students Archives - Page 41 of 45

Post-Grad Public Service

Posted on October 30, 2012March 25, 2022

Arnold Campbell, Martha Campbell, Alex Werder, Aubry McIntyre and Amanda Stitt — Left to Right: Arnold Campbell, Martha Campbell, Alex Werder, Aubry McIntyre, and Amanda Stitt.

“Politics and Public Service: K-Plans and Career Paths” was the theme of the Week Six (Oct. 19) Community Reflection in Stetson Chapel. Co-sponsored by the Center for Career and Professional Development and Alumni Relations, the reflection hosted a panel of Kalamazoo College alumni working in the areas of politics or public service.

College Republicans Co-Leader Aubry McIntyre ’15 and College Democrats President Alex Werder ’15 began the Reflection with a mock political debate. They sparred over the issues central to this year’s presidential election, modeling “civilized political discourse” for the audience of students and alumni present for Homecoming weekend.

Arnold Campbell ’72 spoke about his meandering path from study abroad at K to the United States Foreign Service, where he currently serves as Officer and Chargé d’Affaires for the U.S. Embassy in Malta. After studying abroad in Germany, he said he found his calling. “I no longer wanted to be a tourist in the world; I wanted to be participating in those other cultures, and that was because of what I’d experienced here.” His wife, Martha Campbell ’72, also held office in the Foreign Service after K, most recently as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Marshall Islands. She said her K education prepared her for a rigorous, demanding, and exciting job.

Lastly, Amanda Stitt ’02 read from an essay chronicling her journey in Michigan politics rooted in a few influential K classes. She founded K’s chapter of the College Democrats and opted to leave school during her junior fall to help with the 2000 election. Stitt served as former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s political director, ran a statewide nonprofit, and now works with the UAW. She said her K-Plan helped her develop the communication, networking, and leadership skills she would later need in the political world.

Community Reflection offers a unique forum for discussion, worship, performance, and community expression each Friday at 10:50 AM in Stetson Chapel. The campus community and general public are invited. [Story and photo by Elaine Ezekiel ’13]

Once Upon a Book, Now on Video

Posted on October 11, 2012September 17, 2024

K’s Summer Common Reading program joins new students, faculty, and staff in a conversation about a novel they’ve read during the summer. The author of the chosen novel visits campus during orientation each fall to join the conversation. It’s an important first step for new K students and part of the College’s nationally recognized First-Year Experience. Summer Common Reading 2012 author Bonnie Jo Campbell spoke about and read from her novel “Once Upon a River” in Stetson Chapel on Sept. 6. Campbell’s short story collection “American Salvage” was a finalist for the 2009 National Book Award in Fiction. Watch Campbell’s SCR address to students in this YouTube video.

Confronting Terrible Stories

Posted on October 11, 2012March 25, 2022

“Remembering Maggie Wardle” was the theme of the Week 4 (Oct. 5) Community Reflection in Stetson Chapel. Featuring an annual speech by Ann V. and Donald R. Parfet Distinguished Professor of English Gail Griffin, the reflection remembered those in our community who face daily violence as well as the history of K’s own struggle to become a place free of violence.

Gail Griffin stands next to “Maggie’s Bench” next to Stetson Chapel — Gail Griffin by “Maggie’s Bench” next to Stetson Chapel.

Outside on the quad, purple and white fabric adorned trees on the Quad to commemorate National Intimate Partner Violence Awareness Month. More than 100 students, staff, and faculty with purple ribbons affixed to their lapels read fliers that listed the warning signs of abusive or potentially abusive relationships. The Reflection also served as a remembrance for the campus events of Friday, Oct. 18, 1999 when NeeNef Odah ’01 fatally shot his ex-girlfriend, Maggie Wardle ’02 and then himself. In 2010, Griffin published The Events of October: Murder-Suicide on a Small Campus, a book about the violence and its aftermath.

Andrea Johnson ’15 and Brittany Worthington ’14, co-leaders of POWER, the feminist student group on campus, introduced Griffin who said although this might be the last time she presents this lecture, it’s important to continue to talk about this difficult topic. “So much of education means confronting those terrible stories,” she said. She then recounted details of the circumstances leading to the murder-suicide from both Odah’s and Wardle’s perspectives. She unraveled the assumption that Odah was an imposing misogynist, but rather a mild young man who was “one of us.” She also described Wardle as a fun-loving athlete rather than a weak victim of abuse. “Women don’t get beaten because they are weak or stupid,” she said.

Chaplin Liz Candido ’00 invited the audience to encircle Wardle’s commemorative bench outside the chapel for a moment of silence. Wardle’s mother, step-father, and grandmother were all in attendance, and they encouraged students to remember Maggie by speaking about violence on campus.

Community Reflection is part of the Chapel Program at Kalamazoo College and offers a unique forum for discussion, worship, performance, and community expression each Friday at 10:50 AM in Stetson Chapel. The campus community and general public are invited. Reflection will not be held during Week 5 (Oct. 12) due to Fall Quarter break. But Week 6 (October 19) Reflection will be “Politics and Public Service: K-Plans and Career Paths,” which will feature a panel of K alumni working in the areas of politics or public service reflecting on how their K-Plan continues to inform their lives and careers.

[Story and photo by Elaine Ezekiel ’13]

Temporary Shelter

Posted on October 5, 2012March 25, 2022

Community Reflection participants from Week 3 — Participants in Week Three chapel included (l-r): back row, Arik Mendelevitz ’15; Liz Candido ’00 and Joan Hawxhurst; front row, Rachael Vettese ’15; Craig Isser ’13 and Emilie Harris-Makinen ’13.

“Perspectives on Sukkot: Celebrating a Quest for Solace and Community” was the theme of the Week Three (Sept. 28) Community Reflection in Stetson Chapel. Co-sponsored by the Jewish Student Organization, the reflection educated the audience about the Jewish holiday Sukkot and the metaphors it provides in a pilgrimage towards maturity and self-awareness.

JSO President Craig Isser ’13 offered a “crash course” on Sukkot. He said it is a harvest holiday that Jews celebrate by building a sukkah, or temporary hut, which commemorates biblical times when the Hebrew people escaped from Egypt and wandered through the desert for 40 years with no permanent housing. He said Jews decorate the sukkah with corn husks and other fall harvest staples. JSO Co-Vice Presidents Rachael Vettese ’15 and Arik Mendelevitz ’15 spoke about the history and personal importance of the holiday. They announced that JSO planned to continue their annual tradition of building a sukkah during the weekend on the quad.

“Go sit in our sukkah, and let your mind wander,” said Vettese. “Enjoy the breeze, and smell the leaves as they are changing.” Emilie Harris-Makinen ‘13 said she is not Jewish, but she has found a comforting home among her Jewish friends at K. She said the sukkah is an idea to which people of any faith can relate. “Life can be hard at times, and it can be a really big challenge,” she said, “but even the slightest shelter, whether it’s a sukkah, or just the arms of another person can help you through the bad times.”

Director of the Center for Career and Professional Development Joan Hawxhurst said she came to Judaism later in life when she adopted her husband’s faith. She said the holiday reminds her that home is with the people she loves. “Our real shelter, our real security,” she said,” is not a welcome home or a plot of land we own, the permanence that we can’t guarantee. In the end, the real home is not a place.” Chaplain Liz Candido ’00 spoke about her experience transitioning from college to adulthood. She described K as a passing shelter. “You are all living in sukkot—temporary booths,” she said. Each audience member received strips of paper with which those decorating the sukkah would link in decoration of the hut.

[Story by Elaine Ezekiel ’13.]

Having “The Talk” Across Campus

Posted on September 26, 2012March 25, 2022

“Let’s Talk about Sex” was the theme of the Week Two (Sept. 21) Community Reflection in Stetson Chapel. Co-sponsored by the Counseling Center, the reflection aimed to raise awareness about fostering communication, creating healthy relationships, and sexual encounters.

Director of Counseling Pat Ponto spoke first, announcing third and fourth week “Sex Weeks” featuring various forums discussing sexual health and social issues in K dorms. Ponto says working in the counseling center has offered her insight into the student’s perspective concerning sex. She says the two keys to good sexual experiences are intentionality and transparency. Counseling Center Psychologist Deb Rose said she wanted to debunk the myth “There’s no such thing as bad sex.”

Allie VanHeest ’13 introduced the new student group S3A, the Sexual Safety and Support Alliance. The team of six female K students provides a confidential peer-to-peer support network especially meat to help those affected by sexual assault. “I’m excited by the simple fact that this alliance now exists. To be a part of this group of women is even more empowering for me,” she said. Sexual Health Awareness Group’s Co-President Colin Cepuran ’13 delivered a speech about opening up conversational space surrounding sex culture at K. “We need virgins, introverts, party animals, first-years, seniors, and all the rest of you to be able to talk about their sexual needs,” he said. “Acceptance is rooted in understanding.”

Rachael La Barbera ’15, Craig Isser ’13, and Counseling Psychologist and Training Director Danielle Standish spoke about their respective experiences attempting to relate to K’s “hookup culture,” receiving a sexual education, and finding fulfillment within a marital relationship. Finally, Counseling Center Clinical Director Alan Hill informed the audience about an upcoming discussion he will be leading about men and sex. Attendees received copies of the Sexual Health Bill of Rights brochure.

Community Reflection offers a unique forum for discussion, worship, performance, and community expression each Friday at 10:50 AM (refreshments at 10:30) in Stetson Chapel. The entire campus community and general public are invited. The next reflection will be held on Friday of Week Three, (September 28), entitled “Perspectives on Sukkot: Celebrating a Quest for Solace and Community.” Co-sponsored by the K Jewish Student Organization, the event will celebrate Sukkot, a pilgrimage festival. JSO members will reflect on the importance of this festival in the faith and the metaphors it provides for creating a dwelling place in our own pilgrimage towards maturity and self-awareness. [Story and photo by Elaine Ezekiel ’13]

K Recycling Program Puts Others to Shame

Posted on September 26, 2012March 25, 2022

The website thebestcolleges.org has ranked Kalamazoo College #6 on its list of “11 College Recycling Programs That Put All Others To Shame.”

The website cites K for being “a perennial top finisher in Recyclemania,” the national competition for college and university recycling programs, and for a recycling department that “oversees the export of about a ton of food waste a week to a local pig farm, as well as the recycling of calculators, batteries, electric motors, and all other e-waste.”

K’s student run “Bat Cave” also gets a shoutout, as the place where student volunteers answer questions and run the REP Room, or Resource Exchange Program, where they recycle textbooks, mirrors, Christmas lights, pens, lamps, and much more.

Learning from, laughing through, first year mistakes

Posted on September 19, 2012March 25, 2022

“Taking Chances, Making Mistakes, and Getting Messy: A Reflection on Learning from Experiences,” was the theme of the Week One (Sept. 14) Community Reflection in Stetson Chapel. Sponsored by the Chapel Program, Student Chaplains offered their advice to the audience of mostly first years about learning lessons the hard way on campus. K Chaplain Liz Candido ’00 introducing both the new crew of chaplains and the weekly Community Reflection hour, which she called a forum “reflecting on our ideals; not just saying we believe things, but learning to live in integrity with those things.”

2012-13 K student chaplains at Stetson Chapel — K Student Chaplains, 2012-13

Student Chaplain Justin Leatherwood ’13 spoke about how an accidental prank war beginning his freshman year escalated into elaborate hijinks involving feeding beans to sleeping roommates and setting up a complex booby trap over a bed. These experiences, he says, helped solidify his closest friendships. “We did some pretty weird stuff freshman year,” he said. “Had we all been worried about showing our true colors, none of this awesome stuff would have happened. As we head into this new year, don’t be afraid to make mistakes, or do those strange things you love doing.” Student Chaplain McKenna Kring ’15 shared a more serious roommate anecdote from her first year about the mistake of not speaking up when problems arise. She stressed the importance of communication. “Don’t avoid,” she said, “communicate.”

Katie Ring ’15 spoke about her first non-A grade; Darren Clarke ’13 read from an essay about the mistake of unquestioning selflessness; Sam Rood ’15 extolled the virtues of sobriety after a night full of mistakes; Molly Anderson ’15 recalled her repetitive mistake of forgetting her room key; Theo Cambert ’15 talked about making the mistake of prioritizing Frisbee over academics; Alicia Schooley ’13 warned first-years to learn to socialize with professors while erring on the side of formality. Lastly, five other chaplains read submissions from anonymous upperclassmen about their biggest mistakes made at K.

Story and photo by Elaine Ezekiel ’13.

Second Lady Jill Biden Makes Surprise Visit to K

Posted on September 17, 2012March 25, 2022

Jill Biden speaking at Kalamazoo College — Dr. Jill Biden addresses students during a Kalamazoo College campaign visit

Sophomore Alex Werder received a call from an unrecognized number. The caller simply identified himself as James and asked Werder if he was the person responsible for setting up events on campus. The mystery caller asked to meet the President of the Kalamazoo College Democrats in 15 minutes for a look around K. Werder asked for some credentials before offering the stranger a tour of campus.

James said he was with the Obama Campaign looking for a venue where Vice President Joe Biden’s wife, Jill Biden, could speak in Kalamazoo.

Biden wanted to come to Kalamazoo to address some college students between her other campaign stops in Grand Rapids and Battle Creek. An education advocate, she is the only second lady who has continued to work a full time job out of the White House while her husband serves in office. She currently teaches at Northern Virginia Community College.

“My internal reaction was, ‘Holy crap; this is pretty cool,’” said Werder. The aspiring political science major showed James and two other Obama staffers some possible venues on campus.

Three days later, after a frenzied preparation that included two secret service security sweeps of Hicks with bomb-sniffing dogs, negotiations over the number of allowed guests, furniture arrangement, and last minute invitations, the Stone Room was packed to capacity, mostly with students from K and Western Michigan University, awaiting a speech by the second lady.

Craig Isser ’13 sat among the crowd of about 130 in the sunlit room. Isser had done some research on Biden beforehand, and said he was excited to see a influential person interested in education come to the college.

“She is someone who really is a voice for the students who, and not just a voice,” he said, “She also has power.”

Next to Isser sat Jung Eun Pyeon ’16. She arrived on campus just weeks ago from California’s San Fernando Valley for her first year in college. She said she was still adjusting to campus life when she heard about the event. She plans on studying economics and business, and she is also interested in politics and wants the opportunity to learn more.

“What better chance than to listen to someone of Jill Biden’s stature?” she asked.

Attendees also included three sophomores who live in the Women’s Voice House, a Living Learning Cooperative with a mission of promoting feminist ideas on campus. Katherine Stevenson ’15, Samantha Foran ’15, and Abigail Keizer ’15 said they jumped at the occasion to see a woman in power speak.

“She’s a woman who is very high up, so we’re all excited to see what she has to say,” said Foran.

“She’s still teaching even though her husband is the Vice President,” said Stevenson of the second lady. “That’s really cool to see.”

According to Ms. Biden’s Press secretary, the second lady was grading her students’ papers on the way to the event.

The housemates said they plan on including the content of the second lady’s speech in their weekly dinner discussions.

Besides the K and WMU students, other attendees included Kalamazoo dignitaries and area politicians. Kalamazoo Mayor Bobby Hopewell said Ms. Biden’s visit—her first campaign speech on a college campus—highlights the power and educational focus of the city.

In his introductory remarks, Werder noted that this upcoming election would be the first in which he could eligibly vote, and it would be one he remembers for the rest of his life. “This event combines two of my greatest loves,” he said, “Democratic politics and K.”

Biden recalled her voting for the first time while in college, and said that she voted for her husband, though she didn’t know him at the time.

She gave a student-focused speech, telling the audience the Obama administration will “have your back” if reelected.

“This feels right at home,” she said of campus, “and young people like you inspire me every single day. I often say that my kids are my heroes. And I want you to know that every single day, this administration is really fighting for all of you.”

She closed with a story about a community college student named Angie Flores, who introduced Ms. Biden at the Democratic National Convention.

“In this election,” she said, “we’ve got a choice whether we’re going to tell students like Angie, students like many of you, that ’you’re on your own,’ or whether we’re going to say, ’we’re all in this together, and everyone deserves a fair shot.’”

Biden stayed for a few minutes to shake students’ hands and pose for pictures before rushing off to Battle Creek.

After the crowds cleared and flurry subsided, Werder was smiling.

“It’s all been thrown together in the last 72 hours,” he said, “so it’s been a whirlwind, but we’re all really excited that she took the time and came out to see us.”

Story by Elaine Ezekiel ’13; Photo by Erik Holladay

Kalamazoo College Begins 2012-13 Academic Year

Posted on September 4, 2012March 25, 2022

Class of 2016 Convocation held Wed., Sept. 5, 3:00 p.m. on the K “Quad”

Continuing a beloved tradition, Kalamazoo College’s Convocation 2012 begins at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 5. This colorful event on the campus Quad, which some have called “reverse commencement,” is free and open to the public. It comes complete with music, faculty processional, and an international flag ceremony, and serves as a formal induction into Kalamazoo College for the incoming Class of 2016.

Approximately 340 first-year students will recite the “Ritual of Recognition for New Students” and receive their charge from President Eileen Wilson-Oyelaran.

Attorney and Toyota Co. executive Chris Reynolds, a member of the Kalamazoo College Class of 1983, will deliver the keynote address. A reception for students, families, faculty, staff, and other guests follows on the Upper Quad behind Stetson Chapel. In case of rain, the Convocation will move indoors to Stetson Chapel.

First-year students will move into their residence halls earlier that morning. Sophomores, seniors, and the few juniors who are not on study abroad during the Fall Quarter arrive this weekend. Classes for the 2012-13 academic year start Monday Sept. 10, and last day of Fall Quarter is Wednesday, Nov. 21.

About 40 percent of the incoming class comes from outside Michigan, including 25 other states and the District of Columbia. Twenty-five students come from China, Jamaica, Japan, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand, Uganda, and Vietnam. Another 24 visiting international students come for one year from Botswana, Ecuador, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Mozambique, and Spain.

Ninety-four first-year students (28%) self-report as students of color.

All new students will receive an extensive orientation through the College’s nationally recognized “First-Year Experience” program.

The College’s unofficial enrollment is approximately 1,380 students; official census numbers will be available in a few weeks.

Fall Quarter also marks first use of the renovated Kalamazoo College Athletic Fields on West Michigan Ave. at Burrows Rd, the result of a $16 million renovation. The Hornet Women’s Soccer team will have the first event, playing DePauw University Friday at 7 p.m. under the lights and on the artificial turf of MacKenzie field. The Hornet Football team kicks off its first home game Saturday against Manchester College at 1 p.m. at Angell Field, also sporting new artificial turf. Both teams will use the entirely new K Field House. Spectators, news media, game officials, and coaches will use the brand new Stadium Services building that houses a press box, concession, restrooms, and more.

Other important events this fall include groundbreaking for the new building for the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership, scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 9, and Homecoming weekend, October 19-21.

Founded in Kalamazoo, Mich., in 1833, Kalamazoo College (www.kzoo.edu) is a nationally recognized liberal arts college and the creator of the K-Plan that emphasizes rigorous scholarship, learning by practice, leadership development, and both international and intercultural engagement. K Kalamazoo College does more in four years, so students can do more in a lifetime.

Kalamazoo is Among “Colleges That Change Lives”

Posted on August 30, 2012March 25, 2022

“If you were to build your own liberal arts college, you’d look closely at Kalamazoo College for ideas about how to do it. That’s because other colleges offer some of the same distinctive features you’ll find at Kalamazoo, but few integrate all of them so thoughtfully to create life-changing experiences.”

So begins the chapter on Kalamazoo College in the 2013-14 edition of “Colleges that Change Lives: 40 Schools that Will Change the Way You Think about College.”

Colleges That Change Lives (Penguin Books; ISBN: 9780143122302 On-Sale Date: August 28, 2012; 352 pages; $17.00) was first published in 1996 by Loren Pope, former education editor of the New York Times. Pope was also the founder of the College Placement Bureau, a college administrator, and the author of “Looking Beyond the Ivy League.”

Pope published updates to his book in 2000 and 2006. He died in 2008.

The fourth and most recent edition has been updated by Hilary Masell Oswald a journalist who writes about education, architecture and design, and public policy. Her work has appeared in Newsday, the Chicago Tribune, Edutopia, and other publications and websites.

She anticipates the questions that prospective students and their parents will have and provides the answers. Topics include:

• The look and feel of the campus

• Quality of dining hall food

• Percentage of students who study abroad

• Percentage of students who go to grad school

• Average SAT/ACT scores

• What professors have to say about their schools

“We are thrilled to be included once again in Colleges That Change Lives,” said Kalamazoo College Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Eric Staab. “Prospective students and their parents have more than 4,000 colleges and universities in the United States to choose from. This book helps them cut through the clutter and move beyond the ratings and rankings to find a college that is a good, affordable fit.”

Kalamazoo College has been included in each of the book’s four editions. Other colleges in the fourth edition include Allegheny (Pa.), Beloit (Wis.), Clark (Mass.), Hendrix (Ark.), Rhodes (Tenn.), Southwestern University (Texas), and University of Puget Sound (Wash.). Hope College and, for the first time, Hillsdale, are the only other Michigan schools included.

Oswald, as did Pope before her, visited K’s campus to conduct extensive interviews with students, faculty and staff.

She cites characteristics of the K-Plan —the College’s multilayered academic program—as a key to K’s success. These include a solid liberal arts curriculum, study abroad, experiential learning opportunities such as service-learning and leadership development, and a Senior Individualized Project.

“The K-Plan makes so much sense,” says Professor of Biology Binney Girdler in the book. “The first two years are the students’ foundation. The third year, they go far. The fourth year, they go deep. By the end of their time here, we’re willing to coauthor papers with them. That transformation—I’ll never get tired of it.”

According to Oswald, “What happens to students here is remarkable,” and K faculty members are a big reason why. “Over and over again,” she says, “students rave about their teachers, even as they complain about the amount of work. That’s a sign of good teaching.”

As proof a value for a Kalamazoo College education, Oswald cites Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) test results. CLA tests freshmen and seniors for their critical thinking, analytical reasoning, problem solving, and written communications skills.

“CLA examiners compare results across a variety of four-year colleges to answer the question: Are student really learning anything?” writes Oswald. “At Kalamazoo they are. CLA said the students performed well above expected.”

Dean of Students Sarah Westfall describes the K student body: “We have a student body of individuals. There’s very little herd mentality. They feel a call to activism and learning, but they’re also garden variety kids—some from small towns, working-class families, and a good number are first-generation college kids.”

Oswald concludes her chapter on Kalamazoo College with her own observation about its students by saying they are “enthusiast about their learning and thoughtful about their responsibilities to their community. A few conversations with current students will convince you that Kalamazoo’s component parts are remarkable, but if ever there were a place where the effect is greater than the sum of its parts, that place in Kalamazoo College.”

K is a proud partner of CTCL Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement and support of a student-centered college search process. Separate from the book, CTCL Inc. works to dispel publicly held myths about college choice by hosting information sessions nationwide and coordinating outreach efforts with high school counselors and college counseling agencies.

Founded in Kalamazoo, Mich., in 1833, Kalamazoo College (www.kzoo.edu) is a nationally recognized liberal arts college and the creator of the K-Plan that emphasizes rigorous scholarship, learning by practice, leadership development, and both international and intercultural engagement. Its 1,400 students hail from 30 states and 24 countries. Kalamazoo College does more in four years, so students can do more in a lifetime.