Coordinated by the Multicultural Resource Center (MRC) and co-sponsored by the Department of Residential Education, Many Voices/Building Communities is a panel discussion by Oberlin students required for all incoming first-year students during new student orientation each year. Panelists share their experiences and viewpoints around important, current issues of interest for Oberlin College. Special attention is be paid to the many opportunities and challenges around being part of such a diverse and dynamic campus community. Social receptions with refreshments follow the panel discussion providing time for students to interact with the panelists as well as each other.

Here are the bios for the fall of 2006 panel:

	Montana Blanco As a double-degree student in both the College and the Conservatory from Albuquerque, New Mexico, this will be my fifth year attending Oberlin College. I am a History and Oboe Performance major, with a minor in Art History. During my career, I have been involved with several organizations. Most notably, these include the Black Musician's Guild, ZAMI (support group for queer people of color), Residential Education as an RA, and the Oberlin-in-London program. Besides watching Golden Girls on DVD, I enjoy cooking and penmanship. (Montana.Blanco@oberlin.edu)
	Eli Conley I originally came to Oberlin from Richmond, Virginia planning to major in voice as a classical soprano. While I definitely still sing, both in the early music choir Collegium Musicum, and as a singer/songwriter performing around campus, I now devote the majority of my time to student activism around issues of anti-racism and white privilege, animal rights, and genderqueer and transgender issues. My major is now Comparative American Studies, with no majors or minors, if I can help it. (Eli.Conley@oberlin.edu)
	Marisol Lebron I'm a Puerto Rican Queer activist. I'm a senior majoring in Comparative American and Latin American Studies hailing from the Bronx. I'm co-chair of La Alianza Latina and I am a board member of the Edmonia Lewis Center for Women and Transgender People. My McNair Scholar research focuses on representations of Latina/os in the media, specifically how they are represented by cinema and museums. As of late I've also become a permanent fixture at the Multicultural Resource Center and Phillips Gym, so you can probably find me there, and don't hesitate to approach me. (Marisol.LeBron@oberlin.edu)
	Amanda Medress I am a sophomore from Los Angeles, and am majoring in Politics and Environmental Studies. I am a member of the Oberlin College Dialogue Center, an editor of the alternative magazine Journal for Proper Thought , and a member of the Peak Oil Research Group, which aims to promote energy awareness on campus. I also belong to Old Barrows co-op, play the clarinet, and doodle whenever there is a pen in my hand. (Amanda.Medress@oberlin.edu)
	Kim Meinert I'm from a town on the Washington/Idaho border, and this is my fourth year at Oberlin as a double major in Creative Writing and Comparative American Studies.  I am involved in many student organizations including Third World Co-op, Zami and the Asian American Alliance, and I am a member of the varsity swim & dive team as a breaststroke sprinter.  I have played the piano for fourteen years and the viola for eight, and I really wish I could say I'm a good musician, but let's just say there's a reason I'm not in the Con.  I am an obsessive recycler and conservationist, and shamelessly go dumpster diving on a regular basis. (Kimberley.Meinert@oberlin.edu)
	Daniel Gillespie I am a third-year history major from Bucks County, PA. This semester I plan on spending some of my time co-facilitating the Anti-racist Organizing and White Privilege ExCo, as well as planning a conference examining the non-profit industrial complex. I am a firm believer in the revolutionary potential of the Wilder Information Desk, where I work, especially for technophobes like me, who refuse to utilize helpful technology like cell phones, AIM, Facebook, or MySpace. (Daniel.Gillespie@oberlin.edu)