In 2003, Laurel Kennedy, then dean of first-year students (and today vice president for student development) came up with an idea: As a way of uniting the new class, she asked incoming students, as well as faculty and staff, to submit original creative works—including sculpture, paintings, writing, and photography— geared toward a common theme, “In Celebration of Rivers.”
The response was overwhelming and set the stage for a Denison tradition. These days the annual campus theme, promoted by the Spectrum Series and directed by Marlaine Browning, guides programming, classroom discussions, service activities, and thought for the entire campus community.
This year’s theme, Creativity & Courage, has spurred plenty of conversation, as the Denison community explores the ways in which these ideas influence art, food, literature, television, and activism.