2001
The Voice: Spring 2001
Faculty News
Dr. Henry Duitman, conductor of Dordt's band and orchestra, conducted a Northwest Iowa Bandmasters Association Honors Band in Sioux City on January 6, 2001. Over 100 of the finest high school musicians in North-west Iowa participated in the day-long event which culminated in an evening concert.
Three members of the Faculty Status Committee, Drs. Wayne Kobes, Charles Veenstra, and Del
Vander Zee, attended the annual meeting for the American Association for Higher Education in
Tampa, Florida, from January 31 to February 3. The sectionals they attended focused on post-
tenure review, which is being considered by the Faculty Status Committee.
Agriculture Professor Dr. Duane Bajema participated in the 27th National Agricultural Education
Research Conference in San Diego from December 6 - 9, 2000.
Physics Professor Dr. Arnold Sikkema's article “Science: A Cultural Activity” appeared in
January's Reformed Perspective.
Dr. Ethan Brue from Dordt's engineering department has been recently notified by the Iowa
Board of Engineering Licensing and Examination that he passed their Principles and Practices
examination to meet the engineering experience requirements for official engineering registration
in the state of Iowa. Brue is now a licensed professional engineer in the state of Iowa
Dr. John Van Dyk, director of the Center for Educational Services, spent three weeks traveling to
schools in the Far East. He addressed a conference of Christian college principals on the topic
“What is Christian higher education?” at Bishop Appasamy College for Arts and Sciences in
Coimbatore, India, on January 17. From January 19-22, he conducted seminars and workshops
for school teachers, college professors, education students, and other Christian educators in
Seoul, Korea. On January 24 and 25 he led two seminars for Christian teachers in the
Philippines. While there he met with a variety of Christian educators and organizations.
English professors Dave and Jeri Schelhaas conducted a workshop on teaching poetry and fiction
for the Southwest Minnesota Teachers Association on January 10.
Dr. Benjamin Kornelis conducted the Dordt Concert Choir as the guest choir at the Northwest
Iowa Choral Association's High School Honor Choir Festival, held annually at Dordt. He also
was guest conductor of the Mass Choir at the annual LeMars (Iowa) Church Choir Festival. The
festival involves many LeMars church choirs from various denominations and raises money and
canned goods for local food banks.
Social Work Professor Jim Vanderwoerd's review of the book Who Will Provide? The
Changing Role of Religion in American Social Welfare by Mary Jo Bane et al (Westview Press,
2000) will be published in the Spring issue of Social Work and Christianity.
On February 4-6, Dr. Joan Ringerwole attended “A Colloquium for Organists, Pastors,
Theologians, Liturgists, and Organ Builders” on “The Organ in Christian Worship” at Princeton
Theological Seminary. The event, also a celebration of the installation of the Joe Engle organ
built by Paul Fritts & Company Organ Builders, allowed Ringerwole to see her former student
Martin Tel ('89), the C.F. Seabrook Director of Music at Princeton Seminary, where he conducts
three choirs, plays the organ for daily worship services, and teaches courses in church music.
