The Kenyon Collegian Alumni Association

New Web site

2008-06-03T03:56:00.000-04:00

To better meet our growing needs, the Collegian Alumni Association has a new Web site:

collegianalumni.wordpress.com

Effective today, all new material will be posted to this site. If you are already on our e-mail list, you shouldn't have to do anything -- in fact, if you are getting this post by e-mail, you should receive all future posts, as well. You can also sign up for e-mail updates on our new site, just like on our old site. Please update any bookmarks, however, for collegianalumni.wordpress.com.

The new site offers several new features, including:
* Easily navigable pages and archives by topic
* Online job and internship banks (everyone is invited to e-mail us with openings to be posted)
* Easy access to downloads of newsletters and other material
* Permanent information about the Association and its projects

If anyone has any suggestions for the site, please let us know at collegian.alumni.association@gmail.com

Again, the CAA's new Web page is:

collegianalumni.wordpress.com

May 2008 conference call minutes

2008-05-28T22:06:00.003-04:00

Collegian Alumni Association
May 4, 2008, conference call

On the call: Todd Holzman, Robbie Ketcham, Steve Lannen, Tracy Miller, Renee Peck

I.) ELECTION OF A CHAIR
The CAA charter requires that the first order of business for a new Board be the election of a chair, to be the main Association contact person. After discussion, the Board unanimously selected Todd Holzman to serve as chair.

II.) APPOINTMENT OF A FINANCE COMMITTEE
The CAA charter requires that the second order of business for a new Board be the appointment of a Finance Committee, to both assist and audit the treasurer’s budget management. After discussion, the Board appointed Todd and Adam Sapp to the committee. Both have since accepted the appointments. Robbie Ketcham, as treasurer, will chair the committee.

III.) BUDGET REPORT
Without a Finance Committee, this budget report was non-binding. But as of April, the Association had a bank balance of $411.78, as well as a $70 pledge not yet received. Of this, $150 and the $70 pledge had been given in order to support a new scanner for the Kenyon library that would help digitize the Collegian archives.

The Board discussed whether to continue the scanner campaign, since the unexpected birth of the Kluge Collegian Fund has since become a top fundraising priority. All members present felt that the scanner was a good idea, however, and wanted to continue the campaign. Robbie will contact Library and Information Services to see if the scanner was still a goal and to find out more about the scanner’s cost. Pending positive feedback from this, the Board directed Robbie to send Kenyon a check for $150 toward the scanner.

IV.) NEW BUSINESS / GOALS FOR THE BOARD
Most of the call was spent discussing the Board’s goals for the future, resulting in the following:

Short-term tasks
-- Broaden membership with a universal invitation/announcement to all alumni (via Kenyon Alumni Bulletin, News Digest, online, possible mailing). Two ideas were particularly stressed: It should be clear that anyone who was with the Collegian is welcome in the CAA, not just former editors; also, those now interested in supporting the Collegian or those now in communications should be invited to participate in the group, regardless of whether they were part of the paper as students. Renee Peck is working on an announcement.

-- Update the database of membership, creating one that the Association can maintain

-- Set up a new Web site, at Kenyon.edu or at wordpress.com (collegianalumni.wordpress.com is in the works)

-- Look into a Kenyon.edu e-mail address

-- Create a CAA group on Facebook. Tracy created this, found at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=17293169551

More long-term tasks:
-- Spread word about Kluge Fund and scanner campaigns
-- Fall meeting/workshop in Gambier
-- Mass mailing
-- Newsletter
-- Fundraising for Collegian and student needs

Ongoing missions:
-- Alumni job bank and career mentoring program
-- Sponsored internships and workshops, via Kluge Fund or own fundraising
-- Support for Collegian staff

Opening agenda for the new Board

2008-03-25T03:13:00.004-04:00

These are the opening points of business for the new Board of Directors. Any thoughts or input on these from any members is always welcome, either in the comments or by e-mail at collegian.alumni.association(at)gmail.com.

- Robbie Ketcham, treasurer and chair pro tem

-------------------------------------------------------

I.) ELECTION OF A CHAIR
Our charter requires that the first order of business for a new Board has to be electing a chair, who will "with the advice and consent of the Board, have the power to schedule meetings, appoint committee chairs, handle day-to-day affairs of the Association and undertake any other administrative measures ordained by the Board. The chair shall have power to sign Association checks, either with prior authorization of the Board or – in a case of urgent need – if the sum is less than $500. ... The chair shall promptly report all actions to the Board, and the Board shall have the power to overturn any of the chair’s actions by a simple majority vote."

Who among the five elected reps (Todd, Tracy, Adam, Steve, Renee) should do this?

II.) APPOINTMENT OF A FINANCE COMMITTEE
The charter requires that our second order of business be appointing a Finance Committee, to basically both help and oversee me regarding group funds. It can be any size, and anyone in the Association can be a member. Its purpose is pretty undefined, but its biggest role is in certifying the accuracy of budget reports -- once the committee agrees with me that the budget report is accurate, the Board can't change it, but only approve or reject it outright. The committee could also perhaps be a kind of fundraising group.

If anyone knows anyone with some financial background, it would be great.

III.) HELP ADVISE THE PAPER?
Pamela Camerra-Rowe has stepped down as a Collegian advisor due to time constraints. And as P.F. Kluge spends much of the spring semester abroad, the paper is currently advisor-less. The Interim Board suggested a few people on campus for advice on a more informal basis. But the editors were also wondering whether any alumni might be interested in being giving informal advice or looking over the paper and offering thoughts?

IV.) TREASURER'S REPORT
Without a Finance Committee, this is a rather informal report, but here goes: Our checking account currently has a balance of $411.78. We also have a $70 pledge that has not yet been received.

Of the total, however, $150 -- plus the $70 pledge -- are proceeds from the silent auction during the reunion, which had been designated for helping the Kenyon library buy a scanner to digitize the Collegian archives for use by the newspaper staff and the public.

While this campaign seemed a good idea when endorsed by the Interim Board, the unexpected birth of the Kluge Collegian Fund has put the scanner campaign on a back burner. The Interim Board discussed this at its final meeting, and its suggestion was that, if we can receive the final pledge (which also means making sure that the person actually received the item he was buying), we make a $220 donation to the Kenyon library for the scanner purchase, and tell them we are suspending this campaign for the time being.

What do people think?

Also in terms of the Kluge Fund, I talked briefly with the head of development for Kenyon, and he's agreed to send us an update on the Fund's balance and interest each fall, when Kenyon compiles these numbers for its own bookkeeping.

V.) PROGRAM SUGGESTIONS FROM THE INTERIM BOARD
The main topic of the final Interim Board conference call was program suggestions for the new Board. The main things brought up:

-- Creating an internship or job bank, where Collegian staffers (or other alumni) could find out about jobs posted by alumni. One way to do this could be through our blog, simply having alumni write in with a job opening and we put it up there. Our mirror blog, collegianalumni.wordpress.com, comes with the ability to easily "tag" messages, which would then allow someone to click on a "jobs" link and then see all posts with job openings. This could be an easy and effective way to get more posts to the blog and create a continuously growing job bank.

-- There was some discussion about possibly having a workshop/small-scale reunion at the start of the fall 2008 semester, when new students and editors might want some help on writing, design, etc.

-- One suggestion was that the Collegian editors, each year, think of a certain need, and the Board could help find a way to meet that need. However, it was noted that this might be what the Kluge Fund is designed for -- as it should provide at least $2,000+ in funding each year -- so the better policy might be to support that.

-- There's still some uncertainty about the new Collegian office. It's going to be on the third floor of Peirce, and Kenyon has said that the paper would have its own office and be able to share a second space. But not much new is known right now. There was some concern that the College could have the paper share space, then after the editors object, say it's too late to change. But Leslie doesn't think this is likely to happen, and there's also the fact that an alumnus gave substantial money to help furnish that floor of Peirce with the understanding that it would help the Collegian office. So all in all, there was no need seen for alumni to do anything at this time -- if anything, it could seem like meddling.

VI.) OTHER IDEAS?
What would people like to see in the next couple years?

Voting results

2008-02-24T03:58:00.005-05:00

My many apologies for the delay; althuogh the vote has been closed for some time, various distractions and my own forgetfulness led to an oversight in posting the results. But here they are:

In all 19 ballots were cast, 14 online and five by mail. Each ballot could have up to four votes for Board representative and one for treasurer. In all, 65 representative votes were cast, and 14 treasurer votes. The results, with winners named and vote totals only for other finishers:

Winners for Board of Directors representative:
RENEE PECK '75 ------------------ 14
TRACY MILLER '02 -------------- 10
ADAM SAPP '02 ------------------- 9
STEVE LANNEN '95 --------------- 7
TODD HOLZMAN '80 -------------- 7
Two candidates --------------------- 6
Two candidates --------------------- 3
One candidate ---------------------- 0

For Association treasurer:
ROBBIE KETCHAM '04 (unopposed) -- 14

All candidates have received the results, and all winners have accepted their positions. As of Feb. 16, or one month after the end of the vote, the new Board has taken office. In addition to the five elected representatives and elected treasurer, the Board also includes three ex-officio members: P.F. Kluge '64, the Collegian advisor; and Dayne Baughman '08 and Leslie Parsons '09, the 2008-09 Collegian editors-in-chief.

Although the new Board is officially in office, the Interim Board will be having a final meeting today. After its conclusion, an agenda for the beginning of the new Board will be created, and it will be posted here for any comments members might have.

- Robbie Ketcham '04, transition manager

Poll now closed

2008-01-17T04:03:00.001-05:00

The vote for the Collegian Alumni Association Board of Directors is now closed. The poll closed at 4 a.m. ET on Jan. 17, allowing some leeway for any late voters on the West Coast.

Jan. 16 was also the deadline to postmark paper ballots. As eligible votes might have just been sent and therefore will not arrive at our Gambier post office box for a few days, the Interim Board has decided to wait until next Wednesday, Jan. 23, to finalize the vote count. Winners will then be notified, and election results will be posted here.

If, by chance, there is a tie for Board representative, a run-off election will be held. Details on that will be posted if it becomes necessary.

Under our charter, the new Board must assume office within 30 days of the ballot-postmark deadline. Therefore, unless a run-off becomes necessary, the new Board will take charge no later than Feb. 16.

As I was unopposed for treasurer and, as treasurer, cannot run for Board chair (the election of which will be the first action of the new Board, as mandated by our charter), the Interim Board has approved me to help guide the transition to the new Board. So if anyone has any questions, I'll be happy to try and answer them!

- Robbie Ketcham '04

Voting ends Wednesday!

2008-01-15T23:14:00.000-05:00

Final call for votes! The election ends Wednesday, January 16. Cast your ballots now!

Two Reminders

2008-01-09T23:17:00.000-05:00

As of today, we have only received ten votes in the election for our first official board. As we wish to ensure that every Collegian Alumni Association member has a voice, we ask that you:

1) Become informed about the candidates and our charter. Copies of our newsletter and charter can be found by clicking here.

2) Voice your opinion and vote!

Vote!

2007-12-20T19:29:00.000-05:00

Now that our charter has been ratified, we are officially an organization. We'd like to celebrate this accomplishment by establishing a permanent board and solidifying our communications system. To that end, we ask that you take the time to do three things before January 16, 2008.

1) Vote for members of the board of directors. The official poll can be found here. Biographies of the candidates can be found in the latest issue of the Reporter, available here. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the orange "download" button to open the newsletter.

2) Sign up for instant e-mail updates using the box on the sidebar. You'll receive an e-mail whenever we write a new post. Quite simply, this is the best way to stay informed about the workings of the association.

3) Send us your e-mail address. In order to keep our costs low and maximize our effectiveness, we'd like to switch to an all-electronic communication system. Contact us at collegian.alumni.association@gmail.com with your name and e-mail address and any ideas/comments/suggestions.

Thank you again for your continual support and membership in the Kenyon Collegian Alumni Association.

(P.S. -- If our recent letter didn't reach your mailbox, you can find a copy here.)

Collegian alumna recognized

2007-09-28T17:13:00.000-04:00

Molly Willow '00, who had been a columnist for the Collegian and is now an arts writer for The Columbus Dispatch, has been named the 2007 Best Critic in Ohio by the Society of Professional Journalists. The list of all award winners can be found here, and thanks to Romenesko for the pointer.

Last year, Willow wrote a column for the Kenyon Alumni Bulletin: "'You'll Figure It Out,'
Or, how my nonreporting career at the Collegian prepared me to cover millage rates, tiki huts, and American Idol." It can be read here.

If anyone knows of any Collegian alumni who have been recognized, feel free to e-mail us at collegian.alumni.association (at) gmail (dot) com, and we'll pass the word along!

The places you'll go!

2007-09-15T23:34:00.000-04:00

I meant to post this some time ago, after it appeared on Romenesko. Apparently, among the things your Kenyon degree and Collegian experience can bring you is a human scalp in the back of your car. Or at least, that's what Steve Lannen '97, who attended our reunion last year, apparently discovered.

The interesting story can be found here.

- Robbie Ketcham

Presses rolling again

2007-09-11T21:51:00.000-04:00

Last Thursday marked the start of the Collegian's publishing year, and the first issue can be found at www.kenyoncollegian.com.

If you'd rather read the paper in hard copy, information about subscribing can be found here.

Charter vote results

2007-09-07T02:53:00.001-04:00

My apologies for the delay in reporting this -- there's truly no excuse, save for my own forgetfulness. But the vote to ratify the Collegian Alumni Association charter ended on Aug. 15. The results are as follows:

Online voting:
In favor of the charter: 10
Opposed: 2

Mail voting:
In favor: 3
Opposed: 0

TOTAL
In favor: 13
Opposed: 2

More than two-thirds having voted in favor, the charter is ratified, and The Kenyon Collegian Alumni Association is officially established.

As verification of the online vote, here is a screenshot of the voting screen showing the totals:

Both votes against the charter's ratification came with thoughtful concerns, and thank you to those voters for their interest in the Association and their desire to see it governed well. In future posts, I hope any concerns about the group can be addressed.

Under Article VII of the charter, the election of a new Board of Directors must take place within one year of the charter's ratification (or by Aug. 15, 2008). We're hoping to have this take place much sooner, and for that reason we accepted nominations for the four Board representative positions and the one Board representative/treasurer spot during the ratification vote. Many thanks to those who offered nominations!

If anyone would still like to offer nominations, please e-mail them to collegian.alumni.association (at) gmail (dot) com by Monday, Sept. 10. We will then seek to contact nominees and see if they're interested in running, with the goal of holding an election within the next couple months and having the new Board in office by the end of the year. The Interim Board would then be dissolved, and the elected Board would serve a two-year term.

Thank you again to all who voted, offered nominations and raised concerns about the charter. Your input will be crucial to the success of the Association, and all the members of the Interim Board hope you'll want to continue to be involved in the future!

- Robbie Ketcham, Interim Board member

Last chance!

2007-08-15T01:56:00.000-04:00

Today is the last day to vote on whether to ratify the charter for the Kenyon Collegian Alumni Association, and to nominate people for election if the charter is ratified!

You can read the charter, along with a newsletter about the group, here.

You can vote here.

10 more days to vote!

2007-08-06T01:19:00.000-04:00

Just a reminder that there are only 10 more days to vote on whether to ratify the Association's charter!

You can read the charter, along with a newsletter about the Association, by clicking here and then clicking the orange "Download" button.

You can vote, and nominate yourself or others for a new Board of Directors if the charter is ratified, by clicking here.

If you would like a hard-copy version of the newsletter and charter, please e-mail us.

If you are mailing your ballot, it should be postmarked on or before August 15.

Thanks for your thoughts and input concerning your organization!

Online voting now enabled!

2007-07-18T03:18:00.000-04:00

After you've read our newsletter (see sidebar), please cast your vote on the official charter!

Newsletter: Volume One

2007-07-16T12:03:00.000-04:00

Volume One of the Collegian Alumni Association Reporter is now online!

Download your copy here.

We're Official!

2007-03-05T23:57:00.000-05:00

As of March 1, The Kenyon Collegian Alumni Association is officially an affiliated group registered with the College and approved by the Alumni Council. This approval offers us the opportunity to use campus facilities, raise funding and receive assistance from the College in communicating with our members.

Our next big step will be to submit the charter for approval by the general membership and elect a permanent board of directors. If you're already on our mailing list, you'll receive more information regarding this via postal mail soon. If you're not on the list, please send us an e-mail.

A Draft Charter

2007-01-23T20:16:00.000-05:00

In preparation for the upcoming meeting of Kenyon's Board of Trustees in February, at which our application to become an officially affiliated group will be considered, the interim CAA board members have drafted a charter. We invite you to take a moment to read over this founding document and we welcome your thoughts, suggestions and comments. If ratified, this charter will be the foundation of our group's policies and principles and will guide us in pursuit of our mission to support the free press at Kenyon College.

---

The Kenyon Collegian Alumni Association
Draft Charter

We, former staff members of The Kenyon Collegian newspaper at Kenyon College, do hereby establish The Kenyon Collegian Alumni Association and ordain the following charter to govern its operations.

I.) Mission

The mission of The Kenyon Collegian Alumni Association is to foster fellowship among the newspaper’s alumni, connect with the newspaper’s current student journalists and support the newspaper as an open forum of impartial journalism and independent opinion.

II.) Relationship to Kenyon College

The Association is established as an affiliated organization of the Kenyon College Alumni Council and shall abide by the Alumni Council Policy on Affiliated Organizations.

The Association recognizes that its first commitment is to the language and principles of its mission statement. If a severe abuse or train of abuses arises such that the actions of Kenyon College or the Alumni Council become destructive of the principles of the Association’s mission statement, and if these conflicts cannot be resolved through diligent and faithful negotiation and discussion, the membership retains the right to withdraw as an affiliated organization through amendment to this charter.

III.) Relationship to The Kenyon Collegian

The Association shall neither control nor be controlled by the actions of The Kenyon Collegian and its student staff members, but shall exist as a wholly separate entity.

At no time shall the Association seek to control the content, style, staffing or editorial decisions of the newspaper. This shall not, however, prohibit advice, counsel, suggestions or recommendations.

The Association shall control its funds in accordance with the Alumni Council Policy on Affiliated Organizations and shall allocate funds to the newspaper only for specific purposes, by vote of the Association’s Board of Directors or of the membership at large.

IV.) Governance

Full and final authority over the Association rests with this charter and with the Association’s membership. The membership shall elect a Board of Directors to administer Association affairs in accordance with this charter and a treasurer to oversee Association finances in cooperation with the Board and in accordance with this charter.

A.) Board of Directors

The Board of Directors shall administer Association affairs, subject to this charter and to the consent of the membership.

1.) Composition

The Board of Directors shall be composed of five members – four representatives and a treasurer – serving two-year terms, elected by vote of the membership at large. In addition, the current editors-in-chief of the newspaper shall serve as ex officio members of the Board for the duration of their tenure as editors-in-chief, holding voice but without voting power.

Voting for the Board shall take place on two ballots. The four representatives shall be elected on one ballot, with those candidates receiving the top four vote totals being elected. The treasurer shall be elected on a second ballot, with that candidate receiving the plurality of votes being elected. Candidates for treasurer may also run for one of the four representative positions. If elected to both, the individual shall serve as treasurer, and that candidate receiving the fifth-highest vote total for representative shall be elected.

The Board of Directors shall establish the means for elections, ensuring opportunity, access and participation by all willing members.

Board members shall be eligible for re-election without limit.

If a member is unable to complete the remainder of his or her term, the Board chair may, with the advice and consent of the Board, appoint an interim member to serve until an election is held. The membership may then elect an individual to serve the remainder of the absent member’s term.

New Board members shall assume their office within 30 days of the election, at a date and time determined by the outgoing Board. If the election is help by mail, the deadline for voters to send their ballots shall be considered the election day for the purpose of the 30-day period. Outgoing Board members shall leave office at that same date and time.

2.) Chair

The Board, as a first order of business following each election, shall elect from among its members a chair, who shall organize Board affairs with the consent of the Board and in accordance with this charter. The chair shall serve a one-year term, but may be re-elected without limit, so long as the chair is a member of the Board.

The treasurer shall not also serve as chair.

The chair shall, with the advice and consent of the Board, have the power to schedule meetings, appoint committee chairs, handle day-to-day affairs of the Association and undertake any other administrative measures ordained by the Board. The chair shall have power to sign Association checks, either with prior authorization of the Board or – in a case of urgent need – if the sum is less than $500. However, the chair shall promptly report all actions to the Board, and the Board shall have the power to overturn any of the chair’s actions by a simple majority vote.

The chair can be removed from this position by a vote of four of the five Board members, though he or she will remain a member of the Board, unless removed by the membership.

3.) Treasurer

The treasurer shall manage the financial records of the Association, prepare for the Board and the membership full and forthright reports of the Association’s financial status and ensure compliance with proper standards for fiscal responsibility, acting subject to this charter and in consultation with the membership, the Board and its Finance Committee.

The treasurer shall serve as a full member of the Board, with voice and vote on all issues. The treasurer shall also serve on the Finance Committee of the Board.

The treasurer shall routinely inform the Board and the larger membership of the financial status of the Association. The treasurer shall first submit a draft financial report to the Finance Committee, which shall review it. Upon agreement by the treasurer and Finance Committee of the report’s accuracy, the treasurer shall certify the report and submit it to the Board of Directors and membership. When the treasurer has certified a financial report, the numbers in that report shall not be altered or amended by the Board, without consent of the treasurer and of a majority of the Finance Committee.

The treasurer shall have power to sign Association checks, either with prior authorization of the Board or – in a case of urgent need – if the sum is less than $500. However, the treasurer shall promptly report these actions to the Board.

The Board shall not attempt to influence the financial record-keeping of the treasurer.

4.) Committees

The Board may form any such committees it deems necessary and proper for Association affairs by simple majority vote.

The chair shall, with the advice and consent of the Board, appoint committee chairs, who may be members of the Board or of the membership at large.

Both the chair of the Board and the committee chairs may, with the advice and consent of the Board, appoint such members to their committees as they see fit. Committees may include both members of the Board and of the membership at large, but every committee shall have at least one Board member.

Committees shall operate in the interests of the Board and of the membership at large, in accordance with this charter.

The Board may dissolve any committees by majority vote, with the exception of the Finance Committee, which shall not be dissolved.

5.) Finance Committee

The Finance Committee shall, through cooperation with and oversight of the treasurer, monitor Association finances.

B.) Initiative and referendum

Final authority over the Association rests with the membership as a whole, subject only to this charter. Therefore, any member of the Association has the right to offer proposals independent of the Board of Directors (“initiative”) or seek to overturn any decisions made by the Board (“referendum”).

A member wishing to propose a policy independent of the Board shall circulate a petition clearly stating the proposal. If the petition garners support from 20% of the Association’s membership, the petitioner may present the petition to the Board. The Board shall then either (a) vote to enact the proposal or (b) schedule a vote of the full membership on the proposal. If two-thirds of those voting support the proposal, the proposal shall pass.

A member wishing to overturn a decision of the Board shall, within 90 days of the Board action, circulate a petition clearly stating the decision to be overturned. If the petition garners support from 20% of the Association’s membership, the petitioner may present the petition to the Board. The Board shall then either (a) vote to overturn its previous decision or (b) schedule a vote of the full membership on the matter within 90 days of receiving the petition or at the next regularly scheduled election, if the petitioner approves. If two-thirds of those voting support the repeal, the decision shall be overturned.

C.) Administrative action

Except as provided in this charter, a simple majority of the Board or of its committees shall be sufficient to enact proposals. In the event of a tie vote, the proposal may be tabled until the next meeting of the Board or the committee. If there is again a tie vote at that meeting, the proposal shall be defeated.

D.) Open governance

Open governance is crucial to the success of any democratic organization and is critical to the work of a free and impartial press. Therefore, the Association shall seek transparency and openness in its proceedings. Meetings of the Board of Directors and committees shall be announced in advance, and all members have the right to attend all meetings. Minutes of meetings and financial information shall be available to all members.

E.) Removal of Board members

Any member has the right to seek the removal of a Board member, but such is a grave matter, and so must not be approached lightly. Removal of Board members shall be possible only in cases of gross mismanagement, financial malfeasance, conduct seriously unbecoming to the Association and its mission, illegal activity, or removal from the Association.

A member wishing to remove an elected officer shall circulate a petition identifying the officer and clearly stating the allegation for which removal is sought. If the petition garners support from one-third of the Association’s membership, the petitioner may present the petition to the Board of Directors and to the officer in question. The Board shall then schedule a vote of the full membership on the matter within 90 days of receiving the petition. Prior to that vote, the Board shall ensure that both the petitioner and officer facing expulsion have ample and equal opportunity to state their cases to the membership at large. If two-thirds of voting members support the officer’s removal at that vote, the officer shall be removed immediately.

An officer who has been removed remains a full member of the Association, with voice and vote on all issues, so long as he or she is eligible for membership.

V.) Membership

A.) Eligibility

Two types of individuals are eligible for membership in the Association: All former staff members in good standing of The Kenyon Collegian, and honorary members.

1.) Former staff members in good standing

“Former staff members” are any individuals who contributed to the newspaper on a regular basis. Members “in good standing” are any individuals who concluded their work on the newspaper either by graduating or voluntarily. Former staff members in good standing shall have voice and vote on all Association matters.

Former staff members who left the newspaper involuntarily, or who were removed from the Association through the disciplinary procedures of the Alumni Council Policy on Affiliated Organizations, are not “in good standing” and are thus ineligible for membership, except by a petition for eligibility.

To petition for eligibility, the individual in question shall inform the Board of Directors of this intent in writing, either by mail or e-mail. This letter should include an explanation of why the individual feels he or she should be made eligible for membership. If four of the five Board members vote to make the individual eligible, the individual shall immediately become a member of the Association.

If the petition for eligibility is not approved, the individual may not again seek eligibility until at least one year after the vote. However, the individual may seek eligibility for however many years as he or she wishes.

As with all Board actions, the decision of the Board on a petition for eligibility is subject to referendum.

2.) Honorary members

An “honorary member” is any individual who, in the estimation of the Association, has contributed significantly to journalism at large or to The Kenyon Collegian. An individual shall be nominated for honorary membership in one of two ways: The Board of Directors may nominate an individual by simple majority vote, or any member may circulate a petition clearly stating the individual proposed for honorary membership. If the petition garners support from 20% of the Association’s membership, the petitioner may present the petition to the Board, which shall treat the petition as a nomination.

Once an individual is nominated and accepts the nomination of honorary membership, the Board shall schedule a vote of the full membership on the nomination. If a simple majority of voting members supports the honorary membership, the individual shall be made a member of the Association, with full voice and vote on all issues.

B.) Dues

All former staff members in good standing of The Kenyon Collegian shall automatically become members of the Association upon their graduation, and no member shall be required to pay dues for two years following his or her graduation.

Honorary members shall not be required to pay dues.

Reasonable dues may be levied upon former staff members in good standing beginning two years after their graduation, but care should be taken to ensure the affordability of Association membership. If paying dues poses a serious financial hardship to a member, that member may inform the Board of Directors of this hardship in writing, either by mail or e-mail. The Board shall then vote on granting a two-year, renewable waiver of dues to that member, with a simple majority needed for approval.

A “grace period” determined by the Board, but of at least 90 days, shall be afforded to any member who has not paid dues, during which time the Board shall diligently seek to inform the individual in question of this non-payment and offer an opportunity for the individual to pay or seek a financial waiver. If the member has neither paid dues nor obtained a waiver at the end of the grace period, the Board may either vote to extend the grace period or to remove the member from the Association’s membership. A vote to extend the grace period requires a simple majority, while a vote to remove the member from the Association’s membership requires the consent of four Board members. The Board shall diligently seek to inform the individual in question of this action.

The levying of dues or a change in dues may be proposed in two ways: the Board of Directors may offer a proposal by simple majority, or any member may circulate a petition clearly stating the dues proposal. If the petition garners support from 20% of the Association’s membership, the petitioner may present the petition to the Board, which shall treat the petition as a proposal. Once dues are proposed, the Board shall schedule a vote of the full membership on the dues at the next scheduled election, with a simple majority necessary for approval.

C.) Resignation of members

Any member wishing to leave the organization shall inform the Board of Directors of this intent in writing, either by mail or e-mail. The resignation shall be noted at the next meeting of the Board.

If an eligible member has resigned, was removed from the Association’s membership for non-payment of dues, is not listed among the Association’s membership roster or has been removed from the membership by accident; and if that individual wishes to be a member; that individual may inform the Board of Directors of this intent in writing, either by mail or e-mail. Once the individual’s eligibility is confirmed, the individual shall immediately gain membership in the Association.

VI.) Amendment to this charter

Amendments to this charter may be proposed in one of two ways: The Board of Directors may propose an amendment, with the support of four Board members necessary. Any member may also propose an amendment by circulating a petition clearly stating the proposal. If the petition garners signatures from one-third of the Association’s membership, the petitioner may present the petition to the Board.

Once an amendment is proposed, the Board shall schedule a vote of the full membership on the amendment not sooner than 30 days after the proposal is received. If two-thirds of members taking part in the vote approve, the amendment shall be enacted.

VII.) Ratification

Ratification of this charter may be proposed by the Interim Board of Directors by two-thirds vote. Once ratification is proposed, the Interim Board shall schedule a vote of the full membership on ratification not sooner than 30 days after the proposal is made. If two-thirds of members taking part in the vote approve, this charter shall be ratified and take effect immediately.

Within one year following the ratification of this charter, an election shall be held for all five Board members.

The newly elected Board members shall assume their offices at a specified date and time established by the Interim Board, within 30 days of this election. If the election is help by mail, the deadline for voters to send their ballots shall be considered the election day for the purpose of the 30-day period. At that same date and time, the Interim Board shall adjourn sine die. No actions of the Interim Board shall be binding on the newly elected Board of Directors.

Former Editors Respond

2006-11-05T00:56:00.000-05:00

A group of former editors have written letters to the Collegian responding to President Nugent's comments and the paper's coverage of the incident. These letters were published in the November 2nd issue.

Those letters can be found here.

Disclaimer- These letters were written independently by members of the Collegian Alumni Association and their publication here is neither an endorsement of the letters themselves nor of the sentiment that they express.

President Nugent criticizes Collegian

2006-10-31T11:49:00.000-05:00

The Collegian was publicly criticized by President Nugent for what she considers critical coverage of Kenyon's administration over the past year.

Read the full article here.

Photos from the first annual Collegian reunion

2006-10-13T19:35:00.000-04:00

On October 6-7, approximately 30 Collegian alumni returned to Gambier for a celebration of the paper's 150th anniversary. Here are a few photographs from that reunion.

Click on thumbnails to display full photograph. Additional photos can be found here. If you wish to share your photos with us, please e-mail nayrb5 (at) gmail.com.

At the Friday night opening reception, Charlotte Nugent '07, Tracy Miller '02, John Ryerson '72 and Grant Schulert '00 enjoy hors d'oeuvres and light refreshments.

Alumni and current student editors exchange ideas during a journalism forum.

Several alumni and editors traveled to the Mount Vernon News for a tour of the building. Here, Corby Wise, a Mount Vernon News editor, exhibits the printing press.

Alumni enjoy a tour of the temporary Collegian office, currently located in a modular office unit while Peirce Hall undergoes renovation.

At the reunion banquet, keynote speaker Renee Peck '75 reflects on her experiences as an editor of the New Orleans Times-Picayune during hurricane Katrina. Peck began her address with a powerful presentation of images from the aftermath of the disaster.

Collegian advisor and Kenyon writer-in-residence P.F. Kluge '64, author of Alma Mater and Biggest Elvis shares memorable experiences from his many years as journalist.

(From left to right) Pamela Hollie, P.F. Kluge '64, Steve Lannen '97 and Robert Rubin '80 commiserate on their experiences as the reunion banquet draws to an end.

A group of recent Collegian alumni pose for a photograph.
From Left to Right: Michael Ludders '05, Bryan Stokes II '05, Adam Sapp '02, Jay Helmer '04, Robbie Ketcham '04, Sarah Hart '01, Taryn Myers '04, Amy Gallese '03, Tracy Miller '02 and Steve Lannen '97.

Renee Peck '75 and P.F. Kluge '64 share tips and stories with current Sports Editor Sara Kaplow '07 and Arts and Entertainment Editor Leslie Parsons '09 at the post-banquet reception.

At the reception, Tracy Miller '02, Willow Belden '07, Renee Peck '75, Amy Bergen '04 and Sarah Hart '01 enjoy a nice chat.

Tracy Miller '02, Grant Schulert '00 and Jay Helmer '04 take a moment to catch up during the final reception.

Interim board members of the Collegian Alumni Organization:
From Left to Right: Willow Belden '07 (ex officio), Michael Ludders '05, Charlotte Nugent '07 (ex officio), Bryan Stokes II '05, Tracy Miller '02, Robbie Ketcham '04 and Adam Sapp '02.

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All photos courtesy Amy Gallese '03, Robbie Ketcham '04 or Taryn Myers '04.

Collegian Reunion Schedule

2006-09-25T22:08:00.000-04:00

With only eleven days remaining until the first annual reunion, we'd like to share the tentative schedule with you. A finalized version will be available in a reunion booklet, available at Weaver Cottage upon your arrival in Gambier.

Friday:
5-7:00 p.m. -- Welcome Center open at Weaver Cottage
7:30-11:00 p.m. -- Opening reception with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres at Weaver Cottage

Saturday:
Reunion booklets available in Weaver Cottage from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
9:30-10:30 a.m. -- Special Collections and Archives room open; Collegian archives on display
10:30-11:30 a.m. -- Roundable discussion of journalism at Kenyon
11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. -- Catered brunch at the Harcourt Parish house
1:00-2:30 p.m. -- Discussion regarding the future of the organization
2:30-5:30 p.m. -- Special Collections and Archives room open, Collegian archives on display
3-4:30 -- Tour of the Mount Vernon news offices and printing press, meet at Weaver Cottage
4:30-5:30 -- Tour of the temporary Collegian offices
7-9:00 p.m. -- Inaugural banquet, featuring keynote speaker Renee Peck, in Philomathesian Hall
9:15 p.m.-12:00 a.m. -- Closing reception

If you haven't yet reserved your space for the reunion, please e-mail Sonya Broeren '90 at broerens@kenyon.edu. We look forward to seeing you on October 6-7!

Help preserve our crumbling archives!

2006-09-20T15:44:00.000-04:00

The Collegian Alumni Association has teamed up with Kenyon LBIS to help preserve the aging bound volumes containing the only complete archive of Collegians housed in the library's Special Collections room. We have pledged to help raise funding for a digitization project which will result in these archives being made available in a searchable format and preserved in a form which will not deteriorate.

Those members attending the upcoming reunion (RSVP by Friday!) will have two unique opportunities to assist us in this venture:

1) Buy a reunion t-shirt! These high-quality t-shirts from Russell Athletic will be on sale in the Kenyon College bookstore starting on Monday, September 25 for the low price of $13.20. For every shirt that's sold, the Collegian Alumni Association will receive $1 for the preservation fund. Even if you aren't attending the reunion, you can buy a shirt by e-mailing Sue Dailey (dailey@kenyon.edu) regarding online sales.

(click on thumbnails to display a larger version)

2) Participate in our silent auction. We have acquired a number of wonderful items for reunion attendees to bid on during the reunion dinner. These include:

-A signed copy of Alma Mater by P.F. Kluge
-A signed copy of Kenyon Reborn: The Administration of William Foster Peirce by Christopher Barth
-A copy of History of Knox County, Ohio 1876-1976 by Frederick Lorey
-A copy of Kenyon College: Its Third Half-Century by Thomas Greenslade

As well as several other surprise items. All proceeds benefit the preservation effort, so come prepared to bid!

Reunion RSVP date approaching!

2006-09-18T20:01:00.000-04:00

With the summer weather still not quite transitioning into autumn, it's hard to believe that the first Collegian reunion is mere weeks away. The festivities begin on the evening of October 6, followed by a full day of activities and roundtables on October 7, culminating in a reunion dinner, keynote address by Renee Peck '75 and a closing reception.

If you haven't yet made your reservation, it still isn't too late! Simply mail your check or money order made out to Kenyon College in the amount of $100 to:

Sonya Broeren, Director of College Relations Campus Events
Alumni and Parent Programs
College Relations Center
Kenyon College
Gambier, OH 43022

In order to secure your place at the reunion, please RSVP by September 22. We look forward to seeing you in October!

Welcome to our new visitors!

2006-07-21T02:23:00.000-04:00

If you’re visiting this site after receiving our letter, thank you for stopping by! In the coming months, we’ll post updates and new information of note here about this fall’s reunion on Oct. 7, the formation of an alumni association for former Collegian staffers and the paper in general.

If you’d like to take the online version of our survey on your interests and vision for this group, please click here or at the link at right. After the survey, you can click to return to this site.

We also have an online version of the letter you received here.

At right, you can find our mission statement, contact information and board of directors. If you would like to get in touch with us, please feel free to leave a comment on this site, e-mail us at collegian.alumni.association@gmail.com or write us at Collegian Alumni; P.O. Box 707; Gambier, OH 43022.

Feel free to look around the site, and we hope you have a good day and stay in touch!

-- Collegian Alumni Interim Board of Directors

A retrospective

2006-07-21T02:11:00.000-04:00

The spring issue of the Kenyon Alumni Bulletin has several nice pieces about the Collegian’s anniversary, journalism and our upcoming reunion.

A large article recognizes the paper’s sesquicentennial, featuring comments and memories from several alumni. At the bottom of that story are links to several sidebars, including one on the reunion.

In the issue’s editorial, Dan Laskin looks back at his time as a copy editor and reporter. (A personal aside from this post's writer: This is a fine read but, as a copy editor, I must take exception to a certain reference therein. Specifically: "Eventually, I escaped to reporting." As nearly any rimmer could say, one does not escape to reporting. One escapes to the copy desk. And yes, responses are welcome. We're a group welcoming to all, even reporters...)

And in the closing column, Columbus Dispatch writer Molly Willow shows how a Collegian columnist’s background led to work as a small-paper reporter -- and taught lessons such as one many former Collegian reporters might have learned during a Gambier Vilage Council meeting: "Issues that seem trivial can stoke the hottest passions."

Many thanks to the Alumni Bulletin staff for all the hard work!

Some changes

2006-07-17T14:22:00.000-04:00

The letter and survey that were previously linked from this site have been changed, and we feel we should explain the reasoning behind this:

After extensive discussions among the members of our board and with Kenyon College, we've decided to change our vision for the structure of the alumni association. Initially, we had intended to organize ourselves as an independent non-profit organization, dedicated to supporting the Collegian and its work. Our main interest in doing this was to provide a source of support autonomous from Kenyon, in order to ensure that the Collegian, while remaining a student organization affiliated with Kenyon, could always continue to report on the College aggressively and impartially.

We also always sought to be friends with the College. And, from talking with Kenyon ahead of this fall's reunion, we learned that it could make the job of the College's alumni coordinators a bit harder if we were to organize independently. For instance, it would be harder for the College to keep in touch with alumni if leaders there didn't know about the timing of our communications.

Therefore, we have decided to instead organize as an affiliated alumni association with Kenyon College, operating under its oversight but still maintaining our own board. The guidelines for being an affiliated alumni association can be found here.

Again, we made this change only after careful and extensive consideration. In reviewing the aforementioned guidelines, we didn't feel that any of those bylaws required us to sacrifice our mission of fostering fellowship among alumni, connecting with current student journalists and supporting the ongoing work of the newspaper. We received assurances from the College that it has no intention of seeking to control or limit the aggressive reporting or independent editorial judgment of the paper. And, to ensure the importance of this in our own mission, we have amended the last part of our mission statement to state our desire "to support the ongoing work and impartial journalism of the newspaper." Most importantly, we feel that this relationship between the College and our group can be beneficial to all parties, especially in our early years.

Accordingly, a new letter announcing our organization is now here. A new survey is now here and at the link at right.

A letter and a survey

2006-06-02T02:57:00.000-04:00

We 're sending out our introductory letter to the alumni staffers we have on our mailing list. A .pdf copy of the letter is here. (Adobe Acrobat Reader is needed to view .pdf files. If you don't have it, it can be downloaded for free here.)

Included with the letter is a questionnaire, seeking the thoughts and suggestions of our fellow alumni staff members. This survey can be taken online by clicking here (this link is also at the right of this page). Please reply as soon as your time permits, either online or by mail. Your response will help shape this organization.

If you don't receive a letter in the coming couple weeks,and are a former Collegian staff member who would like to join the association, please e-mail us and let us know! You can also write us using the address found at the right of this page.

Thank you for your interest in the Collegian Alumni Association, and we hope you'll join the organization and try to attend our reunion in October to celebrate the newspaper's 150th anniversary!

In the storm

2006-06-02T02:55:00.000-04:00

The winter 2006 issue of the Kenyon Alumni Bulletin has a feature on Kenyon students and alumni who experienced Hurricanes Katrina and Rita last year. Among those profiled is Renee Brandt Peck '75, an editor with the Times-Picayune of New Orleans and, when a student, an editor at the Collegian.

The story can be found here. Ms. Peck also wrote the issue's closing column, reflecting on her experiences. This can be found here.

Small-town editing

2006-04-06T02:44:00.000-04:00

Perhaps one of the memorable aspects of the Collegian was not so much that it was a college paper, but that it was a small-town paper. Romenesko on Tuesday posted this appreciation of Jim Barbieri, a small-town newspaper editor in Indiana who recently died. His experiences seem amazingly similar to many times at the Collegian.

Here's another reflection on Barbieri, with some more familiar memories.

Collegian around the world

2006-03-26T01:36:00.000-05:00

Willow Belden -- a Kenyon junior, a Collegian editor-in-chief during fall 2005 and a liaison to our interim board of directors -- is spending her spring semester in Amman, Jordan. But she still reads the paper -- even in a Bedouin tent in the Jordanian desert.

If you have any photos or stories about your time at the Collegian, feel free to send them to collegian.alumni.association@gmail.com and we can post them on this site.

Welcome to the Collegian Alumni Association!

2005-08-01T23:34:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the online home of the Kenyon Collegian Alumni Association.

We are dedicated to fostering fellowship among former staff members of The Kenyon Collegian, the student newspaper of Kenyon College and community weekly for Gambier, Ohio; connecting with current student journalists at the Collegian and supporting the ongoing work of the newspaper.

With 2006 being the 150th anniversary of the Collegian's founding in 1856, we are planning a reunion for former staffers in Gambier on Sept. 9, the Saturday of Kenyon's Homecoming. As plans develop, more information will be posted on this site. We also hope that this site can pass along any news that alumni might like to offer, or any thoughts alumni might have on journalism, the Collegian or Kenyon.

For more information, please feel free to e-mail us at collegian.alumni.association@gmail.com or write to us at: Collegian Alumni Association; P.O. Box 707; Gambier, OH 43022.

If you're among the alumni of the Collegian or would be interested in helping foster strong student journalism at Kenyon, we'd love to hear from you!