Credit goes to Josh and Kristin for managing to get a golf cart and permission in just two days. It was one of those wonderful last minute additions. :)

Oh, wow. It sure does. Congrats!

"discover" link?

on the home page, the Discover tab shows you the most popular links. It's how views jump by thousands because everyone who logs on to vimeo will see that.

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!

ditto

awesome ;-)

Grand Rapids, Michigan! feel free to check out calvin.edu :)

That one was on YouTube. Is it a Calvin made page or a hacked page?

It's a Calvin-made page, we figured it'd reach a wider audience that way. So please support the YouTube link! :)

James, tryouts were announced on campus and open to all students, and any students who wanted to be involved as extras were allowed. I think this video is simply an honest representation of who decided to participate in the project.

Hey Jim, nice effort for opening it all to students. Based solely on what you're telling me, I completely agree with you that it is an honest rep of those who decided to participate in the project, however for making such a video available to the whole world, it seriously matters to seriously consider diversity. This video can serve as a means to draw people of different race and color to Calvin and also help calvin move a step closer in achieving one of it's missions and goals, Diversity.

If you were one of the producers of this beautiful peace, here is a suggestion (and by the way I am a proud Calvin Alum 1981.. and i know you are a mathematician... I was one too at Calvin... so kindly consider this advice) for other productions. Open it up to the students, if there isn't that much diversity, go to people of different race and color and woe them to be a part of it, let them know the importance of your project and the need for them to be a part. Talk faculty members into it. Talk staff member into it. Get some alumni, get some students with disability... etc... I think it will all go well to send a stronger and great message about Calvin.... thanks

So, if I understand you correctly - we should force people to do things so that the campus looks more diverse? Some how this logic does not make sense to me.

This was an all student production, there were open auditions, anyone was allowed to be in it. If a student does not want to be in a video they should be allowed to not be in it. I have no idea why more minorities did not try out or want to be in it.

Those are just my thoughts.

According to Cappex.com (cappex.com/colleges/Calvin-College-169080), Calvin's diversity in 2007 was:

American Indian/Alaskan Native 0%
Asian/Pacific Islander 3%
Black/Non-Hispanic 2%
Hispanic 2%
White/Non-Hispanic 82%
Non-Resident Alien 8%
Race/ethnicity unknown 3%

Based on these statistics, I would argue that this video accurately displayed the actual diversity at Calvin. I don't think its right to recruit people based on their ethnicity in order to make Calvin appear more diverse than it actually is. By holding open auditions to all students the producers of this video did their part in ensuring that nobody was denied the opportunity to participate.

I love this comment!

You tell 'em, Scottie!

Eric, I will encourage you to reread my response to Jim, then you will understand the logic that does not make sense to you.

Scot: What's the point of giving me your statistics? (in any case don't you see that this statistics is horrible?) Remember we are in 2010 and diversity on Calvin campus has increased because Calvin has placed a lot of emphasis on diversity. My response to Jim was not only about race: diversity in a broader sense is not only about color.

No one (not me) is saying we "should recruit people based on their ethnicity in order to make Calvin appear more diverse than it actually is." No one is saying we should force someone to be a part of this. What I'm saying is that since Calvin has as one of it's goals and mission to value and increase diversity, i will encourage that in any such future endeavor you should keep that in mind. It will be great to have some more folks of different races (I don't think (and I could be wrong) I saw one black person in the video.... and by the way during my time at Calvin, there at least 5 native americans that I knew), student with disability, faculty members... etc...

I'm happy you opened it up to the whole school to get people to participate. However what i won't accept is that it's no ones business that minorities did not audition or join. That will be a passive character and that shows that the majority really don't care that much about diversity and the minority. Try to convince (not force anyone) and let minorities know the importance of being a part of such project.

Mike: what do you mean "You tell 'em, Scottie!" My comments and suggestions are my own and no one else's so don't use me as a representative for some group of people...

Lastly and to let you know, my wife is caucasian, my kids are obviously biracial. my last son is adopted and he's from Puertorican .. my daughter is married to Asian, my oldest son at Calvin is dating a caucasian. My youngest son also at Calvin is dating an African girl. Trust me, if my sons were informed about this, they will join and get their girl friends to be a part of it.

If you think my suggestions are important, good, if not, then bad for you.

This video wasn't made BY Calvin. It was made by a bunch of students trying to have some fun. They offered inclusion to everyone. End of story. (And there's a black guy on the screen in the weight room.)

I'm Jewish. Do I not count in the 'diversity tally' merely because I do not LOOK Jewish? ... I'll bet you didn't notice me.

Not to mention the Asian representation. And who is to say that Native Americans weren't represented in this video? I know plenty of Native Americans that do not wear a headdress and war paint.

Let's not presume that anyone wanted to misrepresent anything. This is '2010' after all.

The reason this video has been such a hit is because people appreciate the work put into it and what they see in front of them. By no means, should the quality of the video be based on the diversity of its participants.

The video's intent was not to promote Calvin college, or its diversity. Yet, people have been drawn to the video, and therefore the school. And from this we can see that people should be drawn to Calvin because of what it really is, and not just by a picture we paint of it.

As for your sons, this production was promoted extensively, in various forms, over a substantial amount of time. So if they truly wanted to be a part of it, there were plenty of opportunities to hear about it.

James,

First of all, I am a Calvin grad and have not had a part in the making of this video. Please don't take my words as theirs. Also, I do not intend to be offensive, I am am only being honest.

I am aware that my statistics are not completely current. They are from a survey done by a 3rd party (cappex.com) which analyzes colleges and breaks them down for prospective students. However, they are only 3 years outdated. I would agree that the diversity at Calvin has changed since then, however this change is probably not surprisingly large. And no, these statistics are not horrible. The reason I posted these statistics is not to say that Calvin should only be open to Dutch students who are at least 6 feet tall. The reason I posted them is to say that Calvin is not an incredibly diverse school. It may be a mission of Calvin's to change that, but in reality it is not extremely diverse. What these statistics show is that this video accurately portrays the actual diversity at Calvin.

Would it have been better if those who were holding the auditions first asked the group of try-outers for all the blacks, handicaps, Jews, Native Americans, blind, or Oklahomans to step forward because they would be accepted solely on these characteristics? That would surely produce a diverse video, but it would also be racist. Open auditions are the only way in which everybody is given an equal chance to participate. By the way, what would be an appropriate percentage of minorities displayed in this video? And, like Josh pointed out, does this apply to those who aren't visibly part of a minority?

If you are offended by the 'horrible' statistics about Calvin's diversity, I encourage you to write Calvin's Office for Multicultural Affairs (calvin.edu/admin/provost/multicultural/diversity/). These are the folks who are in charge of diversifying Calvin. Because of their efforts, Calvin has become more diverse and will continue to do so. If they are doing their jobs right perhaps the 2011 Lip Dub video will show a glimpse of a further diversified Calvin. Do not criticize these student producers for being 'passive'. From the sound of it, they were anything but passive. They actively promoted and held OPEN AUDITIONS.

Whether or not you agree with the current state of Calvin's diversity, you have to acknowledge the state it is in. This video does exactly that. It is, as Mike said, NOT MADE BY CALVIN and therefore should not be held to Calvin's recruiting practices.

I considered closing with 'If you like my answer, good, if not, then bad for you.' But that would be rude. James, I may not agree with you, but I do not think I am 'bad' because of it.

James,

I think you are missing the entire point of this video. If you are assuming that this video has anything to do with Calvin (other than being made on campus by students) you are poorly mistaken.

Lets take your point of view to its logical conclusion:

Based on your comments I think that every video that any students at Calvin make has to be at least 75% minority. This includes all student films, dorm shenanigans, and any video chat done on campus. Sure the minorities on campus will be stretched pretty thin and have no time for class work or a social life, but the school will look more diverse, and in the long run diversity is the only thing that matters.

Is that close to what you are thinking?

These students produced an outstanding video, spent months on planning it, and had everything work so well that they only had to shoot for 3 hours. I am offended that you are so focused on the quota of minorities. It is sad that the groups on campus with the least amount of numbers could not be better represented...

I understand that you are a Calvin grad and your children attend, and you want Calvin to be seen in the best possible light, but you sir are not helping to show this light.

Perhaps seeing comments like yours will scare next years class away from doing an awesome video like this one because they cannot convince enough minorities to be involved. I do not think that is your intention, but I certainly hope it does not do that.

Thank you for proving that you practice what you preach by telling us all how diverse your family is.

WOW! My comments have generated such a huge discussion. I don't know why such defense. Who said the video is awful? Who said the producers didn't do a good job. The video is great. You can go back and reread my comments. All i ask for, for the benefit of Calvin is to include more diversity. Whether, minorities cover a small percentage at Calvin, it will be nice to include some more. I disagree that including some more minorities will misrepresent Calvin. Anyways...

Mike: I agree with you that this movie was not made by Calvin, however it was made by Calvin Students and so that makes it Calvin in some regards. Yes there's a black guy on the screen and thanks for pointing that out to me. Wouldn't it be nice if we had another more, or two?

Josh: my wife is also Jewish-American by the way so i don't get your point about being Jewish and not included in the diversity. I never spoke of diversity as only being race though... loosely speaking diversity can be defined anyhow anyway anyone wants...

Eric: Yes there are Asian representation and for that I'm glad. I think your comment about Native Americans can be seen as offensive. My time at Calvin, my native american friends didn't wear "headdress and war paint" just as my son's girl friend who's African doesn't wear cloths made out of animal skin, with a staff, and doesn't have a lion as a pet. I have spent quite sometime at the reservations in New Mexico and trust me, you never see any natives dress as you pointed

Deborah: No one is saying this video hasn't been a hit. Not me. Moreover i don't disagree with you that the intent of the video "was not to promote Calvin college, or its diversity." However though that wasn't the intent, it has certainly indirectly been some sorta of a promotion. I mean you just mentioned that people are drawn to the video. You can argue "that people should be drawn to Calvin because of what it really is, and not just by a picture we paint of it", but that's just not what really happens in real life. Be honest, did you think extensively about what Calvin really was before choosing to attend? If you did, then great. However not all Calvin students do so. A lot are there because they're parents, or great grand parents, etc were...you can imagine the many other reasons.

For your info, my sons where not aware of this video project. Maybe they didn't pay attention. However my earlier point was that if some extra effort was put into contacting say people like them, without any hesitation they will jump on the idea. But like you mentioned the intent of the video was not in promote Calvin or diversity right?

Scot: Thanks for clarifying your points. However I disagree with you on a few things. As someone mentioned the intent of the video was not to promote Calvin or diversity. Okay AGREE! But I disagree with you that "this video accurately portrays the actual diversity at Calvin." Are you kidding? Just do the math my friend. Maybe "somewhat portrays" will be better.. remember diversity is not only about race my friend.

I am in no way offended by the video or your statistics. I'm also not offended by anyone's comments here. We all have varying opinions on issues and i think we can respectfully disagree with each other.

Big mistake Scot: To say "I encourage you to write Calvin's Office for Multicultural Affairs and that "These are the folks who are in charge of diversifying Calvin" is very very sad. You speak as if we are not all as Christians suppose to also contribute our quota toward "diversifying Calvin" be it racially, gender-wise, disability-wise, name it. Your comment that: "If they are doing their jobs right perhaps the 2011 Lip Dub video will show a glimpse of a further diversified Calvin" is truly and insult to them.

I never criticized the producers of this video. I only suggested and recommended. Please kindly go back and reread my comments. But even if I did criticize, i only meant that constructively.

You may have misunderstood me in your last paragraph. I said " If you think my suggestions are important, good, if not, then bad for you." Your conclusion makes perfect sense to me and in no way is rude to me. No body said you're "bad". What i said is "bad for you" and you may interpret is anyhow you want it.

Eric: I doubt that you still get my message. In any case if my comments will deter someone from coming to Calvin, then my apology. That wasn't my intent (as you gladly acknowledge). My intent as an alumnus and a parent is to help contribute toward diversifying Calvin.

I can't tell if your last post was sarcastic, if not that i'm happy you can see that i'm practicing what i really believe in and preach.

Lastly to all who have responded to my post thank you. Like I mentioned my intent is to encourage diversity, be it racially, ethnically, disability-wise, faculty-wise, etc in later videos. But like someone mentioned, that wasn't the intent of the video. Whatever the intent was, my suggestions are humble ones and you may chose to regard it as important or not. I rest my case solely because I don't think this platform/medium is good for a debate on this issue as many of you already are misunderstanding my comments (i'm sure I may have misunderstood someone also) And by the way if my comments offended the producers, my apology. Thanks to all of you.

I think this issue is settled, James, thanks for your comments, I always enjoy a good discussion.

Well done :)

It's a live camera from further down the room :)

wow, I'm not sure WHY you would need to pirate the video, but it almost seems like it would be a badge of honor to have it pirated, ha.

Its been pirated again: bing.com/videos/watch/video/calvin-college-lip-syncs-so-much-love/20sx1crz

P.S. it was under the viral video tab on msn

Good point, we're working on this..

I saw that someone posted it on his fan page wall... it has since been pushed down by other posts.

well, I'm not sure how it works, but can you send the creator of the fan page a "message" with the video? Otherwise you could hire someone to post the video on the wall ever 3 minutes, haha

I am all over it.

I will subsequently comment on every single one to make sure people know that it's awesome. :D

Well. Looks like we were successful. :D

facebook.com/TheRocketSummer?v=wall&story_fbid=115772945120665

Absolutely. I knew that would be a good idea, ha. but I only half thought he would respond. Great work everyone.

Thanks for checking it out!