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Business students heard a refreshingly honest and insightful viewpoint during the Conversations on Leadership session with Karen Bushy, former village president of Oak Brook, Illinois, and current CEO of Memories & Beyond, the largest scrapbook store in Chicagoland.
The Conversations on Leadership sessions, hosted by Trinity’s business department and the Trinity Business Network, provide a place for students and the community to come together to learn from local business leaders.
First introducing herself as a “daughter of the church,” Bushy told a story of growing up in poverty “when dinner was mayo on a piece of bread”; applying for a work permit the day of her 14th birthday; and reading a set of encyclopedias to help educate herself because she was unable to attend college.
Inspired as a child by Dwight D. Eisenhower’s televised acceptance of the nomination of the Republican National Convention, Bushy was “always interested in the role of government but not ‘politics’, and she eventually went on to dedicate many years of her life to serving in government.
In the ’70s, Bushy worked on the Oak Brook village president campaign for George Howell, and she served on the Oak Brook planning commission. When Howell inquired about her aspirations, Bushy told him she wanted his job. He encouraged her goal, and years later Bushy ran and was elected. She served as the village president for 12 years before choosing to take a different path.
Bushy explained that during her first month in office, she was “taken aback by the enormity of the responsibility” she had accepted. “No matter how prepared you think you are, when you put your backside in the chair, you ask ‘What have I done?’”
But Bushy didn’t waste time getting down to business on her first day in office.
“Leaders have to decide what persona they will project,” she told students. “For me, it was to live the faith I proclaim. If you mean it, you have to live it.”
Bushy said her first step in living out her faith as an elected official was to communicate clearly to her staff, telling them, “I will never lie to you or for you. I will never ask you to lie for me and don’t lie to me.”
Reflecting on her years in office, she spoke fondly of the team she had built and the camaraderie they came to cherish. Bushy said she and her staff strived to interact with each other “from a base of honesty” and to “run an honest government.”
“A phrase that describes Karen Bushy would be contagious passion,” said Courtney Samudio ’15 of Surprise, Arizona, an entrepreneurial management major. “She is so passionate about being an ethical leader and motivating others to do so as well. As a leader, showing that you care about those who work for you, believing in them, and treating them well allows you to gain the support that you need.”
Now the owner of the largest scrapbook store in Chicagoland, Bushy’s passion for integrity, connectedness, and authenticity carries over into Memories & Beyond, which she sees as a facilitator of “telling the family story.”
“I think God wants us to remember our heritage,” Bushy said. “You are the sum total today of a lot of people. You miss a great part of yourself that God made if you don’t recognize what you come from.”
In March, Trinity hosted the “What Is Christian Philosophy?” 2014 conference. The Society of Christian Philosophers and the Society for Continental Philosophy and Theology joined the College’s philosophy department for a weekend of fellowship and scholarship centered on Christian philosophy.
The three-day conference included a series of lectures delivered by Trinity professors and scholars from other institutions. Students, faculty, and alumni attended, and many had good things to say about the event.
“I was encouraged that the Christian community continues to raise up philosophers who can participate in the project of understanding our world from a Christian perspective,” said Dr. Michael DeVries ’74, professor of psychology.
“I really liked the mix of graduate students and esteemed professor emerita of national reputation,” said Dr. Michael Vander Weele ’73, professor of English. “And I loved seeing my philosophy colleagues do such a good job organizing a major conference like this.”
Conference organizers and hosts Drs. Stephen Lake, Aron Reppmann ’92, and George Pierson, professors of philosophy, welcomed many of their former classmates, colleagues, and professors to the conference.
Speakers included Bruce Ellis Benson (Wheaton), Greg Clark (North Park), Kyla Ebels-Duggan (Northwestern), Adriaan Peperzak (Loyola), Alvin Plantinga (Notre Dame/Calvin), J. Aaron Simmons (Furman), Charles Taliaferro (St. Olaf), and Jay Wood (Wheaton).
Alvin Plantinga, John A. O’Brien professor of philosophy emeritus at the University of Notre Dame, presented “Augustinian Christian Philosophy.” 2014 marks the 30th anniversary of the publication of Alvin Plantinga’s “Advice to Christian Philosophers.”
Speaker Bruce Ellis Benson, Ph.D., of Wheaton College, discussed the significance of Christian philosophy and how best to articulate its practicality. His lecture showed how the art can be used as a means of spiritual training, and how it can address the topic of human suffering.
“Bruce Benson did a nice job, I thought, helping us understand how two different approaches to philosophy might understand each other better, and work together, in the philosophy of religion,” Vander Weele said.
The conference provided a place for scholars to share ideas, discuss their beliefs, and explore further the topic of Christian philosophy. It also connected current students with alumni and professors of potential graduate schools, building and nurturing relationships within the academic community.
Finally, the event gave attendees a new perspective on philosophy, and inspiration for their own lines of work. “We hope that our colleagues from other departments on campus who attended will be able to draw on their participation for strengthening our interdisciplinary connections across campus,” Aron Reppmann ’92 said.
Dr. Thomas R. Roose, associate professor of physics and science education, was recently named chair of the membership committee for the Illinois Science Teachers Association (ISTA). Selected for his extensive science education experience, Roose will direct a team through promotion and collaboration projects for the ISTA.
According to the organization’s website, “the Illinois Science Teachers Association is committed to promoting excellence in science teaching and learning throughout Illinois.” The association has more than 1,000 members dedicated to the science education industry and supports members by holding conferences and workshops on science education.
Paul Ritter, president of ISTA, selected Roose for the position because of his dedication to and experience in the field of education. In addition to his role as professor at Trinity, Roose has taught science courses at Chicago Christian High School, summer programs at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, and a Saturday science enrichment program sponsored by the Associated Colleges of Illinois for underserved Chicago high school students.
Roose’s new position will require him to perform a variety of new tasks. He will help the organization retain and recruit members, plan a yearly membership drive, research other programs in other states, and attend board meetings held by the ISTA.
The new role will give Roose a chance to discover new trends in science education and share his abilities with colleagues in his field.
“All of us have potential. It’s not about being a good female leader or a good male leader, but just being a good leader,” said Dr. Laura Zumdahl ’02, CEO at New Moms, during a March 3 interview for the business department’s Conversations on Leadership.
New Moms is an organization that serves at-risk adolescent parents and their children. Zumdahl spoke about her role as president and CEO and talked about not only discerning God’s call but answering the call.
“At Trinity, I knew what I was good at, what I was interested in, and where the greatest need existed,” said Zumdahl. “Finding the nexus is the career plan.”
Once discerned, answering a call to lead, she said, puts one in a place of vulnerability. “Leadership is ‘I see a need for change, and I’ll make it.’ Or ‘I see a problem, and I have a solution. I’ll step up.’”
Zumdahl has “stepped up” to answer that call. Before joining New Moms in 2013, she served as the vice president of nonprofit services at Donors Forum and in a variety of leadership roles in the nonprofit sector in legal aid, higher education, and child welfare. In 2010, she was named a 2010 Emerging Nonprofit Leadership Fellow by the Chicago Community Trust and received a 40 Under 40 Award from the Association Forum of Chicagoland in 2013.
“We ask God to ‘Send me!’, but we have to then be willing to say okay,” Zumdahl said, emphasizing to students the need to keep faith at the core and pray for wisdom, especially in ministry when the work that needs to be accomplished can feel “bigger than you.”
“I walk into my calling each day, and trust God to give me what I need,” she said.
Zumdahl earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology from Trinity; her master’s degree in social work from the University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration; and her doctoral degree in leadership from Cardinal Stritch University.
Rather than spending their spring break sunning on the beach or vacationing at home, 28 students and other members of the Trinity community spent a week on the Spring Break service trip, working on homes and caring for the people of Frakes, Kentucky.
Josh Hauck ’15 of Dixon, Illinois, said that as a college student he may not have a lot of money to give, but he does have time to give. He said he also gains something from volunteering. “The great thing about service trips is that they not only benefit the people we go to serve, but they also provide a phenomenal time of fellowship with the group and personal spiritual growth.”
The students spent each morning in communal devotions before breaking into smaller groups to work on various projects and fellowship with residents. The team would then reassemble for dinner, free time, discussion, and worship. Students also shared their testimonies and prayed together.
Throughout the experience, students were able to form relationships with the people they served. Hayley Johnson ’15 of Oak Forest, Illinois, acted as a team leader. She reached out to Stacy, a woman whose home the students helped clean. “I realized that I needed to share Scripture and talk with her to see where her heart was,” Johnson said. “She began to tell me all these things about how broken she was and personal things she had been dealing with.”
“When we would talk to the woman whose house we painted, we could tell that she appreciated it,” said Rebecca Garcia ’14 of Schererville, Indiana. “When we opened up to her, she cried. We even gave her a large print Bible because she could not read her old one. She really appreciated us and told us that she loves us.”
The students also enjoyed the relationships they formed with one another. “One of my favorite parts of the trip was the close and intentional fellowship,” said Johnson, who plans to room next year with a student she met on the trip. “I really loved how we could all come together for the same purpose: serving others.”
“There were 28 of us total on this trip, and I feel like I made 27 new friends,” Hauck said. “The Holy Spirit was totally present in all of our interactions. Working as one body was so amazing. We all had different skills, and they all fit together like a beautiful puzzle.”
Overall, the trip was a memorable one, leaving many students hungry for more. “Through the experience, I learned that serving is more than just acts. It is giving of yourself, showing your heart to people, and spreading God’s love,” Garcia said. “The trip really inspired me to go on more service trips. I would love to do this again and also to further some of the connections I made on the trip.”
Recently, three staff members took the opportunity to serve on various mission trips in the United States and overseas.
Dennis Harms ’87, director of business and corporate giving, traveled with his church Orland Park CRC to Balstrop, Texas, where he worked alongside 10 carpenters and plumbers to build a home for a victim of a recent wildfire. The trip was sponsored by World Renew, and 35 church members pitched in to help.
Prior building experience isn’t a requirement for volunteering on these types of projects, which Harms appreciated. “I have ten thumbs,” he said. “However, it was great to work in this manner, and the guys I worked with taught me a lot.”
A second faculty member, Assistant Controller Ryan Heath served in Panama City, Panama, attending a conference called “For the Love of the Americas, I Will Not Stay Quiet.” Heath translated for his pastor, and acted as a link between his church and other Latin American churches in attendance. During his time in Panama, he also gathered information and established contacts for a future short-term mission trip. His church hopes to send a team to Bolivia in 2015.
Heath was challenged to grow in his language abilities and his prayer life. He took on the challenge of speaking in a foreign language around the clock and was able to converse with men and women from 18 different countries. “I was challenged by the leaders from various countries how powerful and important intercession can be,” he said. “We spent hours on specific prayers for the churches, the political leaders, and the authorities of the nations represented at the conference. I learned that I, too, must regularly be in prayer for growth and change for those people who are my brothers and sisters in Christ.”
Also traveling overseas was Alex Hansum, a maintenance worker on Trinity’s campus. He traveled to Haiti with a group from Iowa and Indiana and built homes and shelters for the local residents. Once the structures were built, members of the group taught Haitians how to construct similar structures for themselves.
Hansum was impressed by the power of prayer in the Third World country. “Many families we came in contact with had family members who practice voodoo,” he wrote. “Some asked us to pray that their families would devote themselves to the service of Jesus and flee the practice.”
All three staff members found their service to be a valuable experience. Each year, the College grants up to 40 hours of volunteer time to staff, encouraging them to step outside their traditional roles and give back using their personal gifts and abilities.
Trinity was honored Tuesday to welcome the U.S. Ambassador for South Sudan Susan D. Page.
Page, a Harvard-trained lawyer, spoke to students, faculty, staff, and community leaders about the recent conflicts in the young country of South Sudan, its original secession from Sudan in 2011, and her personal and professional experiences as an ambassador.
The country gained its independence from Sudan in July of 2011 but has suffered civil strife since fighting broke out in December of last year between government troops and rebels. The conflict has cost the lives of thousands and displaced nearly a million people.
Page, a graduate of Homewood-Flossmoor High School, shared her experiences serving in South Sudan, playing a part in negotiations, and telling stories of the country’s people.
“There are still good stories that aren’t being heard,” said Page, “stories of the youth going out and preaching messages of peace.”
“We were privileged to host Ambassador Page at Trinity, for her visit provided us insight into the internal violence confronting the new nation of South Sudan and the hope that she and others bring to the region,” said President Steven Timmermans, Ph.D.
One of the stellar aspects of Trinity’s art and design program is the access students have to the Chicago art scene. But professors opened another door to the world of art and design for their students during the winter interim.
Art and Design Professors John Bakker and Ryan Thompson accompanied 14 students to New York City. This experience in the Big Apple took art and design majors, and other students who love art, to eight museums, the Chelsea Gallery District, and professional artists’ studios, including that of Tim Rollins.
Rollins’ work has been exhibited at Trinity’s Seerveld Gallery. A highlight of that studio visit for Bakker came when one of the students recognized a piece of Rollins’ work from his Seerveld Gallery exhibit.
Bakker said this recognition helped students connect the importance of the campus exhibits to an art world context.
“The trip expanded my understanding and appreciation of art,” said senior Liz Muhammad of Palos Heights, president of the art club and art department communications manager.
Learn more about Trinity’s Art and Design programs.
More than 100 students and faculty attended the 2nd Annual Black History Celebration on February 28 for a night of food, fellowship, entertainment, and education. The event is hosted by Trinity’s Organization of African American Unity (OAAU).
Guests enjoyed a meal in the Grand Lobby during musical and acting performances and also learned about the history and preservation of African American culture.
Jason Perry, pastor of Living Springs Community Church, was the guest speaker for the evening and focused on the idea of a “post racial society.”
“He successfully reached every member of the audience when he described his ideas on how each person can strive to eliminate prejudice,” said OAAU President Noel Huddleston ’17. “His story was a powerful example of prayer in determination through struggle.”
The OAAU was founded in 1992 and currently operates under the leadership of Huddleston and Vice President Kylla Pate ’17.
“We seize the opportunity to reinvent the group in the eyes of the Trinity community, as one that is ascending to bigger and better things in the future,” Huddleston said.
Huddleston was hopeful that the Black History Celebration inspired all attendees. “All of the participants in the program did an amazing job,” she said. “God really brought it all together.”
Gospel Fest, hosted by Trinity’s Gospel Ensemble, welcomed over 250 guests, leading the College and local communities in praise and worship through Gospel-inspired music and dance.
“Gospel Fest 2014 truly was a communal time of worship where we, as a body, experienced the Good News of our Lord and Savior through song and spoken word,” said Director Nicole Saint-Victor ’12.
Featured groups included Trinity’s Gospel Ensemble as well as outside artists. The program incorporated songs sung by Youthful Praise, Kurt Carr, Stacy and Ryan Blackburn, 2GTG, Homewood Flossmoor High School choir, and others.
“The Gospel Ensemble had a desire to see diversity in those that gathered and also in the music that would be presented. I pray that the community departed with a deeper understanding that Gospel music is good news for all,” Saint-Victor said.
Members of the Gospel Ensemble felt the presence of God amongst the community of worshippers. Sierra Hernandez ’17 of Phoenix, Arizona, sings soprano for the ensemble. She was inspired by the witnessing opportunity Gospel Fest proved to be.
“Before Trinity, I didn’t really have a relationship with God, and I am still learning how to have one,” she said. “Singing is the best way I know how to talk to God. I can share my relationship with God with other people who might have been as lost as I was about a year ago.”