萝莉社

Category: Stories

Business Management and Esports: Meet Edson Lopez, Top 500 Fortnite Player

Edson draws many parallels between academic discipline and gaming discipline. 鈥淵ou have to be willing to put in the time and effort to get better, otherwise, you won鈥檛 become good. You have to practice every day, you have to compete against other good players.鈥�

Edson Lopez, a Business Management major, will graduate from North Park in May of 2020. Edson is also a Top 500 player in Fortnite. Fortnite is an online video game based on the Battle-Royale format. Players scavenge for loot and build structures until the last man standing. Fortnite has around 250 million registered users worldwide. Edson clocked over 1,000 hours of Fortnite last year on his PS4 alone. He has since moved to playing on PC and plays competitively.

To Edson, video games such as Fortnite are just like any other sport, 鈥渋t鈥檚 just a passion. Gaming is one of those things where I just lose sense of time. I have a lot of fun, and it is something I would like to make a living off of.鈥� For Edson, a career in gaming is becoming a reality. He is already signed on a contract with esports organization Bolt Esports LLC. 鈥淭he organization chose me for placing well in events and I have proven that I can compete against some of the best players in the world,鈥� Edson says. He hopes to improve and sign with larger organizations; his ultimate goal is to sign with 100 Thieves.

Edson draws many parallels between athletic or academic discipline and gaming discipline. 鈥淵ou have to be willing to put in the time and effort to get better, otherwise, you won鈥檛 become good. You have to practice every day, you have to compete against other good players,鈥� he says. Communication and networking are other important aspects to gaming Edson says. Networking with other streamers and players has helped him grow his channels and bolster his online presence.

Edson attributes some of this success to North Park鈥檚 School of Business. He cites his professors who intentionally made personal connections with him. They have taught Edson how to communicate and market himself, and have shown him the numbers behind business. Edson says this guidance and learning has 鈥渢ranslated over to the gaming side because communication and marketing myself has helped me grow my Twitch (streaming channel), and helped me make new friends and connections with people.鈥� He adds, 鈥淚 have learned the things I should and shouldn’t do as a professional. Gaming is more serious than many people think.鈥�
Edson is also excited to join the gaming industry in other ways. Esports organizations are similar to other businesses, with a product to sell and talent to acquire. 鈥淪couting would allow me to play the game more casually. The School of Business has really taught me how to communicate, and working as a scout involves a lot of interpersonal skills, so I feel like that would be a good fit for me.鈥�

Last month, Edson and his Duo placed 43rd in a Fortnite tournament in one of the toughest regions in the world: North America East. Edson is currently competing in the Fortnite World Cup qualifiers in Solo and Duo categories. Each weekend, Edson has qualified for finals and has won cash prizes. The Fortnite World Cup has a total prize pool of $30 million.

To follow Edson鈥檚 gaming escapades, find him on Twitter or Twitch @PotentFN.

Author Ana FundukPosted on Categories Profile, StoriesTags , , , ,

Dr. G. Timothy Johnson on 鈥淗ealthcare 鈥� Free Market or Government Control?鈥�

Former ABC Chief Medical Correspondent and North Park graduate, Dr. G. Timothy Johnson, will be discussing 鈥淗ealthcare鈥擣ree Market or Government Control at 3 pm on Thursday, April 25 in the Johnson Center Boardroom (JC 325).

Announcement

Former ABC Chief Medical Correspondent and North Park graduate, Dr. G. Timothy Johnson, will be discussing 鈥淗ealthcare鈥擣ree Market or Government Control at 3 pm on Thursday, April 25 in the Johnson Center Boardroom (JC 325).

Dr. Tim is a public health expert who has spent decades working as the Chief Medical Correspondent for ABC News. Dr. Tim has also been a long-time supporter of 萝莉社. In 2014, the Nancy and G. Timothy Johnson Center for Science and Community Life, a state-of-the-art science center opened its doors on 萝莉社鈥檚 campus. Don鈥檛 miss this special opportunity to hear from an expert on the state of healthcare in the US.

Author Ana FundukPosted on Categories Announcement, News, Stories

萝莉社 Receives Grant from National Science Foundation

萝莉社 has been awarded a $650,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to expand pathways for more undergraduate students to meet the nation鈥檚 need for well-educated scientists, engineers, and technicians.

萝莉社 has been awarded a $650,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to expand pathways for more undergraduate students to meet the nation鈥檚 need for well-educated scientists, engineers, and technicians.

North Park faculty members Dr. Stephen Ray (principal investigator), and co-principal investigators Dr. Eric Brown, Dr. Elizabeth Gray, and听Dr. Sunshine Silver won the grant for their project entitled, Leveraging a STEM-focused Urban Industry Immersion Program to Expand Pathways for Undergraduates into STEM Fields.

鈥淭his historic award will be absolutely transformational in the lives of our STEM students,鈥� said 萝莉社 President Mary K. Surridge. 鈥淎nd it represents a tremendous amount of excellent work by our distinguished faculty. This should continue to raise the profile of our outstanding science programs and the overall educational experience at North Park.鈥�

Over five years, this project will fund 20 scholarships for two groups of 10 students who are pursuing baccalaureate degrees in physics/engineering or biology. The project will support science and engineering students as they participate in a new urban-industry experiential immersion program.听 This program includes undergraduate research, internships, class projects, job skills development, and opportunities for students to learn about careers in industry. Student cohorts will be guided by faculty to foster strong connections with the industry and to help students develop job skills and knowledge about science and engineering-oriented careers.

The interdisciplinary research team is composed of faculty from the Departments of Physics & Engineering, Biology, Psychology, and Chemistry. To win this substantial grant award, the team leveraged the momentum gained from 萝莉社鈥檚 recently constructed Nancy and G. Timothy Johnson Center for Science and Community Life, and the University鈥檚 newly implemented Chicago-based curriculum, Catalyst 606__.

ABOUT听NORTH PARK UNIVERSITY

萝莉社听is a city-centered, intercultural, and Christian university located in Chicago.

/

Christopher Childers
Assistant Vice President of University Marketing and Communications
萝莉社
773-244-5750
cchilders@northpark.edu

Author Ana FundukPosted on Categories Announcement, News, StoriesTags ,

Exploring Tensions Between Christianity and Literature at Harvard

Dr. Gregor Thuswaldner, dean of 萝莉社鈥檚 College of Arts and Sciences and professor of humanities, is co-organizing the international meeting of the Conference on Christianity and Literature at Harvard Divinity School.

Dr. Gregor Thuswaldner, dean of 萝莉社鈥檚 College of Arts and Sciences and professor of humanities, is co-organizing the international meeting of the Conference on Christianity and Literature at Harvard Divinity School. The conference, which will take place from March 29-30, brings together more than 70 scholars from the US, Canada, the UK, Kuwait, and India.

鈥淭he Problem with God: Christianity and Literature in Tension鈥� explores religious struggles from John Donne to Louise Erdrich and from John Milton to Marilynne Robinson. As the states, 鈥渆xplorations of the problem of God have not been confined to theology and philosophy alone but have also been investigated in literary works. Numerous writers in the Western tradition, especially since the dawn of the Enlightenment period, have produced works of art that reveal religious tensions. Unlike philosophers and theologians, however, literary authors have often written about concrete problems literary characters experience with God. What鈥檚 more, literary works self-consciously wrestle with language in a way that can uniquely illuminate limits and generate possibilities for theological language. Countless writers from Goethe to Auden and from Dickinson to C. S. Lewis have investigated problems with the Christian God, doctrine, and practices. To this day, religious struggles have proven to be quite productive in literature.鈥�

听 More 萝莉社 Dr. Thuswaldner

Author Ana FundukPosted on Categories News, Stories

School of Education Approved for Gateways to Opportunity Credential

As an entitled institution, students at 萝莉社 have the opportunity to qualify for state-recognized credentials as they take courses or complete a degree through the School of Education.

萝莉社 has been approved as an entitled institution for the Gateways to Opportunity ECE (Early Childhood Education) Credential鈥擫evel 5 through 2023. As an entitled institution, students at 萝莉社 have the opportunity to qualify for state-recognized credentials as they take courses or complete a degree through the School of Education.

萝莉社 is among a select group of institutions in Illinois to be entitled for the Gateways to Opportunity Credentials. All Gateways to Opportunity Credentials have competencies that reflect multiple professional standards, including the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards. The faculty at 萝莉社 has worked diligently to align their courses with the Gateways to Opportunity competencies.

Dr. Ida Maduram, professor and coordinator of Elementary and Early Childhood Programs, says she is delighted for the opportunity. “The Gateways ECE Credential Level 5 is an additional professional opportunity that we are able to provide for our students in the Early Childhood Studies. As our program is growing, we are delighted that our students will be able to able to empower and invest in the future of young children in traditional and non-traditional learning environments.”

萝莉社’s Early Childhood program is a robust teacher education program offering a BA in Early Childhood for students seeking Illinois licensure and a BA in Early Childhood Studies for students interested in a non-licensure degree. In a time when Early Childhood Education is defining itself as a field that promotes professional development, 萝莉社 has become entitled to help further this goal by graduating students ready to provide quality care and education to young children in Illinois.

Gateways to Opportunity, Illinois Professional Development System, is designed to provide guidance, support and recognition to practitioners who serve children and families in Illinois. Gateways to Opportunity is administered by the Illinois Network of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (INCCRRA) on behalf of the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS). Visit the Gateways to Opportunity website at to learn more.

Author Ana FundukPosted on Categories Announcement, News, Stories

Dean Thuswaldner Elected as Fellow of Royal Historical Society

Dr. Gregor Thuswaldner, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Humanities, was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

Dr. Gregor Thuswaldner, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and professor of humanities, was elected as a fellow of the Royal Historical Society, which is based at University College London. Founded in 1872, fellowships are awarded to individuals who made “‘an original contribution to historical scholarship,’ normally through the authorship of a monograph, a body of scholarly work similar in scale and impact to a monograph, or the organisation of exhibitions, conferences, the editing of journals and other works of diffusion and dissemination grounded in historical scholarship. Election is conducted by peer review and all applications must be supported by an existing Fellow.鈥� Thuswaldner has extensively written on Austrian literary and cultural history.

萝莉社 Dr. Thuswaldner 听听

Author Ana FundukPosted on Categories Announcement, News, Profile, Stories

A Hoops Dynasty, Born 50 Years Ago This Month

A glorious period in North Park sports history began 50 years ago this month, when the Men鈥檚 Basketball team clinched the CCIW title and headed to the NCAA College Division tournament.

The team: Row 1: (From left): Jim Carroll, Greg Crawford, Paul Rockwell, Paul Zaeske, Rich Hoskins; Row 2: Coach Dan McCarrell, Dwight Nelson, Rich Swanson, Bruce Swanson, Jim Queen, Gary Robinson; (Row 3): Bob Swanberg, John Olson, Larry Anderson, Jim Christopher, Doug Swanson

A glorious period in North Park sports history began 50 years ago this month, when the Men鈥檚 Basketball team clinched the CCIW title and headed to the NCAA College Division tournament.

It was the first time any North Park athletic team had won a CCIW championship, and was the prelude to a string of National Championship titles for the Vikings a decade later.

That victorious season was steered in part by players Greg Crawford, now a member of the North Park Board of Trustees, and Paul Zaeske, who went on to play in the NFL. They were coached by North Park legend Dan McCarrell.

In the March 7, 1969 issue of the North Park College News, reporter Dennis Anderson wrote:

鈥淐oach Dan McCarrell seems rather confident of the Park鈥檚 prospects, saying 鈥楾hese are all tough competitions, but there is nobody in the regional we can鈥檛 beat.鈥� Commenting on the fine 20-4 season he and the Vikings had, McCarrell said 鈥楾he whole thing is an attribute to the players.鈥欌��

Although a national championship eluded the 1969 team, the Vikings went on to dominate DIII basketball in the late 70s, winning national championships in 1978, 鈥�79 and 鈥�80, all under Coach McCarrell. Their dominance returned in the mid- 80s under coach Bosco Djurickovic, when the Vikings captured the championship again in 1985 and 1987.

And of course, NCAA DIII glory returned briefly to North Park in 2017, when the Men鈥檚 Soccer team cruised all the way to the National Championship, only to fall 2-1 to Messiah College.

But perhaps, much like McCarrell鈥檚 1969 squad, that was just a preview of national titles to come in the next decade.

Author Ana FundukPosted on Categories Stories

Science-minded High Schoolers Offered College-level Courses at 萝莉社’s Summer Science Academy

Back by popular demand,听萝莉社听will open its state-of-the-art science facilities to high schoolers who enroll in our Summer Science Academy,听June 17鈥揓uly 11.

Back by popular demand,听萝莉社听will open its state-of-the-art science facilities to high schoolers who enroll in our Summer Science Academy,听June 17鈥揓uly 11. Now in its fourth year, the Summer Science Academy will offer credit-bearing, university-quality instruction in a supportive, enriching environment.

Some Specifics about听:

  • June 17鈥揓uly 11 one- and two-week long courses meet either in the morning or afternoon
  • Course fee听$180听per week per course
  • 2-week courses earn听North Park听credit
  • 10% early-bird discount registration听March 31st
  • Priority registration and scholarship application听April 30
  • Final registration听May 15

“All the experiments were very interesting. I had a lot of fun, along with learning a lot,” said one 2018 student participant.

“These courses are a great opportunity for students to experience science as closely as it could be at a college level but with the added guidance appropriate for high schoolers,” said Dr.听Yoojin Choi, the program’s director.

New to Summer Science 2019 is Forensic Chemistry, a perfect opportunity to experience听North Park’s听Chemistry Instrumentation Laboratory. Students learn the chemistry behind techniques utilized in examining physical evidence from crime scenes. Like all Summer Science courses, Forensic Chemistry will use hands-on, experiential learning.

Students can choose from the following courses:

  • Human Anatomy Boot Camp: Department of Biology
  • Fins, Fur, and Feathers: Department of Biology (2 weeks)
  • Genomes from the Chicago River: Department of Biology (2 weeks)
  • Forensic Chemistry: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
  • Body Dynamics and Comfort: Division of Health Sciences

North Park听started the program so high schoolers could have access to high-quality, engaging science courses, according to Choi. The idea, she said, is to foster in young people a curiosity about science, which eventually leads to their involvement in science-related careers.

Author Ana FundukPosted on Categories Announcement, News, StoriesTags , , ,

NPR Reports on NPTS School of Restorative Arts

NPR Illinois delivers a powerful report on the program, including an interview with Ro鈥檇erick Zavala, a student who is incarcerated at Stateville.

North Park Theological Seminary鈥檚 new School of Restorative Arts continues to garner media buzz since its at Stateville Correctional Center. The program is recognized for its unique offering of a Master of Arts in Christian ministry for students who are both free and incarcerated to study together in a cohort setting. Most recently, NPR Illinois delivers a powerful report on the program, including an interview with Ro鈥檇erick Zavala, a student who is incarcerated at Stateville. Read the full story or listen to the audio piece recorded with Zavala鈥檚 own voice.

Author Ana FundukPosted on Categories News, Stories

萝莉社 to Offer Scholarships for New Pep Band

The new pep band will offer renewable $1,000 annual scholarships to up to 16 students who try out for and join the band in the fall of 2019.

萝莉社 has announced it will form a new pep band, and will offer renewable $1,000 annual scholarships to up to 16 students who try out for and join the band in the fall of 2019.

The pep band will play at about 15 home football and basketball games throughout 2019-20, and will include 鈥渕usical, enthusiastic鈥� students who earn their spots through tryouts similar to those held for cheerleading and dance scholarships. University officials hope to eventually increase the pep band to as many as 32 members.

The band will be made up of a rhythm section with an electric guitar, electric bass, and drums, along with a melodic section featuring brass and woodwind instruments such as tuba, trombone, saxophone, clarinet, and flute.

University officials say they expect many band members to be non-music majors who are nonetheless interested in performing with a band.

The scholarship fund will also include a $3,000 stipend for student band leaders. The move is meant to both boost fan support, and student enrollment, according to Jack Surridge, North Park鈥檚 Director of Athletics.

Students interested in auditioning should schedule an on-campus audition or submit a recorded audition by April 15.听Check out North Park鈥檚 Website for more details on talent-based scholarships.

ABOUT NORTH PARK UNIVERSITY

萝莉社听is a city-centered, intercultural, and Christian university located in Chicago.

/

Christopher Childers
Assistant Vice President of University Marketing and Communications
萝莉社
773-244-5750
cchilders@northpark.edu

Author Ana FundukPosted on Categories Announcement, News, StoriesTags ,