Hidden Ivy

Kenyon College ⇒ (“Kenyon”) is a private liberal arts college located in rural Gambier, Ohio. The campus is known for Collegiate Gothic architecture and for being listed as a Hidden Ivy. Both the college and Bexley Hall Seminary ⇒ were started with substantial funding from Lloyd Kenyon, 3rd Baron Kenyon to train Episcopal clergy.

Just Keep Matriculating The Ball Down The Field, Boys

This shirt was provided to incoming members of the 2003 class during an orientation ceremony that would have occurred during late August 1999. Alumni may or may not be interested in the class’s facebook group (registration required) ⇒. Three-hundred ninety-five students earned bachelor degrees as part of the 2003 gradating class ⇒; this number is probably different from the number that would have been at the orientation due to transfer ins, transfer outs, and dropouts.

Part of the orientation includes a tradition of a “First Year Sing” where the freshmen are made to sing four songs in front of Rosse Hall ⇒. All students that graduate are also expected to reassemble in front of Rosse Hall to sing those same songs during a “Senior Sing”. The school would have reconsidered my admission had I ever gone to Kenyon and been forced to sing .

Kenyon is one of a few colleges in America, and the only one represented within the Free Shirt Archive, that still has a formal matriculation process. Incoming freshmen recite an oath ⇒ and sign their autographs within a book ⇒. The matriculation tradition dates back to 1837. The ceremony typically takes place on Founder’s Day during October, but deserves mention due to being the other popular thing that incoming Kenyon students are pressured to do.

Wearing Thin

This shirt is thin. In fact, it is easily the most intentionally thin shirt throughout the archive. This shirt is often a cool choice during the summer. The Camel {Smooth Character} shirt is getting close to being as thin as this Kenyon shirt, but I have had that shirt since 1989. I sincerely doubt that the Class of 2003 Orientation shirt will survive as long as the Camel shirt because the difference in fabric is obvious. Clearly, the tuition money at Kenyon goes to something other than promotional shirts.

This shirt and Batjac Productions {The Duke / The High & The Mighty} are, so far, the only ringers in the Archive. The purple ribbing is ticker than the rest of the shirt fabric.

Stuck

A relatively mundane story about a used car purchase starts with finding a Kenyon window sticker was placed on the rear window in the bottom center making the sticker impossible to not see. I suppose for the previous owner this sticker was a matter of academic pride. I, however, did not have any connection to the college. The sticker was gone as soon as the title was transferred.

I may not mind shirts with promotional designs, but I do mind stickers. If I can a get a sticker off of something then I will often do so. Stickers do not have any function for the end user whereas shirts keep a body warm and covered. Stickers are not reusable, but shirts are able to be reworn. Stickers disrupt the original design intent of whichever building, car, or onto whatever else someone applies the sticker to with or without permission. Shirts are typically not used to tag other peoples’ stuff and are usually worn by choice.

This is simply the choice that I have made about stickers. The reader is encouraged to arrive at their own conclusion based upon their experience. Those so inclined could start a Free Sticker Archive.