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A LAST ING LE GACY
SIX DECADES OF LANGUAGE LEARNING
ANSWERING A CALL TO CONCORDIA
THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING
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Dear Alumni and Friends, More than 128 years ago, immigrants from Norway founded Concordia, seeking to sustain their faith tradition and to prepare their children to flourish in a new land. One year ago in this column, I invoked the promise of “the Concordia that is yet to be.” In the time since, faculty, staff, students, regents, and graduates have been thinking hard about continuity and change: continuity in purpose, and change to ensure that purpose will prosper at a threshold moment in American higher education. With the same courage that inspired our founders, those who love Concordia brought to the Board of Regents this May Concordia Leads: The Plan for 2030. It was approved unanimously. The wellspring of that plan is the mission statement written by Dean Carl Bailey almost 60 years ago: The purpose of Concordia College is to influence the affairs of the world by sending into society thoughtful and informed men and women dedicated to the Christian life. We know now, as Bailey knew then, that the genius of Concordia lies in learning always turns us outward, outward in love to a world so much in need of our graduates’ gifts. That outward turn has created the vision for our next decade: We learn, we lead, for the sake of the world. Rooted in the freedom of God’s love and grace, we will educate resourceful 21st-century learners to become accomplished professionals, courageous citizens, and transformational leaders who build a world more joyful and more just. As the months and then years of this new plan unfold, we will keep faith with you, regularly reporting on the web and in person that progress we’re making together. Though our current students will always be at the center, the plan doesn’t engage those on campus alone. The four defining goals of the plan will draw on your gifts and devotion too: goals for transformational learning, excellence through diversity, community health and wholeness, and a strong financial foundation. Imagine a Concordia that sets the national standard for education that readies students for the rapidly evolving workplace; a Concordia that reflects in its students the diversity of the world where they will live and work; a Concordia that leads America in lifting up the mental and emotional health of its students; and a Concordia with the resources to ensure that financial need will never stop qualified students from a Cobber education. It isn’t hard to imagine these things: they’re already underway, even in the first year of the new plan. The PEAK requirement, now in place, challenges every undergraduate to work with others to address real problems in the real world in real time. Through our admission to the Davis United World College Scholars program, and through the new Community Access Scholars and Act Six Scholars programs, we are building the most richly diverse student body in our history. With the Center for Holistic Health in Old Main, we stand on the leading edge of developing students into active agents of their own well-being, and with the Community Resilience Project, we have become an agent for our much loved city of Moorhead. And finally, we have seen striking growth in our endowment, though only together will we reach the high goals we have set to underwrite both scholarships and innovation. Enjoy this fine edition of the Concordia Magazine. You’ll see that it features the new college plan, our commitment to endowment growth, our wonderful new campus pastors, 60 years of Concordia’s Language Villages, and the remarkable 34 years of Dr. René Clausen in this his final year before retirement. Soli Deo gloria.
President William J. Craft
ConcordiaCollege.edu/magazine
On the Cover Dr. René Clausen conducts his final Christmas concert in Memorial Auditorium.
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Photo: Dr. Melanie Armstrong, Western Colorado University
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Press Pause. Engage the World. Longer fall break offers students unique learning opportunities features
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A Lasting Legacy Dr. René Clausen retires after 34 years
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Six Decades of Language Learning Meeting the needs of a global society
VP for Enrollment and Marketing: Dr. Karl A. Stumo ’92 // Associate Vice President for Communications; Chief Marketing Officer: Joshua Lysne ’96 // Managing Editor: Laura Caroon ’06 // Art Direction: Caleb Fugleberg // Content Editor: Tracey J. Bostick Editorial and Design Team: Amy J. Aasen ’95, Lindsay Arbach, Evan Balko ’12, Reyna Bergstrom ’18, James M. Cella, Kayley Erlandson, Kelly Heyer, Kim Kappes, Amy E. Kelly ’95, Eric Lillehaugen ’11, Justin Monroe ’21, Eme Otto ’17, John Phelps, Lori J. Steedsman, Kayla Stenstrom, Morgan Wade
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Answering a Call to Concordia The Rev. David and Kim Adams are new innovators in campus ministry
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The Gift That Keeps on Giving Securing Concordia’s future through endowment
Concordia Magazine Winter 2020 Volume 58 Concordia Magazine is published once a year by the Office of Communications and Marketing, Concordia College, 901 8th St. S., Moorhead, MN 56562. To change your address or unsubscribe from the mailing list, contact Alumni Records at 218.299.3743, alumni@cord.edu, or update your record online at ConcordiaCollege.edu/alumniupdate
© 2020 Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota 923564/36.8M/0120
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Davis UWC Scholars Partner
New Branding for the College The Communications and Marketing team developed a new brand mark and identity for the college. The objective was to create an original brand mark and symbol that visualizes aspects of Concordia’s story in such a way that it will resonate with Cobbers past, present, and future while building better brand awareness and distinction. The symbol introduces unique shapes that can translate into powerful design elements that were missing from Concordia’s previous wordmark. Adding a strong, consistent shape that also conveys meaning and purpose strengthens our institutional identity and helps us to connect with those we seek to equip and serve. Concordia’s new brand mark features a bold, minimal serif font to match the boldness embodied by our mission – to influence the affairs of the world. Mission and tradition are both celebrated in the slight flowing serifs that bring a historic sensibility to an otherwise clean, modern look. All the serifs flow toward the left edge, symbolizing looking back while being engaged in the present and looking ahead to the future. The symbol that accompanies the font treatment features elements that will distinguish Concordia in the market and also incorporates elements from our strong heritage (shield), our best-known college symbol (the Concordia ring), and our college nickname (Cobbers). The new brand mark is being phased in over an 18-month period as updates continue across campus and in print materials.
HERITAGE SHIELD
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LEGACY RING
COBBER KERNEL
Concordia College was selected to join the Davis United World College Scholars Program in August, strengthening the institution’s commitment to international students and global education. International students that complete their final two years of high school at one of the 17 United World Colleges will now be eligible for needbased scholarships to attend Concordia as undergraduate students. United World Colleges is a global education movement that makes education a force to unite people, nations, and cultures for peace and a sustainable future. There are 18 UWC institutions on five continents, the majority of which focus exclusively on the 16- to 19-year-old age group – a time when young people’s energy and idealism can be guided toward empathy, responsibility, and lifelong action. UWC students are selected domestically, in more than 155 countries, through UWC’s unique national committee system. Once UWC graduates enroll in one of the approximately 95 partner U.S. colleges or universities, the program provides financial support for their undergraduate education through institutional grants that support Davis UWC Scholars. Concordia’s goal is to enroll at least 10 Davis UWC Scholars annually into the first-year class.
Act Six Scholarships Awarded Concordia welcomed eight Act Six Leadership Scholars to campus in fall 2019. An initiative of Urban Ventures, Act Six is a full-tuition, full-need urban leadership award that brings together emerging leaders of diverse and multicultural backgrounds who want to make a difference on campus and in their communities. Act Six selects 45 of the Twin Cities’ most promising urban leaders for scholarships to six partner colleges, including Concordia.
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Record-Setting Fulbright Year
Hannah Allen
McKayle Carter
Toby Kindem
Alexandra Rankin
Awards Presented at State of the College Prestigious Ole and Lucy Flaat Awards were presented to faculty and staff at the annual State of the College celebration.
Photo (from left): Heidi Rogers, Rachel Bergeson, Dr. Jennifer DeJong, and President Craft
Concordia had a record-setting year for the number of Fulbright Scholars named. Out of six applicants, Concordia had four students receive scholarships. Fulbright coordinator and professor of English Dr. Jonathan Steinwand said nationally about 20% of applicants are funded and Concordia had 66% funded. Seniors Toby Kindem, Alexandra Rankin, Hannah Allen, and McKayle Carter received Fulbright awards. Kindem, a K-12 German education major, was awarded an English Teaching Award to Germany. Rankin’s English Teaching Award took her to Taiwan. Allen was awarded a Study/Research Award in Music Therapy and is pursuing a master’s degree in music therapy at SRH University in Heidelberg, Germany. Carter was awarded an English Teaching Assistant Award to Bavaria, Germany. Every year, approximately 10,000 students apply for 2,000 awards worldwide in all fields of study and in over 140 countries. More than 380,000 Fulbrighters from the U.S. and other countries have participated in the program since it was established in 1946.
Ole and Lucy Flaat Distinguished Teaching Award Dr. Jennifer DeJong ’94, Associate Professor of Nursing
Ole and Lucy Flaat Distinguished Scholarship Award Dr. Richard Gilmore, Chair and Professor of Philosophy
Ole and Lucy Flaat Distinguished Service Award Rachel Bergeson ’05, Director of Athletics
Ole and Lucy Flaat Inclusive Excellence Award
Heidi Rogers ’06, Assistant Director of Retention and Learning Services, Center for Student Success The Flaat awards, conferred by Concordia’s Board of Regents, were endowed by Ole and Lucy Flaat, lifelong farmers in the Red River Valley.
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New Cabinet Members Begin Three new members have joined the college’s leadership team. Dr. Jill Abbott was appointed deputy to the president at Concordia in June. Abbott holds a bachelor’s degree in literature/language arts education, a master’s in counseling and human resource development, and a doctorate in educational administration. She served as the associate vice president of academics at Minnesota State Community and Technical College, where she led institutional accreditation, annual planning, co-curricular assessment, grants, concurrent enrollment, and K-12 collaboration. Her accomplishments include leading a comprehensive process to revise M State’s mission and vision, increasing partnerships with secondary education and community organizations, expanding faculty professional development, increasing grant activity, and implementing an annual planning model. She has made many conference presentations on a wide range of topics, including career development, college readiness, concurrent enrollment, invisible disabilities, online learning, and women in leadership. She started her vocation in education teaching English to energetic junior high learners. In her role at Concordia, she will help ensure the fulfillment of the new college plan, represent the college in building strong local and regional partnerships for mutual success, and position Concordia as a mission driven institution of national significance. The Rev. Terry Brandt, bishop of the Eastern North Dakota Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, was named Concordia’s new vice president for Advancement effective Jan. 15. Prior to being elected bishop in 2014, he was an associate to the bishop in that synod for six years. He was also a member of Concordia’s Board of Regents, concluding that service as he assumes his new role. He brings a record of achievement in strategic planning, fundraising, and mission fulfillment. As bishop, he framed “On the Road Together,” the synod’s plan for embracing the opportunities of a diverse and changing church. He energized the culture of stewardship, designing new fundraising initiatives and leading grant-writing proposals. Under his guidance, the synod saw major growth in its Endowment for Leaders, which provides tuition grants and seminary debt relief for those called to rostered leadership in the ELCA, and received the Big Dream grant to support its multi-ethnic initiatives, as well as raising additional funds to support Native American, Sudanese, and Latinx worshipping communities. Dr. Susan Larson, professor of psychology and former chair of the Division of Sciences and Mathematics, began as dean of the college in June following a Board of Regents’ affirmation of a new college plan in May. She fulfills the traditional responsibilities of the dean and will have oversight of academic divisions and the Offutt School, department chairs’ meetings, the associate dean of the college, the director of the library, Global Learning, and grants and corporate relations, as well as integrative learning and community engagement. Larson presides at Faculty Senate and assumes the responsibilities in faculty governance assigned to the dean, including the dean’s role with the faculty executive committee. The former dean, Dr. Eric Eliason, remains vice president for Academic Affairs, where his focus is on several major projects arising from the college’s new strategic plan. Dr. Drew Rutherford, department chair and associate professor of chemistry, was appointed as the new chair of the Division of Sciences and Mathematics.
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Retirees Recognized Fifteen members of the faculty and staff retired during the 2018-19 academic year. They have a combined total of 346 years of service. Honored retirees are Dr. Francisco Cabello-Cobo, world languages and cultures, 18 years; Jane Linde Capistran, music, 17 years; Lois Cogdill, Student Development and Campus Life, 26 years; Dr. Susan CordesGreen, psychology, 30 years; Florene Culp, Concordia Language Villages, 15 years; Dr. Dawn Duncan, English, 25 years; Dennis Duncan, Information Technology Services, 24 years; Scott Ellingson, Career Center, 40 years; Wayne Flack, Facilities Management, 12 years; Brenna Grund, Dining Services, 13 years; Elaine Johnson, Admission, 27 years; Tracey Moorhead, President’s Office, 30 years; Jessica Rahman, athletics, 16 years; Dr. Barbara Witteman, education, 24 years; and Dr. Xueqi Zeng, mathematics, 29 years.
Photo (back): Dr. Barbara Witteman, Florene Culp, Jane Linde Capistran; (middle): Dr. Dawn Duncan, Lois Cogdill, Scott Ellingson; (front): Elaine Johnson and Dr. Xueqi Zeng
Legendary Fundraiser Retires As the year comes to a close, it also marks the end of an era for the college as John Pierce retired Jan. 3 from his longtime role as senior gift planner for Advancement. A graduate of North Dakota State University who spent a semester at Concordia as a freshman, he began his storied career at the college Oct. 1, 1969, as assistant director of Alumni Relations. After 10 months on the job, he was promoted to executive director of the C-400 Club. Already thriving, the Club doubled its membership during his five-year tenure and he introduced three new awards presented in recognition of C-400 members’ giving: the Mission Medallion, the Soli Deo Gloria Award, and the Founder’s Award. He also brought dozens of famous personalities to campus, who addressed thousands of C-400 Club members, including Charles M. Schulz (creator of “Peanuts”), Louis L’Amour, Bill Gates, Walter Cronkite, William F. Buckley, Red Skelton, Paul Harvey, Charlton Heston, Bobby Unser, and Colonel Harland Sanders (founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken). In 1975, Pierce transitioned to raising major gifts from individual donors. In the past 44 years, he traveled the nation, seeking major gifts for Concordia College and Concordia Language Villages. It’s estimated that he has raised more than $100 million during his 50-year career.
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Cobbers returned to campus this fall to a remodeled and refreshed Maize.
King Center Relocated In January 2019, the Martin Luther King Center celebrated its relocation to the Wall Student Lounge in the Knutson Campus Center. Previously located in the lower level of Park Region Hall, the move was strategic in its effort to be in a more central location on campus. Glory Kom Petnkeu ’19, lead commissioner of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commission, and Dr. Earl Lewis ’78, chair of the Concordia College Board of Regents, were two of the highlighted speakers at the event. They each spoke on the importance of the King Center and its mission to be a place of activity, learning, and belonging.
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2019 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees Concordia inducted its youngest class ever into the Athletic Hall of Fame: baseball All-Region performer Derek Dormanen ’03, football AllRegion award winner Derek Flann ’03, MIAC MVP volleyball player Jessica (Walden) Heckman ’05, women’s basketball All-American Mandy Pearson ’05, national champion diver Annie (Cullen) Peterson ’06, and football Gagliardi Award finalist Jordan Talge ’05. All six earned top awards in the MIAC and led their teams to conference and national success.
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A Conversation With Paul Dovre President Emeritus Dr. Paul Dovre ’58 talked about his life and legacy during a Dovre Center for Faith and Learning event this fall. President William Craft moderated the conversation, which included stories of Dovre’s youth and his long tenure at Concordia. Dovre began with some personal history. He grew up on a southwestern Minnesota farm in a family of seven during the Depression. Dovre said the Army opened up a different world to him, graduate school opened up a world of ideas, and a year at Luther Seminary was formative. Dovre and his wife, Mardeth (Bervig) ’57, returned to Concordia in 1963. He became associate dean in his fourth year. Notable memories of the ’60s included an exchange program with a historically black college, protests of the war, the creation of Concordia Language Villages, May Seminars, and a statement of students’ rights and responsibilities. When he became president in 1975, the college was in the midst of addressing significant curricular issues including adding a hospital administration program. The highlight of his first year as president was a strike by black students who were seeking a black studies program, more African American faculty and staff, and better support services. Dovre said the college went into the golden age of the ’80s with a top-notch leadership team both administratively and in terms of faculty. A strong program of church relations was developed along with a strong marketing program called the Concordia Equation and enrollment had grown steadily. Dovre kept the conversation real, noting some of the challenges. The ’90s was a transition from a place of abundance to one of scarcity. Dovre’s comments included notable snippets from past presidents and his overseeing of building the campanile (named the Dovre Campanile in 2012) that was met with student displeasure at the perceived waste of money. He noted those same students ended up requesting that the first ringing of the bells coincide with their graduation. The skyway was also built during Dovre’s tenure. “I look to the future and I say it’s going to be different,” Dovre says, “but we start with these incredible resources of leadership and support, faculty, staff, and curriculum, and I am confident that tactically we’ll make the right decisions to reach our mission and to see it blossom in the coming decades. It gives me a real thrill when I anticipate that future.”
New Accreditation for Long-Term Care Program A new accreditation designation for Concordia’s long-term care program will ease the licensure process for graduates entering long-term care careers. Concordia’s new health services executive accreditation includes nursing home administration, an accreditation Concordia has held for more than a decade, residential care/ assisted living, and home and community-based services. Concordia is only the ninth institution to receive the HSE designation. Concordia’s director of long-term care administration and healthcare financial management, Dr. Dan Anderson, says there is great value for students getting degrees from our specially accredited programs. Concordia’s long-term care program has been extremely successful. The past year alone, more than 50% of the facilities where our long-term care students have internships have Cobbers as CEOs.
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A LASTING
LEGACY By Reyna Bergstrom
Following the end of this academic year, Dr. RenĂŠ Clausen will conclude his career conducting The Concordia Choir after 34 years at Concordia College. During this time, he has impacted the lives of thousands through his compassion, intellect, and gentle humanity, and taught others not only about music but also about life.
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“Good afternoon, choir.” “Good afternoon, Dr. Clausen.” This is how each rehearsal for The Concordia Choir begins.
Concordia Choir alumna Grace Murray ’17 realized this but recognized that there was an additional element that made Clausen’s rehearsals especially compelling. “What made his leadership unique was that every day he would infuse his own humanity into our rehearsals – stories about his mischievous dogs, past Concordia tours, ‘Star Trek’ references, selfdeprecating jokes, and his views on the world,” Murray reflects. “By sharing his life with us, Clausen showed us that sharing love, beauty, and fellowship was the true goal. It’s that impact, that legacy, that will be cherished and continue to impact people for generations.”
Since 1986, Clausen has served as conductor of The Concordia Choir. Five days a week in the South Choral Rehearsal Room of Hvidsten Hall of Music, the rich melodies of the 72-voice choir can be heard soaring under the direction of Clausen. Note by note, measure by measure, the pieces are pulled apart into individual notes and phrases, and then stitched back together again into a full work designed to touch the hearts of those listening. Clausen has mastered this process with his unique ability to draw out “He conducts in such the absolute best from his students, a way that I feel that in regard to both musicality and potential for success in their lives. the sound is almost
being pulled out of
That impact is why both on and off campus he’s not only respected and admired but revered. A Living Legend
Only the third conductor of The “He conducts in such a way that I me, that I can’t help Concordia Choir in the ensemble’s feel that the sound is almost being pulled out of me, that I can’t help but give him my very 99-year history, Clausen has served as the artistic director but give him my very best,” shares best.” of the Emmy Award-winning Laura LeGare ’19, an alumna of the Concordia Christmas concerts, choir. “Whenever I sang for him, – Laura LeGare ’19 which are annually featured on I felt as though he was touching PBS stations throughout the nation. my soul and shaping the music in He is an internationally renowned composer and there and that the sound taking shape was the arranger, having written dozens of commissioned fruit of a continuous partnership between himself, compositions for famed performances. One of his the choir as a whole, and each individual within it. most influential compositions is “MEMORIAL,” a And when that continuous flow of communication work commemorating the tragic events of 9/11. This is established (as he likes to call it, ‘the circle of work has been performed at Lincoln Center in New communication’), sheer beauty is made – the kind York City on multiple occasions since its premiere that moves hearts and souls.” in 2003. He has received dozens of awards for his compositions and conducting – including Every person in the choir comes with skill, selfthree Grammy Awards – and continues to travel discipline, and the understanding that the rich extensively as a guest conductor and speaker. tradition of The Concordia Choir is something truly special. Clausen expects a correspondingly deep level of commitment from each of his students.
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Along with his many accolades, Clausen has been married to his college sweetheart and fellow musician, Frankie, for nearly 46 years. Together, they have raised three grown children and enjoyed living in Moorhead and being a part of the Concordia community.
“I remember when I first came to Concordia and heard The Concordia Choir perform,” Hammerling reflects. “They were singing ‘Totus Tuus’ in chapel and I remember thinking, ‘I hope I get to teach here a long time just so I can hear these choirs, this conductor, this composer, do what he does.’”
His accomplishments not withstanding, he is certainly beloved by those who know him.
Throughout the years, they have collaborated on some of Clausen’s largest works, including “MEMORIAL” and “The Passion of Jesus Christ,” and have both challenged and supported one another throughout the process.
Kathy Benson ’64, who recently retired as Health Center administrator after 50 years with Concordia, has been accompanying The Concordia Choir’s annual tour since 2002. During this time, she has not only become Clausen’s friend but has witnessed his unfailing character.
“As a human being, René is great to be around. He is a very deep soul. He feels, thinks, and loves very deeply,” Hammerling says. “Those sorts of things come through in his music. I think that deep sensitivity that certain artists have allows “What has never changed is his investment in them to go to a place that many people don’t even students as human beings. He takes chances on know exists. When I students,” she shares. “The two weeks of tour “René Clausen calls not only his hear him conducting one of his own pieces have been my spiritual singers but also the listeners who or someone else’s, I vacation because it has given me a chance to complete the circle of performance, feel as if I’m standing before someone who spend a different kind of to remember who they are – body, understands the great time with young people and be blessed by their breath, immersed in mystery and mystery of God. And presence in my life, but longing for its fulfillment – as children somebody who stands in awe of that.” this has also included Dr. of God.” Clausen. He has always been so inclusive to me, Another close friend – President William Craft the non-musician. He of Clausen’s is Peter respects my feedback Halverson, who is and has always valued me being the other half of a member of the voice faculty at Concordia. the circle.” Halverson has enjoyed being a soloist in many of Clausen’s compositions and has narrated the Concordia Christmas concerts as the Voice of God Dr. Roy Hammerling, a professor of religion, throughout Clausen’s tenure. feels fortunate to have had the opportunity to not only collaborate with Clausen but to be his friend. Hammerling came to teach in the religion “Ever since Dr. Clausen first came to Concordia, department at Concordia in 1992, shortly after we forged a close relationship as music colleagues Clausen arrived. and friends. We have golfed and played billiards together and shared our thoughts on music and
Photos (from left): Clausen conducting a Concordia Choir rehearsal Clausen conducting a rehearsal for a Concordia Choir reunion concert Clausen on an international choir tour, 1980s Clausen with Crown Prince Harald and Crown Princess Sonja of Norway, 1990 Clausen conducting at Carnegie Hall, 1997
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life,” Halverson shares. “In all these years, I have witnessed with amazement how he has year in and year out molded The Concordia Choir into one of the finest collegiate choirs anywhere. That he was able to take an already established and nationally recognized choral program and not only sustain it, but enhance it and grow it to become in the mind and ears of many the premier choir and choral program in the country, speaks volumes to his unique talent and dedication that has maintained this incredible choral tradition at Concordia College.” A Choral Tradition Maintaining and growing Concordia’s choral tradition was a priority when President Emeritus Dr. Paul Dovre ’58 hired Clausen to replace choral legend Dr. Paul J. Christiansen, who conducted The Concordia Choir for nearly 50 years.
influence on choral music in general and Concordia in particular is impossible to overstate.” One of those students is Lee Nelson ’96, the director of choral activities at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. “Dr. Clausen is a mentor that helped shape my career, my character, and my faith,” Nelson says. “When I became a student at Concordia, I entered as an accounting major with a love of music. After experiencing choral music under the direction of Dr. Clausen, I quickly realized that my love of music was far more than just a passion; it was a vocation. He embodies what it means to teach life and spirituality through the lens of music. Dr. Clausen’s intensely creative mind consistently brings out the best possible singer in each person. He has a quiet way of instilling an unwavering work ethic and a passion for musical excellence in every singer. It is something I strive to model in every rehearsal I conduct.”
“The appointment of Dr. Clausen was among the most important in my years as president. We wanted to sustain and build on a distinguished tradition,” Dovre recalls. “The F. Melius Christiansen Upon his arrival at Concordia, one of the tasks set choral tradition was distinguished by its attention to before Clausen was conducting the Concordia color, passion, and technical excellence. René was Christmas concerts. Following Christiansen, he set a perfect fit both as a conductor and composer. forth to carry on elements of tradition while making And while he mastered the essential the Christmas concerts his own. One elements of the tradition, he was not way Clausen accomplished this was “Dr. Clausen ... by replacing the brass choir with a full bound by them. He explored new subject matter and new modes of symphony orchestra to complement helped shape expression and soon the ‘voice’ and the choral performers. He also scaled my career, my program of The Concordia Choir was back the narration in favor of more his own. I particularly appreciated his music and he started the tradition of character, and attention to the changing social and closing the concert with “Compline.” my faith.” cultural environment and the creative way in which he both reflected it and Of Clausen’s first Christmas concert, – Lee Nelson ’96 spoke to it – particularly in his work as Benson recalls sitting in the audience a composer.” and thinking, “‘It’s going to be even better.’ Deciding to include strings added so In regard to Clausen’s character, Dovre says, “René’s much depth and warmth. And with the addition of passion for music is matched by his empathy for ‘Compline,’ for those few precious moments it’s as people – especially his students to whom he was if all is right in the world.” much more than a conductor. René’s constructive
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Clausen’s creative brilliance in making the Christmas story come alive inspires nearly 16,000 attendees each year, as well as thousands more who experience the concerts on radio and television broadcasts throughout the country. The Legacy Continues
of its artistic achievement, enhancement, its continuity. I hope that will continue – that all the pieces will be in place for the next person for their watch.” Clausen remains humble when asked what he hopes his legacy to be.
Following the academic year, the Clausens plan to move to Burnsville, Minn., where Clausen says he’s looking forward to the opportunity to “reinvent” himself. Although he foresees challenges that might accompany this new season, he’s ready for a fresh rhythm of life.
“I would like to be remembered as a good musician who demanded excellence but, more than that, I would like to be remembered as a teacher who was kind, compassionate, and loved students,” Clausen shares. “I just am who I am and feel fortunate to have been at a place such as this.”
He’ll finally have time to settle into musical projects that have taken to the backburner over the years due to professional responsibilities in addition to raising a family. He plans to continue to compose, potentially for the stage and film, both of which have been longtime dreams of his. He is also looking forward to having more time to spend with family as well as traveling with Frankie.
His legacy will certainly continue to influence individuals for generations to come as his students carry on his teachings and life influences, with scores of his students leading high school choral programs across the country and 18 of his former students conducting and leading collegiate choral programs throughout the nation.
Yet, Clausen says that he is sincerely going to miss Concordia, especially The Concordia Choir and his colleagues. For the future of choral programs at Concordia, specifically for The Concordia Choir, he is hopeful.
“Over half of my life has been spent here at Concordia. If I had to do it all over again, I would do it all the same way.”
“I don’t think he can comprehend the amount of lives he has impacted, both singers and nonmusicians,” Benson says. “He has – Dr. René Clausen cast his bread on the waters and given us a non-conditional gift. He has given us a ‘song in the night’ whether we realize we need it or not.”
“I hope for the continuity of quality; this program deserves that. Paul J. Christiansen was here for 49 years and this program grew up during his tutelage,” Clausen says. “It was how he built the touring tradition of the choir and was sustainable throughout five decades of his life. As I came on and have now been here 34 years, I have felt OK with it being on my watch. I felt the responsibility
Clausen concludes, “Over half of my life has been spent here at Concordia. If I had to do it all over again, I would do it all the same way.” In the words of Dr. Clausen as he closes each of his rehearsals: “Live long and prosper.”
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CONCORDIA
LEADS THE PLAN FOR 2030
We learn, we lead, for the sake of the world.
I am delighted to share our new strategic plan, Concordia Leads: The Plan for 2030. Inspired by the mission developed in 1961 by Dr. Carl Bailey, the plan commits to a bold vision: We learn, we lead, for the sake of the world. Rooted in the freedom of God’s love and grace, we will educate resourceful 21st-century learners to become accomplished professionals, courageous citizens, and transformational leaders who build a world more joyful and more just. Enriched by input from more than 550 stakeholders, including students, alumni, faculty, staff, and regents, the plan is centered around four goals that will guide and inspire our actions. The four goals, transformational education, excellence through diversity, wholeness and health of the community, and financial foundation, will enable us to innovate and flourish for our current and future students and for the public good.
President William J. Craft
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FOUR GOALS OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN TRANSFORMATIONAL LEARNING Concordia will offer a transformative education that shapes 21st-century learners ready to address complex challenges in their professional, public, and personal lives with agility, imagination, and moral insight. Enact an interdisciplinary and issue-based approach to teaching and learning that embraces integrative learning as a defining characteristic of a Concordia education.
Construct for all undergraduates a global Concordia education focused on engaging the compelling challenges that transcend cultural, ideological, and national borders. Expand Concordia’s footprint in precollege and post-baccalaureate education, under the leadership of the Continuing Studies Office (CSO) and across college departments and programs.
EXCELLENCE THROUGH DIVERSITY Concordia will affirm a diversity of identities, experiences, and perspectives as a condition of institutional excellence, leading all who study and work here to honor difference with respectful understanding and to practice courageous citizenship for the common good. Become a diverse and inclusive college community in which every member feels a sense of belonging.
Learn through discovery of difference and lift up a common humanity. Create an educational endeavor, shared between Concordia Language Villages and Concordia College, worthy of national attention, that builds public support for global understanding and language and cultural study.
WHOLENESS AND HEALTH OF THE COMMUNITY Concordia will cultivate the growth and well-being of students, faculty, and staff; demonstrate resilience in response to change; and practice transformational leadership to work collectively for the greater good of neighbors and the planet. Devise and implement faculty and staff professional development programs to achieve personal, professional, and institutional goals.
Build and implement practices that foster well-being and spiritual growth among all who learn and work at Concordia. Deepen the college’s commitment with the local region, working in collaboration with partners committed to building stronger communities. Exercise bold leadership in responding to climate change, ecological decline, and environmental injustice.
FINANCIAL FOUNDATION Concordia will pursue entrepreneurial strategies to raise revenue, attract investment, streamline operations, and raise both institutional visibility and enrollment market share. This endeavor will engage the entire college community in creating, through its choices and actions, a Concordia that learns and leads for the sake of the world.
Pursue the growth and diversification of revenue streams to support Concordia’s mission. Demonstrate responsible organizational stewardship to maximize Concordia’s human and physical resources.
The purpose of Concordia College is to influence the affairs of the world by sending into society thoughtful and informed men and women dedicated to the Christian life.
For more information about the Plan for 2030, visit ConcordiaCollege.edu/2030 WINTER 2020
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PRESS PAUSE. ENGAGE THE WORLD. By Kayley Erlandson Following the whirlwind of wrapping up fall midterms, Cobbers have several ways to immerse themselves in unique learning opportunities during fall Breakaway.
The birth center is located less than 10 miles from the Mexico border, allowing students to immerse themselves in nursing care for culturally diverse clients.
The campus made the switch to the new weeklong fall Breakaway format in 2018 to create more time and opportunity for students to press pause on classes and routines to deep dive into a chosen integrative learning experience.
Nursing major Greta Streich ’20 was one of the participants in the birth center Breakaway.
Expanding Their Worldview This fall, assistant professor of nursing Amanda Tracy arranged for a class of senior nursing students to visit the Holy Family Birth Center in Weslaco, Texas, to get firsthand experience caring for mothers and infants in an environment that focuses on midwifery.
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Photo: Greta Streich ’20
Breakaway options range from unique on-campus classes, to immersive PEAK opportunities, to global adventures. In fall 2019, a few of the Breakaway opportunities available to students included Habitat for Humanity, Border Immersion, Wing, Boot & Rail exploration in Scotland, Physics National Laboratories, a multicultural birth center, and a student-planned and led High Impact Leadership Trip (HILT).
“We had a different assignment each day,” she said. “One day we were in the clinic, so we’d give the moms testing and immunizations. Some were postbirth appointments. Another student and I even went on a home visit to check in on a mother and baby.”
Visiting the Holy Family Birth Center was an opportunity for the nursing students to see how obstetrical care was different from typical care in the Red River Valley. “We have midwives in Fargo-Moorhead, but women still give birth in the hospital setting,” Streich said. “Holy Family has its own birth center.”
Photo: Evan Hart ’23
The unique opportunity to see a natural birthing center combined with the small group size of five nursing students was the perfect combination for Streich’s Breakaway experience.
Journey with the Cristo Rey Lutheran Church of El Paso, which runs a Border Immersion program. Twomey was the advisor for the fall 2019 Justice Journey and 12 students joined her.
“We see each other every day, but it was fun to hang out with everyone outside of school,” she said. “Birthing and health practices are so different from state to state, and it was cool to be able to see and experience that during my break.”
One of those Cobbers, Lauren Nelson ’22, says the Breakaway experience was one she will never forget.
Breaking Barriers Although some Breakaways are class-specific, most opportunities, such as the Border Immersion trip with Dr. Lisa Twomey, assistant professor of Spanish and Hispanic studies, set up as part of a Justice Journey, are open to any Concordia student. “Immigration is a passion of mine,” Twomey said. “I teach an Inquiry Seminar on immigrant and refugee children and include topics of immigration in several of my Spanish classes. The fall Breakaway trip was a way to take our learning beyond the classroom walls and go to a crucial place in the immigration crisis: the U.S.-Mexico border.” Concordia’s Office of Campus Ministry had previously established a relationship on a Justice
“It was rewarding, but it was a very difficult experience to see the reality of what people are living through and hearing the stories of why people are crossing the border illegally,” she said. The trip was an emotional Breakaway experience and one pivotal moment stands out to Nelson. “We had the opportunity to go to Abrazos No Muros or Hugs Not Walls,” she said. “People on either side of the wall can sign up to meet their families on a river bank in the Rio Grande to hug for three minutes. We were able to go down where the photographers were. To see a dad on the Mexican side reuniting with his young daughter on the American side, that was powerful. Everyone at the border had a different variation of the same story. They just wanted to help their families. The only difference is where we were born.” Nelson says the experience was “life-changing”
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Photo: Olivia Pederson ’23
Photo: Samantha Svendsen ’21
CONCORDIA MAGAZINE Photo: Laura Timm ’21
Photo: Evan Hart ’23
and sometimes difficult to share with people who did not go on the trip. “Our Breakaway group got together to talk about it,” she said, “but I learned that you need to use your voice to lift up others. We all come from different types of privileges and we need to recognize our power and use that to lift others up.” Student-Led Breakaways Not only do students take part in the Breakaways that are built into specific courses or planned by staff and faculty, but they can facilitate their own Breakaways called High Impact Leadership Trips. Students plan the entire process, including requesting funding, finding a trip advisor, recruiting trip participants, coordinating food, housing and transportation, and organizing the itinerary.
“I’m in a class called Music in Nature and we’re discussing the interdisciplinary relationships between how music influences nature and vice versa,” he said. “If I wasn’t a music major, I’d be an environmental studies major. Even though I can’t fit in a minor or a lot of classes that deal with that, I still get opportunities like this.” For many students, Breakaway was the perfect opportunity to recenter themselves before tackling the rest of the semester. “One of my favorite quotes that I try to remember in the wilderness is: ‘Quiet mind, tired feet,’” Svendsen said. “It’s OK to not carry all your other burdens. Breakaways are affiliated with Concordia, but you can now see Concordia as a stepping stone for so many other things.”
“We wanted to make people more aware of what the wilderness is,” Svendsen said, “how you can be outside and respect the space and the people that were once there. There’s not just one way to be mindful in the wilderness or mindful in general. It was interesting to see everyone’s creativity when it came to being mindful in nature.”
Photo: Signe Johnson ’20
Jackie Maahs, the sustainability coordinator for Concordia, helped three students organize the 2019 fall HILT Breakaway, called Mindfulness in the Wilderness. The students road-tripped from Wyoming to Colorado and explored three national parks. Samantha Svendsen ’21 was one of the students who planned the trip.
Forging Friendships Students from all the Breakaways said what they enjoyed most was getting to know the people on their trip in a different way.
“The connection you form with people – I do not have the words,” Svendsen said. “You’re all in this little space for a week, and it’s almost like ‘how were you not in my life before?’ The places – Lauren Nelson ’22 you see, the things you do, are so separate from Concordia. My favorite memories at Concordia have been my Breakaway “There were some people in our group who had trips. You never know the connections that form out never been outside of Minnesota,” she said. of that, where it could lead.” “Seeing the national parks for the first time, it was like seeing the joy of a child experiencing things but Overwhelmingly, the students who participated as an adult. It was really eye-opening for me that in a fall Breakaway said their experience impacts even a 20-year-old can have these feelings.” how they see and engage with the world around them and recommend that other Cobbers take Although the trip was not associated with a class, advantage of the Breakaway opportunities. music major and HILT student organizer Noah Johnson ’20 was able to draw parallels between “Go and learn,” Nelson said. “Walk alongside the trip and his studies. people.” When the group stopped at Great Sand Dunes National Park, Svendsen led the other students in a meditation, then everyone split up to explore and connect with nature in their own way.
“Go and learn. Walk alongside people.”
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SIX DECADES
OF LANGUAGE LEARNING By Eric Lillehaugen Nestled in the woods of scenic northern Minnesota, Concordia Language Villages has fostered a love of language and culture since the inception of the first German Language Village, Waldsee, in 1961. In this camp setting, away from the demands and distractions of daily life, villagers cross a border complete with passport, the exchange of currency, and even the adoption of a new name. For a week at a time, villagers are thrust into a grand simulation where language and cultural immersion breed a passion for learning and a curiosity that lasts a lifetime.
the experience in a camp setting brought that to life. It’s a 24/7 experience and anything you did at a summer camp you were suddenly doing with a language and cultural context.”
This year will mark the Villages’ 60th summer of campers and Christine Schulze ’78, executive director for Concordia Language Villages, believes that the same core principles that guided the Villages’ early success are every bit as crucial today. Over the course of six decades, the program has grown and evolved to meet the needs of an increasingly global society yet it remains – as it was in its earliest days – an experiment in language and cultural immersion.
And the results are undeniable. Concordia Language Villages is thriving, welcoming more than 10,000 youth and adults every year to participate in programs across 16 different languages. For many of the summer youth villagers, it’s a cherished tradition, returning year after year, and, for some, generation after generation.
An Experiment Decades in the Making “It has always been about the two – language and cultural immersion,” Schulze says, “and locating
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Making cultural immersion as fundamental to the experience as the language skills being practiced, today it seems only natural that the two go hand in hand. But in the 1960s and ’70s, it was an approach that was ahead of its time – an innovation that pioneered the way while the language professions evolved as a whole.
Language Legacy For the Rev. Lucy Lind Hogan, Episcopal minister and teacher at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., trips to the Villages have become something of a family affair. Hogan and her two sisters first attended the Villages more than 55
years ago, traveling from their home in Minneapolis. Hogan’s summers at the French Language Village, Lac du Bois, left an indelible impression and when her two sons were old enough, she made sure they were able to have the same experience.
of the ways the experiment has changed over the years as language and cultural immersion prove to be effective tools for more than building language skills.
A Greater Purpose
For Hogan’s family, that legacy of global citizenship promises to continue as they prepare a new generation – her 10-year-old granddaughter – to take the first steps into a bigger world at Lac du Bois this year.
“[We realized] we’re doing this for a greater purpose Through Concordia Language Villages, Hogan ultimately than simply having young people walk knew that her sons would be exposed to other out with language and cultural skills,” she says. cultures and villagers from around the country and “It’s about their view of the world. And maybe even the world, learning lessons in to a great extent not just “The Villages not only teach encouraging them to go out global citizenship that have value not just abroad but at one to speak another language, and experience the world home as well. they teach one to listen to and far away but experience the communicate with those who world very close to home.” “It is not just about traveling are different.” to other countries. We live It’s a new experiment for in a country where people the next 60 years: what – The Rev. Lucy Lind Hogan continue to come and makes a courageous global grow the American multicultural tapestry,” she citizen? Language skills certainly, Schulze says, but says. “The Villages not only teach one to speak also those skills of respectfully crossing cultural another language, they teach one to listen to and boundaries with an open mind and perhaps, more communicate with those who are different.” importantly, an open heart.
Schulze says that focus on inspiring courageous global citizenship is an expression of Concordia Language Villages’ evolution, demonstrating one
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ANSWERING A CALL TO
CONCORDIA By Amy E. Kelly
Concordia’s new campus ministers, the Rev. David and Kim Adams, started innovating for the college the moment they applied for the position in the Office of Ministry. There was one opening for a campus pastor and the couple applied and were hired together to share the role. “We’re grateful for the trust this place has put in us,” David says. “It was a risk and we’re grateful that people chose to take the risk.” The Adamses were also taking a risk. David was working full time in a pastoral position at First Lutheran Church in Fargo. Kim was working part time leading campus ministry at North Dakota State University. She had also just enrolled in a new accelerated program at Luther Seminary to earn her Master of Divinity degree to become an ordained minister. All that in addition to five active kids, the new venture seemed a little far-fetched. But the tug on their hearts and encouragement of others made them apply. “The number of people who reached out to us as individuals and as a couple to tell us about this position was amazing,” Kim says. Now David and Kim, along with Deacon Jon Leiseth and administrative assistant Angela Boser, make
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up Concordia’s Office of Ministry. While the couple says they have much to learn about Concordia and the students and staff here, they aren’t strangers to young adult ministry or working together. “Campus ministry holds the solidification of both our calls,” Kim says. “To land back there feels really holy.” As a student at the University of North Dakota, campus ministry was important to David. After a short time in graduate school studying vocal performance, he felt called to youth ministry. He took a position at Calvary Lutheran Church in Grand Forks, where he stayed for 16 years before deciding his next path was going to seminary. Kim worked as the director of youth ministry at Sharon Lutheran Church for five and a half years. Sharon and Calvary often collaborated in their youth programs, so the couple informally worked together for a few years before Kim joined the staff of Calvary as the coordinator of Young Adult and Family Ministries. After David finished at Luther Seminary, the Adams family moved to Fargo and the couple hoped someday they would get to work together again. David started his call to First Lutheran Church and Kim headed up Crossroads Lutheran Campus
Photo: Reeves Photography
Ministry at NDSU. Now David and Kim will also share the responsibilities at NDSU, which opens new opportunities for collaborations between the schools. “The students show up to each other’s spaces,” David says. And that’s just one of the places Kim and David are excited about the potential.
ourselves more known and be in relationship with the entire Concordia community.” The couple says that will mean practicing radical hospitality, being prepared to journey alongside people, and knowing that sometimes they will be catching up to where the students are leading.
“The way Concordia As they learn about their new call, the question is exemplary,” Kim they keep in the forefront is: How can we do better for the “Concordia’s strategic plan church? calls for innovation. That
nourishes student leadership says. “The way we get to interact with student leaders is exciting.”
David agrees, saying the invites us to stay current “We have the willingness students push them to think and keep asking questions.” to try things. Concordia’s of things anew. strategic plan calls for – Kim Adams innovation. That invites us to “Concordia students come stay current and keep asking questions,” Kim says. prepared to ask questions. They actively engage in “We have a huge desire to see how our treehouse the processes,” he says. “When a student comes to perspective comes down to the ground and how talk to you, they are ready.” we integrate into campus.” And those active student minds give the couple Right now, the couple is looking for ways to hope for the future of God’s church and mission. connect with students and staff both in and outside of worship. “When we work with young adults, I know the church is in good hands,” Kim says. “It will probably “I’d like to find ways to intersect with departments,” look radically different. But they are seeking justice David says. “We are looking for ways to make in this world outside the sanctuary.”
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THE GIFT THAT
KEEPS ON GIVING By Laura Caroon
One of the major goals in the Plan for 2030 is to strengthen the institution’s financial foundation. In order to accomplish this, the strategic plan specifies increasing the Concordia endowment to no less than $200 million over the next decade.
purposes following policies approved by the Board of Regents. The annual distribution or award is determined in accordance with the endowment spending policy established by the Board of Regents.”
“Twenty-first century American higher education is at a threshold moment,” President William Craft says. “It’s a moment in which we (private higher education) need to be as nimble and innovative as possible in order to serve an increasingly diverse population of students and in order to have the financial flexibility to try things and to do things differently, even in the midst of the most fiercely competitive undergraduate enrollment market in the last century.”
As of April 30, 2019, the market value of Concordia’s endowment was nearly $136 million, including 656 individual funds. Since 2011, the endowment has provided more than $35.5 million in spending dollars to fund scholarships, operations, and programs.
Like many colleges and universities, Concordia is tuition dependent, meaning that the majority of the college’s revenue depends on the number of students who are enrolled each year.
“I’m so proud of the fact that Concordia has always been a place where students of all means can come and learn and flourish,” Craft says, “and to make certain that students who are accepted here can afford to come here – whatever their parents do for a living.”
Removing Barriers Currently, almost half of Concordia’s endowed funds are allocated to scholarships each year.
“With the changing demographics of the Upper Midwest as part of our reality, we realize that going forward to sustain Concordia in its excellence, we One major benefit of an increased endowment is need to diversify the revenue streams,” says Dr. the ability to attract and retain students regardless Earl Lewis ’78, Concordia Board of Regents chair of financial ability, Lewis says. and director of the University of Michigan Center for Social Solutions. “One “If you think about our mission wedge in that more diversified “What we’re asking for from and our ability to execute pie has to be endowment individuals is not to give that mission, it means that we because endowments provide have an obligation to provide funds to Concordia but to economic continuity across a Concordia education to as invest in Concordia’s future wide a range of students as time.” for the benefit of all.” possible,” he says.
What is an Endowment?
– Dr. Earl Lewis ’78
An endowment represents money, property, or other financial assets gifted to the college that are invested in perpetuity to grow the principal and provide financial support for current scholarships or programs that are consistent with the wishes of the donor. “After the gift to fund the endowment is received,” says Linda Brown, vice president for finance, “the assets from the gift are comingled for investment
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Nearly 100% of Concordia students receive some sort of financial aid based on need and/or merit, but cost is still a barrier for many potential students, limiting the college’s ability to enroll a more diverse student body. “A diverse learning environment is an excellent learning environment and we want to make sure that we achieve both goals,” Lewis says. “It’s hard to be excellent without being diverse.”
PRINCIPAL BY PURPOSE
46.9% Scholarships 43.3% Programs 8.5% Faculty Chairs 1.3% Language Villages
Fueling Innovation
656 FUNDS
On top of the ability to address student financial need, the endowment affords the college the ability to be innovative. Already, the endowment has funded programming that might not otherwise be possible, such as PEAK experiences, academic lectures, undergraduate research opportunities, the Offutt School of Business, the Dovre Center for Faith and Learning, and the Lorentzsen Center for Faith and Work. Part of raising endowment resources means that we’re not only investing in our students but that we can attract, develop, and maintain the very best faculty possible, Lewis says. “Funds that underwrite faculty positions and development are crucial to the kind of teaching and learning that we want Concordia to be associated with,” Craft says.
total
16 new endowment funds were established in 2019, bringing the total funds to 656
Market value of endowment investments 140,000,000
“We turn to an endowment because it frees us to experiment and to provide and ensure that we’re providing a world-class education at an affordable price,” he says. “When we look to the future and think about the endowment and our investment today, it means that we’re securing Concordia’s future, 15, 20, 30 years out.” Endowments are established in perpetuity, meaning that the fund has no end date. “Endowment is a kind of wellspring for an institution. It’s always there. It’s a source of health and strength that the college can literally draw on,” Craft says. “To have that wellspring there makes us a different kind of institution and gives us the possibility of fulfilling our mission more fully in the world, for the sake of the world in a way that we could not otherwise. And we can do this.”
$135,928,430
130,000,000
120000000
120,000,000 110,000,000
Securing the Future While tuition will remain the greatest source of revenue, endowments are important to sustain the future of the college, Lewis says.
VALUE
150000000
100,000,000
90000000
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
ENDOWMENT COMPARISONS (FISCAL 2018) St. Olaf College $536.8M St. Thomas University $436.2M St. John’s University $196.8M Gustavus Adolphus College $183.7M Luther College $167.3M Concordia College $129M Pacific Lutheran University $99.8M Augsburg College $48.2M
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THE BUSINESS OF EDUCATION By Dr. Karl A. Stumo
Since its official opening in January 2013, the Offutt School of Business has stood apart from other business programs in the higher education landscape. The Offutt School is one of the only business schools in the country that is deeply rooted in a larger liberal arts curriculum and environment. It’s precisely this interplay between the study of business and the liberal arts curriculum that allows Concordia’s Offutt School students and alumni to learn, work, and lead with passion and effectiveness on campus and in their communities. As a part of the college’s strategic plan and enrollment strategy, the Offutt School is working closely with the Enrollment and Marketing Division to grow overall enrollment by more than 700 students. To learn and explain more about this growth plan, Concordia’s director of recruitment, Mike Vandenberg, sat down with Chris Mason ’84, the interim director of the Offutt School, to share reasons why prospective students are choosing to study business at Concordia.
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Vandenberg: Business programs have been a staple at Concordia since the college was established, but the Offutt School of Business itself is relatively new. What are some of the advantages of having a standalone business school at a liberal arts college? Mason: The Offutt School of Business was founded as a reaction to the changing marketplace. When I graduated from Concordia and started working, my business education really helped me get my first job, maybe the second, because those are really the hard skills that were needed. But what allows me to create and navigate my career now, 35 years later, is my liberal arts background. Being inquisitive, continuous learning, being able to handle unstructured circumstances, the ability to be involved in projects that don’t have a very precise path to a solution but figuring out exactly how to get there, being effective problem-solvers. Those are the skills you get from liberal arts. V: Talk through characteristics and traits that you see in students who do well in the Offutt School, that really excel and find an academic home here. M: Essentially, it’s exactly like the skill sets that we would expect in any of the liberal arts areas. It’s the ability to problem solve, the drive to learn as they go in their career and their life, the ability to handle those unscripted circumstances is really what allows our students to excel once they graduate. So, when we embed both the liberal arts in business education and vice versa, they’ll be able to excel. One thing we’re very fortunate for here in the Upper Midwest is the work ethic. Our students are hard workers. Clearly, those that come for an education, rather than a degree, tend to do very, very well. V: Talk about the role of technology in students’ learning here in the Offutt School. M: That was actually part of why we formed the Offutt School of Business. The fact that education is very different now than it was 10 years ago, let alone 50 years ago. So, the old days of a faculty member reading from a textbook and testing based on that really has gone away. Education now is applicationbased and we’ve got the height of technology in various different disciplines available, so students know the tools they’ll be using on day one of a potential job. And, we use technology as it’s laid out in the professional world in our academic setting. Students have the opportunity to earn certifications and learn how to use the software, oftentimes better than their supervisors when they first take a job.
V: What’s new and exciting in the Offutt School of Business right now? M: Our new entrepreneurship program. It’s an amazing opportunity for entrepreneurs to grow and has really connected the environment and the ecostructure within Fargo-Moorhead. The entrepreneurship program at the Offutt School of Business starts with an academic certificate of three courses, which is intended to be for every student on campus – not just business students. If they go to work at a corporation or start their own nonprofit, those courses will help them. And if they want to go further and get involved in venture planning, there’s a minor that supports that. I would love to see virtually every student on campus take the Entrepreneurial Mindset course just to find out how entrepreneurs look at things and the curiosity they have. So, whether they go to work for someone else or start something on their own, they’re equipped to make those decisions. They’re able to pick out those skills that they already have and learn new skills that will allow them to navigate their careers with a more entrepreneurial focus. We are very blessed by the F-M area’s focus on entrepreneurship. Organizations like Emerging Prairie, and events like 1 Million Cups, allow our students to leave these four walls and see how it’s done. They get to interact with people who are highly successful and who are in the middle of the process, to learn what it’s like. V: What would you suggest for students or families who are interested in learning more about the Offutt School? M: The first thing that I would suggest would be to go to the website and see the scope of what we offer and then schedule a visit to come to campus. One of the things that I enjoy about my job the most is meeting all of the prospective students that come in and giving them a higher level of understanding of exactly how we set things up and what makes us unique in the marketplace. Through that process, hopefully they’ll get a feeling for whether they like the culture and if they feel comfortable here.
Learn more and watch the full interview: ConcordiaCollege.edu/offutt
Mike Vandenberg Director of Recruitment
Chris Mason ’84 Interim Director of the Offutt School of Business
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GRADUATE AND CONTINUING STUDIES
EQUIPPING INDIVIDUALS FOR LIVES OF PURPOSE By Kayla Stenstrom
Concordia has long been a place of learning to lead for the sake of the world. It is only natural to expand this mission across the lifespan of its learners. In 2018, the Graduate and Continuing Studies Office was launched to provide graduate, accelerated, professional, and personal development programs. Rebecca Amundsen, executive director, says the launch is about matching Concordia’s strengths with the needs of the market. The goal is to create programs that are relevant, affordable, and convenient, giving participants flexibility as they juggle their current schedules and responsibilities. Programs vary in length and type of delivery, including some that are partially or completely online. Unlike Concordia’s usual audience of 18- to 22-year-olds, these programs are designed for learners of all ages, from K-12 students to adults looking for a career change, seeking new skills to boost a current career, or interested in connecting with peers in meaningful ways. Graduate and Continuing Studies’ current credit programs include accelerated nursing, a combined dietetic internship (DI) and Master of Science (MS) in Nutrition, post baccalaureate premedical, post baccalaureate accelerated teaching preparation, and a Master of Education in World Language Instruction. In addition to credit-bearing programs, Graduate and Continuing Studies provides options for professional development and personal growth. The Specialized Teaching and Research (STAR) Institute of Education was created in fall 2018 to oversee the K-16 education programs and provide further opportunities for education professionals, such as an instructional coaching workshop and a literacy conference. Social work and leadership development programs are continuously being created and are designed to address workplace challenges, meet credentialing requirements for various professions, and present relevant information on current issues. People of all ages and backgrounds are invited to learn and practice the skills necessary to influence their workplaces and impact their communities in meaningful ways. Courses and events are created to meet the needs of today’s learners and designed to provide tools that can be immediately incorporated in work and life. The possibilities for continuing education and self-growth are infinite and providing the pathway is an exciting new venture for Concordia College.
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PLANS FOR 2020 Expand the accelerated nursing cohort from 10 to 20 participants. Increase online offerings in undergraduate, graduate, and non-credit programs. Recruit a cohort for the new one-year post baccalaureate premedical program. Explore the development of music, education, and communications graduate and certificate programs. Establish a graduate certificate in language, the first program entirely online, taught within a designated language and especially geared toward those seeking dual credit for teaching high school and college level courses. Offer a hybrid social work supervisor course (30 CEUs) taught by Dr. Laurie Dahley, assistant professor of social work. Host the third annual social work conference with relevant topics that affect a variety of professionals in local and rural communities. Offer summer high school camps with programs such as data analytics. Expand offerings for managers, leaders, and human resource professionals with workshops such as Dare to Lead and Coaching 101 – now approved to provide Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) credits. Continue offerings for personal interest such as the Transitions Retirement Series and Uncover Book Experience.
Learn more: ConcordiaContinuingStudies.com CONCORDIA MAGAZINE
GET CONNECTED
By Justin Monroe
With a core focus of connecting students with alumni, Students and Alumni Linked Together (SALT) offers access to professional development and networking events, outlets for philanthropic activities and donor appreciation, and strengthens the ties within the Concordia community. SALT’s goal is to create bonds between students and alumni that continue long after college.
Student Engagement Alumni Awareness Professional Development Marketing
NATIONAL RECOGNITION As a student organization run out of the Alumni Relations Office, SALT has also joined District V of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education’s Affiliated Student Advancement Program (CASE ASAP). Since 2016, SALT has won multiple awards on the regional level, as well as a national award for being the Outstanding Emerging Organization in CASE ASAP District V. SALT’s advisor, Matthew Dymoke ’14, assistant director of Alumni Relations, also took home the regional Outstanding Adviser award.
Follow us on social @cobbersalt
Subscribe to the newsletter
CASE ASAP | District V Outstanding Student Advancement Program for Cobbers for Cobbers Day
Attend SALT events
Learn more: ConcordiaCollege.edu/salt
CASE ASAP | National + District V Outstanding Emerging Organization Outstanding Adviser WINTER 2020
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Vietnam and Cambodia | May 2020 Cycling on Minnesota’s Heartland and Paul Bunyan Trails | June 2020 with President William and Anne Craft
Mind, Majesty and Meaning | October 2020
Lucerne, Switzerland; Salzburg, Austria; Prague, Czech Republic
Spirituality of Wine Tour | May 2021
Champagne and Alsace, France, and German Mosel Regions
Outlander Trip to Scotland | May 2021 Tanzania and Haiti | June 2021 Alumni Volunteer Teaching
Norway | June 2021
To learn more and to register for these adventures, visit ConcordiaCollege.edu/alumnitravel or contact Karen Carlson, Office of Alumni Relations, at carlsonk@cord.edu or 218.299.4335. 30 |
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2019 Alumni Achievement Awards The Alumni Achievement Award (AAA), the college’s highest honor, is conferred upon alumni of 20 years or more who have distinguished themselves in their careers and service to others. Dr. Paul Brandvik ’59 is a professor emeritus of music at Bemidji State University and served as director of choral activities for 31 years. He earned his Master of Music in voice from the University of Wisconsin and Doctor of Musical Arts in choral music from the University of Illinois. He received several awards, guest conducted more than 100 festivals and workshops in 16 states and abroad, and composed, edited or arranged more than 50 works.
Dr. Kristi Ferguson ’71 is a professor emeritus of general internal medicine and served as director in the Office of Consultation and Research in Medical Education at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine from 1995 to 2018. She earned a master’s and doctorate at the University of Michigan and spent her career at Carver College of Medicine where she greatly influenced the development, implementation, and evaluation of the curriculum. She has served on committees for several national organizations and recently was elected as vice chair of the board of directors for the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago.
The Rev. Ann Svennungsen ’77, bishop of the ELCA Minneapolis Area Synod, is the first female bishop to serve in any of the ELCA’s six Minnesota synods. She previously served churches in Iowa City, Edina, and Moorhead, and was president and CEO of The Fund for Theological Education, and president of Texas Lutheran University. A well-respected theologian and speaker, she is published in numerous journals and is often invited to lecture, preach, and provide keynote and commencement addresses.
Dr. Thomas Samuelson ’81, a board-certified ophthalmologist, is a founding partner and attending surgeon at Minnesota Eye Consultants, P.A., Minneapolis, and an adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota and on the faculty of Hennepin County Medical Center. He earned his medical degree at the University of Minnesota. He has received several awards, been named to America’s Top Doctors each year since 2002, written numerous articles, and given more than 600 presentations around the world.
2019 Sent Forth Awards The Sent Forth Award is conferred upon young alumni of less than 20 years who have distinguished themselves early in their careers and in service to others.
Matthew Culloton ’98, founding artistic director and conductor of The Singers – Minnesota Choral Artists, earned a master’s and doctorate from the University of Minnesota. He is choirmaster at House of Hope Presbyterian Church in St. Paul, Minn., and an adjunct faculty member at the University of St. Thomas. Culloton received the VocalEssence/ACDA of Minnesota Creative Programming Award (2003) and MN ACDA Outstanding Young Choral Conductor of the Year Award (2004).
Betsy Grams ’98 is co-founder and executive director of CycleHealth, which was founded in 2014 to equip kids to power their own wellness. CycleHealth’s programs, based on adventure and self-directed goal attainment, are prescribed by pediatricians in more than 50 Twin Cities clinics through an innovative platform called Sweat Rx. Prior to co-founding CycleHealth, she was a high school English teacher and director of an alternative school for students at risk for graduation. WINTER 2020
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MEMORIALS 1941
Theodore “Ted” Homdrom, 100
1942
Orville Hiepler, 99
1943
Milton Lindell, 101
1944
Corinne (Jarandson) Lyden, 97 Katherine (Estrem) Rustad, 96
1945
Ardis (Thorson) Prosser, 97 Phyllis (Stenehjem) Rovelstad, 96 Dean Strinden, 95
1946
Arleen (Gerhardson) Kirk, 94
1947
Virginia (Omlie) Kapernick, 93
1948
Paul Guldseth, 91 Rikka (Bale) Weiberg, 92
1949
Marlys (Carlander) Ingram, 91 Rachel (Olson) Johnson, 91 Marian (Ritterman) Kunke, 93 Dorothy (Erickson) Larson, 91 Robert “Bob” Sande, 92 LaVerne (Bolme) Schmitt, 90
1950
Lila (Braaten) Anderson, 91 Robert “Bob” Bain, 93 Dorothy (Larson) Dale, 91 Joyce “Elaine” (Hanson) Hansen, 90 Hollis Heimark, 90 Carl Johnson, 92 Eugene Lee, 92
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Jack Mueller, 90 Dennis Rehder, 95 Mary (Ness) Tolo, 92 Wendell Wigtil, 94
1951
Vern Asleson, 89 Selma (Thompson) Bartholomay, 89 George Calhoun, 92 Ardel (Johnson) Ingwalson, 89 Carroll Kastelle, 92 Erling Linde, 96 Curtis Moe, 90 Joyce (Gunderson) Monson, 89 H. Eulalie (Fagerholt) Smestad, 90 Omar Tveten, 90
1952
Carl Awes, 88 Ardith (Wiley) Braaten, 89 Eleanor (Odegaard) Braaten, 90 Donald Dale, 91 Sanford “Corky” Fuglestad, 89 Wilma (Perila) Galegher, 89 Arthur Haug, 89 James Imsdahl, 88 Clayton Jensen, 90 Constance “Connie” (Vold) Strand, 89
1953
Alden Gjevre, 88 Marjorie (Podoll) Haddad, 87 Margaretta (Lomen) Loeffler, 93 Margaret (Jesten) Rostad, 87 Donald Smestad Eunice (Fagerholt) Vold, 87
1954
Bonnie (Logue) Haugen, 87 Barbara (Burd) Kaldahl, 87 Millard Lee, 87 Marla (Peterson) Lund, 86 Carol (Jones) Silva, 87 Ralph Thrane, 86
Palmer Vaadeland, 93 Arlene Wick, 85
1955
Elmo Anderson, 87 Arnola (Bjorg) Evje-Skorheim, 85 Hubert Kaste, 85 Richard Schellack, 86 Harold Underlee, 88
1956
Richard “Dick” Davidson, 90 Daryl Richman, 84 Joan (Nelson) Sorebo, 84 Norma (Pedersen) Stangeland, 87 Glen Torkelson, 89
1957
Donald Davis, 84 Duane Halstensgard, 84 Marilyn Keel, 85 Eunice (Prosser) Mushel, 83 Arly (Weige) Paulson, 84 Thomas Stevens, 83 Mons Teig, 84 Clarence Thompson, 88 Gene Wuflestad, 91
1958
Roger Diehl, 82 Adelle (Larson) Phillips, 82 James Tronsgard, 83 Charles Swanson, 94
1959
Earl Eidbo, 86 Gordon Hvidsten, 81 James Langseth, 84 Colleen (Anderson) Morris, 82 Robert “Bob” Pehkonen, 82 Helen (Martinson) Peterson, 81 Harriet (Torgerson) Stenberg, 82
memorials »
Robert “Bob” Brummond, 94, died in March. He served
as a member of the physics department for 34 years beginning in 1956. He attended Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn., for one year before being drafted into the U.S. Army in 1943 where he was in the 12th Armored Division, surviving both Battles of the Bulge and earning three Bronze Stars. He returned to Macalester where he received a bachelor’s degree in physics and German and earned a graduate degree in physics and science education from the University of Minnesota. He had teaching positions in Wykoff and Pemberton, Minn., and Stuart and Emmetsburg, Iowa. Throughout his tenure at Concordia, he participated in sabbatical studies and summer seminars, teaching and studying at universities in Minnesota, Michigan, New York, Tennessee, and Washington. He initiated courses in astronomy and meteorology at Concordia after participating in a National Science Foundation program at the University of Texas. He also facilitated Operation Physics Workshops for elementary and middle school science teachers throughout the region. He spent his final semester teaching in Hamar, Norway, through an exchange program developed by Concordia. He retired from Concordia in 1990. He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Joyce; son, Donald (Barbara Edin); and daughter, Janice.
Dr. Joan Buckley, 88, died in March. She served as a
member of the English department for 49 years. She graduated from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn., with bachelor’s degrees in English and music. After teaching at the Martin Luther Schule in postwar Rimbach, Germany, she returned to earn her master’s degree in English from the University of Chicago in 1956 and then began her career at Concordia. She earned her doctorate in English at the University of Iowa. During her tenure at Concordia, she received several grants, multiple awards, and was the first recipient of the Lily B. Gyldenvand professorship of communications. She blazed trails for women in academics by teaching full time while raising a family. Norwegian heritage sparked her study and writing about the Norwegian American immigrant woman’s experience. She lectured in Norway and in the U.S., taught Elderhostel and Communiversity classes, and edited two volumes of “Han Ola og han Per,” an immigrant-era comic strip. She later published a short book describing her family’s emigration from Norway and distributed it to relatives. She retired in 2005, spending winters near family in California. Her husband of 54 years, Dr. Wendell Buckley, former professor of music at Concordia, preceded her in death. She is survived by her son, David (Beth); daughter, Julie (Eric Fung); and four grandchildren.
1960
Paul Knutson, 80 Marilyn (Wigesland) Bronken, 86 Marcia (Odland) Lee, 81 Ronald Luoma, 80 Aristides “Aris” Sideropoulos, 83
1961
Adrian Anderson, 79 Duane Bush, 83 Randall Erickson, 80 Robert Markwardt, 79 Ivan Wambheim, 79
1962
Dewel Viker Jr., 78
1963
John Alin, 78 Betty (Johnson) Lund, 77 Ronald Myrom, 76
1964
Wayne Bye, 88 Roald “Fin” Finanger, 77 Paul Sanderson, 76
1965
Carol (Leland) Galarneault, 75 Charles Kraby, 75 Gael Larsen, 76 Margaret (Seeger) Movold, 75 Mary (House) Torstveit, 75
1966
Peter Darchuk, 74 Rozanne Keister, 75 Leone (Nelson) Struxness, 73 Allen “Al” Torstveit, 75 Marc Wermager, 75
1967
Audrey (Nelson) Bruxvoort, 74 Terry Lindquist, 73 Peter Robilotta, 72 Carol (Weight) Nordquist, 73 Michael Wolf, 74
1968
John Knutson, 77 Lucy (Niccum) Garrity, 72
1969
Dana and Cynthia (Walstrom) House, both 71
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1970
Larry Gedde, 75
1971
Robert “BJ” Johnson, 70 Philip Mattson, 80 Craig Olson, 69
1972
Carol (Fedje) Hensrud, 67 Dianne Moen, 68 Jon Pederson, 69 Lynn (Sandberg) Scearcy, 68 Norman Vanderpan, 70
1973
Judith (Jore) Sprung, 69
1974
Dr. John “Jack” Close, 83, died in May. He served as a
member of the music department for 26 years. As a child, his avid participation in Scouts earned him the highest rank attainable, Eagle Scout. He sang in choirs as a tenor and also played the trombone and piano. He earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Wisconsin. Upon graduation, he took a position as a professional Scout Executive in the Boy Scouts of America in Waukegan, Ill. He also served in the U.S. Army National Guard as an administrative assistant. Beginning in 1963, he taught K-12 music in Monroe, Wis. After attending the University of Michigan to earn a master’s degree in choral music education, he returned to teaching in Monroe. He earned a doctorate from the University of Iowa before being appointed professor of music education at Concordia in 1972. During his tenure, he was awarded a senior Fulbright Scholarship to teach in Africa and lectured at the University of Dar es Salaam. He retired from Concordia in 1998. He was preceded in death by his wife, Elaine. He is survived by his daughter, Heidi Close (Charles Hean); son, Peter (Karin Sassmannshaus); and four grandchildren.
Stephen “Steve” Kittelson, 66
1975
David Nass, 65
1976
Nila Olson-Bassett, 64
1977
David Bottem, 64 Blair Brininger III, 62
1978
Barry and Carol (Holmquist) Bennett, both 63
1979
Nancy (Mathers) Oncley, 61
Fran Dexter, 75, died in April. She served as a member of
the business education faculty for 12 years. She attended the University of Nebraska, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in business teacher education and a master’s degree in secondary education. At the beginning of her career, she had a graduate teaching assistantship and then taught at high schools in Campaign, Ill., and Fargo, N.D. She used her teaching savings on flying lessons and earned her private pilot’s license in 1972. From 1971-87, she was a freelance editor and typist and also worked in government and medical office settings. She taught business education courses from 1987-94 at Minnesota State University Moorhead, serving as department chair for three years. She joined the faculty at Concordia in 1994. She was named Outstanding PostSecondary Business Educator by Minnesota Business Educators Inc. in 2005 and retired in 2006. Wintering in Mesa, Ariz., she remained an active volunteer and was a member of several organizations. She is survived by her husband, Alan; and daughters, Dawn (Rich Swanson) and Gail.
1980
Catherine Ridge, 61
1982
Jill Strickler, 59
1995
Cory Braaten, 46 Kathryn (Jensrud) Haugen, 69 Louisa (Piechowski) McFarlen, 59
2002
Louise Bowne, 39
2005
Kimberly “Kim” Winnegge, 35
2015
Laura Sinell, 25
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Dr. Lester Meyer, 84, died in June. He served as a
member of the religion department for 32 years, beginning in 1966. He received an early admission fellowship to the College of the University of Chicago, graduating in 1954, and continued his studies at Evangelical Theological Seminary in Naperville, Ill. He earned his doctorate in biblical studies in 1973 from the Divinity School at the University of Chicago. He joined the faculty of the college after several years as a parish pastor in Wisconsin and Ohio, retiring in 1998. During retirement, he taught occasional courses as an adjunct faculty member at St. John’s University, St. Cloud State University, and Zilina University in Slovakia. He and his wife lived for extended periods in Jerusalem, where he studied; England, where he had an honorary fellowship to work on a writing project; and Slovakia, where they both volunteered at the Bible school in Martin. They also enjoyed visiting several other countries. He is survived by his wife, Joan; sons, Michael (Jane) and Karl (Paula); daughters, Ellen (Dennis) Paynter, Nancy (Van) Parker, and Caroline Simon; 14 grandchildren and seven greatgrandchildren.
memorials »
Dr. Elwin Rogers, 83, died in November 2018. For more
than 30 years, he was a professor of German at Concordia. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in German, master’s in German literature, and doctorate from the University of Minnesota. He began his career at Concordia a year later than expected because he received a Fulbright Scholarship to study in Vienna, Austria. He also enjoyed working at Concordia Language Villages, researching local history, playing whist, and being an active member of Bethesda Lutheran Church. He retired from Concordia in 1995. He is survived by his sister, Gail; brother, Gary; nephews, Jason and Jared; and niece, Kailen.
Dr. Barbara Ronningen Torgerson, 73, died in
September. She began her 32-year career in 1978 at Concordia, first as a part-time instructor in the home economics department before progressing to the position of professor and department chair for family and nutrition sciences. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in food and nutrition from North Dakota State University in 1968, completed an internship at the University of Wisconsin – Madison Medical Center, and secured her registered dietitian status in 1969. She earned a Master of Science degree in food and nutrition from NDSU in 1970 and a doctorate in human and organizational development from the Fielding Institute in Santa Barbara, Calif., in 1990. Prior to joining the faculty at Concordia, she served as a dietitian for Fargo Veterans Hospital and Dakota Clinic; as state nutritionist for the North Dakota Extension Service, NDSU; and director of food service for St. Ansgar Hospital, Moorhead. She retired from Concordia in 2010. She is survived by her husband, Roger; her daughters, Ana (John), Heidi (Jason), Jill (Nic), and Kristen; and five grandchildren.
Dr. Luanna Stroh, 70, died in December 2018. An
associate professor and music education coordinator, she served on the music department faculty for 13 years. During her tenure, she supervised many student music teachers. She graduated from the University of Minnesota Morris with her bachelor’s degree in music education and earned her master’s and doctorate degrees in music education from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. She taught music education at the University of Montana before joining the faculty at Concordia, retiring in 2010. She is survived by her husband, Larry; her daughter, Tracy (Kurt) Larson; son, Brandon (Adriana); and six grandchildren.
IN MEMORIAM Donald Dale ’52, 91, died in September. Dale was assistant to the dean in 195254, acting registrar in 1954-55, and became the registrar in 1956, serving until his retirement in 1993 after 41 years with the college. Erling Linde ’51, 96, died in October. Linde served as an adjunct flute instructor in the music department from 1957 into the 1970s. He’s the father of recently retired assistant professor of music Jane Linde Capistran. Rev. Walter McDuffy, 92, died in September. McDuffy joined the college in 1982 and served as assistant dean of students, director of Multicultural Affairs, and counselor in the Career Center for 20 years before retiring in 2002. Dr. Jean Roberts, 66, died in August. Roberts was an instructor of piano in the music department and married to professor of piano Dr. John Roberts. Larry Saukko, 70, died in November 2018. Saukko joined the staff of Waldsee at Concordia Language Villages in 1970. He co-led the German abroad program and was later dean of Waldsee academic programs. He was dean of Salolampi for 26 years, from 1986-2011. Linda Widme, 74, died in November. Widme worked in various roles in the Cobber Bookstore for 32 years beginning in 1977. She retired in 2008 as director of the bookstore. Dr. Allan Zimmerman, 82, died in September. He taught in the psychology department for 18 years.
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COBBER PHOTOS
C-STEM TEACHER OF THE YEAR
ROCKIN’ THE BEANIE
COBBER BRIDESMAID
McPherson Magnet School teacher Greg Miller ’93 was named C-STEM Robotics Teacher of the Year (one of three in California) by UC Davis Center for Integrated Computing and STEM Education. McPherson Magnet is a K-8 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) magnet program in the Orange Unified School District.
Five-month-old Jonathan, son of Brandi (Doll) and Nicholas Trapp, both 2008 grads, rocks his mom’s beanie from 2004.
When Rachel Goertzen ’16 married Nathan Wiens, Shannon Wyatt ’16 flew from Kansas to Winnipeg to be a bridesmaid.
MAROON AND GOLD DAYS
FIVE BEANIES, SIX BROTHERS, ONE FAMILY FARM
Marnie (Rosenheim) Levenson ’11 gathered T-shirts from her days at Concordia and the University of Minnesota and, with help from her mom, Jeanette (Nelson) Rosenheim, who attended Concordia in the ’70s, and Levenson’s aunt, Sharon Sheehan, made a beautiful quilt including corn cob fabric for the backing.
Sharon (Muir) ’68 (James’ wife) shared a photo of the six Buhr brothers, who gather every year with their families at the Minnesota farm where they grew up. This year while going through boxes of things left by their parents, Paul’s wife, Carole (Berge) ’64, found the beanies. From left: Geoffrey (spent a year at Concordia before returning to the farm), Leslie ’73, Paul ’63, Daniel ’82, James ’67, and Stanley ’70
ALL IN THE FAMILY
BABY SMILES
ALUMNUS ELECTED JUSTICE OF THE PEACE
Stacy (Holden) and Rob Jenson, both 2009 grads, are sporting Cobber colors with their children, Jonathan and Emelyn.
There’s nothing like baby smiles. Pictured here is Gus, the son of Tashia Weisenburger Pomroy ’00 and Fred Pomroy.
Ernie Bear Don’t Walk ’92 (second from left), Crow Agency, Mont., was elected Big Horn County Justice of the Peace; he is the second Crow Indian to obtain this honor statewide. He is pictured at the swearing-in ceremony with Big Horn County Commissioner Sidney Fitzpatrick Jr. (left), his wife, Dulcie (Trottier) Bear Don’t Walk ’95, and his son, Preston Bad Bear.
Class notes and photographs may be submitted online at ConcordiaCollege.edu/alumniupdate for inclusion in your class letter. Some photo submissions may appear in the magazine or online at ConcordiaCollege.edu/news 36 |
CONCORDIA MAGAZINE
BONFIRE
PARADE
TAILGATING
FAMILY WEEKEND 2020 Friday, Sept. 18-Sunday, Sept. 20 ConcordiaCollege.edu/familyweekend HOMECOMING 2020 Friday, Oct. 2-Sunday, Oct. 4 ConcordiaCollege.edu/homecoming Connect With Us on Social
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@j_saue “Today, our time abroad comes to an end. Words can’t even begin to describe the impact that this trip has had on me. All I know is that I’ll be returning home with incredible new bonds, a revitalized sense of faith, increased cultural awareness, experiences and memories greater than I could have ever imagined, and so much more. Truly, this has been a lifechanging journey. I’m forever grateful.” — Jared Saue ’20 Pictured: Dr. Roy Hammerling’s Religion in a Global Context Class in Santorini, Greece
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