Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Regina Stevens-Truss says the new biochemistry major at Kalamazoo College will provide an in-demand major for prospective students while better preparing current students for graduate programs.
Prospective students interested in science-based careers will have another reason to choose Kalamazoo College this fall. That’s when the Chemistry Department will offer both a chemistry and a biochemistry major. The new biochemistry major will expand the information addressed through the interdepartmental concentration currently offered at the College.
Biochemists commonly work in private industries, pharmaceutical and government labs, and higher education to increase the world’s understanding of the biological processes fundamental to life. At an undergraduate level, this field of study provides a foundation for graduate-level studies and careers in the health sciences such as medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, pharmacology and toxicology. This new major will open up these opportunities for our students as they prepare for careers beyond K.
Whatever the career path a science student follows, Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Regina Stevens-Truss said, “It’s our job to help them figure out what’s next for them after K, and a biochemistry major will help in that effort.
“Some students come to us thinking they know exactly what they want to do, but then they get here and discover biochemistry is fascinating,” Stevens-Truss said. “Those are the students I’m excited for most because this new major will offer us an opportunity to open up biochemistry for them. I’m excited for our students and I’m excited for our program.”
This major will require the core courses in chemistry (general, organic, analytical and physical chemistry), as well as the chemistry senior seminar course, Professional Development for Chemists. In addition, biochemistry majors will take interdisciplinary courses in biology, mathematics and physics, and either Cell and Molecular Biology or Biophysics, depending on their long-term goals and plans. The biggest benefit will come from the program adding three new biochemistry major-required courses to the chemistry department’s curriculum: a 300-level foundations of biochemistry course, a 400-level applications of metabolism course and a comprehensive research-style lab practicum.
“Up until now, chemistry majors interested in this field had been at a disadvantage in this area,” Stevens-Truss stated. “The biochemistry course currently required for the concentration (Chem 352) is a survey of biochemistry topics—there is just not enough time to immerse oneself into the subject. Important topics such as photosynthesis, cellular signaling and genetics, and gene cloning aren’t currently addressed in that course. We hope that students are exposed to those topics by taking the required biology courses needed for the current concentration.”
However, in going from K to a graduate or post-baccalaureate program or to a job, “students need to be able to think critically about the application of these topics to real-world issues, which the new major is poised to help them do” Stevens-Truss said.
Prospective students and families are encouraged to discuss their interests in the biochemistry major and the benefits of it further when they talk to Admission representatives and chemistry and biochemistry department faculty to get additional information and for seeking more opportunities.
“Everybody has probably heard that ‘chemistry is everywhere’, but we don’t always see it,” Stevens-Truss said. “This biochemistry major will give students opportunities to see it in everyday life. That’s the excitement. This is giving us opportunities to offer students coming to K a chance to say, ‘This stuff is really cool,’ because life is cool.”
For the past year, we have borne witness to increased incidents of racism and harassment toward Asians, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in this country. A report released this week from the organization Stop AAPI Hate revealed that nearly 3,800 hate and harassment incidents against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders were reported to them in the last 11 months, and women made up the highest share of the reports, at 68 percent. While these types of incidents are—sadly—not a new phenomenon in our society, racist rhetoric being used around the pandemic has exacerbated these attacks. Frequent news reports of individuals being assaulted and the recent murders of eight people—including six Asian women—in Atlanta have put a glaring spotlight on these issues and they demand our attention.
We stand with our Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander students, faculty, staff and alumni to oppose hate, discrimination and intolerance. We are an intercultural community, and we urge each person to show compassion and care toward those communities who are feeling vulnerable. Please check in with your peers and colleagues, stand with them and offer your support.
If you or someone you know has experienced or witnessed hate or bias incidents, please note the places to report and additional resources below:
Leah Tardiff ’21 is one of seven seniors on the Kalamazoo College women’s lacrosse team this spring. The Hornets are happy athletics have returned.
Roommates Leah Tardiff ’21 and Rachel Madar ’21 felt they lost something important when their Kalamazoo College women’s lacrosse season was cut short last spring by COVID-19.
“We identify with being an athlete at K, so having that abruptly taken away was really hard,” Tardiff said. “And then not knowing when it would ever come back was really challenging.”
All 18 teams across K’s athletics programs have been affected by the pandemic in the past year. Team-building opportunities, practices, games and seasons were lost.
Tardiff is also a member of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC). As a board member, she was a liaison between the student-athletes and the Athletic Department as athletes grew increasingly frustrated.
“Our Athletic Department’s aim is to have students compete, but they did not feel comfortable allowing that to happen given the risk of infection that students would be exposed to,” Tardiff said. “It was very hard to be the bridge between athletes and the Athletic Department during that time.”
SAAC kept student-athletes engaged with cooking shows featuring coaches and members of the Athletic Department, a website featuring athlete workout videos for Kalamazoo Public Schools students, and sharing letters with senior citizens through their residential facilities.
Rachel Madar is among the Kalamazoo College women’s lacrosse team members happy that athletics have returned to K. The Hornets have started their season 3-2.
Yet a talented roster of student-athletes in 2020 represented what might’ve been the best women’s lacrosse team K’s program had ever fielded. That loss, coupled with losing 2021 season preparations last fall, made being on the sidelines even more difficult.
“It’s usually around 16 days of practices in fall ball, so it wasn’t the end of the world,” Madar said. “Yet it was also hard because fall is when we form relationships with the incoming students, so we were losing more than just practice time. We were losing those relationships and the team chemistry that would carry over.”
Regardless, athletics have returned just in time for the Hornets to feature seven seniors, including Tardiff and Madar, and a full slate of games. They believe they are not only competitive, but capable of winning the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) championship for the first time.
“The preseason coaches rankings don’t mean anything, but Adrian was ranked ahead of us, and we just beat them 14-3,” Tardiff said. “We’ve always been up there in the standings, but we’ve never been able to beat Calvin or Hope, a couple of those top-tier teams. This year, when we look at our roster, we think we really have a great chance of winning.”
Since the interview, the women’s lacrosse team beat Calvin 14-13 in double overtime with Madar scoring the game-winning goal, and defeated Albion 13-9, before losing at St. Mary’s, 14-13 in overtime and Trine 15-13, to start the season 3-2. Madar tied her own school record with nine goals in the loss to St. Mary’s.
The journey to get athletics restarted was tough for Madar, but unquestionably worth it.
“We’ve had so many letdowns between lacrosse being shut down in the middle of our season last year, and then having our in-person classes with our favorite professors getting shut down, I was personally a little hesitant because it’s hard to fully commit to something when it could be shut down,” she said. “There are teams and other leagues that aren’t playing again this year. But just getting back on the field, you realize how much you’ve missed it and how much you love it. It’s all worked out well.”
Their story is similar to many of those you will hear in the Kalamazoo College Athletics Department this year. Athletes are competing while wearing masks. There are limited spectators in the stands, if any, and athletes need to undergo COVID-19 testing at least three times a week, four times if they’re chosen for random testing within the general student population. Yet from the student-athletes all the way to Athletic Director Becky Hall, K Hornets agree: their challenges are happily accepted regardless of the restrictions.
“I have tremendous respect for Becky Hall for carefully laying out plans to protect student-athletes and still make us feel hopeful that our seasons would return for the spring,” Tardiff said. “Becky, the athletic trainers, the coaches and the entire Athletic Department have created a safe way for us to compete, despite the immense challenges they faced. I’m very grateful that they’ve worked so hard to give us this season.”
‘A New Level of Gratitude’
Kalamazoo College Athletics Director Becky Hall: “I believe we all have a newfound respect and appreciation for athletics because it took us such a long time to get here.”
Athletic Director Becky Hall was always confident K was doing the right thing by shutting down athletics in spring and continuing the layover in fall.
“As long as we continue to put the health, safety and well-being of our student-athletes, our coaches and our staff at the forefront of all decision making, then I’m comfortable with the decisions we’re making at the end of the day,” she said.
Still, Hall was as frustrated as anyone when intercollegiate sports competitions and even practices weren’t available, especially considering that about 24 percent of K’s students participate in athletics.
“Eight of our sister schools were all doing something, whether they were competing or just getting together in practices with their teams and getting in the gym,” Hall said. “We weren’t able to do any of that. We couldn’t get on the courts, courses and fields at all in the fall term, even when we had such a large percentage of our student-athletes living in the area, so there were a lot of hard feelings.”
However, she said the hiatus has created a new level of gratitude for and dedication to athletics competition at K.
“I believe we all have a newfound respect and appreciation for athletics because it took us such a long time to get here,” Hall said. “And once we knew we were a go for January, February and beyond, we developed a newfound level of joy. Nobody likes getting their nose swabbed, and we’ve got seven teams doing that right now in order to be on the court and their fields—that says something about their level of dedication.”
Allowing fall sports to compete in spring will provide additional logistical challenges for Hall and her staff, although she’s not concerned about students complying with restrictions or finite facilities.
“As we watched the COVID case numbers grow across the country in 2020, my coaches and I had enough conversations I think we all knew it was possible that we wouldn’t have fall sports,” Hall said. “When the email announcement came out saying that we were going all virtual, there was disappointment, but we also understood we could possibly push fall sports to the spring. It was something we knew we could look forward to if we were going to take that route and we decided to do so fairly quickly.”
Hall knows Michigan could never guarantee that COVID-19 infections won’t spike again, prompting another delay in athletics. Regardless, she has faith that state and College leaders do what’s required to keep her athletes safe while maintaining proper protections.
“I think we all hold our breath when the governor says something that might affect what we’re doing,” Hall said. “But I appreciate not only the leadership of our governor, but also of our college president and provost who’ve helped us reach some of the decisions we have. Now is not the time to take our foot off the accelerator. We’ve got to stay the course to get the numbers down to get us closer to normal.”
‘An Opportunity to Grow’
With the return of Kalamazoo College athletics, Football Coach Jamie Zorbo will guide his Hornets through a season in spring. Zorbo is pictured during the 2019 season.
Football Coach Jamie Zorbo’s team is one of the squads getting used to the idea of shifting from fall competitions to spring. Others include cross country, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s soccer, and volleyball.
MIAA football teams, for example, rarely have to deal with sub-freezing temperatures considering they typically begin practice in summer and compete in the early fall. However, the change meant the Hornets started practicing during the coldest days of Kalamazoo’s winter.
“We just have to remind ourselves that when things are tough, we’re doing this for the kids and particularly our seniors,” Zorbo said. “They deserve a chance to play and finish out their careers here. That’s immediately where my mind went when I heard we would play this spring. I was just excited for them, and they were just excited to be out there playing the game again.”
It was difficult for Zorbo, his coaching staff and his athletes to know in summer that there would be no football in fall.
“Coaches are creatures of habit and we can get into a routine every fall that we’re used to,” Zorbo said. “You get really busy and it’s always an exciting time of year. It took me a while to kind of get used to not having football and going through the schedule I’m used to that time of year.”
The good news is he stayed busy in other ways with regard to recruiting, advising, and being more present with his family.
“I was able to experience some of the things with my family that I don’t typically get to do during the fall, which was a blessing,” he said. “Initially, it was really tough without football, but I found other ways to stay active and engaged.”
K football-related Twitter accounts such as @KzooFootball; @CoachZorboKZOO; and @WhoisCoachJones, belonging to Defensive Coordinator and Defensive Backs Coach Eugene Jones IV, reveal how coaches have been dedicated to college football in general, recruiting and the K community. Regular posts have shown admission application deadlines, birthday wishes for current players, stories highlighting K’s academic excellence and virtual recruiting trips to about 15 states since last spring.
“We’re continuing to try to find new ways of giving our prospective students an opportunity to learn every aspect of our program and the college while they get a chance to interact with our current players,” Zorbo said. “We’re trying to re-create virtually elements of the things that have been and continue to be important in our recruiting process. We all viewed it as an opportunity to grow and change the way we do some things for years to come, even when COVID isn’t a threat anymore.”
‘Grateful to be Together’
An athletics shutdown caused by COVID-19 forced the Kalamazoo College softball team to miss out on all but two games of its 2020 season. Duimstra is pictured during an early-season practice last year.
Compare Zorbo’s coaching realities with those of Softball Coach Kelli Duimstra, whose team lost nearly their entire season just two games into last spring without an opportunity to simply reschedule later in the academic year.
“It was actually pretty devastating for the players, especially our two seniors,” Duimstra said. “I think both were going to have their best seasons at K and I think our team was poised to be very strong. It was heartbreaking for us for sure.”
Duimstra didn’t want to let her team just leave K without a last chance to connect and talk.
“We had a sit-down meeting to let the team express their emotions,” she said. “We talked about how this was certainly nothing that they had ever been through. Having your entire season canceled? That just doesn’t happen. But then we talked about our place in this pandemic. I stressed that this was obviously something that we don’t want to happen because we want to play. At the same time, we have to do our part to mitigate the spread. And if our part means that we don’t get to play games, then we know we’re going to do what’s best for the greater good.”
Even then, Duimstra wanted her team to connect in ways that could help them while going nearly a full year without in-person interaction as a team.
“In a season, we’re allowed a certain number of weeks when we can practice and play games, so we had a bunch of weeks leftover,” Duimstra said. “We met virtually as a team and I ran through some ideas about what we could do to keep our team together. We watched the two games that we were able to play. We read a book together as a team. We did weekly meetings so our players could get to know their teammates better. These were opportunities to share some intel about what we like to do and why. We couldn’t be together to work on our skills on the field, but we could work to grow as a team. I hope that will help us on the field down the line.”
Duimstra also conducted virtual recruiting visits through Zoom with on-campus tours suspended. Now, however, the wait for another season is about over as practices have restarted. After a gradual phase-in period that began with players only using their own equipment and not playing catch, the Hornets are poised for an all-MIAA season scheduled to begin March 23 with a doubleheader at Hope College.
“We’re relieved and grateful that we get to be together,” Duimstra said. “We’re trying to put last season in in the rearview mirror. At the same time, we know this can get taken away from us at any moment so we need to appreciate every day we have. We have a very strong conference in softball and there won’t be any off days. That will definitely be a challenge, but I know this team is up to it. They want to be the ones that turn this program in the right direction, so they’re committed and I’m excited.”
‘We Love to See Them Compete’
Athletic Trainer Kathleen White
K Head Athletic Trainer Kathleen White, as a medical professional, started to get nervous about COVID-19 earlier than most people did.
“We started having conversations very early because we were abreast of the situation going on outside the U.S.,” she said. “When it started creeping over here, we took precautions as much as we could before we knew that a shutdown was going to be necessary.”
That led to careful planning, meticulous research and thoughtful collaboration, not only between colleagues at K, but between Michigan institutions and around the country.
“We had months of figuring out what was going on with the MIAA,” White said. “We would also meet as an institution, as a department and as a league, and the NCAA had meetings trying to figure out was safe. Things were constantly changing and evolving. We then had to wait to see what the numbers were going to be to see what our policies needed to be.”
White now tests up to 350 students a week for COVID-19. That alone would pack her schedule, but there’s so much more to ensuring that sports can continue.
“Those tests are just so we can get practices going,” White said. “We’ll get teams starting on the fields at 4 p.m. and some of our teams don’t stop until probably about 1 a.m., so the only time the training room isn’t open is from about 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. We also contact trace our athletes’ situations, handle our COVID isolation and quarantine situations, and perform the daily testing for them, while doing all our normal athletic training duties on top of all the COVID duties.”
Still, White didn’t describe her recent efforts as hectic or stressful. Her mind is focused more on the athletes and the opportunities they’ll have.
“It’s definitely exciting because it’s worth it,” White said. “We live for being able to give our student-athletes their experiences. We love to see them compete and we want to see them grow, not only as athletes but individuals and students. It’s not only for them physically, but for their mental health as well. Sports have really been something that some students need to get through this difficult time.
“When we had the first basketball game the medical staff just kind of looked at each other and was like, ‘Wow, that’s awesome. We did it,’” she added. “Getting to the first practices was a big accomplishment. Getting through the first couple of weeks of practices was huge. And then making it to the first games, it’s exciting and it’s rewarding for all the work we’ve put in.”
At K, Green Dot usually conducts in-person training for students, faculty and staff. At this event, students wrote their own green dots to cover a red dot, symbolizing a change toward preventing power-based personal violence. But with many still learning or working virtually, Green Dot must rely on the Kalamazoo College Council of Student Representatives and other organizations to spread awareness this term. When you see green in March, think of Green Dot.
Representatives instead want you to think of Green Dot, a comprehensive safety plan funded through the State of Michigan Campus Sexual Assault Grant Program, which depends on the power of bystanders to help achieve community safety. Green Dot sees everyone at K as a potential witness to power-based personal violence, and seeks to engage students, faculty and staff in prevention training.
At K, Green Dot usually conducts in-person training for students, faculty and staff. But with many still learning or working virtually, Green Dot must rely on KCCSR and other organizations to spread awareness.
“I want to get everyone on campus to know what Green Dot is exactly,” KCCSR representative Jamison Brown said. “If you go around campus and ask people what it is, most have a broad understanding that it’s about preventing sexual assault, but there’s way more to it.”
Imagine a red dot on a map is a person’s choice to harm someone else with their words or actions. When you have enough red dots, they create a tolerance for power-based personal violence. Green dots on that map, however, would represent small actions or interventions that stop or prevent a red dot. Even when they’re small, green dots draw power from one another, and together, they change communities. One of those communities is Kalamazoo College, as bystanders are trained in how to direct, delegate and distract safely through words and actions to intervene when they witness power-based personal violence.
To be direct means to talk directly to the perpetrator or would-be victim, calling out concerning behaviors. It might be appropriate to tell the perpetrator to stop or ask the victim if they need help. To delegate means to ask for someone else’s help. A bystander could intervene by calling the police or Campus Safety. They could also ask others to help in preventing the violence. To distract means to interrupt the attempted act of violence by diverting the perpetrator’s attention away from the would-be victim.
“We want to create a space where everyone feels like they don’t have to worry about sexual violence that could take away from their education,” KCCSR representative Sela Damer-Daigle said. “I think a lot of students at K choose it because of the atmosphere, and Green Dot adds to that safe atmosphere. Students can be themselves without having to worry as much about power-based violence.”
To help create such a space, KCCSR is conducting outreach through tabling at the Hicks Student Center in March, a month normally associated with green, to spread the awareness it wants to see. Engaging students new to K is especially important, so those students can continue Green Dot traditions going forward and seek training when it’s again available.
Watch for dates to be announced soon through email and campus calendars.
“KCCSR places a lot of importance on Green Dot because it has to do a lot with keeping our campus community safe and looking out for each other,” KCCSR representative Caitlyn Cooper said. “That’s a big goal of KCCSR: to provide a better environment for students. It’s important to me that I know how to be a bystander for other people and to know some signs that can help me protect myself.”
Kalamazoo College is among the top producers of Fulbright recipients for the 2020-21 academic year.
The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announced Monday that Kalamazoo College is among the top producers of Fulbright recipients among colleges and universities for the 2020-21 academic year.
Six K representatives out of 15 applicants were named Fulbright recipients, placing the College among the top-producing bachelor’s institutions for the third time in the last four years. It was the most recipients among colleges of K’s category in Michigan.
Many candidates apply for the Fulbright Program as graduating seniors, though alumni may apply as well. Graduating seniors apply through their institution. Alumni can apply through their institution or as at-large candidates.
“This recognition shows how our students desire the cultural experiences they gain from being abroad, and they get those experiences through their opportunities at K,” Center for International Programs Executive Director Margaret Wiedenhoeft said. “It shows that our faculty and international partners inspire and enable students to make a difference in the world.”
About the Fulbright Program
The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program. Top-producing institutions are highlighted annually in the Chronicle of Higher Education.
Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 380,000 participants, chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential, with opportunities to exchange ideas and contribute to solutions to shared international concerns. More than 1,900 U.S. students, artists and young professionals in more than 100 fields of study are offered Fulbright Program grants to study, teach English and conduct research abroad each year. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program operates in more than 140 countries throughout the world.
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is a program of the U.S. Department of State, funded by an annual appropriation from Congress to the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and supported in its implementation by the Institute of International Education.
The Fulbright Program also awards grants to U.S. scholars, teachers and faculty to conduct research and teach overseas. In addition, about 4,000 foreign Fulbright students and scholars come to the United States annually to study, lecture, conduct research and teach foreign languages.
Kalamazoo College is the only institution in Michigan ranked among the nation’s top liberal arts colleges by AcademicInfluence.com.
AcademicInfluence.com is endorsing Kalamazoo College as one of the top four-year schools in the country where students can excel in the liberal arts, according to rankings released this week.
The website is the information center for a data-analytics company that measures the influence and thought leadership of a college’s or university’s faculty and alumni, providing prospective students a place where they can draw insightful comparisons between schools.
K, at No. 45, is the only institution in Michigan to reach the list of top liberal arts colleges. The website mentions K’s thought leadership on subjects such as political science, economics, sociology, biology, literature, mathematics and philosophy as just a few of the reasons why.
“Job demands are changing,” AcademicInfluence.com Academic Director Jed Macosko said. “More is expected of today’s college graduates. This makes the liberal arts appealing and practical. Students who can demonstrate a breadth of skills and the flexibility to take on anything asked of them are finding greater success postgraduation. … If you’re a student looking for a well-rounded education, these schools should be at the top of your list.”
The K-Plan is K’s distinctive approach to the liberal arts and sciences. Its open curriculum utilizes rigorous academics, international and intercultural experiences, a hands-on education and independent scholarship to help students think critically, solve problems creatively, and collaborate across cultures and languages.
“A liberal arts model provides the most thorough college education because it teaches students how to attain not just one, but a variety of skillsets that employers desire, while engaging with the world,” Director of Admission Suzanne Lepley said. “To be named among the top 50 liberal arts institutions in the country is an honor for Kalamazoo College as it shows how well we prepare students for a global, modern workplace.”
Kalamazoo College students, faculty, staff and alumni made 2020 a little brighter with their accomplishments throughout the year. The College’s 10 most-clicked feature stories recognized those who championed our community and exhibited a dedication to learning, teaching, health and perseverance through unprecedented challenges. Here’s a year-end roundup of what you read the most, shaping K’s top stories of the year. We’re eager to see what accomplishments will come in 2021.
The Michigan War Dog Memorial has hired Suanne Martin ’84 to sculpt a statue memorializing the dogs that performed in ceremonies to honor the canines that once served our country, troops, police, firefighters and citizens.
Two psychology classes led by James A. B. Stone Professor of Psychology Siu-Lan Tan engaged children from 5 to 12 years old in a virtual co-authorship program this spring. The children, guided by Tan’s students, wrote and illustrated their own storybooks in a project that reached from Michigan to France.
When Assistant Professor of Biology Santiago Salinas learned that Kalamazoo College would be transitioning to distance learning for the spring semester, he created a movie trailer, complete with atmospheric soundtrack and compelling narrative voiceover, to excite his vertebrate biology class for the term.
Younger generations of Latter-day Saints in congregations nationwide are commonly aligning themselves with more progressive views related to gender identity as shown in Taylor Petrey’s book, Tabernacles of Clay: Sexuality and Gender in Modern Mormonism.
Armed with three years of experience as an emergency medical technician, Odom volunteered at a drive-through coronavirus testing site at the former Michigan State Fairgrounds in Detroit. There, Odom volunteered for more than nine hours per shift, six days a week, to serve as many as 800 people a day through the Coronavirus Community Care Network, a coalition of local governments and health services.
Natasha Bagdasarian ’99 was an international figure in the fight against COVID-19 this year, first as a physician and epidemiologist in Singapore, and then a consultant and senior public health physician in her home state.
In the 1990s, Lincoln McBride ’80 founded and led the technology program that commercialized a system to detect and quantify small amounts of genetic material with unparalleled speed sensitivity and accuracy. Earlier this year, the latest generation of that technology was the worldwide workhorse and gold standard for COVID-19 testing.
A social media meme that circulated in spring of the late children’s TV star Mr. Rogers reminded people to “look for the helpers” in a crisis. When that crisis was COVID-19, those helpers for students were K faculty and staff.
Students who visited countries such as China, Germany and Spain, and international students who remained in Kalamazoo, had stories to tell about their experiences as COVID-19 and the global responses to it emerged.
Five Kalamazoo College representatives are receiving one of the highest honors the federal government provides regarding scholarship and international exchange.
Happy holidays from Kalamazoo College! Click on this image for our holiday video. Watch to the end for a cross-stitch Buzz pattern like the one featured in the video.
The holidays are often a time of gratitude and reflection, and this holiday season is no exception. The collective efforts of our faculty, staff, students, families, alumni and friends to support our student body and the institution through this pandemic have been nothing short of extraordinary. It shows that we are stronger together as we work to move K forward, and we could not be more grateful for this community.
We wish to thank not only those who are helping us deliver on K’s educational mission and vision; we also want to thank all of you who are facing incredible challenges this year while serving our society: the healthcare workers, the teachers, the scientists, the agricultural and food-processing workers, the small business owners, the retail and restaurant workers, delivery persons, and so many more.
As we go forth this season, we hope you are able to find some time to rest, read a good book, video chat with family and friends, and enjoy favorite traditions. Most of all, we hope you and your loved ones stay healthy, stay safe and have a happy and peaceful new year.
Saludos,
President Jorge G. Gonzalez and Suzie (Martin) Gonzalez ’83
Spirits remain high with Kalamazoo College Admission representatives as they recruit first-year students for fall 2021.
“We had a strong class in 2020 and we’re hopeful we can have that again.” Admission Event Coordinator Sarah Matyczyn said. “We’re happy with where we stand considering the effects of the pandemic.”
This optimism is taking shape as a new normal arises in the admission process. In the wake of the pandemic, Admission is using more virtual ways to reach next year’s first-year students.
“If there’s a silver lining to COVID-19, it’s that we on multiple occasions have talked about creating virtual options for international students and west coast students because of the time difference,” Matyczyn said. “We value in-person connections, but this really pushed us, and moving forward, this will help us.”
A new virtual tour at kzoo.edu/tour offers 360-degree photos like the one represented here. The robust experience will allow prospective students to view the Kalamazoo College campus from a distance through virtual visits.
Prospective student opportunities for virtual visits include:
A new virtual tour. Provided through Virtually Anywhere, a series of 360-degree photos and tour stops give prospective students a robust experience and a feeling of being on campus regardless of where they are. Alumni will also appreciate the opportunity to revisit the campus this way anytime they want.
Student-led virtual tours. A current student tour guide walks prospective students and their families around campus, talks about each location and shares their K experience
The Weekly Buzz, a series that allows prospective students to get virtual news and information on the application and admission process through conversations with students and counselors. Previous topics now available through recordings include the liberal arts, the family’s role in the application process, and navigating college as a first-generation student.
A virtual open house. This is an ideal experience for prospective students looking to find their perfect college fit. They can meet with admission staff along with other members of the K community such as faculty to get to know the K-Plan and the college experience. The next one is scheduled for November 10.
High school virtual group visits. These events are meant for academically-prepared high school students. They include a student-led virtual campus tour and an information session.
Personalized video chats with admission counselors or meetings with students by phone, texting, video chat or email.
That’s not to say that in-person visits have gone away. In fact, they restarted September 23 with a more personalized experience. One socially-distanced tour group consists of just one prospective student and family per tour guide.
“The tours go into the Hicks Student Center, Hoben Hall so they can see a residence hall room, the library and the Fitness and Wellness Center,” Matyczyn said. “The rest of the trip is outside, but we will take them into Dow Science Center if they’re interested in science and want to see a lab. The feedback we’ve received is that the families are extremely grateful for the in-person visits. They’re also appreciative of the safety measures we’ve taken.”
Regardless, there are no changes in the admission process itself. K maintains its traditional test-optional status so students don’t have to submit an ACT or SAT score, and students will fill out the Common App along with an essay. In the meantime, how they choose to get to know K is up to them and help is always available.
“You can pick whatever experience is best for you,” Matyczyn said. “The counselors say the same thing. We might address high school juniors a little differently than seniors, but a counselor is always available to talk. If you want some advice or even if you want to talk to a current K student, we’ll make those connections for you.”
Alumni Can Help Admission
Represent your alma mater to prospective students through both virtual and in-person activities. Learn more at the Alumni Engagement website.
Kalamazoo College trustee Beth Washington, the vice president of community health, equity and inclusion at Bronson Healthcare, will be the keynote speaker at Convocation 2020 on Thursday, September 10.
Kalamazoo College will open the 2020-21 academic year at 2 p.m. Thursday, September 10. That’s when the College will welcome 393 first-year students to the K family through a virtual Convocation, formally launching their undergraduate years.
Convocation is the first of two bookends to the K experience with the other being Commencement. The event will feature addresses from President Jorge G. Gonzalez and Provost Danette Ifert Johnson, an invocation from Chaplain Elizabeth Candido ‘00 and a keynote speech from College Trustee Beth Washington ’94.
Washington, a Kalamazoo native, has been the vice president of community health, equity and inclusion for Bronson Healthcare since 2015. Before that she worked as an educator and as the director of Jeter’s Leaders, a high school leadership program sponsored by Derek Jeter’s Turn 2 Foundation.
In addition to being a K trustee, Washington’s community work extends to Kalamazoo Valley Community College, where she serves on the Career and Community Training Advisory Board. She is also involved with the Southwest Michigan Perinatal Quality Improvement Coalition and serves on the board of Cradle Kalamazoo, which aims to reduce infant death rates.
As a student at K, Washington earned a degree in human resources and relations, and a secondary teaching certificate in social studies and English, while representing the College on the women’s basketball and softball teams.
All students, faculty and staff are invited to view the Convocation ceremony. For more information and a video of the feed on the day of Convocation, visit kzoo.edu/convocation.
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