By Carmen Perry

Lately, the buckets of rain soaking Middle Path have been making the walkway even more difficult to traverse – large puddles necessitate waterproof footwear or above-average jumping ability. The problems have inspired rumors of the College paving over Middle Path. According to Chief Business Officer Mark Kohlman, however, drastic change is not in the cards for the beloved pathway. “It’s never going to be paved,” Kohlman said. “It’s a main part of the College.”

Kenyon’s administration is, however, tackling numerous landscaping and logistical issues. The College has been following a master plan for the design of the entire campus for the past 10 years. Developments under this plan have included the Kenyon Athletic Center (KAC), Storer Hall, Eaton Center and the new wing of Peirce.

Now with the help of landscape architecture firm Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc. the administration is turning more attention to Kenyon’s aesthetic. “We’ve never taken a comprehensive look at landscape or landscape principals [before],” Kohlman said. The College will examine tree species and health, gardens, traffic flow at Peirce and roads and parking for both cars and bikes. The plan is to take a historical look at how the campus has changed over the years, according to Kohlman.

The College isn’t looking to make drastic alterations to the scenery of Kenyon. The main focuses of the upcoming changes are manageability and sustainability. “We’re looking at how you make the campus more accessible as a whole,” Kohlman said. So students should rest assured that Middle Path will remain unchanged for the foreseeable future.

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