The new Collegian executive staff would like to welcome all of you to Volume 151. For 167 years, generations of students have invested countless hours in providing the greater Kenyon community with thoughtful reporting on events — whether everyday or monumental — on and around the Hill. Although the Collegian and Kenyon may carry a different significance for each member of the staff, we are united in our belief that student journalism is essential to the longevity and success of our community.

Kenyon remains in the process of repairing the damage that COVID-19 inflicted upon its institutions. Many student organizations continue to grapple with the loss of institutional memory. Students in these groups struggle to revive clubs and activities without the support of upperclassmen who were fully versed in the inner workings of Kenyon. To combat these gaps in knowledge, organizations — as well as the Kenyon administration — have been able to draw on the work of Collegian contributors from years past. Traditions such as Market Dog Day were able to make a comeback, and when considering current debates such as Kenyon’s recent moniker change or whether to pave Middle Path, the Collegian archives provide us with invaluable insight into the past that can guide our decisions in the present.

As this academic year comes to a close, the last class to experience Kenyon before the pandemic is graduating; however, its achievements and efforts will remain safely within the folds of the Collegian pages. The Collegian has served not only as a witness to and keeper of Kenyon’s history, but a contributor to it as well. In Volume 151, we will continue the paper’s tradition of providing the community with a wide-ranging view of the campus, recognizing student accomplishments and providing space for open dialogue and debate about current issues. 

While we take some of the responsibility for the continuation of the Collegian’s excellence, we know that our paper is only as good as the students writing the words that are the lifeblood of this publication. As we look forward to this next volume, we hope that each of you will join the Collegian staff in one way or another, and help us to document, explore and share our Kenyon. 

Sincerely,

Hannah, Audrey and Katie

The staff editorial is written weekly by Editors-in-Chief Katie Sparvero ’25 and Audrey Baker ’25 and Managing Editor Hannah Sussman ’25. You can contact them at sparvero1@kenyon.edu, baker10@kenyon.edu and sussman3@kenyon.edu, respectively.