With the faculty having voted to approve the heavily debated strategic planning document last Friday, the issue now faced by the College community is how to best put the plan’s proposed measures into practice.

The controversy surrounding the document is largely based on its lack of clear and specific priorities, as well as the absence of any actual plans to realize its administrative policy reconstructions. Taking the first steps towards implementation, student senator and College junior Marshall Duer-Balkind is organizing a student committee that he hopes will devise detailed designs of action necessary to carry out the strategic plan.

“The group will essentially be a think tank,” he said, “generating ideas of how to implement the strategic plan. It’s for students who are interested in the future of the College, who are creative and can get us where we need to be.”

Duer-Balkind hopes the strategic plan will afford interested students the opportunity to become deeply involved in the organization of Oberlin’s decision-making system.

“It’s when students get organized and really start thinking, not just complaining and protesting, that they can have a big impact on the governance of the school,” he said.

As of right now, Duer-Balkind is searching for interested students able to commit several hours a week to the work of the committee. Membership is open to anyone, although Duer-Balkind hopes to attract a larger number of first-years, sophomores and juniors due to the fact that implementation of the strategic plan, self-deemed a five year project, will be more long-term.

“This semester is only going to be a start,” Duer-Balkind said.

An immense range of College communities are involved in the strategic plan and Duer-Balkind is hoping the student committee will reflect this range.

Conservatory and international students, as well as people of color, are especially underrepresented in student government, Duer-Balkind told the Review, and he is hoping their voices will be heard through this working group.

“This community works best when everyone is involved,” he said.

Once assembled, the student committee will ideally give way to sub-groups where students can select an area in which they will specifically focus their efforts, including housing, admissions, advising or international issues. Working closely with the committee will be the Oberlin College Dialogue Center and its director Yeworkwha Belachew.

Another of Duer-Balkind’s motivations to organize a student planning front is his belief in the importance of active remembrance of the College’s history, taking under advisement what past policies have or have not worked.

“Oberlin has a poor history of institutional memory,” he stated. “This group will be writing down and recording this period for future generations of students.”