Although there isn’t a lot I miss about high school (and there definitely isn’t anything I miss about middle school), there are certainly aspects that I do find myself wishing were a part of higher education more often. One of these things is having class outside. I will admit, my high school was very good about this, especially because the school has multiple spots outdoors that were built with the intention of having meetings there. So, looking back, I can recall having lots of time outside. However, if we were to take a look around, Kenyon has many of the same spaces, and professors should take their students out of the classroom and into the great outdoors more often.
As a senior, I can count on one hand the number of times my professor (or TA in one instance) has commented on how nice a day it was and asked my fellow students and me if we’d like to take the seminar outdoors. Every time this has happened, it felt like a breath of fresh air (literally, too, with being outside of a stuffy classroom and all), and it also felt rare, with the Ohio winter lasting so long there’s only so much time we can enjoy the weather while school is in session. No more wistfully looking out the window and counting down the minutes until class was over, because that day we were changing up the routine, something that can be good from time to time while we continue our learning.
With winter coming up very soon, I’ve realized that there are few moments for us to enjoy the sun here at Kenyon. Additionally, since our schedules are so packed all the time, there are many people who lock themselves indoors to focus on classwork, missing out on getting valuable Vitamin D and fresh air. I’ve found this to be true especially in October, when courses really start to pick up and I have to spend less time on the Kokosing Gap trail and more time in Chalmers.
To be fair, having class on the lawn in front of Ascension or the tables on the patio outside of Lentz can be distracting. Friends are passing by, a community member is walking their dog, and a chill breeze comes by every few minutes and makes you wish you had brought a jacket, but our time at Kenyon during the late summer and early spring is so short that having a nice day to spend outdoors can feel like catching lightning in a bottle.
So, my request: Professors, bring your students outside every once in a while (if weather permits). I guarantee you that Kenyon students are just as capable of sharing their thoughts on the reading outside as they are inside.