Oberlin College - Hi-O-Hi Yearbook (Oberlin, OH)

Page 18 text:

Kenny's, Snack ar C ompete for Oberlinites 7 It's only a game, son. What do you mean, you don't have any Ovaltine? asks Paul Nassau indignantly at the Snack Bar.

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Confused, dismayed, senseless, the Oberlin student gropes for the meaning of life at the Art Museum rental collection-50 cents, please. m i-eifwle To indict the United States for its mass culture is to overlook, perhaps, the careful discrimination expended by students in selecting pictures from the Art Museum's rental collection. Days of perusal preceded the moment when the robe was dropped and the final strug- gle for art began. A mild Rubens por- trait, the quiet of a Breughel landscape, a peaceful Rembrandt etching is torn from its place of rest, carried under the arm, and placed solidly on a dormitory wall for one semester's enjoyment. Craving for Food and Culture Into the fifteen minutes before dinner are compressed moments of intense activity for the Oberlin Male. If all proceeds on schedule, the time allotted should be adequate-five minutes for a shower, five minutes for shav- ing, and five minutes to get dressed. It is the contingencies which undo the late dresser- the severed shoelace, the collar without but- ton, the water turned cold, the frozen bike lock. ln the habitat of the Oberlin Female, the five-minute bell reechoes down the halls in maidenly shrieks of ohrnygosh, ALREADY! Then there is no place at a Washbasin, no clean socks in the drawer, and the hairbrush is under the bed again. How does she manage to descend the stairs at 6:14 clean, radiant, Well- groomed, poised? It's the Oberlin woman's secret-except that Eve knew it too. By 6:15 every men's dorm on campus is drained and hollowg clinking silver and light laughter sound in the dining halls. And at 6:19 the late dresser arrives, panting, and is dragged into the kitchen, flexing his raffle muscles. Clean, radiant, well-groomed, poised, the Oberlin Female prepares to face a greasy pork chop and a pile of limp string beans.

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Before 12 Curfews Oberlin College emphasizes not only academic education but also the social development of the student into a well- rounded individual capable of assuming his role in society. Although alleviated occasionally by excursions to Cleve- land, Oberlin social life is fundamentally a local affair. The average Oberlin date consists of either a Friday or Saturday night trip to the Apollo, where the Oberlin Male with a fifty-five cent ticket and a bag of popcorn pays tribute to his object of affection. Often accused of being a replaceable cog in the machine of society, the Oberlin Male demonstrates his individuality in his selection of spots for after-movie snacks. Closely united with his compatriots at the Apollo, he pursues his own individualistic tempera- ment after he leaves this palace of entertainment. In one category are the Pen and Pencil-Isaly's-Popcorn Bowl-goers who bask in sodas, hamburgers, and pleasant conversation. In the other division are the die-h-ard cynics who revel amid pin-ball machines, dark lights, and dense clouds of smoke at the Pool Hall and Kenny's. Throughout the year the battle is waged: smile vs. sneer, bourgeois respectability vs. Bohemian casualness. The Hrst group sings high praises of the movie just seen, the second mutters muflled groans of despair. But it is 11:45. The voice of the Oberlin conscience resounds in every inner ear, Hurry up please, it's time. The last drops are speedily sucked through straws or gulped down the hatch. In seconds the streets are alive with couples dashing home in the best Cinderella fashion. Finally the dormitory is reached, where a militant bell girl stands staring at her watch by the open door. A hurried farewell peck and a set of hands reach out and pull in the Oberlin Female. Good-night ladies, good-night, good-night. With their days crammed with 'interesting and varied activities, freshman girls eagerly anticipate their 10:30 p.m. bedtime. Coun- selors Mary Houck and Nancy Mitchell cheerily enforce this rule.