23 Singers Perform at SMC Vocal Studio Recital

Twenty-three vocalists sang Dec. 10 at Southwestern Michigan College Visual and Performing Arts’ fall vocal studio recital in the theatre of the Dale A. Lyons Building on the Dowagiac campus.

SMC Graduates 14-Member Nursing Class

Southwestern Michigan College Dec. 10 welcomed 14 new nurses to America’s largest health care profession with more than four million registered nurses (RNs) nationwide.

SMC Recaps 2025 Accomplishments

During its last regular meeting of the year Dec. 10, the Southwestern Michigan College Board of Trustees paused to glance back at 2025, before forging ahead into 2026.

19 Instrumentalists Perform at SMC Fall Recital

Nineteen instrumental musicians performed Dec. 9 at Southwestern Michigan College Visual and Performing Arts’ fall semester recital in the theatre of the Dale A. Lyons Building on the Dowagiac campus.

SMC ‘Rakes a Difference’ for United Way

Six Southwestern Michigan College musicians found themselves back in marching band Nov. 13 volunteering for United Way of Southwest Michigan’s 15th annual Rake a Difference. The event unfolds across Cass, Berrien and Van Buren counties.

Food Drive Response Overwhelming

The overwhelming response brought Southwestern Michigan College Student Success Coach Kelley McCarthy to tears. “I cried every day this week because people just kept bringing stuff and asking what else we needed,” she said.

SMC’s Arts Program Attracted ‘Triple Threat’ from Watervliet

Watervliet’s Lauren Lovell is a triple threat for Southwestern Michigan College, playing clarinet and tenor saxophone, singing and appearing in “Shrek: The Musical” last March. When she finishes her associate degree in instrumental music in May, the Nov. 7 Founders Day speaker hopes to transfer to Western Michigan University and ultimately become a band or choir director. “I’m leaning more toward band,” she said.

Southwestern Michigan College Continues Presidential Search

In the search for the institution’s next president, the Board of Trustees of Southwestern Michigan College will interview an additional finalist, Dr. Klint Pleasant of Rochester Hills, Mich., on Dec. 9. After public on-campus interviews Oct. 21 and 22, the board decided at a special public meeting on Nov. 7 to consider additional prospects.

Ricker Writing Textbook on Serial Killers

Southwestern Michigan College Criminal Justice Professor Dr. Don Ricker is writing the book on serial killers. A textbook, no less. He signed a contract with Kendall-Hunt Publishing of Dubuque, Iowa, with a target release date in January 2027 and recently submitted his first chapter.

SMC Opens Zollar Roof Bids

Meeting at the Niles campus Nov. 12, the Southwestern Michigan College Board of Trustees opened bids for partially re-roofing 10,716 square feet of the Charles O. Zollar Building. Base bids, ranging from $331,700 to $412,300, were submitted by three contractors, Hoekstra Roofing of Kalamazoo, Morris and Sons Roofing of Bourbon, Ind., and Midland Engineering of South Bend.