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With a 16-match win streak earlier this season, an undefeated September, and a 21-5 overall record, the women’s volleyball team is looking forward to the rest of its season.
The team, coached by Athletics Director Bill Schepel, is in the middle of conference play and is currently in first place with a 13-1 conference record.
The team’s most recent victory came in a game at Indiana University-South Bend, where the Trolls won in three sets.
For the match, Trinity had 31 kills. Kaitlin Feddema ’14 of Kalamazoo, Michigan, led the team with eight and Betsy Holman ’13 of Streamwood, Illinois, had seven. Feddema also added six digs for the match and Holman had four blocks. Ellie Raebel ’14 of Waterford, Wisconsin, grabbed 17 digs and Erynn Schuh ’15 of Frankfort, Illinois, had nine digs along with 25 assists.
The Trolls will play their next home game on Thursday, November 11 at 7 p.m. against Purdue University- North Central. Click here for a full schedule.
Trinity has been represented well in the art world as Ellen Browning and John Bakker, professors of art and design, recently had work exhibited in the Midwest.
Browning’s work served as the opening for a show in August at Gallery 3 in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and included 28 wood type prints comprising an entire alphabet. Her work was in conjunction with the Hamilton Type Museum, where she has worked in the summer since her apprenticeship there in 2009.
Browning believes her exhibit demonstrates typography’s importance in graphic design.
“My continued work, printing, and research at the Hamilton Type Museum allow for a more in-depth understanding of typography overall,” said Browning. “In particular the important role wood type has played in graphic design history and its resurgence with current designers in the last few years.”
Bakker, the art department’s chair, also finished a commission at LaSalle Street Church in Chicago. The installation includes 278 portraits on 210 different panels. It will be a permanent part of the church’s Cornerstone Center.
The installation was unveiled on September 9.
Every year, Trinity’s nursing faculty and senior nursing students encircle the newest members of the College’s nursing program. They place their hands on them as they are blessed and welcomed into the next step of their education—their first professional clinical.
Trinity’s nursing department celebrated this annual Commitment to Caring Ceremony on Monday, October 1. Dr. Bill Van Groningen, chaplain, blessed the hands of junior nursing students as they prepared for their first interactions with patients.
“Jesus knew the power of touch and used it to bring healing and hope, especially to those suffering from disease and social exclusion,” said Van Groningen. “For these reasons, before our student nurses head out into the hospitals, we take time to offer a blessing on their hands.”
Dr. Joyce Azzaline, acting chair and associate professor of nursing, welcomed students and professors to the event along with Brian Beenes ’13 of Oak Forest, Illinois, and Shannon Ferko ’13 of Chicago, Illinois, president and vice president, respectively, of Trinity’s Nursing Student Organization.
As the event’s guest speaker, nursing graduate Mindy Beenes ’06 shared her experiences as a professional nurse. Beenes told stories of her first clinicals and how they helped her prepare for her job today as a labor and delivery nurse.
“As you start your clinical rotations, remember that clinical is the time to gain as much knowledge and experience as you can,” she said. “The more often that you do something, the more confident you will feel.”
Anna Hofman ’14 of Waupun, Wisconsin, appreciated the sense of support the ceremony provided.
“It was a reassuring feeling that there were so many people there supporting our journey in becoming nurses,” said Hofman. “It made me realize that with hard work and God on our side we are able to do anything.”
The Blessing:
Father in heaven, bless these hands we pray. Anoint these hands with your mercy and grace so that your healing touch will be extended through their touch. May each person who receives care by the touch of these hands experience the compassion that flows from your suffering, saving love, the comfort of your healing presence, and the competence and commitment of spirit filled, conscientious care givers. We pray in the name of Jesus, Amen.
On Friday, September 28, an audience of students, parents, and community members dressed in formal black and white attire listened to a song from Sesame Street as they had never heard it before— jazz style. It was just one of many songs that Josh Moshier and his band performed for the annual Black and White Dress-up Night of Jazz.
Trinity’s Jazz Band, joined by Dr. Kenneth Austin, professor of music, opened the night with several pieces.
“This concert is supposed to be fun,” said Alex Tien ’15 of Orange City, Iowa, who introduced the performers. “Feel free to dance or hoot and holler with the music.”
The Josh Moshier group featured Moshier on the piano along with a trumpeter, saxophonist, drummer, and bassist. It was also the final night the group featured vocalist Milton Suggs, who moved to New York the next day. The Chicago-based group has also performed at both the Chicago and Twin Cities Jazz Festivals.
“I really enjoyed jazz night,” said Alexis Warden, ’14 of Pella, Iowa. “Since I am new to the jazz genre, I really liked getting to hear many different samples of the music.”
“People haven’t connected the dots of a hurting economy with the loss of freedom,” said economist and author Dr. Robert Genetski at this year’s first WorldView event on October 1.
In his presentation “How Economic Freedom Impacts Prosperity & Poverty,” Genetski discussed five major points:
- Economics: scarcity and poverty
- How freedom promotes prosperity
- Global freedom, poverty and prosperity
- U.S. experience with economic freedom
- What lies ahead for the U.S. and the world
He states that whenever economic policies in any country have moved in the direction of lower taxes, freer markets, greater protection of private property and lower inflation, people have prospered.
Genetski’s new book, Classical Economic Principles & the Wealth of Nations, was available for purchase after the presentation.
About Dr. Robert Genetski
Robert Genetski’s contributions in the world of economics and finance range from serving as chief economist for a major Midwest bank to teaching at NYU and the University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business. He is a top-five speaker in the field of economics and finance and is renowned for the simplicity with which he explains critical elements and classical principles of economics.
He is the author of several books, including A Nation of Millionaires, Taking the Voodoo Out of Economics, and Winning with Money. He also writes for Japan’s leading business newspaper, Nikkei Financial Daily.
To learn more, visit www.classicalprinciples.com.
New events helped make this year’s Homecoming an even greater event and offered more opportunities for hundreds of alumni to reconnect.
Some of those included the Troll Color Rush (formerly Troll Trot), where runners were doused with colored powder at different stations along the course; a sciences alumni breakfast; a choir alumni reunion and concert; and a men’s volleyball alumni game.
The Alumni of the Year Award recipients were recognized at a midday luncheon. Receiving awards were Alumna of the Year Louella DeVries ’93, president and licensed clinical professional counselor at Olive Branch Counseling Associates; and Honorary Alumni Keith and Bev Bruxvoort, friends of the College; Tim Timmons, director of the physical plant; and Dr. Mark Ward, former associate provost at Trinity and vice president for academic affairs at the University of Dubuque.
Other activities for alumni and families included a fun fair, a picnic, a Trinity improv show, and many sporting events. The women’s and men’s alumni soccer games and the baseball alumni game matched past and present Trolls players. In addition to the alumni games, the athletics department was busy with varsity soccer competitions and a rummage sale.
“We are always excited to see so many alumni back on campus and to have the chance to connect and see where life has taken them since Trinity,” said Travis Bandstra ’06, director of alumni relations.
Trinity students will participate in a new kind of competition soon: intercollegiate debates. The College recently formed a debate club with six students led by Diana Wolfson.
Wolfson, who has taught in the communication arts department, initiated the club after gathering student feedback. Wolfson’s debate experience began in 1999 when she taught competitive debate to high school students. She especially enjoys being able to teach debate from a Christian perspective.
“My passion and my mission are to teach Christian students to think critically and communicate confidently in a manner that others will receive,” said Wolfson.
Michael Lautermilch ’15 of Lockport, Illinois, expressed interest in the club right away. As one of Wolfson’s students, he agreed to help finding other interested students.
Lautermilch said he has wanted to join debate competitions since watching his siblings compete a few years ago.
“Some of the skills they learned amazed me,” he said. “I am looking forward to being able to learn those skills and use them later in life.”
The debate club meets each week and plans to participate in one-day tournaments each month with the goal of entering the state championship at the end of the season.
Trinity enjoys partnerships with a variety of organizations in the suburbs and in Chicago. Many alumni work in local schools, non-profits, and businesses, having gained some of their first work and service experience in these places through Trinity internships or volunteer opportunities.
The Bright Promise Fund (BPF) is one of the organizations with several ties to Trinity, including alumni who work as teachers in BPF’s partner schools; alumni and a Trinity faculty member who serve on the board; and director Dr. Dave Larsen, a 1967 graduate of the College and former vice president for student development.
BPF provides financial resources for urban Christian schools and was started by Larsen when he was approached in 2009 by representatives from seven Christian schools in Chicago. Their vision involved developing a fund to parallel Chicago organizations such as the Big Shoulders Fund for urban Catholic schools and the Good News Fund for urban Lutheran schools.
“I’ve been blessed by Christian education my whole life and have seen its positive impact on our own children and grandchildren. But it has always bothered me that those in poverty-stricken communities most often found it out of their financial reach,” said Larsen. “I began to see this as a justice issue for Christians.”
BPF brings new and sustaining financial resources to the schools, which in turn provide financial assistance to families. At the same time, BPF promotes school vouchers as a vehicle for educational justice. “When parents are able to exercise their freedom to choose a school for their children, studies show that students succeed,” said Larsen. “All students should have access to good schools, and good schools make for good neighborhoods.”
Larsen attended Englewood Christian School in Chicago and Chicago Christian High School in Palos Heights. He graduated from Trinity when it was a two-year institution and later received a Ph.D. from Loyola University. He began his professional career in youth ministry. Larsen served Trinity for nearly 20 years (1976-1996) as dean of students and chaplain and later vice president for student development. He also served as director of development at Timothy Christian Schools in Elmhurst for 12 years.
“My responsibilities were for all those highly formative areas of higher education outside the classroom experience like residence life, worship, and student leadership development,” said Larsen. Toward the end of his tenure at Trinity, he developed the church and ministry leadership major and taught courses in addition to his other duties. He was also part of the campus-wide effort to diversify the Trinity student body. He said this experience widened his perspective on the need for Christian education in urban areas like Chicago.
Several Trinity alumni serve in BPF’s partner schools, and Dr. Mary Webster Moore, associate professor of mathematics education at Trinity, serves on the board. Larsen said these people share “the ability to see the big picture, a love for the city and its people, a passion for justice, and a deep love” for Christian education and Chicago schoolchildren who may be trapped in underperforming schools.
Trinity alumna Meika Mersman ’01, estate and trust counsel for the Alzheimer’s Association National Organization, said that as the youngest board of trustees member, she brings the perspective of young professionals living and working in the city.
“I have always had a strong belief in Christian education, which is one reason I chose to attend Trinity,” said Mersman. “After coming to live in downtown Chicago and becoming involved in other educational charities, I saw a great need for making Christian education available and affordable for those living in and around Chicago.”
When Larsen asked Trinity alumnus Ryan Wynia ’04, founder of Firebone, to contribute to the Bright Promise Fund as a member of the Young Leaders Advisory Board, Wynia said he instantly agreed. Wynia was educated solely in Christian schools and said, “As those experiences drift farther in the rear view, my gratefulness for my Christian education experience has increased and my perspective on its value has widened.
“With Chicago as their classroom, the kids that benefit from Dave’s work through Bright Promise are that much more equipped to reach their God-ordained potential. And while Bright Promise is a young organization,” said Wynia, “the momentum it has achieved is a testament to Dave’s passion for seeing Christian education supported in the City of Chicago and a board of directors unequivocally sold-out to the vision Bright Promise so effectively promotes.”
Partnering with Trinity, BPF is exploring internship opportunities in marketing and social media management and is also in discussions with the College’s education department about increasing Trinity’s presence in urban education.
With nearly half of Trinity’s undergraduate students living off campus, the College found new ways to help commuting students feel welcome on campus this year.
Commuter Stay
For the first time, commuting students stayed in the dorms overnight during First Year Forum (FYF), a five-day course designed to introduce students to Trinity. In the past, these students returned home each day after attending required FYF events but often missed out on the evening activities.
Becky Starkenberg, coordinator of First Year Experience, believes the new system helps with the transition process.
“First Year Forum is best experienced as a 24-hour, five-day retreat where students have structured and informal time to engage with one another,” said Starkenberg. “This enabled our first-time freshmen to connect and form community at a critical time in their experience. Freshmen are being mentored in small groups by faculty and student mentors, but also need to make peer connections.”
After staying on campus for the five days, two students decided to live on campus for the school year.
Commuter Meal Plan
Another new offering for commuters is the commuter meal plan. The plan provides flexibility for commuters who wish to enjoy regular meals at the cafeteria or Bootsma Bookstore Café.
“I like the meal plan because I can eat at school on a somewhat regular basis and not have to worry about buying food or cooking at home,” said Kevin Hahn ’13 of Cedar Lake, Indiana.
Forty-two students signed up for this new option for the fall semester.
