Star Power
Ballroom dancing takes a competitive turn for a good cause when eight campus couples meet for Dancing with the Kenyon Stars on Friday.
The event swings into action at 8:30 p.m. at Rosse Hall and will benefit the Kno-Ho-Co-Ashland Community Action Commission, which is based in Coshocton and serves Knox, Holmes, Coshocton and Ashland counties. Admission is free, but a donation of at least $2 allows those in attendance to vote on the best pair of dancers.
The Ballroom Dance Club has organized the event for the second year and brings the cha-cha, fox trot, jive, quickstep, rumba, swing, tango and waltz to the Rosse Hall auditorium stage. Eight students will partner with administrators, faculty, and staff.
"It's really exciting," said Brandy Arredondo '14 of Falls Church, Virginia, and president of the dance club. "It's really great to get to know the professors through their dancing. Their personalities just come out. Everything they are is right there." And rehearsals have gone well, she said. "They're pumped."
The students chose the local community action agency as the beneficiary of the event to put an emphasis on fighting poverty, Arredondo said. Kno-Ho-Co-Ashland served about 12,500 families last year and has been honored for best practices by the Ohio State University John Glenn Institute of Public Service and Public Policy. Those who attend and make a donation will be able to vote by paper ballot or by texting.
The dancers include Arredondo; Marne Ausec, director of the Center for Global Engagement; Katherine Baker '14 of Elmhurst, Illinois; Mia Barnett '15 of Fargo, North Dakota; Meaghan Brennan '15 of Manchester, Missouri; Professor of French Mary Jane Cowles; Professor of Chemistry Scott Cummings; Pierre Dairon, assistant professor of French; Gary DiClementi, assistant men's lacrosse coach; Professor of Biology Christopher Gillen; Thomas Hite '16 of Silver Lake, Ohio; Johanna Klinman '15 of Pontiac, Maryland.; Luke Kresslein '15 of Elliott City, Maryland; President S. Georgia Nugent; Bradley Raynor '16 of Rockville, Maryland; and Provost Nayef Samhat.
The judges are Kim Blank, assistant director of student activities for programming; Bob Milnikel, associate professor of mathematics; and Professor of Anthropology David Suggs.