Roots & Wings
Mud Bowl from the early 2000s
Stepping onto a college campus for the first time generates a kaleidoscope of emotions—equal parts hope and hesitation. Students may feel the ache of leaving home even as they yearn to plant new roots. They reach for independence yet face the uncertainty of charting their own course. While academic pursuits anchor the undergraduate experience, university life extends far beyond the classroom. Residence life lives in our collective memory as equally formative—an incubator for growth and belonging. On Calvin’s Knollcrest campus, dorm life plays a vital role in helping students spread their wings.
TRADITIONS
Throughout the year, there are plenty of reasons to spend weekends on campus, including the fun of participating in Calvin traditions. Fall introduces students to Chaos Night (formerly Day) full of competition between dorms and a healthy dose of the absurd.
GROWTH
The ultimate living and learning experience, students living in the dorms explore faith, identity, relationships, and the joys and challenges of their newly gained autonomy.
“My time in the dorms was when I started figuring out the whole ‘adulting’ thing. You start to manage your time, do your own laundry, set your own curfew, and decide what your values are. I also figured out how to get along with people—or not—and then how to deal with differences in ideas or values.” Kim Brower ’93
WELCOME
“As an international student, I really enjoy living on Calvin’s campus. I love how people are so welcoming and friendly here. I also love spending time with my roommate, Emelyn—we get along so well—and I value how close our relationship has become.” Esther Lan ’29, member of the 150th class
RELATIONAL ECOSYSTEM
To live in the dorms is to become part of a vibrant relational ecosystem, filled with all the highs and lows one might expect.
“I was surrounded by peers who were experiencing many of the same things I was— first time living away, hard classes, exploring faith. I felt seen, heard, and known.” Jeff Meitler ’16
“Challenges that come to mind included telling a student that his father had committed suicide, helping a student get the mental health resources needed, at- tending funerals for student leaders that I had, but most of the challenges were just day-to-day operations and relationship development.” Dave Rozeboom ’91, Beets Veenstra resident director ’94–’96
MEMORIES
Each day presents the possibility of a memory-in-the-making—the impossible prank pulled off with finesse, the advent of a lasting relationship, an ordinary moment that becomes a core memory.
"Most of my core memories at Calvin revolve around life at KH. I met my wife at Calvin—she was on first Kalsbeek; I was on first Huizenga." Minwoo Heo ’09
HOME AWAY FROM HOME
“Your floor is your first community on campus. It’s where your home is. Your stuff is there. It’s where you sleep. And it’s often where you make your first friends.” John Witte ’91, dean of students
“Over the first weeks, months, year, the dorm became home. It was our place.” Jan Stouwie Bode ’72
This story features a variety of images from residence live through the years that can't be accommodated on this webpage. Visit the ISSUU format of this article to enjoy!