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Dec 04, 2018

During a dinner at the President’s Residence, proper etiquette was on the menu as business students learned how to conduct themselves in a formal dining situation. As part of the meal hosted by President Kurt and Leah Dykstra, not only did the students learn which fork to use, but they were also given advice on how to handle meals during the interview process.

This “Etiquette Dinner” is a highlight of Prof. Deb Windes Professional Communications class, which helps prepare business students for the transition from college to career.

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Photo courtesy of NCCAA

The Trolls claimed the title of NCCAA Division I Women’s Soccer National Champions with an exciting shoot-out victory against Oklahoma Wesleyan University (Bartlesville, Oklahoma).  The No. 1 Trolls and the No. 2 Eagles played to a 2-2 double-overtime tie in the championship game at Austin-Tindall Soccer Complex in Kissimmee, Florida. Trinity scored in the first half to take a 1-0. They fell behind 2-1 in the second period, but tied the score to push the game into overtime. Still deadlocked at 2-2 after the two overtime periods, the game moved into penalty kicks. It took a total of 10 rounds in the shoot-out before the Trolls gained the 9-8 advantage and claimed the victory.

Trinity controlled the play in the first half and had a total of seven shots. They allowed Oklahoma Wesleyan only four attempts on counter plays. In the 39th minute the Trolls got the advantage on the scoreboard when Jessica Bianchi dribbled around the defensive and fired a shot to the far post and into the net. The Trolls held that 1-0 lead at the half.

It did not take long for Oklahoma Wesleyan to even the playing field when they scored within two minutes of the second period. The Eagles continued to put on the pressure and to increased their offensive production with 14 shots. In the 69th minute they gained the lead on a goal from a second chance effort off a corner kick.

Trinity played in that one-goal deficit until the final five minutes of the game. At that point a foul by the Eagles led to a penalty kick for the Trolls. Bianchi stepped up for the free shot and made it count to tie the game at 2-2.  Neither team scored in the final minutes and the game went into overtime.

In the two extra ten minute periods each team had opportunities to score, but the defensive prevented the goals and the 2-2 score remained on the scoreboard.

The shoot-out commenced to determine who would claim the title. Trinity started the shoot-out with good attempts by Jessica Owen and Elly Brummel followed each time by goals by Oklahoma Wesleyan. The Trolls’ third attempt was missed wide, but the tally remained tied at 2-2 as Allyson Kranstz saved the Eagles’ third attempt. The shoot-out continued through the next seven players with good attempts by Erika Perez, Jessica Bianchi, Autumn Bergemann, Lexi Zambrano, Brianna Uhl, Shaelyn Postmus, andTaylor Miller. Oklahoma Wesleyan answered each time until Kranstz stopped their 10th attempt to give the Trolls the 9-8 edge.

For the game Trinity ended with 15 shots of which eight were on goal. Oklahoma Wesleyan had 25 shots with seven on goal. Kranstz ended with five saves during the game and two in the shoot-out.

Jessica Bianchi, who had nine goals in the tournament, was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. Joining her on the All-Tournament Team was Elly Brummel and Selah Hopkins.  

The Trolls end their season with a 21-2-2 record.

In their final match of Pool Play in the NAIA National Championship in Sioux City, Iowa, the Trolls faced No. 20 Ottawa University (Kansas). Both of these teams entered the match with a 0-2 record in the pool and were looking for their first tournament win. The Trolls gained that win as they defeated the Braves in four sets at 25-20, 20-25, 25-20, and 25-23.

With their 2-1 record, the team will not advance out of pool play, and they end their season with a 30-11 record.

In the first set the Trolls used a five point run to post an early lead at 8-3. With a score of 13-6 the teams traded points one at a time until a 20-14 score. Ottawa broke the pattern with the next two points to make it 20-16. The Trolls continued to stay ahead and with a 22-20 lead they closed on kills by Sarah Kiwan and Kacie Stoll and an ace serve by Maggie Tolsma.

The second set was another tight battle. Trinity had the early lead at 9-7, but Ottawa scored the next five points to take a 12-9 lead. The Trolls continued to trail throughout the rest of the set and were down by as many as seven at 23-16. The team rallied off the next four points to pull to within three before Ottawa scored the final two points.

The teams were never separated by more than a couple of points through the majority of the third set. Trinity gained the slight advantage at 16-13 and held that scoring edge for the rest of the set. They reached set point at 24-18 and gave up two points before Anna Maatman ended in the set on a kill.

Like the previous set, the final set was another close fight. With a 12-11 lead the Trolls scored the next five points with Amber Ryan on the serving line. Trinity had a 23-19 lead only to have the Braves tighten the set at 23-22. Ana Lambros put the ball down to give the Trolls set point, but Ottawa answered with a kill. On the next play Christa Veenstra got a kill that ended the set and the match.

For the game the Trolls had 44 kills with a .188 attacking percentage. Ottawa had 52 kills behind a .120 percent attacking effort. The Trolls ended with 10 blocks, eight aces, and 68 digs. The Braves had eight blocks, eight aces, and 73 digs. Stoll led the team with 11 kills, 16 digs, and two blocks. Lambros added 10 kills, nine digs, and two aces. Madysen Zula recorded nine kills and six blocks while Veenstra had eight kills and four blocks. Dani Van Laten handed out 35 assists and picked up 14 digs.Brianna Figueroa had 15 digs while Ryan had three aces.

L-R: Reginald L. Sanders, Don O. Franklin, Mark Peters

In honor of his mentor, Trinity’s professor of music and department chair Mark Peters, Ph.D., has co-edited a collection of essays on J. S. Bach’s sacred vocal music, as well as contributing a chapter.

Peters said he edited the book, Compositional Choices and Meaning in the Vocal Music of J. S. Bach, with his friend Reginald L. Sanders, professor of music at Kenyon College, as a way to honor his dissertation advisor, Don O. Franklin, emeritus professor of music at the University of Pittsburgh and a past president of the American Bach Society.

“It was fun to work with Reggie on this project,” Peters said, “and we’re thankful for the work each of the authors put into it.”

The 17 essays in the book explore Bach’s vocal compositions, including his Passions, Masses, Magnificat, and cantatas, with a particular emphasis on broader cultural, social, historical, theological, and musical trends at the time. Peters’s chapter is titled “Death to Life, Sorrow to Joy: Martin Luther’s Theology of the Cross and J. S. Bach’s Eastertide Cantata Ihr werdet weinen und heulen (BWV 103).” The book, published by Lexington, is part of the series “Contextual Bach Studies,” edited by Robin A. Leaver.

The process of getting the book published was a lengthy one that involved working with authors from around the globe, said Peters, who finished final edits during his sabbatical in Indonesia earlier this year. “It was a busy sabbatical,” said Peters with a laugh.

The book is divided into four parts: Bach’s Vocal Music in Theological Context; Analytical Perspectives; Bach’s Self Modeling: Parody as Compositional Impetus; and The Reception of Bach’s Vocal Works. “This helped to shape the book as a unifying volume,” he said.

Peters and Sanders divided editing duties, and each translated a chapter from German to English, as well as co-writing the preface.

While Bach is his primary area of study, Peters has a range of musical interests. Earlier this year, he authored the chapter “U2 and the Art of Being Human,” in U2 and the Religious Impulse: Take Me Higher, edited by Scott Calhoun.

Trinity joyfully celebrates the recent publication of four books by members of our community.

During a gathering in the Vermeer Fireside Room on Nov. 27, Professor of Communication Arts Craig Mattson; B.A./M.Div. Mentor and Recruiter Jonathan Brooks; Assistant Professor of History Kyle Dieleman; and Professor of Music Mark Peters discussed their research, key insights from their books, and the process of publishing.

Those books are:

The students enrolled in Trinity’s SPED 420 Critical Issues in Special Education class have been working on a project to promote safety for students with disabilities this semester.

“Partnering with Elim Christian Services, we are creating a curriculum they can use for teaching animal safety while ensuring that the resources are age-appropriate for adults,” said Associate Professor Sara Baillie, Ed.D.

The class has recently visited local spots to videotape the expectations of interacting with various animals: from approaching a dog on a path, to caged animals at Lake Katherine in Palos Heights, Ill., to handling farm animals at The Children’s Farm at the Center in Palos Park, Ill.

Trinity alumnus and soon-to-be-published author David D. De Jong ex ’73 recently gave a reading on campus from his novel in progress. The book tells a fictionalized story based on the life of De Jong’s autistic son. The event, on Nov. 19, was sponsored by the Special Education and English Departments.

“Trinity changed my life, quite literally, in the best possible way,” De Jong told the audience who gathered in the Marg Kallemeyn Theatre. “What I learned here shaped my life and continues to do so.”

De Jong, a physician and medical malpractice lawyer, has spent the last 10 years working with faculty in the writing programs at Northwestern University and at the University of Iowa Writer’s Workshop.

The novel tells the story of Socrates, a man with autism who has lived with his parents all his life. Socrates loves trains, and the excerpt that De Jong read told the story of Socrates’ journey on the Metra Rock Island train through his old neighborhood in Beverly.

Professor of English Michael Vander Weele, Ph.D., provided the introduction.

In light of weather conditions in the larger Chicagoland area,  classes will start at 11 am, Monday, November 26, 2018.

By that time, according to the weather sources, the snow will have ended and the plows will have had time to clear the major highways and roads sufficiently for safe travel.

College offices will be open prior to 11 a.m. as staff are able to safely arrive on campus.  Staff should use their best judgment to arrive on campus this morning; if they can safely get to campus prior to 11 a.m., please do so.

If weather conditions warrant a change in this schedule, we will notify the Trinity community of those changes via email and the emergency text service.  (Those signed up for the text service should have received one this morning.) Also, the College’s social media accounts will provide updates as well.

Be safe!

Football isn’t the only sport to follow this time of year! Both the women’s volleyball and soccer teams are competing in national tournaments the week after Thanksgiving.

The women’s volleyball team will compete in the 39th Annual NAIA National Volleyball Championship in Sioux City, Iowa. The Lady Trolls will be competing in pool play against Missouri Baptist University; Hastings College; and Ottawa University. This marks the second final site national tournament appearance for the Trolls, who also qualified in 2013.

Trinity’s pool play schedule is:
–Nov. 27 (Tuesday) – vs Missouri Baptist at 9 am (CST)
–Nov. 28 (Wednesday) – vs Hastings at 12 pm (CST)
–Nov. 29 (Thursday) – vs Ottawa at 10 am (CST)

The Trolls advanced to the NAIA National Championship Final with a win over Bellevue University (Nebraska) in the Opening Round on Nov. 17.

The top two teams from each pool will advance to the single-elimination bracket starting on Nov. 30. The championship match will take place on Dec. 1 at 7 pm. For a complete list of the pool play teams and schedule, click here.

The women’s soccer team will be making their national tournament appearance at the NCCAA DI Women’s Soccer National Championship at Austin-Tindall Soccer Complex in Kissimmee, Fla. They will be take on Columbia International University; Campbellsville University; and Ottawa University Arizona in pool play.

The pool play schedule is:

–Nov. 26 (Monday) — vs Columbia International at 11 am (CST)

–Nov. 27 (Tuesday) – vs Campbellsville at 11 am (CST)

–Nov. 29 (Thursday) — vs Ottawa at 11 am (CST)

Click here for more information about the tournament.

The Trolls won their spot in the national tournament by claiming the NCCAA Region Championship title in a 1-0 overtime victory against Trinity International University on Nov. 17.

Assistant Professor of History Kyle Dieleman, Ph.D., recently spoke at a conference in the Netherlands which explored the impact of the Synod of Dordt. According to Dieleman, the conference began on Nov. 14, 400 years to the day when the Synod of Dordt first convened.

Dieleman spoke on “Education and Sabbath observance in Dutch Reformed churches.” He said, “The presentation generated lots of good questions and discussions.”

The conference, “The International Synod of Dordt (1618-1619): Contents, Contexts, and Effects, 17th–21st Centuries,” took place in Dordrecht, Netherlands and drew an international audience.

According to conference organizers, “The Synod of Dordrecht was held in 1618 and 1619 on the authority of the States-General of the Dutch Republic to resolve a conflict within the Reformed Church in the Netherlands about the doctrine of predestination that had arisen at Leiden’s theological faculty in 1602. At the same time, the synod was to re-establish the unity of the young state of the United Provinces in a crucial stage of the Eighty Years’ War (1568-1648), part of the broader confrontation between Catholic and Protestant powers in Europe since the Reformation.”

The Synod led to the Canons of Dort, the Church Order of Dort, and the States Bible, and it deeply affected religious life, theological tradition, and cultural identity in the Netherlands and its overseas territories. “The 400th anniversary of Synod in 2018 and 2019 is a welcome opportunity to revisit its historical significance as well as its actual standing, both in an academic, multidisciplinary, and transconfessional way,” organizers said.