Kalamazoo College

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Kalamazoo College
Image:Kcseal.gif
Motto: "Lux Esto" (Be Light)
Established: 1833[citation needed]
Type: liberal arts college
Endowment: USD $144 million[citation needed]
President: Eileen Wilson-Oyelaran
Faculty: 103
Undergraduates: 1,340[citation needed]
Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States
Colors: Orange and black            
Mascot: Hornets
Website: http://www.kzoo.edu

Kalamazoo College (K College or K) is a private liberal arts college located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1833, the institution was American Baptist in origin, and acknowledges its historical relationship with that denomination, but today maintains no religious affiliation. Over 85% of the 1300 or so students at the college spend several months studying in a foreign country.

Kalamazoo College is a member of the Great Lakes Colleges Association. It is also listed in Loren Pope's, Colleges That Change Lives.

Contents

[edit] History

Kalamazoo College was founded in 1833 by a group of Baptist ministers and was originally dubbed the "Michigan and Huron Institute." Instruction at the Institute began in the fall of 1836. In 1837, the name of the fledgling college was changed to the "Kalamazoo Literary Institute" and the school underwent its first attempt to secure recognition as a college from the state of Michigan. In 1838, however, the University of Michigan opened the Kalamazoo Branch of the University of Michigan, providing a local competitor to the Literary Institute. In 1840, the two schools merged, and from 1840 to 1850 the College operated as the Kalamazoo Branch of the University of Michigan[citation needed]. In 1850, the Kalamazoo Literary Institute name was restored and in 1855 the school finally received an educational charter from the state of Michigan, entailing explicit recognition of the school as a college. After receiving its educational charter, the school changed its name to Kalamazoo College.

James Stone was the first president of Kalamazoo College and led the school from 1842 through 1863. Stone was responsible for institution of high academic standards that allowed the College to receive its charter. Stone also played a role in the creation of the Republican Party. A meeting of disgruntled Michigan Whigs, Democrats, and abolitionists at the Stones' Kalamazoo residence set the date for an anti-slavery convention in Jackson, Michigan that resulted in the formal birth of the Republican Party.

Kalamazoo College served as a pioneer in coed education, granting its first degree to a woman in 1870. In 1877, Kalamazoo College students published the first edition of The Index, a student-run newspaper that continues to publish today. In addition to the newspaper, the college also publishes an annual literary-arts journal, "The Cauldron," and an annual compilation of students' work from study abroad, "The Passage."

Kalamazoo College's reputation as an academic powerhouse[citation needed] and a leader in international education[citation needed] was built during the presidency of Weimer Hicks, who served from 1954 to 1971. Hicks conceived of the "K Plan" program under which most Kalamazoo students spend at least one term abroad and spend at least one term working in an academic internship. As part of the original "K Plan," Kalamazoo College students had the opportunity to attend school year-round. One typical pattern was First year: Fall: On campus; Winter: On campus; Spring: On campus; Summer: Off; Sophomore Year: Fall: On campus; Winter: On campus; Spring: Career Development Internship; Summer: On campus; Junior year: Fall: Study Abroad; Winter: Study Abroad; Spring: On campus; Summer: On campus; Senior year: Fall: Senior Individualized Project; Winter: On campus; Spring: On campus. Variations to this schedule -- such as spring-term study abroad programs, full-year study abroad programs, and winter SIPs -- were also common. However, the College scrapped its summer term in 1996. Some[who?] attribute the decision to the admissions office's difficulty in attracting students to a year-round college[citation needed].

Hicks Center and Stetson Chapel at Kalamazoo College
Hicks Center and Stetson Chapel at Kalamazoo College

[edit] Academics

Kalamazoo College is widely recognized[weasel words] as an academic leader among national liberal arts colleges. The "K plan"--or the academic plan that Kalamazoo offers its students--consists of a rigorous liberal arts education, supplemented by one or more terms abroad and the opportunity to pursue substantive internships during the summers. Additionally, all Kalamazoo College students are required to complete a senior individualized project (SIP), which may take the form of a thesis, an artistic performance, or any other work-intensive project of a student's choosing. Kalamazoo College is also unique in that it requires its students to take comprehensive exams in their major before graduating. Kalamazoo College is the only undergraduate institution in the United States that requires both a senior thesis of some kind and a comprehensive examination. However, certain academic departments are doing-away with these exams.

Kalamazoo College is a national leader in study abroad opportunities. In 2003, US News & World Report 2003 Edition America's Best Colleges ranked Kalamazoo College as #1 in study abroad programs. (Note: 2003 was the last year study abroad programs were ranked, now US News & World Report clumps 'Programs to look for' together in a general list). Comprehensive fees for the 2007-8 academic year total $35,838. The school offers students the opportunity to study abroad for three, six, or nine months and requires no extra tuition payments. Nearly 85% of Kalamazoo College students spend at least one term abroad. Kalamazoo College maintains partnerships with over 50 foreign universities on six continents. Kalamazoo College was the number one school in the country per capita in 2005 for the recruitment of Peace Corps volunteers[citation needed].

Kalamazoo College opened the new Upjohn Library Commons on January 3, 2006. The new library includes the completely renovated skeleton of the elder, and an extension adding to its volume capacity.

[edit] Athletics

The school's sports teams are called the Hornets. They compete in the NCAA's Division III and the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA). Kalamazoo College is best known athletically for men's tennis due to an incredible conference win streak. As of 2006-2007, the Hornet tennis squad have won their conference championship an astounding 69 consecutive years.

[edit] Men's Tennis

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The Kalamazoo College men’s tennis team has won 69 consecutive Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association championships (1936-2007) with a record of 426-2 in the MIAA from 1935-2007. Kalamazoo has won seven NCAA Division III national championships and has made 25 consecutive NCAA III tournament appearances.

National Runners-up - NCAA Division II:

National Championships - NCAA Division III:

National Runners-up - NCAA Division III:

[edit] Men's Swimming

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Men's swimming and diving at Kalamazoo College has its own impressive history. The team is know for producing individual national champions in the pool and on the boards, and also maintaining a national presence with regular appearances as a top 10 team at the NCAA Division III national championships[citation needed]. The team is also one of the top 10 most-successful teams in the MIAA after the Kalamazoo College men's tennis team, with 25 MIAA championships.

[edit] Academic Achievement

  • Don Knoechel, NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship 1980[citation needed]
  • Curt Crimmins, NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship 1984[citation needed]
  • Markus Boos, GTE Academic All-American 2nd Team 2000[citation needed]
  • Evan Whitbeck, NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship 2002[citation needed]
  • Scott Whitbeck, NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship 2004

[edit] Athletic Achievement and Contributions

  • Brad Shively, Head Coach of Men's and Women's Swimming & Diving at Washington University in St. Louis.[citation needed]
  • Jeff Gorton, competitor at the 2004 Olympic Trials in 3-meter diving.[citation needed]
  • Mark Fino, Head Coach of Men's and Women's Swimming & Diving at Oberlin College.[citation needed]
  • Scott Whitbeck, assistant swim coach at The College of Wooster (2005-2007) and University Massachusetts Amherst.[citation needed]
  • Derek Jansen, Founder of d3swimming.com[citation needed]

[edit] Men's Basketball

[edit] Basketball Dispute

In 2001, the Kalamazoo College men's basketball team was at the center of a lengthy dispute regarding the outcome of a January 20 game with league rival Olivet College. With Olivet leading 70-69, Kalamazoo College center Kevin Baird made a shot at the buzzer that was initially waved off by referees. The referees then reviewed videotape of the game and determined that Baird had, in fact, released his shot before the buzzer and awarded Kalamazoo College a 71-70 victory. After the game, Olivet filed a protest with the conference commissioner, claiming that officials had misapplied the way in which videotape may be used. On January 23, the conference upheld the protest and awarded Olivet the victory. Kalamazoo then filed a protest with the NCAA, claiming that Olivet's protest was in violation of NCAA bylaws. On February 1, the NCAA upheld Kalamazoo's counter-protest and again awarded the game to the Hornets. The dispute between Olivet and Kalamazoo received national attention and Baird's shot was shown repeatedly on ESPN[citation needed] .

[edit] Student Life and Traditions

Hoben Hall taken from Hicks Center.
Hoben Hall taken from Hicks Center.

Student organizations are one of the main sources of entertainment for the student body. They routinely bring in speakers as well as stage performances, dances, and movie showings.

During the fall quarter, there are two main events: Fall Fest and Homecoming dance. In Fall Fest, student organizations provide activities for the students to do such as pumpkin carving and bobbing for apples[citation needed].

During the winter quarter the college holds the annual Monte Carlo night, on which the student body raises money by gambling in a makeshift casino where the professors are the dealers. They play for scrip redeemable for prizes. They change the money from year to year to prevent counterfeits.

Currently, the spring quarter of every year contains several notable social events. One is the Day of Gracious Living. On the Day of Gracious Living, classes are canceled. This day is never given a specific date, and is instead announced the night before by the President of the Student Commission as a surprise to the student body. Though this tradition was originally started with the intention that the students devote their free day to community service, it has evolved into a campus-wide trip to the beaches of Lake Michigan in South Haven or elsewhere. Another is the Spring Fling which is an all-day, family-friendly student party. There is usually cotton candy, live music, inflatable jungle gym equipment, and a wide variety of other social activities. Crystal Ball, a popular cross-dressing dance hosted by the school's GLBT club Kaleidoscope, also takes place in the spring of each year.

Another notable tradition for K College freshmen is an optional portion of the orientation program called LandSea. Each year, 80 freshmen venture into Killarney Provincial Park before the school year begins. The programs consists of 19 days of hiking, canoeing, climbing, rappelling and sailing. This program imparts both 'hard skills' like orienteering and outdoor survival, as well as 'soft skills', such as conflict resolution and relationship building. Student "patrols" travel through the park with a leader and also participate in a 2-day solo experience. Many regard LandSea as significant in easing the difficult transition from high school to college.

Service Learning is also one of the most common extracurricular activities for K students. Many work with children from the surrounding public elementary schools, such as Woodward Elementary, and also with local high schools. The college organizes these activities through programs such as PALS and AMIGOS. Some students volunteer at health clinics; others work as Spanish translators at Bronson Methodist Hospital and Borgess Medical Center.

The campus is built around a grassy hill known as "The Quad". The Quad is also the site of numerous large scale events throughout the year, including Homecoming, Spring Fling, Convocation, and Commencement. Furthermore, at the top of the hill sits Stetson Chapel, which is a favorite location for alumni wedding services. The Quad is home to another popular Kalamazoo College student tradition, "streaking the Quad", a noisy, late-night descent from the Chapel, down the hill, and back to the top again. Tradition dictates that students must touch the school sign before returning to the top. There is a mass-streak after the spring performance by Frelon, the Kalamazoo College dance group, and also during the day by the senior class. This often coincides with a wedding.

In the 1970s the school did away with the Greek system because of its social divisiveness[citation needed], though an agreement with Western Michigan University allows Kalamazoo students to rush there.

[edit] Presidents of Kalamazoo College

In 2005 Dr. Eileen Wilson-Oyelaran became Kalamazoo College's 17th President and first female president, as well as the first African-American president of the school. She is the 22nd President overall, including interim and acting presidents. Her immediate predecessors are Bernard Palchick, who served as interim president and returned to the administration, and James F. Jones, who departed to become President of Trinity College, in Connecticut.

Humphrey House, home of the Humanities division.
Humphrey House, home of the Humanities division.

[edit] Notable alumni

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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