News Briefs

OCRAP Helps Students Relieve Stress

As students worked diligently on their final papers last Monday night, fretting over the next day's Reading Period deadline, many heard the frightful sounds of aluminum slamming violently into heavy machinery, accompanied by shattering glass. However, upon fleeing Mudd Library's A-level to catch a glimpse of the chaos, studious Obies discovered a slightly unorthodox study break occurring on the ramp.

The Oberlin Computer Recycling Program (OCRAP), formed last year, held its second annual computer smashing extravaganza last Monday night, featuring stressed Obies destroying antiquated computer equipment with aluminum baseball bats. OCRAP receives the equipment from both the College as well as from local businesses. While they convert the majority of the donated equipment into functional computers, that which proves unusable falls victim to 'the smash.'

This year constitutes the second that OCRAP has featured the smash as a studying alternative. A significant crowd congregated on Mudd Library's ramp at approximately 10 p.m. to witness the spectacle. Paying the small price of $1, OCRAP provided aluminum baseball bats to academically harried students for the purpose of smashing the obsolete computer equipment. While some satisfied their destructive craze with a solid three raps to a printer or keyboard, the more ambitious meticulously placed the equipment upon a nearby picnic table in order to better satisfy the crowd with spectacular displays of destruction. Those most eager to satisfy the masses chose to demolish keyboards, sending the keys flying in scattered directions.

The overwhelmingly positive student response to the annihilative study break seems to point to the likelihood of OCRAP continuing the tradition of end-of-the-semester destruction, barring the necessary out of date equipment.

-Nick Stillman

College Receives $15 Million Grant

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has given the College a $15 million grant which the college will match one-to-one. The grant will allow the College to establish a $3 million fund for a permanent program of two-year Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowships in the social sciences and humanities.

The Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship program supports scholars in becoming adjusted to balancing teaching and research as they move into professional academic careers. Oberlin's existing program has been supported by the Mellon Foundation since 1996.

Mellon fellows teach one class at Oberlin a semester and spend the rest of their time on research. Each fellow has a mentor on the faculty.

"This program does more than allow recent PhDs to get an excellent start on research and teaching careers," said David Love, associate vice president and director of sponsored programs. "It provides Oberlin faculty with invaluable released time to modify existing courses and develop new ones - activities that are essential to maintaining a vibrant curriculum."

The College hopes to establish a $3 million fund with the grant by 2003 that will allow the recruitment of five new fellows every three years.

-Elizabeth Heron

Faculty Appointments at Record High

The College recently hired an unprecedented number of new faculty.

According to Dean of the College Clayton Koppes, the number of new faculty appointments is the largest in over 30 years due to the fact that many veteran professors have retired or resigned.

The new appointemnets will be joining the departments of African-American Studies, Geology, Religion, Philosophy, Women's Studies, Sociology, East Asian Studies, Computer Science, History, Spanish, Politics, Art, Jewish Studies, Religion and French.

-Elizabeth Heron