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Written by Ellie Sterenberg ’17
Trinity Christian College is proud to announce Halie Wisse ’16 of Oostburg, Wisconsin, as this year’s Lincoln Laureate scholar.
Wisse, a senior double major in entrepreneurial management and communications, currently serves as the president of Trinity’s Student Association. Throughout her four years at Trinity, Halie has held key positions on Student Association and many other groups, including hall council, Student Activities, and admissions. She has participated in JV soccer for four years, leading the team as captain during her junior and senior years. Wisse spent the previous summer in the corporate program at Molex, where she is currently an intern; she has had previous internships at the City of Palos Heights Parks & Recreation division as well. A member of the Honors Program, Wisse demonstrates a consistent character and an enthusiasm for both learning and Christian leadership that is evident in her presence on and off campus.
With a big smile on her face, Wisse said, “As a freshman going through FYF I remember thinking the question was not whether or not I would be involved at Trinity, but rather which activities, clubs, and organizations I would be involved in!”
Trinity pushes involvement early on, which helps students discover more about themselves and identify their interests.
“Because I was able to start actively exploring my passions from the get-go, I now have had more opportunities to dig deeper into those passions while still in school. Every day I feel like I’m faced with a new challenge. I know I could not tackle the challenges without the knowledge and experiences God put before me in previous days.”
Wisse cites the genuine care of the Trinity community as her primary reason for choosing to attend the College. As a prospective student, she says she was drawn to the friendliness and warmth of so many people that “did not even know me and genuinely seemed to care about me.”
Similar sentiments are held toward her advisors and Trinity’s faculty in general.
“When I changed my major to double in management and communications, my advisors moved mountains to get me into the courses that I needed while also making sure I had wiggle room to craft a schedule with courses that let me explore new areas of interest. As a senior, my professors have been incredibly helpful in teaching me how to balance career opportunities and school work. They are one of the greatest reasons that I feel like I already have one foot in the business world and one foot at Trinity with over a full semester to go.”
On November 7, Wisse will enroll in an honorary organization called the Lincoln Academy, where she will join other outstanding students that have been selected from four-year colleges throughout the state of Illinois.
Trinity welcomes Halie to the distinguished list of our Lincoln Laureates!
Trinity Christian College Lincoln Laureates
2015 – Halie Wisse
2014 – David (Woody) Lucas
2013 – Megan Anderson
2012 – Adam Perez
2011 – Alberto LaRosa
2010 – Joseph Wydra
2009 – Jon Vander Woude
2008 – Caitlin Fillmore
2007 – Elizabeth VanderSpek
2006 – Allison Backous
2005 – Erin Marshalek
2004 – Rachel Van Oort
2003 – Yvana Hansen
2002 – Evan VanderZee
2001 – Nate Bosch
2000 – Laurie Johnson
1999 – Hanna Vancer Zee
1998 – Kristen Devine
1997 – Heidi Boeck
1996 – Julie Tinklenberg
1995 – Keri Dyksterhouse
1994 – Mark Mulder
1993 – Kristen Hart
1992 – Sarah Ver Velde
1991 – Aron Reppmann
1990 – Nathan Van Der Male
1989 – Drew Sweetman
1988 – Erik Hoekstra
1987 – Kimberly Dykema
1986 – Edward Wiener, Jr.
Written by Ellie Sterenberg ’17
Photography by James DeVries ’16
As part of the 2015 Worldview Series, Trinity had the privilege of welcoming Dr. Wintley Phipps, world-renowned gospel singer and Founder/CEO of the U.S. Dream Academy.
The audience was blessed by his booming baritone voice as he belted out an array of songs that included a lineup of some of the best-loved hymns and spirituals. Equally moving was Phipps’ progression through life, which he told by interlacing song and story.
Phipps’ voice is a gift that has allowed him to meet influential people and become an influential person in the lives of others. He has sung for the likes of Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, and the past six presidents of the United States. After a flight attendant brought him to the attention of Cliff Barrows, Phipps spent much of his life touring on the Billy Graham Crusades and has also sung and worked with hymn composer George Beverly Shea. Phipps has also been an influence in the life of Oprah Winfrey.
After meeting Chuck Colson, Phipps accompanied him on several trips to prisons. His interest was piqued, and after digging into some statistics, he found that 70% of children whose parents had been in jail would also likely end up in jail in their lifetime. This was a turning point for Phipps, as it helped him discover his passion: providing children whose parents have been incarcerated with a support system of strong, caring adults that can serve as examples of God’s love; show them how to be people of character; and provide them with the confidence and affirmation that it takes to succeed.
This is the chief goal of the U.S. Dream Academy, which stresses eight dimensions of character, based on those found in 2 Peter 1. Dr. Phipps listed these as faith, moral integrity, wisdom, patience, self-control, respect for what is sacred, kindness, and love. The Academy seeks to build dreams and provide academic help to disadvantaged students, ultimately training up leaders and helping people see and become who God created them to be.
Those in attendance were blessed by Phipps’ powerful voice, message, and passion for bringing up people of character.
Written by Ellie Sterenberg ‘17
On Monday, October 19, Trinity welcomed artist and filmmaker Evan Koons, joined by conference speaker, mentor, and former pastor John Armstrong. Through film, conversation, and a game of Frisbee-toss, they set out to answer the questions that many students and working people find themselves asking: what is work, and how can one find joy in it?
Koons first presented episode three of his For the Life of the World series. Entitled “Creative Service”, the film demonstrated that work is a gift from God, something much deeper and more sacred than a mode of survival; instead, it has everything to do with relationships.
The episode served as the perfect segue into further discussion about what it means to work for the Triune God whose three persons are in eternal collaboration.
As part of a demonstration, Koons pulled out a Frisbee disc and played catch with Dr. Clay Carlson, an eager volunteer. Throwing the Frisbee, Koons explained, is an excellent metaphor for vocation in the life of a Christian. God will toss us a job, and we can either offer our work back to him or drop it and walk away. Throwing a Frisbee takes practice; in the same way, becoming good at our work takes repetition––we do not need to become frustrated by a lack of skill right away. “There’s no pressure,” said Koons, “it’s just catch.”
Ultimately, said Koons and Armstrong, God desires everything; our successes, failures, and desires should all be offered to him.
“We must never see our work as something impersonal. See it as a divine project of vast creativity. See every object as a touch point for millions of relationships, a reminder that you were never alone and that you were never meant to be.”
Koons and Armstrong closed with a question and answer session and spent additional time visiting classes and engaging students on the subject of vocation.
In the world today, there are approximately 20-30 million victims of human trafficking. Due to a large demand for cheap goods and commercial sex, men, women, and children are exploited worldwide through prostitution, forced labor, debt bondage, and many more horrific crimes.
Emily Pasnak-Lapchick, an End Trafficking Officer for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, called the audience into action at this year’s second worldview series lecture, titled “Working Together to End Trafficking”. Emily developed a passion to fight against human trafficking as a young girl visiting India with her family. Her parents let her take in and wrestle with the fact that children her age were out on the streets selling trinkets to survive. “If I would have been born in a different country, at a different time, or to different parents, that could have been me,” She said. It could have been any of us.
Emily shocked her listeners when she brought the issue close to home. Human trafficking is not just an international problem. This issue has been reported in all 50 U.S. States, and in 2014, the state of Illinois had 140 documented cases of human trafficking. She urged the audience to help make change by initiating conversations with friends and family, buying fair-trade items such as soaps, chocolate, and sugar, and learning to recognize the signs of human trafficking in our own communities. Ultimately, she said “This demonstrates the power we can achieve when we work together…these are long battles of change we’ll be fighting, but not long ago we were discriminating based on skin color and only allowing one gender to vote.” There is hope if we all work together.
The WorldView 2015 series kicked off with a personal and lively message from Trinity Christian College’s newly-appointed president, Kurt. D. Dykstra. Dykstra began with a fascinating personal bio in which he spoke of the dynamic past that has led him to this position. What began as a career in ministry quickly turned to a career in law and politics. Most recently, Dykstra served as the mayor of the city of Holland, Michigan before accepting the role of President here at Trinity. “We are just so incredibly honored and thrilled to be a part of this family,” he stated.
Dykstra went on to speak deeply about vocation and the role that Trinity plays in the lives of its students. Contrasting Trinity to DuPont University, the fictional school in Tom Wolfe’s novel I am Charlotte Simmons, he emphasized the importance of looking beyond what we believe is best to seeing what’s best for the kingdom of God. “[Trinity] has a special obligation to lead the way, to fill the gap, to brace the culture; and we’re doing that.”
Dykstra will be inaugurated as the eighth President of Trinity Christian College on November 6, 2015, and looks forward to helping students, alongside the faculty and staff, discover what their bright futures hold. The Trinity community extends a warm welcome to him, his wife Leah, and their two daughters Juliana and Emma-Elisabeth.
Each fall, students and community members alike enjoy an evening of dressing up, going out with friends, and listening to great music at Trinity’s annual jazz night. This year’s event on September 25 featured a new “stardust” theme and opened with a pre-concert reception.
The Kevin Brown Quartet was the featured performer, and Trinity’s Jazz Ensemble added to the incredible line up of music.
Brown, an adjunct professor at Trinity, has performed at the Chicago Jazz Festival, the Iowa City Jazz Festival, and at some of Chicago’s top jazz venues. He also performs freelance in classical, flamenco, and jazz, and has released three albums of original jazz with the Chicago group Mosaik. At Trinity, he teaches composition, orchestration and composition lessons.
The reception in the Grand Lobby included delicious treats from the local Doughs Guys Bakery, refreshments, and a photo booth.
Stardust Jazz Night was free and open to the public, providing another excellent music event that brought together students, faculty and staff, and the community.
Upcoming music events in October
- Fall Instrumental Concert—Friday, October 23, 7 p.m., Ozinga Chapel
- Fall Choral Concert—Saturday, October 24, 7:30 p.m., Ozinga Chapel
The events are free and open to the public. Call 708.597.3000 for more information.
Moving up four spots from the previous year, Trinity Christian College has been ranked 24th among Regional Colleges—Midwest by U.S.News & World Report in “Best Colleges” for 2016. A total of 363 colleges are ranked in the entire Regional category.
In addition, the College was ranked 17th among Regional Colleges—Midwest in the category of “Best Colleges for Veterans.” This category includes the top-ranked schools that offer benefits that help make a college education more affordable for veterans. Trinity was also included in the 11 Regional Colleges designated as “A+ Schools for B Students,” a category for institutions providing an environment in which determined and hard-working students can thrive.
“We are honored to be recognized as a college that excels in academics and offers an exceptional learning experience for a diverse student body,” said President Kurt Dykstra. “We at Trinity look forward to an outstanding year that lives up to and, quite frankly, exceeds these respected rankings.”
The U.S. News rankings are based on several criteria, including peer assessment, graduation and freshmen retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, and alumni giving.
Trinity stands among other institutions in the Regional Colleges category that offer a wide range of degree programs in the liberal arts and in fields such as business, education, and nursing. This fall, the college added a number of new majors, including Bioinformatics, Digital Design, Environmental Science, and Music Production.
Other recent rankings
Trinity Ranked One of the Top Colleges for the Money
Trinity Named One of the Top 25 Christian Colleges for Social Work
For the first time in the program’s five year history, the men’s golf team will be participating in the NCCAA National Championship. The team earned honor with a first place finish in the NCCAA North Central Region Tournament at Big Run Golf Club in Lockport, Illinois. The Trolls came out on top with a team score of 638, beating out the second place team by 14 strokes. The national tournament will be held in Panama City Beach, Florida, on October 19-21.
After the first day of competition the Trolls were in a good position as they came in with the lowest team score. They posted a 323 and were three strokes ahead of Bethel College at 326 and eight strokes ahead of Judson University at 331. The team came back even stronger for the second 18 holes and pulled away for the victory.
Overall the Trolls ended with four golfers in the top six in the field of 16 competitors. Jonathan Zandstra and Steven Massey ended with a 158 total and tied for 3rd place. After the first day they were both in group tied in 5th place, but they improved their position on day two. Massey shot an 80 and a 78 and Zandstra shot s 82 and a 76.
Evan Eissens was just one stroke back with a 159 total and in 5th place overall. With a 78 on day one he was in a tie for second, but followed with an 81 to fall a couple of spots.
Alek Svabek showed an improvement from the first 18 to the second. He had an 83 on Friday and an 80 on Saturday for a 163 and 6th place.
The final golfer for the team was Cody Tiesman who ended with a 172 and in 14th place.
The Trolls have one regular season match left on their fall schedule. They will host the Troll Classic on October 5.
The S.A.L.T. program hosted an adventurous two-week Alaskan trip at the beginning of September. Led by Johannes and Lynda Witte of Witte Travel, a total of 41 alumni, staff, faculty and friends of the college were in attendance.
The trip began in Vancouver, Canada, where the group boarded a cruise ship that took them through the inner passage of the Pacific coastline. Throughout this part of the voyage, they enjoyed magnificent scenery, charming towns and a lot of American history.
“It was such a blessing to share God’s magnificent, unspoiled creation with Trinity travelers,” Salt Director Ruth De Bruyn said.
Once in Alaska, the ship cruised through beautiful sights of Glacier Bay National Park and College Fjord. On land, a Direct-to-the-Wilderness train took the group to Talkeetna, where they stayed at a nearby lodge. From there, they visited Denali National Park, enjoyed the sight of Mount McKinley, and took a riverboat cruise in Fairbanks.
Local cuisine, native wildlife, rich history and majestic landscape made the trip one to remember.
“Everyone, including S.A.L.T. students, board members, professors and friends of the college were drawn closer to God and all His glory as a result of this once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Ruth De Bruyn said. “We are thankful for great weather and safe travels.”
Poet and alumnus John Terpstra ’73 of Hamilton, Ontario, visited campus from September 16 to 18 for a series of readings.
Over the three days, members of the Trinity community enjoyed hearing Terpstra read from his memoir, The Boys: or, Waiting for the Electrician’s Daughter and his recent book The House with the Parapet Wall. On Friday, Terpstra read several poems, accompanied by Dr. Mark Jones, professor of English, playing jazz on the piano.
Students had the opportunity to discuss poetry and life as a poet on Wednesday when Terpstra visited Dr. Mike Vander Weele’s poetry and drama class. Students especially interested in the art of poetry also received feedback on their own work in a master’s class led by Terpstra.
“I was able to see my poems from the perspective of an accomplished poet, who picked up on the nuances I was trying to convey and showed me what could be changed to improve them,” said Adam Krestan ’18 of Ozawkie, Kansas. “It was just plain fun to talk to him about poetry.”
Terpstra has received regional and national recognition for his work, including a poem in the 20th anniversary edition of Image magazine. His repertoire includes nine books of poetry, four books of creative nonfiction, and one CD.