Category: Stories

Music Department Welcomes New Faculty

North Park’s School of Music, Art, and Theatre welcomes several talented musicians to its faculty.

North Park’s School of Music, Art, and Theatre is pleased to welcome several talented musicians to its faculty.

David Govertsen and Sam Handley, both professional singers who have performed with the Lyric Opera of Chicago; and Deb Stevenson, an oboist who performs with many local symphonies and quartets, join the faculty for the Fall 2018 semester. Also coming on board are hornist Anna Jacobson and Barbara Drapcho, a clarinetist, both of whom have performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

“The School of Music, Art, and Theatre is very pleased to welcome these new music instructors,” said Craig Johnson, dean of the School of Music. “They all have strong backgrounds and training to bring to their duties at North Park, and we are confident that the students with whom they work will receive the best possible training.”

Chicago native Govertsen has been singing professionally for 15 years and is known for his portrayal of low-voiced heroes, villains, and buffoons. Mr. Govertsen, who attended Northwestern and Northern Illinois Universities, made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2011 as Herald in Othello. In addition to the Lyric, he has performed as a soloist with the Detroit, Madison, Rochester, and Santa Fe Symphony Orchestras, among others. Govertsen will teach undergraduate applied music.

As a student at Vanderbilt University, Tennessee-born Handley left the field of mathematics to pursue singing opera, concert, and recital. With degrees from University of Wisconsin and University of Houston, Handley has performed across the country and the world, appearing in productions in Beijing, New Hampshire, and San Francisco, and is known for his “rich, burnished” voice. He joins the faculty as a voice teacher.

Stevenson, who will be a lecturer, has been a freelance oboist in the Chicago area for 30 years. In addition to being a member of the Metropolitan and Lake Forest Symphonies, she is a founding member of the Metropolis Quartet and can be heard in numerous recordings, including The Soundstage Sessions with Stevie Nicks. Stevenson studied oboe and English horn at several universities, including Boston and Northwestern, and maintains an active private teaching studio.

Drapcho, who has two degrees from Northwestern University, has performed in Chicago, New York, and Detroit. Jacobson, who holds degrees from Lawrence and DePaul Universities, is a member of several music groups and is also an award-winning fiddler. They will both teach applied instruction.

Author Ellen AlmerPosted on Categories Announcement, StoriesTags , , , , ,

Book Announcement: The Minor Prophets as Christian Scripture by Hauna Ondrey, Assistant Professor of Church History

Newly released from Oxford University Press

Newly released from Oxford University Press, The Minor Prophets as Christian Scripture in the Commentaries of Theodore of Mopsuestia and Cyril of Alexandria, by Hauna Ondrey, assistant professor of church history.

Dr. Ondrey’s Profile

From the Publisher

From the Publisher:

The Minor Prophets as Christian Scripture

Oxford Early Christian Studies

This work compares the Minor Prophets commentaries of Theodore of Mopsuestia and Cyril of Alexandria, isolating the role each interpreter assigns the Twelve Prophets in their ministry to Old Testament Israel and the texts of the Twelve as Christian scripture. Hauna T. Ondrey argues that Theodore does acknowledge christological prophecies, as distinct from both retrospective accommodation and typology. A careful reading of Cyril’s Commentary on the Twelve limits the prospective christological revelation he ascribes to the prophets and reveals the positive role he grants the Mosaic law prior to Christ’s advent. Exploring secondly the Christian significance Theodore and Cyril assign to Israel’s exile and restoration reveals that Theodore’s reading of the Twelve Prophets, while not attempting to be christocentric, is nevertheless self-consciously Christian. Cyril, unsurprisingly, offers a robust Christian reading of the Twelve, yet this too must be expanded by his focus on the church and concern to equip the church through the ethical paideusis provided by the plain sense of the prophetic text. Revised descriptions of each interpreter lead to the claim that a recent tendency to distinguish the Old Testament interpretation of Theodore (negatively) and Cyril (positively) on the basis of their telos of the divine economy and the full range of Cyril’s interpretation.

Author Ana FundukPosted on Categories Announcement, Stories

Students and Families Welcomed at Convocation

North Park University faculty and staff welcomed new students and their families in a warm, rousing Welcome Convocation on Aug. 24.

North Park University faculty and staff welcomed new students and their families in a warm, rousing Welcome Convocation on Aug. 24.

In her opening remarks, President Mary Surridge encouraged students to “say yes” to all that North Park has to offer, from playing a sport or starting a club, cheering on athletes at events, or participating in North Park’s Catalyst__606 program.

Provost Michael O. Emerson, whose daughter Leah graduated from North Park last spring, told parents to let their child explore different majors.

“Every major we offer here leads to a job,” Dr. Emerson said. “My own daughter came here as a scared child and left as a confident adult. She found her dream job after just two weeks.”

Representatives of the Student Government Association also addressed the students, encouraging them to be open to opportunities to engage with fellow students.

SGA President Rakiiba Vaalele ’19 came to North Park from American Samoa without a winter coat and temporarily questioned her decision to come here. Eventually, though, she says she was warmed by the friendships she made through various clubs and activities.

Dr. Gregor Thuswaldner, Dean of Arts and Sciences, prayed for the students, after which everyone sang North Park’s Alma Mater, “The Blue and The Gold.”

The Convocation kicked off Threshold Weekend for North Park’s new students.

Author Ellen AlmerPosted on Categories News, StoriesTags , , ,

Threshold Student Leaders

Threshold New Student Orientation begins Friday, August 24th. Get to know some of this semester’s student leaders and why they are excited about Threshold.

Threshold New Student Orientation (Friday, Aug 24–Sunday, Aug 26) is a long-standing North Park University tradition with the purpose of welcoming students, families, and guests to our campus and community. We believe orientation plays an important role in marking the beginning of your academic journey at North Park. Leaders of Threshold groups are current students excited to show new students around campus and the city during orientation. Get to know some of this semester’s student leaders by reading their bio’s below.

I’m Honduran by birth and parents. I’m the SGA treasurer, an orientation leader, and I’m also a member of the Worship Team (play the guitar). Incoming students will get to enjoy the creation of new friendships with people from all over the world and the United States. North Park might be small, but the University encourages its students to go and explore the city itself, not just the campus.

– Juan Carlos Navarro, Business and Economics: Finance & Marketing, Sophomore (C’21)

I came to North Park because it was close to my home, and I received helpful financial aid. I am very active on campus—you can find me working as the president of the Criminal Justice Club, a writing advisor, a desk manager for Burgh Hall, a student ambassador, and a COMPASS mentor. My favorite place to go is Einsteins, but I spend most of my time in the library. I look forward to new students getting to experience our sports games, especially the Football Homecoming Game.

—Alin Hernandez, Double Major in Criminal Justice and Psychology, Senior (C’19)

I am from Rwanda, and I came to North Park University as a transfer from the University of Botswana. At first, I was here simply to complete my degree, but after spending time at North Park I found a family away from my family, a home away from home. If you are a person who likes to be involved with people around you, this is a great place to be, and even if you are not, don’t worry North Park has a lot in store for you. I hope that as you come to North Park you will allow yourself to have an open mind and experience the beauty of our school and the people who make it.

– Lys Kelsie Isimbi, Business Economics with a Concentration in Management, Senior (C’19)

North Park is a city-centered, Christian university, and with its ethnic diversity, I immediately fell in love. North Park is known for its faithful and humble environment. My favorite part of the campus is absolutely everything. Its welcoming environment feels like home. And being city-centered makes exploring more accessible and fun! I’m excited for incoming students to experience this memorable place and people. I am Cleo Dangcalan, one of your Orientation Leaders, and I am always ready to help. Go Vikings!

–  Cleo Dangcalan, Double Majoring in Psychology and Communication Studies

Author Ana FundukPosted on Categories Blog, StoriesTags , ,

Jamey Lundblad C’95: Chief Marketing Officer, City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events

“Chicago is an arts powerhouse and global cultural destination . . . I’m passionate about making the arts and local culture available to Chicagoans and visitors.”

After graduation, Lundblad got his career off the ground as an editor and event planner for North Park. Then he moved on to roles at marketing agency VSA Partners and as director of marketing for the Chicago Public Library. Now, as chief marketing officer for the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, his job is to promote the city’s many cultural offerings. It’s one he relishes. “What really shaped me were my experiences outside the classroom and around the world.”

“Chicago is an arts powerhouse and global cultural destination . . . I’m passionate about making the arts and local culture available to Chicagoans and visitors.”

—Jamey Lundblad C’95: Chief Marketing Officer, City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events

Jamey Lundblad C’95 loves Chicago. As chief marketing officer for the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, his job is to promote the city’s many cultural offerings. It’s one he relishes.

“Chicago is an arts powerhouse and a global cultural destination—the birthplace of the skyscraper and modern architecture, storefront theatre, improv, the urban blues, and more,” Lundblad says. “I’m passionate about making the arts and local culture available to Chicagoans and visitors, and I love going to see exhibits, theatre, and dance myself—every chance I get. So, I’m grateful that my job allows me to advocate for the arts and Chicago every day.”

The communication arts and Swedish double major says North Park prepared him well for his high-profile position with the city, where he’s responsible for marketing Chicago’s many festivals and promoting Millennium Park, the number-one tourist attraction in the Midwest.

“My classes at North Park were terrific and provided a solid foundation for my career,” says the Minnesota native. “But what really shaped me were my experiences outside the classroom and around the world,” including his semester in Sweden and his role as Student Government president his senior year.

“My study abroad in Sweden gave me confidence and a more expansive worldview,” says Lundblad, who was mentored by many beloved North Park professors and staff, including David and Sue Horner, Melissa Morris-Olson, and Charles Peterson, among others.

After graduation, Lundblad got his career off the ground as an editor and event planner for North Park. Then he moved on to roles at marketing agency VSA Partners and as director of marketing for the Chicago Public Library.

Now a frequent world traveler, Lundblad also serves on the board of directors of Edgar Miller Legacy, a group whose mission is to preserve the architect’s “handmade homes” throughout the country, but especially in the Chicagoland area.

In fact, Lundblad and his husband, Bill Melamed, held their recent wedding in the R.W. Glasner Studio, a building designed by Miller, who was known as a master painter, wood carver, and stained-glass maker. Lundblad and Melamed are committed to supporting the arts, as well as a variety of LGBTQ causes.

Lundblad hails from a long line of North Park alumni: his aunt, uncle, brother, and sister-in-law all attended North Park.

“I’m proud to call myself a North Park Legacy,” Lundblad says.

Author Ellen AlmerPosted on Categories Profile, StoriesTags , , , , ,

From Student Worker to Marketing Professional: Leah Emerson C’18

Leah Emerson C’18, advertising and psychology alumna, shares about applying her undergraduate experiences in a professional setting.

Leah Emerson, C'18, double majored in advertising and psychology and was president of the psychology club her senior year.

Hi, I’m Leah, and I’m a recent graduate of North Park University and currently employed as marketing coordinator at the British International School of Chicago, Lincoln Park. I work with the marketing side of our office, where I create promotional materials, take pictures, send emails and mailings, maintain the website, and network with parents and donors.

This opportunity excites me because the international school setting makes a difference in the development of children and their outlooks on life. It exposes them to other cultures early on and allows them to learn alongside other kids who may have a totally different background than they do.

My job is a combination of my professional experiences at North Park, where I was a student worker in University Marketing and Communications as well as the Office of Advancement. In the marketing office, I learned how to maintain websites and had an opportunity to hone my photography skills. I have my own style of photography, but when I started taking pictures for North Park, I had to learn how to transition to a new style to fit within their brand guidelines. I also learned more InDesign and other design skills from the lead designer.

The Office of Advancement gave me an opportunity to develop professional skills, such as welcoming people, providing customer service, and building relationships with people who are part of the institution, all of which are huge parts of my job now.

At North Park, I also I took a business communication class with the director of Career Development and Internships Office (CDIO). The class prepared us for job searching and interacting in a professional workplace. We worked in groups and practiced writing in various formats, including press releases, PSA’s, and more. We talked about interviews, how to dress for them and how to answer questions; received other tips for success; and then set up mock interviews with staff and faculty members to gain extra practice. I’ve never considered interviews to be one of my strengths, so the extra bit of practice really helped.

I see this position as a starting point for my career. I’m in a position where I am completing tasks that I know I can do. I’m using the skills that I have already learned, but there is still information that I know I have yet to learn. It’s nice to transition out of the student worker mentality into a leadership position where I get to take charge.

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

Athletic Training at North Park: Patrick Pauley C’16

Patrick Pauley C’16 shares how the athletic training program at North Park gave him the practical experience he needed to succeed.

Patrick Pauley, C’16

Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training

When Patrick Pauley first began his search for an athletic training program, he was a non-traditional student and needed to attend a program in the Chicago area. After calling several universities in the area, Pauley was put in touch with Andrew Lundgren, the athletic training program director at North Park. “Andrew went above and beyond to make sure I had all my questions answered. He invited me to campus for a tour and introduced me to as many people as possible. I knew I was making the right choice based on the way Andrew treated a prospective student and the pride he had in the athletic training program at NPU.”

After receiving his BS in athletic training at North Park, Pauley went on to spend two years as a graduate assistant athletic trainer at DePaul University where he has recently completed his master of science in sports, fitness, and recreation leadership. Pauley now serves as the head athletic trainer with the Chicago Dogs professional baseball team and specializes in working with overhead athletes.

Pauley recalls building his Chicago network while an undergraduate at North Park. “The athletic training program at NPU offered clinical rotations in the Chicago area and real-world experience at the Chicago Marathon that allowed me to expand my network of sports medicine professionals.”

Pauley says he has been able to apply the practical skills he learned at North Park to his professional roles. “Critical thinking was constantly stressed throughout the program which is required every day as an athletic trainer. The faculty and staff in the athletic training program were very supportive of our academic success and our future after graduation.”

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

Athletic Training at North Park: Ashley Campos C’18

Ashley Campos C’18 shares how the athletic training program at North Park prepared her for the next steps of her career.

Ashley Campos, C’18

Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training

“I believe that North Park University’s athletic training program is the reason I was accepted into Occupational Therapy School,” says Ashley Campos, who will begin her doctor of occupational therapy at Samuel Merritt University in California, fall of 2018. “The faculty deeply cared for me and my career. They made sure I not only understood the material, but was able to use what I learned in the lab and at my clinical rotation.”

As she awaits the continuation of her education in the fall, Campos is nannying a 20-month-old. Campos says she is already applying the knowledge she gained through her clinical rotation at Lurie’s Children Hospital which prepared her to take care of young children and track their motor skills development.

“North Park’s athletic training program offers students a wide variety of clinical rotations that meet everyone’s interest. Students have the opportunity to learn at a D1 university, children’s hospital, high schools, and more.” Campos also emphasized the role of her professors in her education. “I appreciate the family-like structure of the program. The professors and preceptors emphasized us all being a family, and they guided us to be the health care professionals that we are today.”

Author onlinemediaPosted on Categories Profile, StoriesTags , , , ,

Catalyst 606__: An Inside Look

North Park students share their experiences participating in the first full semester of Catalyst 606__.

Through North Park’s new Catalyst 606__ schedule, classes are given the opportunity to engage with the city on Wednesday afternoons when no class periods take place. With their class groups, students step outside the classroom, serving and learning within their local community and gaining a closer understanding and appreciation of the increasingly urban world they will live and work in.

Christopher Lempa, Aseel Hussein, and Emilie Peterson are three students who participated in the first semester of Catalyst 606__ this past fall. During the semester they shared how their first-hand experiences gave them the opportunity to identify vocational interests, be inspired by leaders in their field, and establish relationships with professional contacts.

Emilie Peterson, Class of 2021:

“I am more of a visual and hands-on learner, and (Catalyst) has helped me retain the information we learn in class. On our first trip, we went to the Chicago Botanic gardens; for the second trip, we took a hip-hop and human percussion class.

In class, we’re reading a book on how to continue face-to-face interaction and communication rather than just over cellphones and technology. This meant that for both trips, we weren’t allowed to bring our cell phones; we had to leave them at home. Our professor wanted us to interact with our classmates and get to know each other. Without our phones, we were able to notice other things without the distraction of a screen. It has brought me a lot of self-awareness regarding my phone and making sure that I’m not pulling it out when I’m talking to people and keeping it away whenever I can.”

Aseel Hussein, Class of 2019:

“I like the Catalyst courses I’m in because (the excursions) relate so well to the class. It is especially nice in my Chicago politics class to go out in Chicago and get to see the city. For our first trip, we toured the 39th Ward, the area that North Park is in.

We learned about what keeps a ward running, what kinds of establishments would be beneficial to the ward. We saw the alderman’s office and learned about the different kinds of groups that provide support to aldermen. On the same day, we went to city hall—by the way, I saw the back of Rahm Emmanuel, so that was pretty cool—and to the Chicago History Museum. These classes have exposed me to things a normal classroom cannot.”

Christopher Lempa, Class of 2018:

“I have enjoyed the shift in schedule because of Catalyst 606__. We have still been in the class a lot, so I haven’t felt any loss of that time. This has given me the opportunity to see how I can relate my two majors (business and Spanish) more to the real world. I know that there are businesses in Chicago where Spanish is needed. Relating the work world to what we’re learning has been helpful for me, and given me more interest in working for businesses like these in the future.

We went to two different non-profit organizations: Centro Romero in Rogers Park and the Chicago Religious Leadership Network (CRLN).

The conversation we had with the director of Centro Romero was entirely in Spanish. We were also reading a book in our class about Salvadorian Literature during the time of the revolution in the 80’s. The director and her family were part of the revolution, and she was able to tell us a lot about their activism and their philosophy at the time. Essentially, she gave us her testimony which has led her to serving as director of this nonprofit.

I think that this was the better way to learn all of this information. It dealt with current topics and gave us a local (as well as) global perspective.”

Learn More About Catalyst 606__

Author onlinemediaPosted on Categories Stories

Student Blog: Traveling with Purpose

This is a student blog post submitted by Emily Smith, C’18. Emily is in Conflict Transformation Studies major with a focus on interfaith dialogue and a concentration in Biblical and Theological Studies.

This is a student blog post submitted by Emily Smith, C’18. Emily is a Conflict Transformation Studies major with a focus on interfaith dialogue and a concentration in Biblical and Theological Studies.

As exciting and life-giving as I find the city of Chicago—with its bustle, towering buildings, restless people, and tangle of smells and sounds—it is a relief to be in Northern Ireland. The rain and the clouds are familiar friends, as are the plethora of green scenery, what with my upbringing in Oregon. However, the cobblestone sidewalks, beautifully dated buildings, lilting accents, and meadows divided by shrubbery (and dotted with herds of adorable sheep) are somewhat new sites. Northern Ireland’s beauty lends itself perfectly to site-seeing, but its history, recent conflicts, and current situation provide a backdrop for something much deeper.

Tourism in Northern Ireland is worth about 4.9% of Northern Ireland’s GDP, sustaining over 40,000 jobs, and generating around 764 million GBP, or over 990 million USD (Invest NI & NI Department for the Economy). Many people walk the streets of Londonderry with accents that are foreign to this part of Europe, even this part of the world, and many of these people are here as tourists. There’s nothing particularly wrong with tourism, as it does support local economies in many cases; that said, it is worth stating that this trip feels less like tourism and more like what I like to call traveling with purpose.

This trip to Northern Ireland is a North Park University Global Partnerships (GP) trip, though it differs from any other trip in the GP department. The participants are all in Dr. Bob Hostetter’s International Conflict Transformation spring course, which is a class offered as both a Keystone class and as a part of the Conflict Transformation Studies (CTS) department. We spent four weeks specifically learning about the history of Northern Ireland, with a focus on The Troubles, the conflict that erupted in the late 1960s and lasted until around 1998 when the Good Friday agreement was signed. The kicker with this particular statement, though, is that while the violence of The Troubles ended in the 90s, the effects of the conflict and many of the sentiments are unreconciled.

Acknowledging that conflicts in Ireland and Northern Ireland are far from reconciled, the class is learning about the peace process in a very hands-on way, especially in the city of Londonderry. We are engaging with an organization called The Junction to learn about the value of storytelling and ethical truth-telling in a “post-conflict” context such as this. Additionally, we took tours of Londonderry and Belfast from differing perspectives of the conflict, namely the Republican/Catholic/Nationalist and Loyalist/Protestant/Unionist perspectives.

In my experience, traveling with a purpose has looked like going somewhere with intentions that surpass simply satiating curiosity. Traveling with purpose

  • means paying attention to the things that may seem insignificant to the average eye, such as how a city is set up and why it might be set up that way;
  • it means listening instead of telling;
  • it means knowing my expectations and being prepared to have them demolished;
  • it means avoiding overgeneralization and stereotyping;
  • it means self-examination before, during, and after an exploratory experience;
  • it means trying to understand on a deep level the experiences of the local people without trying to become them or thinking that I can ever truly understand how they feel or are.

North Park University aims to prepare students for lives of service and significance. The concept of traveling with purpose fits into this idea of living a life of significance. If we treat our everyday lives as though we are tourists, we will not find our own purposes, nor will we do justice to our communities and contexts that we live in. Traveling and living with purpose looks like taking chances, listening to other people’s stories rather than deciding them, and constantly performing self-examinations. It means using the resources we’re given to make life more than a routine, but it also means understanding that some people need to work really hard in a routine just to survive and that their purpose is going to look very different than our own.

As a Christian, traveling with purpose means not being just another traveler using the resources given to me, in life or in literal travel, but showing gratitude for those resources and using them in a way that benefits the world around me. It also means not abandoning my convictions, while simultaneously refusing to engage in judgement or condescension of others who do not understand Christ’s great love and might.

Author Ana FundukPosted on Categories Blog, Stories