Exactly HOW liberal is Oberlin?

Helvetica · 09-20-2009, 09:53 PM

I'm pretty liberal, but I have been told that Oberlin is really radical. Would it be hard to be a Christian at Oberlin? I'm sure they have some Christian group/groups on campus, but I don't want to be castigated daily for not verging on socialist doctrine. lol I tend to exaggerate. haha Any insight would be appreciated!

dottified · 09-20-2009, 11:02 PM

There are many Christian groups on campus. It's actually really easy to be Christian here, and absolutely nobody is going to judge you unless you act obnoxious (which goes for everything, not just Christianity).

Plainsman · 09-21-2009, 03:46 PM

Amen dottified! Sorry, couldn't resist.

But the OP is out of luck if he/she's looking for a currently active Young Republicans Club. There wasn't one on the 2009 list, last time I checked. Then again she/he could start one.

Seriously, though, as a parent, I, too, was concerned that Oberlin might be over-the-top liberal. I think my imagination ran away with me for awhile. Just in case, we made it a point (okay, I made it a point) to visit campus numerous times to search out over-the-top liberals. I only found one. 99% of the kids I encountered did not come across as over-the-top liberals. Of course, every individual's idea of too liberal or over-the-top liberal will be different.

Basically, I like the college. I can even find free parking when I visit. Few things beat free easy parking in a college town.

Helvetica, if at all possible, visit. You really need to visit, and try to go when classes are in session. I graduated from a school I did not visit before showing up at orientation and regret it to this day. The university was a major recruiting stop for the FBI. I'm not kidding. The place was like a training ground for future Quantico residents. It was very conservative. It wasn't Washington and Lee or Ol' Miss, but it was still way too conservative for me. I had no idea, and the college guide never talked about any of that stuff. Please visit Oberlin, if you do have a serious interest. You can hit other schools (Kenyon, Case Western, Carnegie Mellon, etc.) while you are out here.

monydad · 09-21-2009, 04:26 PM

D1 is pretty darned liberal, she said she felt like she was a moderate there.
That does not in any way mean there aren't people of faith there though.
Several of D1's acquaintances were Unitarian Universalists .

iAries · 09-21-2009, 06:23 PM

Oberlin is a liberal place, but in the old school liberal way,
meaning tolerance and openness. All religious (and non-religious)
people are totally welcome. The other night, I went to a Ramadan
feast open to the Oberlin community. We have school off for major
Jewish holidays. There are about 10 churches within walking distance
of the school. My first year, I was part of OCF (Oberlin Christian Fellowship) -- it's an awesome group for biblical studies and getting a really amazing spectrum of voices.

I'd email them ( ocf@oberlin.edu ) for more info!

While students are often on the left side of the spectrum, I wouldn't say
that Oberlin is "radical." There's a lot of focus on learning how to work within the system to change it for the better. That said, on issues like gay marriage and abortion, you will find many students who are incredibly passionate about legalization. Even still, students both talk and listen.

Come visit!

Helvetica · 09-21-2009, 09:52 PM

Thank y'all for this great information. I was particularly worried because I am gay AND a Christian; it seems like many people assume homosexuals should not be Christians, and I have witnessed animosity for it. :/ haha I'm glad that Oberlin is such a welcoming place. Now I just need to pray about getting some merit money, and then I will be set: 33 ACT, 3.98 uw, 5/255 rank, 4 year varsity tennis letter, 4 year quiz bowl (this year's captain), 4 year All State Choir, President of National Honor Society. Fingers crossed!

manos · 09-21-2009, 09:52 PM

everyone at Oberlin finds their own little group. There are certainly Christian and more conservative people on campus. There are certain things that you have to decide on your own if you are comfortable, like co-ed bathrooms, things like Safer Sex Night, & Drag Ball in April. I recall a very religious Christian living in my dorm freshman year and he was very vocal about being against some of the more "out there" activities that go on on campus. But, again, no one is forcing you to go and you can certainly find people who aren't interested.

Plainsman is right: go visit so you can see what it's like in person.

quibbler · 09-22-2009, 07:18 AM

@Helvetica
Awesome! Check out PCC (Peace Community Church), they're progressive Baptists. Really great church, politically active, community focused. First Church is good too -- I've had a lot of great talks with David, the pastor.

Regarding gay rights: PCC split from their original region as they wanted to affirm gay rights and their old area did not.

Generally, gay rights at Oberlin is both a non-issue and a big deal. On campus, I've never heard of, or experienced homophobia or bigotry. I haven't heard the phrase "That's gay" here. Ever. At my high school, coming out meant being ostracized. At Oberlin... it's no big deal. While Oberlin isn't perfect, it's moving miles past the rest of the country. A lot of students take action on gay/trans rights and work to support queer youth. Check out the MRC when you visit (Multi-cultural resource center)-- they provide a lot of support for queer and ethnic communities. Their office is in the second floor of the student union and they're so, so, SO friendly.

Ah! I was my school quiz bowl captain! That's awesome!

calicomom · 09-23-2009, 09:47 AM

Oberlin is overwhelmingly liberal. There IS a College Republicans group on campus; it has maybe a dozen members, but is well funded by a successful alumnus. As for being Christian, OCF (Oberlin Christian Fellowship) also has a very small membership. There is a women's prayer group and a men's prayer group that are spin offs of OCF. OCF is a very evangelical group. And yes, there are many churches in the area, but all are fairly small congregations (it is after all a small town). Oberlin Conservatory teachers and students can be found in the music program of these churches, but don't expect to see hordes of college students attending services. It is possible to be Christian at Oberlin; it is very easy to be gay at Oberlin; it is not easy to be conservative at Oberlin. But that is probably true of most college campuses.

Plainsman · 09-23-2009, 07:51 PM

"There IS a College Republicans group on campus; it has maybe a dozen members, but is well funded by a successful alumnus" - Calicomom

Could that be Michelle Malkin?

Anyway, if there is such a group, they must be underground. I don't see them listed among the chartered groups:

http://oncampus.oberlin.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp

quaere · 09-23-2009, 09:24 PM

Many chartered groups don't use Blackboard, which is probably why College Republicans isn't listed. They're definitely still active; they sponsored a pretty crowded screening of one of the presidential debates last year, among other things.

monydad · 09-24-2009, 02:52 PM

I was told several years ago that there was a Gay Black Republicans Club, so there were definitely Republicans then, at least.

CBParent · 09-25-2009, 09:37 PM

Actually, it looks like there's no longer an "Oberlin College Republicans" group: Disband is a little strong, since it implies there was someth... on Twitpic

Rednorthstar · 10-23-2009, 05:47 PM

Oberlin is a very liberal school, no doubt, but not as liberal as it was 10, much less 30 years ago. A major concern with Oberlin for many years has been that many of its students persue professions that are academically enriching, such as teaching, that give back to the community, but don't exactly line the alumni's pockets with money. As such the college's endowments have been dismal and the previous president, Nancy Dye, diversified the incoming classes to make the college demographic more like Bowdoin or Stanford. It's sapped some of Oberlin's uniqueness in they eyes of certain students but in the end will hopefully be good for the college. There is plenty of opportunity for incoming Christian students. And their religion classes are truly incredible.

mamenyu · 10-23-2009, 07:58 PM

To my understanding the endowment has not been "dismal" - quite robust for a school of its size, though some of the NE LACs like Williams and Amherst are far richer, for a variety of historical reasons. And quite generous with financial aid, too, though, again, not able to be as generous as Amherst or some of the handful of other uber-rich colleges. The economic downturn has certainly had a lowering effect; hopefully Oberlin will ride it out without too much pain.
As to students being less liberal or less "fearless" or whatever, doesn't every generation of students think the golden years are past? Oberlin's culture seems pretty much intact, as these things go. Where else is there a more robust coop system, environmental consciousness, strong affirmation of academic exploration, and creativity? Diversity could be greater - but it is generally more diverse at Oberlin than in previous years, including more international students.