2003
The Voice: Spring 2003
Campus Capsules
Seniors pass CPA exam
Two senior students, Jennifer Vander Plaats and Eric Maas, passed their CPA exam
on their first attempt this spring. The national first-time pass rate is between
ten and fifteen percent.
Retention is great
With the spring semester underway, Dordt College officials are pleased to announce that
the fall-to-spring retention rate at the college has continued an upward trend. This
semester 94.6 percent of undergraduate first-semester students returned to complete the 2003 school
year at Dordt College. This represents an increase from the 94.2 percent retention
rate for the spring 2002 semester and from the previous spring’s retention rate.
The spring enrollment report indicates a student enrollment of 1294 for the semester.
The figure was also bolstered by the registration of twice as many transfer
and returning students (after time away from college) as the previous year.
Community Service Award presented to Dordt College
Dordt College has been named the business recipient of the 2003 Sioux Center
Community Service Award. At an award ceremony, city officials noted that the vitality
the college adds to the community is immeasurable, adding, “The city values this
relationship highly.”
Dordt College and the City of Sioux Center have collaborated through joint use
agreements on many facilities, benefiting both the college and the community. The most
recent of these was the All Seasons Center, which, when completed this summer,
will provide a swimming pool and ice arena. The Recreation Center and the
Campus Center also provide facilities that can be used by the community.
The city also recognized Dordt College for its cooperation with RAGBRAI, the nationally
known cross-Iowa bike ride. More than once Dordt has opened its doors for
lodging, showers, and entertainment for the 10,000 visitors who began their trek in
Sioux Center.
Theater students bring home more awards
From January 21-24, several Dordt students and faculty attended the regional American College
Theatre Festival (ACTF) at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Rapids. Representatives
for ACTF work year round, seeing college theater productions and then nominating the
best work to be represented at the annual festival.
As in years past, Dordt College was well represented at the festival. Elizabeth
McPherson, Rebecca Schelhaas, Jonathan Horlings, Ethan Koerner, Rachel Persenaire, and Dan Oldenkamp participated
in the Irene Ryan acting competition. In addition, Dordt College walked away from
the festival with a number of awards. Junior Mark Jansen won a Meritorious
Achievement award for sound design on Nothing Sacred, Eric Van Wyk for scenic
art on Nothing Sacred, and Jim Van Ry for set construction.
According to Simon du Toit, chair of the theatre arts department, “For a
college of our size to walk away with three is a big accomplishment.”
Du Toit also stresses the importance of Dordt to be represented at the
ACTF.
“It’s a very secular environment there,” he says. “Our students are really trying
to shine a light in the world of theater.”
KDCR goes international
KDCR, Dordt College’s radio station, is getting exposure internationally thanks to its use
of Real Audio, which allows people to listen through the internet. Jim Bolkema,
KDCR’s music director, says they originally started using Real Audio to give students’
parents and alumni the opportunity to listen to KDCR even if they lived
far away.
Recently, Bolkema was corresponding with a listener and discovered that she was from
Munich, Germany. When he asked her how she discovered KDCR, she said that
a friend from Belgium had recommended the radio station to her. Bolkema also
knows of a person from Australia who has listened to KDCR.
“These people don’t know anything about Dordt College,” he says. “They just stumbled
onto us when they were looking for Christian radio.”
Tucker speaks at Spring Convocation
The start of each academic semester is marked with a convocation ceremony on
the Dordt College campus. This semester’s speaker was Dr. Ruth Tucker, a professor
of missiology at Calvin College. The author of fifteen books, Tucker’s speech drew
from her most recent book, Walking Away from Faith: Unraveling the Mystery of
Belief and Unbelief. She explored the questions, “Why is it that [many] cannot
seem to believe? And why is it that others cannot seem to retain
their beliefs, despite valiant efforts?”
Tucker visited classes and spoke with students while she was on campus.
