Hi everyone, my name is Jenna – and I am short. When I was younger, it was considered cute, and adults often reassured me that it would be just a few more years until I had my big growth spurt. Well, here I am, eighteen years old and standing at a petite 5 feet, 0 inches, and I’m beginning to think that maybe I won’t hit that growth spurt after all. Being a short girl in a tall person’s world can be extremely challenging, and as I’ve become more acclimated to Kenyon, I’ve found that there are a lot of things that aren’t made with a short person in mind. So, to air my annoyances, I’ve compiled a list for our readers of the top five problems of being a short girl at Kenyon.
1. You can’t keep up with your taller friends on middle path.
I’m notorious for being a habitual fast walker, but the truth is that short girls have to walk quickly, because our strides are smaller! I have found that with some friends, I need to take two or even three steps to keep up with one of theirs. Trying to keep up with people means that you have to be on your A game, though, so if I’m tired or sore, it becomes virtually impossible to match the pace of the people I’m walking with. This leads to a lot of distress when your friends end up three or four feet in front of you before they realize that they left you in the dust.
Source: https://33.media.tumblr.com/82b6981ab5ec377ec7714a2933449289/tumblr_na4b…
2. A lot of the mirrors around campus are too high to be useful.
The place where I’ve found this to be the biggest inconvenience is in the rooms in Norton and Lewis. The school generously gives each person a mirror that I assume is meant to be at “head height”. For short girls, “head height” actually means “forehead height” though because even when I’m standing five or six feet away from the mirror, I can only see from my eyebrows to the top of my head, which is incredibly frustrating.
3. It’s very challenging to adjust the weights at the KAC to fit your height.
Okay, I’ll admit that I don’t go to the KAC as much as I’d like to, but I am there at least three times a week, and it is always a struggle to use the weight machines. Each one has at least two settings that can be adjusted based on height and frame, and I’ve found that even when I adjust them to the best of my ability, I still can’t use the machines as effectively as other people can.
Source: https://33.media.tumblr.com/3ebea5df6d654f3adf6cad989a18e030/tumblr_n33z…
4. It’s impossible to reach the shelves and storage in the dorm rooms.
My roommate actually texted me before I moved in to let me know that she had bought a step stool for us so we could use all of the closet storage that we have this year. Unfortunately, upon arrival, I found that even the stool couldn’t help me reach the coveted storage space, and I’ve resorted to standing on either my chair or my desk to reach the few things that I’ve been able to store up there.
5. Your feet don’t touch the ground when you sit on a toilet.
When you’re short, it is very typical to feel a lot younger than you are, but nothing says “I’m five years old” like having your feet dangle all over the place when you sit down to do your business. It makes for an all around unpleasant experience.
Source: https://33.media.tumblr.com/3973d9726d6a7f3c9e7e24ebdbcbb192/tumblr_mqwa…
Being a short girl at Kenyon can be a pain at times, but it’s difficult anywhere that you go. Also, for all of the annoyances that come with being vertically challenged, there are a lot of perks too, my favorite being the ability to sneak through Peirce crowds because honestly who doesn’t love getting their food super quick?