Obie Bucket List

Recently my friend Ashley Xu put out a pretty comprehensive and remarkable 'The Oberlin Bucket list' in the Oberlin Review. I'm using her list and giving my 20 cents on it in addition to adding a couple of my own activities at the end. 

Curl up in a "womb chair" in Mudd Library: Yup, I 100% recommend this! To all the prospies, the "womb chair" will probably be one of the first things you hear when you come to Oberlin. The chairs on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floors of Mudd are a great place to hang with friends (quietly!) as well as get some studying done. But beware, these chairs are notoriously comfy!

Spot an albino squirrel in Tappan Square: I am a big-time squirrel fan (most Obies are! I mean, come on, our mascot is Yeobie!). You know there is an Albino squirrel in sight when you spot a bunch of Obie stopped dead in their tracks to take pictures of this almost magical creature in Obieland. Look out for the red eyes tho! Not all white squirrels are albinos. 

Lie on the Finney Chapel stage during an organ pump: A considerable part of Oberlin's social life is intertwined with rich music, theatre, and art. So it's no surprise that when you say Halloween-themed organ pump, Obies are pumped! It is almost a cathartic experience to lie down on stage in Finney Chapel, feeling the reverberations of the sound of the organ through you. 

Eat tater tots in the Feve: Not gonna lie, I think the tater tots are overrated and pretty much taste the same as Stevie dining hall on a good day. But going to the Feve for brunch or Long Island nights is fun. 

Ride a sled down Mount Oberlin: Now, this one even I haven't done yet and is on my own list for this winter! 

See a planet through the telescope at the Observatory and Taylor Planetarium: It's genuinely a fun experience to spot planets from the Observatory in Peters Hall. I remember going there with my roommate freshman year on a chilly night and being amazed looking at the rings of Saturn and learning about a bunch of stars. 

Visit the Free Store in the basement of Asia House: I have worked in the Free Store as a part of my community engagement activity. You'd be amazed to see some of the gems you'll find here for FREE! Most Obies give this place a shot for everything ranging from clothes hangers to textbooks. 

Work a shift in the Bike Co-op or get your bike fixed: I have not worked a shift but did get my old, ratty little gem of a bike fixed there. The bike co-op is where you can rent a bike for a semester for about $5 (I know!). We Obies love bikin' around campus. You can literally get anywhere on-campus in about 5 minutes on your bike. 

Eat in a co-op: As a proud member of Pyle Co-op, I absolutely recommend this! Even when I was not in a co-op, I would go co-op touring (Tank, Hark, Pyle, TWC) when my friends would invite me. It's definitely an incredible experience to eat food made by your friends with them! 

Take a public tour of Weltzheimer/Johnson House: I have been to J house. Still, I have never actually taken the public tour of the building yet, and I'm interested in it at some point. 

Watch a movie at Apollo Theater: Coming from the home of Bollywood (Mumbai), I have lost the novelty of going to movie theatres personally. While I much prefer going out and doing things in nature. I think it's worth checking out Apollo Theater, especially on free Monday Movie nights. Also, be on the lookout for the sweet messages people broadcast on the theatre's boards. 

Visit the Allen Art Museum & participate in the Art Rental: Yes and yes! Having the museum so close by is a delight. Most classes would have at least one assignment involving the museum. My most recent assignment in my developmental psychology class was to look at baby paintings and write about them! The art rental is also a fun experience where you get to rent some really dope art for a couple dollars to keep for a whole semester! 

Get some cat therapy: Meet the kittens in Ginko Gallery & Studio: I love the sweet little kittens at Ginko and the owner Liz (also an Obie alum!). When I volunteer there, the kittens are SOO adorable and force me to live in the moment. Playing with the kittens helps them get socialized and eventually get adopted into a caring home with yummy cat food :) 

Go to Afrikan Heritage House's Lord-Saunders Dining Hall for a Sunday meal of fried chicken: I have only heard the best things about the fried chicken at A-house ~ as a vegetarian, I can't attest to it first hand, but I believe it! 

Places I would add to this list: 

Pottery co-op: I have only recently started throwing clay, but it's been great to build something up from scratch and pay attention to my mind and body's coordination while creating art simultaneously. 

The Arb: Obies love hanging out there both with a bunch of friends to chill or by themselves for some downtime. It's definitely worth an explore. 

North Fields: The fields in the evenings have the prettiest Oberlin sky views for all the sky gazers out there! You'll catch Obies tossing a disc on a good here! 

Koi fish pond: Looking at the koi fishes always brings me so much peace, it's a great journaling spot!