Top College News

Fourth Annual Social Justice Week Promotes Activism

Published: Thursday, March 29, 2012

Updated: Thursday, November 15, 2012 01:11

Kenyon’s fourth annual Social Justice Week, dedicated to raising awareness and activism in the College community, will bring a barrage of events on social justice culminating on March 30.

“If it affects or includes one person on this campus, it affects the whole campus,” Ellen Blanchard ’12 said. She and Chris Philpot ’12 organized this year’s events, which involve topics ranging from sexuality to religion.

Tuesday and Wednesday included events concerning coming out and a “Pilgrimage of Trust.” Today, from noon to 1:30 p.m., Visiting Instructor of History Maia Surdam will lead a class called “Unpacking at Kenyon and Beyond” on Peirce Patio, and Speak: Women’s Voices from the Hill, a series of poems and essays written by Kenyon women, will go up in the Peirce Pub at 7:00 p.m. Organizers will collect a $2 donation at the door for New Directions, Knox County’s domestic abuse shelter. On Friday, Speak will have another performance at 7:00 p.m., followed by a performance by D’Lo, a Sri Lankan-American political theater artist, writer, director, comedian and music producer.

“I can’t say that I have my own definition of what social justice is,” Philpot said. “I feel like social justice needs to emerge organically from a situation, and it needs to recognize the diversity of the situation.” Blanchard and Philpot try to cover issues that specifically affect Kenyon, but they also make a point of covering those that are applicable worldwide. “[Kenyon students] create this illusion that we are in a bubble,” Philpot said. “But even if we are in a bubble, we’re in a bubble that operates within the real world.”

Recommended: Articles that may interest you

Facebook Comments
Site Comments

Be the first to comment on this article! Log in to Comment

You must be logged in to comment on an article. Not already a member? Register now

Log In

Most Popular

Most Popular

Village Record

Village Record

April 17, 1:47 p.m. — Student reported loss of personal items at the Kenyon Athletic Center.

April 17, 7:59 p.m. — Graffiti found on south hall of Mather Residence Hall.

April 18, 5:30 a.m. — Unknown person(s) set item on fire in Peirce Hall parking lot; extinguished by Safety officer.

April 18, 8:38 p.m. — Student on bike reported white male following her on a bike. Safety officer(s) responded; suspect not found.

April 19, 11:19 p.m. — Student found driving recklessly and unlawfully on public property.

April 20, 1:56 a.m. — Unknown person(s) broke window at New Apartments.

April 20, 9:14 a.m. — Student found with false identification (ID) at the Village Market. ID confiscated.

April 20, 10:39 a.m. — Student residence found to have heavy smell of illegal substance at Hanna Hall.

April 20, 11:07 p.m. — Intoxicated student found lying on grass along Middle Path. Safety officer(s) assisted student to residence.

April 21, 12:36 a.m. — Student(s) found using illegal substance in Gund Commons. Substance and paraphernalia confiscated.

April 21, 1:05 a.m. — Student found using illegal substance in McBride Residence Hall. Item(s) confiscated.

April 21, 1:41 a.m. — Intoxicated student at Gund Commons assisted to residence by Safety officers.

April 21, 2:56 a.m. — Student had altercation at Gund Commons resulting in minor injuries.

April 21, 6:22 p.m. — Ceiling tiles and bar damaged at Tomsich Hall.

April 21, 10:40 p.m. — Underage students found with flasks at McBride Residence Hall.

April 22, 7:56 p.m. — Student reported theft of prescription medication from backpack at Olin Library.

April 23, 11:04 a.m. — Faculty member slipped and fell at the Hill Theater, injuring arm. Medical attention sought.

Village Council

Village Council
- The Village will undergo a water tower interior inspection in either mid or late June, using a remotely operated vehicle. The Council approved $2,000 to Dixon Engineering, Inc. for the inspection.
- The Council approved $4,796.50 to Small’s Asphalt Paving, Inc. to remove topsoil and gravel at the Gambier Community Park.
- Leak detectors identified a leak at the service line at 205 East Brooklyn St. The newly placed sidewalk there may need to be removed for the plans to reroute a service line from the main meter to the pit meter.
- The Council approved $31,434 to Germain Ford of Columbus for a new dump truck, which includes a trade-in rebate of the old dump truck. The Council also approved $25,290 to Kaffenbarger Truck Equipment Co. to retrofit the dump truck with a stainless steel dump bed, tailgate salt spreader and snow plow.
- Small’s Asphalt Paving, Inc. submitted a quote for milling and repaving the parking lot around the Gambier Community Center as well as other areas in the Village in need of repair and for building the soccer field at the park.
- A public hearing will be held regarding the North Acland Street Project on Monday, April 22 at 7:00 p.m. at the Gambier Community Center.
- The Council passed a resolution entering into a contract with ODOT Purchasing Services for 75 tons of rock salt for the 2013-2014 winter.
- The Council passed a resolution expressing extreme disapproval for House Bill 5 in the Ohio General Assembly, allowing the state to administer local income tax collection.
- The Council adopted an ordinance amending the ordinance establishing the salary and benefits of the Village Administrator.
- The Council adopted an ordinance setting an eight-percent increase in sewer rates, to offset a five-percent reduction in water rates. The Council also adopted an ordinance amending the ordinance establishing rates, charges and rules for the Municipal Water System.
- The Council approved the first reading of an ordinance establishing and naming paths by the North Campus Apartments (NCAs) for Emergency Medical Technician purposes.
- The Council approved $64,532.57 to Small’s Asphalt Paving, Inc. to finish the East Brooklyn Street Sidewalk and Roadway Improvement Project.
- The Council approved $13,000 to Schrock Construction to replace a water line at the NCAs.
- The mayor requested the Council’s view on the possibility of the College Township Fire Department’s merger with the Mount Vernon Fire Department. The Council approved a resolution endorsing the action taken by the committee in charge of the department’s future; the committee unanimously approved opening serious negotiations with Mount Vernon.

Student Council

Student Council
- Campus Senate revised Bacchus’s constitution so that the organization addresses alcohol, tobacco and all drugs.
- The Senate is also drafting a request that the Board of Division Housing review its constitution along with its review and appeals process.
- Only 60 students have responded to the Academic Affairs Committee’s survey on senior comprehensive exercises.
- The Committee on Academic Standards is thinking of scrapping the entire AIB process and starting over, but the provost’s office is hoping to create a policy over the summer to experimentally implement in the fall.
- The Safety Committee is working with Safety on methods to encourage safe drinking during Sendoff. Ideas include posters.
- The Greek Council representative acknowledges that a fraternity has been accused of hazing, but will not release information about the specifics until the situation has been resolved. The Greek Council representative also acknowledges that there are other, more minor investigations into hazing occurring with different Greek Organizations.
- Juniors will give away coffee and doughnuts during the Wednesday of finals week.
- First years will distribute notes with candy attached. First Year Council will have a banquet at the Kenyon Inn.
- The BFC allocated $2,302 for a shed that will be shared by men’s and women’s rugby and the frisbee teams.
- The BFC bought a K-Card machine for student groups to check out from the Student Activities Office (SAO). In addition to its ability to collect money, it can also collect demographic information such as which class year had the highest level of attendance.
- Student Lectureships received their full $5,220 budget for the fall. They partnered with the Kenyon Review and will bring New Yorker staff writer D.T. Max to campus in the fall.
- The Business and Finance Committee (BFC) has a number of new or revised bylaws. Bylaws 18 and 19 now differentiate between over-spending and under-spending. Listed below are the new or revised bylaws:
- (Replace 18) Over-spending of BFC-allocated funding will result in a minimum of one semester suspension from receiving funding, unless the discrepancies can be reimbursed by the end of the current semester.
- (19) Misuse of BFC-allocated funding will result in a minimum of one semester suspension from receiving funding, and additional sanctions are at the discretion of the BFC.
- (20) All contracts must be brought to the Director of Student Activities at least 14 days prior to an event. Failure to do so could result in a cancellation of the event, as the contract cannot be processed in time.
- (21) Any funds received from another source, such as other student organizations, academic departments, faculty or outside organizations, that will be applied to a BFC-funded event need to be disclosed to the Treasurers.
- (22) The BFC will not fund any events directly relating to any academic assignment, assessment or exercise for which an evaluation will be given to a student(s).
- (23) Funding may only be used for items/events for which it was requested, and a re-purposing of the funding must be approved by the BFC. It is the responsibility of student groups to notify the BFC of any changes relating to an event including, but not limited to, co-sponsorship, cost, funding from other sources and use of funds or coordination with other campus groups. All information provided in budget requests and communications with the BFC chairs is expected to be truthful.
- (24) Failure to comply with any bylaws will result in a review of the funding for an event and may result in sanctions including, but not limited to, withholding of funds, request for reimbursement and a semester suspension from eligibility for funds.
- The phrase “before the event” was added to both numbers 21 and 23, along with “truthful and complete” to number 23.
- The BFC did not receive receipts from the Tuskegee Airmen event. They did receive an email from the group’s advisor outlining costs. The costs from the SAO for the event did not exceed the original allocation or scope of the event.
- Some of the current and future Student Lectureships co-chairs attended the meeting on Sunday in order to help repair their relationship with Student Council. Student Lectureships will not be disciplined, and Student Council considers the issue closed.
- Student Council discussed ways to increase student awareness of these meetings. They would like the Collegian to include in their weekly minutes that “Student Council Meetings are held every Sunday at 1:00 p.m. and are open to the student body.”

Village Record

This site is powered by: is a member of the Official Music Sponsor: