Archives: News Stories
Students, faculty and community members gathered in the Ozinga Chapel on Friday, September 24 as the smooth sounds of the Junius Paul Quintet and the Trinity Jazz Band filled the air at the fifth annual Black and White Dress-Up Night of Jazz, sponsored by the Cultural Affairs Committee and the music department.
Dressed in their finest black and white attire, audience members welcomed musician Junius Paul, a Chicago native and electric and acoustic bassist. Paul is known internationally and well-established in many genres of music.
“It seemed to me as if the Junius Paul Quintet could have been playing at the Symphony Center, they were that good,” said Dr. Mike VanderWeele ’73, professor of English. “I also had a guest along who was very impressed with what our jazz band was able to do just 3-4 weeks into the semester.”
The strong passion for music that the group displayed was just what the audience was looking for. As the music played, students, faculty and community members alike got out of their seats to dance.
The performance began at 7 p.m. and students and community lingered long after enjoying refreshments, fellowship, and meeting with the members of the Junius Paul Quintet.
Students and faculty gathered in the library on Wednesday, September 15 to celebrate the launch of the second Openings, Trinity’s visual and literary arts magazine.
Openings is designed to display the work of current students, faculty, and alumni, offering a sense of unity among the artists and writers of Trinity.
“I wanted there to be a conversation between Trinity’s past and Trinity’s future,” said Marissa (DeHaan) Carpenter ’10, who founded the idea for Openings and launched the first issue.
The event allowed students and faculty in the English and arts departments to enjoy a time of fellowship and to share in some of the readings. Editors hope to release the next Openings in April, 2011.
In an effort to raise awareness about the injustices in North Korea, the organization Liberty in North Korea (LiNK) will come to campus as part of its national tour. LiNK will present the film “Hiding” on Wednesday, November 10, at 6:30 p.m. in the Grand Lobby. The community is welcome to attend.
“Not many people know of the injustice that goes on in North Korea, so I think it will be an eye-opening event to attend,” said Sharon Chun ’11 of Northbrook, Illinois. As a member of the College’s Asian American Alliance, Chun worked with LiNK last year to organize the event.
The Asian American Alliance, the sponsor of the event, is a sub-committee of Trinity’s Multicultural Club.
About the Film
“Hiding” is a documentary that exposes the struggle that North Korean refugees in China endure to find freedom. This film will introduce those still in hiding and will show others how they can bring these refugees to safety. This showing is part of a tour across North America in which members of LiNK visit colleges, high schools, and churches to present the film and advocate for the people of North Korea.
About LiNK
LiNK was formed in 2004 by individuals who had learned about North Korea and felt called to help. Educating a team of college students, they formed the organization LiNK. LiNK is a movement of activists empowered by the stories of refugees and motivated by the issue’s urgency. Focusing on awareness, advocates share these stories of hope and survival globally. Their work consists of four segments: shelters, rescuing refugees, resettlement, and awareness. Working in Southeast Asia, LiNK operates shelters that house and protect refugees rescued out of China. They also offer educational and financial assistance to resettle the refugees in America and South Korea.
The Trinity Business Network welcomes Bill Moore, president and CEO of PacMoore Products and PacMoore Process Technologies, to campus on Wednesday, November 3, at 7:30 a.m. as he offers his presentation “Business Can Be an Amazing Mission” in the Grand Lobby of the Ozinga Chapel.
Admission to the event is free, but registration is requested at http://trinitybusinessnetworknov2010.eventbrite.com. For more information call 708.239.4806.
PacMoore Products is a privately held food powder packaging and processing company and is one of the nation’s leading contract manufacturers, processing and packaging more than 150 million pounds of dry food ingredients annually for companies including General Mills, Master Foods, Kraft/Nabisco, Pinnacle Foods, and National Starch.
Prior to establishing and growing PacMoore, Moore worked as a product development engineer for Proctor and Gamble and as a Teaching Leader for Bible Study Fellowship, where he began and grew a men’s class to include over 400 men.
Moore used his experiences to transform PacMoore into a company fully committed to bringing Christ to employees, customers, and vendors.
The mission of the TBN is to provide Christ-centered business learning and service opportunities for Trinity Christian College alumni and friends.
Trinity Christian College’s admission team celebrates this fall’s record enrollment along with faculty, staff and students. Shown are Kelly Jo Beezhold (front from left), Marlin Exton ’07, Dilaun White ’09, Ross Katsma ’05, and Jose Dominguez ’03; (back) Ethan Vervelde ’09, Jeremy Klyn ’02, Rachel VanOort ’05 and Jason Huisman.” title=”Trinity Christian College’s admission team celebrates this fall’s record enrollment along with faculty, staff and students. Shown are Kelly Jo Beezhold (front from left), Marlin Exton ’07, Dilaun White ’09, Ross Katsma ’05, and Jose Dominguez ’03; (back) Ethan Vervelde ’09, Jeremy Klyn ’02, Rachel VanOort ’05 and Jason Huisman.
The 2010-11 academic year at Trinity Christian College saw record-breaking numbers for the fall semester, beginning with the all-time high total of 1,491 students.
Adding to the record-high of 371 new students were 235 freshmen and 131 transfer students, the highest transfer enrollment in the College’s history.
The continuing increase in enrollment figures in the Adult Studies Accelerated Program also contributed to the total with a record high of 398 students. The number of students enrolling in the special education track shows substantial increases, as both current teachers and prospective teachers sense the value of preparation in special education.
“This record-breaking enrollment is being celebrated across campus,” said President Steve Timmermans, Ph.D. “While many factors contribute to this year’s growth, the increase in our total student body gives evidence of God’s faithfulness and the trust of his people who love and support this College and believe strongly in its mission.”
This summer, Trinity also rose in the rankings in U.S.News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” for 2011. The College rose eight places to No. 20 in the category of Regional Colleges—Midwest (formerly the Baccalaureate Colleges—Midwest). The College’s ranking of No. 13 in the area of Racial Diversity: Regional Colleges—Midwest speaks to its continued commitment to develop a multiethnic, multicultural, and multidenominational student body. Trinity’s No. 9 ranking in the category of Economic Diversity is also important as the College seeks to make Christian higher education affordable for families from a wide variety of income ranges.
Trinity Christian College Athletics Department announced that it will add men’s golf as one of its intercollegiate varsity sport programs. The golf team will open its inaugural season in 2011-2012 with a fall and spring schedule.
The team will join the current seven schools that support golf in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference. Along with all of Trinity’s athletics programs, it will compete as a member of the NAIA and NCCAA national organizations.
Students interested in participating on the golf team should email Interim Athletics Director Josh Lenarz ’98 at josh.lenarz@trnty.edu. Trinity is currently actively searching for a head coach to lead the program.
Students elected new leaders to fill the positions of the Student Association Executive Committee and the positions for class representatives for the 2010-11 school year. Each class elects three student representatives whose main function is to advocate for students, voicing concerns and working alongside Trinity’s administration to bring about constructive change on campus.
Student Association President Jason Giddings ’11 of Pella, Iowa, has high hopes for what he and his peers can accomplish this year.
“As a Christian, God calls us to be more Christ-like every day, to not settle for less but to be continually striving to be a better person, a better Christian, and a better friend,” Giddings said. “This calling also manifests itself in the role of the president of Student Association.”
Giddings plans to “open doors” for Student Association, taking it in a new direction. He has made contact with student body presidents from Christian colleges across the nation in hopes to strengthen the Christian community on campus and work closely with other student bodies toward the advancement of His Kingdom.
Student Association Executive Committee
President—Jason Giddings ’11
Vice President— J.R. Wydra ’11
Treasurer— Eric Jensema ’11
Secretary—Liz Fiala ’10
Committee Chairs
Academic Initiative—Kaitlyn Fondrk ’13
Allelu – first semester—Christine Carter ’12
[Photo Pending]
Allelu – second semester—Jenae Van Engen ’11
Multicultural—– Velvet Woods ’11
Service—Eric Robbert ’13
Social Justice—Andrew Blok ’13
Student Programming Board President—Bethany Verhage ’11
Web Master/PR Manager—Eric Swanson ’12
Student Association Class Representatives
Class of 2011
[Photo Pending]
Sam Huenink
Mike Merlino
John Nekic
Class of 2012
Mark Jasperse
Courtney Jeltema
Dan Thayer
Class of 2013
Brooke Brouwer
Samuel Lankah
[Photo Pending]
KC Roller
Class of 2014
DaMaris King
Jessica Timmermans
Rochelle Burks
Being involved is one of the best ways to enhance your Trinity experience. The annual Involvement Fair highlights opportunities–both on and off campus–that students can participate in as part of the Trinity community.
The fair, held on Friday, September 3, welcomed more than 74 campus clubs and organizations, and local businesses and churches, giving students an opportunity to familiarize themselves with essential services and places of worship in the Palos Heights area.
Student Association Vice President J.R. Wydra ’11 of Tinley Park organized the fair this year, which he estimated had a record number of vendors and visitors. “The Involvement Fair is one of my favorite events,” said Wydra. “By plugging into the various clubs Trinity has to offer and into a local church, students are able to serve God and build lifelong relationships with people they might have not otherwise met.”
As they visited the many booths, students collected signatures on a special card they then submitted into a drawing for prizes. Hannah VanBeek ’13 of Pella, Iowa, won the grand prize of an iPod Touch.
Students also enjoyed dinner outside and fair fare, including popcorn, cotton candy, and snow cones.
Trinity’s incoming freshmen volunteered at Children’s Hunger Fund (CHF) on Tuesday, August 31, as part of their First Year Forum day of service. More than 260 students and staff worked together at CHF’s Chicagoland warehouse wrapping 10,368 Beanie Babies donated by Ty Inc. for children in Eastern Europe.
Eric Robbert ’13 of LaGrange, Illinois, who had already served at the organization, was the coordinator of the project. Last spring, Robbert suggested the volunteer opportunity to Trinity’s FYF coordinator Becky Starkenburg and the CHF branch manager.
But Robbert was told that there wasn’t a project large enough to accommodate the group of freshmen. It was a disappointment to the sophomore who has a heart for the organization’s mission and believes its proximity to the College would allow interested students to continue volunteering.
Then the week after classes ended for the summer, Robbert received a call from CHF. He learned of the huge toy donation and the need for a large group of volunteers to wrap each stuffed animal.
“I was speechless,” said Robbert, “God provided the event and made it happen.”
FYF is part of the Office of the First Year Experience, which assists the Trinity community in shaping existing and new programs and services to serve the educational and transitional needs of new students.
Shopping carts stacked high with the essentials and more wheeled back and forth between family vehicles and Trinity residence halls on Friday, August 27, the College’s official Move-in Day for freshmen.
Freshmen students entered the Christian community where classmates become friends, professors become mentors, and Trinity becomes a home away from home.
Move-in Day for transfer and returning students follows over the next few days. Classes begin Wednesday, September 1.