Calvin-Parents E-Newsletter: December 22, 2009

Parents of 2010-2011 returning students: Off-campus housing

The city of Grand Rapids has a long-standing ordinance on its books which prohibits more than four unrelated people from living in one house. This past fall, often times as a result of complaints from neighborhood associations, some Calvin students who had more than four living in a house found themselves on the receiving end of eviction notices. There have been several forums on campus this fall to discuss this issue, and recently student life sent a letter to all students reminding them of their responsibilities if they choose to live off campus.

Student life has made a letter available to parents (parent letter in .pdf format) and to students (student letter in .pdf format) with advice about off-campus living next year. Please send any comments, questions or concerns to the following student life e-mail address: offcampuslivingfeedback@calvin.edu. Know that the college is committed to working in partnership with both our students and our various neighbors and will host more open forums on this issue on January 21 and February 5, from 4-5 p.m.

There also is a story on the Calvin News & Stories Web site about the off-campus housing issue and the campus forums that should help parents in these conversations.

Parents of graduates: Commencement information

Commencement will be celebrated on May 22, 2010, and that weekend will be filled with a variety of activities for graduates and their families.  For a basic outline of the weekend's activities, information about Commencement tickets, and a pre-graduation checklist for seniors, see the Commencement Web site.

There are photo galleries available from Commencement 2009.

The January Series 2010

For over twenty years The January Series has been the leading lecture/cultural arts series in the country. The diversity of presenters and topics has changed as the world of ideas has changed. No issue of importance to a great Christian liberal arts college founded on Reformed, biblical principles has been too controversial or too hot to handle. Why? Because at Calvin we have been taught to think with discernment and thoughtful skepticism. We know this is God's creation and each of us is created in His image so it follows we need to engage that world, learn about it, from it and in some cases confront it.

• Presentations begin 12:30 p.m. EST daily, from January 6 through 26, 2010, in the Chapel (note change of location).
• See the list of presenters for 2010.
• The January Series hits the road with remote webcast locations in Michigan and across North America!
• Read the Grand Rapids Press article featuring the 2010 Series that came out on November 17.
• Read along with the January Series---the campus store features 20% off all featured titles.

Calvin vs. Hope - January 6, 2010

Calvin will host Hope at home on Wednesday, January 6, 2010.  The Van Andel Arena will be hosting classic rivalry action with the JV team game starting at 5 p.m. and varsity at 7:30 p.m.  Tickets for this game are available online or at the box office (remember the temporary location in the Spoelhof College Center).  The Calvin/Hope rivalry is in its ninth decade of play, with Hope leading the series 88-85.

The storied Calvin-Hope men's basketball rivalry has been featured twice by ESPN in the last few years. Read more about the news and history of the rivalry.

Every Student Challenge

A new annual giving campaign challenges all—alumni, staff, faculty and friends of the college—to support Calvin students. The Every Student Challenge was designed to put a face, or, more accurately, faces, on the Calvin Annual Fund.  On the online banner are seven students’ faces, and if you click on the faces, you learn about the students: One studies chemistry; one studies art. One plays rugby; one dances in Rangeela. One wants to make Christian films; one wants to train Christian leaders. And one is currently painting bicycles maroon and yellow.

Watch a short video on ways in which the Calvin Annual Fund benefits all students and make an online gift to the Every Student Challenge.

ReCommend Calvin!

Have you heard?  Any Calvin parent who encourages a prospective student and/or parent of a prospective student to consider Calvin and records that conversation on the www.calvin.edu/go/recommend site will receive a Calvin coffee card, good for a free cup at either Johnny's, the Fish House, or the Spoelhof Cafe on campus.

In addition, parents who participate will also be enrolled in a drawing to win free textbooks for their son or daughter for the next semester (2 sets @ up to $450 each)!  We hope this inspires you to "tell your Calvin story" and encourage other families to carefully consider Calvin this winter and spring.

You are an important career resource

As parents and professionals, you can be a great resource to Calvin students and alumni who are searching for jobs and internships.  You can help in the following ways:

1. E-mail job openings that you are aware of to career@calvin.edu or call the career development office at (616) 526-6485.  We will advertise these positions on CalvinLink, our online job posting system.

2. If your employer uses interns during the school year or summer, e-mail your internship openings to Laurie Lemmen at laurie@calvin.edu or call (616) 526-8744.

3. Recruit at one of our job fairs. Calvin will be hosting spring semester job fairs for students studying nursing, engineering, computer science and education, in addition to a short and long term missions fair. Go to www.calvin.edu/career for details or contact Laurie Lemmen (laurie@calvin.edu, 616-526-8744).

We look forward to working with you!
Calvin's career development office.

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:

January 6 - 26: The January Series 2010
January 15 & 16: Alumni Choir concerts in West Michigan
January 20: MBA@Calvin
January 30: The Rivalry - Calvin vs. Hope at a viewing location near you!