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Students in Trinity’s physical education department recently participated in some out-of-class learning experiences during field trips to a health convention and to Restoration Ministries.
Six students attended the Illinois Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (IAHPERD) Convention in St. Charles, Illinois. Physical education majors have attended this convention for many years as part of the Societal Issues in Sport and Wellness class, taught by Shari Jurgens, assistant professor of physical education.
The students learned more about how to lead activities as they attended Zumba, kayaking, and strength training workshops.
“It was beneficial to see different activities to teach and ways to implement these activities in a curriculum or rec center,” said Matthew Lovelace ’13 of Countryside, Illinois. “I think this experience will be valuable once I’m out in the field.”
“I think this experience will be valuable once I’m out in the field.” Matthew Lovelace ’13
The class also traveled to Restoration Ministries in Harvey, Illinois, where they led fitness activities and games in the afterschool program. The activities were one option for the students’ required service-learning experience while others served at Roseland Christian Ministries earlier in the semester.
Bill Miller ’13 of Chicago, Illinois, was impressed with the children’s enthusiasm for his fitness station.
“I really enjoyed working with them,” Miller said. “They had a lot of energy and it really reminded me of my youth. They also were ready to listen to the instructors at any time, and that made it fun to do.”
They were almost pioneers.
Now the memoir of Laura Smith, written decades ago as a record of her brief Wyoming homesteading adventure from 1913 to 1916, is being shared with others through the efforts of Dr. John Fry, professor of history.
Fry discovered Smith’s manuscript at the Iowa Women’s Archives in Iowa City while writing his first book, The Farm Press, Reform, and Rural Change, 1895-1920. The book tells the story of Smith and her husband Earle’s experiences homesteading near Chugwater in southeastern Wyoming.
“When Laura Smith sat down to write about her experiences in the West, she was joining a long line of women writers who described the changes necessary to live on the frontier,” said the professor. He said that line of authors includes both Laura Ingalls Wilder and Willa Cather, as well as the more modern Ree Drummond. Fry’s area of specialization is the American West and rural history, and he has previously written about Wilder.
To the memoir, which Smith first titled Almost Pioneers, Fry has added footnotes and an afterword. The footnotes provide background on places and events mentioned in the text. The afterword explains what Smith’s story tells readers about the history of Wyoming, the American West, women writers, and the American experience.
The book, now titled Almost Pioneers: One Couple’s Homesteading Adventure in the West, is due for publication in August 2013 through Globe Pequot Press. It can be pre-ordered on the website or through other major booksellers.
Fry envisions that the audience for the book would include readers interested in true stories of the American West, historical writing by women, early 20th Century history, and stories of American determination and perseverance. He also sees the book as a source for high school or college history courses.
In fact, while working on the project, Fry had students in an Honors course on western women writers and a topics course on the History of the American West read the book. He said the students’ engagement with the book and their suggestions helped him write the notes and the afterword.
The book is scheduled to be released in the fall of 2013, the 100th anniversary of the Smiths’ move to Wyoming.
As individual qualifiers for the NAIA Cross Country National Championships, Andy Reidsma ’14 of Wyoming, Michigan, and Anna Bos ’15 of Rockford, Michigan, represented Trinity well. Reidsma and Bos finished in the top .750 percent in the races that included more than 600 total student-athletes representing 133 schools.
Andy Reidsma ran one of the best races of his career in the men’s 8K race. He finished with a time of 25:19, just two seconds back from the runner ahead of him. He placed 29th of the 309 total runners and became Trinity’s cross country program’s first All-American. His place is the highest finish for a Trinity runner at the national meet. Last year at this event, Reidsma finished in 175th at 26:72.
Also making her second national championship appearance was sophomore Anna Bos, who outdistanced .750 percent of the field. In the 5K race, Bos posted a time of 19:14 in the field of 320 runners and came in 80th place. For the season, Bos led the team and is the school record holder.
Adam Perez ’13 of Racine, Wisconsin, has been named Trinity’s 27th Lincoln Laureate by the Lincoln Academy of Illinois. He was recently honored at the annual Student Laureate Convocation in Springfield.
The Student Laureate Award recognizes excellence in curricular and extracurricular activities and honors senior students from each of Illinois’ four-year, degree granting colleges and universities.
Perez, a music education major with minors in theology and church music, has shown his commitment to the College’s community throughout his time here. He served as a Resident Assistant (RA) in Tibstra Hall and is currently an RA at Trinity’s off-campus apartments, where he has also served as a summer RA.
Along with this, Perez worked as a tutor in the College’s music department and a student mentor to first year students for two years. Perez’s years as a mentor have included some of his favorite experiences at Trinity.
“Getting to be sort of a mother goose for a few intense days and then helping guide students through their first year experience is a huge strength of the College,” Perez said. “It is so important that we have student leaders who introduce new students to the postures and peculiarities of our wonderful Troll-culture.”
Perez also participates in a large number of extra and co-curricular activities including concert choir, honors ensemble, jazz band, wind ensemble, and brass quintet. He is one of three leaders of Outcry, the student-led worship. His work as a member of the Honor’s Program has also given Perez the opportunity to grow.
Outside of Trinity, Perez has done teacher aiding in various schools as part of his music education curriculum and has led worship at several local churches.
Overall, Perez has tried to get the most out of his Trinity experience. He plans to graduate in May with 184 credits after five years at the College. Part of his work includes voluntary independent studies with Dr. Mark Peters, professor of music.
“[Peters] has encouraged me to pursue the things I am interested in educationally, even if they are not part of the core curriculum,” Perez said. “Liberal arts doesn’t necessarily mean just a broad range of subjects, but as Ginny Carpenter, vice president for student development, says, also a liberal, hefty serving of them; a full plate, if you will.”
One project Perez collaborated on with Peters, “Music, Theology, and Christian Worship: A Study of Hillsong” made him the first music education major to receive Trinity’s VanderVelde Junior Scholar Award. Perez also received the Don Sinnema Research Scholarship Award from the theology department for his project, “Time and Eternity in Brahms’s Requiem,” with Dr. Yudha Thianto, professor of theology, as his faculty mentor.
Perez plans to apply for graduate schools in liturgical studies or music. He is also considering teaching as he will soon be a certified music teacher in Illinois.
“I would more than love to spend the next few years with middle or high school music students,” Perez said. “It isn’t really a question of which I’d rather do because both sound great.”
At the convocation, Perez received a Student Laureate Medallion, accompanied by an honorarium check and certificate of achievement.
Trinity Christian College Lincoln Laureates
2012 – Adam Perez
2011 – Alberto LaRosa
2010 – Joseph R. Wydra
2009 – Jonathan VanderWoude
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.
Students in Trinity’s nursing program recently shared their knowledge with children in the afterschool program at By the Hand Club for Kids in Chicago.
The upper-level nursing students travelled to the club’s Englewood location on November 1 to present a health fair to the children. Other nursing students returned on November 5 to present to the parents. The students shared the importance of good hygiene, exercise, fire safety, and other health concerns.
Dr. Barb Timmermans, professor of nursing, believes the fair was a good opportunity for the senior nursing students in her Community Health class.
“One important focus of [Community Health] is improving the overall health of groups of people, not just individual patients,” Timmermans said. “With this project, nursing students are able to assess community needs and then create health promotion activities and plans to help improve the health of this community.”
With this project, nursing students are able to assess community
needs and then create health promotion activities and plans…
Tabitha Matthews, the College’s pre-college coordinator, established the connection with By the Hand Club for Kids to increase Trinity’s involvement in the city. She hopes to continue bringing the students and afterschool program together. Helping in the efforts to plan the event were the department’s Carrie Timmermans ’11 and Cynthia Coffey ’12.
“Our partnership with by The Hand has been a blessing,” Matthews said. “I’m grateful for each and every opportunity we have to minister and make a difference.”
The nursing students also gave a health fair at Restoration Ministries in Harvey, Illinois, on November 10.
About By the Hand
By the Hand’s afterschool program began in 2001 and now serves more than 850 children in its four Chicago locations. The locations are strategically located in Chicago’s most impoverished inner-city communities and underfunded schools. The club tries to reach the children’s mind, body, and soul.
It was a big sports weekend for the Trolls with both the women’s soccer team and the volleyball team claiming region championships. With their wins, the teams advance to the NCCAA National Championships in Kissimmee, Florida, November 28-December 1.
On Friday night, the volleyball team claimed the North Central Region title with a win over Bethel College. Trinity won the match in three straight sets at 25-18, 25-13, and 25-23.
Read more about the volleyball game.
The tournament schedule has been set for the 2012 NCCAA Division I Volleyball Championship held at the Kissimmee Civic Center in Kissimmee, Florida on November 29 – December 1.
On Saturday afternoon, the women’s soccer team won its region title with a 2-1 upset victory over Judson University. The Trolls took control of the game in the first half with two goals in the first 12 minutes of the game.
Read more about the soccer game.
The seeding and bracket have been set for the 2012 NCCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship held at Austin-Tindall Soccer Complex in Kissimmee, Florida on November 28 – December 1.
Trinity students had a chance to find out firsthand what the “real world” is like for graduates who share their area of study. At the annual “Meet the Majors” event on Thursday, November 8, students spoke with alumni who earned the same degree the students are currently pursuing or are thinking of pursuing.
We started Meet the Majors to give current students an opportunity to connect with alumni…
“Trinity’s alumni are our greatest asset,” said Travis Bandstra ’06, director of alumni relations, whose office co-hosts the event with the Cooper Career Center. “We started Meet the Majors to give current students an opportunity to connect with alumni who’ve walked in their shoes, whether it be navigating the same classes, finding a job in their major field, or advancing in their careers.”
Majors represented at this year’s event included:
Accounting
Business
English
PE/Exercise Science
Social Work
Theology
Students who were not able to attend the event but would like to speak with alumni about their major can visit the Cooper Career and Counseling Center to set up a meeting.
As part of their experiential learning this semester, upper-level business students have been presenting to a panel composed of members of SCORE, the Trinity Business Network, and other professionals in the areas of marketing, training, consulting, higher education leadership, business ownership, and web marketing. The panel is helping the students as they make hands-on decisions for various local businesses that are partnering with the class for this project.
Students in Dr. Richard Hamilton’s organizational consulting class and Professor Kyle Harkema’s marketing management class are developing marketing and strategy plans, helping with site relocation, creating social network pages, and making other recommendations for these businesses.
“The projects give students the opportunity to make real-life business decisions in the safety of an academic environment,” Harkema said.
So far, the students have had two progress meetings with the panel where they shared project updates and received suggestions from the business leaders. For the last meeting on December 6, the students will also present their final decisions to the clients.
“It has been fun to watch the students grapple and grow both with the ambiguity and complexity of the real-world projects,” Hamilton said. “Helping the students learn to interpret the standards and insights of both the business advisers and the clients has been a joy.”
The businesses typically use the plans that the students develop and sometimes create internship positions for Trinity students to help implement the plan.
Josh Schumann ’14 of Yorkville, Illinois, has been working with his group to develop a marketing plan for a nail salon. He enjoys getting the insight into a small business environment.
“I had no idea the amount of work that people put into their businesses,” Schuman said. “This project has allowed me to see how much research goes into the marketing plan.”
Businesses partnering with the students include:
Associates in Professional Counseling and Coaching
City of Palos Heights
Elim Christian Services
Lake Katherine Nature Center
Lisa Nail Salon
Northstar 360 Business Solutions
Premier Medical Staffing
Star Diamond Jewelers, Chicago, Illinois
Worth Public Library
More than 700 Trinity students, parents, and friends watched as students shared their talents on Saturday, November 3 at the annual Trollstock competition in the Ozinga Chapel. The event included traditional singing performances along with some unique acts.
The competition featured 21 different performances that were judged on their creativity, overall talent, and the audience’s response. The first-place winners “Sync or Swim” performed a synchronized “swimming” routine on stage.
One of the favorite acts every year is James Nelson, a security officer at the College. Nelson was not able to sing last year, so his return to the stage was especially anticipated. Nelson received the “Fan Favorite” award, based on audience response, after singing “Bridge over Troubled Water.”
See more on Facebook and at Troll Tracking.
Congratulations to this year’s prize winners:
1st place ($200): Kaitlin Feddema ’14 of Kalamazoo, Michigan; Kirsten Harms ’14 of Tinley Park, Illinois; Melissa Kiel ’14 of Kalamazoo, Michigan; Becky Vanderzee ’14 of Dyer, Indiana; Nate Hendrikse ’14 of Oostburg, Wisconsin; and Joe Blom ’14 of Pella, Iowa, for their Sync or Swim performance
2nd place ($100): Joshua DeJong ’14 of Plainfield, Illinois, and Rochelle Burke ’14 of Downers Grove, Illinois, for their percussion duet
Best Group Performance ($50): Rachel Slager ’16 of Westchester, Illinois; Kaitlynn Evans ’16 of Bourbonnais, Illinois; and Mekayla Knol ’16 of Coalhurst, Alberta, for their song about Trinity
Best Solo Performance ($50): Alyssa Prasse ’16 of Algonquin, Illinois, for the song “Someone Like You” by Adele
Fan Favorite ($50): James Nelson for the song “Bridge over Troubled Water”
Dr. Mary Webster Moore, associate professor of mathematics education, has seen God’s provision in many ways during her overseas travels.
Her recent trip to Malaysia to work with teachers was no different as she witnessed God’s hand in seemingly small and not so small ways, from the provision of necessary supplies to the power of cross- cultural education and worship.
Webster Moore was invited by her friend and former seminary classmate Dr. Lawrence Williams of the Global Education Council (GEC) to work with teachers at the Vision Primary and Secondary School in Tawau, Sabah, Malaysia. GEC submitted a detailed report of its work and recommendations to the Vision school board of directors after the conclusion of the visit.
Along with Williams and fellow educator Dr. Cora Charles, Webster Moore led teacher development workshops for 50 teachers and principals and held coaching and mentoring sessions one-on-one and in large group settings. Two evening sessions for parents focused on health and helping children excel in school.
For the latter parent session, the professor presented “Making Mathematics Meaningful,” which explained six fundamental math activities families could practice in their daily lives.
As part of the team’s service, participants Charles Moore, M.D. and his assistant Frederick Sutton performed vision and hearing screenings for 382 children at several different locations.
In addition to enjoying some local excursions, Webster Moore said she also had the pleasure of visiting with Trinity alumna Kendra Cumberland ’06, who has been teaching in Singapore for six years.