At most colleges the president slaves away in a hidden office, emerging on occasion to nod at a few students before returning to work. But on Tuesday, Nov. 27 in the relatively crowded Azariah’s Café, newly inaugurated President Marvin Krislov, accompanied by Dean of Students Linda Gates, conducted his second “Koffee with Krislov” — an informal forum sponsored by the Student Senate. Giving up an hour of his time after hours, he offered students a chance to meet him and took an opportunity to get to know the students.

Free coffee, snacks and the chance to meet with two representatives of the highest tier of Oberlin’s administration, brought approximately 40 students to the event.

Most students used the event as a break from their studies, while a brave few took the opportunity to introduce or reintroduce themselves to the president and dean. For others it was a chance to express gratitude for the actions the president has already undertaken.

College senior Alia Kate, captain of the women’s rugby team, came to the meet and greet “to congratulate [Krislov] about the initiative he has taken in setting up the Steering Committee, which looks into club sports issues,” she said.

Krislov has shown active interest in developing a long-term strategy to secure alumni donations for both club and National Collegiate  Athletic Association recognized teams. In a candid comment indicative of the relaxed tone of the event, Krislov remarked, “It’s very Oberlin that the two big sports teams on campus are women’s rugby and ultimate frisbee.”

The atmosphere was relaxed and jovial, in contrast to the previous “Koffee with Krislov” session earlier this semester, in which Krislov was forced to don his community leader and diplomat cap and which was marked by intense debate and palpable tension, falling on the heels of alleged police brutality and discrimination.

Discussions at Tuesday’s event drifted consistently into the students’ experiences. Krislov seemed to show genuine interest in where students were from, their time in high school and their experiences at Oberlin. He asked one first-year about his experiences with teachers, his thoughts about the College environment and even shared his own feelings about his new position and the experience of moving into the president’s mansion and setting up his new life in Oberlin. Toward the end he proclaimed his desire for more diversity among local restaurants.

“I’d love a deli — a real deli and proper bagels,” he said in the course of a rather lengthy discussion with several students about improving Oberlin’s culinary landscape. He also encouraged students to look into the feasibility of introducing ideas for new restaurants or other interests to his office so that they might be looked at more seriously by the administration.

President Krislov will teach a politics class this coming semester in an attempt to further acclimate himself to the environment and connect with students.

One of Krislov’s students-to-be, senior Joshua Curtis, attended the event in the hopes of talking to his future teacher. “I’m glad for the opportunity to talk to him about [the class] and other issues,” he said.

Dean Gates spoke positively about the success of the event. “It’s a chance for students to chat with the president and to meet him and greet him and for him to get know them in an informal setting without any particular agenda. The president’s hope is that [Koffee with Krislov] will happen periodically throughout the year.”

In all his discussions, Krislov attempted to come off as a mentor rather than as a distant leader. When possible, he took the time to offer personalized advice to students in order to help them in their time at college and after, perhaps taking note of many of the concerns students and faculty had expressed about his predecessor. Students noted that it was truly enjoyable to have a chance to meet the president and talk to him, if only for a few minutes.