News

By Alex Freeman 

MCC Communications Coordinator 

SIDNEY— Enjoy food, drinks and free admission to the season-opening basketball games at Montcalm Community College during our Fall Open House Nov. 1. 

The open house runs from 12 noon to 2 p.m. on MCC’s Sidney campus. Upon check-in with student representatives, attendees can pick up a detailed campus map. Activities will be spread across campus, with tours mostly being self-guided. 

A complimentary lemonade bar will welcome attendees as they enter the Donald C. Burns Administration Building, where student services staff will be available to answer questions about admissions, registration and financial aid. Attendees who are at least 25 years old and who have a high school diploma, but not a college degree, are eligible for the Michigan Reconnect program. 

“Members of our financial aid office will be on-hand to help people with Michigan Reconnect questions and can help fill out the application,” said Kayla Beckett, MCC Admissions Representative. “We’ll also have a table with Michigan Reconnect information that guests can take to give to friends or family members that may qualify.” 

Select faculty will be available to promote their programs and share what it’s like to be a student at MCC. It’s a great opportunity for instructors to share their passion with prospective students, a favorite element for Admissions Representative Taryn Muilenburg. 

“Any time I have a faculty member come and talk about their program and MCC as a whole or what community college means to them, I get energized by what they’re saying,” Muilenburg said. “If they can have that effect on me, someone who’s been working here for 10 years, imagine the impact they can have on the students.” 

Student club representatives will also be on campus to promote their clubs and the activities they engage in. In addition, Ashley Reisbig, Educational Careers Instructor at the Montcalm Area Career Center, will bring students from her class for a family-friendly activity, taking place in the Kenneth J. Smith Instructional Building. 

During breaks from the action, attendees and one guest can enjoy free access to the two food trucks on campus — Firesliderz and Taqueria El Azteca. Starting at 1 p.m., open house attendees can take advantage of free admission to the women’s basketball season-opening game against Cornerstone University’s JV team. Following the women’s game, the men’s basketball team will take the court against Washtenaw Community College, scheduled for an estimated 3 p.m. tipoff. 

The basketball games will cap off a full day of activities and information, which Muilenburg hopes will leave visitors with a lasting impression of MCC’s fun, friendly culture. 

“Our focus is on academics, but we want to convey to the open house attendees that it is really fun on campus, too; there can be fun things if you allow yourself to see the fun,” Muilenburg said. “With the addition of the basketball games, I hope they get to experience the excitement and what it’s like to be a part of this atmosphere.” 

Attendees are encouraged to pre-register for the Fall Open House by going to studentservices.montcalm.edu/register/2025FallOpenHouse.