by beth heinen

Assistant News Editor

The past two weeks on Calvin's campus have been tumultuous, but the community seems to be coping well with the added stress.

The events of Sept. 11, a possibility of going to war in one way or another and last week's threat on campus can be traumatic for anyone. And college students away from home, especially first year students trying to acclimate themselves to a new environment, are especially vulnerable to added stress. Yet in spite of this, the Broene Center, Calvin's counseling and support center, says that Calvin students and staff are handling the situation remarkably well, and have had no increase in the number of students seeking someone to talk to.

``We haven't seen or heard a need for any special initiative or program, and my staff agrees,'' said Dr. Randy Wolthuis, director of the Broene Center. ``It doesn't seem to be something students can't cope with.''

Earlier in the week, Provost Joel Carpenter sent out a letter to his colleagues, urging them to be compassionate with their students while they go through this period of added stress. ``We have gone through quite a period of stress, friends, what with the tragedy of two weeks ago, a continuing atmosphere of crisis and uncertainty, and then the disruption of last Friday...[S]everal colleagues have mentioned to me that they have seen more than the usual amount of strain and burden in our students, and particularly those who are in their very first semester of college. I know you will want to be sensitive to their anxiety, and will find ways to assure them that we will get through this semester,'' he wrote.

However, although the Broene Center has made itself more visible, especially in assisting the RDs in last week's campus evacuation, the counselors do not seem to be overworked.

``We had a small number of students come in with a small amount of anxiety due to the terrorist attacks,'' said Wolthuis, ``but those were all from students with family involvement, either in New York or Washington. This is normal anxiety, worrying is not abnormal. Other than that, we haven't seen any increased demand [for counseling]. People are doing what they need to, and it doesn't always require psychological counseling.''

Wolthuis said that most students are ``relying on their faith, and getting support from their friends and family,'' to cope with the recent tragedies and scares, and suggests that students utilize these resources in any way possible to alleviate stress. But, he added, ``If some are not coping well, no question about it, we are able and willing to see them.''

The Broene Center is open by appointment Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Daily walk-in times are from 3:30 to 4:30 each day.