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.
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![Two football players in the 1980s wearing numbers 64 and 67](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/dore_kiesselbach_88.jpg?itok=CqcxYpgy)
On his poem about football at Oberlin
“The moment of revelatory tenderness I try to capture in this poem, exposed as it was by this rough game, meant as much to me as anything else I experienced as a student and remains very poignant to...
Dore Kiesselbach ’88
![The distinctive windows of Bibbins Hall.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/ellis_tallman.jpg?itok=nc3jwgoG)
On unexpected connections
“When I walked past the Conservatory, I felt an odd sense of the World Trade Center. I mentioned it to a professor, who responded,“ Well of course, Ellis. Both the Con and the World Trade Center were...
Prof. Ellis Tallman
![Steel drum band performing outdoors](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/alicia_dudziak_13.jpg?itok=qVouuFu8)
On joining OSteel
“I loved that I began to feel like a good musician even though my musical experience had been limited since age 10, when I quit piano.”
Alicia Dudziak ’13
![Four panelists facing the audience](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/katherine_sicienski_12.jpg?itok=yNNIiXKk)
On joining Model United Nations at Oberlin
“By allowing one to take classes in English, environmental studies, history, and theater, all in one semester, Oberlin encourages students to develop new ways of thinking about the same problem.”
Katherine Sicienski ’12
![Francesca hand out information while wearing a Day of Service 2008 tee shirt](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/francesca_minonne_08.jpg?itok=AYAV0hyH)
On her connection to the town of Oberlin
“I will take what I have learned with me: that academics and civic engagement can and should be combined, producing something far more enriching together than either alone.”
Francesca Minonne ’08
![Reid and a friend at Memorial Arch.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/reid_palmer_14.jpg?itok=mrQ7UYL4)
On a full-fledged learning experience
“No matter our individual passions, Oberlin provides us the opportunity to do what we love while connecting us with peers and professors that broaden our perspectives and help us make connections.”
Reid Palmer ’14
![Anna at a Chicago bus stop](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/anna_band_14.jpg?itok=t8N_ZZFM)
On supportive friendships
“Among the many things I’ve learned from my best friend is to be proactive about my life. You can’t just sit around and wait for opportunities to come to you - you have to take matters into your own...
Anna Band ’13
![Group of students in a dining hall](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/liam_oznowich_17.jpg?itok=L7rz6q8s)
On finding his voice in a creative writing class
“Never before have I felt that excited about a story I was telling, which became all the more empowering when I realized this story was also my life.”
Liam Oznowich ’17
![Holland holds a young boy in her arms](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/holland_hamilton_11.jpg?itok=VHYlpVrP)
On the “best kept secret in the Midwest”
“Before coming to Oberlin, I had sworn off theater completely. In fact, I was done with performing in general. But looking back, I have no clue how I thought I could have gotten away with choosing...
Holland Hamilton ’11
![Sammy and friends play a boardgame.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/sammy_moores_17.jpg?itok=GAkNsTar)
On finding a home on SciFi Hall
“Like many incoming first-years, the thought of having a roommate and finding a solid group of friends was extremely daunting.”
Sammy Moores ’17
![Ben reading at a library table](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/ben_klebanoff_09.jpg?itok=ukh3K-DN)
On Oberlin’s Student Senate
“Students take active roles in all levels of the Oberlin administration, help determine the courses that are available for students to take, and help make hiring decisions.”
Ben Klebanoff ’09
![Matt works at a food slicing machine.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/matt_oconnell_09.jpg?itok=xT5T6ElT)
On a special meal at his co-op
“For me, this meal was exactly what Oberlin’s co-ops are all about: making food with your friends, and knowing exactly where your meal came from.”
Matt O'Connell ’09