萝莉社

Category: Stories

Class of 鈥�18 Charged with Leading Lives of Significance and Service

The largest graduating class in 萝莉社鈥檚 history accepted their diplomas Saturday, May 12, in a joyous ceremony held in the packed Carlson Tower gymnasium.

The largest graduating class in 萝莉社鈥檚 history accepted their diplomas Saturday, May 12, in a joyous ceremony held in the packed Carlson Tower gymnasium.

鈥淭his indeed is a glorious moment,鈥� President Carl Balsam said in his Commencement Litany. 鈥淵ears of diligent work have led to this milestone; you have reason to be proud of your accomplishment.鈥�

The ceremony began with a flag processional, which included the flags of the 22 nations represented in the class of 2018. After Balsam acknowledged members of the class of 1968, many of whom were in attendance in gold caps and gowns, the Ahnfeldt Medallion was awarded to Eunhye So, a communications studies and media studies major who earned the highest grade point average in her class.

Before handing out some 325 undergraduate diplomas, Balsam presented the Nyvall Medallion to Dr. Kristine Strand, chair of North Park鈥檚 Board of Trustees since 1992, for her dedication to North Park.

A speech-language pathologist and professor, Strand has taught at universities including 聽Northwestern and Harvard, and is an author and consultant. But Balsam said Strand鈥檚 commitment to North Park, particularly in making the campus more diverse, was equally impressive.

鈥淜ristine planted a vision for racial equity and intercultural learning,鈥� Balsam said, noting that since her tenure, North Park鈥檚 population of students of color has nearly doubled. 鈥淭oday we celebrate a campus that is increasingly diverse鈥ealizing the continuing vision of reflecting the actual world in which we learn and serve, a manifestation of the diversity of God鈥檚 kingdom.鈥�

As the Class of 鈥�18 prepared to receive their diplomas, Provost Michael Emerson prayed that God would 鈥渟harpen their minds toward the service of your kingdom, and send them into the world in witness to your love, and bring them at last to the fullness of your peace and glory.鈥�

Following the handing out of diplomas, receptions for the graduates were held in Hamming Hall and Anderson Chapel.

Commencement Photo Highlights

Author Ellen AlmerPosted on Categories News, StoriesTags , ,

The School of Education Literacy Extravaganza

萝莉社鈥檚 Alpha Theta Delta Chapter of Kappa Delta Pi, hosted their annual Spring 鈥淟iteracy Extravaganza鈥� attended by hundreds of elementary school students from Chicago area schools.

On Saturday, April 28, 萝莉社鈥檚 Alpha Theta Delta Chapter of Kappa Delta Pi, an international honor society in education, held their annual Spring 鈥淟iteracy Extravaganza.鈥� Hundreds of elementary school students from three Chicago area schools attended the event. More than 600 flyers promoting the event went into the hands of Peterson, Hibbard, and Budlong elementary students. North Park鈥檚 School of Education students who are part of the honor鈥檚 society participated in the event by fundraising, inviting students, and running the literacy-related events such as making bookmarks, books, and word jewelry as well as general fun events such as face painting.

Dr. John Laukaitis, the counselor of Alpha Theta Delta, said that the event 鈥渃ommunicates to the neighborhood communities that part of North Park鈥檚 Christian identity is giving without expectation of return. This spirit of service comes from being asked to be servants of Jesus Christ.鈥� The event also helps prepare the Education students for their roles as teachers as they engage themselves and students in initiatives which strengthen schools and neighborhoods. 鈥淚n many ways, this event is modeling what we want our teacher candidates to do once they are in schools, namely, finding ways to invite children and families to be active and part of a larger school community,鈥� said Dr. Laukaitis. The event also gives teachers the skills and knowledge to make an event successful, and 鈥渋t shows them that when an event is successful that there is no worldly reward as great as being a person for others and serving a community,鈥� said Dr. Laukaitis.

The fundraising for the event translates into smiles on the children and the free book they receive when attending the event. For many of the children and families, this is the first time that they have stepped foot on our campus, and the Alpha Theta Delta Chapters鈥� aim is for them to feel welcome and for their first impression be one that tells them that North Park and the School of Education is dedicated to serving their children, the neighborhoods surrounding campus, and the City of Chicago.

Author Ana FundukPosted on Categories Stories

Then and Now: C’18 Graduates Share Their Stories

Two years after they shared their stories for the #125Stories blog, three graduating seniors tell us where they are at now and what they will remember from their time at North Park.

In 2016, North Park celebrated their 125th anniversary and as part of the commemoration,聽 was born, sharing brief yet personal glimpses聽of the lives of current North Parkers. As many of those students are now graduating and moving on to the next phase of their lives, we decided to check back in with a few of them to see where they are at now and what thoughts they have to share about their time at North Park.

Nursing Major 鈥淚n high school, I knew I wanted to attend an institution that had a liberal arts foundation, an intimate class setting, and a great nursing program. I wanted to have close connections with the teachers and explore different classes even though I knew I wanted to be a nurse. When I realized that I was going to have all these things at North Park, I knew this was the right university for me.

Michaela Alcantara

My dad graduated from North Park in 2008. He told me about how great the University is and the community that he was involved in. I applied to different Chicago schools, but I realized that I wanted to go to North Park because it is a smaller school. I like the ambiance more here. I felt like I belonged here. My dad started his master鈥檚 degree but had to stop so that we could pay for me to go to school. So this fall he鈥檒l start again, studying for his master鈥檚 degree in leadership and management.

In my time at North Park, I have learned to be compassionate and kind. A huge part of being a nurse is caring for the patient. It鈥檚 not just about the medicine; you have to understand the person as a whole. I think that what makes you a good nurse is seeing someone holistically. I have had a holistic experience here. I have been involved in different cheer events and been able to practice my communication and leadership skills. I have connected with different types of people at volunteer events and North Park, as well as my professors, have supported that.

My time at North Park has inspired me to go down the path I鈥檓 on. I would also say that people are the heart of North Park. I think that is what I will remember the most from my time here. I appreciate that faith is part of the experience here, but that it isn鈥檛 bombarded in our faces. My favorite experience has been connecting with the teachers because I know I wouldn鈥檛 have experienced that at a bigger school.

I鈥檓 a nursing assistant at Rush, so I plan on staying there as a registered nurse on the general medicine floor. I like my current job, so I鈥檒l stay there for some time. They also have benefits for going back to school, which I will probably take advantage of. Within the next five years, I鈥檇 like to get my master鈥檚 degree as a Nurse Practitioner.

Joakim Widdas

My end goal is to work in private equity or investment banking. Right now, I鈥檓 looking for opportunities to get a foot in to the financial industry and then later I鈥檒l move into private equity and investment banking.

I鈥檝e been challenged academically at North Park, especially by some of my professors who have been tough with me to help me prepare for jobs outside of school. They have been fair, but taught me a lot. The business department really cares about your learning. My professors made an effort to connect me with their professional associates over coffee; that gave me the chance to ask them about their experiences and has helped in my education.

I chose North Park because I wanted to be in a big city. As an international, I can鈥檛 afford to go around America and visit schools, so I was taking a shot, but in the end, it has been a good experience.

I have always been secure about who I am, but I will remember my time at North Park as a turbulent few years. I鈥檝e learned a lot about myself and what I want to do in life. 萝莉社 has also been a unique experience because the Christian aspect attracts different-minded people than me. I have started to focus on the people who care and mean something to me; authentic people. Coming out of school, I have a bigger understanding of people.

Megan Dunbar

I took an intro to physics class, and it was hard. That was good though because it challenged me in a way that my other classes hadn鈥檛. I really struggled with those classes, but it was something different that I was interested in and I liked figuring it out. So I kept with physics. I will graduate with a degree in physics, but I don鈥檛 think that I will go into a field with it right away. Right now, I am applying for positions within nonprofit organizations in Chicago.

A lot of my time at North Park has been dedicated to volunteer service. I鈥檝e gotten to volunteer with World Relief as part of an afterschool program. Basically, you spend time with kids from refugee families whose parents are still at work. I鈥檝e volunteered for six years now, and I鈥檝e never thought of it as just an extracurricular; it is something that I want to do and be a part of. After college, I want to go back and be in the environment that volunteering creates and meet the people who are there and form relationships with them. I would like to be on the other side of volunteering, a direct influence on the volunteers. Helping people get settled would be amazing, but it鈥檚 also daunting.

It makes me feel nostalgic to think about who I was as a Sophomore. I am a lot stronger, mentally, physically, and emotionally, stronger in academics, in knowing who I am now. I鈥檝e gotten to try all these different experiences and find out what I really wanted to do. I took up boxing! I got lucky and found a good set of friends the first semester I was here. They have shaped who I am and my experience while I have been here.

For every setback I thought I had, I wound up with another person to support me. They were a professor, a staff member, or another student who I connected with and who made my experience better. So, I will remember the people the most and those stories that I鈥檝e learned while I was here.

Author Ana FundukPosted on Categories Blog, Profile, StoriesTags

Undergrad-led Research Findings Span Academic Majors

Organized by the Undergraduate Research Committee, 25 students present original research at North Park’s 12th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium.

North Park students, faculty, advisors, and family gathered May 2 at the Johnson Center for the 12th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium. Organized by the Undergraduate Research Committee, the 25 student presenters first submitted an abstract to the committee for entrance into the symposium.

鈥淢ost of these student scholars conduct their research in their Directed Research course throughout the academic year,鈥� said Dr. Yoojin Choi, chair of the committee. 鈥淪tudents really learn best when doing authentic inquiry,鈥� added Dr. Choi.

As part of the Directed Research course and/or independent studies coursework, the research topics represented students majoring in biology, psychology, exercise science, physics and engineering, nursing, philosophy, environmental science, English, chemistry, and biochemistry.

Eleanor Manning

鈥淭his is the best learning experience I鈥檝e had at North Park聽because we can apply what we鈥檝e learned,鈥� said Eleanor Manning, a physics and engineering major. She credits her understanding of the mechanics of prosthetics to participating in undergraduate Directed Research coursework.

鈥淐onducting research projects is the best way to learn research and it allows our top students to shine,鈥� said Provost Michael O. Emerson.

Exercise science major Victoria Pudussery expressed her gratitude for her learning experience.

鈥淚 now have perspective on how large research is and am fortunate to learn the research process as an undergrad,鈥� said Pudussery. Post-graduation, Pudussery will pursue a degree in physical therapy at Northwestern University.

Victoria Pudusserey

Students displayed the practical, career-building skills they acquired at North Park via media such as charts and graphs. Physics and engineering senior Kristina Lundeen illustrated an analysis of wind in her presentation of Improving a Pedestrian Comfort Model for Arbitrary Geometries.聽Nursing student Aisha Badla presented statistical reporting and data analysis that answered Does Breastfeeding a Neonate Improve Oxygen Saturation Levels Without Any Other Intervention?

Spending hours in North Park鈥檚 Brandel Library conducting in-depth research, the participants further developed their critical thinking, case study reading, oral presentation, and confidence in fielding questions from the audience.

鈥淭he Undergraduate Research Symposium is a magnificent聽spotlight on what is great about a North Park education,鈥� said Provost Emerson.

鈥淢ost grad schools require research experience in the undergrad years and having the Research Symposium on your CV is very good,鈥� said Dr. Choi. The CV credential is a bonus鈥攂ut even more, these students displayed true to North Park form their appreciation for research, gratitude to their mentors, and exceptional work ethic.

Acknowledgments

The Undergraduate Research Symposium wishes to thank the students and faculty mentors for their efforts at creating original works of knowledge. This year鈥檚 Undergraduate Research Committee consisted of Professors Yoojin Choi, Gianfranco Farruggia, You-Seong Kim, Suzen Moeller, Rachel Schmale, Sarah Thorngate, and Joel Willitts. Special thanks to Brandel Library, Provost Emerson, and Interim President Balsam for their support and for underwriting the cost of the symposium.

Author onlinemediaPosted on Categories News, StoriesTags , , , , ,

Book Announcement: “Market Cities, People Cities” Co-authored by University Provost, Michael Emerson

Released by NYU Press, April 2018.

Newly released by NYU Press is聽Market Cities, People Cities: The Shape of Our Urban Future,聽co-authored by Michael Emerson, Provost of 萝莉社, and聽Kevin T. Smiley.

萝莉社 Provost Emerson

From the publisher:

Book Cover of Market Cities, People Cities“An in-depth look at the urban environments of Houston and Copenhagen

How are modern cities changing, and what implications do those changes have for city inhabitants? What kinds of cities do people want to live in, and what cities do people want to create in the future? Michael Oluf Emerson and Kevin T. Smiley argue that western cities have diverged into two specific and different types: market cities and people cities. Market cities are focused on wealth, jobs, individualism, and economic opportunities. People cities are more egalitarian, with government investment in infrastructure and an active civil society. Analyzing the practices and policies of cities with two separate foci, markets or people, has substantial implications both for everyday residents and future urban planning and city development.

As twenty-first century cities diverge,聽Market Cities, People Cities聽is essential for urban dwellers anxious to be active in their pursuit of their best cities, as well as anyone looking to the future of cities around the world.聽”

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

Student Blog: CRUX in Houston Part 3

The final installment of the CRUX in Houston Spring Break blog series.

CRUX in Houston: “God Moved in Mighty Ways”

During Spring Break 2018, the CRUX discipleship group went to Houston, TX, to volunteer for a week.聽 CRUX聽is a residential cohort at 萝莉社, in which a group of first-year students follow Christ together by living together, taking classes together, serving in the city together, and more.聽 As service is a key part of the program, the CRUX group decided together to assist in relief work in Houston, after the devastation of Hurricane Harvey in 2017.

Saturday, 3/17/18

There is something about manual labor that brings out a different side of people who do not normally do manual labor.聽 While serving in Houston I witnessed people working hard with newfound confidence and joy.聽 We worked really hard all five days that we served with Friends of North Rosenberg.聽 I was impressed with the student resiliency even when they were tired, frustrated, or discouraged.聽 The students spend a lot of time together as it is, and we as leaders do not spend as much time with them as we did in Houston.聽 I got a glimpse into what their community is really like when we are not around.聽 They rally around one another and work as a team.聽 Does that mean they don鈥檛 ever get frustrated and say things they don鈥檛 mean? 聽No, but I witnessed first-hand the beloved community that they have built this year.聽 For me personally, this trip was wonderful.聽 I did my undergrad studies in Austin, Texas, so I often miss aspects of living in Texas.聽 I loved hearing southern accents again (mine definitely came out), eating southern cuisine, and experiencing southern hospitality.

I saw Jesus in many different ways throughout our time in Houston, but I think the most impactful way I saw Jesus was through our hostess.聽 Allison and I got to stay with Sharon, who is a widow and has an incredible life story.聽 She frequently talked about her late husband and you could tell that she loved him very much, and misses him a lot.聽 Her story of God鈥檚 provision throughout her life inspired me and I will remember our time with her for a long time.聽 I could write forever about my own God moments and those of the students that they have shared with me, but I will leave it at that.聽 I know that God moved in mighty ways in everyone involved in the trip whether we realize it or not.

鈥� Emily Noyed (Seminary Ministry Coach)

And he prayed to the Lord, 鈥淥 LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish, for I knew that you are a gracious God鈥︹�� 鈥� Jonah 4:2

We love to feel like we鈥檝e got the world figured out. But the book of Jonah shows us that being one who bears the mission of God in our lives means that we often won鈥檛 understand the ways of God. Jonah from the beginning knows God鈥檚 compassionate character, and does not want to see his enemies enter into God鈥檚 grace. But God wears Jonah down, and shows Jonah that his mission is for聽all聽people 鈥� including Jonah himself.

Texas gets a bad wrap. Yes, they were once their own country, and yes, there鈥檚 a lot of Texas pride. Yes, to the rest of us, Texas may seem like, 鈥淲ait isn鈥檛 that state just the really big, really flat, really southern one, where greasy foods reign and oil pumps through veins of its citizens?鈥� But those are outside impressions that don鈥檛 look past Texas to the聽people聽that comprise it.

Spending eight days in Texan homes, eating Texan foods, listening to Texan accents, driving on Texan roads wore me down to the point where I looked past Texas to the聽people聽who live there. The hearts, the souls, the lives鈥� the struggle, the pain, the worship鈥� I was able to break away from my judgments of country music, of rodeos, and of personal politics. I was able to see families with real traumatic experience. I was able to experience a woman I had just met not only opening her home to me in southern hospitality, but also opening her聽heart聽to me as she cried, asking for prayer for her brother who was in the midst of surgery. I was able to see the personhood of little boys playing soccer, a teenager who had big dreams for his life, and a kid who laughed as he threw an聽awe-inspiring聽curveball.

There was beauty in Nineveh and God saw it. In a place like Texas, a place of which some outsiders might say, 鈥淗ow can any good come out of there?鈥�, I found myself realizing, 鈥淭here is beauty here.鈥� I found myself looking into the face of Jesus in each person I encountered. As he did with Jonah, God, through his mission to Houston, widened my heart to his work, showing me the greatness of his compassion and utilizing my life as an agent of small steps of healing toward people that he loves.

Lord, helps us to surrender to聽your聽mission, to聽your聽boundless grace, and continually associate with those whom we might not naturally associate not only that聽they聽be transformed, but that聽we, too, find ourselves transformed by your love.

鈥� Matt Butin (Seminary Ministry Coach)

This is the final installment of the CRUX in Houston Spring Break blog series. To read the rest of the student blog posts in this series, click the links below or head back to the stories page.

Part 1

Part 2

Stories Page

Author Ana FundukPosted on Categories Stories

Student Blog: CRUX in Houston Part 2

The second installment in the CRUX in Houston Spring Break blog series.

CRUX in Houston: “Discover Pieces of Him”

During Spring Break 2018, the CRUX discipleship group went to Houston, TX, to volunteer for a week.聽 CRUX聽is a residential cohort at 萝莉社, in which a group of first-year students follow Christ together by living together, taking classes together, serving in the city together, and more.聽 As service is a key part of the program, the CRUX group decided together to assist in relief work in Houston, after the devastation of Hurricane Harvey in 2017.

Monday, 3/12/18

Today was our first day of work which started out by demolishing a home, and at the back of my mind I was figuring out what I was going to write about for this blog post. Our day started at eight in the morning and went until late afternoon, so there were many points throughout the day I could choose to talk about. But, one event in particular stood out over the rest, which was not only having the opportunity to pray for Diana and her family who we were helping with this house demo, but also for Rose, the Friends of North Rosenberg Director, who shares in the responsibility of making this all possible. In that, we were able to see their vulnerability and share that spiritual space with them, as a few of us were able to hear Rose鈥檚 story and pray for her.

Diana鈥檚 six-year-old son Issac asked why Rose was crying in the middle of us praying for her. What made that moment memorable was how after praying, Rose decided to take the time to go back and explain to Issac why she was crying. Her response was similar to that of Psalm 16: 1-2, 鈥淜eep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge. I say of the Lord, 鈥榊ou are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.鈥欌�� So, she not only expressed how God is everything in her life and her savior, but through that she evangelized to Isaac who could remember that moment and take that with him
鈥� Tiffany Whaley

Tuesday, 3/13/18

When asking myself how I saw God during our demolition work, one thing that points out to me is how He uses every age, race, origin, etc. to do his kingdom works. When looking around me, I saw kids from ages 7-15, 萝莉社 peers, FNR (Friends of North Rosenberg) workers, and other adults, all of whom were of varying races and yet, working together to show Christ鈥檚 love. One specific example would be just how willing the kids of the family we got to serve (Isaac and Caesar) were in helping in the process of demolition. Despite their hardships within the past couple months due to the hurricane disaster, they seem to have a servant鈥檚 mindset. Seeing our CRUX team unite with them to get one step closer to getting their family a home was something special. That is what I believe God鈥檚 Kingdom should consist of: people of all backgrounds and races being united in Christ to spread his love within this broken world we live in.聽 鈥� Sophie Emerson

 

We finished destroying a house today.聽 The little boy who used to live there was watching pretty much the entire process. He came over to the space where his house used to be and kind of looked at it plaintively for a few minutes. Looking at him sadly stare at his old house made me a bit angry with God. It seems unfair that he would let this happen to a family (and others like them) who never really had much to begin with. How can someone who claims to love “the least of these” let hundreds of families be destroyed? 鈥� Ben Zamble

Wednesday, 3/14/18

Today we split up into groups to floor and paint one house and put sheetrock on the walls of another. I was a part of the flooring/painting team at the house of miss Ivory, an elderly woman who told us many stories of God鈥檚 work in her life. Both her brother鈥檚 and sister鈥檚 houses were completely destroyed by the flood and they lost everything. Katey and I had the privilege of praying with her after she shared her story, and I can鈥檛 wait to head back tomorrow to finish the job! 鈥� Joshua Crozier

Thursday, 3/15/18

Today I worked on installing drywall. I saw God today in the teamwork on the job site. Putting up drywall involves many steps and you have to work together to do it. We were able to get into a groove since this was the second day installing the drywall and it was such a great glimpse into the kingdom of God. We all had our strengths and abilities and had to work together to get the job done. The same is true in God鈥檚 kingdom we may not all be the arm but the body cannot function properly without the arm. Each of us has our own God-given strengths and abilities and it truly is beautiful when we are able to come together as one body to work towards the ultimate goal of building God鈥檚 kingdom here on earth.

鈥撀犅� Allison Harvey

To read the rest of the student blog posts in the CRUX in Houston Spring Break blog series, click the links below or head back to the stories page.

Part 1

Part 3

Stories Page

Author Ana FundukPosted on Categories Stories

Student Blog: CRUX Serving in Houston Part 1

Read the reflections of CRUX students who, during Spring Break 2018, went to Houston, TX, to volunteer for a week.

CRUX in Houston: “Eager and Ready to Serve”

During Spring Break 2018, the CRUX discipleship group went to Houston, TX, to volunteer for a week.聽 CRUX聽is a residential cohort at 萝莉社, in which a group of first-year students follow Christ together by living together, taking classes together, serving in the city together, and more.聽 As service is a key part of the program, the CRUX group decided together to assist in relief work in Houston, after the devastation of Hurricane Harvey in 2017.

On March 10, 2018, all ten students, the two seminary mentors, and the co-directors of CRUX traveled to Houston for a week of service.聽 They were accompanied by a carpenter and contractor, Jehan Bourne (father of co-director Emily Wickstrom) who facilitated the construction work.聽 The group was hosted by 聽and partnered with the work of a community development organization named .聽 Life Church had hosted a group of volunteers from 萝莉社 last October, and wanted to extend the same hospitality to another 萝莉社 group.聽 The church partners with Attack Poverty as well, so they directed 萝莉社 to connect with the organization as well.

The trip was also organized through a partnership between North Park’s University Ministries and of the Evangelical Covenant Church.

Keep reading to learn more about the experience, what happened, and what impact it made in the community of North Rosenberg and for the North Park team.

Saturday, 3/10/18

It is great to finally be in Houston!聽 After many, many months of preparation and coordination, the CRUX team has finally arrived.聽 We are eager and ready to serve, and look forward to how God is going to work during this trip.聽 Even though we do not know the details or extent of our work, nor are we familiar with the organization that we are partnering with, we trust that God will use us and work in us during this week.

One thing that stood out to me this first day is the testimony of the members of Life Church Fort Bend.聽 We have the privilege and honor of being hosted in the homes of members of Life Church and working with Attack Poverty, a Houston-based organization with whom the church often partners.聽 But more meaningful is why the congregation has offered to host us.聽 For the past twelve years, members of Life Church have traveled to Guatemala on service trips, but this past summer was different for them.聽 They worked with Merge Ministries (a ministry of the ECC), and instead of sleeping in a hotel, they stayed in homes of Guatemalan people.聽 The hospitality received and the relationships formed in Guatemala had such an impact on the group that when Hurricane Harvey hit their own city, the congregation decided to offer the same hospitality to people who travel to Houston to help rebuild.

Having experienced similar fellowship and hospitality on past trips, I was encouraged to hear the transformation that has taken place in Life Church.聽 And it is humbling to be the recipient of such hospitality this week.聽 Even the first evening has been rewarding, and I have had many good conversations with people from the church and community.聽 I look forward to what this week will bring!聽 No matter what work we accomplish, we are blessed and excited to build relationships here in Houston as well.

– Ben Wickstrom (Interim Co-Director)

Sunday, 3/11/18

The biggest area I saw Jesus today was in his people.聽 I have been learning through our CRUX community over the last few weeks about how big and how complex our God is; I have found the complexity of the God we serve to be such a gift.聽 How wonderful is it that we cannot fully understand or know how vast God is?聽 So wonderful, because through the essence of his creation 鈥� people 鈥� we are able to discover pieces of him.聽 There will always be more to know, not in a way that defines God and puts us in power, but in a way that expresses even more fully how great he is and how small we are.聽 Today, we went to church and then to the Houston Rodeo, and were able to be a part of鈥攁nd see鈥攃ultures very different than my own.聽 It was beautiful to be around new people, stories, and traditions.聽 All of which, at some level, portray who God is differently than the next. 鈥� Emily Ostercamp

So the first day we got here I realized what a good and united community we have here in CRUX. We had a blast playing spike ball in the airport, the weather was a little muggy so I felt right at home. We got back to our host house, the main base. We ate burgers and hotdogs with pastor Mike and Katy (our host). The next morning we went to church in Sally and had a good time. I got to work with the kids (5th and 6th graders). Later we got to go to a burger place (can鈥檛 remember the name鈥�) and finally had a fun time with our hosts at the end of the day. 鈥� Zach Peterson

To read the rest of the student blog posts in the CRUX in Houston Spring Break blog series, click the links below or head back to the stories page.

Part 2

Part 3

Stories Page

Author Ana FundukPosted on Categories Stories

Honors Convocation Fills Anderson Chapel With Support From Campus Community

The honors convocation recognized six North Park soon-to-graduate seniors for their exceptional achievements.

Monday, April 23, 2018鈥攎usic, prayer, inspirational stories鈥攕et the stage in honoring six North Park soon-to-graduate seniors for their exceptional achievement. A proud staff, faculty, and student community observed the honorees as they reflected on their involvement as instructors, mentors, supervisors, and supporters.

As nominees, the six scholars interviewed before a committee鈥攕peaking on their research projects, passions for social justice and teamwork, volunteerism, and both honors and challenges. Already excelling in academics and extracurricular activities like athletics, music, and campus organizations, these remarkable students are living lives of significance and service seeking opportunities to give back to others. Representing the diverse disciplines across campus, the Honors Convocation recognized:

  • Renee Baker
  • Nicholas Canete
  • Jared Koehler
  • Jessica Kooi
  • Carl Lindberg
  • Jomarie Perlas

Baker and Canete received the Distinguished Senior Award. Baker who will graduate with a B.S. in environmental science and a minor in physics, spent last summer as an intern with NASA in what she calls 鈥渢he best summer I鈥檝e ever had.鈥� Baker鈥檚 future goals include graduate school and a possible second stint with NASA. Canete, a Politics and Government major, served in the United States Navy before coming to North Park. Canete who will complete his degree in three years says, 鈥淓veryone is willing to invest in the students here.鈥� Post-graduation, Canete will start his position as Operations Management Trainee at LSG Group.

Other awards included recipients in Academic Excellence in Schools, Service/Leadership, Faculty/Staff, and Dean鈥檚 List.

The purpose of the Honors Convocation is to recognize academic achievement, outstanding service, and leadership. In addition, an award is given to a staff member who actively engages with students and embodies the mission of 萝莉社 and a faculty member who is an outstanding teacher and leader. 聽聽

Author onlinemediaPosted on Categories Announcement, News, Stories

Student Blog: New Orleans is More than a Place to Party

“It really was a joy to get to learn, serve, grow as a small group of 萝莉社 students, and get to know a city the way that we did this Spring Break. New Orleans is more than a tourist location . . .”

This is a student blog post submitted by聽Emily Smith, ’18. Emily is a Conflict Transformation Studies major.

When I spoke with friends and family about going to New Orleans for Spring Break, it was very common to get some sort of response that had to do with the fun I was going to have, and usually in reference to the shenanigans in which I might participate. However, Bourbon Street was not a place I visited, nor did I collect beads. Instead, I road-tripped there with a group of seven other North Park students and we worked with a nonprofit called The Restoration Initiative for Culture and Community (RICC), which is operated out of one of the few Covenant churches in New Orleans called Canal Street Church. This organization does a number of things, including operate small business ventures that benefit New Orleans and her people, and lead visiting groups through their 鈥淩estoration Journey鈥� program.

Photo: Betty Rodriguez

This Restoration Journey is what my peers and I had the blessing to embark upon with the RICC staff. In their own words, it is a mission trip in that one鈥檚 鈥渆xperience is about recognizing that the privilege of some and the poverty of others are connected to each other through complex histories and injustices . . . [It] is as much a camp or a training center for formation, as it is a mission trip because we approach as learners rather than teachers.鈥� Over the course of our week in New Orleans, we were challenged by the theme of identity and what it means for ourselves, the city, and the city鈥檚 populations; we explored how these identities are enmeshed with one another rather than isolated from each other.

Photo: Grant Novak

The conversation and exploration in New Orleans involved sightseeing, eating out and eating in, serving, and having intentional dialogue. We had our share of excitement and leisure, eating fresh beignets at Morning Call (twice in the week), listening to brass bands around Frenchmen Street, and shopping around the French Quarter. The bulk of our time, though, was spent learning about the city and volunteering with a handful of different nonprofit organizations. It was a powerful experience, for example, to see where the levees broke in the Ninth Ward due to governmental failure and historical neglect of that neighborhood鈥檚 population. Another vivid series of memories are seeing the patches of grass in historically disenfranchised areas and being told that those were all once occupied by homes.

Visible destruction and communal trauma require a lot of processing, and volunteering with a few nonprofit organizations helped with that in a healthy way. We had the opportunities to serve breakfast to some men and women experiencing homelessness, set up and help operate a shopping-style food pantry for a day, and tidy up a Christian center through which seafarers can talk to family, relax, and be given rides to Wal-Mart. An important and impactful non-service experience was visiting Studio Be, which is a warehouse where artist Brandan 鈥淏mike鈥� Odums displays his work surrounding Black history, Hurricane Katrina, and a number of other complex themes central to the identity of New Orleans.

With the focus of social justice (and injustice), we were also sure to remember the centrality of Christ, both to social justice and identity. We established early on in discussion that Christ should be the center of a Christian鈥檚 identity. Our relationship with Him is what guides us as we navigate life, and our relationship with Him should make it uncomfortable for us to live in and contribute to systems that oppress and abuse. It was convicting to have the conversation about privilege as much as we did, and see it play out in the city in a new way. Finally, our RICC staff leader, Michael Hitch, challenged us to compare New Orleans and the work that is being done for the people there with Chicago.

Photo: Juliana Faulconer

It was a joy to get to learn, serve, and grow as a small group of 萝莉社 students, and get to know a city the way that we did this Spring Break. New Orleans is more than a tourist location; it is a place that has felt incredible trauma, has seen much healing, and in this process of healing, embraces its culture of uniqueness, diversity, and a bit of a twisted antiquity. I would advise anyone visiting the city to venture outside of Bourbon Street and get to know the real heart of the city.

Read more of Emily’s blog posts.

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Author Ana FundukPosted on Categories Blog, Stories