As the weather warms up and campus begins to come alive, Kenyon starts to feel like summer camp. The excitement of completing a year of classes lends well to playing spikeball on the lawn and lounging in the thick, green grass. This feeling of renewal and relaxation is often fleeting as students are forced to leave soon after finals are done. Kenyon is more than just classes. It’s a community. Leaving as soon as exams are completed prevents the community from being celebrated properly. The end of the school year shouldn’t be a sprint to the exit; students should have a few extra days on campus to soak it all in.

When the spring semester rolls around, excitement for the warm weather gets eclipsed by the stress of finals. In late March, students start spending more time outside, studying in the sunshine, enjoying the weekends and participating in classic spring rituals like swimming in the Kokosing River. But during finals week, students aren’t able to fully appreciate the season because they are forced to focus for the last couple of weeks. On top of that, there’s very little opportunity for students to unwind and savor the beauty of campus after finals. Due to the set time the College closes residence halls, everyone must leave the moment finals are over, with no space to slow down or reflect on the year. After weeks of studying, we’re given no time to enjoy the serene beauty of Kenyon when we’ve finally earned it. 

There should be a few days set aside for all students to celebrate the end of the academic year. This wouldn’t undermine Senior Week; rather, it would give everyone a chance to soak in the campus one last time before the year concludes. Many underclassmen who want to remain on campus for a few extra days often arrange to crash with senior friends during Senior Week. But without official permission to stay, these students are technically violating housing policies. That means spontaneous memory-making moments such as one last group dinner at the Village Inn can turn into a write-up or a knock on the door from the Office of Campus Security. It’s a low-risk but real situation that puts students in a strange limbo of wanting to remain a part of campus life, but no longer officially allowed to be there. If the whole student body were given a few extra days before residence halls closed, those issues could be avoided, and everyone could relax and celebrate together. 

While it is understandable that the College has a set schedule for move-out and reorganization, I believe the Kenyon community would benefit greatly from a few extra days to savor the beauty of campus. More time for unwinding, such as hammocking or biking on the Kokosing Gap Trail, would provide much-needed relief from the stress of finals. Let’s make time to truly appreciate Kenyon in all its glory, after the academic stress has been lifted.

Bronwyn Kraebber ’27 is an English major from New York. She can be contacted at kraebber2@kenyon.edu.