Verge 5.2

VERGE CALVIN COLLEGE VOL. 5.2

Phage Hunters: How you can make big discoveries in a research course designed for first-year students. p. 10

IT’S A BIG WORLD.

PLAN ACCORDINGLY. If you want to be ready for a world that’s only getting smarter, faster and bigger, Calvin is the place for you. Calvin students are prepared to be truth-seekers, hope-bringers and change-makers. Come to Calvin and develop a worldview that you can apply anytime, anywhere.

www.calvin.edu/big-world

VERGE Vol. 5.2

A Calvin College publication for prospective students and parents

Phage 10 First-Year Research: You Can't Google this Stuff

Verge—the edge, rim or margin; the brink. The point beyond which an act, state or condition is likely to start or happen—as in “on the verge.”

The verge is a place where you’re finally able to see everything that’s in front of you. A place where you can say, “I can get there from here.”

At Calvin, you’ll find yourself on the verge of more than you can imagine. New ideas, unexpected opportunities, new territory in your life, your studies and your faith.

From the verge, you’ll catch a vision of how to live. And Calvin will take you there.

Filled 14 AWithDayAdventure

the 18 How Son of an

Contact To submit a question or a letter: verge@calvin.edu

NFL Player Became a Soccer Coach

To change your address: verge@calvin.edu Production VERGE is produced three times a year by Calvin’s admissions and financial aid office.

in Grand Rapids, Mich. and Budapest, Hungary

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Dorm Life

6

Dining Fresh at Calvin

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Faculty Profile: Roman Williams

www.calvin.edu/verge

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Turning Dining Hall Leftovers into a Blessing

Editorial and creative team: Allison Graff ’07, head writer Jeanne Nienhuis ’80, editor Joy’l Ver Heul ’04, creative director Nate Hibma ’04, web rockstar

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Multicultural Community

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Calvin Grads Renewing Grand Rapids

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You've Applied! Now What?

Contributing writers: Chase Froese ’17 Alexis De Weese Amanda Greenhoe ’09 Mark DeHaan ’15 Molly Monet ’15 Ashley DeKock

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Financial Aid

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Acting Justly Around the Globe

28 Fall Fashion

Contributing photographers: Alyssa Penning ’13 Mikaela Mannes ’16 Andrew Prium ’16 Stephen Norregaard ’15 Jill DeVries ’08 Taylor Maxfield ’16

Campus Security and Personal Safety

Contributing designers: Bethany Paquette ’16, hand lettering Stephen Norregaard ’15, dorm life

If you would like to receive a paper copy of the combined Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, which contains this information, you can stop by the Calvin College Campus Safety Department in the Mail and Print Services Building at 3230 Lake Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546, or you can request a copy be mailed to you by calling (616) 526-6751.

Calvin College is committed to assisting all members of the Calvin community in providing for their own safety and security. The annual Clery security and fire safety compliance document is available on the Campus Safety website at www.calvin.edu/go/clery.

The website and booklet contain information regarding campus security and personal safety including topics such as: crime prevention, fire safety, college security law enforcement authority, crime reporting policies, disciplinary procedures and other matters of importance related to security and safety on campus.

Calvin College admits students of any race, color and national or ethnic origin.

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Join Calvin’s Class of

2019 community on Facebook!

MORE

Real stories, from real students calvinblogs.com

After you’re admitted to Calvin, watch your email for an invitation to join this community. You can chat with current students about living in the dorms, signing up for classes, trying out for sports, music or theatre—whatever is on your mind. You’ll also meet hundreds of other new students, so when you step onto campus in the fall you’ll already have a great group of friends waiting for you.

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WHAT'S HAPPENING AT

10:17 p.m.

Ever wonder what happens in a Calvin dorm during the evening? We sent our student reporters out to find out what was happening in Schultze-Eldersveld.

IN SCHULTZE-ELDERSVELD

Christina, Lauren and Emily are hanging out in Lauren’s room, laughing and talking about going to ArtPrize the next day.

Jenna is working on economics homework at her desk.

“Is that a typewriter?”

“Yeah!”

“Do you use it a lot?”

“Not a ton because it's kinda loud.”

Rachel and Hannah are in their room.

“We actually made cookies!”

“What are you going to do with them?”

“We’re going to eat them! And we’re going to go watch a movie and have some roommie bonding time.”

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By Chase Froese ’17 and Stephen Norregaard ’15

Kyle, Hunter, Michael and Sky are in Michael’s room hanging out. They’re about to play some night soccer, and then go to the Buck Fridays event on campus.

Michaela, Daniel and Nate are in Daniel’s room drinking tea and talking.

Luke and Noah are in the RA’s room playing “Super Smash Bros.” on the Wii and listening to Mutemath.

“Who’s winning?”

“The RA always wins, house rule.”

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MADE TO ORDER

CALVIN LOCAL

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POPULAR FEATURES: Taqueria Emma and Charlie's Pasta Bar Wellness Bar The Globe Americana Uppercrust

DINING Even though it’s college, and college is notorious for poor eating, it doesn’t have to be that way. At Calvin you can have delicious, quality meals, personalized to your tastes.

You’ll have the chance to try new foods from around the world, but you’ll also be able to order up a good old-fashioned sandwich of your own creation.

Calvin also caters to diners who are vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free or who have a peanut or other common food allergy. All food served in the main dining halls is labeled to make your dining selections easier.

Calvin is so serious about serving fresh, nutritious foods that it recently abandoned the traditional, cafeteria-style food lines in favor of a more personalized concept: food stations like the “Taqueria” (think Chipotle) and Pasta Bar, where your food is made to order.

FRESH NOT FROZEN 7

Join Calvin’s campus-wide Bible study, digging into Scripture with other students, faculty and staff. This year’s focus is on the book of James.

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Flipping on the Curiosity Switch Faculty Profile: Roman Williams

By Alexis DeWeese Most professors would not claim that an introductory class is one of their favorites to teach. Not so with sociology and social work professor Roman Williams.

He’s not the least bit hesitant to jump into the details about his intro to sociology course and discuss why he— and his students—find the class such a great foundation for learning at Calvin.

One example? Having his students review a fashion magazine, he poses the question, “What is beauty?”

“Through content analysis, we use the idea of beauty to explore things like race, gender and social class.”

“These skills are life skills, as I see them.”

For Prof. Williams, wanting his students to do well in class isn’t enough. He wants them to think critically about the music, movies and books that are part of their everyday lives.

By taking a deeper look at pop culture—fashion, children’s books, films, advertising—Prof. Williams makes what could be a dreary required course “My students can offer a reasonable accessible for his busy first-year students. critique [of these things] not just based on a simplistic ‘because the Bible says “I do it through inquiry as opposed to so’ and not out of a wholesome desire pretending my students are computer to please others—‘my parents told me chips—that I’m going to give them a test to make sure all the information is there.” “no”’—but out of an intellectual tool kit that can analyze and explain.

Sociology is the study of social “We’ve turned on a little switch in their structures in a culture—media, gender heads called the ‘curiosity switch.’ We’re and relationships. Essentially, it’s about trying to cultivate critical thinking; to how we act in our communities and take something from popular culture why. Prof. Williams takes this head-on and really engage it.” with his students in a highly interactive classroom experience.

SOCIOLOGY + POP CULTURE Prof. Williams is teaching his sociology students to pull back the curtain on culture and explore it from an informed and curious perspective.

• Examining children’s books to see how early children are introduced to traditional gender roles.

• Combining the study of film with sociological principles in the honors introductory course.

• Modeling letters based off of C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters to explore the church and sociology through different lenses.

www.calvin.edu/sociology

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YOU CAN’T GOOGLE THIS STUFF Hello, my name is Phage

And you get to discover me.

There’s a little wonder of the natural world that doesn’t get a lot of press, even though it could be playing a huge role in your immune system’s health.

It’s a virus called a bacteriophage and, as a first-year science student at Calvin, you could get to know one of these wonders very well.

So well that once you’ve gathered, cultured and isolated a “phage” of your own, you’ll also have a chance to analyze its DNA, gene by gene.

In the process, you’ll be discovering a unique organism that no one has ever seen or studied before, giving it a name and

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The mighty and virtually unheard-of phage These little viruses are 10 times as prevalent as bacteria in the environment. And that’s important because when they meet up with bacteria— say, in your large intestine—they easily infect the bacteria and either kill them or change them by leaving their DNA behind when they find somewhere else to go.

So why is this research important?

It all has to do with your immune system. On the positive side of things, phage could be used to kill bad bacteria in your body in lieu of antibiotics. And since many of the bad bacteria that infect humans are growing resistant to antibiotics, phage therapy could restore health and even save lives.

On the other side of things, science is closing in on predatory phages as a possible cause of immune disorders like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, where phages are thought to be killing off the good bacteria in your digestive track and causing dysbiosis—an imbalance of good bacteria that leads to a weakened or inflamed immune system.

By Allison R. Graff ’07 finding out if it can help phage scientists in their research.

According to phage course professor John Wertz, you’re going to dive into a field of research that doesn’t even have a textbook because it’s so cutting-edge.

“You see and learn that there isn’t always an answer for something. Basically, you can’t Google this stuff,” he said.

Great (un)expectations Nolan Collier ’17 found his phage from a sample collected at Calvin’s Seminary Pond. When it came time to name it, he didn’t spend a lot of time thinking of a cool name.

“When they told us early on that ‘Hey, you might discover something great, so name it something really cool,’ I thought, ‘That’s not really going to be me.’”

Turns out, Nolan did discover something great: a phage with the secondlargest genome of any phage ever studied. Now he wishes he had found a name to match the greatness of his discovery. He named his phage “Shaista,” because he figured it was better than some of the other names he heard for phages, like “Mac N’ Cheese” and “Zombie.”

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The name “Shaista” did work out well when in June, when Nolan traveled to Washington, D.C., to present the class research to more than 300 phage experts and other students doing similar research at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI).

“At least it didn’t sound weird to say the name over and over again in the presentation in front of important scientists.”

Nolan was selected along with classmate Anna Michmerhuizen ’17 to present at the HHMI phage conference, an honor for freshmen biology students.

“It was scary to present in front of 300 people, some being the leading scientists in phage research. But it was also rewarding to succeed and realize that I actually could give academic presentations to

advanced scientists,” he said.

A perfect gateway Nolan heard about the phage research course as a high school senior through an email he received from Calvin.

“I didn’t really know what to expect from the course.”

Still, he applied and got into the course specifically designed for first-year students interested in the sciences or health-related majors.

“I liked the lab/lecture combo a lot because I have a hard time focusing.

In this class you’re actually doing stuff. Even the lecture was explaining the procedure and then doing it right there.”

For students interested in further research or upper-level science courses, the labs in the phage course are the perfect gateway.

Anna is just one of the students who completed the course and went on to do summer research with a chemistry professor. She enjoyed it for more than just its academic benefits: “The phage course was a whole lot of fun, but more than that, it is also a really unique opportunity to be involved in hands-on research as a freshman. The phage course is one of my favorite memories from my freshman year.”

Nolan isn’t planning to do science research after Calvin, but the course gave him great lab experience to excel in his other science classes and prepare him for medical school. He hopes to become a doctor and work overseas in medical missions.

For the wonder of it all To phage course professors John

PHAGE

DISCOVERY

STAGES

Seal it up (while leaving room for oxygen to get through and culture the bacteria) and place it in the incubator shaker.

Collect your phage from dirt or water somewhere on campus. Place it in a sterile centrifuge tube.

Label your tube well!

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Add your specimen to a solution containing bacteria.

HOW TO APPLY

Wertz and Randy DeJong, the best part of the course is the fact that students get to venture into the unknown when they isolate their phages.

Interested in phage research?

Apply to Calvin, and then be sure to fill out a separate application to be considered for this special, two-semester course, available only to selected first-year students.

“Some students are surprised that it isn’t straightforward, but most students are really excited that they get to determine the next step in the process. They have to look at the evidence they have just gathered, figure out what it means and take a next step,” said Prof. DeJong.

www.calvin.edu/go/phage

And sometimes what they discover is awe-inspiring: like a phage that infects the bacteria causing tuberculosis, or one that transfers antibiotic resistance at a rate so high that the samples have to be destroyed immediately.

The question is, what will your phage be capable of?

Repeat the platings on petri dishes until you have enough evidence that you have a phage.

Set up a second sample using snail or termite gut homogenate (to obtain phages from symbiotic host-associated systems) and place it in the incubator shaker.

Document everything! Prepare your phage for electron microscopy and travel to Michigan State to finally see your “baby.”

Give your phage a cool name. Isolate the DNA from your phage and compare it with others in the class using restriction enzyme digests and gel electrophoresis. Annotate the genome of your phage.

After your specimens have a few days to incubate, mix them with bacteria on a petri dish and examine your specimens carefully.

See any clear dots? You might have a phage!

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Y A AD

D E L FIL ITH

Whether you're living on campus or studying abroad, Calvin students find adventure everywhere. Meet Taylor Maxfield in Grand Rapids, Mich., and Andrew Pruim in Budapest, Hungary, as they capture their days on opposite sides of the globe.

AD VEN W

d n a r G apids R 14

Explore more online www.calvin.edu/verge

Bud

TU RE

apes t

Watch a video from the Semester in Hungary at www.calvin.edu/verge.

AROUND THE GLOBE

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“

Hunger and poverty and malnutrition are really big issues in Grand Rapids—probably not ones that we see very often in our day-to-day lives. But there are people in our community that are going hungry every day.”

Turning dining hall leftovers into a blessing

By Ashley DeKock

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For Cameron Kritikos, after meals in Calvin’s dining working in the dining halls halls, he knew he had to could have just been a student do something. job that gave him extra cash “I saw that Knollcrest [dining for textbooks or half-off apps hall] was throwing out at Applebee’s with friends. hundreds of pounds of food Instead, the job turned into and it was really sickening a way to develop his passion at first,” he said. for justice—and help people So he did some research in need. and discovered a national organization that recovers food from college dining facilities across the country and delivers it to people in need. Soon he started Calvin’s When Cameron, a sophomore own chapter of the Food from Riverside, Ill., saw extra Recovery Network and food thrown away each week

Turning food waste into help for families in need

found the perfect recipient organization—a ministry Calvin students already serve through a special partnership with a residence hall.

The Supper House provides hot meals to families in Grand Rapids’ Creston neighborhood twice each week.

“The Supper House’s goal is to feed hungry people’s spirit, body and soul,” said the organization’s founder, Laura Castle.

So every Tuesday and Thursday, Cameron and other students gather leftover food in large bins

and take it to the Supper House.

As many as 250 families benefit from their work each night the meals are offered.

The bigger picture Cameron’s work is driven by a much bigger passion—one to see people from all backgrounds flourish. More than feeding hungry people, it’s about seeing all the gifts God’s given his people to good use: “As for future goals, I want to see an education reform in America,” said Kritikos.

“I don’t know what this looks like yet, but I want to see a generation of children rise up and be equipped to make better business decisions, marriage choices and other resolutions affecting the people around them.”

As a part of Calvin’s John M. Perkins Leadership program, Cameron is working on a personal plan for how he can help make the biblical ideal of justice for all people a reality on earth.

The John M. Perkins Leadership Fellows Program Perkins Leadership Fellows at Calvin learn how to lead through passionate and smart service to society.

“

This two-year program prepares students to address big issues like poverty, injustice, racism and materialism through courses, small group discussions, mentoring and a service-learning trip to Jackson, Miss.

It includes a $2,500 scholarship; two Perkins Fellows each year will receive a full-tuition scholarship to attend Calvin.

How to get involved You may be invited to interview this program if you are a first-generation college student in your family and have a passion for service. Be sure to apply and be admitted to Calvin no later than February 1 to receive an invitation to the Perkins Fellows Preview Weekend in early March.

Todd Cioffi, professor in the Perkins Leadership program, thinks Cameron is on the right track: “Beyond simply going to college to get a job, Cameron wants to discover more about God, the world and himself through his calling as a student,” Cioffi said. “He’s a visionary and do-er.”

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Apply to Calvin by February 1, to be considered for the Perkins Fellows program.

www.calvin.edu/leadership-fellows

Godly leadership is not about attaining recognition or glory; it’s about serving others.”

—John M. Perkins

More leadership opportunities Activities coordinators Admissions hosts Barnabas Team Campus Safety officers Chapel Committee Cultural Discerners Dance Guild choreographers Dorm presidents International Student Advisory Committee Jubilee Fellows Orientation leaders Resident assistants ROTC Sport team captains StreetFest leaders Multicultural Student Advisory Board Student/faculty research teams Student Senate Worship Apprentices … or lead one of Calvin’s many student organizations!

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How the son of an NFL player became a soccer coach

By Mark DeHaan ’15

Growing up the son of NFL Pro Bowl defensive back Bobby Bryant, you wouldn’t have tabbed Calvin assistant men’s soccer coach Brady Bryant to play the game of soccer. Add to the mix that Coach Bryant’s dad was also an accomplished baseball player— drafted by both the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox—and it makes his professional athletic career on the soccer pitch even more intriguing.

13-0

Calvin men’s soccer conference standing as of Oct. 31, 2014.

“I think growing up, my dad was alright with (me playing soccer),” said Coach Bryant. “I think when I was playing a lot he was a little frustrated because he didn't know the game, but he's grown to really like the sport.”

Coach Bryant grew up in South Carolina and played collegiate soccer at The Citadel, a Division I school, for one season before transferring to NAIA school University of Mobile for his final three. While at the University of Mobile, he won a national championship as a junior and was also named an NAIA honorable-mention All-American at the center back position.

A detour to the American game of football After graduation, he played soccer for the Wilmington Hammerheads of the United Soccer League Professional Division.

After three years of soccer, Coach Bryant decided his athletic career could use a change of pace, and, at the suggestion of his father, he tried out for a start-up indoor arena football team.

Coach Bryant’s furlough from soccer was short-lived, and after just one season of American football, he returned to the pitch and joined the Charlotte Eagles, a professional soccer team in the United Soccer League Premier Development League. The Eagles are a Christian organization run by Missionary Athletes International.

“I knew Charlotte was a Christian team, but I didn’t really know everything they did (before I played there),” he said. “They do sports ministry training and they teach the guys how to incorporate sharing their faith with soccer as a platform.”

While in Charlotte, he got to know now Calvin Head Coach Ryan Souders while both players were members of the Eagles.

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“I met Souders five years ago. First year, I got to know him a little bit, and second year, I was his roommate.”

CALVIN V. HOPE - 9/23/14

The road to Calvin Souders then left the Eagles to coach elsewhere, and when he got the job at Calvin, called Coach Bryant to try and bring him on as an assistant.

Said Coach Souders, “He’s deeply passionate about the Lord, he's phenomenal investing in young men and he really knows the game of soccer.”

The Knights are off to a 9-2 start this season, posting a 13-0 mark in conference play under Souders, Coach Bryant and assistant coach Dave Hertel. Like Souders and Bryant, Hertel has also played several years of professional soccer in the United Soccer League.

Coach Bryant’s knowledge of defense, in particular, has led to just one goal allowed in six conference matches so far this season. Head coach Souders says the team’s success on defense is thanks to Bryant and his hard work with the back line.

Blowing kisses to Bobby Bryant A year ago, Bobby Bryant and his wife, Stephanie, came up to Calvin to witness a Calvin soccer game at Zuidema Field.

As a member of the Minnesota Vikings from 1968 to 1980, Bobby Bryant’s hallmark was blowing kisses to the home fans after big plays.

Invested with that knowledge, the Calvin men's soccer team jogged off Zuidema Field at the conclusion of the game and blew kisses in tribute to the Bryant family in the stands who had made the long trip to Grand Rapids.

“It was a great moment and I know that Brady’s parents really enjoyed it as did our players,” said Souders. “We are very blessed to have Coach Bryant and his family be a part of the Calvin men’s soccer program.”

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Prepare for success in college!

Get a taste of college and develop tools for academic success in the Entrada Scholars Program. Apply to be a part of this four-week summer program for 11th- and 12th-grade students who are racial or ethnic minority students.

APPLY BY March 4, 2015 www.calvin.edu/entrada

In this program you will: • Earn college credit.

• Receive academic coaching that helps you develop college-level study habits.

• Participate in fun group activities on campus, around Grand Rapids and in West Michigan.

• When you graduate from the program, you will be eligible for both the $4,000 Entrada Scholarship and the $4,000 Mosaic Scholarship to attend Calvin College.

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LEARNING + UNLEARNING MULTICULTURAL

COMMUNITY

Ever wish you could “unlearn” something? An attitude that you just can’t seem to shake? Or maybe you want to learn more about different people, places and cultures?

Either way, at Calvin you can be part of a really big project—helping to make God’s vision for a healthy multicultural community a reality. Here are just a few ways you can get involved in multicultural activities at Calvin: • UNLEARN WEEK – a week of activities that help the Calvin community examine and unlearn stereotypes and assumptions about race, prejudice and privilege • POETRY JAM – an evening of spoken word, music and visual art • RANGEELA – this international talent show is an 18-year Calvin tradition • STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS – African Student Association, Chinese Student Association, Korean Student Association, Middle East Club, Mu Kappa, National Society of Black Engineers, South East Asia Club, Voice for Missions 21

CALVIN GRADS

RENEWING

OUR CITY

by Alexis De Weese

If you live in Michigan, you know that Grand Rapids is the place to be these days. Almost every part of Calvin’s home city is growing—the arts, business and health care. Calvin graduates are at the very center of this renewal, working to make Grand Rapids and West Michigan an amazing place for people of all backgrounds to live.

Every year, the Grand Rapids Business Journal honors those who are renewing the West Michigan community in its 40 Under 40 in Grand Rapids list. This year, five Calvin graduates are represented on the list, and we asked them how their experience at Calvin prepared them for active engagement in West Michigan.

Grand Rapids offers incredible options for internships and post-graduation jobs. Some of the best opportunities are in health care, business, nonprofits and the arts.

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Sarah Rinsema-Sybenga ’98 Major: English What she’s up to: Sarah works at Community enCompass as the executive director. EnCompass focuses on restoration and community development in Muskegon neighborhoods.

“Calvin nurtured a desire in me to fully engage whatever place I found myself.

To engage the sticks and bricks, people and systems that make up my lived environment. Whether that was in a rural Japan or in bustling cities in Southeast Asia or in the misfit town of Muskegon. At Calvin, I found a place to explore how my curiosity with the world could mesh with a lifelong calling to be part of its change.”

Mike Goorhouse ’08 Major: Education What he’s up to: Mike is the president and CEO of the Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area.

He’s engaged in numerous local philanthropy efforts and is on the board of directors for many local nonprofit organizations.

“My time at Calvin exposed me to the kind of people who inspired me to give back and be the best person I could possibly be. They pushed me and challenged me to go further, dream bigger and work harder. Calvin wasn’t just a place where I learned academic head knowledge, it was a place where I learned how to build relationships, how to care about others and how to lead to create a better future for us all.

I’ve watched so many amazing people invest in West Michigan to make it a great place for me that I wanted to continue their legacy and make sure the community stays a great place.”

Luis Avila ’05 Major: Business What he’s up to: Luis is a lawyer at Varnum Attorneys at Law. He focuses on labor employment and immigration law. He also serves on the board of directors for numerous local organizations.

“More than anything, Calvin taught me discipline. I worked all through college. Accordingly, I had to be disciplined in order to study, have a social life, and work 20–30 hours a week.

Calvin was challenging academically, so I knew I needed to work hard to ensure good grades.

I made many wonderful friends while at Calvin.

So, I regularly made time to develop those relationships. Finally, I knew I could not pay for school without a paycheck, so I gave my job the importance it deserved. Today, my life is remarkably similar.

I wear many different hats and have to regularly juggle commitments.

The traits and discipline I learned at Calvin are critical to my engagement in my community.”

Shawn Pacanowski ’98 Major: Pre-law, business and political science What he’s up to: As an investment consultant at CapTrust, Shawn assists families and businesses in making the best financial decisions for their future. He also sits on several boards for organizations focusing on both business and education.

“The notion to be of service to others, to engage, was instilled in us early on as Calvin students. After graduation, discovering ways to engage our community felt like the natural next step to take. West Michigan is a large enough of a community to have meaningful influence, yet small enough to feel like you are personally connected to the community. West Michigan also has a great cultural heritage that I respect.”

Tami VandenBerg ’97 Major: English What she’s up to: Tami is the executive director at the WellHouse, which seeks to provide permanent, low-cost housing for the homeless of Grand Rapids. She also runs two local businesses with her brother.

“The best gift I received at Calvin was the ability to think critically and write well. I received a Bachelor of Arts in English and did an enormous amount of reading and writing while I was at Calvin. Learning about people, how they behave, why they behave the way they do, in different places and times is fascinating to me. Understanding people is a big part of being a successful business owner and community activist.

Expressing yourself well in print is also extremely valuable.

I enjoyed the excellent professors at Calvin and the ability to study history, Spanish and to travel and study abroad.”

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YOU’VE APPLIED! NOW WHAT...

1 2 Your Welcome Packet arrives!

Login to www.calvin.edu/ go/enroll-now to confirm your enrollment!

Initial scholarship awards are mailed three to four weeks after admission.

Scholarships are just one aspect of a financial aid package. Read on to learn more!

Submit your enrollment deposit to reserve your place in the Class of 2019

Explore Calvin’s donorfunded scholarships: www.calvin.edu/ scholarshipsearch

Complete your housing application by May 1 to be in the first round of roommate matches.

Sign up for a PASSPORT summer orientation session and complete your academic advising form.

Watch the deadlines and application requirements to be sure you don’t miss anything.

PASSPORT dates fill up fast, so don’t delay.

?

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Not sure you submitted everything?

Use the Application Status Checker and you’ll know within 24 hours. www.calvin.edu/apply

You’re automatically considered for academic scholarships.

Apply for first-year research programs at www.calvin.edu/ go/firstyear-research

Acceptance packets are mailed two to three weeks after we receive all your application materials.

Check out #myCalvinstory at social.calvin.edu Join Calvin’s Class of 2019 Facebook group at app.calvin.edu

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Submit the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to apply for financial aid.

U.S. citizens, apply Jan.1-Feb.15 Canadian students, apply for financial aid by April 1 at www.calvin.edu/finaid/ canadian-finaid Questions? Call a financial aid counselor at 800-688-0122.

We’re happy to help!

Financial Aid packages are mailed starting in March. Check your mail and email for yours!

May 1 is College Decision Day! Submit your enrollment deposit to reserve your place in the Class of 2019.

Check your email frequently for new details, requests, opportunities and announcements!

HAVEN’T APPLIED YET? It’s free until Dec. 1 for U.S. students and until Jan. 1 for international students.

Explore Calvin’s Fellows programs for greater depth of learning and more scholarship opportunities: • Honors Fellows • John Perkins Leadership Fellows • Artist Collaborative You must be admitted by Feb. 1 to be considered.

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Find outside scholarships: www.calvin.edu/ outside-scholarships

Financial Aid: Making it Work Does the sticker price of a private, liberal arts education have you wondering how you’re going to make it work?

Thankfully, very few students pay the full price for a Calvin education. With an enhanced scholarship program including academic scholarships up to $15,000/year; need-based grants that can cover up to $20,000 of the cost of Calvin; and student loans, the net price of your Calvin education will likely be far lower.

Check out the first building block of your financial aid package—academic scholarships—here. Then explore information about other forms of financial aid at www.calvin.edu/finaid.

Scholarship National Merit

General criteria and renewability

Annual award

Awarded to National Merit Finalists Available for up to four years by meeting the Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements See National Merit guidelines online

Trustee

3.95 unweighted GPA and a 31 ACT or 1360 SAT

Presidential

3.85 unweighted GPA and a 29 ACT or 1290 SAT

Dean’s

3.65 unweighted GPA and a 27 ACT or 1210 SAT

Faculty Honors

3.40 unweighted GPA and a 25 ACT or 1130 SAT

Honors

3.20 unweighted GPA and a 23 ACT or 1050 SAT

Knollcrest

91%+ cumulative marks

Available for up to five years with a cumulative Calvin GPA of 3.5

85%+ cumulative marks

Available for up to five years with a cumulative Calvin GPA of 3.5

81%+ cumulative marks

Available for up to five years with a cumulative Calvin GPA of 3.4

78%+ cumulative marks

Available for up to five years with a cumulative Calvin GPA of 3.3

75%+ cumulative marks

Available for up to five years with a cumulative Calvin GPA of 3.2

3.00 unweighted GPA and a 20 ACT or 940 SAT 73%+ cumulative marks Available for up to five years with a cumulative Calvin GPA of 3.0

$15,000 $15,000 $9,000−$13,000 $7,000−$8,000 $5,000−$6,000 $3,000−$4,000 $2,000

Additional Scholarships Beyond academic scholarships, you may be eligible for other kinds of scholarships that Calvin offers. Learn more about each of these awards and whether you need to apply for them at www.calvin.edu/financial-aid.

Donor-funded scholarships Up to $15,000 Music scholarships Up to $5,000 Alumni Network scholarships Up to $2,500 Mosaic Awards $4,000 Entrada scholarships $4,000 First-generation scholarships $2,000 Honors Fellows scholarships $2,500 Perkins Fellows scholarships $2,500 Artist Collaborative scholarships $2,500

Need-based financial aid

96%

$70 million

of Calvin students receive scholarships and grants

awarded yearly in scholarships and financial aid

Estimate your academic scholarship www.calvin.edu/go/calculator Search for Calvin scholarships www.calvin.edu/go/scholarshipsearch

Each year many first-year students qualify for need-based aid. Learn more about how to apply, and get an initial estimate using the Net Price Calculator at www.calvin.edu/finaid.

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He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.

And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8, NIV

Acting justly: working to end poverty around the globe

by Amanda Greenhoe ’09 When he was still in high school, Jason Fileta knew who he was. He knew what he cared about. And he knew, for the most part, who God was.

Or so he thought.

On all three accounts, Jason expected to change very little during college. But in many ways, his time at Calvin changed everything.

“You cannot encounter God in a personal and real way and leave unchanged,” Jason explains. “It was through my studies, my professors and my fellow students that I encountered glimpses of God’s character.”

And what did Jason discover about God? The list he offers is just the beginning: “His tireless affection for His creation. His passionate desire for justice in the world. His grief over slavery, exploitation and oppression. The hope he offers us that one day all things would be made new—no more hunger, no more oppression, no more exploitation of the poor.

“This hope for redemption transformed my outlook on life, and I’ve been flying by the seat of my pants ever since,” he says with a smile.

He’s not kidding. Jason has traveled the world working with The Micah Challenge, an international Christian movement that seeks to end extreme poverty.

As the Micah Challenge director stateside, Jason works with churches, individuals, families and students on ways we as Christians can turn from injustice to justice.

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What exactly is “justice?” Jason breaks it down: “Biblically, justice refers to the rights and condition of flourishing for all of God’s creation. Where biblical justice is present, all relationships and things function the way God intended them to.”

Jason says his eyes have been open to 800 million people going hungry, while others waste millions of pounds of food. He sees uncompensated workers—modern-day slaves—while others hardly work and get paid to excess.

But Jason also knows he cannot change these realities alone and cautions other passionate justice-seekers to seek a higher power: “It is too tempting to feel the weight of the world’s problems on your shoulders, but that weight belongs to God,” Jason reminds us.

“Our job is to work tirelessly alongside His plan for redemption.”

And with a network of others passionate for change, Jason is doing just that.

Learn more about the Micah Challenge at micahchallengeusa.org.

Jason attributes his work with the Micah Challenge to seeds planted in the Social Justice Coalition at Calvin. Known around campus at “SJC,” the student org engages issues of justice through documentaries, discussions, awareness campaigns, an annual fair trade fair and countless other activities.

Visit www.calvin.edu/studentlife to learn more about SJC and other justice-oriented groups.

THE HONORS FELLOWS:

Join a community of student scholars

Join a community of student scholars who think deeply about the world around them. This group of 25 first-year students is selected from those who apply to be in the Calvin Honors Program. As Honors Fellows, you will take a special course sequence together, have regular group discussions and have fun together, too.

Benefits of the program include: • $2,500 scholarship • Priority access to the Honors Living-Learning residence hall community • $1,000 voucher for any of our Calvin-sponsored study abroad programs • A chance to receive one of two full-tuition scholarships available to two Honors Fellows each year To be considered for this selective program, apply to Calvin by Jan. 1 and be sure to indicate your interest in the Honors Program on your application.

www.calvin.edu/honors

OPPO

RTUN

ITIES

ARTIST COLLABORATIVE: Learn how art can transform communities

Calvin’s Artist Collaborative program for first-year students is for students interested in all kinds of artistic expression: painting, sculpture, graphic design, music composition, writing, theatre, dance and more. If you are selected for this program, you will take an arts-themed course that explores how art can transform communities in innovative ways. You’ll also have the opportunity to travel with the Collaborative to Indonesia during the January interim to examine how art is woven throughout the Indonesian culture.

Benefits of the program include: • $2,500 scholarship • Connections to the growing art scene in Grand Rapids • A chance to work on a collaborative art project that addresses current issues To be considered for this program, apply to Calvin by Feb. 1 and be sure to indicate your interest in an arts-related program (studio art, graphic design, dance, writing, music, theatre).

www.calvin.edu/arts 27

FAASHLIOLN F

9/17/14 28

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Office of Admissions and Financial Aid 3201 Burton St. SE Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4388 www.calvin.edu #calvincollege social.calvin.edu

Switchfoot, 9/20/14

FESTIVAL OF FAITH AND MUSIC MARCH 26-28, 2015 Schedule a visit to campus during the Festival of Faith and Music and we’ll make sure you get tickets to amazing concerts and talks about the intersections of faith and popular culture.

www.calvin.edu/go/ffm

USE BY 5/31/2015

TICKET VOUCHER $5 toward any Calvin College event

This coupon is for campus visitors only. This voucher has no cash value and must be surrendered at time of use.