Ethan Meyers is a senior studying international relations with minors in economics and French. Ethan will be Chimes Editor-in-Chief for the 2024-25 school year. He loves visiting the beach in his hometown of Holland, Michigan. When not staying up late to meet a writing deadline, his hobbies include biking, playing chess, and learning languages.
On April 8, Calvin senior Weston Fields became a published author for the second time. The Weather Belt is the second novel in a series that Fields plans to complete as a trilogy soon. The series, The...
“Say it once, say it twice, we will not put up with ICE!” students chanted in unison near the Burton St. entrance to campus. The protestors waved signs and cheered as cars honked in support. The protest...
April is a weird month of the school year. The final weeks of the school year fly by, and it can feel like there’s hardly time to push for anything new. Some things, though, are worth fighting for anyway.
Over...
According to a recent article by the U.S. News and World Report, the annual tuition cost of attending a private college in the United States has risen about 41 percent since 2005, after accounting for...
On March 3, more than three dozen Johnny’s student workers received an email from Creative Dining Services informing them that they had been “laid off from [their] position, effective March 3, 2025.”
Two...
On Feb. 20, Calvin faculty received an email from Andrew George, vice president of human resources, announcing benefit cuts as Calvin looks for savings in the academic division.
The benefit cuts include...
The top question people ask Jacqui Elzinga these days is: “When are you planning on moving into the manor house?” she told Chimes. The answer: “We don’t know yet.”
Jacqui’s husband Greg...
Without corrective action, Calvin is headed for a $10 million budget deficit in the 2024-2025 fiscal year, according to information shared at a faculty town hall on Feb. 11 by Dirk Pruis, vice president...
“I’m the guy who has no answers for you,” Board of Trustees (BOT) member Perrin Rynders announced to the group of faculty and staff assembled in the chapel sanctuary. The group, which had come to...
Perhaps more than any other, the noise of loose salt underfoot defines the soundscape of the winter season at Calvin. The campus’ many paths are, by their very nature, a sort of in-between place. While...
On Friday, Jan. 24, Greg Elzinga was officially inaugurated as Calvin’s 13th president, nearly a year after assuming the role in an interim capacity. Chimes sat down for a post-inauguration conversation...
Shortly after 10:30am on Friday, January 31, campus safety and other emergency vehicles responded to an report of an injured grounds crew worker. According to Tyson Moore, assistant director of campus...
On Friday, Jan. 24, Greg Elzinga was officially inaugurated as Calvin’s 13th president, in a ceremony that emphasized the importance of prayer and of reconciliation.
Elzinga, who graduated from...
In the last issue of Chimes before break, I opened my article about the restructured winter intensive talking about how many students, including myself, were eager for the break. By the end of the semester,...
Despite its fast-paced moments, the majority of working in journalism can sometimes be a waiting game. At Chimes, we’re always waiting for the next newsworthy story, waiting for email reply, or waiting...
As many students eagerly await the upcoming four weeks off from school after exam week, some are planning an early return to classes — even if those classes happen outside the classroom.
During...
Calvin’s Outdoor Recreation program ran its first-ever caving trip the weekend of Nov 15-17.
Outdoor Recreation at Calvin organizes events regularly throughout the school year, with the goal of expanding...
Greg Elzinga was announced as Calvin’s 13th president on Thursday, Oct. 21. Elzinga was unanimously approved by the Board of Trustees (BOT) after a unanimous recommendation by the presidential search...
For most of the Calvin students who are U.S. citizens, the United States election taking place on Nov. 5 will be the first time they’ve been eligible to cast a ballot for president. With increased options...
I’ll admit that when I started watching my first K-drama, doing so went directly against the dating advice I typically give when asked: “Don’t do anything you wouldn’t independently enjoy just...
Half-semester courses start this week, and for students picking up a class, that means it’s time to buy textbooks again. For sophomore Ella Vanden Berg, the $130 she’s spending on an economics course...
Calvin’s Board of Trustees and the Presidential Search Committee (PSC) announced Greg Elzinga as Calvin University’s 13th president on Monday, October 21. Perrin Rynders, chair of the Committee, sent...
NEXUS, Calvin’s peer financial coaching service, is one of several student groups to move into new office spaces in the library this year. In addition to their new central location, the NEXUS team has...
On Tuesday, Oct. 1, the religion department hosted a special lecture by Dr. Damaris Parsitau, director of Calvin’s Nagel Institute. Titled “Under the Radar, Written Out, or Silenced Voices? African...
After more than a year of community listening sessions, research into key barriers, and donor outreach, Calvin’s Wayfinder Program launched its first cohort this fall. The program currently has 23 continuing...
According to newly released Day 10 census data, Calvin’s total student body grew to 3,681 students, continuing its growth for a second consecutive year — up over 300 students from the same time in...
Whether this is the first issue of Chimes you've ever picked up or one of many, congrats on making it past the front page!
I'm Ethan Meyers, Chimes' editor-in-chief for the 2024-25 school year. Chimes...
Hekman Library reopened its newly renovated first three floors just in time for the start of the 2024-2025 school year. The redesigned space includes Peet’s coffee shop, increased study spaces and new...
The annual synod of the CRC, Calvin’s parent denomination, took place on campus from June 14-20. Following synod, Chimes asked Pastor Mary Hulst, who has served as Calvin’s university pastor since...
At its annual synod on Tuesday, June 18, the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA) told Calvin’s board of trustees (BOT) to “develop language and processes in alignment with those in the...
The synod of the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA), Calvin’s parent denomination, has instructed Calvin’s Board of Trustees (BOT) to define the gravamen process for its faculty and...
Ethan Meyers, General Assignment Reporter April 22, 2024
The basement of the Spoelhof Center came alive this past Thursday, April 18, as Calvin’s spring arts festival made an impressive return, marking its first appearance since the COVID-19 pandemic. Students...
Ethan Meyers, General Assignment Reporter March 18, 2024
Last Thursday, March 14, Calvin’s Political Dialogue and Action (PDAC) student organization hosted a panel discussion about presidential accountability, the rule of law and the various criminal and civil...
Ethan Meyers, General Assignment Reporter March 18, 2024
Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune: Part Two” premiered in theaters March 1, 2024. The story is a direct continuation of the 2021 film, picking up immediately where the first part left off. Throughout the...
Calvin’s cabinet held a gathering for students in the chapel to introduce Interim President Gregory Elzinga and reassure the student body of Calvin’s future on Thursday, Feb. 29.
La’Leatha Spillers,...
Today, Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley will be the latest in a long line of political candidates to make a stop in Grand Rapids in recent years. As Haley hopes to thwart former President Donald...
Ethan Meyers, General Assignment Reporter February 19, 2024
Big changes are coming for the 2024-25 Student Senate, and it’s not just the upcoming move out of the Commons Annex. As part of changes to the Student Senate constitution passed in a vote on Feb. 12,...
Ethan Meyers, General Assignment Reporter February 12, 2024
Just east of the Prince Conference Center, a sandy slope overlooks part of the ecosystem preserve. This area, called Perseverance Dune, was built in the summer of 2020 to mimic a naturally occurring dune...
Calvin advertises the McGregor Summer Research programs as opportunities for Calvin’s “best and brightest” students to do research in the social sciences. Recent McGregor projects include creating...
Ethan Meyers, General Assignment Reporter February 5, 2024
Even nine months out, it’s hard to miss the news about the November U.S. presidential elections. Polls, primaries and a narrowing field of candidates headline the news daily.
Amid the constant media...
Ethan Meyers, General Assignment Reporter January 29, 2024
Since 2017, the Calvin Math Circle has helped middle school students from up to 10 local schools develop their mathematical thinking skills. While in the past, many students have volunteered to help fuel...
Ethan Meyers, General Assignment Reporter January 22, 2024
For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, Calvin students will have the opportunity to travel around the United States with the Service-Learning Center over spring break. Service-learning trips for...
Ethan Meyers, General Assignment Reporter December 4, 2023
Since being entrusted with the management of 1 million dollars of Calvin’s endowment, Knight Investment Management (KIM) has grown its portfolio to include more than 2.5 million dollars of assets across...
Grace Driggers remembers feeling uncomfortable throughout REL-121, a course she took to fulfill the core religion requirement. For three years, Calvin had been a place that had built her up in song, in...
Since an initial attack by Hamas militants on Oct. 7, conflict in the Gaza Strip has escalated from rocket attacks and bombardment to a ground assault by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Gaza. Thousands...
After several months of task force meetings which included both faculty and administrators last year, recommendations from Calvin’s shared governance review process are now being implemented.
Calvin’s...
Ethan Meyers, General Assignment Reporter November 13, 2023
While attending a conference for student journalists recently, I listened to a panel on press freedom and prior review at private, faith-based universities. For student publications, prior review means...
Ethan Meyers, General Assignment Reporter November 7, 2023
Rev. Dr. Amy Peeler spoke last Thursday, November 2 about her recent book, “Women and the Gender of God,” as part of this year’s Unlearn Week and the ongoing Healthy Dialogue Series. Dr. Peeler is...
Ethan Meyers, General Assignment Reporter October 31, 2023
Calvin’s music department recently hired a community music administrator and music events coordinator. These hires reflect a renewed focus on growth in the music department, Dr. Tiffany Engle, co-chair...
Ethan Meyers, General Assignment Reporter October 23, 2023
Student class schedules have experienced several major changes for the 2023-24 academic year, due to the effects of the transition to the four-two credit system.
Major changes from last year’s schedule...
Ethan Meyers, General Assignment Reporter October 9, 2023
In the last four years, Calvin has expanded its in-person Spanish immersion dual enrollment agreements with two local highschools into both in-person and virtual learning options for students from 10 high...
Ethan Meyers, General Assignment Reporter October 7, 2023
I’m Ethan Meyers. Even if you don’t know me, you might recognize me by how I walk around campus—a visible result of my cerebral palsy. I shuffle through the world, an anomaly in the flows of students...
Lake Drive runs from Calvin’s north entrance all the way through Eastown, where Calvin students frequent restaurants like Yesterdog and Wolfgang’s. A little further down the road sits a massive house...
Ethan Meyers, General Assignment Reporter September 25, 2023
Calvin’s Life and Career Studies program (LCS) — formerly administered by Ready for Life — provides inclusive post-secondary education opportunities to students with intellectual disabilities.
LCS...
Ethan Meyers, General Assignment Reporter September 18, 2023
New programs like battery recycling and compost in dorm kitchens are designed to help students on campus keep recyclables and organic waste from going to the landfill.
Food waste from the dining halls...
Ethan Meyers, General Assignment Reporter September 12, 2023
Calvin’s Outdoor Recreation programs provide several options for Calvin students to build community with each other while spending time exercising and being outdoors.
Campus Recreation Coordinator...
Ethan Meyers, General Assignment Reporter September 5, 2023
For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, Calvin students are getting a chance to study for a semester in South Korea.
Recently, Calvin has signed two Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) documents...
Watching my roommate learn the Spanish past subjunctive from a Youtube video while preparing to do his online grammar homework made me angry. In my time as a student and conversation group leader in the...
