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As part of Trinity’s ongoing commitment to diversity, the College offers the Diversity Scholars Program for first-time freshmen. Each year, the program awards multiple scholarships to students from underrepresented populations who have displayed leadership, academic excellence, and Christian commitment throughout high school and will continue doing so during their time at Trinity.
This year’s scholarship winners recently shared some highlights about their Trinity experience thus far and their hopes for the spring semester.
Makayla Cole of Chicago has enjoyed the satisfaction of academic improvement throughout her first semester. She said she can’t wait to find out what Trinity has in store for her throughout the next four years. She looks forward to beginning biology classes next semester.
Adalys Crespo of Chicago has experienced the growth of new relationships in her first semester, much of that growth occurring through deep conversations over shared meals in the cafeteria. She said growth has happened in the classroom, too.
“So many of my classes weren’t what I expected them to be; they turned out better. I feel like I’ve grown so much through them, not only academically but spiritually as well.” Crespo looks forward to coming back next semester accustomed to campus life and with a good understanding of time management.
Brianna Darling Cox of Chicago values her Trinity experience so far, especially getting to know new people. Throughout the second semester, she plans to focus on keeping up her grades. She also hopes to help boost school spirit by becoming a part of TrollNation.
Roberto Rosario of Willowbrook, Illinois, has fully embraced college life, involving himself in several different activities on campus.
“Life is pretty busy right now, but I know that God is going to continue helping me.” He is thankful for a leadership position with men’s ministry and would someday like to serve as Student Association President.
Victoria Thomas of Hazel Crest, Illinois, has worked to adjust to college life and has enjoyed her first semester. She relished the opportunity to share her spoken word with the Trinity community at the annual talent show Trollstock. Next semester, she plans on studying hard to reach her potential.
“I want to flourish at this school because I know that this is where God wants me to be.”
This year’s diversity scholars also include Diana Bahena of Chicago, Illinois; Tre Davis of Olympia Fields, Illinois; Claire Edwards of Stevenson Ranch, California; Victoria Falls of Darien, Illinois; and Fidel Sanders of Chicago, Illinois.
The audience in the Grand Lobby erupted in laughter as speaker Gil De Las Alas, vice president of human resources at Kraft Foods, confirmed that everything that happens on the TV series “The Office” happens in the real-life business workplace.
De Las Alas and Dan Van Drunen ’81, Kraft Foods customer category manager, were the featured guests at the Trinity Business Network luncheon on November 13.
Offering a perspective from human resources on creating a better workplace of today, De Las Alas discussed coming to work with a purpose, understanding personal limits, and realizing that small things do matter.
De Las Alas said that each person should believe in his or her role, and that a job is meant to glorify the Lord.
Building on those topics, Van Drunen urged the audience to be a positive influence at work and explained that, in order to do so, each person had to be in step with one’s own family first.
Both speakers emphasized the fact that businesses are about people, and they encouraged business students and local business owners in attendance to continue networking.
The Trinity Business Network provides Christ-centered business learning and service opportunities for Trinity Christian College alumni and friends.
When Dr. Bill Boerman-Cornell, associate professor of education, and Chair of Student Activities Chadd Huizenga ’15 of Highland, Indiana, teamed up to create a fun space to read, the result was a new group on campus called the Readers’ Guild.The Readers’ Guild resembles the set-up of a book club, with each “club” being led by a professor and featuring a book of the professor’s choosing.
The Guild gives professors the opportunity to recommend books they may not be able to fit into their syllabi or that may not connect directly to their disciplines.
“How great, to talk about a book with your professor, not because it was assigned, but just because it is a great book,” said Boerman-Cornell.
With seven professors and seven different books, students this fall had a variety of literature from which to choose.
“The goal of Readers’ Guild is to offer something that is academic and fun,” said Bianca Solis ’17, programming chair of Student Activities. “We hope that this may draw students who perhaps are not attracted to bigger events on campus.”
Community building is another important aspect of the new Guild.
“Readers’ Guild will not only bring together people who love books, but it will also bring them together to discuss ideas,” Boerman-Cornell said. “The community that emerges when people who care about ideas come together to talk about them is the sort of community that can change the world.”
The professors participating for the fall semester and the books chosen, include:
- Dr. Bill Boerman-Cornell, associate professor of education – The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
- Dr. Karen Dieleman, associate professor of English – Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward
- Dr. Erick Sierra, assistant professor of English – Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
- Dr. John Fry, professor of history – Almost Pioneers, edited by John Fry
- Dr. Aron Reppmann ’92, professor of philosophy – The Art of Philosophy: Wisdom as a Practice by Peter Sloterdijk
- Dr. John Sebestyen, associate professor of theater – The Habitation of Dragons by Horton Foote
- Dr. Bill Van Groningen, Chaplain – Deepening Community: Finding Joy Together in Chaotic Times by Paul Born
On November 18, the Asian American Alliance (AAA) and Tibstra Hall Council hosted Taste of Asia, an annual shared meal featuring foods from Korea, Indonesia, Burma, India, China, and Japan.
Event organizer Monica Par ’16 of Holland, Michigan, president of the Asian American Alliance, and Tibstra Hall Resident Director Kara VanMarion welcomed all students to experience new cultures and cuisine. Students representing their respective countries contributed authentic dishes and shared their knowledge about their cultures.
The event also featured a passport raffle. Participants collected signatures from each country represented by members of AAA, then turned in a full passport for a chance to win a prize.
When Dr. Bill Boerman-Cornell, associate professor of education, and Chair of Student Activities Chadd Huizenga ’15 of Highland, Indiana, teamed up to create a fun space to read, the result was a new group on campus called the Readers’ Guild.The Readers’ Guild resembles the set-up of a book club, with each “club” being led by a professor and featuring a book of the professor’s choosing.
The Guild gives professors the opportunity to recommend books they may not be able to fit into their syllabi or that may not connect directly to their disciplines.
“How great, to talk about a book with your professor, not because it was assigned, but just because it is a great book,” said Boerman-Cornell.
With seven professors and seven different books, students this fall had a variety of literature from which to choose.
“The goal of Readers’ Guild is to offer something that is academic and fun,” said Bianca Solis ’17, programming chair of Student Activities. “We hope that this may draw students who perhaps are not attracted to bigger events on campus.”
Community building is another important aspect of the new Guild.
“Readers’ Guild will not only bring together people who love books, but it will also bring them together to discuss ideas,” Boerman-Cornell said. “The community that emerges when people who care about ideas come together to talk about them is the sort of community that can change the world.”
The professors participating for the fall semester and the books chosen, include:
- Dr. Bill Boerman-Cornell, associate professor of education – The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
- Dr. Karen Dieleman, associate professor of English – Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward
- Dr. Erick Sierra, assistant professor of English – Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
- Dr. John Fry, professor of history – Almost Pioneers, edited by John Fry
- Dr. Aron Reppmann ’92, professor of philosophy – The Art of Philosophy: Wisdom as a Practice by Peter Sloterdijk
- Dr. John Sebestyen, associate professor of theater – The Habitation of Dragons by Horton Foote
- Dr. Bill Van Groningen, Chaplain – Deepening Community: Finding Joy Together in Chaotic Times by Paul Born
Dr. Karen Dieleman, chair of the English department, explained that the idea for a Writers’ Guild was sparked two summers ago when the English and Communication Arts departments met to discuss introducing an interdisciplinary minor.
The writing minor that was developed included many current classes, but the professors also envisioned a collaborative writing community.
“The Guild is important because it helps writers grow into their identity as writers while also working within community,” Dieleman said. “Through mutual support and critique, members help each other generate ideas, gain confidence, and overcome hurdles in their writing.”
Other benefits of the Writers’ Guild include allowing a space for writers to celebrate their own and each other’s work, to make strides toward being published, and to learn from different professors and staff.
The Writers’ Guild meets weekly, and students divide their time between writing and peer revising. Students also hear a variety of speakers share advice on a multitude of writing and publishing topics.
The class sets goals that students must reach such as presenting their work, getting published, and fostering a community of writing.
The Guild most recently worked on the goal of fostering a community by hosting a writers’ workshop on November 10, where all students on campus were invited to come and experience the ways in which writing can be enjoyable.
Writing skills are not only important for effective communication, but the creative thinking that goes into writing has strong transfer to such fields as business and science.
–Professor Karen Dieleman
“Writing skills are not only important for effective communication, but the creative thinking that goes into writing has strong transfer to such fields as business and science, where imaginative thinking is critical for solving problems or making new discoveries,” Dieleman said.
Dieleman encourages students to participate in the Guild even if they are not enrolled in the writing minor.
Alumnus Kaleb Dean has been awarded 2nd place in Red Bull’s Art of Can, Chicago 2014 Exhibition, for his sculpture, “Mr. Bull, A Community Brand.”
Artists from all over the nation competed, crafting sculptures using only the parts of Red Bull energy drink cans. Dean’s work is being featured in the exhibit at Chicago’s Millennium Park, Chase Promenade South, November 7-16. He was presented with his award at the opening gala on November 7.
While a senior at Trinity in 2014, Dean, an art studio major, came up with the idea to create a bull out of Red Bull can tabs. Dean entered the piece in Trinity’s OPUS, the annual celebration of student scholarship and was awarded an honorable mention.
Dean later discovered the Red Bull art competition and entered.
The annual Chicago Humanities Festival gave hundreds of people, including Trinity English students, the opportunity to participate in and learn about the humanities, from October 25 to November 9.
This year, Associate Professor Karen Dieleman, Ph.D., chair of the English department, organized student-faculty trips downtown on November 1 and November 8.
Jaclyn Feddes ’15 of Frankfort, Illinois, shared her experience of hearing author Jesmyn Ward speak on her new book Men We Reaped.
“It was intriguing to hear her describe her writing process and how she came to write a memoir after publishing two works of fiction,” said Feddes. “It was encouraging to hear that such a fantastic writer would also need to continuously be going through drafts and refining her craft.”
Students attended a variety of presentations, such as “Mexicans and Puerto Ricans in Chicago” by Lilia Fernandez, “Man on Wire: Creativity” by Philippe Petit, and “Foreign Policy and Humanities” by Karl Eikenberry.
After attending a presentation about the color blue by art scientist Marc Walton, Kate Meyrick ’17 of Oak Forest, Illinois, said she’ll never look at blue the same way again.
“The Chicago Humanities Festival is such an awesome experience, and I hope to attend a few more sessions,” said Meyrick. “Getting a taste of the cultures of the world in the busy, diverse culture of this amazing city is very inspiring for me and my work in the humanities.”
Trinity faculty established a fund for the event in 2008 to honor the retirement of Dr. Virginia LaGrand, professor of English emerita, from the English department and to allow students to attend the festival at no cost. During her years at Trinity, LaGrand emphasized the importance of the festival.
Darren Zancan, assistant professor of communication arts, recently experienced an opportunity he’s always dreamed of. He and his band, the Darren Zancan Band, performed as an opening act for actor/musician Tyler Hilton on October 29 in Joliet, Illinois.
Hilton starred as Elvis in Walk the Line and on One Tree Hill for four seasons and has toured with Taylor Swift, Gavin Degraw, and Hillary Duff. He has long been one of Zancan’s musical influences.
Jordan Ghiglia ’17 of Wenatchee, Washington, one of the students who attended the concert, said, “It was great to see Professor Zancan in his element, outside of the classroom. I think that this is a great way to see Trinity spreading beyond this campus.”
Zancan said the show was an inspiration to him and his band and that he appreciated the support of the Trinity community.
“What made the show special, besides playing with Tyler Hilton, was the support I received,” Zancan said. “When I walked on stage, a ‘Zancan’ chant broke out by the 40 or so Trinity students who came to support me. That was one of the coolest things I’ve experienced.”
Zancan’s work outside of Trinity also includes previous roles in movies, commercials, and TV shows, including a role in the soap opera “Days of Our Lives.”
David “Woody” Lucas ’15 of Hobart, Indiana, has been named Trinity’s 29th Lincoln Laureate by the Lincoln Academy of Illinois. He was honored at the annual Student Laureate Convocation in Springfield, Illinois, on November 1.
The Lincoln Academy’s Student Laureate Awards are presented for excellence in curricular and extracurricular activities to seniors from each of the state’s four-year, degree-granting colleges and universities, and one student from among the community colleges in Illinois.
Lucas, an exercise science major, said the variety of courses offered at Trinity has allowed him to engage in many types of classes. In addition, he said his interactions with professors have been formational.
“The professors at Trinity are wonderful,” said Lucas. “They have done an excellent job of both challenging and encouraging me throughout my coursework.”
The close-knit community is what first drew Lucas to Trinity as a transfer student, and it has allowed him to grow as a student and as a Christian. He views the many opportunities to be involved as blessings.
Lucas has participated in residence life, chapel worship, residence worship, and men’s soccer, and he found his two-year role as a residence assistant to be life changing. He has also been involved in the Exercise Science Club and Love Palos event.
“The reason I’ve chosen to be involved in my time at Trinity is because I believe that it is what God has called me to,” said Lucas.
Trinity Christian College Lincoln Laureates
2014 – David (Woody) Lucas
2013 – Megan Anderson
2012 – Adam Perez
2011 – Alberto LaRosa
2010 – Joseph Wydra
2009 – Jon Vander Woude
2008 – Caitlin Fillmore
2007 – Elizabeth VanderSpek
2006 – Allison Backous
2005 – Erin Marshalek
2004 – Rachel Van Oort
2003 – Yvana Hansen
2002 – Evan VanderZee
2001 – Nate Bosch
2000 – Laurie Johnson
1999 – Hanna Vancer Zee
1998 – Kristen Devine
1997 – Heidi Boeck
1996 – Julie Tinklenberg
1995 – Keri Dyksterhouse
1994 – Mark Mulder
1993 – Kristen Hart
1992 – Sarah Ver Velde
1991 – Aron Reppmann
1990 – Nathan Van Der Male
1989 – Drew Sweetman
1988 – Erik Hoekstra
1987 – Kimberly Dykema
1986 – Edward Wiener, Jr.