The 85th annual conferring of degrees at Calvin College, with as the speaker, was a little different than the 84 that preceded it.

It came complete with metal detectors and national media attention, an expanded sound system and lights in the Fieldhouse, temporary air conditioning and a few more trappings that accompany a visit from the sitting president of the United States.

But when the ceremony was complete, at its heart it really wasn't a whole lot different than previous editions.

Because at its heart the Commencement service was a worship service that served to bid farewell to the class of 2005, sending the 900 or so graduates into the world to live out the fruits of their Calvin education.

That, say members of the Commencement committee, was the whole idea.

"We recognized of course," says Calvin vice president Tom McWhertor, "that having President Bush speak at Commencement was an honor. And we knew that it would mean significant changes to the logistics of Commencement. But our goal was to maintain as much as possible the worshipful nature of the Commencement ceremony. And I think that happened."

Indeed Commencement 2005 proceeded for the most part pretty comparably to prior years.

Although the moment when President Bush entered the Calvin Fieldhouse from the southwest corner and strode across the Commencement stage, shaking hands along the way with those gathered on the platform, was, most agreed, a unique way to begin the proceedings.

President Bush was greeted with a warm welcome as most of the 5,000 gathered in the Fieldhouse, including the 900 grads and 3,600 friends and family members, rose to their feet to give him a standing ovation.

His approximately 15-minute address touched on many themes familiar to Calvin and its students.

Indeed he invoked Abraham Kuyper, somewhat of a patron saint for the Calvin community, in his remarks.

"The history of forming associations dedicated to serving others is as old as America, itself," said the President. "From abolition societies and suffrage movements to immigrant aid groups and prison reform ministries, America's social entrepreneurs have often been far ahead of our government in identifying and meeting the needs of our fellow countrymen. Because they are closer to the people they serve, our faith-based and community organizations deliver better results than government. And they have a human touch: When a person in need knocks on the door of a faith-based or community organization, he or she is welcomed as a brother or a sister.

"No one understood this better than another 19th-century visitor to America whose name is well known to Calvin College: Abraham Kuyper. Kuyper was a Dutchman who would be elected his nation's prime minister, and he knew all about the importance of associations because he founded so many of them — including two newspapers, a political party and a university. Kuyper contrasted the humanizing influence of independent social institutions with the 'mechanical character of government.' And in a famous speech right here in Grand Rapids, he urged Dutch immigrants to resist the temptation to retreat behind their own walls — he told them to go out into their adopted America and make a true difference as true Christian citizens."

President Bush also showed a knack for humor in his opening remarks.

"I bring a great message of hope and freedom to Calvin College Class of 2005," he said. "There is life after Professor Vanden Bosch and English 101."

After the laughter subsided he continued: "Someday you will appreciate the grammar and verbal skills you learned here. And if any of you wonder how far a mastery of the English language can take you, just look what it did for me."

President Bush also seemed to indirectly acknowledge the conversations that had taken place on the Calvin campus in the month between the announcement of his visit and the May 21 Commencement ceremony, conversations that garnered national media attention on such outlets as CNN and FOX News as well as print media such as the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune and the Washington Post.

Those discussions resulted in a May 21 Grand Rapids Press ad that welcomed the President to campus, while acknowledging that Christians can disagree on political issues.

"We, the undersigned, respect your office, and we join the college in welcoming you to our campus," began the ad. "Like you, we recognize the importance of religious commitment in American political life. We seek open and honest dialogue about the Christian faith and how it is best expressed in the political sphere. While recognizing God as sovereign over individuals and institutions alike, we understand that no single political position should be identified with God's will, and we are conscious that this applies to our own views as well as those of others. At the same time we see conflicts between our understanding of what Christians are called to do and many of the policies of your administration."

Some faculty and students also wore stickers that declared "God Is Not a Democrat or A Republican."

At one point in his talk President Bush said: "As Americans we share an agenda that calls us to action — a great responsibility to serve and love others." He continued: "This isn't a Democratic idea. This isn't a Republican idea. This is an American idea."

Most students seemed to enjoy the talk.

Christina White of Grand Rapids thought Bush struck just the right tone in the talk.

"I loved how he opened with the joke about Professor VandenBosch," she said, "and I appreciated that the talk as not political, but really spoke to the graduates and their future."

Alex Kalsbeek also thought the speech was very appropriate.

"Overall it was very well done," said the Grandville native.

And Dan Kotman of Saline said simply: "I thought it was an excellent speech."

Senior Ruth Dekker of Granger, Washington, not only sat in the audience for Commencement, she also was selected to travel to the airport, meet the President and accept from the White House honors as a recipient of the President's Volunteer Award.

Dekker is one of 400 volunteers from around the country to be so honored since March 2002.

A nursing major Dekker spent the summer of 2003 as a teacher and health assistant in Jos, Nigeria, working through Christian Reformed World Missions. There she taught in schools, visited rural villages to help with health clinics and worked at a home for street boys.

Calvin's 2005 Commencement Ceremony also was marked by the presentation of Calvin's highest alumni honor — the Distinguished Alumni Award — to Edwin Bos and his wife Carol Yonkers Bos, both 1968 graduates of Calvin, and Richard Katte, a 1958 graduate.

Calvin College has presented its Distinguished Alumni Awards — intended to honor those who have made significant contributions in their field of endeavor — annually since 1966.

Edwin and Carol Bos were being honored for their work as founders of Worldwide Lab Improvement, Inc., a non-profit ministry devoted to assisting mission hospital and clinic labs in developing countries with consultation, equipment, supplies and training. Katte has served as a mathematics teacher, coach, athletic director and assistant principal at Denver Christian High School since 1960 where his boys' basketball teams have won over 700 games and six state championships.

Read of President Bush's remarks.

Addtional Media Coverage

(from the Washington Post)
"The choice of the 4,000-student Christian college led to speculation that the president wanted to reach out to his evangelical base in this Midwestern state. But some associated with the college noted the school's Christian background does not make it part of the conservative Christian movement."

"The letter is one way to register the fact that even in the heart of Christian America, religion does not dictate politics. It reminds Americans that even at a conservative Christian school, where religious values are paramount, people have different social, political and cultural views."

"In fact, the protests of professors, students and alumni against Bush policies shouldn't surprise anyone who has spent time on the pretty East Beltline campus. Calvin's classrooms are lively incubators of inquiry based on a theology that calls for transforming souls and society."

"I am confident that the overwhelming majority of the audience will applaud with enthusiasm when he finishes, whether they voted for him or not. And when the class of 2005 gathers for its 50th reunion, they will recall their memorable commencement."

(registration reg'd)
"The White House's selection of 129-year-old Calvin College, attended by many evangelicals, seemed designed to appeal to the religious conservatives that are a key part of the Republican base. The college, however, is more centrist than such schools as the very conservative Bob Jones University in South Carolina, where Bush's appearance during the 2000 campaign sparked controversy."

(registration reg'd)
"One question is whether Mr. Rove knew what he was getting into when he asked that Mr. Bush be invited to Calvin, a theologically conservative college in the tradition of the Christian Reformed Church that is politically more progressive than other evangelical colleges. (Faculty members estimate that about 20 percent of students opposed Mr. Bush in 2004.)"