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Seven students, accompanied by Charles Emmerich, professor of political science, spent the last portion of the two-week Interim in Washington, D.C., attending the 2011 Christian Student Leadership Conference.
The Christian Student Leadership Conference, sponsored by the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), is designed to give college students the opportunity to meet with leaders in government and learn how those leaders participate in politics while incorporating their faith, according to NAE’s website. The theme for this year’s conferences was “From Generation to Generation” and focused on issues the United States faces today and will continue to face in the future.
While in D.C. from January 17-21, the students spent most of their time attending briefings given by members of Congress, a Supreme Court justice, presidential staff members, and leaders of public policy firms. Sightseeing and a tour of the U.S. Capitol building guaranteed a packed schedule for the group.
Students made note of how hearing political officials talk about their faith in politics has changed their thinking and inspired them as they continue in their endeavors at Trinity.
“I feel like I have a changed view of politics,” said Kim VanSpronsen, ’13 of Escalon, California. “This trip has encouraged me that I am in the right area of study. I am even more willing to strive to bring Christian values to the area of political science.”
For students pursuing careers in politics or law, the trip to Washington, D.C. provided extra motivation.
“The speakers and events encouraged and inspired me to pursue a career in politics, and this Interim made me think deeply about where I would go after I graduate from Trinity,” said Kelsey Barnett ’12 of Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Students who participated in the Washington, D.C. Interim include:
Kelsey Barnett ’12 of Kenosha, Wisconsin
Dan Carter ’12 of Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin
Jeff Klein ’12 of Homer Glen, Illinois
Allie Leyva ’14 of Chino, California Nate Tameling ’14 of Burr Ridge, Illinois
Kim VanSpronsen ’13 of Escalon, California
Ken Wojnarowski ’13 of Orland Park, Illinois
Nursing students traveled to Ecuador during the January Interim to provide health care to urban and jungle-based populations.
Led by nursing professors Patti Bowman and Lorinda Lindemulder ’86, students experienced the health care disparity between the urban and jungle settings in addition to the disparities between persons of South America and North America.
Students visited two mission hospitals operated by HCJB Global and provided health care instruction at local churches in oral and hand hygiene, wound care, blood pressure monitoring, and sprain treatment. They also distributed family care packs containing soap, first aid products, medications such as antihistamines, and small toys.
Autumn Boss ’12 of Lansing, Illinois, said they went with the expectation of distributing care packages and received much more in return. “I received so much from God through these people that it is unexplainable,” she said. “I truly experienced how amazing God’s love is from these people, who live in the jungle with not much of anything.”
Members of the group were especially moved by the children they served at the Casa de Fe orphanage in the jungle in Shell Mera, Ecuador. Established in 1937 but later abandoned by the Shell Oil Company, Shell Mera became the main base of operations for Mission Aviation Fellowship and missionaries Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, and others who were eventually killed by members of the Waodani tribe.
Many of the children in the orphanage have special needs or are children from multiple births, both of which are taboo among the indigenous population. Because of ancient beliefs, mothers are required to kill children who may appear unhealthy, so many abandon the children in communities where they will be cared for.
Students, now back on campus, hope to raise $1,000 to donate to the orphanage.
Students traveled the globe, served others, and explored new cultures during Trinity’s Interim 2011. Trinity sets aside a two-week period in January to give students various opportunities to learn “way” outside the classroom, offering a diverse selection of courses overseas, across the U.S., and on campus.
To read journal entries from the overseas trips and to view photos, visit: Interim Blogs
Students on this year’s Costa Rica Interim, led by Dr. Tom Roose, associate professor of physics and science education, had the opportunity to see and study some of the greatest biodiversity in the world.
“The main highlight of my trip, besides being plunged deep into the lush Costa Rican rainforest, was getting to experience the Costa Rican culture,” said Melissa Conrad ’14 of Hawthorn Woods, Illinois.
“You could tell that people had a deep appreciation for everything and a strong respect for nature, as well as each other.”
Other overseas offerings included service learning in Peru, Jamaica, and Ecuador. Closer to home, students experienced an intentional biblical community in Georgia, participated in the 2011 Christian Student Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C., and ministered at Restoration Ministries in Harvey, Illinois. A variety of other special interest courses were available on campus.
Led by President Steve Timmermans, Ph.D., the first chapel of the semester provided the opportunity to come together as a community to worship and to refocus.
Looking to Scripture as students, faculty, and staff look ahead to the second half of the academic year, Timmermans offered “a picture of hope,” based on Zechariah 8:1-8. The verses paint an idyllic picture of a faithful city, “full of boys and girls playing in its streets.”
Timmermans pointed out two kinds of hopefulness in these verses: the foretelling of the coming of Christ and the second coming. But the broken world we live in is a contrast to the city described in Zechariah, said Timmermans, recounting visits to Johannesburg and the issues in America’s own cities.
As Christians wait for the second coming, Timmermans urged that the response should be to “join in the work of the kingdom by returning” and refocusing on who we are as God’s children. Second, he said Christians should “join in the work of rebuilding” by regularly participating in prayer, service, giving, and doing all of this through the power of the Holy Spirit.
First-year worship scholar Ruby Gunderson ’15 of Elk River, Minnesota, led the prayer response, and freshman Jordan Ghiglia of Wenatchee, Washington, read the scripture. The songs of worship, led by students, included “My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less,” which was fitting, as Timmermans notes in this week’s blog post.
Trinity’s Office of Learning Services (OLS) sees nearly one-fifth of the student body coming through its office on a yearly basis. With tremendous support from the administration, the OLS has grown and expanded its services under the direction of Nancy Kwasteniet.
“We provide academic resources which enable students to accomplish their goals,” Kwasteniet said.
All services are confidential and free to students. The OLS offers resources such as tutoring and academic coaching to the general student body. Students wondering about a potential learning issue can receive academic counseling and discuss the possibility of a diagnostic evaluation. Students with identified disabilities have the legal right to receive accommodations. The director of the OLS works closely with the student and the student’s professors to devise an individualized accommodation plan which may include things like extended time for testing and utilizing text-to-audio reading systems.
“Trinity’s small size proves beneficial as the OLS facilitates open communication between students and instructors,” Kwasteniet explained. Many of the professors “go above and beyond” in this “highly collaborative process,” she said, noting that Trinity’s faculty understands both the legal and ethical implications of supporting all of their students.
Tutoring and Academic Coaching
The OLS offers tutors, academic coaches, and help through the Writing Center. Students can request tutors for a specific subject or an academic coach to help them prioritize and organize their schedules as well as hold them accountable for their work.
“It’s also for really strong students who want to get the most out of their classes,” Kwasteniet said. The aim is to help students excel in all areas, so they reach their academic goals. She added that it’s not unusual for a student to serve as a tutor in one subject and to seek tutoring in another.
“I think it is also beneficial for the tutors,” said student tutor coordinator Jessica De Young ’13 of Waupun, Wisconsin, “because it gives them a chance to use their strengths in certain subjects to help others learn.”
Supplemental Instruction
A new program implemented in fall 2010 is Supplemental Instruction (SI), headed up by Lisa Kuiper, coordinator of student support services. Trained student leaders attend lectures and lead SI group study sessions each week. The leaders act as facilitators to help students process the course material and study more efficiently. SI is currently being offered for Math 151, Biology 205/206, Chemistry 101/102, and Accounting 221/222.
Students who have benefited from the help they received from taking part in the SI program say:
“SI is very helpful, and I would recommend it to anyone – it is nice to get a student perspective from the material. I think I do better in a group session, and it has improved my knowledge of the material.”
“I always came out of SI sessions with a clearer idea and understanding of the material. It was nice to have multiple SI’s a week, as well as [the SI leader] having office hours. I was able to approach my test more relaxed because I had been to SI.”
“[The SI leader] was wonderful! She offered so much help and time to us. She made me feel comfortable and adjusted to everyone’s learning levels and abilities. She definitely was a huge contributing factor to my grades.”
The OLS creates a supportive atmosphere where students can receive free and confidential help. With the number of students taking advantage of the resources steadily increasing each year, the OLS will continue to expand its services.
For a complete list and explanation of all the services provided by the Office of Learning Services, visit http://studentlife.trnty.edu/office-of-learning-services.html.
Director Nancy Kwasteniet explains the help available to students through the Office of Learning Services:
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Students on this year’s Costa Rica Interim had the opportunity to see and study some of the greatest biodiversity in the world.
Led by Dr. Thomas Roose, associate professor of physics and science education, the group of students explored both the rain forest of the lowlands and the cloud forest of the mountains to learn about how the ecology of these regions work and how humans interact with the rainforest.
Although Costa Rica covers only .03 percent of the earth’s surface, this tiny country holds more than 5 percent of all life forms. The Interim team of students, all from varying majors, enjoyed whitewater rafting, zip-lining through the treetops, hiking near an active volcano and in tropical forests, and encountering toucans, sloths, poison dart frogs, iguanas, and other wildlife in their habitats. The students also experienced how global climate change is adversely affecting this unique part of God’s creation.
“My Interim trip to Costa Rica was more amazing than I could have ever imagined,” said Melissa Conrad ’14 of Hawthorn Woods, Illinois.
Conrad said she is passionate about wildlife conservation and sustainability and the trip provided an opportunity for her to experience both firsthand.
“The main highlight of my trip, besides being plunged deep into the lush Costa Rican rainforest, was getting to experience the Costa Rican culture. You could tell that people had a deep appreciation for everything and a very strong respect for nature, as well as each other. Their motto is ‘pura vida’ (pure life), and indeed it is. I would absolutely love to go back.”
Interim is a two-week program in January led by faculty and staff of the College. Special courses and trips are offered on campus, in Chicago, or at destinations in the United States and abroad.
Click here to read Dr. Roose’s Costa Rica Interim blog.
Students, faculty, staff, and community members gathered in the Grand Lobby of the Ozinga Chapel on January 17 to celebrate the 82nd birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
President Steven Timmermans, Ph.D., opened the evening with an excerpt from a 1962 sermon of King’s, which was followed by a scripture reading from senior Edmond Mensah of Chicago. The celebration continued as Dr. David Brodnax, Sr., assistant professor of history, gave a presentation called “Reflections on Music and the Civil Rights Movement,” and the Trinity Gospel Choir performed a selection of songs.
The evening focused on the roles music and the Bible played in King’s life and activism.
“Music played an important role in the civil rights movement,” said Brodnax. “Although Dr. King has been gone for over 40 years, the songs of his civil rights movement live on.
“The songs of the civil rights movement inspire us to think differently,” added James Palmore, director of the Gospel Choir. “Social justice songs took on a biblical proportion.”
Senior Velvet Woods of Chicago also read from a speech King gave in 1967. Afterwards, attendees viewed a video commemorating King’s life. The video was created by Audio Visual Coordinator Dave Jousma and junior Justin James of Riverside, Illinois.
The evening concluded with closing remarks and prayer offered by Don Woo, dean for ethnic diversity and multicultural programs, who related the passage of 2 Corinthians 5:17–6:2 and the life of King to God’s call of Christians today.
“God did not call us to be comfortable,” Woo said. “He called us to make a difference.”
Origami has become an increasingly popular tool to use in primary, secondary, and college education. Paper-folding is also enjoyed as a hobby by many, including Mary Webster Moore, assistant professor of education.
Origami is not only a hobby for Moore, it is an instructional strategy she encourages future teachers to use in their classrooms. She also teaches origami to both education and non-education majors during Trinity’s two-week Interim in January.
The Interim class provides an opportunity for students to develop a new and exciting hobby and to gain insight into incorporating paper-folding into classes and other group activities. Students are also required to teach someone else the models that they have learned at three different points during the two week
For nursing major Caroline Klingbeil ’14 of Chesterton, Indiana, the class was her first experience with origami. Klingbeil constructed a swan with 430 strips of paper.
“I’ve never done anything like this before. It was a lot of fun, and it’s definitely something I’ll keep doing for enjoyment in the future,” she said.
Dr. Patti Powell, professor of education, is beginning her work as a Fulbright Scholar at Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College in Montego Bay, Jamaica. From January through May 2011, Powell will assist with the development of the college’s new deaf education program. In addition, she will introduce service learning into the curriculum and research how service learning enriches the experience of teacher.
In order to share her experience with the Trinity community, family, friends, and colleagues, Powell is documenting her journey through her blog “Jammin’ in Jamaica.” She invites all to visit her here: http://pattipowell.wordpress.com/
Powell, who is also director of the Alexander De Jong Center for Special Education at Trinity, has spent the past ten years leading Interim trips each January to the Caribbean Christian Center for the Deaf (CCCD). During the Jamaica Interim 2011, a service-learning experience, Trinity students had the opportunity to work at the CCCD on various projects and interact with the children who attend the CCCD after school. Students also experienced the Jamaican culture by traveling to Ocho Rios, climbing Dunns River Falls, and shopping in the straw market.
Read the January 2011 Interim blog.
Read more about Powell’s Fulbright award.
T
he Trinity community mourns the loss of Rev. Dr. Arthur DeKruyter, one of the founders of Trinity Christian College as well as the founding pastor and senior pastor emeritus of Christ Church of Oak Brook. Dr. DeKruyter passed away Friday, January 14, 2011.
DeKruyter was one of the 10 men who served on the Christian Junior College Committee formed in 1953 to study the feasibility of establishing a Christian junior college in the Chicagoland area. Those early meetings paved the way for the formation of Trinity, first as a two-year institution and eventually a four-year, baccalaureate-degree granting college.
DeKruyter served as the committee’s chairman and later as chairman of the Board of Trustees. On many occasions he addressed meetings of classes and other organizations to gain support for the college movement.
“That was our assignment,” DeKruyter reminisced during a 2009 interview for Trinity’s 50th anniversary. “I felt very responsible for getting the Chicagoland people involved in something like this.”
In 2009, DeKruyter began the 50th Jubilee anniversary celebration with a campus chapel message for students, faculty, and staff on October 2. He then offered the invocation at the Jubilee formal dinner and program at Navy Pier.
In another recent demonstration of his ongoing devotion to the College, DeKruyter donated his personal pastoral library, which will be housed in the Dutch Heritage Center of the Jennie Huizenga Memorial Library and will provide access to works of relevance for pastors as well as Trinity faculty and students.
DeKruyter is survived by his daughter Lucette and son-in-law Thomas Bamford; his grandsons Tab (Kristin) and Arthur; and his great-grandchildren Thomas and Robert. He was preceded in death by his wife Gladys.
Arrangements as published on the website of Christ Church of Oak Brook are as follows:
Visitation with the family will be held at Christ Church of Oak Brook on Tuesday, January 18, from 3 to 5 p.m. and from 7 to 9 p.m.
A private burial will be conducted on Wednesday morning, attended by family and invited guests only.
A memorial service will be held in the sanctuary on Wednesday, January 19, at 7 p.m. This service will also be broadcast live on the church’s website at www.cc-ob.tv. A reception will follow the memorial service in the fellowship hall. All are invited.
For more information, visit: http://www.cc-ob.org/dekruyter/