Denison Leaflet Drop

I have many remembrances of that day. My classmate Prots Deal was also on that raid. The fire hose defenses are remembered distinctly. I met a girl from Denison that day named Joan Leroy and she accepted an invitation and came over for that dance and Dance Weekend. That was the last I heard of her. Possibly she met Paul Newman that night also.

Hope this helps fill in some blanks and adds to the archives.
—Peter E. Voss '52

Readings: In or Out of Focus?

I attended two events in New York City this past fall. Both focused on readings by Kenyon authors. On September 23, Professor Rutkoff and Professor Scott presented a rendering of their latest collaboration, Fly Away. James Grossman's synthesis on the book cover captures their contribution best: "[they] explain how African-American urban cultures emerged from a sequence of migrations, eventually influencing the everyday lives of a wide variety of Americans." The second event, on October 12, featured I'm Going to College—Not You, essays about the college admissions process by parents, some of whom are luminaries. Over the course of two hours, eight to ten of the essayists read condensed versions of their stories—personal accounts of confusion, angst, and triumph. All of the essayists on October 12 were white. As a former admissions officer, I found the points of view of many parents from predominantly white communities are still familiar. Having lived in New York City's melting pot for more than twenty years, I believe it is fair to say that these points of view represent a small slice of our global community.

As I flew away from the I'm Going to College event, I couldn't stop myself from wondering if I had learned anything. Having read the whole collection now, I am still not sure what the purpose is. I feel really bad for white college-ready students, who might be portrayed the way one reviewer characterized the great African-American cultural migrations, as "indistinguishable masses." Fly Away is very likely to change how people understand an important transformation in American history. I doubt Delahunty's collection will jolt parents out of their own narcissism long enough to consider their place in the world and their relationships with adolescents who are in transition, pushing the limits of countless boundaries.
—Anne Gernert Campos '75

Bankruptcy is worse!

Enjoyed your section "Which is Worse?", but I strongly disagree with Frank Top's assertion that foreclosure is worse. Foreclosure affects one asset, your house. Bankruptcy affects everything and stays on your credit report for 10 years. It also tells bankers that you walked out on a commitment, broke a trust, and you might do it again. As a result, bank policies often say not to make loans to someone who has previously declared bankruptcy. If you are lucky enough to get a loan, the interest rate is often higher, usually several times higher. If that's not bad enough, bankruptcy usually doesn't prevent foreclosure. It only delays it (with a stay). That means you might end up being both bankrupt and foreclosed! While Frank is technically correct in what he writes, the bigger picture, from someone who has been a banker and is a consultant to many banks on problem loans, is exactly the opposite. Try to sell the house even if you have to discount it, as that discount will still be less than what a foreclosure sale will yield.
—Robert Mitchell '78

Eyewitness to the Denison Drop

On the afternoon in question, I walked across the quad wearing my "Freshman Beanie" (there was no such thing as a First-Year Student, nor a First-Year Beanie) to a three o'clock English literature class on the third floor of Talbot Hall.

Halfway through the hour, my note-taking was interrupted by a cacophony of horn-blowing and shouting on the campus road behind Talbot. My classmates and I opened the windows. We looked down at a line of cars being blocked by rocks strewn across the road. The stones had stopped cars filled with an unruly, but joyous, group of young men shouting and chanting something. The town constable stood amidst the growing crowd, which outnumbered the invaders. The aliens leaned out of their car windows, yelling at a growing crowd of puzzled Denison students, some of whom were pointing to the sky.

Beowulf was more important than an impending riot and we had to return to that work. When class was over, so was the hubbub. I learned that the noisy mob was from Kenyon. I had not heard of that institution before, nor did I have any idea where it was located. As I walked back to the dorm, I noticed some pieces of typing paper strewn around on the ground but did not pick up or look at any of them.

A friend then told me that the interruption of my education was a reaction to the SAE fraternity's ingenious way to build suspense before announcing their big fall dance at the frat house. Since I had just pledged SAE, the furor confirmed that I had made the right choice. To arouse the curiosity of coeds, the SAE brothers had all agreed not to shave or comb their hair, and to wear grungy clothes (like blue jeans and t-shirts) instead of their usual dress shirts, knit sweaters, pleated slacks, and white buck shoes. They declared to all that they "hated women." The coeds were amused and intrigued.

Maybe everyone at the dance laughed about the Lords' aggressive intrusion, but I wouldn't know. I didn't have a date.

The Lords' invasion was the talk of Denison's campus for a day or two. I don't know of any SAEs who understood that their one week of misogyny had given birth to a Kenyon legend still echoing in the next century.

I eventually did get a date with a Denison coed. She was Jo Bennett and we have been married 58 years. We also found Kenyon on the map and have lived in Gambier for almost 45 years.
—Charles E. Rice, Professor Emeritus of Psychology