Dear classmates and friends,

I was lucky enough to reunite with a few of you recently at Grayson Ponti’s wedding in Dallas—congratulations again by the way! Being there and seeing old friends reminded me of how far we have come in the few short years since we graduated. The lives we lived at Kenyon, and pre-pandemic, feel both distant and close. These moments of reunion and transition are beautiful to me because for a few days we get to exist in a space between these lives. We get to remember who we were, while celebrating who we have become together. Wherever you are on your journey post-Kenyon, I hope I get to see you on the Hill soon!

The people that constitute Kenyon are special. Over the last two years of the pandemic I have received consistent love and support from my community of Kenyonites. If anything, in navigating the waters of a two year pandemic I have learned the importance of staying connected to the people that make us feel whole. For all of those who have been this for me—thank you.

There are many ways in which Kenyon is also changing! You have likely seen the news from President Decatur this winter that, in response to calls from students, it is time to look beyond the “Lords and Ladies” and select a new moniker. Thanks to all of you who have submitted suggestions or other feedback for the process. We finalized this letter before the results were known, but you can visit kenyon.edu/moniker to learn the latest.

Last fall, Kenyon introduced the Kenyon Access Initiative, a five-year partnership with the Schuler Education Foundation to increase access to Kenyon for exceptional students with limited resources. The Kenyon community has enthusiastically responded by making more than 1,113 gifts to support this unique initiative, helping to create new scholarships that will be awarded to students we are enrolling now. 

As we look to the future, Kenyon is also committing to environmental stewardship in its operations, reducing investments in fossil fuels to less than 1% by 2030. This news and more was shared in Kenyon’s new quarterly Green Newsletter. If you don’t already receive it, I encourage you to sign up for it at bit.ly/Green-Kenyon.

This month will certainly be busy at Kenyon! More than 100 members of the Class of 2020 and their families have registered to attend their belated Commencement taking place on the Hill May 22. On May 26, the Classes of 1970, 1971 and 1972 will be kicking off Reunion Weekend a day early with special 50th Reunion programming. And then, as you know, many of us will be back on campus May 27-29 for what promises to be the biggest alumni gathering in the College’s history!

All of the excitement and achievement at Kenyon today can be traced, in part, back to our support. Kenyon relies on our gifts to the Kenyon Fund to support every aspect of students’ experience today, from seminars to scholarships. I hope you’ll join me in making a stretch gift this year in honor of our reunion. When we support Kenyon’s current and future students, we help make a Kenyon family like ours a possibility for many more.

Thank you and see you soon!
Seth Reichert

P.S. Scroll down to read notes from our classmates!