The commuter advisory board (CAB) at Calvin College is planning a whirl of events for spring: A Sudoku tournament, an evening of rock climbing, an ’80s roller skating party, an evening that combines car maintenance and dinner etiquette and a final banquet.

The Sudoku tournament, which capitalizes on the current craze for the logic-based numbers puzzle, will kick off at 4 pm on Tuesday, March 27 in room SB010 in the science building. On-campus students are welcome at the tournament, which is co-sponsored by the Calvin math department. The grand prize for dominating the event is an iPod Nano.

“Somebody is going to walk out of there with a $150 prize,” says Calvin dean of student development Bob Crow, enticingly.

Next on the CAB spring schedule will be the Inside Moves Climbing Night, to be held in conjunction with Calvin’s intramural program from 6 to 10 pm on Friday, April 13 at Inside Moves, 639 -1/2 Seventy-Sixth St., SW.

The first 20 students will pay $5 to climb; the final 10 will pay $10. Admittance is limited to 30 commuter students, and all equipment is included in the cover charge.

On Thursday, April 19, CAB will host an educational event that teaches students how to change a car tire and which fork to use.

“Manners and Maintenance” will begin at 5 pm at the Prince Conference Center with Crow himself demonstrating the proper way to change a tire (while formally attired).

"Some other basic car maintenance things, like changing your oil and things like that, most people have done at a service station. Changing a car tire is something you should know how to do in case you have flat tire and are not near a place to offer assistance,” Crow says. “It’s a pretty simple thing to do, and it’s also a helpful thing in case people are stranded.”

The manners portion of “Manners and Maintenance” runs from 5:30 to 6:30 pm within the Prince Conference Center, where Dana Hebreard, formerly of Career Development Office at Calvin, will teach students proper dinner etiquette.

Says Crow: "Typically, students who come to this are upperclass student who are interested in learning table etiquette in preparation for a possible future interview that may include lunch or dinner. It can be very unnerving, not to mention detrimental to your interview, if you fumble about at the table because you are unaware of how basic table manners go."

Hebreard’s lessons will include, but not be limited to, how to butter your bread (“I learned that last year,” Crow says. “You’re supposed to take it off in bite sizes and butter them instead of slathering the whole thing and cramming it into your mouth.”); which fork is yours; and the proper way to excuse oneself to the restroom.

Manners and Maintenance costs $10 per off-campus student.

“It’s a good deal,” Crow says, of the event. “You’re getting a $25 meal for $10.”

The next CAB spring event requires some digging into the back of the closet. The ’80s roller skating night, will be held at Woodland Roller Rink in conjunction with Calvin’s student activities office, from 10 pm to 1 am on Friday, April 20. Admission is $1 and open to all students who are willing to sport big hair, big shoulder pads and other ’80s accoutrements.

The final CAB event is the spring banquet, to be held at 6 pm on Wednesday, April 25 at the Pinnacle Center in Hudsonville. The banquet, co-sponsored by Knollcrest East apartments, will feature a buffet dinner and a DJ. Off-campus students and Knollcrest East residents are invited.

“We’re just trying to think of creative ways to educate,” says Crow of CAB, a group of commuter students who plan educational and social activities for commuter students. “We have a fantastically well-developed residence life program at Calvin, and what I want do is make sure that the 44 percent of our students who life off campus also have a great experience.”