in their footsteps

W I N T E R
2 0 0 9 V O L U M E
5 4 N U M B E R
2
“
It was a great
opportunity to
learn history
in a different
setting.
”
in their footsteps
Students say a staff ride was the best way to learn about the Civil War
Sally Jongsma
INSIDE
5
Video receives
international
awards
6
Education
students share
curriculum units
11
D
r. Paul Fessler admitted he was a bit
nervous the day before the staff ride
he planned for the history students in
his American Civil War and Restoration course.
He knew the success of the trip rested as much
on students’ preparation as his. He needn’t have
worried. Despite having had to read four books
and numerous primary and secondary source
articles on the Wilson’s Creek and Pea Ridge
battles, the students were ready and eager for
the trip.
“It’s part of the reason why I took the class.
There was a rumor going around that
we might be going to do
something like this, and I’ve
always been interested in
how place affects history,
so looking forward
to going to the actual
battlefields was exciting.
We were talking about it
all semester,” said Krystle
­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­
Van
der Waal from Boyden, Iowa.
“The trip was one of the greatest moments
in my educational experience,” said Sarah Roth
from Escondido, California. She and the other
students each became experts on different
characters and had to weave their knowledge
together as they recreated and analyzed the
battles.
“I wouldn’t have missed it for anything,” said
Ryan Jensema from Oostburg, Wisconsin. “It
was a great opportunity to learn history in a
different setting and also to get to know the
people in my class much better.”
Staff rides were first used by Prussian
generals in the early
Thirteen fall
athletes earn
NAIA Scholar
Athlete awards
DORDT COLLEGE
nineteenth century. Following a battle, they
went on a “staff ride” to analyze what had
happened and what went right or wrong. The
military continues to use them today, as do
forest fire fighters, as a way to learn from what
has happened before. Some business schools
use staff rides to examine leadership decisions.
Today the United States Army College uses
staff rides as part of its leadership training for
generals. Fessler got the idea for doing a ride
with his class following his participation in one
during a seminar for twenty historians during
the summer of 2007 at West Point.
“On the staff ride at Wilson’s Creek and Pea
Ridge, we stood where the battle took place and
asked
why they made the decisions they
did,” says Fessler. Some things
became very clear to Fessler’s
students just from being there.
They saw that the hollows
at Wilson’s Creek created
acoustic shadows that
(continued on page 2)
Campus
Capsules
New addition
is named
T
he new academic
space currently under
construction will be called
the Douglas and Henrietta
(Miedema) Ribbens Academic
Complex, honoring two early
contributors to the success of
Dordt College.
Dr. Douglas Ribbens was
the college’s first professor of
education and served Dordt
College for thirty-seven
years as a professor, registrar,
administrator, and director of
the library. Ribbens has been
described as an insightful and
practical realist who balanced
President B.J. Haan’s passionate
creativity, providing the
teamwork that moved the college
forward. A former principal, he
brought administrative skills
to the fledgling institution,
and helped the junior college
move to an accredited four-year
institution.
Henrietta (Miedema)
Ribbens played a key support
role at the college from 1957
until retirement in 1992.
Miedema began as the lone
college secretary in 1957,
but over the years combined
secretarial duties with keeping
the books, taking care of student
accounts, and essentially
becoming assistant registrar
during the years that Douglas
Ribbens served dual roles as
registrar and academic dean.
The new addition will give
students in the education
department use of a smart
technology classroom, a science
methods classroom, and three
new model classrooms. Art
students will gain additional
classroom space for sculpture,
painting, and print-making.
Digital media students will
benefit from expanded digital
media computer labs.
Despite the cold weather, bricklayers are
laying the walls for the new addition. To
make way for the new facility, one older
section of early classrooms was torn
down, but the original building remains.
.
Vo i c e 2
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Sure Fire Investing
Dr. Carl E. Zylstra
frankly, enough time for such an education
to “sink in” and become part of who we are—
and will be—for the rest of our lives.
“Have I got a deal for you!”
fter the economic turmoil of the
Education is one of the only investments
past year, few of us are likely to be
that actually increases in impact as time
attracted by such a sales pitch.
goes by. Formal education is
Yet, again this year, Dordt College
just a foundation, but it is the
has sent representatives across the
foundation that is necessary
continent and literally around
to undergird all of our future
the world to tell people that we
experiences as they become
have a deal for them: We offer
new layers in forming and
an opportunity that may take a
shaping our effectiveness as
considerable investment of time,
servants of Jesus Christ—in
effort, and money to accomplish,
whatever area of life he may call
but in the end it will be far
us.
more valuable than what
Once in a while, I’ll ask
it costs.
gatherings of alumni how
An investment in
many are doing the same
education lasts a lifetime.
thing they started doing
Education is one of the
when they graduated from
few experiences in life
Dordt College. Probably less
Dr. Carl E. Zylstra
that, if effective, becomes
than a fourth of them are still
part of who you are. I’m
in the same career. So while a
often asked why students need to invest four
college education prepares us for our first job,
years in a residential college experience. After the true value of a Dordt education actually
all, so the question goes, aren’t there cheaper
grows throughout our lives because it equips
and more efficient ways to get across the
us with the worldview and fundamental
information that a solid education provides?
insight that can prepare us for whatever new
Of course there are. The world wide web,
opportunities develop over the decades of
for instance, is a source of almost limitless
life and service that follow. Where else can
information and you surely don’t have to live
you find that sort of investment, one that
on a campus in Sioux Center, Iowa, to gain
appreciates in value throughout the years, no
access to it. But to acquire the kind of faithmatter what life circumstances we confront?
infused, biblically-directed education that
Finally, I’m not sure that many other
Dordt College is committed to providing does investments guarantee lifetime dividends
take a faith-filled environment, biblicallyfor us and, at the same time, benefit others
committed mentors and teachers, and, quite
even more. God benefits when we praise
A
him ever more fully because of our greater
understanding of his world and our growing
awe that he is both the origin and the
ultimate goal of all that we study. Education
helps us understand more fully the marvels
of the chemical structure of living things,
for example, and in so doing we honor
the glorious designer and sustainer of the
creation we’ve been studying. And a solidly
biblically-based education prepares us for a
lifetime of benefiting those whom we touch
with our lives of service. Take for example
Dordt College graduates who become
teachers. Their profession will provide a
steady income and great personal satisfaction,
to be sure, but it will also allow those teachers
to benefit immeasurably the lives of the
future students whom they shape and nurture
through their instructional efforts.
That’s why, in the end, I’m convinced that
Dordt College is still on solid ground as we
continue to recommend an investment in
education. I’m well aware that the college
bears a tremendous responsibility to make
that educational experience as affordable an
investment as possible. So this year we have
continued trying to limit our educational
cost, on the one hand, while at the same time
maximizing the quality of the educational
experience that investment makes possible.
It may be true that the current
environment has made us wary of “sure-fire
investment” offers. Personally, however, I’m
still glad to be able to represent at least one
investment that, as God provides his blessing,
is pretty much guaranteed to enrich our lives,
benefit Christ’s kingdom, and add to his glory.
Staff ride created a bond as students learned
(continued from page 1)
prevented the army from hearing the battle
already going on. Walking through the
cornfields and seeing the terrain of the
battlefield helped them sense the soldiers’
fear of not being able to see far and know
what they were facing. The experience
helped them get a better sense of what
the soldiers had gone through and how
exhausted they would have been after hiking
with their equipment and ammunition.
But it did much more. Prior to the trip
students did extensive research on the battles
and each person became an expert on one or
two people who were involved in the battle.
Soldiers were black and white, wealthy
and poor, said Fessler. Many were Christians,
most had left families. They were driven by
passions, hatreds, and commitments. Fessler
wanted his students to know not just the
facts of the battle but understand how their
characters’ worldviews shaped their actions.
Why did they fight and continue to fight?
Drawing on the preparation he and his
students had done, Fessler played the role of
facilitator throughout the trek through the
battlefields, asking questions to help them
come to a deeper understanding on a micro
level—from describing the anti-slavery
Union general who hated Southerners to
the privates from Missouri who wanted to
defend their homes and property—even
though relatively few owned slaves.
The students jumped in with enthusiasm
and knowledge, sharing what they knew,
adding to what others contributed,
Wilson’s Creek in Missouri and Pea Ridge in Arkansas were the third and fourth battles of the Civil War,
but many people don’t know much about them because they were so far west and most attention went to
battles further east. No photos of these battles made
it into Ken Burns “Civil War” documentary. Yet, understanding something about these battles helps historians understand why there was basically a guerilla
war in Missouri following these events, says Dr. Paul
Fessler.
challenging assumptions, and making new
discoveries as they combined their research
and their experience on the battlefield.
“Having to conduct in-depth research to
understand a worldview different than my
own was a unique challenge and blessing,”
said Roth. “I learned the importance of
examining motivations. We had to leave
our comfort zones of learning and stretch
ourselves into another time and place.”
“We usually look at large themes and
philosophies in history,” says Fessler. “It’s
hard to understand individual participants
and see that they were on the battlefield for
a variety of different reasons. How did those
factors influence judgment—especially of
the officers?”
Fessler shared his students’ feeling that
the trip had been successful.
“Students learn more if they are wellprepared and are excited about what they’re
learning,” he said, noting that experiential
learning often cements knowledge in a way
classroom lectures can’t.
Another benefit of the trip for students
was getting to know other history students
better.
“The highlight of the trip for me was
going on this trip with people who were
really interested in the Civil War and eager
to learn more about it,” said Emily Sajdak
from Pella, Iowa.
“All of us share an interest in history,
so we could make historical references or
jokes in the middle of the conversation and
everybody actually knew what we were
talking about,” says Van der Waal.
“Besides hiking around the battlefields,
one of the highlights for me was cooking
supper and having ‘homemade’ meals
together,” said Phillip Van Maanen from
Sioux Center.
Fessler had rented a cabin with a kitchen.
Following the evening meal the first evening,
the students pored over their studies to
make sure they were well prepared for the
battlefield trips. Other evenings they carried
on their discussions of the day’s events and
what they’d learned.
“The hard work paid off,” said Fessler.
“The students knew as much as many of the
staff members at the battlefields.”
Campus
Capsules
Vermeer
donates CNC
equipment
F
Members of the Academic Senate are from back and across: Duane Bajema, Hubert Krygsman, Art Attema, Bob De Smith, James Schaap, Jim Bos, Sherri Lantinga, Ethan
Brue, Pat Kornelis, Charles Veenstra, Wayne Kobes, John Kok, Carl Zylstra, Bethany Schuttinga, and Erik Hoekstra.
Dordt elects its first senators
Sally Jongsma
P
rovost Erik Hoekstra refers to “water
cooler” conversations and faculty
member James Schaap talks about
learning to dance together as they describe
the meetings of the new Academic Senate.
Both agree that the Senate has provided a
way to have good conversations between
faculty and academic administrators about
how Dordt College should practice its
mission and move into the future.
The Academic Senate began this year,
putting in place another piece of the
administrative restructuring that also
changed the position of Vice President for
Academic Affairs to Provost.
“Our primary responsibility is to talk
about issues that relate to our academic
mission,” says Senate Chair Hubert
Krygsman, who has played a crucial role in
helping the new body find its proper role in
campus life.
Developing serviceable insight happens
chiefly through the faculty, but faculty
cannot teach and navigate all of the
relationships, influences, and changes in
society that have an impact on education,
says Provost Erik Hoekstra. The Senate is
a place for discussion in a smaller setting
for people who see different parts of the
educational picture.
The Senate is made up of sixteen
members, fourteen of whom can vote. The
college president and provost are nonvoting members. Other members include
the Associate Provost for Co-Curricular
Programs, the chair and secretary of the
faculty, the three division deans, one faculty
member from each division, and three atlarge faculty members.
“There’s an intimacy that’s started
to develop between the members,”
says Hoekstra, who is pleased with the
collaborative spirit, understanding, and
wisdom that has characterized the early
meetings. He adds, “We didn’t have a good
venue for this kind of sharing of ideas
before.” Three large faculty meetings per
year were neither frequent enough nor small
enough to function in this way. The smaller
Senate allows participants to explore and
constructively challenge ideas that relate to
the academic program.
Hoekstra, who often refers to one of
his favorite resources for working together
effectively, Stephan Covey’s book, The Speed
of Trust, notes that for people to work
together they need to trust one another’s
intent.
“People tend to judge themselves by their
intent and judge others by their behavior,”
says Hoekstra. He has urged all members of
the Senate to assume the best of intentions
from each other as they wrestle with what it
means to be Christians in this organization.
“God does bless us when we are faithful,”
says Hoekstra.
“It feels like we are moving forward,” said
Dr. Pat Kornelis, the faculty secretary of the
Senate, noting that productive discussions
have been held. She believes that discussions
about enrollment management that were
recently on the table of the Senate would
not have happened before the Senate was
formed. Yet enrollment issues directly affect
faculty. Faculty and administrators share
their insights, discuss with integrity, and call
each other to accountability in ways that
Kornelis believes will make the institution
stronger.
Schaap, too, believes that the creation
of the Senate has been good for the college.
“The atmosphere has been very open,”
he says. Administrators listen to faculty
contributions and faculty respond to
administrative ideas and proposals for the
academic program.
Faculty representatives on the Senate are
elected by their colleagues, and they take
their responsibility to their peers seriously.
Kornelis says she feels responsible for getting
input from other faculty. Schaap, convinced
that it provides a good way for faculty to
hear administrative ideas, believes that
as this new institutional entity grows, the
transparent conversations will benefit the
institution.
Senate meeting agendas are sent to all
faculty members and anyone may attend.
Minutes are distributed after the meetings
in a timely manner. The faculty assembly
that has been in existence will continue to
meet three times each year and still will be
primarily a place to report on policy and
curricular issues facing the institution. But
now those reports and discussions will have
had significantly more team development
because of the work of the Senate.
“The Senate is giving faculty more
opportunity to participate in decision
making, enabling us to work together more
effectively and function more collegially,”
adds Senate Chair Hubert Krygsman
“We’re still learning how to do this,” adds
Schaap, noting that the dance likely will
continue for some time.
irst-year engineering students
are not only learning to draw
3-D model parts but they’re also
making prototypes to get a better
sense of how to design parts that
use resources efficiently and are
easier to produce.
These efforts are possible
thanks to the donation of a series
of CNC (computer numerical
control) machines funded by the
Vermeer Foundation of Pella,
Iowa.
Our object isn’t to teach
students how to machine parts,
says Dr. Ethan Brue, a professor
of mechanical engineering—
although senior students do use
the machines to make parts for
their senior design projects. The
point is it teaches them a holistic
approach to design that helps
them think about conserving
materials and making the
machinist’s job more efficient.
Teams of three students
work with instructors and
senior students to take an idea
from concept to polypropylene
prototype. They create the
program that feeds instructions
to the machine, which then spits
out the part.
“If you only do a 3-D
drawing, you may only see a
hole as a hole. By creating the
prototype you may learn that
placing the hole in a slightly
different place could save a
machinist two or three steps,”
says Brue. “They might even be
able to avoid having a machinist
roll his eyes and groan ‘What
were they thinking?’” Brue
says with a chuckle, based on
his experience. He’d like Dordt
graduates to see themselves as
one part of a team in the design
process. He’d also like them to
design in ways that use resources
sustainably and efficiently.
Making prototypes of what they
design could help them do both.
Engineering Professor Kevin
Timmer shows his students
what the CNC machines will
allow them to do.
Vo i c e 3
Center for
Educational
Services helps
new teachers
Sally Jongsma
A
dozen new teachers are being
mentored this year by experienced
teachers, thanks in part to efforts of
the Dordt College Center for Educational
Services (CES). In mid-August, Lloyd
Den Boer, an education professor and the
new director of the Center, led a day-long
workshop for mentees and mentors from
Christian schools from the Heartland District
of Christian School International. The aim
was to set up a mentoring program that could
help them become better teachers and get
acclimated to their schools more quickly.
The goal of the workshop was to provide
resources and activities through which
teachers could share wisdom about how to
be effective teachers. Den Boer gave those
who attended a handbook that included
summaries of such things as:
•principles of adult learning relevant to
mentoring
•research on phases of professional
development of teachers
•mentoring models and practices
•the model of reflective practice
developed for Christian teachers
by John Van Dyk in his 2007 book
“Fostering a Reflective Culture in the
Christian School: The Maplewood
Story” (Dordt College Press: Sioux
Center, IA).
The new director of the Center for Educational Services is Education Professor Lloyd Den Boer, who was a
teacher and principal before joining the education department in 1999.

On the Web
Information and registration for the
annual B.J. Haan Conference can
be found at center.dordt.edu/bjh_
conference/
“Lots of research points to the benefits
of mentoring programs,” says Den Boer.
They help new teachers learn about their
environment more quickly, which means
they can focus on their teaching more
completely. Research also indicates that
fewer mentored teachers leave teaching in
the early years. This offers great benefits
both for schools, which don’t have to be
looking for as many new teachers, and for
students, who benefit from learning from
experienced teachers.
“Teachers were especially excited about
the list of things that are often forgotten
in orientations,” says Den Boer of the list
of compiled “little things” he’s gathered
throughout his years as teacher, principal,
and professor.
For this year, new teachers at six schools
were matched with experienced teachers in
their school. Following the August meeting,
participants were asked to submit a specific
mentoring plan by September 15 and then
convened again as a group at a breakfast
meeting on October 2, at the Heartland
Teachers Convention held on Dordt’s
campus.
The mentoring program grew out of
CES’s desire to provide practical service
to local schools. Den Boer met with area
principals last spring to ask them what
they most needed from CES. Mentoring
programs and help for multi-grade teachers
were at the top of the list.
Den Boer, working with education
department colleagues Pat Kornelis and
Timothy Van Soelen, will visit teacher pairs
in their schools in January to see how they
are doing.
The mentoring workshop and support
will be available annually for new teachers.
In the meantime, the education department
through CES is working on other ways to
give support to multi-grade teachers. The
annual B. J. Haan Conference scheduled
for March 12 and 13 will have as its theme
“Teaching Reading/Forming Faith.” David
Smith of the Kuyers Center at Calvin
College will be the keynote speaker. A new focus of the CES will be to
help Iowa Christian schools prepare to
implement the recently adopted Iowa Core
Curriculum. The Iowa Department of
Education gives all accredited schools until
2012 to complete implementation, calling
it the biggest reform initiative in Iowa
education for several decades. Schools will
need to rewrite K-12 curriculum in literacy,
science, social studies, and math as well
as analyze student assessment and teacher
professional development data. “The DOE appears to be strengthening
the rigor of local curriculum and
promoting teaching strategies that engage
students at deeper levels of understanding,”
says Den Boer, who notes that the changes
have happened sooner than expected. “It’s
both exciting and a bit overwhelming to see
it right in front of us.”
Horton is named first artist-in-residence
Sarah Groneck
D
ordt has been home to many
budding artists but never an artistin-residence until now. This is the
inaugural year of the artist-in-residence
program for the music department.
What, exactly, is an artist-in-residence?
“An artist-in-residence is a guest
performer who comes to campus to perform
repeatedly within a given time span,”
said Dr. Karen De Mol, chair of Dordt’s
music department. She said that having an
artist-in-residence is similar to having an
additional temporary faculty member.
“Plus, the artist and the sponsoring
institution get to know each other and
discover ways that the artist-in-residence
can strengthen the institution through
lectures, workshops, lessons, and master
classes,” said De Mol.
The first Dordt artist-in-residence is
Dr. Robert Horton. A former Dordt music
professor, Horton has won many awards
for his organ-playing skills, including the
Jordan International Competition prize
and first place in the Mikhail Tariverdiev
International Organ Competition in
Vo i c e 4
Karen De Mol
Robert Horton
Kaliningrad, Russia.
Having taught organ at Dordt the past
three years, Horton already has many
student fans. Junior Helen van Beek is one
such supporter. “It is obvious he knows a lot
about music, not only how to make music,
but also the technical and theoretical ideas
behind it,” said van Beek. “I had him for
music theory and aural skills, and it was a
blast. I think everyone learned a lot.”
Through the artist-in-residence program
this year, Horton is scheduled for four Dordt
performances—in September, November,
January, and April. September and January’s
performances focus on the music of single
composers. September’s event featured
Baroque-era musician Louis-Nicholas
Clerambault while January will celebrate
the bicentennial of German composer Felix
Mendelssohn.
During November and April, Horton
will work with Dordt faculty and students to
present hymn festivals “in connection with
the seasons of the Christian year—advent
in November, Easter in April,” said De Mol.
The festival events are led by the organ
and will incorporate poetry readings and
singing.
Organizing the events was a
“collaborative” effort: “He suggested, and
we responded,” said De Mol. “We liked his
basic ideas for what to play, and we formed
the programs around them.”
In addition to organ performances,
Horton is also giving public lectures,
workshops for area organists, and master
classes for organ students.
When designing the organ workshops,
Horton and the Dordt music department
had a specific goal in mind: “We wanted to
hit a variety of topics that would be directly
useful to church musicians,” said Horton.
The workshops center around the need
for articulation and improvisation in organ-
playing, as well as debunking the idea that
organists can’t play pop choruses.
De Mol was pleased with the first
performance in September and with the first
workshop event. “Twenty-three individuals
came [to the workshop] from places like
California and Sioux Falls,” said De Mol. “I
was tickled pink to hear that.”
Horton said he appreciates working
with other students and Dordt faculty on
the performances. “I could bang out solo
recitals by the dozens, but it takes special
focus to pull off an event that involves other
people,” he said. “It helped a great deal that
both the faculty and students involved were
models of professionalism.”
Although he did not want to pick
favorites, Horton said one performance
stood out most in his mind. “The French
baroque theme for the first event was
the most personal choice,” he said. “I’ve
been deeply attached to that music since I
studied in France and have been working on
producing a DVD about French music.”
De Mol and Horton have been
encouraged by the response from the
community and look forward to the rest of
this year’s performances.
Try a "Problem of the Week"
Sarah Groneck
F
or years, Dordt students and faculty
have gone to the Problem of the Week
to sate their thirst for mathematics.
The Problem of the Week was
established to encourage analytical
thinking.
“The department decided to use it to
promote mathematics,” said mathematics
professor and Problem-of-the-Week
coordinator Dr. Gary De Young. “Some
are easy, requiring logical thought or
only algebra, while a few require secondsemester calculus.”
How does De Young unearth these
problems?
“It’s a carefully guarded secret,” he said.
The current POW is posted outside De
Young's office faithfully every Friday at
noon. Participants are given two weeks to
submit the answer to the problem, but the
problem remains open if no one sends in a
correct answer.
Once the
problem has been
solved, the winner’s
name is placed in an
end-of-the-semester
drawing. One name
is drawn from the
bucket and will
receive a prize. This
fall’s winner will
Gary De Young
receive the game
Blockus Duo, while
the spring semester winner will be given the
card game Set.
De Young said that students aren’t the
only ones who take part in the Problem of
the Week.
“Dordt faculty and staff can submit
problems, [and] we’ve had Dordt grads and
people not associated with Dordt send in
work,” he said. “There was even a man from
Texas who e-mailed a solution just for fun.”
De Young hopes that the Problem of the
Week inspires others to find enjoyment in

On the Web
If you are interested in participating
in the Problem of the Week, the
problems can be found at courses.
gdeyoung.com. Answers can be
submitted to Dr. De Young via e-mail
at gdeyoung@dordt.edu
mathematics.
“Have a good time,” De Young advised.
“The point is to have fun with mathematics.”
For those mathematically inclined, here is a
sample Problem of the Week:
Problem #10: Flag Poles
Two flag poles of heights h and k are
situated 2a units apart on a level surface.
Find the set of all points on the surface
which are so situated that the angles of
elevation of the tops of the poles are equal.
Video receives international awards
Jane Ver Steeg
D
ordt College’s video production
company, Prairie Grass Productions,
was awarded a silver Davey Award
for its entry “SPICE,” a seven-minute
promotional film based on Dordt’s semester
abroad program, Studies Program In
Contemporary Europe. The International
Academy of the Visual Arts in New York
selected its 2008 Davey Awards from more
than 4,000 entries from across the U.S. and
around the world. The SPICE video also
recently received a Platinum Award in the
international MarCom Film Competition.
“We were truly amazed and excited at
the overall caliber and quality of this year’s
pool of entries” noted Linda Day, IAVA
executive director. “The Davey Awards serves
as the benchmark for recognizing creative
excellence and continues to raise the bar in
honoring the best work from small agencies
and firms worldwide. Congratulations to
the ‘Creative Davids’ at the forefront of
their industry, helping to push the limits in
creativity and design.”
The Davey Awards refer to David
defeating the giant Goliath with a big idea
and a little rock—the sort of thing small
firms do each year with big ideas, rather
than big budgets. Gold and silver awards are
presented to first and second place winners
based on rating scores.
The MarCom Awards program is
administered and judged by the Association
of Marketing and Communication
Professionals. Judges are industry
professionals who look for companies and
individuals whose talent exceeds a high
standard of excellence and whose work
serves as a benchmark for the industry.
The SPICE video was created by Professor
Mark Volkers and a student production
assistant, Jesse Brauning. Brauning is a senior
Digital Media Production major from the
Dominican Republic.
Volkers traveled to Europe last March
during Dordt’s spring break and captured
about twelve hours of film footage. Editing
and adding special effects were done over
the next few months to create the finished
product now available for viewing online
Jesse Brauning (right) served as student production assistant for Professor Mark Volkers' award winning video.

Slums Documentary
On the Web
For more information about
the Davey Awards, visit www.
daveyawards.com. For more
information about Dordt College’s
digital media program, see www.
dordt.edu/academics/programs/
digital_media/
on Dordt’s website, on the website of the
Gereformeerde Hogeschool, and on Dutch
YouTube.
Volkers has also received an honorable
mention from MarCom for a Dordt College
admissions video he produced.
The Dordt production company has
turned out a wide variety of films since the
P
rairie Grass Productions has
begun work on a documentary
about the slums of the world, which
is being funded by a grant from the
college’s Andreas Center. During
Christmas break, Volkers and ten
digital media majors will travel to
Manila to film slums in that region of
the world.
introduction of the digital media major
in 2005. Many have benefited Christian
ministries (Hope Haven, Timothy Institute,
Christian Reformed Home Missions, etc.),
but area businesses have also hired the
production company to create promotional
videos.
Campus
Capsules
Crop results are
announced
Jane Ver Steeg
C
rop yield results from
field trials conducted by
the Dordt College agriculture
department were released on
November 24.
The field trials were
conducted by agriculture majors
in Dordt’s Field Crop Production
and Management class, under
the supervision of Dr. Ron
Vos, professor of agriculture.
Students who participated in
the comparison study were
Brett Heidema, Manhattan,
Montana; Josh Koch, Earlham,
Iowa; Johnathon J. Nagel, Three
Rivers, Michigan; Benjamin
Witte, Wauconda Illinois; and
Maria Verburg, Vergennes,
Vermont. They were assisted
by Mike Schouten of the Dordt
Agriculture Stewardship Center.
The crop production class
was surprised this year by the
lack of corn rootworms. The
department had trapped adult
corn rootworms for the past
three years, and this year’s test
plots showed a marked decrease.
Twenty-one varieties from
nine companies were included in
the yield trials: Asgrow, Dekalb,
Croplan, Pioneer, Prairie Brand,
Mycogen, Northrup King, Stine,
and Viking.
In the six Dordt trials, seed
varieties were planted in strips
of one or two equipment-widths
across the field. Because these
narrow strips lie close to one
another, field variability is
minimized. The treatments are
replicated at least four times in
the field to overcome chance
field differences. In addition,
the order of the varieties in
each block is chosen at random,
avoiding a source of unconscious
bias.
“To ensure accuracy and
credibility of our data, we
used on-farm comparison
analysis,” said Vos. Replication,
randomization, and field-sized
strips ensure that results will be
valid and applicable to farmers’
field situations. Vos said results
are published at a LSD (least
significant difference) of .05,
“which means that these results
are statistically valid 19 out of 20
times.”
“We hope our data will
give farmers a valuable tool in
deciding their seed choices for
next year,” said Vos. Results
from this and from previous
years’ trials are available at
the agriculture department’s
website: http://www.dordt.
edu/academics/programs/
agriculture/
Vo i c e 5
Campus
Capsules
Loin Kings
win Iron Chef
competition
D
ordt's first annual Iron Chef
Challenge pulled in ten
teams, nearly 400 people, and
a variety of menu items, all of
which contained a special secret
ingredient announced just before
the clock started for the one-hour
cooking competition: pineapple.
Sponsored by Dordt College
Campus Ministries, more than
$1500 was raised for the Family
Crisis Center and two supporting
ministries, along with donations
of more than 1000 cans of food.
With a 60-minute time
limit to create an appetizer, a
main dish, and a dessert, the
Loin Kings won the culinary
competition, claiming the $300
prize and the golden spatula
award for their bacon-wrapped
pork loin, stuffed tortilla, and
citrus crème. This international
cooking team included Ricardo
Aquino from Xalapa, Mexico;
Jander Talen from Charlottetown,
Prince Edward Island, Canada;
Kyle Rietema from Hanford,
California; Elijah Palmer from
Norfolk, Virginia; and Grant
Dykstra from Highland, Indiana.
Other teams included
Garbanzo and the Chickpeas (in
bright green chefs hats), Spamalot
(in Groucho Marx noses and
glasses), Domination A La Mode,
Breakfast in Bed, Umanji, Joy,
Seconds Please, Totally Sauced,
and the Briaars.
Each team had three tables, one
electrical outlet, and an outdoor
grill, along with their own
assortment of cooking utensils
and dinnerware to chop, slice,
blend, and serve up a three-course
menu.
Ten judges sampled and
selected the winners of the
challenge. Each participating team
donated $50 to the cause, and a
local grocery store donated $75 in
cooking supplies for each team.
The $300 Iron Chef prize money
was also donated, and more than
$2,000 worth of door prizes were
awarded, thanks to other local
businesses.
Jander Talen
from the
winning
Loin Kings
Vo i c e 6
Christians does what he teaches
Sally Jongsma
D
r. Mark Christians was recently
tapped for his expertise in data
analysis and is leading a team of
medical professionals through a self-study
process for the local Siouxland affiliate of the
Susan G. Komen For the Cure organization.
The national group, which funds breast
cancer research, also awards grants to
regional affiliates so they can offer services
to women that will help prevent and treat
breast cancer. To receive these funds, local
organizations must participate in periodic
self-studies that identify characteristics of
their populations including such things
as ethnic background, availability of
mammograms and other services, incidences
of cancer, mortality
rates, and more. They
also document gaps
in services.
Christians
and the self-study
team look at data
they’ve collected
and propose a plan
for funding local
Mark Christians
programs. Requests
for grants need to be
based on data that show how it will benefit
the health of the community.
Senior psychology students will assist
Christians as he analyzes the data and writes
the report.
“This gives them valuable experience in
a real community-based health project,” said
Christians. Students learn how to work with
statistics and become better aware of how
community health projects operate and are
funded.
“Someone is diagnosed with breast cancer
every three minutes,” says Christians when
asked about his motivation for serving on
the team. He’s also dealt with cancer in his
family, making the urgency more real. “Many
types of cancer are treatable. I’d like to help
make treatment available to those who need
it.”
He’s also trying to live his department’s
mission to provide students with the
knowledge and professional skills to live lives
of service. And he’s even been “komenized,”
sporting a pink band around his wrist.
Future teachers post their class
units online for others to use
Sarah Groneck
E
ducation Professor Dennis Vander
Plaats believes that middle school
teaching needs to engage students in
“meaningful learning.”
That is exactly what he tries to
implement in his Education 266—Middle
School Curriculum and Instruction class, a
course that gives its students a foretaste of
the middle school world via simulation.
Students are placed in teaching groups
within a fictitious school dubbed Cornland
Christian Middle School. “At the beginning
of the semester, students apply for teaching
positions, and I work as administrator,” said
Vander Plaats.
In an average day of class, Vander
Plaats incorporates the FLIP teaching
system. “Flip teaching refers to flipping the
traditional in and out of class expectations,”
said Vander Plaats. “Instead of lecturing in
class and doing assignments out of class, we
flip the two and do lecturing out of class and
assignments in class.” Vander Plaats posts
his lectures online for the students to read
and digest. When they come to class, they
draw on what they’ve learned to develop
curriculum.
This year, the course’s nine students have
been split into two teaching teams. Those
focusing on the eighth grade are creating
a thematic unit on cars, while the seventh
grade group is creating a thematic unit on
the Great Depression.
Alison Kok, a senior, has been working
with the seventh-grade team on the Great
Depression unit. She has found creating
a thematic unit to be “challenging” but
also says that it has been well worth the
effort. “I have learned a lot about writing
curriculum so that the goals relate to the
student as a whole, for students to grow
not only cognitively in school, but socially,
emotionally, physically, and spiritually,” she
said.
Senior Ben Dirksen believes he and his
classmates will reap the benefits of the class
in their future teaching. “The class brings
great insight to topics that need to be dealt
with on a daily basis in the middle school
setting,” he said.
Students work on more than simply
constructing a thematic unit, however. “They
Dr. Dennis Vander Plaats believes that the best learning happens when students are using what they learn. He
puts that into practice as administrator of his "Cornfield Christian School."

On the Web
Students' thematic work is posted on
the Education 266 website: center.
dordt.edu/266.543units/index.html
develop learning centers and assessment
procedures along with their thematic unit,”
Vander Plaats said.
As the semester comes to a close,
students will present the thematic units to
each other during the week prior to exams.
Vander Plaats agrees that the work his
students are doing now will be useful as
they begin teaching. “I am humbled by
the quality of work these students do in
developing curriculum,” said Vander Plaats.
“They fully engage themselves in work
that is useful not only to themselves but to
teachers in the field.”
Students aren’t the only ones who benefit
from thematic units, however. Thanks to
Vander Plaats’ class website, teachers from
around the country have used the thematic
units. Dordt graduate Elizabeth Hickox (’06)
has used the thematic units in her classroom
in Boynton Beach, Florida.
“I have used these resources many times
in my last few years [of teaching],” said
Hickox. In addition, faculty members in her
middle school have used some of the ideas
to do a school-wide integrated unit.
Kok said that the course has helped
confirm her desire to teach middle
school students and “has also helped me
understand how it is my duty as a teacher to
guide and care for each student as a whole,
not just academically.”
“I would highly recommend this course
to others,” said Dirksen. “It is definitely one
of the best education courses I have taken. It
is insightful and very applicable.”
student P R O F I L E
Campus
Capsules
Jeong
takes the
next step
on organ
Sarah Groneck
T
o Senior Grace Jeong, the organ is
more than a musical instrument—it
has been a catalyst to her salvation and
the key to her academic success.
But Jeong hasn’t always loved the organ.
“(When I started in seventh grade), I didn’t
want to play,” Jeong said. “There were two
thousand people in my church, and organ
was considered an important instrument.
We didn’t have anyone to play, so my mom
commanded me to.”
A soft-spoken and easygoing girl growing
up in a Korean society that demanded
parental respect, Jeong was willing to give the
organ a try. She became proficient in organ
playing, she said, “once my feet could reach
the pedals.” She practiced an average of six
hours a day.
However, Jeong ran into some problems
once she reached high school. The academic
world of Seoul, Korea—Jeong’s hometown—is
more rigorous than the American school
system; to get into the university, Jeong had to
play several twenty-minute songs flawlessly.
Because of this, Jeong felt great pressure.
“Whenever I had a competition, my hands
would get sweaty,” she said. “Often my hands
would slip on the keys, and I’d miss a note.
And that could cost me a lot.”
Dordt theater
production
considered for
competition
T
Grace Jeong says it was a great honor to play the organ in the B.J. Haan Auditorium. She also deeply appreciated her "passionate music professors."
Jeong’s nervousness spurred her toward a
stronger faith.
“I was a pastor’s daughter, and I thought
that I had a good faith,” she said. “But I found
that I didn’t pray as much as I should. My
mom would pray for me, so I started praying
more by myself and more deeply.”
Slowly, Jeong saw a change in her playing.
“During the competitions, I felt as if God
was helping me,” she said. “I was very calm.
Then I realized that God was helping me.
Organ is the string that connects me and
God. It keeps me praying to him.”
Jeong eventually won first prize at the
university in Seoul before transferring to
Dordt two years later.
The transition from Korean culture to
American culture was a shock, but Jeong
wanted to experience it.
“I’ve always wanted to know more about
America, and I like living here now,” she said.
She found the American professors to be
more easygoing in her practice time, she said:
“I practice only an hour a day here.”
Now a senior, Jeong will be attending
Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New
Jersey, for graduate school work in organplaying.
“All the music people know about this
school,” Jeong said. “It was my first choice of
graduate schools, [and] I got the first prize to
go there.”
And as God moved with her from Korea
to the United States, she knows that the string
binding them will take him to New Jersey,
too.
Dordt students "shine their lights"
Jane Ver Steeg
D
ordt College students were selected
to “shine their lights” in a new web
initiative by the Christian Reformed
World Relief Committee (CRWRC).
The CRWRC launched a website on World
AIDS Day as part of their mission to respond
to the needs of people who suffer from poverty,
hunger, disaster, and injustice.
www.iEmbraceAIDS.com was created to
help a new generation be a light at the end
of the tunnel of the AIDS crisis, and shine
the light of Christ around the world. The site
includes a variety of options for young people
to do their part to learn about the disease, raise
awareness with their friends, and be part of the
solution.
Dordt students participated in the initiative
with Shine A Light Day, held on campus
December 1. Dordt’s adjunct photography
instructor, Doug Burg, worked with students to
create painted light images.
Light painting is done in totally darkened
spaces with a very slow camera shutter speed.
During the 30 seconds in which images were
being digitally recorded, the movement of
student models with a variety of colored
lighting created interesting motion and light
patterns.
“We had great participation at Dordt,” said
The advanced photography class worked with nearly seventy students in a light painting event held on campus to
create images for CRWRC's Embrace AIDS website. "They loved the whole process," says instructor and photographer Doug Burg—working on a real project and creating art with a group.

On the Web
About 100 Dordt "Shine A Light"
photos are now posted at www.
iembraceaids.com/#/pictures
Julia Keilty from SMAK Publicity Agency,
who helped oversee the campus event. She
encouraged everyone to go to the website to
check out the great images that were created
by students. Young people can download the
images and use them in whatever way they
wish. One way is to send a light postcard to
their friends. Once at the site they can learn
about the effects of AIDS and how they can get
involved in the worldwide fight against AIDS.
Burg hired his advanced photography
students to assist with the the December 1
event. They gave participants ideas for their
compositions, helped decorate subjects, and
did some of the shooting and actual light
painting.
he Dordt College Theater
Department was notified
earlier this fall that its
performance of “Urinetown”
was held in consideration
for inclusion in the regional
American College Theater
Festival (ACTF) to be held from
January 18 to 23. In addition, a
scene from the show “The Cop
Song” was nominated for the
ACTF Invited Scene Showcase,
a festival event featuring choice
scenes from Region Five
productions.
Dordt’s fall stage production
was directed by Theatre Arts
instructor April Hubbard and
presented in October. The
musical comedy used humor
to nudge audiences to think
about creation care and how to
respond when individual rights
and privileges conflict with
corporate pressure, in this case
when access to public facilities is
regulated.
The Kennedy Center ACTF
is a nationwide program that
annually sponsors regional
theater festivals. Region
Five consists of colleges and
universities in North and South
Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas,
Missouri, Iowa, and Minnesota.
Students from participating
colleges and universities attend
the festival and participate in
workshops and view invited
productions. Each year a
maximum of eight shows across
the region are chosen to stage
their performance at the festival.
Although the department
learned on December 15 that
“Urinetown" was not chosen,
the “Cop Song” scene from the
play was selected as a showcase
scene, and Senior Danielle Roos
was selected to participate in the
festival as a student director.
“This is a tremendous
compliment for our actors,
designers, and technical
support crews, as well as for
Dordt College for supporting a
theater department that has the
capability of producing theater
that can win this honor,” said
Hubbard.
Vo i c e 7
CENTER PIECE
Election years always provide good
learning opportunities. This fall’s election
dramatically captured the attention of
people across the United States and will
likely go down in history books.
Many Dordt professors took the opportunity to relate their
coursework to events and issues related to the election as a way to
help students become more engaged with what they were learning.
Sally Jongsma
D
o students learn more during
such times? Yes, in some ways,
and especially in some majors.
In political studies classes, for
example, following political campaigns helps
students see more clearly the effects of specific
policies, and, for recently come-of-age voters,
it helps them think about how they will make
their decisions as they vote for the first time.
They not only had to think about who they
would vote for but also figure out the logistics
of voting for the first time.
Political Studies
“It was the first time many students really
thought about what voting involves,” says
Political Studies Professor Donald King, who
encouraged his students to get the information
they needed in time to vote by absentee ballot
or register to vote in Iowa.
“Most of the time people don’t pay close
attention to details of policymaking,” says King.
By studying in Iowa this year, Dordt students
got to see and hear John McCain right on
campus. Hillary Clinton and Mike Huckabee
came to Sioux Center, and Barack Obama came
to Le Mars, twenty minutes south.
“It sometimes takes more than a talking
professor to spark interest,” says King.
“Listening to and talking with people who are
making policy helps professors and students
put legs on ideas—which is what education is
all about.” Students whose interest is piqued
often want to learn more and begin asking
“Who are these people?” “What do they stand
for?” and “How will they affect my future?”
King’s goal is to have his students think
through the issues, basing their opinions and
decisions on knowledge of the issues. Even
though he acknowledges that neither he nor
his students can leave their political leanings
behind, he urges his students not to think first
of all from a partisan position. Instead, he
wants them to think first as Christians trying to
understand how to deal with the challenges of
governing and policymaking.
In that spirit, King assigned each of the
students in his American National Politics class
a specific national congressional race to follow
throughout the campaign and then analyze the
results after the election. Because many races
were close, doing the research was interesting.
Students reported to the class, summarizing
their findings in a written report emphasizing
the key elements that contributed to the final
outcome. Students looked for voting patterns
and tried to understand what those patterns
meant for voter attitudes. As they kept current
on the issues in the campaigns, they came to see
that how people voted was based on a complex
Vo i c e 8
variety of factors and that the issues themselves
were more complex than they first thought.
King also had his students follow referenda
that appeared on the ballots in several states,
including the California same-sex marriage
and the Colorado life begins at conception
initiatives. This assignment, too, challenged
students to understand why people voted as
they did. As they studied they learned, for
example, that part of the reason some citizens
in Colorado did not vote “yes” was because of
the complexity of the initiative’s implications:
that calling a fertilized egg a person had
implications for political representation,
for freezing embryos, for fertility issues, for
criminal laws involving pregnant women, and
more.
“They learned that sometimes technology
moves faster than the law,” says King. And they
learned that setting policy means taking into
account a complex set of implications. Despite
losing on a particular vote, those advocating
justice for the unborn can learn and benefit
from such referenda as they take their next step
in shaping policy.
“It is difficult to think beyond partisan
politics in the United States,” says King. And
most of his students are reluctant to even
think about a multi-party system, which
King believes would offer citizens, including
Christians, more choices.
“Increasing numbers of evangelical
Christians believe that they need to be thinking
about biblical responsibility to the poor and the
environment as well as abortion and same-sex
marriage,” King notes. As citizens they want
to have more choices than what has developed
in a polarized two-party system. He urges his
students to carefully discern how their faith
shapes their ideas, learn to biblically defend
their positions, and then look for a candidate
that comes closest to those ideals.
To help them do this King had his
students read a new book by Wheaton
College Professor Amy Black titled Beyond
Left and Right: Helping Christians make Sense
of American Politics. Black takes up topics
such as “Can Christians Honestly Disagree?”
“Beyond the Ballot Box: Other ways faith
can inform politics,” “Is Liberal a Bad Word?
Understanding political labels,” and “Are all
Christians Republicans? Separating Truth from
Myth.” King encourages students to listen to a
variety of voices, pointing them to Christian
magazines, major newspapers, and online
analyses. He also encourages them to read
more than one newspaper or online news
source and watch more than one television
news program as they learn about political
issues. Only then, he believes, will they be able
to articulate and defend their own views.
Journalism
Teachable
Moments
This fall’s election offered instructors immediate classroom resources
Luke De Koster, who teaches a course
in basic newswriting, believes that a good
journalist needs to be an informed citizen.
To cover news journalists need to know what
is going on in the world. De Koster had his
students read articles on patriotism, investigate
rumors that came up during the campaign, and
read background articles on candidates to better
understand the complexity of factors that drive
them.
“It’s important to me that students think
about the bigger world and not just about what
they believe or were raised to believe,” says De
Koster. “I challenge them to back up what they
believe; if our faith pushes us to say something
we need to be able to back it up,” he says, adding
that a good journalist needs to enjoy ideas and
try to understand how God’s Word speaks to
the news they are writing about.
“The world writes off stereotypical Christian
answers,” he says. And just throwing in Bible
verses as a piece of evidence doesn’t speak to
non-Christians.
“We need to be creative communicators of
the gospel in politics as well as in movies and
other parts of life,” he says. He urges his students
to use words in ways people don’t expect and in
ways that help them think differently.
English
English Professor Leah Zuidema regularly
tries to engage her students in what is going on
around them and often selects current articles
that will get their attention.
“The political season offers such good
opportunities to hear well-crafted speeches,”
she says. She wanted students to analyze the
way language is and can be used effectively.
Zuidema had her students study speeches by
both presidential candidates to understand the
techniques they used to communicate their
ideas: cohesion of thought, repetition and
symmetry of words, main emphases.
Zuidema and her students found that
Obama arranged his words skillfully, using
many of the techniques they had learned for
effective communication. They used a software
program called WORDLE that downloads the
words in a document to create a word picture
based on which words were used and how often
they were used. (http://www.wordle.net/)
“It quickly became clear that Obama’s words
were more content heavy. Scanning the top
twenty-five words gave us a good sense of his
message,” says Zuidema. McCain, on the other
hand, more often used words aimed to connect
with his audience. His word pictures did not
give a strong sense of the content of his ideas
but of trying to relate to his listeners.
The goal of these assignments was not to
evaluate the speeches—although reading them
helped students become more informed about
the candidates’ positions, but to discover which
style was easier to follow and which had a
greater impact.
“Grammar is not stuffy,” says Zuidema, who
uses pieces from magazines like Newsweek as
well as textbook and online sources. “You can
learn a lot from writers and speakers.” Her goal
is for students to apply the techniques they
learn from others in their own writing and
speaking. She presents them with a variety of
pieces to analyze, and even though the class
conversations don’t focus on evaluating the
content, students become more informed as
they read.
Like King and De Koster, she too wants her
students to know how others are thinking about
issues as they form and argue for their own
opinions.
Business
Business Professor Dale Zevenbergen found
election polls to be a gold mine for teaching
research and statistical methods for marketing.
“Students at first find it hard to believe
that a survey of 1100 people can give a reliable
result for the whole population,” he says. Daily
monitoring of the polls, especially those by
Gallup, helped make the process real and not
just theoretical. The online sites give a wealth
of data and describe in detail the process used.
And students could see how different polls
focus on different information.
“Because polls were in the news daily, it was
a perfect time to learn,” says Zevenbergen, who
points to spikes and drops in the presidential
polls after events like the announcement of
Sarah Palin for vice president and the fall of
Lehman Brothers.
Zevenbergen wasn’t primarily trying to
teach his students how to do surveys but how to
use the information that can be obtained from
them. Ultimately his students put what they
had learned about polls and surveys to work
for them in a class project on setting up a new
restaurant.
Social Work
The day after the election, Social Work
Professor Erin Olson was teaching her students
about setting goals with clients. To help them
apply the concept, she had them divide in
groups to help President-elect Obama write
some goals for his first term in office. Students
had to follow ten principles, including such
things as being realistic, flexible, and timely.
“Some were excited by the challenge, others
groaned ‘More politics?’” said Olson. But the
exercise helped students see the difficulty and
importance of setting good goals, whether
they would be working primarily with people’s
interpersonal relationships or developing public
policy.
Education
Future teachers had an opportunity to
participate in a live-stream moderated debate
between education experts in the McCain and
Obama campaigns. Linda Darling-Hammond
and Lisa Graham Keegan debated issues such as
school choice and No Child Left Behind.
“It was good to see student interest in
these issues,” says Professor Tim Van Soelen.
Although education policy affects all schools, it
will especially affect those who go on to teach in
public schools across the country.
“It’s helpful when events
are of such magnitude that it’s
impossible not to be aware of
and captured by them,” says
King. Although he and his
colleagues know that there are
always plenty of things to relate
their coursework to, tying to
such major events makes it
easier for students to see the
concrete relevance of what they
are learning.
Vo i c e 9
Campus
Capsules
Norm Matheis
pens new book
A
new book by retired Dordt
College Art Professor
Norman Matheis was released by
Dordt College Press.
God’s Garden: Sketches,
Drawings, and Watercolors is
a collection of
Matheis’s artwork
that captures
magnificent
scenery from
across the United
States and
Canada.
“While we traveled, I often
made quick sketches of places
that caught my eye,” said
Matheis. The illustrations drawn
from this collection of sketches
were done over a thirty-five-year
period, from the early 1970s to
2005.
In addition to Matheis’s
art, the book contains essays
about creation: “The Gospel of
Creation” by Cal Seerveld; “Is
Creation a Lost Cause?” by Cal
DeWitt; “God’s Good Creation”
by Neal Plantinga Jr.; “Creation
Appreciation” by Herm Van
Niejenhuis; and “Valuing Life”
by Del Vander Zee. Bible verses
are paired with the artwork
throughout the book.
Art Professor David Versluis
did the production work for
the project. “Dave brought the
book from germination to full
fruition,” said Matheis, who was
Versluis’s art professor many
years ago at Calvin College.
“Norm first showed me the
project a few years ago, and he
gave me instructions about what
he envisioned for the book,” said
Versluis. “For most of this year
his health has not been very
good, and I wanted to finish the
project for him.” Versluis added
that Norm was a tremendous
inspiration for him as a student,
and this was a way of expressing
his gratitude.
“Norm's artwork has been
appreciated by many in the
Dordt community, the church
community, and the community
of Northwest Iowa,” said
Versluis.
Matheis has been an artist all
of his life. He has been retired
from teaching since 1989.
God’s Garden: Sketches,
Drawings, and Watercolors and
his previous book, Witness,
are available for purchase at
the Dordt College bookstore,
or online at www.dordt.edu/
bookstore
F A C U L T Y news
Drs. Mary Dengler and Carl Fictorie
attended the National Collegiate Honors
Council Conference in San Antonio on
October 23-25. Dengler gave a short
presentation on the challenges for honors
programs at small faith-based institutions.
While there, Dengler also met with the
CCCU honors directors, and as a member
of the CCCU’s Scholarship and Christianity
in Oxford (SCIO) board, she participated
in a meeting to evaluate the current Oxford
semester.
Dr. James C. Schaap’s book Near Unto
God, a revision of the old Abraham Kuyper
classic, has been republished by Dordt
Press. Another previously published book,
Startling Joy, has been released this fall
on CD. Schaap, with the assistance of his
student, Alyssa Hoogendoorn, read and
recorded the stories. The two-CD set is
available from the Dordt bookstore.
The first of two parts of Schaap’s essay
“Rehoboth: Righteous Acts, Filthy Rags,
and a Mission Cemetery” appears in the
January/February 2009 issue of Books and
Culture. The second part will be printed in
the March/April issue.
Schaap also spoke at a November 7 and 8
Saturday night banquet and Sunday worship
service for a CRC centennial celebration
marking the presence of the CRC in
Winnipeg, Manitoba, for 100 years.
Schaap and Theology Professor Jason
Lief led a men’s
retreat for the
Lynden, Washington,
Bethel Christian
Reformed Church
in early November.
They read stories and
Scripture and led
discussions around
the topic “A Theology
of Presence—for
Jason Lief
Men, as Men.”
Dr. John Visser, professor of business,
prepared a talk about the risks in the
international financial markets and the
potential impact on China in response to
Touches the Sky
T
ouches the Sky by Dr. James
Schaap has been republished and
is available from:
DVB Publishing LLC
2051 Woodlawn Ave S.E
Grand Rapids, MI 49546
(616) 949-2999
dvbpublishing@
sbcglobal.net
$13.50 each (Michigan add 6% tax)
Free shipping for Dordt alumni in the 48 states
a request by the Chinese to include some
“hot topics,” as he taught there this summer.
When the markets started to seize up
this fall, Visser updated this material for
students in the Core 300 class, (Calling,
Task, and Culture), the Justice Matters
Club, the Faculty Forum, and to parents and
grandparents over Parents’ Weekend.
Dr. Sherri Lantinga, professor of
psychology and dean
of the social sciences,
has been part of
Project Syllabus
for several years.
Project Syllabus is
a national, peerreviewed database
of psychology
syllabi. Lantinga
serves as a
Sherri Lantinga
reviewer and uses
a standard template to judge whether a
particular syllabus shows enough innovative,
creative, and good teaching to warrant
posting. This work has been valuable for
her work as dean, allowing her to easily
review course syllabi and recommend
improvements in layout, organization, and
teaching strategies that will also benefit
Dordt faculty and students.
Lantinga also participated in a
Position Openings
To learn more about a faculty position and
receive application materials, qualified persons
committed to a Reformed, biblical perspective and
educational philosophy are encouraged to e-mail a
letter of interest and curriculum vita/resume to:
symposium at the annual meeting of the
American Psychological Association held
in Boston in August. Titled “Workable
course policies: Meaning what we say,” the
presentation was connected to her work on
Project Syllabus. In October, she presented
a paper titled “Person-Career Fit: Preparing
Introductory Students for PsychologyRelated Careers” at the annual Great Plains
Conference for the Teaching of Psychology
held at the University of South Dakota in
Vermillion.
Dr. Doug Allen gave an oral presentation
at the NASA Aura Science Team Meeting
on October 27-30, 2008, in Columbia
Maryland. The paper was titled “Behavior
of Long-Lived Tracers during the Summerto-Winter Tracer Transition in the Polar
Stratosphere.” Allen took two students,
Justin Krosschell and Jon Trueblood, who
worked with him this summer, to the
conference. They were able to meet the
sponsor of their summer research, Dr.
Gloria Manny.
On August 21, 2008, Art Professor David
Versluis was featured
on “The Daily
Palette,” a website
of the University of
Iowa College of Art
and Art History.
The site features the
work of a different
Iowa-connected
artist every day and
includes work in the David Versluis
visual arts, writing,
film, and music. Its mission is to promote
public awareness and engagement with the
arts in Iowa. Pages are also permanently
archived by the University of Iowa Digital
Libraries in the Iowa Gallery. http://digital.
lib.uiowa.edu/gallery The link to Versluis’s
page is http://dailypalette.uiowa.edu/
Versluis was also invited by the
Morningside College art department faculty
to serve as a judge for the 2008 Student Art
Exhibition. Judging took place on November
1, 2008.
Dordt College is seeking applications in the following areas:
Faculty Positions (summer/fall 2009)
Art-Visual Arts—teach graphic design and animation, work with InDesign, Illustrator,
Photoshop and After Effects
Agriculture/Ag Business—both teaching and departmental outreach in agricultural
economics, agri-business, and/or contemporary agricultural practices
Dr. Erik Hoekstra, Provost
Facsimile: 712-722-6035
E-mail: provost@dordt.edu
Website: www.dordt.edu/offices/academic_affairs
Biology—teach botanical science and/or human biology courses fundamental to
programs in agriculture, biology, chemistry, and health science
To learn more about an administrative
leadership position and receive application
materials, e-mail a letter of interest and resume to:
Engineering—teach electrical, mechanical, structural, and/or general engineering
courses
Susan Droog, Human Resources
Facsimile: 712-722-6035
E-mail: hr@dordt.edu
Phone: 712-722-6011
Dordt College is an equal opportunity institution
that strongly encourages the applications of women,
minorities, and disabled persons.
Education—teach selected education courses at the undergraduate and/or graduate
level
English/Journalism—teach journalism and/or business and technical writing, college
composition, developmental writing, screenwriting, or poetry
History—teach Western Culture I & II (core), ancient and medieval history, and some
upper-level courses based on experience/expertise outside the history department
Mathematics/Computer Science—introductory and/or intermediate level
courses in either mathematics or computer science
Physics— (possible opening) teach introductory courses and labs for majors and
non-majors and upper level physics courses. Preference will be given to a candidate
with the ability to teach introductory astronomy courses that serve the core program
Sociology—teach undergraduate courses, introductory, advanced, and special topics
Administrative Leadership Position
Director of Career Services and Calling—will be responsible for assisting
students in exploring vocation and calling as it relates to developing his or her identity
within the kingdom of God
Vo i c e 1 0
S p o rts
Two fall teams make trip to nationals
Michael Byker
Sports Information Director
Defenders earn national honors
T
he Dordt College athletic department wrapped up
its fall season in early December. Two teams earned
trips to the NAIA National Tournament to highlight
outstanding seasons.
The women’s soccer team advanced to the NAIA
National Tournament for the first time in the team’s history.
The Defenders hosted a game with Park University of
Missouri and played the Pirates to a 1-1 draw through two
overtimes. Park then advanced to the round of sixteen in
the tournament with a 5-3 advantage after a shootout to
determine which team advanced.
The Defenders finished the year 18-1-1, with Coach
Dave Schenk earning Great Plains Athletic Conference
coach-of-the-year honors in his first year on the bench.
Kate Du Mez and Kelsie De Nooy claimed Offensive and
Defensive GPAC Player of the Year honors respectively.
Du Mez earned NAIA Honorable Mention All-American
honors for the second year in a row.
The Defender volleyball team advanced to the NAIA
National Tournament in Sioux City, Iowa, after beating
Indiana Wesleyan in the opening round of the tournament
in Sioux Center. The Defenders were one of twenty-four
teams to comprise the final site field that played three
matches in pool play. Dordt lost three tight matches in pool
play to finish their year with a record of 32-10.
The 32 wins matched Dordt’s 2007 win total. Kendra
Potgeter, a middle blocker who led Dordt in kills and
kill efficiency in 2008, was named an NAIA AllAmerican Second Team member.
Dordt sent two runners to the NAIA National
Cross Country Meet in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Jen Kempers ran in her third consecutive
national meet
and finished
Kelsie De Nooy
as an AllAmerican
for the second
straight year. Kempers concluded her
highly decorated career with a 9th place
finish in a time of 17:41 for the 5,000
meter race. Brent Van Schepen qualified for
the men’s field and ran a personal best time of
26:21 over the 8,000 meter course to place 132nd
in a field that featured over 300 runners.
Before the fall sports were finished, the winter
sports had taken the court and ice. The Blades
hockey team ended their semester with a 13-6
record and are 8-1 in the newly formed North
Central Collegiate Hockey Association. The Blades
NAIA Scholar Athletes
Volleyball
Kristin De Ronde, senior, Oskaloosa, Iowa
Cassie Huizenga, junior, Orange City, Iowa
Cross Country
Marne De Bruin, senior, Oskaloosa, Iowa
Sara Hanenburg, senior, Milaca, Minnesota
Steph Helmus, senior, Caledonia, Michigan
Sierra Zomer, junior, Corsica, South Dakota
David Christensen, junior, Waconia, Minnesota
Brent Van Schepen, junior, Edgerton, Minnesota
Devin Van’t Hof, junior, Edgerton, Minnesota
Soccer
Kristi Ouwinga, junior, Byron Center, Michigan
Kate Du Mez, junior, Brookfield, Wisconsin
Kelsie DeNooy, senior, Denver, Colorado
Sarah Sikkema, senior, Ridgetown, Ontario
Kendra Potgeter led the Defender volleyball team in kills and kill efficiency en route to a 2008 national tournament berth.
have eight games remaining on their regular season
schedule which resumes January 15. The Blades
will host the Pacific Regionals at the Vernon Arena
February 13 and 14.
The Defender men’s basketball team won
eight of their first ten games and played before several
alumni over the Thanksgiving weekend in Oshkosh,
Wisconsin, where the Defenders treated the fans to
a pair of wins. The bulk of the Great Plains Athletic
Conference season takes place after January 1. The
Defender women have won three games in the first
semester while playing without a full lineup, since several
were members of the soccer team. The Defenders will
have their anticipated lineup of regular players in place in
a tournament hosted by Northwestern on December 30
and 31.
All-Americans
Senior Jen Kempers from Sioux Center placed
ninth in the 5,000 meter race with a time of 17:41
and the NAIA All-American status that goes with a
top-30 finish. Kempers is a three-time NAIA Cross
Country Meet qualifier; earned All-American status
in 2007 and 2008 in cross country and was the
2006 track and field steeplechase champion while
claiming runner-up honors in 2007 and 2008.
Sophomore Kendra Potgeter from Byron Center,
Michigan, has been named a NAIA All-America
Second-Team member. The 6-2 middle blocker led
Dordt with 3.78 kills per set this season and hit for
a .320 kill efficiency with a team high 1.25 blocks
per set. Potgeter was earlier named to the All-Great
Plains Athletic Conference First-Team and was a
Second-Team honoree in 2007. Potgeter has 1056
career kills through two seasons.
Junior soccer player Kate Du Mez from
Brookfield, Wisconsin, received an honorable
mention on the NAIA All-American team. Du Mez, who lead the team in scoring, was also the Great
Plains Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the
Year and was a First-team all-conference selection. Du Mez had 11 goals and 9 assists in 2008 and is
in the Dordt top 10 in most of the career statistical
catagories.
F A C U L T Y news
2009
PRAIRIE GRASS
FILM CHALLENGE
January 15-17, 2009
Register online by Tuesday, January 13
www.dordt.edu/filmchallenge
The Prairie Grass Film Challenge is eager to get
as many teams involved in making films as they
can. The challenge, which will be held on from
January 15-17, is open to film buffs of all ages
(adults, college, high schools).
For more information go to
www.dordt.edu/filmchallenge
Two Dordt College coaches were named
GPAC Coach of the Year in their sport.
Dave Schenk earned the award in women’s
soccer and Greg Van Dyke in women’s
cross country. This is Schenk’s first year as
coach.
On November 1, Dr. John Zwart gave a
presentation at the
annual meeting of
the Iowa Section
of the American
Association of
Physics Teachers
held at North Iowa
Area Community
College in Mason
City, Iowa. His
talk was titled
John Zwart
“Adventures in
Designing an Experiment: A Cautionary
Tale for Students (and Faculty).”
Dr. Ron Vos, professor of agriculture,
was one of four authors of a recently
published article in the Agronomy Journal,
Volume 100, Issue 4, 2008. The article is
titled “Optimum Stand Density of Spring
Triticale for Grain Yield and Alfalfa
Establishment.” Vos collaborated with
others from Iowa State University and
the USDA-ARS National Soil Tilth Lab in
Ames, Iowa, which draws on work done at
the Dordt Agriculture Stewardship Center
by Vos and his students over the past five
years. Tritcale is a cross between wheat
and rye that can be grown in rotation and
used for animal feed while breaking up pest
cycles and providing erosion control that
may be part of a corn soybean rotation.
History Professor David Zwart, who
was a visiting research fellow at the Van
Raalte Institute of Hope College, delivered
a public lecture on Thursday, October 2,
titled “Preachers,
Pews, and Pupils:
Commemorating
the Past in
Twentieth-Century
Dutch America.”
Zwart has received
two consecutive
research fellowships
at the Van Raalte
David Zwart
Institute. His first
fellowship was awarded for the 200708 academic year while he was a Ph.D.
student in history at Western Michigan
University in Kalamazoo. A second
fellowship, awarded for the summer of
2008 enabled him to complete his research
into the way Dutch-American Protestants
commemorated their institutions,
particularly their churches and educational
institutions.
Vo i c e 1 1
2008 Named
Scholarship
Recipients
(continued from previous issue)
Louis & Tina Van Dyke History
Scholarship
Elijah Palmer
Lyle & Marlene Bleeker Engineering
Scholarship Monique Lieuwen
Martin Seven Classics Scholarship
Daniel Den Boer
Martin Seven Communication
Scholarship
Hani Yang
Martin Seven English Scholarship
Sarah Groneck
Elaine Hannink
Martin Seven HPER Scholarship
Melissa Hulstein Knobloch
Martin Seven Mathematics Scholarship
Jenna Vander Woude
Mike Vanden Bosch English Scholarship
Laurissa Boman
Mildred M. Dupon Memorial Music
Education Scholarship Emily Greenfield
Minnie J. Dahm Organ Education
Scholarship
Jonathan Posthuma
Karyn Regnerus
Minnie Julia Dahm Premedical
Scholarship
Kiley Boone
Theo Mobach
MTC Foundation Scholarship
Zachary Davelaar
Benjamin Dirksen
Dorinda Hibma
Joy Horstman
Melissa Hulstein Knobloch
Hillary Marra
Darren Raih
Danielle Roos
Andrew Sybesma
Braden Kooiker
Brielle Moerman
Morgan Rodenburgh
Nick R. Van Til Scholarship
Kyle Dieleman
Nick Verbrugge International Student
Scholarship
Ephron Poyer
Oostra, Bierma, Van Engen P.L.C.
Prelaw Scholarship Allison Mars
Pella Business Scholarship
Lance Dieleman
Pella Engineering Scholarship
Brian Haan
Phoenix Heritage Scholarship
Mackenzie Voss
Vernon shows his commitment to
community, education, progress
ss
Sally Jongsma
R
oss Vernon has always been
community-minded. He is convinced
that if people and organizations are
doing good work, they should be supported.
He’s put his money behind that
commitment many times over the seventy
plus years he’s lived in Sioux Center. The
MTC Foundation Scholarships are one
example. Seventeen years ago, as head of the
local Mutual Telephone Company, he helped
set up the six $1000 scholarships awarded
to three Dordt College students and three
Northwestern College students each year
since then. Recipients are required to be in
the Sioux Center 722- telephone exchange
area to be eligible. Each scholarship is
renewable for three years. Over the years
the MTC Foundation has helped fifty-one
Dordt students and fifty-one Northwestern
students get a college education, providing
scholarships to twenty-four of them
each year. In 2000, the amount of each
scholarship was raised to $1500 per year.
Making it possible for these students to
get their education is one way Vernon has
encouraged, supported, and enabled young
people in the community to use their gifts
and be successful.
Arriving in Sioux Center with his wife
Velma in 1937, Vernon took a fledgling
telephone company and made it a
progressive and successful business. Armed
with a degree in engineering, he began
looking to the future and to what it would
take to move from old equipment to newer
technology, and sometimes change attitudes
from “this is good enough” to “this is an
exciting possibility.” He borrowed money to
install new equipment and modernized the
operation in ways that positioned it for the
future. He also hired many young people.
During the war, Velma ran the company
while Ross was in the army.
“People sometimes ask me ‘Is there
anyone in town who didn’t work for you?’”
he says in his firm but soft-spoken way.
From the early years of hiring young women
operators to today’s more hi tech support
staff, Vernon has given many young people
a start to their careers or good experience
in the working world. The current
manager of what is now called Premier
Communications, Doug Boone, worked
for Vernon for years as a student and once
Ross Vernon
he graduated from college, was offered a
position in the company. Today he is CEO.
Vernon has always valued education
for himself and for others. And he’s
continued to learn, staying current with new
developments in his field. He was convinced
that if you weren’t moving forward you were
moving backward.
“When you do something it makes sense
to have it last awhile,” he says. “Many people
tend to look only short term. I like to look
long term.” He mentions the decision to
install fiber cable very early, before many
companies and communities were doing
so. Because of what Boone calls a “gutsy”
decision Vernon made in the early ’50s to
borrow money to significantly upgrade
phone company equipment, the Sioux
Center area had cable television already in
1981 and internet service by 1996.
Vernon has always been interested in
new developments. He went in to his office
daily until he was in his early ’90s. Today
at 97, he still talks knowledgeably about
the communication business he was so
intimately involved in for so many years.
Over the years, he traveled the country
and served on many local and national
telephone company boards and committees,
taking the lead in bringing state-of-the-art
communication to Iowa.
His commitment to the community
was as strong as his commitment to his
business. As a city councilman for decades
he encouraged long-term rather than shortterm thinking. In part as a result of his
leadership, Sioux Center has come to be
known as a progressive community. Vernon
likes to cite the decision early on to install
public utilities underground, even though it
was more expensive initially. As a fireman,
he encouraged the city to provide good
equipment, believing that the community
had to think about quality of service as
much as price. Today he believes that laying
this foundation has added to the quality of
life in the community and provided longterm savings.
Ross and Velma Vernon also gave
generously. “They supported things they
believed would give long-term benefit to
the whole community,” says Boone. The ice
arena in the All Season’s Center, the Crown
Pointe retirement complex, and the newly
completed public library are only some of
the ways they helped the community grow.
Vernon’s support of students is another
part of this commitment to look at the long
term.
This fall Vernon was in his office at
Premier Communication sorting through
a lifetime of miscellaneous “stuff.” He
came across some thank you letters, one
received years ago from a woman he’d met
at a national phone company meeting. She
needed help keeping the company started by
her grandfather afloat because she needed
to make improvements in order to stay in
business. Vernon pulled together a small
group of people to lend her the money.
Years later she was only one of many to
have thanked Vernon for his support and
encouragement.
In his desk, he also found letters from
some of the students supported through the
MTC Foundation scholarships.
“Many told me they would not have been
able to afford college without help,” he says
with a smile of satisfaction. Today he lives
quietly in the assisted living wing at Crown
Pointe, alone after seventy-three years of
marriage to his beloved Velma, who died
early last year. The Vernons, who donated
generously to the community, continued
to live simply and put the needs of young
people and their community in the fore.
Today, there are fifty-one Dordt College
students who have received nearly a million
dollars because of that commitment.
Presidential Grant for Future Leaders
Darrin Beekman
Melinda Vander Ark
R.J. Dykstra Business Administration
Scholarship
Van Phoebe Tran
Ralph & Cornelia Gritters Business
Scholarship
Christopher Kuiper
Ralph Jennings Family Agriculture
Scholarship
Kurt Franje
Ralph Jennings Memorial Agriculture
Scholarship
Nathan Sahr
Randy Poel Memorial Scholarship
Todd Bakker
Richard & Hendrika Zwart Scholarship
Jenna Vander Woude
(continued on page 13)
Vo i c e 1 2
This summer, get the kids
Outta Your Hair
Dordt Discovery Days
June 22-26, 2009. Registration opens March 25.
Dordt Discovery Days is a camp that provides both an academic and
social setting and offers middle school students an opportunity to
explore new interests or dive deeper into familiar ones.
www.dordt.edu/events/ddd/
alumni
Alumni stories inspire others
Nominations sought
N
ominations for the Distinguished
Alumni Award are now being
accepted for 2009. Alumni who are
nominated will have distinguished
themselves in some fashion within their
respective field, have given evidence of
living out a reformational worldview, and
are able to make a valuable contribution
to the Dordt College academic
community. Award winners will be
recognized during Alumni Weekend in
September of 2009.
The Alumni Council of the Alumni
Association made the decision last
spring to begin recognizing three
Distinguished Alumni Award winners
annually. The Council’s intent is to
recognize one alumnus from each
division of the college: Natural
Sciences, Social Sciences, and the
Humanities.
Nominations and rationale for your
nomination may be submitted online
http://www.dordt.edu/cgi-bin/main/
alumni/distinguished_alumni/nominate.
pl ; by e-mail alumni@dordt.edu; or by
letter to the Alumni Office, c/o Dordt
College, 498 4th Avenue NE, Sioux
Center, Iowa 51250.
Past recipients are listed on Dordt’s
website. http://www.dordt.edu/main/
alumni/da_recipients.shtml
2008 Named
Scholarship
Recipients
Wes Fopma
made a presentation at this
meeting, while yet another
Dordt alumna made her
uring the two years I’ve
presentation as Director of
been Director of Alumni
CRWRC in Canada. It was very
Relations and Church
exciting, as alumni director,
Relations, I’ve visited with a
to see and hear about the work
number of alumni who are part of
of these graduates in Christ’s
the Dordt College family. It’s been a
kingdom!
joy to see how God is working
This past summer I
through Dordt alumni.
had the opportunity to visit
For example, recently
with an alumnus from Rock
while at Classis Central
Valley, who told me how
California of the Christian
his father had taught him
Reformed Church in Ripon, Wes Fopma
the importance of charitable
California, to make a
giving. His dad would have
presentation, I was also able to witness an
him come to the kitchen table on Saturday
examination of one of our alumni who is
night and have him write out the checks
entering the ministry as a church planter
for the church offerings for the next day
in Sacramento, California. I was excited for in church and for the other causes they
him and his family as he begins is work. He supported. Dad would then sign them and
gave a tremendous testimony of his faith
son would put them in the appropriate
and how God is working in the Sacramento envelopes. It struck me as a great way to pass
area.
along the importance of giving to children
In Ripon I also had the opportunity
and to all those who come behind us.
to tour a winery where a Dordt grad is
There isn’t enough space for me to tell
the chief operating officer. He spoke of
you all the stories I’ve heard about alumni
how he has been guiding the winery to
who have distinguished themselves in
more “green” friendly packaging and how
their calling in God’s kingdom. These
his company wants to leave as small a
stories inspire current students, inspire
carbon footprint as possible in all of their
other alumni, and inspire the broader
operations.
Christian community as they strive to
In Calgary, Alberta, I had the
live out their callings. In September we
opportunity to make a presentation at
hope to recognize three alumni over
Classis Alberta South/Saskatchewan where
Alumni Weekend for their work in the
the chairperson of this meeting was a Dordt kingdom. We need your help in sending
alumnus. A president of another Christian
us nominations. I look forward to hearing
college, who was a Dordt alumnus, also
from you!
Director of Alumni Relations
D
E M P L O Y E E A N N I V E R S A R I E S : July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2009
(continued from page 12)
Ringerwole Organ Scholarship
Andrew Friend
Ringerwole Piano Scholarship
Melinda Vander Ark
Robert & Lois Vermeer Engineering
Scholarship
Duy Nguyen
Ron & Jo Ritsema Elementary Education
Scholarship
Rebecca Schelhaas
Rooster Booster Scholarship
Trent Geleynse
Simon & Lena Prins Memorial
Scholarship
April Reitsma
Amber Van’t Hof
Grant Vis
Sioux Center Municipal Utilities
Scholarship
Joshua Koedam
Smith Business Information Systems
Scholarship
Kristina De Graaf
Steensma Engineering Scholarship
Danielle Kelderman
Steensma Music Scholarship
Nathan Groenendyk
Syne & Judy Altena Track and Field
Scholarship
Sierra Zomer
Talsma Memorial Premedical
Scholarship
Melissa Kroll
Andrea Senneker
Teachers for Underprivileged Children
Scholarship
Sonya Addink
Trans Ova Agriculture Scholarship
Brett Westra
Van Klaveren Achievement Grant
Bradley Den Herder
Paul Kleyer
Vander Ark Family Scholarship
Kelsie De Nooy
Sierra Zomer
Vander Haag Computer Science
Scholarship
Daniel Mahaffy
Derek Raebel
Rebekah Van Maanen
Vander Haag International Student
Scholarship
Anh Pham
Tassneem Ibrahim
Etson Williams
Vermeer Agriculture Scholarship
Jeremy Brue
Ryan Johnson
Adria Stamm
Andrea Meier
Vermeer Computer Science Intern
Scholarship
Brett Bousema
Vermeer Engineering Intern Scholarship
Joel Sikkema
Pictured left to right, top to bottom
35 year
Wayne Kobes
20 year
KDCR Director
Director of Financial Aid
Learning Resource Center
Coordinator
25 year
Phil De Stigter
Professor of Engineering
Professor of Physics
Publications Editor
Greg Van Soelen
10 year
Viss Mathematics and Science
Scholarship
Rachel Hondred
Associate Director of
Admissions
Denny Vander Plaats Professor of Education
Professor of Theology
30 year
Denny De Waard
Mike Epema
Gidge Meyer
Nolan Van Gaalen
John Zwart
Sally Jongsma
Vermeer Engineering Scholarship
Peter Attema
Katiegrace Youngsma
Stephen Pederson
Maintenance Security
System Technician
Pam Adams
Robert De Smith
Professor of Education
Professor of English
15 year
Nancy Krygsman
Harlan Muilenburg
Darlene Reichert
Administrative Assistant for
Advancement
Grounds Supervisor
Public Services Desk
Supervisor
Linsay Vladimirov
Campus Ministries
Coordinator
Rich Haan
Network Technician
Keith Sewell
Professor of History
Dawn Van Den Hul Interlibrary Loan
Coordinator
Brian Van Donselaar Director of Computer
Services
Arnola Wynia
Housekeeper/Custodian
Vogel Paint Scholarship
Autumn Wielenga Den Boer
Vo i c e 1 3
A lumni n o tes
Gene Van Stedum (’58) recently completed
another volunteer stint with CRWRC. He served as
a first responder in Bridge City, Texas, cleaning up
after Hurricane Ike.
Dennis De Kok (’66), athletic director at
Mount Vernon Christian School (MVCS) in Mount
Vernon, Washington, was presented with the Elmer
Clarkson award by the Washington Interscholastic
Activities Association (WIAA). He was also
honored by having the new MVCS gymnasium
court named in his honor. De Kok was given the
Washington State District One Athletic Director
of the Year award of 2007 and was named “Best of
Washington Program Director for Athletes” for the
Washington Federation of Independent Schools. De
Kok has been an athletic director for over forty-two
years.
Kathleen Greimann, (’76) of Prinsburg,
Minnesota, passed away on November 24, 2008,
in Willmar, Minnesota. A teacher for many years,
Kathleen taught at Oskaloosa School for Christian
Instruction in Oskaloosa, Iowa, from 1976 to 1982.
She later moved to Prinsburg and taught first grade
at Central Minnesota Christian School.
Jay Wierenga (’83) recently graduated from
the CREATE Executive Program in CounterTerrorism at the CREATE Homeland Security
Center at the University of Southern California.
CREATE (Center for Risk and Economic Analysis
of Terrorism Events) is the first university center
funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security as part of the DHS University Programs.
Wierenga is currently Deputy Director of
Communications for the California Governor’s
Office of Homeland Security.
Elizabeth (Tiesma, ’83) Van Den Tempel
wrote to tell about the death of her son Darryl on
August 7, 2008, in a four-wheeler accident while
vacationing on Manitoulin Island in Ontario.
Darryl was a funeral director in Stratford, Ontario.
He played rugby and helped out on the family farm
in Poole, Ontario.
Jans (’82) and Denise (Kooi, ’80) Pops
announce the adoption of three children into their
family: Victoria Marie (6), Dominic Josiah (3), and
Annelies Katrina (1). Jans has been employed with
the Workers’ Compensation Board of Alberta as a
business intelligence analyst for the last 23 years.
Denise is a homeschooling mother.
Tim (’83) and Suzette (Luyt, ’82) Vos recently
moved to Columbia, Missouri, where Tim is a
professor of journalism studies at the University
of Missouri School of Journalism. He received
his Ph.D. in mass communication from Syracuse
University in 2005. Suzette earned a masters in
nutrition science from Syracuse University in 2004
and is working as a clinical dietitian for University
of Missouri Health Care.
Phil Kruis (’80) of Tucson, Arizona, pastor
of Rincon Mountain Presbyterian Church, was
recently awarded a grant by the Lilly Endowment
to allow Kruis to take a sabbatical leave in the
summer of 2009. He is the first pastor in the PCA
denomination in the nine-year history of the Lilly
Endowment’s Clergy Renewal program to be
awarded such a grant.
Jeff (’91) Voorhees, pastor of the Drenthe
Christian Reformed Church in Michigan, went
to be with the Lord as a result of a car accident.
He leaves behind his wife Kate, and four young
children: Calvin (6), Hannah (5), Felicity (2), and
Gabriel (9 mo.).
Joel (’92) and Laura (Vernooy, ’94) Terpstra of
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, announce the birth of Alexa Jo
on April 8, 2008.
Craig Van Hill (’94) of Sioux Falls, South
Dakota, was installed as the new pastor of the First
Christian Reformed Church of Waupun, Wisconsin
on September 28, 2008. He has served as a youth
pastor in Iowa and Michigan and attended Calvin
Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Van Hill and
his wife, Dominique, live in Waupun with their son,
Parker.
Vo i c e 1 4
Extreme Makeover
Susan (Vander Vegt ’88) De Vries
and her family were recently featured
in an episode of ABC’s “Extreme
Makeover: Home Edition.” Susan
suffers from ventricular tachycardia,
a life-threatening disorder which
keeps her heart constantly beating
above one hundred beats per
minute. Her husband Dirk, a
mechanic, suffers from severe
arthritis in his only hand, which
limits his ability to make major home
repairs. The Extreme Makeover
team redesigned and rebuilt the De
Vries home in Albert Lee, Minnesota
to make their lives a little more
stress-free. Susan and Dirk have
three children: April, Hanna, and
Derik. You can watch previous
epidsodes on ABC's website: abc.
go.com/primetime/xtremehome
Mark (’95) and Kim Vande Zande of Holland,
Michigan, welcome the birth of Amber Ruth on
October 8, 2008. She joins sisters Kayla and Emily.
Joel (’95) and Valerie (Gritters, ’95)
Minderhoud announce the birth of Lydia Grace on
October 14, 2008. She joins Jared (11), Kara (10),
Nathan (8), Trevor (6), Emma (5), and Lyndsay (2).
Jill (Van Voorst, ’95) Ritz accepted a position
as payroll coordinator at PR Financial Services, LLC
located in Orange City, Iowa. Jill had worked at Van
Beek Natural Science, LLC as an accountant.
Mikayla Kristine was born on October 29,
2008, to Brian (’96) and Kristine (Huenink, ’98)
Altena of Little River, South Carolina. Big sister
Kirali (19 months) welcomed her home.
Brian (’96) and Michelle (Hoekstra, ’96)
Wilgenburg will be moving to the Washington,
D.C., area, where Brian has accepted a position at
the National Institute of Neurological Disorders
and Stroke, part of the National Institutes of Health
(NIH). Michelle has been teaching high school
English on a part-time basis, while caring for
Braden (7) and Will (3).
Ryan (’96) and Rachel (Calkhoven, ’99)
Schaap announce the birth of Isabella Rae, born
on June 5, 2008, in Sergeant Bluff, Iowa. She was
welcomed home by Ethan (5), Brady (5), and Dylon
(3).
Kevin and Laura (Vander Wier, ’97) DeHaan
welcomed Kaylee Lauren on December 2, 2007.
Shawn and Stephanie (Steensma, ’97)
McCarthy announce the birth of Kelvin Jay on
October 19, 2008. He was welcomed by sisters
Sydney and Chloe.
Chris (’97) and Christina (Talstra, ’99) Lopez
of Bellingham, Washington, announce the birth
of Autumn Jude Hilligje, born on August 31,
2008. Christina, once a Starbucks Coffee barista,
now works as a stay-at-home mom. Chris works
delivering appliances.
Luke (’98) and Karla (Haagsma, ’99) Vander
Leest of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, announce the
birth of Levi James on May 15, 2008.
Mike and Tricia (Weg, ’98) Peuse of Gilbert,
Arizona, welcomed William Douglas into the world
on June 26, 2008.
Hans (’98) and Tieneke (Doornenbal, ’00)
Van Der Hoek of Lake Tapps, Washington,
announce the birth of Clayton Rien on September
9, 2008.
Andrew and Tricia (Rozenboom, ’99) Koster
of Albion Park Rail, Australia, welcomed Lily Jane,
on July 11, 2008.
John (’99) and Heather (Williams, ’99) Smith
announce the birth of Daisy Elizabeth, born
on May 21, 2008 in St. Albert, Alberta. She was
welcomed home by sister Vivian.
Tyler (’00) and Tami (Rinker, ’00) Schemper
announce the birth of Cody John, born on August
27, 2008, in Temecula, California. Big sister, Mollie
(2) welcomed him home.
Channon (’00) and Joni (Link, ’00) Visscher
recently moved from St. Louis, Missouri, to
Houston, Texas, where Channon now works as a
Post-doctoral Fellow at the Lunar and Planetary
Institute (LPI). Channon will conduct research in
the atmospheric chemistry of Jupiter and other gas
giant planets. Channon and Joni have two boys,
Connor (5) and Jackson (2).
John (’00) and Jodi (Fopma, ’00) De Berg of
Sioux Falls, South Dakota, announce the birth of
Tyler Edward on October 21, 2008. He joins Abbie
(2).
Joshua (’00) and Jill (Sjaarda, ’01) Iverson of
Sioux Falls, South Dakota, announce the birth of
Benjamin Joshua on May 15, 2008.
Jodi Roorda (’01) and Brian VanderPol were
married on June 28, 2008, in Everson, Washington.
They live in Mount Vernon, Washington.
Marlin (’01) and Sarah (Treick, ’01) Viss
of Santa Rosa, California, announce the birth of
Sabine Ruth, born on September 28, 2008.
Richard and Robin (Gindl, ’01) Flores
welcomed Gabriella Joy into the world on April 12,
2008. She joins brother Isaac.
Doug (’01) and Tammy (Bekker, ’01) Gorter
of Sunnyside, Washington, welcomed Hannah Joy
on June 6, 2008.
Kevin (’01) and Lyndsay (Van Essen, ’01)
Schenk of Ripon, California, were blessed with the
birth of Morgan Rae on August 22, 2008. She joins
Ethan (2). Anna (De Leeuw, ’01) and Jason De Goei
announce the birth of Annika Jenae, born on
February 14, 2008, in Sioux Center. Big sister
Jaedalyn (2) welcomed her home.
Daniel and Erin (Roosma, ’01) Vander Kooi of
Lynden, Washington, announce the birth of Taya
Grace on October 5, 2008.
Andrew Steers (’01), a 2008 graduate of the
University of Denver Sturm College of Law, recently
received news he passed the 2008 Colorado Bar
Exam. He is currently employed as a deputy district
attorney in Aurora, Colorado, at the 18th Judicial
district attorney’s office.
Doug (’01) and Becky (Hathaway, ’02)
Dirksen of Colorado Springs, Colorado, announce
the birth of Jayden John on October 29, 2006. They
also were blessed with the birth of daughter Ava
Dawn on September 5, 2008.
Chris (’02) and Rachel (Micheals, ’00)
Wassenaar of Omaha, Nebraska, announce the
births of Hannah Lynn on April 15, 2005, and
Caden James on October 29, 2007.
Luke (’02) and Tracey (Wikkerink, ’03)
Shannon of Evergreen Park, Illinois, welcomed
Clare Jillian on September 23, 2008.
Wade (’02) and Leanne (Prins, ’03) Halma
announce the birth of Adelyn Hope on October 10,
2008. She joins Ashton (3) and Ella (1).
Lisa (Bolkema, ’02) and Nathan Tintle of
Holland, Michigan, announce the birth of Levi
Wayne on June 6, 2008.
Jeff (’02) and Abby (Dekker, ’02) De Weerd
of Rock Valley, Iowa, announce the birth of Brynn
Abigail on August 19, 2008.
Tessa (De Wit, ’02) and Nathan Stob announce
the birth of triplets: Isaiah Edward, Abigail June,
and Emily Caroline, born on October 20, 2008, in
Orange City, Iowa.
Valerie (De Vries, ’02) and David Hartemink
(’02) announce the birth of Jeremiah John, born on
October 9, 2008 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
p Shari (Olmsted, ’02) and Adam Montague
announce the birth of Addison James, born at
home on September 12, 2008 in Kalispell, Montana.
Addison joins sister Ella.
Lindsey (Miller, ’03) and Scott Haney of Laurel
Hill, Florida, announce the birth of Mason Cole
on September 8, 2008, in Yakima, Washington. He
joins big sister Madison.
Jon (’03) and Jennifer (Landherr, ’03) Myers
announce the arrival of Evan James on September
12, 2008. He joins siblings Ethan (4) and Emma
(3). Jennifer received her Master’s in Health Care
Administration from Bellevue University in July
2008.
Kelly (Helms, ’03) Ram writes, “I’m back in
school, in seminary of all places. This fall I enrolled
in Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, the
seminary of Cornerstone University’s school. I hope
to receive my master’s in counseling (hopefully
before 2012) and get my LPC one of these days.”
Chris (’03) and Megan (Bosma, ’03) Begeman
of Chandler, Arizona, announce the birth of Avery
Lynn on September 8, 2008.
Matt (’04) and Kim (Vis, ’04) Veldhuisen of
Chilliwack, British Columbia, announce the birth of
Avery Marina on October 9, 2008.
Todd De Rooy (’04) serves as pastor at the
United Reformed Church in Orange City, Iowa.
He spent last summer on pastoral assignments in
Lethbridge, Alberta, and a URC church plant in
Sioux Center, Iowa. His wife, Chantelle, stays at
home with son Elliott (3) and daughter Emma (11
months) and also volunteers at crisis pregnancy
centers in Sioux Falls and other area locations.
Joel (’05) and Hillary Keizer were married on
September 29, 2007, at Lake Phelps in Creswell,
North Carolina. They currently live in Pinetown,
North Carolina.
Ethan (’05) Koerner is serving a oneyear appointment as technical director and
scenic designer for the theater department at
Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa. Laurel
(Alons, ’05) is working as an adjunct in the Dordt
theater department.
Jared (’05) and April (TeKrony, ’05) Brouwer
announce the birth of Noah Wayne, born
November 17, 2008, in Granite Falls, Minnesota.,
Steve and Denise (Noorman, ’05)
Uittenbogaard of Jenison, Michigan, announce the
birth of Alaina Joy on June 18, 2008.
Shawn and Lisa (Kooiman, ’05) van Andel
of Port Perry, Ontario, welcomed Sophia Edan on
September 5, 2008.
Micah (’06) and Caryn (Fennema, ’04)
Schouten of Sioux Center, Iowa, welcomed Alexis
Joy into the world on June 27, 2008.
p Nathan (’07) and Sara (Wasco, ’05) Terrell
of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, announce the birth of
Annika Jane, who was born two months early on
January 23, 2008.
A L U M N I st o ries
Honest Work
Kimberly Jongejan Teaches Kids About Life Through Theatre
When Kimberly (Dykstra) Jongejan was in kindergarten she discovered the theatre. She was an
angel in the Christmas play. She sang a solo. Then and there she fell in love with performance art.
Kristen Cnossen Nichols
M
y parents were immensely
supportive,” says Jongejan.
Taking piano lessons,
attending lots of cultural and
theatrical events, singing in the choir—all
of these became parts of a childhood where
she learned about her gifts and prepared for
a life doing what she loves best.
Today Jongejan helps children discover
that same love. Married to fellow Dordt
alumnus Philip Jongejan and the mother
of three daughters, she is the director of
the Northglenn Youth Theatre program
in Northglenn, Colorado. Since 1994 the
program has provided young people ages
eight to eighteen with an opportunity to
participate in large-scale, professionally
directed shows. Jongejan joined the staff
in 1996 as a stage manager and technical
assistant. In January of 1997, she was asked
to direct. Now her cast and crew mount
three to four shows per year, and she has
missed only a handful since she started—
two for the births of two of her daughters,
and one other when she offered an assistant
the opportunity to direct.
Under her direction the theatre has
earned high honors. Local publications
have named it the “Best of ” and “Reader’s
Choice” in children’s theater, and it has
received the most national honors of any
youth theater in Colorado. This past year
Jongejan earned an “Outstanding Direction”
award from the National Youth Theatre
organization for her direction of Into the
Woods. The show garnered six nominations
with five awards in all.
“Knowing the caliber of my peers in
other states, it was an amazing honor,”
says Jongejan. More than 180 different
shows and companies participated in
the competition. She credits her Dordt
instructors, especially those in the theatre
department, with providing her the skills to
excel.
“I can specifically point to each one
and express how they molded me through
constructive criticisms (whether I wanted
to hear them or not!) and through example.
The staff was integral in laying down the
foundation. Sometimes I regret not listening
to them even more carefully!”
When she graduated from Dordt in
1994, Jongejan had earned both theatre
arts and communication degrees. Her first
love was theatre, but she didn’t expect to
make a living in it and planned to fall back
on her study of communication. Now she
acknowledges how blessed she is to have
solid employment—complete with benefits,
leave, and vacation time—in the field she
has loved since childhood.
The city of Northglenn, a suburb of
Denver with a population of 30,000 people,
When she graduated, Kimberly Jongejan ('94) didn't expect to support herself with her theater major. She has
been wonderfully surprised to find the perfect fit in her job with a children's theater in the Denver area.
has always been supportive of the arts.
Recently one of sixty-seven cities to be
named “Playful City USA,” it has always
firmly supported its cultural programs.
Besides directing the city’s youth theatre
program, Jongejan also oversees cultural
class offerings such as drama, dance, art,
and music, as well as a summer concert
series and other special events. She also sits
on the Board of Directors for the Colorado
Theatre Guild
The Northglenn theatre program draws
children and teenagers from the greater
metro Denver area and sometimes even
beyond. Actors of all experience levels
are welcome. Some are new to the stage,
while others have already worked in other
theatrical productions, commercials, or
movies. NYT works to give young actors
a safe, encouraging, challenging, and
rewarding environment where they can
discover their talents and learn to work with
a group toward a common goal. The actors
really love what they do. Audiences love it
too. Shows are often sold out in advance.
Her study at Dordt taught her that every
artist should have a clear motivation behind
each production.
“I want to be honest,” says Jongejan. “I
want to honor my talents and gifts as well as
those of the kids.” In each show she strives
to sincerely convey the writer’s intended
message. Her idea of honesty goes deeper
than the surface notion of just telling the
truth. Every choice, right down to the very
practical matters of costume and set, must
reflect the genuine intention behind the
story.
Take a recent production of Stuart
Little for example. One of Jongejan’s goals
was that everything about it would feel
like it had stepped fresh out of a coloring
book. Keeping even the smallest choices
consistent with this larger vision, the
costumes and elements of the set were
outlined in big black lines and colored in
with crayon-like strokes. While the coloring
book idea seems to fit well with the fact that
this is theatre for children, Jongejan pushes
to break new ground with every show.
She does this by having high
expectations regarding what her actors can
handle. Many children’s productions use a
version of the script that has been modified
for performances by children. Instead of
choosing these modified versions, Jongejan
usually chooses the longer, more complete
original. This can get tricky, and she is
always careful about not exposing her
actors to anything inappropriate for their
age or experience. However, part of her
notion of honesty is that kids can handle a
lot more than what people give them credit
for.
“I feel a strong responsibility to preserve
their childhood but to not dumb down their
experience. This means assuming they are
able to handle the material. I set the bar
high, explain my expectations, and then
support them the whole way.”
Jongejan explains the difference between
a less-complicated version of a story and
a deeper version this way: Any of today’s
children’s movies, especially those that
retell old fairy tales, provide an ending
where everything turns out wonderfully.The
original versions of these stories are rarely
so neatly buttoned.
The success of Into the Woods is a
clear example that this approach works.
Her actors were delighted to be doing the
real version, and she has been thanked
repeatedly by parents. Allowing her actors
to work with this more complicated
material gives them a way to connect with
a story that more accurately reflects real
life. As a result, she believes, acting can help
them craft their own views of the world and
their place in it.
“As I watch children, I can see that the
perspective they take [in a show] affects
how they approach life.Honesty on the stage
makes the transfer to real life.”
Jongejan didn’t initially plan to work
with kids, but now she feels such an
immense blessing from it that she wouldn’t
do anything else. Her work continues to
deeply affect her already well-grounded
faith.
“I see how God has planted talents in
every person. I know that he expects me
to use the gifts he’s given me to further his
kingdom. What a blessing to impact young
lives.”
Vo i c e 1 5
15
2
Kimberly
Jongejan at
work—honestly
8
1
Art
Campus Center Gallery
Dordt College
498 Fourth Ave. NE
Sioux Center, IA 51250-1606
Senate begins
its work
3
Teaching with
the election
Going on a Staff Ride
N U M B E R
5 4
V O L U M E
2 0 0 9
W I N T E R
EVENTS
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage Paid
Permit No. 4
Madelia, MN 56062
return service requested
Jan. 15 - Feb. 15
“Cross Purpose” - a sampling of the many forms the cross has taken over the
centuries and the purposes for which it has been used
Feb. 18 - Mar. 8 Annual Junior Art Exhibit
Music
B.J. Haan Auditorium
Jan. 23
7:30 p.m.
Feb. 7
7:30 p.m.
Feb. 14
7:30 pm
Mar. 6
7:30 pm
Mar. 10
7:30 pm
Mar. 27 7:30 pm
Robert Horton Organ Recital
NISO Pops Concert
NISO String Fever
Campus-Community Band/Jazz Concert
Choral Ensembles Concert
Chamber Orchestra and Concert Band Home Tour Concert
Theatre
TePaske Theatre
Feb. 26-28 7:30 p.m.
Mar. 5, 7
7:30 p.m.
Enchanted April
Enchanted April
Campus Activities
B.J. Haan Auditorium
Jan. 9
7:30 p.m. Mesoamerica Travelogue
Jan 15
11:00 a.m. Convocation: Dr. Roy Clouser
Jan. 15-17
Prairie Grass Film Festival
Feb. 6
7:30 p.m.
Parklands Travelogue
Feb. 7
8:00 a.m.
Day of Encouragement
Feb. 13
7:00 p.m.
Prairie Grass Film Screening
Mar. 13
7:30 p.m
St. Vincent Travelogue
For more information about these events and for athletic schedules please go to www.dordt.edu/events
The Voice, an outreach of Dordt College,
is sent to you as alumni and friends of
Christian higher education. The Voice
is published four times per year to
share information about the programs,
activities, and needs of the college. Send
address corrections and correspondence
to VOICE, Dordt College, 498 Fourth
Ave. NE, Sioux Center, IA 51250-1606 or
e-mail to voice@dordt.edu.
Contributors
Sally Jongsma, editor
Sarah Groneck, student writer
Jane Ver Steeg, staff writer
Michael Byker, sports writer
Jamin Ver Velde, graphic design
John Baas, vice president for
college advancement