Anyone who browses the Peirce Hall Facebook page knows about “Charlotte the local foods girl”, who writes about all of the amazing local food that we serve in our dining hall. But did you know that Charlotte, originally from Belmont, Massachusetts, graduated from Kenyon in 2013 with major in classics? Besides working with Peirce’s local foods, she also is the faculty advisor for Eta Sigma Phi, Kenyon’s classics honors fraternity. I was lucky enough to sit down with Charlotte to learn more about her.
HCK: Tell us a little bit about what you do at Kenyon.
Charlotte: My official title is “Sustainability Assistant” at AVI, but basically I am the “local food program assistant.” I pick out local foods like apples and do lots of administrative stuff in the office. I work with lots of Excel spreadsheets so we can track how much of what we eat is local.
What’s a typical day like for you?
Well, today I got to work at 8:30, and I called the hydroponic lettuce guy, drove to Bellville to pick up some lettuce, went down to Martinsburg, and picked up lots of jam from Yoder’s Fine Foods. I was out for about two hours, and then the rest of the day I was in the office doing spreadsheet stuff. At the beginning of each week I look at the invoices from the previous week. Most people think that Excel is deathly boring but I really like it!
What is the strangest part about being back at Kenyon as a staff member?
When people who graduated with me come to visit and they’re so psyched to see all the sites. And seeing things that I have so many memories of as a student in a different context: it’s very surreal.
What has changed the most since you were a student?
All the new buildings that have gone up. When I was freshman, art classes were still in Bexley and the NCAs didn’t exist. It’s just funny to think about how the campus looked during my freshman year vs. now.
What’s your favorite Kenyon memory?
Well, Jonathan Tubin is coming to the Horn on Saturday, and he came my senior year. He spins all these amazing records, and it was this insane, crazy dance party!
What is one thing that you would tell your Kenyon-student self?
It’s okay that you don’t have your shit together. That’s an important thing for everyone to know.
What’s your favorite local food at Peirce?
The runny yogurt, I know that everyone hates it but I love it!
Because you were a classics major, I have to ask: what Greek god/goddess you would be and why?
I would be Artemis because she just hangs out naked in the woods all the time, which I think is a great way to live your life.
What is your spirit animal?
Great blue heron, because I’m tall and I spook easily. I also know my spirit vegetable.
(laughs) Okay then, what’s your spirit vegetable?
My spirit vegetable is asparagus because spring is my favorite season. And after you plant it, it takes about 3 to 5 years before it starts producing and you can harvest it, and it takes me a long time once I move in a place to settle in. Then once I’m settled in, I never want to leave.
Be sure to say hi to Charlotte if you ever see her in Peirce, and tell her what your spirit vegetable is!