Fifty falls after Southwestern Michigan College’s first 1966 classes, 402 housing students Sept. 1 moved into three residence halls opened since 2009.

Classes start Sept. 6 with 1,017 new students attending campuses in Dowagiac and Niles.

Friends Bret Stermer from Lawton and Cam Pincumbe from Schoolcraft room together while fulfilling prerequisites for SMC’s Michigan State University partnership.

The SMC-MSU alliance enables students to complete certificates in agricultural operations, fruit and vegetable crop management, viticulture, applied horse science and landscape management while working toward associate degrees.

Stermer wants to pursue agribusiness, Pincumbe landscape management.

As suitemates, they will be getting acquainted with are Goshen, Ind., automotive technology majors Rodney Spencer and Lane Galloway. The four can bond over mutual interest in football.

“My older brother went here,” Galloway said. “I looked at a couple other places, but this was a lot more affordable.”

Director of Student Housing Jason Wilt arrived when Keith H. McKenzie Hall opened in 2009.

Wilt earned his bachelor’s degree at Central Michigan University double majoring in history and English, with a family studies minor, and his master’s degree from the University of Central Missouri in college student personnel administration.

Thomas F. Jerdon Hall opened in 2010 as East Hall and was joined by William M. White Hall in 2013, when both were named for two other long-time Board of Trustees officers.

Residence hall managers are supported by student RAs, or resident assistants, on each of nine floors.

RAs devise a floor theme which lends an identity for camaraderie and insight into their personalities, whether Monsters Inc., NBA teams, Dr. Seuss, Toy Story, music or an undersea “whalecome” with such witty advice as “be shore of yourself,” “avoid pier pressure,” “make waves,” “come out of your shell” and “a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.”

“Fireman Joe” Sharum lined White’s second floor with Legos.

“They’re my obsession,” he said. “I’ve loved them since I was 3.”

Sharum comes by his nickname honestly, as he’s an actual firefighter for the Dowagiac Fire Department.

His hometown, Berrien County’s New Buffalo, is where he knows Patrick Butler from.

Butler, a music education major who dedicated White’s first floor to diversity as depicted in comic books, sings in SMC choirs and plays trombone in bands because he wants to become a professor.

Sharum studies criminal justice intending to become a dog handler for a canine unit.

As a paid on-call volunteer, Sharum carries a pager, reporting to fire scenes when alarms sound.

“Dowagiac covers here, too. If there’s ever a call, I’d be first on the scene,” said Sharum, whose father is New Buffalo Township Fire Department
assistant chief.

“I’m going on my fourth year,” Sharum said. “They offered a class in my high school. I was actually on the department at 17, but couldn’t be a certified firefighter until I turned 18. I went through like 295 hours of training. Jason encouraged me to become an RA because I have good leadership skills and am very cool under pressure. I’m Dowagiac’s guinea pig. They’ve never had a college student on the department before.”

Criminal justice major Ann Lim from Holland, likes monkeys, so adopted a Tarzan motif with jungle vines for Jerdon’s third floor.

Lim graduated with her associate degree last spring after a year serving as her hall’s EXCEL Ambassador and on Seeking Justice, a select group of students helping authorities crack cold cases.

This fall she continues toward her bachelor’s degree. Her initial interest was becoming a criminologist, but she is considering other avenues to help people, from the Secret Service to probation and parole, including working in the security office for Chief of Staff Tom Atkinson, a former police chief and detective.

After getting unpacked, students converge on The Backyard between the residence halls for team-building ice breakers to get acquainted.

Another get-together delves in more detail into rules, policies, Agree to Succeed student success agreements, campus security and roommate relationships.