During this holiday season Trinity Western University will say goodbye to one of its most accomplished professors. Dr. Norm Klassen, a professor in the English Department, will be moving on to a new position at the University of Waterloo.

Dr. Klassen taught Chaucer, Fantasy Literature and a number of other classes, including IDIS 102 (he was the one without the German accent). In addition to co-writing a book for IDIS that will be published in the new year, Dr. Klassen made a huge impact on his students. Amalia Nickel, an Honours English student, said “taking his fantasy lit class brought me to a new level in my Christian beliefs. He taught in a way that was not just about literature, but about life.” His departure will leave behind a big gap at TWU.

Alternative university opens in 2007

CUP–A new choice in universities will be available in 2007 for students searching for an alternative to the overcrowded classrooms of public universities. Quest University, located in Squamish, B.C., is a non-profit, privately funded university that will offer students a broad liberal arts and science curriculum through small class sizes.

David Strangway, CEO and founding director of Quest University, makes it clear that the school is not serving as an antithesis to the larger, public universities, but rather as an alternative. He claims that the university system in Canada needs a wider variety of institutions in order to meet the different demands and needs of all students.

When it comes to clothes shopping, Trinity Western University students said that price is one of the most important considerations.

“I think about price, and how I’d rather spend my money,” said David Faulkner, second year.

For many, price and convenience are more important than whether clothing comes from any particular store.

Danielle Kooy, second year, said she’ll shop “anywhere, really—the mall. I base my decision mostly on price.”

“I shop at a lot of thrift stores, [and] Nordstrom,” said third year student James Rempt, adding that his choice to buy depends on factors such as sales and return policies.

Chapel will stay – for now

The Calvin B. Hanson Chapel will be around for a while longer, thanks to a group of Trinity Western University alumni who are concerned with the future of the building significant to TWU’s history.

At the recent meeting of the Board of Governors, Benno Friesen, a past member of the TWU faculty and former Member of Parliament, made a presentation to the Board on behalf of the group of alumni. The group asked for the opportunity to raise funds to restore the chapel, which was to be removed this November.

Research set to change the way health professionals study and diagnose Type 2 diabetes is underway at Trinity Western University, led by Computing Science professor Dr. Alma Barranco-Mendoza and a team of student assistants.

“We can potentially change the face of diabetes diagnosis,” Barranco-Mendoza said of the innovative computer software program she is designing.

Barranco-Mendoza, who began her diabetes research this year after receiving a three-year grant from the TWU Diabetes Research Endowment Fund, hopes to have the software program in clinical testing within three years’ time and eventually in hospitals as a commercial product.
“My goal is to have a working prototype of a completed system,” she said.

In the last year, Trinity Western University has made a concerted effort to provide students who have academic and physical disabilities with the tools they need to have a barrier-free education.

The Equity of Access Office, directed by David Stinson, helps to accommodate students by providing the services students need to have a normal university experience. Stinson’s efforts are concentrated on accommodating students with physical disabilities. He aids students who have problems with campus facilities through such measures as making buildings wheelchair accessible.

The unassuming Trinity Western University cafeteria was transformed last Thursday into a fashion fundraising extravaganza. TWUSA and the Student Business Association (SBA) teamed up with Mexx clothing and Mystique Hair Salon to present “Successes in Style,” a fashion show dedicated not only to the latest styles, but also to supporting the upcoming TWU Hurricane Katrina relief effort in February.

The concept for the stylish display originated while TWUSA Business Representative Brandon Ware and student Noah Buck were searching for event ideas that would be a fun and practical experience for business students. The result was a fashion show, complete with a runway, bright lights, and chic models, meant to expose business students to trendy styles and to help prepare them for the business environment. Before long, the show became much more.

Fraser Lounge filled with nearly seventy students and faculty who came to listen to the acclaimed Christian poet, John Terpstra. Terpstra spent just over an hour on the Trinity Western University campus, reading his poetry and speaking with students and faculty about its genesis and significance.

Terpstra, who hails from Hamilton, Ontario, has written one book of prose and seven books of poetry, one of which, Disarmament (2003), was shortlisted for the Governor General’s Literary Award in 2004. A graduate of the University of Toronto, Terpstra has returned to university life as this year’s Writer-in-Residence at McMaster University’s Department of English and Cultural Studies.