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Special Events and Programs

Family Weekend 2011

Family Weekend is filled with special events, including the lectures, plays, musical performances, and receptions highlighted below. We also encourage you to check the complete Family Weekend schedule.

Find out what services and resources are available to Kenyon students through the Career Development Office. It's never too early! The presentation will be held on Saturday morning from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. in Olin Auditorium.

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Joan Slonczewski

Professor of Biology Joan Slonczewski will present "Biology in Science Fiction at Kenyon: Is it for Real?" on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. in Higley Auditorium in Higley Hall

Dorothy WickendenNew Yorker Executive Editor Dorothy Wickenden P '10,'14 will present "Teach for America, Frontier Style," On Saturday at 9:30 a.m in the Gund Gallery Theater. She will discuss Nothing Daunted, her book about two society girls who became Colorado schoolteachers in 1916.


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We invite you to join President S. Georgia Nugent, Provost Nayef Samhat, and members of the faculty for a ­reception in the Multi-Activity Court in the Kenyon Athletic Center on Friday from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.

The faculty will be in groups, as follows:

  • Fine Arts (Art History and Studio Art, Dance and Drama, Film, Music)
  • Humanities (Classics, English, Modern Languages and Literatures, Philosophy, Religious Studies)
  • Natural Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, Psychology)
  • Social Sciences (Anthropology, Economics, History, Political Science, Sociology)
  • Interdisciplinary Programs (African Diaspora Studies, American Studies, Asian Studies, Biochemistry, Environmental Studies, Integrated Program in Humane ­Studies, International Studies, Law and Society, Molecular ­Biology, Neuroscience, Public Policy, Scientific Computing, Women's and Gender Studies)

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The weekend's musical performances will include a Friday night concert by the Kokosingers, an all-male a cappella group, at 7:00 p.m. in Rosse Hall.

On Saturday afternoon, at 2:00 p.m., the Kenyon Symphonic Wind Ensemble will offer their fall concert. The cabaret concert on Saturday night will feature many of the College's singing groups, each performing several songs. This concert will begin at 8:00 p.m. in Rosse Hall. The student band extravaganza, sponsored by the Social Board begins at 9:00 p.m. on Saturday in Horn Gallery.

While tickets are not required for these performances, they often attract large crowds, so plan to arrive early.

We apologize for any scheduling conflicts, but they are difficult to avoid when there are so many quality student programs.

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Do you have a son or daughter interested in off-campus studies? Come talk with returning off-campus-studies students and Marne Ausec, director of the Center for Global Engagement, on Saturday afternoon from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. in Brandi Recital Hall.

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The fall sports teams participating in home contests are listed in the schedule of events. The scheduling of dates by the Athletic Department is completed as much as three years in advance in some cases, and we regret that all of Kenyon's sports teams cannot be on campus during the weekend.

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The Kenyon College Dramatic Club (KCDC) will present Spunk: Three Tales, by Zora Neale Hurston, adapted by George C. Wolfe. Thomas S. Turgeon Professor of Drama Jonathan Tazewell '84 will direct this production.. Tickets are available through the Bolton Theater Box Office, 740-427-5546, beginning Monday, October 10, or you may purchase tickets at the door if the performance is not sold out.

Because performances often sell out, advance reservation of tickets is recommended.

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In the tradition of New England town meetings, families are invited to join President S. Georgia Nugent and members of the senior administration in Higley Auditorium in Higley Hall on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. for a discussion about the College. President Nugent will begin with a brief address, which will be followed by a question-and-answer period.


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Other Activities, Events, and Attractions

Kokosing Gap Trail.
We encourage you to take a walk or jog down this fourteen-mile trail, which follows the old railroad route from Gambier west to Mount Vernon and from Gambier east to Danville. This scenic trail, located at the bottom of the College hill, just beyond the Kenyon Athletic Center, is a popular place for enjoying the countryside.

Open classes.
You are encouraged to attend classes with your student or on your own on Friday. Please check the schedule at the registration center to avoid classes offering exams or without additional seating.


Brown Family Environmental Center,Fall Harvest Festival,
Saturday, ­October 15.
Enjoy the best that the BFEC has to offer! Celebrate the season with this free event featuring activities for the whole family, including pumpkin decorating with recycled materials, horse-drawn wagon rides, live music, kid's harvest games, cider press, bonfire, and "People's Choice" voting on our annual nature photography contest. Please see the flyer in the registration center for more details. Hours are listed in the schedule of events.

Religious services.
Episcopal, Catholic, and Jewish services are offered regularly on campus. Episcopal and Methodist churches are located in Gambier. Churches for those and several other denominations including Catholic are located in Mount ­Vernon. Please see the flyer in the registration center for more details.

Kenyon Athletic Center.
Hours for Family Weekend:
Friday: 6:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.
Saturday: 9:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.
Sunday: 9:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.

Kenyon Athletic Center pool. Hours for Family Weekend:

Friday: 6:30 a.m.-8:30 a.m. and 12:15-9:00 p.m.
Saturday: 2:00-6:00 p.m.
Sunday: 2:00-6:00 p.m.

Important pool notes:
• The hot tub will not be open when only one guard is on duty (notably during swim team practice).
• The high diving board is not open to the public.
• The low diving board is open at the discretion of the guards and only if two guards are on duty.
• Minimal space is available for lap swimming during the hours of 6:30-8:30 a.m. and 4:00-6:30 p.m. Ask the lifeguard for designated swim lanes.
• Absolutely no swimming unless a lifeguard is present and on duty


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