Tim Finnegan of Los Alamos, New Mexico, is this year's Beré Memorial Award winner, Lisa Winkle of Grand Rapids and Becky Weima of Caledonia, are the co-recipients of the Tiemersma Award. For additional information about the awards and these athletes please visit the Bere'/Tiemersma Web site.
Calvin's fiscal year ends June 30: please consider a gift to the Calvin Annual Fund
 Did you know that Calvin is 85% tuition-driven? That means alumni and friends of the college provide the other 15% of the cost of a Calvin education to keep tuition lower. If you haven't already, please consider a "year end" gift to The Calvin Annual Fund. Your gift helps Calvin provide daily resources for students that help bridge the gap between tuition and the actual cost of a Calvin education. Every gift, whatever the size, helps every student, every day and strengthens the education Calvin is providing our students. The college's books close on June 30 so this is an important time to add your financial support.
Engineering grads enjoy record employment rate
 As recent grads bask in the glow of recent Commencement ceremonies, Calvin engineering majors are celebrating not only the end of a grueling senior year, but also an amazing run of job offers. Calvin officials announced last month that 91% of its graduating students in engineering have already received a job offer. Of the 58 students majoring in engineering 13 are either going to graduate school, pursuing opportunities such as the Peace Corps or returning to Calvin for a fifth year. Of the remaining 45 job seekers, 41 have received an offer. And, Calvin officials note, the other four may still land a job in the coming few weeks. Calvin professor of engineering Gayle Ermer says the college believes this to be the best placement rate it's ever had this early. This despite a Michigan economy that is not exactly red-hot. Read more.
Calvin Women Take 2nd at NCAA III Track and Field Championships - Men Take 26th
 For the fourth time in school history and for the third time in the last four years, the Calvin women’s track and field team has earned a national runner-up finish. Under the direction of head coach Jong-il Kim, the Knights took second at the 2007 NCAA III Outdoor Track and Field Championships with 44.5 points. It marks the seventh top-four national finish in Calvin women’s track and field history. "Our women’s team competed very well and for a moment, it looked like we might have a chance to win (the national title)," said coach Kim. "But they (Wisconsin-Oshkosh) came up with some key performances when they needed to and I congratulate them on their performance. But I am also very proud of my women’s team. A second place team finish is a great accomplishment and our entire team and coaching staff played a role in finishing where we did." Read more.
Calvin graduate builds virtual Jedi trainer
 A Calvin senior who graduated this past May is leaving a whole world behind him where up-and-coming computer science students can test themselves: It's a virtual reality Jedi trainer. Josh Holtrop, an honors graduate in computer science and math major from Holland, spent a year building the immersive environment. The Jedi trainer-inspired by a scene in Star Wars- is his senior project in computer science. Holtrop is not, however, an obsessed Star Wars fan. "I like them all," he responds evenly when asked about his favorite movie of the series. The Jedi trainer, he says, was inspired by a similar environment, one of a dozen Calvin computer science professor Joel Adams was recruited to test drive last year at Carnegie Mellon University. Read more.
Area teens learn about college life at annual STEP Conference
 From 3 pm on Friday, June 15-when they move into the Calvin College residence halls-through the conclusion of the 11:30 am worship service on Sunday, June 17, 100-plus seventh through 10th graders from all over West Michigan will be having their first real-life college experience. It's called the Striving Toward Educational Possibilities (STEP) conference, and it's been going on at Calvin for 14 years. STEP is a three-day potpourri of classes, workshops and fun activities all focused on encouraging children who attend core city churches and schools in Grand Rapids, Muskegon, Holland and Kalamazoo to pursue post-high school education. "We're trying to expose students to college life in three days, essentially," says Amy Maffeo, the program coordinator for the Calvin office of Pre-College Programs and the organizer of STEP. "We're giving them a taste of residence life, academic life and just all-around student life." Read more.
1000+ new students to join Calvin community in September
 With gratitude to God, the college is pleased to announce that 1000 first-year students have already indicated their plans to attend Calvin in the fall. Another 30-50 first-year students are expected to join this number during the summer months. This number is a bit ahead of anticipated enrollees (as of this date in the spring) from years prior. We are thankful for the fruitful efforts of our Admissions and Financial Aid staff, as well as the thousands of alumni and parents who serve as ambassadors, helping the college "spread the word" about Calvin College with prospective students and their families. If you know of a prospective student who might be a good fit for Calvin we invite you to share that information with us.
Women's Chorale: May Interim Tour
 On Wednesday, May 23 the Calvin Women's Chorale, under the direction of Dr. Pearl Shangkuan, departed for their May Interim "Asian Communion in Song." During this 3-week interim tour, the choir will visit South Korea, China and Los Angeles, CA performing, participating in worship services, and leading workshops and master classes in a variety of locations. The choir will return to Grand Rapids on Monday, June 11. To view the Women Chorale's Asia interim itinerary and journal, please visit the Women's Chorale Web site.
Calvin student and prof team up to study autumn olive
 A Calvin College sophomore and a Calvin biology professor recently received $3,000 each from the Undergraduate Research Grants for the Environment (URGE) program. Kelly Edwards, 19, a biology and Spanish major from Grand Blanc, Michigan, will partner with biology professor David Dornbos for a 12-week stint from now to August, studying the autumn olive. They will work out of the Pierce Cedar Creek Institute biological field station and research just what it is that makes the autumn olive so invasive. The shrub, native to eastern Asia and brought to North America for ornamental use in the 1800s, is aggressively colonizing large areas of both woodland and meadow at the institute and throughout Michigan, running roughshod over the native species. Read more.
Physical Plant department is busy with summer improvement projects
In addition to the routine work on maintaining facilities and grounds, summer time provides an opportunity for the craftsmen and artisans of Calvin's Physical Plant department to complete a number of improvement projects while most students are away from campus. Among those summer projects are:
 • Beets-Veenstra face-lift: remodeling of entrance and lobby with a fireplace, remodeling of the RD apartment, repainting of all dorm rooms, new hallway carpeting and painting, improved outdoor landscaping, connection of BV basement areas
• complete remodeling of Kappa apartments at Knollcrest East
• Spoelhof Fieldhouse Complex
• Science Power Plant Addition
• New Biology Department Office
• Hekman Library 4th floor Study Room
• Hiemenga Hall classroom remodel
• Ladies Literary Club sound system installation
• Spoelhof Center atrium addition
• FAC mechanical system upgrade
• Chapel plaza redesign
• Landscape maintenance on E. Beltline median
Read more.
Calvin Distinctive #5: Remarkable Investment
 Calvin's life-changing education provides lifelong dividends. A Calvin education yields a return on investment that far outweighs tuition, as noted by independent endorsements and as demonstrated by the lives of alumni. Calvin is committed to making this academically excellent Christian higher education affordable to all qualified students. Calvin students receive almost $43 million in aid each year from all sources: federal, state and college funds. Over 90 percent of the student body benefits from some form of financial aid.
For more information visit the Calvin Distinctives Web site.
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The Calvin community celebrates with nearly 900 new graduates and their families who participated in Commencement 2007, two days of events that culminated with the ceremony held at the Van Andel Arena on Saturday, May 19 in downtown Grand Rapids. Dr. Michelle Loyd-Paige, Professor of Sociology and Dean of Multicultural Affairs addressed the graduates with an inspiring and challenging speech entitled Leave A Little Dust. Commencement events featured the 50th reunion of the Class of 1957, and Mr. William Garvelink '71 and Mr. Joel Holtrop '74 were honored as the recipients of this year's Distinguished Alumni Award. Photo galleries and highlights of Commencement weekend are posted at: 
