Wednesday, October 31, 2007
January Series- The Legacy Continues
For more than two decades, The January Series of Calvin College has lead the nation with its cultural arts series. The topics, along with presenters, have been diverse and have changed with culture. No issue has created too much controversy at Calvin, a liberal arts college with a reformed background. The Series is used to teach students and faculty to think with discernment and to be contemplative skeptics.
The Coordinator of the January Series is Kristi Potter. This is her first year as coordinator, though she worked with the previous coordinator, June Hammersma, for 11 years and co-directed with her the last two of them. “There is pressure to keep it at the caliber it is. I am fortunate that it has such a strong foundation,” stated Potter
The vision has not changed-She will continue to take advantage of both new ideas and technological advancements. Yet a new logo and staging things are being developed. Potter desires to feed the FAC’s coverage to other areas, such as the DeVos lobby, Library Lobby and Johnny’s café, making it more available to students.
“I want a buzz to be created among students, so they might want to hear the next day’s speaker in the auditorium,” stated Potter. Adding, “I hope all are aware and take advantage of it [the Series]”.
Potter goes through the various recommendations for speakers she receives from faculty, students and members of the community. This is her most difficult tasks, as there are a lot of suggestions and only 15 spots to fill. Potter has the final say on who speaks, yet she gathers advice from people in the academic departments regarding the recommendations. There might be several speakers mentioned with a topic and though she picks only one, the topic does get covered in the Series. “It’s good because I see all the recommendations. I see the repeats and similar topics being recommended,” said Potter.
The complete list of speakers can be found on the January Series website. There are several I would like to highlight and suggest you attend. The first is that of Debra Reinstra, an English Professor at Calvin, who will present on “Words Wear Out: How Writers Help Us Renew Religious Language”. Her recent book entitled “So Much More: An Invitation to Christian Spirituality”, which is a creative orientation to the Christian faith. It has been described as “a doorway for people to look through and see home.”
The second is that of James Abbington, speaking on “100 Years of Black Gospel Music in an Hour”. Dr. Abbington has researched music and worship in the Christian church, African American sacred folk music, and choral music. “I expect to be at the lecture and [would say] that [Dr.] Abbington is a well-respected authority on gospel music,” said Professor Elizabeth Vander Lei, of the English Department.
Potter expects that both Ishmael Beah, and Sonja Nazario will draw large crowds with their presentations. “Beah seems to be popular with students and Nazario, who wrote ‘Enrique’s Journey’, a lot of people have read [her] book.”
The biggest change Potter has made was adding 12 remote sites featuring webcasts during the series. The idea began a few years ago when a church in Holland asked to hold a seminar there, it was then tried out a couple years later with Eugene Peterson [January of 2006] and went quite well. Last year ten of the seminars were remotely fed to that church in Holland along with a church out in Massachusettes.
The sites include six other areas in Michigan, from Muskegon to Troy along with an additional downtown Grand Rapids location. The other five are being hosted in the states of Massachusetts, Florida, Illinois and California. It is a win-win situation, making it more available to more people,” noted Potter. Yet, she believes it is still important to fill the FAC’s auditorium, as speakers gain more energy from a large crowd.
Potter sees the series as a gift to both the college campus and the community. “It’s a chance to bring the community to campus to see the work going on at Calvin,” said Potter.
The lectures are given at 12:30 pm in the 1000-seat Fine Art Center Auditorium on campus. There is no charge to attend for Calvin students, faculty and members of the community.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Is it ever “Just Coffee?”
Is it ever “just coffee”?
That’s the question that the Calvin Sexuality Series coordinators want to answer for students in a two part panel on dating, singleness and relationships.
Calvin’s Sexuality Series began after a student survey and climate study in 2004, which showed that students wanted “more opportunities to discuss sexuality, but didn’t want more classes for credit.”
The affirmations of the sexuality series team consists of several people ranging from Broene counselors, student life administration and those who are worship coordinators in the chapel.
The point of the Sexuality Series is to get students and faculty talking about human sexuality in a Bible-based setting with open-mindedness and the ability discuss questions openly.
The panel of speakers focused primarily on the dating culture at Calvin and also several issues Calvin students face who stay single.
The panel was three Calvin students and three of Calvin’s administration. When asked the question of the night, “Is it ever just coffee?” Senior Rachael DeKraker said “I don’t think coffee is ever just coffee; it needs to be defined better.”
Beets-Veenstra RD Matt Cook’s wife Megan answered that “Coffee for one person might not meet the same thing for the other person; for you it might be ‘just coffee,’ but for that other person it could mean something totally different.”
The speakers also addressed the culture of singleness versus dating at Calvin. Several of the speakers mentioned that there was a lot of pressure to date, not necessarily from friends, but from the greater Calvin community. “If you’re just friends with a guy, and people see you doing a lot of stuff together, you get pegged as a couple very quickly here,” said Senior Deborah Lemmen.
Nalini Suganandam was also on the panel, and after working with students for several years in admissions, student life and now in Christian Formation, said that “There is an obvious difference between freshmen and seniors in the Calvin community. Freshmen want to date right now, so they do, and seniors who are heading out are always asked “are you pearled?” or “are you engaged?” – the focus changes as time goes on.”
Making Manners Count
On Thursday, October 25, 2007, several sophomore students gathered at the Prince Conference Center to attend an Etiquette Dinner, sponsored by the Tapestry Ambassador Program (MSDO) and Academic Services.
Most guests arrived dressed in their Sunday’s best ready to learn about etiquette under the instruction of Andrea Granderson-Kitomary, a trained etiquette specialist, as well as Calvin’s own SAS instructor.
Due to a busy college life, students hardly ever have time to sit down and eat a good elegant meal. Between the 50 minute classes, the tons of homework and papers, and the meetings with professors, students are lucky to find a few minutes to stuff their stomachs with dining hall food.
However, students got more out of this dinner than just a great meal. Because college is all about learning, this dinner gave students the opportunity to improve, perfect, and acquire manners known and unknown.
Now that students are maturing and preparing for careers, it is necessary for them to gain knowledge and skills even to eat at a formal dinner.
“Our parents have taught us our pleases and thank- you’s. They’ve taught us not to talk with our mouths full. They’ve taught us everyday manners. Now that we’re growing up, it’s time for us to take our manners to a higher level,” said An Kurosu, a sophomore that attended the dinner. “I think that it’s a really great opportunity for us because we never know who we will encounter or what events we will be invited to attend in the future.”
Although etiquette is usually associated with feasts and fine meals, it can also be associated with a person’s character.
Marcella Ruffin, an etiquette specialist who coordinates formal dinner parties said that “Etiquette says a lot about who you are. When you’re dealing with people, your presence, your attitude, and your manners are what they remember.”
“It’s not always about how sit, how to eat, or what utensils to use. It’s also about making a good impression because a first impression should always be a lasting one.”
Instrumental Festival Brings Acclaimed Conductor to Calvin
Musicians from area high schools gathered at Calvin music department’s String Orchestra Festival last week for the rare opportunity to play under the baton of a nationally renowned conductor.
Over 100 students participated in Wednesday’s workshop, led by Calvin professors and guest conductor Chelsea Tipton II of the Toledo Symphony Orchestra.
The day concluded with a concert featuring the high school honors orchestra- composed of students from St. Joseph, Forest Hills Central, and Calvin Christian high schools- and the Calvin College orchestra.
Conductors Tipton and Calvin’s own Robert Nordling led performers in the works of Gustav Mahler, Samuel Barber, and Johann Sebastian Bach.
Calvin junior and cellist Lisa Van Lopik participated in the festival and spoke highly of the high school orchestra members.
“In some aspects, they were a lot better than I expected,” Van Lopik said, “I was impressed.” Senior violinist Rebecca Tong agreed and commented on her surprise at the level of improvement she saw in the students within just a few hours of work.
Both Van Lopik and Tong were pleased with the high school students’ performance of Barber’s Adagio for Strings, Op. 11. “It’s just very hard to control,” Tong said of the piece, the first song performed by the honors orchestra.
Tipton explained his vision for the student musicians, saying he did not intend to make the students music majors, but rather, music appreciators. “Whether they do decide to pursue music or whether they decide to pursue other choices in their lives, they’ll always have appreciation and wonderful remembrances of making music [inside] of the orchestra,” he told the audience of the workshop participants.
Tipton has a long list of credentials, having appeared with several major orchestras such as the Boston Pops Orchestra and appearing on the NBC Today Show with jazz musician Wynton Marsalis.
Monday, October 29, 2007
The new horizon of Romania
GRAND RAPIDS, U.S. - A new horizon on Romanian civil society has come into view among Romanian youth, according to New Horizon intern Andrew VanStee.
Andrew VanStee, an International Development Studies senior, returned this fall from his semester-long internship in Romania, and, on October 18 in the North Hall, described to an eager crowd the revolutionary programming of New Horizon in “one of the most politically apathetic regions” of post-communist Romania. According to VanStee, Lupeni in the Jui Valley is a city of coal mines, corruption, and a deep desire for community.
In an attempt to work against the corruption, the vision of New Horizon is to develop the role of youth in keeping their government accountable by seeking a stronger civil society because youth are the most open to change and the building of trust. The programs include summer camps for teenagers with emphasis on “IMPACT”, focused activities based on involvement, motivation, participation, action, community, and youth as well as service learning on three levels: direct service, indirect service, and activism.
According to VanStee, the sense of responsibility for the community, such as ownership and civic engagement, are a change from the “social atomization” apparent in Romania in the past. And the youth are the perfect generation to build up the foundation of civil society for the future. The ongoing corruption and lack of sustainable job opportunities in Romania have led to a common goal of the youth: “to leave the country, go to Western Europe, and work.”
Furthermore, the “[ethical values of] the majority of Romanian youth is that it’s a good thing to cheat and get ahead.” And, with the accepted normalcy of corruption nationwide, cheating toward individual success is not restricted.
On a larger scale, in democratic Romania the socialist parties’ means to gain power include preventative attempts to restrict the growth of civil society. For employees in an industry such as coal mining, an industry that requires trust in one another no matter what the socioeconomic status or ethnicity, socialist leaders in the past have successfully broken down the cohesion of workers. Attendee Roland Hoksbergen brought up an ongoing example that by sending trouble-makers such as thieves or liars to regions such as Lupeni, socialist leaders attempt to decrease the trust of miners among themselves, breaking up the growing alliance of workers.
Therefore, in such an underpowered civil society, New Horizon hopes to inspire youth by going against the grain. New Horizon plans to “bond the group” and “bridge out to the community”, supporting and empowering the youth to stand up with a belief that a difference can be made through their communal activism in a developing democracy. Through their teamwork, they will together learn to hold accountable the government and other societal leaders regarding issues at hand.
In a diverse group of attendees from Calvin and beyond, there was a large representation of students planning on going to Romania this coming January interim, eager to learn more in preparation for their travels.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Politics Meets Fashion
Thursday’s style section included an overview of presidential hopefuls’ campaign gear. The suggested that the gear each candidate is selling “can reveal more than a candidate’s face” offering insight into the kind of constituency each is targeting.
According to the article, Barack Obama and Rudolph Giuliani are providing the most fashion forward gear that will appeal to a younger crowd. I sort of wonder whether the reporter bothered to back that up by asking any younger constituents. Now, I may be a sage and slightly less than hip 22, but I think I can still speak to the relative coolness of the candidates’ campain gear. I checked out the stores for Obama and Giuliani, the candidates that the article claims have the “most extensive, fashion-conscious and youthful gear.” My response was a resounding “meh.” Translated, that means I didn’t see anything I would pay money for unless I really felt strongly about a candidate.
The article also noted that two candidates, Obama and Clinton are offering merchandise for the price of $20.08. Mitt Romney is selling foam mitts emblazoned with his campaign logo.
The end of the article pointed out that the one unwritten requirement for all candidate gear is that it be made in the U.S.
Two candidates, Joe Biden Jr., and Duncan Hunter aren’t selling any gear. A political consultant quoted in the article had this to say: “Gear is really for the converted, not to convert.” My reaction to the candidate’s campaign gear seems to support that opinion. You never know though: maybe if someone comes along with really cute logo-ed shoes…
Friday, October 26, 2007
Knights 4 life
This is the first draft of my 2nd article. It isn’t finished, but will be shortly!
The Student Alumni Association, or better known as Knights 4 Life, is getting its year started off right with yet another successful sophomore dinner.
The dinner took place on October18, in which over 500 people attended. “The Knights 4 Life dinner is to remind students that they are now considered alumni and we want to thank them for coming to Calvin College,” said Norm Zylstra the coordinator of Student and Young Alumni Programs, “We want to make students feel comfortable by building a sense of home.”
The dinner is set in more of a “party” atmosphere, welcoming all sophomores and other campus organizations to have a good time and enjoy a meal together. “It is a big event because the entire alumni board is there, the cokes and clubs organizations are there to promote student organizations and most of the sophomore class shows,” said Zylstra.
The dining services prepare a special meal of almost all the students’ favorites; including circle pizzas, French fries and an ice cream bar complete with a variety of toppings. There are also give-aways of canvas chairs, two liters of Pepsi, the Prism and K4L t-shirts.
“The Alumni Office sponsored the t-shirts and the Alumni and Student Life offices split the cost of the Prism so that sophomores were able to receive these for free,” said Zylstra. It is very important for these organizations to give the students these gifts because as Zylstra said, “[they] want people to keep remembering their experiences at Calvin.”
Besides all the prizes and games, the sophomore night is set up for fellowship among class members. “I took this position so I would be able to have a mutual relationship with the college, and through these events it allows a multitude of campus committees and leaders, along with students, to get involved,” said Zylstra.
The Knights 4 Life has many other events planned for the rest of the year, including events for other classes. Keep your eyes open for upcoming events or refer to the Knights 4 Life postcard in which students should have received in the mail.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Godspell
this is just the beginning of my 2nd news story. its nothing more than an outline really.
The Calvin Theatre Company is putting on the play Godspell in a week.
Godspell the musical was wrote in 1970 by John-Michael Tebelak and opened off-Broadway in 1971.
The plot centers around Jesus and the New Testament. The various parables of Jesus are acted out in sequence.
How the Christian community at Calvin reacts to the portrayal of Jesus and his disciples by the CTC remains to be seen. The CTC has had a skewered record lately with a poor review of the play “the lady is not for burning” being published by the Chimes. However, that review did not sit well with the actors.
This is an unusual role for the veteran student actors in the CTC, such as Tony Terpstra.
The students have been working hard on this production since the beginning of the semester, and are excited to see the fruits of their labor. The tickets have been selling fast, and some of the nights it will be showing are nearly sold out already, despite the fact that it is still a few weeks out.
Dave Leugs has been the interim head of the CTC this semester, and this will be the first production he has led.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Lions off to good start
For those who really have no care about professional sports whatsoever, I would advise you to stop reading. For those who are interested however, you may find this interesting.
I’ve been holding back but I have to acknowledge the recent success of the Detroit Lions.
As you may or may not know, the Lions, who are in the National Football League, have been the laughing stock of the NFL for some time. They have not won a Superbowl, haven’t been over the .500 win-loss mark since 2000, and haven’t made the playoffs since 1999. After past years averaging a record of about 5-11, the Lions, like every year, had reasonable hype coming into this year. Something freakish is happening at this point in the season, however.
The Lions have “potential” and “talent” every year, drawing the fans into thinking positively until the season actually starts. This year, though, they are finally producing. With a victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday, the Lions moved their record to 4-2 overall. This is the only the 6th time since 1978 that they have started this well.
Whether or not you are a fan of the NFL or even the Lions, I urge you to at least keep an eye on this team if you pay any attention to football. They might do something special.
Microsoft Invests in Facebook
Today Microsoft reached a deal with Facebook that gives them the rights to 1.6% stock in the company, according to the New York Times. The agreement cost Microsoft $240 Million, making Facebook valued at $15 Billion.
As part of the deal, Microsoft will sell banner ads appearing on Facebook outside of the United States, splitting the revenue with it.
Google and Yahoo were apparently also jockeying with Microsoft for the deal involving the 3-year old Facebook.
I find this to be completely insane, to begin. As stated, Facebook, which was created at Harvard by Mark Zuckerberg, is now valued at around $15 billion. A website, a cyberspace area that is not even concrete or can be physically touched, is worth 500,000 times more than a year of tuition at Calvin.
I’m not sure that anyone could honestly see this coming. With technology and the internet working hand in hand over the last ten years, we have websites all over the world that seem to increase dramatically in value with one good idea.
This is not similar to any type of company that makes any type of product. The product here is social networking, whatever that means. Simply by having users access their websites, companies that own the domain names for websites can make astounding amounts of money. The banner ads are obviously what brings in the cash, and of course Microsoft, Google and Yahoo thinkers are all on board with the idea. Low maintinence costs and an almost infinite amount of room for expansion make sites like Facebook and Myspace very attractive for almost anyone to invest in. I suppose my only actual point is to identify what we ignore every day. Think about how many times per week you access Facebook. If you’re typical, and I’m stretching it here; you’ll probably be around 10 times a week. For Facebook, then, its as if you’re shopping at their store every day. Most of the world’s businesses have converted to internet and websites, and dot-com businesses are popping up everywhere. I guess I’m just amazed at such a great idea that, in Facebook’s case, was created by a college dropout.
Golf Team searches for Funds
It seems that the construction on Calvin’s campus has turned into an obstruction for the Calvin Men’s Golf Team.
In previous years, the team, coached by Brian Bolt, raised money for their spring break trip through being paid to direct traffic and parking at Calvin home basketball games.
“Basically, we just tell the people where to go if they have a season tickets pass,” notes sophomore player Jon Kuiper.
With the parking lots now non-existent, the golf team has been left with a new task of finding funding.
“With the parking job, we would only have to pay around $100-200 for the trip. If we can’t figure out another way, it will probably be double that number for this year,” Kuiper added.
Calvin’s coach, Brian Bolt, hopes that there will be some initiative from the team to find other sources of funding.
“There are many other means of fundraising for a team to focus on. Candy bar sales, concessions and other activities could all be sources,” said Bolt.
Although it doesn’t appear to be a desperate situation, it is pressing, as the golf team’s trip will be this March. Bolt will have to decided whether or not to fly to Florida, where the team will play.
“Depending on how much we think we can raise, we will have to make a decision,” he said.
The golf team has 9 members, 7 of which will be going on the trip this spring. Calvin already has a budget set aside for the team, but the extra costs are what the players pay for. Bolt will make a decision within the next month.
The team finished 6th in the MIAA this year, and hopes to improve as a young team with vast potential.
“We’ve only got one player older than 19, so I think we’ll be alright,” said a positive Kuiper. “I know we’ll improve.”
The construction will be over by 2008, but the golf team isn’t sure if they will return to their original fundraising activities as parkers. They hope to find another source by the time the trip arrives.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
The Pursuit of Happyness-A Success Story
The Multicultural Student Development Office of Calvin College concluded its annual Unlearn Week with a complimentary viewing of “The Pursuit of Happyness.” On Friday, October 12, 2007, many students showed up to watch the movie that followed with a discussion about the struggles minorities face when aiming to achieve success.
During the second week of October, the MSDO plans many events, activities, discussions, lectures and chapels all focused on unlearning the false ideas and beliefs of the different cultures within our society, helping to promote anti-racism and diversity.
Unlike most movies, the lights, makeup, and pretend didn’t make “The Pursuit of Happyness” a triumph. Instead, it was the portrayal of a real life story that left a permanent mark on the way people view the struggle and success of minorities. After watching the movie for a first time and for some even a second time, students admitted that the movie did indeed release them from believing some stereotypes. Amanda Marcotte, a sophomore at Calvin College, said “I came to watch the movie with a mindset ready to unlearn. So often we watch movies never realizing the underlining point. It’s so easy for us to not recognize the problems that we face within our society because we don’t pay close attention, but it’s definitely there when you look for it. It’s there when you look close enough.”
Although Calvin College promotes diversity, its Unlearn Week definitely helps students to understand the importance of anti-racism. However, stereotypes are still relevant no matter what school a person attends or what job a person obtains. Marcus Burgin, a senior at Calvin College said that “stereotypes differ from case to case. A lot of times, minorities won’t get hired because of appearance. As in the movie, some people don’t have good suits. They don’t have cars and they often take part in ‘get rich quick’ schemes. Some companies don’t hire qualified minorities because they think that they’re selfish or lazy, while other companies will hire a qualified or even less qualified minority because they want their company to be diversified.” Many people believe that racism doesn’t exist anymore. They believe that it’s more or less a thing of the past. “Some people are disadvantaged because the people of power have the authority to base decisions on race if they so choose,” said Burgin. “The Pursuit of Happyness,” made in 2006, shows people that even today racism still influences success.
CVN goes global
YouTube gives CVN global audience
By COURTNEY HEXHAM
Chimes Assistant News Editor
GRAND RAPIDS--Last week, the new Calvin Video Network (CVN) talk show Calvin Tonight, which debuted Monday, October 8th at 10:00 p.m., went global on YouTube the next morning.
Having just broadcast its second run of the 60-minute show, Tonight’s YouTube site has attracted 488 hits and 13 subscribers (as of press time) since it first appeared on October 6th.
“I wanted to see if we could just do it first,” said junior Mike Rohlfing, the show’s creator and director, in an interview this Tuesday morning. “Make an episode and see how it goes and go from there.”
The media production major continued to say that CVN wants Calvin Tonight “to shine lights on parts of Calvin people don’t know about.”
Junior Charles Breiner, who worked on sound for Tonight’s second show, agreed.
The show does this in the form of a late-night talk show complete with a live band, live audience, witty host, short sketches, and special guests such as Knollcrest Music Corner’s own Ron Trapp and Chaplain Andy DeJong.
When asked whether or not they have seen any of CVN’s new show, many on-campus students replied with that they only saw a minute or two, if any at all. Those who had seen it, however, said that the show is funny and has potential.
“I’ve gotten mostly positive feedback,” said Rohlfing. “I mean, it’s going to take a while to get people in the groove and fired up.”
Junior Aaron Cole-Rouser, an RA on second VanderWerp, mentioned that a few guys on his floor watched the show. He too found some of the show to be funny, but he said that some of it was “a little dry” as “the humor can only go so far.”
The larger-scale production is still in its infancy.
“[We] showed [the] second episode last night and it went better than the first,” Rohlfing said. “We’re still in the preliminary stages of the next show.”
Both Rohlfing and Breiner have high hopes for the show, which they plan to broadcast on a three week cycle—once a week for two week and then skipping a week—on CVN channel 4. The show can also be seen anytime thanks to CVN’s new YouTube page.
“It would be great if it is something that could go on for a while even after I graduate,” said Rohlfing. “But right now, we’ll see if its something we can do for the rest of the semester.”
Criminal Activity of Campus
Campus Safety released a report Tuesday that a criminally charged student would be transferred from protective custody to the custody of the Grand Rapids Police Department.
A first-year Calvin Theological Seminary student, Fredy Chen, has been suspended from Seminary and issued a no-trespassing order from Calvin after violating Calvin student conduct policy and Michigan state law.
24 year-old Chen has been charged with possession of marijuana, possession of methamphetamine, and purchase of a firearm without a license.
In the 61st District Court yesterday, a pre-adjudication hearing was held under Judge Micheal Christensen with appointed public attorney John Pyriski defending. Chen pleaded not guilty to charges of purchase of a firearm without a license. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for October 26.
Campus Safety has an Emergency Response Plan in place for when such incidents happen. It indicates that students are encouraged to assist in keeping the campus safe by contacting Campus Safety by 3-3333 on any on campus phone or 616-526-3333.
Information such as what is happening, location, description of parties involved, license numbers and vehicle descriptions, and type of weapon involved is requested and witnesses are asked to stay on the line until an officer arrives.
For further protection, Campus Safety advises not to physically confront a suspicious person and not let anyone into a locked or card-accessed building or room.
Chen resided in Calvin Seminary’s Batchawana apartments located near 28th Street and Kalamazoo Avenue where his illegal activity was observed. Police arrested Chen there on October 3 where Chen was placed on $230 bond. Residents of the Batchawana apartments are asked to call 911 if any suspicious activity related to the incident occurs.
Campus Safety, in its alert bulletin, viewed the presence of Chen on either campus as “unlikely” as his custody changes.
Urban Beat Comes to Loft
The heady pulse of the city stems from a distinctive urban heartbeat: hip-hop.
Sunday night this beat came to LOFT paired with a message of Spirit-driven exchange that calls for a full smackdown restoration originating from the heart of the city.
Trevor Rubingh, pastor of New City Kids’ Church of Jersey City, New Jersey, invigorated worshippers with a message of “great exchange,” proclaiming the “year of the Lord’s favor” described in Isaiah 61 and calling students to “Rebuild the ancient ruins / and restore the places long devastated,” to “renew the ruined cities / that have been devastated for generations.”
This “year of the Lord’s favor” that both Isaiah and later Jesus proclaim involves the people exchanging their sorrow, pain, and despair for “a crown of beauty,” “the oil of gladness,” and “a garment of praise.” It reverses the destructive throb of the city by turning it into a life-giving rhythm.
Rubingh’s passionate message was accompanied by the raw, high-impact medium of hip-hop dance; the dance, choreographed by Calvin students Eunbee Cho and Erika Faasen, was intended to connect Calvin students to the heart of the city.
But did Calvin students receive the message--or were they hesitant because of an unconventional worship medium?
Since its beginning in New York City in the 1970s, hip-hop culture has absorbed many negative traits; the air surrounding this culture is thick with gang violence, joblessness and poverty, drug running, crime, rape and rage, sexism, and racism.
New City Kids’ Church, a performance arts-based after school program, aims to get Jersey City kids off the streets and out of this destructive environment--without taking away the cultural flavor they know and love.
Cho says that though the hip-hop culture is riddled with destruction, the dance and music can be used in a positive, worshipful way. But because of its negative reputation, many students, professors, pastors, and church members may be skeptical about using the medium of hip-hop in a worship setting.
Freshman student Bethany Sanders enjoyed the LOFT performance, but thought it didn’t necessarily belong in a church service setting; instead, it could be used among urban youth as a possible “catalyst for conversation” about faith.
Sophomore Corrine Junga was intrigued by the dance’s message of pain, suffering, and ultimate renewal, but also agreed hip-hop would be difficult to integrate in congregational worship.
Some Calvin students said that the powerful impact of hip-hop dance communicated the message effectively, realistically, and passionately in a way other worship media could never have done.
With its intimate tie to urban youth, Christians can’t ignore its rich possibility for drawing in a church population whose leadership is imperative for the restoration of our cities--the kind of restoration described in Isaiah 61.
Rubingh’s New City Kids’ Church operates on a principle of empowering kids as leaders of Jersey City; as city dwellers, they best know how the city needs to be restored. In the same way, Cho, Faasen, and the dance group pointed the Calvin community to what hip-hop can accomplish as an integral part of the urban community, passionately renewing the city from its core.
Calvin’s worship theology says that we intend to make creative use of many forms of worship “from many times, places, peoples, and cultures to enlarge our vision of God’s kingdom, and situate ourselves properly within it.” Calvin students come from many backgrounds, and worship at college “[aims] to reflect that diversity in our worship too.”
By engaging the urban youth and their distinctive flavor, Calvin can sketch a new dimension for worship and actively pursue the year of the Lord’s favor in the city.