Back to the Future

 

Fifty years is a long time.

Or a very short one.

On Saturday, I went back to my alma mater for my 50-year college reunion. Hope College in Holland, Michigan, has changed a lot in that time, and so have I. But a lot has also stayed the same.

During the Class of ‘72’s reunion brunch, the college president pointed out that of the 4,000 colleges in the United States, we are one of the few that is named after an idea rather than a person. When Rev. Van Raalte started the school, he remarked that “This is my anchor of hope for this people in the future.” And the school motto is “Spera in Deo,” which translates to “Hope in God.” The photo at the top of this post shows Hope College’s symbol, the anchor in front of Graves Hall.¹

When I attended Hope, there were a few buildings—such as the library—that were considered modern for that day, but most Spear were majestic older buildings, such as Graves Hall and Dimnent Memorial Chapel and it’s oldest one, Van Vleck Hall, where I lived my freshman and sophomore years. The next two photos show Dimnent and Van Vleck.

The historical buildings are still there, with the exception of Van Raalte Hall, which burned down just after I left. But now the old architecture mingles with newer styles, such as the Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts in the last photo.

The important things have not changed, however. Hope is still a Christian liberal arts school known for its academic excellence and its Christ-centered focus. Well, one important matter has improved. When I went there the vast majority of students belonged to the Reformed Church and came from Michigan or New York. (So as a Presbyterian from Michigan, I met half of that criteria.) And anyone who wasn’t white stood out. I don’t think the lack of diversity was intentional, but Hope College is affiliated with the Reformed Church in America, which was founded by immigrants from the Netherlands, and the Dutch weren’t a diverse group at the time. Besides, a Hope College education wasn’t cheap.

There is significantly more diversity these days as well as a focused effort to make a Hope College education affordable. Yes, the tuition is still steep (around $50,000 a year), but between scholarships and other efforts, the college is committed to finding ways to mitigate the expense for students.

During the last fifty years, I also changed—and stayed the same. When I started college, my dream was to become a lawyer. By the time I graduated, I was planning on becoming a psychology professor. But it was the first dream that came true. Then it changed again, and now I am a writer.

A lot can happen in fifty years, but it doesn’t have to change the important things. In spite of all the changes on campus, Hope’s mission to provide an excellent Christian education remains firm.

So I’m proud to be a Hope College graduate.

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¹I took the first three photos in 2014. The last one is from Saturday’s visit.