Study Abroad Funding Recap

Thanks to a new kind of fundraising, crowd-funding, the number of students taking advantage of study abroad opportunities may increase.

This increase may be due, in part, to the fact that crowd-funding uses social media as a catalyst for raising money, and college students are typically social media savvy.

While there are typical financing routes, like scholarships, family contributions, financial aid, and working to save enough money, sometimes students need an even more powerful tool in order to be successful.

"Social media is... one of the biggest catalysts for why this type of funding exists," said Thomas Coke, an expert on the topic of crowd-funding and former crowd-funding securities regulator for the state of Michigan.

Thoughts on this type of fundraising were varied, with one student supporting its potential as a supplement to competitive scholarships, another detesting how it seems like begging for money, and yet another currently running a crowd-funding campaign.

Study Abroad Funding Preview

A new type of fundraising, crowd-funding, offers students another way to finance their study abroad experiences, potentially increasing the percentage of American students that study abroad.

Although the number of students studying abroad has hit a record high, the Institute of International Education's Open Doors press release said less than 10 percent of all American undergraduates will study abroad by the time they graduate.

Thus, the issue stands of encouraging the other 90 percent of students to take advantage of study abroad opportunities that have serious benefits for employment and educational opportunities.

"Study abroad is a journey of self discovery and exploration of another culture and way of life, all in the academic setting. It deepens and broadens the entire educational experience," said Dr. Jane Blyth, Director of Study Abroad and Global Program Development at Western Michigan University, of the benefits of studying abroad.

Economic factors were among the many cases for limited American student participation, according to the press release. 

However, crowd-funding opens new doors to students looking to finance an educational experience using social media as a catalyst for their cause.

Crowd-funding is a topic with many points of view, as expressed by several students that were interviewed. 

Kalamazoo Theatre Recap

The recession of 2009 hit Kalamazoo hard; but, thanks to great programs, generous community members, and one organization, Kalamazoo's theatre culture has regained its footing and is stronger than ever.

The city of Kalamazoo houses 11 successful theatre venues, according to Theatre Kalamazoo's Website.

Joan Herrington, Chair of Western Michigan University's Department of Theatre and member of the Theatre Kalamazoo organization, said much of the rebound rate was due to the organization, one that promotes the diversity and richness of the area's theatre and makes it more accessible to the public through collective advertising and balanced seasons.

Nicki Poer, Director of Education and Outreach at The Civic, shared documents that said The Civic continued to increase revenue by 9.034 percent between 2010-2013, demonstrating the theatre's continued recovery.

Some people, like Mattawan High School Director Lou Price, disagree, however, with the notion of recovery and said his numbers of attendance and funding were down by over half, most likely due to poor community support.

Herrington said she hopes that Kalamazoo theatres remain strong and that the community continues to invest in and cultivate the next generation of theatre artists.

Kalamazoo Theatre Preview

Tucked away in Southwest Michigan, not far from the coast of Lake Michigan, is the city of Kalamazoo. Tasty restaurants, fun bars, and beautiful business buildings line the streets. However, it is a specific form of entertainment that makes Kalamazoo such a unique place to live - live theatre.

Despite Kalamazoo's meager size, when compared to cities like New York City and Los Angeles, it offers many opportunities to theatergoers and enthusiasts. In fact, Kalamazoo boasts 11 successful theatre venues, according to the Theatre Kalamazoo Website.

Joan Herrington, Chair of Western Michigan University's Department of Theatre and member of the Theatre Kalamazoo organization, said, "The fact that we can all produce and that we can all survive despite the number of us is really amazing."

Herrington said Theatre Kalamazoo aims to promote diversity and richness among the area's theatres while making it more accessible to the community.

The organization must be doing something right, for Kalamazoo Theatres have come back in full force from the economic recession of 2009.

Record Hunting Recap

Satellite Records, located at 808 South Westnedge Ave., underwent rebranding and hosted a grand opening party at their new Vine Neighborhood location Saturday.

Keith Lussier, a Western Michigan University senior and frequent customer of the Kalamazoo record store, visited on Sunday in search of new records to add to his collection.

Lussier said his mission on this trip was to purchase records by female artists, since his collection is made up of mostly males.

Lussier began his hunt for records by combing through the bins of new arrivals near the front door.

After searching through the new arrivals, Lussier browsed piles of Hip Hop and Soul records before moving on to his favorite bins.

Lussier's favorite bins of records are the bargain bins where he searches for great music at a great price.

After an hour of digging through records of all genres, Lussier headed to the checkout.

While Lussier did not leave with any albums recorded by women, he did purchase four new albums to add to his growing collection. His purchases included a record by Stevie Wonder, Tarkus, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and an independent Hip Hop album titled Rooftop.

Record Hunting Preview

Keith Lussier, a Western Michigan University senior, has the weekend of July 12th marked on his calendar for the grand opening of a Kalamazoo record store in their new location.

Satellite Records, the go-to store for Lussier's vinyl music needs, plans to relocate their store to 808 South Westnedge Ave. and reopen in the new Vine Neighborhood location on Saturday.

The record store will feature live music by local bands a few times per month and house a large number of records by current and vintage artists.

Lussier said he plans to purchase more albums for his growing collection. He said he specifically wants to look for records by female artists since his collection is dominated by males.

In his opinion, Lussier said vinyl records are still the best way to listen to music, and he encourages others to check out this lasting music medium.