Archives: News Stories

On a chilly Saturday afternoon on February 26, Melissa Conrad ’12 of Lake Zurich, Illinois, took an icy dip into Lake Andrea near Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, for a fundraiser benefitting the Special Olympics Wisconsin program.

Special Olympics provides year-round sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with cognitive disabilities, according to the organization’s website.

Conrad and approximately 500 others made the freezing jump as participants in the “Polar Plunge,” an annual event for Special Olympics Wisconsin that happens at various locations throughout the state. She learned of the event through a friend and took the opportunity to fundraise and ‘plunge’ with 17 other college students in her group.

“Being involved with the program has really taught me to be very conscious when it comes to taking life for granted,” said Conrad. “It’s reinforced that every day and every gift I have is precious and has shown me that there are so many ways to get involved with helping others in need.”

Conrad was able to raise $95, adding to her team’s total of $1,165.

“From this experience, I’ve learned two things – one being that jumping into a freezing-cold lake in the middle of winter is in fact as crazy as it sounds,” she said. “The second lesson is this:  doing that crazy thing to raise money and awareness and give those who may not otherwise have an opportunity to participate in the Special Olympics was worth every second of not being able to feel my toes.”

Nearly 800 people filled the Ozinga Chapel on March 1 to experience the joyful and heart-warming talent of the Watoto Children’s Choir.

The choir is made up of more than 20 Ugandan orphans who are among the 2 million children left parentless because of war and disease. The choir has traveled all over the world since its beginning in 1994 to raise awareness and funds for the Watoto organization.

The enthusiastic 90-minute performance included singing, dancing, and testimonies of the children, who shared their stories of tragedy turned to hope through Christ. The audience of students, faculty, staff, and families from surrounding communities were on their feet during one song, clapping and dancing as they worshipped along with the choir.

“It was incredible to hear their testimonies of hope and see the pure joy in their faces and in their performance,” said Becky Vanderzee ’12 of Dyer, Indiana. “It was a powerful reminder to me to find hope in my relationship with God on a daily basis.”

Christine Carter ’12 of Wheaton, Illinois, led the audience in prayer before a free-will offering was taken by the campus organization Acting on Aids. The event was hosted by Student Activities.

The children and their caregivers were welcomed into the homes of professors, staff members, community members, and other friends of the College after the concert to rest for the night. Their Midwest tour began in September and ends this month.

For more information about Watoto, visit www.watoto.com.

Dr. Mark Peters, associate professor of music, has received a grant from the American Bach Society for travel to Germany to research the Magnificat cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach and his contemporaries.

The American Bach Society, founded in 1972, is designed to “support the study, performance, and appreciation” of Bach’s music in the United States and Canada, according to the Society’s website. Peters currently serves as the secretary-treasurer for the Society.

The William H. Scheide Research Grant is awarded once every two years to a Society member wanting to research Bach or others in his circle. Peters, and Markus Rathey, an associate professor of music history at Yale University’s School of Music, are the 2011 grant recipients.

Peters will spend three weeks in Berlin, where he plans to focus his current research on the settings of the Magnificat text in German. His submitted abstract states he will be “exploring the textual, liturgical, theological, and musical aspects of the ‘Meine Seele’ from Luther’s liturgical reforms to the cantatas of J.S. Bach and his contemporaries.”

The final goal of this research is a monograph titled “The German Magnificat from Martin Luther to J.S. Bach.”

Learn more about Dr. Peters.

Over the past few years, Jim VanSchepen ex ’73, director of security at Trinity, and his wife Debbie have traveled to various countries on mission trips. Three of the most recent have been arranged through Partners in Christ International (PICI).

The VanSchepens’ trip this past January through PICI took them to the southern part of India. There they helped provide basic medical services through the local Christian churches. Having access to services through the nearby churches allows members of the community to not only receive necessities like eyewear and medication, but also introduces them to the pastors.

While Jim fitted hundreds of people for reading glasses during the week, Debbie dispensed basic cough and intestinal medications. Debbie serves as director of the Flossmoor Family Care Center at Ingalls Memorial Hospital and has a background as a pharmacy technician.

The group of volunteers served more than 700 people during five clinics held in various locations.

Jim said he is thankful for the week of service time Trinity allows employees to take each year.

PICI is an international, non-denominational Christian mission organization. VanSchepen’s former classmate Nick Beezhold ex ’74 serves as executive director at PICI. Beezhold is the husband of Board of Trustees member Bonnie Beezhold ex ’77. For more information on Partners in Christ International, visit www.partnersinchrist-intl.org.

Trinity’s annual storyteller event featured award-winning storyteller, recording artist, and author Dovie Thomason shared stories of the Native American culture on February 8 in the Marg Kallemeyn Theatre.

Thomason has been a featured storyteller with NASA and Indian education programs on reservations; Shakespeare’s “Globe Theatre”; NPR’s “Living on Earth” and the BBC’s “My Century”; cross-community programs in Northern Ireland; and powwows, conferences, schools, and libraries.

As Thomason spoke of the Lakota culture passed down through her ancestors, audience members felt involved in the story through her narrative techniques.

“Her detail and description of the stories allowed you to create your own images in your mind,” said Chelsea Schuen ’12 of Ada, Michigan. “My favorite part about [Ms. Thomason] was the humor and emotions she portrayed through the characters.”

Another benefit of hearing Thomason speak was the cultural feature. “I think that having a storyteller visit campus brings a new cultural aspect to Trinity,” said Melissa Conrad ’14 of Hawthorn, Illinois. “We’re so connected to Internet, movies, and cell phones that we rarely think about storytellers for entertainment anymore.”

“I think that Dovie Thomason was a good choice for sharing her story because she could share about her Native American culture,” said Brian Clark ’12 of Wyoming, Michigan. “I like hearing about other cultures, and she was a great representative for a different point of view.”

The annual storytelling event is sponsored by Trinity’s Cultural Affairs Committee.

Approximately 80 students spent a Saturday afternoon ice skating in downtown Chicago at Bicentennial Plaza on February 12.

The event was sponsored by the Student Activities committee, a group on campus “that works to regularly provide students with events,” said the committee’s Chair of Marketing and Advertising Caleb Mulder ’11 of Wheatfield, Indiana.

The goal of events like the one in Chicago is to provide students with entertainment at a low cost, said Bethany Verhage ’11 of Moses Lake, Washington. Verhage serves as the student chair. For $5, students were provided with all-day CTA passes, two hours of private skating, hot chocolate, and Chicago’s famous Garrett’s popcorn.

“My favorite part of the day was watching everyone having so much fun, especially in the midst of all the slipping, sliding, and falling,” said Jenna Brandsen ’12 of Holland, Michigan.

Students often express gratitude towards the hard work of the Student Activities team in making these popular events fun and exciting. “Student Activities works with a sincere, and appreciated, dedication to creating amusing events that are really fun and affordable for students,” said Brandsen.

Student Activities is advised by Troy Schemper, coordinator of student services and residence director for the College’s Village housing.

God’s will and calling can be extraordinary and unpredictable.

Just ask Rob Dominguez, and he can tell you why.

A senior pursuing a physical education and health degree, Dominguez underwent a surgery in November 2010 to donate the right lobe of his liver. The donation was for Dominguez’s cousin, Rick, a 40-year-old husband and father who was diagnosed in July 2010 with hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE).

According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health, EHE is a very rare form of cancer with an unknown origin that occurs in the liver and other organs. Dominguez said that in Rick’s case, the tumors were present on both lobes of his liver and required a transplant.

For Dominguez, making the decision to donate part of his liver in hopes of helping his cousin was one where anxiety and hesitation were absent and God’s will was present.

“God spoke in my heart, and I knew I was the one to match,” said Dominguez. “From that moment on, I had no fear about the surgery because God granted me the gift to donate. I knew in my heart that everything would turn out wonderful, and I never doubted my decision at any point.”

The procedure lasted five hours for Dominguez and 10 for his cousin and couldn’t have gone better, said Dominguez, who also noted the positive effects a medical journey like this can have on a family.

“My whole family is much stronger and closer after this experience,” he said. “A few people actually came to know God better after witnessing such a miracle.”

As for Dominguez, the journey has reinforced his belief in the power of faith. “I believe it was a big test for me. I’ve learned faith in God is one of the most powerful tools we can hold onto as Christians.”

Alumni met on campus on February 5 for the annual Dinner and Hoops event. Nine alumni teams squared off in the morning’s 3-on-3 basketball tournament, then cheered on the Trolls in an afternoon double header against Calumet College of St. Joseph. In the evening, alumni guests joined students and faculty for a performance by the student improv team.

For the 3-on-3 tournament, alumni played in two divisions—advanced and recreational. Winning teams and their players included:

Advanced Division Winners

Eric Lubbers ’99
Scott Pothoven ’97
Chuck Commeret ’05
Randy Commeret

Recreational Division Winners

Matt Medema ’04
Chris Decker ’03
Luke Post ’04
Rudi Gesch ’04
John Sikkenga ’06

Trinity games against Calumet College

Men’s game: http://athletics.trnty.edu/News/Trolls-Take-Care-of-Calumet-St.-Joseph.html

Women’s game: http://athletics.trnty.edu/News/Scoring-Woes-Continue-to-Hurt-Trolls.html

Students who traveled to Koinonia Farm in Americus, Georgia, for Interim experienced life in an intentional Christian community.

Eight students, accompanied by Cini Bretzlaff-Holstein, adjunct professor of social work, and Nikki Bruna, social work project coordinator, spent Janurary 7 – 14 at Koinonia Farm. Their days were filled with chapel, service work, meals, and fellowship with each other and with the residents of the farm.

Founded in 1942 by Clarence Jordan, Koinonia Farm is a community of Christians that pray, work, study, and live together. Many social justice-seeking organizations, like Habitat for Humanity and the Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition, are products of Jordan’s intentional community.

“It was inspiring to see the students embrace the idea of being intentional about community,” said Bruna. “This almost immediately fostered a sense of kindness, peace, and commitment to the entire group. This was seen in our interactions with one another, the way we treated those we encountered, and how we approached our work.”

Something students appreciated while practicing intentional community were the evening conversations that followed each day.

“I thoroughly enjoyed the discussion times we processed as a group,” said Sophia Briseno ’13 of Mason City, Illinois. “We all huddled around a small heater or brought blankets and talked about heavy concepts for several hours.”

Bruna said the intentional community and experience of Koinonia Farm is one that encourages students to take home the intentional mentality.

“This Interim allows students to experience firsthand the impact of living in an intentional community and think about what lessons they can bring back and incorporate in their own community,” said Bruna.

Bruna’s desire for post-Interim thought from participating students is evident.

“One question I kept asking and am still working through is, ‘Should you look for a community that will define you, or will you define the community you are in?’” said Briseno.