Blues at the Bohm, the monthly blues concert and jam at the downtown Bohm Theatre, has been a two-year labor of love for professor of chemistry Cliff Harris. And now, with continued enthusiastic support from the community, it’s starting to break through beyond the Albion area, as more acts pour in from farther afield to perform. Harris talks about it in an interview with The Daily Yonder website and in a recent video.
Students from seven high schools in southern Michigan recently got a day off from school to compete in Albion College’s second annual W. Keith Moore Math Competition. The students competed both as individuals and teams, with pencil-and-paper quizzes, the “Pony Express” math relay, and even a math scavenger hunt that took them across campus.
Albion College’s Maymester education program, formally called Boundary Crossings and now in its 11th year, features 18 juniors and seniors who want to pursue a career in the classroom. It is under the guidance of associate professor Suellyn Henke and Karen Hoaglin, liaison for the Fritz Shurmur Center for Teacher Education. For many, it’s an eye-opening experience that provides the first opportunity to see what it’s truly like to teach a class.
From 1951 to 1995, Frank Bonta represented the College to prospective students and their families. “It’s hard to put into words what Albion College meant to Frank,” said Chuck Frayer, ’77, about his father-in-law, who died May 20 after a long illness at the age of 92. “Although Frank had a long, distinguished career at Albion, the College was always more than a place to work. The relationships he formed at Albion continued beyond his retirement and remained at the center of his life.”
Bethany Mutter, visiting assistant professor of communication studies, conducted a survey over the entire 2016-17 academic year to learn how people handle difficult experiences in their lives. The results are proving to be an eye-opener for her and have provided a voice for those who need someone to listen.
A beautiful spring afternoon on the Albion College campus formed the backdrop for 2017 Commencement and its celebration of education on Saturday, May 6. Along with recognizing some 280 graduates, Albion gave honorary degrees to educators Michael Milkie and Linda (Carmitchel) Yonke, ’75, and retired Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Inspector General Jess Womack, ’65.
Vicki Baker, professor of economics and management, has been studying the changing definition and scope of liberal arts colleges, and her research has drawn the interest of national media.
The nine incoming first-year students, introduced at an April 27 evening event in Upper Baldwin Hall, represents the largest group of Fellows yet as the program prepares to enter its third year. They will receive four-year tuition, room and board from the College in exchange for engagement in service projects that will benefit the Albion community.
They come from different backgrounds with different viewpoints and different specialties. But when Jess Womack, ’65; Linda Yonke, ’75; and Michael Milkie speak to Albion College’s Class of 2017 at Commencement on Saturday, May 6, their messages could not be more similar.
An appreciative audience got a unique, behind-the-scenes look at history as presidential granddaughter Mary Jean Eisenhower presented the 2017 Joseph S. Calvaruso Keynote Address on April 20. The evening capped Albion’s 28th annual Elkin R. Isaac Student Research Symposium, which saw approximately 100 students present original work on topics ranging from equine aromatherapy to cancer cell death, and Great Lakes sailing songs to sustainability and climate change.
