In the 36-second Flogging Molly song, “The Wrong Company”, vocalist Dave King sings about a bad drinking experience with Satan while stuck in a prison cell – “I only drink to be merry but unfortunately/I’m in the wrong prison cell and the wrong company.”

Make sure you do not end up like King by checking out our guide to some of the best St. Patrick’s Day events and specials around Kalamazoo. May the luck of the Irish be with you!

Old Burdicks Bar & Grill
2747 South 11th St.
Kalamazoo, MI
(269) 372-1596
www.oldburdicks.com
Old Burdicks will have a St. Patrick’s Day celebration with Irish menu specials.

Olde Peninsula Brewpub
200 E. Michigan Ave.
Kalamazoo, MI
(269) 343-2739
Olde Peninsula Brewpub will have an all-you-can-eat buffet for $5, starting at 7 a.m. There will also be drink specials.

Rugger’s Up and
711 West Michigan Ave.
Kalamazoo, MI
(269) 373-1412
Rugger’s will have $2 green beer and other drink specials. Irish food specials will be available all day.

Main Street Pub
4514 W. Main St.,
Kalamazoo, MI
(269) 342-9710
Main Street Pub will have specials on green beer and other drinks. Random specials all day long.

McGonigles Irish Pub
3512 E. Main St.,
Kalamazoo, MI
(269) 345-5400
McGonigles will have an all day party, with food and drink specials.

The Strutt
773 W. Michigan Ave.,
Kalamazoo, MI
(269) 492-7200
www.thestrutt.com
The Strutt will host WIDR’s St. Patrick’s Day dance party, starting at 9 p.m. Tickets are $3.

Bell’s Eccentric Café
E. Kalamazoo Ave.
Kalamazoo, MI
(269) 382-2332
www.bellsbeer.com/cafe
Bell’s Eccentric Café will feature performances by Millish and Fonn Mor at 9:30 p.m.

411 Club
411 N. Westnedge Ave.
Kalamazoo, MI
(269) 276-9240
www.the411club.com/411club
411 Club will be open, but any special events or deals have yet to be announced. Contact 411 Club for more information.

Shakespeare’s Pub
241 E. Kalamazoo Ave.
Kalamazoo, MI
(269) 488-7782
www.shakespearespub.com
Shakespeare’s Pub will feature a performance by Jeff Mueller starting at 5 p.m. There will also be extreme karaoke at 10 p.m.

Y Bar
2804 W. Michigan Ave.,
Kalamazoo, MI
(269) 373-1190
www.myspace.com/ybarkalamazoo
Y Bar will host a St. Patrick’s Day party. Drinks are half off and there is no cover charge.

Monaco Bay
300 E. Michigan Ave.
Kalamazoo, MI
(269) 384-6044
www.monacobay.biz
Monaco Bay will be part of the Entertainment Districts St. Patrick’s Week 2010 celebrations. This will include live events, food and drink specials, and a beer tent.

Wild Bull
139 S. Edwards St.
Kalamazoo, MI
(269) 978-8451
www.wildbull.biz
Wild Bull will be part of the Entertainment Districts St. Patrick’s Week 2010 celebrations. Festivities will include live events, food and drink specials, and a beer tent.

Wayside West
3406 Stadium Dr.
Kalamazoo, MI
(269) 375-1930
www.waysidewest.com
Wayside West will have 50 cent green beer all day.

Back Alley Saloon
3645 Vanrick Dr.
Kalamazoo, MI
(269) 343-2456
Back Alley Saloon will have an open bar, glow bowling, and green Miller Lite.

Metro Nightclub
411 N. Westnedge Ave.
Kalamazoo, MI
(269) 276-9240

http://www.the411club.com/nightclub

Metro will be open, but any special events or deals have yet to be announced. Contact Metro for more information.

Home Bar
592 Portage St.
Kalamazoo, MI
(269) 345-3752
www.myspace.com/thehomebarishappening
Home Bar will have beer and sandwich specials, along with karaoke.

Harvey’s on the Mall
416 South Burdick St.
Kalamazoo, MI
(269) 492-7506
www.myspace.com/harveysonthemall
Harvey’s will feature $4 pints of Guinness, along with other drink specials.

Waldo’s Campus Tavern
1408 West Michigan Ave.
Kalamazoo, MI
(269) 349-8674
www.waldoscampustavern.com
Waldo’s will hold a St. Patrick’s Day party, with $3 Guinness pints, $4 Carbombs, and 2-for-1 pizza.

Adam J. Brown
WMU student

The Andrew Ladd- Chris Rettich campaign, with their analytical approach, experience and broad vision, has our vote for president/vice president of the Western Student Association.

“We’re all students with similar issues, it’s how you go about it that’s different,” Andrew Ladd said.

After meeting with both sets of candidates, the difference is evident.

Throughout the campaign the Ladd-Rettich ticket has demonstrated the depth of their knowledge accumulated with more than four years combined WSA experience.

Both campaigns display unique leadership experience.

However, Ladd, a junior, has been a WSA member since his freshman year, starting as a senator for the swim club, and then serving two years as Speaker of the Senate. In addition, he is a founding member of the Aviation Student Council and a WMU representative in the Student Associations of Michigan.

Chris Rettich, a freshman, is a WSA senator for the Campus Activities Board. He is a part of Student and Activities Leadership Programs, Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity and the College Republicans.

Through their experience they have uncovered a realistic image of the issues facing Western Michigan University and the WSA, and have formed a clear vision.

They have already identified many problems, and since September, Ladd and Rettich have met weekly to delve into the potential solutions.

It’s apparent that their campaign has bloomed out of the passion and dedication of this team.

Specifically, they have begun addressing the disconnect between WMU and the city of Kalamazoo. They have already met with city commissioners, the mayor, the Chamber of Commerce and WMU administrators.

They advocate constructing a footpath connecting campus and downtown as well as events promoting a greater unity between campus and community.

Ladd and Rettich want to improve outreach and communication with the student body, informing students about both the activities of WSA and how it affects them.

They believe student interests need to be better represented in the WSA.

Through councils representing academic colleges, modeled after the successful Aviation Student Council, Ladd and Rettich want to provide more leadership opportunities for students and better communication with the WSA.

The councils would give students a platform to express their views and provide the opportunity for WSA senators to gather those views and use them to better serve WMU.

Ladd and Rettich also hope to create a stronger connection between Greek Life and WMU at large.

They want to streamline the vexed allocations process to allow students easier access to their money, part of their plan to simplify the language of all WSA documents.

The Ladd-Rettich campaign is ready to be the representative voice of WMU.

Aaron Booth has been a part of the Western Student Association for two years, serving as Drive Safe Kalamazoo senator and it’s chairperson for the 2009-10 school year. Booth has received numerous awards and recognitions, including Humanitarian of the Year award in 2007 and is also a part of the American Humanics Student Association. Booth is majoring in public relations with a minor in nonprofit leadership.

If elected Booth has numerous goals for WSA, but his main concern is reaching out to more student organizations and academic colleges. He said he wants students to feel comfortable letting their voices be heard and address the administration on various issues that concern them.

“I would like to see the WSA truly be the voice of the WMU students,” Booth said. “The Booth/Blaszczyk team has many initiatives for next year that we plan on executing from sustainability efforts all the way to WMU pride.”

Along with the improvement to get WSA more involved with student organizations, Booth said that he would like to see the student/administration communication improve, saying that it is one of the largest issues that he would like to combat.

Booth said his team has a number of different ways of solving this problem, including student academic leadership boards in each academic college and increasing the communication through www.SpeakUpWMU.com.

This Web site is where students can ask administrators questions and express concerns.

Booth’s vice president, Joey Blaszczyk, is majoring in sales and business marketing and minoring in communications. He is currently the Student Affairs chair in the WSA and is also heavily involved in the Haworth College of Business and many SALP programs.

The Booth/Blaszczyk team will also be running on a slate, meaning that they have two more members of their administration chosen: Erin Kaplan for student affairs chair and Kristaphor Banks for university pride chair.

Currently the Booth/Blaszczyk team has received six endorsements, including endorsements from Hillel, which Kaplan is president, and the Public Relations Organization, for which Josh Weever, Booth’s campaign manager, is the president of the executive board.

“I, along with the rest of the Booth-Blaszczyk team, have the experience, knowledge, and pride the WMU student’s need,” Booth said.

Related Article

Andrew Ladd’s profile
Q&A with Booth and Ladd
Video of first debate
Video of second debate

Andrew Ladd has been a part of the Western Student Association for three years, serving as a senator of the swim club his freshman year, and as speaker of the senate for the past two years. He is also part of numerous WSA committees and has authored and co-authored many resolutions.

Ladd is currently working towards his bachelor’s degree in aviation science and administration and is a member of the Aviation Student Council, which he is a founding member of.

Ladd has been an involved student throughout his years at Western Michigan University, and, if elected, his plans do not only encompass WSA but WMU and the city of Kalamazoo.

“A big thing for me is connecting students to downtown,” he said.

For students to become more active in the Kalamazoo community, Ladd said, they need to have a better way of getting there, instead of just relying on Metro Transit, which stops running at 10 p.m. Ladd is trying to pursue the creation of a bike path that will run from campus to downtown.

“If students can’t get there then they won’t go there,” he said.

Ladd has numerous plans for a variety of important topics on the table but a main goal that he hopes for within WSA is creating academic student councils for each college.

“I think it’s something every college should have,” he said.

He said it is his number one priority after the reorganization of the Allocations Committee, and its bylaws and guidelines.

Accompanying Ladd is his vice president candidate, Chris Rettich. A freshman, Rettich is a senator for the Campus Activities Board. He is also a part of the Student and Activities Leadership Programs, Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity and College Republicans.

Ladd emphasizes the importance of the experience he has within the WSA, with WMU and with Kalamazoo.

“I can really do the best job for the WSA,” he said.

Currently the Ladd/Rettich candidacy has received endorsements from 12 different registered student organizations, including the College of Aviation, College Democrats, and College Republicans.

For more information on Ladd and Rettich visit ladd4wmu.com.

Related Article

Aaron Booth’s profile
Q&A with Booth and Ladd
Video of first debate
Video of second debate

This WSA election ballot has something unique this year: the option for students to endorse a $8 green free that would provide money to help fund an office of sustainability and student research and initiatives.

The $8 from every student in the fall and spring semesters, and $4 in the summer, would amount to around half a million dollars a year.

Twenty percent of that would go to help fund the salaries of administrators and other expenses for the office of sustainability and 15 percent would go to hire 10 part-time students for that office.

Sixty-five percent would be allocated to students who request it for sustainability research or initiatives on campus.

The committee would be made up of nine undergraduates and two graduate students, and, according to the current bylaws, be a part of the WSA, which would have to be voted on in next year’s election, according to Matt Hollander, a WMU grad student who works for the President’s Universitywide Sustainability Committee.

The ballot measure is a referendum in support of the fee. It would have to be approved by the Board of Trustees in their July meeting.

Hollander said students will be voting on the idea of the fee, and not the nuts-and-bolts of how it operates. While there currently is a set of bylaws, it will be worked on next year.

Research began in November, 2009, by the President’s Universitywide Sustainability Committee, and the process of putting it on the ballot began in January. They worked with Diane Anderson, WSA advisor Chris Sleigh, and Alex Roman, chair of the Election Control Committee to get it on the ballot.

“The hardest part was to make it presentable,” Cooper said. The committee had to work with the WSA to make sure that it met their requirements.

So far, the SFI has been endorsed by 11 organizations, including Hoekje Hall Council, WMU Geography Club, Recycling and Waste Reduction Services, Student Conservation Association and the Peace Center.

It was first formally introduced to WSA on March 10 — five days before the election.

The senate supported the SFI 34 for, 17 against, with one sitting out.

Isaac Adler, a senator from the College of Aviation, said that while good would come from the fee, there was not enough time for WSA to debate it when it was introduced.

Adler said that since the election was in five days, it couldn’t have been tabled to have further discussion at a future meeting.

Adler said he is also opposed to the fee funding student research projects and initiatives, that it would fund a narrow and niche market of students. Also, he believes that these same students would be more qualified for the part-time jobs than others.

Adler suggested the funding be tuition-based, like other student jobs on campus.

“I hope it doesn’t pass, but is brought back next year and structured differently,” Adler said.

A kick-off event will be held for the SFI Monday from noon to 1 p.m. at the flagpoles on campus.

Booth: Currently, the Booth-Blaszczyk team has seven endorsements from Alpha Omicron Pi, American Humanics Student Organization, Public Relations Organization, Hillel, the Sales and Business Marketing Association, and the Order of Omega. Our team is awaiting more endorsements from other organizations; however, our main goal in this campaign is to get the Booth-Blaszczyk message out to students on how we can be their voice to the WMU administration and ensure WMU stays student-centered.

How can you make WSA benefit students who may not have the time to be involved with the senate or RSOs?

Booth: The work and effort of the WSA are broad and far-reaching beyond the popluation of students involved in Registered Student Organizations. Whether it be advocating for sustainability measures to bring down campus energy costs, lobbying for additional funding for higher education in Lansing, or opening up lines of communication between students and university administration here at WMU – WSA effects each and every single student at WMU.

Ladd: The biggest problem, and one of our top two initiatives, is the lack of student councils in every academic college. Because not every student is part of an RSO the Ladd/Rettich slate will create, with the experience that I’ve had as a founding member of the Aviation Student Council, student councils in every academic college. These councils will be a critical part of the student voice on campus; the College of Aviation has proven this with the ASC. It is of the utmost importance that these, student operated, councils exist in every college. The Ladd/Rettich slate will ensure this happens.

What are three things that you will do within your first two months as WSA president?

Ladd: 1) Conduct an exhaustive search of the student body to find students who are perfect for our executive cabinet, not find executive cabinet positions that are perfect for our friends. 2) Conduct a complete overhaul of our current Allocations Bylaws and Guidelines. These documents govern how, what, and to whom, the Allocations Committee of the WSA allocates money to and have remained unchanged for too long. 3) We will lay a strong foundation for our overall plan to establish academic student councils.

Booth: 1. Select an executive cabinet made up of a diverse group of students that are a true representation of the students at WMU.
2. Immediately contact Kalamazoo community leaders to begin conversation and have student representation on Kalamazoo development boards.
3. Meet with top WMU administrators to start conversations about tuition and what WMU will be encountering in the upcoming year. Furthermore, we will work with the Sustainability Fund Initiative authors and researchers to develop a well constructed sustainability initiative while developing education outreach plans for WMU upon students’ return in the fall.

Do you think the Sustainability Fund Initiative has been given enough time to be discussed by the WSA senate and student body? Also, are you in support of the $8 fee for fall and spring semesters, and $4 for the summer semesters?

Booth: Currently Western Michigan University is known as a Student Centered Research University. If the Sustainability Fund Initiative passes it will up hold and provide a broad spectrum of research opportunities for students. We support the idea of the SFI but there a few concepts we would like to develop and incorporate more within the WSA.
Ladd: No, I do not believe that the SFI has been given enough time to be discussed by the student body or the WSA Senate. I believe to fully grasp the potential the SFI has to offer it would be better suited on next year’s ballot. However, unlike our opponents that voted no on the resolution, the Ladd/Rettich slate is excited to work with the referendum group whether or not the fee is levied for the 2010-2011 academic year to lay down a clear and solid foundation for the SFI in the future. Sustainability is one of the three pillars of Dr. Dunn’s administration and it also plays a large role in the Ladd/Rettich platform.

What do you think of differential tuition, which is charging different tuition for different academic programs?

Ladd: Differential tuition holds a great opportunity for WMU. Simply stated differential tuition places the responsibility and ability to control each college’s budget in the hands of that college alone. It the case of colleges that are currently in high demand it will cost students more for upper level course work and this price increase will allow the college to hire the most qualified faculty and fully develop their respective academic program. The ability to develop each college based on their demand offers a huge incentive for the deans of each college to recruit students and offer top-notch academic programs.

Booth: This will allow the WMU administration to better and more effectively allocate money throughout the university as to better financially support our academic programs. The practice is already done by other large Michigan institutions and we think it is time for our academically dynamic university to follow suit.

How would you go about reforming the allocations process?

Booth: I would like to see the allocations guidelines and bylaws reformed by campus leaders who use allocations on a regular basis, leaders who are not familiar with the process, and other student leaders from diverse organizations. My plan is to ensure that allocations are more accessible to all student organizations and less intimidating. Furthermore, I would like to see an evaluation from organizations that use allocations to ensure that money is being spent wisely.

Ladd: As mentioned in question 3 the Ladd/Rettich slate believes that the allocations process is in dire need of revision. We will first select a chairperson that is competent, ethical, experienced with finances, and will evaluate the overall budget request and it’s cultural effect on campus. When redrafting and revising the bylaws and guidelines for the committee we will include student leaders from many different organizations and other interested parties. The rules must be revised in a way that will open funding to more student groups on campus instead of just groups that have traditionally received funding.

What is something new that you will bring to the WSA?

Ladd: As a three-year executive board member of the Aviation Student Council and a three year member of the Western Student Association, I will bring a solid track record to this position. In the past several years presidential candidates have had little to no experience in the WSA Senate or the executive branch, I offer three years of senate experience and two years of executive branch experience. Another new contribution is the addition and serious plans of Greek life into the WSA. Greek life makes up a significant portion of our student body at WMU and WSA has traditionally been less than welcoming to these students and it is something that cannot continue.

Booth: The Booth-Blaszczyk team has been researching the idea of starting a student scholarship program. This has been done by many other Michigan university student governments and we think the opportunity exists here at WMU too. This is a preliminary idea and with further talks with the WMU administration and research of best practices, we would like to implement this program that would be beneficial to students.

Being a full-time student is time consuming in itself, how much time can you realistically devote to WSA next year? How many credits will you be enrolled in?

Booth: Time management and organization is essential to the success of leaders in any organization. Through my experiences, I have been able to enhance those skills and schedule my time efficiently between work, school, and my other organizations. Next year, I will be finishing my degree at WMU while taking a light load of 12 credits per semester.

Ladd: Being an RSO president, specifically student body president, is highly time consuming, to think otherwise is simply foolish. My skills in time management have become quite well refined in the past couple of years during my tenure in the WSA and the numerous other student organizations I have participated in. I can, and already have, devoted in excess of 30 hours per week to the WSA. I will be finishing my senior year with between 15-16 credit hours per semester and currently only hold one job as speaker of the senate for the WSA.

How has your course work prepared you for the role of president?

Ladd: My course work here at WMU has a very strong focus on business management. The classes that have prepared me for this position include law, management, economics, anthropology and political science. While my course work has attributed to my overall success at WMU, I do believe a textbook can only offer a limited amount of leadership knowledge. Leadership is something that you must experience outside of the classroom and that is something that I have done for the majority of the last eight years.

Booth: As a public relations major and nonprofit leadership minor, I have taken courses in leadership, organizational communications, research, business, grant writing, and intercultural communications. These classes have all taught me the basics of how to ethically and effectively lead an organization while establishing relationships with fellow constituents which ultimately yields positive results.

What are three non-WMU related issues that are most important to you?

Booth: 1. The Kalamazoo community is very important to me and the rest of my slate. Kalamazoo is now our home and we want to see the community thrive on so many levels.
2. Higher education funding is also an important to me. Though it may be related to WMU, it is more closely related to the success of Michigan’s economy. I would like to see higher education funded more to entice graduates to stay in Michigan.

3. Lastly, service-learning is something that is important to me as well as the success of any leader. I think that service-learning is something that all students should do to enhance their skills as a leader and a diverse individual.

Ladd: Politics in America are something I am very passionate about, specifically taxes and policies geared toward raising revenue for the federal government. When I have free time I enjoy watching C-SPAN to catch up on the latest ‘drama’ in Congress. Also, freedom of speech and the First Amendment are very near and dear to my heart. In the U.S. people should never fear for what they believe in or say and should be able to voice their discontent at all times. Finally, I believe that community involvement in the form of service is essential to the progression of our society. In general I believe more people should give back to their community more often.

Why does WSA matter?

Ladd: The WSA is important because it is the largest, student run forum for student voices on campus. When an issue is raised, the student leaders in the WSA work tirelessly with other students to find a solution. They present this solution to university administration as a clear, concise and wholly accepted vision of the students instead of just a singular complaint. Without the WSA, it would be difficult for university administration to provide the best solutions for all students or to even hear a collective voice. However, the WSA is not just student leaders meeting with university administration; students are the foundation and most important part of the WSA.

Booth: The WSA is an extremely important asset to WMU. The WSA ensures that student’s voices are heard on academic and administrative levels. It is where students can come and speak as a unified voice for one goal: the make this university a better place.

Related Articles

Aaron Booth’s profile
Andrew Ladd’s profile
Video of first debate
Video of second debate

Police broke up a large St. Patrick’s Day block party Saturday, causing parts of KL Avenue to be blocked off by squad cars.

Photo courtesy of Amanda Sanborn | A crowd gathered at the West Campus Village apartment complex in Kalamazoo on Saturday.

The party, which started around noon at a parking lot in the West Campus Village apartment complex, resulted in attempts to disperse the crowd by the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety using mace, bystanders said.

No one with authority to comment on the situation at KDPS was available as of late Sunday.

Graduate student Amanda Sanborn said police arrived suddenly.

“It was really cool for about two hours, then the cops showed up,” Sanborn said. “I was in the middle of one of the crowds and people started yelling the cops were here.”

There were at least 10 officers on foot, with enough police cars on KL Avenue to block the street, Sanborn said.

Sanborn saw a full beer can thrown at a female police officer, which resulted in the police macing students.

After many of the students had dispersed, Sanborn and her friends were told to go inside while police gassed the area.

Sanborn said she still doesn’t understand why the police arrived.

“I don’t understand why the cops were called,” Sanborn said. “We were just drinking and chilling. We weren’t going anywhere else except the parking lot. We weren’t fighting each other.”

Sophomore Nick Ruggles said the commotion started with the stealing of a cherry picker from the Arboretum.

“[Someone] drove it down Emajean and we were chanting around it,” Ruggles said. “That’s what got the cops’ attention.”

The cherry picker was parked in a back corner of the lot with the police arriving around 25 minutes later, Ruggles said.

Ruggles also said the situation flared when beer cans were thrown at police.

As Ruggles and a group walked back along Emajean Street, police drove by for what he called a drive-by macing.

“I was near the road, so I got some in my face, but the guy in front of me really got trashed,” Ruggles said. “He said it didn’t feel so bad then grabbed his eyes and nearly hit the deck. My eyes burnt but it wasn’t real bad.”

Ruggles said the damp weather made the mace bearable until he got inside, into a dryer environment, where his eyes started to burn.

Sanborn counted about 10 police officers on foot and Ruggles saw 15 police cars from a second-floor window.

Sanborn estimated there were about 300 students there, while Ruggles said that number could have been around 1,000.

“It was definitely an interesting day,” Ruggles said.

The music and dancing heard Friday in the Bernhard Center was not the usual fundraiser for student organizations. Instead, it was for the people recovering from one of the largest natural disasters of the decade.

Jo Wei Looi/Western Herald | Western Michigan University Malaysian Student Association performed during the WMUnited for Haiti Friday night in the East Ballroom of the WMU Bernhard Center.

Western Michigan University students, teachers, staff, community members and leaders attended the WMUnited for Haiti fundraiser Friday in the East Ballroom at the Bernhard Center to show support for the millions of people affected by the earthquake that hit Haiti two months ago.

“We talk on this campus a lot about the fact that we are a family, and we come together to help each other. But because we are a family we reach out to other families,” Western Michigan University Provost Tim Greene told the audience.

As a result of the quake, some 200,000 Haitians died and millions are without homes, food, or clean drinking water.

With a $3 admission donation, other monetary donations, a silent auction, and T-shirt sales, the event raised approximately $2,600 in three hours. The money will be donated to the American Red Cross for Haitian relief.

Darius Machado, president of WMU’s International Programs Council, and volunteer Chair of IPC Bas Blankenstijn, coordinated the event and thought that something needed to be done and WMU should get involved.

With no other big fundraiser supporting Haiti scheduled, Machado, and Blankenstijn went around talking and meeting with various Registered Student Organizations to see if they were interested in participating – they were.

Over 30 groups registered to take part in the night’s event, uniting together for one cause. InterVarsity Christian Fellowship-Crossroads was one of them.

“Despite all the people without food and shelter in Haiti, we feel that education is so important and needs to still keep going,” InterVarsity member Erin Gignac said.

InterVarsity has teamed up with World Vision, a Christian organization dedicated to helping children and families in poverty, to make Promise Packs for children in Haiti.

Promise packs are backpacks with a promise, filled with basic essentials and school supplies and a personal note from whoever packed the backpack. InterVarsity’s minimum goal is to make 50 that cost about $25 to make.

“We live in a connected world,” InterVarsity member Jared Siangani said. “And when you know what is going on in the world, such as now in Haiti and Chile, we have to do something about it.

“In America, we are very privileged and we have the opportunity to share those privileges with the world,” he added.

Joining the student groups, Clean Water for the World, a local nonprofit that provides water purification systems to communities without access to clean drinking water, came out to show their support.

Executive Director Paul Flickinger was one of the featured speakers at the event and spoke about the importance of clean drinking water for people in nations such as Haiti.

Kalamazoo Mayor Bobby Hopewell, WMU Provost Timothy Greene and a representative from the Kalamazoo chapter of the American Red Cross also spoke.

Following the speakers, there was live entertainment from various students and RSOs.

The WMU theatre department performed a scene from William Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew,” Mark Barki and Hariz Shazalli from the Malaysian Student Association performed John Lennon’s Imagine and Ben E. King’s Stand by Me, joined by several other renditions of inspiring songs. The Merchandising Opportunities and Design Association put together a fashion show of student work for the event, the Dominican Student Organization performed a Dominican dance.

“The coming together of the group, like the coming together of everyone here tonight, represents unity,” IPC Secretary and MC Tithi Mukherjee said. She was also a part of some of the dance performances.

“The songs I picked are modern songs from different cultures that represents a united culture,” she said.

IPC coordinated the event with the support from the Campus Activities Board, Graduate Student Advisory Council and Western Student Association.

“Everyone should get involved,” Mukherjee said. “We are all human, and we all have to do our bit to help out.”