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Student Filmmakers Praise Instructor, Showcase

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After a pandemic pause, a favorite Homecoming tradition returned in October, showcasing the creative talents of Kalamazoo College film and media studies students. A film festival featuring the introductory and advanced students in classes led by Visiting Instructor Danny Kim, allowed alumni to peek behind the curtain and see how students hone artistic skills through documentary filmmaking. After the screening, alumni asked questions of the filmmakers to learn more about the projects and applauded the students’ talents.

The projects required students to take B-roll footage to supplement the main footage, conduct about four interviews and use a filming technique called framing that shows the interviewee looking somewhere other than at the camera. Three of the student producers recently shared what they learned from their experiences.

Homecoming film festival with instructor and filmmakers
Visiting Instructor Danny Kim (from left), and students Ethan Galler, Davis Henderson, Alex Quesada, Megan McGarry, Emma Frederiksen and Jane Bentley, all from the class of 2025, attend the Homecoming Film Festival.

‘Saturday Night Live’ if it Had No Budget

Davis Henderson ’25 put K’s TV-production class in the spotlight with “ARTX-200,” a film named for the course taught by media producer and studio instructor Jaakan Page-Wood.

“To quote Jaakan, it’s very much like Saturday Night Live if Saturday Night Live was filmed on a Thursday afternoon by amateurs with no money, and was at 4:15,” Henderson said. “It was a great time, and I wanted to give it more attention. It’s definitely helped me find a space at K where I’m able to make stuff.”

“ARTX-200” presents Henderson’s peers as they explain how the course provided a creative outlet they had yet to find elsewhere on campus. Henderson, a theatre major who plans to pursue voice acting, developed an interest in filmmaking as a child when he and his brother began making skit videos with his mom’s photography equipment along with editing tools such as iMovie.

“ARTX-200” by Davis Henderson ’25

“Documentary filmmaking is interesting to me because it’s challenging,” Henderson said. “When something unexpected happens, you can’t restart. There’s no script and you pick it up as it goes. I can open up a history book and get bored. But being able to open a documentary, and see and hear what people are talking about, provides demonstrations that allow your imagination to take over. This is probably the most influential and crucial class I’ve taken here at K. I was able to create something tangible that will go in my portfolio and use it to get a job.”

An Art Form That’s Interesting and Exciting

Jane Bentley ’25 took a much more serious issue of importance to her and created “Students for Justice in Palestine,” a film about the student organization of the same name.

The film opens with Suha Qashou ’24—then president of K’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP)—leading a vigil outside the Light Fine Arts building, surrounded by signs and supporters. She discusses her desire to commemorate the lives lost in Gaza in an honorable way.

The subject matter provided Bentley with some challenges.

“Between rallies and meetings, I set up a lot of my shots so a lot of people wouldn’t be identifiable for two reasons,” Bentley said. “First, I wasn’t confident that I was going to get a release form for every single person who might be there. And also, when you’re making something about the pro-Palestinian movement, especially in the immediate aftermath of October 7, you have to consider that leaving someone recognizable could put them in a vulnerable position.”

“Students for Justice in Palestine” by Jane Bentley ’25

Regardless, Kim’s class provided Bentley a chance to be expressive in an inclusive fashion that was supportive of all the student members of SJP.

“If you have something in your life that you think is worth talking about, the best way to get people interested in it is to package it in a form that’s interesting and exciting,” Bentley said. “I think a documentary can be the best way you to do that.”

A Day to Live Graciously

Unlike Bentley or Henderson, Ethan Galler ’25 had the problem of being uncertain when circumstances would allow him to film the bulk of his footage given his subject matter, K’s Day of Gracious Living.

“This is DOGL” captures student voices and some thoughts from Vice President for Student Development Malcolm Smith the day before DOGL 2023. They discussed the importance of the traditional day off toward the end of the spring term as well as the history of it being a secret date selected by student government representatives and revealed in advance only to a few administrators.

Thankfully, Galler scheduled the interviews in advance through some sleuthing and logical conclusions.

“This is DOGL” by Ethan Galler ’25

“It was getting close to the end of the term, and either DOGL was the day it was or there would’ve been conflicts with other student events,” he said. “We picked the day before for interviews and hoped for the best.”

Despite cloudy and cool conditions for DOGL, Galler collected footage of a good number of students having fun at the beach in South Haven and supplemented it with footage from K’s archives of previous DOGL activities.

The end product and his enjoyment of the creative process led him to echo Henderson and Bentley’s praise for their instructor and the advantages of taking the class.

“It’s always good to have a little variety in the classes you take, especially if you’re a K student,” Galler said. “Everybody can be a fan of film in their own way, and making a documentary, you get to see behind the curtain with a production. It’s a fun experience.”

All the student videos from the film festival are available on YouTube. Click the links below to watch the others.

Featured Filmmakers

The other student filmmakers featured in the film festival and their projects included the following. Links are included where available:

  • Ian Burr ’24: “Football,” spotlighting K football players and what their sport means to them.
  • Sam Douma ’26: “Via Ferrata,” in which a voracious duo aims to harness their raw musical energy despite being young and distracted.
  • Emma Frederiksen ’25: “Growing with Disability,” showcasing three K students who describe their experiences navigating adulthood and transitioning into college while living with a disability.
  • Alek Hultberg ’26: “Tom Evans,” showing students and friends of Music Professor Tom Evans honoring him as he prepares to retire.
  • Caleb Kipnis ’26: “How to Run Hillel,” presenting insights into the Jewish student organization Hillel and its board members’ roles in planning and executing an event.
  • Megan McGarry ’25: “Clay and Community,” with ceramics students collaborating to make art pieces in response to a problematic mural.
  • Alex Quesada ’25: “Train Swag,” featuring cities, states and people that can seem far apart, but with a train, the world becomes smaller and connected communities get bigger.
  • Amalia Scorsone ’24: “A SuperKut of Us,” with friends discussing the importance of their time at K as they approach graduation.
  • Luke Torres ’25: “Squishmallows,” in which Jenna Paterob ’23 reveals her obsession with Squishmallows toys.
  • Tariq Williams ’23: “Sustainability at Kalamazoo College,” showing K’s efforts in sustainability and the impact of recycling on campus.
“Football” by Ian Burr ’24
“Train Swag” by Alex Quesada ’25.
“A SuperKut of Us” by Amalia Scorsone ’24

K Faculty Member Co-Edits Contemporary Queer Art Book

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Anne Marie Butler, assistant professor of art history and women, gender and sexuality at Kalamazoo College, co-edited a new book, Queer Contemporary Art of Southwest Asia North Africa (Intellect Press, 2024), with Sascha Crasnow, assistant professor of art history at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. 

Part of the Critical Studies in Architecture of the Middle East series, the book presents new perspectives on queer visual culture in the Southwest Asia North Africa (SWANA) region from artists and scholars. In addition to serving as editors, Butler and Crasnow wrote one of the chapters, “Transing Contemporary Art: Aïcha Snoussi and Khaled Jarrar.”  

The book is important because it stands as the first volume to consider this particular intersection of geographical location, visual arts and queer studies, Butler said—hopefully, the first of many.  

“Obviously, it’s a resource for people to learn about queer visual culture in the region and at diaspora, but Sascha and I very much don’t want this book to define that field,” Butler said. “We are more interested in the book generating questions, responses and new inquiry than marking off a territory. We hope it is used to build on.” 

 Each of the book’s three sections—Unfixed Genders, Intersectional Sexualities, and Sites and Spaces—includes at least one of each type of chapter: scholarly essay, interview and artist contribution. 

“I think it’s unique to have that many interviews, and having artists’ contributions is a little bit unique to scholarly volumes,” Butler said. “Especially since this is about contemporary art, we wanted to have those artists’ voices represented. The artists’ contributions are one of my favorite parts of this book. It’s fantastic to read artists talking about their own work in this context.’” 

With her research focused on contemporary Tunisian art with an emphasis on gender, sexuality and the state, Butler has long cultivated connection with the artists she studies. Working on this volume allowed her to continue that approach while broadening her lens.

“This volume was great for me to be able to think about some of the things I read, and some of the things that my scholarship is in conversation with, in a little bit bigger way,” Butler said. “Continuing to work with the artists and the people that I’ve made connections with has been important to me. I want to continue to build and maintain those relationships. I also want to continue to ask different questions and ask questions in different ways.” 

The work of building relationships served Butler well as she and Crasnow prioritized contributions to the book from people living in the SWANA region, representing diaspora and bringing different perspectives and experiences to the collection. 

“We have fewer contributors living in the region than we might have liked to, which is a product of some of the tensions that this volume embodies,” Butler said. “This book comes at an unparalleled moment of queer global visibility, and with queer and trans visibility, there’s always this paradox where it’s good that people are more visible, but also it can put people in danger. There’s also, on the larger scale, cultural imperialism, problems with global flows of scholarship, extractive scholarship, misguided ideas about saving LGBTQ people from their cultures, and a homogenization of a global queerness that is the Euro-American perspective of what queerness is. Visibility comes with all of these complications that we need to be really attentive to.” 

Queer Contemporary Art Co-Editor Anne Marie Butler
Anne Marie Butler, assistant professor of art history and women, gender and sexuality at Kalamazoo College, co-edited a new book, “Queer Contemporary Art of Southwest Asia North Africa.”
Butler Queer Contemporary Art book cover
“Queer Contemporary Art of Southwest Asia North Africa” is available from the publisher at intellectdiscover.com. 

Gayatri Gopinath, a preeminent scholar on visual culture and queer studies, wrote a forward to the book that Butler believes helps to contextualize the importance of the book at this moment.  

“Anne Marie Butler and Sascha Crasnow’s astute framing of the uses of a trans methodology in the study of contemporary SWANA art is a reflection on the mobility of many of the artists they study,” the forward says. “For Butler and Crasnow, to actively trans SWANA contemporary art is to foreground flux and fluidity, and movement over origin or destination, as well as to jettison rigid identity categories. … The very formations of ‘SWANA,’ ‘queerness,’ and even ‘contemporary art’ are predicated on an acknowledgement of the difference, heterogeneity, and incommensurability of the various social and aesthetic formations that fall within these capacious rubrics. Rather than flattening out difference to create a coherent, homogenous whole, the contributors to this volume attend to the particularities, divergences and incoherences within and between these categories. They suggest that it is perhaps only in the recognition of the radical difference and unknowability of the other that a truly ethical relationality can be forged.” 

Although the edited scholarly volume is primarily intended for an academic audience, Butler believes that the artist interviews and contributions make parts of it accessible to anyone who is interested. She hopes people will encourage their libraries to purchase the volume, making it available to a larger audience, since they were unable to secure the funding to publish the book online with open access. 

“I think it’s a really special book, and I think that a lot of times when people hear edited volume or academic collection, they think, ‘Oh, that’s not something that I would enjoy reading or looking at.’ But I think that this book has a lot to offer a lot of different people.”

Butler has taught at K since 2019. She holds a Ph.D. in global gender and sexuality studies from the University at Buffalo, an M.A. in arts politics from New York University, and a B.A. in art history and French from Scripps College.

Queer Contemporary Art of Southwest Asia North Africa is available from the publisher at intellectdiscover.com. 

Co-Editor-in-Chief Provides a Behind-the-Scenes Look at ‘The Index’

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Three Kalamazoo College students—Lily Stickley ’25, Bernice Mike ’26 and Kennedy West ’27—have joined the office of Marketing and Communication this term as social media ambassadors to openly share their on-campus experiences with prospective students and families. Lily, a Loy Norrix High School graduate from Kalamazoo, is a double major in English and women, gender and sexuality. Her activities include serving The Index, K’s student newspaper, as its co-editor-in-chief.

We asked Lily to give us a behind-the-scenes look at producing an issue of the paper and here’s what she had to say. Look for the latest edition of The Index across campus on Thursday, November 14, or find it online at index.kzoo.edu.

The Index is the Kalamazoo College student newspaper. Established in 1877, it is the oldest college newspaper in the state of Michigan.

I started writing for The Index my first year at K, when the whole newspaper was only six people in total. But I fell in love with journalism when I was writing for my high school newspaper, Loy Norrix Knight Life. Knight Life was entirely online, so when I came to K and was able to write for a physical paper and see my name in print, I was beyond excited!

Because the staff was so small my first year, I almost immediately became the news editor for The Index. I have stayed in that role since. I have stepped up to start working as the co-editor-in-chief along with Jose Lopez Bernal ‘27 while the actual editors-in-chief are studying abroad. An editor-in-chief at The Index is like a club president, but because we are writing and publishing, they are the people who get the final say in whether something gets published. We also make the final edits to the papers to make sure they are ready to be printed!

The Index meets at 4:30 p.m. every Monday in the Nest at Hicks Student Center. During weekly meetings, students pitch their ideas for the articles that they want to write for the paper. In other meetings, we workshop articles to help people who are stuck on a certain element of their article. We also edit each other’s articles to improve our writing and help students learn the skills of writing in a journalistic style.

I also work on creating the newspaper layout. We use the program Adobe InDesign to format the paper. InDesign is a complicated program that takes a long time to figure out. The first paper of the fall term is coming out on Thursday! Jose and I spent basically the whole of our weekends in The Index office working on layout.

As it was our first time ever using InDesign, we did not know what we were doing, but we eventually started to get the hang of it. One of the complicated things about using InDesign involves adding photos. It requires us to shift everything around to fit it perfectly. That’s fine, but rather time-consuming. However, spending time to make the paper look good is what matters the most to me!

I also work to upload the articles to our website, index.kzoo.edu, where everyone is able to read them! As my high school newspaper was published exclusively online, I am much more used to this format, and I can make more creative choices to make the articles look nicer than in the print edition. It will also not take me an extra 20 minutes to fix something if I accidentally mess it up.

I have really enjoyed working as co-editor-in-chief. I am glad that I had the opportunity to take on the role for the term! I am also happy to give it back.

The Hicks Student Center office of The Index.
Lily Stickley ’25 is the co-editor-in-chief of “The Index,” Kalamazoo College’s student newspaper.
Co-Editor-in-Chief Lily Stickley recruited students to join The Index this fall during K Fest, the College's student-engagement fair
Stickley recruited students to join “The Index” this fall during K Fest, the College’s student-engagement fair.

NSF Grant Benefits K’s Tresca, Lab Students

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A National Science Foundation (NSF) grant will help a Kalamazoo College faculty member and his students develop a lab partnership with some of their counterparts at the University of Toronto while performing research with peptoid nanomaterials.

Blakely Tresca, assistant professor of chemistry, has been awarded nearly $250,000 under the NSF’s Launching Early-Career Academic Pathways in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences (LEAPS-MPS). The LEAPS-MPS grant emphasizes helping pre-tenure faculty at institutions that don’t traditionally receive significant amounts of NSF-MPS funding, including predominantly undergraduate institutions, as well as achieving excellence through diversity. 

Tresca and his students will create peptoid nanomaterials, which are synthetic molecules that show promise in detecting harmful substances in water or people, for example, or in creating coatings that can impart new properties onto other materials. Their work will dovetail with research at University of Toronto in the lab of Assistant Professor of Chemistry Helen Tran.

“I’ve been working with Dr. Tran on putting an alkyne functional group into peptoids, and then studying how the peptoids can self-assemble into materials,” Tresca said. “And once they self-assemble, we want to know how alkynes react in these materials.”

Tresca explained that his lab’s processes require several repetitive tasks including shaking and rinsing samples five or six times each with 10 to 18 individual steps requiring a total of 18 to 20 hours of work when done by hand. The grant covers the cost of a robot that makes the process faster, easier and safer.

“Dr. Tran’s lab has expertise in doing automated synthesis,” Tresca said. “They have a robot that’s the same as the one we have here now. They also have expertise in characterizing the materials, using instruments like an atomic force microscope or AFM. I’m excited because, if things turn out the way we plan, we will be able to work on some really cool applications to design new ways of sensing, either analytes or toxins.”

The grant also covers funding for Tresca’s students to work in the lab, travel to conferences and visit the University of Toronto over the next two years. He estimates that two K students will assist in his lab during the academic year and five will work during the summer.

Tresca’s grant is one of two NSF awards given to faculty members in K’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in the past year. The other has allowed Roger F. and Harriet G. Varney Assistant Professor of Chemistry Daniela Arias-Rotondo to redesign the lab portion of inorganic chemistry (CHEM 330 at K). It also has helped her and her lab students make compounds that can absorb solar energy and turn it into electricity using manganese, a low-cost, low-toxicity alternative to the materials currently used in solar energy conversion, which tend to be rare, expensive and difficult to mine. 

NSF Grant Recipient Blake Tresca in his lab with a student
Assistant Professor of Chemistry Blakely Tresca, a recent NSF grant recipient, works with students in his lab
NSF Grant Recipient Blake Tresca with students
Tresca poses with his lab students in summer 2024.
NSF Grant Recipient Blake Tresca in his lab with a student
Tresca joins his lab after the summer poster presentations at the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership in 2024.

Computer Science Team Impresses at Programming Contest

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Three Kalamazoo College computer science students traveled to Grand Valley State University last weekend to compete in the International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC), the longest-running higher education programming competition in the world. 

More than 50,000 students from more than 100 countries competed in several regional competitions, solving a number of programming problems over the course of five hours. The contest fosters creativity, teamwork and innovation in building new software programs, and tests the students’ ability to work efficiently in challenging conditions. 

Chau Ta ’25, Benjamin Whitsett ’27 and Cole Koryto ’25 finished sixth out of 18 teams in the East Division’s Central North America Region, which included students from Ohio, Michigan, Eastern Ontario, Western Pennsylvania and Indiana. K’s representatives, in a team aptly named Bit by Bit, finished higher than five of eight teams from the University of Michigan and one of three teams from Michigan State University among others. Overall, Bit by Bit finished 48th out of 182 teams in the East Division. 

With school standings determined by the average scores of all their representing teams, K placed 12th in the East Division. That was good enough for second among five teams from Michigan and first among three teams from Great Lakes Colleges Association institutions. 

“I believe this is an outstanding achievement and something we can celebrate,” Dow Assistant Professor of Computer Science Sandino Vargas–Pérez said. “Our students are bright, dedicated and enthusiastic about learning. They enjoy these contests where they can express what they’ve learned here at the College. I asked them, ‘Team, what is your goal for the event?’ They responded, ‘We want to be above the 50th percentile and maybe beat one of the teams from Harvard.’ Not only were they in the top 20%, but they also defeated one of the four teams that Harvard sent and defeated the University of Michigan in average points. They were so delighted with their results.” 

Programming Competition 2
Chau Ta ’25, Cole Koryto ’25 and Benjamin Whitsett ’27 impressed Dow Assistant Professor of Computer Science Sandino Vargas–Pérez at the International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) regional.
Programming Competition 1
Whitsett (from left), Ta and Koryto compete in the ICPC.

Honors Day Celebrates Student Achievements

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Hundreds of Kalamazoo College students were recognized Friday, November 8, during the annual Honors Day Convocation for excellence in academics and leadership. Students were recognized in six divisions: Fine Arts; Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures; Humanities; Natural Sciences and Mathematics; Social Sciences; and Physical Education. Recipients of prestigious scholarships were recognized, as were members of national honor societies and students who received special Kalamazoo College awards. Student athletes and teams who won Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association awards also were honored. Many of the awards presented are based on outstanding performance during the previous academic year. The students receiving Honors Day awards or recognition are listed below. 

FINE ARTS DIVISION 

Brian Gougeon Prize in Art 

  • Maya Arau 
  • Asha Dawson 
  • Willow Hayner 
  • Maren Palmer 
  • Lee Zwart 

The Margaret Upton Prize in Music 

  • Sophia Herold 

Charles Cooper Award in Fine Arts 

  • Sally Eggleston 

Fan E. Sherwood Memorial Prize 

  • Evelyn Calderon 

Theatre Arts First-Year Student Award 

  • Evelyn Ellerbrock
  • Stephanie Moranko 
  • Phoebe Tozer 

DIVISION OF MODERN AND CLASSICAL LANGUAGES 

LeGrand Copley Prize in French 

  • Isabelle Mason 
  • Estelle Metz 

Hardy Fuchs Award 

  • Paige Peterson 
  • Mo Silcott 

Margo Light Award 

Kai Clingenpeel 

Department of Spanish Language and Literatures Prize 

  • Camila Benavides
  • Jason Krawczyk
  • Abigail Samson 

Clara H. Buckley Prize for Excellence in Latin 

  • Eleanor Campion 
  • Florian Stackow 

Provost’s Prize in Classics 

  • Max Wright 

Classics Department Prize in Greek 

  • Sally Eggleston 

HUMANITIES DIVISION  

O. M. Allen Prize in English 

  • Asha Dawson 

John B. Wickstrom Prize in History 

  • Ryleigh Jaworski 
  • Maja Smith 

Department of Philosophy Prize 

  • Liam Diaz
  • Madeleine Lawson 

L.J. and Eva (“Gibbie”) Hemmes Memorial Prize in Philosophy 

  • Johe Newton Johnson 
  • Nicholas Laframboise 

NATURAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS DIVISION 

Winifred Peake Jones Prize in Biology 

  • Julia Kozal 
  • Jack Kreckman 
  • Cedric May 
  • Ava Schwachter 

Department of Chemistry Prize 

  • Natalie Greene 
  • Marcus Pedde 
  • Ava Schwachter 

First-Year Chemistry Award 

  • Abigail Eilertson 
  • Sara Cate Finks 
  • Emma Wrobleski 

Lemuel F. Smith Award 

  • Anna Buck 

Computer Science Prize 

  • Mahmoud Alsafadi 
  • Daniel Celedon 
  • William Geiger 
  • Dong Eun Kim
  • Nailia Narynbek Kyzy 
  • Aye Chan Myat Phyo 
  • Maggie Zhu 

First-Year Mathematics Award 

  • Isaac Duncan IV 
  • Benjamin Whitsett 

Thomas O. Walton Prize in Mathematics 

  • Matthew Quirk 

Cooper Prize in Physics 

  • Dong Eun Kim 
  • Ellie Mace 
  • Benjamin Whitsett 

SOCIAL SCIENCES DIVISION 

Departmental Prize in Anthropology and Sociology 

  • Rylee Lambert 
  • Marcos Perez 
  • Micahaia Reynolds 
  • Jay Wholihan 

William G. Howard Prize in Political Science 

  • Aubrey Benson 
  • Isabelle Mason 

William G. Howard Memorial Prize in Economics and Business 

  • Cole Koryto 

C. Wallace Lawrence Prize in Business 

  • Maya Alkema 
  • Dilynn Everitt 
  • Robert Newland 

C. Wallace Lawrence Prize in Economics  

  • Sophie Hartl 

Irene and S. Kyle Morris Prize 

  • Callie Abair 
  • Maya Clarren 

Department of Psychology First-Year Student Prize 

  • Isabelle Kastel 

PHYSICAL EDUCATION DIVISION 

Division of Physical Education Prize Raymond Cargill 

  • Ruby Hogan 

Lauren Rosenthal ’13 Memorial Prize 

  • Annmarie Lawrence 

Maggie Wardle ’02 Prize 

  • Jordan Wesaw 

COLLEGE AWARDS 

Gordon Beaumont Memorial Award 

  • Michel Romero 
  • Jacinda Servantes 

Henry ’36 and Inez Brown Prize 

  • Lucy Cripe 
  • Tyler Omness 
  • Eden Schnurstein 

Virginia Hinkelman Memorial Award 

  • Clarke Austin 
  • Elijah Mobley 

Davis United World College Scholar 

  • Renzo Palomino Caceres 
  •  Alondra (Danahe) Montoya Martinez 

HEYL SCHOLARS 

Class of 2028 

  • David Fooy 
  • Charles Gordon 
  • Lloyd Maxwell 
  • Nathan Gleason 
  • Isabelle Hahn 
  • Katherine Suarez 

POSSE SCHOLARS 

Class of 2028 

  • Marley Bell 
  • Brizza Gonzalez 
  • Maya Pasillas  
  • Linda Chukwu 
  • Christian Gonzalez 
  • Vivian Ramos 
  • Yamilet Garcia 
  • Miranda Moreno 

NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARS 

Class of 2028 

  • Clara (Bo) Chambers 

SLAVA-CICA AND SPASA VOYNOVICH SCHOLARS  

  • Alex Nam 

ALPHA LAMBDA DELTA 

Class of 2028 

Alpha Lambda Delta is a national honor society that recognizes excellence in academic achievement during the first college year. To be eligible for membership, students must earn a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5 and be in the top 20 percent of their class during the first year.  

The Kalamazoo College chapter was installed on March 5, 1942.  

  • Maya Arau  
  • Emily Auchter  
  • Joseph Basil  
  • Aubrey Benson  
  • Alexandrea Bernal  
  • Jack Boshoven  
  • Jay Breck  
  • Daniel Celedon  
  • Maya Clarren  
  • Logan Coller  
  • Cate Cotter  
  • Holden Coulter  
  • Jasmine Davis  
  • Asha Dawson  
  • Enrique Delzer  
  • Isaac Duncan  
  • Abigail Eilertson  
  • Evelyn Ellerbrock  
  • Sara Cate Finks  
  • Landrie Fridsma  
  • Ingrid Gardner  
  • William Geiger  
  • Maira Ghaffar  
  • Cecilia Gray  
  • Natalie Greene  
  • Jacob Hazlewood  
  • Zachary Heikka  
  • Ashlen Hill  
  • Dong Eun Kim  
  • Julia Kozal  
  • Jason Krawczyk  
  • Jack Kreckman 
  • Annabelle Krygier  
  • Rylee Lambert  
  • Alex Lloyd  
  • Grace Lounds  
  • Ellie Mace  
  • Lauren MacKersie 
  • Isabelle Mason  
  • Cedric May  
  • Maren Mosher  
  • Ella Myers  
  • Nailia Narynbek Kyzy 
  • Yen Giang Nguyen  
  • Kevin Oneill  
  • B Osborn  
  • Astrid Parker  
  • Juniper Pasternak  
  • Audrey Pegouske 
  • Paige Peterson 
  • Madelyn Portenga  
  • Olivia Schleede  
  • Ava Schwacther  
  • Clara Siefke  
  • Florian Stackow  
  • Phoebe Tozer  
  • Tony Vaisanen  
  • Anthony Valade 
  • Lucy Vandemark  
  • Benjamin Whitsett  
  • Jay Wholihan  
  • Alicia Wilgoren  
  • Emma Wrobleski  
  • Lee Zwart 

FINE ARTS 

Performing Arts: Music 

  • Isabella Alimenti  
  • Alexa Barrera-Zavala  
  • Miles Borgsdorf  
  • Teige Bredin  
  • John Brewer  
  • Chloe Brown  
  • Sara Joy Bush  
  • Ava Butera  
  • Samantha Capentier  
  • Cameron Couch  
  • Cooper H. Dahl  
  • Maya Davis  
  • Gabriel Flandes  
  • Victoria Gutierrez  
  • Kaylee Hanson  
  • Elizabeth Henderson  
  • Cosette Hurtubise  
  • Zarifa Ibrahimzada  
  • Weslee Innes  
  • Caroline Johnson  
  • Carrie Kozlowski  
  • Shay Kruse  
  • Annabelle Largent 
  • Maya Lee  
  • Maya Lopez  
  • Alexandria Mason 
  • Bernice Mike  
  • Meena Mortiz  
  • Andrew Oss  
  • Tobias Peters  
  • Maggie Petersen 
  • Tadeusz Potocki  
  • Karina Rodriguez  
  • Miriam Ruiz Kahle  
  • Mckenna Ryan-Elbert  
  • Halen Sherwood  
  • Calvin Strader  
  • Jocelyn Suranyi  
  • Ella Talaski  
  • Carissa West  
  • Sierra Winter  
  • Nora Zemlic 

MIAA AWARDS 

These teams earned the 2023–24 MIAA Team GPA Award for achieving a 3.300 or better grade point average for the entire academic year: 

  • Men’s Golf  
  • Men’s Lacrosse  
  • Men’s Swimming and Diving  
  • Men’s Tennis 
  • Women’s Basketball  
  • Women’s Cross Country 
  • Women’s Golf  
  • Women’s Lacrosse  
  • Women’s Soccer  
  • Women’s Softball  
  • Women’s Swimming and Diving  
  • Women’s Tennis  
  • Women’s Volleyball 

MIAA ACADEMIC HONOR ROLL 

Student Athletes 2023–24 

The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association each year honors students at MIAA member colleges who achieve in the classroom and in athletic competition. Students need to be a letter winner in a varsity sport and maintain at least a 3.5 grade point average for the entire school year. 

Kalamazoo College Singers with director
The College Singers perform at the annual Honors Day Convocation
Honors Day students
Honorees receive awards at Honors Day
Honors Day students
Students stand to be recognized at Honors Day
Honors Day students
Students stand to be recognized at Honors Day
Honors Day attendees
Faculty congratulated students at Honors Day
Honors Day stduents
Students stand to be recognized at Honors Day
Honors Day attendees
Faculty process in during Honors Day
Students
Students stand to be recognized at Honors Day

A

  • Callie Abair
  • Fuzail Ahmed
  • Maya Alkema
  • Adnan Alousi
  • Mahmoud Alsafadi
  • Emiliano Alvarado-Rescala
  • Paige Anderson
  • Eleanor Andrews
  • Kaelyn Arlington

B

  • Annalise Bailey
  • Poppy Balkema
  • Madison Barch
  • Emma Becker
  • Shelby Bennett
  • Eleanor Bernas
  • Douglas Blackwood
  • Luke Bormann
  • Mairin Boshoven
  • Eleni Bougioukou
  • Jaylen Bowles-Swain
  • Holly Bowling
  • Ella Boyea
  • Lukas Broadsword
  • Jonathan Brunette
  • Anna Buck
  • Jaden Buist
  • John Bungart
  • Ian Burr

C

  • Raymond Cargill
  • Isabella Caza
  • Trustin Christopher
  • Thomas Clark
  • Madeleine Coffman
  • Samuel Coleman
  • Logan Coller
  • Cate Cotter
  • Lucy Cripe
  • Mia Crites
  • Chase Cummins
  • Emma Curcuru

D

  • Erik Danielson
  • Jessica Dant
  • Carson Deines
  • Ethan DeNeen
  • Olivia Depauli
  • Alexander Di Dio
  • Jordan Doyle
  • Alexander Dubin

E

  • Rebecca Elias
  • Elise Elliot
  • Sara English
  • Caleb Ewald
  • Chad Ewing

F

  • Sara Cate Finks
  • Jordan Flink
  • Parker Foster
  • Andre Fouque
  • Landrie Fridsma

G

  • Aliza Garcia
  • Brynna Garden
  • William Geiger
  • Lukas Graff
  • Lillian Grelak
  • Kaitlyn Grice
  • Natalie Gross
  • Madyson Groth

H

  • Sydney Hagaman
  • Alison Hankins
  • Madeline Hanulcik
  • Sophie Hartl
  • Pauline Hawkes
  • Jacob Hazlewood
  • Zachary Heikka
  • Gerardo Herrera-Sanchez
  • Garrick Hohm
  • Ronin Honda
  • Joseph Horsfield
  • Tyler Houle
  • Gavin Houtkooper
  • Ethan Huebsch
  • Samuel Hughes
  • Alek Hultberg
  • Lukas Hultberg
  • Michael Hume
  • Madelaine Hurley
  • Kennedy Hynde

I

  • Carson Ihrke

J

  • Halley Johnson

K

  • Timothy Karubus
  • Isabelle Kastel
  • Seth Keana
  • Blake Kelsey
  • Hunter Kiesling
  • Kendyl Kirshman
  • Alexander Kish
  • Kathryn Klahorst
  • Mart Klenke
  • Daniel Koselka
  • Julia Kozal
  • Jack Kreckman
  • Clayton Kryszak

L

  • Braeden Lavis
  • Annmarie Lawrence
  • Jacob Lynett

M

  • Natalie Maki
  • Matthew Matuza
  • Benjamin Maurice
  • Zachary Maurice
  • Grace McGlynn
  • Amy McNutt
  • Rachel Meston
  • Gabriel Meyers
  • Brittany Miller
  • Jack Miller
  • Bayley Millerov
  • Elana Mitchell
  • Jackson Mitchell
  • Brenden Moat
  • Mackenzie Moore
  • Elizabeth Muenzenmaier
  • Mary Ellen Muenzenmaier
  • Andrew Munger
  • Anna Murphy

N

  • Robert Newland
  • Emma Newlove
  • Dustin Noble
  • Hayleigh Nower

O

  • Jeremiah Ohren-Hoeft
  • Gabriel Olivier
  • Tyler Omness
  • Reece Omodio

P

  • Mia Pascuzzi
  • Eric Paternoster
  • Alex Pepin
  • Sydney Pickell
  • William Plesscher
  • Grayson Pratt

R

  • Elizabeth Rachiele
  • Tieran Rafferty
  • Savera Rajendra-Nicolucci
  • Julia Rambo
  • Sara Reathaford
  • Liam Regan
  • Keegan Reynolds
  • Sheldon Riley
  • Emory Roberts
  • Luke Rop
  • Elizabeth Rottenberk
  • Eli Routt
  • Alexander Rueff

S

  • Zenaida Sackett
  • Robert Samples
  • Vivian Schmidt
  • Annika Schnell
  • Amalia Scorsone
  • Tillie Sheldon
  • Steven Shelton
  • Cassidy Short
  • Colby Skinner
  • Dawson Skupin
  • Erin Somsel
  • Jonah Spates
  • Ella Spooner
  • Adam Stapleton
  • David Stechow
  • Taylor Stephens
  • Molly Stevison
  • Emma Stickley

T

  • Levi Thomas
  • William Thomas
  • Jakob Torzewski
  • Dean Turpin

V

  • Anthony Valade
  • Samantha Vande Pol
  • Lucy Vandemark
  • Hannah Vander Lugt
  • Cameron VanGalder
  • Mitchel VanGalder
  • Madison Vrba

W

  • Joseph Wade
  • Ivy Walker
  • Annslee Ware
  • Ryan Warezak
  • Riley Weber
  • Jack Wheeler
  • Ava Williams

Y

  • Hailey Yoder

Z

  • Jacob Zeller
  • Rebecca Zoetewey

K Honors First-Generation Students

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Kalamazoo College is proud to celebrate the successes of its first-generation college students, faculty and staff today on National First-Generation Day. November 8 was identified as the date because it honors the anniversary of the signing of the Higher Education Act of 1965, which expanded college opportunities for low-income and first-generation populations. 

Championed by the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) Center for First-Generation Student Success, the day brings awareness to the strengths of first-generation students. At Kalamazoo College, we seek to affirm those strengths and the assets they bring to us by supporting, elevating and increasing their visibility on campus. 

Here are a few stories of our students. We asked them about their involvement and activities, why they chose K and their advice for other first-generation students.

Anahi Barajas ’26

Involvements and activities: During my time at K, I actively engage in some student organizations, as treasurer for Latinx Student Organization (LSO), actively attending Women of Color Association (WOCA) and ¡Qué Chévere! Aside from student organizations, I am a career ambassador at the Center for Career and Professional Development, and I work at Media Services as a front desk assistant. I also participate in the Career Launch Internship Prep Program (CLIPP) to increase the probability of getting a summer internship.

Why I chose K: Visiting Kalamazoo College on top of hearing about the experiences from my high school’s alumni who came to K. Their experiences, with the beauty of the campus, alongside the financial aid package reassured me that moves from Texas would be worth it. 

My advice to other first-generation students: Coming from Texas all the way to Kalamazoo has been a hard transition. But I would suggest being involved in different clubs and putting yourself out there so you can make friends, especially during orientation events. That’s when I met my best friend. I think you should put yourself out there and try new things. During winter try to keep yourself active and busy so that seasonal depression doesn’t affect you. There are so many resources out there, take advantage of them 

Anahi Barajas
Anahi Barajas ’26

Vanessa Barranco ’25

Involvements and activities: I am currently one of the co-presidents of ¡Qué Chévere!, a student organization dedicated to representing and celebrating diverse identities within Latino cultures. Additionally, as this year’s funding board coordinator, I assist in budget management and purchasing for all student organizations, working to ensure funds are allocated equitably across student organizations. 

Why I chose K: As a senior in high school, I was nominated for the Posse Scholarship, and after multiple interview rounds, I was chosen along with nine other students to attend Kalamazoo College. Along with that, I was drawn to K’s open curriculum as well as the small class sizes that would allow me to receive more personalized attention from professors and be more involved with campus life. 

My advice to other first-generation students: My advice to students is to go to school events and different clubs. It’s so important to find your people and your community, especially when you are away from home. Also, make sure to take advantage of the resources K has to offer! 

First-generation student Vanessa Barranco
Vanessa Barranco ’25

Camila Benavides ’27

Involvements and activities: During my time here at K, I have been actively involved in several organizations that allow me to give back and connect with the campus community. I am a member of the Latinx Student Organization (LSO), where I help foster a supportive and inclusive space for Latinx students, creating a strong sense of community among peers who share similar backgrounds and values. Additionally, I am part of the Alpha Omega chapter of the Spanish Honor Society, which has deepened my appreciation for Hispanic culture and language, providing opportunities to connect with others passionate about our heritage. I am also involved in Kalamazoo Language Intercultural Partners (KLIP), where I volunteer at Lincoln International Studies School to help newcomers learn English, supporting them as they build confidence in their language skills and adapt to a new environment. Lastly, I am a member of the Kalamazoo Dance Team (KDT), which allows me to express myself creatively and connect with others through a shared love of dance. Each of these experiences has enriched my time at K in unique and meaningful ways.

Why I chose K: I chose Kalamazoo College for its commitment to diversity, social justice and a personalized education. The college’s unique K-Plan, with its emphasis on flexibility and hands-on learning, provides the perfect environment for me to explore my interests while remaining rooted in my values. I was also drawn to Kalamazoo’s small campus, which creates a close-knit, supportive community and allows for more personalized connections with faculty and peers. This focus on individualized academic paths and meaningful relationships made K the ideal place for my educational journey.

My advice to other first-generation students: My advice for other first-generation students is to seek support early on and build connections with faculty, advisors and peers. Don’t hesitate to ask for help and make full use of the resources available, like tutoring or career counseling. Remember that you belong here and there’s a community ready to support you every step of the way. Be proud of who you are and where you come from; your unique background is a strength and it brings valuable perspectives to the campus. Embrace each challenge as an opportunity for growth and know that your resilience and determination will help you succeed.

First Generation Student Camila Benavides
Camila Benavides ’27

Abigail Gutierrez ’25

Involvement and activities: As an active member on campus, I regularly attend ACAPOC (an all People-of-Color a capella group on campus), Asian Pacific Islander Student Association (APISA) and Philipino American Student Association (PASA) meetings and participate in various campus events.

Why I chose K: I chose Kalamazoo College for its intimate community and the exceptional support I received during the admission process. This early experience reinforced my belief in the power of campus resources and the potential for meaningful connections.

My advice to other first-generation students: My advice to incoming students is to seize opportunities and take initiative. By proactively seeking out experiences, I recently landed an internship that allowed me to develop a new skill under the guidance of a supportive mentor. One of the biggest risks I’ve taken was moving out of state for college. This bold decision has fostered my independence and courage. I’m grateful for the personal growth it has enabled and the positive impact it will have on my family. I’m excited to apply the skills and connections I’ve gained at K to uplift my community.

First-Generation student Abi Gutierrez
Abigail Gutierrez ’25

Grace Leahey ’25

Involvement and activities: I am involved with Student Development as a First-Year Experience mentor and I’m the co-president of both the Hacky Sack Club and Kalamazoo College’s student chapter of the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB). I work for the chemistry and biochemistry department as a lab teaching assistant and grader. Additionally, I’ll be volunteering with Sisters in Science starting this winter.

Why I chose K: I chose Kalamazoo College because I really wanted to have the opportunity to foster connections with my professors and peers in a way I knew wouldn’t be available at a larger university. The interpersonal connections I have created during my time at K will continue to help me succeed in my future educational and career endeavors.

My advice to other first-generation students: I would advise any first-gen students to always ask questions. There are so many resources just waiting to be tapped into. Sometimes, it’s scary to ask for help, but K has taught me that there will always be someone in your corner. You do not have to do it alone and asking for help 100% does not invalidate your successes.

First-Generation Student Grace Leahy
Grace Leahey ’25

Micahaia Reynolds ’27

Involvements and activities: During my time here at K, I have participated in many organizations and volunteer opportunities on and off campus. I am vice president of Kalamazoo Bible Club, a member of the Black Student Organization (BSO) and the K College Cheer team, and have participated in the Women of Color Association (WOCA) and Sister Circle. I have performed in Afro Desi Sol (AFDS), an event that comes once a year to celebrate the collaboration and showcasing of different cultures and heritages, and spoken on a first-generation panel as part of our orientation week. I have also volunteered at El Concilio and Kalamazoo Central High School, working with elementary students as well as high school students who are new to the United States and learning English. I work with Community Advocates for Parents and Students (CAPS) and travel to a nearby community center to tutor students and help guide them toward achieving the Kalamazoo Promise. I am also a First-Year Experience mentor, where I assist first-year students through orientation and their first term at K as they begin navigating the college experience. Finally, I am currently on the Dean’s List, and have been selected to receive the departmental prize from the Department of Anthropology and Sociology at the Honors Day Convocation on November 8.

Why I chose K: I chose to attend Kalamazoo College for several reasons. One reason is that its reputation preceded itself in the recommendations I received. Another is its endless opportunities to get involved with nearby communities and build personal connections with the professors. Since coming to K, I have discovered so many more opportunities that I didn’t even know about before enrolling, such as the ability to network with people from many different fields regularly, the number of possibilities available for studying abroad and away, and the opportunity to explore different classes and career paths.

My advice to other first-generation students: To other first-gen students, I would say to never believe they’re alone because there’s always someone willing to help and support them. I would also tell them to not try to carry the world on their shoulders, that the people who helped get us to this point are so proud of us already, and there’s nothing we can do to disappoint them. Our presence is an inspiration to others whether we are always aware of it or not. Congratulations, you did it!

Micahaia Reynolds
Micahaia Reynolds ’27

Michael Robertson II ’25

Involvement and activities: During my time at K, I have been involved with the Department of Theatre Arts since my sophomore year. I have been a member of Young Men of Color (YMC) for all four years and I am currently the vice president and treasurer. I am also a First-Year Experience mentor and a former collegiate football player for the Hornets.

Why I chose K: I chose K because I wanted to get out of my comfort zone. I also appreciate how small the campus is. It is extremely easy for me to find the resources that I need on campus. I am also fortunate enough to build relationships with my fellow students and professors due to how small the courses are. The school also has a great appreciation for art, which is a beautiful thing to see. It is also important to recognize how the school emphasizes academic success and how they promote their alumni networking, which has been extremely beneficial for me.

My advice to other first-generation students: My advice for first-generation students is to keep an open mind and always try new things. Do not be afraid to ask for help; there are so many great people and resources that are willing to assist you. I also encourage them to hang out with people different from you, because you can always learn from everyone. Be yourself, and embrace being different.

First-generation student Michael Robertson
Michael Robertson II ’25

Leslie Santos ’25

Involvements and activities: My on-campus activities throughout my time at K have included 3 years as a resident assistant in the campus halls, two years as a career ambassador for the Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD), and one year working for the Office of Student Activities. I have also been on the e-boards for the Alpha Lambda Delta and Biochemistry Clubs. Lastly, when possible, I volunteer with the Food Recovery Network Club to take unused food from our campus cafeteria to give to community pantries.

Why I chose K: I was initially drawn to Kalamazoo College because of the Posse L.A. Scholarship which brought it to my attention and offered a financial and peer mentorship-based support system. I also largely chose to attend Kalamazoo College because of the small class sizes that allow for more one-on-one time with professors and a sense of close campus community. Lastly, there seems to be strong support for students in STEM such as the Math and Physics Center, learning support, and teaching assistant and student-instruction sessions.

My advice to other first-generation students: My main advice for first-generation students is to find mentors in a variety of areas (teachers, employers, upperclassmen and peers in your own grade). It’s important to get multiple perspectives for guidance and to help in the process of developing your character by modeling characteristics and habits from those you admire and surround yourself with. Also, it’s worth it to take the time to find (and use) the resources available to you based on your identities and needs.

Leslie Santos
Leslie Santos ’25

Festival Playhouse’s ‘Earnest’ Conquers Venue Change

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The Festival Playhouse of Kalamazoo College says the show must go on this fall, even with building maintenance temporarily displacing the theatre company away from the Nelda K. Balch Playhouse.  

Thanks in part to the Office of Admission opening its living room to rehearsals, the Fitness and Wellness Center providing space for a costume shop, and partners across campus showing support, the Festival Playhouse will perform The Importance of Being Earnest from Thursday, November 7–Sunday, November 10, in the Olmsted Room at Mandelle Hall.  

Theatre Company Manger Kirsten Sluyter said Festival Playhouse representatives had to think about what would be best for students in deciding whether to go on as scheduled, shift gears to a different play or perhaps cancel the show entirely when they learned the Playhouse wouldn’t be available. Yet they found support from across campus, and the smaller Olmsted Room, which seats just 45 patrons as opposed to 400, provided an interesting opportunity. 

“This piece was originally written as a drawing-room play, which means both that most of the action takes place in a drawing room, and that it was meant to be re-enacted in a home drawing room,” Sluyter said. “If we were going to design a set to look like an English sitting room in a country estate, we probably couldn’t have done better than the Olmsted Room. It’s been a mixed blessing to be away from home, but being there gives us a unique opportunity to stretch some muscles we don’t get to use as much.” 

In the play, Jack Worthing—played by Cooper Dahl ’28—is a community pillar in Hertfordshire, where he is a guardian to Cecily Cardew, played by Ella Myers ’27. For years, Jack has pretended to have an irresponsible brother named Ernest who leads a scandalous life while pursuing pleasure and getting into trouble that requires Jack to rush to his assistance. No one but Jack knows that he is Ernest. 

Cecily is a granddaughter of the late Thomas Cardew, who found and adopted Jack when he was a baby. Jack is a major landowner and justice of the peace with tenants, farmers, servants and other employees depending on him as he falls in love with Gwendolen Fairfax, played by Sophia Merchant ’25. Other K students in the play include McKenna Wasmer ’25 as Lady Bracknell, who is Gwendolyn’s mother; and Lee Zwart ’27, as Algernon Moncrieff, Jack’s best friend and Lady Bracknell’s nephew. 

The play weaves through multiple tales of deception between characters as playwright Oscar Wilde criticizes Victorian society. Although tempered by comedy and happy endings, he exposes the upper class, where deception and hypocrisy were rampant at the time. Zwart, who hails from South Bend, Indiana, said he chose to attend K for its studio art program, and he appreciates that the theatre program is open to anyone. He found the opportunity to act in a play like The Importance of Being Earnest appealing. 

“Algernon is an over-the-top and kind of ridiculous character—very much an Oscar Wilde self-insert,” Zwart said. “My mom is big into Oscar Wilde. When I first mentioned that we were doing Being Earnest, I asked her what part I should go out for. She said, ‘Well, Algernon is a lot of fun.’ He romantically pursues Cecily, and a lot of the play involves him scheming about doing that.” 

The play will be challenging for actors and behind-the-scenes crew alike as the audience will rotate from facing the back of the Olmsted Room, to facing the side windows, to facing the front between the three scenes. Stage Manager Evelyn Ellerbrock ’27 is enjoying that opportunity along with a chance to work alongside Assistant Professor of Theatre Quincy Thomas, who is the play’s director. 

“I’ve always done backstage theater work in high school and now in college, but I like the experience of seeing the rehearsal side and also getting to see the tech side,” Ellerbrock said. “I think people will want to see this show because it’s funny and there’s a certain appeal to doing it in the Olmsted Room. Not being in the theater space means that there’s something new and interesting to discover. It will be great to see how it works out.” 

That premonition about it being well attended has turned out to be true as the play is completely sold out for each of its four performances. 

“It’s just a good show, even if people don’t necessarily understand all of the Victorian references,” Zwart said. “I think we do it in a way that a modern audience will understand and enjoy.” 

Two students rehearse for The Importance of Being Earnest
Cooper Dahl ’28 (left) plays Jack Worthing and Lee Zwart ’27 portrays Algernon in the Festival Playhouse production of “The Importance of Being Earnest.”
Two students rehearse for "The Importance of Being Earnest"
McKenna Wasmer ’25 will perform as Lady Bracknell in “The Importance of Being Earnest.”
Two students rehearse for "The Importance of Being Earnest"
Sophie Merchant ’25 plays Gwendolen Fairfax, Jack Worthing’s love interest, in the “Importance of Being Earnest.”