Vote in the midterm election today with some help from K Votes, a non-partisan coalition that informs Kalamazoo College students, faculty and staff about voting and civic engagement.
Emily Kowey stands next to a Kalamazoo College shuttle that will take students to the Douglass Community Association today for voting in the midterm elections.
The coalition, offered through the Mary Jane Underwood Stryker Center for Civic Engagement, is offering a shuttle to the Douglass Community Association, where you will vote if you registered through your campus address. Faculty and staff are driving the shuttles, which will run until 8 p.m. with pickup at the Hoben Hall lounge. Enjoy hot chocolate and donuts while you wait for a shuttle. Students, faculty and staff registered to vote through an off-campus address may find their polling place online.
After you vote, join K Votes and the Political Science Department to watch returns. Political Science Professor Justin Berry will attend an election night watch party with students, faculty and staff from 7:30 to 10 p.m. at Dewing Hall, Room 103.
For more information on these midterm election-related opportunities, contact Emily Kowey in the Mary Jane Underwood Stryker Center for Civic Engagement at 269.337.7565 or Emily.Kowey@kzoo.edu.
Kalamazoo College Family Weekend served as the backdrop for the Honors Day 2018 convocation. More than 250 students were recognized Friday, Nov. 2, 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.
Interim Provost Laura Lowe Furge applauds students receiving awards in the Fine Arts Division during the Honors Day 2018 convocation at Stetson Chapel.
FINE ARTS DIVISION
The Brian Gougeon Prize in Art
Isabel McLaughlin
Angela Pastor
The Margaret Upton Prize in Music
Dylan Beight
Cooper Award
Alysia Homminga
Megan Wilson
Sherwood Prize
Christina Diaz
Theatre Arts First-Year Student Award
Christina Diaz
Ynika Yuag
FOREIGN LANGUAGES DIVISION
LeGrand Copley Prize in French
Avani Ashtekar
Jessica Gougeon
Hardy Fuchs Award
Emily Eringaard
Margo Light Award
Grace Stier
Romance Languages Department Prize in Spanish
Sophia Goebel
Samantha Vasquez
Clara H. Buckley Prize for Excellence in Latin
Madeline Ward
Zhi Nee Wee
Provost’s Prize in Classics
Mara Hazen
HUMANITIES DIVISION
O.M. Allen Prize in English Avani Ashtekar
Ynika Yuag
John B. Wickstrom Prize in History
CJ Martonchik
Department of Philosophy Prize
Johanna Jeung
Rosella LoChirco
Merrick Richardson
L.J. and Eva (“Gibbie”) Hemmes Memorial Prize in Philosophy
Max Fitzell
Daniel Qin
NATURAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS DIVISION
Winifred Peake Jones Prize in Biology Alexa Dulmage
Department of Chemistry Prize
Joseph Keller
Priya Pokorzynski
First-Year Chemistry Award
Lillian Baumann
Camden Gardner
Lemuel F. Smith Award
Sean Walsh
Computer Science Prize
Josephine Hosner
Ian Nostrant
First-Year Mathematics Award Samuel Ratliff
Minh Dang
Thomas O. Walton Prize in Mathematics
Austin Cramer
Ethan Cuka
Michael Orwin
William Tait
Madeline Ward
Cooper Prize in Physics
Andrew Backer
Adam Decker
Emily Eringaard
Daniel Qin
Eleri Watkins
SOCIAL SCIENCES DIVISION
Departmental Prize in Anthropology and Sociology
Julia Bachmann
Nyima Coleman
Vivian Enriquez
Marcos Ferguson Morales
Yasamin Shaker
Wallace Lawrence Prize in Economics
Jade Jiang
Zachary Ray
William G. Howard Memorial Prize
Shayaan Dar
Wallace Lawrence Prize in Business
Georgie Andrews
Valentina Cordero
Irene and S. Kyle Morris Prize
Nick Klepser
William G. Howard Memorial Prize in Political Science
Alaq Zghayer
Department of Psychology First-Year Student Prize
Cavan Bonner
PHYSICAL EDUCATION DIVISION
Division of Physical Education Prize
Alex Dupree
Hannah Wolfe
Maggie Wardle Prize
Sophia Goebel
COLLEGE AWARDS
Gordon Beaumont Memorial Award
Anthony Diep
Malak Ghazal
Henry and Inez Brown Prize
Alex Cadigan
Sarah George
Nicholas Ludka
Amanda Moss
Virginia Hinkelman Memorial Award
Sara Lonsberry
Heyl Scholars – Class of 2022
Evelyn Bartley
Eva DeYoung
Thomas Fales
Madeline Guimond
Alina Offerman
Molly Ratliff
Syeda Tooba
Tatianna Tyler
Posse Scholars – Class of 2022
Sonia Arreguin
Nicholas Davis
Nathan Garcia
Zy’ere Hollis
Tytiana Jones
Aaron Martinez
Udochi Okorie
Joshua Pamintuan
Anthony Peraza
Samantha Rodriguez
Fiorina Talaba
National Merit Scholar – Class of 2022
Carter Wade
Voynovich Scholars
Haley Harris
Kathryn Martin
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.
Nicole Bailey
Angel Banuelos
Catherine Carlberg
Justin Christopher-Moody
Nyima Coleman
Karli Crouch
Alexandro Cruz
Sela Damer-Daigle
Shayaan Dar
Adam Decker
Julia Dobry
Talea Fournier
Anna Gambetta
Camden Gardner
Sophia Goebel
Stanton Greenstone
Emily Hamel
Kelly Hansen
Kaylee Henderson
Amelia Hensler
Audrey Honig
Samantha Jacobsen
Madeline Jump
Liza Kahn
Joseph Keller
Hannah Kerns
Lu Liu
Rachel Madar
Natalie Markech
CJ Martonchik
Daniel Mota-Villegas
Kelly Nickelson
Nikoli Nickson
Abigail O’Keefe
Daniel Qin
Sage Ringsmuth
Maelle Rouquet
Kimberly Schmidt
Lily Shearer
Hannah Shiner
Caitlin Tremewan
Carter Vespi
Claire Ward
Maija Weaver
Ehren White
ENLIGHTENED LEADERSHIP AWARDS
Performing Arts: Music
Robert Barnard
Irie Browne
Rebecca Chan
Nolan Devine
Daniel Fahle
Grace Hancock
Julia Leet
Thomas Saxton
Lia Schroeder
Matthew Swarthout
Jonathan Townley
Ethan Tuck
Andrew Wright
MICHIGAN INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (MIAA) AWARDS
The following Hornet teams earned the 2017-2018 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 winner in a varsity sport and maintain at minimum a 3.5 grade-point average for the entire school year.
Alexandrea Ambs
Georgie Andrews
Ryan Andrusz
Hunter Angileri
Lauren Arquette
Julia Bachmann
Nicole Bailey
Zoe Barnes
Lillian Baumann
Jacob Bonifacio
Thomas Bryant
Jane Bunch
Alexander Cadigan
Charles Carson
Claire Cebelak
Joshua Claassens
Noah Coplan
Chase Coselman
Christina Dandar
Elan Dantus
Ricardo DelOlmo-Parrado
Guillermo Dominguez Garcia
Anders Finholt
Matthew Flotermersch
Benjamin Forhan
Maria Franco
Alex Fultz
Andre Gard
Sarah George
Jacob Gilhaus
Anthony Giovanni
Rachel Girard
Beau Godkin
Sophia Goebel
Connor Grant
Keenan Grant
Preston Grossling
Rebekah Halley
Griffin Hamel
Kaiya Herman-Hilker
Mathew Holmes-Hackerd
Matthew Howrey
Briana Huisken
Shannon Irvine
Samantha Jacobsen
Tim Jeske
Benjamin Johanski
Katherine Johnson
Lisa Johnston
Jackson Jones
Madeline Jump
Claire Kalina
Grace Karrip
Maria Katrantzi
Donald Kearns
Sai Klein
Emily Kozal
Matthew Krinock
Rosella LoChirco
Molly Logsdon
Nicholas Ludka
Rachel Madar
Cydney Martell
Eliza McCall
Courtney McGinnis
Clayton Meldrum
Tytus Metzler
Nathan Micallef
Madison Moote
Amanda Moss
Elizabeth Munoz
Kelly Nickelson
Nikoli Nickson
Jonathan Nord
Skyler Norgaard
Ian Nostrant
Abigail O’Keefe
Ryan Orr
Michael Orwin
Alexandria Oswalt
James Paprocki
Cayla Patterson
Caleb Patton
Zachary Prystash
Erika Pueblo
Daniel Qin
Erin Radermacher
Zachary Ray
Joshua Reuter
Julia Riddle
Scott Roberts
Anna Roodbergen
Justin Roop
Peter Rossi
Matthew Ryder
Claire Schertzing
Nicholas Schneider
Eleanor Schodowski
Justin Seablom
Sharif Shaker
Reagan Shapton
Danielle Simon
Jordan Skidmore
Adam Snider
Grant Stille
Shelby Suseland
Jack Tagget
Liam Tait
Kathryn Thamann
Alayna Tomlinson
Madison Vallan
David Vanderkloot
Zachary VanFaussien
Travis Veenhuis
Maija Weaver
Alex White
Jessica Wile
Jordan Wiley
Clayton Wilkey
Hannah Wolfe
Madeline Woods
Family Weekend 2018 begins Friday 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 2018 may be directed to Dana Jansma, associate dean of students in the Student Development Office, at 269.337.7209 or dana.jansma@kzoo.edu.
Where to Eat
Family Weekend 2018 will be Friday, Nov. 2, and Saturday, Nov. 3, at Kalamazoo College.
Campus dining will be available from 7:30 to 10 a.m., 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 5 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, and 9:30 to 11 a.m., 11:15 a.m. 1:15 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday at Welles Dining Hall. Options there will include pizza, regional cuisine, soup, a salad and deli bar, and vegan and vegetarian foods. Family members pay $5.15 per person for breakfast, $7.21 per person for lunch and $10.30 per person for dinner.
Hot chocolate, tea or specialty espresso along with grab-and-go foods will be available from the Book Club Café from 7:45 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, and 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. Grab-and-go foods including sandwiches, salads, yogurt parfaits, fruit, sweet and salty snacks, and beverages will be available at the Richardson Room from 10 a.m. to midnight Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.
Friday, Nov. 2
8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Hicks Student Center atrium: Pick up lists of Kalamazoo shopping, walking and dining suggestions at Family Weekend 2018 information tables throughout the day.
8:15 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Attend a K class. A list of classes available is at the information table at Hicks Student Center atrium.
9 a.m. to 5 p.m., lower level, Hicks Student Center: The Kalamazoo College Bookstore will feature 20 percent off all K-imprinted items.
11 to 11:50 a.m., Stetson Chapel: Kalamazoo College observes Honors Day in the fall term of each year, recognizing those who earned special recognition during the previous academic year.
3:15 to 4 p.m., Room 103, Dewing Hall: Financial Aid Director Becca Murphy and Student Accounts Coordinator Patrick Farmer will provide important financial aid deadlines and review commonly asked billing questions related to study abroad. This is also an opportunity for families to get answers to their general financial and billing questions.
4 to 5 p.m., Center for Civic Engagement Community Room, Dewing Hall: Associate Director Teresa Denton and Assistant Director Moises Hernandez will talk about the important work of the Center for Civic Engagement and a student panel of Civic Engagement Scholars will provide a glimpse into current students’ experiences working through local community partnerships.
Evening: Explore Kalamazoo. Pick up a list of shopping, walking, and dining suggestions at the Information Table in the Hicks Student Center atrium.
7:30 p.m., Nelda K. Balch Playhouse: See Kalamazoo College theater students perform “It Can’t Happen Here” based on Sinclair Lewis’ 1935 novel. Demagogue “Buzz” Windrip is surprisingly elected president on a promise to restore America to its former greatness and prosperity. Journalist Doremus Jessup explores themes of the responsibility and freedom of the American press. This funny and timely political tale. Additional information is available at reason.kzoo.edu/theatre/festival/. Tickets are available at festivalplayhouse.ludus.com.
9:30 p.m., Room 103, Dewing Hall: K’s weekly film series will feature “Crazy Rich Asians.” Free admission, popcorn and soda. Show up early to ensure a seat.
Saturday, Nov. 3
8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Hicks Student Center atrium: Pick up lists of Kalamazoo shopping, walking and dining suggestions at information tables throughout the day.
8:30 to 9 a.m., Hicks Student Center, Banquet Room: Complimentary coffee, donut holes and hot chocolate.
10:15 to 11:15 a.m., Hicks Student Center, Banquet Room:Center for Career and Professional Development Director Joan Hawxhurst will discuss the College’s commitment to integrate career exploration and development into a student’s four years at K. Parents and others will learn how they can get involved.
10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Upjohn Library Commons, Third Floor, A. M. Todd Rare Book Room: Come and see the largest, smallest, oldest and most unusual items the Rare Book Room has to offer.
10 a.m. to 4 p.m., lower level, Hicks Student Center: The Kalamazoo College Bookstore will feature 20 percent off all K-imprinted items.
1 to 3 p.m., Lilian Anderson Arboretum: Join the Roots in the Earth first-year seminar class for a guided nature hike at Kalamazoo College’s Lillian Anderson Arboretum. The arboretum comprises 140 acres of marsh, meadow, pine plantation and second-growth deciduous forest in Oshtemo Township. Please park at the Oshtemo Township Park, 7275 W. Main St. Your guides will meet you there.
4 to 5 p.m., Mandelle Hall, Olmsted Room: Enjoy punch with President Jorge G. Gonzalez.
7:30 p.m., Nelda K. Balch Playhouse: See Kalamazoo College theater students perform “It Can’t Happen Here” based on Sinclair Lewis’ 1935 novel. Demagogue “Buzz” Windrip is surprisingly elected president on a promise to restore America to its former greatness and prosperity. Journalist Doremus Jessup explores themes of the responsibility and freedom of the American press. This funny and timely political tale. Additional information is available at reason.kzoo.edu/theatre/festival/. Tickets are available at festivalplayhouse.ludus.com.
9:30 p.m. to midnight, Hicks Student Center: Experience student performers including musicians and dancers. Afterward, listen to why they vote and fill out a practice ballot with the Center for Civic Engagement’s K Votes team.
Students participate in Grateful for K Day by writing thank-you notes showing appreciation to Kalamazoo College donors.
Students, faculty, staff and alumni will celebrate a day honoring Kalamazoo College’s philanthropic donors from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Hicks Student Center.
Sponsored by the Kalamazoo College Fund, Grateful for K Day – conducted twice a year – calls on students to honor the importance of philanthropy in sustaining and enhancing Kalamazoo College by writing personalized notes to thank donors for their support. Donations help about 98 percent of K students receive scholarships or some other form of financial aid.
All students are welcome to participate. Coffee and cookies will be served.
The College Singers, a 32-voice choral ensemble at Kalamazoo College, will perform a program featuring the music of pop artists such as Carole King and Stevie Wonder in three cities in November.
The concerts are at:
The College Singers’ Earth-themed concerts will feature the music of pop artists such as Carole King and Stevie Wonder.
8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 9, at Okemos Presbyterian Church in Okemos, Michigan (Lansing area);
2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 10, at Church in the Hills in Bellaire, Michigan; and
4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 11, in Dalton Theater at Kalamazoo College’s Light Fine Arts Building.
The program will combine global song, folk music spirituals and other styles in an entertaining and enlightening program centered on our relationship with the Earth, each other and ourselves. Songs such as “I Feel the Earth Move” and Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground” will be interspersed with music of different cultures, Appalachian folk music, spirituals and other global fare. All concerts have no admission fee but a free-will offering will be taken to help defray travel expenses. The concert is about 75 minutes long and is a fast-paced, informative and uplifting performance.
The College Singers represents various cultures and areas of study on the school’s liberal arts and sciences campus. The College Singers is led by Assistant Music Professor Chris Ludwa, who is also the director of the Kalamazoo Bach festival. The ensemble includes music majors and non-music majors alike, offering a different approach to choral singing. Ludwa calls it “singing with a higher purpose,” a hallmark for which he is well-known in the Midwest.
Kalamazoo College, founded in Kalamazoo, Mich., in 1833, is a nationally recognized liberal arts and sciences college and the creator of the K-Plan, which emphasizes rigorous scholarship, experiential learning, independent research, and international and intercultural engagement.
For more information on the concerts, please contact Ludwa at cludwa@kzoo.edu or 231.225.8877.
When Kalamazoo College students network, there’s no place like home. Seventeen Kalamazoo College students took advantage of a fall break day to network with professionals at Steelcase, a company local to southwest Michigan, in Grand Rapids.
K to Steelcase was the latest K-Trek offering from the Center for Career and Professional Development. K-Treks involve in-person, immersive discussions K students have with leaders in various industries. Many of the leaders are K alumni.
Steelcase provides architecture, furniture and technology products and services designed for office environments in the education, health care and retail industries. The trip was the latest K-Trek offering from the Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD). K-Treks involve in-person, immersive discussions K students have with leaders in various industries. Many of the leaders are K alumni.
“When students think of their K network they often think of connections across the country and abroad, but they should also think about their network closer to campus,” said Richard Sylvester, the CCPD assistant director of experiential opportunities.
Some K-Treks are multi-day experiences in cities such as San Francisco, New York City and Chicago, and there are plans for K-Treks to Washington, D.C., and Detroit. This K-Trek, however, was about thinking locally through a one-day trip. And networking in southwest Michigan provides a distinct advantage to students looking for an internship now or local job openings when they graduate.
Other local K-Treks have included K to Stryker and K to Kellogg’s, and a K to Bell’s Brewery trip is scheduled. The Bell’s tour will be Feb. 8, 2019—a break day in the winter term—and will cover careers in business and science.
The event increased student awareness of a local employer, showed students how the company operates and opened students to the idea of interning at Steelcase in logistics, information technology, marketing, sales, project management, product development and engineering. Those internships can be 12-week summer opportunities or year-round posts. Some internships allow students to work remotely.
K to Steelcase included facility tours, a warm welcome and introduction to Steelcase from Director of Global Talent Management Isabelle Medellin, a panel discussion and lunch with the panelists. Sylvester said a participant survey is planned to help the CCPD measure the event’s success, although early anecdotal feedback indicates it was a day well spent.
“Students were engaged and insightful, and they showed they were interested in Steelcase and what it offers,” Sylvester said. “What more could you want when you otherwise have a break day?”
Learn more about K-Treks events such as K to Steelcase at our website.
Move-in day is an exciting time at Kalamazoo College as first-year students arrive. Orientation-related events will continue throughout the week, but here’s what students and families can expect Tuesday, Sept. 4.
Student move-in day will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 4.
Report to Your Residence Hall
Student move-in day runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Please note that morning is traditionally the busiest time for moving in, and families are encouraged to arrive throughout the day for an easier experience. Resident assistants and peer leaders will be available at check-in tables at each residence hall, where students may pick up their orientation packets. Residential Life staff also will be there to provide students with their K IDs and room keys.
Students and families who expect to arrive after 4 p.m. should contact Student Development at housing@kzoo.edu or 269-337-7210 as soon as possible.
Residential Life requires that health verification forms be complete before students check in. Students with incomplete health information will be directed to the Health Center at Hicks Student Center. Health Center staff will be available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Get Your Questions Answered
Student Development and Admission representatives will staff an information table from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Hicks Student Center. Stop by for schedules, maps, directions and a list of local restaurants for those who choose to eat dinner off campus. K’s bookstore will be open during the same hours at Hicks, offering 20 percent off Kalamazoo College imprinted items.
Students who have questions about connecting to K’s wireless network can meet Information Services staff in the main lounges at Harmon, Hoben and Trowbridge halls.
Observe Athletics Practices, Games
Eight intercollegiate fall athletics teams including football, men’s and women’s soccer, volleyball, men’s and women’s golf, and men’s and women’s cross country will hold practices and competitions from 3 to 6 p.m.
Enjoy Dinner
Families are welcome to have dinner between 5 and 7 p.m. on campus at Welles Dining Hall or venture off campus to local restaurants. New students may use their student ID, which also serves as a meal card, to access the dining hall. Families may pay $10.30 a person at the dining hall entrance.
Feel Welcome
President Jorge G. Gonzalez, Vice President of Student Development and Dean of Students Sarah Westfall, First-Year Class Dean Jennifer Einspahr, College Chaplain Liz Candido, peer leaders and the Office of Student Involvement will conduct the Hornet Student Welcome from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Anderson Athletic Center gym. Students should sit with their seminar groups. The event concludes with seminar groups connecting with their peer leaders.
Connect with Your Community
Meet Residential Life staff, your RAs and student peers at 8:15 p.m. Harmon Hall residents will meet at Dalton Theatre in the Light Fine Arts Building. Hoben Hall residents will meet in the Hoben lounge. Trowbridge Hall residents will meet at the Anderson Athletic Center gym. Learn about residence hall life while relaxing, enjoying snacks and getting to know neighbors.
Incoming students who participate in LandSea, Kalamazoo College’s outdoor orientation program, have opportunities to meet their peers, gain self-confidence, earn a partial physical education credit and develop classroom skills even before moving to campus. Two K administrators will attest to that after participating in and reaffirming the program’s success.
Vice President for Student Development and Dean of Students Sarah Westfall and Associate Dean of Students Brian Dietz traveled to the 6-million-acre Adirondack State Park in New York State to observe and experience the outdoor orientation program called LandSea, ongoing through Monday, and meet many of the 66 students participating.
Vice President for Student Development and Dean of Students Sarah Westfall and Associate Dean of Students Brian Dietz traveled to the 6-million-acre Adirondack State Park in New York State to observe and experience the outdoor orientation program, ongoing through Sept. 3, and meet many of the 66 students participating. The 18-day program is in its 44th year, and was among the first of its kind in the country.
The state park features the largest system of hiking trails in the country, along with 3,000 lakes and ponds, 1,200 miles of rivers, and the state’s highest mountains. K students are divided into six to nine patrols for the outdoor orientation program, with at least two trained leaders per patrol. After three days of training, they challenge themselves on the rivers, lakes, trails and peaks through one of two choose-your-own adventures, Expedition or Basecamp, both with a climb-and-rappel day, a service-and-reflection component and a day of rafting.
The Expedition adventure consists of backpacking and canoeing, and allows participants the choice of extending the distance of the backpacking or canoeing portion of the trip. The Basecamp adventure offers more of a group camping experience, with bunks in canvas tents at Massawepie Lake. The students build skills including canoeing, hiking and backpacking, with opportunities for day trips and expanded service projects.
Friendships that begin during LandSea often remain fundamental connections for a lifetime. Plus, participants of outdoor orientation trips such as LandSea are more likely to develop social connectedness, feelings of belonging, campus involvement and independence with increased retention rates and higher grade-point averages. To best understand these benefits, Westfall and Dietz said it was important to examine the program first hand.
“We’ve always thought LandSea was great, although we’re paid to worry,” Westfall said.
Westfall and Dietz, though, saw how Outdoor Programs Director Jory Horner and Assistant Director Sara Stockwood had the students prepared for everything from necessities such as water sterilization, to common challenges such as hot days and cold nights, to possible emergencies such as lightning storms.
“Any student who comes to K should do this,” Westfall said. “Don’t let finances be a barrier because Outdoor Programs helps find gear for participants, and scholarships are available to help cover other program costs for students who demonstrate financial need. And don’t let a thought like ‘I don’t camp’ be a barrier. This program is for everyone. We hear from families who say their student is a different person after LandSea.”
The success of the program, Dietz said, is evaluated long-term based on whether the participating students stay at K and graduate, gain confidence, maintain their friendships as alumni, recognize their growth and learn about environmental responsibility. Here’s what some students have said:
“It is unforgettable, and when you climb a mountain, it teaches you that you can overcome any obstacle.”
“It was one of the best things I’ve ever done. I’ll carry it with me forever.”
“I had never been to LandSea,” Dietz said. “I was intrigued by the logistics with it being in a 6-million-acre park, but you never know what it’s like until you see it. All the work (Horner and Stockwood) do is amazing. It’s neat to see new students in that element.”
Mattie Del Toro ’20 is a student worker for Residential Life, which has updated its suggestions for students regarding what to bring to campus this fall.
When Mattie Del Toro ’20 reflects on choosing Kalamazoo College, she remembers an experience brought to her by the letter K.
As a high school senior, Del Toro attended a Colleges That Change Lives fair near her hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico, where a good friend had been looking into Knox College. Next to the Knox table, among the Ks and in alphabetical order, was Kalamazoo College.
“I remember thinking, ‘Is (Kalamazoo) the name of a city from a Dr. Seuss book? There’s no way that’s a real place,’ ” says Del Toro, a business and art history major and studio art minor. “I thought if anything it had to be a college named after someone rather than the name of a city.”
“I fell in love with the campus,” says Del Toro, who ended up enrolling at K. “I graduated with a high school class of 50, and when I saw how small and intimate the school is, I was sold. I received a great financial aid offer that made it about the same in terms of affordability as the University of New Mexico, and it was a chance to go across the country for the whole liberal arts experience.”
Del Toro is now a student worker for Residential Life, which has updated its suggestions regarding what to bring to campus for fall. Based on her experiences, as a first-year student living in Trowbridge Hall and as a resident assistant at Harmon Hall, here’s what Del Toro suggests.
Talk with Your Roommate About What to Bring to Campus
K students living on campus this fall should already have received their room assignment with their roommate’s name and kzoo.edu email address. Del Toro suggests contacting your roommate to arrange who will bring what, especially if at least one of you is coming from a considerable distance.
Mattie Del Toro ’20 advises that first-year students consider making their rooms as homey as possible in thinking about what to bring to campus. Items such as dry-erase boards can help students feel more at home.
Del Toro, for example, arrived in Kalamazoo for her first year by plane with her mom and then-boyfriend, now fiancé, bringing Del Toro’s belongings in a total of nine suitcases. Appliances, for example, weren’t an option for her.
“What you bring might depend on whether you’re from Michigan or someplace farther,” she said, adding that a roommate brought a microwave, curtains and mini-fridge, which she was happy to stock with food.
Shop for What You Can in Kalamazoo
Nine suitcases might not sound like much for transporting everything someone might need for an entire term. Del Toro, however, admits she packed too much and advises that less is more.
“When I left for fall, I packed stuff that I took home during winter break,” Del Toro said. Those items included several blankets and some heavy winter gear after she realized she only needed some long-sleeve shirts, jeans and jackets for the crisp weather that arrives late in the fall term.
When those items and other bulky items are necessary, shop for them in Kalamazoo or place online orders from your hometown and pick them up in Kalamazoo. Del Toro says to consider items such as mattress pads, shower caddies and “items that Mom would normally provide,” such as cleaning supplies and laundry detergent.
Preview Your Room Space
Residential Life doesn’t keep floor-plan measurements for specific rooms. Del Toro, however, advises that students look at pictures of residence hall rooms in K’s virtual tour to estimate their potential floor space. Those visuals should provide ideas as to where students can put items such as small cabinets and bins.
“You get a closet and drawers, but it’s beneficial to have bins and totes of your own as well,” Del Toro said. “I quickly realized I didn’t have the surface area I needed for certain items, and the virtual tour would’ve helped me plan better.”
Make Your Room Your Home
Del Toro says that on a residential campus such as K’s, it’s important that students make their residence hall room their home.
Items such as rugs, pictures of family and friends, twinkle lights suspended through adhesive hooks, and small pieces of furniture negotiated with roommates can ward off homesickness and make your room feel like an owned space.
“I didn’t want to get so comfortable in my space that I disrespected my roommate,” she said. “But any home goods can give you more than a brick wall, a desk and a bed,” allowing for greater comfort.
Two new study abroad programs in 2019 will provide Kalamazoo College students with intercultural experience opportunities in global internships and civic engagement.
One of two study abroad programs coming available in 2019 will provide Kalamazoo College students with an intercultural experience through a variety of internships in Shanghai. Photo source: PJT56 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0.
The first, available in winter term 2019, will allow students to work with museums and schools in Oaxaca, Mexico, through a partnership with K’s Center for Civic Engagement. Students will facilitate arts-focused projects that explore and amplify indigenous communities’ traditions while living with local families. In addition to promoting academic learning, this format will provide students with personal growth and an awareness of their global citizenship.
The second, available in fall 2019, will allow students to study Chinese while completing internships in a variety of industries in Shanghai. The program will follow a common K study abroad theme of allowing students to better understand the cultural influences that affect global industries while gaining practical experience in a work environment.
These programs will join 45 others in 22 countries accessible to K students. Other themes within the other programs include examinations of hardships among people of color in other countries, migration and global poverty.
Margaret Wiedenhoeft, director of the Center for International Programs says intercultural immersion is a key component of K education and encourages students to plan for an intercultural experience from the moment they step on campus. Here are six things first-year students can do when they arrive this fall to prepare for an international immersion and intercultural experience as juniors.
Build an Intercultural Experience into Your Academic Plan
When students arrive, they are assigned an adviser to help them develop academic plans compatible with their interests, abilities and goals, making the most of their undergraduate education.
As partners, students and advisers should envision how their academic plans and study abroad are compatible.
“Students should think about their four-year plan, but they should think broader than, ‘What course should I take?’ ” Wiedenhoeft said. “They should think about how to integrate and complement what they learn on campus with the experience and language they could gain from being abroad.”
Know Help is Available
Some students might think they can’t afford to study abroad. Others, during their time at K, encounter complications such as family financial hardship or a change of major. Yet they should realize study abroad is possible despite such obstacles.
“There are often things students can do to meet academic goals or requirements and get off campus when majors change,” Wiedenhoeft said. Also, “thanks to generous alumni, we have funds available to help with additional costs or plane tickets, for example,” she added. “It’s important that students know if they don’t feel they have access, they can still take advantage of study abroad.”
Get to Know International Students
According to the latest student census, about 8 percent of K’s degree-seeking students are international students. They can provide excellent information regarding intercultural experience opportunities.
“Students should make connections often because each is an opportunity to hear about new pathways they can take at K,” Wiedenhoeft said. “This also helps students make the most of their transition from high school to college. Take advantage and think about the experience you want by the time you’re done because the four years go quickly. Think intentionally about others’ experiences and how they can inform you.”
Seek a Fresh Perspective
Students apprehensive over international relations or global politics should take heart that an intercultural experience can change how they see the world and lead to greater understandings.
“When they travel, students will meet local people,” Wiedenhoeft said. “Students will understand, see and live from their point of view. It can be challenging, but it’s important we think about the future of ourselves in the world.”
Seek Your Passport Sept. 21
K, in collaboration with Western Michigan University, is helping students get their passports through a passport caravan. Students will have their portraits taken, and high financial-need students could be eligible to file their applications for free. Students only need a certified U.S. birth certificate and a copy of that certificate they can submit.
Stay tuned for more information on how to sign up for the passport caravan.
Visit CIP Staff
The Center for International Programs is filled with friendly, knowledgeable staff members who help students with study abroad planning, applications, policies, calendars and details about K-sponsored and approved programs. They can help students find their best intercultural experiences and keep them on track for those opportunities.
“Come in and see us early and often,” Wiedenhoeft said.
For more information on the CIP or to schedule an appointment with a staff member, call 269.337.7133.
