| Kenyon Class of 2007 Fall Class Letter
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Dear classmates,
Lately, I know it can seem like good news is in short supply. So as I sat down to write this class letter, and started to make a list of the many positive updates I had to share with you, I felt a welcome sense of gratitude for our alma mater. Even during the most challenging of years, our little college on the hill continues to thrive, and remains a point of connection and positivity for its community.
In-person instruction just wrapped up for the approximately 950 first-years, sophomores and international students who studied on campus this fall, numbers intentionally kept low so no one would share a room. (Yes, it took a pandemic for a freshman to score a North Campus Apartment for one.) The College developed clear COVID-related policies and protocols that included regular testing for those on campus and the implementation of the “Kenyon College Commitment,” a personal pledge developed in cooperation with the student council that emphasized the well-being of the entire community. Life on campus looked a bit different as Kenyon adapted its many facilities to ensure safe access to dining, athletics, research and more.
In addition to adaptations for on-campus instruction, juniors and seniors and members of the faculty discovered new ways to learn and teach remotely. (Yes, it took a pandemic to make sweatpants acceptable classroom attire for even the professors.) Check out our new faculty notes section to hear how your favorite faculty members dealt with the shift to Zoom classes, virtual office hours and online assignments.
Our alumni community has shifted to meet the challenges of 2020 with an equal degree of innovation — organizing and attending virtual events, connecting with current students and new graduates as volunteer mentors, and giving back during June’s record-breaking online giving challenge, Kenyon Together. (BTW — well done us for being part of the incredible young alumni response to that challenge. We spoke up and the College responded with new gift designations for the things that matter most to us. Let’s keep that momentum going and continue to look for ways to make the most of our dollars when we give to Kenyon.) Planning is underway for Reunion Weekend 2021 and, if conditions allow, it could be the biggest alumni gathering in Kenyon history! (We’ll be sharing more details in the months to come, as all alumni will be invited back for the festivities.)
Yes, good things are happening at Kenyon and that is why I support it every year with a gift to the Kenyon Fund — to keep the good news coming. I give to bolster the student emergency assistance fund, which helped dozens of students get home when the spring semester unexpectedly went virtual. I give to make it possible for the College to award more in financial aid this year, when many families’ budgets are strained. And I give to help fund new scholarships like the Kenyon Women’s Annual Scholarship and the Lowry Annual Scholarship for nderrepresented students, which was announced just last month along with the renaming of the Kenyon Athletic Center to honor Emeritus Trustee William E. Lowry Jr. ’56 H’99. Scroll on to read full details on this exciting piece of Kenyon news!
During challenging times like these, alumni support is more critical than ever. Join me in making your gift to the Kenyon Fund at gift.kenyon.edu to ensure good things continue to happen on the Hill this year, and in the years to come.
Thank you and stay well!
Sincerely,
Margaret Fuchs
P.S. Scroll down to read our fall class notes.
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| Introducing the Lowry Center & Scholarship
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William E. Lowry Jr. ’56 H’99 was the first Black student in the nation initiated into Beta Theta Pi, was student body president and captained the football, basketball and baseball teams. He went on to serve in many volunteer roles at Kenyon, including as trustee. In honor of Bill’s accomplishments and impact at Kenyon, the Board of Trustees decided to rename the Kenyon Athletic Center in his honor.
Recognizing his legacy, Board Vice Chair Joseph E. Lipscomb ’87 has created an endowed scholarship in Bill’s name to help bring more underrepresented students to Kenyon. Anyone can make a gift to the annual fund portion of this scholarship, or one of many other scholarships at Kenyon, and provide an immediate benefit to a current student.
Support currents students now with a gift to scholarships
Despite a challenging year, the College remains committed to continuing to meet 100% of students’ increased demonstrated need, with donor support. Every dollar you give goes directly to support students this academic year.
Consider giving today in support of:
- Hannah More Scholarship for first generation students
- Kenyon Women’s Annual Scholarship for female students
- Lowry Annual Scholarship for underrepresented students
- Pope Memorial Annual Scholarship for students from urban Ohio public school
And, of course, you can make a gift to the Kenyon Fund’s scholarships and financial aid designation, which supports the education of every single Kenyon student.
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| Upcoming Virtual Events for Alumni
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You're invited to join us this winter at these free events for alumni.
- Alumni Town Halls with President Decatur
Thursday, Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. ET and Thursday, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. ET
- Five-week mini class with Professor Emerita Pam Jensen
"Democracy & Education: An Introduction to Rousseau's Emile"
Tuesdays, Jan. 5 – Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. ET
- A Celebration of Kenyon Green Initiatives (two-part series)
Wednesday, Jan. 20 and Thursday, Jan. 27 at 7 p.m. ET
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Class AgentsClass agents are your connection to campus. If you would like to learn more about becoming a class agent, contact Terry Dunnavant at dunnavantt@kenyon.edu.
• Margaret Fuchs
• Samantha Ley
• Will O'Keefe
• Stu Schisgall
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Margaret and Andy Fuchs (and baby Henry) moved back to Ohio this summer, and are now settled in Cleveland (Shaker Heights). Margaret is working as a cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic, taking care of patients with adult congenital heart disease. Andy is finishing his master’s degree in teaching (mathematics) and has been tasked with fixing up the new (old!) house. They are excited to see Ohio & Midwest friends again once the pandemic concludes...
Lisa Hamer and partner Ifeanyi Okeke are enjoying their life in Taos, NM, where Lisa is a felony public defender for Taos County, and was recently appointed to the Drug Court Task Force. They have been enjoying living in the Land of Enchantment, where social distancing has been easy to come by in the 5,000 square miles of national forest surrounding their new home. They have welcomed their newest family member, a shelter pup named Arrow. When safe to travel, they welcome visitors, especially to the ski mountain this winter!
Lauren C. Ostberg writes: I am a lawyer in Western Massachusetts who is trying to make more time to write (now with weekly prompts and pieces exchanged with Amy Strieter) and vaguely pursuing my aspirations in local government and public radio. Ben Taylor is still here, too, composing, doing web development, and being as delightful as he is tall. We hope everyone is weathering the pandemic and whatever else 2020 may bring.
Pat Shaw: Writing's on the wall in all kinds of ways around our dear Austin, Texas, but Alex and I haven't let it get us down. We're teaching our butts off, nurturing and growing a healthy Playwriting and Directing program at UT and generally just trying to support our young artists as they realize themselves from the childhood bedroom. This summer we managed to buy a sleek, lovely house in Austin (with a hot little shed in the back for me to write and teach from), and I'm learning day by day what kinds of things can be wrong with a building. The guts of it are as leaky and rotten as our fool hearts. The good news is Alex and I had our first ultrasound today - It's a baby! Big changes coming. Philander? Philandra?
Lauren Steele (Zenner) writes: Hello amidst the pandemic and generally odd 2020! Our note this year comes from San Diego, where John Steele and I recently relocated this fall (from rural NorCal) thanks to a career shift -- John is now working for a biotech firm; I will be continuing my work as a pediatrician. Our daughter, Elsiana, arrived in July 2020 and is a lovely, easygoing gem. Her older brother Ansel adores her. Sending warm thoughts to our Kenyon community and hoping each of you is able to stay safe and sane now and into the coming year.
Alex Tanton: Rob McMillan and I are starting a company to help small-to-midsize manufacturers optimize their operations. Factory Finch is a data-driven productivity suite for small and medium sized manufacturing businesses. We provide real time analysis of your operation through easy to use tools. By leveraging cloud technologies, machine learning and AI, we are able to help you optimize and scale your business without the headache of complex and expensive enterprise software.
Anneka Ward and her wonderful husband Jonathan Cohen married August 8, 2020 in a small ceremony and reception with family and close friends in Lakeville, CT. Her best friend and freshman year roommate, Meredith O'Connor, was her maid of honor. Anneka and Jon are expecting their first child Feb 22, 2021. Anneka works as a school nurse for an independent school in the Bronx, while Jonathan works as a high school physics teacher in the Bronx through the Department of Education.
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If you missed the chance to share your news for this letter, you can submit a class note at any time via class.letters@kenyon.edu.
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Kenyon is grateful to the following donors for their generous support of the College, including the Kenyon Fund, during the 2019-20 fiscal year. An asterisk (*) indicates a donor is a member of the Henry J. Abraham Society for loyal and consecutive giving. An obelisk (†) indicates an individual who is deceased. Please note that as of July 1, 2019 Kenyon’s annual giving societies have changed. Visit kenyon.edu/societies for more information.
2007
Annual Fund Total: $16,391
Class Participation: 21.36%
Bexley Society
Donors of $2,500 to $9,999
Robert J. McGuire*
Emily A. Plocki
Gambier Society
Gifts of $1,200 to $2,499 (10-14 years post-graduation)
Jessica McCormick*
Kenyon Society
Donors of $1 to $1199
Emily Allen Cowles*
Lindsay M. Allen*
Mara B. Alperin
Carly B. Baird Deal
Willow A. Belden
Kelly M. Bielen*
Adam F. Birka-White
Adrienne D. Boris
Brittain H. Brantley*
Henry F. Brown
Chris J. Caldemeyer*
William R. Calhoun*
John A. Compton
Albert A. Coombs III
Kyle S. Donnellon
Rebecca R. Eckart*
Sarah M. Eisner
Erin M. Ellingwood*
Chris Fennell*
Kimberly B. Fisher*
David T. Flaherty
Joshua J. Flood
Andrew F. Fuchs*
Margaret M. Fuchs*
Timothy R. Greenwood
Kelly M. Henry*
Cori Hirai*
Edward H. Hornick
Susan A. Iskiwitch
J. MacLaren Kelly
Lee Kennard*
Stewart H. Kerns
Lisa King*
Alexandra E. Kittle*
Katharine L. Knarreborg*
Michael R. Krantz
Christopher B. Laco*
Annie E. Lambla*
Allison L. LeMay*
Melissa Levo*
Michael J. Lewandowski
Samantha J. Ley*
Alexandra G. Lodge*
Adam S. Lucas*
Nelie G. Lynch*
Richard E. Marinos
Christopher M. Matthews*
Megan L. Maurer
Brendan I. McCarthy*
Robert D. McMillan*
Alexis N. Minana
Amy E. Moody
Paul R. Morway*
Charlotte Nugent*
William F. O'Keefe III
Kaitlin E. O'Malley*
Sarah B. G. Pekdemir*
Anne T. Pomeroy*
Margaret E. Rieley*
Eduardo M. Rodriguez*
Kelsey C. Ross
Eileen E. Ryan*
Sarah E. Ryan*
Stuart H. Schisgall*
Shana R. Scogin*
Calloway B. Scott*
Andrea R. Shinbach
David R. Slochower*
Sophie N. Smith*
Jeremy S. Spater
John W. Steele IV
Lauren Z. Steele
Marc W. Steiner*
Lilly Stolper*
Sarah P. Teczar*
Katie A. Thadi*
Elizabeth R. Trenga*
Tatiana S. Volochkovich*
MaryClaire R. Walsh*
Todd B. Walters*
Katherine A. White Walters*
Nura E. Williams
Matthew C. Zaremsky*
Kimberly L. Ziegler*
Anna Zimmermann Jin*
George Wharton Mariott Society
These alumni have included Kenyon in their estate plans or have made other planned gifts.
Robert J. McGuire
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Kenyon College
105 Chase Avenue, Gambier, OH 43022
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