Last week, I wrote an article chronicling five aspects of Kenyon that especially annoy me. I mentioned that, though it can be fun to complain about mild annoyances, I still appreciate much about Kenyon. Read on for what are, in my opinion, Kenyon’s five most ignored qualities.
1. Free printing. All college students know that printing off a final draft of a term paper that has been absolutely slaved over is nerve-wracking. Imagine how much more nerve-wracking this would be if you also had to worry about how much each printed page costs! We should be thrilled that every page rolling out of the printers isn’t accompanied by the ding of a cash register.
2. A swipe-free dining system. This one is huge. Kenyon is the only school that I know of that has such a lax dining system, so lax that it may seem insane to those who attend other colleges. To get meals, students have to do nothing but walk into the Peirce servery and gather up whatever food we want. No papers to sign, no cards to swipe, and no points to calculate. The best part is that students don’t have to worry about running out of points halfway through the semester.
3. The Market. While this space is definitely not ignored by the Kenyon student body, I think that it needs to be appreciated even more. Imagine what life in the middle of nowhere would be like without a convenience store that sells your favorite sugary cereal, health and beauty aids, and every type of drink (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) imaginable? The market is one touch of civilization to the hungry and needy college population. Plus, it’s employed by some of the nicest and funniest people around.
4. The Kenyon Athletic Center. Often referred to as the KAC, the Kenyon Athletic Center is, to some, a space reserved for those who play on a sports team. This could not be further from the truth! The less athletic Kenyon students definitely need to show the KAC some more love, or at least give it a visit a few times a semester. It may look like it was beamed down from outer space, and it is a bit of a trek down the hill, but the amenities are worth it. The workout machines, weights, tennis and squash courts, and pool spaces are for us to use and enjoy, so why pretend like the KAC doesn’t exist?
5. The Brown Family Environmental Center. Like the KAC, the Brown Family Environmental Center is characterized both by its well-known acronym (the BFEC) and by its distance away from many areas on campus. Also like the KAC, the BFEC is way too awesome to ignore. Most hiking trails aren’t strenuous, and they all provide excellent views. I recommend grabbing some brave friends and a few flashlights to hike at night; some of the stargazing views are unparalleled, even by Kenyon’s standards. The fact that we can really only enjoy the BFEC during the few warm months of the school year makes it all the more special.
There are definitely more sometimes-underappreciated aspects of Kenyon that did not make this list. That doesn’t mean that you can’t show them your love and gratitude!
Image sources:
Growabrain.typead.com
Kenyon.edu