Oberlin Stories Project
We have collected hundreds of personal narratives from students, alumni, faculty, and staff that explain the merits and strengths of Oberlin through the eyes of those who have experienced it firsthand.
Add your story
![Niels stands on his head, twisting his legs in a pose.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/niels_bantilan_09.jpg?itok=gUsNvbSf)
On discovering hip-hip culture at Oberlin
“As I accumulated more knowledge about the music, art, and history of hip-hop through my independent research, I started to think outside the dance.”
Niels Bantilan ’09
![Handing out pamphlets on a city street](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/evelyn_wagaman_17.jpg?itok=2jAv0nuv)
On deciding to go vegan
“It’s this passion that I’ll transplant into my academic work this fall, as I begin writing an Honors thesis in philosophy on animal ethics.”
Evelyn Wagaman ’17
![Anna works on the cover of a book at a wood table](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/anna_arays_10.jpg?itok=_-UAgAWa)
On passion
“I spent my junior year working in Special Collections: looking at rare books, taking them apart, putting them back together, petting, and loving them. The job was fantastic: this is what I’d always...
Anna Arays ’10
![Prof. Schiff meets with a student.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/prof_ben_schiff.jpg?itok=qWEJOZdb)
On requiring students to write memos
“For many students, writing short is harder than writing long - but I believe it to be a valuable skill to add to the arsenal of writing styles that we promote here at Oberlin.”
Prof. Ben Schiff
![A group of friends on a warm spring day](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/hillary_swiss_11.jpg?itok=F3Pt_Tx4)
On her 4-6 a.m. show on WOBC, the student-run college radio station
“Walking to and from Wilder in the middle of the night was extremely surreal, and I remember vividly how excited I was to share music with whoever was awake during my “rite-of-passage” first-year...
Hillary Swiss ’11
![Karin Drucker](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/karin_drucker_11.jpg?itok=vY1WW_4s)
On falling in love with political theory
“I dorked out shamelessly to my uninterested friends about the authors and topics that grabbed me, but I also found others who were as curious as I.”
Karin Drucker ’11
![Ben on stage wearing a cape](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/ben_ferber_11.jpg?itok=oSp7wgiI)
On there being too much to do at Oberlin
“I always thought I was good at time management, but handling five classes, three plays, two student organizations, an RA job, a radio show, and a social life as an Oberlin sophomore is a little like...
Ben Ferber ’11
![Taiko drummers and drums.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/yue_qiu_14.jpg?itok=BMlNcpLC)
On being a part of OCTaiko
“...being a good taiko drummer is not so much having the perfect techniques; it is more a commitment to being part of a group that shares the same energy and tries to figure out the key to ki...
Yue Qiu ’14
![Reid Gershbein](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/reid_gershbein_93.jpg?itok=zq2d1QdF)
On working at Pixar and Dreamworks Animation
“None of these events would have happened to me if it hadn’t been for Oberlin’s amazingly nurturing environment, fantastic camaraderie, and the best mentor a student could have.”
Reid Gershbein ’93
![Jeffrey and Prof. Colton pose together with warm smiles](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/jeffrey_hill_09.jpg?itok=tUHlLnmt)
On his voice teacher, Kendra Colton ’83
“She taught with a firm, guided, and encouraging hand, but always listened openly to my thoughts and ideas. She allowed me to find my own voice instead of telling me what I should be.”
Jeffrey Hill ’09
![Group of runners in OC uniforms after a race](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/leo_harrington_16.jpg?itok=WXEV64TH)
On support networks
“The people here have copious and astoundingly diverse passions of their own but will also go to incredible lengths to help you pursue yours, in all likelihood because someone did the same for them.”
Leo Harrington ’16
![A house by the sea at dusk](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/celina_siegel_18.jpg?itok=9QzcUjjZ)
On living in tiny communities
“They are exhausting and overwhelming and stressful in a way that only intense familiarity can be. They are also wonderfully intimate and deeply comforting and rewarding.”
Celina Siegel ’18