Naci Konar-Steenberg ’26

After three months spent studying abroad: what I miss most about Oberlin the town, and Oberlin the college.

I decided to come to Oberlin because I wanted more music in my life. I ended up singing bass in the Obertones, Oberlin's only men's and non-binary a cappella group. I regret nothing.

Navigating on public transportation wasn’t something that I planned to learn how to do when I came to Japan -- but it was a skill I learned anyway.

What kinds of musical opportunities are there at Oberlin, if you're not planning on entering the conservatory? Quite a few.

A mystery and its solution; plus, why I love liberal arts education.

Why I decided to study abroad in Japan.

Making posters is fun, because it means that you have something -- a concert, an exhibition, a performance -- to make a poster for.

Early autumn in Oberlin is a season of change. Seasonal dining hall menus come and depart, people get accepted into study abroad programs, and cats seek out warm spots to lie in the sun.

Could I run a marathon, with a critical lack of training, on four hours of sleep? I realized I was going to find out.

Looking back at a week that I'm very proud of.

Early morning runs in Oberlin are good for the sole. (See what I did there?)

I realized I needed to work with what I had. And what I had was a carrot cake from the Blue Rooster with “Happy Birthday, Naci!” written on it.

Oberlin really, really likes its board games.

How busy is too busy? How much is too much?

What is being at college really like? You won't really know until you go... but I'll try to give you an idea.

The heart wants what it wants, and mine wants to learn saxophone.