Verge Summer 2019

A MAGAZINE OF CALVIN COLLEGE | SUMMER 2019

VERGE SUMMER 2019

A Calvin College publication for prospective students and families.

GIVING YOUR

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.

CONTACT To submit a question or a letter: info@calvin.edu To change your address: info@calvin.edu PRODUCTION VERGE is produced

by Calvin’s communications and marketing department.

EDITORIAL AND CREATIVE TEAM Sarah Johnson ’00, head writer Jeanne Nienhuis ’80, editor Erin Elders ’16, designer Amanda Impens, designer Madisyn Kuipers ’19, artwork Connor Bechler ’20, writer Anne Van Solkema ’19, writer Lyric Floria ’20, photographer

Madisyn Kuipers learned how to use a letterpress in a January class at Calvin.

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WHOLE HEART. There’s a theme you’ll hear at Calvin—the goal of your life is to offer your whole heart to God. Your time here is a journey to discover what that means for you.

That journey will be challenging and kind of messy. You might end up with paint all over. You might have to change your mind. You might explore the other side of the world. But here’s what we know for sure: the almighty God of the universe created you to be good for the world. And at Calvin, you’ll have a community cheering you on as you offer your whole heart—your whole self—to God.

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YOUR

PLACE Step onto campus for your visit and take a deep breath.

Calvin is where you’ll marvel at the intricacies of God’s universe.

Where you’ll achieve more than you thought possible.

Where you’ll meet lifelong friends. Where you’ll set a path for the future. This place is your place —welcome.

EXPLORE ALL 400 ACRES Summer is a great time to experience Calvin.

Visit for Summer Fridays at Calvin on July 12, July 26, or August 9—or come see us any week for a personalized visit just for you.

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Your future dorm room is where you’ll plan your next adventure with your friends, invite your floormates over for Bible study, get in lastminute studying ... and oh yeah, sleep!

It’s the details you bring that make your room fun—and the community you join that will make it home.

Each room has a huge window with a ledge that’s perfect for plants.

There’s plenty of space to grow several in each room.

You might want to pick up some

dry erase markers.

You can leave notes for your

roommate or

suitemates on your door or bathroom mirror.

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window

shower toilet

desks bookcases

chairs

sink

beds closets

There’s an awesome poster sale

in the fall if you’re lacking wall art. Bring plenty of poster putty.

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RESTORING MIDDAY

Welcome to lunch at Calvin: wood-fired pizza, smoothies, vegan tacos, amazing grilled cheese, and endless soft serve. Meet up with friends and catch up on your social life. Or find a quiet spot and finish your reading for class.

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TRIUMPHANT JOURNEYS

Break out the maroon and gold—and join a rich legacy of excellence in athletics.

Cheer on your Calvin Knights when they compete for national titles. Get caught up on the lore of The Rivalry, a (friendly) competition between Calvin and Hope College that has captivated fans for 99 years.

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HOW CALVIN STUDENTS ARE EARNING MONEY (AND BUILDING THEIR RÉSUMÉS)

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1. HELPING CALVIN ATHLETES

4. RESEARCHING RARE DISEASES

Lee Barents works as a building manager at the Spoelhof Fieldhouse Complex.

As part of his job, he’s providing support to athletic teams, managing equipment, and keeping facilities in peak condition.

“I have an inside look at how an athletic facility and college sports are run. This job has better prepared me for a future in sport management.”

Kali Reese has spent many hours in the lab of professors Amy Wilstermann and Rachael Baker. She studies proteins, genes, and mutations as part of the awardwinning Rare Disease Research group at Calvin. “We are called to be stewards of all God’s creation. As a Christian community, looking beyond more common diseases helps us reach out to those who are often overlooked. We should work equally hard to empower those with rare diseases as we do for those with common diseases.”

2. MANAGING A TEAM AT THE CAMPUS CALL CENTER Lillian Spackman worked as both a caller and a manager at Calvin’s Phonathon.

She managed a team of students calling donors to support the Calvin Annual Fund.

“It was a great opportunity to improve some of my ‘soft’ skills as I began a leadership role my second semester. I learned how to coordinate teams and communicate well with my supervisor. And I found I had an aptitude for administration.”

3. INTERNING AT AN ENGINEERING FIRM Stephen Ng interned at DornerWorks, Ltd., an embedded systems engineering firm.

“I helped solve clients’ engineering problems by writing code and doing testing for several projects. I went beyond learning more about software and hardware.

I learned how companies actually work and the importance of organizational communication.”

Want to discover more about rare disease research at Calvin? Visit calvin.edu/research/rare-disease.

WAYS TO EARN A PAYCHECK AS A CALVIN STUDENT: On-campus jobs: 1,500 on-campus jobs offer flexible hours, supportive supervisors, and a huge range of options.

Research: Undergraduate research is well-funded in many majors at Calvin; you can dig into some of the world’s challenges alongside a Calvin prof.

Internships: Many internships are paid, and most Calvin students—84 percent—end up with at least one during their Calvin career.

Grand Rapids: This city boasts a growing economy, entrepreneurial spirit, and walkable neighborhoods.

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How can I get to church on Sunday?

Local churches welcome students and understand that you might not have transportation. Many of them send vans right to your dorm to pick you up on Sunday morning before church and bring you back after the service.

What if I don’t know what I want to major in?

It’s more common than you think, and Calvin is a great place to discover the best major for you.

You can start with a variety of classes that interest you while using practical resources like the Career Center to identify your gifts and pursue your God-given purpose.

Even if you don’t find the right fit immediately, general education classes can count toward graduation.

QUESTIONS THAT What kind of student clubs does Calvin have?

You can discover so many opportunities—over 100 to be specific.

Knight Investment Management, Dance Marathon, Running Club, and Food Recovery Network are just a few. There’s a club for whatever you’re interested in whether it’s a hobby, something you’re passionate about, or related to your future career.

Is study abroad feasible with Calvin’s academic programs?

Absolutely. The world is wide, and here you’ll be prepared to engage with every part of it. Calvin offers 11 off-campus programs—semesters in Spain, Ghana, England, China, Honduras, and more. Don’t want to be gone that long? We also have three-week interim classes taught by Calvin profs in even more destinations around the globe.

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What kinds of volunteer opportunities do Calvin students have?

How can I figure out which AP classes transfer?

Calvin students strongly believe in investing in their communities, and they serve in our Grand Rapids neighborhoods in many ways— including through the ServiceLearning Center (SLC) on campus.

Whether it’s tutoring a fourth-grader with his math homework or helping out at a local food pantry, there’s plenty of opportunities to get involved.

We have a helpful chart on our website that will tell you which AP exams count as credit or exemptions for specific Calvin courses (and the scores you’ll need on each one).

Check out AP credit information at calvin.edu/go/ap-credits.

HAVE ANSWERS Can I visit in the summer?

Absolutely. If you haven’t experienced Michigan in the summer, think about visiting Calvin. Explore campus with a student tour guide, learn about the admissions process, and experience why Calvin is unique.

WANT TO VISIT IN THE SUMMER? Summer Fridays at Calvin is the perfect time to see campus in full bloom. See calvin.edu/visit for more details.

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VIBRANT CONNECTIONS

Hallways aren’t just how you get from point A to point B. You’ll chat with your favorite art professor on your way to English class or your lacrosse teammate on your way to your job. Calvin’s unique size (3,700 students) means that you’re always meeting someone new and running into good friends on campus.

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EMPOWERING RENEWAL

Turn your heart toward God as you sing worship songs at the top of your lungs.

Marvel at God’s faithfulness as you hear incredible testimonies. Listen to the Holy Spirit as you practice contemplative prayer. Each weekday, there’s a pause in the class schedule where you can choose to gather and renew.

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YOUR FIRST YEAR AT CALVIN HERE’S SOME GOOD NEWS: AT CALVIN, YOU CAN MEET FRIENDS, HAVE FUN, AND START BUILDING YOUR RÉSUMÉ WITH EXPERIENCES THAT SET YOU APART. AND YOU CAN DO THOSE THINGS AT THE SAME TIME YOUR VERY FIRST YEAR. HOW? WITH UNIQUE FIRST-YEAR OPPORTUNITIES SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR YOUR GIFTS AND INTERESTS.

MINISTRY LEADERSHIP COHORT

HONORS AND ARTIST COLLEGIATE SCHOLARS COLLABORATIVE

PERKINS LEADERSHIP FELLOWS

This cohort of students

Honors Scholars is a

Join a community that

Cultivate your leadership

is enthusiastic about

selective program where

thinks deeply about how

skills with a small group

participating in the life of

you’ll work closely with

art can transform lives,

of your peers. This group

the church. Take courses

faculty across academic

inspire justice, and improve

is open to all, and first-

together, go on retreats,

disciplines. Collegiate

the world around us.

generation college

and take an expenses-

Scholars gives you access

paid pilgrimage.

to interdisciplinary upper-

Unique opportunity: Tuition-free summer course and ministry internship

level classes while having the flexibility to pursue

Unique opportunity: Arts-related travel abroad, with expenses paid

students are encouraged to join. Courses, conferences, and other opportunities will prepare you to address

your interests outside of

big issues like poverty,

the classroom.

injustice, and racism.

Unique opportunity:

Unique opportunity:

Team-taught

Two students receive

interdisciplinary courses

full-tuition scholarships

MORE WAYS TO EXPLORE:

Phage Research Tutoring and Coaching First-Year Research in Earth Sciences Dance Guild Calvin Theatre Company

Calvin Adventure Club International Student Development Living-Learning Floors Multicultural Student Development

Bible Studies First-Year Seminar Music Ensembles Intramurals

Sound intriguing? Explore more at calvin.edu/academics/opportunities.

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ACADEMIC OPTIONS ARTS Art

+ 0 0 1

Art History Ceramics Dance Drawing and Painting Filmmaking Fine Arts (BFA) Graphic Design Instrumental Music Music Music Composition Photography Theatre Music Performance

BUSINESS

CALVIN.EDU/ACADEMICS

Accounting (BSA) Master of Accounting (MAcc) Business Entrepreneurship Finance Human Resources Marketing Sport Management Supply Chain Management

COMMUNICATION & MEDIA STUDIES

Communication Digital Communication Film and Media Studies Journalism Organizational Communication Strategic Communication

1:1 FACULTY ADVISING

EDUCATION

Education (BA, BS) Elementary (K–5th grade) Secondary (6th–12th grade) Art Education Bilingual Spanish Education Early Childhood Education English as a Second Language Health Education Integrated Science Education Mathematics Education Physical Education Social Studies Special Education Urban Studies in Education World Languages 20+ other certifiable areas of study Master of Education (MEd)

HEALTH SCIENCES Exercise Science

Health Communication Kinesiology Nursing One Health Pre-Dentistry Pre-Medicine Pre-Occupational Therapy Pre-Optometry Pre-Pharmacy Pre-Physical Therapy Pre-Physician Assistant Pre-Podiatry Pre-Veterinary Public Health Recreation Leadership Speech Pathology & Audiology Master of Speech Pathology & Audiology (MA) Therapeutic Recreation

Calvin professors are eager to mentor and guide you through your academic life at Calvin. Your faculty advisor will meet with you one-on-one to craft your class schedule and make sure you are on track to graduate. They’ll also connect you to opportunities on campus and around the globe.

HUMANITIES

Archaeology English Gender Studies History Interdisciplinary Studies Linguistics Literature Medieval Studies Philosophy Religion Writing

MINISTRY

Church-Based Community Dev. Congregational Studies Missions Music in Worship Pastoral Ministry Pre-Seminary Worship Youth Ministry

Mathematics Natural Resources & Naturalist Studies Neuroscience Optics Physics Scientific Computation & Modeling Statistics

SOCIAL SCIENCES

Economics Geography International Dev. Studies International Relations Political Science Pre-Law Psychology Social Science Social Work Sociology Urban Studies

WORLD LANGUAGES & SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, STUDIES ENGINEERING, & MATHEMATICS CULTURAL African Studies Actuarial Science Astronomy Biochemistry Biology Biotechnology Chemistry Computer Science Data Analytics Data Science Ecology & Conservation Engineering (BSE) Chemical Civil & Environmental Electrical & Computer Mechanical Environmental Health and Conservation Environmental Sciences Environmental Studies Geology

Asian Studies Chinese Chinese Studies Classical Studies Dutch French German Studies Global Studies Greek Japanese Japanese Studies Korean Latin Latin American Studies Spanish

YOUR ADVISOR COULD BE:

A Newberry Award-winning author A chorus master of a Grammy-nominated symphony An executive director for an international business ethics organization An expert on wind engineering

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AND SO THE

Calvin College does not discriminate with regard to age, race, color, national origin, gender, or disability in any of its educational programs or other activities. Information about campus security and personal safety can be found in the Calvin College Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, available at calvin.edu/go/clery.

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ADVENTURE BEGINS

calvin.edu/visit

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

#1 100+ fields of study 13:1 student to faculty ratio 100+ student clubs and activities 99% grad placement rate Ready to learn more about Calvin?

• Schedule your individual visit or Fridays at Calvin experience at calvin.edu/visit • Text your questions to (616) 202-3256 • Apply (starting August 1) at calvin.edu/apply

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