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The odds that the Copeland brothers will run into each other on campus this year are good, considering the four siblings are all attending Trinity. Ben ’14, Joshua ’12, Jacob ’13, and Caleb ’14 of Arlington Heights, Illinois, are sharing the Trinity experience together.

“All four of us have been pretty close and hanging out our whole lives,” said Jacob. “It almost makes Trinity a home away from home.”

The four brothers first heard about the College from a friend at their church. Despite being the youngest, Caleb says he was the first to choose Trinity.

“When I was a freshman in high school I wanted to come here,” said Caleb. “The other three just followed me.”

For Ben, Trinity was a place to return to after being in Erseke, Albania, for most of the past year, where their uncle is a missionary. While there, he studied at a Bible school and served as a youth pastor.

 “I believe that this is where God has placed me for a reason at this time in my life, and I am excited to be back in school,” said Ben.

Ben, the oldest of the brothers, is studying church and ministry leadership; Joshua is studying history; Jacob is studying business management; and Caleb is studying chemistry education.

“My parents love that we go to the same school together,” said Ben. “It’s easier for them to visit one place instead of traveling elsewhere. They think it’s good for us to be able to go through college together.”

Another set of four siblings attended Trinity at the same time in the 1980s: Dan ’85, Randy ’85, Tim ’86, and Lisa ’86 Bergsma.

Students in Trinity’s Semester in Spain program will have a new way to volunteer while studying abroad because of a recent partnership with the Red Cross in Seville.

The new partnership will allow students to sign up to help with a digital accompaniment class, where they will be teaching underprivileged and  elderly Spaniards how to use technology such as cell phones and computers.

“This service is a perfect fit for our American students who are very comfortable with computers and smartphones, and that expertise will help overcome the nerves of doing this service in Spanish,” said Leslie Routman, Semester in Spain’s director.  

“This is a great opportunity for students to form relationships with a segment of society they otherwise might not come into contact with and to give back to the local community.”

The volunteering will be an option for the program’s service-learning class next fall, where students choose a site to volunteer at the beginning of the semester and work there on a weekly basis.

This semester, there are 42 students studying in the program including eight from Trinity.

Seven Trinity students wake up in their apartments in downtown Chicago. They will soon leave for internships in their respective disciplines where they will get hands-on experience working with Chicago companies and organizations. The students are part of the College’s Chicago Semester program.

In Nashville, Tennessee, Heather Murray ’13 of Downers Grove, Illinois, applies her love of music to her academics while studying at the Contemporary Music Center.

Nearly 3,000 miles south, five other students are beginning their day in a very different culture in Quito, Ecuador. Here, the students are learning through internships, homestays, and courses that apply to their majors.

Meanwhile, almost halfway across the world, three students are nearly done with their day in Oxford, along with eight students studying Spanish in Seville, Spain.

All of these locations provide unique experiences for students who wish to live in a different culture and earn college credit as part of Trinity’s various study abroad programs.

One of the many opportunities in Oxford for Andrew Blok ’13 of Lynden, Washington, is visiting historic architecture, such as the local cathedrals.

“Cathedrals are one thing that America hasn’t picked up on yet,” quipped Blok in his Trinity student blog. “I don’t think it matters where you stand in terms of religious beliefs. When you enter a big, beautiful cathedral, you feel something. Awe, wonder, respect, history all at once.”

Victoria Van Hofwegen ’14 of Tolleson, Arizona, is also benefiting from new experiences while studying in Ecuador. As part of the program, she is working at a daycare facility, as well as enjoying God’s creation at a rural retreat center.  “God did some serious work while creating this place. It is set on a beautiful piece of land that reminds me a lot of home,” said Van Hofwegen in her blog.

In a recent article for the student newspaper the Courier, she also wrote about her exposure to the culture. “During the past month, I have learned more about the Ecuadorian culture due to living with a family (I think that was the point of the past month, so good job study abroad, goal accomplished).”

This semester, there are a total of 24 students studying abroad. To see all of the off-campus locations available for studying abroad, visit Trinity’s academic programs page.

With 21,436 hours of community service logged during the 2010-2011 academic year and 933 Trinity students involved in community service, the College has once again been named to the President’s Honor Roll for Community Service.

Trinity has been named to the list every year since the inception of the Honor Roll, which recognizes colleges and universities nationwide that support innovative community service and service-learning programs.

As a student, Melissa Peterson ’11 volunteered at Hearts in Motion in Highland, Indiana, a medical mission that works in the community and in Central America. Peterson has worked with the organization since 2004 and volunteered almost every day from January through April last year sorting and inventorying medical supplies and sending letters in response to donations. 

As a sociology major, Peterson used the experience to learn more for a future career.

 “The director was nice enough to teach me a bit about running a non-profit,” said Peterson. “She is someone who I admire for not only trying to help with all that she has, but also working with a team to examine the effects of her ministry and trying to improve it.”

Volunteer hours also included time spent at afterschool programs. Students worked with children at Restoration Ministries in Harvey, Illinois, and Roseland Christian Ministries in Chicago. 

Another afterschool program is offered at the local Bridge Teen Center in Orland Park, Illinois. Katie Alberda ’12 of Manhattan, Montana, volunteers there, spending time with the teens and planning programs. Alberda has also taught a furniture refurbishing class for teens.

“I get to hang out, talk and play games while serving,” said Alberda. “Can you ask for a better service opportunity?”

According to Trinity’s Office of Community Partnerships and Service Learning, the service hours were completed through service-learning classes, service spring break trips and Interim courses, service committee and other student-led projects, and the Midwest Campus Compact Citizen-Scholars (M3C) Fellowship program, in which students complete 300 hours of community service and receive an education award.

Members of the Trinity track and field team traveled south during spring break for competition and training. Twenty-five of the team’s members traveled to Panama City Beach, Florida, and then to Memphis, Tennessee, for a track meet at Rhodes College.

The trip began with a stop in Nashville, Tennessee, where Chris Koutavas ’14 of Orland Park, Illinois, Ryan Lindemulder ’13 of Monee, Illinois, and Nicole Hill ’13 of Wyoming, Michigan, competed in the Tom King Half Marathon Classic. In the 13.1 mile race, all three athletes reached the qualifying standard for the NAIA national meet, where they will be running the full marathon. Both Lindemulder and Hill were named CCAC athletes of the week for their performances.

The team continued to Panama City Beach, Florida, where they stayed at a Christian retreat center. They spent time there growing closer through devotions with praise and worship, running on the beach, and body surfing in the waves of the Gulf of Mexico.

“I liked the trip because I got to know a lot of teammates who I didn’t necessarily know that well before,” said Andrew Reidsma ’14 of Wyoming, Michigan. “There is nothing better than spending a fun-filled week with teammates, running in the Florida sun, worshiping God, and growing in fellowship together.”

The break ended with the team’s first outdoor track meet at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. The team performed well with nine athletes reaching NCCAA national qualifying standards. Head Coach Bob Brickman ’03 was pleased with the results after the week of training.

“During the week, we work our athletes hard and put emphasis on getting solid training, but our team stepped up and performed even better than expected,” said Brickman.

This March, Trinity’s Nursing Class of 1992 gathered on campus to commemorate 20 years since graduating from the College.

Nearly half of the original class of 20 attended, traveling from Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Michigan. They were joined by former nursing faculty members Lois Roelofs and Betty Klaassens. The group had gathered on its own for a 10-year reunion but enjoyed the chance to return to campus and to see the newly expanded Cynthia Sander Nursing Lab.

“It’s hard to believe that it has been 20 years since we graduated from Trinity’s nursing program ready to go out and make a difference in the world,” said Amy Eggebeen Nagelkirk. “I can’t think of a better way to celebrate this milestone than meeting up again at Trinity with my classmates and former professors.”

Nagelkirk said the group had a wonderful time reconnecting with each other and sharing stories. They plan to meet again in five years and to stay connected through yearly email updates.

Do you have a group that you are looking to get together? The alumni office is always available to help facilitate group reunions of any size.

Contact Travis Bandstra ’06 at 708.239.4854 or travis.bandstra@trnty.edu.

Accounting graduates from Trinity topped the list for the highest average score on CPA exams for the second year in a row. The results for the 2011 CPA exam show that Trinity graduates scored an average of 78.08, while the state average was 71.56, according to the Illinois Board of Examiners.

Trinity graduates who took exam sections in 2011 scored the highest average score in Illinois when compared to schools with larger numbers of exam sections taken (25 sections or more), said Dr. Lynn White, professor of accounting in the business department at Trinity. The College also earned the highest average score in 2010 and the second highest in 2009.

“Illinois is fortunate to have some of the most highly regarded accounting programs in the nation including University of Illinois, DePaul, and Northern Illinois University,” said White. “Our students are surpassing the performance of these schools on the CPA exam.”

Former students in White’s classes feel that the hard work they did paid off.

Alumnus Jeffery Zwier ’10, an assurance associate at BDO, a financial consulting agency in Chicago, said White did a “fantastic job” of preparing him for the CPA exam through her “rigorous” accounting classes.

Two high school senior students have been awarded Trinity’s Greater Chicago Christian Leadership Scholarship: Jose Gonzalez of Chicago and Nathan Smith of Lake in the Hills.

The four-year renewable grant covers tuition costs and is awarded to students from the Chicago area who are from under-represented populations at Trinity and have demonstrated academic excellence, leadership, and Christian commitment.

Nathan Smith, a Jacobs High School student, plans to enroll in Trinity’s criminal justice program. He has been a member of the soccer team since his sophomore year at Jacobs and hopes to continue playing at Trinity. Smith stated that he is looking forward to meeting new people on campus and learning from others who are part of the College’s diverse community.

“Receiving the GCCLS was a huge surprise to my family and me,” said Smith. “I am very excited about attending Trinity. From the first time I walked on the campus, I knew that this was where I wanted to be.”

Jose Gonzalez attends John Hancock High School and plans to major in art and design. He participated in the After School Matters program in the Hancock Verde club, which focused on redesigning and reconstructing the garden space and high school. He was also a member of the National Honor Society, math team, and various sports teams.

Last year’s recipients were Alejandra Romo of Chicago and She’KunnahGlorri Striverson of Crete.

CMC sure has its share of surprises throughout the semester! With just six total staff members the number of connections each one has in this town alone truly amazes me. Each one speaks with ease about their friends, generally settling for first names. They often mention “Kelly” (Clarkson, of course) and “the Jars boys” (aka Jars of Clay). Clarkson’s back-up singers are CMC alums and the director of our program taught the guys of Jars of Clay when they attended Greenville College.

From week to week, all 28 of us are given chances to make connections and spend time with people involved in the industry at varying levels. From conversations with long-time managers of world renowned artists, to intimate indie performances on the stage we call home for the semester, to load-ins and staffing major tour stops, it all happens here in Music City.

Earlier this month, recently-signed and Grammy-nominated Provident act Royal Tailor came to our building in Brentwood for a live video shoot. While the majority of music videos are shot using playback, the young band showcased the stamina of their stage presence and skill by playing live the whole night.

The band’s bio is spot-on describing their sound as one that “evokes Bruno Mars, Maroon 5, and a hint of Michael Jackson, Royal Tailor captures audiences with an infectious musicality.”

The energetic, soulful quartet originally met while attending Bible college in the St. Louis area and played around while ministering to youth in the area. After playing a battle of the bands showcase for INO records, guitarist DJ Cox said the guys got their hopes up only to find that nothing would initially come of it.

Refusing to give in, the now Nashville-based guys played at every opportunity before finding themselves with a gig at Leeland Mooring’s home church in Texas. According to Cox, the band gained the attention of PMG’s A&R team because Mooring got a hold of their EP.

A week later, the band signed a recording contract and began working on the 50 songs viable for their debut album, Black and White. Cox noted that their career didn’t skyrocket as soon as they had hoped, as they lived in “lawyer land” for six to eight months prior to Black & White’s May 2011 release, the first single, and a tour with label-mate band “Building 429.”

Currently on the road with Casting Crowns through the spring, Royal Tailor has hit the ground running in regards to promotion. Just off the heels of a trip down the Grammy red carpet, the band has also been touring non-stop for months.

Following an engaging, live set, the four band mates and their management hung around with both CMC students and staff to talk about anything from gear and early musical influences to future endeavors.

Guitarist DJ Cox grew up in Virginia where he played mandolin and acoustic by ear before discovering his mom’s funk CD. He laughed at the childhood memory, “I was like ooh man, so I stole it”. Cox discussed his “monster” pedal board, featuring a vast range of brands and effects, with resident CMC electric player Jase Hackman. He also drew quite a crowd as he moved on through his guitar collection and his favorite players.

I’m always intrigued when musicians talk in detail about their gear. In many ways, it’s another language, but it creates the sounds that we music freaks live for.

Cox came back to his youth ministry roots as he spoke about the band’s current vision: visiting middle schools and high schools to perform and encourage kids to speak out against bullying. The passion was evident in DJ’s voice as he spoke about both the ministry and the music.

Like other visitors, the guitarist talked on the value of taking risks in life. “It’s been a rough first year [being on a label], but whatever you’re going to do, you just got to get out there and do it”.

Life in Nashville

There is certainly something special about living in the South. Although there are days I miss the blooming trees on our beautiful campus, Tennessee is in some ways even more gorgeous this time of year.

Life in Nashville has been so much more than I ever could have imagined. It truly is a big city with a small town feel. This tight-knit community (just 28 students and six total staff) has been just what I needed. It’s been really great getting to know everyone—we feel as if we’ve known each other for years instead of mere months!

Time is surely flying by as we will be heading home in less than a month, but we are continuing to learn so much. The director of our program says that because of the hands-on nature of CMC, what we learn here in 14 weeks takes 3+ years to learn on your own in the industry, so I’ve been soaking in every second of it! (Now you know why I don’t get to update you as often as I’d like—my apologies!) I know now more than ever that this is where I am supposed to be and that I could not have experienced any of this elsewhere. Through our classes and staff connections, we have the pleasure of meeting up with producers, engineers, and managers who work with world-class artists and musicians on a day-to-day basis.

As a part of the business track, I’ve been managing 3 of the 15 artists who are also studying here. Along with that, the business students carry the responsibility of planning and promoting a week-long tour of CCCU schools where the artists perform their original works and the tech students take care of audio, lights, etc. Our tour begins Thursday night in Indiana; from there we will travel to a few Illinois schools. Trinity was booked, but it would have been great to bring CMC to everyone there.

Through this experience, I have not only learned an incredible amount about the industry, but also so much about myself. I praise God for this amazing opportunity each day and for those at Trinity who made it logistically possible.

As I was warned, I’ve certainly become attached to this place… Do I really have to come home for one last year of normal school?

Read more about Heather’s semester at the Contemporary Music Center.

When Amanda Carr ’12 of Terre Haute, Indiana, began her internship at the University of Illinois Medical Center she did not expect to lose all of her hair, but after a few weeks there she knew it was something she had to do.

Carr, who is interning at the medical center through Trinity’s Chicago Semester program, signed up to raise money for St. Baldrick’s Day. Participants in the event raise money for research for childhood cancer in exchange for shaving their heads.

As a psychology major, Carr spends her time on the pediatric floor unit and shadows a Child Life Specialist. The specialist works with children and prepares them for surgery by answering questions, familiarizing them with the medical equipment, and playing with them.

After working and playing with the children, Carr began to feel connected to them and felt the call to do more. It was then that she decided to sign up for the St. Baldricks Day event hosted by the hospital on February 23.

“When seeing these courageous young patients fight cancer every day, my desire and compassion for this cause grew even stronger,” said Carr. “I decided that since I could not offer them anything medical-wise, perhaps I could offer them my time, dedication, and my hair.”

So far, Carr has raised over $1,700 and is continuing to get donations.  Carr is thankful for her mother’s support both through finding donations and attending the shaving event.

“I think my mother was very apprehensive and shocked that her long-haired daughter was going to be bald at first,” said Carr. “However, once I told her the stories about the patients she immediately was compelled to help me raise donations to shave my head.”

Carr plans to go to graduate school after graduating from Trinity this spring, but hopes to continue working on pediatric floors through volunteering.

To see Carr’s progress or to donate, visit: http://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/mypage/523261/2012