This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Kenyon chapter.
As we all know, Kenyon has some of the best professor out there. From open-door office hours to Wiggle Ground coffee dates just to chat, Kenyon professors are extremely friendly and always willing to help you (for the most part). In addition, they try and get to know you so you’re not just another face in their classroom. To help you get a feel (or to go down memory lane, seniors!) of which professors to get to know or who to take a class with next semester, here are some suggestions!
For those of you who have had Kohlman, you know how difficult it is to describe her. From her Intro Soc class (Social Issues and Cultural Intersections) to her upper level classes, Kohlman remains sassy and charismatic. She refers to her students as “Miss” and “Mr,” and refuses to take sh*t from anyone. Although Kohlman is strict with assignment deadlines and guidelines, her main motto is “don’t stress” (“We don’t stress in this class,” she often says, giving you the famous “Marla” look). In addition, before any test or after a long day of work, she’ll tell you to watch a movie and relax. While this might not seem like the best advice (especially before a grade-determining exam), listen to Kohlman. She’s always right and knows what’s up.
From a used-to-be Pre-med student standpoint (let’s just say Freshman-year science and I didn’t get along), I can confirm Bio (lectures and labs) make most people want to rip their hair out. While understanding the Calvin Cycle and conducting experiments on bacteria may come naturally to some, for others it’s a complete nightmare. However, Smith makes this pain go away. According to the Kenyon science gurus she’s extremely caring, kind, and will go out of her way to help you. Smith is known as one of the best science professors at Kenyon, so if you’re interested in that route of academia, getting to know her or taking one of her classes will probably be to your advantage.
Sarah Blick is hands-down one of the sweetest and most encouraging professors at Kenyon. Her bubbly personality and engaging teaching style makes Art History classes (which are often regarded as “snoozers”) interesting and worthwhile. Blick cares about her students and loves to take the time to get to know them personally. In addition, she is very speedy with her email responses (which is great if you’re freaking out about tomorrow’s exam) and is flexible with her office hours and meeting availability; she works extremely hard to accommodate her students. If you’re looking to fulfill your Fine Art’s requirement, take classes with Blick! She’ll make your time worthwhile!
Shutt is a riot. If you’ve taken a class with him, you know how crazy he is (in a good way!) His great sense of humor and personal anecdotes have the ability to make dry material interesting and more bearable. Though the IPHS program is slowly declining, Shutt still puts his whole heart into teaching this discipline. He both engages and entertains his students, which are skills not every Kenyon professor has. Because IPHS may not be around within the next couple years, get to know Shutt and experience a “true” Kenyon professor.
As my friend Isobel recently informed me, “People don’t major in English, they major in Mason.” Though this sounds a little creepy, there are so many reasons why it’s true. Ted Mason is probably one of Kenyon’s most intellectual, captivating, and greatest professors. While he is a difficult grader and his workload is demanding, his life lessons are definitely some for the books and he is the kind of teacher you want to do all the reading for. In addition, if you go to Mason’s office hours you will come out feeling on top of the world. Even if you totally bombed that last paper, he will give you such encouraging advice for the next one. Mason makes the effort to know his students and wants them to succeed. If you don’t take a class with him during your four years at Kenyon, you’re really missing out. Also, if you do end up taking a class with him, you might be lucky enough to meet his elegant Golden retriever, Casey.