Athletic Center

Kenyon opened the doors to its spectacular new $70 million athletic center in January 2006. Distinguished by soaring glass walls and light-filled spaces, the 263,000-square-foot building serves the needs of everyone from the casual jogger and the weekend hoopster to the fitness fanatic and the varsity athlete.

Read more at http://www1.kenyon.edu/athleticcenter/

Junior and Senior High Youth

For the very first time, this year junior and senior high youth will have different theme speakers. Annabelle Clippinger (see bio) will be the theme speaker for the youth who have completed grades 6, 7 and 8, and David Clippinger (see bio) will be the theme speaker for the youth who have completed grades 9-12. Some coordination between the youth theme speakers and the adult theme speaker (the Venerable Shir Ying Fa, the abbot of the Zen Center of Cleveland) of the daily theme talks/discussion topics will take place. The hope is that this will encourage informal inter-generational discussion of common topics. All youth will participate in the remainder of Youth Program activities, e.g., morning workshops, touch groups, Youth Vespers, etc., together. At SI, early afternoon and evening programming is intergenerational so that children, youth and adults have a chance to meet and mix.

SENIOR HIGH PROGRAM
“The Middle Path” led by David Clippinger
The Middle Path also embodies an ethical program of right action, right speaking, and right thinking (three manifestations of the Eight Fold Path of fundamental Buddhist practice), which overlaps in rather significant ways with the seven Unitarian Universalist Principles. By using those UU principles that are familiar to the youth at SI, the daily theme talks and hands-on workshops will introduce the concepts of an ethical and value-laden existence as well as elaborate upon a number of means to achieve balance in one’s life. In addition to the talks, a number of hands-on activities will be incorporated into the sessions such as:

• Meditation/guided meditation
• Nature walks/walking meditation
• Making malas and learning how to use them
• Chanting/singing
• T’ai Chi exercises
• Dialogues/talks

David Clippinger (Ph.D.) is an ordained Buddhist (Ch’an) monk with
the Dharma Name of Venerable Shih Tao-Fa (The Way of the
Dharma). He has taught at the university level since 1989, and has
extensive experience developing educational and outreach programs
through various universities as well as through the Pennsylvania Humanities
Council and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. In addition to have
to having two children (Philip and Tess), which clearly speaks to
his background working with “youth,” he has taught Buddhism
and T’ai Chi workshops for young people throughout Pittsburgh.

JUNIOR HIGH PROGRAM
“Growing into Balance” led by Annabelle Clippinger
For many youth, who are emerging into adolescence, the issue of balance is particularly difficult. They are not quite children nor are they adults, but they are faced with many of the positives and negatives of both. Drawing upon a range of approaches—Earth-Based Spirituality, Buddhism, and Unitarian Universalism—daily theme talks will be designed to help young people find the way of harmony of the self and the world and to grow into “well-balanced” adults. Activities will vary from dialogues and discussion, movement and artistic expression, to hands-on activities, with a focus upon how balance is not only attainable but a spiritual necessity.

Annabelle Clippinger is the Director of Pitt Arts, an educational program that facilitates arts education events between arts organizations in Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh. She has been teaching at the university level since 1990, and has published two books of poetry. She is also an active UU. She is a member of the UU Church of the South Hills in Pittsburgh and serves on its Board of Trustees.