The Oberlin Review
<< Front page News October 1, 2004

News Briefs
The deans are in

Peanut bread and serious discussions shared room on the second round of the Deans Are In initiative, which was started last week by the office of the Dean of Students. Every Thursday afternoon from 4 to 5 p.m. students have the opportunity to meet with all the deans in a very informal and relaxed environment and to talk about the issues, which are of importance to them.

“It’s a growing secret society,” said jokingly Associate Dean of Students and Director of Student Life Shozo Tawaguchi. He said that this Thursday there were students interested in matters such as should students be allowed to live off campus under different conditions that at the moment, is the size of the Oberlin student body big enough, and many others.

“We had a good turnout,” Kawaguchi said. On the first week of the initiative more than 20 students decided to get acquainted with the work of the Deans. Some of them returned for round two.

“One student had heard about it and came in to look for sponsorship for his cap rally,” said Lori Flood, associate dean and director of health education services. “He came in, he talked to us, expressed his opinion and received some funding.”

Students enjoyed relaxed communication with the deans. Sophomore Jessica Sharff stopped by just to share some thought of her day, while senior Amanda Saroff who had recently returned from Germany, expressed her impressions of the European country to the deans. Some political debates also arose, inspired by the expectations for the upcoming presidential debates.

Dean Kawaguchi brought some home baked peanutbread and cookies, which were highly appreciated by the students. He didn’t promise to do this every week, but he guaranteed that the initiative will go on.

“Every Thursday, sun or rain or snow,” he said.

First-year demographics

The percentage of students of color in the first-year class of 2008 is by three percent less than the class admitted last year. Broken down, this statistic shows that the number of African American students on campus decreased from two percent to five, the number of Latino-American students from six to four percent. The percentages of Asian American, Native American and international students have remained the same as last year and are either the same or higher for the class of 2006.

“I don’t think this represents a trend,” said Acting Dean of Students Linda Gates.

“In any case if the percentage in any group is lower this year than last, it’s still higher than the year before.”Currently Oberlin attend more than 250 international students. In the class of 2008 were admitted 40 international undergraduate students on both the College and the Conservatory divisions and 10 graduate Conservatory students.

“We currently have international students from 25 countries,” said Gates.
 
 

   

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