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| Message
from the Director |
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Sincerely,
Mary Boelkins ’96 Remenschneider
Director of Alumni and Parent Relations |
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Register now for Alumni Weekend May 4-6 2007!
This year’s Alumni Weekend is quickly approaching. Less than a
month away, the Office of Alumni Relations has been busy preparing for
your arrival. With so much planned to keep you entertained, you won’t
want to miss it.
The weekend kicks off Friday with a lecture by Hope College professor
Steve VanderVeen about the role of the banking industry in West Michigan
past, present, and future. Class parties conclude the evening at various
Holland area restaurants and times.
Saturday
begins with class brunches for members of the classes of ’42, ’47, ’52, ’57, ’62, ’67, ’72, ’77,
and ’82 followed by campus walking/driving tours and interest sessions
of a variety of topics including myHope, Hope from a global perspective,
and how you may begin to navigate the college scene for your son or daughter.
The day continues with an organ concert featuring the newly-restored
Skinner organ, the Presidential Open House, and a ceremony honoring the
induction of the Class of 1957 into the Fifty-Year Circle. The evening
wraps up with the Annual Alumni Banquet where you can enjoy great food
and great company as well as celebrate with us as we present the 2007
Distinguished Alumni Awards and recognize the Class of 1957. The weekend
concludes Sunday with the Class of 2007 Baccalaureate service and graduation
ceremony.
With the
so many class reunion celebrations and yet another class joining the
Fifty Year Circle, we sincerely hope you will join
us for this year’s
Alumni Weekend. For more information or to register, check out the Alumni
Weekend website. Click
here for a complete schedule of events! Hope to
see you there!
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Spend
some quality time
in
the Tulip City!
|
Whether your back in town for a Hope College alumni event,
visiting your son or daughter, or just coming back to the old college
stompin’ ground,
Holland is always a good time! Here’s a few ideas to keep in mind
on your next visit to Holland.
Where to Stay
Holland offers a variety of accommodations for all seasons. If you’re
looking to experience the great outdoors of Holland complete with campfires
and roasting marshmallows, consider camping at Holland State Park or
one of the other area campgrounds. If falling asleep to the sounds of
crickets chirping isn’t for you, there are more than 10 area hotels
to choose from with varying amenities. Perhaps you just want to get away
for the weekend and enjoy a relaxing, intimate atmosphere – check
out Holland’s great bed and breakfasts or lakeside cottage rentals!
For a complete listing of Holland’s lodging options, visit
the Holland
Convention & Visitor’s Bureau.
Where to Eat
 |
Whether
you are on the go, looking for a pleasant meal in downtown Holland,
or wanting to indulge in Holland’s fine dining, the Tulip
City has got you covered. Here’s just a few places you may
consider: |
• 8th Street Grille: Located right in downtown Holland, 8th Street Grille
is the perfect place to stop and grab a burger or sandwich or take advantage
of their famous unlimited soup bar while you browse the shops lining
8th Street. 8th Street Grille has a fun atmosphere and a great place
to just kick back and relax!
•
Good Earth: This pleasant and quaint café just off
8th Street on 7th Street is known for its welcoming atmosphere and
delicious bagel
sandwiches and bagel chips. With practically every
sort of bagel you can imagine, pick your favorite and your toppings
and enjoy your meal
in their outside dining area (or stay inside if you
prefer)!
•
Piper Restaurant: Overlooking Lake Macatawa, Piper Restaurant
offers elegant dining and a wonderful view of the sunset. If it’s romance
you’re looking for, enjoy one of their signature
main plates followed by one of their famous delicious
desserts.
• Ottawa Beach Inn: Adjacent to Holland State Park and serving the lakeshore
for over 25 years, Ottawa Beach Inn offers a casual but cozy dining experience.
With generous portions, reasonable prices, and some of the friendliest
service in town, Ottawa Beach Inn is a great place to grab lunch on your
way to the beach or relax and enjoy a good meal following the sunset.
For a complete listing of Holland’s dining
options, visit the Holland
Convention & Visitor’s Bureau. What to Do
 |
Holland
is a unique travel experience with a wide variety
of activities and events throughout the year.
Holland is most famous for its annual Tulip
Time Festival held in early May. Named “Best
Small Town Festival in America” by Reader’s
Digest, Tulip
Time is May 5-12 this year and offers |
delicious
Dutch food, three parades
complete with authentic Dutch costumes, amazing floats, street sweepers
and
the Dutch dancers; great headliner concerts, and nearly half a million
tulips.
| Located
right on Lake Michigan, Holland also has miles
of sandy beaches to enjoy as well as bicycling
and boating opportunities along the shores.
Holland also offers fun for kids at Craig’s
Cruisers Family Fun Center, Crazy Bounce, and
The Lost City as
well as educational experiences at |
|
DeGraaf
Nature Center, DePree Art Center and Gallery, and the Holland Museum. There
are also plenty of opportunities to shop ‘til you drop
in the unique specialty shops in downtown Holland. Chocolate, clothes,
artwork, souvenirs, furniture, and home accents – Holland has it
all! For
more complete information on attractions and events in Holland, visit
the Holland Convention & Visitor’s Bureau.
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| Alumni
Profile - Tim Dykstra '98 |
 |
“Bridging
Gaps and Making a Difference” |
“Hope’s
focus on personal development is by far the most important part of
my job today.”
Some days he travels by helicopter and surveys the beautiful
landscape of Southern Idaho. Some days he meets with the Shoshone and
Paiute tribe
members to learn more about their cultural values. Some days he travels
to Washington, D.C. to meet with congressmen to encourage legislation
to protect the wilderness in Idaho. Tim Dykstra’s ’98 days
working for the Shoshone and Paiute tribes in Boise, Idaho are anything
but boring.
A biology major during his time at Hope, Dykstra remembers
frequent family camping vacations really peaking his interest in the
environment. “I
always loved being outside and learning when I was young,” he says.
The last four years Dykstra has been working as the Fish
and Wildlife Director for the Shoshone and Paiute tribes – a
very important position as these tribes rely heavily on the land both
physically and
culturally.
| “
Both tribes rely heavily on fish and wildlife and they therefore
need to stand up for and protect their way of life,” Dykstra
says. “My job is to facilitate communication and bridge the
language and cultural gaps between the tribes and all levels of government.” |
 |
Recently, Dykstra has been working with congressmen in Washington, D.C.
to encourage designating an area of land in Southern Idaho as protected
wilderness. He said that there has been no new land designated as wilderness
in Southern Idaho since 1980. He has also worked extensively on trout
and salmon recovery projects as well as tribal relations among the tribes
themselves. For the last two years, Dykstra has been involved in an effort
to encourage three tribes in Southern Idaho with historical conflicts
to unite and find common ground. Just last month, Dykstra watched as
the three tribes signed a commitment to work together and move forward.
Bridging the gaps is not an easy job but Dykstra does describe how much
is has meant to the tribe and how he has found meaning in his position.
“
A large portion of my job is interfacing with the federal government
who think about these environmental issues differently – perhaps
not necessarily from a spiritual and cultural perspective as these
tribes do,” Dykstra says. “I come to the congressmen with
an understanding of the tribe’s needs and values and can then
serve those needs and articulate them to the government.”
It’s not everyone that gets to see the difference they make first-hand.
Dykstra has always wanted to spend his life making a difference in some
way and he is one of those lucky ones who get to experience and see the
difference he does make both for the tribes and for the environment. “I
have an opportunity to spearhead policy decisions in an area I love,” he
says. “I make a difference by encouraging creation and protection.”
Dykstra described how his time at Hope really prepared
him for his current position in ways he wouldn’t have considered upon graduation. “I
loved my time at Hope,” he says, “but I have also learned
that as much as you have to understand your subject area, you must also
commit to being able to communication clearly across cultures. It’s
so much more than biology.”
He said that Hope’s focus on helping him develop
as a person first and then as a scholar have been crucial elements
as he works with tribe
members and government officials alike.
Dykstra is making a difference. He’s not only building bridges – he’s
encouraging people to walk across them.
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| Class
of 2007: How you can stay involved |
 |
Wherever
you're headed -- Cali, NYC, Japan, Africa, or right here in
West Michigan -- Hope College will always be right here for
you! |
The
Hope community wants you to know that we value you and you're continued
involvement with your Alma Mater. You know form experience now how
many opportunities you have to get involved in the college while
you're here.
Well, all that doesn't have to end when you graduate. There are so many
ways to stay involved with and keep up to date on what is going on here
while you're away. Here a just a few ways you can continue to enjoy all
Hope has to offer:
- Hope
College Alumni Association: As
a graduate of Hope College, you are automatically a member of its
Alumni Association.
As a member, you will be able to recieve continued communications from
the college and the Alumni Relations office in the form of news
from Hope College, notices of events in your area, this newsletter
and much more. You will also be invited and encouraged to continue
to participate in college events through attendance at athletic events,
reunions, alumni gatherings, and have the option to host alumni events
in your area. Visit the Alumni
Association website for more information!
- Alumni
Travel & Regional Events: Every
year, graduates from across the nation and around the globe volunteer
to host alumni gatherings in their area. To check out what events
may be going on in your area, check out the Regional
Events calendar.
Alumni also have the opportunity to travel, often internationally,
over the summer with other alumni and friends of the college while
being thoughtfully guided by a Hope College faculty member(s).
Visit the Alumni
Travel website for more information on these great
opportunities.
- myHope
Online Community: You
are most likely already familiar with online communities such as
MySpace and Facebook (some may even spend more time on Facebook
that doing those year-end senior projects). Well, myHope is similar
to those websites except that it is exclusively for Hope College
alumni, current students, faculty and staff. You can share news
and pictures, find old classmates, post class notes, find events
in your area, and network with other career professionals. Check
out myHope and stay connected!
- Career
Resource Network: Become
a mentor for a current Hope College student, help students become
familiar with your career field, foster relationships between your
organization and the college to help in job and internship placements
-- by becoming a member of the Career Resource Network, you can
do all of these things and more. Visit the Office
of Career Services for more information!
The opportunities
to stay involved with Hope College post-graduation are endless. Whether
you want to continue to volunteer with Dance Marathon, come back and
tour the college years from now, or join classmates at reunions at
Homecoming and/or Alumni Weekend, the Office of Alumni Relations encourages
you to stay connected since you have been such a vital part of this
community for the last four years. If you ever have questions, don't
hesitate to contact the Alumni Relations office at alumni@hope.edu
or (616) 395-7250.
Good luck
and God bless your futures!
| Graduating
Seniors: Where are they headed? |
With a
new crop of brilliant minds entering the workplace, you may be wondering
what some members of the Class of 2007 have planned for the years ahead.
Check out where a few of our seniors are headed!
 |
“I plan on moving back to the Detroit area with hopes
to do production work during the day. In the evening, I plan
on working on Stoke, a clothing company a few friends and I started
while at Hope, stuff and performing in regional theatre productions.
In case you haven’t heard, Stoke is an acronym for 'Seeking
to Open Klosed Eyes.' It’s about being |
amped
on life and not putting off happiness but living the one life you’ve got to the fullest. We put our philosophy
on clothes and we represent our lifestyle. I also plan on moving to
California with my mom in a year.” –Chad Coe
“I
am graduating from Hope College with an Exercise Science
Major and a Psychology Minor. I am going to Central Michigan
University for my doctorate in Physical Therapy. The program
is three full years and when I am done I will be considered
a general
clinician. I am interested in the areas of pediatrics
and sports medicine. I am, however, keeping my options open
and am eager to look at all of the different areas of physical
therapy.” – Kristina
Lilly |
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“After
spending last semester working in Chicago as an Event Planner
Intern at Big City Brides, I’m currently pursuing a job
in event/wedding planning. I enjoyed my Chicago experience
very much and was always busy with the weddings we planned
and coordinated. My weekends were normally spent going from
one wedding right to the next with few if any breaks -- but
I loved it. After graduation, I will be moving to my hometown
of Toledo, Ohio
and interning
for
the
summer.
I
plan
to move
south,
and hope to eventually own my own event coordinating company.”
– Cara
Corbett |
| “For the next four years I will be attending the University
of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry. To pay for three out of
the four years of dental school, I will be under a naval scholarship.
The Navy will pay for three years of schooling along with a monthly
stipend. In return, I will be required to serve as a dentist
at a naval base for three years following dental school. I am
not sure if I would like to specialize, but if so, this would
require more schooling after my three years in the Navy.” – Peter
Holden |
|
Good
luck, Class of 2007!
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Check
out what these members of the Hope faculty have one in the past
couple months! Just click on the links to read the press releases. Kent
Van Til publishes "Less
Than Two Dollars a Day: A Christian View of World Poverty and the
Free Market."
Kristen
Deede Johnson publishes "Theology,
Political Theory, and Pluralism: Beyond Tolerance and Difference."
Scott
VanderStoep elected
national president of Psi Chi, the National Honor Society in Psychology.
John
Krupczak, Jr. and William Polik honored
by Hope's Science Division for excellence in teaching and research.
Steven
Hoogerwerf presented
MCC Faculty/Staff Community Service-Learning Award.
Jeanine
Dell'Olio and Tony Donk co-author
"Models of Teaching: Connecting Student Learning with Standards."
Jean
Reed Bahle featured
in the book "Amazing Women of West Michigan."
Elliot
Tanis co-authors "A
Brief Course in Mathematical Statistics."
Many
faculty members honored at annual recognition luncheon.
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Stay connected…Get reconnected!
The
myHope online community is up and running, and you've been logging
on in herds! It’s only been
a couple of months since the first round of passwords were sent out
in the mail and over 2,000
of you have already logged on and updated your profiles. Additionally,
nearly 1,000 users have said they are willing to be contacted for
career networking and 480 users
have posted member photos.
As some of you have probably found out, myHope is a great way to stay
connected to the college and reconnect with former classmates. With
so much to do on myHope, you could (and perhaps some of you have)
ended up spending hours just browsing friends’ profiles and
pictures. You also have the opportunity to search for alumni, give
advice to others, or find a mentor in your career field. What’s
more, you can post notes on the message boards, send instant messages,
and search class notes to find out who from your class is getting
married, having babies, starting a new career, graduating from higher
education and so much more.
Other than a few minor glitches that were
worked out quickly, there have been few problems, and you have been
instrumental in making improvements
to the program. We continue to encourage your thoughts and suggestions
on how myHope could be improved and even more user-friendly. Here’s
what some of you have said about myHope so far:
“I think this is a GREAT idea. Life in the real world is so
crazy busy it is difficult to stay in touch. I'm excited about this
new approach.”
-Kim Chapple ‘88 Mooney
“I love it! What a great way to reconnect with old friends.
I hope people post photos...old or new!”
-Nancy Clair ’78
Otterstrom
“This is a great way to keep updated on classmates and Hope
events. Thanks for giving us this opportunity to keep in touch.”
-Darcy
Smith ’99 Carmichael
With rave reviews, we encourage you to
continue to sign on, as we hope to have 20% of alumni online this
first year. We have lots of
plans for myHope this year including getting a few subgroups up and
running, hosting some games and incentive based activities to get people
online and using the community, get people more comfortable with using
the community for giving and event registration, and to get 60% of
alumni email addresses (we’re at 43% now, so keep ‘em coming!).
If you have not received your password yet, you should be receiving
it shortly in the mail. As always, you are welcome to contact the Alumni
Office with questions or for more information at alumni@hope.edu or
(616) 395-7252. Keep signing on and staying connected!
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Visit the calendar
page to see what events and activities will be happening
on campus. You can view all events for a given month or sort
to view events by category.
Also,
be sure to see what regional
events are happening around the country for alumni, parents,
and friends of the college.
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One
of the most efficient means of maintaining a connection with the Hope
College community
is by utilizing the resources available through the college’s
web site. It is a timely means of obtaining information and can be
done regardless of the distance you reside from campus.
From
academics and athletics to the arts -- a multitude of resources are
available just a click away from the
College's
home page.
Visit "Hope
College Today" regularly to keep up-to-date with campus
and community news including:
- Hope
College Headlines and Press Releases
- Upcoming
Events and Performances
- Campus
Construction Project Updates
We
invite you to take some time to explore Hope's website and see what information
awaits you there!
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Would
you like to receive future issues of the Alumni E-News Link via email?
To subscribe, please click here and
complete the subscription form.
Current
Subscribers - Have you recently changed your email address? If so, please
send the new information to alumnienews@hope.edu.
In addition
to the Alumni E-News Link, the Office of Parent Relations creates the Parent's
Place E-Newsletter, an e-publication made specifically for Hope Parents!
If you would like to subscribe, please click here.
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If
you no longer wish to receive the Alumni e-News Link, please email alumnienews@hope.edu
and provide your name and email address.
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