Also In This Edition

Professor of Music Ben “Doc” Locke presides over one of Kenyon’s most beloved fall traditions, First-Year Sing.

The new Chalmers Library opened its doors to the public this fall and quickly became a go-to destination for studying and connecting.

Chalmers Library has been certified LEED Gold, making it Kenyon’s first large-scale building to receive this honor.

Active Starter

Nandi Rose Plunkett ’11 shares the inspiration behind her song “Sourdough.”

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Kenyon in Quotes

“I always tell my students to find the art that saves your life. I think writing is the thing that saved my life, especially writing this book during this period of my life.”
— Richard L. Thomas Professor of Creative Writing Ira Sukrungruang, speaking with the Dayton Daily News about his latest book, “This Jade World.”

Hot Takes

Middle Path Has Two Sides Again

In the fall of 2018, a plywood construction wall went up alongside the west side of Middle Path as construction began on the new Chalmers Library. Now that the library is open and the fence is down, we’re relearning how to walk in a straight line, like the first time you go bowling without using the bumpers.

Recognition Returns

As masks come off outdoors on campus (at least sometimes ... thanks, Delta variant), we’re back to Piaget’s sensorimotor stage as we begin to recognize entire human faces. Start working on new excuses for why you can’t remember the names of the people you wave to every day on your way to class.

Show Up and Show Out

Trendy Peloton exercise bikes were a lifeline for many during the pandemic and will run you a few thousand bucks, but the return of Pelotonia to Gambier racked up a few million. After missing a year, riders in Ohio State’s annual cycling event to raise money for cancer research rolled past Kenyon’s Lowry Center in August once again, raising a total of $19,313,532.

Class Notes

Recent Class Notes
’09

Elizabeth C. Wiener, her husband and three kids now live in Los Angeles, enjoying epic road trips, beach days and Disneyland. Lizzy is a tenure-track assistant professor of politics at Occidental College.

’14

Andrea M. Odegaard and her husband celebrated the birth of a baby girl on April 30. “Everyone is healthy and doing well. Thrilled to have a new little member of the family.” Also, Andrea submitted her completed dissertation to her committee in September. “Almost a Ph.D.!”

’02

Nora E. Colburn, Hilliard, Ohio, welcomed second son Ethan Michael Colburn to the world in February 2023 “with so much love and gratitude,” she writes. “So wonderful to have visits from aunties Kate Murray Diersen, Julie B. Silverman, Abigail W. Williams and Mary K. Hill to help welcome him to the Class of 2045.”

Past Editions