Our Path Forward: The Campaign for Kenyon

Kenyon Class of 1971 Spring Class Letter
Dear Classmates of the Class of ’71,

As spring arrives, I cannot help but think of the especial magic that was this season at Kenyon. After all the rain and mud, false starts, and broken promises, we would awaken one morning and the hillsides were all golden with daffodils. Casements were flung open. Classes were outside under barely budding branches. Brandy, the addled Irish setter, was chasing Frisbees. There was yet another litter of calico kittens. Rumors of Spring Riot. Much courting and sparking. And music everywhere.

Meanwhile, back on the Hill this spring:
  
Kenyon is 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.
 
I know it was disappointing to see our in-person Reunion Weekend go virtual this year, but I'm looking forward to connecting with many of you at the events Kenyon has planned to bring the Hill to us virtually for this nontraditional reunion. So mark your calendars for May 16-29 and watch your mail for a special opportunity to win some Kenyon swag by joining in the fun! There will be events with professors, online social gatherings, a tour of Chalmers Library and more. 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.  Save the date for a fun chance to help Kenyon students today, earn 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 our beloved alma mater and its current students.
 
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. 

How I was looking forward to seeing everyone this spring back at Kenyon! But that was not to be. Let us all promise to stay well and meet NEXT Spring. In the meanwhile, we can catch glimpses of each other at our virtual reunion events.

Take care,
Belinda Bremner
 
P.S. Below are a few updates from our classmates.

Support current 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 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.

Make a Gift

Virtual Reunion Events
Connect with your classmates at these class-specific reunion events:
  • 1971 Virtual Class Dinner (following the Alumni Town Hall)
    7 p.m. ET Thursday, May 27
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 Thursday, May 27
Visit kenyon.edu/reunion to view our full virtual reunion schedule.

Reunion Committee Members

Your connection to campus

• Belinda Bremner
• Chris Finch
• Denzil Hollingsworth
• Jeff Oppenheim
• Mark Straley
• Norm Schmidt
• Phil Cass
• Tom Southworth
• Pete Holloway

Class of 1971 Spring Notes
GLENN FRITZ: After 2 covid vaccine shots I finally have immunity and am ready to tackle the next biohazard. Enough of lockdowns and restrictions - I'm ready to start living again. I hope all of you are, too. After a 1/2 century I hope they'll let us see each other in person. Go Lords!

ALAN JANOS: After surviving yet another Chicago winter, and receiving both of my vaccine inoculations, I was really looking forward to our 50th Reunion on the Hill. Alas, the best laid plans...

MARK JOHNSON: My wife, Nina, and I have mostly been staying put for the past year, going out only to grocery shop and for occasional “leg-stretching” walks.  I have taken advantage of these long, idle days to increase my reading of mostly fiction—John le Carre, David Foster Wallace (finally ploughed through Infinite Jest) and, most recently, Cixin Liu’s Epic Remembrance of Earth’s Past Hugo Award winning trilogy beginning with The Three-Body Problem. Monstrously long books for a monstrously long pandemic! Otherwise, we await the Johnson & Johnson vaccination and escape from this year-long time-tunnel trap…stay safe everyone and hope to see you all next year.

JACK KILLEN: I continue to be astonished at how little my last fifty years resembles what I imagined would unfold as we graduated in 1971. It seems I had a rather feeble imagination back then. Truth be told, overall it's been a fascinating and rewarding run. I'm trying to hold that lesson as retirement and aging continue to unfold. Pandemic life has sucked, of course, but also provided much time for work with three colleagues on a book looking at a spiritual conception of personality from a scientific perspective, long deep dives down the genealogy rabbit hole, and appreciating my life with husband (didn't see that coming 50 years ago!) Fred and our four cats here in Ft Lauderdale. I'm very sad we all won't be able to gather for our 50th in May, but plan to be there in 2022! Stay well. Get your vaccine.

HAROLD LEVY: I am enjoying my retirement in Bethesda, Maryland, after a 44-year career practicing affordable housing law in the government and private practice. Looking forward to lots of time at Jersey Shore this summer. Best wishes to all.

NORM SCHMIDT: I am looking forward to the northern border reopening so I can attend the Shawfest in Niagara-on-the-Lake. I enjoy the shows, the wineries and spending quality time standing near the head of the Falls and reveling in its magnificence. Attending a few Indians games is also on my to-do list. This will apparently be the last year they will have the "Indians" name - I am hoping for a name that reflects Cleveland being the forest city, perhaps the "Oaks". 

Being unable to gather for our 50th is saddening but the trifecta planned for spring 2022 should be great.

JIM “DUKE” SCHNEIDER:  Greetings to old friends from the class of 71. I am disappointed that we cannot meet again in person this year. I retired 3 years ago after 38 years of medical practice. Chris and I now spend our time golfing, hiking, fishing, reading and wrestling with our 8 grandchildren. We still live in northern Kentucky, and hope to be able to make it to the next reunion at Kenyon.

ROSS SCHRAM: I have spent the 50 years since graduating from Kenyon in Tennessee pursuing a law degree and then developing a commercial real estate law practice. Advances in technology (e.g. FedEx, emails, mobile phones, etc.) made it increasingly difficult to "get away" from the constant needs/demands of clients for more than a couple of days at a time. As a result, Hillary and I anxiously await my retirement next January. We are looking forward to discovering what opportunities for using our new "free time" will be opened to us.

BILL WILLIAMS: Bill Williams was named the 2020 Society for History in the Federal Government (SHFG) Roger Trask Award Winner. He presented, virtually (due to the pandemic), SHFGs annual Trask Lecture in October (the video is available at www.shfg.org/Trask-Lecture).

FLETCHER DuBOIS: sent along this lovely poem for all of us. 
Walking down the path
Like half a century ago
Do we still dare to ask
How we know what we know
Now listening for the sound of
The river that flows below
Memories from the mountain

We sometimes called magic
Somehow can glow being
Grateful for this past and
A place where we could and
Still can grow

And what am I, BELINDA BREMNER, up to? Looking forward to seeing the recently retired Chris Finch who will be in Chicago in early April. Looking forward as well to the summer when I’ll be back on stage in the production of The Tempest which was scuttled last year and will run from mid- July until the end of August. Oak Park Festival Theatre is the Midwest’s oldest, professional, outdoor, classical theatre. Please let me know if you want to see it.  

Look forward to seeing you all in Zoom and then in person.
Read notes from the Class of 1972 and the Class of 1970.
New this year! Read notes from faculty.
Support Kenyon
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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