Digital Kenyon: Research, Scholarship, and Creative Exchange The Kenyon Collegian College Archives 11-8-2018 Kenyon Collegian - November 8, 2018 Follow this and additional works at: https://digital.kenyon.edu/collegian Recommended Citation "Kenyon Collegian - November 8, 2018" (2018). The Kenyon Collegian. 2476. https://digital.kenyon.edu/collegian/2476 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the College Archives at Digital Kenyon: Research, Scholarship, and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Kenyon Collegian by an authorized administrator of Digital Kenyon: Research, Scholarship, and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ESTABLISHED 1856 November 8, 2018 Vol. CXLVI, No.11 Ohio and Gambier see soaring turnout in midterm elections BETÜL AYDIN NEWS EDITOR CAMERON MESSINIDES EDITOR-IN-CHIEF As polls across the country opened to groundbreaking turnout for the 2018 gen- eral election on Tuesday, Knox County and Gambier saw their highest ballot counts for a midterm election in years. In Knox Coun- ty, 22,430 voters went to the polls, almost 5,000 higher than the total in 2014, and Gambier precincts counted 988 ballots, the Village’s highest tally in a midterm since 2006 and more than two times the 392 vot- ers who turned out for the 2014 midterms. At Kenyon, about 900 students registered to vote in Ohio, and around 600 of them voted on Election Day and during early vot- ing, according to Robert A. Oden, Jr. Profes- sor of Biology Joan Slonczewski. In Ohio overall, voters casted 4,382,382 ballots on Tuesday, according to the Ohio Secretary of State’s unofficial report. If it holds true, this represents the largest turn- out for a midterm election in Ohio since turnout was first recorded in the state in 1940, beating the previous high mark in 2006, which saw 4,185,597 total voters. At 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Kenyon students marched from Peirce Hall to the Community Center to cast their votes. | ERYN POWELL Kenyon organizes on was very impressive,” she said. “Students life,” Kastenberg said. “Voting for the little, just voting. And that’s a pattern that I hope Election Day are voters, like any other citizen living in less glamorous stuff is what impacts you in we can continue as a school,” Jessie Goro- the county, and they voted with all the oth- your day-to-day life the most, and it’s one vitz ’20, who serves as the vice president During Common Hour on Election Day, er, citizens and it was especially impressive that people ignore.” of College Democrats of Ohio and the na- a group of around 20 students marched to have that kind of turnout for a midterm Later in the day, the Department of Po- tional field director for College Democrats to the Gambier Community Center from election. This was really historic. Also, the litical Science and the Center for the Study of America, said. “I think it’s something that Peirce Hall. The Kenyon Democrats orga- students voted all the way down the ballot, of American Democracy sponsored a watch makes us unique among a lot of colleges in nized the event to help encourage students not just for the top race.” party where professors and students gath- Ohio. We have unusually high rates of voter to vote. Abby Kastenberg ’19 was one of the stu- ered in Peirce Pub to watch the election re- registration and participation, and I think Slonczewski was at the Community Cen- dents who voted on Election Day. “I think sults. that’s something we should continue to be ter from 5:30 a.m to 8 p.m. to help facilitate it’s important, especially for this election, “I think it’s really great that so many Ke- really proud of, and cultivate as a civically student turnout. because people underestimate the impact nyon students got involved in the election, engaged and active campus.” “I thought [the student voter turnout] that the midterms have on your everyday either canvassing or making phone calls or page 3 Campus Senate hopes to finalize a In this Issue new protest policy by end of semester TOMMY JOHNSON to protest. Right” rally in Charlottesville, NEWS EDITOR The push for policy change Va. on and around the Universi- More election began in response to events at ty of Virginia’s campus on Aug. Currently, Kenyon’s policy Middlebury College and the 11 and 12, 2017, according to regarding demonstrations and University of Virginia during Barker. She said that following coverage p. 3 protests is a single sentence the spring and summer of 2017, the riots, Campus Senate decid- long. A subcommittee of Cam- according to Delaney Barker ’20 ed the protest policy should dif- pus Senate has spent the last 18 and Vice President for Student ferentiate between internal and months trying to change that. Affairs Meredith Harper Bon- external protests. “Kenyon welcomes and en- ham ’92, who are, along with In addition, Barker and Bon- “Spooky courages serious discussion on Professor of Mathematics Bob ham both said that the policy any issue from all points of view, Milnikel, co-chairs of Campus needed to make explicit the fact but the College will not condone Senate. that all students have the right to Kenyon” p. 5 behavior that threatens the safe- After a violent altercation in- protest. ty of individuals or is intended volving students and a professor According to Barker, differ- to prevent, obstruct or interfere led Middlebury College to pun- ent students perceive their right with any of its activities and pro- ish students who protested con- to protest differently under the grams,” the current policy reads. servative social scientist Charles current policy. She added that Rocky The new protest policy will Murray, Bonham began to look students of color, first-genera- outline what is and is not al- over Kenyon’s protest policy in tion students and those from lowed by the College. Those comparison to peer institutions. lower socioeconomic back- Horror p. 6 drafting this policy hope that Another incident that moved grounds might fear retribution it will emphasize that the Col- Campus Senate to assess the without clear protections. lege recognizes students’ right policy was the violent “Unite the page 4 2 Thursday, Nov. 8 | kenyoncollegian.com Via digital stories, class shares Latinx, first-gen experiences BETÜL AYDIN Students in the class were divided into NEWS EDITOR groups of two or three and they made a digi- Celeste Ramirez Diaz ’22 was born on Jan. tal story about someone from their group. On 1, 2000, at 12:01 a.m. in Reynosa, Mexico. The Thursday, there were five presentations made by mayor gifted her family financial support as Kenyon students about their personal experi- she was the first baby to be born that year, and ences, and two videos in Spanish produced by with that money they were able to move to the the high school students about The House on United States. In the digital story titled “Lucky,” Mango Street, a novel both classes read. Kenyon Diaz presented her experience as a first-genera- students worked with the high schoolers to help tion and Latinx student during the “Digital Sto- them in the process of making the videos. To- ries: First Gen and Latinx Experiences” event gether, students explored Latinx first-generation on Nov. 1 in the Gund Gallery’s Community student experiences both through literature and Foundation Theater. digital storytelling. Students in the Contemporary Latino Liter- “Our hope is that these presentations will ex- ature and Film (SPAN 381) class presented vid- pand our horizons of inclusivity and diversity. Students present about Latinx and first-generation experiences.| CHUZHU ZHONG eos last week as part of the course’s community- I also wanted to provide my students the op- that was created in hopes to fit in but rather deep and show that [the students] worked with engaged learning component. This semester the portunity to build a bridge towards themselves, than helping me, it was causing pain and self- an understanding of themselves in this context, course is taught by Professor of Spanish Clara especially what it means to be a first-generation hatred. I had become a completely different per- and I think that they themselves were surprised Román-Odio. Kenyon students also worked and/or Latinx student here in Ohio,” Román- son while wearing my mask. I became a ghost. at the outcomes,” she said. with Mount Vernon High School students who Odio said at the beginning of the event. “We I was lost,” Canceso said in the video. After re- Jorge Dumenigo ’21 is one of the students in are in Kenyon Academic Partnership (KAP) hope that that bridge then will extend to you all connecting with his culture, he felt comfortable the class who helped make a digital story about Spanish class. so you can participate in what they discovered with his identity again. “Being rooted in my cul- his classmate, and found the experience insight- “If you’re not engaged with real issues and in their journey.” ture shifted self-hatred to joy and inspiration. In ful. “I think, through listening to various stories, you’re not confronted with them, or if you don’t The first digital story, titled “Rooted,” de- those roots, I found my true self; rooted, I am I learned more about the importance of speak- tackle them, truly, everything becomes an ab- picted Samuel Canceso’s ’21 experience as a a successful, maskless, unashamed Mexican- ing, talking about your story and being genuine stract argument,” she said.