I often wish I joined a co-op sooner. In my last year at Oberlin, I’ve finally joined OSCA in housing along with dining, and I’m in one of the most wonderful communities I could have asked for. Before, I’d never really thought co-op life was for me, thought that I didn’t have the time, wouldn’t enjoy the food or housing, or didn’t even have the social capability. Now I know that OSCA truly is for everybody, and that it can actually expand your time at Oberlin a great deal by teaching you new skills, introducing you to new friends, and of course, filling your belly with lots of yummy food.
Keep is often considered the best co-op for first-timers since it is small and close-knit. You quickly meet all of your fellow co-opers and feel drawn into the community. The physical space of Keep itself is very cozy and communal, as we all sit together on the floor of the lounge or on the porch when we eat our meals. One thing I didn’t like about residential housing was that I knew none of the other people on my floor, and oftentimes they felt like antagonists, as we vied for the showers and the microwave or scorned someone who left a mess in the bathroom. In Keep, I know every single person I live with, and we all want to work together to make our living situation the best it can be. In this way we keep our bathrooms and common spaces very clean as we feel a responsibility to our friends to live by the golden rule. We also have lots of fun community events; in residential housing, there would sometimes be events but hardly anyone would go, whereas in Keep it feels like a bunch of friends hanging out.
People often groan at the time commitment of being in a co-op, but in reality all of the work we do is incredibly fun and manageable. Our Member Coordinators, or MemCos, work tirelessly at the beginning of the semester to create a schedule that works for everyone. You can request certain shifts that you prefer, such as lunch or dinner shifts, or whether you prefer more cooking or crewing shifts. If you're someone who works a job or has other responsibilities that impact your availability, you can request a decrease in the number of hours you work for the co-op. Since I work at Kendal along with my school work, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to take many co-op shifts since they may interfere with my work shifts. Fortunately, I was able to find a solution through being a Maker. Our Makers include Tasty Makers, Bread Makers, and Granola Makers. As a Tasty Maker, I’m tasked with making one sweet treat for the co-op per week. What’s great about being a maker is that I only have to work one crew shift per week, and then fulfill my hours by making a tasty thing on my own schedule. This works so much better for me, because I can bake in the night or early in the morning so that my co-op hours don’t interfere with my work schedule. I also love baking and consider it one of my specialties, so it was a win-win. There are many other elected positions that allow you to fulfill your commitment to the co-op in other ways than the typical cook shifts, and they’re great for people who love being leaders or just want their schedule to be a bit different. Seeing my fellow Keeple's reaction to trying my tasty thing is the real reward for me!
There’s nothing like chopping it up with your friends while also chopping up carrots and cucumbers. There’s also nothing like living in a community that you genuinely feel a part of. I know I’m going to miss Keep dearly when I graduate; they always say college is one of the only times you live in such close proximity with your friends, and in a co-op it's truer than ever.
