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BREAKING NEWS: Is NYC taking over Oberlin, or is Oberlin taking over NYC?

January 30, 2025

Indigo Gordon-Gatica ’28

Two Oberlin students at the MET museum.
Photo credit: Indigo Gordon-Gatica

I’ve spoken before about how useful the network between NYC and Oberlin has been as I’ve moved out of NY for the first time. When reflecting upon my current life timeline, I can find Obies at most major pinpoints--every school I’ve ever attended, the neighborhood I’ve lived in, and the extracurricular classes I’ve attended. This has been a massive part of my first semester at Oberlin, as I’ve further developed friendships with people who can relate to me on a hometown basis. Walking through the Oberlin campus, I see little glimpses of home as I wave hello to my former Model UN president and middle school bestie. However, it never occurred to me that these roles could be reversed.

When deciding how to tackle the winter term, it was definitely within my subconscious to choose a project that would take me home to New York City. I must admit, the adventurous, innovative, and even international projects friends planned to embark upon were highly enticing. However, NYC was calling louder--I knew that between auditions and friends, there was a lot of adventure to be had.

After choosing acting as my winter term project, things started falling into place. Since most of my friends went home in early January, I figured this winter term would be mostly family time, baking, chilling out, and working. However, this initial solo image of winter term quickly disintegrated when I stepped foot on my CLE-JFK flight. Waiting for the 6 AM shuttle, I immediately saw many familiar faces. After quickly estimating how many Obies would be NYC-bound from other shuttles, I started to account for the expansive Obie network distributed throughout the same city for the next six weeks. 

As I settled down for winter term, I noticed glimpses of Oberlin the way I see glimpses of home while in Ohio. The pipeline between Park Slope, Brooklyn, and Oberlin left traces everywhere. The pool hall I frequent with my dad suddenly reminded me of the Kahn Common Room. I was frustrated when my delis didn’t have the decaf item I wanted—in the same group chat usually used to coordinate Stevie lunches, my friends and I were figuring out what coffee spot we wanted to try. The best was my daily stroll past PS 321, my elementary school. There is a ridiculous number of Obies, ones who I drifted from or didn’t even meet until college, who all went to this school together for seven formative years.

Maybe even more fantastic than the mental merging of two places so special to me was the opportunity winter term brought to introduce non-New Yorker Obies to the city. Throughout the month of January, there was great excitement from Obies trickling in and out of the city. Getting to experience the city with new friends--thrifting, going to museums, arcades, baking--felt just as special as my actual winter term project. 

Nothing could excite me more to return to campus than plotting our spring at Oberlin over avocado toast and smoothies in Tribeca. Not only did this winter term bring my Obie family closer together, but it also got me thinking about the future. I would love to travel around the country, see my friends' hometowns, and explore their special places. While this January was not exactly what I expected, there could not have been a more magical overlap between the places I love. Thank goodness for the Park Slope to Oberlin pipeline.

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