In response to recent concerns that The Oberlin Review has been careless in handling the coverage of Rachel Beverly’s legacy that continues to afflict countless on-campus organizations in her absence, we would like to take this opportunity to warmly affirm our own intentions. Our sentiments and efforts in reporting the events surrounding and following her death have intended to be nothing short of respectful, heartfelt and deeply empathetic. Beverly, known mainly for her work as the Director of the Multicultural Resource Center and for her advising of the Edmonia Lewis Center, was a selfless, compassionate leader and a truly exemplary human. The cloud that her death has cast upon the Oberlin community, even now, is the truest testimony to both Beverly’s irreplaceable qualities and the necessity of the services she magnanimously rendered for the community’s greater good. We genuinely apologize if our coverage has appeared to reflect anything other than a profound acknowledgement of this statement and our desire to honor her memory.

Much of the concern brought to our attention focuses on the fact that our accounts of Beverly’s official titles and roles within various organizations have either been erroneous or understated in our reportage. We apologize for any factual or textual errors that have seeped through our weary Friday morning eyes. Also, we would like to stress that Beverly’s contributions to the Oberlin community was so vast and so irreducible that a single title, or even a string of titles, could not do the justice that she deserves. By no means have we published a single article, caption or headline with the intention of disrespect.

Simply stated, we have covered and intend to continue covering the considerable tribulations that have arisen among myriad organizations with Beverly’s death. In last week’s issue, our coverage was intended to reflect a deep concern for the fact that a struggling MRC is now completely student-run and that the ELC is on dangerous financial footing. Any inaccuracies, perceived insincerities or omissions were completely unintentional and in no way reflect complacent attitudes among our staff.

Again, we have tried to handle Beverly’s death and the aftereffects on the Oberlin community with the utmost respect and we apologize to any and all who feel otherwise.

Crash a tragedy

The car accident that took the lives of juniors Ben Caraco and Zac Tucker has weighed heavily on the campus psyche this week.

There is no way to know what they would have done after Oberlin; there is no way to know what they would have taken from this College out into the world. The only thing that we do know is that Oberlin is a tight-knit community diverse, caring and yes, sometimes contentious and their tragic deaths have taken something away from all of us.

None of us knew Ben or Zac closely, but the memories we have of them now are indelibly engraved in our thoughts. This past week, friends and loved ones painted a memorial on one of Tappan’s boulders, leaving their handprints as a sign of their promise to remember them. The East Asian Studies department has created a website and bulletin board offering everyone the opportunity to leave their thoughts on the impact that Ben had left in their lives.

Their deaths have made us pause and reflect upon our lives and the lives of those around us. We may continue to attend our classes regularly and go about our daily activities, but we cannot evade confrontation with what has happened.

We hope that the melancholic mood that pervades campus will dissipate with the thought that Ben and Zac will continue on in our reminiscences and conversations.

A campus memorial service will be given in Finney Chapel on Tuesday, March 9, at 7 p.m. The Dean of Students office has scheduled a planning meeting for Monday, March 1, at 4:30 p.m. in Wilder 115. We give our condolences to the families and friends of Ben and Zac.

—Editor-in-Chief: Douglass Dowty
—Commentary Editor: Margaret Carey
—Managing Editors: Eric Klopfer, Steven Kwan, Colin Smith