The Digest
What’s Happening at KVCC
What’s below in this edition
Corrections III (Pages 1/2) Great teaching (Page 9)
50 callers so far (Page 2)Vets to convene (Page 9)
Car checks max out (Page 3)Smart buying (Pages9/10)
Ireland trip is topic (Pages 3/4)Quilting, TV ‘docs’ (Page 10)
Diploma Day (Page 4)Transfer workshop (P-10/11)
Our toys are us (Pages 4-6)‘Days and Clouds’ (Pages 11/12)
United Way (Page 6)Habitat, Gospel Mission (P-12)
Dancing with our stars (Pages 6/7)Essay contest (Pages 12/13)
Cummings in concert (Page 7)95 join PTK (Pages 13/14)
HospitalityAcademy (Pages 7-9)And Finally (Page 14)
☻☻☻☻☻☻
Corrections Academy III a go at ACC
State approval has been received for KVCC to operate a third CorrectionsAcademy.
Training for a career in the corrections field begins again at KVCC on Monday, Feb. 2, and runs through Feb. 27.
Under the auspices of the Kalamazoo Law Enforcement Training Center at the Texas Township Campus, the next edition of the Corrections Academy, which prepares people for jobs in county jails and other lockup facilities operated by municipalities, will be held on the Arcadia Commons Campus as the second one was.
Corrections Academy II enrolled a full complement of 30 students for 160 hours worth of training in 14 modules.
Registration for the February academy is under way. The fee is $1,100.
The contact person is David Reid, the in-service training coordinator for the center that includes the KalamazooPoliceAcademy.
Past enrollees hailed from sheriff’s departments in Kalamazoo, Van Buren, Cass, Barry, Branch and Allegan counties. About half were in an in-service mode because they already were in the profession while the others have been using the academy to launch a career.
The concept of an academy, he said, sprang from state legislation that now requires certification for professionals in the corrections field.
“Most of the enrollees come from those already in the profession who now need the required state certification,” Reid said, “but there are people who are interested in establishing careers in the corrections field.”
Those who successfully complete the 160 hours of training will also receive 10 credit hours that they can apply to a degree in criminal justice at KVCC.
The college’s center, which is directed by Rick Ives, is offering the academy in conjunction with the Michigan Sheriffs Coordinating and Training Council.
“The academy was created,” Ives said, “to not only meet the need for corrections certification, but also to offer a different kind of career opportunity to KVCC students. Pre-certified candidates would set themselves up with an edge in the employment market.”
All of the instructors are certified and approved by the council.
Completion of the 160 hours of training becomes one of the requirements needed to become certified as a corrections officer. Each enrollee must have a high school diploma or its equivalent.
The 14 training modules are: booking and intake, correctional law, cultural diversity, custody and security, defensive tactics, ethics in corrections, fire safety, interpersonal communications, prisoner behavior, report writing, workplace harassment, stress management, suicide prevention, and first aid, cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, and automated external defibrillator (AED) familiarity.
For information about the academy or to apply for admission, contact Reid at (269) 488-4459 or . Another source of information is at the college’s web site – – under the keyword of “CorrectionsAcademy.”
Callers still needed to remind students to pay tuition
KVCC'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 more folks are needed to join the 50 volunteers who have stepped forward so far.
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 .
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.”
Slots filled to test car’s starting power in winter
This is the week for the free “physicals” to assess a car’s starting-performance fitness for the coming winter that are being offered through the KVCCAutomotiveAcademy.
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. A short news story in The Kalamazoo Gazette helped fill all of the slots.
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.
Two meetings to detail 2009 Ireland trek
The 2009 edition of the KVCCbased Midwest Institute for International/Intercultural Education’s trip to Ireland is set for May 9-30.
This year’s lead faculty member, English instructor Isaac Turner, will be holding a pair of informational meetings for interested students, staff and faculty. These are set for Wednesday (Nov. 19) at 6 p.m. in Room 7334 on the Texas Township Campus and Room 065 in the Center for New Media on Thursday (Nov. 20) at 6 p.m.
Midwest Institute director Theo Sypris will be at the Wednesday session, while Turner and instructor Linda Rzoska, who has shepherded the past excursions, will lead the second. At both sessions, participants will learn about costs and what the 2009 trip will entail.
Three KVCC faculty members and seven students gave themselves one heck of a St. Patrick’s Day present last May. Rzoska, Turner and Tom Hughes guided that seven-student contingent.
They learned that through the eyes of an artist, there is more to Ireland than green. The KVCC contingent was based at Burren on central Ireland’s west coast overlooking Galway Bay, an area that for centuries has been a source of inspiration for all genre of artists — poets, novelists, painters, sculptors, musicians and playwrights.
A three-credit sociology class, “Irish Life and Culture,” gave students the opportunity to experience the culture and history of this fabled land.
The Burren College of Art, which is on the grounds of a 16th-century castle, serves as the headquarters for the course as students explored the geography, history, flora, fauna and culture of this part of Ireland.
Known as “The Stony Place,” Burren is home to a wealth of archeological and monuments that includes megalithic tombs, medieval castles and abandoned abbeys.
The KVCC students delved into past and present Irish life, ancient and medieval times, legends, poetry, mythology, religion, dance and music.
They learned to understand the landscape, history and mythology of this historic and mystical area that has been an important part of Ireland’s legend for artistic creativity.
The students received a certificate from both the Midwest Institute and BurrenCollegedesignating they have completed the three-credit course.
Field trips took students to ancient monuments that chronicle the history of an Irish culture dating back more than 7,000 years.
They experienced an abbey built in 1194, a 9th-century ring fort built of stone, a 6,000-year-old tomb, cliffs that plunge 700 feet to the Atlantic, and the coastal limestone region known as Black Head.
Those interested can contact Turner at extension 7927 or .
62nd graduation is Dec. 14
The college’s 62ndcommencement ceremony is set for Sunday, Dec. 14, in Miller Auditorium on the WesternMichiganUniversity campus.
Those who have been assigned specific roles for the event should report to the auditorium by 3 p.m., an hour before the program is to begin.
The faculty speaker will be instructor Ron Cipcic. Nursing major Rebecca Bussey of Plainwell and a member of the KVCC chapter of Phi Theta Kappa will speak for the graduates. Other faculty members involved include Joe Brady, Bob Vezeau, Deborah Bryant and Tim Kane.
The diploma-day celebration will be telecast live on the Community Access Center’s Channel 22 in the Charter lineup, and then rebroadcast three more times.
The dates and times will be announced later.
Also scheduled to make remarks is Jeff Patton, chairman of the KVCC Board of Trustees.
Providing the music will be the KVCC Campus Band with conductor Chris Garrett.
Thanksgiving break? Think about classic toys
The toys of our childhood – some of which are still going strong – has turned the third floor of the Kalamazoo Valley Museum into a mecca for memories and mirth.
From G. I. Joe to Barbie, from Lincoln Logs to Tinker Toys, from Nerf balls to Wiffle Balls, from Cootie to Monopoly, from Slinky to the Magic 8 Ball, and from Silly Putty to Play-Doh, “Kid Stuff: Great Toys from Our Childhood” sparks a bit of nostalgia and flashbacks to the way things were when it came to fun and games.
Created by The Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield, Mass., the exhibition, in downtown Kalamazoo through Jan. 4, is based on a book of the same name by David Hoffman.
Showcased in 10 categories that reflect familiar childhood expressions and offer ample playful encounters with classic toys of the last half century, “Kid Stuff” is accompanied by hundreds of illustrations, period advertisements, and vintage commercials.
For example, Erector sets, Lincoln Logs and Tinker Toys are clustered under “Look What I Made,” while “Go Outside and Play” features balsa airplanes, Frisbees, Hot Wheels, a Radio Flyer wagon and Tonka toys.
The single entry in “I’ll Never Ask for Anything Else” is the ever-popular Lionel train sets that made their inaugural runs on the morning of Dec. 25 under millions of Christmas trees each year.
Under the umbrella of “Don’t Make a Mess” are an ant farm, Crayola crayons, Magic Rocks, an Easy-Bake Oven, and that bastion of flexible creativity, Play-Doh.
“Can I Try?” is the home of Duncan yo-yos, Etch A Sketch, Mr. Potato Head, Spirograph, and the View-Master projector that could put the wonders of the world on any kid’s wall.
“Many of the toys are the result of an engineering or scientific endeavor gone awry,” said Sharon Blume, the Berkshire director. “Others were created by economic necessity and some were simply made for the fun of it. The stories behind the toys are part of the exhibition.”
The Slinky started out not as an amazing, mesmerizing toy, but as a marine engineer’s prototype device to stabilize the device used to measure horsepower on a rolling battleship. When it fell off his desk and spiraled end over end across the floor, a light went on.
Inventor James Wright thought he discovered the wrong stuff in seeking a rubber substitute, but astronauts found a use for Silly Putty and toy history was made.
The Duncan enterprise borrowed the concept of rock-and-vine hunting tool in The Philippines to make the yo-yo one of the world’s most self-entertaining toys.
Beach-goers and dog trainers can thank a baking company for blueprinting the disk that can be flung for long distances and easily caught.
One of the more interesting tales involved the Mattel Toy design staff that initially reached the conclusion in 1950 that American mothers – the June Cleavers of the country – would never buy for their daughters a doll with a bust line. A zillion later, Barbie has been produced in many sizes, hair styles and colors, but the shape has remained the same.
Another near miss involved the decision-makers at Parker Brothers. In 1934, the powers-that-be gave the “thumbs down” to Monopoly because of “52 fundamental errors” in its concept. It is not known if they were given “Go Directly to Jail, Don’t Pass Go, Don’t Collect $200” cards.
“The great thing about the exhibition,” said Hoffman, who has been a reporter and correspondent for Good Morning America, “is that people have the opportunity to see the artifacts, and learn about their histories and how they were packaged and marketed. They also have a chance to play with them.”
He said “Kid Stuff” possesses “tremendous cross-generational appeal. More and more Baby Boomers are buying these toys for their kids, or secretly for themselves.”
Every holiday season, a toy comes along that captures the imagination of the buying public and their checkbooks – such as Power Rangers, Tickle-Me Elmo, and Cabbage Patch dolls.
“They were hot one day and gone tomorrow,” Hoffman said. “Meanwhile Barbie will be 50 in 2009. Mr. Potato Head is nearing 50, Lincoln Logs is in its eighth decade, Silly Putty is over 50, and View-Master is nearly Social Security age.”
Hoffman believes the exhibition also has inter-generational appeal, sparking interaction among children, parents and grandparents as they share memories and experiences.
Among the hands-on attractions are throwing a Nerf Ball, Hot Wheels racing, yo-yoing, walking a Slinky, operating a Lionel train, playing Twister, building with Lego blocks, watching the ant farm, tossing balsa planes, and having photos taken next to a life-sized G. I. Joe and Barbie.
United Way campaignends with $32,574
KVCC wrapped up its part of the 2008 Greater Kalamazoo United Way (GKUW) campaign with a total of $32,574 being pledged.
Serving as an indication of people in all walks of life worrying about the state’s economy -- and now the nation and global economies – and what is in store in the immediate future, the 2008 campus campaign came in well below what was collected in 2007 from the college community -- $37,015.
The communitywide fund drive was started on Sept. 10 and is scheduled to end Thursday ( 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’ to strut their stuff
Hear the tune “Dancing Queen,” 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.