Kenyon in the News 2009

The Associated Press updated the political status of Leopoldo Lopez '93 in Venezuela, where Lopez remains a prominent rival to the administration of President Hugo Chavez. Lopez, a former mayor of Chacao, is developing a following and recruiting candidates in opposition to Chavez. "What we want is to build a new majority from the bottom up, not just through negotiations and agreements between elites," Lopez said. The story was published on December 26, 2009, by the Worcester (Massachusetts) Telegram and later in the Chicago Tribune, Topeka (Kansas) Capital-Journal, and the Washington Times.

The Oregonian of Portland, Oregon, on December 26, 2009, profiled Peyton Chapman '88, "the lightning-rod principal" at Lincoln High School, an "academic powerhouse" beset by controversies. "It's been hard, stressful," Chapman said. "Ethically, I don't think I could do it any different." The head basketball coach was convicted of drunken driving and was retained; the head football coach was fired by the district after an incident with police; the head baseball coach quit after a strip-club incident; and the cheerleading squad disbanded after Chapman decided to keep a student on the squad against the wishes of the coaches. "Chapman's philosophy is to make the tough call," the newspaper said.

The Pioneer Press of St. Paul, Minnesota, published a story about the rising popularity of cremation in that state on December 26 with comments from David Harrington, Robert J. Himmelright Professor of Economics. Harrington said the biggest factor that determines the choice of burial over cremation is death in the same area as birth because the presence of family plots tends to encourage traditional burial. The rise of cremation rates in the U.S. is tied to greater mobility, he said.

The science fiction work of Joan Slonczewski, professor of biology, was mentioned as an intelligent alternative to the film Avatar in a critique of the film posted on December 24, 2009, at www.huffingtonpost.com. Writer Athena Andreadis said, "If you want to see a linked, communing ecosphere done right, read Joan Slonczewski's A Door into Ocean."

U.S. Rep. Zack Space '83 objected to the Congress trying to pass legislation to force a playoff to determine a national college football champion at the Division I level. In a story published on December 14, 2009, Space, an Ohio Democrat, told the Zanesville (Ohio) Times Recorder that any focus on the sports issue sends "the wrong message."

The Times-News of Twins Falls, Idaho, reported that Michael Machala '09 attended the United Nations climate-change conference in Denmark in December. Machala was in Germany working on the development of low-cost organic solar cells thanks to a Transatlantic Renewable Energy Fellowship, the newspaper said on December 11, 2009. Machala's interest in renewable energy was nurtured at Kenyon, the newspaper said. He predicted a "world-wide energy revolution," and added, "The longer we wait to act, the higher in price and lower in supply fossil fuels will become."

Professor Emeritus of Art Martin Garhart was featured on December 9, 2009, at www.wyomingarts.com when his work was displayed as part of an exhibition in the ArtSpace Galleries in Jackson, Wyoming. "I am a storyteller," the painter and printmaker said. "My art work is about life as it occurs through human intellect, experience, and the disquietude of the soul."

A story about how Americans increasingly mix religious traditions to suit themselves was posted on December 21, 2009, at www.crosswalk.com and at www.kfax.com on December 23 and included comments by Ennis Edmonds, associate professor of religious studies. "People are disillusioned by what they call 'organized religion.' There are these rules and structure they have to deal with. But ... people still have a need to be religious," he said.

Coffee-shop owner Tim Holmes '88 of San Leandro, California, was featured in a story in the Oakland (California) Tribune on December 23, 2009. The independent coffee shop, Zocalo Coffeehouse, was described as a "hometown hotspot" and spotlighted because of an effort by Holmes to raise money for the Davis Street Family Resource Center. Holmes said he gave up a career in marketing to pursue his own business. "I'm selling a different thing here than just coffee," he said. "Revolutions are started at coffee shops."

A middle-school appearance by author Doug Wilhelm '74 attracted the Stamford (Connecticut) Times on December 22, 2009. Wilhelm, of Middlebury, Vermont, wrote The Revealers, which addresses bullying, and visits schools to discuss the issue. "I was terrified to come to school for weeks," Wilhelm said, describing his own life as a young student after he was punched by a bully. "I was often told I was annoying. I was awkward." Wilhelm came into his own in an English class, where his love of reading gave him confidence. "I want you to think about how to see and treat people who are different from you," he told the students.

The Saipan Tribune of Garapan, Saipan, on December 18, 2009, reported that P.F. Kluge, writer in residence, will run a book discussion program hosted by the Northern Mariana Islands Council for the Humanities in January and February.

A fashion feature on Philippine television host Christine Jacob-Sandejas '89 noted her swimming success in Asia and at Kenyon in a story published on December 14, 2009, in the Philippine Daily Inquirer in Makati City. "There is more to Christine Jacob-Sandejas than her head-turning looks," the story said.

Swimming coach Jim Steen and the Lords and Ladies teams were the focus of a report on the National Public Radio program Only A Game, which originates at WBUR in Boston, on November 12, 2009. The Lords consecutive streak of thirty national championships was described as "the most impressive title run of all." Steen said that when he arrived at Kenyon he expected to eventually move on to bigger programs, but, "We were successful here, and I discovered that Kenyon is the big time." Denison coach Gregg Parini '82 said, "Jim has been absolutely relentless. He embraces excellence in the classroom as well as in the pool."

Storyteller Martin Dockery '90 was part of a story posted on December 3, 2009, at www.broadwayworld.com. Dockery played a part in the terraNOVA Collective's monthly "Subterranean" performance party in New York City. The event included magic, music, short play readings, and vaudeville acts. Dockery is a seven-time finalist in the bi-annual Grandslam Storytelling Championship staged at The Moth, a New York City storytelling venue.

The Newark (Ohio) Advocate caught up with William Hollister, who enrolled at Kenyon in 1833, in a history piece published on November 19, 2009. Hollister moved to California, where he became a farmer, landholder, and namesake for Hollister, California. Hollister Co., the clothing line, was named after the city.

The Mansfield (Ohio) News Journal, on November 27, 2009, reported that Howard Sacks, professor of sociology and director of the Rural Life Center, received the Indigenous Leadership Award from the Ohio Department of Agriculture for his work in the fields of local foods and sustainability. Sacks, a member of the Ohio Food Policy Advisory Council, founded Kenyon's Food for Thought program.

A column in the November 29, 2009, edition of the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch recounted the story of the door that opened into the first Ohio home of Kenyon founder Philander Chase. The door has now found its way to Kenyon. Bishop Chase built his home in 1817 in what is now Worthington, Ohio. The house was razed in 1967, but the door was sold at auction and was placed inside a Columbus home. Remodelers discovered it and gave it to the College. The first Kenyon students "would have passed in and out of this door," said Tom Stamp, College historian.

A front-page story in the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch, on November 23, 2009, about private-college capital campaigns in a difficult economy, cast Kenyon in a positive light. President S. Georgia Nugent and Sarah Kahrl, vice president for college relations, were quoted in the story, which noted that Kenyon has achieved more than two-thirds of its $230 million goal "at a time when many other schools are scrambling."

Richard Munkelt '78, professor of philosophy at Fairfield University, participated in a question-and-answer feature called "When I Was 20" with the Fairfield Mirror, the student newspaper for the Fairfield, Connecticut, college, on November 18, 2009. Asked for one word to describe his experience at Kenyon, Munkelt said, "Out-of-control." Did he have a fake ID? "No, but I had a draft card." And lesson learned? "Self control."

The November 18, 2009, issue of Forbes listed Kenyon as No. 3 on its list of best colleges in the Midwest.

A story about international students and study-abroad programs at Ohio colleges, published on November 17, 2009, in the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch, noted that Kenyon has been recognized for its success in sending students abroad for full academic years. "Just like being a freshman, it can take a semester just to learn the ropes," said Marne Ausec, director of the Center for Global Engagement. The story was based on the annual report of the Institute of International Education.

The enduring cultural influence of Charles Dickens was discussed by David Lynn '76, editor of the Kenyon Review and professor of English, in a story in the Plain Dealer of Cleveland, Ohio, on November 14, 2009. "He tells a great story," Lynn said. "Dickens does the basic thing that all novelists set out to do: he creates vivid, memorable characters and places them in a powerfully dramatic situation - with very high stakes."

Kenyon soccer All-American David Barclay '72 was mentioned in an Associated Press story about his son, Devin Barclay. Devin, a former professional soccer player, attracted national attention as a back-up kicker for the Ohio State University football team. Devin was pressed into action, and kicked a game-winning field goal against Iowa, when Ohio State's regular kicker suffered a season-ending injury. The story was published by the Chicago Tribune and Dayton (Ohio) Daily News on November 14, 2009.

Shaka Smart '99 was in the spotlight in a season-preview story in the November 13, 2009, edition of the Richmond (Virginia) Times-Dispatch about the Virginia Commonwealth University men's basketball team. Smart, who played basketball at Kenyon, is the Virginia Commonwealth head coach. "This will be a challenge for me on a daily basis," Smart said. "The great thing is, we're not afraid to work for it." One of Smart's players said, "We all know he's so knowledgeable about things other than basketball. And he's so basketball smart."

Kenyon was mentioned in a profile of the Weather Vane store in Gambier published on November 12, 2009, in the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch. Longtime store owner Jean Wyatt said she started her clothing store partly because "Kenyon had just opened up to women."

Howard Sacks, professor of sociology and director of the Rural Life Center, was quoted in a November 11, 2009, story about an Ohio State University analysis of the Knox County food system and its economic impact. Ohiofarmer.com posted the story and it was later posted at www.farmanddairy.com and www.usagnet.com. "This gives us a much more focused sense of where we have the most opportunities for strengthening the local food system," Sacks said. "We can go back to growers, planners, and the general public with specific information on the benefits of branding, infrastructure-building, and local production."

Jennifer Delahunty, dean of admissions and financial aid, was interviewed for a November 11, 2009, National Public Radio All Things Considered report on a U.S. Commission on Civil Rights inquiry into possible discrimination by liberal arts colleges against female applicants. Delahunty wrote a column published in 2006 by the New York Times that brought attention to the issue. In the interview, Delahunty said there is no evidence of policy-based discrimination. "I don't see anybody who has a policy that says we're going to choose less-qualified boys or more-qualified girls," she told reporter Claudio Sanchez. "I wonder if they are barking up the wrong tree with this investigation."

"I never wrote a book that didn't write itself," E.L. Doctorow '52 said during a talk in Las Vegas that was covered by Living-Las-Vegas.com on November 11, 2009. He was the keynote speaker at the Vegas Valley Book Festival. Doctorow "immersed himself in cerebral and analytical pursuits at Kenyon College," the story said.

Kenyon was included on a list of twenty-five colleges outside the Ivy League that offer "high-grade education" in the United States, according to a story posted on November 11, 2009, at the Chinese Web site stepchina.com. Listed as No. 9, Kenyon was described as "first class" and Gambier as "beautiful as a painting." The Kenyon Athletic Center is "a luminescent spot."

Singer Ty Stone (aka Ryan Van Over '98) was featured in the Real Detroit (Michigan) Weekly on November 10, 2009. Described as one of Detroit's rising stars, Stone brings "country swagger and pop sensibilities" to performances with his band, Ty Stone & The Truth. The story noted that Stone began writing country and rock songs while he was at Kenyon and preparing for law school. Now he is "living the dream" after a boost from Kid Rock.

The Daily Beast Web site provided its top ten college-admissions tips on November 8, 2009, including No. 9, from Jennifer Delahunty, dean of admissions and financial aid. Under the headline "Don't Put Too Much Stock in Brand Names," Delahunty said, "Apply to colleges that you love, not because of their names or rankings or locations, but because they promote the learning and living culture that will challenge you, change you, delight you, and ultimately let you become yourself fully."

Indie-rock band Le Loup and its front man and songwriter, Sam Simkoff '06, make "the music of the smart, geeky music crowd," according to a story published on November 6, 2009, in the Washington Post. The band was on tour in support of its second album when Simkoff was interviewed. "We haven't been around long enough to make that sustainable as a full-time career," he said. "I feel like I have to be a productive member of society." The story was also published in the Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) Post-Gazette.

The Herald News of Fall River, Massachusetts, wrote about artist Bryson Dean '75 on November 5, 2009. Dean, adjunct professor at the New England Institute of Technology and the Rhode Island School of Design, has used the circle as a take-off point for her art with a spiritual feeling. "I like bright, psychedelic colors," she said.

Metal sculptor Ericka Strecker '90 was profiled in the November 5, 2009, edition of Business Lexington in Kentucky. She is a partner in Higdon-Strecker Studio and has been a full-time artist for twelve years. A breakthrough was a commission for a 50-foot-tall, stainless-steel, "head-turning" piece ("Nexus") installed in front of the Transportation Cabinet building in Frankfort, Kentucky, the story said. "When you start building something that large and complicated, you have to have your act together," she said.

Reports about a U.S. Commission on Civil Rights inquiry into possible discrimination by liberal arts colleges against female applicants mention a column by Jennifer Delahunty, dean of admissions and financial aid, published in 2006 by the New York Times. On November 2, 2009, the online journal Inside Higher Ed said the column "brought the issue national attention, leading to considerable discussion about the ethics of favoring male applicants." A blog on CBS MoneyWatch.com also referred to the column, on November 3.

Staged readings of portions of ancient Greek dramas Ajax and Philoctetes by Sophocles are used in the Theater of War Productions created by Brian Doerries '98 to ease the suffering of American military veterans coping with post-traumatic stress disorder. The project was selected by the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury for 100 performances before military audiences around the country. The Daily Press of Norfolk, Virginia, interviewed Doerries for a story published on October 31, 2009, when the project arrived for a show at the Warrior Resilience Conference. He said his message to combat veterans is, "You are not alone in this room, in this country, and across time."

Gardens created by Bill Adams '70 at the Pueblo Nature and Raptor Center in Pueblo, Colorado, attracted the attention of the Pueblo Chieftain on October 26, 2009. A former banker and the owner of Sunscape Rare Plant Nursery, Adams calls himself a rock gardener because he uses gravel and stone to accent "water-wise" gardens that include grasses, sunflowers and "delicate greenery." Adams told the newspaper, "Rock gardeners tend to be plant nuts. We like to grow a lot of little plants." He is part of a prominent Colorado political family that has included a U.S. senator and a governor.

Joan Slonczewski, professor of biology, was featured in the October 20, 2009, edition of the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch in a story about her course Biology in Science Fiction. The author of six science-fiction novels and the co-author of the textbook Microbiology: An Evolving Science, Slonczewski told the newspaper, "Many Kenyon students will be leaders in society, and they're going to have to make decisions about human cloning, global warming, and stem-cell research. I want my students to understand how human issues in society are informed by biology." The story opened this way: "Cool classes aren't novel at Kenyon College, a top-ranked liberal arts school known for producing presidents and poets." Slonczewski's course was also mentioned on the science-fiction Web site io9.com, which described her as "one of science fiction's greatest biologists."

The online magazine Slate listed 80 people who had significant achievements over the age 80 in a story posted on October 20, 2009. Paul Newman '49 made the list by winning Emmy and Golden Globe awards for his acting in the 2006 HBO miniseries Empire Falls and for donating $10 million for scholarship in 2007.

A list of colleges with the highest total annual cost placed Kenyon ($47,070) at No. 96 and was posted at www.campusgrotto.com on October 20, 2009.

The selection of a woman president, Kathy Krendl, at Otterbein College brought a mention of President S. Georgia Nugent into a story posted on October 19, 2009, at www.10tv.com.

A New Yorker blog posted on October 15, 2009, caught up with Laura Hillenbrand '89, the author of Seabiscuit who wrote a 2003 essay published in the magazine about her struggle with chronic fatigue syndrome. Recent research links the disease to a possibly contagious retrovirus, which is encouraging to Hillenbrand. She told the magazine that she suffered a "catastrophic relapse" in 2007. Hillenbrand is writing her second book, a biography of 1936 Olympic runner and World War II prisoner-of-war Louis Zamperini. "It's been tremendously difficult to find the strength to write, and a big part of this relapse has been a return of vertigo," she said. "I will finish it!"

Kenyon was on a short list of schools considered "great colleges for dance" posted on Suite101.com on October 16, 2009. Students learn methods of ballet, jazz, modern, and tap and explore choreography. The program allows students to "exercise their creativity and learning."

Ohio became the first state to launch an iTunes U site, in February 2009, and the first to top a million downloaded educational clips, according to an October 7 story in the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch. Kenyon was mentioned as one of forty groups that have produced more than 2,200 digital clips. The story was also posted at http://www.individual.com.

Retired cartoonist Bill Watterson '80, H '90 was the subject of an October 4, 2009, column in the News Herald of Willoughby, Ohio, in the context of a new book (Looking for Calvin and Hobbes by Nevin Martell) about the artist, who apparently lives in a Cleveland suburb. The column compared Watterson to the author J.D. Salinger in their mutual aversion to public attention and noted that the artist's last public appearance was his 1990 commencement address at Kenyon.

Legislation proposed in France would require a health warning attached to published photos of models that have been retouched to make them appear thinner. A blog at www.takepart.com, posted on October 2, 2009, quoted Michael Levine, professor of psychology, who said the labels could be effective if they are easy to understand and accompanied by a public-information campaign. "It is more important to mount a systematic campaign to call attention to and change the major health issues that this manipulation affects," he said.

The New York Times published an essay on copyright law by Lewis Hyde, Richard L. Thomas Professor of Creative Writing, on October 1, 2009. The essay was sparked by a federal court battle between Google and authors and publishers upset by Google's decision to make digital copies of millions of books still in copyright. Hyde focused on what he called "orphan works," millions of books in long-term copyright by authors who cannot be found. A proposed settlement deal would give Google the rights to commercialize the "orphan" books with some of the profits from unclaimed books set aside for writers and publishers involved in the lawsuit. Such a settlement, Hyde said, ignores the rights of the public. "They will effectively belong only to Google and the other settling parties," he said, and that grants them "a private monopoly in digital books."

The October 2009 issue of National Geographic Traveler focuses on "50 Places of a Lifetime," but adds a last-page 51st called "The Ocean," a piece by Writer-in-Residence P.F. Kluge. "The ocean puts you on the edge of infinity and eternity," he wrote. "Every ocean voyage offers an excitement that's both ancient and childlike."

The October 2009 issue of Ohio Magazine includes comments by Writer-in-Residence P.F. Kluge in a story about the Ohioana Library Association and its annual writing awards. Kluge earned the book award for fiction for his 2008 novel Gone Tomorrow. "There's no denying there's a lot of me in (main character) Canaris," Kluge said. "But I'm still alive and writing." The award was reported in the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch on September 20.

Fashion-industry models were alarmingly thin during the fall Fashion Week in New York City this year, according to a story in USA Today published on September 26, 2009. The story included comments from Sarah Murnen, professor of psychology, and details from her research on body image. "The promotion of the thin, sexy ideal in our culture has created a situation where the majority of girls and women don't like their bodies," Murnen said. Body dissatisfaction can lead to unhealthy behavior, she said.

A story posted on September 25, 2009 on the Student Press Law Center Web site (www.splc.org) examined a Kenyon policy that limits the access of student journalists to the Board of Trustees. Collegian editor Sarah Queller '11 of Westfield, N.J., questioned the rule, which asks student journalists to communicate with the trustees through the office of College President S. Georgia Nugent. "They can deny comment, but we still have the right to call them," Queller said. Shawn Presley, director of public affairs, said Nugent is willing to convey questions to the trustees "as long as the subject matter was appropriate, as long as it's something they're able to discuss."

Robert Oden Jr., president of Carleton College, will retire in June, according to a report in the Star Tribune of Minneapolis, Minn., on September 25, 2009. Oden was president of Kenyon from 1995 to 2002. Oden, 63, made the decision, he said, because he and his wife "long to live closer to our children and grandchildren, in New Hampshire and New York, and we long to travel and read and walk and enjoy one another's company."

Author E.L. Doctorow '52 complimented Kenyon during an appearance on the Diane Rehm Show on National Public Radio on September 24, 2009. Doctorow was promoting his new novel, Homer and Langley, when a caller from Michigan wondered how she could keep her Kenyon first-year student engaged in independent reading while he was "inundated" by reading assignments. The assigned reading at Kenyon is "not onerous," Doctorow said. "Kenyon is a great liberal arts school and reading text is not considered something apart from regular reading. What you get assigned is what you should be reading anyway yourself. And I would suggest that the young man, if he's at Kenyon, he's going to be OK and don't worry about him." Rehm chimed in, "Kenyon is a good place to be."

The status of Tracy Menzel '09 as one of nine finalists for the NCAA Woman of the Year honor was reported on September 24, 2009, by KRGV-TV of Rio Grande Valley, Texas. The honor was also reported by El Periodico USA of McAllen, Texas, and the Journal Review of Crawfordsville, Indiana. Menzel is on a Teach For America assignment as a social studies teacher at McAllen High School, where she is also an assistant softball coach. Menzel was an All-American swimmer at Kenyon and competed on three national championship teams.

The September 24, 2009, edition of the Connecticut Post of Bridgeport included a retrospective story on the life of actor and philanthropist Paul Newman '49. The story was pegged to the second printing of the Shawn Levy biography Paul Newman: A Life and the release of a 17-DVD set by Fox Home Entertainment called The Paul Newman Tribute Collection. Levy said he expanded his book with new material that emerged after Newman's death, including about Newman's childhood in Ohio and studies at Kenyon.

Anthony Masterson '08 wrapped up his first season as a broadcaster for the baseball Potomac Nationals, a Class A farm team of the Washington Nationals, and he attracted the attention of the Powell (Wyoming) Tribune on September 24, 2009. "What I want to be is a major-league broadcaster one day," he said.

Variety featured literary agent Jennifer Rudolph Walsh '89 in a profile on September 23, 2009. She is the co-head of William Morris Endeavor's worldwide literary department and the only woman on the company's nine-member board. Her department has notched more New York Times bestsellers than any other literary agency. Her career mantra: "It's not what happens, it's what happens next."

Kenyon President S. Georgia Nugent was mentioned in a story in the Plain Dealer of Cleveland, Ohio, that updated the Amethyst Initiative, an effort by 135 college presidents to combat binge drinking and spark dialogue about lowering the drinking age. Nugent is among the college presidents aligned with the initiative, the newspaper reported on September 18, 2009.

Actor Josh Radnor '96 was mentioned on September 18, 2009, in the Akron (Ohio) Beacon-Journal. The story updated the television series How I Met Your Mother, which stars Radnor. The story also noted that Radnor has directed the film HappyThankYouMorePlease, which opens next year. Radnor also wrote the screenplay and acts in the movie.

An opinion column on the environmental dangers of coal-based energy by Leah Missik '10 of Danville, Kentucky, was published on September 18, 2009, in the Lexington (Kentucky) Herald-Leader. "Dependence on coal has put Kentuckians' health at risk," Missik wrote. "It has been shown that Kentucky could develop thousands of new jobs through investing in green, renewable energy."

A story providing tips for financing college tuition in the September 15, 2009, edition of the Cincinnati (Ohio) Enquirer quoted Jennifer Delahunty, dean of admissions and financial aid. "We'll see one-income families, and we'll mention to the other parent, 'You could get a job.' If people aren't willing to do that, I can't help them," she said.

Wendy MacLeod, James Michael Playwright-in-Residence and professor of drama, was among playwrights who contributed to Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays staged on September 12, 2009, in North Hollywood. Short plays by twelve playwrights addressed the issue of gay marriage, and the players included prominent actors, according to a September 12 report on Playbill.com.

Playwright Demetra Kareman '01 was mentioned on Broadwayworld.com on September 11, 2009, in a story about the Denise Ragan Wiesenmeyer One Act Play Festival in Los Angeles. Kareman's play Lessons & Carols was part of the festival.

A top-ten ranking of sport's unbreakable records outside of professional baseball, basketball, and football put Kenyon's 30 consecutive men's swimming championships second. The Morning Journal of Lorain, Ohio, on September 10, 2009, put it this way: "Talk about a dynasty ... The only team capable of breaking Kenyon's men's record is Kenyon's men's team - next year."

The Stamford (Connecticut) Times, on September 10, 2009, examined the work of John Chiavaroli '02 with Grassroots Soccer, an organization that works to educate African athletes about AIDS prevention. Chiavaroli took a sabbatical year from King Low Heywood Thomas, a college-preparatory school where he is the soccer coach. While at Kenyon, he played soccer during his first and senior years. "My sophomore and junior years I was able to focus on interests I never would have been able to, like music and languages, and become more well-rounded," he said.

A preview of the Kenyon Review Literary Festival and the visit to campus by author Louise Erdrich was published on September 6, 2009, in the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch.

An improving high school in Columbus, Ohio, attracted the attention of the Columbus Dispatch, which referred to the Kenyon Academic Partnership Program on September 5, 2009. Opportunities for students at the school, Linden-McKinley STEM Academy, include college courses through the Kenyon program.

The September 2, 2009 edition of the Westport (Connecticut) News included a feature on Sarah McNee '13 of Westport, who was the newspaper's female athlete of the year in 2009. She excelled in tennis and field hockey in high school and now plays both at Kenyon. "I've always been a hard worker and I always pushed myself to get better," she said.

A story about Teach For America instructors in the Newark, New Jersey, area included a comment from Jay Galbraith '09 in the Star-Ledger of Newark on August 31, 2009. "I grew up so close to Newark, but it might as well have been a different universe as far as education is concerned," he said. "I realized that 20 minutes away people were not getting a good education, and it was insane." Galbraith postponed plans for medical school to teach for two years.

Jennifer Delahunty, dean of admissions and financial aid, was quoted in U.S. News & World Report on August 19, 2009, in a story about how prospective students can sell themselves to colleges. The story advised students to avoid the manufactured essay. "Sometimes we'll say, 'Didn't the mom write a beautiful application?' When you see the word 'heretofore,' that's a clue."

A speech by baseball executive Billy Beane P '12 on campus was previewed by the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch on September 9, 2009. Beane is the vice president and general manager of the Oakland Athletics and was the subject of the 2003 best-seller Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. Beane's daughter, Casey, is a Kenyon student.

A campus visit by film producer and screenwriter James Schamus and his daughter, a prospective student, attracted the attention of the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch on August 25 and August 28, 2009. Schamus hosted a preview screening of his film, Taking Woodstock, and answered questions about the film in a Mount Vernon movie theater. Calling his college tour part of an American ritual, Schamus added, "I also thought it would be great to connect with some colleagues who I went to (the University of California at) Berkeley with and now teach at Kenyon."

Claudia Esslinger, professor of art, was the subject of an interview in the August 27, 2009, edition of the Colorado Springs (Colorado) Independent. Esslinger had taken her interactive, multi-media installation "The Synergy Project" to the I.D.E.A. Space at Colorado College. "I'm providing the vignettes, but both the sequence and story changes with each viewer," she said.

A story about Jewish FunnyBone, an irreverent greeting-card company, included a Kenyon reference in the Jewish Journal of Salem, Massachusetts, on August 26. The company's founder said one of his biggest customers is "a Hillel rabbi from Kenyon College" and that a greeting card was sent to every Jewish student with a schedule of High Holiday services. Hillel Director Marc Bragin has found the cards useful.

A review written by the Rev. Karl Stevens '95, of Syllable of Water: Twenty Writers of Faith Reflect on Their Art was published on August 25, 2009 in Christian Century magazine. Stevens, who is the Episcopal chaplain to Kenyon, wrote, "The quest for epiphany imbues writing with a sense of worship."

Kevin Foy '79, mayor of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was mentioned as a possible candidate for the U.S. Senate from that state in a story published on August 23, 2009, in the News & Observer of Raleigh, North Carolina. A Democrat, lawyer, and assistant professor at North Carolina Central University, Foy said, "There is a lot of support for a progressive voice."

The Jonesboro (Arkansas) Sun, on August 20, 2009, reported that the Kenyon College Alumni Bulletin was named the best college magazine in the country and mentioned Shawn Presley, magazine editor and director of the Office of Public Affairs. The Council for the Advancement and Support of Education awarded the Bulletin the Robert Sibley Magazine of the Year Award for 2009.

Elana Carlson '11 was the subject of a feature story posted on August 18, 2009, at Wickedlocal.com, which covers communities in eastern Massachusetts. Carlson, of Sudbury, Massachusetts, plays basketball at Kenyon. "I wanted to play basketball in college, but I also wanted a social life," she said. "Kenyon is strong Division III basketball and the academics are very good," she said. "It's a perfect mixture for me. I'm not just a basketball player at Kenyon."

An interview with artist David Schalliol '99 was posted on August 14, 2009, on Gapersblock.com in Chicago. A Schalliol photograph was part of a project to raise money for the Chicago Artists Coalition. "I started my photographic education in the early 1990s by burning through rolls of film documenting the Midwest hardcore/punk scene while exploring central cities and liminal rural/suburban places," he said.

A Los Angeles Times "Culture Monster" blog report on the Ojai Playwrights Conference included a shout-out, on August 10, 2009, to conference interns, "many from Kenyon College in Ohio," who "work all day and party all night."

Jim Rossman '85 was elected chairman of the board of trustees of the Brooklyn (New York) Historical Society, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported on August 6, 2009. "We are now in a position to take on a more prominent role in the cultural life of Brooklyn," he said.

Kenyon ranked seventh on a list of "20 Gorgeous College Campuses," posted on August 5, 2009, on Amazingdata.com. "'Timeless beauty' are two words that come to mind when you see Kenyon College," the Web site said.

Excerpts from the commencement address of writer Roger Rosenblatt on May 16, 2009, were included among a handful of others in a round-up published on July 27 in the Chronicle of Higher Education. Rosenblatt's address shared space in the Chronicle with excerpts from speeches by President Barack Obama, musician Herbie Hancock, filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review featured Art Stroyd '67 as a "newsmaker" in its July 14, 2009, edition. Stroyd, a partner in the Del Sole Cavenaugh Stroyd law firm, was named chairman of the board of Leadership Pittsburgh. "We are committed to building the community's leadership fabric," he said.

The Grand Rapids (Michigan) Press, on July 12, 2009, profiled Caitlin Horrocks '02, whose short story "This is Not Your City" was selected for publication in the PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories anthology as one of the top twenty stories of 2009. Horrocks, assistant professor of writing at Grand Valley State University, said, "A lot of my stories are based on things I just grab, like a magpie, from all kinds of places."

KCEN-TV of Temple, Texas, reported on July 6, 2009, the hiring of Richard Barron '91 as assistant coach of the North Carolina State University women's basketball team. Barron played basketball and baseball at Kenyon and graduated with honors, the television report said. The Winston-Salem (North Carolina) Journal mentioned Barron's hiring on July 7.

Scott Willard '97 joined the Miller School as athletic director and boys basketball coach, according to the July 2, 2009, edition of the Daily Progress of Charlottesville, Virginia.

ESPN.com analyzed the hiring of Shaka Smart '99 as head basketball coach at Virginia Commonwealth University on July 1, 2009. The selection was "the right choice - the Smart choice." Smart has been "cruising down basketball's fast lane," the story said. Smart was also the subject of a story in the Richmond (Virginia) Times-Dispatch on June 26. The newspaper said the 33-year-old coach "has handled his job with the aplomb of a veteran." Smart had paid a visit to Richmond International Raceway and enjoyed a 150-mph ride in an Indy-racing car. "When I was at Kenyon, I may not have even known race cars went that fast," he quipped. "I have unbelievable respect for these drivers."

Margaret Wardrop '11, in her role as an interpreter for Chinese WNBA player Chen Nan, was part of a story on Nan in the June 20, 2009, edition of the Daily Herald of Chicago. Nan plays for the Chicago Sky. "She really wanted to come here because the best players in the world are in the WNBA," Wardrop said.

Collegejolt.com, which profiles colleges based on student interviews, showcased Kenyon on June 19, 2009. "Kenyon casts a spell on everyone who passes through it," the profile said. The community is "unnaturally close." A list of the ten best things about the campus starts with "the people." A list of the ten worst starts with "facilities" but ends with "graduating."

The New York Times "City Room" blog mentioned Matthew Segal '08 in a June 18, 2009, posting pegged to advice for jobless college graduates. Segal, executive director of the Student Association for Voter Empowerment, who spoke at a Century Foundation panel, raised the vexing issue of unpaid internships.

The fashion-design life of Eric Gaskins '80 was featured in the New York Times on July 30. Gaskins was revealed to be the author of a popular and scathing fashion-industry blog called the "Emperor's Old Clothes." Gaskins uses the pseudonym Fluff Chance. He shared his identity as his design studio closed its doors in New York City. One fashion-industry insider described the Gaskins blog entries as "viciously funny." The Times called Gaskins a good designer who enjoyed moments of critical success. "There are so many designers out there who are great designers but who don't get any recognition," Gaskins said. Noting his Kenyon background, the newspaper said he took advantage of an internship with Hubert de Givenchy in Paris. Gaskins visited the College in November as part of the Burton D. Morgan Foundation Lectureship Series.

Forbes magazine placed Kenyon twenty-second on its list of "America's best colleges," in a report published on August 5. The report ranked 600 institutions "based on the quality of the education they provide, the experience of the students, and how much they achieve," according to the magazine. Kenyon was the top-ranked college in Ohio "by a fairly comfortable margin," as noted in a column published on August 7 in the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch. Kenyon's ranking was also reported by Business Courier of Cincinnati, Dayton (Ohio) Daily News, MSN Money, Nashville Business Journal, St. Louis Business Journal, and Zhejiang (China) Online.

Al Jamiat magazine posted a review of Kenyon on its Web site, www.al-jamiat.com, on August 24. The magazine's goal is to help guide international and Middle Eastern students into U.S. colleges. Kenyon was described as "a very lovely place," where international students mix well with their American counterparts and benefit from College programs on their behalf. The College community is "very genuine and supportive," and the College attracts "the best and the brightest."

A column written by Ivonne M. Garcia, assistant professor of English, on the selection of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor was published in the August 1 edition of the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch. Garcia addressed the unique status of Puerto Ricans - "Puerto Rican in identity, U.S. in citizenship." She added, "The fact that Sotomayor's ethnicity has been negatively scrutinized more openly than President Obama's race was during the 2008 election suggests that attacks across the Anglo-Latino lines remain more socially acceptable than similar statements across the traditional binary of white and black."

Glenn McNair, associate professor of history, was quoted in the July 26, 2009, edition of the Boston Herald. The newspaper provided perspective on the racial-profiling controversy sparked by the arrest of Harvard University scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr., at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. "Given America's history of police brutality in their communities, blacks are rightly cautious in their dealings with police," McNair said. "Problems arise when due caution becomes paranoia, and the need to maintain order becomes authoritarianism." McNair is a former police officer and U.S. Treasury Department agent.

The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch reported on a Mount Vernon, Ohio, rally against hate crimes in a story published on July 24, 2009, with a quote from Lisa Swaim, assistant director of international education, who attended the rally. "We'd like Mount Vernon to be a community of tolerance, acceptance, and diversity," she said.

A semester abroad at the University of Ghana and a voluntary teaching internship at a primary school in Nima, Ghana, inspired Naomi Blaushild '10 of Mount Lebanon, Pennsylvania, to raise money for mosquito nets and scholarships for children. Her efforts caught the attention of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which published a story on Blaushild on July 23, 2009. "You have to try to make even a little difference whenever you can," she said.

The appearance of John Fortier, director of the Center for the Study of American Democracy, before a U.S. House subcommittee studying the ability of the U.S. government to carry on after a devastating terrorist attack was covered by the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch online on July 23, 2009. Fortier testified as the executive director of the Continuity of Government Commission, formed jointly by the American Enterprise Institute and Brookings Institution after the terrorists attacks of September 11, 2001. "To allow for Congress to reconstitute itself quickly and legitimately after an attack, temporary appointments to fill vacancies and to fill in for incapacitated members are needed," Fortier told the Congress. "These appointees could fill the gap in time until special elections could be held. And it would allow for a fully representative Congress to be present when the most important decisions following an attack are being made."

Ellen Thompson '08 of New Hope, Minnesota, and her health-care research in Guatemala were featured in the Sun Post of New Hope on July 23, 2009. Thompson did research into cervical cancer screening and prevention while on a Fulbright Fellowship after graduation from Kenyon. "Guatemala has one of the highest rates of cervical cancer in the world, but it's a really preventable disease," she said. Thompson will attend graduate school at Yale University this fall and hopes to become a family nurse practitioner.

The July 22, 2009, edition of the Delaware (Ohio) News included a story about a National Science Foundation physics research-experience program hosted by Ohio Wesleyan University. Betsy Segelken '10 of Gahanna, Ohio, was part of the program and studied the coupling of quantum pendulums. She hoped to measure her interest in pursuing physics in graduate school.

Kenyon is one of five American colleges, listed by ApplyWise.com, most resembling the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft featured in the Harry Potter books. A story about the list was published on July 20, 2009, in the Chicago Tribune and made its way around the world. The story appeared in Asian Age of Mumbai, India; the Statesman of Calcutta, India; Los Angeles Times; Newsday of New York City; and www.nbcchicago.com.

Glenn McNair, associate professor of history, was quoted in the July 20, 2009, editions of New York Metro and Philadelphia Metro in a story about President Obama and race relations. Obama "does not present himself as a black man who feels aggrieved ... he represents all Americans," McNair said. He added that Obama will help the country, and race relations, the most by being a great president.

The New York Times college-admissions blog the Choice turned to Jennifer Delahunty, dean of admissions and financial aid, for perspective on a New York City style show designed to give high school students insights into what to wear to an admissions interview. Sent images from the style show, Delahunty told the Times, on June 12, "I looked at the photos and burst out laughing. This whole concept is insanity." Her advice? "Dress like yourself." The Times appreciated her thoughts enough to include them in a front-page story published on July 19 that shed light on the high costs and exaggerated claims of some independent college-admissions advisers.

Murray Horwitz '70, H '92, wrote the National Public Radio "Blog of the Nation" at www.npr.org on July 17, 2009. His reflection on Paul Newman '49 said, in part, "To attend Kenyon College was to have Paul Newman be a part of your life."

Armed-forces veterans can take advantage of expanded benefits under the federal G.I. Bill to receive tuition aid at private colleges in Ohio, including Kenyon, according to a report on WHIO-TV of Dayton, Ohio, on July 14, 2009.

An Associated Press story with residence-hall tips for first-year college students has been published around the country this summer with comments from Allison Kramer '12 of San Anselmo, California. Kramer suggested that incoming students stock up on vitamin C. "Unfortunately, you spend a fair amount of time at college being sick," Kramer said. Trevor Ezell '12 of Peoria, Arizona, found comfort in a record player and favorite music. "Listening to a long-forgotten album, I found myself unable to forget my family," Ezell said. Newspapers that carried the story, starting on July 8, 2009, include, among others, Ames (Iowa) Tribune; Bridgeport (Connecticut) Post; Casa Grande (Arizona) Dispatch; Clarion Ledger of Jackson, Mississippi; Daily News of Genesee, Wyoming; Duluth (Minnesota) News Tribune; El Paso (Texas) Times; Fort Wayne (Indiana) News-Sentinel; Herald Tribune of Sarasota, Florida; Knoxville (Tennessee) News Sentinel; Modesto (California) Bee; Newark (New Jersey) Star Ledger; Southeast Missourian of Cape Girardeau, Missouri; Spokesman-Review of Spokane, Washington; Statesville (North Carolina) Record & Landmark; and the Times Record News of Wichita Falls, Texas.

The New York Times college-admissions blog the Choice turned to Jennifer Delahunty, dean of admissions and financial aid, for perspective on a New York City style show designed to give high school students insight into what to wear to an admissions interview. Sent images from the style show, Delahunty told the Times on June 12, 2009, "I looked at the photos and burst out laughing. This whole concept is insanity." She added that she pays little attention to how a student is dressed. Her advice? "Dress like yourself."

Trevor Ezell '12 of Peoria, Arizona, was in the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum when an anti-Semitic white supremacist shot and killed a helpful security guard in June. Ezell was interviewed by the Arizona Republic of Phoenix for a story published on June 11, 2009. "I think things could have been a lot worse if (the guards) weren't doing their jobs like those guys were," he said.

Will Melick, Bruce L. Gensemer Professor of Economics, was quoted in a Dow Jones Newswires column published on June 9, 2009, in the Wall Street Journal. The column examined the revival of federal-funds futures in the wake of a better-than-expected government report on job losses. Traders believed the Federal Reserve may not keep the short-term funds rate at historically low levels. Fed futures had been "moribund," said Melick, who was described as "an expert on fed funds." He added, "We're back in business."

Prominent economics blogger Greg Mankiw, professor of economics at Harvard University, on June 8, 2009, included a blog video link to the April 22 Kenyon lecture by Randall Kroszner , former governor of the Federal Reserve Board, and Phillip Swagel, former assistant secretary of the U.S. Treasury . The men had discussed "Preventing Financial Market Meltdown - Inside the Bailouts." The Shepherd Lecture Series was hosted by Will Melick, Bruce L. Gensemer Professor of Economics.

The Herald-Mail of Hagerstown, Maryland, on June 7, 2009, caught up with local high school valedictorians from the class of 1999 to see how they have progressed. Amy Wagaman '03 was valedictorian at St. Maria Goretti High School and is now an assistant professor of mathematics at Amherst College. "I like seeing the light bulb going off in my students' heads and figuring out 10 million ways to explain something," she said.

The Business Management Daily Web site (www.businessmanagementdaily.com), on June 6, 2009, published a New York Times story adapted by Executive Leadership (www.execleadership.com) to sample the coaching wisdom of swimming Coach Jim Steen. "Pour yourself into your people so they can reach their potential" was one paraphrase of Steen's philosophy.

The Plain Dealer of Cleveland, Ohio, on June 3, 2009, reported that Kenyon was the Ohio leader in college graduation rates according to a study by the American Enterprise Institute. The national study compared graduation rates at 1,385 schools for students who started in 2001 and graduated from the same college by 2007. The Kenyon rate was 84 percent.

Allison Janney '82, identified as a Kenyon alumna, was featured in an on-air interview on Reel Talk on WNBC-TV and posted on www.nbcnewyork.com on May 31, 2009. The interview was pegged to her nomination for a Tony award for her role in 9 to 5: The Musical. She was also mentioned in a Kenyon context in an advance story on the Tony awards published in the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch on June 7, 2009. Also on May 31, Janney was the subject of a story posted at www.playbill.com about her role in the summer-release film Away We Go. That story described her as a psychology major at Kenyon who changed her focus to drama after Paul Newman '49 arrived on campus to direct a play in which Janney appeared.

The move of assistant swimming coach Kate Kovenock to the University of Notre Dame, where she will be assistant women's swimming coach, was reported on May 27, 2009, by www.collegeswimming.com.

Willamette Week of Portland, Oregon, in a story about backyard burials and "home funeral guides" published May 26, 2009, quoted David E. Harrington, Robert J. Himmelright Professor of Economics. He is an expert on the funeral-home industry. A proposed Oregon law would impose regulations on funeral guides who help consumers with so-called "green burials" at home. Harrington said the funeral-home industry has a history of keeping low-cost alternatives from gaining a foothold by raising the cost of licensing fees.

Kenyon students on a winery tour were mentioned in a story published on May 26, 2009, in the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch. The story, about Ohio wineries as a leisure travel option, quoted a Columbus winery owner who said, "Just last week, we had 150 students from Kenyon College on three busloads to do wine tasting and tours. And they bought a lot of wine."

A story in the New York Times on May 24, 2009, addressed the "new wave" of liberal-arts students embracing agricultural internships and included James Katz '10 of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Katz planted peach trees on a Virginia farm. The Times included Katz among those students who consider food, particularly locally raised food, the political movement of their time. "I no longer wish I was born in the '60s," he said. "Everyone has a vested interest in this." The story was also published in the Boston Globe; Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch; the Day of New London, Connecticut; Kansas City Star; Plain Dealer of Cleveland, Ohio; Post-Bulletin of Rochester, Minnesota; Press Democrat of Santa Rosa, California; San Diego Union-Tribune; Seattle Times; www.freerepublic.com; www.organicconsumers.org.

The Mankato (Minnesota) Free Press reported Kenyon's selection of Henry P. Toutain as dean of students on May 22, 2009. Toutain was vice president for student affairs and dean of students at Gustavus Adolphus College and was described as one of that college's "most visible administrators." The newspaper said Toutain was "known as an administrator who always puts students first, and as a leader who wasn't afraid to dive head-first into solving problems." The St. Peter (Minnesota) Herald reported the Kenyon hiring on May 27, noting Toutain's success as a campus leader. "My work and life at Gustavus have been rich beyond measure," Toutain said. The departure prompted a May 28 report on KEYC-TV in Mankato about concerns raised over a number of "high-profile resignations" at Gustavus Adolphus since the arrival of a new president in 2008.

Perry Lentz, retired Charles P. McIlvaine Professor of English, and his novel Perish From the Earth shared the focus of a May 18, 2009, story in the Anniston (Alabama) Star. The novel turns history inside out with a victory by the Confederacy in the Civil War. Lentz, who grew up in Anniston, told the newspaper, "It's amazing to do this sort of archeological dig through history. It grew and grew, and as it grew, so did my imagination about what the American nation might have been had the South won."

Regulation magazine, in its spring issue, published a story by David E. Harrington, Robert J. Himmelright Professor of Economics, on his conclusion from research into football-ticket sales that shows that deregulated markets can punish greed. He argued that "free markets are often much better at handling greed in socially desirable ways than government regulations." He examined the secondary market in tickets to an Ohio State University football game and found that ticket scalpers who peddled tickets at high prices ran the risk of lowering prices dramatically as the game approached. George F. Will, nationally syndicated columnist at the Washington Post, used material from Harrison's research to support a May 17, 2009, column arguing for restrained government regulation. The column was published in newspapers around the country

Composer Jacob Yandura '09 of Dublin, Ohio, was the subject of a graduation feature on May 16, 2009, in the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch. Yandura wrote a senior-project musical, Morning's Song, which attracted Broadway professionals to Gambier for a performance in April. He first gained media attention when he was 15 and wrote a musical tribute to the victims of terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Yandura will attend graduate school at New York University and plans a career as a Broadway composer. "I want to create something that's not just entertainment, but provokes people to recognize their own life experiences," he said. A video report on Yandura was posted at www.dispatch.com. The story was also posted at www.californiachronicle.com.

Tricia Warrick '77 was profiled in the May 13, 2009, edition of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review as a "newsmaker." Warrick is the managing director of Schneider Downs Corporate Finance and was recently elected president of the Pittsburgh chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth. "There's some pretty strong headwinds, with respect to corporate growth right now," she said. "But there are some companies that are growing. It really depends on the industry."

Jan Thomas, associate professor of sociology, is the co-author of a study on fathers' satisfaction with postnatal care, published on May 12, 2009, by the Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing. The study concluded that a family perspective should be applied in postnatal care, with new parents viewed as a family unit, not just as medical cases, and fathers should be involved in postnatal care.

Kenyon was mentioned in the New York Times on May 11, 2009, in a story about admissions yields at "top colleges." Kenyon was listed with Harvard, Yale, and Princeton, among others, as schools "reporting little variation in their admissions yields" at a time when the need for financial aid has increased. The Times higher-education blog the Choice expanded on the story and noted that Kenyon had reported receiving deposits from 31 percent of accepted applicants compared to 32 percent in 2008. Jennifer Delahunty, dean of admissions and financial aid, told the Times that Kenyon anticipated taking as many as twenty students off the waiting list, compared to nine in 2008.

A May 10, 2009, letter to the editor of the New York Times by Daniel Epstein '05 of Arlington, Virginia, discussed the 2005 Commencement address by the late author David Foster Wallace. "I will remember the honor for the rest of my life," Epstein said of being present for the address. "The speech will forever remind us what it means to have the privilege of liberal education: to be forever educated in human sentiment." The Wallace address has been published as a book titled This Is Water.

A Wall Street Journal story published on May 9, 2009, reported that recent college graduates face the toughest labor market in at least 25 years. The story included comments from John Bence '08 of Arlington, Virginia, who has decided to attend graduate school to improve his employment chances. He enrolled in New York University to earn a master's in history, specializing in archival management. "I wasn't surprised I didn't get jobs in, like, museums," he said. "But I was surprised that no one was willing to hire me to do anything." The story was posted at finance.yahoo.com.

Microbiology: An Evolving Science, a textbook co-authored by Joan Slonczewski , professor of biology, took on a starring role in a television commercial pitching the Apple iPhone during the spring of 2009. The commercial touts various iPhone applications, including one that helps find the lowest price for textbooks. The cover of Microbiology is given prominent display.

The 2005 commencement address by author David Foster Wallace, who killed himself in 2008, continues to draw media attention as it endures in book form as This Is Water. Newsweek, in its May 18, 2009, edition, listed the speech at Kenyon among "great" American commencement addresses, calling it the "most mesmerizing." The book was on the list of nonfiction bestsellers published by the Los Angeles Times on May 3, noting the Kenyon connection. The New York Times reviewed the book on April 26 and called the speech "truthful, funny and unflaggingly warm" and likely to become the most widely read piece that Wallace wrote. Reviews with some Kenyon context were also published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Christian Science Monitor, Los Angeles Times, New York Observer, Salt Lake Tribune of Salt Lake City, Utah, and the Toronto Globe and Mail.

College Trustee Jeffrey Bell '84 was appointed chairman of DoMedia, an online marketplace for buyers and sellers of alternative advertising media, according to a May 6, 2009, report by Business First of Columbus, Ohio. DoMedia is based in Columbus. PR Newswire, on May 6, described Bell as a visionary, global-marketing veteran. He is a former Microsoft corporate vice president of global marketing for the Interactive Entertainment Business and a former corporate vice president at DaimlerChrysler. At Microsoft, he was credited with leading Xbox to its first profitable year and launched Halo 3, Rock Band, Gears of Wars, and Guitar Hero II. "Working alongside media planners, buyers, media companies and brands to bring creativity and innovation to the industry has long been a professional passion," Bell said. The story was also published by the Business Journal of Kansas City, Missouri, and the Business Courier of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Actress Allison Janney '82 was recently nominated for a Tony Award for best actress in a musical in 9 to 5 and was featured in the Connecticut Post of Bridgeport and www.californiachronicle.com on May 6, 2009. "I come off the stage with tears in my eyes," she said. "Talk about a dream come true." Janney's Kenyon link with Paul Newman '49 and actress Joanne Woodward was part of the story. Newman had returned to Gambier to direct a student production including Janney in the cast. "(Woodward) and Paul were so good to me," Janney said.

A new biography of Paul Newman '49, Paul Newman: A Life, brings more media attention to Kenyon. A review in the Plain Dealer of Cleveland, Ohio, on May 4, 2009, noted that Newman "became an actor at Kenyon College." The review also said that Newman "was a serious actor who worked tremendously at his craft and created some of the most iconic roles in American cinema." The Hartford (Connecticut) Courant reviewed the book on May 3 and said that Newman "blossomed at Kenyon in many ways: as an actor, as a prankster, as a fun-loving party animal."

The Nation, based in Pakistan, on May 1, 2009, covered a lecture by Timothy Sullivan, associate professor of physics and a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. The lecture on computational physics took place at Fatima Jinnah Women University in Rawalpindi. "It is the application of computer simulation to solve the problems in various scientific disciplines," Sullivan said. The newspaper described the lecture as "very informative." The story was also posted at www.tmcnet.com.

The mural-painting class of Marela Zacarias '00 was featured in a story in the April 30, 2009, edition of the Middletown (Connecticut) Press. The class, part of an after-school program at the Green Street Arts Center, is working on a 50-by-70 foot mural on the outdoor wall of a business in Middletown. Professional artists, community members, and Wesleyan University students are also working on the mural under the direction of Zacarias. "When you're driving on Main Street, the first thing you'll see is a 12-foot hand," she said. "It leads you into what Green Street is all about and what we're bringing to the city." Zacarias has done more than a dozen murals in the U.S. and her native Mexico.

Ann Davies '87 was named vice president for academic affairs and dean of Beloit College, according to a report on WKOW-TV in Madison, Wisconsin, on April 29, 2009. Davies has been teaching courses in political theory and public law.

Diane Glancy, Richard L. Thomas Visiting Professor of Creative Writing, was mentioned in the Native American Times of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, in a story published on April 28, 2009. Glancy's play Salvage will be staged in London in May at Origins, a festival of "First Nations creative art." Glancy will join panel discussions on aspects of Native American theater during the festival.

A Milwaukee (Wisconsin) Journal-Sentinel online column posted on April 27, 2009, focused on photographer Sonja Thomsen '00 in a review of a Haggerty Museum of Art exhibition of the work of ten artists. Her piece "Lacuna" includes about seventy scattered images, many of family members. "What I'm trying to pursue is how I can have these images communicate the idea of the intangible or communicate the suggested narrative rather than being specifically sentimental," Thomsen said.

Linda Dactyl, adjunct instructor of percussion and jazz piano, was mentioned in a story about the Women's Jazz Organ Summit in the April 23, 2009, edition of the Columbus Dispatch of Columbus, Ohio. The organ summit, at Ohio State University, brought together three women who performed separately and as a group on the Hammond B-3 organ, which, since the late 1950s, has gained favor in jazz circles. Dactyl organized the summit. "The instrument has such a magnificent sound," she said.

Morning's Song, a musical composed by Jacob Yandura '09 of Dublin, Ohio, and performed in Rosse Hall on April 23, 2009, was featured online in the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch on April 19. A handful of New York City-based professional performers came to Gambier to sing Yandura's songs. "It's theater music, specifically written to tell a story - not pop or Top 40," Yandura said. "Think Sondheim."

The selection of Nayef Samhat as provost was reported in the April 17, 2009, edition of the Chronicle of Higher Education. Samhat had been associate dean and an associate professor of government and international studies at Centre College.

Naomi Blaushild '10 of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was mentioned in the April 16, 2009, edition of the Daily Guide of Ghana in a story about a documentary that featured children in the Anani French/English School in Nima, Ghana, where Naomi is a volunteer teacher. The story was also posted at www.cameroononline.org.

Jennifer Delahunty, dean of admissions and financial aid, was quoted in the Cincinnati (Ohio) Enquirer on April 12, 2009, in a story on the financial challenges facing families preparing to send their children to college. Some high school students, the story said, are turning to "cheaper schools" and deciding to stay closer to home because of the poor economy. Delahunty said some parents face an "aching decision" when deciding to tap retirement funds for their children's college education.

A profile of Gabriel Alegria '93 posted at www.allaboutjazz.com on April 10, 2009, described the trumpet and flugelhorn musician as "one of the most influential figures" on the Peruvian jazz scene. He is a native of Lima. "He has contributed a uniquely Afro-Peruvian jazz music concept by incorporating and exploring the common African roots found in both styles," the story said. He is associate director of Jazz Studies at New York University.

Associate Professor of Anthropology Bruce Hardy's findings based on research into the similarities between Neandertals and early modern humans attracted media attention on April 6, 2009, on the Web site of Scientific American. Hardy studied artifacts at the Hohle Fels site in Germany, discovering modern humans created a larger variety of tools but Neandertals engaged in mostly the same activities and did well. "Neandertals stuck around for 150,000 years," Hardy said. "That's not a species that doesn't know what it's doing." His findings were presented at the annual meeting of the Paleoanthropology Society in Chicago. Hardy's work was also reported by these India-based news Web sites: AndraNews.net; news.SmasHits.com; and www.dailyindia.com.

The efforts of Curt Foxx '02 to build a winning lacrosse program as the coach at Hood College were featured on April 3, 2009, in the Baltimore (Maryland) Sun. Foxx was described as a former football player at Kenyon who brims with self-confidence. The team had won one game in five seasons when the story was published. "All coaches don't measure success in wins and losses," Foxx said.

The hiring of Shaka Smart '99 as head basketball coach at Virginia Commonwealth University triggered media attention starting on March 31, 2009, with a report on www.sportsillustrated.cnn.com. Smart, former point guard and basketball captain at Kenyon, had been an assistant coach at the University of Florida. The hiring was also reported by Fox43-TV in York, Pennsylvania; NBC12-TV in Richmond, Virginia; the Richmond Times-Dispatch; USA Today; WFTV-TV in Orlando, Florida; Wisconsin State Journal in Madison; WTVR-TV in Richmond; www.espn.com; and www.vegasinsider.com. The Times-Dispatch called Smart "a fast riser in the world of college basketball." The newspaper described Kenyon as "one of the most prestigious liberal arts colleges in the country" and said Smart graduated magna cum laude with a degree in history after pursuing his interest in race consciousness and social issues. The Times-Dispatch interviewed Peter Rutkoff, Robert A. Oden, Jr. Professor of American Studies, who said of Smart, "He was a wonderful combination of very smart and incredibly diligent." Smart told the Associated Press, "We are going to wreak havoc on our opponents' psyche and their plan of attack."

The Teach for America journal kept by George Williams '06 for two school years starting in 2006 attracted the attention of the Times-Picayune of New Orleans, Louisiana, on March 22, 2009. Williams, who is now working in Washington, D.C., as an associate at an investment managements firm, used his first vacation days to return to Jackson Elementary School in Jackson, Louisiana, to work for free as a substitute teacher. "I felt needed here in a way I haven't elsewhere," he told the Times-Picayune during his working vacation at the school. Portions of the Williams journal were published in the Alumni Bulletin in the Fall 2008 edition.

The Pacific Sun of San Raphael, California, published a story about the drinking age on March 20, 2009, and mentioned Kenyon President S. Georgia Nugent and her efforts to prod more discussion about alcohol consumption and the law.

Jennifer Delahunty, dean of admissions and financial aid, was quoted in a story about college admissions applications and expenses in the April 2 edition of the Plain Dealer of Cleveland, Ohio. The story was pegged to Oberlin College breaking the $50,000-a-year threshold (actually $50,584 for tuition, room, board, and fees) among Ohio colleges. The story reported that Kenyon "was close behind at $48,240." Oberlin has seen a 3-to-5 percent increase in applications. Kenyon has experienced a 12-percent decrease in applications but an 8-percent increase in early-admissions applications. Delahunty "suspects the poor economy scared off some students," the newspaper reported, and the boost in early-admissions applications indicates a high interest in the College among those students not afraid of the price tag. "I think anxiety about the economy translated into anxiety about opportunity," she told the Plain Dealer. "It's a confounding year." The story was later distributed by the Associated Press.

Michael R. Halleran '75 was named provost at the College of William and Mary, according to a story in the March 28 edition of the Daily Press of Newport News, Virginia. The story noted that Halleran is a Kenyon graduate and went on to earn a master's and doctorate in classics from Harvard University. He had been the dean of arts and sciences at the University of Miami. In a story published on March 31 in the Flat Hat student newspaper at William and Mary, Halleran said he appreciates the liberal arts environment. "I went to Kenyon College," he said. "I have a deep interest in student learning, but I'm also a scholar. I'm a researcher."

The unmatched success of the Kenyon swimming teams was featured by the Plain Dealer of Cleveland, Ohio, on March 25, days after the Lords captured their thirtieth consecutive national championship and the Ladies won their twenty-third title in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The story opened with Zachary Turk '12 of Strongsville, Ohio, who won the 50-yard freestyle. Turk chose Kenyon after first committing to the University of Hawaii. "The Strongsville native realized he didn't have to travel across an ocean to get some of the best swimming coaching in the country, compete for a record-shattering number of national titles, and get an excellent education, too," the newspaper reported. The story included high praise for Jim Steen, coach of both teams. Jim Douglass, Cleveland St. Edward High School swimming coach, said of Steen, "He's real. The guy loves the sport, but more importantly he loves the kids. It's not a show." Alisa Vereshchagin '12 of Solon, Ohio, who won the 200-yard breast stroke, was mentioned in the story. The team's success was also reported by the Greencastle (Indiana) Banner-Graphic; Sun News of Cleveland, Ohio; Times-News of Twin Falls, Idaho; Times of Trenton (New Jersey); www.bloomberg.com; www.collegeswimming.com; and www.cstv.com.

The Kenyon Lords and Ladies swimming teams finished the regular season atop the Division III College Swimming Coaches Association of America/CollegeSwimming.com dual meet poll. Final results were posted at www.collegeswimming.com on March 17, 2009. "The words Kenyon College and Division III Champions have become synonymous over the years," the story said.

Daniel Kramer, associate professor of drama, was mentioned in a March 12, 2009, story in the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch about Many Moons, Kramer's adaptation for the stage of the James Thurber children's book. The play was staged by the Phoenix Children's Theatre to mark the 25^th anniversary of the Thurber House, a literary center and museum in Columbus. A review of the play, published on March 17 in the Dispatch, called Kramer's adaptation deft. Kramer "keeps Thurber's sophisticated verbal humor and poetry intact while finding plenty of ways to keep even the youngest theatergoers entertained."

A March 12, 2009, column in the Idaho Mountain Express of Ketcham, Idaho, was a tribute to Jim Bellows '44, H '65, and emeritus trustee. Bellows died on March 6. He gained journalism fame as an innovator and the editor of underdog newspapers in Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, D.C. "As Bellows began his climb to fame, he mentored and showcased dozens of writers whose names today are gold-plated in publishing - Tom Wolfe, Judith Crist, Jimmy Breslin, Clay Felker and more," the column said.

The basketball exploits of Bryan Yelvington '09 of Arlington Heights, Illinois, earned a mention in the Daily Herald of suburban Chicago on March 12, 2009. Yelvington was named North Coast Athletic Conference player of the year.

Kenyon classmates Edward "Bud" Walters '56, of Northbrook, Illinois, and Dr. Arthur Goldberg '56, of Tucson, Arizona, teamed up on a Habitat for Humanity project in Louisiana, according to a story in the March 12, 2009, edition of Town Talk of Alexandria, Louisiana. "I attended Kenyon College in Ohio with Bud, and we were also fraternity brothers," Goldberg said. "The reward is seeing people put into a well-built home."

A column in the March 11, 2009, edition of the Providence (Rhode Island) Journal examined the status of the undergraduate at large universities ("the bottom of the totem pole") and at small liberal-arts colleges ("the kings and queens"). "Faculty would not be hired and certainly would not be promoted unless teaching ability was very high on the list of prominent skills" at "prestigious small schools ... such as Williams, Swarthmore, Kenyon and Occidental."

The appointment of Nayef Samhat as provost was reported by the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch online on March 9, 2009. The story noted that Samhat was an associate dean and a scholar in international relations theory and international political economy at Centre College. The story was also reported by the Advocate-Messenger of Danville, Kentucky. Centre President John Roush told the Advocate-Messenger that his college community is sorry to lose Samhat. "Nayef has served Centre with distinction for well over a decade as an outstanding classroom teacher and in later years as an associate dean," Roush said.

The 2005 Kenyon commencement address by George Foster Wallace was mentioned in a profile of the writer in the March 9, 2009 edition of the New Yorker. The magazine noted that Wallace said true freedom "means being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to and to choose how you construct meaning from experience." The address attracted widespread attention after Wallace's suicide in 2008. A column posted on March 2, on the Chronicle Review Web site (chronicle.com), was a first-hand account by Laurie Fendrich P '05, who described the speech as riveting. "Mostly, he talked about the way our minds direct our lives only when we become deliberative beings and choose to use them in this way," she said. Little, Brown & Company will publish the speech as a book called This is Water.

An interview with Jerry Reilly 1951 P '74 '80 in the March 9, 2009, edition of the Trentorian of Trenton, New Jersey, included a reference to his College roommate, Paul Newman '49. Reilly is the owner of Halo Farm Inc., a dairy farm, food products company, and store operator in New Jersey. Of his business, Reilly said, "We were 'green' before there was green ... The whole idea was produce high quality food and share the savings with the consumer." Of Newman, he said, "Unfazed by anybody and anything. Just an amazing guy. The time (billiards champion) Willie Mosconi came to our college, Paul played him in 8-ball. Mosconi let him break, and Paul ran the table!"

Jennifer Delahunty, dean of admissions and financial aid, was quoted in the New York Times on March 8, 2009, in a front-page story about colleges coping with the shifting priorities of prospective students at a time of financial crisis. Admissions officials around the country this year have less faith in the statistical models that have guided them in the past when figuring the number of students to accept and the number likely to enroll. "Trying to hit those numbers is like trying to hit a hot tub when you're skydiving from 30,000 feet," Delahunty said. "I'm going to go to church every day in April." A photo of Delahunty with Associate Dean M. Beverly Morse and Darryl Uy, associate director of admissions, was included in the Times. The story was also published by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette of Little Rock, Arkansas; Denver (Colorado) Post; Gadsden (Alabama) Times; Gainesville (Florida) Sun; Herald Tribune of Sarasota, Florida; Seattle Times; South China Morning Post; Star News of Wilmington, North Carolina; Tuscaloosa (Alabama) News, www.breitbart.com, www.marketwatch.com, and youngadults.about.com.

A story in the March 5, 2009, Canton (Ohio) Repository about a book club that has met for twenty-five years included a feisty reference to former Kenyon colleagues Dr. David Utlak '74 and James Gwin '76. The roots of the book club extend to "a fist fight during an intra-squad scrimmage on the Kenyon College lacrosse field." Student combatants Utlak and Gwin later learned they shared interests in philosophy, politics, history, and economics. After Kenyon, they met again in 1983 in Canton and in 1984 helped found the Local Men's Book Club. Utlak is a cardiologist. Gwin is a judge on the U.S. District Court bench. Despite disagreements during book-club discussions, Utlak said, members remain friends - "a testimony to what it is to be an American."

The Chronicle of Higher Education, on March 4, 2009, included a comment by Jennifer Delahunty, dean of admissions and financial aid, in a story about Theodore O'Neill, the retiring dean of admissions at the University of Chicago. Delahunty called O'Neill the conscience of the profession. "He's a fearless truth-teller who doesn't compromise," she added.

A story in the March 2, 2009, edition of Sports Illustrated about the success of Major League Baseball's Oakland A's and general manager Billy Beane included a reference to a hat worn by Beane during an interview. "Beane wears a baseball cap, not from the A's but from Kenyon College, where his daughter, Casey, is a freshman," the magazine reported.

The Washington, D.C., debut of the Center for the Study of American Democracy was reported in the March 1, 2009, edition of the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch. A reception in the Russell Senate Office Building was hosted by President S. Georgia Nugent and the center's director, John Fortier. Both were both mentioned in the story. About 250 alumni heard remarks by U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and U.S. Rep. Zack Space, who represents Ohio's 18^th District and was described in the Dispatch as "an All-America football player at Kenyon, graduating in 1983."

George Kaitsa '67 of Powell, Ohio, was appointed auditor of Delaware County, according to a story published on February 26, 2009, in Suburban News Publications of Columbus, Ohio. Kaitsa was chosen by the county Republican Central Committee to replace the departing auditor until the term expires in 2010.

Paul Newman '49 was honored in a U.S. House resolution, according to news media reports on February 25, 2009. Newman died in 2008. The resolution includes a mention of Kenyon and noted, "Paul Newman's humanitarian works and incomparable talents have made him an American icon who will never be forgotten."

The New York Times, on February 25, 2009, profiled the Kenyon swimming program and Coach Jim Steen, as the Lords focused on winning their 30^th consecutive national championship. "A two-lane highway that accommodates Amish buggies and cuts through the farmland of central Ohio may be the road to success," the story said. Judy Holdener, associate professor of mathematics, told the Times that Steen "has that ability to connect with people, to figure out what makes them tick. He's a genius when it comes to that." Also mentioned in the story were swimmers Kellyn Caldwell '12 of Gambier, Ohio; Michael Machala '09 of Twin Falls, Idaho; Tracy Menzel '09 of Crawfordsville, Indiana; and Nat Carruthers '10 of Longmont, Colorado. Kris Caldwell '84, director of donor relations and a former assistant swimming coach, was also quoted. The Times reported that Steen had sent this message to his team: "Find a place within yourself where success and failure don't matter, a place where you can engage in battle without compromise."

A profile of artist Ned Smyth '70 of Sag Harbor, New York, was published online at Hamptons.com on February 22, 2009. His sculptures are on outdoor display in New York City and Philadelphia. "I first started making art seriously my sophomore year in college," Smyth said. "I was immediately interested in materials and texture. I was cutting plywood into eight feet-by-two inch strips and stacking it. It made a rough 2-D surface with all the laminations making random linear imagery."

Leopoldo Lopez '93

A column posted February 20, 2009, at www.sandiego.com focused on the book A Look at Soccer's Story & a Futbol Fable by Gil Sperry '60. The book includes a history of soccer. Sperry learned the game while a basketball player at Kenyon when coach Bob Harrison insisted his players also play soccer in the spring to improve their conditioning. Sperry has been a high school and college soccer coach.

The scientific instruments collection of Thomas B. Greenslade Jr., professor emeritus of physics, was the focus of a column in the February 15, 2009, edition of the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch. The column noted that when Greenslade "is talking about his collection of antique scientific instruments, it's best to hang on tight. He speaks in a flurry of 'horizontal galvanometers' and 'double reciprocating motors.'" The column concluded that, "The man knows his stuff."

The Chico (California) Enterprise Record profiled Anne Seiler '90, Chico Museum curator, on February 12, 2009. "It used to be that curators were like librarians. You could be eccentric, with an interest in history or art, and be a curator," she said. "Now curators, like librarians, are certified. Museums are like libraries - but they're 3D."

An interview with Lewis Hyde, Richard L. Thomas Professor of Creative Writing, was published on February 4, 2009, in Style Weekly, of Richmond, Virginia. He was asked about the role of the Internet in American culture. "It has been a space that generated new and surprising things," Hyde said. "It continues to be that, but in fact it is also now a kind of battleground between those who'd like to keep it generated, maintain that lack of closure that makes it possible for surprising things to emerge, and other people who'd like to lock it down so they can get a clear income stream out of it." He said the Internet needs "a touch of wildness."

A story in the February 4, 2009, edition of the Chronicle of Higher Education about achieving faculty diversity mentioned Kenyon. In a section of the story that highlighted diversity strategies, Kenyon was pegged as an example of a college that has tapped into a network of minority scholars. "Kenyon College, for example, has created a dissertation/teaching fellowship to encourage minority scholars to consider pursuing a career at a small college rather than a university."

The Standard-Examiner of Ogden, Utah, asked local students, including Chris Philpot '12, for tips on college life for a story published on February 2, 2009. Philpot said his favorite part of being at college is "the freedom and independence" as well as "meeting people through mutual friends, and I love having intense debates over feminism and religion in Middle Ground, our coffee shop." He also said he was "very challenged and very freaked out" by the amount of reading that was expected in his first semester. "Now I am very happy to be able to show off my battle scars."

A review of Kenyon was posted in January 2009 on www.unigo.com, a Web site that features information provided by students about U.S. colleges. "The commitment to academics at Kenyon College is unique even among other top-notch institutions," the review stated. "Kenyon students are described as brainy and quirky and, just as often, awkward." A related Kenyon summary said, "Tolerance and thoughtfulness remain cardinal virtues on campus ... among some of the U.S.A.'s nicest and happiest smart kids."

A column in which Wendy MacLeod, James Michael Playwright-in-Residence and professor of drama, muses about the physical price paid by players in the National Football League was published on January 28, 2009, in the Washington Post. Confessing her appreciation of the game, MacLeod went on to say, "I worry that we've become like the jaded spectators who watched the gladiators in ancient Rome. I feel a little guilty . . . about the injuries suffered for our entertainment." The column was also published by the Albany (New York) Times Union; the Canton (Ohio) Repository; the Day of New London, Connecticut; the Houston Chronicle; the Miami Herald; the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; the Plain Dealer of Cleveland, Ohio; and the Silver City (New Mexico) Sun News.

The death of writer John Updike invited comment by P.F. Kluge, writer in residence, in a column published on January 28, 2009, in the Chicago Tribune. "I think Updike took a larger bite out of what ordinary life in America is like than any other writer I know," he said. The column was also published by the Grand Forks Herald of Grand Forks, North Dakota; the Erie (Pennsylvania) Times-News; the Lexington (Kentucky) Herald-Leader; the Philadelphia Inquirer; the Santa Barbara (California) News-Press; the State of Columbia, South Carolina; and the Taiwan News. Kluge was also quoted on Updike in stories in the January 28 edition of the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch and the January 30, 2009, edition of the Plain Dealer of Cleveland, Ohio. Kluge urges students to think of Updike as "a prototypical American life," he told the Plain Dealer.

Oxford University Press editor Benjamin Keene '00 was the subject of an interview published on January 25, 2009, in the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch. Keene has edited the Atlas of the World for five years. "An atlas is a learning tool and a coffee-table book at the same time," Keene said. "Maps are beautiful objects in their own right, but they should be accurate, too. Our aim is to balance design and function."

The community-service work of Kenyon students in New Orleans was highlighted in a column about public service published on January 24, 2009, in the Times-Picayune of New Orleans. Kenyon students have made repeated trips to Louisiana to help the area recover from the effects of Hurricane Katrina. "I really wish I could tell everyone in person about New Orleans and tell them about how wonderful the city is and the people are, and how badly they need everyone's help," said Dan Caplan '09 of Scarsdale, New York. Molly McGannon '09 of Wilmington, North Carolina, was also mentioned in the story.

Kenyon's role in creating the North Coast Athletic Conference was recalled in a story in the January 22, 2009, edition of the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch about the 25^th anniversary of the conference. The conference was described as revolutionary in that women's teams were elevated to the same status as men's teams and lower-profile sports were embraced as equals to baseball, basketball and football. The conference was credited with fifty-eight national championships. "Kenyon's swimming programs have produced the bulk of those," the story said.

Linda Smolak, Samuel B. Cummings Jr. Professor of Psychology, was quoted in the January 22, 2009, edition of the Jewish Exponent of Philadelphia in a story about how men can cope with the eating disorders of the women in their lives. Sixty percent of women and teenage girls have "serious body-dissatisfaction issues" and as many as 15 percent have an eating disorder, Smolak said. She provided clues for men to help recognize when a woman has an eating disorder. A woman who does not eat in front of others, pushes food around a plate, leaves the table to purge, or talks about body-image issues may have an eating disorder.

Robert Goldwin, who played a role in creating the Public Affairs Conference Center (1967-87) and was a professor of political science (1966-69), was mentioned in a column about intellectuals in the White House posted on January 22, 2009, at the History News Network (hnn.us). Goldwin was described as the "intellectual-in-residence" at the White House during the Ford Administration. Goldwin was an assistant to two of Ford's chiefs of staff, Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney.

The Express & Echo of Exeter, United Kingdom, included Kenyon exchange students at Exeter University in its coverage of the inauguration of Barack Obama in a story published on January 21, 2009. Kate Von Culin '10 of Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, told the newspaper, "The fact that we have a black president is great, but it's more about the hope that he inspires in people." Brendan Dieffenbach '09 of Rotterdam Junction, New York, said Obama was "one of the most promising candidates we have had in a long time." An accompanying photo included Dieffenbach; Kaitlin Lockhart '10 of Webster, New York; Von Culin; and Saskia Warren '10 of Louisville, Kentucky.

"Notes from the road" on the way to the January 20, 2009, presidential inauguration of Barack Obama were sent via e-mail by two Kenyon students and posted on the Web site of NewsChannel 8 (www.kgw.com) of Portland, Oregon. Brothers Anuj Ezekiel '12 and Arjav Ezekiel '10 traveled with other Portlanders to Washington, D.C. Arjav wrote, "I haven't told my mother yet, but unfortunately I forgot my sleeping bag back at college." And, later, "Every corner of D.C. it seems has fallen victim to inauguration fever." At the outset, Anuj wrote, "This is the stuff my grandpa's youthful stories are made of." In Washington, he wrote, "At some point after the beginning of the concert, I look around and realize the magnitude of my current experience."

A Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch story on January 13, 2009, about the athletic daughters of former Ohio State University athletes included mention of Laurel Stokes '10 of Gahanna, Ohio. Laurel is a guard on the Ladies basketball team and the daughter of Ron Stokes, who played basketball at Ohio State and is now a WBNS radio analyst for Ohio State games. "There are expectations and you take pride in what you do with everything," Laurel said. "Dad has worked so hard to build a foundation for us in every way . . . No question, he's intense. I like that." Laurel was also noted by the newspaper, on January 27, as a central Ohio athlete "to watch."

The run of positive reviews of the novel Gone Tomorrow by P.F. Kluge, writer-in-residence, continued on January 12, 2009, in the Weekly Standard of Washington, D.C. The book was described as modest "yet thoroughly pleasurable: a solid academic comedy ... and a warm thank-you note to writers famous and forgotten for the reader's reward of a good lean book."

Kenyon ranked No. 11 in the Kiplinger's list of the top fifty liberal arts college in the U.S. The ranking was the highest among liberal arts colleges in Ohio. The ranking was reported on January 7, 2009, in Business First of Columbus, Ohio; Dayton (Ohio) Business Journal; Houston (Texas) Business Journal; Nashville (Tennessee) Business Journal; Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) Business Journal; Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) Business Times; Sacramento (California) Business Journal.