Aries Indenbaum ’09

On stereotypes, underlying truths, how college is different from high school, and why we are (and aren't) a hipster school.

I feel totally comfortable in Oberlin. I don't worry about homophobia, sexism, or personal security. I can go running at 2AM here, without fearing for my life. I can smile at strangers. I can be myself. Leaving Oberlin means leaving home.

On dating at Oberlin, the agony and ecstasy of relationships, why I hate summer, and love. Stupid, horrible, crazy love.

In order to get an idea of the scope of Winter Term projects, we asked students to submit photos. We received shots from the top of Kilimanjaro to the Mad River Valley in Vermont; Prague to Washington, DC; Seattle to Oberlin. Then we made an album.

A REVISED comprehensive list of events for the next weekend, when most admitted students visit. Featuring: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, fashion shows, pizza night, dance shows, and film festivals.

Blues dancing just feels natural. It's the ultimate partner dance, encouraging trust, freedom, and ridiculousness.

One of the best dancers in America lives in Cleveland: Valerie Salstrom. OSwing, in its great and powerful wisdom, invited her to visit Oberlin for a weekend to teach balboa and blues.

When you visit Oberlin, you must eat at the Feve. The Feve isn't just a restaurant -- it's an experience.

The most amazing, delicious, creative, fantastic and new things to do for the month of January.

Even though we sat in tiny plastic desk-chairs, I felt incredibly at ease. He didn't take notes. He didn't ask for my GPA. We were just chatting.

Since freshman year, I've known we have a Pottery Co-op. I've seen the bowls; I've had tea in their mugs. But until now, I've had no idea where it is. (Warning: entry includes pranking photos, ray guns, and violence to bicycles.)

If you've heard the song "We Will All Go Together When We Go," by Tom Lehrer, it encapsulates the joyful fatalism of finals. This is why we have gender-bending, gravity-smashing swing dances.

I'm incredibly clumsy -- when I was a freshman, I actually fell on my face hard enough to give myself a black eye. But regardless, I love to dance. Especially swing dance.

At Oberlin, my friends are my family. They're all different: what they look like, what they care about, where they're from. But they're my people.

I love the gym. I love sweating. I love running. I love lifting things. I love feeling my muscles quake.... Confession #12: I'm a gym rat.

This week, I gave a tour to the direct descendant of John F. Oberlin. In my head, I pictured an irritated blond, infuriated by my foolish blathering and my inability to discuss Oberlin achievements in conversational French. (Warning: Entry includes bears.)

“You have to want to be a creative writing major.” Featuring: Aries fails, the creative writing application (how, what and why), what alums do, and why classes are really hard.

The truth behind one of the best reputations in the country. Featuring: fangirling over professors, cursing, fear, what a workshop is, and Writing versus English.

"If we had duct tape, we'd help Klebanoff know what's good for him." - Prof. Paul Dawson speaking about Ben Klebanoff (Student Senator and wunderkind).

Discovery: I can't define my job because it's always changing.

Normally, Orientation is a crazy time, though no one agrees why. That said, this year feels different. These freshmen are just way too cool.

Nearly everyone at Oberlin can ride a bike. And for the first time in my life, I want to be like everyone else. How hard can biking be?

I love being a tour guide. The job is to share what you love while walking backwards, connecting with people from across the country and the world. What's more rewarding than that?

The job search is one of the most stressful experiences I've ever had. The only time I've ever felt so confused and overwhelmed was writing my college applications.

Until this summer, I'd never spent a full day in Cleveland. It was time to change that. It was time to get to know Cleveland, to see if I wanted to deepen our relationship.

Say "commencement" and I think of the iconic hats in the air, traditions, pomp and circumstance, formality... But Oberlin students don't really DO traditional.

College has been better than any other time in my life. When I think about who I was when I arrived here, and who I am now... I am a fundamentally different person. I grew up in Oberlin.

Generally, I'm a very confident, extroverted person. Unless I'm performing.

Despite study breaks, things still get odd around finals.

We packed the bleachers, night after night, squishing in 500 people per show. An audience of 1,500 in all saw my last big show.

Oberlin students have a certain spark. It's not snark or cynicism, it's more of a slightly pointed... silliness. Weird implies non-functionality; uniqueness is too bland. Eccentric? Zany? Jaunty? Quirky? .... Does anyone have a word for us?

Building a circus can be outrageously different from theater. Circus creates issues you don't have to worry about with theater: like insurance, or fire permits. And not having a script. Or a stage manager. This makes everything even MORE exciting than normal!

This is my old livejournal entry from when I visited for All Roads as a prospie. Wiggle your fingers: it is 2005, I have really long hair and wear a green military coat.

As I am employed as a tour guide, admissions intern, and creative writing intern, "All Roads" is pretty busy for me. Besides tours, info sessions, and panels, I saw Reefer Madness, sunbathed, and contra danced.

Tonight: Music party at Harkness, with Andrew Gombas, Birthday Kids, and Dos Mil Días De Fuego. Before that, I saw Spring Back, a dance show, so it's been... a long night. My ears hurt. My thighs hurt. I am super-duper happy.

Everyone is attractive, even when you have no idea what gender they are.

One of the questions I get on tours is "What's an average day like, for an Oberlin student?" This is, of course, one of the most difficult questions ever.

Spring break in Mammoth Cave! Featuring: flutes, food, camping, kodama, hiking and super-cool people.

"Bloggers don't have to be introspective," I protested. She put her hands up, "It's not a bad thing. You just... might want to think about stuff. Sometimes. You don't have to, but it's good. Sometimes."

In fear of the real world, I resolved to do and see as many ridiculous things as I can this semester. Like swing dancing.

Some people speak Spanish, French, Chinese. My friends speak Science. If I didn't speak at least some pidgin Science, I couldn't understand them at all.

When I got the note, I started dancing in the library and letting out some jubilant obscenities. I hadn't expected to win, especially for a story I hadn't workshopped, in a style I was new at.

Things I didn't expect from college: Moving in with the boyfriend.

During Add/Drop, we overcommit. This is inevitable.

Once we landed at Cleveland-Hopkins Airport, I woke up and raced for the bus stop. After waiting outside for 10 minutes, I huddled indoors and discovered I had missed the last bus by 15 minutes. Gahhh.

We were getting bedraggled, after countless handstands, cartwheels, and rope climbs. Yet as the weeks wound down, we got closer and closer as a group.

"I've never been to Seattle," I said, imagining gray skies, coffee, comic books and indie bands.

Right now, I'm in Seattle, studying at SANCA, the School for Acrobatics and New Circus Arts. To put it succinctly, this school is going to kick my ass.

The hard part of Finals is ... finishing them.

The money raised by Work it for Women was to help women with the costs of an abortion: travel, overnight stays and child care.

I'll do anything for a contra dance.

I'm keeping the coat, of course. There's a lot of life there.

Interviews: What To Do (and What Not To Do)

I think you can tell a lot about someone by their To Do list.

Is this safe? Safe enough.

We may not be blood relations, but we are a family.

I went as Bettie Page, which is hard to do.... in public. For the sake of Oberlin College, I won't do too much description. Suffice to say, I looked classy.

From one Obie to another: if you really want to take a break from life during a school break, the easiest way to do it is to stay put.

Hi! My name is Aries!

I listened to Jim's piece "Chorale" this morning. Damn, it was great.

Bad idea: Working on a Friday night.

The Storytelling Exco has been the pillar of my college experience -- performance on the outside and therapy on the inside.

Ratatat, playing at the Sco on Tuesday, was insane.