Pets of Gambier: A Photo Essay

Drama cats. Presidential dogs. A flock of peacocks. Meet some of Kenyon's most beloved residents.

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Wild at Heart

Six alumni who work with animals share their favorite tips, tales and tricks of the trade.

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At the Species Boundary

English professor (and dog lover) Jim Carson probes the significance of animals in literature, drawing on insights from the emerging field of animal studies.

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Authors on Animals

A conversation between Laura Hillenbrand '89 H'03 and Julie Barton '95.

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Also In This Edition

Porch reading is a popular spring and summer pastime in Gambier.

The Kenyon Review gathered students and community members to read poems by Robert Lowell '40 and share stories the about the author, a seminal figure in modern American poetry, in honor of his centennial.

The Lords captured second place at the NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championship, while the Ladies finished third. The men’s result marked the 38th consecutive season they occupied one of the top two spots, and the women have finished top-four for 36 consecutive seasons.

Kenyon in Quotes

"I didn't grow up very political, but when I went to college in Ohio, a swing state, I quickly realized how much my vote mattered." – Matthew Segal '08, co-founder of Our Time and ATTN:, in Forbes.

Alumni News

Bleeding Purple

Donna Bertolet Poseidon '75 reflects on the evolving role of Kenyon in her life.

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Society & Politics

A Piece of War

Were politics ever stormier than they are now? Kenyon's archives offer answers.

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Web Extra: Student Art Spotlight

"Steward," a pen and ink series by Addison Wagner '18, pairs endangered species alongside children to highlight the importance of environmental literacy and stewardship in younger generations.

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View larger images: Tiger | Rhino | Bird

Dungeons, Dragons and Decatur

President Sean Decatur, who has admitted to spending much of his adolescence engrossed in the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, recently dusted off his dice to play for charity. Kenyon’s Tabletop Club hosted its second annual "D&D-Cat" event, referring to the nicknames for both the game and the president.

As several students and faculty crowded around
the Cromwell Cottage dining room table to do battle with monsters and cast magical spells, more casual fans watched the game's progress live on Twitch.tv.

By selling the opportunity to give players an extra dice roll, or boost their health and magic reserves, the Tabletop Club managed to raise several hundred dollars for the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio.

A Downtown Facelift

Gambier’s downtown revitalization, which is part of a long-term plan that already has upgraded Middle Path, will add student housing and retail space this summer. New student apartments are nearing completion, the Village Market is moving to its new location at the corner of Brooklyn Street and Chase Avenue, and major work will begin this summer on Farr Hall. The Kenyon College Bookstore will temporarily move into the space vacated by the Village Market and Gambier Deli, and will remain there through the fall, as crews renovate the space the bookstore has occupied for decades.

Class Notes

Recent Class Notes
’75

Steven C. Durning, Holliston, Massachusetts, reports, “On Sept. 23, a group of us gathered at a daylong event graciously hosted by Thomas A. Lucas and his wife, Shari, at their home 40 miles north of New York City. Most came from far away. Our guiding spirit was Kevin J. Martin, who suggested that we give ‘Tom Talks,’ which some of us did. We caught up with each other, ate and drank, remembered, processed once again what Mark C. Fox ’76 meant to us, sang along to Peter H. Frank’s guitar, and contem-plated our approaching 50th Reunion. Many thanks to all for making the effort, including Alice Cornwell Straus, Brad Foote, Murray J. Smith and Janet Byrne Smith ’76, Karen Mesberg and Scott M. Univer ’73, Matthew S. Mees, Michael C. Davis, Arthur M. Marx and Pamela A. Martin-Diaz.”

’88

Beth Miyashiro Vivio reports, “We ended an action-packed summer with a month in Park City, Utah, the perfect place to escape Florida heat and hurricanes. Right after leaving Utah, I headed to Gambier for my first KFEC meeting. I had such a great time getting to know my fellow committee members from different classes and enjoyed getting to hear from President Kornfeld. I had a visit with retired Professor Robert Bennett in Gambier, and then the next day when he and his husband, Larry, flew into St. Petersburg.”

’79

Barry Rosenberg and his wife, Marilyn, welcomed their first grandchild in July and are now happy members of a three-generation household. “I’m still working as a course developer at Google. Last summer, I got to hang out with David D. Peterson and Kenton J. Blagbrough on Cape Cod. Zoom calls with Thomas L. Pappenhagen and David R. Bucey were a big upside to the pandemic.”

Past Editions