Editor’s Note: While this article does involve internal reporting, the editorial staff of Chimes discerned the importance of the Calvin Community being made aware of some of the behind-the-scenes challenges faced by student publications, including Chimes. Steps have been taken to ensure the journalistic integrity of the piece has been upheld. 

At the beginning of the 2025-26 academic year, cuts to the budget of student publications (Dialogue and Chimes) were made, with more cuts imminent for the upcoming year. 

Budgets for both Dialogue and Chimes have been cut by 11 percent this year, according to documents provided by the Student Publication Committee (SPC).  This resulted in a $7,600 cut being split between the two publications, with Dialogue having a “correction” to its budget before the cuts, lowering its budget even more. This directly affects the number of issues each publication can produce and the pay students receive for their work, said Sam Smartt, chair of the SPC. 

These cuts were made in tandem with campus-wide budget cuts made in the past school year, according to John Zimmerman, head of Marketing and Communications. “Each area was asked to evaluate its budget, identify efficiencies, and prioritize its core work. The reductions to Dialogue and Chimes came out of that process. These were not targeted decisions, but part of a shared effort to maintain a balanced budget and position the university to remain strong and competitive moving forward,” Zimmerman said. 

Student publications are at risk of more cuts to the budget in the upcoming academic year, according to Ashley Hamons, Editor-in-Chief of Chimes. “It’s a tough climate to be a journalist in, from our budget being cut by the university, to a lack of ad sales due to budget cuts elsewhere in the university, to the consistently increasing costs of printing papers.” 

How do these impact publications 

This year, Chimes has been able to “dip into rainy day funds set aside for student publications at Calvin,” according to Hamons. Though, as cuts continue to be made, considerations for “releasing less editions, printing only in black and white, or changing the format of the paper entirely” are being considered. 

For Dialogue, these cuts involved “severely limit[ing] the number of submissions” due to printing constraints as well as “[using] lower quality paper,” and “[taking] serious fundraising measures,” according to Marcail Schuurmann, Editor-in-Chief of Dialogue. Schuurmann also took a personal pay cut, halving what she normally gets paid. “Thank God that Student Senate and the Calvin Prison Initiative were able to help us out this semester — otherwise we would have had a very poor quality issue,” Schuurmann told Chimes. 

Why Student Publications Matter 

Publications like Dialogue and Chimes are unique in a private school setting because they are both entirely student-run. “Chimes is one of, if not the only, truly independent student journalism outlets at a private school like Calvin,” Hamons said. This means the paper operates under “responsible freedom” with no prior review of what is being published by the administration. 

“For the Dialogue staff, it’s also really essential because it’s a great professionalization opportunity. We talk about wanting to make sure that our learning is experiential at Calvin. This is one of the ways that students get hands-on experience, ushering an art object from conception to production and enjoyment,” Sabrina Lee, advisor to Dialogue, said. “The students are all in charge of the entire process. They set up their own juries … They choose the pieces, and they lay out the pieces.” 

While other student organizations operate with no compensation, “in those cases, the product that’s being made isn’t expensive intrinsically, like Dialogue is, and … the service that our student journalists provide in terms of doing reporting, researching stories, and … keeping people well-informed about what’s going on in the community, it’s really quite important,” Smartt told Chimes. 

The Future of Student Publications

When asked what administration thought about the future of student publications, Zimmerman said, “We see student publications continuing to play an important role on campus while also adapting to a changing media landscape. Like many media organizations, student publications are navigating shifts toward digital content and new storytelling formats. Those changes create opportunities for innovation and student leadership. Our focus is on ensuring these organizations have a sustainable foundation while maintaining their independence and mission.”

While moving online is something Chimes is considering, Hamons said that a change to being fully online would “lose the most integral aspect of our publication.” 

Schuurmann said of Dialogue, “We continue to be very innovative with our issues each semester, and seeing the release party on Friday was a reminder of how special this community is. Being able to physically see people hold and flip through a journal that your team has created is so special.”

While the exact future of Chimes remains undetermined, Hamons said that “I have full faith in next year’s staff to keep Chimes’ identity alive, and I can personally attest to their drive for keeping journalism alive at Calvin, even despite these challenges. Support your student publications so that they can continue to support you.”

“If you want to support Dialogue, keep submitting your work! Show up to jury, come to our events,” Schuurmann said. “Next year, with even more budget cuts, we’re really going to need student support — keep showing up for us, and we’ll continue to give you the Dialogue you deserve.”