Hello classmates in the Class of 1973.  

49!

These be remarkable times, yes?  The varied disciplines and domains of our Kenyon education (from Political Science to Mathematics to Theater) are changing wildly and at such a pace as to make our heads spin.   Knowledge has increased so incredibly much in the last half century (since Shirley Chisolm sent us off into the world beyond Gambier).  With such advances, why do we feel so disenchanted with the condition of our country and the world today?  Shouldn’t we have expected that the progress in knowledge (to which we have contributed) would have led us to a better place?  My most recent position before my retirement last January was to direct a science of learning center and to serve as the Program Director for a PhD in Educational Neuroscience program. We emphasized to our students that the tools of a discipline (and especially Neuroscience) do not guarantee their application to the improvement of life.  Indeed, the more the gains in knowledge have benefited humankind, the more they have also had the potential for harm.  Think of Gregor Mendel (the father of genetics) growing peas in his monastery gardens and observing and describing the plants’ traits and their heritability in the 19th century.  Then think of the rise in Eugenics.  Then think of the persistence of white supremacy.  Think also of the Internet and its potential for both good and harm. 

What’s often overlooked in higher education disciplinary training is insufficient attention to the potential for harm that knowledge can have.  The Hippocratic Oath should not be limited to medical doctors and biological scientists. The infusion of a “do no harm” disposition into the college’s mission–very broadly defined to include harm to ones classmates, to their campuses, to their colleagues, to their future clients and associates, to their discipline, and to their planet-- is one of the features of a Kenyon education that makes Kenyon a great institution, and a primary reason that I donate to the College, year after year.   This demanding layer of ethics, moral education, and community embedded into the very mission of Kenyon ensures the graduation of individuals who will contribute to the benefit of our world and not to its demise. 

I have recently carefully read the newly published strategic plan, Foundations for Kenyon’s Third Century (kenyon.edu/files/resources/foundations-for-kenyons-third-century.pdf).  I encourage you all to read it.  It paints a very exciting picture of our beloved college as it approaches its bicentennial in 2024.  Academic programs are evolving to include more programs responsive the changing labor markets; the student body is increasing in size;  
opportunities for students from lower social economic backgrounds will be greatly increased; recruitment will be more responsive to changing national demographics; retaining and graduating a student body that is representative of the talent and diversity of our nation and the world; the college’s commitment to the environment  and to the development of environmental literacy will be expanded; a new model of health and wellness appropriate to respond to growing emotional and mental health concerns among students will be implemented;  international experiences will be made integral to the education of all students. Truly, this is a wonderful plan.

I understand from the Kenyon Office of Advancement that the campus is alive this fall with students and faculty so happy to be back on campus with students from all four years, and not staggered as they were last year to ensure social distancing in the dorms and classrooms. And what a campus they have returned to!  The new Chalmers Library, complete with “a disco ball-esque” skylight feature (?????) is open for business!  A cohort of first-year students is completing a semester in Copenhagen.  Plans are taking shape for an unforgettable Reunion 2022 on the Hill. (Mark your calendar for the weekend of May 27.) We all remember how beautiful Gambier is in the fall – the trees with brightly colored leaves that fall to cover the campus and crunch under our feet as we mosey lazily down Middle Path.    I dare anyone to listen to Van Morrison’s Moondance (1970) and not be a little homesick for those Fall Gambier romances.  

You have also likely heard the announcement of the Kenyon Access Initiative which will bring more high-achieving students to Kenyon thanks to a $25 million matching grant from the Schuler Education Foundation. Any amount we give through this Kenyon Access Initiative will be matched 1:1 and will go to a new scholarship for students from families with limited means and those ineligible for government aid — up to $25 million.

I could go on for pages about Kenyon news, but lucky for you, I don’t have to. Scroll on to learn more about Kenyon’s strategic plan and the Kenyon Access Initiative (and how they fit into our 2024 bicentennial celebration).

Finally, I wanted to provide some information about our own 50th reunion celebration which is GOING ON NOW! And will culminate with an on-campus blast from Thursday afternoon, May 25th to Sunday May 28th, 2023.   A team of your classmates, along with the wonderful Kenyon Advancement staff are busily making plans for this two-year event comprised of both virtual and face-to-face events in Gambier and at various regional locations. (Will you host one? Hint, Hint). 

The 50th reunion at Kenyon has always been a treasured event for alumni, allowing classmates to reconnect with one another and the College, and come together to leave a lasting class legacy through giving.

To elevate this milestone, Kenyon has introduced a new 50th Reunion Program, directed by Shayna Daubert. The program, which was created with the input of an alumni steering committee, expands the reunion beyond one wonderful weekend to a series of opportunities over a preceding three-year period.  Historically, the 50th reunion also has been a time that alumni choose to mark by giving at a level that is personally meaningful to them. Kenyon is fortunate that many choose to increase their philanthropy and others create new habits of support. The new program emphasizes a variety of giving options (including estate commitments) that can be tailored to your personal priorities and circumstances.

Volunteers Needed!

Kenyon 50th Reunions are planned by a volunteer committee of 15-40 alumni and Kenyon staff from the Advancement Division. Planning begins three years ahead of each Reunion, with much of the planning activity in the 18 months leading up to Reunion (that would be starting now!). Our Class of 1973 committee is led by Reunion Leaders and classmates (Jack Au and Marci Barr Abbot) who work with the chairs of the three subcommittees: Communication & Engagement (Tom Stamp and Julie Miller Vick), Reunion Weekend Social (Jan Stein Guifarro and Peggy Goodman) and Fundraising & Participation (Ulysses Hammond).  Each committee will have an additional 2-5 people helping with communication and events coordination.  Please note we are still in need of volunteers to work on these committees. If you have an interest in serving on a committee (or if your arm might be twistable), contact Jack (jaukenyon@optonline.net), Marci (mbabbot2@aol.com) or Shayna Daubert (dauberts@kenyon.edu) in the Advancement Office for additional information (and hopefully persuasion).     

Throughout the coming months, you’ll be hearing from the committee about upcoming class events.   Most importantly, save the dates now for our 50th Reunion: Thursday afternoon, May 25, into Sunday, May 28, 2023.  

And now, please: get out your checkbook, and your old Van Morrison Records (Spotify will do).  Make a generous gift to the Kenyon Fund, and, if you can, also to the Schuler Foundation Kenyon Access Initiative matching grant.  Think like I do.  Your gift is not merely to a beautiful elite campus in the rolling hills of Ohio.  It is for the benefit of the many students who will make good on the promise of the knowledge they will receive (both in class and out), and thus each dollar you give will have, as its return for your investment, an improved world. 

See you in Gambier in May of 2023, and sooner, virtually.

Stay safe!
Tom Allen

P.S. Is Kenyon already in your will? Let the College know about your planned giving by emailing daleiden1@kenyon.edu.