By Emily Sakamoto

A mandated stop on the First-Year Orientation journey, Real World: Gambier attempts to provide key insights into handeling different campus situations.

Real World’s 2013 production consisted of a 16-person cast that collaboratively wrote their script from a base taken from the previous year’s production. The show was staged on Aug. 28.

This year’s topics ranged from drug use to roommate dilemmas, though several themes have remained constant throughout the years.

“We’re required to cover only the sexual misconduct policy and the Good Samaritan policy,” said Greg Culley ’14, student co-coordinator of the event.

Though at times cloaked in humor, the gravity of some of the situations was apparent to first years as they rehashed what had stuck with them from the performance.

“I thought it was very funny and they were able to approach some big questions,” Lewis Turley ’17 said. “It was a nice segue for the [hall]meeting we had after.”

Community Advisor Elizabeth Norman ’16 agreed that her residents understood the severity of the implications that arose onstage as well as the benefits of the resources listed afterwards.

“They thought it was funny ﾅ and they did take it seriously,” she said.

First years also said that while at times cheesy and overdramatic, Real World portrayed plausible college events.

“I thought the situations were pretty realistic,” Jack Clayton ’17 said.

That being said, some first years voiced concern that certain issues were skipped. First year Holloway Cushman ’17, for example, expressed disappointment that eating disorders were not covered in the skit.

Since many college students struggle with choosing their own meals day in and day out, at least one student felt this was a necessary topic to be dealt with.

Some first years may have found the experiance a little too informative.

“[It was] definitely a lot of information thrown at you at one time,” Max Pescherine ’17 said. “But I thought it was actually pretty useful.”

“I think they do a very good job of balancing humor and seriousness and showing what can happen,” CA Sterling Nelson ’16 said. “[The first years] got a really good taste of all the resources that are available to them.”

Already, some first years have begun to utilize the advisors mentioned during the production.

Hannah Gilman ’17, for instance, has already connected with her Peer Counselor . “I talk to my PC all the time. She’s really cool, I like her a lot,” she said.

Others simply felt confident in the knowledge that they had the contacts necessary for any situation that may occur.

“I felt like even if I needed to reach some specific person I could always go through my CA,” Pescherine said.

While some thought the production redundant or exploding with information, Real World: Gambier appeared to positively impact the class of 2017 and guide them into the hands of Kenyon’s numerous advisors.

“They were pretty receptive,” Discriminatory Advisor Jinexa Nunez ’16 said.

Added Clayton, “By the end of it, I had actually warmed up to it.”

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