1995 Luther Court New Ulm, MN 56073 Address Service Requested
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO 25 LA CROSSE WI
The Year in Review Your Future Called Workers Chapel of the Christ Dedication
In This Issue... year in review 2009-2010
InFocus Staff
“ My Name Shall Be There”
WRITER/EDITOR Laurie Gauger ’86 PHOTOGRAPHERS William Pekrul ’80 Catherine St. John Rebecca Wilkens
An address at the dedication of the Chapel of the Christ
COPY EDITOR Heidi Schoof ’86
Mark Zarling, MLC President Positioned on a hill, it was an unforgettable sight, often bringing people to tears. Years were dedicated to planning, gathering offerings, amassing materials. And the result was breathtaking.
GRAPHIC DESIGNER Lime Valley Advertising, Inc. Office of Mission Advancement VICE PRESIDENT Jon Scharlemann PUBLIC RELATIONS DIRECTOR William Pekrul ’80 ALUMNI DIRECTOR Steve Balza ’93 College Administration PRESIDENT Mark Zarling WLS ’80 VP for ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT Philip Leyrer ’80 VP for STUDENT LIFE Jeffrey Schone WLS ’87 VP for ADMINISTRATION Steven Thiesfeldt ’74 VP for ACADEMICS David Wendler ’70 VP for MISSION ADVANCEMENT Jon Scharlemann Governing Board Chairman Michael Woldt WLS ’81 Secretary Roy Beyer WLS ’76 Keith Bowe ’79 Steven Danekas* Jonathan Hahm ’71 Robert Hinnenthal * Scott Huebner ’82* Stephen Loehr Barry Price Steven Rosenbaum ’86 Michael Schultz WLS ’89 William Steinbrenner Jeffrey Wegner WLS ’87 Charles Degner WLS ’79 Paul Prange WLS ’88 Mark Schroeder WLS ’81
*Concluding their service, summer 2010 On our cover: MLC President Mark Zarling presiding at the dedication of the Chapel of the Christ.
It should have been. Working in shifts, 183,000 workers labored seven-and-a-half years to build Solomon’s temple. A staggering 4,000 tons of gold and 38,000 tons of silver were lavished on this sanctuary. How impossible for any pilgrim to fathom it! Mouths dropped open to mimic wide-open eyes. What brilliant beauty gleaming in the sun! Truly, it shouted to all: “We worship a glorious God.” And it was a building that God sanctified, for the glory of the LORD filled his temple on that awesome day of dedication. At the dedication of the temple, Solomon prayed: But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! Yet give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy, O LORD my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day. May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of which you said, “My Name shall be there,” so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place. . . . Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive. If Solomon prayed such a prayer on dedication day, can we do any less? How thankful we are for such a beautiful sanctuary on this hill . . . for the offerings gathered, the years of planning, the extraordinary craftsmanship. This building proclaims to all: “We worship a glorious God.” Join me in praying what Solomon prayed: “Lord Almighty, please keep this building a place where your saving Name is clearly proclaimed in music and message. Pour out your Spirit so that here God’s people may unburden their hearts and find rest for their souls. Please use the gospel heard and seen here to nurture faith and to excite the faith-filled to carry your saving Name to every place under heaven.”
The alumni photos at the bottom of some pages are from the anniversary classes of MLC, NWC, and DMLC: ’35, ’40, ’45, ’50, ’55, ’60, ’65, ’70, ’75, ’80, ’85, ’90, ’95, ’00, ’05, and ’10. Thanks to Alumni Director Steve Balza, who scanned this random selection of alums.
MLC InFocus is published by Martin Luther College Mission Advancement Office and is distributed free of charge to students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, and friends. Owned and operated by the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), Martin Luther College exists to serve the ministerial needs of the WELS by preparing men for pastoral training at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary and by preparing men and women for service as teachers and staff ministers in the WELS.
Chapel of the Christ:
A P l a c e S e t A pa r t Dedication April 10-11, 2010 The dedication service began: “Brothers and sisters in Christ, we have come together to set apart this chapel for the worship of almighty God and for the building up of the Body of Christ. Our prayers rise to the throne of God our Father, through the intercession of Jesus Christ, our Lord, and in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Two thousand worshipers joined hearts and voices to dedicate the Chapel of the Christ on the Martin Luther College campus April 10 and 11, 2010.
“We, the members of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, dedicate this building to the glory, honor, and worship of God, in the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. From this day forward let this be a place for the gathering of the people of God, a place for proclaiming the gospel through Word and sacrament, a place for bringing life, comfort, and hope to us, to this community, and to the world.”
Martin Luther College
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Chapel of the Christ:
A P l a c e S e t A pa r t
Dedication April 10-11, 2010
WELS President Mark Schroeder preached on 1 Kings 8:56-61, “A House Fit for a King,” at the two dedication services Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.
The Martin Luther College Choir, Chorale, Men’s Choir, and Women’s Choir presented the gospel in song under the direction of Dr. Kermit Moldenhauer, and Dr. Wayne Wagner served as organist at the memorable and inspiring services.
“Eternal and most high God, the heavens cannot contain you, yet you are willing to make your home in human hearts. Thank you for the gifts of those who have built this house of prayer to your glory. Let light and glass, steel and wood, gold and brass, fabric and paper, art and music, technology and architecture, speech, song, and symbol be used to praise your name as we proclaim your love.” (from the dedication service)
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Martin Luther College
Preseminary students processed in with the cross, lamp stands, Bible, and chalice: (from right) Gunnar Ledermann (St. Mark-Citrus Heights CA), Justin Gran (Messiah-South Windsor CT), Steven Pelischek (St. Paul-Fort Atkinson WI), Ryan Kolander (Christ-Brookfield WI), and Kendall Cook (New SalemSebewaing MI).
Pastor-professors on the Chapel Building Committee presided at the service: (from left) Keith Wessel, Jonathan Balge, John Boeder, and Mark Lenz, as well as President Mark Zarling (pictured on the cover).
President Mark Zarling addresses the assembly.
To Know and Worship Christ A message of gratitude at the dedication of the Chapel of the Christ Jon Scharlemann, VP for Mission Advancement
Thousands of you responded . . . responded with thankfulness and love to the invitation . . . the invitation to build a chapel . . . a chapel solely dedicated for worship on your campus at Martin Luther College. No matter your situation—a grade school student saving hard-earned dimes and quarters, a young couple with children struggling on a tight budget, a business owner trying to grow his enterprise and make a profit, a called worker sharing the majesty and glory of God’s name, a couple reaching retirement age with a small nest egg—you all joined together and formed a mighty army to build this chapel. This is what God’s people have done to glorify the Christ as we enter the third millennium!
I sometimes wonder . . . did you know . . . did you remember? Did you remember that you were following in the footsteps of King David? God had instructed David to gather resources for a glorious temple, and David, along with his people, gave willingly and generously to the Lord . . . and a temple was built. Today, the generous gifts of you, God’s people, have done the same. The Chapel of the Christ on the MLC campus serves as a testimony. It is a symbol of the thousands of gifts that were freely given—for no other reason than to know and worship and proclaim Christ. Thank you to all! On this special dedication weekend, let us all raise our voices, joining the angels, the saints who have gone before, and the generations yet to come: Shout for joy to the Lord . . . worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Martin Luther College
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Chapel of the Christ:
A P l a c e S e t A pa r t
Dedication April 10-11, 2010
The Schantz Organ Professor of Music Wayne Wagner
The primary purpose for the organ in Chapel of the Christ is to meet the needs of Lutheran liturgical worship at Martin Luther College. As a result, the tonal design of the organ emphasizes resources to lead congregational singing, accompany choirs, and provide other service music. A second intent is to support Martin Luther College’s organ instruction program with a comprehensive and versatile instrument for lessons and practice. Sufficient resources are provided to play a wide range of compositions written for the organ over many centuries. Although informed by European organ design of various historical periods and locations, this organ is influenced especially by American organ building from the late 19th century to the present. Acknowledging the heritage of Lutheranism, this college, and the greater New Ulm community, the organ utilizes a contemporary adaptation of German nomenclature. The organ was built by the Schantz Organ Company of Orrville, Ohio, a company now in its 137th year. The company’s leadership for this project included Vice President/ Tonal Director Jeffrey Dexter, Vice President/Staff Architect Eric Gastier, and Area Representative Paul Lohman. The organ will be featured in an upcoming issue of The American Organist. Published monthly by the American Guild of Organists, it is the most widely read journal devoted to organ and choral music in the world.
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Martin Luther College
Schantz Organ Company representatives Paul Lohman (left) and Jeffrey Dexter spoke about the organ’s construction and capabilities on dedication weekend.
Specifications • Completed: 57 pipe ranks (43 voices) and 3 digital voices • Preparations for additions: 5 ranks (3 voices), two 16' octave extensions of ranks, chimes • 3-manual and pedal • English-style, drawknob, moveable console • Bone/ebony keyboards • Full complement of couplers and accessories • Peterson ICS-4000 Pipe Organ Control System • 256 memory levels • 12 general thumb and toe pistons • 8 combination pistons for each manual and pedal
The 57-rank Schantz organ is encased in one of the largest wooden cases built by the firm.
Schantz technicians voiced the organ. Jeffrey Dexter held the keys as Jeffrey Herr adjusted the pipes inside the case. The gentlemen worked 10- and 12-hour days, six days a week, for almost four weeks to finish the voicing.
“Almighty and everlasting God, you open our mouths to sing salvation’s new song. Your Spirit is the breath of such music. Alleluia! We praise you for giving us this instrument. Sanctify the art which awakens its harmonies in leading us to worship you. Be with your servants who will use this instrument to make music for your people as you prepare us on earth to sing your praises in heaven.” (from the organ dedication rite)
The organ boasts 3300 pipes. Our students carefully unloaded all the pipes, the chests, the case, and the wind system when the semis delivered them in December and January.
For additional photos, go to schantzorgan.com and click on Projects, or go to mlc-wels.edu, click on Picture Gallery, and then type “organ” in the search box at the bottom of the page. Martin Luther College
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Chapel of the Christ: A Place Set A pa r t
Dedication April 10-11, 2010
Your House, O Lord, Is Beautiful A dedication hymn by Professor James Pope
Your house, O Lord, is beautiful, Our hearts rejoice to worship here. We come because you’re merciful – Your love drives out all guilt and fear. Your house is where we come to be One people and one family. We love your house; accept our praise Now and throughout the end of days.
Campus Pastor John Boeder WLS ’90 presented a walking tour, “The History of Worship on Campus.” Participants visited the places in which students and staff have worshiped over the years: Old Main, the Aula (Music Hall), the auditorium, and the Chapel of the Christ. They learned how worship was conducted for the last 125 years and sang a hymn at each spot.
Board for Ministerial Education Administrator Paul Prange WLS ’88 presented “Four Schools-One Gospel-One Purpose.”
Peter Schaewe ’87, liturgical artist and staff minister (St. John-Jefferson WI) presented “Christian Art and Architecture.”
We dedicate to you, O Lord, This house built by our mortal hands. Use it to teach your holy Word – Your promises and your commands. Through sacrament and Word of grace Give us the strength to run the race. Lord, bless this house that it may be A blessing for the ministry. Your house, O Lord, is but a place. Your Church is made of flesh and bones – Saints gathered from the human race: Believers, heirs and living stones. Your Church is founded on your love Displayed in Christ, sent from above. Lord, may we always be a part Of your blest Church, close to your heart. 8
Martin Luther College
During the open console period Saturday afternoon of dedication weekend, organists like Mary Prange ’69 of Atonement-Milwaukee WI gave the organ a try—pulling out all the stops, as it were.
Steve Springborn (ChristCambridge MN, pictured) and other MLC students directed 47 children’s voices in a mini-concert Saturday morning.
In addition to the dedication services, visitors to campus enjoyed a variety of tours and presentations. Liturgical artists Nathan Pope WLS ’77 and Melanie Pope Schuette (First-Racine WI) talked about the art they’d created for the chapel. Pope did the wood- and stonework, and Schuette painted the triptych and croce dipinta (painted cross).
Martin Luther College
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Chapel of the Christ:
A P l a c e S e t A pa r t
Dedication April 10-11, 2010 Grand Prize Winner Karen Goetzinger Revelation 21, 30" x 30" mixed media “Revelation 21 is rendered in mixed media that includes hand-painted cotton, Italian pima cotton organdy, tulle, gold lamé, gold leaf, and acrylic paint,” explains Karen Goetzinger, the Grand Prize Winner. “Rich in symbolism and abstraction, each piece of this triptych could be a stand-alone piece, but once combined they express the joyful anticipation we have as we look to our life in the New Jerusalem—made possible only through the blood of the Lamb, our lifeblood and light, Jesus Christ, Conqueror.”
Solus Christus Juried Art Exhibit, April 10-May 15 In conjunction with the dedication of the Chapel of the Christ, MLC sponsored the Solus Christus Juried Art Exhibit. A call for submissions went throughout the WELS and ELS. The jury chose 56 works for the exhibit and then voted Karen Goetzinger’s Revelation 21 the Grand Prize Winner and Jonathan Mayer’s Behold the Lamb of God the Runner Up. Charis Carmichael Braun’s Study for “Creation” earned the People’s Choice Award. The jurists were Lance Hartzell, MLC art professor; Jason Jaspersen, Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School art instructor; and Peter Schaewe, liturgical artist and staff minister at St. John-Jefferson WI. To see all 56 works, go to mlc-wels.edu and type “art show brochure” in the search box. 10
Martin Luther College
Goetzinger explains that the work was inspired by the 21st chapter of Revelation: “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God . . . The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.” “I feel that this exhibition was a wonderful opportunity to use the gifts the Lord has seen fit to give me in service to his church,” she says. “I am stunned, humbled, and truly grateful that MLC gave me and the many talented visual artists of WELS a place to show our work. To God alone be the glory!” Karen Goetzinger is a member of St. Paul-Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She can be reached at quiltopia@sympatico.ca.
Runner Up Jonathan Mayer Behold the Lamb of God, 9.5" x 18" digital Behold the Lamb of God is one of many illustrations Jonathan Mayer is creating for a book by ELS Pastor Tony Pittenger, Messiah: The Greatest Sermon Ever Sung, an illustrated listener’s guide to G. F. Handel’s famous oratorio. “This piece accompanies the text of John 1:29, ‘Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world,’” Mayer says. “The Lamb’s blood takes the shape of the continents to convey the profound impact that Christ’s death has for the entire world.” Finding a nearly inexhaustible source of inspiration in the Renaissance and Baroque masters, Mayer was inspired for this work by Francisco de Zurbaran’s 1635 painting, Agnus Dei. “The trussed and slaughtered lamb is a powerful image of Christ that comes from Isaiah, but also alludes back to the first Passover in the book of Exodus,” he explains. Mayer did his undergrad training at Bethany Lutheran College, and two of his works hang in Bethany’s permanent collection. A professional illustrator, he is currently working toward an MFA in illustration at the Savannah College of Art and Design. Jonathan Mayer is a member of Risen Savior-Pooler GA. He can be reached at jonathanpaulmayer@hotmail.com
People’s Choice Award Charis J. Carmichael Braun Study for “Creation,” 36" x 24" oil “Study for ‘Creation’ is a color study for a series of images interpreting Christian doctrines as seen through a Lutheran perspective,” says artist Charis Carmichael Braun, the People’s Choice Winner. “The image depicts emblems of God’s painstaking design and plan for the creation of our world and our new life through Christ’s redemption.” Charis, who studied painting at Bethany Lutheran College and earned her MFA at the New York Academy of Art, vividly recalls her introduction to the Old Masters; it occurred in New Ulm with her second-grade teacher, Coral Cady, DMLC ’85. “We painted a Van Gogh-esque landscape using soap flakes, a master-copy of Picasso’s blue Tragedy, and our own composition in the style of Mondrian,” she recalls. “The Friday-afternoon art adventures culminated in a huge tempera spatter painting out on the school lawn; each student cut out a piece of his or her own ‘Pollock’ to stick on the fridge at home.” Charis continues to work as a professional artist in New York, where she explores “Christian visual language and its relationship with Lutheran tradition and cultural criticism.” “It is an honor for the painting to have been designated People’s Choice,” she says. “I am humbled. Such an enthusiastic response to the exhibition— and to the artwork in the MLC chapel—is encouraging, and I look forward to celebrating God’s good gifts with you!” Charis Carmichael Braun is a member of Sure Foundation-New York City. She can be reached at cjcarmichaelbraun@gmail.com. Martin Luther College
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Your Future Called Workers Emily Heidtke ’10,
This year Emily Heidtke assistant-directed the children’s theater production of Aesop’s Fables. “Children’s Theater is organized chaos, and that’s why I love it,” she says. “Five thousand kids invade the campus and we get them for an hour. So what do we do? We put on a crazy production with Grapes and a Butcher and a Pond!”
Going Global
Emily Heidtke (St. John-New Ulm MN) is a walking symbol of Martin Luther College’s global outlook. With a double major in elementary ed and secondary Spanish ed, she spent five weeks doing MLC’s immersion experience in Ecuador and then a full semester at the Academia de Español Quito in Ecuador. “We had Spanish 24 hours a day, and we lived with a host family, which was a good way to see everyday life. It was awesome to meet them and their families and friends.” Along with fellow MLC student Emily Rasmussen (St. Paul-Franklin WI), she also visited Colombia and Panama. “The intensive Spanish program increased my language skills trifold,” she says. “Even if I don’t get a call to teach high school Spanish, it will help me communicate and share the gospel with the increasing Hispanic population in our country.” Emily had the opportunity to use her Spanish as a member of the MLC College Choir. “Sophomore year we got to go to Mexico ¡Qué incredíble! The majority of people who had come to the concerts were not members; talking with them was one of the first experiences I had sharing the gospel in Spanish. That was the motivational boost that kept me psyched about Spanish and where it could take me.”
Emily is also a member of Student Senate, the Evangelism Day Committee, and the drama club, Forum. But it’s seeing the world that gets her most excited. This summer she’ll visit her sister for two weeks in Japan. And when she graduates in December 2010, she is hoping to teach in Southeast Asia for a year or two. But she’s not sure yet. “Every time I think I have that figured out,” she says, “a new option pops up. If I had my way, I’d teach a year or two in half a dozen countries before settling down to a nice relaxing time teaching high school Spanish (just kidding about the relaxing part). But I could end up anywhere, and that’s what’s great. It’s a constant reminder that God has a plan for us—and that our plans are just suggestions.”
Jonathan Weber ’10,
Singing in College Choir, playing trumpet, giving trumpet lessons, and serving as MLC’s assistant volleyball coach made Jonathan Weber one busy young man—and one ready to take on the challenges of the teaching ministry as well.
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Never one to pass up an opportunity, Jonathan Weber (St. John-Dowagiac MI) graduated with a double major in elementary ed and secondary English ed in May. He also took courses in MLC’s online master’s program while an undergrad—the first student to do so—and he filled in as a teaching assistant when
Anita Haefner DMLC ’60 LaLuther Crosse WICollege Martin
Ann Wiebusch DMLC ’85 Vancouver WA
Making an Impact
Dr. David Wendler was off campus, fulfilling his Higher Learning Commission duties. He participated in two MLC Daylight USA trips, to Hope-West Palm Beach FL and to Grace-Yorba Linda CA. “Seeing these congregations that have new members coming in and having the opportunity to be a part of the work that reached out to these new families is something indescribable,” he says. “We were very excited to think that God was using us. We weren’t merely preparing for service, we were serving.”
Arnold Strehler DMLC ’50 Rockford MN
Audra Davis MLC ’05 Lake Mills WI
Meet three MLC graduates and see how they’re preparing to serve you in the public ministry.
Jacob Haag ’10,
Preparing for the Pulpit
Jacob Haag (Faith-Fond du Lac WI) is a few years away from the pulpit, but every day is another step in that direction. A 2010 graduate in preseminary studies, Jacob sang in the MLC Chorale, played oboe in the Wind Symphony, played on the golf team, was a language tutor in the Academic Success Center, and was a member of the Aulic Committee. For the third summer in a row, Jacob is working as a Daylight USA Member Ministry Assistant at St. Peter-Fort Collins CO. He assists Pastor Joel Spaude and his congregation by teaching VBS, coaching at the soccer Bible camp, doing outreach, helping people with disabilities through Jesus Cares, and working at the Rocky Mountain Christian Camp. If Pastor Spaude is gone, Jacob will do liturgy, lead Bible class, or read the sermon.
Under the instruction of Dr. Wayne Wagner, Jacob also studied organ. His solo senior recital in April featured J. S. Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in d minor and portions of Mendelssohn’s Organ Sonata #6. “As a preseminary student,” Jacob says, “I’ve spent so much time studying languages, and music is the universal language. Everyone understands it. I hope I can continue to play when I’m a pastor. We had a vicar once who was directing the choir and then threw on his robe and stepped into the pulpit for the sermon. So it can be done.”
The next step for most preseminary graduates is Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, but Jacob is going to study for a year at the Lutherisches Theologisches Seminar, our sister synod’s seminary in Leipzig, Germany. The thought came to him after he completed a threeweek German language immersion experience in Kassel in 2008. “Professor [James] Danell suggested it, and I thought, I’m never going to have a chance to do this again in my life. “All the professors here,” he continues, “are your friends first; they just happen to be your professors too. What they do is help us see the big picture. Since I’m a student here, it’s easy to focus all the time on study, study, study. But the profs help you see that it’s not just all school. The gospel ministry is about people. As one prof has told us, ‘Gentlemen, there are some of you who like books. And that’s ok, but books aren’t going to heaven, people are. This is a people business.’”
It’s serving in the teaching ministry that Jonathan is really looking forward to. While student teaching this April, he said: “Teachers can make an impact every time they step into a classroom. I live to watch the light bulb turn on over my students’ heads. Knowing that I played a part in that is a great thing to wake up to each morning. Also, we have the opportunity to teach students the material with the Message woven through everything. What a gift!” Jonathan absorbed some of this enthusiasm from his MLC profs. “The professors at MLC are passionate about three things,” he says, “their Savior, their subject, and their students. Every professor at MLC lives to prepare
Bart Brauer NWC ’95 Oakfield WI
Bruce McKenney NWC ’80 Marinette WI
the future ministers of the gospel, and that is not something that they take lightly. They want to do their jobs to the best of their ability, and one of the ways they can do this is by getting to know the student body on a very personal level. The professors are truly interested in my life and how the Lord is going to use my training. It makes for a very easy transition from ‘professors’ to ‘colleagues.’” Before he submits to the Assignment Committee, Jonathan will spend a year teaching in Southeast Asia. He found out the specifics of his job description on Call Day.
Christy Huet DMLC ’95 PhoenixMartin AZ Luther College
Clarice Panning DMLC ’60 Gibbon MN 13
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Year in Review June
China Study Tour: With tour leader Professor Earl Heidtke, MLC students toured China and Hong Kong in June.
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July
Alumni Reunion: Graduates of MLC, DMLC, NWC, and DMLHS/ MLA gathered on the hill for the Alumni Reunion Weekend July 24-26. Alumni Tour: MLC Professors Lyle Lange and Steve Thiesfeldt led 80 students, alumni, and members of OWLS (Organization of WELS Lutheran Seniors) on a trip to the Creation Museum in Petersburg KY.
August
Septe
Wellness: On September 19, 106 members
New Soccer Pitch:
of Team MLC took part in the Hermann’s Victory 5K Run/Walk, facilitated by the MLC Wellness Committee. MLC is partnering with Allina Health’s “Heart of New Ulm,” New Ulm’s “Wellness @ Work,” and WELS VEBA to develop a campus wellness program.
The premier Knight Field was dedicated September 18-19. Signed soccer jerseys were given to the families of Zachary Moyle and Ryan Zweifel, MLC students and soccer players who died in a car accident last year.
Spanish Immersion: Professor Paul Bases and 26 MLC Spanish students spent five weeks in Ecuador, studying Spanish language and culture. “Taking part in this program,” says Bases, “gives students a level of proficiency needed to do thorough mission work in Latin outreach.”
Welcome, First-Years! 160 first-year students got to know each other at the annual George’s Ballroom Blast during Orientation Weekend. The weekend included a special chapel service, tours, meetings with college officials, a campus texting adventure, speed dating, a dance, and the dorm staff’s help moving in the heavy boxes.
New Faculty: Rebecca Cox was installed and Stephen Lehmann was ordained at the opening service Monday, August 24.
Ahoy! Students staged The Pirates of Penzance November 6-8.
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Dale Witte DMLC ’90 Streamwood IL Martin Luther College
Daniel Wagenknecht NWC ’90 North Richland Hills TX
David Brown DMLC ’70 Grand Island NE
David Adickes DMLC ’60 Platteville WI
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October
Homecoming: The Knights football team upset conference favorite Northwestern 9-7 at Homecoming October 10, much to the delight of alumni and other visitors. Not to be outdone, the campus women enjoyed powder puff football Homecoming week as well.
November
December
1960-2010: The first (D)MLC
Christmas at MLC:
Graduation: Twelve
Ladies’ Auxiliary board took office in 1960. This October, the group celebrated 50 years of service to the college. Projects for this year totaled $17,000, plus annual scholarships.
Hundreds attended the annual concert December 6 and sang along with Handel’s “Hallelujah!” Chorus.
MLC students graduated Thursday, December 17. Five graduates (of ’09 and past years) received assignments into the teaching ministry.
Football Player of Year and Coach of Year: Coach Doug Lange was named
Cutting Costs: The cafeteria went trayless this year, a change that caught the attention of a Mankato television station. Other cost-saving measures included faculty and staff cuts, reducing hours and salaries of remaining staff, delaying planned improvements and repairs, and asking each department to cut their budget by 10%.
UMAC Coach of the Year, and Chuqee Fletcher (Garden Homes-Milwaukee) earned UMAC Defensive Player of the Year and Lineman of the Year as the Knights took the UMAC Championship.
Click It: The MLC Bookstore went online.
Love Grows Cold: Students staged their Readers’ Theater production December 4-5.
Beautiful Brahms: The Martin Luther College Choir presented Brahms’ “German Requiem,” Op. 45, at St. John-New Ulm in November and again in the Chapel of the Christ in April.
David Bode NWC ’60 North St. Paul MN
David Kuske NWC ’55 North Freedom WI
David Pelzl DMLC ’65 New Ulm MN Luther College Martin
David Schultz NWC ’60 Newton IA
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Year in Review
January
Evangelism Day: Presented by MLC and the WELS Commission on Evangelism, this January day featured dozens of pastors, teachers, and staff ministers speaking to students on evangelism. This year’s focus: “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart.”
College Choir: Dr. Kermit Moldenhauer and his group toured the southeastern U.S., including Lawrenceville GA (pictured), February 26 - March 10.
Daylight USA: Over spring break, 80 students, like Kurtis Wetzel (Good Shepherd-West Bend WI, pictured), volunteered to canvass and teach at congregations around the country. Another 100 will do the same at congregations this summer. An exciting new project: Two MLC students will staff a traveling soccer camp this summer, taking their camp to a different mission in Colorado each week.
Winter Carnival: 20 inches of snow made this year’s carnival extra-fun. Students enjoyed human dogsled races, broomball, penny wars, manhunts, class videos, sledding, Sheepshead, Mr. Concord competition, hockey, and more.
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Deborah Callahan DMLC ’75 St.Luther Paul MNCollege Martin
February
Delbert Mey DMLC ’50 Saginaw MI
Mar
Early Field Experience:
First Worship Service: On March 17
First-year education majors stayed on campus the first week of spring break for motivational speakers, lesson planning, role-playing, and teaching. Sophomores and juniors did EFE at WELS schools during break.
the campus family processed from the auditorium to the Chapel of the Christ for a rite of dedication and service of Word and sacrament. (Real-time web streaming of worship services and concerts from the Chapel of the Christ is available online.)
Focus on Ministry: March 25-27 was one of several weekends when MLC welcomed high school students for a visit and an opportunity to focus on the ministry.
Wind Symphony: MLC’s Wind Symphony, under the direction of Professor Miles Wurster, toured eastern Wisconsin WELS schools and churches February 4-8.
Dominic Jacobs DMLC ’95 Charles City IA
Donald Sellnow NWC ’50 Neenah WI
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April
May
Chapel Dedication April 10-11
Graduation: On Swine Sizzler: The campus family enjoyed this traditional end-of-year picnic May 7.
Shakespeare on the Green: Forum staged The Two Gentlemen of Verona April 30-May 1 in German Park.
Commencement Concert: The final concert of the year consisted of all sacred music and was presented in the Chapel of the Christ on May 14.
Chapel Dedication April 10-11
Doris Walther DMLC ’40 Wisconsin Rapids WI
May 15, 118 undergrads received diplomas: 26 Preseminary 8 Early Childhood Ed 64 Elementary Ed 7 Early Childhood & Elementary Ed 12 Elementary & Secondary Ed 1 Staff Minister
Children’s Theater: A cast of 16 staged eight performances of Aesop’s (Oh So Slightly) Updated Fables to crowds of children and adults April 22-24. Over 5,000 children from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and South Dakota came to see six classic fables “with a twist.” The cast also took their show on the road, staging three performances at St. John-Lake City MN.
Edward Kionka DMLC ’45 Manitowoc WI
Elisabeth Johannes DMLC ’45 Two Rivers WI Luther College Martin
Faith Jeske DMLC ’50 Milwaukee17 WI
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A Year in Recently, InFocus spoke to Matt Evans ’11 (First-Racine WI), a fifth-year senior who is teaching grade 3-8 math, science, and English at El Colegio de los Ángeles, an allgirls school in Bogotá, Colombia.
An Average Day: Matt is up at 5:30 am for 7:00 class. Lunch at 12:20 is a big meal. “For the first few weeks,” he says, “everyone thought I didn’t like the food because I could never clear half my plate!” At 2:20, school’s over, and it’s time to prep for the next day—after a caffeine boost. “Coffee is a must in Colombia!” he says. After working out at the gym, he goes home to the apartment he shares with church member Gonzalo Delgadillo and watches a little TV. “Once I actually caught a Brewers game on ESPN Vivo, instead of the usual soccer, so that made my day!”
Matt Evans is teaching in Colombia at El Colegio de los Ángeles, an all-girls school in Bogotá, Colombia.
Scripture and Supper: Thursday means supper and Bible study with church members at the Anzola residence. “Dinner doesn’t start in Colombia until after 8:00 pm,” he explains. “Señora Anzola is a terrific cook and always puts together an elaborate supper—which is great, because at 8,500 feet above sea level, I can’t even boil water!”
His Christian Classroom: He is teaching at the only confessional Lutheran school in Bogotá. Mornings begin with devotion, and God’s Word is present in the classroom all day. “It’s not always easy to include God’s Word into your math lesson on rounding numbers,” Matt says, “but it’s always worthwhile.”
How MLC Prepared Him: “MLC makes sure you are over-prepared—which is especially important here, when you can never know what to expect. Writing lesson plans and spelling out exactly how you want class to go pays off, even when the lesson doesn’t go anything like planned. MLC also teaches different instruction and management theories, and encourages you to define your own. After a short while in your own classroom, you realize how important these theories are and how much your own personal theories affect what and how you teach.”
These fifth-grade girls enjoy Señor Evans for math, science, and English class.
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Martin Luther College
Colombia No Chocolate Chips: Since Bogotá is very large and modern, his adjustments to life there were few— “other than the complete lack of chocolate chips!” He adds: “Every once in a while, you randomly miss something from back home. Some days, for no particular reason, I want nothing more than a Grand Slam from Denny’s. But instead of moping around and focusing on what I’m missing, I remind myself that I’ll have years filled with pancakes and bacon when I’m back in the U.S. But I only have a short time here to enjoy Colombia.” Schedules are more relaxed in Colombia as well, which has taught Matt patience and flexibility. “For example, one man rings the school bell manually, telling when one class ends and another begins. So I could be wrapping up a lesson at 11:30, but now I have to find something to keep the students busy until 11:45. On the other hand, it also means he could add an extra fifteen minutes to my free period!”
La Comunión de los Santos: “Working with the church and school has been such a blessing,” he says. “We may be speaking a different language here, but we say the same creeds, read the same Words of Institution, and sometimes even sing the same hymns!
The altar area at El Salvador, the confessional Lutheran church in Bogotá, is often beautifully adorned, flowers being one of Colombia’s major exports.
You get a true sense for what the ‘communion of all believers’ means. And working with a mission-status church is a unique experience. In such a small church, all members must do their part. Yet they’re eager to do even more, because they realize what a blessing the church really is.”
His Future: Matt is in Colombia for one school year, which runs from February to December. Back at MLC, he’ll do student teaching in a secondary school, and then he’ll graduate with a double major in elementary education and secondary Spanish education. Then, “God-willing,” he says, “I will be taking a call.” Matt is one of about 40 MLC students and grads teaching overseas through MLC Daylight International. MLC has sent teachers to El Colegio de los Ángeles for four years. April Alonte ’09 and Joel Carlovsky ’07 taught there last year. Next year, Luke Beilke (Mt. Olive-Mankato MN) and Rachel Steinbrenner (Bethany-Fort Atkinson WI), who are engaged to be married, are planning to teach at the school. In May 2010, 19 MLC graduates opted for an international teaching post, 15 to Southeast Asia, three to the Dominican Republic, and one to Mexico.
Matt Evans and other members of the church celebrated an authentic Passover meal on Maundy Thursday. Alfredo, the gentleman in pink, made the unleavened bread.
Martin Luther College
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Marty Sponholz:
Wise Man in Our Midst I
n 1970 the young research scientist Martin Sponholz had an impressive curriculum vita: research findings, published articles, computer programs—and Sponholz Peak, a mountain in Antarctica named for him. But he decided to leave the research to others and take a different path—to Luther High School in Onalaska, Wisconsin, and Dr. Martin Luther College, where he’s been sharing his wisdom with students for four decades. Early Career: In the 60s, bachelor’s and master’s degrees in atmospheric physics at the University of Wisconsin led to a variety of research positions for Sponholz: weather observer and pilot briefer at Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee and researcher at the Chicago Forecast Center, a branch of the National Weather Bureau. In Chicago, he did research on lake breeze and storm seiche. He explains: “If you pound on the water in the bathtub, you can build bigger and bigger waves. The same thing can happen on Lake Michigan, which is a perfect parabolic mirror, with the focal point on the north side of Chicago. If the wind is coming from the right direction, the water can rise very suddenly. One time, the water rose 10 feet in a matter of minutes and six fishermen drowned.” Sponholz developed a computer program to forecast a storm seiche, thereby saving lives. Antarctica: In the late 60s, the National Weather Bureau’s Office of Meteorological Research in Washington DC employed Sponholz as a research meteorologist, assigning him to the Polar Research Group. On his first expedition to Antarctica, from November 1965 to January 1967, he was at Plateau Station, Antarctica, where he launched weather balloons to measure temperature inversion. He once recorded a temp of 121 below zero, although a couple thousand feet above the surface, it was warmer—“a balmy 50 below,” he says.
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Ferdinand Scharlemann DMLC ’40 Lake City MN Martin Luther College
Gertrude Lutz DMLC ’40 Escanaba MI
A colleague at Plateau Station, Robert B. Flint, Jr., looked back at his time there with Sponholz and said, “What most amazes me is with how much we, as very young and naive adults, were entrusted. In our hands was not only an extremely expensive small experimental scientific facility, but also a great investment in the thought, hopes, and faith of the scientific community. Over the years many papers using Plateau Station data have been published, and it always gives me pride to be reminded of our contribution to science.” Of Sponholz himself, Flint notes “what a qualified scientist he is. The scientific community and the country were fortunate in having him pioneer the meteorological program at Plateau Station.” He went to Antarctica a second time from November 1967 to March 1968 as a researcher on the MSDF Fuji, a ship in the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force. The ship sailed from Perth, Australia, to Syowa Base, Antarctica. Sponholz’s research included launching tethered kytoons (kite-balloons) to measure ocean and air temps. Marking the significance of his research, the papers and photos from his 1966 expedition will be donated to the Byrd Polar Research Archive at Ohio State University. A Fork in the Road: The course of Professor Sponholz’s life changed abruptly when he left the National Weather Bureau to pursue his PhD at the University of Wisconsin. There he was overwhelmed by the way the theory of evolution dominated everything and by protests against the war in
Glen Schmiege NWC ’75 Chesaning MI
James Brandt DMLC ’85 Readfield WI
Vietnam that interrupted his research. As his and Nancy’s second child was born, there was also a growing family to consider. “It was time to slow down,” he said. He was a member of the Student Center at Madison at the time. Pastor Richard Balge provided guidance to Sponholz and introduced him to Dr. Siegbert Becker, a Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary professor. When Sponholz explained his frustrations, Becker said, “We need to turn you into a teacher before you get used to those scientific salaries.” After an interview with the district president, Carl Mischke, Sponholz received a call to Onalaska Luther High School. Dr. Paul Dalrymple, a colleague in Antarctica, later wrote of Sponholz, “When push came to shove, he passed up a promising career as a research meteorologist to seek personal satisfaction while serving the Lord as a teacher.” On to DMLC: In 1982, after 12 years at Luther High, Sponholz was called to be a science professor at Dr. Martin Luther College. “What we have here at MLC is the best of academic freedom,” he says. “You don’t have to be afraid of merging your scientific ideas with your religious faith. You can be free to express that there really is a Creator.” At MLC Sponholz is a favorite with science students. Scott Salesky ’08 got hooked on meteorology in Sponholz’s class. Sponholz—“on the side and just for the fun of it”—took Salesky through dynamic meteorology, which explains weather through partial differential equations, a branch of math that isn’t taught at MLC. Salesky liked it so much that he decided to study
James Castillo NWC ’79 Hustisford WI
Jana Wulf DMLC ’75 Costa Mesa CA
meteorology. He’s just finishing his M.S. in meteorology at Penn State, and he’ll begin his Ph.D. program there in fall. He received a full scholarship, plus a stipend for his work as a teaching assistant and research assistant. “Professor Sponholz was a mentor to me,” said Salesky, “not just in science classes but in how to approach science from a Christian perspective.” True Wisdom: After 40 years of teaching, Sponholz still vividly remembers Antarctica. In fact, his wife says that he talks about it every day. She’ll sometimes note the time, as in “Monday, 1:41 pm, Marty talks about Antarctica.” He’s written about his Antarctica adventures in the online book Among the Magi. In this memoir, written first for his children, he reveals himself as a wise man doing scientific research without ever compromising his faith. “Looking for ‘true science’ to emerge from scientists is not going to happen,” he says in the book. “Science is an art form and always will carry the image of the unbelievers that define the frames and canvas. If you must work in the science world, as I do, Martin Luther still has the only answer: ‘He who wishes to philosophize by using Aristotle without danger to his soul must first become thoroughly foolish in Christ.’” To read more of Professor Martin Sponholz’s book, go to mlc-wels.edu and type “Among the Magi” in the search box.
Jeffrey Falck MLC ’00 Suffolk VA
Jennifer Eggert DMLC ’90 Milwaukee21 WI
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A Tale of Two Callings By Dr. David Wendler Vice President for Academics
D
r. David Wendler celebrates his 40th year in the ministry this year. With thanks to God, he recalls Call Day 1970, when he graduated from DMLC, and the day in 1980 when he was called back to DMLC.
It begins in late March and early April. Rumors and questions about “the call situation” bounce off the walls of campus buildings. Are there enough calls? Where will I go—Orlando, Florida? Sleepy Eye, Minnesota? When hearing the anxiety in students’ voices, my thoughts drift back to when I graduated and began my ministry 40 years ago. Graduation was June 5, 1970. I was married the next day in New Ulm so relatives from two different states could attend both graduation and the wedding. With student teaching and wedding planning in May, I was too busy to think about the time between June 6 and July 15, the traditional start date for calls. Where to live and how to pay for expenses during those five or six weeks didn’t occur to me. On Call Day God quickly reminded me that he is in control of my life, not me. I was assigned to Riverview Lutheran Church and School in Appleton, Wisconsin. It was a new school, just two years old. Called as the first principal with responsibility to add grades 3-5 and to recruit students, my call began June 15, only ten days after Graduation Day. My neglect of planning was covered by my Lord’s planning. My wife and I were received warmly into the homes of congregational families, but there were some questions. Why did the congregation get a teacher from a college in Minnesota? Did I have a Wisconsin
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Jeremy Glowicki NWC ’95 Mayville MI College Martin Luther
Jeremy Schulz MLC ’00 Cottage Grove WI
license? I knew about a driver’s license and a fishing license, but a teaching license? Never heard of it. Since some of these parents didn’t trust me as their children’s teacher, I found out how to get one of those Wisconsin teaching licenses. I enrolled in the master’s degree program at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. At Riverview, enrollment went from 26 to 57 to 97 to 120, and finally to 165 when I left ten years later. Had parents not questioned my credentials, I wouldn’t have gotten a license or a master’s degree. Coincidence? No, I see God’s hand at work. As I was finishing my degree, DMLC was calling for a professor of education. My name appeared on a list of 42 names. For a while, it was a topic of good-natured teasing at church and school. “Can you imagine a 32-year-old prof? You would be shorter than your students and only a few years older.” Thoughts about that call list faded . . . until the actual call date. Driving home from my last class at the university, I realized DMLC was calling today. Why did that pop into my head? And I couldn’t get it out of my head. I told myself I was sinning by thinking of this, but singing hymns, playing the radio, reciting Bible passages—none of it helped. By the time I arrived home, I had decided that if my wife met me at the door, the Lord had called me to DMLC. She did. This sounds corny, but that drive home is as vivid for me today as it was in 1980. The Lord cares for the birds of the air and the flowers of the field. Looking back, it’s easy to see God’s hand in my life and how foolish I was to worry about anything. Each year I pray for our graduates. I pray that they cast their worries aside and simply trust the Lord of the Church to guide and direct their lives.
Joel Suckow NWC ’80 Pueblo CO
Jonathan Brohn NWC ’90 South Haven MI
The MLC Slow Cooker:
Attitudes that Cook into Our Students
A
merica is the land of colleges and universities— over 4,000 of them—each with its own culture. Made up of fight songs, mascots, cafeteria specials, student traditions, and graduation rituals, the cultural aspects of a college may be fun, annoying, quirky, or endearing, and they may or may not remain in students’ memory. Like salt, they season the stay. But other cultural influences run deeper. They aren’t sprinkled on students; they’re slow-cooked into them. These are the themes that thread their way through the curriculum, the standards by which campus character and performance are measured. This is the way the college’s mission seeps into students’ worldview. MLC students may or may not understand the humor of our male cheerleaders, enjoy the chocolate chip cookies in our dessert case every Friday, or buy-in to our T-shirt celebrations. Season to taste.
By Philip Leyrer, VP for Enrollment Management
A reverence for God’s Word. Handling the Scriptures makes for trembling hands, not because the Word is fragile, but because it’s God’s. The mantle of service. Fulfillment comes in serving. And God provides many ways to serve him, his people, and those who don’t yet know him. A worship-centered life. Since Eden we, the crown of God’s creation, recognize that formal and informal worship of our Redeemer-Creator is not what we make time for; it is what we order our day around. Many of our students enter the public ministry and many do not. Our prayer is that what has been slow-cooked into them at MLC will continue to influence their congregations, their personal ministries, their marriages, their jobs. Culture counts. May God let the MLC culture be a lasting one, flavoring our graduates in every walk they take.
But our graduates have noticed at least three lasting influences slow-cooked into them:
Julius Ingebritson DMLC ’40 Lake Mills IA
Kirk Schauland MLC ’05 Lewiston MN
Kristin Bame DMLC ’90 Stone Mountain Martin Luther College GA
LeDell Plath DMLC ’55 Granite Falls 23 MN
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New Ways to Keep in Touch The MLC Alumni Messenger, a quarterly e-newsletter, had its inaugural delivery in January. Improvements in delivery and format continue in coordination with other MLC e-communications. Go to mlc-wels.edu and click on “Alumni.” MLC’s Facebook presence has been enhanced through the efforts of our Alumni Office. News, events, and updates will be posted on this social network tool. Search Martin Luther College on Facebook and become a fan!
125 Years—125 Stories Did you know that two presidents here on the hill were called “Stubby”? Did you know that the preseminary program in 1885 was two-thirds international students? Did you know that graduates in the 40s paid for a long-distance call to Milwaukee so they could learn where they were assigned? Do you remember the Marluts and Aeolians . . . Bode Hall . . . the first computer on campus . . . the blizzard of 1940 . . . Dannheim’s ice cream . . . the mystery of the missing Sprinter? MARTIN LUTHER COLLEGE
125 Years GE OLLE ER C LUTH TIN MAR 67 1940s at a Glance 66 Notes from the Messenger
1930s
“Maybe reading makes a full man, but a game of ping pong makes a happy man. That is why so many students removed the papers and magazines from the reading room table in order to enjoy a few games of the modern American baby sport.”
68 A Armistice Day Blizzard 1940
“The girls are getting ready for their big kittenball tournament, trying their skill at swinging the bat and making home runs. Keep it up, girls, and you will soon be as good as Babe Ruth.”
November N 1940 was a month to remember in New Ulm. FDR had just won a record fourth term as president, although New Ulm gave its majority to Wendell Willkie. Wanda Gag visited New Ulm and made voice recordings of several of her books. St. Paul’s celebrated its 75-year anniversary with over 3,000 congregants. And on Monday, November 11, the city had a bit of weather.
Students cast a straw vote in the November ’32 presidential election. The results: Franklin D. Roosevelt, Democrat (86); Norman Thomas, Socialist (18); and Herbert Hoover, Republican (14). “Our socialist votes were not altogether in vain,” wrote one student, “for Mr. Roosevelt wasn’t elected unanimously.”
Temperatures suddenly plunged from an unseasonable 60 to zero. Rain, sleet, and snow poured down, and winds gusted to 32 mph. Called by some the deadliest blizzard of the century, the Armistice Day Blizzard killed 49 people in Minnesota—and Salty Schroeder almost made it 50.
“With the final exams staring us in the face, the universal sigh of relief has not as yet issued forth. After the tests, the consumption of cigarettes and candy will come back to normal, our microcosm will again assume its wonted air of tranquility.” (See the Old Main women’s dorm room, the very picture of tranquility.)
1930s-1940s Old Main dorm room
Calling himself foolish and in love, he ignored the advice of the college buck, George Heckmann, and walked to see his girl, Bettie Trettien. “Someone in the Trettien household must have told me leaving was the better part of staying, that the storm was no laughing matter, that I had better seek the safety of my dormitory room,” he said. So Schroeder set out, still dressed for 60-degree weather, and battled the sleet, wind, snow, and downed power lines flashing and sparking around him.
Adolf Wilbrecht, a local student, wrote the music and words for the new school song, which was sung until amalgamation in 1995: “Hail to thee, dear DMLC! A great school, we’ll say. Hail to your colors, The old maroon and gray! Forward and onward, For a goal we’ll try. Onward to vict’ry is our battle cry!”
1938 Karl Mittelsteadt studies in his room.
Salty made the same struggle up the Center Street Hill. “George Heckmann met me at the bottom of Excelsior, the steps leading up to the campus proper,” he said. “Never were two guys happier to see each other, he because he didn’t have a casualty on his watch and I because I wasn’t the casualty.”
1910s DMLC pennant
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1940 Minneapolis Day Blizzard
scene
during
Armistice
Other New Ulm citizens were also struggling to get home, notably Dr. Carl Fritsche and Hugo Schnobrich, whose car had stalled at the bottom of the 10th Street South hill. A nearby friend loaned them extra clothing and a rope to tie themselves together—lest one of them be lost—and they finally made it up the hill, at times crawling through the snow on their hands and knees.
“Our new movie machine” was first tried on January 12 [1939]. “The Oregon Trail” and “William Tell” were two of the first pictures shown. A few weeks later, Retzlaff Motor Company of New Ulm sponsored a showing of some skiing from the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
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1940s
Presidents P Roosevelt and Truman . . . World War II . . . Rosie the Riveter . . . average public school teacher’s salary: $1,441 . . . television appears: Milton Berle, Ed Sullivan, Howdy Doody . . . Richard Wright’s Native Son . . . Dr. Spock’s childrearing methods . . . polio epidemic . . . Tupperware . . . Slinky . . . Casablanca . . . Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Cary Grant, Marlon Brando, Katherine Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe . . . Synod deems Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) fertile mission field . . .
In the first interscholastic debate of its history, DMLC defeated St. Paul Concordia. The topic: whether the government should provide centralized control of industry. The winning team: Meilahn Zahn, Vera Hafenstein, and Frederick Manthey. 1930-1931 Messenger staff
Since 1884, God has allowed us to train men and women for public ministry here on the hill at both the high school and college level. Read stories highlighting our rich history of ministerial education in the commemorative booklet 125 Years – 125 Stories. If you’d like a copy, email Laurie at gaugerlf@mlc-wels.edu or send a note with your request to
125 Stories
1940
1950
Lois Wegner DMLC ’45 Milwaukee Martin LutherWI College
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1970
1980
1940 George Heckmann
1990
2000
1940 Morton Schroeder
2010
Loren Schaller NWC ’45 Tomah WI
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125 Years—125 Stories Martin Luther College 1995 Luther Court New Ulm MN 56073
Marcus Horn NWC ’40 Zumbrota MN
Marilyn Miller DMLC ’55 Clear Lake IA
Alumni & Friends, You’re Invited! June 14 MLC Golf Classic: Grab your clubs and join us for the 18th annual MLC Golf Classic on Monday, June 14. Shotgun start is high noon at the New Ulm Country Club, with a social hour and dinner to follow at 5:30. Registration cost for the 18-hole scramble (including cart and dinner) is $100 per person, and all proceeds benefit MLC’s general scholarship fund. For more information, contact Michelle at 877-652-1995 x393. June 21-25 Creation Museum: Petersburg KY is our primary destination for the June 21-25 tour originating in Green Bay WI. Hop on at one of multiple pick-up points along the route in eastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Led by Professors Lyle Lange and Steve Thiesfeldt, additional highlights will include Indiana’s Amish Country and Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. July 23-25 Reunion Weekend: The weekend offers worship, a banquet with entertainment, campus and community tours, “alumni college mini-courses,” delicious meals in our cafeteria, and ample opportunities to reconnect with classmates. Bring along your children or grandchildren to introduce them to MLC. Inexpensive accommodations, childcare, and activities for kids will be available throughout the weekend. Those celebrating a milestone anniversary year (1950, 1960, 1970, 1985, and 2000) will receive special invitations.
Continuing Education
at Martin Luther College For Pastors • Teachers Staff Ministers Congregational Assistants Lay Members • Master of Science in Education Degree (online) • Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Licensure • Synodical Teacher Certification • Certificate of Educational Technology-NEW • WLS Pastors’ Quarter Satellite Courses • MN District Pastors’ Institute • Hebrew Institute • Hebrew Review • Staff Ministry Certification • Congregational Assistant Program
August 7 Knights Workday: Do you have a green thumb? Do you have a thumb? If so, you are qualified to lend a hand on August 7. This alumni and friends “Arbor Day” begins at 9 and ends at 1, with snacks and lunch provided between. September 17-19 Homecoming Weekend: Sports . . . old friends . . . NWC alumni rededication of the Sprinter . . . Family Fun Zone . . . Sunday morning worship in the Chapel of the Christ . . . “Fill the Field”—all alumni recognized at halftime of the 1:00 pm Saturday football game. October 2 Dead Sea Scrolls: Join us for this trip to the St. Paul Science Museum, with Professor Lyle Lange as our leader. November 5-7 Oklahoma! Enjoy a remake of the first musical ever done at DMLC!
Marlene Micheel DMLC ’70 White SD
Marvin Meihack DMLC ’55 Neillsville WI
• In-Service Courses for Principals, LES, ECE • Online Courses • On-Campus Courses • Off-Campus Courses Over 1000 people enrolled in continuing education opportunities at MLC in 2009. For opportunities in the summer of 2010 and beyond, go to mlc-wels.edu and type “Continuing Education” in the search box.
Mary Engel DMLC ’65 Waupaca WI Luther College Martin
Mary Unnasch DMLC ’80 Dakota MN 25
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m a r t i n Campus Family
Programs
Academic Resources
• Undergraduates on campus: 681 (328 male, 353 female) • Students from 31 states and 8 countries • Faculty (tenured, adjunct, other): 70+ • Average Class Size: 17 • Freshman Profile: 3.44 Avg. HS GPA 24.3 Avg. ACT score
Undergraduate Degrees– Educational Studies • Bachelor of Science in Education - Early Childhood Education - Elementary Education - Secondary Education - Elementary Education and Secondary Education - Elementary Education and Early Childhood Ed - Elementary Education and Staff Ministry • Bachelor of Science - Staff Ministry - Staff Ministry & Parish Music • Staff Ministry Certification • Post-Baccalaureate Licensure Program Undergraduate Degrees – Preseminary Studies • Bachelor of Arts • Seminary Certification Program Graduate Studies • Master of Science in Education
• MLC Library • Media Center • Peer Tutoring • Academic Counseling • Computer Labs • Writing Center • Moodle.com • SMART Classrooms • Online Course Management System
Campus & City • 50-acre campus at the highest point in New Ulm • Adjacent to Flandrau State Park • Downtown theater, sports venues, shopping, restaurants • 25 miles from Mankato & 90 miles from Twin Cities
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l u t h e r
Matt Kanzenbach MLC ’05 Watertown Martin LutherSD College
Matthew Rauh NWC ’85 Benton Harbor MI
2009-2010 Costs Tuition $10,660 Rm & Bd $ 4,140 Total $14,800 More than 90% of students receive financial aid.
Accreditation Martin Luther College is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
Meinhardt Witt NWC ’35 Norfolk NE
Michelle Piske MLC ’00 Yakima WA
c o l l e g e At a Glance Spiritual Life
Music
Drama
• Morning & evening chapel • Evening Compline • Nearby churches on weekends • Communion services • Spiritual counseling services • Bible studies
• 4 Choirs (open to all students for credit) • Band (open to all students for credit) • Individual lessons in voice, piano, and organ • Handbells and instrumental ensembles • 19 pipe organs • 6 piano studios and 15 piano practice rooms • 2 computerized piano labs
5 annual productions (fall musical, winter play, readers’ theater, outdoor classical theater, and children’s theater) staged by Forum, the student-run drama club
Experiential Learning Opportunities • Daylight USA short-term ministry: - 175+ students served in 25 states and provinces • Daylight International teaching overseas: - 40+ grads now teaching in 6 different countries - 19 graduates of May 2010 will teach next year in Southeast Asia, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic • Early Field Experience • Urban Ministry Focus • Spanish Immersion Trip • German Immersion Experience • Thailand English / Bible Camp • Student Teaching in Diverse Settings (Hispanic, Urban)
Myrna Kiecker DMLC ’55 Fairfax MN
Athletics
Other Co-Curriculars Student Senate, Dorm Council, Audio-Visual Services, Intramural Board, Meet Math, Anchor Service Club, New Friends, Renaissance Faire, Studium Excitare, Dance Team, Male Cheerleaders, Campus Tour Guides, Photography Team, Outdoor Adventure Club, Art Club, etc.
• NCAA DIII / Upper Midwest Athletic Conference • 16 Intercollegiate sports (8 men’s / 8 women’s) • 14+ Intramural sports with 400+ students
Nancy Stremlow DMLC ’80 Brown Deer WI
Nathan Cordes NWC ’85 Bend OR Martin Luther College
Olga Tkachenko MLC ’05 Ternopil, Ukraine 27
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MLC is grateful to our Lord Jesus for everyone who has made deferred gifts to MLC through estate planning vehicles, such as wills, trusts, annuities, and life insurance policies. These gifts are so valued here at MLC because they not only support our mission, but they promote gospel outreach as our graduates carry the good news to every corner of the world. These gifts are also highly valued because they represent a thoughtful, Spirit-prompted approach to sharing God’s blessings with future generations. To maximize the impact of these thoughtful plans, and planners, MLC has launched SOLA, the Support & Outreach Legacy Association. By identifying and gathering donors who have made deferred gifts to MLC, this association seeks to . . . • spread the gospel message through the ministry of MLC and through SOLA outreach projects. • celebrate the blessings that God has lavished on MLC through his people. • confirm donors’ intent, assuring supporters that their gifts will be used as they wish.
“It is important to my wife, Ruth, and me that we make provision for MLC in our financial planning,” said Professor Emeritus Arnold Koelpin. “Membership in SOLA lets the college know about our support for the school’s mission, and, at the same time, lets us join others who also remember MLC in this way.” To join SOLA, either by making a deferred gift or letting us know that you already have, please contact your WELS Christian giving counselor (800.827.5482) or MLC staff:
• provide a means of mutual encouragement for deferred giving through a published SOLA roster. (If you prefer, we’ll keep your name private.)
Jon Scharlemann 877.MLC.1995 scharljj@mlc-wels.edu
• communicate the joy of deferred giving as expressed by SOLA contributors.
Jim Hahn 877.MLC.1995 hahnjr@mlc-wels.edu
• foster a deeper sense of ownership among friends of MLC. • educate those with a heart for MLC’s ministry how their planned gifts can serve future generations of called workers. If you’ve included MLC in your trust or will or if you’ve named MLC as a beneficiary of your life insurance or IRA/401K, then please let us know
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so that your plans may encourage others and may be of service to MLC’s financial planning.
Oliver Lindholm NWC ’65 Delano MN College Martin Luther
Raymond Ziebell NWC ’65 La Crosse WI
Kate Tohal 877.MLC.1995 tohalkj@mlc-wels.edu
SOLA Dinner: An on-campus kick-off dinner is scheduled for Saturday,
November 6, 2010.
After the dinner, members may choose to attend the MLC musical, Oklahoma! Please watch for more details.
Renee Westphal DMLC ’95 Fond du Lac WI
Robert Neumann MLC ’05 Brodhead WI
From the Mission Advancement Office “reduce or eliminate the wide fluctuation in subsidy experienced in recent years” and “reestablish the reserve fund as a part of the college’s annual budget.”
Your gifts to MLC from July 1, 2009, to April 30, 2010, exceeded $1.5M. We are grateful beyond words for the generosity of God’s people!
• reestablish depleted financial aid reserves to maintain student financial assistance.
At MLC, we have been diligent as well. We put forth a “bare bones” budget for 2009-2010, with drastic cuts in staffing, equipment, repairs, and maintenance. Then the faculty and staff practiced great care in every expense, under-spending that budget by 3%.
• reinstate decreased employee compensation and hourly levels. • enhance revenues through service areas such as continuing education and graphic arts.
We must balance this good news, however, with the financial concerns we still face at your WELS College of Ministry. Specifically, we need to . . .
We humbly ask for God’s continued blessings on this college and on all of you who so generously support this college with prayers, encouragement, and gifts.
• replace $135,000 in Thrivent GivingPlus® matching gifts as we embark on the new Thrivent ChoiceSM program.
Jon Scharlemann VP, Mission Advancement
• respond to directives from the Higher Learning Commission in their accreditation report, that we
The MLC Shepherd Society The Shepherd Society is growing! This society consists of people who have given thank offerings to Martin Luther College in appreciation of pastors, teachers, or staff ministers whom God has used to make a difference in their lives. MLC gives special recognition to the called workers so honored, including a personalized “Certificate of Appreciation” like the one below. If you’d like to honor a called worker who’s made a difference in your life, send us the following form with your gift. It’s a great way to help MLC, thank a special person, and glorify our Lord, the Good Shepherd! Your Name____________________________________________________________________________________ Address_________________________________City_____________________ State________ Zip______________ Phone____________________________ Email (opt)__________________________________________________
My gift of gratitude to MLC:
$_____
$50
$75
$100
$150
$_____
I’m giving this gift in honor of _____________________________ (Name of WELS pastor, teacher, or staff minister) My Words of Gratitude: “I’m grateful to this called worker because
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Please remit to The Shepherd Society, Martin Luther College, New Ulm MN 56073
Robert Schierenbeck DMLC ’45 Sanborn MN
of his work tude for le with grati ing God’s peop shepherd
Robert Siirila NWC ’75 Bloomington MN
Ruth Schnitker DMLC ’35 New Ulm MN Luther College Martin
Sandra Carlson DMLC ’65 Spokane WA 29
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Professor Paul Bases was awarded a 10-day exploratory trip of language immersion sites in southern Spain by the Spanish Tourism Bureau last summer, and he is prepared to serve as a resource person to WELS high schools seeking Spanish immersion sites.
Professor John Boeder WLS ’90 received his Master of Science degree in College Student Affairs from Minnesota State University, Mankato. Professor Joel Fredrich WLS ’82 presented an exegetical study of the Lord’s Prayer at the Minnesota District Pastors’ Conference in April. He was also appointed by the Conference of Presidents to a three-person committee studying issues relating to the termination of calls.
Professor John Gronholz ’68 presented “SPARK (Sports Play and Active Recreation for Kids) Physical Education Curriculum” at the Northern Wisconsin Teachers’ Conference at Riverview-Appleton WI in February. He is also serving as a consultant for the SPARK physical education curriculum and for POLAR physical fitness technology on the leadership team for the Brown and Nicollet County Statewide Health Improvement Program. Dr. James Grunwald ’78 taught “Activities in Using the SmartBoard” in October 2009 in the New Ulm area, and he represented the WELS School Accreditation Association at the National Council for Private School Accreditation Technology Task Force meeting in Orlando FL in January. He also served as a guest on the WELS Tech podcast “Going to School on the Internet” in March, where he discussed the new Certificate of Educational Technology (CET) program at MLC.
Professor Lance Hartzell ’71 presented “Sculpting Using Different Kinds of Media” at the Minnesota Lutheran State Teachers’ Conference
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Sharon Carl DMLC ’85 Janesville WICollege Martin Luther
Sharon Gunderson MLC ’00 Wood Lake MN
and the Wisconsin Lutheran State Teachers’ Conference in October.
Professor Emeritus Arnold J. Koelpin WLS ’58 presented “To Russia with Love” at the Northern Wisconsin Lutheran Missionary Society, “Luther: Life and Teaching” at Christ-North St. Paul in October, and a “Life of Luther” seminar at Grace-Flint MI in May.
Professor Doug Lange WLS ’82 earned a Master of Sports Science (Sports Coaching) degree from the United States Sports Academy, Daphne AL, in February.
Dr. Mark Lenz WLS ’69 contributed three sections of commentary for The Lutheran Study Bible, a 2009 Concordia Publishing House publication. He also presented “Your Personality Is a Gift from God” to a multi-congregational women’s group in Cochran WI in March.
Professor Larry Lotito ’85 has been appointed director of assessment, a part-time position in which he will assess and document student learning.
Dr. Carla Melendy presented “Early Childhood Education Assessment: A Mosaic” at the Wisconsin Lutheran State Teachers’ Conference in October. Professor John Meyer ’87 presented “Outreach in Early Childhood Ministry” at Emmanuel-Hudson WI in November and “Professional Growth in the WELS” at the Western Wisconsin Teachers’ Conference in February.
Dr. Kermit Moldenhauer ’71 led a “Choral Conducting Workshop” at St. Paul-Onalaska WI in February. This prototype workshop was conducted on behalf of the WELS Commission on Worship to assist self-taught and new choral conductors.
Stephanie Riley MLC ’00 Toledo OH
Steve Strieter DMLC ’75 Bay City MI
The Martin Luther College family praises the Lord of the Church for the service of Dr. David Wendler and Professor Martin Sponholz, who are celebrating 40 years in the ministry.
Professor Thomas Nass WLS ’82 edited the Hebrew portions of Treasures Old and New (John Jeske, Northwestern Publishing House, 2009), a devotional book for pastors with daily readings from the Greek and Hebrew Scriptures. Instructor Brent Nolte ’94 has been awarded a tuition fellowship by the University of Minnesota School of Music. He will begin doctoral studies in organ performance in fall 2010.
Professor Mark Paustian WLS ’88 presented “Treasures in Jars of Clay,” the spiritual keynote at the Wisconsin Lutheran State Teachers’ Conference in October 2009. He also led the following workshops in the spring of 2010: “Our Lives Together” (marriage retreat in Hugo MN); “Where Two or Three Come Together: The Christian in Conflict” (Sleepy Eye MN); “Christian Men Communicating in Christ” (men’s retreat in Houston TX); “Prepared to Answer: Narrative Witnessing” (women’s retreat in New Ulm MN); and “Christian Vocation” (Arizona Pastors’ Conference in Flagstaff AZ). Professor Jonathan Roux presented “The Secret Knowledge of Reading Comprehension: Strategies that Work” at the Northern Wisconsin Teachers’ Conference at Riverview-Appleton WI in February.
Vice President Steven Thiesfeldt ’74 is serving as a consultant to Evergreen Lutheran High School in the development of a strategic plan as part of their accreditation requirements. Vice President David Wendler presented the keynote address at the Minnesota Teachers’ Conference in October as well as two presentations at the Higher Learning Commission Annual Meeting on “Changes in Accreditation.” Dean of Educational Studies Kurt Wittmershaus ’88 presented “Integrating Themes and Standards into 4th-8th Grade Social Studies” at the Western Wisconsin Teachers’ Conference in Rice Lake in February and taught “Essential German,” a six-week basic travel German class, to area adults and teens through the New Ulm Sister Cities Commission.
President Mark Zarling presented “Gospel Gems in Genesis: God’s Powerful Love as Revealed in His Names” at a men’s retreat in New Braunfels TX; “Straight Talk on Adiaphora” at the Pastors’ Institute at Beautiful Savior-West Des Moines IA; “Marvel at the Miracle of Christian Marriage” at a marriage retreat at Beautiful Savior-Clarksville TN; and “Build God’s House” at a men’s retreat at Camp Shiloh, Pittsburg TX.
Professor John Schmidt WLS ’74 edited the Greek portions of Treasures Old and New (John Jeske, Northwestern Publishing House, 2009), a devotional book for pastors with daily readings from the Greek and Hebrew Scriptures.
Dr. Alan Spurgin ’71 presented “Emotionally and Behaviorally Disturbed (EBD) and Learning Disabled (LD) in Lutheran Elementary and Early Childhood Classrooms,” a five-hour presentation, to the Pacific Northwest Teachers’ Conference in Spokane WA on March 4-5, 2010.
Thomas Knickelbein NWC ’70 Oklahoma City OK
Verona Buchholz DMLC ’50 Weyauwega WI
Looking for a Speaker for your next conference, meeting, in-service, or retreat? The MLC Speakers Bureau puts speakers and topics at your fingertips: theology, Christian living, educational research, best practices, history, science, writing, church history, MLC programs, and more. For a copy of the MLC Speakers Bureau, contact Public Relations Director Bill Pekrul ’80 at pekrulwa@mlc-wels.edu.
Virginia Mashke DMLC ’70 St. Joseph MI Luther College Martin
William Pekrul DMLC ’80 Sheffield MA 31
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Who’s teaching art in Florida? Who’s coaching sports in South Dakota? Who’s teaching Spanish at St. Croix Lutheran High? Who’s a youth director in Stillwater, Minnesota? Who’s coordinating school technology in Milwaukee? Who’s a choir director in California? Who’s teaching grades 1-2 in Dallas? Who’s teaching English in the Dominican Republic? Who’s a preschool director in North Carolina? Who’s teaching high school in Southeast Asia? Who’s an instructor at Nebraska Ev. Lutheran High? Who’s teaching K-12 music in Florida? Who’s a tutor at Michigan Lutheran Seminary? Who’s enrolling at Seminary? Who’s starting an exciting new life of service to the church?
The 2010 Graduates of Martin luther College
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