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Trinity is turning 60, and we have a weekend full of festivities to celebrate from Sept. 27-29!
The events kick off with a gala celebration on Friday, Sept. 27 at the Hilton Chicago Oak Brook Resort, which begins at 7 pm. You can learn more about the 60th Gala here, and enjoy several videos about the event featuring the Dykstras, our First Family.
Saturday, Sept. 28 will be packed with fun family events. Tour dorms and buildings, cheer on the Lady Trolls in a softball game at Schaaf Fields against Trinity International University, and stop by the Seerveld Gallery to view an exhibition by alum and current Trinity professor Kaleb Dean. When you get hungry, swing by the Bootsma Bookstore Cafe for some food and drink specials and check out the latest Troll Nation gear. And the whole family is welcome to a special outdoor showing of Toy Story 4.
On Sept. 29, the Trinity community will gather in worship at Ozinga Chapel Auditorium for a service led by Rev. Marc Nelesen ’91. A complimentary brunch will follow in the Dining Hall. While brunch is free, registration is requested.
Cap off the 60th anniversary weekend with an out-of-this-world concert, “To the Ends of the Earth,” by Southwest Symphony Orchestra, in residence at Ozinga Chapel Auditorium. More information and tickets for SSO are available here.
Please join us for any or all of these great events! For more information visit our Trinity at 60 Weekend website.
Trinity Christian College received the Champions of Character Five-Star Institution award, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced Tuesday.
The award was given to 180 NAIA colleges and universities across the country this year based on five core values: character training, conduct in competition, academic focus, character recognition and character promotion. Along with these categories, schools can also earn points through exceptional student-athlete GPA’s and through receiving limited ejections during competition.
For the 2018-19 academic year, Trinity received Gold status and scored 100 points on the Champions of Character scorecard, which is the highest score a school can earn. The Trolls received the award every year since the 2003-2004 academic year. This is only the second time that Trinity earned the Gold award through this program.
“We are proud of and grateful for this recognition by the NAIA. The student-athletes at Trinity Christian College are an exceptional group of young people,” said Mark Hanna, Trinity’s director of athletics. “I am increasingly proud of them, inspired by their talented coaches, and appreciative of the broader Trinity community’s support.”
The Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference, which Trinity is in, also earned the Five-Star Conferences award. Trinity is the only CCAC school to receive gold status and is one of 63 schools to receive the award altogether.
To learn more about the award and to see a full list of recipients, visit naia.org/champions-of-character.
Trinity Christian College is pleased to announce its ranking among the “Best Colleges” of Regional Colleges—Midwest by U.S. News & World Report for 2020. Trinity was ranked 20th among Midwestern regional colleges in this year’s survey. The College was also ranked among the top 25 “Best Values” among Midwest colleges. U.S. News & World Report also recognized Trinity for its significant number of international students.
“As we celebrate our 60th anniversary in 2019, Trinity continues to provide a rigorous education in a supportive environment where students are taught wisdom and knowledge – and are prepared professionally so that they can pursue lives of significance wherever they are called to live and work,” said President Kurt D. Dykstra. “We are pleased that U.S. News & World Report has recognized, once again, that Trinity prepares our students very well for a world that sorely needs them.”
The U.S. News rankings are based on qualitative and quantitative information in several categories, including peer assessments, graduation rates, social mobility, and faculty information. The “Best Value” ranking considers the ratio of quality to price; percentage of undergraduates receiving scholarships or grants; and average discount.
When the psychology department at Trinity was first established, the practice of psychology was considered inclusive of professional counseling. In fact, Trinity’s psychology program has always trained students with a heavy emphasis on relational and interpersonal skill development.
Over the last few decades, counselors have established a unique professional identity separate from that of psychology. This has led to increasing distinction between the broad study of the psychological sciences and the more applied nature of counseling practice. Here at Trinity, we recognize the distinctiveness of the fields of counseling and psychology while also celebrating their interconnectedness.
To more accurately reflect today’s practices and our program offerings, Trinity has updated the department name from Psychology to Counseling and Psychology. As the Department of Counseling and Psychology, Trinity continues to offer an undergraduate major in psychology serving traditional and adult students and a graduate program in counseling psychology that trains professional counselors. Our faculty is comprised of doctoral-level counselor educators and psychologists with a range of specialties.
“Our new name reflects our commitment to valuing the ways that these fields inform each other’s work, research, and practice,” said Director of the Graduate Program in Counseling Psychology; Associate Professor of Psychology; and Department Chair Kara Wolff, Ph.D. “Ultimately our new name is about inclusiveness. We want to acknowledge the distinctiveness of each of these fields while also working towards our common goal of educating students.”
Click here to learn more about Trinity’s Department of Counseling and Psychology.
Since the founding of the College, Trinity has welcomed the start of the academic year with opening Convocation. The tradition continued on Aug. 28 with the 61st Annual Convocation.
As part of another deeply rooted tradition, the 2019-20 Professor of the Year Kara E. Wolff, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Counseling and Psychology, gave the address. “Trinity is more Trinity because Dr. Wolff works here,” said Provost Aaron Kuecker, Ph.D., in introducing Wolff.
In her address to faculty, staff, and students, she spoke about how flourishing is not easy, but it is good. “And what is flourishing? In God’s eyes, it is engaging in that which both glorifies God and serves the community,” she said. Wolff went on to discuss how racism in particular blocks our path to thriving as a community.
“Racism is a barrier to justice in society and to flourishing at Trinity,” said Wolff, citing research that she and Associate Professor of Psychology Jessica Clevering have conducted. “We have a unique call as a Christian college. Diversity is not enough. We need space for true belonging.”
Wolff encouraged everyone to examine their own biases and be willing to be honest with themselves. “Justice work is our Savior’s language,” she said. “We serve a God who loves mercy and justice.”
This year’s Convocation began with an organ prelude by Prof. Minkyoo Shin, D.M. Trinity’s Gospel, led by Nicole St. Victor and accompanied on piano by Greg St. Victor, performed several numbers.
President Kurt Dykstra, J.D., provided the welcome, and Campus Ministry Prayer Leader Komaria Carpenter ’21 offered the invocation. Ladarius Beal ’21, president of the Black Student Union; Micaela Humenik ’21 president of Sabor Latino; and Ross Barz ’21, president of the Student Government Association, read from the scriptures.
The prayers of thanksgiving and petition for faculty, staff, and students were given by Professor of Music Helen Hoekema Van Wyck, D.M.A.; Associate Dean for Adult Undergraduate Programs Rakisha Sloane, Ed.D.; and President of the Asian American Alliance Ranita Luhur ’21.
Chaplain and Dean of Spiritual Formation Rev. Willis Van Groningen, Ph.D., closed Convocation with a benediction.
Miller ’17 Brings Trinity Teaching and Philosophy to Chicago Public Schools
With a graduate degree from Trinity, Erin Miller ’17 is working to make a difference in the lives of students and their families in Chicago Public Schools. Miller, who advanced her career with CPS by completing Trinity’s Behavior Intervention Specialist program, was recently promoted to Manager of Specialized Behavioral Support and Strategy for the country’s third-largest school system.
In her role, Miller oversees a highly sought after team of Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs), Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analysts (BCaBAs), and Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs). The team assists teachers, students, and families in providing appropriate educational, behavioral, environmental, and social skills support for students who are diagnosed with disabilities and experiencing challenging behavior in the school setting.
Studying applied behavior analysis (ABA) at Trinity has translated to real improvements in the lives of students, she said. “The impact has been amazing,” she said. “Watching a student go from engaging in extremely challenging behavior to being an active participant in their classroom and thriving behaviorally and academically is definitely the most rewarding part of the job.”
ABA, a therapy based on the science of learning and behavior, helps to understand how behavior works, how it is affected by the environment, and how learning takes place. The goal of ABA is to implement strategies that lead to behavior change, an increasingly important and in-demand field today and the focus of Trinity’s Master of Arts in Special Education Behavior Intervention Specialist program.
In her new role, Miller oversees day-to-day operations, receives and prioritizes behavioral requests, assigns cases, provides ongoing supervision to all team members, directs professional development, and collaborates with other departments. She also manages her own caseload of behavior requests and requests for school-based supports.
Prior to her promotion, Miller worked as a Coordinator and District Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) for the Autism and Behavioral Health Support Team with CPS and taught special education for seven years. She earned her undergraduate degrees in Special Education and Therapeutic Recreation at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
“I loved being a teacher,” said Miller. “I spent a lot of time crafting the lessons and interventions for my students, but I was limited in my capacity. In this role at CPS, we are able to support hundreds of students, staff, and families each year.”
And the science of behavior is applicable to anyone, of any age, in any field, said Miller. “My husband, who work in sales, has used the principles of ABA to increase sales, productivity, and motivation in the business world, and even completed a certificate in Organizational Behavior Management, a branch of ABA,” she said.
This article originally appeared on pp 20-21 of the 2019 issue of Trinity magazine. Didn’t get your copy of Trinity magazine? Let us know! You can update your contact information here.
Once considered separate realms, there has been a reawakening of interest in a dialogue between theology and the arts, according to Professor of Music Mark Peters, Ph.D., in his recent review of Jeremy S. Begbie’s latest book.
In reviewing A Peculiar Orthodoxy, Reflections on Theology and the Arts, published in “The Christian Century,” Peters explores the collection of nine essays by Begbie, who is Thomas A. Langford Distinguished Professor of Theology at Duke Divinity School.
According to the Peters, “Begbie’s clearly structured arguments draw on a vast body of literature in a wide range of disciplines. Readers will benefit from deep engagement with each of the chapters.” Peters looks particularly closely at two of the chapters: “Room of One’s Own? Music, Space, and Freedom” and “The Holy Spirit at Work in the Arts: Learning from George Herbert.”
Monday, Aug. 19 was a great day for the 33rd Annual Trinity Athletics Club (TAC) Golf Classic! The event, which took place at Crystal Tree Country Club in Orland Park, Ill., brought in $85,000, with all proceeds directly supporting student scholarships.
“While the course and the weather were beautiful, it was the enthusiasm and generous support of the event sponsors and the golfers that made the day,” said Mark Hanna, Associate Vice President for Student Life and Athletics. “We so appreciate all of our sponsors and golfers for spending the day with us. Their support will help make the way for future student athletes to have the opportunity to study and compete at Trinity.”
Hanna was particularly excited to see the participants interact with the student athletes who were at the event. “We have an exceptional group of young people at Trinity,” he said.
According to Dennis Harms, Associate Vice President for Advancement, Crystal Tree offered a great risk/reward golf course for the 132 golfers at the event. “Besides 18 holes of golf, the participants were treated to a fantastic lunch and dinner, Trinity athletic apparel as well as an opportunity to win some fantastic raffle prizes,” said Harms.
At the end of the day the low foursome consisted of Bob Schaaf, John Dieck, Dean VanderZee, and Chris VanTil.
The College is deeply appreciative for the support of our two event sponsors; Ozinga Bros Inc. and Providence Bank & Trust.
Click here to learn more about TAC and its support of our Troll athletes.
Returning from Exile
Jonathan Brooks on Moving Back to Chicago’s Englewood Neighborhood
Jonathan Brooks didn’t expect to work at a college, become a preacher, or move back to his old neighborhood of Englewood on Chicago’s South Side. In fact, he planned to be an architect and live just about anywhere besides Englewood.
“As I like to say, some are called, some are chosen, and some are forced,” said Brooks, who is the recruiter and mentor for Trinity’s five-year B.A./M.Div. program with Northern Seminary. He also serves as senior pastor of Canaan Community Church in Englewood, and authored the recently published book “Church Forsaken: Practicing Presence in Neglected Neighborhoods.” “When comfort becomes our ultimate goal, God has to take drastic measures,” said Brooks, also known as Pastah J.
Brooks grew up in Englewood, and his first step away from the neighborhood was to attend college in Alabama, at Tuskegee University, where he earned a Bachelor of Architecture degree. “It turns out, I enjoyed studying architecture more than being an architect,” he said. When his mother became ill, he returned to Englewood to take care of her. “She decided it would be good to get me back to the church. So, I began working with youth at Canaan Community Church. Eventually, the pastor there forced me to take over by leaving.”
With his return to Englewood, Brooks began to see his role like that of the Israelites in exile. He points to the words of Jeremiah 29: “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” (NIV)
Brooks realized he was being called not just to work in Englewood, but to make it his home once again. He now lives by his church with his wife Miche’al Newman-Brooks, an instructor with Windy City Harvest, and two daughters, Jasmine, a sophomore at King College Prep High School and Jade, who is 12 and attends Daystar School.
Since returning from Tuskegee, Brooks earned an M.A. in teaching from National Louis University and an M.Div. from Northern Seminary in Christian Community Development. Along with leading Canaan Community Church, he has also worked with the Chicago Public Schools and Mission Year.
Several years ago, Brooks began doing more public speaking around the idea that Christians need to be fully present in their local communities. Increasingly, he was told he should write a book. “I’m a duck in water when it comes to public speaking, but I’m less comfortable writing,” he said. Despite his concerns, in 2017, he signed a contract for “Church Forsaken,” which was published in November 2018. “It’s a mix of memoir, with theology and anecdotes. It’s the crazy narrative of my life!”
As he was preparing for the book’s publication, the opportunity to join Trinity as mentor and recruiter for the new five-year B.A./M.Div. program presented itself. Brooks had been teaching a course as an adjunct professor at Trinity’s partner program, Chicago Semester, on “Urban Planning, Development, and the Sustainable City.” “That class combines all my interests,” he said.
When Trinity Provost Aaron Kuecker, Ph.D., approached Chicago Semester’s Executive Director Mackenzi Huyser, Ph.D., for suggestions on filling the new position with the B.A./M.Div. program, Huyser recommended Brooks.
His work with the B.A./M.Div. program is a continuation of his passion to help young people connect with what is wrong in the world. “I tell them, you are not in a holding pattern, and you will always find an excuse to wait. We are like Israel in exile.”
This article originally appeared on pp 6-7 of the 2019 issue of Trinity magazine. Didn’t receive the latest copy? Let us know! You can update your contact information here.
The Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra, in residence at Trinity’s Ozinga Chapel Auditorium, has announced that single tickets are available for purchase for the 2019-20 season. Highlights of the season, the IPO’s 42nd, include Gershwin, Mahler, Williams, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, and more!
Opening Night: Rhapsody in Blue, October 19, 2019 – 5:30 pm
Stilian Kirov, Conductor
Xiayin Wang, Piano
HORST (Composer-in-Residence) World Premiere
LEROY ANDERSON Piano Concerto
GERSHWIN Rhapsody in Blue
PISTON Symphony No. 6
Stilian Kirov Conducts Mahler, November 16, 2019 – 7:30 pm
Stilian Kirov, Conductor
Emily Birsan, Soprano
HORST (Composer-in-Residence) World Premiere
AUGUSTA READ THOMAS Absolute Ocean
MAHLER Symphony No. 4
Home for the Holidays, December 21, 2019 – 3:00 pm
Guest Conductor
Highlights include: John Williams Merry Christmas; Anderson Sleighride; Handel, Hallelujah Chorus; Merry Christmas; Tchaikovsky Suite from The Nutcracker; and many more!
All Tchaikovsky, February 8, 2020 – 7:30 pm
Stilian Kirov, Conductor
William Hagen, Violin
TCHAIKOVSKY “Dance of the Tumblers” from The Snow Maiden
TCHAIKOVSKY Violin Concerto
TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 2
Beethoven @ 250, March 14, 2020 – 7:30 pm
Stilian Kirov, Conductor
Boris Allakhverdyan, Clarinet
SCHOENBERG Transfigured Night
MOZART Clarinet Concerto
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 1
Firebird, April 18, 2020 – 7:30 pm
Lidiya Yankovskaya, Conductor
GRIEG Morning Mood and In the Hall of the Mountain King
SAINT-SAËNS Danse Macabre
MUSSORGSKY Night on Bald Mountain
BACH Toccata and Fugue in D Minor for Organ
STRAVINSKY The Firebird Suite
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the IPO website.
Now entering its 42nd season, IPO is the largest performing arts organization in Chicago’s Southland providing professional orchestral music of beauty and excellence to the region. IPO’s repertoire ranges from Baroque and Classical masterpieces to world premieres and modern favorites.