March 2025

Alisha Siebers
Associate Vice President for College Advancement
Executive Director of the KVCC Foundation
asiebers@kvcc.edu
269.488.4821

Men's Basketball Team Qualifies for State Championship

Kalamazoo Valley’s men's basketball team won the Michigan Community College Athletic Association (MCCAA) State Championship Saturday, March 1 before an audience of over 700 fans at our Texas Township Campus! The Cougars beat Macomb Community College, 93-85. Read all the details here. Enjoy photos from the championship here.

Now for more exciting news! The team qualified this week for the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II Men's Basketball Championship as an at-large participant, despite losing to Henry Ford Community College in the Great Lakes District Tournament Final on March 8. Historically, the tournament is comprised of 16 teams who won their respective district tournaments. However, the at-large category was created beginning in the 2023-24 season, allowing for four additional teams to petition to compete. Each school seeking an at-large bid must submit its season statistics and narrative detailing the high points of the season.  A selection committee of nine NJCAA members (typically athletic directors) from across the country review this information and determine the at-large participants. 

The Cougars have been seeded seventh in the tournament with their first matchup being on Tuesday, March 18, at 6 p.m. in Danville, Illinois, against the No. 10 seed, Bryant & Stratton College (Wisconsin). For more information about the tournament, click here. It runs through March 22.

Valley Women's Basketball Qualified for Great Lakes District Tournament

Six Kudos to the women's basketball players! They qualified for the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Great Lakes District A Tournament Held last week. The team fell to Marian University's Ancilla College in Indiana, 68-46, in the first round of play, so they could not advance in the tournament.

As for their regular season, our Lady Cougars wrapped that up on Wednesday, Feb. 26 winning at Glen Oaks Community College with a score of 51-30, finishing with a record of 7-7 (an overall record of 15-13). Click here for photos.

Museum Offers Free Fretboard Festival for 20th Year March 21 - 22

Celebrate Kalamazoo's rich musical history when the annual Fretboard Festival returns March 21 - 22. This FREE event is a celebration of guitars and all stringed instruments. Enjoy live performances, workshops and more at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum and Kalamazoo Valley’s Anna Whitten, conveniently located next to each other in downtown Kalamazoo.

The festival kicks off Friday, March 21 with performances by Michigan mandoliner Brian Oberlin and musical partners at 6 and 7 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Seating is limited, and the free tickets are first come, first served. The festival continues Saturday, March 22, from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Kalamazoo Valley Museum has been the proud organizer of the festival for the last 20 years. Click here for the lineup, performance times and other details. Watch the museum’s newly released documentary about the festival here.

Free Foodways Symposium Returns April 4 - 5
Mark your calendars for the 2025 Kalamazoo Valley Foodways Symposium! This free annual celebration of greater Kalamazoo’s agricultural history and heritage will be held April 4 - 5 at two of Kalamazoo Valley Community College’s locations in downtown Kalamazoo.

It will explore foodways through the lens of water, and all the ways in which water gives us life and sustains us. The event kicks off the evening of Friday, April 4 at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum, with a water ceremony at 5 p.m., then a free distribution of seeds from 6 to 7 p.m. A keynote address follows from 7 to 8 p.m. illuminating the gift of Manoomin (wild rice), the state of Michigan’s designated grain. Manoomin appetizers will be served from 8 to 8:30 p.m.

Enjoy more free activities the next day, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, April 5, at the college’s Marilyn J. Schlack Culinary and Allied Health Building, located at 418 E. Walnut St. It will be a day of culinary exploration, presentations, a plant walk, youth activities, a community organization showcase, building tours and more. Visit kalamazoofoodways.org

View Local Art at Sourced from the 'Zoo
Sourced from the 'Zoo is a community-wide exhibition celebrating the vibrancy and diversity of Kalamazoo and its residents. This dynamic, crowdsourced exhibition is a platform for everyone in Kalamazoo to participate, creating a shared space for commemoration, celebration and meaningful connections.

Stop by the Kalamazoo Valley Center for New Media and Arcus Gallery at 100 E. Michigan Ave in downtown Kalamazoo. The art will be viewable at the gallery until April 25. We look forward to seeing you there!

Taps on Tuesdays Offers Fun and Flavor

Looking to try some delicious student-made beer and food offerings? Taps on Tuesdays events are back! Join us for these happy hour-style events hosted by our culinary and brewing students and staff. Enjoy student crafted beer and food pairings. No reservations are required and all are welcome to join the fun on a walk-in basis!