The Saturday portion of the Northern Indiana Lakes Festival will take place at Center Lake, Warsaw, Ind. on June 8.

The Northern Indiana Lakes Festival is now a three-day event happening June 7-9 in Warsaw and Winona Lake.

Organized by Kosciusko Lakes and Streams, a water research and education center at Grace College, the Lakes Festival is a weekend of events and activities on the shores of local lakes and sometimes in the lakes themselves.

Thanks to a partnership with Warsaw First Fridays, the Lakes Festival weekend will kick off with a special downtown First Friday event on June 7. The theme will be “We Are Lake City.”

The festival will continue Saturday at Central Park in Warsaw. Events will include Center Lake Conservation Association’s Warsaw Aqua Mile swim race, the Water Waddle kids fun run and a ski show performed by the Lake City Skiers.

The Sunday portion of the festival will be at the Village at Winona in Winona Lake. Events will include Integrated Community Development International’s Run for Others 5K and KCV Cycling mountain bike time trials.

The Lakes Festival is accepting applications for vendors. There will be incentives for festival attendees to visit an educational area as well as a business vendor area.

Applications and additional information can be found at www.lakesfestival.org.

This year’s top sponsors include Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Zimmer, Biomet, CenturyLink and Silveus Insurance Group. Additional sponsors are being sought.

Kosciusko Lakes and Streams is a center at Grace College that focuses on applied research, education and community collaboration. For more information on Kosciusko Lakes and Streams visit water.grace.edu.

Greg Miller against Tennessee Wesleyan on Thursday (photo taken by Chase Ringler)

Grace’s men’s basketball team may have entered the 2013 NAIA National Championships as the underdog, but any questions of their caliber were quickly erased with a 93-69 throttling of No. 13 Tennessee Wesleyan on Thursday.

The Lancers shot 65 percent and ripped off 54 first-half points to knock off the hottest team in the nation.

The Bulldogs (25-8) owned an NAIA-best 18-game winning streak entering their game against the Lancers. But Tennessee Wesleyan, who is the third-highest scoring team in NAIA Division II, was held to 21 points below their season average on Thursday.

“In this game, our discipline and execution was really the key to what happened,” said Grace head coach Jim Kessler. “When you shoot 65 percent from the field, that’s evidence that you are taking good shots. We continually got to the basket.”

Grace could not have started any stronger by making their first five shot attempts and forcing three turnovers from the Bulldogs. After a 3-pointer from Tannan Peters less than three minutes into the contest, the Lancers (22-9) owned an 11-0 lead.

Tennessee Wesleyan countered with seven unanswered of their own before back-to-back 3-pointers from Elliot Smith and Greg Miller jumpstarted the Lancers.

Grace made an impressive 69 percent from the floor in the first half. They continued to find the mark after halftime by making 12-of-20 (60 percent).

The Bulldogs’ offense did its best to keep pace with the Lancers in the second half, but Tennessee Wesleyan never inched closer than 11 points of Grace’s lead after halftime.

Grace got to the free throw line 19 times in the second half and made 13 of their attempts.

“Defensively we were able to keep the ball in front of us for the most part. We got on the boards strong which was huge,” Kessler said. “I’m really proud of them. This was a good effort by us on both ends of the court.”

Bruce Grimm Jr. and Greg Miller each topped 20 points in the win. Grimm produced 25 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds and 3 steals, and Miller added 21 points and seven boards. Both players went 9-of-14 shooting.

Smith buried 3-of-4 from beyond the arc for 11 points, Karl Columbus tallied 11 points and four assists, Peters pulled down a game-high seven rebounds, and Dennis Williams added 10 points in 16 minutes off the bench.

The Lancers will play on Friday in the second round against the winner of Northwestern (Iowa) and California Maritime at 6:45 p.m. EST.

Follow the team live in Branson with video coverage (paid subscription) from the NAIA and live audio coverage (no charge) with Grace’s Stretch Internet.

Grace’s men’s basketball team is poised to get back onto the hardwood on Thursday for the NAIA National Championships.

The Lancers (21-9) will face off with 13th-seeded Tennessee Wesleyan in their opening-round battle at 5 p.m. EST.

Grace holds an all-time tournament record of 8-5 in the NAIA Division II National Championship, but the Lancers are hoping to buck a recent trend of losing in the first round (2012, 2011). Grace boasts an experienced postseason roster as they have advanced to NAIA Nationals in five of the past six years.

The Lancers’ opponent, Tennessee Wesleyan, owns the longest current winning streak in the nation. The Bulldogs have not tasted defeat since Jan. 2 en route to their 18-game winning streak entering Thursday’s contest.

“Tennessee Wesleyan has been on a big run as of late. They’re an athletic, up-tempo team – which we have played well against in the past,” said Grace head coach Jim Kessler. “They play deep, hard and up-tempo. They’re a very nice team with several quality wins on the schedule.”

The Bulldogs are searching for the program’s first NAIA tournament victory as they have come up empty in each of their previous four attempts. Tennessee Wesleyan features the third-highest scoring offense in the country at 90.6 points per game. Desmond Crisp paces the Bulldogs with 16.0 points per game.

With a win over Tennessee Wesleyan on Thursday, Grace will play in the second round on Friday at 6:45 p.m. before the quarterfinals on Saturday at 9 p.m. View the 2013 bracket here.

Follow the team live in Branson with video coverage (paid subscription) from the NAIA and live audio coverage (no charge) with Grace’s Stretch Internet.

As Grace College quickly becomes one of the quality providers in online education, some notable achievements are emerging. Tim Ziebarth, Director of Online Education, along with a team of collaborators, achieved a “5″ rating on a quality review of their online Principles of Management course hosted through Learning House, Grace’s online education solutions partner. The Management class is one of very few nationwide in the Learning House network that has achieved this rating.

The quality review makes use of a 5-level scale with intricate standards of quality that each online class must meet in 40-plus distinct areas. To achieve a score of 5, classes must score a 90% or higher in meeting the standards.

“We are raising the quality of our online classes. This is just one class, but now we have a course that models the best practices in online education,” explained Ziebarth. “Our next goal is to have the first class that scores a 100%.”

“The time, effort, quality, variety, and content that Tim includes in his courses achieve a high level of student outcomes,” said Carrie Yocum, Associate Provost of Grace College. “Tim leads our online department and has been an example to other instructors in the development and teaching of online courses and use of resources to make it a good learning experience for students.”

“The level five rating is a terrific example of the hard work and dedication of Tim and the Grace faculty as well,” said Derek Jones, Grace’s account manager at Learning House. “Quality was one of the first things Tim has stressed to us in our partnership and I think the fact that Grace College is leading the way is an example of their dedication to their students.”

Grace College in Winona Lake, Ind., is pleased to announce that members of the second cohort of the Orthopaedic Regulatory and Clinical Affairs (ORCA) graduate program are slated to graduate on May 11, 2013. Twenty-four ORCA students will receive their degrees in the college’s annual commencement ceremony after completing a rigorous year of study in twelve courses designed by and for professionals in the orthopaedic industry.

This graduate program is targeted to professionals who desire a thorough knowledge of the laws and regulations mandated by the federal government, especially the FDA, as they apply to the development, testing approval, manufacturing, and commercialization of orthopaedic products. Grace College partnered with OrthoWorx to launch this program in 2011, and it has since enjoyed wide industry support. Of the 24 students enrolled this year, 15 are currently working in orthopaedic firms including Zimmer, DePuy-Synthes, and Stryker.  Five students secured internships or permanent positions after starting the ORCA program.  This year’s class joins the first cohort of thirty graduates.

According to Allyn Decker, Program Director, “The ORCA program stands as a shining example of what can be accomplished when industry competitors partner with higher education to develop local talent for a high-tech industry like orthopaedic manufacturing.  We anticipate career growth and success for those currently employed in orthopaedics and for others hoping to enter the field, since regulatory and clinical affairs professionals are in high-demand.”

Grace College will accept applications until April 1, 2013 for the next cohort, which will begin in May of 2013.  The program can also be delivered live to distance learners who cannot travel to Winona Lake.  Program information and application materials can be accessed at www.grace.edu/orca. Grace College is a member of the North Central Association, and its programs are accredited by the Commission on Higher Learning.

On Wednesday, March 20, following Grace College’s Spring Day of Worship, students and faculty will come together for a day set aside for the celebration of student scholarship. Communitas, a scholarship forum designed to integrate academic excellence, creative expression, and Christian faith, will be held at the Orthopedic Capital Center starting at 1:00 p.m.

“I think this year’s event will be a successful time of learning from each other and focusing on the academic abilities that God has given our students,” said Nate Bosch, one of the coordinators of the event and Associate Professor of Environmental Science at Grace College. “It is great experience for professional and student presentations and a time for the rest of us to learn from and support the presenters.  I anticipate there will be a variety as diverse as our students’ interests on campus. ”

The event is Grace College and Seminary’s third annual Communitas symposium, organized and sponsored by the Office of Faith, Learning, and Scholarship. The event is a student-focused symposium designed to showcase student creativity and research, give students experience in presenting their work in a professional atmosphere, and provide opportunities to explore the integration of faith and learning.

“There are relatively few opportunities for students to gather in a formal way to share academic interests, creative projects, artistic performances, and research,” explained Dr. Jared Burkholder, Director of the Office of Faith, Learning and Scholarship at Grace College. “Communitas is an event that creates space for this to happen.”

Cheryl Bremer, Chair of the Special Education Department and Assistant Professor of Education, was honored with the title of 2012 Outstanding Professor of the Year. She was nominated by her students and awarded by The Indiana Council for Exceptional Children (Indiana CEC), an innovative organization concerned with the betterment of all student outcomes. The award recognized her for demonstrating knowledge, skill and sensitivity in teaching university students about persons with disabilities, going above and beyond what is normally expected in her profession, and serving as a role model and inspiration to her students and colleagues.

Bremer had the opportunity to attend the awards luncheon on February 20 in Indianapolis to receive this recognition during the Indiana CEC annual conference.

“I’ve had four classes with Dr. Bremer and I have learned so much from her about the field of special education,” said Ethyn Brumbaugh, student nominator. “She has lived out the Grace College Micah 6:8 mission statement, displaying her character, competence, and service in and out of the classroom.”

“When I think of possibly pursuing a doctorate myself one day, there are not many women in my life who I can look up to learn from and model. However, Dr. Bremer opened up her professional life for me to observe and learn from and I could not be more thankful for that,” explained Nina Ferry, student president of Grace College’s chapter of the CEC. “Her passion in the classroom and her passion for her students is contagious. She is an integral asset to the education department at Grace.”

Grace’s men’s basketball team earned its third straight trip to the NAIA Division II National Championships with a 21-9 record.

The Lancers will take on Tennessee Wesleyan in the first round of NAIA Nationals on Thursday, March 7.

“We’re very happy to play in this tournament again – it’s been a very good run for us the past several years,” said Grace head coach Jim Kessler. “We’ve had a great season so far, and by winning eight of our final 11 games, we got the wins we needed.”

Grace, who has punched its ticket to NAIA Nationals in five of the past six seasons, was ranked No. 20 in the Top 25 Coaches’ Poll released Wednesday afternoon.

Their opponent in the first round, Tennessee Wesleyan, hails from the Appalachian Athletic Conference and boasts a record of 25-7. The Bulldogs are winners of their past 18 contests and feature the third-highest scoring offense in NAIA Div. II at 90.6 points per game.

The Lancers earned the sixth of 12 at-large bids into the national tournament. Bruce Grimm Jr. (17.7 ppg, 5.4 apg), Greg Miller (17.3 ppg, 9.1 rpg) and Elliot Smith (11.3 ppg, 41% 3-pointers) lead Grace’s squad.

“The body of work for the season showed that we should be in the tournament, but we stubbed our toe against Marian in the last game. So for us we feel like we have a second chance, and with that comes a certain amount of energy. We want to make it count,” Kessler said. “Now we need to focus on staying loose for our first game. We need to play with no fear, play free on the court and get after it with confidence.”

Follow the team live in Branson with video coverage (paid subscription) from the NAIA and live audio coverage (no charge) with Grace’s Stretch Internet.

Dr. Gordon Nickel

Dr. Gordon Nickel, a specialist on the historic relationship between Islam and Christianity, will be visiting the Grace College campus Friday, March 22  to deliver this year’s Lyceum Lecture on Faith and the Academy. The lecture is titled “A Christian Response to Global Islam” and will be held at 7:00 in Westminster Hall on the Grace College campus. Earlier in the day, he will also address the students of Grace College during the 10:30 chapel hour.

Nickel’s research focuses on early Muslim writers and the way they approached the Bible in light of the Qur’an. He has completed graduate study at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London and The University of Calgary and has lived in Pakistan and India, where he taught for ten years. He seeks to respond to Muslim voices with a concern for apologetics while promoting peaceful approaches to dialogue. He is the author of Narratives of Tampering in the Earliest Communities on the Qur’an (Brill, 2010).

“Nickel is uniquely situated to offer a balanced and knowledgeable perspective on the relationship between Christianity and Islam,” said Jared Burkholder, Associate Professor of American and World History.  “He speaks as a Christian informed by the Anabaptist tradition and is concerned both for the truth of the gospel and for fostering peaceful approaches that reflect a Christ-like disposition.”

The Lyceum Series on Faith and the Academy is a lecture series hosted by the Office of Faith, Learning and Scholarship that strives to reflect Winona Lake’s tradition of cultural engagement and Grace College’s commitment to vibrant conversation on issues related to the intersection of Christian faith and academics.

The event is free and open to the public. For more details, contact Jared Burkholder at 800.544.7223 x6006. For more information about Gordon Nickel, visit: http://www.quranandinjil.org/aboutgordon.

2013 Presidential Scholarship Competition Winners

<<view photos from PSC 2013 here>>

During the weekend of Feb. 15-16, Grace College hosted 133 high school students for its Presidential Scholarship Competition. The competition, held annually, brings finalists to campus to compete for scholarships ranging from $1,000 – $25,000 per year.

This year’s winners included:

President’s Scholarship:

• Hannah Scott, Canyon Country, CA

Trustee Scholarship:

• Anderson Smith, Fort Wayne, IN
• Christina McCrorie, Indianapolis, IN

Faculty Scholarship:

• Elizabeth Manko, Blacklick, OH
• John Robertson, Mansfield, OH
• Jennie Gold, Orrville, OH
• Abigael Johnson, Valparaiso, IN
• Daniel Carlson, Palatine, IL

Achievement Scholarship:

• Jena Stevenson, Niles, MI
• Brooke Neal, Stilesville, IN
• Seth Bingham, Columbus, IN
• Rachel Gruenloh, Jasper, IN
• Sydney Rusk, Geneseo, IL
• Nicholas Ward, Wapato, WA
• Adriana Maxwell, Phillipines
• Benjamin Hutchens, Otsego, MI
• Maile Grout, Seymour, IN
• Chelsee Christoffel, Pierceton, IN

McClain Scholarship:

• Andrew Jeffreys, Warsaw, IN
• Sarah Rainous, Cincinatti, OH
• Abigail Louthen, Riverside, IL
• Nathan Roberts, Warsaw, IN
• Heidi Gottschalk, Fort Wayne, IN
• Hannah Fuller, Greendale, WI
• Lily Fite, Evansville, IN
• Megan Johnson, Lewisburg, OH
• Drew Schramm, Warsaw, IN
• Brooks Gerke, Auburn, IN
• Brennan Angle, Nappanee, IN
• Carissa Miglin, Van Wert, OH
• Caleb Ball, New Bremen, OH
• Lyndsey Rupp, Archbold, OH
• Emily Guinter, Crawfordsville, IN
• Jarod Ward, Elida, OH
• Alexander Campillanos, Brookfield, IL
• Christina Solomon, Burr Ridge, IL
• Jorgen Reimer, Middlebury, IN
• Erin Cooper, Elida, OH
• Melissa Stephan, Goshen, IN