KENYON COLLEGE

'Kenyon College' is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio, founded in 1824 by Bishop Philander Chase of the The Episcopal Church, in parallel with the Bexley Hall seminary. It is the oldest private institution of higher education in Ohio. The campus is noted for its Collegiate Gothic architecture and rustic setting. Although it has suffered two serious fires (after which it was rebuilt), Old Kenyon Hall (1827) is believed to be the oldest Gothic revival building in the Americas. The 2005 ''Princeton Review'' and ''Fiske Guide to Colleges 2005'' both ranked Kenyon's admissions as "most selective" and awarded the college top academic ratings. In addition, in 2006 ''Newsweek'' selected Kenyon College as one of twenty-five "New Ivies" on the basis of admissions statistics as well as interviews with administrators, students, faculty and alumni. Kenyon College is accredited by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Contents

Founding of the College

Academics

Athletics

Traditions

Student organizations

Media

Non-Varsity Sports

Arts

Notable alumni

Trivia

External links

Founding of the College

After becoming the first Bishop of Ohio in 1819, Philander Chase found a severe lack of trained clergy on the Ohio frontier. He planned to create a seminary to rectify this problem, but could find little support. Undeterred, he sailed to England and solicited donations from Lord Kenyon, Lord Gambier, and the writer and philanthropist Hannah More, and the College was incorporated in December, 1824. Dissatisfied with the original location of the College in Worthington, Chase purchased eight thousand acres (32 km²) of land in Knox County (with the Mount Vernon lawyer Henry Curtis), and reached what he would name Gambier Hill on July 24, 1825. There is a legend that Bishop Chase exclaimed, "Well, this will do!" upon reaching the crest of the hill. [1][2]

Academics

Kenyon's English department first gained recognition with the arrival of the poet and critic John Crowe Ransom in 1937 as Professor of Poetry and first editor of ''The Kenyon Review'', a literary journal.
Aside from English, other majors Kenyon offers are: Art (Studio), Art History, Dance and Drama, Music, Modern Languages, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Classics, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Neuroscience, Physics, Psychology, Anthropology, Economics, History, Political Science, Sociology, American Studies, International Studies, and Women's and Gender Studies.
One can obtain a minor in most of these departments. Kenyon does offer concentrations, which are interdisciplinary minors. They are: African and African-American Studies, Asian Studies, Environmental Studies, Integrated Program in Humane Studies, Law and Society, Neuroscience, Public Policy, and
Scientific Computing.

Athletics

Kenyon's sports teams are referred to as the ''Lords'' and ''Ladies'', and their colors are purple, white, and black with gold often added as an accent. The college's men's swimming team is considered the best in NCAA Division III, for winning, from 1980 through 2007, a NCAA record 28 consecutive national championships. The women's swimming team is also considered among the best, winning 21 titles of its own (not consecutively) since 1984. Swim Coach Jim Steen has coached the most conference titles in any sport in NCAA history.
In 2006, Kenyon opened the $70 million Kenyon Athletic Center (KAC), a 263,000 square foot (24,434 m²) building that houses an Olympic-sized swimming pool, a basketball court, squash courts, weight room, and other facilities.

Traditions

As Ohio's first private college, Kenyon takes pride in some traditions held more than 180 years. All students in each entering class are expected to take the Matriculation Oath and sign a Matriculation Book that dates back at least a century.
Another renowned tradition is the "Freshman Sing." Each year, entering freshmen gather on the steps of Rosse Hall to sing Kenyon songs before they are officially part of the Kenyon community. On the day before Commencement, seniors gather on the steps of Rosse Hall to sing Kenyon songs again.
Whenever a new president begins a term at the college, candles are lit in every window of Old Kenyon, as a sign of welcome. Kenyon has had fourteen presidents, and currently has its first female president, S. Georgia Nugent.

Student organizations

Media

★ Hika Kenyon's oldest student-run literary journal. Contributors have included Robert Lowell, 1940; James Wright, 1952; Allison Joseph, 1988; Saskia Hamilton, 1989; and Laura Hillenbrand. Founded in 1925, it preceded ''The Kenyon Review.''

★ The Kenyon Observer (political magazine)

★ The Voice (social and political magazine)

★ The Kenyon Daily Jolt (student life website)[3]

★ Kenyon Collegian (student newspaper)[4]

★ Ascension Films (student filmmaking society)

★ Horn Records (student record label)

★ WKCO Kenyon's entirely student-run radio station, serving the greater Gambier area at 91.9 FM during the calendar year.[5]

Non-Varsity Sports

★ Kenyon College Ice Hockey (Ice Hockey Team)

★ Kenyon College Men's Rugby

★ Kenyon College Ultimate Frisbee (founded in 1976)

Arts

★ The Kenyon College Kokosingers are Kenyon's premiere all male a cappella group. Founded in 1965, the Kokosingers are the second oldest student-run singing group on campus. The group performs a wide range of music from various artists. The Kokosingers or "Kokes" tour over winter break and perform major concerts twice a year on campus.

★ The Kenyon College Chasers, are the premiere co-ed collegiate a cappella group from Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. Founded in 1964, the group is the oldest a cappella singing group at the college. The have recorded several albums over the course of the last 40 years, perform several times per year on campus, and tour throughout the country during January.

★ Renegade Theatre Founded in 2002, Renegade Theatre is a theatre company designed for the promotion of first-year students in the theatre community at Kenyon. Students are able to write, act in leading roles, direct and design, as well as serve as a production board designing an entire season of shows.

★ Kenyon College Dance and Drama Club Student-run organization producing theatrical productions with the direct support of the dance and drama departments. Former members include the founders of the Cripple Creek Theatre Company in New Orleans, LA.[6]

★ Beyond Therapy Sketch comedy group. Founded in 1994, the group puts up two shows each year.

Notable alumni

Main articles: Notable Kenyon Alumni

Trivia

Kenyon College is the largest landowner in Gambier, Ohio, a town of about 600 year-round residents.
Kenyon President Chalmers was a friend of Robert Frost.
Kenyon College was one of a number of liberal arts colleges to drop from the US News and World Report college rankings in June of 2007. Kenyon College President Georgia S. Nugent likened the Report's self-evaluation materials as similar to a customer satisfaction survey from "a Howard Johnson's restaurant. ^[1] "

External links

# Kenyon College: http://www.kenyon.edu
# Kenyon College Profile: http://ir.kenyon.edu/profile.php
# Kenyon Collegian (student newspaper): http://www.kenyoncollegian.com
# Five Colleges of Ohio: http://www.ohio5.org
# Great Lakes Colleges Association: http://www.glca.org
# Colleges and Universities of the Anglican Communion/Association of Episcopal Colleges: http://www.cuac.org/53810_43981_ENG_HTM.htm?menupage=53912
# Kenyon Ice Hockey: http://www2.kenyon.edu/orgs/Icehockey/welcome.htm
# Kenyon College Dance and Drama: http://kcdc.kenyon.edu