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Concordia College Highlights
Chris Kenney ’14
IMAGE CREDIT: SIMON PAULY
GRAD PERFORMS AT THE METROPOLITAN OPERA
As the Metropolitan Opera started its 2021-22 season, it did so with a Concordia alumnus on stage. Chris Kenney ’14 played Chester in “Fire Shut Up in My Bones.” The opera details the life of Charles M. Blow, a New York Times columnist, as he overcomes trauma and hardships stemming from his youth in the Deep South. It was composed by jazz artist Terence Blanchard. “Fire Shut Up in My Bones” is the first opera at the Met by a Black composer. In 2018, Kenney made his professional mainstage debut with the Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center playing Figaro in “The Barber of Seville.” When Kenney is not on stage, he is likely in the air enjoying his passion for flying. He is now a certified flight instructor. INCREASING DIVERSITY ON K-12 LIBRARY SHELVES
Concordia students have been working with eighth graders at Moorhead’s Horizon Middle School for the past two years to help teach them how to bring more diverse books to their current and future libraries. The RIDE, or Reading for Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity Program, uses an assessment tool based on scholar Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop’s essay, “Windows, Mirrors, and Sliding Glass Doors,” which details the importance of readers being able to see themselves in books. At a workshop on campus, the group of eighth graders picked a book and were partnered with Concordia students who acted as peer mentors to guide the younger students’ work as they learned key literacy concepts, such as implicit bias, intersectionality, and privilege. Eighth graders were chosen as an age group because of their curiosity as well as their maturity level to handle a variety of topics. This year’s program ended with a presentation to families, Concordia leaders, and Moorhead district administrators explaining what they learned from and liked about the book and how they related to the characters. The program was funded by the Minnesota Department of Education through the federal government’s Library Services and Technology Act. If funding is available next year, it may be expanded to include seventh graders.
CONCORDIA STUDENTS SUPPORT CITY OF MOORHEAD ACTION ON ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE ISSUES
The City of Moorhead recently approved a climate resolution, and support for that decision came from Concordia students. A team of five students, Anna Larson ’23, Lauren Taylor ’23, Joana Acosta-Palmeros ’23, Katelyn Lundeen ’21, and Mya Hassebrock ’23, focused their PEAK project in Dr. Kenneth Foster’s Environmental Politics and Policy course on the possible passage of a Climate Emergency Resolution in Moorhead. The team conducted a survey of Concordia students and submitted their report to the mayor and city council members. The results showed that most students strongly or somewhat agree that it is important that the community actively work to address environmental issues. When asked which areas officials should give priority attention to, students’ top choices were climate change by reducing carbon emissions, waste reduction and recycling, renewable energy, and the health of the Red River. Half of survey respondents reported that they would be more likely to try to stay in Fargo or Moorhead after graduation if the city was prioritizing work to make Moorhead a more environmentally friendly city and a leader in responding to climate change. The report encouraged the city, as it makes decisions, to hear the voice of the student body.
Concordia College welcomed Dr. Michael Chan as the executive director for Faith and Learning. In his new position, Chan will direct the Lorentzsen and Dovre centers, guide Concordia’s interfaith relationships, and oversee the work of Campus Ministry. He will also serve as a member of the president’s cabinet. Chan is a scholar and faith leader of exceptional breadth and accomplishment. He was formerly associate professor of Old Testament at Luther Seminary in St. Paul. He has authored numerous books and articles on the Old Testament and works with the ELCA to promote interfaith dialogue and mutual learning between Lutherans and their Jewish neighbors. He also hosts a podcast that engages a diverse range of scholars, artists, and activists. Chan holds degrees from Pacific Lutheran University (B.A.), Luther Seminary (M.A.), and Emory University (Ph.D.).
“In serving as Concordia’s first executive director for Faith and Learning, Michael Chan can bring together the different expressions of our Lutheran heritage — in worship, in vocation, in interfaith dialogue — to engage students, faculty, and staff from across the college and our neighbors in the communities beyond campus.” — William J. Craft, President
NOYCE SCHOLARS – FUTURE LEADERS
Dr. Mark Causapin, assistant professor of mathematics, was excited to recruit six students for the first cohort of Noyce scholars because “they’re given scholarships and top-notch training so they can work in high-needs schools as math teachers when they graduate.” In March 2020, Concordia College was awarded a $1.2 million National Science Foundation Robert Noyce Teaching Scholarship grant to implement the Mathematics Teacher-Leaders Honors Program. The program’s goals are to address the critical shortage of mathematics teachers in rural school districts in Minnesota and North Dakota and produce teachers who will be leaders in both their schools and in the field of mathematics education. Molly Wilde ’23, Emily Miller ’24, and Nelson Weniger ’23 interned at Detroit Lakes High School (D.L.), Detroit Lakes, Minn., while David Miller ’23, Isaac Fisher ’24, and Samantha Holmberg ’23 were at Fargo North High School, Fargo, N.D. The six worked with two recipients of Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching: Concordia grad Lisa Conzemius ’89 at D.L. and Michelle Bertsch at Fargo North. The National Science Foundation (NSF) promotes science and funds research conducted at U.S. colleges and universities and the Noyce program supports science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) undergraduate majors and professionals to become effective K-12 STEM teachers. The Noyce program was named for Robert Noyce (1927-1990), co-founder of Fairchild Semiconductor and Intel, who invented the integrated circuit or microchip, which set off the computing revolution that still continues to this day. Concordia plans to graduate 16 highly qualified mathematics teacher-leaders within five years, with degrees in both mathematics and education, who will work in high-need schools.
CONCORDIA STUDENT NAMED 2022-23 ROSSING SCHOLAR
Mikala Hammer ’23 received a $5,000 Rossing Fund for Physics Education Endowment Scholarship. The award is given each year to outstanding physics students selected from across the nation and this is the third year in a row that Concordia has had a Rossing scholar. The scholarship program was created in 2005 by Thomas D. Rossing, a former professor at St. Olaf College, through the ELCA Foundation. It’s designed to be used for students’ tuition to help ease the burden of pursuing a degree and encourages students to study physics at ELCA schools. Hammer applied for the Rossing Scholarship in early February after being nominated by the physics department. She has been regularly involved in research with Dr. Thelma Berquó, associate professor of physics, and believes her summer research experience in general had an impact on her receiving the scholarship. She plans on going to graduate school for environmental science or for physics with a focus on environmental phenomena after graduation.
GAME ON! CONCORDIA LAUNCHES ESPORTS PROGRAM
Gaming has been a passion for Noah Hanson ’22 and James Jehlik, associate director of Academic and User Technology Services, for as long as they can remember. They know what it’s like to have a hobby that was not always accepted by people, but competitive gaming has grown to become a billiondollar industry, with tournaments filling stadiums around the world and millions more watching online. Concordia College is now getting in on the action. The college has announced it will be offering esports as a varsity option for students. It will be joining the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE), the largest association of varsity esports programs in North America. With a NACE membership, Concordia will be able to broadcast games for fans on the streaming service Twitch. The first games will be League of Legends and Rocket League. League of Legends is a strategy game where two teams compete to destroy the others’ base. Rocket League has race cars playing soccer in a domed arena. Competition is expected to begin in January 2023. ALL-AMERICAN ISAHAK
Former Fargo South graduate Munir Isahak ’22 had a senior season for the record books. Originally from Sudan, he earned All-American honors at the NCAA Cross Country Championship Meet, won the MIAC Championship Meet, and proceeded to go on and break the school record in the mile, 3,000 and 5,000 meters during the indoor track and field season and then the 3,000 and 10,000 meters during the outdoor season. Isahak became the first Cobber to earn All-American honors in cross country since 1987 and his victory at the MIAC Championship Meet was a first by a Concordia athlete since 1991. To cap off his achievements at Concordia, Isahak was named Male Athlete of the Year at the Golden Cobbs award ceremony.
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
Concordia had a record-setting 126 student-athletes earn MIAC Academic All-Conference honors this past year. The Cobber football and women’s track and field teams led the way with each program having 15 student-athletes receiving conference academic distinction. The women’s tennis and swimming and diving teams had the largest percentage of its studentathletes receive the honor.
