Calvin-Parents E-Newsletter: July 28, 2009

Siblings Weekend, Family Weekend

It's never too early to start planning for Siblings Weekend. Siblings Weekend is fun for siblings, cousins, young friends, and other guests who come to visit a Calvin student! Of course you can visit anytime, but Siblings Weekend is geared for kids. All meals are included in the registration, and a variety of events and opportunities are available.

You can also mark your calendar for Family Weekend on October 24 and 25, 2009.  More information about this weekend will be available soon!

On-campus housing information and The Dormulator

First-year and transfer students who are registered to live in the residence halls will receive notification of their residence hall assignment in early August; students who applied later in the spring will be notified later in August. Students have already received roommate information and have been encouraged to contact each other before arrival so that they can begin to get acquainted, share information about what they are bringing for the room, etc. Although students will learn of their residence hall assignment in early August, they will not know their specific room assignment until they move in at the end of August. The Housing Office website is your best source for information about roommates, residence halls and arranging a dorm room (which you can do now using The Dormulator!).

Calvin's recent rankings

Calvin is lauded for its "sweet" off-campus programs and attention given to students by faculty members in this year's The Best 371 Colleges. Calvin was also named one of the best and most interesting colleges by the Fiske Guide in 2009.

Summer camps on campus

Calvin welcomes children of all ages to campus every summer for a variety of summer camps.  From bug finding to belly flopping, spiking to shooting, filtering to formatting, kids of all ages are finding plenty of activities on Calvin’s campus to keep them busy this summer.  And with a record-high number of camps this year, Calvin’s varied summer camp offerings are expected  to draw more than 2,000 young people ages 4 to 18 during ten weeks this summer.
 

Online, not "In Line"

Getting textbooks can be an overwhelming part of your student's "back to school" experience. Let us make this process easy and convenient for everyone with our online Textbook Reservation system. This is a great way for your student to get the right books for fall semester picked and packed just for them.  Students will get an email notice in early August when our system is open when they may log in to our Web site, access their personal book list and place a reservation. Book orders will be delivered directly to dorms before classes start, or held at the store for off-campus students.  An online textbook reservation with the Calvin Campus Store saves time and money!

In the meanwhile, parents can consult the Incoming Student Information and Gifts page to prepare for the start of school.
 

Information Technology

Calvin Information Technology (CIT) provides computing, printing, telephone and cable television services to the Calvin College community.  You should visit their site to find out about bringing a computer to campus, anti-virus software offered, wireless access, etc.  Also, CIT will also be available during PASSPORT to help you connect your computer or laptop to the Calvin Network.

John Calvin's 500th

John Calvin's 500th birthday was celebrated around the world on Friday, July 10, 2009.  Celebrations on campus were marked with a special birthday party.  See the birthday video created for the occasion, view photos from the party and read about other celebrations held on campus in honor of the Reformer's birthday.  Also, Karin Maag, director of the H. Henry Meeter Center for Calvin Studies, was interviewed on NPR about John Calvin.

Construction on campus

As the Fine Arts Center undergoes a major renovation, you can watch the progress via online photos and progress reports.  Also of interest, three Web cameras faithfully recorded a photo-per-day from the Spoelhof Fieldhouse Complex construction site over a two-year period. 1,868 photos, showing at 15 'days' per second, make-up the three time-lapse movies.
 

2009 Entrada Scholars

Sixty-eight high school students—the 2009 Entrada Scholars—are making the most of their opportunities at Calvin this summer. In between classes and intense studying, they're shooting hoops and learning how to salsa dance.

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:

August 10: Calvin Athletic Luncheon Series in Zeeland, Michigan
September 12: 40th Annual Calvin Alumni Golf Tournament at Pilgrim's Run
September 29: Calvin Around Town/MBA@Calvin ArtPrize event in Grand Rapids, Michigan
October 9 & 10: Homecoming 2009 on campus