Oberlin Blogs

An Oberlin New Year's!

January 2, 2026

Julia H. ’28

As an avid list-maker and wellness enthusiast, I've always loved making New Year’s Resolutions. Do I follow through? Definitely yes, about two-thirds of the time (if I’m being a little bit generous). The new year has arrived and, with a hardy course schedule and a dream, I’m looking forward to starting my fourth semester here at Oberlin. I pride myself on being quite involved with both the town and the college, so I decided to make a few Oberlin-specific resolutions before my time here is halfway through.

Shop local
Though the main street may be tiny, Oberlin has a ton to offer when it comes to local businesses. I have a car on campus, so my go-to is usually the Walmart five minutes down South Main Street, but a goal of mine this year is to spend money more intentionally. Ben Franklin’s, located near the corner of West College and South Main St., has anything a college student could desire, from home goods like a dorm-sized full length mirror to art supplies to toiletries. A bit further down South Main, you can find Ratsy’s—an equally weird and quaint store of oddities like Garfield mugs, old postcards, and a wide variety of jackets, jeans, and sweaters. For those with more vintage tastes, the many floors of Main Street Antiques might serve better for dorm decor and even furniture needs. These are just a few local shops I aim to support–-there’s a number more to check out that I’ve had great experiences with.
Get out more!
Unfortunately for warm-weather enjoyers like myself, Spring Semester is really only spring-like in name rather than temperature, at least until mid-to-late March. This doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do when it’s cold, though. My friends and I want to stay socially active during the wintery months by hanging out at The Feve, Oberlin’s favorite bar and restaurant. Though I’ve only been once at the time I’m writing this, The Feve is spoken of quite highly by lots of the student population. I have big plans to spend weekend nights with a few friends, some cards, and a Shirley Temple this winter.
Give Thi Ni Thai a warm welcome back!
The greatest disappointment to me this past fall was learning of the closure of Thi Ni Thai, my absolute favorite restaurant in the greater Oberlin area. I went with my family last February and my dad still talks about how good the food was. Thi Ni Thai is currently moving into a new place on South Main St. and is rumored to reopen this spring; I absolutely can’t wait to go again. While Stevie can suffice most nights, I do love getting Aladdin’s, a Lebanese restaurant, from time to time. I hope to try more local restaurants like Lorenzo’s, which I’ve heard has great gluten-free pizzas, Bingo’s, and Ying’s Asian Cuisine.
Support the Oberlin music scene
The endless concert opportunities was one of the top few reasons I chose Oberlin over the variety of other liberal arts schools I applied to. From the 'Sco to free conservatory performances, there are at least a few nights a week you can see live music around town. The Dionysus Disco, or 'Sco, hosts highly rated musicians (like Haley Heynderickx last year or, very recently, Bass Victim) and other DJ events pretty frequently. Tons of people love their line-dancing sessions, too. And I certainly haven't taken advantage of how often students can see amazing performances from our talented conservatory, whether that's operatic or orchestral. These events are usually posted on flyers around campus or on Instagram.
Be a great student and student employee!
Having now declared my major in Art History, things are getting a bit more serious in the academic department. This upcoming semester will certainly be a lot of work as my path gets clearer, but I have no doubt it will be rewarding. I'm also just starting this job as a blogger and soon working as a Writing Associate in the Writing Center. I'm starting the year feeling incredibly grateful for what I've been able to do at Oberlin and I can't wait to see where the rest of sophomore year goes.