Trinity’s Seerveld Gallery brings the works of internationally famous artists, as well as artists from Chicago’s thriving art scene, to campus. And the Seerveld Gallery has opened its doors again after COVID-related closures. The gallery, located in the Art & Communication Center, is currently hosting an exhibit by Katherine Desjardins called “Touch.” 

According to Desjardins, who spends time in both Chicago and Italy, “Touch” is not organized around her newest or most recent works, “…but rather around ideas of Touch and Time, in consideration of the fact that this show will be on view as we mark one year of global, collective COVID lockdown.” In an artist’s statement, she said, “I embarked upon a project (paintings) called Touch in response to tragic personal loss long before our lockdown in 2020. Time has always played a huge role in my work in the form of scrolls and protracted studio process. Our year of Covid has brought new meaning to both words.” 

Among the pieces on display at the Seerveld Gallery are “Scuffle,” a new piece that Desjardins describes as a collision between calligraphic cartoon language and drawing from life. 

The show also includes pieces from her “Wide-Eyed Apollos Series,” which imagines the Greek god wandering the world as an innocent witness in the midst of today’s fears and anxieties. 

According to Professor Art & Design John Bakker, Desjardins’ depiction of hands in the show is particularly striking. “The pandemic has denied us touch,” he said. But the use of hands also represents conflict, including the protests that took place last summer over the deaths of George Floyd, Breona Taylor, and others.   

The Seerveld Gallery is open from 10 am to 4 pm during the week. Desjardin’s show will be on exhibit until March 23, when Trinity’s senior Art & Design BFA and BA students will begin preparing to install their thesis shows in the ArCC. 

One Day. One Goal. One Gift. That is the spirit of Trinity Tuesday, the annual day of giving when Trinity alumni, parents, grandparents, faculty, and friends show their Troll Nation colors to help ensure the ongoing excellence of activities, programs, and experiences for students.

And once again, Troll Nation answered the call for the fifth annual Trinity Tuesday, which took place on March 9! In just 24 hours, 777 donors raised $239,683 dollars for the Trinity Fund, exceeding the initial goal of 750 donors. This represents a 6% increase in donors and 38% increase in gifts over 2020, which was itself a record-setting year.

Said Director of Advancement LyNae Schleyer, “We opened the day with a small prayer gathering of campus leaders and Advancement staff and asked our Lord to guide us through the day and the Holy Spirit to touch the heart of donors to give. The results speak for themselves. God is good all the time!”

To see all of the results and special videos, visit trnty.edu/trinitytuesday.

With the encouraging local trends in the COVID metrics, Trinity Christian Athletics is excited to announce an update to our spectator policy. After careful consideration, we have decided to allow minimal, select spectators in attendance at both our indoor and outdoor competitions.

Effective Saturday, March 6 at Schaaf Athletic Complex and Monday, March 15 in DeVos Gymnasium, each rostered Trinity athlete, and members of the coaching staff, will be allotted two passes for family members. In addition, prospective recruits and their family who are on official campus visits will be invited to attend. While we know everyone is anxious to be in attendance, there will still be no visiting spectators permitted.

Those in attendance are expected to adhere to the guidelines outlined in the spectator policy. Proper social distancing and appropriate facial coverings are required. Trinity maintains the right to remove any spectators that are not following the guidelines. Please arrive no earlier than 15 minutes before the start of the event. No one will be admitted who is not on the guest pass list.

We appreciate everyone’s understanding, as the health and safety of our community is our top priority. Trinity will continue to evaluate the COVID-19 environment on a regular basis; this decision may be modified at any time.

Troll athletes and coaches alike have been thrilled to welcome their fans back! Volleyball player Anna Maatman ’22 described herself as ecstatic at the news.  “I immediately told my parents. They have come to almost every game of mine while growing up and my volleyball games for Trinity were no different! Whether it was away games to Michigan, Wisconsin, or Iowa I knew they would be there,” she said. “Not only seeing my parents in the stands but all the parents I have come to know during my four years at Trinity is a blessing. They bring that ‘game day’ feeling alive again.”

The impact of having fans has been felt immediately, said softball player Faith Bruinius ’24. “You could already see how the energy changed not only in the stands but also within the team,” she said. “Having that energy coming from people watching us is what fuels our energy. As we hear them cheering for us it gets out team more fired up to cheer on our own teammates!”

With fans in the stands, the energy and excitement levels increase for players, agreed Jake Ostema ’23, a volleyball player. “Also, knowing that we have supporters whether the outcome is a win or a loss is a huge confidence booster and helps our team stay focused throughout the season.”

While the fan base is limited to families, those are the most loyal supporters that every athlete has, according to Head Women’s Volleyball Coach Becky Eller. “Our families have been with us since Day 1 of being an athlete and we want to be able to share this experience with them. They are a part of our program and are so dedicated and invested in us. So it’s been hard not being able to have them there for matches,” she said. “This season has been a good reminder of how connected we need to be as a team, especially to create our own energy. But it will be great when we have our community with us to feed off of their energy!”

It’s wonderful to have fans back in the stands, said Head Women’s Soccer Coach Josh Lenarz ’98. And despite all the difficulties they have faced over the past year, the student-athletes have never given up.  “We have asked them to sacrifice deeply and yet their attitudes have been remarkable and their resiliency and adaptability to the constant challenges have impressed me beyond words.  We are truly blessed to have such a special group of student-athletes at Trinity Christian College,” he said.

Trinity students are curious, ambitious, and passionate about discovering the joy of their vocation. For many, that spirit of service starts right on campus, in student leadership positions.

And right now, students are encouraged to consider where they can serve and develop their leadership potential for the 2021-22 academic year.

“Student leadership is one of the many ways that students learn and are formed as ‘thinking, feeling, and believing creatures’ while at Trinity,” said Becky Starkenburg Vice President of Student Life & Athletics.

Trinity student leaders all possess several essential qualifications, including a willingness and commitment to engage with, define and shape the student experience at Trinity; the ability to tell the story of who they are and how they are being formed in Christ; a demonstrated commitment to the mission and values of the College; and at least one semester of full-time enrollment at Trinity before the leadership role begins; among other characteristics.

Available leadership positions for the upcoming academic year include:

— Thrive Mentor

— Foundations 111 Mentor

— FYE Student Intern

— Student Activities Chair

— Student Activities Weekend Chair

— Student Activities Marketing Chair

— Resident Assistant

— Service Leadership Team

— Multicultural Leadership Team

— Student Ambassador for Vocation & Career Development

Applications for positions in Student Engagement, Residence Life, and Thrive Interns are due Wednesday, March 17, and applications for positions as a Thrive or FDN 111 mentor are due Monday, April 5.

All students should have received an electronic application for student leadership positions via email in February. The packet can also be found here. Students who are interested in more information can also contact the Student Life Office.

Rise Together 

Senior basketball player Gabby Kreykes was named NCCAA Regional Player of the Year and also brought home the top honor when the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) announced its women’s basketball postseason awards. Senior Jasmine Elliott earned Honorable Mention All-Conference by the CCAC.

Kreykes and Elliott were also among the 12 women’s basketball student-athletes recently selected to the NCCAA North Central All-Region team.

Kreykes was one of five to be recognized as a CCAC First Team All-Conference selection, while also being voted by the coaches as the CCAC Player of the Year. A four-time Player of the Week honoree, she ranked first in the conference in points per game (22.1), scoring (463) and total rebounds (228). She finished the season ranked 6^th in the NAIA in points per game and 8^th in total scoring. She also averaged 2.7 steals per game and shot .423 from the field. She recorded a total of 14 double-doubles on the season in just 21 games.

Elliott earned Honorable Mention All-Conference for her performance on the season. She finished the year averaging 13.13 point per game, second on the team. She also pulled down 118 rebounds (7.38 per game).

The Trolls finished the season 9-12 overall and 4-7 in the CCAC. They entered the CCAC Tournament as the eight seed, advancing to the quarterfinal round with a win over Judson University.

Commencement is always a joyous occasion—and this year’s May 8 celebration will be a particularly meaningful one for Trinity graduates and their friends and family. We will not only be celebrating the Class of 2021 at an in-person ceremony that will allow loved ones to cheer on their graduates. We will also be honoring our 2020 graduates, who had virtual ceremonies last Spring and Fall because of pandemic-related restrictions on gatherings.

And since these graduates have overcome such unique challenges, we will be waving them home in a unique way, at Ozinga Field in Crestwood, Ill., home of baseball’s Frontier League Windy City Thunderbolts.

“On behalf of the College, I am thrilled that our graduates from 2020 and 2021 will have the opportunity to celebrate their accomplishments in-person with guests present,” said Trinity’s President Kurt D. Dykstra.

In order to maintain necessary distancing and allow for the home crowd to attend, Trinity will be hosting two separate ceremonies on the day of Commencement. With this double header format, each graduate will be able to have a limited number of their own fans in attendance.

The 10 a.m. Ceremony.

This ceremony will include all Spring 2021 Traditional Undergraduate graduates.

The 2 p.m. Ceremony.

This ceremony will include:

Spring 2020 Traditional Undergraduate Graduates;

Winter 2020 Traditional Undergraduate Graduates;

All Adult Undergraduate Graduates (Spring 2020, Winter 2020, and Spring 2021); and

All Graduate Program Graduates (Spring 2020, Winter 2020, and Spring 2021)

For more commencement details, click here.

–Aubrey Weedman ’20  

Less than a year after COVID-19 swept across the globe, Trinity welcomed many students back to campus and the classroom for the Spring 2021 semester. With the hard work and dedication of the entire community, including professors, students, and the COVID Care Team, classes are buzzing with students learning in-person and via Zoom, DeVos is hosting athletic competitions again, and the Dining Hall is serving up favorites for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! 

Return to In-Person Learning 

For the Spring Semester, students had the option of either attending class in person or continuing to learn remotely. More than half of the undergraduate students are now attending class in person, with the rest tuning in via Zoom! 

According to Professor of Communication Arts Craig Mattson, the logistics of managing both in-person and online students are interesting, even if they are occasionally daunting.  

“I really enjoy, in some ways, the complexity of having students online and having students in person,” he said. “There’s always an adaptation that one is having to do. I do confess that sometimes I feel like a butler, running around the room. But it’s a lot of fun.” 

For Matthew Huizenga ‘24, this semester marks the first time he has been in a physical classroom since being in high school last year. “It’s been an interesting experience,” said the graphic design major. During the all-remote first semester, some of his classes maintained a more traditional format, so the transition to in-person learning has been more subtle. For his art-related classes, though, being in-person has made a substantial difference.  

And while he enjoyed the opportunity to connect online with classmates during remote learning, Huizenga appreciates the new sense of in-person togetherness. “My favorite part of the semester so far has been the people,” he said. “Social interactions and gatherings happen naturally now.” 

No matter the format, though, Trinity remains committed to being In It Together, and Huizenga said he has seen how Trinity groups and organizations are working hard to be accessible to all students, whether they are on campus or remote. “There has been a deliberate effort to include everyone, and they are very conscious about how to mix those who are in-person and virtual. 

The entire community has approached the start of the semester with a spirit of willingness and togetherness, according to Provost Aaron Kuecker. “It has been exciting to step into these early weeks of the semester and to see so many people working together and with such flexibility as we have had opportunity to fine tune some of our practices and processes,” he said.

The COVID Care Team 

 the COVID Care Team continues to play a critical role in ensuring the safety and well-being of the entire community. 

Trinity first assembled the COVID Care Team over the summer to meet the various needs of students, faculty, and staff amidst the pandemic. And this interdisciplinary team has continued to work diligently each day to make sure the health of Trinity’s community members is continuously ensured.  

Members of this team include professors and staff from Athletics, Event Services, Counseling Services, Student Life, and more. Each member plays a carefully crafted role on the team in addition to their other positions and responsibilities at Trinity.  

Stephanie Griswold, Psy.D., Psychology Instructor and Director of Trinity’s Counseling Center, has served on the COVID Care Team in several capacities. “One of my main roles currently is hiring another medical professional to join our COVID Care Team,” she said. “I’ve also spent a lot of time thinking through how best to organize our team and data flow, in addition to communicating all the important things to our campus community.” 

But one of Griswold’s favorite roles has been attending to the wellness of students in quarantine or isolation. “We’ve actually just received donations to send care packages to our quarantined students that will include prayer cards and connections to people on campus,” she said. “This is exciting and helps bring light in a dark time!”  

The COVID Care Team is also charged with monitoring Trinity’s #CampusClear system. Every student, professor, and staff member who comes to campus agrees to complete a daily health survey in the #CampusClear app. Only those who are receive a green screen can show those screens when participating in in-person classes, Outcry, and other activities on camps. Those who receive a red screen must not leave their dorm rooms or come to campus until they have spoken with a member of the COVID Care Team.  

Brooke Simkins, member of the COVID Care Team and Director of Event Services, helps manage all this data. “I identify users who have received a red screen, and if they haven’t done it yet, I prompt them to fill out a red form.” said Simkins. “Once this is done, I add their red form data into a secure data table so the rest of the team can respond appropriately.” Then, other members of the team, such as the healthcare coordinator, review the data and follow up with each person to determine their next steps. 

According to Simkins, it’s important for every member of the campus community to use #CampusClear every day they are on campus. “We have people screen each day so we can identify symptoms and exposures as early as possible,” she said. “The earlier we know about illness, the more effective we can be in preventing spread.” 

Those are the logistical reasons why Trinity asks everyone to complete the #CampusClear app every day. But according to Simkins, “The big answer to the question of ‘why?’ is because we genuinely care about our students, staff, and faculty, and we want to create and maintain an environment that allows them to thrive and learn,” she said. “Additionally, we are doing these things because they work. When people engage with the processes and adhere to Trinity’s Covenant of Care, we see fewer illnesses.” 

Eric Salley, men’s soccer head coach, is another member of the COVID Care Team and serves as an Athletic Liaison. “I help relay information from Athletics to the COVID Care Team and help support coaches and players who are ‘staying put,’ in quarantine, or in isolation,” he said. 

According to Salley, each member of the team contributes a unique expertise and perspective. “That is vital every time we help members of our community navigate the challenges of COVID.”  

Trinity and the COVID Care Team have been guided by its deep desire to see the community flourish. “This has meant tackling unique problems with creativity, perseverance, and love for the community,” he said. 

Click here to learn more about Trinity’s COVID Care Team.  

The Black History Month Lecture is an annual tradition at Trinity, and on Feb. 15, the History Department hosted the lecture as a virtual roundtable discussion.

According to Professor of History David Brodnax, Sr., Ph.D., new problems present new opportunities. “In lieu of our normal practice of having one person come to campus to speak, we have the chance to bring in five phenomenal people joining us via Zoom to have a roundtable discussion,” he said.

The presenters focused on different aspects of the “Current and Future State of Black History Scholarship.”

Brodnax moderated the event, which featured:

— Mr. Dwain Coleman, University of Iowa

— Dr. Tobin Miller Shearer, University of Montana

— Dr. Emmett G. Price III, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

— Dr. Silvana Siddali, Saint Louis University

— Dr. Dana Weiner, Wilfrid Laurier University

The lecture is available on Trinity’s YouTube Channel.