Be mindful this year.

As we begin a new academic year, so begins much more. New friendships, new experiences and new inspirations will fill these next several months. In order to truly enjoy it all, we must make the effort to be present. 

After two years of a pandemic that has torn us from each other and from this place, Kenyon is ready to welcome us back with a sense of stability and normalcy. The idea of normalcy is vague, though. Most students on the Hill this year have never experienced a pre-pandemic Gambier. 

This allows for a new standard to be set. There is a huge capacity for a welcoming and tight-knit community on the Hill. This small campus along with an active student body creates a beautiful environment for a transformative four years. However, this community and environment cannot be built passively. It will take intentional effort from each student to be aware and conscious of themself, others and this space.

It is important to make a conscious effort each day to not only be a student at the College, but also a resident of Gambier and a friend to all. Make conversation with the strangers around you, and be open to learning about their lives. Look inward and ask yourself what you truly hope to gain from your time here. Breathe the air, and appreciate the natural beauty that surrounds us. Take advantage of all that Kenyon and Gambier have to offer, and be open to new experiences. Though we may never restore the “Kenyon experience” to what it was before the pandemic, we can make a concerted effort to take our new collegiate reality in stride, to make it what we want it to be and to make the most of our Ohio home.

Sincerely, 

Reid, Amelia and Salvatore

The staff editorial is written weekly by editors-in-chief Amelia Carnell ’23 and Salvatore Macchione ’23 and executive director Reid Stautberg ’23. You can contact them at carnell1@kenyon.edu, macchione1@kenyon.edu, stautberg1@kenyon.edu, respectively.