Twelve Days of Christmas (12 to go!)
Since the holiday season is upon us, I decided to blog about 12 things that make me happy this Christmas. Number 12 is...[drumroll]...Kenyon!

As many of you know, this has been a bad, stressful semester for my college and department. Even so, there are so many professors who have made the department worthwhile throughout the last 3-plus years of my stay, and Kenyon is one of them. I've been shopping around for holiday-season comparisons to explain how fantastic he is. First, I was thinking of him as Santa. After all, he brings us presents each semester including registration for grad classes, tuition waivers, and help with bureaucracy. Let me tell you, those are the gifts that keep on giving! Then, I thought, Kenyon can't be Santa because our department already had a Santa before the Grinch took him away from us. Maybe, I thought to myself, Kenyon's the head Elf. He's industrious and helpful. He likes (kitschy) toys. But, of course, he's pretty tall, and he never wears tights. Err...to my knowledge, anyway.

Either way, Santa's workshop is changing for better or worse. While we elves-in-training adapt to these changes, it's helpful to remember how special professors like him are. Kenyon, thank you for all your help in administration; more importantly, thank you for being a great role model, a supportive advisor, and a friend. Happy Holidays! (Violet)