Year: Junior
Age: 20
Hometown: Chicago
Major: Psychology
Minor: Chemistry
Campus Activities: CA, Res Life Office Student Worker, Chamber Singers, Opera and Musical Theater Workshop, Brave Potato
Her Campus Kenyon: Hi Jalon! You’re famous on campus for being one of the best CAs to ever grace Kenyon College. What’s your secret?
Jalon Eason: Love. Love is my secret. I love my residents so much, they’re so goofy. Right now I’m doing a program that’s a door decorating competition to see who has the best-decorated door for the winter season. One room has themed their door after me, so it’s the 19 Days of Jalon. So from now until the end of the semester, there’s an ornament on the tree that opens up to a different picture of me.
HCK: That sounds awesome. When you were a first-year, what made you want to be a CA?
Jalon: I felt like I kinda did this CA job before I was hired. Freshman year, I actually met some of my greatest friends on a really bad party night. There were a lot of very drunk students, and I was taking care of people over the course of like four hours that night. I realized that I love to help people. And my CA, Sterling Nelson, I love him to death, he had lovely programs for us. He was always around if we needed to talk to him and I loved that a lot.
HCK: So obviously you love taking care of your residents. More specifically, what is your favorite thing about being a CA?
Jalon: I like that I work with freshman specifically, because I get to see them come into college and adjust. I can be there for them and help them adjust, and if I can’t help them with something I can direct them to other resources. Just getting to know the residents and seeing how they change and evolve during their first year. Having programs helps with that a lot. My programs will start out as random pancake nights and turn into the most random conversations and they’re really wonderful. It’s really a moment to be cherished.
HCK: What do you do for your job in the Res Life office?
Jalon: My title is Housing and Operations Intern. I work under Lisa Train specifically, and I do things like preparing dorms for next semester, thinking about ways we’re going to change things in Res Life and how that will affect different students. Mostly, I work on facilities things, and talk to Maintenance about different things and work with various offices. I also do things outside of that, such as helping to organize Haunted Leonard.
HCK: What is your biggest piece of advice to people who want to become a CA?
Jalon: Being a CA definitely isn’t for everyone, and your duties depend on what area in which you are a CA. For me specifically, I want to be very involved with my residents and be able to talk to them and help them. Freshman areas are a good place to do that. If you’re more about helping people to prosper at Kenyon, upper class is great. You get to see how you can help people move forward.
My best piece of advice would be to look at your CA and the CAs around you and think about if this is something you see yourself doing, and what area you would like to be in.
HCK: Great, thank you! Let’s move on to talking about your involvement in the music scene at Kenyon. This is your third year participating in Chamber Singers. What’s the best thing about being a Chamber Singer?
Jalon: Honestly, it’s just the entire organization of it. This past summer, I was here [on campus] working for Res Life, and I got to be involved in the Chamber Singers Reunion weekend. I got to meet alumns from the past couple decades, and it was just amazing to see all these people who love Doc and everything he’s done for them. I sang with them for their concert and was even in their reunion photo, which was just lovely. I just love being part of this organization.
HCK: There’s a Chamber Singers concert coming up on Saturday. What are three reasons why people should attend?
Jalon: Reason number one—we have some very exciting and fun music. I’m very excited for the concert. Two, we’re all gonna look great. My tuxedo is going to be wonderful. And three, to support Doc for everything he’s done for this campus. It’s really amazing.
HCK: What’s your favorite song you’ve ever sung in Chamber Singers?
Jalon: From any year?
HCK: Yes!
Jalon: Oh man. I think it’s a toss up between “Daemon Irrepit Callidus” by György Orbán and “Valiant for Truth” by Ralph Vaughan Williams.
HCK: You performed in the Opera and Musical Theater Workshop cabaret-style performance this semester. Are you participating in their production next semester?
Jalon: Yes! I will be playing the part of Papa Ge in Once on this Island. I have never actually heard of or seen the show before, so that will be very interesting. But I’m very excited. I know a lot of the cast I’ll be working with and our director is wonderful, so I’m looking forward to doing a full-length show with her.
HCK: That sounds like fun! Let’s move on to some less serious questions now. If you were a Peirce breakfast item, what food would you be?
Jalon: Ooh. I know I’m definitely not good enough to be a hash brown triangle, but I’m going to say an omelet.
HCK: So, close to god-like, but not quite.
Jalon: Not quite. I think I’d be an omelette because each day is different for me. I kinda change up what you see.
HCK: If Jenni’s made a unique ice cream flavor just for you, what would it be?
Jalon: I feel like it would have something to do with toffee and coconut. My hair conditioner makes me always smell like coconut, and I love toffee. I make a lot of toffee.
HCK: Do you have any secret talents or hobbies?
Jalon: I write poetry, and I can do the splits!
HCK: What’s one thing you would like to do at Kenyon but haven’t yet?
Jalon: I want to go to the observatory, I haven’t done that yet. Maybe have a picnic one warm evening in the spring.
HCK: Thanks so much, Jalon!