It’s been about two weeks since most of the Class of 2020 walked ~around~ the Gates of Hell (yay, construction!) and onto our beautiful campus. Yet, with all of the beginning-of-the-year-hubbub of starting new classes, joining new activities, and meeting new people, those two weeks have felt like two years. As a first-year, I can say that it’s easy to forget that I’ve only been at Kenyon for a short time, and most of my fellow first-years would agree. But, I’m here with a friendly reminder: if you have experienced one or more of the following in these past two weeks, there is a very good chance that you are indeed a first-year.
1. You have gotten lost on the way to basically everywhere
You name it: Peirce, your classes, your residence hall, the laundry room, the KAC, Olin Library, Rosse Hall, and any other number of locations. You have definitely gotten lost on the way there at least once. For such a relatively small campus, it is far too easy to get completely, hopelessly lost. Shout-out and a huge thank you to all of the returning students who have helped the helpless! (Even though it’s quite possible that the first-year you assisted had no idea where the buildings you referenced in your directions were and continued to wander around aimlessly anyway.)
2. You have confused Mather and McBride when it’s dark
While this may only apply to a portion of new students, as a McBride resident, I can tell you that this struggle is much too real. I mean, the buildings are basically identical, and in the first few days especially, it’s incredibly difficult to decipher between the two.
3. You have forgotten the names of over two-thirds of the people you’ve met
Or they’ve forgotten your name. This may seem like an exaggeration, but if you think about all of the people you’ve introduced yourself to these past two weeks—from your hallmates to your UCC group to anyone you’ve met in your classes and many, many more—you start to realize how relatively few names you remember. But don’t worry, everyone here is so nice that they won’t mind introducing themselves to you one or two (or five) more times.
4. You have joined a table on New Side that is already well over full capacity
Because the number of people you’ve met who you feel comfortable with is fairly small, if you see one person you know in Peirce, you will pull up a chair to sit at their table, even if there are already ten chairs crowded around it. We are drawn towards the familiar, but don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone and ask someone you’ve never met if you can sit with them. Odds are they’ll say yes, and then you’ll have another familiar face on campus, even though you might promptly forget their name (see #3).
5. You have been confounded and baffled by the number of acronyms
CAs, UCCs, SMAs, PCs, DAs, NCAs, BFEC, CDO, KAC…the list goes on and on. It’s a little overwhelming, but it’s nice to have our own little Kenyon dictionary. I imagine that sorting through all of the letters gets easier over time, but just in case, the Kenyon website provides a little guide.
If you related to this list on a personal level you may in fact be, or at one point were, a Kenyon first-year! It’s okay if you still get lost on the way to a new place, have to ask a junior how to use the printer in Olin, or go straight for salad in Peirce because you’re afraid of the lines. Everything is different and unfamiliar, but change is exciting, and there’s an entire community of students, faculty, and Gambier residents here to offer us a warm welcome and help us with any obstacle that comes our way. So welcome to Kenyon, Class of 2020! And may you always remember not to text on Middle Path.