The 7.0 magnitude earthquake that rocked Haiti in January was felt at Calvin as well by those with friends and family in the region. Though the quake’s tremors did not pulse as far north as Grand Rapids, its aftershocks certainly reached the campus.

Along with the devastating repercussions of the disaster came an inflow of aid and workers. Those reverberations of love and care also pulsed onto Calvin’s campus.

Freshman Carrie Bensfield had visited Haiti this past summer and, while driving to Calvin after interim break, felt compelled to do something in response to the crisis in the Caribbean.

“I had just read Donald Miller’s book ‘A Million Miles in a Thousand Years’ and I was inspired to live a good life that meant something and did something bigger than myself,” said Bensfield.

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Usually, I don’t care for folk music. Even the blues music I listen to is limited. Anything that incorporates a fiddle or banjo, I shunned, and anything with “twang” was definitely not in my iTunes library. However, after seeing The Carolina Chocolate Drops in concert Tuesday night at the Ladies Literary Club, my ideas of folk music and the blues, have been changed for the better.

I settled into the concert not knowing what to expect but not expecting much. The evening began with Chris Crown, a local blues artist. I didn’t think I’d be fond of him or think him worthwhile but he far exceeded my expectations. He was very much engaged with the audience, and he impressed while playing with such intricacy on the guitar. His songs were definitely fun and entertaining, including “Red House,” where Crown admits that ...

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