OSRI Community Building
Community-building events are open to all Oberlin undergraduate researchers and their faculty or staff mentors. These events take place in June and July on Oberlin’s campus. Transportation and admissions are always provided free of charge. Here is a sampling of some of the fun things we have done in the past. To attend any of the free OSRI events, each attendee must register in advance. Contact our@oberlin.edu to receive this summer's calendar of events.
OSRI Kickoff Picnic
Come share some barbecue and spend time with other students, faculty and staff members in OSRI. See who else is on campus doing research this summer!
Movies at the Apollo
Movie tickets are free for all student researchers and their faculty and staff mentors, if you arrive by 6:45pm. Bring money if you want to purchase concessions!
Hike at Mill Hollow Metropark
Catch a bus to Mill Hollow and Bacon Woods in Vermilion, Ohio, for a nature hike. All research students and their faculty and staff mentors are welcome. The most striking feature of this reservation is the winding ribbon of shale cliffs carved by the Vermilion River. Millions of years old, these cliffs reveal layers of the past and drop bits of sandstone, shale, and turtlerock along the riverbed.
The Vermilion River has no industry along its banks, making it especially rich in wildlife. Aquatic life includes freshwater clams and several species of darters (small fish that feed along the bottom of the river) that turn brilliant colors during the mating season. Some insect species include mayflies, cadis flies, and water pennies (beetle larvae that lie flat against a rock surface and look like pennies.)
Note: Make sure to eat beforehand; wear comfortable walking shoes; and pack with you sunscreen, bug repellant, plenty of water, whatever food you may want to eat while at the park, and anything else you might need to spend a few hours in nature!
Crocker Park | Trader Joe’s Run
Meet at Firelands Apartment Building and catch a bus to Crocker Park, the outdoor lifestyle center in Westlake. Grab lunch at the Cheesecake Factory , catch a movie at Regal Cinemas that you can‘t see in Oberlin, go shopping at some of the mall’s 70+ retail stores , or pick up organic groceries at Trader Joe’s to get you set up for the rest of the summer.
The trip is free for all student researchers and their faculty and staff mentors. Bring money for your purchases.
Organic Blueberry Picking with Lunch and Frozen Custard at Krieg’s
Pick your own organic blueberries at Chance Creek Blues in Amherst with lunch and frozen custard afterward at the famous Krieg‘s. Bring cash. You pay for what you pick, and OSRI takes care of the rest!
Beach Day at Edgewater
Cool off with other researchers at Edgewater Park Beach in Cleveland. Bring your swimsuit, sunscreen, sunglasses, music, a good book—anything you will need for a day at the beach. Pack a lunch or bring cash for a snack.
Cedar Point
A daylong trip to Cedar Point , ‘‘The Roller Coaster Capital of the World.’’ Tickets are free for all OSRI student researchers and their faculty and staff mentors. Bring money if you want to purchase concessions.