A storyteller and comedian with Broadway credits will be the featured presenter at Kalamazoo College’s Kafu Lecture on Thursday, April 20, in the Dalton Theatre at Light Fine Arts.
Katsura Sunshine is one of only a few living non-Japanese masters of rakugo, a 400-year-old tradition of comic-monologue storytelling in Japan. In the practice, a lone storyteller, dressed in a kimono, kneels on a cushion while using a fan and a hand towel as props.
To become a professional rakugoka, a storyteller must be apprenticed to a master, from whom the storyteller receives a stage name. Sunshine, originally from Canada, first was accepted as an apprentice to the rakugo storytelling master Katsura Bunshi VI in September 2008. He debuted professionally on April 26, 2009, in Singapore, and completed his three-year rakugo apprenticeship in November 2011.
Sunshine has performed in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Slovenia, Ghana, Senegal, South Africa, Gabon, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Thailand, Australia and Japan. Reviews of Sunshine’s critically-acclaimed performances, such as a 2019 review from the New York Times, say his tales and prologues are full of self-deprecating humor, placing him in scenarios where he commonly plays an outsider. Watch excerpts from his previous performances in English and Japanese at Sunshine’s YouTube channel.
The Kafu Lecture was established in 1982 by an anonymous donor in honor of Nagai Kafu, an acclaimed 20th century Japanese writer. Kafu studied at Kalamazoo College during the 1904-05 academic year. Admission to the event is free and open to the public. The doors will open at 6:30 p.m. with the show beginning at 7.
The event is cosponsored by K’s departments of Japanese, theatre and anthropology-sociology, and the Soga Japan Center at Western Michigan University. For more information, email K’s Department of Japanese at japanese@kzoo.edu.
Katsura Sunshine is a master of rakugo, a 400-year-old Japanese art of comedy and storytelling. He will perform in a free show at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 20, in Dalton Theatre at Light Fine Arts.
Sunshine’s YouTube channel features some of his English performances of rakugo.
Two Kalamazoo College music ensembles are sure to excite and entertain audiences this weekend with their winter performances.
A wide variety of styles will be performed from second-line New Orleans to blues and swing when K’s Jazz Band takes the stage at 8 p.m. Friday, February 17, at the Dalton Theatre. Directed by Music Professor Thomas G. Evans, K’s Jazz Band pulls together a collection of contemporary and classic jazz arrangements to provide the participating students and the audience with an electric experience. Listeners are encouraged to dance if the music inspires them with the enthusiasm of the musicians making the band special.
At 8 p.m. Saturday, February 18, at Dalton Theatre, join the Academy Street Winds as the group pays loving tribute to legendary film composer John Williams. Led by conductor Evans, the ensemble will perform selections from Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, War Horse, Star Wars, Jaws, Indiana Jones and more. The group is especially proud to share the stage with Music Department Chair Andrew Koehler, who will perform the violin theme from Schindler’s List.
Kalamazoo College’s Jazz Band and the Academy Street Winds are sure to excite and entertain audiences this weekend under their conductor, Music Professor Thomas G. Evans.
Kalamazoo College is hosting two open-to-the-public events to mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2023. The theme for this year’s festivities is Centering Black Lives: Various Movements, One Purpose. Participants will better understand the past, learn about the present and move toward improving Black communities.
Echoes of the Past by Maxine Maxwell
11:05 a.m.–11:40 p.m. Friday, January 13, Stetson Chapel
Echoes of the Past is a dramatic performance from Maxine Maxwell that examines what it has been like to be Black and female over the past 150 years. The event will explore history to find the turning points in the lives of five African and African American women of remarkable strength and courage. Each character comes with a concise background and narrative along with subtle costume pieces to set the stage. Attend in person or through a live stream.
Maxwell, a native of St. Louis, is a graduate of Webster University’s Conservatory of Theatre Arts. As an actor, she has toured throughout the country and worked in New York as a solo artist and a member of performing ensembles. Her past credits include the national tour of For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow is Enough.
Georgia State University Africana Studies Chair Jonathan Gayles
Wakanda: Imagining Black Pasts and Futures by Jonathan Gayles
11 a.m.–Noon Monday, January 16, Dalton Theatre at Light Fine Arts
Jonathan Gayles, a professor and chair of Africana Studies at Georgia State University, engages the history of Wakanda and the Black Panther across a number of medias including comic books and film in Wakanda: Imagining Black Past and Futures.
With an Afrofuturist lens, he uses images and video to challenge the audience to consider the power of media that center Black life. He also considers the potential shortcomings of Wakanda that reflect continuing tensions around the articulation and understanding of Black life, even in imagined spaces.
Taiko Master Ken Koshio will be among the featured performers Saturday at Kalamazoo College’s Obon Festival.
Kalamazoo College will host a Japanese cultural festival on Saturday that traditionally is held to commemorate deceased ancestors as their spirits return to visit their relatives.
The Obon Festival, the first of its kind at K, will feature Bon dancing, Japanese martial arts and taiko drums with Japanese Taiko Master Ken Koshio, along with crafts and food. The event is presented by K’s International Percussion Ensemble, a group that features a West African ensemble and Caribbean steelpans in addition to Japanese taiko.
K’s taiko group will perform with the Michigan Hiryu Daiko drumming group, the Japanese instrumental group Sakura and Fort Wayne Taiko. The free event will be conducted on the Quad from 2 to 5 p.m. with the Dalton Theatre in Light Fine Arts reserved as the rain site.
The Academy Street Winds will perform their fall concert at 8 p.m. Friday, October 28, at Dalton Theatre in the Light Fine Arts Building.
Music lovers will gather at 8 p.m. Friday for a free Academy Street Winds concert at Dalton Theater in the Light Fine Arts Building.
The group, formerly known as the Kalamazoo College Symphonic Band, functions as a beloved creative outlet for woodwind, brass and percussion students. Community musicians joined the ensemble in winter 2016 to expand the group’s sound and capabilities. Director of Bands and Professor of Music Thomas Evans serves as the group’s conductor.
The theme for the fall-term concert will be “Celebration and Dance” as it features some of the great dance themes from around the world. If you can’t attend in person, listen in through a livestream on Vimeo.
Author, podcaster and Bates College Visiting Assistant Professor Megan Goodwin will be the guest speaker at this year’s Thompson Memorial Lecture at 7 p.m. October 18.
An author, podcaster and Bates College visiting assistant professor of religious studies will be the guest speaker at this year’s Paul Lamont Thompson Memorial Lecture at 7 p.m. October 18 in the Hicks Student Center Banquet Room.
Megan Goodwin’s lecture is titled “Undrinking the Kool-Aid: Mis/remembering Peoples Temple.” The presentation will provide popular incorrect memories of the Jonestown Massacre and invite the audience to consider who benefits from the erasure of many Black women’s deaths at the Peoples Temple Agricultural Project in Guyana. The material is excerpted from Goodwin’s current book project, which is tentatively titled Cults Incorporated: The Business of Bad Religion.
Goodwin is the author of Abusing Religion: Literary Persecution, Sex Scandals and American Minority Religions (Rutgers University 2020). She earned a Ph.D. and a Master of Arts in religious studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; a Master of Arts in women’s studies at Drew University and a Bachelor of Science in print journalism at Boston University. Goodwin writes, teaches and produces podcasts about race, gender, sexuality, politics, popular culture and American minority religions. Her podcast, “Keeping it 101: A Killjoy’s Introduction to Religion,” is available on most podcast platforms.
The Thompson Lecture was established by a gift from the sons and daughters-in-law of Paul Lamont and Ruth Peel Thompson. A committee of alumni and friends of the College worked diligently to build the fund with gifts from those many students whose lives were enriched by Thompson’s leadership during his days as the College’s president from 1938 to 1949.
The lecture, hosted by the Department of Religion, brings to K speakers who enrich the community’s ethical understanding of its position in the larger society, beyond the College. Please note that masks are required at this event.
Bruce Cain and David Asbury, a duo committed to environmental activism, will offer a free concert Thursday at Dalton Theatre.
Kalamazoo College’s Department of Music is offering a free concert Thursday featuring a duo committed to environmental activism.
Bruce Cain and David Asbury have collaborated for more than two decades on concerts of art songs for voice and guitar. Since 2011, the duo has been commissioning and performing new works in English and Spanish by composers from across the United States and beyond. At K, they will present a program titled Cantos Por La Vida, consisting of mostly new pieces for voice and guitar that are environmentally themed and written especially for them.
The concert will feature selections from A River of Words Song Cycle, based on award winning poems by school age children in a contest sponsored by the Library of Congress; Amor Y Desventura by Mexican composer Julio César Oliva; Cantos Por La Vida by Cuban composer Eduardo Martin; and Sobre La Naturaleza by Ecuadorian composer Diego Luzuriaga. These works, which are new within the past decade, evoke the distinct groups and heritages they represent.
The concert is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Dalton Theatre. For more information, contact the music department at 269.337.7070.
Each September brings a fresh start at Kalamazoo College as campus buzzes with the excitement of those joining the hive for the first time. Orientation events for first-year students and their families run throughout the week, kicking off with move-in day on Wednesday, September 7.
Be sure to catch the following highlights and opportunities on Wednesday.
Moving in
Resident assistants and First-Year Experience (FYE) mentors will be ready to welcome students at check-in tables in each residence hall from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. on September 7. Families are encouraged to arrive throughout the day, as the morning traditionally is extremely busy in the residence halls. Pick up your orientation folder from the FYE mentors, then see Residential Life staff to get your student ID and room key, check into your room and get settled. Health verification forms must be completed before check in. Students with incomplete requirements will be directed to the Health Center in the Hicks Student Center, which will be open until 4 p.m.
Information Services staff will be available in Harmon, Hoben and Trowbridge main lounges to answer questions and offer help connecting to K’s computer network from 1–4 p.m.
Resident assistants and First-Year Experience mentors will welcome students at check-in tables in each residence hall on move-in day, September 7.
Getting what you need
Stop by the information table at the Hicks Student Center atrium between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to pick up schedules and maps or get directions and answers to all your questions. The Kalamazoo College Bookstore, in the lower level of Hicks, will be open from 9 a.m. –5 p.m. and offer 20 percent off Kalamazoo College imprinted items.
Eating right
Families are welcome to have lunch and dinner on campus at the Hicks Dining Center from 11 a.m.–12:45 p.m. and 5–7 p.m. Students may use their student ID, which serves as their meal card, while families may pay at the entrance ($8.15 per person for lunch and $11.50 per person for dinner).
The Book Club Café, on the first floor of the Upjohn Library, will serve Kalamazoo Coffee, hot chocolate, tea and specialty drinks as well as grab-and-go options such as pastries, house-made salads, sandwiches and sides from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. In addition, the Richardson Room will be open from 1–5 p.m. in the Hicks Student Center, offering a variety of options including an extensive deli line, homemade soup, grab-and-go sandwiches, salads, yogurt parfaits, fruit, sweet and salty snacks and beverages.
If you want to eat off campus, ask for a list of nearby restaurants at the information table and explore Kalamazoo’s excellent restaurant scene.
Building community
First-year students are required to attend three sessions Wednesday evening. First, make your way to the Quad with your orientation folder by 7 p.m. for the Hornet Student Welcome. The College’s president, dean of students, first-year class dean, college chaplain, FYE mentors and the Office of Student Activities will welcome you to campus.
Next, meet your seminar group and FYE mentors on the Quad at 8 p.m. for introductions. Learn more about the orientation schedule for the rest of the week and get answers to your questions.
Then, meet with resident assistants and your fellow residents at 9 p.m. to talk about community expectations, living in residence halls, and college policies, and get to know your new neighbors. Trowbridge residents will meet in Stetson Chapel, Hoben residents in Dalton Theatre and Harmon residents in their building’s main lounge.
Finally, take some time to get your room set up, relax and get ready for a full day on Thursday.
But wait … there’s more!
Athletic practices for fall sports (football, soccer, volleyball, golf and cross country) have already begun and will continue throughout orientation week. A program for first-generation students and their families will also be held on Wednesday. Check your K email for an invitation and information.
We’ll keep you busy the rest of the week with social opportunities, advising appointments, shared first-year experiences and discussions, and information on a variety of important topics to help you start your first year at K. Expect to learn a lot and have fun
Commencement for the Class of 2022 is at 10 a.m. Sunday, June 12, on the campus Quad.
For the first time since 2019, Kalamazoo College’s Commencement is returning to the campus Quad at 10 a.m. Sunday, June 12, with more than 350 students receiving their bachelor’s degrees. Here’s what you need to know about the weekend’s events surrounding Commencement and the ceremony itself.
Rehearsal
Seniors are required to attend Commencement rehearsal at 4 p.m. Thursday, June 9, at Dalton Theatre. Faculty and staff will provide graduating seniors with pertinent information including what to do during an intricate line-up and processional. Students who need to be excused from rehearsal should contact the Office of Alumni Engagement in advance at alumni@kzoo.edu.
Commencement Saturday
Receptions for individual departments help families meet professors and see individual projects from selected seniors. Consult the department schedules for information on the time and location for each event.
The day’s remaining events—including the Senior Awards Program, the Senior Music Recital and the Baccalaureate—will take place at Stetson Chapel. A livestream will be available for each of those events for those who can’t attend in person.
Seniors receiving awards will get an invitation from the Provost’s Office after finals to attend the Senior Awards Program, which begins at 2:30 p.m. Contact the Office of the Provost by email if you have questions about the event. The Senior Music Recital is a public concert at 4:30 p.m. featuring performances by graduating seniors who have been involved in music. All seniors and guests are invited to attend. The Baccalaureate is a public non-religious service with student and faculty speakers and musical performances beginning at 8 p.m.
An information desk will be staffed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the atrium at Hicks Student Center. The College’s bookstore will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Bronson Healthcare President and Chief Executive Officer Bill Manns
Before the Ceremony on Sunday
Commencement will take place rain or shine on the Quad. However, if there’s heavy rain showers or severe weather, the ceremony may be delayed by up to two hours. Communication about a delay would be sent through K alerts, social media and email no later than 8 a.m. on Sunday. Seniors should arrive no later than 9:30 a.m. Sunday at Dalton Theatre with their caps and gowns. No tickets or rain tickets are required for the ceremony, which will last about two and a half hours. The information desk and College bookstore at Hicks Students Center will open at 8 a.m.
Parking
A limited number of handicapped parking spaces will be available on campus streets and in parking lots. Handicapped spaces are reserved for vehicles with a state-issued permit. With a limited number of spaces, a designated drop-off area will be available on Campus Drive, accessible from Academy Street, in front of Hoben Hall. Families may drop off guests for barrier-free access to the Quad and then find parking elsewhere on campus.
All faculty, staff and student parking lots will be open for public use. Street parking on campus and in surrounding neighborhoods will also be available. Please observe any posted street-parking restrictions and avoid driving or parking on sidewalks or lawns, or next to a building entrance. A printable campus parking map is available.
Reyna Rodriguez ’22
Keynote speaker
Bronson Healthcare President and Chief Executive Officer Bill Manns will address the class of 2022 and receive an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters. Manns oversees all Bronson services from primary care to critical care across more than 100 locations.
Before joining Bronson, Manns was the president of St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Ann Arbor and St. Joseph Mercy Livingston from 2018–2020, the president of Mercy Health Saint Mary’s Campus in Grand Rapids from 2013–2018, the Alameda Health System chief operating officer (Oakland, California) from 2005–2013, and Ascension Providence Hospital (Southfield, Michigan) chief operations officer and executive vice president from 1996–2005.
Class speaker
Reyna Rodriguez, a chemistry major and psychology minor, has worked for two years as a Civic Engagement Scholar at El Sol Elementary School in Kalamazoo through the Mary Jane Underwood Stryker Center for Civic Engagement. El Sol functions like a magnet school and offers instruction in English and Spanish while accepting students from all areas of Kalamazoo Public Schools. Through El Sol, Rodriguez has recruited, educated, interviewed and submitted background checks on K students, coordinated their schedules with El Sol, and participated in and led structured reflections to help literacy and math tutors along with classroom assistants.
COVID-19 protocols
Given the high vaccination rates between our students, faculty and staff and the low community-spread level in Kalamazoo, K will not require vaccinations to attend Commencement activities and masks are optional, although not required, throughout the weekend. Unvaccinated guests are strongly encouraged to receive a COVID-19 test before arriving. Those who are ill should refrain from attending.
More information
The Office of Alumni Engagement maintains a website that offers more details regarding Commencement including a list of frequently asked questions, dining and lodging information, and ceremony accommodations. For more information, visit the site at commencement.kzoo.edu.
Best-selling author and Calvin University Professor Kristin Kobes Du Mez will speak Tuesday, May 10, at Kalamazoo College’s Thompson Lecture.
The public is invited to hear from a New York Times best-selling author and professor of history and gender studies at Calvin University at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the religion department’s annual Thompson Lecture at Kalamazoo College.
Kristin Kobes Du Mez will speak about her latest book, Jesus and John Wayne and the White Evangelical Reckoning in the Olmsted Room at Mandelle Hall. The book is an account of the past 75 years of white evangelicalism, which shows how American evangelicals have worked to replace the Jesus of the Gospels with an idol of rugged masculinity and Christian nationalism. The talk will further explore the recent history of evangelicalism and politics, and examine divisions within the evangelical movement while reflecting on what it could mean for the future.
Du Mez earned a Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame and her research focuses on the intersection of gender, religion and politics. She has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, NBC News, Religion News Service, and Christianity Today. She has been interviewed on NPR, CBS and the BBC among other outlets.
The Paul Lamont Thompson Memorial Lecture was established by a gift from the sons and daughters-in-law of Paul Lamont and Ruth Peel Thompson. Serving as president from 1938 to 1949, Thompson played a crucial role in K’s development during the Depression and World War II by emphasizing high academic standards and selectivity in the student body, enhancing the reputation of the College as a quality institution of the liberal arts. He also founded the College’s annual fund and pension plan, ensuring K’s financial integrity.
