Greetings from the Residential College!
Please join us in celebrating 2022-2023 and welcoming the next school year.
Dear Residential College Community,
The past year at the Residential College has been a testament to our vibrant and dynamic community, filled with remarkable achievements and moments of inspiration. As we celebrate our successes and look forward to the year ahead, we extend a warm welcome to the Class of 2027, embarking on a journey of promise and opportunity within the RC and the University of Michigan.
We are excited to introduce Kristin Heinrich as Director of Admissions, Recruitment, & MLC Administration, whose experience and dedication will enhance our admissions process and bring fresh perspectives. Recognizing academic excellence, Katri Ervamaa's recognition as a Collegiate Lecturer for 2023-2024 underscores her contributions to teaching.
Briana Lloyd, our Academic Services Coordinator, deservedly received the Unsung Champion of Advising Award, exemplifying our commitment to students. Isaac Wingfield’s Provost's Teaching Innovation Prize reflects his dedication to educational excellence. These accomplishments and more highlight the Residential College's ongoing mission to provide an exceptional education.
The enduring impact of an RC education is seen in the success of our alumni, whose lessons learned continue to shape their careers and lives. We also remember Professors Kate Mendeloff and Carl Cohen, who left lasting marks on the RC community.
And now, a selection of RC highlights!
Alumni Spotlight 💡
"How the Residential College Prepared Me for a Life of Writing" By Ellen Frankel, RC '73
Back in 1969 when I was a freshman at the RC, one of my first classes was Latin American Literature in Translation. My professor, Justin Vitiello, thought it vital for his students to appreciate how much is lost in translation from a foreign language into English. So he had us all do a translation exercise before we read any books on the syllabus. Since being proficient in a foreign language was one of the prerequisites for attending the RC, he gave each of us an American poem that had been translated into “our” foreign language. In my case, the language was French. I worked hard on my translation, producing an elegant, sophisticated English version. My classmates similarly came up with beautiful poems. But when Justin gave us the original English version, we were shocked. The poem was by Amiri Baraka, aka Leroi Jones, a radical Black poet whose words stung and jived and slapped. There was no elegance there whatsoever.
We’d assumed that all poetry had to be pretty. Wrong! I’ve never forgotten that Lesson.
In the fifty years since I graduated from the Residential College, I’ve spent most of my time wordsmithing: as Editor-in-Chief and CEO of a small Jewish press called The Jewish Publication Society (JPS); publishing a dozen books for adults and children on a variety of Jewish subjects; and editing other people’s writing. Some of the books I acquired as an editor were originally written in foreign languages; if they were in French, I read them in the original. I also used what I knew of Hebrew, Yiddish, Spanish, and smatterings of other languages, always remembering how much is lost in translation. And this lesson was not the only one that has helped me in my work....
Ellen Frankel, RC '73, is the author of a dozen books. Her most recent publication is The Deadly Scrolls (Wicked Son Press, 2022). She and her husband divide their time between Maine and Florida.
Community-Engagement Program Updates
The RC is home to eight unique community-engagement programs: the Prison Creative Arts Program (PCAP), the Center for World Performance Studies (CWPS), Telling It, Semester in Detroit (SiD), the Spanish Language Internship Program (SLIP), PALMA, the East Quad Garden, and Freedom House Detroit.
These programs are an integral part of the RC and offer students, staff, and faculty an opportunity to engage and learn in meaningful ways. Read below for a short selection of highlights from these incredible programs.
CWPS Presents: Jaerv and The OK Factor
The Scandinavian Program and the Center for World Performance Studies hosted the innovative Swedish folk quintet Jaerv alongside the Minnesotan neo-classical crossover duo The OK Factor for a performance in the Keene Theater last October.
Rooted in several different musical traditions with influences from both jazz and pop music, attendees enjoyed a lively stage performance where vocal, five-voiced tunes blend in with energetic dances and free improvisations.
The concert was followed by "Open Jam Session in conversation with Jaerv." Musicians of all levels were encouraged to bring their own acoustic instruments to join the jam session or simply appreciate the creative musical expression.
PCAP Goes Back to the DOC
This past year, the Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP), underwent a major milestone — returning to Michigan prisons after more than two years away!
Over 30 students, faculty/staff, and volunteers formed meaningful connections with incarcerated artists, writers, and theatre makers during creative arts workshops and art curation visits. PCAP operates workshops at 7 different prisons & re-entry community sites and connects one-on-one with visual artists at all 25 prisons across the state of Michigan to curate annual exhibitions.
What sets PCAP programs apart is our thoughtful and compassionate treatment of incarcerated creators.
PCAP facilitators and curators engage with participants in prison as equal partners in the creative process. This commitment to equity and humanity is at the heart of all PCAP programs. Our process is guided by respect, and collaboration in which vulnerability, risk, and improvisation lead to discovery and resilience, persistence, patience, love, and laughter.
PCAP believes that everyone has the capacity to create art and the opportunity should be accessible to everyone. Art is necessary for individual and societal growth, connection, and survival.
We are honored to be joined by community allies in the struggle for social justice, and we create spaces in and from which the voices and visions of the people in prison can be expressed.
Check out www.prisonarts.org or follow at @prisonarts to learn more! Questions? Contact PCAP at 734.647.6771 or pcapinfo@umich.edu.
"Semester in Detroit: Bridging Campuses and Communities"
Since 2009, Semester in Detroit has offered students an immersive semester-long experience in the city. The program aims to deepen students' understanding of Detroit while fostering relationships with community members and contributing to causes like food accessibility, education, and environmental justice.
In the past year, Semester in Detroit expanded to include Dearborn and Flint campuses! This collaboration brings students from all three U-M campuses (and Grand Valley State University) together for unique cross-campus partnerships, enriching the program's impact.
One key strength is the integration of classroom learning with real-world experience. Students apply their skills gained in class to their time working and living in Detroit, enhancing their community engagement abilities.
Courses like "From Underground to Motown: A Course on Detroit's History," taught by Jamon Jordan recently named the City of Detroit's first official historian, challenge stereotypes and empower students to approach unfamiliar communities thoughtfully.
Available during fall, spring, and summer, Semester in Detroit provides a transformative experience for students eager to bridge the gap between academics and active community involvement. Interested students can find registration details on the program's website.
Story originally published September 13, 2022 as, "Immersive Semester in Detroit Program expands opportunity to all U-M campuses, providing transformational learning experiences" by Melina Shaefer
RC Student Life
Each year, the RC welcomes around 250 incoming first-year students!
August: RC Students gathered from near and far in the EQ Courtyard for a fun-filled Field Day! Activities included RC tote bag painting, chalk art (and contest!), yard games like "Connect Four" and a giant "Sorry!", and a water fight to end the afternoon.
September: FestiForum set the tone for a fun, creative, and engaged Fall Semester! With nine unique student-led forums (and more always in the making!), RC students engaged in peer-led community building and learning through the lens of political discussion, health and wellness, letter writing, and more. Check out current forum offerings here: myumi.ch/rrjV3
"Welcome week was a unique welcome for me as a staff member in the RC! Getting to meet such kind students, staff and faculty who helped to make my plans a reality WARMED MY HEART! I'm so excited to keep making connections with all the RC Family and to keep making friends as the years go on <3" -- Taranbir Kaur, RC Student Affairs Coordinator & RC alum '22
October: A month filled with Fall Break, a trip to the Cider Mill, the East Quad Garden harvest, and (for some of us) Michigan Football typically ends with Halloween activities such as a Spooky Open Mic-Night and an RC Haunted House!
November & December: The last months of the term often find RC students studying for finals, enjoying shows in the Keene Theater with the RC Players, backpacking for future classes, and watching the courtyard slowly shift from a riot of fall colors to the more mellow tones of winter in Michigan. Check out the current RC course offerings here: myumi.ch/qGRN4
A year to celebrate RC Faculty!
As Interim Director Jon Wells (January-June 2023) said, "This was a banner year for the RC Faculty!" Enjoy a selection of faculty highlights below.
Cheers to the year ahead!
In closing, these achievements and transitions highlight the resilience of our community and the incredible environment where ideas flourish, potential is realized, and lifelong connections are formed!
We eagerly anticipate another year of growth, exploration, and shared accomplishments. Be sure to stay up to date with Residential College news and events on our website and connect with us via our social media channels, Instagram @umichrc, and Facebook at @umichLSARC.
Thank you for being such a wonderful part of the Residential College community!