"Reunion/Graduation Activities" Oberlin Travelogue by grandmaR

Pre-paid Reunion expenses:

Registration $25 each
Dorm Room $36.00 for two
Reunion Picnic $36.00 for two

Camper parking - Grey Gables parking lot

When I was at Oberlin 1955-1959, I lived for 3 years in the Grey Gables co-op. In 1969, we were living in Philadelphia, and so I came out for our tenth reuinion. I found out that Grey Gables had been torn down and there was nothing there but a grass lot. This made me very sad.

I did most of the reunion activities, but I didn't really meet any of my good friends there, and so it wasn't much fun and I didn't really want to go back. And the time (Memorial Day weekend) hasn't been convenient what with children's graduations etc.

But my junior year roommate has been trying to get me to come for a reunion for several years. She was in the class of 1958, and we have 'cluster' reunions. This would be our last cluster together for some time (58-59-60) because in 2005 my cluster would be 59-60-61 and who knew if we would last until the 50th. So this year I gave in and convinced my husband to come.

I tried to do it cheaply, and without having to fight too much traffic, so we left on Thursday and went as far as Morgantown, and Friday night stayed in Elyria. I only registered for a dorm room and for the picnic on Saturday night and we were leaving Sunday morning to try to get partway home without having to fight too much Memorial Day traffic.

Tappan Square

After we had breakfast at the motel in Elyria, we got directions from them to go to Oberlin. We also found out that we could have also gotten directions for the various restaurants last night, but did not because the girl at the desk was uncommunicative and unhelpful.

We drove in past Presti's . We used to have to cycle or walk out here to get a drink in my time, and there were stories of guys that got disoriented and ended up riding around and around the running track until they sobered up enough to figure out where they were. I understand the there is drinking on campus now, in addition to the fact that they allow students to have cars.

We drove by Tappen Square and noted that there were traffic lights on the corners.

catering tents with Peters in background

I called the reunion folks on the cell phone to ask directions and where to park, and was told that we could park anywhere that there were not "No Parking" signs including in back of Stevenson in the faculty parking lot. So that's what we did, and for the rest of Saturday we walked everywhere.

We checked in at Stevenson and got the magnetic keys which allowed us to get into the college building, and also got large name tags to hang around our necks which were color coded according to class. Ours were red.

Then we walked across the street to the reunion check-in and got our room assignment and key. We got a place-mat with the old buildings on it, and the new ones overprinted in red. One of the guys doing the check-in used to be at WOBC when I was there.

We were on the third floor which created a problem for me because I don't do stairs well and there are no elevators. But we went back to the car and shlepped our stuff up the steps.

We had brought a fan but it was cool and we didn't need it, but it wasn't so cool that we needed extra blankets. Our room had a phone jack, but no phone. Bob got a phone from the car so that we could use the phone line in the room, and I figured out how to use the internet on my computer from there too.

Daytime astronomy observations

I found out where my college roommate was staying on the second floor of the same dorm we were in, but she was out. So we walked over to Dascomb and had lunch in the cafeteria. Lunch was $13.13 for the two of us (exactly what it was yesterday). It was a flat rate for whatever you wanted to eat. I kept an eye out for my roommate there, but she had gone down to the Tank co-op and had lunch there.

Then, since she had expressed a desire to take the tour of the new science builting, we started towards it.

On the way, we saw these folks setting up telescopes on the lawn, and stopped and looked at sunspots, and corona etc. It was clear when we were there - my roommate came by later and she said it was too cloudy to do anything when she was there.

Seminar discussion in new science building

We went over to the Carnegie building because the Conservatory reunion lunch was there, but I did not see my friend there.

Then we went into the new science building and I walked around the building on my own for a bit until it was time for the tour. I met a friend of my sisters whose husband was also in my Oberlin class, but we didn't know each other when we were there.

When my roommate didn't turn up, we went and sat in this seminar for awhile. I left just before she came from her tour of the new Environmental building.

After we left the discussion, I found out that my other good friend from Freshman Year was also at this reuinion, and I tried to find where she was staying and could not.

We went back to the dorm, and I left a post-it note on my roommate's door. She called me, and we met in the third floor lounge and talked quite a long time. Now that we can e-mail each other, we are in much more frequent contact - it used to be snail mail at Xmas .

She was staying for the whole weekend, but since she lives in Indiana, it's only a couple of hours drive for her.

Walking to the picnic Sat

We walked over to the picnic together with her and her husband. She had not expected it to be so cool, and she had mostly packed warm weather clothes. I did have a sweater with me.

All classes were at the picnic, which was a kind of 'all you can eat' buffet. They gave us a wristband when we entered which showed that we had paid and were of age to get alcoholic beverages. There were no non-alcoholic or non-carbonated beverages except water. Seating was by cluster.

We had a nice time and the picnic and I also caught up with my other good friend - top photo. [I found that she was staying in a motel out of town because her husband was afraid to stay where there was no A/C.]

Afterwards, we went back to the dorm. My friend was going to a movie or a concert. I considered going to the class party, but I was tired, and, so Bob and I walked around the square and I took some more pictures.

Clark Bandstand - Tappen Square

Sunday morning early, we checked out of the dorm and gave back the magnetic keys. I accidentally left my sweater in the room, which I didn't discover until that night.

Bob then drove around and so I could take a picture of Tank Hall (from the car) where I lived as a Freshman, and I also got a photo of Charles Martin Hall's house which I didn't know what it was until I looked at the photo afterwards. We then drove down to Westervelt, and I got out and took some photos such as this one of Clark Bandstand.

We left town by way of Ohio route 58 toward Wellington.