By Madeline Thompson

Driving under the influence (DUI) charges at Kenyon have increased by 50 percent in the last year. It is likely, however, that this is more a result of stricter enforcement activity than it is of an increase in Kenyon students drinking and driving, according to Director of Campus Safety Bob Hooper. “Law enforcement has had a lot of pressure on [it] to up that level of enforcement,” Hooper said. “Mothers Against Drunk Driving put a lot of pressure on them, and the state of Ohio is putting pressure on them. There are more concerted efforts in the enforcement level.”

Another reason students get caught in the act is their ignorance about the rules of Gambier versus the college it houses, according to Hooper. “Students don’t understand that there is a difference – Kenyon isn’t Gambier and Gambier isn’t Kenyon – and they don’t understand, or don’t want to understand, that most of the roads in the Village are public roads,” he said. “If they go to the [Gambier] Grill, the Village Inn or the Kenyon Inn and then get in their car and drive, with the deputies that are assigned to Kenyon, their chances of getting stopped are pretty high.”

The boundaries of Kenyon property are unclear to most, Hooper said. The College owns the land from Wiggin St. down to the residential buildings in the south end of campus as well as the residential buildings in the north end of campus. “But up towards the north end, those are public roadways,” he said.

Hooper added that students should feel free to contact Campus Safety. “We’re here to help,” he said. “If [students] have questions or are unsure about something, use us as a resource.”

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