David France ’81 was interviewed on the National Public Radio program “Here and Now” on Friday March 8 talking about “How to Survive a Plague,” his Oscar-nominated documentary about the early days of the AIDS crisis and the response to that crisis by activists, health officials, politicians, and the public.
David will host a showing of his film on Sunday, May 5, at Kalamazoo College. More details will follow soon.
Meanwhile, click here to listen to David’s NPR interview.
Sarah Allexan ’11 is the lead author of a research paper published in the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics that looks into the cause of blindness in Mary Ingalls, older sister of Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of the popular “Little House” book series.
Ingalls Wilder wrote that Scarlet Fever caused her sister to lose her eyesight. Allexan and her research team determined otherwise. Their findings have attracted a lot of news media attention, including an article in USA Today and an article in the New York Times. Sarah also participated in an interview with WMUK radio (102.1 FM), the NPR affiliate at Western Michigan University.
Originally from Englewood, Colo., while at K, Sarah majored in biology, studied abroad in Ecuador, ran on the Hornet cross country team, and sang in the Limelights student a cappella group. She also served as a bi-lingual tutor for first-graders at a Kalamazoo Public School, and completed both an internship at the Seattle Aquarium and an externship at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital.
Shortly after her K commencement, she took a job as a research assistant at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. While there, she became involved in the Ingalls research project.
“It was fun tracing Laura’s journey and playing medical detective,” Sarah said. “This was my first real exposure to lineal reasoning and prepared me well for medical school.”
Sarah is now enrolled at University of Colorado School of Medicine. “But I bleed ‘Orange and Black!’” she said.
“Why We Play” was the topic of the Winter Quarter Week Six (Feb. 15) Community Reflection in Stetson Chapel. Co-sponsored by the Kalamazoo College Department of Athletics, the annual Reflection offers a space for K student and alumni athletes to share in the collective stories and songs that capture the spirit of sport, recreation, and joy from their Division-III intercollegiate athletic experiences.
Professor of Physical Education and Head Coach of Volleyball Jeanne Hess opened the reflection before an audience of about 200 people. She read an excerpt from her book, “Sportuality: Finding Joy in the Games,” in which she explains why she thinks student athletes choose play sports. “The spiritual life is a purposeful life, and the ‘sportual’ life is a purposeful and playful life,” she said.
Student athletes Johanna Kupe ’13, Alex Gothard ’15 and Allison Thomas ’13 performed “Solider,” a song by Gavin DeGraw. Kupe said she selected the song after a teammate left the encouraging lyrics on a note in her locker before a volleyball game.
President of the Athletic Leadership Council and two-sport athlete Allison Liddane ’13 spoke about the approaching end of her collegiate athletic experience. “My list of ‘why I play’ could be never ending,” she said. Golfer Brad Merrit ’13 read an essay about the recent death of K’s Head Men’s Golf Coach Steve Tyler. Merrit, who won the MIAA Sportsmanship Award, said Tyler was his reason for playing. “We wanted to make him proud,” he said.
Football player Erran Briggs ’14 spoke about his unique love for the game and Division-III level. “When you allow yourself purely to play because you love it, not because you need it, you experience the game on a new level,” he said.
Rebecca Gray ’81 was the featured alumna speaker. A former basketball and field hockey player, Gray is K’s sole Rhodes Scholar. Speaking fondly of her time as a student athlete, shortly after the passage of Title IX that opened more intercollegiate athletic opportunities to women, Gray said sports continue to enhance her life. “For decades now, playing sports, for me, has been a completely reliable and utterly uncomplicated pleasure,” she said. She added that she looks forward to the day when she is no longer referred to as K’s only Rhodes Scholar, but simply as its first.
Community Reflections offer a unique forum for discussion, worship, performance, and community expression each Friday at 10:50 a.m. (refreshments at 10:30) in Stetson Chapel. The entire campus community and general public are invited. On Friday of Week Seven Feb. 22), the Chapel will host “40 Days of Lent: Preparing for Easter.” This reflection will focus on the traditions, history, and ways in which Christians today celebrate Easter and Lent.
Story and photo by Elaine Ezekiel ’13
Patricia Webb ’78 is part of an international effort that may have found the final resting place of famed aviator Amelia Earhart, who disappeared near the end of a historic around-the-world flying trip in 1937. Listen to Patricia talk about her experience in a recent interview with WMUK (102.1 FM) radio, the NPR station at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo.
“What’s Love got to do with it? Anti-Racist Activism in the Creation of Beloved Communities” was the topic of the Winter Quarter Week Four (Feb. 1) Community Reflection in Stetson Chapel, co-sponsored by the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership (ACSJL) and the Black Student Organization (BSO). The Reflection centered around love as an underlying motivator for social change and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s philosophy of “the beloved community” as an end result of non-violent social change. Members of BSO shared their own spoken word pieces, poems, stories, and facts on the subject of leaders from the African-American movement against racism.
Rob Relief III ’13, president of the Young Men of Color student organization, discussed the 87-year history and original aims of Black History Month. Willina Cain ’15 sang the R&B song “Wake Up Everybody” while Corinne Taborn ’13 accompanied her on piano and sang backup vocals. Rian Brown ’16 spoke about how her identity relates to Black History Month. “My ancestors fought for me to gain the privilege to stand before you today,” she said. “But has their work been completed? I know the answer to that question is ‘No.’” She encouraged audience members to shed their complacency and continue the fight for justice and equality.
Jeffery Washington ’15 read a poem he wrote with the refrain “I Black.” “My light friend says I can’t-be-seen-in-the-night-time black/ I’m too black to find that funny,” he read. “I guess I got a dark sense of humor.” Marquise Griffin ’15 read a reflection on his recent trip to Washington D.C. to attend the National Youth Leadership Forum, and his meditations on Christ’s love, which he discussed at the forum. “Dr. King stressed love when combating hate and racism, violence and discrimination,” he said. Bryce Pearson ’16 read a poem called “The Overlooked King,” reflecting on racism. “They didn’t know who I was/ They don’t know who I am/ And they really have no clue of who I will be,” he read. Brittany King-Pleas ’13 closed the Reflection by saying she hoped the audience left with more questions than answers.
Community Reflections offer a unique forum for discussion, worship, performance, and community expression each Friday at 10:50 a.m. in Stetson Chapel. Refreshments at 10:30. The entire campus community and general public are invited.
The Week Six (Friday Feb. 15) Community Reflection is entitled “Why We Play” and features K student athletes discussion why they love to play Division III athletics. This is an annual event always full of heartfelt passion and humor. Special guest speaker is Rebecca Gray ’81. Currently a research scholar at Duke University, Becky majored in mathematics and played basketball for the Hornets. She is also Kalamazoo College’s only Rhodes Scholar.
Story and photo by Elaine Ezekiel ’13
The Kalamazoo College Jazz Band swings into Ann Arbor as part of a concert series at the First Baptist Church of Ann Arbor. The Jazz Band performs at 7:30 PM on March 1, and the performance is free and open to public. First Baptist is a beautiful historic church located at 517 East Washington Street. It’s history is entwined with Kalamazoo College’s–President Allan Hoben (1922-1935) served at the church prior to his presidency, and First Baptist of Ann Arbor is the church home of Marlene Crandell Francis ’58, trustee emerita of Kalamazoo College. A reception with the student musicians will occur following the music! The Jazz Band is directed by Professor of Music Thomas Evans.
Marlene Guerrero Chavez ’08 was selected to serve as a youth delegate for the 51st session of the United Nations Commission for Social Development. The priority theme of the 10-day conference is “Promoting empowerment of people in achieving poverty eradication, social integration, and full employment and decent work for all.” The session takes place in New York City and will feature panel discussions, more than 30 side events, five draft resolutions, and the Civil Society Forum’s recommendations on promoting people’s empowerment to achieve social development goals.
In 2004, Antonie Boessenkool ’99 wrote a LuxEsto article (“Homeward Bound”) that appeared in the fall issue that year about Matt ’94 and Kelli ’95 (Johnson) Stapleton. Their daughter Isabelle (Issy), at that time 5 years old, had recently been diagnosed with autism. The Stapletons currently live in Elberta, Michigan. Matt serves as principal of Frankfort–Elberta High School and coaches football and basketball. Kelli runs a podcast business, but most of her time is devoted to helping Issy and raising her two other children, McEwen and Ainsley. Issy (12) has a form of autism that manifests in occasional violent outbursts directed at family members. For the past few years, Issy has been big enough to cause serious injury to her mom and others. The Stapletons have been trying to get treatment for Issy, but their insurance program covers little to none of the costs, which are significant. Recently, Issy got into an in-patient treatment program at the Great Lakes Center for Autism (Portage, Michigan). But the insurance company would only pay for 30 days of a treatment program that requires two to three months. The Elberta community news organ (the Alert) has published the Stapletons’ story and is raising funds in hopes that Issy can complete her in-patient treatment program. All are invited to contribute.
Ben Harpe ’09 is a cast member of “The Lockout: An NBA Musical,” written by Jason Gallagher and Ben Fort and to be produced by their company Six Hours Short. And Ben is also part of a the KickStarter project to record an album of the musical’s songs. You can see Ben (on left) belting out “I Believe,” a duet with superstar “Macon.” The play grabbed the attention of ESPN.com’s Henry Abbott, who wrote an article about it. “The Lockout” will be presented for the first time in a staged reading at Chicago’s Stage 773 on Friday August 31 and Saturday September 1.
Jessie Wagner ’04, a career development specialist in the Haworth College of Business at Western Michigan University, will be a special guest speaker at halftime of the Kalamazoo College men’s basketball game against Adrian College on February 13. (Tip off is 8 PM in the Anderson Athletic Center.) Jessie’s halftime appearance is part of a benefit fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Jessie is a former patient at St. Jude, and she will share her story of her struggle against childhood cancer. Proceeds from the game’s ticket gate and special activities at the game will be donated to St. Jude’s.
