The Weekly

This week's show is a special episode about Juneteenth, made up of segments by The Weekly team: Nina Auslander-Padgham, Eric Schank, and Casey Troost. First, Nina and Eric present a segment on the Oberlin Juneteenth festival, how it is different this year, and address potential town and gown tensions as more students participate in the parade. Afterwards, Nina Auslander-Padgham interviews Annessa Wyman, an Administrative Assistant at the College, about her personal involvement in planning Juneteenth festivities for the last decade. Finally, Casey Troost's segment is on the history and meaning of Juneteenth with interviews with African American locals: Ms. Margaret Christian, honoary Juneteenth board member and local historian; featured poet LaTonya Fenderson Warren; Valerie Lawson, chairperson of the Juneteenth executive board; Adenike Sharpley, professor of Dance at Oberlin; and Shelley Shepard. This episode originally aired on WOBC Oberlin, 91.5 FM, Oberlin College and Community radio at 3:00 pm EST on August 2nd, 2021.

In this episode, The Weekly's co-hosts Jaimie Yue '22 and Owen Anderson '23 chat with Reggie Goudeau '23, the opinions columnist from The Oberlin Review, about his recent Opinions article about kneeling during the national anthem and his experiences with Oberlin administration. Reggie's article was originally published in The Oberlin Review on June 11, 2021. The next segment is Nina Auslander’s interview with Ruth Hardy, Vermont state senator and Oberlin alumnus, class of 1992, about her political career and life during the pandemic. This episode originally aired on WOBC Oberlin, 91.5 FM, Oberlin College and Community radio at 3:00 pm EST on June 28th, 2021.

In the first episode of the summer semester, The Weekly's hosts Owen Anderson '23 and Jaimie Yue '22 feature an audiojournalism project from Casey Troost ‘22. Casey interviewed three Oberlin alumni for her final project in Rhetoric 402: Tutoring Lab. Casey’s interviews focus on the alumni’s post-Oberlin lives and how their jobs as Writing and Speaking Associates benefitted them after graduating.

Content warning: This episode contains discussion of anti-Asian racism and gun violence.

In this episode, "The Weekly"'s co-hosts Jaimie Yue '22 and Owen Anderson '23 have a conversation about Jaimie's newest article for The Oberlin Review about the Asian Cultural Arts Festival that occurred on May 5, hosted by the recently rebranded Asians in America Alliance (AAA) and the importance of AAA as an identity and political student organization. Later on, Jaimie's interviews with Elise Steenburgh '22 and Amber Scherer '21 for the article are broadcast. Jaimie's article was originally published in The Oberlin Review on April 30, 2021. This episode originally aired on WOBC Oberlin, 91.5 FM, Oberlin College and Community radio at 1:00 pm EST on May 10th, 2021.

In this episode, "The Weekly"'s co-hosts Jaimie Yue '22 and Owen Anderson '23 chat with Zoe Martin Del Campo and Khalid McCalla, the sports editors of The Oberlin Review, about the columns they ran in the section this year, including “Zoe and Khalid Advise Everything.” The next segment is the extended cuts of Zoe and Khalid’s column debates. The first centers around the question, which would you rather fight: a shark in the ocean, a lion in the savanna, or an alligator in the swamp? Next is "The Great Tendie Debate," and finally there is “Rodent Rampage.” This episode originally aired on WOBC Oberlin, 91.5 FM, Oberlin College and Community radio at 1:00 pm EST on May 3rd, 2021.

Content warning: This episode contains discussion of anti-Asian racism, gun violence, and stabbing.

In this episode, "The Weekly"'s co-hosts Jaimie Yue '22 and Owen Anderson '23 speak with Jonas Nelson '24, a writer from The Oberlin Review, about his Off the Cuff interview with Professor Rick Baldoz and his op-ed for The Washington Post on the Atlanta spa shootings that killed eight people, six of them Asian American women. Later on, Jaimie and Owen have their own conversation about the rise in anti-Asian sentiment during the COVID-19 pandemic and the #StopAsianHate movement. Jonas's article was originally published in The Oberlin Review on April 7, 2021. This episode originally aired on WOBC Oberlin, 91.5 FM, Oberlin College and Community radio at 1:00 pm EST on April 26th, 2021.

In this episode, "The Weekly"'s co-hosts Jaimie Yue '22 and Owen Anderson '23 speak with Zoe Kuzbari '22, a sports senior staff writer, and Zoe Martin Del Campo '22, a sports section editor, from The Oberlin Review, about the return of spring sports. Later on, Jaimie and Owen interview Leela Miller '24 about her preview of Fires in the Mirror, a digitally screened theater production. Both articles were originally published in The Oberlin Review on April 2, 2021. This episode originally aired on WOBC Oberlin, 91.5 FM, Oberlin College and Community radio at 1:00 pm EST on April 12th, 2021.

This week, "The Weekly"'s co-hosts Owen Anderson '23 and Jaimie Yue '22 have a conversation about Jaimie's feature article on Tiffany Fung, an Oberlin graduate from the class of 2012, for the Office of Communications. After graduating with a degree in Art History, Tiffany Fung earned her Master's in Scientific Illustration at Zuyd University in the Netherlands and co-founded the Biotic Artlab illustration studio in 2020. After the co-hosts' segment, there is an extended cut of Jaimie's interview with Tiffany. A print version of Jaimie's article was originally published on Oberlin College's website on February 23, 2021. This episode originally aired on WOBC Oberlin, 91.5 FM, Oberlin College and Community radio at 1:00 pm EST on March 29th, 2021.

In this episode, "The Weekly"'s co-hosts Jaimie Yue '22 and Owen Anderson '23 speak with Joshua Jackson '23, an arts section editor from The Oberlin Review, about his interview with College third-year Cyril Amanfo, Double-degree fifth-year Max Addae, and Double-degree fourth-year Mark Ligonde, the trio behind The Blackberry Poets. Joshua's article was originally published in The Oberlin Review on March 10, 2021. This episode originally aired on WOBC Oberlin, 91.5 FM, Oberlin College and Community radio at 1:00 pm EST on March 22nd, 2021.

In this episode, "The Weekly"'s co-hosts Jaimie Yue '22 and Owen Anderson '23 speak with Walter Thomas-Paterson '24, a senior staff writer from The Oberlin Review, about his interview with Rabbi Megan Doherty, the director of Hillel and Jewish Campus Life. The segment is followed by an extended cut of Walter's Off the Cuff interview with Rabbi Doherty on the Heartbeat Bill. Walter's article was originally published in The Oberlin Review on February 24, 2021. This episode originally aired on WOBC Oberlin, 91.5 FM, Oberlin College and Community radio at 1:00 pm EST on March 15th, 2021.

In this episode, "The Weekly"'s co-hosts Jaimie Yue '22 and Owen Anderson '23 speak with Ella Moxley '22, one of the News Editors from The Oberlin Review, about the vaccination plan for the Oberlin City School District (OCS). Ella's article was originally published on The Oberlin Review on February 26, 2021. This episode originally aired on WOBC Oberlin, 91.5 FM, Oberlin College and Community radio at 1:00 pm EST on March 8th, 2021.

In this episode, "The Weekly"'s co-hosts Jaimie Yue '22 and Owen Anderson '23 speak with The Oberlin Review production editor, Alexa Stevens '22, about food insecurity and volunteerism by local organizations in and around Oberlin. After Alexa's segment, the hosts interview Editor-in-Chief of The Oberlin Review, Anisa Curry Vietze, about her article on the ongoing One Oberlin initiative during the COVID-19 pandemic. Both articles were originally published on The Oberlin Review on February 19, 2021. This episode originally aired on WOBC Oberlin, 91.5 FM, Oberlin College and Community radio at 1:00 pm EST on March 1st, 2021.

In this episode, "The Weekly"'s co-hosts Jaimie Yue '22 and Owen Anderson '23 speak with The Oberlin Review writer, Zach Bayfield '22, about his review of Steel Magnolia, a new restaurant in downtown Oberlin. Zach discusses his dining experience at the restaurant, his connection to international cuisine as a Toronto native, and the importance of supporting small businesses during COVID-19. After the conversation is an audio clip of Zach's Interview with Shontae Jackson, the owner of Steel Magnolia. Finally, there are two audio journalism projects produced in the fall 2020 semester by Finn Miller and Zach Gershon, both in the Class of 2024 and the WOBC News Workgroup. This episode originally aired on WOBC Oberlin, 91.5 FM, Oberlin College and Community radio at 1:00 pm EST on February 22nd, 2021.

To begin Season 4, The Weekly's new co-hosts Jaimie Yue '22 and Owen Anderson '23 talk with The Oberlin Review's senior staff writer, Casey Troost '22, about her On The Record article interviewing Samuel George OC '07, a documentary filmmaker for the non-profit Bertelsmann Foundation in Washington, DC on his film “Go-Go City: Displacement & Protest in Washington, DC.” After the discussion is the extended cut of Casey's OTR Interview with Samuel. This episode was originally aired on WOBC Oberlin, 91.5 FM, Oberlin College and Community radio at 1:00 pm EST on February 15th, 2021.

We're excited to announce that the Weekly will return for Season 4 this spring with co-hosts Owen Anderson and Jaimie Yue! To kick of the new season, we're airing a bonus episode featuring an interview Anisa and Sarah did with Jad Abumrad back before the pandemic. 

Anisa, Johan, and Sarah are joined by Molly Bryson, Editor and Chief of the Grape, to talk to Alex Blumberg '89 about his his time at Oberlin, his evolution as a journalist, and the future of podcasting. Alex worked on This American Life and created Planet Money before co-founding the podcast network Gimlet Media.

Catch up on Oberlin's news with this week's Week in Review. Tune in at 9pm on March 9th to wobc.org for our full program!

Johan talks with Aaron Zitner '84, news editor at the Wall Street Journal's Washington Bureau, about his time at Oberlin and the role of data journalism.

Listen as Anisa Curry Vietze and Katie Lucey discuss Oberlin's latest news stories. Get a sneak peek into our upcoming episode about UAW as college negotiations continue. 

Johan and Ella talk to Afrikan Heritage House Historian Deverrick McAllister about the 40th anniversary of the Winter Term Underground Railroad Reenactment and the history of Afrikan Heritage House at Oberlin.

Oberlin Review news editors Katie Lucey and Anisa Curry Vietze discuss the headlines from this week’s edition of the The Oberlin Review.

As first years Kate Steifman, Ella Newcomb, and Lena Golia wrap up their first semester, they talk about their experiences so far and their hopes for the future with Jen Crainic, a fourth year who has one month left at Oberlin before graduating in December. 

Oberlin Review news editors Katie Lucey and Anisa Curry Vietze discuss the headlines from this week’s edition of the The Oberlin Review.

Johan checks in with recent Oberlin grads Oliver Bok, Daniel Markus, and Melissa Harris about their experience as student journalists at Oberlin and how it has impacted their post-grad life.

Johan and Sarah talk with Faith Ward '22 and Anna Silverman '22 about the September Climate Strike, the work of Sunrise Oberlin, and youth environmental activism on campus and around the world. 

Nathan Carpenter, Editor and Chief of the Oberlin Review talks to Dr. Tim Uyeki, class of ‘81, while he was back on campus to give a talk entitled “From Avian Influenza to Ebola and Public Health: Reflections of a Clinician and Epidemiologist.” Uyeki is the Chief Medical Officer in the Influenza Division, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Center for Disease Control.

Oberlin Review news editors Katie Lucey and Anisa Curry Vietze discuss the headlines from this week’s edition of the The Oberlin Review.

Sarah talks with Dr. David Tempest '72, who biked from Seattle to Oberlin to be inducted into the Heisman Club Hall of Fame.

 Oberlin Review news editors Katie Lucey and Anisa Curry Vietze discuss the headlines from this week’s edition of the The Oberlin Review.

Johan, Roman, and Daniel talk with RadioLab host and Oberlin alum Robert Krulwich about his time at Oberlin and his views on current campus culture.

Introducing a new feature of The Weekly! The Oberlin Review news editors Katie Lucey and Anisa Curry Vietze discuss the headlines from this week’s edition of the The Oberlin Review.

Sarah and Roman talk with Student Senator Kirsten Mojziszek about new changes to Title IX being pursued by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. 

Johan and Roman talk with Prof. Charmaine Chua about Oberlin, private higher education, neoliberal reforms, and her decision to leave. 

Sarah Dalgliesh and Daniel Markus talk to Student Senate Chair Kameron Dunbar about the AAPR process and report. 

Roman and Johan sit down with Ambassador Abercrombie-Winstanley and talk what life is like in the Foreign Service, what the world is like today, and where foreign policy could evolve to. 

This year's commencement speaker is David Sedaris, who recently published Calypso, a new collection of stories. We'll ask him for his advice for graduates, how he went from drug addict and college dropout to critically acclaimed writer, and, most importantly, whether he really fed his tumor to a snapping turtle. Really?

Please be advised that this episode of our show contains foul language, mentions of drug use, and other topics unsuitable for young listeners.

In this episode, we talk to Bridget Flynn, Oberlin's sustainability manager, and Rachael Hood, a student activist and campus leader on sustainability issues. We discuss the role of the Office of Environmental Sustainability, how Oberlin is becoming more sustainable, and, most importantly, the NEXUS pipeline, which will run through Oberlin.

Before becoming President Ambar's chief of staff, Ferd Protzman, OC '75, worked an award winning journalist for the New York Times, Washington Post, and International Herald Tribune. He's also the author of six books for National Geographic.

More importantly, though, he went to Oberlin in the 1970s, and we have a lot of questions. Were Oberlin students in the '70s very similar to Oberlin students now? What was it like to go to Oberlin during the Vietnam War? Also, what does the job of a chief of staff even entail? On this episode of our show, we find out.

Editor's Note: Due to technical issues with WOBC's radio transmitter, the recording of this show has significantly decreased audio quality. We have done as much as possible to repair the damage, and we apologize for the issues.

On May 30, 2017, Carmen Twillie Ambar was named as the 15th President of Oberlin College by the Board of Trustees, and is the first Black woman to hold the position in the College's history. After settling into the job, she announced that under her leadership, the College would begin an Academic and Administrative Program Review (AAPR), a sweeping audit of all college offices, programs, and departments. Under AAPR, a steering committee of faculty, staff, and students will conduct research and analysis from now until next spring, subsequently making recommendations to the board.

In her previous role as President of Cedar Crest College, Ambar initiated a similar process. But is that a good thing? Many faculty members don't think so. At Cedar Crest, AAPR resulted in the proposed elimination of five majors; sustained lobbying efforts by students and faculty only saved two of them. What's more, the process was opaque, deceptive, and at times disturbing. No notes were taken of steering committee meetings, leaving no record of how and why certain decisions were made; a faculty member was fired after being told in writing that they would not, leading to a lawsuit against Cedar Crest; and Ambar's chosen consulting firm, Stevens Strategy, made fraudulent claims in a presentation to the Cedar Crest board and engaged in a practice of ranking majors by their financial value.

Should we be worried? (Daniel is very worried.) We'll ask President Ambar about that, and also find out why she thinks Oberlin is the best college in the country.

Editor's Note: Due to technical issues with WOBC's radio transmitter, the recording of this show has significantly decreased audio quality. We have done as much as possible to repair the damage, and we apologize for the issues.

On November 9, 2016, an Oberlin student walked into Gibson's Bakery, an Oberlin institution over a century old. While accounts differ, eventually, the student and store owner Allyn Gibson ended up across the street in a fight, along with two other students. The students—all of them Black—were arrested and charged by the police; Gibson, who is white, didn't get charged.

Protests erupted. Students massed outside the store chanting "no justice, no peace!" and encouraging a total boycott of the store that many students still follow today. Pro-Gibson's counter protesters, many of them from motorcycle gangs, came to town to support the store and, often, intimidate students. Oberlin made national news headlines in The New York Times and other publications.

Eventually, the students plead guilty to a set of reduced misdemeanor charges and accepted fines, and everything seemed to be in the past. But almost a year after the initial incident, the Gibson family sued the College and one of its dean's, Meredith Raimondo.

How did we get here? We'll talk to Luke Fortney and Jake Berstein, editors-in-chief of The Grape, to hear about their investigation into the story.

Editor's Note: Due to technical issues with WOBC's radio transmitter, the recording of this show has significantly decreased audio quality. We have done as much as possible to repair the damage, and we apologize for the issues.

In March of 2018, President Ambar opened up the books. Well, sort of. In presentations, she detailed Oberlin's financial issues, tuition dependence, and the many decisions by her predecessors that left the College in the significantly compromised financial position it now finds itself in. 

Or... did she? While Ambar's presentation was long and students peppered her with questions, how much did we actually learn? Johan and Daniel spoke with Sam Schuman, staff writer at The Grape, and student senator Josh Koller to find out.