Oberlin College Bonner Center for Service and Learning 145 West Lorain Street Oberlin, OH 44074

Bonner Center For Service & Learning Spring 2010 Newsletter, Volume XIV, ISSUE 2

Greetings from the Director....

It has been an exciting year thus far in 2010. We moved to our new location in Daub House (145 W. Lorain St.)
over the holiday break in December, and our staff members are enjoying the more central campus location - if
you have not yet had a chance to come check out our new digs, please do stop in and visit! As you will read,
there are many activities going on linking campus and community. I would like to mention the excellent work of
Claudine Brenner (OC ’09), our AmeriCorps*VISTA, who has done an excellent job this year forging a new
collaboration with Second Harvest Food Bank and training 16 students to assist those seeking social services
through the Ohio Benefit Bank. (www.obb.ohio.gov) Nice work, Claudine, and many thanks for your service! Beth Blissman, director

Community Based Learning by Emma Chapple

how the college is getting involved in the community with its academics

For many, a liberal arts education can be an isolating experience. Students spend four years in
their classes, tackling the great questions of human existence, but don’t necessarily know what’s going
on in the community down the street. Community Based Learning (CBL) aims to bridge the gap
between the potential isolation of academia and involvement in the local community. The Community
Based Learning program encourages teachers to develop CBL classes, and also gives teachers support
to help them connect with the community. Beth Blissman, Director of the Bonner Center for Service &
Emma Chapple Learning, and Faculty Outreach Coordinator for Community-Based Learning Initiatives says that “there
has been a great increase of community-based learning courses in the last decade, from 10--12
courses per year around the turn of the century to 26 courses offered in the 2009-2010 year.  We are thankful for the dedication,
innovation and creativity of our faculty members; it is wonderful working with them.”

Each year Oberlin College offers over 25 CBL courses that cover a broad range of subject matters. The community-based aspect of the
classes varies according to the subject matter and goals of the course. In classes like FYSP 165: Feeding the World, a First Year Seminar,
students examine issues of population, food production, the history of agriculture, the green revolution, and genetically modified foods while
serving at the monthly food distribution at Oberlin Community Services. All of the CBL courses bring students into closer contact with the
broader community of Lorain Country. Yolande Cruz, who teaches BIOL 031, Health Careers Practitioners, says, “Working in the community
is crucial to our practicum, which focuses on how medical professionals can be of service to the human community in general.” The
practicum applies the study of biology in a way that is not found in lectures or labs. According to Cruz, “the local community offers a venue
which mimics in miniature the larger communities that our students will eventually serve, should they decide on pursuing medical careers.”

CBL classes give Oberlin students hands-on experience and the tools to make better connections with the community. Gavin Palmer has
taken the Community Service Practicum and Studies in Electoral Politics. While he thinks that students need personal initiative to connect with
the town, he also says, “CBL classes connect students with people and organizations in the community and give them the tools to build on
those relationships.” Many students who have taken CBL classes feel that these courses have helped them connect with the world outside of
the Oberlin bubble and prepared them for life after Oberlin. On her studies Electoral Politics class Robin Baird says, “It’s one thing to talk
about it in the classroom, but actually going out into the field pushes me to turn that knowledge into action.” By giving students practical
experience in their area of study, Community Based Learning adds another dimension to the students’ understanding of the material.

Each year Oberlin adds more Community Based Learning classes to its curriculum, as teachers develop new ways to expand education
out of the classroom and into the community. As the list of CBL courses grows, so does the breadth of opportunities for the college and the
town to come together in one united community.

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 Oberlin College Bonner Center for Service and Learning

Cole Scholarship Experience by Robin Baird

an editorial about the Cole Scholarship experience

This year, I was chosen as a Cole Scholar through the Oberlin Initiative
in Electoral Politics. This scholarship entails taking a class this spring
entitled Studies in Electoral Politics, working as an intern on a political
campaign this summer and writing a research paper in the fall based on
my summer experience.
Robin Baird
For two hours each Wednesday night, myself and the other 13 Cole
Scholars for this school year meet to discuss a specific aspect of political campaigns in the United States. Interacting with
other students dedicated to politics has helped me gain a better understanding of what motivates citizens from a variety of
backgrounds to act and vote the way they do. Although much of the Studies in Electoral Politics class is discussion based,
we also engage in activities aimed at helping further our understanding of the intricacies of the political process. These
activities have ranged anywhere from crafting the campaign strategy for a national election to asking a donor for campaign
money as a candidate for the local city council. These group projects allow the class to put what we have discussed to good
use, helping us realize the difference between theory and practice.

Keeping the practical aspect of the Studies in Electoral Politics class in mind is crucial for our summer spent working on
campaigns of varying size and character. As Cole Scholars, we are guaranteed to work on our respective campaigns for a
full two months, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. This intense work schedule means that we will have to adjust quickly to
the work environment and be prepared to perform tasks that may be completely unfamiliar to us. Our in class and on-the-
spot presentations have thus far been excellent simulations of these possible work scenarios.

The process of choosing a campaign to spend my summer working on has been difficult. The difficulty has mostly come
from the frustration of having candidates that I have been excited about dropping out of races that are important to me. The
Cole Scholar program is an incredible opportunity to work on the political campaign of your dreams without having to
worry about the financial hardships attached. Because of the uniqueness of this opportunity, I have felt great pressure to
choose a race wisely. Choosing wisely, however, has translated to hours online desperately scanning political blogs and
politicians’ websites in an attempt to find The Candidate. In my mind, The Candidate is my version of Aladdin’s diamond in
the ruff; a charismatic leader with pure intentions to make the lives of those they represent better. Ideally, The Candidate
would be more concerned about their constituents’ well being than party politics, and because of my interest in education
policy, would have a strong background in education reform. However, discerning the personal character of a candidate in
North Carolina for example, from my desk in Fairchild dorm is difficult. Thus, the process is slow going.

Within the next few weeks I hope to solidify my plans for the summer. Living in a new city where I will most likely not
know anyone else is slightly scary, but immersing myself completely in a campaign will be more than worth it. The skills I
have attained through the Studies in Electoral Politics class combined with the in-class activities will prepare me well for this
rigorous internship. My summer on the campaign trail, however, will be my biggest and best learning experience of all.

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Oberlin College Bonner Center for Service and Learning 145 West Lorain Street Oberlin, OH 44074

Friendship Day Festival by Adah Hetko

an initiative for a day of international peace and community

One day Reverend. Greg McGonigle, Oberlin’s Director of

Religious and Spiritual Life sent me an email suggesting that I
contact Jafar Mahallati from the Religion Department about his
plans for something very intriguing. When I went to meet with
Professor Mahallati, over Persian tea, he explained to me his
vision, which he calls Friendship Day. Friendship Day is a
national holiday celebrating the radical potential of friendship to
build interfaith, intercultural and international community, and
peace.

Professor Mahallati had already sent a proposal to several

congress representatives and gained their support for the idea.
The proposal was even sent off to President Obama’s office.
Rather than waiting on it to be approved officially, we figured Friendship Day Festival organizers from left: Reverend Greg
that Friendship Day could start in Oberlin. Professor Mahallati
McGonigle, Fajer Saeed, Adah Hetko, Naila Paul, and Professor
had already arranged for a world authority on Rumi, Dr.
Abdulkarim Soroush, to deliver a speech on April 8th, and from Jafar Mahallati
that the date for Friendship Day was set. And so I, a first year
with no event planning experience, was given the opportunity to
work with Professor Mahallati, Reverend McGonigle and fellow
students to organize a celebration for a holiday in its infancy.

On the big day, April 8th, following Dr. Soroush’s wonderful

talk “A Call to Friendship: Rumi’s Perspective”, the audience
moved to Carnegie Hall for the Friendship Day Festival. An
eclectic mix of about approximately one hundred Oberlin
Students, faculty, community leaders and high school students
gathered for the festival. It began with a welcome by college
first-year Fajer Saeed, and the Oberlin Acapelicans singing Pete
Seeger’s “All Mixed Up.” This was followed by a short speech by
Professor Mahallati on the origins of Friendship Day. Bonner
Leader David Fisher, from Oberlin College Hillel, shared an
anecdote connecting community service to the Jewish value of
environmental stewardship. Grace Aheron, of the Ecumenical
Christians of Oberlin, lead the audience in a nesting meditation.
Storytellers Aries Indenbaum and Dan Redwood
Syed Abbas Mohsin of the Muslim Student Association gave a
theoretical Muslim perspective on the importance of friendship.
The mood became deeply personal as Aries Indenbaum, the
instructor of the Storytelling Exco, shared her moving experience
of meeting, loving, and losing a friend. Lastly Reverend.
McGonigle offered a closing statement, inviting the newly formed
community to a reception.

Many visitors were leaving with their own interpretation of

exactly how to implement these new ideas of radical friendship.
Staff members chatted by a table covered with gorgeous Persian
calligraphy pieces incorporating the word “Friend”. Behind them
were writings on the topic of friendship that were collected by the
Oberlin College Dialogue Center. Meanwhile, “The Bearcubes”,
a student band inspired a group of my friends to start swing
dancing! The push for a national Friendship Day continues in the
form of the Friendship Initiative. For more information, feel free to
email me at adah.hetko@oberlin.edu. Persian Calligraphy by the Persian Calligraphy Exco

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 Oberlin College Bonner Center for Service and Learning 145 West Lorain Street Oberlin, OH 44074

Dr. Seuss Day by Matthew Brown

Promoting Local Literacy

Every year America Reads and the Bonner Center for Service
and Learning (Bonner CSL) host a Dr. Seuss day event at the Oberlin
Public Library to coincide with Dr. Seuss’s birthday, March 2nd.  This
year, the event was held on March 7th and was attended by over two
hundred local Oberlin kids and their families, about fifty volunteers
and performers, and Oberlin community leaders.  “The goal of Dr.
Seuss Day is to promote literacy in fun and exciting ways through
events that focus on reading, writing, or word play,” commented
event planner Andy Frantz, the Education Outreach Program Director
for the Bonner CSL. 
Musical performances included the Black River Belles (above),
Some of this year’s highlights included: musical performances by
OSteel and the Black River Bells, circus acts performed by OCircus, two a cappella singing groups from Oberlin College, and the
face painting, mask making, free popcorn provided by the local PTO, steel drum band OSteel.
and a free book for each kid in attendance.  One of the main
attractions to Dr. Seuss day is a reading of Dr. Seuss stories by
prominent members of the Oberlin community, a role held in recent
years by dignitaries including Oberlin College president Marvin
Krislov and U.S. Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur.  This year, Geoff
Andrews (Superintendent of Oberlin Public Schools), leaders of the
local PTO, and the Director of the Oberlin Early Childhood Center all
lent their voices. 

Helping Andy plan Dr. Seuss Day was Sophie Schacht (OC ’10),
the America Reads site liaison for the Eastwood Elementary, who
spent her Winter Term organizing the event, sending out invitations,
publicizing, and finding special guests and volunteers.  “It was great
to see everything turn out so well.  Everyone liked the performances,
the guest readers did a wonderful job, and all the kids and volunteers
seemed to be having a great time.  I even got the whole Oberlin
College softball team to come out and run a temporary tattoo
booth,” replied Sophie when asked to give her take on the event.  Special guest readers including Mary Meadows (above) and
Adding to the ranks of volunteers were two new partnerships with Geoff Andrews entertained children with books by Dr. Seuss
Oberlin High School and a local Girl Scout troop. “We always have
and others.
a lot of success with getting Oberlin College students to come and
help out, but it was great to get more local students involved in
running the event,” responded Andy when asked about the new
partnerships.

      For next year, both Andy and Sophie hope to get the Oberlin
community more involved in Dr. Seuss Day through more volunteer
partnerships and more publicity in local schools, churches, and public
meeting centers.  Sophie particularly hopes for more of the kids she
tutors with America Reads to join the event, “We always get a lot of
kids who are children of Oberlin College faculty to come, but I would
like to see more kids who are not affiliated with the College attend as
well.”  Finally, Andy would like to thank the Oberlin City School
District for their generous contribution, “This grant allowed us to
purchase books to give away, rent costumes, and buy materials and
decorations.  Oberlin Schools have been a great partner to work
About 200 children and their families attended Dr. Seuss Day,
with.”
enjoying mask making (above), face painting, fishing for words
      For more information about Dr. Seuss Day or about America and other activities.
Reads, feel free to contact Andy Frantz by phone at (440) 775- 5386
or by email at Andy.Frantz@oberlin.edu. 

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 Oberlin College Bonner Center for Service and Learning 145 West Lorain Street Oberlin, OH 44074

Celebrating a Winter of Service

by Walta Yoseph Looking back on the winter term service

Winter Term falls between Oberlin’s Fall and Spring semesters.

Students are expected to complete a project in order to receive credit.
Students must complete three full credit projects in order to graduate.
These projects are expected to be be academically rigorous, experiential,
and rewarding. Each project must have a sponsor, whose job is to help
the student propose a Winter Term project that meets the expectations.
The goal of Winter Term is to enable students to pursue interests outside
of Oberlin’s regular course offerings and extra curricular activities. Some
students stay on campus, while others travel around the world. This past
January, regular reflection dinners were held at the Bonner Center for
Service and Learning (BCSL) for students whose projects were sponsored
by the BCSL. The BCSL sponsors Winter Term projects that are heavily Dylan Rees speaking at the Winter Term Celebration Dinner
involved in community service and civic engagement. At these reflection
dinners students had the chance to get to know each other and talk about their various projects.

At the beginning of Spring Semester, the BCSL had a Winter Term Celebration Dinner in Peters Hall. A number of students that
participated in community service oriented projects gave presentations on their projects. Emmanuel Magara, Allison Mayer, Dylan Rees,
Tessa Cruz and David Fischer, and Rachel Luczkowski and Tim Krumrieg presented on their Winter Term projects.

Emmanuel Magara traveled to Penang, Malaysia to work with Community AIDS Service Penang (CASP). CASP is a shelter for homeless
people who suffer from HIV/AIDS. Most of the residents could not speak English but, Emmanuel was well versed in Chinese. His time there
sparked his interest in joining the fight against AIDS. In regards to his time there, Emmanuel said “The experiences I got by living outside my
comfort zone helped me see life through a different lens. I feel no academic setting could have taught me the things I learned.” Emmanuel
also commented on the striking similarities between Malaysia and his home country, Zimbabwe, which made Malaysia feel more homey and
welcoming.
Allison Mayer spent her Winter Term working with Northern Greyhound Adoptions (NGA), which is a greyhound rescue in St. Albans,
Vermont. NGA rescues retired racing greyhounds from racetracks before they are euthanized and places them in permanent, loving homes.
As an intern, Allison learned about the daily operations and management of a breed rescue organization and assisted with animal care,
adoption counseling, data input and organization, and education programs. Allison also completed a major project for NGA by transferring
all of their paper adoption records into an electronic database. Allison’s internship at NGA relates to her previous service, and future career
goals. She has worked in animal shelters and humane societies for 15 years, and is interested in pursuing a career in animal welfare.

Dylan Rees served at The Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC) office in Toledo, OH. FLOC is a social movement and a labor
union that serves migrant workers in the agricultural industry. Dylan worked on a database for the FLOC that will be used for fundraising
purposes throughout the year, and help FLOC hire more organizers for the summer. Dylan also taught Spanish-language computer courses
to migrant worker clients. His degree of involvement with FLOC campaign, and the willingness of the FLOC staff made his experience
meaningful, and he has since then realized that solidarity and the struggle for justice is an all-encompassing and lifelong endeavor.
Rachel Luczkowski and Tim Krumrieg worked at the Oberlin Heritage Center as Preservation Interns. They preserved artifacts, and
worked with collections, while doing local research. They are both interested in future careers in museums and preservation, so the
internship was a perfect match. They attended a conference in Indianapolis, through the Heritage Center, where they where they got to
meet professionals in the preservation field. They were also able to help the staff accomplish tasks that would not get done otherwise, due to
the limited number of staff members. The entire experience was rewarding to them because it provided valuable insight into where their
future careers would lead them.
David Fisher and Tessa Cruz, along with six other students, traveled to Mevo'ot Hanagev High School located in the Negev desert in
northern Israel. Mevo'ot Hanagev High School is a school dedicated to the environment, society and humanity, and caters to students from
6th grade to 12th grade. This trip served as a pilot trip with the hopes of establishing a regular project. The work they did mostly involved
teaching English and teaching kids what Oberlin did to reduce its impact on the earth. At one point they got to help students with a project
they were doing called Long Term Environmental Research. The project was a country wide project that involved students observing a
section of land over four years to see what the effect of climate change on the land would be.
These Winter Term projects, and others, provide opportunities for intensive and unusual educational activities which might be difficult for
students to undertake otherwise. Winter Term projects that are community service oriented promote valuable interactions between students
and members of the global community, and are necessary to build a stronger social infrastructure, and a better world.

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 Oberlin College Bonner Center for Service and Learning

Exciting Events This Spring!

The BCSL staff implemented several fantastic events this spring to help get
students excited about service

Spring into Service

Saturday, April 24th from 1pm-5pm.
Teams of student volunteers were sent to 16 local non-profit agencies
to engage in active work in the Lorain County. This first annual event
was a success, bring in 70 students to connect with the community.

End of the Year Celebration

May 4, 2010 from 5pm-7:30pm
Location: Science Center Atrium
Oberlin students presented their community service work on posters Immerse Yourself in Service, a Bonner CSL mini-grant recipient,
and awards were given to honor those that have contributed to the presents their work at the End of the Year Celebration poster
civic engagement of Oberlin College. It was a lovely time, and we presentation reception
hope you enjoyed it, too! Couldn’t make it? Be sure to attend next
year!

The Big Parade

May 8th at 12pm
An amazing event planned by various community partners, the Big
Parade includes elementary and middle school children from Oberlin,
as well as various college groups and civic organizations. All
participants prepared art, dance, and music pieces to acknowledge
the community's rich and vibrant spirit.

Beth Blissman,, Bonner CSL Director, presents the Community

Coming Fall 2010... Service Work-Study Award to David Fisher, OC ’12 at the End
of the Year Celebration
The Community Connections Fair
September 16th, 2010 from 4-6pm.
Location: Wilder Bowl
Rain site: Science Center Atrium
There will be representatives from local non-profits looking for
students that are willing and ready to get involved and connected
with the Oberlin community.

Students peruse community partner and student organization

tables at the Community Connections Fair on Wilder Bowl.

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