The Digest
What’s Happening at KVCC
What’s below in this edition
No smokes! (Pages 1/2)Financial aid (Pages 9/10)
‘Liberty on Border’ (Pages 2/3) Gemini in concert (Page 10)
The ‘60s (Page 3)Medicaid basics (Pages 10/11)
Faddish diets (Pages 3/4)A ‘Bogey’ beaut (Page 11)
Poetry at museum (Page 4) ‘Brother’ events (Pages 11/12)
Employment Expo (Pages 4/5) The Roman Empire (Page 12)
‘Civil War Women’ (Pages 5-7)‘Color of White’ (Pages 12/13)
New-media seminars (Page 7)Cager fund-raiser (Pages 13/14)
‘Nowhere Man’ (Pages 7/8)‘Dress for Success’ (Page 14)
Executive training (Pages 8/9) The Michigan 19th (Pages 14/15)
Diversity gathering (Page 9)Safety tip (Page 15)
And finally (Pages 15/16)
☻☻☻☻☻☻
Weeding ‘weeds’ from your life
Now is the time for smoking KVCC employees and their spouses to take the fire sticks out of their grills for good.
The college’s Employee Wellness Program has added a smoking-cessation initiative to its roster of services. As it does the health-risk screenings and appraisals, Holtyn & Associates has been retained by KVCC to coordinate this component.
The college will pay the $120 cost for each full-time employee or spouse. There is one caveat, however. This is a one-time-only opportunity – meaning that you better be ready to quit because there will be no second chance.
“Research literature indicates that the greatest success comes with persons who are committed to quitting,” said Jim Turcott in announcing the program.
Those interested should contact Linda Howard of Holtyn & Associates at 324-2393 or .
“If you are at the ‘just-thinking-about-quitting’ stage,” Turcott said, “it is recommended that you do not start the program until you are committed to quitting. Also, when Linda returns to do the next round of wellness health screenings in March, she will be happy to talk to individuals who may be interested in the smoking-cessation program.”
For more information, contact Turcott at extension 4113.
Black History Month: exhibit, gospel music
A tour of the Kalamazoo Valley Museum’s Civil War exhibit, complete with re-enactors portraying members of Michigan’s black regiment, and an evening of gospel music are next in the college’s series of events celebrating Black History Month.
The Arcadia Commons Campus Diversity Committee has arranged for a tour of “Liberty on the Border” at 1 p.m. on Friday (Feb. 18). That will be followed at 2 p.m. by dialogues and exchanges with re-enactors portraying Civil War enlistees in the 1st Michigan Colored Regiment, the state’s version of the Massachusetts 54th that was chronicled in the film, “Glory.” Faculty, staff and students are invited to these two activities.
Open to the public as well is a free concert of gospel music scheduled for The Commons Theater at 7 p.m. on Friday (Feb. 18). Scheduled to perform in the “Gospel Extravaganza” are Kareem Coleman, Sanctified, Myron Cobb and A New Song, Denise “Ti She She” Daniel, Ingrid Phillips, the Tabernacle COGIC Praise Team, and Aisha Tillman.
The college’s final event of Black History Month will be a performance of “The Meeting,” a play speculating on what a meeting between Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X would have been like. It will be performed in the Commons Theater at 12:30 p.m. by Buddy Hannah and Sid “The Rock” Ellis. It is free, open to the public, and includes refreshments.
“Liberty on the Border” focuses on how northern and southern states viewed slavery, as well as the perspectives of residents of border states such as Kentucky who were equally divided in their opinions about the concept of liberty. That was illustrated by their actions leading up to Fort Sumter, the four years of war, and how the nation tried to heal its wounds in the following decades.
The exhibit is complemented by artifacts from the Civil War era that the museum has accumulated in its nearly 125-year history and that relate to Southwest Michigan.
The re-enactors are members of the USCT (United States Colored Troop) Black History Group. They know the stories of Michigan blacks in the Civil War and their activities.
Two years after the first shot was fired on Fort Sumter and Union troops were taking defeat after defeat, the 1st Michigan Colored Regiment was formed in July of 1863 in Detroit in response to constant lobbying efforts. The unit was mustered into federal service on Feb. 17, 1864, as the 102nd Colored Troop.
Their experiences began to be re-enacted when the USCT Black History Group was established as part of the Michigan Sesquicentennial in 1986 to preserve the history of the Civil War by enhancing the public’s understanding of the contributions of Michigan’s African Americans.
The 23-member group has taken part in re-enactments, parades and ceremonies throughout the state, in Indiana, Ohio, Illinois and Canada. It has brother regiments in Ohio and Chicago. Spouses and children also take part in educational outreach programs in schools.
The South in the sizzlin’ ‘60s
The fight for civil rights and the South of the 1960s will be covered by a KVCC sociology instructor who was there in a dialogue open to the public on Wednesday (Feb. 23).
Dick Phillips’ topic will be “A Social Movement That Changed a Nation” in the Commons Theater at 3 p.m. Part of the KVCC chapter of Phi Theta Kappa’s “Popular Culture Series,” the presentation is free.
Jim Crow laws and segregation ruled the South into the mid-1960s, but, starting with the U. S. Supreme Court’s ruling on the “separate but equal” practice in public schools, change was starting to take hold.
College students were caught up in the belief that they could change race relations, bring an end to segregation, and even end racism. Guided by dynamic and optimistic leaders, many traveled to the South to pursue their idealism. Some never came back.
The Civil Rights Movement sparked hope, but hostility as well. Its influence continues today, along with its backlash.
Phillips, in his 36th year as a KVCC instructor, taught at Dillard University in New Orleans before joining the college faculty. Specializing in racial and ethnic relations, Phillips is a Big Brothers/Big Sisters volunteer and served terms on the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners.
For more information about the Phi Theta Kappa series, contact chapter adviser LynneMorrison at extension 4164.
Fad diets and their false promises
Exploring the myth of fad diets – nutritional weight loss’ version of “there is no such thing as a free lunch” – will be the topic at a pair of upcoming presentations in the Commons Theater.
Dietician Krista Hampton will speak on “The Myth of Fad Diets” on Thursday (Feb. 24) at 1 p.m., with a repeat performance scheduled for Wednesday, March 2, at 9 a.m.
Hampton is a clinical dietician whose eight years of experience includes the fields of long-term care and child nutrition. Currently an in-patient and out-patient dietician at Bronson Methodist Hospital, she has also worked on an Indian reservation, specializing in diabetes prevention and nutrition in that post.
Following her interactive presentations will be a question-and-answer session. The programs are open to faculty, staff and students.
Hampton said she will review five of the main “fad diets” to which most Americans are paying homage. She will talk about their shortcomings, what they promise but fail to deliver, and why some are impractical.
“I will also explain how to spot a fad diet,” she said, “and what the recommendations are for a safe, healthy weight loss and weight management, based on the new dietary guidelines for 2005. I’ll also cover some of our most frequently asked questions.”
A graduate of Western Michigan University, she served an internship in her specialty in St. Paul, Minn.
The art of words and artifacts
Poetic tributes to collectibles that tell the history of this community and add personal insights to milestone events will be featured Sunday (Feb. 20) at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum.
“Kalamazoo Artifactory II” is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. in the Mary Jane Stryker Theater. Free and open to the public, it is a second-time collaboration between the Friends of Poetry and the museum.
Members of the local poetry group will read new works that have been inspired by Southwest Michigan history. Tom Dietz, the museum’s curator of research, will add some historical context to each poem’s topic.
Among the poets will be Danna Ephland, Josh MacIntosh, Jane Iwan, Lynn Pattison, Nina Feirer, Rose Swartz, Elizabeth Kerlikowske, Marie Bahlke, Gail Martin, and Nancy Eimers.
Dietz’s commentary will touch such topics as the museum’s mummy, the Kalamazoo County Fairgrounds, the resorts of South Haven, Battle Creek’s cereal industry, the Sisters of St. Joseph at Nazareth, household appliances, the amusement parts from Kalamazoo’s past, Mountain Home Cemetery, Pioneer Park on South Westnedge.
Employment Expo booked for March 15
This year’s KVCC Employment Expo on the Texas Township Campus is scheduled for Tuesday, March 15, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“This is a no-cost opportunity,” said organizer Karla Jewell, “for students, KVCC alumni and residents of Southwest Michigan to visit with representatives from area businesses and industries, from health-care organizations, law-enforcement agencies, and units of government to discuss current and future employment opportunities.”
Nursing, retail merchandising, hotel management, law enforcement, human services, recreation and amusement, health care, public employment, communications, hospital work, the military, finances and banking, and the construction trades will be among the career opportunities in the spotlight.
The representations will talk to participants about their organizations, the employment prospects, and the chances for internships and volunteer service, both of which look good on a resume.
Also the prospective employers who have indicated they will be available in the Commons during the four-hour event are:
Stryker Instruments, Advantage Private Nursing Services Inc., the Radisson Plaza Hotel and Suites, Sears Roebuck and Co., American Winding Co., Marquette General Health System, First Community Federal Credit Union, the Grand Rapids Police Department;
Humphrey Products, InterCare Community Health Network, Kelly Home Care Services, Lakeland Regional Health System (in Berrien County), The Laurels of Sandy Creek, Primerica Financial Services, The Ark for Youth, UPS/United Parcel Service;
The Michigan State Police, the YMCA Sherman Lake Outdoor Center, the Benton Harbor Police Department, K & M Machine Fabricating Inc., the Kalamazoo Air Zoo, the Kalamazoo Family Independence Agency, Little Caesar’s Pizza, MPI Research, National City, Phoenix Properties LLC, the U. S. Air Force, Wil-Care Nursing Referral Agency Inc.;
WWMT-TV Channel 3, the Borgess Health Alliance, DLZ (a problem-solving firm for engineering, architectural and environmental issues), Gryphon Place, Harold Zeigler Auto Group, Residential Opportunities Inc., South Haven Community Hospital, The Buckle (fashion stores);
Lakeview Community Hospital in Paw Paw, DMS Inc. (clinical and medical-care staffing resources), the Battle Creek Police Department, Elkhart General Health Care in Indiana, Kelly Services, Life Care Center of Plainwell, Rite Aid Pharmacies, U. S. Army, Vector Marking Corp.;
D & W Food Centers Inc., Manpower, the Kalamazoo County Road Commission, Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, the Kalamazoo Parks and Recreation Department, FedEx, Hope Network South (that serves people with developmental and mental-health disabilities), Kalamazoo Joint Apprenticeship and Training, SemperCare Hospital, the U. S. Navy;
The Employment Group, Heritage Community of Kalamazoo, Holland Hospital, Mary Kay Skin Care and Cosmetics, the Marine Corps, the Veterans Administration Medical Center, WQXC-FM and WZUU-FM, WSI Health, and YMCA Camp Eberhart.
Jewell can be contacted by both prospective employers and employees at extension 4640 or .
“Volunteers are needed to help make the Expo a success,” she said. “We are looking for volunteers who can give anywhere from an hour on up between the hours of 8 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. The volunteers can be students, staff or faculty.”
True tales of ‘Civil War Women’
A one-woman play that tells the story of the Civil War through the eyes of five females and a free viewing of a planetarium show linked to the Underground Railroad are this weekend’s special attractions connected to the Kalamazoo Valley Museum’s current national exhibition.
Sandra Hansen will present “Civil War Women” on Saturday (Feb. 19) at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. in the Stryker Theater. Tickets are $5.
From 1 to 4 p.m., hands-on educational activities for children will be themed to tell the story of the Underground Railroad that slaves traveled to the North to escape bondage. Also free will be a 2:30 p.m. viewing of “Secrets in the Sky,” the locally produced planetarium show that connects this epoch of American history to astronomy.
“Liberty on the Border,” created by the Cincinnati Museum Center, is being complemented during its stay at the downtown museum by local artifacts focusing on the roles the people of Kalamazoo and Southwest Michigan played in events leading up to, during and after the Civil War
Hansen, a Holland resident for more than 20 years, uses period clothing and theatrics to open the comparatively closed world of women in Michigan and American history.
The founder of “Women’s History ALIVE,” Hansen in “Civil War Women” portrays: escaped slave Harriet Jacobs; abolitionist Harriet Tubman who made the Underground Railroad journey many times in her life; Dr. Esther Hill Hawks, who taught emancipated slaves reading and writing; southern belle Sarah Morgan who lost all of her assets in the war; and Emma Edmonds.
Edmonds is the most unusual of all. In a true-story Civil War version of “Victor/Victoria,” “she” disguised herself as a “he” and went on to experience life as a combat soldier and spy, all the while hiding the secret of her gender.
While a Phi Beta Kappa student at Hope College where she majored in psychology and took two years of acting classes at Hope, Hansen enrolled in an independent-study course called “Women and War.” That led to another self-styled course that focused on “Women in the Civil War,” which she later spun off into a play that connected abolition, the bloodiest chapters in American history, and the origins of the women’s rights movement in this country.
“Growing up,” she said, “I hated history because it was all dates and battlefields. That had nothing to de with me as a woman. Who cares about a battle if you can’t see yourself involved in that battle? History had neither sense nor order. Women’s history related all of that to me in some way.”
“Civil War Women” gives a unique view of the death and destruction through the diaries and biographies of five females.
While her favorite character sometimes shifts like the Lake Michigan beach sand, always near the top is Emma Edmonds, a Canadian woman who ran away from her farm home because her father had pledged her betrothal in marriage to a gent for whom she had zero affection. To get a job selling Bibles, she disguised herself as a man and moved down into Michigan.
When South Carolina cannonballs started pounding Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, the call to arms spread throughout the North. Edmonds heard it, but as a fellow named “Franklin Thompson,” who mustered in with the Second Michigan Infantry.
Maybe because “he” wanted to sample as much of the different kind of “highs” that he could or because he feared that staying in one place too long might ruin his disguise, “Thompson” moved about. Over the next four years, “Thompson” saw combat, including the battle dubbed “Second Manassas,” served in the medical corps, was a “go-for” for an officer, worked as a cook, and eventually was recruited to be a spy for the Union Army.
“As Franklin Thompson,” Hansen said, “Edmonds was credited with crossing Confederate lines 11 times, using all kinds of disguises on top of hers. She even infiltrated an enemy camp after blackening her hands and face, and wearing a black wool wig to look like a slave. She recorded the types and number of weapons and hid the information in her shoe.”
There is also an account that, in beating a hasty retreat back to Union lines and avoid a date with a Johnny-Reb rope, she shot and killed a Confederate officer.
Hansen’s research found that Edmonds eventually went AWOL, although the exact reason is lost in history. There is speculation that at least one of her comrades knew she was a woman because she became pregnant. Another guess is that the war ceased to be “a game.” That was real blood and real guts on those battlefields, and some of that belonged to a Canadian friend she saw die without the young man knowing Franklin Thompson was really Sarah Edmonds.
“After the war,” Hansen said, “Sarah got married and had children. She even attended reunions as a female, having a hard time convincing her old comrades that she was Franklin. They later worked to help her get a pension from the U. S. Army as Franklin Thompson. Sarah, who lived many years in Flint, was not always treated very well by society. People thought she was nothing more than a prostitute during the Civil War.”