Finding a quiet, peaceful place to study or relax on Kenyon’s bustling campus can sometimes be a challenge, especially for first years who haven’t found their favorite study spot yet. Quiet Hours, started by Professor of English and Creative Writing Sarah Heidt in 2014, are just the thing! They set out to create a distraction-free environment for students. Held every Thursday in Weaver Cottage from 7–9 p.m, participating students must put away their screens, get out their preferred task and be in the silent company of other classmates. The pressure to socialize and make friends is nonexistent; it is simply a calm environment open to all students.
Upon entering, there is a table with cookies for attendees to enjoy and earplugs for those who want complete silence, making the space even more tranquil.
Kenyon student Zoe Harrell ’28, a frequent Quiet Hours attendee, said, “My setup since later last semester has been to make a cup of blueberry tea, grab some cookies and put them on a windowsill by a beanbag to snack on while I write.”
When asked about how students have used Quiet Hours in the past, Heidt recounted that one took advantage of the time to reread all of Jane Austen’s work. Others knit or do homework.
Eva Panza ’29 reflected on her typical approach to Quiet Hours, “My kind of rule of thumb is I don’t bring homework to do there. I only bring a pleasure read, whatever I’m just reading for fun at the time.”
This Kenyon tradition was started by Heidt before the event moved to Weaver Cottage, when she opened up her personal residence to students who needed a relaxing space. When asked about her inspirations for Quiet Hours, Heidt credits one of her experiences at a Zen monastery.
“We had a series of guidelines and precautions for things like our daily schedule, but also our retreats and periods of meditation, and they were set up to create a container within which some things could happen,” she said. “So I thought about what might hold a container where, longer-form thought or deeper ability to sink into something and not be distracted might happen.”
For Heidt, the time serves as a way to get work done, but also to celebrate the coming end of the week with a new book and a few hours of peace.
Heidt was unable to continue Quiet Hours while she was leading Kenyon-Exeter during the 2018–19 and 2024–25 academic years. But during 2024–25, students who saw the value in the tradition continued holding their own quiet hours. The hours were run through an extension of the First-Generation Low-Income Student Organization. Now Heidt’s Quiet Hours are back! Every Thursday in Weaver Cottage, students are encouraged to drop in for a few minutes or hours. Come and put away your screens for a safe and silent space — a place perfect for getting homework done, knitting a sweater or just sitting in the silence.