Deer and squirrels are not the only inhabitants of the snow-cloaked campus during winter break. Each break, while the majority of students head back home to spend time with family, a number of students brace themselves for Gambier’s blustery winter. 

According to Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Residential Life Leah Reuber, winter break and Thanksgiving break both see around 300 students approved to stay, while spring break averages in the mid-500s. The numbers include both students who stay on campus throughout the entirety of the break, those who only stay a few days in the beginning before traveling and those who arrive back on campus early. 

For the most recent winter break, the majority of break residents were international students for whom the cost of international travel was a financial burden. Travel documents also added an extra challenge. In an interview with the Collegian, Marisa Phoeung ’26 explained that every time she returns to the United States from her home country Cambodia, she has to undergo a visa renewal process that takes approximately one month. Since winter break was only three weeks this year, staying on campus was the only option for students who faced both financial and travel restraints this year. There were also student-athletes present on campus for practice and games. 

While some colleges close their residence halls or charge an extra fee for break housing, Kenyon lets students stay free of charge. “Given the needs of our students, I don’t believe we have entertained the idea of not allowing any students to remain in housing on campus,” Reuber wrote in an email to the Collegian.

The College ensures that the break residents are looked after: “Campus Safety remains available 24/7, as well as an on-call staff person from Student Affairs. There are also always a few Community Advisors available specifically for break coverage,” Reuber said.

One accommodation appreciated by many break residents is The Source, run by Dean of Student Development Robin Hart Ruthenbeck. The Source provides access to food and other necessities such as clothing or laundry products during breaks. It supplies a range of produce, protein and ready-to-eat products, while also accommodating students with dietary restrictions with, for example, Halal and gluten-free products. Typically located on the third floor of Peirce Dining Hall, The Source was relocated to Peirce Express for the most recent winter break due to a maintenance project in Peirce.

A quieter campus does not automatically equal isolation and melancholy. “It feels like we have the school to ourselves,” Phoeung said. “At first I thought ‘Oh my god, I’m gonna be so lonely,’ but I actually enjoyed it. There’s no one around. I’ve talked to my friends before, and some of us share the same sentiment. Middle Path is so clear, so it’s nice just to take a walk and you don’t have to bump into anyone.”

Winter break is also a time to complete personal projects that the busy schedule during the school year doesn’t usually allow. Hai Anh Quach ’26, a mathematics and philosophy double major, was set on finishing Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics and some dystopian novels. Madeline Ha ’28 completed a Professional Extension Project organized by the Career Development Office, which helped her gain investment banking experience through working with a Kenyon alumnus. Phoeung challenged herself by replicating Cambodian dishes that she had over last summer break, such as beef ceviche and chicken congee.

On a sparsely populated campus, students band together for community. Quach formed a daily routine of cooking dinner with two other friends and played billiards in the Gund Commons Game Room afterward. For Christmas and New Year’s Eve, Phoeung had friends over for potluck and karaoke. For the 2023-2024 winter break, Ruthenbeck and Marne Ausec, director of the Center for Global Engagement, hosted a cooking competition “inspired by Iron Chef and/or Chopped,” per Ruthenbeck’s email, for the break residents. 

The reduced hours of services around campus brought some challenges. Some students expressed light discontent over the Lowry Center closing down the majority of break, or the irregularity of the KAT shuttle schedule. However, students still enjoyed the vacant campus and by the end of break, even grew a little possessive of it. “At the end of every break, once I start seeing students coming back on Saturday, I feel like I lost a part of the campus to everyone else. I was like ‘Come back on Sunday. Give me an extra day!’” Phoeung joked.