37 Questions With An Oberlin Student | Vogue

1. What is something that you can’t live without?

My sneakers!!! (I got them this summer and wear them every day. Fashionable. They give me an extra inch of height. And very comfortable for when I’m rushing to class.)

2. What is a secret talent of yours?

Making connections between seemingly unrelated things (which is very handy for writing essays). I think it’s because of my ADHD, but Clifton Strengths would say it’s because my number one strength is “Ideation.” 

3. What are 3 words to describe yourself?

Curious, passionate, thoughtful.

4. Favorite animal?

I think I’m contractually obligated to say the albino squirrel (Oberlin’s mascot, Yeobie).

5. Favorite snack food?

Cheez-Its (my most frequent purchase from DeCafé), but for a while I was a strict consumer of chocolate-covered pretzels (also available at DeCafé). 

6. What is the last book that you read? 

Currently reading Born This Way by Joanna Wuest for my Queer Comparative Politics class, and I just about finish a full book every week for my Feminist Theory class, but the last book I read for fun was The Jesus Cow by Michael Perry.

7. What is your favorite genre of music?

Pop or rock. (Or pop rock!)

8. Favorite quote? 

“You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time” -Angela Davis. Pretty fitting for Oberlin.

9. What is your guilty pleasure? 

Celebrity drama. (When Spare came out, I was quoting Prince Harry left and right.)

10. Go-to coffee order? 

I placed an order at Azzie’s this afternoon! It’s always the same: 16 oz hot chai latte, no syrup, almond milk (they unfortunately don’t have soy, which is the best plant-based milk). Though Slow Train does chai the best.

11. What is something that you can’t do but wish you could? 

Digest dairy…

12. What is a bad habit of yours? 

Making last-minute outfit changes and leaving for class three minutes too late! (I just do some intense speedwalking and huffing and puffing up the stairs to make up for it.)

13. Favorite way to spend a rainy day? 

Inside, ideally with a to-go container of soup from Stevie, doing some readings for class.

14. Favorite day of the week?

Wednesday, surprisingly. It’s my busiest day by far, but I love all my classes. From 1:30-2:20 PM, I have Social Movements and the Policy Process, 2:30-4:20 PM is Feminist Theory, 5-6 PM is SwiftCo (a student-taught ExCo about Taylor Swift, which I’m getting 2 credits for!), and 7-8:15 PM is Comparative Politics of Developing Countries.

15. Go-to breakfast?

A breakfast sandwich (bacon, egg, and cheese on a croissant) and tater tots from the Rat (Rathskeller)! They have an air fryer which makes the tater tots so crispy…

16. Favorite color? 

Red! Not because it’s an Oberlin color, actually, but red is lucky in Chinese culture and I’ve been told it looks good on me. My hair is also red.

17. What is the first thing you do when you wake up? 

Hit snooze. Then check the time, panic, take two gummy vitamins, and hurry to the bathroom to get ready.

18. What is your favorite season?

Fall! Back to school, my birthday (October 2), foliage, apple everything, and horror movies. (I’m from Connecticut, so autumn is practically a culture.)

19. When was the last time you cried? 

Last night, alone in my room, when I was procrastinating homework by watching a live wedding painter’s TikToks.

20. Were you named after someone? 

Julia Roberts, who my mom saw on the cover of a magazine when she first immigrated and thought was pretty.

21. What is your pet peeve? 

Slow walkers who take up the whole sidewalk!! Like, I’m late to class!! Get out of my way!!

22. When is your birthday and what is your sign?

October 2, 2005. I’m a Libra sun, Virgo moon, and Cancer rising if that means anything to you.

23. What is a skill that you are working on?

Getting stuff done on time (and being on time).

24. Dream job?

College professor!! At least, that's the plan right now.

25. Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

Major introvert, but I can masquerade as an extrovert if necessary (and if I take my ADHD meds).

26. Favorite ice cream flavor? 

Ben and Jerry’s Americone Dream!! Did you know Jerry was an Oberlin alum?

27. What is one item that you must have on you at all times? 

My water bottle.

28. Do you prefer cooking or baking?

Baking, and since DeCafé has ingredients that you can buy with Flex (campus money), I’ve been able to bake quite a few times for birthdays and bake sales this year.

29. What are you most looking forward to at the moment?

Spring break… just a week and a half away! I miss my dog and home-cooked meals.

30. What is the first thing you thought about this morning?

“Is it rude to cancel therapy so I can sleep in?”

31. Lectures or discussions?

Discussions all the way, though most classes listed as lectures still have discussion elements built in, or alternate between lecture and discussion days.

32. Tests, essays, or presentations?

Essays. Too much can go wrong with a presentation, and though ODA (Office of Disability and Access) has been lovely in helping me get extra time with tests, I still prefer to have control over how much time and effort I spend on an assignment, so essays win.

33. What’s your favorite store in town?

I can’t pick!! Either Ratsy’s (an eccentric gag gift store) or All Things Great. I actually rented a fur coat from All Things Great for Halloween, when I dressed up as Evil/Misogynist Ken from the Barbie movie. Ginko’s would’ve been up there, which is an art gallery/store with local pieces for sale and rescued kittens up for adoption that you can go play with for free (you get a timer for 22 minutes exactly), but the woman who owns it is retiring and the kittens are gone now. Frowny face.

34. Where’s your favorite place to get food in town?

Kim’s Grocery & Carryout! It’s a Korean store that also has affordable, well-portioned food (my go-to is tofu bibimbap).

35. Pros and cons of living in a single?

Pro: you can decorate however you want, don’t have to worry about someone else’s schedule, and will always have a guaranteed place for alone time. Con: nobody will wake you up for class.

36. Favorite place to study?

A booth in Azzie’s or at my desk in my room. I put a good amount of effort into the setup last term so it’s a new favorite!

37. Favorite Oberlin alumni?

Jerry Greenfield from Ben and Jerry’s or Alison Bechdel!