Calvin University Chimes

Rape culture at Calvin

Emily Cole
April 7, 2017

Does rape culture exist? A recent article in the Banner titled “Rape Culture and Christian Colleges” by Gayla Postma discussed the existence of rape culture at Christian colleges such as Calvin and...

Third district House candidates clash in debate

Emily Cole
November 5, 2016

Vying for votes on the coming election day, incumbent Republican Representative Justin Amash and his challengers, Douglas Smith, a Democrat, and Ted Gerrard of the US Taxpayers Party, sparred over issues...

Lead poisoning on the rise in Grand Rapids

Emily Cole
October 7, 2016

For the first time in fifteen years, the number of children poisoned by lead in Kent County increased this year. A 30% increase in children with high blood lead levels in Grand Rapids from 2015 to 2016...

Listening to the Stories of the Neighborhood: South Hill

Emily Cole
September 30, 2016

The South Hill neighborhood, located near downtown in the southeast end of Grand Rapids , prides itself in upholding a strong sense of community through generations of change. Nearly a thousand residents...

You don’t need to heal alone

Emily Cole
April 29, 2016

“It’s something that doesn’t really leave you,” senior Sierra Savela said of the rape she experienced almost two years ago. “The healing process is really long and the survivor will probably...

How can we prevent sexual assault?

Emily Cole
April 24, 2016

This past week almost a thousand white flags stood in the center of Common’s lawn, representing the proportional number of people in Calvin’s community who will be a victim of sexual assault during...

Don’t be afraid to report

Emily Cole
April 18, 2016

Sexual assault is one of the most underreported crimes around the world, and Calvin’s campus is no exception. Our individual and community attitudes towards reporting and supporting those who report...

Challenging misconceptions about sexual assault

Emily Cole
April 7, 2016

Last week, I wrote about the importance of addressing the reality of sexual assault on our campus, which we are doing during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. We are going to take time to come together,...

Sexual assault happens here; what do we do about it?

Emily Cole
April 3, 2016

“It doesn’t really happen here, does it?” is something I’ve heard either directly or implied so many times when people talk about sexual assault in Christian communities it almost seems to be true....

Nursing students reflect on their community placements

Emily Cole
May 13, 2015

Going beyond the classroom and hospital, Calvin nursing students invest in local neighborhoods through placements in the community. First semester juniors and second semester seniors are placed in one...

Proposal 1 decisively rejected by Michigan voters

Emily Cole
May 8, 2015

Proposal 1, the proposed constitutional amendment allocating funding for Michigan’s roads, received a decisive rejection at the polls on Tuesday, May 5. Despite the backing of Governor Snyder and...

GRCC to offer a degree in beer production

Emily Cole
May 8, 2015

Beer enthusiasts rejoice. Grand Rapids now has an opportunity for amateur home-brewers to develop their skills through a beer degree at Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC). Seeking to be part of the...

Michigan voters to decide on Proposal 1

Emily Cole
May 5, 2015

Today Michigan residents will vote on whether the state will increase its sales tax by one percent to fund the repair of Michigan roads. If passed, Proposal 1 will shuffle the tax structure—the...

Calvin joins YWCA’s national Stand Against Racism event

Emily Cole
April 30, 2015

Amidst racial tension and upheaval across the country in cities from Ferguson to Baltimore, the YWCA is taking steps towards solidarity against racism in cities throughout the nation with its Stand Against...

Service-learning center takes students on a ‘GR Walk’

Emily Cole
April 30, 2015

“You need to know the history of a city to understand why it is the way it is today,” said Josh Leo, a 2005 Calvin graduate and founder of GR Walks, an app that provides guided audio tours that dig...

Five Grand Rapids museums will open free this Sunday

Emily Cole
April 23, 2015

Five Grand Rapids museums will be free and open to the public this Sunday, April 26, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. as part of the Museums Free for All event. The Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM), the Urban Institute...

Plaster Creek Stewards event teaches about stormwater and rain

Emily Cole
April 23, 2015

Committed to changing the polluted reality of the local watershed, the Plaster Creek Stewards encouraged participants to rethink their understanding of rain during its educational and experiential Spring...

East Hills hosts Made in Michigan celebration event

Emily Cole
April 23, 2015

This weekend, the East Hills neighborhood, located at the corners of Diamond, Lake and Cherry Streets, is hosting a celebration of products inspired by and made in Michigan. As part of the event, businesses...

FarmLink connects West Michigan farmers to local restaurants

Emily Cole
April 17, 2015

“There are a lot of people talking about local food. FarmLink’s doing local food,” Jerry Adams, co-founder of FarmLink, insisted as chefs and farmers bustled around the FarmLink headquarters, located...

DisArt Festival opens in downtown Grand Rapids

Emily Cole
April 17, 2015

The first weekend of the two-week DisArt festival drew disabled and able bodied individuals alike to downtown Grand Rapids to interact with art and discuss issues associated with disability. The opening...

Grand Rapids to buy riverfront land

Emily Cole
March 26, 2015

The landscape along the Grand River in downtown Grand Rapids may soon be reimagined. In a proposed $10 million deal with Kent County, Michigan State University and Grand Rapids’ parking system, the city...

New legislation to crack down on human trafficking

Emily Cole
March 26, 2015

In a state entrenched in human trafficking, a new law will require training for health care professionals to identify the signs of human trafficking in an effort to cut down on the severity and number...

Women and the Environment Symposium challenges attendees to confront privilege

Emily Cole
March 20, 2015

“When the environment is unhealthy, society is unhealthy,” a panelist stated at the fourth annual Women and the Environment Symposium. The event, hosted by the West Michigan Environmental Action...

Dyer-Ives Poetry Competition sparks creativity in Kent County

Emily Cole
February 26, 2015

Nurturing a community of local poets, the Dyer-Ives Poetry Competition enters its 47th year and seeks to continue to stimulate creativity among Kent County residents of all ages. “There’s growth...

Health Intervention Services provides holistic services for many in Grand Rapids

Emily Cole
February 26, 2015

“When patients walk into Health Intervention Services, they often say, ‘It’s different when I come here,’” said Sylvia Daining, retiring executive director of Health Intervention Services (HIS),...

New community center opens for homeless teens

Emily Cole
February 13, 2015

“People are shocked to hear that there are 200 homeless youth on any given night in Grand Rapids,” says Dan Scott, graduate school intern at the newly opened homeless teen drop-in center, HQ, located...

Christian romance produced by Calvin alum comes to Grand Rapids

Emily Cole
February 12, 2015

Declared the “anti-50 Shades of Grey,” “Old Fashioned,” a Christian romance produced by Calvin alumni, is challenging the way the media portrays relationships. Opening the same weekend as the...

Grand Rapids city manager proposes police body cameras

Emily Cole
February 8, 2015

In the wake of racial tension and police distrust stemming from the events in Ferguson, Mo., and New York City, N.Y., the city manager of Grand Rapids has proposed giving every police officer a body camera. In...

Grand Rapids could elect its first female mayor.

Emily Cole
February 8, 2015

Kicking off her campaign for mayor at Wealthy Theatre on January 28, current City Commissioner Rosalynn Bliss drew on her experience in government leadership and shared her vision for more growth and inclusivity...

Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin, addresses crowd at GRCC

Emily Cole
February 1, 2015

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, 50 years after the landmark Civil Rights Act was finally adopted as the law of the land, hundreds came together at Grand Rapids Community College’s Ford Fieldhouse to remember...

Michigan same-sex marriage case goes to Supreme Court

Emily Cole
January 22, 2015

A landmark case challenging the status quo of same-sex marriage in America is moving from Michigan to the Supreme Court. April DeBoer and Jayne Rowse of Hazel Park, Mich., along with couples from other...

New tax proposal would increase funding for Michigan roads

Emily Cole
January 15, 2015

Michigan’s shoddy roads may be getting a long-awaited makeover. Governor Rick Snyder signed a set of 11 bills on Monday that will rearrange the structure of state taxes and increase the sales tax...

Grand Rapids offers snowsport activities

Emily Cole
January 15, 2015

Interim at Calvin provides students with additional time to relax and explore a wide range of new interests. While the cold temperatures can deter some from spending time outside, the shift in seasons...

Police perceptions of sexual assault researched

Emily Cole
December 4, 2014

As awareness and action against sexual assault rises nationwide, social work professor Rachel Venema investigated the perception and attitudes of police officers in her article, “Police Officer Schema...

GR forward-future of downtown and river

Emily Cole
December 4, 2014

Downtown Grand Rapids and the Grand River are undergoing a revitalization. GR Forward, a local campaign dedicated to renewing the city center through urban development and river care and action, is coming...

Lamp Light Music Festival 2014

Emily Cole
November 13, 2014

The Grand Rapids music scene has come to a living room near you. Over the past weekend of Nov. 7-9, the third annual Lamp Light Music Festival brought together local music enthusiasts with both local and...

Neighborhood business awards recognize investment in community

Emily Cole
November 13, 2014

Business in Grand Rapids, especially that of local small businesses, is booming. At the 25th annual Neighborhood Business Awards, held at the Wealthy Theater on Thursday, Nov. 6, a celebration was held...

Snyder reelected as Michigan Governor

Emily Cole
November 6, 2014

The people have spoken. This past Tuesday, thousands of Michiganders took part in local elections and Governor Rick Snyder was reelected to a second term against Democrat Mark Schauer. In his acceptance...

Grand Rapids named “Best Beer Town”

Emily Cole
October 30, 2014

The secret is out: Grand Rapids is the “Best Beer Town” in the nation! But to both beer connoisseurs and casual sippers alike, it’s not much of a secret. Grand Rapids breweries are known across...

GR economy has 5th strongest recovery in nation

Emily Cole
October 23, 2014

According to a recent article published by Forbes, Grand Rapids has the fifth-largest economic recovery in the country. The statement was based on measuring the metropolitan area's GDP rate increase...

Grand Rapids gets basketball team

Emily Cole
October 16, 2014

The Grand Rapids Drive, a minor league basketball team affiliated with the Detroit Pistons, is about to make its first appearance. Grand Rapids is already home to two successful minor league sports...

Calvin partners with Kalamazoo Promise

Emily Cole
October 16, 2014

The Kalamazoo Promise is giving greater opportunities in secondary education to Kalamazoo Public Schools graduates, and Calvin is now a part of this successful program. From its inception in 2005, this...

Urban Forest Project plants 27 trees at new park

Emily Cole
October 9, 2014

Over the summer, Friends of Grand Rapids’ Parks worked tirelessly on creating Pleasant Park, a new park at the corner of Pleasant and Madison in the Heritage Hill neighborhood. From 4:30 to 7:30 p.m....

Black Business Association starts in Grand Rapids

Emily Cole
October 9, 2014

A few years ago, Jamiel Robinson — the founder and president of Grand Rapids Area Black Businesses (GRABB), a Grand Rapids native, and established businessman — noticed something that struck him. Amidst...

ArtPrize Kicks Off Sixth Year of Art Competition

Emily Cole
September 25, 2014

Grand Rapids is about to be bombarded with art once again. The internationally recognized art competition ArtPrize enters its sixth year beginning on Wednesday, Sept. 24, and running through Oct. 12. The...

Campus garden grows and expands in first season

Emily Cole
September 11, 2014

Following the approval of the new Calvin community garden last spring, the plot, located beyond the Spoelhof Fieldhouse on Hampshire Street, has experienced a flurry of growth. The new garden had some...

Brandsen Welcomed as New Provost at Convocation

Emily Cole
September 4, 2014

The Calvin community celebrated new beginnings at its 138th commencement on Tuesday morning, which featured the installation of Cheryl Brandsen as the college’s eighth provost and a special welcome to...

Special Olympics to be held at Calvin

Emily Cole
May 1, 2014

This Saturday, hundreds of athletes and participants will be running, jumping, and swimming across Calvin’s campus as part of this year’s Special Olympics. Starting at 8:00 a.m. with a parade of athletes...

Mad Farmer Food Fest returns to KE apartments

Emily Cole
April 11, 2014

This coming Saturday marks the 6th annual Mad Farmer Food Fest (MFFF), which will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the KE apartments. The event serves as an opportunity for Calvin students to interact...

Student runs marathon to promote girls’ empowerment

Emily Cole
March 19, 2014

Heart pounding, adrenaline racing and a surging sense of accomplishment. Ask any one of the participants in Girls on the Run about how they feel after completing a race, and you’re bound to get an enthusiastic...

Calvin student aims for 2016 Paralympics

Emily Cole
March 5, 2014

Nydia Langill is one strong athlete. You won’t see her competing for Calvin’s team, but if you head to the Venema Aquatic Center on any given day, you will be able to see the first-year student churning...

Calvin community garden likely to expand

Emily Cole
February 19, 2014

A proposal for the construction of a new community garden near the east edge of campus on Hampshire Street is up for approval this week. It is likely to be approved, and work will begin when the snow melts...

Annual Kill-A-Watt sustainability competition begins among dorms

Emily Cole
January 16, 2014

Kill-A-Watt, Calvin’s annual Interim student sustainability competition, has come around again, with a wide variety of opportunities for students to focus on caring for creation and conserving resources,...

Community garden beneficial to Calvin

Emily Cole
November 13, 2013

I am someone who loves the feel of dirt underneath my fingernails. I believe that nibbling on a piece of fresh-picked broccoli is a simple and pure experience that everyone should have frequently. That...

“Incognito” challenges students to dig beneath the surface on race

Emily Cole
October 10, 2013

Incognito, a word typically associated with a purposely hidden identity, takes on a new meaning in Michael Fosberg’s one-man play of the same name. Receiving world-flipping news instantly uncloaks Fosberg’s...