Year: 2018, Sophomore
Age: 20
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Major: English (possibly Econ double)
Campus Activities: Ballroom Dance Team, LBIS Student Employee
HCK: Hi Jack! You’re one of the members of the Kenyon College Ballroom Dance team. However, you were a football player in high school. How did you come to be a competitive ballroom dancer in college?
Jack James: I read the email for ballroom and thought it was exciting. It’s a really lackluster story. I came to college and didn’t want to play sports in college, but I read the email and thought it sounded interesting. So, I went, and I fell in love.
HCK: What’s your favorite thing about ballroom?
Jack: Getting to stare at myself in the mirror in KAC 237.
HCK: Do you flex when you do it?
Jack: Low-key, just every now and then. New Yorks (a ballroom move) are especially great for this.
Example of Jack showing off his arm muscles while doing a New York with editor Lexi.
HCK: If you were a ballroom dance, which one would you be?
Jack: International Foxtrot, because it’s mellow and easygoing, but at the same time no one really knows what’s going on while they’re dancing it. I also really love the music for Foxtrot.
HCK: What’s your favorite hobby (other than dancing)?
Jack: Video games and KAC (Editor’s note: Jack has a 225lb bench 1RM)
HCK: Is there something at Kenyon you’d like to be involved with, but haven’t tried yet?
Jack: I just want to get into a Creative Writing class.
HCK: If Jeni’s made an ice-cream flavor just for you, what would it be and why?
Jack: So every time I’ve gone to Jeni’s I’ve been disappointed that they don’t have a cake batter flavor. That’s not a unique flavor, but it was my favorite at Coldstone.
HCK: What’s one thing on your Kenyon bucket list?
Jack: I would like to successfully submit something to a lit mag on campus. Also, to get one of those big study rooms on the third floor of the library all to myself.
HCK: What is the best class you’ve taken so far at Kenyon?
Jack: Writing the Modern City with Professor Hawks (because that’s where I met Inês)*.
*This may or may not have been said by Jack, and may or may not have been added by editor Inês.
HCK: Finally, what is one piece of advice you have for first-years at Kenyon?
Jack: Get sleep. I know that sounds really stupid, but I pulled my first all-nighter second semester last year, and I can tell you that it is absolutely awful. No assignment is worth not getting at least a few hours of sleep.