Initiative Category: Communication Arts

Communication Arts professor Dr. Bethany Keeley-Jonker is celebrating the July 2022 release of an edited book including a chapter she co-authored titled “And What More Shall I Say? Heroism in Hebrews 11 and Star Wars.” The book, published by Rowman & Littlefield, features 15 essays from scholars in different disciplines engaging the growing film/television franchise with a theological imagination.

“I’m proud of the work we did in this essay, arguing that we need to take both the narratives in the Bible and in Star Wars seriously as narratives,” says Keeley-Jonker. “Sometimes when people move toward theological reflection on our favorite media, we either transform it into what we wish it was, or we flatten it into something it wasn’t meant to be, and then dismiss it. The complicated nature of heroism, and the distinct roles people can have in cosmic stories is reflected in the Star Wars canon, as well as the Biblical one. It was fun to consider those parallels through examples while working on this essay with my dad.”

While Keeley-Jonker enjoyed the topic of the work, the other joy of this piece of scholarship was in her relationship with her co-author. “Co-writing is great because you can do a little work, walk away, come back, and there’s more writing!” she jokes. But adds “it was especially fun to move from ongoing conversations about both faith and movies with my dad to writing something for publication that invites others into that conversation too.”

To learn more about Dr. Bethany Keeley-Jonker and her passion for communications click here.

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If you are interested in pursuing a degree in Communication Arts, and to explore all Trinity Christian College has to offer, schedule a visit to our campus today!

OPUS,  Trinity’s annual festival of student scholarship, is taking place on Wednesday, April 20.  The word “opus” is Latin for work. Whether it’s the arts & humanities, natural & applied sciences, or social sciences, students from all disciplines can present their work or attend this annual celebratory conference.

We invite you to attend OPUS 2022 and imagine the possibilities of your own OPUS!

OPUS SCHEDULE

12:30-12:45             OPUS Parade

12:45-1:15               Opening Ceremony

1:30-4:15                 Student Presentations

4:30-5:15                 Presentation Showdown

All students are given the opportunity to enter into a competition for all solo and group presentations. Top scorers advance to the Presentation Showdown where they give a 5-minute summary of their presentation in front of their peers and additional judges.

4:30-6:30                 Trinity Trolldown Dinner in the Dining Hall

5:00-6:00                 Dunk Tank Fundraiser for Ukraine

6:00-7:30                 Raffle & Closing Ceremony

7:30-8:30                 Senior Student/OPUS Art Reception

6:30-8:30                 GRUMPUS Graduate OPUS

9:00-10:00               Outcry

Special Thank you!

The Trinity Christian College community is grateful to alumni Yvette Madany (’85) and Peter Madany (’82), who generously provided financial support to underwrite expenses for OPUS 2022.

The OPUS 2022 committee is also grateful for the support of Trinity administration, faculty, and staff, including the departments of admissions, student life, physical plant, audio-visual services, information technology services, marketing and communications, and Creative Dining.

OPUS Committee Members

Brian Cerney

Inglebert Christiansen (Student Graphic Designer)

Sarah Hoeksema (co-chair)

Jeff Nyhoff

Mary LoGalbo

Deb Majewski (co-chair)

Katie Oomkes

Julianna Padilla (Student Government Representative)

Aron Reppmann

Omar Sweiss

Kevin Schenke

Maura Sukamto (Student Graphic Designer)

Trinity Theatre Presents: The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, adapted by Dwayne Hartford, from the novel by Kate DiCamillo. Performances will take place April 8, 9, 22 & 23 at 7:30 PM.

A play with music, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, adapted by Dwayne Hartford, from the novel by Kate DiCamillo, is the story of a china rabbit named Edward who goes on an incredible 20-year adventure across America. He meets many new people along the way, ultimately learning what it means to love, to lose, and to choose to love again.

The runtime for this show is 90 minutes without intermission.

To purchase tickets, visit the Trinity Box Office page.

Hotel Information:

Click here for information about area hotels.

For 45 years, the Chicago Semester program has been providing opportunities for students to gain real world experience in an exciting big city. Along with many Trinity students who have taken advantage of everything that the program and the city of Chicago have to offer, several professors from the College will be participating in Chicago Semester’s Summer 2022 Scholar-In-Residence program.

Scholars will spend two weeks living in downtown Chicago with access to the workspaces at 1871, where Chicago Semester’s offices are located and where Trinity is a University Partner.

“The purpose of the Chicago Semester Scholar-In-Residence Program is to build relationships with faculty from our founding institutions by offering opportunities to nurture their research through resources available in Chicago,” said Chicago Semester Executive Director Mackenzi Huyser.

The Scholars-In-Residence professors from Trinity include:

— Bill Boerman-Cornell, Professor of Education

—Kaleb Dean, Assistant Professor of Graphic Design

— Craig Mattson, Professor of Communication Arts

— Ben Snoek, Campus Pastor

— Michael VanderWeele, Professor Emeritus of English

They will join colleagues from Calvin University, Central College, and Hope College.

The mission of Chicago Semester is to provide urban experiential education from a Christian perspective that equips students for integrated personal, professional and public lives. Chicago Semester envisions a just, generous and hospitable world where individuals are invested deeply in place and with each other as they serve joyfully and fearlessly on their vocational journey.

A Bachelor’s Degree from Trinity Christian College prepares students to flourish in their careers and vocations. And our graduates are well-prepared. According to data from Trinity’s Cooper Center for Vocation and Career Development, 97.7 percent of the graduates in the Class of 2021 are employed or in graduate school. That far surpasses the nationwide average of 82.4 percent. 

Each year, Trinity seeks career outcome data from new alumni. For 2020-’21 degree conferrals, 82.1% of graduates are employed, 15.1% are enrolled in graduate school, and one is serving the United States in the military.  

“We are excited to see our students successfully launch into their life after Trinity and continue to make meaningful contributions in the world,” said Director of Vocation and Career Development Jeff Timmer. “This metric is just one way that Trinity demonstrates how it prepares students for positive engagement in their communities and for contributions to the Kingdom.” 

Companies that employ recent Trinity graduates include Amazon, BDO USA, Chicago Public Schools, La Rabida Children’s Hospital, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and Topel Forman. 

The class of 2021 has a range of job titles, reflecting the diversity and depth of Trinity’s liberal arts education: medical surgical/oncological nurse; special education teacher; art therapist; communications coordinator; graphic designer; tax associate; internal events coordinator; pastor; business analyst; baseball coach; police officer; and occupational therapy technician, among others. 

Trinity graduates are also pursing further education at the graduate level at institutions such as Duke Divinity School, John Marshall Law School, Northwestern University, Rush University, and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.  

Avery Johnson ’21, is currently attending Duke Divinity School in Durham, N.C., and she cited the support she received from Trinity in helping her on her journey.  “I couldn’t have gotten this far without the help of the Trinity’s staff and professors,” said Johnson, who double majored in Biblical Studies and Communication Arts at Trinity and plans to become an ordained minister. 

For more information about Trinity’s 98% placement rate, visit Trinity’s Cooper Center for Vocation & Career Development. 

—Patricia Yang ’25

Trinity’s Theatre Department is delighted to congratulate Adriana Klein ’24 and Jacob Contreras ’23 on making it to the semi-finals of the Irene Ryan Acting Competition, part of the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) in Region 3! The Irene Ryans is a scholarship competition where participants, nominated from different regions, come together to compete. From a number of participants, the judges narrow the competition down to 45 people in the semi-finals, and then 15 people as finalists.

“I am so proud of Jacob and Adriana for their success in the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Competition,” said Prof. Emma Schneider ’19, Trinity’s theatre program coordinator.  “This competition is challenging in general, and the fact that it was held virtually this year adds additional difficulty. Adri and Jacob both progressed to the Semi-Final round in the competition– the second and third Trinity students to do so since we began participating in KCACTF in 2016– and were therefore ranked among the 2022 Top 45 Collegiate Actors in the Midwest. This is a huge honor for the students and a fulfilling acknowledgement of our Theatre Program as a whole.” 

Schneider told theatre club  students about the Irene Ryans, said Klein, who was part of Trinity’s 16^th Annual One-Act Plays in the fall. “Usually, participants are nominated, but this year was a self-nomination year. I was able to nominate myself.”

Due to COVID, the competition was conducted entirely online through multiple Zoom calls and meetings. They did not judge too harshly on the audio and video production qualities, which Klein said she was thankful for.

It was a challenge for Klein, as she had to remain home for the whole competition. One round in particular involved acting with a partner. “Doing those scenes become a challenge when you can’t physically be there to interact with your scene partner,” Klein said. Contreras, who recently played the lead role in Trinity’s Fall Mainstage Production of “Macbeth,” was challenged with the time limit of each round’s submission. “You don’t want to leave too much time unused but also of course you can’t go over time,” said Contreras, “So hitting that middle zone was tricky, especially as there’s no internal cuts, so if a take was too long, it’d have to be scrapped.”

Klein and Contreras shared also some of the things they learned throughout the competition. “I often make facial expression and/or body movements that are subtler/smaller than I intend for them to be. I’ve had to focus on making my movements and expressions bigger so that they actually pick up for the audience,” said Contreras. And Klein shared, “I’ve learned that the material you pick can impact your energy and passion going into it. I’ve also learned that just because one person had a certain opinion, they are just one person. They shouldn’t dictate the way in which you approach the process in the future.“

Both participants thoroughly enjoyed the whole acting competition experience. “Moving onto round 2 was very memorable for me. I wasn’t aware that only one other student from Trinity had moved on before, and it was a huge honor that Jacob and I were able to be the second and third,” said Klein. As for Contreras: “rehearsing with friends and making it to the semi-finals!”

Along with the acting awards, senior Evie Dykhouse also advanced to the final round of allied design at KCACTF for her makeup design that was featured in “Macbeth.”

Discover more about Trinity’s Theatre Department and the events they participate in on their Instagram page or contact Schneider at Emma.Schneider@trnty.edu

—Patricia Yang ’25

We congratulate Evie Dykhouse ’22 for advancing to the final round of KCACTF’s Region 3 “Allied Design and Technology Expo” competition! Her submission and presentation of Trinity’s Fall Mainstage Production of “Macbeth” makeup and design, which she co-designed with Dani Daujatas, has progressed far into the competition, much to her surprise and delight. Her submission included makeup and design for the Weird Sisters, Banquo’s ghost, and the subtle changes of Lady Macbeth’s makeup.

KCACTF stands for the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. The purpose of this festival is to gather theatre students and practitioners from all around and present them the opportunity to share their work. Design, acting, production showcases, and journalism are but a few of the events and competitions KCACTF hosts. Region 3 includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Western Ohio.

“I participated in the festival in person in January of 2020, and I wanted to go back,” Dykhouse shared. “I had such a fun and great experience last time, and I wanted to make sure that I had the chance to participate again before I graduate this semester.” She also mentioned that a respondent had come to Trinity’s “Macbeth” production, which Dykhouse herself also acted in as one of the three Weird Sisters. “She was super appreciative of the design and told me that I should really consider entering it into the competition.”

Dykhouse put together a presentation complete with overarching motifs, hair and makeup inspiration photos, process documentation, and pictures of the final result. “I focused heavily on the design for the Witches. I knew that the three-dimensional aspect of this part of the design would appeal to the respondents,” said Dykhouse. “However, I also had slides dedicated to the hair and makeup for Banquo’s ghost, the hair and makeup that differentiated characters who were double-cast, and the hair and makeup that represented psychological changes that characters went through,” such as Lady Macbeth.

The most challenging part for Dykhouse was trying to be prepared for any questions the respondents would ask. She shared, “Many of the schools that Trinity competes against have complete departments dedicated to theatre. Their budgets are much higher, so they are able to spend more money for elaborate designs. Since it is a competition, Trinity has to stack up with the schools known for their theatre programs. This was a challenge, but it also made it more of a delight to advance to the final round.”

The most memorable experience was listening to the other presentations from the student designers, said Dykhouse. “I learned a lot and it was super interesting to see the creativity of the other presenters.” Another fond memory for her was when she found out that her design was moving onto the final round. “The celebration with my family and Trinity theatre friends from a distance was a very memorable moment in my experience of the festival this year.”

“Even though I ended up not being able to return to campus for KCACTF this year, I was still incredibly thankful for the chance to present the ‘Macbeth’ hair and makeup design at the festival. It was an absolute blast, and I would do it again in a heartbeat,” said Dykhouse. “A part of me was feeling unmotivated that the hair and makeup design for ‘Macbeth’ was not worth entering because it would not be able to stack up against the others in the virtual festival. But now I am feeling so incredibly grateful and blessed to have had the chance to present Dani and my work and receive recognition for it in the festival.”

Trinity Theatre is blessed to have such talented designers and production artists, Prof. Emma Schneider ’19, Trinity’s theatre program coordinator, said. “Evie’s presentation of the Hair and Makeup design, which she and Dani co-designed for ‘Macbeth,’ was truly stunning. I am so proud of Evie for the poise, professionalism, and attention to detail with which she approached the Allied Design Competition, and I am thrilled that the judges recognized and appreciated the hard work that she and Dani put into their design.”

Along with Dykhouse’s award, Adriana Klein ’24 and Jacob Contreras ’23 advanced to the semi-finals of the KCACTF Irene Ryan Acting Competition!

Find out more about Trinity’s theatre department by following @trinitychristiantheatre on Instagram, or email Schneider at Emma.Schneider@trnty.edu.

While Professor of Communication Arts Craig Mattson was interviewing dozens of organizational leaders for his book, “Why Spiritual Capital Matters,” many of them would tell inspirational stories designed for investors, donors, and shareholders. And many of these leaders seemed uncomfortable with this type of narrative, as Mattson writes about in an article for  Duke Divinity’ Schools Faith & Leadership publication, titled “Ditch the hero narrative and tell a story about your community.”

And after talking further, his interview subjects would start to tell a different type of story, one that is more connected to place.

In the article, Mattson discusses why this type of inspirational storytelling can exacerbate social problems and offers suggestions on how to tell stories that are more tied to neighborhood and place. You can read the entire article here.

—Patricia Yang ’25

Flashing lights. Eerie music. Thrilling swordplay. Moving trees. Bloody daggers. Bubbling cauldron. Chanting. Prophecy. Murder. It was magical, malevolent, and magnificent—it was “Macbeth,” one Shakespeare’s dark and terrifying tragedies, and Trinity’s Theatre Department’s Fall Mainstage performance.

The skin-tingling and electrifying play was a 90-minute version of “Macbeth,” directed by Professor Kim Darling. She had worked on the original script over the summer, carefully scrutinizing each line, making sure that all the key parts were still included, but still made sense. “This was the first time performing Shakespeare for most of the actors, so I wanted to keep the script manageable for only nine weeks of rehearsal,” said Darling. “I also wanted to provide a reasonable run time for an audience who hasn’t been to live theatre in nearly two years.”

“I have a deep love and appreciation for Shakespeare and “Macbeth” has many scenes and lines that are part of our present-day culture,” said Darling. She loved the fact that the play, despite being over 400 years old, still held great relevance to people’s lives today. “We see images of violence and death almost daily, and we wonder why? Who is to blame? Shakespeare’s most direct and action-packed play speaks eloquently to the cause and consequence of sin, the importance of a higher purpose, and the choices we all face.”

The inspiration of this Macbeth interpretation came from the Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London. Darling’s vision incorporated several of the Globe-inspired elements to provide a similar experience for this audience. “These elements included a thrust stage configuration, a two-story set modeled after Shakespeare’s Globe, live sound and music, direct interaction between the actors and audience, and a jig at the end of the play,” said Darling. She added, “In my vision, the true horror in the play is not that Macbeth kills the king but the recognition of our own humanity in Macbeth’s actions.”

Darling was grateful to work with the designers for the various parts of the performance, as well as all the cast and crew members of the theatre department. “We felt such powerful electricity onstage, and we were grateful to do this work from within our faith lives,” she expressed. “I feel privileged to have worked with such a talented and dedicated cast and crew.”

Her favorite part was working within the Christian context, where she and everyone else worked to incorporate and integrate their faith into the art of theatre. “I believe the stage holds a powerful opportunity to embody truth as we explore the struggles of being human and the even greater storyline of humanity: a story of brokenness, love, rescue, and lasting victory,” said Darling.

The theme for the theatre department this year is “Resilience and Rebirth.” “Macbeth” is dark, bloody, and foreboding—yet at the end there is a light of hope. “In the final battle,” explained Darling, “Macduff casts out evil with one fell swoop of his sword, restoring order to Scotland and declaring the time to be free. How do we emerge from the chaos of the world around us? How do we cling to hope through despair? How do we shift our focus from our finitude and frailty to God’s enduring mercy and grace? I was captivated by many of Shakespeare’s insights in “Macbeth,” and I hope our audience also finds this to be true as they reflect on our production and theme this year.”

As the play ended, Macbeth’s crown gleamed in the light as it was held high by MacDuff. The tyrant of Scotland was slain, and now the country could rest. The lights fade away as Malcolm, the new king of Scotland, looked on with a fire in his eyes. The crown, resting upon his head, gave one last glimmer—a glimmer of hope.