, calm ocean, while it also allows for passion of sadness, of dark sea and storm clouds. I think i'm attracted to the versatility blue provides, the same reason I am attracted to the versatility of dance, as there are many different ways to interpret what it means and how that will affect people. The fluidity of the meaning of blue in the context of performance and expression will be a movement quality I hope to bring to my senior show - karada showing December 8th and 9th at 8 pm

からだ

STUDENT RESOURCES

POC INTERNSHIPS Looking for internships for the summer? Here are some ideas

APS/IBM Research Internships for Underrepresented Minority Students

The Leadership Alliance Summer Research Early Identification

Who Is Eligible: Sophomores or juniors from underrepresented racial or ethnic groups with 3.0 GPAs may apply. They must also be majoring in biology, chemistry, physics, materials science, engineering, or a related field.

Who Is Eligible: Be currently enrolled full-time in an accredited public or private college or university in the United States or its territories, as recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Be in good academic standing with a GPA of 3.0 or better.

Pay: $8,000

Pay: $5,040

Deadline: January 31

Deadline: February 1

The APS/IBM internships for underrepresented minority students program provides a 10-week research experience working directly with IBM staff members. These STEM internships take place in: * San Jose, California * Austin, Texas * Yorktown Heights, New York Interns at the Austin lab work on software and systems projects, while students in California and New York complete current lab research projects. Interns can get housing assistance and tailor internship schedules around their school schedules.

SR-EIP offers research training and mentoring to undergraduates who are interested in applying to PhD or MD-PhD programs. Students spend eight to 10 weeks conducting research at one of 30-plus Leadership Alliance member institutions, which include Ivy League schools and historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Student researchers then present their research at the Leadership Alliance National Symposium. This internship offers a stipend and travel and housing expenses.

NBCUniversal Internship Program: In addition to its Summer Fellowship Program designed to attract diverse applicants for internships during the summer prior to graduation, Look up NBCuniversal Careers to finda list of internships to apply to. Who is Eligible: Full-time undergraduate and graduate with current class standing of sophomore or above.

Pay: All intenrships are paid Deadline: Varies

PRO TIP Want more internship opportunities? Need help getting started on your resume, cover letter, etc.?

Visit the Career Center in CELA!

STUDENT RESOURCES

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Minority Educational Institution Student Partnership Program Who Is Eligible: Full-time undergraduate and graduate STEM majors at minorityserving institutions or colleges with large minority student populations may apply.

Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF)

Who is Eligible: Eligibility: Undergraduate and graduate students, as well as recent graduates

Who is Eligible: Current second-year students are eligible and encouraged to apply. Oberlin may name up to five (5) Mellon fellows each year.

Pay: $17 per hour, plus $1,500 for housing and travel to New York

Pay: $4,500

Deadline: January 18

Deadline: February 9

If visual arts are more to your liking, the Met is a place to check. There are many internship opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students who want to pursue a career in a museum. Each intern will be placed under the supervision of a museum staff member and have a chance to enrich their knowledge and skillset, get valuable feedback, and decide on the future direction of their studies and future profession. Students from different majors can apply to the museum’s internship program; there is no requirement for applicants to be art major students in the first place. Your enthusiasm and interest in art are what’s encouraged. You can be a humanities or communications major student and apply for the Marketing or External Affairs Departments to gain the experience relevant to your field of studies. For art student majors, however, the choice of options is understandably more versatile.

Pay: $650-$750 per week Deadline: March 31

Offered through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), this scholarship program welcomes undergraduate and graduate students for a 10-week internship to strengthen their scientific research skills. The program pairs interns with a mentor. Interns can work in 1 of 17 national laboratories, the DOE headquarters, or field offices. They study topics like: * Energy security * Nuclear security * Cybersecurity * Technological advancement Interns train to work at the DOE and other federal agencies. Field trips and business meetings offer the chance for interns to connect with DOE workers. They also complete personal development workshops on time management, communication, and resume writing. STEM internships include travel expenses, such as airfare stipend

The Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program is open to undergraduates in the following fields, disciplines, and majors at the college and conservatory: * Anthropology and Archaeology * Area/Cultural/Ethnic/Gender Studies * Art History * Classics * Geography and Population Studies * English * Film, Cinema, and Media Studies (theoretical focus) * Musicology and Ethnomusicology * World Languages and Literatures * History * Linguistics * Literature * Performance Studies (theoretical) * Philosophy and Political Theory * Sociology * Theater (theoretical focus)

Atlantic Records Internship Program

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute:

Eligibility: Current sophomore or junior; previous internship or work experience

Eligibility: Students must currently be enrolled full time and working towards their undergraduate degree.

Pay: Unpaid If you are an art major student interested in music, you can apply for the internship at Atlantic Records. It is a historic record label that gives an opportunity to understand how a major record label company works and how you can become a part of a huge, multi-faceted, vibrant, and dynamic musiccreating industry. Students can choose the departments they are interested in or participate in different roles: A&R, Artist Development & Touring, Licensing, Marketing, Publicity, Digital Media, Promotion, Sales, Studio Services, and Video

PRO TIP

Pay: $3,750 (Fall), $3,125 (Summer) Deadline: December 1, 2023 & March 1, 2024

CHCI’s Congressional Internship Program runs year-round, offering Latinx undergraduate students the opportunity to work in a congressional office. Typical duties include responding to constituent inquiries, conducting research, and attending policy briefings and congressional hearings. This program offers a stipend and covers transportation, housing expenses, and leadership training.

GREEN Mia Brito

Green has been my favorite color for a long time. It's hard to say exactly why, but I think I just associate green with my favorite parts of nature so the color often feels safe and grounding. Green is the color of the outfield grass on a softball field, it's the color of so many plants and silly little bugs, and is one of the main colors of the Mexican flag. What more is there to like? 15

Marta Reyes

Jonathan Bruzon

French Horn to POC Advocate

onathan Bruzon was born and raised in Long Island, New York up until the age of 12. Although Bruzon was born in New York, his origins are of Salvadoran and Cuban descent. He recalls his childhood on Long Island very fondly. “Huntington has a huge Salvadoran population. Traditionally, we would go to Sunday Misa and then we’d go to a pupuseria after. That would be our tradition every week” says Bruzon. He shares these memories along with those regarding his familial ties. Bruzon spent his childhood with his large family, he provides the example of having 28 cousins just on his mother side. He considered Long Island a hub for his Latino cultural and familial ties. He also has memories about his assimilation into American culture. “I had a lot of friends who were really into video games, that got me really into it. It was especially troublesome for my parents because they couldn't afford Nintendos and stuff like that, but I would often go over to my friend's house and end up playing with them” he explains. Bruzon delved into his American culture as well, his most obvious memory being of gaming culture. Through gaming he fostered friendships and ties to his American side. Despite having such strong cultural representation from both sides, Bruzon still had some difficulty finding his footing in America. “In middle school I remember there was this one racist kid who kept telling me off for speaking Spanish being like, you're in America speak English only” expresses Bruson. He experienced many instances like this in school. He states not only did he experience backlash on his American counterparts but his Latin ones as well. “I feel I had pretty good Spanish growing up, but just the fact that I was American and I would eat things llike Pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers, and all that stuff. Some of my relatives would be like, “El es bien Americano”. It got to a point around middle school and high school where I felt like I wasn't American enough to be considered American, and I also wasn't Latino enough to be considered Latino” he elaborates. Bruzon grappled with the gray area that comes along with being a first generation American. Like many others he was from neither here nor there. He combats these feelings by surrounding himself with those who share similar backgrounds and issues, many of whom he found here in Oberlin. Here in Oberlin Bruzon is a Conservatory student, he specializes in the French horn, an instrument he came to love through his childhood. He first encountered the French horn in his fourth grade musical program, it was then he learned music came naturally to him to the point he could play by ear. The French horn was his third choice of instrument to play, mainly due to the Star Wars theme he was played by the instructors. Bruzon has not stopped playing the French horn since then.

Marta Reyes

Kimberly Rodriguez Arroyo

From la Isla del encanto to Small Town Oberlin

imberly Rodriguez Arroyo was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico but is a native of Guánica. She resided in her hometown, often referred to as the “paradise of eternal summer", for five years. During her time there, she completed Kindergarten, took part in cultural activities and formed relationships with others.

Eventually Arroyo relocated to Cleveland, Ohio in June of 2009 with her mother, joining her aunt and cousins who were previously established there. She began kindergarten at Scranton Elementary School, despite her previous education due to her lack of English knowledge. However, Arroyo learned English fairly fast, ironically her most vivid memory of learning the language did not include an official classroom setting. “The lunch ladies actually helped me learn English faster, I would point at the food I wanted and they would tell me how to pronounce it” reflected Arroyo. Despite her difficulties with the language she found herself integrating into her new home. One of the ways she accomplished this was through school activities, in particular a dance program. She found comfort in a program designed to teach children various cultural dances. Although her transition into the U.S took on a positive outlook she states her experience as a child migrant was affected by many factors outside of schooling. A primary factor that shaped her experience was the vast distance between herself and her relatives. She had to attempt to foster relationships with those back home through sparse phone calls. Arroyo was not able to return to Puerto Rico until age 12, nearly seven years after her arrival to Cleveland. She describes the opportunity of returning home and rebuilding relationships as a difficult task. “It was hard because I felt I wasn't ready to go back, because at that point I knew nothing about my grandparents. My conversations with my dad would be really short on the phone, so my relationship with my family wasn’t really there or as strong as I wanted it to be” she explained. She elaborated on the effort it took to build a relationship off the few memories she had before leaving the island. Since then all of her summer trips have been heavily family oriented, she dwells on the memories she has created of meeting family members, beach days, and birthdays. Spending time in Puerto Rico always leaves a bitter taste because despite everything she is forced to leave her family and return to Cleveland. “Leaving home is always difficult, Puerto Rico is vibrant and coming back here feels dull in comparison” illustrates Arroyo. Arroyo is now a second year at Oberlin and is a potential double major in Latin American Studies and Geoscience. She aspires to travel Latin America, learning about the different cultures and history, including a heavy emphasis on community based work. She is motivated by her cultural background and the multiple natural disasters that have ravaged Puerto Rico. Hurricane Maria and the powerful earthquakes that have been occurring since January of 2020 have had a profound effect on her aspirations. “A lot of people in Puerto Rico, including myself, live in fear of experiencing massive earthquakes. Seismology would allow me to help

the community understand what is going on, and hopefully help develop homes that are adequate enough to handle these earthquakes. Which would overall help avoid displacement of the island’s natives” expressed Arroyo. Arroyo continues her love for community work in Oberlin as part of La Alianza Latinx (LAL) board as program coordinator. “I joined LAL because I wanted latines to know there is a community here for them”. As part of the LAL Arroyo fosters Latine unity on campus through dozens of events catered towards creating a safe space where students can feel welcomed and seen. “As a Latina who migrated here from Puerto Rico and learned to create a space for herself, I want to ensure everyone has the opportunity to do just that. I want them to take advantage of the opportunities they have here while keeping their communities close to their heart” emphasized Arroyo.

18 19

PURPLE Salma Ahmed

I've chosen purple as my color. To me, purple embodies dualities. It's fluidity—a harmonious blend of colors and worlds, a symbol of synergy. Purple is a balanced mix of femininity and masculinity, feminine and masculine desire. It's the hue of the lavender haze bounding me and my lover. Purple is the color of the "wreaths of violet" and the Lavender Menace. It is the color that destroyed my hair. It is the shade of a day-old bruise on every skin tone. Purple is the color of my room's LEDs when I'm having a solo dance party. It is the color of the sky during a beautiful sunset, briefly liberating. 19

A Petition

ABUSUA

Bring A House Lunch Back To Oberlin College and Conservatory administration, Board of Trustees, and Oberlin students: On Sept. 15, 2023, ABUSUA held a community meeting to discuss issues around campus. A big issue that was discussed was AVI Foodsystems. Relating to Afrikan Heritage House, we found these to be the biggest issues: 1. The main priority that we would like to discuss is lunch in A-House. In our 2020 demands, we asked for Campus Dining Services to offer more meals catered to students of color. In our demands, it was agreed upon that this was a temporary measure contingent on the pandemic; however, it was also stated that we would be in constant communication. We did not have any communication directly with AHouse or ABUSUA about possibly losing this staple. This year, Black students are battling communication issues in all departments, and it has become evident that administrators do not understand how important it is to communicate issues with students, especially those who live in intentional spaces and are the minority group on campus. Lunch in LordSaunders’ dining hall served more than just A-House, and was an option for all South Campus students. While we know dining is not perfect, students are forced to overcrowd the other options on campus and not have a closer option on South Campus. We would love lunch back or to discuss compromises such as Friday dinner, etc.

2. With that being said, we need more staff! A huge reason why lunch and dinner are low in numbers is because there is not enough staff to ensure that students are tapping. In Stevenson Dining Hall, there is a staff member near the sign-in who will literally follow anyone who enters without swiping in. If the administration doesn’t respect A-House, neither will students, and it has shown in our numbers. Aside from people not tapping, our consistent staff is cleaning up later than staff at other dining halls because there are so few of them. They are overworked and because of that, we as students get the short end of the stick. We are hoping that you would consider giving A-House more Black staff such as Ms. Erica and Mrs. Katreena. We know that the process for picking is based on seniority; however, in a safe and intentional space, we are asking for staff members who look like us and understand the food that is being served. Also consider giving Mr. Eugene a raise or a higher title because he has been pivotal in the community, ensuring that we are happy, and getting the things that we need. 3. In addition, the menu needs consistency. The menu doesn’t accurately reflect the African diaspora. We would love to discuss the recipes that y’all are using and try to make this better for students. It is great to have a space that reflects our food, but it should not be done lazily and research must be done into our culture. Also, like any other dining hall, the menu online should reflect what’s being served and what’s on the menu display.

4. Language and what you say is important. We have heard from many incoming students, parents, and AVI staff members that “A-House has good fried chicken on Sunday.” You may not see this as a problem; however, there are huge undertones when you say this! A-House has more than fried chicken, and we are more than that. This goes with having low attendance at other times — when you don’t promote our lunch and other dinner recipes, how do you expect to get more students? Instead, you could say, “A-House is both an intentional learning and living environment that has a dining hall attached to it with amazing food catered to the African diaspora.” We are the only dorm that does a high amount of programming and activism on campus and it is horrible to hear both your staff and students only attach fried chicken to Black students.

through the mobile order app or put it on social media. These problems are exacerbated when it is cold outside. 6. Lastly, we just ask for respect. AVI had a meeting in Saunders Lounge and, maybe they didn’t realize it, but they were occupying space without thinking about the community they were in. Students see AHouse as an intentional and cultural space, so to have non-Black staff occupying that space with no warning is rude and can be triggering. Please advise staff members to not do that if possible. ABUSUA would like to continue future dialogue with the Oberlin administration on forming a better relationship between students of color on campus and AVI.

5. A big problem for all South Campus students is the lack of dining on our side of campus. We are separated from all things when it comes to programming and dining. A-House needs dining hours back. Think about it like this: we have to walk 15 minutes for food, and once we get back, the food is cold. There is a rush hour during lunch, so students have to choose whether to eat and wait in line or starve. In addition, as mentioned earlier, if the menu is not accurately reflected, students are walking to North Campus and then are disappointed when they don’t get the meal they expected. AVI could send an announcement

Sign the petition and share with your fellow peers!

Michael Varlotta

COLORS

Michael Varlotta It is so important to have spaces on campus that uplift and bring together students of color, creating an environment where we can be ourselves--unapologetically. Within those spaces, it is also important to center joy, which this photoshoot certainly did! The theme of "colors" brought us together in a fun and vibrant way, reflecting the diversity of our community.

How to get Involved

Join our Mailing list for Photoshoot Information, Writing/Art Submission and more!

BIPOC LENSES

BIPOC Lenses is an Oberlin Student-run magazine that unites many different POC organizations under one publication to showcase the beauty, talent, and art thats students of color create on campus.