On Oct. 23, fraternity Delta Kappa Epsilon’s (DKE) “Lambda One” rolled onto campus to kick off the chapter’s annual reunion weekend. The large, navy blue bus left many students puzzled and excited. “I was extraordinarily confused. There was a strange amount of middle-aged men walking around,” Eleanor Retish ’28 said. For the DKEs, the presence of the legendary “Lambda One” on campus symbolized the nearing weekend of brotherhood. 

This past weekend, over 30 DKE alumni from across the country ventured back to the Hill. The reunion bustled with activities, including a networking event, community dinner and chapter barbecue, where alumni and active members came together to plant trees in honor of their brothers who had passed away within the last year. 

The networking event was open to all students. DKE member Kevin Farina ’28 appreciated the opportunities it presented to him. “I was able to learn about various industries and made valuable connections in various cities and industries around the United States,” he said in a message to the Collegian. DKE alumni also made an effort to share their career expertise with other student organizations on campus. For example, Hewitt Heiserman ’82 met with the Kenyon Finance Club to present an innovative approach to evaluating stocks. 

Active and alumni members had the chance to get together and share their stories during the reunion. Stanford Brandt ’28 enjoyed hearing memories from DKE alumni about their experiences in division housing: “I live in the bullseye in Old K, so meeting a bunch of different guys who had also lived there in the past was really cool when they came over and talked about different memories in the room,” he said in a message to the Collegian.

According to Sam Adams ’81, former chapter president, the “real heart” of the annual DKE reunion is not the scheduled events but “the impromptu gatherings of alumni and students around campus.” “Lambda One” was available for all students to explore and served as an opportunity for the Kenyon community to hear stories about the College’s past from DKE alumni. The bus itself was fully furnished; the seats had been stripped out and replaced with a bed, seating, food storage, cabinet space and a fax machine. AJ House ’80, who built the bus, did all of the woodwork and carpentry himself using materials available to him on his farm in western Illinois.

On Thursday night, Collegian staffers boarded the bus after receiving an invitation from the DKEs. Amid dim fluorescent lighting, DKEs young and old sat knee to knee on a mismatched array of chairs and benches. One DKE, who was perched on a beer cooler, had to continually stand up so his brothers could get more drinks. Each time he stood, his head nearly grazed the low ceiling of the bus. Conversation flowed between staffers and DKE members as they discussed old Collegian articles and life at Kenyon. 

For members of DKE, the alumni help build their love of fraternity — both on and off the bus. “Our alumni are a big reason for why many of us joined DKE in the first place. Their support is what allows us to continue our traditions over the years,” Aakash Gunturu ’26, current DKE president, said.