| Kenyon Class of 2003 Spring Class Letter
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Dear classmates,
After a year that felt like a decade, I am filled with hope and optimism as we head into the warmer months. As of mid-April, roughly one-quarter of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and life feels like it is inching back to “normal.”
Kenyon is also planning its return to normal operations, including having all four classes back on campus in the fall. And, due in no small part to our alumni support, the College is wrapping up a financially and logistically challenging year on track to balance the budget, just like they have the last 50 years.
After receiving a record number of applications, Kenyon has enrolled its Class of 2025. And Chalmers Library will be open to greet them when they move in.
In January, Kenyon received the largest gift in its history that will fund construction of three new South Campus residence halls, allowing the College to increase focus on growing resources for scholarships. This is where we come in! The success of the next part of the campaign, Our Path Forward to the Bicentennial, relies on our increased participation and continued support of scholarships for students.
If you haven’t heard, reunion is going virtual this year. The College is hosting two weeks of online programming from May 16-29 and most events are open to all alumni. Even though we aren’t celebrating a reunion this year, I encourage you to register for events with your favorite professors and reminisce with classmates at the online social gatherings. I’m planning to join the tour of Chalmers Library and take part in some of the fun things they have planned to bring the Hill to us virtually for this nontraditional reunion. I look forward to bumping into some of you on Zoom!
The College is also counting on us to show up (and break our record numbers!) for this year’s 36-hour Kenyon Together giving challenge kicking off the morning of Wednesday, May 19 as part of the virtual reunion. Mark your calendar for a fun chance to help Kenyon students today, score prizes, join in some good friendly competition and win bragging rights. After the success of 2020’s Kenyon Together giving challenge, the College knows just how impactful our alumni community can be when we work together to raise money for the causes at Kenyon that matter most to us.
As alumni, we can help today’s students by staying connected with the College and making gifts to scholarships that help Kenyon continue to meet the growing financial needs of students and their families. I invite you to join me in supporting the College in both of these ways. Our alma mater and all of you have contributed to the hope and optimism I feel for the future by providing regular points of connection during an isolating year. No matter how you choose to stay involved with Kenyon, I hope you too are breathing a sigh of relief as we prepare for better days ahead.
Take care,
Kyle Laux
P.S. Scroll down to read our 2003 spring class notes.
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Support current students now with a gift to scholarships
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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 to:
- 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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| Virtual Events for Alumni
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All alumni are invited to join us at these virtual reunion events in May:
- Opening Ceremony/Virtual Hospitality Tent
4 p.m. ET Sunday, May 16
- Kenyon Together 36-Hour Giving Challenge
from 9 a.m. ET Wednesday, May 19 – 9 p.m. ET Thursday, May 20
- Town Hall with President Decatur
7 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 27
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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 Isabelle Rivers-McCue at riversmccuei@kenyon.edu.
• Bi Vuong
• Erin McConnell
• Kyle Laux
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Class of 2003 Spring Notes
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Sarah Wasserman writes: “My scholarly monograph came out in October 2020 (www.upress.umn.edu/book-division/books/the-death-of-things) and I am chugging along toward tenure -- should hear any day now. Teaching virtually is a drag but I've been safe and sound, albeit überzoomed, at my house in Philly.”
Natalie Philpot shares: “Still living in Vermont and working as a Programs Coordinator at a small nonprofit that addresses the needs of our community by providing meaningful substance misuse education. Still doing the single mom thing. Still loving life. Come visit!”
Megan (Rafferty) Barnes writes: “2020 was the worst year, and it would have been even without the coronavirus. My brother-in-law Dave died in February, and my father-in-law Peter died mid-March. They were the only immediate family my husband had left, so we were the ones left tying up all the loose ends and traveling from Maryland to Tennessee in a pandemic multiple times. Then our beloved dog Thunder passed away in November. Hopefully to finish off our year of bad news our sewer backed up and flooded our basement last month. But we all have our health, are able to work and school from home, and I'm full of hope for this spring that things will be better. Cheers!”
Phillip Ross contributed: “Greetings Class of 2003. I hope you are all safe and sound in the midst of this pandemic. I am excited to announce that my wife, Andrea, and I are expecting our first child. As a matter of fact, by the time this comes out, our little bundle of joy may be in the world already. We do not know if it is a boy or a girl yet, so I look forward to announcing that once the baby arrives. Other than that, I am still pastoring Primm Tabernacle AME Church in Seattle, although we are moving the physical location of the church and searching for a new home now. I am also working on my Masters in Divinity. Hope everyone is well.”
Justin Karpinos writes: “Ashley Rowatt Karpinos and Justin Karpinos are still in Nashville. We've both been very fortunate to be healthy and have stable professional lives over the past year. Our kids, 8 and 6, have been very lucky to have (mostly) in-person school this year. Justin just released an EP called The Smallest of Spheres and owes a huge debt of gratitude to Marc Lacuesta '95 for his guidance and technical wizardry along the way. We're both glad to be vaccinated and looking forward to the days when we can travel safely!”
Samantha Winslow has been spending the pandemic year in Milwaukee where she now lives and has been writing about labor and working as a union organizer. It has been exciting to connect back to current Kenyon students who are forming a union, and led the first ever undergrad strike, so student workers are paid fairly and have job protections. If you want to support current students’ efforts, sign up here www.kswoc.org.
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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 College
105 Chase Avenue, Gambier, OH 43022
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