The Digest
What’s Happening at KVCC
What’s below in this edition
Africa bound (Pages 1/2)1935-36 (Pages 10/11)
Summer hours (Page 2) Intern update (Pages 11/12)
KAFI’s family fun (Pages 2-4)Who Hit John (Page 13)
Turbine talk (Pages 4/5)Green Day (Pages 13/14)
KAFI films (Pages 5-7)Sport of Kings (Pages 14/15)
‘Jump to Japan’ (Pages 7/8)Relay for Life (Pages 15/16)
‘Green jobs’ (Pages 8/9)KAFI ‘vols’ (Page 16)
KVCC’er in mag (Pages 9/10) Music and ‘toons’ (Pages 16-18
Our poets (Page 10) May 5 election (Page 18)
And Finally (Pages18/19)
☻☻☻☻☻☻
From KVCC to Tunisia
A summer in Tunisia studying Arabic is what is in store for KVCC spring graduate Anthony Chase, who recently received the $5,000-per-year University of Michigan Community College Scholar Award as well.
The home-schooled Chase has been awarded a U. S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship to spend the summer of 2009 in the North African nation flanked by Algeria and Libya.
According to Julia Phelan Sylla, assistant director of the Critical Language Scholarship Program in the department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the scholarship program was established in 2006 to increase the opportunities for American students to be trained in critically needed languages overseas.
Chase will be among more than 500 Americans studying Arabic, Indic, Turkic, Chinese, Persian, Korean and Russian languages. Chosen from 5,400 applicants, they will spend seven to 10 weeks in a dozen nations and be involved in intensive linguistic training.
“The program is part of a wider U. S. government effort to dramatically expand the number of Americans studying and mastering critical-need languages,” Sylla said.
Chase, who will be admitted into the University of Michigan’s Residential College in the fall, is planning a career in the foreign service with an emphasis on the Middle East. He is a graduate of the KVCC Honors Program.
He’s getting some practical knowledge about that part of the world and the Arabic language by working part time at the Tiffany Party Store, which is owned by Iraqi-American brothers and is located at the top of West Main Hill in central Kalamazoo.
For more than 60 years, the state department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs has funded and supported exchange programs that promote mutual understanding and respect between American and the citizens of other nations.
KVCC Honors Program Director Stephen Louisell also reports that Erin Johnson has received two academic scholarships to complete her bachelor’s in chemistry at Ferris State University. She plans to join three other
recent Honors Program graduates in FSU's School of Pharmacy upon completion of her degree.
“Erin was a member of a strong group of Portage Northern High School graduates who entered the Honors Program in 2004,” he says.
Summer hours to begin May 11
From May 11 through Aug. 28, KVCC will be operating under “summer hours.”
On Monday through Thursday, the work week will be from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with a 30-minute break for lunch.
And on Fridays during that period, the college will shut down at noon. Work hours will be from 8 to noon with no lunch break.
With the arrival of summer hours, The Digest will also shift into an every-other-week format until just before the start of the fall semester. The May 11 Digest will be the last weekly edition. The next will be dated May 25.
Those operations of the colleges with special, evening and weekend hours - - facilities services, information technologies, the M-TEC, some offices, and the museum — will be adjusting their individual schedules to ensure coverage.
The KVCC Office of Human Resources reports that employees will be paid for 40 hours on the job even though the work week will be reduced to 36 hours during that 16-week period.
The KVCC Cabinet reviews the summer-work schedule annually to determine whether core hours will be adjusted.
Animation festival features free events for families
Events targeting children and their families - and many of them free - are in the Saturday-Sunday spotlight at the four-day Kalamazoo Animation Festival International (KAFI) in downtown Kalamazoo May 14-17.
Leading the no-cost way will be showings of classic vintage cartoons, an opportunity for youngsters to flex their artistic muscles, and engaging in a bit of science that is credited with being the roots of animation.
Other presentations, such as a look at what kind of children’s programming is on tap on PBS and an insider’s perspective on the creation on a “Wonder Pets” episode titled “Kalamazoo” require purchased tickets.
On Saturday, May 16, Steve Stanchfield from Ann Arbor will be sharing part of his collection. “Animated Buddies: A Century of Cartoon Friendships” is set for 1:30 p.m. in the Kalamazoo Valley Museum’s Mary Jane Stryker Theater.
With a theme of friendship running through the free showing, Stanchfield will present both early and contemporary cartoon favorites, including Rocky and Bullwinkle, Mutt and Jeff, Tom and Jerry, and Sponge Bob.
The downtown-Kalamazoo museum will also be the site of a host of other free activities on Saturday, including:
• “Flip Book Bonanza,” 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. - Youngsters and parents can draw images on each page of a book and, when flipped through, it creates the illusion of motion in a throwback to animation’s early days.
• “Mile of Art,” 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. - Budding Rembrandts, Picassos and cartoonists will be able to add their artistic two cents’ worth to what will seem like a never-ending roll of drawing paper. The finished “masterpiece” will displayed for a spell after the festival in the Kalamazoo Valley Community College Center for New Media’s Arcus Gallery along the Kalamazoo Mall.
• “Thaumatropes Gone Wild,” 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. - Even before flip books and way, way before computers, a thaumatrope was a contraption that could create the impression of animation in the early 19th century. Participants of all ages will build the vintage optical toy, which consisted of a disc that is attached to two pieces of string. When twirled, the images on each side of the disc appear animated.
• Balloon “animals” will be made and youngsters can get temporary tattoos from 10 a.m. to noon.
• Face painting and more balloon art are set from 1 to 4 p.m.
While at the museum, families can visit the latest nationally touring exhibition on the third floor. “Jump to Japan: Discovering Culture Through Popular Art” explores the country and its culture through four venues of creativity -- animation, manga (comic-book art), woodblock prints and traditional scrolls.
From 1 to 4 p.m. in the museum, an award-winning illustrator with 15 years of experience will do caricatures of children. The fee will range from $5 to $10.
Two free activities will be based in the Center for New Media. “Inhabitants: Installation Art” will allow participants to explore the abstract influences that consciously, unconsciously, purposefully or accidentally act upon people’s lives. They can be experienced from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to noon on Sunday.
Most of the Sunday events require tickets to be purchased.
“New Directions at PBS Kids” is the topic of Linda Simensky, a senior director who also spent nine years at Nickelodeon along with a stint for the Cartoon Network. Her presentation will feature clips from “The Electric Company,” “Sid the Science Kid,” and “Dinosaur Train,” which will be premiering in September.
She’ll talk about how new series are conceived and produced, and the next steps in the advancement of educational television on Saturday at 11 a.m. in the Stryker Theater.
Prior to that Jennifer Oxley, a creative director for Nick Jr. and an Emmy winner for her series, “Little Bill,” will break down the process for writing, researching, creating music, casting, directing, storyboarding, and animating her “Kalamazoo” episode for “Wonder Pets.”
That session will begin at 9 a.m. in the Stryker Theater. It will be followed by Oxley signing copies of her three books, “Flyboat Adventures,” “Let’s Count Baby Animals,” and “Let’s Find Colors,” in the adjacent World Works Room at the museum. Copies will be available for purchase.
On the Sunday ticketed agenda is Heather Kenyon and her presentation of “Backstage Stories: How TV Pilots Get Made.” Kenyon, another former Cartoon Network animator, shares behind-the-scenes perspectives about the year or two prep work that often is required to get a show on the air. She’ll speak at 9:30 a.m. in the Stryker Theater.
Shifting to the Center for New Media, Battle Creek’s Jim Middleton will chart the evolution of the animation of animals from the Silent Screen era to the so-called “Golden Era” of the 1930s.
Tracing how a dozen species were transformed from primitive sketches to creatures with personalities, Middleton will cover this history on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. in the Center for New Media.
For the final family-oriented event, he’ll be followed by Stanchfield, who will flash back to that “Golden Era” in his “Technicolor Dreams” slated for 12:30 p.m. Stanchfield will be showing a collection of celluloid gems produced in the 1930s and 1940s, taking the art form from a black-and-white format to all of the colors of the rainbow.
The cost of a full-festival pass is $145 and $75 for students. This entitles holders to take part in all events, including a picnic gathering at Bell’s Brewery on Saturday night. Tickets for individual events - such as some of these family-oriented events -- range from free to $15, with discounts available for students.
Nuts and bolts information about all KAFI activities, presentations, workshops, panel discussions -- date, time, location and cost - are available at this webpage -- -- or by calling Maggie Noteboom at the festival office at (269) 373-7934.
Second how-to seminar on wind turbines in June
With a sold-out inaugural “So You Want to Install a Wind Turbine?” seminar under its belt, Kalamazoo Valley Community College has booked a second to share its experience in planning, installing and commissioning one of the energy producers.
It is slated for Wednesday, June 3, from 9 a.m. to noon in the college’s Michigan Technical Education Center located in the KVCC Groves Campus. The fee is $99.
The three-hour case study, to be presented by Jim DeHaven, vice president for economic and business development, is targeted for businesses, educational entities, and community organizations that are considering the installation of a commercial-sized wind turbine, similar to the 145-foot, 50-kilowatt unit now in operation at the west end of the college’s nearly Texas Township Campus.
Prospective turbine investors should consider a variety of topics regarding the process and procedures for converting wind into electrical energy, and Johnson will cover them all:
● Wind resources in Michigan
● The best site for a wind turbine
● Potential neighborhood issues
● How to use the electricity that is produced by a wind turbine
● Zoning requirements
● Site preparation and the installation process
● Components for a successful wind-energy project
With Gov. Jennifer Granholm's challenge for 10 percent of the state's power to come from renewable energy by 2015, the emphasis on alternative and renewable energy has come to the forefront.
Time willing, seminar participants will be able to inspect the college’s wind turbine that was erected in late January. KVCC Groves Campus is located at 7107 Elm Valley Drive off of Ninth Street along I-94.
For more information, to download a flier, or to register online, visit the M-TEC’s website at Click on “Training” and then “Current Offerings.” The telephone number is (269) 353-1253.
KAFI’s best of 2009 to be screened
Five screenings have been scheduled to showcase the essence of the 2009 Kalamazoo Animation Festival International (KAFI) - the best of the animated films that have been submitted by artists from around the world.
Of the finalists selected by a trio of judges, 44 hail from the United States, including six from Michigan, and the balance are from 14 other nations. They are competing for $15,000 in prize money in the May 14-17 festival.
Ranging from one hour to 90 minutes in time and intended for adult audiences, the KAFI screenings in downtown Kalamazoo are set for:
• Thursday, May 14, at 8:30 p.m. in the Kalamazoo Valley Museum’s Mary Jane Stryker Theater.
• Friday, May 15, at 5:30 p.m. in the Stryker Theater.
• Friday, May 15, at 8 p.m. in the State Theater. This screening will include showings of the animated films, accented by scores of original music, that were created for one of the 2009 festival’s new attractions.
• Saturday, May 16, at 11 a.m. in the State Theater.
• Saturday, May 16, at 8 p.m. in the State Theater. This will also include showings of the 10 animated shorts created by teams of students in the festival’s benchmark event, the Cartoon Challenge. Members of the viewing audience will pick the winner of one of the competition’s two top awards.
This is the fifth KAFI. As with the other four organized by Kalamazoo Valley Community College, the prime financial supporter is the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation of Kalamazoo.
The Michigan finalists are Brad Yarhouse of Grand Rapids, Olivia and Chris Allen-Wickler of Lake Leelanau, the Detroit area’s Sean Athey and Jon Bowling, and Zachary Watson of Traverse City.
Other U.S. finalists are from California, New York, Massachusetts, Ohio, Minnesota, Texas, Oregon, Georgia, Illinois and Florida. The first two states led the field with 12 and 11 finalists, respectively.
Proving KAFI’s global lure, animators from France, Germany, Canada, Portugal, Mexico, Australia, Russia, Israel, Japan, Great Britain, Korea, Bulgaria, Sweden and The Netherlands made the cut as determined by the three judges - Bill Dennis, one of the top animators in India; Deanna Morse, a professor of communications at Grand Valley State University and an independent film maker; and Gary Schwartz, an Oscar-nominated animator.
The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony for festival attendees slated for Sunday in Anna Whitten Hall.
Ten teams from animation programs spanning the North America will be engaging in a “24/4” cartoon-creating competition prior to the convening of the 2009 KAFI.
Earning spots in the competition for the 2009 “Cartoon Challenge” are four- and five-person teams from:
● San Jose State University in California.
● College for Creative Studies in Detroit.
● Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia.
● South Dakota State University.
● Bowling Green State University in Ohio.
● California State University of Long Beach
● Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids.
● Ferris State University in Grand Rapids.
● University of St. Francis in Fort Wayne, Ind.
● Humber College in Toronto, Ontario.
The 10 teams will arrive at the Center for New Media on the Sunday preceding festival week and bivouac there. Beginning on the morning of Monday, May 11, their objective will be to conceive, script, design and produce up to a 30-second animated feature on a public-service topic over the next four days with the competition ending at 5 p.m. that Thursday as the festival begins
The teams won’t know the topic until the competition begins. All of the materials, computers, software programs, and production equipment will be furnished at the Center for New Media. KVCC will provide resting stations and food to the teams that will choose their own work schedules to produce their 30-second animated spot. What they produce will debut at the Saturday-evening screening.
Two Emmy winners, a PBS executive involved in children’s programming, a producer for Disney and Hanna Barbera studios, and an Academy Award nominee will be among the nearly 50 presenters at the four-day festival.
Pegged for Saturday will be free activities targeted for families and children, including a pair of showings of some classic vintage cartoons, such as Tom and Jerry, Rocky and His Friends, The Bullwinkle Show, and Mutt and Jeff, that have been popular for decades.
The special attractions this year will include a presentation on “forensic animation” and how this creative medium is used in the courtroom in cases ranging from accident reconstruction to medical malpractice.
Similarly, Dale Myers, an Emmy winner for his computer-animated recreation of the assassination of President John Kennedy, will speak about his role in the special report aired by ABC-TV’s Peter Jennings to mark the 40th anniversary of that fateful day in Dallas.
The cost of a full-festival pass is $145 and $75 for students. This entitles holders to take part in all events, including a picnic gathering at Bell’s Brewery on Saturday night. Tickets for individual events - such as the five screenings -- range from free to $15, with discounts available for students.
Nuts and bolts information about all KAFI activities, presentations, workshops, panel discussions -- date, time, location and cost - are available at this webpage -- -- or by calling Maggie Noteboom at the festival office at (269) 373-7934.
‘Jump to Japan’ preview is Friday night
Two happenings this month will turnKalamazoo into “The Animation Capital of the Midwest.”