Feb. 4, 2008

The DigestWhat’s Happening at KVCC

What’s below in this edition Joe Henry’s music (Pages 1-3) Big-time builder (Pages 15/16)

Black History films (Pages 3/4) Reading Together (Pages 16-19) Read-in Monday (Page 4) The ‘Louie’ show (Pages 19/20) Internships (Pages 4-6) New training asset (Page 21)

Diversity confab (Page 6) Adobe products (Pages 21/22) Welding academy (Pages 6-8) Study abroad (Pages 22/23) ‘About Writing’ (Pages 8/9) Our ‘want ads’ (Page 23) Royal Garden Trio (Pages 9/10) Fitness fun (Pages 23/24) ‘Raise the Roof’ (Pages 10-12) Science careers (Pages 24/25)

‘Empty Bowls’ (Pages 12/13) Transfer forum (Pages 25/26) 40th seals (Page 13) Path to ‘Success’ (Pages 26/27) Polar sky show (Pages 13/14 Costa Rica (Pages 27-29) ‘Life’ seminars (Pages 14/15) And Finally (29/30)

☻☻☻☻☻☻What Super Bowl! It’s Joe Henry time

If you are footballed out and the Super Bowl doesn’t mean as much to you as a soup bowl, the Artists Forum concert Sunday (Feb. 3) is right down your tin-pan alley.

Former Michigan resident Joe Henry will bring his band to Dale Lake Auditorium for a 7:30 p.m. concert, right about the time that the Super Bowl and its commercials will be getting interesting to those who care.

Mirroring Henry’s versatility in a variety of musical genres is a second Artists Forum concert in February by songstress Nellie McKay. Her chance to perform before a Kalamazoo-area audience is set for 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 16, in the Lake auditorium.

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General-admission tickets are $15 for the Henry concert and $10 for the McKay performance. They are available at the KVCC bookstore and at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum.

Both of these Artists Forum events are co-sponsored by the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation.

Henry, best known for two country-influenced albums in the early 1990s, has diverted to other musical paths during a recording career that began in the mid-1980s. Rock-‘n’-roll origins shifted to a natural acoustic sound, and then into country- and folk-influenced territory. Two of his albums forged his reputation among fans of alternative rock and country as a superb singer and songwriter.

Born in North Carolina and raised in Michigan, Henry spent the early part of his music career in New York City before settling in Los Angeles in 1990 with his wife and son. He’s been known to use a recording studio that he set up in his garage.

Henry's lyrics are a central focus of his songwriting, but even though he often writes in the first person, his songs are not "personal." While he's recorded some traditional country covers that come across in a southern-gentleman style, he's equally interested in soul, funk, and rock ‘n’ roll. Henry has also veered into an edgier, more rhythm-oriented style that emphasizes electric guitars and heavy drumming.

Henry, who attended Rochester Adams High School near Detroit, has 10 albums on his recording resume, another indication of an adventurous musical spirit willing to explore different modes of harmonious and creative expressions.

Henry produced singer Solomon Burke's “Don't Give up on Me” album that won a Grammy in 2002. In addition to Kalamazoo, Henry’s current tour will take him to Chicago, Ann Arbor, Philadelphia and New York City. An earlier trans-oceanic trek took his music to London, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Majorca, and Barcelona.

Henry has stated that “the world is big and I’ve been influenced by all of it – Edith Piaf and Leadbelly, Malcolm X and Dick Van Dyke. . .There are many ways a song can take shape, and they can always be different. They need only to be, finally, a living thing unto themselves. Then you are free of them. I find this an easy enough idea to embrace, and strangely comforting in these truly interesting times.

“There is an ancient Chinese curse,” Henry says, “where this is what you wish on your enemy – ‘May you live in interesting times.’ What could be worse? Not much, they seem to be saying. But I’m determined to make the best of it.”

McKay, who performances are said to be amply seasoned with “hilarity” with “buckets of comedic moments,” relishes being a songwriter/activist as much as she does her time in front of an audience as “an era-defying songstress.” More times than not, her albums will feature a preponderance of her own compositions.

One of the latest productions attracted a trio of jazz luminaries who did their thing “McKay style” in a studio up in the Pocono Mountains. Reviewers used the words “cheeky,” “lively” and “rambunctious” to describe the results. She’s also collaborated with the sound engineer who produced many of The Beatles’ cuts.

McKay herself refers to what happens musically as “schizophrenic voodoo.” Schizophrenic because she “jumps genres, from Tin Pay Alley pop and cabaret to reggae, rap and jazz.” Voodoo “because these elements mysteriously gel with her evocative, playful and bold lyrics.” Her voice has been described as “supple” and “shape-shifting.”

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In addition to scoring the music in the film, “The Amazing Story of a Teenage Single Mom,” the politically minded McKay has lent her support to get-out-the-vote initiatives, a campaign to close the primate laboratories at Columbia University in New York City, and an effort to ban the use of horses to pull carriages in American cities.

Her literary talents have been displayed via essays in The Onion and The New York Times Book Review. Showing versatility in another creative medium, McKay won a Theater World Award for her portrayal of Polly Peachum in a Broadway production of “The Threepenny Opera.”

Prior to a New Year’s Eve gig in New York City, McKay’s performance itinerary has taken her to Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, San Diego, Los

Angeles, Boulder, and Austin. Now, Kalamazoo will be on her list. Early 20th-century black artists profiled in film

What was it like to be a writer, dancer, painter, actor, film director or musician in the United States between 1900 to 1920? More specifically, a black person striving to make a mark in the cultural and fine arts?

The Kalamazoo Valley Museum is commemorating Black History Month by offering a free film series that recognizes and celebrates the achievements of 20th century African-American and other artists who changed the United States as a nation and as a culture.

Each Sunday in February, segments of the PBS series, “I’ll Make Me a World,” will be shown in the Mary Jane Stryker Theater at 3 p.m.

Each film will be introduced by a guest host from the arts and academic communities. They will lead a short discussion following each film.

The series will begin Sunday (Feb. 3) with “Lift Every Voice,” covering the years 1900 to 1920. Soprano Alfrelynn Roberts, who performed in the Detroit Opera’s production of “Porgy and Bess” and has sung with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, will host the opening episode.

This segment covers the trials and triumphs of the first generation of African-Americans born into freedom: vaudeville stars, represented by Bert Williams and George Walker, and the creators of jazz, America’s original music.

Oscar Micheaux is highlighted as the producer of motion pictures that depict the complexities of black life during a time of racial segregation and conflict.

The Sunday, Feb. 10, attraction will be “Without Fear or Shame,” covering the years 1920 to 1937. Focusing on the creative movement known as the Harlem Renaissance, the program highlights poets Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston, as well as female blues singers. This segment is hosted by historian Michelle Johnson, who is a Zora Neale Hurston scholar.

“Bright Like the Sun” is the offering for Sunday, Feb. 17, and covers the years from 1935 to 1954. This segment depicts how Paul Robeson, the legendary singer and star of stage and screen, used his artistry and fame to fight for social justice in the United States and abroad.

A Harlem art school and the birth of bebop and “cool” jazz are also covered. Dr. Romeo Philips, retired professor emeritus of music and education at Kalamazoo College and a former member of the Portage City Council, will host this segment.

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The final showing on Sunday, Feb. 24, will be “The Freedom You Will Take,” covering the years 1985 to the present.

In this episode, transformation of the contemporary cultural landscape by the power of African-American film, performance, rap music, and spoken word is explored.

Denise Miller, poet and KVCC instructor of English and African-American literature, will host.

Dr. Carter G. Woodson, son of former slaves, is credited with today’s celebration of Black History Month.

The observance evolved from “Negro History Week,” established in 1926 by Woodson, who had risen from his humble beginnings to earn a Ph. D from Harvard University.

He also founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, which is dedicated to encouraging scholars to engage in the study of African-American history.

February was selected as the time for the celebration because it was the birth month of both Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. Negro History Week became Black History Month in 1976, the year of the American Bicentennial.‘Read-in’ launches Black History Month

Black History Month events on the Texas Township Campus will begin on Monday (Feb. 4) with a “read-in” of excerpts from the writings of prominent African-American authors.

Faculty, students and staff are invited to sample the thoughts and perspectives of black writers as their works are read from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Student Commons Forum.

On Monday, Feb. 11, poet, author and Kalamazoo Gazette columnist Buddy Hannah will be the presenter from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in the Student Commons Theater. He is the author of “Two in a Million: Journey of a Lifetime.”

Motivational speaker Boyd White III is the attraction on Tuesday, Feb. 19. His remarks are set for 12:30 p.m. in the Student Commons Theater.

One of the capstone events of KVCC’s observance will be an “explosion” of gospel music on Friday, Feb. 22, in the Dale Lake Auditorium. The curtain goes up at 7 p.m.

All of these events are free and open to the public.

Internship alert – big dollars, great trainingThe high-tech internship program that attracted two KVCC students last summer -

resulting in major scholarship dollars and priceless job experience -- has set a Feb. 18 deadline for those interested in being involved in 2008. The joint venture between Southwest Michigan First and the Kalamazoo-based Monroe-Brown Foundation is a train-your-own workforce-development program that 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. Interested students must apply for the internships directly through the participating 18 companies - some offering more than one slot -- that include:

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● ADMETRx ● MPI Research ● ProNAi ● CSM Group ● Landscape Forms ● Proteos ● A. M. Todd Co. ● Tekna ● Stryker Instruments ● Riley Aviation ● Workforce Strategies Inc. ● NanoVir LLC ● Jasper Clinic ● Treystar Holdings Inc. ● W. Soule & Co. ● AVB Construction ● Wolverine Pipe Line Co. ● Parker Hannifin Corp. Brass Division Once the intern is hired, he/she will work for the employer for a minimum of 400 hires 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. Details of the 2008 edition of the program and the participating companies are posted on the Southwest Michigan First website. An interested person can either “google” Southwest Michigan First or go directly to www.swmtalentnetwork.com "The program worked very, very well in the summer of 200y,” 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. I’m already hearing talk relating to long-term employment for these interns. That’s the whole idea. ”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.” 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.

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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.

Poverty simulation part of 2008 Diversity ConferenceKVCC instructors are being urged to incorporate the fifth annual Diversity

Conference, slated for Friday, March 28, into their winter-semester courses if possible.Both tracks in the all-day event will allow the opportunity for participants to

engage in a three-hour simulation designed to sample the daily lives of people who are below the poverty line.

The simulation is a joint venture of the Kalamazoo County Poverty Reduction Initiative and the National Resource Center for the Healing of Racism.

As in the past, the college’s yearly conference – this year’s theme is “Diversity: In Our Own Back Yard” – is free and open to the public as well as to KVCC students, faculty and staff.

Pre-registration will be required because of space availability and those details will be forthcoming in February.

“Diversity” In Our Own Back Yard” will open with an overview in the Dale Lake Auditorium at 8 a.m. with the wrap-up session slated for 4 p.m. in the same location.

The poverty simulation will be held from 8:45 to 11:45 a.m. and repeated in the afternoon from 1 to 4 p.m. Lunch and entertainment are part of the package of activities.

Conferees not taking part in the morning or afternoon simulations can attend presentations on the ethnic and culture differences surrounding the question of immigration, the psychological, emotional and spiritual aspects of the gay and lesbian lifestyle, mental and emotional disabilities, and sex and gender issues.

The mission of the Kalamazoo County Poverty Reduction Initiative is to foster collaborative and mutually accountable public-private partnerships that increase both access to and resources for individuals and families living in poverty.

The simulation was crafted to help participants understand what it might be like to live in a typical low-income family trying to survive from month to month. They assume roles in a variety of families facing crises, such as losing the “breadwinner,” becoming unemployed, or trying to raise children on only a Social Security check.

The scenario includes the spectrum of community resources that might be available to provide the basic necessities of food, shelter and financial support. Volunteers, preferable people who have faced or are facing poverty, are recruited to represent these resources.

After the exercise, there is a debriefing in which participants and volunteer staffers share their feelings and talk about what they have learned about the lives of people in poverty.

For more information about the fifth diversity conference, contact co-chairs Scott Williams, Jacob Arndt or Nancy Taylor.

Feb. 15 is deadline for new welding academy

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With a focus on the welding skills that regional manufacturers are calling a critical need, Kalamazoo Valley Community College is launching its third fast-track, workforce-development academy.

Slated to begin March 31, the KVCC Welding Academy will be joining ongoing counterparts designed to quickly produce quality automotive technicians, and provide professional development and career launchings for those in the corrections field.

By May 9 and after exposure to theory, demonstrations and hands-on practice, the 15 participants can expect to gain the skills necessary for entry-level employment as a welder and position themselves to gain national certification in several skills through the American Welding Society.

The cost for the six-week, intensive training initiative, which complements the college’s degree-granting program in welding technology that opens up other career paths, is $1,700.

This fee pays for instructions, materials, supplies, books and equipment. In addition to a completion certificate, each student will leave with a complete tool set used in this occupational trade. The training will be based in labs and classrooms on the Texas Township Campus.

Application packets are now available. They must be mailed or delivered personally by 5 p.m. on Feb. 15 to the

Michigan Technical Education Center (M-TEC) at KVCC, which is located in The Groves – the college’s business-education-technology park on 9th Street along I-94 near the Texas Township Campus.

Acceptance into the inaugural welding academy will be based on the written application, feedback from candidate-supplied references, an interview, and ACT Work Key scores.

References will be tapped to provide commentary on the applicants’ job-readiness skills, suitability for a career as a welder, work ethic, dependability, communication skills in solving problems and resolving conflicts, ability to follow directions, and an attitude about job performance and productivity.

Each applicant will be interviewed by KVCC's director of advanced technologies academies, welding faculty, and two professionals knowledgeable about welding and its role in manufacturing.

The application process is scheduled to be completed by the end of February. Applicants will receive written notification about the outcome.

Those accepted into the academy must pay a non-refundable registration fee by 5 p.m. on March 18.

“This skilled trade is in high demand among Southwest Michigan manufacturers,” said Cindy Buckley, director of training and development at KVCC’s M-TEC. “Employers have indicated that finding quality welders is becoming a more difficult challenge.”

She added that participants, upon notice of acceptance, are encouraged to contact the KVCC Office of Financial Aid to explore the possibility of assistance. Funds from the No Worker Left Behind initiative might be applicable.

The curriculum has been forged by a task force consisting of representatives of Southwest Michigan industries that employ welders, by subject-matter consultants, and by KVCC faculty.

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Its components include orientation, shop safety, introduction to manufacturing, technical math, industrial blueprint reading, basic properties of metals, the fundamentals of measurement, safety training, workplace readiness, job-search skills, a variety of welding and cutting techniques, and other essentials needed to be known by an entry-level welder.

For more details about admission criteria, costs and competencies required to gain entrance, contact Tammy Saucedo, administrative secretary for the KVCC Career Academies, at (269) 488-4791 or tsaucedo@kvcc.edu.

‘About Writing’ to host Polish-American poetWith all four of her grandparents hailing from southern Poland, poet Linda

Nemec Foster of Grand Rapids has used that Eastern Europe heritage to hone her writing skills and comment on the immigration experience.

She is next in Kalamazoo Valley Community College’s “About Writing” series of presentations.

Foster will talk about her writing craft on Thursday, Feb. 14, at 10 a.m. in the Student Commons Forum on the Texas Township Campus and read from her works at 2 p.m. in the Commons Theater.

Both are free and open to the public. Author of seven poetry collections including “Amber Necklace of Gdansk,”

Foster was inspired to produce her latest work by her roots and a desire to search for herself in the mirror of family history

She was born near Cleveland, Ohio, on May 29, 1950. She graduated from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids in 1972 with a bachelor’s in social science. After receiving her undergraduate degree, Foster worked at the Center for Environmental Study in Grand Rapids as a social demographer.

She married Anthony Foster in 1974 and moved to Detroit. A new location also signaled a significant change in her life as she began writing poetry. Encouraged by a poet/writer at Wayne State University to develop her craft at the graduate level, Foster enrolled in 1977 into the master’s program at Goddard College in Vermont where she was schooled by several noted writers. She graduated in 1979 with a master of fine arts in creative writing.

“Amber Necklace from Gdańsk,” published by Louisiana State University Press, contains a collection of poems inspired by her Polish-American heritage and a visit to her family's homeland in 1996.

“The book poignantly reflects on the immigrant experience,” Foster said, “an experience of loss and discovery, of ambivalence and pride, of deep tragedy and redemption. My own ethnicity, as the daughter of second-generation immigrants from Poland, is colored by America's somewhat disinterested view of the "other" Europe -- only recently emerged from history's dark shadow -- and of a country that for over 100 years did not exist as a political entity.

“My attempts to reclaim an ethnic heritage, to search for myself in the mirror of my family's history,” she says, “resonate throughout my verse.”

“Amber Necklace from Gdańsk” captures the stark sense of loss that permeates Poland, from Chopin's self-exile, to the silence of rain, to the overwhelming horror of the

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Holocaust. It concludes with a group of poems that reveals resilience in the face of a haunted past and an iconoclastic present.

“It is my hope that this book resonates with the land, history, and culture of my ancestors,” Foster says.

When she was 13, a grandmother encouraged her to write to a cousin in Poland who was the same age. Foster could not understand Polish and her pen pal did not know English. Relatives translated the letters between the two. They continued the correspondence through college, but the two lost contact when marriage entered their lives. Years later, Polish women rekindled the relationship and the letters began again.

“In 1996,” Foster said, “I traveled to Poland for the first time with my husband and daughter to visit the family I had only heard about but never seen. Waiting for us at the Krakow Airport was my pen pal, her arms filled with bouquets of wildflowers to welcome me ‘home.’ At that moment I knew I had to write about the country, landscape, and family my four grandparents left behind when they came to America.”

Since 1980, she has taught poetry workshops for the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs. She has also taught poetry and writing classes on the college level at Ferris State University and her alma mater. More than 200 of her poems have appeared in such journals and magazines as The Georgia Review, Nimrod, Quarterly West, Indiana Review, International Poetry Review, and Mid-American Review.

She and her husband have two children, Brian and Ellen. “About Writing” organizer, English instructor Rob Haight will wrap up the 2007-08 series with Ted Kooser, a professor of English at The University of Nebraska. He’ll be on the KVCC campus for two days on April 7-8.

Fretboard trio launches concert seriesThe Royal Garden Trio, the Ann Arbor stringed threesome that performed in the

second annual Kalamazoo Fretboard Festival last March, will open the Kalamazoo Valley Museum’s 2008 schedule of concerts for adult audiences.

Tickets for the Thursday, Feb. 14, booking at 7:30 p.m. in the Mary Jane Stryker Theater are $5.

The Royal Garden Trio consists of Tom Bogardus (tenor guitar, clarinet and soprano saxophone), guitarist Brian Delaney, and cellist Mike Karoub.

Bogardus was born and raised in Grand Rapids where in high school he played clarinet, saxophone, guitar and banjo. He went on to Central Michigan University to obtain a degree in music education, later adding a master’s from Western Michigan University.

Bogardus and his family settled in the Flint area where he taught music in the public schools for 30 years. He also played in various jazz bands, often composing and arranging for them.

Now retired, Bogardus is regarded as the "guts and glue" of the Royal Garden Trio as its prime arranger and contributes a rock-solid, swinging rhythm guitar.

Delaney, an Ann Arbor native, studied classical piano at an early age. At age 12, he took up guitar and has been playing ever since. Simultaneously, he began a long study on guitar construction and repair. As a new teenager, he started building and selling electric guitars. His curiosity and love for the guitar has taken him all over the world,

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working as a technician with various acts and playing a variety of styles of music on the instrument.

Delaney developed an interest in early versions of jazz and formed in the late 1990s Summers, Delaney & Sharp, a trio that specialized in gypsy-style jazz. That led him to ask Karoub and Bogardus to join him in the Royal Garden Trio. Since then, his focus has been on recording and instruction as well as his own continuing study of traditional and gypsy jazz.

Delaney is also scheduled to be one of the presenters when the museum hosts the third annual Fretboard Festival March 29-30.

Karoub hails from Dearborn where the cello entered his life as an 8 year old. By the seventh grade, he was accomplished on the string bass and began playing professional engagements on both instruments shortly thereafter.

After attending Wayne State and Eastern Michigan universities, he toured as bassist for Grammy-nominated James Dapogny's Chicago Jazz Band and Banu Gibson's New Orleans Hot Jazz. In addition to recording several albums, he performed at the Smithsonian, the Kennedy Center, Hollywood Bowl and Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion.”

Karoub has also been a guest performer with the St. Louis and Atlanta symphonies. On cello, he has performed with several Detroit area orchestras and, as a soloist, playing jazz arrangements for cello and orchestra with the Livonia Symphony.

The Thursday-evening concert series will continue at the museum with these groups:

♫ March 13 – the Kalamazoo-based rock group Wishek♫ April 10 – Gardyloo! Rogue Bassoons, also based in Kalamazoo♫ May 15 – the Kalamazoo Celtic-music combo of Whiskey Before Breakfast.More information about events, attractions and tickets is available by checking

the museum’s web site at www.kalamazoomuseum.org or by calling 373-7990. Seating is limited in the Stryker theater.

‘Raise the Roof’ exhibition on building opens Feb. 16 With people spending about 90 percent of their lives inside buildings, what sorts

of secrets, surprises or extraordinary engineering feats would be revealed if the walls could talk.

The stories behind structures are the focus of the Kalamazoo Valley Museum's next nationally traveling exhibition, “Raise The Roof.” The free exhibit from the Science Museum of Minnesota opens Feb. 16 in the Havirmill Special Exhibition Gallery on the third floor and continues through June 1.

Interspersed throughout its stay in Kalamazoo will be the showing of a series of documentaries that explore the evolution of architecture through the ages, famous architects, and buildings of note. These will be featured on Sundays at 1:30 p.m. in the Mary Jane Stryker Theater. Each is free.

The exhibit features buildings and building science from around the world. Visitors can travel to great heights and distant ages to investigate the foundations of architecture and engineering.

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They can step over the threshold of an authentic Mongolian house,  climb to the top of a skyscraper under construction, learn building secrets from a 9,000-year-old city, watch mighty buildings crumble, and raise the roof of a dome.            They can enter a full-scale “ger” (pronounced “care), a circular tent of lattice, poles, fabric and rawhide invented by nomadic Mongolians. The ger is known in this country by the name of its Turkish relative, the yurt. 

Elegant and energy-efficient, one can be erected in one day, but cooperation is needed. These days, the ancient structures are gaining popularity as homes, cabins, and offices.

Near the ger in the exhibition, visitors can explore the secrets of the mud-brick ruins of Çatalhöyük (pronounced Chat-tahl-hu-yook), believed to be the world's oldest city. Excavations at the 9,000-year-old site located near Ankara, Turkey, began in the 1960s but were stopped because of the technical inability at that time to adequately preserve the findings. The dig was restarted in 1993 with a plan to continue for 25 years.

Archaeologists believe the ancient city covered an area the size of 50 soccer fields.  They are studying the site to learn more about the Neolithic Period, or new Stone Age, when people began abandoning hunter-gatherer lifestyles to settle in communities, grow crops, and raise animals.

For thousands of years, people have pretty much agreed that a building with a dome, such as the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome or the U. S. Capitol, marks an important structure. A dome creates a soaring space on the inside, and an impressive sight on the outside.

In the “Collapsible Dome” section of “Raise the Roof,” visitors can turn a flat roof into a dome right over their heads, and find out how domes have been engineered through time.

Lots of engineering know-how goes into making a building reach for the sky.  The 3-D "View From the Top” lets people look down the side of a skyscraper from 40 stories up.

In the skyscraper section of the exhibition, visitors can build block towers, make trusses to withstand the forces of tension and compression, and test the response of different buildings to various earthquake frequencies.  Another demonstration shows how tall buildings are kept from swaying too much in strong winds.

“Raise the Roof’s” Demolition Theater showcases the explosive work of the famous Loizeaux family that own and operate Controlled Demolition Inc., the world's largest organization of demolition experts.

Dangerous conditions that can lead to carbon-monoxide poisoning in homes are explored in the "Downdraft House," a doll-house-sized model outfitted with airflow indicators, a working furnace, and operating doors and vents.

"Meet the Mites" shows how infinitesimal numbers of creatures live in all homes and buildings all of the time.

Several “story corners” tell the tales of some very unusual buildings. One is the Winchester House in San Jose, Calif., that was built by the heiress to the Winchester rifle fortune. In response to a psychic’s warning that the ghosts of those killed by the famous rifles would haunt her unless she built day and night, Sarah Winchester constructed a six-acre house filled with twisting stairways and blocked passages to confuse angry spirits.

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The coolest hotel in the world is the Ice Hotel built every year in Jukkasjarvi, Sweden. Rooms, chandeliers, and even glasses in the bar are made entirely of ice. The building’s temperature is a chilly 35 degrees from November until April, when the whole thing melts.

Other highlights include "Timber!" where visitors can  assemble ingenious wooden joints held together without nails, and "Listening to the Walls," an activity drawn from interviews with blind and visually impaired people who navigate through buildings using their sense of sound.            Because dogs need homes, too, an interactive computer game, "Dogtastrophe," allows visitors to design canine castles that can survive snow-blower blizzards or lawn-sprinkler floods.            “Raise the Roof” is a look at structures humanity depends upon but rarely thinks much about.  Hands-on activities, vivid images and strange-but-true tales brings these scientific wonders into the world of relevancy.

Here is the schedule of documentaries:● March 2 – “Secrets of Lost Empires: The Roman Baths”● March 16 – “Secrets of Lost Empires: The Roman Coliseum”● April 13 – “Frank Lloyd Wright,” part one of the film produced by Ken Burns

and Lynn Novick● April 27 – “Frank Lloyd Wright (part two)● May 11 – “Echoes from the White House: Celebrating the Bicentennial of

America’s Mansion”

KVCC ceramicists part of ‘Empty Bowls’ fund-raiserInstructor Francis Granzotto and his ceramics students will be taking part in the

2008 Empty Bowls Project, a fund-raising initiative through Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes to feed the hungry in this part of the state.

The fund-raiser will be staged on Saturday, March 8, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in The Woodward School for Technology and Research at 606 Stuart Ave. A silent auction of bowls made by professional potters and ceramic artists will also be on the agenda.

The KVCC students and ceramicists in Southwest Michigan will be crafting ceramic bowls for the event. For a donation of $10 for students and $15 for adults, participants can choose a bowl to keep, enjoy a light dinner of donated soup and bread in it, and learn about efforts to curb hunger in the community.

This will be the third year that Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes has arranged for an Empty Bowls observance locally. Granzotto and his students were part of the inaugural fund-raiser. The 2007 event attracted 450 bowl-buyers and raised more than $5,000.

One of the organizers is Jennifer Johnson, who is the communications coordinator for the human-service agency and also serves as an English instructor at KVCC. She can be contacted at 488-2617, extension 213, or jjohnson4@kvcc.edu.

“Hunger affects a person’s ability to fully function in daily activities,” she said. “When the next meal is in question, the person’s ability to function in any setting – school, work, family or community – suffers. This affects us all.

The origins can be traced to 1990 when an art teacher at a high school in Michigan brainstormed on a way for his students to support a local food drive. What evolved was a class project to make ceramic bowls for a fund-raising meal. Guests were

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served a simple meal of soup and bread, and were invited to keep the bowl as a reminder of hunger in the world.

By the following year, the originators had developed this concept into Empty Bowls, a project to provide support for food banks, soup kitchens, and other organizations that fight hunger. A 501(c)3 organization, was created to promote the concept. Since then Empty Bowls events have been held throughout the world, and millions of dollars have been raised to combat hunger.

Among the sponsors will be Millennium Restaurant Group and Panera Bread, with others in the pipeline.

“Kalamazoo College was an active lead and partner for the first two years through its service-learning and ceramics departments,” said Bobbe Luce of WildWood Designs, one of the organizations involved in the project. “Because of sabbaticals and changes in students, the event has been transitioned solely to Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes, but K

students and faculty will still be involved in the bowl-making.” Seal it with a 40th-anniversary sticker

To begin spreading 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 throughout 2008.

Polar explorers used sky facts in quests“Polar Astronomers,” the Kalamazoo Valley Museum’s newly created

planetarium show, premieres this weekend (Feb. 2-3) and continue through April 27.In addition to incorporating the story of Edward Israel, the Kalamazoo arctic

explorer who perished near the top of the world in pursuit of scientific knowledge, “Polar Astronomers” explores the adventures such deep-freeze pioneers as Robert Peary, Roald Amundsen, and Robert Scott.

Showtimes are 3 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $3.Israel served as the astronomer and magnetic observer for the American “Greeley

Expedition” to Lady Franklin Bay during the first International Polar Year in 1882.“Israel made measurements of the sun, moon and stars to determine the locations

of landmarks mapped by the expedition,” said Eric Schreur, the planetarium’s coordinator who produced the new show.

“During the long winter nights,” he said, “Israel viewed the Northern Lights and watched their effects on the magnetic instruments he monitored.”

When the expedition post was not relieved after two years as planned, Israel tracked the progress of the party’s retreat to Cape Sabine where they tried to survive another brutal winter on meager rations. The Kalamazoo explorer died three weeks before rescuers arrived.

Schreur’s production, which coincides with the third International Polar Year, documents the journeys of those who reached the Earth’s north and south geographic poles. They are both described and compared to today’s exploration of space.

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“The show concludes,” he said, “by surveying three astronomy-research projects that are under way at the South Pole. One is collecting meteorites that have fallen in Antarctica and with the passage of time have been transported to other regions by the slowly flowing glacial ice.”

The other two are searching below the polar ice for evidence of miniscule remnants that might have been generated in the explosions of distant starts and during the formation of black holes.

“Polar Astronomers” also reports on the South Pole Telescope that looks for shadows of galaxy clusters and other evidence that can shed light on the origin of the universe.

“Polar regions that once challenged the lives of explorers and that are now accessible to scientific researchers,” Schreur said. “They are conducting research that can show us how we fit into the cosmos.” What is a credit report?

There is more to success at the college level than what happens in the classroom and how well a student does.

Other factors can play a role in whether college ends up as a satisfactory experience.

With that in mind, the Student Success Center is presenting a series of workshops during the winter semester to focus on the barriers to success and what resources are available to help students make their way.

The free sessions are being held in either the theater or forum in the Student Commons. All students are welcome

Refreshments are part of the attraction to learn about life resources and how to avoid the every-day barriers that can negatively impact on academic success.

Here’s the schedule of topics and presenters through the end of February: “Understanding Your Credit Report and How It Can Affect You” on Tuesday

(Feb. 5) at 12:30 p.m. – Chris Palmer of GreenPath Debt Solutions. “America Saves: Debt to Wealth” on Wednesday (Feb. 6) at noon -- Shelby

Meyer, a vice president for National City Bank. “Achieve the Professional Image You Want to Project” on Wednesday, Feb. 3,

at 12:30 p.m. – Karen Baldwin, director of client relations at WSI, will talk about the importance of attitude, self-image, appearance and expectations.

“How to Get a Job in a Tough Market” on Wednesday, Feb. 20, at 12:30 p.m. – Lois Brinson and Karen Phelps” of the employment services section of the KVCC Student Success Center.

Instead of a workshop, all students will be invited to take part in the Volunteer and Community Service Fair that the college will be hosting from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 27. Representatives from scores of human-service and community organizations will be on campus to talk to students about volunteering their time.

The workshops will resume in March and through the latter part of April.For more information, call Pamela Siegfried at extension 4825 or Diane

Vandenberg at extension 4755.

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Builder Charles Hays next in ‘Sunday Series’ spotlight

The story of one of Kalamazoo’s most prolific builders and developers in the early 20th century is the next installment of the Kalamazoo Valley Museum’s “Sunday Series” presentations about the history of Southwest Michigan.

“Charles B. Hays – Home Builder” is the Feb. 17 topic in the Mary Jane Stryker Theater.

Free and open to the public, the 1:30 p.m. presentation by Tom Dietz, the museum’s curator, will trace the life and times of Hays, a prominent developer of commercial, industrial and residential properties.

Sharing podium duty will be Sharon Ferraro, the city of Kalamazoo's coordinator of historic preservation Coordinator who talk about the architectural importance of the various Hays' additions.

Hays was born on Nov. 15, 1862, and was graduated from Kalamazoo High School in 1881. He attended both Kalamazoo College and the Michigan Agricultural College (now Michigan State University) for two years.

Hays came from a family with long ties to Kalamazoo. His grandfather, John Hays, was a mason who came to Southwest Michigan in 1832. His father, Algernon, followed in that trade and, although he died at the age of 47, is credited with “erecting nearly all of the large buildings in Kalamazoo.”

Charles returned to Kalamazoo from college and took a job as a postal clerk. By 1885, he was a bookkeeper for a roofing firm.

Charles first began flexing his entrepreneurial muscles when he bought a half interest in an insurance and real-estate business from his brother in 1887. It was the start of what would become a veritable real-estate empire.

Hays married Luella Phillips, daughter of organ manufacturer Delos Phillips in October 1889.

At some point in the late 1880s, he formed a partnership with August B. Scheid, a grocer who provided much of the investment capital for Hays’ early real-estate ventures.

Over the next 50 years, the two men are estimated to have built nearly one-sixth of Kalamazoo’s streets, built more than 1,500 homes, and sold in excess of 3,000 lots for homes. Hays organized several development companies to promote these ventures.

Although Hays would develop additions throughout the city, the focus of his energies was on the “south side” as the Edison Neighborhood was then known. A partial list of Hays’ developments in that neighborhood includes the South Side Improvement Co. plat, South Park, Hays Park, Linden Park, and Elmwood Plat.

Hays was a savvy promoter as well. In addition to the usual advertising in newspapers, he published “Hays’ Home Builder and Investor,” an illustrated journal in which he touted the advantages of “living in your own home versus existing in a rented house.”

During the post-World War I “Red Scare,” Hays advertised that his moderately priced homes for workers would help fight Bolshevism. In his opinion, no homeowner would promote a radical political ideology that advocated the abolition of private property.

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The Hays empire, however, extended beyond insurance and real estate. By the turn of the century, he was selling stocks and bonds, offering loans, and organizing the initial finances for what would become some of Kalamazoo’s largest employers.

A partial list includes the Bryant, King, Superior, and Watervliet Paper companies. He also helped organize the financing for the Michigan Buggy Co. and the Kalamazoo Railway Supply Co., among others.

While this might have seemed sufficient for many men, Hays was not content with business. He served as mayor and at one time owned the Park-American Hotel. He was an avid golfer and horseman. In 1927, he built the Arcadia Brook Golf Course and the Peter the Great Riding Stables near the Oaklands on what is now the west campus of Western Michigan University.

Luella Hays shared her husband’s passion for golf and his energy. In her early 70s, she drove alone to Montana to visit her daughter – an impressive feat given the condition of American roads in the late 1930s. She died in 1943 but Charles remained active for many more years.

Hays died on May 31, 1958, at the age of 95. The man whose grandfather had built one of the first homes in Kalamazoo 125 years earlier had earned the right to inscribe the words “Home Builder” on his final resting place in Mountain Home Cemetery.

Dietz’s “Sunday Series” will continue with these presentations:● “The Architectural History of Kalamazoo” -- March 9.● “The Sins of Kalamazoo” – April 6: Poet Carl Sandburg wrote metaphorically

about “The Sins of Kalamazoo,” but this program examines the reality, the community’s pool halls, bars, gambling houses, and other entertainment outlets in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and what local “reformers” did to clean up these “sinful haunts.”

● “The Academy of Music” – April 20: The community’s first “grand” performing-arts center was dedicated on May 6, 1882, and was eventually destroyed in a fire.

For more information about the presentations, contact Dietz at 373-7984.

‘Animal Dreams’ film is Thursday at museumThe Kalamazoo Valley Museum will take part in Reading Together on Thursday,

(Feb. 7) at 8 p.m. with a free showing in the Mary Jane Stryker Theater of Kalamazoo filmmaker Dhera Strauss’ documentary about the local Tex-Mex band, Los Bandits.

Her “Los Bandits: More Than a Tex-Mex Band” has been shown over Michigan Public Broadcasting System stations and has been accepted into four film festivals. She will host the screening.

Next week, English instructor Gloria Larrieu will be leading a discussion about the American Southwest in connection with one of the book’s several themes.

On the heels of the National Endowment for the Arts’ recent study that reported Americans are alarmingly reading less and less, KVCC is again taking part in the Reading Together initiative with “Animal Dreams” by Barbara Kingsolver being the selection for the community read in 2008.

“Reading Together” invites people of all ages from all walks of life to read the book and then engage in discussions about the issues that are addressed, including the

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Hispanic and Native-American cultures of the American Southwest, environmental degradation, eldercare, and the individual’s responsibility for the public good.

The discussions and special programs will be held through Feb. 29 at a variety of sites in Kalamazoo County.

An increasing number of adult Americans are not reading even one book a year, according to the NEA study. Students in high school and college are more than likely forced to read a book or two as part of their classes, as opposed to engaging in the activity for pleasure, enlightenment, and horizon-expanding.

The age-old correlation has not changed – those who read a lot have equally adept writing skills; those who write well do more than their share of reading.

Here are the special programs and events – all of them free – for the first part of this month:

“Spiritual Connections: Finding Home, Finding Grace” – Sunday (Feb. 3) at 9:30 a.m. in the First United Methodist Church, 212 Park St. Kim Finkbeiner, supervisor of the land water and wastewater division of the Kalamazoo County Health and Community Services Department, will talk about nurturing community while nurturing the Earth.

“Away from Her” – Monday (Feb. 4) at 6 p.m. in the downtown Kalamazoo Public Library. The movie, starring Oscar favorite Julie Christie, tells the story of a man who is coping with the institutionalization of his wife with Alzheimer’s disease. He faces an epiphany when she transfers her affections to a wheel-chair-bound mute who is a patient in the same nursing home.

“The Cultural Aspects of ‘Animal Dreams’” – Tuesday (Feb. 5) at 6:30 p.m. in the library’s Oshtemo branch located at 7265 W. Main St. Cultural anthropologist Irene “Ike” Vasquez of Kalamazoo offers insights into the dialogue and traditions featured in the book.

“Animal Dreams” Discussion – Wednesday (Feb. 60 at 10:30 a.m. in the Portage District Library, 300 Library Lane. Readers are invited to share their thoughts and insights about the book in a discussion led by Marsha Meyer and Lindy Rose. Lucia Franco, owner of the Mi Ranchito restaurant, will furnish appetizers. All of this, including the snacks, will be repeated at 7 the same evening.

“Animal Dreams” Discussion – Wednesday (Feb. 6) at noon in the Stuart Clock Tower on the Western Michigan University campus. It is sponsored by WMU Libraries.

“Sibling Relationships” – Friday (Feb. 8) at noon in the downtown-Kalamazoo public library. Panelists will discuss the push and pull of siblings as they grow up.

“The Dream Weaver” – Friday (Feb. 8) at 1 p.m. in the Alma Powell Branch of the Kalamazoo Public Library, 1000 W. Paterson St. Ojibwa tribe member David Fleming will talk about dream through stories and about what a “dream catcher” means to a Native American.

“Spiritual Connections: Finding Home, Finding Grace” -- Sunday, Feb.10, at 9:30 a.m. in the First United Methodist Church, 212 S. Park. Jeff Spoelstra, active with the citizens group that is working to clean up the Kalamazoo River and its watershed, and avoid future pollution, will talk about “Grassroots Activism.” “Power of Forgiveness” – Sunday, Feb. 10, at 2 p.m. in the First Baptist Church, 315 W. Michigan Ave. The second in a series of three films sponsored by the Fetzer Institute as part of its “Campaign for Love and Forgiveness,” this documentary combines

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character-driven stories about the most dramatic transgressions imaginable with those that seem more commonplace. This will be followed by a 4 p.m. concert by Los Bandits. The film will be shown again on Monday, Feb. 11, at 7 p.m. in the church.

“Critical Issues: Alternative Views” – This will be broadcast on Monday, Feb. 11, at 10 a.m. on one of the Community Access Center’s five TV channels. Recently returned from a service trip to Nicaragua, youth from the First Baptist Church share reflections on their experience. It was produced by Lynwood Bartley, Don Cooney, Leigh Ford, Ron Kramer, and Elke Schoffers through the facilities of the Kalamazoo Community Access Center. It will be rebroadcast by the CAC on Thursday, Feb. 14, at 4 p.m. and again on Friday, Feb. 15, at 7 p.m.

“Sweetheart Dance” -- Tuesday, Feb. 12, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at St. Michael Lutheran Church, 7211 Oakland Drive, Portage. Music provided by the Portage Senior Center Band.

“Animal Dreams” Discussion – Tuesday, Feb. 12, at 7 p.m. in the Zion Lutheran Church, 2122 Bronson Blvd. Hosted by the American Association of University Women.

“Animal Dreams” Discussion – Tuesday, Feb. 12, at 7 p.m. at the Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1515 Helen Ave., Portage.

“Alzheimer’s Disease and Family Dynamics” – Tuesday, Feb. 12, at 7 p.m. in the Kalamazoo Public Library, 315 S. Rose. The disease and its effects on a family and the community as filtered through accounts in the book “Animal Dreams.”

“Meet the Chefs: Desserts of Central America” – Wednesday, Feb. 13, at 2 p.m. in the Portage District Library, 300 Library Lane. Chef Giti Henrie’s passion for baking began at a young age as she helped her grandmother bake bread and pastries in her family’s outdoor stone oven in Tehran, Iran. She was responsible for keeping the bakery pantry full of breads, baklava and other Middle Eastern pastries. This repeats at 6:30 p.m.

“Family History Workshop” – Friday, Feb. 15, at 10 a.m. in the Portage District Library, 300 Library Lane. Ronne Hartfield, the author of “Another Way Home: The Tangled Roots of Race in One Chicago Family,” will describe how family history can illustrate the broader arena of all human experience, and serve as a prism through which people can better understand the world's conflicts and complications.

“The U. S. Southwest” – Friday, Feb. 15, at noon at the Kalamazoo Public Library in downtown Kalamazoo. KVCC English instructor Gloria Larrieu will lead a discussion about this part of the United States, having lived in New Mexico for many years. Her topics will include the section’s geography and its past and present cultures.

“Animal Dreams” Discussion – Friday, Feb. 15, at 1:30 p.m. in the Crossroad Village, 6600 Constitution Blvd. in Portage. Leading the discussion will be Marsha Meyer. “Family History Workshop” – Friday, Feb. 15, at 4 p.m. in the Kalamazoo Public Library in downtown Kalamazoo. Ronne Hartfield, the author of “Another Way Home: The Tangled Roots of Race in One Chicago Family,” will describe how family history can illustrate the broader arena of all human experience, and serve as a prism through which people can better understand the world's conflicts and complications.

“Animal Dreams” is described as a fictional love story and a moving exploration of life’s largest commitments as told through flashbacks, dreams and Native-American

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legends. It was chosen by a 24-member selection committee from 84 books that had been nominated.

Arcadia Commons Campus librarian Jim Ratliff is on the program’s steering committee.

Previous “Reading Together” titles are: “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury in 2003; “Nickel and Dimed” by Barbara Ehrenreich in 2004; “The Color of Water” by James McBride in 2005; “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien in 2006; and “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” by Mark Haddon.

Joining the Kalamazoo Public Library in the “Reading Together” partnership are other community libraries, colleges and universities, health and social-service agencies, cultural, civic and religious organizations, local government, and the news media.

A three-year grant from the Kalamazoo Community Foundation seeded the project with the library now appropriating funds for its support along with receiving other grants, gifts and contributions for its continuation.

The selection committee draws its members from high schools and colleges, libraries, bookstores, book clubs, civic and social-service organizations, the news media, and various religious denominations.

Joan Hawxhurst, the program’s coordinator at the library since its inception, has turned over those duties to Lisa Williams, who recently left her post at the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo. Copies of “Animal Dreams” are also available at all Kalamazoo Public Library locations and at other libraries and bookstores throughout the county.

More information is available at the Kalamazoo Public Library’s web site or at www.readingtogether.us .

‘Louie’ shows are Saturday at museumNew York-based entertainer Louie will present a pair of his bilingual concerts for

families and pre-schoolers on Feb. 2 as the Kalamazoo Valley Museum continues its series of Saturday special musical events for these audiences.

Accompanied by musician Jerry Joy, Louie will deliver his unique blend of educational entertainment in the Mary Jane Stryker Theater on the museum’s first floor.

The 10 a.m. attraction is targeted to pre-schoolers while the for-family show begins at 1 p.m. Both have $3 admission fees.

The museum's programs of entertainment for pre-schoolers and families continue on these dates with these performers:

March 1 -- Storyteller Adam Mellema, who splits his residency between Kentwood, Mich., and Burbank, Calif.

April 5 -- Percussionist Carolyn Koebel.“These performances are great events to bring a group,” said Annette

Hoppenworth, the museum’s coordinator for these kinds of programs. “An unlimited number of tickets can be purchased in advance.”

Louie Miranda uses a variety of guitars and other “instruments” to entertain his audiences.

The family singer and songwriter’s latest CD release is the jazz-infused “Yellow Checker Taxi Jazz Guitar,” a highly appropriate title for a Kalamazoo audience and the history of this community. It is a combination of traditional and original compositions

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that draws from a variety of influences, including Jim Morrison and The Doors, John Denver, Paul Simon, George Benson, Rudy Valley, Neil Diamond, and The Eagles.

Miranda, who hails from Brooklyn, is known for using bilingual lyrics and themes of empowerment in his music and teaching to help children believe in themselves. 

Miranda encourages families to discuss his songs, some of which address environmental or social issues. By inspiring parents and children to interact, he hopes to make music a more complex part of their everyday lives.

He said he was inspired to produce his latest CD by a guitar he saw in window of a music shop in Harrisburg, Pa.

Such standards as “'Fly Me to the Moon,” “On Broadway” and “The Girl from Ipanema” inspired his creativity.

He said he’s also been influenced by guitarist Duane Eddy and the sound of the baritone guitar, prominently used in “Spaghetti Westerns” of the 1960s and made popular through songs like “Ghost Riders in the Sky” and instrumental groups such as The Ventures.

Miranda moved to Brooklyn at six months of age from his native Puerto Rico. He grew up on the streets of Williamsburg and East New York, and managed to move around to different neighborhoods — mostly rough areas — about 25 times.

Coming from a family of nine children, Miranda always had a fondness for music. One of his earliest memories is being in a wooden playpen plucking a plastic ukulele with a felt pick.

Yet, he didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life and would often visit the local libraries, scouting out books, absorbing the world around him.

As a child, he yearned for something other than what he knew, but couldn’t exactly figure out what that was.

At a puppet show in his grammar school, everything changed. A shy kid, Miranda found himself wishing he could go up on stage and take part in the performance. From then on, he recognized that performing would play a big role in his life.

“When I play in the rough neighborhoods, I look out at these kids and they are so needy and want so much,” he said.

Miranda often has youngsters come up on stage to play or sing with him, and whether they bring an out-of-tune guitar or violin or even a harmonica is inconsequential. What matters is that the kids become “empowered by getting up on stage. I wish someone had done that for me when I was a kid,” he says.

Although he now plays at many fine venues, Miranda has a steady gig at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan each month, and does regular television appearances. He continues to play at local libraries — trying to reach the kids who are like he was once, kids looking for more in their lives.

“You may not have the power to change the world but you do have the power to do something that’s right in front of you,” he says.

12 years of effort finally pays off for MyersMarty Myers, manager of the Southwest Michigan Fire Science Program based at

Kalamazoo Valley Community College, was heralded for his determination and grit over

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a dozen years at a groundbreaking ceremony for the $10-million Kalamazoo Regional Police and Fire Training campus.

The 36-acre training facility, which he guided from blueprint to the brink of reality, is being built on Nazareth Road between East Michigan and Charles avenues on the community’s East Side.

The consortium of collaborators includes the city of Kalamazoo, the city of Parchment, Kalamazoo County’s 15 townships, the Kalamazoo-Battle Creek International Airport, educational institutions, medical agencies and businesses.

“Firemen and medical personnel have to train in real situation,” Myers said at the groundbreaking, “or they won’t survive real-life emergency situations. They need to practice. We built one facility that everyone can use.”

The first-phase of the three-part project is scheduled to be completed by the end of August. The other two will be scheduled when funding becomes available.

The initial phase of the state-of-the-art facility, said to be unique in this part of Michigan, will include a fire tower, a police and fire agility course, grass-fire training, tanker and fire training, training in collapsed buildings and confined spaces, training for K-9 units, an ice pond for water rescues, car-fire training, and a 6,000-square-foot indoor training facility.

Myers replaced Wayne Kitchen, a retired chief of the Portage Fire Department who had held the KVCC post since July of 2003 and recently retired from those duties.

Myers, who has been teaching fire-science courses at KVCC, Kellogg Community College and Southwest Michigan College and conducted law-enforcement training courses for almost three decades, joined the Kalamazoo department in 1975 as a police officer. He’s been a fire marshal for the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety for 22 years.

A 1974 graduate of Albion College where he majored in international relations, Myers moved on to Michigan State University and enrolled in its program in criminal justice. He added to his credentials a degree in fire administration at Kellogg in 1982.

Joining KVCC in the consortium that trains students in the fire sciences in Southwest Michigan and northern Indiana are Glen Oaks Community College, Kellogg Community College, Lake Michigan College, and Southwestern Michigan College. KVCC serves as the administrative host for the program and confers all fire-science certificates and degrees.

Departments from jurisdictions that have helped finance the training center will have a set number of days yearly for free use over the next decade. Other agencies around Michigan will be able to use the facility by paying a rental fee.

Good price on Adobe productsKVCC students, staff, and faculty are now able to buy Adobe products at greatly

reduced prices, according to Mark Sloan, director of computing at the Arcadia Commons Campus.

“As part of our volume-buying agreement with Adobe and Academic Superstore,” he said, “KVCC students and employees can buy Adobe products for installation on their personal computers at prices below standard educational discounts. The student discounts should be ongoing. However the faculty and staff discounts are part of a special promotion ending in March 2008.”

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Interested persons should visit http://kvcc.academicsuperstore.com to make purchases. There are instructions on the site regarding proof of registration and/or employment.

“Please note that there are many other items for sale by Academic Superstore on this site.” Sloan said. “However, only the Adobe products featured on the main page are subject to the discounts.”

Questions can be directed to Sloan at 373-7835) or the Center for New Media Computer Lab at 373-7925.

Microsoft has made Office 2007 available to students at a price of $59.95. This can be purchased by visiting http://ultimatesteal.com.

According to the website, this latter deal ends on April 30.

Feb. 15 is last day for WMU study-abroad treksKVCC students, faculty and staff are eligible to take part in some of the summer-

semester, short-term study-abroad programs offered through the Western Michigan University Diether Haenicke Institute for Global Education.

“Most of the 25 summer programs,” says Margaret von Steinen, a KVCC Honors Program graduate who is the communications officer at the institute, “are open to non-WMU students and to adults who are interested in travel and learning, and who are not currently attending college.”

She said some offer classes in a broad range of disciplines while others have focused topics. There are also some scholarship opportunities for the programs that run from two to eight weeks, offer varying levels of academic credit, and are eligible for financial-aid funding.

The deadline to apply for the majority of the opportunities is Feb. 15. Application information is available in the Study Abroad Office on the second floor of Ellsworth Hall next to the Bernard Center. The office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The office’s telephone number is 387-5890. The e-mail address is study-abroad@wmich.edu and the web page can be reached at www.wmich.edu/studyabroad.

Here is the roster of study-abroad destinations and topics during the spring and summer of 2008:

● Business relationships in London and Paris, April 27-May 11.● Tropical biology in Belize, April 28-May 16.● The Grand Tour of Europe (The Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Italy,

Germany), April 28-May 26.● Quebec history and culture, July 7-Aug. 8.● Modern and contemporary art in Paris, May 4-22.● Engineering in Germany, May 4-24.● Engineering in China and Korea, May 8-25.● Business in China, May 10-26.● Health-care systems in Mexico, May 10-June 21.● Italian art and art history, May 15-June 21 and June 26-July 26.● Japanese language and culture, May 16-July 27.● Japanese religion and culture, June 2-14.

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● Fashion merchandising, business, interior design, engineering, media production in London, June 5-Aug. 15.

● Spanish language and culture, June 9-July 31.● Russian language and culture, June 16-July 2.● Business management in Norway, June 23-July 13.● Graduate courses in Mexico with an emphasis on teaching, June 23-Aug. 7● The Prague Summer Program in creative writing, Czech literature, Jewish

studies, photography, June 28-July 25.● Arabic language and culture in Alexandria, Egypt, June 29-July 31.● Nanotechnology research in Brazil, July 1-Sept. 1● Business and economics in The Netherlands, July 7-Aug. 15.● Chinese language and culture, Aug. 15-31.● Intensive training in Spanish in Costa Rica, July 7-Aug. 8.● University of Cambridge Summer School studying history, political science,

English literature, architecture, natural science, the arts, and British culture, July 7-Aug. 1.

KVCC’s own want-ad networkThe Office of Human Resources has launched its version of a want-ad section on

its web page in an effort 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). And it’s already worked. A KVCC’er, for whom the employee-wellness program has obviously paid dividends, sold her treadmill shortly after posting the item.

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.

Take your pick for staying fitFree activities to promote wellness and fitness among faculty, staff and students

are under way during winter semester.All of the drop-in activities are held in Room 6040 that is part of the wellness-

and-fitness complex in the Student Commons. “Core Conditioning” sessions are held on Monday and Wednesday at 1 p.m., while the Friday session runs from 11 to noon.

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The Tuesday schedule, according to program manager Blake Glass, is yoga at 11 a.m. and Pilates at noon. Yoga is again in the spotlight on Thursday at 11 a.m.

He also reports that open swimming is available Monday through Friday from 11:45 a.m. to 1:45 p.m.

Arrangements are still in the works for some kind of a drop-in class at the Arcadia Commons Campus.

A “Healthy Weight for Life” class on "Hidden Sugar" is scheduled for Thursday (Jan. 31).

Glass, who can be contacted at extension 4177, said that personal training consultations and instruction are also available to all employees. To arrange an

appointment, contact Shelia Rupert at extension 4538. Crossing ‘Bridges’ to science careers

Instructors should begin to alert their minority students about taking advantage of an opportunity to sample careers in science this summer.

Seven KVCC students earned $11 an hour for a 30-hour work week as undergraduate research assistants last summer. They were part of a 13-student contingent taking part in the 2006-07 National Institutes of Health’s “Bridges to the Baccalaureate Program” through the Western Michigan University Department of Biological Sciences.

The program liaisons at KVCC are chemistry instructors Robert Sutton and Charissa Oliphant.

In addition to the 30 hours of experience that will pay $10 per hour this coming spring and summer, students can also be assigned up to 15 hours per week during the academic year. Applications can be submitted now for the next installment of the program. The deadline is April 30.

More application information and directions are available by contacting Sutton at extension 4175 or rsutton@kvcc.edu or Oliphant at extension 4402 or coliphant@kvcc.edu.

The mission of “Bridges” is to offer minorities enrolled in community colleges the opportunity to relevantly explore scientific fields, enhance their academic accomplishments in science courses, and smooth the path toward a degree in a science field at a four-year university.

Taking part in this kind of endeavor teaches higher-order thinking skills, which is an important component of anyone’s education.

“Bridges,” which promotes institutional collaborations between community colleges and four-year universities, is a function of the National Institute of General Medical Studies, one of the National Institutes of Health.

In addition to KVCC, taking part in the NIH Michigan Bridges to the Baccalaureate Program at WMU are Grand Rapids Community College, Henry Ford Community College, Kellogg Community College, and Lake Michigan College in Benton Harbor. The WMU experience focuses on careers as biomedical and behavioral scientists who would spend their working years seeking the causes of diabetes, cancer, heart disease, mental illness, and other biologically impacted maladies.

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“Bridges” seeks to nurture minority students to consider careers in these fields because of the growing need for trained scientists in one of the fastest-growing industries in the U. S. economy. Similar programs in Michigan are based at Wayne State University and the Van Andel Research Institute in Grand Rapids.

While KVCC has been involved several years, last summer’s contingent included: Jealyn Foston of Cassopolis; Ruben Galvan, an international student living in Kalamazoo; Martin and Carmen Kuchta, who were both home-schooled; Jerbor Nelson, a graduate of Portage Central High School; Delicia Powell, an alumna of Kalamazoo Central High School; and Matthew Watson, a Comstock High School graduate.

The other six students hailed from Grand Rapids, Henry Ford (four), and Lake Michigan. All participants wrapped up their assistantships by creating posters on the research they pursued.

Heading up the “Bridges” initiative at WMU is Gyula Ficsor, a native of Hungary who came to the United States in 1957 and went on to serve in the U. S. Army. Now an emeritus professor in the WMU Department of Biological Science, Ficsor came to WMU as a biology instructor in 1967. He has a bachelor’s in crop science from Colorado State University and a doctorate in genetics from the University of Missouri. His program assistant at WMU is Olivia Smith.

Feb. 13 forum focuses on smooth transfer to WMUTransferring to Western Michigan University as smoothly as possible is the thrust

of a Wednesday, Feb. 13, event being hosted by the Transfer Resource Center’s Focus Program.

From 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Student Commons on the Texas Township Campus, representatives from 13 WMU programs, divisions and units will be available to talk to students. Faculty members are asked to inform their students about this opportunity.

KVCC students interested in becoming a Western Bronco after completing work on their two-year degree here will be able to get information from the College of Arts and Science, the College of Aviation, the Haworth College of Business, the College of Education, the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the College of Fine Arts, the College of Health and Human Services, University Curriculum, the Lee Honors College, the Division of Multicultural Affairs, the Advocacy Office for Transfer Students and Military Affairs, the Office of Admissions, and the Office of Financial Aid.

“This is the perfect time to get the scoop on the how, what, when, where and why of the academic life of a Western Bronco,” says Bonita Bates, director of the Focus Program. She can be contacted at extension 4529. The forum is open to all students.

The Focus Program is a student-support initiative at KVCC in partnership with WMU. The objective is to increase the number of KVCC students who successfully complete an associate degree and then transfer to WMU to work on a four-year diploma in their field of study.

More details or information is also available by contacting Robyn Robinson at extension 4779.

For students who decide to transfer to WMU, on-site admission will be available at KVCC on Thursday, Feb. 28, from 9 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. in the Student Commons Forum.

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WMU staff will be at KVCC to review applications, report admissions status instantly, and talk about the prospects for financial aid.

It is preferred that students schedule appointments to talk with the WMU representatives.

Students can make appointments by visiting the Transfer Resource Center office in Room 1364 on the Texas Township Campus or by contacting Robinson at 488-4779 or

rrobinson@kvcc.edu. ‘Success,’ transfer workshops for students

All KVCC students are invited to take part in a series of winter-semester workshops geared to topics that can help assure them of success in their studies.

“What It Takes to Be Successful” sessions will be held in either the Student Commons’ Forum or Theater with the next one set for Tuesday, Feb. 12, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. in the Theater.

Among the topics to be covered are the dates and deadlines that are important to students in their pursuit of academic success.

Also covered will be a review of “best practices” involved with transferring to a four-year school, completing a program of study, and preparing for graduation.

One session will be devoted to employment opportunities and job skills.With all sessions slated for 1 to 2:30 p.m., here are the remaining dates:♦ Tuesday, March 11 – the Theater.♦ Wednesday, March 12 – the Theater♦ Tuesday, April 8 – the TheaterFor more information about this series, contact the Transfer Resource Center in

Room 1364 at extension 4779.A college-application workshop is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 19, from 12:30 to

2 p.m. in Room 4380 located off of the cafeteria on the Texas Township Campus. It is designed to help “demystify” the application process needed to be followed

in transferring to a four-year university. It will be repeated on Tuesday, March 18, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the same location.

The center is bringing Kristi Zimmerman of Davenport University to meet with students about possible transfer on Tuesday, Feb. 19, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the cafeteria. She will be back on campus on Tuesday, March 11, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the same location.

Cary Vajda of Northern Michigan University will visit on Wednesday, Feb. 27, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the cafeteria.

The Transfer Resource Center also organizes trips to the campuses of four-year colleges and universities.

Students must register for the trips because certain criteria must be met. The center’s telephone number is 488-4779.

Here’s the itinerary: Friday (Feb. 8) – Lawrence Tech University; Friday, Feb. 15, Wayne State

University; Friday, Feb. 22, Oakland University; Friday, Feb. 29, Kendall School of Design in Grand Rapids; Thursday, March 20, Grand Valley State University; Friday,

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March 21, Ferris State University; and Wednesday, March 26, Michigan State

University. Costa Rica deadline extended

Two part-time instructors will be leading a 14-day study-abroad adventure to Costa Rica next May under the auspices of the KVCC-based Midwest Institute for International and Intercultural Education.

Guided by Anthony Squiers and Stephen Shubert, the two-week excursion is set for May 10-23. The fee, based on the number of participants and airfare, will range between $2,100 and $2,300, and includes breakfasts and dinners.

Because of last-minute interest in the excursion, the deadline for enrolling has been extended to Feb. 15.

KVCC students enrolled in the college’s International Studies Program can earn two credits for the educational trip.

The two weeks of study will explore the Central American nation’s geography, history, flora, fauna, contemporary politics, literature and art. Learning modes will include field trips, lectures, walking tours, readings and group discussions. There are no language requirements, but participants will be schooled on the basics of Spanish.

Slamming Costa Rica as "just another banana republic" compares to classifying Kalamazoo as a culturally dead community. Yet it truly is a republic full of bananas, ranking No. 2 in the world behind Ecuador in the harvesting of that delectable yellow fruit (which is actually a herb).

Situated in the middle of the Central American isthmus, Costa Rica is a blend of rain and cloud forests, waterways, green-clad mountain ranges, pristine solitary beaches, rainbow-hued flora and fauna that would rival the mythical Garden of Eden, lava-spewing volcanoes, natural hot springs, an international preserve for sea turtles, and a climate (a mean temperature of 69) conducive to producing as much fresh fruit as one would ever want to eat.

A naturalist's paradise, it's the home of a spider whose web is so strong it can be used for fishing line. There are more varieties of plants in Costa Rica's nearly 20,000 square miles than in all of the United States that is east of the Mississippi River. There are more kinds of ferns than in all of North America. More than 6,000 species of flowering plants have been identified.

And it's rebellion-free, which is quite remarkable since troubled Nicaragua is to the north and the henchmen of Manuel Noriega once practiced their deeds in Panama to the south.

But there's more to know about this relatively little-known nation: Try these stats on for size:

♦ It's about the size of West Virginia with a multi-lingual population of 3.5 million.

♦ It's No. 3 in the world in the production of gourmet coffee with Juan Valdez directly in its sights. Beef and sugar cane (for making liquor) are also major crops.

♦ Gambling and prostitution are legal in this predominantly Catholic country.♦ There is no such animal as the Army of Costa Rica, which is Spanish for "Rich

Coast" and was so named by Christopher Columbus in 1502 when he spied gold-ladened

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"indigenous people." He proceeded to wipe them out via disease and sword in the name of queen, country, religion, and greed.

♦ On the way to being wiped out in the name of grazing lands for cattle and fields for sugar cane were the rain forests of Costa Rica. When the Spaniards arrived at the dawn of the 16th century, the country was one big rain forest. Today, 32 percent of Costa Rica is designated as national parks and preserves to retain that natural heritage.

♦ The democratic nation is run by four levels of government, a president who can only serve a single four-year term, and a pair of vice presidents. The nation's first governor was a teacher, not a power-hungry general.

♦ With no military budget to suck up financial resources ever since 1949 when a new constitution abolished the army, Costa Ricans spend their money on education and universal health care. Schooling has been free, mandatory, and bilingual since 1917. Uniforms are required so that kids are at the same level and can easily be spotted when skipping school. Costa Rica's literacy rate is 95 percent. The United States' is 87 percent.

♦ The system of socialized medicine emphasizes prevention. Life expectancy is the third highest on the planet -- 76 years. Americans rank fifth in that category.

♦ Fifty percent of the population is regarded as middle class, 30 percent are among the economic elite, and the balance are the "down-and-outers." Many of those in the latter class are recent arrivals. The United States is not the only "Land of Plenty" with an influx of illegal aliens, immigration woes and border problems.

♦ The cost of living is low. A week in the United States will buy you a month in Costa Rica. Because of that factor and the fact that the Costa Ricans are better educated than their peers in other Central American countries, many global companies are targeting it for manufacturing plants and operations. Government-subsidized trade schools add to the technological skills of the workforce.

♦ More than 95 percent of the population is served by plumbing, running water that is safe to drink, and electricity.

So what are the downsides? Well, there is a reason they are called "rain forests." On occasions, Costa Rica is like being in a giant shower. But the upside to that is the gorgeous tropical foliage that grows everywhere 365 days a year. Poinsettias sprout like weeds. The dry season is December through April.

Mount Aranal gurgles continuously, spitting molten rock down its sides while rocketing white-hot globules toward the heavens. With that kind of awesome-looking surface action, there has got to be something happening down in the depths. And there is -- earthquakes.

Of course, there is a crocodile or two (13-footers), the vermilion-colored dart frog so named because the warriors that Columbus antagonized used its poisonous venom on the end of their blow-gun projectiles, jaguars, and snakes -- 136 species, 18 of which pack lethal venom.

While one or two may be aggressive when it comes to human encounters, the vast majority of the deadly snakes are as scared of you as you are of them. That's why the chances are slim you will ever see one in the wild, even when touring the rain forests and other natural attractions.

Squiers, who can be contacted at 323-1433 or anthony.squiers@wmich.edu

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for more details about the trip, teaches both writing and courses in political science at KVCC and Southwestern Michigan College in Dowagiac. Shubert, frequent traveler to Latin America, teaches Spanish. Another source of information is this web site: www.CostaRica2008.org.

And finally. . . Did you know this? Otis Boykin invented more than 25 electronic devices used in computers

and guided missiles, including one of the key components in the first pacemakers for hearts. The 1941 graduate of Fisk University was part of the breakthrough work for radios, television sets and computers, and was inducted into the prestigious Chicago Physics Club.

When bicycle racing was a highly popular sport in the United States a century ago, the champion was known as “The Black Cyclone.” Marshall “Major” Taylor was the first African-American to win a national title in any sport in 1898.

Dr. Benjamin S. Carson, a pioneer in surgical techniques for the brain, is best known for leading the first team that successfully separated Siamese twins who had been born joined at the head. Born and raised in a poor family in Detroit, he performed the medical feat in 1984. He is an alumnus of the University of Michigan Medical School.

Susie King Taylor was the first black nurse in the Army and served African-American troops during the Civil War. Born a slave in Georgia, she escaped captivity and followed relatives to the 33rd U. S. Colored Infantry. She later wrote an autobiography about her experiences, the only account of its kind by a black woman.

Walter S. McAfee is the African-American mathematician and physicist who first calculated the speed of the moon as he took part in the Army’s Project Diana in the 1940s.

Frederick McKinley Jones devised a method to refrigerate trucks and allow the safe transport of perishable food such as meat, fruits, vegetables and dairy products. Born in Cincinnati in 1893, he was a self-taught auto mechanic who went on to master electronics and the science of refrigeration. His portable systems were used throughout World War II to keep medicine and blood at the right temperature for use on battlefields and in military hospitals.

Alexander Lucius Twilight in 1823 received a bachelor’s from Middlebury College, making him the first in his race to graduate from college in the United States. He went on to a career as a school principal and Presbyterian minister. By the time slaves in America were freed in 1865, only 28 blacks had college degrees.

Rita Dove was the first African-American and the youngest person designated as the poet laureate of the United States, making her the official spokeswoman for this art form in the country.

J. Raymond Jones became known as “The Harlem Fox” for his political shrewdness in that part of New York City. Among those who were schooled in

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his approach to government were former New York Mayor David Dinkins and Congressman Charles Rangel.

African-American artist Romare Bearden, who moved from North Carolina to Harlem to pursue a career as an artist, was one of the first to express his perspectives on life through what is called collage.

☻☻☻☻☻☻

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