So far this summer, I have done virtually nothing. I have stayed up until 2 or 3 am every night and have slept until around noon every day. I have been lazy. I have done no work. And it has been beautiful. However, I miss you all terribly, and I've become a devoted facebook stalker. The only great achievements I have made so far are the following: I reread The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (543 pgs of pure genius...I recommend it to everyone), and the day after I finished that, I began reading Tolstoy's War and Peace (1,214 pgs...officially the longest book I have ever read), which I finished at 3:24 am last night! I was/am incredibly proud of myself.
The one place that I've gone so far this summer is Ohio. My brother (a senior poli sci major) is doing some independent research at his college for a few months. On Monday, my dad, older brother, and I took the 10 hour drive to a little town smack dab in the middle of nowhere, to a little college on a hill: Kenyon.
It's an amazing liberal arts college...it's similar to Davidson in size and academic caliber, and it has arguably the best English department in the nation, as well as the most beautiful campus. (This year, it was voted by Forbes magazine as the most beautiful campus in the world, which my brother likes to rub in my face whenever any appropriate or inappropriate opportunity presents itself.)
As much as I hate to admit it, Kenyon does beat Davidson on the beauty scale. There is a gorgeous, mile-long gravel path that stretches the length of campus - Middle Path - that everything is basically situated around.
The cafeteria is stunning, and it's probably what I'm most jealous of when it comes to Kenyon.
It literally looks exactly like the Great Hall of Hogwarts. Long wooden tables stretch the length of this room (they don't usually have tablecloths on them...they weresetting up for a banquet when I took this picture), which has a tall, arched ceiling. You can't see this from the picture, but all of the windows are stained-glassed, and each pane depicts a different author or work of classical European or American literature (Kenyon is best known for its fantastic English department).
The buildings themselves looks like castles...they're all made out of stone and have a really regal feel.
Another one of my favorite aspects of Kenyon is the artwork that is scattered all over campus. My favorite sculpture is this one:
I just love it. Every time I'm on campus, I end up circling it for about 20 minutes. I must mention, however, that the pose is not really bodily possible unless you have an abnormally supple backbone. My brother and I attempted to recreate this art and failed miserably.
Despite all of the wonderful things about this college, I realized this week that I would not trade Davidson for anything in the world--not even a Harry Potter dining hall. I am just too in love with the people, our Georgian architecture, our weather, and the overall environment of Davidson to ever wish that I had chosen a different school. Throughout my application process, I never expected to go to Davidson. Kenyon and several other schools were above it on my list until the very end. However, I somehow ended up at Davidson, and I can't image myself being at any other school. So, whether my Davidson days are the result of an accident or fate, they are my reality, and I am perfectly content.
...Also, it was with great glee that I noticed that our dorms are infinitely superior to theirs, despite the external beauty of their campus. My brother's room for the summer is just plain dingy. GO RICH!
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