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.

Bleeding Purple

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

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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
’21

Schuyler C. Bunn teaches middle school French in Louisville, Kentucky. “It’s been a crazy busy job, but I love it,” she writes. “Moving to a new city was hard, but my students make it worth it every day. I’ve also gotten to see a few other alums since we graduated! Kathryn M. Dawdy, Katherine E. Reber and Katherine H. Regan-Loomis came down to visit, and we had a blast. I also visited Andrew C. Savidge and Ali L. Fox back in Ohio. Even though life in Louisville is different from life on the Hill, I’m very happy.”

’91

Thomas S. Dilsheimer, Philadelphia, reports, “Enjoying being an empty-nester with wife, Susan, in the Fairmount neighborhood of Philadelphia, with the Museum of Art a stone’s throw away, which makes me happy. Continued expansion of our real estate team The How Group, a Compass Real Estate affiliate, also makes me happy.”

’78

Bruce V. Thomas and Julia H. Thomas ’80 split time between Richmond, Virginia, and Guiting Power, a village in England’s Cotswolds. Bruce is in his ninth year working with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in infectious disease — mostly TB, dengue and now Covid. In seven years, he’s “averaged more than 400,000 flight miles per year, and then two years of zero flight miles,” he updates. “Headed back to India, then Indonesia, and then South America and Tanzania. Gliding toward retirement in 2023–24. Feel like these last 10 years with BMGF have sanitized the rest of my professional career.”

Past Editions