May 14, 2007 == MEDIA ADVISORY
Summary: Some 900 Calvin College graduates will participate this Saturday in
Commencement 2007, but with a twist. For the first time in four decades Calvin
will hold Commencement off campus, at VanAndel Arena.
Full story see http://www.calvin.edu/news/releases/2006-07/commencement.htm
For the first time in over 40 years graduates of Calvin College will have
their Commencement ceremony in downtown Grand Rapids.
The 2007 Calvin Commencement is slated for Saturday, May 19 at 2 pm and will
be held in VanAndel Arena, on Fulton Street in downtown GR. Commencement 2007
marks the 87th such conferring of four-year degrees in Calvin's 131-year
history.
The last Commencement not to be held in the Calvin Fieldhouse took place in
1966 at the old Civic Auditorium, which was located less than a mile from the
site of VanAndel Arena (the Civic was south of the Grand River near the current
DeVos Place).
Calvin also plans to hold its May 2008 Commencement ceremony at VanAndel Arena
before moving back to campus in May 2009. The reason for the move is
construction on Calvin's Spoelhof Fieldhouse Complex (which will include a new
arena, a new aquatics center and a new indoor track and tennis center) began
this spring and that work will allow only limited access to Calvin Fieldhouse
(which will be renovated into a health and recreation center).
One big advantage of the VanAndel Arena is that the college expects to be able
to accommodate over 8,000 guests, significantly more than it hosted in the past
in Calvin Fieldhouse and the Fine Arts Center auditorium.
In addition to the ceremony at VanAndel Arena a number of events this weekend
will take place on campus.
For example the annual department of nursing pinning ceremony will be held on
Thursday, May 17 in the Fine Arts Center. The Commencement worship service will
happen on Friday, May 18 at 5 pm in the Calvin Chapel, the celebration cookout
will also be that day on the Commons Lawn, there will be a bachelor of arts
exhibition and reception in the Spoelhof College Center Art Gallery and much
more.
The speaker for 2007 will be Michelle Loyd-Paige, dean for multicultural
affairs. Her title? "Leave A Little Dust."
In addition 1971 graduate William Garvelink and 1974 alumnus Joel Holtrop will
receive the 2007 Distinguished Alumni Award from the Calvin Alumni Association.
About 900 graduates are expected to participate in this Saturday's ceremony.
-end-
Received on Mon May 14 14:04:25 2007
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