T W U. C A / M AGA Z I N E
Digital Addiction
TRINITY WESTERN education. transformation. impact.
No. 17
Healing Hands
Lives Well Lived Bombay Traffic
Sovereignty and Consolation
A Dip into History Heart and Sole
letter from the president
Greetings! I truly appreciate the dialogue that I have had with so many of you. Hundreds of alumni and friends responded to my emails in the spring, providing helpful insight, perspective, and advice. Thank you for your continued interest in and commitment to twu. This past year has been remarkable on many fronts. We have successfully navigated the first year of our strategic two-year redesign plan. In this new academic year, this plan will continue to guide us through the economic challenges we face as a university and as participants in the global economy. While at times it has been challenging, we are working hard to take advantage of our strengths and to continually improve as an institution. The result is real change: increased operational efficiencies, reduced overall operational costs, and improved services to students. Looking ahead, as we begin our 48th academic year, we rejoice in our forward progress. In June, the Langley Events Centre held a grand opening that positions twu and our Spartans Basketball and Volleyball, and Titans Hockey teams front and centre in the community. We are extending programs into new markets: an Adult Degree Completion program for Metro Vancouver, an online Master of Arts in Leadership degree customized for delivery in China, and a Master of Science in Nursing degree through the new School of Nursing. In August, the federal government tangibly recognized twu’s impact in higher education when it awarded the University a total of $2.6 million for three infrastructure upgrade projects through its Knowledge Infrastructure Program. This program requires matching funds, so the work to secure those is underway. This academic year our campus theme is “Renewing our minds – becoming like Christ.” As a Christ-centred community and university, our goal is to make a vital contribution to higher education in Canada and around the world. Thank you for being part of this vision. As we move toward 2012, we anticipate being in close communication with you about our plans to celebrate our 50th anniversary. Every blessing!
Jonathan S. Raymond, Ph.D. 2 trinity western | fall ’09
president & publisher Jonathan S. Raymond, Ph.D. editor-in-chief Joan van Dyck ’04
editors Amanda Smith Regier; Michele Dau managing editor Erin Mussolum ’95
art director Andrea Smith
photo editor Mike Rathjen ’04
web editor Jared Crossley ’07 advertising Derek Weiss
circulation Jay Jameson ’08 contributing writers
Brian Bevilacqua ’03
Erin Mussolum ’95
Jay Jameson ’08
Caleb Zimmerman
Jeremy Hutcheson ’08
Wendy Delamont Lees
Laura Ralph ’07
contributing photographers & illustrators
LaBounty + Johl
Mike Rathjen ’04
alumni relations director Dave Swan ’95
coordinator Kelly TeBrinke
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Trinity Western communicates the essence and strategic ends of the institution through informative and credible reporting to unite twu alumni and friends in communication with the University and to celebrate the transformative influence of twu and its graduates around the world. Trinity Western is issued twice a year. advisory council
Loranne Brown Amanda Flint, mba, ca Elsie Froment, Ph.D.
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contents
featu r es
Bombay Traffic
by Brian Bevilacqua ’03
20
Healing Hands
by Wendy Delamont Lees
24
Digital Addiction
16
A first-person encounter with slavery, human trafficking, and injustice on the streets of Mumbai. Rigorous training and thoughtful compassion converge in twu’s new School of Nursing. by Erin Mussolum ’95
In an age where networking has never been so easy, is social media actually causing us to disconnect from one another? 20
ON THE COVER
16
24
depa r tment s
Tethered by LaBounty + Johl W eb E xclus ives
6 twu people
Are you a social media addict? Take the TW quiz to find out.
7 campus chronicle
Alumni and staff share fond memories of Professor Barbara Pell and “Bad Boy” Dave Thompson.
With a generous helping of hospitality and humility, Allan Kotanen holds people-development at the centre of his twu career Lives well lived • Using computer science for diabetes prevention • Laurentian Leadership Centre provides students with one-of-a-kind internships in the heart of the nation • Canadian hero Rick Hansen shares perspective on strategic leadership at twu
15 faculty folio
Reexamining sovereignty • Research grants awarded
27 partnerships
“Alphabet Family” matriarch’s six children and three grandchildren graduate from twu • President’s Scholarship recipients share their twu experience • twu Spartans golf tournament
30 athletics
Assistant Professor of Human Kinetics, Deanna Schick, represents Canadian Athletic Therapists at 2010 Olympic Games
31 alumni
Updates and profiles: Joel Carlson draws on classics for contemporary constructs • One alumna finds a shoe that fits and then some • Christy Dow Hoke on her life and travels working for unicef
42 back 40
The ol’ swimming hole unearthed
Browse alumnus Brian Bevilacqua’s striking photos of India.
for these and more, visit twu.ca/magazine eco audit The content of Trinity Western magazine is printed on Rolland ST30 paper, which contains 30 per cent postindustrial fibre, is FSC Mixed Sources certified and an Environmental Choice, manufactured in Canada by Cascades using biogas energy. BY USING ROLLAND ST30 INSTEAD OF VIRGIN FIBRES PAPER TRINITY WESTERN MAGAZINE HAS SAVED:
Trees: 15 | Wastewater flow: 24,036 litres | Energy: 10,587,868 BTUs THIS IS THE EQUIVALENT OF : planting 182 trees OR not driving 4,261 kilometres
t wu.c a / mag a z i n e 3
letters to the editor
kudos Lessons from the Flock
Double Talk
Of Flies & Worms
Bass Boss
Both my parents and family friends have said how much they like this latest issue. They feel they can really relate to the stories and articles. Just passing along the kudos. Cheers! Curt Kliewer Chilliwack, BC
The Endless Pursuit of More
TRINITY WESTERN education. transformation. impact.
More than male and female
No. 16
thank you, thank you, thank you I love all of the magazine from cover to cover. I was so disappointed with the decision to discontinue the magazine in 2006. I know it is a huge investment, but it is so worth the effort. As an alumna, I so appreciate hearing about what is happening currently at twu — new directions, as well as where alumni are making differences around the world as they grow their families. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for resurrecting the magazine! Laura Wittman ’00 Red Deer, Alberta
i had no idea Many years ago, I taught some public relations and communication classes at TWU, working under Bill Strom, Ph.D. So, the most recent edition of TW magazine was of real interest; I had no idea Bill was a ventriloquist! The magazine and the new TWU website are both first rate. The TWU communications team is doing a terrific job! Marilyn Jacobson North Vancouver, BC
4 trinity western | fall ’09
M I K E R AT H J E N ‘ 0 4
suggestions I’ve got two suggestions for the magazine: do a page in each issue where a religious studies professor does a devotional — something that really directly and unashamedly glorifies Jesus Christ, our awesome Saviour; secondly, profile alumni who are doing “everyday joe jobs.” If you were to look through your issues and see who you glorify, what they do and where they are, is there a predominant theme? I believe there is, and that’s good. It’s nice to see people who really impact society, and that’s the vision of twu, Christ, and many alumni. However, I also know that Mary of Bethany, who anointed Jesus’ feet, will be remembered forever, and she wasn’t one of the 12 and didn’t get a lot of other press. Are there alumni doing that? I think it’d be neat to read about them. Thanks for all the work you’re doing. I really appreciate the magazine. Trevor Ellis ’99 North York, Ontario
Trevor: Thanks for the ‘faculty devotional’ idea. In this issue, we have inaugurated a page for a contemplative piece on various areas of faculty interest. See page 12 for the first installment. Also, read the Alumni Profiles for updates and the feature “Bombay Traffic” on page 16 — a story of a ‘regular Joe’ who, like Mary, stepped out to do the extraordinary. Joan van Dyck ’04 Editor-in-Chief
send us your feedback or suggestions to magazine@twu.ca or 7600 glover road, langley bc. we value your input.
t wu.c a / mag a z i n e 5
twu people
Allan Kotanen Ask Allan Kotanen about his 35 years of impacting students’ lives at Trinity Western, and he will sooner tell you stories about students who have impacted his life. Allan draws his motivation from the rich tapestry of success stories that comprise the history of twu. As a director of Student Life, Allan has mentored myriad students. And, whether or not a student was directly involved in Student Life during their time at twu, there is a good chance they were invited to Allan’s home in Fort Langley to share a meal with him and his wife, Sylvia. A hot dinner and a warm household have been Allan’s ministry methods of choice since his first month at twu. But more than his warm hospitality, Allan is known for his profound humility. “When I need to step up and take charge, I can,” says Allan, “but I’m better at helping someone else succeed.” Throughout his years of caring for others, Allan has seen the school evolve from Trinity Junior College with a student body totalling 350 to a university with 10 times that number. Remarkably, Allan underscores how much twu hasn’t changed. “The people here have embodied the mission statement since before it was even crafted,” reminisces Allan. “Our goals haven’t changed. We are still in the people-development business. We still want to change lives for the better.” jj M I K E R AT H J E N ‘ 0 4
6 trinity western | fall ’09
campus chronicle
Booth Mansion Experience Offers Step Up Into Dream Careers
Laurentian Leadership Centre provides students with one-of-a-kind internships in the heart of the nation
“my first thought, while carrying my 50- pound suitcase to my room on the third floor was, ‘Wow, there sure are a lot of stairs in this place,’” says 21-year-old Joshua Burdick. The fourth-year Trinity Western University communications major decided to spend the last semester of his third year at twu’s Laurentian Leadership Centre (llc) in Ottawa. The llc, located in the historic 100-year-old Booth Mansion, offers 22 university students each semester a one-of-a-kind educational experience where they get to live, work, and study in the heart of Ottawa. “I wanted to attend the llc because I knew it was such a phenomenal program,” says Burdick. “Everyone I talked to who
attended the llc has said that it was an amazing experience and the highlight of their university career. And I was really excited about all of the internship possibilities and finding one that would be specific to my educational goals.” Since 2001, the llc has opened the doors of Ottawa’s most powerful offices to its students. Janet Epp Buckingham, ll.d., director of the llc works with leaders in Parliament, nongovernmental organizations, and businesses to place each student into an internship that fits his or her interests and abilities. Burdick couldn’t have been happier when his internship landed him with the Canadian Public Affairs Channel (cpac). There he was exposed to a variety of jobs, including
did you know? The Booth Mansion celebrated its centennial anniversary this year with a number of special events including Lingua Franca, a TWU student art exhibit. The mansion has been awarded $25,000 from the federal government in matching funds for building restoration. The LLC program was featured on the Global TV documentary, Hip 2 B Holy, which aired May 25. t wu.c a / mag a z i n e 7
campus chronicle
drastik Measures Fourth -year communications major Joshua Burdick attended the LLC and produced a television documentary while interning at CPAC.
observing live news reports from Parliament Hill, interviewing subjects for a television series, transcribing interviews, editing, and producing a nine-minute historical television documentary about the Canadian Pacific Railway that will air nationally. twu student interns also partake in conferences, receptions, and other events that happen almost nightly in the nation’s capital. “Since students often attend with their internship supervisors,” explains Buckingham, “they get the networking opportunity of being introduced by an mp, the head of a nongovernmental organization, or a business leader.” While at the llc, some of Burdick’s other highlights included meeting Minister of Defence, Peter McKay, and even meeting former Prime Minister, Jean Chretien who asked Burdick, an American, his opinion on the 2003 decision for Canada not to enter the war with Iraq. “I was speechless and tried to offer up a very diplomatic answer. I will never forget that,” says Burdick. EM Visit twu.ca/laurentian to learn more and to read the director’s newsletter, “Mansion Musings.”
where are llc grads now? Jocelyn Durston ’03 interned with the Canadian International Development Agency. She is now the Deputy Director and International Policy Analyst with the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, dealing with global poverty and international religious liberty. Michael Van Hemmen ’05 interned with James Rajotte, MP. He is currently a policy analyst to Rob Merrifield, Minister of State for Transport. Tamara (Reimer) Isaak ’07 interned with World Vision. She has recently returned from an internship in Tanzania with Développement international Desjardins, working on community microfinance.
8 trinity western | fall ’09
Professor uses computer science for diabetes prevention
magine visiting your doctor and receiving an instant — and accurate — assessment of your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, along with prevention recommendations based on your personal health history, family history, region, diet, exercise habits, occupation, and a host of other factors. Then imagine checking on your progress from your home computer. Alma BarrancoMendoza, Ph.D., Executive Director of Information Technology and Associate Faculty Member in Computing Science and Biotechnology, plans to make this advanced level of diabetes prevention a reality with drastik, or Diabetes Risk Assessment Temporal Intelligent Knowledgebase. At the core of drastik is an algorithm that pulls together factors from a variety of disciplines. “When you take into consideration a wide variety of factors, you get a more complete and reliable diabetes risk assessment,” says Barranco-Mendoza. “My algorithm can analyze incomplete information and then improve its accuracy as more details are entered. This is rare in risk assessment.”
“when computers and people speak the same language, the result is a more user-friendly system, and the easier DRASTIK is to use, the bigger the impact it can have on people’s lives.” - Barranco-Mendoza
Barranco-Mendoza wanted drastik to instantly provide meaningful information to physicians and patients. By merging linguistic analysis with probability analysis, she successfully developed a system that uses English as its sole medium of information. “When computers and people speak the same language, the result is a more user-friendly system,” she says, “and the easier drastik is to use, the bigger the impact it can have on people’s lives.” In 2008, she began collaborating with Kendall Ho, md, Associate Dean of Medicine and Director of Continuing Medical Education at ubc, who is developing clinical practice guidelines that physicians can access with a pda. Combining Ho’s work with Barranco-Mendoza’s risk assessment system will give patients and physicians instant access to personalized assessment and prevention information. The success of drastik and the positive effect it could have on people’s lives is the result of more than 10 years of risk assessment research. “The ironic thing,” says Barranco-Mendoza, “is that I only took my first university computer science class as a filler because I thought it would be easy. Apparently, God had a very different plan for my life than I did.” CZ
campus chronicle
mal Meets Man in Motion
Canadian hero Rick Hansen shares perspective on strategic leadership at twu tudents in the master of Arts in Leadership (mal) program recently heard from guest lecturer Rick Hansen, who set out on his “Man in Motion Tour” almost 25 years ago. Hansen, who is ceo of the Rick Hansen Foundation, and is also heavily involved with conservation efforts focused on the Fraser River, spoke on strategic leadership and the vital role it has played in his career. “For the mal class on strategic leadership, I could think of no better guest than Rick to address this subject,” says Professor Paul Kariya, Ph.D., who coordinates the mal Non-Profit Leadership stream. “Whether he is talking about spinal cord research, saving salmon and sturgeon in the Fraser River, or supporting Aboriginal youth issues — all causes he works and lives to support — you know he is passionate and totally committed.” mal student Chris Moss says, “I have worked with adults with disabilities for
“whether he is talking about spinal cord research, saving salmon and sturgeon in the fraser river, or supporting aboriginal youth issues — all causes he works and lives to support — you know he is passionate and totally committed.” 14 years, so I work with a lot of people with spinal cord injuries. It’s so neat to see someone who is really driven with a vision to create something.” The mal program is a 25-month course for leaders who have completed an undergraduate degree and have three years of related experience. em
T W U p r o fes s o r Paul K a r i ya , Ph . d., with Rick H an s en , who s to p p ed by T W U to s p eak to K a r i ya’ s M al s tudent s .
t wu.c a / mag a z i n e 9
campus chronicle
Lives Well Lived
Barbara Pell, Ph.D.
april 2, 1945 - march 9, 2009 Barbara Pell, Professor of English, passed away on March 9, 2009, after a battle with cancer. Her fields of research were religion and Canadian literature, but her love was the classroom. She began teaching at twu in September 1985. With passion and energy, she instilled in her students an appreciation of literature, and an exactitude and enthusiasm for writing well. Pell excelled in her field, publishing major studies on Christian aspects of Canadian literature, co-founding the Conference on Christianity and Literature Study Group, and earning a respected place in the field of theological literary criticism. Her dedication to teaching was honoured in 2006 with the Kenneth R. Davis Distinguished Teaching Award, and in 2008 with the Leading Women’s Award in the category of Education, Training, and Development. Throughout her life she demonstrated the vision of a pioneering spirit through her Christian charity, leadership skills, and selfless dedication to her profession and her students. She will be greatly missed by the entire twu community. Read the National Association of University English Professors’ tribute to Barbara Pell in their September newsletter: accute.ca/newsletters.
10 trinity western | fall ’09
campus chronicle
David Dale Thompson july 4, 1947 - april 9, 2009
David Dale Thompson, known on campus by his nickname “Bad Boy,” passed away on April 9, 2009. David was diagnosed with cancer in the fall of 2007. He died peacefully after a full life of loving and serving his Lord. Whether he was on campus in his role as a twu staff member, or dressed up for church or a graduation service, David’s gregarious personality was constantly a blessing to those around him. His trademark, emphatic “baaad boy” greeting put a smile on people’s faces no matter what kind of a day they were having. David added life, personality, and character to the campus with his enthusiasm for others and his faith. He will be dearly missed by a host of friends, especially the faculty, staff, students, and alumni of Trinity Western University.
twu a r chive s
Alumni and staff share fond memories of Professor Barbara Pell and “Bad Boy” Dave Thompson: twu.ca/magazine.
t wu.c a / mag a z i n e 11
faculty folio
Sovereignty and Consolation
God is in control of our world and yet our hearts still yearn for something more. by Paul S. Rowe, ph.d.
I
n uncertain times, Christians often try to take refuge in their belief that God is sovereign. “He’s got the whole world in His hands,” goes the old spiritual. God is in control, so what have we to fear? I am not so sure that this is our best response. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that God isn’t in control, or denying that “all things work together for good for those who love God” (Romans 8:28). I do believe that God sees every sparrow fall and that God has a plan. But I think that in my own life, God’s sovereignty has been less comforting than God’s companionship. And if God’s companionship has been more efficacious in my own life, I suspect it would be more helpful in understanding how to deal with the bigger challenges that face us at the national and global levels — things like nuclear proliferation, global warming, economic crises, religious persecution, issues of war and peace, and the denial of basic human rights and freedoms. I study the Middle East, an area fraught with problems of theology and politics. It’s a place where the idea of God’s sovereignty is frequently abused. Divine sovereignty is a potent
12 trinity western | fall ’09
force in Muslim theology. The will of God is viewed as a sort of fate that is already written. You must simply surrender to the inexorable workings of the Divine plan, which is essentially inscrutable to mere mortals. One is reminded of this view in countless conversations. Will you come to visit me today? “Insha’allah, yes” — if God wills it, I will come. Will there be peace today? “Insha’allah.” But I’ve often found that Christians have the same general attitude, sometimes with a toxic twist. We adopt the attitude that God is sovereign and that there is a spiritual battle afoot, so we overlay that spiritual battle on the political fault lines of the world. Major political players become tools in the hands of either God or Satan, and the victory of one actor or another is seen as a setback of sorts for the Kingdom. Or perhaps we project God’s plan for the world onto the pages of history. It’s all going to burn anyway, so why worry about global warming, pollution, or the environment? God will take care of His elect, so why
faculty folio
worry about the ecoin my distress, i seek out the person of jesus, who distress. Instead, I seek out the pernomic downturn? The knows what it is like to go through difficulties‚ son of Jesus, who politics of the Middle knows what it is East will all end in who walks with me along the way‚ and who like to go through a massive battle at calls me not only his “servant‚” but his “friend.” such difficulties Armageddon, right? (Hebrews 4:15), So why work for peace? who walks with We shouldn’t worry me along the way about nuclear war on (Psalms 23:4), and who calls me not only his “servant,” but his the horizon — doesn’t Revelation tell us the earth will still be “friend” ( John 15:15). When I face the loss of people or imporaround to be annihilated in the end? Besides, aren’t such dire tant relationships, when I’m forced to deal with financial setconcerns really the purview of God? backs or the like, I’d far rather the open embrace of a friend To be honest, I have found that when than the cold comfort that it will all work out to God’s catastrophes have hit my own life, purposes in the end. the statement that “God is If that’s true for me personally, what might in control” — though it say for the “big” problems of the world? true — doesn’t help Perhaps it suggests that God, while soverme in my eign, wants to work with and through His children in the world. Perhaps it provides us with the confidence to know that God stands by all of us in our troubles and asks us to relate to one another as He does to us. This ministry of consolation is described in Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, where he says that Jesus “consoles us in all our afflictions, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God” (2 Corinthians 1:4). Let’s look upon global problems as opportunities to extend this ministry of consolation and let God’s sovereignty work its way out through us.
Paul Rowe i s an a s s ociate p r o fes s o r o f p olitical and inter national s tudies and coo r dinato r o f T r init y W es ter n ’ s Political and I nter national Studies p rog r am
t wu.c a / mag a z i n e 13
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faculty folio
Faculty Funding — News & Updates researchers regularly receive grants and scholarships toward their field of study. Here are just a few of the award winners:
twu
michael wilkinson, Ph.D., Associate Professor of
Sociology, is part of an interdisciplinary group of social scientists and theologians funded by the John Templeton Foundation to investigate scientific research on the experience and expression of divine love. The Foundation has awarded more than $2 million to the three-year project titled, The Flame of Love: Scientific Research on the Experience and Expression of Godly Love in the Pentecostal Tradition. Wilkinson has teamed up with Peter Althouse of Southeastern University in Florida, and their project, Charismatic Renewal as Mission: Godly Love and the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship’s Soaking Centers, was awarded $150,000.
dorothy peters, Ph.D., Adjunct Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, was awarded an $81,000 two-year postdoctoral fellowship from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (sshrc) for her research entitled, The Languages of Hospitality and Violence Concerning the Outsider: Multilingual Conversations in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Peters will examine the diverse ideologies expressed in the different languages of the Dead Sea Scrolls and how the attitudes of the communities of the Scrolls ranged from hospitality to violence. She will work in consultation with professors Martin Abegg, Ph.D. and Peter Flint,Ph.D.,directors of the Dead Sea Scrolls Institute at twu. Emily Lim, a graduate student in biblical studies and Peters’ research assistant, was awarded $5,000 for her participation.
rapid loss of native species and habitats to invasive species. Clements is studying the Garry oak meadows at twu’s Crow’s Nest Ecological Research Area (cnera) which, like most remnant Garry oak meadows, is dominated by invasive non-native grasses and is heavily grazed by deer. The research promises to develop restoration techniques for areas where deer populations, in combination with alien grasses, threaten to overwhelm rare plants and other organisms, like the endangered Propertius duskywing butterfly, which Clements monitors at cnera.
Graduate Scholarship Recipients amanda edworthy, received a $17,500 nserc Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship Master’s award to pursue an MSc Her research project is part of a 15-year study of cavity-nesting birds and mammals in bc’s Interior. Cavity-nesting species depend on holes in trees for nesting and shelter. Interior bc is a biodiversity hot-spot for cavitynesters, with more than 30 species including Northern SawWhet Owls, Mountain Bluebirds, Northern Flickers, and Flying Squirrels. In this study, Edworthy will track changes in cavities and connect these changes to bird population dynamics and nest success.
katelyn fister, received a $17,500 Canadian Institutes of Health Research (cihr) Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarship Master’s award to study treatments for people suffering from both substance use disorders and psychological trauma. While substance abuse and psychological trauma are closely linked, most substance abuse treatment programs treat the drug addiction alone, failing to address the trauma that is at its root. Fister is searching for ways to develop and implement an integrative david clements, Ph.D., Professor of Biology, was awarded treatment program that simultaneously addresses both the substance use disorder and the underlying psychological a $17,000 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research trauma. Her work could help government and community Counsel of Canada (nserc) Discovery Grant. Throughout Canada, environmentalists are raising alarm over the potentially agencies develop more effective treatment programs.
did you know? · In 2008, TWU was granted status in the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS), which comprises the major universities in Canada offering post baccalaureate degrees. Membership allows TWU to collaborate on research and share information with other graduate schools. Benefits include access to statistical information regarding graduate enrolment, programs, trends, and marketing strategies at universities across Canada, and superior reports and academic publications generated by CAGS. With this invaluable information, TWU anticipates continued positive progress in the enrolment and administration of TWU Graduate Studies. · TWU recently joined Canada’s oldest and most distinguished association of scientists and scholars. Founded in 1882 by the Marquess of Lorne who was then the Governor General, the Royal Society of Canada is dedicated to encouraging education and the advancement of knowledge in the natural and social sciences and humanities.
t wu.c a / mag a z i n e 15
16
the u p p er level s o f building s like thi s flamboyant y deco r ated one in the hea r t o f bombay ' s r ed light di s t r ict s er ve a s br othel s . the y a r e t y p ically filled with gir l s who will s er vice u p wa r ds o f ten cu s tomer s p er night.
text and photos by brian bevilacqua ’03
encounters with slavery, human trafficking, and injustice on the streets of mumbai
he girls look young. They arrive in a flurry of jewellery and bright lipstick, with fresh faces framed by long dark hair. Sleek, glittering saris are draped over their pale brown skin. They congregate around a mirrored pole in the middle of the floor. It’s a dance floor, but nobody is dancing. Handfuls of men, some in groups and some alone, sit around the perimeter, plopped down on low-rise couches, facing inwards, staring. Cash flows freely from the men’s hands and the girls collect it, exchanging conversation for money. Right beside me, a bar attendant bizarrely showers a thick stack of ten rupee notes on one of the girls, like something out of a bad hip hop music video. Two weeks haven’t yet passed since I stepped off an airplane into this teeming megacity. I’m here to work with an ngo called International Justice Mission. ijm rescues and rehabilitates girls who have been trafficked, exploited, and forced into prostitution — girls like these, maybe. But I’m not at the dance bar tonight because of ijm. I’ve been brought here unexpectedly by three local guys I’ve met recently in the neighbourhood. We’re sitting on a low couch. Every so often I catch one of the girls’ dark eyes. Some of them regard me with
mildly curious expressions — this bar is in the suburbs and doesn’t get many foreign visitors. Their faces display slightly more animation than the scared, blank faces I’ve seen in the footage of trafficked and exploited victims. I hope that these girls are here of their own free will. But I notice that several of the girls are remarkably faircomplexioned and bear different facial features — they’re Nepali. I’ve done enough homework on human trafficking in this city to know that Nepali girls who end up here don’t often come voluntarily. The Bollywood beats are thumping so loudly I can hardly hear my acquaintance ask if I want a beer. Seemingly on cue, a rat dashes across the floor on the far side of the room, completing the scene. I’m nervous, so I casually glance around to pick out the exits — just in case. Thick steel grating covers each curtained window. I pray that if one of the bar goons asks my acquaintances who their foreign friend is, they won’t inadvertently mention that I work for an organization whose name has just been in the local newspapers in connection with police raids at places like this one. I’m unable to relax until my companions finally rise to go. We head out into the warm night, and I learn that one of the guys in our group has a new contact in his mobile phone. t wu.c a / mag a z i n e 17
women hover a round a doo r way on g r ant road, one o f the p r ima ry tho r ough fa r es in mumbai' s r ed light di s t r ict. M o s t p r o s titu tion in mumbai goes on behind the doo r s o f br othel s and dance ba r s , but g r ant r oad i s one o f the few p laces wher e s e x can be bought o p enly on the s t r eet.
statements kept on file in the ijm office. Every girl rescued from commercial sexual exploitation has a story uniquely hers, yet common themes run through each one: crippling poverty, broken trust, abuse, and violence. The suffering I read about is barely believable. I learn of the diseases that the rescued girls contracted during their enslavement. In one case, I read about a girl who was forced to continue servicing customers in the face of grievously deteriorating health until she was barely conscious. I read about the threats and verbal battering heaped on the girls by their oppressors, intended to extinguish any shred of hope or self-esteem to which the girls might cling. I listen to the ijm social workers talk about girls who have been rescued from the horror of forced prostitution but still cut themselves or attempt suicide. My salvation from depression lies in stories of incredible hope and justice. I meet one young woman, for example,
persistent battling in the courts has paid off. It may be a small victory, but it’s another baby step towards a healthier public justice system that protects the vulnerable. I’ve been in the country nearly five months now, and I’m sitting outside a brothel in the back of an suv, with camera in hand. I’ve been waiting for hours. Suddenly, it comes — the signal that everyone has been anticipating. It’s show time. Police officers and ijm rescue workers pour from nearby vehicles and alleys, from the cracks between the buildings, rushing into the brothel with quick and quiet steps. A small crowd of onlookers gathers, but thankfully no mobs form — not this time. Minutes that seem like hours pass. I learn that I will not be allowed to leave the vehicle to gather photographs of the scene or document the operation, in case my foreign presence attracts any unwanted attention. I wait.
Every girl rescued from commercial sexual exploitation has a story uniquely hers, yet common themes run through each one: crippling poverty, broken trust, abuse, and violence. who was kidnapped and trafficked, spent months confined in a brothel where she contracted hiv, escaped, worked with ijm to have her former oppressor arrested, My job here is to document ijm’s work and now works full-time with ijm rehabilitating other girls who have been in a city where an estimated 100,000 trafficked and abused. I’m inspired by my sex workers — more than 30 per cent colleagues, too. ijm’s lawyers are but one of them children — reside. I can still example. They work tirelessly with the remember, as a fresh twu graduate, authorities to prosecute the pimps and learning about human trafficking and traffickers who prey on young girls, modern-day slavery for the first time in books and magazines. Now I’m looking at acting in the courts as a voice for the voiceless. They’re not afraid to sacrifice the scourge up close. The often cited “27 personal safety. million people living in slavery” statistic One day, I arrive at work and the isn’t just a statistic anymore, because I’m lawyers announce that a brothel keeper seeing some of the faces behind it. In search of story details, I find myself arrested three years ago has just been slapped with a hefty jail sentence. Their sifting through heartbreaking victim The others explain to me that he’ll probably rendezvous with his girl of choice at a nearby hotel later that night.
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Finally, several young women emerge from the brothel. They are accompanied by ijm social workers. Almost as quickly as they’ve appeared, they are out of sight again, safely in vehicles. These girls have just been rescued from a brothel where, it is later confirmed, they were confined in prison-like conditions, verbally abused, incessantly beaten, and forced daily and nightly to have sex with up to more than 20 strange men for a few dollars each. Their pimp kept all their earnings. Today, the pimp is packed off in a police vehicle. It has been a successful operation. Careful planning has prevented tip-offs. Several girls have been rescued by police, and a particularly brutal perpetrator has been arrested.
Fr om the window o f a ta x i , s e x wo r ker s can be s een on g r ant road even in the a f ter noon .
Enclosed within a wooded compound, tucked away from the swarming city streets, the safe house is an oasis of peace in a sea of insanity. It’s a bright, cheery place. Its walls are covered by vibrant murals left by a team of American volunteers. I am greeted by one smiling young trafficking survivor as I arrive with the ijm staff. Walking up the steps, I reflect on the dismal condition of an overcrowded, chaotic, understaffed, and probably underfunded safe house that I visited previously. Comparatively speaking, the girls I’m with today are the lucky ones. The girls have been practicing songs and dance routines. They are eager to please the guests; they exude satisfaction Thirty-plus teenage girls are excited today. They won’t have to service customers, when we applaud. They dance, they laugh, they bicker, and they chat — they’re nor will they be beaten. Actually, these typical teenage girls. Yet they’ve endured girls haven’t had to service customers for months. They live in a privately-operated so much. My mind drifts again, this time to thoughts of the greedy eyes that may safe house, and today my colleagues, the once have watched some of these kids ijm social workers, are throwing a party do different kinds of dancing in the bars for them.
A few weeks later I’m riding back from a train station near the red light district. I’m in the back of a minibus with a trusted local friend, recounting the story of this rescue. Many locals I’ve spoken with have no hope for trafficked women, but my friend is keenly interested in the issue. “So many women and girls are tricked or kidnapped and brought into the flesh trade here,” he says, telling me that he knows about the problem. “They are locked in rooms, beaten, and starved.” He becomes visibly riled as he is talking. “They are treated like animals. It is a disgrace to our society.” I nod my head. It is a disgrace to humanity.
and brothels. At the safe house they can dance purely for fun. They can also study. Some of the girls do computer training, jewellery-making, or catering, gaining valuable job skills that they can use to sustain themselves one day. I know full well that the uphill road of rehabilitation is long and difficult after such severe abuse. Many rescued victims don’t make it; many return to the sex trade of their own volition. The girls I see still have so far to come. I watch them smile and giggle, and I pray hard that some of them will find wholeness. If they only knew that the lights in their eyes are bright enough to drown out all the lights in all the dance bars in the city. T W U alumnu s B rian B evilac qua i s a C ommunication s Fellow cu r r ently wo r king with the human r ight s agenc y I nter national J u s tice M i s s ion .
Browse alumnus Brian Bevilacqua’s striking photos of India: twu.ca/ magazine.
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healing hands Rigorous training and thoughtful compassion converge in twu’s new School of Nursing by Wendy Delamont Lees illustration by Andrea Smith
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H eathe r M y e r ho f f
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H eathe r M y e r ho f f
D A R L A N E PA N K R AT Z
H eathe r M y e r ho f f
D A R L A N E PA N K R AT Z
In the children’s ward at the Salvation Army Hospital at Chikankata Mission in rural Zambia, a five-year-old burn victim cries in pain as his wound dressing is changed. Around an old iron bed in the sparsely furnished ward, several twu nursing students blow bubbles and sing silly songs to help take his mind off his discomfort. The boy’s eyes wrinkle at the corners, his tears stop, and his mouth curves into a smile. Soon, he’s laughing at the antics of the strangers from Canada. istraction or play therapy is often used in conjunction with pharmaceutical treatments for pain management in North America. But in Zambia, where resources — including pain medications — are scarce, the technique proved a valuable tool for the group of 19 students who, along with assistant professors, Heather Meyerhoff, msn, and Darlane Pankratz, msn, were able to demonstrate its effectiveness to Zambian nursing students during their travel study trip to the country last May. For third-year nursing student, Kelly Schooten, the threeweek Transcultural Nursing course was an incredible opportunity. “I learned a great deal about community development, stewardship of resources, and joy in serving the Lord,” she
twu’s nursing program is the only faith-based nursing program in canada. says. “Because of the shortage of pain medication, I saw the value of distraction techniques and other comfort measures for my patients.” In addition to serving at the hospital, the students assisted in rural areas, where they helped with immunization clinics, and facilitated educational clinics on hiv/aids, malaria, tuberculosis, simple first-aid, and pre- and neo-natal care. A number volunteered at Muka Buumi Clinic — Chikankata’s
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hiv/aids outpatient clinic. “Students saw people of all ages and backgrounds — young children, mothers, the elderly — lined up all day for treatment and counseling,” says Meyerhoff. In many countries, including Zambia, there is a stigma attached to hiv/aids patients, so that, says Pankratz, “They receive only the most basic care. But we teach our students to regard each human being as God’s creation, and make a covenant to care for patients — mind, body, and spirit — as Jesus would.” That spiritual aspect of care was illustrated at Chikankata Hospital when the students held a small birthday party for Anister, a dying 21-year-old hiv/aids patient. The fragile young woman — who once dreamed of becoming a nurse herself — lay on threadbare hospital sheets, wearing an oxygen tube. She asked the students to sing “Blessed Be Your Name.” Fighting tears, they complied; most of them were the same age as she. “During the week our students asked Anister about her dreams, prayed with her, and laughed with her. That’s an example of covenantal care,” says Pankratz.
God’s School Since its inception in 1993, twu’s nursing program has turned out well-rounded, caring graduates — highly sought after by employers. And now, 16 years of dedication, hard work, and prayers have culminated in the renowned program officially becoming the School of Nursing. “This is the Lord’s school,” says the new dean of the School, Landa Terblanche, Ph.D., “and the fulfillment of the longterm dream of many people. The School now houses twu’s undergraduate and graduate nursing degrees, with several Ph.D.-prepared faculty who teach at both levels.”
Spiritual Care Along with its new status, the School launched its distinctive Master of Science in Nursing (msn) degree in August, with 22 exceptional nurses — including a recent twu grad — enrolled for the inaugural semester. The program emphasizes spiritual-intellectual integration; offers a mixed-delivery format — two campus-based courses followed by online-delivery of the remaining courses; and includes a one-week health policy course at twu’s Laurentian Leadership Centre in Ottawa. “twu’s nursing program is the only faith-based program in Canada,” says Sheryl Reimer-Kirkham, Associate Professor and recipient of a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (sshrc) grant to examine the role of spirituality in today’s health care system. “Students are encouraged to
students are encouraged to integrate all aspects of faith with their nursing studies for a truly transformative life experience. integrate all aspects of faith with their studies for a truly transformative life experience.” Exciting programs — like the new msn and travel study courses — coupled with the sense of community and vision for excellence in education and scholarship, draw not only quality students, but also top-notch faculty members to the University. “Faculty members often feel a sense of calling to this place — that there’s something they can uniquely contribute at this point in the University’s history,” says Associate Professor, Sonya Grypma, Ph.D. “Having a common foundation of faith with colleagues and students is highly unusual and incredibly inspiring.” In addition to quality instruction, students benefit from early clinical placements — typically in the second semester of the first year — through which they gain valuable, hands-on experience in a number of settings, from hospitals to schools, to an innovative opportunity with the Kwantlen First Nation Reserve. These early placements result in students who are confident in a variety of clinical settings. “Employers of our graduates often say, ‘I don’t know what you’re doing at twu, but whatever it is, keep doing it,’” says Terblanche. “With our small class sizes, we’re able to focus on students. We want to ensure they receive not only the best instruction, but also the best clinical placements.”
In the first of two rooms set up for a Widow’s Tea, students serve tea and scones to a Zambian woman burdened by the loss of her spouse. In the second, a student soaks and massages another woman’s cracked, calloused feet and hands, then paints her fingernails bright red. At another station, several more women listen intently as students teach on hypertension, diabetes, and stress-management. In all, 27 women from the Naomi Group — a community support group for widows — participated. “What we prepared was pretty simple,” says Meyerhoff, “but these women were incredibly grateful for it. At the end, many of them shared with us that they felt loved in a way they hadn’t since the loss of their husbands. The connection between the young nursing students and these older women crossed cultures and generations in a profound way.” hiv/aids has made widows of many Zambian women who are often left to care for children not their own. “One grandmother might be responsible for 10 to 12 grandchildren or more,” Meyerhoff says. “We wanted to bless these widows, who have no one to care for them.” For Schooten, it was an opportunity to serve more than tea and scones. “I sang, washed feet, painted toe nails, giggled, encouraged, prayed, and celebrated with the most incredible women I’ve ever met,” she says. No student remains unchanged after an experience such as this. “Transformational learning occurs during these travel studies,” says Pankratz. “The many challenges like living in close community with other students, practicing team building and leadership skills, grasping how the essence of nursing can still exist when supplies are almost non-existent, and managing the visible and audible sounds of death and loss, penetrate deep into the students’ ethical and spiritual being. The learning opportunity isn’t limited to the hours spent in the hospital or community — it’s in the lived experience, walking alongside a
having a common foundation of faith with colleagues and students is highly unusual and incredibly inspiring. people group who demonstrate courage and resiliency in the midst of minimal resources and great challenges.” Through unique experiences — in classrooms, clinical placements, and international settings — twu’s nursing students learn more than just excellent nursing skills. “We teach covenantal care,” says Terblanche. “That’s our philosophy — and our privilege.”
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ection n n o c age OF e h t n i ’9 5 g n c ti e Mussolum n in r n E o y b c Dis
Ms. X* glances at her incoming text messages trying not to look distracted while she shares her story. The twu alumna has two cell phones, four email addresses, and accounts with Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. She has received more than 740 dms (direct messages) on her Twitter account and has “tweeted” over 3670 times.
Tweeting daily about everything from her lunch choices, concerts, and evening activities to mundane work experiences, she maintains a loyal following by updating content frequently and responding to devotees’ updates. She has over 350 friends on Facebook and has been known to update her status hourly. Sleeping with her mobile device of choice, she is ready for any notification, and admits to waking up to “tweets” even before her alarm rings. Social media like Facebook and Twitter are fundamentally changing how we communicate and could also be subtly changing our behaviour. Devices for communication have steadily morphed since the early petroglyphs, the sealed message delivered on horseback, carrier pigeons, the stamped letter, the telegram, the fax, and even the email message. Now, with the aid of text messaging such as sms, ems, mms, Tweets, and other tools of social media, we are able to instantly communicate with each other. But is this a good thing? Is all this stimulation and instant response satisfying our needs or is it creating anxiety and addiction? Is this desire for connection spotlighting a deeper need — an insatiable longing for belonging? Are we becoming lonelier in the process? Although twu Associate Professor of Philosophy, Robert Doede, Ph.D., has a cell phone, he doesn’t know how to work *name changed to protect identity.
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T W U A s s o c i at e P ro fes s o r o f P h ilos o p h y, R o ber t D o ed e, P h . D., en c o u r ag es m ed i a a b s t i n en c e i n h i s P h ilos o p h y 210 c l a s s .
these sites constantly. I ask myself why I need this, and I don’t have answers.” When she does unplug, she admits to experiencing peace yet craves the stimulation that goes with being “plugged” in. “When I turn my cell phone back on, I have to know what I missed. It’s obsessive. I can admit that, but I like it.” Each spring semester, Doede puts social media, or media addiction for that matter, to the test. For a five per cent bonus, his Philosophy 210 students can participate in a media fast for the entire semester. Their challenge? To abstain from all social and traditional media throughout the three-month semester and journal about their experiences. Only the strong succeed, giving up things like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, video
“Any technology does something for us but it also does something to us. Often what it does for us is the most apparent and obvious. But what it does to us is covert, insidious, and easy to ignore.” TWU Associate Professor of Philosophy, Robert Doede, Ph.D.
MI K E R AT H J EN ‘ 0 4
it all that well, and struggles to remember his own number. A proponent of being off the grid as much as possible, he has a deep respect for the power technology can have over its user. He says, “Any technology does something for us but it also does something to us. Often what it does for us is the most apparent and obvious. But what it does to us is covert, insidious, and easy to ignore.” One can’t ignore the explosion of social media networking sites. The ability to connect to these sites with portable devices like iPhones and Blackberries makes it possible to be on the grid 100 per cent of the time. Today you can be vacationing with your family or sharing a meal and at the same time be sharing every sight-see and swallow with the “Twitterverse.” Social media users today are drawn to two sites in particular: Twitter and Facebook. Twitter entices its users by merely asking, “What are you doing?” Users must then “tweet” their response in no more than 140 characters. Facebook, on the other hand, is a gigantic, ever-evolving, moving, breathing, and living yearbook, phonebook, and photo album rolled into one technological entity. While these two sites are popular with social media users now, new sites will continually emerge, keeping up to the demand set by early adopters. But what motivates us to want to share our intimate experiences with the entire world? Author Hal Niedzviecki, in his book titled, The Peep Diaries, explains the reasons for the popularity of social media and why our desire to “peep” into each other’s lives is so strong. He writes, “From all these overlapping studies and theories we can conclude the following: there are two prevailing interconnected reasons why individuals do peep. There’s the seemingly virtuous search for connection and shared meaning, and the more vicious, pop-fueled desire for attention and recognition.” twu Associate Professor of Psychology, Phillip Laird, Ph.D., echoes this notion. “Why do we need to be known? It’s for a sense of personal validation. People need to feel that their life has meaning. Having a site where they can project that to others and receive validation from others’ comments helps accomplish that.” The problem Laird sees with technology is that, “It is not neutral, it creates. It changes business practices and as a result, it changes us. There is a reciprocally deterministic relationship between the two.” For Doede, the danger of technology is more than the way it changes us, but the way it changes us without our really knowing. Ms. X is an outgoing, poised, and confident woman. But beneath this exterior, she struggles with social media addiction. She says, “It started out as fun but now it feels a bit scary. I feel controlled and addicted to it, but I don’t know how to stop. I have a busy family and social life, and a solid and engaging career, but I’m driven to engage and connect with others on
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games, television, and movies. Doede says that out of a typical class of 35, only about 12 seek the challenge, and by the end of the semester only four to six are still standing. Hannah Jenkins, a 21-year-old English and communications double major, took Doede up on his challenge. Like her peers, she was a big user of Facebook. When asked about the potential of a media fast, Jenkins says, “I really wanted to do it. I had my own feelings about Facebook, including some negative things, especially when seeing how much time it was taking up. I’d log-on with the intention of writing one message but then end up looking at other people’s pages and before long rabbit trailing.” In one of her journal entries she writes, “Facebook and meaningless television (which is not all television) owe a huge percentage of their success to people being dissatisfied with their lives. In our modern brilliance, we have invented ways to avoid our shortcomings instead of looking them in the eye and overcoming them. Screens offer an escape from reality but for so many people they become the reality, and the inadequacies from which they were trying to escape simply mount higher.” Doede says that students partaking in the fast share in
MIKE RAT H J EN ‘ 0 4
H a n n a h J en k i n s f o u n d t h at g i v i n g u p Fac ebo o k d u r i n g a m ed i a fa s t wa s d i ffi cu lt.
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“The deepest loneliness is a loneliness that is unaware of itself — it has become satisfied with a thin degree of communion.” TWU Associate Professor of Philosophy, Robert Doede, Ph.D.
their journals that, as they abstain from media, their anxiety decreases, they have more time, their shopping habits change, they lose weight, and their grade point average often improves. The correlation between attention and anxiety is where Doede sees just how these sites are damaging. “Attention is something that diminishes as technologies place more demands on our time in terms of information access. Our media culture exposes us to an over-abundance of information. We have so much we can’t attentively linger on anything or carefully access anything for long without feeling like we are losing out on something else,” says Doede. “This incessant sense of always being behind on the available data creates a subtle yet pervasive anxiety, tempting us to become rapid-fire and machine-like in as many domains of our life as possible.” In addition to creating anxiety, these sites may actually add to the loneliness they seem designed to alleviate. Doede explains, “For people who are addicted to this level of superficial connection, they intensify their loneliness because it’s never enough. The deepest loneliness is a loneliness that is unaware of itself — it has become satisfied with a thin degree of communion.” When asked if social media makes her lonelier, Ms. X pauses. “I don’t think I’m lonely. Maybe on some level, the more attention I receive the more I crave. I know when I don’t receive attention, I get anxious. Maybe there is an element of loneliness to that or something deeper.” Doede predicts that social networking sites will become more sophisticated and morph into new forms of social mediation that will entice us to keep up with their increasingly inhumane pace. Since her media fast, Jenkins has made major changes to how she uses her account on Facebook. Today she doesn’t have a “wall,” she has privacy settings that allow only her friends to view her photos, and she has deleted over 400 peripheral “friends,” opting to keep only those friends with whom she has meaningful relationships. Her three-month abstinence from Facebook produced a less stressful life and she ended up reading more instead of surfing aimlessly on the site. Ms. X continues to update and tweet but says, “I have to make changes soon. I feel like I’m on a collision course. I keep asking whether this is how I want to spend my free time. I am feeling more convicted to choose to spend it with real people in the physical world instead of having relationships with… text, really.” Are you a media addict? Take the TW quiz to find out: twu.ca/magazine.
Partnerships
Face 2 Face
President’s Scholarship recipients share about their twu experience president’s scholarship
The President’s Scholarship is a $6,000 per year scholarship reserved for students with a GPA of 4.01 or higher. This scholarship is supported by the Trinity Western Fund, which also supports the Provost’s Scholarship, the Dean’s Scholarship, the TWU Award, and financial aid programs for students of all abilities. The Fund relies on donations from people who understand the importance of providing quality Christian university education. To find out more, or to contribute to the Fund, go to twu.ca/giving or call our Development Office at 604.513.2029.
Johann It was an important factor in my decision to attend twu. Scholarships lightened the financial pressure of school and allowed me to focus on my studies.
what made you decide to come to twu? Jessica I came here to study at a school that had a great reputation for nursing, and the program has totally lived up to that reputation. Also, I liked the idea of nursing taught from a Christian viewpoint. Now that I’m here, I’ve found that this means we can discuss issues from more perspectives; there’s a safe environment for open discussion. Johann twu’s faith-based environment — and the community it creates within the campus — was the largest factor in my decision to attend. I wanted to attend a university where I could receive an outstanding quality of education in an atmosphere where God is glorified and faith in Jesus Christ is celebrated.
what’s a memorable experience you’ve had at twu? Jessica Giving a needle for the first time. I was really nervous and afraid I’d pass out. Johann Fort Week. There’s a different competition every night, from tug-of-war to sock wars—where you have to get the other teams’ socks off. You can really feel the twu campus atmosphere.
why did you choose your major? Jessica Nursing is such a direct way to help people and to see the immediate improvement you make on their lives. My experiences working as a care aid for the elderly, and volunteering in an emergency department have really confirmed to me that this is what I want to do. Johann I just transferred to the human kinetics (hkin) program this semester. I took a few hkin classes last year, and it was the first time that learning didn’t feel like learning. When I entered university my motivation for choosing a program was to do what I should do; now it’s to do what I love to do. how did this scholarship impact you? Jessica It was encouraging to know that someone had noticed the hard work I’d put into my studies. Also, the scholarship motivates me to keep my grades up so that I qualify every year.
what’s your favourite part of the school day? Jessica My classes. In our small nursing department, a class is more than sitting at a desk and listening to a lecture. It’s a chance to get together with the rest of the close-knit community of nursing students and professors. Johann I know I should say my classes because my profs are knowledgeable and anything but boring, but to be honest, my best part of the day is taking a break with friends or going to the gym.
what are your plans for the future? Jessica I once visited orphan homes during a trip to Moldova. I really want to return there as a trained nurse to help and love the kids in those homes. Johann I would love to someday work as a strength and conditioning coach for a professional sports team.
J es s ica Vander E y k s eco n d -year N urs in g
J ohann W indt s eco n d -year Human Kin etic s
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Partnerships
SCOT T STE WA RT
H O C K E Y L EG EN DS P E T ER M A H OV L I C H A N D M A R C EL D I O N N E
This year’s tournament, held May 15 in Coquitlam, bc, raised more than $336,000. The tournament and banquet featured four keynote speakers: women’s tennis legend, Monica Seles, and nhl greats, Pat Quinn, Peter Mahovlich, and Marcel Dionne. A silent auction boasted items such as signed jerseys from Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Bobby Hull, Sidney Crosby, and Roberto Luongo. The tournament’s title sponsor, WirelessWave, Canada’s largest retailer of Rogers products, has partnered with twu for the past five years to put on a great event with great prizes. Other corporate sponsors of this year’s event included Glentel Inc., Samsung, Bell, Rogers Wireless, lg Electronics, rim Blackberry, Gentec, Virgin Mobile, Blu Marketing, Nokia, Bosa Properties Inc., and Vtech. Why the Spartans care about golf twu President, Jonathan Raymond, Ph.D., who participated in the event, said, “This golf tournament is a great blessing at Trinity Western University. Better said, the golfers and all the the spartans women’s soccer team erupts with committed volunteers that make this tournament successful are a excitement when Kayla Dilling’s header hits the back of the great blessing. The scholarships funded by the tournament make net — the goal that will make them the Canadian champions. it possible for the University to attract terrific student athletes year Phones ring when men’s basketball forward Jacob Doerksen after year who bring honour and recognition to twu, Canada’s is named cis Player of the Year on March 12 and again, 11 days later, as women’s soccer striker Nikki Wright is named bc most remarkable university.” Something else that made this year’s tournament memorable: University Athlete of the Year. Two months later, a golf ball drops it poured rain for most of the day, proving that Spartans supportquietly into hole 16 at the Westwood Plateau Golf and Country ers are determined to fight for their team in any weather. So the Club; this too is another electrifying victory for the Spartans. So why do the Spartans care about golf? Over the last 15 years, next time a Spartans’ game raises you to your feet, remember the the Trinity Western University Spartans Golf Tournament has raised bigger team effort — the one that extends off the court or the field more than $1.3 million toward twu student-athlete scholarships to include a multitude of staff, corporate sponsors, and some very dedicated, and occasionally wet, golfers. CZ and the Spartan Athletics’ Complete Champion Approach™.
The Bigger Team
federal upgrade $2.6m funding boosts campus infrastructure
O
n August 17, Member of Parliament Mark Warawa visited campus to present twu with a cheque for over $2.6 million of federal government funding. twu received $298,000 to renovate the Norma Marion Alloway Library, $661,000 to upgrade it and communications systems on campus, and $1.65 million to expand the J.G. Neufeld Science Centre to make room for new laboratories and classrooms. At the announcement, Warawa said that this funding “means researchers will have the tools to be global leaders and be able to pursue world-class excellence.” 28 trinity western | fall ’09
twu President, Jonathan Raymond, Ph.D., said, “This underscores yet another form of partnership and the importance of partnering outside of the University to connect and have an impact on the world. We are moving forward very intentionally, developing the strategic thinking and planning that is taking the University to this next level.” The funding is provided through the Knowledge Infrastructure Program (kip), a two-year, $2 billion economic stimulus measure to support infrastructure enhancement at Canadian postsecondary institutions. The program requires matching funds from the recipient institution, and twu has a strategy
in place to acquire matching funds as per Industry Canada guidelines. CZ
For more details on the infrastructure upgrade, visit twu.ca/news.
Partnerships
Alpha-Babbitt
CHRIS EL ANDER
Choosing twu is as simple as abc (defgh) for “Alphabet Family”
sk six different people where they’d like to go to school and you might expect six different answers. But for the Babbitt siblings, there was only one: Trinity Western. Dubbed the “alphabet family” by their parents, Anna and Bruce, the Babbitt graduates include David (’70), Chrysanna (’73), Elizabeth (’76), Faith (’76), Gordon (’78), and Heidi (’82). Three of Anna and Bruce’s grandchildren are also twu alumni: David’s children, Rilla (’04) and Jonathan (’08), and Elizabeth’s daughter, Allyson (’08). David, was the first Babbitt to attend the then Trinity Junior College. He initially visited the campus as a high school freshman after the family heard of the fledgling school through former faculty member, Don Jenkins. “As a reminder, my parents kept a postcard, with a picture of the tjc insignia painted on the barnasium floor, tacked on our bulletin board.”
Bruce, who passed away in 2000, and Anna encouraged their children to attend for two reasons: tjc was a Christian liberal arts college, and it was an institution with strong evangelical roots. “Our goal was that our children would have a Christ-centered education during those critical years of their lives,” says Anna. In 1990, the couple established a Living Trust — an arrangement under which a trustee holds legal title to property for a beneficiary, or beneficiaries. “Together with our children, we named four organizations that had had a positive influence in their lives,” she says. “One of those organizations was Trinity Western University.” The school had such a positive impact on David that, in addition to sending his own children here, he has returned for four homecomings and three class reunions. Some of his favourite memories include spontaneous hootenannies, the
our goal was that our children would have a Christ-centered education during those critical years of their lives. home-cooked meals served by original cafeteria chefs, Mr. and Mrs. Jenstad, and practising tennis in the barnasium. While many things have changed over the years, the school’s heart and mission remain the same. “twu is a great place; I loved my time on campus,” says Jonathan, who currently works with twu’s it team. “I had great mentors, and I’m thankful for that.” WDL
the great-west life spirit of christmas The first weekend in December 2009 will be the fourth year that twu invites the public to the Langley campus to celebrate the GreatWest Life Spirit of Christmas. Over the past three years the event has featured a wide variety of family activities — such as concerts by talented local and international artists, a children’s activity centre, carol singing, an outdoor theatrical presentation, and a petting zoo. Likewise, this year promises not to disappoint. Find out what this year’s Spirit of Christmas has to offer at twu.ca/christmas.
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athletics
Hand up for Olympians
Assistant Professor Deanna Schick, Ph.D. (cand.), represents Canadian Athletic Therapists at 2010 Olympic Games by erin mussolum ’95
H
er title sounds simple enough — Supervisor of Athletic Therapy — but Deanna Schick’s job at the 2010 Olympic Games is anything but common. While Vancouver welcomes the world at the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Schick will have her hands full representing all Canadian Athletic Therapists. The work is well underway for the twu Assistant Professor of Human Kinetics. In preparation for the Games, Schick has been active in the planning process: helping to decide how many therapists should be at each venue and what qualifications they should have, scheduling, and even placing people into positions. But the real work of her role will ignite with the torch as she manages the athletic therapists, trouble shoots, and guides her team in responding to new injury assessments and to accidents. For Schick, the tough work and hectic pace of her role are all worth it. She says, “It is very rewarding to be part of an athlete’s experience in reaching his or her potential. To see them achieve and perform is very satisfying.” This is the second time that Schick has seen the Olympic rings from an inside perspective. In 2008, she was part of the core medical team for Canada at the Paralympics. Schick recalls her Beijng experience saying, “Walking into a stadium packed with thousands of fans and wearing Canadian red and white was pretty amazing. Everyone loves Canadians and so the crowd just went wild.” Schick has a long history of working in sport. She has been involved with vanoc since 2006, was part of the 2001, 2005, and 2009 Maccabiah Games in Israel, the iaaf World the real work of her role will Track and Field Championships ignite with the torch. in 2001, and worked with the Canadian Under -22 National Women’s Hockey Team for the 2000/01 season. Since moving to British Columbia, she has been involved extensively in rugby and has worked at the local, provincial, and national level with Rugby Canada. When asked what advice she has for those interested in this type of career, Schick says, “Be prepared for a lot of work, crazy hours, unpredictability, and plenty of challenges. In the world of sport, no two days are the same and you have to be okay with that. Also, as a student, don’t narrow your scope of expertise (one sport, or clinic only). Experience as many different aspects as you can — contact T W U A s s i s tant P ro fes s o r o f H uman K inetic s , vs. non-contact sports, male vs. female, outdoor vs. indoor. In the future these D eanna Schick , will be the Su p er vi s o r o f experiences will make you a well-rounded therapist.” Athletic T her a p y at the 2 010 O ly m p ic G ames .
30 trinity western | fall ’09
twu Alumni
Family Matters life never stops teaching us lessons. As a new father, I have learned so much from my two-
year-old daughter, Jaeda. I can’t wait to get home each day to see her, and hear about the new things she did and said that day. To her, life consists of her mom and dad. One day, she will understand that she has a whole world of resources and a community of people to draw on when she needs a hand. I can’t help but think that the twu alumni family is like that. Some of us feel disconnected as we leave the twu community — one more graduate, left to deal with life on our own. But we are not on our own. We are a massive family with more than 20,000 members located in 86 countries around the world. We have a variety of skills and talents, we work in varying industries, and we can be there for one another. So use the resources available to you. In an age when networks are so easily accessible, consider your twu network. Get connected with the twu Alumni Facebook group, find resources on LinkedIn, and send in updates to twu.ca/alumni. If you have a need, remember that you are a twu alumnus, and take advantage of the family to which you belong. We are stronger together. Blessings,
Dave Swan ’95 Director of Alumni Relations
the twu global community 21,000 alumni located in 86 countries around the world
t wu.c a / mag a z i n e 31
For your final graduation gift,
contact aLuMni relations alumni@twu.ca ⁄⁄ 1.800.463.5419 ⁄⁄ twu.ca/alumni
twu Alumni
recent alumni events
TWU Career Fair february 2, 2009 The 2009 Career Fair held at TWU featured 46 exhibitors (double the number from last year) and more than 200 job-seekers.
upcoming events november 13 TWU Campus alumni weekend & five-year reunion for class of 2004 Return to TWU for a chance to see the campus, connect with former classmates, and cheer on the Spartans in the CIS Men’s Soccer Nationals.
november 18
TWU Alumni Hall
lower mainland re-unite luncheon Listen to TWU business professor, Kevin Sawatsky, LL.B., over lunch.
Lower Mainland Networking Luncheon april 15, 2009
november 25
Forty alumni attended this event in TWU’s Alumni Hall, which featured guestspeaker and former professor, Benno Friesen, who recounted what life was like at Trinity Junior College in the 1960s.
vancouver re-unite luncheon
Sandman Hotel, Vancouver
Hear acclaimed speaker, David Bentall, share his life experiences as president and CEO of Dominion Construction.
december 4-13 Oahu, Hawaii habitat for humanity project Work with alumni to build houses for Habitat for Humanity. Contact the Alumni Office for more information.
Alumni Theatre & Dessert Evening
january 21, 2010 TWU gymnasium
may 13, 2009
career fair 2010 – find your fit Supporting the performing arts and Vancouver’s alumni-partnered Pacific Theatre, 45 alumni attended the premiere of the play, You Still Can’t.
Find employment or employees at the Career Fair. Open to students and alumni, the event features employers from across Canada. For more details, visit twu.ca/life/career/fair. For more information on upcoming events, visit twu.ca/alumni/upcoming-events
alumni in business brad carpenter ’02 When Brad graduated from twu with a ba in human kinetics, his degree enabled him to attain a job as an orthopedic brace-fitter with Paris Orthotics. While working there, he entered into a pedorthic apprenticeship program. He became fully certified in 2005, and is now a Canadian certified pedorthist and pedorthic technician. In March 2009, Brad opened his own clinic, BioPed Foot Care, in Surrey, bc. His clinic offers biomechanical assessments of the lower extremities for the purpose of custom foot orthotic design. For more information, visit bioped.com.
kimberly eckert ’89 Equipped with a ba in psychology, Kimberly moved to Alberta to begin her career as a psychologist during a time when there were limited positions available for school psychologists. With few job options, Kimberly began a private practice in Calgary in 1995, focusing on giving families of children with disabilities access to high quality psychological services. In September 2001, with a growing practice, Kimberly established Eckert Psychology and Education Centre, which continues to run today.
devinder randhawa ’83 After graduating from Trinity Western College with a ba honours in business administration, Devinder received his mba from the University of British Columbia. Devinder has founded numerous businesses, including Royal County Minerals Corp., Pacific Asia Canada Energy, and Strathmore Minerals Corporation. Living in Kelowna, bc, Devinder is now the ceo of Fission Energy Inc., a company that explores and develops uranium properties. Devinder also founded and is the president of rd Capital Inc., a consulting firm that provides venture capital and corporate finance services to companies in Canada and the us.
t wu.c a / mag a z i n e 33
twu Alumni
leah albe r t s on
Heart and Sole
One alumna finds a shoe that fits and then some by joy pecknold ’03
atigued from job hunting, Leah Albertson ’06 went shoe shopping. “I was burnt out on the job search,” Leah recalls, “and I decided, ‘I’m just going to look for shoes right now.’” The pair she went looking for online was made by toms Shoes, a three-year-old footwear company and social initiative founded on the principle that with every pair purchased, a pair will be given to a child in need. On their website, Leah stumbled upon her new pair, which she bought and wore for six months straight, and also a pop-up declaring that toms needed interns. Keen to leave her position at a paper shop and do something that benefited people, Leah applied. She landed the internship, moving her from hometown Seattle to toms’ Santa Monica, CA offices. There she put her communications degree into action, sending shoe samples to magazines, editing press releases, and planning major events for prominent retailers like Fred Segal. Although Leah felt she’d found her perfect fit, when the
sores and soil-transmitted parasites are the leading cause of disease in developing countries–countries where most children walk around barefoot. Leah decor ates new shoes on toms’ firs t us shoe drop in gulfport, mi.
internship ended, there were no openings at the company. “I worked temp jobs for two months,” she says. “I didn’t know if I would ever find another job like toms.” As providence would have it, the minute she made alternate plans, she got the call she’d been waiting for. “I was becoming disillusioned and decided I would apply to grad school in Norway,” says Leah, “but the day I printed out that application, someone from toms asked me to apply for a job.” Leah returned to toms as personal assistant to founder and Chief Shoe Giver, Blake Mycoskie. But it was in retail marketing — helping boutiques and department stores tell the compelling story behind their brand — that she eventually found her footing. “There’s a quote on one of our shoes: ‘If the world were a village of 100 people, 40 would have no shoes,’” explains Leah. 34 trinity western | fall ’09
“It has inspired me to consider how important it is to tell others that sores and soil-transmitted parasites are the leading cause of disease in developing countries — countries where most children walk around barefoot.”
if the world were a village of 100 people, 40 would have no shoes. That cause, and delivering shoes to the kids who need them, which she’ll do in Argentina this fall, have made her work more love than labour. “At twu, I saw all these people doing amazing things,” says Leah. “I never expected to get a job that was a story worth telling too.” To learn more about toms Shoes, visit tomsshoes.com.
twu Alumni
From Grocery Store Clean-Up to Gaza and Greece Christy Dow Hoke on her life and travels working for unicef by laura e. ralph ’07
CHRIST Y DOW HOKE
C h r i s t y with Sudanes e elder s at a cultu r al wo r ks ho p in 19 9 6
lokichoggio. khartoum. addis ababa. These city names for a plane ticket to Kenya. When her original plan to join a roll easily off the tongue of Trinity Western alumna, Christy film crew in Uganda fell through, she volunteered for an ngo Dow Hoke ,94, as she lists the many places where her work with called Christian Mission Aid, a job which eventually led to a post with unicef. “I walked into the unicef office in Nairobi, the United Nations Children’s Fund (unicef) has taken her. A missionary kid, Dow Hoke lived in Nairobi from Grade resume in hand, and was fortunate to have been exactly what 6 until high school graduation. “I always assumed I would do they were looking for — a young, enthusiastic woman with something overseas, but I more ideas than experience,” hadn’t really considered the i hadn’t really considered the many ways a she recalls. many ways a person can help Over the next 12 years, person can help and serve others without and serve others without Dow Hoke held various public being in a traditional missionary role. being in a traditional missionrelations and fundraising ary role,” she explains. Working in the relief and development positions for unicef, jobs which took her to lands of war and poverty like southern Sudan and Somalia. arena was a career she stumbled upon somewhat accidentally. Although she describes her time in the field as “protected Dow Hoke’s journey began in a grocery store the summer and safe,” Dow Hoke says that these experiences were lifeafter graduation, where she worked as a janitor to earn money t wu.c a / mag a z i n e 35
twu Alumni
Portrait of a Digital Artist
Joel Carlson , 00 draws on classics for contemporary constructs by jay jameson ’08
changing, both positively and negatively. “It’s impossible to do this kind of work and not be changed by it. I have a more cynical view of humanity, having been confronted daily with the result of people’s struggle for power and control.” But she adds, “I’ve also seen the illimitable strength of the human spirit in overcoming loss and hardship. I’ve learned that my life and troubles are insignificant by comparison.” In June 2008, Dow Hoke left unicef to start d-h Solutions, a company which provides fundraising and public relations strategies for United Nations agencies. Since the founding of d-h Solutions, Dow
it’s impossible to do this kind of work and not be changed by it. Hoke’s career has taken her to the West Bank, where she helped unicef raise money in the wake of the conflict in Gaza; to Copenhagen, where she assisted a un operations group with public relations strategies; and to Ethiopia, where she worked with unicef on fundraising efforts. In the midst of all this, Dow Hoke found time to get married, begin an ma in communications, and learn Greek in preparation for her move to Athens, the new home base of d-h Solutions. After 15 years of service to communities across the globe, Dow Hoke explains that she stays motivated by the knowledge that her work has an impact on people’s lives. “I hope that my contribution has helped more children drink safe water, receive vaccinations, and sit in school classrooms with a pencil in their hand,” she says.
36 trinity western | fall ’09
W
hen playwright, Bertolt Brecht, uttered his famous dictum, “Art is not a mirror held up to reality. It is a hammer with which to shape it,” he was likely speaking in political terms. But Joel Carlson ,00, substituting a digital stylus for a hammer, echoes the spirit of Brecht’s mantra by using his animation to redeem burgeoning art forms. When Joel looks at the media of cartoons and video games, he sees potential to reinvent them for future generations while paying tribute to principles passed down through the rich tradition of visual art. This vision has taken Joel from Trinity Western to Universal Pictures, Disney, Microsoft, and more. To appreciate the value of Joel’s perspective in the industry of digital art, one must first understand Joel himself. “Ever since I can remember, I’ve been drawn to cartoons,” says Joel with his perpetual grin. “And that’s
ever since i can remember, i’ve been drawn to cartoons…and that’s a pun. a pun.” After high school, Joel arrived on the twu campus and enrolled in as many art classes as his schedule could handle. “It was a blessing to come to twu, because I took more traditional art courses and learned about art history.” Through these courses, Joel developed a deep appreciation for the master painters like Rembrandt and Da Vinci who revolutionized the art world in eras past. After his time at twu, Joel completed a ba in Classical Animation with a focus in storyboarding at Vancouver’s Capilano University.
this medium has infinite possibilities, but they’ve been building on the wrong stuff. Within two months of graduating, Joel was hired as a professional storyboard artist at Universal Pictures. At 21, he was the youngest storyboard artist to work on a feature animated production at Universal. Once his project concluded, Joel spent the next several years working for a plethora of high profile employers. He worked on a pilot at Disney, video games for Electronic Arts and Vivendi Games, a pilot cartoon for mtv, and a children’s program for pbs, all the while moving back and forth between central California and Metro Vancouver.
twu Alumni
M I K E R AT H J E N ‘ 0 4
M I K E R AT H J E N ‘ 0 4
at hi s home s tudio in white rock , joel s ketches cha r acter model s on hi s ci ntiq monito r .
Currently, Joel is co-developing a video game entitled, Steam Brigade, an innovative side-scrolling strategy that he and two friends produced for pcs and are revamping for x-Box Live. Joel’s approach to Steam Brigade and video game art in general is truly unique. He decries the fact that video games commonly take their inspiration from worn out 1980s graphics instead of from the artistic tradition refined over thousands of years by the luminaries he studied at twu. “This medium has infinite possibilities,” Joel insists, “but they’ve been building on the wrong stuff.” To Joel, his journey has been a simple one. “All through life I seem to stumble into these great situations,” says Joel, modestly. But seeing Joel’s creative brilliance in action, one realizes that the success of his young and illustrious career is attributed to more than mere luck. He relies on a higher power to guide his meticulous hammer to shape the world of digital art. “Faith is easy,” says Joel. “God doesn’t make mistakes; He doesn’t put passions in you so that you can fail.” Check out Joel Carlson’s website: mindofmotion.com
t wu.c a / mag a z i n e 37
twu Alumni
alumni updates If you are a TWU alumnus and wish to update our community about your recent endeavours, please contact the Alumni Relations department at 1.800.463.5419 or at alumni@twu.ca.
1966 Ken Prettol and his wife, Joyce, moved to “Judi, the Manners Lady.” Judi’s vision is to India to serve with Summer Institute of Lininfluence the next generation in civility, selfguistics International (SIL) in administration of government, and self-control by teaching language development programs. They enjoy important life principles and good manners travel, new foods, and learning about lanin a fun way. Judi is an award-winning guages and cultures. They are working with recording artist and entertainer. Her CD, colleagues from India and other countries It’s Fun to Have Good Manners won the on tasks such as promoting literacy and deCovenant Award for Best Children’s Album veloping literature. Part of the work involves of the Year 2002 and was nominated for the helping communities gain access to God’s West Coast Music Awards. Word in the language Indian natives prefer. They have three children, all married, and 1986 three grandchildren, with another on the way. Paula Spurr lives in Three Hills, AB, with her husband, Lance, and daughter. Lance is 1978 an associate youth pastor at Linden Alliance Audrey Martin received her MA in journalChurch. Paula plays the upright bass and ism from Western Washington University. sings in a three-member bluegrass band After working as a reporter and editor, she called Blue Grass Orphans. She recently completed a Master of Arts in Religion at learned she had a cancerous lump on her Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerthyroid, and was devastated when the field, IL. She currently works as the Student doctor explained that her vocal chord nerves Media Advisor at Trinity Western University, were “in the way.” After having no voice for specifically with the award-winning Mars’ almost three months, and receiving much Hill newspaper and Pillar yearbook and is prayer support from their small town, her a member of the College Media Advisors’ voice began to improve. In December, Paula association in the US. sang one of her own songs at a community She also serves as a Christmas concert, and knew that this was a mentor for outside sign of God’s redemptive healing power. journalism students through the John H. 1989 McDonald Foundation Lisa (Jordan) Hammond and her husband of the Canadian UniDon have two children, Sarah (8) and Laura versity Press (cup.ca). (5). Lisa and her family live in Oakville, ON, where she works as a conference accountant 1985 for the Canadian Conference of the Brethren Judi Vankevich is the president and in Christ Church. Don is a chiropractor and founder of The Manners Club and Life Skills owner of OakWest Natural Health Clinic. International and was featured on CBS’s This Morning, Canada AM, the CBC, The 1990 Boston Globe, The Toronto Star, and Focus Elizabeth Johnston has worked in on the Family. Judi is internationally known child protection since graduating and and loved by children and parents alike as has a bachelor of social work from the
38 trinity western | fall ’09
University of Victoria and a master of social work from Dalhousie University. Elizabeth works for the Lower Mainland After Hours Response Team in BC. She also started a private practice. Elizabeth enjoys being a grandmother to five children.
1992 Van & Kristen (Boyd) Williams live in Three Hills, AB, where Van serves as the director of Spiritual Life Ministries at Prairie Bible Institute. He recently completed his master of theological studies in apologetics through ACTS Seminaries. Van and Kristen have two daughters, Shone (9) and Skye (7). They are awaiting the addition of their third daughter, Yuxing (2), whom they are adopting from China.
1993 George & Tammy (Bryeide) Oberlins
were blessed with a third child on November 5, 2008 — a daughter, Mallory Jaryn Annika. She is a sister for their son, Braden (12) and their daughter, Kessa-Rose (9). The Oberlins reside near Swan River, MB, and can be contacted at hi5oberlins@ mts.net or via Tammy’s Facebook page. Pamela M. Marvin settled in Orlando, FL, in February 2007 to attend the Le Cordon Bleu culinary program at the Orlando Culinary Academy. She graduated in June 2008 with double honors — Cum Laude and Eta Sigma Delta. She loves serving at her church, First Baptist of Orlando (FBO). Andrew & Kim (Toews) Potter have lived
in Prince George, BC, for 15 years where
twu Alumni
Andrew works as a forester. They will celebrate their 14th wedding anniversary this year and have three sons: Jared (11), Joshua (9), and Jacob (6). Kim recently began a successful career in health and wellness as a weight management coach and in the sports nutrition field. They feel very blessed to be part of a wonderful church family and are involved in their community. They can be contacted at akpotter@shaw.ca.
1995 Laura (Kiffiak) & Micah (’96) Wittman
reside in Red Deer, AB, with their three boys, Blaize (8), Izak (6), and Levi (3). Laura works as an individual service aide for the Government of Alberta and Micah is a database coordinator for Red Deer College. Laura obtained a BA in psychology (’95) and a MA in counselling psychology (’00).
1996 John Andrews is currently using his BA
and ARCT from the Royal Conservatory of music to teach piano students. John has also worked as a teacher’s aide at Cloverdale Catholic Elementary in Cloverdale, BC. Suzanne Archer and her husband, Kyle Koetse, welcomed the birth of their daughter, Jordan Suzanne Koetse, on
1997 Mark Colvin and his wife, Rachel, became parents to Kai Maddox on November 4, 2008. Mark and Rachel reside in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, where Mark runs a chiropractic clinic. Emily Isaacson obtained her degree in nutrition from Bastyr University, and is completing a Ph.D. in applied health studies. She is an international nutritionist and works alongside the First Nations in Mission, BC, providing holistic healing sessions for the public at Xaytem Longhouse Interpretive Centre. She is also a postmodern poet, with five published books, and is on the board of the Mission Arts Council. Visit her website at emilyisaacson.org.
1998 Amy Carlile finished her Ph.D. in biology at the University of Washington. For her dissertation, she studied phylogenetics of the ceramiaceae, a group of marine red algae. She used contemporary specimens from throughout the North Pacific and herbarium specimens to sort out confusing taxonomic designations and species relationships. She has also used two ceramium species to infer phylogeographic patterns on the West Coast of North
Marilyn Edwards taught in a private elementary/middle school in Taichung, Taiwan, for four years, then taught one more year of high school English Literature at Morrison Christian Academy, an international school in Taichung, Taiwan. From 2005 - 2007, Marilyn taught at Dong-A University in Busan, South Korea, as part of a joint venture English International program with the University of Victoria. In summer 2007, Marilyn began work at TWU Extension (formerly Global Learning Centre). She teaches writing, serves as an academic coach, and conducts discussion groups for English as a Second Language International (ESLI) students. Dan Hare graduated from ACTS Seminaries with an MDiv. Dan has also taught academic writing at both Northwest Baptist College and ACTS. Along with attending Kwantlen, Simon Fraser University, and TWU for many years, Dan has been a professional musician with the group March Hare Band. Dan recently completed his first book, Regrets, They’ve Had a Few: Practical Wisdom from the Aged, which contains compelling stories and practical advice on living well. His simple premise was to pass on insights about living from those looking back on life to those looking forward to life. To learn more about Dan, visit danhare.com.
1999 Amy (Van Ry) Vanderschaaf and her
January 17, 2009. They live in Canmore, AB, where Suzanne enjoys being at home until she returns to work with Scotiabank as a personal banking officer.
America. Amy obtained a postdoctoral position at the University of Hawaii where she characterizes the biodiversity of freshwater algae in the Hawaiian Islands.
husband, Jack, continue to make their home in the Okanagan, BC. Amy works on an on-call basis for Vernon Christian School with a Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA) and also teaches piano lessons. She is involved with the worship team at Vernon Alliance, and keeps busy as a stay-athome mom to Alex (4) and Tyler (1½).
t wu.c a / mag a z i n e 39
twu Alumni
2000 Jennifer Baker saw the culmination of
eight months of work come to fruition on May 3, 2008, at the University of Toronto’s Convocation Hall. She and a friend codirected and co-produced a concert to support the fight against HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa, entitled Compelled 2008. It was a volunteer effort with all the musicians coming together from their church, The Meeting House. More than 800 people attended and over $60,000 was raised. The money was directed through the Meeting House to the Mennonite Central Committee, a group well established in the southern countries of Africa. Jennifer married Jeff Denys on August 8, 2009. Ryan Jespersen pledged his eternal love to Kari Skelton in beautiful Playa Potrero, Costa Rica, on March 22, 2009. The pair first clashed as competing political reporters in a media scrum, and four years later they were engaged on the steps of the Alberta Legislature. The Jespersens have set up shop in Edmonton, AB, where Ryan hosts Citytv’s Breakfast Television and Kari hosts the morning show on 96.3 Capital FM.
Lucas & Rachel Moes were married in August 2001. Lucas began working for Kimberly-Clark in Burnaby, BC, while Rachel completed her BEd at Simon Fraser University. In October 2002, they set off on a European adventure. Lucas became a buyer for Shell in Den Haag, The Netherlands, while Rachel taught at the American International School of Rotterdam. After three and a half years, and the birth
of their first child, they returned to Canada. Lucas now works in sales out of KimberlyClark’s Mississauga, ON, office and Rachel is a full time mom, caring for their two children, Elias (4) and Hannah (3). They live in the village of Port Credit, where they are involved in various church activities and outdoor recreation.
married on June 28, 2009. Following the wedding, they moved to Kelowna, BC, where David works with Club Penguin.
Sarah Moline completed her MBA in 2003 at Hawaii Pacific University in Honolulu. Upon graduating, Sarah returned to her hometown of Gig Harbor, WA, to care for her father who had suffered a stroke and brain aneurysm. She now lives in Seattle and was recently promoted at Philips Healthcare in Bothell, WA, to marketing communications manager. In her spare time, Sarah enjoys traveling, skiing, boating, and spending time with family and friends.
2001
2002
Mary-Ann (Hulstein) & Darren Kroeker
Trevor Meier graduated with a music
(’04) were blessed with Willem John on
degree and worked at Peace Portal Alliance Church in White Rock, BC, as the creative media and technical arts director. That position opened up opportunities
DAVID WIENS & CHRISTINA BYER (‘01)
September 18, 2008. He weighed 7lbs 4oz and was born at the High River Hospital in Alberta.
40 trinity western | fall ’09
in filmmaking. Trevor just completed his first documentary for public release, Rwanda: Hope Rises. It premiered at Vancity Theatre in Vancouver. Trevor has also opened two new businesses: Inspired Cinema, supplying the new RED camera to the Vancouver film rental market, and Cinesketch Media Group, a boutique production house specializing in cinematic storytelling for companies and non-profits. For info on his film, visit hoperisesfilm. com. Trevor’s blog can be found at trevormeier.com, and his company websites are inspiredcinema.com and cinesketch.com. Krista (Laugesen) & Jonathan Plett
both recently received their doctorates from Queen’s University. Their next great adventure is to move with their two cats, Mimi and Jasper, to Nancy, France, where Jonathan has a postdoctoral research position at French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA). Lydia (Sommerman) Rogers was married in fall 2002. Lydia and her husband, Josh, have spent time in Nome, AK, where they worked at the Alaska Radio Mission, broadcasting to western Alaska and the Russian far east. Lydia worked as a social worker for Alaska’s Office of Children’s Services, traveling to remote villages nearly every day. When Josh got a job at a Christian camp near Olympia, WA, Lydia started an MA in counselling psychology at St. Martin’s University, which she recently completed.
twu Alumni
Brady & Heidi VanRy obtained their undergraduate degrees: Brady graduated with a BEd, finishing his PDP through Simon Fraser University, and Heidi graduated with a degree in intercultural religious studies. However, Heidi had a major career shift and pursued an MA in rehab medicine at the University of Alberta. She now works in a school for children with special needs. Brady has been teaching junior high for six years and is also the athletics coordinator and girls’ basketball coach.
his acting career to southern California. He recently starred with his wife, Erin, and actress, Elizabeth Pennington, in Room Service, a classic American comedy, at Lamb’s Players Playhouse in San Diego. He has also teamed up with TWU grad and MFA in screenwriting graduate, Jonathan Auxier, writing and directing Neutrogena’s “One Less Stress Comedy Tour,” which toured high schools across Canada last fall (onelessstress.ca). Visit Dan’s website at danamos.com.
2003
Katrina Lawrence received an honours BA in international studies, and then went on to a MA in educational leadership and administration from the University of St. Thomas in 2007. Katrina is employed at Globe Education Network as the Academic Delivery Coordinator where she works with online faculty. Last summer, Katrina completed her Teaching English as Foreign Language graduate certificate. She is now a volunteer instructor at the Minnesota Literacy Council where she teaches immigrants citizenship and English as a Second Language classes.
Andy Shaver graduated with a BA in
international studies. Since graduation, Andy has worked in Darfur, and most recently done humanitarian and human rights work with the International Organization for Migration. Andy was granted a scholarship to pursue a masters degree at the Feinstein International Center, Tufts University, in fall 2009. Colin Wood is part of a project to translate and distribute oral Bible stories among a largely unreached people group in northcentral Africa. The project, called OneStory, is a cooperative venture between Campus
David & Anna (Grunau) Heath were blessed with a daughter, Julia Lillian, on October 9, 2008. They reside in Vancouver, WA. David is a financial analyst for Papa Murphy’s Take & Bake Pizza. Anna is a family birth center Registered Nurse at Southwest Washington Medical Center.
2005 Crusade for Christ, Youth With A Mission, International Mission Board, TransWorld Radio, and Wycliffe Bible Translators. He expects his team to complete their work in late 2010. He welcomes your prayers. He can be reached at: colin@greekhalo.org.
2004 Dan Amos, who performed in TWU’s
2003 production of Shadowlands, moved
Aaron & Emily (Sampson) Pogue (’07)
are pleased to announce that Aaron was accepted to dental school at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland, OR. He will graduate in 2012 with a Doctor of Medical Dentistry (DMD) degree. Emily graduated with an MA in teaching from Pacific University (Forest Grove, OR) in January 2009. Aaron and Emily met at TWU and were married in summer 2007.
2006 Emily (Rains) Olsen graduated from the TWU School of Business and started working at Pricewaterhouse Coopers’ Portland office on the audit side, before moving to the tax department. Emily was married on October 4, 2008 to Daniel Olsen and they now own a home outside of Portland.
2007 Lois Dawson has spent the last two years as the resident stage manager for Pacific Theatre in Vancouver. She recently stage managed a production of Stop Kiss at the Havana Theatre and spent her summer stage managing Project X Productions of Hamlet and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead in Kamloops, BC. She will return to Pacific Theatre this Christmas to stage manage The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
2008 Kim MacEachern and fellow grad, Lois Dawson (’07), teamed up as a stage management force for Pacific Theatre’s production of Holy Mo and Spew Boy, which played February 6 - March 7, 2009 in Vancouver. Lois was the resident stage manager at Pacific Theatre and shared her knowledge and expertise with Kim who was the assistant stage manager. For more information, visit pacifictheatre.org. All submissions sent to the Alumni Relations department at Trinity Western University, including but not limited to information updates and photos, will become the sole property of Trinity Western University for its use.
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A Dip into History in a non-descript brown building nestled between the Norma Marion Alloway Library and Seal Kap House, lies a piece of twu history that has largely been kept secret – the Trinity Western pool. This 25-foot long concrete reservoir, six feet at its shallowest and 12 feet at its deepest, was built in the late 1940s as part of the original homestead on which the University now sits. When twu was still Trinity Western College, the swimming hole invigorated tired students on summer days and for some unfortunate souls, who were pushed into it mid-winter, chilled them to the bone. A building was constructed over the pool in 1967, transforming it into a water reservoir. Water flowed into the pool from a natural aqueduct and was aerated, filtered, and distributed to buildings as campus drinking water. Today, the pool is part of a geothermal system to cool the library, supply water for irrigation, and feed water back into the pond if levels drop. But for those lucky few who had the opportunity to dip their toes into the pool’s cool, clear waters of yesteryear, they unknowingly dipped their toes into a piece of twu history. EM
twu a r chive s
42 trinity western | fall ’09
TRINITY WESTERN Magazine Send change of address and comments to magazine@twu.ca Submit alumni updates to alumniupdates@twu.ca
Collaboration acrylic on panel, 24" x 48"
by sarah nielsen fourth-year art major with Annie Kotowicz ‘09