New Horizons

GAMBIER, Ohio (July 16, 2007) Kenyon students have three months between every school year to build experiences, make connections, and pursue their interests in the world beyond Gambier. Some take on the "dog beat" for their hometown newspaper or apply microeconomics studies to alleviate poverty in their neighborhood; others research phenomena as distant as black holes; still others expand their sense of community by taking on international jobs, political campaigns, or humanitarian issues. They will all bring something new back to the Hill in August. Here's a small sampling of what Kenyon students are getting up to this summer:

Jenny Howard, a junior with a double major in biology and international studies and a concentration in environmental studies, is conducting a geological survey for a branch of Maine's Department of Conservation.
Marc Christian, senior political science major and Lords swimmer, works for his U.S. Congressman, Jim McGovern, on a project issued by the Library of Congress. Christian interviews WWII veterans to capture their story and experiences during the war. Additionally, he is studying for the LSAT and swimming.
Elizabeth Peckham, a junior, divides her time between the Cultural Affairs section and the Fulbright Commission of the U.S. Embassy in Rome. A history major with a minor in Italian, Peckham spent the spring semester studying abroad in Rome and decided to find employment there for the summer.
Senior Elena Fernandez, a biology major with a minor in history, is doing research on crab metabolism in Juneau, Alaska, through an NSF-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) internship award. When not working, she gets to hike, fish, camp, sea-kayak, and watch for whales, eagles, and sea lions.
Robert Kunzig, a junior English major with a minor in art history, writes for The Cape Gazette, a biweekly local newspaper. He also works on dolphin cruise boats "for some spare scratch."
Rachel Oppenheimer, a sophomore, is an intern for the Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS) of New Haven, Connecticut. NHS is a non-profit, neighborhood-based housing rehabilitation program that focuses on affordable housing development. In addition to grant-writing, Oppenheimer is developing a curriculum for NHS's Home Improvement and Energy Conservation Laboratory, a program to be launched in early 2008.
Katie Woods, a junior math and music double major, assists three high schools with their summer music programs. She writes drill, directs rehearsals, instructs the brass sections, and helps the band director write and arrange music.
LaDean Colley, a junior chemistry major, is completing an NSF-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at Cornell University. His advisor works with "green composites," seeking to replace traditional plastics and materials with environmentally friendly, biodegradable, renewable materials. Colley also markets skateboards made from these materials.
Jordan Pedersen, a junior political science major, is working in presidential hopeful Barack Obama's Senate office.
Rachel Dickinson, a senior, has a publishing internship at In These Times magazine in Chicago. In addition to writing articles there, she may also write for the Chicago Reader.
Kasey Kelly, a sophomore, is completing an REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) project by mapping light null geodiscs around a Kerr-Newton black hole using computer simulation. She is also serving jury duty and taking a two-week trip to visit friends and experience carillon performances in Europe.
Three Kenyon students, junior Christopher Kerr and seniors David Driscoll and Alex Kerr, are working on a marketing project for a museum systems software company. They are redeveloping a strategy to determine ways that museums can more effectively present their collections to the public through Web-based materials and other technology. Both Kerrs (no relation) study art history at Kenyon, while Driscoll majors in history.
Laura Spiegler, a sophomore, is working at a Cleveland-area day camp for children with physical and developmental special needs, helping the campers with activities from archery and cooking to arts and crafts and swimming.
Prabhat Gautam, a junior majoring in economics and international studies, is employed by the Poverty Alleviation Fund, a World Bank project, in his hometown of Kathmandu, Nepal. He's conducting research in remote districts of Nepal about grassroots poverty-amelioration development models that emphasize social inclusion.
As an intern at the March of Dimes' National Capital Area Chapter, Arianna Herman, a junior psychology major, attends conferences, organizes educational programs, and shadows professionals and experts in the fields of public health, neonatology, and non-profit fundraising. A member of Kenyon's Ballroom Dance Club, Herman is also organizing a ballroom dance event in D.C. as a fundraiser to support March of Dimes research.

--Lauren C. Ostberg '07