So, as it turns out Kenyon students are pretty weird. The Thrill has decided to showcase the endearing oddities of our student body with a new features entitled “Kenyon Side Projects.” In this new feature, we will spotlight a Kenyon student with a side project that we find particularly intriguing. Up first is Joe Barden ’15, political science major from Seattle. Barden unabashedly and quite expertly if I may say so, collects VHS copies of Jerry Maguire.

So Joe, tell us about the origin of your Kenyon side project.

The collection started with the website everythingisterrible.com, which is the world’s only psychedelic comedic found footage website. The website had a contest for any fledgling VHS person (someone who understands the process of collecting tapes) to send in the largest collection of Jerry Maguire tapes. My friend and I started collecting tapes to make it onto the contest board. In the midst of this competition there came a tipping point and we realized what we really should be trying to do is create the largest private collection of Jerry Maguire VHS tapes, or “Jerrys,” as they are affectionately called.   Continue reading →