License to Dance

GAMBIER, Ohio (February 5, 2010) Spies like us are gearing up for the annual Philander's Phebruary Phling on Saturday, when students step into their finest James Bond-like attire and dance through the night.

One of Kenyon's most-anticipated events, Phling is an evening of class and fun, this year with a James Bond theme in Peirce Hall. From 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m., ladies in floor-length gowns and gentlemen in bow ties can jam with Kenyon bands, dance to deejay remixes, and play blackjack at Peirce's "Casino Royale."

Phling, affectionately named after Kenyon founder Philander Chase, is a traditional February bright spot. "It's one of the best parts of being at Kenyon," said sophomore Jess Goley of Waterloo, Illinois. Since the first Phling, in 1991, the event has adapted to the times. Kenyon students back in the day enjoyed relaxing in hot tubs outside Farr Hall, and today's juniors and seniors remember the Phlings of 2007 and 2008, when Peirce was undergoing renovations and the event was held on the chilly indoor track of the Kenyon Athletic Center. But, as Bond would say, "Live and let die."

The true image of Phling will always include Peirce Hall, perfectly decorated, with the stained-glass windows of the Great Hall lit from within and the stars shining and moon raking through the glass ceiling in the Atrium. "I love being part of this Kenyon tradition," said senior Andrea Fullerton of Fairfax, Virginia.

Phlings are forever, and this Saturday promises to be a night to remember.

By Ellie Norton '10 of Cullowhee, North Carolina