| February 19, 1999 |
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Calvin College Chimes
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IN OTHER NEWS:
Course requirements to be changed in 2000
Some zany homecoming ideas ditched for reality
Knight club gains popularity, increases spirit
Homecoming brings students, alumni together
By Kathleen Minkner
ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR
By the very nature of the word, homecoming is a time when alumni return to their alma mater. Calvin’s Alumni Association was founded in 1907 and plans alumni activities, which include homecoming. The Student Alumni Association is a more recent development and has established events such as the Sophomore Stanley Cup Giveaway and the Calvin Knight Club.
Both organizations attempt to develop “marker events” and traditions for both students and alumni.
The Alumni Association has two main goals, according to Executive Director Mike Van Denend. “First, we want to provide a link between alumni and students,” he said. “We also strive to improve student life and enhance the student experience.”
Jason Coleman, who graduated from Calvin in 1998, was president of the Student Alumni Association last year. “I am glad to see the alumni reaching out to the students through things like the Knight Club,” stated Coleman, who now works for CASE (Council for Advancement and Support of Education), where he works with the alumni and student relations associations from across the country.
By working with the Student Alumni Association, the board is linked to students’ needs and interests. “We can come up with more ideas -- some are serious and some are wacky. For instance, the idea to have people jump into the Sem Pond was a fun idea that [the Alumni Board] wouldn’t have thought of,” said Van Denend.
Van Denend also stressed that Calvin is different from other schools and universities. Because Calvin is a smaller school, it doesn’t have the “big university stuff,” such as alcohol-related traditions and football. “Calvin is a unique place and the students here work and study very hard,” said Van Denend.
Coleman thinks that apathy is somewhat of a problem at Calvin and school spirit tends to be bigger at universities. “Students get more involved because there is world wide recognition for their sports teams,” he stated.
No matter the size of the school, Van Denend emphasized the importance of involvement.
“So many alumnus come up to me and say that they wish they had gotten more involved,” he stated. “These marker events help develop traditions and make the years at Calvin more memorable for the student,” he stated.
Coleman thinks that lack of student involvement may not always be related to the size of school, but also to the changing times. Coleman said that certain factors contribute to decreased school spirit, including the increased average age of students (from 19 to 21) and the fact that students are working more and paying for their own tuition. “Students just don’t have as much time -- the face of the college student is changing,” said Coleman.
However, some ideas are very popular with students. Though it is not always easy to come up with ideas that students will respond to, Van Denend stated that the committee has had many successes. Airband, which has been very popular among the students, has been around for 12 years. Many of the events and programs, such as 100 Days Until Graduation and the Knight Club, are fairly new and take time to develop.
“Traditions change as time goes on, and new traditions need time to develop,” stated Van Denend. “We’re pleased with how students have responded.”
The board also has faced some difficulties. According to Van Denend, homecoming is “tough” because it is hard to find things that capture the students’ interests. The Alumni Association will also be working to create more class unity among the students.
Coleman said that it has always been difficult to make homecoming plans, even in previous years. “We tried new things and some did not work,“ he stated. “Some people view that as a failure, but I thought it was a success because we tried. Too many organizations at Calvin are afraid to try new things.”
No matter what the difficulties, the main goal is to create fun and new traditions for Calvin students and spark school pride, he said.
“ I think that school spirit is very important during the college years,” said Van Denend. “These are very special years ... they are unique years that are gone in a shot. By getting involved, students can make their college years more memorable.”
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