Life Changer

Lor VangLor “Sana” Vang ’14 received a Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) to pursue advanced language study in China this past summer. She studied at Zhejiang University of Technology in Hang Zhou, China for ten weeks.

She is one of approximately 550 U.S. undergraduate and graduate students who received the scholarship this year. The CLS Program is part of a U.S. Department of State’s effort to expand dramatically the number of Americans studying and mastering critical foreign languages, specifically Arabic, Azerbaijani, Bangla, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Indonesian, Japanese, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, Turkish, or Urdu. CLS Program participants are expected to continue their language study beyond the scholarship and apply their critical language skills in their future professional careers.

Before Sana departed for China, we asked her to participate in a Q&A on her K career and her upcoming CLS summer.

Your hometown? I am from St. Paul, Minnesota. I was born in Thailand and raised in the U.S. I am Hmong-American.

Major, Minor? I majored in East Asian studies with minors in Japanese and economics.

Where did you study abroad? I studied in China during my junior year 2012-13, spending six months in Beijing and three months in Harbin.

Did you complete an Integrative Cultural Project (ICRP) during study abroad? Yes. My ICRP focused on traditional music and I learned how to play a Pipa, a four-string plucked lute. I took Pipa lessons with a graduate student at the Conservatory of Music in Beijing. I attended a music workshop and concerts, and also interviewed music students to learn why they decided to learn traditional versus western instruments.

How did your K study abroad experience affect your life? My K study abroad experience affected my life in many ways. China was an eye-opening experience that allowed me to see things in a different perspective. I studied the history of Beijing, improved my Chinese, and learned about music. In Harbin, I saw the influences of Western cultures and studied about Chinese myths and fairy tales. I also took a course in business that led me to understand more about China’s economic developments and how people are affected by the policies that are being implemented. I traveled and saw many historic sites, and got engaged in the community. I have many good friends from study abroad who will be with me throughout my life.

Describe your Senior Individualized Project? My SIP focused on the clashes of American culture and Hmong culture. Hmong are a diaspora group of people, and Hmong-Americans especially find it’s hard to keep the balance between being both Hmong and American. My SIP talked about finding a new identity of bi-culturalism, some of the struggles within our modern society, and understanding how history has become a big part of who Hmong are today.

Have you been involved in K student organizations? I served as the president of the Badminton Club in my sophomore year and was vice-president my senior year. I also was a member of the Asian Pacific-Islander Student Association.

Campus jobs? I worked for political science department and at the New Media Center.

What do you expect to experience and learn during your CLS summer in China? I want to learn more about the food culture and how to make authentic Chinese food. I also am interested in seeing the differences between living in the south of China and the north. I also expect to improve my Chinese language and learn more about the dialects.

What strengths and learning experiences from your nearly four years at K will help you during your CLS summer? I think my study abroad experience during my junior year will definitely help me during the CLS Summer. Studying abroad helped me become more independent, as well as understand more about myself, and the adaptation process that we all experience while moving to a different place. I learned that exploring cities and having conversations with others can also be beneficial in that you can get to know a place, the people, and become part of that ecosystem.

What are some of your longer-term academic and career goals beyond this summer? Beyond this summer I hope to either find a job or continue my studies in graduate school studying international relations and business. Critical Language Scholars are encouraged to study our targeted language and incorporate it into our future career. I hope to become fluent in Chinese and work in U.S.-China related jobs. Some activities that I might be engaged in are international relations related jobs and programs.

What would you like people to know about you and your K experience as you head toward Commencement and into the ranks of K alumni? Kalamazoo College’s slogan—More in Four. More in a Lifetime.—is, I believe, my Kalamazoo experience. I have met many inspiring people, become great friends with other K students, and have had an amazing four years that I will not forget. K is indeed life changing.

 

Fish Tales: This Hornet Has Some Genuine Whoppers

Tucker Rigney with a teammate at a bass fishing competition
Tucker Rigney (right) at a bass fishing competition

Ask any college graduate and they will tell you their time in school was the basis for countless tales of fun, adventure and, yes, late night study sessions.

Tucker Rigney ’17 is busy crafting some stories of his own – fish stories, to be exact. But he can back up his bluster with results, and in the process, is giving Kalamazoo College a good name in the world of competitive college fishing.

A rising sophomore at K, Tucker recently finished in third place in the Michigan College Bass Circuit (MCBC), a summer-long series of bass fishing contests between small colleges and large universities in Michigan at lakes throughout the state. He and his fishing partner Cameron Hasen, a Kellogg Community College student, finished third in the MCBC’s two-day, season-ending tournament.

Earlier in the season, the pair took first place in the individual boat competition at a tournament in Haslett. The pair barely eked out the top spot, besting a duo from Ferris State University by about a third of a pound. Seven Michigan schools participated in the event, where a team’s total haul was weighed to determine a winner.

Tucker grew up an outdoorsman, he says, raised in a rural home near Gobles, about 25 miles northwest of Kalamazoo. His father taught him and his brother to fish on a small lake about 15 minutes from their house. The siblings would also bike down to their grandparents’ home and fish for bluegills in a nearby creek.

His largest bass? A not-too-shabby 22-inch, five-pound largemouth.

“It can be how I get away from things and just relax, or a challenge where I am trying to get on some big fish and win a tournament,” he says of fishing. “It’s what I want it to be. It has been a blast, fishing in these tournaments is such a rush.”

He got involved in the collegiate competition after his dad walked past a MCBC booth at an outdoor show in Grand Rapids. Rigney jumped at the opportunity to get involved, he says. The avid hunter and former Hornet baseball player also hopes to organize a fishing club on campus.

He thinks the club will take off, but stresses that competitive fishing is not your lazy, drop-a-line-and-hope-for-the-best kind of day out.

“I know students at K that fish, but I do not know of anyone that fishes competitively. There is a big difference between the two,” he says.

That’s true. Rigney knows the fickleness of fishing. At an earlier tournament at Hardy Dam Pond, near Newaygo, he and Cameron took seventh place out of 18 teams, only weighing three fish.

“We were ‘slaying’ them the days before. So that was a little disappointing,” he says.

Rigney says he’s hunted and fished in several states and Canada, hauling in his largest ever fish (he thinks it was a halibut) on a family vacation in Alaska.

Maybe it’s no surprise that the passionate outdoorsman plans to study biology at K.

“Biology is challenging, but it is also very interesting to me,” he says. “I guess that interest, in a way, comes from my love for the outdoors.”

Summer internship experiences “simply amazing” for this Kalamazoo College student

Skylar Young and Fabri-Kal Marketing Manager Emily Ewing
Skylar Young ’15 with Fabri-Kal Marketing Manager Emily Ewing in Washington, D.C.

Skylar Young ’15 is a policy intern working a summer internship in Washington, D.C. with Chris Adamo ’99, staff director for the United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Forestry & Nutrition. Skylar’s internship was arranged through K’s Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD). She recently sent this report to CCPD Director Joan Hawxhurst:

“I just wanted to send you and the rest of the CCPD department a thank you. Today, I had the amazing opportunity to hear Justice Elana Kagan speak to a select number of interns and then had lunch with Senator Debbie Stabenow in the Senate Dining Room.

“On the second day of my internship, the Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing entitled “Grow it Here, Make it Here: Creating Jobs through Bio-Based Manufacturing.” The exhibition after the hearing demonstrated how bio-based products revitalize American manufacturing, and how it creates jobs for the economy.

“Chairwoman Sen. Debbie Stabenow from Michigan recognizes the integral connection between agriculture and manufacturing. Moreover, the Energy Title in the 2014 Farm Bill expanded eligible end-products to include renewable chemicals sources from biomass feedstock in the Bio-refinery Assistance Program.

“While I was perusing the exhibition to see all of the companies, I came across Fabri-Kal, a Kalamazoo-based company! I immediately went up to the spokeswoman and told her I went to Kalamazoo College.

“Here I was interning at the Senate on Capitol Hill, for not even a week, and I cannot seem to escape Kalamazoo!

“It made me feel proud to see a business from the city being represented, especially since it was representing one of the thirty innovators across the country that was leading in bio-based manufacturing. Fabri-Kal is a foodservice packaging supplier that manufactures packaging using 100% bio-based content from plant material. The company earned the USDA Certified Bio-based Product Label.”

“These experiences are simply amazing, and I would not be here without the Kalamazoo College Center for Career and Professional Development.”

 

Dean’s List Spring 2014

Congratulations to the following Kalamazoo College students, who achieved a grade point average of 3.5 or better for a full-time course load of at least three units, without failing or withdrawing from any course, during the Spring 2014 academic term. Kudos to the entire group of some 300 students, and good luck in Fall term, 2014.

Spring 2014

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

Ayaka Abe
Melissa Acosta
Sara Adelman
Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti
Omid Akhavan-Tafti
Dana Allswede
Suma Alzouhayli
Katelyn Anderson
Steven Andrews
Giancarlo Anemone
Jasmine An
Jill Antonishen
Lucas Arbulu
Simone Arora
Jose Avalos Jr.

B

Gordon Backer
Caroline Barnett
Joseph Barth
William Bartz
Abraham Bayha
Nicholas Beam
Blake Beauchamp
Matthew Beck
Andrea Beitel
Kate Belew
William Bell
Erin Bensinger
Andrew Berner
Cleome Bernick-Roehr
Yuvraj Bhagat
Anup Bhullar
Mara Birndorf
Alexis Blakley
Reid Blanchett
Hannah Bogard
Amanda Bolles
Kira Boneff
Madeline Booth
Nathalie Botezatu
Olivia Bouchard
Miss Grace Bowe
Jonathan Bowman
Zoe Bowman
Riley Boyd
McKenna Bramble
Caitlin Braun
Scott Brent
Stavros Bricolas
Erran Briggs II
Lee Broady
Allie Brodsky
Ebony Brown
Erin Brown
Maxine Brown
Elisse Buhmann
Camille Burke
Shanice Buys

C

William Cagney
Xiaotang Cai Jr.
Robert Calco
Kathryn Callaghan
Sonia Camarena
Ellie Cannon
Olivia Cares
Edward Carey
Fiona Carey
Owen Carroll
Sheila Carter
Marissa Cash
Nicholas Caywood
Colin Cepuran
Savanna Chambers
Chido Chigwedere
Christi Cho
Clare Chodoroff
Jae Hyun Choe
Ji Won Choe
Jennifer Cho
Yoensuk Chung
Josefina Cibelli
Annaliese Collier
Quinton Colwell
Kacey Cook
Hannah Cooperrider
Colleen Corrigan
Wilson Cross
Laura Crouch
David Crudder
Brian Cunningham-Rhoads
Katherine Curley
Suzanne Curtiss

D

Paula Dallacqua
Joshua Daniel
Callie Daniels-Howell
Corrin Davis
Megan Davis
Marissa Dawson
Francesca DeAnda
Cecilia DeBoeck
David Demarest
David DeSimone
Dana DeVito
Claire De Witt
Claire Diekman
Calee Dieleman
Cecilia DiFranco
Ryan D’Mello
Querubin Dubois
Trisha Dunham
Alivia DuQuet
Erin DuRoss
Kayla Dziadzio

E

Maya Edery
Charles Edick
Anna Eshuis
Marlene Espinoza
Fiona Evans
Rachel Evans
Kevin Ewing

F

Alan Faber III
Rachel Fadler
Abram Farley
Andrew Feeley
Nathaniel Feuerstein
Alexis Fiebernitz
Claire Fielder
Olivia Finkelstein
Marie Fiori
Raven Fisher
Joshua Foley
Samantha Foran
Caroline Foura
Christopher Francis
Michael Francisco
Valentin Frank
Abigail Fraser
Anthony Frattarelli
Annah Freudenburg
Gabriel Frishman
Rina Fujiwara
Lydia Fyie

G

Bridget Gallagher
Jacob Gallimore
Joana Garcia
Maria Luisa Garnica Marroquin
Brett Garwood
Katherine Gatz
Lauren Gaunt
Ian Geiman
Kathleen George
Mousa Ghannam
Grace Gilmore
Danielle Gin
Sarah Glass
Alexa Glau
De’Angelo Glaze
Daniella Glymin
Carter Goetz
Marlon Gonzalez
Kaitlin Gotcher
Adam Gothard
Emma Gougeon
Anna Gough
David Graham
Colleen Grasher
Madalyn Grau
Jackson Greenstone
Kaitlyn Greiner
William Gribbin
Ethan Grier
Marquise Griffin
Alexandra Groffsky
Guilherme Guedes
Alyse Guenther
Maria Isabel Guevara Duque
Yicong Guo
Rebecca Guralnick
Caleb Gurd
Cory Gyulveszi

H

Kayan Hales
Marie Hallinen
Allison Hammerly
Daniel Handley
Sameen Haque
Hadley Harrison
Sally Harrison
Rachel Hartman
Cheyenne Harvey
Andrew Hassevoort
Bonita Hazel
Stephanie Heard
Alina Hechler
Frances Heldt
Ashley Henne
Mariah Hennen
Jordan Henning
Kyle Hernandez
Jamie Heywood
Cassidy Hillis
Emily Holloway
Gabrielle Holme-Miller
Jenna Holmes
Pornkamol Huang
Audra Hudson
Robert Hudson
Jane Huffman
Madeline Hume
Katherine Hunter
Siwook Hwang

I

Pinar Inanli
Yohana Iyob

J

Jordan Jabara
Dana Jacobson
Nisha Jagannathan
Clare Jensen
Amy Jimenez
Lara Job
Amanda Johnson
Andrea Johnson
Marylou Johnson
Monica Johnson
Katherine Johnston
Tibin John
Dylan Jolliffe
Samantha Jolly
Brittany Jones
Hannah Jones
Stann-Omar Jones

K

Kamalaldin Kamalaldin
Nicholas Keen
Jessica Kehoe
Clover Kelly
Jack Kemper
Allison Kennedy
Spencer Kennedy
Faiz Khaja
Alexandra Kim
Hannah Kim
Na Young Kim
Elizabeth Kinney
Siga Kisielius
Lucille Klein
Lindsey Koenig
Mehmet Kologlu
Emily Kotz
Holly Kramer
Matthew Kuntzman
Lucas Penn Hardy Kushner

L

Rebecca La Croix
Anh Lam
Bryan Lara
Samuel Larioza
Tessa Lathrop
Colin Lauderdale
Rachel Leider
Jacob Lenning
Colin Lennox
Rachel LePage
Arianna Letherer
Madeline LeVasseur
Sarah Levett
Ayoki Levy
Emily Levy
Clara Lewis
Jordan Lewis
Samuel Lichtman-Mikol
Rachel Lifton
Alex Lindsay
Bret Linvill
Gordon Liu
Cooper Logsdon
Trenton Loos
Elise Lovaas
Chenxi Lu
Riley Lundquist
Liam Lundy

M

Lucy MacArthur Jr.
Sydney Madden
Miranda Madias
Paige Maguire
Lucy Mailing
Megan Malish
Laura Manardo
Amanda Mancini
Grace Manger
Scott Manski
Natalie Martell
Alexis Martin-Browne
Elizabeth Martin
Mary Mathyer
Takumi Matsuzawa
Katherine Mattison
Mallory McClure
Quinn McCormick
Adam McDowell
Tyler McFarland
Sara McKinney
Thomas McLravy
Molly Meddock
Thomas Mehall
Natalie Melnick
Lesley Merrill
Emily Mickus
Shannon Milan
Chelsea Miller
Joshua Miller
Suzanne Miller
Mallika Mitra
Christopher Monsour
Jacob Montz
Daniel Moore
Tessa Moore
Asia Liza Morales
Aliera Morasch
Alexandra Morris
Brittany Morton
Cody Mosblech
Hagop Mouradian
Chloe Mpinga
Tendai Mudyiwa
Chelsea Muller

N

Victoria Najacht
Alissa Neff
Audrey Negro
Gisella Newbery
Hang Nguyen
Hoang Nguyen
Ly Nguyen
Thi Phuong Lan Nguyen
Anne Nielsen
John Nocita
Mackenzie Norman
Emily Nummer
Fernando Nunez

O

Kelly Ohlrich
Stephen Oliphant
Rachel Olson
One Ookeditse
Devin Opp
Anya Opshinsky
Nicholas Ortiz
Colleen Orwin
Jessie Owens

P

Dana Page
Kari Paine
Anthony Palleschi
Fayang Pan
Yunpeng Pang
Grace Parikh Walter
Jisung Park
Hunter Parsons
Bronte Payne
Gabriel Pedelty Ovsiew
Miss Elizabeth Penix
Stephany Perez
Lauren Perlaki
David Personke
Adam Peters
Caroline Peterson
Thanh Thanh Phan
Katherine Pielemeier
Dylan Polcyn
Duncan Polot
Ayesha Popper
Maylis Pourtau
Emily Powers
Beau Prey
Laurel Prince
Danielle Purkey

Q

 

R

Katherine Rapin
Katelyn Ray
Mengyang Ren
Lindsey Reppuhn
Maria Rich
Jenna Riehl
Danielle Riffer-Reinert
Megan Rigney
Megan Riley
Katherine Ring
Annika Roberts
Sophie Roberts
William Roberts
Megan Robison
Erika Robles Araya
Jakob Rodseth
Camryn Romph
Elana Rosen
Lyla Rothschild
Stefanie Roudebush
Elinor Rubin-McGregor
Wendy Rubio
Devin Rush

S

Emily Salswedel
Alejandra Sanchez
Kira Sandiford
Andrea Satchwell
Eri Sawai
David Schapiro
Christa Scheck
Katharine Scheck
Jennie Scheerer
Ashley Schmidt
Natalie Schmitt
Sarah Schmitt
Grady Schneider
Aaron Schoenfeldt
Colleen Schuldeis
Aaron Schwark
Eli Seitz
Allison Seiwert
Jenna Sexton
Sanjay Sharma
Hannah Shaughnessy-Mogill
Rami Sherman
Veronica Shiemke
Geon-Ah Shin
Sonam Shrestha
Brandon Siedlaczek
Alexsandra Siems
Petar Simic
Kaylah Simmons
Blake Simon
Madeline Sinkovich
Eren Sipahi
Kathryn Skinner
Miss Claire Slaughter
Caitlyn Smith
Colin Smith
Emily Smith
Grace Smith
Sarah Smith
Cassandra Solis
Joshua Sowers
Austin Sroczynski
Sara Stack
Jordan Stainforth
Vethania Stavropoulos
Ernest Stech
Charlotte Steele
Collin Steen
Petra Stoppel
Lydia Strini
Thomas Stuut
Sarah Sullivan
Kyle Sunden
Muyang Sun
Shang Sun
Mira Swearer

T

Thomas Tabor
Emerson Talanda-Fisher
Brendan Tamm
Kiyoto Tanemura
Aidan Tank
Salwa Tareen
Jennifer Tarnoff
Abigail Taylor
Lilian Taylor
Diana Temple
Kaitlyn Thiry
Cassie Thompson
Laurel Thompson
Spencer Thompson
Eric Thornburg
Karen Timm
Allison Tinsey
Mary Tobin
Benjamin Toledo
Nadia Torres
Alexander Townsend
Madeleine Tracey
Brooke Travis
Dakota Trinka
Brittany Trombino
Minhkhang Truong
Ngoc Truong
Shelby Tuthill
Elizabeth Tyburski

U

Elizabeth Uribe

V

Caleb VanDyke
Christian VanHouten
Mitchell VanKoevering
Erica Vanneste
Kaela Van Til
Umang Varma
Natalie Vazquez
Rolf Verhagen Metman
Madeline Vermeulen
Thomas Verville
Samantha Voss
Austin Voydanoff

W

Raoul Wadhwa
Reid Wagner
Kyra Walenga
Brigid Walkowski
Sidney Wall
Emily Walsh
Emily Walsh
Jessica Walters
William Warpinski
Olivia Weaver
Jared Weeks
Perri Weiderman
Natalie Weingartz
Paris Weisman
Madeline Weisner
Clayton Weissenborn
Kenneth Weiss
Cameron Werner
Joseph Westerfield
Scott Wharam
Caitlyn Whitcomb
Zachary White
Joshua Whitney
Elijah Wickline
Joseph Widmer
Laurel Wiinikka-Buesser
Arshia Will
Kieran Williams
Rachel Williams
Courtney Wise
Emily Witte
Camille Wood
Dayon Woodford
Lisa Woolcock Majlof
Erika Worley
Lindsay Worthington
Kate Wynne
Joseph Wyzgoski

X

Anja Xheka
Jincheng Xu

Y

Michael Yeomans
Samantha Young
Skylar Young

Z

Cheryl Zhang
Matthew Zhiss
Zhipeng Zhou
Agron Ziberi

Kalamazoo College students launch Versapp app with help from an alumnus

Giancarlo Anemone ’15 and Will Guedes ’15Users of a new social media application developed by two K juniors no longer have to worry about not having a second chance to make a first impression with its concept of anonymous interaction.

Versapp, a social media application combining anonymity and community, was developed by Giancarlo Anemone ’15 and Will Guedes ’15 with the help of angel investor Trevor Hough ’08.

Launched last month for the iOS platform, with an Android version to follow, Versapp allows users to send a message using their friends list to initiate a conversation while remaining unidentified using the one-to-one chat feature. Or, users may participate in a group message where the participants are known but the comments remain anonymous.

Read more about Will, Giancarlo, and Trevor in an article by Rachel Weick in the August 8, 2014 edition of Grand Rapids Business Journal.

 

A Pipeline to Talent: An Update with some Monroe-Brown Interns

Taylor Brown and Doug Phillips
Taylor Brown ’15 (left) with Doug Phillips, director of client relations at AVB

Recent Kalamazoo College graduates sometimes assume there are no opportunities in Kalamazoo for job growth, and so they move to bigger cities. This perception is often a misconception, and to help set the record straight, Joan Hawxhurst, director of the Center for Career and Professional Development, highlights an exclusive local internship opportunity.

“The Monroe-Brown Internships serve as a pipeline for thriving local businesses to access local student talent,” she said.

The program began in 2005 and is administered by the economic development organization Southwest Michigan First. Its aims are two-fold: to help companies find talented young students and to help young people pursue meaningful careers. “It’s an investment that goes both ways,” said Hawxhurst.

This year 32 students from K applied for Monroe-Brown Internships and four were selected, a robust representation for K. They are: Taylor Brown ’15 with AVB, Drew Hopper ’15 at Eaton Corporation, William Cagney ’15 at Imperial Beverage, and Stephen Oliphant ’15 at Schupan & Sons, Inc.

Hopper is a Global Product Strategy Intern at Eaton. He recently returned from studying abroad at the London School of Economics, and he finds his internship an excellent proving ground to apply and develop skills in marketing, engineering, and program management.

“Eaton stresses employee development, and everyone is open to providing outlets for personal improvement, particularly with the interns.” He has participated in presentations, meetings, research projects, and analysis-based discussions.

Brown works for Portage-based construction firm AVB. Last year she worked behind-the-scenes with the construction management company, Skanska. She finds the Monroe-Brown internship with AVB “much more hands-on,” she says. “A great deal of my work is on display, because I am responsible for writing, designing, and distributing newsletters and press-releases via print and e-mail.”

She created a slideshow presentation that plays in AVB’s foyer. And she frequently meets with the company’s Chief Operating Officer and other top executives. Like Hopper, she said she has developed confidence in presenting herself in the business world.

There are many opportunities for professional growth in Kalamazoo; just ask K’s Monroe-Brown interns.

 

 

Long Table; Close Community

Chef James Chantanasombut (far right) assembles soybean and cabbage cake
Chef James Chantanasombut (far right) assembles soybean and cabbage cakes topped by a canopy of salad

A five-course dinner helped strengthen the connective fiber of a community when Fair Food Matters hosted a fundraiser at the Kalamazoo Farmers Market one Thursday evening in late June. General manager of Kalamazoo College Dining Services James Chantanasombut and Chelsea Wallace ’14 were some of the featured chefs, and other K folk attended the event.

Fair Food Matters is a nonprofit organization as interested in healthy communities as it is in healthy food. FFM empowers and connects people in Kalamazoo through projects and programs, and a few of these include: the Woodward School Garden, the Douglass Farmers’ Market that serves residents of the city’s Northside neighborhood, and the region’s only licensed “incubator kitchen” called Can-Do Kitchen—a shared space where local entrepreneurs can use FFM resources to start a business.

At the recent fundraiser people young and old filled each seat of a 150-foot table while local chefs prepared dishes ranging from bean salads to roasted chicken from a local farm. The meal was fit for kings and queens—or for a very extended family.

And the evening felt like a family gathering, even when people didn’t know each other. Sharing food brought people together. They mingled as they sampled appetizers like the chicken liver pâté, or grabbed beers, courtesy of Arcadia Brewing Co. As local band Graham Parsons and the Go Rounds played twangy rock songs, the patrons sat at the long table, made new friends, and shared artisan bread or kale salad.

Graham Parsonsof the local rock band The Go Rounds
Graham Parsons, lead singer and songwriter of the local rock band The Go Rounds

The Kalamazoo Farmers Market can function as a gateway into the local community for students and staff. K art professor and media producer Dhera Strauss said, “The Farmers Market is my life off of campus.” Student Michelle Bustamente ’15 is interning with the Farmers Market this summer, and she said the Market gives her a greater sense of community.

Wallace and Chantanasombut prepared an appetizer and one course of the dinner: curry dusted rice chips with black walnut and sesame leaf pesto, and an Asian-inspired soy bean and cabbage cake, respectively.

They made the cake from produce at Bonomego Farms, and the ingredients included onions, green onions, Korean Bok Choy flakes and paste. Because they were given the challenge to make a gluten-free dish, they used flax seed mill, a healthier and tasty substitute for egg. Topping the cake were ingredients from Understory Farm (Bangor, Michigan), burdock root, fiddlehead fern relish, pickled ginger, baby kale, pickled bok choy, and garlic scapes. The entire gastric ensemble was dressed with citrus miso vinaigrette.

The chefs only used local ingredients. Wallace said, “Where you get your food from, how it is grown, and the science behind it determines taste.” The Jamaican born biology major would know. She was a member of the student organization Farms to K, and she started baking scones for the College’s dining services operation during winter term of her senior year. That experience has influenced her career aspirations.

“I want to cook professionally,” she said, “and I want to learn the ropes.” This summer she has shadowed or will shadow the kitchen staff at two popular local restaurants: Bravo! and Food Dance.

Strauss and Bustamente, Chantanasombut and Wallace experience food as a way to connect K with the local community. Chantanasombut said, “It’s great to be part of the community and to know local farmers, chefs, and organizations like Fair Food Matters.”

Everyone at the Fair Food Matters fundraiser seemed to feel the same way: strangers no longer. Eating local food together makes strong communities.

Dylan Polycn '15 helped serve the kale salad at the Fair Food Matters fundraiser
Dylan Polycn ’15 attended the Fair Food Matters fundraiser and helped serve the kale salad.

Senior Awards Ceremony 2014

Congratulations to the following Kalamazoo College students, who received awards during the Senior Awards Ceremony on June 15, 2014, in Stetson Chapel. The awards include all academic divisions, prestigious scholarships, and special non-departmental awards. Again, congratulations to all graduates and members of the Class of 2014.

FINE ARTS DIVISION

Art and Art History

THE LILIA CHEN AWARD IN ART, awarded to students in their junior or senior year who distinguish themselves through their work in ceramics, sculpture, or painting, and who exhibit strong progress in their understanding of art.
Zoe Beaudry
Ayesha Popper
Caitlyn Smith

THE MICHAEL WASKOWSKY PRIZE, awarded to an outstanding junior or senior art major.
Taylor Hartley

Music

The LILLIAN PRINGLE BALDAUF PRIZE IN MUSIC, awarded to an outstanding music student.
Nathalie Botezatu

THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT AWARD, given by the Music Department of the College for outstanding contributions to the musical life on campus, for achievement in performance areas, and for academic achievement.
Curtis Gough  

THE FAN E. SHERWOOD MEMORIAL PRIZE, awarded for outstanding progress and ability on an orchestral stringed instrument.
Fayang Pan            
Ramon Rochester

THE MARGARET UPTON PRIZE IN MUSIC, awarded each year to a student designated by the Music Department faculty as having made a significant achievement in music.
Madeleine Aborn            
Brian Craig     
Campbell Flood
Taylor Hartley
Jonathan Husar
Sherin John                
Elizabeth Kinney
Chelsea Miller
Abigail Miner    
Duncan Polot 

Theatre Arts

THE RUTH SCOTT CHENERY AWARD, given to a graduating senior who has excelled academically in theatre and who plans to continue the study of theatre arts following graduation.
David Landskroener        
Lydia Strini                            
Arshia Will

THE IRMGARD KOWATZKI THEATRE AWARD, awarded to the senior who has excelled both in academic areas and in theatrical productions during the four years at the College.
Mary Mathyer 

THE CHARLES TULLY DESIGN AWARD, given annually to a senior who has achieved excellence in some aspect of theatre design.
Lydia Strini

FOREIGN LANGUAGES DIVISION

Chinese

THE CHINESE OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD, recognizes seniors who have excelled in the study of the Chinese language and China-related subjects on campus and abroad in China.
Kimberly Balk                                 
Clara Lewis                                  
Lor Vang

Classical Studies

THE PROVOST’S PRIZE IN CLASSICS, awarded to that student who writes the best essay on a classical subject.
Alan Faber
Claire Fielder

German

THE JOE FUGATE SENIOR GERMAN AWARD, awarded to a senior for excellence in German.
Elizabeth Kinney

Japanese

THE JAPANESE NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY, COLLEGE CHAPTER, is awarded in recognition of the student’s achievement in their study of the Japanese language and for their overall academic excellence.
Jeric Derama                        
Lucas Kushner                             
Erika Robles Araya                    
Hailey Stutz

Romance Languages

THE ALLIANCE FRANCAISE PRIZE IN FRENCH, awarded for excellence in French by an advanced student.
Fiona Carey                                
Lisa Woolcock Majlof                        
Hagop Mouradian

THE SENIOR SPANISH AWARD, given by the Department of Romance Languages for outstanding achievement in Spanish.
Matthew Muñoz                                
Salwa Tareen                                
Megan Walsh 

HUMANITIES DIVISION

American Studies

THE DAVID STRAUSS PRIZE IN AMERICAN STUDIES, awarded for the best paper written by a graduating senior in his or her junior or senior year in any field of American Studies.
Colin Lauderdale                                  
Rachel Olson

English

THE GRIFFIN PRIZE, awarded to the senior English major who, like Professor Gail Griffin, demonstrates an exceptional ability to bridge his/her analytical and creative work in the English department.
Matthew Muñoz 

THE ELWOOD H. AND ELIZABETH H. SCHNEIDER PRIZE, awarded for outstanding and creative work in English done by a student who is not an English major.
Colin Lauderdale                            
Samantha Voss  

THE MARY CLIFFORD STETSON PRIZE, awarded for excellence in English essay writing by a senior.
Paula Dallacqua 

THE DWIGHT AND LEOLA STOCKER PRIZE, awarded for excellence in English writing: prose or poetry.
Dakota Clement                                
David Landskroener      
Trevor Vader

History

THE JAMES BIRD BALCH PRIZE, for the showing academic excellence in American History.
Julia Duncan

THE HISTORY DEPARTMENT AWARD, given for outstanding work in the major.
Claire DeWitt                                 
Laurel Thompson

Philosophy

THE HODGE PRIZE IN PHILOSOPHY, awarded to that member of the graduating class who has the highest standing in the field.
Allison Tinsey

Religion

THE MARION H. DUNSMORE MEMORIAL PRIZE IN RELIGION, awarded to a graduating senior for excellence in the major.
Claire DeWitt                                
Emily Smith

NATURAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS DIVISION

Biology

THE H. LEWIS BATTS PRIZE, awarded to the senior who has done the most to support the activities of the Biology Department and to further the spirit of collegiality among students and faculty in the Department.
Sherin John
Gisella Newberry    
Christina Tarn

THE ROBERT BZDYL PRIZE IN MARINE BIOLOGY, awarded to one or more students with demonstrated interest and ability in marine biology or related fields.
David Schapiro

THE DIEBOLD SCHOLAR AWARD, given to one or more seniors in recognition of excellence in the oral or poster presentation of the SIP at the Diebold Symposium.
Matthew Davidson                            
Alan Faber

THE WILLIAM E. PRAEGER PRIZE, established by the faculty in the Biology Department and awarded to the most outstanding senior major in Biology, based on academic achievement in the discipline.
Michael Korn

Chemistry  

THE ANNUAL UNDERGRADUATE AWARD IN INORGANIC CHEMISTRY, sponsored by the American Chemical Society Division of Inorganic Chemistry, to an undergraduate student planning on pursuing graduate studies in chemistry.
Sara Adelman

THE OUTSTANDING CHEMISTRY STUDENT FROM KALAMAZOO COLLEGE, sponsored by the Kalamazoo Section of the American Chemical Society and is given to the graduating senior who has demonstrated leadership in the chemistry department and plans to pursue graduate studies in chemistry.
Amanda Bolles

THE KURT KAUFMAN FELLOW, given annually to seniors who receive Honors in the Senior Individualized Project (SIP) conducted with faculty in the Chemistry Department.
Amanda Bolles       
Joseph Widmer

Mathematics and Computer Science

THE CLARKE BENEDICT WILLIAMS PRIZE, awarded to that member of the graduating class who has the best record in mathematics and the allied sciences.
Tendai Mudyiwa        
Fayang Pan    
Umang Varma 

Physics

THE JOHN WESLEY HORNBECK PRIZE, awarded to a senior with the highest achievement for the year’s work in advanced physics toward a major.
John Nocita                                
Reid Wagner

PHYSICAL EDUCATION DIVISION

Physical Education

THE GEORGE ACKER AWARD awarded annually to a male athlete who in his participation gave all, never quit, with good spirit supported others unselfishly, and whose example was inspirational.
Tyler McFarland

THE OUTSTANDING SENIOR WOMAN ATHLETE AWARD, given by the Department of Physical Education to the outstanding senior female athlete.
Jenna Riehl

THE KALAMAZOO COLLEGE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION AWARD, for a graduating senior who has most successfully combined high scholarship with athletic prowess.
Michael Korn 

THE MARY LONG BURCH AWARD, for a senior woman who has manifested interest in sports activities and excelled in scholarship.
Holly Cooperrider

THE C. W. “OPIE” DAVIS AWARD, awarded to the outstanding senior male athlete.
Mark Ghafari  

THE KNOECHEL FAMILY AWARD, awarded to a senior male and a senior female member of the swim teams in recognition of demonstrated excellence in both intercollegiate swimming and academic performance.
Alexandra Stephens

THE CATHERINE A. SMITH PRIZE IN WOMEN’S ATHLETICS, awarded to a woman athlete who in her participation gave all, never quit, with good spirit supported others unselfishly, and whose example was inspirational.
Quinn McCormick

SOCIAL SCIENCES DIVISION

Anthropology and Sociology

THE RAYMOND L. HIGHTOWER AWARD, given to a graduating senior for excellence in and commitment to the disciplines of sociology and anthropology and leadership in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology.
Ryan Gregory                                
Amy Jimenez       
Roxann Lawrence                                
Kylie Meyer 

Economics and Business

THE WILLIAM G. HOWARD MEMORIAL PRIZE, awarded to a senior for excellence in academic work in an economics or business major.
Edward Carey (Business)                            
Katharine Moffit (Business)                        
Sanjay Sharma (Business)
Mark Ghafari (Economics)                        
Colin Lennox (Economics)                        
Kari Paine (Economics)

Human Development and Social Relations

THE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL RELATIONS PRIZE, awarded for leadership in the major, reflecting commitment to inter-disciplinary thinking and social justice.
Charlotte Steele                            
Dayon Woodford

Political Science

THE E. BRUCE BAXTER MEMORIAL AWARD, awarded to a senior showing outstanding development in the field of political science.
Jenna Neumann                                
Allison Seiwert

THE WILLIAM G. HOWARD MEMORIAL PRIZE, awarded for excellence in a year’s work in political science.
Abigail Miner                                
Salwa Tareen 

Psychology

THE MARSHALL HALLOCK BRENNER PRIZE awarded to an outstanding student for excellence in the field of psychology.
Ian Good 

THE XARIFA GREENQUIST MEMORIAL PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT AWARD, given in recognition of distinctive service to students and faculty in psychology by a student assistant.
Katherine Curley                             
Rachel Evans                                
Alejandra Sanchez

THE RICHARD D. KLEIN SENIOR AWARD IN PSYCHOLOGY, awarded to a senior psychology major for an outstanding SIP oral presentation.
Claire Diekman

THE RICHARD D. KLEIN SENIOR AWARD IN PSYCHOLOGY, given for outstanding contributions to the community
Jordan Earnest                                
Marlene Espinoza                            
Rachel Olson                                
Emily Smith                                
Sarah Sullivan

THE DONALD W. VAN LIERE PRIZE, given for excellence in psychology research.
Dana Allswede                                
Katherine Curley                               
David Graham

THE DONALD W. VAN LIERE PRIZE, given for excellence in psychology coursework.
Dana Allswede      
Kira Boneff          
Holly Kramer 

Women’s Studies

THE CATHERINE A. SMITH PRIZE IN HUMAN RIGHTS, awarded to a senior who has been active on campus in promoting human rights, furthering progressive social and cultural change, and combating violence, repression, and bigotry.
Jordan Earnest                                
Kaitlyn Thiry 

THE LUCINDA HINSDALE STONE PRIZE, awarded to a student whose scholarship, research or creative work in women’s studies, in the form of a SIP or other academic work, is most impressive.

Chelsey Shannon

COLLEGE AWARDS

THE GORDON BEAUMONT MEMORIAL AWARD, awarded to the deserving student who displays qualities of selflessness, humanitarian concern, and willingness to help others, as exemplified in the life of Gordon Beaumont.
Paula Dallacqua
Roxann Lawrence

THE HENRY AND INEZ BROWN AWARD is awarded in recognition of outstanding participation in the College community.
Jessie Owens

THE ALPHA LAMBDA DELTA GLADYS BELL GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP, given to a senior working toward a graduate or professional degree.
Jenna Neumann

THE VIRGINIA HINKELMAN MEMORIAL AWARD is awarded to a deserving student who displays a deep concern for the well-being of children, as demonstrated through career goals in the field of child welfare.
Raven Fisher

THE ALPHA LAMBDA DELTA MARIA LEONARD SENIOR BOOK AWARD, given to the Alpha Lambda Delta member graduating with the highest GPA.
Suzanne Curtiss                                
Spencer Thompson

THE BABETTE TRADER CAMPUS CITIZENSHIP AND LEADERSHIP AWARD, awarded to that member of the graduating class, who has most successfully combined campus citizenship and leadership with scholarship.
Lori-Ann Williams  

THE MAYNARD OWEN WILLIAMS MEMORIAL AWARD, for the best student entry in the form of an essay, poetry, paintings, sketches, photographs, or films derived from Study Abroad.
Fiona Carey                                
Brianna Melgar

The Mary Jane Underwood Stryker Institute for Service-Learning recognizes LAPLANTE STUDENT SCHOLARS who have shown outstanding dedication to civic engagement and who design and lead community programs that promote a more just, equitable and sustainable world.
Dana Allswede     
Raven Fisher
Brenda Guzman
Roxann Lawrence
Katherine Mattison
Ayesha Popper
Eren Sipahi

The Mary Jane Underwood Stryker Center for Civic Engagement recognizes the VIBBERT SCHOLARS, students who honor and exemplify the life and spirit of Stephanie Vibbert–scholar, activist, poet, feminist and artist–by leading programs that promote equity and justice through the arts and feminist organizing.
Zoe Beaudry                    
Jordan Earnest
Chelsey Shannon

The Mary Jane Underwood Stryker Center for Civic Engagement recognizes the SERVICE-LEARNING FELLOWS, students who “carry on the work of Tony Vonk and Howard DeMoore … by turning lives around,” working with incarcerated youth and adults and promoting restorative justice.
David Graham

THE SENIOR LEADERSHIP RECOGNITION AWARD is awarded to students who have provided key elements of leadership in their organizations, athletic teams, academic departments, employment, and the wider Kalamazoo community.  Students were nominated by faculty and staff members in January.  Seniors eligible for this award also had to meet a minimum cumulative Grade Point Average requirement and be in good academic and social standing at the College.
Keaton Adams
Yesenia Aguilar      
Anna Asbury
Nicholas Beam
Amanda Bolles       
Nathalie Botezatu
Erran Briggs
Edward Carey
Ismael Carrasco
Claire DeWitt
Emma Dolce
Raven Fisher
Mark Ghafari
Ian Good
Brenda Guzman
Amy Jimenez           
Sherin John
Michael Korn
Lucas Kushner
Colin Lauderdale
Roxann Lawrence
Ayoki Levi               
Amanda Mancini
Geneci Marroquin
Tendai Mudyiwa
Kari Paine
Ramon Rochester
Sara Sullivan
Hsu Tun
Umang Varma   
Lori-Ann Williams
Marc Zughaib

Neurosurgery Internship

Brielle Bethke ’16 did an independent internship at the University of Louisville Center for Neurological Surgery. There she assisted with physical therapy, conducted data analysis, shadowed physicians and researchers, and met people with a unique outlook on life. Her work is connected to a recent CNN Health Report story about a study of the applications of electrical stimulation in spinal cord injury. Two people with whom Brielle worked are featured in the story. She worked with Dustin, a patient in the study who, at age 18, suffered a spinal cord injury in a car accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Dr. Susan Harkema, the head of neurological surgery at the Frazier Rehabilitation Institute, was the supervisor of Brielle’s internship. Brielle is majoring in biology and earning a minor in Spanish. She is a member of the Health Guild and will study abroad in Caceres, Spain, during her junior year.

Lamppost Dedication Honors Emily Stillman ’15

Emily Stillman's K classmates and friends helped dedicate a lamppost on campus in her honor
Emily Stillman’s K classmates and friends helped dedicate a lamppost on campus in her honor on June 5.

On the afternoon of June 5, friends and family of Emily Stillman ’15 gathered to dedicate a lamppost on the K campus in remembrance of the Kalamazoo College sophomore whose life was claimed by bacterial meningitis in February 2014.

The lamppost is situated on the main walkway near Olds-Upton Hall facing the steps leading to Mandelle Hall. A plaque with Emily’s name has been affixed to the post so students and other members of the campus community can easily see it as they pass by.

“As I hurry off to class or rush to meet others, I’ll be reminded,” said Bryan Olert ’15, a friend of Emily, during a dedication ceremony organized by K Chaplain Liz Candido ’00 and Vice President for Student Development and Dean of Students Sarah Westfall.

A lamp is perceived as a perfect embodiment of the bright, jovial, and vibrant character of Emily Stillman whose presence was hard to miss, according to some of her friends.

“You just feel her when she walks into a room,” said Nicole Caddow ’15. “You just know Emily Stillman is there.”

During the dedication ceremony, Olert and others took turns reciting pieces depicting the significance of the lamppost and how it conveys the memories they shared with their dear friend.

Plaque on the lamppost dedicated to Emily Stillman“When I see the lamppost, I will remember how Emily’s life illuminated those around her,” read Skylar Young ’15, a close friend of Emily.

Jared Grimer ’15 added, “The lamppost is a perfect representation of Emily’s radiant personality. She brought light and warmth into a world that can at times be dark and cold.”

Emily’s parents, Alicia and Michael Stillman, were at the ceremony with her two siblings Zachery and Karly Stillman. Since Emily’s death, the Stillmans have embarked on an awareness campaign by providing information on bacterial meningitis here in the United States and Canada. They founded the Emily Stillman Foundation to encourage parents to get their children vaccinated against meningitis and also inform people about the signs and symptoms of the disease.

“We are working to raise awareness of meningococcal disease and organ donation while keeping Emily’s legacy alive. We advocate meningococcal vaccinations,” reads the description on the Foundation’s Facebook page.

After her death, Emily’s parents also donated her organs through the Michigan Gift of Life Center, eventually helping to save at least five lives.

Story by Olivia Nalugya ’16