April 30, 1999
EDITOR FAREWELL
Calvin College Chimes



























IN OTHER A&E:
Rock pioneer Liz Phair come to Calvin

Why T Bone Burnett kicked butt last Friday

Wilco: ‘the best-kept secret of Americana’


EDITOR FAREWELL


Editor in Chief
see opinions...


Managing Editor

John J. Vander Meer
Managing Editor

Student, journalist, individual. While this year comes to a close, as the former Managing Editor for Chimes, I have a few words to say to Calvin at-large. Do something different -- take yourself and your community seriously. Believe in your own voice, ’cause if you don’t, surely no one else will care what you have to say. Break the mold, dare to be original, and above all think, act, live. WORD.


News Editor

Nathan VanderKlippe
News Editor

. . .‘Farewell’ -- the word sounds so final . . . I’d love to be able to say something lasting and deep, something resonating with wisdom, rife with imagery, thoroughly memorable. Instead, all I can think of is a great thank you to the whole Chimes staff, especially John, whom I credit with teaching me most of what I know about writing a proper news story, and Sarah, who tried to keep both of us sane at 6 in the morning when it really didn’t seem to matter anymore.
As for whomever might be reading this, all I can do is to encourage you to take seriously this institution you are currently attending. Realise that it is your school, and that you can make a difference. I say this not to reiterate Chimes’ frequent complaints of apathy on campus, but to truly encourage you to play a part in Calvin College. Often-times students hear about the negatives on campus. But as a news editor and reporter, I have had the opportunity to speak with many people who really care about this institution and have given greatly of themselves in a constant struggle to closer and better align Calvin with the Bible and the reformed tradition.
Why don’t you make it a point to join those who are dedicated to making this a better place? Join a student organisation, sit on a committee. Be involved. If you do, you will be able to look back at your years here and say: I helped make that place what it is today.


Assoc. News Editor

Kathleen Minkner
Assoc. News Editor

Someone cool once wrote “If you can’t annoy somebody with what you write, I think there’s little point in writing.” Hopefully what has been written in Chimes has encouraged you to THINK about issues both on our campus and in our country. Being on Chimes has been one of those experiences that you don’t forget: The late nights (and early mornings) with the crazy people on staff have made my first year on Chimes a good one. Thanks all!


World News Editor

Hillary Whitcomb
World News Editor

How is it that in September I had no intention of having anything to do with Chimes, yet here it is April and I give the Chimes office extension as my alternate phone number? Hey, maybe it’s Providence... I’ve learned so much about journalism and writing since taking the editorship in February (thanks for the opportunity, Matt) and I’ve found my “calling.” I’ve also found myself calling -- and interviewing -- an incredible variety of people who have done a zillion fascinating things. I’ve made the World News section less event-oriented and more people-story-oriented because I think those are some of the most interesting stories available to a journalist and newsworthy besides. Thanks to my writers; I hope you’ve learned something good along the way.


Arts & Entertainment Editor
Some of my friends sit around every evening and they worry about the times ahead
But everybody else is overwhelmed by indifference and the promise of an early bed.
It’s either shut up or get cut out; they don’t wanna hear about it only inches on a reel-to-reel:
And the radio is in the hands of such a lot of fools tryin’ to anaesthetize the way that you feel.

Elvis Costello, “Radio Radio,” 1978.

Phil Christman
Arts and Entertainment Editor

The situation’s only gotten worse since then: not just for radio, but for all popular media. In 1989, twenty-five companies controlled just under fifty percent of what you see, hear and read; with each merger that total gets lower. The numbers point to an eventual, complete marginalization of all but the most easily marketed, shallow voices -- a common electronic and print culture controlled not by caring, committed professionals and artists, but by the crass forces of economics.
Are there signs of hope? This is Christ’s universe: there are always signs of hope. T Bone Burnett thinks that .mp3s will break the music industry’s hold on the music you hear while liberating artists from the bondage of unfair record contracts. Increased respect for civil rights may yet open media to previously excluded voices, and there are hopes that an unregulated, no-license-required medium such as the Internet will grant the individual expressive power denied by television, film and radio while rectifying, partially, the publishing industry’s wasteful overuse of paper. But none of these things will happen without thoughtful participation from a caring audience.
In my work with Chimes, I have sought to promote such participation on a local basis. If by running stories on the Spoelhof Center Art Gallery I covince people that there is an art scene at Calvin, maybe, just maybe, those individually cultivated habits of observation and reflection will broaden and ripple, expanding throughout God’s creation until that creation is characterized by strong, mutually supportive artistic communities rather than a stifling global monoculture.
However, I don’t do it in a vacuum. Some of the following people have enabled me to edit this section; others have made sure there was a section to edit. But in general, I wish mad props to:
The entire Chimes staff. You are the hardest-working, best-humored bunch of Bananers out there. I love you guys.
Members of the Calvin English and CAS departments who have supported my attempts at (or on) prose, whom I won’t name because I’ll leave somebody out and then catch it Friday and feel stupid.
All the people who stopped me on the way from Commons Annex to the FAC with words of praise or critique.
To Natasja VandenBerg, Todd Slager, Elise VanLaar, Sarah Byker, Cecily Squier, Ben Tinklenberg, Joe Lapp, and Gabrielle Darnell, for dancing (sensitively and intelligently) about architecture.* Special thanks to Cecily for writing during play week, and to Elise, Ben and Gabe for overcoming word-shyness.
To jane c knol and Jess Getchell for always-dependable and alacritous Spoelhof art gallery coverage. Maybe someday they’ll move it out of the basement, huh?
To Manuel Vasquez, Christy VanArragon, Elisa Lauer, Daniel Vos and Nathan Bierma for writing about other stuff.
To Phil Blonn -- it’s all about student media.
To Matt Poole, for breathing.
Finally, I’d like to point out that Tim Thompson and Johnathan Borsodi are the two greatest partners-in-crime I could hope to have. Except when Borsodi catches fire.



Sports Editor

Nathan Bierma
Sports Editor

The work of this section is indebted to all the coaches, athletes, and fans of the Calvin community who contributed in various ways throughout the year (or just plain read the darn thing). This year has taught me a syllabus- worth of lessons, and I have eagerly lapped up every delicious drop of it. It is with the difficulty of a rheumatoid aerobics dancer that I now turn away, pausing to wistfully look back with a tear puddling up in my eye (or maybe that’s just deadline-night sweat). As I state above, I firmly believe that what happens in sports is not all trivial and useless. I came to the sports editor’s desk hoping to deal meaningfully with sports on and off campus. I leave it with a plea for next year’s sports editor to show that this is the most fun – and yet one of the most important – sections in Chimes.


Features Editor

Melissa Kruse
and
Melissa Slager (M2)
Features Editors

Besides time management and sleep depravity, being Chimes editors has taught and given us so much.
For one, we see exactly how much work and care goes into a paper like Chimes. We’ve learned that sometimes you have to give up perfection at 4:30 a.m. even though people will inevitably criticize every last missing comma or misspelled name, and write you off for a flaky-journalist-wannabe. We’ve learned that sometimes you have to have selective hearing when people don’t know what they’re saying. But most of all, we have developed the desire to be aware of everything that’s going on. It’s easy to be complacent and care for nothing but what effects or interests you. But the world is bigger than we can imagine, and there are soooo many perspectives.
So, it helps to have a voice, any voice at all, even one that gets easily glossed over. Because it’s 4:30 a.m. And everyone else is asleep. -mk


Calendar Editor

Klaas Hoekema
Calendar Editor

So yeah, I’ve had a fun time doing this calendar thing that a raccoon could probably handle drunk, but still, there’s pride in a job well done, right... Anyway, big old shouts out to all them Chimes staffers, who make my time in this office so much more fun and long than it probably should be. But, I don’t think. I just listen to music, ergo...
“I have walked this earth and watched people. I can be sincere and say I like them.” -Bjork
“There’s no secret to living, just keep on walking.” -UNKLE
“Everywhere I turn, all the beauty just keeps shaking me.” -Indigo Girls
“The thought that life could be better is woven indelibly into our hearts, and our brains.” -Paul Simon


Opinions Editor

Matt Poole
Opinions Editor/ Nerd

A few thoughts and perceptions from my nearly three months as Chimes Opinions Editor:
-First, there are some unbelievable people at Calvin from students to professors. Get out of your rooms and talk to them, they have much wisdom to grace you with.
-There are people at this school who have opinions, strong and mature opinions, and they have a venue to be heard. Chimes offers students an opportunity to open dialogue on issues from the concerning to the controversial.
-There are no other Christian college newspaper willing to deal with the breadth and depth of topics concerning politics, faith, social issues and the arts as Chimes.
-Calvin has a unique place in the Christian college community as an institution not afraid of engaging culture. Ken Heffner is a blessing to this campus and has the important job of offering opportunities to the Christians at this school for engaging popular culture. On the student level, Chimes has the role as one front of that engagement. Phil Christman, Tim Thompson and The Borsodi did a fantastic job this year approaching culture at the levels of local, national and international. They should be commended as agents working for the mature Christian critique of culture that Calvin has recognized a call to.
-Chimes takes a long time to create. From coming up with ideas for articles, to writing, to layout, to hunting down delinquent writers, the Chimes staff works long hard nights for a product that might have a few misspelled words, but informs the student body on the many things that effect their lives.
-Apathy is a real threat and it will, unfortunately, take something drastic to change people. America is ripe for another war. People are forgetting the fragility of what they have, sometimes we need to be reminded of how much freedom means. Lets strive to figure these things out on our own, with the guidence of Christ.
-I love writing so I will do that next year. I wish I could stay on as editor, but the Film Arts Committee calls. Oh and one last thing:
Get out and get involved! There is too much happening on this campus and in this community to just sit in your rooms playing James Bond or killing brain cells at Burton & Breton.


Editorial Editor

Amy Packwood
...err...

A Haiku for Chimes Staff 1998-99

Six in the morning
all controversy is dead.
Paul Schrader is God.



Editorial Editor

Natasja VanderBerg
Editorial Page Editor

1998-1999... Through the course of the year, Chimes has dealt with many issues. News and debates about donations, parking, homosexuality, and Christian Education requirements have filled the Chimes pages. As the year comes to a close, the 98-99 Chimes staff will retire, some for the summer and some for longer, and the pages will stop coming... But, the issues will never disappear and the dialogue will continue... And next year, we’ll begin the cycle once again.


ONLINE Editor

David Systma
ONLINE Editor

With help from everyone on the Chimes staff this past semester, ONLINE Chimes has become a great success. Working with the Chimes staff through the late hours of the night to deliver Chimes on the web a full day ahead of the print version was well worth the loss of sleep and I look forward to another exhilarating year. To those looking for a place where apathy is not an option, I highly encourage you to consider taking a position with Chimes next year.


Photography Editor

Eric Flores
Photography Editor

I always thought various editors liked making me run around campus and take headshots of profs. My thoughts changed when Sarah introduced me as one of the three freshmen who have saved her this year. Now, I feel better about myself and my role as photoman. Thanks, Sarah. I would also like to thank Swanson for showing me how this place works, Amy McGarey for taking pictures for me even though we have never met in person, Kristin for being you, my sister for checking out ONLINE Chimes and giving me props, and my parents for buying me a camera that does half the magic. And finally, I would like to apologize to all the profs, staff, and students that I have frightened with my camera this past year. But fair warning: I will be on staff again next year!!!

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