(Note: I wrote this all the way back in August. I figured that the information I’d share with this post would be pretty beneficial to y’all, so why not?)
Oberlin is such an interesting place to be during the month of August.
It is not the ghost town everyone thinks it is over the summer. Sure, most of the students are gone, as well as many of the professors. That already makes up a LOT of the population in Obieland. What happens when they aren’t there? Is the campus dead? Well, yes. A dead campus doesn’t always have to be a bad thing, though. Sometimes, it’s actually pretty nice. While the people are what I love the most about Oberlin, there are other qualities that make the place more adequate than I realized.
Less people means more time to enjoy the natural qualities of Oberlin.
I feel like Oberlin’s natural beauty is being underestimated by the students here. We tend to complain about the fact that there is nothing to do in this place, but that could also be a blessing in disguise. Allow me to elaborate on that. Maybe, just maybe, the natural aspects of Oberlin are beautiful because there isn’t much going on here. There may be some construction on campus here and there, but it is nothing like a major city or anything like that. The more people there are in an area, the harder it is to maintain its natural features. Luckily for Oberlin, it’s only a small town with a small campus. Plus, most of the students are gone. That allows me to focus more on how beautiful Oberlin’s environment is.
Oberlin is so... colorful. I always notice that about the place.
This applies to every season of the year except winter. What surprises me is how it’s still colorful during the summer. When I was here for football camp in August, I noticed the different shades of green all the trees had. It’s breathtaking sometimes. Like, when you actually take the time to look, it’s such a gorgeous sight to embrace. The place is so peaceful to just sit down and look at. The natural aspects of Oberlin allow it to be a colorful masterpiece at certain times, especially during sunsets. The sky has shown all types of colors for Obies to look up at and smile. From red to orange to gold and pink, the sky always finds a way to give Obies a show. It’s pretty easy to disregard that, but it’s still a beautiful sight to see.
If you’re ever here when a lot of people aren’t here, take the time to examine the campus and the town. See all the positives in the area and realize how blessed you are to be in such a beautiful place.
