Phoebe McChesney ’25

In twelve days, I graduate, pack up, and leave. It’s quite strange to think about.

Franny Choi’s spoken word performance, “Whiteness Walks into a Bar,” is so very resonant with me. I first watched it in a Comparative American Studies (CAST) class and it became a centerpiece for a BIPOC dialogue I co-facilitated later that year.

Several months before I arrived on campus as a first-year, Jane Wickline was graduating. It wasn’t until the beginning of my fourth year that I became aware of who she is or even knew that she attended Oberlin.

There’s a lot to unpack in Hong’s narrative. What stands out to me, other than her being an Oberlin alum, is that she defines an experience that for me has been previously unspeakable.

As I enter the second half of my senior year, I’m spending quite a bit of time looking back at my time here and reflecting on what I wish I knew and had done differently.

I wrote this sick. It's also about writing. Kind of stream of consciousness, but I think it's interesting.

Here's what I'm doing to help ease Senioritis.

My middle school principal used to talk about having a passion. It was supposed to be something you devoted yourself to, something you loved. “How many of you know your passion?” he asked us. I didn’t.

After the Under 30 Summit kickoff, there were a number of panels and speakers every day on certain topics.

It’s been awhile since I did “One Day in the Life” so I figured I’d do another version, but this time with a day that is quite different.

In honor of National Poetry Month, I thought I would share poems I wrote for an assignment in one of my courses, Green Japan, which explores the relationship between Japan and its environment.

Rejection from a top choice college can feel heartbreaking. It's not the be-all and end-all.

Now I no longer need to sit at the front of classes to see the board!

I suppose some things have strange ways of working out...

Coming to Oberlin, I did not know what kind of course reading to expect or what it would be like. For those of you who are curious about it, here is a quick overview for two areas of study.

This is mostly about what I ate during Thanksgiving break.

Here’s hoping I reclaim my love of attempting to skateboard.

Third year, here we go. Who knows what lies ahead?

"Do you really want to know where I was April [28th]?"-- Courtesy of Ms. Taylor Swift. (It's really April 29th in the song. Just go with it!)

It's like what they say, "When you know, you know."

New opportunities often pop up daily. Much of it is about keeping your eyes peeled, your mind open, and taking the initiative.

Should you desire to brave the cold, here are a few tips I’ve picked up from my time at Oberlin.

Spoiler... not that bad!

How I feel about Taylor Swift and her music.

Who knew you could take a class on Taylor Swift?

Advice, expectations, observations...

Why you should work at an Oberlin library.

Learning to take a step back.

How to make the most of your leisure walks.

Why this class is meaningful to me.