We go to a pretty cool school. Look at any Kenyon brochure and you’ll see beautiful buildings like Old Kenyon and Ascension Hall gracing the pages, ample photos of the leaves changing on Middle Path, and lots of bragging about our state-of-the-art athletic center. Despite the fact that all of these places are great, there’s so much more to Kenyon than some students realize. Here are just a few of the great, underappreciated parts of Kenyon:
1. The Kokosing Gap Trail
The Gap Trail is easily one of my favorite places at Kenyon—it’s the perfect place to go when you’re feeling stressed and need to get away from the constant activity on campus. The trail always looks beautiful, and you can walk, run, bike, or even skate on it and just appreciate being in nature for an hour or two. There are also a ton of cool spots you can go to on it, like pedestrian bridges, overlooks, and an adorable farmhouse. It’s located just beyond the KAC, by South Lot 2. I highly recommend you check it out.
2. The First-Floor Library Printer
I didn’t know for most of my freshman year that the library had any printers besides the two on the second floor, but there’s also one on the first floor! It’s located towards the back: go past the first computer lab and turn left, and there’s even another computer lab there if you need a less crowded place to study or print something out. Perfect for when you’re feeling too lazy to walk up a flight of stairs, the first-floor printer is definitely one of the most underutilized parts of Kenyon.
3. Lentz House
Speaking of the library, do you ever feel like it’s a really crowded place to study? If the library is too full to focus or you just need a change of scenery, Lentz House is a great alternative. It’s one of the English buildings right by President Decatur’s house, and it has both an upstairs and a downstairs lounge area. Both are great spaces in which to study. The downstairs one is full of couches, and upstairs there’s a study table and usually a quieter environment. Check it out for a change of pace!
4. Peirce Pub
Peirce Pub is also a nice space in which to study, but it’s also just a cool place to hang out. There are booths that you can sit in with your friends at dinner to feel like you’re in a real restaurant rather than a dining hall. Also, there are lots of TVs on which you can watch anything from football to the newest episode of The Walking Dead. Plus, if you hang out there in the winter, you won’t even have to go outside between meals!
5. The Career Development Office
We’re so lucky at Kenyon to have an office full of lovely people who are always ready to help you out! In addition to finding assistance looking into options of what to do after Kenyon, you can go to the CDO to find help getting an on-campus job, writing a resume, or searching for internships. The CDO is located on the lower level of Gund Commons. You should definitely stop by no matter what year you are!
Kenyon is full of so many awesome spaces that that we don’t mention on the admissions office tour. Next time you’re feeling in need of a change of scenery or just want to make your life easier, check out one of these spaces, or search for your own hidden gems!
Image Credit: Rebecca Frank, Green Valley Design, Ohio.edu, Twitter