Evolution through Explanation by Danny Gilmore

One wouldn’t expect an evolution lecture at a Christian college to be casual and humorous, yet many were surprised to see that Professor Matheson’s lecture was both intelligent and entertaining.

The lecture began with the ironically comical remark “Let me begin at the Genesis of the project” followed by audience laughter and another remark by Matheson, stating that he wanted to see how clever the audience was before continuing.

Matheson, who primarily teaches upper level developmental biology at Calvin College spoke about the importance of the use of explanation as a means for the development of evolutionary theory, claiming “Tonight, I’m trying to make a simple point of defending evolution.”

Matheson showed a picture of an enormous crater resembling that which could be left by a meteor and asked the audience whether anything could be known about the cause of the crater without data or explanation drawn from that data.

The theory about the cause of the crater was given first by scientists and the data gathered and interpreted second.

This process represents the model that Matheson used to carry his whole lecture defending evolutionary theory, and resembles a sort of top-down scientific method.

Counter to explanation interpreted from data leading to the theory of evolution, Matheson proposed that the theory should lead to and confirm the data as a means to find patterns in the explanation of that data.

Matheson stated that these explanations must have epistemological weight or support behind them.

“There is some kind of value system to judge what’s a good explanation” Matheson said, showing that we quickly and intrinsically, as human beings, accept or reject explanations based on their probability.

The idea of transitional steps, organisms in between evolutionary steps, was also an important issue as Professor Matheson spoke about a strict Creationist’s attempt to reject their existence.

The example was given about how Creationists would reject that a whale could come from an ancient cow-like creature, or as Matheson said “You don’t get from cow-like things to Whales without transitional steps” before he showed that such steps had been discovered recently.

As a data set, Matheson said that the fossil record provides an immense amount to transitional steps and is always growing and improving as archeologists uncover more fossils frequently.

This paints a larger picture of a pattern, which Matheson believes to be very connected and cohesive when explained by evolutionary theory.

Bob Crow, Dean of Student Development at Calvin College, was in attendance and said he “found Professor Matheson’s presentation on human origins both interesting and compelling, and at times, humorous.”

Filled with useful explanation and humorous quips, Professor Matheson’s lecture likely inspired and entertained all who were in attendance.

Reunited

A picture is worth a thousand words, but is it better than a live conversation—a hug, a handshake, or a pat on the back? With social media keeping people—friends, family, and classmates more connected and up to date on life happenings is a trip to the old alma mater necessary?

Friday, October 22 between 6 and 8 pm, the class of 2000 reunited in the Spolehof Fieldhouse Complex.

“I knew there were not going to be any surprises [because of Facebook], but I still wanted to reconnect—there is something about seeing people face to face,” said Heather Buck from the class of 2000.

Around the time that Homecoming ended last year, the Alumni Board started planning for this year’s combined weekend. The Alumni Board seeks out 6-8 class agents from the graduating class to network with old classmates and plan the reunion.

“Social networking has been such a help. Young alumni don’t want a postcard 6 months in advance, they want an event reminder two weeks in advance on Facebook,” says Emily Dock, Associate Director of Alumni Relations.

This past weekend Calvin had four reunions: 10, 25, 40, and 45 year. There has been an upward trend in attendance since the alumni weekend was moved from the spring to the fall.

Homecoming weekend was in February because basketball was the lure. Most colleges have homecomings in the fall because of football. The Association discovered that Calvin Alumni were just as interested in sports as education. This is the second year that homecoming weekend is in the fall and for the first time intertwined with family weekend, which tied in nicely with the 25 reunion because their children are more likely to currently attend Calvin.

For the 25 year, the River City Improv had a 80s themed show. During the 40 year reunion, the editors from the first issue of the Bananer, a spoof on the Banner, spoke about the issue. Then at the 45 reunion, 2 professors came to talk about their days at Calvin with an open mic session following.

While the other reunions were more formal, the 10 year reunion did not have an over arching program, just a simple message at the end and an opportunity to attend events such as the River City Improv at the Prince Conference Center or a speech by Joel Holtrop, head of State and Private forestry.

Dock said the idea for the 10 year reunion “was a time to eat well and connect with people you haven’t seen.”

A decade after graduation people were married, had or are having kids, and are relocating for jobs.

President Byker’s daughter, Gayle, was in attendance. Although she didn’t know anyone at the reunion she thought, “This was one of life’s events,” adding that her husband said, “If it stinks, we’ll leave.”

Byker mentioned the sense of identity she had with Calvin and the expectations to do good things noting that she is a physician and her husband is a lawyer.

As more people signed up for reunions on the day of the event one of the planners said, “icing on the cake!”

Calvin's Film and Directing Club

Calvin’s Film and Directing Club

If you were in Johnny's a couple weeks back you might have observed Professor Daniel Garcia's Film and Directing Club, FAD for short, shooting a scene from the hit romantic comedy 500 Days of Summer. The group is comprised of Media Production and Calvin Theatre Company students and you may be wondering how these stage thespians and film production people came together.

Well over the summer, Professor Daniel Garcia began brainstorming about a way to help Media Production students learn how to direct actors. He had been realizing how hard it is for students during their 4-year stint at college to get much training in how to work with the people in front of the camera when there is a much greater emphasis in Media Production courses on teaching students about all that goes on behind the camera: audio, lighting, camera operation, editing, etc.

Then the thought hit Professor Garcia of starting an extracurricular film club where students already immersed in the technical aspects of film production could focus primarily on learning how to communicate with and direct actors. “It was something that excited me because I know that there are a lot of students who would love to have more chances to see me directing actors and to actually do it themselves,” said Prof. Garcia. And on the flip side he surmised that there were a lot of actors at Calvin who have not had the opportunity to work on films where there are higher expectations for the performances.

“So the idea”, said Prof. Garcia, “was I would put the word out there and I said we are going to shoot a scene every other week in different locations, we’re going to use things that we haven’t used before, like the Steadicam; we’re going to find scenes from a movie so that they are good scripts and we’re going to have fun.” The end result will be a quality demo reel for the actors and the filmmakers to use when seeking employment after college.

There was a great deal of interest from Media students but Professor Garcia wanted to work with a small team so he had to narrow it down to ten Media Production students to fill all the crew positions. Professor Garcia’s next step was to approach Calvin Theatre Company (CTC) with his idea for the Film Acting and Directing club, FAD for short. So far there have only been three CTC students to join the club. But Garcia said the actors are “terrific” and so the committed filmmakers are working with what they’ve got and have already filmed a scene from 500 Days of Summer and are writing their own script for a scene based on what happens to the characters after the end of the movie.

Calvin Senior, Sarah Scheeres, a Media Production major, says that she joined the club because she “is interested in more than just class work” and liked the idea of “collaborating with the theatre department” and being able to focus more “on the acting or the meaning of the substance that’s coming from your talent.” She added, “The biggest benefit is watching Daniel direct the actors”, added Ms. Scheeres, “starting with [CAS] 190 you are learning the technical aspects from Brian [Fuller] and Daniel [Garcia] about how to use the camera, lighting audio, whereas in Film Club you are able to watch Daniel direct the actors and shape their performance.”

The crew positions in FAD are a sort of practice or trial run for an interim trip to Peru to make a short film that Garcia is organizing. Most of the members of the club are working in the crew positions that they will be working in once they get down to South America. According to Media Production major, Ahna Terpstra, who has been working as First Assistant Director for FAD, the Peru interim was a major factor influencing her decision to join the club. Ms. Terpstra says she has benefitted by working under Professor Garcia, who has been directing these scenes. “Even though we go to school for four years,” said Ms. Terpstra, “I still don’t feel like I know what I’m doing so working on a crew with a director who knows what they’re doing is good experience.”

Recent Storms

For years the tale of the Edmund Fitzgerald has been well documented among Michiganders through stories, video, song, and school teachings; this past Tuesday, the renowned story became more real than ever.

Tornado warnings were issued throughout West Michigan in anticipation of a storm that was predicted by many meteorologists to resemble the disastrous monsoon that sank the famous Edmund Fitzgerald.

The first tornado warning for Kent County was issued at 10:45 a.m. on Tuesday morning, and dorm resident directors and assistants worked to take the necessary precautions entailed by a severe storm.

“This sort of thing doesn’t happen very often, yet we always have to be prepared,” said Becki Levad, resident director of Schultze-Eldersveld, “When you looked out the window it didn’t look like much, but we’d rather be safe than sorry,”

The sirens served as a substitute alarm clock around campus, as students and staff scurried for shelter in dorm and building basements.

“I got a hold of all the RA’s and we tried to get everyone to the basement as soon as possible,” said Levad, “If the tornado comes, it will win; you will lose.”

No tornadoes were spotted near Calvin, or anywhere associated with the storm for that matter.

The most significant aspect of the storm may have been the chaos that ensued as opposed to the destruction that was caused.

“I was supposed to have my academic advising when the first sirens went off,” said Freshman Lucas Timmer, “After they stopped, I had to go over to the engineering building and find my advisor. We ended up having the meeting in the basement. It was a real pain.”

Despite not producing the visually powerful display expected by many in the area, the storm did break records, as anticipated by meteorologists throughout the Midwest.

The storm had a minimum central pressure of 956 mb, which is equivalent to the minimum pressure of a Category 3 hurricane, breaking the old record of 958 mb set on Jan. 26, 1978 during the blizzard often referred to as the “Cleveland Superbomb”. It also toppled that of the “Witch of November” storm that downed the Edmund Fitzgerald, which meteorologists forecasted it to closely resemble.

Wind gusts were reported at as high as 65 mph near Ludington and South Haven, damaging trees, structures, and power lines.

A high wind warning remained in effect until 8 p.m. Wednesday night, accompanied by Lake Michigan waves which reached 14-20 feet at lakeshore.

Bird tries to fly in wind storms near Grand Haven Pier

Warm Pancakes for Ensemble Fundraiser

The smell of warm syrupy pancakes filled the chapel under croft Saturday morning, as many came out in support of the Wind Ensemble during family homecoming weekend.

The pancake breakfast was a fundraiser, that the ensemble hosts every year to raise money for their musical mission/tour in Eastern Europe. A few hundred parents and students attended the fundraiser, helping the band raise almost $500 for their trip which is coming soon.

“People usually seem to enjoy themselves, I mean, who doesn't like cheap breakfast,” said Emma Karsten who plays the French horn in the ensemble.

The even cost $2 for students and children and 3$ for adults, to enjoy an endless amount of quality pancakes along with prerecorded soundtracks of the ensembles music.

“I thought the pancakes were the best we have made. We used a lot of smaller griddles, and that worked out much better. Everyone seemed to enjoy it,” said ensemble instructor Tiffany Engle.

The event was a way for parents to see what the band was like and for alumni to reconvene with old and new friends. The ensemble typically hosts the event on family weekend to allow more parents and alumni to visit all at once, enjoy breakfast, and then move along to the rest of the events planned for them.

“One couple I talked to were all the way from Colorado,” said Emma.

“We always have alumni that come because they know that there will always be a pancake breakfast during family weekend.”

Much of the event was catered o Alumni in hopes that they would show support for the new tours that they themselves once took part in. There was a slide show that featured pictures from past retreats and tours, as well as, many traditions that everyone in the ensemble could get involved in.

“A tradition is flipping pancakes from the griddle over the wall onto a plate,” said Emma.

“This year Lauren Bylsma, a flute player, spelled out Calvin Wind Ensemble in pancakes and even had a pancake treble clef that we put out onto the table.”

Formally known as the Calvin Band, the college Wind Ensemble is a concert band that performs throughout the academic year touring all over the Midwest. In December they will have their annual Christmas Pops Concert and they will be making a few appearances in the Fall Music Festival.

The ensemble host open auditions to all students in all class levels during their rehearsals Monday's, Thursday's, and Friday's from 3:30-4:30 p.m.

“We have a great community in the WE and we all have fun together. A lot of our members don't enjoy getting up very early on a Saturday morning but they get over it,” said Emma.

The event was well put together and you could feel the passion and energy that filled the room. The International tours are also a missions trip for the ensemble, which made it that much more important for them to raise funds for the trip.

“It was nice to have that much support for our international tours--they are great mission opportunities for our ensemble,” said Tiffany.

Calvin's First Combined Weekend

Josh deLacy

Calvin College celebrated its first combined Homecoming and Alumni Weekend several days ago, offering a range of activities for the alumni and families who filled the campus.

Tours of Grand Rapids, various presentations, Fall Music Festival and other events entertained the visitors and, if the hopes of the weekend’s planners were realized, tightened the extended Calvin family.

One of the main reasons for combining the two weekends was to bring alumni and families closer together, according to Carol Rienstra, Calvin’s community relations director. The reduced cost of combination also contributed to the decision to move Homecoming Weekend from its traditional spot in February.

The joint weekend celebration should “help parents see this big cloud of witnesses, that these are the people who care about Calvin,” said Rienstra. “And it’s to help alum see the families that are making up Calvin today. And hopefully there are chances for them to mingle along the way.”

By simply walking across campus last weekend, one encountered many parts of Calvin’s “cloud of witnesses.” Susan Hromada, a family visitor, said, “it was cute to see all the parents sporting Calvin-wear around campus.”

Calvin offered many chances for more direct mingling, including four tours of Grand Rapids on Friday, led by Carol Rienstra and Dick Harms, Calvin’s curator of archives.

In groups of 25 to 30, tour-goers boarded a bus for an hour-long driving tour of the city. Dick Harms presented a historical account of Grand Rapids and its ties with Calvin College, while Carol Rienstra shared the college’s current connections to the community.

Alumni and families saw East Grand Rapids, downtown, and Calvin’s old Franklin campus. Along the way, the guides explained ArtPrize, project neighborhood, the Ladies’ Literary Club, service learning, and various other aspects of the city.

If alumni asked to see a certain part of the community that they remembered from their time at the college, Harms said he added those locations to the tour as well.

Various presentations also filled the weekend. Friday afternoon, Professor of English Roy Anker discussed the human search for purpose as depicted by cinema and shared parts of his new book, “Of Pilgrims and Fire.”

Later that night in a father-daughter presentation, Joel Holtrop (’74), deputy chief for the U.S. Forest Service, and Jessica Holtrop (’07), wildland fire fighter, shared their career experiences to a crowd of parents, alumni, and a handful of students.

The annual Fall Music Festival drew hundreds of people into the Covenant Fine Arts Center on Saturday night, presenting Calvin’s various musical groups and its newly renovated building.

The first and last sections of the three-part concert took place in the auditorium and featured large performing groups, but in the middle hour, students, families and alumni chose between several short performances located throughout the C-FAC.

Other weekend activities included a Friday banquet for families, rock-climbing opportunities in the Spoelhof Fieldhouse, improv shows, and free ice cream and root beer floats. Families also had the opportunity to attend classes on Friday.

Calvin Beats Hope

Last Saturday, on a busy day for Calvin sports teams, the Knights hosted a rugby match versus long time rivals Hope.

The two teams warmed-up under the morning drizzle as spectators, heavily supplied with umbrellas, began occupying the wet aluminum stands.

The first twenty minutes of the game involved strong efforts from both teams but no scoring as the audience steadily increased and the rain disappeared.

Many of those watching were clearly enthusiastic and appreciative at the sight of the Knights tackling Hope students, but otherwise seemed to have little grasp on the nature of the rules.

Rugby games are divided into two 40 minutes halves.

Teams receive five points for “tries”, which is when they pass and touch the ground behind the opponent’s goal line with the ball.

They receive two points on “conversions”: an attempt to kick the ball through the goal posts that follows a successful try.

They can also try to drop kick the ball between the posts at any point in the game, or receive a kick as a penalty, to receive three points.

The result is a highly entertaining spectacle that is more flowing than football but more violent than soccer, and easily enjoyed by even the novice rugby fan.

(Picture from Calvin Rugby Blog.)

In this particular game, Calvin effectually controlled the scoring, with two early tries by James Wood, Junior, and Don Byker, Sophmore.

Their kicks, however, were unsuccessful, putting them only 10 points ahead.

As the crowds thickened, Calvin’s dominance became more evident, as they tenaciously forced the Dutchmen back towards their goal line.

Calvin also controlled the throw-ins, where one team throws the ball back into play, and players from both teams throw their teammates in the air to try to catch it: to the uninitiated, a singular sight that appears to be a combination between a soccer throw-in and a cheerleading move.

A number of injuries and substitutions on both sides did not change the momentum of the game, and after scoring one more try followed by a successful conversion, Calvin won the game 17-0.

The win improved Calvin’s record against Hope to 1-1 this year.

Luke Berlin, a sophomore on the team, said “It was the hardest I’ve seen the guys hitting all year.”

Those less used to watching rugby games were also impressed with the effort and endurance shown by both teams.

Erin Coggin, a sophomore said after the game: “It was my first rugby game and I was really surprised by how brutal it was. It was way more intense than I expected, but I still had a great time.”

She later added that even though she hadn’t entirely understood the rules of the game, it was still great to watch Hope get manhandled into a 17-0 loss.

To many Calvin students, that may be a reason in itself to become a follower of this exciting, fast paced club sport.

Bananer Lecture

PDF copy of the Bananer

Last Saturday, Steve “Chuck” Sieberson and Luke Reinsma spoke for the first time about the Bananer, their spoof of the Banner, the CRC’s monthly publication.
Their lecture was a part of Calvin’s homecoming weekend. Sieberson and Reinsma, both graduates of the class of 1970, returned to campus for their class’ 40-year reunion.

Although it was their first shared public speaking engagement on the topic, discussing their satirical publication was nothing new for Sieberson and Reinsma, both now professors – Sieberson at Creighton University and Reinsma at Seattle Pacific University.

“We’ve talked about the Bananer off and on for 40 years – so it wasn’t anything new. But we had a good time – I hadn’t read some of that stuff in 20 years, and (some of) it still holds its own,” commented Reinsma.

Sieberson and Reinsma began with a description of the context of Calvin, the Banner, and the Christian Reformed Church from 1968 to 1970. They explained the divided cultural temperament of the day, a split between the “Leave it to Beaver” morality crowd and Vietnam War protesters.

They shed some insight about their thought-process, motivations, and intentions at the time with the spoof. They shared background information on stories, like the notorious “I Saw the Devil” article and the profile of “Warp College.”

Despite the obvious controversy it usually stirs up, Reinsma thought the audience, which consisted primarily of fellow 1970 graduates, reacted well to the presentation.
“The reaction seemed pretty good. We were waiting for the son of John VanderPloeg [the Banner’s editor at the time] or a very angry parent to rise up in righteous – and legitimate – indignation, but it didn’t happen,” said Reinsma of the audience.

As a team, their sarcastic humor and natural chemistry made Sieberson and Reinsma an enticing pair. Their improvised humor, yet organized presentation, made the “lecture” both enjoyable and revealing.

“We wanted it to be funny and light on its feet and informative and interesting all at the same time. I hope it was all of those things, although it’s hard to tell from a speaker’s point of view,” Reinsma said.

Henry Smeenk printed the original Bananer, despite qualms of the reaction it might draw. A fellow graduate of the ’70 class and attendee of the session, he commented, “I enjoyed every minute of it. It was a great retelling of a great piece.”

At the time of its publication, the Bananer shook the Christian Reformed Church to the core. Now, 40 years later, it remains one of the CRC’s most defining and controversial moments. An event of that magnitude demanded a look-back. Saturday’s lecture did just that.Sieberson and Reinsma’s session successfully recasted the lampoon in its original light: edgy, funny, and well-intended.

A Flight of Words

Drew Reichard
Story Beat
Professor Hettinga
October 28, 2010


A Flight of Words in the Covenant Fine Arts Center

In honor of the newly finished Covenant Fine Arts Center, the English department hosted a poetry and prose reading on October 21.
This event was the first of many to be presented in the newly finished recital hall. The recital’s organizer, Elizabeth Vander Lei, reported proudly that, “the cool thing about this event was that it was the first event in the new recital hall. Of all the words and musical notes that will soak into that glorious woodwork, these authors spoke the first.”
The authors were chosen from many different walks in the Calvin experience, including Andrew Steiner, a senior in the English program; Laura Bardalph, an alumni; and George Harper, a professor reading on behalf of an honored alumni who couldn’t make it; and also Lew Clat, a respected English professor who shared some of his own personal poetry.
Following these readers, came the highly honored professor, Walter Wangarin, who spoke about the art of creative writing and this wonderful gift that God gave us to craft such words. He spoke of our ability, and therefore responsibly, to not only write for someone other than yourself, but also to tell the truth even in fiction.
The recital hall itself was pristine and smelled of new wood and paint. English major, Nard Choi wrote of the renovated building in a poem: “O stately Fine Arts Center, thou dost stand, Grandly set apart from all other buildings. They fail to exceed thy solemn dignity; they cannot match thy genial air.”
The excitement and gratitude to all the many people that put so much effort into finishing the building extended throughout the duration of the recital and was expressed by all there. After the Flight of Words recital there were refreshments.
The excitement among the English staff to move from their remote home of the Surge Building across the beltline is immense. Professor Chad Engbers says that, “it will be very nice to not have to walk so far to get to my office.”
Professor Vander Lei promises more English readings in our new recital hall to come, starting with the Calvin Writers Read on Tuesday, November 2nd, in the Center Art Gallery, CFAC.
The English Department is buzzing with excitement to begin regularly using the newly renovated Covenant Fine Arts Center.