College is a stage of our lives where we are often removed from our families for the first time, but this is not always so. Many of us have siblings here, or at other schools, with whom we share very close bonds, experiences, academic interests and even professors. This piece is the second in a series of featured siblings at Kenyon. This week we interviewed Cole Benz ’15 and Charlotte Benz ’17 from San Francisco, California.

A few things you didn’t know about the Benz Kidz…

Charlotte, why did you choose Kenyon?

Charlotte: I was deciding between two schools and I did weekend visits for both. Kenyon was on the second weekend and I came for Shock Your Mom. I went with my brother and his friends dressed up as Juggalos and Juggalets. And we have one mother and I think we shocked her together. And I think that really solidified things for me.

Read more about the Benzes after the jump!

Cole, how did you feel when you found out your sister would be going to Kenyon?

Cole: To be honest, I was a little shocked because Charlotte has always been more of an urbanite than me but I could totally understand why she wanted to come here and I was happy for her and was happy she could make that choice.

Charlotte: It was cool—we were driving here over the hills and at one point Cole turned to me and said, “You know, I think you’re really going to like it.” And he was right!

 

What is something you bond over?

Cole: We used to have these giant 3-dimensional blocks and we could build everything with them. We’d build forts. We’d sleep in them!

Charlotte: And we’d make spaceship boxes!!!

(Both laugh with childish glee)

Cole: Oh yeah, spaceship boxes! God, who needs an iPad? Not my kids.

 

Favorite childhood memory?

Cole: Garbage man—definitely the garbage man. The garbage truck used to come to the alleyway behind our house at around 6 am on Tuesday mornings, and when we were little kids we found it very exciting. You could hear it coming before it got to our house. We would both run into our parent’s room and yell and wake our parents up and wave incessantly at the garbage man. They’d always wave back.

Charlotte: They were very nice. I remember one having a blue Mohawk.

 

Write a haiku about each other.

Charlotte: Fire in his heart/where is the extinguisher/handlebar moustache.

Cole: Arguments of course/camping trips and long car rides/a sister and friend.

 

[Ed: Do you go to Kenyon and have a sibling that also goes here? Tell us about yourselves by sending an e-mail to thekenyonthrill@gmail.com!]