October 2, 2015
Volume 110 - Issue 5
CALVIN.EDU/CHIMES
CALVIN
CONSIDERS
ITS
PHOTO BY ANNA DELPH
BY ANNA DELPH, KATELYN
BOSCH AND JOSH PARKS
Head Editorial Team
Following an email announcement on Friday, September 25, of
recommendations to eliminate
six academic programs and five
faculty members in order to cut
costs in the academic division,
many students and alumni have
challenged Calvin’s commitment
to the liberal arts.
The programs included in the
announcement are the architecture minor, the art history major,
the German major, the Latin
major, the Greek major and the
theater major. Except for architecture, minors in all these fields,
as well as the Calvin Theatre
Company, will be retained.
After receiving the email, students and alumni reacted almost
immediately. Many were concerned with the loss of the theater
major and a perceived threat to
the humanities. Letters directed
to the provost and administration went viral on Facebook, and
several social media hashtags
began trending, including #defendtheliberalarts, #wearecalvintheatre, #mycalvinstor y and
#whataboutyourmajor.
Though six programs have
been recommended for elimination, none garnered more defenders than the theater department. Students voiced concerns
that removing two faculty members from the theater department
was too much. As one alumnus commented, “We’re losing
two of our three faculty members. Who do you think directs
the productions?”
Students whose majors could
soon be disappearing were also
worried that the quality of their
programs would be reduced after faculty positions were cut.
Though Calvin remains contractually obligated to teach these
programs to their completion, it
remains to be seen how educational workloads will be spread
among fewer faculty.
St ude nt se nate orga n i zed
a forum on Tuesday, September
29, in which students were given
the opportunity to ask questions
of President Le Roy, Provost
Brandsen and professor Kevin
de n D u l k, a member of t he
task force.
Because most of the proposed
cuts were in the humanities, and
in light of previous reductions to
humanities programs like the voluntary buyouts offered to faculty
in May, there has been a growing concern among students and
alumni about Calvin’s commitment to teaching the liberal arts.
Some students saw these recommendations as the latest development in a long history of Calvin
failing to adequately support the
liberal arts, and some fear that
further cuts will follow or that
cutting programs would become
a new “default” solution to financial problems.
Le Roy explained that, far from
being a “default,” cutting programs is extremely painful and
has been the college’s last resort:
“It’s the last thing we’ve done,
[because] it’s the hardest thing
to do,” he said. “It’s why a lot of
institutions in higher ed don’t do
it, and it’s why a lot of [them] are
in deep economic trouble now.”
Music professor Tim Steele,
a member of the task force that
made the recommendations,
said that regardless of necessary
downsizing, Calvin remains
committed to giving students
a well-rounded foundation in
the humanities. “I think, in context, it will become clear that
claims about ‘abandoning the
liberal arts’ can’t be sustained,”
he said. “But it is also clear that
much needs to be done to attract
more students to Calvin who
want to major and minor in the
liberal arts.”
At the forum, Le Roy also
explained that Calvin’s commitment to the liberal arts remains evident in the way it educates its students as a whole. He
emphasized the difference between having an especially wide
range of avai lable prog rams
and having an intentionally diverse core curriculum. “The
liberal arts ideal has never been
about the majors offered by a
college,” he said, “rather it has
always been about the discourses
that are at the core of every student’s learning.”
According to Provost Cheryl
Brandsen, Calvin is “doing more
with less” by increasing class sizes
while decreasing the number of
sections offered. In fall 2015, the
college has 262 full-time faculty,
down 50 from 312 faculty in the
fall of 2011. At the same time,
the number of credit hours taken
by students has remained steady.
Brandsen also asked students
and others to “be mindful of
what we didn’t cut.” Calvin is
still set apart from its competitors,
Brandsen said, by a wide variety
of language options and strong
programs in music, the social
sciences, English, mathematics
and other disciplines.
But with the phrase “low student demand” being blamed so
frequently, one student openly
questioned whether that demand
could be influenced.
Joy Christopher, a junior majoring in biochemistry, elicited
resounding applause in Tuesday’s
town hall with a question concerning Calvin’s support of “disciplines that may not be as celebrated by society as others.” She
said incoming students might
be more interested in traditionally under-enrolled programs if
Calvin was more proactive in
publicly promoting them.
“I think we should be trying to
counter that shift of only valuing
‘practical’ things.”
“It’s very obvious that some
disciplines are supported more
than others,” she added. “I don’t
think this is on purpose ... I
think we just need to be more
intentional about supporting the
programs that are less known or
less celebrated.”
As the forum drew to a close,
students expressed a desire to
have t hei r voices hea rd and
opportunity for more questionand-answer time. Le Roy agreed
to stay, and spoke with students
individually for an hour and
15 minutes after the town hall
had ended.
“I am deeply moved by our students’ passion for the liberal arts
and their ability to articulate its
purpose and place in their education,” he said afterward.
The recommendations are the
result of a long and arduous process that began in 2012 to increase
revenue, raise funds and reprioritize resources in order to make the
school financially sustainable.
In January 2014, the planning
and priorities committee published an initial prioritization
document, part of which identified programs across campus
which were “vulnerable” and in
need of restructuring.
In April 2015, the provost
selected nine faculty members
to form a new academic prioritization task force (APTF). The
task force included three representatives from each of Calvin’s
academic divisions.
After years of restructuring,
fundraising and cutting faculty
and staff, the college still needed
to cut $800,000 out of the academic budget in order to become
financially stable by July 2017.
The APTF was charged with
finding this $800,000.
The APTF looked at programs
from the original prioritization
document and used measures
such as FTIAC (first time in any
college) student interest, declared
majors or minors by Day 10,
graduates coming out of the program, student-faculty ratios and
a complicated efficiency metric to
measure student demand.
“Numbers are the star t of
a conversation,” said Brandsen.
“That’s how we identify who
we’re talking about.” The APTF
i nte nded to u lt i mately ba se
their decisions on measures of
demand, quality, finances and
opportunity.
Over the summer, the APTF
split into groups and met with
representatives from every department on the list and discussed
the qualities, histories and future
possibilities that were unique to
each program.
“Much of the work of the task
force was to dig into what these
data could tell us about individual
programs, to identify areas in
which student demand, efficiency
and program costs were out of
alignment and to work with departmental representatives to
understand what was going on,”
said Steele.
Fellow APTF member Kevin
den Dulk echoed this: “Numbers
tell one story, but we wanted to
get some narratives.”
After these discussions, the
APTF reconvened to go over the
data and came to a consensus.
Their recommendations and
rationale have been submitted to
the provost, who will now send
a final list to the planning and
priorities committee, which the
president chairs. The president
will then take them to the board
of trustees for final approval.
When asked what he would
want students to know about
the process, Steele emphasized
that the task was taken seriously
by every member of the APTF,
and the most impor tant task
now is to “make sure students
have what they need to complete
their programs.”
“The news is grim, and the
pain is real. But the work was
necessary,” he said. “The circumstances that led to the college’s
budget problems are in the past.
Now we want to focus on sustained investment in the future.”
Assuming enrollment remains
steady, Brandsen said, these cuts
are the end of the prioritization
process for the academic division.
With these cuts, the academic
division will have met their goal
T H E O F F I C I A L S T U D E N T N E W S P A P E R O F C A LV I N C O L L E G E S I N C E
19 07
of $800,000 to remove from the
budget. The next steps include a
new visioning process of exploring how to further incorporate
the programs and areas that have
been hit by cuts.
The administration has expressed a commitment to “restructuring” and “re-investing”
in programs that were cut, specifically in art programs. Finding
new and better facilities to house
programs, creating more synergy
and involvement between similar
programs, and finding a “compelling vision” to support the arts
more fully have all been brought
up as possibilities.
Le Roy stressed the need for
more concrete plans in order
to bring in the necessary funding
to make restructuring possible.
“Donor’s don’t give to need,”
he said, “they give to compelling vision.”
He added that part of that vision could mean a redesign of art
spaces on campus. “Being in the
basement of Spoelhof is not the
way to grow a program and draw
students to it,” he said, and later
reiterated, “we’ve got to get the art
department out of the basement.”
Brandsen acknowledged that
a lack of a concrete proposals
at the time of the cut announcements could understandably leave
students feeling a bit uncertain.
“I know that you’re looking for
a ‘compelling vision’ right now,”
she said, “and we don’t have that.”
However, Brandsen said she
hopes to begin the revisioning
work by the end of the October,
and already has some key players
identified to assist in the process.
Now that the college is on a trajectory to meets its debt payments
and is done making recommendations for critical academic cuts,
she said they can now begin to
focus on rebuilding.
Steele also remains optimistic
about Calvin’s future:
“There is amazing richness
and vitality here. At the end of
this process, I am more than ever
convinced that Calvin is a great
place to learn.”
Decisions regarding the finalization of recommended cuts are
not projected to be finalized until
next week at the earliest. Mandi
Hutchins, a Calvin theater alumna, began a GoFundMe campaign
in an attempt to “re-open discussion on the future of the theatre
program at Calvin College.” The
goal of the campaign is to raise
$50,000 in five days. In its first
nine hours, the campaign had
received over $4,000.
Chimes
2015-2016
Campus News
New rehabilitation clinic to open on the East Beltline
Editor in Chief
Anna Delph
Print Editor
Josh Parks
Online Editor
Katelyn Bosch
Head Copy Editor
Becky Jen
Arts & Entertainment
Nate Hunt
Campus
Jon Gorter
Maddie Hughey
Features
Hannah Fertich
Local
Sophie VanSickle
Science & Technology
Natasha Strydhorst
Opinion & Editorial
Kelsey Powers
Religion
Eckhart Chan
Sports
Mark Peless
Advisor
Jennifer Hoag
The clinic brings physical, occupational and speech therapy together into one building
BY JON GORTER
Campus Co-Editor
Four years ago, faculty and
staff of the speech pathology and
audiology department (SPAUD)
began dreaming of a new facility in which they could expand
their program. On September
8, that dream became a reality
as Calvin—in conjunction with
Western Michigan University
(WMU) and Grand Valley State
University (GVSU)—opened a
new clinic just north of campus
off the East Beltline.
“This has been a long time
coming. This is our baby,” said
Jill Bates, the clinical director of
the SPAUD department. In recent
years, the department has been
growing and has needed space to
grow. This year, with 192 students
majoring across the five-year program, the SPAUD department is
larger than it has ever been.
But the inf lux of students
was not the only reason SPAUD
ne ed ed a ne w s pa c e. Si nc e
Calvin’s SPAUD department is
so highly regarded in the Grand
Rapids community, it serves as
the continuum for the therapy
programs of Spectrum Health and
Mary Free Bed. Due to this close
connection, Calvin’s SPAUD
program had an overf low of
patients and not enough space to
serve them.
“Since Calvin’s SPAUD
department is so highly
regarded in the Grand
Rapids community, it
serves as the continuum
for the therapy programs
of Spectrum Health and
Mary Free Bed.”
Chimes
Calvin College
3201 Burton Street SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49546
“On Campus Pediatric and
Adult Neuro Clinic served approximately 150 clients, pediatric
and adult, every week for individual group speech treatment,”
said Bates. But having this many
clients was difficult to manage.
Now, with the additional space at
the new facility, the old location
will concentrate its attention on
fewer clients. “We feel that we can
PHOTO COURTESY NOAH PREFONTAINE
After four years of preparation, the new SPAUD clinic has opened on September 8.
better manage 100 clients each
week with the first-year graduate program academic load,”
said Bates.
Ac c o rd i n g to s o pho mo r e
Jordyn Stromback, the new location will provide a professional
setting for them to use their newfound knowledge and help the
community. “The clinic looks just
like any other professional clinic
out there and it gives us a feeling that we are very close to our
goal, it will make us step up our
game a bit more,” said Stromback.
“Being able to say we worked in
a professional clinic like this will
definitely help our job prospects.”
In the past, it was difficult
to provide care for clients that
required more intensive speech
services and multi-disciplined
services. “Our clients needed
more than just speech therapy,”
said Bates. “They needed physical therapy, occupational therapy
and neurotherapy.”
Now, in collaboration with
GVSU and WMU, the new facility will provide a space for multitreatment approaches, including
occupational therapy (OT) and
physical therapy (PT).
For two and a half days of the
week, GVSU will provide PT services in the new facility; WMU
currently provides OT services
in the facility five days per week.
WMU graduate students will
begin in January. In addition
to these therapies, the Calvin
social work department provides
services in the facility 12 hours
per week.
“We anticipate that the Calvin
College Rehabilitation Services
(CCRS) will provide approximately 200 clinical sessions
per week across the multiple
disciplines,” said Bates.
Previously, the SPAUD department operated in conjunction
with the communications arts
and sciences (CAS) department;
however, with the considerable
growth in the SPAUD department, the two have now split to
become separate departments.
“This split allows SPAUD to
concentrate their needs,” said
Jack Bosmeijer, chief engineer of
Devos Communications Center
with the CAS department. “This
will allow them to focus their
efforts more.”
Anna Mijal, a first-year graduate student in the SPAUD program, also commented on the
departmental split. “Breaking
free from CAS is a great expansion. The new space provides
a great opportunity to collabo-
rate with other st udents and
professionals in the field, too.”
Through the CCRS, 30 percent
of services help fund the program,
while 70 percent of the services
are considered pro-bono. This
community-focused service is
necessary, as many clients do not
have the financial means to afford
service. At the same time, this
generous practice echoes the department’s Christian philosophy.
“There are many students who
are seeking this program because
of the quality and the intentional
inclusion of our faith in academic
and clinical training,” said Bates.
“There are ver y few speechlanguage pathology undergraduate and graduate programs who
do this.”
T houg h t he faci lit y has
officially opened, there is still
work to be done. Cur rent ly,
t he pa rk i n g lot out side t he
facility is under construction.
Last Tuesday, the CCRS celebrated the opening of the new facility.
Builders, computer technicians,
first and second year SPAUD
students and SPAUD professors
f illed the building, recognizing the culmination of the last
four years’ efforts and looking
forward to a promising serviceoriented future.
chimes@calvin.edu
advertise@calvin.edu
Phone: (616) 526-6578
Chimes is the official student
newspaper of Calvin College.
The mission of Chimes is to
serve the community of Calvin
College in a variety of ways:
we aim to reform, review,
challenge and foster dialogue
within the community.
The official Student
Newspaper of Calvin
College Since 1907
PHOTO COURTESY NOAH PREFONTAINE
The new facility is located at 1310 East Beltline Ave SE, just north of the East Beltine and Lake Drive.
October 2, 2015
Campus News 3
Sexuality series event addresses pornography
“Fight The New Drug” challenges students’ conceptions of pornography in modern culture
BY JOSIAH KINNEY AND
MADDIE HUGHEY
Guest Writer and
Campus Co-Editor
“Pornography is harmful and
research is proving it,” said Clay
Olsen, during an address to a
group of around 200 Calvin students last Tuesday.
Olsen is the co-founder of
Fight The New Drug (FTND),
a non-profit without any religious or political affiliations.
According to their website, they
“simply want to educate people
on the harm that pornography
can cause and then allow them
to make an educated choice
for themselves.”
Currently, por nography is
of ten considered a casua l
habit; however, FTND wants
to change the culture around
por nog raphy, f rom t he connotation of something society
i s apat he t ic about to something people understand as a
harmful drug.
“It rewires your brain, destroys your relationships and even
degrades society as a whole,”
said Olsen.As Olsen explained,
porn hijacks the reward pathw ay a nd r e w i r e s t he b r a i n
for addiction.
I n a world where expl icit
pornography is accessible anytime
anywhere, Fight The New Drug
is one of ma ny orga n izations t r yi ng to shed lig ht
on the matter and help those
addicted, who can be kids even
a s you n g a s se ve n or e ig ht
years old.
Their use of a non-religious
pedagogy is something that students, like sophomore Matthew
Meyle, appreciated: “That was
really refreshing because usually the Christian speakers at the
sexuality series events don’t present many arguments you could
use for non-Christians.”
Olsen and co-founder Ryan
Werner started FTND in 2009
in response to research that they
found stating the negative effects of pornography on individuals, relationships and society
as a whole.
“We couldn’t believe that all
this was happening and nobody
was talking about it,” they say
on their website. “We are the
first generation in the history
of the world to face the issue of
pornography to this intensity
and scale.”
The founders explain that by
fighting pornography, people
can change their lives for the
better, but by perpetuating the
information, they can change
the future.
Olsen explained how addiction to porn is comparable to any
other hard drug addiction, but
with additional effects such as
dissatisfaction in relationships,
sexual dysfunction and physical
aggression toward women.
“For the first time in this antiporn argument, we’re starting
to have concrete and undeniable
facts about the negative affects of
porn,” said Meyle.
“Por n is wa r pi ng ou r
collective ideas about sex and fueling the sex trafficking industry,”
said Olsen.
He also gave the statistic that
porn users showed they had 88
percent physical aggression toward women.
“We h ave to s top s wee p ing this under the rug,” Olsen
said, “t h is a f fec ts ever yone
in society.”
On campus, we have many
such groups through the Broene
counseling center to help men
and women who are struggling
with pornography.
Fo r mo r e i n f o r m a t io n :
Men, contact Dan Vandersteen,
d v 2 3 @ c a l v i n . e d u ; Wo m e n ,
contact Cindy Kok, ckok
@calvin.edu
Knollcrest East apartments hosts field day
Residents participate in a series of outdoor activites to celebrate fall
BY ALICIA DEJONG
Guest Writer
Last Saturday, residents of
the K E apar tments celebrated the warm fall weather by
ded ic at i n g a n a f te r noon to
activities such as basketball,
vol leyba l l, beanbag toss,
water bal loon games and
a slip-n-slide.
W h i le K E Field Day h a s
t rad it iona l ly ta ken place i n
the spring, it came early this
ye a r i n h o p e s o f f o s t e r i n g
a spirit of community.
The orchestrators of Field Day
events, members of the programming activities council, were
originally hoping to host these
games tournament-style.
Howeve r, due to l i mited response from reside nt s, it bec a me more of a
join-when-you-have-time type
of afternoon.
“A lot of col lege st udents
are pret t y spontaneous anyway,” said K at her i ne Rya n,
programming activities coordinator (PAC), as she prepared to run
down hallways and announce
the day’s events.
Although both are on camp u s, d o r m c o m mu n it y a nd
apa r t ment com mun it y a re
very different.
Accord i ng to se n ior P h i l
Ste p nowsk i, one cont r i b uting factor is that, unlike in the
dorms where residents are encouraged to leave their doors
open, “Doors in the apartments
are closed, so the community is not naturally so open. It
takes a bit more intentionality to
be communal.”
Senior Valerie Tan has been
living in the K E apar tments
for three years: “You have to
come out and meet people. Once
you do, there is a strong sense
of community.”
That’s what events such as
K E Field Day, the MudBowl
Tou r n a me nt, Supe r Su nd ae
Monday, pancake breakfasts,
cookouts, weekly worship and
Bible st udies a re for — getting people out of their apartments and into fellowship with
their neighbors.
According to Bethany Love,
a junior and PAC, leadership
in the apartments has changed
to be more l i ke t he dor m s.
Positions include PACs, resident
a ssi s t a nt s ( R A s) a nd me mbe r s of t he K nol lc res t Ea s t
Serving Others team (KESOs).
“More people are in leadership
positions, so there’s more involvement,” Love explained.
After a day of activities in
the sun, Love’s fellow PAC, junior Abigail Brinks, reported,
“We didn’t have a huge turn
out number wise, but ever yone who was there had a really
great time!”
So if you’re living in t he
K E apa r t me nt s a nd m i ssed
Field Day, don’t worry. There
a r e mo r e a c t iv it ie s he a d e d
your way.
student organization spolight:
BY MORGAN ANDERSON
Guest Writer
The Environmental
Stewardship Coalition (ESC)
is a student-led organization
at Calvin that focuses on “discussing, learning and acting
upon environmental concerns
on campus and beyond.”
Having been around since
the 1990s, the ESC is a veteran
organization. Years ago, they
started the community garden
and recently expanded it next
to the Spoelhof Fieldhouse,
where the garden now produces food for the dining halls.
The ESC is also in charge
of designing and providing
CUPPS (Cannot Use Paper,
Plastic or Styrofoam) mugs,
which students can bring in
and out of the dining halls
and get a discount at the Fish
House. If you’re a first-year
student and don’t have one of
these cups yet, don’t worry;
this year’s batch of CUPPS
mugs are on their way.
Last spring break, the group
went to Washington, D.C. to get
some hands-on experience working with an environmental lobbyist group, the Friends Committee
on National Legislation.
Various ESC events that occur throughout the year include
dumpster diving, attending showings of environmental films, as
well as the annual spring Helmets
and Hummus event.
The faculty advisor of ESC,
Gail Heffner, is one of the principal leaders of the Plaster Creek
Stewards, so it’s no wonder that
the ESC has close ties to this
unique organization as well.
“ESC exists because we, as
Christians, believe that caring
for the world around is an essential part of loving God and
building the k ingdom,” said
Annaka Scheeres, the president
of the club.
The ESC meets every other
Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the Hekman
Library lobby to hang out and
discuss environmental topics. If
you’re not able to stop by a meeting, check out the ESC Facebook
page for some more information at Calvin Environmental
Stewardship Coalition.
PHOTO COURTESY CALVIN.EDU
The KE apartments are hoping to foster a greater sense of
community through events such as Field Day.
Environment Stewardship Coalition
PHOTO COURTESY FRIENDS COMMITEE ON NATIONAL LEGISLATION
Students involved in ESC meet with congresswoman Debbie Stabenow over spring break.
4
“
LO C A L A N D WO R L D
Q Commons addresses GR issues
We’re really working at the same thing, using our own passions
in different ways to achieve the same vision.
Dave Warners “Q Commons”
”
National and World News
BY KATELYN BOSCH
Online Editor
The third Q Commons
tap-in hosted by Calvin College
addressed local issues of the
Plaster Creek watershed,
improving the Grand Rapids
Public School system and rebuilding the infrastructure of
Grand Rapids in a way that
supports jobs and communities.
Q C o m mo n s i s a n e ve n t
hosted around the world. It is
formatted with a broadcast that
features two speakers and a panel
to address global issues and three
local speakers to address local
issues. More information about
Q Commons can be found in a
previous Chimes article found on
the Chimes website.
The global issues included Oz
Guinness, grandson of Arthur
Guinness, answering the question, “How do we live with our
deep differences?”, Dr. Caroline
Leaf discussing the question,
“Can the mind change the brain?”
and a panel dealing with issues
of racial division in the United
States, the refugee crisis, Planned
Parenthood and Ebola.
The local speakers inc l u d e d Te r e s a We a t h e r a l l
Nea l, M i ke Va n Gessel a nd
Dave Warners.
Neal, the superintendent of
Grand Rapids Public schools,
s p ok e a b o u t h e r e f f o r t s t o
improve t he educational
system and not abandon kids.
Van Gessel, CEO of Rockford
Construction, spoke about the
company’s efforts to strategically build structures in a way
to attract other business, increase employment and generally
benefit the community.
Warners, a Calvin professor
who spoke about the Plaster
Creek watershed and the work
of the Plaster Creek Stewards,
said that one of the best parts
of the event was meeting the
other two speakers who share a
passion with him for the Grand
Rapids community.
“I realized, ‘Wow, we’re really working at the same thing,
PHOTO BY KATELYN BOSCH
u s i n g o u r ow n pa s s io n s i n
different ways to achieve the
same vision,’” he said.
As he went to sit down, Neal
was on her phone; she assured
him that she was listening — she
was just looking up where her
watershed was. To War ners,
this demonstrated the impact
Q Commons can have.
Warners believes these talks
are “great discussion starters.”
He went out with a group to
discuss the topics addressed in
greater length and believes that
is a great way to process the
issues addressed.
K r ist i Pot ter, who helped
organize the event as a member of the January Series staff,
hoped that the event would help
people in the community to take
what they learn and continue to
explore the topic.
This Q Commons saw a smaller attendance than previous ones,
but Potter believed that “the
people in the room were the ones
who needed to be here.”
When looking at which speakers and topics to highlight, they
looked for “a hidden story we
want people to know more about.”
Fo r e x a mple, Pot t e r w a s
excited and pleased with the story
told by Neal and the work she
has been doing for Grand Rapids:
“It’s inspiring; I don’t think
people realize how much she has
done for these schools.”
Pot te r ho p e s to or g a n i ze
more Q Commons events and
continue to bring impor tant
questions to the forefront of
t he G r a nd R ap id s c o m mu n it y. “O u r hope,” she sa id,
“is to continue to bring this
event and audience and make a
difference in the community.”
Congress approves bill to keep
government open
(Al Jazeera English) “Just hours before a midnight deadline, a bitterly divided Congress approved a stopgap spending bill Wednesday
to keep the federal government open -- but with no assurance there
won’t be yet another shutdown showdown in December.”
Russia launches first airstrikes in Syria
(CNN) “Claiming to target ISIS, Russian conducted its first
airstrikes in Syria, while U.S. officials expressed serious doubts
Wednesday about what the true intentions behind the move may be.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, warplanes targeted eight
ISIS positions, including arms, transportation, communications and
control positions.
Hurricane Joaquin poised to hit
Bahamas, could target U.S. next
(CNN) “Joaquin strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane in the
Atlantic on Wednesday morning and is poised to pount the cnetral
Bahamas with heavy rain and dangerous storm surges in the next
day. Its move after that -- still hard to forecast -- could have flooding
implications for an already drenched eastern United States.”
House GOP ‘beats up’ on Planned
Parenthood president -- and her salary
(Al Jazeera English) “Some of the first questions asked of Planned
Parenthood president Cecile Richards during her first appearance
before Congress since the women’s health organization became embroiled in controversy, were not in fact about the health care provider’s
practices but about its boss’s salary.
Grand Rapids Solar Reuse project
Project regarding renewable energy sources now in action
BY SOPHIE VANSICKLE
Local Editor
PHOTO BY KATELYN BOSCH
The community gathers for the Q Commons event.
Accordi ng to t he Grand
Rapids Information Network,
Grand Rapids is putting further
planning into taking advantage
of alternative power sources.
In 2013, the Grand Rapids City
Commission determined which
site(s) in Grand Rapids would
be most appropriate for utilizing alternative power, and now,
the plans are being further set in
stone for installing solar panels by
the former Butterworth landfill
along I-196.
Cit y administ rators are
negotiating with a company from
Lawrence, Mass., about an array of solar panels that would
g e n e r a t e 3. 8 m i l l i o n k i l o wat t hours of elect r icit y
each year.
After evaluating several options of other power sources, it
was determined that these future
solar panels, spreading 20 acres,
would most likely add up to be
lower than the city’s current
average power costs and would
save the city $200,000 to 300,000
per year in electricity costs.
Env i ron menta l ser v ices
manager Mike Lunn said that
this particular solar project, titled “Butterworth Solar project”
due to its location at the former
Butterworth landfill, “represents
a fantastic opportunity to use
renewable energy to reduce the
cost of turning wastewater into
clean water.”
The solar panels will be installed by American Capital
Energy (ACE), and the panels
will send electricity across the
cit y to the cit y’s wastewater
treatment plant in order to meet
some of their electricity demands.
Sending the electricty to this
plant was determined to be the
best and most cost-effective option after much discussion by the
Grand Rapids City Commission.
T h r e e ye a r s a g o, G r a n d
R ap id s i n s t a l le d 4 29 s ol a r
panels on the roof of the Water
and Environmental Ser vices
Facility, a project that began
to nudge t he cit y towards a
rather ambitious goal of having
all their electricity be powered
by renewable sources by the
year 2020.
T houg h t h is may seem
to be a fa r-fetched goa l,
Mayor-elect Rosalynn Bliss,
who will enter her role as mayor
of Grand Rapids beginning in
January of 2016, is confident
that Grand Rapids will succeed. She sees that the city has
options and recognizes that being
committed to the job is likely to
end in environmental success if
Grand Rapids is able to learnabout what this city is capable
of in terms of enironmental sustainability and cost effectiveness
of this solar project.
PHOTO COURTESY: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
“
Players came and went. Coaches came and went.
Doug Wentworth stayed.
Aaron Winkle, “Remembering”
s p o rt s
”
Remembering the voice of men’s basketball Doug Wentworth
pants and unfor t unately his
game shorts came off with them.
This is something Fletcher liked
to deny, but Wentworth assured
For five decades the voice
Bareman that it was the truth.
of Calvin men’s basketball was
Wentworth also reminisced
that of a firm yet kind Doug
on the memories he had of great
Wentworth, who passed away
Ca lv i n teams i ncludi ng t he
t wo weeks ago. Went wor th
1992 and 2000 championship
devoted his life to the people
men’s basketball teams. Aaron
around him, and his voice in the
Winkle, an associate chaplain
Calvin community went beyond
at Calvin, led that 2000 team.
the waves of the radio.
He mentioned fond memories
Whether you listen to forof Went wor th and glowingmer players or his own colly spoke of his impact on the
leag ue Gregg Bareman,
Calvin community:
Wentworth’s legacy of love and
“I first met Doug during my
st rong fait h is expressed
freshman year, in the fall of
in droves.
1996. Even then it seemed like
he had been doi ng
Calvin games forever.
His voice became synonymous with Calvin
basketball for many.”
“He was k ind,
f u n ny, a nd had a n
i ncredible memor y
for Calvin history,”
cont i nued Wi n k le.
“For many of us who
played at Calvin he
linked us with previous generations of
Calvin men’s basketba l l. Player s ca me
and went. Coaches
came and went. Doug
Wentworth stayed.”
After his retirement
PHOTO COURTESY CALVIN SPORTS INFORMATION
in 2014, Wentworth
Doug Wentworth was the voice of men’s basketball for nearly five decades. h a d no i l l w i l l to wa rd t he re perc usAccording to an interview more than sitting by your side at sions of his declining health.
earlier this year in February, the ballgames and sharing a few He was simply appreciative of
it all began with a Christian stats, has been our rides back and the time he was able to spend
upbr i ng i ng f rom si m i la rly forth to the games. I’ve learned behind the microphone and
devout parents.
a lot about you in that time that remained faithful:
We nt wor t h wa s bor n i n doesn’t come out in the course of
“Jesus is your savior, the most
Sturgeon Bay, Wis., so he un- doing a ballgame. One of those important thing that you can
derstandably grew up as a Green things is that you are certainly a have and also along with that as
Bay Packers fan. He also, how- man of faith, a devoted husband you well know too, it’s a wonderever, was a big fan of the New and family man.”
ful thing to be raised by Christian
York Yankees because of Hall
H e w e n t o n t o s a y t h a t parents. That is so important.”
of Fame Yankees radio broad- Wentworth was a man who en“So many great things have
caster Mel Allen.
dured much in life, including happened and I’ve met so many
Foreshadowing? Perhaps. For the death of his daughter, Susan. g r e a t p e o ple,” We n t wo r t h
Wentworth it seemed as though Despite that tragic loss he con- cont i nued. “It ’s b ee n s u c h
he was destined for a life in tinued to live the life of a man a blessing.”
broadcasting. In high school his determined to love and be comHe f inished the inter view
speech teacher told him that he mitted to the people around him, with a send off to fans. Though
had a good voice for radio.
including grandchildren and at the time it was in the wake
His father drew attention to great-grandchildren.
of his retirement, it is also a fita small Christian school: John
Ta l k i n g w i t h B a r e m a n , ting goodbye for a man who for
Brown University in Siloam Wentworth maintained a posi- 50 years was the voice listeners
Springs, Ark. It was there that tive attitude and even joked about tuned in to hear.
he developed his skills as an an- an incident with star play Ken
“I just wanna say thank you.
nouncer while working at an on- Fletcher in 1965. Fletcher at- God bless you all. I miss you.
campus and local radio station. tempted to take off his warmup Go Knights.”
BY MARK PELESS
Sports Editor
In 1960 Wentworth came to
West Michigan and began a 25
year stint at WJBL in Holland.
In 1964 he would enter the Calvin
community and announce men’s
basketball games on the radio,
being the voice that illuminated
the court for many years to come.
During his time in the booth,
Wentworth was able to create
many memories with colleagues,
players and fans.
Dur ing an inter view wit h
Wentworth’s friend, neighbor and
longtime radio partner, Bareman
had this to say:
“One thing that I’ve appreciated over the years in tagging
along with you, maybe even
Women’s soccer adds to winning streak with defeat of Olivet
BY ANNA GERNANT
Guest Writer
The Calvin women’s soccer
team won their ninth straight
game after beating Olivet 3-1 on
Tuesday. They are now 6-0 in the
MIAA and 9-2 overall.
Last year the team won seven
of their 19 games and players
believed this season will be one
of growth for the team. The team
has been training hard during the
offseason preparing for this year,
and it seems as though their hard
work is paying off. Senior midfielder Sydney Kinney thinks the
biggest change from last year to
this year is the team’s mentality.
“This year our team is more
knowledgeable about the game,
each other and what it means to
be part of Calvin women’s soccer,” she said. “During the first
few times we played together, the
atmosphere was different with a
higher competitive mindset coming from every player.”
The biggest thing the
K n ig hts have been work i ng
on is remaining diligent, as
Kinney explained:
“[We have to stay] focused
du r i ng a ga me or p ra c t ice,
and hold each other accountable
year round.”
As a captain, Kinney believes
it’s important to continue pushing
the team to play their best for each
other and God. The team has
been working on being a single
unit offensively and defensively
and being selfless for each other.
“[We have] to play well and
purposefully; we have to sacrifice
for each other,” said senior Taylor
Ten Harmsel. “We have to give
110 percent every game for the
good of our team, even if it’s not
rewarding individually.”
Ten Ha r m sel bel ieves t he
Knights need to capitalize on
the opportunities given to them
as they begin to play more competitive teams, despite how rare
and small they may be. As the
Knights progress through the
rest of the season they will continue to work well as a unit and
be efficient.
Senior Jaime Verbal wants to
make sure that her team is always
work ing on communication,
defensive shaping, accuracy of
passes and efficiency of scoring.
“We can’t be getting ahead
of o u r s e lve s,” Ve r b a l s a id .
“ We a r e n o p e r f e c t t e a m ;
t he r e a r e a lw ay s t h i n g s t o
work on.”
Te n Ha r m sel, Ve rba l a nd
Kinney want their team to make
it to the National Tournament,
but according to Ten Harmsel,
that is not something to worry
about just yet.
The players want to grow closer and improve as a team, and
Verbal stressed this importance,
saying they need to “become a
team with limited breakdowns
functioning as a single unit.”
This Saturday the Knights will
take on Hope at 2:30 at Calvin.
Both teams are tied for first in
the MIAA which will make for
an exciting game.
ATHLETE HIGHLIGHT
Zach Nowicki
PHOTO COURTESY
CALVIN SPORTS INFORMATION
Junior Zach Nowicki was
named MIAA men’s cross
country runner of the
week
5
E DITOR’ S N F L PIC K S
(12 -2 L A S T W E E K ) :
WEEK 4
Jets (2-1) 17 at Dolphins (1-2) 6
Jaguars (1-2) 13 at Colts (1-2) 23
Giants (1-2) 14 at Bills (2-1) 23
Panthers (3-0) 33 at Buccaneers (1-2) 16
Eagles (1-2) 10 at Redskins (1-2) 12
Raiders 28 (2-1) at Bears (0-3) 3
Texans (1-2) 18 at Falcons (3-0) 34
Cheifs (1-2) 7 at Bengals (3-0) 42
Browns (1-2) 9 at Chargers (1-2) 45
Packers (3-0) 35 at 49ers (2-0) 14
Rams (1-2) 6 at Cardinals (3-0) 28
Cowboys (1-1) 20 at Saints (1-1) 17
Lions (0-2) 0 at Seahawks (0-2) 27
Upset of the Week
Vikings (2-1) 22 at Broncos (3-0) 17
Week 3 Notes:
QB Michael Vick steps in for hurt Steelers QB Ben
Roethlisberger. RBs Joseph Randle and Devonta
Freeman have fantasy break out. Controversial
Vikings RB Adrian Peterson scored first touchdown
in nearly two years.
Oakland hires MLB’s first female coach
“I’m really honored by this,’’
Siegal said. “Beane was the first
to say yes to me throwing batting practice, and I’m honored
The Oakland Athletics, re- the A’s will go out on a limb. I do
vered as one of baseball’s most feel qualified.’’
progressive organizations,
Her reach in the game of basebecame the first major league ball has already been far extendteam to hire a female coach ed, and she has been a leader in
on Tuesday.
sports equality in recent years.
The team announced that As the founder of Baseball For
40-year-old Justine Siegal will All, Siegal runs a nonprofit orjoin the coaching staff for their ganization with an ambitious
Instructional League team in mission statement.
October. Siegal has a Ph.D.
“Baseball For A ll empowin sport and exercise psychol- ers, educates, instills leaderogy from Springfield College, ship and creates opportunities
where she also served as an for girls to play baseball. We
assistant f rom
empower others to
2008 to 2010, and
begin or extend their
an M.A. in sports
baseball programs
studies from Kent
to girls around
State University.
the world.”
Breaking barSiega l is now
riers in baseball
t he t h i rd woma n
is nothing new to
to make headlines
Siegal. She was
for her involvement
the first woman
with major sports
to throw batting
or g a n i zat ion s i n
practice to major
the past year. Becky
league teams as
Hammon was a
well as the first
full time assistant
woman to coach
for the NBA’s San
professional base- PHOTO COURTESY BRETT FARMILOE A n t o n i o S p u r s
ball when she did Oakland GM Billy Beane. l a s t s e a s o n , a nd
so for the indeJen Welter served
pendent Brockton Rox in 2009. as an assistant coaching inHer qualifications for the te r n for t he N F L’s A r i zona
job are evident, and Oakland Cardinals during this season’s
is eager for her arrival, as training camp.
r e p o r t e d b y M L B . c o m’s
Her determination to fill hisAlyson Footer.
torically male roles in sports has
“ We ’ r e t h r i l l e d t h a t been fueled for many years by
Justine will be joining us for the doubts of others, according
Instructional League,” said to Footer.
Oakland’s assistant general
“I was 16 when I told my coach
manager David Forst. “She I wanted to be a college baseball
brings with her a wealth of coach,” Siegal said. “He laughed
knowledge and expertise from at me and said a man would never
years of playing, coaching and listen to a woman on a baseball
teaching the game, and all of field. That’s when I decided I
our young players stand to was going to get a Ph.D., prove
benefit greatly from her time them wrong.”
in camp.”
Siegal not only fulfilled her
Siegal feels conf ident in dreams of coaching college baseher ability to coach in a male ball, but she has joined the prodominated arena as well, per fessional and now major league
San Jose Mercury News.
ranks as well.
BY MARK PELESS
Sports Editor
6
F E AT U R E S
UN
LEARN
BY HANNAH FERTICH
Features Editor
UnLearn Week can be defined
a few different ways. According
to Mar tin Avila, Calvin’s
coordinator of multicultural
student programming in
the intercultural student
development office,“UnLearn
Week provides a safe, campus
wide forum for panel discussions,
lectures, presentations and
workshops that aim to increase
self-awareness of deep-seated
prejudices and stereotypes of
cultures, race and gender,”
Avila said. “Unlearn Week
encourages personal evaluation
of attitudes and actions toward
those with different cultural
values and increases knowledge
of different cultures.”
Sophomore Kimo Cox defined
it a slightly different way: “It is a
week set aside by Calvin College
and the MSDO (Multicultural
Student Development Office)
to kind of unlear n some
of the stigmas and stereotypes
and beliefs that we have about
other cultures, particularly
minority cultures, and to wreally
engage in understanding.”
Heading into the week, Cox
is “looking forward to people
who wouldn’t normally engage
in conversation about race and
class issues and gender issues
and things of that nature, to
truly engage and at least try to
understand.” Despite general
optimism, Cox demonstrated
there remains a few reservations in
his statement: “I’m apprehensive
about people not coming to
learn but to prove themselves
right about stuff.”
E s t h e r Kw a k , p r o g r a m
coordinator for international
student development, voiced
her concerns. “I’m worried that
our community may miss the
point of UnLearn Week,” she
said. “This is not about ‘others’
who are supposedly ‘ignorant’
to learn something; it is about
‘me’ discerning and learning
about myself, my pre-conceived
thoughts and beliefs.”
“From my experience
here at Calvin,” said Avila,
“some people in the Calvin
community have called Unlearn
Week, ‘a week to blame the
majority students.’ I don’t believe
UnLearn Week is a week to blame
others for what has happened
in history. I see UnLearn Week
as a place where we, as a Calvin
community, could have the difficult
and uncomfortable discussion,
be informed on what steps to
take toward racial reconciliation,
move beyond racial biases and
become allies and advocates for
each other.”
UnLearn Week is an important
part of building a more welcoming
and culturally competent
community at Calvin. KHvR
dorm president Erin Boersma
thinks it is important that we have
UnLearn week but is not sure how
much impact it will have because
the people who attend are typically
those that are already more aware
and the people who have the most
to learn aren’t always inclined to
attend. However, desired impact
will eventually be made. UnLearn
Week can have the effect it is
designed to have.
Cox agreed, saying, “I honestly
wish it was longer and I wish
that it was spread out and not
necessarily a week because when
it’s things like that, I feel like
people tend to ignore it like they
do black history month where we
only learn about the same three
black people.”
This view was repeated by
Kwak: “It is important but I hope
this is not something we do just
during UnLearn Week but to
have constant conversations and
discussions throughout the year.”
For Cox, the week can also
reshape the way Calvin students
view cultural issues.
“I feel that it can wake people up
to the injustices we face and why
UnLearn Week
October 5th-9th
we feel the way we do and why we
react to certain situations the way
we react to certain situations and
vice versa.”
He continued, saying, “Racism
is just a very emotionally laden
topic on both sides of the spectrum.
So I find it very important that
people have an open dialogue and
safe environments and actually
try to understand one another’s
viewpoints. It doesn’t take a
person who’s fundamentally racist
to do something that is racist.”
“Racism will most likely never
go away,” said sophomore Patrick
Haywood, “we just have to learn
how to adapt to it and grow as
people and learn to accept those
who are racist but also help them
along a better path.”
In closing, Avila offers a
challenge: “Christians (or nonChristians) here at Calvin, we
are called to live a vocation
that is pleasing to God and to
embody the Calvin mission of
‘thinking deeply, acting justly,
living wholeheartedly as Christ’s
agents of renewal.’ Racism is
the complete opposite of what
God wants us to be, and it
doesn’t embody Calvin’s mission.
Embodying Calvin’s mission
is one of many ways we can
start to become a culturally
competent community and
welcoming community.”
“
7
A RT S A N D
Helen Groothuis, “The Intern”
E N T E RTA I N M E N T
“The Intern” a feel-good comedy with wide audience appeal Looking ahead to Oscar season
“The Intern” is one of the best feel-good comedies
in recent memory.
BY HELEN GROOTHUIS
Staff Writer
It seems as though great, feelgood comedies are in short supply
these days, but this fall brings
us “The Intern” from director
Nancy Meyers. It’s not just good
– it’ll make you feel a lot better
when you leave the theater.
“The Inter n” stars Rober t
De Niro as Ben W hitaker, a
70-year-old widower and former
phonebook company executive
who finds that retirement is too
slow for him. Itching to get back
”
lenting optimism to a cast full of
stressed-out characters.
Hathaway is also ver y likable as Jules, though she does
sometimes veer off into manic
territory. The two characters
together make for some of the
best moments in the film, especially when Jules expresses her
insecurities about herself as a
businesswoman. There is not a
hint of romance between them,
and it is very refreshing to see a
great portrayal of a male/female
best friend relationship.
The supporting cast is serviceable in the film and really shines
Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway star in “The Interview.”
to work, he applies to a senior when it interacts with Hathaway
citizen intern program at About and De Niro.
the Fit, a fashion e-commerce
Adam Devi ne and Zack
site run by founder and CEO Pearlman are great as two of the
Jules Ostin (Anne Hathaway). younger employees working at
Along the way, he learns to get About the Fit. Devine’s character
along with the younger employees is pretty much the same as the
and discovers that, despite the other characters he plays (“Pitch
age gap, they actually have a lot Perfect,” anyone?), but it works
in common.
well here. Their mentor-mentee
A large part of why this movie relationship with Ben is one of the
works is the chemistry between its most entertaining aspects of this
two leads. De Niro, who is more movie. Other characters, such as
known for his dramatic roles in Jules’s assistant, Becky (Christina
films such as “Taxi Driver” and Scherer), and business partner,
“Raging Bull,” lends an unre- Cameron (Andrew Rannells), are
somewhat glossed over and, while
enjoyable, would have benefited
from more screen time.
There are a few elements that
hold the movie back, however. Although it mostly revolves
around its two leads, there are
a couple of times when the plot
dictates what the characters do
rather than the other way around.
These instances made the film
drag just a bit before it continues
on with the main story, and as a
result the film felt slightly longer
than it should have been. If these
elements had been cut, the pacing
would have been much smoother.
A couple of
plot t h reads
are tied up a
bit too nicely at
the end of the
f i l m, t houg h
that on its own
is typical of director Meyers’
previous fare
such as “The
Parent Trap”
(19 9 8) a nd
“Something’s
G ot t a G ive”
(2003). It’s not
necessar i ly a
drawback, but
it does feel a
bit unrealistic.
Is “The
I nt e r n” t he
FILE PHOTO
t y p e of f i l m
that will earn unanimous praise?
Not exactly. However, it is great
to see a female-directed f ilm
in theaters again, and the film
itself does a great job of illustrating the ideological generation
gap between millennials and
older people.
De Niro and Hathaway are
the main reason that the movie
works and they also have a good
cast to support them. Overall,
“The Intern” is one of the best
feel-good comedies in recent
memory, and it will leave you
hungry for more.
BY NATE HUNT
Arts & Entertainment Editor
Ah, Oscar season. Can you
smell it? That time of the year
between November and the end
of December where the films
destined to win Academy Awards
make their theatrical debuts.
Many of the films destined to
win the coveted award of Best
Picture have already been seen
by critics and are now waiting to
be appreciated by the public eye.
This year, Oscar season is getting started a little earlier than
usual, with some much anticipated films hitting theaters within
the next few weeks.
T he big gest contender to
watch out for is Danny Boyle’s
“Steve Jobs,” which stars Michael
Fassbender as the former head
of Apple. Boyle has had great
success at the Oscar’s in the past,
most notably for his recognition
for “Slumdog Millionaire.” I
wouldn’t put it past the director to
sweep the awards show yet again
with this biopic.
Other films to be released in
October include the Netflix and
IMAX exclusive “Beasts of No
Nation” about child soldiers in
Africa; Steven Spielberg’s “Bridge
of Spies” which is set during the
Cold War, starring Tom Hanks
and written by the Coen brothers; and “Room,” an indie film
which has picked up decent buzz
at recent film festivals.
November’s slate is f illed
with films that tackle important, yet potentially controversial subject matter. First out of
the gate is “Spotlight,” a movie
based on a true story which stars
Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo
and Rachel McAdams as the
Boston Globe repor ters who
brought public attention to the
Catholic sex abuse scandal. The
buzz around this film has been
intriguing and is sure to strike a
nerve in the Catholic community.
Rounding out the month
are two films with narratives
focusing on LGBTQ characters. The first film is “Carol,”
which stars Cate Blanchett and
Rooney Mara. The film tells
the story of a young female
photographer who develops
a relationship with an older
married woman. Following
is “T he Dan ish Gi rl,” directed by Tom Hooper (“The
King’s Speech”) and starring
Eddie Redmayne, last year’s
Academy Award winner for
Best Actor, who portrays Lili
Elbe, the first recipient of sex
reassignment surgery.
December is set to round
out the season with three heavy
hitters. Amid the hype surrounding the new “Star Wars”
film comes “The Revenant,”
a revenge tale which stars
Leonardo Dicaprio and Tom
Hardy as fur trappers who run
into trouble in the uncharted
American wilderness. The film
is directed by last year’s Best
Director winner Alejandro G.
Iñárritu and is sure to garner
attention at the Oscars.
The other two films are
Quentin Tarantino’s “The
Hatef ul Eight” and David
O. Russell’s “Joy.” Tarantino
needs no introduction and even
Russell has become recognized
as a prestigious filmmaker
following his nomination for
Best Director a few years ago
for “Silver Linings Playbook.”
Both these films come out on
Christmas day and are sure
to draw huge crowds over the
holiday season.
If the above list is anything to go off, it is going
to be a tight race for Best
Picture nominees this year. So
grab your friends, grab your
family and make sure you get
out to the theaters and experience some of the madness
and wonder of Oscar season
for yourself.
Sylvan Esso steals hearts with genre-bending pop
In the song “Hey Mami,”
Meath seemed to act as a spokesGuest Writer
person for those who long to stand
up against the catcallers on the
On Fr iday, September 25,
streets, singing, “Sooner or later
Durham, N.C. duo Sylvan Esso
the dudes at bodegas will hold
played to over 1,000 concertgotheir lips and own this s--t.”
ers in Calvin’s auditorium. Not
I n “Dress” she quoted
only did Sylvan Esso perform a
Beyonce, singing, “I woke up
spectacular and seamless set, they
like dis” as the crowd joined in.
exceeded expectations and proThey also treated the audience to
vided their listeners with a new,
some brand new songs that have
deeper perspective on pop music.
not yet been recorded.
For the traditional conversaWa t c h i n g S a n b o r n m a tion before the show, band memn ipu late sou nds on h is lap bers Amelia Meath and Nick
top and synthesizers was like
Sanborn came dressed casually
watch i ng a c ross be t wee n
in jeans and sneakers.
a conductor and
The small crowd
DJ. Sa nbor n conset t led i n as Ken
stantly adjusted and
Heffner, the student
looped live vocals,
activities director, inpre-recorded samtroduced the concept
ples and synth beats
of a pre-concert conand pads. He created
versation: “The goal
seamless transitions
for these conversations
live by taking fracis for us as an audience
tions of sound from
to learn more about
Meath’s voice in the
their art, to ask quesprevious song, looptions. It’s not very ofing them and slowten we get to have an
ing them down or
unmediated converspeeding them up to
sation with an artist. Sylvan Esso performs in the CFAC. PHOTO BY KENDRA KAMP match the tempo and
Ask about their work
key of the next song.
so you understand their work each song, turning the CFAC into His orchestration was intrigubetter and try to move away from a club for the night.
ing, and the obvious connection
the cult of celebrity, which the
Meath exuded a fabulous between Meath and Sanborn
industry loves to reinforce.”
confidence. She both empowered was fascinating to watch as they
Both Meath and Sanborn were and inspired concert-goers with worked together to create a symdown to earth and hilarious, her stage presence. Her constant phony, seemingly, out of thin air.
and they very eloquently and dance moves were powerf ul,
SAO has many upcoming
thoughtfully addressed questions graceful and unique, mirroring concerts for this fall including
concerning their songwriting the sounds Sanborn created as he, Colony House, Nate Reuss,
process, how they respond to too, moved to the music.
and Over the Rhine. Get your
criticism, Meath’s love of dancing
Those in attendance crowded tickets to these and many more
and the current state of popular together at the front in the pit shows and movies at the Calvin
music and the radio in America. and danced.
Box Office.
BY NATALIE HENDERSON
They are a duo who, at the heart
of their music, aims to speak to
current social issues and the human condition with intelligence.
When Meath and Sanborn
walked out on stage Friday night,
there seemed to be a shift in
the room; the air was suddenly
charged with the palpable energy
of anticipation.
The bare stage housed a minimalist light structure composed
of outward-facing pairs of arrows,
which corresponded with Meath
and Sanborn’s matching tattoos.
The colored lights illuminated
and synchronized to the beats of
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8
SCIENCE AND
TEC H N O LOGY
O B S E RVATO RY CO R N E R
By Christopher Spedden
Hello everyone, and welcome back for another exciting
edition of Observatory Corner
for Friday, Oct. 2! Weather
forecasts for the coming week
look very poor, with clouds
and rain storms predicted
Monday through Thursday.
However, Michigan weather
is very changeable, so rather
than take my word for it, look
for yourself at www.wunderground.com. The observatory is now open by 8 p.m.,
giving a solid three hours to
come up and take a look at the
starry sky.
The Summer Triangle is
still high in the sky, and M45,
also known as the Pleiades, an
open star cluster comprised
of several thousand stars, is
now visible and is the most
easily visible star cluster in
the night sky. My personal favorite constellation, Cygnus
the Swan, currently sits directly overhead, and its flight
path traces out the galactic
equator. Now is also a great
time to catch a view the Ring
Nebula, M57. A hop, skip and
a jump up from the body of
the constellation Pegasus is
the core of Andromeda, our
galactic neighbor.
This week’s featured Calvin astronomy image of the
Sunset times for Oct. 2 to Oct. 9
7:23 p.m. — 7:10 p.m.
week is of NGC 2024, the
Flame Nebula, taken by Calvin alumna Brittany Lally in
2011. It is an emission nebula, meaning that the young,
massive and extremely bright
star just beyond the right
side of the image, Alnitak, is
releasing ultraviolet radiation into the surrounding gas,
ionizing it and causing it to
glow. It is between 900 and
1,500 light-years away, and
houses an estimated 800
stars. It is a region of active new star formation,
which is indicated by the
presence of pinkish clouds,
which are ionized clouds
of hydrogen.
The cycle of birth, death
and rebirth in stars is not unlike that of a phoenix, with
the new phoenix rising from
the ashes of the old one, just
as stars do. It is truly a remarkable sight to see. If you want
to know more, you can read
up on the Flame Nebula at
Calvin’s observatory webpage
Remember, dear audience, space is a very big place,
filled
with
awe-inspiring
sights and truly humbling
constructs, and there’s always
more to see. Be sure to join us
again next time on Observatory Corner!
“
Through rain gardens, we could actually mimic the drainage effects
of pre-settlement Grand Rapids.
Nicole Reenders, “Plaster Creek Stewards”
”
Plaster Creek Stewards event assists Alger Heights
Dave Warners) of the Plaster
Creek Stewa rd s ( PCS), wa s
excited about participation in
Saturday’s event.
“This was a wonderful event
because all kinds of people came,
ranging in age from a 3-monthold to several retirees, including
some Calvin professors,” said
Heffner. “Middle school, high
school kids came, young parents
with families, Calvin students;
it’s really encouraging to see
senter] remarked that we don’t
always think about the people we
On-Call Writer
affect downstream.”
Luke Tilma, a junior who
worked with PCS this summer as
This past Saturday, Calvin stuan employee of the Calvin biology
dents, professors and community
department and helped lead rain
members came together to learn
garden construction on Saturday,
about the environmental chalalso emphasized the idea of conlenges facing the Plaster Creek
nections between community and
Watershed and to volunteer their
the environment.
time to address these problems.
“Calvin’s existence within this
During this event, dubbed
watershed implies a twofold re“Alger Heights vs. ‘The Flash,’”
sponsibility: to the
around 75 people gathcreek itself, as well
ered at Calvin’s Bunker
as everybody else
Interpretive Center for
who resides downan educational presenstream of us. Our
tation about the Plaster
ways of life that inCreek Watershed and
f luence the stream
conce r n s w it h f la sh
have a direct impact
flooding, and then headon the lives of those
ed out into different sites
downstream, just
in Alger Heights to plant
as those who reside
rain gardens.
upstream of us can
Plaster Creek is nohave a direct imtorious for high levels
pact on our lives,”
of bacterial contaminasaid Tilma.
tion, which get worse
“By working to
af ter heav y rain fal l,
restore the creek,
at tendees lear ned in
we serve our creSaturday’s presentation.
ator God — who
This is because the waPHOTO BY GAIL HEFFNER
cha rged us to be
ter runs off impermeable A generational effort, the rain garden planting
stewards over his
surfaces like streets and
c reat ion — and
parking lots and into the event attracted volunteers of many different ages.
creek instead of being absorbed the variety of people that are we serve the community and
getting involved.”
people wit h whom we share
naturally by the ground.
Nicole Reenders, a senior the watershed.”
One way to deal with this
Heffner added that volunteerproblem is to make rain gardens, French major at Calvin, appreciwhich are intentionally plant- ated both the chance to learn and ing with Plaster Creek can also
ed gardens consisting of native the chance to put that knowledge link students with the greater
Grand Rapids area:
plants that mimic the effect of to work.
“I thought it was really surpris“Events like this can give colthe natural ground in absorbing
water. This way, bacteria levels ing that, through rain gardens, lege students the chance to meet
in Plaster Creek don’t rise every we could actually mimic the people in the surrounding comtime there is a heavy rainfall be- drainage effects of pre-settlement munities and understand what
cause rain gardens are helping the Grand Rapids,” said Reenders. some of their concerns are, what
ground absorb this extra water “The chance to plant in these they’re excited about.”
neighborhoods with such a diHeffner explained that the
more slowly.
A f t e r t h e p r e s e n t a t i o n , verse group of people was some- Plaster Creek Stewards strive for
a holistic volunteer model that
t he volunteers split i nto si x thing I really enjoyed as well.”
Senior Angela Dieleman, a combines learning with doing,
g roups and headed to A lger
like the event this Saturday.
H e i g h t s n e i g h b o r h o o d s t o music education major, agreed.
“I was really glad to be part
“We try to explain how our
begin planting.
Gail Heffner, Calvin’s direc- of this event. ... My favorite con- actions are going to help, but we
tor of community engagement cept from the meeting at the don’t want to just educate without
and the co-founder (along with beginning was when [the pre- giving people a chance to act.”
BY BETHANY COK
Apple brand electric car to hit streets in 2019
PHOTO COURTESY BRITTANY LALLY
NGC 2024, more colloquially known as the Flame Nebula,
contains an estimated 900 stars.
XKCD BY RANDALL MUNROE
“The place I’d least like to live is the farm in the background
of those diagrams showing how tornadoes form.”
ever, shows never to count Apple
out. Apple has consistently been
able to infiltrate and become a
leading player in many markets,
revolutionizing the worlds of
music players, laptops and cellphones. The company name itself
now wields unprecedented power
in the tech market, as the demand
for the new iPhone 6S, released
this September, would suggest.
In the past, Apple has been
accused of charging more for
the market today cost around
$30,000. In order to perform a
Guest Writer
just comparison, additional factors must be accounted for: with
The rumors are coming true:
self-driving technology adding
Apple — the company, not the
an estimated $10,000 in cost and
fruit — is working on an electric
inf lation averaging 2 percent
car that is reported to be released
each year, the market cost of a
in 2019. The company that can
non-Apple autonomous car in
shape the tech world at will has
2019 would be roughly $43,300,
found another market to invade.
making the Apple car 27 percent
Is Apple finally reaching too
more expensive.
far? The auto industry is subject
Apple products sell
to strict regulations, and
because of their userentire supply and profriendly interface, sleek
duction lines would need
design, excellence of core
to be created in order to
functionality and loyal
roll out tens of thousands
customer base. A similar
of cars per year. To acstrategy may also yield
complish such a task and
success with selling a car;
become a major market
after all, Apple wouldn’t
player in only four years
try if they didn’t think it
would require extensive
would likely be profitable
planning, abundance of
in the long run.
resources and a marketBy r ele a si n g t he i r
able brand. Enter Apple.
plans to develop a car,
Safe bets about the
Apple may be helping
Apple car include that
t o d r i ve i n n o v a t i o n
it will be electric, will
i n t he auto i ndust r y.
have Siri built in and
Established auto comwill be able to connect
panies will strive to innoPHOTO BY PIXABAY USER AFRDNZ
with other Apple devate at a faster pace in the
Apple’s
electric
car
(not
pictured)
is
set
to
be
vices. Recent news also
next four years in order
indicates that Apple is released in 2019.
to not be beaten out by
sinking large amounts of money their products than their com- the Apple car when it is released.
into research about making the petitors do for products with By 2019, the Apple car may sell
car autonomous.
similar specifications. Loyalists not because of its innovations
None of these features would argue that Apple products have but because of its brand name
be new: Google, Tesla and Uber a superior interface and aesthetic and sleekness.
have already invested in self- quality, while detractors hold this
If you were initially taken
driving cars, with some proto- to be a matter of opinion and aback by the idea of an Apple car,
types already on the roads. Many credit Apple’s success to con- consider the possibilities. Jobs
manufacturers already have voice sumers with blind loyalty to the will be created as Apple prepares
assistants in place in their newer Apple name.
for production, and the advent
models. Apple’s own CarPlay
The new Apple car is rumored of self-driving cars will lead to a
system is becoming widespread. to have a price tag of $55,000, safer future on the roadways. 2019
A quick history lesson, how- wh i le most elec t r ic c a r s on is on its way.
BY PAUL BROUWER
“
Good art will force you to have more questions than answers.
Nabil Mousa, “Controversial”
9
”
RELIGION
Controversial artwork rejected by ArtPrize officials
Artist’s rendition of 9/11 memorial includes burned pages from the Qur’an, Torah, and the Bible
PHOTO COURTESY FLICKR USER STEVEN DEPOLO
Passerbys stop to look at one of the many artworks on display during ArtPrize.
BY TRENT GROENHOUT
Guest Writer
This year’s annual ArtPrize
contest held in downtown Grand
Rapids will be without a piece
of controversial art, which was
recently rejected by the city’s Arts
Advisory Committee. The artist,
Nabil Mousa, originally had his
sculpture, “Paradise Built on the
Bones of the Slaughtered,” approved by the City Hall ArtPrize
curator back in May, but is no longer allowed to display the piece in
a city-approved venue after a lastminute vote by the Arts Advisory
Committee. The sculpture depicts the Twin Towers covered
in partially burned pages of the
Quran, Torah and Bible.
The decision made by the city
means that Mousa’s sculpture is
not allowed in any of the 10 public
venues that require city approval,
but is still allowed to be displayed
in one of the 162 private venues
if he can find a business owner
willing to host it.
Mousa says his work was influenced by his upbringing, “Being
born in Syria I grew up around
all three religions: Christianity,
Islam and Judaism.” The artist
had hoped that his controversial
piece would open up a dialogue
between the religions. “We could
make a difference,” he said to the
open venues in the city. “Let’s
do it. Why couldn’t we bring
together the Jewish community, the Muslim community,
the Christian community here in
Grand Rapids to start this off, and
actually open up dialogue about
what it is that we have in common?” Mousa wanted to make
it clear that “There’s a reason
behind it. I didn’t burn them because I’m pissed off or I’m angry
or I just wanted to do it just to do
it.” He says his work wasn’t made
to express anger against religion;
rather, it’s a statement of how
people of different religions sometimes don’t apply basic teachings
in daily life. “There’s a message
behind it. And that message is
that people of different religions
are not really applying what those
holy books tell them.”
Mousa expected some people
to take offense at the sculpture,
but didn’t think it should have
been banned outright. “When
you look at 9/11 and you look
at this sculpture, you have to
think, how can someone com-
mit these atrocities in the name
of God and think that God is on
their side?” he said.Raised as a
Christian, he said the sculpture
is meant to question what people
do in the name of religion. Mousa
believes that Islam, Judaism and
Christianity all share the same
God, and profess to preach tolerance and mutual respect. For
Mousa, the three faiths seem that
“they’re more notable today for
their mutual antagonism, ill will
and violent acts. My answer to
that is these burned tomes that
enact a kind of cleansing ritual, in
which self-reflection about faith
and mutual responsibility is the
hopeful end result.”
ArtPrize officials worked with
Mousa to try to find a replacement venue, but were unable to
do so by the deadline. This was a
great disappointment to the artist, who had hoped that people
could have a chance to look at
the sculpture and decide what
they think for themselves. “I tell
viewers that before you make a
judgment, go look at it, go study
the piece, ask yourself, why would
an artist create this piece, what
is the reason behind it?” he said.
Mousa believes that his piece is
something that everyone should
consider, regardless of their religion. “Good art will force you
to have more questions than
answers. How can you possibly
deny us of what is right, which
is to be able to express ourselves
in art?”
Crowds of pilgrims cause massive stampede at the Hajj
Reports announce that 863 pilgrims are left injured, with 717 dead at Mina
BY MARISA HEULE
On-Call Writer
Last week Thursday, Muslims
around the world met to celebrate
the culmination of the Hajj pilgrimage in the Saudi city of Mina,
just outside of Mecca. Here,
during the Feast of Sacrifice,
Eid al-Adha, a procession of
worshippers gather around three
stone columns where the prophet
Abraham is believed to have once
stood. Tradition holds that throwing pebbles at the pillars drives
out evil, symbolic of stoning out
the Evil One.
What was meant to be, for
many, the completion of a religious journey, turned into a
tragedy of some 700 deaths.As
pilgrims circulated to and from
the Jamarat Bridge, where the
three pillars stand, large groups
of pilgrims collided. Although
the Jamarat Bridge was designed
to ease the pressure of the crowds,
the mass of moving people caused
a chaotic situation.
According to the Saudi Civil
Defense Directorate, 863 pilgrims
were injured and 717 were killed
in the collision of the oncoming
crowds. King Salman, former
leader of Saudi Arabia, stated in
a televised speech that he would
tell authorities to review all arrangements and accommodations
for pilgrims. Following the crash
of a crane two weeks ago on worshippers in Mecca, this disaster
has raised criticism toward the
Saudi government and their poor
management of the masses that
travel to Mecca.
Crispin Hawes, the managing
director of Teneo Intelligence,
highlighted questions of account-
A typical view of the Kabba at the Al-Masjid al-Haram during a Hajj.
ability and considered the tragedy
not only a “political firestorm”
but an “egregious failure.” In an
interview between Saudi reporter
Aya Batrawy and NPR host Kelly
McEvers, Batrawy highlights the
discrepancy between the provision of over 100,000 security
forces to regulate the crowds and
the stampede.
She also remembers the past
tragedies at Mecca, including
the incident of 2006 in which 360
were killed, as well as the deadliest
stampede of 1990 that killed 1,426
pilgrims. Batrawy questions the
efforts of the Saudi government
toward preventing the disaster
from occurring again as they
have failed to do so in the past.
Hawes was correct in predicting
intense political tensions arising
from the sad event. Saudi Arabia’s
primar y regional rival, Iran,
ordered three days of national
mourning after 95 Iranians were
confirmed dead.
Moreover, more t han 4 0 0
Muslims died after Iranian Shiite
Muslims and Saudi policemen
broke out in riots last Friday.
Not only does this violence further exacerbate the situation in
Saudi Arabia, but also in Iran.
Enraged Iranians have stormed
the Saudi and Kuwaiti embassies
in Teheran, smashing furniture
and starting fires.
This outbreak of tension may
lead to further political implications such as open conf lict
bet ween Shiite Muslim forces and Sunni Muslim regimes.
Tragedy within the context of
the Islamic pilgrimage harbors
PHOTO COURTESY WIKIPEDIA
sensitive political repercussions,
suggesting further unrest within
the Middle East and Saudi gover nment. Many off icials are
still pushing for further regulations of the tradition of the
Hajj in order to avoid f uture
catastrophes at such a major
religious site.
In his prayer at St. Patrick’s
Cathedral in New York City,
Pope Francis commented on the
grief of the situation as he told
the global Muslim community, “I
unite myself with you all.”
10
opinion and
e d i to r i a l
Loss of language
BY JANAYA CREVIER
Guest Writer
I understand the difficulty
and weig ht of t he decisions
made that were communicated
to students on Friday (September
25) via email, and I understand
the necessity behind those decisions. Nevertheless, I hope
that my small piece of the story
can at least be heard and taken
into consideration.
Calvin’s German program was
the primary reason I chose to
study here. Perhaps there are few
people who know right off the bat
what they want to study, but for
me, it was German. I found the
study abroad options connected
with the program especially attractive. The Calvin German
Interim abroad, for example,
goes back more than 40 years.
At a time when hardly anyone
was attempting study abroad programs, Calvin German professors
were organizing stays with host
families and city visits— even
in communist East Germany.
The elimination of the German
major would necessarily put this
historically rich tradition in peril,
both due to faculty limitations
and the expected decrease in
student enrollment in a minoronly program.
Language study facilitates
depth of study with its engagement in study abroad, in literature
and in culture. To learn another
language is to open up — to open
up your mind to the intricacies
of another grammar and thought
structure, to open up your eyes
to new possibilities in careers
and experiences, to open up your
ears to new sounds and stories.
To study another language is
to love your neighbor, to enter
into her native tongue and seek
to understand her on her own
terms. If Calvin is to continue to
educate students how to be better
servants of Christ, contemporary
foreign languages must remain
a priority.
My frustration is not, however,
just about the threat to my major.
The cuts, if carried out as recommended, would severely hollow
out the promises of liberal arts
that Calvin so proudly holds forth
to new students. Where does a
student turn when they realize
that engineering, nursing or
speech pathology isn’t for them,
when the specialized program
with loud promises of a secure
future turns out to be the wrong
fit? What keeps students like that
at Calvin? It is meaningful liberal
arts offerings.
We ask you to prayerfully reconsider these cuts. If they must
be made, we deserve to know of
Calvin’s plans to reinvest in the
affected programs in the future.
To that end, “reinvention” must
not sacrifice depth of content
on the altar of easily marketable
“innovations” and “interdisciplinary collaboratives.”
When I was a freshman, engineering students outright mocked
me for choosing to study German.
I petition you, as I did them, not
to make a mockery of this and
other courses of study — not just
for my sake or the sake of my colleagues, but for the sake of Calvin
as an institution. As the world
around us grows ever more interconnected, the tightening of our
budget should not necessitate the
narrowing of our own microcosm
here at Calvin.
O/O’s Needed! Great Pay! Dedicated Routes out of
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“
If there is anything Calvin has taught me, it has been the art — and
the importance — of arguing well.
Anna Delph, “From the Editor”
”
From the
Editor
My family used to eat out
a lot.
Or at least, part of me remembers that. I know that at
some point, a long time ago in
a state far, far away, we were
living in a time of plenty. But
I remember the day when my
dad told us that we wouldn’t
be able to eat out as much
anymore because we couldn’t
afford it. To sixth-grade me,
that didn’t really matter very
much. To senior college student me, it still doesn’t matter
very much. What did matter
was what came afterwards.
No one talked about money
directly, but the implication
was clear: it was tight. The big
people on TV said the economy
had gone bad. No one could
get a job. The words “budget,” “funding,” “debt,” “cuts,”
“loss,” “deficit” and “crisis”
became annoying hitchhikers
on our everyday conversation
until we grew so numb to their
meaning that we accepted
them as the new reality of
our lives.
Many, if not most, students
at Calvin grew up in “economic
recession America.” We were
raised being told that there
wasn’t enough of anything
to go around, because some
past generation had messed
things up for us. We went
through high school, and there
wasn’t enough money for our
sports clubs, science projects
or school plays, and it felt like
there wasn’t a single thing we
could do about it.
And then we came to Calvin.
We are a unique group of students. We have spent most of our
lives in a time where there were
less resources than there needed
to be, and this has left a lot of us
jaded. And then after years of
losses in almost every department
due to a debt we had nothing to
do with but inherited anyway,
we are now faced with the prospect of losing programs a lot of
us are deeply invested in. And
after living in a shrinking world
for the better part of our lives,
this week’s events could understandably feel like the straw that
breaks the camel’s back, and these
cuts might feel more like slashes
than snips.
I’m very proud that I am part
of a student body that cares. We
all know our generation gets labeled as apathetic far too often,
so seeing people speak up about
the things they love and truly care
about is renewing my faith in all
of us. There are people who are
now almost literally throwing
money at the situation in a fierce
determination to show that they
can help. Many have spoken out
in grief and in disagreement, and
I have had the privilege of seeing
people write, organize and act in
unison to defend what they think
is right.
But if there is anything Calvin
has taught me, it has been the
art — and the importance — of
arguing well. As truth-seekers
we should aim to pursue, study
and value truth over all. So it is
only natural that I should lament
when I see my fellow students
being hateful, calling people
names, perpetuating misinformation, attributing false blame
a nd s t r e t c h i n g t he t r u t h
to make it sound more drastic than it is. These things
do not seek t r ut h; t hey
s e e k ve n g e a n c e . I n s t e a d
of f ig hti ng for real and
honest understanding,
ma ny have chosen t he
easier route of uniting against a
common enemy.
To use a quote that has already been used this week,
“A house divided against itself cannot stand.” We have
some serious trials to face,
and we’re going to need to
work as a community to figure
this out, but our community
cannot rebuild until we can
have constructive conversations about our problems.
That means listening, arguing
well, telling the tr uth and
e x p r e s s i n g ou r e mot io n s
i n a way t h at d o e s n’t
involve scapegoats.
Grief, frustration and anger
are appropriate and warranted
in times of loss. There is value
and healing in being sad together, and there is growth to
be found in questioning our
authorities. My argument here
is not for silence, complacence
or giving up without a fight.
My call is simply for compassion. No story is simple; giving
the benefit of the doubt to those
who stand to deserve it can go
a long way.
~acd
The opinions expressed in articles on this page are the opinions of the authors and do not
necessarily represent the opinions of Chimes, Calvin College or the Christian Reformed Church.
On theater cuts
BY EMILY WETZEL
Guest Writer
The minute that I joined the
Calvin Theatre Company in the
fall of 2012 was the moment that
my life took a significant, beautiful, messy, wonderful turn. I did
not know that this would be the
case at the time. But since then,
I have seen God’s plan and love
for me unfold in ways that would
not have been possible without
the support of my theater family.
I thought I would join the company in a club capacity; it would
be a great way to make friends,
be involved in the Calvin community and try something new.
As I found myself cast in a show
two weeks into my freshman year,
I also found myself enveloped in a
group of people who cared deeply
for each other, for their art, for
their love of creativity. They, quite
literally, received me with open
arms. So I decided to declare a
theater major at the beginning of
my sophomore year. It was a decision that I have never regretted.
Theatre has taught me to work
hard. It has taught me to persevere through unforeseen circumstances. It has taught me to
manage my time well, to offer
help, to dive into group projects.
I have learned how to communicate effectively in front of crowds,
to collaborate with other artists,
to show up on time, to build and
draw and paint and sew.
Theater has taught me how to
relate to others, whether that be
through silence, through conversation over a mug of tea, through
dinners at professors’ homes. It
has taught me that hospitality is
important and that relationships
are the most wonderful thing
upon which one can focus one’s
attention. It has, in short, taught
me how to love well and that I am
loved unconditionally.
Theater has taught me that
strong mentorship is essential to
creative success. I have learned
more in the conversations with
my dear professors than I have
in many of my classes. They
encourage me, hold me in times
of grief, trust me to do my best,
give me opportunities to do what
I love, and lead me in prayer
and meditation.
Theater has taught me to be
still, that stasis and the act of staying quiet can cause more impact
that constant chatter and noise.
Theater has taught me to
embody empathy on the stage. It
has taught me that everyone has
a story.
Theater has taught me to stand
tall with my feet planted firmly on
the ground. Heart and head held
high. Hands open. Eyes closed.
Receptive to God’s blessings and
the challenges that he chooses to
present to me.
Theater changed my life. It
has shaped me into a human being who is ready to take on the
world and embrace grace and
peace and love by examining life
and humanity and suffering all
at once. I don’t know of many
other programs or fields of studies who offer this. Theater is a
major that takes a college degree
to another level. It says, “Now
that you have the tools to create,
create. Do something. You have
the power to follow God’s leading
and make art that is impactful
and true.”
Please don’t cut the theater
major. You have the opportunity
to invest in something wonderful.
Don’t waste it.
Compassion at Calvin
BY KATY GERBER
Staff Writer
I could, very easily, be cast as a
stereotypical liberal arts student.
I’m a double major in the sciences,
I studied African studies abroad
and I decided this September to
learn a third language “just for
fun.” This year, on my first day
of French class, my professor sat
before us after reviewing the syllabus and told the class that the
primary lesson he wants us to
take away from a semester speaking French is a renewed sense
of empathy.
“More and more of the world,”
he argued, “is made of people
forced to live in a place where
their culture and language are
not primary. They may feel as
you feel when I speak to you in
French: confused and yearning
for the comfort they knew at
home.” He reminded us of the
current migrant situation in the
Mediterranean and the concern
last winter over the growing number of Latin American children
who were crossing the border
alone. “Though we won’t talk of
this every day,” he continued, “I
hope that you may never forget a
crucial piece of learning a foreign
language is learning empathy and
compassion. That is what this is
all about.”
I fully understand the complexity and difficulty associated with
the prioritization committee’s decision to remove majors in three
languages. I carry the deepest
respect for Provost Brandsen and
the faculty on the decision board.
Ensuring that Calvin tuition
remains affordable is crucial,
and I know that the eliminations
they suggested come from the
great conviction that the Calvin
community should be available
to students diverse ethnically,
culturally and socioeconomically.
I agree with that wholeheartedly.
However, I can’t help but lament the departure of three majors that, like French, intrinsically
teach empathy and compassion
for people across the globe. I can’t
help but be disappointed in the
loss of professors like my own
who are gracefully skilled in the
art of cross-culture communication. I can’t help but feel mournful
about the downsizing of departments on campus that teach us,
as Deuteronomy commanded, to
show fierce love for the foreigners
among us.
But I also believe in Calvin
College and its dedication to
ref lecting the person of Christ
in every corner of our education.
I know this, from my four years
here, to be a place that continually
hopes in restoration and action
and justice throughout its education model. Many of my fellow
students feel Friday’s announcement is fundamentally shaking
their faith in Calvin’s adherence
to the liberal arts. I hope that
it does not begin to shake our
compassion as a community.
Now, more than ever, we need
to remember the deepest lesson
our language classes taught us:
empathy and understanding.
Empathy and understanding for
our professors, for our peers and
for our school alike, despite all the
hurt. Because that, as my French
professor so profoundly reminded
me this year, is what it is all about.
That is what Calvin is all about,
and I pray that even with the loss
of these majors, compassion may
continue to f lourish here as I
know it does well.
opinion and
e d i to r i a l
11
An open letter to Calvin College
BY JON DEVRIES
Guest Writer
Last Friday night I sat down
to write a paper for my macroeconomics class on how gross
domestic product, a measurement drawn from production,
output and numbers, is not
an accurate measurement of
“quality of life.” It was with an
unhealthy dose of irony that I
found an email waiting for me,
telling me that my theater major, among others, was being
cut from the college program
with the singular reason being
a lack of numbers. Numbers.
I was assured that none of
these programs were being
eliminated “because of quality concerns” and they most
certainly are not thought of as
“unimportant.” But that’s what
I don’t understand. If it had
been a quality issue, I would
have disagreed, but I would
have understood. Instead the
decision is based on numbers.
But Calvin College, you know
as well as I that numbers,
output and productivity, are
not and have never been accurate measures of “quality.”
So this leads me to a troubling
scenario.
If you are telling me the
truth, and my program is equal
in “quality” and “importance”
to any other program, why is
there such a uniformity in the
program cuts? Why are my
program and about a dozen
other programs in the humanities, languages and arts, consistently affected by program
cuts? I can believe that our programs are still quality, but how
can I believe that the humanities are important to Calvin
College anymore?
Don’t tel l me, “Ca lv i n
College is committed to re-
taining the liberal arts as central
to its identity.” You can’t be committed to the liberal arts if you
aren’t committed to the humanities as well. These actions show
that Calvin College has liberal
arts education as a secondary or
even tertiary goal at this moment.
These actions show that everything is worth studying, but only
a few things are worth studying to
a higher degree. I don’t have it in
for the various sciences at Calvin.
However, if Calvin were truly
dedicated to liberal arts education
now, shouldn’t we be seeing more
program cuts across the board? As
a double major, I know that there
is “fat” that could be trimmed
in the science programs as well.
What do these program cuts tell
me about Calvin’s goals right
now? The real goal is numbers.
Enrollment. Money.
I don’t think this goal fits
with Calvin’s vision. I think
you’re going to be sacrificing
an incredible amount of Calvin
College students’ “quality of life”
with your continual cuts to the
humanities. But beyond that, the
negligence with which some of
the cuts are being made is hard
to swallow. For example, it’s a
nice thought, trying to preserve
the theater minor and Calvin’s
Theatre Company. However,
cutting two of the three theater
professors will cause the company
to crumble. Theater professors do
far more than you think. They
are already overwhelmed with
the work they have to do for each
show and all of their classes, and
now you’re expecting one professor to do the work of three who
are doing the work of six. Or
maybe you’re not expecting them
to do all that work. Maybe you’re
imagining hiring on adjunct faculty, guest directors and guest
designers. But is this just? How
much money will this save? Does
the amount of money being saved
justify the impression the public
will receive of how Calvin values
its professors who have sacrificed
their lives to this school, their
program and their students? Have
you bothered to sit down with the
staff and faculty remaining to see
if they think their programs will
be sustainable moving forward?
Most importantly, after the
town hall meeting, I have been
assured that no actual plans for
the “reinvention and innovation”
of these program cuts currently
exist. Yes, I’ve been told that
plans will be talked about in
the years to come, but can’t you
understand the frustration and
fear this leaves in our hearts?
For programs that have already
felt forgotten by the college for
years, this seems like the final
straw. Cutting majors takes the
lifeblood out of the programs.
What are your plans for drawing
in truly dedicated students to
these programs now? How will
these programs be sustained until
reinvention time occurs? How
can we trust that our programs
will come back when we have
already seen our programs suffer
under Calvin year after year after
year? Calvin should have concrete
plans for how reinvention of these
programs will happen before declaring the program cuts.
W hat do I wa nt, C a lv i n
College? I want better reasoning.
I want concrete plans. I want an
apology. Give me a better reason
than numbers for why it’s okay
to target cuts specifically at the
humanities. Give me concrete
plans now, before cuts are decided
on, about how these programs
will be nurtured at Calvin. And
please, give the students in these
programs and the students of
Calvin College an apology. We
are not at fault for this college’s
debt. A heartfelt, simple apology
can go a long way. It’s the least
you can do.
Letter to the editor: indie music
Last week there was an
article published in the op-ed
section of Chimes which observed that the Calvin student
activities office (SAO) seems
to only invite/book/care about
“indie” musical artists for the
yearly concert series.
The term “indie” is never
defined in the article. This
can be problematic because
“indie” has several definitions
and connotations. One common use of indie is to refer
to “artists on an independent
label/unsigned artists.” Yes,
for the most part, Calvin generally does book artists who are
not signed to a major label.
But this def inition doesn’t
necessarily indicate anything
about a particular artist’s popularity, sound or style. For
example, Jack W hite/The
White Stripes, Macklemore,
Ja son A ldea n, Adele a nd
Taylor Swift are a few “top
40” artists that fit into this
definition of indie, yet I don’t
think many Calvin students
would categor ize these as
indie artists.
Indie can also mean a particular genre — that is, a particular sound/style or lyric
themes that many SAO artists have in common. This is
equally difficult to claim. Indie
can sound like many things to
many people and is actually
more often a combination of
genres than an actual genre
itself (pop-rock, folk/countryrock, electro-punk, jazz/bluegrass-influenced pop, etc). It is
easy to classify music as indie
because many artists transcend
basic genre boundaries. Indie is
a mixed breed.
Indie often becomes a synonym for obscure, unknown and
new — all of which carry their
own negative connotation in various degrees. Genres, in general,
give listeners an easy way to place
an artist in a category, in a box.
This can be limiting. Once an
artist is placed in a category, it’s
easier to think of them uncritically and harder to engage and
learn from them. It’s easier, but
less wholesome than choosing to
interact with new, unfamiliar and
(potentially) difficult art.
SAO was established as a way
to express Calvin’s mission to
engage and discern a wide swathe
of pop culture. The office of Ken
Heffner and John Williamson is
headquarters to both the dorm
cultural discerners (CD) and the
campus-wide concert and film
series programming. In both of
these faculties, SAO seeks to
empower and equip students to
engage with pop culture — to
hear and discern the good, to
mute and discard the bad.
To be clear, SAO does not exist
to provide weekend entertainment for Calvin students — although that is often a welcome
and natural side effect. SAO is
not concerned with entertainment. SAO is concerned with
engagement. Understanding
this distinction is the key to
understanding why Calvin is a
host to many artists that students
may not recognize. Certainly,
SAO wants to host artists that
students care about, but the main
goal of SAO is to give students
the opportunity to engage with
artists who are doing interesting things musically, interesting
things lyrically and interesting things socially. At Calvin
concerts, this engagement typically involves a conversation
with the artists and an attentive
and caref ul audience during
the show. SAO is continually
looking to book a diverse array of artists from all over the
country (and the world). While
this isn’t always done perfectly,
it’s usually done well. SAO is not
merely student programming, it is
student programming with a
discerning, engaging intention.
SAO is looking for artists that
are pushing the musical envelope
of genre, invading the lyrical
and thematic comfort of their
listeners (or even, in some cases,
their label), and driving a Calvin
audience to experience something
new. Regardless of the popularity
of an artist, or the genre, the biggest reason SAO chooses to book
someone is because they believe
listening to that artists will be enriching for students — will maybe
give them a glimpse of truth, a
glimpse of the gospel.
The student activities board
(SAB) meets every Tuesday at
5 p.m. in the Commons Annex
to discuss upcoming events and
compile a “dream list” of artists
to pursue. If you feel like you
know of an artist that fits into
this fundamental goal, attend
the meeting and let your voice
be heard!
Michael Lentz, ‘17
12
Photo essay
Art Prize Seven
Photos by Caitlin Smits
Photo editor wanted: passionate about photography
and graphic desgin, dedicated, has organizational
capabilites. Paid position. Contact chimes@calvin.edu
October 2, 2015