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As part of Trinity’s annual observation of Black History Month, the History Department brings a scholar of race relations or African American history to campus as a guest speaker.

On Feb. 18, at the Vermeer Fireside Room, guest lecturer Nathan Jérémie-Brink, Assistant Professor of the History of Global Christianity and the L. Russell Feakes Memorial Assistant Professor of Church History at New Brunswick Theological Seminary, offered this year’s lecture. “We can’t just receive and memorialize black history,” he said. “It’s something we do.”

Looking at history requires looking for evidence, interpretation, and offer critical thinking, he said. “We reaffirm the past and think ethically as we live as human beings with dignity and respect,” he said.

During his lecture, Jérémie-Brink spoke about “Moving Abolitionist Print: Activist Networks, African American Churches, and Antislavery Print Distribution in the Early American Republic.”

According to Jérémie-Brink, in the early 19^th century, there were several eastern areas in the United States that distributed print materials advocating for the abolition of slavery. This distribution took place in diverse areas from New Jersey to South Carolina. Ministers, laborers, and teachers were a vital part of using print to expand the message. These materials included hymn sheets, independently produced information sheets, and newspapers, as well as early black textbooks. Once printed, these were read and passed along to others, which helped spread the message of the abolitionist movement.

For example, “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself,” was published by a commercial printer, at the Anti-Slavery Office in Boston in 1845. “This book continued to expand the availability of abolitionist ideals through print and continued to strengthen the groundwork for the abolition of slavery,” said Jérémie-Brink.

Improvements in technology in the 19^th century helped the expansion of the printed word. “Paper was improved and became more available,” he said. “Printing presses improved, which enhanced quality. Distribution improved through rail lines and shipping routes. This allowed the printed messages to spread from several to all areas of the United States.”

The way people thought about print also changed in the 1800s. By the 1830s, many black thinkers embraced print as a message mover. While the ante-bellum experience tended to support the view that blacks were from the south and were slaves, black people lived in areas across the United States. “The printed message was available to them as well,” he said.

The role of the printed message that worked to abolish slavery was a complex process, according to Jérémie-Brink. “You needed thoughtful writers, editors, printers, binding, and distribution, and then an understanding of who would receive and use these printed messages and put them into their living practice,” he said. Churches and social communities made these publications free to readers, or to those that could read and pass on the message in the spoken word. “Anti-slavery print came to empower people,” he said. “We need to be liberators of the liberated word.”

The winter 2019 issue of “The Christian Scholar’s Review” features the insights and contributions of several members of Trinity’s staff and faculty.

Among the articles, Director of First Year Experience Emily Bosscher reviews James Emery White’s “Meet Generation Z.” Her review explores ways to understand the current generation of traditional-aged undergraduate students, based on what White calls “the new reality of a post-Christian world.” While White’s book focuses on Gen Z and the church, Bosscher explores parallels for those in higher education as well.

Professor of Education Bill Boerman-Cornell, Ph.D., also offers an extended review of “Why Comics? From Underground to Everywhere” by Hillary Chute. Boerman-Cornell, with Jung Kim and Michael L. Manderino, recently co-authored “Graphic Novels in High School and Middle School Classrooms: A Disciplinary Literacies Approach.

“The Christian Scholar’s Review” publishes articles of original scholarship and general interest dealing with all aspects of Christian thought and the interrelationship of Christian thought with all areas of scholarly interest. Trinity Professor of Music Mark Peters, Ph.D., and Professor of Philosophy Aron Repmann, Ph.D., currently serve as book editors for the periodical.

As part of Trinity’s Celebration of Blackness during Black History Month, a group of students, faculty, and staff attended worship on Feb. 10 at St. Luke Church of God in Christ. LaDarius Beal ’21, who serves as associate minister for the historic black church on Chicago’s Near North Side, gave the sermon that morning. The Black Student Union organized the trip.

After worshiping together, the congregation provided lunch for the Trinity guests.

The Black Student Union has several more events scheduled for February, including:

–Saturday, Feb. 16: Service Day  at the Symphony of Morgan Park Nursing Home at noon

–Friday, Feb. 22: Spoken Word at the BBC at 7:30 pm

–Thursday, Feb. 28: Celebration of Blackness Banquet in the Ozinga Grand Lobby at 5:30 pm

As part of Black History Month, Trinity’s History Department is also sponsoring its annual lecture. This year’s event will take place on Monday, Feb. 18, in the Vermeer Fireside Room from 3:30-5 pm. Guest lecturer Nathan Jérémie-Brink, Assistant Professor of the History of Global Christianity and the L. Russell Feakes Memorial Assistant Professor of Church History at New Brunswick Theological Seminary, will discuss “Moving Abolitionist Print:  Activist Networks, African American Churches, and Antislavery Print Distribution in the Early American Republic.”

For more information about these and other events, visit Trinity’s Events page.

Trinity and Restoration Ministries have a deep and rich history together. Over the years, members of the Trinity community have worked in many different capacities with the organization based in Harvey, Ill., whose mission is to provide life-changing opportunities to at-risk underprivileged youth, men, and women with histories of addiction and families struggling in poverty.

And with an Illinois Nurses Foundation grant secured by Assistant Professor of Nursing Kathryn Stefo, the good work between the organizations will be strengthened even further.

According to Stefo, the grant will be used to pay for materials for teaching and providing health maintenance and illness preventive items at a food pantry event on March 23 hosted by Restoration Ministries. Nursing students will also conduct surveys to collect data and evaluate client needs.

“Trinity’s Nursing Department and Restoration Ministries have worked together in various ways over the last 10 years to meet the needs of Harvey residents,” she said. “This project will support the partnership in a relevant, evidence-based, collaborative way. The research- and education-oriented event will also facilitate and expand the BSN students’ learning and the promotion and maintenance of health for clients.”

While Trinity’s nursing students typically participate in a food pantry event in the fall, the grant allows them to participate in Restoration Ministries’ spring event, too. Since half the community is invited to the fall event and half to the spring event, Trinity students will be able to provide education and research to all of Restoration Ministries’ clients in 2019. “Now, we can reach the whole area that is served by the food pantry,” she said.

“I’m so grateful that as we try to minister and fulfill the mission of Trinity, we are supported by INF and are able to provide not only education, but blood pressure cuffs, vaccinations, toothbrushes, and other education and health support and equipment to Restoration Ministries,” she said.

The survey aspect of the students’ work is part of ongoing research that the Nursing Department has conducted for the last five years. “We have adapted a survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, called a perceived health needs survey,” Stefo said. “It’s a very simple, one-page questionnaire that the students will use to collect data from people willing to participate.  It’s an ongoing process, since community’s health needs change, of course.”

The Illinois Nurses Foundation promotes the health of the public by supporting nurses through charitable research and educational initiatives.

Congratulations to Trinity’s psychology professors Dr. Kara Wolff, Dr. Jessica Clevering, and Dr. Debra Majewski for their recent articles in “The Journal of Counseling in Illinois” Winter 2019 issue!

A publication of the Illinois Counseling Association, “The Journal of Counseling in Illinois” is dedicated to increasing the quality and quantity of professional dialog among Illinois counselors by publishing articles concerned with contemporary issues for mental health professionals.

The article by Majewski, “Parentification: Causes, Consequences, and a Case Study,” explores the concept of parentification and outlines potential causes and ramifications of parentification in adulthood. Majewski identifies several treatment considerations, both preventative and reactive, intended to assist clinicians when working with parentified adults.

The article by Wolff and Clevering, “System Justification Theory and Multicultural Training in Counselor Education,” endorses the utilization of system justification theory as a mechanism by which to promote multicultural and social justice competencies in counselor education and beyond. The article explores deficits in current multicultural counselor education training and provides a clear rationale for the use of system justification theory as a potential barrier to the legitimate promotion of social justice.

At least nine Trinity students have been accepted to present their collaborative research with faculty at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) this year. The research represents a range of topics, from an oral presentation about the effect of perceived mutability on racial system justification to a poster presentation on mitochondrial transfer between mesenchymal stem cells and cardiac H9C2 cells.

“These projects represent mentored research under six different faculty in four different disciplines,” said Dr. Clay Carlson, Ph.D., associate professor of biology. Students and professors will be presenting their research in April at NCUR’s 2019 conference, which is being held at Kennesaw State University in suburban Atlanta.

The Trinity students and professors accepted to NCUR 2019 include:

— Larissa Brumlow & Dr. Mark Peters, Professor of Music: Music and National Identity in Ecuadorian Pasillo

Brumlow’s work focuses on the pasillo style of music and how it has shaped and been shaped by Ecuadorian identity, both individually and nationally.

— Emma R. Darcy & Dr. Michael Vander Weele, Professor of English: Knightly Virtues Embodied In a Beast

Darcy analyzes the Christian symbol of the lion in Chrétien de Troyes’s 1170s poem “Yvain, the Knight of the Lion.” She argues in her essay that, despite the title of the poem, it is the lion that serves as a role model for the knight.

–Casey Wiegers and Abigail Lammers & Carlson: Bacteriophage and Their Prey in Chicagoland Area Waterways

Preliminary studies by Wiegers and Lammers have revealed bacteriophage that have the ability to reproduce in laboratory-strains of bacteria. Through their studies and metagenomic analysis of three waterways, they have found many implications for improving public health surrounding potentially harmful bacteria in local waterways.

–Marie Sonnenburg and Laura DeVries & Carlson: Can Changes in Gut Microbiota Impact Function and Make Differences in Conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder?

The anticipated outcome of Sonnenburg and DeVries’ research is a clearer picture of the relationship between specific bacterial strains in the GI system and the effect they have on behavioral symptoms of ASD on a microbiological, psychological, and molecular biological level.

–Marie Sonnenburg and Amber Shoberg & Dr. Bob Boomsma, Professor of Biology: Transfer between Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Cardiac H9c2 Cells

Results of studies by Sonnenburg and Shoberg showed close interactions between MSC and H9c2 cells with mitochondria in long filamentous extensions that made contact with H9c2. These results suggest that mitochondrial transfer may be one mechanism used by MSC to improve heart function after myocardial infarction.

–Jenna Van Der Pol, Olivia Otte, and Jessica Grevenstuk & Associate Professors of Psychology Dr. Kara Wolff and Dr. Jessica Clevering: The Effect of Perceived Mutability on Racial System Justification

Van Der Pol, Otte, and Grevenstuk have done a theoretical replication of Kray, Howland, Russell, and Jackman’s 2017 study measuring racial ideology as opposed to the gender role theories of the original study. Based on this research, they hypothesize that there will be a significant difference in the average scores of system justification between the racism is unchangeable prompt and racism is changeable prompt.

The mission of the Council on Undergraduate Research is to support and promote high-quality undergraduate student-faculty collaborative research and scholarship. Trinity congratulates the students and professors who have been selected to participate in this prestigious conference.

Congratulations to Assistant Professor of Mathematics Beth DeWitt, Ph.D., who has been accepted to Project NExT (New Experiences in Teaching) a professional development program for new or recent Ph.D.s in the mathematical sciences.

The program is part of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA), and it focuses on all aspects of an academic career: improving the teaching and learning of mathematics, engaging in research and scholarship, finding exciting and interesting service opportunities, and participating in professional activities. It also provides participants with a network of peers and mentors, according to MAA.

“I’m very excited to be part of Project NExT, said DeWitt, who joined Trinity last semester. “Participating in the program will help improve my skills at teaching, and teaching well.”

DeWitt said her colleagues, Professors of Mathematics Mandi Maxwell and Sharon Robbert, supported her during the application process. Both had been participants in Project NExT earlier in their teaching careers.

Before coming to Trinity, DeWitt worked as a collegiate assistant professor at the University of Maryland University College, teaching college-level courses in statistics and algebra at U.S. military bases in Europe.

A native of northwestern Ohio, she attended Davidson College in Davidson, N.C., for her undergraduate work. She was considering becoming a science major, but realized during a physics course that she missed solving problems. After earning her B.S. in mathematics, she worked as an analyst for Accenture. Then, she felt called to become a math teacher and went on to earn her M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, where she worked as a lecturer and graduate student instructor.

DeWitt said she is looking forward to the multidimensional aspects each cohort of Project NExT fellows participates in:

–A three-day Project NExT Workshop in late July / early August, preceeding MathFest, the summer meetings of the MAA;
–Project NExT sessions during MathFest;
–Special events at the Joint Mathematics Meetings the following January.
–A one-day Project NExT Workshop preceding MathFest (and more during MathFest) the following year;
–An electronic network that links Project NExT Fellows with one another and with seasoned mathematicians and award-winning teachers.

At these workshops and other Project NExT sessions throughout the year, fellows will explore and discuss issues that are of special relevance to beginning faculty.

The arts come alive at Trinity this weekend, with dance, music, and theater. Everyone is welcome to our Annual Celebration of the Arts with Ballet 5:8. Performances will take place in the Marg Kallemeyn Theater at 7 pm on Friday, Feb. 1 and 6 pm on Saturday, Feb. 2.

This year’s theme is “Imagine the World Otherwise.” The program features performances by the Trinity Christian College Gospel Choir, Trinity Theatre, Trinity Music Department Faculty, and excerpts from Ballet 5:8’s Four Seasons of the Soul.

Trinity’s Jazz Ensemble will also host a concert in the Seerveld Gallery a half hour before each performance.

Tickets are $10 and $5 for students. They can be purchased online at www.ballet58.org or with cash at the door.

About Ballet 5:8

The vision of Ballet 5:8 is to be one of the foremost professional dance companies in the world and to be a place where artists create, thrive, and exchange ideas informed by our Christian faith. Ballet 5:8 was founded as a publicly supported nonprofit organization by Julianna Rubio Slager and Amy Kozol Sanderson in 2012. Today, Ballet 5:8 has a growing roster of professional dancers and an expanding repertoire of original, innovative works created by Slager and other contemporary creatives. The company shares the beauty, power and inspiration of professional dance with thousands of audience members each season across Chicago, the Midwest, and the nation through over 40 performances in settings ranging from professional theaters to school gyms.

Trinity is proud to serve as a satellite studio for Ballet 5:8, with teen/adult ballet classes offered on campus on Tuesdays from 7-8 pm. Click here to learn more about Ballet 5:8 School of the Arts Palos Campus.

Science and art beautifully combine as the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra presents Aurora Triptych as a part of The World Beyond: Where Music and Nature Meet program conducted by Stilian Kirov and presented with KV 265, Trinity Christian College, The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Fund, and Homewood Science Center. This family-friendly multimedia concert begins at  7:30 pm on Feb. 9 at Ozinga Chapel.

This spectacular multimedia production features music by renowned Canadian composer, John Estacio, with his works Solaris and Borealis and Wondrous Light and original photography of the Northern Lights photographed by Emmy nominated astronomer and visual artist, Dr. José Francisco Salgado. This performance will also feature The Mission Theme by John Williams and La Mer by Claude Debussy.

Guests will also have an opportunity to attend a free pre-concert lecture from 6:25pm until 6:50pm given by the dynamic astronomer, Dr. Salgado, to discuss and learn the science behind the Northern Lights. A series of science themed experiments related to the concert and organized by Trinity Christian College students will be on display in the lobby.

The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust is the generous sponsor of this program.

Concert single tickets start at $27 in advance. Student tickets are $10, and group tickets are available with a minimum of seven patrons. Ticketing fees may apply. Great new subscriber rates of up to 40% off are still available for a 3-concert package.

To order, or for more information, visit ipomusic.org or call 708.481.7774.  The IPO Ozinga Chapel box office opens one hour before the performance on concert night.

ABOUT THE AURORA TRIPTYCH:

Using three thematically-related short pieces by renowned Canadian composer John Estacio, astronomer José Francisco Salgado has produced a film that depicts the origin and formation of the awe-inspiring light display we call the aurora borealis. This work features NASA’s latest cutting-edge images of the Sun, astronaut photography of the auroras, as well as the Salgado’s photography shot on location in Yellowknife, Canada