Favorite campus-wide event:
I really love the $1 movies and the $5 concerts in the CFAC. Calvin students are really great audiences, and it’s wonderful to be able to appreciate things like movies and music with other people. There are also a lot of great discussions that arise from these events!
My other favourite thing is the January Series, which happens during Interim. For the 15 school days of Interim, there is a lecture every day for FREE! There are always FABULOUS people, like Temple Grandin (a professor and researcher of animal science), Jimmy Wales (the founder of Wikipedia), Jessica Jackley (co-founder of Kiva) and so many more!
What's the residence hall community like?
I LOVE the dorms! Coming to Calvin, I only knew 5 people, and only one of them was a freshman lik e me. Through events like Chaos Day, our dorm retreat, and Praise Break, I got to know my whole dorm quite well. B oth years I was on Second Eldersveld, my floor was pretty tight. I had wonderful RAs both years who really tried to bri ng us together as a floor. From serenades, to raiding the first floor toilet paper stash, to running around outside in the rain, to baking cookies, to sleepovers, to slurpee runs, to playing Justin Bieber board games, dorm life is an awesome way to get really involved in Calvin’s community. Calvin also works very hard to make sure that you match well with your roommate, and my roommate freshmen year was fabulous (I didn`t have one during my sophomore year)! We had a lot in common, and we got to know each other really well. We hung out all the time and had marvelous adventures together! There are also a lot of inter-dorm competitions, like Kill-A-Watt, which double as ways to get to know other people as well as ways to learn about new things, like sustainability! There is a great community spirit in the dorms.
Favorite spot on campus:
I adore the nature preserve. It’s not very big, but it’s a great place to de-stress. I love going there to ponder things and refresh myself. I use it as an escape from the busy world of school, and to remind myself that God is everywhere.
Why should a prospective Canadian student choose Calvin?
Calvin may seem expensive and inconvenient, but it’s totally worth it! If you want to go away from home to go to school, going to Calvin is comparable in price to something like Trinity Western, Redeemer, and Kings. I also had someone tell me that if you want a Christian school with great academics, Calvin and Wheaton are the best places to go. Calvin offers a lot of scholarships, and there are great new deals for Canadians (no more SATS and up to $5000 as a Maple Leaf Scholarship). There used to be over 200 Canadian students per year, but now there are less than 50. We’re trying to bring that number up again, so Calvin is even more accessible to Canadians than ever, and it’s totally got the most bang for your buck. There are so many wonderful opportunities at Calvin, from majors and minors to volunteering to lectures to community to events and so much more. Calvin is a great place to be!
How has Calvin challenged you?
Coming from such a liberal, Canadian background and going to a conservative, American place was very difficult. However, it’s teaching me a lot about why I believe what I believe, and challenging me to think critically about a lot more things than I ever have before. Calvin has also challenged me to further integrate my faith into my everyday life.
How have you made Calvin your home?
For me, home is about people, so by creating a great network of people (aka community!) I have been able to make Calvin my home. I love having people over, and cooking and planning fun things for them. It was really important to me to find a good balance between studying and socializing, and Calvin has allowed me to find that balance.