Taps on Tuesdays Return Next Week

Breathing Space: Dedicate some time in your week for self-care. The sessions will be 30 minutes each with an agenda as follows: Brief check-in (5 min.), special topic (10 min.), see topics below, and guided and silent meditation (15 min.).
 
Sept. 20 | 12:30 - 1 p.m. (Letting Go)
Sept. 27 | 12:30 - 1 p.m. (The Present Moment)
Oct. 4 | 12:30 - 1 p.m. (Self-Compassion)
 
All sessions will be held via Zoom. Email Cathy Colella for the direct Zoom Link.

Save the Date! Staff and Administrator Excellence Awards: Thursday, Oct. 5, Texas Township Campus, Room 4240, refreshments 8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., awards presentation 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Award recipients will be notified in advance. 

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Last Chance to Register! Registration Closes Sept. 20

Employee Fitness Classes Return
Every weekday at noon there will be free drop-in classes, ranging from cardio kickboxing to yoga to spin. Mondays and Thursdays will see the return of the Just Move instructors. No registration required, just drop in and enjoy. For more details, go to the Wellness and Fitness Center webpage and select the Employee Fitness Class - Fall 2203. Questions? Call x4184. The WFC staff will be happy to help.

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VOYA Financial on Texas Township Campus
Do you have an account with Voya through the Office of Retirement Services?  Michael Bronson, financial advisor with Voya Financial, works directly with Kalamazoo Valley accounts through the Office of Retirement Services. He will be on campus, Friday, Sept. 22. To schedule a time to meet with him, please email him directly at Michael.Bronson@voya.com.

October Flu Shot Clinic Scheduled for Employees
Flu season is coming! Kalamazoo Valley Community College is hosting a flu shot clinic for all employees on Oct. 11 from 1 to 4 p.m. in Room 5740 at the Texas Township Campus. Use this link to reserve your spot. Space is limited, so please sign up as soon as possible and remember to keep your appointment.  Bring your insurance card for billing purposes. If you have questions, contact Becky Craft, employee benefit manager.

Diversity and Bias in the Search Committee Process Workshop
The next Diversity and Bias in the Search Committee Process workshop is scheduled for Oct. 24 from 2 to 4 p.m. Participants will explore the basics of what it takes to serve on a search committee and how implicit or unconscious bias impacts our decision-making process. The training is required for those who wish to serve on a search committee. Please contact Trice Batson or Scott Hall to register.

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Film, Panel Discussions and Trainings Planned this Fall
Expect important programming this fall from the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Highlights include:

• Supporting Latinx Students Panel | Sept. 25 | noon - 1 p.m. | TTC Room 4240
• Interfaith Connections on Oct. 25 | 4 - 5 p.m. | Anna Whitten Hall Room 128
• Mental Health First Aid training | Nov. 1 | 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. | TTC Room 4380
• safeTALK suicide prevention workshop | Nov. 14 | 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | AWH Room 207

 Ableism will be explored through workshops and a film showing:

• Ableism 101 | Sept. 26 | 1 - 4 p.m. | TTC Room 4240
• Ableism 102 | Oct. 3 and Oct. 10 | 1:30 - 4 p.m. | TTC Room 4240
• The "Crip Camp" documentary (rated "R" for adult themes) | Oct. 11 | noon - 2:30 p.m. | TTC Room 4240
  The film is about a groundbreaking teen summer camp that inspired some of its alumni to join the disability rights movement.

For questions, email Trice Batson, diversity and inclusion director or Cat March, program coordinator. Learn more at www.kvcc.edu/diversity/.

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Kalamazoo Valley Libraries: Get to Know the Libraries!
Yes, the Kalamazoo Valley Libraries at the Texas Township Campus and Anna Whitten Hall have tons of books and ebooks, and we can get most anything we don't have through MelCat's Michigan-wide library sharing system - but did you know we support your students in many other ways?

Valley Libraries at the Farmers Market
Visit the Libraries at the Kalamazoo Farmers Market (1204 Bank St.) on Saturday, Sept. 16 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. We'll have fun, food-focused activities and information for the whole family.

Reserve Textbooks
Textbooks and other course materials are placed on reserve each semester at the request of faculty and students. Instructors may submit personal copies for the reserve collection, or request a library purchase for reserve. Most reserve requests for library purchase are approved, although we suggest submitting your request as soon as possible to provide us purchasing and processing time.

For more information on course reserves, including a list of all items currently on reserve, visit the library's Course Reserve Guide. To reserve materials for your course, contact Ashley Bergkamp (TTC) x4313 or Franki Hand (ACC) x7848.

Request Library Instruction for Your Classes
Bring your students to the library for research instruction or assignment-based exploration. Or, invite a librarian to visit your classroom to introduce information literacy concepts. We are ready to collaborate with instructors to meet the unique needs of your students. Ready to schedule or need more information? Contact Jim Ratliff (ACC & BHLC) x7867 or Amy Brandt (TTC) x4489.

At TTC, you can request library instruction in the Library Instructional Lab through Astra. From the Events tab, click on "Request Event." Then, choose "Library Instructional Lab" from the drop-down menu. Submit the details of your request and a librarian will respond within 48 hours.

Student Technology Loan
Students can borrow a laptop computer, Wi-Fi hotspot and/or a graphing calculator and use it for the entire semester. Technology is available on a first come, first served basis with a Valley ID. All laptops have webcams and microphones, and access to Canvas, Zoom, Microsoft Office and Respondus Lockdown Browser.

Study Spaces
Both the TTC and AWH libraries have quiet and scenic study spaces with computer and printer access. The TTC Library has study rooms available on a walk-in basis, and the lower level study room has a computer workstation with a webcam, so students can attend a Zoom class or take a test in the library.

Print and Electronic Resources
Staff and faculty are welcome to browse our book collection, in person or online. We have titles to support both academic learning and personal interests. We also subscribe to several electronic book and journal databases for research needs.

Hours and Contact Information
Hours (including evenings and Saturdays)
Call x4328
email
website

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Volunteers Needed!
The college will once again be hosting College Night at the Texas Township Campus. The event takes place Monday, Oct. 9 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Volunteers are needed starting at 5 p.m. (with dinner available starting at 4:30 p.m.). Please email Ryan St. John if you can help.

Buying Online is a Popular Option at the Bookstore
Close to 2,100 online orders were processed by the Texas Township Bookstore during the Winter 2023 Semester. Either in person or online, the Bookstore is here to help students be successful in class. It sells textbooks, computers, backpacks, binders, pens, markers, glue sticks, art supplies, calculators and more, even candy and snacks starting at 10 cents. Online orders may be picked up at TTC or the Anna Whitten Hall Library at the Arcadia Commons Campus in downtown Kalamazoo, or mailed to any address. Shipping is $5.

Valley Athletes Combine Service with Academics
On one side of the volleyball net were Kalamazoo Valley Community College athletes in their blue and black uniform jerseys and on the other side were senior citizens in blue vests with catchy nicknames on them, like Bam Bam and Yoopers. Welcome to chair volleyball at StoryPoint Kalamazoo at Bronson Place retirement community, formerly The Fountains, on a recent Tuesday afternoon. "Engaging the senior residents in physical activity was awesome for our players," said Athletic Director Russ Panico. more

Cheer on the Lady Cougars volleyball team when they play Kellogg Community College at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 19 in the main gym on the Texas Township Campus. It's free. Get the volleyball schedule here.

See more photos here.

Museum Offers Two Free Cartooning Workshops on Sept. 30

Ever wanted to try your hand at cartooning? Now's your chance to learn for FREE. Join the Kalamazoo Valley Museum on Saturday, Sept. 30, at 10:45 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., for two mini workshops exploring the art in comics and animation in the museum's Mary Jane Stryker Theater. The "Pow! Boom! Wham! Art of the Comics" workshops will be led by professional illustrator Aubrey Jewel Rodgers from Kalamazoo Valley Community College's Center for New Media. The sessions are suitable for children ages eight and up, as well as adults. Comic character costumes are welcome! Between the workshops, museum patrons can attend a meet-and-greet with special costumed characters named Spidey, Spin and Ghosty from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tickets for the workshops will be available the day of the program at the front desk, first come first served. Meeting the characters will not require a ticket. Admission is free to both the event and to the museum. Visit kalamazoomuseum.org for more details.

The "HeLa" play cast at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum's Mary Jane Stryker Theater last fall.

Film Version of Henrietta Lacks Play Returns Oct. 1
It's a little-known fact that we can thank a woman with familial ties to Kalamazoo for many of medical breakthroughs of modern times, like cancer treatments and the polio and COVID-19 vaccines and more. Learn the late Henrietta Lacks' amazing story from the encore showing of the film version of the "HeLa" stage play on Sunday, Oct. 1 at 1 p.m. at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum's Mary Jane Stryker Theater. At a time when informed consent did not exist, cells were removed from Lacks in 1951 without her knowledge during a medical procedure and later used in experiments worldwide. The play, written by Kalamazoo playwright Buddy Hannah, debuted at the museum last fall before a live audience, thanks to a grant from the KVCC Foundation. Admission is free to the filmed play. No advance registration or tickets are required. Seating is first come, first served.

Museum Attendance up 69 Percent
Kudos to the Kalamazoo Valley Museum for attracting a 81,724 visitors during the just completed fiscal year 2023, up from 25,685 visitors the previous year, representing a 69 percent increase. Museum Director Bill McElhone attributes the spike in foot traffic to a number of factors, among them the museum's quality programs, which were made possible after filling several staff vacancies. "I would also credit the increase in attendance to a growing desire by our visitors to return to in-person experiences," McElhone said. He hopes to end the current fiscal year with close to 100,000 guests, which would put the museum back in the range of pre-pandemic numbers. It had 110,383 visitors during fiscal year 2019.