Spark Magazine Winter 2023 - Calvin University by Calvin University

SPARK T H E C A LV I N U N I V E R S I T Y M A G A Z I N E

Make Room p. 12 Equipping young citizens to lovingly relate across political differences WINTER 2023

CAMPUS EXPANSION It’s an exciting time of growth at Calvin University as our facilities undergo a dynamic transformation. We eagerly await the completion of construction of new spaces for learning, playing, and community building. Learn more at calvin.edu/construction

WINTER 2023 VOL. 69, NO. 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Calvin University equips students to think deeply, to act justly, and to live wholeheartedly as Christ’s agents of renewal in the world.

PHOTO CREDIT: OTTO SELLES

Calvin University is an educational institution of the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA). To learn more about the CRC’s work in North America and around the world, visit crcna.org.

18 Calvin University is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). For more information, visit cccu.org. Spark is published three times a year by the Calvin Alumni Association, office of alumni relations, Calvin University, 3201 Burton St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546. ©2023 by the Calvin Alumni Association. Telephone: 616-526-6142. Email: spark@calvin.edu. Spark on the web: calvin.edu/spark. POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to Spark, Office of Alumni, Calvin University, 3201 Burton St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546. CANADIAN POSTMASTER: Publication Mail Agreement No. 40063614. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: CRCNACalvin University, 3475 Mainway, P.O. Box 5070, Burlington, ON L7R 3Y8.

Off-campus programs open doors to experiential learning.

FEATURES

The Civic Hospitality Project offers resources for teaching civic engagement rooted in Christian hospitality.

For over 50 years, Calvin has offered students a world of learning outside the classroom.

MAKE ROOM

BLAZING NEW TRAILS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE CALVIN SPARK Editor: Jeff Haverdink ’97 Managing Editor: Sara Korber-DeWeerd ’00 Art Director: Amanda Impens Designers: Colton Credelle ’14 Vicki Dolsen Erin Elders ’17 Contributing Writers: Sara Korber-DeWeerd ’00 Jeff Febus ’92 Matt Kucinski HON Contributing Photographers: Christian Frazier Ryan Humm Amanda Impens Johnny Quirin Adrian Van Stee ’23

CALVIN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD

Former U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy Prince DeVos ’79 reflects on the impact of Calvin professors, her path into politics, and her commitment to education.

Fans enjoyed an intrasquad football scrimmage during Homecoming & Family Weekend 2023.

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President: Tyler Amidon ’93 (Centennial, Colo.) Vice President: Stephanie Vogelzang ’07 (Alexandria, Va.) Secretary: Karen Zwart Hielema ’94 (Toronto, Ont.) Treasurer: Adam Kinder ’06 (Ada, Mich.) Executive Director: Jeff Haverdink ’97 Members: Joe Allen ’13 (Grand Rapids, Mich.) Jerry Cooper ex’66 (Holland, Mich.) Minwoo Heo ’09 (Deerfield, Ill.) Carla de Jong Hiemstra ’94 (Visalia, Calif.) Amy Waanders Jeninga ’88 (Brookfield, Wis.) Dale Kaemingk ’77 (Brier, Wash.) Kathleen Smit Klaasen ’70 (Caledonia, Mich.) Jonathan Marcus ’82 (Holland, Mich.) Maxine Asante Mosley-Totoe ’06 (Minneapolis, Minn.) Janorisè Evans Robinson ’92 (Caledonia, Mich.) Eliezer Yeong ’18 (Grand Rapids, Mich.) Eric Yulianto ’02 (Mason, Ohio) Johanna Chambery Zandstra ’91 (Schererville, Ind.)

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EDITOR’S DESK

The Tie That Binds Even though the Christmas trees are decorated and we’re about to gather with friends and family to celebrate the holidays, I find myself still thinking about Homecoming & Family Weekend 2023. It was a weekend of Calvin at its finest—from student bed races and a root beer float party to athletic fields in full use. The Calvin Music Festival moved to Homecoming Weekend this year. Alumni Board members from around North America gathered on campus. Friday’s alumni chapel unified a packed house in meaningful worship. Runners of all ages filled the starting line for the Calvin Classic 5k, and the fieldhouse was transformed into a carnival space for all to enjoy. Brilliant early fall weather certainly helped set the tone, as did seeing roughly 3,000 fans show up to watch Calvin’s football team take to the field for an intrasquad scrimmage. It was epic. But those happy memories weren’t the only highlights I took away from this year’s Homecoming; I also came away with a renewed sense of the most important thing that unites us as Calvin alums: our faith in Christ and a sense of calling to act as agents of change in his world. In an ongoing effort to renew our Calvin celebrations, we again held a dinner on campus to honor our 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award winners. The Great Hall that night was filled with alumni who have contributed to Calvin’s success over the decades. In a poignant moment, we

recognized seven former award winners in attendance. Current and former members of the Alumni Board, the Board of Trustees, Calvin’s current leadership team, academic deans, and many faculty members also joined us. It was a wonderful night to celebrate Calvin alumni.

grams. You’ll take a step back in time to reflect on Calvin’s men’s basketball in the 1950s. And in this increasingly polarized world, you’ll read about what it means to demonstrate civic hospitality from Calvin alums who are incorporating its principles into their classrooms.

Young Alumni Award winner Nate Knapper ’08 and Distinguished Alumni Award winners Betsy DeVos ’79 and Janne Ritskes ’80 each spoke about receiving their awards, what the experience meant to them, and how Calvin shaped them. We were treated to three very different stories, but what was remarkable was the common thread in each of their talks: the importance of faith and a sense of God’s calling, which spurred them on to address the brokenness they saw in the world around them.

For me, the holidays are often a favorite time spent with family, friends, and warm memories. I pray that each one of us experiences the beauty of Christian unity as we collectively marvel in the miracle and joy of our salvation.

It made me think about all of us as Calvin alumni around the world. We may all share a common diploma, but we are all different too—different majors, different careers, different geography, different ethnicities, different perspectives, different opinions. The list goes on. And yet, despite our differences, we are all united by our faith and God’s calling for each one of our lives. It’s a “tie that binds” and draws us into lives of meaning, purpose, and witness. In this issue, beyond Homecoming and reading about our award winners, you’ll also get a chance to learn about what’s happening with Calvin’s off-campus pro-

Soli Deo Gloria,

BY JEFF HAVERDINK ’97 DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT

CAMPUS NEWS

Calvin University receives high rankings in both regional and national categories.

RISING IN THE RANKINGS In its 2024 Best Colleges guidebook, U.S. News & World Report ranks Calvin University fourth overall in the Midwest Regional Universities category. The university is also considered top five in its category when it comes to undergraduate teaching, first-year retention, and international student enrollment. The digital news and information company helps prospective students and their families evaluate 1,500 U.S. four-year bachelor’s degree-granting colleges and universities based on up to 19 measures of academic quality and graduate outcomes. These include such things as first-year retention rates, graduation rates, strength of faculty, and graduate indebtedness. In addition to Calvin’s high rankings compared to other schools in their category, the university also stood out nationally, placing 35th out of all colleges and universities on a list that ranked the schools with the highest percentage of students who “had no financial need and who were awarded institutional non-need-based scholarship or grant aid.” Calvin’s engineering program remains on the top 50 “Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs,” a list that ranks all colleges and universities in the United States that are non-doctorate granting institutions. The university also appears on lists that highlight the best computer science programs and best nursing programs in the country. 6

Notable names and familiar faces will grace the stage of the Covenant Fine Arts Center beginning January 15, 2024.

ANNOUNCING THE 2024 JANUARY SERIES LINEUP The 2024 edition of Calvin University’s award-winning January Series features national podcasters and journalists, a world-renowned rock climber, a French American jazz pianist and composer, an American legal scholar, and a Pulitzer Prize-winning author. The series is free and open to the public and runs for 15 straight weekdays, from Monday, January 15 through Friday, February 2. A few notable names joining the series include Matthew Desmond, winner of the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction; Tim Dalrymple, president and CEO of Christianity Today, and Tommy Caldwell, who, in 2015, National Geographic called “arguably the best all-around rock climber on the planet.”

Perhaps the most unique experience will take place when renowned poet and threetime National Book Award finalist Marilyn Nelson joins Abram Van Engen ’03 and Joanne Diaz on stage for a live recording of their podcast Poetry for All. Alumna Niala Boodhoo ’96, an Axios journalist and podcast host, as well as guest host for 1A on NPR, will also present during the series. The January Series runs from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday in Calvin’s Covenant Fine Arts Center. In 2024, attendees will be able to watch and listen to the 15 presentations virtually— both live and until midnight PST on the day of each presentation. Visit the January Series website to see the full lineup, to register to watch online, or to find a remote webcast location near you.

STAY CONNECTED Find more about the January Series at calvin.edu/january.

A documentary about Calvin astronomy professor Larry Molnar reaches new audiences.

LUMINOUS NOW STREAMING ON KANOPY

Caption to come

Author Mitali Perkins is Calvin’s first Distinguished Writer-in-Residence.

LAUNCHING THE WRITER-IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM This fall, the English department launched a Distinguished Writer-inResidence program. The program invites exceptional and celebrated authors into the Calvin community, providing students, faculty, and staff unique opportunities to learn from and forge relationships with top-tier literary talents. Each September, a different world-class writer will come to Calvin to teach a creative writing intensive course, to interact with the campus community, and to give lectures both on campus and off. The writer will also be featured at the Festival of Faith and Writing, the signature event of the Calvin Center for Faith and Writing.

“Alongside the biennial Festival of Faith and Writing, this program helps make Calvin distinctive among its peers in offering students access to nationally recognized writers,” said Benita WoltersFredlund, academic dean of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. National Book Award finalist Mitali Perkins spent this fall at Calvin as the inaugural writer-in-residence. She has authored many picture books and novels for young readers and has written a nonfiction book for adults about children’s literature. Her novel, You Bring the Distant Near, was nominated for a National Book Award and her latest book, Hope in the Valley, has received multiple starred reviews in leading publications.

Luminous, a documentary that tells the story of the first astronomer in history to make a public prediction about the near future explosion of a star, is now available to stream on Kanopy, the premiere streaming service for libraries and educational institutions. The film, produced by Sam Smartt, an award-winning documentarian who is a professor of film and media at Calvin, follows astronomer Larry Molnar, a colleague of Smartt’s, on his journey of making the bold prediction and then testing its validity. His prediction’s success or failure plays out on the international stage. A sneak peek screening of the film was held on Calvin’s campus in October 2021, which was attended by more than 500 people. The film made its official premiere in April 2022 at the Julien Dubuque International Film Festival in Iowa. It has since been screened more than 60 times at festivals, schools, amateur astronomical societies, and churches. The documentary has been featured in film festivals in Australia, France, Spain, the Netherlands, and across the United States, winning numerous awards. Smartt sees the film’s streaming on Kanopy as the finish line to a nine-year project from pre-production to distribution— a project that involved more than a dozen Calvin students, alums, staff, and faculty.

STAY UPDATED Read more or register for the upcoming Festival of Faith and Writing at ccfw.calvin.edu

STAY CONNECTED Find more campus news at calvin.edu/news.

CALVIN SPORTS

SHOOT, SCORE, REPEAT Knights basketball legend Tom Newhof ’58 reminisces about his game, career, alma mater BY JEFF FEBUS ’92

Tom Newhof’s All-American basketball career began with a bit of simple carpentry. The son of a builder, he purchased a sheet of plywood as a teenager from a nearby lumber company to go with a basketball rim he had recently secured. Using a saw, hammer, and a bit of paint, he constructed a driveway basketball goal that he affixed on top of his family’s garage in southeast Grand Rapids. Over the years, Newhof fired countless shots at his driveway goal. The hard work paid off, and the lanky 6’8” post player went on to score nearly 1400 career points as a Calvin Knight to go with nearly 1200 career rebounds. He continues to hold the Calvin single-season rebounding record with 378 caroms in 1956. His patent scoring move was a sweeping left-handed hook shot that he would bank off the backboard. The genesis of the hook shot came from a basketball clinic he attended as a high school player at the old Welsh Civic Auditorium in downtown Grand Rapids. A featured clinic speaker was Minneapolis Lakers star center, George Mikan. Mikan demonstrated his own left-handed hook shot at the clinic, and Newhof took note. “I figured if that shot was good enough for him, it was good enough for me,” chuckles Newhof. “I practiced that shot as often as I could from that point on.” Newhof arrived at Calvin in the fall of 1954 after a promising high school career at Grand Rapids Christian High School. As a freshman and sophomore for the Knights, he was part of MIAA championship teams in 1955 and 1956. He was named First Team All-MIAA in 1956 and again as a senior in 1958, when he was also named a Small College Basketball All-American—the first All-American in Calvin athletics history. While at Calvin, he prepared for a career in engineering, studying under legendary professor and future Hope College president Dr. Gordon VanWylen. As a senior in VanWylen’s engineering class, Newhof nearly gave up on the pursuit.

“ I’ll always be a Calvin Knight. It’s been a very special place for my entire family.” “I scored a 52 on an exam and I thought that was it for me with engineering. I went to the registrar’s office and dropped the class,” said Newhof. Later that day, he was called into President William Spoelhof’s office where Spoelhof, VanWylen, and Newhof’s own father, Tom—a good friend of Spoelhof—sat waiting. “Dr. VanWylen mentioned that he had heard I was dropping his class. When I told him it was because of my test score, he showed me the class average, which was 48. I realized it wasn’t all that bad and, after a conversation with President Spoelhof, Dr. VanWylen, and my father, I quickly reenrolled in the class.” Newhof went on to earn a graduate degree in engineering from the University of Michigan. Newly married, he began work as a civil engineer in Grand Rapids; after eight years, he decided to strike out on his own with partner Ed Prein, forming the civil engineering firm Prein&Newhof. At first, they worked out of their own homes, but the business quickly grew with a long list of clients. The firm now encompasses wide portions of the state of Michigan and is one of the most respected civil engineering firms in the Midwest. One of the most notable achievements of the firm in the Grand Rapids area was the continued expansion of the Gerald R. Ford International Airport that included the construction of a set of key runways. Throughout his life and career, Newhof has held a deep love for Calvin. His company has employed numerous Calvin graduates as well as Calvin student interns. Tom and his wife, Greta, sent four of their five children to Calvin, with 10 of his 11 grandchildren and several of their spouses following the family footsteps as Calvin Knights.

Because of the demands of running a business, Newhof’s parents were infrequent attenders of his basketball games when he was in high school. However, they elected to attend a big rivalry game with Grand Rapids South High School. With his parents in the stands, Newhof excelled, leading his team to the win. “My mother said afterwards, ‘We aren’t missing any more games from now on,’” said Newhof. “They traveled to all of my games from that point, home or away, in high school or college.” Newhof’s mother began to produce meticulous scrapbooks built on press clippings from newspapers covering the games. “She would find a way to get out-oftown newspapers, sometimes writing to the editors for copies to be sent to our home,” says Newhof’s sister, Clarice Newhof, who now works in the Heritage Hall Archives. Recently, Clarice went to work restoring the frayed scrapbooks. The clippings are now in new binders and plastic protection pages, preserving a treasure trove of Calvin stories and memories.

“I’ll always be a Calvin Knight,” says Newhof. “It’s been a very special place for my entire family.”

CALVIN SCHOLARSHIP

A NATURAL CONNECTION Jennifer Steensma Hoag is a professor and photographer whose art explores how humans interact with the natural environment. Her recent exhibition, Botanica, “considers the visuals that humans make to understand, appreciate, and communicate about the natural world.” Production of the artwork in the exhibit was made possible through a sabbatical leave provided by Calvin University. Here, Steensma Hoag explains her work in her own words.

CONTINGENT EXISTENCE “Michigan naturalist and environmental educator Jeanette Henderson ’02 sourced local non-native species and created floral arrangements that I transformed into photographic images inspired by Northern Renaissance still life paintings. During the Renaissance, plant and animal specimens were collected through increased trade across oceans and continents. There was a fascination with the unusual and exotic, and an interest in leveraging plants for medicinal use and economic opportunity. Northern Renaissance still life paintings often had allegories of mortality and morality. The presence of nature enforced that life passes away—flowers wither, birds die. The non-native species in Contingent Existence were intentionally brought to North America to fulfill aesthetic, medicinal, culinary, and landscaping needs— or unintentionally as stowaways in pots or ship ballasts. The existence of these specimens in Michigan are the result of human intervention.”

PHOTOGENIC TRACES “Photogenic traces are camera-less photographic images made by placing natural forms onto light sensitive paper in the dark, exposing both to light, and processing the paper in photo chemicals. Natural ephemera including exoskeletons, snake skins, root systems, and the result of earthworm movement on the paper— things overlooked or hidden from view—are documented. This photographic method predates the camera and photograms served as scientific documents for botanists, such as British scientist Anna Atkins, in the 1800s. Photograms have also been used by modern and contemporary photographers to create images; the photographs are one of a kind, the detail rendered is astounding, and results can be unpredictable.”

DECONSTRUCTED PANORAMAS “In Deconstructed Panoramas I turn my attention to the landscape—in national parks or on display in botanical gardens where immersive environments elude a single image. Inspired by the visual technique of contemporary American photographer David Hilliard’s photo sets, I use individual photographs to direct the viewer’s attention to different parts of a scene.”

JENNIFER STEENSMA HOAG Professor of photography and visual culture

ON FAITH AND ART “Our place as humans within the world God made and declared ‘good’ has been the driving force of my work for over twenty-five years. “At Calvin, we are dedicated to the flourishing of God’s creation, and creation care is foundational to who we are and what we do. I situate my creative photographic production here as well. Visual art, and being an artist, contributes to creation care. Art can play a powerful role in raising awareness of environmental issues. Art helps us pay attention and gives us the opportunity to see the familiar in a new way. Art can motivate and inspire, offering hope for solutions. Art, especially art in a museum or gallery setting, can provide a space to be contemplative.”

Explore Professor Jennifer Steensma Hoag’s work and find upcoming exhibits at jennifersteensmahoag.com 11

FEATURE STORY

Make Room

The Civic Hospitality Project equips young citizens to lovingly relate across political differences. It’s a lesson everyone can use. BY SARA KORBER-DEWEERD ’00

FEATURE STORY

WALLS, DOORS, TABLES What makes a house a house? Mark VanderWerf MEd ’17 leads with this question in Christian Worldview, a class he teaches to seniors at Grand Rapids Christian High School, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In the lesson, students brainstorm about the metaphor of a house as it relates to civic engagement, an idea from the work of theologian Matthew Kaemingk. Walls give a house stability and security, while doors open it to the neighborhood, community, and world beyond. Yet, if a house has only walls, then no one can leave or enter. And if a house leaves all its doors ajar, then it functions without order. The two essential structural elements are rendered useless without one another. The lesson is part of The Civic Hospitality Project, an initiative begun by Calvin professors Kevin den Dulk and David Smith in 2018, with the support of the Issachar Fund. The project’s development also included Matthew Kaemingk, Calvin professor Micah Watson, and a team of four educators who wrote and piloted lessons in Christian school classrooms. The goal of the project is to help “students grow in love of neighbor as they participate in civic spaces and processes” (civichospitality.com/about).

In VanderWerf’s class, students read Kaemingk’s article “The Refugee Crisis and the Politics of Holy Week” (2018) and learn that, politically speaking, conservatives tend to emphasize walls—structure, order, boundary-setting, while liberals tend to emphasize doors—openness, welcome. An either-or approach to civic life, however, is ineffective. A functioning house needs both structure and welcome. The lesson leads to a new question: What makes a house a home? The answer: a table.

“ Biblical hospitality is modeled on the nature of God, who makes room for us, often at his own expense.” —MARK VANDERWERF

MARK VANDERWERF

KELLY KORTMAN BOENDER

GRAND RAPIDS CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL

CALVIN CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL

CHRISTIAN HOSPITALITY

MELDING THE PRIVATE AND PUBLIC

The Civic Hospitality Project’s approach to civic engagement rests on this image of a table, a space where people gather to have their basic needs for nourishment and fellowship met. Scripture, says VanderWerf, who is also the chaplain of Grand Rapids Christian High School, paints a picture of hospitality that is more than “just being inviting or kind.” Biblical hospitality, he says, “is modeled on the nature of God, who makes room for us, often at his own expense.” In Romans 12, Paul warns the church not to conform to the patterns of this world. “The patterns we’re living in right now are ones of polarization, arguing against one another, separating into our different camps, dehumanizing those with whom we disagree. Perhaps the message here is don’t conform to that,” VanderWerf says. Later in Romans 12, Paul urges his audience to “practice hospitality.” VanderWerf says before he joined The Civic Hospitality Project as one of its curriculum designers, he never thought about the way Paul’s two commands in Romans 12 pair together, but he does now. “Perhaps this is one of the ways in which we are being transformed by the renewing of our minds,” he says, “by living out a costly, God-mirroring way of making room for others.”

Kelli Kortman Boender ’14, MEd ’17, a teacher and instructional coach at Calvin Christian High School in Grandville, Michigan, says people often think of civic engagement as how they live in public spaces, while hospitality is something practiced in private settings. But the term civic hospitality highlights the ways the outside world collides with individual lives and beliefs. “I want my students to see how the public and private sphere cannot be separate. Jesus models this in the gospels over and over, where he invites people to a meal, so into a private space, and they’re talking and getting to know each other, being vulnerable. And the people on the outside are looking in and saying, ‘Who would dine with these sinners?’ I think that’s the kind of adversity we often shy away from.” VanderWerf, too, speaks of healthy communities that effectively live out their Christian faith in the public sphere. He says, “It’s what world-transformative Christianity ought to look like. And not in a power-play move where Christianity gets the upper hand, but instead, where Christianity offers an open hand of hospitality.”

FEATURE STORY

HOLY CURIOSITY

THE SECRET THIRD OPTION That open hand of hospitality is something Boender’s students have come to call “the secret third option,” or “the Jesus option.” The Civic Hospitality Project’s lessons, she says, are designed to facilitate what she calls “aha moments,” times when students pause to consider an issue from more than one viewpoint. “Jesus gives us examples in the gospels where he’s asked an either-or question, and he responds with another question or a story that completely upends the dualistic view of the world the questioner means to enforce.” Last year, Boender who, like VanderWerf, helped develop and pilot the project’s content, interspersed lessons into her interdisciplinary course that covers topics in social studies, religion, and literature. “My students saw how the spiritual side and the civic side of them really need to come together for them to be whole. To have them wonder what could be if we were a little more like Jesus, a little more hospitable, was just beautiful,” she says.

BETTER CITIZENS OF A BETTER WORLD Both Boender and VanderWerf believe living whole means recognizing God’s design for human interdependence. “If God is a relational God, then we image him in community. We cannot do this in isolation from one another,” VanderWerf says. As culture wars continue to play out in schools, however, it is increasingly common for teachers and students to experience burnout, anxiety, and depression. According to a study conducted by the National Education Association (NEA) in 2022, 55% of educators were considering leaving the profession early, citing, among other stressors, the

“ My students saw how the spiritual side and the civic side of them really need to come together for them to be whole.” —KELLI BOENDER

rise of political polarization and its impacts on community relationships and teaching. Boender herself admits feeling discouraged by politics the last few years. “I feel like if I have an idea, it’s not welcome, or I’m just being trained to look at a whole group of people as my enemies.” As a teacher, she says, “I could feel bitterness emerging in me.” Joining the team of educators writing and testing The Civic Hospitality Project’s lesson modules changed that. “Personally, I’ve seen a lot of fruit in my own heart. I think that matters in the classroom. Students see a teacher who isn’t burned out or caustic, who sees injustice and is energized to do something about it, who helps them to see the world more completely—more as Jesus would want us to view one another.” Boender and VanderWerf both emphasize The Civic Hospitality Project isn’t a “plug and play” curriculum. It’s a way to approach any secondary classroom. More than that, it’s a way to approach civic life, generally, a healthy model guiding young Christians toward richer, more meaningful engagement in the public sphere, regardless of differences.

That doesn’t mean setting aside strong, personal convictions, especially the ones rooted in Christian worldviews. Instead, it’s a reminder that “the person with whom I most strongly disagree is fearfully and wonderfully made, which ought to bring out in me this profound wonder and awe to want to learn and understand them,” VanderWerf says, quoting Psalm 139. When a student makes a heated comment, VanderWerf follows up with a simple phrase: “Tell me more.” He wonders if that question could help reduce tensions during the upcoming U.S. presidential election. “A neighbor puts a sign in their yard: ‘Tell me more. Tell me why you think that.’” Maintaining curiosity is itself a way of practicing hospitality, reminding Christians to prioritize the innate dignity of image bearing others, even those they may consider their political enemies. Boender says, “When I’m hospitable, I’m inviting someone in—making space in my heart, in my mind, in my home for who they are and what they think and how I can see God’s image reflected in the way they’re viewing the world. It’s vulnerable and costly to do that.” Tension and disagreement are natural products of civic discourse. Extending Christian hospitality to one another, says the project’s co-founder David Smith, “can make space for practicing love even where unity is elusive.” Around a shared table, proximity, curiosity, and seeking to understand can help engaged citizens navigate across deep political differences. VanderWerf and Boender see it in their classrooms: “the Jesus way” bears fruit.

FREE RESOURCES Explore The Civic Hospitality Project at civichospitality.com

What if we focus on the table instead of the doors and walls?

I disagree with you, but help me understand your point of view.

Who would dine with these sinners?

Tell me more.

What if we were more hospitable?

I’m worried my idea is not welcome.

Tell me why you think that.

Is there room for more than one point of view?

How does Christian hospitality relate to civic engagement?

FEATURE STORY

PHOTO CREDIT: OTTO SELLES

Blazing New

Trails

From left to right: Students hike Charmant Som in the Chartreuse Mountains near Grenoble, France; pose near the John Calvin statue in Kalvin Square, Budapest, Hungary, with President Boer and Professor Brian Cawley; and observe architectural restoration at the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral in Paris, France.

FOR OFF-CAMPUS PROGRAMS What do getting a library card at the National Archives in Washington D.C., climbing a 19,000-foot-high volcano in Peru, and attending church where Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door in Wittenberg, Germany share in common? For more than 50 years, thousands of Calvin students have lived and learned in dozens of cities and countries, some for a few weeks, others for a few months. The shared memories—like eating paella, octopus, and sea urchins in Denia, Spain; hiking the trails of the Chartreuse mountains in France; biking the streets of Amsterdam, the Netherlands; or taking selfies in Kalvin Square in Budapest, Hungary—live on through images captured on a Nikon F2 35mm camera in the ’70s, on a Canon Powershot in the ’90s, and, more recently, on an iPhone or Android. While the photos represent moments in time, their shelf lives go well beyond “snapshots.”

BY MATT KUCINSKI

That’s because they are captured not by tourists, but by pilgrims—students who, through their experiences, grasp a better understanding of the world and further discover their place in it. “Our students have come to appreciate the approach we take when it comes to off-campus programming,” said Cynthia Slagter, director of off-campus programs. “They learn a deeper way to connect to places and cultures, which allows for more meaningful connections and experiences.” Programs offered through Calvin have taken students to six continents, some through short-term interim trips once offered in January and now in May, and others through semester-long programs. Some of these programs, such as the semester in Spain, have remained in place for four decades, while others, such as the January interim, thrived for a season and have since been replaced with new opportunities. Leaders say what remains consistent is Calvin’s commitment to creating formative and transformative experiences for students studying off campus. “When you travel abroad your faith and cultural beliefs will be challenged,” said Slagter, “but our faculty-led, faith-infused approach allows our students to navigate this terrain and work through these challenges alongside a cohort of their peers and with the support and guidance of a Calvin faculty member.” Recently, Calvin faculty have blazed new trails, building opportunities for students to experience different cultures and, in the process, become better global citizens. 19

FEATURE STORY Students taking a new public health course study water filtration in Ecuador, Honduras, and Navajo Nation.

REIMAGINED COURSE GENERATES BETTER STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES Access to clean water may not be on most Calvin students’ minds, but for many communities around the world, it’s a pressing need that significantly impacts citizens’ quality of life. The best way to grasp that is through experience. That’s why Doug Vander Griend decided to teach the first iteration of his public health course Impact of Clean Water in Honduras during May 2022. “In many ways it was a fantastic course, transformational for students,” said Vander Griend, who noted the course fulfills a student’s requirement in both the environmental sustainability and the global regions and cultures categories of the core curriculum. With all the benefits, he realized there was still room to make the experience even more meaningful. “We were trying to jam all of the reading and writing in during our stay, which is not the best space to do that more academic part of the course,” said Vander Griend, citing both time constraints and access to reliable technology. “So, we reinvented the course and ran it again the following spring.”

During the revamped spring 2023 course, students studied on campus for the first seven weeks, doing all their reading and journaling. Then, during spring break, half of the class traveled to Honduras, while the other half went to Navajo Nation. For one week, students focused on experiential learning—visiting water treatment plants, talking with people from local villages, and gaining a better understanding of the programs and infrastructure already in place to help people gain access to clean water. “By reimagining how we delivered this course, we gained so much,” said Vander Griend. “Students would do their reading and then have a week to digest it and talk about it. It got to percolate in them over a longer period.” When the class returned from their respective off-campus locations, they had another seven weeks together on campus, which Vander Griend noted to be markedly different. “If you walked into class post spring break, you knew this was a group that had traveled together,” said Vander Griend. “We tried to build community while in class for the first

seven weeks, but once we got in the vans and on the planes, community took off.” So too did the learning outcomes. “The quality of writing projects went way up [from 2022 to 2023],” said Vander Griend. With more time on campus, “rather than students blitzing a policy proposal out in 48 hours with limited feedback from peers and professors, they were able to submit drafts of each section, allowing more opportunity for revision.” Cynthia Slagter hopes the success of integrating the on- and off-campus experience will spark more innovation in course offerings in the future. “Having seven weeks of class, a fabulous intensive experience in the middle, and then another seven weeks of class has never been done before [at Calvin],” said Slagter. “I’d love to see more professors do something like that.” Sawyer, a company dedicated to providing clean water for all, covers the travel costs for students taking the course.

SHORT-TERM TRIP, LONG-TERM IMPACT Philip Johnson spent nearly 20 years learning about operations and supply chain management, working at a large agricultural original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and an electronics supplier for multiple OEM end-user markets. Now, it’s his job to pass that knowledge base along to his students. “There’s a lot to it that you can’t get from a textbook or even from someone like me who spent 20 years in industry,” said Johnson, a professor of business. Johnson is trying something new this semester, splitting his Supply Chain Management course into two parts: the first half is being taught in a traditional class setting on Calvin’s main campus. Then, for the final two weeks, the students will head on the road and overseas. In the classroom, students will gain knowledge and understanding of aspects such as technical skills, quality management, manufacturing, and managing business between global regions. Students will gain a unique perspective by not only looking at the standard business and financial metrics but also at the impact of global business decisions on local communities engaged in the complex supply chain.

In essence, the class will need to increase their global knowledge and understanding, and Johnson says there’s no better way to get that than through experience. “I can teach that from a book perspective,” said Johnson, “but until you take time to live in different regions around the world you won’t have the true appreciation for that. That’s really what we are trying to do through this class.” In January 2024, students will travel to Monterey, Mexico where they’ll spend 10 days visiting different manufacturing facilities and learning about culture by touring museums and cathedrals. “We are trying to help students live into a vision of shalom in how we structure our relationships globally,” said Johnson. “We want to teach that perspective to our students, teach what that means in how one does business with another company, and we want students to understand what factors they should be thinking about if they are looking to start a company in a global region. It may mean you don’t go to a major manufacturing center where everyone else is, but instead you go to a small town

30 minutes outside the city that’s losing people to the industrial center and try to contribute to that smaller town’s flourishing.” During the final two days of their trip, the class will see a first-hand example of a company that did just that, when they stop in a small town in Iowa to visit the Vermeer Corporation. “Vermeer’s presence and the way they do business in that community is a great example for our students to see,” said Johnson. Taking students into the field also provides them with a unique opportunity essential to building global awareness, something employers value. “This is the only program like this that I am aware of,” said Johnson. “People with field experience can articulate what they’ve learned and apply it in new situations, and that’s a true distinctive in the eyes of prospective employers. This is an awesome opportunity for our students.” Vermeer Corporation helps offset travel costs for the course through providing scholarships for students.

ALUMNI PROFILES

2023 Alumni Honorees THE CALVIN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD RECEIVES MANY NOMINATIONS FOR THESE ANNUAL AWARDS, AND THEY PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER EACH ONE. THESE ALUMNI HAVE MADE CONSIDERABLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THEIR FIELDS, AND THEIR LIVES REFLECT THE MISSION OF THE UNIVERSITY.

NATE KNAPPER ’08

YOUNG ALUMNI AWARD Watch profile videos for each honoree calvin.edu/go/alumni-awards Read more profiles online calvin.edu/spark Nominate alumni Email: alumni@calvin.edu

FBI special agent, attorney, and founder of The Joseph Project, Nate Knapper is building a national network of “legal first responders” who provide pro bono counsel to human trafficking survivors.

JANNE RITSKES ’80

BETSY PRINCE DEVOS ’79

Janne Ritskes is the founder of Tabitha, a community development organization serving people living in poverty in Cambodia. Since 1994, Tabitha’s projects and programs have reached tens of thousands of Cambodia’s poorest families.

Through education reform campaigns and programs, eleventh U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has made a career commitment to empowering more American families to select where and how to educate their children.

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD

ALUMNI PROFILES

PHOTO CREDIT: NATE PORTER

In Pursuit of Shalom

Nate Knapper ’08 Young Alumni Award Winner

One evening just before Christmas of 2022, Nate Knapper ’08 sat in a pizza shop in downtown Detroit, weary from a long week and ready for a break. Then his phone rang. It was Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s office calling with good news. Knapper’s friend and former colleague Leslie King, a human trafficking survivor, had become the first person in the state of Michigan to receive a gubernatorial pardon for crimes committed during the 20 years she was trafficked. Knapper had helped to facilitate that. “The timing of it underscored for me that pro bono legal services can be a gift that people can enjoy for the rest of their lives. Those are the moments that bring me a deep level of satisfaction,” Knapper says. Knapper is an attorney, an FBI special agent, and the founder of The Joseph Project, a nonprofit organization that meets the legal needs of human trafficking survivors. Inspired by the story of Joseph who was trafficked by his own brothers in the biblical book of Genesis, Knapper hopes to empower survivors to move forward with the dreams they hold for their lives, no longer encumbered by the collateral damage connected to their exploitation. This year, The Joseph Project celebrates its fifth anniversary. To date, the nonprofit has helped over 300 survivors clear their criminal records. Clients have also received family law assistance, immigration services, and credit repair, among other forms of counsel. Additionally, the organization offers antitrafficking public education activities. The story of The Joseph Project began when a woman named D’Lynn stood to share her experience of exploitation during a church service Knapper attended. Knapper had newly completed his training to become an FBI special agent and was a few months into his first post on the human trafficking squad at the bureau’s Detroit field office. Recognizing he was “uniquely postured to help D’Lynn,” he initiated a conversation after the service

“ To be an agent of renewal, you need to be willing to get behind God’s agenda, submit to his path, and dream the dreams he would have you enact in the world.” that led to their friendship. A year later, D’Lynn came to him with a traffickingrelated debt issue, and Knapper helped her access the legal counsel she needed to clear her name. “It wasn’t difficult to connect her with pro bono counsel, but the difference it made in her life was profound. That’s what prompted me to start The Joseph Project.” Knapper continues to balance a full-time career as an FBI special agent with his nonprofit work and hopes to continue expanding The Joseph Project’s reach. Its volunteer legal network currently extends into 30 states, but Knapper envisions a nationwide network of pro bono attorneys or “legal first responders.” His vision is rooted in the concept of shalom, a Hebrew word meaning peace and wholeness. He believes God calls us to act as agents of renewal, restoring shalom in his world. “As an FBI special agent, the double entendre isn’t lost on me. An agent is simply a person who works on behalf of another. To be an agent of renewal, though, you need to be willing to get behind God’s agenda, submit to his path, and dream the dreams he would have you enact in the world.”

A lofty vision? Knapper says no. “You have a day of small beginnings, and maybe you start with just one person you can help, but from there you develop a concept that’s proven, that works, and you can scale it to help more and more people.” Knapper says he owes much of his success to his parents, who raised him with a Christian worldview and have always stood behind the pursuit of his faith-formed dreams. “None of it would be possible without them. I just appreciate the deep level of sacrifice they made, maybe laying down some of their own dreams so that I could live mine.” Though young in his career, Nate Knapper’s story already has many chapters. Early chapters recount the realization of personal hopes and dreams. Along the way, a friendship formed, a problem presented itself, and the ability to solve that problem led to a new dream. From there, a transformative idea— The Joseph Project—grew and flourished.

WATCH NATE KNAPPER’S 2023 YOUNG ALUMNI AWARD VIDEO

ALUMNI PROFILES

Dream Builder Janne Ritskes ’80 grew up in Ontario, near the border of upstate New York, during the Vietnam War era. She remembers watching the horrors of the war unfold on television, including the Cambodian genocide that killed almost a quarter of Cambodians. By age 13, Ritskes knew God would call her to Cambodia; she just didn’t know how or when it would happen.

says. Her first home in Cambodia had only front walls—the rest was covered in netting. She shared it with “every kind of insect, bat, rat and snake” and, of course, it was prone to flooding. But Ritskes hadn’t come seeking a life of comfort, and the people she met only grew her determination to help. “Cambodians are a beautiful people—kind and compassionate.”

After “flunking out of high school,” Ritskes spent a decade working in business before enrolling at Calvin as an adult student on academic probation. Her time on campus both challenged her and prepared her for overseas humanitarian work. “Calvin is where I started my career. It’s the center of the church where I grew up. But I also had a lot of fun challenging some of the beliefs.” At Calvin she pressed classmates and professors alike to wrestle with the tension between belief and action—living a life in service to God and others wasn’t an option in Ritskes’ mind; it was a requirement. “Faith is not an intellectual exercise; it’s what you live,” she says.

Cambodians are also survivors, says Ritskes. “They went through unbelievable hurt, genocide. At the end of the day, they had no sense of self. Their god was a very angry god. But I knew that’s not true because they’re God’s children, too. When I went to Cambodia, I saw people whose image was buried, and our job was to bring that back out.”

After graduating, Ritskes worked for nonprofits on the continents of Asia and Africa. In 1994, she traveled to Cambodia, with the hope of supporting community development there. “When I arrived, there were guns everywhere. Life was cheap, and people lived in indescribable poverty,” she

Ritskes began small. She created what she called the “savings and dream cycle,” a 10week coaching program that restored agency and dignity to impoverished Cambodians by showing them how they could save what little they had to meet a tangible dream. Often, they longed for simple commodities, such as a bath towel, that could improve their quality of life. Once they saved for and made a purchase with their own income, Ritskes helped them set a new goal. This simple yet effective program became the roots of a nonprofit organization that Ritskes and her Cambodian staff would eventually establish, called Tabitha.

Over the years, Tabitha grew its projects to include clean water and agriculture initiatives. It built schools and women’s health clinics. Ritskes’ own experience with breast cancer prompted her to build a women’s cancer hospital, the first of its kind in Cambodia. That hospital is now in the process of becoming Cambodia’s national cancer hospital. Though she has received many awards for her work, including a Medal of Order from the Prime Minister of Cambodia, the highest award given to a foreigner for service to the country, Ritskes remains humble. “I am so blessed, so grateful for the life I’ve gotten to lead,” she says. That also includes the blessing of being a mother. At 50, Ritskes adopted her daughter, Miriam, after Miriam’s biological mother died of AIDS. Ritskes says she heard God tell her one night, “She’s yours.” Miriam, too, was HIV positive. Ritskes recalls how watching her little girl grow shifted community conversations about helping children with AIDS. “Miriam was at the meetings. And it changed the way we talked, because we had been putting the emphasis on AIDS rather than the child. Very quickly, the child who happened to have AIDS changed the way we saw the problem and what we did.” By three-and-ahalf Miriam no longer tested positive. Ritskes lives life leaning on God for every need, trusting his provision, one courageous step at a time. “I don’t know how to live any other way,” she says. She challenges everyone to do the same. “Dare to live holistically. Dare to walk with God. Dare to be who you’re created to be. And you can change the world.”

WATCH JANNE RITSKES’ 2023 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD VIDEO

“ When I went to Cambodia, I saw people whose image was buried, and our job was to bring that back out.”

PHOTO CREDIT: HONGLEI YANG ’24

Janne Ritskes ’80 Distinguished Alumni Award Winner

ALUMNI PROFILES

Betsy Prince DeVos ’79 Distinguished Alumni Award Winner

Life Illuminated 28

When former U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy Prince DeVos ’79 describes her life and career path, she uses a metaphor she learned on a trip to Israel in 1999. The group was visiting the Northern Palace at Masada, a fortress built by Herod the Great overlooking the Dead Sea. As travel guide Ray Vander Laan led them down the steep snake path of the palace in the dark of night, each traveler carried a small flashlight to illuminate the way. DeVos remembers the treacherous descent well—the unfamiliar, rocky terrain, the tiny light held on a string, and Vander Laan’s words. “He used it as a lesson to say, when you move forward, your light swings only to illuminate your next step. Nothing more. It’s not a highway light. It’s not a streetlight. It’s just that next step.” DeVos says her own career unfolded stepby-step, much as the metaphor describes. As a first-year Calvin student, she planned to major in art and become an interior designer. Instead, she pursued majors in political science and business, “which turned out to be good fields of study for me,” DeVos says. At Calvin, DeVos became politically involved, campaigning for Grand Rapids native President Gerald Ford during his 1976 run for a full term in office. DeVos cites that experience as “one of the things that sparked my interest in the political world.” She says certain professors also made an enormous impact on her career trajectory, including political science professor and Chairman of the Kent County Republican Party Paul Henry and physics professor Congressman Vern Ehlers. “I didn’t love physics,” DeVos smiles, “but I loved Vern.” A German minor,

“ Continue to be open to what God has in mind for you. … Be a part of his hands and feet in the world.” DeVos also fondly remembers Professor Wally Bratt, who led her German interim abroad. “I really appreciated him. He—along with Paul and Vern—was very impactful.” DeVos’ involvement in politics continued after she graduated. She served as the Kent County chairperson a few years after Henry. She also served as the Republican National Committeewoman for Michigan and the chair of the Michigan Republican Party for two terms. DeVos’ interest in education advocacy grew after her own children started school and she saw the way income inequities limited families’ ability to choose the best education for their children. Over three decades, she founded and led education reform organizations and campaigns to support expanding charter schools and school choice, a concept she calls “education freedom.” She says her policy aim is to empower American families with more options to select where and how to educate their children. Bringing this passion to her role as the eleventh U.S. Secretary of Education was a career highlight. DeVos took office in 2017 and describes the experience as something she “never anticipated doing.” After a challenging confirmation process, “taking the oath with my family was deeply meaningful and thrilling,” DeVos says.

Her Christian faith was “an absolute imperative” in Washington D.C., grounding her amid the many challenges she faced during her four years in office. “I don’t think I could have survived and navigated all of the issues and experiences in Washington without having a faith that became even more solid while I was there,” she says. That faith continues to inform the legacy of education reform she hopes to cement. The path to forming that legacy, however, like the late-night trek at Masada, has not always been simple or clear. “I think about that experience often; so many of us get these 5, 10, 15-year plans in mind. And God laughs. And then we sometimes are disappointed or confronted with a different reality.” To the next generation of leaders, DeVos offers this advice: “Continue to be open to what God has in mind for you, not what you think you have planned for yourself. And think for yourself. Look at problems and try to bring solutions forward rather than to just say, ‘This is impossible.’ Be a part of his hands and feet in the world.”

WATCH BETSY DEVOS’ 2023 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD VIDEO

EVENTS

SCAN TO FIND MORE PHOTOS OF THE FOOTBALL SCRIMMAGE

Calvin University Football competed in an intrasquad scrimmage during Homecoming Weekend. More than 3,000 alumni and friends showed up to a pre-game tailgate and to cheer on the Knights.

President Wiebe Boer and Chief Diversity Officer Nygil Likely hosted a reception for alumni of color to connect and celebrate their Calvin stories.

The Calvin Ecosystem Preserve and Native Gardens offered families the chance to press—and enjoy—homemade apple cider.

EVENTS

The “Party Animals” took first place in the annual Grand Prix bed races competition, ending a years-long streak of swim team athletes winning this Calvin tradition.

Calvin Student Senate served root beer floats to alumni, families, and future Knights.

HOMECOMING 2023

RUN CALVIN RUN!

This year, 477 people registered for the Calvin Classic 5k, 33 kids ran in the Fun Run, and 102 alumni and friends joined the races v irtually, including Lisa Kryger Boehm ’95 and Jeff Boehm ’95 in Bangkok, Thailand.

EVENTS

Nearly 150 Lakeshore alumni joined President Wiebe Boer and Head Football Coach Trent Figg in downtown Holland, Michigan, in August. Attendees enjoyed live music, heard an update on the university, and connected with old and new friends.

The Wisconsin Calvin community joined President Wiebe Boer at alumni-owned Good City Brewing in October.

Frederick Ankomah ’16 (second from left) coordinated arrangements for President Wiebe Boer and Advancement Vice President Greg Elzinga to meet with 75 alumni and parents in Accra, Ghana, in September. President Boer also made stops in Abuja and Lagos, Nigeria.

In September, alumni from the Salt Lake City area met up with geology professor emeritus Ralph Stearley and his tour group, which was traveling through Utah.

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD During their fall meeting, the Calvin Alumni Association Board heard about the university’s current priorities, learned about advancing Calvin’s brand, and toured new athletics and speech pathology facilities on campus.

CALENDAR January Series Jan. 15–Feb. 2, 2024 calvin.edu/january The Rivalry Jan. 27, 2024 calvinhope.com Symposium on Worship Feb. 7–9, 2024 calvin.edu/symposium Rangeela February 23 & 24, 2024 Gospel Choir Tour: California March 3–8, 2024 Stops in Los Angeles, Bellflower, Escondido, and more FIRST ROW: Amy Waanders Jeninga ’88, Janorisè Evans Robinson ’92, Kathleen Smit Klaasen ’70, axine Asante Mosley-Totoe ’06, Stephanie Vogelzang ’07, Carla de Jong Hiemstra ’94 M MIDDLE: Eric Yulianto ’02, Minwoo Heo ’09, Tyler Amidon ’93, Johanna Chambery Zandstra ’91, Eliezer Yeong ’18, Dale Kaemingk ’77 BACK: Jeff Haverdink ’97, Jon Marcus ’82, Joe Allen ’13, Jerry Cooper ex’66, Adam Kinder ’06, Wiebe Boer ’97 NOT PICTURED: Karen Zwart Hielema ’94

Festival of Faith & Writing April 11–13, 2024 calvin.edu/festival Class of 1974 50-year Reunion May 3–4, 2024 calvin.edu/reunions Commencement May 4, 2024 calvin.edu/commencement For a full list of Calvin events, see calvin.edu/calendar.

TRAVEL WITH CALVIN New Zealand March 15–27, 2024 Hosts: Debra Freeberg, Janel Curry Stratford Festival June 2024, Sept. 2024 Hosts: Debra Freeberg, Gary Schmidt Iceland: The Country of Fire & Ice Sept. 12–24, 2024 Host: Rick Treur ’93

This summer, the alumni association staff took a west Michigan ice cream tour, with stops in Zeeland, Jamestown, Grandville, Byron Center, and Grand Rapids for sweet treats and even better company. It was a particular delight to meet alumni business owners such as Catherine Olson Van Prooyen ’08, pictured with associate director of alumni engagement Ashley Naghtin ’16.

Indonesia Cultural Immersion Tour Oct. 8–23, 2024 Host: Don DeGraaf Learn more about these travel opportunities at calvin.edu/go/travel.

CALVIN LEGACY

A Family Affair A multi-generational commitment to Christian education and ministry grows one family’s endowed scholarships

The Elenbaas family gathered in June 2023 for the wedding of Jack and Eleanor’s youngest grandchild.

Since 1907, four generations of the Elenbaas family have made their professions in the energy industry. Chemical engineer Jack Elenbaas (1923–2012) graduated from the University of Michigan, but as a father and grandfather he became committed to Christian education and missions. During the 1960s and ’70s he headed an annual fundraising telethon in the Detroit area, organizing a large group of volunteers to spend an evening calling people who had connections to Calvin. Each person on Elenbaas’ list received a personal call asking for a pledge or donation to the university. In 1973, Elenbaas received the Alumni A ssociation’s Outstanding Service Award. According to son Doug, his dad “was always an outstanding student, very committed to education, and particularly Christian education and ministry. He was very much into making sure his children were taking care of their studies.” Doug and his three siblings, Judy, Marvin, and Steven, each graduated from Calvin, as did seven of Elenbaas’ 11 grandchildren. After Elenbaas and his wife, Eleanor (1923–2023), put four children through Christian education, they had an even deeper appreciation for the financial commitment it requires. In their retirement, they established the Jack and Eleanor Elenbaas Family Scholarships for third- and fourth-year Calvin engineering students. “My dad was an expert in his field and always had a good job,” Doug says. “In his retirement, his dedication to oil and gas exploration resulted in the financial resources to establish en-

dowed scholarships. Later, other family members started making donations, too.” Though the scholarships at first focused on engineering students, as family members began contributing to the endowment, that scope expanded. Doug’s oldest brother, Marvin, was a banker. When he passed away of ALS in 2018, the family added scholarships for both accounting and nursing majors. “Several Calvin nursing students provided in-home care for my brother. They were with him around the clock. So when he died and part of his estate went into the endowment, we expanded our scholarships to include nursing students as well,” Doug says. This year, 11 scholarships of 5,000 dollars each were awarded to engineering, nursing, accounting, and pre-seminary students at Calvin University. In October, the Elenbaas family hosted its annual banquet at the Prince Center to honor this year’s recipients. The private event gives family members an opportunity to meet and get to know their scholarship recipients. Eleanor, who passed away in January, attended every banquet up until last year. “My mom came all the way through the age of 99,” Doug says. “Hosting our own dinner made it a more intimate affair, and she was able to talk with the students in a peaceful setting. They really enjoyed talking to her, too.” Doug Elenbaas says the endowed scholarship program has been a source of family connection and a way to continue his parents’ legacy of commitment to Christian education and ministry. “The value of education, the value of being in a profession, these are things deeply valued in the Elenbaas family.”

CLASS NOTES Spark readers: This section emphasizes Calvin graduates’ service, vocational, and reunion stories, along with “In Memoriam” notices. Send us news of your promotions, achievements, recognitions, and other announcements at spark@calvin.edu. Photos must be 300 dpi or approximately 1MB or greater in size. The alumni association is also interested in knowing about important family milestones such as marriages and newcomers. Please send that news to alumni@calvin.edu.

CLASS NOTES

HERITAGE (graduated more than 50 years ago) 01 Retired anesthesiologist Dr. Robert Blok, Sr. ’65 graduated with distinction from The Citadel Graduate College with a master of arts in military history in May. He now serves as an adjunct professor and guest lecturer at The Citadel. 02 Just for fun, Jerry Cooper ’67 and

four of his grandchildren, who are current Calvin students, recreated a childhood photograph in Cooper’s garage. Standing in the back is Johnathan Cooper ’24 and pictured left to right are Lindsay Cooper ’25, Faith Cooper ’26, and Theo Cooper ’26. 03 George Fritsma ’67 was pre-

sented with the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS) Lifetime Achievement Award on June 28. Fritsma is a medical laboratory scientist, author, and educator who holds faculty positions at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Rutgers University, and Michigan State University. He is also the creator of The Fritsma Factor: Your Interactive Hemostasis Resource, an online forum for “hemostasis information and insight.”

Five alumni from the law firm of Foster Swift Collins & Smith, P.C. were selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2024. They include Lynwood VandenBosch ’68, Jack Van Coevering ’82, Steven Tjapkes ’85, Jennifer Siebers Van Regenmorter ’90, and Mindi Jelsema Johnson ’01.

1980s 04 Catherine Ristola Bass ’89 and

Misty Thakur ’87 serendipitously met in Melbourne, Australia in May. They last saw each other in 1987. 05 Former college roommates gath-

ered for a reunion on the Muskegon River, hosted at the home of Julie DeJager Ellens ’88. The friends had not seen each other in over ten years. Left to right: Karen Ludema ’88, Marla Ehlers ’88, Julie Rottman VanHaitsma ’88, Becky DeVries VandenAkker ’88, Julie DeJager Ellens ’88, Lisa Stob Bulten ’88, and Pennylyn Dykstra-Pruim ’88 Mika Meyers attorney Ross Leisman ’84 was honored in the 2023 edition of Michigan Super Lawyers magazine for

his high level of professional achievement and peer recognition.

1990s 06 The American Association for Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) elected Chris Huang ’98 to the board of directors as vice president for information technology. Huang’s previous leadership positions include serving as the chair of both the AACRAO State and Regional Relations Committee and the Asian American Pacific Islander Caucus.

Associate professor of transplant surgery Dr. Trevor Nydam ’95 led a team of surgeons from the University of Colorado Department of Surgery in the first robotic-assisted hepatectomy (a surgery to remove part of the liver) from a living donor in that region. Nydam received most of his training for the procedure in Saudi Arabia, where, because of religious beliefs and customs, most organ transplants come from living donors. The advantage of the robot-assisted procedure is faster recovery time for the donor. Nydam hopes that using the procedure will encourage more people to become living donors in the future. 37

ALUMNI HIGHLIGHT

Stay Curious Priscilla Megalaa ’12 grew up in Cairo, Egypt, and, over the years, has made her home on three different continents. Her diverse experiences have taught her a deep sense of interconnectedness both to people and nature. “Understanding our interconnectedness holds us responsible to more than just ourselves in the choices we make,” Megalaa says. “I try to hold that with intention wherever I go.” At Calvin, Megalaa majored in political science and international development. She served as both vice president and president of Calvin’s chapter of Amnesty International. “The best part of Calvin was the sense of community and support.” She still appreciates how “all the professors took such care with us.” Megalaa calls her semester abroad at the University of Ghana, Legon, the most formative of her undergraduate experiences. “Professor David Hoekema led the Ghana program. He was kind of a dad to us during that semester,” she fondly remembers. Living in Ghana influenced her desire to work in social impact, and, she says, it may have something to do with her full circle return to working on the African continent.

she worked in peacebuilding at the Berghof Foundation and then as head of programs and impact at Lilipad e.V., a nonprofit that creates multilingual libraries for children at refugee accommodation centers in Germany’s capital city. Today, Megalaa serves as the fundraising and hiring coordinator at Onja, a social enterprise in Toamasina, Madagascar, that trains underprivileged youth in software development, then helps them secure remote jobs in E.U. and U.S. companies. The young developers reinvest a portion of their salaries into future Onja students’ educations, support their families, and contribute to the economic growth of their communities. “The most important aspect of Onja’s model is that developers are proud to be working to pay their own way,” Megalaa says.

Megalaa approaches each next step in her life with curiosity—a value that has guided her “in surprising directions.” Faith acts as the “grounding force, something you can turn back to in moments where the next step isn’t just your next job, but your next calling. It allows you to hold a perspective on life that gives it more meaning and helps with decision making.” Over the last year, Megalaa says she’s spent a lot of time reflecting on her life path. “You never know where you’re going to end up, but you discover yourself along the way. I think that’s the most exciting thing. Because I never imagined I would end up where I am now, and I’m so excited, so happy to be here. It’s given me a mindset to be open to growth and open to learning.”

Megalaa’s journey from Cairo to Grand Rapids to Madagascar has been far from direct, however. From Calvin, she volunteered for one year with Americorp, choosing a placement at a public charter preschool called Briya in Washington D.C. Designed for immigrant families, “Briya’s program was very holistic. It had a two-generational approach where parents learned English while their children attended preschool. Seeing the impact that model had on families got me interested in how education can transform lives,” Megalaa says. In 2017, Megalaa graduated from the University of Amsterdam with a master of science in conflict resolution and governance. Her career led her to Berlin, where 38

Curiosity and an openness to change guide Priscilla Megalaa’s career path.

MATT VRIESMAN ’07  2023 NATIONAL HISTORY TEACHER OF THE YEAR  2023 MICHIGAN HISTORY TEACHER OF THE YEAR 07

2000s 07 Wyoming Rescue Mission, a

non-profit Christian ministry providing services to individuals and families struggling with homelessness in Casper, Wyoming, welcomed Cheryl DenHouten Hackett ’01 as its new director of development in June. Hacket oversees fundraising for the mission’s annual operating budget and manages communications and community relations. Crocs, Inc. hired Erinn Murphy ’04 as senior vice president of investor relations and corporate strategy in September. Stephanie Baar Potoka ’01 joined Michigan-based civil engineering firm Prein&Newhof as a hydraulics engineer in August. 08 In August, Foster Swift Collins and

Smith PC welcomed attorney Rachael Kuilema Klein ’01 to the firm’s Trusts and Estates practice group. Based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Rachael dedicates herself to helping design and implement estate plans that meet clients’ financial, family, and philanthropic goals. 09 The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to K–12 American history education, named Matt Vriesman ’07 both the 2023 National

History Teacher of the Year and the 2023 Michigan History Teacher of the Year. The committee selected Vriesman for his “ability to tell the story of American history through the lens of his community.” Vriesman partnered with the Grand Rapids Public Museum to tell the story of the Great Migration through first-hand accounts of Black migrants to Grand Rapids and had his students create a historical virtual tour of west Michigan using research from primary source documents and historical archives. Vriesman was honored with a $10,000 prize at a ceremony at the Harvard Club in New York City on October 24. He teaches at East Kentwood High School, in East Kentwood, Michigan.

2010s 10 Lyndsay DeGroot ’15 successfully defended her dissertation, Palliative care needs of community-dwelling older adults with heart failure and physical frailty. She graduated with her PhD in nursing from Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing.

Joe Kelley ’17 is a special agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration, based out of the Los Angeles Field Division office. The DEA is the federal law enforcement agency that enforces the Controlled Substances Act, tasked with disrupting and dismantling enterprise-level drug trafficking organizations, both domestic and international. Kelley previously

worked as a systems engineer at L3Harris in Salt Lake City, Utah. The West Michigan Sports Commission (WMSC) promoted Katy Luimes Tigchelaar ’08 to vice president of operations. Tigchelaar first joined the WMSC as an intern while studying K–12 physical education at Calvin. She went on to earn her master’s degree in sports management at Western Michigan University and has been working full time at WMSC since 2011. Michael Zahrt ’11, an attorney for the law firm Foster Swift Collins & Smith, was named among “Ones to Watch” by his peers in The Best Lawyers in America 2024 for his professional excellence in private practice.

2020s 11 Alaina Benjamin ’20 has been named staff attorney for CTB Inc., a global designer of agricultural products based in Milford, Indiana. 12 Global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company hired Oyindamola Shobowale ’23 as a business analyst in their Detroit office. Shobowale hails from Lagos, Nigeria and joins the firm with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.

John Standiger ’23 joined Michiganbased civil engineering firm Prein&Newhof as an engineer-intraining in June. 39

CLASS NOTES

REUNION IN A BOX The next time you get together with four or more Calvin roommates, teammates, or friends, let us know. The alumni association will send you a Reunion in a Box filled with fun swag to help you celebrate! Each box has one-of-a-kind T-shirts and some of our favorite Calvin goodies. Visit calvin.edu/go/reunion-box.

This Beta 4 gang gathered for an Alaskan cruise and land tour in June. Left to right: Gordon VanderLeek ’83, Annie VanGiessen VanderLeek ex’81, Tom Hanstra ’83, Linda Kingma Hanstra ’85, Carl Gritter ’82, Jill Hoogewerf Swierenga ’82, and Brian Swierenga ’82

Mo and Nell Veenstra held a family reunion in South Haven, Michigan, in August. Left to right: Cindy German ’23, Linda Veenstra German ’85, Mo Veenstra ’56, Nell DeJong Veenstra ’58, Julie Veenstra VandenBos ex’79, Tim VandenBos ex’81, Will VandenBos ’12, Emily Steele VandenBos ’13, Ruth VandenBos Plaisier ’17, Andrew Plaisier ’16 (not pictured: Brianna Veenstra ’23)

Six Lambda 4 roommates enjoyed a July reunion in South Haven, Michigan. Left to right: Debbie Blauw Knot ’87, Amy Kooistra Herema ’87, Kathy Houskamp Ruiter ’87, Leanne Winters Foulkes ’87 (laptop), Susan Youngsma Wilkins ’87, Susan Randall Vande Brake ’87 Former housemates and their spouses gathered for a summer reunion. Back row, left to right: Jonathan Kinnas ’09, Steve Voss ’09, Rick Mecum ’09, Jason Voss ’09 Front row, left to right: Rachel Mudde Kinnas ’09, Juanita Dreise Hofman ’09, David Hofman ’09, Rachel Olson Triemstra ’09.

These friends gathered at a family cottage in Cedar Springs, Michigan in July. Left to Right: Rachel Achterhof Prince ’10, Kristin Kurtz ’10, Erika Menyes Elenbaas ’10, Marissa Nobel Brinks ’10, future knight Amelia Brinks, Elisabeth Geenen ’10

These 1991 Calvin grads reconnected in June. Left to right: Judi Vedders VanSolkema ’91, Amy Rensenbrink Banks ’91, Jo Chambery Zandstra ’91, Amy Pierce Cassiday ’91

Four roommates reunited at Black Lake in Onaway, Michigan in July. Left to right: Angela Tumborello McDowell ’01, Wendy Walter ’02, Kylene Ollar ’02, Michelle Page Burnside ’02

These three Calvin couples gather each summer—this year they enjoyed a concert at Credit 1 Amphitheater in Tinley Park, Illinois. Left to right: Mark Klooster ’93, Mike Hoving ’93, Matt Reimink ’93, Rachel Raad Klooster ’93, Joy Baas Hoving ’93, Lisa Spoelhof Reimink ’93

These friends reunited in the spring. The four women, former floormates from 3rd Rooks, have gathered annually for over 50 years.

“Friends for 15 years and counting,” these Norderwier-VanderWerp women gathered for a winter reunion.

Back row, left to right: Richard Van Den Berg ’73, Marten Van Eyk ’74, Nicholas Vander Wal ex’78 (UofM ’79)

Left to right: Stephanie Slotsema Boven ’11, Kate Hill Faber ’10, Elise Visbeen de Jong ’11, Kelli VanderLaan Drenth ’11, and Savannah Gruesbeck Smith ’11

Front row, left to right: Elaine Meeter Van Den Berg ’75, Dianne Schepers Van Eyk ’74, Melanie Van Dragt Vander Wal ’74, Barbara Rosema Phillips ’74

Class of ’82 Eldersveld friends met in Holland, Michigan on July 12, 2023. They used their reunion in a box swag as prizes for a game of “Calvin Trivia.”

A group of former resident assistants from BHT held a reunion on campus this summer. Three members of the group are current Calvin faculty or staff.

Left to right: Sandy Lambers Zwier ’82, Dori Piers Helder ’82, Janet Van Haitsma Howell ’82, Jan Boerman Vander Kooy ’82, Ellen Van Elderen Jacobs ’82

Back row, left to right: Tom Steenwyk ’88, Sue Koppendrayer (BHT resident director 1986–87), Mary Loerop Steenwyk ’88, Mary Meulenberg Gabrielse ’90 Front row, left to right: Julie Heyboer Piers ’88, Erin De Meester Reynolds ’88, Todd Vanden Berg ’88

BOOKS BY CALVIN ALUMNI

01 The Unfortunate Life of

Genevieve Ryder Sammy Keener Beuker ’99 Credo House

07 42

Decisive Democracy: The Way of Life For All Harmen Boersma ’72 FriesenPress

Lookout Christine Byl ’95 Strange Object

One Person Can Make a Difference: Yes, That Means You! Mark Gurley ’88 Self-published

Atomic Peril Sidney Niemeyer ’69 Quantum Publishing

How Do I Navigate the LD/ADHD Parenting Journey? A Compass for Faith, Understanding, Love, and Learning Myrna Easom and Patricia Dokter Ritsema ’66 BookLogix

Albertus C. Van Raalte: Pastor by Vocation, Entrepreneur by Necessity Bob Swierenga ’57 Van Raalte Press

Doc Slik: Not A Life of My Own Jack Van Der Slik ’58 BookBaby

Chinese Through Scripture Shuguang Rose Wang ’99 Kharis Publishing

YOUR GIFT. COUNTLESS STORIES. ONE FUND. Donate to the

Every student at Calvin University is telling a story. Collectively, their stories make up Calvin’s story.

annual fund and help students thrive at calvin.edu/go/give.

Your support fills the gap where tuition dollars stop and allows the university to respond to the needs of our students with thoughtfulness and flexibility.

Deaths HERITAGE Laura Musch Aldrink ex’68 Nov. 27, 2022, Dublin, Ohio Marie Abbas Anderson ex’52 June 7, 2023, Aplington, Iowa Margery Ross Bakker ex’50 Dec. 13, 2022, Sioux Falls, S.D. Betty Vander Beek Ballast ’67 May 3, 2023, Grandville, Mich. Donna deGoede Bangma ’67 Aug. 1, 2023, McKinney, Texas Evelyn Platt Beltman ’61 Dec. 13, 2022, Nampa, Idaho Harold Bergsma ’55 Aug. 7, 2023, San Diego, Calif. John Beversluis ’56 May 22, 2021, Fresno, Calif. Elinor Van Deelen Bonthuis ex’54 Nov. 25, 2022, Ada, Mich. Lynn Broene Borgford ex’60 July 29, 2023, Redmond, Wash. Samuel Bosch ex’54 July 29, 2023, Portland, Ore. Fred Bosma ’68 June 23, 2023, Lethbridge, Alberta Donald Bouma ex’57 Feb. 7, 2021, Denver, Colo. Marilyn Posthumus Bouma ex’57 July 24, 2023, Denver, Colo. Mary Stob Bouwma ex’70 Jan. 18, 2023, Grand Rapids, Mich. Harvey Brink ’66 May 26, 2023, Gold Bar, Wash. Gary Broekhuizen ’66 June 25, 2023, Portage, Mich. Robert J. Broersma Jr. ’62 Sept. 16, 2023, Cincinnati, Ohio Dale Brouwer ex’58 July 13, 2023, Jenison, Mich. William Buikema ’50 Aug. 22, 2023, Homer Glen, Ill. Peter Buma ’71 Sept. 5, 2023, Ada, Mich. Winifred Nyhof Byker ’56 July 3, 2023, East Alton, N.H. Linda Louis Chapman ex’57 Aug. 31, 2023, Greenville, Mich.

Roy Clark ’70 May 15, 2023, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Twyla De Kam Gortsema ex’59 July 4, 2023, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Donald Coray ’64 March 28, 2023, Goleta, Calif.

Jacqueline Greenman ’58 Feb. 9, 2023, Anchorage, Alaska Distinguished Alumni Award recipient

Norman Curtiss ex’66 April 27, 2023, Caledonia, Mich. Martin De Boer ’67 Dec. 21, 2021, Sawyer, Mich. Donald De Groot ’56 June 29, 2023, Battle Creek, Mich. Diane Kuizema De Haan ex’71 Jan. 15, 2023, Kentwood, Mich. Robert De Jonge ’60 April 28, 2023, Grand Rapids, Mich. Kenneth De Kam ’60 June 22, 2023, Clancy, Mont. Robert De Long ex’52 June 6, 2023, Covington, Wash. Mary Vander Puy De Smith ex’53 Nov. 3, 2022, Grand Rapids, Mich. Jess De Young ’51 June 27, 2023, Fremont, Mich. Gerrit Den Hartog ’65 June 4, 2023, Grand Rapids, Mich. Beth Vander Mey Dertien ’72 April 26, 2023, San Diego, Calif. Donald DeVries ex’60 March 26, 2022, Holland, Mich. Geraldine Ohlmann Dice ’43 June 28, 2023, Grosse Pointe, Mich. Peter Douma ex’58 June 26, 2023, Cambria, Wis. Edna Masselink Duthler ’54 Aug. 12, 2023, Grand Rapids, Mich. Judy Eldrenkamp ’68 July 12, 2023, Oak Lawn, Ill. Henry Elsenbroek ’67 Aug. 6, 2021, Grand Rapids, Mich. Anna Belle “Anne” Engbers ’58 March 31, 2023, Cooper Landing, Alaska Distinguished Alumni Award recipient Henry Evenhouse ’79 Sept. 9, 2023, Grand Rapids, Mich. Ralph Faasse ’67 May 7, 2023, North Haledon, N.J. Ruth Dirkse Fitzgerald ex’70 May 12, 2023, Atlantic Mine, Mich.

James Grit ’56 July 9, 2023, Byron Center, Mich. Outstanding Service Award recipient Minetta Blankespoor Groendyk ex’60 June 20, 2023, Grand Rapids, Mich. Jeanette De Jong Groenendyk ’62 April 13, 2023, Grandville, Mich. Eunice Zimmer Hall ex’57 June 15, 2023, Redlands, Calif. Garold Haverdink ex’62 June 27, 2023, Zeeland, Mich. Randall Hendrikse ex’70 May 20, 2023, Sheboygan, Wis. James Hertel ’51 Aug. 1, 2023, Fremont, Mich. Fred Holmgren ’49 May 24, 2023, Chicago, Ill. Philip Holtrop ’55 June 12, 2023, Grand Rapids, Mich. Mildred Geelhoed Holtvluwer ’65 Aug. 3, 2023, Jenison, Mich. George Jorritsma ex’55 Nov. 3, 2022, Calimesa, Calif. Magdalene “Madge” Oordt Kaemingk ex’55 Aug. 27, 2023, Lynden, Wash. Sandra Bierens Keizer ’67 April 24, 2023, Kentwood, Mich. James Koldenhoven ’57 Dec. 14, 2022, Sioux Center, Iowa Harvey Koning ’62 June 7, 2023, Caledonia, Mich. Marva Tuuk Lamberts ex’40 May 23, 2023, Grand Rapids, Mich. Marilyn Ohlmann Marcus ’71 Nov. 14, 2022, Hudsonville, Mich. Thomas McWhertor HON Aug. 17, 2023, Grand Rapids, Mich. Cynthia Vander Puy Medema ’61 Oct. 1, 2022, Centennial, Colo. Thomas Meyer ’72 April 30, 2023, Alto, Mich. Clarence Miedema ex’50 June 20, 2023, Lynden, Wash.

1970s Carolyn De Kruyter Morren ex’57 Aug. 22, 2023, Jenison, Mich.

E. Robert Tigchelaar ’70 June 25, 2023, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Gerald Gerber ex’75 April 26, 2022, Surrey, British Columbia

George Mossel ’68 Aug. 21, 2023, Byron Center, Mich.

Ruthe Van Houten Toonstra ’54 July 3, 2022, Jenison, Mich.

Jane Van Eek Nieuwenhuis ’79 May 25, 2023, Calgary, Alberta

Alan Muyskens ’67 Jan. 15, 2020, Berryville, Ark.

George Tuinstra ’70 Nov. 21, 2022, Hudsonville, Mich.

Ronald Steenwyk ’77 April 12, 2023, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Bruce Nieuwenhuis ’59 June 26, 2023, Flint, Mich.

Jack Tuls ’56 June 2, 2023, Lancaster, Calif.

Martin Sterk ’75 July 6, 2023, Bellflower, Calif.

Henry Numan ’64 April 6, 2023, Vancouver, British Columbia

Henry Van Dyke ex’55 Oct. 23, 2022, Grand Rapids, Mich.

1980s

Donna Nyenhuis ex’73 May 4, 2023, Jenison, Mich.

Jay Van Hook ’60 Aug. 20, 2023, Oviedo, Fla.

George Peters ’59 Dec. 9, 2022, Boulder, Colo.

Gordon Van Houten ’65 Sept. 10, 2022, Anaheim, Calif.

Robert Pool ’49 Aug. 25, 2023, Traverse City, Mich.

Nancy Kneubel Van Maaren ’60 Oct. 19, 2022, Littleton, Colo.

Sara Besteman Postma ’62 June 26, 2022, Saranac, Mich.

James Van Manen ’58 May 28, 2023, Ventura, Calif.

Ellen Andre Prince ex’51 June 1, 2023, New Era, Mich.

Ronald Van Mersbergen ’60 April 25, 2023, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Bette Van Andel Reynolds ex’47 Aug. 21, 2023, Caledonia, Mich.

Lynn Vande Brake ’65 June 28, 2023, Fort Gratiot, Mich.

Carol Schrovenwever Riekse ex’62 July 17, 2023, Chicago, Ill.

Bonita Vandevoort Vander Tuig ’55 June 10, 2023, San Jose, Calif.

Andrew Rienstra ’56 July 2, 2023, Pompton Plains, N.J.

Gerald Vander Velde ex’54 April 10, 2023, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Donald Schaaf ex’61 July 16, 2023, Oak Brook, Ill.

Maryann Vangalen-Terpstra ’47 June 3, 2023, Toronto, Ontario

Gordon Scherpenisse ex’64 Sept. 2, 2023, Zeeland, Mich.

Russell Ver Merris ’61 Feb. 22, 2021, Muskegon, Mich.

Bruce Schuurmann ’66 Aug. 10, 2023, Lombard, Ill.

Roger Verhey ’60 June 3, 2023, Ann Arbor, Mich.

Stanley Sinnema ex’54 Nov. 15, 2020, Byron Center, Mich.

Russell Walcott ’60 May 13, 2023, Allendale, Mich.

J. David Sommer ’60 July 8, 2023, Grandville, Mich.

Marie Hoekstra Werner ’51 March 2, 2023, Ann Arbor, Mich.

Joyce Van Kooten Star ’56 Aug. 14, 2023, Pella, Iowa

Syros Westra ’60 June 22, 2023, Ontario, Calif.

Richard Steinke ex’57 May 9, 2023, Rockford, Mich.

Judith Haan Worley ’59 Oct. 18, 2022, Grandville, Mich.

Albert Stryker ex’48 Aug. 3, 2023, Alto, Mich.

Gary Zondervan ’63 Nov. 25, 2021, Chino, Calif.

James Talen ’56 July 14, 2023, Rochester, Minn.

Jane Van Drunen Zwiers ex’70 July 28, 2023, San Diego, Calif.

Henrietta Hoogwerf Te Krony ’52 July 11, 2023, Estelline, S.D.

Paul Bakker ex’80 June 17, 2023, Spring Lake, Mich. Kenneth Erny ’88 June 4, 2023, Fruitport, Mich. Daniel Faasse ’84 Aug. 30, 2023, Mansfield, Mass. Laurie Fredricks Koning ’85 Aug. 29, 2023, McBain, Mich. Geoffrey Rogers ex’80 Sept. 2, 2023, Grand Rapids, Mich. Donald Schuurman ’84 June 27, 2023, Grand Rapids, Mich. Lori Meter Lockwood Weesies ’83 April 30, 2023, Hudsonville, Mich. Jon Vander Woude ’86 Aug. 10, 2023, Byron Center, Mich.

1990s Vicki Vanden Hoek Apel ex’97 July 12, 2022, Grandville, Mich. Joel Bratt ’91 Aug. 28, 2023, Lake Forest Park, Wash. John Cargill ex’94 May 29, 2022, Santa Ana, Calif. Mark Janecek ’96 Sept. 16, 2023, St. Catharines, Ontario Timothy Refior ’92 July 26, 2023, San Diego, Calif.

2000s Lucas De Vries ’02 June 24, 2023, Grand Rapids, Mich.

2010s Trevor Boardway ’13 Aug. 26, 2023, Muskegon, Mich. Tozsha “Taj” Smith ’19 June 1, 2022, Willoughby, Ohio Georgina De La Torre Stephens ’10 June 21, 2023, San Antonio, Texas 45

PHIL HOLTROP | 1934–2023 Philip Holtrop ’55 was a lifelong learner and teacher who left a valuable legacy of scholarship and service to Calvin, the Christian Reformed Church, and beyond. He died on June 12, 2023, at the age of 89. A Calvin alumnus, Holtrop earned a bachelor of arts in classics and speech (oral rhetoric). He completed his bachelor of divinity at Calvin Theological Seminary in 1958 and went on to earn a doctorandus theologie degree from the Free University of Amsterdam. Holtrop began his teaching career at Illiana Christian High School and Trinity Christian College in 1963. He was ordained in 1971 and served six years as the pastor of North Haledon Christian Reformed Church in New Jersey. In 1977, he returned to Grand Rapids to teach at his alma mater. During his more than two decades as a professor of theology, Holtrop taught courses in Christian doctrine, ethics, historical theology, and cultural theology. His emphasis on responsibility, excellence, and respect for others as God’s image bearers deeply influenced his students.

Holtrop was also a respected scholar. He became a specialist in the Calvinist wing of the Reformation, and more specifically in the doctrine of predestination. He authored a two-volume dissertation for Harvard Divinity School, where he earned a PhD in theology in 1988; the work earned him a Mellen Award and was published by the Edwin Mellen Press. Over the years, Holtrop and his wife, Marie, made dozens of trips to China to participate in academic exchanges, teach at universities, and establish opportunities for study in the United States and China. “Phil’s legacy is in the large number of students from China he brought to this campus,” said Larry Herzberg, professor emeritus of Asian languages. “He was always ready to discuss ways to connect Calvin with China.” The Phil and Marie Holtrop Chinese Student Scholarship continues that work, supporting Calvin students from China who are committed to building “cultural bridges” between China and the West.

BARBARA OMOLADE | 1942–2023 Courageous and wise. Creative and bold. Incisive and animated. These are a few words Calvin faculty and emeriti use to describe their former colleague and friend Barbara Omolade, 80, who died on July 10, 2023.

founding member of The Center for Worker Education, which provided higher education for working adults, and she wrote The Rising Song of African American Women (Routledge, 1994). During this time, she also earned two graduate degrees.

As Calvin’s first dean of multicultural affairs, Omolade was a trailblazer.

While her time at Calvin was cut short by a serious stroke and subsequent health complications, her work held significant influence on campus. Besides serving as dean of multicultural affairs from 2003–2005, she was also a founder and co-director of the Consultation of African American Christian Scholars, a week-long seminar held annually at Calvin from 2001–2005, under the auspices of the Calvin Center for Christian Scholarship.

Omolade came to Calvin as a well-respected educator, sociologist, and administrator. “She pioneered the multicultural affairs efforts at Calvin that have transformed our student body and immensely broadened our imagined field of service,” said Joel Carpenter, former provost of Calvin and now senior research fellow at the Nagel Institute. Omolade’s capable leadership stemmed from decades of prior experience. During the 1960s, she was a member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. In the ’70s, she worked at the Center for the Elimination of Violence in the Family and the Women’s Action Alliance in New York City. She was also a

This past year, Omolade and Calvin English professor Susan Felch completed Faith Confronts Evil, a book on antebellum African American Christian women. The book is scheduled for publication by Cascade Books at the end of 2023. The trail Omolade blazed at Calvin in the early 2000s will continue to make an impact in the years ahead.

GO BEYOND

YOUR REACH

CAREER FOCUSED You're ready to take the next step in your career. Designed for working professionals, Calvin's graduate programs will equip you to excel in your field while balancing school with life. Choose from a variety of online and on-campus programs to find a fit that's right for you.

HIGH QUALITY From building intentional community, to tackling real-world projects, to participating in internships, and more, Calvin graduate programs offer you hands-on opportunities to connect— with top notch faculty, engaged peers, and rigorous content.

GRADUATE DEGREES Accounting Business administration Data science Education Exercise science

GRADUATE PROGRAMS DESIGNED FOR YOU

Geographic information science

We all have something that motivates us to go beyond ourselves. To live out something greater. Rooted in faith, Calvin’s graduate programs are built for adult learners who seek to reach for new possibilities. Continue your education at Calvin where, together, we’ll think deeply, act justly, and live wholeheartedly as Christ’s agents of renewal in the world.

Media and strategic communication

Learn more at calvin.edu/go/grad-programs

Nursing (starts fall 2024) Public administration Public health Speech pathology Teaching

CALVIN UNIVERSITY PRESENTS

January 15–February 2, 2024 Choose your January Series 2024 experience: Attend the live presentation on campus at 12:30 p.m. EST, watch the simulcast at a remote site, or watch digitally on-demand until midnight PST. Visit calvin.edu/January for details.

Spark Magazine Winter 2023 - Calvin University

Articles inside

REUNION IN A BOX

Stay Curious

A Family Affair

Life Illuminated

Dream Builder

In Pursuit of Shalom

2023 Alumni Honorees

Trails FOR OFF-CAMPUS PROGRAMS

Make Room

A NATURAL CONNECTION

SHOOT, SCORE, REPEAT

The Tie That Binds