Kenyon College Top Questions

ARchons, a comunity service group, has the most members of any group on campus. I am a part of the Sailing club which was just started and with each group you jin it gives you a new group of people to meet and be friends with. Students are very into speakers at Kenyon. Often, if they are popular and well advertised, the entire auditorium will be filled. Dating can be intense at Kenyon because it is so small. Most people have hooked up with the same people by the time you graduate. I met my closest friends through my freshman hall, sailing club, ultimate frisbee, and my sorority. If I am awake at 2am I usually drive into McDonalds with my friends because I am most likely pulling an all nighter and they start serving breakfast at 2am. Phling which is a formal is anual, Halloween in Old Kenyon, and the Shock Your Mom event. Frats and teams are pretty influential because they hold all of the large parties on campus but you do not feel pressured to join one. Last weekend I went to a formal for my guy friend, a concert, a cowboys and indians party, and a mo-town band presentation that my friends are part of. Off campus you can drive into Columbus or Easton shopping center which is 45 min away.

Kenyon sports attract a large swath of campus life, but those activities do not extend much beyond the participants themselves. The same applies to the theater, dance, and art programs. The campus a Capella and comedy groups enjoy a little more transcendence. Dating takes on an odd dynamic in such a small student population, and the aftermath is even more troublesome. Most friendships form either between participants in a mutual club or activity, or from the early awkward mingling of Freshman year.

The social life at Kenyon is really interesting. There are tons of groups, each with its own meeting time and place. If you don't find a group you're interested in joining, it's easy to make your own. I'm involved with a lot of theater and political rights groups. I've never once taken a theater class at Kenyon, but it doesn't matter at all. I've been the Production Stage Manager for several plays, and worked on lots of Senior Thesis productions. Most Kenyon students don't lock their doors. It's a really trusting atmosphere. Of course it's not a good idea to leave your door unlocked, no matter where you live. But the fact that you don't feel the need to is cool. I tend to be more of a home-body, so I don't really go to big parties that much. I much prefer smaller parties in a friend's room over the huge, noisy, crowded parties. However, the fraternities and sororities have big parties pretty much every weekend, so if that's your thing, you can find it. However, those parties do tend to be a bunch of crappy music and cheap beer. But of course, that's just my opinion. Fraternities and sororities are not really important at Kenyon. You can go to pretty much all of their parties, even if you're not a member. The groups themselves don't really do much other than parties, so you're not missing out on anything if you don't join. I spend most of my free time hanging out with friends. We mostly watch movies, play video games, or just sit around and talk. Kenyon is really laid-back during free time. We have several events that happen every year. A lot of them are normal dances, but some are really different. During Summer Send Off, there's a huge stage set up on one of the lawns, and several Kenyon bands open for a well-known band. The event also has a activities set up near the stage to keep you entertained. The dances are really great. Spring Phling's theme is usually really cool, and they really go all-out to match the theme. The biggest event is a party called "Shock Your Mama," which the swim team throws after their season ends. I think it's one of the wildest parties thrown at any college. The name basically explains itself: you dress yourself up in a way that would shock your mama. It's always interesting.

Greek life is small in percentage, but throws lots of big, open parties. Speakers and Social Board events are well attended, as are particular sporting events. Students stay on campus for the weekend to socialize, which is great. There is always tons to do.

This all depends on how one takes it in. I could be the most boring time ever, or the best. But one needs to make it the time if thier lives, especially in this small rural town of ours.

Greek life is fairly popular among males, a lot of people are in sports, such as myself. It gives me a good group of friends. I leave my dorm room unlocked. Guest speakers and theater may be somewhat more popular than athletic events. The dating scene isn't that great--there aren't many places to go on dates where you won't see everyone know. One thing that happens every year is Sendoff. I think that some people party as many as 3 times a week, others as few as 1 or zero. Greek life is important in that people do participate and keep the organizations going. Last weekend I was sick so I ran in track meet, slept, studied and watched a movie with a friend. There are organizations that sponsor alcohol free fun on Saturday nights. Off campus I go to xc/track meets, go to Walmart or go shopping.

students do leave their doors open. personally, mine is always locked if me, or my roomies, are gone for more than a few minutes. there isnt enough presssure for students to lock their doors!!!! seriously, if they did this, then what need would there be for proxy cards to be a necessity Except maybe in an emergency. these students are ADULTS! treat them like it!

The performing arts are big on campus, and intremurals are getting bigger. Students rarely leave their dorms open, suggesting that they are usually sleeping or sitting alonw doing work. At 2am on a Tuesday, I would be finishing homework and studying for an upcoming exam. People party on the weekends, and some party on Wednesday nights, but about 1/3 of the campus (at least) doesn't bother going out on any night. The dating scene is completely stereotypical: you're either hooking up or married, and there is no other option.

Kenyon has a couple gatherings that many students look forward to. These indclude Fling, Shock Your Momma, and Summer Sendoff. To be honest, the dating scene here can get a lot better. I guess people are just not creative, however, I have friends who cook for their boyfriend/girlfriend, or take them out to Mt. Vernon or Columbus. The party scene is most live on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights. Social Board does a really job hosting events and bringing people together. Whehter they drink or not. And all parties on campus are open to ALL of the studens. So, is a fraternity or sorority is hosting a party, they do not mind random people in their division, as long as they are all having a good time.

we leave our doors unlocked the dating scene blows omg these guys here are just straight up not funny and the ones that are ... are funny in a pretentious sort of way saturday night ... hmmm... doesn't involve drinking?? i don't know school work??

I do not know what the most popular groups are - there are a lot of things to choose from, if you have the time. There are varsity, intramural, and club sports, volunteer opportunities, study groups, academic discussion groups, political activist groups, anti-drug/alcohol groups, greek life events, and more. i have never needed to look far for something to do. Social Board, as well as some other clubs, arrange trips off campus (movie nights, skiing, rock climbing, etc.), so every weekend there is something for students to do that does not involve partying. There are plenty of opportunities to party, as well, if that is what you are interested in.

The a capella groups are probably the most popular and prestigious student groups. While there are about seven groups total, the three most popular are the Kokosingers (all male), the Chasers (co-ed), and the Owl Creeks (all female). Rosse Hall, the auditorium, is always packed for their concerts. These groups are very hard to get into because they only take a couple new members every year, and there's always some hurt egos/feelings. People go to events even if they don't know anyone in the club or play. There's always something going on here, and you often have you choose between a couple events. Academic departments and the student lectureships committee bring lots of different speakers to campus. Some are more widely attended than others. This fall, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. spoke and EVERYBODY went to that. At the beginning of the school year there's an activities fair, at which the village center closes down the streets so that organizations and clubs can set up tables. Students can find out more about clubs and sign up for auditions. In February is Phling, an all-campus semi-formal. It's usually held in the Great Hall of Peirce Hall, which has been compared to the great hall in Harry Potter movies. Student bands and cover bands play, and there's a "casino" set up, too. Halloween weekend, the fraternities throw a huge party in Old Kenyon (a dorm). Everybody goes. Shock Your Momma is thrown by the men's swim team if they win the national title (they've won for about 25 years consecutively). At Shock Your Momma you'll probably see some naked people as well as some wearing t-shirts that say "Bush supporter." Summer Send-Off is an all-campus outdoor dance and music party. The allstu (all student email) is used for soliciting a ride, as a lost and found, or to spout opinions on whatever is going on politically or in the news. It's common for people to find rides to the airport using the allstu, and often they end up driving with people they've never met before. If someone's going up to Cleveland for the weekend, he'll often send an email the week before asking if anyone wants a ride. Most students leave their doors open. Freshman year, I lived in a hall in which people were always walking by. My roommate and I left our door open, and people popped in and out all the time. Socially, I didn't find my niche until this year (my senior year). I've always had friends, but not a close group that I felt I could count on. Freshman year, I tried to find that niche and hung around with the people who lived on my hall. But those people didn't turn out to be my good friends. I wish I'd made more of an effort to get to know people in all of my classes early on in college, because it's harder to do later. Two of my best friends now are girls who went to Exeter with me last year; we got to know each other over in England. Another is a girl who lived on my hall freshman year but whom I didn't talk to a lot until this year. The other is a junior, and we met through her boyfriend (who used to date my old roommate-- awkward!). I like Greek life here because it's not an overwhelming presence. It's there if you want it, but you don't have to be involved. I'm not in a sorority, but I know a handful of guys who are in fraternities. Freshman year I went to some of the big, loud fraternity parties. I didn't have much fun because there was bad beer, I didn't know a lot of people, and it seemed like forced fun. Wednesday is a big party night, for some reason, besides the usual Friday and Saturday nights. Now that I'm a senior and can go out to the local bars with friends, we do that every couple weeks. This year, I've gone to lots of small parties that friends have thrown in their dorm rooms/apartments. I like those a lot more than the bigger parties because they're more personal and I feel more comfortable. There are better opportunities for conversation, too. I like to get together to watch movies with friends one of our dorms, as well. People who don't drink usually hang out in smaller group settings or with groups like Hillel or other clubs they're in. When you get sick of being on campus, you can drive to Columbus with friends and go to the mall or a restaurant. There's not much to do in Mount Vernon (the city next to Gambier), but you can catch the free shuttle into town if you want to go to Walmart or eat Chinese. Most people stay on campus on the weekends; there's not a mass exodus to get off campus because there are always tons of events going on.