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January
2007
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Volume
3 - Issue 1
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Dear Alumni, This morning, I am looking out a window in the DeWitt Center at a picture perfect Holland winter day. It's a snow globe; a true winter wonderland. I recall my days as a student, however, when a morning like this made the three block walk from my apartment at College East to my class in Vanderwerf Hall feel like three miles. I am pleased to say that I only landed on my back once on the icey sidewalks when running late to class, and I think I recovered well, masking my humiliation with laughter. For some of you, College East and Vanderwerf Hall did not exist when you were on campus. Others enjoyed buildings like Lubbers Hall and Peale when they were state of the art science buildings. Almost every one of us remembers basketball in the Holland Civic Center while this next generation of Hope alumni will remember basketball (and volleyball) in the DeVos Fieldhouse. Many of us remember classes with international students and taking trips ourselves to Vienna or other destinations. Hope students graduating these days will remember a college dedicated to enhancing international and multi-cultural education and experiences for all students. The list can go on and on... This
year I encourage you to connect with your fellow alumni to share these
memories and experiences. Thank you!
 What’s badder than old King Kong and meaner than a junkyard dog? No, not Leroy Brown – the HOPE-CALVIN RIVALRY, of course! That’s right, the age-old competition continued and we brought it right into your backyard for the 9th Annual Satellite Broadcast. The Rivalry continued this year on January 13 as the men’s basketball team of Hope College took on the Knights in their 163rd face-off. The game was broadcast across the nation on both CSTV: College Sports Television and in West Michigan on WGVU. The Office of Alumni and Parent Relations, along with Calvin’s Office of Alumni Relations, worked together to help organize parties at 63 sites in 27 U.S. states and Canada to gather and watch the game. The rivalry was tied at 81 victories a piece with only 44 points separating the two schools (Hope was on top with 10,884 points). That means this year’s game declared a leader. And that leader is...drum roll, please…THE HOPE COLLEGE FLYING DUTCHMEN! That’s right, in an intense and exciting battle, it came right down to the wire. With the lead bouncing between teams, freshman Steve Kratz’s jumper with 13 minutes remaining gave Hope the lead for good – but not without a valiant Knight effort and an impressive Dutchmen defense. At the Calvin Fieldhouse, the Flying Dutchmen walked away with a 65-62 victory before 4,500 fans. Be a part of this great tradition! If you’re interested in hosting a Hope-Calvin Satellite party for next year's game, please contact Scott Travis at alumni@hope.edu or (616) 395-7251. Satellite
Game Photo Gallery!
If Dance Marathon didn’t exist when you went to Hope, here’s the general idea: Dance Marathon is a student-run organization that works year-round to raise money for DeVos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It culminates in a 24-hour Marathon during which students stay awake and on their feet for the whole event. The time is filled with inflatable games, competitions, dance performances, bands, games, a lip sync contest, entertainers and much more. Now you have a chance to see what it’s all about first-hand, and rest assured, you won’t be disappointed. This year, the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations is working with Dance Marathon to offer the chance for you to volunteer to help out during the event. There are a variety of opportunities including set-up, clean-up, serving ice cream, being a gopher, and even DANCING! The deadline for signing up to dance is February 15, so sign up now. This
year’s Dance Marathon is from Friday, March 9 at 7 p.m. to Saturday,
March 10 at 7 p.m. If you have any questions or would like volunteer registration
information, you can contact our office at (616) 395-7520 or visit the
Dance Marathon website.
Get involved and have fun doing it. You’ll be glad you did (even
if you sleep the whole next day)!
Dave Veldink ’91 and Mary VanZoeren ’91 Veldink weren’t really runners, but when they heard through a family member about an amazing opportunity to make a difference by running in the Walt Disney Marathon spring training seemed like a great way to get started. Their motivation was not necessarily to win in terms of best times but rather to make a difference – a difference that could impact their own family. Because teams are able to name a charity for which to raise money and dedicate their race, the Veldink family looked no further than two of their three daughters. Kate (age eight) and Olivia (age five) have both been diagnosed with Ataxia-Telangiectasis (A.T.). A.T. is a fatal genetic disease characterized by progressive weakening of the immune system, nervous system, and other bodily systems. Affected children typically develop difficulty walking, problems with balance, abnormal eye movements, and slurred speech as well as chronic lung infections and increased risk of developing cancer, particularly leukemia and lymphoma. Though many diagnosed with A.T. live into adulthood, their life expectancy is reduced. Dave and Mary decided then and there to form their own team to join other A.T.-inspired teams at the Walt Disney Marathon. This month they ran in their fourth marathon, are the second largest charity represented at the race, and raised over $1 million this year and last for A.T. Even more amazing for Dave and Mary, though, has been the outpouring of love from Hope College alumni. “We had a very close-knit group of friends at Hope when we went there and have stayed in touch with them ever since,” Mary said. When they told their friends what they were doing in Disney, many of them jumped on the bandwagon to offer their support in running. More than 18 alumni have joined the Veldink’s cause over the past three years now. Even U.S. Congressman Pete Hoekstra has joined the race. “He saw our story in the paper,” Mary said, “and called us to see how he could become involved. We’re now good friends.” The Veldink’s can’t begin to express how thankful they are to have such amazing friends from Hope College. “Running a marathon takes great discipline and intense training,” Mary said, “but our friends are an amazing support system. We know we are never alone.” An interesting addition to the Veldink story is that the spirit of giving back never ends for them. They receive much love and give much love. As a co-founder of Leap of Faith, LLC, the Main Dish Kitchen operating company, Dave works to help families put good meals on the table with the goal of having that dinner hour as a family despite packed schedules. Main Dish Kitchen allows customers to come in for two hours and make 6-12 meals of their choosing that can then be frozen and cooked at the customer’s family’s convenience. However, the Main Dish staff encourages customers to spend an extra 10 minutes after their session to make an extra meal at no cost that will be donated to various non-profits the company supports or one to which the customer chooses to donate. To date, the company has donated 31,378 main dishes which amount to more than 188,000 single servings. The Circle of Hope is all around us; giving, supporting, encouraging, and loving. It’s evident in the Veldink story, and if you want to join them and get involved in their fight for A.T. email the Alumni Relations office at alumni@hope.edu.
Recognizing alumni for great achievements is important to the Hope College community. We know our graduates are doing great things out in the world and we want to acknowledge those good deeds. We have a variety of awards set up to do just that: Distinguished Alumni Award: This is the highest award the Alumni Association can give to an alumnus or alumna. It is presented to a person who has contributed to society through volunteerism, significantly contributed to one’s profession, or has been actively involved at the College. Nominate! Meritorious Service Award: Recognizes someone who has greatly contributed to the College and its alumni through notable service and long-term involvement with the College. This person need not be a Hope graduate, though his/her contributions must have benefited the College in some way. Nominate! Young Alumni Award: NEW AWARD! For a recent graduate (within the last 15 years) who has attained a notable degree of prominence in his/her profession, through research or volunteerism in the local, global, or college community. Those that have started innovative service projects, businesses, research, or other enterprises are highly recommended. Nominate! H-Club Hope for Humanity Award: Presented to alumus/alumna athlete who has distinguished him/herself not by wins and losses but by lives changed through his/her profession. The H-Club Board of Directors seeks men and women that have changed lives through the Christian commitment to serve others through one’s profession. Nominate! For more information on these awards and to see past recipients of them,
visit the alumni
awards website. Nominations are now being requested.
The new computer game is called “Photo Match,” and the cool thing is that you get to use your own photos as the games pieces. In other words, you try and match the two photos of Grandma Johnson smiling without her false teeth and then proceed to the match the two of little Cousin Jack sneaking a cookie and so on. It’s creator, Hope College associate professor of computer science, Dr. Ryan McFall, created the game as a gift for his children last Christmas as a unique way to use his professional skills and give his children something he had invented. Little did he know the effect his new invention would have. "I wrote it for my kids strictly as their Christmas present, and gave it to people in our small group at church," McFall said. "My wife and they were the ones who said, 'You've got to sell this.'" McFall never planned to make his product available for purchase and because its original intention was to give back to kids, he decided to continue the trend with the profits from the sale of “Photo Match.” He has chosen to give the profits back to charitable organization such as Hope’s very own Children’s After School Achievement (CASA) program. The
basic concept of the game itself is nothing new to the market. What
makes “Photo Match” unique is that the
pictures to be matched are not predetermined. Rather, the user can
choose his/her own pictures
from his/her computer files. There are three different levels of difficulty
(easy, medium, and hard) determined by how many images there are to match.
*To be a member of the Alumni Association one need only to graduate from Hope College with 60 or more credits.
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 Visit "Hope College Today" regularly to keep up-to-date with campus and community news including:
We invite you to take some time to explore Hope's website and see what information awaits you there!
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