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Kalamazoo College Breaks Ground on New Residence Halls

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President Jorge G. Gonzalez
President Jorge G. Gonzalez speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony for two new residence halls at Kalamazoo College.
Student speaks at a lectern
Lily Nestich ’28 speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony for two new residence halls.
Vice President for Student Development Malcolm Smith addresses the attendees at a groundbreaking ceremony
Vice President for Student Development Malcolm Smith addresses the attendees at a groundbreaking ceremony for two new residence halls at Kalamazoo College.

With shovels in hand and students at the heart of the vision, Kalamazoo College broke ground Thursday on new residence halls designed to foster connection, community and academic success.   

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Thursday, June 12, for the $55 million residential facilities that will provide modern and sustainable housing for up to 218 juniors and seniors beginning in fall 2027. Progressive Companies is designing the building and Owen-Ames-Kimball is constructing. A portion of the project’s funding comes from a $30 million gift made in 2023 by an anonymous donor. 

President Jorge G. Gonzalez was joined by Board of Trustees Chair Jody Clark ’80, Vice President for Student Development J. Malcolm Smith and student Lily Nestich ’28 in speaking about the College’s commitment to enhancing the campus experience for students. The event was attended by faculty, staff, students, trustees and community members, including Kalamazoo Mayor David Anderson and Vice Mayor Jeanne Hess. K’s Associate Vice President for Facilities Management Susan Lindemann, Owen-Ames-Kimball Director of Operations (Kalamazoo) Tom Stanek, and Progressive Companies Principal Tod Stevens participated in the ceremony. 

“As an alumna and a trustee, I know firsthand the importance of residential life to the mission of Kalamazoo College and to the student experience,” said Clark. “I’m very excited to see the College continue to evolve and move its long-term strategy forward.” 

Gonzlez highlighted that strategy, noting that, “With this investment, we’re building more than buildings—we’re creating modern, inclusive spaces that foster student growth, advance our sustainability goals and reflect the thoughtful stewardship put forth in our campus master plan. We deeply appreciate the generosity of the donor who provided the initial gift in support of this project, to the many students, faculty, and staff who provided input to our planning process, and to all of the companies and contractors supporting this endeavor.” 

Student speaker Lily Nestich, a member of KC DREAM, a disability student rights organization, highlighted the excitement surrounding the new halls, emphasizing that they are poised to become “the most accessible residence halls on campus.” Nestich added, “Being at K…has taught me a lot about myself and how I can grow with friends and classmates on a campus that not only allows for it, but fosters it. I’m so excited to see how these dorms allow for more students to feel connected to each other.” 

In his remarks, Smith also reflected on the opportunities these residence halls will offer for intentional community-building. The design provides welcoming spaces available to all students, faculty and staff, including a community kitchen, a marketplace, a terrace with outdoor seating that faces the community, and a hall lounge suitable for presentations and programming.  

“A fuller residential model offers powerful benefits to students—greater access to resources, to peers and mentors, and to the development of a sense of belonging,” said Smith. “This opportunity provides a fresh blueprint for how we integrate student living with curricular and co-curricular life.” 

Groundbreaking Ceremony at Kalamazoo College
Tom Stanek of Owen-Ames-Kimball (from left), Kalamazoo College Associate Vice President for Facilities Management Susan Lindemann, Kalamazoo College Board of Trustees Chair Jody Clark ’80, Kalamazoo College President Jorge G. Gonzalez, Kalamazoo College Vice President for Student Development Malcolm Smith, Kalamazoo College student Lily Nestich ’28, Tod Stevens of Progressive Companies and Buzz the Hornet participate in the groundbreaking ceremony for two new residence halls at Kalamazoo College.
President Jorge G. Gonzalez and Mayor David Anderson
President Jorge G. Gonzalez and Mayor David Anderson at the groundbreaking for two new residence halls at Kalamazoo College.

Job Shadows Emphasize Relationships in Hospitality

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A mutually beneficial relationship developed last fall between Kalamazoo College students and Greenleaf Hospitality Group (GHG), as the local business sought new ways to recruit prospective interns and recent college graduates to its employment opportunities.

That’s when GHG—which runs hotels, event centers, restaurants, retail outlets and more in the city—worked with K’s Principles of Marketing class, led by L. Lee Stryker Professor of Business Management Amy MacMillan. Students in the class presented ideas, and one in particular—generated by Savannah Chapie ’27, Jillian Smith ’27, Robert Ahlgren ’27, Matthew Matuza ’27 and Eamonn Burns ’27—received a real-world green light. The five recommended building a new job-shadowing program that could show career-minded students the benefits of the hospitality industry.

“We decided to show people that hospitality has a lot more that goes into it than most people think,” Chapie said. “It has duties like marketing, sales, human resources and more. We also used surveys to ask K and Western Michigan University students what their existing ideas of hospitality were and whether they knew what Greenleaf was and what they wanted out of their career.”

The process generated excitement from students and praise from GHG. Then, when the class ended, Chapie and Smith continued helping the business recruit students, first-year students and sophomores in particular, for spring opportunities.

“We thought first years and sophomores would be best for the job shadow because they were most likely to not yet know what they want to do with their careers,” Smith said. “It was a way to open up the doors for them and get them to see the benefits of the industry.”

It’s not unusual for K students to secure job shadows, but these were distinctive for the ultimate recipients—Victoria Gutierrez ’28, Nolan Jannenga ’27, Avery Hall ’28 and Bradley Eziuka ’28—because the opportunities were developed by two of their fellow students in cooperation with a company located only a mile from campus. The shadows helped the four students gain firsthand experience involving the hospitality industry along with clearer goals for developing their careers.

“I was interested in the job shadow with GHG because of its prior collaboration with Kalamazoo College,” Eziuka said. “I found the opportunity to gain a better understanding of GHG intriguing because I might work with them more as I advance through my school years.”

In addition to their core experiences, the students also shadowed several key departments, including Sales with Director of Sales Laura Ayan, Event Planning with Special Events Producer Lindsay Davies, and Golf Management at Kalamazoo Country Club with Director of Instruction Scott Adland.

All four shadowers spent a full day both downtown and at Kalamazoo Country Club, where they had the opportunity to meet with several organizational leaders, including Recruiting Manager Meg Brake, Finance Director Brian Beam, Vice President of Marketing and Technology Services Sarah Olszowy, and Senior Sales Manager Derrick Ricca. In the afternoon, they also met with Executive Director of Human Resources Stephanie Farrell, who offered personalized advice on their career goals and shared how the hospitality industry can align with a wide range of individual interests.

Did the students chosen find the opportunity to be valuable? Yes, beyond any shadow of a doubt.

“I’d say the opportunity absolutely provided me with clarity regarding my career path and sparked a genuine interest in the hospitality industry,” Eziuka said. “During my conversation with Derrick Ricca, he emphasized the importance of relationships within his department of the business—something I could strongly relate to, as I’ve become increasingly social and have been steadily improving my interpersonal skills. His dedication to the quality and condition of his clients’ experiences further piqued my interest. In addition to Derrick’s insights, Stephanie Farrell offered valuable advice about career development. I shared my interest in wealth management and finance, along with a budding entrepreneurial mindset, and she encouraged me to explore various roles throughout college. She highlighted that understanding that who you become during these experiences can play a crucial role in discovering a career that aligns with your personal goals.”

Chapie and Smith agreed the project was a success from their perspectives—so much so that they will have a chance to improve upon the program in the 2025–26 academic year.

“We hope that this will prove to be just a start for these shadows,” Smith said. “We would like to run these throughout the next few years and let them get bigger, because Greenleaf does have some amazing opportunities that we didn’t even realize were possible until we started working on this project.”

“Maybe going forward, we can have the event once per trimester with 15 students or so in the hopes of helping those undecided on their majors build some career ideas,” Chapie said. “It’s a big deal to be able to network and create opportunities for yourself. And speaking for both of us, it’s been a way to help ourselves network and make more connections, as well.”

Two students doing job shadows at Greenleaf Hospitality Group
Savannah Chapie ’27 (left) and Jillian Smith ’27, two students from Kalamazoo College’s Principles of Marketing class, helped Greenleaf Hospitality Group conduct job shadows designed to interest a new generation of students in the hospitality industry.
Four students with Executive Director of Human Resources Stephanie Farrell during job shadows
Executive Director of Human Resources Stephanie Farrell (middle) meets students during a day of job shadows at Greenleaf Hospitality Group.
Four students attend job shadows
Meg Brake (right) and Rhiannon Zielinski (far left) meet with Kalamazoo College students during a day of job shadows.
Students attend job shadows meeting
Recruiting Manager Meg Brake, Jade Ward and students meet during their job shadows.

Life’s Road Leads Class Speaker, Sherbin Fellow Around the World

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A winding road that led Akinyi Okero ’25 from Kenya to China, the U.S., France and Senegal will soon lead her to the lectern at Kalamazoo College’s Commencement and on to countries such as South Africa, Morocco, Greece and the Netherlands. 

Okero, an international student from Nairobi, will address her fellow graduates on Sunday, June 15, as the speaker for the class of 2025 before she travels the world for 10 months as this year’s Sherbin Fellow. 

The fellowship—consisting of a grant that gives a graduating senior at K an opportunity to explore a topic of personal interest outside the U.S.—was established by alumnus Robert Sherbin ’79 and named after his father. Sherbin participated in study abroad at K by traveling to the University of Nairobi, where he was one of just six undergrads from the U.S. and the only K student. Later, as a senior, he received a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, an external grant through the Watson Foundation, that allowed him to create and follow through with a one-year project overseas. 

Okero—the third beneficiary of the fellowship following Elle Waldron ’23 and Sydney Salgado ’24—attended high school at the United World College Changshu in China before choosing Kalamazoo College. 

“K was one of many schools I could have come to in the U.S., but I specifically liked that K would allow me to focus my education on my strengths while I still learned a breadth of knowledge from different disciplines thanks to its flexible liberal arts system,” Okero said. “For example, I knew the natural sciences were not my strength, and most other universities and colleges would’ve required that I study a core curriculum which would force me to study sciences like physics, biology or chemistry. Here at K, I followed my own plan. It was also important for me to find a small and close-knit environment where I could shine in my own way. K has worked out well, and I am beyond grateful to be this year’s Sherbin Fellow and the student Commencement speaker.” 

Okero didn’t expect to provide a Commencement speech when she applied to be a graduation weekend speaker. Instead, she originally hoped to talk at Baccalaureate on Saturday, June 14, in front of a much smaller audience at Stetson Chapel. But after setting aside the introverted side of her personality and the initial surprise, she said she grew excited to address her classmates. Attendees can expect her to provide a nostalgic view into her four years at K and how they have shaped who she has become. 

“There’s one line where I say ‘the 18-year-old I was then is not the 22-year-old I am now, but I have retained the same essence. I am bolder and louder in some ways and softer in others,'” Okero said. “Overall, I am definitely brighter, and I think that that stands true for all of us in the class of 2025.” 

Okero studied abroad in Strasbourg, France, and she performed the research for her Senior Integrated Project (SIP) by traveling to Dakar, Senegal, and Nairobi, Kenya, where she learned about contemporary African art and explored how it reflects identity and shapes unity. 

“Dakar is a city that I’ve come to enjoy visiting and Nairobi will always be home,” Okero said. “Despite the majority of my studies being in the social sciences, I have always been creative and wanted to expand my focus by merging my interests. That’s what my SIP allowed me to do.”  

The experience, supported by grants through the Center for International Programs and K’s Office of the Provost, confirmed for Okero how much she enjoys traveling, and she said that it’s become an intrinsic part of her. 

“I love getting to know a place by having conversations with people while I travel,” Okero said. “It’s incredible how much I learn just by being in a space that is out of my comfort zone. I first experienced that while studying at UWC Changshu China, where I learned more about myself and others in ways that I don’t think I could have by simply reading books or watching the news about the place. Coming to the U.S., I have experienced the same thing, and I thought, ‘Why not continue this?’ This opportunity with the Sherbin Fellowship is just that.” 

Okero is the vice president and a former president of the Refugee Outreach Collective at K, a student organization that raises awareness regarding refugees and their struggles, while connecting volunteers with nonprofit organizations that offer displaced people the resources they need. She is also president of KalamaAfrica, a student organization that celebrates African and diaspora cultures at K. In that same spirit, she will travel to South Africa, Morocco, Greece, the Netherlands and possibly Malaysia thanks to the Sherbin Fellowship. All of them, she said, have populations of migrants and histories of a variety of ethnicities living together.  

“I want to learn more about the history, reasoning and culture of each place,” she said. “I want to know how the migrants keep their culture, and how the host communities are reacting to an influx of new people in their space. Are they accommodating or are they more averse to it? As an international student, I have had to constantly consider how to hold onto my own culture, while allowing my new experiences to shape me. This has prompted my project for the fellowship, and because of it I can explore this same phenomenon both for migrants and host communities.” 

Okero is in the process of solidifying the specifics of her itinerary and is hopeful for a reflective and adventure-filled experience. In the meantime, she would like to thank the alumnus who is making her experience possible. 

“In having conversations with him, I could see how much we both understand the importance of traveling to new spaces and learning more about yourself and people in the process,” she said. “I also enjoyed hearing from him about his time at K. He studied abroad in my country, Kenya, and then told me that he lived in Hong Kong, so we realized that we both have lived in Kenya, the U.S. and regions of China. It was evident that we have a mutual understanding of how travel can affect one’s life in the best way possible. I’m so grateful that someone is championing that opportunity for others.” 

Sherbin Fellow Akinyi Okero
Akinyi Okero ’25 will address the class of 2025 at Commencement on Sunday, June 15.
Sherbin Fellow Akinyi Okero
Okero, an international student from Kenya, studied abroad in Strasbourg, France.
Sherbin Fellow Akinyi Okero
Okero, who visited Senegal while conducting her SIP, will visit countries such as South Africa, Morocco, Greece and the Netherlands as the 2025 Sherbin Fellow. 

Food Justice Research Bears Fruit at Sustainability Symposium

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It’s easy to think of issues that revolve around plant and animal life, greenhouse gas emissions and clean drinking water when it comes to studying sustainability and environmentalism. But what about food justice?

The food justice movement examines disparities in food access and health outcomes while seeking ways to provide all with nutritious, affordable and culturally appropriate food. At the same time, it promotes sustainable food systems that prioritize local and ethical production, reducing reliance on industrial agriculture and its associated environmental costs including reducing greenhouse gas emissions, water usage and land degradation.

Enter Tali Deaner ’25. With her Senior Integrated Project (SIP) addressing food justice, she was among 12 Kalamazoo College students who recently presented their research at the 2025 sustainability SIP symposium, sponsored by the Larry J. Bell ’80 Environmental Stewardship Center and K’s environmental studies concentration.

SIPs at K are capstone experiences, a lot like a senior thesis. Students are free to design their own project within their personal and professional interests in partnership with an advisor, and they’re always presented within a department symposium that aligns with a student’s major or chosen subject matter.

In Deaner’s case, she first highlighted her work through the Department of Anthropology and Sociology. However, students like her also find opportunities to present in additional specialty symposiums, if they so choose, leading to Deaner’s participation in the sustainability seminar.

“We have a lot of people who care about sustainability at K, but they don’t always know what to do about that,” Deaner said. “This symposium helped me talk to new people and they seemed to react well to my research. I’m glad I had the opportunity to do it.”

Deaner first got interested in food justice at K while working as a Civic Engagement Scholar for Club Grub through the Mary Jane Underwood Stryker Center for Civic Engagement. Founded in 2009, Club Grub is an afterschool program at Kalamazoo Public Schools’ Woodward Elementary that explores healthful eating and gardening. Woodward and K students share experiences and ideas about what they eat and where their food comes from. Each week they make a snack or meal together, often inspiring the K and Woodward students to try a new food for the first time.

In her research, though, Deaner examines food justice from a historical perspective by looking at issues such as real estate redlining, food access and food apartheid, which have contributed to food injustice up to the present day. She hopes an examination of the past could help the city gain a better understanding of what Kalamazoo can do in partnership with local organizations going forward, so residents can have equitable access to nutritious, affordable and culturally appropriate food.

“My message to the city of Kalamazoo would be to listen to the people who are already doing the work,” she said. “Organizations like the foodbank Loaves and Fishes, Chartwells—which is the Kalamazoo Public Schools food provider—and the Kalamazoo Valley Community College Food Hub are doing some great things. But there’s a job for everyone. We need the involvement of people who pass out food at food banks, the fundraisers for local organizations, and the people at the Western Michigan University medical school, who map food access for the sake of pediatrics.”

Deaner’s project is one example of how the sustainability seminars are growing while including projects from various disciplines and continuing to build momentum through students and their advisors. This year alone, for example, Brooke Dolhay ’25 conducted research in the Philippines examining coral reefs there and why so many of them are dying; Lucas Priemer ’25 measured the circumference of specific trees at the Lillian Anderson Arboretum to estimate how much carbon they capture, showing the value of a forest in sustainability; and Westin Grinwis ’25 integrated traditional ecological practices into outdoor orientation programs such as K’s LandSea.

“I couldn’t have been prouder of this year’s presenters,” said Binney Girdler, a professor of biology and the director of K’s environmental studies program. “They worked really hard on their posters and narratives, and it showed. They knew their projects backwards and forwards; not one used or needed notes to give their presentation. After the event, I heard from several College and community members about how professional and engaging the students were. We had great turnout from younger students, friends, family, faculty, staff and community members. The fact that the event had such positive vibes when the subjects covered included so many dire problems humanity faces is entirely due to the passion and caliber of our sustainability minded students.”

Tali Deaner presents her food justice research at the 2025 Sustainability SIP Symposium
Tali Deaner ’25 was among 12 Kalamazoo College students who recently presented their research at the 2025 sustainability SIP symposium, sponsored by the Larry J. Bell ’80 Environmental Stewardship Center and K’s environmental studies concentration.
Student presents his sustainability Senior Integrated Project
Noah Pyle ’25 presents his research at the sustainability symposium.
Student presenting her sustainability poster
Ivy Walker ’25 presented her SIP on how the survival of Earth relies on a holistic approach to preserving and restoring nature’s most delicate and crucial biological systems.
Professor of Biology Binney Girdler addresses SIP projects including one on food justice
Professor of Biology and Director of Environmental Studies Binney Girdler addresses attendees of the 2025 sustainability SIP symposium.

Kalamazoo College Announces 2025 Commencement Speaker and Honorary Degree Recipients

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Kalamazoo College will welcome Jody Olsen, former director of the Peace Corps and former trustee of the College as its keynote speaker for the 2025 Commencement Ceremony on Sunday, June 15, at 10 a.m. on the campus Quad.

Olsen is a lifelong leader in international service and education, known for her decades-long commitment to global engagement, public health, and cross-cultural exchange. She began her career as a Peace Corps volunteer in Tunisia (1966–68) and held multiple leadership roles within the agency, including acting director; deputy director; chief of staff; regional director, North Africa, Near East, Asia, Pacific; and country director in Togo.

Olsen was nominated to be the director of the Peace Corps in 2018 and served in this role until 2021. As the COVID-19 pandemic spread globally, Olsen made the unprecedented decision to evacuate all 7,000 Peace Corps volunteers from 61 countries and successfully orchestrated their safe return to the United States. She then developed a comprehensive reentry plan for volunteers to return to service. During her tenure, Olsen launched the Virtual Service Pilot Program, opened a new Peace Corps program in Vietnam and re-opened service to three countries in which Peace Corps had previously served. She also championed global women’s economic empowerment and led Peace Corps HIV/AIDS mitigation efforts in Africa.

Outside of the Peace Corps, she has served as a visiting professor and founder of the Center for Global Education Initiatives at the University of Maryland-Baltimore, where she led interdisciplinary global health projects. Her other leadership roles have included senior vice president of the Academy for Educational Development; vice president of Youth for Understanding, a national student exchange organization; and executive director of the Council for International Exchange of Scholars, the organization that administers the Fulbright Senior Scholar Program.

A former trustee of Kalamazoo College (2010–18), Olsen currently serves on several nonprofit boards, including as co-president of Women of Peace Corps Legacy, chair of the Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation Advisory Board and chair of the Board of Visitors for the College of Education, University of Maryland. Her memoir, A Million Miles: My Peace Corps Journey, was published in 2024.

Olsen received a B.S. from the University of Utah, a master’s in social work from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and a Ph.D. in human development from the University of Maryland, College Park. Among her honors, she received the University of Maryland President’s Award in 2021, two honorary doctorates and a teaching fellowship at Harvard’s Kennedy School. 

Olsen will receive an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Kalamazoo College.

Additionally, an honorary doctorate of humane letters will be presented to another individual who has been a champion for independent higher education, Ronda Stryker.

Stryker is a member of the Board of Directors for Stryker Corp., the medical equipment company founded by her grandfather, Homer Stryker. She also serves as the vice chair of Greenleaf Trust and vice chair of Spelman College’s Board of Trustees.

A stalwart champion of access and equity in higher education, Stryker began her career in public school special education. Her subsequent service and generosity in support of independent higher education has been recognized by the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) with their 2018 Award for Philanthropy for her work with Kalamazoo College, Spelman College and her alma mater, University of Northern Colorado, among other schools. Her giving has funded scholarships, endowed faculty chairs and capital campaigns at these institutions.

An emerita trustee of Kalamazoo College, she served on the Board for 28 years and co-chaired the Campaign for Kalamazoo College under President Emerita Eileen Wilson-Oyelaran. She has supported the College with her philanthropy, time and advocacy. Among other investments in K, she established the Mary Jane Underwood Stryker Center for Civic Engagement in 2001, named for her grandmother.

Portrait of 2025 Commencement Speaker Jody Olsen
Jody Olsen, a former director of the Peace Corps and Kalamazoo College trustee will be the keynote speaker at the 2025 Commencement on Sunday, June 15. She also will receive an honorary doctorate of humane letters from the College.
Ronda Stryker
Ronda Stryker will receive an honorary doctorate of humane letters at the 2025 Commencement for her work as a champion of independent higher education.

At Spelman, Stryker supported renovations to its historic Sisters Chapel, established the Gordon-Zeto Center for Global Education and in 2024 bestowed upon the college a transformational gift for student scholarships and other critical strategic needs.

Stryker also has provided philanthropic support that has had a profound impact on Kalamazoo-area organizations, including a gift to help establish the WMU Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine in 2011. She is a strong advocate for the benefits of diversity and her philanthropic interests are focused on the empowerment of women and support of non-traditional student enhancement programs at colleges and universities.

Stryker received her B.A. from the University of Northern Colorado and her M.A. from Western Michigan University. Her honors have included an honorary doctorate from University of Northern Colorado and a YWCA Lifetime Women of Achievement Award.

For more information about the commencement ceremony, including a full schedule of events, please visit our website.

City Events, Off-Campus Studio Draw Art Students Downtown

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A visit to the off-campus community studio and several Senior Integrated Projects (SIPs) painted a picture of life at Kalamazoo College during the city’s Art Hop festivities in May. During the monthly celebration that draws crowds to downtown Kalamazoo, the Park Trades Center, 326 W. Kalamazoo Ave., was the ultimate place for the local arts community to be. 

Located only about a mile from campus, the Park Trades Center has been leasing space to artists and artisans for more than 30 years. A former manufacturing facility, this 105-year-old building has 95 studio spaces, including space used by Kalamazoo College since about 2010. Art students from K gather there throughout their senior year beginning with their SIP-preparation class in fall. That continues in winter as they work independently, and in spring when advisors meet with students. Every so often, the facility hosts Art Hop, giving students a spotlight within the city. 

Josie Checkett ’25 was among the seniors who exhibited her work and benefited from the Park Trades Center this year. Her SIP, titled Shooting the Moon and Other Failures, represented her journey with growing up and the big changes that took place when she left behind her teenage years to become a young adult.  

“When I became a senior and got studio space in the Park Trades Center to start working on my SIP, going there almost every day to work shifted my mindset from being an art student to being an artist,” Checkett said. “You get exposed to more opportunities to show work, you meet other people who work or have studios in the building, and you’re not beholden to the hours and resources of the Light Fine Arts building. If you do it right, it’s almost like doing a residency.” 

The main area of K’s community studio at the Park Trades Center is used as a classroom and a critique and exhibition space, with the rest split into individual spaces for each studio art major or SIP student to work. In a typical year, about 12 to 15 students conduct studio SIPs in the department, Professor of Art Sarah Lindley said. 

“Students have 24-hour access throughout the year, and many use the studio throughout the long winter break, which provides continuity in addition to an accessible workspace,” Lindley said. “The space is managed by a post-baccalaureate fellow, who is a working artist and also has a studio in the space. The fellow serves as a liaison between on- and off-campus resources, a mentor for students, a safety monitor for tool use, an exhibition coordinator and a helper with other essential programming in the department.” 

Jacob Converse is the current post-baccalaureate fellow and he relishes his studio manager title. He said students and faculty are lucky to share the Park Trades Center with many working artists and people in trades of several varieties. The professionals include glass blowers, furniture and cabinetry makers, book binders, papermakers, barbers and photographers. It even has a wallpaper-printing studio. 

“Art Hops are an exciting event with many Park Trades Center members opening their doors to the public to explore, shop and meet others interested in the arts,” Converse said. “It’s a hallmark experience for our students who gain vital exhibition experience along with the benefits of sharing ideas and receiving constructive feedback for future endeavors.” 

Art Hop is an important part of the student experience for all levels of students. The studio hosts art hop exhibitions for seniors in fall and winter, which highlight the different stages of SIP development, and the spring features the department show. There were even a few non-art majors included this year because the students enjoyed their art classes and were proud of what they created. 

“I know many of the students who attended this year’s Art Hop enjoyed meeting some local alumni, and many of the recently declared art majors are looking forward to working here, as they appreciated this exciting introduction to the studio space and its multifunctionality,” Converse said. 

Art Hop displays at the Park Trades Center studio
Kalamazoo College art students gather at the Park Trades Center throughout their senior year beginning with their SIP-preparation class in fall. That continues in winter as they work independently, and in spring when advisors meet with students. Every so often, the facility also hosts Art Hop, giving students a spotlight within the city.
Josie Checkett with artwork from her Senior Integrated Project
Josie Checkett ’25 was among the seniors who exhibited her work at and benefited from the Park Trades Center this year.
Art Hop displays at the Park Trades Center studio
The annual student show at the Park Trades Center remains a highlight of the academic year for Kalamazoo College art students with many venturing off campus to share their work and participate in the local arts community.  

Lindley said the Gilmore Foundation supported the Park Trades Center for several years, and there have been numerous community collaborations there over the years, including partnerships with the Mary Jane Underwood Stryker Center for Civic Engagement along with some student-run community projects. The pandemic changed that somewhat. But the annual student show remains a highlight, with many students venturing off campus to share their work and participate in the local arts community.  

Checkett says she hopes that students will continue to push their arts horizons there. 

“It’s easy, especially when you live on campus, to forget we are living within an entire community, and one that has a very active art scene at that,” Checkett said. “Both showing work at Art Hop and attending other parts of the event gets students out into that community. When you’re an art student and your studio time, your critiques, most of the other art you see on a daily basis is all made by your direct peers, it’s good to broaden that scope. The Park Trades Center provides a valuable experience.” 

Six New Heyl Scholars to Attend K in 2025–26

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Six Kalamazoo County high school students seeking to major in STEM-related fields will attend Kalamazoo College in the 2025-26 academic year as Heyl scholars.   

The Heyl Scholarship Fund was established in 1971 through the will of Dr. Frederick Heyl and Mrs. Elsie Heyl. Frederick Heyl was the first chemist at The Upjohn Company, later becoming a vice president and the company’s first director of research. When he retired in 1945, he had contributed scientifically to about 80 research papers and patents while also teaching chemistry at Kalamazoo College. He maintained a lifelong passion for science and education and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree from K in 1937.     

Since then, Heyl scholarships have enabled hundreds of high school graduates from Kalamazoo County to attend Kalamazoo College for STEM-focused majors or Western Michigan University for nursing, with renewable benefits for up to four years that cover tuition, fees, housing and a book allowance.    

This year’s K recipients of the scholarships and their high schools are:   

  • Methmi Amaratunga​, Portage Central and the Kalamazoo Area Mathematics and Science Center (KAMSC)  
  • Stephanie Castillo​, Kalamazoo Central  
  • Eiden Jonaitis​, Loy Norrix and KAMSC 
  • Dewen Luo-Li​, Portage Central and KAMSC 
  • Gwendolyn MacEwen​, Portage Central and KAMSC 
  • Kaljona Thanmanavar​, Kalamazoo Central and KAMSC 
Eight students chosen as Heyl scholars for 2025-26
The 2025 Heyl scholars include (back row from left) Fiona Braun, Kaljona Thanmanavar, Margaret Winter and Gwendolyn MacEwen. Front row from left: Stephanie Castillo, Eiden Jonaitis, Methmi Amaratunga and Dewen Luo-Li.

Two additional Heyl scholars—Fiona Braun​ of Loy Norrix and Margaret Winter of Parchment and KAMSC—will attend the Western Michigan University Bronson School of Nursing. 

Kalamazoo College Singers to Present Michigan Premiere

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The Kalamazoo College Singers will present the Michigan premiere of Hymnody of Earth, a song cycle composed by musician and choral director Malcolm Dalglish, at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 20, at K’s Stetson Chapel, 1200 Academy St. 

The composer himself will play the virtuosic hammered dulcimer and will be joined by International Percussion Ensemble Director Carolyn Koebel on percussion. Associate Professor of Music Chris Ludwa will be conducting the 45-voice college choir. 

This 70-minute program features 19 songs, many of which are inspired by eco-poet Wendell Berry. This is the fourth time Ludwa has directed the piece, having previously led three performances in Indiana. He notes that the work is an all-time favorite among participating singers and audiences. 

Hymnody features the hammered dulcimer, an ancient instrument, often considered an ancestor of the piano, that has been popular in various cultures, including in the Middle East and Europe. Dalglish and Koebel are performing the piece with several other choirs in the Midwest this spring. 

While a music education student at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Dalglish designed and built more than 60 hammer dulcimers. He was a founding member of the popular folk trio Metamora and has nine albums, including solo offerings on the Windham Hill label. The American Boychoir, the St. Olaf Choir, the Indianapolis Children’s Choir and others have commissioned his folk-inspired music. In 1997, he formed the Oolites, an engaging young group of folk singers. Hymnody of Earth was their second CD; it is a spiritual celebration of nature that has been performed by choirs around the world. 

The Kalamazoo College Singers, outside Stetson Chapel, will perform with Malcolm Dalglish
The Kalamazoo College Singers are a mixed soprano, alto, tenor and bass choir.
Composer Malcolm Dalglish
Composer Malcolm Dalglish
Associate Professor of Music Chris Ludwa directing the Kalamazoo College Singers
Associate Professor of Music Chris Ludwa serves as the director of the Kalamazoo College Singers.
International Percussion Director Carolyn Koebel to perform with Kalamazoo College Singers
International Percussion Director Carolyn Koebel

“Dalglish’s songs are instantly accessible to anyone, yet somehow speak to the deepest part of our being on a soul level,” Ludwa said. “I’ve encountered few composers that can move both the skeptic and the most devout in the same way. His music is a balm to the weary human as he knits ancient musical traditions, texts that magically describe the magnificence of nature, and melodic and harmonic material that sends shivers up the spine and brings tears to the eyes.” 

Tickets will be available at the door for a suggested donation of $15. For more information, contact Ludwa at 231-225-8877 or cludwa@kzoo.edu.  

‘Little Shop of Horrors’ Takes Root at K

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Something big, green and hungry is taking root at Kalamazoo College this week with Mo Silcott ’27 and Lee Zwart ’27 bringing it to life. The two will provide the puppetry behind the Audrey II, a giant plant with a taste for trouble, in the dark musical comedy Little Shop of Horrors, presented by the Festival Playhouse May 15–18. 

In the play, Seymour—a wallflower of an assistant at Mr. Mushnik’s plant shop—desires Audrey, a beautiful co-worker who dates a sadistic dentist. After a sudden solar eclipse, Seymour finds a mysterious plant that looks like a Venus fly trap and names it the Audrey II.  

Despite Seymour’s best efforts, Audrey II sickens until Seymour pricks his finger on a thorn, causing the plant to hungrily open its pod. Business begins to blossom for the shop as the bloodthirsty Audrey II grows like a weed. The situation, however, seeds problems, forcing Seymour to nip them in the bud. Max Goldner ’27 portrays Seymour, James Hauke ’26 plays Mr. Mushnik, Sophia Merchant ’25 performs as Audrey, and Drew Oss ’28 presents Orin the Dentist. 

Two "Little Shop of Horrors" actors with the Audrey II puppet
Sophia Merchant ’25 portrays Audrey and Max Goldner ’27 plays Seymour in “Little Shop of Horrors Thursday–Sunday at the Festival Playhouse of Kalamazoo College. Audrey II puppet provided by Cameron McEachern.

“Little Shop has always been one of my favorite shows, and I think the plot speaks to a lot of Americans’ current situation, whether that be in the same sense as Seymour or not,” Silcott said. “We might want to get out of a bad spot, to be somewhere that isn’t the harsh reality we find ourselves in during our day-to-day life. Little Shop gives the audience a chance to laugh at that a little bit and digest those realities in a show that manages to take itself seriously while also finding places for laughter.” 

Bringing the botanical behemoth to life is no small feat, but Silcott and Zwart are up for the challenge. The Festival Playhouse is renting the puppets with Silcott performing as the smaller Audrey II in the first act and Zwart performing as the full-grown beast in the second act. 

“One of the biggest challenges of performing the role of Audrey II is having to sit still on stage for about 25 minutes,” Silcott said. “Most of my acting consists of me sitting idly, and I didn’t realize how hard it is to actually just sit in one position with a full costume on, one that is stuffed with extremely warm materials. It’s very difficult to not move in a puppet that is a lot of fun to operate.” 

Zwart potentially faces an even bigger challenge, wearing a harness that allows him to operate an upper and a lower pod of the Audrey II plant: He faces a full-body workout while synching his movements with an offstage voice. 

“It’s physically taxing,” Zwart said. “I have to maneuver all of myself around to move this puppet and it’s pretty heavy and hot.”  

After weeks of such exertion, Zwart is looking forward to opening night.   

“It’s always fun to practice a play just running through it, but hearing the audience laughing and clapping is really very rewarding, especially for a play that’s as over the top as Little Shop.” 

The student-led production promises big vocals, bold costumes and plenty of leafy-green surprises, providing the cast and crew with ambitious challenges. The musical will be staged at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 15–Saturday, May 17, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 18, in the Festival Playhouse Theatre at 129 Thompson St. Thursday’s show will include a talkback with the cast after the performance. Tickets are available online or by calling the Festival Playhouse at 269.337.7333. 

“I’m really looking forward to the audience’s reaction to the puppets,” Silcott said. “I can’t see too much, so all of my cues and understanding of how my performance is going, is through sound. The best part of a production like this is seeing the audience’s initial reaction to each of the puppets, and that gives me a lot of motivation to perform and to perform well. Working with this cast has been a truly incredible experience and I’m especially excited to perform with them in the coming week.”