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• Calvin Wire: January 2, 2008

• Calvin Mourns the Death of Professor Karen Muyskens
• Featured Web Site: Housing
• Knollcrest East Open House: Tuesday, January 15
• Academic help available at Academic Services
• Calvin plans events to honor Dr. Martin Luther King
• Siblings Weekend: February 15-17
• Pizza and a Movie treat can be ordered anytime
• Calvin Tuition Certificates: purchase tuition units for tomorrow at today's rate
• Upcoming Career Fairs: January - April
• Student Life events at Calvin
• Calvin Distinctive #2: Purposeful Renewal
  

• Calvin Sports: Upcoming athletic events
• Concert Calendar: January, early February
• The Calvin-Hope Rivalry - Saturday, January 26. Join the fun at one of 60+ satellite sites!
• Regathering 2008: Wednesday, January 30
• Calvin Theatre Company: Alice in Wonderland - Jan. 31, Feb. 1-2, 7-9
• Homecoming 2008: February 8-9
  

• This Week's January Series: The Best College Lecture Series in America
• Lecture: Metaphor, Meaning & Embodiment - January 15
• Lecture: C.S. Lewis, Narnia, and the Seven Heavens - January 17
• Lecture: A Christian Case for Compassion for Animals - January 18
• Inner Compass: Equality or Equity? Defining Justice - January 20
• Conference: Calvin Symposium on Worship - January 24-26, 2008
• Conference: Festival of Faith & Writing - April 17-19, 2008
• Summer 2008 Conferences, Workshops & Seminars
  

Calvin Mourns the Death of Professor Karen Muyskens

It is with sadness that we report the death of Karen Muyskens, professor of chemistry, who passed away suddenly this weekend. Dr. Muyskens, who taught at Calvin since 1989, had been battling an infection that as recently as Saturday evening had apparently stabilized. Karen Muyskens is survived by her husband Mark, with whom she shared a position in the chemistry department, and three children. We are comforted, as are Mark and the family, in the knowledge that their beloved Karen was a child of God, who lived each day the words of the Heidelberg catechism which affirms that we are not our own, but that we belong with body and soul, both in life and in death, to our faithful Saviour Jesus Christ who has fully paid for all our sins with His precious blood. But this day, and in the days to come, please surround Mark and his family with your prayers and your words of comfort. Visitation and funeral arrangements are posted on the Calvin Web site.


Featured Web Site: Housing

Check out Calvin's re-designed Housing Web site, complete with new Web resources featuring:
•  resources and tips for off-campus living
•  information about Knollcrest East, Project Neighborhood, Glen Oaks East, and other living communities
•  cost summaries and comparisons for on and off-campus living opportunities
•  information about Grand Rapids neighborhoods
•  college expectations for off-campus living
•  parent resources


Knollcrest East Open House: Tuesday, January 15

Is your student starting to think about housing options for next year? Students have been notified of an open house at Knollcrest East tomorrow evening, January 15 from 7:00-8:00 pm in the Theta-Epsilon Lounge. Knollcrest East is an on-campus community of 500+ Calvin students who live in on-campus apartments. In addition to touring Knollcrest East, students will also be able to pick up housing contracts for 2008-2009 during the open house. Although the KE apartment assignment process will be held during the spring semester, this is an early opportunity for students to explore and guarantee their space in the on-campus apartments for next year.

Academic help available at Academic Services

Grades for fall semester have been posted and some parents are asking about academic assistance for their student. Many students are hesitant to admit they may need help; many are also hesitant to seek help. Parents are often in a position to encourage their student to use the resources available to them and to seek help. The Office of Academic Services (formerly SAS) is staffed and equipped to help students who would benefit by bolstering their study habits, tools and resources. Located on the fourth floor of Hiemenga Hall, the Office of Academic Services can help with academic coaching, tutoring, and academic counseling. Students may call to make an appointment or they can drop in weekdays between 8:00-5:00. 616-526-6113.

Calvin plans events to honor Dr. Martin Luther King

The Calvin community is planning several events highlighting the important topic of racial reconciliation, commemorating the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King. On January 19, the Multicultural Student Development Office is sponsoring a trip to The National Underground Railroad Museum in Cincinnati, Ohio. A celebration service is planned for Sunday evening at Divine Grace Ministries and events for Monday, January 21 include a MLK March, a lecture on anti-racism, and another celebration event at the Gerald R. Ford Fieldhouse in downtown Grand Rapids.



Siblings Weekend: February 15-17

Mark your calendar now for this popular annual event, which provides your Calvin student an opportunity to share the Calvin experience with a younger sibling, cousin, family friend, etc. The cost is $22 per sibling, which includes up to six meals in the dining halls (Friday dinner through Sunday lunch), admission to all of the Siblings Weekend activities on campus (with the exception of Rangeela), and bowling at Eastbrook Lanes. Tickets for either Rangeela performance (Friday or Saturday night) must be purchased separately through the Calvin Box Office at 616-526-6282; tickets will go on sale later in January 2008. For additional information visit the Siblings Weekend Web site.

Older siblings (grades 10-12) should note that Siblings Weekend 2008 is also a Fridays at Calvin visit weekend; Monday, February 18 is also a scheduled "Mondays" at Calvin program date.

Pizza and a Movie treat can be ordered anytime

Pizza and a Movie is one of the more popular student treats and this year is included in the Year of Treats package, scheduled for delivery to students on March 25. Did you know that Pizza and a Movie is also an "anytime" treat and can be ordered for delivery to your Calvin student . . . anytime! This treat would make a fun surprise for your student during the January Interim. Pizza and a Movie ($25) features a coupon for a large, two-item pizza which can be redeemed at your student's convenience for free delivery, pick-up or dine-in. The treat also includes a Blockbuster gift card and a bag of microwavable popcorn.

Calvin Tuition Certificates: purchase tuition units for tomorrow at today's rate

Calvin's tuition certificate program allows anyone (parents, grandparents, students) to purchase Calvin tuition certificates at current tuition rates. Tuition certificates are purchased at the current tuition rate, presently $216.85 for one unit or 1/100th of a year's tuition. These certificates may be used towards tuition payments at a future date when the cost of tuition will be higher. The price for tuition certificates at the 2007-2008 tuition rate is available through January 31, 2008. To purchase tuition certificates as a gift, or to simply pre-pay Calvin tuition for next year at the current rate, contact the Financial Services Office at 616-526-6127 or finserv@calvin.edu. For additional information visit the Tuition Certificate Web site.


Upcoming Career Fairs: January - April

Job fairs provide great opportunities for seniors and students seeking internships to meet employers. Company representatives attend job fairs to meet potential employees, increase awareness of their organizations, attract interns, and fill open positions. Calvin is an active member of the West Michigan College Career Services consortium, which sponsors job fairs at a variety of venues each academic year. Students are informed of these events through student news, posters and the Career Development Web site. Upcoming Career Fairs include:

•  Jan. 25: Auto-Owners Insurance Information Technology Career Opportunity Day - Lansing, MI
•  Feb. 6: Engineering and Technical Career Fair - Calvin College*
•  Feb. 14: Job Pursuit - Lansing, MI*
•  Feb. 18: Health Careers Networking Reception - Calvin College*
•  Feb. 19: West Michigan Career Connections (WMCC) and Health Career Day - downtown Grand Rapids, MI*
•  Feb. 22: Chicago Advertising Federation Career Day - Chicago, IL
•  March 3: Out of State Teacher Fair - Allendale, MI (GVSU)*
•  March 20: Summer Job Fair - Allendale, MI (GVSU)
•  April 5: Maryland Education Recruitment Job Fair - Baltimore, MD
•  April 23: Teacher Search - Calvin College (tentative)*

* = denotes Calvin sponsored event.

Student Life events at Calvin

This weekly feature of Calvin-Parents attempts to showcase student life events--movies, concerts, weekend events, etc.--by highlighting links to the student Web resources below:
•  "Weekend-haps" (this past weekend!)
•  Student Activities (SAO) Web site

The Calvin-Hope Rivalry - Saturday, January 26. Join the fun at one of 60+ satellite sites!

The classic Calvin-Hope men's basketball rivalry will reignite on Saturday, January 26 at 2:00 pm at the Calvin College Fieldhouse. Calvin and Hope parents, family, and alumni are invited to gather at one of more than 60 Rivalry sites across the U.S. and Canada to participate in this Calvin-Hope tradition via live satellite broadcast. To locate the event closest to your area visit the Rivalry Web site. Are you unable to find a Rivalry location nearby? Call 616-526-6142 and perhaps we can recruit you (in 2009) to help make local arrangements to plan a new Rivalry event in your hometown! Check out the Calvin/Hope "Rivalry" Web site!

The Calvin-Hope rivalry has gained national attention in recent years and was recently ranked one of the country's fiercest rivalries behind Duke/North Carolina, Connecticut/Tennessee (women's) and Louisville/Kentucky. The first game between the two schools was played during the 1920-21 season. Since then, Hope and Calvin have played 165 times; Calvin has won 83 games and Hope has won 82.

Regathering 2008: Wednesday, January 30

Calvin's spring semester convocation, Regathering 2008, will take place in the Calvin Fieldhouse on Wednesday, January 30 from 9:50-10:50 am. Parents are invited to this event, during which the Calvin community will launch the spring semester and welcome back students and faculty who have traveled abroad during fall semester and Interim, celebrating the cultures with which they have engaged and the diversity of things they have learned in doing so. We are especially pleased to welcome guest speaker Dr. Elaine Storkey, whose convocation address topic will be "Climate Change & The Global Poor."

Calvin Theatre Company: Alice in Wonderland - Jan. 31, Feb. 1-2, 7-9

The Calvin Theatre Company will present Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll, adapted and Directed by Todd Farley, on January 31 and February 1-2 and 7-9 in the Lab Theatre at Calvin College. Lewis Carroll's fantastic tale takes on a new twist in this whimsical mimo-drama (a mix of physical and spoken theatre). Familiar characters such as the Cheshire Cat, the Queen of Hearts, Mad Hatter, Jabberwocky, and Alice will charm the audience with their mime, full-body puppetry, and fanciful banter. Calvin Theatre Company's Alice in Wonderland celebrates a creativity and childlike imagination that defies common sense yet in the process touches something deeply hidden in our hearts--delight. Tickets are available from the Calvin Box Office; 616-526-6282.

Homecoming 2008: February 8-9

Homecoming 2008 is not an event just for students and alumni--Calvin parents and family members are warmly invited as well! Events include a Gospel Choir reunion and concert, as well as a Project Neighborhood Reunion (celebrating 10 years!). Other Homecoming highlights feature:
•  Calvin basketball & ice hockey
•  Annual Airband contest
•  Alice In Wonderland, CTC's winter play
•  Alumni photography exhibition
•  Award luncheon honoring Dr. Don Wilson
•  Cold Knight Club Sem Pond Jump
•  other concerts and events
Visit the Homecoming Web site to view the complete program and details. Tickets for Homecoming events can be ordered online.

All presentations begin at 12:30 pm and end promptly at 1:30 pm (EST). Additionally, remote webcasts at a dozen sites around the U.S. will bring January Series' expertise to such locales as Muskegon, Ann Arbor and Chicago and as far away as Florida and California. In addition to these remote sites, listeners may also join in as most of the presentations will be broadcast in real audio through the Calvin Web site. More information, including the entire 2008 January Series schedule and the complete list of remote webcast sites, is available on the January Series Web site.

Lecture: Metaphor, Meaning & Embodiment - January 15

The Dean of the Chapel Lecture Series continues with this lecture being given by Dr. M. Elaine Botha, on Tuesday evening, January 15, at 7:30 pm in the Meeter Center Lecture Hall. Dr. Botha is professor of Philosophy (emerita) from Redeemer University College in Ancaster, Ontario, Canada and the North Western University, Potchefstroom campus, in South Africa. Ms. Botha's topic is Metaphor, Meaning and Embodiment. Ms. Botha has published widely on the topic of metaphor and its underlying analogical structure as a significant key to understanding the nature of reality and cognition. She also shows how metaphor can provide a better understanding of the relationship between science and religion. Refreshments will be served.


Lecture: C.S. Lewis, Narnia, and the Seven Heavens - January 17

You are invited to join the English and Religion Departments in welcoming to campus Dr. Michael Ward, Chaplain of Peterhouse, University of Cambridge. Michael is a C. S. Lewis scholar whose book "Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C. S. Lewis" has just been released by Oxford University Press. Dr. Ward's lecture is entitled "C. S. Lewis, Narnia, and the Seven Heavens." The lecture will take place at 7:30 pm in the Chapel Undercroft.


Lecture: A Christian Case for Compassion for Animals - January 18

The inaugural address of the Animals and the Kingdom of God Lecture Series will be given by Stephen H. Webb on Friday, January 18 at 7:30 pm in the Bytwerk Theater (De Vos Communication Center). Dr. Webb is professor of religion and philosophy at Wabash College and is author of "On God and Dogs: A Christian Theology of Compassion for Animals and Good Eating." This lecture series has been established by a friend of Calvin College; gratitude is extended to Students for Compassionate Living for their assistance with this program. A reception will follow the lecture.

Inner Compass: Equality or Equity? Defining Justice - January 20

We're uncomfortable with the idea of inequality, yet we see it all around us, even in nature. Do we need to get more specific in our concerns about justice? Michelle Loyd-Paige, dean of multicultural affairs at Calvin College, suggests to host Karen Saupe a closer look at the terms equity and enough.

Inner Compass is a Calvin-produced television show that explores how people make decisions regarding ethical, religious, and social justice issues. Inner Compass typically airs in western Michigan on PBS station WGVU-TV on Sunday afternoons at 1:00 pm: Grand Rapids (channel 35/cable channel 6) and Kalamazoo (channel 52). Two full seasons of episodes are also downloadable in video or audio from the Inner Compass Web site. Each Wednesday the latest program is added (or, each Monday on iTunes, podcasts section).


Conference: Calvin Symposium on Worship - January 24-26, 2008

The Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and the Center for Excellence in Preaching warmly invite you to attend the Calvin Symposium on Worship, January 24-26, 2008. Worshipers and worship leaders from around the world gather at Symposium each January for a time of fellowship, worship, and learning, seeking to deepen and integrate all aspects of worship, develop their gifts, encourage each other, and renew their commitment to the full ministry of the church. Online registration is now open.

Conference: Festival of Faith & Writing - April 17-19, 2008

The Festival of Faith & Writing is a biennial gathering of readers and writers hosted by Calvin College. At the Festival, our goal is to provide a vibrant community where readers and writers come together to discuss, celebrate, and explore the ways in which faith is represented in literature and how it plays out in our world today. The upcoming Festival features Kathleen Norris, Yann Martel, Katherine Paterson, Michael Chabon, Francine Rivers, Gail Godwin, Edward P. Jones, Haven Kimmel, and Elizabeth Berg, and many more. No matter what your literary interests, the 2008 Festival has a track for you, featuring writers in every imaginable genre. If you are intrigued by how faith informs art, or if you simply need a few days to celebrate the joy of words, then you should consider attending! Online registration is now available and early registration is advised.

Each month one book is showcased, written by an author who is scheduled to participate in Festival 2008. Our goal with this new feature-which we call "Festival Favorites"-is to shine light on some good books that perhaps aren't (yet) on your bookshelves. We hope you get a chance to read a few of these "favorites" before the Festival next April! January's featured book is The Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon.

Summer 2008 Conferences, Workshops & Seminars

The summer months at Calvin are busy with many activities and events, including a sizable offering of conferences, workshops and seminars. Applications are now being accepted for the summer of 2008. Please visit our Web site for additional information and applications or contact Marilyn Rottman at 616-526-7524; mjr22@calvin.edu. Please note that the application deadline is January 31, 2008.
•  Being Muslim in the United States; July 14-August 1, 2008
Funded by The Louisville Institute and Seminars in Christian Scholarship at Calvin College
•  Teaching and Learning as Spiritual Disciplines; July 21-25, 2008
Funded by the Kuyers Institute for Christian Teaching and Learning at Calvin College and the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
•  Congregations and Religious Diversity in Contemporary America; June 23-July 18, 2008. Co-sponsored by the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship; Funded by the Lilly Endowment, Inc.
•  Christian Hymnody in Historical Perspective; June 23-July 3, 2008
Co-sponsored by the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship; Funded by the Lilly Endowment, Inc.

•  Imaginative Reading for Creative Preaching; July 7-18, 2008
Funded by the Center for Excellence in Preaching at Calvin Theological Seminary
•  From Text to Sermon; July 21-25, 2008
Funded by the Center for Excellence in Preaching at Calvin Theological Seminary
•  Singing for Fun: Polyphony Camp; Evenings of June 23,24,25,26,30 and July 1,2, 2008

Calvin-Parents, published by the Calvin Office of Parent Relations, is an e-mail newsletter published for parents, grandparents and family members of Calvin students. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change delivery to a different e-mail address send an e-mail message to parents@calvin.edu, call 616-526-6094, or follow the directions posted on the Calvin-Parents Web site. Click here to access archived issues of Calvin-Parents.

. E-mail Jim Van Wingerden, Calvin Parent Relations Director | 616-526-6094