Running to the Noise

Peter Baker, Chief White House Correspondent for the New York Times, admittedly wasn’t the best student at Oberlin. He was so wrapped up in his dreams of becoming a journalist, he spent more time down at the campus newspaper than in his classes. But the work paid off.  During his career, Peter visited Robben Island in South Africa with Nelson Mandela and once nearly knocked over the Queen of Engla...

Emmy- and Grammy-winning opera singer Denyce Graves is one of the greatest classical music stars of the 21st century. After studying at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, she went on to perform in the world’s most storied opera houses and concert halls. Along the way, she has sung at the White House, harmonized with the Muppets, and performed at the memorial for her friend and fan, Ruth Bader Gins...

New York Times bestselling author James McBride took a circuitous route to becoming a great American novelist. A communications major at Oberlin College and Conservatory, he also studied jazz with Wendell Logan, the influential founder of Oberlin’s jazz department. After graduating in 1979, McBride went to Columbia Journalism School, then onto bylines in the Boston Globe, Rolling Stone , the Washi...

Author and diplomat Richard Haass began his education at Oberlin College during a pivotal year for American democracy. It was 1970 and four college students were shot and killed at the neighboring Kent State University by the Ohio National Guard. This event propelled Richard into action as he and his peers filmed a documentary about Oberlin’s response to the shooting. After graduating from Oberlin...

Before he starred in hits like The Hangover trilogy and The Office , Ed Helms was an “Obie”—a kid from Georgia with talent for jazz guitar who found his way to Oberlin College. Since graduating in 1996, Ed has used his success and platform to open doors of opportunity for others and support causes he believes in. Ed, now on the Board of Trustees of Oberlin College, joins Oberlin President Carmen T...

Welcome to Running to the Noise , a podcast from Oberlin College and Conservatory hosted by President Carmen Twillie Ambar.  Starting this fall, President Ambar will speak with all manner of influential people on and off Oberlin’s campus who are taking on some of the toughest problems and working to spark positive change around the world. Tune in for conversations surrounding a vast array of topic...