As college visit season comes to a peak, one of the most common questions asked by over-confident prospies is: “Why did you choose Kenyon?” It’s a hard question to answer, as the reasons why students choose Kenyon College are as varied as they are numerous. Some fall in love with our stunning campus, others long to join our diverse population, and I guess a few want a good education, or whatever. Me? I came for what Kenyon is known best for. We’ve been on lists! We’ve won awards! I enrolled to become the newest, and first, cosmetology major at Kenyon College and, boy, have I been cutting some hair.

As my sole professor, the barber from Mount Vernon who gives everyone the same hot cut, always says, “Practice makes perfect, so carry some shears wherever you go. Plus, you can’t graduate until you’ve changed someone’s appearance in every building on campus, so start chopping!” So far I’ve had the pleasure to whip out some scissors, a razor, or even a sterilized needle in:

1. Lewis (x4): The bangs of a roommate, the buzzcut of a friend, and a good eight inches from a friendly future roommate. Also included was the ear of a Thrill editor (see #3)!
2. Mather (x2): This time the bangs were my own and the ear belonged to another Thrill writer. Don’t worry, no ears have been infected in my study of this ancient art.
3. Peirce
4. Old Kenyon: We’ve all been there–deadlines are looming, the dorm hallway reeks of pizza, and not even a 15 minute break of watching old Avril Lavigne music videos can help you answer the question of why things are so complicated. You fall, and you crawl, and you break, and you take what you get, and you turn it into honesty and, honestly, you just have to snip off a strand or two.