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Calvin Students Hit the Streets

August 29, 2014

Just a day after moving into their residence halls on the Calvin College campus, all first-year students were sent back off-campus.

“It’s about recognizing that Calvin is a place within a community, and that community matters,” said sophomore Maaike Mudde.

Mudde is the student coordinator for StreetFest—a one-day service-learning opportunity that took place on Thursday, Aug. 28. StreetFest introduces all first-year and transfer students to a commitment to service and learning that is central to a Calvin education. Including faculty and staff mentors and student leaders, more than 1,000 people from the Calvin community participated.

The theme for the 22nd edition of StreetFest was “PLACE: Presence, Listening, Action, Commitment, Everyday.”

“If we’re not serving a place, we are committed to serving ourselves,” said Mudde.

Calvin partnered with 53 organizations for the one-day event, which will saw students touring neighborhoods, gardening public spaces and organizing food pantries.

“We choose organizations that understand what we’re doing, those organizations that are committed to doing God’s Work in God’s world,” said Kruis.

 “We see ourselves as co-educators, teaching students about neighbors, what they do, their purpose in the community and why it takes all these different organizations and missions to create a healthy community.”