Please allow us to have enjoyable: Administration limits campus tradition  — The Kenyon Collegian

Marketing Kenyon to potential college students has develop into extra of a problem as of late — not as a result of we lack nice professors or passionate college students, however as a result of the faculty market has shrunk, tuition has elevated and our location and small dimension could make Kenyon a troublesome promote. The College acknowledges these obstacles and is taking steps to attempt to enhance its picture. The problem is that most of the steps Kenyon has taken to enhance its popularity are detrimental to the College’s most precious asset: its tradition. We all know Kenyon is a wonderful college with a fairly campus, strong meals and supportive college. But the place this college actually shines is its tradition. Being surrounded by cornfields and cows means there are few exterior sources of exercise; as an alternative, college students are ceaselessly those to prepare and create occasions. From musical performances to Hunger Games on the Science Quad, Kenyon college students create the campus life they need. But what college students need and what the administration needs are more and more at odds. The administration has repeatedly taken actions that actively stifle scholar organizing and campus tradition. This is detrimental not solely to the coed expertise, but in addition to the way forward for the College. 

An instance of that is the “Posting and Chalking” coverage. Adopted in 2024, the coverage regulates how college students can disseminate info on campus. Students are solely allowed to place up one poster or flyer in every designated poster space. One of the coverage’s motivations is “maintaining the physical beauty of our campus.” Though all of us admire a ravishing campus, it seems like these modifications are aimed not at us however at potential college students and their households. 

For many perspective college students, seeing posters throughout a tour may give them a way of the coed physique and assist them determine in the event that they wish to be part of our group. Kenyon shouldn’t must sanitize its picture to enchantment to potential college students. If the college feels it wants to cover its tradition from potential college students, then perhaps Kenyon isn’t the fitting place for these children. Trying to masks the tradition of the college is detrimental, each to new college students and the campus tradition. One of our biggest strengths as an establishment is our scholar physique, and we must always spotlight and encourage slightly than stifle it. 

The administration’s continued efforts to advertise Kenyon Connect (KCon) are one other instance of its misguided makes an attempt to handle scholar tradition. Kenyon has constantly tried to bolster KCon utilization and shift scholar communication and organizing onto the platform. The downside is that KCon is extremely troublesome to make use of. The person interface is clunky and feels outdated; organizing an occasion seems like reserving an appointment with the Department of Motor Vehicles. Despite college students’ typically detrimental response to KCon, Campus Senate continues to push for it to be the hub of all campus life. This is indicative of the college’s total strategy to scholar life: We can have enjoyable however solely inside our administration-approved padded cells. This is to not say that every one efforts to handle campus life are dangerous, however slightly that not each occasion ought to be a Career Development Office-sponsored craft evening in Gund Commons. If Kenyon scholar life goes to thrive, then college students want the area and alternative to prepare with out extreme administrative interference. 

A major instance of administrative guidelines constraining scholar tradition got here when Charlie Menzel ’28 organized a live performance for all graduating bands over the past Friday evening of finals week within the spring semester of 2025. Menzel, together with different college students serving to to prepare the live performance, despatched out an e mail promoting the occasion a couple of days prematurely. Within three hours they recieved acquired an e mail with 4 workplaces copied, threatening tutorial penalties to anybody who organized or participated within the occasion, Menzel recounted. According to those workplaces, the occasion was in violation of quiet hours. Quiet hours throughout finals week are in place till midday on the semester’s final Saturday, though all work is required to be submitted Friday at 4 p.m. There isn’t any purpose for quiet hours to increase past this 4 p.m. deadline, not to mention for it to be strictly enforced. The administration responded by threatening to take away all Senior Week privileges for taking part bands and attending college students, along with speedy removing from campus with a referral to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities for non-graduating college students. This outrageous and disproportionate response led to the cancellation of the occasion and illustrates a larger problem of administrative rulings immediately resulting in fewer scholar occasions and a weaker group. 

Kenyon college students are desirous to contribute to campus tradition and construct connections. The administration advertises the passions of the coed physique, but is actively curbing the coed physique’s autonomy. The administration must grant college students the belief and freedom to place the abilities we’ve realized right here to make use of. 

Molly Hunt ’27 is a molecular biology main from Dobbs Ferry, NY. She could be reached at    [email protected]. 

Luc Gilbreath ’27 is a movie main from Ketchum, ID. He could be reached at                                                                 [email protected].

Charlie Menzel ’28 is opinions assistant for The Kenyon Collegian.