Manheim participates in a game of dress-up with children at the Oberlin Early Childhood Center. PHOTOGRAPHS BY GABE GRAFF Oberlin Student Puts Classroom Theory to the Test by Sue Kropp
Manheim wrestles with one of the more rambunctious students.		DECEMBER 17, 2001--Senior Aaron Manheim admits that he was hoping to fulfill a requirement toward graduation when he signed up for Environmental Studies 320: Gender, Nature, and Culture. What he didn't expect were the benefits the service-oriented class would provide him with, both in and out of the classroom. "The fact that the course fulfilled a requirement was a bonus," Manheim says. "For me, the class presented an amazing opportunity to integrate learning and labor, which is essentially the reason why I chose Oberlin in the first place." Gender, Nature, and Culture is new to the College's course catalog this semester. Taught by Beth Blissman, the interdisciplinary course offers students the opportunity to critically reflect upon how culture in Western society has been and continues to be shaped. The theories the students explore are applied directly into academically-based community service projects in Lorain County. Blissman, director of the Center for Service and Learning and an instructor in environmental studies, has had a variety of experiences in academically based community service projects and grass roots organizations. "Academically based community service (ABCS) is a pedagogy that encompasses learning goals, community service, reflection, ongoing communication with community partners, and an assessment of that involvement for professors and their students," Blissman says. "It integrates academic instruction with community service in the form of individual or group projects, enabling students to engage in course goals and civic participation simultaneously." Manheim is no stranger to the concept of community service. During his college career, he has participated in OhioPIRG, the Campaign to End the Death Penalty, Habitat for Humanity, and various anti-racism and anti-war campaigns. However, his participation in Blissman's class has taken his volunteer work to an entirely new level. "Essentially, my project is to be a classroom assistant at the Oberlin Early Childhood Center (OECC)," says Manheim. "I work with 2 year olds, so I can't formulate a really elaborate project, but I feel that my presence there is in itself a very effective lesson. The fact that I'm one of only five or six males that the kids see at the center is significant." Blissman agrees with her student. "Aaron, being a male, is a role model for the kids at OECC," she says. "Just the fact that he is there to actively play with them and help them during the day sets a positive example." As an environmental studies and sociology major, Manheim feels that the class ties well into both fields and is a good example of how academia can be integrated into real-life contexts. "Academic endeavors don't necessarily have to take place within the confines of four walls," says Manheim. "Classes based on ABCS can help assign a new, more progressive meaning to higher education." Blissman adds that the course is designed to acquaint students with the contemporary and historical interconnections among the social creations of gender, nature, and culture in society, and--more specifically--to look at these issues within the Oberlin community. "Examining these issues within our readings and during group discussions will further develop and deepen students' critical thinking skills," Blissman says. "At the same time, I'm hoping this class will foster in my students a sense of personal efficacy and a sense of hope in the future." Bearing in mind the goals for the class, Manheim feels that the experience was a personal success. "I definitely think that I will continue to volunteer at OECC next semester," he says. "I can't really say where I'm going to take what I've learned, but I can see that it had an influence on me." Creative play helps children learn new language and social skills. By participating in this play, Manheim helps students at OECC grow and develop.
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