Category: Stories

Vikings Make Sweet 16

North Park’s men’s soccer squad advanced to the third round of the NCAA Division III tournament for the first time in team history after cruising to a 6-1 victory against the Wis.-Platteville Pioneers Sunday.

North Park’s men’s soccer squad advanced to the third round of the NCAA Division III tournament for the first time in team history after cruising to a 6-1 victory against the Wis.-Platteville Pioneers Sunday.

Led by CCIW Coach of the Year John Born, the Vikings dominated the Pioneers, with goals by Gustav Ericsson, Carel Kuzona, Erlend Kemkers and Ricky Pimentel. Those players join Jason Gonzalez, Peder Nalum Olsen, and Matias Warp in being named Monday as All-Conference Players, with Warp being named Player of the Year and Olsen Newcomer of the Year.

Born called Sunday’s victory a huge relief. “Getting our first NCAA victory under our belt sure felt good,” Born said. “We were excited and thankful to be able to play in front of a great home crowd.”

Scoring in the opening minute of the game, the Vikings swiftly put to rest any concerns they might be rusty after a bye round.

“When we scored 40 seconds into the game, there was no doubt in my mind that we were ready to play at a high level,” said Athletic Director Jack Surridge.

The NCAA National committee also announced the Vikings will also host their matchup against Virginia’s Washington & Lee University at noon Saturday, as well as the other regional semifinal, Minnesota’s St. Thomas v. Otterbein University of Westerville, Ohio, at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

Previously, the farthest the Vikings had advanced in the NCAA tournament was to the second round, in 2010, 2011, and 2012. With their latest victory, the Vikings have now won 18 games in a row.

Going forward, Surridge believes the team is in a great position to go all the way.

“We are a formidable opponent when we play at this high level,” Surridge said.

Saturday’s games will again be live streamed on North Park’s Facebook and on the Athletic Department’s website.

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

Honoring Veterans Day

Students, faculty, and special guest honor the service and memory of our veterans.

“My friend has been gone for 47 years. Those are 47 years that I have been given and he has not. That is a sobering thought,” began Interim President Carl Balsam during his opening remarks at yesterday’s Annual Veterans Day Commemoration Service, which took place in Anderson Chapel. “One comment left on my friend’s site caught my eye; it said: ‘Save one backward glance when you are leaving for the places they no longer can go.’ In other words, remember them.”

This year’s Veterans Day Service was organized by student-veterans Nico Canete and Roberto Martinez in conjunction with Dr. John Laukaitis and Renee Martinez. The guest speaker for the service was a friend of Nico’s, Weston Polaski, who served in the United States Marine Corps from 2005-2009.

Polaski shared his story on his road to enlistment and proceeded to give an account of what life was like throughout boot camp and into his first deployment. Polaski described some of the desperate living conditions he encountered during his initial time of deployment. He also described an encounter on the phone with his father where Polaski asked him “what am I doing here?” to which Polaski’s father replied, “you probably should have gone to class, huh?” Polaski described how this one call spurred him on to the next adventure back home in America where he returned to school to finish his degree.

Since his arrival back home, Polaski has made efforts to connect with Veterans and create connections for returning Veterans. Polaski began as the President of the Student Veteran Club at his alma mater and has since moved on to aiding the transition of returning veterans by connecting them with local businesses and veterans. “Every year over the next 5 years, 250,000 service members will exit the military,” Polaski said—all of whom will need jobs, education, and communities.

After the service, Nico Canete commented on why events like these at North Park are important to him and other veterans on campus: “It demonstrates the University’s commitment to those who have served. It reaffirms that the University supports veterans, supports them in their transition from military to academic life, and that it is proud to have them on campus.” Roberto Martinez also added that “It shows me that I’m welcome here as a US Army veteran; it shows me that we honor the sacrifice of those who went before us, and shows me that veterans are welcome here. It also gives us a sense of brotherhood and a place to share our experiences whether in combat or not.”

Dr. John Laukaitis had this to say in his closing remarks to conclude the Annual Veterans Day Service, “Our country has depended on veterans to stand strong against the threats to our liberty and way of life. They serve without expectation of recognition; they are humble servants. We thank you, the men and women, who have courageously put their lives in harm’s way for the sake of our country; today we thank the veterans of our country.”

Author Ana FundukPosted on Categories StoriesTags , , , , ,

Men’s Soccer: Championship Bound

North Park University and the Vikings host their first NCAA Tournament games ever, as the team seeks a trip to the Sweet 16.

This weekend, North Park University and the Vikings will host their first NCAA Tournament games ever, as the team seeks a trip to the Sweet 16.

After dominating their conference all season, North Park and its top-ranked Men’s Soccer team will host the NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Tournament this Sunday.

Having earned the top seed in their bracket after a 17-1-1 season, the Vikings will enjoy a bye round as UW-Platteville faces off Saturday against Fulton, Mo.-based Westminster College. The Vikings will take on the winner of that game Sunday evening for a shot at the Sweet 16 and the possibility of hosting another round of the tourney.

The only other team to receive a first-round bye is #1-ranked Tufts University, winners of the 2016 NCAA DIII championship.

This year’s Viking team boasts a diverse, international roster, with players from as far as Sweden, Norway, Germany, and England, and as close as Chicago, Michigan, and Minnesota. One player hails from neighboring Von Stuben Metro Science High School. Among them, the team speaks 12 different languages.

“I have had the pleasure of coaching some amazing teams at North Park,” Head Coach John Born said. “However, the 2017 team is unparalleled in their talent as well as team chemistry.”

Tthe NCAA National committee announced the tournament seeding and hosting sites earlier this week.

“Being selected as a host site and rewarded with a first-round bye is a phenomenal honor,” Born said. “We’ll do our very best to represent North Park throughout the tournament. We certainly know that the entire North Park community is behind us, and we appreciate the tremendous support.”

The team has clearly benefited from North Park’s “strong cultural heritage”  tying it to Sweden and Norway since the school’s founding over 125 years ago, said NPU Athletic Director Jack Surridge. Scandinavians feel comfortable and welcome here, as each year NPU hosts dozens of them as students. It also doesn’t hurt that Assistant Coach Kris Grahn is a Swede. “He can pick up the phone or FaceTime with recruits in their native language,” Surridge said.

One of those is Norwegian senior midfielder Matias Warp, whose leg injury kept him off the highly competitive European and American Division I teams. Instead, he chose North Park, and other players followed.

Fellow Norwegian and goalkeeper Mathias Stulen has nine shutouts this season, and five of the CCIW’s top-10 scorers are Vikings, including Swede Carel Kawale and Norwegian Peder Nalum Olsen, who hold the number one and two spots, respectively.

The defense has been an iron curtain, led by defensive back Ricky Pimental, of Franklin Park, IL.

North Park will be live-streaming this weekend’s games on our Facebook page as well as athletics.northpark.edu.

Author Ana FundukPosted on Categories News, Stories

North Park Students Selected to Present to Illinois Sociological Association

Nineteen North Park students enrolled in Methods in Social Research will attend the 2017 Illinois Sociological Association, seven of whom will present original research.

Nineteen North Park students enrolled in Methods in Social Research are heading to the 2017 Illinois Sociological Association meeting on November 17th, 2017. The students will share seven presentations based on original research ideas developed in the course and as part of activities conducted through the Urban Peace Lab— established and run by their instructor, Dr. Peter K. B. St. Jean, Associate Professor of Sociology and Director of Criminal Justice at North Park. Seven research abstracts were accepted for presentation on one panel and one roundtable.

On the panel, Dr. St. Jean will present a paper entitled, “Conducting Better News Research,” which will provide the general conceptual framework for the students’ research. Dr. St. Jean will also introduce the students presenting on the following topics:

  • I AM NOT GOING BACK: Recidivism and Social Environment in Chicago
  • REVENGE WITHOUT VIOLENCE: How Residents of Chicago’s High Crime Neighborhoods Avenge Victimization Without Violence
  • PEACE WITHOUT GUNS: How Chicago Residents Within High Gun Violence Neighborhoods Resolve Conflicts Without the Use of Guns
  • THE UPRISE: Youth and Gang Avoidance in Chicago
  • POVERTY AND PEACE IN CHICAGO: Voices on the Ground
  • IN SPITE OF IT ALL: Triumph After Human Trafficking

Also attending and presenting papers on Visual Urban Peaceology are North Park alumnus and current University of Chicago graduate student, Eirik J. Berger, and current NPU Theatre and Communications student, Seanna Wong. The panel will be led by Dr. St. Jean’s presentation entitled “Introduction to Peaceology and Urban Peaceology: Findings from Multi-methods Research in Chicago.” Eirik J. Berger and Seanna Wong will then present their papers respectively:

  • VISUAL URBAN PEACEOLOGY: Understanding and Amplifying Peace Intelligence in the Urban Context Through the Use of Visual Tools, Ethnography, Qualitative Data, and Media Research
  • THE ROLE OF THEATRE IN VISUAL URBAN PEACEOLOGY: Findings from Ground-Breaking Ethnographic Research and Activism in Chicago

“I’m happy that these students get this opportunity to make history by being part of the research team that collectively introduces Peaceology, Urban Peaceology, and Better News Research for the first time to an academic conference. They have been working hard to conduct the best presentations, and I am confident that they will do well,” said Professor St. Jean, chairperson of the Sociology Department at North Park.

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

Life Groups at North Park

Life Groups at North Park are sponsored by University Ministries and are a great way to learn about what it means to walk with Christ.

LifeGroups at North Park are sponsored and resourced by University Ministries. What are LifeGroups? They are groups of four to ten students who gather weekly to intentionally walk with or toward Christ together. LifeGroups are for anyone who has an interest in the Christian faith. This can include a spectrum of people from those who want to know more about faith and the Christian life, to those who are actively following Christ. LifeGroups are also a great way to explore what it means to follow Christ individually and in a group setting.

When Amber Jipp, CollegeLife and Spiritual Formation Coordinator for University Ministries, started at North Park in the fall of 2016, there were no current University Ministries (UMin) sponsored Small Groups. “I am very passionate about small groups and really empowering the visions that students have,” says Amber. Currently, there are around 14 LifeGroups resourced by University Ministries which are open to all students. Sponsored LifeGroups have access to resources such as printing flyers, creating events, spiritual guidance and coaching from UMin leaders, and use of UMin facilities.

LifeGroups take all different shapes and sizes as their student leader enters into the discernment process. Some are focused on discipleship, some are centered in one book of the bible, while others are for creative worship practices. LifeGroups are for those who know and desire to grow in Christ in an intentional community.

Jomarie Perlas, a previous student leader, found extreme joy in leading and walking alongside other women in her group while they “learn how to be young adults, daughters in Christ, and college students, while also navigating a broken world.” Her group times are spaces where she and others have been able to share personal stories, ask difficult questions about their frustrations and causes of anger, but also receive encouragement and hope. “We’re not meant to do this messy thing called life alone. This is the significance of being with our brothers and sister in a committed way,” said Jomarie.

LifeGroups are started by students who see a need for prayer groups, Bible studies, book studies, or other shared practices. LifeGroups are expressions and visions of communities working together, moving towards Christ or learning more about Christ at North Park. Starting a LifeGroup sponsored or resourced by North Park University Ministries is as easy as sending Amber an email and meeting with her about the LifeGroup’s vision. LifeGroup leaders can also choose how involved UMin is in their groups.

Joining an existing LifeGroup is also easy. Sign-ups are available during the first few Chapel and CollegeLife services, as well as campus events such as the Ice-cream Social and Viking fair. Getting plugged in to a LifeGroup at any time in the semester can be easily done by emailing Amber Jipp.

Email Amber

Learn More about UMIN and LifeGroups

Author Ana FundukPosted on Categories Blog, StoriesTags , , , , , , , ,

North Park University’s Men’s Soccer Squad Ranked No.1 in Region

The red-hot North Park Men’s Soccer team is now the number-one ranked team in the region, thanks to some recent wins, including a 3-0 shutout over division foe North Central College on Wednesday evening.

SATURDAY, October 28—2017

The red-hot North Park Men’s Soccer team is now the number-one ranked team in the region, thanks to some recent wins, including a 3-0 shutout over division foe North Central College on Wednesday evening.

The Vikings are ranked 8th in the latest NCAA poll of Division III United Soccer Coaches. The team has also broken into D3Soccer.com’s rankings, notching the 18th spot nationally. North Park is part of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW).

“This is the best team that we’ve had at North Park in my 21 years here,” said Jack Surridge, North Park University’s Director of Athletics. “They have balance in scoring and depth at all positions. They are fit, unselfish, and well-coached.”

This year’s team boasts a diverse, international roster, with players from as far as Sweden, Norway, Germany, and England, and as close as Chicago, Michigan, and Minnesota. One player hails from the neighboring Von Steuben Metro Science High School.

This week, the NCAA regional committee will rank the region again and seed the national tournament.

But first, the Vikings face a key contest, tonight, against Elmhurst College on the road. The team will then face the #4 ranked CCIW team at home. If they win, they will face the winner of the #2 v #3 CCIW game.

The winner of that game receives an automatic qualifier berth in the tournament. A win would also put the Vikings in a strong position to host the first two rounds of the NCAA National Tournament the following week, according to Surridge.

Learn more about the team and Wednesday’s game.
Author Ana FundukPosted on Categories News, Stories

North Park First-Year Student Wins Bronze at Cycling Championship

His first year competing on a national scale, Alex Bolotin, a North Park freshman, wins bronze at the Junior Track National Championships.

NPU first-year student Alex Bolotin’s cycling career started humbly, with daily rides to his Chicago high school. But commuting soon turned into something more. By the summer 2017, Bolotin was standing on the podium as a bronze medalist in a field of 60 racers at the Junior Track National Championships.

Bolotin, who moved to Chicago from Belarus when he was three, went on to win bronze again in the Collegiate Nationals in September 2017. His accomplishments are more remarkable because Bolotin, 18, only began formally training during his sophomore year at Lane Tech High School, and 2017 was the first year he started competing nationally.

While he races in both road and track events, Bolotin says he prefers track racing because it’s more exciting. It’s a style of biking not for the faint of heart, where cyclists pilot brakeless bikes with a single fixed gear on a banked track called a velodrome.

“Track races are much more dynamic because the races are much shorter and require more overall power,” says Bolotin, a nursing major who plans to attend medical school after graduation.

Although he received offers from several Division 1 schools with cycling teams, Bolotin chose North Park University because of its location and academics.

“North Park not only presented to me the level of education I was looking for but allowed me to stay in the city of Chicago and be able to continue training alongside my current team, the Polish & Slavic FCU International Cycling Team,” Bolotin said.

The Dean of Students, Elizabeth Fedec, who helped Bolotin work with USA Cycling to ride as a North Park University student in the Collegiate Nationals, praises his determination.

“When I met Alex at the beginning of the school, I immediately recognized his excitement to be at North Park and passion for cycling,” says Dean Fedec, who helped Bolotin get permission to compete under the North Park University banner. “He had a vision, and I knew that the University could help him reach his goals. It was personally fulfilling to be able to come alongside Alex as he represented North Park at the competition.”

What is up next for Bolotin? He hopes to win Gold in 2018’s National Championships.

“It started as something I just enjoyed doing,” Bolotin says. “I didn’t know it would turn into this.”

Author Ana FundukPosted on Categories Stories

NPU Students Form Social Justice Living Learning Community

North Park student, Deanna Crosby, shares the inspiration behind the new Social Justice Living-Learning Community established with her housemates.

Story by Deanna Crosby, a politics & government major, senior senator, student assistant to the vice president for Student Engagement, and founder of the Social Justice Living Learning Community. 

It has been said that once you know some things, you can’t unknow them. And with that statement comes the story of how North Park’s Social Justice Living-Learning Community (SJLLC) came about. In February of 2017, I went on the Sankofa experience with University Ministries, and those of us on the trip were shaken to our core. Some of us knew that racism and white privilege existed but felt that it didn’t have an effect on us, some believed that racism and segregation ended long ago, and some didn’t know what to think. I spent a good amount of time during Sankofa reflecting on my experiences as a straight, white female with white privilege. The question that continuously went through my mind was, “what can I do with what I have?” I approached Jackie Strapp, Director of Diversity and Dr. Barrington Price, Assistant Vice President for Student Engagement with the idea of creating an intentional space where people can “talk across the aisle” and effectively communicate in a cross-cultural environment.

The SJLLC sits at 5017 N. Spaulding Ave, one of North Park’s houses. Seven students live in this residence representing various ethnic and racial backgrounds, including West African, African American, Hispanic, and White. Each student brings their story and experiences with them and engages in monthly dialogues relating to topics including but not limited to LGBTQ awareness & affirmation, mass incarceration, white privilege, and conflict transformation. Once a month, we gather around the table to have our “Kitchen Convo” with one special guest and discuss that month’s topic. Speakers include Kim Edstrom Schiller, Health and Wellness Education and Title IX coordinator; Hannah Barbosa, academic advisor and Academic Services coordinator for the School of Professional Studies; Dr. Helen Hudges, associate professor of music; Dr. Barrignton Price, assistant vice president for Student Engagement; Dr. Michelle Clifton-Soderstrom, professor of theology and ethics and Dr. Michael Emerson, provost of North Park University.

The purpose of having these conversations is to break down barriers and stigmas around these topics. So often we are faced with challenging situations but lack the skills to effectively communicate across the board. By breaking bread with these speakers and the individuals in the house, and using storytelling as a means of connecting, we will be able to engage in cross-cultural dialogue and actually listen to understand; not listen to respond. The SJLLC is not politically driven. It is not a place to demonize, harass, nor point fingers. It’s a place where individuals can gather with differing opinions, share a meal, and be with one another while simultaneously tearing down walls and shattering the stigmas around these topics.

Author Ana FundukPosted on Categories Blog, StoriesTags ,

Presidential Search Committee Releases Position Profile

The committee leading the search for the 10th president of North Park University has published a guide to the position, describing both the University and the opportunity for prospective candidates.

CHICAGO (October 9, 2017) – The committee that is leading the search for the 10th president of North Park University has published a guide to the position, describing both the University and the opportunity for prospective candidates. Anyone interested in reviewing and sharing the 12-page document is invited to download it from the North Park University website here.

 

“Our committee is pleased to move into the next phase of the search with the publication of this document,” said Owen R. Youngman, chair of the committee and a member of the University Board of Trustees. “We have incorporated ideas from a variety of sources in creating it, including the online survey that we conducted over the summer as well as meetings, conversations, letters, and emails.”

 

The committee has been receiving nominations for the position throughout the summer and will continue to do so through Monday, Oct. 16, at its dedicated email address, PresidentialSearch@northpark.edu. “In addition to many nominations and suggestions, we have been greatly encouraged by the prayer support we have received from the North Park community,” Youngman said.

 

The committee is being assisted by CarterBaldwin Executive Search of Atlanta. A list of the committee members and an explanation of the search process may be found at https://www.northpark.edu/stories/north-park-university-begins-presidential-search-process/.

Author Ana FundukPosted on Categories Announcement, News, Stories

North Park Choir Members Join 1,000 Voices to Perform “Crowd Out”

On October 1, 2017, members of North Park University’s choir ensembles joined 1,000+ volunteers in Chicago’s Millennium Park to perform the American premiere of “crowd out,” by David Lang.

October 1, 2017, in Chicago’s Millennium Park, 1,000+ volunteers gathered, representing all 50 wards of the city, to perform the American premiere of crowd out, by David Lang. Among the volunteers were members of North Park’s University Choir, Women’s Chorale, and Chamber Singers.

Created by Pulitzer-prize winner, David Lang, crowd out combines “the human voice (spoken, sung, and shouted) with the dynamic movement of people in a public space,” (crowdoutchicago.org). The Chicago performance was one of the first events constituting this fall’s Chicago Humanities Festival.

For weeks leading up to the performance, small groups of volunteers met all over the city to rehearse their portion of the performance, but also to gather in conversation regarding art as a component of community and to advocate for local arts resources. Such an event took place at North Park’s own Anderson Chapel, on September 18, where the volunteers from ward 39 gathered.

On the day of the final performance, the volunteers from all 50 wards assembled on the green of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion for brief instructions before what would be their first time performing as a group and with the city of Chicago as their audience.

The gathered crowd could have been that of any beautiful Sunday afternoon at the Cloud Gate, a mixture of locals chatting and eating lunch, tourists taking selfies in the reflection of “The Bean,” and children and pigeons darting and weaving throughout.

The familiar commotion of the crowd was both reflected and heightened by crowd out. As the performance began, a hush fell over the park, yet the ever-present hum of traffic, occasional sirens or pierce of laughter also joined the voices of those who spoke, sang, and shouted Lang’s composition. Standing amidst the performers and onlookers was an experience akin to standing at the convergence of many streams into one rushing river. At times, you could hear distinctly the murmur of one group, like a shallow brook tripping over a rocky bed, and then the voices would swell, the disparate components converge, and the rush of river rapids would fill your ears.

The words spoken felt intimate and personal, while the performance clearly embraced a shared, public experience. As individuals whispered or raised their voices to speak to an experience of loneliness, anxiety, or self-doubt, others wove through the crowd, filming or snapping pictures on their phones. When asked if this was at all uncomfortable, performer and North Park choir member Jordan Villas reported that it felt natural that people would treat the performance as they would any other public spectacle, that “it felt right, like a part of everyday life,” and not disrespectful as it might in a concert hall or more formal environment. Similarly, North Park choir member Joy Cappel stated that the whole experience, while overwhelming, also felt like being part of a family or a tight-knit community.

While the full experience of this public performance is impossible to capture, the lyrics below speak to much of its theme.

crowd out

For 1000 or more voices
By David Lang (2013)

I draw deep breaths.
I feel more confident and calm. 

I lost it all. 
I do not waste my words. 

I hate for all eyes to be on me. 
I start to panic. 

I feel so alone I could cry. 
I start to sweat. 

I can fully submerge myself. 
I don’t want people to know. 

I push, I shove, I glare, I mutter. 

I. Am. Always. Alone.

I. Am. Alone. 

I. Am. Most. Alone. 

I. Feel. So. Alone. 

I feel. 

I feel like. I feel.

I feel like rushing. 

I feel like rushing into tears. 
I feel like rushing into tears. 

I feel anxiety. 
I feel awful and I wish to be alone. 

I feel energy. 
I feel I want to be alone. 

I feel like rushing into tears.
I feel like rushing into tears. 

I feel more confident and calm. 
I feel no one understands. 

I feel so alone I could cry. 
I feel so disrupted. I feel surreal.

I am nourished by the pure spring. 

I am nowhere to be seen. 

I am obsessed with being at the center of attention. 

I am silent, and I keep to myself. 

I am obsessed with being at the center of attention. 

I am obsessed with being at the center of attention. 

I like people. I lost it all. I feel left out. 
I start to panic. 

I start to sweat. I think of you. 
I lose control.

Author Ana FundukPosted on Categories News, Stories