A FIXTURE ON CAMPUS Claes Oldenburg didn’t go to Oberlin, but his first public commissioned sculpture did, making him an indelible presence on the campus ever since Giant ThreeWay Plug was installed in August 1970. That same year, the college awarded him an honorary degree. Oldenburg died July 18, 2022.
A Letter from the EnviroAlums Steering Committee
COURTESY OF THE ALLEN MEMORIAL ART MUSEUM
EnviroAlums is an alumni affiliate group committed to promoting environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainability and resilience. We are happy to celebrate our 20th anniversary this year. Those least responsible for climate change are the most affected by it. As the world wakes up to the intersectionality of the existential environmental challenges we face, we support Oberlin College in learning and leading efforts to address these challenges. We applaud the work of administrators, professors, students, staff, and alumni to lessen Oberlin’s environmental impact, while striving to demonstrate the viability of a more positive vision of the future. Investment in green buildings, renewable energy, sustainable food, natural landscaping, and the Sustainable Infrastructure Project, and deep town-gown collaboration on
OBERLIN ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2022 SUMMER
climate mitigation and adaptation, teach Oberlin students that there is reason for hope and opportunities for concrete action. We recognize that there are always opportunities to do more and do better. EnviroAlums supports students by supporting Oberlin’s Environmental Studies Program, funding student fellowships to help underwrite internships at environmental organizations, hosting careers in the environment events, and connecting students and alumni with each other for advice, support, and encouragement. In 2002, Carl McDaniel ’64 coordinated a group of other founding members to create EnviroAlums. Thanks to the foresight, enthusiasm, and generosity of several generations of steering committee members and many donors, EnviroAlums has an endowment that, along with ongoing fundraising
campaigns, supports our ambitions. We invite other alumni to join us in enhancing environmental initiatives at Oberlin. Get involved by visiting our webpage at www.oberlin.edu/alumniassociation/groups/enviro. Sincerely, The EnviroAlums Steering Committee Abe Kruger ’04, Chair and Michael J. Lythcott ’70, Vice Chair Susan Bernat ’97, Krista Egger ’04, Walt Galloway ’69, Aviva Glaser ’04, Cria Kay ’16, Jeayoon Lee ’08, Harriet McSurdy ’23, Simon Nussbaum ’02, Elise Paeffgen ’04, John Petersen ’88, Michael Rossotto ’84, Paul Safyan ’68, Molly Samuel ’04, Howard Sinclair ’22
7