If chapel is worthwhile, people are going to go. But it's difficult to appreciate it if it's forced. You weren't required to listen - you were just required to be in the seat. It was destroying the spirit of what chapel was supposed to be. Like Andringa, DeYoung credits Boender with understanding that maturity is better developed through guided freedom than strict authority.
Students are in transition to adulthood.
We want to give them opportunities to exercise freedom but support them by showing them responsibility and letting them take charge of their growth and development. That idea also infused Boender's approach to the Dean's other main job. Boender, along with the Dean of Women, was in charge of Calvin's residence hall program, assigning roommates and hiring resident directors and assistants. Ironically, though the on-campus climate in the 60s and 70s called for changing everything, students held their dorm identity sacred. The problem was, neither side wanted to become the women's side.