WBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletics Association

[TUAngola]

Another Trine WBB graduate is going to be playing a 5th year in D1.  Tara Bieniewicz has committed to the University of North Dakota of the Summit League.  She received her degree in elementary education at Trine.  I'll be following the Fighting Hawks next season.

[TUAngola]

Photos of Kelsey and Tara in their new uni's. 

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FTDbZkFWIAMCZgO?format=jpg&name=4096x4096

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FTfbvDvWAAEYWiP?format=jpg&name=medium

[gordonmann]

Very cool. Congrats to both of them.

[northb]

Someone needs to direct me to a summary of the political and theological history behind this Hope/Calvin thing. I feel like I'm embarrassingly uninformed about the details.

The common thought is that they are "Separated by a Common Heritage."

[HOPEful]

The common thought is that they are "Separated by a Common Heritage."

Sounds about right.

Original reasons for the split are mostly obsolete today. If I can remember right, the more traditional (CRC) members objected to singing hymns instead of just Psalms, allowing non-members in participating in the sacraments, and membership in Masonic Lodges. They were also not fond of the shift away from catechism.

More recently, the biggest sticking points have been the role of women in the church, private v. public schooling, and financials... with financials probably being the biggest hurdle for those still hoping for reunification. I think the theological differences are small and could be overcame fairly easily. Fiscally, the differences are much bigger. CRC member churches pay significantly more back to the denomination (for a church of 100 members, roughly 5 times more). That money funds a multitude of offshoot missions that don't exist in the RCA like ReFrame, Resonate, The Banner, etc... However, 20% of those dollars also go to Calvin University and Calvin Seminary. The RCA approved this past weekend to change Western Theological Seminary from a RCA seminary to a "officially related" institution (the same status it already holds with Hope College). My point... 0% of RCA mission share dollars go to either institution.

Members not interested in reunification would argue the CRC has a history of not being the best stewards of those funds and/or not a fan of the fact that 20% of those dollars go directly to either Calvin University or Calvin Seminary. Even if they moved past Calvin, they tend to argue that the bulk of their tithing should stay local and be managed by their church, not the denomination.

CRC members uninterested in reunification typically view the RCA as less unified than they'd prefer. They have great pride in CRC's global outreach programs and tend to dislike the move away from CRC traditions towards more "non-denominational" faith. This is often paired with the feeling that the RCA has become too complacent in allowing more secular and liberal thought.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I did do some research after the initial ask.  It seems like the theological differences weren't that great a the time of split, but the two groups have seemingly moved farther apart in the years since.  Maybe that's a difference between official positions and how it actually works out in the pews?

From the outside, it seems like the fact of separation and the culture of competition has done more to define each group than any other factor.

[HOPEful]

I did do some research after the initial ask.  It seems like the theological differences weren't that great a the time of split, but the two groups have seemingly moved farther apart in the years since...

Perhaps from the lens of a 2022 worldview, but in a very conservative Dutch community in 1882, the differences felt significantly different than they appear to us today. These were people who picked up their lives and followed a pastor across an ocean, then 750 miles west to a place they had never seen. Its not a coincidence that the divide happened six years after Van Raalte died in 1876. Us Dutch have a tendency to get pretty stuck in our ways. When the "new guy" wasn't doing it like Van Raalte did it, there were some reactions.

From the outside, it seems like the fact of separation and the culture of competition has done more to define each group than any other factor.

I think this is very true about Hope and Calvin. It can be at times difficult for a fan of either school's sports teams to compartmentalize their fandom from their theology. But I think it's less true about the RCA and CRC today. I just don't think the average Western Sem student chose Western over Calvin with any consideration of "competition" between the two.

[northb]

Perhaps from the lens of a 2022 worldview, but in a very conservative Dutch community in 1882, the differences felt significantly different than they appear to us today. These were people who picked up their lives and followed a pastor across an ocean, then 750 miles west to a place they had never seen. Its not a coincidence that the divide happened six years after Van Raalte died in 1876. Us Dutch have a tendency to get pretty stuck in our ways. When the "new guy" wasn't doing it like Van Raalte did it, there were some reactions.

Some would even be shocked that this was being discussed on the Women's Board, as it is clearly more appropriate to be on a board devoted to the men. 

[TUAngola]

WBCA ANNOUNCES 2021-22 ACADEMIC TOP 25 TEAM HONOR ROLLS

#8 TRINE - TEAM GPA 3.707
#23 HOPE - TEAM GPA 3.641

HONORABLE MENTION TO CALVIN, ALBION, KALAMAZOO AND ADRIAN

CONGRATS TO BOTH TRINE AND HOPE FOR SUCCESSFUL 2021-22 SEASONS BOTH ON THE COURT AND IN THE CLASSROOM.

[TUAngola]

Trine with 5 WBB commits from the incoming high school senior class of 2023 so far.  I imagine the Thunder making it to the NCAA Final Four in March is reaping some early benefits.  Usually girls at this level don't commit until well into their senior season or just after.  We're getting some good ones.  All are guards who like to shoot the 3, no bigs yet. 

[AlwaysHope]

A Holland Sentinel article about the Hope BB women going to Italy this summer mentioned that KATE MAJERUS would be taking the extra year of eligibility and coming back to play on the 2022-23 team! 

Anyone know if any of the other 4 year seniors are coming back?

Here's the article:  https://www.hollandsentinel.com/story/sports/2022/07/31/hope-women-heading-italy-basketball-cultural-immersion/10183824002/

[HOPEful]

That's pretty awesome news.

A starting five of Morehouse, Baguley, McKinney, Majerus, and Feenstra feels like a playoff team capable of making another run.

[AlwaysHope]

Those five players have lost only one game in the past three years!  That loss was to Trine this year, but they also defeated Trine three times during the most recent season.

[HOPEful]

Those five players have lost only one game in the past three years!  That loss was to Trine this year, but they also defeated Trine three times during the most recent season.

And three times the previous season! Six out of seven against an in-conference rival and semifinalist. I was flabbergasted at the time that the loss to Trine dropped them in the rankings as far as it did.

[TUAngola]

A couple of youtube videos chronicling Trine's run to the Elite Eight and Final Four last season.  The first link is for the the Elite Eight and the second link for the Final Four.  Trine University did a wonderful job putting these videos together.  The locker room talk by Coach Rang after the Hope game made me teary eyed.  Shows how much love there is in this program.  They are longer vidoes but well worth the view if you are fan of D3 basketball, MIAA basketball, Hope and Trine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbT5YukrB4w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-1AmmkT9Is