VOL. 123 N O . II
HOPE COLLEGE • H O L L A N D . M I C H I G A N
SPERA IN DEO"
DECEMBER 9. 2 0 0 9 • SINCE 1887
attitude of service
Advent bri Gretchen Baldwin GUEST WRITER
Every Christmas, we are b o m barded with advertisements, sales and opportunities to buy into the corporation that our Christian holiday has b e c o m e . We are also, however, b o m b a r d e d with messages to t u r n away f r o m these commercial Christmases and r e t u r n t o the true m e a n i n g of Christmas. Somewhere lost in translation are tangible opportunities for us to actually experience a loving, giving. Christian Christmas. Luckily, for those of us w h o want to get involved in a m o r e Christian Christmas, H o p e College is bursting with volunteer opportunities, awareness events and ideas to make the holiday season less corporate. As early as October, students were preparing for the C h r i s t m a s season by participating in O p eration Christmas Child. H o p e s C a m p u s Ministry t e a m distributed shoeboxes to be picked up at various c a m p u s locations. Participants then had until Nov. 19 t o fill t h e boxes with small gifts like toys, hygiene items, school supplies and personal notes. The boxes were shipped by the p a r e n t organization Samaritan's Purse to needy children a r o u n d the world so that they would have an opportunity to experience Christm a s for perhaps t h e first t i m e in their lives.
P H O T O BY JENNA H U N G E R
OH BRING M E SOME STICKY PUDDING— The C h r i s t m a s t r e e In D l m n e n t Chapel dazzles as classes w i n d down before w i n t e r b r e a k .
O n Wednesday, Dec. 9, a group of students will meet at the DeWitt flagpole at 5:45 p.m. to h o p o n a bus and go caroling at senior citizen h o m e s around Holland. If you can't make it to this event, encourage your friends to gather a group together and contact a nursing h o m e or hospital t o go caroling or to bring cookies to residents. O t h e r Hope C h r i s t m a s t i m e events include 30-Hour Famine and G r e e n Christmas. The 3 0 - H o u r Famine began Dec. 4. Those involved raised m o n e y and went without food f r o m n o o n on Friday until 6 p.m. o n Saturday in order to remind themselves of the n e e d s of the hungry a r o u n d the world. G r e e n Christmas is being s u p p o r t e d by Hope's envir o n m e n t a l group. Keep your eyes o p e n for recycled signs a r o u n d c a m p u s with suggestions for how to make this Christmas a green initiative. M o s t of all, however, o u r attitudes are what will affect how C h r i s t m a s is presented in our culture. Reclaim a Christian C h r i s t m a s by participating in service events like these as well as simply by seeking m e a n i n g in o u r holiday and refocusii}g your attention. Celebrating C h r i s t m a s in a Christian way doesn't have to m e a n throwing all of o u r m o d e r n traditions out t h e window, but it d o e s m e a n keeping our hearts in t h e right place as we celebrate.
Study Committee issues recommendations on sexuality programming Robert Guimond Co-EorroR
CAMPUS
Faculty and a d m i n i s t r a t o r s have taken action to p r o m o t e c o n s t r u c t i v e conversation a b o u t homosexuality since t h e c o n troversy e r u p t e d s u r r o u n d i n g the administration's decision t o n o t allow "Milk" screenwriter D u s t i n Lance Black to speak at a Sexuality R o u n d t a b l e s p o n s o r e d event. A Nov. 24 faculty m e e t i n g was designed to discuss sexuality and recent c a m p u s events. Short pres e n t a t i o n s were m a d e by Presid e n t James Bultman, Provost James Boelkins and Professor Steven Hoogerwerf. H o o g e r w erf provided an overview of t h e significant p r o g r a m m i n g that has been d o n e in recent years related t o homosexuality. Provost Boelkins r e s p o n d e d to q u e s t i o n s s u b m i t t e d by m e m b e r s of t h e faculty followed by a period of interaction.
"The N o v e m b e r faculty m e e t ing was a c h a n c e for professors to learn t h e details t h a t went into t h e administration's decision regarding Dustin Black ... The m e e t i n g was a m o d e l for civil discourses and s h o w e d that p e o p l e with various viewpoints can disagree in a respectful way," said psychology professor a n d faculty m e e t i n g m o d e r a t o r Scott VanderStoep. "I walked away f r o m t h e meeting p r o u d to be a H o p e faculty member." In addition t o t h e faculty meeting, an ad h o c study c o m mittee m e e t i n g was f o r m e d a n d met several t i m e s d u r i n g November. "The p u r p o s e of t h e c o m m i t t e e was t o gain historical perspective o n sexuality prog r a m m i n g at Hope, to review t h e facts c o n c e r n i n g the Black situation, and to m a k e r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s that will assist o u r c o m m u n i t y in w o r k i n g together
W H A T ' S INSIDE NATIONAL
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w h e n dealing with difficult issues," said Boelkins. "The ad h o c c o m m i t t e e consisted of 12 individuals: six f r o m t h e faculty, four f r o m Student D e v e l o p m e n t and o n e f r o m C a m p u s Ministry; I chaired t h e g r o u p . Each m e m b e r of t h e c o m m i t t e e offered special c o m p e t e n c i e s t h a t would c o n tribute to t h e c u r r e n t situation." According to Boelkins, the following recommendations have b e e n m a d e to Bultman by the committee: • Reappoint a Sexuality P r o g r a m m i n g C o m m i t t e e similar to t h e o n e that o p e r a t e d between 2001 and 2007. • Charge the new Programm i n g C o m m i t t e e with designing appropriate programming on sexuality d u r i n g t h e spring sem e s t e r and b e y o n d . • A p p o i n t a small g r o u p to outline a process for approving external speakers invited by students.
In addition, t h e ad h o c c o m mittee offered t h e following suggestions for dealing with t h e o t h e r topics discussed utilizing existing b o a r d s and c o m m i t t e e s : * The C a m p u s Life Board should address t h e f u t u r e of t h e Sexuality Roundtable; • The integration of sexuality e d u c a t i o n into curricular and extracurricular programming would be best addressed by the A c a d e m i c Affairs Board and t h e Sexuality P r o g r a m m i n g C o m -
mittee; • The Sexual H a r a s s m e n t Policy Advocates s h o u l d address h o w t o make' t h e c a m p u s a safer place for all; and, • The Administrative Affairs Board should evaluate the need for a faculty/staff o m b u d s p e r s o n to address p r o b l e m s that may arise in the workplace related to sexual orientation. The r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s are p e n d i n g approval by Bultman.
Black to speak in Holland T h e r e will be a q u e s t i o n and a n s w e r session with Dustin Lance Black after a s h o w i n g of "Milk" at t h e Park Theater o n Thursday Dec. 9. Black is flying f r o m N e w York City specifically for this event. The o f f - c a m p u s event is s p o n -
Going back— 30,000 more troops needed in Afghanistan. Page 3
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sored by H o p e is Ready. Tickets are sold out, but the organization is considering holding a second s h o w i n g o n Friday, as t h e r e have b e e n h u n d r e d s of req u e s t s for tickets. For m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , email hope.is.ready@gmail.com.
FML— Memoir students read their work. Page 4