Fridays are normally Spirit Days at Kalamazoo College, prompting the K community to wear orange and black, but the one coming Aug. 30 is special. It’s National College Colors Day and we are joining colleges and universities across the country in the annual Friday-before-Labor-Day celebration that fuels school pride.
We are encouraging current students, admitted and prospective students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents and the community to participate in National College Colors Day on Aug. 30.
We are encouraging current students, admitted and prospective students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents and the community to participate by posting photos of themselves, friends, family and colleagues wearing K gear to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with the hashtags #ShowUsYourK and #CollegeColorsDay. Alumni may also submit their pictures through email at alumni@kzoo.edu for us to post. Be sure to tell us in your posts why you love K!
As a bonus, the College Marketing and Communication office will randomly select three participants to win a K sweatshirt, hat or mug from the Kalamazoo College Bookstore.
Read the contest rules below and start considering how you will participate in National College Colors Day. By the way, if you need more orange and black, visit the bookstore in person or online. Thanks for letting your K spirit shine!
Contest rules
No purchase is necessary to participate in Kalamazoo College’s National College Colors Day contest and a purchase doesn’t increase a participant’s chance of winning.
The contest will run from 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. EDT Aug. 30. A College Marketing and Communication (CMAC) representative will choose the winner at random Sept. 3 from entrants who participate Aug. 30. Please avoid creating multiple accounts to submit additional entries. There will be one entry per participant regardless of the number of posts. The winners will be notified Sept. 3.
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are not sponsoring the contest and are not responsible to entrants or participants. By posting, you consent to have your name announced by the College on social media should you win a prize.
Excitement is building across the country for first-year students who are anticipating their college experiences and planning what to bring to campus this fall. It’s a time Ximena Davis ’19 fondly remembers even though she attended college close to home after growing up in Kalamazoo.
Student employees help first-year students with moving in to the residence halls. Read what one alumna offers for advice regarding what to bring to campus on move-in day.
“It was still a different place to stay and I was very excited,” Davis said. “I was ready to explore being an independent person. I also got to see a different side to the city than the one I saw while living at home.”
Residential Life has its suggestions regarding what to bring to campus this fall. However, it helps to get some perspective from someone like Davis who has lived in the residence halls while attending K. Based on her experiences, here are her suggestions after living in Hoben Hall, DeWaters Hall and a Living Learning House in her years at K.
Avoid overpacking
Even if you’re arriving from several states away, it’s better to leave yourself more space than to overpack.
“It’s good to have pictures of friends, but you don’t want to be overwhelmed in your space,” Davis said. “I brought trinkets and keepsakes to occupy my desk space my first year. But throughout that year, I found it was too much. I was constantly getting stuff I wanted to decorate with, and I ended up packing away what I originally brought. I found myself wishing I would’ve given myself more of a blank slate by leaving more at home.”
Davis said that includes the cold-weather clothes she brought too soon.
“After moving in, I was going through my clothes and realized I brought five different jackets for various levels of warmth, along with my winter jacket and snow boots,” Davis said. “I must have thought, ‘What if it snows in October?’ as it has in many years. But even if it does snow early, it probably won’t be enough to justify boots.”
There could be exceptions to this rule of thumb if students can’t return home between fall and winter terms or if students don’t have both fall and winter coats available to them, although additional space in a residence hall room is valuable.
Buy local
If it makes it easier to pack less, remember most items can be purchased in Kalamazoo stores and thrift shops after you take a visual assessment of your space. The shopping experience can also be beneficial.
“Because Kalamazoo College is located in a city, it’s not difficult to go to a store to find things you might need,” Davis said. “Even if you’re worried about not having a car on campus, there is public transportation, and carpooling is a good way to make friends. I think going with a roommate can be a bonding experience.”
Record your experiences
Bring to campus simple tools and decorations that will enable you to better remember your first year at K. Davis, for example, decorated with strings of lights that used clips for attaching photos, and she kept an assignment notebook that doubled as a journal.
“I first had a couple of pictures from prom or an amusement park, but it helped to keep adding to it,” said Davis, regarding her string of lights. “I brought it every year and added to it every year.”
Within the journal, “I kept all of my thoughts in one place,” Davis said. “It was nice to have during that time of change and then look back on those memories. I think it helped me grow into a more confident person and helped me be better organized.”
Talk to your roommate in advance
Before Davis moved to campus, she feared the worst regarding her roommate.
“I knew Residential Life tries to match like-minded students, but I was worried they would make a mistake somewhere along the line and they would give me a roommate I wouldn’t get along with as well as they’d hoped,” Davis said.
Talking with that roommate in advance through social media, though, helped alleviate that fear. Plus, just as importantly, it helped the two determine who would bring what to campus.
“Communication is very important,” Davis said. “It helps you feel better about this new experience, and it will prevent you from doubling up on big items such as microwaves that can take a lot of space.”
More information
Kalamazoo College’s new-student move-in day is scheduled for Sept. 10. If you have questions before, during or after that time, more information is available. Find Residential Life at its website or contact its offices at housing@kzoo.edu or 269.337.7210.
Kalamazoo College will welcome Kenneth G. Elzinga, Ph.D. ’63 as its 2019 Commencement speaker on Sunday, June 16.
Kenneth Elzinga, Kalamazoo College’s 2019 Commencement speaker, has taught economics to more than 47,000 students at the University of Virginia.
Elzinga, the Robert C. Taylor Professor of Economics at the University of Virginia, is a renowned teacher and a leading authority on antitrust policy, writing for numerous journals, including the American Economic Review, the Journal of Law and Economics, and the Harvard Law Review. He has served as a special economic advisor to the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and has testified in numerous precedent-setting cases, including three U.S. Supreme Court cases.
At the University of Virginia, Elzinga has taught economics to more than 47,000 students. In 2017, an endowed chair was named in his honor, celebrating a career that’s been recognized through many awards, including the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Outstanding Faculty Award and the University of Virginia’s highest honor, the Thomas Jefferson Award. The Southern Economic Association’s annual teaching award is also named after Elzinga.
In addition to his distinguished teaching career, Elzinga is known for co-authoring murder mysteries under the pen name Marshall Jevons, featuring a sleuth who solves crimes using economic theory. The books Murder at the Margin, The Fatal Equilibrium, A Deadly Indifference, and The Mystery of the Invisible Hand were written with the late Trinity University professor William Breit, with whom he also co-edited The Antitrust Casebook: Milestones in Economic Regulation. The novels have been translated into seven languages and have appeared on the reading lists of many college courses.
Elzinga graduated from Kalamazoo College in 1963 and went on to earn his Ph.D. in economics from Michigan State University in 1967, joining the University of Virginia faculty that year. He has also taught at MSU, Pepperdine, Cambridge and Trinity Universities. In 2000, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Kalamazoo College.
“Ken Elzinga represents the best of where a liberal arts education can lead you,” said Kalamazoo College President Jorge G. Gonzalez. “Born in a working-class neighborhood in Kalamazoo, he embraced his time at K and went on to achieve phenomenal success in economics, teaching and writing—blending his passions in creative ways that have inspired students for more than 50 years. We are honored to welcome him back to campus as our Commencement speaker.”
The 2019 Commencement at Kalamazoo College is scheduled for 1 p.m. June 16 on the College Quad.
Kalamazoo College alumni near and far will have an opportunity to honor their K mentors—and have their gifts matched dollar for dollar—on the Day of Gracious Giving.
Kalamazoo College alumni near and far will have an opportunity to honor their K mentors and have their gifts matched dollar for dollar on the Day of Gracious Giving.
“We are encouraging all alumni to remember those who have played formative roles in their lives and consider making a gift in their honor,” said Laurel Palmer, director of the Kalamazoo College Fund. An anonymous group of donors will challenge more than 1,000 alumni, parents and friends to make a gift to K by offering a $230,000 matching pool.
“Alumni often tell us that the relationships they forged with faculty, coaches and other mentors are among the most cherished outcomes of their K experience,” said Palmer. “This is a great way for alumni to thank their mentors and foster the same opportunities for current and future students.”
As usual, the event will coincide with the Day of Gracious Living and the date will be a surprise. The announcement for #KGraciousGiving will be made via email and on the Kalamazoo College Facebook and Twitter pages.
In 2018, while students enjoyed a gracious class-free day, 1,013 alumni from the classes of 1947-2017 gave an astonishing $226,270. This year’s goal aims to surpass that record and raise $230,000 from 1,040 donors.
All contributions make it possible for Kalamazoo College to attract, retain and support talented students regardless of economic need. All donors—including alumni, parents and friends—can choose to support scholarships, faculty resources or the K experience. To explore the opportunities and make a gift, visit the Kalamazoo College Fund online.
Crain’s Detroit Business is honoring a Kalamazoo College alumna in its 2018 list of 26 Notable Women in Technology.
Kalamazoo College alumna Amy Courter ’83 is among 26 professionals who were named the 2018 Notable Women in Technology by Crain’s Detroit Business.
Amy Courter ’83 is principal of Azimuth Centers of Excellence, a leadership development and public speaking organization. Additionally, she serves as CEO of inerTRAIN providing an online portal for personal-fitness trainers to deliver custom workouts to clients, as well as inerTEAM for coaches and trainers to equip their athletic teams with workouts and drills. Courter’s career also includes 20 years of leadership at Valassis, formerly a $2.3 billion public marketing-services corporation.
Courter and the other women featured in Notable Women in Technology were selected based on their career accomplishments, their involvement in nonprofits and community organizations, and how they mentor others in their field or inspire girls and young women to consider STEM careers.
Read more about the honorees in technology and other industries at the Crain’s Detroit Business website. Honorees in other industries include K alumnae Cheryl Johnson ’83 and Jennifer Lepard ’86 who are Notable Women in Nonprofits.
Cheryl Johnson ’83, a Notable Women in Nonprofits honoree, is the Coalition on Temporary Shelter executive director and CEO.Jennifer Lepard ’86, a Notable Women in Nonprofits honoree, is the president and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association’s Greater Michigan Chapter.
Crain’s Detroit Business is honoring two Kalamazoo College alumnae in its 2018 list of 59 Notable Women in Nonprofits.
Johnson builds community partnerships to nurture the skills of those COTS serves and she advocates for social change. Lepard has led a staff of 60 people in six statewide offices since 2013, serving many of the 180,000 individuals in Michigan who live with Alzheimer’s disease. She also was responsible for leading the nonprofit’s merger with the national Alzheimer’s organization.
Johnson, Lepard and the 57 other women honored were nominated by their community and career peers for their work in building endowments, programming and relationships for the organizations they lead. Read more about the honorees in nonprofit organizations and other industries at the Crain’s Detroit Business website.
Kalamazoo College alumnus Peter Rothstein ’14 is celebrating his selection in the 2019 edition of 30 Under 30, Forbes’ annual list of 600 young visionaries from 20 industries.
Rothstein, originally from West Bloomfield, Michigan, is the director of operations for Brooklyn, New York-based Dona Chai. He and his sister, Amy, founded the company, crafting tea concentrates and sodas brewed with spices from around the world. Its products are available at independent coffee shops and Whole Foods stores, mostly on the East and West Coast.
Peter Rothstein ’14 and his sister, Amy, were included in the 2019 edition of 30 Under 30, Forbes’ annual list of 600 young visionaries from 20 industries. The pair founded the company Dona Chai.
Tea leaves couldn’t have predicted a coffee-shop-inspired success for Rothstein after he graduated from K with a business degree. Rothstein admitted he doesn’t care for coffee and the last time he had any was years ago.
“And that was when I tried a decaf cappuccino with sugar packets and more sugar packets,” he said. However, in 2014, “Amy was attending New York University when she noticed a trend toward better coffee. People wanted higher quality and better baked goods, but people were still using big brand names.”
Armed with ideas and some encouragement from their dad, who is a venture capitalist, the pair created Dona Chai. Today, the company’s masala chai and turmeric tea concentrates are mixed with milk and served hot. Its soda flavors include Juniper Lime Spice, Turmeric Honeybush and Pink Peppercorn.
“There was a lot of learning and trial and error for us at first,” Rothstein said. “It took about two years for us to realize we would be successful.”
At that point, Dona Chai products started getting sold at Whole Foods locations, and the company eclipsed $600,000 in revenue after developing trade-show popularity.
“Even then it still took a couple of months,” Rothstein said, adding that selling a new tea in a retail location requires customers to change something about their morning routine for the product to draw demand. “It took working with customers and baristas. But after that, we saw inventory turn rapidly, and we realized we would be successful.”
When Rothstein reflects on his success, he credits K, the liberal arts and the K-Plan, Kalamazoo College’s distinctive approach to the liberal arts and sciences, for teaching him to think differently and solve problems. Rothstein added a corporate finance course, led by Associate Professor of Economics and Business Tim Moffit ’80, was among his favorites at K.
Although he had first attended Johns Hopkins, Rothstein quickly learned he wanted a different experience, and meeting Kalamazoo College men’s tennis coach Mark Riley convinced him to switch schools.
Riley is “the type of guy who can put his arm around you and nurture you, or he can push you beyond what you think you can do,” said Rothstein, who competed in tennis and studied abroad in Aberdeen, Scotland, in his years at K. “Once I got to K I realized it had a lot of Mark Rileys. That included everyone from my professors to the general staff, to the trainers, to the Registrar’s Office and others. I can’t thank Kalamazoo College enough.”
Read more about Rothstein, his sister, Dona Chai and others honored in the 30 Under 30 Food and Drink category at Forbes’ website.
Students participate in Grateful for K Day by writing thank-you notes showing appreciation to Kalamazoo College donors.
Students, faculty, staff and alumni will celebrate a day honoring Kalamazoo College’s philanthropic donors from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Hicks Student Center.
Sponsored by the Kalamazoo College Fund, Grateful for K Day – conducted twice a year – calls on students to honor the importance of philanthropy in sustaining and enhancing Kalamazoo College by writing personalized notes to thank donors for their support. Donations help about 98 percent of K students receive scholarships or some other form of financial aid.
All students are welcome to participate. Coffee and cookies will be served.
An idea from the Kalamazoo College Board of Trustees is ensuring that K’s students will continue to thrive in the K-Plan. The board has decided that three of its members, elected to three-year terms, will serve as recent-graduate trustees. The advantage is that trustees with better knowledge of how current students navigate their educations and experiences will help the board make more informed decisions in guiding the College.
Mark Ghafari ’14 serves as one of three recent-graduate trustees on the Kalamazoo College Board of Trustees.
As the board convenes this month, the recent-graduate trustees are:
Mark Ghafari ’14, a financial adviser at Merrill Lynch in Grand Rapids, Michigan;
Asia Liza Morales ’15, a strategic projects specialist at the Posse Foundation in New York City; and
Jerrod Howlett ’09, a manager of product solutions at Google in New York City.
Ghafari is beginning his first year on the board, Morales is in her second year and Howlett is in his third.
In his years as a student, Ghafari majored in economics, played men’s basketball, studied abroad in Strasbourg, France, with travels through Belgium and the Netherlands, and learned about internships while working in the Center for Career and Professional Development.
Asia Liza Morales ’15 serves as one of three recent-graduate trustees on the Kalamazoo College Board of Trustees.
“It’s an unbelievable honor to provide the board with the perspective of a recent graduate,” Ghafari said. “I applaud the College for having this role, and it’s a great opportunity to advance the mission of the College. It’s an exciting time with President Gonzalez and a new strategic plan. It’s exciting to be able to help.”
The board is comprised of 33 trustees including Gonzalez. Its members reflect major sectors of society and represent nationwide locales as well as the Kalamazoo community and College alumni. All are tasked with serving current and future students by assuring K’s continued place among the top private liberal arts colleges in the country.
Morales says to those current and future students, “There are so many experiences to be had at K that don’t happen at other colleges. This place fosters an experience unlike any other. It can be anything and everything you want it to be. Once I got in the workplace, I knew how far ahead I was because of Kalamazoo College.”
Jerrod Howlett ’09 serves as one of three recent-graduate trustees on the Kalamazoo College Board of Trustees.
Morales was a Posse scholar on campus, majored in biology, minored in anthropology and sociology, served as a president’s student ambassador, and spent a semester abroad in Cáceres, Spain.
Howlett as a student sought outside-the-classroom activities such as intercollegiate athletics including tennis; arts experiences such as Premium Orange, an a capella group; and a summer internship through Compuware, a software company. He also wanted the personal access to faculty that K provided.
“The relationships I built with my professors and the level of care they took to invest in me were the pinnacle experience of attending Kalamazoo College,” Howlett said. The faculty “always ensured they could take time out of their day so we could learn more. I know I could always go to them to ask questions.
“I have no idea if I’d be in the same place without K. I know it helped me get here.”
Other Homecoming events this Friday-Sunday include:
the Alumni Association Awards Ceremony at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Join us in the Dalton Theatre at Light Fine Arts to honor the award recipients for 2018 including Distinguished Service Award winner Rick Gianino ’78, Distinguished Achievement Award winner Sandra Greene ’74, Weimer K. Hicks Award winner David Barclay, Young Alumni Award winner Eli Savit ’05, and the Athletic Hall of Fame Awards honorees. The athletic awards honorees include Kristyn Buhl-Lepisto ’04 (women’s golf); Meaghan Clark McGuire ’05 (women’s tennis), Eric Gerwin ’00 (football), Scott Whitbeck ’04 (men’s swimming and diving), and the 1955, 1980 and 1981 men’s tennis teams.
reunions of the classes of 1968, 1973, 1978, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003, 2008 and 2013.
receptions and gatherings for groups including the 1833 and Stetson societies, the Alumni of Color, the Emeriti Club, and alumni from specific academic departments.
guided campus tours of historical sites, the campus in general and the new hoop house.
performances by Monkapult, Cirque du K and theater seniors.
opportunities for alumni to tell their K stories in video through Story Zoo.
gatherings where alumni can offer advice and compare notes with current students.
