Concordia News and Stories 2023-24

Cheer, Charity, Choir

MAY

Tierney Stewart ’24, Coon Rapids, Minnesota

Majors: Communication Studies and Art with a concentration in Studio Art

My time at Concordia has been everything I needed it to be, and I can’t imagine myself at any other school. Since coming here, I’ve been able to find incredible communities that I’ve grown to really love and consider part of my identity. I’ve branched out beyond my comfort zone, become a better advocate for myself, and I’m more comfortable in leadership roles. I’ve been able to do everything I have a passion for while getting an education in a strong department. I have truly been thriving here.

A Maroon Skirt

I started at Concordia excited to be on a college journey, planning on being a theatre art major and playing with the idea of minors in psychology or music. That fall, I decided to try out for the cheer team thanks to my awesome resident assistant, with whom I was becoming good friends. I had danced for 11 years and done a few cheer clinics as a kid, but in high school I was too scared to try out and convinced myself I didn’t have the time or money for it. When I came to Concordia, I decided this was my chance to try things I always wanted to do and take advantage of everything college had to offer.

I made the team and I’m so glad I took the step to try. I’ll now be starting my senior year this fall in my second year as a captain for the team, which has been a process in gaining leadership skills and learning how to manage a group. I care about my team and have made strong friendships.

Besides cheer, I also became involved in campus ministry, which has been such an important place of support for me. I’ve met some of the best people there. It has meant the world to feel unquestionably loved and included in a religious space, and campus ministry has helped me to feel safe and validated. They’ve provided a space of comfort when I needed it most.

Finding My Place

As my freshman year concluded, I ended up needing to take time off from school, which was devastating at first, but I wound up skipping distance learning during that time, which may have been a blessing in disguise given all that was going on during the pandemic and the effect it had on my physical and mental health. That being said, the whole time I was away I deeply missed Concordia and was always thinking about when I’d be able to come back.

In Spring 2021, the stars aligned and, before I knew it, I was registering for classes, signing up for housing, and changing my major. Coming back after that time, there were some things that were different but plenty that never changed. It was like coming home but also provided an opportunity to change course. I realized that, while I absolutely adored the theatre, I no longer wanted to be on stage as a career and decided to pursue other interests. After some rearranging while I was figuring out what felt right, I decided on my majors in studio art and communication studies. After all of the deliberation, I am beyond excited to be where I’m at and love what I’m doing. I even created a TikTok about creating art in the

I think one of the best things about college is having the flexibility and opportunity to try new things. You can take classes on all kinds of topics whether they fall under your major or not, which is a fantastic way to get a taste of something you normally wouldn’t and discover new hobbies or passions. There are so many interesting courses, and the faculty and professors here have helped make college life that much better for me. I’ve formed great relationships with professors and always feel safe asking for help or advice. I have formed two main mantras since approaching college this way: Go with the flow and take opportunities that come, and always try a variety of things so you can keep doing what brings you joy and leave behind what doesn’t.

While I no longer see myself being a performer as a career, I have still been able to be on stage and have also found my place behind the scenes. In the fall of my sophomore year, I saw a sign that Concordia Theatre was looking for a student graphic designer and, before I knew it, I was in Dr. David Wintersteen’s office accepting the role and designing the posters as well as a lot of other marketing. I’ve also been helping with social media content. We recently started a TikTok channel in addition to the Instagram and Facebook accounts. It has been a fun way to stay involved in theatre while exploring other things that I enjoy and growing my skills. It’s been a good spot for me to be and has even generated the thought of possibly going into media or marketing positions in the future.

Greek Letters

I took a couple of other leaps that fall, and one of the first things I wanted to do upon returning to campus was join Lambda Delta Sigma. I had learned about the sorority in the spring of my freshman year and connected with what they stood for. LDS is a philanthropic society and values service to the community, so it felt like the right place for me. I always say it’s the best decision I’ve ever made. I have met many wonderful humans, had many eye-opening experiences, and learned a lot.

I discovered the YWCA through LDS’ partnership, which has an incredible mission and is essential to the community. It was important to me to become more involved, so I took on the position

ceramics studio on campus (thanks to my awesome new internship in Concordia’s Communications and Marketing Department).

of sisterhood coordinator this past year, which was a lot of fun. I was able to grow friendships with my sisters who have such a special place in my heart, and I’ve learned what it’s like to organize group events and plan for a large number of people. I am now the LDS communications coordinator and will be managing the social media (seeing any trends?). I have greatly enjoyed meeting new people and being able to make an impact.

Shortly after joining the sorority, a sister I also knew through cheer (and Math 105 with Dr. B!) introduced me to Sonder, a student-led organization dedicated to mental health and disability advocacy and support. This is another group that has been really important to me, and it was integral in affirming that I was not alone in my struggles with my mental health and has really lit a flame for advocacy. This group is a community I need and an incredibly safe space. I have loved learning from others as well as leading educational opportunities to spread awareness and erase stigma. Shortly after joining, I jumped into running the Instagram account and am now stepping up as president, which I’m really excited for. Sonder is important to a lot of students, and our mission is important to the college as a whole.

A Blue Robe

The choral department is another space I’ve been able to call home. I started in Kantorei under Dr. Michael Culloton when I was a freshman. I remember feeling so much joy on my first day and being excited to perform good repertoire with such a strong group. My first Concordia Christmas concert was a mind-blowing experience, and it’s been one of the things I look forward to the most each year. In addition to choir, I spent Sunday afternoons in Vocal Jazz II that year, which was a fun experience in singing a genre of music I hadn’t sung a lot of before. Last year, I sang in Chapel Choir under Dr. Kira Knutson, who has become one of my biggest supporters and truly

the most authentic and compassionate professor I’ve ever met. Singing in her choir was a lot of fun, and I always appreciated how in tune she was with us. That choir really bonded during our short spring tour, which led to many inside jokes and closer friendships. I even served as secretary for Chapel Choir during spring semester that year, which gave me more insight into being part of an exec board in a different context.

My sophomore year is also when I joined Harmonia, a chamber group of treble voices that sings a wide range of popular music a cappella style. This year, I’ll be a co-leader of the group and cannot wait to make more music. I’ll be starting my second year in The Concordia Choir this fall, under the direction of Dr. Culloton again. Being able to go on a two-week tour and partake in the opportunities that The Concordia Choir gets has been awesome, and I’ve seen new places and been able to take music to another level. The choir is a closely knit group, and I’ve met people who I’m now incredibly close to. We all support each other. I love these people dearly and feel honored to be able to sing my heart out alongside them.

Since starting here, I have been able to fully branch out and reach my potential. One of the best things about Concordia is the number of different organizations and communities on campus to be a part of. I feel well rounded and, on top of my extracurriculars, my classes and professors have contributed to me finding my place in the world and staying engaged. I feel well guided and taken care of by the departments I’m majoring in, and they’re fun to be a part of. I have been able to follow my passions as well as find new ones. I haven’t felt the pressure to just choose one thing and do it, but rather be involved in multiple different areas where I find joy. I’m living my life with no regrets and plenty of ambition. Concordia feels like home to me, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Pierce and Sandberg Named to MIAC All-Conference Team

Kai Pierce (Fargo, North Dakota) and Logan Sandberg (Grand Forks, North Dakota) capped their successful freshman seasons by being named to the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference All-Conference Team in singles play.

Pierce and Sandberg become the first Cobber singles players to be named to the MIAC All-Conference Team since Jared Saue earned the honor in 2019. The two are also the first Concordia freshmen to earn All-MIAC honors in singles play since 2015, when Isaac Toivonen claimed the award.

The All-Conference team is selected based on performance during conference dual matches, with the top 18 players (including ties) recognized for both singles and doubles. A player must play in five conference matches at any position to be eligible for the honor. Coaches also voted on honorable mention selections.

Awards are nominated by and voted on by the MIAC head women’s tennis coaches. Only statistics from MIAC matches are considered for conference honors; any nominated player not selected as AllConference but still receiving votes from at least three coaches was named honorable mention.

Pierce and Sandberg led Concordia from the Top 2 singles spots in 2023. Both players posted a 5-4 mark in conference action in singles play. Pierce and Sandberg were also inseparable in overall competition. They ended the year with 9-5 records in the team’s 14 total matches.

Egge Earns All-Conference Honorable Mention Honors

Concordia senior Raquel Egge (Fargo, North Dakota) earned Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference postseason honors for the second time in her career, it was announced by the conference office.

Egge was named to the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference All-Conference Honorable Mention Team in singles play for the recently-completed 2023 season. Egge also received All-Conference Honorable Mention honors for the 2021 season.

Egge becomes only the second player in program history to earn multiple conference postseason honors. Andrea Rognlien was a three-time All-Conference honoree in 2009, 2011, and 2012.

The All-Conference team is selected based on performance during conference dual matches, with the top 18 players (including ties) recognized for both singles and doubles. A player must play in five conference matches at any position to be eligible for the honor. Coaches also voted on honorable mention selections.

Awards are nominated by and voted on by the MIAC head women’s tennis coaches. Only statistics from MIAC matches are considered

for conference honors; any nominated player not selected as AllConference but still receiving votes from at least three coaches was named honorable mention.

Egge was the team’s No.1 singles player in 2023 and went 4-6 in conference play. She was 10-9 in all matches during the year.

In her four seasons as a Cobber, Egge won 29 matches, with 11 victories in conference play.

Spring DAISY Awards Announced

Senior Brady Jorud (accelerated nursing) and junior Hallee Anderson were honored with DAISY Awards.

The DAISY Award is a national program that recognizes above-andbeyond care that nurses provide to patients. The DAISY Foundation has expanded its award program to recognize exceptional nursing students. The Concordia program awards two students, one at the senior level and one at the junior level, twice per year. Nominations come from faculty, clinical instructors, staff, and peers.

Concordia award nominees were Hallee Anderson ’24, Izzy Anderson ’25, Betsy Davis ’25, Leo Hanson ’24, Jacob Meyer ’24, Jonathon Melhus ’23, Brady Jorud ’23, Adriana Vigil ’24, and Kayla Thorson ’23 (accelerated nursing).

“Brady is always willing to help others,” said Amanda Tracy, assistant professor of nursing. “He works hard to learn new concepts and encourages others within his cohort. Brady goes above and beyond in the classroom, asking well-thought-out questions, and he works to better understand the content and is always willing to help where necessary. He pushes himself and others to be their best. He takes responsibility for his learning and seeks knowledge wherever he is

at. Brady is a role model for his cohort and exemplifies nursing in a positive light.”

Jorud said he’s very thankful to be in the accelerated nursing program with such a great group of individuals.

“I feel like any one of us could have been nominated for the DAISY award since we all bring something unique to class every day, so

to be nominated was pretty cool,” he said. “I try to keep things light and not so serious especially when the stress of the program can start to wear us down. We have all grown very close, and I am happy that I was able to make a positive contribution to this program.”

Tracy said that Hallee Anderson is a calm, collected, and caring presence at the patient’s bedside.

“On one occasion, Hallee was providing care to a nearing end-oflife patient. She provided support and comfort measures to the patient and the entire family,” Tracy said. “She cared for the patient

as a whole and worked with the nurse to get the patient’s dogs to the floor to be with her. She cried with the patient’s family and lent support when needed. Her buddy nurse for the day was very impressed with her compassionate care and how she handled such a challenging and emotional situation.”

“It’s an honor to receive the DAISY award,” Anderson said. “I would like to thank and credit my professors and clinical instructors for being such wonderful educators and preparing us for the clinical role!”

A Concordia Beetle’s Concert

As Fargo-Moorhead welcomes a long-awaited spring season, Concordia rejoices in song. A solo sung by a bronze beetle, to be exact. A cross-collaboration between the art, science, and music departments on campus has brought a flight of insects to life.

Dwight Mickelson’s ART 340 Sculpture course spent the last few months of the spring semester preparing a special selection of sculpture art.

Piper Whipple ’23, one of the beetle sculptors, describes the intricacies of design required. Clay and wax molds were created to form the proper outlines and ensure the sculptures were fit for music making.

“After it was all put together, we had to create a piping system to allow air out of the plaster when the bronze was poured (as our wax figures would be covered in plaster, and the wax would be melted out to leave hollow plaster),” Whipple said.

“After the piping system was finished, the wax sculpture was submerged in plaster and left to dry. Then the plaster was placed upside down in the kiln to melt out the wax,” Whipple said. “Next, was bronze casting day. We poured hot, molten bronze into our plaster molds. After a few minutes, it solidified and we could chip all the plaster off of it, leaving our bronze sculpture with all the bronze piping.”

ART 340 students visited the Integrated Science Center’s collection of beetles to draw inspiration.

After the structures were complete, it was time for music-making. Tor Kjartansson, a fourth-year student in Dr. Steven Makela’s Music Tech II class, helped compose the works.

“We’ve been working on these compositions for about a month or so,” Kjartansson said. “I have enjoyed getting to participate in one of my music classes while also being able to explore my interest in three-dimensional art. This experience has made me realize that we need to continue to have more collaboration between classes in different studies.”

Using a music software program, Kjartansson tapped on the beetle, recording and modulating the sound. The sculpture used in his presentation was created by Laura Pancoast ’23.

“Sculpting the beetle was a musical process in itself,” Pancoast said. “Working with this particular form, there are several interesting sounds that come about.”

While collaboration was the end result, both the art and music students had no idea their separate projects were being brought together until recently.

“Since we had no idea, any potential bias was removed from each form,” Pancoast said.

The music and art were created with a sense of purity. In this way, there were no limitations.

How Adversity, Faith, Sports, and Spanish Led to NFL Coaching Position

MAY 5, 2023 |

Overcoming adversity is a theme in Porter Ellett’s life.

The two-time Super Bowl-winning offensive quality control coach for the Kansas City Chiefs had an unlikely journey to where he is now, starting at just 4 years old when he lost the use of his right arm. He shared with students the story of how his faith, fluency in Spanish, and love of sports led him to his NFL job.

Ellett was invited to campus by the world languages and cultures department. Dr. Alexander Aldrich, assistant professor of Spanish, went to college with Ellett at Brigham Young University, and the two spent time together as missionaries teaching Spanish to other missionaries.

As a young child, Ellett survived a farm accident that detached nerves in his spine. His arm lost function and was later amputated.

“Early on, I went into a shell,” he told the audience. Ellett relied on his faith to give him the strength to overcome challenges.

“Every day you have to get up and do what you need to do,” he said.

His love of sports also became an essential emotional outlet.

“That was how I could get all the stress out and just go out and play ball. It was always refreshing to me,” Ellett recalled.

Part of Ellett’s campus visit included connecting with football players, as well as students in a Spanish class.

Throughout high school, he ran track and field and played baseball and basketball. Even one-handed, he was a star athlete. He knew he wanted to eventually coach baseball or basketball. His town was too small for football. His first real exposure to that sport came at BYU a semester after he was scheduled to graduate. After failing a course, he spent an additional semester there and worked as an equipment manager for football. That’s when his dreams changed.

“I just fell in love with football and the mentality of the team sport. I thought, ‘I want to work in football,’” he said.

But that dream took some years before coming true. Ellett worked at Goldman Sachs in taxes but eventually went back to school to try to become a graduate assistant for the football team, a common first step in a coaching career.

He didn’t get the job. He stayed close to the sport, though, as the facilities assistant for the football stadium. Later, when visiting a friend who also taught Spanish to missionaries and was then a strength coach with the Chiefs, he got the opportunity to meet personally with head coach Andy Reid.

Reid was moved by Ellett’s tenacity and resilience and, when an assistant position opened up, he suggested Ellett apply. He got that job.

“He said, you’ll be my right-hand man and I said, sounds great, as long as you don’t mind that your right-hand man doesn’t have a right hand,” Ellett said. “He laughed and said I guess you’ll be my left-hand man.”

Along with recounting his life story, Ellett recommended learning a second language.

“Clearly, it opened doors for me,” he said. “Not only that, it changes the way you think and is such a great way to really connect with people in another culture.”

Aldrich told students that it’s never too late to start learning another language and reminded them that one of the Spanish courses offered is a 10-day immersive trip to Cuba.

Reflecting on his life, Ellett also told the audience that he’s thankful for the challenges he faced.

“It’s not fun, but I see the gift that it is. Literally, coaching the best players in the world is a miracle,” he said. “At the end of the day, I’m grateful for the opportunity that I bore a bit of a burden to be able to be an example for other people and to be able to help others around me.”

Students Present Research at Annual Celebration of Student Scholarship

MAY 9, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES | COCURRICULAR

Around 160 students presented research and creative scholarship at this year’s Celebration of Student Scholarship.

“There is a lot of hard work that goes into organizing the event, as well as mentoring people through the application process and presentation preparation,” said Dr. Krys Strand, director of Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity and COSS coordinator. “Seeing the variety of student research and creative scholarship presented all in one event and having such a multidisciplinary community feel is one of my favorite aspects of COSS.”

From presentations in Spanish, research on autism in literature, and projects involving zebrafish, to ethnographies about the local community, the scholarship presented during COSS is varied and diverse.

Therese Byankuba ’25 and her research group studied minnows at Concordia’s Long Lake campus. “I enjoyed that we could focus our research on a topic that interested us,” she said about the research process. “While I was quite nervous since it was my first time presenting at COSS, the attendees showed so much curiosity and interest in my group’s research, and I was excited to finally share what we learned.”

Dr. Joseph Whittaker, associate professor of biology, was the mentor for Byankuba and her group. He was awarded the COSS Mentor of the Year.

“Student presenters have the option of nominating their mentor and write about how their mentor has facilitated a positive research or creative scholarship experience,” Strand said.

This year, students could also opt in to take part in a competition. The projects submitted were reviewed by a jury of judges and submitted to win a $100 prize. Students who took part in the competition

also received feedback from the judges. Yvette Umutoniwase ’23 won the Concurrent Session Presentation award for “Culturing Neurons from Zebrafish and Spinal Cord,” and Gabe Hanson ’24 won the Poster session award for “Chemotherapy-Induced Cellular Senescence is Associated with Hallmarks of Cachexia.”

Joseph Kennedy, instructional designer and academic technologist, served as one of the judges. He was impressed by the caliber of research presented. “Every presentation would have been at home at a professional educational conference,” he said. “Many of the students in the poster and concurrent sessions are performing work that is often completed by graduate students.”

COSS MISSION

The Celebration of Student Scholarship provides undergraduate students from all disciplines and levels of experience the opportunity to present high-quality research, scholarship, and creative works in a public venue; to connect with alumni; and to explore the intersections of research, vocation, and career preparation. COSS invites students, staff, faculty, alumni, and the broader community to engage with student presenters as they showcase their achievements through research and creative scholarship projects of all types.

Student Earns Prestigious Rossing Physics Scholarship

MAY 11, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Elijah Heyer ’25 has been named a Rossing Physics Scholar.

Heyer will receive a $5,000 award from the Thomas D. Rossing Fund for Physics Education. The awards are made possible through generous gifts from Dr. Thomas D. Rossing, who created the fund through the Foundation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

“Eli is an outstanding student who shows great curiosity about physics,” said Dr. Luiz Manzoni, chair of the physics department. “His goal is to go to grad school in astrophysics, and he shows exceptional promise for a research career.”

Heyer spent last summer in a research group with Manzoni and quickly learned how to code for a computational project.

“Eli is focused, independent and very creative, and he loves a challenge,” Manzoni said.

Heyer credits that experience, along with his team involvement in the NASA/Minnesota Space Grant Consortium’s ballooning activity, for helping him earn the award.

“Whether it was learning how to code or finding out what type of tape would hold together in the stratosphere, these projects presented new information and came with their fair share of challenges,” Heyer said.

Heyer’s love for physics started his senior year of high school in Fargo as it gave him a “unique look into the laws and interactions that make up our daily lives.”

That passion deepened at Concordia as the entire department created an environment that brings out the best in students.

“The growth these professors promote among their students and the enthusiasm they bring to the classroom has pushed me to always put my best work forward,” he said.

Lessons for the Future

MAY 16, 2023 | COMMENCEMENT

As graduating seniors gathered together one last time for commencement, they were left with parting advice before heading out into the world.

Dr. Eboo Patel, founder and president of Interfaith America, gave the commencement address. He shared his thoughts on how to remain confident even when experiences inevitably become difficult.

“Every transition is hard, perhaps none more so than the transition from college to the so-called real world,” Patel said. “There will be problems to solve, challenges to meet, and mountains to climb. Here is my advice for how to navigate these difficulties: Find people who believe in you. What do I mean by that? I mean people who help you articulate your aspirations and align your gifts and assets so that you can achieve them. People who know that adversity and aspersions are simply a part of life — and that your story is about overcoming them, not letting them overcome you. People who are clear-eyed about the obstacles that will stand in your way but exhort you to focus on the opportunities in front of you and to make the most of those.”

Student speaker Ramona Lyttle shared how she persevered through intense obstacles to become a Concordia graduate. She was abandoned as a newborn and grew up at the SOS Children Villages International — Jamaica. Later, she had the opportunity to study in Norway through the Davis United World College program before arriving at Concordia and becoming the college’s first Davis Scholar to graduate here. She challenged Cobbers to use obstacles and setbacks as opportunities for personal growth and self-development and encouraged them to follow Concordia’s and SOS’s mission to positively impact the world.

Dr. Thelma Berquó, associate professor of physics, praised Heyer’s work in and out of the classroom, most recently a talk he gave at the University of Minnesota about his research work.

“His presentation was outstanding, and he showed that he was immersed in the problem that was proposed to him,” Berquó said.

Heyer says he’s ready to continue to learn and develop important skills.

“Physics continues to reveal more to me about the natural world, and that deeper dive into the many areas of physics is something that I could never grow tired of,” Heyer said. “Looking ahead, the wide variety of interesting topics I have yet to learn about brings me excitement and guarantees that there is still lots of fun to be had. I’m very grateful for the opportunities that I know will come from this scholarship.”

“I am very happy that Eli was awarded the prestigious and welldeserved Rossing Scholarship,” said Manzoni. “He continues the tradition of outstanding Concordia students that have had the honor of being Rossing Physics Scholars.”

“Be resilient and flexible in your approach,” Lyttle said. “Treat yourself and others with empathy and kindness. Have faith in your unique path. Stay committed to your aspiration. Work hard without giving up because, with determination and perseverance, you have the potential to achieve anything you desire.”

As his last comments to students before he retires this summer, President William Craft gave words of encouragement.

“All my life I’ve been the kind of person who has his finger on the bottom of the page ready to turn it, wondering what’s next,” he said. “I’m taking my finger off the page, and what I want to say is: The Class of 2023, you’re what’s next. We have faith in you.”

Congratulations, Class of 2023!

Wall Street Journal Profiles

‘White House Plumbers’ Co-Star Rich Sommer ’00

MAY 17, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

The Wall Street Journal recently profiled Rich Sommer, a 2000 Concordia grad and co-star of the HBO miniseries, “White House Plumbers.”

In the article, Sommer talks about discovering his love for performing as a child growing up in Minnesota. While at Concordia, his skill on the stage won over his dad, who had been urging Sommer to major in business.

“Dad was quite supportive after he saw me as Tevye in ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ during my senior year,” Sommer said in the WSJ article. “Afterward, he said acting is what I should be doing. His blessing meant the world to me.”

He also made a reference to Dr. David Wintersteen, professor and director of theatre. “After graduation, I decided to become a professional actor in Minneapolis but quickly discovered that was tough,” Sommer said. “My college drama professor urged me to enroll in grad school.”

2023 Alumni Achievement Award Recipients

Concordia’s National Alumni Board has named Dr. Betty Malen ’68, Dr. Stephen Wonderlich ’78, Randall “Randy” Boushek ’79, and The Rev. Gary Henderson ’79 as the 2023 Alumni Achievement Award recipients.

The AAA is the college’s highest honor and is conferred upon alumni who have distinguished themselves in their careers and service to others. For graduates of 20 years or more, the AAA is reserved for alumni at the pinnacle of their vocational life. Malen, Wonderlich, Boushek, and Henderson have embodied the qualities of the AAA recipient throughout their careers.

Dr. Betty Malen ’68 was professor of education policy and politics at the University of Maryland, College Park, until she passed away from cancer in February. She began her career as a speech/English teacher and debate/forensics coach at Huron High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan. After three years as a nationally recognized teacher, she moved into central administration and was a member of a committee planning for an alternative high school. She earned a master’s degree from the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, and a doctorate from the University of Minnesota. She was assistant principal for Fargo North High School and, while in Fargo, North Dakota, worked to carry out educational programs on drug and alcohol abuse. She held professorial positions at the University of Utah and the University of Washington and, when she

transitioned to higher education, worked closely with school communities in Salt Lake City, Bellevue, Washington, and Prince George’s County, Massachusetts, to foster improvements in public schools. She received UMD’s Distinguished ScholarTeacher Award and many other honors and grants. She had numerous scholarly works — books, book chapters, presentations — and many leadership roles on committees and associations.

Dr. Stephen Wonderlich ’78 is vice president for research and co-director of the Center for Biobehavioral Research at Sanford Health. He is also a Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences. He has published widely in clinical and scientific journals. He currently is on the editorial board for several professional journals, is a past president of the Academy of Eating Disorders, and was a member of the Eating Disorder Workgroup for DSM-5. He serves, or has served, on the board of directors for several eating disorder organizations, including the Eating Disorder Research Society and the National Eating Disorder Association. He also serves as the director of the Treatment Collaborative for Traumatized Youth, an organization dedicated to enhancing treatment for abused and neglected children. He earned his doctorate from the University of Missouri

After grad school, he went on to land roles in “The Devil Wears Prada” and “Mad Men.”

Sommer is a 2014 Sent Forth Award recipient.

and did postdoctoral fellowship training at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He served in professorial positions at UND for more than 34 years and, during that time, was engaged at the Neuropsychiatric Research Institute in Fargo, where he conducted much of his research.

Randall “Randy” Boushek ’79, retired senior vice president and chief financial officer for Thrivent Financial, joined Lutheran Brotherhood, which merged with AAL to become Thrivent Financial, as an associate actuary in 1981 and held various positions during his 40-year career with the organization. A Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and member of the American Academy of Actuaries, he also earned a certificate from the Minnesota Management Academy. In 2010, he was named CFO of the Year in the Twin Cities by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce, the Board of Directors of Concordia Plan Services (LCMS) in St. Louis, and the Board of Directors of the Minneapolis Downtown Council. He was also a member and chair of Concordia’s Board of Regents and chair of the search committee that brought President William Craft to the college. He also gave Concordia’s Commencement Address in 2012. He is generous with his time and resources, was actively involved with church sports, and coached youth soccer teams for 12 years. In 1995, he was the recipient of the annual Anoka Community Service Award for work with youth.

The Rev. Gary Henderson ’79 has been chief relationship officer — Global Partnerships for United Methodist Communications since 2017. He is the primary protocol officer for the strategic development and maintenance of communication ministry for the United Methodist Church around the world. He has traveled to six of the seven continents and visited more than 100 countries to preach, teach, and lead. He was previously executive director of Global Health Initiative, a senior salesman and account supervisor for Union Oil of California, and pastor or senior pastor at several churches in Ohio. He is currently a member of Concordia’s Board of Regents. He is Head of Delegation to the United Methodist General Conference for 2024 and five-time delegate to the General Conference, the highest legislative body of the denomination, that meets every four years. He received a Courageous Leadership Award, an Ecumenical Award, and several others. He has been a member of numerous committees and a plenary speaker and workshop leader at conferences and churches. He earned a Master of Divinity from Interdenominational Theological Center at Gammon Seminary, Atlanta, and a Summer Institute for Religious Studies certificate from Oxford University.

Concordia will honor the recipients during Homecoming 2023 this fall.

Dedicated to the Next Generation, Alums Earn Women in Business Honors

The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal has recognized Tammy (Jesme) Laurent ’88 and Suzette (Fleischer) Huovinen ’97 as two of its 2023 Women in Business honorees. The awards distinguish industry-leading executives, entrepreneurs, and business owners for their professional successes and community involvement.

Laurent has been a financial advisor for Edward Jones in Shakopee, Minnesota, since 1989, ranking in the top 100 women nationally. She was recently tapped to be one of 20 national advisors for Elite Wealth Management. Laurent is co-owner of Stonebrooke Golf Club in Shakopee, and author of “Say Yes to Golf with Anyone: A Woman Golfer’s Guide to Confidence and Etiquette,” and the organizational book, “Be Prepared for Anything, Anytime.” She is also a longtime Rotarian.

“It’s my turn to give back,” she said. “But more importantly, Concordia helps women dream and then gives them the tools to take action. It’s my job to expand their ability to dream and help them understand how confidence and endurance play into the formula of success.”

“It is my goal to give women at Concordia the ability to dream, the confidence to pursue, and the wisdom to be a good steward of their success,” Laurent added.

Rachel (Nelson) Hollstadt ’70, a recipient of the Business Journal’s Career Achievement Award and Concordia’s Alumni Achievement Award, has worked with Laurent for several years through the mentoring program at the college.

“It’s a great honor to be chosen, but no award is won alone,” Laurent said. “I am thankful for all the mentors who counseled me through my journey, the business coaches who cheered me on, and my work associates who have given me relentless support throughout the years to become my personal best.”

An advocate of pursuing dreams, Laurent is committed to helping the next generation of women in business as an alumni mentor. She is a guest lecturer for business and ethics classes and is a member of Concordia’s Offutt School of Business Global Leadership Council and the Hollstadt Women in Leadership Mentoring Program.

“Tammy has not only excelled in her career but has also become a beacon of empowerment for aspiring women entrepreneurs,” Hollstadt said.

Huovinen became president, CEO, and chair of Securian Asset Management this year after starting at the parent company, Securian Financial, right out of college. As the previous senior vice president of finance at Securian Financial, she led the company’s financial planning and analysis, tax, procurement, and other finance functions. She was also responsible for the company’s strategic finance and transformation initiatives.

“It’s very gratifying to be selected and to be included among such a prestigious group of women business leaders,” Huovinen said. “I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished both professionally and in the community — this is a validation of those accomplishments.”

Huovinen currently chairs the Minnesota Children’s Museum’s board of directors, was previously a board member at a theatre organization, and volunteered for the Society of Actuaries.

Like Laurent, Huovinen is a member of the Hollstadt Women in Leadership Mentoring Program. Uyanga “Soka” Naranbaatar ’22 is one of the many students she has helped guide.

“Suzette was a compassionate personable mentor who could actively listen to me and whom I could be vulnerable and share anything with,” Naranbaatar said. “I’ve always been inspired by her and still have the utmost respect for her career and enthusiasm in the field.”

Having benefited personally from having strong female mentors, Huovinen is a strong believer in the power of mentorship and sponsorship in furthering one’s career and wants to pay that forward to others.

“I believe we only succeed when others succeed,” Huovinen said. “As one of the few women at the table for many years in my organization, it was important to be a voice for having more perspectives from women. We also are often not great at advocating for ourselves and telling our story — we need others to amplify our voices and give us chances.”

Her advice for students who may want to follow in her footsteps is to find a team or company they can be passionate about being part of.

“Keep learning, and don’t be afraid to ask for new opportunities,” she said. “Do great work and show your willingness to take on new and challenging responsibilities.”

Huovinen and Laurent were recognized at a ceremony in Minneapolis on May 19. Finance major Ivana Drocezesky ’24 accepted the award on Laurent’s behalf. In her acceptance speech, Drocesesky said one lesson she learned from Laurent is to always say yes to something out of your comfort zone because that’s the only way to move forward.

A number of Concordia alumni and business students were on hand to celebrate the honorees including Hollstadt, founder of the IT and management consultancy, Hollstadt & Associates Inc. (retired); Mary (Olson) Younggren ’80, owner and principal of Advent Talent Group in Edina and a 2022 Women in Business honoree; Elle (Lorenson) Grothaus ’92, Global Talent Leader & Global Human Resources Business Partner for Commercial Excellence at Cargill; Desire Atugonza ’24, business and computer science major; Asmah Tareen ’96, Shareholder at Fredrikson & Byron; Sara Meslow ’92, executive director of Camp Odayin; and Matt Dymoke ’14, manager of Donor Outreach at Lutheran World Relief.

Mr. 400 Adds 2 More All-Region Honors

You can add two more All-Region honors to Cal Wright’s total. Wright was named to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association North All-Region Outdoor Track & Field Team for finishing in the Top 5 in an event in the region for the outdoor season.

The two All-Region awards give Wright a total of nine for his career. That total is the most by any Cobber athlete in the program’s history since the USTFCCCA began handing out the honor in 2016.

Wright has earned five USTFCCCA All-Region honors during outdoor seasons and four for his performances during indoor campaigns. It is his third straight outdoor All-Region honor in the 400 meters, while he was named to the All-Region team for indoor in 2023, 2022, and 2019. Wright captured a double All-Region honor for both the 400 and 4x400-meter relay in 2022.

Wright earned All-Region honors in the 200 and 400 meters this spring, and both qualifying marks came in the past week. Wright started his All-Region trek by posting a school-record time of 46.95 in the finals of the 400 meters at the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship Meet. That time bettered his old school record, which he set in the prelims of the event.

Wright captured his All-Region award in the 200 less than a week later when he clocked a 21.20 at the Wisconsin-La Crosse NCAA Qualifier meet. His time marked the third time this season he had bested his own school mark before the year started.

Both of Wright’s All-Region performances have him in the Top 20 of the nation, which will qualify him for the NCAA National Meet. He will receive official confirmation of qualifying for nationals on Sunday, May 21.

Wilde Named To The MIAC All-Conference Team

Concordia senior outfielder Molly Wilde (St. Michael, Minnesota/ St. Michael-Albertville High School) was named to the MIAC AllConference Team as selected by the conference coaches.

It is Wilde’s first conference postseason, and she becomes the fifth Cobber player in the last five years to earn All-Conference honors.

Wilde played in 21 of the 22 conference games and led the team in hits, home runs, RBI, and slugging percentage. She hit .277 while hammering out four home runs and driving in 10 runs from the clean-up spot in the lineup.

Wilde’s four league home runs were tied for third in the conference, and her .523 slugging percentage put her in the Top 20 of all MIAC players in league games.

Wilde finished the 2023 season with seven homers in all games, which tied the school record for most home runs in a single season.

hit .309 in 110 at-bats and had a slugging percentage

in all 36 games she played in this season.

6 Cobbers Earn CSC Academic All-District Honors

Concordia had six student-athletes named to the Academic AllDistrict Team, as selected by College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA), in the men’s/women’s at-large category.

Cobber men’s hockey players Jacen Bracko (Sr., Calgary, Alberta, Canada) and Cole O’Connell (Jr., Moorhead, Minnesota), women’s hockey juniors Ellie Brewer (Nederland, Colorado) and Jerica Friese (Argusville, North Dakota/Fargo Shanley High School) as well as wrestlers Tyler Bents (Sr., Glenwood, Minnesota/Belgrade-BrootenElrosa High School) and Elijah Hunt (Jr., St. Peter, Minnesota) were all named to the Academic All-District At-Large Teams.

To be eligible for Academic All-District recognition, studentathletes must be at least a sophomore with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher, and have played in at least 50 percent of the team’s competitions throughout the season.

The at-large category consists of student-athletes who participated in men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s hockey, men’s and women’s gymnastics, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s skiing and wrestling.

Academic All-District honorees advance to the CSC Academic AllAmerica ballot, which will be released next month.

Bracko is a social studies and education major with a 3.93 GPA, who graduated earlier in the month. He played in 99 games in his career for the Concordia men’s hockey team and was named to the All-MIAC Honorable Mention Team in 2020 and the MIAC AllRookie Team in 2021.

O’Connell has a 3.78 GPA while majoring in finance. He has earned MIAC All-Conference honors in the past two seasons and has 17 goals and 27 assists for 44 points during those two years.

Brewer is a nutrition and dietetics major with a 4.00 GPA. She has played in 49 games the past two seasons for the Cobbers. She posted career-high numbers in goals, assists, and points last year.

Friese earned her second consecutive Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference postseason honor this year. She was named to the MIAC All-Conference Honorable Mention Team after leading the Cobbers in goals and total points. Friese has a 3.78 GPA and is majoring in elementary education.

Bents has a 3.70 GPA while majoring in business management. He placed fifth at the Upper Midwest Regional Meet at 157, and finished the year with a 20-9 record that included a pair of Top 5 finishes in multi-team invitationals.

Wilde

of .564

Like Brewer, Hunt has a 4.00 GPA. He is a mathematics education major and is coming off his best season for the Cobbers. He was a place-winner at the Upper Midwest Regional after finishing in seventh place in the 165-lb weight class.

The CSC Academic All-District team is part of the CSC Academic AllAmerica program. Top student-athletes are nominated for inclusion on the Academic All-District teams by college and university sports

information directors. Student-athletes must have a grade-point average above 3.50 (4.0 scale) and have outstanding athletic credentials. The Division III Academic All-America program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division III national governance structure, to assist CSC with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the Division III Academic All-America team’s program.

New Interfaith Grant Funds Nursing Course on Religious Death Traditions

Concordia has received an Interfaith America grant to develop partnerships between health services and religion.

In her grant proposal, Dr. Elna Solvang, chair/professor of religion, noted a “Bridging the Faith Divide” webinar was instrumental in moving conversations about collaboration between Concordia nursing and religion faculty into action plans.

One of the proposals brings together Dr. Jack Rydell, chair/ professor of nursing, and Dr. Anne Mocko, associate professor of religion, for a planned 300-level course called “Life, Death, and Spirituality: Care, Compassion, and Religious Diversity.” Mocko said they are redesigning a class on death and dying that will look at different cultures and religious death traditions.

Mocko said it’s important to understand the many different views of the family and those surrounding the dying. For example, some believe that the consciousness and the soul don’t depart the body immediately upon death, so in those cases it would be important to allow a family member to remain with a body for a period of time. The theology of what the body is also has important ramifications for how to treat it at the time of death and what to do with the body afterward.

“By thinking about the different kinds of possibilities, you have this phenomenon that is totally universal — all human beings die, all human beings have to cope with the humans around them dying, but every culture has different ways of responding to that universal,” Mocko said.

“It seems like this generation of students has been through a lot more loss than college students had been when I started here in 2012,” she added. “There are a lot more students who have lost a parent, a sibling, or somebody they went to school with, and there’s still grieving from COVID disruptions. I think it’s important to give them some tools to process death — insights that might be useful in their professional lives.”

Rydell is eager for the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues to develop a course that helps fulfill the religion Core requirement and that fits better around clinical schedules. With limited attention given to the spiritual perspective in a traditional nursing curriculum, the course will also allow all students to talk about death considerations since not every clinical assignment has the opportunity to be directly involved in caring for those experiencing end-of-life care.

Rydell points out Concordia’s strong history of developing healthcare professionals in a number of disciplines including nutrition/dietetics, exercise science, nursing, healthcare administration, and social work, in addition to all the preprofessional programs.

“The Interfaith America grant provides a unique opportunity to create a religion course of particular interest to a large number of healthcare professions students,” he said. “I am excited for the opportunity to provide our students with a course blending religious and spiritual considerations with end-of-life care, which broadens the concept of interdisciplinary education.”

“I think that’s one of the things that’s really special about Concordia as a liberal arts institution,” Mocko added. “There are nursing and health professions programs at state institutions focused on career preparedness, but we have the commitment that we’re educating whole humans. We want them to be thinking about their own whole selves and thinking about the whole selves of the people that they’re treating.”

The goal is to have the course ready for Spring 2024.

Concordia has had a campus relationship with Interfaith America (formerly Interfaith Youth Core) for more than a decade, which has helped with a number of initiatives including the interfaith studies minor and the Better Together chapter.

Concordia to Host Workshop on Implementing Generative AI in Teaching

MAY 26, 2023 | COCURRICULAR

Concordia College is hosting a two-day intensive workshop for faculty to investigate the use of generative artificial intelligence such as ChatGPT in teaching. While faculty across the country are approaching AI with fear and concern as they think about the many ways students might cheat in their writing or on assignments, these faculty are taking a different approach.

Dr. Darin Ulness, a chemistry professor at Concordia who has been a leader in this initiative, says students need to understand how to utilize these tools in their future careers.

“And faculty need to embrace what technology can do for them and their students to enhance teaching and learning,” he says.

Ulness has been teaching in both chemistry and physics and is a campus leader in using technology in the classroom and lab.

Pathway to Pre-Dentistry

JUNE 16, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Taylor DeVine ’23, Fargo, North Dakota

Major/Minor: Biology (pre-dentistry); Chemistry

Please tell us about yourself.

I am currently a senior at Concordia College majoring in biology on the pre-dental route. I’m passionate about creating sustainable change within my community and have been fortunate enough to do so while taking part in multiple projects at Concordia, including my Happy Light Initiative, Discord platform with the Health Professions Interest Club, and others. Outside of school, I enjoy spending time with my family at the lake and taking care of my large collection of houseplants.

Why did you choose Concordia?

When looking for colleges, I wanted a school that combined the traits of being a supportive and welcoming environment alongside having a strong pre-health professions program. Concordia was a no-brainer when I witnessed how tight-knit the community on campus was during my tour, in addition to an incredible pre-health program led by Dr. Julie Rutherford. Additionally, my mom, aunt, and cousin are Cobber alumni who majored in health-related fields. Currently, they are each making a tremendous positive impact within their respective sectors of healthcare, and I wanted to continue that family tradition in my own way through the pursual of dentistry.

Faculty attending the workshop have a range of experience using AI and, while many are just beginning to understand the potential benefits, instructional designer Joe Kennedy hopes prospective students realize Concordia will uniquely prepare them for a post-AI workforce and life.

“We already prepare students to ask tough questions, adapt to new environments, and consider the holistic impact they can have,” says Laurie Probst, library director. “This is just the next step in our mission.”

The workshop is June 6 and 7.

How did you decide on your area of study?

Coming into college, I knew I wanted to pursue dentistry, so a biology major and chemistry minor made the most sense. I was able to clear all the prerequisite courses for dental school within my major/minor and was also able to explore elective courses that I was interested in such as microbiology and mammalogy. Additionally, I had great guidance from all of the biology department faculty who often advise pre-health professional students.

Do you have a favorite course or professor and why?

My favorite courses and professor on campus would have to be both my Inquiry Written Communication Seminar and my Business Writing course I took with Seth Archer. I remember sitting in his class fall of my freshman year scared of the unknowns that came with college, but his approach to teaching students and the wisdom that he shared with us throughout the semester completely changed my view on the journey ahead. He helped me adopt a mindset of fearlessness and courage rather than giving up and changing career paths, and I credit him for a large part of my success as a pre-dental student at Concordia. His class also taught me many valuable writing skills that I was able to put to use when writing essays while applying to dental school this past spring, and his resume assignment in my Business Writing class helped me land a job as a dental assistant!

What campus activities are you involved in?

On campus, I have been involved in the Student Government Association as the chief of operations (sophomore) and mental health advocate (senior), Orientation as an Orientation Leader/FirstYear Transition mentor (junior) and productions co-coordinator

(senior), a student ambassador/tour guide in the Admission Office, and as an executive team member of multiple student organizations including Pre-Dental Club, Health Professions Interest Club, Operation Smile, and Greenhouse Club.

Tell us more about the various initiatives and projects you’ve worked on.

I am fortunate to have completed many projects that I am leaving behind at Concordia. My proudest accomplishment would have to be my Happy Light Initiative. Starting in Fall 2023, there will be more than 100 Happy Lights (for therapy) available for student use and to check out around campus. I also built an HPIC Discord channel for all pre-health professions students that serves as an information hub with an abundance of resources ranging from places to shadow in town, statistics charts for graduate programs, and all of the materials used to study for standardized exams. Finally, I am part of the Dental Shadowers Organization on Instagram, which provided students with virtual shadowing opportunities during the height of the pandemic. Our organization has grown to have a following of almost 10,000. We are currently in a transition phase onboarding new members so that we can expand our impact on pre-dental students by providing additional resources including mock interviews, mentors, statistics, and more.

Why did you choose to focus on sustainable change initiatives?

I have always felt a calling to make an impact in a sustainable and long-term way. I personally have never been a huge fan of onetime events or speakers and would rather invest in initiatives that I will be able to come back to Concordia years down the road and see still flourishing without me. I hope my impact is long-lasting on Concordia’s campus and wherever I end up down the road as well.

What is your favorite Concordia tradition and why?

My favorite Concordia tradition hands down is the Orientation program led by Chad Lystad in the Center for Student Success. As a freshman, I came to Concordia extremely shy and soft-spoken. From the moment I stepped foot on campus in Fall 2019, I was welcomed with open arms by faculty, staff, and upperclassmen involved in the Orientation program. Additionally, having built-in friends through our Orientation Club and inquiry seminar helped me come out of my shell and, over time, has helped me evolve into the person I have become today. Since then, I have been involved in Orientation as an Orientation Leader, First-Year Transition mentor, and, finally, as productions co-coordinator my senior year. It was quite the transformative experience this past fall as I hosted the Orientation Welcome Show in front of the 400+ first-years and was able to reflect on how far I had come since sitting in those same seats four years ago.

What was it like being voted Homecoming King?

Oh goodness, I was shocked! It was a complete honor to be voted as Homecoming King by both my friends and peers. Never in a million years would the previous versions of myself think I would come out of my shell far enough to be recognized campuswide, let alone as Concordia’s Homecoming King. I am so thankful I was given the opportunity to represent the very campus that has shaped me into the person I am today and am honored to be joining the long list of some of Concordia’s most notable alumni.

What responsibilities did that entail following Homecoming coronation?

I was able to show off my crown and sash with Miss Zoey Zachek at the Homecoming bonfire, the parade, football game, dance, and more! We even got to (for the first time in history, correctly) spell the

infamous C-O-N-C-O-R-D-I-A with President Craft on stage before the bonfire. It was so much fun celebrating with friends and family, especially with my mom being a Cobber grad.

Have you had a PEAK (Pivotal Experience in Applied Knowledge) opportunity and, if so, what did you learn?

The most recent PEAK I was able to complete was an internship with the Red River Valley Dental Access Project facilitated through Concordia’s Career Center. The RRVDAP is a nonprofit dental clinic in the Fargo-Moorhead area that specializes in low-cost dental extractions aimed to provide immediate pain relief for the underserved of our community. As lead volunteer coordinator, I have been immersed in so many aspects of dentistry but, most importantly, have become more educated on the disparities located within our own community. Having this experience has inspired me to tackle these disparities through my vocation as a dentist, and I hope to pursue a dual degree in either public health or law while in dental school to better equip me with the skills and knowledge to most effectively fight these issues once I begin practicing within my community.

What do you value most about your Concordia experience?

For sure the strong community and genuine connections that I will be able to carry with me for the rest of my life. Concordia has granted me so many opportunities to become responsibly engaged in the world, and I am fortunate I had the support on campus to encourage me to be fearless and always shoot for the stars. The people and memories I have made here are priceless, and I will cherish them for the rest of my journey ahead.

What advice would you give to a high school student who is considering Concordia?

What Concordia lacks in size of a college campus is far made up for and outweighed by the abundance of opportunities and connections that you will make in such a supportive community. Once you are on campus as a freshman, I would say don’t be afraid to take risks, put yourself out there and, most importantly, make the most of your surprisingly short four years here in college. I encourage you to find something you’re passionate about and dive headfirst into the opportunities available to you while making genuine connections with those around you, as they are relationships you can carry with you for the rest of your life.

What are your postgraduation plans?

I will be moving out East to Philadelphia for the next four years to attend the University of Pennsylvania’s Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry program and hopefully a dual degree in either a Master of Public Health or a Master in Law. I’m not quite sure what niche of dentistry I’ll end up in, but I am excited to explore the various dental specialties as well as different subsections of general dentistry during my time at UPenn.

What was it like being accepted into an Ivy League school?

I think this may have been even more shocking than being voted as Homecoming King! Throughout my pre-dental journey, I have never been an academically gifted genius and knew I would not be able to stand out through grades or standardized test scores. Instead, I chose to focus on my strengths and was able to shine throughout my many extracurriculars both on campus and beyond. When applying to schools, Penn was a huge reach school that I figured what’s the harm in applying but did not have very high hopes that I would even receive an interview. Fast forward to this past winter and I got the call of a lifetime being offered a seat in Penn Dental Medicine’s Class of 2027.

New Kid on the Cobber Block

Jake Wiebe ’24, Northfield, Minnesota

Major: Business Marketing

My journey to Concordia hasn’t exactly been the traditional one. I am going to be a senior this fall, but I just completed my first year at Concordia.

Being a transfer student hasn’t always been easy, but it has been worth it. The first time I ever heard of Concordia College was during my senior year in high school. My best friend had committed to play football at Concordia, which cemented its name in my head (aided by the unique mascot name). I, however, decided to go another route and chose to attend Augustana University. My first year at Augustana went smoothly. I had many friends and felt very involved. My second year was a bit more difficult. Lots of my friends transferred, which was hard for me to adapt to. I soon felt quite lonely and knew I had to change something. I started thinking about the option of transferring and the thought of the funny corn mascot stood out in my head. I knew I had to join my best friend here at Concordia. I began contacting the transfer admission reps here, and they were incredibly kind and guided me through the whole transfer process. A few weeks later, it was now summer and I was staying at a buddy’s house in town, excited for the school year to start.

Throughout this entire transfer process, one of my main goals was to feel more involved in the school I attended. In order to accomplish this goal, I reached out to the Cobber football program. I asked Coach Horan if there was anything I could do to help and he set me up with a manager position. In this role, I get to travel with the team and mainly film games and practices. I have met some super cool people and I get to be around the sport I love (without actually taking any hits). It’s been awesome to make connections in the football world as the sport has always been a big part of my life.

Academics were also at the forefront of my mind when transferring to Concordia. As a business major, the Offutt School of Business provides a top-notch learning experience with state-of-the-art facilities. I wasn’t always interested in business, however. In high school, I originally wanted to be a biology student. This phase lasted until I joined the DECA business club that met before school. In the DECA club, we competed in business competitions that concluded with a trip to the state conference where 2,000 students got to travel to a fancy hotel in the Twin Cities and duke it out for some serious hardware. I loved how something that I was already interested in (marketing) combined with competition. From here, my love for the business world grew and I knew it was what I wanted to study in college.

At Concordia, this love for business and marketing has only grown as we are guided by outstanding professors that truly care about us as people. Dr. Odile Streed’s business classes have challenged me in a positive way that has prepared me for my current internship in Concordia’s Communications and Marketing Office. I am confident that this internship will prepare me for the corporate business world that I want to enter once I graduate. Continuing my goal of being more involved on campus, I plan to join the marketing club this upcoming school year.

One thing that surprised me when coming to Concordia is how amazing the campus dining services food is. Concordia does a good job promoting how it is number one in the state for best college food and it really does live up to this ranking. My favorite eats are the delicious pasta options.

If I was to give any advice to students who are considering transferring to Concordia, I would say to just go for it! At first, it was difficult for me to balance the idea of transferring on top of the academic rigor of the school I was at. I was stressed out about the admission process, but many of these fears were relieved through my interactions with the fantastic admission reps here.

As I get closer to my senior year, I can’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment. It has been a long and winding journey to get where I am now, but I feel like I have learned and grown a lot as a person. It feels good knowing that I am at a place like Concordia where I feel involved, connected, and driven academically.

Concordia Alum Nominated for Tony Award

Concordia grad Michael Lamon ’09 has been nominated for a Tony Award as a co-producer for “The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window.” The show, written by Lorraine Hansberry, has been nominated for Best Revival of a Play, and is currently on its limited run on Broadway this month.

“It’s super weird but in a good way,” Lamon says. “If you would have asked me last year if I’d be having this conversation, the answer would probably be no.” Lamon emphasizes that it “takes a village” to put on a production like this and that it’s an honor to receive such recognition for everyone’s hard work.

“The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window” follows a progressive couple in the 1960s and their struggles with art, politics, and a difficult marriage. Lamon describes it as a dynamic show with something for everyone to resonate with. “It has a lot of different themes in it that really still speak to people today,” he says. As a co-producer, Lamon invests in the show in faith that it will succeed, and indeed it has.

“I look at a lot of different productions, and this was one that I really believed in,” he says. “From the story, the actors, the economics behind it, I felt strongly that this was really an interesting show from a historical perspective and had a good opportunity to produce.”

Lamon graduated from Concordia in 2009 with a Bachelor of Music degree. During his time here, he sang in The Concordia Choir and with the Fargo-Moorhead Opera, and is well versed in both choral and instrumental music. His extensive knowledge of and love for the arts gives him a fuller understanding of the shows he could possibly invest in and keeps him connected to his interests.

“The arts are a transcendent experience for folks, and to be able to continue to support them has intrinsic value for me,” he says.

Since taking the risk to move with his family from Minnesota to New York, Lamon has actively remained responsibly engaged in the world. Lamon, a veteran himself, has been a mentor for veterans and is happy to sit down with not only them but with Concordia alumni about his experiences and to get people connected.

“Network with people,” Lamon advises. “Don’t be afraid to set up a LinkedIn profile or network with somebody who might have the expertise or knowledge in an area that you’re looking for. Be intellectually curious about different things. Always be willing to ask questions. Figure out how to move the ball forward for yourself. Don’t be afraid to fail.”

5 Track & Field Athletes Named Academic All-District

JUNE 1, 2023 | COCURRICULAR

Concordia had five student-athletes recognized as Academic AllDistrict selected by the College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA ) in the track & field/cross country category.

The Cobbers had three women earn Academic All-District honors. Drew Frolek (So., Lidgerwood, North Dakota), Maddie Guler (Jr., Pelican Rapids, Minnesota) and Emily Rugloski (Sr. Baxter, Minnesota), who are all two-sport athletes, all received the award for the first time in their careers. Leo Smith (Sr., West Fargo, North Dakota) and Cal Wright (Sr., Mora, Minnesota) were the men’s representatives on the team.

To be eligible for Academic All-District recognition, studentathletes must be at least a sophomore with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher, and have played in at least 50 percent of the team’s competition throughout the season.

The at-large category consists of student-athletes who participated in men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s hockey, men’s and

women’s gymnastics, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s skiing and wrestling.

Academic All-District honorees advance to the CSC Academic AllAmerica ballot, which will be released later in the month.

Frolek is a nursing major who has a 3.93 GPA. She was a member

of the cross country squad in the fall and the track & field teams in 2023. Frolek earned All-Conference Honorable Mention honors in the 800 meters at both the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Indoor and Outdoor Championship Meets.

Guler, who also played for the Cobber women’s basketball team, has a 3.94 GPA while majoring in biology and psychology. She was a member of the 4x100-meter relay team that earned All-Conference honors at the outdoor meet and was also on the All-Conference Honorable Mention 4x400 relay team.

Rugloski had a terrific senior season in both cross country and track & field. She is an exercise science major with a 3.72 GPA. Rugloski was the No.1 runner for the Cobber cross country team for most of the team’s competitions in the fall. She had career-high finishes at the MIAC Championship and NCAA Regional Meet. On the track,

she captured All-Conference Honorable Mention honors in the 3000-meter steeplechase.

Smith has a 4.00 GPA while majoring in chemistry. He competed in both cross country and track and field and enjoyed a career year in the fall for the Cobber harriers. He became the eighth athlete in school history to earn All-Region honors and also earned AllConference Honorable Mention at the MIAC Meet.

Wright earns his second consecutive Academic All-District award. He capped his Cobber career by earning a spot at the NCAA National Outdoor Meet in the 200 and 400 meters. Wright went on to post Top 15 finishes in both events and holds the Concordia school record in both.

New German Professor Found Love of Language Through Music

JUNE 2, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES | COCURRICULAR

The department of world languages and cultures is excited to say a huge “Willkommen” to Dr. Rebecca Stewart-Gray, who will be joining the department as visiting assistant professor of German starting in Fall 2023.

Stewart-Gray started her German-learning journey in high school while preparing a piece by Johannes Brahms for a singing audition. She found learning the language fun, and German was her favorite class. She continued into college and graduated from Texas Christian University with a bachelor’s degree in German and a minor in music.

While working on her undergraduate degree, Stewart-Gray attended an immersive German summer school that was incredibly valuable in helping her improve her German language skills. She went on to complete her master’s degree in German Studies at California State University, Long Beach. Stewart-Gray then completed her doctoral degree in Germanic languages and literatures with a secondary field in music history at Harvard.

Stewart-Gray has a special interest in researching and teaching the works of suppressed and underrepresented artists. She is affiliated with the Ziering-Conlon Initiative for Recovered Voices, which works on recovering, promoting, and performing music by suppressed composers and in particular those whose trajectories were catastrophically interrupted by Nazi policies. She is excited about opportunities for collaboration between Recovered Voices and groups on Concordia’s campus. She is also enthusiastic about cocurricular and extracurricular programming and is ready to help combine her interests and students’ interests in events and learning experiences in the coming year.

Stewart-Gray got her first taste of teaching while completing her master’s degree. Since then, she found teaching and advising to be extremely rewarding and impactful work. She enjoys all that comes with studying a language and culture, including access and insight into different perspectives on the world and opportunities to connect with people through their native language. Moreover, the unique setting of the language class fosters meaningful communicative experiences with other learners. As a teacher, she finds that she can be a facilitator who helps students find deeper personal and social meaning through language and culture. She enjoys getting involved in students’ research interests and also involving students in her own research. Stewart-Gray says she is excited to be able to continue this work at Concordia.

Cobber Alum to Premiere Sci-Fi LEGO Movie at Fargo Theatre

JUNE 7, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES | COCURRICULAR

Kristian Stenslie ’18 has been making LEGO films for over a decade. Stenslie, who studied biology at Concordia, is preparing to premiere his first feature-length film, “Grey Horizons,” at the Fargo Theatre on Saturday, June 10.

Stenslie’s interest in filmmaking started as a child and developed into an interest in LEGO filmmaking. He later started releasing short films on his YouTube channel, Twisted Bricks. His videos have amassed millions of views — his most popular video coming in at over 6.5 million views.

Stenslie’s new film builds on the universe he has been creating with his short films over the past decade. “Grey Horizons” is the first film in a planned sci-fi and horror trilogy.

“It’s an itch that needs to be scratched,” Stenslie said in an article in “The Forum.” “I can’t rest until the arc of these characters carries through.”

Of his time at Concordia, Stenslie says that while it may not look like he’s “using” his degree, he applies it every single day.

“My years spent at Concordia had a tremendous impact on my personal philosophies and creative tastes. It’s difficult to overstate how much my time spent studying biology, literature, and philosophy has affected me and continues to influence my writing and storytelling,” he says. “I wish all current Cobbers the absolute best of luck in pursuing their passions and crafting their dreams.”

Hearts Together: From the Past, Present, and Future

JUNE 14, 2023

In celebration of Concordia’s history, the former, current, and incoming presidents of Concordia College have come together to support students.

Dr. Paul Dovre ’58, Dr. William Craft, and Dr. Colin Irvine and their families are matching up to $30,000 in gifts to The Cobber Fund for student scholarships during this year’s Hearts Together giving challenge.

This campaign has been particularly meaningful for Katherine Halvorson ’02, director of Annual Giving and Engagement. “We are so blessed at Concordia to have leaders who care deeply for students and are so committed to their success,” she said.

More than half the dollars raised through The Cobber Fund support scholarships. The Cobber Fund also aids academic and career development initiatives, high-impact learning experiences, technology and facility updates, trusted relationships, and resources to help students succeed at Concordia and beyond.

Nearly every Concordia College student receives financial aid through scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study.

“Each year, thousands of Cobber alumni, parents, and friends of all ages come together to make sure a Concordia education is possible for students from all financial backgrounds,” Halvorson said. “All who give are helping to equip a new generation of young people who will make an impact in the world. Thank you to all who are putting their hearts together for students!”

The Hearts Together campaign runs June 26-30.

Gravdahl Signs Pro Contract with F-M RedHawks

JUNE 22, 2023 | COCURRICULAR

Former Concordia standout Andy Gravdahl (West Fargo, North Dakota) signed a professional contract with the F-M RedHawks of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball League on Thursday, June 22, and played in the team’s series finale against the Gary SouthShore Railcats.

Gravdahl, who was named the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year and earned ABCA All-Region honors earlier in the spring, started in right field for the RedHawks on Thursday and hit in the No.8 spot in the batting order.

Gravdahl becomes the third Cobber player in the last three years to sign a professional contract with the RedHawks. He follows pitchers Austin Versteeg and Cole Christensen, who pitched for the RedHawks in 2022 and 2021. Ver Steeg went 3-3 and had a 5.46 ERA in 62.2 innings pitched in 2021, while Christensen appeared in three games over the course of two seasons.

Gravdahl had a career year for Concordia this past spring. He posted his top season totals in hits, runs, RBI, OPS, slugging percentage and doubles. He ended the year by hitting .412 and

drove in 34 runs. He had a slugging percentage of .615 and an onbase percentage of .450, giving him an OPS of 1.065.

Gravdahl finished his Cobber career with a .357 career batting average. He compiled 197 hits, 145 runs, and 20 triples, which are all program records.

Summer Orientation Welcomes New Cobbers to Campus

JUNE 26, 2023 | COCURRICULAR

Nearly 550 people were on campus in mid-June for two days of Summer Orientation, including 254 students and their guests.

Holly Sager, senior associate director of transfer recruitment and campus visit programs, said students had the opportunity to get early access to their fall schedules, meet with orientation leaders, and see their rooms on campus. Many also had the opportunity to meet students from their building and floor, and possibly even their roommates for the first time.

Several resources around campus were available to prepare students to transition to being Cobbers and wrap up any loose ends before move-in day.

“We are so excited about the incoming class of 2027 and were thrilled to host many of those students and their families on campus once more as they prepare to transition to life at Concordia in the fall,” Sager said. “We can’t wait to see how they flourish and grow as students here and want to get them connected to campus early so they can have the smoothest transition possible.”

Sager said they received positive feedback about the event including an email from a parent about how impressed they were with the excellent job by the Admission staff and representatives

from academic departments. Even though they’d experienced orientations at different colleges with three other children, they thoroughly enjoyed their time spent at Concordia and appreciated the team staying in touch with their daughter throughout the admission process.

“It was clear that the campus community is excited to welcome the new students and is prepared to support them in their journey,” added Sager.

Going In-Depth on Concordia’s Climate Action Plan and Community Engagement

JUNE 28, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Dr. Ken Foster, a professor of political science and director of Community Engagement at Concordia, emphasized the importance of the college’s new Climate Action Plan during a recent interview on Prairie Public Television.

The plan aims to guide the college toward carbon neutrality and educate students on creating a more sustainable future.

“We see addressing climate change as a way to authentically lean into our educational mission,” Foster said. “We want to prepare our students for this world in which climate change is a real problem that we need to address.”

In the interview, Foster detailed the college’s plans, short- and longterm goals to reduce carbon emissions, and its pledge to promote community resilience.

“Whether it’s climate impacts, economic shocks, or pandemics, we need to have a community and a college that can adapt to absorb the negatives that come and move through them with strength,” he said.

As part of the Climate Action Plan and the college’s commitment to civic engagement, Foster said Concordia students are available to help outside organizations with research on their climate impacts and ideas to reduce energy use.

Over 100 Cobbers Earn Academic All-Conference Honors

JUNE 28, 2023 | COCURRICULAR

Concordia had a record-setting 102 student-athletes from the winter and spring seasons earn Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Academic All-Conference honors.

In order to qualify for Academic All-MIAC status, student-athletes must be sophomores, juniors, or seniors by academic standards with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale. Students must also have completed one full-time academic year at their current institution prior to becoming eligible for the honor.

The 102 winter and spring academic award winners bring Concordia’s total for the entire year to 154. The 154 Cobber MIAC Academic All-Conference honorees smash the past Cobber record for honorees in the fall, winter, and spring seasons. The previous record was 126, which was set in 2022-23.

The Cobber women’s track and field team led the way for the winter/ spring sports teams, with 16 student-athletes receiving conference academic distinction. The men’s track and field had 14 honorees, while the baseball and women’s basketball teams each had 10 student-athletes receive the award. Women’s tennis, women’s golf and women’s swimming & diving had the largest percentage of its student-athletes receive the honor. Women’s tennis had five of its eight team members earn the award, while the women’s golf and swimming & diving squads had 50.0% of their student-athletes receive conference academic honors.

The latest MIAC Academic All-Conference list contains more than 1,300 examples of student-athletes achieving excellence without compromise. This is the second consecutive June in which the MIAC’s overall Academic All-Conference list has exceeded 2,000 student-athletes, with nine sports matching or setting singleseason records in the process, including women’s track & field (200), men’s track & field (166), baseball (135), women’s swimming & diving (120), men’s hockey (116), women’s basketball (79), men’s tennis (58), women’s golf (39), and men’s golf (35). Women’s hockey (114), softball (96), women’s tennis (67), and men’s basketball (52) all ended up within single digits of their respective sport’s records.

Concordia Academic All-Conference Award Winners — Winter/Spring 2023

Baseball

Ethan Beyer (So., Luverne, Minnesota)

Jake Christianson (So., Glencoe, Minnesota)

Gabe Duncan (Sr., Fargo, North Dakota)

Canaan Fagerland (Sr., Bismarck, North Dakota)

Matt Gruber (Sr. Glenwood, Minnesota)

Mitchell Gruber (So., Glenwood, Minnesota)

Caiden Kjelstrom (So., Aitkin, Minnesota)

Luke Levasseur (Sr., Alexandria, Minnesota)

Riley Meyer (So., Sauk Centre, Minnesota)

Nick Pederson (Jr., Eden Prairie, Minnesota)

Men’s Basketball

David Birkeland (Sr., Hermantown, Minnesota)

Nels Birkeland (Jr., Golden Valley, Minnesota)

Mason Gravseth (So., Grand Forks, North Dakota)

Talon Hoffer (Jr., Fargo, North Dakota)

Alex Huber (So. Jud, North Dakota)

Zach Jackson (So., Lester Prairie, Minnesota)

Matt Johnson (Jr., Fergus Falls, Minnesota)

Rowan Nelson (So., Melrose, Minnesota)

Women’s Basketball

Makayla Anderson (So., Bismarck, North Dakota)

Maddie Guler (Jr., Pelican Rapids, Minnesota)

Kaylie Isaman (Sr., Pelican Rapids, Minnesota)

Taylor Jordan (So., Little Falls, Minnesota)

Jordyn Kahler (Jr., Wahpeton, North Dakota)

Autumn Thompson (Sr., Argyle, Minnesota)

Sophia Tobin (So., Elk River, Minnesota)

Greta Tollefson (So., Pelican Rapids, Minnesota)

Olivia Tuhy (So., Lisbon, North Dakota)

Maria Watt (So., Glyndon, Minnesota)

Men’s Golf

Ryan Jenson (Jr., Hudson, Wisconsin)

Boyd Rassatt (Se., Annandale, Minnesota)

Women’s Golf

Allie Aadland (So., Barnesville, Minnesota)

Abbey Frauenholtz (Sr., New Ulm, Minnesota)

Lily Kirchner (Jr., South St. Paul, Minnesota)

Joslynn Leach (So., Crookston, Minnesota)

Kay Pederson (Jr., Lake Park, Minnesota)

Men’s Hockey

Evan Babekuhl (So., Long Lake, Minnesota)

Jacen Bracko (Sr., Calgary, Alberta, Canada)

Adam Brown (So., Delano, Minnesota)

Kevin Ness (Jr., Broomfield, Colorado)

Nicholas Ness (Sr., Broomfield, Colorado)

Cole O’Connell (Jr., Moorhead, Minnesota)

Hanson O’Leary (So., Roseau, Minnesota)

Jack Westlund (So., Alexandria, Minnesota)

Women’s Hockey

Ellie Brewer (Jr., Nederland, Colorado)

Kiana Flaig (Sr., Roseau, Minnesota)

Jerica Friese (Jr., Argusville, North Dakota)

Paige Hanson (Jr., Fargo, North Dakota)

Becca Macklin (Jr., Lakeville, Minnesota)

Lexi Woodward (So., Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada)

Softball

Emma Bowman (So., Morris, Minnesota)

Alexis Burke (So., West Fargo, North Dakota)

Gabriella Castro (So., Chaska, Minnesota)

Daniell Lyon (So., St. Joseph, Minnesota)

Landry Maragos (Jr., Minot, North Dakota)

Hailey Pangracs (So., Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada)

Emma Redlin (Sr., Eagan, Minnesota)

Rosemary Unglaub (So., Watertown, Minnesota)

Molly Wilde (Sr., St. Michael, Minnesota)

Women’s Swimming and Diving

Rachel Andersen (Jr., Apple Valley, Minnesota)

Jessica Bray (Sr., Maple Grove, Minnesota)

Kaitlin Cramer (Sr., West Chicago, Illinois)

Kiernan Darling (So., Fargo, North Dakota)

Camille Gunderson (Sr., Sioux Falls, South Dakota)

Hailey Jaeger (So., Fargo, North Dakota)

Brienna Timm (Jr., Alexandria, Minnesota)

Men’s Tennis

Kipton Jenson (Jr., Worthington, Minnesota)

Nicholas Ness (Sr., Broomfield, Colorado)

Women’s Tennis

Lizzie Allan (So., Mandan, North Dakota)

Erin Borchard (So., Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota)

Anna Hacker (Jr. Madison, Minnesota)

Emily Savageau (Sr., Bismarck, North Dakota)

Mary Skorich (So., Virginia, Minnesota)

Men’s Track & Field

David Birkeland (Sr., Hermantown, Minnesota)

Gavin Groshelle (So., Great Falls, Montana)

Nick Hermes (So., Annandale, Minnesota)

Lucas Hinojos (Jr., Wadena, Minnesota)

Peyton Kessel (So., Fargo, North Dakota)

Justin Kringler (Sr., Becker, Minnesota)

Joseph Lee (So., St. Paul, Minnesota)

Alex Lerum (Jr., Plymouth, Minnesota)

Cole Nowacki (Jr., East Grand Forks, Minnesota)

Leo Smith (Sr., West Fargo, North Dakota)

Gabe Thompson (So., Perham, Minnesota)

Trevor Tiongson (So., Fargo, North Dakota)

Nick Trzynka (So., Maple Grove, Minnesota)

Cal Wright (Sr., Mora, Minnesota)

Simon Zahrbock (Sr., Marshall, Minnesota)

Women’s Track & Field

Kiernan Darling (So., Fargo, North Dakota)

Claire Dummer (So., Pembina, North Dakota)

Drew Frolek (So., Lidgerwood, North Dakota)

Laura Fuller (So., Burnsville, Minnesota)

Maddie Guler (Jr., Pelican Rapids, Minnesota)

Signe Harris (Jr., Moorhead, Minnesota)

Elsie Hatlevig (Jr., New Prague, Minnesota)

Carlie Heinecke (Sr., Rogers, Minnesota)

Rhaegan Kiland (Sr., Fargo, North Dakota)

Amelia Landsverk (Sr., Fosston, Minnesota)

Kyra Nichols (Sr., Zumbrota, Minnesota)

Emily Rugloski (Sr., Baxter, Minnesota)

Cailey Schlosser (So., Dalton, Minnesota)

Meg Shercliffe (Jr., Alexandria, Minnesota)

Eden Smith (So., West Fargo, North Dakota)

Timea Vrabcova (So., Sucany, Slovakia)

How Do You Write a Good Book?

Ask W. Scott Olsen

JUNE 30, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

As the author of 12 books, English professor W. Scott Olsen knows how to write and how to do it well. He was recently featured as an expert for the How to Write a Good Book episode of “The Conversation Room,” a new YouTube series by international editor and publisher Tomasz Trzebiatowski.

In the interview, Olsen explains how it’s exceedingly difficult to write a good book because “good” is defined by each reader, but he shares that a few essential elements are patience, specifics, and research.

Comparing it to a waltz in that no two people will do it the same, Olsen advises people to embrace their personal way of writing.

“Style grows out of you. It’s not something you adopt,” Olsen says. “It comes out of patience and long practice.”

When it comes to writers’ block and self-doubt, Olsen says those are common issues that take work to overcome.

“When I’m struggling to come up with something real or a way to explain something that there’s no good language for, I don’t see it as an impediment,” he says. “I see it as a challenge — a way to think deeper and then to push harder.”

Orientation Opportunities

Johan Dominguez Lopez ’25, Robbinsdale, Minnesota

Major/Minors: Applied Physics (preengineering); Math, Environmental and Sustainability Studies

Please tell us about yourself.

I grew up in the Twin Cities my whole life. I have a pet cat whose name is Clue. My twin sister attends the University of Minnesota. I love to garden, go on hikes, hang out with my friends, play Ultimate Frisbee, and enjoy sports in general. I support my Minnesota teams like the Timberwolves, Vikings, Saints, Aurora FC, etc., but my favorite soccer team is Liverpool FC in England. I always have a service mentality to the communities that I am a part of, so that means helping and volunteering where I can.

How did you hear about Concordia and why did you choose to attend college here?

I applied to Concordia through the Act Six scholarship process as I knew a few people who received the scholarship through Concordia. From there, I received the scholarship and decided that Concordia was my best option.

What do you enjoy about the Fargo-Moorhead area?

I enjoy the peace and the friends that I have made around the F-M area. Also, go RedHawks!

What campus activities are you involved in?

I am involved in Latinx Organization for Achievement, Habitat for Humanity, Orientation, Soccer Club, Homecoming, and a few other groups. I am heavily involved as you can tell.

Tell us about your experience with Concordia’s Latinx Organization for Achievement and how students can be involved.

My experience has been great with LOA. It’s been an organization in which I’ve been able to connect with such a wide community of Latinos across the F-M area and has encouraged me to step up into leadership positions across campus. From the potlucks to the hangouts, it’s always a fun time. For students to get involved, it’s very simple: just show up to an event and have fun!

How did you decide on your major?

I decided to do applied physics through the pre-engineering route. So far, I am enjoying physics and I have wonderful professors who care about my success.

Have you had a favorite physics course?

My favorite class is hard to decide, but I really enjoyed Introduction to Instrumentation. We worked with Arduinos and circuits; it was a cool class.

What are your career goals?

To become a mechanical engineer and work on ways to make the world a better place.

Have you had a PEAK (Pivotal Experience in Applied Knowledge) opportunity and, if so, what did you learn?

I did a PEAK through Habitat for Humanity. The values presented of service and selflessness to your community is a lesson that transcends the classroom. Through this PEAK opportunity, I have met so many wonderful people and have gone on three Habitat trips. I am the co-chair of Concordia’s chapter of Habitat for Humanity and highly encourage people to go on a Habitat trip.

Why did you apply to be the 2023 Orientation Chair?

At first, I wasn’t thinking of applying to become the Orientation Chair, but then I thought that I should take the chance and go for it since I enjoyed Orientation so much and want others to have just as wonderful of an experience as I did.

What was your favorite part of Orientation as a first-year student?

I enjoyed Hands for Change and going to clean the river with River Keepers. Also, my club was cool.

What do you look forward to the most for this year’s Orientation?

I look forward to all the fun activities and events that we have planned like Cobb HobNob and the Multicultural Celebration. Also, it’s just an overall fun time.

What is your favorite Concordia tradition and why?

I would say Orientation, but I’ll pick a different one. I enjoy Homecoming. It’s a fun atmosphere with a lot going on — from the football game to the parade!

What has made you feel at home as a Concordia student?

My friends, Act Six, members of the Center for Student Success staff, my professors, and the clubs that I am a part of.

What advice do you have for new students?

Be smart about every opportunity that you get because there are so many here at Concordia! You are here for your own success but don’t forget to take care of yourself.

United to Make a Difference

Maverick Cashman ’23, Cave Creek, Arizona

Major/Minors: Political Science; Spanish, Business

What year are you at Concordia and what is your major?

I’m a senior majoring in political science. I’ll graduate in December 2023.

Where are you interning this summer?

This is my first internship, and I’m a development intern at Churches United in Moorhead.

Why did you choose this internship?

This internship fulfills my PEAK (Pivotal Experience in Applied Knowledge) requirement for Concordia, so that was a big factor. What really sold me was the fact that I’d be able to be a part of a team that really makes a difference in the lives of people in the Fargo-Moorhead community.

What are you hoping to gain from this internship?

Experience and perspective. As a young professional, any experience I can get is valuable. That’s going to let me add to my resume and build connections with much more experienced professionals.

What are some of your daily tasks?

It varies from day to day. I organize spreadsheets that help set up future events, I thank individual donors to our organization, and I help with the coordination of volunteers and donations overall. The neat thing about this job is that every day has something different to offer.

How will you use the knowledge you gain from this internship in the future?

Simple things like knowing how to use Excel are easily carried into the future. The best knowledge I will gain from my internship is likely going to be how to work with other nonprofits and businesses. This helps build connections and lets me figure out how to frame different things based on how each connection is tailored so, in turn, I can do what’s best for the organization.

What are your career goals and how does this internship help you move toward those goals?

In the next five years, I know that I will want to be out of law school, and this internship helps me in regard to gaining skills for when I seek a full-time job, which will get me on track financially. Plus, the internship will provide valuable real-world experience and perspective by the time I get to law school. As far as my longterm career, I’m leaning toward international politics. I want to be involved in the real world and do things that matter on the world stage. I have yet to see what that would entail, but I’m excited to find out.

Concordia College Welcomes President Colin Irvine

This week marks the start of a new era at Concordia College as Dr. Colin Irvine officially began his tenure as its 12th president.

Irvine spent his first days at the helm in meetings, on phone calls, and having an in-depth tour of campus buildings and grounds.

“It’s certainly been busy,” Irvine said, “but it’s been exhilarating to engage with the people here. Everyone I’ve met is passionate about Concordia’s mission. It’s been wonderful to receive that support as I step into this role.”

Though he’s just now officially on the job, Irvine started making connections soon after he was announced as the next president. Since January, Irvine has been meeting with members of the Board of Regents and National Alumni Board, campus faculty, staff, students, and campus partners.

He had also been in frequent contact with the now newly retired President William Craft.

“President Craft has made this transition as seamless as possible for me,” Irvine said. “I cannot express how grateful I am for his time.”

Before fall classes, Irvine’s calendar will be full of campus listening sessions and meetings with community and business leaders. (He’ll also squeeze in as much water skiing and golfing as possible.)

When the semester begins, he is eager to immerse himself in Concordia’s campus culture, starting at Fall Orientation. That will include welcoming all of the new students to a reception at the President’s House. He’ll also get more of the student experience as he visits classrooms to see the magic that happens at Concordia. Irvine’s also looking forward to the Cobber community getting to know his family. He and his wife, Kelly, and daughter, Caroline, will be living on campus. And don’t be shy around Jack, their friendly dog, who may just become the college’s unofficial mascot.

“I’m excited to embrace Concordia in the same way they’ve embraced me,” he said. “I’m honored to serve such an engaged and close-knit community of people. Roll Cobbs!”

President Irvine will be officially inaugurated during Homecoming’s All-Campus Worship on Oct. 15.

We extend the warmest welcome to the Irvine family!

Concordia to Host First Esports Camp for Middle and High Schoolers

JULY 10, 2023 |

Concordia College is hosting its first esports camp Aug. 7-8. The camp, for students going into 6th-12th grades, focuses on the game Overwatch 2 and will provide a positive environment that centers on ways players can level up their skills.

Concordia esports Coach Lucas “Campo” Campoverde says that after attending the camp students will become better versed in the fundamentals of Overwatch and see an improvement in their overall gameplay. Overwatch is an objective-based, first-person shooter game that requires players to work together.

“Overwatch is impossible to compete in alone,” Campoverde says. “The game can help develop teamwork, positive communication, quick thinking, and develop friendships.”

The camp takes place in the Harvest, which is Concordia’s newly renovated official esports space on campus. This is the same location where Concordia’s Overwatch team recently won an Overwatch conference championship, defeating Florida’s Kesier University 3-2 in a best-of-five series.

Campoverde says he is hosting the camp because he wants “to foster a welcoming environment for young esports athletes” and to showcase the esports space to high schoolers who are interested in college esports programs.

Money Magazine Names Concordia a Top College

JULY 10, 2023

Concordia College has earned 4.5 out of 5 stars on Money magazine’s Best Colleges list, which balances quality, affordability, and student outcomes.

“This recognition is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and commitment of our faculty, staff, and students,” President Colin Irvine said. “We strive to provide an exceptional educational experience that not only prepares our students for successful careers but also empowers them to make a positive impact in the world.”

Only 736 out of 2,400 four-year private and public institutions made the list this year. To make the ratings, Money’s researchers analyzed

26 data points, including graduation rates, cost of attendance, financial aid, and alumni salaries.

Concordia College consistently ranks well on Money’s Best Colleges annual list and received the highest rating in the region.

“We are grateful for this acknowledgment and will continue to uphold our commitment to academic excellence and student success,” Irvine said.

To see if Concordia College could be the right fit for you or someone you know, please visit ConcordiaCollege.edu or schedule an inperson or virtual visit.

Cobbers Find Success at Miss Minnesota Competition

Cobber Pride was all over the Miss Minnesota Competition the week of June 18. Abigail Vogeler ’23, Grace Henderson ’25, Morgyn Haugen ’22, and Whitney McClain all competed for the crown, making Concordia proud the whole way. The competition includes many different aspects that showcase each title holder’s skills and brilliant mind, which our Cobbers said was a life-changing experience that grows a woman’s confidence while giving her the opportunity to further her career and education goals.

Crown, Connections, and Concordia

After years of admiring a photo of her mother as Miss Northwest, Henderson competed for the first time this year, winning the title of Miss Lady Slipper 2023. She says she has grown in many ways between both her time at Concordia and as a local title holder for the Miss America Organization.

“I talk about my experience with pageants as initiating me into a new chapter of my life, especially because the Lady Slipper symbolizes new beginnings,” Henderson says. “Concordia opened the doors for me to continue to progress and mature as a young woman and a role model.”

She says a big part of wearing the crown is growing in confidence, learning to trust yourself and your capabilities, and being able to pursue initiatives you’re passionate about.

“I would say the most rewarding part is the community that you’re able to build with the crown,” Henderson says. “The crown became an outlet for me to express myself and to reach new people. I’ve gotten to meet small business owners and make connections that I wouldn’t have been able to.”

McClain currently holds the Miss Northwest 2023 title. She works in Concordia’s Career Center and has seen a lot of ways that her job and her pageant experience complement each other. Her skill in helping students with interviews and resumes has proven

essential to her own interviews in the Miss America Organization. In return, the organization strengthens her skills at work by giving her experience interacting with people of different backgrounds and mindsets, improving her public speaking skills, and growing her network and outreach opportunities.

“Knowing how to be flexible and adaptable in any situation is what I’ve learned from this organization and have been able to take that to the career center,” McClain says.

Vogeler also competed for the first time this year, winning the local title Miss Moorhead 2023 last fall. She was introduced to pageants by Haugen, who was Vogeler’s predecessor in the role of Miss Moorhead and is now Miss Perham 2023. Vogeler says all of the different ways she’s been involved at Concordia have helped her “channel the fire and drive” she has to pursue what she’s passionate about, which has helped her in competition.

“I love getting the chance to share my voice with others,” Vogeler says. “I have so much to say, and Miss Minnesota gave me an additional platform to express myself.”

Participating in the Miss America Organization also aligns with Concordia’s mission to send thoughtful and informed citizens into the world. Henderson says a big part of the reason she decided to compete is that she was able to choose a community service initiative. She decided to focus on chronic illness advocacy, and has been able to meet people to help further that initiative.

McClain has similar sentiments about the community service aspect of the experience. “I think the most rewarding thing is just knowing that I’ve been able to impact people’s lives,” she says about her Mental Health Awareness initiative, which assists people in finding help and knowing when they need it. “It’s OK to not necessarily feel OK, but there are people who are there to help you.”

Vogeler says that her favorite part of holding her title is deeper community interaction. Her community service initiative is disability awareness, and she’s been able to attend more events related to her platform.

“I have been able to integrate a lot of the work I did with Sonder, the disability advocacy student organization at Concordia, into my community service initiative, which has made it easier than starting from scratch,” she says.

Winning Awards

Cobbers competing for Miss Minnesota received an array of awards and recognitions. Haugen won the Miss Congeniality Award, voted upon by other participants for someone who truly embodies everything Miss Minnesota stands for. Henderson was awarded the Producer’s Choice Award, given to someone who does an exemplary job helping with the production of the competition, and the Non-Finalist Talent Award for her top-notch tap performance. Vogeler made it into the top 12 semifinalists, and McClain placed second runner-up.

“When I got to the top five, I thought, ‘this is super exciting because I’ve made the goal that I set for myself,’” McClain says. “But to know that I get to go further than my goal is super rewarding.”

McClain leaves a heartfelt reminder about the Miss America Organization. “I think everyone’s initial reaction to a pageant is something like the way it’s portrayed in movies,” she says. “I can’t speak to other organizations, but this one is definitely very scholarship-driven and supports young women and helps them achieve their goals.”

The Miss Minnesota Scholarship Organization is one of the biggest scholarship providers to young women in the state, helping them achieve their goals one competition at a time.

Concordia Receives NABC Academic Honors

JULY 24, 2023 | COCURRICULAR

Concordia was recognized as one of the eight Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference teams to earn the National Association of Basketball Coaches Team Academic Excellence Award. The Cobbers also had four individual student-athletes receive NABC Honors Court accolades.

Concordia finished the year with a team GPA above 3.0, while student-athletes David Birkeland, Nels Birkeland, Talon Hoffer and Matthew Johnson were placed on the Honors Court list. It is the second consecutive year for David Birkeland to receive the award.

Team Academic Excellence Awards honor outstanding academic achievement by a team with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better during the 2022-23 season. In order to earn the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award, institutions in the NCAA, NAIA, and NJCAA must count the GPA of all men’s student-athletes who competed during the 2022-23 season.

The NABC also recognized 42 men’s basketball student-athletes from the MIAC with Honors Court distinction. Established in

2007, the NABC Honors Court spotlights outstanding academic achievement by basketball student-athletes with a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher at the conclusion of each academic year. Studentathletes must be academically a junior or senior varsity player and have matriculated at least one year at their current NCAA Division I, II, III, or NAIA institution.

The NABC Honors Court, meanwhile, includes junior, senior, and graduate student men’s basketball players who finished the 202223 year with a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher.

The NABC’s academic awards include honorees from all levels of college basketball.

Over 1,800 players earned spots on the NABC Honors Court, and over 300 programs received NABC Team Academic Excellence Awards for 2022-23.

Concordia Receives AVCA Team Academic Honor

JULY 24, 2023 | COCURRICULAR

Concordia was recognized as one of the 11 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference teams to earn the American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Award.

The Cobbers were a part of 1,333 collegiate and high school teams to receive the AVCA Team Academic honor.

The Team Academic Award, which was initiated in the 1992-93 academic year, honors collegiate and high school volleyball teams that displayed excellence in the classroom during the school year by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative team GPA on a 4.0 scale or a 4.10 cumulative team GPA on a 5.0 scale.

College Hosting MMEA All-State Band and Orchestra Camps and Concerts

JULY 31, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES | COCURRICULAR

Concordia College is pleased to be hosting the Minnesota All-State Band, Jazz Band, and Orchestra camps Aug. 1-5. The camps are sponsored by the Minnesota Music Educators Association.

MMEA’s All-State is considered the top program of its kind across the country, developing high school musicians and school music programs.

Students audition for an All-State spot in March. Judges evaluate students on their overall musicianship and technique. Those who are selected will then spend nearly a week on campus learning from world-class conductors. Concordia’s music faculty, professional musicians, and educators from across Minnesota will also serve as section coaches.

“Minnesota’s All-State camp is one-of-a-kind nationally with a week of intense musicianship development,” said Jerri Neddermeyer, MMEA’s executive director. “MMEA believes that the experience these students receive will certainly inspire growth as individuals but, additionally, they will bring leadership and musicianship expertise back to their home ensembles — improving the statewide music education environment.”

“We’re absolutely thrilled to host this prestigious event that perfectly aligns with Concordia College’s deep commitment to music education and nurturing artistic growth,” said Nathaniel Dickey, chair of Concordia College’s music department.

The camp culminates with free, public concerts in Memorial Auditorium on Saturday, Aug. 5. Concert Band, Symphonic Band, and Jazz Band perform at 10 a.m. Orchestra will perform at 1 p.m. Livestream concert links, digital program, and All-State student lists can be found at https://mmea.org/all-state-concert-digital-program/.

The All-State campers will perform together again in February during MMEA’s Midwinter Convention at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis. They will be joined by the All-State Choir, whose camp is being held at St. John’s University.

More information can be found at www.mmea.org.

Construction Completed on the Heimarck Center: Transforming Health Professions Education

JULY 31, 2023 | SANFORD HEIMARCK SCHOOL OF HEALTH

PROFESSIONS

Concordia is celebrating the completion of the Heimarck Center, the innovative and state-of-the-art experiential learning facility of the Sanford Heimarck School of Health Professions.

Named in honor of longtime healthcare administration director Dr. Theodore Heimarck, the center promises to build on his dedication to serving others and revolutionize the way students are trained in healthcare fields.

The Heimarck Center aims to provide a realistic and immersive learning environment for students in the health professions. One of its key features is the nursing training stations that simulate a hospital setting. The students will work with high-fidelity manikins as their patients. These manikins can be programmed to replicate a wide range of medical conditions, allowing students to practice their skills in diagnosing and treating patients in a safe and controlled environment.

“This is a game changer for students,” said Dr. Gwen Halaas, dean of the Sanford Heimarck School of Health Professions. “For an undergraduate campus to have this kind of experiential learning that looks like a hospital or a home, is incredible. It will transform how they’re learning because they’ll be able to apply the skills and knowledge they have gained in a realistic setting.”

The center also features a home health lab. This room is designed as a studio apartment to provide students with real-world scenarios related to rehabilitation and psychology.

All training stations are equipped with one-way glass, allowing professors to observe students in action. Sessions will also be recorded and reviewed with students, giving them a valuable feedback opportunity.

The Heimarck Center boasts an expanded human performance lab for the exercise science program. For students pursuing exercise science as well as nutrition and dietetics, the center houses a Bod Pod, which is a specialized body composition device typically found

in larger research institutions or used by professional athletes. The device will provide students with hands-on training experience with the latest technology used in the field.

Another feature is the boardroom, which was designed to serve as a training center for students in healthcare leadership. This space will provide future healthcare executives with the opportunity to practice their presentation skills, preparing them for future executive roles.

Dallas Fossum, Concordia’s director of facilities management, highlighted the center’s architectural design.

“This was designed to incorporate a lot of natural light,” he said. “There are great study places and informal lounge spaces.”

The focus on natural light and comfortable spaces ensures that students can learn and collaborate in an inviting environment that fosters creativity and critical thinking.

The Heimarck Center was made possible with generous support from donors, including a partnership with Sanford Health. There will be a public dedication in October during Homecoming festivities.

Responsibly Engaged in Nature

AUGUST 14, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Lexi Smith ’23, Blaine, Minnesota

Major: Environmental and Sustainability Studies

Is this your first internship experience?

This is my first internship, but I do have previous experience working with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conducting chronic wasting disease sampling, volunteering with a prairie survey near Crookston, and being invited by the biology department to attend the MN DNR Annual Roundtable in 2021.

Where is your internship located?

I am the resource management intern at Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park in Soudan, Minnesota.

Why did you choose this summer internship?

I accepted this position because I have always been interested in working in natural resources and because LVSUM is home to Minnesota’s largest bat hibernaculum.

What are you hoping to gain from the internship?

I am eager to gain a wide variety of experience as I monitor multiple species throughout the park and assist coworkers who are in different roles at the park.

What does an average day look like at your internship?

No day is the same for me, which I love. An average day could consist of collecting data on bat populations using multiple methods, conducting invasive species removal, old-growth forest surveys, species assessments, and more.

What has been the most exciting part of your internship experience so far?

The most exciting part so far was going underground into the mine and conducting a practice bat count; a close second has been all of the different wildlife I’ve seen.

How will you use the knowledge you gain from this internship in the future?

The variety of things I am learning is allowing me to expand my portfolio on paper and in the way that I interact with both the non-human living world and people. To me, natural resource management is one of the greatest and most intimate ways that you can be responsibly engaged in the world because it extends the responsibility and connection beyond humans unto all living things.

What are your plans for after this internship ends?

Once this internship is complete, I will be looking for jobs within the DNR in Minnesota or possibly other states.

Gain Experience While Creating Life Experiences

Cobber Kids

Cobber Kids is an accredited early childhood learning center operated by Concordia College. The proximity to campus makes it a good resource for Concordia families, and it’s available to the community as well. Because of its connection to Concordia, it serves as an excellent place for students to gain work experience in a preschool or toddler classroom or as a volunteer opportunity.

Student Employment

Amanda Pieters, the director of Cobber Kids, sees many benefits for Concordia students who want to work at the center.

“This is a job that requires you to be fully present,” she says. “Any other stressors and things happening outside of this moment you have to set down, which I think can be a healthy and helpful reset for your mind.”

Working with children also requires being able to think on your feet. Student staff can learn skills in adaptability as well as communication not only with their co-workers and supervisors but with the youngsters as well. Children communicate very differently from adults and picking up those skills — especially for those hoping to work with littles long term — is beneficial. It’s a great opportunity to learn classroom management, such as how to set boundaries and redirect behavior as well as teach in a way that children can understand and learn from. Other techniques put into action at Cobber Kids include keeping the littles on task and teaching them different skills such as sharing and using kind words. Plus, it’s close to campus and allows for flexible scheduling so students can work around their classes.

Levi Kovic ’24 is one of the Concordia students who works at the center full time during the summer. He loves interacting with children and, as a music education major, sees himself possibly working with young age groups in the future. Kovic says he likes the parallels between childcare, education, and music. His position at Cobber Kids has helped him see the reality in potentially working with elementary students, who aren’t that much older than the children he’s working with now.

“It’s given me a lot of experience with younger kids,” he says. “I still am not exactly sure which age groups I want to teach for the rest of my life, so it’s been really nice to have experience with younger kids and just see how much I like that age group.”

Ava Pfeifer ’24 also sees herself teaching in elementary schools in the future and has similar sentiments. She’s learned the importance of giving children clear instructions because they often need to be walked through tasks step by step while they’re learning, which is different from working with older kids.

“Setting clear expectations is a big thing that I’ve come to realize is important in the classroom and also setting boundaries,” she says. “It’s tough to tell little kids ‘no,’ but it’s really important.”

Pfeifer also notes that receiving feedback from the teachers has been really helpful and she feels like a “teacher in training,” which is beneficial to those who plan to become educators.

“I’m on my feet almost every instant of the day,” she says. “I think it’s just fun playing with the kids. Every day is different and also there’s a routine to it. It’s like second nature to me now.”

Cobber Kids is full of energy and joy, and it’s a highlight of everyone’s day.

“I think as college kids we’re constantly around peers and professors, so it’s been really refreshing to get another view on life,” Kovic says. “It’s been really fun to just see that kind of boundless energy. I think kids also fundamentally view the world in a different way and it’s really nice to get a fresh perspective because they’re brutally honest.”

Pfeifer agrees that working at Cobber Kids isn’t only beneficial for career reasons but is also a fun and personally fulfilling place to work.

“I just love working with the kids,” she says. “They show a different side of themselves every day.” She adds that watching them learn is fascinating. “I see them learn every day. One thing they might not understand, and then the next day they’re like, ‘oh, yeah.’ It’s just crazy to see that learning process happening.”

Job Duties

Whether students are education majors looking for experience, in the social work program and looking for volunteer hours, or just plain love working with children, there are plenty of opportunities at Cobber Kids.

The center hires about 12 to 20 student employees each semester, depending on availability for each student. The position is for a classroom aide to assist teachers and is meant to be for students looking to engage with children since teachers take care of the lesson planning. They help with play activities, snack time, and supervision of the kiddos. The two and a half hour training session as well as pediatric first aid and CPR certifications are paid hours and covered by the college. Students don’t need prior training because Cobber Kids will provide all the training they need. Students will be fingerprinted and must complete a background check.

Students working a full-time shift in the summer typically show up in the morning and spend all day with the children. They get plenty of playtime, and the littles also get things like “circle time” where they go through days, dates, and weather. There’s time for music and to play outside or in the gym and some quiet time for the children too, which could involve reading or even doing yoga before a nap and more group activities later in the day. There are three different age groups to work with and each get their own classroom.

Families Love Cobber Kids

Keeping teacher aides on staff is not only great for the students working but the children too. They meet a variety of adult influences, and they love their “Cobber buddies.” The preschoolers are introduced to people of all ages, genders, religions, cultures, and backgrounds. These connections are valuable for little learners who are soaking up everything about the world they’re growing up in. It helps them to have different adult role models to look up to. Plus, Cobber Kids is more than just a daycare.

“You say ‘daycare’ and many think, ‘oh, you’re just going to watch movies or hang out and eat Cheez-Its,’” Pieters says. “There’s plenty of fun, but these kids are being exposed to experiences that are helping them develop all of the parts of themselves — social, emotional, cognitive, fine motor, gross motor, etc. — and it’s really fun to see them grow and change.”

Young learners are important and pick up a lot in those early years, so they need quality education and care. Pieters firmly believes that children “deserve quality, safe, awesome places to learn and grow and be themselves and explore.”

Providing a trustworthy and quality place of care also helps parents who need that resource to be able to work. Sixty percent of the families that use Cobber Kids are Concordia faculty and staff,

Making Marketing Moves

Hunter

Hastings ’24, Alexandria, Minnesota

Major: Business with concentrations in Marketing and Economics

Please tell us about yourself.

The three most important things to know about me are that I am a Christian, I enjoy investing my time in others through projects or other areas of service, and I can quote to you more than 100 different lines from movies. When I am not attending classes or working on class projects, I enjoy filling my time by spending it with others. I am extroverted to a fault and own it. One other thing about me is that I value my family because without them I would not be where I am today.

How did you hear about Concordia and why did you choose to attend college here?

I heard about Concordia from family friends when I told them I was planning on attending college in the Fargo-Moorhead area. They told me that I should consider Concordia because their son was going here through the PSEO program and he enjoyed his time here. I applied to both North Dakota State University and Concordia and got accepted to both colleges, but I was leaning more toward NDSU as my final placement. When it came to visiting both schools, I toured NDSU first but was disappointed because my tour felt rushed and my questions were not all able to be answered. Soon after that, it was time to tour Concordia but, on my way up, I got into an accident on the road and realized I would be late for my time slot. After calling Concordia, the personnel encouraged me to still come when I was able and they would help me figure out a plan. When I finally made it here, they gave me a personalized tour and managed to fit me into the last segment of the official tour. I was blown away by their hospitality toward me, and it was not a hard decision from there to make my official decision to come here because I knew I would be valued and not just be another number on their class list.

and students are eligible to enroll their children as well. This way, parents at Concordia aren’t far from their children and can stay at work and get a quality education while their children are safe and learning too. Pieters is also more than willing to help students find resources to cover childcare costs by looking into state aid, early learning scholarships, and other options so they can worry less about balancing tuition and childcare.

How to Apply

Openings for fall will be posted on Handshake and there are opportunities for full-time positions during the summer, as well as an internship position for those who work for Cobber Kids and want to go further. Students can apply through Handshake or contact Pieters with questions or to volunteer.

What do you enjoy about the Fargo-Moorhead area?

Two of my favorite activities to do in the summer months with friends are play frisbee golf in the parks and go to the Dairy Queen on Eighth Street afterward.

How did you get involved with the Marketing Club at Concordia?

Dr. Jiani Jiang from the marketing program informed me that the Marketing Club needed new board members, and she thought that I would be an exceptional candidate for a position on the board. She then connected me with Dr. Odile Streed, who was the other advisor for the Marketing Club, about the treasurer position that was opening up.

What is your role in the Marketing Club?

I just started this fall as the new president!

What is your favorite Concordia tradition?

I value the bell tower tradition greatly. On my first day of Orientation, I almost walked through the middle of it and was quickly stopped and told how it was one of the worst mistakes I could ever make. I know always walk around the bell tower now until it’s my time to pass through it after graduation.

How did you decide on your area of study?

In high school, I was part of their DECA program where I had the opportunity to compete in real-life marketing simulations and roleplaying. I soon realized that marketing became a passion of mine and I wanted to learn how I could apply it professionally someday. I chose economics because of my teacher in high school who helped me understand how economics affects everyone every day. This concept baffled me and I had to learn more.

What are the benefits of taking classes in the Offutt School of Business?

The best thing about the Offutt School of Business, besides the professors who devote so much to their students and fields of study, would be the resources the school has for helping students achieve their goals. This could be through assisting students to find jobs or giving students the resources necessary to do the best possible work they can do for their classes.

Do you have a favorite course or professor and why?

My favorite course that I have taken at Concordia is Finite Mathematics. This is a bit unorthodox since math is not the focus of my studies here, but it was solely because of my professor, Dr. Daniel Biebighauser, who instructed the class. It was in this class that I learned how much the professors care about their students and enjoy their work. Dr. B. made it possible for me to love coming to class every day and he jump-started my drive to finish my undergrad at Concordia.

Have you had a PEAK (Pivotal Experience in Applied Knowledge) opportunity and, if so, what did you learn?

I did my first PEAK through the Habit for Humanity course, and I learned a lot about the impact affordable housing has on lowincome families and about the amount of work that goes into making one house for a family. I was able to attend one of the trips the campus chapter leads, and from there I grew an appreciation for the community impact the local affiliates make in their cities and towns.

What do you value most about being a Cobber?

I value the close friendships I have been able to make here on campus that I know I will be able to maintain for the rest of my life. This sense of community really opens up doors for me because, now that I share in the tradition of owning a Cobber ring, I have had many conversations in the F-M area with alumni and people considering coming here.

What advice would you give to a high school student who is considering Concordia?

I would say the most important thing you can do is get involved as much as you can on campus. I have been able to meet so many industry leaders and influencers by reaching out to them about participating in our on-campus events. It is also in different clubs where I have been able to find close friends who share the same interests as me.

Anything else you would like to add?

I am blessed to be here at Concordia where I am challenged every day in my classes and am learning how to apply my knowledge in the real world. I would not trade my experience here for anything else!

Hockey Student-Athletes Earn All-American Scholar Honors

AUGUST 3, 2023 | COCURRICULAR

Concordia had 11 hockey student-athletes recognized as American Hockey Coaches Association Krampade All-American Scholar honorees.

The Cobber men’s team had seven players earn the award, while four student-athletes from the women’s program were honored.

The men’s recipients were Jacen Bracko (Sr., Calgary, Alberta, Canada), Ben Luedtke (Fr., Wayzata, Minnesota), Kevin Ness (Jr., Broomfield, Colorado), Brady O’Brien (Fr., Lino Lakes, Minnesota), Cole O’Connell (Jr., Moorhead, Minnesota), Hanson O’Leary (So., Roseau, Minnesota) and Caden Triggs (Fr., Moorhead, Minnesota).

Ellie Brewer (Jr., Nederland, Colorado), Jerica Friese (Jr., Argusville, North Dakota), Paige Hanson (Jr., Fargo, North Dakota) and Livia Hoff (Fr., Silver Bay, Minnesota) earned the award for the women’s team.

To qualify, a student-athlete must have attained a 3.75 GPA for each semester, and had to appear in 40% of the team’s games. Exceptions were granted to injured players and back-up goaltenders.

The AHCA recognized 835 Division II-III hockey student-athletes with the All-American Scholar honor. There were 461 men and 374 women who received the honor this season.

Concordia Introduces New Wellness Program and Wellness Director

AUGUST 4, 2023

For the upcoming 2023-24 academic year, Concordia College has redesigned its wellness program and is implementing wellness classes that have been integrated into the First-Year Experience curriculum.

As part of this transition, Dr. Stefanie Meyer has been brought on board and has taken the role of wellness director. For this new position, Meyer has been tasked with designing and teaching the new/revised wellness courses. These are one credit courses for two semesters that will be required of all students. These classes have been redesigned to address multiple dimensions of wellness — physical, social, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, occupational, and environmental.

Meyer fits this role excellently as she comes from a strong educational background. Her doctorate in exercise science and nutrition as well as experience working in community wellness and academic leadership give her the skill set needed to succeed. Meyer is very excited to take on this new role as she has “the opportunity to positively influence the lifelong well-being of the student body.”

The push for this new curriculum and role came from Concordia faculty and staff who noted that with the pandemic there were increased instances of students struggling with physical and mental health, building and maintaining relationships, time management, and declining academic success related to stress and anxiety combined with lack of knowledge and skills among students about how to address such challenges.

These redesigned courses are being put in place to help foster well-being and give students opportunities to practice wellness behaviors. Dr. Gwen Halaas, dean of the new Sanford Heimarck School of Health Professions, hopes that “[these courses] will build a strong foundation for students and help them to develop healthy habits.”

Dr. Meredith Wagner, professor and chair of the department of nutrition, dietetics, and exercise science, ushered in the new program and highlighted how the new wellness curriculum aligns with the goals of the strategic plan, Concordia Leads: The Plan for 2030.

“The Wholeness and Health of the Community section of the Strategic Plan asks us to ‘build and implement practices that foster well-being and spiritual growth among all who learn and work at Concordia,’” Wagner said. “Student health and well-being are essential to their ability to learn. These courses will develop students into proactive caretakers of their own health and wellness.”

Heimarck Leaves Impact on the College and Its Students

AUGUST 7, 2023 | SANFORD

As the opening of the Heimarck Center nears, the Nielsen family reflects on the impact Dr. Theodore Heimarck had on their lives. Since graduating from Concordia, Curt and his sons, Eric and Ben, have approximately 85 years in healthcare management.

CURT

Curtis Nielsen ’72 came to Concordia after graduating from Oak Grove Lutheran High School in Fargo. Initially a sociology/social work major, he switched to healthcare administration and later earned a Master of Science in administration from the University of Notre Dame. Curt also met his wife, education major Sandy (Gravseth) ’72, at Concordia.

“I was fortunate to be at Concordia where the new program was a few years old when I started,” Curt said.

Curt said Heimarck emphasized that the responsibility of the healthcare executive is to be a community member and to lead the healthcare institution in the direction of preventative health and an institution focused on serving the community.

“He definitely influenced my career choice and attitude about healthcare leadership and responsibility to the community,” Curt added.

Following graduation, Curt was a Good Samaritan Nursing Home administrator and then was assistant administrator at St. Joseph’s

Hospital in Brainerd. In 1977, he became the clinic administrator for Brainerd Medical Center, a multi-specialty clinic. In 2008, he retired, sort of — he’s had interim positions since then and is now an adjunct instructor at Central Lakes College, Brainerd. Curt said students had the kind of relationship with Heimarck where they knew they could have called him for anything. And he was good at names and good at keeping in contact with people.

“On various occasions, I would run into Dr. Heimarck over the years, and his first question invariably was ‘how is Sandy doing?’ But you would go into his office, and you would never think that he was organized enough to keep track of things and keep track of people; you could hardly see him through the piles of papers on his desk,” Curt added. “I remember once going into his office to talk about a paper, and he reached over, lifted up a pile, and pulled it out. That was his filing system.”

“He was quite a remarkable guy, and I think he was ahead of his time in many respects,” Curt added. “It’s impressive to think that he had the vision for healthcare administration as an undergrad program.”

ERIC

That was only the beginning of the Nielsen story. Curt’s son, Eric ’98, said that when he was 16, he started a lawn business, The Lawn Doctors, around the Brainerd Lakes area with his good friend, Michael Tuchscherer ’98. Eric learned that he enjoyed business but was also fascinated with healthcare and considered different healthcare careers.

“I don’t recall my dad specifically encouraging healthcare administration as a career path, but hearing about his job and having an understanding of what opportunities were available in healthcare administration certainly had an impact on my decision to seek a degree in healthcare administration,” Eric said.

Although he looked at a few colleges, he was drawn to Concordia for many reasons, one of which was that there weren’t a lot of colleges offering a specific undergraduate degree in healthcare administration. The strong reputation of the healthcare administration program and specifically that of Heimarck was a big factor in his decision.

“I also liked Concordia for all of the other reasons that makes Concordia great — the campus, the sense of community, and that it was a Christian liberal arts college,” he said. “I was able to be part of the choir my freshman year and played tennis all four years. The experiences I had at Concordia and being involved in other activities were just as great as the education I received.”

“I recall having a number of discussions with Dr. Heimarck, who was my advisor, in his office,” Eric said. “He would talk about career paths and internship opportunities that I should consider and studying abroad through a May Seminar program. My visual recollection of those meetings is Dr. Heimarck sitting at his desk surrounded by piles of papers and a wall full of books. I also fondly remember him as a professor. His class about human resources still sticks with me today.”

After Concordia, Eric completed a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in medical group management at the University of St. Thomas and in 2011 became a Certified Medical Practice Executive through the American College of Medical Practice Executives. He’s been assistant administrator for Crossroads Medical Center, executive director for an ambulatory center at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, and the last 15 years as administrator for Gateway Family Health Clinic, Ltd. (Moose Lake), an independent medical practice with three clinics and a surgery center.

“My experiences and the education I received at Concordia College provided me with a great foundation for my additional education and career in healthcare administration,” Eric added.

Eric also added the fun fact that his mother, and both his wife, Megan, and Ben’s wife, Julie, (although not Concordia grads), are all teachers.

BEN

Ben ’00 spent his freshman year at Texas Lutheran University.

“I chose TLU for a couple of reasons, but one reason was I was trying to break the mold of all of the Nielsens going to Concordia and as a stubborn independent kid I wanted to try something different,” Ben said. “Ultimately, I found myself transferring to Concordia.”

At TLU Ben started in pre-med, knowing he wanted to do something in the healthcare field. Once he transferred to Concordia, he wanted to get a business degree but felt it was too broad. Knowing his dad’s experience in the healthcare leadership field, he felt comfortable focusing on a healthcare administration degree. He later earned a master’s degree in healthcare administration at the U of M, Carlson School of Management.

“It also helped hearing from Eric about his classes and what he hoped to get into after finishing college,” he said. “Growing up, admiring and looking up to my dad and my brother, it was a pretty easy decision to follow in their footsteps.”

Although Heimarck retired before Ben came to Concordia, he had heard stories about him and the reputation of the healthcare program.

“Dr. Heimarck’s influence on the program allowed me to build a great relationship with my advisor and mentor, Professor Dan Anderson, during my time at Concordia,” he added.

After graduating, Ben spent 10 years with Allina Health where he moved from a financial analyst to a manager of cardiology and eventually to director of cardiology with Minneapolis Heart Institute. For the past 13 years, he has been working at Ridgeview (Waconia), where he is currently the chief operating officer.

“At Ridgeview, we often have the opportunity to bring in Concordia healthcare admin students during the summer, and I have enjoyed getting to know the students and being impressed with how prepared they are to get into the ‘real world,’” Ben added.

SCHOLARSHIPS

At Curt’s 20-year anniversary at Brainerd Medical Center when Eric and Ben were at Concordia, he received a telegram (back when telegrams existed) from Concordia. His first thought was “which one of them did something?” But it turned out the doctors at his clinic had established a scholarship in Curt and Sandy’s name for the healthcare program.

“It was obviously a significant enough amount to get the scholarship going, and they accomplished it without the clinic writing a check, or I would have known about it,” said Curt. “I was very humbled and obviously very honored.” Since established, 25 scholarships have been given to students of the program.

Curt and two other alumni, Kyle Hopstad ’73 and Ed Dahlberg ‘69, also recently established the Dr. Ted Heimarck Healthcare Leadership Endowed Scholarship.

Heimarck left a huge impact on both Concordia and healthcare administration, and the Nielsen family’s years in the field are prime examples of that.

Giving Elementary Students a Glimpse of College Life, Future Careers

AUGUST 11, 2023

Earlier this month, more than 1,500 K-5 students got the opportunity to see what college is all about. Hosted by Tri-College University, the Walk Into My Future event gives elementary school students a chance to participate in activities that take place on a college campus.

This year, the event was hosted at Minnesota State University Moorhead. Concordia was represented through booths that were facilitated by Concordia staff and students. One of these booths included an Alka-Seltzer rocket lab that was run in part by Concordia student Taryn Wednt.

When asked about the importance of events like the Walk Into My Future, Wednt said that they “are important so kids can have access to all kinds of careers and hands-on experiences.”

This desire to give kids access to hands-on events directly aligns with Tri-College University Provost Tim Flakoll’s belief in the importance of the event.

“It shows how (college) can be fun and gets (the kids) excited about future careers,” he said.

Other Concordia booths included a music exploration lab, a toilet paper strength testing activity, fun with language and culture, and “better bouncing with potential energy.”

Cobber Corn Feed Aug. 16

AUGUST 13, 2023 | COCURRICULAR

Join Concordia’s new president, Dr. Colin Irvine, for an evening of delicious corn on the cob and fun at the Cobber Corn Feed on Wednesday, Aug. 16, in Moorhead. The annual event is open to alumni, students, friends, and perspective students, as well as the public. It will run from 5:30-8 p.m. near Prexy’s Pond at Concordia College.

The corn promises to be tasty and hot and, the best part, free! If you are looking for a little more food, concessions are available for purchase. In addition to great food, guests will enjoy music and conversation. To entertain the kids, there will be free inflatable obstacle courses, face painting, and photo opportunities with the mascot, Kernel Cobb. No RSVP is needed. Come join the fun!

Cobber Corn Feeds have become an annual tradition throughout the country. They allow Concordia students, alumni, and friends to renew friendships, make new acquaintances, and learn more about what is currently happening at the college. There will be 15 corn feeds this summer held in six states.

You can learn more at ConcordiaCollege.edu/CornFeeds.

“Some kids tell me it is the best day of the summer,” Flakoll said.

This event shows the partnership shared by Concordia, MSUM, and North Dakota State University.

It rotates its host every year and will be right here at Concordia in 2024.

Awards Presented at 2023’s State of the College

AUGUST 17, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Five faculty and staff members were honored for their excellence in and out of the classroom. The awards were presented at the State of the College event in August.

The inaugural Alwin C. Carus and M. Elisabeth Carus Distinguished Professorship Award was presented to Dr. Tess Varner, associate professor of philosophy and director of the women’s and gender studies program. Varner joined the college in 2016 and is an outstanding classroom teacher. Her students respond well to her compassionate, engaging, and inquisitive style. Since her arrival, she has introduced several courses that investigate critical topics, such as the Philosophy of Race, Life in a Time of Climate Change, the Philosophy of Disability, Seeking Justice in an Unjust World, and several others. In addition to her teaching, Varner is an active scholar, and her ambitious research agenda has led to multiple publications and conference presentations.

Sunet Rubalcava was presented with the Ole and Lucy Flaat Inclusive Excellence Award. Rubalcava joined the college in 2018 as an admission representative and coordinator of multicultural recruitment, later serving as an academic counselor in the Center of Student Success. In 2022, she moved into her role as diversity support coordinator. Rubalcava’s dedication to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment makes her a valuable resource across the campus. Rubalcava’s collaboration on various scholarships has provided countless opportunities for underrepresented students. She is deeply trusted among students, forming meaningful relationships with their families, and supporting students throughout their college journey. Rubalcava’s leadership and mentorship inspires hope and courage in students, encouraging them to thrive.

Dr. Anne Mocko was presented with the Ole and Lucy Flaat Distinguished Teaching Award. Mocko joined Concordia College in 2012 and currently serves as an associate professor of religion. Since her arrival at Concordia, Mocko has worked to develop courses that deeply challenge her students’ abilities and assumptions, while simultaneously providing them with a safe environment to ask and answer life’s most difficult questions. Her students describe her teaching style as “creative, fun, philosophical, diverse, and indepth” and compliment her for “constantly pushing her students to see life and its meaning through the lens of another.” Her colleagues commend her dedication to the craft of teaching and careful course design.

Brenda Jarolimek, project specialist for Facilities Management, was presented with the Ole and Lucy Flaat Distinguished Service Award. She joined the college in 1999 and, during her

23 years at Concordia, she has exhibited exceptional dedication, professionalism, and knowledge in managing campus facilities that are critical to the seamless operation of the college. Her meticulous record-keeping of classroom furnishings, facilities updates, and technology upgrades has proven to be an essential resource for academic space management. Demonstrating a kind, respectful, gracious, and humble nature, along with exceptional listening and implementation skills, Jarolimek is a cherished colleague and a trusted resource for many.

Dr. Cassandra Glynn was presented with the Ole and Lucy Flaat Distinguished Scholarship Award. She joined the college in 2012 and currently serves as an associate professor of education and director of the Master of Education programs. Glynn is a leading scholar in diversity, equity, and inclusion in world language instruction and, as noted by a colleague, “her work has been instrumental in changing the landscape of how world languages are taught.” Through her multiple articles, books, conference presentations, invited keynote addresses, and workshop leadership, Glynn has clearly established her place as an exceptional scholar and contributor to her field. One of her co-authored books is widely recognized as a critical resource for world language teachers around the globe and her research informs best practices in teaching but is also a model for her graduate and undergraduate students on how to fully engage in research in their field.

The Flaat awards, conferred by Concordia’s Board of Regents, were endowed by Ole and Lucy Flaat, lifelong farmers in the Red River Valley. The Carus award will be given biennially to a faculty member who is a superior classroom teacher and has demonstrated excellence in academic scholarship in the philosophy, natural sciences, or religion.

New VP for Enrollment Named and Promotion in Communications/Marketing Announced

AUGUST 24, 2023

Dr. Colin Irvine, president of the college, announced that Benjamin Iverson has accepted the role of vice president for Enrollment.

Iverson comes from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he currently serves as the assistant vice provost for Global Engagement at Augustana University. He begins his work at the college Sept. 11.

“Iverson has vast experience working in both international and domestic enrollment and is skilled at achieving objectives that improve student experiences,” Irvine said. “As an innovative leader and AVP for Global Engagement, he helped grow the international student population to a record high 12% of Augustana’s total student body in fall 2023.”

Iverson, a native of Willmar, Minnesota, has a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and international studies at Augustana University and an Master of Arts in international education from the SIT Graduate Institute.

“He brings an entrepreneurial spirit to the role of VP for Enrollment. Ben is a highly strategic, big-picture thinker who partners well with team members and collaborators from across the institution to work toward institutional enrollment goals,” Irvine added. “We are fortunate to have him joining our Cobber community.”

In addition to Iverson’s appointment, the president also announced that 1996 Concordia graduate and current associate vice president for communications, Josh Lysne, has been promoted to vice president of the Communications and Marketing division.

Lysne has served as Concordia’s AVP for communications and chief marketing officer since 2015. He will serve as a member of the

President’s Cabinet and direct all marketing and communication activities at the college. In his new role, he’ll be responsible for guiding the collaborative work of the cabinet, campus stakeholders, and others in the Concordia community.

“The VP role is a multifaceted leadership role requiring skill and sophistication in marketing and communications strategy and implementation, management and leadership of Concordia’s dedicated and talented Marketing and Communications team, and collaboration with all those who support the Concordia community and mission,” Irvine said.

Previous to joining the Concordia community, Lysne served in leadership roles for digital strategy, project management, and business operations with some of the region’s most recognized communications and advertising firms.

Addressing Housing Challenges and Opportunities in Fargo-Moorhead: Concordia College Panel Discussion

AUGUST 24, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Concordia College’s Lorentzsen Center for Faith and Work is bringing together local experts for an in-depth panel discussion on the complex housing situation in our region as well as across the U.S.

The event, “Housing in Fargo-Moorhead: Exploring Challenges and Possibilities,” is scheduled from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 30, at Barry Auditorium on the Concordia College campus. It is free and open to the public. People are welcome to bring a lunch. Those who are unable to attend in person can register for a Zoom link at LorentzsenCenter.com.

The panel will feature four distinguished leaders from the local political, nonprofit, and public sectors, who bring unique perspectives and expertise to the table:

• Rep. Heather Keeler, DFL, District 4A

• Laetitia Mizero Hellerud, executive director of the Jeremiah Program

• Lisa Bode, government affairs director for the City of Moorhead

• Pastor Sue Koesterman, chief executive officer of Churches United

The panelists will share their insights on a recent report of regional housing needs and strategies by the Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Council of Governments. The report, available at fmmetrocog.org, emphasizes key findings related to employment, housing supply, and homeownership opportunities.

“Our goal for this event is to facilitate a dialogue that results in actionable steps to improve Fargo-Moorhead’s housing landscape,” said Dr. Michael Chan, executive director of the Lorentzsen Center.

The Aug. 30 event kicks off a new season of Lorentzsen Center community discussions on critical issues. The Center’s next event will be Oct. 4 with Dr. Ben Danielson, a pediatrician and clinical professor of Pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine. He will address the topic of healthcare equity. Dr. Scott

Winship of American Enterprise Institute will discuss economic opportunity and social mobility on Nov. 6.

About the Lorentzsen Center for Faith and Work

The Lorentzsen Center honors the life, work, and legacy of Norman M. Lorentzsen, renowned philanthropist, former CEO of Burlington Northern, alumnus of Concordia College, and former member and chair of its Board of Regents. Through his life and generosity, Norman helped to build a joyful, just, and more trustworthy world. In honor of that legacy, the Lorentzsen Center takes up the question, “How do we build a more trustworthy world?” It explores that question through keynote events, a podcast, and a regular newsletter.

Alumna Now Leading Minnesota Management and Budget Office

AUGUST 28, 2023

Gov. Tim Walz has selected Minnesota Management and Budget deputy commissioner Erin Campbell ’04 to serve as the commissioner of Management and Budget. She has taken over for commissioner Jim Schowalter, who stepped down.

“In Erin Campbell’s nearly 20 years with the state of Minnesota, she has demonstrated outstanding service and exceptional leadership in every challenge laid in front of her,” Walz said in the news release announcing the leadership transition. “Campbell is a talented, dedicated and tireless public servant; there is no better person to lead MMB while we work to deliver for Minnesotans and position the state for a strong economic future.”

The release also included a statement from Campbell: “I am honored and humbled to be stepping into the role of commissioner of Minnesota Management and Budget. There is critical work ahead to retain and hire the workforce of the future, to ensure the state remains on strong fiscal footing, and to support our colleagues in state agencies as they implement recently enacted legislation – I am excited to get started. I look forward to working in collaboration with the governor and lieutenant governor and with our partners in the legislature to ensure that state agencies are well positioned to deliver excellent service to Minnesotans.”

Campbell was appointed deputy commissioner for Enterprise Employee Resources in July 2022. Prior to joining MMB, Campbell served in several positions around state government including as the assistant commissioner for Facilities and Enterprise Services at the Department of Administration where she oversaw the restoration of the Minnesota State Capitol. In May 2020, she stepped in to lead

the Minnesota Department of Health’s Long Term Care Battle Plan, working to keep COVID-19 out of long-term care facilities. Prior to joining the Department of Administration, Campbell served as the deputy chief of staff for policy and legislative affairs for Gov. Mark Dayton. She also spent six years working for the Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller.

Campbell graduated from Concordia with majors in social work and Spanish and minors in political science and psychology.

MMB is responsible for managing state finances, payroll, and human resources. It also provides systems for daily business operations and information access and analysis. As a central service agency, MMB serves the governor, the legislature, more than 100 state government entities, 56,000 state employees, and the public.

Kennedy Leading Webinar on AI in College Courses

AUGUST 29, 2023

Concordia College’s academic technologist and instructional design coordinator, Joseph Kennedy, will be co-leading a free webinar on the use of AI (artificial intelligence) in the classroom.

Kennedy and Jeff Przybylo, professor of communications at Harper College, Palatine, Illinois, are presenting “Rethinking Assessment in the Age of AI” for GoReact at noon Thursday, Aug. 31.

With more instructors looking to integrate ChatGPT and other AI tools in their teachings, the conversation will focus on ideas and programs to effectively measure acquired knowledge. It will also teach how to leverage video and feedback tools to help students develop in-demand skills.

Kennedy’s publications and presentations most recently have focused on assessment, student privacy, and artificial intelligence. He has worked with the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), the College Board, and local school districts.

Concordia College Selected for Inaugural Work-Based Learning Consortium

AUGUST 30, 2023

The Council of Independent Colleges has selected Concordia College as one of 25 institutions to be in the inaugural cohort of the Work-Based Learning Consortium, enhancing the college’s commitment for graduates to be job ready.

The goal of the consortium is to make it easier for students to gain internship experience and prepare for the job market, particularly for students from under-represented groups. To do this, Concordia College, in partnership with Riipen, will use an experiential learning platform that provides access to thousands of reputable organizations with company projects that students can work on. This will equip students with skills, real-world experiences, and professional connections that support their future careers.

Concordia College associate provost Dr. Stephanie Ahlfeldt says that this model provides internship-type learning and experience within the classroom. She adds it will offer an advantage with collaboration between company contacts, professors, and students.

CIC and Riipen will work with Ahlfeldt; Kris Olson, director of Concordia’s Career Center; and the following five faculty members to integrate experiential learning into course materials beginning Spring 2024:

• Erin Hemme Froslie, instructor of English and multimedia journalism

• Dr. Shelly Gompf, assistant professor of healthcare and director of the healthcare leadership program

• Dr. Mona Ibrahim, professor of psychology

• Dr. Ahmed Kamel, professor of computer science and management information systems

• Dr. Gay Rawson, professor of French and chair of the world languages and cultures department

This multi-year program has an estimated value of over $65,000 for each institution. This CIC initiative is made possible thanks to funding from Ascendium Education Group and Strada Education Foundation.

“We are honored to have been selected for this prestigious consortium with CIC,” Ahlfeldt said. “In addition to the opportunities for our students, we are proud to be on the front end of work-based learning in this way.”

Respectful Discussions on International Relations

SEPTEMBER 26, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Dr. Rebecca Moore Professor of Political Science

How long have you been teaching at Concordia and what led you here?

I have been teaching at Concordia since the fall of 1994, so this is my 30th year here! When I returned to graduate school after working in government for a number of years, I knew that I wanted to teach — ideally at a small, private liberal arts college similar to the one from which I graduated.

What courses do you teach? Do you have a favorite; if so, why?

I have taught both political science and global studies-designated courses during my years at Concordia, but the courses I teach regularly now are mainly international relations courses: International Politics, International Security, U.S. Foreign Policy, Ethics and International Relations, and U.S.-China Relations. In recent years, I have also taught our introductory political science course: Thinking about Politics. I enjoy all of these courses, but, if forced to pick a favorite — or maybe two, I would probably choose International Politics, which is essentially an introduction to international relations. It’s an opportunity to introduce students to a subfield — and the concepts and theory that go with it — that they have likely not encountered in high school. I also really enjoy the Ethics and International Relations course, which I teach seminar style. No lectures. I typically sit with the students and we discuss readings, current events, and students’ individual research projects. I have been blessed with highly motivated, engaged students in that course, and the seminar style allows me to learn from students and allow them to shape the nature of our discussion.

What do you love about your job?

I love the opportunities for close interaction with students. I graduated from a Lutheran liberal arts college and benefitted so much from the small classes, close relationships with faculty, and the intensive writing opportunities afforded by the small private college environment. I am grateful to have the opportunity now to share this same experience with my students. I also appreciate the opportunity to be at an institution where we don’t have to shy away from conversations that hinge on values and difficult moral problems, which are abundant in international relations courses!

How do you approach teaching current events, such as the Russian-Ukraine war, in your classroom?

In teaching international relations, there is never a shortage of current events that merit discussion in the classroom. It is sometimes tempting to turn an entire class session into a current events discussion — and I have done that such as when Russia first invaded Ukraine in 2014 and again in 2022, but I also take seriously my responsibility to help students develop an analytical framework for making sense of past, present, and future events in the realm

of international politics. So — as I routinely tell my students — it is not my job to deliver a daily newscast. It is their responsibility to keep up with current events through habitual reading of a regular news source so that we can incorporate meaningful discussion of events like the Russia-Ukraine war into our classroom discussion. I then try to use these events to help illuminate or explain certain international relations concepts or theories. It’s also important to discuss how these events are relevant to our lives, but, again, that requires a broader understanding of the international system and the interconnected nature of so many of the challenges we face.

How do you encourage open dialogue with varying points of views from students?

I want all of my students to feel comfortable sharing their views in my classroom, but I also want to encourage lively debate because that is how we come to learn and appreciate new perspectives. For me, though, it is critical that students disagree with each other — and with me — in a respectful manner. That means no personal attacks or questioning of others’ moral integrity, etc. I will confess though that discussing current events has become more challenging in our present, highly polarized political environment. I know that students often self-censor because they worry about what their peers — and perhaps I — might think. This is a challenge that I think all of us in the political science department wrestle with regularly.

What do you see in your students and in what ways can they make a positive difference?

I see lots of students who, despite the considerable challenges we face, are optimistic and really want to make a positive difference in the world. It’s easy to feel as though there is little we can do as individuals given the enormity of the challenges, but we are not without power to effect change. Perhaps the most important thing you can do is to pay careful attention to what is going on all around you. Get in the habit of reading a credible news source regularly, and resist the urge to pretend that what is happening in some far corner of the world won’t affect you. I also want students to remember that ideas, leadership, and courage all matter, and that our power lies in our ability to align our voices and our actions with the principles we want to see prevail in the world.

Could you talk about the Lutheran College Washington Semester opportunity for Concordia students?

The Lutheran College Washington Semester program is a wonderful opportunity for Concordia students of any major to spend a full semester taking courses and interning in Washington, D.C. The program, which is run by a consortium of 13 Lutheran liberal arts colleges from around the country is small enough that students receive lots of attention from our faculty and staff and an opportunity to get to know students from other parts of the country, while also immersing themselves in a diverse, complex, and vibrant city. The centerpiece of the experience is, of course, the internship. Students benefit not only from the internship itself but also from the experience of earning the internship — with strong support from our staff.

You have written quite a bit about NATO. What sparked your interest in that area?

The NATO Alliance is now my principal research interest and has been for many years, but it wasn’t a topic that I was particularly interested in as a graduate student. I actually wrote my Ph.D. dissertation on U.S. human rights policy and, specifically, the emergence of democracy promotion as an explicit component of that policy during the early 1980s. What really got me interested in NATO was the argument made by the Clinton administration in the mid to late 1990s that NATO could be a force for the democratization and unification of Central and Eastern Europe in the wake of the Cold War. This was the argument that ultimately drove enlargement of the alliance itself as well as new partnerships and new missions. NATO is a military alliance committed to the collective defense of its members, but it is also a values-based political organization designed to safeguard — as stated in the preamble to the North Atlantic Treaty — democracy, individual liberty, and the rule of law. In my view, these values are really the thread that has held the alliance together since its inception in 1949, and it is this dimension of the alliance that interests me and has shaped most of my research over the years.

What sets Concordia’s political science department apart?

The political science department is relatively small so we’re able to get to know our students well. We are all here because we really enjoy teaching, and we try to find opportunities to engage students in discussion of current events outside of our classrooms, including

through our regular Politics Café events. I think we are also proud of the fact that we represent a fairly broad range of ideological perspectives, but we are able to have lively, respectful discussions with each other on challenging issues. We like to think that we are able to model for our students how to have these often difficult discussions in a way that allows us all to grow without making enemies or insulting others in the process.

Do you have any advice for students considering Concordia?

I am a fierce advocate of liberal arts education. Students might not fully appreciate this experience until after they graduate, but I know that I enjoyed a huge advantage over many of my peers after I finished my undergraduate degree because I had learned how to write, how to think critically, and how to appreciate contemporary problems in a historical context. These are the skills that a Concordia education offers, and they are skills that you will carry with you the rest of your life.

What are your hobbies outside of work?

I enjoy running, baking, gardening, home decorating, reading, playing the piano, and, of course, traveling!

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I am on a sabbatical leave for the 2023-24 school year, but I look forward to returning to teaching in the fall of 2024. Students who wish to visit about the Lutheran College Washington Semester program should feel free to reach out to me via email at any time.

A Place to Call Home

Chloe Johnson ’24, Roseau, Minnesota

Majors: Communication Studies, Multimedia Journalism

Minors: English Writing, Film Studies, Social Activism

Spring of 2020 was a difficult time not just for me but also for the nation. COVID-19 had begun to shut down the U.S., meaning not being able to go see friends and family, eat out, go to sporting events, and also moving to online learning. I was a senior in high school and I was crushed. I wouldn’t get my senior season of softball. I wouldn’t get a prom that I was helping to plan. And, I would not get the graduation I had dreamed of since starting high school.

On May 30, the day before graduation, I received news that would change my life. My house caught fire at 2 a.m. Three fire departments arrived to help. It started with a bathroom fan and spread throughout the roof. The roof began to collapse and the house was a loss. Everyone was safe including pets. My family and I were able to salvage some important things like my camera and softball equipment.

The rest of the day was hectic as we were trying to figure out where we were going to live and how we were going to get clothes, food, and other necessities. I was graduating high school the next day and had no cap and gown. I reached out to friends and the school and they were able to help. I received donations to find clothes for graduation, along with the rest of my family. I am forever grateful for the generosity of my hometown community in helping my family and me overcome this tragedy.

Calling Concordia Home

I am also grateful for Concordia’s help. The day after graduation, my admission representative reached out to me about next steps. She was with my parents and me through the whole process and even checked in on us. I would be on the Cobber softball team and my future teammates, who had never met me, donated and reached out to make sure my family and I were OK. My coach even drove all the way to Roseau to drop off the donations from the team. I knew before that Concordia would be the place for me, but this further proved it.

My family was able to have temporary accommodations. I had limited clothes and belongings. I had to go on a shopping spree for everything I needed for college. On move-in day, I stepped on campus and I knew this would be my new home for the next four years.

My freshman year was a slow start but, in my sophomore year, I joined The Concordian, the campus newspaper, to help with my journalism skills. I made friends and connections from interning for Concordia’s Communications and Marketing office. I was exploring Fargo-Moorhead and what the community had to offer. I felt like a real college student, but I still felt lost. It was difficult for me to go

home to no room, belongings, or even a bed. Concordia made me feel safe and like I had a sense of belonging.

In the summer of 2022, I started looking at more academic options. I had started out at Concordia majoring in communication studies and multimedia journalism with a minor in film studies, but I knew I had room to add more and wanted to push myself. I evaluated what I wanted to do in the future and how events in my life have impacted me. I decided to minor in social activism. I want to use my journalism to help others and bring awareness to people’s needs. I felt so touched by the help I received from my hometown and Concordia, and I want to bring that same feeling to others. Adding the social activism minor would help bring that into my journalistic writing.

My favorite course that I have taken at Concordia is Documentary — Historical Film with Dr. Greg Carlson. Not only did we watch and learn about documentaries, but we also made one. Documentary is a form of filmmaking that also partners with journalism. As a class, we picked a story, conducted interviews, filmed, and edited together. Everyone got to be hands-on and learn what it takes to make a documentary.

My internship in the Communications and Marketing office (we call it MarCom) has taught me so much about what I can do with my degrees after graduation. I help with anything that is needed of me whether it is making a TikTok or taking photos for an event. I even get to write stories like this one for other people. Leaving this office that I have had the joy of interning for since May 2022 is going to be the hardest thing for me when graduation rolls around.

Concordia is a great place to explore yourself in a personal and academic sense. It is also a great place to start new. A common answer to the question, “Why did you choose Concordia?” is, “It felt like home.” For me, Concordia really does feel like home. After losing a place I called home for 17 years of my life, I needed somewhere new and Concordia was there for me. I will graduate, possibly move away, and build a life in a new place, but I know Concordia will always be there for me and a place to call home.

More Than a Bookstore

SEPTEMBER

29, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Sydni Kreps ’17, Founder + Curator of More Than Words Bookshop

Majors/Minor: Multimedia Journalism, Communication Studies; English Writing

Please tell us about yourself.

I am a lifelong Fargoan. I’m a former English teacher. I hang out with my dog all the time. Obviously, I’m a very avid reader. I always have been. Growing up, I was always reading even when I shouldn’t be. The first time we went to Disney World, I brought a book about Disney World and walked around reading it instead of experiencing it. That’s a taste of who I am.

Why did you choose Concordia and how did that influence you?

At first, I was so sure I was going to leave Fargo-Moorhead because I grew up here. I felt like I knew the campus, so I didn’t need to go on a tour. However, I definitely did not know it. After I ended up going on a tour, I fell in love with campus. I really liked the small campus and the small class sizes. The COBBlog (Concordia’s former student blog) is what ended up pushing me over the edge. I was trying to get an inside scoop on student life, and I started reading one student’s blog posts. I don’t know why I read all his entries, but he would post about books all the time and different things that felt in line with me. His posts are what made me feel like I could see myself at Concordia.

What student activities were you involved in at Concordia?

I was in choir the entire time — I was in Cantabile and then Chapel Choir. I was a writer and the opinion editor for The Concordian. I also edited for AfterWork. I worked at Concordia Language Villages. I also did a May Seminar study abroad program on Santorini in Greece. We worked on creative writing while there. I literally chose it because the trip poster advertised a bookstore called Atlantis Books that we would get to visit.

How did your Cobber experience prepare you for life after college?

Concordia helped me build a community-oriented mindset. I had so many projects or experiences where we were out of the classroom and in the community. That helped me learn about the community I’d grown up in in a different way.

I also think because Concordia is a liberal arts college, you develop a broader skill set than if you’re being pigeonholed straight away. Trying new things in college helped me build confidence with trying new things after graduating too because I knew that I’d at least dabbled in an area.

What motivated you to open your bookstore?

I have always wanted to open a bookstore since I can remember. If somebody asked me, “What would you do if you could do anything? What’s your crazy dream?” It was always open a bookstore or work in a bookstore. I was going through my old stuff and found that a friend had given me a book with a $20 bill in it with a note that said, “Use this to open your future bookstore.”

But what made it happen was when I was teaching English in West Fargo. The week before my first year of teaching, my dad died.

Somehow, I went back to school the next week and taught the whole year and halfway into the next. Then the grief caught up with me all at once, and I had to take a leave from teaching. At the time, that felt mortifying. But I was thankful to be in a school that really supported me taking that leave and making it as easy as it could be. I started doing a lot of reflecting. I was going to therapy. I got a tattoo in my dad’s handwriting that said, “more than words,” which was a phrase my dad said all the time. He said things like, “I love you more than words” and “I’m proud of you more than words.” One night during my leave, I looked down at my new tattoo and truly had this epiphany moment. “More than words” was the name of this bookstore I’ve always dreamed of opening. I realized that was the perfect name for so many reasons. Obviously, there’s the connection to my dad, but books are also more than words. What a bookstore does for the community is beyond the words on the pages of a book.

I called my mom right away and told her my epiphany and that I needed to do it. I think she understood that at the time. I needed joy in my life. There was this huge hole in my life left by my dad. Although a bookstore could never fill that, it became something that brought joy. It also gave me an excuse to reconnect with family and friends because they all helped me throughout this whole process. That was a big part of my healing.

What was it about Moorhead that made you want to open your storefront here?

I knew right away that I wanted to open the bookstore in Moorhead. I did not even consider Fargo or West Fargo. They have some great indie bookstores there. Moorhead is home to college campuses and has a thriving arts community. Somehow, it didn’t have a bookstore. Because I went to college in Moorhead and had my first postgrad job in Moorhead, I spent a lot of time in the city and felt the absence of not having a space to meet with people who had similar interests. I went looking for locations and found the spot we’re in on my first scouting drive through the city. I didn’t know this at the time, but it ended up being in a building that my dad’s grandpa built, which was very cool. So that felt right again — it was serendipitous.

You’ve talked a little about the desire to design a space for community. How do you envision that space going forward?

We’re very new, but I think of the bookshop as more of a community space, a gathering space, not just a retail store. I think bookstores

are unique in that regard and in what they can offer a community. I hope to continue to see this be a space where book clubs can meet and where students spend some time. As a former teacher, it’s at the top of my priority list to build relationships with all of the local schools and educators. I have a lot of ideas for future workshops and classes and events that we want to host. We hope to always have something going on here. Life is happening here — it’s not just a bunch of cold shelves with books.

What skills have you found necessary for opening your own business?

This is probably not a unique answer, but the biggest one is just being flexible and willing to adapt. Literally nothing went according to plan. That can be frustrating if you get set in those ways and set in your ideas. I’m already a perfectionist, so that was tough for me to learn. For me, this is an entirely new field. I’ve always been very immersed in the book industry in different ways but being a business owner is totally foreign to me. So, I think having that curiosity and that growth mindset and willingness to keep learning and put yourself in uncomfortable, unknown situations is super important.

If I had to think of another skill, it would probably be creative thinking, especially when you’re opening your own business. You don’t have to do anything the way other people do. It’s fun to have this opportunity to think outside the box and think about how we can do something differently. Do it your own way.

What have been some of the learning curves or the biggest hurdles that you’ve had?

Timelines aren’t necessarily going to go as you plan — for example, renovation was a huge thing and there were many unexpected hiccups. Coordinating all those different people, coordinating shipping, all of that. Also, this may sound bad but realizing that nobody else cares as much as you do. So, I needed to be on top of things and an active presence and participant in every step.

Overall, I’m a word person not a numbers person. That has been a big challenge point for me in learning accounting and finances and all of that. I hired an accountant right away because I recognized that as a weakness of mine. I learned as much as I could, but it’s important to realize where your weaknesses are and where other people are better.

What do you wish you knew in college that you know now?

Nothing you decide in college is set in stone. I had this idea that whatever choice I made was the path I would be on for the rest of my life. That felt like a lot of pressure. I think that’s why I changed my major so many times. Even when I graduated, I felt unsure that I had made the right choice. I wish I had realized sooner that what you study in college is just one piece of the puzzle, and that you can and likely will go a different way. It’s like you need the life experience to realize it’s not the end of the world if you get a B or if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Also, I found it’s important to put relationships over perfect grades. When I think about college, I think about not only friends but also relationships with professors and other staff on campus.

How have you stayed connected to Concordia?

I still keep in touch with many of my friends there but also with a lot of professors, which has been cool to maintain those relationships. In particular, I’ve kept up with English professors and Dr. Michael Culloton — I worked with him outside of Concordia, which was fun. I also spoke at the Careers Connecting Cobbers event last year. It was fun to interact with current students. I would love to keep finding ways to do that with the bookstore as well.

Do you have any advice that you would give to a student who is considering Concordia?

I would say to definitely go on a campus tour and, if you can, I would try to talk to a current student who is doing something that you think is interesting. They don’t have to have the same major you want, but if you can somehow talk to a student and have a candid conversation about their time there, those are the things that helped me.

What advice have you received about opening your business?

The best advice I received was from some friends who had started a small business about a year before me. They reminded me that you get to set your own pace, which seems like a simple thing, but I remind myself of that all the time. I get to choose what I say yes to and what I say no to. I don’t need to grow any faster than I am able to, which is unique when you’re getting to set those goals for yourself. That’s helped me when I feel overwhelmed. I get to decide if it’s something I can take on or not, and there’s no wrong answer. I can grow at my own pace.

Do you have any tips for someone who is thinking about launching their own business?

If I were to give some tips, it would be to accept the “good enough” mindset. It doesn’t mean you aren’t giving something your all. It just means you’ve given as much as you can give at that point in time, and you will improve and figure out the rest later.

Also, kind of bookish advice, I would say if you’re looking to start a business or something like that, read about that industry in particular. Look for memoirs of people or something similar to what you’re hoping to do. That’s what I looked for — I read a bunch of memoirs of booksellers, of people in the book industry. I found that more helpful than some sort of guidebook. It was very eye-opening, that lived experience.

Do you have a favorite book of all time?

I read so much, but if I have to answer this question (it probably changes every year), I would probably say “Little Women.” I read that when I was young, and I’ve read it many times since then. I was so inspired by Jo. Other than that, I would say another foundational favorite for me is the Nancy Drew books. From an early age, they hooked me into a good mystery, which is kind of my bread and butter.

Anything else you have to share or would like to say?

Reading is cool, and it’s not going anywhere. Books are not going anywhere — they have persisted and will persist.

Benson Named MIAC Golfer Of The Week

SEPTEMBER 5, 2023 | COCURRICULAR

Concordia sophomore Gabe Benson (Fargo, North Dakota/Fargo Davies High School) was named the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Men’s Golfer of the Week following his record-tying, season-opening win at the Augsburg Invitational last weekend.

It is Benson’s first conference weekly award, and he is the first Cobber golfer to take home the honor since Gage Stromme in 2019.

Benson shot a two-round total of 137 (71-66) and won the event by five shots. The Augsburg Invitational featured five schools from the MIAC as well as Wisconsin-Superior, Buena Vista and the University of Manitoba.

Benson’s 6-under 66 on Day 2 of the tournament was the second lowest single-round total in Cobber men’s golf history, and his final total of 137 was tied for the lowest two-round total in program history.

Benson will hope to continue his early-season success when he competes at the Bethel Invitational on Sept. 9-10 at Pioneer Creek GC in Maple Plain, Minnesota.

3 Concordia College Undergrads Fly to Oxford for Antisemitism Seminar

SEPTEMBER 11, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

As the only undergraduates at a prestigious two-week workshop on antisemitism studies at the University of Oxford, Concordia College students Ann Vanderlinde ’25, Jordan Jensen ’26, and Aneleise Martinson ’26 are already helping shape the future of an academic discipline.

“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t scared out of my mind the first week of the conference. We were the only undergrads there in a room of 50+ grad students, scholars, experts, teachers, politicians, etc., who all seemed to have a better grasp on the issue than we did,” said Jensen, a sophomore majoring in history, political science, and Spanish. “However, I was able to take Dr. Arnold’s advice of ‘just be a sponge!’ to heart. It was really fascinating to sit back and just listen.”

Dr. W. Vincent Arnold, chair and professor of history, earned an Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy Fellowship as a scholar in residence for its Oxford program in 2019. In February, the institute director asked Arnold to nominate an undergraduate for the 2023 conference and, instead, Arnold nominated three.

All three were accepted, with scholarships from the institute.

“I am thrilled for my students. I hope we can continue to send students to this institute on a yearly basis,” Arnold said, noting that engaged citizenship is the focus of Concordia’s first-year seminars.

“I gained — obviously — an expanded knowledge of antisemitism,” Jensen said. “But more than that, I learned that it is a unique form of hatred — with its own history and, now, contemporary manifestations that pervade our society in ways I had no idea about before.”

According to the Anti-Defamation League, antisemitic incidents increased by 36% in 2022, with a total of 3,697 incidents reported across the U.S., lending new urgency to academic efforts to understand and fight against antisemitism.

“The workshop helped me understand the importance of academic discourse in an era of cancel culture,” said Vanderlinde, a junior from St. Bonifacius, Minnesota, majoring in social studies education with a history minor. “Throughout the program, I realized that challenging ideas and asking questions are vital for critical thinking.”

The trip also included attending a Shabbat dinner at the Oxford Chabad House, allowing students to learn more about Jewish culture firsthand, making the experience more immersive, Vanderlinde said.

“When Dr. Arnold first reached out about this experience, I was ecstatic,” said Jensen, of Moorhead. “I was excited at the prospect of taking my studies outside the classroom — and even out of the country!”

Martinson, of Sauk Rapids, Minnesota, is an elementary education major minoring in music and said the information she learned will last a lifetime.

“I was encouraged to engage in difficult and sensitive discussions and to question my own perspectives,” she said. “I was able to develop a more nuanced worldview because of that.”

While Martinson particularly appreciated England’s beauty, she also had a warning for prospective travelers.

“There was always something new and delightful to see every day, but if you’re ever in England, make sure to bring an umbrella for the unpredictable weather!” she cautioned. “One day you’re tanning in the park, and then the next day you’re caught in a rainstorm on your way to the coffee shop. Either way, it’s really pretty there, and it’s the perfect place for cool pictures.”

DeMerit Named MIAC Special Teams Player Of The Week

SEPTEMBER 11, 2023 | COCURRICULAR

Concordia junior Stuart DeMerit (Snoqualmie, Washington/Mount Si High School) was named the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Special Team Player of the Week for his game-changing, 93-yard touchdown off of a blocked field goal in the Cobbers’ 26-21 win over Pacific Lutheran in the home opener on Saturday.

DeMerit earns a conference weekly award for the first time in his career, and he is the first CC player to receive MIAC honors in 2023. DeMerit’s award-winning play came courtesy of a blocked field goal in the third quarter, with Concordia clinging to a 13-7 lead. The Lutes lined up for a chip-shot field goal to get to within three points, but senior captain Ty Moser was able to jump high enough to block the field goal attempt. DeMerit picked up the ball on the Cobber 7-yard line and outraced the Pacific Lutheran players for 93 yards to the end zone. DeMerit’s first collegiate touchdown proved to be the deciding TD in Concordia’s first win of the year.

Run for Jonathan Honors the Life of Professor Steinwand

SEPTEMBER 14, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Concordia faculty and staff celebrated the life of Dr. Jonathan Steinwand, who passed away unexpectedly in July, with a memorial run in September. Steinwand, who was a professor of English, the Fulbright program advisor, and co-director of the environmental and sustainability studies program, was also a runner. He was only 58 when he suffered a hemorrhagic stroke June 20.

A 1987 graduate of Concordia, Steinwand joined the college faculty in 1993 and, in addition to being a beloved professor of English, he was a prolific scholar with many publications, papers, and awards to his credit and was a member of many committees at the college over the years.

The 93-yard touchdown return was the longest blocked field return for a TD in school history and is believed to be one of the longest in Division III history.

Dr. Sonja Wentling, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences and professor of history, spent time at a lake in July, reflecting and processing the news of Steinwand’s passing.

“It felt overwhelmingly sad and unfair that someone so young and vibrant, with such a brilliant mind and calming demeanor was gone. I reflected on the good times and Jonathan’s love of nature and the outdoors. We connected as runners, and it happened more than once that Jonathan would pass me at a half marathon, with ease, and often near the finish line, and always with a smile,” Wentling said.

“One time we joined forces for a half marathon relay in 2012, and we were asked to come up with a team name,” she added. “We couldn’t agree on a short name, so it turned into a long phrase that didn’t fit on the board: ‘Two Professors preparing for …’ — I forgot what we were preparing for, but I am sure it was something brilliant.”

As she was scrolling through pictures of that 2012 race, she received notification of the accidental death of another fellow runner, Fargo Marathon director Mark Knutson.

“At that very moment, something compelled me to think positive, to fight the impulse of focusing on what was lost, and instead focus on all that had been received and how to preserve and celebrate the legacy of both of these pioneering spirits and gentle souls,” she said.

“Runners love to run to process things, to clear their minds, to tap into one’s inner strength and resolve, to find out what they are made of,” Wentling said. “All the pieces came together very quickly after that. What better way to honor the indomitable spirit of our friend and colleague, Jonathan Steinwand, than run a race in his honor, to celebrate his life, and to preserve his legacy. And by running one of the Dick Beardsley races in Detroit Lakes (D.L.), a run for Jonathan would also pay tribute to Mark Knutson. The idea came easily, but it took a village to put it into action.”

Wentling reached out to colleagues who were fellow runners and/ or had organizational skills that could make this idea a reality: Dr. Dan Biebighauser, professor of math; Dr. John Flaspohler, associate professor and chair of biology; Jennifer Ristau, acquisitions and cataloging coordinator at the Concordia library; and Leah McCracken Anderson, access services manager at the library, made up the core group to think about logistics, and it quickly grew from there to include Campus Ministry: Deacon Jon Leiseth and pastors Kim and Dave Adams, and a growing community of faculty and staff who wanted to be part of it.

By July 18, the group had sent out messages to all departments and program chairs with the desire to bring runners and walkers together to participate in a race Sept. 9 “to help us grieve, heal together, and build community in memoriam of our dear friend and colleague.”

Campus Ministry, Steinwand’s family, and the planning group, all collaborated to turn an idea for a T-shirt into a reality — olive green was his favorite color, a tree represented his connection to Mother Earth and his solid character, and the poem by Mary Oliver was a reminder of his passion for his program, his teaching, and life in general: “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

More than 20 people, ranging in ages from 4 to 74, went to D.L. to run or walk, and others were cheering from afar, including Steinwand’s parents in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

“It was particularly special to have Jonathan’s family there supporting this cause,” Wentling said.

Dr. Lisa Twomey, associate professor of Spanish, heard about the run at Steinwand’s funeral and right away wanted to participate.

“His death was a huge shock. The Concordia community lost a wonderful colleague and friend, someone who worked hard not just to teach students about academic topics like writing, literature, and sustainability, but also about a way to live in the world,” Twomey said.

“When I went to his funeral, I took so much comfort from the Concordia community that was there to mourn his loss and celebrate his life. I wanted to keep feeling the positive impact Jonathan had on his community,” she added. “Coming together in D.L. was a way to continue celebrating his life in community with others. It was a beautiful day to run and remember Jonathan; I am certain he would have loved it!”

Dr. Vincent Reusch, chair and associate professor of English, said that with Steinwand’s family and colleagues there on that beautifully sunny day, the race felt like a celebration of his life.

“He was involved in so many areas of campus, and it just felt right that through running, another of his passions, all these people came together in remembrance of who he was and what he did,” Reusch added. “Just a glance around the group showed the diversity of Jonathan’s interests and relationships. It was just a wonderful day to gather with people who knew Jonathan, all doing something that he loved.”

“It was important to me to show Jonathan’s family just how much Jonathan was treasured by Concordia’s community,” Flaspohler said. “Although the grief was and is still tangible, Carolyn (Steinwand’s wife) was overwhelmed with joy and appreciation that the love of her life was also loved deeply by so many in the Concordia community and that fellow Cobbers would seek out such an appropriate and meaningful way to honor him. I got to know some family members of both Carolyn and Jonathan, made connections between their families and my own that I had not been aware of previously, and in that shared community hope that this burden felt a little lighter for all.”

Leiseth and the Student Environmental Alliance held an ecomeditation on Sept. 12 to honor Steinwand, and the English department co-hosted a Tuesday Coffee Break with Campus Ministry in the Knutson Campus Center atrium. Following the ecomeditation, Leiseth shared readings from “The Secret Life of Trees” near the Bur (or Burr) Oak that was planted in Steinwand’s honor in the area outside of Bishop Whipple Hall. A formal dedication is planned for Sept. 26.

Many who participated in the Run for Jonathan shared the sentiment that they would like to turn it into an annual event to symbolize that he is still doing his part in building community.

One of Minnesota’s Longest-Serving Teachers Retires: Carlton Urdahl ’63

SEPTEMBER 18, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

After an impressive 60-year tenure teaching math and German, divided between two schools, Carlton Urdahl ’63 sits among the top 1% of longest-serving K-12 teachers in Minnesota.

For the last 50 years, Urdahl, who retired in May, taught at Buffalo High School, Buffalo, Minnesota. Urdahl was responsible for Buffalo High School adding calculus to its curriculum. He said students kept coming back from college saying Buffalo should have calc, but the other teachers thought they should leave it to the colleges. Though he kept pushing the idea, it didn’t go anywhere.

Then he received a National Science Foundation grant to continue studies in math education at the University of Minnesota and spent three summers studying calculus, which came as a shock after not studying it for 25 years.

“The first day,” Urdahl said, “the instructor had given an assignment, and I was sitting there thinking, ‘Oh my God, I don’t know what they’re talking about.’ I was really quite depressed. Honest to God, I was going to quit.” But he thought about the fact that his winning the NSF grant had been in the Buffalo newspaper, and he decided to go back and was glad he did.

He said he met some of the best math teachers in the state there. By the time he finished, he felt he was ready for anything instructors could throw at him. He went back to Buffalo High and again tried to talk the teachers into offering calculus. This time his persistence paid off, and he started teaching calc in 1990 and AP calc in 1995, eventually preparing hundreds of students for the AP exam with pass rates well above state and national averages.

Urdahl had always wanted to be a teacher, and he always knew it was going to be math. As a kid, he went to a country school with eight grades where the older kids helped the younger ones learn. Urdahl found he really enjoyed that, and his decision to become a math teacher was born.

When he got to high school, he realized that he’d missed out on meeting kids who had all grown up together. Growing up on a farm, he’d spent a lot of his time helping with chores instead of school activities. He said he was a shy kid and found high school to be a lonely place. But Concordia changed all that.

Concordia was the only college he was really interested in and said his choice to attend was a no-brainer. His older brother, Loren, had gone to Concordia and loved it, but he credits his pastor for being a Concordia “pusher.” It was because of him Urdahl chose Concordia.

“I was kind of a loner,” Urdahl said. “But when I got to Concordia, everything just opened up. I look at Concordia as the beginning of my real life because I had friends right away, friends I still have. And I had some really good teachers — Frida Nilsen, Hiram Drache, Gerald Heuer, Elwin Rogers, Arthur Grimstad, and Mirdza Eglitis.”

Urdahl said he didn’t even like history until he took Drache’s class and thought Heuer in math and Grimstad in religion were fantastic. He had Eglitis three of four years in German and really liked her and Rogers, who was also in the German department.

“I was very fortunate. I think all of my experiences at Concordia were very positive,” he added.

Urdahl hadn’t intended on majoring in German in addition to mathematics, but he figured he would lose all the German he had learned if he didn’t continue. In the end, it was due to his German major that he landed his first position in Granite Falls, Minnesota. After a few years, he also started teaching math there.

Urdahl said he believes that God had a hand in his career. After teaching in Granite Falls for 10 years, he just decided on a whim one day he would resign when the school year ended. After sleeping on it, he went ahead and submitted the resignation without another job lined up.

“I guess I just did that as kind of a quirk,” he said.

After the school year ended, and without any job prospects, Concordia’s placement office notified him they’d sent his papers to Buffalo for a position they thought he’d be interested in.

“So I called them and met with them in the morning, and I just fell in love with Buffalo,” he said.

And the rest of the story lasted five decades.

Most of those 50 years, he lived in Litchfield, Minnesota, driving a round trip of about 85 miles every day to school, never missing a day because of weather. Although, because he left so early each morning, he did arrive at school sometimes before getting the notice that school was either two hours late or canceled.

Though originally Urdahl was not interested in having a retirement party, two other teachers were retiring so there was a joint celebration and Urdahl said he was glad he went. The party included a virtual appearance from now former Concordia College President William Craft offering his congratulations.

“It was fun making contact with kids I had years ago, and I had three kids from Granite Falls come,” Urdahl said. “A lot of former students came to the party, and I also received some nice letters from former students.”

Also, since it’s Buffalo High School, the retirement gift was a fitting statue of a buffalo.

After Buffalo started offering calc, Urdahl continued his education and started going to Carleton College for its AP summer school in 1995. He went again last summer and, when they said his name, a woman from the AP Institute told him, “You’re a legend around

here. No, really, you came the first time in 1995 and this is your 15th year.” Nobody in the history of the institute had done that.

Urdahl laughed and responded, “Well, I’m really a slow learner!”

He not only wasn’t a slow learner, but he helped hundreds of others with math, something many people don’t find easy. He found great joy when things clicked with his students and was especially excited

when a student who had a lot of trouble grasping a problem finally found the correct answer.

Though he’s officially retired, he’s really not ready to give it up even after 60 years and will be a substitute math teacher this school year.

“But I’m only going to do senior high math, so I’ll be a little choosy,” he said. “I want to be able to help out.”

Helping Hands and Hands-on Learning in Costa Rica

SEPTEMBER 20, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES | SANFORD HEIMARCK SCHOOL OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS

A group of Concordia students spent five days in Costa Rica with the Vida Volunteer program this summer, treating patients and working hands-on with doctors. The program travels year-round to different areas in Guatemala and Costa Rica, setting up clinics that provide free medical care to those without insurance.

Students across the country studying pre-medical fields, including pre-dental and pre-veterinary, get the opportunity to work with Vida to gain experience helping patients outside of the classroom. This not only benefits the communities who need the care but the students as well because they can work alongside medical professionals and learn from their insight. The students assist in coming up with diagnoses and treatments, but ultimately the doctors make the final call and can explain their processes to the students who can learn from their point of view.

Sara Kampsen ‘25 from Sauk Centre, Minnesota, is majoring in biology with minors in chemistry and Spanish and is on the pre-PA (physician assistant) track. Kampsen says they were seeing about 50 patients a day. She describes the experience as eye-opening because they could put their skills into practice before doctors walked them through the process firsthand. Students also receive feedback from the doctors, giving them a good opportunity to grow.

“It was very validating to work through these cases,” Kampsen says. “This is what I want to do for the rest of my life.”

Kampsen says she appreciates the opportunity to work with patients in contrast to learning in a classroom. She explains that a lot of the students love the science and problem-solving aspects of the job, but actually working with patients and providing care affirms their passion for healthcare.

In addition to the opportunity to practice her medical knowledge, Kampsen was able to apply her Spanish minor.

“This was the first time I actually had to use [Spanish] in a real-life scenario,” Kampsen says. “Speaking to a native Spanish speaker versus in the classroom is very different.”

The students on the volunteer trip did homestays, so they were able to meet families and interact with the communities they were

helping. Kampsen expresses that a highlight of the trip was getting to know classmates outside of the classroom as well as meeting many people and becoming familiar with a different culture. Kampsen says that a memorable moment was when a group of kids from the community performed a dance for the doctors and pre-med students as a thank you for making a difference in their community.

“They were so, so thankful and the kindest people ever,” she says about the patients they were seeing. “A lot of them had more acute issues, so we were able to give them pain meds or give them antibiotics, and it’s free.”

If given the opportunity, Kampsen says she would go on another trip through the Vida Volunteer program. After seeing the impact firsthand, she recommends the experience to anyone studying medicine.

Photo (names in alphabetical order): Reese Anderson, Hunter Colby, Elizabeth Fedorchak, Madeline Guler, MaLaney Huhner, Karissa Jones, Sara Kampsen, Ava Kiemele, Joshua Kolling, Landry Maragos, Sierra Ramberg, Peyton Selle, Connor Sturges, Christian Thingvold, Ethan Tong, Faith Weibye

Concordia College Professors Inspire Kids with Science at the Red River Water Festival

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Five Concordia College professors gathered along with dozens of other educators and volunteers to get kids hooked on science, ecology, and conservation.

It’s all part of the six-day Red River Water Festival, which brings thousands of third- and fourth-graders from across the region together at the Hjemkomst Center in Moorhead to learn about water, the science behind it, and the Red River watershed they live in.

“I’m always trying to think of how to get them hooked, how to get them interested,” said Dr. Michael Bush, assistant professor of biology and environmental and sustainability studies at Concordia College. “Not even to be biologists or anything like that, but just — what can I say to make them care about the environment?”

Bush explained invasive species to the youngsters, starting with the grass beneath their feet and then proceeding with a bright image of a goldfish.

One of the students excitedly raised a hand and told the instructor about how his grandpa had caught a fish as big as he was. Bush smiled, listening, agreeing that fish could get pretty big. With a grin, he turned the conversation to the scourge of zebra mussels, an invasive species that kills or hedges out native animals, clings to boats, docks, and water intakes, and even cuts swimmers’ feet if stepped on.

He held up a preserved clump of the mussels and passed it around to the students, perched on their buckets.

Like many of the other educators at the event, Bush has been helping out at the Water Festival since 2016.

Dr. Graeme Wyllie, an assistant professor of chemistry and coordinator of the Concordia Science Academy, has participated for about 10 years.

“This is a chance to work with other organizations as well and teach the kids a wee bit of science,” Wyllie said. “The science is cool. Science is fun. And science is not scary.”

Wyllie presented students with “The Life Box,” showing them exactly what’s required for life to flourish — from a chemistry perspective.

Sweeping the students up into his enthusiasm for science with fun, interactive exchanges, encouragement, and illustrations, Wyllie provided students with a foundation for further learning and a tangible example, too. Every kid received a bag containing a seed and everything it needed to grow except the soil, which they could add later. And the water came in the form of ice cubes, joyfully tossed to each student to the sound of giggles and exclamations of “I’m ready, me next!”

After learning about the requirements for life, fourth-graders from Taylor Williams’ class at Fargo’s Ed Clapp Elementary School headed to Dr. Jennifer Sweatman’s presentation, where the associate professor of biology and program co-director of environmental and sustainability studies helped them create a “Web of Life.”

With each child representing a plant, animal, or environmental feature such as water or the sun, the students passed a ball of yarn around to show connections between mosquitos, willow trees,

humans, and mallards. Then they saw what happens when a single element is removed from the web, as more and more yarn fell to the carpeted floor.

“We’re going to be talking more about this later on because it’s such a great introduction to what we’re going to be learning,” Williams said.

Her students were especially excited to learn about pollution, so she decided to offer her students garbage bags during recess, giving them a chance to tidy the playground as a project.

She also planned to help her students plant the seeds Wyllie had given them.

Sweatman, too, has been participating in the Water Festival for about seven years.

“I think that a lot of the change that’s made toward environmental progress and progressing toward a more sustainable environment is with children and educating them on the interconnectedness of nature,” she said.

While her students for the day were a bit younger than her usual crowd, they still showed great interest in the natural world, she added.

Dr. Mark Jensen, professor of chemistry, gave students a different perspective on the natural world, showing them models of water molecules and how they can stick to each other — cohesion — and to other things — adhesion.

Then students broke into groups for the “Water Olympics,” trying out different activities that each demonstrated a property of water. One group attempted to get paper clips to float in a glass of water, using a fork and water tension.

“And sometimes it floats and sometimes it doesn’t,” Jensen said, noting that the most he’d seen that day was seven floating paperclips in a single water-filled cup.

Lending a hand to other instructors at the event, Dr. Anne Walker, professor of education, helped distribute materials to kids testing water samples to identify what might be in the water — by tasting them. Onion juice and hazelnut coffee creamer were two of the trickiest ingredients, whereas the bright green water had clearly been doctored with a dollop of food coloring.

“Having a love of nature is really important so they want to take care of nature later on,” Williams said of her students. “And then knowing how to is also important because we can say we love the

environment but, if we don’t know how to take care of it, we can only do so much.”

Celebrating Cultures, Building Community at International Potluck

SEPTEMBER 25, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

With tantalizing aromas from around the world circulating in the Centrum, dozens of students and community members from around Fargo-Moorhead gathered to share a meal and build relationships at the first International Potluck event held on campus.

International Potluck is a local organization started by 2001 Concordia College graduate Peter Schott as a way of welcoming New Americans into the community and helping bridge crosscultural gaps, with food serving as a comfort conduit.

Schott and Alan Christenson, who works in the college’s Advancement office, had been working together to have the college host one of the global feasts.

“Concordia‘s mission tells us that our purpose is to influence the affairs of the world, and it seems only right that to fulfill that mission we must allow the world to influence us in return,” Christenson said. “Often we view ‘the world’ in a very broad sense; it is somewhere ‘out there.’ We need only look around this room to see that ‘the world’ is right here. It is right in front of us every day in the people we meet, around us in the community we share, and within this institution in the international, New American, and American students of color we welcome each new school year.”

Before attendees piled their plates with dishes such as samosas, fried plantains, and spiced beans and rice, they heard from students who are playing an integral part in helping shape the future of the college.

“Concordia is changing, and Fargo-Moorhead is changing as well,” said Jesus Gonzalez Ruiz ‘25, Student Government Association president. “Today‘s a reflection of that change. Today is the moment of change and, hopefully, a moment that will last with us for years to come.”

Siam Shimul ‘25, a student leader with the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commission and International Student Organization,

shared how growing up in Bangladesh and being immersed in a “rich tapestry of traditions, languages, and beliefs,” instilled values of curiosity, resilience, and “unwavering appreciation for the beauty of diversity.”

He’s using that experience and lessons learned while attending United World College in New Mexico with students from 90 countries to help others at Concordia.

“Concordia College welcomed me with open arms, providing a nurturing environment for personal and academic growth,” he said, adding how being involved in various student organizations and events like International Potluck instills a sense of unity on campus.

“Here’s to embracing our journey, celebrating diversity, and working together to create a better world, a more connected world,” he said.

Several local nonprofits were also on hand to provide resources to students and others as they navigate their lives in a new country. Sponsoring the event were Cardinal IG and Eventide Senior Living as businesses that have employment policies that support New Americans.

Sheflo Named MIAC Offensive Player of The Week

SEPTEMBER 25, 2023 | COCURRICULAR

Concordia freshman forward Emma Sheflo (Deerwood, Minnesota/ Brainerd High School) was named the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week for her 3-goal performance in the Cobbers’ two wins last week.

Sheflo becomes the first Concordia player to earn the conference weekly honor since the 2018 season.

Sheflo accounted for all three of the Cobbers’ goals in their wins over Dakota Wesleyan and Macalester. She had both strikes in the 2-1 victory on Monday at Dakota Wesleyan and then added the lone goal of the game in a 1-0 win over Macalester.

The win over Macalester marked the first time since 2017 that Concordia has beaten the Scots and it was the first conference loss of the year for Macalester.

Sheflo has a team-leading four goals this season. She also leads the team in total points with nine and total shots with 21. Sheflo is currently tied for sixth in the MIAC in goals and eighth in total shots.

Lill Named MIAC Specialist of The Week

SEPTEMBER 25, 2023 | COCURRICULAR

Concordia senior setter Kaia Lill (Bismarck, North Dakota/Bismarck) was named the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Specialist of the Week for helping the Cobbers go 2-0 to start conference play for the first time since 2015.

Lill averaged 39 assists in Concordia’s three matches last week as the Cobbers posted wins at Macalester and St. Mary’s and then dropped a 5-set thriller against Central (Iowa), who is 12-2 on the season.

Lill’s leadership also helped Concordia record its 10th win of the season. It marks the first time since 2015 that CC has posted a double-digit win total.

Lill receives the conference weekly award for the first time in her Cobber career. She is also the first CC player to be awarded MIAC Player of the Week honors since 2013.

Lill’s award-winning week started with a 44-assist performance against Macalester in the team’s 3-2 win. She also had 11 digs to record her fourth double-double of the year. Lill had 34 assists and

five digs in the Cobbers’ sweep over St. Mary’s before putting up 45 assists against Central in the 3-2 loss.

Lill has at least 40 assists in nine matches this season and has 563 total helpers for the year. She is second in assists per set with a 9.54 average and is third in total assists.

Award-Winning Photojournalists Grapple with ‘Creating the Visual Record’ at Concordia College

SEPTEMBER 26, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but what do those words say, how are they used, and what’s the best way to use the visual documentation and storytelling at the core of global communication and culture?

These were the focal points of Concordia College’s 2023 Faith, Reason, and World Affairs Symposium, “Creating the Visual Record,” Sept. 19-20, which brought together experts in photojournalism, technology, and an array of academic disciplines for a wide-ranging discussion.

Issues under the magnifying glass included ethics, community standards, new technologies such as artificial intelligence, accuracy, bias, entertainment vs. shock value, and appropriate use of images in various contexts.

Joseph Kennedy, instructional designer, Laurie Probst, library director, Dr. Teri Langlie, professor of education, and Dr. Darin Ulness, professor of chemistry, presented “Dall-Eing, That’s Not a Real Photo!” to a room full of students, some sitting on the floor, others on a shelf and still others pulling up chairs in the hallway to listen.

Attendees had the opportunity to listen to presentations from nationally known photojournalists and a roundtable conversation between the keynote speakers and President Colin Irvine. They could also choose two of 14 presentations from regional photographers, Forum Communications journalists, and college faculty and staff on topics ranging from historical and sports photography to fake photos and images produced by AI.

Visual Storytelling and National Geographic

Whitney Latorre, former director of visuals and immersive experiences at National Geographic, kicked off the symposium with a call to photographers to expand and seize the moment.

“I think we should move visual storytelling as far forward as technology and truth can go,” Latorre said. “What we’re after, after all, is impact.”

During her presentation, Latorre showcased the history of National Geographic Magazine, including its first printed photo of a natural scene, its pioneering efforts in color underwater and aerial photos, and its use of technological innovation to strengthen visual storytelling.

Though sometimes criticized as a “picture book,” the National Geographic was using a new form of storytelling and, over time, that storytelling began to make a difference. Images of Yosemite National Park showed the West to the world and led to the Yosemite Act, which protected the region. Photos of animals, such as elephants in Gabon, led to conservation efforts.

“Publishing a photo is just the beginning of a conversation,” Latorre said.

That conversation is changing as generative AI and augmented reality become more prevalent, but technology can’t replace an artistic eye, said the National Geographic alumna.

Latorre has been telling stories as long as she can remember and, in college, majored in English.

“Students, don’t limit yourselves or let anyone box you in,” she advised, noting that the core values of storytelling don’t change whether the medium is text-based or photographic and still require meaningful content and strategic delivery. One medium does not need to replace another, Latorre added.

Caring and Conflict Photography

Photojournalist, writer, and educator Lauren Walsh, who specializes in conflict photography and peace journalism, was once taken aback in the classroom as she was showing students photos of people suffering during a famine in Sudan.

One of her students said that while he understood why she was presenting the information, he had plans to go to dinner later, that he “had nothing to do with the suffering,” and asked why he should care.

Walsh turned the question back to her other students, who weren’t pleased with the commenter, but the question lingered with her. She mentioned it to a photographer friend, who said they’d heard those questions for a long time.

Walsh began working on “Conversations on Conflict Photography” to address the specialization’s goals and effects and interrogate its purpose and often complex ethical dilemmas in a world of apathy and news exhaustion.

She described some of the risks of conflict photography and journalism, starting with the physical danger, but also including the incredible emotional toll it can take on the photographers who must see disturbing images to capture them.

“There is a person there who is creating the imagery,” Walsh said.

She described the balancing act between creating a beautiful image that draws attention and encourages people to care, and accurately portraying human suffering and horror. Walsh also pointed out the mythic romanticism of conflict photojournalism, which has largely been a Western, white male’s job, and emphasized the importance of including many voices.

“It’s not just making a photo. It’s not just taking a photo. There’s so much thinking that needs to go into it,” Walsh said of photojournalism. Lauren Walsh

She noted that journalism is expensive and is currently undergoing a financial crisis as people gravitate toward social media and away from paid subscriptions. In the long term, Walsh warned, that erodes the ability of media organizations to produce strong, in-depth work. War and Conservation

Ami Vitale, National Geographic photographer and filmmaker, told attendees that she had once been a shy, awkward kid. With a camera, she could forget about herself and focus on others, amplifying their stories and their voices.

“In the beginning, it was the tool for my own self-empowerment,” Vitale said. “But I quickly realized the more extraordinary thing is that you can create awareness and understanding and connect people.”

At a young age, she received a grant and traveled to a small village in West Africa where a civil war had impacted the people. By slowing down and allowing people to tell her what their stories were, she learned that there were many characters and that the story she wanted to tell was their deep connection to the natural world.

At another point, while she served as a conflict journalist, Vitale was told to get dramatic pictures of the war, but she began asking herself whether the reporters there were telling only half the story. On her way back to her hotel one day, she discovered a couple getting married in the middle of the chaos — a true example of human resilience.

She started focusing more on the human condition, the natural world, and how resources often drive conflict in humans.

Vitale has taken photos of the people fiercely protecting endangered rhinoceros populations from poachers, people consoling baby elephants separated from their herds, and people taking drastic measures to reintroduce pandas back into the wild.

Vitale emphasized the importance of doing research but also cautioned attendees against assuming they know someone else’s story. She encouraged people to push the envelope, telling stories of hope and resilience.

“We need to come together and find ways to tell the stories,” she said.

Pre-Med Preparation Abroad

OCTOBER 23, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Kylie Brenny ’25, Baxter, Minnesota Major/Minors: Biology (pre-med); Chemistry, Spanish

Please tell us about yourself.

I am a junior here at Concordia on the pre-medicine track. I like to keep myself busy on campus, and I have found myself involved in many of our campus organizations. I am the lead of the Campus Events Commission, one of the executive members of our Health Professions Interest Club, a Resident Assistant, as well as a member of the Student Government Association. I am always looking for new opportunities, and I recently participated in a two-month program where I shadowed medical professionals in hospitals in Italy and Spain.

How did you hear about Concordia and why did you choose to attend college here?

I heard about Concordia from one of my neighbors back home. After touring the college and learning more about Concordia’s strong premedical program, I decided to attend. How did you decide on your area of study?

I have been surrounded by healthcare my whole life. The human body is so complex, and it is extremely interesting to study its various systems and how those systems connect and influence each other. As for choosing to become a doctor of osteopathic medicine, I find the additional training of being able to manipulate

and heal the body with your hands incredibly fascinating and valuable, which may stem from my many years as a dancer.

Do you have a favorite course or professor at Concordia and why?

I do not think I can name my favorite professor. I have truly enjoyed every professor I have had at Concordia, and each one is amazing in their own way. If I were to have a favorite class, it would have to be my first-year inquiry seminar, In Search of Home, with Professor Twomey. I was able to have conversations with immigrants and refugees living in Moorhead and learn their stories. It was an extremely impactful course.

What activities are you involved in?

In addition to the on-campus activities I previously mentioned (CEC, HPIC, RA, SGA), I also work as a direct support professional at Creative Care for Reaching Independence and volunteer at various Fargo-Moorhead community service organizations.

Can you tell us about the shadowing program you participated in?

I heard about the Atlantis shadowing program from a neighbor of mine who had done it herself. The application process consisted of submitting an application and later interviewing with an Atlantis alum. During the program, I spent three weeks in each city (Genoa, Italy, and Merida, Spain), and each week I would shadow a different specialty. The doctors and other professionals were all extremely kind even though I was not always able to converse with all of them due to the language barrier. I would shadow in the hospital Monday through Thursday for approximately five hours with Fridays being reserved for cultural excursions to experience the country. In total, I was able to shadow thoracic surgery, urology, ophthalmology, neurosurgery, radiology, oncology, and orthopedic surgery. I would consider my experiences to be extremely valuable, and I had an amazing time!

What is your biggest takeaway from your time in the Atlantis program?

My biggest takeaway is the number of extraordinarily complex cases I was able to observe. I do not know if I would be allowed to experience similar cases in the United States. Even during surgery, the doctors were excited about teaching, and they wanted me to see and understand what they were doing at every moment. I experienced multiple neurosurgeries, oncology consultations, a pediatric esophagectomy, and much more. Throughout it all, the doctors were mindful of ensuring that I was understanding what was happening.

What challenged you during the program and how did you overcome it?

It was challenging to be in a hospital abroad where the culture is quite different, especially because there are no pre-med students in Italy. Students go straight from high school into medical school so, for many doctors, it was challenging for them to understand why we were there. At the beginning of each rotation, I had to be extra engaging with the doctors so they could see that I was there to learn and interested in what they had to share. After asking many questions, doctors would come to understand, and they would begin to teach me about their specialty without prompting.

What is your favorite memory from your time spent in the program?

It was a common theme throughout the trip that, apart from the Italian neurosurgeons, almost none of the doctors in either country knew where Minnesota was. The interaction that stands out was when I attempted to teach the orthopedic surgeons in Spain where Minnesota is located. This was probably because they were

insistent that they find it without my help. The first hurdle was distinguishing Washington state from Washington, D.C., as one believed Minnesota was by Washington. Ultimately, it took three surgeons, a map, and about 15 minutes of debate before they finally asked me to point out where my home state was.

What is your career goal?

My goal is to become a doctor of osteopathic medicine. Currently, I am thinking about specializing in pediatric oncology.

What do you value most about being a Cobber?

The connections are the things I most value about being a Cobber. Throughout my time on campus, I have made some amazing connections with my professors as well as with my peers. I have established friendships with some remarkable people during my time at Concordia. As a campus leader, I have made great connections with a variety of campus staff in the Office of Student Engagement, Career Center, Post Office, and Residence Life Office. The connections transcend outside campus as well. The alumni network that Concordia has is so strong; it has already had positive impacts on my future medical school career.

What advice would you give to a high school student who is considering Concordia?

I would encourage any student considering Concordia to step outside their comfort zones and say yes to the opportunities Concordia has to offer. There are so many fantastic experiences here — all offered by wonderful people who want to help you succeed. I have said yes to nearly every opportunity I have had the chance to take part in, and I can confidently say I have grown significantly because of each one.

Benson Is MIAC Meet Champion

Sophomore Gabe Benson became only the second Cobber golfer in program history to win the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship Meet as he posted his second 69 of the 3-day tournament and earned medalist honors by a single shot.

Benson finished the three rounds at Rush Creek GC with a 5-under total of 211. His 211 is the lowest score by a Concordia golfer at a 3-day MIAC Meet in the program’s history.

Not only did Benson shine on the individual side, he also helped the Cobbers finish in third place in the final team standings. It is the second time in the past four seasons that Concordia has posted a third-place finish at the conference meet.

As a team, the Cobbers ended the meet with a score of 899 (296298-305). The two sub-300 rounds tie the program record for most rounds under 300 at an MIAC Meet, and it is only the second time since the league went to a 3-round format in 2006 that Concordia has posted a score under 900.

Benson’s success over the three days came on the Par 4s, where he led all players with a combined 5-under total. He also led the field in birdies, carding 14 throughout the tournament. Benson only made seven bogeys and one double in the 54 holes. He earned the title on Monday by coming home with only one bogey and four birdies.

Benson’s win at the MIAC Championship Meet bookends his breakout fall season that saw him capture medalist honors at the season-opening Augsburg Invite, post four Top 5 finishes and lead the Cobbers in five of their six meets. He finished the year with a 72.3 average over 16 rounds, which was third lowest in the conference. Benson fired three rounds in the 60s this year with a career-best score of 66 coming in the second round of the Augsburg Invite.

Sophomore Jayce Johnson and freshman Jack Hanson were the team’s No.2 and No.3 finishers at the conference meet. Both players posted scores of 232 and finished in a tie for 25th place.

Johnson opened with a pair of 76s over the weekend and then came home with an 80 on Monday. His total of 232 was three shots clear of his score at last year’s meet. Johnson was the most consistent of the five CC players over the three days. He recorded a team-high 33 pars over the 54 holes.

Johnson ends his fall with a 76.4 average over his 16 rounds. That mark is the third lowest on the squad.

Hanson felt the nerves in the first round of his first collegiate conference meet as he started the tournament with an 82. He rebounded with a 2-over 74 on Sunday and then ended the meet with a 76. Hanson carded nine birdies over the three days, tied for eighth most among the 45 competitors.

Hanson ends his first fall of college competition with a 76.6 average – fourth best for CC. Hanson posted the other individual event win

for Concordia when he claimed the title at the Jamestown Fall Classic.

Sam Henke and Mason Plante were the final two members of the Cobber crew at the conference meet. Henke posted a 3-round score of 235, while Plante was two shots behind at 237.

Henke was in the No.2 spot for the Cobbers heading into Monday’s final round after carding rounds of 76 and 75, but then fired an 84 and finished in a tie for 31st place.

Henke ends his senior fall season as the team’s No.2 scoring leader. He had an average of 75.9 over 16 rounds and had a pair of Top 5 finishes.

Like Henke, Plante had early success. He opened with a 75 but then recorded a score of 82 on Sunday and finished with an 80.

Afzaal Publishes Must-Read Book for Educators

Dr. Ahmed Afzaal, associate professor of religion, published a book for teachers that is also helpful for the rest of society in dealing with the damage of climate change.

While “Teaching at Twilight” is geared primarily toward college professors, “its core message is of urgent relevance to anyone who cares about the welfare and well-being of the younger generation.”

Afzaal warns that “our civilization is in the initial stages of collapse. In addition to social and economic disruptions and political upheavals, the ongoing collapse is demolishing our taken-for-granted certainties and precipitating a profound crisis of meaning. Given the enormous challenges of living through the coming years and decades, we must fundamentally change how we live, teach, and lead.”

In the preface for the book it states: “This book is not about “sustainability.” In some ways, it is about the opposite of

sustainability, about what happens when we fail to achieve a sustainable state within the grace period that nature gave us for this purpose. Nor is this book about saving the planet; instead, it provides suggestions for moving forward after we’ve realized that humanity may already have caused more damage than nature can fix on human time-scales.”

Instead of warning what will happen unless we change course on climate change, the book explores what educators can do now given that we did not heed the warnings and “bad things have already started to happen.”

“Teaching at Twilight” is “an unsettling but urgent message and a must-read for all educators,” but it’s also for parents, religious leaders, community organizers and the like — literally anyone/ everyone.

Dahr Jamail, author of “End of Ice,” said the book “makes the case for teachers to question why we educate, how we educate, and what education is for in this time of collapse.”

Learn more about the book at TeachingatTwilight.com.

Afzaal says in the preface: “This is not the book that I wished to write, but it is definitely one that needed to be written.”

OCTOBER 3, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Concordia College to Celebrate the Inauguration of President Colin Irvine on Sunday, Oct. 15

OCTOBER 4, 2023

The public is invited to join Concordia College in the momentous occasion of inaugurating its 12th president, Dr. Colin Irvine, at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 15, in Memorial Auditorium. The ceremony marks the beginning of a new era of leadership and innovation for the college.

Distinguished guests, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and members of the community will gather to witness the formal investiture of President Irvine, who brings a wealth of experience and a visionary approach to higher education.

The inauguration ceremony will feature keynote addresses, worship service readings, and performances by the college’s talented band and choir students.

The installation will be performed by Mary Ranum, chair of Concordia College’s Board of Regents; the Rev. Tessa Moon Leiseth, bishop of the Eastern North Dakota Synod of the ELCA; and the Rev. William Tesch, bishop of the Northwestern Minnesota Synod of the ELCA and member of the Concordia College’s Board of Regents.

Leading up to the ceremony, there will be three panel discussions on the rich history and future of the college.

• Stories of Significance: Rediscovering our Past 7-8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 9

• Horizons of Today: Voice of Innovation Noon-1 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 10

• Voyage to Tomorrow: Embracing the Future 3-4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13

All panel discussions will be held in Barry Auditorium located inside the Grant Center, home of the Offutt School of Business, on campus.

Learn more at ConcordiaCollege.edu/Inauguration.

Irvine became president of Concordia College in July. He previously served as provost and executive vice president at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. A first-generation college student, Irvine received a doctorate in English from Marquette University, a Master of Arts in American Studies from the University of Notre Dame, and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Carroll College in Helena, Montana. He is the recipient of three Fulbright awards. He and his wife, Kelly, have two children, Cal and Caroline.

Irvine’s passionate leadership has extended into areas of institutional growth, program development, and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

Chiefly, Irvine seeks to pinpoint precisely where Concordia’s mission meets the market, preparing students for fulfilling careers in fields where the world needs them most.

Teaming Up with Alumni Foundation to Get More Kids in the Game

OCTOBER 9, 2023 | COCURRICULAR

The college’s Student Athletic Advisory Committee has partnered with the InSports Foundation to help more kids play sports.

Now through Oct. 24, people can buy unique hooded sweatshirts with “ROLLCOBBS” written across the chest. Every purchase of the UNRL brand hoodie directly supports the Cobber kids programs and Cobber sports camps.

Former Concordia athletes Max Smith ’15 and Andrew Deters ’15 started the foundation while they were students. Its mission is to “get kids in the game, enabling them to become active, confident, and successful team leaders in their communities.” The nonprofit organization creates free sports camps for kids in need; provides scholarships to cover participation, traveling, and equipment; and offers team sponsorships. Since 2015, the foundation has been helping nearly 56,000 kids.

In 2020, Concordia Athletics honored Smith and Deters with the Bucky Burgau Impact Award for their work supporting kids with financial assistance and sporting opportunities.

About Colin Irvine

Concordia Announces Registered Behavioral Technician Certificate

OCTOBER 10, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Dr. Sonja Wentling, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, announced that a new partnership has been formed between the Concordia College psychology department and Pediatric Partners of Fargo, North Dakota, for the purpose of providing training to students looking to become a certified registered behavior technician.

“We are excited to make this training available to our students,” Wentling said.

Certified RBTs teach adaptive skills to children and adults under the supervision of a board-certified behavior analyst. Certified RBTs are in high demand in Fargo-Moorhead and throughout the country. Beginning in January 2024, the course PSYC 218: Behavior Modification will include training on each of the six primary content areas required for RBT Certification.

Upon completion of the course with a grade of “B” or higher, students will be invited to complete a practical competency

assessment given by a board-certified behavior analyst at Pediatric Partners. Students will then be qualified to sit for the written RBT certification exam. Successful completion of the exam will result in certification as a registered behavior technician by the Behavior Analysis Certification Board, a certification that is valid in all 50 United States and Canada.

Dr. Mikel Olson, chair and professor of psychology, said certified RBTs are in short supply in the Fargo-Moorhead community, and many local agencies have waiting lists for services that RBTs can provide.

“With this certification, students can provide services to children and families in our community who need help, and, at the same time, gain experience in a clinical setting that can better prepare them for careers in mental and behavioral health,” he added.

Peace Scholars’ Journey to Norway More Than They Imagined

OCTOBER 16, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

ANNA

Concordia’s 2023 Smaby Peace Scholars, juniors Anna Kronbeck from Hawley, Minnesota, and Kailey Thomas from Puyallup, Washington, reflect on their experience as scholars and their time at the International Summer School at the University of Oslo.

“I was wearing my grandma’s Norway sweatshirt when I got the call from the school president that I had been chosen as a peace scholar,” said Kronbeck. “My grandma had been to Norway multiple times throughout her life, and I grew up looking at pictures in the family photo album of her trips.”

Kronbeck had decided to apply for the Peace Scholar program because of the fondness that many people in the Midwest have when talking about Norway and also to supplement her education as someone studying political science and global studies.

“In those academic fields, we discuss war and conflict often, but we rarely stop to discuss peace and the efforts being put toward it,” she added.

“My time in Norway was extremely influential, and will continue to be, in terms of how I view the world around me,” Kronbeck said. “Not only did studying through an international program expose me to the viewpoints of classmates from over 20 different countries, but simply the courses I took were enough to shape my existing beliefs and understanding of what life can look like, what it has the

potential to be. It opened my eyes to a different way of life, gave me the chance to explore it and serves to remind me of the things I may take for granted at home.”

She said they had a great mix of classwork and meeting new people, exploring new places, and absorbing new experiences. One of her favorite memories is from hiking the Saboteur’s Trail in the Telemark region — hiking down a very steep trail (even rappelling at some points) in a valley, trekking across a river, and hiking up the other side of the valley.

“No one in the group was prepared for such a strenuous hike, which made it even more of a bonding experience,” she added.

“We worked with people we had never met to help each other through challenging points of the trail, and by the time we finished the hike, it was like we had known each other for years.”

“Coming out of the program, I am very excited to contribute my new knowledge of peace and dialogue in multiple avenues on campus, including in my classes, in the student organizations I’m involved in, and simply in the interactions I have,” Kronbeck said.

KAILEY

Kailey Thomas said she would group the overall Peace Scholars experience into several phases — the first being preparation. After the selection process, she and Kronbeck attended a conference at the Norway House in Minneapolis. It’s also where they’ll present their individual research findings in the upcoming year.

“Norway House was also where we met the incredible people that help make this program possible, and the people you will share some of the best experiences of your life with,” Thomas added.

The second phase was in June when they headed to Europe for “the adventure of a lifetime.”

Thomas said upon arrival in Norway, she and Kronbeck completed a pre-week with the other Peace Scholars led by the Peace Seminar professor. In the mornings they met for dialogue sessions and training. The afternoons consisted of excursions around Oslo. Some of the places they went include the National Museum and Eckebergskrenten Sculpture Park. At the end of the week, they hiked to a cabin in Nordmarka where they stayed for two nights.

“By the end of this week, little did I know I had begun building lifelong friendships,” Thomas said.

After that, they began their six weeklong classes at the International Summer School, with 500 students from 75 different countries.

“I had two classes a day: Norwegian Welfare State and Peace Seminar,” Thomas said. “We would listen to a lecture and ask questions surrounding different categories and once a week, we participated in a seminar surrounding the week’s topic. On other days, we may have had guest lectures or visits to organizations around Oslo, including the Norwegian Refugee Council, the Islamic Cultural Center, the Peace Research Institute of Oslo, and so much more.”

Thomas added that she felt another phase happened when she returned home and reflected on the experience.

“Every day, I find myself applying my experiences and class lessons to my studies at Concordia and in my everyday life. This is where I realized just how powerful my experiences were this summer, and just how much I have grown.”

The last phase will include sharing the experience and presenting research projects at the conference next year.

“I am filled with nothing but gratitude while reminiscing on the memories of joy, and growth during my time as a Peace Scholar,” she said. “I have returned to school with a new outlook on life and new perspectives on challenges locally and globally. It is easy to get caught up in the turmoil of life around us, but understanding both peace and conflict at their roots, I can’t help but feel hope for this world.”

She also indicated that prior to this summer, she didn’t comprehend the power of dialogue, but ended up developing a fascination with the power and importance of dialogue.

“Being in Oslo helped me meet people from around this world, from many different backgrounds, something I see as priceless,” she said. “The relationships formed this summer will forever be one of my favorite parts of this program.”

Favorite adventures include the cabin retreat in Nordmarka, challenging hikes, watching the bustling city life of Oslo, indulging in amazing food, and experiencing Norwegian culture in the woods.

“We learned of this idea referred to as friluftsliv. It is a belief that Norwegians live by and stresses the importance of experiencing the outdoors because of its benefits to every aspect of our health,” she added. “I left knowing I need to find ways to incorporate friluftsliv daily even when I return home, it really is powerful.”

“I will continue to be eternally grateful for my opportunities as a Peace Scholar. My biggest recommendation to other Cobbers is to apply to any opportunity that interests you. I believed that this was a long shot, but my mentality was that I had nothing to lose by applying.”

Concordia College Dedicates Its New Heimarck Center

OCTOBER 17, 2023 | SANFORD HEIMARCK SCHOOL OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS

Interactive, cutting-edge technology is built right into Concordia College’s Heimarck Center, offering students opportunities to learn in a rapidly evolving field while maintaining healthcare’s core focus on people, from patients to caregivers to support staff and administration.

That same focus was present at the ceremonial opening and dedication of Concordia’s newest building Oct. 12, as dozens of people gathered on a crisp autumn day to celebrate the official opening of the facility that will house the Sanford Heimarck School of Health Professions.

“The impact of our partnerships resonates far beyond the walls of the classrooms and hospitals. It resonates to the lives of the patients and their families, making our communities healthier and stronger,” said Theresa Larson, vice president of nursing and clinical services at Sanford Fargo. “Together we are shaping lives and fostering a community of caregivers who work together to make a difference.”

One of those people who made a difference was Dr. Ted Heimarck himself, founder of Concordia’s healthcare administration program. All seven of Heimarck’s children attended the event, and Sara Heimarck Hansen, ’96, spoke about his legacy.

“My dad could have been many things in his life. He got a law degree from the University of Chicago. He passed the Illinois bar. He could have been a lawyer; he could have been an administrator.

But he found his passion as a teacher,” Heimarck Hansen said. “He loved Concordia, he loved his students. He believed in curiosity, progress, and science. He believed in contributing to the community and helping those in need.”

Heimarck’s curiosity, as well as his interest in science and progress, can be found throughout the building that bears his name and, following the ceremony, the public had a chance to tour the facility. It features multiple state-of-the-art simulation labs for nursing and home health, a leadership boardroom that allows students to give executive presentations, and even a Bod Pod, a high-tech device that can measure a patient’s body fat percentage.

Equipment also includes life-like medical manikins that can be operated by an instructor in a nearby control room, while professors monitor students through one-way mirrors in order to give feedback.

“This whole building models … a brilliant concept in education, which is: you can tell me, or you can show me, or you can let me learn by doing. And this is a building all about learning by doing,” said Concordia College President Colin Irvine.

Irvine thanked the Heimarck family, the architects, the donors who funded the building, and the faculty and staff who have made the college’s healthcare programs successful over the years, including its namesake.

David Horazdovsky, who graduated from Concordia in 1978 and currently serves on its Board of Regents, noted that students come from all over the world, each bringing a story of their own and weaving them together at the college.

“We learn to experience unity here,” Horazdovsky said, referring to the many friendships, professional relationships, and even marriages forged at Concordia. He recalled how Ted Heimarck, with an impressive set of eyebrows and an even more impressive heart, listened to his students’ stories and, no matter what they were, always brought them along.

That will continue at the Heimarck Center that bears his name, where students will study clinical laboratory science, exercise science, food, nutrition and dietetics, healthcare leadership, nursing, and social work, as well as athletic training, dentistry, medicine, occupational therapy, pharmacy, physical therapy, and more.

The college announced the Sanford Heimarck School of Health Professions after a pledge of continued support from Sanford Health in 2021. With that partnership came the donation of land and the clinic on the corner of Eighth Street and 12th Avenue South in Moorhead, where the Heimarck Center now stands.

“Welcome to the future of healthcare,” said Dr. Gwen Halaas, dean of the Sanford Heimarck School of Health Professions. “This new facility and some new programs that I’ll tell you about, bring our faculty and students together to learn and practice teamwork and leadership that prepares them to be change agents.”

She offered a sneak peek of Concordia’s work developing future offerings in the healthcare field, including new programs and partnerships, and thanked those gathered to celebrate the completion of the new facility.

The dedication ceremony concluded with a brief prayer and then a ribbon-cutting with the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber and its Chamber Ambassadors. Afterward, much of the crowd headed indoors for refreshments, a glimpse at the Heimarck Center’s features, or chatting with fellow alumni, staff, students, and friends.

For more information about the Heimarck Center and the Sanford Heimarck School of Health Professions, visit ConcordiaCollege. edu/HealthProfessions.

Investing to Grow: Concordia College Announces Multiple New Programs

Concordia College is excited to announce several new academic, athletic, musical, and cocurricular programs that build on the tradition of excellence, allowing students to pursue their passions and meet the evolving workforce needs.

“In a time when budget challenges are leading many institutions to cut academic and athletic programs, Concordia is charting a new path — we are investing to grow,” said President Colin Irvine.

Beginning in 2024, students can explore a range of innovative, interdisciplinary programs that are market-smart and that lead to high-demand jobs.

Master in Management Science with a Focus on Data Analytics

At the graduate level, we are introducing a cutting-edge master’s program in management science, with a specialized focus on data analytics. This program equips students with advanced analytical skills, preparing them for leadership roles in data-driven industries.

Undergraduate Data Analytics Certificate

For undergraduates interested in delving into the world of data analytics, we are developing a new certificate program. This certificate will empower students with practical knowledge and skills essential for thriving in data-centric fields.

World Languages for the Workspace Certificates

In response to the global demand for multilingual professionals, we will be introducing four unique certificates in world languages tailored for the workplace. These certificates will enable students

to communicate effectively in diverse international settings, enhancing their career prospects.

Registered Behavioral Technician Certificate

In collaboration with Pediatric Partners in Fargo, we are offering a registered behavioral technician certificate. This program prepares students to make a difference in the lives of children and families, addressing the growing need for qualified professionals in behavioral healthcare.

Expanded Opportunities in Music

Building on our rich tradition of musical excellence, we are thrilled to introduce a dynamic new opportunity — a drumline. Starting this fall, students can participate in this exciting musical endeavor, enriching our campus with the vibrant rhythms of percussion.

Clay Target Team

Embracing the enthusiasm for sports in our region, Concordia College is proud to provide our students with the opportunity to excel in the thrilling sport of clay target. Clay target is one of the fastest-growing high school sports in the area, engaging thousands of student-athletes in Minnesota alone.

Esports Expansion

Following the success of our inaugural esports teams in League of Legends and Overwatch 2, we are expanding our esports offerings. In addition to these teams, we are introducing two new teams: one competing in Super Smash Brothers Ultimate and the other in

Rocket League. Concordia College continues to foster a spirit of competition and camaraderie in the world of esports.

Stay tuned for more announcements in the coming months as we continue to expand our offerings and empower our students for a successful future.

“We are committed to providing our students with personalized experiences in and out of the classroom that allow them to dream big and pursue possibilities the moment they step foot on campus,” said President Irvine.

For more information about these programs and how to apply, contact our admission office.

Concordia College Inaugurates Dr. Colin Irvine as 12th President

OCTOBER 19, 2023

In the highly competitive world of higher education, Concordia College may seem like an underdog — but the race isn’t over and, by gathering momentum, a determined underdog can achieve great things.

That’s what Dr. Colin Irvine, a runner and a first-generation college student himself, said during his inauguration ceremony on Oct. 15 in Memorial Auditorium.

His address brought the college’s mission, history, and call to service together as he emphasized the power of narrative when combined with a sense of momentum.

“Anything is possible with prayers and extraordinary effort, with collective effort — the kind that creates its own set of possibilities, its own momentum, and maybe its own luck,” Irvine said.

He pointed out that, though it seems inevitable now, Concordia’s founders were really inventing the college as they went, with no guidebook to the future.

“We believe as a college in the veritable fact that we are called to pursue our vocations in service to God’s work in this world and for this world,” he said, noting that calling can be a countermovement in the world, a “way forward that is full of hope and concern for others.”

He finished with a request for prayers, a quote from Shakespeare, a cheer with the college’s coaches, and finally, “Let’s Go, Concordia! God Bless! Soli Deo Gloria. Roll Cobbs!”

The inauguration doubled as a worship service, complete with a call to worship, hymns, readings from the Bible, and an installation.

That was followed by a litany of commitment, in which President Emeritus Dr. Paul Dovre reiterated the college’s commitment to serve young people and the world, and thanked God for the many Concordia students, faculty, staff, and alumni who went before, as well as those yet to come, and for Irvine himself.

During the litany, Jesus Gonzalez Ruiz, president of Concordia’s Student Government Association, represented students, with Dr. Susan Larson, provost and dean of the college, representing faculty, and Katherine Halvorson, director of annual giving and engagement, representing staff.

The Rev. Lamont Wells, executive director of the Network of ELCA Colleges and Universities, the Rev. John Quello, and the Rev. Gary Henderson represented higher education, alumni and the Concordia Board of Regents, respectively, with President Emeritus Dr. William Craft completing the litany.

Following Irvine’s inaugural address, students Tairiq Booker, Genesia Weekes, and Greta Almlie presented the new president with gifts symbolizing three facets of Concordia: athletics, music and the arts, and academics.

The Concordia Choir sang “Here I Am, Lord,” a hymn focusing on volunteering to serve that was originally published in 1981. Attendees joined together in prayer along with the Rev. Dave Adams, campus pastor, and received a blessing from the Rev. Henderson of the Board of Regents.

The inauguration ended with the strains of a playful arrangement of J.S. Bach’s “Chorale Prelude: A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” Martin Luther’s best-known hymn, as played by The Concordia Band.

The Concordia College community had prepared to celebrate the inauguration by hosting three panels open to alumni and the public, focusing on the past, present, and future of the college. The first, “Stories of Significance: Rediscovering Our Past,” included past students sharing their experiences, with alumni in the crowd speaking about college history from World War II into the present day. The second panel, “Horizons of Today: Voices of Innovation” trained its lens on the present, asking what innovation meant and how creativity could be brought to positively influence the affairs of the world. Finally, “Voyage to Tomorrow: Embracing the Future” sought to generate visions of the college’s future as a forwardlooking force for positive change.

Irvine offered a welcome to attendees at each of the three panels. “I wanted to hear about Concordia, as people experienced it — through stories,” he said.

$2.5 Million NSF Grant for CLIMB Brings Biotech Opportunities to Concordia College Students

OCTOBER 23, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES | OFFUTT

A new $2.5 million National Science Foundation grant will set 36 Concordia students up for success, pairing scholarships with academic and social support systems, mentoring, and internships with local industry partners.

Geared toward students with high financial need, the Concordia Leads: Instructing and Mentoring in Biotechnology program will offer three cohorts of 12 incoming students up to $15,000 annually, beginning in fall 2024.

The scholarship can be applied on top of others to potentially cover the full cost of college.

“It gives them not just the money for college, but it sets them up for success by giving them the other tools in the toolset,” said Dr. Mark Jensen, chemistry professor and principal investigator of the NSF grant.

It will be open to academically talented students demonstrating financial need who are interested in careers in biotechnology. Eligible programs of study include biology, chemistry, computer science, environmental studies, mathematics, neuroscience, physics, and pre-engineering.

As a multifaceted, multidisciplinary field that uses living cells or their derivatives in products and applications including healthcare, agriculture and environmental remediation, the project’s focus on biotechnology will also mean workforce development opportunities for local companies seeking highly skilled employees.

The CLIMB program will have four components, Jensen explained.

The first is building a diverse applicant pool by targeting students from groups underrepresented in STEM and in biotech specifically.

Because students will be brought into the program together in groups as cohorts, CLIMB will also provide academic and social support systems, which will help retain them.

Third, scholars will be connected with a network of mentors, who will provide personal, academic, social, and vocational support — also critical for student retention and success in STEM. The program even offers guaranteed research opportunities with STEM faculty.

Finally, students will work with local industry partners to offer vocational guidance, knowledge, and experiences, helping prepare them for successful careers in biotechnology with paid internships.

“One goal is to help our students become accomplished professionals,” Jensen said.

Three Fargo companies have partnered with Concordia for the CLIMB program, each with an area of specialization within the biotech field.

• Agathos Biologics is developing transformational science in biomanufacturing, biologic payload delivery, and cell and gene therapy.

• Aldevron is a premier manufacturing partner, producing highquality plasmid DNA, mRNA, proteins, and other key components for the development of vaccines, gene and cell therapies, immunotherapies, and molecular diagnostics.

• Genovac Antibody Discovery does contract research and manufacturing, specializing in antibody discovery and production of new drugs and diagnostics.

Representatives from all three companies, along with Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation, came together to collaborate on the program, and GFMEDC will continue to work to connect other biotech companies with Concordia in the future.

“These internships are invaluable, bridging the gap between academic knowledge and practical experience and preparing students for impactful careers in this rapidly growing field,” said Mark Voigt, director of business development and operations at Agathos Biologics. “As the bioscience sector takes center stage as a leading growth sector and regional priority, Agathos Biologics is committed to nurturing the next generation of ethical and innovative biotechnologists, helping build a brighter future for the industry and society.”

According to Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation, bioscience is one of the fastest-growing sectors of the regional economy, and includes medical and testing labs, medical devices and equipment, pharmaceuticals and therapeutics, and research and development.

“CLIMB will allow us to take what we do best at Concordia — teaching and mentoring students — and team up with partners in the local biotechnology industry to prepare these students for careers in a field that offers tremendous opportunities both in our region and across the country,” Jensen said.

“The CLIMB program will create unique and valuable training opportunities for Concordia students — including hands-on experience in local biotechnology companies — putting them in a position to contribute to the growth of North Dakota biotechnology immediately after graduation,” said Pete Leland, vice president of production and characterization at Genovac Antibody Discovery. “As industry liaisons, we recognize the profound impact this program will have on shaping the future STEM workforce, fostering innovation, and strengthening the bonds within our community.”

The award comes through NSF’s Scholarships in STEM program. Concordia has a long history of working with S-STEM grants, beginning with a $580,000 grant in 2009 and then continuing with another grant for nearly $1 million in 2016. When the 2016 grant was complete, an anonymous donor gave a large gift to fund the program’s continuation, now called the STEM Discovery Program, which brings in eight students per year.

With the NSF grant, the CLIMB program will provide money and multiple forms of support and encouragement. It could also potentially lead to other events, such as a Biotech Fair designed to promote opportunities in the field to current and prospective students.

“Through this grant, we’ll be able to inspire, mentor, and provide internship opportunities for future Concordia graduates and fully support the program’s initiatives to foster and grow STEM careers,” said Michael Jablon, senior director of information systems for Aldevron. “We look forward to bringing down barriers, promoting diversity and inclusion, and empowering future generations.”

Interested students can learn more and apply at ConcordiaCollege. edu/STEM.

Alumna is Assistant Director for Smash-Hit at Children’s Theatre Company

OCTOBER 23, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE

Leah Jensen ’17, a theatre art major, is assistant director for the Children’s Theatre Company’s production of Dr. Seuss’s “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”

“This is one of the most fantastic shows I have ever done,” Jensen said. “‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ is a beloved holiday story and has resonated with us since it was first published in 1957.”

“The world that Dr. Seuss has created is colorful and zany; you can’t help but be captivated by it,” she added. “The staff at CTC that work in the shops are masters at bringing it to life. Every detail down to ornaments on the tree are so beautifully made and makes us (the audience) feel as if we really are in Whoville. This show lets us step into the excitement and joy that Christmas brings. The Whos have nothing but love for each other. Whereas, the Grinch hates the whole thing and all the Whos. As we go on this journey with him we see his hate be broken by the voices of young people, which is such a powerful and true message.”

In her role, Jensen supports the director, Peter Brosius, in the rehearsal process. She takes notes in rehearsal, and also does outside research and offers staging suggestions.

Off stage, Jensen is also a teaching artist for CTC, where she teaches theatre skills to students of all ages. She also teaches at Lyric Arts, another theatre in the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities (Anoka, Minnesota). She said the skills she teaches include performance, story-building, teamwork, and most importantly unlocking imaginations. “I love giving students these tools because it is something that they can carry with them as they get older.”

Jensen’s previous directing credits include “The Sound of Music” (Off Broadway Musical Theatre), “A Doll’s House,” “Frankenstein 1930,” and “Medea” (East Ridge High School).

Jensen said she grew up with the theatre. Both of her parents work in theatre (and were theatre majors at Concordia) so she really grew up in the business. “I had thought about other careers but always came back to theatre. What really sealed the deal for me was when I was 13, I was in the ensemble for ‘Ramona Quimby’ at CTC. I loved being in the rehearsal room and bringing joy to audiences from all over the region. However, it was at Concordia where I found my love of directing.”

“The great thing about the theatre program at Concordia is that I was able to gain skills in a diverse set of roles in the theatre,” she said. “In the beginning I did some acting. My one main season role was the Sexton in ‘Much Ado about Nothing,’ but I primarily worked in the costume shop and was the wardrobe supervisor for many shows. I was stage manager for ‘Perfect Arrangement’ (which to this day is still one of my favorite shows I’ve ever done). My senior year I directed ‘Iphigenia at Aulis’ as part of my senior thesis project and I assistant directed ‘Secret in the Wings’ with Dr. David Wintersteen, professor and director of theatre.”

Jensen said she was able to learn from multiple perspectives and gain skills in different fields of study at Concordia. “As a director, you must be able to see the entire show from how the underscoring in a scene affects the mood to how a set piece moves on stage. Concordia helped me learn how to work with everyone at the table and see the whole stage.”

She also loved being in the choir and being a part of the Concordia Christmas concerts. Now that she’s working on a Christmas show, it reminds her of the joy and connection of holiday traditions.

“There are some choral moments in ‘Grinch’ that bring me back to those concerts and the people I sang with.”

“As young artists, looking to the future outside of academia is terrifying,” Jensen said. “The biggest lesson I’ve learned outside of Concordia is that only you can define what success means for you and to allow yourself to be flexible in that definition. A lot of folks believe that working on Broadway is the only way to be successful in theatre. It is definitely one version of success, but it isn’t that exclusive. I might be biased, but I believe every place on the planet needs theatre people. Theatre people are resourceful, empathetic, and imaginative. Having theatre in a community makes it better. So, if your version of success is going back to your high school and running the theatre program that is awesome. You are making an impact with your art and dare I say it, you are ‘BREWing.’”

Children’s Theatre Company is the nation’s largest and most acclaimed theatre for young people and serves a multigenerational audience. It creates theatre experiences that educate, challenge, and inspire more than 250,000 people annually. CTC’s engagement and learning programs annually serve more than 93,000 young people and their communities through Theatre Arts Training, student matinees, and early childhood arts education programs.

This is the 11th time CTC has produced this show about “a miserly and miserable, ever-so-cantankerous Grinch who has observed the despicable Christmas joy of the Whos with disdain, from a distance, for decades.”

“How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” runs Nov. 7 through Jan. 7, 2024, at the CTC’S UnitedHealth Group Stage in South Minneapolis. Tickets start at $15 and are available at ChildrensTheatre.org/ Grinch or by calling the ticket office at 612.874.0400.

“If you are in the cities this holiday season, make it a point to see ‘Grinch,’” Jensen added. “It is a wonderful story that embodies the Christmas spirit and it is super fun! Not to mention, there is a number of Cobber connections involved in the show and at the theatre.”

Weekend Sweep Leads To MIAC Award Sweep

OCTOBER 23, 2023 | COCURRICULAR

It was a sweep for Concordia in its conference matches over the weekend, and it was a clean sweep for the Cobbers for the weekly Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Week honors.

Senior Kaia Lill (Bismarck, North Dakota/Bismarck Century High School) was named the MIAC Specialty Player of the Week, and sophomore Mallory Leitner (Dilworth, Minnesota/Dilworth-GlyndonFelton High School) earned MIAC Offensive Player of the Week honors.

It is the third time this season that one team has swept the conference weekly awards. Lill earns her second MIAC Specialty Player of the Week honor, while Leitner comes away with her first conference weekly award. Lill also earned the award on Sept. 25.

The two players helped Concordia record wins over St. Catherine and Augsburg on Friday and Saturday, which allowed the Cobbers to move from a four-way tie for fifth place in the league standings to a three-way tie for third place. Concordia is now in a prime position to secure one of the six MIAC playoff spots with three matches left in the regular season.

Lill recorded a career-high 58 assists in the Cobbers’ five-set win over Bethel on Friday and then led the offense in a sweep over Augsburg on Saturday.

The 58 assists against the Royals marked the second time this season, and fifth in her career, that she has eclipsed the 50-assist mark. Against the Auggies, Lill’s ability to get the ball to

the Concordia frontline attackers helped produce a .300 attack percentage, the team’s best mark in conference play this season.

Lill has 905 assists in the Cobbers’ 24 overall matches and has posted 307 helpers against league opponents. Her 307 assists in conference play lead the MIAC.

Leitner led the Cobbers in kills in both matches over the weekend. She had 19 kills and hit a career-best .429 in the team’s win over Bethel and then had 12 kills and hit .258 in the sweep over Augsburg. Leitner totaled 31 kills and hit .356 in 73 total attacks for the weekend and has now posted a double-digit kill total in five of the team’s last six MIAC matches.

Leitner has jumped into the Top 11 in kills in both conference and overall matches. She leads the team against MIAC opponents with 96 winners, sixth in the MIAC. Leitner is second on the team in kills in all matches. She is No.11 on the MIAC list with 250 kills.

Birds, Chinese Poetry Unite in Upcoming Concordia Orchestra Premiere

OCTOBER 24, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE

A Concordia College alumna, thousands of starlings, a Tang dynasty poet, and a Dutch filmmaker have collaborated in Dr. Steven Makela’s “to face the wind,” set for its world premiere by The Concordia Orchestra during its upcoming tour.

Makela, composer and assistant professor of music theory and composition at Concordia, has been working on the piece for four years, drawing inspiration from many sources. First and foremost, he said, was a series of conversations with Yuzhu Lu, who took music theory with Makela before graduating from Concordia in 2018.

During those talks, she shared what it was like for her, as a young Chinese woman, to live in the Upper Midwest. She also introduced Makela to the poetry of Wang Wei, a famous poet of the Tang dynasty who lived between 699 and 759.

“His work is something that we studied … very young in elementary school,” Lu said.

As a college student, and particularly as an international student living in the U.S., anything that reminded her of home, especially from her own culture, became especially important to Lu. She often read Wang’s poetry, meditating and thinking about it, and sharing it with her professor.

Drawn to the works’ timeless quality, Makela ultimately chose four of Wang’s poems for his work.

“One of the things that struck me about all of the poems was this sense of one being out in nature, and then being, not necessarily in a state of loneliness, but a state of isolation,” Makela said.

He recorded Lu reading the poems aloud, and used her inflection to create melodic ideas, transcribing pitches into notes, words becoming motifs that can be clearly heard in “to face the wind.”

The piece went through a number of changes as he developed it, shifting from a composition for voice and electronics to one for voice and piano. A cello was added and then dropped but, ultimately, the piece became voice with an orchestra.

“And I was contemplating what I wanted to do with the orchestra as an accompanimental instrument for the solo voice,” he recalled.

An unlikely helper arrived in the form of YouTube’s algorithm, which suggested he watch Jan van IJken’s “Flight of the Starlings,” a short version of “The Art of Flying,” on National Geographic’s channel.

The video features a massive flock of starlings demonstrating an unusual behavior demonstrated by no other bird species — murmuration. The birds gather, and with no leader, synchronize their movements to fly together, forming complex shapes and patterns that twist and turn, all the while floating through the sky. When the murmuration is at distance, it could be mistaken for a beach barely within earshot, but close up, the flapping wings become a roar, with a chorus of high-pitched starling voices audible over the din.

The wavelike patterns the starlings painted across the sky resonated with Makela, and so did their method of following the handful of other birds nearest them rather than a specific bird. As such, the composer also hoped to include some elements of randomness and improvisation.

“And so when I saw these murmurations, it dawned on me that I would really like the conductor of the orchestra to do — sort of — an interpretive dance,” he said.

He approached Dr. Kevin Sütterlin, associate professor of instrumental conducting, director of orchestral activities and opera, and the conductor of The Concordia Orchestra.

“Many passages in the work are not written in any meter, and instead follow predetermined lengths and durations that are based on the projected films of starling murmurations that accompany the work,” Sütterlin said. “During these moments, I get to ‘conduct’ shapes and gestures that relate to the way the starling birds are flying, and the strings are reacting to my gestures in a freely improvised manner.”

Typically, traditional orchestral training doesn’t include improvisation, but Sütterlin had studied it as an undergraduate, practicing deep listening skills, exploring nontraditional sounds, communicating in different ways, and creating unique soundscapes and shapes together.

“I have been wanting to do free improvisation with my orchestra students at Concordia for a while already, had even planned for it during our first semester back from COVID, but ultimately did not do it,” the conductor said. “When Dr. Makela approached me with the idea of wanting to include some free improvisation in this work, it gave me the courage to finally do free improvisation with the orchestra, and it was so much fun to team-teach this with Dr. Makela.”

As it includes so much improvisation, the student musicians in the orchestra are also collaborating to create the piece anew each time it’s performed.

“We can play this piece five different times in front of different audiences and in different spaces — every single performance will be absolutely unique and will sound different,” Sütterlin said.

The piece has unique challenges and demands for many of those involved, including its conductor, who must lead an orchestra that includes a leaderless flock of birds, as music does not merely accompany van IJken’s video of the starlings’ flight.

“The birds are actually part of the score,” Makela explained.

“During those times I have one eye on the starling murmuration video, and another eye on a timer that is sitting on my music stand to make sure to continue with the next cue or next musical passage at the exact right time,” Sütterlin said.

The piece also holds many complexities for its vocal soloist, soprano Dr. Anne Jennifer Nash, associate professor of voice at Concordia. It was her first time singing in Chinese, and the fourth poem includes significant improvisation.

“She never knows what they’re going to be playing, from one performance to the next. She has an idea because they’ve been given limited pitch sets to work with,” Makela said, describing Nash’s musical instructions as a “contour.”

Sütterlin particularly appreciated the way his students had the opportunity to work directly with a composer, particularly one like Makela, who continued to write, change, and iterate the work based on what he heard in rehearsals. He even regarded the performers as collaborators in their own right, Sütterlin noted.

“It really is a collaboration of about 60 to 65 people, all of whom have an important role to play,” Makela said. “So for me, it’s been a wonderful experience on a lot of levels. I love collaborating with people. And there were so many collaborations involved in this, and I’m very grateful for all of them.”

The Concordia Orchestra will debut “to face the wind” during its 2023 tour.

• 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29, Historic Holmes Theatre, Detroit Lakes, Minnesota

• 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31, Bismarck High School Auditorium, Bismarck, North Dakota

• 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 2, Williston High School PAC, Williston, North Dakota

• 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 3, Magic City Campus, Minot High School Theater, Minot, North Dakota

• 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 5, Memorial Auditorium, Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota

Students Give Away Banned Books at Concordia College

OCTOBER 27, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE

Libraries let anyone check out — and return — books for free, but as part of a first-year course, a group of students gave away dozens of books for keeps at Concordia College.

“I’ve been interested in banned books for as long as I can remember, and now the number of book challenges and bans is skyrocketing so it felt timely and necessary to learn more about all of it with students,” said Dr. Amy Watkin, a Concordia English professor teaching a first-year seminar called Book Banning: What’s at Stake? this semester.

The giveaway was one of four group projects students completed during Banned Books Week, including a library display, a display in Concordia’s English department, and taking over the Fargo Public Library’s social media feeds.

“Students did a great job organizing themselves and planning and executing their projects,” Watkin said.

As part of the class, students read multiple books that have been banned for various reasons: “The Absolutely True Diary of a PartTime Indian,” “The Hate U Give,” “Melissa,” “The 1619 Project,” and Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451.”

The science fiction classic, whose title refers to “the temperature at which book paper catches fire and burns,” was also one of the 100 books students gave away at the library, along with “Are You There, God, It’s Me, Margaret,” “Perks of Being a Wallflower,” and others.

The books came from international publishing house Simon & Schuster, the only one of three companies Watkin wrote to that responded positively to her inquiry and chose a selection of their books for the project.

“Students got very positive responses to the book giveaway and were able to talk to people about the books and the issue,” Watkin said.

While Watkin has been interested in banned books for as long as she can remember, the issue has been thrust into the forefront of public discourse in recent years, as book challenges and ban attempts have skyrocketed. The American Library Association states that it documented 1,269 demands to censor library books and resources in 2022 — the highest number in more than 20 years.

“Students are currently affected by book challenges and bans in terms of what’s available to them in schools and libraries, in terms of state legislation (not in Minnesota but elsewhere), in terms of being current or future taxpayers, in terms of their First Amendment rights, in terms of their future families or loved ones, and more,” Watkin said. “Freedom to read and access to information affects everything.”

Her goal is to give students a better understanding of how book bans and challenges work, as they learn about the many differing reasons people have for banning books. Recently, many of the attempts to ban books have centered around LGBTQ+-related content or work by or about people of color. As such, Watkin said, she also hoped students understand the importance of representation in books, not just to gain information, perspective, and empathy, but also to recognize, love, and appreciate people who may belong to groups that aren’t necessarily their own.

“I also hope that students take away an appreciation for difficult conversations, and the need to have them,” Watkin said. “We’ve been talking a lot lately about how there may be opportunities through their lives to talk with people who disagree with them around book banning or other issues. And those conversations as well as mutual respect can be crucial to any sort of progress or peace.”

Concordia Invites the Community to ‘Economic Opportunity and Social Mobility’ Talk

OCTOBER 30, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE | OFFUTT SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

The public is invited to participate in the upcoming “Economic Opportunity and Social Mobility” event from noon to 1 p.m. Monday, Nov. 6, as the Lorentzsen Center for Faith and Work continues to explore answers to the question: “How do we build a more trustworthy world?”

“Under that broad umbrella, we invite people who have different areas of expertise in our democratic society, especially areas that are important, but kind of fragile right now,” said Dr. Michael Chan, Concordia College executive director for Faith and Learning.

Dr. Scott Winship, a prominent researcher in social mobility and poverty issues with the American Enterprise Institute, will speak at the hybrid in-person and virtual conversation in Barry Auditorium in the Grant Center at Concordia College.

The American Enterprise Institute is traditionally a right-wing think tank, Chan said, and though a concern with poverty is traditionally associated with the left, Winship’s studies show that there are serious conversations about poverty on the right as well.

“We wanted to bring him to offer that perspective,” Chan said. Winship has a doctorate in social policy and a master’s degree in sociology from Harvard University, with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and urban studies from Northwestern University. During his time as executive director of the Joint Economic Committee, he

started the Social Capital Project, investigating the dynamics and nature of social relationships. He is also a prolific writer and a key voice shaping antipoverty policy in the U.S.

“So many of the democratic problems we face as a country are related to the fact that the American Dream is not a reality or even accessible to many people,” Chan said. “What can we get done here to get the American Dream so that it can be a reality and not just an ethereal myth?”

Anyone interested in moving the needle on poverty who is also open to hearing a wide range of viewpoints should attend the event, and all are welcome, he added.

The event is free. For more information, or to register, visit LorentzsenCenter.com or call 218.299.3305. A link will be sent after registration for those attending virtually.

Integrating Science and Art

NOVEMBER 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE

Ian Scheele ’23, North Branch, Minnesota

Majors: Neuroscience, Art with a Concentration in Studio Art

Minors: Chemistry, Art History

Ian Scheele is probably one of the most iconic people you’ll meet at Concordia. Even if you don’t know him, you’ve surely seen his work, and his eye-catching flare for style is hard to miss. Between his diverse areas of study and his involvement with Concordia Theatre and the campus greenhouse, there is little that Scheele hasn’t touched with his creative genius.

Scheele’s first encounter with Concordia was a tour with his mom. She is a school counselor back home who had brought a student to campus and invited her son along. Scheele took a liking to campus and, after hearing many positive things from his grandparents’ friends who had attended, his interest was piqued. He was excited about the smaller class sizes that Concordia had to offer, but it was the fantastic financial aid package that won him over. The size of the Fargo-Moorhead area was just his cup of tea, and the art scene close to the college has also helped him flourish during his time here.

Scheele knew what he wanted to do since first coming to Concordia. He started out double majoring in neuroscience and studio art and hasn’t wavered. He considers himself an artist above all but uses both art and science regularly. One might think that those two areas of study are at odds, but they complement each other more often than not. His interest in both has led to new ideas and realizations about the world we live in.

“We think of art as a uniquely human thing,” he says. “As a neuroscientist, I can say that’s not really the case. Art is not something that’s completely unique to humans.”

For example, birds create and decorate structures, and pufferfish draw circle designs in the sand on the ocean floor. Both are rituals designed to be aesthetic to attract the attention of a mate. Scheele’s take is that art is a result of the brain, and there has even been research on the neuroscience of art and creativity.

“It has been a fruitful path to take in both of my majors,” he says. “It’s been a nice way to go deeper into thinking about both subjects.”

Scheele says he is grateful to have been introduced to so many new experiences during his time at Concordia. Even religion courses for Core requirements didn’t sound exciting at first, but they ended up being the most influential for him. He considers art history integral to his education and has restructured his understanding of the world. While unable to choose one favorite course or professor, Scheele has thoroughly enjoyed and found value in his art history courses with Dr. Susan Lee and his religion courses — specifically Religion and the Body — with Dr. Michelle Lelwica.

“The study of art history has been eye-opening and redirected the way I think about the art that I make and conceptualize art as a practice,” he says. “It’s been invaluable in the process of growing up as a person who makes art.”

Being hands-on in both art and science has broadened his problemsolving skills, and having an art background comes in handy when constructing experimental setups. Scheele spent two summers studying fish behavior and found it came naturally to tweak different parts of the project, such as the fish habitats the research team was using, so they were well constructed and effective. His work in constructing props for the theatre has helped him gain skills in communicating technical ideas as well as managing a group of people and communicating without micromanaging — skills he also uses in all of his areas of study.

Scheele has completed both of his Pivotal Experiences in Applied Knowledge and is even working on a third. His first PEAK was a ceramics class, which also fulfills a requirement for the general studio art major. His second was a research opportunity in Summer 2022 with Dr. Krys Strand studying zebrafish behavior. Using Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons,” they looked at the therapeutic effect of music on zebrafish and how it reduces anxious behaviors. He recently finished processing that data to present at the MidBrains conference in October 2023. His current research with Dr. Jason Askvig is looking at a specific protein in rat brains, quantifying the amount of protein in different areas of the brain and using a fluorescent microscope to look at imaging of tissue samples.

Outside of academics, Scheele works in the greenhouse located in the Integrated Science Center maintaining the pond area. He finds this work therapeutic and enjoys being able to spend time on more long-term projects.

“My greenhouse at home certainly doesn’t have a pond in it, and it doesn’t stay warm year round. I can’t have plants in there all the time,” he says. “It’s fun to be able to do the things I’m interested in

and work on them on a deeper level than if I were just working on it for myself or by myself.”

Having those resources available and being able to work with others who have the same passions has made the experience worthwhile.

Scheele has been heavily involved in the theatre department on campus as well, mainly working in the scene shop and creating props to be used on stage. He appreciates the traditions (and if you know theatre, you know that each has unique traditions and lore), but his favorite Concordia tradition is regarding the bell tower. Unlike most other Cobbers, he walks right under it. Since walking under the bell tower during his first visit to campus, he enjoys testing his fate and watching the looks of astonishment as passersby witness his superstitious “crime.”

In the past year, Scheele also set up a huge art installation in the ISC titled “Macroscope.” The two and a half year project started on a whim during his sophomore year after a conversation with sculpture instructor Dwight Mickelson about the ISC needing something creative in the space. What began as an idea grew into not only his senior project but a full installation in the ISC.

Thanks to URSCA grants that allowed Scheele to fund all of the materials for the project and the blessing of ISC staff, he put together a prototype and began working. He found inspiration in vintage science illustrations, using different elements of microscopic organisms.

After considering creating pieces referencing specific organisms, he decided to create something that any student in the science building would be able to relate to. Scheele abstracted them so viewers could see what they individually understood. One of the most encouraging moments in the process for Scheele was when people asked about a part of the piece they recognized but he hadn’t had any of those elements in mind. Everyone sees something meaningful to them in abstract forms, even if what they see isn’t deliberate.

Scheele is excited that the installation is up for others to see and considers it his greatest accomplishment. It took a tremendous amount of work, two and a half years of thousands of hours, late

nights, busy weekends, and a great deal of emotions. He chose the title “Macroscope” for the ISC installation because of the scale of the forms. A microscope allows you to look at something incomprehensibly tiny, but his work lets you see huge ideas.

“I realized that these shapes, these forms, these patterns and colors are present at a huge range of scale and in a variety of locations throughout the world, and even the universe,” he says. “So beyond just being giant versions of microscopic organisms, the sculpture itself functions like a giant macroscope. You get to see the connections and similarities between really different things.”

Scheele says he values the opportunities Concordia gives Cobbers to go above and beyond in the work that they do. Concordia has a unique network to form relationships with faculty, staff, and alumni to build connections.

“All of these opportunities weren’t handed to me, but I was able to do them because of the scale of our institution,” Scheele says. “I was able to form these relationships with my professors and demonstrate the abilities I needed to be trusted to work on these projects, and that’s such a hard thing to find at a larger university.”

Scheele’s advice to students considering Concordia is this: Be involved, but be selective about it and find where your passions lie, then put all of your effort into those few things.

“Find something you can sink yourself into. The rest of your life you’re going to have to do all sorts of things you don’t want to, so don’t do that in college,” he says. “You’re here to learn, broaden your horizons, and discover the things you’re interested in. Of course, you’ll have to take classes you’re not interested in for your degree, but you can find parts that are interesting. Keep an open mind and focus your energy where you feel like it’s worth it.”

Scheele has a few possible routes after he graduates in the spring. There are opportunities to work in theatre, but he’s also considering art school or a grad program at the University of North Dakota to continue a Mars analog project that he’s been working on this year. He has been assisting with a potential design of something that could be built on Mars for people to live on. He started the project during the summer and will continue working on it this winter.

Concordia Promise to Cover Full Tuition for New Students in Financial Need Nationwide

NOVEMBER 1, 2023

Concordia College announces the Concordia Promise, a new program beginning in Fall 2024 that will cover full tuition for any newly admitted student from across the country whose family has an Adjusted Gross Income under $90,000.

It is renewable for up to four years, with no additional forms to fill out beyond the Concordia College application and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

“Reducing the financial burden of education through the Concordia Promise will allow our students to better focus on their mission, their dedication, and their potential to influence the affairs of the world,” said Dr. Colin Irvine, president of Concordia College. “This is a game changer for families in our region and across the country who may have thought a private college education was out of their reach.”

The Concordia Promise includes 100% of standard full-time tuition through a combination of federal and state gift aid and existing Concordia scholarships. Housing, food, fees, and other additional costs are not included.

To be eligible, students must:

• Be admitted to Concordia for Fall 2024, either as an incoming first-year student or as a new incoming transfer student who has not yet completed an undergraduate degree. Minnesota students eligible for the Minnesota Dream Act also qualify.

• Be eligible to file the FAFSA. The program is open to students from any state.

• Report an AGI lower than $90,000 on the FAFSA. The FAFSA, which opens in December, must be filed annually to determine eligibility.

• Maintain satisfactory academic progress. There is no GPA requirement.

Spurred on by Minnesota’s North Star Promise, Concordia College opted to extend eligibility for its program beyond the limits set by the state, whose program tops out at $80,000 and only applies to Minnesota students.

“The Concordia Promise is our commitment to make a transformative Concordia education accessible for students from any state, minimizing debt and helping students begin their career or graduate program quickly. This is especially powerful when backed by our four-year graduation guarantee,” said Dr. Susan Larson, provost and dean of the college.

“We know these students will thrive here. We know students at Concordia graduate at a higher rate than at public institutions because we provide an excellent support system for them,” said Ben Iverson, vice president for enrollment at Concordia.

For more information, visit ConcordiaCollege.edu/Promise.

Kids Solve Candy Crime, Construct Circuits at Concordia for BrainSTEM

NOVEMBER 3, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE

Seventh-graders from Fargo’s Ben Franklin Middle School filled the halls and classrooms at Concordia College recently, building paper airplanes, peering into microscopes, and connecting circuits as part of the sixth annual BrainSTEM event.

“At BrainSTEM, the kids get exposed to workshop leaders from very diverse backgrounds, and this helps them to realize that anyone and everyone can do science and be in a technology field,” said Concordia Provost and Dean Susan Larson. “It also comes at a time in students’ lives when renewing their interest and enthusiasm for science and learning is a good idea! Kids come away from the event excited and inspired.”

The North Dakota Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers partners with Concordia, the North Dakota State University College of Engineering, Minnesota State University Moorhead, and local businesses for the event every year, featuring STEM workers from a variety of groups often underrepresented in STEM.

This year, workshop leaders included Larson and two other Concordia colleagues — Dr. Thelma Berquó, associate professor of physics, and Andrea Greiff, adjunct biology instructor.

Berquó, who has held positions at the Physics Institute of the University of São Paulo, Brazil, and at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, has led BrainSTEM workshops three times before.

“I think the importance of any outreach event is to help inspire young minds to pursue a career in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics,” she said. “We try to help them understand that STEM is for anyone who is curious and has the desire to know more about nature and how things work.”

She designed her workshop to allow seventh-graders to investigate the layers of the Earth, learning how scientists know they exist and how they relate to events on Earth’s surface. Then students constructed a fan that would represent those layers.

“I like to see the excitement of the students, and how they express their curiosity,” said Berquó, whose own enthusiasm for the event

led her to get Greiff involved too, helping organize the event and then presenting a workshop of her own.

Greiff’s session put students to work as detectives, investigating the evidence after a heinous candy theft. The seventh-graders learned how to use microscopes to sift through fibers found at the scene of the crime and traces left on the candy box, gathering evidence as to which sweet-toothed suspect sniped the snack.

The activity was actually adapted from one Greiff uses in her college-level biology classroom, minus some of the more complex technical portions, such as preparing slides.

“It seemed like most everyone was excited to try things out and had fun with the activity — lots of good teamwork, discovery, and reasoning things out,” she said.

BrainSTEM also helps bring students and the community at large closer to their institutions of higher education and local STEM companies too, Berquó said, allowing them to imagine themselves in those places again in the future, as adults doing science.

“STEM careers are so important to the way society functions — and they will only get more so in the future,” Greiff said. “We are going to need all hands on deck to fill those roles. Hopefully, events like

BrainSTEM will get some kids excited about STEM who maybe weren’t before. Especially kids who felt that people like them — women, minorities, LGBTQ, differently-abled, etc. — didn’t belong in STEM careers. That’s one of the big driving factors behind BrainSTEM — that everyone belongs in STEM!

“The other driving factor is showing kids that STEM fields are fun! We want to dispel the idea that STEM is super serious, hard to understand, and only for elite students.”

Instead, kids leave the event smiling, full of new ideas, and often carrying paper airplanes, slime, or a link to a video game they made themselves.

“It is always so wonderful to have kids share that they loved the event. This year, I had one student tell me it was the best field trip she had been on. That warmed my heart,” Larson said. “I had another student last year tell me that after our session he did think he would go to college after all. That is exactly what you want to hear. We want the students to be inspired by science!”

Sponsors for the event included Microsoft, John Deere, Moore Engineering, Braun Intertec, Byte Speed, and the NASA-MN Space Grant Consortium.

Concordia to Host ‘Crimes and Criminality in Early Christianity’

NOVEMBER 6, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE

The public is invited to attend “Counted Among the Lawless: Crimes and Criminality in Early Christianity,” Concordia College’s fall Religion 200 enrichment lecture, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9, in the Knutson Center Centrum.

As a college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Concordia is strongly rooted in the tradition of free inquiry and dialogue. As such, the school often hosts scholarly presentations on a variety of religious issues.

Dr. David Creech, a former associate professor of religion at Concordia who will give the talk, earned his doctorate in New Testament and Early Christianity at Loyola University Chicago.

His research interests include the study of the many and varied Christianities during the first two centuries of the movement, as well as ancient and modern Biblical interpretation and Biblical notions of justice.

“He thinks creatively and pursues different angles about what early Christianity looked like,” said Dr. Elna K. Solvang, religion professor and department chair. “His study of criminality took a new focus in recent times, too, because of contemporary social issues.”

During his lecture, Creech will examine how careful Biblical, theological, and moral study may help readers think more constructively about crime, criminality, and criminalization in contemporary life.

All are welcome to attend, regardless of religious or philosophical background. The free event includes time for discussion and deeper engagement.

Gallo Named TO MIAC Postseason Awards List

NOVEMBER 7, 2023 | COCURRICULAR

Concordia first-year midfielder Owen Gallo (Silverthorne, Colorado Summit High School) was named to the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference All-Conference Honorable Mention Team as selected by the conference coaches.

Gallo was one of only four first-year players in the conference to receive a postseason award. He is also the first Cobber freshman to win a MIAC postseason award since 2013, when Sage Thornbrugh was named to the All-Conference Honorable Mention Team.

Gallo led Concordia in goals and total points in conference games. He had four goals for eight points in the team’s 10 MIAC games. He finished the year tied for first on the team in shots on goal with nine and second in total shots with 19.

Gallo put together a streak where he scored three goals in four league games. He had goals against Macalester, Hamline and

the

goal in

Gallo finished the year with five goals and 10 overall points.

Augsburg. Gallo also had

game-winning

the Cobbers’ win at St. Scholastica.

4 Cobbers Reap Benefits of Playoff Run

NOVEMBER 8, 2023 | COCURRICULAR

Concordia reaped the benefits of their conference playoff run by having four players earn Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference postseason honors.

Seniors Sophia Robinson (Bozeman, Montana/Bozeman High School) and Bre Nelson (Fargo, North Dakota/Fargo Davies High School) received year-long MIAC awards, while sophomore Hannah Mukhtar (So., Fargo, North Dakota/West Fargo Sheyenne High School) and junior Hallie Thompson (Great Falls, Montana/ Great Falls High School) were placed on the All-Playoff Team.

Robinson received MIAC All-Conference honors for the second consecutive season after earning All-Conference Honorable Mention honors in 2019 and 2021. Robinson joins a group of only four players in program history to earn an All-Conference postseason award in four different seasons.

Nelson, Mukhtar, and Thompson all receive the first postseason honor of their careers.

The four players helped Concordia earn a trip to the MIAC playoffs for the first time since 2015. The Cobbers also won their first playoff game since 2015 as they advanced to the semifinals of the conference tournament. CC finished the year with a 5-3-3 record in league play. The five MIAC wins were the most since 2015.

Robinson led the team in total shots and tied for the lead in goals and total points in conference play. She started all 11 MIAC games and finished with 33 shots. Robinson had two goals and one assist for five points. She completed her career by playing in 74 games, putting up 14 goals and 11 assists for 39 points.

Nelson had a breakout year in 2023. She played in seven league contests and was fifth in the MIAC in goals against average with a

0.87 mark in conference games. Nelson made 35 saves against league opponents and was fifth in save percentage (85.4%).

Nelson was a 4-year starter in goal for Concordia and played in 40 total games. She finished with a 1.51 GAA and recorded 10 shutouts.

Mukhtar busted out for the Cobbers in the final five games of the season, where she posted all of her five points on the year. Mukhtar came up big down the stretch, where she scored the gamewinning goal against St. Scholastica in the second-to-last game of the regular season and then had the game-winner in Concordia’s quarterfinal win at St. Benedict.

Thompson was a member of the Cobbers defense that was in the Top 5 of the league in goals against and shots allowed. The team’s starting left back, Thompson helped Concordia only concede nine goals in the 11 MIAC games. The mark was down from the 15 goals they allowed in 2022. The Cobbers didn’t allow more than one goal in nine of the 11 conference games in 2023.

Concordia Students Bet on Love, Dance, and Music in ‘Guys and Dolls’

NOVEMBER 9, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE

Love is a gamble that might be worth a risk in the classic goldenage musical comedy “Guys and Dolls,” the second performance of Concordia Theatre’s 2023-24 season.

The show starts at 8 p.m. Nov. 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, and 18, with a 2 p.m. matinee on Nov. 12, all on the mainstage of the Frances Frazier Comstock Theatre at Concordia College.

With a cast of 21 players and a crew of 20, “Guys and Dolls” tells the story of gambler Nathan Detroit (Jacob Hanson), who is quickly running out of places to host his floating craps game because the local police are closing in. Plus, his longtime fiancée, Adelaide (Mary Noah), is getting tired of waiting for him to marry her after their 14-year engagement. Nathan might have a reprieve when smooth-talking high-roller Sky Masterson (Carlos O’Ryan) comes to town and the two make a bet on whether Sky can convince a

straitlaced anti-gambling Salvation Army sergeant, Sarah Brown (Patrice Eakman), to go on a date with him — to Havana, Cuba.

The stakes are high, with plenty of singing, dancing, and lighthearted romance along the way.

“I’m so enjoying my time here,” said Denise Holland Bethke, the show’s director and choreographer, praising her students for their hard work. She singled out their singing abilities as exceptional, noting they picked up that part of the performance remarkably quickly and demonstrated high-level skill throughout. As only a few of them had any dance training before “Guys,” that didn’t come as easily — but they still arrived at rehearsals bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready and willing to work until they had the moves, too.

Much of the set, designed by Christian Boy, associate professor of theatre art, and depicting the signs and lights of a Depression-era Times Square, was made by students and overseen by staff. Some costumes are rented, while others are made.

Unlike some previous productions, “Guys and Dolls” is using recorded tracks as musical accompaniment, which poses some challenges to performers, whose timing must be exact. However, the tracks can and have been customized to fit the Concordia students’ performances, too.

Hanson ’24, who has previously performed in “Into the Woods” and “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” said this show has featured far more dancing by comparison. He auditioned for a few parts, including that of Sky Masterson and another gambler, Nicely Nicely, but the best chemistry found him in the form of lovable rapscallion Nathan Detroit.

“He is a bundle of chaos,” said Hanson, who is majoring in vocal music education. “He loves his fiancée so deeply.”

He advised anyone interested in participating in upcoming Concordia shows to give it a try.

“Be creative and take risks,” he said, perhaps with a nod to his gambling alter ego Nathan.

Eakman ’25, who portrays Sgt. Sarah Brown, saw “Guys and Dolls” when she was in middle school, and loved the music Sarah gets to sing during the show — especially “If I Were a Bell” and “I’ve Never Been in Love Before.”

“(Sarah’s) a character who really, really develops, and becomes a different person by the end of the show,” Eakman said.

As a theatre major with an English minor, Eakman hopes to become a stage actor after her graduation, but she encouraged students who aren’t majoring or minoring in theatre to join a show too.

“I think one of the best parts about our program, which is different from some other college theatre programs, is that you don’t need to be a major or a minor to participate,” she said. “We get a wide array of people, which I think is really wonderful.”

Tickets to the show are free to Concordia students, alumni, faculty, and staff, as well as to prospective students and their families. For other visitors, they are $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors.

For more information, visit ConcordiaCollege.edu/Theatre.

Leitner, Lill and Watt Earn MIAC Postseason Honors

NOVEMBER 9, 2023 | COCURRICULAR

A trio of Cobbers received Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference postseason honors as selected by the conference coaches.

Sophomore Mallory Leitner (Dilworth, Minnesota/Dilworth-GlyndonFelton High School) and senior Kaia Lill (Bismarck, North Dakota/ Bismarck Century High School) were chosen for the MIAC AllConference Team. At the same time, junior Maria Watt (Glyndon, Minnesota/Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton High School) earned AllConference Honorable Mention honors.

Leitner and Watt receive their first postseason honor, while Lill adds a second award to her trophy case. She was also named to the AllConference Honorable Mention Team in 2022.

In another milestone for the 2023 Concordia season, the three MIAC postseason award winners mark the first time since the 2013 season that the Cobbers have had more than two players earn AllConference honors.

The three players helped Concordia earn a trip to the MIAC playoffs for the first time since 2016. The Cobbers finished the year with a 15-14 overall record and a 6-5 mark in league play. It’s the most overall wins for a CC team since 2015.

Leitner led the team’s frontline players. She led the team in kills in conference matches with 122, which was eighth most in the league. She also hit .216 in the 41 sets she played in, which was in the Top 25 of the MIAC.

Lill was the team’s offensive captain and helped the Cobbers finish second in the MIAC in kills (510) and fifth in attack percentage (.191). Lill played in all 11 matches in conference play and ended the year with 409 assists. That total was No.2 on the conference list for the year. She averaged 9.98 assists per set, which was third-best in the league.

Lill finished the year with 1,061 total assists. That ranks seventh on the school’s all-time single-season assist list.

Watt had a breakout season and finished in the Top 20 in the MIAC in hitting percentage and blocks. Watt played in 41 sets in league matches and was sixth in the conference in hitting with a .310 mark. She was 17th in blocks with 27.

Side Hustle or Self-Employed, High Schoolers Learn How to Be Entrepreneurs

NOVEMBER 13, 2023 | OFFUTT SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

“So, you want to be an entrepreneur?”

That was the question posed to more than 100 high school students attending Concordia College’s first Entrepreneurship Day. Speakers and presentations focused on answering how to make it possible.

Students got a chance to learn some industry secrets from three local entrepreneurs.

Joe Wright from Wright Foot Socks, which sells punny and eyecatching socks, spoke about the need to find your own niche so your business can stand out.

Hannah Stelter is a local artist who recently started a second business venture — Scribble Lady, an art supply and gift shop in downtown Fargo. To inspire future artist-entrepreneurs, she stressed how artists can be natural business owners due to their creativity, independence, and ability to take risks. She also led an art workshop with a message of embracing imperfections.

The students learned business basics, such as pricing strategies and industry jargon, from 2022 Concordia graduate Madi Hagen. Hagen, a former co-president of the college’s Entrepreneurship Club, has grown Arts and Crafts by Madi and Adi into a successful side hustle, after launching it during her senior year at Concordia.

Madi Hagen ’22 shares tips to help students who may want to start a business.

After a day of advice, the high schoolers got to put what they learned into action and create a business idea.

Bree Langemo, director of entrepreneurship at Concordia, said after hearing positive feedback from the schools, she plans to have more events like this in the future.

“Students learned that entrepreneurship complements any discipline and that all students need to be entrepreneurial no matter what career path they pursue,” Langemo said.

Thompson and Reyes Lead Cobber MIAC Award Winners

NOVEMBER 20, 2023 | COCURRICULAR

Senior Collin Thompson (Thatcher, Arizona) and freshman Angel Reyes (Darwin, Minnesota/Dassel-Cokato High School) led a group of 12 Cobber players to earn Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference postseason awards as voted on by the conference coaches.

Thompson was named the Mike Stam Award winner, which goes to the top lineman in the league, while Reyes took home Rookie of the Year honors.

Thompson becomes the ninth player in program history, and first since 2013, to be recognized as the Stam Award winner. Reyes is the first Concordia player to receive Rookie of the Year honors after the award was put into place last season.

Thompson was joined by quarterback Cooper Mattern (Fargo, North Dakota/Fargo Shanley High School), offensive lineman Ethan Tong (West Fargo, North Dakota), defensive lineman Chase Dockter (Bismarck, North Dakota), linebacker PJ Parmelee (Tea, South Dakota) and punter Damien Silus (Glencoe, Minnesota/GlencoeSilver Lake High School) on the MIAC All-Conference Team. Wide

receiver Owen Miller (Aitkin, Minnesota), offensive lineman Max LaVoy (Scottsdale, Arizona/Notre Dame Prep), linebackers Ty Moser (Perham, Minnesota) and Jaiden Musse (Naples, Florida/ Lely High School) and defensive back Stuart DeMerit (Snoqualmie, Washington/Mount Si High School) all received MIAC AllConference Honorable Mention honors.

The 12 MIAC postseason award winners represent the most by a Cobber team in a single season since 2017, when they had 13 players receive conference honors.

The 12 Cobbers helped Concordia finish second in the Skyline Division of the MIAC Conference. The Cobbers ended the year with a 4-4 record against conference teams and a 5-5 overall mark.

Thompson, who earned his second consecutive MIAC AllConference honor, was the team’s starting defensive tackle for all eight league games. He finished MIAC play with 8.5 tackles for a loss, which was tied for fourth most in the conference. Thompson had 30 total tackles, 19 solo tackles and 1.0 sacks against MIAC opponents.

Thompson recorded 17.5 tackles for a loss in all 10 Concordia games, which tied the school record for tackles for a loss in a single season.

Reyes played in all eight of Concordia’s conference games and was a mainstay on the right side of the offensive line. He helped the Cobbers finish second in rushing yards per game. Reyes paved the way for the CC ground game to post 165.0 rushing yards per game. The Concordia offense was also fourth in total offense (405.5 ypg) and fourth in the MIAC in points per game (34.9).

Dockter, Silus, Miller, and Moser are the other repeat MIAC postseason award winners among the 12 Cobber recipients. Dockter earns third straight All-Conference honor as a defensive lineman. Silus was named to the MIAC All-Conference Team as a punter and kicker in 2021. He earned the award as a punter in 2023.

Miller and Moser have both received All-Conference Honorable Mention honors in prior seasons. Miller earned the recognition last season, while Moser received the postseason award for the third straight year.

Concordia College Students Sing to Learn German in Deutschchor

NOVEMBER 21, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE

With the help of a tuneful teacher, a group of dedicated Concordia College students learning German have found a fun new way to hone their skills through song — Der Concordia Deutschchor.

Not only do students sing in German, but the rehearsals are fullimmersion German language experiences as well. No prior music experience is required, and in fact, students just beginning to learn the language are welcome to join too, said Dr. Rebecca StewartGray, visiting assistant professor of German at Concordia.

“I’m a musicologist and a performing singer. I’ve sung in choirs for many years,” she said, noting that performance and German studies have always been closely connected.

That’s true at Concordia too, where nearly all of Stewart-Gray’s students are involved in music. As she has conducted Germanimmersion choirs before, she ran the idea by her students, and found that many of them were interested in giving the experience a try.

She started the group on a German-language Christmas carol, “Stille Nacht” (Silent Night), and a canon in Latin attributed to W. A. Mozart, “Dona nobis pacem” (Grant Us Peace) which they will perform at the Department of World Languages’ upcoming winter party. Soon they will begin work on a medieval courtly song by the composer Oswald von Wolkenstein.

The Concordia music curriculum already includes plenty of representation for German classical composers, and German Diction is on the list of major core courses for a Bachelor of Music – Voice Major degree. Participating in Der Deutschchor can offer a student more robust training in performing texts, as well as in how to deal with some of the unique challenges that one faces with German, such as learning how to properly pronounce Rs and authentic umlauts in speech and in song.

Students with no background in German are also welcome to join Der Deutschchor, and all participants will get a chance to explore the language in a new way, with an openness that isn’t always possible when working toward a grade or participating in a competition.

“We really try to stick to the immersion principle,” Stewart-Gray said. “I just want them to come here and connect, have fun, laugh, and sing, and realize that they can do all that in German too.”

Music can provide more opportunities for students to learn not just language, but also history and culture. Looking toward Spring 2024, Stewart-Gray is considering having students sing songs written by German-speaking poet and composer Ilse Weber as a prisoner in the ghetto Terezín. Weber and one of her sons were murdered in Auschwitz, but much of her music and poetry survived.

“The songs are just beautiful. When students hear that they too can be a part of the project to recover the voices of suppressed people, they understand that the study of languages and cultures means so much more than just conjugating verbs,” Stewart-Gray said.

There are real-life, contemporary cultural applications of this training for students as well. The German, Austrian, and Swiss governments provide significant funding for the arts, meaning there are many music ensembles at all levels that students can participate in during a study abroad, a postgraduate fellowship, or as part of their career. Performing music is often significantly more accessible to people in German-speaking Europe than it is for people in the United States.

Stewart-Gray has incorporated full-immersion choir rehearsals into her German language and literature courses for years and she hopes to do the same in the future at Concordia.

Der Deutschchor is a program hosted by the highly-active Concordia German Club, which meets multiple times every week to converse in German and plan and host events.

The college’s German program itself is growing, with students taking the language for a variety of reasons, including for internships or work in Germany, the study of literary, musical, theological, or

historical works in their original language, and career opportunities in the fields of international politics or environmental studies, where Germany is a leader.

More information about Concordia’s German program is available at ConcordiaCollege.edu/German.

For more information about Der Deutschchor, please consult the event posts on Cobber Connect or email Stewart-Gray at rstewart@ cord.edu.

Nursing and Psychology Students Explore Mental Health History on London Interdisciplinary Trip

NOVEMBER 22, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE | SANFORD HEIMARCK SCHOOL OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS

Josie Johnson ’25 of Roseau is a self-described travel junkie. So, when she had an opportunity to head overseas and expose herself to ideas that will benefit her future career as a nurse, she jumped at the chance.

She and nine other nursing and psychology students spent fall break on the Psychiatric Healthcare: Interdisciplinary Perspectives study abroad trip in London.

The trip was designed to show students how world views and treatments of mental health disorders have evolved over the ages, while also providing an opportunity to explore the historical and modern attractions the city has to offer, such as the Tower of London, Big Ben, the London Eye ferris wheel, and Buckingham Palace.

“International travel is so important because there is so much to learn outside of our own little world,” Johnson said.

The trip is led by Dr. Jane Indergaard, associate professor of nursing and also an expert on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. She started taking students to London after finding the U.K. had more advanced research and resources for psychiatric illness as well as overall wellbeing.

“Interdisciplinary behavioral health is such a huge issue right now, and it’s really a global issue,” Indergaard said. “Our students need exposure and experience in this field.”

One of the academic visits was to King’s College, where the student met with scientists doing cutting-edge research on attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder. They learned about treatments not yet on the market and were able to experience testing demonstrations in brain imaging labs.

This stop was especially exciting for psychology and neuroscience student Hadlie Dahlseid ’25, who was thrilled to be able to have one-on-one conversations with leading researchers.

“It’s kind of like how journalists get the scoop before anybody else does,” she said. “We got to hear the research before some of it’s been published or finalized. This is so different than learning from a textbook or in a classroom.”

Other stops included a museum dedicated to the nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale, the Sigmund Freud Museum where students got a quick course on Freud’s dream analysis, and Bethlem Royal Hospital, the oldest psychiatric hospital and treatment facility in London, which had the biggest impact on Johnson.

“Psychiatric health care and nursing are so intermingled,” she said. “Nurses care for the whole person—the mind included—so it’s important for us to learn this.”

Another important aspect of the trip was exploring the city and having fun with some built-in support for first-time travelers. A boat ride on the River Thames took students under the iconic Tower Bridge. A night outing had the students dressing up for a performance of “Wicked.” And a free day allowed people to do landmark tours, shop, or venture to the countryside to visit the White Cliffs of Dover, the picturesque city of Bath, and Stonehenge.

“I just absolutely love watching the students’ growing confidence as they experience a new culture,” Indergaard said.

For Johnson, her advice to Cobbers considering a Study Away program is simple: do it.

“If you have the means to travel and learn from it, I think that you should take that opportunity as soon as it comes to you.”

Composing Christmas: Concordia College Grads Create Music for the Upcoming Christmas Concert

NOVEMBER 27, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE

People flocking to listen to the magic of the Concordia Christmas Concert will hear new spins on two holiday classics, thanks to 2023 Concordia College grads and composers Jared Campbell and Carmen Geiger-Schutz.

Both were commissioned to create special arrangements for the upcoming performance, with Campbell reworking Advent hymn “Rejoice, Rejoice Believers” as a processional and GeigerSchutz innovating the Christmas standard “Joy to the World” as a recessional.

The two pieces bring all three Concordia choirs and The Concordia Orchestra together with the concert audience singing, providing all participants the opportunity to be part of a powerful united sound, purpose, and experience.

“As a former student of Concordia, I can’t express how much it means to have my music be on that stage,” said Geiger-Schutz, originally of Fountain City, Wisconsin. “Beyond getting to share the musical stage, so to speak, with amazing people, I get to share a piece of myself with the legacy of this amazing concert. I get to be part of sharing a message that brings people together to sing and be merry, and oftentimes be moved to tears at the sheer magnitude of it all.”

An enthusiast of “messing around” with music since she was a child, Geiger-Schutz’s drive to take composing more seriously came later, inspired by a significant other. After the breakup, she found she couldn’t stop writing music, and decided she wanted to spend her whole life doing that.

“I don’t think a younger me would ever dream of making it as far as I have,” she said.

Composition is Geiger-Schutz’s full-time job, and when she isn’t writing music, she writes creative fiction, creates visual art and writes poetry.

“I love what I do, and I never want to stop being a creative force,” she said.

Campbell, originally of Paynesville, is currently serving as an accompanist for the choir at Moorhead High School, but intends to attend medical school in the future. Music classes provided him with an escape from some of his other coursework, and music theory became his favorite.

He already had a strong background in music, having played piano since kindergarten and later adding trombone to his repertoire for high school band. That time in the brass section will be clearly audible in his new setting of “Rejoice, Rejoice Believers,” as Campbell specifically wrote a very full brass part, knowing in advance the strength of this year’s brass section in The Concordia Orchestra.

His arrival as a composer for the Christmas Concert came through a different route, after serving as head musician for chapel services via the Rev. Dave Adams, campus pastor. Because he knew so many of his fellow students, Campbell often got a few musicians together to play for a service, and then arranged pieces to suit whatever configuration of players he had.

During his last chapel service, he was asked if he’d like to create something for the Christmas Concert.

“That would’ve been unimaginable to me a couple years ago,” Campbell said. “It was amazing.”

He said yes, and was asked to create a fresh arrangement of “Rejoice, Rejoice Believers.”

While Campbell has a particular affection for hymns, this one didn’t click with him right away, but eventually, he found a motif he could build on, and carried manipulations of that theme throughout the piece, he said.

Geiger-Schutz began her “Joy to the World” with a fantasy-esque opening, with pieces of “Joy to the World” interwoven with “O Come All Ye Faithful” and other hymns. Listeners and participants should watch for an inspiring key change after the third verse.

“I wrote my ideas for the piece in the form of a solo piano work, so that I always had a ‘minimum viable product’ to fall back on when decision-making got too difficult,” she said. “From there, it was basically writing bigger and bigger versions until I had one for a full orchestra.”

Like Campbell, her involvement in the 2023 Christmas Concert came during a kind of last moment, but in her case, it was on graduation day.

“I was walking through Hvidsten with my cap and gown on taking one last look at everything, and when I was on my way out, Dr. Michael Culloton (director of choral activities at Concordia) pulled me aside,” Geiger-Schutz recalled.

He wanted to meet with her about writing something for the Christmas Concert, and she agreed.

Being a part of the concert means a lot to Campbell, too.

“It reminds me of my friends when I was here, and the camaraderie of preparing for the Christmas Concert,” he said.

Campbell expressed gratitude for his two years in Concordia’s choirs and The Concordia Orchestra, as well as his five years in The Concordia Band. Five years of piano studies incorporating elements of composition and analysis with Dr. Grigor Khachatryan, associate professor of piano, aided Campbell in his compositional process.

Both composers are open to additional commissions. Anyone interested in Geiger-Schutz’s work can search for her name on jwpepper.com or contact her at carmengeigerschutz@gmail.com, and Campbell can be reached at jjcampbell1999@gmail.com.

The Concordia Christmas Concerts, which feature the college’s choirs and orchestra, are set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3, in Memorial Auditorium. Tickets cost $25 plus handling fees, and are available

at ConcordiaChristmas.com or by calling 888.477.027. Concerts are also scheduled at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7, at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis, with tickets at $28 to $38 each.

There is also a virtual option available Dec. 21-Jan. 2. A one-hour version of the Orchestra Hall performances will be available for download for on-demand viewing. Registration details can be found at ConcordiaChristmas.com.

Rasidovic and Weninger Named Academic All-District

NOVEMBER

27, 2023 | COCURRICULAR

Concordia juniors Edwin Rasidovic (Bismarck, North Dakota) and Mason Weninger (West Fargo, North Dakota) were named to the College Sports Communicators’ Academic All-District Team.

The 2023 Academic All-District Men’s and Women’s Soccer Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom.

A new format for the 2023-24 academic year, each institution may nominate up to six student-athletes for Academic All-District recognition. Nominees must be a sophomore or better with a 3.5 cumulative GPA or higher. Athletically, student-athletes must either appear in 90 percent of their team’s games or start 66 percent of them.

Rasidovic is a biology major with a chemistry minor and has a 4.00 GPA. He played in all 17 games for the Cobbers this season and was a mainstay in the center part of the field as one of the defensive central midfielders.

Weninger was one of the team’s forwards during the 2023 season. He also played in every game in the fall and was fourth on the team in total shots and shots on goal. Weninger has a 3.94 GPA while majoring in business finance with a minor in mathematics.

Academic All-District honorees advance to the CSC Academic AllAmerica ballot. First, second and third team Academic All-America honorees will be announced on Dec. 19 (men) and Dec. 20 (women).

Concordia Professor Earns MoorHeart Award for Hospitality, Mentorship

NOVEMBER 28, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE

Musician, conductor, and educator Dr. Peter J. Haberman serves as the director of bands at Concordia College, but that’s just a tiny part of why he was honored Monday, Nov. 27, 2023, with the MoorHeart award.

It’s his commitment to encouraging students to come study music in Moorhead, and his kind-hearted support and enthusiasm once they’ve arrived that prompted the Moorheart selection committee to choose Haberman.

“I don’t think I am doing more than many others I see in the community who find their own ways to support their neighbors and those they see in need, but I am humbled to be honored with this award. I did not think people even noticed,” Haberman said.

His nomination form cites his efforts to find musical talent throughout the state of Minnesota, touting the benefits of living in Moorhead and pursuing their degrees there. After the students

turn up, Haberman mentors them, making sure their experience is fruitful.

“Of course, that is not all that Peter does that expresses his heart. He also makes sure there is a place for international students at

his personal Thanksgiving table,” the nomination states. “When the dining hall closes for the holidays, international students — who are prevented from holding a job — must find their own food. Peter makes space for them at his table.”

Haberman was officially presented with the award on Monday, Nov. 27, 2023, by the Moorhead City Council and Mayor Shelly Carlson.

“For all Peter does for Moorhead — and especially for the way Peter shows his love for Moorhead through his love for music and helping others — the MoorHeart selection committee chose him to receive the MoorHeart award,” the city stated in a release.

The MoorHeart award recognizes people who go above and beyond for the Moorhead community, through their actions, services or outstanding achievements that affect their neighborhood, group or the city as a whole. Honorees are chosen by a team of volunteers from city boards and commissions, and the award is commemorated with a piece of art from local artist Hudi Kobrinsky.

For more information about the award, visit cityofmoorhead.com. To nominate someone for the award, visit cityofmoorhead.com/ about-the-city/moorhead-more-heart-award.

Hannan, Larsen and Robinson Earn Academic Honors

NOVEMBER 28, 2023 | COCURRICULAR

had three players named to the College Sports Communicators’ Academic All-District Team.

Sophomore Darby Hannan (Bozeman, Montana), junior Emily Larsen (West Fargo, North Dakota) and senior Sophia Robinson (Bozeman, Montana) all earned the award for the first time in their careers.

The trio of players helped the Cobbers earn a spot in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference playoffs for the first time since 2015. Concordia also won their first playoff game since 2015 as they advanced to the semifinals of the conference tournament. CC finished the year with a 5-3-3 record in league play. The five MIAC wins were the most since 2015.

The 2023 Academic All-District Men’s and Women’s Soccer Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom.

A new format for the 2023-24 academic year, each institution may nominate up to six student-athletes for Academic All-District recognition. Nominees must be a sophomore or better with a 3.5 cumulative GPA or higher. Athletically, student-athletes must either appear in 90 percent of their team’s games or start 66 percent of them.

Hannan was one of the two starting central defenders to receive the academic honor. She is an elementary education major with a music minor and has a 4.00 grade point average. Hannan played in 17 games in 2023.

Larsen was the Cobbers’ other starting central defender. She played and started in all 18 games for CC in 2023. Larsen has a 3.55 while majoring in nursing and carrying a minor in English.

Hannan and Larsen helped Concordia only allow 14 goals in the team’s 18 games. The Cobbers also posted seven shutouts on the year.

Robinson has been the team’s starting central midfielder since she arrived at Concordia. Robinson started 17 of the team’s 18 games and was tied for goals scored and second in total points. She finished the year with five goals and an assist for 11 points. Robinson is an English education and teaching English to speakers of other languages major and has a 3.95 GPA.

Academic All-District honorees advance to the CSC Academic AllAmerica ballot. First, second and third-team Academic All-America honorees will be announced on Dec. 19 (men) and Dec. 20 (women).

Concordia

In the News: What Makes a Song Fit for the Christmas Season?

NOVEMBER

29,

2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE

With the holiday season upon us, Christmas music is all around. But what elements of songs make them truly “Christmasy” and evoke strong emotions? Dr. Michael Culloton, director of choral activities and artistic director of the Concordia Christmas Concert, shared his expertise on capturing the Christmas spirit on a recent episode of Main Street on Prairie Public Broadcasting.

He emphasized the deep connections that resonate with listeners ranging from the Christian background of Christ’s birth to secular elements like Santa Claus and winter imagery.

Culloton also touched on how the college’s concert connects global holiday traditions.

“An important aspect of the Concordia experience is how we can connect with the world,” Culloton said. “We travel the world both physically and metaphorically through all of the music that we

select. And Christmas can be one of those same times of the year where we do that same thing.”

The Christmas concert is Dec. 1-3 in Moorhead and Dec. 7 at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis. For those unable to attend in person, a onehour video version will be available later, providing an opportunity to experience the magic of the concert from the comfort of home. All details can be found at ConcordiaChristmas.com.

Cobbers Earn Top Honors at Minnesota Music Competition

NOVEMBER 30, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE

Multiple Concordia College students sang their way to top prizes at the state level of the National Association of Teachers of Singing competition in November at Bethel University in St. Paul.

Seven students placed in the finals:

Freshman Treble

First place: Tabitha Poppe of Great Falls, Montana

Freshman Tenor/Bass

First place: Jacob Schlueter of Roseville, Minnesota

Second place: Aidan Anderson of Onamia, Minnesota

Junior Treble

First place: Greta Johnson of Plymouth, Minnesota

Third place: Svea Hagen of Eagan, Minnesota

Senior Tenor/Bass:

First place: Will Jacobson of Ada, Minnesota

Second place: Matthew Mortensen of St. Paul

Senior Musical Theatre:

First place: Matthew Mortensen

“It brings us immense joy to witness our students’ diligent efforts and commitment to their passion paying off,” said Dr. Tony Leathem, associate professor of voice. “We feel extremely fortunate to maintain the ongoing support of the college, the School of Arts and Sciences, and the music department in providing this exceptional educational opportunity to our students.”

Dr. Leathem instructs Anderson, Johnson, and Mortensen. Poppe and Schlueter study with Dr. Robin Griffeath. Dr. Jennifer Nash teaches Jacobson and Hagen.

A high school student studying privately with Dr. Holly Janz took first place in the Lower High School Classical Treble Voice category.

Four additional Cobbers were named semifinalists:

Freshman Treble: Kate Lathe of Sartell, Minnesota

Freshman Tenor/Bass: Hank Bell of Ellendale, Minnesota

Sophomore Treble: Gracie Fink of White Bear Lake, Minnesota

Sophomore Tenor/Bass: Henry Sipples of St. Johnsbury, Vermont

Junior Treble: Madi Goerig of Katy, Texas

The performers were supported by pianists Stephen Sulich, Andrew Steinberg, and Sue Nagel.

“We are so proud of our students, faculty, and staff for this collective achievement and the learning and work it represents,” said Dr. Nat Dickey, chair of music at Concordia.

The mission of NATS is to advance excellence in singing through teaching, performance, competition, scholarship, and research.

Pictured above, from left, are Hank Bell, Oliver Knudson, Gracie Fink, Carly Comstock, Kate Lathe, Madi Goerig, Abigail Hansen, and Tabby Poppe. Back row, from left, are Jacob Penny, Jacob Schlueter, Svea Hagen, Greta Johnson, Matthew Mortensen, Jon Worner, and Will Jacobson. Not shown are Henry Sipples and Malachi Elmhorst.

A Great Addition

DECEMBER 14, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE

Jaime Dodson ’26, South St. Paul, Minnesota

Majors/Minor: Math,

Education; Psychology

Please tell us about yourself.

I am a junior from St. Paul, Minnesota, and have lived there most of my life. In my free time, I enjoy hanging out with friends, going for walks, and spending time outside in general. My career goal is to be a math teacher in a middle school or high school.

How did you first hear about Concordia? Why did you choose to transfer here?

I first learned of Concordia in my sophomore year of high school. I was offered a spot on a trip to stay at Concordia for a weekend in the fall. I got to stay in the dorms and experience life at Concordia. I immediately liked the small campus and the way connections between students and professors were stressed. Going to a college with small class sizes had always been a priority of mine when it came to finding a school because I knew it was where I would succeed.

What was your transfer process with Concordia like?

I had reached out to a few different schools when I was in the process of applying to colleges I might potentially transfer to, and right away Concordia had the most information available. Even just on the transfer page on Concordia’s website, there is a lot of helpful information to lay out what the process is like. The transfer staff I worked with were very proficient at answering all the questions I had along the way. I appreciated the transparency I got from the transfer representative I worked with. My transfer rep helped me see right away how my credits from my former school would transfer over. Because of this, I felt like I had a solid foundation when I got to Concordia.

What are your favorite things to do in the Fargo-Moorhead area?

My friends and I enjoy going to Atomic Coffee or Twenty Below to do homework. The Red River Market is also a fun place to go on weekends in the fall. Overall, Fargo has fun places to hang out whether it be for homework or for fun. Downtown Fargo also has some pretty good spots to eat; some of my friends like to go get pho occasionally.

Are you involved in any campus activities?

Yes, I am a member of DEIC, which stands for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commission. I am also in the Concordia Outdoor Recreation Club and I play violin in The Concordia Orchestra.

How did you decide on your area of study?

I have had a love for math ever since middle school. When we first started learning algebraic equations, I was hooked. I love how math is like a puzzle that I get to put together and solve all the way down to a number. Then, in high school, I decided that I want to be a teacher and to teach math because I want to inspire other young girls of color, like me, to pursue careers in STEM and to be someone in their corner to fuel that interest. In high school, I would occasionally help my peers out with their math homework, and I loved watching others start to catch on and become confident in their ability to work through the problems themselves.

Do you have a favorite course and why?

I enjoyed calculus a lot, but I think I have a love for algebra. The ways we can think about the world through algebraic expression interest me greatly. On the other hand, I have just recently started clinicals for one of my education classes, and I am learning so much through teaching and observing students in a classroom.

What do you value most about being a Cobber?

The community we have here at Concordia is incredible. The number of clubs, music ensembles, and sports teams at Concordia allows you to find a home away and helps enable you to make connections. Anytime I’m walking across campus it is likely I will see a friendly face or a friend to greet.

What advice would you give to someone who is considering transferring to Concordia?

If you are considering transferring to Concordia, I’d say make sure you do your research and reach out to the transfer staff early. The transfer staff here are some of the nicest people I know and are willing to answer any question you might have. I know the transfer process can be daunting, but transferring to Concordia has been one of the best decisions I have ever made.

Is there anything else you would like to share about your Cobber experience?

Roll Cobbs!

Preparing Engaged Leaders

Dr. Shontarius Aikens

Associate Professor of Management, Offutt School of Business

Please tell us about your background.

I was born and raised in the great state of Arkansas! In my career prior to coming to Concordia, I worked at the University of Arkansas, the University of Michigan, Texas A&M University, and North Dakota State University. I’ve been teaching at the college level since 2007.

What did you study in college? What is your expertise and what drew you to that area of study?

My educational background and degrees are in a variety of disciplines: Bachelor of Music (music), Master of Education (higher education), Master of Business Administration (marketing and human resource management), and a doctorate in organization and management (leadership). My areas of expertise are in the LMX leadership (leader-member exchange) and the scholarship of teaching. I’m fascinated with how leaders and managers can utilize LMX leadership concepts to improve organizations. When it comes to the scholarship of teaching, I love sharing my knowledge with other educators around the country (and learning from them as well) in an effort to improve the quality of management education. What brought you to Concordia and how long have you been teaching here?

I was looking for an opportunity where I could focus on teaching, which is my natural strength. Since Concordia College is dedicated to quality instruction for students, it was a perfect fit for me. I’ve been teaching at Concordia since the fall of 2016.

What courses do you teach? Which is your favorite and why?

I teach a variety of courses in the discipline of management: Principles of Management, Organizational Behavior, Business Analysis and Strategic Management, and Leadership. My favorite course to teach is the leadership course (BUSN 462/662). I enjoy helping students to develop their own personal leadership philosophy. I love hearing feedback from former students and Concordia alumni on how the Leadership Philosophy Portfolio project they completed in my leadership class has helped them in their careers after graduation.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your job? How does Concordia allow you to be passionate about your work?

The most rewarding aspect of my job is being in the classroom. I love the interaction with my students. And I love the freedom I have in the classroom to teach my way.

How does Concordia differ from other places you have worked?

Prior to coming to Concordia, my entire career has been at large public research universities. Due to the large size of classes at

research schools, it can be challenging to get to know your students on a personal level. As a small private liberal arts teaching college, Concordia is different. At Concordia, there are lots of opportunities for me to interact with and mentor students.

What are some of your goals as an educator?

As an educator, there are three goals I want to accomplish in my courses: 1) to create a positive and engaging classroom culture that encourages a two-way learning process between the teacher and student, 2) to emphasize both technical knowledge and individual character development, and 3) to encourage students to become lifelong learners.

Could you give an overview of Concordia’s business management program and share what careers management grads usually choose?

The Concordia business management program is designed to develop managers who are ethical and exhibit leadership qualities. In addition to developing the core knowledge in the four traditional functions of management (planning, organizing, leading, controlling), Concordia management students will have opportunities to develop expertise in discussing and analyzing situations that correspond to what managers face in real life. Additionally, we want to equip students with tools and strategies that will enable them to think critically and develop innovative solutions to challenging problems. Since management is a broad discipline and management skills are needed in virtually every organization, there are many career opportunity paths for Concordia management graduates.

What type of student takes your management courses? What characteristics stand out to you about successful management majors?

Students who take my management courses are typically interested in putting into practice what they are learning in the classroom. It’s one thing to know about management concepts. It’s another thing to have the competency to apply management concepts. During my years of teaching at Concordia, I’ve observed that successful management majors also possess procedural knowledge (knowing how to do something), situational knowledge (knowing the appropriate situational conditions for when something should be done), and reflective knowledge (clearly articulating their reasons and rationale for their decisions).

What recommendations do you have for students when thinking about graduate school?

Be sure to pick an area that you are passionate about and that you truly enjoy. When you pursue a graduate degree, you are starting the path toward becoming a specialist in an area. As a result, you will be spending a lot of time reading literature and being exposed to topics in that discipline. So, you want to pick an area that you truly enjoy and aligns with your natural talents and abilities. I’d also recommend that the student get advice from either a current or recent graduate of the program on how to make the most of their graduate school experience.

Can you tell us about your role in the Midwest Academy of Management and what that entails?

The Midwest Academy is a regional organization that provides opportunities for scholars and practitioners to share and advance knowledge in the area of management. I am currently the program chair/president-elect of the Midwest Academy of Management. My major role will be to plan the 2024 Midwest Academy of Management Conference to be hosted at Concordia College in October 2024.

What academies and conferences have you presented at? What can you tell us about your experience in sharing your work?

I have presented my research at the following conferences over the years: the Academy of Management, the Management and Organizational Behavior Teaching Conference, and the Midwest Academy of Management. It’s always interesting to share my research and my ideas at conferences for two reasons. First, I get feedback on ways to improve my work or ideas, which helps me to improve my skills as a college professor at Concordia. Second, it’s really kind of cool to receive an email out of the blue or to have a conversation with a professor from another college or university who tells me that they had success in their classroom because of

what they learned from attending one of my conference sessions in the past.

What do you enjoy most about the Fargo-Moorhead community and in what ways are you active outside of Concordia?

Whenever I travel, I tell people that the Fargo-Moorhead community is the best kept secret in the Midwest. If you can deal with the cold weather and snow, then this is one of the best places to live in the country. The people here are nice. It’s not too big, but it’s not too small. You can pretty much get to anywhere you want to go in a short amount of time without dealing with a lot of traffic. My hobbies and activities outside of Concordia include going to the movies, bowling, golf, and voiceovers/voice acting.

Do you have any advice for students considering Concordia?

One of the most important decisions you will make is where you choose to pursue your college degree. If you are looking for a school where the professors care about your learning and about you as a person, Concordia is where you want to be. We want you to be successful not only in your future career but also in your personal life as well.

First-year Students Showcase Engaged Citizenship

DECEMBER 4, 2023

Working under the core curriculum theme of Engaged Citizenship, students shared some of the knowledge they’ve gained in their First-Year Seminars at a recent poster display.

The seminars aim to equip students with critical thinking skills and a deeper understanding of societal issues to become engaged citizens. This is done by offering intentionally diverse perspectives through research that ventures beyond the traditional classroom experience.

As director of core curriculum and integrative learning, Mikal Kenfield told students at the poster session that this was a chance to reflect on what they’ve learned and share that knowledge.

“This is how we practice being a community of scholars — in collaboration,” she said.

The intention of the event was to be interdisciplinary. Topics ranged from the global impact of one’s food choices to fostering change through stand-up comedy.

In the Gatekeeping in STEM seminar, Amir Dorudian of Grand Forks and his classmates are learning about the past and present barriers many historically excluded groups have faced in STEM fields. They are also examining unethical research experiments and treatments.

“If you want to get equity, your first step is learning about the history,” Dorudian said. “If you’re trying to be a scientist, you have to learn what happened in the past, and if it’s unethical, you should certainly not replicate it.”

India Carlson is an English education major from Moorhead and shared information about banned books with others. She sees engaged citizenship as a necessary component in her life during and after college.

“It covers so many aspects of our lives, as you can see,” she said, gesturing to the other posters. “I think it’s really important to be engaged in the world that you live in, because if you’re just passive in it, then things are going to happen to you instead of you making things happen.”

Learn more about each this year’s First-Year Seminars

• Book Banning: What’s at Stake?

• Compassionate Community

• Exercise is Medicine

• Engaged Citizenship in a Nation of Immigrants

• Entrepreneurial Mindset

• Fangirls/Boys Re-Making Culture: The Power of Fandom

• Food in the World

• Gatekeeping in STEM: Who Gets Let in and Why?

• Greeks at War

• Green Marketing

• Historicizing the Present: How Historical Literacy Can Help Us Understand Contemporary Issues

• Hitler and the Holocaust

• Iconography: Thinking Critically about Music in Painting

• I Want to Help People

• Nonprofit Leadership + Community Engagement

• Outsiders: The Cost of Exclusion

• Seeking Justice in US Healthcare

• Shades of Truth: How Media Shapes Our Stories

• Stand-up Comedy and Engaged Citizenship

• The Engaged Scientist

• Video Games and Media Literacy

• Responding to the Challenge of Climate Change

• Who Gets to Tell Your Story: Race and Gender in Musical Theatre

• Women and Power Relationships in Latin America and Beyond

Area High School Students Show Their Art at Concordia Gallery

Pencils, paints, clay, wire, fiber, ink, and paper are only a few of the materials local students used to create the works featured in the High School Art Show at Concordia College this year.

There’s much more on display at the Cyrus M. Running Gallery from Wednesday, Dec. 6 to Tuesday, Jan. 16, including lots of talent, hard work and artistic technique by students from high schools in Moorhead, West Fargo, Cavalier, Pelican Rapids, Hawley, Oak Grove, Ada, and Perham.

“There’s an awful lot of work sitting in that gallery right now,” said Chris Mortenson, associate professor of art and director of the Cyrus M. Running Gallery, on Thursday, Nov. 30, as exhibits were being examined.

A ceramic sculpture of a face with plants protruding from the top, a stylized lion and many other pieces are submissions for the High School Art Show at Concordia College.

Cameron Peterson, exhibition coordinator & facilities manager of The Rourke Art Gallery + Museum in Moorhead, is serving as the show’s juror this year. As such, he will choose which of the dozens of works submitted will become part of the show and which of those to honor with awards.

Only one will be chosen as Best in Show, with the artist receiving $75 and a guaranteed art scholarship to Concordia. A handful of other works will receive Merit Awards and $25.

Peterson, originally of Langdon, North Dakota, earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Minnesota State University Moorhead, with a concentration in printmaking. He has exhibited work at the Upfront Gallery, the Rourke, Spirit Room, St. Paul Gallery and Creative Arts Studio. He currently resides in Moorhead.

Mortenson emphasized that students whose work doesn’t make it into the show this year shouldn’t get discouraged, because judges’ opinions can vary significantly based on many factors outside an artist’s control.

A public reception for the show will be from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 16, with juror remarks slated for 5:30 p.m.

“Supporting local schools is important. … we value the things they’re making,” Mortenson said.

Arts programs are often first on the chopping block for K-12 schools experiencing financial difficulties, because they can seem unimportant, he said, but student work is important, and learning the arts has occupational value, too.

“There are so many things you can do with a degree in art,” Mortenson said. “Businesses all over are looking for creativity — creative methods and mediums.”

He gave the example of a biology student who developed a portfolio of digital photography and ended up taking pictures of whale flukes that allowed scientists to identify each whale individually. A photography student more interested in criminal justice could go on to become a crime scene photographer.

Art students who go into marketing can use their creativity to think differently, allowing a product to stand out from the crowd, Mortenson added.

The Running Gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 1 to 4 p.m. on Sundays. It will also be closed during the winter recess, from Dec. 18 to Jan. 11.

For more information, call the art department at 218.299.4623.

Robinson Named All-Region

DECEMBER 4, 2023 | COCURRICULAR

Concordia senior midfielder Sophia Robinson (Bozeman, Montana) was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-Region IX Third Team.

Robinson becomes the first Cobber player to earn All-Region honors since the 2014 season when Libby Fransdal and Laura Prosinski received the award.

The All-Region honor caps off a busy award season for Robinson. She earned Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference AllConference honors for the fourth straight season and was named to the College Sports Communicators’ Academic All-District Team.

Robinson was the anchor in the central part of the field for a Concordia team that made the MIAC playoffs for the first time since 2015. The Cobbers also won five league games, which was the most since the 2015 season as well.

Robinson helped Concordia advance to the conference tournament semifinals as they beat St. Benedict in the first round of the playoffs. The postseason win was the first since 2015.

Robinson finished the year by tying for the team lead in goals and finishing second in total points. Robinson ended 2023 with five goals and one assist for 11 points.

Robinson ended her career by playing in 74 games for the Cobbers, finishing with 14 goals and 11 assists for 39 points. Robinson also tallied seven game-winning goals for Concordia.

Thompson Earns All-Region First Team Honors

DECEMBER 7, 2023 | COCURRICULAR

Concordia senior defensive tackle Collin Thompson (Thatcher, Arizona) was named to the D3football.com All-Region 6 First Team.

The regional honor follows Thompson being named the Mike Stam Award winner as the top lineman in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. He also MIAC All-Conference honors.

Thompson earns All-Region honors for the first time in his career, and he becomes the ninth player in program history to receive AllRegion First Team honors since D3football.com began the awards in 2005.

Thompson is also the fourth player in the last four played seasons to earn the award.

Thompson tied the school record for tackles for a loss in a single season. He finished 2023 with 17.5 tackles for a loss. That total led all MIAC players and was in the Top 25 of NCAA Division III.

Thompson also tied for the team lead in sacks in the fall. He finished with 3.0 sacks, which was in the Top 15 of the MIAC. Thompson had 42 total tackles, with 29 solo take downs and 13 assisted tackles. He was fifth on the Cobbers in solo tackles.

Cobber Esports Charges Up, Adding Smash Bros., Rocket League and Rainbow Six

DECEMBER 8, 2023 | COCURRICULAR

If watching Mario, Pikachu, Pac-Man and Isabelle from Animal Crossing duke it out in a series of no-holds-barred, mixed martial arts duels, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate might be for you.

If cartoonish Nintendo mayhem isn’t your video-game vibe, though, Concordia College’s esports program is adding Rocket League and Rainbow Six Siege to its repertoire in the spring, while continuing to compete in League of Legends and Overwatch 2.

The selections offer a wide variety of competitive gaming experiences.

• Rocket League asks “what if cars could play soccer” and adds arcade-style jumps, tricks, and explosions, for colorful, spectatorfriendly matches.

• Super Smash Bros. Ultimate brings some of gaming’s most-loved characters together for light-hearted brawls, including Princess Peach, Samus, and Link, and seemingly-unlikely characters such as Bayonetta, the Wii Fit Trainer, and Cloud, from Final Fantasy VII.

• Rainbow Six Siege offers players a more realistic, contemporary setting and art style, as a team-based first-person shooter with a focus on tactics.

• Overwatch 2, like Smash Bros., leans heavily on its cast of colorful characters to provide lively gameplay, but all of them belong to the same tech-heavy, optimistic future setting. Matches in the first-person team-based action game are 5-on-5, with various mission goals — capture the flag, escort, elimination and more.

• League of Legends, like Overwatch 2, boasts a colorful cast and 5-on-5 team-based gameplay, but it features a fantasybased setting and a multiplayer online battle arena style with an isometric viewpoint.

While Concordia’s esports program is focusing on fielding teams for those games in the spring, James Jehlik, associate director of academic and user technology services, said the options could easily expand if students show interest in other games on the National Association of Collegiate Esports slate — like Hearthstone, DOTA 2 or Call of Duty.

While esports were once considered a niche hobby, they have grown significantly at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels, complete with spectators, tournaments, and endorsement deals for pros.

As such, Concordia’s esports program resembles any other varsitylevel college sports program. Its players must be registered, just like they would be for an NCAA tournament, and they need to be full-time students in good standing.

The program is open to students of any skill level who are willing to commit to it at the same level as they would to any collegiate sport.

“I don’t care about your entry skill level when you jump into a game,” Jehlik said. “My firm belief is that with coaching, with proper structure, and with all this other stuff — diet, sleep habits, timemanagement skills — you will become a better player.”

Dedicated players get better than average, and though they may not earn a top 1% ranking, that isn’t necessary to be successful in esports.

“I don’t need you to be a 1% player. I need you to be able to listen, learn, be a teammate,” he added. “And we’ll make players better.”

Teams that listen, work together well, and share a sense of camaraderie can punch far above their weight class in esports, supporting each other on and off the screens. The team practices a few times a week, depending on how many matches and what part of the competition season they’re in.

“I grew up playing hockey and video games, so I saw the athletic culture and the gaming culture, and I had friends on both sides,” Jehlik said, emphasizing the importance of working together. “Teamwork is so, so important. I think it’s very important for us to be able to offer a safe place in a safe way to find your people here at Concordia.”

Adding new games such as Smash Bros. to the roster allows for more players with different interests to find something they love.

“It’s a fighting game with a ton of personality,” Jehlik said. “Every character moves differently, everyone has a different hitbox, everyone has a different reach, everyone has a different grab — everyone has a complete contingent of abilities and personality.”

For example, Mario’s longtime nemesis Bowser, also known as King Koopa, is a slow-moving heavy hitter, and Sonic the hedgehog is fast, but light, meaning their players will have vastly different gaming experiences despite playing the same game, he explained.

Rocket League makes a good addition to the rotation due to its popularity in high schools, and its status as a free to play game with low hardware requirements that’s based on soccer means it’s very accessible to new players. The soccer connection also makes it easy to pick up for spectators, even those who haven’t seen esports played before.

Cobber esports is working on expanding its ability to stream matches, with new equipment in the works that will improve audio quality. Some games include live commentary to help spectators follow the action, and the team is looking at bringing commentary to all the games.

Students practice in the Harvest, a newly-renovated space specifically dedicated to Cobber esports, boasting specialized gaming rigs, customizable gaming chairs, mechanical keyboards and a dedicated line for high-speed internet.

For more information about Cobber esports, or to view a live or recorded match, visit ConcordiaCollege.edu/Esports.

Sieben Named MIAC Offensive Player Of The Week

DECEMBER

11, 2023

Concordia junior guard Carlee Sieben (Grafton, North Dakota) reaped the benefits of the Cobbers’ 3-0 record last week by being named the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week.

Sieben led Concordia over the three games with a 17.0 points per game average. She also averaged 3.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists in helping the Cobbers improve to 6-0 in conference play on the season. The 6-game win streak to open conference play is the longest since the 2010-11 season when they also started the league with a 6-0 mark. CC went on to win the conference tournament championship in the 2011 campaign.

Sieben becomes the first Concordia player to earn conference weekly honors this season. It is the first time in her career that she has claimed the award.

Sieben started her award-winning week by scoring 19 points, dishing out three assists and grabbing four rebounds in the Cobbers’ 64-52 win at St. Mary’s. She followed that up with a 9-point, 5-rebound performance at home against St. Benedict in a 77-61 victory. Sieben’s top offensive output came in the 82-59 win over Hamline on Saturday, where she scored a season-high 23 points and added four assists.

Sieben shot 47.2% (17-for-36) from the field and 42.9% (9-for-21) from 3-point range in Concordia’s three games last week. Sieben currently leads the MIAC in scoring in overall games and conference play. She is averaging 17.6 points per game in CC’s nine overall games and has a 17.2 scoring average in the six league games. Sieben is also second in the league in assists in all contests.

Folkestad Earns MIAC Athlete Of The Week Honors

DECEMBER 12, 2023 | COCURRICULAR

Concordia senior Cooper Folkestad (Wadena, Minnesota/Wadena Deer-Creek High School) made a successful return to the shot put circle as he was named the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Men’s Field Athlete of the Week after posting the top mark in the shot put in the MIAC at the NDSU Dakota Classic.

Folkestad becomes the first Cobber field athlete to earn the MIAC weekly honor since Matt Bye received the award on Jan. 22, 2019.

Folkestad, who earned All-American honors in the shot put at the 2022 NCAA Indoor Meet but then took last year off, opened his 2024 campaign by unleashing a throw of 53-06.25 on his second attempt at NDSU to finish third among 25 DI, DII and NAIA competitors at the meet.

Folkestad’s top mark on Saturday is the farthest by any MIAC athlete this year and the fifth-best in Division III. It is also almost a foot farther than his mark at the 2022 national indoor meet, where he placed sixth with a distance of 52-07.25.

Concordia Launching Language for the Workspace Certificates

DECEMBER 12, 2023 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE

In response to the global demand for multilingual professionals, Concordia College is introducing four unique undergraduate academic certificates in world languages tailored for the workplace beginning Spring 2024. These certificates will enable students to communicate effectively in diverse international settings, enhancing their career prospects.

• Chinese for the Workplace

• French for the Workplace

• German for the Workplace

• Spanish for the Workplace

The certificate program involves four courses. After completion, students will have a professional portfolio demonstrating their skills.

Students will also gain a deeper knowledge and understanding of the cultures of the target language, enabling a human touch and nuance that online translators lack.

According to analysis by Preply, 40% of multilingual employees said language skills helped them land a job, and they earned 19% more than single-language speakers. They were also more likely to have received a raise in the last year.

Learning another language has also been well-documented to have cognitive benefits and can strengthen other aspects of learning.

Students will gain a number of skills through the certificate program including:

• Interacting in written and spoken form in the target language, such as writing and responding to emails, chat, and other tasks specific to a work environment.

• Interpreting and comprehending essential workplace written communications.

• Demonstrating an understanding of workplace culture and etiquette in the target culture.

“Not only will these certificates give job applicants a competitive edge, they’ll be able to better connect with co-workers who have different backgrounds,” said Dr. Gay Rawson, chair of world languages and cultures at Concordia. “Whenever you can learn languages, it’s an opportunity to grow community.”

Other language opportunities through Concordia College

Concordia College offers majors and minors in Chinese, French, German, and Spanish, along with a major in international business and a minor in each of those languages. There are also a number of study away programs where students can immerse themselves in other languages and cultures around the world.

Concordia’s Graduate & Continuing Studies offers a path to earn both a master’s degree in world language instruction and Minnesota teaching licensure in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hmong, Karen, Somali, and Spanish.

For more than 60 years, the Bemidji area has been home to the renowned Concordia Language Villages, which began with a program of the college. The immersive language-learning camp has programs in Arabic, Chinese, Danish, Finnish, French, French Voyageurs, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish.

Goschen, Markovic, Keil and Leitner Earn Academic Honors

DECEMBER 14, 2023 | COCURRICULAR

Concordia had four players named to the College Sports Communicators’ (formerly CoSIDA) Academic All-District Team.

Seniors Karlie Goschen (Fargo, North Dakota/Fargo North High School) and Chloe Markovic (Bismarck, North Dakota/Bismarck Century High School), as well as junior Hannah Keil (Jr., Aberdeen, South Dakota/Central High School) and sophomore Mallory Leitner (Dilworth, Minnesota/Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton High School) all earned the award for the first time in their careers.

The four players helped Concordia reach the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference playoffs for the first time since 2016 after posting a 6-5 record in conference play. The Cobbers also won 15 total matches, which was the most since 2015.

The 2023 Academic All-District Volleyball Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top studentathletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom.

The CSC Academic All-District team is part of the CSC Academic All-America program. Student-athletes must have a GPA above 3.50 (4.0 scale) and have outstanding athletic credentials. Academic All-District honorees are considered for advancement to the CSC Academic All-America ballot. First, second and thirdteam Academic All-America honorees will be announced in early January.

Goschen was one of the team’s defensive specialists and finished the season with 287 digs, second-most on Concordia for 2023. She was also second on the squad in service aces with 33.

Markovic led the team in digs with 454. That total was eighth-best in the MIAC. Markovic finished her career with 1,394 digs and is the school’s all-time leader in digs per set (4.41).

Keil played in all 29 matches and was one of the Cobbers’ top allaround players. She finished third in kills with 232, third in digs with 273, and her block total of 33 was fourth on Concordia.

Leitner was the top kill producer for the Cobbers and earned MIAC All-Conference honors for the first time in her career. She finished the season with 294 kills and had a .232 attack percentage.

The Division III Academic All-America program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division III national governance structure, to assist CSC with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the Division III Academic All-America teams program.

What Is Higher Education’s Role in the Local Workforce?

DECEMBER 14, 2023

Higher education is needed now more than ever, even as many have questioned the value of going to college, President Colin Irvine said during a recent Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber event, “A New Era in Education.”

“Because of the technology changes and the workforce need changes, we need more people with these degrees than we’ve ever had,” Irvine said during the panel discussion with the presidents of Minnesota State Community and Technical College and Minnesota State University Moorhead. “Helping people understand that is the challenge.”

To take on that challenge, the three presidents committed to continuing collaboration.

Irvine is also tackling the perception issue by doubling down on the college’s focus on place-based learning. With Irvine’s Invest to Grow initiative, the college is working with community partners

as it creates programming and designs opportunities around experiential learning.

“We are very quickly at Concordia adding programs that speak to the question, ‘will you get a job when you graduate?’” Irvine said. “Yes, absolutely. And you’ll have job-like experiences while you’re in college.”

He said Concordia is in a Goldilocks zone, where students can get a well-rounded experience in a single day without having to leave the community. It also provides easier access for faculty and staff to go directly to business leaders to build relationships and opportunities that benefit students and companies.

“It’s hard to do that in the Twin Cities when it’s that large,” he said.

Irvine also invited business leaders to connect with faculty through colleges’ career centers, noting that institutions are designed to take projects from the outside and create valuable research.

The Concordia Promise

An issue raised at the event was the cost of college. The presidents spoke about how Minnesota’s North Star Promise, which provides

residents from families making less than $80,000 a year with free tuition at public schools, is helping make college more accessible to marginalized communities.

In response to the legislation, Concordia unveiled the Concordia Promise, offering free tuition to students nationwide whose families earn less than $90,000.

To best serve students and their communities, Irvine would like to see private colleges included in the North Star Promise.

“We want all students to discern where the best place is for them to have their experience, in part because that’s where they’ll probably end up staying to serve their communities,” he said.

Cobbers Learn Leadership Approaches for Local and Global Problems

DECEMBER 18, 2023 | OFFUTT SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

Concordia College students may not have solved all the world’s challenges during their Leadership: Theory and Applications class this fall, but they did team up to decide what leadership approach might best address them locally.

Then the student groups shared their work with the campus community in the form of presentation posterboards, greeting passers-by and answering questions about their research and their findings.

Dr. Shontarius Aikens, associate professor of management, introduced students to the seven major trends that will shape our world through 2050 and beyond, as identified by the Center for Strategic and International Studies — population, resource management, technology, information and knowledge, economics/ economic integration, security/conflict, and governance.

Then he assigned them to choose one, study its impact in the Fargo-Moorhead area, and decide what contemporary leadership framework would be best for approaching the issue.

Three of the groups chose to examine facets of artificial intelligence, one focusing on its use in business, one on its use in education and a third taking a broader view. Others researched responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, making large financial planning decisions after college, and housing in Fargo-Moorhead.

Each group interviewed people from local businesses and organizations, asking about the status of their issue, what’s been done about it and what the future could potentially hold, drawing their results into a presentation.

Students showing “Housing in Fargo-Moorhead” contacted 36 people and interviewed 25 of them. What did they learn from them?

“Individuals think that there is a shortage in housing. Management companies do not,” they wrote, adding that there is a lack of lowerincome and student housing, concerns about maintaining a safe environment, and noting that roommates are necessary and living is getting more expensive.

The leadership applications they chose were Path Goal Theory, which defines a goal, clarifies the path to it and removes obstacles, as well as Transformational Leadership, meant to inspire performance and bring people to their fullest potential, and Followership under a leader’s direction.

Several other groups focused on Transformational Leadership or Adaptive Leadership, with its focus on how leaders encourage people to adapt, as both focus on guiding people through changes and fostering growth.

Thompson Adds All-American Honors To His Bio

You can officially add the title of All-American to senior Collin Thompson’s (Thatcher, Arizona) bio. Thompson parlayed a recordtying season into All-American honors as he was named to the D3football.com All-American Fourth Team.

Thompson becomes the 31st Concordia player to earn All-American honors in the program’s history. He is also the first since 2019, when Alex Berg and Willie Julkes received the award.

The All-American award follows Thompson being named to the D3football.com All-Region 6 First Team, the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Most Outstanding Lineman (Mike Stam Award) and MIAC All-Conference.

This year was the 25th anniversary of D3football.com naming an All-American Team. The first D3football.com All-America team was awarded in 1999 and is, along with the AFCA All-America team, the only ones recognized in the NCAA record book. Players are nominated by schools in November and December for the D3football. com All-Region team and are then considered for All-American.

Thompson tied the school record for tackles for a loss in a single

season. He finished 2023 with 17.5 tackles for a loss. That total led all MIAC players and was in the Top 25 of NCAA Division III.

Thompson also tied for the team lead in sacks in the fall. He finished with 3.0 sacks, which was in the Top 15 of the MIAC. Thompson had 42 total tackles, with 29 solo take downs and 13 assisted tackles. He was fifth on the Cobbers in solo tackles.

Five Cobbers Named CSC Academic All-District

DECEMBER 20, 2023 | COCURRICULAR

Concordia had five players selected to the College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA) Academic All-District Team.

Seniors Chase Dockter (Bismarck, North Dakota/Bismarck Century High School), Quin Miller (Aitkin, Minnesota), Mitchell Sullivan (Annandale, Minnesota) and Collin Thompson (Thatcher, Arizona), as well as junior Owen Miller (Aitkin, Minnesota) all earned the award for the first time in their careers.

The 2023 Academic All-District Football Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom.

The quintet of student-athletes helped Concordia finish second in the Skyline Division of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The Cobbers ended the year with a 4-4 record against conference teams and a 5-5 overall mark.

The CSC Academic All-District team is part of the CSC Academic All-America program. Student-athletes must have a grade-point average above 3.50 (4.0 scale) and have outstanding athletic credentials. Academic All-District honorees are considered for advancement to the CSC Academic All-America ballot. First, second and third-team Academic All-America honorees will be announced in the middle of January.

Dockter was a three-time MIAC postseason award winner who was named to the MIAC All-Conference Team this fall. Dockter is

a computer science and data analytics major and has a 3.70 grade point average.

Quin Miller played in all 10 games for the Cobbers this year and was a key member of the CC linebacking corps. He finished the year with 13 total tackles. Miller carries a 3.84 GPA while majoring in business economics and psychology.

Sullivan was a mainstay of the Concordia defensive backfield, where he finished the season fourth on the team in total tackles with 47. He also had an interception and 6.0 pass breakups during the year. Sullivan is majoring in marketing and finance and has a 3.78 GPA.

Thompson is the most decorated of the five academic award winners. He was recently named to the D3football.com All-American Team, as well as being named the MIAC Most Outstanding Lineman (Mike Stam Award). Thompson tied the school record in tackles for a loss this year and finished the year with 42 total tackles. He has a 3.95 GPA while majoring in computer science and business management.

Owen Miller was the team’s top receiver in 2023. He led the Cobbers in total receptions and total receiving yards. Miller finished the fall

Interdisciplinary Interests

JANUARY 3, 2024 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE

Riley Erlandson ’21

Majors/Minor

: Biology, Neuroscience; Religion

Master of Divinity Student at Yale Divinity School, Anticipated Graduation Year: 2024

Please briefly describe your current program. Can you tell us about something interesting you’ve learned while there?

The Master of Divinity at Yale Divinity School is a fairly flexible degree intended to prepare graduates for careers in ministry, whether that is in a pastoral setting or reflects a call toward nonprofit, educational, or academic work. Degree requirements are relatively flexible. There are a few necessary courses in biblical studies, ethics, theology, preaching, history, etc., and plenty of room to pursue funded internships and really any academic interests you have (including courses offered across all of Yale’s schools). There are great opportunities for community life and extracurricular engagement across YDS and the university at large. In my studies, I’ve been most interested in the way religion and religious literature might encourage hopeful, new ways of thinking about faith in the face of problems in the modern world, especially related to ecological and climate disaster.

What is the best part about your program?

I’ve found that the best part of this program has been learning with and from my incredible classmates. Most have had at least a few years away from school in a wide variety of careers, so each person brings incredible life experience and ideas to each class and conversation. There is also a wonderful, communal sense of striving for justice that is generally reflected. This also arises in initiatives that people really commit themselves to — for example, Lights Out Connecticut protects migrating birds from light pollution. There’s a sense that there is so much work to be done to make the world a more just, kind, and equitable place and so much community support for the ways that people choose to live out that call.

with 51 catches for 730 yards and had four touchdown catches. He is a psychology and business finance major and has a 3.53 GPA.

The Division III Academic All-America program is financially supported by the NCAA Division III national governance structure, to assist CSC with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the Division III Academic All-America teams program.

What skills are most necessary for success in your field?

I’d say a strong sense of vocational call to care for others and the world, both through individual care and advocacy/activism against systemic injustices. Also, the willingness to continually work on maintaining boundaries and self-care while pouring oneself out into work with high demands on time and emotional energy.

How did you decide the career you wanted to go into?

While studying science at Concordia (which I really enjoyed and has been very valuable even in a non-STEM focused program!), I found myself increasingly drawn to religion courses. Though I’ve always hoped my career choice would center on ecology and climate change, I’d found myself and my peers feeling more and more disillusioned about the possibilities to make a meaningful difference in regard to the climate crisis. Bringing spirituality and religion into the climate conversation might allow us to think about the ways that hope and healing can still be found in community, even in a world with so many injustices and pending/present ecological crises in the human and more-than-human living world. With that in mind, I was very excited to study religion and ecology at YDS. After my first year in the program, I switched from the Master of Arts in Religion to the Master of Divinity degree, feeling called to work directly with people in a ministerial setting while also researching the subject academically.

What do you wish you knew in college that you know now?

I wish I hadn’t spent so much time and energy trying to discern my career path! Even now, at the end of my M.Div., so many doors are open and I’m not sure where I’ll be a year from now, let alone five or 10, and I feel much more peaceful about it than I did a few years ago. It’s good to think about what you want to do with your life — and Concordia’s focus on BREWing and thinking about vocation is very helpful with that! — but I wish I’d understood sooner that BREWing is more about personal development, ethics, and values than naming an exact career track.

How did your Concordia experience prepare you for life after college?

Looking back, I think my on-campus jobs were pivotal in preparing me for life after college. I worked at ITS all four years (shoutout, ITS rocks!) and learned a lot about working with (and eventually,

as a student manager, leading) other people. Working with Res Life and Orientation were also great experiences in developing interpersonal and leadership skills. I think Concordia taught me how to build meaningful relationships, which is so important in both professional and personal life after school.

Did you have a PEAK (Pivotal Experience in Applied Knowledge) opportunity as a Cobber? If so, what did you learn?

The PEAK that has stuck with me the most is my neuropsychology class with Dr. Mikel Olson. Each student was matched with a resident at Eventide care center down the street from Concordia, and we were asked to visit them for a certain number of hours throughout the semester in preparation for a final paper. My friend Kenny and I teamed up and visited both of the residents we were matched with together. We developed such a connection with them that we continued to visit the following semester after the class had concluded. It wasn’t the point of the assignment, but I think this was a foundational moment for me in realizing my interest in chaplaincy and the importance of simply spending intentional time talking with and listening to people, especially across generations.

Why did you choose to attend Concordia?

I became aware of Concordia because it was the only college that adults in my life still cared about or felt connected to. My aunt Barb and my piano teacher, Cindy, both consistently mentioned their experiences at Concordia, especially its music program and the friends they made there. As soon as I stepped on campus for my first visit, I could feel a sense of community; people seemed likely to greet each other in passing or to study together than alone. Every student, staff, and faculty member I spoke to was genuinely warm and kind. I could tell that there was something special about the Cobber community and the way they supported one another, and I knew I’d be applying as soon as I could.

What do you value most about your Cobber experience?

Overall, I’m so grateful for the interdisciplinarity of Concordia. Between the liberal arts curriculum and the way that professors structured their classes, I had so many opportunities to bring questions and topics from one course to another: ecology into religion class, creative writing and art into neuroscience class, and so on. Everything is so interconnected and entangled in real life, so I appreciate that Concordia encourages students not to “silo” their academic experiences into a single topic or field. Singing in Chapel Choir was also one of the best parts of my time at Concordia, and I’ll never forget some of the music we made together or the friends I sang with.

If I had to pick one standout memory, it would be my book club. The group of students in my first-semester inquiry seminar class, “C.S. Lewis: Religion in Fantasy,” ended up with majors spanning from neuroscience to music to business to political science, but we all loved this discussion group so much that we’ve kept our reading

group going long after the class ended. Though we all graduated in 2021, we continue to read short stories and books together and meet on Zoom at least once a month (along with our professor, Dr. Roy Hammerling!) to discuss them, and we did so in person throughout our years at Concordia. It’s such a wonderful group of people who became my closest friends and I think it’s a great example of the way Concordia brings people together.

What advice would you give to a current student or someone who is considering Concordia?

If you want to develop lifelong friendships with your classmates and be challenged to think across multiple academic disciplines in every course you take, Concordia should be at the top of your list. Whether they’re your professors, staff, or student employment supervisors, the staff and faculty are such warm people who will make sure you don’t feel alone if you’re ever struggling. Also, the food is great. :)

Do you have any advice for Cobbers considering grad school?

Talk to your professors — they’ve all been through grad school. I know it might seem weird or difficult to ask them to be mentors or to write letters of recommendation for you, but I guarantee you the reason they’re teaching at Concordia is because they want to support and connect with students and see you succeed. Also, if you email any graduate admissions office, they can connect you with students enrolled in the program you’re looking at, and a call with them can help you get a real idea of the program more so than websites. Finally, don’t assume that it’s financially impossible! Look out for funding while you’re researching schools — in many disciplines, including seminary, you may not have to pay for grad school and may even get a stipend.

What’s the best professional advice that you have received?

Bring all of yourself wherever you go. Moving from studying science at Concordia to religion at YDS was quite a shift and, in vocational discernment, I spent a lot of time worried about what was “right” to pursue: a career in ministry, environmental work, teaching, and/ or writing. However, great mentors (including Dr. Roy Hammerling from Concordia) have encouraged me not to worry about this. They’ve both encouraged me and demonstrated from their own career paths that it’s not only possible but also incredibly enriching to bring all your seemingly disparate passions into any career(s) you pursue! So if you’re interested in film studies, music, or art even though you’re studying economics or chemistry, I’d highly recommend taking a course or joining a club and letting that part of yourself grow — even if you don’t think it will directly apply to the job you’ll have after college.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I’m so grateful for my time at Concordia and all the wonderful people who supported me through it. Soli Deo Gloria!

Kickstarting Careers

JANUARY

5, 2024 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE

Matthew Nemer ’24, Fargo, North Dakota

Major/Minors: Social Studies

Education; Spanish, Coaching

Please tell us about yourself.

I am 23 years old and I am from Fargo, North Dakota. I am the youngest of four children, I have two older brothers and one older sister. I went to high school at Fargo Davies where I played soccer, basketball, and track and field. I graduated in 2019.

Why did you choose Concordia?

I chose Concordia because I had heard great things, mostly from my sister who was already attending. Coming in I was a business major, so the business school was very appealing but obviously did not work out. Another big reason was that I would be given the opportunity to continue to play soccer.

What do you enjoy about playing soccer and tennis for the Cobbers?

The easy answer would just be able to continue playing sports. The better answer would be spending time and creating relationships with the teammates I have. Some of my best memories have come from the times I spent with teammates.

What do you most appreciate about being a student-athlete at Concordia?

I very much appreciate the support athletes receive from not only the student body but faculty as well. The professors are great at working with student-athletes who may have to miss classes. They are very accommodating and understanding, so I really appreciate that.

You were recently hired as head coach of the Fargo North girls’ soccer team. Having that happen while you’re still in college is a big deal. What was your reaction when you got that call?

I was beyond excited when I first got the news. I did not really have any expectations because, as you mentioned, I am still in school so when I received the news that I got the job, I was very excited and grateful for the opportunity.

How did you first get involved in coaching soccer and what inspired you to start coaching?

My first experience coaching soccer came when I got the opportunity to work at the Cobber youth soccer camp. From the very first day, I enjoyed coaching and helping young athletes get better at the sport. As for my inspiration, I want to be like all of my past coaches who have had a positive impact on my life. I want to be that positive influence and impact on people’s lives.

Can you tell us about your other coaching experience in the community and what it has taught you as an individual?

Another coaching experience I have is coaching U10 boys for Tri-City and junior varsity high school girls soccer. My coaching experience has allowed me to learn to coach from different perspectives so each player can have a better understanding. It has also helped me to learn to have more patience.

How did your time at Concordia prepare you for coaching?

I think that playing soccer for five years at Concordia has allowed me to learn how to be a successful coach. The men’s soccer team has a great coaching staff who focus on players as a whole person rather than just an athlete. I think incorporating that ideology as well as what I have learned about making meaningful relationships and communication skills from being an education major will help me in the future.

Have you had a PEAK (Pivotal Experience in Applied Knowledge) opportunity and, if so, what did you learn?

My PEAK was going to a middle school classroom and having the opportunity to connect with children. From this experience, I was able to learn about classroom management and how to effectively communicate with students. I think this experience was very beneficial as I will use the skills I learned in my future classroom.

What do you value most about being a Cobber?

What I value most about being a Cobber is the sense of community. Concordia has a small student body, which allowed me to meet people with a wide variety of interests. Everyone supports each other and wants each other to find success.

What are you most looking forward to during your senior year?

I am grateful to have another opportunity to play soccer and I am looking forward to starting my student teaching this semester. I am excited to be in a classroom all semester and learn skills that I will be able to use for the rest of my career.

What advice would you give to a high school student who is considering Concordia?

I would tell them about all the different opportunities that Concordia has to get involved with different on-campus groups. They have great opportunities for all majors and have many ways to get involved in the community.

Corn Feeds to Coding

JANUARY 11, 2024 | OFFUTT SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

Iyanu Lamina ’25, Ogun State, Nigeria

Major: Computer Science with concentrations in Computing and Data Analytics

Please tell us about yourself.

I am from Ogun State, Nigeria, and grew up in a very supportive community. My parents have been especially supportive throughout my education. While growing up, my career goals changed. When I was in elementary school, I wanted to be a teacher because I loved the way they taught. Then I wanted to be a lawyer because I like how they advocate for people and I’m just kind of the person that wants to speak on behalf of people. Yet again, my career goals changed, and I wanted to be a nurse and study medicine because the medical system in Nigeria isn’t great. With the support of my parents, I began a program called SOSHGIC, which stands for Hermann Gmeiner International College, in Tema, Ghana. The school helps provide students with world-class education and connection and educates students across Africa and beyond. The exams are very rigorous and, after taking the exams multiple times, I decided this is a sign and that God is telling me to do something else. I continued my studies and was preparing for my last year and exams when my family had me apply for a scholarship program for United World College. I went through the interview and exam process and expressed my love for helping people, and I think that played a huge role in getting accepted into UWC Red Cross Nordic in Norway. While at UWC Red Cross Nordic, my career plans changed once more, and I told myself I wanted to study computer science. When I am not focusing on academics, I enjoy cooking, listening to podcasts, playing basketball, and just trying new things to build my skills.

How did you hear about Concordia College and why did you choose to attend college here?

I heard about Concordia during my time at UWC from an academic advisor when discussing career plans. I applied to many different schools, and Concordia was one of them. I chose Concordia because it has a computer science program. During the application process, I talked with Steve Schaefer and got the feeling that this is what I wanted out of a school. What’s great about Concordia is that any religion can be practiced, it has a strong community, and the class sizes are small so the professors know who you are.

Why did you choose computer science and data analytics as your areas of study?

I decided I was going to study computer science without even knowing what it was really like. My first time taking a computer science course was at Concordia and this allowed me to get a glimpse of what I was going to do for a living after college. I enjoy the visualization piece of data analytics and working with Tableau. As a data analyst, I can now take a spreadsheet of data and turn it into proper visualizations where people can view and work with the data. What drew me to these programs was how they challenge your ability and I love challenges.

What do you enjoy most about the Fargo-Moorhead community?

I am more of a homebody but when I get out into the community, I see many things that I enjoy. I try to get out of my comfort zone and try new things. I really like how the people are so welcoming.

Are you involved with any student organizations on campus? If yes, tell us about them.

When I came to Concordia as a freshman, I wanted to be involved in all the things that would add value. I speak a little French, so I wanted to keep that going and develop my skills, but it has been hard to stay involved because of my academics. I am involved in computer science and recently joined the Women in Business Club. I am also involved in programs around interfaith, specifically the Interfaith Incubator Program and Better Together. Both of these programs allow you to openly share your opinions in a safe space and have discussions around topics on how to make an impact.

What is your favorite Cobber tradition and why?

I love the Corn Feed! So many people come to campus and enjoy it. My first time at the Corn Feed was with Residence Life and we had a major part in the day from getting the corn ready to volunteering at the event, and my favorite was eating the corn.

Tell us more about studying computer science and data analytics at Concordia.

There are so many things in computer science that can challenge your ability and that’s what I love about the program. In the data analytics program, I really like creating visuals with Tableau, using data to make insightful decisions, and looking at the raw data and drawing conclusions. Right now, computer science and analytics are a big part of my life and I love the challenge.

What do you enjoy most about taking classes in the Offutt School of Business?

There are so many ways to answer this question. Recently, I noticed I was not using the space of the business school because most of my classes were in Grose and Academy. I have started to realize the value of the space and the people in the business school. I really like taking my computer science classes here, and one class I have learned a lot from is my data analytics course. I really enjoy the topic and everything the class offers. I love web design, and I love my software engineering class because of the different methodologies and the project management components. I am also taking programming languages where I get to learn about each program more in depth and how they came about. I love to talk about artificial intelligence. I’m not an expert in the field, but since taking this class I have gained more insight and understanding of AI.

Do you have a favorite professor, class, or study spot?

I really enjoy studying in the business school. I love the building and the value the space brings. My favorite place to focus is the seminar room. Some of my favorite courses have been principles of programming languages, web design and development, software engineering, and artificial intelligence. Lastly, I love all my professors. They all are willing to listen, are great at getting to know me, and are great resources to have here on campus.

Have you had any internships?

I haven’t had an internship yet, but I am currently applying for internships and it’s been a challenging process. I am currently reaching out, networking on LinkedIn, and not giving up on applying for roles that interest me. My advice if you are looking for an internship is to keep applying, apply to multiple places, and don’t feel pressured by other people because a lot of people are in the same boat as you.

What are your career goals and how is Concordia preparing you?

I am striving for a career that I would enjoy where I can be a great leader, develop networking skills, and advance my computer science skills. Concordia has prepared me for my career goals by having resources on campus. The Career Center, Center for Student Success, and Writing Center have all helped me during my time as a student. The Career Center has helped me prepare for interviews and reviewed my resume. Another way Concordia is helping me is by giving me advice when it comes to talking about my career goals and what steps to take to get there. Concordia is very supportive.

What has been a highlight of your time as a Cobber?

I don’t know if I have a specific one yet, but I love working in the Anderson Office of Career Success in the Offutt School of Business and at Cobber Kids. Even though it’s not in my career path, I enjoy helping and watching the kids grow at Cobber Kids.

What advice would you give to an international student who is considering attending Concordia College?

Ask questions. While in the application and interview process, ask questions about the college, do your research, ask more questions, and reach out to students attending the school. Develop friendships among your classmates to avoid feeling lost and to have a support system you can always turn to.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Don’t feel pressure about coming to college undecided. Just because your friends may be studying a different major than you doesn’t mean you have to study the same major. Do what makes you happy. Find your passion and an area that brings you joy and fulfillment.

Balancing the Books

Austin Ratliff ’23, Havre, Montana

Major: Accounting with a concentration in Public Accountancy

Please tell us about yourself.

I am a graduating senior from Concordia College and I also participated on the wrestling team for all of my time here. I come from a small town in Montana where I was the student body president, a wrestler, and a football player. When I have free time, I am usually cooking, playing with my pup, or playing the latest video games. How did you hear about Concordia and why did you choose to attend college here?

I was actually on a visit to North Dakota State University when my stepmother (who also attended Concordia) asked if I would want to visit her alma mater. I decided to since it was just over the river and immediately felt like this was my best choice.

I then received a phone call later in the year after having success at high school wrestling and the coach at the time offered me to join the team here at Concordia. This was the final step to help me decide where I wanted to go and learn.

What was the biggest adjustment for you and how did you overcome that?

Being away from family was very tough. It is about a day’s trip to make it back. This can get especially difficult during the winter.

Thankfully, I am able to take the Amtrak train back home if needed. I overcame my homesickness with the group of friends I made at Concordia. It was unlike any experience I had with other friend groups in the past and this made living in the dorms extra special.

What do you like about the Fargo-Moorhead area?

I love the variety of options for food and entertainment. Unlike my hometown, there is a plethora of things to do and eat around the area. It also does not feel like a big town or city and is all connected nicely via the interstate.

How did you decide on your major?

I like numbers and organizing the numbers in a way that makes sense. As an accountant, all these different numbers and accounts tell the story of a business and being able to apply that to the real world feels like such a valuable asset (pun intended).

Have you had a favorite accounting course? Why was it your favorite?

My favorites were Audit I and II. Not only had I just been an audit intern before taking the course, but the professor (now retired) made the class fun and interactive. Auditing as a class and profession requires a lot of client-facing work and teams working through problems to get an understanding of a certain situation. These interactions with people are my favorite part of accounting and also why I chose this specific route as a career.

What are the benefits of taking classes in the Offutt School of Business?

The Offutt building is very easy to navigate, so getting around is not an issue after you gain a basic understanding of the building. The

many rooms also offer a great place to study as well as the outside patio. Then if you have any questions for professors, their offices are just on the other side of the patio door.

What campus activities have you been involved in?

Wrestling, on-campus bingo nights, movie nights, and game nights. What is the student-athlete experience like at Concordia?

As a wrestler, we were really busy since the sport takes up a majority of both semesters. Fortunately, the school and coaches did a great job pairing us all together on the same floor in the dorms, so we were able to bond and be on the same schedule when it came to lifts and practices. Although it was busy, our coach always strove for us to be good not just in our sport but also academically and lifestyle-wise, which I think made us stand out from other schools’ teams.

How do you balance your busy schedule as a student-athlete?

An Outlook calendar and sometimes planners. Our coach does a great job laying out our schedules and itineraries and recommended Outlook as a tool for school as well. I saw major improvement after taking this advice. It’s also a key component in my work life.

What do you like best about being a Cobber?

I like the feeling of home and belongingness. I always feel like I can talk with people or ask questions and not feel out of the ordinary for doing so. Concordia does a good job at this sense of inclusiveness.

Please tell us about your PEAK (Pivotal Experience in Applied Knowledge) opportunities and what you learned.

My PEAK was doing Volunteer Income Tax Assistance where we met in the evening on campus and had everyday people from the

What is Sonder, Anyway?

My experience with Sonder has been a crucial one personally. Ever since hearing about the studentled organization on campus, I was immediately intrigued. Thankfully, I had a friend already involved on the exec board who was able to get me connected. Even going into my first meeting I was immediately greeted by some of the friendliest, most accepting people I’ve ever met, and I’ve grown deeper friendships here. Sonder is always a safe space for Concordia students and it didn’t take long for me to get comfortable.

The Meaning Behind Sonder

“What does Sonder mean?” is a question we get a lot. The definition of the word is “the realization that everyone around you is living a life just as complex as your own.” Everyone has vastly diverse life experiences and deals with just as much as the next person. Every person you walk past in the grocery store isn’t just another person in your story. They have their own story with struggles, successes, obstacles, and a million things going on. That’s a big

community come in around tax season and we helped prepare them. Doing this PEAK made me feel like I was applying my talents for the better as a lot of these people were elderly or not as well off, so I felt like I gave back to my community by doing this. Shout out to accounting professor Ronald Twedt.

In what ways has Concordia helped you grow?

Concordia has allowed me to think outside the box and view issues from other people’s perspectives. This has allowed me to open up my mind and become more conscious of these thoughts and ideas.

What’s your favorite Concordia tradition and why?

My favorite Concordia tradition is definitely running into Prexy’s Pond and also smoothie Mondays in the dining center. We would always go as a team and get them after lifting super early.

What’s one thing you never imagined you would do before coming to Concordia?

I never thought I would compete as a college wrestler. What advice would you give to a Montana student who is considering Concordia?

Do it. Take the leap. I am very glad I did, and I would not choose another path. The people I have been able to meet and places I have gone far outweigh all my other options of what I might have done instead.

You just graduated in December. What’s next for you?

I have accepted an offer as a full-time audit associate at Eide Bailly in Fargo. I also plan on obtaining my CPA license and am currently studying for that beast.

part of what Sonder stands for — sharing those experiences and ending the stigma surrounding them, as well as continuing toward equal access so we can all experience life together.

My first draw to Sonder was the mental health aspect. I’ve struggled with mental health issues and a learning disability my whole life, and I’ve been through a whirlwind of diagnoses and treatments as we learn more and figure out what works for me. I grew up knowing I was different and not always feeling OK, but I never knew how to explain what I was feeling enough to ask for help. It wasn’t until the last year or two of high school that I was able to find people who understood and provided resources for me. Late diagnoses can be an adjustment, and school can be difficult while still learning how to manage and figuring out which accommodations are helpful. There are times when it feels really isolating and it can be difficult to ask for help or support, so as soon as I heard there was a group for people like me I felt like I needed to check it out. I’m beyond glad I did.

You’re Not Alone

Sonder has helped me meet people who have had similar experiences to mine, which is the comfort I needed to feel less alone in what I was going through. People often say, “you’re not alone,” and you see videos online of people telling their stories and maybe they resonate with you, but it makes such a difference to

make friends and spend in-person time with people who get it and can be an actual physical shoulder to lean on. Sonder members have a safe and validating approach to sharing our stories and being a support to those who need it. We also aim to make Sonder a really good place to learn. As much as we relate to each other, we have plenty of differences, and this is a space where we can ask questions and learn about different perspectives and things we don’t experience firsthand. It’s open and judgment-free. This is where you can talk if you want to or just listen, and that support and those conversations are so important on a college campus. Sonder is welcome to all whether or not you have a disability or struggle with your mental health. We want to foster a safe and open community where people can discuss these issues and provide support for one another.

Events and Topics

Sonder has hosted a variety of events since its founding a few years ago, advocating for students who struggle with their mental

health and/or have disabilities. Our goal is to make campus more accessible and to normalize conversations surrounding these topics. We’ve done tabling events in the atrium and led many discussions on various topics such as chronic illness, relationships and disability, service animals, and so much more. We also like to show up at various campus events with resources and education, and we often put together sensory experiences and self-care kits. Sonder also shares support and statistics on various topics on our Instagram page, which also includes lots of resources for those who need them. It’s an easy and accessible way to make sure people can find the information they’re looking for, and we’re always listening for student input.

If this sounds like the place you want to be, all are welcome and we’d love for you to join us. This semester, Sonder meets from 7:308:30 p.m. every other Monday. Follow our Instagram for updates.

Harmonizing Passions, Academics, Career

JANUARY 23, 2024 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE

Martan Gregoire ’26, Moorhead

Major

: Vocal Music Education

Please tell us about yourself.

I grew up in Moorhead and went to Moorhead High School. I am a sophomore pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree in vocal music education. My career goal is to be a high school or middle school choir teacher. When I am not in class or studying, I love singing, playing piano, reading, hanging out with my friends, and shopping.

As someone who is from the Fargo-Moorhead area, what inspired you to stay and pursue your education at Concordia College?

Concordia was originally on my “absolutely not” list. I thought that I wanted to get out of the Fargo-Moorhead area because there was no way that Concordia was going to have everything that I wanted out of my college experience. However, when I toured Concordia, I immediately felt comfortable and knew that I really liked Concordia. Later, I came to sit in on a rehearsal of The Concordia Choir with Dr. Michael Culloton, and I loved the experience so much. Dr. Culloton made rehearsal so much fun and, after watching so many people who were excited about learning music and dedicated to making beautiful music, I couldn’t help but want to come to Concordia and be in the choir. Then, I came to the Concordia Christmas Concerts during my senior year and cried through the whole thing. I knew that I was going to come to Concordia to pursue my passion for music.

How did you decide on your area of study?

I always knew that I wanted to be a teacher, but I was never sure what subject I wanted to teach. I did well in school and thought I would enjoy teaching any subject that wasn’t science. During my

senior year, I signed up to peer tutor two other choir classes in my high school and one sixth-grade choir class at Horizon Middle School. These were incredibly valuable to me, and I loved the experience. One day, my high school choir director sat me down in her office and told me that I would be a great choir teacher and, after that, I decided to apply to Concordia and study vocal music education.

Do you have a favorite course related to music education? If so, why is it your favorite?

While I haven’t taken the course yet, the class I am most excited to take for my vocal music education major is Teaching Choral Music. This is the class where we learn about all of the different techniques that choral teachers use to teach music, from why we do warm-ups to teaching your students a song to what happens when no one will listen to you as the teacher. I can’t wait for all of my musical training and education courses to culminate in this class. Additionally, Teaching Choral Music has a classroom component where we will get to go to a high school choir classroom and observe, teach lessons, and get feedback from current teachers in the area. I am so excited to get placed in a music classroom and put all of my coursework to use!

Do you have a favorite vocal music education professor? If so, why?

Dr. Culloton and Dr. Joseph Kemper are both amazing professors. They truly care about every student they interact with, both in their academic career and as people. I have had countless conversations with each of them where I can tell that they truly want to hear what I have to say, and it is so great to know that they care so much about my academics, musical passions, and my career after Concordia.

What is your favorite part of taking classes in the Hvidsten Hall of Music?

My favorite part is the bond between the students and faculty in Hvidsten. Every time a professor walks past us in the atrium of Hvidsten, they are able to greet everyone by name and ask us how

we are doing because they truly care that much to get to know all of us. I will not have a class with every professor in the music building, but they still make the effort to get to know me. It feels great knowing that I have so many people supporting me in my studies.

What campus activities are you involved in, how did you get involved, and what aspects do you enjoy the most?

I sing in The Concordia Choir, participate in a chamber choir called Tactus, am part of the Concordia chapter of the American Choral Directors Association student organization, work as a student ambassador in the Admission Office, and this year I was a First-Year Transition mentor for the Orientation team.

I got involved by finding groups that are connected to my passions. I love singing, and The Concordia Choir and Tactus fill that need for me. I love learning about teaching music and teaching choir, and that’s what ACDA does for me. I love to teach people, and being a FYT mentor this year was so much fun because I got to connect with the incoming class of students and help them transition to college in the best way that I could. I love meeting new people and connecting with them, and being a student ambassador is the best way for me to do that and get more great students to come to Concordia.

What is your favorite part about Concordia?

My favorite thing about Concordia is that we are an “and” school. Our faculty, coaches, counselors, and staff want us to learn as much as we can AND be as involved as we can. The faculty want our students to be able to sing in choir AND participate in soccer. They want us to be in student organizations AND do some service work during our time here. Everyone on campus is involved because our advisors and faculty help us make it work in our schedule so we can get the most out of our college experience as possible.

In one word, how would you describe your Cobber experience so far?

My Cobber experience can be described through the word “community.” I love walking around campus and being able to say hi to everyone I walk past because I have some relationship with them, whether that’s because we have a class together, sing in an ensemble together, or we just had one random funny shared experience.

How does Concordia allow you to pursue your passions?

Concordia allows me to pursue my passions by giving me the opportunities to get real-world experience in the things I am passionate about. I am able to be in a classroom observing, helping, and teaching students because that is what I am passionate about. If I was passionate about studying abroad and expanding my horizons in that way, Concordia has many resources and opportunities for students to do that.

What do you enjoy about the Fargo-Moorhead community and in what ways are you active outside of Concordia?

I love all that there is to do in the Fargo-Moorhead community. There are so many fun restaurants to try, places to go, and things to do. When I am not busy at Concordia, I have helped coach and judge for the Moorhead speech team, and I have been involved in Trollwood Performing Arts School for several years.

What advice would you give to a high school student who is considering Concordia?

COME VISIT CAMPUS! My tour was invaluable to my decision to come to Concordia because I was able to meet with faculty who would be teaching my classes and see what my experience was going to be like before I even had to apply. They welcomed me with open arms and showed me that Concordia was going to be the best option for my future.

‘Outstanding’ Nursing Students Receive DAISY Awards

Twice a year, nursing faculty and student peers nominate outstanding nursing students for the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Students. Nursing professor Amanda Tracy says the award, an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System, was started by the Barnes family after they witnessed the kind and compassionate nursing care for their son, Patrick, during the last weeks of his life.

The award is intended to recognize students all over the U.S. who stand out in the classroom, show exceptional care and compassion with the patients and families they work with, and remind students why they made the decision to go into nursing. The Fall 2023 recipients are Jake Michel ’23 and Sumitra Rai ’24.

Michel was nominated from feedback given by a Labor and Delivery patient, who noted his professionalism and said she and her husband “both felt completely at ease with him there.” Additionally, Michel received peer recognition and is seen as a positive role model in Concordia’s accelerated nursing program. His peers say that he “finds ways to help others achieve by making and sharing thousands of flashcards, answering late-night texts, or answering questions that his peers might have.”

Dr. Morgan Rinke nominated Rai for outstanding work in the field, pointing to a day during clinicals when Rai noticed early signs of agitation in her patient who was coming off sedation.

“Sumitra remained composed and calm and alerted nearby nurses of the patient’s status change,” Rinke said in the nomination. “Sumitra assisted the nurses throughout the process, including

grabbing needed supplies and helping with pressure application when the patient removed her art line. The nursing team recognized and appreciated Sumitra’s assistance and ability to remain calm in a rapidly changing environment. Her ability to recognize behavioral changes and alert the necessary staff allowed the patient and staff to receive prompt support.”

The award came as a surprise to Rai.

“I could not have guessed for myself to get this award since my entire classmates are a group of amazing and hardworking students,” she said. “So, to be able to receive a DAISY, I feel so honored and proud.”

Rai’s decision to go into nursing came in high school while taking care of a sick family member following an incident. Inspired by one of the nurses providing care for her family, she then knew she wanted to help others in the same situation. After working clinicals in the medical surgical unit, she hopes to join this specific area after graduation.

“So far, my time in the nursing program has been extremely memorable despite the stressful times,” Rai said. “I’m very thankful to all of my wonderful professors who have always inspired me to do better, my amazing classmates, and the incredible patients that I was able to care for during my time in clinicals and internship.”

The other nominees for the Fall 2023 DAISY Awards were GendraMarleen Aasmaa ’25, Amelia Buckmeier ’25, Izzy Anderson ’25, Maddy Ims ’24, Edna Broni ’25, Josie Johnson ’25, Truc Nguyen ’24, Allie Hogstad (accelerated nursing ’23), and Haylee Gunter (accelerated nursing ’23).

Concordia’s top-ranked nursing program offers two pathways for students to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, a traditional four-year program and a 12-month accelerated program for those who already have a baccalaureate degree with a nonnursing major.

Concordia College Adds a Drumline to Its Musical Ensembles

JANUARY 9, 2024 | COCURRICULAR

From orchestras, choirs, and bands to ensembles of all sizes, Concordia College boasts a wide variety of performing musicians, and this school year, a new one has joined the roster — a drumline.

“That’s what got me into music. I was a drumline kid,” said Sam Deneen ’25, who is leading the group this year.

Though he’d planned to major in music education, he has since shifted his major to instrumental music, with percussion as his focal point. Deneen has played in orchestras, bands, jazz bands, and percussion ensembles and, as much as he loves the playing aspect, he also still enjoys teaching percussion.

That’s why the drumline is open to anyone who wants to give it a try, including those without drumline experience — and even those without any drum experience. New drummers can learn the beats by rote, as it’s all in the way it’s taught, Deneen said.

“For drumline, we want it to be this place where anybody can come in, have fun, and play the music,” he added. “There’s a place for anybody.”

Given how new the ensemble is, it practiced along with Concordia’s pep band during the fall semester, with about 10 percussionists showing up early to run through their music before the rest of the band arrived. The lineup varied a bit, but usually, three played snare drums, with four on bass drums, one tenor drum player, and another person wielding crash cymbals.

Only two of them were music majors, though most did have drum, drumline, or other instrumental music experience.

“I wrote a couple cadences and a couple stadium tunes,” Deneen said, and the group learned them, marching in the Homecoming parade.

Deneen hopes to showcase the group in an indoor performance in the future, but their work with the pep band has also been successful, providing a boost to school spirit and bringing students

together as a community, he said. He also hopes the group will grow in the future, both in participants and in supporters.

“It’s very much about the people. That’s the heart of any good drumline,” Deneen said.

Dr. Nat Dickey, music department chair and professor of low brass, also emphasized the inclusiveness and range of abilities drumlines allow.

“When it comes to playing cymbals or bass drum, a person can start out almost as a beginner,” he said, explaining that more experienced players can jump in to play the snare or tenor drums.

At this point, the group is primarily student-led, though its members use college-owned instruments and college spaces to practice and perform.

Dr. Peter Haberman, director of bands at the college, noted the drumline would offer students a chance to have fun playing music as a group with less of a time commitment, as the participants practice once a week rather than two to three times, like most of the larger school ensembles.

“We’re just trying to expand our offerings in the music department to be more inclusive to different types of musicians who like different types of experiences,” Haberman said.

Eventually, Deneen hopes the drumline will be able to provide more support for other student activities, perhaps playing at hockey games or volleyball matches.

“Be loud, be confident, and play the music,” he said. “At the end of the day, it’s about the people.”

Deneen encouraged interested students to contact him about the drumline, which will start again soon, either via email at sdeneen@ cord.edu or by calling or texting 763.772.8049.

Music, Corn and Tech Combine in Upcoming Circuit721 Concert

At the intersection of corn and circuit boards, Cobber musicians, electronics, and video will come together at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 14, in Christiansen Recital Hall, Hvidsten Hall of Music, for the annual circuit721 concert.

The electroacoustic concert, originated and curated by Dr. Steven Makela, assistant professor of music theory and composition, is one of Concordia’s newer traditions. Typically, it includes a primary performance from one of Makela’s colleagues, along with at least one composition by a member of the music faculty.

This year, Dr. Erika Izaguirre, assistant professor of trumpet, will perform in “Two Sides of the Coin,” by Whitney E. George and “Thoughts and Prayers,” by Roy Magnuson.

The other performances are prerecorded audio and video. Compositions include “Cygnus,” by Dr. Doug Harbin, associate professor of music theory and composition at Concordia, and videographer Michael Abramyan ’18, as well as “Once Claimed

Dominion,” by multimedia artist Carter Rice ’11 and multimedia artist Gabrielle Cerberville. “Things I Have Seen in My Dreams,” created by multimedia artist João Pedro Oliveira, will round out the program.

“The concert is open to everyone and is quite varied in terms of what the audience will experience,” Makela said. “Some of the music/video is quite relaxing and meditative, while other portions of the concert are more intense.”

Anyone interested in new music and the visual arts, including abstract film and time-lapse photography, might be particularly interested, he added.

“As for how circuit721 got its name, I was searching for a term that had something to do with both the field of electronics and corn — because we are the Cobbers, after all,” Makela said.

In his research, he discovered that the density of shelled corn is 721 kilograms per cubic meter, a number also used as a model number for a 1980s gaming system’s circuit board.

Graduating with Possibilities: Zaynab Said Finishes Time with High-level Research Experience

JANUARY 17, 2024 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE

The fall 2023 semester ended in a bit of a whirlwind for Zaynab Said ’23 of Fargo. The last day of finals was also moving day for her. Having finished up her degree in biology, Said was packed up and heading to the Twin Cities.

All that was on top of having just returned from Boston, where she presented at the American Society of Cell Biology national conference, an opportunity she called an honor, a surprise, and a validation.

“Being a woman of color in this field, oftentimes, leaves you feeling inadequate or like an imposter,” Said explained. “So, I was in disbelief until I actually made it to the conference. It was a very welcoming place, and it was refreshing and validating to be able to

see other scientists that looked like me, doing more than me; it was very motivating and aspirational.”

Said presented on work published in the journal Experimental Brain Research. Over the course of three summers, she and eight other Cobbers researched projects with Dr. Jason Askvig, associate professor of biology and neuroscience. They examined how injuries in the brain impact a protein critical for cell-to-cell interactions and, they believe, vital in the recovery process. Performing techniques such as western blotting and dual fluorescence, Said measured and characterized changes that happen in rats’ brains as they age.

“Concordia gives students so many opportunities to experience every part of the research process: researching, experimenting, writing, and presenting,” she said. “There are many experiences that I have had at this institution that I know I would not have gotten elsewhere.”

Said will likely receive authorship on three papers for her work at the college.

“I am excited to see where Dr. Askvig’s research goes,” she said. “It feels so special to be a part of the small group of students to have worked in his lab.”

While on the Boston trip, Said and Askvig toured a scientific lab at the Wyss Institute at Harvard where Sara Whiteman ’18, one of Askvig’s previous students, now works.

“I think it helped Zaynab see what research is like at a bigger scale and that she has Concordia alumni already on this path who can serve as resources for her along the way,” Askvig said.

As Said considers graduate school, Askvig is confident her experiences at Concordia will help with applications in addition to personal growth.

“I expect that Zaynab will do great things in the future,” he said. “She can make a fantastic scientist. We all can struggle with imposter syndrome. And, in the sciences, where so many brilliant minds work on complex problems, it is easy to feel that way. However, I have seen Zaynab’s confidence grow in the last year, and I can see that she believes that she has a place in science.”

Said has simple advice for students who are considering following in her footsteps: “Do it! Only good things can come from the experience. You will either realize that you love research or that you never want to do it again. You will make friends, learn new things, and have new experiences. No matter what, it will be an enriching experience.”

Concordia Students Take the Stage in 2 Short Operas

JANUARY 18, 2024

Clocking in at just 10 minutes long, Samuel Barber’s operatic miniature “A Hand of Bridge” premiered in 1959 and remains one of the shortest operatic works commonly performed onstage.

Concordia College students will perform the piece, as well as a second short opera, Dan Shore’s “An Embarrassing Position,” at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27, in the Centrum, Knutson Campus Center.

Comic and dramatic by turns, “A Hand of Bridge” centers around two unhappy married couples playing cards together. By turns, each expresses their deep dissatisfaction and even deeper desires, frivolous, passionate, or tragic, sometimes all at once.

“An Embarrassing Position,” based on a short story by Kate Chopin, premiered in 2010. Its plot focuses on a bachelor running for political office in the 1890s, as he tries to prevent a scandal when a

gossip columnist and a pretty girl turn up at his home at the same time.

Dr. Robin Griffeath, associate professor of voice, will direct, with Dr. Kevin Sütterlin, director of orchestral activities and opera, as music director, and Stephen Sulich, collaborative pianist/artist-inresidence, as music staff.

In “An Embarrassing Position,” the cast includes Matthew Mortenson as Willis Parkham, Gracie Fink as Eva Delvigné, Svea Hagen as June Jinkins, Haley Wash-Frisby as Ms. Dara, and Madi Goerig as Miss Paige. In “A Hand of Bridge,” singers are Jon Worner as David, Hagen as Geraldine, Mortenson as Bill, and Greta Johnson as Sally. Henry Sipples is serving as cover in both productions.

Including a brief intermission, the show will last about an hour.

Concordia Students Seeking Careers in Natural Resource Management Get Government Agency Jobs

JANUARY 23, 2024 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE

Dr. Michael Bush, assistant professor of biology, helped several students interested in natural resource management find internships and other positions over the summer. Students worked with The Nature Conservancy, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and the USDA, among others.

During her internship with the North Dakota Forest Service, Grace Ivesdal ’23 worked in tree management. Nate Do ‘23, who served as a field steward with The Nature Conservancy, helped with prescribed fires and in invasive species management.

Seasonal positions are critical early steps for those seeking careers in natural resources, Bush explained, as government agencies rarely hire candidates for more advanced positions if they don’t already have an employment history with federal or state governments.

“I alerted both of these students to these positions and coached them through what sorts of questions they might expect during the interviews and what some of the challenges would be in these jobs,

which are often physically demanding,” Bush said. “I also helped them out with finding positions after their summer jobs ended.”

Ivesdal has since been hired as a community forester for NDFS, working with cities to plant and care for the right kinds of trees and working with local groups to help stop the spread of invasive species.

“It should be noted that it is very difficult for undergraduates at any institution to get a full-time position almost right out of undergrad,” Bush said. “Usually there are several years of technician work and often a master’s involved before this happens. We’re extremely proud of her!”

Bush isn’t the only biology instructor whose students found valuable job experience last summer. Dr. Jennifer Sweatman, associate professor of biology, helped Sophie Schaumann ‘24 earn a prestigious fellowship with U.S. Fish and Wildlife last summer as well. Schaumann is currently helping Bush in his management of Long Lake, which includes tree surveys and mitigation of buckthorn, an invasive plant.

“Our students are excellent academically and giving them muddyboots experiences can make them more well-rounded and competitive wildlife/fisheries biologists as they enter the next chapter of their careers,” Bush added.

Thompson Earns Academic All-American Honors

Concordia defensive lineman Collin Thompson (Thatcher, Arizona) was named to the College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA) Academic All-American Division III First Team.

The CSC Academic All-America program honors student-athletes annually who have succeeded at the highest level in athletics and in the classroom. Individuals are selected through voting by CSC; a 2,000-plus member organization consisting of sports public relations professionals for colleges and universities in the United States and Canada.

Thompson becomes the first Concordia student-athlete to receive this highest academic honor for a student-athlete since Ben Bogart earned the award for wrestling in 2021. He is the first Cobber football player to earn the award since Brett Baune and Brett Harmelink received Academic All-American honors in 2012. Thompson is the eighth player in the program’s history to earn Academic All-American honors.

Thompson, who has a 3.95 GPA while majoring in computer science and business management, was one of only three student-athletes from the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference to receive CSC Academic All-American honors.

The Academic All-American award is the last in Thompson’s long line of postseason honors. He was named to the D3football. com All-American Team as well as being named the MIAC Most Outstanding Lineman (Mike Stam Award). Thompson tied the

school record in tackles for a loss this year and finished the year with 42 total tackles.

To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at his/ her current institution. Since the program’s inception in 1952, CSC (formerly known as CoSIDA) has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 14,000 student-athletes in Division I, II, III, NAIA and junior colleges covering all NCAA championship sports.

The Division III Academic All-America program is financially supported by the NCAA Division III national governance structure, to assist CSC with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the Division III Academic All-America team’s program.

56 Cobbers Earn Academic All-Conference Honors

JANUARY 24, 2024 | COCURRICULAR

Concordia placed 56 student-athletes on the MIAC Academic AllConference honor roll list for the fall sports season.

The 56 honorees are four more than last fall when the Cobbers placed a record-setting 52 student-athletes on the list. It marks the fourth time in the past five falls that Concordia has posted a record number of student-athletes who received Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Academic All-Conference honors.

The league honors student-athletes in six different fall sports teams with men’s and women’s golf awards being handed out in the spring.

In order to qualify for Academic All-MIAC status, student-athletes must be sophomores, juniors, or seniors by academic standards with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale.

To meet the athletic qualifications, an individual must be a member of a MIAC-sponsored varsity sports team, be academically and athletically eligible, have utilized a season of participation per NCAA and MIAC definitions, and have remained on the sports roster through the conclusion of the sports season in order to be eligible for Academic All-Conference honors.

The Concordia football team led the way for the Cobbers. They placed 16 student-athletes on the Academic All-Conference list. Volleyball and women’s soccer also had a double-digit honoree number. Volleyball had 11 student-athletes receive the honor, while women’s soccer had 10.

The total number of Academic All-MIAC honorees for fall sports has increased every year since 2011. Football led all fall sports this year with a record 193 honorees — up six from a season ago. Women’s soccer also finished with a new sport record of 169 honorees, surpassing its previous best of 159 set in 2021-22. Men’s soccer has a new high of 125 honorees, topping its 2021-22 record mark by six. Volleyball matched its 2022-23 total of 115, four shy of the all-time sport record, while women’s cross country also surpassed the century mark with 105 honorees this fall. Men’s cross country had 92 honorees, setting a new sport-high by two honorees.

Concordia Academic All-Conference Award Winners – Fall 2023

Men’s Cross Country

Carter Ferber (So., Fargo, North Dakota)

Evan Grover (So., Warroad, Minnesota)

Lucas Hinojos (Sr., Wadena, Minnesota)

Alexander Lerum (Sr., Plymouth, Minnesota)

Cole Nowacki (Sr., East Grand Forks, Minnesota)

Nick Trzynka (Jr., Maple Grove, Minnesota)

Women’s Cross Country

Drew Frolek (Jr., Lidgerwood, North Dakota)

Elsie Hatlevig (Sr., New Prague, Minnesota)

Sophia Revoir (So., Duluth, Minnesota)

Eden Smith (Jr., West Fargo, North Dakota)

Football

Thomas Colby (Sr., Bismarck, North Dakota)

Chase Dockter (Sr., Bismarck, North Dakota)

Will Freking (So., Alpha, Minnesota)

Ryan Johnson (Jr., Rock Valley, Iowa)

Noah Lacey (So., Sparks, Nevada)

Max LaVoy (Jr., Scottsdale, Arizona)

Kyan Lynk (So., Dassel, Minnesota)

Owen Miller (Jr., Aitkin, Minnesota)

Quin Miller (Sr., Aitkin, Minnesota)

Zach Oistad (Jr., Detroit Lakes, Minnesota)

Jacob Pipho (So., Decorah, Iowa)

Tyler Rademacher (So., Melrose, Minnesota)

Jersey Selzler (Jr., Velva, North Dakota)

Nathan Stoltenburg (So., Glencoe, Minnesota)

Mitchell Sullivan (Jr., Annandale, Minnesota)

Collin Thompson (Jr., Safford, Arizona)

Men’s Soccer

Cameron Bolinske (Jr., Minot, North Dakota)

Gavin Groshelle (Jr., Great Falls, Montana)

Jagger Hooper (So., Parker, Colorado)

Seth Kotzbacher (Jr., Fargo, North Dakota)

Matthew Nemer (Sr., Fargo, North Dakota)

Edwin Rasidovic (Jr., Bismarck, North Dakota)

Colin Reilly (So., Alexandria, Minnesota)

Liam Weiler (Jr., Moorhead, Minnesota)

Mason Weninger (Jr., West Fargo, North Dakota)

Women’s Soccer

Mikayla Barnick (Jr., Fargo, North Dakota)

Darby Hannan (So., Bozeman, Montana)

Kylee James (So., Alexandria, Minnesota)

Grace Mork (Sr., Brookings, South Dakota)

Breanna Nelson (Sr., Fargo, North Dakota)

Sarah Pedersen (Sr., Fredrikstad, Norway)

Sophia Robinson (Sr., Boseman, Montana)

Clara Rooney (Jr., Decorah, Iowa)

Ella Shinn (So., Willmar, Minnesota)

Hallie Thompson (So., Great Falls, Montana)

Volleyball

Grace Fleming (So., Hawley, Minnesota)

Karlie Goschen (Sr., Fargo, North Dakota)

Hannah Keil (Jr., Aberdeen, South Dakota)

Anna Knain (So., Moorhead, Minnesota)

Mallory Leitner (So., Dilworth, Minnesota)

Chloe Markovic (Sr., Bismarck, North Dakota)

Hanna Mooney (So., Roseau, Minnesota)

LaReena Mosbrucker (So., Mandan, North Dakota)

Elizabeth Naugle (Jr., Walker, Minnesota)

Megan Olson (Jr., Horace, North Dakota)

Maria Watt (Jr., Glyndon, Minnesota)

Career Scoring Week Propels Olson to MIAC Honor

JANUARY

29, 2024 | COCURRICULAR

Concordia junior Hunter Olson (Bemidji, Minnesota) was named the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week for helping the Cobbers post a key MIAC sweep over St. Olaf last week.

Olson came away with three goals and an assist in the two games. He had both of the game-winning goals in the Cobbers’ 5-4 and 4-2 wins against the Oles.

Olson scored Concordia’s fifth goal of the game on Tuesday night in the 5-4 in Northfield. The goal gave Concordia a 5-3 lead with 1:24 left in the third period but proved to be the game-winning tally after St. Olaf scored in the final minute of play.

Olson saved his top performance of the week for the Cobbers’ appearance at Hockey Day Minnesota 2024 in Warroad on Friday night.

He opened his stat line on Friday by getting an assist on the team’s first goal of the game, which cut the St. Olaf lead to 2-1 at the start of the second period.

Olson saved his best for last as he scored two goals in a span of 1:31 at the end of the third period to complete the Cobbers’ comeback and give them a 4-2 win.

After Isaac Henkemeyer-Howe tied the game on a rebound goal at the 15:57 mark of the final frame, Olson netted the game winner at

16:58. He finished off the scoring by using his speed to convert on a breakaway at 18:29.

The two goals against the Oles on Friday marked the first time in his career that Olson has struck for more than one goal in a single game.

Olson also led Concordia in shots on goal at Hockey Day Minnesota. He finished the game with five shots and had nine total shots in the series.

Olson is tied for second on the team in goals scored this season and tied for fourth in total points. He has eight goals and six assists for 14 points. Olson is also second on the team in shots on goal with 51.

Concordia College’s Nursing Program Ranked No. 1 in Minnesota Again

JANUARY 30, 2024 | SANFORD HEIMARCK SCHOOL OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS

Concordia College’s nursing program has once again topped RegisteredNursing.org’s list of the best nursing programs in Minnesota.

“It is an honor for our nursing program to be recognized for the quality of our program two years in a row,” said Dr. Jack Rydell, department chair of nursing at Concordia.

When making its rankings, RegisteredNursing.org looks at a number of factors, including NCLEX-RN pass rates. NCLEX-RN or National Council Licensure Examination (for) Registered Nurses is an adaptive test that people are required to pass in order to be a registered nurse in the United States and Canada. Concordia scored an impressive pass rate score of 93.41.

Nursing faculty and staff

“Our faculty work closely with our nursing students to provide the knowledge and resources needed to be successful in our program and in their careers thereafter,” Rydell said, also noting Concordia’s strong industry connections.

In addition, Rydell says students now have the added benefit of unique learning experiences available in the new Heimarck Center, the hub of the Sanford Heimarck School of Health Professions. The state-of-the-art building houses classes in nursing, psychology, physical therapy, and other health-related fields.

The Heimarck Center aims to provide a realistic and immersive learning environment. Its features include a nursing simulation lab with high-fidelity manikins (medical-training mannequins) to simulate hospital settings, a home health lab, and one-way windows for professors to observe students in action and later share feedback.

When the center held its grand opening, Sanford Heimarck School of Health Professions dean Dr. Gwen Halaas called the center a game-changer. “For an undergraduate campus to have this kind of experiential learning that looks like a hospital or a home is incredible,” she said. “It will transform how they’re learning because they’ll be able to apply the skills and knowledge they have gained in a realistic setting.”

Funmilola Fagbamila talks Activism, Community at Concordia College for MLK Jr. Day

JANUARY 30, 2024 | COCURRICULAR

Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream of freedom, equality, and justice is still alive, and people need to get involved and work together for civil rights, scholar and activist Funmilola Fagbamila told a crowd of Concordia College students gathered to hear her speak on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Due to inclement weather, Fagbamila, a Nigerian-American scholar, activist, and writer, could not give her address in person but instead gave her presentation virtually, speaking about King himself, the context in which he lived, and what it means to be an activist.

Fagbamila quoted King’s statement that “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” emphasizing the mutuality and interconnectedness of all people, and how critical it is to be embedded in the work of community.

“What is our own individual task, which is to be a thoughtful, considerate, and even when possible, when you have the capacity, to be a helpful community member?” she asked, encouraging people to be activists, organizers, and change-makers themselves rather than watching or even praising others for their work.

During his lifetime, King was criticized for nonviolent demonstrations against segregation and, in “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” he replied to his detractors.

“You deplore the demonstrations that are presently taking place in Birmingham. But I am sorry that your statement did not express a similar concern for the conditions that brought the demonstrations into being. I am sure that each of you would want to go beyond the superficial social analyst who looks merely at effects and does not grapple with underlying causes. I would not hesitate to say that it is unfortunate that so-called demonstrations are taking place in Birmingham at this time, but I would say in more emphatic terms that

it is even more unfortunate that the white power structure of this city left the Negro community with no other alternative,” King wrote.

Fagbamila noted that during his time, King and other Civil Rights activists were considered extreme, despite their nonviolence and careful engagement with others. She showed the crowd images of black and white people sitting together at a lunch counter during a protest, being harassed and threatened by a hostile crowd.

“To this day, it is not what color you are,” Fagbamila said. “It is what your intention, what your ideology, what your commitment is, that determines whether or not you’re going to be engaging … on the right side of history.”

Concordia College’s observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day also included a variety of other opportunities to learn, including a performance by comedian Chinedu Unaka, breakout sessions on various topics, and a panel discussion on the theme selected for 2024, “Communities in Action, Empowering the Dream,” featuring four Cobbers — students Fanan Nizam and Alisha Debleye and staff members Sunet Rubalcava and Heidi Rogers.

Lorentzsen Center Hosts Discussion on the State of American College Students

JANUARY 31, 2024 | COCURRICULAR

Concordia College’s Lorentzsen Center for Faith and Work will host a conversation event, “American College Student Freedom, Progress, and Flourishing,” from noon-1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 8. The event will be held both virtually and in-person at Barry Auditorium in the Grant Center on campus.

Dr. John Bitzan of North Dakota State University’s Sheila and Robert Challey Institute for Global Innovation and Growth will present on the “2023 American College Student Freedom, Progress, and Flourishing Survey.” The survey explores student perceptions about viewpoint diversity and campus freedom, human progress and future outlooks, as well as attitudes toward entrepreneurship, capitalism, socialism, and the influence of college on these views.

Key findings from the survey include:

• 65% of students favor reporting professors for stating opinions or facts on affirmative action, police shootings, guns, sex/gender, or vaccines.

• Less than 50% of students believe the world has improved over the last 50 years.

• Among students who believe the U.S. has declined, 53% attribute this to a lack of government programs.

Compassion in Action

Crisavydenil Seeman ’25, Perham, Minnesota

Major: Business Marketing

Minors: Communication Studies, Environmental and Sustainability Studies

Certificate: Entrepreneurial Mindset

Being a student at Concordia College means more than getting a symbolic ring and having the coolest corn cob mascot. Cobberhood represents a fierce desire for growth and challenge so that one may lead by example using critical thinking and compassion.

A distinctive trait of Concordia is the amazing Cobber network that you build during your time here and even after college. Concordia has given me countless opportunities to develop the highly valuable skill of relationship-building, in addition to finding a devotion to sustainability and service work.

A Bit About Me

In 2021, I graduated from Perham High School in Perham, Minnesota. During my free time, I like to be outdoors, be at the lake, go

• Less than a quarter of students have a favorable view of capitalism.

• More students have a favorable view of socialism than an unfavorable view.

Dr. Michael Chan, Concordia’s vice president for mission and inclusion, will host the event as part of the Lorentzsen Center’s ongoing conversation series asking “How do we build a more trustworthy world?”

“The discussion promises to be an enlightening exploration of the future of higher education and the evolving perspectives of college students,” Chan said.

The event is free and open to the public. People who are interested can register and learn more at www.LorentzsenCenter.com.

About Lorentzsen Center for Faith and Work

The Lorentzsen Center for Faith and Work is dedicated to exploring the intersection of faith and work and fostering discussions on building a more trustworthy world. Through keynote events, the “Builders” podcast, and a hybrid book club, the center aims to create a space for thoughtful conversations and insights.

on walks, clean, go thrifting, take care of plants, read, paint, and practice photography and videography.

A fun fact about me is that my mom is from the Philippines, and I was born there! Though my dad is from Minnesota, my parents met when my dad was doing electrical irrigation pivot work in Saudi Arabia, where one of his co-workers was my mom’s neighbor. Shortly after being introduced, my parents communicated through letters and the rest is history. My dad eventually also spent some time doing electrical work at the McMurdo science base in Antarctica.

On campus, I am the showcase commissioner for the Campus Events Commission and vice president of the Marketing Club, I participate in Women in Business, Cru, and Habitat for Humanity, and served as a committee member for the Orientation team in 2023. I also work at the campus post office, do digital marketing for the Lorentzsen Center, and intern for MarCom.

Why Concordia?

My decision story is not an uncommon one. Going to Concordia seemed like the predictable choice. The school is near my hometown and lots of people from my community attended, including my grandmother for one year. I had been on campus several times for extracurriculars but not once did I think I would become a Cobber.

Little did I understand that there’s a reason why going to Concordia had such a reputation in my town — and the answer was staring me straight in the face: connectedness!

Concordia College has a strong reputation for its community, and I knew that I could see myself thriving in that atmosphere. I finally realized that being close to home doesn’t need to halt any growth but rather can teach me how to flourish where I am planted.

Reduce and Reuse

In Spring 2023, I was honored to be chosen as one of two Barry Scholars through The Barry Foundation and the Offutt School of Business. Barry Scholars are awarded two full years of tuition coverage and the opportunity to research and implement a project of their choice. The application process required a written essay regarding a given prompt, a written abstract of my proposed research, and a proposal presentation given to the board encapsulating the methods and project goals.

For my project, I plan to research ways to reduce overconsumption and waste production in the Fargo-Moorhead area. I hope to bring awareness to America’s growing overconsumption issues and introduce alternatives to deep-rooted habits. In a world suffocating by instant gratification, working on this project has helped me grow as an environmentalist and I hope to inspire others to rethink their habits as well.

What inspired me to pursue this topic is that there often exists a huge emphasis on recycling, but not as much of an emphasis on preventing waste in the first place by reusing what we have and reducing what we purchase. Recycling is great, but it is the result of consumption. Trends and influencer culture have given us an illusion that we need the latest and greatest, though that is not always true. My goal is to show our amazing community how they can reduce consumption in the onset by reusing.

A Ballad of Hammers and Smashed Fingers

It all started on a roof in North Carolina. I was extremely afraid of heights, yet I found myself nailing roof panels together by the trusses. This describes my first Habitat for Humanity trip, where I made best friends out of strangers and positively impacted a community in need. I had been on four mission trips in high school, but what I truly enjoyed about Habitat is the relationships you form by helping others build through hands-on construction experience. I really valued the PEAK class associated with it as well, where we discussed the importance of helping these communities without hindering their ability to help themselves.

This great experience is what led me to lead a trip the following year with my roommate and best friend, Claire Knutson. Claire and I led a group of 12 students to Tacoma, Washington, where we spent a week framing and sheathing a house. Volunteering of any kind is usually hard work that requires focus and dedication, but the impact on the lives of those you help and the community at large is a powerful and motivating reward.

Now Showcasing

One of the most unique experiences I have had as a Cobber is being CEC’s showcase commissioner. I have been in this position since spring of my freshman year and I actually accepted the role without really knowing what it entailed. Since then, I am proud to say that I have made the Showcase role to be my own. My job consists of planning and hosting contracted events for students such as DJ dances, headphone discos, singers, bands, comedians, hypnotists, magicians, karaoke nights, and Cornstock. My favorite Cornstock memory is getting to drive lovelytheband to campus as a freshman. The band was extremely nice and I just had a blast getting to be their chauffeur.

The people are truly what make my events great though. One of my favorite uses of this platform is getting to spotlight student talent whenever I can. I also have the best committee members who work hard at every event and not only support me but support each other. Seeing them grow and bond has been one of the most rewarding aspects of CEC for me.

Relationship-Building

Throughout my Concordia journey, I’ve come to realize that the most profound skill you can learn in college is the cultivation of strong relationships. As a freshman, the biggest lesson I learned was how experiences bond you more than material things ever could. My favorite part about meeting new people is the opportunity to hear their stories over a cup of coffee and learn what made them who they are.

I deeply believe that everyone deserves to feel a sense of belonging. This is why, in group settings, I choose to prioritize bonding and team building first. Being introverted at heart, I understand what it’s like to be intimidated working with others unless that period of uncomfortableness is breached.

Simply, it’s about going the extra mile. Sacrificing an extra minute of your day to show others that they are important to you is a great way to strengthen relationships and build trust with those you care about. Examples of this include writing cards to professors and bosses to show your appreciation for their time guiding you, writing a get-well note for a friend, asking how a weekend or break was, or going to DS with classmates.

Beyond Academics

People in the Fargo-Moorhead area are admirable for all the ways they try to foster community and build relationships. Some of my favorite events to attend are organized by Emerging Prairie such as StartupBrew and Curiosity Week or Folkways such as the Red River Market and Christkindlmark, and anything at Brewhalla like their craft markets. There are so many good restaurants and coffee shops around too, my favorites being Pounds and Roasted Rail. I love attending church at Ignite in Moorhead, where I am part of a Monday night women’s community group that pushes me to grow in my faith and seek strong female mentors outside of the college hustle. Something I would like to explore more in the area is volunteer opportunities.

Looking Ahead

Regarding my plans after graduation, I am still navigating through ideas but, currently, I am most interested in branding and content marketing for an organization that values its people and their cause — preferably within the sustainability/eco-friendly realm, a field that I believe is rapidly growing with today’s interests.

Though I am still working toward my career goals, I am enjoying my time studying abroad in New Zealand for Spring 2024 at Massey University’s Wellington campus. Prior to my semester abroad, I spent two weeks with family in Hawai’i where I learned from their diverse ecosystem by actively volunteering in a range of beach and wetland restoration initiatives.

Being part of the Concordia College community transcends all symbols and mascots. It embodies a commitment to personal growth extending beyond graduation, displaying leadership through critical thinking, and the nurturing of compassion.

My journey at Concordia has enriched me with opportunities to cultivate relationship-building skills and ignited a dedication to sustainability and service work. As I carry these experiences forward, I am equipped not only with academic knowledge but with a deep sense of purpose and a network of connections that will undoubtedly shape my future endeavors.

From Montana to Mechanical Engineering

Kelleigh Staples ’27, Missoula, Montana

Major/Minor: Applied Physics (PreEngineering); Mathematics

Please tell us about yourself.

I’m from Missoula, Montana. I’m studying physics on the preengineering track. When home, I live with my parents, little sister, and three huskies that we rescued. I am very family oriented and enjoy spending my time outdoors with them. I enjoy attending the local farmers market during the summer, floating on the river, visiting Glacier National Park, concerts at the KettleHouse Amphitheater, and cheering on the local university.

How did you hear about Concordia?

I heard about Concordia from some of the grads who are located around the Missoula area and, of course, through the mail with pamphlets and finally through the head coach of women’s soccer, Rebecca Quimby, reaching out for me to come on a visit.

Why did you choose Concordia?

I chose Concordia because the area really reminds me of home — without the mountains, of course. The sense of community that surrounds the campus and students was just a huge draw for me. The campus is also very cute and homey, which is perfect for someone like me who likes a smaller town feel.

What has been the biggest adjustment and how did you overcome that?

I think two of my biggest adjustments were the lack of mountains just because I’ve grown up around mountains from when I lived in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to living in Missoula. Another big adjustment was realizing I can’t just go home for a quick weekend like most people at Concordia. I know though that being “forced,” if you will, to stay on campus has led to so much growth because it made me become acclimated to living on my own and finding things to do without relying on my family for everything.

What surprised you most about Concordia and/or the FargoMoorhead community?

The thing that surprised me most was how nice and welcoming everyone has been. I don’t think I can have a single interaction with someone and not feel like I had a good hearty conversation, which I absolutely love.

Are you involved in any campus activities? What have you enjoyed the most?

I’m on the women’s soccer team here at Concordia and I love it so much. They have been nothing but kind and welcoming even from the time of my visit when I wasn’t 100% on going to Concordia. I wouldn’t trade the experience I’ve had so far with my team for anything!

How did you decide on your area of study?

The plan/dream for me has always been to go into mechanical engineering, so when I saw that Concordia had the program with NDSU I was super excited because I knew I was going to get a good education from both schools.

What course are you most looking forward to and why?

I am really looking forward to all the physics classes because I love the subjects and dealing with formulas and numbers.

What are your career goals?

My career goal is to first graduate with a degree in mechanical engineering, but then I would like to transition into the workforce using my degree to help the public. I would eventually like to be able to work from home in order to start a family.

What do you love most about being a Cobber?

I think my favorite thing about being a Cobber is the sense of Cobber pride everyone feels and has.

What advice would you give to a Montana student who is considering Concordia?

My best piece of advice would be to trust your gut. It’s there for a reason and, for me at least, it tends to be right more times than not so take note when you feel a certain way whether that’s on campus when you’re trying to decide if Concordia is for you or just in general with anything in life.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

You’ll always regret not choosing to take a risk, so if you’re on the fence about Concordia take the risk. When you choose to take the risk, you need to be comfortable with the uncomfortable because it is going to be different and you’re going to have hard days but embrace those and push through!

Love Grows Best in Choir

JANUARY 9, 2024 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE

Carly Grandner ’14, Choir Teacher at Davies High School

Major: Music Education

The choir room at Davies High School in Fargo, North Dakota, is large and well lit, but it is also cozy and inviting. A group of students have gathered in the room to eat their lunches, and their chatter swells warmly around the room. There’s the easy sense of community and belonging that choirs often foster.

Of course, it helps that their choir teacher, Carly Grandner ’14, seems genuinely thrilled to see all of them.

Her adjoining office door is covered with photos of her and her students, and there are signs in the window that read “all are welcome here” and “love grows best in choir.”

“I always knew I wanted to be a teacher,” Grandner said. “I come from a family of teachers. I had six grandparents in total, three sets, and four of them were teachers. I’ve always loved schools. I think I’m just an academic at heart.”

It’s clear that Grandner’s dreams of being a teacher set her on the right path. As lunch wraps up and rehearsal begins, Grandner is a natural leader as she stands in front of her class.

The first song on the rehearsal list is “Seasons of Love” from the musical “Rent.” The song is, as Grandner says, “nearly concert ready,” but there are a few more things to iron out. The tenors and basses need a bit more energy, and the sopranos need to work on nailing one of their more challenging harmonies. But working on the song doesn’t seem like a chore — Grandner’s criticism is swift and constructive — and her students are eager to listen.

Grandner didn’t always want to be a music teacher, however. Throughout high school, she was deciding between teaching music or math.

“It was my high school choir director who pulled me into his office, sat me down, and said to me, ‘You should do this,’” she said. “That was, I think, the final thing I needed to hear to put me in this direction.”

Eventually, her next steps led her to Concordia, where she studied for a Bachelor of Music degree in vocal music education. Grandner notes the importance of the learning she did inside the classroom at Concordia, but she also says what she learned outside the classroom was just as important.

“Concordia is a place full of passionate and enthusiastic, wonderful educators, and some of the best things I learned were just by building relationships with my professors or being in activities or organizations,” she said. “There’s a lot about education that you can’t learn from a textbook.”

Some of Grandner’s best memories at Concordia happened while on tour with The Concordia Choir. There was a performance at a Texas cathedral that moved her to tears. And, there was the openair church on their Pacific Northwest/Hawai’i tour that provided them with a view of jumping whales while they sang.

Of course, there was time for fun too — Grandner had fun avoiding walking under the campus bell tower alone. (As legend goes,

walking under the bell tower with a beloved partner or friend means you’ll be in each other’s lives forever. Walk under it solo, however, and you’ll be alone for the rest of your life.) She also reflects fondly on jumping in Prexy’s Pond after graduation. However, that experience was maybe more potent than productive.

There’s a connecting theme in Grandner’s reflections on Concordia — community and relationships — and she has brought that appreciation of community into her work. The enthusiasm with which Grandner interacts with her students and the music they make is hard to fake, and the enthusiasm her students have for the music they’re making is hard to fake too.

“Making art and making something beautiful every day, specifically in my teaching career, is wonderful,” Grandner said. “The fact that I get to make beautiful music every single day is an amazing part of teaching. I think just knowing what I do matters is what matters to me.”

Since graduating from Concordia, Grandner has shared the beauty of music with many students of different ages. She taught in Hawley, Minnesota, before heading to Davies. She conducts the Diamond Choir as part of the Fargo Moorhead Youth Choir organization. She’s also taught at the International Music Camp as well as working with a variety of honor and festival choirs.

At the end of the day, Grandner hopes that when her students walk out of her classroom door their love and appreciation of music continues to grow.

“I want my students to have a lifelong love of music,” Grandner said. “I understand that not all of them are going to continue on in music as a career, and some of them might not continue on even as a hobby. But I do hope they consume music in their life and that it can still be something that is helpful and beautiful and lovely for them.”

As for her future in the field, Grandner has no desire to do anything else.

“Teaching is a noble and wonderful profession, and I think that there is a narrative out there right now that teaching is a little bit scary and there’s a group of people who are leaving the field,” Grandner said. “But I just want to assure people who are passionate about this that there are still wonderful places to teach and wonderful experiences out there. I love my job. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”

Concordia Professor Talks Failure, Success, and Hunting in Upcoming Centennial Lecture

FEBRUARY

1,

2024 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE

Everything did not go as planned for Concordia College photographer and associate professor of art Chris Mortenson as he began his latest project, “The Air, Thin and Eager Like This.”

Rather than giving up on the work, which explores the relationship between people who spend time in landscapes through hunting and the landscapes important to them, Mortenson saw opportunity — something he’ll share in his upcoming Centennial Scholars Lecture at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 6, in Room 124 of the Olin Art and Communications Center.

“I see failure as the most important part of making art. It doesn’t always feel the best, but it’s so so so necessary,” Mortenson said, noting that many students are afraid of failure. “My talk will also go over realizing when to cut work and offer yourself a chance to look at the work you make in a different way.”

All of Mortenson’s photography work deals with landscape and people’s perceptions of nature as either authentically “natural” or human-altered. The art of photography has played a role in how Americans think about that duality, Mortenson said, and he uses that history and those images to explore those relationships.

“This project isn’t about hunting, but rather utilizes hunting — and possibly the heightened feelings the viewer has about hunting — as a way to select who is photographed,” Mortenson said.

Those potentially heightened feelings are the explanation for the photography project’s title, bringing in the charged issues of hunting, land use, and people’s feelings about landscapes they view as their own, he explained.

“Hunting brings out many feelings, both good and bad, but I don’t think there are many people who don’t take a side. So, for me, the air is both literal and figurative,” he said. “The air in the landscape and the space between the viewer and the work. It is charged and feels like sitting on the edge of your seat waiting for something to happen.”

As Mortenson’s project is still in its early stages, his lecture will primarily be a research talk, ending with a visit to the nearby Cyrus M. Running Gallery to look at the work. Centennial Scholars Lectures are an annual tradition at Concordia College and serve to highlight the scholarly achievements of faculty.

“For me, art is a practice in understanding the world around me,” Mortenson said of his photography. “I’m filled with contradictions in what I think and how I experience the world. I make work that visually investigates ideas I want to explore and understand more.”

Concordia Professor Leads AI Seminar with Northern Plains Ethics Institute

FEBRUARY 2, 2024 | OFFUTT SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

Dr. Ahmed Kamel, professor of computer science and management information systems in Concordia College’s Offutt School of Business, will present “Artificial Intelligence and its Societal Impact: Truths, Half Truths, and Misconceptions,” from noon to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 6, at Memorial Union’s Prairie Rose room on North Dakota State University’s campus.

Kamel will discuss the current landscape of AI, its strengths and weaknesses, its successes and failures, and its potential impact on society.

His research interests are in artificial intelligence and knowledgebased systems, including diverse work on the representation of physical devices, in software support for engineering design, and in the integration of linked problem-solving agents.

Kamel has also published articles focusing on the social impact of computers and their applications in refereed journals and conference proceedings. He has served as an invited speaker at several national and international events.

The event is sponsored by the Northern Plains Ethics Institute, College of Arts and Sciences, Dakota Digital Academy, and TriCollege University.

Anderson Named MIAC Defensive Player of the Week

FEBRUARY 5, 2024 | COCURRICULAR

Concordia junior Makayla Anderson (Bismarck, North Dakota/ Bismarck Century) turned a career milestone moment into a conference weekly award.

Anderson was named the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week after recording her 500th career rebound in the Cobbers’ 83-38 win over St. Mary’s.

Anderson was named the MIAC Defensive Player of the Week. Anderson scored 22 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in Concordia’s lone game of the week against the Cardinals. The 12 rebounds helped her become the 20th player in program history to reach the 500-rebound milestone.

Anderson was 9-for-15 (60.0%) from the field and went 4-for-4 from the free throw line as she recorded her second double-double of the season. Anderson’s 500th career rebound came on an offensive rebound as she had five offensive boards in the game. Anderson also came away with four steals and a block in the Cobbers’ win over the Cardinals.

Anderson leads the team in rebounding this season with an 8.0 rebounds per game average. That mark is also second in the MIAC this season. Anderson is also fifth in the conference in scoring average. She is averaging 13.8 points per game in the team’s 18 overall games.

Concordia a Cappella Octet to Perform Sunday

FEBRUARY 7, 2024 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE

Fans of both football and music can rest easy — Concordia College’s Tactus concert starts at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 11, at Sts. Anne & Joachim Catholic Church, Fargo, North Dakota, leaving plenty of time to get home and catch the big game.

Tactus is a student-led, chamber vocal ensemble of eight singers that got started about 15 years ago, when a group of friends wanted to do some extra singing outside Concordia’s concert choirs. Instead, the students worked together to learn choral music on their own, as a smaller group.

Numbers vary, with the current roster including eight singers across the vocal range, and while they do happen to be music majors, that isn’t necessarily always the case. Because the group rehearses only twice a week, they do audition for strong, confident singers, said tenor Oliver Knudson, its current leader.

As far as the group’s repertoire goes, it ranges from arrangements of classic Beatles tunes to classic 16th-century Italian madrigals and contemporary arrangements of familiar tunes from Knudson and fellow Concordia student Benjamin Archuleta.

“It’s an opportunity for us to explore different things,” Knudson said of Tactus. “There’s a lot more independence, making artistic choices. It’s collaborative.”

Current members of the group are sopranos Ava Pfeifer and Megan Gunnerson, altos Margrethe Hawthorne and Greta Johnson, tenors Parker Degerness and Oliver Knudson, and basses Martan Gregoire and Dylan Pringle.

More information about Tactus is available @tactus on Facebook.

Neuroscience Expert Visits Concordia to Explore the Myths and Truths of the Creative Brain

FEBRUARY

9,

2024 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE

What is creativity? Can you measure it? How can you foster it? These are some of the questions to be addressed during a free, public lecture at Concordia College at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 15, in the Knutson Campus Center Centrum. Distinguished neuroscience expert and author Dr. Anna Abraham will give a keynote address titled “Truths & Myths of the Creative Brain” as part of the college’s 2024 Nornes Lectureship in Neuroscience event.

Abraham is the director of the Torrance Center for Creativity and Talent Development at the University of Georgia, where she also holds a faculty position in psychology and neuroscience. Her research uses a variety of cutting-edge imaging technologies to delve into the neurophysiological aspects of creativity and the human imagination.

She is the author of “The Neuroscience of Creativity” and the forthcoming “The Creative Brain: Myths and Truths.”

“Creativity is not limited to artists,” said Dr. Krys Strand, Concordia’s neuroscience program director and associate professor of biology.

“Through Abraham’s research, we know creativity enhances people’s work no matter what field they are in. We’re excited to explore the idea of training creativity for our students.”

The Nornes Lectureship in Neuroscience was created through generous gifts from Concordia alums Dr. Howard and Sonia Nornes and the LaVern and Lois Nornes families, for the benefit of Cobbers and the broader community. The event features speakers at the forefront of their fields and engages students, faculty, staff, alumni, area professionals, and the broader community on topics of importance and interest in neuroscience and related fields.

“The value of these annual events is that it stimulates deep thinking about science across the community,” Strand said. “Plus, they’ve been great networking opportunities that have helped students land exceptional internships.”

The event will also be livestreamed at ConcordiaCollege.edu/ streaming.

Learn more about Concordia’s neuroscience program at ConcordiaCollege.edu/neuroscience and at cobberneuro.org.

Dr. Anna Abraham’s interview is available on Prairie Public Radio.

The Concordia Band to Perform in Moorhead

FEBRUARY 9, 2024 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE | COCURRICULAR

The Concordia Band is set to cap its regional tour with a concert at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 11, at Memorial Auditorium at Concordia College.

The 60-plus student musicians will play a variety of music, with potential selections including the following:

• “Unidad en Ritmo,” an Afro-Latin jazz tribute to cultural unity by composer Michele Fernández,

• David Maslanka’s “Symphony No. 4,” which draws on traditional and baroque hymn tunes as well as Abraham Lincoln’s idea of the unity of all humankind,

• Steven Bryant’s “all stars are love,” an instrumental work recomposed from his own original song with lyrics from an e.e. cummings poem,

• and “Sahuaro,” Nubia Jaime-Donjuan’s danzón inspired by the tall, prickly cactus.

The band, conducted by Dr. Peter Haberman, professor of instrumental music education, began its tour of Minnesota in Buffalo, with an itinerary that included Circle Pines, Minnetonka, Virginia, and Farmington.

The Concordia Band tours and performs domestically every year, and internationally every few years, starting with a visit to Norway in 1935. More recently, the ensemble has performed concerts in Spain, Hong Kong, China, and Norway.

It is the oldest of Concordia’s music ensembles, with a history stretching back to 1899. While its roster includes many skilled musicians majoring in music education, composition, or music performance, students with any major may audition and participate.

Anderson Earns Second Straight MIAC Weekly Award

FEBRUARY 12, 2024 | COCURRICULAR

Concordia junior Makayla Anderson (Bismarck, North Dakota/ Bismarck Century High School) earned Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Week honors for the second straight week.

Last week, Anderson was named the MIAC Defensive Player of the Week and on Monday she earned MIAC Offensive Player of the Week honors.

Anderson becomes the first Cobber player to take home MIAC weekly honors more than one time in a season since the 2020-21 season when teammate Emily Beseman won Player of the Week honors on Feb. 22 and Mar. 15.

Anderson claimed her latest MIAC Player of the Week honor by averaging 18.7 points in Concordia’s three wins last week. She also averaged 7.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.3 steals in helping the Cobbers clinch a Top 2 MIAC finish and a home game for the conference semifinals.

Anderson’s biggest contribution to the Cobbers came in the team’s 73-65 win over No.6-ranked Gustavus. She went 7-for-14 from the

floor and 7-for-9 from the free throw line in posting a team-high 21 points. The CC win ended the Gusties’ 32-game win streak against conference opponents.

Anderson started the week by putting up a double-double at St. Benedict. She finished the week by scoring 19 points on a 8-for-12 shooting performance in Concordia’s 90-69 win at Augsburg.

Concordia Students Awarded Grants for Research on Squirrels, Mice

FEBRUARY 13, 2024 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE

Students at Concordia College have been awarded four grants recognizing their research in ecology and environmental science.

The students’ research projects, completed out of their shared knowledge and passion for environmental sustainability, shows their ambition and scientific proficiency.

Yuden Dorji ’24 earned a $392 Tri-Beta Grant for a project titled “Assessing Microplastic Concentrations in the Gastrointestinal Tracts and Fecal Matter of Tree and Ground Squirrels (Sciuridae) found in Urban and Rural Habitats.”

Three Sigma Zeta Grants were also awarded, acknowledging student research.

• Kylie Brenny ’25 received a $500 grant for “Comparing the differentiation of white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) from deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) through analysis of their salivary amylase and cellulose acetate gel electrophoresis and morphological measurements.”

• Yuden Dorji ’24, Favziya Rasulova ’25, Mubina Rasulova ’25, Fatima Mohammed ’25, and Sharon Nwabia ’23, also received a $500 grant for the research on microplastics in squirrels.

• Maia Lieske ’24 and Katie Waugh ’24 received a $500 grant for their project, “Characterizing Urban Squirrel Foraging Activity and Drey Usage in Proximity to Anthropogenic Food Sources.”

“These awards provide students with an opportunity to participate and, in many instances, determine the direction of their research projects,” said Dr. Joseph Whittaker, assistant professor of biology. “They learn current techniques and use those techniques to participate in cutting-edge science.”

Whittaker adds that many of these projects could not be completed without the financial support gained through the students’ efforts applying for aid.

“Writing and submitting grants is a skill in itself,” he said. “But this support allows them to follow through with the project and ultimately present the results of their hard work.”

The students will be presenting their research at the National Sigma Zeta meeting in Missouri and the regional Tri-Beta meeting in Winona, Minnesota, later this spring.

Tri-Beta and Sigma Zeta are national honor societies that aim to acknowledge and award undergraduate students for their work in the natural sciences, computer science, and mathematics.

College Speech Teams to Compete for State Titles, National Qualifications at Concordia College

FEBRUARY 13, 2024 | COCURRICULARS

Concordia College invites the public to catch lively debates and passionate speeches during the Minnesota State Intercollegiate Speech and Debate Championship Tournament Feb. 16-17. It’s anticipated to be the largest Minnesota tournament in 10 years.

The event is open to any Minnesota community college, college, or university. New this year, the Minnesota Collegiate Forensics Association invited schools in North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and Wisconsin that don’t have state competitions.

In addition to determining a tournament champion in 12 categories, judges will crown the highest finishing competitor from a Minnesota school as state champion.

Moorhead Mayor Shelly Carlson and Concordia President Colin Irvine will judge the finals for oratory at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 17. The top two Minnesota finishers in that competition advance to the national Interstate Oratorical Association contest in April to represent the state. The IOA is the nation’s oldest competitive collegiate speaking association and is celebrating its 150th event this year.

The tournament is free to attend. Most events will take place in the Integrated Science Center on Concordia’s campus. The schedule and results can be found at SpeechWire.com. Parking information can be found at ConcordiaCollege.edu/CampusMap.

Honors

Also at the state event, Concordia and the MCFA will honor former coach Dr. Cindy Larson-Casselton, professor of communications studies at Concordia, who is retiring at the end of the semester.

“She has been a constant and fierce supporter of the team,” said Dominic Meyers, the assistant director of speech and a communication studies instructor at Concordia. “She has this deep and genuine care for each and every student and celebrates every improvement as a massive success. That’s difficult for coaches, and she makes it easy.”

Benefits

Meyers says participating in speech and debate allows students a space to learn public speaking, argumentation, organization, and self-confidence. And one of the biggest benefits is learning advocacy.

“For many students, it’s the first opportunity in their life to really spread the messages that they care about and that they want the world to hear,” he said.

Anderson Named to D3hoops.com Team of the Week

FEBRUARY 13, 2024 | COCURRICULAR

Cobber junior Makayla Anderson (Bismarck, North Dakota/Bismarck Century High School) followed up her Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week honor by being named to the D3hoops.com Division III National Team of the Week.

It is the second time in her career that Anderson has earned the national award and she becomes the first player in the MIAC to be named to the D3hoops.com National Team this year.

Anderson, who earned the previous D3hoops.com National Team of the Week honor last year for her performance in Las Vegas at the D3hoops.com Classic, helped Concordia win three games last week — including a 73-65 win over No.6-ranked Gustavus. Anderson averaged 18.7 points in Concordia’s three wins last week. She also averaged 7.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.3 steals in helping the Cobbers clinch a Top 2 MIAC finish and a home game for the conference semifinals.

Anderson’s biggest contribution to the Cobbers came in the team’s 73-65 win over No.6-ranked Gustavus. She went 7-for-14 from the

floor and 7-for-9 from the free throw line in posting a team-high 21 points. The CC win ended the Gusties’ 32-game win streak against conference opponents.

Anderson started the week by putting up a double-double at St. Benedict. She finished the week by scoring 19 points on a 8-for-12 shooting performance in Concordia’s 90-69 win at Augsburg.

Concordia Hosts Voices of Color Event, Sharing Professors’ Stories with the College Community

FEBRUARY 20, 2024

Though Concordia College’s Center for Student Success is hosting the upcoming Voices of Color: Professors’ Stories event, everyone in the Fargo-Moorhead college community is invited to attend the dinner and storytelling session, which starts at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22, at Jones AB.

Speakers will be Dr. Sung Ok (Reina) Park and Dr. Caitlin Johnson of Minnesota State University Moorhead; Dr. Nancy Turrubiates and Dr. Clairmont Clementson of North Dakota State University; and Dr. Thelma Berquó, Dr. Shontarius Aikens, and Prof. Cesar Ramirez of Concordia.

The event is the brainchild of Concordia student Valentina Penaloza Ortega, who had organized a similar event in the past and hoped to provide an opportunity for students of color to hear the experiences of BIPOC or first-generation professors.

“We started developing questions around why there is so little representation of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) faculty in academia. The reasons are very complex, but we especially wanted to bring awareness of the decline of particularly black teachers, principals, and professors in spaces K-12 and in college,” explained Sunet Rubalcava, diversity support coordinator and academic counselor at the Center for Student Success, noting that decline began after the Brown vs. the Board of Education decision in the 1950s. “Aside from data, we also wanted to rely on the anecdotal information that could also paint the lived experience of BIPOC professionals in academia.”

“We anchored around the reflections of Dr. Patricia Williams, a black legal scholar and her experiences depicted in her book, ‘The Alchemy of Race and Rights,’” she added.

The speakers at Voices of Color come from a wide variety of backgrounds, both academic and personal.

“I believe it is important for everyone to share their unique experiences in academia, mainly because there is no single path, and most of the time, careers are not linear,” said Berquó, associate professor of physics. “Each one of us had detours, and roadblocks, and we had to use the emotional/intellectual baggage that we accumulated during the years of our trajectory.”

Recent research strongly suggests that having a campus with diverse faculty highly correlates with higher GPA, retention and graduation rates of minority students, Rubalcava said. White

students also benefit from learning from diverse faculty, improving in their socio-emotional learning, critical thinking skills, and empathy levels.

“That being said, we wanted to provide a space where students could learn more about the valuable contributions BIPOC scholars have brought to colleges and universities, learn about their lived experience, and engage at topics around impostor syndrome and racial battle fatigue among other important conversation pieces,” she said. “We believe everyone will benefit from hearing the lived experiences and the work of BIPOC scholars. They have a lot to offer to our academic community.”

Anyone interested in academia or industry would benefit from the event, provided they’re open-minded and interested in understanding others’ points of view, Berquó said.

“One can use this opportunity to express ideas, the positive take, and how things could be done differently, in case one had another chance,” she said. “Several times I questioned myself, why I reacted that way, how I could do differently next time, and how I can support my peers, my students, and my community in general. It is a learning process for everybody, and it is good when we listen to others’ experiences, it may inspire us because we never know if we will be in a similar situation!”

Hiring and retaining diverse faculty members benefits all students, Rubalcava emphasized.

“We want people to connect, build community and collaborate in the same efforts,” she said.

Concordia Alumna Wins Prizes, ‘Most Promising’ Award at National Singing Competition

FEBRUARY 22, 2024 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE

Mezzo-soprano Sadie Cheslak ’17 won the Harold Stark Prize for fourth place overall at the 2024 National Association of Teachers of Singing finals concert, which took place at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City in January.

Cheslak also earned the James Browning and Dorothy Kirsten Award for Singer with the Most Potential, an honor NATS gives to recognize the “most promising singer” of the competition.

After winning the Central Region round of the NATS Artist Awards this fall, Cheslak went on to the prestigious national contest, competing with 13 other top young vocalists from around the world.

“Placing in the finals at NATSAA, and especially winning the award for Most Promising Voice, is a huge honor,” Cheslak said. “I’m so excited to get to share art song that isn’t often performed to such a wide audience.”

Cheslak’s finals performance can be viewed online, including her renditions of:

• “Echo,” from Christina Rossetti Lyrics, No. 2, by Richard Faith.

• Daleko został cały świat, Op. 2, No. 1, by Karol Szymanowski.

• “Liber Scriptus,” from Verdi’s Requiem.

• “Viens, mon bien-aimé!” by Cécile Chaminade.

• “Wild Nights,” by Lee Hoiby.

Cheslak studied with Dr. Holly Janz while she was at Concordia.

“Concordia provided such a nurturing and encouraging environment to explore my passion for music and performance,” she said. “Holly and Stephen Sulich, my coach, knew before I did that opera was where I was heading. I can’t thank them enough for helping me develop my voice and artistry, and in turn, to grow as a person during my time at Concordia.”

While at the college, Cheslak sang for the Fargo-Moorhead Opera and often returns to her hometown of Duluth, Minnesota, to perform with the Lyric Opera of the North and as a featured soloist with the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra. She performs locally in Chicago with choruses and orchestras and teaches opera, music theater, and pop singing through House Call Music. Cheslak is joining Wolf Trap Opera this summer as a Studio Artist.

Cheslak earned her bachelor’s degree in voice from Concordia and her master’s degree in voice performance and literature from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She is based in Chicago where she is finishing her post-master’s certificate in voice at DePaul University.

The NATS Artist Awards is a biennial competition for early-career, classical vocalists designed to encourage singers “whose artistry indicates that they are ready for a professional career.”

Three Cobbers Earn MIAC Postseason Honors

FEBRUARY 27, 2024 | COCURRICULAR

Concordia had three players receive Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference postseason honors as chosen by the conference head coaches it was announced on Tuesday.

Senior Matt Johnson (Fergus Falls, Minnesota) earns All-Conference honors for the second straight season, junior Rowan Nelson (Melrose, Minnesota) claims his third straight postseason award and Jacob Cook (Clitherall, Minnesota/Ashby High School) receives a league award for the first time in his career.

Johnson and Nelson were named to the MIAC All-Conference Team, while Cook received All-Conference Honorable Mention honors. Nelson was also placed on the MIAC All-Playoff Team.

It is the second straight season that Concordia has had multiple postseason award winners.

The trio of players helped the Cobbers earn an MIAC playoff spot for the first time since 2016. Concordia finished with a 16-10 overall record and a 12-8 mark in the conference. Both win totals are the most since 2016.

In addition to receiving MIAC All-Conference honors, Johnson and Nelson both recorded their 1,000th career point during the year. Johnson clipped the 1K mark in the Cobbers’ playoff game at Hamline, while Nelson’s milestone moment came in the regularseason finale vs. St. Scholastica.

Johnson was 13th in the MIAC in scoring. He averaged 15.2 points per game in CC’s 20 league games.

Johnson was also eighth in 3-point field goal percentage (38.3%). Johnson scored in double figures in 17 of the 20 conference games this year. He posted at least 20 points on three occasions with his

season-high point total coming at St. John’s when he scored 26 points.

Nelson was 14th in the league in scoring with a 14.6 ppg average. Nelson was ninth in field goal percentage (54,8%). Nelson scored at least 10 points in 16 of the 18 league games he played in. He had a career-high 28 points in the team’s playoff-clinching win over St. Olaf.

Nelson also earned All-Playoff honors for recording his first doubledouble of the season in the quarterfinal match-up at Hamline. He scored 17 points and grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds.

Cook, who was a dominant force for Concordia around the glass, was fourth in the conference in rebounds with an 8.2 rpg average. He also had four double-doubles during the year and had a careerhigh 13 rebounds in the Cobbers’ win at St. Scholastica. His top point production of the year came against Augsburg when he dropped 22 in the Cobber win at home.

Offensive Player of the Year and 3 All-MIAC Repeats

FEBRUARY 28, 2024 | COCURRICULAR

Make it a second straight season for the Concordia trio of Carlee Sieben (Jr., Grafton, North Dakota), Makayla Anderson (Jr., Bismarck, North Dakota/Bismarck Century High School) and Emily Beseman (Sr., Swanville, Minnesota) to earn Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference postseason accolades.

The three players duplicated their feat from last year as they all earned MIAC All-Conference honors. Sieben did that honor one better as she was named the MIAC Offensive Player of the Year.

Sieben becomes the first Cobber to earn the Offensive Player of the Year award since the league went to Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year last season. The last Concordia player to receive the top conference award since Emily Thesing was named the Player of the Year in 2013. Sieben is the seventh CC player to receive the league’s top honor in program history.

The three players were part of the driving force for the Cobbers’ first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2014. Concordia finished second in the MIAC regular-season standings and advanced to the conference championship game for the second year.

Concordia finished the year with a 20-5 record in all games and an 18-2 mark against MIAC opponents. It is the second straight year that CC has posted 22 overall wins and 18 victories in league play.

Sieben was the team’s main outside shooting threat for the entire MIAC campaign. Sieben was second in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage (39.1) and tied for second in 3-point field goals per game (2.3). She was fifth on the league’s scoring list. Sieben averaged 14.2 points per game in the 20 league games.

Sieben also finished in the Top 5 of the MIAC in assists and free throw percentage. She was fourth in helpers with a 3.3 assists per game average. Sieben was the third-best free throw shooter in conference play. She led CC with an 84.8% success rate.

Sieben scored at least 10 points in 15 of the 20 MIAC contests. She posted 20 points on three occasions and scored a season-high 23

points at home against Hamline. Sieben also connected on at least one 3-pointer in 17 of the 20 games. She dropped five shots from distance in the same game against the Pipers.

Anderson was second in the MIAC in scoring (14.8 ppg) and third in rebounding (7.7 rpg). Anderson also recorded a field goal shooting percentage of 52.8%, which was fifth in the conference.

Anderson’s top point performance came against St. Benedict when she scored 25 points. She scored in double figures in the final eight conference games and 16 of the 20 total games. Anderson recorded three double-doubled during the year.

Beseman was in the Top 15 in the MIAC in six different stat categories. She was No. 11 on the scoring chart with a 12.1 ppg average. Beseman was sixth in field goal percentage (49.7%), ninth in 3-point field goals per game (1.5/game) and seventh in free throw percentage (80.2%). She finished off her stat stuffer season by being No.2 in assists (3.6/game) and third in steals (2.2/game).

Beseman scored posted a double-digit point total against 14 league opponents and had a season-high 18 points against St. Olaf. She also came through with a season-high eight assists in the Senior Day game against St. Scholastica.

Rhonemus Leaps into MIAC Postseason Record Book

FEBRUARY 29, 2024 | COCURRICULAR

It was only fitting on Leap Year Day that Cobber senior Wade Rhonemus (Foley, Minnesota) lept into the conference record books by being named the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Indoor Field Athlete of the Year.

Rhonemus earned the award by winning the heptathlon in recordsetting fashion at the recently completed MIAC Track & Field Championship Meet. He also finished ninth in the pole vault during the team indoor meet competition.

Rhonemus becomes the first Concordia athlete to receive the honor since 2015 when Brandon Zylstra claimed the award for winning the long jump and finishing second in the high jump.

Rhonemus used the strength of personal-best marks in the final three events of the MIAC heptathlon to break the Concordia school record, which had stood since 2017. He was also the first Cobber athlete to win the MIAC heptathlon since Matt Bye in 2020.

Rhonemus entered the final three events in second place with 2,636 points — 91 points behind the leader. He opened Day 2 by clocking a time of 8.74 in the 60-meter hurdles, which was .06 seconds faster than his previous PR mark in the event. His time was good for 804 points and kept him within striking distance of the leader.

Rhonemus made his move in the pole vault — the sixth event of the competition. Rhonemus cleared an indoor PR height of 14-05.25. That mark earned him 731 points and vaulted him into the lead (pun intended).

Rhonmus needed to run a time of 2:50.00 in the 1000 meters to break the school record in the heptathlon and have a shot at qualifying for the national meet. His previous PR in the 1000 meters was 2:50.91.

Determined to not let the chance slip away, Rhonemus stayed with the race leaders the whole way and they pulled him to a finishing time of 2:47.15. That time was good for 796 points an MIAC championship and a new school record.

Rhonemus finished the heptathlon by scoring at least 600 points in six of the seven events and posted over 700 points in four events.

From

Emma Doty ’27, Sidney, Montana

Major/Minor: Neuroscience (Pre-Med); Business

Please tell us about yourself.

I am 19 years old and a first-year student at Concordia. I spend my free time reading, traveling, and finding new hiking trails. I grew up in rural Montana where I was always active by participating in volleyball, track, and dance.

How did you hear about Concordia?

My mom is a grad and has always encouraged me to consider studying here.

Why did you choose Concordia?

When I first visited campus, I immediately knew that there was a close-knit community that would support me through every high and low during my undergrad. Concordia also has a strong reputation for its academic programs that will set me up for success on my pre-med path.

What has been the biggest adjustment and how did you overcome that?

A big adjustment I’ve had to overcome during my first semester was being so far from home. I had never been away from my friends and family for so long, and it was definitely a challenge at times, especially during stressful weeks on campus. However, the distance has proven to be a blessing. It encouraged me to meet new people and experience everything Fargo-Moorhead had to offer. Thankfully, technology has allowed me to stay easily connected to those I miss from home. FaceTime is a life-saver!

Big Sky With Big Dreams

What surprised you most about Concordia and/or the FargoMoorhead community?

I was shocked to learn how easy it was to study abroad at Concordia. At the beginning of the semester, there is an event where every study abroad program is present. The whole room was filled with posters of countries all around the world. It was exciting to see all the possibilities Concordia offers its students.

Are you involved in any campus activities? What have you enjoyed the most?

I am involved in the Campus Events Commission as a member of the Wellness Committee. I love to be involved in the behind the scenes of nearly all events at Concordia such as live music, free fitness classes and excursions, and other activities that allow students to build connections on campus.

How did you decide on your area of study?

I always knew I wanted to work in the medical field but was never set on a major until I was scrolling through the offered programs at Concordia and saw neuroscience. I quickly realized it was the perfect match for me as it would allow me to stay on the pre-med path while incorporating classes in psychology, which has always been an interest to me.

What course are you most looking forward to and why?

I am most looking forward to taking Human Neuropsychology. I have always been intrigued by psychology and this sounds like the perfect course to combine that interest with physiology.

From Page to Stage

MARCH 25, 2024 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE

Tyler Clark ’23, Andover, Minnesota

Major/Minor: English Communications/Arts/Literature Education; Music

Please tell us about yourself.

I am a fifth-year student at Concordia studying English communications, arts, and literature education in addition to music. Throughout my years at Concordia, I have worked at a local daycare with infants, toddlers, and school-aged children. Outside of academia and work, I enjoy being outside, listening to and making music, and sharing experiences with those closest to me. I love meeting new people, hearing about their experiences, and learning from them.

Where are you from and what high school did you attend?

I am from Andover, Minnesota, and went to Andover High School.

How did you hear about Concordia and what inspired you to pursue your education here?

During my senior year of high school, I TA’d for my choir director, Melanie Kjellberg, and was very active in the music department.

What are your career goals?

After Concordia, I hope to go to medical school to become an ophthalmologist.

What do you love most about being a Cobber?

What I love most about being a Cobber is the support you are provided. Every professor is dedicated to your success and goes the extra mile to connect with you. Alumni also love to see current students thrive. After only one semester as a Cobber, I have had numerous people notice my merchandise and come up to me with a big smile to ask if I am a student and if I am enjoying it. It is so special to know that I will forever be included in this supportive network of academics.

What advice would you give to a Montana student who is considering Concordia?

If you are considering making a big move and want to experience a new state, DO IT! Concordia has given me a familiar sense of home while also providing me with new perspectives I never would have gained if I had stayed home. Now is the perfect time to challenge yourself and see what is out there in the world, which is easily achievable here. Even in the most challenging moments, I have never regretted being a Cobber!

One day, we were sitting in her office discussing my next steps when she looked me in the eye and said, “Tyler, I’ve sent all of my own children to Concordia for a reason ... I know a Cobber when I see one ... and you are one.” Honestly, the rest is history.

How did you decide on your area of study?

I entered Concordia declared as a vocal music education major but, through the liberal arts curriculum, I found a passion for everything English related — especially anything with an emphasis on social justice. The literature I was engaging with and the lectures I was receiving from Concordia’s English faculty really resonated with my own philosophy of education; consequently, I landed on English education while keeping my studies in music as a minor.

Do you have a favorite course related to English education? If so, what makes it your favorite?

Dr. Amy Watkin’s Literature, Imagination, and Empathy course has been the best class I’ve ever taken — so much so that I participated in the course twice! First, as a student and then the following year in a peer mentorship role. The course tackles difficult questions about our shared humanity, and it meticulously highlights literature as an invaluable tool for cultivating personhood and responsible engagement with the world.

Do you have a favorite professor? If so, why are they your favorite?

Surprise, surprise! My favorite professor is Dr. Amy Watkin. She has been far more than a professor to me in my time at Concordia, and I am certain she will remain a large role model, mentor, and friend in my life after graduation. Dr. Watkin is passionately devoted to the craft of education and centers the young adults in her classroom with grace and empathy. Her courses, and her brilliant curriculum building, challenge students to go far beyond just “reading the assigned chapters.” She has opened so many doors for me and Cobbers like me. I am entirely grateful for her and everything she does.

Have you been involved in any campus activities during your time at Concordia?

I have been involved in many corners of campus throughout my experience at Concordia. During my premier years on campus, I was involved with the Campus Events Commission, Cobbers in Action, and the Hoyum Event Planning Committee. I also was involved with the Orientation team and was a member of the Orientation Committee during my senior year. Most heavily, however, I was involved with music at Concordia. I had the honor of singing with the choirs every year I’ve been on campus prior to my flex year. The best part, across every organization Concordia has to offer, is the people.

What do you like most about Concordia?

My favorite thing about Concordia is the type of person it attracts. There is something distinct about Cobbers that various people in my life have highlighted, and it always confused me until I approached my final semesters on campus. Concordia appeals to not only the diligent, intellectual, and talented, but also the compassionate, friendly, and community-driven. I have been more inspired by my peers than anything else during my undergraduate education and that is because of the type of person Concordia manifests one to be.

What’s one thing you never imagined you would do before coming to Concordia?

Traveling internationally to present research!

Last semester, you presented at the 2023 London International Conference on Education. Can you tell us about this experience?

I found out about the London International Conference on Education during my first meetings with my faculty mentor, Dr. Watkin, after being hired for Concordia’s Summer English Research Fellowship. The goal of the fellowship is open-ended and flexible to meet the desires of English students. I wished to glean experiences in academic research in the humanities and the presentation and publication of that research. Knowing this, Dr. Watkin and I discussed potential avenues for attaining these experiences, and we settled on applying to both the London International Conference on Education and the Midwest Modern Language Arts Convention. Both conferences required a written abstract of my proposed research encapsulating the methods I would be utilizing and the overarching goals of the project.

My project was titled “Destandardizing English: Seeking Linguistic Justice in the English Language Arts Classroom” and focused on breaking the untrue and problematic ideologies that posit White Mainstream English as the “correct” variant of the language. Specifically, I implored socioeconomic and racial lenses to highlight disparities felt among English language speakers and how

educators can critically confront such disparities while introducing and maintaining social and linguistic justice.

My application went through two panels of judges and, to my surprise and enjoyment, I was accepted to present my research at both conferences and did so in November 2023. After presenting at Oxford, my paper and research were accepted to be published in the conference’s Literacy Information and Computer Education Journal. It was crazy.

Do you have any key takeaways?

Too many to list! I was very young compared to the other presenters, and most of my peers at the conference were presenting work they completed after receiving their master’s or (more commonly) doctorate degrees.

It was surely intimidating but also inspiring to witness lifelong learners devoting their time and energy to bettering global education. I heard presentations from educators from many different countries and continents, while also engaging in dialogues surrounding how we best can serve future generations as a united international effort. I left feeling empowered that change can be made; however, I also realized that such change required collective and communal action.

What is a good memory of your time in London?

I loved hearing the accents of British children. There was something so endearing and charming about hearing kids on the Tube asking their “Mummy” where the “loo” was.

What do you value most about being a Cobber?

Community — in every way, shape, and form.

How does Concordia allow you to pursue your passions?

The liberal arts curriculum is designed purposefully to practice interdisciplinary expertise, and the professors who embody this crucial practice are the ones who encourage students to go beyond what they thought could be possible for themselves.

What are your career goals?

To be a professor of English or education.

What advice would you give to a high school student who is considering Concordia?

I would encourage any prospective student to consider how they want to grow as a person and what campus offers a climate that allows for that growth. Far too often, students are concerned about how their specific majors rank against other schools; however, college is way more than your degree. Think about where you wish to plant yourself!

How has Concordia prepared you for life after college?

I’ve embodied many of Concordia’s quirky messages, action statements, and acronyms; however, above all, I feel very closely tied to BREW. Becoming Responsibly Engaged in the World is what I wanted from my undergraduate experience, and Concordia has provided an atmosphere where I could learn and grow, experiment and inquire, and find both failure and success — not only academically but as an entire person.

Is there anything else you would like to share about your Cobber experience?

I love Concordia!

Concordia Hosting Annual Tri-College Math Contest

MARCH 4, 2024 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE | COCURRICULAR

Concordia College is hosting the 41st annual Tri-College Math Contest for area schools Thursday, March 7. The contest, hosted alternately between Concordia, North Dakota State University, and Minnesota State University Moorhead, tests the mathematical competency of middle school and high school students.

About 800 students from schools across North Dakota and Minnesota are scheduled to take part. Students will compete individually and with teams in small school and large school divisions. There are three classifications: middle school for grades 6-8, lower high for grades 9 and 10, and senior high for grades 11 and 12.

The top four teams and top 10 individuals in each level and division will receive plaques recognizing their achievement. Scholarships will also be awarded to the top finishers. An awards ceremony in the Centrum, Knutson Campus Center, will follow the exams at each level.

NDSU has written the questions for this year. In 2023, NDSU hosted the event, and MSUM wrote the questions. In 2025, MSUM will host with Concordia writing the questions.

Due to COVID, this is the first time Concordia has hosted since 2018. The event had been cancelled for three years before restarting in 2023.

Tollefson Named MIAC Elite 22 Award Winner

MARCH 6, 2024 | COCURRICULAR

Concordia junior Greta Tollefson (Pelican Rapids, Minnesota) was named the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference women’s basketball Elite 22 award winner.

Tollefson becomes the first Cobber women’s basketball player in program history to earn the MIAC Elite 22 award since the league started the honor in 2013. She is also the fifth Concordia studentathlete to win the award in any sport.

The MIAC Elite 22 Award recognizes the true essence of the term “student-athlete” by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the conference championship level in their sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among their peers. Modeled after the NCAA Elite 90 Award, the MIAC Elite 22 Award is presented to the student-athlete with the highest GPA in each sport who meets similarly high, sport-specific athletic requirements.

Tollefson has a 4.0 grade point average while majoring in biology. She also carries a triple minor in chemistry, psychology, and environmental studies.

Tollefson was a key member of Concordia’s team that earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014. Tollefson also helped the Cobbers finish second in the conference standings and advance to the MIAC playoff championship game for the second straight season.

Tollefson started in 25 of the team’s 26 games in 2024. She averaged 7.4 rebounds and 3.6 rebounds per game. She led the team in free throw percentage and was third in field goal percentage. Tollefson connected on 86.4% of her free throws and was successful on 44.3% of her shots from the floor.

In all sports with MIAC team postseason tournaments, including basketball and hockey, the MIAC Elite 22 Award is presented to the individual with the highest GPA on the active postseason roster of a playoff-qualifying team. Each winner must be a junior or senior and in at least their second full academic year at their current institution. Ties are broken by the number of credits earned at current institutions.

Concordia Explores Loneliness with ‘Seek You’ Author at Readings and Conversation Event

Concordia College’s next Readings and Conversation series talk will feature Kristen Radtke, author of the widely acclaimed graphic novel “Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness.”

The event, hosted by guest moderator and Concordia alumnus John Ydstie, will begin at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 14, in the Knutson Campus Center’s Centrum.

The event is free and open to the public, with a reception and book signing to follow.

In “Seek You,” Radtke paints loneliness as a silent epidemic in America, one that’s often misunderstood and shameful to talk about yet is everywhere. In 2023, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory warning of an “epidemic of loneliness and isolation,” calling it an “underappreciated public health crisis.” Using emotionally charged drawings and empathetic prose, Radtke takes readers through the history of loneliness and longing, with topics ranging from the invention of the laugh track to the rise of Instagram.

Her first book, the genre-smashing “Imagine Wanting Only This,” was a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Pick, a Junior

Library Guild Selection, and a Nylon Most Anticipated Book. Her work has been featured in publications such as The New York Times, Harper’s, Marie Claire, and Vanity Fair.

Radtke is the former managing editor of Sarabande Books and is currently the creative director of The Verge.

As part of her visit to the college, Radtke will meet with creative writing and psychology students. Ydstie will visit with students in a news-writing course.

Ydstie earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Concordia College in 1974 with a major in English literature and a minor in speech communications. He covered the economy, Wall Street, and the federal budget for NPR for two decades and was a regular guest host on the NPR news programs Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Weekend Edition, and Talk of the Nation. Ydstie retired in 2019.

About the Author-in-Residence Program:

The Readings and Conversation Series is part of Concordia College’s Author-in-Residence program, made possible through the generous support of alumnus Dr. Earl Lewis ‘78 and Susan Whitlock.

Recent author visits include David Grann (“Killers of the Flower Moon”) and Suzanne Simard (“Finding the Mother Tree”).

The Concordia Choir Caps National Tour with Home Concert

With 65 voices singing in harmony, The Concordia Choir concludes its national tour with a home concert at 4 p.m. Sunday, March 17, at Memorial Auditorium on the Concordia College campus. The event is free and open to the public.

The program will contain a wide variety of choral works ranging from baroque to contemporary and will include pieces by J.S. Bach, William Dawson, Caroline Shaw, René Clausen, and more and will include a set of works from Craig Hella Johnson’s “Considering Matthew Shepard.”

This year, the choir embarked on a 17-day tour of the Northwest United States with performances in Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Washington, Oregon, and California. Several of the concerts included collaborations with professional, youth, church, and high school choirs.

The Concordia Choir was recently rated No. 8 on College Rank’s list of Most Impressive College Choirs. Touring nationally and internationally since 1920, the choir has performed in nearly every major hall in the United States including Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and the Kennedy Center. In May 2022, the choir toured internationally to Italy and performed in St. Peter’s Basilica.

In 2020, Dr. Michael Culloton was named director of choral activities, appointed conductor of The Concordia Choir, and named the Paul J. and Eleanor Christiansen Chair of Choral Music, succeeding Dr. René Clausen who retired after 34 years of service. Culloton, a 1998 Concordia College graduate and associate professor of music, is also the artistic director of the Emmy®-winning Concordia Christmas Concerts seen by audiences of 12,000 each year. He teaches vocal music education and church music courses, serves as campus supervisor for student teachers, and advises the student chapter of the American Choral Directors Association.

Folkestad and Rhonemus Earn 2nd Team All-American Honors

MARCH 9, 2024

Concordia seniors Cooper Folkestad and Wade Rhonemus capped off their indoor meet careers by earning NCAA Second Team AllAmerican honors at the Division III National Indoor Meet.

The Second Team All-American award is a brand new honor that was instituted by the NCAA this year that recognizes individuals who finish from 9th to 16th in an event. Previously, only the Top 8 finishers in an event would earn All-American honors.

Folkestad had to wait until Saturday to get his second NCAA National Indoor Meet experience underway. He competed in the shot put on Saturday morning and finished 12th out of 19 competitors.

Folkestad’s top distance of the event came on his second attempt when he posted a mark of 53-11.00. That distance was only one foot away from qualifying Folkestad for the final in the event. His mark at the national meet was 11.25 inches off his season-best distance of 54-10.25.

Rhonemus completed the 7-event heptathlon on Saturday and finished 15th with a total of 4,692 points. He was able to move up four spots on Day 2 in the standings after he was 19th after the first four events.

Rhonemus started Day 2 of the heptathlon by coming through with his top event of the meet. He clocked an 8.85 in the 60-meter hurdles which gave him 779 points. His other 700-plus event was the 60-meter dash which opened the heptathlon on Friday.

Rhonemus recorded over 650 points in the other two events on Saturday. He scored 659 in the pole vault by clearing 13-07.25 and posted 695 points in the 1000 meters with a time of 2:56.93.

Concordia College to Add Clay Target to Sports Roster in Fall 2024

MARCH 11, 2024 | COCURRICULAR

Concordia College students will get a shot at a whole new sport soon, as the school aims to start its new clay target program in Fall 2024.

Its coach, Duane Kashmark ‘92, has extensive experience in the sport, having worked with students at Moorhead Public Schools since 2017, and he looks forward to working with Concordia athletes too.

The best part of the sport is the competition, he said.

Starting out, participants compete against themselves, working to better their scores and getting just as excited about hitting even one target as a more skilled athlete would get earning a perfect score.

“When an athlete gets their first 25/25, that’s exciting,” he said. “But I’ve probably had more kids get excited about a 12.”

Spurred by competition with other athletes, experienced participants up their game.

“That higher level of competition brings out the best in people,” Kashmark said, noting that dedicated students will often stay behind for a few more rounds of practice after the scheduled practice time is over.

Concordia is a member of the USA College Clay Target League, which includes more than 35 teams and 400 athletes. The organization offers four different events for students to compete in — trap shooting, skeet shooting, sporting clays, and 5-stand.

Initially, Concordia’s program will focus on trap shooting, the most popular event for high school students, Kashmark said, likely because it’s a consistent event that doesn’t require much extra equipment.

In trap shooting, athletes shoot from five stations arranged in a semicircle around a trap house — which is where the targets are launched from. Participants use either a 12-gauge or a 20-gauge shotgun to shoot two 25-target rounds, five at each station, in a competition.

With the USA College Clay Target League, contests are held virtually, allowing athletes to compete without traveling long distances. Concordia plans to host some in-person events.

Athletes will not store their guns on the Concordia campus, Kashmark said, noting that his program will have a safety-first emphasis.

In order to register for the team at all, student-athletes must have earned a league-approved firearm safety certification, as well as meeting the usual academic requirements to participate in extracurricular activities. Some students may have the certification due to experience hunting, without having tried clay target shooting before.

“Most of the athletes will have experience, but it always amazes me how many new students we get,” Kashmark said. “New people are

welcome to try it out. It’s fun watching new athletes get involved in the sport.”

Clay target is an inclusive sport, with competitions for men and women, and those who aren’t athletic in other sports can succeed just as well as those who are.

Participants do need to own their own firearm to participate, but given its status as a college sport, Concordia will pay for practice ammunition and targets — a significant benefit when a single round can cost $12-15. Concordia will also pay athletes’ membership fee for the USA College Clay Target League.

For more information, contact

Anderson and Sieben Placed on D3hoops.com All-Region List

Concordia juniors Makayla Anderson (Bismarck, North Dakota/ Bismarck Century High School) and Carlee Sieben (Grafton, North Dakota) were named to the D3hoops.com All-Region 9 Second Team.

It is the first time for both players to earn All-Region honors and they become the first Cobber players to receive the honor since current assistant coach Alley Fisher was named to the D3hoops. com All-Region Team in 2015.

It is the first time in program history that Concordia has had multiple players earn the All-Region honor in the same season.

Concordia was the only team in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference to have more than one player selected to the D3hoops.com All-Region squad and the Cobbers had the only two student-athletes to receive higher than Third Team honors.

Players were nominated for these awards by the sports information directors at the various schools, and schools and conferences were each contacted multiple times as the season wound down to remind them to make their players eligible. There were 812 players nominated nationwide. The ballot was then made available to SIDs, who voted for a predetermined number of players in their region.

This is the 23rd year D3hoops.com has named an All-Region team and this year’s All-America team will be the 27th annual All-America selections. The D3hoops.com All-American teams, along with those of the respective coaches’ associations, are the only ones recognized in the NCAA record book.

The D3hoops.com All-Region honors follow MIAC All-Conference awards for both players.

Anderson led the MIAC in rebounding and was second in the league in scoring in 2024. She averaged 8.0 rebounds per game and 14.9

points per game. Anderson was also in the Top 5 in the conference in field goal percentage and free throw percentage and was 13th in the league in steals. Anderson finished the year by shooting 51.9% from the floor and 83.5% from the free throw line. She ended the season with 40 steals in 26 games.

During the season Anderson became the 20th player in program history to reach the 500-rebound milestone. Anderson has 566 career rebounds, which is 16th on the school’s all-time list.

Sieben, who was also named the MIAC Offensive Player of the Year, was second in the MIAC in 3-point field goal percentage, third in 3-point field goals per game and second in free throw percentage. She shot 39.5% from outside the arc and knocked down 60 shots from distance, while shooting 86.3% from the free throw line. Sieben also finished fifth in the conference in assists per game (3.0).

Sieben’s 60 3-point field goals are third-most in a single season in school history. She has 128 3-point field goals in her Cobber career. That total is No. 8 on CC’s all-time list.

Concordia Launches Supply Chain Management Program to Meet Surging Demand

MARCH 14, 2024 |

If you’ve ever picked up an item at a store and questioned the number of steps it took to get there, the answer is a lot. And there’s a lot to manage.

The path a product takes on the supply chain includes forecasting consumer needs, purchasing, inventory management, product production, assembly, warehousing, distribution, sales, and customer service.

While supply chain management has been studied in academia for years, COVID-19 brought it under the microscope.

“Today, it’s vitally important for any company, global or small, to understand and use SCM concepts, such as visibility, resilience, and digitization,” said Dr. Marcia Santiago Scarpin, assistant professor of management and a supply chain specialist. “With companies interconnected in a global network, any disruption can lead to a ripple effect across the entire network.”

By 2026, the global supply chain market is expected to reach nearly $31 billion, generating high demand for workers with supply chain management expertise. According to Salary.com, the average base salary for a supply chain manager in the U.S. is about $125,000.

To answer those rising industry needs, Concordia College is announcing the launch of a supply chain management major and minor. The program begins Fall 2024 through the college’s Offutt School of Business.

“With Concordia’s interdisciplinary approach to learning, the program is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of how supply chain management, global economics, leadership, and data analysis work together,” said Chris Mason, dean of the Offutt School.

Students will learn analytical skills to gain an understanding of logistics, inventory sourcing, supply chain planning, risk management, communication skills, and technology proficiency.

“This program will equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the complex landscape of modern business and make informed decisions that drive success on a global scale,” Scarpin said.

Industry Expertise

The movement of goods around the world has captivated Scarpin for years.

“It affects everyone’s lives every single day,” she said. “The food you eat, the clothes you wear, your computer, and cellphone — those all start as ideas that make many stops before getting to you.”

Scarpin is a member of a Brazilian research group working on the global supply chains at the Center for Excellence in Logistics and Supply Chain and the Innovation Center at Fundação Getulio Vargas, a university and one of the world’s top-rated think tanks.

Her research on the global supply chain, supply chain risk management and resilience, and sustainable supply chains has been published in top-tier journals.

“Having the opportunity to study under an expert like Dr. Scarpin makes our program unique,” Mason said. “Her knowledge and reputation in the field makes her a valuable asset.”

Beneficial Minor

With a job-ready emphasis, Mason suggests students with various majors consider a minor in SCM.

“These classes will bolster a business major who may be lacking in analytical content,” he said. “It will boost data and business content for mathematics majors. And without having to major in business or data analytics, other students can learn an emerging marketable skill.”

Concordia Adds New Minor to Its Health and Science Programs

MARCH

18, 2024

| SANFORD HEIMARCK SCHOOL OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS

When Dr. Gwen Halaas ’75 returned to Concordia College to serve as dean of the Sanford Heimarck School of Health Professions, she realized something was missing from its lengthy list of programs, concentrations, and specializations.

The patient-driven focus on individual and family health was clearly present, with a good mix of theory and practical experience, and a balance of technology and caregiving.

Far less obvious, however, was a dedicated pathway at Concordia for those hoping to study healthcare from a wider perspective, looking at whole communities and populations to solve health problems on a wider scale — or better, prevent them altogether.

Halaas, who earned her medical degree at Harvard and trained in family medicine at the University of Minnesota, saw a gap in the program and began working to fill it.

Beginning in Fall 2024, Concordia students will have access to a new interdisciplinary minor in public health, which will include a new course offering, Introduction to Epidemiology.

The timing of the academic addition might just be perfect for a college whose stated purpose is to influence the world by sending out thoughtful, informed, and dedicated people — because public health workers are in short supply.

A study published in the April 2023 Annual Review of Public Health found the public health workforce lost 40,000 jobs between 2009 and the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, tens of thousands of public health workers left during the pandemic response, leaving many needs in their wake.

Offering public health as a new minor rather than a major might seem like an odd step, but it will allow students to be competitive when they apply for Master of Public Health programs. Those programs don’t require a bachelor’s degree specific to public health and, in fact, a different major might offer students a broader perspective before they begin specialized postgraduate work, Halaas said.

As a minor, public health will be accessible to students of any course of study, too — all the health and science majors and any students going into health professions, but others, too.

“It’ll only give them a better perspective on health and public health training,” the dean said. “Anyone who has an interest in helping people be healthy or helping families or communities be healthy, and understanding why they’re not.”

Studying public health will help prepare students to address two of the major issues in contemporary healthcare — how do social determinants affect people’s health, and why don’t people get better?

Often, Halaas said, sociological factors like poverty or transportation options have negative impacts on people’s health, and the healthcare system isn’t really built to address those issues. The result is that different populations can experience healthcare in very different ways, with accessibility and quality changing depending on the color of one’s skin, the primary language one speaks, or other factors beyond an individual’s control.

Students choosing the new minor will also have plenty of community engagement and Pivotal Experience in Applied Knowledge (PEAK) opportunities in public health settings.

“Regardless of where they’ll go, healthcare will be a part of their life,” Halaas said. “Anybody can benefit.”

Heitkamp, Schafer to Address Civility in Politically Tense Times

MARCH 18, 2024 | SCHOOL OF ARTS

AND SCIENCE | COCURRICULAR

The Lorentzsen Center for Faith and Work and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota & The Dakotas, with support from the Otto Bremer Trust, Oren and Sharron Steinfeldt Foundation, and the Interfaith Alliance of North Dakota proudly present “With Malice Toward None: A Conversation about Civility, the Common Good, and the Future of the American Dream.”

This event, featuring former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, a Democrat, and former Gov. Ed Schafer, a Republican, will occur from 7 to 9 p.m. CDT Wednesday, April 3, in the Centrum, Knutson Campus Center, at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota.

Americans today are feeling unprecedented tension in their workplaces, friendships, and homes. Society is often perceived as being trapped in a self-reinforcing cycle of tribalism, outrage, and mistrust, presenting significant challenges to effective leadership across both public and private sectors.

This event aims to address vital questions: How can people collaboratively work toward the common good amid deep societal divisions? How can people treat each other with respect and decency? What role can local and regional leaders play in a political landscape dominated by national issues? How can we enhance the trustworthiness of social, economic, and political institutions?

Heitkamp and Schafer, both known for their bipartisan efforts, will lead a moderated keynote discussion to reflect on these crucial questions, aiming to advance the common good. Their insights will provide valuable perspectives on navigating these complex challenges.

In addition to the public keynote addresses, the event will feature three invitation-only sessions where the speakers will engage with students, campus leadership, and local and regional leaders, fostering discussions on their particular challenges and aspirations.

Event Details:

• Date: April 3, 2024

• Time: 7 to 9 p.m.

• Venue: Knutson Campus Center Centrum at Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota, and on Zoom

This event is open to the public, and we encourage attendees from diverse backgrounds to join us for an evening of thoughtful dialogue and learning. For more information or to register, please visit https://www.lorentzsencenter.com/

Concordia Chapel Choir Wraps Regional Tour With Home Concert

MARCH 18, 2024 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE | COCURRICULAR

The Concordia Chapel Choir ends its annual tour with a home concert at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 24, in the Centrum, Knutson Campus Center. The concert is free and open to the public.

The program will feature a wide variety of repertoire ranging from Renaissance madrigals to contemporary choral works. Of special note, the concert will feature several movements from Craig Hella Johnson’s “Considering Matthew Shepard.”

A blend of 49 voices creates the sound of the Concordia Chapel Choir. Originally created to enrich the music of Concordia’s morning chapel services, the ensemble now performs in concert and tours annually. The choir of students in their sophomore, junior or senior years is an integral part of the much-loved annual Concordia Christmas Concerts.

The Choir’s regional tour had stops across Minnesota. In Detroit Lakes, the singers performed a collaboration concert with the

Detroit Lakes High School choir. The Choir also performed at churches in Willmar and in Minneapolis.

This will be the first tour concert for conductor Dr. Joseph Kemper, assistant professor of choral music. As a champion of new and diverse music, Kemper is passionate about programming that cultivates understanding, learning and seeking common ground across time, belief, and culture.

He is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of servant-leaders, choral artists and life-long musicians who will use their gifts for positive societal change.

Kemper also conducts Kantorei and Cantabile.

Sanford Health Honors Nursing Professor for Giving Exceptional Care

MARCH 28, 2024 | SANFORD HEIMARCK SCHOOL OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS

Amanda Tracy, assistant professor of nursing at Concordia College, was presented with the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses from Sanford Health for the compassionate care she provided in her role as a labor and delivery nurse.

The patient who nominated Tracy for the Award shared the story of her baby’s complicated birth and how Tracy helped the new parents through the challenging day by being a strong support.

“By instilling that confidence in us to make the big decision to proceed with surgery, I’m convinced Amanda may have helped save us from a heart-breaking day,” the patient said. “Amanda made herself my person. [She] turned the mood from scary for me to a celebration.”

The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses was created by the Barnes family from their desire to thank the nurses who cared for their son while he was battling an autoimmune disease. They founded the DAISY Foundation in 1999 to recognize compassionate nurses across the country.

“I feel very honored to receive this award. I love my role as a bedside nurse, caring for women and families as they bring new life into the world.”

Called to Teach

Tracy began working at Sanford Health in 2008. Since 2013, she has worked at Sanford’s Family Birth Center.

She noticed the desire to teach others early on in her nursing career. While working in a medical specialty unit, Tracy would often find herself hoping to get a nursing student assigned to her each day. As her anticipation ramped up, Tracy would be disappointed any time she wasn’t assigned one.

After realizing she always had a lifelong passion for teaching others, Tracy returned to school for her master’s in nursing education and began teaching at Concordia in 2017.

Vocation is one of the four core themes of the nursing program at Concordia College. Students in the nursing program are encouraged to consider their vocation in nursing by asking themselves, “What is my calling or purpose in the profession? How will I serve others as a nurse?”

The term vocation can have different meanings and can be viewed from a religious or non-religious perspective. And for Tracy, her faith played a strong role in her decision to become a nurse.

“For me, vocation has a religious connection as I believe God has created me for certain purposes. He has gifted me with the qualities and skills to be a registered nurse and granted me the desire and passion to teach nursing students,” she said.

3 Groups Earn Awards for Community Engagement

The Concordia Student Nurses Association, the Indigenous Association, and library director Laura Probst have all been presented with the 2024 Presidents’ Awards by the Seed Coalition (formerly Iowa and Minnesota Campus Compact). The Presidents’ Awards are meant to recognize remarkable efforts of community outreach made by students, faculty, staff, collaborative teams, and community organizations.

Dr. Ken Foster, the director of community engagement at Concordia, was responsible for nominating each group and individual for the Presidents’ Awards.

The Student Nurses Association was given the Student Leadership Award for merging its impact on the community with the college experience at Concordia. The students have been raising awareness of different health and wellness initiatives by organizing projects like blood drives, volunteering at local food banks, and working with local healthcare facilities for smaller projects such as making cards or tie blankets.

Brooke Deters, along with Louise Fouquerel-Skoe and Taia Nieland, make up the three co-presidents who run the SNA. Deters said it was nice to be publicly recognized with the Student Leadership Award because the SNA is not on the radar of many people outside of nursing students.

“Being in the SNA has given me a different way of preparing for my future than the nursing program does,” Deters said. “This has allowed us (Deters and other students who participate in the SNA) to get out into the community and make connections outside of hospitals.”

The Indigenous Association was given the Community Partner Award for enhancing life in the community through developing a partnership with Concordia. The nonprofit organization has worked with Concordia to expand opportunities in Ojibwa and start a transfer program with the White Earth Tribal College.

“We have been working on ways to bring cultural knowledge keepers into the Concordia community to share their insight and wisdom with Concordia students,” Brendon Baity, the interim director of IA, said.

Over the summer, the IA partnered with Concordia College to plant Indigenous medicinal herbs in the community garden. The goal was to help foster a sense of community and educate people on Indigenous culture.

Probst was given the Civic Engagement Leadership Award for founding the RIDE (Readings for Equity, Inclusion, and Diversion) program.

The program offers the opportunity for Concordia students to work with Horizon Middle School eighth graders and encourage them to read diversely.

“Laura’s entrepreneurial spirit, dedication to student learning, and ability to foster collaboration have enabled her to create an inspirational program that advances Concordia’s civic mission and demonstrates the power of college-community partnerships,” Foster said in his reasoning for nomination.

Probst started the program in 2020, and it is still going strong to this day. She was honored to have her work recognized by the Campus Compact.

“This recognition from the community affirms that our work has value. It inspires me, and my colleagues, to invest in the program’s (RIDE’s) future,” she said.

The RIDE program doesn’t solely inspire faculty. In fact, many Concordia students who participate in RIDE wish they had similar opportunities when they were younger, according to Probst.

“Our students engage with eighth graders to explore the experiences of the characters in their book, to think about the diversity of experiences among the members of their small group, and to practice having difficult conversations. And, they have fun along the way,” Probst said.

Johnson and Nelson Named CSC Academic All-District

MARCH

28, 2024 | COCURRICULAR

Concordia Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference AllConference honorees Matt Johnson (Sr., Fergus Falls, Minnesota) and Rowan Nelson (Jr., Melrose, Minnesota) added another award to their résumé as both players were named to the College Sports Communicators’ Academic All-District Team.

The 2024 Academic All-District Men’s and Women’s Basketball Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom.

A new format for the 2023-24 academic year, nominees must be a sophomore or better with a 3.5 cumulative GPA or higher. Athletically, student-athletes must either appear in 90 percent of their team’s games or start 66 percent of them.

Both Johnson and Nelson received MIAC All-Conference honors last month. The tandem helped the Cobbers earn an MIAC playoff spot for the first time since 2016. Concordia finished with a 16-10 overall record and a 12-8 mark in the conference. Both win totals are the most since 2016.

The two players also recorded their 1,000th career point during the year. Johnson surpassed the 1,000-point mark in the Cobbers’ playoff game at Hamline, while Nelson’s milestone moment came in the regular-season finale vs. St. Scholastica.

Johnson carries a 3.98 GPA while majoring in finance. He led the Cobbers in scoring in 2024 with a 15.6 points per game average. He was also tops on CC in 3-point field goals made and free throw percentage. Johnson drained 64 shots from outside the arc and connected on 84.8% of his free throw attempts during the year.

Nelson is double majoring in applied physics and mathematics and has a 3.86 GPA. He was second on the team in scoring with a 14.0 ppg average, but led the team in 3-point field goal percentage field goal percentage. He shot 43.8% from outside the arc.

Academic All-District® honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. First-, second and third-team Academic AllAmerica® honorees will be announced April 16 (women) and April 17 (men).

The Division II and III CSC Academic All-America® programs are partially financially supported by the NCAA Division II and III national governance structures to assist CSC with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2022-23 Divisions II and III Academic All-America® programs. The NAIA CSC Academic AllAmerica® program is partially financially supported through the NAIA governance structure.

4 Cobbers Earn CSC Academic All-District Honors

Concordia had four players named to the College Sports Communicators’ (formerly CoSIDA) Academic All-District Team.

Makayla Anderson (Jr., Bismarck, North Dakota/Bismarck Century High School) earned the award for the second straight season, while Maddie Guler (Sr., Pelican Rapids, Minnesota), Jordyn Kahler (Sr., Wahpeton, North Dakota) and Greta Tollefson (Jr., Pelican Rapids, Minnesota) all earned the award for the first time in their careers.

The four players helped Concordia earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014. The quartet of Cobber also guided CC to its second straight Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference playoff championship game and second-place finish in the conference regular-season standings.

The 2024 Academic All-District Men’s and Women’s Basketball Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the

nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom.

A new format for the 2023-24 academic year, nominees must be a sophomore or better with a 3.5 cumulative GPA or higher.

Athletically, student-athletes must either appear in 90 percent of their team’s games or start 66 percent of them.

Anderson, who also received D3hoops.com All-Region and MIAC All-Conference honors this season, is majoring in English writing and has a 3.72 grade point average. Anderson led the team in scoring and rebounding in 2024. She averaged 14.8 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. During the season she reached the 500-rebound milestone mark.

Guler carries a 3.95 GPA and is majoring in biology and psychology with a minor in chemistry. Guler played in all 26 games in 2024 and was in the Top 25 of Division III in assist-to-turnover ratio. Her top point total of the year came in the MIAC championship game when she scored eight points.

Kahler is majoring exercise science and psychology and has a 3.60 GPA. She is a 3-year starter for the Cobbers and started all 26 games for CC in 2024. She was fifth on the team in scoring and rebounding for the year, Kahler’s top game of the year was in the conference semifinals when she went 4-for-8 from the floor and finished with 14 points.

Tollefson has a 4.00 GPA with a major in biology and a triple minor in chemistry, psychology, and environmental studies. She also earned the MIAC’s Elite 22 Award which is presented to the student-athlete with the highest GPA in each sport who meets similarly high, sportspecific athletic requirements. Tollefson played in all 26 games in 2024 and led the team in free throw percentage and was third in field goal percentage. Tollefson connected on 86.4% of her free throws and was successful on 44.3% of her shots from the floor.

Academic All-District® honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. First-, second and third-team Academic AllAmerica® honorees will be announced April 16 (women) and April 17 (men).

The Division II and III CSC Academic All-America® programs are partially financially supported by the NCAA Division II and III national governance structures to assist CSC with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2022-23 Divisions II and III Academic All-America® programs. The NAIA CSC Academic AllAmerica® program is partially financially supported through the NAIA governance structure.

Faith + Learning in an Entrepreneurial World

Major: Finance

Born in Ohio and raised in Colorado, Kevin Ness ’24 moved to North Dakota to compete in junior hockey. That move was a step on the path that led him exactly where he is today, a senior at Concordia studying finance in the Offutt School of Business. Ness describes himself as competitive and growing in his faith, and he enjoys time reading, listening to music, and spending time with his family.

Ness’ uncle, a 1976 grad, spoke of Concordia often and wound up convincing Ness and his brother to attend. With family nearby and strong hockey recruitment, Ness said the decision just felt right.

“I mostly appreciate my teammates and just being able to play the game and, by extension, the ongoing support from former players, alumni, and the student body,” he says. “I have a lot of gratitude for being able to put on a Concordia jersey to represent our school, which is something pretty special.”

As president of the Entrepreneurship Club on campus and a member of the Scheel Investment Fund, Ness has had many unique experiences with these groups. Specifically, he helps with the Cobbertunity Fund, a fixed income portfolio started by student leaders in recent years that’s managed by the Scheel Fund. The proceeds from this fund go to student entrepreneurs at Concordia to help them start and grow their small businesses.

The Scheel Fund is what directed Ness’ interest to a finance degree. He knew he wanted to go into business but, after learning more about the finance program and the different opportunities available, in addition to finding friends in the program, he solidified

his choice to study finance. He finds the OSB’s finance program challenging and insightful and, he says the fixed income and financial statement analysis courses are particularly enjoyable and foundational in his experience.

“The Offutt School is very personalized with an emphasis toward active participation,” Ness says. “You develop relationships with your professors who encourage you to ask questions and help you engage more with the material both inside and outside of the classroom.”

Hands-on experience outside the classroom opens even more doors. Ness was awarded a Barry Scholarship, an academic award given to only a few students each year. Students submit an essay and a research project proposal in hopes that they will be selected as a Barry Scholar and given the opportunity to conduct their research. Ness’ research looks into factors that affect successes and failures in the entrepreneurial world. He’s been interviewing various business owners in the area using concepts from the book “Good to Great” by Jim Collins as a guide. He hopes his research will help future Concordia students navigate entrepreneurship and deepen their understanding of it.

Ness has also completed a PEAK opportunity with the Mayo Innovation Scholars Program, which he describes as “an opportunity to engage in the business development processes of a new medical innovation, broadening interdisciplinary learning by exploring innovations at the intersection of science, business, medicine, and entrepreneurship.”

“It was a challenging yet rewarding experience where I learned more about myself, how to work better in a professional setting with others, and the iterative process of formulating a pitch recommendation, along with a comprehensive business plan and financial supplementation derived from market research,” he says.

Kevin Ness ’24, Broomfield, Colorado

APRIL 1, 2024 | OFFUTT SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

Ness’ postgraduation plans include joining PNC Financial Services in August 2024 to be a part of a three-year Corporate and Institutional Banking Business Credit Asset-Based Lending Development Program. The program is “designed to build a solid foundation in credit analysis with rotations in field examinations, underwriting, and relationship management,” he says. Ness believes this will be a strong start to his career and something to look forward to as he completes his last semester before graduating in May.

With his involvement on campus and the opportunities to explore areas outside his area of study, Ness is confident that Concordia has equipped him to succeed beyond college as he navigates his finance career. He appreciates that, as a liberal arts institution, Concordia has given him the space to expand his education beyond finance and expand his worldview. He finds his experience

Destined to Change

APRIL 11, 2024 | OFFUTT SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

Jesus Gonzalez ’25, Minneapolis

Major: Finance

Please tell us about yourself. When people ask me, “What’s your elevator pitch?” I’m not sure what to say. I think a lot — about my place in my family, community, and the world. However, you’ll rarely find me resting unless it’s an intentional break. There are a lot of things that need to be done and that’s where you’ll find me. Growing up, I didn’t have much except for my family and the people who cared about me. Someone was always there to help. I think that’s the type of person I aim to be, someone driven to bettering my life and those around me.

How did you hear about Concordia College? Why did you choose Concordia?

I became interested in Concordia when my high school Spanish teacher, Mr. Lazo, told me about a program called Act Six. He said, “Jesus, I think this is something that would interest you. You’ve got what it takes to get in, and it could be a full ride. Apply and I’ll write you a letter of recommendation.” I submitted my application to Concordia College, the farthest college on my list. After several steps and months in the application process, I was called and told that I had been accepted. But before I said “yes,” I just had to see it for myself.

Thanks to Concordia covering a night’s hotel stay, I booked a nearby hotel, bought a bus ticket, and arrived in early spring. The first day in Fargo-Moorhead was a sunny afternoon filled with stops in different parts of town, and the second day was filled with exploring Concordia College. Every person I met shared something unique, but it was the time spent with the Act Six cohort that felt truly special. Their excitement to meet me, show me around, and welcoming energy spoke to me. On the bus journey back, I realized this was where I needed to go, where my life was destined to change.

here transformative in a way that will help him beyond his career goals but also in tackling challenges in life. He values the “virtuous ethic, entrepreneurial spirit, and unfettered faith” that he believes Concordia teaches well, and the sense of belonging he has felt being part of the Cobber community. His advice for incoming students?

“Consider coming to Concordia seeking an education rather than a degree. Much of what you will find in this education will be what guides you forward in your life,” he says. “We are all fallible, prideful and, at times, more arrogant than we’d like to admit. If you lean into this education, wherever you are in your journey, Concordia has proven to be a place for grace and a place to begin anew while growing into the person you were meant to be. Soli Deo Gloria.”

What surprised you most about the Fargo-Moorhead community?

What do you appreciate most about living in the F-M area?

At first, the Fargo-Moorhead community seemed very quiet and, I hate to say, boring. Then I was surprised when I began getting involved and saw everything going on. It made me realize that this community has so much potential, and it seems that in every corner someone or some group is working on something special. The most surprising part is just how much this community is connected. Someone out there can connect you to other people, which leads to meeting more special people or doing special things. I appreciate all the people you can meet in Fargo-Moorhead.

What campus activities are you involved in?

Right now, I’m a member of the Student Government Association, the Latinx Organization for Achievement, Habitat for Humanity, and the Career Readiness Board. If I’m not directly leading an initiative or one of the groups, I’m doing the marketing for them.

Why did you decide to run for president of the Student Government Association?

I began my leadership journey at Concordia with two goals in mind. To make as many opportunities for my peers as I could and to make more space for community. With these guiding goals in mind and after talking with close friends, when the opportunity of running for president of SGA came to me, I said yes to it. Throughout the campaigning process, I received support and encouragement from friends and mentors who reassured me that I needed to be in that role.

What has been the biggest challenge as student body president and how did you overcome that?

During my first semester as student body president, the biggest challenge was defining my role on campus as well as in the Student Government Association. I began thinking that it was as simple as pointing in one direction and that’s where we were heading. However, I’ve come to realize the work required to guide a group toward achieving its goals, establish a culture, and uphold its values. This didn’t happen alone. Throughout the semester, I leaned on the support of fellow members, friends, staff, faculty, and mentors who

all played an important role in guiding me. With their help, I’ve been able to maintain my well-being, learn new leadership approaches, define my role on campus, and get closer to the initial goals I set out to achieve.

What are you most excited about for the remainder of your term?

It’s the simplest things like making time to set up a table in the atrium and listening to my peers that I look forward to this year. I’m also excited about pushing for more changes to how SGA works and the way we advocate for change on campus. Most exciting is seeing the outcomes of all the projects that other SGA members have been working on this year.

With all of the opportunities available at Concordia, it can be easy for students to overextend themselves. What is your advice for balancing extracurriculars with academics and still maintaining your physical and mental health?

I see myself as a resilient and persistent person, but there are times when I feel lost, worried, or stressed. In those moments, my coping strategy involves two steps: I turn to prayer and then I talk to my close friends, asking them either to listen or to offer a different perspective. Doing these two things has brought a sense of calmness to my life, helping me find advice and comfort. However, I have experienced many mistakes, sleepless nights, headaches, conversations, and learning to get to this point. In both my academic and leadership journey, I’ve learned the importance of extending grace to myself and acknowledging that mistakes are part of the process. Admitting you made a mistake, accepting it, and learning from it might be the biggest challenge. Self-compassion is essential as the journey to personal growth often involves making mistakes before finding the right path.

How did you decide on your major?

Heading into college, I wanted to major in something that I was interested in. I thought about what I was most curious about and decided on the idea that I wanted to learn how money works. I then looked over Concordia’s majors and landed on finance.

Do you have a favorite finance course? If so, why?

Principles of Global Economics with Gladys Antonio has been my favorite finance course so far. I know it’s supposed to be a basic business course, but it inspired my curiosity about other countries and how their economies are doing. To this day, I’m still reading articles from the sources we used in class, and I look at global affairs from a much broader perspective than I used to.

What is the best part about taking classes in the Offutt School of Business?

The best part about taking classes in the Offutt School of Business is that I immediately go from the classroom to a professor’s office. Whether it’s to stop by to say hello or to ask for help, I can always find one of our professors there.

What are your career goals and how has Concordia prepared you for life after college?

Before coming to Concordia, I was driven by a salary and the lofty title of a future job. But after everything I’ve experienced because of coming to Concordia, I’m driven toward a career where I’m doing something I love. While pursuing a higher education, this place and its people have taught me the importance of values, faith, and doing work worth doing. I look at my future with these three questions: Where can I make the most positive impact, buy my mom a house, and give my grandma a very beautiful garden?

What do you value most about being a Cobber?

Speaking as a Cobber, I value the people here. I haven’t visited a campus yet where I found so many caring and talented people. Not that there aren’t other caring people in the world, it’s just that there’s something special about the ones here. I’ve met people here who have changed my life. I think that’s in part what being a Cobber is all about, making bonds that last and changing people’s lives.

What’s one thing you never imagined you would do before coming to Concordia?

Oh, the list is long for things I never imagined doing before coming to Concordia. To list a few, I never imagined hosting a festival, coordinating a conference for Latinos, being in leadership, going to conferences, working with experienced and talented people, and so much more. Most importantly, I never imagined leaving Minneapolis for a chance at higher education.

What advice would you give to a high school student who is considering Concordia?

Come, visit, and take a look for yourself. Explore the area, talk to people, and get a feel for the place. That’s what I did, and it completely changed my life. I think it is here on campus that you can truly get the feeling of why this place is for you.

Is there anything else you would like to share about your Cobber experience?

Yes. Despite being in different leadership roles and appearing like I have everything under control, I do not. I have hard days, and I have my own set of challenges. This is true for all people. However, being a Cobber has taught me to face challenges and failure headon while leaning on those I love and trust. It has taught me the power of faith and that I’m never alone. I hold these lessons close to me and I hope that other fellow Cobbers discover their close lessons here too.

Embracing Flexibility

APRIL 12, 2024 | OFFUTT SCHOOL OF BUSINESS | SANFORD HEIMARCK SCHOOL OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS

Sophia Walton ’26, Lake of the Woods, Minnesota

Major: Exercise Science

Minors: Business, Entrepreneurship

Please tell us about yourself.

I am a sophomore from Lake of the Woods, Minnesota. I like to describe myself as a go-getter and a motivated, hardworking person. My career goals are to eventually work for myself and run my own businesses. Some business ideas include an activewear clothing line, a variety of recipe books, owning a gym franchise, offering a personal training program, writing a book, owning and investing in the housing market, and a curly hair-care line. I know that opening and owning a business is not something that is easy to do, but I do not want easy. I like the high-risk, high-reward lifestyle!

How did you hear about Concordia and why did you choose to attend college here?

I heard about Concordia through some friends in high school. I was committed to a school in South Carolina but, late in the summer, a family member experienced a health scare, and it made me realize that I could not go that far away. I reached out to a friend attending Concordia, and she got me in touch with an admission representative who was amazing! She got everything taken care of within about two weeks, and I was set to attend Concordia. I also knew Concordia had a good reputation, and a degree from Concordia looked very good and carried a lot of weight so that really sold me.

What do you enjoy about the Fargo-Moorhead area?

Being from a small town of about 900 people, Fargo-Moorhead feels huge! I really like what Fargo-Moorhead has to offer. Even though it feels big, I still get a sense of community within the area. There are always community events happening, and the community is very warm and welcoming.

Can you tell us about the Women in Business club’s events and how a student can get involved?

To get involved in Women in Business, or any club on campus, I recommend going to the Cobber Expo at the beginning of each semester. This is where all the clubs on campus have a booth set up, and you can walk around and explore what they have to offer. If you are not able to attend the Cobber Expo, getting on Cobber Connect and reaching out to clubs that way is also a good way to get involved. Women in Business holds a lot of social events, where we make arts and crafts, play games, and get to know each other. They also bring in guest speakers frequently about how to brand yourself and sound professional in interviews and resumes.

What else are you involved in?

I am also a student ambassador, serving as a tour guide for prospective students and a panelist (when panels are held at visit

events) for students to ask questions. Along with that, I am involved in Orientation, serving as a First-Year Transfer mentor.

How did you decide on your area of study?

Deciding on an area of study was always something that I thought was going to be easy for me. Since I was a junior in high school, I knew that I wanted to study business and create my own businesses. I knew the business world was going to fulfill my interests, so when I came to college, I was a business management major. Then I decided that I wanted to do something with more math, so I chose finance and added an entrepreneurship minor because I thought it would be beneficial to know how to handle the financial side of a business. After a finance internship during Summer 2023, I decided that I never wanted to look at another spreadsheet again! At the beginning of this year, I briefly switched to marketing because I love branding, creating social media posts, ads, and things like that, but I sat down and thought critically about the short term rather than the long term.

I was so used to thinking 10 years in advance that I forgot how to just think about college and focus on my degree and not life afterward. I have always loved exercising and working out. I was an athlete in high school and still like to move my body and improve myself physically, so I thought about how my goals would still be achievable with or without a business degree. I sat down with my advisor, and we talked about how the long-term goal is still achievable and how I can change the path to getting there. After long consideration, I have switched my major to exercise science with a focus on strength training and athletics. I have an interest in designing workouts, understanding what is happening to your muscles when you are working out, and differentiating between what is going to be most beneficial for your goals.

Do you have a favorite course? Why is it your favorite?

In my freshman year, I had a class with my advisor called Actions and Attitudes for College Success. It was so cool because we got to dive into the StrengthsFinder and get in touch with who we are as individuals and what approach to college is going to work best for us.

What do you value most about being a Cobber?

I value the reputation of being a Cobber the most. Having a degree from Concordia degree means something and looks better than some other schools in the state. I like the respect that comes with being a Cobber. Concordia has a reputation for being a hard school, and it feels good to know that I am capable of success here.

What advice would you give to a high school student who is considering Concordia?

If I could give any student considering coming to Concordia advice, it would be to get yourself on campus. Come take a tour, tour more than once, meet the people who are already here, ask them questions, and connect with them. I would also say to get to know the community. Even if you love the school, you might hate the area, and that will make school much harder for you so my advice would be to come get the best feel for campus that you absolutely

can. Concordia may be a small institution, but there are so many different people here and you will fit in! There are many people here who want to help you and get to know you, so take advantage of the smaller campus. It allows you to feel a sense of belonging because you get to know more people on a detailed level.

Is there anything else you would like to share about your Cobber experience?

College can be overwhelming when you first arrive on campus, but Concordia puts so much effort into making sure that every single student feels like they belong. I truly feel like Concordia cares about every student, and it’s a really refreshing feeling.

Making Musical Memories

Major: Music Performance

Minor: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

A Leader in Music

Hyejung “Ellie” Chang grew up in Seoul, South Korea. In seventh grade, she made the move to the United States. She spent a year on the East Coast before moving to St. Cloud, Minnesota, for eighth grade. After so much moving in her early years, Chang found a home away from home at Concordia.

Growing up, her dad’s love for music rubbed off on her, and she quickly realized music was something she wanted to do. She started with violin and now primarily plays flute in The Concordia Band and The Concordia Orchestra. What started as a hobby became so much more, and it was her high school band director who influenced her decision to study music education specifically.

“I’ve always wanted to go to grad school for conducting,” she says. “Originally, I wanted to become a high school music teacher and get that education background and experience before going into grad school, but then I decided to go right onto grad school from Concordia.”

While she’s made the switch from studying music education to majoring in music performance, Chang still has a passion for music leadership. She wants to be an orchestra conductor and teach conducting. She is currently a member of the band board, gaining experience in ensemble leadership.

Coming to Concordia

Chang’s first experience at Concordia was for a high school honors orchestra event that she attended multiple times during high school. By the time she was in her junior year, and her third year in the honors orchestra, her time here solidified her choice to conduct. She considers Dr. Kevin Sütterlin to be a big influence in that decision and has enjoyed studying with him, along with band conductor Dr. Peter Haberman, flute professor Deb Harris, and music composition professors Dr. Doug Harbin and Dr. Steven Makela.

“I really appreciate and look up to them, and I just learn so much from them,” she says.

Chang has enjoyed her conducting and music theory courses and considers them to be her favorite. In addition to band and orchestra, she also plays in the flute choir on campus. One of the things Chang loves most about the music program is that you can make your first and best friends in ensembles and grow into a family during the time you’re together. She appreciates that faculty help students learn the music and choose repertoire by underrepresented composers and composers of different cultures.

“It’s more than just being good at music. You need to be able to work with other people, make connections, and respect others,” she says. “Togetherness, connection, and community are important … being flexible with different ideas.”

Chang’s favorite memories from Concordia are ensemble tours. She finds them to be a unique opportunity and a time when friendships become stronger, and music takes on a bigger meaning.

Moving From Place to Place

After living in several cities, Chang likes Fargo-Moorhead’s small town feel. It’s quite different from places she’s lived before. Having completed elementary school in South Korea, she experienced firsthand the difference in education systems. She describes school in Korea as being more challenging academically and notes that sports are a much bigger deal here.

“One of the reasons why I came here to study abroad is to see a bigger world and experience different cultures and see more things, live outside the box, and experience new things and learn,” she says. “It helped me open my eyes.”

Chang has advice for other students who are thinking about studying abroad: “It’s not easy to study abroad in a place where people don’t speak your native language. Everything’s so new. Just be yourself and try to step out of your comfort zone. You need to put in some amount of effort to put yourself out there.”

Making Her Mark on the World

Chang had the opportunity to complete a PEAK (Pivotal Experience in Applied Knowledge) through the orchestra, conducting research by interviewing music educators during tour, discussing issues in education, and looking into solutions. They talked a lot about financial support for teachers and making music affordable, which Chang describes as “a big issue in music education.” Instruments and programming are expensive, and part of the research was learning how to gain not only financial support but community support.

Hyejung “Ellie” Chang ’25, Seoul, South Korea; St. Cloud, Minnesota

APRIL 29, 2024 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE

Besides music, one of the things Chang has grown to love here is being involved in the Student Government Association. After being a class rep for two years, she has stepped into the role of program and events commissioner, which means a lot of planning for Martin Luther King Jr. Day events. She hit the ground running at the beginning of the academic year, leading the search for keynote speakers and organizing events for the day. SGA has been another way for Chang to meet people across campus in different areas of study and make a positive impact.

A Journey Into Journalism

APRIL 30, 2024 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE

Majors: Communication Studies, Multimedia Journalism

Minor: Criminal Justice (North Dakota State University)

Please tell us about yourself.

In the tranquil landscapes of Lamu County, Kenya, lies a small town called Mpeketoni, where I was born and raised. This place is also where my journey into journalism began amidst simplicity and close ties to my grandparents. It was here that I unearthed a deep passion for storytelling — a guiding light that has shaped my life’s trajectory. I find joy in spending time with friends and family, watching crime related movies, and listening to music, with my favorite genres being bongo, afrobeats, and Amapiano. I have six siblings, three brothers and three sisters.

How did you hear about Concordia College and why did you choose to attend college here?

In my senior year at Mpesa Foundation Academy, our school collaborated with American Higher Education Consulting Ltd. for college applications. AHEC, with ties to Concordia, provided valuable insights about the college. Beyond online research, this additional source of information piqued my interest. Particularly, the exposure offered by the communication department, featuring programs like Concordia On-Air TV and radio, was a compelling factor that attracted me to Concordia.

What do you enjoy most about the Fargo-Moorhead community?

What I appreciate most about the Fargo-Moorhead community is its commitment to cultivating vibrancy despite its size. Organized events and activities, ranging from downtown gatherings to community-wide events, provide meaningful opportunities for people to connect, interact, and forge friendships.

What are your areas of study and why did you choose those programs?

I am currently pursuing double majors in communication studies and multimedia journalism, accompanied by a minor in criminal justice. My journey into journalism began in elementary school, where I enthusiastically delivered event recaps, fostering a passion

“I’m so glad I chose to come here because of the smaller student body and smaller communities,” she says. “It feels stronger, and you have more connections and more opportunities. I like small classes so you can always go to your professor and talk or ask questions or just check in. It’s really easy to do and your professors know you.”

With her senior year approaching, Chang is making the most of her time here and is soaking up every experience she can.

for journalism among my peers. Recognizing the absence of a journalism club in high school, I took the initiative to establish one, leading coverage of school events and empowering aspiring journalists. This early passion for journalism has been a guiding force throughout my academic endeavors.

In college, the dual majors in communication studies and multimedia journalism felt like a natural progression, allowing me to explore the intricacies of effective communication across various media platforms. The addition of a minor in criminal justice complements my academic pursuits by providing a nuanced understanding of legal systems, which I believe will enhance my investigative journalism skills.

What is your favorite multimedia journalism course and why?

Among the multimedia journalism courses I’ve taken, it’s challenging to pick a favorite, but Feature Writing with Erin Hemme Froslie and Strategic Communications and Public Relations with Dr. Kirsten Theye stand out. These courses have played a pivotal role in shaping my writing and critical thinking skills. Professor Froslie’s class taught me to analyze topics critically and find new angles for compelling stories. In Dr. Theye’s course, I learned to think strategically about communication, understanding its impact on public perception. Both courses have been instrumental in refining my journalistic approach and equipping me with practical skills for my future career.

What are your career goals and how is Concordia preparing you for life after college?

My career aspiration is to become an international investigative journalist, and my journey at Concordia has been instrumental in affirming that path. The support I’ve received from the Career Center, coupled with the invaluable advice provided by my advisor, Dr. Carlson, and other professors, has instilled in me a sense of preparedness for success in my chosen field. Concordia’s commitment to nurturing its students extends beyond academic guidance, fostering an environment that facilitates personal and professional growth.

What activities and organizations have you been involved in?

On campus, my involvement has been extensive. I’ve served as an International Student Ambassador, a Tri-College Student Ambassador, and a Policy Ambassador with Free the Facts. Additionally, I’ve played various roles in the International Student Organization, Concordia’s Black Student Union, and have been a

Andy Muthoni ’24, Lamu, Kenya

trailblazer for the Concordia African Student Association. Beyond that, I’ve been part of the Homecoming Committee, Student and Alumni Linked Together, and the soccer club. My commitment to campus life reflects my dedication to fostering a vibrant and inclusive community. Currently, I am serving as the Concordia Student Government Elections and Credentials Commission Lead for a second term.

My professional journey has taken me through diverse experiences, including a stint in D.C. as a program management intern with Atlas Corps, and roles as a digital media and communications intern with the National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems and a summer news reporter intern with Sahan Journal.

What is your role in the Student Government Association and why did you decide to be part of SGA?

In my role within SGA as the Elections and Credentials Commission Lead, I am responsible for coordinating the interview and selection process for key positions, including chairs for Homecoming, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commission, and Campus Events Commission, in addition to planning and overseeing the student body elections. I play a crucial role in developing and implementing equitable and inclusive hiring strategies. This involves not only conducting the process but also training other commission members and holding them accountable to ensure a fair and inclusive hiring process.

My decision to be a part of SGA stems from my passion for promoting democratic processes and ensuring fairness and credibility. Having previously served in my high school alumni association’s electoral commission for two years, I wanted to continue contributing to such initiatives.

Could you explain what Concordia On-Air is and what your experience with that has been like?

Concordia On-Air is a weekly television program airing every Wednesday at 6 p.m., spanning approximately 45 minutes to an hour. The program is structured with diverse segments, encompassing news, arts and entertainment features, interviews, and highlights of the week’s trends. My engagement with Concordia On-Air has been a valuable opportunity, allowing me to contribute by writing and presenting news, as well as participating in various segments when required.

This platform is open to all individuals interested, and its minimal time commitment provides an excellent opportunity to interact and hone my journalism skills. Being student-led, Concordia On-Air receives support from faculty members such as Dr. Carlson, underscoring its collaborative nature. Beyond the mentioned segments, individuals can also engage in production roles, involving studio directing and recording, offering a comprehensive experience in the realm of broadcast journalism.

What is your favorite Cobber tradition and why?

My favorite Cobber tradition undoubtedly is Homecoming. The weeklong series of events holds a special place in my heart as it provides an opportunity to revisit and learn about the history and traditions that preceded our time at the institution. The pinnacle of the Homecoming celebration, marked by the parade and the football game, is particularly impactful. The parade serves as a unifying force, bringing the community together. As students, participating in Homecoming allows us to experience a sense of love and belonging from both the current community and those who have been part of it in the past. The collective celebration fosters a connection to the rich heritage of the institution and reinforces a shared sense of pride and camaraderie among Cobbers.

You spent Fall 2023 in Washington, D.C., for the Lutheran College Washington Semester program. Could you give an overview of LCWS, what a day in the life was like for you, and what your key takeaways are?

The Lutheran College Washington Semester program, a component of the study away initiative facilitated by the Global Learning Office, affords students the opportunity to spend a semester in Washington, D.C. The program structure entails engaging in a full-time internship along with two evening classes, providing a comprehensive blend of practical experience and academic enrichment.

During my time in the program, I was fortunate to secure two parttime internships: one as a program management intern with Atlas Corps and the other as a digital media and communications intern with the National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems. A typical week involved working Monday through Thursday at my internships, with Fridays designated for field trips. Additionally, I attended evening classes on Wednesdays and Thursdays. The program’s field trips were a notable aspect, offering enriching visits to prominent locations in the DMV area, including the Capitol, the White House, and Mount Vernon.

Beyond the structured elements, one of the most significant takeaways from the program was the accelerated pace of personal and professional development. The immersive nature of the experience, coupled with exposure to the dynamic environment of Washington, D.C., allowed for substantial growth and a deeper understanding of the intersection between academia and practical application.

What has been a highlight of your time as a Cobber?

A notable highlight of my tenure as a Cobber has been the invaluable connections I’ve cultivated with fellow students. Taking a deliberate approach to fostering friendships from diverse backgrounds, both within and beyond the college community, has significantly enriched my collegiate experience. This intentional effort to build a network of friends from across the globe has provided me with a nuanced understanding of various cultures, complementing the vibrant tapestry of our college community. These friendships have not only contributed to my personal growth but have also enhanced my ability to navigate and appreciate the cultural diversity inherent in both the academic and social aspects of Concordia College.

What advice would you give to an international student who is considering Concordia College?

Consider the distinct advantages that come with Concordia’s smaller community. The intimate class sizes foster a conducive learning environment, allowing for more personalized interactions with professors and classmates. The smaller community size also presents the opportunity to establish friendships more easily. The close-knit nature of the Concordia community promotes a supportive and inclusive atmosphere, facilitating the creation of lasting bonds with peers.

You recently accepted an internship with Tunheim, through the Capitol Pathway Program. Can you tell us more about that?

Capitol Pathways is a distinguished paid internship initiative specifically designed for black, indigenous, and other people of color undergraduates and recent graduates. The program aims to contribute to the long-term objective of fostering greater diversity in Minnesota state government by providing participants with comprehensive leadership, legislative, and career readiness training. This year, I am one of four students from Concordia participating in Capitol Pathways. Tunheim, the organization where I’m interning, has a notable reputation for working at the intersection of public affairs, advocacy, and communication. I am eager to contribute to their work

and gain invaluable experience that aligns with my academic and career aspirations.

What are your postgraduation plans?

As I navigate the transition beyond my current academic phase, I find myself contemplating two viable paths: pursuing employment or enrolling in graduate school. However, the decision-making process remains complex due to financial considerations associated with funding. While the prospect of securing funding poses a current challenge, I remain optimistic. I have been accepted to American

University in Washington, D.C., for a Master of Science degree in terrorism and homeland security policy, and I hope to begin in the fall.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

For current students, I would strongly recommend seizing the array of opportunities that present themselves and embracing a proactive approach to seeking new avenues for personal and professional growth. While it may initially seem challenging, stepping out of your comfort zone to pursue opportunities is an essential aspect of the college experience.

Project Trio to Perform at Concordia College

Project Trio, a dynamic, innovative group of musicians featuring double bass, flute, and saxophone, will bring their energetic blend of classical, jazz, hip-hop and world music influences to Concordia College in an upcoming concert.

The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 6, in Christiansen Recital Hall, with an opening selection from Concordia faculty ensemble the Excelsior! Trio. A reception with the guest artists will follow the performance in the Hvidsten Hall of Music.

The three members of Project Trio, based in New York, will also serve as guest clinicians for Concordia’s annual High School Honor Band Festival, offering the students involved master classes on improvisation as well as saxophone, flute, and low string performance.

The Excelsior! Trio is composed of Jay Hershberger, piano professor, Deb Harris, associate professor of flute, and Russ Peterson, associate professor of saxophone and bassoon. The three began

collaborating in 2009 and have since performed a variety of music not just locally, but internationally.

Concordia faculty, staff and their family members, and Concordia students are admitted free with ID at the door. Tickets are $22 for adult general admission and $10 for students under 18. Tickets are available online at www.concordiatickets.com or by calling 218.299.4366.

Kennedy to Present on AI Tools for Educators

Joseph Kennedy, instructional designer and academic technologist at Concordia College, is presenting on artificial intelligence at a free, virtual conference for educators.

Kennedy’s session, titled “Ethical AI Use in Assessments: Leverage, Don’t Fear the Machine,” will be 12:30-1:15 p.m. Wednesday, April 10. It’s part of ReAction 2024, a conference for skillsbased learning.

He will teach techniques instructors can use to both encourage AI tools and diminish the chance students will use those tools inappropriately.

“Generative AI can empower students to be more creative, more expressive, and more cogent,” Kennedy said. “It creates efficiencies for instructors, supports neurodivergent students’ needs, and allows for more valid assessment. But it can be misused to create unreliable assessments.”

His presentation will also focus on Concordia College’s AI response as well as the proposed adoption of an AI Assessment Scale. The AIAS (v2) was developed after the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence as a tool to help faculty and students more ethically use AI during assessments.

People can register for the conference at ReAction 2024.

Kennedy previously co-led a webinar about ways educators can measure acquired knowledge after the release of ChatGPT and other AI tools. That can be viewed online for free.

Student Showcases Research at Minnesota Capitol

APRIL 2, 2024 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE

Concordia College senior Jaden Link presented his research about critical race theory at the 2024 Scholars at the Capitol event on February 22. The annual event is hosted at the Minnesota State Capitol building in St. Paul by the Minnesota Private College Council and is a way to congratulate and celebrate students and their research.

Link is studying psychology, philosophy, neuroscience, and music. His research focused on education surrounding CRT and determining its efficacy. Link found that with the implementation

of CRT education, higher levels of empathy, commitment to social justice, and other antiracist attitudes and behaviors can be predicted.

Link expressed his excitement regarding the experience of presenting his research, as well as conducting the research itself.

“I absolutely loved presenting my research at the Capitol,” Link said. “It was exhilarating getting to work with other scholars in Minnesota, and I loved being able to share my research and learn from other people. It was unequivocally a valuable experience. Research is so much fun, and it has helped me build my resume for graduate school while also offering great experience and skillbuilding. I will treasure these experiences forever.”

Concordia Adds Honor Jazz Band to its Repertoire

Every spring, dozens of highly skilled student musicians from the Midwest and beyond gather in Moorhead for the Concordia High School Honor Band Festival, and this year, an additional new ensemble will meet, rehearse, and perform — the Honor Jazz Band.

“This will be a great experience for kids who consider jazz their specialty over regular concert band,” said Cary Armagost, manager of instrumental ensembles at Concordia College. “With the Honor Band and Honor Jazz Band combined, we have 110-plus attendees this year.”

The festival, which begins Friday, April 5, and ends Sunday, April 7, allows students to play challenging music outside of their high school ensembles, participate in masterclasses from college professors and visiting experts, and perform with skilled musicians from other schools.

In order to participate in the concert-focused Honor Band, students must submit audition recordings. For most musicians, the recordings must include two contrasting musical excerpts, one demonstrating technical playing and another of a more expressive performance. High schoolers hoping to earn a place in the Honor Jazz Band must send an audition recording of a specific excerpt from a piece selected by instructors, as well as a recording of scales and an optional improvisational sample.

Percussionists for both groups have slightly different, but equally challenging, audition requirements.

As soon as the group comes together, the music begins.

“Once the students arrive on campus on Friday, they are immediately thrust into intensive and educationally enriching rehearsals,” Armagost said. “This is the first time they are playing this music in this ensemble, so special attention is given by the conductor to ensure that the band is cohesive in their performance, as they have limited time to prepare the repertoire before the Sunday concert.”

Russell Peterson, associate professor of saxophone and bassoon at Concordia, will facilitate the Honor Jazz Band, and the guest artist-conductor will be Mike Kamuf, a Maryland-based composer and nationally sought-after clinician.

The Honor Band will be directed by Dr. Peter Haberman, Concordia director of bands and professor of instrumental music education. Its guest composer will be Kelijah Dunton.

The Honor Band and Honor Jazz Band will perform at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, April 7, in Memorial Auditorium on the Concordia College campus. The performance is free and open to the public.

For more information about Honor Band and Honor Jazz Band, visit ConcordiaCollege.edu/HonorBand.

Quartet of Cobbers Named CSC Academic All-District

APRIL 3, 2024 | COCURRICULAR

Concordia had four student-athletes named to the College Sports Communicators’ (formerly CoSIDA) Academic All-District Team.

Senior Rachel Andersen (Apple Valley, Minnesota/Eagan High School), juniors Kiernan Darling (Fargo, North Dakota/Fargo South High School) and Hailey Jaeger (Fargo, North Dakota/Fargo Shanley High School) and sophomore Christina Moore (Carver, Minnesota/Chaska High School) all earned the award for the first time in their careers.

The 2024 Academic All-District Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Team, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.

Andersen has a 3.81 GPA while majoring in environmental studies and French. She competed for the Cobbers in distance freestyle events. She swam in the 500-yard and 1650-yard freestyle events at the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship Meet.

Darling had the best conference meet of her career as she finished in the Top 10 in both the 1-meter and 3-meter diving events. Darling is a psychology major and carries a 3.59 GPA.

Jaeger swam in the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke at the MIAC Championship Meet and was also a member of the 200yard and 400-yard medley relays and the 200-yard and 400-yard freestyle relays. Jaeger has a 3.80 GPA while majoring in nutrition and dietetics.

Moore had a breakout season for the Cobbers. She was a mainstay for the Cobber relay teams and posted a career-best time in the 200-yard backstroke at the conference meet. She also competed in the 200-yard individual medley and 100-yard backstroke and posted season-best times at the MIAC Meet. Moore is majoring in Exercise Science with a minor in psychology and has a 3.89 GPA.

Academic All-District® honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. First-, second and third-team Academic AllAmerica® honorees will be announced April 23 (women) and April 24 (men).

The Division II and III CSC Academic All-America® programs are partially financially supported by the NCAA Division II and III national governance structures to assist CSC with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2022-23 Divisions II and III Academic All-America® programs. The NAIA CSC Academic AllAmerica® program is partially financially supported through the NAIA governance structure.

Concordia Convenes Regional AI Experts to Talk AI Research and Uses

APRIL 8, 2024 |

Concordia College’s Lorentzsen Center for Faith and Work is presenting a panel discussion on artificial intelligence with local experts at noon on Friday, April 12, at Barry Auditorium in the Grant Center on campus.

The event, titled “AI Unveiled: Truths, Myths, and Our Shared Future,” features the following speakers:

• Dr. Ahmed Kamel, professor of computer science at Concordia.

• Dr. Anne Denton, professor of computer science at North Dakota State University.

• Dr. Harun Pirim, assistant professor of industrial and manufacturing engineering at NDSU and founder of Connect Elicit Learn Lab.

• Dr. David Newman, chief medical officer, virtual care at Sanford Health.

Panelists will guide guests through the intricacies of AI research, distinguishing between hype and reality in the field, to foster a broader understanding of AI’s evolving landscape.

The experts will discuss how AI is currently being used in various industries, dive into the ethics surrounding its development, and explore what integrating AI might mean for the future.

The event is free and open to the public. With the event occurring over the noon hour, guests are encouraged to bring a lunch.

Event parking is available in the southeast corner of Eighth Street and 12th Ave. S. in Moorhead.

A virtual option will also be available on Zoom. People can register and learn more at www.LorentzsenCenter.com.

2 Students Will Head to Norway as Smaby Peace Scholars

APRIL 10, 2024 | SANFORD HEIMARCK SCHOOL OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS

President Colin Irvine announced that Timea Vrabcová and Luke Wilts will represent Concordia College for the 2024 Smaby Peace Scholars Program. Vrabcová is a junior majoring in neuroscience and Wilts is a sophomore majoring in healthcare leadership.

Due to generous support from the Philip C. Smaby Family Foundation, Concordia’s Peace Scholars will join peers from Augsburg University, Luther College, Pacific Lutheran University, and St. Olaf College for a seven-week seminar in Oslo, Norway, designed to deepen participant understanding of injustice, conflict, and violence and to form leaders for peace.

The Peace Scholars program “is an outgrowth of the Nobel Peace Prize Forum, an annual event held in Minneapolis that inspires students and other citizens to become active participants in peacemaking efforts around the world.” NPPF is the Norwegian Nobel Institute’s only such program or academic affiliation outside of Norway.

Vrabcová said she was drawn to applying to the program after her experience with the River Semester program through Augsburg University.

“The River Semester was a continuous exposure to complex environmental issues and social justice movements by and on the Mississippi River by being in conversations with educators, activists, and artists that are creating spaces for resiliency and healing,” she said.

Throughout her time with the River Semester, she learned the significance of community healing through storytelling, something that she knows will also play a big role in the Peace Scholars program.

Wilts was drawn to applying to the program after his experience studying abroad in Cuba in Fall 2023.

“Being able to be vulnerable and learn from other cultures and countries is one of the most fulfilling experiences I’ve ever had,” he said. “I applied to be a Peace Scholar because I knew it would dive even deeper into what being a good citizen of the world looks like, and how we can bring back some very important ideas from Norway to the Fargo-Moorhead community.”

When asked about her reaction to being named a Peace Scholar, Vrabcová said, “I was and still am filled with gratefulness and a lot of joy for the opportunity of experiencing an environment with the other Peace Scholars, instructors and, in general, people who are passionate about learning, connecting with individuals from diverse backgrounds, and leading by curiosity.”

Wilts was “very excited but also very shocked,” knowing there was a strong and large pool of candidates.

“I couldn’t be happier with how it resulted and am so excited for this awesome opportunity,” he said.

Concordia’s Innovation Scholars Deliver Their Final Research to NASA Officers

APRIL 10, 2024 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE | COCURRICULAR

After months of research, this year’s Innovation Scholars had the opportunity of a lifetime: presenting project recommendations to Technology Transfer officers of NASA. The presentation, which took place in Minneapolis, was the final part of the Innovation Scholars Program for the team.

The nationally-recognized IS Program acts as an experiential learning program with the goal of engaging groups of liberal arts students in the intricate web of translational medicine.

This year, Concordia’s IS team explored a project involving NASA’s biomedical portfolio, focusing on water filtration systems with the potential to turn potable water to medical grade water to produce sterile IV fluids.

“The program is much more than an exercise — it is a real-world experience that demands creativity, teamwork, problem-solving, and perseverance. Students develop a number of valuable transferable skills regardless of the specific topic or innovation they are researching,” said Dr. Krys Strand, the group’s mentor and director of Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity at Concordia.

Kipton Jenson, Concordia student and IS team member, agreed with Strand, saying, “The experience on the Innovation Scholars team equipped me with dynamic collaboration and project management skills that I will carry into any future career. It was an honor to work alongside an exceptional team of students and mentors while researching a device innovated by a renowned government agency.”

Concordia’s Innovation Scholars team consists of four multidisciplinary students: Jenson ‘24, Sharon Mac-George Nwabia ‘24, Bryce Paulson ‘24, and Sierra Ramberg ‘24. The team is currently led by Joseph Thayer, who is a student for the University of St. Thomas.

Students agreed the experience taught them valuable life skills.

“Standing up in front of NASA representatives giving the presentation that we have prepared, there is no other experience like that in my 19 years of life. I will carry this into my career, and this was a milestone that I have been waiting for. For this opportunity, I am forever grateful,” Paulson said.

For many of the students, teamwork was a key takeaway. Ramburg said that “discovering the value of cohesive teamwork, utilizing the unique academic strengths and backgrounds of team members” had a large impact on her experience.

“The part of the program that made the biggest impact on me was the learning experience interacting with the diverse perspectives of students from interdisciplinary fields. Through this collaborative work, I was challenged to learn in different ways from what I was used to,” Mac-George Nwabia said. “This great learning opportunity has allowed a lot of self-growth for me personally in terms of teamwork, communication, feedback, and leadership.”

Concordia’s Percussion Day Offers Free Learning Opportunities and Multiple Performances

APRIL 11, 2024 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE

Concordia College is offering free and masterclass clinics to any area musician, from elementary school students to professionals, during the 32nd annual Concordia Percussion Day on Saturday, April 13.

“This is a chance to develop skills and explore new beats,” said Dr. Roberto Palomeque, director of Concordia’s percussion ensemble and marimba choir. “Even people who have never touched an instrument are welcome to come learn.”

People who are interested can register ahead of time at ConcordiaCollege.edu/PercussionDay or the day of at Memorial Auditorium on campus at 8:30 a.m.

The music-filled day begins at 9 a.m. with a performance by Concordia’s newest musical ensemble, drumline, at the auditorium.

Throughout the day, there will be clinics focused on snare drum, vibraphone, women in percussion, and teaching percussion. There will also be performances by the guest clinicians and Concordia’s percussion and jazz ensembles and its marimba choir.

A full schedule of events can be found at ConcordiaCollege.edu/ PercussionDay.

Learning Bank Event

Concordia’s percussion ensemble will perform Learning Bank concerts for third graders from across Moorhead, Fargo and West

on Friday, April 12, at 9:30 a.m., 11:10 a.m., and 12:45 p.m. in Memorial Auditorium.

The mission of Learning Bank is “to promote, encourage, establish, and maintain coordinated educational programs among and between public and private elementary and secondary schools and other educational organizations, institutions and agencies in the Fargo, Moorhead, West Fargo communities.”

Fargo

Concordia Student-Artists Share Their Work at the Cyrus M. Running Gallery

APRIL 12, 2024 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE | COCURRICULAR

Whether disturbing, gorgeous, thought-provoking, or intense, the Cyrus M. Running Gallery features art from Concordia College students and faculty as well as regional artists in a series of exhibitions throughout the school year.

The final show of the year — the Senior Art Exhibition, which showcases the work of seniors graduating in May 2024 with an art, art education, or art history major — will open on Wednesday, April 17, and draw to an end May 5. Awards will be announced during the Celebration of Student Scholarship event on the opening day, and a public reception is set for 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 4.

While the Senior Art Exhibition primarily highlights the work of seniors majoring or otherwise focusing on art during their studies, the prior show, the Annual Juried Student Art Exhibition, was open to all Concordia students. As such, some of the students whose work was chosen by juror Troy Becker hadn’t even taken an art class at Concordia before their work was displayed in the gallery on the second floor of the Frances Frazier Comstock Theatre building.

Zimy Le, for example, is set to graduate in May with a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and psychology, and two of her pieces were chosen for the earlier student art show.

One, “Wooden Fish,” is a meticulously carved fish, shaped with realism but adorned with vivid swirls of paint, as if it had swum through two consecutive Van Gogh paintings and had no intention of stopping. The other is “Wood Plate,” a plain piece of basswood chip-carved into angular patterns with geometric precision, each point and slope drawing out the natural detailing of the wood.

The plate earned Le one of the four Merit Awards in the show, which came with $75.

Audrey Zeleny also received a Merit Award for one of her five pieces selected for that show — “Hyperbolic Space,” which she crocheted from variegated wool yarn, only to leave it on the floor of her bedroom for a few weeks, unnoticed.

“I am a math major, and I initially created this piece as a way to understand hyperbolic geometry, which is a math concept that I am currently learning in one of my math classes,” Zeleny explained. “I didn’t have a plan going into it, and I had no idea what the final product would look like while I was creating it, which was very exciting!”

The results were surprising.

“When I finished the ball of yarn, I realized the final product had a very moving and organic feel and was much more sculptural than I had anticipated,” said Zeleny, noting that she intends to do more experimenting with the mathematical concept in the future.

All five of her pieces in the show were sculptures and all made with different materials, including “Concentric Circles” in bronze and “See-Saw” in wood.

Because the show is juried, not all the submitted pieces are selected, but rather than giving up, artists are encouraged to submit work in future shows.

“I would tell them to go for it! The most important thing is to not be afraid of failing,” said Zeleny, who said she’d submitted a few pieces

two years ago only to have them turned down. “Oftentimes, ‘worst case scenarios’ stop people from trying to new things. I believe that failure is a very valuable part of life. You can’t avoid it, so you might as well embrace it!”

Le, too, had submitted pieces before that weren’t chosen in the past, but it didn’t stop her. She’s been chip-carving wood as a hobby for years with the Red River Valley Woodcarvers, which will host its International Wood Arts Festival event April 26-28, complete with a show and carving classes.

“Don’t give up,” she advised fellow artists. “Somebody else is going to say yes. Don’t give up doing art.”

Also receiving Merit Awards were Ives Hilgers for his oil-on-canvas “The Remorse of Orpheus with Primordial Monument” and Wes Wasson for “The Vale,” a bronze sculpture. Mary Noah earned the $125 Charles and Vicki Hartz Award for her bronze and wood sculpture, “Tristan Und Isolde.”

The $150 Best in Show studio art award went to Samuel Zimmerman’s “Proximate,” a quizzical mixed media work featuring a large ceramic teardrop shape, point down, seemingly held in place with a set of clamps one might find in a chemistry laboratory, above a circular metallic-colored plate. The teardrop is smooth, in yellow and green, with a black circle and red stripe at the top leading the eye down to the red pointed tip, aimed directly at the center of the round platter.

It’s eye-catching, with its bright colors, defined shapes, and specificity — and perhaps a bit puzzling, too.

“’Proximate’ started out as a piece that explored the concept of structure. However, it changed and morphed into something different than where it started,” Zimmerman explained. “Throughout the building, sculpting, and glazing process, I took time to really analyze the piece and listen to what it needed.”

The in-progress analysis resulted in shifting the teardrop-shape from horizontal to vertical, which “added so much more for the viewer,” he said. “I was incredibly surprised to see how wellreceived it was! I find it a bit daunting when submitting works of art that may not have an obvious meaning or is a bit abstract.”

He encouraged viewers to observe the relationships, interactions, and tensions within the piece.

Zimmerman also encouraged fellow artists to submit their work for exhibitions.

“Always submit your work, even if you may not believe it will get in. You may be surprised!” he said. “Putting your work out into the world is scary, but incredibly rewarding. Do it.”

The Running Gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 1 to 4 p.m. on Sundays. In addition, the gallery

will be open from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 4, and from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, May 5.

For more information, visit ConcordiaCollege.edu/Gallery or call the art department at 218.299.4623.

Concordia Students Build Self-Cleaning Solar Panels for Minnesota Space Grant Challenge

APRIL 15, 2024 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE | COCURRICULAR

On a nice weekend in February, Concordia College students traveled to Minneapolis to show off the self-cleaning solar panels they had built for the Minnesota Space Grant Consortium challenge. Held annually, the challenge offers students the opportunity to practice their teamwork skills, participate in friendly competition, and apply their physics knowledge.

The Minnesota Space Grant Consortium is an organization based out of the University of Minnesota that provides opportunities for colleges around the state to participate in aerospace activities.

Although participation is mostly geared toward students in the physics program, any student studying the sciences can join. Many computer science majors like to participate so they can work on their coding skills.

Last year’s challenge was to come up with a ballooning system made up of a box with sensors to be sent up to space along with a weather balloon. Johan Dominguez Lopez’s team created a ballooning system with a camera so they could record all the way up in the stratosphere.

Lopez has always had an interest in robotics and circuitry. At Concordia, he’s had several avenues to explore that interest further.

“I’ve had the opportunity to actually apply what I’m learning in my classes. I’m not just sitting in a room listening to a lecture, I get to use it and I don’t feel like I’ve wasted my time,” he said. “I’m developing different skills too, like socializing and how to admit when I don’t know something.”

Over the summer after his first year, Lopez worked with a professional development program at the L’Space Academy. During this internship, he learned how to design a project and send it to space.

Coupled with the two years he has participated in the MnSG challenge, Lopez has had a lot of hands-on experience.

This year’s challenge was to come up with a self-cleaning solar panel station. Given the intense swings of Minnesota weather, MnSG wanted a solution that would eliminate the need for someone to be constantly maintaining the solar panels.

Two Concordia teams created their own unique device to selfclean the solar panel.

Dominguez Lopez, an applied physics major at Concordia, was a part of Team B. He said the main goal of the challenge was to be as creative as possible when coming up with a solution.

“My team made a conveyor belt system that rotated itself every 15 minutes. (The judges) said that it was the most creative idea that they saw come through the challenge,” Lopez said.

Eli Heyer, a physics major at Concordia, was on the second team representing the college.

His team started the brainstorming process by watching YouTube videos of solar panels already in Minnesota to see how others might have resolved the challenge MnSG proposed. After some research, the team decided to create an automatic scraping mechanism, similar to an ice scraper for a car’s windshield.

“This year I had a lot more fun with the challenge because we had strong leadership. It was vital to our success; everyone had their own tasks, but we still had someone in charge to look to,” Heyer said.

Heyer contributed his coding skills to the design while other team members focused on 3-D printing materials for the solar panel.

“Both teams this year pushed hard to get things finished before the showcase. I thought that this reflected on us as a campus — being able to show what our physics department is able to accomplish,” he said.

Concordia Launches Cobbertunity Fund at StartupBREW

APRIL 18, 2024 | OFFUTT

Drekker Brewing Company was packed with Cobbers, both alumni and current students, on April 10. While mingling over coffee and tea, the anticipation and energy were high. People were drifting from group to group, making conversation and sharing their excitement. The crowd was loud enough that it took a minute to quiet everyone down for the speakers.

“I came here just for this, a place full of smart, creative, thoughtful people. A college working close with the community to solve problems,” Concordia College President Colin Irvine said as he opened the event.

It was the second annual Cobber takeover at StartupBREW Fargo, a weekly meetup for entrepreneurs, creatives, and community members to connect and explore the entrepreneurial journey hosted by Emerging Prairie.

There was good reason for the excitement. Concordia Entrepreneurship Club President Kevin Ness ’24 and Student Government Association President Jesus Gonzalez ’25 unveiled the Cobbertunity Fund to the crowd. Starting in Fall 2024, students can apply for grants, up to $3,000, to help launch their startups or support their early stage companies.

“Cobbers don’t wait for opportunities. They create them,” Ness said.

Hallie Thompson ’25 and Frederick Robin ’24 are two Cobbers who manage to run small businesses while being full-time students.

Thompson founded Wholesome Hal’s, a healthy food truck, at 16 and is in her sixth year selling food. Her second year overlapped with COVID-19 and that summer she contemplated giving up because her parents were her only customers.

However, Thompson had a couple of pieces of advice to give to aspiring entrepreneurs.

“First, ask for help when you need it and be willing to accept it. I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish this without my family. Second, bet on yourself,” Thompson said.

Robin co-founded Studio FSR, a sensitive soap company that expanded into more body care products, with his mother.

Robin remembered that as a struggle when starting Studio FSR. As he and his mother focused on combining art with scent, Robin came to see that their style of functional art makes them stand out from the competition.

His advice to future entrepreneurs was, “Try your best to understand your place in the grand scheme of things as early as possible. By understanding your place, you can better understand what you can bring that is different from everyone else.”

This event was co-hosted by Concordia’s Entrepreneurship Club, Career Readiness Board, and Women in Business Club, through the Offutt School of Business. Entertainment was provided by the Women in Business Club vice president, Ava Hanson ’25, who played two original songs.

Concordia Students Show Academic Excellence at Annual COSS

APRIL 19, 2024

Artificial reefs, Dungeons & Dragons, healthcare management, aerial dance, and the magnetic properties of rocks were just a few of the eclectically diverse topics Concordia College students presented during the annual Celebration of Student Scholarship on Wednesday.

The annual event is a daylong research symposium designed to highlight the scholarly work of the students, whether it’s creative work, scholarship, or research conducted under the guidance of a mentor. It can mean presentations to rooms full of classmates and teachers, or the design and creation of a beautiful poster filled with meticulously-collected experimental results.

COSS is anything but a perfunctory show of academic force for the students involved, who instead seized the opportunity to dig into a topic they love and present it to the world. Whether it was hummingbird behavior, alginate bioplastics, or youth mental healthcare access, they were ready and eager to explain what they did and why it matters.

Students who earned awards for their session-based presentations were Emily Liddell ’24, with a first place award, and Jessica Howard ’24, with a second place award. Favziya Rasulova ’25 earned the honors for poster presentations.

Dana Al Khaldi ’24, a political science and global studies major, originally hails from Jordan and, as someone who lived in a conflictimpacted region, she wanted to study how conflict can be halted and how societies recover after conflict.

During her research, though, she found a rather sizable gap in the existing academic literature on the topic — most often, it focuses on economic and political recovery and neglects women’s contributions. Even when women’s roles are examined, the academic focus tends to be on their role as victims, rather than as active agents of postconflict recovery.

Women’s role in revitalizing societies following a conflict had been overlooked.

Al Khaldi decided to begin filling the gap with an analysis of her own, gathering the scant information that already existed and adding more from multiple post-conflict situations, from Vietnam, the partitioning of India, and the Rwandan genocide, to the war in Syria and the ongoing conflict in Somalia and more.

Her presentation could have been a litany of tragedies, but Al Khaldi instead focused on the work women had done to improve their communities after the conflicts. In Vietnam, women moved into the labor force and increased the nation’s economic stability. In Rwanda, women entered political and economic spaces they hadn’t been in before, and even very literally rebuilt their societies and homes, brick by brick. In some areas, women have been increasingly creating art to express their experiences and, in others, they develop their schools or begin farming in order to very literally feed their nations.

Al Khaldi hopes to become a development profile manager for an institution like the United Nations in the future so she can have a greater hand in helping post-conflict societies.

‘Armies, Battles, Cards, and Dice’

Parsley Sternhagen ’25, a multimedia journalism and English major, and Sarah Mueller ’26, an English and women’s and gender studies major, presented an ethnographic study involving a local game store, Little Big Wars.

Their research, “Armies, Battles, Cards, and Dice: Building community through collaborative play” focused on a single group of people playing through a Dungeons & Dragons tabletop roleplaying campaign. They spent more than 20 hours observing the group, whose ages ranged from 13 to mid-60s and who represented multiple genders. Sternhagen and Mueller’s observations were both in person and through their Discord chat archive, enabling them to learn about their interpersonal dynamics as well as their interactions with the staff of Little Big Wars.

“Who are the people who come in and buy stuff from Little Big Wars? Why do they choose to go there rather than another store? One of the tenets of the customer mindset is loyalty,” Mueller said, recounting an incident in which one of the gamers broke one of the pieces the store allows customers to use for free. The store insisted

the gamer did not need to pay for it, and the person responded by buying something, due to their commitment to Little Big Wars.

The pair of researchers surveyed the group and found that every member of the group purchased products from the store, too, Sternhagen said.

She and Mueller both agreed they’d love to join the game now that their studies on the group are complete.

Bioplastics Recipes and a Tire Tragedy

With more than 80 posters competing for the top honors, Rasulova earned the prize for her presentation, “Bendy Like Bioplastics: Exploring Different Recipes for New Chitosan and Alginate Bioplastics.”

Plastics can pose a threat to the environment, and in recent years concern has focused on microplastics, tiny bits of plastic so omnipresent they have been found in drinking water and human breast milk. One alternative to conventional plastic would be bioplastics made from the chitin in crustacean or insect shells, or from alginate, a naturally-occurring polymer obtained from seaweed.

During her research, Rasulova investigated new ways to make new bioplastic, testing out a number of different recipes. She was mentored by Dr. Graeme Wyllie, assistant professor of chemistry.

Other scientific inquiries were represented in the poster section too, including “Magnetic Properties of Pipestone (Catlinite) Samples” by Elijah Heyer ’25 and Rowan Nelson ’25.

Mentored by Dr. Thelma Berquó, associate professor of physics, the two men examined the mineral content of the soft, reddish-hued rock known as pipestone. Their samples came from Pipestone National Monument and were provided by a fourth-generation self-taught artist who quarries and carves pipestone there.

Heyer and Nelson used a number of different techniques to test the samples and found the iron oxide hematite in it — explaining the stone’s distinctive signature color.

For her poster, Delaney Claggett ’26 examined a notoriously catastrophic failed project off the coast of Florida in “Diving into the History of Artificial Reefs.”

The Osborne Reef was meant to support fishing activities and increase the population of fish for local fishermen, but instead, after two million tires were put into the ocean in 1972, the ropes holding them together broke apart due to the salinity of the ocean.

Pushed by waves and tides, the tires moved, damaging natural reefs as they did and ending up as yet more trash polluting the ocean.

There are still high hopes for artificial reefs, though, Claggett said, provided better materials such as concrete, limestone, and steel, are used, and smaller test projects are done before massive ones.

Some projects served as project proposals, like “Lifelong Learning in Older Adulthood: A Suggestion for Concordia College” by Sydney Olson ’25, Raquel Egge ’24, Bree Sheridan ’24, and Hadlie Dahlseid ’25. Others took the shape of ethnographic reviews of various groups, developed during Dr. Karla Knutson’s English 267 class, “The Ethnographic Essay,” including Concordia’s Exotic Animal Care and Husbandry Club (by Olivia Daniels ’24) or the staff of FM Aerial and Movement Arts (by Briea Freeman ’27). There were projects on missionary discipleship, courtroom dramas, and chest pain treatment.

COSS 2024 was the 15th annual Undergraduate Research | Scholarship | Creative Activity Symposium at Concordia and URSCA’s 11th full-day event.

Golden Cobbs Award Winners 2024

The Concordia Student Athletic Advisory Committee hosted the 11th annual Golden Cobbs award ceremony on Thursday night in Memorial Auditorium.

The Golden Cobbs are a year-end celebration of all the great accomplishments from the past year in Concordia athletics.

The awards ceremony was preceded by a free dinner which was supplied by Buffalo Wild Wings, one of the sponsors for the ceremony.

The awards ceremony featured 18 different category winners. In addition to the awards voted on by fans, family and friends — achievements in academics by the Concordia student-athletes were also recognized.

This year’s Bucky Burgau Impact Award was awarded to Concordia Hall of Fame student-athlete, coach and administrator Bob Nick. Bob Nick, who died in December, was part of the Cobbers athletic department as a player, coach and athletic administrator. He was a faculty member at Concordia for more than 40 years and helped coach football, tennis and basketball. Bob influenced thousands of lives during his time at Concordia.

Here is a complete list of the award winners from the 11th annual Golden Cobbs awards:

Male Athlete of the Year: Gabe Zierden, Wrestling

Gabe Zierden became the first Cobber to wrestle in an NCAA National Championship match since 2011. He earned All-American honors for the first time in his career. During the year Zierden won his 100th career match. He ended the season with 38 wins, which is tied for the program record for a single season.

Female Athlete of the Year: Peyton Selle, Women’s Track & Field

Peyton Selle won the Female Athlete of the Year for the second yeat in a row. Selle won the 2024 MIAC Indoor Pentathlon — her third straight conference pentathlon championship. During the event, she broke the 24-year-old school record in the 60-meters hurdles. Selle also earned a spot in the NCAA Meet — which would have been her fourth consecutive trip to the national meet — but was unable to attend because of an injury.

Male Newcomer of the Year: Angel Reyes, Football

Angel Reyes was named the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year — the first CC player to win the award since its inception in 2022. A standout on the offensive line, he played in all 10 games for the Cobbers and helped the offense finish second in the MIAC in rushing yards per game.

Female Newcomer of the Year: Callie Metsala, Swimming & Diving

Callie Metsala broke the Concordia school record in the 100-yard butterfly at the MIAC Championship Meet. Her record-setting time of 1:00.91 in the prelims qualified her for the “A” final — the first Cobber to qualify for an “A” final since 2019.

Coach of the Year: Kim Wagers, Women’s Basketball

Kim Wagers took home Coach of the Year honors for the second consecutive year. She led the Cobber women’s basketball team to its first NCAA playoff berth since 2014. Wagers helped three players earn MIAC All-Conference honors — the most the team has had since 1993.

Best Single Performance By a Male Individual Sport Athlete: Gabe Zierden, Wrestling

Gabe Zierden became the first Cobber to wrestle in an NCAA National Championship match since 2011. He advanced to the title match by winning three straight matches, which helped him earn All-American honors for the first time in his career.

Best Single Performance By a Female Individual Sport Athlete: Peyton Selle, Women’s Track & Field

Peyton Selle won the 2024 MIAC Indoor Pentathlon — her third straight conference pentathlon championship. During the event she broke the 24-year-old school record in the 60-meters hurdles. Selle also earned MIAC All-Conference Honorable Mention honors in the high jump.

Best Single Performance By a Men’s Team Sport Athlete: Cooper Mattern, Football, School Record 401 Passing Yards vs. Hamline Cooper Mattern went 23-for-29 in the Cobbers’ Homecoming win over Hamline. He threw for 401 passing yards which was a new school record. Mattern also threw for five touchdowns, which tied a school record.

Best Single Performance By a Women’s Team Sport Athlete: Makayla Anderson, Basketball, Career-High Point Total vs. St, Benedict

Makayla Anderson had a dominant game around the basket in the Cobbers’ home win vs. St. Benedict. She went 11-for-19 from the floor and came away with a career-high 25 points. Anderson also had a game-high nine rebounds and dished out three assists.

Best Men’s Milestone Moment of the Year: Gabe Benson, Golf, Wins the MIAC Championship Meet

Gabe Benson became the first Cobber men’s golfer to win the MIAC Championship Meet since 2010. His final score of 5-under par (211) was the lowest score by a Concordia golfer in a 3-day MIAC Meet in program history.

Best Women’s Milestone Moment of the Year: Emily Beseman, Basketball, 1,000th point//500th Career Rebound

Emily Beseman finished her Cobber career with a milestone moment when she became only the 11th player to record at least 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in her career. The milestone mark came in the Cobber’s NCAA playoff game when grabbed a seasonhigh 11 rebounds to get to the 500-rebound milestone.

Men’s Game/Contest of the Year: Men’s Hockey Win Over St. Olaf at Hockey Day Minnesota

Concordia staged a third-period comeback to beat St. Olaf at the annual Hockey Day Minnesota. The Cobbers trailed the Oles 2-1 with 5 minutes left in the third period and then got the game-tying goal from Isaac Henkemeyer-Howe and two from Hunter Olson to come away with the 4-2 win.

Women’s Game/Contest of the Year: Women’s Soccer MIAC Playoff Win at St. Benedict

The Cobbers broke their 9-year MIAC playoff drought by beating St. Benedict 2-0 in the conference quarterfinals in St. Joseph. Concordia scored a goal in each half to win at St. Ben’s in the MIAC playoffs for the first time in program history.

Team of the Year: Women’s Basketball

Concordia women’s basketball stepped onto the national playoff scene for the first time since 2014. The Cobbers used their second straight MIAC Tournament championship game appearance to receive a berth in the NCAA National Tournament. CC went 12-0 at home in 2024 and finished the year with a 20-6 overall record and an 18-2 mark in league play.

Super Cobb: Madie Guler, Women’s Basketball & Track & Field

Athletic:

• Two-sport athlete

• Played in all 26 games in 2024

• Finished in the Top 5 of Division III for assist-to-turnover ratio

• Played in 86 career games in her career

• Had 67 assists in her career

• MIAC All-Conference in the 4x100-meter relay at the 2023 MIAC Outdoor Meet

• MIAC All-Conference Honorable Mention in the 4x400-meter relay at the 2023 MIAC Outdoor Meet

Academic:

• 3.95 GPA in biology and psychology (Pre-Med)

• Teaching assistant

• 2024 CSC Academic All-District

• MIAC Academic All-Conference

• Dean’s list

Service:

• SAAC member

• Member of the Homecoming Committee

• Campus Events Commission

• Orientation

• Volunteer for Legacy Foot Delivery, Reading in the Classroom and Cobber Kids

• Youth Summer Basketball Camp helper

Small Team GPA: Men’s tennis

Large Team GPA: Volleyball

Bucky Burgau Impact Award: Bob Nick

‘Considering Matthew Shepard’ Events Set at Concordia

APRIL 23, 2024 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE | COCURRICULAR

Twenty-five years ago, the murder of Matthew Shepard, a 21-yearold gay student at the University of Wyoming, shook America. The act seemed truly pitiless, so far beyond ordinary violence as to be depraved in its cruelty. Shepard’s death prompted a flood of activism and support for the LGBTQ+ community, not just among his family and friends but nationwide.

That legacy continues at Concordia College this month in “Considering Matthew Shepard: 25 Years Later,” a multi-event project using music, performance, art, and spoken word to bring focus to prejudice and tolerance. The aim is to engage the campus and community in conversations about how to erase hate in the world while exploring the legacy of Matthew Shepard 25 years after his tragic death.

The idea of hosting multiple events in remembrance of Shepard came from Dr. Michael Culloton, associate professor of vocal music education and church music, who serves as Concordia’s director of choral activities.

Culloton had seen a performance of the “Considering Matthew Shepard” Oratorio by Craig Hella Johnson about seven years ago and found himself very touched by the piece, with its narrative text inspired by Shepard — not just his death and the horrifying events surrounding it, but his life, too, from his youthful optimism to his love of the wide-open Wyoming landscape.

Rather than hosting a single choral performance, though, Culloton wanted to do more and recalled all the other ways people had memorialized Shepard, including the stage works and art pieces and, as the 25th anniversary of Shepard’s death drew near, he enlisted help from people in other Concordia departments.

The result is a multifaceted symposium-like event series at Concordia, capped with the oratorio, performed by multiple Concordia choirs, a faculty ensemble, and guest soloist Marin Wilts ’21.

• Sanctified sculpture installation, April 25-28, outside the Frances Frazier Comstock Theatre.

• “Bring the Sing” presented by YourClassical Minnesota Public Radio, 2 p.m. Saturday, April 27, Centrum, Knutson Campus Center. This event is free and open to the public.

• “The Laramie Project,” 8 p.m. Thursday, April 25, Friday, April 26, and Saturday, April 27, Frances Frazier Comstock Theatre. Tickets are available at ConcordiaCollege.edu/Theatre.

• “Considering Matthew Shepard” Oratorio, 2 p.m. Sunday, April 28, Memorial Auditorium. Tickets are available at ConcordiaTickets. com.

Art history major Hannah Sleath ’25 has created a sculpture installation that will be displayed outside the Frances Frazier Comstock Theatre, seeking to memorialize Shepard and other victims of ideological hatred.

Many victims, including Shepard, were considered martyrs by society, and many injustices continue to repeat themselves.

‘Bring the Sing’

A community sing-along choral event that welcomes all levels of singing ability, “Bring the Sing” will be led by Dr. Joseph Kemper, assistant professor of choral music and conductor of Concordia’s Chapel Choir, Kantorei, and Cantabile, as well as Joseph Osowski, director of choirs at St. Michael-Albertville High School.

The group will be singing pieces from “The Justice Choir Songbook,” a collection of songs themed around social and environmental justice meant to encourage more community singing with those focal points. It includes traditional hymns as well as new music from a variety of songwriters with a variety of cultural backgrounds.

Attendance is free, and all community members are welcome.

‘The Laramie Project’

After conducting 200 interviews with the people of Laramie, Wyoming, where Shepard was killed, Moisés Kaufman and the members of the Tectonic Theater Project wrote “The Laramie Project,” expertly weaving a narrative from the snapshots those interviews provided.

The play has an unusual structure, typically featuring eight actors portraying 60 different people with minimal costuming and sets, touching on a vast array of perspectives and levels of involvement in Shepard’s death.

The play’s content can be harrowing, as Shepard’s physical state when he was found is described by those who tried to save him.

His killer, too, gives an account of the incident, and perhaps just as difficult to hear is the play’s depiction of the hateful protestors that tried to disrupt Shepard’s funeral.

That’s not all the production has to offer, though. Shepard’s death changes the people of Laramie in unexpected ways, and some of those are positive, even joyful.

“The Laramie Project” reflects all those facets.

‘Considering Matthew Shepard’

“I almost think the need for the piece is greater now than it was seven years ago,” Culloton said of the oratorio, which will serve as a capstone to the series. “This piece is saying ‘How can we make the world a better place for those who are marginalized?’”

Like “Laramie,” “Considering Matthew Shepard” has emotional ups and downs, featuring a wide variety of musical genres, characters, and events. Its gospel-style finale, “All of Us,” is resolutely optimistic as it proclaims that it takes everyone together to make the world better.

While the oratorio, too, features troubling events and language in both the sung words and the accompanying slideshow, Culloton and Kemper spent time working through the material with the students.

“For the final movement ‘All of Us’ to make sense, we have to go through the hurt — and contextualize that,” he said.

That context includes a Broadway show tune peppered with words from Shepard’s childhood journal, music from J.S. Bach, a blues tune, and a country ballad sung by a personification of the fence Matthew was tied to.

While the oratorio can be a hard listen, Culloton wants to welcome people into the discomfort of it.

“It can be something very special that is shared among the audience in that moment,” he said. “Overall, it’s a piece about hope and love, about good things — and the need for us to be our best people.”

Concordia’s Track and Turf Project Gets Underway

In partnership with The Fargo-Moorhead Convention and Visitors Bureau and Oak Grove Lutheran School, Concordia Athletic Director Rachel Bergeson announced a $2.8 million outdoor facilities revitalization project to once again host Cobber track meets, provide future community athletic opportunities, and make Concordia the home for Grover track and field events.

Work to resurface the track and football playing surface inside Jake Christiansen Stadium is currently underway. The project includes installing lights for the track and football stadium located on the south end of the Concordia campus.

“This project is another step forward in providing quality facilities for our student-athletes,” Bergeson said. “We are also creating an environment that attracts students to our vibrant campus community.”

With a grant from FMCVB, Concordia has committed to hosting at least eight CVB-related events in the newly renovated facility over the course of the agreement. Planning for specific events will begin this summer.

“Visit Fargo-Moorhead is proud to partner with Concordia College as the school makes its facilities even more inviting and useful for its teams and fans, and for other potential users in our growing metro community,” Fargo-Moorhead Conventions & Visitors Bureau

President and CEO Charley Johnson commented. “Our Staff and Board of Directors are happy to provide all kinds of assistance, including significant grants, to enhance destination development in Fargo, Moorhead and West Fargo.”

Oak Grove President Bob Otterson says he welcomes to invitation for the school to host its home track and field events at the college.

“Oak Grove and Concordia share connections across generations, faith, families and even facilities, as needed, Oak Grove President Bob Otterson said. “This project enriches the educational ecosystem in the Fargo-Moorhead market, and Oak Grove leaders are grateful that the school and our students’ needs can be included in it.”

The track surface was last replaced in 2000 while the field turf playing surface on the football field was part of the Update the Jake campaign which was completed in 2010.

Both the track surface and the football turf installation will be completed by the end of the summer.

What they are saying about the track and turf project:

Football Head Coach Terry Horan: “This gives our football team a first-class surface to train, practice, and compete on. The game field turf project at Jake Christiansen Stadium is a tremendous addition to our ongoing efforts to improve the facilities that Concordia student-athletes have at their disposal.”

Men’s Track & Field Head Coach Garrick Larson: “We’re excited to give our track and field athletes the experience of hosting a home meet. In the near future, we’ll see the MIAC Championship Meet return to Concordia. We also look forward to being able to partner with high school programs to host meets as well. Beyond meets, a high-quality home facility for training is a necessity for the Cobber student-athlete experience.”

Women’s Track & Field Head Coach Marv Roeske: “The new track project is a special tribute to the past successes and athletes of Cobber Track and Field and the daily progress of the current student-athletes. It’s an exciting time for our current and future student-athletes as they train and compete in constant pursuit of track and field excellence.”

Concordia Adds Human Resource Management Concentration and Minor to Its Business Program

As positions within the human resources field are growing higher in demand, Concordia is taking steps to ensure that students are excited and prepared for the line of work.

Starting in Fall 2024, Concordia will be offering a human resource management minor and a business major with a human resource management concentration to students interested in the field.

Human resource management is in the top 10 programs within the business field with the highest levels of demand. With the offering of the minor and concentration at Concordia, it opens countless doors for students to move forward with their interests and passions and continue them after graduation.

“Employment positions in HR are available and needed in every city, state, and region in the country,” said Dr. Shontarius Aikens, associate professor of management and coordinator of the human resources management program. “And it is estimated that the number of jobs in the HR industry will grow by 9% over the next decade. Given this, it was important for the Offutt School of Business to offer an HR curriculum that would provide Concordia students with the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to be effective in the HR profession.”

This program is designed to prepare students for the workforce by providing them with the competencies required to work within the HR field. The goal of the program is to produce graduates who are able to think critically, problem solve, and learn quickly.

The concentration also provides students with the groundwork to pass the Society of Human Resource Managers first certification exam, which further provides students opportunities within the field.

“Concordia’s HR program is unique and would be of interest to employers looking to hire graduates who have the preferred combination of a liberal arts education and specialized skills and competencies in human resource management. Our goal is to produce qualified, specialized, entry-level human resource management graduates who have the pedigree to get hired and the skillset to make an impact in their field on day one,” Aikens said.

When students add the human resource management concentration to their business major, they will be required to take four courses and do an internship with an HR department in the community. The classes offered in the concentration will be taught through Rize Education, a widely renowned, online innovation program that works directly with partners of the Lower Costs Models for Independent Colleges Consortium.

From HR associate to talent acquisition, Concordia’s new human resources management program will provide countless career opportunities to students completing their business major. Students interested in adding the concentration or minor will be rewarded with lifelong skills and experiences related to the HR field.

Biology Students Recognized for Their Research at National And State Conventions

APRIL 29, 2024 | SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE

Several students won awards for presentations at the Sigma Zeta National Convention and the Minnesota Academy of Science Winchell Undergraduate Research Symposium.

At the Sigma Zeta conference, Hannah Olson ’25 won an outstanding oral presentation award for her investigation into a new epoxy curing agent.

“I felt relieved that my hard work was recognized in that way,” Olson said. “It also was nice to see that the judges and audience felt my enthusiasm for the topic because I had worked really hard to make the presentation accessible and understandable to a general audience.”

Olson said that a summer project researching bioplastics helped her realize her enthusiasm for research.

Dustin Traffie ’24 won an outstanding poster award. His poster, “The Utilization of the Crystal Kappa Mutations in HIV Fab Crystallization,” detailed his research over the summer at Scripps Research.

Traffie said his love for research has been fostered by the faculty at Concordia and has had many opportunities to pursue research throughout his years here.

“Without these opportunities, the chances to present and engage in science with my peers would’ve never been possible,” he said. “I couldn’t be happier with the group of individuals who have been my mentors, professors, and advisors over the last four years.”

Other student presenters at this event included Yvette Umutoniwase, who studied ways to culture neurons from zebrafish; Seema Mustafa, Therese Byankuba, and Luke Young addressed microplastics in waterfowl; and Yuden Dorji and Sharon MacGeorge Nwabia, who researched microplastics in squirrels.

Concordia’s Gamma Gamma chapter also won the Founders Cup, which is given to a Sigma Zeta chapter based on successful activities at the local and national level. This is the fourth Founders Cup win for the Gamma Gamma chapter and the cup will be displayed in the case at the entry of Integrated Science Center for the next year.

At the Minnesota Academy of Science Winchell Undergraduate Research Symposium, all of the posters that Concordia students presented on their independent research received Judge’s Choice Poster awards.

Three faculty members attended the symposium: Dr. Jenn Sweatman, Dr. Graeme Wyllie, and Dr. Joseph Whittaker.

Favziya Rasulova, Yurden Dorji, Fatima Mohammed, and Mubine Rasul presented on microplastics in squirrels. Sharon Mac-George Nwabia assisted with the research.

Rasulova and Dorji credit Concordia with a pivotal role in their team’s success by supporting their research.

“The outcome of this project has the potential to promote reduced plastic usage, encourage recycling, or implement small local adjustments, such as exchanging our outdoor trash cans at Concordia for more enclosed ones to minimize pollution,” Rasulova said.

Katie Waugh presented on her work comparing the differences in small mammals in native habitats to those in restored prairie habitats.

From left: Katie Waugh and Tessa Danielson

“I can confidently say I would not be where I am today without the resources provided to me by Concordia,” Waugh said. “There are many ongoing undergraduate research projects on campus, and Concordia does a great job of getting students involved with these opportunities.”

Tessa Danielson, who received research assistance from Sophia Tobin, said her main takeaway from presenting her analysis of deer teeth was the validation she received from her peers and experts in the field.

“It also provided insight into further directions I can take my research and gave me a unique opportunity to learn from peers and judges,” she added.

Treasuring the Moments

Madison Wagner ’24, Roseburg, Oregon

Major: Business Marketing

Please tell us about yourself.

I am a senior studying business marketing. I love photography, fashion, and outdoor activities such as kayaking, hiking, and cross country skiing. I am from a somewhat small town in Oregon called Roseburg, and two awesome things that we have there are a Wildlife Safari and an In-N-Out Burger.

How did you hear about Concordia and why did you choose to attend college here?

I actually lived in Moorhead for about five years when I was younger, and I went to Oak Grove Elementary School. Both my grandparents and mother graduated from Concordia. My grandpa was very involved in athletics where he played football, basketball, and baseball. Years later, he coached those sports as well! My mom also played volleyball and coached too. I chose to come back to Concordia because it felt like home and I loved the small class sizes where I don’t feel like just a number.

What advice do you have for out-of-state students looking to attend Concordia College?

Just go for it! Yes, being far away from home is really hard, but it has allowed me to break out of my shell, meet new people, and make long-lasting friendships. There are so many people who attend Concordia who are from another state too, so you are not alone! It’s really neat to meet people who are from a different state that is close to yours.

What do you enjoy about the Fargo-Moorhead community and in what ways are you active outside of Concordia?

I enjoy all the activities that you can do in this area — whether it’s in the summer where you can visit the lakes, play Topgolf with friends, or attend the Red River Market — or in the winter where you can go ice skating at The Lights or see a Fargo Force hockey game.

Because it is a tri-college area, you have the opportunity to attend many sporting events that are just a minute’s drive away. This area also brings in a lot of great artists to the Fargodome, making it easy to attend fun concerts!

How did you decide on your area of study?

At first, I was going into physical therapy but, when I found that I didn’t enjoy that as much, I went into business finance. I then discovered that I wasn’t the best with numbers, so I took a step back and realized that I liked creating and selling things. That’s how I decided on business marketing.

Do you have a favorite course related to business marketing? If so, why?

What is your favorite part about taking classes in the Offutt School of Business?

I love that you are able to take all types of business classes from accounting and management to ethics and leadership. It gives business students a very well-rounded experience where they can try out different business courses and see which one they are more interested in, and then they can explore that concentration further.

What campus activities are you involved in and what are your favorite aspects?

I have been very involved during my time at Concordia. I was a student worker for Dining Services and was later promoted to be student manager. Because of my work, I was the recipient of the Brian Horner Award, which is given to students who exemplify strong leadership skills, are reliable, and perform high quality work.

Additionally, I am part of the only sorority on campus, Lambda Delta Sigma, where I have been the treasurer for two years now. I am also the treasurer for the Marketing Club. This past fall, I was part of freshman Orientation where I was one of the Orientation Assistants helping out with various tasks such as beanie patrol, hosting the info booth, and being “Secret Service” for President Irvine. Lastly, at the beginning of the year, I became a student ambassador, which means that I give potential Cobbers and their family a tour of campus while answering any questions they have about college life.

I am grateful to be part of so many great organizations and clubs on campus. My favorite part about being involved is that I get to meet so many great students and staff. I think that the biggest thing I have learned through my many roles is how to communicate with people.

What is your role in the Campus Events Commission and how did you get involved? What is the best part about being in CEC?

I have been the digital marketing commissioner for CEC for the past two years and my job is to design, publish, and advertise fun student events happening around campus. Such events include bingo, silent disco, hot yoga, service work opportunities, and Cornstock, our big spring concert festival that’s free to students.

I got involved with CEC because my classmate and now roommate, Greta Almlie, told me that I should join as a committee member where I could help make Instagram posts. I enjoyed it so much that when it became the end of the school year where they were hiring for the commissioner position, I applied and got the job! I would say that the best part about being in CEC is having a say in who gets picked to be our Cornstock artist. I love knowing who it is when students not in CEC won’t find out until it gets revealed in the spring.

What do you like most about Concordia?

How small and community-based the college is! Small class sizes mean that your professors know you by name, and you really get to know the people you share classes with.

My favorite class has been Fashion Marketing with Jiani Jiang because I work at a clothing store and, in the class I get to learn about fashion design, retailing, the marketing process, and how design, production, and business decisions are made within the fashion industry.

In one word, how would you describe your Cobber experience? Transformative.

How does Concordia allow you to pursue your passions?

Concordia allows me to pursue my passion by giving me the opportunity to challenge myself in different areas of study, as well as developing the basic life skills that will help me in my future career.

What are your career goals?

To work in social media marketing or digital marketing.

Is there anything else you would like to share about your Cobber experience?

My Cobber experience is one that I will never forget! I have tried to make the most of it by doing things that I never thought I could do. It has been beneficial to my overall development not only as a student but also as a human being.

Dorsey Doubles Up on Weekly Awards

Junior David Dorsey (Delano, Minnesota) backed up his Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Week honor by being placed on the D3baseball.com National Team of the Week.

Dorsey receives the national honor for the first time in his career and he is the first Concordia player to be placed on the D3baseball. com Team of the Week since Andy Gravdahl earned the award on Apr. 19 of last year.

Dorsey hit .461 last week and had a slugging percentage of 1.231 in Concordia’s three games. He connected on three homers, drove in eight runs and scored six runs in the Cobbers’ 1-2 week.

Dorsey opened last week by going 1-for-3 in Concordia’s first game against St. John’s. His one hit was a grand slam in the fifth inning. The four RBI in Game 1 tied his career high for a single game.

Dorsey backed up his grand slam performance by going 3-for-5 with two home runs in the team’s 9-6 victory over the Johnnies. He recorded three RBI in Game 2 and scored three times.

Dorsey finished the week with a 2-for-5 outing in the Cobbers’ nonconference game against Mayville State on Thursday. He had a double and drove in one of Concordia’s five runs on the day.

Dorsey has hit safely in six straight games and 10 of the last 13. He leads the team in batting average with a .330 mark. He is also tops in hits, home runs, triples and slugging percentage (.541).

First Class of 12-month Accelerated Nursing Students Earns a Perfect Pass Rate on NCLEX

The first class of nurses graduated from Concordia College’s 12-month Accelerated Nursing program in December 2023, and every single one of them passed the national examination required to become a licensed registered nurse.

Despite the famously challenging nature of the test — its pass rate in 2023 was about 70% nationally — no one seemed surprised.

“The faculty that teach in the accelerated nursing program work really hard to ensure that we are preparing bachelor’s-prepared nurses ready for today’s challenging healthcare system,” said Dr. Joylyn Anderson, program director of Accelerated Nursing. “We are intentional about what we are teaching our students, placing an emphasis on safety and evidence-based practice.”

Famously daunting, the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) is a computer-adaptive test, changing based on how someone answers questions. Candidates have a maximum of 6 hours to take the test, which includes a tutorial, and there are two optional break periods. Everyone answers at least 75 questions, but the test can include a maximum of 145, with 15 experimental questions that don’t count.

Those who fail the test must wait another 45 days before they can take it again. Those who pass can become licensed RNs.

The NCLEX goes far beyond testing a prospective nurse’s memory and understanding of the material, focusing on more complex levels of learning. The test is organized into four different Client Needs categories — safe and effective care environment, health promotion and maintenance, psychosocial integrity, and physiological integrity. And the fundamental processes of nursing can be found throughout the test, from clinical judgment and caring to documentation and teaching and learning.

“The NCLEX exam identifies safe and competent nursing practice,” Anderson explained. “We are focused on making sure that we are preparing safe, competent, and knowledgeable nurses ready to meet the diverse needs of today’s healthcare environment.”

“We just had a really good group of students. Everyone took it very seriously,” said Kayla Thorson, an accelerated nursing student in the cohort, who originally graduated from Concordia in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in dietetics and exercise science. After working in just about every capacity a dietitian can work in, she realized she wanted to be more hands-on, performing some of the many skills dietitians don’t. “You can do so much as a nurse.”

Kathryn Messler, who graduated from Black Hills State University with a degree in biology, did oncology research at a hospital afterward, performing a lot of data entry and lab work.

“I really missed being able to be hands-on and get that patient experience,” she said. “And I worked with a lot of nurses, so they paved my way and got in my ear about exploring nursing. I started looking into it, and started thinking ‘that would be awesome!’”

Concordia’s accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program provides a fast-track to the NCLEX and to that license for students who have already earned a baccalaureate degree with a nonnursing major. It’s primarily designed for adult learners, who take 54 credits in a year, including 500 hours of clinical experience and arranged clinical rotations.

“A person has to be really good at managing their time,” Thorson said. “It was a full-time-plus job… it was a lot, and I wouldn’t’ve been able to do it without the support of people around me as well.”

The accelerated program isn’t for everyone, as it can be an intense ride for the students, who are essentially taking two semesters in one, and maintain that pace throughout the 12-month year, even in the summer. As such, Concordia also offers a traditional four-year nursing program for students earning their first bachelor’s degree in nursing.

There are no shortcuts in the accelerated program, and its students complete the same amount of work as those in the four-year

version. It is classroom-based, with accelerated nursing students having classes three or four days a week, with an additional two to three days of clinical experiences. Clinical schedules vary, too, across day, evening, and night shifts, on weekdays and potentially weekends.

“The biggest thing is dedication to the program,” Anderson said, explaining that it’s especially good for fast learners who can learn in a fast-paced environment. Students need to be truly dedicated to helping people, and able to take the time to focus on the work.

Due to the deliberately small size of the program, set up for cohorts of 20 students or fewer, class sizes are also small, and designed to be active and engaging, allowing students to learn visually and through experience as well.

“The professors — they want you to succeed. And you’re not just a number; they care whether you succeed or not, and they’re willing to sit down with you and take the time and get you to understand something, like ‘Let’s break this down, figure out what happened, and help you grow,’” Thorson said.

“I had fabulous mentors throughout my entire journey at Concordia, wanting me to succeed and just making sure I do, and going out of their way to make sure I do,” Messler said. “It makes a huge impact in being able to be where I am today.”

Messler is a nurse in the Medical Intensive Care Unit at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

“I enjoy the more critical-care patients, the higher-acuity ones,” she said. “It’s one to two patients, trying to focus on them and overcome the hardest parts of their lives. It’s nice to try to make an impact on families and patients in those difficult times. It’s tough, but rewarding most days.”

The accelerated nursing program also has some requirements other programs may not have, including not just the baccalaureate degree, but a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher on all post-high school coursework and a combined GPA of 3.0 or higher on prerequisite courses, which include psychology, human nutrition, human anatomy and physiology, microbiology, chemistry, and mathematics.

Every one of the newly minted nurses from the 2023 cohort has a nursing position, some in clinics, others in hospitals, working in a variety of specialties including burn units, obstetrics, oncology, and cardiac care.

“I’m in week 10 of orientation and I can honestly say being a nurse is very hard, there’s no question about it — but I also love it. And you’re constantly learning,” said Thorson, now a nurse on the Med/ Surg/Ortho floor at Sanford Bemidji, where she completed her practicum.

“Everybody is just so willing to help you and help out, and teach. They’re really helpful, and that is so huge, a big thing,” she added. “It’s been a good transition from school to here.”

The application cycle for 2025 is now open. Classes begin in January.

Benson Earns Program-First Selection to The NCAA Meet

Concordia sophomore Gabe Benson (Fargo, North Dakota/Fargo Davies High School) earned one of the six individual at-large selections to play in the Division III NCAA Championship Meet, it was announced on Monday.

Benson used the strength of his Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference individual championship performance and six Top 5 finishes during the 2023-24 to become the first Cobber in program history to receive a bid to play in the DIII National Meet.

The championships, which will be held May 14-17 at Boulder Creek Golf Club, in Boulder City, Nevada, will be hosted by University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. The team and individual champions will be determined after 72 holes of play or the conclusion of the last fully completed round. Forty-three teams and six individuals not on one of those teams were selected to participate in the championships. After 36 holes of competition, the field will be cut to the top 18 teams and top six individuals not on one of those teams.

Benson played in 24 rounds this year and posted an average of 72.4 shots per round. That mark was tied for second-best in the MIAC this year.

Benson recorded five rounds in the 60s and shot a season-low 66 in the second round of the season-opening Augsburg Invitational, which he went on to win medalist honors.

Besides the wins at the MIAC and Augsburg meets, Benson also finished second at the SJU Spring Invite and third at the

Invite.

A total of 221 participants will compete at the 2024 championships. Thirty-four conferences were awarded an automatic qualification for the championships. One team was selected from Pool B, which consists of independent institutions and institutions that are members of conferences that do not meet the requirements for automatic qualification. The final eight berths were reserved for Pool C, which are institutions from automatic-qualifying conferences that are not the conference champion and any remaining Pool B teams. The six individuals are selected from the remaining players who have not qualified with a team.

Henkemeyer-Howe and Barry Earn All-MIAC Honors

MARCH 7, 2024 | COCURRICULAR

Junior forward Isaac Henkemeyer-Howe (Moorhead, Minnesota) and sophomore defenseman Bauer Barry (Wayzata, Minnesota/ Chaska High School) were named to the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference All-Conference Team as selected by the conference coaches.

Henkemeyer-Howe earns MIAC postseason honors for the second time in his career, while Barry receives his first conference award. Henkemeyer-Howe was selected for the MIAC All-Rookie Team in 2022.

Henkemeyer-Howe led the team in goals and total points in conference games in 2024. He came away with eight goals and five assists for a total of 13 points. Henkemeyer-Howe was tied for second in the MIAC in goals and 12th in total points. He also finished fourth in the league in total shots (51).

Henkemeyer-Howe played in all 16 league games this season and had at least one point in 10 contests. He also had at least one shot on goal in all 16 conference games.

Barry was the top-scoring defenseman for the Cobbers in MIAC games and in the Top 5 of the MIAC. He played in all 16 conference

games and had 10 assists for 10 points. His 10 assists were tops among all defensemen in the league.

Barry also led the Cobber blueliners in shots on goal. He posted 39 shots against MIAC opponents. His top game of the season came in the series opener against MIAC regular-season champion Augsburg when he had a career-high seven shots on goal.

SJU Fall

Pierce Goes Back-To-Back with All-Conference Honors

MAY 7, 2024 | COCURRICULAR

Concordia sophomore Kai Pierce (Fargo, North Dakota/Fargo Oak Grove High School) was named to the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference All-Conference Singles Team for the second consecutive season as selected by the conference coaches.

Pierce becomes the first Concordia player to earn back-to-back MIAC All-Conference singles honors since Isaac Toivonen claimed the award in three straight seasons from 2015-18. Pierce is only the third player in program history to receive back-to-back MIAC postseason honors.

Pierce finished the 2024 season with a 5-4 record in singles play against conference opponents while playing at the No.2 singles position. His win total was tops among all Cobbers during the year. Pierce claimed wins against three of the six teams that qualified for the MIAC playoffs. He posted singles victories against opponents from St. Olaf, Macalester, and St. Scholastica.

Pierce is 10-8 in singles play against MIAC competition in his first two seasons at Concordia. He also has 16 overall singles victories during that span.

The All-Conference team is selected based on performance during conference dual matches, with the top 18 players (including ties)

recognized for both singles and doubles. Coaches also voted on honorable mention selections.

Awards are nominated by and voted on by the MIAC head men’s tennis coaches and statistics from MIAC matches are considered for conference honors; any nominated player not selected as AllConference but still receiving votes from at least three coaches was named honorable mention.

Folkestad Named MIAC Field Athlete of The Week

MAY 7, 2024

Concordia senior Cooper Folkestad (Wadena, Minnesota/ Wadena-Deer Creek High School) used his outstanding two-event performance at the North Dakota State University Tune-Up Meet to earn Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Field Athlete of the Week honors.

Folkestad put up season-best marks in both the shot put and discus to earn his second MIAC weekly award of the year. He was also named the MIAC Field Athlete of the Week on Dec. 12 after he also posted marks at NDSU.

Folkestad opened the NDSU Tune-Up Meet on Friday by recording a distance of 54-04.00 feet on his second attempt. That mark was good for second place in the meet which featured athletes from NCAA Division I, II and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.

Folkestad’s impressive mark improved on his previous season-best distance of 54-02.00 which he posted at the Pacific Open on Mar. 30. Folkestad’s mark at NDSU is the top distance in the MIAC this year and No.13 in NCAA Division III this year.

Folkestad took the momentum from the shot-put circle over to the discus cage where he unleashed a throw of 170-05 on his very first

attempt. That distance was a career-best for Folkestad by over 20 feet.

Like the shot put, Folkestad is now on top of the leaderboard in the discus and he is also in line to qualify for the NCAA National Meet. He is currently No.10 in Division III this season.

Folkestad will look to continue his top-level performance when he competes in the MIAC Championship Meet on May 10-11 at Hamline University.