Setting up a new camp in Portland

Checking in from Portland this evening. This entry may be a bit brief as I'm feeling progressively worse as the night goes on and I fear I might be losing the battle against this illness. Which is a shame because today was a very busy day and I met with more students over the course of four visits than I did in any one day previously.

I started out driving north to Edmonds-Woodway High School, about a twenty-five minute drive in morning traffic. My appointment was set for 7:45 so it was an early start for, and I'm glad I left ample time because the morning commute did indeed cause some backups. This was my first visit to this school and I look forward to many more as I enjoyed my time meeting with three students who were well prepared for my visit and quite knowledgeable about Kenyon and the effective questions to ask when considering colleges.

I next headed a few miles south to Lakeside School. A different member of the faculty sits in on our presentations there and it proves to be a great way to connect a face to some of the wonderful recommendations they submit. Mr. Ross was my host today as I spoke with six students and had the pleasant surprise of bumping into one of my interviews from the previous night. This is a shot looking down to the central quad; the counseling office is housed in a building to the left.

That marked my last visit in the Seattle area for this trip. I jumped onto I-5 South and headed for Tacoma. My first stop down there was a terrific one at Annie Wright School. Eleven students were waiting to learn more about Kenyon, and a few were actually in process of making plans to visit campus! I can't wait to see them in Gambier. I snapped a bunch of shots, both inside and outside the school which is housed in an old mansion. It's quite awe-inspiring and reminds me in many ways of Kenyon.









The picture on the left is the room that held our meeting--a great spot to get together, right? As a thank you gift for visiting Annie Wright, the school sent me away with a copy of Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers: The Story of Success. I've begun reading it this evening and it's a fascinating study. I'll provide a book report later as I have more time to devote to it.

My last meeting of the day was scheduled at Bellarmine Prep, also in Tacoma. Unfortunately there were no students able to meet with me but I had an enjoyable time meeting with members of the counseling staff. I appreciate them taking their time to learn about some of the new things happening on our campus. I wasn't able to get a satisfactory shot of the school's exterior, so I submit this for your review:
It's a picture of the Jesuit namesake of the school.

For my picture of the day I was hoping to snap a great show of Mount St. Helens or the Nisqually basin, or of one of the scenic river overpasses. But the weather ruined those plans... I then thought about taking a picture of the "Frisko-Freeze" in Tacoma which is apparently a very popular lunchtime snack-spot. Or the "Burger Bar", also in Tacoma, which captured my imagination a bit more as it promised terriyaki and Chinese cuisine but didn't make much mention of burgers... but as I didn't eat at either spot I considered it cheating. So, I have another picture of a picture for you, this one a closeup of the portrait from Annie Wright, as seen above. Evidently this room also plays host to the school's Halloween party and the painting was damaged when a cable broke at last year's party. Haunted, anyone?

I did have a disappointing moment today when I met with one of the counselors and I inquired as to the college choice of a student I interviewed last year. This student was one of my favorite meetings in the previous cycle but he didn't apply to Kenyon and, to be honest, I was heartbroken. I thought he was a terrific fit with Kenyon and I couldn't wait to read his application. As it turns out, he decided not to apply to Kenyon because he considered the other students who were also present at my visit to be 'smarter' than he was, and he took this as a sign that he wouldn't be accepted to Kenyon.

I hope every prospective student comes to the realization that it is okay to dream... it's okay to have a 'reach' school or two... of course, it's wise to be realistic and always be certain you have a few different viable, and desirable, options on the table at the end of the day. I was prepared to advocate for his spot in the class, and granted I hadn't seen his transcript, recommendations or writing--some of the elements we include in a complete application--but he spoke so well for himself that I thought he could merit an offer of admission.

Please don't sell yourselves short.

From the river city, all the best.
-Noble