“Fun Home,” a Tony Award-winning musical adapted for the stage by Kalamazoo College alumna Lisa Kron ’83 and Jeanine Tesori from a best-selling graphic memoir of the same name, will be the Festival Playhouse’s first production of its 54th season.
The musical has earned Tony awards for Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book, as well as the N.Y. Drama Critics Circle Award, Lucille Lortel Award, The Outer Critics Circle Award and the Off-Broadway Alliance Award.
K is the first college in the nation to present “Fun Home” and organizers expect each performance to sell out. The shows are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Nov. 2-4 and 2 p.m. Nov. 5 at the Nelda K. Balch Playhouse, 129 Thompson St., at the north end of the Light Fine Arts Building.
“Fun Home” tracks Alison Bechdel, a middle-aged cartoonist. Writing her memoir in the present, Alison actively combs her past, including life as a 10-year-old as well as a first-year college student, when she came out as a lesbian. She particularly struggles to piece together a truer version of her father, Bruce, who was in the closet, and his suicide.
The musical has earned Tony awards for Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book, as well as the N.Y. Drama Critics Circle Award, Lucille Lortel Award, The Outer Critics Circle Award and the Off-Broadway Alliance Award. It also was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
A recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship as well as numerous other grants, Kron teaches playwriting at Yale and also continues to work as an actress to great acclaim, most recently in the La MaMa production of Brecht’s “The Good Person of Szechwan.”
Tickets for all four shows are available by visiting festivalplayhouse.ludus.com/index.php or by calling 269-337-7333.
Adults are $15, seniors are $10 and students are $5 with an ID. Kalamazoo College students, faculty and staff are admitted free with their school ID.
This season’s Festival Playhouse theme is “Theatre and Making New Families,” reflecting stories of characters searching to make sense of their family’s past or trying to create a new vision of family all together. Learn more about “Fun Home” and the upcoming theatre season at reason.kzoo.edu/festivalplayhouse.
Welcome, families, to Kalamazoo College’s family weekend!
Welcome, families, to Family Weekend at Kalamazoo College! Below you will find a list of activities along with links to the campus map in our virtual tour, providing the locations of each facility. Questions about Family Weekend may be directed to Dana Jansma, Associate Dean of Students in the Student Development Office at 269-337-7209 or dana.jansma@kzoo.edu.
Kalamazoo College observes Honors Day in the fall quarter of each year, recognizing at convocation those students who have earned honors for the year and those who have won special prizes during the previous academic year.
A Parent’s Guide to Finances for Continuing Students
Becca Murphy, Director of Financial Aid, and Patrick Farmer, Student Accounts Coordinator, will provide important financial aid deadlines and review commonly asked billing questions related to studying abroad. This is also an opportunity for families to get answers to their general financial and billing questions.
Why it Matters: The Importance of Critical Civic Engagement
This student panel, facilitated by Moises Hernandez, K’17, Post Baccalaureate Fellow, and Alison Geist, Director, the Center for Civic Engagement, provides a glimpse into current students’ experiences working through local community partnerships to “build a more just, equitable, and sustainable world.” About two-thirds of K students participate in faculty-led community based research and coursework, and in student-led initiatives the CCE facilitates. Come and learn more about this vital component of the “K-Plan.”
What do parents of first and second-year students need to know about study abroad? Presented by Margaret Wiedenhoeft, Executive Director of International Programs.
Coffee, beverages, and light snacks available to purchase.
10 a.m. to noon, Lilian Anderson Arboretum, 1.8 miles west of the intersection of M-43 (West Main Street) and U.S. 131 in Oshtemo Township.
Lilian Anderson Arboretum Guided Nature Hike: Humanity’s Relationship with Nature
What do the forest and humans have in common? How has our presence influenced the natural world around us? Explore these questions on a guided hike through Kalamazoo College’s lush and scenic Lilian Anderson Arboretum. Join students from the “Roots in the Earth” First-Year Seminar for an intimate look into the Arboretum’s diverse plant life, animal population, and engaging history. Meet in the main Arboretum parking lot (overflow parking will be available at the Oshtemo Township Park (7275 West Main). Wear comfortable shoes and bring a water bottle.
Career Development at K: Partnerships and Practice
Learn about the College’s commitment to integrating career exploration and development throughout a student’s four years at K, including how parents and others can get involved, from Center for Career and Professional Development Director Joan Hawxhurst.
Preview Performance of Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante
One of the master’s most inspired and divinely beautiful creations, the Sinfonia Concertante is a duet for the violin and viola with accompaniment. This work will feature the Kalamazoo Philharmonia’s Nov. 12 performance.
How I Built My K-Plan: A Conversation with Departmental Student Advisors
Hear from some of our outstanding department student advisers about life at K. They will answer such questions as, “How did you choose your majors and plan for study abroad and your senior project? What are the most interesting classes you have taken? Why is it important to explore across the liberal arts? How do your co-curricular activities connect to your academic interests?”
The Kalamazoo College student dance organization Frelon presents its fall show, which includes multiple campus student organizations. Enjoy an evening of student performances ranging from ballet to hip hop dance, skits, poems and music.
Kalamazoo College Family Weekend served as the backdrop for the College’s annual Honors Day convocation. More than 250 students were recognized Friday, Oct. 27, for excellence in academics and leadership in six divisions: Fine Arts, Foreign Languages, Humanities, Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Social Sciences and Physical Education. Recipients of prestigious scholarships were recognized, as were members of national honor societies and students who received special Kalamazoo College awards. Student athletes and teams who won Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association awards also were honored. The students receiving Honors Day awards or recognition are listed below.
The Honors Day Convocation, conducted Oct. 27 at Stetson Chapel, celebrated the achievements of more than 250 Kalamazoo College students.
FINE ARTS DIVISION
The Brian Gougeon Prize in Art Hannah Rainaldi
The Margaret Upton Prize in Music Joshua Gibson Jenna Sherman
Cooper Award Kate Kreiss
Sherwood Prize Cody Colvin
Theatre Arts First-Year Student Award Sophia Hill Alysia Homminga
FOREIGN LANGUAGES DIVISION
LeGrand Copley Prize in French Valentina Cordero Ravi Nair
Hardy Fuchs Award Matthew Flotemersch
Margo Light Award Annarosa Whitman
Romance Languages Department Prize in Spanish Joshua Gibson Kevin McCarty
Clara H. Buckley Prize for Excellence in Latin Mara Hazen
Provost’s Prize in Classics Clayton Meldrum
HUMANITIES DIVISION
O.M. Allen Prize in English Paige Coffing
John B. Wickstrom Prize in History Riya Bhuyan
Department of Philosophy Prize Lee Carter Emiline Chipman
L.J. and Eva (“Gibbie”) Hemmes Memorial Prize in Philosophy Rosella LoChirco
NATURAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS DIVISION
Winifred Peake Jones Prize in Biology Brigette Berke Amelia Davis Dominic Gonzalez
Department of Chemistry Prize Kevin McCarty
First-Year Chemistry Award Kristen Amyx-Sherer Alyssa Heitkamp
First-Year Mathematics Award Michael Orwin William Tait
Thomas O. Walton Prize in Mathematics Allegra Allgeier
Cooper Prize in Physics Benjamin Behrens Valentina Harding Alexis Periman Justin Seablom Ethan Tucker
SOCIAL SCIENCES DIVISION
Departmental Prize in Anthropology and Sociology Paige Chung Shadaijah Grandberry-Payton Aliyah Jamaluddin Elizabeth Munoz Emiliana Renuart
C. Wallace Lawrence Prize in Economics Andrew Parsons Evelyn Wagner
C. Wallace Lawrence Prize in Business Jessica Penny Scott Roberts Garrett Swanson
Irene and S. Kyle Morris Prize Zachary Ray
William G. Howard Memorial Prize Sarah Gerendasy
Department of Psychology First-Year Student Prize Shannon Carley
PHYSICAL EDUCATION DIVISION
Division of Physical Education Prize Laura Hanselman Daniel Henry
Maggie Wardle Prize Elizabeth Munoz
COLLEGE AWARDS
Gordon Beaumont Memorial Award Cydney Martell Rumsha Sajid Cindy Xiao
Henry and Inez Brown Prize Alexandrea Ambs Emily Good David Vanderkloot
Virginia Hinkelman Memorial Award Sarafina Milianti Sep’tisha Riley
Heyl Scholars – Class of 2020 Andrew Backer Matthew Giguere Josephine Hosner Danielle Janowicz Samuel Meyer Hannah Pittman Stephanie Rauhoff Subi Thakali Dustin Tibbetts
Posse Scholars – Class of 2020 Alejandro Aguirre Alexandro Cruz Kahira Embry Moses Gonzalez Denise Jackson Trevor Loduem-Jackson Daniel Mota-Villegas Angela Pastor Enrique Robles Gabrielle Walton Schwartz
National Merit Scholar – Class of 2020 Ehren White
Alpha Lambda Delta – Class of 2019 Alpha Lambda Delta is a national honor society that recognizes excellence in academic achievement during the first college year. To be eligible for membership, students must earn a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5 and be in the top 20 percent of their class during the first year.
Logan Beck Benjamin Behrens Brigette Berke Riya Bhuyan Shannon Carley Iffat Chowdhury Valentina Cordero Austin Cramer Adelaine Dancer Matthew Flotemersch Amanda Gardner Joshua Gibson Dominic Gonzalez Martin Hansknecht Sophia Hill Kento Hirakawa Alysia Homminga Maria Katrantzi Zoe Larson Samuel Maddox Kathryn Martin Kevin McCarty Tamara Morrison Elizabeth Munoz Cayla Patterson Alexis Periman Victorialyn Regan Danna Robles-Garcia Orly Rubinfeld Danielle Sarafian Jenna Sherman Simran Singh Grant Stille Sarah Whitfield
ENLIGHTENED LEADERSHIP AWARDS
Performing Arts: Music Madeleine Armstrong Zachary Colburn Adam Decker Jennalise Ellis Stanton Greenstone Audrey Honig Isabel McLaughlin Katherine Miller-Purrenhage Natalie Minzey Julia Riddle Margaret Roethler
MICHIGAN INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (MIAA) AWARDS
The following Hornet teams earned the 2015-2016 MIAA Team GPA Award. Team members achieved a 3.3 or better grade point average for the entire academic year.
The MIAA each year honors students at member colleges who achieve distinction in the classroom and in athletic competition. Students need to be a letter winners in a varsity sport and maintain at minimum 3.5 grade point average for the entire school year.
Cheyenne Allyn-White Alexandrea Ambs Georgie Andrews Ryan Andrusz Hunter Angileri Alberto Ayala Sonal Bahl Chase Baysdell Matthew Benedettini Jacob Bonifacio Kennedy Boulton Riley Boyd Andrew Bremer Allie Brodsky Molly Brueger Ian Bunker Matthew Burczyk Alexander Cadigan Charles Carson Madeleine Chilcote Jack Clark Elizabeth Clevenger Anthony Convertino Austin Cramer Anna Dairaghi Christina Dandar Elan Dantus Roger Darling Sabrina Dass Steven Davis Eric De Witt Dana DeVito Mikayla Doepker Guillermo Dominguez-Garcia Nathan Donovan Erin DuRoss Tristyn Edsall Emma Eisenbeis Michael Faust Anders Finholt John Fowler Christopher Francis Maria Franco Brett Garwood Cory Gensterblum Joseph Giacalone Jacob Gilhaus Anthony Giovanni Rachel Girard Beau Godkin Emily Good Monica Gorgas Mya Gough Andre Grayson Garrett Guthrie Alyssa Heitkamp Daniel Henry Kaiya Herman-Hilker Kyle Hernandez Mathew Holmes-Hackerd Allia Howard Nicole Huff Briana Huisken Claire Jensen Katherine Johnson Marylou Johnson Claire Kalina Maria Katrantzi Greg Kearns Samuel Kepes Benjamin Kileen Dahwi Kim William Kirchen Ian Kobernick Emily Kozal Matthew Krinock Stefan Leclerc Rosella LoChirco Nicholas Ludka Cydney Martell Eliza McCall Katherine McKibbon Branden Metzler Joshua Miller Suzanne Miller Madison Moote Zachary Morales Elizabeth Munoz Dylan Padget James Paprocki Cayla Patterson John Patton Bradley Popiel Nicole Prentice Zachary Prystash Erin Radermacher Zachary Ray Phillip Ritchie Scott Roberts Justin Roop Matthew Ryder Paige Sambor Aaron Schwark Jacob Scott Justin Seablom Anorah Seita Sharif Shaker Chase Shelbourne Alec Sherrill Gabrielle Shimko Grace Smith Adam Snider Kathleen Sorensen Sydney Spring Vethania Stavropoulos Grant Stille Shelby Suseland Matthew Suter Jacob Sypniewski Jack Tagget William Tait Emma Tardiff Benjamin Toledo Alyana Tomlinson Zachary Tornow Matt Turton Eva Ugelow Madison Vallan Kaela Van Til Joshua Vance David Vanderkloot Zachary VanFaussien Mitchell VanKoevering Travis Veenhuis John Vinson Sidney Wall Jacob Wasko John Wehr Alex White Madeline Woods Brent Yelton Julie Zabik Matthew Zhiss
Joseph Stulberg ’67 says he sometimes marvels at how two or three years spent in a particular place can set the course for a lifetime.
Suzie Gonzalez ’83, Kalamazoo College President Jorge G. Gonzalez, Midge Stulberg, Janet and David Scarrow and Joseph (Josh) Stulberg ’67 (from left to right) gather at the home of Philosophy Department Chairman Christopher Latiolais during Homecoming weekend to celebrate the Stulbergs’ endowment of the Janet and David S. Scarrow Endowment for Philosophy.
For Stulberg, more commonly known as Josh, that place was Kalamazoo College, where people like David Scarrow, then a philosophy professor, and Scarrow’s wife Janet served as role models who inspired his own distinguished academic career.
Marking the 50th anniversary of his graduation and his class reunion during the 2017 Homecoming weekend, Stulberg – the Michael E. Moritz Chair in Alternative Dispute Resolution at Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law – and his wife Midge are creating the Janet and David S. Scarrow Endowment for Philosophy. He says the fund is aimed at ensuring today’s Kalamazoo College philosophy majors have the sort of experience that helped shape his life.
The Stulbergs previously created scholarships for students majoring in philosophy and in English or theatre. Philosophy Department Chair Christopher Latiolais says their latest gift goes a step further, both supporting students and making possible what he hopes will be a fundamental element of the department’s program: the funding of teaching assistantships for philosophy majors.
The Scarrow Endowment will also support travel by philosophy majors to academic conferences where they can gain experience presenting their research. And Latiolais says the department hopes to launch an annual newsletter to help keep alumni connected to current students.
He says the Stulbergs’ gift is not only the largest the department has received during his tenure, but also is the product of years of discussions with the couple, who asked “hard, good, strong questions about what we were doing.”
“I thought it was a remarkably thoughtful gift,” Latiolais says.
College President Jorge G. Gonzalez says it is especially gratifying to see one professor honor another – and in the process, foster yet another generation of scholars.
“It reinforces that we are part of a profession that values its past yet is always looking ahead,” he said. “Nowhere is that more apparent than at a place like Kalamazoo College, where the liberal arts tradition endures.”
Stulberg says he and his wife are “thrilled” to be able to “provide some tangible resources” to support the mission of liberal arts education at Kalamazoo College – “the place I know best.”
As for Scarrow, now 91, he is self-effacing when asked about the reverence Stulberg holds for him, but pleased, honored and confident that the endowment “will enhance the lives of students who are serious about studying philosophy.”
For more information about the Janet and David S. Scarrow Endowment for Philosophy, contact Al DeSimone, Kalamazoo College Vice President for Advancement, at 269.337.7292 or Al.DeSimone@kzoo.edu.
Prospective students are beginning their Kalamazoo College campus tours and visits at an Admission Center in a newly remodeled facility that opened Oct. 23. The former bed and breakfast at 106 Thompson St., next to West Main and across the street from Dow Science Center, conveys the high quality of a K education and comfort to visitors, Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Eric Staab said.
Kalamazoo College Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Eric Staab sets up his office in the Admission Center, which opened Oct. 23 at 106 Thompson St. near West Main Street and across from Dow Science Center on campus.
“We’re thrilled and excited,” he added. “This building has some history to it while feeling less like a doctor’s office and more like a home. It will provide an excellent work environment and a welcoming place for students and families.”
The Admission Office often is the first point of contact for prospective students and their families as it shares the College’s distinctive programs and opportunities in the liberal arts and sciences, which are developed through the K-Plan. The K-Plan is a nationally recognized open curriculum offering rigorous academics, a hands-on education of experiential learning, international and intercultural experiences such as study abroad programs, and independent scholarship through senior individualized projects.
A parking lot adjacent to the building also will be available soon. Until then, parking is available across Thompson Street in the lot in front of the Dow Science Center. Please use the stalls facing Thompson Street marked with signs labeled “Admission Office – Permit Required.” If you have not received a parking permit before your visit, please request one when you arrive at the Admission Center.
Acclaimed for his former role on AMC’s “The Walking Dead,” Steven S. Yeun ’05 was among four honorees Friday, Oct. 20, as Kalamazoo College presented its 2017 Distinguished Alumni Awards. Athletic Hall of Fame inductions also were held in the ceremony at Dalton Theatre at Light Fine Arts.
Distinguished Alumni Awards honoree Steven Yeun ’05 is acclaimed for his former role on AMC’s “The Walking Dead.” He was among four honorees Friday, Oct. 20.
The recipients and their awards were:
William DeGrado ’77, Distinguished Achievement Award. DeGrado is a professor in the department of pharmaceutical chemistry and an investigator at the Cardiovascular Research Institute at the University of California San Francisco.
Phillip C. Carra ’69, Distinguished Service Award. Carra is a partner in Apjohn Group, a life science start-up consultancy in Kalamazoo; former corporate vice president for public relations at the Upjohn Co.; an emeritus trustee of the College; and a leader in numerous civic organizations. His award was presented in absentia.
Yeun, Young Alumni Award. A fan favorite as Glenn Rhee on “The Walking Dead,” Yeun, whose award was presented in absentia, has since gone on to play roles in feature films including “Okja” and “Mayhem.”
Gail Griffin, Weimer K. Hicks Award. An author, poet and essayist, Griffin was chair of three departments (English, Theatre and Classics), founding director of Women’s Studies and director of Teaching Development during her 1977-2013 tenure at K. This is the latest of her numerous K honors.
As many as 1,000 alumni from around the nation and world will gather on the Kalamazoo College campus Friday-Sunday for K’s annual Homecoming.
Topping the list Friday night will be the annual Distinguished Alumni Awards and Athletic Hall of Fame Inductions. And Hornet Pride will be on display at football, men’s soccer and women’s soccer games on Saturday, alumni volleyball, softball and baseball games on Friday and an alumni swim meet and 5k Run/Walk on Saturday.
Kalamazoo College will conduct its annual Homecoming festivities Friday, Oct. 20-Sunday, Oct. 22.
Also among the Friday-Sunday events:
Reunions of the classes of 1967, 1972, 1977, 1987, 1992, 1997, 2002, 2007 and 2012. There is also an informal gathering for the class of 2017.
Receptions and gatherings for groups including LandSea alumni, 1833 Society Young Alumni, Alumni of Color, the Emeriti Club, theatre arts alumni and athletics teams, plus a chance to socialize with faculty and staff in departmental receptions throughout the Weimer K. Hicks Student Center on Saturday morning.
Actresses Lily Tomlin (left) and Jane Fonda (middle) discuss an initiative to raise the minimum wage of Michigan residents with Saru Jayaraman at the Arcus Center for Social Justice.
Two legendary, award-winning actresses – Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin – visited Kalamazoo College and the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership (ACSJL) on Tuesday to heighten awareness about an initiative to raise the minimum wage of Michigan residents.
ROC United, a restaurant workers and workers’ rights group, brought Fonda and Tomlin to K for the issue-focused, non-partisan event. ROC United is a winner of the 2013 Global Prize for Collaborative Social Justice Leadership and partner with the ACSJL.
Fonda and Tomlin, stars of the Netflix comedy series “Grace and Frankie,” are participating in a series of ROC United fundraising and public-education events in Detroit, Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor this week. Fonda and Tomlin will speak out about the need for One Fair Wage in Michigan, and the importance of amplifying the voices and perspective of those who work in the restaurant industry.
The Restaurant Opportunities Center of New York was initially founded in New York City by Fekkak Mamdouh and Saru Jayaraman after September 11, 2001, to support restaurant workers displaced as a result of the World Trade Center tragedy.
Michiganders’ lone opportunity to participate in an international event and learn the ropes of change ringing will be at Kalamazoo College. K will welcome the public into Stetson Chapel to see a demonstration of English change ringing on tower and hand bells by members of the Kalamazoo College Guild of Change Ringers at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 10.
The Kalamazoo College Guild of Change Ringers, seen here during President Jorge G. Gonzalez’s inauguration in November 2016, will demonstrate English change ringing on tower and hand bells on Sept. 10 at Stetson Chapel.
The event, coordinated with similar events at some of the 50 towers in the United States and Canada through the North American Guild of Change Ringers, will include an explanation of change ringing and the history of K’s chapel bells. Change ringing provides mild aerobic activity and intellectual challenges. After several weeks of lessons and commitment to regular practice, almost anyone can become a ringer. This open day will provide those interested an introduction to a hobby with endless fascination and continuing challenges. All ages are welcome; minors must be accompanied by an adult.
In change ringing, bells are rung one after another in continuously changing sequences determined by mathematical rules, producing a cascading sound rather than traditional tunes. K’s change-ringing bells are the only ones of their kind in Michigan.
The tower at Stetson Chapel was empty for its first half-century. Professor Emeritus of Mathematics T. Jefferson Smith first had the idea that it might house a set of change ringing bells after learning to ring at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. After a study to determine whether the tower could withstand eight swinging bells weighing several hundred pounds each, college trustee Maynard Conrad raised funds to buy and install the bells. In 1983, the College’s sesquicentennial, President David Breneman gave the project the final go-ahead. The bells were cast at Whitechapel Bell Foundry in London and installed June 2, 1984, at K.
Each bell bears the college motto – Lux Esto, meaning “Be Light” – and is inscribed with a Biblical quotation and the name of a person associated with the college during its first century. Many people have learned to ring at K including students, faculty, staff, alumni and area residents. Stetson Chapel has been the site of many change ringing firsts and records, including the longest continuous ringing, or peal, in North America.
For more information on the event, contact Margaret Miller at 269-365-2823 or kzooringers@yahoo.com.
The publisher Sourcebooks announced Tuesday that Kalamazoo College again is included in the annual “Fiske Guide to Colleges,” a useful resource for high school students and their families when they research prospective colleges.
Kalamazoo College again will be one of more than 300 schools featured in the 2018 version in the “Fiske Guide to Colleges”
The 2018 publication, compiled by former New York Times Education Editor Edward B. Fiske, is a selective, subjective and systematic look at more than 300 colleges and universities in the United States, Canada and the UK.
The “Fiske Guide to Colleges” is available as a paperback book, as an iPad app on iTunes, and as a Web program on CollegeCountdown.com. The guide’s readers discover the personality of a college based on a broad range of subjects throughout the text including the student body, academics, social life, financial aid, campus setting, housing, food and extracurricular activities.
Kalamazoo College “aims to prepare students for real life by helping them synthesize the liberal arts education they receive on campus with their experiences abroad,” the publication says, adding that K students are passionate and determined to make a difference. The guide also discusses the K-Plan, Kalamazoo College’s four-part, integrated approach to an excellent education in the liberal arts and sciences. K-Plan tenets include:
rigorous academics. The flexibility and rigor of K’s curriculum provides students with a customized academic experience;
experiential education. Students connect classroom learning with real-world experience by completing career development internships or externships, participating in civic engagement and service-learning projects, and getting involved in social justice leadership work;
international and intercultural experience. Students choose from 42 study abroad programs in 24 countries across six continents; and
independent scholarship. As the culmination of their learning, students explore a subject of their choice, resulting in an in-depth, graduate-level research thesis, performance or creative work known as a Senior Individualized Project.
