Alumni Digest
Share Your History
Kenyon is full of stories from across the generations--many well known, and many known only by a few. The Kenyon Stories Initiative, a project spearheaded by Alumni Council in collaboration with the Office of Alumni and Parent Programs and College Historian Tom Stamp '73, aims to collect and share these personal accounts of life at Kenyon. All members of the Kenyon family are encouraged to submit tales about their experience at the College. Remembrances can be recorded in video, audio, and written form.
Tales collected to date cover a range of topics, including social events, academic, athletic, and extracurricular life on campus, and post-graduation encounters with fellow members of the College community. Whether you're a current or former student or employee, a parent, a spouse, or any other observer of life on the Hill, your stories will enrich the collection.
Although the Kenyon Stories Initiative is a new project, the endeavor is already bearing fruit. A recollection of life in Gambier in the 1940s and 50s by Douglas W. Downey '51, recently submitted to the project, appears on the last page of this issue of the Bulletin. Alumni have given oral histories on video during the past two Reunion Weekends, and Archon and Brothers United alumni were interviewed in June 2007.
Alumni Council and the College plan to create an archive of these and other oral and written histories so they can be shared with anyone who wishes to learn more about Kenyon's history and traditions. If you would like to make your stories a part of the College archives, send your audio, video, or written account to Tom Stamp, 105 Chase Avenue, Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio 43022-9623, or stamp@kenyon.edu.
Back to School
Last fall, fifteen alumni had the chance to become Kenyon students once again when the Alumni College made its debut. For this return to school, held September 30-October 2, Professor of Political Science Pamela Jensen and Professor of Religious Studies Royal Rhodes jointly taught a seminar, "Democratic Faiths," which received excellent reviews from the students. Alumni College participants also attended classes with current students and professors and took part in organized activities, including tours of local farms and properties that have been protected by the Philander Chase Corporation.
The second annual Alumni College is scheduled for September 17-19, 2008. Registration material will be mailed to interested alumni in the summer of 2008. More information about the event will be available in the spring. For information or questions about this new program, contact Sonya Broeren '90 at broerens@kenyon.edu.
Kenyon Goes to the U.K.
Kenyon was well represented in the United Kingdom last fall, as President S. Georgia Nugent visited England and Wales. On November 15, 2007, Nugent was named an honorary fellow at the University of Wales Lampeter. At the ceremony, Tony Brothers, classics professor at the university, noted several similarities in the origins of Lampeter and Kenyon. Both institutions were founded by Episcopal bishops in the 1820s, and both were located in the remote western parts of their respective countries. Moreover, when Philander Chase made his famous fundraising tour of England, he traveled with Bishop Thomas Burgess--Lampeter's founder.
Nugent and Vice President for College Relations Sarah Kahrl traveled to England the next day to join Kenyon alumni, parents, and students for a rare Kenyon-in-London event. The event, hosted by Janet Heckman '76, was held at Citigroup's London headquarters.
Career Advice
Are you trying to advance in your field or change careers? Do you have an externship to sponsor? Don't forget about the Kenyon Career Network, online at alumni.kenyon.edu. The Kenyon Career Network is a resource for career contacts, extern sponsors, and career advice.
The Kenyon Career Network online is easy to use, with the ability to search by occupational category, location, keyword, externships, and other criteria. Current volunteers may also update their home and business profiles, indicate contact preferences, and share their personal career histories.
If you are a registered user of the Kenyon Alumni Association Online Directory, select the "Returning User" button and enter your username and password. If you have never registered, contact the Office of Alumni and Parent Programs at 740-427-5147 or help@alumni.kenyon.edu to request your identification number that is required for access.
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