| Students respond to Iraq war
By Adam Petty
Features Editor
Last week was spring break, a chance for students here to have a respite from their studies and get away. However, last week was also one of the most significant weeks in our nation’s history, one that will be studied closely in the years to come. The United States of America launched an attack on Iraq, and we are now at war.
Whether back at home or on a beach, students couldn’t help but hear about it. Some were watching television closely, while others may have heard about it second hand. But now everyone is back, and in addition to asking people what they did for break, there’s another question to ask.
In the time since he’s been back, sophomore Daniel McWhirter said the question he’s been asked most often is, “What do you think about the war?”
“People seem confused,” he said. “They’re not sure whether it’s good or bad. They’re sad, at the very least, but they still don’t know if it’s necessary. They’ll approach it timidly. Rather than express their opinion first, they’ll ask what mine is. People still aren’t quite sure what to think.”
There are 4,100 students enrolled at Calvin College, and as many different views on the current situation. This is the issue of our generation, definitive in a way that World War II or the Vietnam War were for previous generations. Debate and argument have been abundantly present on the campus in the past weeks, with both sides making their voices heard. Many have found the debate to be beneficial, while others have found it to be petty and childish.
But now that we are actually at war, sophomore Christina Baylor said that these conversations have taken on a different tone.
“Since we got back from break, it’s been a less divisive issue,” she said. “There’s been less anti-war sentiment, and the tone has changed. It’s not as heated as it was when the Student Senate resolution was being debated.”
Though the final results of the resolution were made public just two weeks ago, one of those was during spring break, so it may seem longer. But anyone can remember the passionate and even heated conversations that it sparked in dorm rooms and dining halls. Baylor recalls that strong feelings on both sides could make it a subject to be avoided.
“It got to be a taboo topic because it was so heated,” she said. “People would attack those on the other side personally. But it got progressively more civil. Now that we are at war, there’s a sense of a call to support the president and unite behind that. There’s no avoiding war now.”
“It seems less confrontational,” said freshman Derek Kramer. “Spring break gave people a chance to cool down.”
Freshman Sean Baker, a Student Senator who voted in favor of the resolution, also noted a general decrease of tension among the student body.
“People around seem to be breathing a general sigh of relief,” he said. “They seem pleased with the progress that we’ve been making so far, though we’re not out of the woods yet. Civilian casualties seem to be down, and the whole situation seems to be well-controlled. But there are also people I know, who aren’t in the majority, who feel that it wasn’t yet a last resort.”
Sophomore Simon Cunningham, also a Student Senator who voted in favor of the resolution, sees the student body as approaching the news with an air of seriousness.
“People seem solemn about what’s going on,” he said. “The majority feel that war is necessary, but that it’s not something good. No one likes it. That said, I still think that this war is a bad idea. I’ve been thinking about the passage in Luke 6:35, where it says to love our enemies. That made me realize that customary Christian belief will treat the words of Jesus as infallibly true, but when he talked about loving our enemies, those words are sidelined. It frustrates me.”
Sophomore Jay Lindeman feels that war is justified, but wouldn’t call himself pro-war.
“I believe the war is necessary, and that it was our last resort,” he said. “But no one wishes for war. I wouldn’t call myself pro-war, but pro-defense.”
Junior Jolene Velthuizen, a Resident Assistant in Heyns, said that she has been trying to remember God in the midst of this.
“I’d describe the mood now as one of prayer,” she said. “I’m still against the war, but I’ve been praying for the safety of the troops and everyone, both by myself and with others. Protests seem like they’re over the top now. Some of my girls have been talking about the protests in Chicago that they saw while they were home. They blocked the streets, and people were wondering if they needed to do that.”
With all that is going on in the world and on the campus, Velthuizen hopes that this prayerful attitude will continue.
“It’s good to find opportunities to pray and to take God’s guidance,” she said. “All of this adds stress on people, and we can help lessen stress by trusting in God.”
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