We are saddened to hear that our commencement ceremony will be held indoors this year. It is tradition for it to be held on the lawn in front of Samuel Mather Hall, but this May it will be held on Toan Track in the Lowry Center. This is not how we wanted to say goodbye to Kenyon. 

Four years ago, we walked the length of Middle Path to Samuel Mather Hall at our convocation. It is fitting symbolically that our time at Kenyon be bookended by these two ceremonies held in the heart of campus, surrounded by familiar academic buildings and the canopy of trees that make our college so beautiful. 

We are genuinely sympathetic to the two cited reasons for making the change this year — expense and accessibility. In previous years, the administration had to preemptively prepare two locations for Commencement in case of bad weather, from a spring downpour to extreme heat. And each year, the grassy terrain of the Samuel Mather Lawn and the uneven gravel of Middle Path prove challenging for those in wheelchairs. But we believe that these challenges are not insurmountable; a beautiful, traditional commencement ceremony is deserving of greater expense, and accessibility concerns can be mitigated with proper equipment. 

We do believe that accessibility should be prioritized. We trust that maintenance staff can collaborate with event planners to accomplish this. For example, opening the parking lots by Peirce, Ascension and Leonard Halls for handicapped vehicles could accommodate people with wheelchairs by providing a closer location of entry to Middle Path. 

Holding the commencement ceremony outside maintains a tradition that is near and dear to many students’ hearts. There is something uniquely symbolic about walking down Middle Path and crossing the stage in front of Samuel Mather to shake President Julie Kornfeld’s hand. The Senior Sing, another tradition that bookends our time at Kenyon, is fittingly held nearby on the steps of Rosse Hall. These traditions take place on south campus because it is both the oldest part of the College but also where students spend the most of their time going to and fro from classes and socializing with fellows. 

The location of our commencement ceremony might seem like a little thing, but to us it’s quite a big thing. Many of us came to Kenyon because we fell for the wood paneled halls and gothic turrets. We became a part of a history that is bigger than ourselves. Why take that away from us and make our goodbye take place in the distinctly modern Lowry Center?

Sincerely,

Annalia, Katie and Audrey

This editorial was written by editors-in-chief Katie Sparvero ’25 and Audrey Baker ’25 and managing editor Annalia Fiore ’25. You can contact them at sparvero1@kenyon.edu, baker10@kenyon.edu and fiore1@kenyon.edu, respectively.