Nov. 10, 2008

The DigestWhat’s Happening at KVCC

What’s below in this edition National ‘pub’ (Pages 1/2) Breathe right (Page 11) Rustic prose (Pages 2/3) Quilting, TV ‘docs’ (Page 12) Callers needed (Page 3) ‘4 Corners’ flashback (P-12/13) Your car’s wellness (Pages 3/4) Holiday Parade (Page 13) United Way (Page 4) ‘Transfer Talk’ (Page 14) Dancing for $$$$ (Pages 4/5) Italian film (Pages 14/15) Such a deal (Pages 5/6) Volunteer ‘opps’ (Page 15) Hospitality Academy (Pages 6/7) Extra food? (Page 15) China today (Pages 7/8) Lead safety (Pages 15-17) Great teaching (Page 8) 40th stickers (Page 17) New research tools (Page 8) Swap Meet (Pages 17/18) KAFI 5 going like 60 (Pages 9/10) Paper chase (Pages 18/19)

Thanks for the blood (Page 10) Community Advocates (P-19/20) Veterans Day (Pages 10/11) Grant’s scope expands (Page 20)

And Finally (Page 20)

☻☻☻☻☻☻Tip of the cap from the Wall Street Journal

“An unpretentious but bewitching repository of local artifacts and history.”That’s how the Wall Street Journal described the Kalamazoo Valley Museum in

its “Off the Beaten Track” feature in the Travel section of the upcoming Dec. 4 edition. And editor Rhonda Rundle, who compiles these short perspectives, urged her

readers that it is such a worthwhile attraction that they should “make a beeline” for it.She described Kalamazoo as “a small, charming college town” that is home to a

national tennis tournament for teenage boys, a biennial international keyboard festival, an outstanding library, more than its share of historic homes and mansions, a natural oasis known as the Kalamazoo Nature Center, and a world-class automobile museum.

In addition to these attractions, several bed-and-breakfast hostelries were mentioned, including the Henderson Castle.

Among the “hip restaurants” in the downtown, which once featured the first pedestrian mall in an American city, that warranted a plug were the Epic Bistro, the

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Union Cabaret and Grille, and Zazio’s. Farther out, Great Lakes Shipping Co. west of the WMU campus was mentioned.

Farms, fields, family next in ‘About Writing’Anne-Marie Oomen and her haunting, lyrical Michigan stories about farm, fields

and family is the “About Writing” attraction on Wednesday (Nov. 12).She will make a 10 a.m. presentation about her wordsmithing and do a 2 p.m.

reading. Both will be held in the Student Commons, and both will be free and open to the public.

With rural culture as its heart, her first nonfiction collection, “Pulling Down the Barn: Memories of a Rural Childhood”” was designated as a Michigan Notable Book. Other works include “House of Fields” and “Un-coded Woman,” along with two “chapbooks” of poetry, “Seasons of the Sleeping Bear” and “Moniker.” Taken together, they offer insight into country living at its quirkiest and most tender.

Oomen edited “Looking Over My Shoulder: Reflections on the Twentieth Century,” an anthology of seniors' essays funded by Michigan Humanities Council. She has also written and produced several plays, including the award-winning “Northern Belles” and “Wives of An American King.”

Oomen currently serves as the chair of creative writing at Interlochen Arts Academy where she is faculty editor for the Interlochen Review. She is also nonfiction instructor for the Solstice Writers Conference of Pine Manor College in Massachusetts.

She and her husband built their own home in Empire (population about 350 near the Lake Michigan shoreline in Leelanau County) where they live with a large cat named Walt Whitman.

Her "Pulling Down the Barn” is a series of short, interconnected reflections that vividly portray stories of the author's childhood in Oceana County north of Muskegon and her powerful sense of identity with the family farm. She draws on ordinary moments in her coming-of-age youth, with settings such as her family's farmhouse and the local schoolyard.

Each year's Michigan Notable Books list features 20 books published the previous calendar year that are about or set in Michigan or the Great Lakes region or are written by a native or resident of Michigan. Selections include nonfiction and fiction and typically have a wide appeal to the audience, covering a range of topics and issues close to the hearts of Michigan residents.

As a poet, essayist and playwright, Oomen is known for her ability to convey the inner landscape of a woman's mind.

Next in KVCC’s 2008-09 “About Writing” series will be a visit on Thursday, Feb. 19, by David James. It will be capped off next spring by a return visit to Kalamazoo by Terry Tempest Williams, who has earned notoriety for her prose on the environmental scene.

Williams is booked for a two-day stay on March 23-24. On that Monday, she will talk about her writing at 10 a.m., deliver a reading at 7 that evening, and make a pair of presentations at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on the following day.

All are scheduled for the Student Commons and are open to the public. Williams, who chronicles how nature, wildlife, environmental and wilderness

issues impact humanity’s physical and mental health, visited the KVCC campus in early April of 2004.

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“Prior to the Terry Tempest Williams visit,” Haight said, “faculty, students and staff will be reading her latest book, ‘Finding Beauty in a Broken World.’ We wish to encourage the college community and interested members of the public to read the book before her appearances to promote a dialogue.”

The book was scheduled to be released in October.

Callers needed to remind students to pay tuitionKVCC's calling campaign to contact enrolled students who have not yet paid for

winter-semester classes is scheduled for the week of Dec. 1-5, and volunteers are needed. It's a chance to help prospective students not lose their classes, and to help the

college build a healthy, vital, ever-growing enrollment.  Those who have made the calls in past years report that students, their parents,

and friends deeply appreciate the gentle reminder, and the college's caring environment.And it works.  A typical effort involves making around 6,000 calls with 80 percent resulting in

students making their payments prior to batch cancellation the following week. Organizer Pat Pojeta  says that if 100 volunteers step forward, the load will be

lightened on all those who make the calls. Contact her at extension 4018 or ppojeta@kvcc.edu.            Volunteers may make their calls during the workday at their work stations.  They will have the full week to complete their calls.  Scripts will be provided with clear, easy-to-follow instructions on how to record information.  These scripts will be delivered to each volunteer the morning of Monday, Dec. 1.

“Many a volunteer has remarked how fun it is speaking with our students,” Pojeta said. “They seem happy to hear from us.”

Free checkups to test car’s starting power in winterA free “physical” to assess your car’s starting-performance fitness for the coming

winter is being offered through the KVCC Automotive Academy.The “Starting and Charging System Clinic” is being offered Nov. 18-21 with

appointments for the free screenings available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Some 35 slots are still open, according to Tom Sutton.

The 17 students enrolled in the college’s second automotive academy will check a battery’s health, the vehicle’s starting and charging capacity, belts, cables, and the alternator’s output.

“Today’s cars start so easily,” says David “Charlie” Fuller, the college’s director of career academies in advanced technology, “that it may mask the fact a battery is weak and needs replacement.”

Fuller called it a “win-win” situation for the community and the students. “It will be great practice for them in customer relations, in performing inspections of a vehicle’s starting and battery-charging functions to form a diagnosis, and in presenting their findings to the owners and making recommendations about what should be done.”

Fuller said the free clinic will not be performing any repairs. But it will arm vehicle owners with the information they need in seeking repairs at automotive shops or buying a new battery.

To schedule appointments, which are limited to 100 vehicle owners on a first-come, first-served basis, either call (269) 353-1253 or visit this website –

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www.kvcc.edu/training, click on “Automotive Technician Academy” and follow the posted directions.

United Way campaign tops $26,000While there is still time for college personnel to participate, KVCC is wrapping

up its part of the 2008 Greater Kalamazoo United Way (GKUW) campaign and final details should be available by early next week.

After one week, nearly $13,700 had been pledged. The second-week total was $26,356 as the 10-day effort neared its conclusion.

The communitywide fund drive was started on Sept. 10 and is scheduled to end Nov. 20. This year’s goal is $10.9 million, a $100,000 increase over the 2007 target. It supports 61 human-service programs in 43 community agencies, from Girls on the Run to round-the-clock crisis intervention.

In 2007, the GKUW collected almost $10.85 million for these area agencies and programs. The fund-raising total has increased annually since the organization raised about $2.65 million in 1980.

This year’s campaign theme is “Live United,” with a tagline of “We are all people. Connected, interdependent, united.”

The interim president and chief executive officer of the GKUW is Phil Carra, the retired Upjohn/Pharmacia/Pfizer top administrator. Kalamazoo Gazette Publisher Jim Stephanik is the campaign chairman for 2008.

Carra has admitted that this year’s campaign could be challenging as corporate headquarters move, jobs disappear, and the U. S. economy staggers from body blow after body blow.

Enterprises that remain and are vital are constantly re-examining their financial positions to determine how much they and their employees can give, he said.

But each year the Kalamazoo area rallies to the cause and reaches the GKUW goal, a remarkable achievement for a community of this size.

The supported agencies have a variety of missions, including physical and mental health, strengthening families and youth, strengthening community, and increasing each person’s self-sufficiency.

Our ‘Dancing Queens’Hear the tune “Dancing Queens,” and people who know pop music think of

ABBA.That no longer will be case at KVCC after the Saturday (Nov. 15) fund-raiser,

“Dancing with the WMU/Kazoo Stars,” to collect some scholarship dollars for the Western Michigan University Department of Dance.

Beginning with President Marilyn Schlack and Carolyn Alford, the KVCC payroll specialist who serves on the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners, four of the seven contestants have ties to the college.

Kalamazoo Mayor Bobbie Hopewell is a KVCC graduate in the emergency-technician program, while restaurateur Ken Miller, chairman of the WMU Board of Trustees, served a trio of three-year terms on the KVCC Foundation Board of Trustees.

The other contestants are: Anne Berquist, executive director of the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo; WMU President John Dunn, and Portage Mayor Peter Strazdas.

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Judging these folks and their partners as they trip the light fantastic in a variety of assigned styles of dancing will be WKZO’s Lori Moore, an alumna of KVCC.

The event will begin at 8 p.m. in the Gilmore Theater Complex on the WMU campus near Miller Auditorium. The $75 fee includes live music, hors d’oeuvres, desserts and, of course, the dance entertainment.

For more information, call 387-5830.What most KVCC folks don’t know is that the college actually does have a

“Dancing Queen.” Denise Morrison, coordinator for scheduling events and facilities, knows all of the steps for most of the dances. That’s why the president asked for some tango tips.

Top-dollar intern$hip$, $cholar$hip$ a go for 2009KVCC students are again eligible for a high-tech internship program offering

major scholarship dollars and priceless job experience that will enter its third year of existence in 2009.

In its first two years, five KVCC students took part in the joint venture between Southwest Michigan First and the Kalamazoo-based Monroe-Brown Foundation.  The train-your-own, workforce-development program awards each student as much as $8,800 in revenue to apply to their college educations. 

It is open to eligible KVCC, Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo College students.  In KVCC’s case, students must be entering their second year of studies.  They will be exposed to valuable networking opportunities and valuable on-the-job training in their chosen fields.

Details of the 2009 edition of the program and the participating companies should be posted on the Southwest Michigan First website by the first of the year. An interested person can either “google” Southwest Michigan First or go directly to info@southwestmichiganfirst.com.

The 21 available internships attracted more than 300 applicants in 2008, 56 of those being affiliated with KVCC.

Each intern will work for the employer for a minimum of 400 hours from May through September.  The interns are paid at least minimum wage.  The 10-week post is regarded as full time, but it can be customized to fit the needs of each company and intern.

Upon successful completion of the internship - as decided by the company and the foundation -- each of those parties will pay the intern a $500 bonus -- a total of $1,000.  On top of that, the foundation will award a pair of additional payments of $2,500 at the beginning of each of the two semesters following the internship.                       Said Ron Kitchens, president and chief executive officer of Southwest Michigan First: “It is designed to keep the talent that we train here in our part of the state.  Companies learned whether they could be getting quality employees.”

The reasoning for the initiative called the Southwest Michigan First Talent Network is simple -- one of the key components to sustained economic development in high-tech fields including manufacturing is “lots of smart people.” 

The interns receive great experience for their careers. They will build a valuable network of business leaders and fellow interns while earning significant funding for their educations. 

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“We hope that they not only learn more about what they want out of life,” Kitchens said, “but that they begin to see Kalamazoo as a place where they can grow from student to young professional.”           

For many enterprises -- and not just those in emerging businesses -- the No. 1 factor for achieving success is finding the right people to fit the right jobs.  Internships are tried-and-true ways to “grow your own” and identify prospects with high potential.           

It’s the classic win-win equation:  great experience for those who are selected as interns and a no-strings-attached arrangement on the part of the employer because internships are basically akin to temporary jobs.           

The employer gets essentially a low-cost look at a potential permanent employee who could either be somebody who would not be a good fit or somebody who has “the right stuff” to be a future leader.           

In order to find that out, interns -- while supervised and operating within a structured work environment -- should be given enough autonomy and enough leeway to determine their own direction.  That allows the employer to evaluate the person’s judgment, how he or she works with other people, and work habits.  Few one-on-one interviews provide those types of measurements.

Deadline nears for first Hospitality Academy With other vocations and occupations in the pipeline, the hospitality industry is

the next in Kalamazoo Valley Community College’s workforce-development academies.Slated to begin Jan. 5, the Hospitality Academy is joining the college’s growing

roster of specialized, targeted training programs.“It’s a fast track to employment,” said Lesa Strausbaugh, KVCC’s director of

career academies, “and it is our response to what each industry is demanding to meet its workforce needs. From our point of view, the college seeks to provide people with the skills that open up employment opportunities.”

But the college does take a close look at the industry-driven idea before it leaps, and area businesses aid in that step by staffing focus groups. The No. 1 and No. 2 questions are: is there a need for this kind of training and, if so, are there jobs out there to be filled?

The Hospitality Academy will run daily for five weeks through Feb. 6 at the Arcadia Commons Campus’ Anna Whitten Hall in downtown Kalamazoo.

“A career in hospitality can be glamorous and exciting,” said Strausbaugh, a marketing major at Jacksonville State University in Alabama, “but it involves long hours and hard work. Virtually every job in the field requires regular public contact, leadership skills, and an emphasis on customer service.”

During 157 hours of instruction , students will learn the workings of the rooms division and food-and-beverage division in hospitality, which includes front-desk management, reservations, housekeeping, bells services, restaurant service, and banquet organization. A major component will be job shadowing and an in-the-field training practicum.

Acceptance into the academy will be competitive and be based on a written application, feedback from references, results of assessment tests to determine fitness for the occupation, and interviews.

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Those who complete the academy will receive a certificate in hospitality from KVCC and a globally recognized certificate from the American Hotel and Lodging Association.

“It’s been proven that certificates and diplomas from the educational institute of the association open doors to graduates looking for careers in the lodging industry,” Strausbaugh said. “We’re excited to offer students this opportunity.”

The lead instructor, complemented by professionals serving as guest presenters, will bring many years of experience in all aspects of the hospitality industry to the training.

Hospitality will become the focus of the college’s third academy, joining automotive technology and the criminal-justice field of corrections, both of which are in the middle of their second class of participants. Other occupations and professions are being studied to determine the feasibility of an academy approach. Response will determine whether a second hospitality academy is scheduled.

Infused in the new academy will be components provided by the KVCC Student Success Center that enhances job-search skills and employability.

The fee for the five-week academy is $750.Applications are available by calling Strausbaugh at (269) 353-1253 or by visiting this website at www.kvcc.edu/training/. The deadline to apply is Nov. 19.

“I have talked to several interested parties currently working in the industry who are looking to increase their skills and to earn the American Hotel and Lodging Association Hospitality certificate,” Strausbaugh said. “The hospitality industry is showing great support through the Kalamazoo Area Hotel and Lodging Association and our advisory group. We are expecting a full class to begin Jan. 5.”

She reports the demographics of applicants represent both genders. They come from the ranks of the unemployed, from limited job experience and from those with four-year degrees looking for a new career.

The paradox that is China is Wednesday topicMuch like the United States paid little heed to the environmental impact of its

entry into the Industrial Age, China is now facing that issue as its economy explodes with seemingly little concern for the health and safety of the largest population on the planet.

Theo Sypris, the director of KVCC’s program in international studies who visited that country in the summer of 2005, will speak about the “Paradox of Affluence in China” on Wednesday (Nov. 12) at noon in the Student Commons Theater.

Sponsored by the KVCC chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the academic honor society for two-year colleges, the presentation is free and open to the public.

While little concern in the United States was publicly expressed about how massive industrialization might affect the quality of water, air and soil conditions in the late 19th and first half of the 20th centuries, that might be traced to a lack of awareness and knowledge about the impact of the forms of pollution. That’s not the case in today’s China.

As that populous nation is poised to resurrecting itself as a global power, Sypris will discuss his views about the potential costs to the overall health of that nation’s environment and the people who inhabit it. Many of those concerns were expressed when China hosted the Summer Olympics this year.

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Sypris will also discuss whether civil liberties are being sacrificed for affluence and international clout, his perspectives on economic development, the country’s environmental issues, and the trade-offs that the Chinese people will have to face or be forced to endure in the name of prosperity.

Best practices in college teachingThe KVCC Faculty Book Club is continuing its discussions of Ken Bain’s

discourse on “What the Best College Teachers Do” over the next two months. Instructors are asked to read the fourth and fifth chapters of the book in

preparation for the dialogue, while also writing a personal reaction or response to one of the two or to a section in one of them. The optional exercise can help seed the dialogue.

Here’s the upcoming lineup for the Texas Township Campus sessions in rooms 7332 and 7334:

Thursday (Nov. 13) from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3, at 7 a.m. Thursday, Dec, 4 , at 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, at 9 a.m.The session in Anna Whitten Hall is set for Thursday, Nov. 20, at 2:30 p.m. in

Room 206.Among the talking points will be: Chapter 4:  Make a list of “what the best college teachers expect from their

students.” Identify the items you feel are most important and explain why, or identify items you feel are unimportant and explain why.

Chapter 5:  What are some ways that you might create "a natural critical-learning environment" in one of your courses?  A broader question might be: What are some ways that you might create "a natural critical-learning environment" at KVCC?

Instructors are also encouraged to bring questions they have about the chapters.Those with questions can contact Anora Ackerson, Keith Kroll or Cynthia

Schauer.New resource tool available at libraries

http://lii.org/ That’s the latest wizardly resource for research and information available to

instructors, staff and students through the KVCC library system.It stands for “Librarians' Internet Index” and it offers links to more than 20,000

high-quality research-oriented Web resources. They are selected and described by librarians, and organized by subject for convenient access.

“It's a nice shortcut to the best of the Web,” says Janet Alm, KVCC’s director of libraries.

For instructors who want a book ordered by the library, purchase-request forms for books and audio-visual materials are located via "Info & Services for Instructors," then "Forms" on the libraries' web page: http://www.kvcc.edu/library/info-for-instructors.htm .

Who's your favorite librarian? Batgirl, of course! Check out this unaired Batgirl series pilot, and you'll see just how exciting librarianship can be: http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=G40JsVZmfmc&feature=related . “You can't google everything,” Alm said. “Librarians can help.”

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KAFI 5’s first call for submissions nets 87The fifth Kalamazoo Animation Festival International (KAFI) is set for May 14-

17 in downtown Kalamazoo, with the deadline for submissions set for Jan. 15.Now held every other year and sponsored by Kalamazoo Valley Community

College, the four-day festival salutes the art form of animation and its entertainment, education and entrepreneurial functions.

During that Thursday-through-Sunday period, attendees can experience a film festival targeted for both adults and children that includes screenings of the entries chosen as finalists in the KAFI competitions in which up to $15,000 in prize money is on the table.

Professional-development seminars, training sessions for students, distinctive family-oriented events, and a one-day conference for educators are offered to enhance animation skills, prep young people for careers, and use this creative medium as a tool for teaching and business ventures.

In addition to programs tailored for those who view animation as a profession and an art form, the 2009 KAFI will offer free events for people who equate cartoons with fun and entertainment. One new addition to the fifth KAFI will be hands-on activities designed for children and family-oriented attractions.

Another new twist will be festival events that link the worlds of music and animation as majors in those artistic fields at Western Michigan University and KVCC combine their creative talents to produce animation based on original compositions.

Their productions – under the umbrella of what is called the Kalamazoo Animation and Music Competition, will be part of the festival agenda.

Already booked for a presentation is Mike Mitchell, who is directing “Shrek Goes Fourth” for DreamWorks. One of the highlights of the 2007 KAFI was a special preview screening of “Shrek the Third.”

The festival’s benchmark event, “The Cartoon Challenge,” will have teams from animation programs spanning North America engaging in a “24/4” cartoon-creating competition prior to the convening of the 2009 KAFI. Team applications are due Jan. 16.

The 10 teams selected to compete will arrive at KVCC’s Center for New Media in downtown Kalamazoo on the Sunday preceding festival week and bivouac there. Their objective will be to conceive, script, design and produce a 15-to-30-second animated feature on a public-service topic over the four days. The teams don’t know the topic until the competition begins.

In the 2007 edition of KAFI, finalists for festival screenings were selected from more than 500 entries submitted by animators based in 36 nations, including 32 of America’s 50 states. As of last week, 87 entries had been submitted, 47 from 18 of the 50 United States. Entries have also been received from animators in Canada, Great Britain, Germany, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Argentina, New Zealand, Australia, Taiwan, Turkey, Russia, India, Serbia, Nigeria and China.

All of the activities and events will be held in KVCC’s Center for New Media, Anna Whitten Hall, and the Kalamazoo Valley Museum, with the major screenings booked for the historic State Theater.

Kalamazoo’s Irving S. Gilmore Foundation, who has joined with the college as the prime sponsor of the four previous festivals, is again the key financial supporter of the event.

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Nuts-and-bolts information about all KAFI activities, the new Kalamazoo Animation and Music Competition, and the Cartoon Challenge – date, time, location and cost – will soon be available at this webpage -- http://kafi.kvcc.edu -- or by calling Maggie Noteboom at the festival office at (269) 373-7883.

College community saluted for blood driveKVCC’s latest blood drive on campus was labeled as “awesome job” by the

Kalamazoo County Chapter of the American Red Cross.C. J. Schmiege, donor-recruitment representative for the Great Lakes Blood

Region in this part of the state, delivered a “thank you” to Phi Theta Kappa adviser Natalie Patchell “and all the kids for your hard work in making this an over-the-top blood drive.

“We did win the challenge with Kellogg Community College,” Schmiege reported. “Our goal was 65 units and we collected 80 units for a 123 percent turnout. Kellogg Community College’s goal was for 91 units, but the total came up eight short, or 91 percent.

“But the true winners,” the recruiter said, “are the patients who need the blood. Thank you for all you do.”

“The student volunteers, faculty leaders, and the donors all worked hard,” Patchell said, “and it made a difference for the possible 80 lives that will be touched.”

Panel discussion to pay offer veterans’ perspectivesAs part of the national observance of Veterans Day, the Student Commons Forum

will be hosting a panel discussion on the effects of war on military personnel.It is scheduled for Tuesday (Nov. 11) from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. It is free and

open to the public. At similar presentations in the past, what Veterans Day means to those who have

served in the military and to those whose freedoms have been protected by men and women in uniform have been the topics. Students, faculty, and staff are invited to take part in the dialogue.

While participants have chosen the topics, some potential subjects could be: • The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.• The cost of the war when compared to the bills being faced by students for

health care, housing and education. For example, money used to finance the war could have insured 203,150,734,510 children and provided 16,441,287 students four-year scholarships at public universities. Some 3,053,736 housing units could have been built and public schools could have hired 5,877,529 new teachers for one year.

• Should a military draft be re-implemented? • With thousands killed, maimed and injured, and no deadline for pulling out

of Iraq, how many more troops are Americans willing to send to Iraq? Are we willing to have Iraq become another Vietnam? What about the commitment in Afghanistan?

• Is a strong military more important, less important, or of the same importance as it was in the World War II era? • Does serving in the military make a person more appreciative of their homeland and freedoms?

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• Do we have as much respect for veterans today as we did for those who served in World War II and in Korea? Is one factor that we believe the Vietnam, Gulf and Iraq wars have not been to "protect" us, but to protect our interests?

• What can we do to honor the men and women who have served, literally risking or sacrificing their lives, to protect ours and the remarkable freedoms that we enjoy.

Meanwhile, two KVCC faculty members are continuing to lead the way in the formation of a club for students who are veterans of the U.S. armed forces.

Sociology instructor Katherine Ferraro and biology instructor Jack Bley, who served in three branches of the military, have scheduled a second meeting for the 2008-09 academic year.

It is set for Monday, Nov. 17, at “1700 hours” in Room 4380 on the Texas Township Campus. “1700 Hours” is military talk for 5 p.m.

The agenda for the first meeting was to outline the club’s purpose and begin the process for adopting bylaws and electing officers. That process will continue on Nov. 17.

Participants, looking for camaraderie, community involvement, and the sharing of experiences, are urged to bring ideas for what the organization should seek to accomplish. As part of the Veterans Day observance on campus, the fledgling organization will set up a booth to attract more participants and offer information.

More information is available by contacting Bley at jbley@kvcc.edu or ferraro at kferraro@kvcc.edu.Healthy-breathing, resume-writing workshops for students

Factors in creating an effective resume and the health aspects of proper breathing are among the topics to be covered in upcoming workshops scheduled by the Student Success Center.

Free, open to all students, and mostly slated for the Student Commons Forum, the schedule of sessions is:

♦ “Pranayama: Power of Breath” – Tuesday (Nov. 11) at 11 a.m. Occupational therapist Renu Sharma will explain and demonstrate an ancient yogic breathing technique that promotes health and a more positive perspective.

♦ “Resume Workshop” – Thursday (Nov. 13) at 3 p.m. KVCC’s Lois Brinson and Karen Phelps takes students through a step-by-step process to crafting a resume that can assist greatly in the search for employment. They will also evaluate a student’s existing resume.

♦ “Psychology of Buying” – Wednesday, Nov. 19, at 1 p.m. Building on his previous presentation about the psychology of spending, Chris Palmer of GreenPath Debt Solutions will provide some techniques in how to overcome “the urge to splurge.” This session is set for Room 4370 on the Texas Township Campus.

♦ “International Fest” – on Wednesday, Nov. 19, from 6 to 8 p.m. This offers U. S. students the opportunity to meet their peers from around the globe, enjoy their ethnic foods, and experience their cultures.

Slated for December will be another workshop on resume writing and job interviewing and ways to overcome the stress that can come with the year-end holiday.

For more information about these and upcoming workshops for students, contact Pamela Siegfried, the center’s life-resources coordinator, at extension 4825. Refreshments are part of the attraction.

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Quilting, TV legends profiled in ‘docs’The art of quilting and America’s new toy of the 1940s and ‘50s – television -- are

the doubleheader themes of the Kalamazoo Valley Museum’s fall program of documentaries that continue through the end of the calendar year, and two of the films in its movie series.

The free documentaries complement the exhibits on display during this period – “Great Lakes Native Quilting” and “Kid Stuff: Great Toys from Our Childhood.” Each will be shown in the Mary Jane Stryker Theater.

Slated for 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 16 is “American Quilts,” which chronicles the days from the earliest settlers to modern times when quilts with their kaleidoscopic colors have adorned American homes. Both the history of the art form and its symbolism are covered.

On Nov. 30, “Art of Quilting” explores the diverse techniques and artistry reflected in the U. S. form of creative expressions. The boundaries of traditional American quilt-making have expanded to an art form that now adorns the walls of exhibit halls and art galleries around the world.

Here’s the 3 p.m. schedule for flashing back to the pioneers of television:● Nov. 16 and Nov. 30 – “Pioneers of Television” flashes back to the early

situation comedies, variety shows, game shows, and late-night talk shows that gave television its first class of celebrities.

Also augmenting the two exhibitions are a pair of movies booked for the museum’s Thursday-night series.

“How to Make an American Quilt” on Oct. 23 is the story of one family’s women and their loves lost and won, while “A Christmas Story” on Dec. 11 has evolved into a holiday classic about a boy’s quest to receive a B-B gun from Santa and his typical-American family life.

Curtain goes up at 7:30 each evening and there is a $3 admission fee.

‘4 Corners’ crossroads Sunday Series topic The lone billing in November for the “Sunday Series” at the Kalamazoo Valley

Museum will be “Four Corners of Kalamazoo County,” which sheds light on the crossroad settlements that dotted this part of the sate in the 19th century.

Slated for Nov. 9 with Tom Dietz, the museum’s curator, it will begin at 1:30 p.m. in the Mary Jane Stryker Theater and bring back to life the four-corner gathering places for pioneer settlers throughout Kalamazoo County. All presentations in the series are free and open to the public.

“From the earliest years of the settlement of Kalamazoo County and continuing into the early years of the 20th century,” Dietz said, “small settlements developed in almost every township in the county. They were the focus of community life in the immediate region, offering a church, a school, possibly a tavern or hotel, a general store, and perhaps a carpenter or blacksmith shop.

“Frequently located at the intersection of two main roads,” he said, “they came to be known as ‘Four Corners” settlements, often deriving their name from a prominent local family or pioneer. Today, they are often forgotten or have been overtaken by urban growth.”

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Dietz will recount McKain’s Corners in Pavilion Township where early residents danced at Charles Collins’ saloon and dance hall, Gardner’s Corners in Wakeshma Township, and McKee’s Corners in Portage Township, which holiday shoppers will soon hurry past as they drive on Westnedge Avenue.

“All once played a vital role in the life of Kalamazoo County,” said Dietz, who will also remove the dust from other early settlements named for pioneers, such as Howlandsburg in Ross Township, as well as the vanished towns like Williams in Alamo Township and Geloster in Richland Township.

The 2008 finale in the series will be “Things of History” on Dec. 14 as Dietz tells the stories behind some of the museum’s more intriguing artifacts.

Here’s the line-up for the first half of 2009:♦ “Charlie Hays: Home Builder” on Jan. 11.♦ “Where the Streets Got Their Names” on Jan. 25.♦ “The Michigan Land Survey” on Feb. 8 looks at the origins of the mapping of

what had been the Michigan Territory.♦ “The Sins of Kalamazoo Were Scarlet and Crimson” on Feb. 22 recounts the

city’s red-light districts and speakeasies during Prohibition♦ “The Velvelettes” on March 8 - the Kalamazoo connections to Motown♦ “Famous Visitors to Kalamazoo” on March 22 - notables, celebrities and

politicians who have come to this community for a variety of reasons.♦ “Red Terror in Kalamazoo: The 1948 Shakespeare Strike” on April 26.

For more information, contact Dietz at 373-7990 or visit the museum’s website at www.kalamazoomuseum.org.

Here’s your chance to be in a parade, and on TV, tooThe size of KVCC’s contingent in the Kalamazoo Holiday Parade on Saturday,

(Nov. 8) is nearing triple digits, but there’s still room for more staff, faculty and students to join in the fun.

Those interested in participating can visit Mary Johnson’s office in the Student Commons in Room 4220 and sign up.

The parade in downtown Kalamazoo will begin at 9:30 a.m. on the day that officially launches the shopping season for the holidays.

The Community Access Center will be televising the parade live and living color, and will be rebroadcasting it on four other occasions on its five channels.

Among the paraders are:Mary Johnson, John Chapman, Doug Martin, Joe Brady, Larry Taylor, Jenna

Losey, Lauren Snyder, Brandy Thompson, Santosha Pratt, Charles Curtis, Diana Haggerty;

Cameron Dupon, Barsen Miller, Doris Singh, Jennifer Dedeaux, Nick Mortiz, Ed Powell, Kalli Holmes, Victoria Struble, Latisha Willis, Gerardo Morenor;

Rochelle Willis, Katie Smith, Bonnie Tucker, Judith Stoneburner, Bryce Watson, Cindy Ceron, Angela Allen, Brandon McKoy, Laura Powell;

Also scheduled to take part are some 30 students who are dually enrolled at KVCC and Western Michigan University, members of a co-ed business fraternity at Western, and members of the KVCC Choir, the KVCC Gospel Choir Club, the KVCC Dance Club, and the automotive-technology program.

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See and hear ‘transfer talk,’ and WMU’s attributesWMU will be on the Texas Township Campus on Tuesday, Nov. 18, for its “On-

Site Admission Day” to serve KVCC students who intend to transfer to Western. They can sign up for appointments by contacting Robyn Robinson in the college’s

Transfer Resource Center and Focus Program office in Room 1364 or by calling her at extension 4779.

WMU personnel will be on campus from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. to review applications, to update each student’s admission status, outline future steps to take in the entering Western, and to discuss the prospects of financial aid.

From 4:30 until 7 p.m. in the food-service area on the Texas Township Campus, representatives from six institutions of higher education will be on hand to talk to students about the process of transferring.

These one-on-one dialogues, which will include light refreshments, will be designed for students who might believe they could be overwhelmed by the environment of a large college or university.

Scheduled to take part in this opportunity are representatives from Cornerstone University, Davenport University, Miller College, Siena Heights University, Spring Arbor University and the online University of Phoenix. They will also talk about the transfer requirements and the admissions process at their institutions.

Interested students should sign up for appointments by visiting the Transfer Resource Center or by calling extension 4779.

Italian film takes look at its middle classThe Italian film, “Days and Clouds,” is the Thursday, Nov. 20, billing in the

Kalamazoo Valley Museum’s movie series.Films from France, Australia, Italy, Belgium and the United States, including one

that has emerged as one of the staples of the holiday season, are the Thursday-night bookings at the museum through the end of 2008 and into the new year.

Each will be shown in the Mary Jane Stryker Theater. Curtain time is 7:30 p.m. and admission is $3. Financial support for the series is provided by the KVCC Foundation.

"Days and Clouds" has been described as a well-made, elegantly acted drama about a marriage falling apart. It also captures how the Italian social epidemic called "mammoni" can strain a marriage because the man is so devoted to his mother that he can't function without her smothering. The Italian government recently went so far as to offer mothers-in-law money to move out of the house.

"Days and Clouds” portrays a husband forced to see himself as independent of his wife of 20 years and a wife struggling not to find her husband pathetic.

They've raised a daughter and created a beautiful home by the sea in Genoa. But for months, he has been keeping secret the news that he's been fired from his company. Sensing crisis, she springs to action, getting part-time work, while the husband, after failing to find another good job, winds up doing house repairs with some men who used to work for him.

He sinks steadily into an angry depression, constitutionally ill-equipped to handle the stress of moving into a smaller apartment and pinching pennies. He regresses. His wife blooms, and the confident person she becomes startles him, who claims he's no

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longer attracted to her. He's not losing a wife as much as a woman who used to remind him of his mother.

In American movies, wrote one critic, the iconic question usually is -- can men and women be friends without the sex part getting in the way? In this film, it is -- can a husband appreciate his wife as a woman?

“Days and Clouds” suggests that Italy’s middle class is as much under siege as that of the United States. In both countries, it appears, job security isn’t what it used to be, and corporate downsizing is plunging affluent families into sudden financial tailspins

“Days and Clouds” observes a middle-aged couple in crisis, and in an unblinkingly realistic manner.

Here are the rest of the upcoming movie billings: “A Christmas Story” (U. S.) – Dec. 11 “Ben X” (Belgium) Jan. 15.

Gospel Mission, Habitat volunteering availableKVCC faculty members, staff and students in a building or food-serving mood

can engage in a couple of volunteering this month. The beneficiaries will be the Kalamazoo Valley Habitat for Humanity and the

Kalamazoo Gospel Mission.On Wednesday, Nov. 19, prospective volunteers can park in the Kalamazoo

Gospel Mission lot across from the new bus depot/train station in downtown Kalamazoo and enter through the center doors to the cafeteria no later than 4:45 p.m.

The mission is located at 448 N. Burdick St. Because they will be working in a warm kitchen, dress accordingly. Participants should gather at the Habitat for Humanity Restore at 1810 Lake St. by 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15.

Volunteers should be in their construction togs. No experience is required.They can sign up on the Service Learning bulletin board for the mission and

Habitat efforts. It is located in the corridor near the faculty and deans offices on the Texas Township Campus.

Bring that surplus food to campusFor the holiday season from Thanksgiving through Christmas, the college is

coordinating a food-collection effort for Kalamazoo Loaves and Fishes. Faculty, staff and students can donate canned and bottled foods, along with

edibles that are packaged and unopened, all of which will be distributed by the agency to needy Kalamazoo-area residents.

Through Dec. 12, donations may be made in Room 4220 in the Student Commons, in the Texas Township Campus Library, in a receptacle near the faculty offices, in the office that houses the Focus Program and the Transfer Resource Center, in the athletic complex, and in the KVCC Learning Center.

More information is available from Mary Johnson, student activities and programs coordinator, at extension 4182 or mjohnson@kvcc.edu.

Lead-safety seminar TuesdayChinese-made toys have garnered headlines because of their lead content, but the

U. S. construction industry and health officials have been coping with how to safely handle lead-based paint for almost 30 years.

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Funded by a grant from the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, the city of Kalamazoo and the Kalamazoo County Department of Health and Community Services are sponsoring seminars on “Lead-Safe Work Practices” at the Groves Campus (formerly known as the M-TEC of KVCC).

The five-module seminar will wrap up its 2008 schedule on Tuesday (Nov. 18), and 22 have enrolled so far. Each complete session will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for a fee of $30 that includes materials and food. Another series of four is slated for 2009, but the dates have not been selected.

The “Lead-Safe Work Practices” seminar is targeted for: ● Building-code and housing inspectors.● Large and small contractors involved in the renovation, repainting or

remodeling of buildings, and who might encounter lead-based paint.● Maintenance and custodial workers.● Building supervisors and landlords.● Staff members of state and local units of government.● Staff members of community and social-service organizations.● Do-it-yourself homeowners.● Students in the construction trades.Each seminar will cover these five topics: “Why Should I Be Concerned About

Lead Dust?”; “Set Up Your Work Space to Contain Lead Dust”; “Safe Work Practices”; “Clean Up and Checking Your Work”; and “Planning the Job.”

At the end of each training session that will be conducted by Atrium Environmental Health and Safety Services of Reston, Va., attendees may take a 25-question exam to gain a certificate for course completion.

The federal EPA, in conjunction with the National Paint and Coatings Association, launched this initiative because many homes and buildings constructed prior to 1978 featured lead-based paints.

Thus, those involved in the renovation, remodeling and repair of such structures – both externally and internally – should be aware of methods that reduce and control dust and debris generated by their work because even a small amount of dust can pose a health risk.

For more information, visit the M-TEC of KVCC’s website at www.mteckvcc.com and click on “Training.” Registration can be done online or by calling the M-TEC at (269) 353-1253.

This fall, the Kalamazoo County Department of Health and Community Services sponsored a local observance of Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, primarily because lead poisoning can result from paint dust stirred up by renovation or remodeling projects. This can impair a child's development and at high levels may cause death.

Kalamazoo was one of 13 communities identified by the Michigan Department of Community Health as having high rates of childhood lead poisoning.

Lead-based paint was banned for use in homes in 1978, but many older homes in the area still have significant lead-paint hazards. The older the house, the higher the risk of the house containing lead-based paint.

Children younger than 6 are most often poisoned by dust from lead paint. And the younger the child, the more damage lead poisoning does.

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A blood test is the only way to be certain that a child has not been poisoned by lead.

For more information on blood tests for lead, call 373-5116. For overall information on lead poisoning, go to www.kalcounty.com/hcs.

40th-anniversary stickers will be going out of dateTo spread the word about the 40th anniversary of the college welcoming its first

students in the fall of 1968, faculty and staff are invited to place specially produced foil-embossed seals on their external correspondence to mark the milestone.

These seals can be affixed to the back flap of all outgoing KVCC mail. Batches are available by e-mailing Tarona Guy at tguy@kvcc.edu and they can be

used with the arrival of the new year. All should feel free to request additional batches through the end of the calendar

year.

KVCC’s want-ad, bartering network in full swingThe Office of Human Resources’ web page contains a want-ad system to link

KVCC folks with their colleagues in the sharing of talent, knowledge, skills, goods and services.

The “KVCC Swap Meet” provides a forum to barter goods (made or grown) and to post information about services that can be provided -- painting, sewing, computer assistance, etc.

It can also be used to post an announcement about services or goods that are being sought.

There are four categories on the site: Services Needed, Services for Hire, Goods Needed, and Goods for Sale. This site is for KVCC employees only and is intended as a way for employees to network with each other for trade or sale purposes.

KVCC will not be responsible for any transactions or the satisfaction of either party, and will not enter into dispute resolution. “KVCC Swap Meet” is housed on the Human Resources website under Quick Links.

To post a service or item, just click Post Ad, select the appropriate category, complete the online form and click submit.

Co-workers will be able to view the posting by the next business day. It is requested that the postings be made during non-working hours.

Among the services for hire are handyman chores, carpet cleaning, floor covering, sewing, dog boarding, legal services, knitting and patching, and arranging for live music at events.

The inventory of goods for sale includes furniture and appliances that are part of a house-moving sale, a rack for carrying a bicycle on a car, Tupperware, jewelry, handmade pottery, a collection of cigar boxes, and scrapbook supplies.

Among other items that are available or being sought are a time share for a vacation, sleeping bags for dogs, a hair-stylist’s chair, a chest freezer, and a schnoodle.

The KVCC’ers who are using the “Swap Meet” include Darrell Davies, Sue Visser, Gwen Conarton, Janet Alm, Jermaine Clark, Lynn Berkey, Nancy Conrad, Sue Nemedi, Nick Meier, Becky Herington, Nick Rankin, Simonny Breviglieri, Lori

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McCormick, Lynne Morrison, Kelley Asta, Sue Hills, Scott Eberstein, Haley Crites and Brenda Terburg-Fawley.

Recycle those paper productsWith thoughts of cleaning out the office as the fall semester winds down, don’t

just dump those papers. Keep those recyclable resources in the mainstream.Think about what you are doing and don’t be lazy in doing it.The college’s commitment to recycling the mountains of paper required for daily

operations is still strong. The losers for not maintaining that strength are the landfills of Southwest

Michigan, and the trees that help replenish the planet with the stuff we all breathe.Hammered through all of us in many a science class is that trees eat what we

exhale and what comes out of our vehicles’ exhausts. Each time a tree is saved through the use of recycled paper, so is an oxygen generator.

It’s not that tough to do. All that is required is a little patience and a sense that one is doing the right thing.

The same goes with metal and plastic products that touch our lives and, without any consideration, end up in trash containers. What good is it to down a plastic bottle of that good, clear, clean water, and then relegate the containers to the landfills?

Just about every ilk of paper product that comes our way can be recycled. In one KVCC study, it was concluded that 80 percent of what the college

incinerates doesn’t have to be destroyed that way.Print out this list of “recyclables” and post it just above your blue bin: Newspapers Business cards Hard-cover books Copy paper Index cards Trade journals and magazines Cardboard Fax paper Junk mail Notebook paper Paper bags Envelopes without plastic windows (Think about cutting out the plastic

windows) Business forms Computer printouts File folders Maps Post-it notes StationeryIt is not necessary to remove staples or other forms of bindings from the paper

items to be recycled. Obviously, paper clips can be easily salvaged before launching the paper

materials into the blue bin.

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However, if the above materials are soiled by excessive dirt, food, grease or other forms of gook, send them to the incinerator.

Most of this applies to what we do in our homes, too. By taking the time to recycle paper, plastic, metal and glass products, the amount of trash, debris and garbage bound for the landfill can be drastically reduced.

If possible, establish a compost pile in your yard. That can accomplish at least three goals – create your own fertilizer, build up a personal supply of worms if you are an angler, and greatly reduce the amount of trash you put out along the roadside for pickup, thus reducing your costs.

Need more convincing? It is estimated that it takes a plastic container 50,000 years to decompose. Think about that the next time you chuck away that empty water

bottle that cost you at least a buck. Community Advocates crafts show here

KVCC is again hosting the Community Advocates’ annual “People Make the Difference Fall Arts and Crafts Show” on Saturday (Nov. 8) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Some 75 crafters and artisans will be displaying their wares in a variety of media, including woodwork, jewelry, ceramics and dried florals.

Proceeds from the 24th annual arts-and-crafts show benefit the mission of the Community Advocates for Persons with Developmental Disabilities, whose offices are located at 814 S. Westnedge Ave.

More than 50 years old, Community Advocates empowers individuals with developmental disabilities to lead independent lives by connecting them to the community’s wealth of resources, by providing them with information, and by serving as their advocates. It is a member agency of the Greater Kalamazoo United Way. As an advocate for people with a developmental disability, the agency acts as a link between them, their families and the organizations that serve them. It also educates the community and impacts the mental-health and educational systems for the benefit of the developmentally disabled population.

According to Community Advocates, there are 9,300 people in Kalamazoo County with a developmental disability. Of that number, 5,200 are considered severe cases.

This number is due to several factors: medical advances that allow premature babies, who are often born with developmental disabilities, to survive; the number of pregnant women who abuse drugs and alcohol and give birth to babies with disabilities; and the ability to more easily diagnose specific development disabilities. One of its missions is to educate teachers, counselors, social workers and other professionals on the special needs of people with developmental disabilities. The objective is to change systems that have ignored or misunderstood the people with disabilities.

Community Advocates was founded in 1952 as the Kalamazoo Association for Retarded Children by parents of developmentally disabled children as a way to provide special programming for their children and educate the community on the needs of agencies.

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These include the John F. Kennedy Center, the McKercher Rehabilitation Center, Croyden Avenue School, and the Parent Respite Co-op, which is run by Family and Children Services.

The Greater Kalamazoo United Way, which has supported the agency for 26 years, currently provides 36 percent of its budget.

Social events, such as the arts and crafts fair, provide 32 percent of the organization’s revenues.

For more information, call 342-9801, extension 200, or e-mail commadvocates@communityadvocates.org.

Students can now seek mission-promoting grantAn endowed grant, which was established to help KVCC achieve its mission of

teaching and learning, has been expanded in scope.What had been known as the “Endowed Faculty Grant” has been renamed the

“Endowed Faculty/Student Grant” as the request of President Marilyn Schlack.Established on Dec. 28, 2001, under the auspices of the KVCC Foundation and

funded through the president’s office, the initiative was modified this October.“Teaching and learning is the core of what makes KVCC special,” says Steve

Doherty, executive director of the foundation. “Hence this endowed fund was established to encourage new ideas that will enhance our mission and centralize a focus on teaching and learning.

“The new wrinkle,” he said, “is that, in addition to faculty members, students in good standing are now eligible to apply for the funding through the KVCC Foundation.

One such grant will be awarded each academic year and the amount will be determined by available funds. A foundation committee will select the recipient from the applications that are received.

More information about application procedures and timelines is available by contacting Doherty at extension 4442 or at sdoherty@kvcc.edu.

And finally. . . There is a reason why some professional athletes prefer a Gatorade-type

product to drinking Kool-Aid.They can’t figure out how to get two quarts of water into those little

packages.

☻☻☻☻☻☻

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