NOVEMBER 18 2016

OBERLIN’S ALTERNATIVE STUDENT NEWS SOURCE READ ONLINE AT THEOBERLINGRAPE.COM

Editors-in-Chief

Content Editors

Copy Editors

Ellie Tremayne Caspian Alavi-Fllint

Hannah Jackel-Dewhurst Andy Goelzer Taylor Slay Isabel Klein

Hannah Tobin-Bloch Luke Fortney Patrick McCabe Cecilia Wallace

Production Editors Jessica Moskowitz Mikaela Fishman Leora Swerdlow Natalie Hawthorne

November 18th, 2016

Web Editor

Photo Editor

Caro Fernandez

Emma Webster

Staff Writer Kameron Dunbar

A MESSAGE ON EXPRESSION, SCREAMING FULL ON, AND LOVE Hello Oberlin Community.

While we usually aim to write silly editor and chief(s) letters, these past two weeks have made us feel as though everything of that nature seems extremely trivial and unimportant. So for this issue, we want to reach out to the community and remind everyone that we here at The Grape want to be a platform for student’s voices that feel like they are going unheard and actively work against systems of oppression that manifest themselves in things like media sources (!!!).

A lot of people blame this election on the media, which made us all think, here in the

office with burping Ellie and whining Caspian, What does that mean for us to be a tiny fragment of that media? Do we even matter?

Does anyone even care? All we can do right now is continue to exist (especially since rn we are on a hunt for an advisor, hmu 4 ideas) and try our hardest to reach out and find those stories and words that need and deserve to be heard right now.

That being said if The Grape can be a support or resource for your organization/ides/ self right no, please reach out to us (thegrape@ oberlin.edu). Use us. Take us like a wet noodle, throw us around, inject us with syringes full of important, expressive content.

We are angry, scared, hurt, we feel you Oberlin, we feel the bleeding of the world right now, and want to use whatever teeny-tiny media power presence we have to fight. Time and time again we will remind you how the Oberlin review, in a rare moment of unintentional flattery, called us a “warm ball of wax.” Think of us like a piece of putty (the kind people with aversions to tape buy from staples to stick newsprint posters of bands and pictures of fish to their walls), we are very stretchy, malleable, we are your stress reliever in your

sweaty palms.

Scream at us! Make Oberlin open their beady eyes, wipe the scratchy I-am-anintellectual spectacles of your friends and enemies, make them see, Oberlin isn’t only just about poop jokes!

Regardless of whether you want to write for us or not, and regardless of the ways in which you cope with the stresses of our time, we are sending out lots and lots of love (especially those targeted by the worst kinds of hate right now). Also thank you to our staff who have managed to work through all of this, unwavering, you’re work is always appreciated and admired.

Much Love, Caspian + Ellie

EST. 1999

LEGAL JARGON AND DOG-WHISTLE RACISM OBERLIN ANNOUNCES KAREGA’S DISMISSAL WITH CHARGED EMAIL

By Jake Birsein Contributor

The email that was sent out to the student body on the night of November the 15th informing us of Dr. Joy Karega’s dismissal was seen to many as a blatant example of the institutional racism at the heart of Oberlin. With only a quick read, the email appears to be a simple recognition that a professor violated some fundamental responsibilities of Oberlin faculty members, but, upon closer analysis, another story is told. What follows is a rhetorical analysis of the email, using tools once taught in Karega’s Rhetoric and Composition classes.

The original text is in italics.

The Oberlin College Board of Trustees, after extensive consideration and a comprehensive review of recommendations from multiple faculty committees and Oberlin President Marvin Krislov, has voted to dismiss Assistant Professor of Rhetoric and Composition Joy D. Karega for failing to meet the academic standards that Oberlin requires of its faculty and failing to demonstrate intellectual honesty.

The dismissal is effective Tuesday, November 15, 2016.

As a Board, we agree with President Krislov and every faculty committee reviewing this matter that the central issues are Dr. Karega’s professional integrity and fitness. The only thing this statement says is that everyone involved agrees that this is a question of integrity and fitness. While taking

no stance on the question. We affirm Oberlin’s historic and ongoing commitment to academic freedom. The use of a non-sequitur here creates the improper contradiction between Dr. Karega’s professional integrity and academic freedom.

During this process, which began with Dr. Karega’s posting of anti-Semitic writings on social media, Dr. Karega received numerous procedural protections: she was represented by counsel; She presented witness testimony, documents, and statements to support her position; and she had the opportunity to cross-examine witnesses testifying against her. The timeline of events here is incorrect and creates the impression that Karega created said posts, the process began, and then she was fired. This will be examined more fully below.

The faculty review process examined whether Dr. Karega had violated the fundamental responsibilities of Oberlin faculty members – namely, adherence to the “Statement of Professional Ethics” of the American Association of University Professors, which requires faculty members to “accept the obligation to exercise critical self-discipline and judgment in using, extending and transmitting knowledge” and to “practice intellectual honesty.”

Contrary to this obligation, Dr. Karega attacked her colleagues when they challenged inconsistencies in her

description of the connection between her postings and her scholarship. Karega’s described actions do not run contrary to the obligations stated above. Again, we see an improper conflation of professional ethics and Karega’s actions. Further, this claim is deeply rooted in racist tropes from the 30’s portraying the angry black women, or “sapphire,” as belligerent. She disclaimed all responsibility for her misconduct.

And she continues to blame Oberlin and its faculty committees for undertaking a shared governance review process. The mystification of Karega’s critique of the process here invalidates her claims. It is intentionally made very unclear exactly what she is blaming here.

For these reasons, the faculty review committees and President Krislov agreed on the seriousness of Dr. Karega’s misconduct. Indeed, the majority of the General Faculty Council, the executive body of Oberlin’s faculty, concluded that Dr. Karega’s postings could not be justified as part of her scholarship and had “irreparably impaired (her) ability to perform her duties as a scholar, a teacher, and a member of the community.” This is one of the most problematic sections of this loaded email. The counsel concluded that Karega’s postings on Facebook are not part of her scholarship. Ostensibly, that means that her scholarly fitness and honesty

cannot be judged from Facebook posts.

The second part of the sentence is drawing a hypotheses contrary to the assertion that they just made. So, the posts don’t count towards her scholarship yet they irreparably impaired her ability to perform her duties as a scholar. This is all despite the fact that the posts in question were posted starting from January of 2015. The Tower article came out February 2016, a year later. To say that the postings irreparably impaired her ability to perform duties discounts almost a full year of performing her duties as a scholar, a teacher, and a member of the community.

In the face of Dr. Karega’s repeated refusal to acknowledge and remedy her misconduct, her continued presence undermines the mission and values of Oberlin’s academic community.

Thus, any sanction short of dismissal is insufficient and the Board of Trustees is compelled to take this most serious action.

This email is loaded with misleading rhetoric, calls upon racist tropes, and fatally contradicts itself by the end. Whoever wrote this was either a lawyer trained in the art of rhetorical deception, or someone who desperately needs a lesson from the Rhetoric and Composition department.

That it is left unsigned shows, cowardice or thoughtlessness, but either way, the lack of accountability is telling.

3

THE GRAPE

BEFORE SAYING, “EVERYONE SHOULD GET AN IUD”

By Ellie Tremayne Co-Editor-In-Chief

If you haven’t heard, since Trump’s win, there has been a call for everyone to get IUDs before his inauguration. This is a precautionary tactic, assuming that access to contraceptives in general (but especially long acting reversible contraceptive or LARCs) is going to drop significantly in the near future. I honestly (kind of mostly) agree with the sentiment, it’s hard to not go into panic-mode considering all the unknowns that face sexual health in this country. I get it, LARCs are heavily underutilized, lobbied against and therefore underfunded in this country already.

Trump’s election means that access to all contraceptives (including the pill, patch, shot, and implant) are at risk, so the general idea is that getting an IUD means that you are covered contraceptive wise for the entirety of his presidency. Even as access dwindles, your little plastic friend will keep doing its job.

IUD stands for intrauterine device, it is a small t-shaped device made of flexible plastic that is placed into the uterus. Is is over 99% effective in preventing pregnancy (!!!). There are three kinds of IUDs available right now, first is Paragard, also known as the copper IUD. Paragard is *very cool*, it is non-hormonal and lasts up to 12 years. The second type is Mirena which releases a progestin hormone (levonorgestrel) at a slow rate and lasts up to 5-6 years. The last is Skyla, also known as the mini-Mirena, which releases the same hormone and can last up to 3-4 years.

Make no mistake, I am a fan of IUDs, I just want to caution people against using ableist, cissexist language and making assumptions when making these calls to action. First of all, most of the articles discussing this refer to the audience that they are speaking to as ‘women’. The equation of “women’s healthcare” with everyone who can get pregnant and everyone with a vagina is trans-exclusionary and ableist. Not everyone who can get pregnant is a woman, and not all women can get pregnant!

Here are a few more things to think about before saying that everyone should get an IUD: 1. ACCESSIBILITY RIGHT NOW IS ALREADY REALLY HARD FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE. Almost all insurance plans cover IUDs (yay Affordable Care Act woo!), but some still don’t. It costs around $1,000 (depending on the type you are getting) without insurance. A lot of places including Planned Parenthood have sliding scale options that allow people with greater financial need to pay a lower price, but it can still be a lot of money for people who don’t have insurance, or whose insurance does not cover contraceptive care. It is really, really important not to assume that this is a possible option for everyone, obviously lower-income folks. ** It is important to note that IUDs are very cost effective, meaning that the upfront cost is obviously pretty huge, but considering the amount of time that it works for, it eventually becomes one of the most affordable methods of birth control. ** IUDs also require a certain level of touching of one’s own body. It is necessary once a month to reach up inside of the vagina toward the cervix and check that the two string that hang down are still in place. If an individual has discomfort with touching their body this can be a huge issue or a deal breaker in thinking about getting an IUD. It is also important to remember that it is a medical procedure that requires dilation of and insertion of the device in the cervix, which also is not something everyone is comfortable or okay with.

NOVEMBER 18TH, 2016

4

2. HORMONES CAN BE HARD FOR A LOT OF REASONS Hormones can be a lot! There is no real way of knowing how one’s body is going to react! There can be no perceivable change, there can be minor changes, adverse changes to what you may expect, major changes; literally everyone’s bodies are so different. Some people know their bodies or may have pre-existing hormonal conditions that mean that they cannot handle any introduction of progesterone into their systems. Also, although Paragard is non-hormonal, most people do experience heavier periods and cramping. This can also mean that for people taking T it may make their periods return, which can be dysphoric and highly undesired for some people.

3. STERILIZATION AND GENERATION TRAUMA The United States has a long history of forced sterilization of incarcerated people, Black and brown people who can give birth, and of neuro-divergent people.

Forced sterilization laws against neuro-divergent people, then called “undesirables”, were ruled constitutional in 1927, and not overturned until 1942. After World War II, 30% of Puerto Rican people who could give birth were sterilized by

“MAKE NO MISTAKE, I AM A FAN OF IUDS, I JUST WANT TO CAUTION PEOPLE AGAINST USING ABLEIST, CISSEXIST LANGUAGE AND MAKING ASSUMPTIONS WHEN MAKING THESE CALLS TO ACTION.” 1965. In 1970, the Nixon administration funded largely non-consensual sterilizations of low-income people, especially people of color. It is estimated that as many as 25-50% of Native American women were sterilized between 1970 and 1976.

Depo-Provera, also known as “the shot”, a form of contraception still available today, has long been tied and utilized as a tool in the eugenics movement in the United States. Obviously this is a huge overview of, like I said, a long, long history of forced sterilization, but this point is that sometimes a lack of access doesn’t even have to do about monetary access, it’s also about generational and transgenerational trauma. Generational trauma is the concept that trauma is transferred from one generation of survivors to the next. Forced sterilization leaves behind a history of and continues to perpetuate trauma, so if you are someone who does not have those generational histories, it often becomes easier to be able to freely consider any type of contraceptive or sterilization.

If you are interested in getting an IUD while at Oberlin, you can make an appointment at the Planned Parenthood in Lorain by calling (440) 242-2087, or by going online to plannedparenthood.org. The SIC (Wilder 203) gives free rides to Planned Parenthood, or any clinic in the Cleveland area, just send us an email at sic@oberlin. edu around a week before your appointment.

I DON’T EVEN KNOW ANY MORE A POLITICAL COLUMN

By Emma Davey Contributor

I signed up for this political column with the hopes of reporting on the farce of this election, which I assumed would come to somewhat of a close on election night. Donald Trump and his supporters obviously weren’t going away, but I thought that America would show that despite all of its flaws, love trumps hate. We all did. The data all but confirmed a Clinton presidency. I woke up on Tuesday with a hopeful feeling. I campaigned for Hillary. Beyoncé and Jay-Z campaigned for Hillary.

Throughout my years at Oberlin, I have grown less and less satisfied with America and its history of racism, genocide, colonialism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia. But I still had hope.

I thought that America was better than this. I thought we were going to elect the most qualified person in history, who just so happened to be a woman. She would be a champion for us, and build on Obama’s legacy. In her place, we elected the man who started the birther movement.

It’s my job to be good with words, and I’m at a loss. Anger, grief, shock, disgust. Those are just a few. Fear, anxiety, disappointment. Fuck fuck fuckity fuck. That’s about as eloquent as I can get.

I have many thoughts and they are circling my head in nebulous, angry clouds. I’m thinking of my grandma, who told me that she had never felt so threatened by a home-grown demagogue (including Joseph McCarthy and George Wallace).

I’m thinking of my grandpa, a Mexican-American who did not fight in World War II just to see someone who said that Mexicans are rapists become president. I think of all the kids I worked with this summer who were excited about LGBTQ rights and gun control, and who plotted to overthrow Donald Trump.

You will be reading this a little over a week after I write it, which is the day after the election. I don’t know what will be happening then.

I can only hope you’ve found some sort of peace, some sort of lifeline to cling to. I hope you are safe. As for me at this moment, I am crying. I

cried when I went to bed last night. I cried when I woke up. I’ve shown no signs of stopping yet. I had food poisoning a couple days ago, and I felt better then. I am scared for the future, but I am a white, wealthy, straight, cisgender female. I will make it out of this. Not unscathed, not whole, but I will find a way. For my friends and peers who are people of color, Muslim, LGBTQ+, immigrants, undocumented, or any of the other numerous people who are scared shitless, I’m sorry. I’m sorry this country failed you. I am here for you. I will fight for you.

To the people who voted for Trump, once again you’ve prioritized the privilege and safety of rich white men over that of marginalized communities who need it most. For you, the worst thing that would have come of a Clinton presidency is that you would have paid a little more in taxes each year. For everyone else, a Trump presidency amounts to death threats and deportation. It’s hate crimes and oppressive laws. Your life was not on the line. For people who sat this election out, do you still think you don’t have a voice? For the people who voted for a third party, especially in swing states, how’s that revolution going? Was your desire for political purity really more important for the steep price we all must pay?

Grape readers, I don’t really have anything particularly profound or intellectual to say. I don’t have any groundbreaking analysis for you.

Trump inspired millions of people who felt cheated, and they turned out and voted. He spoke to their fear. I know deep down in my heart that love trumps hate, that the arc of the moral uni-

verse is long but it bends toward justice. Martin Luther King Jr. said that to us in the Oberlin commencement speech of 1965, imploring us to fight against racial inequality. If you haven’t read that speech, do it. It’s incredibly poignant for our current situation. I also want to take a moment to recognize that racism is not just found in the hearts of Trump supporters. America was built on racism, and that is a fact. If you’re white, no

“I HAVE NOT LOST HOPE. I CANNOT LOSE HOPE. I CANNOT BE COMPLACENT. TRUMP WANTS A NASTY WOMAN? I INTEND TO BE THE NASTIEST FUCKING WOMAN I CAN BE.” matter how good your intentions are, you have racial biases and preconceived notions. That’s not something we need to feel guilty about because guilt is a useless emotion. Learn from it. Fight against it. This is one of the best times and places to do it. Oberlin is a place of change and passion.

I know something good can come out of this. I know we won’t take this lying down. I have been comforted by the kindness I’ve seen at Oberlin, from professors, administrators, and students, but I am still scared. I have not lost hope. I cannot lose hope. I cannot be complacent. Trump wants a nasty woman? I intend to be the nastiest fucking woman I can be. Whoever you are, I hope you get nasty too.

5

THE GRAPE

A TOURIST IN OBERLIN

A VISIT TO THE FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT HOUSE

By Jordan Joseph Contributer

I’d like to preface this by saying that I’ve never written a column before, I’ve leaned on one, but that was irrelevant.

This column will be an exploration of Oberlin as a city and a place. I’ll explore places on campus that were otherwise unknown or scarcely known and also showcase the city of Oberlin.

It came to my attention that many first-years and even some fifth-years barely venture outside the confines of their own dorm rooms. That’s all well and good, but if you do decide to experience the great unknown then this is the column for you. I will tell you biweekly about some of Oberlin’s hidden gems. Stay tuned.

For this week’s column I decided to tell you about my excursion to the Wright house. Yes, Oberlin if you didn’t previously know, has a house that was designed entirely by Frank Lloyd Wright. The house can be found at 534 Morgan St. On a fall day a week back I thought it would be nice to tour the house on its last open house of the season. I gathered myself and walked along as leaves covered the streets and drifted, without a thought, to the

NOVEMBER 18TH, 2016

6

ground. It was a bit further away than I had imagined looking at Apple Maps, but well-worth the walk. I cut down Prospect St. and walked along Morgan.

I passed a large field and then hung a right on Morgan St. The large glass house sat unobtrusively on a patch of grass. It could have been anyone’s house, but it was designed by a famous architect. The house is referred to as Weltzheimer House or Johnson House.

I was forced to take my shoes off or wear booties as I entered. I walked into the foyer wearing Yik Yak socks as the tour guide explained, “The house was originally owned and commissioned by the Weltzheimer family, and was designed by Wright in the Usonian style of design. After the family sold it to developers and scarred Wright’s original design, Oberlin Art History professor Ellen Johnson purchased the house. She left it to the college upon her death.”

I glanced around the living room and noticed the high ten-foot ceilings and the plate glass windows. Light flowed in like water. The house was a pleasantly cool temperature even

though it was noticeably hot outside.

The tour guide explained that the house was designed to be warm in the winter and hot in the summer. He also explained that the room was meant to feel open and expansive in one area and cozy in another. Miraculously, Wright actually achieved this. In one part of the room, I didn’t feel confined or claustrophobic at all, but the other part seemed to feel like a reading nook.

I wandered the hallways and noticed

“LIGHT FLOWED IN LIKE WATER.” that the owners must have loved books because there was a full-length bookshelf running at least forty feet along the hall. Each part of the house had a purpose. Furniture was at times built in, whether it was a desk, or a bed, or a chair. Wright also maximized space available by using some items of furniture for multiple purposes.

Example: an ottoman became a footrest or a chair. The Usonian

style was meant to save money after WWII and was characterized by using materials and workmanship from the area. Wright also minimized cost by only having the essentials. He made the house with a flat roof, instead of slanted because it was cheaper.

He also made the communal space serve multiple purposes to lower construction costs. The living room serves as a dining room, gathering place, party space, etc. Wright’s house in Oberlin gave me a glimpse into the past and allowed me to be transported into a period of architecture I would’ve never otherwise experienced on that fall day. I encourage everyone to check it out before they graduate. Make the walk, take the tour, and write your name in the ledger to prove you’re worldly and cultured.

“MAKE THE WALK, TAKE THE TOUR”

INTERVIEW WITH DAUGHTER OF AIAH WE CAN NOW KNOW OF THEIR ART, BUT NOT OF THER IDENTITIES

By Chloe Falkenheim Contributor

Daughter of Aiah has been around for months, unknown to most of Oberlin College society.

Initially, they were timid about their controversial artistic statement. But they realized they owed it to the world to rise forth.

They have released three tracks: “Cereal and Soymilk,” “Mudd Fourth Floor” and most recently, “Empty Communal Shower.”

We recommend you listen now at: HTTPS://WWW.DAUGHTEROFAIAH.BANDCAMP.COM This band is highly private, not revealing their identities and hoping the art speaks for itself.

In fact, they don’t even know each other! They collaborate over a private google doc under code names. They refused to answer these interview questions anywhere other than a google doc.

WHO IS THIS “DAUGHTER OF AIAH?” She embodies everything the band stands for.

Rizpah, Daughter of Aiah, was one of King Saul’s concubines. “Rizpah” means “a hot, or baking stone.” Rizpah was known for taking fastidious care of the deceased. We were inspired by her eternal grief. Music is a healing force, and we wanted to help heal her metaphorical spirit.

HOW HAS THE BAND STARTED AND EVOLVED? HOW DID Y’ALL MEET? WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START THE BAND? We have to thank the gear co-op for inspiring us to begin our band. The gear co-op spawns oodles of musical genius. Also goddamn are they fine. Granted, we do not use any traditional instruments such as the ones offered in the co-op. But regardless, they gave us the idea to start a band.

The idea was ripe in our minds, and we were excited. But then King Saul, whose concubine we named the band after, came to each of us in our own individual dreams and threatened us. We can’t tell you more. I’m sorry.

WHAT INSPIRED THE SONG, “MUDD FOURTH FLOOR?” We strolled down the hallways of this floor, the quietest library floor. The studiousness in the students’ faces deeply moved us, and aroused our cerebrums. We then pondered the question: “what is the significance of silence?” We felt a fierce peace.

Fourth floor of Mudd is a peaceful sanctuary in the midst of a loquacious, rambunctious society.

College students move at an especially speedy pace indeed, which can wound the soul. Where else in the hasty whirlwind of an Oberlin student lifestyle can you find this quiet respite?

We realized that silence is the perfect antidote to many of our world’s ills; we created this track to advocate for that silence.

However, if everyone “chills” in the fourth floor, we need to remember that we are still is to remain silent.

No funny business! So perhaps more library floors could be open for this? Who knows, the possibilities are endless. Oh, imagine what society could be!

Some say that it is difficult to be in the fourth floor, but we recommend they go and accustom themselves to the noise of their one thoughts and the pleasant yet piercing quality of the quietude.

cepted as actual music, we need to differentiate types of silence. Silences are infinities, and there are differences between infinities.

YOU WERE VERY MUCH UNDER THE RADAR FOR AWHILE. WHAT MADE YOU EMERGE FROM THE RADAR? The radar was quite stifling, but we escaped it. We simply realized that we could not make an impact on the music and on the world while under a radar. We decided to rear our charming faces.

What made you decide to use the metronome in the background of “Mudd Fourth Floor” and “Cereal and Soymilk”?

At first we were experimenting, trying to make historical musical advancements by autotuning silence. It didn’t work, then we accidentally turned on our music editing software’s metronome. It was quite serendipitous.

The metronome could mean many things. In Mudd Fourth Floor, the ticking away of time. The noise of one’s brain when emerged in complete silence. The noise of society.

In “Cereal and Soymilk,” the steady ticking of time in mundane moments. The amount of time in life is dedicated to mundane moments. Or alternatively, the preciousness of those moments.

“AVANT GARDE AND EXPERIMENTAL AS FUCK!” -JOHN CAGE’S GHOST

HOW WOULD YOU COMPARE “MUDD FOURTH FLOOR” TO JOHN CAGE’S “4’33”?

We are honored that you would compare us to such a composer. But we don’t have a score. This is literally just a recording of silence. Also it’s distinctly the silence of fourth floor, which has its own cultural significance, rather than being a reflection on silence in general.

Silence is so fascinating. The rests in music can be some of the most poignant parts. Is music the notes themselves, or the silence between the notes?

But for the progression of silence as being ac-

7

THE GRAPE

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE YOU JUST RELEASED “EMPTY COMMUNAL SHOWER.” WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO MAKE THIS TRACK? Harkness is an Oberlin icon and legend.

Harkness has a reputation for being the most “Oberlin” part of Oberlin, in a bad way, though we are still not yet sure what that means. A significant part of that reputation can be attributed to its communal showers. But the showers are underappreciated themselves as entities.

They lack appreciation by outsiders and Harkness residents themselves.

Of all of our tracks, this our most straightforward to understand without an explanation. We want the art to speak for itself, so we will shut up now.

HOW DO YOU FEEL YOU MADE AN IMPACT IN THE WORLD? It is our strong belief that inanimate objects and dead spirits have feelings. The great Mahatma Gandhi once said that “first they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” So far people are either ignoring or laughing at us. That is the impact we have made on the world.

Some are angry, but we think they just feel guilty. They know that inanimate objects are worthy but don’t want to admit it.

NOVEMBER 18TH, 2016

8

COULD YOU SPEAK TO WHY SOME STUDENTS FIND YOUR MUSIC GRATING? Our music is meant to be a force of disruption. It is supposed to make you question your worldview, making you uncomfortable but in a good way.

WHY HAVE SOME STUDENTS BEEN BROUGHT TO TEARS BY YOUR MUSIC? We don’t really know why they were crying.

We like to think they were touched deeply. Or maybe they were sad the extent that intellectualism has become so detached from reality. But we disagree.

MY FRIEND WANTS TO COVER YOU FOR WOBC’S COVER BAND SHOWCASE. No. NO! NONONONO! Just no.

WHAT DO SCHOOL AUTHORITIES SAY? DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF TO BE REBELLING AGAINST THE ESTABLISHMENT? AGAINST THE MAN? Krislov actually praised us. He said: “Daughter of Aiah is a perfect example of how Oberlin students don’t just think outside of the box... there is no box in the first place.”

But some of our (former) fans don’t like that. They think that by Krislov praising the

idea of the lack of box, he is co-opting the concept of a “lack of box,” so we are still in that box. They want us to be truly against the establishment, the box.

We want to make a stance and break the ground, but we’re not trying to take down Oberlin or anything. We’re going for a subtle, intellectual, infiltration, like a mold colony slowly dominating a loaf of bread. We love the Oberlin environment that has allowed for such music excellence, and love contributing and morphing that excellence.

Thank you.

“GREAT FOR WHEN YOU JUST WANNA KICK BACK AND PONDER EXISTENCE, YA KNOW WHAT I MEAN?” - REUBEN GIFFORD, OBERLIN CLASS OF 2019

CORPUS CHRISTI AN INTERVIEW WITH THE DIRECTOR

By Emily Jacobson Contributor

Em Westheimer (they/them/theirs), a fourth year theater major, sits down in Decafe to discuss the play they’re directing, Corpus Christi, which goes up November 17-20. The interview begins with us trying to remember the difference between “theater” and “theatre,” but no definite conclusion is reached.

G: For those who don’t know, could you give a super short summary of what to expect to see in Corpus Christi?

E: It’s a play about the birth, life, and death of Jesus Christ, who was born in a modern day Corpus Christi, Texas. As a young trans girl, she’s tormented, although she finds companionship in a cisgender lesbian Judas. Finds herself, finds some disciples, gets in big trouble, and the rest is history.

G: What compelled you to choose this play?

E: I was trying to find something to do (I want to be a director in life) and I

wanted to do something queer, I guess.

I was reading through Terrence McNally who’s a gay playwright. I always do a read through of a play where I assume everyone’s trans, so when I read Corpus Christi… a bunch of stuff about the story of Jesus was suddenly illuminated to me. I was raised Catholic so I have a really weird relationship I guess (as anyone raised in a religion I think does) with God, sexuality, spirituality, and destiny.

G: How has the rehearsal process been?

Any greatest struggles or triumphs?

E: The rehearsal process has been really super awesome actually. At this point, it’s a huge cast, and it also has to have a certain number of designers and other people involved. On one hand, it’s a lot of people just to all have a plan for or asking you for answers to questions, but on the other hand it’s been such an immense honor to work with all of these people. I’ve been beyond lucky. I’ve had a lot of crappy ex-

periences with theater at Oberlin, and this has been the total dream. There’s the stress of doing a show, but it’s the same as anything; we’ve had a great time in rehearsal and I’ve made some awesome friends.

G: Is there anything particular you’d like your audience to get out of the show?

E: I feel like there’s a lot of confusion and people get really down about being confused and not having complete answers to everything, and a lot of this play is about how there can be so many things that are true at the same time. We all just have a ton of stuff in us or whatever G: What has it been like directing this play in the department?

E: It’s been good for the most part, the department’s been really helpful. They’ve been great. It’s always like some envelopepushing, but they’re in a place where they’re over it. Maybe that’s thanks to Ms. Caroline (the head of the Theater department). In a lot of ways I think it may

have been more difficult to do it through OSTA; it’s a huge undertaking. At this point there are maybe over 30 people involved – I don’t know the exact number.

The set designed by Dean Grosbard is just something really unique that we haven’t seen in Little Theater in at least our time here, so we’re really excited to try it out.

G: If you were playing a disciple, which would you be?

E: I would want to play Judas. (They laugh) We do some really really awesome stuff with Judas, some really nuanced stuff. Naomi Greenspan is playing Judas and she’s killing it. And all the disciples are killing it, tbh. We have a really amazing community that we’ve created and everyone is expressing something really stunning.

CORPUS CHRISTI PLAYS IN LITTLE THEATER NOV. 17, 18 & 19 @ 8PM AND NOV. 19 & 20 @ 2PM. TICKETS CAN BE BOUGHT AT CTS IN HALL AUDITORIUM 12-5PM OR ONLINE. CONTENT WARNING: We explore a lot of really dark themes - the cast and crew have been handling them with incredible emotional care. There are instances and depictions of physical assault, domestic violence, sexual assault, and “gay bashing”.

9

THE GRAPE

L P S DI

O N O R N R I E B G H T T A F G A N ON I C A

NOVEMBER 18TH, 2016

PHOTOS BY NAOMI LANGER

10

FREEDOM FROM FEAR

WE OBIES AT GIBSON’S NEED TO BE THE CHANGE

By Taylor Slay Commentary Editor

What kind of experience can Oberlin students of color expect shopping at Gibson’s Food Mart and Bakery in downtown Oberlin on a Wednesday afternoon in 2016? Well just last week a chain of events occurred leaving the Oberlin community more visibly “black and white” than usual: four students of color arrested; three charged; two bystanders turned responders; one beaten; all of them victims of racism on personal, institutional, and systemic levels. These students may have journeyed to Oberlin to further their studies in an environment of community and labor, but what they’ve found in this experience (as have many before them) is the undiluted truth: Oberlin is an American town in a nation divided between progressively moving forward and aggressively perpetuating the past.

Or present, as many including myself would argue since we do not actually live in a post-racial, colorblind society. The elections of 2008, 2012, and now 2016 have shown us the deep-seated role racism plays in every sector of American life and, by consequence, many of our global conditions. As complex as the issues of

race and racism may be, this semester, Oberlin College has put together a Think/ Create/Engage series attempting to have a conversation on “The Framing of Race.”

As I’ve listened to these speakers discuss the importance of diversity on campus, there still seems to be an important component of racism left unaddressed: How do we deal with racism in the spaces we might occupy outside of the class and dorm rooms? What do we do when it is made clear that the goal of diversity and inclusion proposed by Oberlin College is not shared by influential members of the Oberlin community with whom we are in unavoidably close proximity?

The incidents of this past Wednesday moved the entire community and some outsiders in more ways than one, and the result was somewhat a reflection of the sentiments represented in the 2016 presidential election: those who want to bring awareness to and end tolerance of racism; those who hold racist attitudes, racist behavior, and are encouraged by the racist views of others; and those who are comfortable enough not to get involved and legally aren’t obliged to. These groups were all represented in America as the 2016

president-elect became Donald Trump, and they have been present on W. College Street since last week, protesting racism and boycotting Gibson’s; assaulting and antagonizing patrons of color and inviting white supremacists; and driving by with

“WHEN WILL WE LEAVE THE RACISTS IN THE DARK ABOUT OUR STRATEGIES AND EQUIP OUR MINDS, BODIES, AND SPIRITS WITH MEASURES OF RESILIENCE?” both hands on the wheel staring straight ahead or walking swiftly by avoiding eye contact, respectively.

As the days of protesting at Gibson’s have grown longer, counter-protesters have showed up in support of Gibson’s at the store and on social media in an age-

old attempt to show oppressed people of color and their allies that money talks in this white man’s world and that our lives don’t matter. Recognize that non-white supporters of Gibson’s are weighing in too. Everyone that is skin to you, ain’t kin to you and self-hate and coonery have led some people of color to run to the white supremacists side even when their own familial ties were at risk, all for the sake of assumed safety or wealth. These tactics have been rooted so deeply in American history that they elected Donald Trump to be the next President of the United States despite the facts that the popular vote went to Senator Hillary Clinton and Trump insulted almost every marginalized identity a voting/ non-voting American resident can have. Even with the support of many establishments and citizens of Oberlin for the students affected by this incident, they continue to be discredited by the Oberlin police department and other friends of the Gibson family who want the store to be impenetrable. Or so it seems.

11

THE GRAPE

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE The questions that I have for this moment result from my reflections over the recent grassroots movements that have tried to address issues of police brutality, environmental protection and sovereignty, and changing the new world order. These movements may have gained media attention and publicity, but what have they done for the communities they are trying to protect besides make them seemingly more vulnerable? Once people wake up, what have we established to keep them breathing?

To the Oberlin community members hoping to rid the town of the white supremacist Gibson family store and the racists who post up there, what happens when another racist establishment moves into the storefront and takes their place? What happens when the police department corroborates their story at the expense of another person of color who might be victimized inside or outside of their store? Where is the forethought on how we as people of color will increase our defenses as well as our offenses? When will we leave the racists in the dark about our strategies and equip our minds, bodies, and spirits with measures of resilience?

At the end of the day, the issues of race and economic status being addressed by Oberlin students and town members in this instance and others are being taken on across the country and have been for many years. What will it take for the oppressed to abandon the oppressors and be the change we seek?

Don’t be afraid to explore new ideas of existing and thriving. Freedom from fear comes when you realize that there is nothing and no one on this planet to fear but fear itself.

NOVEMBER 18TH, 2016

12

THOUGHTS IN THE WAKE OF LAST TUESDAY

By Luke Fortney Copy Editor

Upon realizing that Donald Trump would win a majority of Ohio’s votes, I was forced to come to terms with the fragility of the Oberlin political sphere. After months of exposure to a liberally saturated social media space, I had assumed that the aftermath of Tuesday would be a primarily blue Senate and electoral map. It would welcome in a new age of possibility for civil rights reform, party definition, and hope for a time in which the previously unlikely were capable of becoming president. (As it happened, this latter goal was still accomplished, though perhaps not in the way that I had hoped.)

In the days preceding November 8th, the question was not of Clinton’s victory, but of how early in the evening she would secure 270 electoral votes so that we could dip into the NextGen tab at the Feve.

Flash back a week to November 1st.

A friend was telling me about how well Hillary was polling/performing in early voting. He piled on support for the certainty of a Clinton election, and at a point I blurted out, “I think Trump may win.” Now, my friend is a politics major and I study English literature, so there was a power dynamic at play that made my argument, in the moment, impossible and, in retrospect, prophetic. I asked if it was possible that the polls could be misled by the fact that Donald Trump was downright repulsive. No doubt, a significant portion of Americans have no qualms with, and take a certain pride in, publicly claiming Him (a recent grammatical addition to his 100 Day Plan) as their messiah, but there are certainly others who lack the social positioning to do so.

Because liberal America has branded Donald Trump supporters with an identity that is due at best to hyperbole, and at worse to an oversight of privilege,

it should not come as a surprise that the polls showed Hillary Clinton leading by a safe margin. When conservatives cannot not piece themselves into the mold that liberal America has created for them -- that Trump supporters are somehow subhuman, vaguely rural, grossly misinformed, and largely uneducated -- a contradiction emerges that suggests not only that the individual is incompatible with their beliefs, but also that we are incompatible with them. The capacity for expression cannot exist in this framework, and by consequence, conversation falls by the wayside.

I remember watching coverage of the election and remarking, when a woman voiced her support for Donald Trump, how mutually exclusive the two identities seemed to be. I reacted violently, wondering how any sane woman could be brought to support a candidate who had perpetuated misogyny with such versatility as to be called creative. But the woman on screen went on to share how delighted she was to see that Donald Trump had begun to poll ahead. For her, a Donald Trump victory meant that a majority of Americans viewed him as a valid candidate and that she could publicly support him without apprehension, as a small business owner of professional self-annihilation.

The disappointment of the moment, for me, was less that her small business would almost certainly collapse within the next four years of American economics, but more that at the time of her confessing her political beliefs it was far too late to engage in conversation. She had voted, and Trump was winning.

Somehow in this identity crisis of a night, Oberlin came to mind. As Oberlin students, we must critically consider why our response to the conservative presence

on our campus and in our nation is mobilization in mass, the intent of which is often invalidation masked as discourse.

If we approach conversation with the credibility that is supplied by belonging to a majority (on this campus, liberal ideology), rather than by taking the time to investigate our beliefs and develop convincing and compelling opinions that deviate from social scripts, we are not only doing a disservice to ourselves, our campus, and our nation, but to the individuals we engage with.

It is time to bring attention to the subconscious intentions we may harbor in interacting with those who differ ideologically from us -- to enter conversation with the intent of teaching one another, as I have already heard so many individuals express the desire to do with relatives at the Thanksgiving dinner table, is to patronize their experience, their opinions, and their humanity. It is time to step down from our imagined pedestals, humanize “racist Uncle Jim,” and investigate with open minds, when we can bring ourselves to, why our friends, family, and neighbors have put their faith in Donald Trump. It is time to separate shame and politics, so as to dismantle a political climate in which individuals, who in their mind feel just as disenfranchised by modern politics as we do, cannot voice their opinion UNTIL ELECTION DAY. To encourage and benefit from silence is to risk the possibility of an eight-year presidential term.

It is not our responsibility to ensure that others understand our perspective or that we understand theirs, but it is our responsibility, as Oberlin students, to try when we can.

DEALING WITH A TRUMP PRESIDENCY

By Jordan Joseph Contributor

I was sitting in the third floor lounge of North when Donald J. Trump gave his victory speech. That night I had gone from anticipating a Hillary win, to hoping for a Hillary win, to weeping for the future of humanity. I don’t want to be overly dramatic by calling a Trump presidency (ewww I can’t believe those words are part of the same phrase) apocalyptic and cataclysmic, but I believe it is and it will be. I knew leading up to the election how bad Trump would be as president and I thought anyone in their right mind knew that too, but I was blinded and mistaken. I underestimated just how many people out there weren’t able to rule out fake news stories and wade through tweets to find the truth the media put out. The truth is, Donald Trump had no idea what he was doing when he ran, and he put together a platform to reinvigorate racist, homophobic, and xenophobic sentiments in this country. I had no idea that people would conveniently overlook his past indiscretions including: alleged sexual assault, racist tweets, hate speech, affiliations with Vladimir Putin, and flip-flopped opinions to focus on what they cared about more: defeating Hillary.

Now, Hillary wasn’t the messiah and she came with a political record, but at least that was a mostly positive record. Could the Democrats have picked someone with a less controversial past? Yes, but people and the media would have still scrutinized their every move. What I learned from this election is that Trump got by because he didn’t commit any one faux pas. He committed a whole slew of them, and because of this each prior one was easily forgotten by people who wanted to forget them. Hillary’s sole fault was her private email, which should have just resulted in minor outrage, but instead, the media ran with it. The media took Hillary’s email controversy and blew it way out of proportion because they literally couldn’t find anything worse. That says something about Hillary and Trump as candidates. Hillary had so few things to be ashamed of that the media was forced to dwell on one thing and, because of the coverage it received, no one forgot it.

I’m not saying that the media was the only reason Trump was elected. He was elected because of a fucked up electoral college system. He was also elected because of advances in medical treatment. No, seriously. If the election had taken place forty years ago, many people who voted for Trump (the over 65 voting bracket1) wouldn’t be alive to do so. The crux of the problem is that people who were older were more excited about this election, and, because of that, our generation will pay dearly. The older, over 65, voters won’t have to deal with the ramifications of their actions, but we will. We grew overly complacent and confident in a Hillary victory.

Some voters were also jaded because of the DNC’s supposed vendetta against Bernie.

Trump’s supporters came out en masse because they knew that he had almost no chance.

We, supporters of Hillary, didn’t because we thought she had it in the bag. No one considered the consequences of a Trump presidency until after it happened because pollsters and the media never thought it would happen.

We now need to face the reality that our next president will have no leadership experience aside from running a TV show and ordering Chris Christie around. We have to fight for issues that affect us. We have to stop global warming by becoming activists and petitioning companies to be greener. We have to write to the future conservative Supreme Court and hope that the popular sentiment sways them on issues we care about. We have to support people who will be demonized by Trump supporters and disenfranchised by his policies. We have to voice our grievances through protest and voting. In the next election, we have to revitalize the Democratic Party like never before and elect a democrat to every possible position. We have to prepare for the worst possible outcome because this is the worst possible outcome. I’m not saying we should start stashing food and prepare for WWIII, although that is a possibility, but I am saying that we need to make the government a government for the people again. Voting isn’t the only way to effect change. Lobby, protest, petition, and protest again. Keep surviving through the next four years of hell.

1

87% of voters over 65 years of age were white and 58% of white voters voted for Trump. It was this voting demographic that gave Trump incremental wins in states like Florida and Pennsylvania.

13

THE GRAPE