The Many Lives of Bexley Hall

The puzzling past and promising future of one of Kenyon’s most storied buildings.

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Piercing Through the Fog of War

Kenyon alumni and faculty share their thoughts about the power — and the limits — of storytelling in the fog of war.

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Finding the Right Words

David Bukszpan ’02 talks writing, puzzling and his published New York Times crossword.

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Also In This Edition

On April 30, 2022, the Village of Gambier and the entire Kenyon community celebrated a once-a-century occasion: 4.30.22 Day.

4.30.22 Day parade participants gather in front of the Village Market before starting on their route.

General Kenyon

Happy Days

A conversation with Beimnet Beyene “Happy” Kassaye ’23.

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Kenyon in Quotes

“I have come to expect that race will be weaponized to undermine not only a leader’s authority but also that leader’s very humanity and sense of belonging.”
—President Sean Decatur in a Chronicle of Higher Education essay on the invisible toll of racist harassment

Kenyon in Quotes

“You are what our species needs. Fresh thinkers; brave souls; explorers of ideas. Wayward birds, venturing into unknown skies, unafraid of unconventional thinking and uncommon wisdom.” ⁠
—Sheila Coronel H’22 at Kenyon’s 194th Commencement

Alumni News

One of Us

One of the first women to enroll at Kenyon, Susan Emery McGannon ’72 is accustomed to blazing trails…

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Hot Takes

Color Commentary

To celebrate the once-a-century holiday of 4.30.22 Day, Kenyon’s social media accounts posted archival photos of Gambier, all in black and white, honoring the village’s history. In the comments of a 1996 photo of the Red Door Cafe, one alum wrote "We had color film in the '90s. I’m not THAT old."

Paws on Parade

On the last day spring semester classes, the Epsilon Delta Mu sorority brought cheer (and a flock of wagging tails) to Middle Path by putting on a dog parade. Faculty, staff and community members brought over a dozen canines to march across campus in a mood-lifting promenade. As Assistant Professor of Biology Natalie Wright noted on Twitter, “The dogs had to stop every few feet to accept pets from students.

A Free-for-Owl

Despite winning with a clear majority of the vote, social media had its share of naysayers regarding the choice of Kenyon’s new moniker, the Owls. How did the pro-owl contingent respond? With many, many hoots. 

Class Notes

Recent Class Notes
’90

Jenny Ross Thurber, East Lansing, Michigan, was promoted to director of student services at Davenport University and received a Milestone Award for 20 years of service. Jenny and John L. Thurber celebrated their 24th wedding anniversary on June 6. Last spring, John met Sean Ward in Orlando for a trip to Walt Disney World, and later traveled to Milwaukee to visit Todd P. Van Fossen and tour the Harley-Davidson Museum.

’09

“Years of hard work finally paid off! In March, my first story for children was published in Cricket magazine. In April, I gave birth to my first child with hubby Sean Sun — healthy, happy Juniper (Juni) Evelyn Sun. Over the summer, I completed my second master’s, in speech-language pathology, and began working for a small private speech-language therapy practice with a focus on literacy.”

— Helle A. Sun, San Francisco
’99

Zachary “Gush” Nowak finished his first year as director of the Umbra Institute, an American study abroad program in Perugia, Italy. He spends his time updating the curriculum and pedagogy there, as well as drinking Campari spritzes on his terrace overlooking the valley and enjoying living in a beautiful medieval city.

Past Editions