Recap of Airband, Rangeela...

Relive the highlights from Airband XXV held during Homecoming weekend.  Read more about Rangeela, the international student variety show, and the story of the parent that followed her daughter's rehearsals on Skype.  There is also a photo gallery from the events of a busy weekend on campus and other activities of campus life.

All are invited to the Calvin Around Town event featuring the Calvin Orchestra

Please join us for our next Calvin Around Town at the Frauenthal Center for Performing Arts in Downtown Muskegon on Thursday, March 5, 2009.   The evening's highlights include a hors d'oeuvre reception, tours of the historic theater, and admission to the Calvin College Orchestra’s annual Concerto Concert under the baton of conductor Robert Nordling.  You can register for the event ($10) on the Calvin Around Town secure registration site.

Calvin’s 80-piece full symphony orchestra presents two major concerts and tours annually.   Each year the Calvin College Orchestra hosts a Concerto Competition with the winners selected to perform as soloists at the Concerto Concert.  See these performers and the beautiful Frauenthal on March 5.

Department of nursing admission decisions

Calvin students who have made application to the upper division nursing major for the fall of 2009 will receive notification of acceptance or non-acceptance this week. Those who are not admitted will be offered support and encouragement via their academic advisor, the Broene Counseling Center and Career Development.  Please feel free to contact the nursing department at 616-526-7076 with any questions you may have. 

--Mary Molewyk Doornbos, professor and chairperson, nursing department

Women's Chorale tour of Pacific Northwest

Calvin Woman's Chorale, an honor choir founded and led by Dr. Pearl Shangkuan, will tour Oregon, Washington and British Columbia during the college's spring break, March 21-28, 2009.

The Calvin Woman's Chorale has already performed at festivals throughout Michigan and sings at the annual Fall Music Festival, the Festival of Lessons and Carols, and presents a full concert each spring. The chorale toured the East Coast in 2005 and, following that tour, the choir released its debut recording, Music Down in My Soul. In 2007, the chorale spent three weeks on an tour to South Korea, China and Southern California.

Student Treats:  Popcorn

The next installment of student treats to order for your student features popcorn!  Your student can dive into a bag of popcorn to help get back into school after spring break.  They'll also need some snacks (and maybe more to share?) to help with the last push until exams.  The Popcorn Treat features three bags of deluxe, flavored popcorn—caramel, cheese, and butter—and includes a personal-sized bag of the fruity favorite "Monster Munch."

The order deadline is March 24 with delivery on March 31 (PLEASE NOTE date correction from the brochure).  And don't forget your off-campus student!  Students living off-campus will receive an e-mail notifying them they have a treat to pick up, within two business days, at the appointed location on campus.  If you have questions about the treats, contact parents@calvin.edu at 616-526-6802.

From the office of the president

I am pleased to inform the Calvin community that I have offered the position of College Chaplain to Rev. Dr. Mary Hulst and she has graciously accepted the position, pending a successful PSC (Professional Status Committee) interview.   We are grateful to God for her willingness to accept this call on her life and to continue to serve the Christian Reformed Church as the new College Chaplain.  

Dr. Hulst received her BA in Classics at Calvin College in May, 1991.  She went on to earn her M.Div. at Calvin Theological Seminary in May, 1995.  In December 2006 she earned her PhD from the University of Illinois in Communications Ethics. She has served as pastor of the Eastern Ave. CRC, and faculty member in both our CAS department and at Calvin Theological Seminary.  In all these roles, Dr. Hulst has demonstrated that she is a superb teacher, wise pastor and effective communicator, all grounded first of all in her own discipleship to Jesus Christ.

In this new role as College Chaplain, she will be a resource to students, faculty and staff.  This multi-faceted work will be carried out in partnership with several on-campus offices.  She will head the professional staff in the office of Christian formation.  Provost Beversluis looks forward to working with her on opportunities involving the faculty.  Her great skill as a teacher will continue to be tapped both in Seminary, where she will continue to teach some preaching courses as a member of the faculty, and in our newly organized Department of Congregational and Ministries Studies, where she will serve as adjunct faculty.

She will begin her work here in the early summer of 2009.  Please feel free to offer your welcome and congratulations by emailing her at mary.hulst@gmail.com.  I also wish to thank the Chaplain's Search Committee for their thorough and thoughtful work.  

Gaylen Byker, president
(You may visit the Faith Web site for more information about the office of Christian formation.)

Online resources from Calvin covering...everything!

PRISM 2008-2009

For only $10 you can purchase the 2008-2009 edition of the PRISM, Calvin's yearbook! This full-color book has over 180 pages filled with photographs and articles about students' lives and experiences at Calvin throughout this school year. PRISM will feature sports, student organizations, service-learning, faith, residence halls, and student life-- this is a fantastic way to get a peek into your student's life at college!  Read more about the history of the Prism from a recent story in the alumni magazine, Spark.

You can order the book at the campus store (online, search for "PRISM" or "yearbook").  We'll have your book available for pick-up at the Campus Store next year, or the book will be sent in the mail for off-campus students.

This is a wonderful, affordable gift for your student to preserve memories of a whole year at Calvin! Please feel free to contact prism@calvin.edu with any questions.

Thank you!
The Prism staff

Events for alumni, friends and families

Bookmark the alumni events calendar to keep track of important dates throughout the year, to which you are warmly invited, as a parent, alumni and/or friend of the college.  More information is found there for each of the following events:

Mar. 5: Calvin Around Town at the Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts in Muskegon, Mich.
Mar. 9: Athletics luncheon featuring coaches and athletic directors in Zeeland, Mich.
Mar. 20-29: Women's Chorale Pacific Northwest tour
Mar. 20-26: Baseball team in Phoenix
Apr. 25: Calvin 5k Spring Classic