Ma'ayan Plaut ’10

And ultimately, end.

It's that time again: apply to be an Oberlin blogger!

When you miss meal hours in campus dining services, when your co-op cancels dinner, or when you need to treat yourself, sometimes you need to head out.

Boiling down the orientation guide to a list of essential actions. Get your walking shoes ready, tune in your ears, and prepare yourselves for the first week of your next four/five years.

... one of our bloggers got married!

On seeing old faces in all the same familiar faces.

An interview with my classmate Patrick Willems '10, creator of fine online films such as "What if Wes Anderson directed X-Men."

...as explored through geology.

Keeping up with the Plauts, or how I talked to my family when I was in college.

To blatantly parrot a lovely quote from former blogger Ida: "I want to squish them all!"

Want to join the Oberlin blogging team? Application details within!

Everything I learned about course registration (plus some additional advice from Obies who have been there, done that).

Fact: if you and I have collaborated on a meal together before, you've probably received an email titled with the name of this post before. To quote the old blues song: "Come on in my kitchen."

A mini-reality check popped into my mailbox a few days ago. Past Ma'ayan is here to visit the current Ma'ayan with a present!

...with emotions, never-ending rain, smatterings of advice, and the overwhelmingness of the commencement/reunion weekend to end all commencement/reunion weekends.

Student loans, begone! I'm through!

If you want to talk to real Oberlin students about real life, this is your chance! Read on for more information about our cool livestreamed virtual student panels!

We've got a few open positions here on the Oberlin blogs, so we're doing a ~*second*~ round of hiring for this school year!

It's like a spidey sense, but way way better. Because there are less legs and/or radioactive superhero features (though, no lies, that last one would be awesome).

Having some ideas about the mentorship opportunities while at Oberlin. They're complicated and awesome (like most things that involve people).

It's here! It's here! The 2013 blogger application is within this post!

Collected advice from something like 50 people about how to tackle the overwhelming task of making friends in college.

This is an attempt to get you blogging. Not for us, but in general.

Did I do my major right? I don't know! I hope so? I think so.

Or, I'm taking a dance class and I can't help but parallel lessons learned on the dance floor to my learning in the bigger world.

This is a place with an aura of calm, a history of progress. But Oberlin is a part of the rest of the world, which means that the world's problems are ours, too.

The unofficial winter term project name is The Need to Feed. The unofficial unofficial project name is OMG WTF (Wow, That Food!) WINTER TERM.

Everyone has an opinion and so do I.

I want to hear your Oberlin food stories. Share them in the comments!

Booksbooksbooksbooksbooksbooks, or how I learned to stop worrying and do some good old-fashioned reading.

Or, what #SoMeXco is all about and how our project is going to legit rock the world this weekend.

To change with the times, we're changing the Oberlin blogs and the folks who work with us here: our newest members of the team are writers, photographers, audio storytellers, and illustrators.

This year's alumni council weekend was kicked up about 10 notches, because it was the kickoff of Oberlin Illuminate, our seven-year comprehensive campaign to focus on the future of Oberlin.

Orientation! It is so so soon. Also: look out for me! I'm going to be out and doing exciting things and you're definitely involved.

Broaching that scary subject of co-ed living. Fact: it was the greatest thing to ever happen to me.

The summer video contest by the class of 2016 shocks, awes, and makes this social media coordinator bouncy with excitement that orientation is just a few weeks away!

Tips, tricks, and advice from a five-year Oberlin commencement/reunion veteran. The fun is upon us!

For those of you who got here by googling "Oberlin Super Smash major" you're at the right place. Read on.

You have questions. I have a comment box and I have answers, or the ability to find them. My super hero alter ego is here to help!

Oberlin grad Nathaniel Mich '10 was on Food Network! We decided to celebrate with baked goods and a screening in Asia House.

This will probably be a first post of many discussing the most terrifying word in an Oberlin student/young alum's vocabulary: networking.

In which my Oberlin family and I team up to send you a slightly belated valentine.

I have been told that if you see a white squirrel on an Oberlin tour, it's good luck. I never went on a tour as a pre-Obie, but I know that seeing one (or five!) in Tappan Square truly makes my day every time.

Obies just make Thanksgiving better. I think that might sum up this entire post in one sentence.

This just in: I really love to teach excited photographers. Especially when it comes to playing with light.

How awesome are our new bloggers? Secret: really really awesome.

I am learning to fully embrace my membership to an exclusive 40,000 person club.

We may not wear our Oberlin pride as sleeve tattoos, but we will drape them on our torsos in a wide array of colors and designs.

An attempt to collect my own personal (and your!) Oberanthems. Full of music and playlists!

Summer in Oberlin is filled with beautiful and tasty things. Take a peek!

I'm celebrating my 100th blog post on the Oberlin blogs, which includes a FABULOUS CONTEST with a sweet prize.

The class of 2015 made us such awesome videos demonstrating their enthusiasm for Oberlin. Watch them!

Any questions you may have had about the musical studies major, the history of jazz at Oberlin, or original research can and will be answered in this post by the incomparable Anna Ernst '10!

In this post about OSCA, I am: a first-year, old, excited, and naked.

Work is play is fun is work is life: in which I worked a ton as a student and tell you all about the fun I had while getting paid!

In which entomology and creativity meet for a three-part manifesto on foolish things.

While I think of Oberlin as an alternate universe Hogwarts much of the time, we don't have owls delivering letters, though that would totally be the coolest.

A pictorial essay of winter term in Oberlin (and a load of theater reviews)!

In which the tables are turned on my previous ExCo fair experiences: this time, I was sitting on the other side of the chaos.

In which I attempt to share my glorious friends with the world.

In which I embrace my future as a possible spoon player in a bluegrass band (though it's still more likely that I will be a teacher).

Luckily, Oberlin gives us the opportunity to be on the other side of the podium, too: I'm teaching an ExCo this spring!

New Year's with Obies, and a year-end list of things I am proud of from the past year (with related links) and resolutions for a new year.

A mini-stroll down this fall's art walk, a showcase of student artworks from the span of studio art classes. With many many photos!

My baby class is beginning to grow! Congrats, first members of the class of 2015!

During finals, study breaks are most necessary. Sometimes they're planned, sometimes they're surprises, but they're always welcome.

In which I explain Oberlin birthdays and share a recipe for chocolate cake for a crowd.

A post and a toast to families away from families: Thanksgiving is what you make of it. Or make for it.

My friend Ali is having an art show... and I'm close enough to the process to inhale the paint fumes and clay dust.

It's application season, kids, so for some insight/inspiration, a peek at my Why Oberlin essay. Oberlin and I were just pieces of a puzzle that came together.

Brothers (and bikes) are pretty cool. I'm very glad I have both.

A meta-post on blogging... a brief personal history, plus a shout-out to our new additions to the blogroll!

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.

Another open letter to my family: being a big kid is eye-opening and good. Much love-profession enclosed.

A mini-manifesto from a mini-chef.

I would say today was a total success: lots of cool looking bikes, bike paraphernalia all over the place, and hundreds of enthusiastic people outside during one of the most pleasant days of September.

The Day of Service is a great opportunity to get off campus and into Lorain County, spend a good few hours working hard and making a difference, and meeting other students committing their morning to the good of the community.

Facebook isn't how college will be, but it'll still be your one of your favorite procrastination devices when you get there.

With this Oberlin story (with penguins!) in my possession, I had to share it with everyone. I put out an all-call on Twitter and Facebook whenever I was sitting in the library working and knew that people needed a distraction.

Oh, Oberlin. Making me have once-in-a-lifetime experiences twice.

And so, my life in Oberlin goes on. Slightly different, but definitely still very, very exciting.

As a veteran of several of their programs I am still completely obsessed with the Center's summer camps, but I'm a bit too old to be at WKU every summer. Instead, I've graduated to camp counselor, and this time to a roving group of creative teens at a film and media camp right here in Oberlin.

When my dad graduated from Oberlin, he went to Kentucky with several recent alums and set up permanent camp on several tracts of farmland in Hart County, Kentucky. When I graduated from Oberlin, I went on a two-week trek with my family to my old Kentucky home. For me, memory lane is paved in green.

I'm trying to legitimize my urge to play with my food, take photos, and make movies. I think my film is a good start in that direction.

Four shows over two days is a big ole exhausting run, but we got the show down to an art form. It was gorgeous. (Many pictures for your enjoyment inside!)

Some advice from a student who wished she could have visited Oberlin during All Roads and has subsequently enjoyed every All Roads since follows here.

This New York spring break was defined by seeing as many Oberlin things in the real world, to complement bringing as many Oberlin things with me on breaks. In this post: The Allen Art Museum at the Met, an alumni musical revue, the Obertones in Washington Square Park, and many photos!

As part Oberlin public relations obsessor, part awesome big sister, I made beautiful detailed schedules that kept Ben busy and experiencing all the best things Oberlin had going on this weekend.

I've been feeling introspective (as well as a bit distant as a result of way too many missed phone calls and opportunities to talk to my family) so I composed this open letter of realizations and thanks to my family.

For one of our first exercises in media education, we took a class field trip. I love field trips. In this post: step-by-step papermaking with tons of photos!

A rundown of my final semester of classes... featuring lots of amazing things. Movies! More movies! Things that involve cinema and not necessarily movies!

I finished off my Winter Term with a foodie flourish and a fashion show... lots of photos included!

On Friday, January 22nd, I saw Barack Obama, much like Mr. Hedgehog of Striking Viking Story Pirates fame. Words to describe this experience: cold, line-y, hilarious, inspiring, cameratastic, fan-tastic, fun-tastic.

What did Obama do? He brought people together, not just the diverse group at the Stocker Center this afternoon, but two very alike people who had never talked before as well.

Warning: please protect your keyboard before you read this. Very delicious photos within.

I am taking this month of no assigned obligation to get lots and lots of work done on my senior cinema project, which is making a stop motion animation of a variety of soup recipes.

I will try and contain my excitement within the post, but I need to note that haven't really stopped grinning for the last few weeks, and I'm just smiling at my computer while I write this. Because Oberlin makes me happy. And so does this poster.

Our final for this ExCo was to make our own picture book, the four of us creating a fabulous story. Picture book enclosed for your reading pleasure!

One night a semester, the museum is open in the evening, specifically catering to students so they can visit the collection during hours that suit their schedule a little better.

In this post: 90s pop, teamwork, and things that make your stomach rumble.

As it is this wonderful tradition to bring as much as possible of Oberlin to New York, I implemented a plan last fall to bring as much of OCircus! to New York as possible. In this post: Circus! Photos! Autumn!

...but it wouldn't have mattered because I probably wouldn't have listened anyways.

Today marked a very exciting day for this class, since we were going on a walking tour through Oberlin's past. (Epic post plus so many photos!)

So, if you want to major in cinema studies when you're done reading this post, don't say I didn't warn you. Contents are shocking and cinematic.

Way to rain on my Labor Day parade, Ohio. Even after four years, I still don't understand your weather patterns.

I mentioned before that the first few weeks of college equals '50s housewife meets college student: shopping for classes, ironing out schedules, and cleaning and unpacking all belongings, and if the weather doesn't take the temperature dip it did a few days ago, flowery dresses and sunglasses.

As I mentioned before, I was back early as an academic ambassador, a friendly, name-tag-emblazoned helpful upperclassman to help the overwhelmed freshmen during their first academic duties. Other than the perk of arriving back on campus early, I got to meet a number of extraordinary new students.

Some advice for freshmen, their parents, and current students about orientation... pack your bags and tissues; it'll be a wild ride!

These aren't secrets to getting into your dream college, I apologize. I don't think there is a formula for that. What I'm offering in the following post is an approach to making your application a solid representation of yourself.

Keeping in the vein of keeping my blog Oberlin-centric, even if I'm a few thousand miles removed, I'm going to do a run down of local food things I like to play with, in Oberlin industrial kitchens and Hawaiian home kitchens. Kitchens are my playgrounds, but with infinitely more sharp objects and dangerous things the average kid shouldn't play with.

Wayyyyy back when I was a wee 'un, I wanted to go to a glorious place, one I had read about in books and seen in movies. College! It was everything I wanted! But first, I had to apply. And applications require writing.

No matter how far away you go from Oberlin, you're still going to crave it.

I've been working at the Decafe ever since, my hours fluctuating every semester, but I still keep signing up for hours because I truly love working there. I love playing with food, I love making people happy with their food, and I love being creative. And here is where the adjective sandwiches come in.

I have just passed the two week point of being home for the summer. And since this is an Oberlin blog, this is about what's different at my summer home and my Oberlin home.

Under the new management, the Apollo now has two-dollar matinees, is screening a few different movies a week, and they're starting up a great new-old tradition: the midnight movie.

If there is one thing I learned how to do better at Oberlin that wasn't advertised at first was that I am now very good at applause.

Campus is rather empty right now and it seems like someone picked up Oberlin by the tail and shook and a few good people stayed latched on for the ride.

As a cinema studies major, I don't have exams. If you're in a more traditional cinema class (think English, but your texts are films), you have final papers, but if you're in production classes, you're spending all your time editing, shooting (god help you if this is the case), editing more, printing to tape, and attending your class and other production class screenings.

Remember how I mentioned there are all these distractions during reading period and finals? Ah, yes, there is another one I failed to mention earlier, and that is PACKING.

I've had a request for Circus photos, so I warn you, this is a very photo heavy post. Actually, it's a photo log of the entire show.

There comes a weekend in April that you don't necessarily know how it exists. Namely, there is so much packed into a 72 hour period that you need something akin to a Time-Turner (from Harry Potter, lest you forget) to process everything.

Upon return to campus after spring break, students receive a pleasant reminder for fall registration. "What? This soon? I'm still slaving through a disastrous spring semester, everything is about to start moving twice as quickly as before, how could I even THINK of next fall?" you think.

For the record, I am already scared of this story, but hearing it retold in such a dark and echoey space, preluded by an organ piece played in a dark room, well, it was amazing and nerve-wracking. It was the coolest shoot I've even been involved in.

We're wacky siblings that not only parents can love, cut from the same cloth but making something different with it. Either way, we have some pretty stylish designers making some great informed and artistic decisions.

I got into Harkness co-op the summer before my freshman year and have stayed loyal to the Harkness flag ever since. This year, I think I am the oldest and most experienced veteran Harkness resident. Just call me Auntie Harkness.

You know that one, the one where you're scrambling to get things done and say goodbye to everyone, and y'know, pack? I like that day, but I don't.

Oberlin is a mecca for all things music, and not just because of the Conservatory. Cool awesome bands and musicians are here all the time, at a fraction of the cost of most performances in the real world.

Inside, podcasts of A Prairie Home Companion ushered Keepers and visitors into the dining room where we filled our plates and other eating receptacles with hamburger noodle hotdish, green bean casserole, wild rice, powdermilk biscuits, and jello with Swedish fish before heading outside to the sunshine.

For three weeks of the year, the walls of the Bent corridor (which I totally thought was just a descriptor, not the name of two illustrious alumni, up until last week) are graced with beautiful local artwork from students from the 9th Congressional District. I was ever so lucky to be there photographing it.

Personally, I was completely terrified of the concept of office hours my freshman year. The professors were amazing and awesome and being in the same room as them one-on-one just seemed like a god-given experience, something not worthy of a lowly freshman. So, baby steps.

Working for a paper is exciting at times. Going without sleep comes with the territory.

It was by far one of the more entertaining things one could have done on Valentine's Day, and it was for a good cause. There are only so many ways to make free chocolate taste better, and that's having it come out of your nose from laughing too hard.

My friends' Facebooks, Livejournals, Obieblogs, and general everyday conversation has been revolving around scheduling for the last week, and I am proud to say that I finally have something to contribute.

There is, in fact, only one magical way to schedule all the performances (AND hit every single "Welcome back to a new semester! We missed you!" activity AND manage to see all your friends who you missed all of winter term... which can all coincide sometimes).

Tomorrow will be my first opportunity to listen to my completed mix, The Long Road Home. That last leg that seems to last oh-so-long will be much quicker this time.

A final week with the Pirates... a wayfaring seafaring voyage that will take me to the ends of the world...err... New York.

The party-goers are riveted, seeing their words transformed into a play in front of their eyes. The skits are performed with wacky costumes, wigs, and glasses, much in the style that children would play dress-up and make up stories.

At 2.15pm, the lights went down and the excitement went up. All the writers were introduced, taking bows to waves of applause. The Story Pirates theme song was performed, and the show was on!

So, when everyone started talking about their plans for winter term in that "I'm really trying to avoid my finals work so I'm going to talk to many people I haven't talked to much this semester" time in December, I had a great name to toss into conversation, even if I didn't really know what I'd be doing yet.

I've been running this entire last year on pure adrenaline. I know why, though, and it's because the life of an artist is a long and penniless road.

I know your parents don't want to hear this, but Oberlin students use a bunch of dirty language. One of our favorites is work .

It looked delicious... but we were told we couldn't eat yet. It is an extremely sadistic thing to show us food and tell us we can't partake. I was ready to dive in. But there was a reason.

I took a few shots of the bells, of campus, of the students headed down the ladder. A different perspective. I live for this.

During fall orientation, while moving all my belongings from storage to my room, I got a phone call inviting me to Thanksgiving. And due to the sheer wonderfulness of this family, and their foresight, I accepted. I knew that my Thanksgiving would feel like home with the Albrechts.

The real difference between seeing the dress and the show, though, is the audience. I've been in performance audiences lovingly called the "little audience that could," the small audiences that make up for lacking size with more emotion, appreciation, and gusto than a full house.

It's been over a week since the final performance of the Johnson Family Circus. I'm in an extraordinary position to continue reliving the show for days, weeks, even months after.

One of the best things about pleasant weather in Oberlin is that, due to its non-existence for the majority of months while we're on campus, students and teachers alike take full advantage of warm, sunny days.

It smelled of summers, winters and places I thought of as home too, though she and I only had Oberlin in common.

I had cancelled most of my plans for the weekend to write my script for cinema, and was currently completely outlined but not written. And I needed inspiration. A room full of creative souls seemed like a good place to be for two hours of my precious Sunday time.

When I tell my kids where I was when this part of history was made, I will say this: I was in Oberlin. The best place in the world.