We deserve to be spoken to with honesty by the adminstration

There is so much bullshit at Oberlin. What has Oberlin become?

Campus politics are growing more and more complex so that most students don't know what the hell to think anymore. We hear bits and pieces of stories because that's what all administrators, staff members and professors want us to know. When did we become out of the loop? Why are we left sitting in our classrooms clueless to problems arising outside of them? Like one of my friends said, when did Oberlin become a place of politics and not education?

The recent "resignation" of Dean of Student Life and Services Charlene Cole-Newkirk triggers a multitude of questions about the administration itself. Students are left in the dark about the real story concerning her resignation. Why can't administrators provide us with the truth about what was behind her resignation? Students are left dealing with the aftermath, only to base their stand on the issue from the half-stories they heard from one person who told another person who overheard from another and so on. It is ridiculous for an administrator, and for that matter the President of the College, to think that we are "okay" with the resignation without explaining to students why Dean Cole-Newkirk resigned.

It's frustrating to see students speak out about something that really moves them when I know that the administration isn't being up front with the student body in any respect. Yeah sure, it's better to speak out and talk about your concerns than being apathetic, but what good can possibly arise if the administration fails to honestly communicate with students.

Now many students point to the Review for promoting the confusion surrounding Student Life and Services and Dean Cole-Newkirk. The Oberlin Review is full of good intentions and good people who work their asses off every week. I admire the hell out of every student who works at the Review. But I can't ignore our weaknesses. We are too close to the stories that arise, but it's understandable because this is a small campus, full of active students involved in a number of organizations. There's no doubt that many of us are friends with influential members of this community. In contrast, many students, administrators and professors refuse to talk with us, so it is difficult to form balanced stories. It is important to acknowledge that it's impossible to write a balanced story when certain individuals or organizations essential to the story refuse to talk or "comment" about anything. Then again, we often neglect to pursue certain individuals and groups that may be willing to talk to us and provide us with information.

There is no doubt that we need a more diverse staff. I am one of the few minority students who work at the Review. It used to not bother me, but I now realize that with a more diverse staff, there will be more diverse stories and diverse takes on the issues always at hand. We want to encourage minority students to write, photograph and edit for the Review. I realize that I have been apathetic in rounding up a diverse staff. I will work with other Review staff members to make the Review more diverse. That is my responsibility as a student and as an Asian-American.

We are at a time when the Oberlin community needs to explore its interests and feelings about the College itself. The entire structure of Oberlin's administration is crumbling only to be rebuilt to fit the old structure. Students don't need to go through all this bullshit again. It's depressing and sad to be among other students who are just as confused and bewildered as I am about the politics of this school. We deserve to be spoken to with honesty. We deserve to be included in important decisions. We are Oberlin. We should not bow our heads to the administration and let them think differently.

Michelle Becker is a college junior and a Commentary editor.