Reflecting Joe ... my life at Calvin College

The Fam!

I don’t really get homesick at college, but I do miss people from back home. Due to the fact that I live in Arkansas, I rarely get to see my family throughout the school year. But this weekend, the entire family (with the exception of my beloved basset hound, Jabba) came up to see me! Both of my parents are English professors at the college in my home town so they were able to get some funding to come to Calvin’s rather famous “Festival of Faith and Writing.” My brother tagged along for the ride, but also did the “Friday’s at Calvin” program while he was up here. The weekend I spent with them consisted of gardens, dining, and lots of smiles.

80’s Roller Skating

This weekend I had a blast in a party from the past. My dorm combined with BHT to host a roller skating party at the Woodland Mall roller rink. But not just any roller-skating extravaganza, this one had skaters with teased hair, mohawks, and short shorts. It was an 80’s roller skating party that would have made any punk rocker proud.

The Sun returns to Calvin College.

This past winter was my first one spent in the North. Every morning when I woke up I would check the weather report. Usually the weather service would forcast a “wintery mix.” This is a deceptive Michigan euphemism for snow, sleet, ice, and really really cold weather. I hope that I don’t sound bitter, it’s just that I am a Southern boy, and my body isn’t as conditioned for the cold as most Michiganders. But now Spring has finally come and I wake up to sunlight streaming through my window every morning! The Sun has come out, and with it so have Calvin’s students.

The First Post and the Finale

For my first post I thought of nothing better to talk about than the first annual Rock, Paper, Scissors championship. It was coordinated through the Calvin Video Network and seemed to be a great success. I joined CVN during the “Cokes and Clubs” activity early in the year. One of their first projects was the planning of a campus wide tournament of determination, luck, and intricate strategy (a.k.a Rock, Paper, Scissors.) This plan only came to completion after Interim, however, under the very capable direction of Mike Rohlfing. It all began with a group of us CVN folk holding tournaments at each of the seven dormotories as well as a special wild card tournament. That footage can all be seen on the RPS website at http://vimeo.com/calvinrps After two weeks of intense filming, Calvin’s sixteen best Rock, Paper, Scissors players had been found. Finally it was time for the finale.