winter 2011 week 3

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THE INDEX THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF KALAMAZOO COLLEGE January 19, 2011 Third Week Established 1877 News Kalamazoo’s bookstore suffers next to online sales and the mail room is bogged down, too. Features The Arcus Center presents another set of social justice speakers and events for the week to come. Features Sophomores finish study abroad ap- plications and discuss the factors that influence their first-choices. Sports Basketball and Swimming teams cel- ebrate successful games and meets. PAGE 4 PAGE 5 PAGE 8 PAGE 3 On Sunday, the group sang at a presentation in Battle Creek and on Monday they participated in a convocation ceremony at K. “It’s cool that we [got] to sing these uplifting songs in different places with different communities during MLK weekend,” Julia Smucker K’13, a member of the choir, said. K’s convocation ceremony was part of a series of events held on the campus in recognition of the holiday. The choir performed two uplifting songs, one declaring that “the storm is passing over” and another beginning “Why should I feel discouraged?” This was the second time that the choir performed at the convocation event, and it may become a yearly tradition. The choir first performed last year; this year Karen Joshua- Wathel, Associate Dean of Students, asked them to be a part of the ceremony again. Director Myron Cobbs said that although gospel music does not have a direct connection to Martin Luther King, Jr., “the message of love [contained in the music] is the same message that MLK spread.” “I feel strongly,” he said, “about the message of gospel period, and that would be the connection: charity, love and God in gospel and in MLK, Jr.” Cobbs said he hopes that each gospel performance will bring people together in the spirit of love, something relevant to the celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life. “If you get people to actually understand the components of love, which is charity, which is doing unto others as you would have them do unto you, then the dream is fulfilled,” he said. The event gave students, faculty and the community an opportunity to reflect on the reason for their day off from work. Although Smucker admitted she would spend much of the day doing homework, she “really appreciates how K College has all these opportunities to be as involved in the day as you want to be.” “It’s nice to go to the reflection things because then you actually think about why you’re taking this time off and reflect instead of just using it to catch up on work,” Smucker said. Gospel Choir Honors MLK Jr. The Kalamazoo College gospel choir participated in several events held last weekend in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. BY MAGGIE KANE Head Copy Editor After five hours of proceedings before a hearing room packed with community members, former professors, K student athletes and college employees the Kalamazoo Zoning Board of Appeals denied K College’s bid to renovate Angell Stadium Thursday. Out of six board members, three voted yes, two no, and one abstained out of a conflict of interest. K’s appeal to the Zoning Board was necessary because the new Kalamazoo Zoning Ordinance of 2005 reclassified K’s campus as a type of residential zone in which it is not permitted to build new college structures or even renovate old ones, according to a narrative document created by the College Communications Department and presented to the Zoning Board. Spectator sports are allowed on K’s campus because Angell Field preceded the new zoning laws, but the complex cannot be renovated without completing Zoning Board Denies Angell Field Appeal, Next Steps Undetermined BY IAN FLANAGAN Copy Editor See ANGELL Page 3 Angell Field’s opening day: Homecoming, Oct. 19, 1946 Photo/Courtesy of Communications The Gospel choir performed in Stetson Chapel Monday. Photo/Kelsey Nuttall K’13 The speakers at Monday’s convocation ceremony stop for a photo with the President.

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The Winter 2011 Week 3 issue of The Index, Kalamazoo College's student newspaper.

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Winter 2011 Week 3

The IndexThe STudenT newSpaper of Kalamazoo College

January 19, 2011Third Week

Established 1877

News

Kalamazoo’s bookstore suffers next to online sales and the mail room is bogged down, too.

Features

The Arcus Center presents another set of social justice speakers and events for the week to come.

Features

Sophomores finish study abroad ap-plications and discuss the factors that influence their first-choices.

Sports

Basketball and Swimming teams cel-ebrate successful games and meets.

Page 4 Page 5 Page 8Page 3

On Sunday, the group sang at a presentation in Battle Creek and on Monday they participated in a convocation ceremony at K. “It’s cool that we [got] to sing these uplifting songs in different places with different communities during MLK weekend,” Julia Smucker K’13, a member of the choir, said.

K’s convocation ceremony was part of a series of events held on the campus in recognition of the holiday. The choir performed two uplifting songs, one declaring that “the storm is passing over” and another beginning “Why should I feel discouraged?”

This was the second time that the choir performed at the convocation event, and it may become a yearly tradition. The choir first performed last year; this year Karen Joshua-Wathel, Associate Dean of Students, asked them to be a part of the ceremony again.

Director Myron Cobbs said that although gospel music does not have a direct connection to Martin Luther King, Jr., “the message of love

[contained in the music] is the same message that MLK spread.” “I feel strongly,” he said, “about the message of gospel period, and that would be the connection: charity, love and God in gospel and in MLK, Jr.”

Cobbs said he hopes that each gospel performance will bring people together in the spirit of love, something relevant to the celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life. “If you get people to actually understand the components of love, which is charity, which is doing unto others as you would have them do unto you, then the dream is fulfilled,” he said.

The event gave students, faculty and the community an opportunity to reflect on the reason for their day off from work. Although Smucker admitted she would spend much of the day doing homework, she “really appreciates how K College has all these opportunities to be as involved in the day as you want to be.”

“It’s nice to go to the reflection things because then you actually think about why you’re taking this time off and reflect instead of just using it to catch up on work,” Smucker said.

Gospel Choir Honors MLK Jr.The Kalamazoo College gospel choir participated in several events held last weekend in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. By Maggie Kane

Head Copy Editor

After five hours of proceedings before a hearing room packed with community members, former professors, K student athletes and college employees the Kalamazoo Zoning Board of Appeals denied K College’s bid to renovate Angell Stadium Thursday.

Out of six board members, three voted yes, two no, and one abstained out of a conflict of interest.

K’s appeal to the Zoning Board was necessary because the new Kalamazoo Zoning Ordinance of 2005 reclassified K’s campus as a type of residential zone in which it is not permitted to build new college structures or even

renovate old ones, according to a narrative document created by the College Communications Department and presented to the Zoning Board.

Spectator sports are allowed on K’s campus because Angell Field preceded the new zoning laws, but the complex cannot be renovated without completing

Zoning Board Denies Angell Field Appeal, Next Steps UndeterminedBy ian Flanagan

Copy Editor

See ANGELL Page 3Angell Field’s opening day: Homecoming, Oct. 19, 1946

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The Gospel choir performed in Stetson Chapel Monday.

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The speakers at Monday’s convocation ceremony stop for a photo with the President.

Page 2: Winter 2011 Week 3

The Index, January 19, 2010 2

The Index

Executive Editor | Kelsey NuttallLayout Editor | Hannah DalyCopy Editor | Maggie KaneAssistant Copy Editors | Ian Flanagan & Kaitlyn SteffenhagenNews Editor | Patrick GaileyFeatures Editor | Emily GuzmanOpinions Editor | Jordan RickardSports Editor | Jackson VaughnWeb Editors | Matthew Muñoz & Anya KhongthavornpipatMedia Manager | Bridgett CollingMarketing Manager | Brittany Worthington

The Index encourages reader response in the form of letters to the editor. The Index reserves the right to edit for clarity, length, grammar and libel. Also reserved is the right to not print letters to the editor or to print them in their entirety. Signed letters are preferred, but unsigned letters dealing with sensitive issues will be accepted and printed at the discretion of the Editorial Board.

Letters should be submitted via e-mail by midnight on the Sunday before the issue in which they are to appear. Please contact The Index with any further issues, comments or inquiries. Please keep letters under 300 words.

The Index makes no endorsement of the points of view and opinions expressed in articles or letters appearing within its pages. All opinions are the work of the authors.

If you’re interested in submitting to the Index or would like to join our

staff, please contact us at:

1200 Academy StreetKalamazoo, Michigan 49006

[email protected]

On the Quad

To the staff of the Index:

Hi. My name is Buzz. I’m your college mascot.

You’ve probably seen me around, giving hugs and high fives, spreading Hornet Pride amongst the Kalamazoo community, and, you know; being awesome.

At least I think I’m awesome. I know that humility is not my strong point (it isn’t for most mascots), but I’m always one for self-evaluation, so I’m working on that.

That said, I have to say that I’m a bit put out over your re-named satirical publication.

I’m all for change. In fact, those who have been here long enough might remember a few years ago when I underwent a revision of my own public image. (I didn’t have wings. Hard to represent oneself as a hornet when you’re missing one of the key defining characteristics you know.) So hearing that you proposed to rename The Windex

seemed like a great idea to me. Until I read that new name.

The… The BUZZ KILL? I gotta be honest: I’m a little uncomfortable here. What did I ever do to you? Did I fail to pass out a Hornet or GO ZOO temporary tattoo to you all? I have extras. I can give you one. Shoot, you can have five of ‘em. Each.

How do you plan to do it, Index? A fly swatter? A can of Raid? A magnifying glass? Slowly pulling off my wings one at a time like a tormented and unstable five-year old/ merchant of death (Please no. Seriously, I JUST got those.)? And how boastful, to throw it right out in the public eye like that: Buzz Kill. Yeah, we’re the Index, we did that. We even named our paper

after our dirty deed. At least the investigation to my demise will be pretty quick and easy. You might want to book your tickets to Mexico now if you actually want to get away with it.

Just in case that wasn’t your intent… I thought I might offer up some other mascot friendly options for your perusal. To make it very clear: I have no ill will toward you and whatever rolled up back-issue of the Index you’re holding in your hand. Assuming you don’t use it to squash me. No pressure to use these, just suggestions:

The Buzz Feed: Feed is like food. I like food. Hey, have you ever had a gyro, Index staff? They’re awesome.

The Buzz Word: Get it? Huh? ‘Cause the student paper is chock-FULL of words. Well, I thought it was cute anyway.

Buzzworthy News: I think this is my favorite. Because only the best news is really worthy of me, and this makes it pretty clear. Hmm…maybe humility and I were just never meant to be friends.

The Buzzette: You know. Like gazette, but with Buzz instead. It’s very clever if I do say so myself.

So there you have it. Submitted for your approval, Index Staff. Because all a mascot ever really wants is to be loved.

And to keep my wings.And for someone to feed me a

gyro.

Respectfully hoping for a little Hornet Pride,

Buzz Hornet Official Kalamazoo College

[email protected]

A Letter to the Editor from a Disgruntled Hornet

Page 3: Winter 2011 Week 3

an elaborate reclassification process which could take up to two years, said Jeff Palmer of College Communications. However, the college intended to begin the project May 1, according to the Communication Department’s narrative, which led to K’s request to the board for a zoning-law exception.

K College student athletes from several sports were present at the hearing. Football player Nick Jones K’12 said he and some of his teammates came “to show support for the athletic complex,” which, in its current state, is “not comparable to any other school.”

Baseball player Mike McCann K’12 said that new athletic fields would bring more student athletes to K “absolutely, no question.”

Soccer player Chelsea Smith K’11 said that she “hadn’t even been to a high school field that’s worse [than Angell Field] when I was playing in high school.” The renovation would be “absolutely worth it,” she said.

Twenty-four community members—including K alumni and retired professors—came to testify in opposition to the college’s appeal during the hearing’s public comment section. Several spoke to the confusing nature of the zoning process in this case.

President of the Oakland Dr. Neighborhood Association Paul Daniels said that his organization has had little time to respond to recent changes in the college’s zoning appeal.“The process is working to the detriment of the community,” said retired K

College ANSO professor Kim Cummings in reference to the confusion surrounding zoning laws and the fact that the hearing was held late on a weeknight.

Most community members who gave comment spoke in opposition to stadium lighting and night events at Angell Field in spite of assurances by the college’s consulting lighting engineer Don White that several engineering precautions would be taken to prevent light glare into the neighborhood and assurances by Paul Manstrom, K’s Vice President for Facilities Management, that at first only the soccer stadium would have lighting with a possible expansion to the football stadium later on.

Community member Jane Maddox worried about night traffic and noise in a quiet family

neighborhood and Scott Usinger said night games would make it more difficult for his three young children to fall asleep at night; however, K’s Director of Athletics Kristen Smith confirmed that night events would end by 10 p.m., with lights turned off and participants gone by 10:30 p.m.

Another local resident Robert Dunbar argued that expanding the athletic complex would overwhelm the parking in the neighborhood, although Smith confirmed that a renovated Angell Field would have 136 parking spaces, 69 of them new. Many community members brought up the specter of depreciating home values because of proximity to a lit stadium, but none presented studies or appraisal data to support their point of view.

Board member Karen Wellman

gave lighting issues as her primary reason for voting no to the appeal, but board members Charles Martel and Doris Jackson were more concerned about procedure. “I think this is a wonderful project,” said Jackson, “but this is not the right venue;” suggesting that the college take the longer route of approval for Angell Field through the Kalamazoo Planning Commission rather than seeking an exception to the rules through the appeals board.

After the vote was taken, Jim Van Sweden, the Director of College Communications, said that the college would pursue a different venue for the proposal after consulting with city officials. “The project is too important to quit,” he said. As of Monday, the college’s next plan of attack had not been determined.

3The Index, January 19, 2010 On the Quad news

Continued from page 1

Angell: Van Sweden Calls Fields Project “Too Important to Quit”

Kalamazoo College students have recently faced printing problems in Upjohn library. Complaints include multiple copies of documents printing, which eats up students’ print credits, as well as computers not syncing up with the printers.

Maeve Dixon K’13 discussed her trouble with the printers in the library. “I was trying to print something for class but I noticed the printer wasn’t listed. I had to add the printer and eventually I figured it out, but it was very round-about and confusing,” she said. “I thought it was an isolated incident. I didn’t realize it was happening to other people too.”

Associate Provost for Information Services Greg Diment commented on the situation, which this article brought to his attention. “We think we have the problem fixed,” Diment said.

The underlying problem had to do with software that was not up-to-date and was not compatible with Windows 7. The solution was being tested on the second floor computers and if that goes the computers on the first floor will undergo the same maintenance.

As for the multiple printer copies, the problem was fixed last Monday after it was discovered that someone had changed the control panel on the computers. For those students who faced the problem of multiple copies and therefore saw their print credits diminished, Diment said that the library should be willing to credit back those lost prints; these students should visit the circulation desk in the front of the library for help.

By Brittany Worthington

Marketing Manager

Library Printers Become Problematic

Photos/Nicole Allman K’13

Page 4: Winter 2011 Week 3

The Index, January 19, 2011 4 Features

This is a question three feminist activists based in anti-racist, cross-class, indigenous, disability rights, and LGBT liberation movements take on together at an upcoming leadership talk presented by the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership in the Hicks Banquet Hall on Monday, January 24 at 12 p.m.

Long-time collaborators Coya Artichoker, Susan Raffo and Lisa Weiner-Mahfuz come to campus on the heels of their work at Grand Valley State University’s “Change U” pilot project, which aims to strengthen social justice movements by fostering cross-issue, inter-generational, and diverse partnerships between the GVSU community and social justice efforts throughout the area. In keeping with a series of leadership talks presented by the Arcus Center during fall quarter, the luncheon discussion will consider the significance of collaborators in maintaining a long-term commitment to social change work, and in fueling more expansive visions and strategies for justice.

The three leaders will also offer an evening presentation at 7 p.m. in the Olmsted Room that they have developed together over time, entitled: Liberation is Only Possible. Their talk, which intertwines their perspectives in a kind of chorus, is based on the premise that only by uncovering the truths of our individual and collective stories, and facing aspects of our histories as both dominators and liberators, can we begin to chart a course toward integrity, wholeness and community. Their focus on the relationship between the liberation of the body and the land offers a vantage point from which to consider and connect social justice struggles.

Artichoker has been a leading national voice in LGBT and indigenous sovereignty movements for over a decade. Raffo is a body worker and advocate for healing justice who has written extensively on class and white supremacy. Weiner-Mahfuz is a Jewish and Palestinian activist who has worked at the national level in feminist and LGBT liberation organizations. All three women are widely known as big-hearted thinkers with a talent for collaboration. The Arcus Center is delighted to bring them to K to help deepen our understanding and practice of social justice leadership.

Both events are free and open to the public. Please e-mail Andrew Tyner ([email protected]) if you would like to attend the luncheon.

Does Friendship Matter in Social Justice Work?

By JaMie grant

Contributor

Coya Artichoker

Lisa Weiner-Mahfuz

Susan Raffo

In the last few days, much of what I have heard has been about hope. The quotation from Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that focused our celebration of his life was about hope: “If you lose

hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps life moving.”

President Obama’s address at the memorial service for the Arizona victims seems to have elicited feelings of hopefulness for the U.S., particularly for an increase of civility between political parties and a sense of working together.

The verb “to hope” is defined as the ability to look forward with desire and reasonable confidence. I really like that definition, especially the focus on knowing our desires and being reasonable in our expectations. Psychologists who study hope note that it involves both a sense of agency (one’s belief that goals can be achieved) and pathways (the confidence that we can generate successful ways to reach our goals).

At K College, there is much to be hopeful for and about. First years hope that their adjustment to college life will go well. Sophomores hope that they will find majors that fit and study away experiences that cause them to grow. Juniors hope that study away lasts forever. Seniors hope that their next step, away from K, will be a positive one.

There are also times at K when hope is difficult to hold on to – when our grades do not reflect our effort, when we realize that a long-desired field is not for us, when our first major romantic relationship ends, when we have trouble feeling that we belong. It is at those times that hope is most important and, generally, most elusive. One of the wonders of being a counselor—and of being a good friend—is being able to hold hope for those for whom we care when they cannot. Hope helps us go on and it helps us help others to hang on. It provides us vitality and resilience. Hope is very powerful.

Counseling Corner: Kalamazoo College and Abundant Power of HopeBy dr. Pat POntO

Contributor

Dr. Pat Ponto claps with the gospel choir at its hope-themed event.

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Page 5: Winter 2011 Week 3

As winter quarter begins to pick up speed, many sophomores are submitting their applications to the Center for International Programs, hoping to get into the study abroad program of their choice. But where does one start in this process, especially when many sophomores are still deciding on a major? Even for those students who do know what they want to major in, it is sometimes difficult to find a program that is completely focused on their area of study.

“I’m a political science major, but because there are no programs specifically geared towards it I ended up applying to a program that focused on my minor,” said Samantha Keene K’13. “I was rather lucky in that my minor, which is classics, coincidentally happened to be the focus of the Greece program,” she said, to which she has applied. However this program, like several others, gives priority to Classics majors and minors, and with only five spots available it will probably be difficult for anyone outside this field to get in.

Because of this, many students feel that their selection

options are in some ways already narrowed down for them before they have even begun to look at the various programs the CIP offers. Language also factors into the decision making process. While students who have taken Spanish have a fairly wide variety of programs in several different countries to choose from, students who have taken other languages have a more limited choice of countries and programs from which to choose.

Furthermore, for students who want to go to an English-speaking program, the choices can be limiting here as well. “I would have actually preferred to attend an English speaking program, however almost all of these programs either require that you have declared a particular major, or that you pay additional out of pocket expenses,” said Keene.

Still, many K students don’t feel like these parameters take away too much from the study abroad experience. Anna Witte K’12, who is studying abroad in Thailand, said that when determining which program to pursue the main

factors for her were “my major and the program,” rather than location or language. With this method, she was still able to get into her first choice program. When asked if she felt limited in any way during the selection process, she said

“My second choice was Ecuador and I didn’t take enough Spanish, but luckily I had started looking into what program I wanted to go on when I was a freshman and if I had decided Ecuador was my first choice I would have had plenty of time to fulfill the requirements, so no, I didn’t feel limited.”

As a first-year, Grant Abrams also feels confident looking forward to his study abroad experience.

“My plan is to essentially to take courses that interest me now and apply to the programs available to me when the time comes,” he said. “K has a nationally-recognized study abroad program; I have a hard time seeing how one could go wrong.”

The Index, January 19, 2011 5Features Features

‘K has a nationally-recognized study abroad program; I have a hard time seeing how one

could go wrong. Grant Abrams, K’14

There is a rumor going around that people in Michigan have a Vitamin D deficiency. Whether this is because there is no sunshine, or because people are less inclined to go outside in the first place, everyone can agree that Michigan winters are dark and miserable causing students to stay cooped up indoors.

However, the steady supply of snow could be the way that K college students beat the winter blues. Snow is what distinguishes cold and ugly winters in much of the northern hemisphere, from the cold and decorated winters that come here to Kalamazoo . Snow is something people in Michigan seem to take for granted, something that comes and goes like rain. People live in it like there is

nothing wrong, driving and walking through it as if it were just any other day.

Not only does the snow mix things up aesthetically, it is an outlet for outdoor fun for people who are not usually inclined to venture outside. Here at K College, sledding seems to be the winter equivalent of Frisbee, especially because the best place to make it happen is on the quad.

Hagop Mouradian K’14, frequently sleds through the recent snowfall. “Sledding fosters a sense of camaraderie through the winter months,” he said.

Although many students decided to incorporate sledding in to their winter recreational activities, an equally significant population has not. Whether it is because they hold high standards for what is considered “good sledding”, and

doubt that any hill found at K could possibly fulfill such standards, or because they are not adventurous enough, sledding here is something everyone should take the time to try.

An experienced first-year out on the quad’s hill is Maddy Shaw K’14, shared her perspective about why winter is such an undesirable time of year.

“All the hype at K is about how the winter quarter is so terrible,” she said. “Winter is so much more bearable when you go outside and do things and enjoy the winter instead of just hate it. Sledding is really fun in that way because it gives you

something to do outside.”

So, the moral of the story here seems to be that winter in the snow is what you make it. We bring the misery upon ourselves when really Mother Nature is begging for us to come out and play.

Sophomores Submit Applications to Study AbroadBy JacoB Berenson

Contributor

On the Quad: ‘Slip Sledding Away’

Left to right: Sally Harrison, Ágúst Aðalsteinn Ólafsson, Shebly Newsom, Anna Eshuis, Charlotte Steele, Brianna Melgar, hagop Mouradian and Marissa Dawson enjoy the sledding on the quad.

Photo/Emily Guzman K’13

By charlotte steele

Contributor

During the frigid winter months, some students find solace in sledding down the Quad.

Page 6: Winter 2011 Week 3

The Index, January 19, 2011 6 news

Every quarter Student Commission is reshuffled, allowing new and returning faces to mingle at meetings. The

winter quarter Student Commission elections occurred first week.

This quarter, the election results were as follows:

Leah Rumsey, Senior Commissioner; Lindsey Wilson and Jehangir Jamali, Junior Commissioners; Samantha Wolfe, Bianca Rasho, Aldo Macias, and Daniel Silverman, Sophomore Commissioners; Colin Lennox, Aaron Smith, Darrin Camilleri, and Tendai Mudyiwa, First-Year Commissioners.

Mudyiwa returned for a second term with 200 votes, more than any other candidate accrued. When asked why he had run a second time, Mudyiwa spoke to the social aspect of student government. “I’ve always wanted to be someone who is active on campus ... I enjoy interacting with people.”

Last term Mudyiwa served on several subcommittees, meeting with faculty and Dean of Students Sarah Westfall, and even played a small role on the team that worked with the College’s administration to push forward changes to next year’s academic calendar.

Mudyiwa works with student input and hopes next quarter for a successful analysis of quality of life in the residence halls.

In addition, he mentioned a desire to go even further in finding out what the student body really thinks and wants. If people do not voice their opinions, then “there is no point,” he said. “I really want to hear students’ perspectives.”

New StuComm Member Elected, Week Three Update

By Fiona carey

Contributor

Jory Horner, a potential candidate to head the LandSea program, gave a presentation on the importance of wilderness-based orientation programs before a group of students and faculty on Wednesday.

Horner is the first of two potential candidates to give a presentation before the campus community about the program and its importance, according to LandSea Coordinator Ty Manegold.

The talk, entitled “The Value of Wilderness Orientation Programs to Higher Education,” concentrated on the positive correlation between students who took part in a LandSea-like program and success in college, according to Manegold.

“It was a presentation on the study,” said Alex Gravley K’13, a former LandSea participant and leader. “I would be interested to see if the second candidate has these same sort of values—how they’re the same or different,” she said.

The candidates went through a lengthy application process beginning with an application deadline on Oct. 31, 2010, according to Manegold. A selection committee then reduced the number of candidates before conducting phone interviews in December and on-campus interviews in January.

“I think the directorship is an influential position in an influential program,” said Gravley. “There’s a lot of potential for positive change and I want to be a part of that.”

Anthony “Tony” Stafford, the second candidate for the

position, is scheduled to give his presentation entitled “Inspiration: The LandSea Program” on Thursday, Jan.

20 at 1 p.m. in the Olmsted Room. It is a public event open to all members of the K College community interested in attending.

By Matt Muños

Web Editor

LandSea Director Candidates Pitch Appeals

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A patrol from last year’s LandSea program poses at a scenic view

Page 7: Winter 2011 Week 3

The Index, January 19, 2011 7Features

Book orders from online have overwhelmed the Mail and Copy Center and exposed declining sales at the college’s bookstore.

“This was the worst quarter,” Mail Center Coordinator Carol Cowper said. “There’s a very big increase—and it’s still going on.” Cowper said that the numbers of packages flooding the mail room have been higher than she has seen in her 30 years working at K.

Bookstore director Debbie Thompson was also appointed supervisor of the Mail Center, and has seen the affects of lost business both at the bookstore and in the mail room as a result. “I see more than I want to,” she said. “I kind of just cringe and walk away.” Yesterday alone they received more than 100 packages, according to Thompson.

Thompson said that the decline in bookstore sales had been a trend for the past four or five quarters. She would not share numbers reflecting the decline, but said, “It’s tough. We’re having to work harder for

less. The business is changing.”The Mail Center, now open until

seven on weeknights, has a new payroll allowance to accommodate the later hours. The 40-hour cap that Cowper adhered to last quarter has changed to a 50-hour one. Still, she said that they are not coping with the overload.

“You can look over there and see [the bookstore’s] student workers reading or just talking and we’re consistently busy,” she said. Cowper said that at times the distribution of work-study employees has left the Mail Center significantly short and that they have had four workers next to the bookstore’s 10.

Part of the problem is that if students are not going to the bookstore for books, other sales also suffer. “Pretty much every other product is down too,” Thompson said.

Though she maintained that the under-whelming sales were frustrating, Thompson said she understands students’ desire for

expense breaks. She is looking at alternatives for the store. In the f a l l

the bookstore began offering a small selection of electronic titles. Thompson said that last quarter they sold only four of these jump books and this quarter they have sold two.

Last week Thompson signed the agreement to move forward with a textbook rental system, though she does not know many of the specifics about the program yet. “—and I’ve got an 84-page manual to read,” she said.

President of Student Commission Alex Morgan K’11 thinks the alternatives will help. “I think people will try those things—I don’t know if they’ll like them, but I think there will be a certain segment of the population that will try it,” he said. “—and maybe it will catch on. Who knows? I have a Kindle.”

Student Josh Oh K’14 confessed that he buys

or rents his books from chegg.com. “It’s getting pretty

big,” he said. While Oh said he feels kind of bad for not buying at K’s bookstore, he said that the discounts attract him to other venues.

Another student, Laurel Wiinikka-Buesser K’14, said, “It’s not how much

you pay for the book but how much you get when you return them.”

Oh and Wiinikka-Buesser suggested that the bookstore could carry items such as toiletries that they currently venture off campus to find. They also said that charging less for items like pencils would draw them back to the store.

“It’s not like [people] have a personal vendetta against the bookstore,” Oh said.

Buying Books Online Ships in Bookstore, Mail Room Backlash

By Kelsey nuttall

Executive Editor

It’s tough. We’re having to work harder for less. The business is changing.

Debbie Thompson

Bookstore Director

‘I think people will try those things—I don’t know if they’ll like them, but I think there’s a certain segment of the population that will try it. Alex Morgan, K’11

President of StuComm

New trends in student textbook buying leads to bogged-down mail center, electronic book alternatives at the book store and a new rental system for next quarter

BELOW: Monday’s package pile-up in the Mail and Copy Center reaches new heights.

Photo by Matt Muñoz, K’14

Page 8: Winter 2011 Week 3

The Kalamazoo men’s basketball team found their groove, showing it on the court last Wednesday in their

99 – 83 victory over Trine University.“We had a really tough time finding

our MO earlier in the season,” said Joe Prepolec K’12. “But once we did, it all just fell into place.”

Kalamazoo led for 39 minutes and 45 seconds of the game. Halfway through the first half, Kalamazoo led Trine by 15 before they cut the lead down to 11. The team pulled away before a bit of rough play by senior Trine player Randall Harris, who he near tackled Mark Gharfari K’14.

Ghafari sank both free throws before Kalamazoo went into halftime with a 54 – 35 lead. During the next half, Kalamazoo came out even stronger, leading 64 – 39 at one point. The Hornets finished just shy of triple digits, racking up 99 points to the Thunder’s 83.

The Hornets had a season-best 63 shooting percentage compared to Trine’s 45.5. Prepolec had a spectacular game, racking up 21 points in the first half alone and another four in the second, finishing off with a dunk that brought the crowd to their feet. He also had four blocks.

Ryan Clark K’11 added another 24 points and Eric Fishman K’13 added 20. Ghafari had a team-high seven assists,

topped off by a behind-the-head pass on a fast break to Prepolec for two points.

The Hornets played and won on Saturday against Alma, and are in action again on Wednesday at home against Albion. The men are now 6 – 9 (3 – 1 in the MIAA) with these two wins, and are on a three game win-streak.

The Index, January 19, 2011 8sPOrts

Sports Sidelines

Men’s, Women’s Swim Teams Dominate Holland Meet

RIGHT: Ryan Clark K’11 takes a shot from the three-point line at last Wednesday’s game verses Trine University. BELOW: Joe Prepolec K’12 makes a dunk that brought the stands to their feet.

Both photos courtesy of the Kalamazoo College Men’s Basketball Team Pictures.

The men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams experienced success Saturday, January 15 at the Holland Quad Meet hosted by Hope College.

Defeating opponents from Hope, Wheaton, and Lake Forest colleges, the men’s team won the quad meet with a team score of 660.5. The women took third in the meet, finishing with a combined score of 458.

Craig Fleming K’11 contributed to the first place finish, winning both the 100 and 200 freestyle events. Chris Manning

K’12 also recorded two wins for the team by placing first in 200 IM and the 200 breaststroke. Molly DeWald K’14 won the 200 breaststroke in the meet.

The men’s team has dominated in conference meets with an overall record of 6-1, taking second at the Calvin Winter Invitational. After the weekend quad meet, the women’s team holds a 4-3 overall record in the MIAA with a third place finish in the Calvin Invitational. Fleming and DeWald, both earned the honors of NCAA Division III National Swimmers of the Week this week.

On Saturday, January 22 the Hornets return to conference meets and both teams will compete at Calvin.

By Megan Martinez Contributor

Wednesday, January 12th

Women’s Basketball vs. OlivetHornets: 49 Comets: 61With six ties and two lead changes in the first half, too many turnovers led to the Hornets’ loss, though they led in rebounds and shooting percentage. Carly Zeitlin K’12 scored 13 points, going 6 – 9 on shots.

Saturday, January 15th

Women’s Basketball vs. AlbionHornets: 57 Brits: 71Kalamazoo was only down by six going into halftime and was tied at 48 with 11:29 left in the second half. The difference came in fouls and free throws with Albion scoring 21 – 24 to the Hornets 7 – 9. Michelle Mairui K’11 led the team with 16 points and four steals.

Men’s Basketball vs. AlmaHornets: 79 Scots: 63

The Hornets had some back-and-forth with the Scots early in the game but at the half led 38 – 31. They did not lead by less than five for the rest of the game. Joe Prepolec K’12 had 12 points despite fouling out about halfway through the second. The Hornet bench stepped up with Harold Hermanson K’11 adding 12 and Alex Lapka K’11 another four. Ryan Clark K’11 was named MIAA Player of the Week scoring 44 points and snagging 14 rebounds in the last two games.

Men’s Basketball Rumbles Right Past the ThunderBy Jackson VaughnSports Editor