Calculus may not change your life, but a good calculus course can change the way you feel about math. That, in any case, is what happened to Shawn Gulati, Class of 2008, who came to Kenyon as a very reluctant mathematician but saw the light--or, anyway, the fascination and fun--during the spring semester of his freshman year, in Calculus B.

The key was camaraderie. He and his classmates often stayed behind after the evening class to chat with Brian Jones, their professor. "He'd sometimes hang out with us until midnight, often ordering pizza with us," says Gulati. "During the semester, we ran up over 20 pizza orders. The delivery guy knew our names."

Between slices, Gulati found himself developing an appetite for math. Sometimes, he and other members of the class would seek out Jones to talk about all manner of matters mathematical. "We wouldn't necessarily have calculus questions," Gulati notes. "We just spoke about math topics that were fascinating."

His enthusiasm extended even to the challenging, three-hour final exam. "That was the best test I've ever taken," he says. "It was epic. It was every emotion I've ever felt in my life, in one sitting."

Gulati is used to challenges. The New City, New York, resident plans to pursue a pre-med program and has volunteered for three summers in two different hospitals. He is thinking about a major in biochemistry and molecular biology, or perhaps--yes, it's true--mathematics.

Meanwhile, he spends a good deal of time in Kenyon's science quad, where linked buildings allow for interchange among scientific disciplines, and where spacious labs and classrooms are supplemented by student lounges. The aim is to foster collaborative relationships among students and professors--and even, it seems, with the pizza man.