Ready to roll with film major

After years of planning amid growing student interest, it's official: Kenyon will offer a film major within the Department of Dance and Drama in the fall of 2011.

Many alumni work in the film industry and developed a love for their craft at the College, but in recent years large numbers of students have begun filming on campus with the support of such student organizations as the Kenyon Filmmakers (KFM), which hosts campus film festivals and provides mentoring and equipment. Even College administrators are eager to see things through a camera lens. The Office of Public Affairs is sponsoring student video contests and worked with Jonathan Tazewell '84, the Thomas S. Turgeon Professor of Drama, during the 2009-10 academic year to help students produce short films aimed at prospective students.

The new major will integrate film theory and production to maintain Kenyon's strong liberal arts tradition and be consistent with the way the arts are taught here. The College has offered courses in screen-writing and directing for several years, and this fall hired Assistant Professor of Film Jonathan Sherman to help implement the new major.