Category: Events

Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation at K

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Kalamazoo College’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation takes place Monday Jan. 21 at 10:50 a.m. in Stetson Chapel. Harvey Hollins III ’87 will deliver the Convocation address on the theme of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, which was delivered 50 years ago this year. Mr. Hollins is Director of the State of Michigan’s Office of Urban and Metropolitan Initiatives. In this position, he serves as a principal advisor to Michigan Governor Rick Snyder on matters related to urban and regional economic initiatives that contribute to job growth. The Convocation is free of charge and open to the public.

Monday Jan. 21 is a Federal holiday. No classes will be held at the College and most offices will be closed.

Renowned Professor and Public Servant To Speak at Kalamazoo College

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Kenneth Marcus, the Lillie and Nathan Ackerman Chair in Equality and Justice in America at Baruch College of the City University of New York, will deliver a lecture titled “The Conundrum of Race: Civil Rights, Law, and Jewish Identity,” on Tuesday, January 29, at 7:30 P.M. in the Mandelle Hall Olmsted Room. The event is free and open to the public.

Marcus is a former staff director of the United States Commission on Civil Rights and was last month named to the “Forward 50,” the Jewish Daily Forward’s listing of the American Jews who made the most significant impact on the news last year. Marcus is the founder, president, and chief counsel of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights, which combats the resurgence of anti-Semitism in American higher education. He is the author of the award-winning book, Jewish Identity and Civil Rights in America (Cambridge University Press, 2010).

Marcus’s lecture is sponsored by K’s Jewish Studies Program and the Department of Political Science.

Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership Will Host Summit on Social Justice in the Academy

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Kalamazoo College’s Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership will host “A Summit on Social Justice in the Academy,” January 17-19, 2013 on the K campus. Social justice scholars, thought leaders, activists, and program directors from the United States, Kenya, and South Africa will examine the integration of social justice into higher education.

Two “Summit” events, a documentary film screening and a luncheon, are open to the public.

“Numerous colleges and universities have established social justice centers, institutes, offices, programs, schools, and prizes,” said Lisa Brock, academic director for Kalamazoo College’s Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership (ACSJL), and a “Summit” organizer.

“Some have missions focused on social transformation and curricular infusion, while others concentrate on community involvement, solution-based research, and/or global engagement. Most are dedicated to some combination of these practices, and all work in some ways on progressive social change,” she said. “Although there have been many conferences to discuss social justice and public engagement, this is the first time these topics will be discussed by directors and leaders in the field of social justice.”

The documentary film Mountains That Take Wing—Angela Davis & Yuri Kochiyama will be screened in the Recital Hall Theatre, Light Fine Arts Building, on Jan. 17 at 7:00 p.m. “Mountains” chronicles 13 years in the lives of two women who share a passion for social justice: scholar-activist Angela Davis, and grassroots community activist and 2005 Nobel Peace Prize nominee Yuri Kochiyama. A conversation with filmmakers C.A. Griffith and H.L.T Quan follows the screening.

“Beyond Heroes and Holidays: Social Justice Leaders Reflect on the Civil Rights Movement,” is the theme of a luncheon discussion on Friday Jan. 18, 12:00 to 2:30 p.m. in the Hicks Student Center banquet room. Summit members will examine the values and work of three very different leaders of the Civil Rights movement—Martin Luther King, Jr., Ella Baker and Bayard Rustin—and discuss what inspirations and cautions others should take from them on building and sustaining movements today.

Attendance to the film and luncheon is free of charge, but reservations are required. Please RSVP to ACSJL@kzoo.edu.

“Summit” invitees are: Lisa Brock; Dara Cooper, ACSJL Fellow and Founding Program Director, Freshmoves, Chicago; Kenyon Farrow, Communications Director, The Praxis Project New Orleans; Jaime Grant, Executive Director, ACSJL; Crystal Griffin, Social Justice Filmmaker, Arizona State University; Donte Hillard, Assistant Dean of Students and Director Multicultural Student Center and Institute for Justice Education and Transformation, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Amber Hollibaugh, Executive Director, Queers for Economic Justice, New York City; Janet Jakobson, Director, Barnard Center for Research on Women, Barnard College; Joseph Jones, Director, Office of the Social Justice Initiative, Philander Smith College; Godwin Morunga, Associate Director, African Leadership Center, University of Nairobi and Kings College-London; H. L. T. Quan, School of Social Transformation, Arizona State University; Barbara Ransby, Vice Provost, Social Justice Initiative, University of Illinois-Chicago; Gail Smith, Communications Director, Institute for Strategic Reflection, Mapungubwe, Johannesburg, South Africa; Rhonda Williams, Director of the Institute for Social Justice, Case Western University.

Kalamazoo College Guilds Renamed and Expanded

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On the program’s fifth anniversary, the Guilds of Kalamazoo College announced the addition of two new guilds and the re-christening of two others. An open house to celebrate this growth and evolution will occur Wednesday, January 9, from 6 PM to 8 PM in the Center for Career and Professional Development resource room on the first floor of Dewing Hall. Birthday cake will be served, and attendees will get first look at the summer 2013 internship and externship opportunities. The Guilds are active communities of engaged professionals—apprentices and masters—supported by the College’s Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD). Membership in the Guilds groups on LinkedIn has surpassed 1,500 individuals, including more than 1,000 K alumni. The names of two Guilds have changed—the Justice & Peace Guild becomes the Nonprofit & Public Service Guild, and the Sustainability Guild becomes the Science & Technology Guild. The Nonprofit & Public Service name reflects the life work of the majority of that Guild’s members, allowing apprentices and masters to more easily recognize their career paths within that Guild. The Science & Technology Guild creates a Guild home for a group of students and alumni professionals that until now hadn’t determined where they fit in the Guilds. The two name changes in no way undermine those Guilds’ engagements with matters of peace, justice, and sustainability. Says CCPD director Joan Hawxhurst: “The CCPD remains committed to those core ideals. Working with Guilds members we will bring these topics into conversations across all Guilds.” The new  “all” includes two new entities: the Education Guild and the Arts & Media Guild. The Business Guild, Health Guild, and Law Guild complete the magnificent seven. CCPD will continue to work with the Environmental Studies concentration to co-host the annual Sustainability SIP Symposium, which showcases senior research that aligns with professional pathways in multiple Guilds. And, says Hawxhurst, “We also will continue to partner with the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership to address social justice issues across all the Guilds.”

Hornets Join Broncos in Hurricane Cleanup

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K cross country runner Brock Crystal ’15 (l) and WMU football player Nick Norton (r) helped New Jersey homeowners Vicki Laudien and Joe Danski clean up after Hurricane Sandy
K cross country runner Brock Crystal ’15 (l) and WMU football player Nick Norton (r) helped New Jersey homeowners Vicki Laudien and Joe Danski clean up after Hurricane Sandy.

Brock Crystal’s ’15 decision to attend the weekly athlete bible study at Kalamazoo College led him on an adventure in giving and gratitude he says he’ll never forget. Crystal, a member of the K Men’s Cross Country team, heard about a planned mission trip during Thanksgiving weekend to the East Coast where Hornets would collaborate with Broncos—Western Michigan University’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes—to help people affected by Hurricane Sandy.
      Though he had never tried anything like this before, Crystal decided to tag along with fellow K students. Sophie Roberts ’16, Quinn McCormick ’14, Jacob Lenning ’15, Liz Lenning ’16, Guiherme (Will) Guedes ’15, and Crystal carpooled east where they met up with the WMU volunteers. The group of 14 student athletes worked for five days tearing out damage from flooded homes and helping residents take photographs for insurance claims.
      This trip marked Crystal’s first time volunteering at a disaster site. He said many homes still lacked power and water, and many people were stranded or living with friends. One day, Crystal and others travelled to the Jersey Shore where they met homeowners Vicki Laudien and Joe Danski whose house had been flooded with four feet of water.
      “They basically said, ‘everything in this house from four feet below has to leave,’” said Crystal. As the K crew worked clearing out the house, they discovered a board in the back of a first-floor closet. The board held pencil markings of Laudien’s and Danski’s grandchildren’s changing heights over the years. Crystal and his crewmates pried the board from the closet, and presented it as a gift to the family.
      “It was really powerful to connect so deeply to someone in the span of half a day,” said Crystal. Now that he’s back home, Crystal says he caught the volunteer bug. “I really now see it’s not about us and not about getting gratitude for what we’ve done; it’s about helping other people,” he said. “It was a very rewarding experience I’d go on 100 times over.”
Story by Elaine Ezekiel ’13

Bach Festival Christmas Concert on December 2

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On Sunday, December 2nd, at 4:00 p.m. in Stetson Chapel, the Bach Festival Chorus will present its annual BachFest Christmas! concert featuring works by Bach, Handel, Mendelssohn, and others.

Lyric soprano Rhea Olivaccé will make her Kalamazoo debut with a performance of “O, Holy Night” and as the featured soloist in Moses Hogan’s “Glory to the Newborn King.” Familiar carols and an audience sing-along complete this often sold-out concert and much beloved family holiday tradition.

The first half of the concert will feature J.S. Bach’s Magnificat, with soloists, chorus, and orchestra under the direction of Maestro James Turner. Guest soloists for this piece are Emily Bennett, Giles Simmer and Kaitlin Spencer, sopranos; Sandra Maytan, mezzo-soprano; Steve Martin, tenor; and Marcus Jordan, baritone.

The second half of the program features holiday favorites performed by the choir, including some some traditional Christmas carols in which the audience is invited to sing along. Featured soloists in the second half of the concert include Rhea Olivaccé, soprano, and Carl Witt, piano.

Tickets for BachFest Christmas! are available through the Bach Festival office (269-337-7407) or online through the Bach Festival’s website. Tickets are $22 (center and balcony); $15 (sides); and $5 (students). Children ages 12 and under and free.

Hop On K Art

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Kalamazoo College has FOUR stops on tonight’s monthly Art Hop around downtown Kalamazoo.

William Morris and Kelmscott event advertisementWilliam Morris & Kelmscott: Works by the 19thCentury British Artist, writer, textile designer, and founder of Kelmscott Press. In the A.M. Todd Rare Book Room, Upjohn Library – 3rd Floor, on the K campus, 5-8 pm.

Fear into Fire: Reclaiming Black Male Identity through the Art of Tattooing. Presented by the Black Arts & Cultural Center and Kalamazoo College’s Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership. Epic Center, 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall – 2nd> Floor Atrium, 5-8 pm.

Paths Revisited: Paintings by Bernard Palchick, Professor of Art, Emeritus. Funded with support from the Kalamazoo Artistic Development Initiative and the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo. Epic Center, 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall – Suite 203, 5-8 pm.

Untold Stories: Works by six K seniors from Professor Sarah Lindley’s Advanced Studio course (Annie Belle, Lizz Caputo, Hannah Knoll, Annie Swanson-Nystrom, Katherine Smith, and Elizabeth Yang). Park Trades Center, 326 W. Kalamazoo Ave., Studio 209-L, 6-9 pm.

Honors Day

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Student receiving award at Honors Day
Sashae Mitchell ’15 receiving the Virginia Hinkelman Memorial Award from Sarah Westfall and Zaide Pixley.

“Honors Day Convocation” was the Week 7 (Oct. 26) Community Reflection in Stetson Chapel. The event is a time to present special awards to Kalamazoo College students for their accomplishments. Most awards are based on outstanding performance in a particular area during the previous academic year.

Chaplain Liz Candido ’00 greeted the audience of more than 200 K professors, staff members, students and their families present for Parents Weekend. Jenna Hunt ’13 sang “Love Went A-Riding” accompanied by piano before Provost Mickey McDonald delivered opening remarks. “These times of celebration are important to any community,” he said. “It is a time to learn more about each other, to recognize the outstanding contributions being made by those in our community, and to honor those making these contributions.”

Accompanied by Vice President for Student Development and Dean of Students Sarah Westfall and Dean of the First Year and Advising Zaide Pixley, McDonald awarded about 60 students with 31 honors across Fine Arts, Foreign Languages, Humanities, Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Social Sciences, and Physical Education. He also announced non-departmental awards and recognized students and athletes who received various honors in scholarship last year, such as the Posse Scholars of 2016 and 122 Hornets who qualified for the MIAA Academic Honor Roll.

View a complete list of those awarded.

To close the ceremony, the audience joined in singing the Kalamazoo Alma Mater.

Community Reflection offers a unique forum for discussion, worship, performance, and community expression each Friday at 10:50 AM in Stetson Chapel. The entire campus community and general public are invited. The Week 8 (Nov 2) Reflection will be “Unmasking the Sting of Micro-aggressions in Everyday Life.” This service, Co-sponsored by the Counseling Center, will reflect on the hurtfulness of micro-aggressions, and encourage audience members to think about the impact of daily interactions that may be perceived negatively. [Story and photo by Elaine Ezekiel ’13]

Honors Day October 2012

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The following students received awards during the Honors Day ceremony on October 26, 2012.

Brian Gougeon Prize in Art
McKenna Kring
Corinne MacInnes
Kira Sandiford

Lillian Pringle Baldauf Prize in Music
Bret Linvill
Hannah Shaughnessy-Mogill

Margaret Upton Prize in Music
Morgan Walker

Cooper Award
Amy Jimenez
Arshia Will

Theatre Arts First-Year Student Award
Katelyn Anderson
Jane Huffman

LeGrand Copley Prize in French
Kelsey Donk
Jessica Jankowsky
Katherine Stott
Jose Zacarias

Hardy Fuchs Award
Brock Crystal

Margo Light Award
David DeSimone

Romance Languages Department Prize in Spanish
Samantha Jolly
Jacob Lenning

Clara H. Buckley Prize for Excellence in Latin
Nick Bolig

Provost’s Prize in Classics
Eeva Stout-Sharp

O. M. Allen Prize in English
Allison Kennedy

John B. Wickstrom Prize in History
Samantha Foran

L. J. and Eva (“Gibbie”) Hemmes Memorial Prize in Philosophy
Andy Haughey
Morgan Jennings
Jenna Sexton

Department of Philosophy Prize
Jenna Neumann

Winifred Peake Jones Prize in Biology
Rachael Dandar
Kaitlyn Greiner
Tibin John

Department of Chemistry Prize
Dylan Shearer

First-Year Chemistry Award
Mojtaba Akhavantafti
Jacob Gallimore

Lemuel F. Smith Award
Rachel Horness

Computer Science Prize
Giancarlo Anemone
Guilherme Guedes

First-Year Mathematics Award
Tibin John
Philip Mulder
Fayang Pan

Thomas O. Walton Prize in Mathematics
Jinyuan Huang
Umang Varma

Cooper Prize in Physics
Rasseil Alzouhayli
Caitlin Braun

Departmental Prize in Anthropology and Sociology
Maya Edery
Thomas Jackson
Hannah Shaughnessy-Mogill

C. Wallace Lawrence Prize in Economics
Dorothy Mugubu
Kari Paine

Irene and S. Kyle Morris Prize
Emerson Talanda-Fisher
Katherine Gatz
Drew Hopper
Bret Linvill
Scott Wharam

William G. Howard Memorial Prize
Alexander Werder

Department of Psychology First-Year Student Prize
Elizabeth Hanley
Mara Richman

Marshall Hallock Brenner Prize
Justin Leatherwood

Division of Physical Education Prize
Alexandra Gothard
Dylan Shearer

Maggie Wardle Prize
Emily Lindsay

Gordon Beaumont Memorial Award
Alicia Schooley

Henry and Inez Brown Prize
Cierra Gillard

Virginia Hinkelman Memorial Award
Sashae Mitchell

F. W. and Elsie L. Heyl Scholarship
Ayaka Abe
Reid Blanchett
Eugina Chiang
Robert Hudson
Kyle Sunden
Riley Lundquist
Paige Maguire
Sarah Manski

Posse Scholar Program
Coral Cervantes
Aarronisha Miller
Penelope Owen
Jung Eun Pyeon
Edwin Salvatierra
Jonathan Tavasti
Luisa Togia
Marcela Zaragoza

National Merit Scholars
Hannah Frame
Lucy Mailing
Jordan Meiller

John T. Williamson Scholars
Nana-Yaw Aikins
Marcela Alfaro
Camila Almanza Neumann
Elizabeth Arellano
Tyler Armor
Spencer Bertram
Nakeya Boyles
Rian Brown
Francisco Cabrera
Willina Cain
Jasmine Charter-Harris
Josefina Cibelli
Justin Danzy
Melany Diaz
Andres ElAmin-Martinez
Michelle Escobar
Joana Garcia
Marlytt Garrido
Delfino Gaspar
Immanuel Greene
Jackson Greenstone
Nya Greenstone
Elijah Hamilton-Wray
Michelle Hernandez
Reynaldo Hernandez
Yessica Hernandez
Lucia Herrera
Zachary Hill
Conrad Hipkins-Jones
David Huerta
Kelsey Kerbawy
Jordan Loredo
Samantha Luna
Guadalupe Marin
Mindze Mbala-Nkanga
Belinda McCauley
Lizbeth Mendoza Pineda
Chanice Moore
Aliera Morasch
Laura Moreno
Chelsea Muller
Fernando Nunez
Victoria Osorio
Dylan Polcyn
Andrea Pruden
Braeden Rodriguez
Wendy Rubio
Octavius Sanders
William Shelton
Cassandra Solis
Maria Talanda-Fisher
Nadia Torres
Norma Torres
Krysta Van Dyke
Julia Villarreal
Jasmine Williams
Stephanie Zuniga

Enlightened Leadership Scholars
Shahir Azhar
Johanna Drentlaw
Yessica Hernandez
Madeline MacWilliams
Ivy McKee
Megan Malish
Brian Raetz
Alexandra Smith
Cassandra Solis
Kelly Treharne

Alpha Lambda Delta
Jasmine An
Giancarlo Anemone
Caroline Barnett
Kate Belew
Caitlin Braun
Lee Broady
Haley Cartwright
Colin Cepuran
Savanna Chambers
Margarette Clevenger
Riley Cook
Rachel Dandar
Callie Daniels-Howell
Kelsey Donk
Samuel Evans-Golden
Rina Fujiwara
Kaitlyn Greiner
Elizabeth Hanley
Mariah Hennen
Jordan Henning
Jenna Holmes
Jane Huffman
Morgan Jennings
Tibin John
Allison Kennedy
Faiz Khaja
Emily Kotz
McKenna Kring
Tessa Lathrop
Jacob Lenning
Samuel Linstrom
Corinne MacInnes
Scott Manski
Alexandra Morris
Philip Mulder
Fayang Pan
Maria Rich
Mara Richman
Andrea Satchwell
Hayley Smith
Shang Sun
Tyler Tabenske
Elizabeth Uribe
Austin Voydanoff
Scott Wharam
Luke Winship

MIAA Academic Honor Roll
Keaton Adams
Maxwell Ammerman
Samuel Amoabeng
Giancarlo Anemone
Ashley Arnoldi
Nicholas Beam
Nicholas Bolig
Amanda Bolles
Olivia Bouchard
Travis Braun
Caitlin Braun
Megan Burns
Erin Campbell
Edward Carey
Reid Carlson
Cody Carr
Brandon Casto
Brock Crystal
Rachel Dandar
Ryan Davis
Mark Denenfeld
Abigail DeOchoa
David DeSimone
Calee Dieleman
Alexander Dombos
Querubin Dubois
Alexander Ducoffe
Nathan Eddy
Taryn Edsall
Mark Fortelka
Angela Frakes
James Frye
Jacob Gallimore
Lindsey Gaston
Mark Ghafari
Alexandra Gothard
Emily Gray
Alexandra Groffsky
Guilherme Guedes
Ellen Hallgren
Jacob Hansen
Kelsey Hassevoort
Kenneth Heidel
Bonita Hazel
Jordan Henning
Andrew Herman
Robert Hilliard
Ryan Hoffmann
Chaz Hyatt
Michael Ignagni
Philip Jackson III
Zachary Janes
Tibin John
Kelsey Johnson
David Kamerman
Caleb Kline
Michael Korn
Rebecca La Croix
Michael Lamrock
Rory Landis
Allison LaRose
Colin Lauderdale
Jacob Lenning
Colleen Leonard
Evan Levine
Christine Lewis
Tobias Lobeda
Kevin Lodewyk
Dane Macdonell
Amanda Mancini
Christopher Manning
Scott Manski
Megan Martinez
Caitlin McCarthy
Dylan McGonnell
Bradley Merritt
Colin Mervak
Matthew Mills
David Morris
Alexandra Morris
Courtney Nartker
Alexander Noble
Agust Olafsson
Michael Page
Adam Peters
Rachel Pitzer
Jonathan Powers
Lindsey Repphun
Maria Rich
Mara Richman
Camryn Romph
Peter Rothstein
Kira Sandiford
Jacob Schell
Julia Schroeder
Colleen Schuldeis
Eric Schuman
Dylan Shearer
Meredith Sherrill
Paula Silverman
Eric Silverstein
Dalton Simancek
Madeline Sinkovich
Alison Smith
Charlotte Steele
Alexandra Stephens
Nicholas Sweda
Emerson Talanda-Fisher
Lilian Taylor
Meghan Turner
Jackson Vaughn
Stephanie Verbeek
Jon Vigi
Samantha Voss
Kaitlyn Welke
Alexander Werder
Riley Wetzel
Scott Wharam
Joseph Widmer
Jonathan Wolbert
Nicholas Yedlin
Marc Zughaib

MIAA Team Awards
Men’s Basketball
Men’s Cross Country
Men’s Soccer
Men’s Tennis
Women’s Golf
Women’s Soccer
Women’s Swimming and Diving
Women’s Tennis
Women’s Volleyball

Kalamazoo College To Stage Shakespeare’s TITUS ANDRONICUS

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Stefano Cagnato, Rudi Goddard and Manuel Garcia rehearse for "Titus Andronicus"
Stefano Cagnato, Rudi Goddard, and Manuel Garcia in the Festival Playhouse production of Shakespeare’s TITUS ANDRONICUS

The Festival Playhouse of Kalamazoo College’s production of William Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus opens on Thursday November 1, in the Nelda K. Balch Playhouse on the Kalamazoo College campus and continues Nov. 2, 3, and 4. Thursday’s performance begins at 7:30 P.M.; Friday and Saturday’s performances begin at 8 P.M.; Sunday’s is 2 P.M. matinee. Thursday night is “pay what you want.” Tickets for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are $15 (adults), $10 (seniors), and $5 (students with ID). The box office will open one hour prior to each performance for ticket purchase; seating is first-come-first-served. Titus Andronicus has undergone a complete transformation in terms of popularity and critical opinion. Once regarded as one of Shakespeare’s worst plays – to the point where some historians believed that Shakespeare couldn’t possibly have written it – it now enjoys a reputation of Shakespeare at his most theatrical, shocking, and violent. Contemporary directors from Peter Brook to Julie Taymor have staged Titus Andronicus to great acclaim, and this production will certainly add to the that tradition. Directed by guest artist Kevin Dodd, the Festival Playhouse production  focuses on the cycle of violence perpetuated in societies, especially when soldiers return from war. One of Dodd’s many innovations in the production has been to add a “Chorus of Collateral Damage.” Student actors in the Chorus have studied particular historical periods and have written their own monologues from the point of view of those who continue the cycle of violence and those who suffer from it. “As a nation, we export violence,” Dodd notes. “Our production asks the question: when they all come home, what happens then?” For more information visit the Festival Playhouse website or call (269) 337-7333.