In this Issue...
RUCKUS: Music for free?
What you need to know |
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Have you heard? There is free music for college students. It’s called Ruckus and it provides free access to over 2.5 million tracks of music from all sorts of genres. The only thing you need is a valid college email address. This music can be accessed from any computer that has a Ruckus music player installed, and the player installation is quick, painless, and better yet, FREE.
Does it sound too good to be true? Well, it almost is. The small catch is that you cannot burn the songs onto CDs unless you buy them, and it is not compatible with iTunes or iPods.
Like most things, Ruckus has its advantages and its drawbacks. Every once in a while, that song you were looking for will not be one of the 2.5 million tracks available and not every artist is available through the collection that they offer. But you can listen to full CDs with the Ruckus player and get a taste of all kinds of different music, without spending a penny. Plus if you were illegally downloading music before, now you don’t have to worry about the law catching up with you.
So give it a try, and see what happens. Go to Ruckus.com to download the player and get started.
Safety First
Although all campus residence hall rooms and KE apartments are outfitted with smoke detectors (and carbon monoxide detectors in KE), these devices rely on batteries. If you hear intermittent beeping (once ever several seconds), this could be an indication that your detector’s battery is getting low. We encourage you to conduct regular battery checks of the detectors in your rooms, and report any problems to the Physical Plant by using the on-line maintenance request system.
Special Note for Knollcrest East residents: If you have a carbon monoxide detector in your apartment and it begins sounding (4 short signals every 5 seconds), immediately account for all your roommates, leave the apartment, and call Campus Safety at 3-3333. Campus Safety will follow special protocols to ensure your safety and the repair of the problem.
Siblings Weekend Feb. 15-17
Perhaps you visited an older brother or sister (or cousin or friend) in college when you were younger. Perhaps you visited someone here at Calvin. Do you remember the sense of adventure you felt to be on a college campus?
Now’s your chance to give this experience to a younger sibling or relative, by inviting them to Siblings Weekend at Calvin. The dates are February 15-17 and a number of events are scheduled that weekend to offer plenty of options for giving time and attention to that sibling.
The price is $22 which includes any and all meals during the weekend and admittance to the various events planned, including bowling. In addition, you might want to pick up tickets from the Box Office for Rangeela (Calvin’s annual international variety show) or for the men’s basketball game on Saturday.
For full details and on-line registration, visit the website.
Living, Learning, and Leadership: Looking Ahead
As many of you know, we are approaching the time of year where next year’s leaders are chosen. This leader-choosing frenzy begins with RAs and gradually progresses towards the selection of ACs and KE PACs, Hall Presidents, Treasurers, and FPLs: CDs, CPCs, and MACs, The rash of acronyms becomes overwhelming but the opportunities for involvement in our communities are great. And these positions all contribute to the same thing—student learning within our living communities.
Keep your eyes open for advertisements, posters, brochures, and information meetings, all of which will give you the scoop on what the positions are, when the application processes will be, and what the benefit to you and your community could be. We rely on YOU for the vibrant character and atmosphere that mark our living communities! And if all goes well, we think you’ll learn a little something along the way...as will those around you!
Eat your heart out: Meal Plan Style
If you have a fifteen meal plan this semester, but you are suddenly realizing that you really would like the 21 meal plan, have no fear! Students will be able to change their meal plans during interim all the way through the 1st week of spring semester classes (LAST DAY is Friday, February 1). Students can submit a meal plan change request by stopping by the Housing Office or emailing us at housing@calvin.edu. Include in this email your name, ID number, and desired meal plan for spring, 2008. If you have any questions, email the housing office, or call 526-6120.
KE Residents may want to consider the 50-block meal plan (available only to KE and off-campus residents). This plan gives you the flexibility to use the meals when you want, and the convenience of being able to drop in the dining hall (and even bring a friend or two) and not purchase, prepare, and clean-up after your own food every meal.
Bathroom Checks
For residence hall residents, by the time you read this, your bathroom will most likely have been checked. Hopefully you passed the inspection! Keeping things clean in your apartment or suite is important for health, hospitality, stewardship, and self-management.
I’d like a waiver on the bathroom check—is that possible? I’m submitting this as my lab experiment for Chem 201.
Ice skating and Sledding at Knollcrest East
Interim is a great time to enjoy the winter weather outside (assuming we don’t have another thaw!) But what is there to do? Head on over to Knollcrest East!
KE offers sledding and ice skating to all residents, including the students in the residence halls! You can bring your own skates or if you don't have them, borrow a pair of skates at the KE desk located in Theta Epsilon (bring your Calvin ID card). Then head on out to the ice rink, located on the sand volleyball court.
Once you are done skating, bring a sled (or anything else that might be slippery enough to go down a hill) and head over to the sledding hill which starts at the gazebo by Phi-Chi and heads toward Zeta-Lambda.
NEW Building Rising!
To the north of Kalsbeek-Huizenga, you might notice a lot fencing and a growing hole in the ground. The newest addition to Calvin’s residence halls is on the rise. We’ll feature it in an upcoming issue, as there are some nice new elements being added to our standard template for residence hall floors.
Interested in living in this new place? Information on some creative living ideas for the building will be announced in the coming months as well.