Alice Ollstein ’10

All life is an adventure, and moving to a new city, building/finding a new community, and scrambling to make it in a uncertain field definitely qualifies.

Even in the worst economy ever, we ex-Obies find a way. Glimpses of the post-college lives of the Class of 2010.

From job hunting to house hunting to cheap cultural activity hunting, I don't think I'm in Kansas (or Oberlin) anymore.

My goal was to graduate without any lingering "I should have done X, Y and Z!" I (almost) succeeded.

On Senior Week, graduating, and facing my future.

A few more I LOVE OBERLIN moments.

Raising awareness on campus about a problematic, popular fruit.

Keeping vegetarian in Oberlin is easy. In rural Nicaragua? Not so much.

Why is it that the one time of year we're too busy to do anything we are presented with a plethora of incredible performances and events?

Possibly my dorkiest post yet.

My waking self was indecisive, but my subconscious knew.

I didn't win. But I was proud to remember both the 3 D's of apparition AND Ron's favorite Quidditch team.

Finally, after almost 20 hours of waiting, I had original paintings by Goya and Toulouse Lautrec in my hands.

A few changes around campus since my freshman year, for better and for worse.

A few words of advice mixed with my nostalgic ramblings of yore.

Upon learning I attend Oberlin, many people ask if I go into Cleveland every weekend. Usually my facial expression is enough of an answer.

There's a flower shop on S. Main that writes a different name on their sign every day, and if you are blessed with that particular name, you get a free flower. I had never seen my own name until this past Commencement.

You can't do everything at Oberlin, but by god do we all try.

A few things I learned on yesterday's patrol with the Samaritans, a group that sends a group out to the desert every day looking for migrants in need of water, food, medicine or simply a friendly face.

To learn the routes of migration, we did in a couple of easy hours what takes most migrants four excruciating days.

What if good intentions and a strong desire to "make a difference" aren't enough?

Living with a host family is a difficult adjustment after two and a half years in Oberlin's dorms.

Drugs, thugs and racism: a smidgen of what I've learned so far on the border.

Tomorrow marks both the end of the Border Studies program orientation and the end of Bush's reign. Now the real work begins.

This ain't your momma's study abroad.

Off-campus status is both a blessing and a curse...but mostly a blessing.

It's important to look around.

It's a bummer to be sick at school, but not as bad as you might think.

I had the distinct pleasure of flying to Rome for fall break to see my S.O., who is studying Classics there, and I got to employ a lot of what I've learned in classrooms and the coops during my stay.

To my delight, a prospie e-mailed me last week and asked if she could spend some time with me during her visit to Oberlin. We had a good time, but here's how to have an even better stay.

When confronted with wastefulness and hostility, what's an Obie to do? It ain't easy being green...

Thousands of miles from Oberlin, it's still all around me.

I received a request to elaborate on my experience going from a big, urban California environment to Oberlin, Ohio...so here goes!

A bit about how I ever left L.A. sunshine for Ohio and why I'm so glad I did.

My packed day of activities this weekend was a perfect example of Oberlin's environmentalism, and I'm glad there were a ton of prospective students (aka prospies) here to see them.

All about Drag Ball, arguably the biggest yearly event at Oberlin.