Family Weekend 2018 Begins Friday

Family Weekend 2018 begins Friday at Kalamazoo College. Below you will find a list of activities along with links to the campus map in our virtual tour, providing the locations of each facility. Questions about Family Weekend 2018 may be directed to Dana Jansma, associate dean of students in the Student Development Office, at 269.337.7209 or dana.jansma@kzoo.edu.

Where to Eat

Family Weekend 2018
Family Weekend 2018 will be Friday, Nov. 2, and Saturday, Nov. 3, at Kalamazoo College.

Campus dining will be available from 7:30 to 10 a.m., 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 5 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, and 9:30 to 11 a.m., 11:15 a.m. 1:15 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday at Welles Dining Hall. Options there will include pizza, regional cuisine, soup, a salad and deli bar, and vegan and vegetarian foods. Family members pay $5.15 per person for breakfast, $7.21 per person for lunch and $10.30 per person for dinner.

Hot chocolate, tea or specialty espresso along with grab-and-go foods will be available from the Book Club Café from 7:45 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, and 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. Grab-and-go foods including sandwiches, salads, yogurt parfaits, fruit, sweet and salty snacks, and beverages will be available at the Richardson Room from 10 a.m. to midnight Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.

Friday, Nov. 2

8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Hicks Student Center atrium: Pick up lists of Kalamazoo shopping, walking and dining suggestions at Family Weekend 2018 information tables throughout the day.

8:15 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Attend a K class. A list of classes available is at the information table at Hicks Student Center atrium.

9 a.m. to 5 p.m., lower level, Hicks Student Center: The Kalamazoo College Bookstore will feature 20 percent off all K-imprinted items.

11 to 11:50 a.m., Stetson Chapel: Kalamazoo College observes Honors Day in the fall term of each year, recognizing those who earned special recognition during the previous academic year.

3:15 to 4 p.m., Room 103, Dewing Hall: Financial Aid Director Becca Murphy and Student Accounts Coordinator Patrick Farmer will provide important financial aid deadlines and review commonly asked billing questions related to study abroad. This is also an opportunity for families to get answers to their general financial and billing questions.

4 to 5 p.m., Center for Civic Engagement Community Room, Dewing Hall: Associate Director Teresa Denton and Assistant Director Moises Hernandez will talk about the important work of the Center for Civic Engagement and a student panel of Civic Engagement Scholars will provide a glimpse into current students’ experiences working through local community partnerships.

Evening: Explore Kalamazoo. Pick up a list of shopping, walking, and dining suggestions at the Information Table in the Hicks Student Center atrium.

7:30 p.m., Nelda K. Balch Playhouse: See Kalamazoo College theater students perform “It Can’t Happen Here” based on Sinclair Lewis’ 1935 novel. Demagogue “Buzz” Windrip is surprisingly elected president on a promise to restore America to its former greatness and prosperity. Journalist Doremus Jessup explores themes of the responsibility and freedom of the American press. This funny and timely political tale. Additional information is available at reason.kzoo.edu/theatre/festival/. Tickets are available at festivalplayhouse.ludus.com.

9:30 p.m., Room 103, Dewing Hall: K’s weekly film series will feature “Crazy Rich Asians.” Free admission, popcorn and soda. Show up early to ensure a seat.

Saturday, Nov. 3

8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Hicks Student Center atrium: Pick up lists of Kalamazoo shopping, walking and dining suggestions at information tables throughout the day.

8:30 to 9 a.m., Hicks Student Center, Banquet Room: Complimentary coffee, donut holes and hot chocolate.

9 to 10 a.m., Hicks Student Center, Banquet Room: Center for International Programs Executive Director Margaret Wiedenhoeft will discuss what first- and second-year students need to know about study abroad programs.

9 to 10:30 a.m., Athletics Fieldhouse, Hornets Suite: Legacy families will receive an invitation to this breakfast offered through the Office of Alumni Engagement.

10:15 to 11:15 a.m., Hicks Student Center, Banquet Room: Center for Career and Professional Development Director Joan Hawxhurst will discuss the College’s commitment to integrate career exploration and development into a student’s four years at K. Parents and others will learn how they can get involved.

10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., lower level, Hicks Student Center: Preserve the fun of Family Weekend 2018 with a photograph, compliments of the Kalamazoo College Fund.

10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Upjohn Library Commons, Third Floor, A. M. Todd Rare Book Room: Come and see the largest, smallest, oldest and most unusual items the Rare Book Room has to offer.

10 a.m. to 4 p.m., lower level, Hicks Student Center: The Kalamazoo College Bookstore will feature 20 percent off all K-imprinted items.

1 to 3 p.m., Lilian Anderson Arboretum: Join the Roots in the Earth first-year seminar class for a guided nature hike at Kalamazoo College’s Lillian Anderson Arboretum. The arboretum comprises 140 acres of marsh, meadow, pine plantation and second-growth deciduous forest in Oshtemo Township. Please park at the Oshtemo Township Park, 7275 W. Main St. Your guides will meet you there.

4 to 5 p.m., Mandelle Hall, Olmsted Room: Enjoy punch with President Jorge G. Gonzalez.

7:30 p.m., Nelda K. Balch Playhouse: See Kalamazoo College theater students perform “It Can’t Happen Here” based on Sinclair Lewis’ 1935 novel. Demagogue “Buzz” Windrip is surprisingly elected president on a promise to restore America to its former greatness and prosperity. Journalist Doremus Jessup explores themes of the responsibility and freedom of the American press. This funny and timely political tale. Additional information is available at reason.kzoo.edu/theatre/festival/. Tickets are available at festivalplayhouse.ludus.com.

9:30 p.m. to midnight, Hicks Student Center: Experience student performers including musicians and dancers. Afterward, listen to why they vote and fill out a practice ballot with the Center for Civic Engagement’s K Votes team.

Grateful for K Day Slated for Wednesday

Student presenting Grateful for K thank-you note
Students participate in Grateful for K Day by writing thank-you notes showing appreciation to Kalamazoo College donors.

Students, faculty, staff and alumni will celebrate a day honoring Kalamazoo College’s philanthropic donors from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Hicks Student Center.

Sponsored by the Kalamazoo College Fund, Grateful for K Day – conducted twice a year – calls on students to honor the importance of philanthropy in sustaining and enhancing Kalamazoo College by writing personalized notes to thank donors for their support. Donations help about 98 percent of K students receive scholarships or some other form of financial aid.

All students are welcome to participate. Coffee and cookies will be served.

If you’re a donor, please share your “Why I’m Grateful – Why I Give” stories on our website or Facebook page, where you can also learn more about Grateful for K Day.

College Singers Offers Earth-Themed Concert in Three Cities

The College Singers, a 32-voice choral ensemble at Kalamazoo College, will perform a program featuring the music of pop artists such as Carole King and Stevie Wonder in three cities in November.

The concerts are at:

College Singers Rehearse Social Justice-Themed Concert
The College Singers’ Earth-themed concerts will feature the music of pop artists such as Carole King and Stevie Wonder.
  • 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 9, at Okemos Presbyterian Church in Okemos, Michigan (Lansing area);
  • 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 10, at Church in the Hills in Bellaire, Michigan; and
  • 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 11, in Dalton Theater at Kalamazoo College’s Light Fine Arts Building.

The program will combine global song, folk music spirituals and other styles in an entertaining and enlightening program centered on our relationship with the Earth, each other and ourselves. Songs such as “I Feel the Earth Move” and Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground” will be interspersed with music of different cultures, Appalachian folk music, spirituals and other global fare. All concerts have no admission fee but a free-will offering will be taken to help defray travel expenses. The concert is about 75 minutes long and is a fast-paced, informative and uplifting performance.

The College Singers represents various cultures and areas of study on the school’s liberal arts and sciences campus. The College Singers is led by Assistant Music Professor Chris Ludwa, who is also the director of the Kalamazoo Bach festival. The ensemble includes music majors and non-music majors alike, offering a different approach to choral singing. Ludwa calls it “singing with a higher purpose,” a hallmark for which he is well-known in the Midwest.

Kalamazoo College, founded in Kalamazoo, Mich., in 1833, is a nationally recognized liberal arts and sciences college and the creator of the K-Plan, which emphasizes rigorous scholarship, experiential learning, independent research, and international and intercultural engagement.

For more information on the concerts, please contact Ludwa at cludwa@kzoo.edu or 231.225.8877.

Steelcase Welcomes K Students for Networking

When Kalamazoo College students network, there’s no place like home. Seventeen Kalamazoo College students took advantage of a fall break day to network with professionals at Steelcase, a company local to southwest Michigan, in Grand Rapids.

K to Steelcase
K to Steelcase was the latest K-Trek offering from the Center for Career and Professional Development. K-Treks involve in-person, immersive discussions K students have with leaders in various industries. Many of the leaders are K alumni.

Steelcase provides architecture, furniture and technology products and services designed for office environments in the education, health care and retail industries. The trip was the latest K-Trek offering from the Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD). K-Treks involve in-person, immersive discussions K students have with leaders in various industries. Many of the leaders are K alumni.

“When students think of their K network they often think of connections across the country and abroad, but they should also think about their network closer to campus,” said Richard Sylvester, the CCPD assistant director of experiential opportunities.

Some K-Treks are multi-day experiences in cities such as San Francisco, New York City and Chicago, and there are plans for K-Treks to Washington, D.C., and Detroit. This K-Trek, however, was about thinking locally through a one-day trip. And networking in southwest Michigan provides a distinct advantage to students looking for an internship now or local job openings when they graduate.

Other local K-Treks have included K to Stryker and K to Kellogg’s, and a K to Bell’s Brewery trip is scheduled. The Bell’s tour will be Feb. 8, 2019—a break day in the winter term—and will cover careers in business and science.

The event increased student awareness of a local employer, showed students how the company operates and opened students to the idea of interning at Steelcase in logistics, information technology, marketing, sales, project management, product development and engineering. Those internships can be 12-week summer opportunities or year-round posts. Some internships allow students to work remotely.

K to Steelcase included facility tours, a warm welcome and introduction to Steelcase from Director of Global Talent Management Isabelle Medellin, a panel discussion and lunch with the panelists. Sylvester said a participant survey is planned to help the CCPD measure the event’s success, although early anecdotal feedback indicates it was a day well spent.

“Students were engaged and insightful, and they showed they were interested in Steelcase and what it offers,” Sylvester said. “What more could you want when you otherwise have a break day?”

Learn more about K-Treks events such as K to Steelcase at our website.

Here’s What to Expect on Move-In Day

More information: What to Bring to Campus

Move-in day is an exciting time at Kalamazoo College as first-year students arrive. Orientation-related events will continue throughout the week, but here’s what students and families can expect Tuesday, Sept. 4.

Student moving in on move-in day 2017
Student move-in day will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 4.

Report to Your Residence Hall

Student move-in day runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Please note that morning is traditionally the busiest time for moving in, and families are encouraged to arrive throughout the day for an easier experience. Resident assistants and peer leaders will be available at check-in tables at each residence hall, where students may pick up their orientation packets. Residential Life staff also will be there to provide students with their K IDs and room keys.

Students and families who expect to arrive after 4 p.m. should contact Student Development at housing@kzoo.edu or 269-337-7210 as soon as possible.

Residential Life requires that health verification forms be complete before students check in. Students with incomplete health information will be directed to the Health Center at Hicks Student Center. Health Center staff will be available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Get Your Questions Answered

Student Development and Admission representatives will staff an information table from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Hicks Student Center. Stop by for schedules, maps, directions and a list of local restaurants for those who choose to eat dinner off campus. K’s bookstore will be open during the same hours at Hicks, offering 20 percent off Kalamazoo College imprinted items.

Students who have questions about connecting to K’s wireless network can meet Information Services staff in the main lounges at Harmon, Hoben and Trowbridge halls.

Observe Athletics Practices, Games

Eight intercollegiate fall athletics teams including football, men’s and women’s soccer, volleyball, men’s and women’s golf, and men’s and women’s cross country will hold practices and competitions from 3 to 6 p.m.

Enjoy Dinner

Families are welcome to have dinner between 5 and 7 p.m. on campus at Welles Dining Hall or venture off campus to local restaurants. New students may use their student ID, which also serves as a meal card, to access the dining hall. Families may pay $10.30 a person at the dining hall entrance.

Feel Welcome

President Jorge G. Gonzalez, Vice President of Student Development and Dean of Students Sarah Westfall, First-Year Class Dean Jennifer Einspahr, College Chaplain Liz Candido, peer leaders and the Office of Student Involvement will conduct the Hornet Student Welcome from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Anderson Athletic Center gym. Students should sit with their seminar groups. The event concludes with seminar groups connecting with their peer leaders.

Connect with Your Community

Meet Residential Life staff, your RAs and student peers at 8:15 p.m. Harmon Hall residents will meet at Dalton Theatre in the Light Fine Arts Building. Hoben Hall residents will meet in the Hoben lounge. Trowbridge Hall residents will meet at the Anderson Athletic Center gym. Learn about residence hall life while relaxing, enjoying snacks and getting to know neighbors.

Outdoor Orientation Program Prepares Students for Success

Incoming students who participate in LandSea, Kalamazoo College’s outdoor orientation program, have opportunities to meet their peers, gain self-confidence, earn a partial physical education credit and develop classroom skills even before moving to campus. Two K administrators will attest to that after participating in and reaffirming the program’s success.

8 students and 2 admistrators participating in LandSea Outdoor Orientation Program
Vice President for Student Development and Dean of Students Sarah Westfall and Associate Dean of Students Brian Dietz traveled to the 6-million-acre Adirondack State Park in New York State to observe and experience the outdoor orientation program called LandSea, ongoing through Monday, and meet many of the 66 students participating.

Vice President for Student Development and Dean of Students Sarah Westfall and Associate Dean of Students Brian Dietz traveled to the 6-million-acre Adirondack State Park in New York State to observe and experience the outdoor orientation program, ongoing through Sept. 3, and meet many of the 66 students participating. The 18-day program is in its 44th year, and was among the first of its kind in the country.

The state park features the largest system of hiking trails in the country, along with 3,000 lakes and ponds, 1,200 miles of rivers, and the state’s highest mountains. K students are divided into six to nine patrols for the outdoor orientation program, with at least two trained leaders per patrol. After three days of training, they challenge themselves on the rivers, lakes, trails and peaks through one of two choose-your-own adventures, Expedition or Basecamp, both with a climb-and-rappel day, a service-and-reflection component and a day of rafting.

The Expedition adventure consists of backpacking and canoeing, and allows participants the choice of extending the distance of the backpacking or canoeing portion of the trip. The Basecamp adventure offers more of a group camping experience, with bunks in canvas tents at Massawepie Lake. The students build skills including canoeing, hiking and backpacking, with opportunities for day trips and expanded service projects.

Friendships that begin during LandSea often remain fundamental connections for a lifetime. Plus, participants of outdoor orientation trips such as LandSea are more likely to develop social connectedness, feelings of belonging, campus involvement and independence with increased retention rates and higher grade-point averages. To best understand these benefits, Westfall and Dietz said it was important to examine the program first hand.

“We’ve always thought LandSea was great, although we’re paid to worry,” Westfall said.

Westfall and Dietz, though, saw how Outdoor Programs Director Jory Horner and Assistant Director Sara Stockwood had the students prepared for everything from necessities such as water sterilization, to common challenges such as hot days and cold nights, to possible emergencies such as lightning storms.

“Any student who comes to K should do this,” Westfall said. “Don’t let finances be a barrier because Outdoor Programs helps find gear for participants, and scholarships are available to help cover other program costs for students who demonstrate financial need. And don’t let a thought like ‘I don’t camp’ be a barrier. This program is for everyone. We hear from families who say their student is a different person after LandSea.”

The success of the program, Dietz said, is evaluated long-term based on whether the participating students stay at K and graduate, gain confidence, maintain their friendships as alumni, recognize their growth and learn about environmental responsibility. Here’s what some students have said:

  • “It is unforgettable, and when you climb a mountain, it teaches you that you can overcome any obstacle.”
  • “It was one of the best things I’ve ever done. I’ll carry it with me forever.”

“I had never been to LandSea,” Dietz said. “I was intrigued by the logistics with it being in a 6-million-acre park, but you never know what it’s like until you see it. All the work (Horner and Stockwood) do is amazing. It’s neat to see new students in that element.”

K Student Provides Tips on What to Bring to Campus

Mattie Del Torro Grabs a Photo from a Crate for What to Bring to Campus Story
Mattie Del Toro ’20 is a student worker for Residential Life, which has updated its suggestions for students regarding what to bring to campus this fall.

When Mattie Del Toro ’20 reflects on choosing Kalamazoo College, she remembers an experience brought to her by the letter K.

As a high school senior, Del Toro attended a Colleges That Change Lives fair near her hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico, where a good friend had been looking into Knox College. Next to the Knox table, among the Ks and in alphabetical order, was Kalamazoo College.

“I remember thinking, ‘Is (Kalamazoo) the name of a city from a Dr. Seuss book? There’s no way that’s a real place,’ ” says Del Toro, a business and art history major and studio art minor. “I thought if anything it had to be a college named after someone rather than the name of a city.”

Her intrigue led her to approach Associate Director of Admission Andrew Grayson at the fair. Their conversation was fateful as Grayson’s assistance guided her toward an intercultural fly-in program. The program lets students from under-represented backgrounds who are interested in diversity and inclusion visit Kalamazoo College.

“I fell in love with the campus,” says Del Toro, who ended up enrolling at K. “I graduated with a high school class of 50, and when I saw how small and intimate the school is, I was sold. I received a great financial aid offer that made it about the same in terms of affordability as the University of New Mexico, and it was a chance to go across the country for the whole liberal arts experience.”

Del Toro is now a student worker for Residential Life, which has updated its suggestions regarding what to bring to campus for fall. Based on her experiences, as a first-year student living in Trowbridge Hall and as a resident assistant at Harmon Hall, here’s what Del Toro suggests.

Talk with Your Roommate About What to Bring to Campus

K students living on campus this fall should already have received their room assignment with their roommate’s name and kzoo.edu email address. Del Toro suggests contacting your roommate to arrange who will bring what, especially if at least one of you is coming from a considerable distance.

Mattie Del Torro Writes Class of 2019 on her dry-erase board for what to bring to campus story
Mattie Del Toro ’20 advises that first-year students consider making their rooms as homey as possible in thinking about what to bring to campus. Items such as dry-erase boards can help students feel more at home.

Del Toro, for example, arrived in Kalamazoo for her first year by plane with her mom and then-boyfriend, now fiancé, bringing Del Toro’s belongings in a total of nine suitcases. Appliances, for example, weren’t an option for her.

“What you bring might depend on whether you’re from Michigan or someplace farther,” she said, adding that a roommate brought a microwave, curtains and mini-fridge, which she was happy to stock with food.

Shop for What You Can in Kalamazoo

Nine suitcases might not sound like much for transporting everything someone might need for an entire term. Del Toro, however, admits she packed too much and advises that less is more.

“When I left for fall, I packed stuff that I took home during winter break,” Del Toro said. Those items included several blankets and some heavy winter gear after she realized she only needed some long-sleeve shirts, jeans and jackets for the crisp weather that arrives late in the fall term.

When those items and other bulky items are necessary, shop for them in Kalamazoo or place online orders from your hometown and pick them up in Kalamazoo. Del Toro says to consider items such as mattress pads, shower caddies and “items that Mom would normally provide,” such as cleaning supplies and laundry detergent.

Preview Your Room Space

Residential Life doesn’t keep floor-plan measurements for specific rooms. Del Toro, however, advises that students look at pictures of residence hall rooms in K’s virtual tour to estimate their potential floor space. Those visuals should provide ideas as to where students can put items such as small cabinets and bins.

“You get a closet and drawers, but it’s beneficial to have bins and totes of your own as well,” Del Toro said. “I quickly realized I didn’t have the surface area I needed for certain items, and the virtual tour would’ve helped me plan better.”

Make Your Room Your Home

Del Toro says that on a residential campus such as K’s, it’s important that students make their residence hall room their home.

Items such as rugs, pictures of family and friends, twinkle lights suspended through adhesive hooks, and small pieces of furniture negotiated with roommates can ward off homesickness and make your room feel like an owned space.

“I didn’t want to get so comfortable in my space that I disrespected my roommate,” she said. “But any home goods can give you more than a brick wall, a desk and a bed,” allowing for greater comfort.

For more information on Residential Life, visit its website, or contact its offices at housing@kzoo.edu or 269.337.7210.

K Tour Guides Offer 4 Tips for College Visits

Several Kalamazoo College students with local ties are helping prospective students and their families learn about the school, the campus and the city this summer through the Admission Center. Madelyn Betts ’19, Leah Todd ’20 and Faruq Schieber ’20—all of Kalamazoo—are among the campus tour guides, and they say summer is an excellent time to visit.

Leah Todd among tour guides at Hicks Center
Leah Todd ’20 is one of several tour guides serving Kalamazoo College this summer.

“Summer gives you an opportunity to see things when they’re at their best,” on campus and in the City of Kalamazoo, said Schieber, an international area studies major. “Everything is in bloom and it’s quiet without the hustle and bustle on campus.”

As members of the Holistic Inclusive Visitor Experience (HIVE) team, these three also fulfill roles as communicators and hosts to prospective students and their families. Each is an excellent source of information on the K-Plan, Kalamazoo College’s distinctive approach to academics in the liberal arts and sciences, and what you can see and do when you visit. Here are four of their tips for college visits.

Have Questions for Your Tour Guides

Betts, who studies German and business with a concentration in film and media studies, advises prospective students and families to develop a list of important questions to ask when they’re on campus. She said she commonly answers questions ranging from whether first-year students can have cars on campus to inquiries about academic support and leadership opportunities.

“Everyone is here to help you get everything you want out of your visit,” Betts said, adding it’s also a good idea to ask about activities on campus.

Madelyn Betts Works as one of several Tour Guides
Madelyn Betts ’19 is a member of the Holistic Inclusive Visitor Experience (HIVE) team. Her duties include serving as one of several tour guides on campus this summer.

“There’s so much going on each term you don’t hear about ahead of time, you’ll think, ‘If I only had more time,’ ” said Betts, who is the president of K’s student Swing Dance Club and Film Club, and a member of Cirque du K, a student circus troupe.

The practice of asking questions will also benefit students when they’re attending K. Todd, for example, said when she needed advice about a class, several people responded to a single email, including volleyball Head Coach Jeanne Hess, even though Todd no longer plays volleyball.

“A teacher, a dean, my study abroad adviser and my academic adviser all responded about this one class, even Coach (Hess),” Todd said. “She’s always reaching out, trying to make sure there’s a connection. We have nice people here. I enjoy meeting people from all over the world.”

Reach Out

Schieber said it can be intimidating for high school students to plan campus visits, especially if they’re uncertain about what college they want to attend. The solution for easing that intimidation is to connect with Admission in advance.

“Make a phone call to us before you come and point out your interests to us,” he said. “You can even request an interview with an admission counselor. That call can help us as guides and counselors get more of an idea of what you would like access to so we can show you a good fit.”

Faruq Schieber among Tour Guides
Faruq Schieber ’20 is among the Kalamazoo College tour guides who suggests visiting the College and the city over the summer.

As a prospective student a few years ago, Schieber said that fit involved study abroad opportunities and the easy access to professors he wouldn’t have gotten at a larger school.

“This is an environment where professors care about your success—you matter,” said Schieber, who will study abroad in Ecuador this fall.

Prepare for the Weather

Regardless of the season in which you visit, it’s a good idea to prepare for the weather. Check the forecast for Kalamazoo in advance and dress appropriately for being outside, Todd said. Also, notify Admission if you’re running late for your tour. Calling ahead ensures tour guides are at your service when you arrive.

Picture it

Betts advises that students take pictures of the campuses they visit, especially when they visit schools far from home, to ensure they remember which is which.

“I heard a horror story once about a student who visited a campus and loved it,” Betts said. “She applied to what she thought was that college, was accepted and registered for classes, only to find when she arrived on campus she had applied to the wrong college.”

Our virtual tour, equipped with pictures and video, offers a preview of our campus, although we recommend seeing it yourself. Learn more about your options for visiting, plan your individual visit or contact Admissions today at 269-337-7166.

K Athlete Flexes Liberal Arts Muscle in NBA Internship

For Amanda Moss ’19, the route to her prestigious internship this summer at National Basketball Association (NBA) headquarters in New York City began, improbably, with getting kicked out of a gym.

Amanda Moss Attending NBA Draft through her NBA Internship
Economics and business major Amanda Moss applied for a highly competitive NBA internship and was one of 50 students chosen from a pool of 6,000.

She says that while she was a basketball player in high school, she went to the community gym in her Detroit suburb daily during the summer to practice her jump shot. One day, however, an employee of the Detroit Pistons NBA team told her she would have to leave because the courts were reserved for a team-run youth basketball program.

“I started to pack up but then I looked around and saw they were way understaffed for the event they were going to hold,” she recalls. “So I went back up to the guy and I offered my assistance. He took me up on the offer and I helped set up chairs, run the scoreboard, that sort of thing, and helped to clean up when it was over.”

After the event, she says, the employee chatted with her and ended up offering her a summer job at the Pistons’ youth basketball camp.

Amanda Moss Playing Basketball NBA Internship
Amanda Moss, who plays on Kalamazoo College’s women’s basketball team, is working in an NBA internship this summer.

“I did that every summer for four years,” says Moss, who plays women’s basketball and lacrosse and was just named to the Jewish Sports Review Women’s College Lacrosse All-America Team for the second year in a row.

Along the way, she got to meet Pistons players including Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson and people in the team’s corporate office. So when it came time to seek an internship in summer 2017, she was well-situated to apply to the Pistons. She worked in community relations and marketing for the team, conceiving a career forum for girls 9 to 16 and then running every aspect of the event, which included presenting a panel of college basketball players and women business leaders.

That, in turn, set her up for this summer’s internship. With the help of K’s Center for Career and Professional Development and with advice from her professors, the economics and business major applied for the highly competitive program and was one of 50 students chosen from a pool of 6,000. She’s working in the retail division of the NBA’s Global Partnerships Department, which manages all aspects of the league’s relationship with companies including Nike, New Era, Foot Locker and Amazon.

That relationship includes activities such as licensing the sale of NBA-branded merchandise, arranging for advertising on NBA TV, approving the use of the NBA logo in social media messages and arranging player appearances at partner businesses, she says. Her role has been mainly in research. One assignment tasked her with finding out everything she could about how the NBA could work with Target Corp., and she says she discovered a natural fit in both organizations’ emphasis on supporting community voluntarism—a synergy around which her boss now is building a partnership program.

She says her K education has given her a real advantage in her role, especially a business research methods course that prepares students for their Senior Individualized Project (SIP). Business and economics professor Timothy Moffit ’80 put a heavy emphasis on identifying information sources in research papers, so in a PowerPoint presentation to NBA professionals, she says, she included a final slide listing all of her sources—about 30, and many of them recognizable names.

She says it helped cement the credibility and validity of her proposal. “They were really impressed. It’s not something that they were expecting.”

A Chinese minor who studied abroad in China during the 2017-18 school year, Moss also has had a chance to use her language skills, aiding her boss in a conference call with the NBA office in China, she says. And content- and video-editing skills she learned in a documentary filmmaking course have turned out to be in high demand, as well.

“Every day is a new day at the league,” she says. “You have to be very multidimensional. Part of the Kalamazoo College liberal arts experience is being able to study multiple subjects because the K-Plan is so flexible.”

With the experience gained in her internships, and a planned SIP contrasting consumer perceptions of professional sports in the United States and China, she hopes to land a corporate job in international sports after graduation. Her ultimate goal—“really just a dream” at this point, she says—would be to start a nonprofit venture that uses sports to connect with and empower Chinese girls.

“I was adopted from China, and when I went to my study abroad in China, I got to volunteer coach in some of the schools, and there was a huge absence of girls in all of the basketball programs,” she says, adding that Chinese girls get little encouragement to participate in team sports in general.

In another effort to help people achieve their goals, she is teaming with fellow Kalamazoo College athletes Alex Dupree ’21 and Jordan Wiley ’19 to form a sports business club for K students that will aid them in charting their way to careers in sports-oriented businesses and link them with alumni in the field.

Her effort to create what she calls “new channels and opportunities” for her classmates echoes what she says is her goal on the lacrosse field and basketball court: “to play for my teammates and make great memories.”

Moss’ enthusiasm and cooperative yet competitive spirit wins high praise from K physical education professor and coach Jeanne Hess.

“Amanda is one of the most committed players and teammates I’ve seen come through Kalamazoo College,” Hess says. “She plays with passion and ferocity and she’s fun to watch. She’s going to do great things.”