Concordia Magazine: Spring 2015

Concordia Magazine CONCORDIA COLLEGE, MOORHEAD MINNESOTA, USA

SPRING 2015

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Changing F-M Metro page 16

Marketing Beyond Stereotypes

President’s Letter Dear Alumni and Friends, Summer is here! Spring, never a long season in the Red River Valley, reached its happy highpoint at Commencement May 3 – a day we sent forth 593 Concordia graduates to influence the affairs of the world.

That day we recognized with honorary doctorates two who have already influenced that world through devoted service: U.S. Senator, Ambassador, and Vice President Walter Mondale, who served as our speaker, and National Book Foundation Executive Director Harold Augenbraum, with whom we just celebrated the 10th anniversary of Concordia as the founding partner of the National Book Awards on Campus.

Our newest alums are already launched into work both great and good. In last fall’s column I wrote about Concordia’s remarkable placement of its students into graduate and professional schools, and into first jobs.

From the Class of 2015, just a few stories: Amy Tran won a U.S. State Department Critical Language Scholarship to study language and culture in China; Olivia Gear earned a Fulbright to teach in Germany; Katie Bjelde will be doing an advanced degree focused on terrorism, security, and society at King’s College London; Christopher Haugdahl, after work last year on a marketing project featured in USA Today, accepted a position with Archer Daniels Midland; Laura Prosinski, who studied nursing, earned an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship; and Domenic Fraboni will be studying physical therapy at Mayo Clinic.

These stories flow from the idealism and commitment of our students. Those students prosper because of devoted Concordia faculty who mentor them – and because of the abiding faith and support that each of you provides. This year our faculty were honored beyond the institution in various ways: Associate Professor of German Jonathan Clark was featured as a cultural historian on TLC’s “Who Do You Think You Are?”; the BBC interviewed Professor of Political Science Rebecca Moore for its program on NATO and the Ukrainian conflict; and Psychology Professor Susan Larson has been named president-elect of the Council on Undergraduate Research. Under the guidance of Mathematics Associate Professor John Reber, Concordia took first place for the second year in a row at the 2015 Midwest Undergraduate Data Analytics Competition – the best of 24 teams from four states. And this April, under the leadership of Associate Professor Faith Ngunjiri, director of the Lorentzsen Center for Faith and Work in the Offutt School of Business, Concordia offered a highly successful conference on “Global Mindset: Engaging Cultural and Religious Diversity at Work.”

These student and faculty achievements arise in a culture of creativity and diligence. As we seek to flourish at a moment of rapid change in higher education, our work is to focus, to innovate, and to build. We focus by directing our resources where they will best enable our students to thrive. We innovate by fashioning learning so that all students will gain the capacity for innovation, rigor, and risk they need in a world that needs them to be agile of mind and generous of soul.

We build by creating new programming that increases our academic range and the appeal to new students. I think of the new Finance major, the new Data Analytics minor, the new major in Heritage and Museum Studies – and more on the way. I think too of raising our endowment to its highest level ever and of the skilled planning for the $45 million renovation of our science facilities. And I think of the fact that at the end of the current fiscal year, with more than $19.9 million raised, we exceeded the all-time Concordia record for cash received. Thank you for your generosity!

This is a challenging time in higher education. Concordia will meet that challenge. In the faithful action of our students, faculty, staff, graduates, and friends, Concordia will thrive to influence the affairs of the world.

Dr. William J. Craft

CONTENTS Concordia Magazine CONCORDIA COLLEGE, MOORHEAD MINNESOTA, USA

SPRING 2015

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FEATURES 2 STARTUP SPIRIT 8 DEAR BETSY 12 FINDING THE RIGHT PATH 14 ROOTING FOR SUCCESS 16 MARKETING BEYOND STEREOTYPES 24 CREATING A BALANCE 30 KISSING IN THE CHAPEL,

COVER The winner of Startup Weekend Fargo, hosted in Concordia’s Offutt School of Business, receives this trophy.

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Marketing Beyond Stereotypes

Photo: Zach Davis Photography

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PRAYING IN THE FRAT HOUSE

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IN EVERY ISSUE

ONLINE

2 0 NEWS 25 ALUMNI NEWS 26 CLASS NOTES

Watch Corey Foyt ‘16 and other Offutt School of Business students talk about their college experiences Read full bios of retiring faculty, administrators Learn more about squirrel research at Concordia To see the online magazine, visit

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ConcordiaCollege.edu/magazine

STAFF

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Editor: Roger E. Degerman ’84 Managing Editor: Erin Hemme Froslie ’96 Associate Director: Amy J. Aasen ’95 Media Relations Director: Amy E. Kelly ’95 Visual Design Director: Andrea White ’12 Designer: Lori J. Steedsman Content Coordinator/Editor: Tracey J. Bostick Content Specialists: Eric Lillehaugen ’11, Laura Caroon ’06 Developer: Morgan Lewis Project Manager: Kaylin Walker Sports Information Director: Jim Cella Media Relations Assistant: Kim Kappes Print Shop: John Phelps Student Assistants: Brianne Lee ’16, Sage Larson ’17

Office of Communications and Marketing • (218) 299-3147 Campus Info • (218) 299-4000 ConcordiaCollege.edu Correspondence concerning Concordia Magazine Volume 53, Number 2, should be addressed to: The Editor, Office of Communications and Marketing, Concordia College, 901 8th St. S., Moorhead, MN 56562 or magazine@cord.edu To change your address or unsubscribe from the Concordia Magazine mailing list, contact Alumni Records at (218) 299-3743, alumni@cord.edu or Office of Alumni Relations, Concordia College, 901 8th St. S., Moorhead, MN 56562. Update your record online at ConcordiaCollege.edu/classnotes Concordia Magazine is published two times a year (spring and fall) by the Office of Communications and Marketing, Concordia College, 901 8th St. S., Moorhead, MN 56562. © 2015 Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota 918299/39.3M/0515

TEDx events bring people together for a TEDlike experience, where leading thinkers give short presentations that spark discussion and connection. Fargo’s draws hundreds of attendees. Photo: TEDxFargo

By Erin Hemme Froslie

arisa Jackels ’14 never thought she’d be an entrepreneur. But this spring she participated in her first Startup Weekend Fargo event.

Hosted by Concordia’s Offutt School of Business, the event took place over three days. At the end, teams presented business ideas to a panel of judges.

Jackels and her Startup partner, Sarah English, pitched Fargo Hotcakes, which aims to deliver fresh pancakes to downtown workers. The fledgling idea won honorable mention and a flurry of fans who want to know when the breakfast cart will be up and running.

“The whole experience opens your eyes to what you can do and create,” Jackels says.

“We did it in 54 hours. It’s empowering.”

The startup event is also one more example of a new culture arising in the Fargo-Moorhead community, one that is embracing innovation, collaboration and artistic ventures on a broad scale.

This entrepreneurial, startup culture is a boon for Concordia students seeking valuable experiences and young alumni looking to make their mark in the postcollege world. It’s also a breath of fresh air for those who have called the metro area home long before its flagship city was the name of a Coen brothers film or its TV spinoff.

Instead of shivering in oversized winter coats, these innovators are participating in startup events and flocking to meetups. They’re organizing gatherings like 1 Million Cups and an independent TEDx. Fargo-Moorhead is no longer a drive-by community – it’s the place to be.

“It’s not an attraction, it’s a feeling. It’s more about an attitude, the energy that’s

happening,” says Charley Johnson ’72, president and CEO of the Fargo-Moorhead Convention and Visitors Bureau. “It’s the prairie cool attitude.”

-------------------------------------------The Fargo-Moorhead metro is the largest community between the Twin Cities and Spokane, Wash. For generations, it has been a natural hub for agriculture, education and health, fields represented by some of the region’s largest employers.

Yet, for decades the region faced demographic decline and a sense that it had little more to offer than blustery winters and a Midwest nice demeanor.

As recently as 2002, the local newspaper published a series of stories called “Saving North Dakota.” The project jump-started months of discussions about ways to retain those most likely to pack their suitcases and leave North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota – young adults between 18 and 34 years old.

That’s not the case any longer.

This past year, the community that is home to Concordia College landed on the top of a USA Today list of cities that are born of deep demographic shifts and the power of technology.

Dubbed “millennial magnets,” these cities are attracting 20something adults and keeping recent college graduates.

The community landed 10th on a Greg Tehven (right) often acts as emcee for the weekly 1 Million Cups Fargo event. Tehven is executive director of Emerging Prairie and leads Concordia’s Social Entrepreneurship in India program. Photo: Rick Abbot Photo Concordia Magazine

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In the past year, Corey Foyt ’16 has met with business representatives from as far away as Oslo, Norway. He has finessed technology that helps a new health clinic better serve its patients.

Margot Peterson ’10 arrived at Concordia from the suburbs of Chicago. She expected to study music and then move on to the next adventure.

He has also interacted with executive teams from some of the largest health systems in the Upper Midwest.

Those plans changed as she became part of a growing statistic – a college student who comes to the community for an education and stays for the opportunities.

These experiences are valuable for anyone’s résumé, and he’s not even a full-time employee at Intelligent InSites in Fargo.

Today, Peterson has a full-time job with the largest healthcare organization in the region and has started her own business with two other Cobbers.

He’s an intern.

“It’s really the perfect place to do this,” Peterson says.

“There are so many good connections here.”

“We’re given a lot of responsibility,” Foyt says.

The Zimmerman, Minn., native studies healthcare administration in Concordia’s Offutt School of Business. “They trust us and expect we’ll excel.”

Such experience doesn’t happen everywhere. FargoMoorhead’s size and accessibility offers Concordia students a unique opportunity to get intimately involved in the community’s business life.

Students like Foyt aren’t just observers; they’re making things happen.

Intelligent InSites is a software platform developer that provides real-time operations intelligence data for healthcare organizations. The company’s vice president of partnerships and international business, Ralf Mehnert-Meland, is assistant professor of business law in the Offutt School of Business. At Concordia, it’s typical for connections in the classroom to lead to outside opportunities.

Foyt works with strategic partnerships for Intelligent InSites. He interacts with customers and researches healthcare trends. His understanding of healthcare administration is a valuable asset for the company’s software developers.

The experience also has opened his eyes to new ways of reforming healthcare in the U.S. He always expected he’d move to the Twin Cities to pursue a career as an administrator at a healthcare facility.

Now, he’s not so sure.

“I might stay here,” he says. “Either way, I’m prepared. And that makes all the difference.”

Peterson graduated with a major in sociology and a minor in child and family studies. When she met her husband, Mike, she decided to stay in the FargoMoorhead community.

She first took a job as a preschool teacher and then transitioned to a role at HERO, a nonprofit organization that recycles healthcare equipment.

While there, she rediscovered a love for writing, something she enjoyed during her liberal arts education at Concordia.

This led to a job at Sanford Health, where she has been the internal communications strategist for more than a year.

“I really found the job because of connections,” Peterson says. “Fargo-Moorhead is the type of community where you recognize people and they recognize you. That makes a difference when you’re job searching.”

She makes it a priority to interact with people who have similar interests. And she’s amazed at the different ways one can get involved in the community, whether it’s church, theatre or choir.

Connections with Max Kringen ‘11 and Gia Rassier ‘10 led to the start of Tellwell. The founders of the emerging social media agency are excited to see what they can do as a team.

And Peterson has no plans to leave. She and her husband recently purchased what they hope will be their forever home in nearby West Fargo.

“It feels like home,” she says.

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As Arday Ardayfio ’02 reflects on the fast success of his company, Blueprint Computer Solutions, he admits it wouldn’t be possible just anywhere.

Fargo-Moorhead was key.

“Here I don’t have to make my case or build trust,” he says. “Here I know somebody who knows somebody.

It makes things a little easier.”

Now with clients in 29 states and an employee base of about a dozen people, the company has broadened its reach beyond the Red River Valley. But the area provides a solid foundation from which to seek new opportunities.

It’s a philosophy that has paid off well for Ardayfio, who was recently named to a 40 Under 40 list of a local business magazine.

He started Blueprint Computer Solutions to provide technology services to small and mid-sized businesses.

A call from a hotel led to the company offering around-the-clock troubleshooting of Wi-Fi services in hotels, nursing homes and apartment buildings across the country.

And just this year, it began serving as one of the main sales agencies in the region for Xerox copiers.

“I could run this business from anywhere,” Ardayfio says. “But it would take longer to do what we’ve done. This is a place where people want to build and create.”

After graduation, Ardayfio worked for Concordia as an admissions representative. One day he walked into a local clothing store to purchase a suit. There he met one of the owners who then introduced Ardayfio to the Fargo Kiwanis Club, which Ardayfio eventually led as president.

His biggest issue is finding enough good people to fill positions. With 2 percent unemployment in the community, it’s a job seekers’ market.

Even that won’t hold him back.

“As long as you’re willing to work, there’s opportunity,” he says.

Forbes list of cities with the highest job growth. Fargo saw 4 percent growth between August 2013 and August 2014, adding 5,300 jobs. Still, the numbers only tell part of the story.

Every Wednesday morning, the place to be in FargoMoorhead is at 1 Million Cups. The national program provides a stage for entrepreneurs to educate, engage and connect with each other. Fargo’s event consistently draws one of the largest crowds in the nation.

During a recent gathering, John Walters played the role of part emcee, part cheerleader as he welcomed a crowd of about 200. Pacing along the edge of the stage, he reminded the eclectic crowd that one of the main purposes of the event is meeting others in the room.

“It takes seven interactions for a meaningful relationship to develop,” he says and then repeats himself for emphasis: “Seven interactions.”

After two local startups share their respective plans for manufacturing green polymers and building a languagelearning app, audience members shouted in unison: “How can we help?”

Similar scenes have played out for the past year, as students, business leaders, academics, retirees and more listen to and advise the community’s entrepreneurs. For the opportunity, they flock to a theatre on the edge of Fargo’s largest downtown park.

-------------------------------------------------------------Jeff Knight ’04 used to apologize for being from Fargo.

Now he’s proud enough to boast that this is where he lives.

He teaches graphic design at Concordia and strongly encourages his students to attend events like 1 Million Cups and TEDxFargo.

“In Fargo, these successful people (who present) become accessible to students. The walls of leadership get broken down,” Knight says. “Students can ask high-level people questions and reach out to them. There’s a lot more potential for students to get connected here.”

In addition to introducing students to business leaders, Knight invites students to become part of the community.

He holds classes in downtown coffee shops so students can appreciate the neighborhoods that surround campus. And this year, he asked two of his graphics students to join his volunteer design team for Fargo’s July TEDx event.

Letting students know that their input and energy is not only needed but valuable is a big part of what can keep them here long after graduation, he says.

“There’s been a big shift. When I was a student, you got your degree and you left – most likely to Minneapolis,” he says. “Now I see students who become invested in this community while they’re here. And they want to stay.”

Ashley Dedin ‘12 is one of those. She transferred to Concordia in fall 2009 from a junior college near Chicago.

Her love affair with Fargo-Moorhead began immediately.

“The day I got here, I decided to stay,” she says.

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Marisa Jackels ’14 (left) presents a business plan at Startup Weekend Fargo, which was hosted by Concordia’s Offutt School of Business.

Photo: Zach Davis Photography

After graduation, Dedin found an apartment in the trendy downtown area where she can walk to a coffee shop and the baristas know her by name.

The young artist rented a small studio space, where she started sewing neckties from recycled garments.

Then one of her Concordia mentors encouraged her to rent a larger space for retail options. She jumped at the chance and opened AENDEE in July 2013. Since then she’s been honored by Martha Stewart and has built a presence on Etsy. She has sold neckties to a wedding party in New Zealand and sewn heirloom items for family members of a late patriarch.

“I’m living the life I want to have, and to do what I love is priceless,” she says.

Being in Fargo-Moorhead is a big part of her success, Dedin says.

“People have a different approach to work here,” she says. “People want to collaborate instead of compete. There’s a sense of comraderie, a sense that we’re all in this together.

“It’s Fargo nice. Minnesota nice.

Genuine nice.”

--------------------------------------------And while nice is, well, nice, it is only the start of what creates an attractive startup community. Emerging Prairie, an organization in Fargo, has been one of the leaders in providing resources and opportunities to support innovation and collaboration. Greg Tehven, who leads Concordia’s Social Entrepreneurship in India experience, is the group’s executive director.

Fargo-Moorhead is experiencing a perfect storm, he says. A strong education system from kindergarten through college paired with a renewed urban core provides a solid foundation for a population no longer limited by geography. An affordable cost of living means artists and entrepreneurs can create a meaningful life in a place with culture and excitement.

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“Our community is filled with organizations and people trying to improve the human condition,” he says. “It’s a perfect match to Concordia’s mission for students to become responsibly engaged in the world. They can take what they’re learning in the classroom and apply it in a way that allows them to accomplish something special.”

Jackels has a front-row seat to the work.

Not only is she a budding entrepreneur, but she’s a writer for Emerging Prairie.

As part of that work, she recently penned a blog for Tech.Co, which compared Fargo to the Silicon Valley: “Perhaps as a result of this energy, more and more innovators are deciding to stay … There is a collaborative energy, locals say – a team effort at making this city a place where people want to live.

“At 1 Million Cups Fargo, the last question every time is ‘How can our community help to support you as you grow your startup?’

“The thing is, that support is already present. When that many people consistently show up week after week, it sends a clear message to the city’s brightest and most innovative minds: you are wanted here.”

And it’s a message being heard loud and clear across the community. Everybody benefits as Fargo-Moorhead develops a new name for itself, a name not associated with an Academy Award-winning movie.

“Anything you can do to bring people here breaks down the stereotypes,” Johnson says.

It’s why the Fargo-Moorhead Convention and Visitors Bureau has helped to sponsor the Misfit Conference, an international event dedicated to figuring out how to live a deliberate life by doing work that truly matters.

During one of the receptions, Johnson struck up a conversation with one of the attendees, who was from Belfast. Yes, there were misperceptions and questions. But there was interest and awe, as well.

“Those (questions) get the conversation started,” he says.

And the conversation certainly won’t end there. ■

Ashley Dedin ’12 runs her business AENDEE in downtown Fargo. The Chicago-area native creates and sells neckties and accessories made from recycled shirts.

Photo: Zach Davis Photography

abeth Shop the Mary Eliz go n Hotel, Far and Donaldso

the HoDo, Fargo

the Fargo

Dear Betsy, Catherine McMullen (left), associate professor of English at Concordia, writes this letter to her childhood friend and classmate from Fargo South High School, Betsy Teutsch. Betsy now lives in Mount Airy, Pa. Here they are pictured at her 17th birthday party.

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You ask how Fargo-Moorhead has changed – if it remains the place where you were born and raised, if its character has changed, or if it’s the same community you and I were so eager to leave almost 45 years ago because we found it boring, provincial, white-bread, uncritical of itself, defensive, smacking of small-town boosterism. The quick answer: Yes. No. We’ve changed; we’re the same. It’s complicated.

Theatre

Y

ead downtown Moorh

ou were last here in 1990 for our 20th class reunion, so you already know that that our high school, built amid cornfields on the far south edge of the city, now sits smack in the middle. Since then, both Fargo and Moorhead have stretched so far to the south that Wahpeton-Breckenridge might soon be suburbs. You’ve seen the movie “Fargo” and perhaps chuckled in recognition at the attire or groaned at the over-the-top Norske accents, but you’ve also read the national stories that proclaim Fargo as hip and cool. We are starting to believe it ourselves.

“Quirky” might be the best adjective to describe local attitude and culture in 2015. That’s what the FargoMoorhead Convention and Visitors Bureau was trying to tap into when it came up with its new marketing slogan: “North of Normal,” which it says reflects “our young, highly educated talent that’s churning out innovative ideas, eateries, events and businesses that are reshaping the face of this region.”

I’ll start with food, always near and dear to my heart, always a barometer of culture and a reflection of place.

Where you once worked at the Mary Elizabeth Shop on Broadway stands the Hotel Donaldson, always cited

downtown Moorhead

by travel writers as evidence of Fargo’s new hip culture, commonly called the HoDo. The menu at the HoDo, one of a growing roster of high-end Fargo-Moorhead restaurants, features the sophisticated dishes found in large American and European cities: Pan-Seared Scallops with Braised Swiss Chard, Olive Oil Potatoes, Wild Mushrooms, Demi-sec Tomatoes in Beurre Blanc, Beet and Goat Cheese Salad with Arugula, Shaved Sunchokes, Toasted Pine Nuts, Horseradish Cream in a Red Wine Vinaigrette. But look again at the lunch menu, and there it is, that old Norwegian staple born of poverty: Potato Klub.

And a recent prix fixe lunch menu featured meatballs and lefse, even if they were served upscale with lingonberries and herbed butter.

At Rustica, a new restaurant in the space on the corner of Moorhead’s Main Avenue that once housed rowdy Diemert’s Bar, you might select Crispy Duck Confit with Cranberry Mostarda, Butternut Squash and Sherry Dijon Brussels Sprouts. But if it’s Wednesday it’s still Pie Day at the Village Inn, and if you’re lucky it just might be time for the Sons of Norway’s monthly lutefisk and meatball dinner.

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bingo breakfast; we boast a vibrant arts community with art museums, an opera, a symphony and countless other musical ensembles, dance groups and theaters. Some weekends offer such a feast of cultural offerings that we have to make tough choices: A foreign film at our beloved art deco Fargo Theatre? The exhibit “Bakken Boom! Artists Respond to the North Dakota Oil Rush” at the Plains Art Museum? A reggae band at the HoDo? A literary reading at one of the colleges?

W I

t’s no stretch to say that Fargo-Moorhead’s divergent menus are metaphors for the changing culture of FargoMoorhead. Over the last decade or so, Fargo-Moorhead has developed a split personality, and I don’t mean a common character divided by the Red River. We are sophisticated and worldly; we are down-home and, at times, provincial.

We are increasingly diverse, but our ancestry is still largely Scandinavian and German.

We are liberal; we are conservative. Depending on which side of the river is home, we live in one of the bluest states in the country – Minnesota, which in 2013 legalized same-sex marriage – or one of the reddest, North Dakota, which recently and for the third time in six years defeated a measure to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation.

We are not small-town, but we’re not big city. Our crime rate remains low, but few people these days keep their homes unlocked. The Forum recently ran a frontpage story reporting an increase in crime: in 2014 some 71 robberies were reported in Fargo, up to from 21 in 2005; there was a 51 percent increase in homicides over the same period, which sounds horrific – but there were four, so the statistic is a bit misleading.

We are affluent, but we have twice as many homeless people as we had in 2000, lured here by our low unemployment rate or stuck here, broke, on the way to work in the oil fields out west. Over the winter, the shelters were so packed that local churches took turns offering beds in their pews and fellowship halls. Yes, we are still a community of churches, and the long-established synagogue and a new mosque, but local clergy might tell you fewer of their congregants show up each and every Sunday.

We have discerning tastes; we remain the Home of the Obligatory Standing Ovation. We offer karaoke and

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e might be cool, but we’re still uncool enough to get excited about our coolness. Fargo appears with startling regularity on any number of “best of” lists. In the past two years, Fargo has shown up on 18 of them; this year, Fargo has been lauded as the number one college town in which to find a job, and has ranked high on the lists of best downtowns, best places to retire, best places to find a job, and healthiest housing markets. But whenever that happens, or a big-city publication or eastern blogger pays us any attention, people all but turn backflips. They like us!

They really, really like us! Maybe that’s bound to happen when in the words of local radio host and blogger Mike McFeely, “you are a small Midwestern city that for years was beat up as a desolate, flat, cold, windy Nowheresville, and then you become a hip, happening cool place that makes online lists of Great Places to Live if You’re Young, Trendy and Smart.”

But sometimes we’re not quite as hip as we like to think we are. For whenever we get a new chain restaurant – Chipotle, Sonic, Smashburger, Panera Bread – people queue for hours to be the first to partake in the new version of fast food. Lest I sound too judgmental, if we ever get a Trader Joe’s I will be the first in line.

D

owntown will be our first stop when you’re here this summer. Downtown forms the core of Fargo’s new cool, but in many ways it has returned to the downtown we knew as kids before the mall enticed shoppers west.

Then, our idea of fine dining was Cherry Cokes and fries in the basement café of White Drug, and no one ever called deLendrecie’s Department Store chic – but now as then, it is comprised of home-owned stores and small shops. Pinch and Pour, described by the Downtown Business Community Partnership as featuring “fresh extra virgin olive oils from the Southern and Northern Hemispheres and the finest balsamics from Modena, Italy.”

AENDEE, with its “handcrafted neckties, bow ties and other awesome upcycled accessories.” Unglued: “A modern

handmade gift boutique of local and regional artists.” The eclectic Zandbroz Variety, “our personal antidote to a Wal-Mart world.”

If you mention one of those shops or a new restaurant to a long-time Fargoan, here’s the usual response: “It’s like you’re not in Fargo anymore.”

So Fargo has become the city where the ultimate compliment is that it no longer feels like Fargo.

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argo-Moorhead is far more diverse, and hence a far more flavorful community, than the vanilla one in which we grew up. Then, the only people of color were associated with “the college.” Now, due in large part to the resettlement efforts of Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota, almost 5,000 refugees from 40 countries have resettled in Fargo since 1990. Most come from Bosnia; the rest are African, Kurdish, Vietnamese, Caribbean, Middle Eastern, and Armenian.

With them have come their languages, dress, their music, their religions, their grocery stores and, yes, their restaurants: When we grew up here, ethnic food meant Plate B from Phil Wong’s; you can now try Ethiopian cuisine on 13th Avenue in south Fargo. It’s down a block from the African Market, two blocks from the Afro-Latino Restaurant and next door to the European Market. These New Americans have, for the most part, made successful transitions here; they work hard, they pay taxes, they buy homes, and they underscore the reality of life in a global culture, even here in Fargo-Moorhead. A crisis nearly anywhere in the world affects local people on a deeply personal level. A day doesn’t pass that you don’t hear at least one foreign language in the stores or on the street.

But life in Fargo-Moorhead isn’t all wine bars and chic boutiques and North of Normal hip. Both Fargo and Moorhead have some work to do. Downtown Fargo is humming, but it lacks a grocery store and weekend parking has become a headache. Nightlife is throbbing, with music ranging from hip-hop to blues to Irish, but vandals keep trashing its public art – and civic leaders keep repairing it. Recently Fargo’s Downtown Business Improvement District had to hire a clean team tasked with sweeping, shampooing and pressure-washing the sidewalks of the disgusting evidence of the previous night’s revelry.

Moorhead, meanwhile, faces the challenge of overcoming a decision made in the 1960s, when, as did thousands of American cities, it bulldozed most of its downtown in the name of urban renewal and erected a downtown mall that has enjoyed limited success.

Moorhead’s new mayor, Del Rae Williams, was elected in large part because she thinks Moorhead needs to change its attitude. “Moorhead has a tendency to think of ourselves as the ugly sister, and we’re not,” Williams told The Concordian student newspaper. “We need to move on.” She’d like to see the Moorhead Center Mall renovated and downtown Moorhead revitalized into a walkerfriendly corridor of shops and galleries. “We’re a college town,” Williams said. “Let’s celebrate the concept of that.”

Most siblings bicker, especially when the bigger, brassier one gets all the attention, and that’s certainly true of Fargo and Moorhead. Recently, someone on the Fargo side suggested that one remedy for its parking woes would be to run shuttles from the Moorhead Center Mall to downtown Fargo. That plan was scuttled when Fargo decided against luring shoppers to Moorhead – and when Moorhead decided it didn’t want to be known as a parking lot for Fargo.

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y “you’re not in Fargo” moments usually occur when I’m downtown or lost down in far-south Fargo on streets with names like Clock Tower Lane and Rocking Horse Circle. My “I’m still in Fargo” moments happen in the old part of town, where I still live, six blocks from where I grew up. I walk the dog past houses I’ve known all my life on the sidewalks with the same cracks that I skated on as a child. When I do so, I can still feel the bumps of the cracks on the soles of my feet.

So, Betsy, now we have another reunion – can it really be 45 years? – and I am eager to see if you recognize your hometown. You’ll still hear the singsong hint of Scandinavia in the accents of the people, but you’ll also hear the musical lilt of the Caribbean. You might encounter more rude drivers in what passes for a traffic jam here, but people will still look you in the eye, smile and greet you on the street.

Funny how life works. You left to find a more vibrant, more diverse, more interesting place to live. I did the same, but 20 years after my return I find myself living in the city I once left to discover.

See you soon,

Catherine Photos: Brianne Lee ’16 / Archival photos courtesy of Institute for Regional Studies, North Dakota State University, Fargo, N.D.

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Finding

By Amy E. Kelly

Roadblocks, errors and problems are just what Specialisterne employees strive to locate. And when they find them, they attempt to follow the same path to create the problem again.

It might sound counterintuitive to most of us, but it is a day in the life of software quality assurance specialists who make it their goal to find bugs before the software goes to the consumer. It’s meticulous, difficult work and the specialized workforce of Specialisterne has an edge in this area simply because of who they are – people on the autism spectrum.

“These employees are paid to find mistakes,” says Tim Hanson ’86, chair of the board of Specialisterne Midwest and the person who brought this specialized company to the United States from Denmark.

While social interactions are challenging for most people on the

autism spectrum, an amazing memory and the ability to repeat a procedure over and over are positive attributes many have.

“We have this resource of people with this skillset who are not working,” Hanson says. “At the same time we have a lack of people who are able to do these kinds of technical jobs. You have the demand and the supply and what is missing is the bridge between the two.”

And for people on the autism spectrum, Hanson says the bridge is necessary. Hanson knows the need for this type of business from his own family experience. Tim and his wife, Stephanie ’89, have four children.

Their oldest, Joe, now 21, was diagnosed with autism at age 3.

“It was very strange because he seemed to have these really well-developed areas or pockets of

JP McBride and Zach Zaborny, employees at Specialisterne, test an application at Myriad Mobile.

the Right Path intelligence and talent that were above and beyond kids his age who are neurotypical,” Hanson recalls.

“And we thought, if we could harness that talent, wouldn’t it be great?”

Fast-forward a dozen years and an idea for how people with autism could receive training and use their talents was presented to him. Two different people, a friend and a business colleague, sent Hanson information about the Danish company Specialisterne that was employing people on the autism spectrum in technology positions. Hanson worked with Specialisterne founder Thorkil Sonne in Denmark to bring the model to the United States, opening the first North American office.

“We formed a board with some great people,” Hanson says, “and went to work finding customers. We felt very strongly that we wanted to have people who were willing to hire our specialists before we went out and recruited them.”

The Anne Carlson Center was the first to step forward and others followed. Specialisterne opened its first Midwest office in Fargo in summer 2014. From the outside, people might question why the company is needed at all because the supply (workers) and demand (quality testing) are both available. Hanson says the complexity comes in the hiring and support, which means the majority of people with autism are unemployed.

“This is after they’ve graduated from high school and a lot have graduated from college,” Hanson says. “Oftentimes they have a hard time with good communication skills and they are a little awkward socially.

They don’t interview well.”

Specialisterne takes the interview step and the risk out of the process. It also offers a safety net for the people it employs. If an employee doesn’t work out, they aren’t let go; they are reassigned. The businesses have the bonus of Specialisterne coaches who can assist the employees when they run into workplace snags. It works much like other staffing companies.

Specialisterne recruits the specialists to work for them and then contracts with companies for their work.

Myriad Mobile in Fargo has a partnership with Specialisterne.

The young software company was growing but didn’t have a team of dedicated testers for its mobile apps.

It contracted with Specialisterne in fall 2014 and has two to six specialists at a time working to find the bugs in its software.

“The fact that their team gets enjoyment and can focus on one task and doing a really good job on it is the exact type of skill we need,” says Jake Joraanstad, the CEO of Myriad. “It’s been hugely powerful for our team and it’s made us better as a company.”

Joraanstad says the specialists follow stringent steps to make the software crash multiple times and give a detailed path to how they made it happen. The tech team works in the Myriad Mobile offices along with the other software gurus. Hanson says this gives them a social outlet that many of them wouldn’t otherwise have. Joraanstad believes it is working great.

“The personality type is sort of an engineering mindset – a little more focused on finding the problem versus solving it. Their guys are as nerdy as

Family is what caused Tim Hanson ’86 to find new opportunities for people on the autism spectrum. Pictured are Hanson and Joe (back), Maria (left), Lily and Stephanie ’89 (middle row) and Sophia (front).

the rest of our team, so it works really well,” Joraanstad says jokingly.

Hanson says faith has led him to build up and utilize people as they are. He knows that people with autism have an important role in the world. It is just a matter of finding the right path.

“I think the challenge God has given us is identifying where each of us belong in His plan,” Hanson says.

“And for a lot of folks with autism, no one has really taken a look at where they fit.” ■ Photos: Submitted

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Rooting for Success

By Laura Caroon

14

Mitch Messner '15 came to Concordia to achieve two things: to run and to prepare for medical school. But a difficult roommate experience left Messner feeling disconnected. His first semester on campus, he wasn’t sure Concordia was the right fit.

Fortunately, Messner found a place to express his concerns: the Office of Student Success and Retention. There he was introduced to resources to get better connected and was able to get a new roommate for second semester.

Now a recent graduate, he ran for the Concordia cross country and track teams and has been accepted to two medical schools – the University of North Dakota and Creighton University in Omaha, Neb. He’s also spent the last three years as a peer mentor.

“I wanted to be an example of a person who doesn’t meet their best friend freshman year,” says Messner of Hutchinson, Minn.

The peer mentoring program at Concordia is a specialized service of the Office of Student Success and Retention. The program, started in 2007, provides personal support and guidance to first-year and transfer students. Peer mentors are upperclass students trained and committed to helping students achieve their personal and academic goals.

“Some of the best mentors of students are students themselves,” says Michael Reese, director of Student Success and Retention.

Nationwide, as many as one in three first-year students don’t return for their sophomore year. The reasons vary – from family finances to loneliness to academic struggles.

Research shows that strong academic and social connections keep students engaged and eventually lead to graduation. How a student feels about a college often determines

whether that student will stay, says Dr. George Kuh, a leader in the field of student retention who is recognized for his work developing the National Survey of Student Engagement.

Concordia’s peer mentors played a vital role in helping Gaya Shivega ‘15, Nairobi, Kenya, feel welcome on campus. As an international student, the decision to come to Concordia was about more than just what she read about on the college website; she wanted to know that people on campus would support her.

“My peer mentor had been to Kenya and had a little bit of experience with Kenyan cooking,” says Shivega.

“When I came to Concordia, I had issues adjusting to American food and tastes. My mentor opened up her apartment to me so I could cook and eat in, and we would share meals.”

The experience inspired Shivega to become a peer mentor herself.

Peer mentors are hand-selected for each new student based on gender, interest and major. They introduce themselves to their mentees before the new students even arrive on campus in the fall.

After the excitement of Orientation winds down, mentors go “dorm storming,” to make their first campus connections in the residence halls. This is the time when feelings of homesickness can creep in for new students. The shock of leaving home, exploring newfound independence and heightened responsibility can be overwhelming, and may lead to thoughts of leaving college.

“We let them know that we’re here

for them,” says peer mentor Annika Strand ‘16, Grand Forks, N.D. Throughout the year, mentors send first-year students reminders that someone is rooting for them and their success.

Shivega says she does this through random acts of kindness, by sending notes or chocolates to their campus mailbox, or by emailing entertaining cat videos.

Face-to-face time is also important to the mentoring relationships, whether it’s visits in the residence halls, having lunch in Anderson Commons, grabbing a coffee, taking a walk to Dairy Queen or even going to a Zumba workout together.

Peer mentors also meet with drop-ins to the Office of Student Success and Retention as late as 9:30 each evening.

Not only are the peer mentor relationships good for students, they’re a tremendous resource for the college, Reese says.

Since its inception, Concordia’s peer-to-peer program has been a great success. In 2006, first-year student retention rates hovered at 79 percent. Those rates jumped to 83 percent during the program’s first year, and have remained between 83 and 85 percent ever since.

Now Messner can’t say enough about the program. “It’s so important to have a strong connection to campus and make Concordia your home,” he says. “Ultimately, you’ll remember the connections you make, not the tests you take.” ■ Photo: Laura Caroon

After a great first-year experience, Annika Strand ‘16 (left) thought that being a peer mentor was a way she could help other students.

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MARKETING BEYOND STEREOTYPES

By Roger E. Degerman

A

dvertising executive Fay Ferguson ’73 has dedicated her life and career to illuminating and influencing a more authentic picture of what it means to be African-American. The sum of her enlightening work reveals that people should never be seen through a single-colored lens.

“Our agency was founded on the premise that black people are not

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dark-skinned white people,” says Ferguson, co-chief executive officer of Burrell Communications Group based in Chicago and Los Angeles.

Created in 1971, the full-service communications agency is primarily focused on marketing to the AfricanAmerican consumer.

“Most of what shapes perceptions of minorities in general, and African-Americans in particular,”

says Ferguson, “comes from the news media, which tends to be fairly negative. We believe it is our responsibility to show what’s going on in our community that is good and positive, yet still real – nothing Pollyanna.”

The most recent illustration of that effort is Burrell’s February 2015 launching of the “Black is Human” initiative. Ferguson and her team felt

compelled to respond to growing racial tension and violence across the country, especially how it was being portrayed to the public.

“The coverage tends to flame fires and create drama,” says Ferguson.

“Sensationalized reporting by a large portion of the media has not been helpful, unfortunately, and that includes black media.”

In an effort to counter the reckless rhetoric and divisive dialogue, Ferguson and her Burrell team set out to find fresh voices that might provide a more genuine, agenda-free perspective. So they ventured into the public schools to see what elementaryaged black students might say about their experiences and aspirations.

Students volunteered to be interviewed and their unscripted commentary is featured in a series of online videos distributed through social media. The first phase of the campaign, “Our Black Boys,” included the videos “Real Talk” and “If I Grow Up.” “We picked up that they were saying, ‘If I grow up’ as opposed to ‘when I grow up,’ says Ferguson. “We thought, ‘wow this is very powerful and very sad.’ So we just wanted to bring that back unfiltered.”

She says reaction to the campaign proved encouraging from the start as the videos reached more than 130,000 people in just the first few days.

“It’s been an eye-opener because I don’t think it really sinks in for

a lot of folks about how difficult it is to grow up in the city if you are a young African-American male.”

The “Black is Human” campaign is just the latest illustration of Burrell’s ongoing commitment to present the true black experience in stark and inspiring contrast to the myths and stereotypes that have plagued the African-American community for generations.

Several years ago, Burrell started an initiative called “Father’s Day is

Every Day” showcasing the positive and reliable presence of AfricanAmerican dads in the lives of their kids. The TV, radio, print and digital blitz made possible by media donations drew an overwhelming response of support.

“It was just so profound because black men are damned in the media,” says Ferguson. “All you hear about is they don’t support their families, they’re absent, etc., and we all look at each other and say, ‘that’s not the father that I know.’ People were truly gratified that someone spoke up for them and the dad that they knew.”

In addition, Burrell continues to promote a more positive image of African-American women and to enhance their self-esteem through the “My Black is Beautiful” campaign for Procter & Gamble. As Burrell’s website describes it, the campaign gives AfricanAmerican women an “authentic cultural voice that allows them to define and promote their own standard of what it means to be beautiful.”

NEW HEIGHTS, INSIGHTS

Such initiatives have been at the heart of Ferguson’s work since joining Burrell in 1984 as an account supervisor.

Making her mark quickly at Burrell, Ferguson became a vice president within two years and earned a steady stream of promotions that eventually put her at the top of the company.

Inset: The “Black is Human” initiative is the latest in a lengthy history of social awareness efforts Fay Ferguson ‘73 and her Burrell team have created to provide a more authentic picture of the AfricanAmerican experience.

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As co-CEO, Ferguson is at the helm of a talented team owning an impressive portfolio of clients that includes Comcast, General Mills, Hilton, McDonald’s, Procter & Gamble and Toyota. While about half of her firm’s work is for the general market, Burrell’s forte is about connecting advertisers to AfricanAmerican consumers and their

distinctive needs and preferences as consumers.

Burrell’s insights have moved advertisers from taking a one-racefits-all marketing approach to a much more informed and customized way to target African-American consumers. Take, for example, the case of Tide detergent. The powerhouse Procter & Gamble brand initially struggled to resonate with black families, relying on the same advertising across all audiences. Burrell provided some revealing intelligence that changed the tide of the whole creative approach.

“When we talked to our (African-American) consumers,” explains Ferguson, “the reason it was so important for a mom to have her kids wear clean clothes went much deeper (than it did for other consumers).

Having a history of being thought of as dirty makes having a clean outward appearance very important. Tapping into that psyche and leveraging it for the client was pretty powerful.”

Burrell does extensive homework to uncover such insights, undertaking ethnographies that involve going into

Burrell Communications commissioned AeroSoul, known for its brilliant work in advancing the African-American diaspora writing culture of spray can art, to create a community mural as part of McDonald’s “Spread Lovin’” advertising campaign.

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people’s homes, riding in their vehicles, and shopping with them.

“We see what people really do, as opposed to what they say they do,” says Ferguson. “And that’s the basis for our entire creative development.”

As a result, advertising messages targeting African-American consumers are much more relatable as culturally accurate and relevant.

For example, Burrell developed a customized version of McDonald’s “I’m lovin’ it” campaign that leveraged the talents of graffiti artists painting a mural in a “gritty” neighborhood.

Flipping the stereotype of gang graffiti, the hoodie-wearing artists created a beautiful love image in a spot highlighting the positive aspirations of African-Americans.

“We did all this to the background of Marvin Gaye’s ‘Inner City Blues,’” says Ferguson. “And it really resonated with both the young and the old.” Similarly, in a spot promoting McDonald’s Chicken Selects, Burrell employs a female rendition of Otis Redding’s “Try a Little Tenderness.”

Burrell has also engaged many historically black colleges and universities in promoting the Toyota Green Initiative, which, Ferguson says, brings green technology to campuses and encourages students to recognize the value of green careers as part of being “future forward.”

GROUNDED WITH PERSPECTIVE

Burrell’s innovative work is well known throughout the industry, evidenced by the numerous and

highly regarded advertising awards it has won over several decades.

Ferguson has been individually recognized for a host of honors, including Chicago Advertising Woman of the Year and Target Market News Advertising Executive of the Year MAAX Award. And she was recently inducted into the History Makers – the nation’s largest African-American video oral history collection housed at the Smithsonian.

Motivated by her desire to “reach back and help others,” Ferguson is also heavily involved in personal outreach through nonprofit causes.

She has contributed to the City of Chicago Anti-Violence Campaign and actively supports the American Diabetes Association, Ronald McDonald House Charities and the Salvation Army.

Ferguson also gives generously to the By the Hand Club in Chicago, which nurtures “high-risk, inner-city youth” and helps them overcome academic struggles. In fact, she personally funds a student from kindergarten through high school.

Ferguson’s own childhood experience inspires her ongoing investment in helping AfricanAmerican youth. She grew up in a small Indiana community about an hour east of Chicago, where members of her family were the only people of color in her entire elementary school.

She says she learned early on the value of education and hard work in overcoming difficult circumstances.

“None of us (at Burrell) grew up with a silver spoon,” she says. “So

we understood the struggles and sacrifices our parents made to get us an education. I really believe education is the cornerstone to helping people get out of their current environment.”

DIVERSE ENLIGHTENMENT

Ferguson earned her Master of Business Administration degree from Indiana University after graduating magna cum laude with a degree in English, speech and drama at Concordia. She says Concordia was instrumental in teaching her to be “thoughtful, curious and to question everything.” And it all started with a provocative course she took as a firstyear student examining “The Bible as a Myth.”

“It was eye-opening and jawdropping for me,” Ferguson recalls.

“While I most likely didn’t realize it at the time, the course had a tremendous impact on how I began to approach

life in general. And in many ways it brought home what it truly means to have faith.”

Today, Ferguson is looking forward to re-engaging with Concordia as a new member of the Board of Regents.

She is excited about the opportunity to help the college become more thoughtful and effective in creating a community that more widely serves and features African-Americans.

“My hope is that Concordia can begin to turn the page on diversity and truly have a campus and faculty that more closely mirrors the U.S.,” she says. “I honestly believe that the college will benefit from diversity of thought derived from institutionalizing diversity as a way of life.”

Achieving diversity comes with complex challenges, but ambitious goals have never intimidated Ferguson. She follows a short and sweet recipe for success: “Take risks.

Stay on strategy. Be optimistic. Never stop learning. Lead by example.”

Most of all, Ferguson sees hope and purpose in life. “Today is great and tomorrow is going to be better,” she says. “That’s something that I’ve always lived by. If I’m able to help another individual that really charges me. It’s what gets me up in the morning and puts a smile on my face.” ■ Photos: Submitted

“My Black is Beautiful” is part of a Procter & Gamble campaign that encourages AfricanAmerican women to “affirm and celebrate their individual and collective beauty,” according to the Burrell website.

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Mondale Delivers Commencement Address Former Vice President of the United States Walter Mondale delivered the Commencement address May 3. Mondale served as vice president under President Jimmy Carter from 1977-81. The vice president told students, “That’s a great mission. A wonderful challenge and I know that it brings you together here today. And I don’t think the world has ever been in need of such thoughtful, honorable

men and women more than it is today.“ Prior to being vice president, he was a U.S. Senator from Minnesota from 1964-76. Later he was the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate in the 1984 election. Nominated by President Willliam Clinton, Mondale served as U.S. Ambassador to Japan from 1993-96.

Mondale and Harold Augenbraum, executive director of the National Book Foundation,

Clark Featured on TLC with Josh Groban Dr. Jonathan Clark, associate professor of German, served as a cultural historian for the TLC program “Who Do You Think You

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received honorary degrees at Commencement.

Augenbraum, an American writer, editor and translator, is one of the country’s foremost Latino literary studies scholars. The Boston University graduate has grown close to Concordia while partnering with the college the last 10 years to present the National Book Awards on Campus.

“My alma mater, my mother soul, is really Concordia College,” Augenbraum said.

Are?” Clark appeared in the March 15 episode with celebrity Josh Groban, for which Clark was flown to Stuttgart, Germany. It was filmed in a church in Bietigheim where Groban’s eight times great-grandfather, Johann Jacob Zimmermann, served as a deacon but was later pushed out of the church for his beliefs.

Clark has studied religious fanaticism and pietism for decades.

He helped explain to Groban the culture of the time through original documentation and how Groban’s relative’s doomsday writings would have caused him issues with the church leaders.

NEWS Prosinski Earns Postgraduate Scholarship

Soccer player Laura Prosinski ’15, Billings, Mont., received a prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. She is one of 29 female NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship award winners in all of NCAA Division I, II and III. She is the only student-athlete from the MIAC to earn the award this year.

Prosinski becomes the ninth Concordia student-athlete in the past 12 years to earn the scholarship. The NCAA scholarships are awarded to student-athletes who excel academically and athletically and are in their final year of intercollegiate athletics competition.

Prosinski studied nursing and will use the scholarship to continue her education in that field of study. She was a four-year starter for the Concordia women’s soccer team. Prosinski was a three-time AllMIAC award winner – earning MIAC AllConference First Team honors the past two years while being placed on the AllMIAC Honorable Mention Team in her sophomore season.

Reeves Becomes Seventh Cobber NCAA Champion Cherae Reeves ’15 won the shot put competition at the NCAA National Indoor Meet to become the college’s seventh individual national champion. She earned this distinction by posting a mark of 4803.25 in her fourth attempt to win the NCAA meet’s shot put competition.

Reeves never trailed in the event as her first throw was farther than the distance

posted by the runner-up in the event.

She becomes the first Concordia individual NCAA national champion since 2011 when Phil Moenkedick ‘11 won the wrestling national championship. Reeves is also the first track and field athlete to win a national championship since 1996 when Aaron Banks ‘96 won the title in the shot put at the NCAA Indoor Meet.

Professor Featured on BBC Dr. Rebecca Moore, professor of political science, shared her NATO expertise on the international airwaves.

Moore was one of four experts interviewed for a program of the BBC World Service. The episode on “The Inquiry” explored the strength of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in light of war in Ukraine and threat of conflict in the Baltics. The analysis ran Feb. 15. One of the other experts was Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who led NATO until recently.

On the program, Moore argued that NATO embraced a new political mission after the collapse of the Soviet Union but has struggled with its identity in more recent years. Part of the reason for that struggle, she said, is NATO’s size. The number of alliance members has jumped from 16 to 28 since the end of the Cold War. “I would say that there is perhaps a lack of a really common vision as to what the alliance’s ultimate political purpose is,” she said.

There is also a debate whether NATO should stick to its original mission – to defend the borders of Europe – or take on a more global role.

Craft Tours Honduras as Part of LWR Board President William Craft spent an educational week in Honduras in February as part of his duties as a board member for Lutheran World Relief.

Board members conducted their regular business, and then toured coffee and cocoa farms. The farmers shared how LWR partners with them, helping them grow out of debilitating poverty.

LWR is best known for its effective, efficient responses to natural disasters. It also oversees sustainable development work in 18 countries.

Savereide Introduces Carter at Nobel Peace Prize Forum Anne Savereide ’15, a 2014 Peace Scholar, received the honor of introducing a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. She was slated to introduce former Vice President Walter Mondale at the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize Forum in March. Mondale was scheduled to introduce President Jimmy Carter. When Mondale became ill and unable to attend the event, Savereide was asked to introduce President Carter instead. Carter was the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize recipient and was featured at the forum.

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NEWS Wrestler Earns All-American Honors at Nationals Sebastian Gardner ‘15 finished off his 2015 NCAA National Meet by placing sixth at 174 pounds. The sixth-place finish earned Gardner All-American honors.

Gardner, of Monticello, Minn., becomes the 13th Cobber All-American in the past six years. He becomes the 25th overall NCAA All-American for the program.

Concordia sent nine qualifiers to the national meet: Gardner, Jacoby Bergeron ‘15, Ben Cousins ‘16, Justice Davis ‘17, Gabe Foltz ‘16, Jake Kostik ‘15, Jake Krogstad ‘15, Danny Pike ‘15 and Jakob Stageberg ‘18.

Retirees Honored at Faculty, Administrators Banquet Eleven longtime faculty and administrators retired this year. They have a combined total of 264 years of service to the college.

Linda Erceg, Concordia Language Villages, 33 years; Sheldon Green, Communications and Marketing, 20 years; Dr. Stewart Herman, religion, 28 years; Dr. Peter Hovde, political science, 44 years; Dr. Bryan Luther, physics, 21 years; Chelle Lyons Hanson, Student Leadership and Service, 23 years; The Rev. Timothy Megorden, Office of Ministry, eight years; Dr. Susan O’Shaughnessy, philosophy, 20 years; Dr. Max Richardson, political science, 25 years; Dr. Lisa Lee Sawyer, music, 16 years; and Dr. Edward Schmoll, classical studies, 26 years.

For more in-depth biographies and accomplishments of these individuals, visit ConcordiaCollege.edu/ magazine.

Bertek Receives Flaat Service Award Karen Bertek, office manager for Student Affairs, received the Ole and Lucy Flaat Distinguished Service Award for Support Staff at the annual spring Support Staff Appreciation Dinner.

As a dedicated and valued member of the Student Affairs team since 1993, Bertek has made extraordinary contributions to the mission of Concordia College by sharing her talents and knowledge with others in the community. She approaches her work with sensitivity, a positive attitude and a keen sense of justice.

The Ole and Lucy Flaat Distinguished Service Award for Support Staff recognizes excellence in longterm service to the college by a member of the support staff. The recipient must be both outstanding in their professional role and a person who is committed to the mission and goals of Concordia College.

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Gear Earns Fulbright Olivia Gear ’15 has been awarded a Fulbright scholarship to teach English in Saxony, Germany, starting in August.

The Appleton, Wis., native applied for the yearlong English Teaching Assistantship Program as a result of her experiences at Concordia.

“During my time at Concordia, my overall interest in international politics grew, increasing my desire to broaden my worldview,” Gear says.

In 2013, she received the Federation of German-American Clubs’ scholarship, an award that allowed her to spend a year in Germany. The scholarship goes to one student each year and is designed to reinvigorate relationships between German and American cultures.

When she returned, she spent a semester in Washington, D.C., where she interned on Capitol Hill. There, she decided to apply for the German assistantship.

“When you travel, you are faced with alternative cultures that have a different way of doing, thinking and believing,” Gear says. “It really challenges your assumptions and makes you shift your way of looking at things.”

Since her return to the U.S., Gear has been visiting high schools to articulate and share her experiences in Germany, instilling the enthusiasm to learn and grow.

Gear looks forward to seeing her European friends again as she immerses herself into the culture through travel and by attending festivities. Gear also hopes to strengthen her language skills, learn more about the country, and broaden her perspective by developing international relationships.

“Experiencing Germany again will give me a deeper understanding of the American culture that I hope to use someday in my career, whatever that may be,” Gear says.

NEWS

National Book Awards Marks 10th Anniversary Cultures and politics may differ, but human beings share many of the same experiences.

So observed two authors speaking at the 10th Annual National Book Awards at Concordia in March.

Evan Osnos, the 2014 winner of the National Book Award for nonfiction, and Anand Gopal, a 2014 nonfiction finalist, participated in the Readings and Conversation event hosted by NPR’s John Ydstie ’74.

Osnos wrote “Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China.”

The book documents China’s Gilded Age and personal stories of people trying to negotiate it.

Gopal wrote “No Good Men Among the Living: America, the Taliban, and the War Through Afghan Eyes,” which traces the effect of the war on three Afghan lives: a housewife turned senator, a Taliban commander and a U.S.-backed warlord.

Both journalists shared what it was like to report on events occurring in difficult, and in some cases dangerous, environments. And yet, more often than not they found surprising connections with the individuals they profiled.

It was a fitting event to celebrate 10 years of award-winning authors coming to campus.

Concordia is one of two colleges that host National Book Award authors each year, and the longest to do so.

Smith Named Candidate for Humanitarian Award Max Smith ‘16 was named one of 15 candidates for the prestigious BNY Mellon Wealth Management Hockey Humanitarian Award.

Smith is one of five NCAA Division III candidates in a field that includes men’s and women’s players from Division I and III schools.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the Hockey Humanitarian Award is presented annually to college hockey’s finest citizen – a student-athlete who

makes significant contributions not only to his or her team but also to the community through leadership in volunteerism.

Smith is the founder and director of InSports Foundation, which offers camps and scholarships for deserving kids to help defray the costs of participating in youth sports. InSports Foundation’s goal is to help 10,000 kids in three years. Last year the foundation raised more than $10,000 for teams and individuals through apparel fundraisers.

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ALUMNI

By Eric Lillehaugen

a Balance

Scholarships help our students get in the door, but your dollars continue to make a difference once they’re here.

When it comes to supporting student scholarships at Concordia, The Concordia Annual Fund is no slouch. Nearly half of the dollars raised through the fund shore up gifts available for general scholarships every year. The other half, those donations that come in as unrestricted dollars, get put to work every day in ways that support the college and build up the Concordia experience for our students.

DID YOU KNOW? Concordia students, on average, receive $25,000 in annual awards.

Hailey Rethmeier ’17, Portland, Ore., is a student worker in the Advancement Office where she sees students benefit from both scholarships and unrestricted funding. Rethmeier is an international business major with a minor in Spanish and a significant amount of her tuition is covered by scholarships. But Rethmeier knows that reconciling The Concordia Annual Fund’s commitment to student scholarships with the needs of the college is a constant balancing act.

“I don’t think students realize how much money the school has to come up with each year to run,” Rethmeier says.

While endowments and restricted donations do the heavy lifting when it comes time to build a business school or

renovate the Jake, Rachel Clarke ‘00, director of The Concordia Annual Fund, says the dollars not used for general scholarships support the needs of the college day to day.

“That’s the beauty of The Concordia Annual Fund,” Clarke says. “Donors know that the gifts they make today will go to work tomorrow.”

Unrestricted dollars committed to The Concordia Annual Fund are put to work where they’re needed, when they’re needed – from new exercise equipment on the Olson Forum balcony and new washers and dryers in the student apartments to supporting events like the Faith, Reason and World Affairs Symposium at Concordia.

Together, those contributions add up to a student experience that is wholly Concordia.

“The speakers and events that come to Concordia impact the lives of students and help students think globally,” Rethmeier says. “It challenges us to think of solutions to the problems and ways to implement them. It prepares students to impact the world.”

Helping to meet the financial needs of the college is The Concordia Annual Fund’s goal. But to our students, alumni support is measured in more than dollars and cents.

“Every dollar that donors give shows that they believe in Concordia and, in turn, believe in the students that attend it,” Rethmeier says.

For Rethmeier, that belief and the experience that our donors make possible sets Concordia apart.

“The value of a Concordia education goes beyond the classroom and my time on campus,” Rethmeier says. “I have learned that the legacy of Concordia is an important one and one that I am honored to be a part of.” ■

To support students, visit ConcordiaCollege.edu/giving Hailey Rethmeier ‘17 appreciates the impact donors have on the student experience at Concordia.

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ALUMNI

on Campus Cheer on Your Cobber Family Visit the Cobber student in your life Sept. 18-20 at the 2015 Family Weekend Celebration, “Ears to You.” Chair McKenzie Mikulski ’16, Apple Valley, Minn., and the Family Weekend Committee have been steadily preparing for this year’s activities and are excited to salute families in thanks for all that they do in support of their students.

Festivities include Friday Fun Night, brunch, Family College, Family Expo, a football game vs. St. John’s, an ice cream social, the Showcase talent show and AllCampus Worship. Registration and ticket information will be mailed to parents in July and will be available online at ConcordiaCollege.edu/familyweekend.

Chair Jasmine Lara ’16, Litchfield, Minn., and the Homecoming Committee are brainstorming and planning for this year’s reunions, banquet, football game vs.

Bethel and more.

Four graduates will be honored with Alumni Achievement Awards: Paul Erickson ’74, Dr. Alan Hopeman ’42, Dr. Craig Lambrecht ’83 and Dr. Howard Nornes ’53.

Reunions will be scheduled for classes ending in 5 or 10, but we would love for as many people as possible to return to campus.

We look forward to seeing you in October!

For more information and registration: ConcordiaCollege.edu/homecoming

Let’s Hear Your Spirit at Homecoming 2015 Jasmine Lara ’16, chair of the Homecoming Committee, and McKenzie Mikulski ’16, chair of the Family Weekend Committee, welcome you to campus.

Mark your calendars to reconnect with classmates and friends Oct. 2-4 in celebration of Homecoming 2015, “Cobber Spirit, Others Hear It.”

Rendahl, Solberg Sent Forth Recipients Kristi Rendahl ’97 and Mike Solberg ’95 are the recipients of the 2015 Sent Forth Award, which recognizes service to Concordia’s mission by young alumni.

Rendahl is the organizational development advisor of the Center for Victims of Torture in St. Paul, advising centers for victims of torture around the world. She founded Prairie Talks, a speaker series that brings national and international speakers to her hometown of Rugby, N.D., and she is a regular columnist for The Armenian Weekly.

Rendahl earned a Master of Arts degree in nonprofit management and a doctorate in public administration from Hamline University. She previously worked with Habitat for Humanity International and served in the Peace Corps in Armenia, where she lived for five years. She currently lives in St. Paul.

Solberg is president and chief executive officer of Bell State Bank & Trust. He has helped the company grow to be one of the largest independently owned banks in the country. Bell State Bank & Trust’s culture, including its commitment to staff and community, has been highlighted by media outlets from “CBS Evening News” to People magazine. As president of Bell State

Bank & Trust, Solberg launched the bank’s “Pay It Forward” project, providing every full-time employee with $1,000 each year to give to individuals, families or organizations in need.

Solberg also provides leadership to several organizations. He has served as campaign chair for the United Way of Cass-Clay, board chair for the Trollwood Performing Arts School and is currently on the board of Prairie Heights Community Church, The Bush Foundation, The Guthrie Theater and serves on the Concordia College Board of Regents. He and his wife, Charleen, live in Fargo with their three children.

To nominate an alumnus/a, visit ConcordiaCollege.edu/alumniawards Concordia Magazine

25

CLASS NOTES 2006

Kimberly (Kennedy) Foth, Champlin, Minn., earned a master’s degree in healthcare management from Walden U.

2007

Lynn (Keranen) Siljander, Highland, Mich., earned a Master of Science degree in anesthesia from the U of Michigan – Flint; she is a nurse anesthetist for Genesys Regional Medical Center, Grand Blanc. Derek Tronsgard, Mound, Minn., is youth and family pastor for Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Wayzata.

2009

Katrina (Garnica) Zywiec, Benicia, Calif., is an intern pharmacist at Walgreen’s and Marin General Hospital, Greenbrae, and a research assistant at Touro U California, Vallejo.

2010

Kim Cassidy, Stewartville, Minn., earned a Master of Divinity degree from Luther Seminary, St. Paul; she is associate pastor of Zion Lutheran Church. Megan Knox, East Grand Forks, Minn., earned a Master of Public Health degree from Des Moines (Iowa) U; she was inducted into the Alpha Eta Society for allied health.

A Parade of Cobbers Mary and Tom Lidahl ’68 enjoyed the 2014 Homecoming parade with their five grandchildren: (l-r) Trent (12) and Evan (11) Johnson, sons of Sheldon and Lisa (Lidahl) Johnson ’89, Cohasset, Minn.; and Nicholas (8), Becca (4) and Thomas (7) Webb, children of Wade ’92 and Linn (Lidahl) Webb ’92, Fargo.

1966

1994

Barbara Hanson Nellermoe, San Antonio, was featured on the cover of San Antonio Lawyer Magazine (November-December 2014 issue) about her retirement from the 45th Judicial District Court, as well as her post as editor in chief of the magazine; she and her husband, John, celebrate their 50th anniversary this year.

Mark Baker, Glendale, Calif., is director of production for Grand Performances, Los Angeles.

1969

Matthew Desing, El Paso, Texas, is associate professor at the U of Texas at El Paso. Christoph Schmidt, Minot, N.D., is campus pastor for Lutheran Campus Ministry at Minot State U.

Kathleen (Giese) Ortloff, Alexandria, Minn., published “Words from Grandma: How to Grow Up to Be a Grown-Up and Not Just a Tall Kid” (Xlibris U.S., 2014).

1979

Bruce McNeil, North Oaks, Minn., published his most recent book regarding executive and deferred compensation (Thomson Reuters, 2014); he was named one of The Best Lawyers in America for his work in the Employee Benefits Law and the ERISA Litigation practice areas; he and his oldest daughter, Catie, finished the Twin Cities Marathon.

1980

Annette Morud, Dublin, Ohio, is senior executive director of business and operations for Columbus City Schools.

Freda Myhrwold, St. Anthony, Minn., is manager for sales process at HealthPartners.

1984

Marti Skold-Jordan, Raleigh, N.C., retired after 33 years on television in 10 cities and seven states; she is now manager of external communications for GlaxoSmithKline, Durham.

1995

Eric Wolff, Renton, Wash., was promoted to partner of the law firm Perkins Coie, Seattle.

1997

1998

Robyn Hoffmann, Fargo, N.D., is audit manager for the North Dakota State Auditor’s Office. Philip Wishart, Buffalo, Minn., is advisory director for KPMG LLP, Minneapolis.

1999

Seth Muir, Owatonna, Minn., earned a Master of Arts degree in biology from Miami U, Oxford, Ohio. Jason Poirier, Minneapolis, is a national language arts content specialist for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston.

2000

Susan (Bade) Haukaas, Jamestown, N.D., is associate pastor for Trinity Lutheran Church. Erin (Pearce) Thomas, Metamora, Ill., earned a doctorate in educational administration and foundations from Illinois State U; she is acting director of assessment and engagement at Illinois State.

2002

1988

Trenda Boyum-Breen, Plymouth, Minn., is president of Rasmussen College, Minneapolis; she previously served as chief academic officer.

Jennica Date, Minneapolis, is data and office manager for the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota. Alicia Sutliff-Benusis, Rapids City, S.D., earned a doctorate in English literature from the U of Kansas; she is an adjunct faculty member at Black Hills State U, Spearfish.

1990

2004

Annette (Graves) Steensland, Maple Grove, Minn., is a training and quality specialist for Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota. Kristin (Johnson) Thompson, Arlington, Va., is program coordinator for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, D.C.

26 Concordia Magazine

Briana (Parke) Scearcy, Dilworth, Minn., works for Eide Bailly LLP, Fargo, N.D.

2012

Tyler Ahlf, Devils Lake, N.D., is regional clinic manager for Altru Health System.

2013

Samantha Phillippe, Hopkins, Minn., is account coordinator of Attend-eSource Services for metroConnections, Minneapolis.

2014

Linzi (Reiersgard) Napier, Kalispell, Mont., is a biology teacher for Kalispell Public Schools.

Honors 1955

John Bollingberg, Bremen, N.D., was inducted into the North Dakota Agriculture Hall of Fame.

1961

Arlen Severson, Esko, Minn., was inducted into the Academic Health Center Academy for Excellence in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning at the U of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth.

1963

Dale Anderson, Granite Bay, Calif., was inducted into the California Music Education Association’s Hall of Fame; he was the Monache High School (Porterville, Calif.) inaugural band director from 1969 to 2001.

1964

Ronald Offutt, Fargo, N.D., was inducted into the North Dakota Agriculture Hall of Fame.

1976

Jean (Pederson) Johnson, Windom, Minn., was honored with the MCEA Region 2 Community Educator of Excellence award by the Minnesota Community Education Association, Lindstrom; she also received the Windom Mayor Medal of Honor for Education for her 27 years in early childhood family education and school readiness.

1996

Laura Given, St. Louis Park, Minn., was appointed to the 2016 Caldecott Award Selection Committee by the president of the Association for Library Service to Children, Chicago.

CLASS NOTES 2001

2002

2002

2003

2004

Siri Loftness to Shaun Maasch in September; they live in Golden Valley, Minn. Jennifer Vomhof to Aaron Hoska in August; they live in Lino Lakes, Minn.

Christopher Miller, Bigfork, Mont., was elected to a three-year term as a member of the board of trustees for Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ, Canton, Mich.

Betsy (Fink) Hassett, Rochester, Minn., was named Emerging Leader of the Year 2014 as a member of the United Way Emerging Leaders in Giving Advisory Board for the United Way of Olmsted County.

Jeff Knight, Fargo, N.D., won nine ADDY awards from the American Advertising Federation of North Dakota – five gold, two silver and two Judge’s Choice awards. Briana (Parke) Scearcy, Dilworth, Minn., was named to the 35 Under 35 Women’s Leadership Program by the United Way, Fargo, N.D.

2012

Anna Stasko, Wooster, Ohio, received the United Soybean Board Fellowship from the American Society of Agronomy; she is a graduate research associate in the department of plant pathology at The Ohio State U’s Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center.

Christa Heckman to Vahid Sadrzadeh in December; they live in Woodbury, Minn. Lindsay Matts to Kent Benson in April 2014; they live in St. Paul, Minn.

Amanda Jennissen to Sunshine Hochhalter in December; they live in Billings, Mont.

2004 2005

Brandon Teachout to Miranda Huseth in May 2014; they live in Mountain View, Calif.

2008

Melissa Reinhart to Erik Kornkven in December; they live in Bottineau, N.D.

2012

Heather Franzen to Logan Rutten in June 2013; they live in Belt, Mont. Bethany Johnson to Drew Haner in July; they live in Burlington, N.D.

2013

Laura Dronen to Erik Eggers in August; they live in Fargo, N.D.

Marriages 1967

Randall McKee to Richard Tinerella in June; they live in St. John, Ind.

2014

Linzi Reiersgard to Sean Napier ’13 in July; they live in Kalispell, Mont.

1991

Robert Heuer to Jason Fussell in August; they live in Issaquah, Wash.

Births

1997

A girl, Callaway, to Jona Nykreim and Tim Moore, Eagle, Colo., in November.

Matthew Desing to Oscar Beltran in January 2014; they live in El Paso, Texas.

1999

Jason Poirer to Joe Holan in October; they live in Minneapolis.

2001

Andrea Hansen to Mike Bishop in October; they live in Golden Valley, Minn.

1993 1997

A boy, Micah, to Michele (Haugen) and Adam Lovehaug, Fargo, N.D., in December.

1998

A boy, Griffin, to Jim and Kristin (Wayne) Nelson, Shoreview, Minn., in June. A boy, August, to Aric and Leah (Kleven) Oeltjen, Villard, Minn., in August.

1999

A boy, Yusuf, to Sayed and Cathy (Quanbeck) Kibria, Corona, Calif., in November.

2000

A girl, Maddyn, to Kevin and Naomi (Thompson) Casper, Prior Lake, Minn., in September. A girl, Miriam, to Amy (Clark) and Peter Gallick, Hudson, Wis., in September. A boy, Owen, to Michael and Susan (Bade) Haukaas, Jamestown, N.D., in July. A boy, Augustus, to Melanie Knaak-Guyer and Sam Guyer, Madelia, Minn., in October. A girl, Piper, to Nathan and Erin (Pearce) Thomas, Metamora, Ill., in March.

2002

A girl, Lillian, to Tyler and Kiaja (Morgenthaler) Klabo, Shakopee, Minn., in December. A girl, Beth, to Alicia Sutliff-Benusis and Jay Benusis, Rapid City, S.D., in January.

Everywhere a Cobber

2003

Sarah Brock ’14, serving as a Young Adult in Global Mission (YAGM) with the Lutheran Church of Rwanda, met Sherman Bishop ‘76 in Kigali, Rwanda, where he was visiting his daughter, also a YAGM participant.

2004

A girl, Layla, to Kateri Mancini and Michael Gallagher, South Haven, Minn., in October. A girl, Ruby, to Craig and Jill (Flatau) Walter, Sebeka, Minn., in August.

A boy, Rylan, to Mark and Beth (Frederickson) Bents, Lakefield, Minn., in April 2014. A boy, Theodore, to Anne and Nathan Mugaas, Minot, N.D., in May 2014. A

A Niblet for Each Anna (left) and Beth, daughters of Alicia Sutliff-Benusis ’02 and Jay Benusis of Rapid City, S.D., enjoy Niblet. Marcia Beshara ‘82 delivered both girls. boy, Landon, to Robert and Maria (Makela) Tarpinian, Farmington, Minn., in September.

2005

A boy, Cullen, to Craig and Michelle (Singlestad) Baxter, Anchorage, Alaska, in October. A girl, Mara, to Emily (Tollefson) and John Mackner, Minot, N.D., in May 2014.

A boy, Benjamin, to Steve and Heather (Johnson) Petricig, Grand Forks, N.D., in October.

2006

Twin girls, Elisabeth and Amelia, to Chad and Jamie (Pfeifer) Bulera, Pine City, Minn., in September. A girl, Olive, to Kyle and Ann (Demmer) Dreke, Graceville, Minn., in August. Twin girls, Mia and Marney, to Justin and Kimberly (Kennedy) Foth, Champlin, Minn., in February. A boy, Griffin, to Robby ’05 and Emily (Mundt) Lundbohm, Moorhead, in February 2014. A girl, Adalyn, to Erick and Allison (Lowe) Plummer, Grand Marais, Minn., in November. A boy, Tanner, to Kyle and Katie (Callander) Polman, Wadena, Minn., in September. A girl, Katherine, to Stephanie (Parezo) ’07 and Aaron Schumacher, Zumbrota, Minn., in October. A girl, Annika, to Jamie (Evavold) and Matthew Wade, Duluth, Minn., in May 2014.

2007

A girl, Esther, to Sarah and Josh Pederson, Tuscaloosa, Ala., in December. A girl, Emmeline, to Bobbie Jo and Derek Tronsgard, Mound, Minn., in October.

2008

A boy, Erick, to Jaime and Kelly (Nervick) Bacon, Lakeview, Ore., in February. A girl, Cecilia, to Keith and Rebecca (Schott) Duffy, Des Moines, Iowa, in September.

A boy, Mika, to Joy and Luke Haugen, Hawley, Minn., in March 2014. A girl, Violet, to Luke and Amanda (Johnson) Fuechtmann, Melrose, Minn., in July.

2009

A girl, Catherine, to Nick and Emily (Campbell) Gard, Fargo, N.D., in October. A boy, William, to Kris and Sarah (Harper) Knopf, Glyndon, Minn., in October.

2010

A boy, Andrew, to Peter ’09 and Kayte (McGuire) Haagenson, Minnetonka, Minn., in January. A boy, Cash, to Lee and Abby (Tisdale) West, Grafton, N.D., in January.

Concordia Magazine

27

CLASS NOTES 1950

Floyd Fairweather, 84, Minot, N.D., in July 2012.

Phyllis (Stoelting) Reed, 87, Monrovia, Calif., in October. M. Eugene Rudd, 87, Ithaca, Neb., in November; he is survived by his wife, Eileen (Hovland) ’52.

1951

Duane Johnson, 85, Medical Lake, Wash., in October; he is survived by his wife, Janet. Floyd Lecy, 88, Moorhead, in February.

1952

Priscilla (Johnson) Grefsrud, 82, Sedona, Ariz., in December. Ruth (Mathre) Schuelein, 84, Bloomington, Minn.; she is survived by her husband, W. Merritt.

1953

Shared Remembrances Along the Coast Allan Stokke ’62 (left), Newport Beach, Calif., and William “Billy” Leazer ’51, Irving, Texas, met aboard the Regatta traveling up the Atlantic Coast from New York City and down the St. Lawrence Waterway to Montreal, Quebec, in October. By chance they discovered each was originally from North Dakota and both went to Concordia.

Even though they attended in different decades, they shared fond remembrances.

Carole (Berg) Engelstad, 82, Mentor, Minn., in January; she is survived by her husband, Clayton. Milo Mathison, 84, Mentor, Minn., in January; he is survived by his wife, Marilyn.

1954

Myrtle (Olson) Stensland, 103, Alexandria, Minn., in August.

1938

Allwin Monson, 97, Kalispell, Mont., in February.

1942

Helen Aaseng, 95, Los Angeles, in January.

1944

Dallas (Person) Seibert, 91, Sioux Falls, S.D., in July; she is survived by her husband, Claire.

1946

M. Jean (Myrdal) Jensen, 87, Grand Forks, N.D., in April 2012. Joyce (Skjonsby) Ness, 89, College Place, Wash., in January. Marlyn “Molly” Wehlander, 89, in December; he is survived by his wife, Betty.

1947

Helen (Hoeger) Mainquist, 92, Buffalo, Minn., in January. Lowell Tjon, 89, Lisbon, N.D., in December.

1948

Ramona (Peterson) Pearson, 86, Wayzata, Minn., in November; she is survived by her husband, Curt.

1949

Gus Oien, 89, Fargo, N.D., in October; he is survived by his wife, Arlene.

28 Concordia Magazine

1965

Leighton Erickson, 69, Austin, Texas, in November 2011.

1966

Dennis Hammer, 71, McIntosh, Minn., in February; he is survived by his wife, Carol. Ruth (Haugen) Just, 70, Burnsville, Minn., in October; she is survived by her husband, Myron. Timothy Solberg, 70, Minneapolis, in February; he is survived by his wife, Kathleen (Bailey).

Wilma (Lauer) Werth, 93, St. Paul, Minn., in December.

1970

1956

1971

Joan (Engel) Miller, 81, Stuart, Fla., in January.

Glenn Schroeder, 85, Red Wing, Minn., in June 2013; he is survived by his wife, Daunn.

1957

1931

Marcus Borg, 72, Portland, Ore., in January; he is survived by his wife, Marianne. Maureen (Quaal) Johnson, 72, Nisswa, Minn., in November; she is survived by her husband, Buzz.

1955

2012

Memorials

1964

1968

A girl, Isla, to Sara (Holmgren) and Ross Dankers, Kalispell, Mont., in March 2014.

A boy, Ryan, to Flavio and Jaci (Grefsrud) Porto, Panama City, Fla., in August.

Royce Aubol, 73, New Town, N.D., in May 2014; he is survived by his wife, Marlys (Liebenow) ’64. Janet (Smedstad) Bjorge, 73, Willmar, Minn., in February.

Lyle Hunter, 85, Cathedral City, Calif., in September; he is survived by his wife, Marilyn (Sjule). Avis (Walwick) Opheim, 82, Sioux City, Iowa, in November.

Ronald Dittmer, 80, Fargo, N.D., in March. Leo Haagenson, 83, Minneapolis, in October; he is survived by his wife, Birgit. Kay (Jensen) Moon, 68, Fargo, N.D., in January; she is survived by her husband, Darrell. Kenward Steinbach, 81, Fargo, N.D., in December; he is survived by his wife, Jean (Peterson) ’58. Loren Waa, 80, Louisville, Ky., in February; he is survived by his wife, Wanda.

2011

1963

Boyd Fiske, 79, Fargo, N.D., in December; he is survived by his wife, Elaine. James Miller, 80, Audubon, Minn., in March; he is survived by his wife, Marcy (Thompson) ’58. LaVonne (Hanson) Sorensen, 79, South Beloit, Ill., in October.

1958

Donovan Anderson, 83, Ada, Minn., in March; he is survived by his wife, Roxy. Curtis Gabrielson, Lodi, Calif., in January; he is survived by his wife, Beverly (Herfindahl) ’59.

Glenn Iverson, 78, Billings, Mont., in October; he is survived by his wife, LaVonne. Dwayne Jorgenson, 80, Watertown, Minn., in November; he is survived by his wife, Barbara.

1959

Darryl Haugen, 79, Green Valley, Ariz., in November; he is survived by his wife, Judy (Stenslie) ’60.

Joseph Westby, 77, Bismarck, N.D., in January; he is survived by his wife, Rita Kelly.

1960

Donald Rasmussen, 85, Salem, Ore., in September 2010; he is survived by his wife, Ardyth. Lucille (Johnson) Wing, 90, Battle Lake, Minn., in December.

1961

Arland Erickson, 75, Minneapolis, in October 2013; he is survived by his wife, Kathy. Hazelle (Bjornson) Nyberg, 75, Brooklyn Park, Minn., in March. James Serkland, 75, Sister Bay, Wis., in November; he is survived by his wife, Gloria (Mathison).

We erroneously published the death of Sharon (Feuerherm) Branson ‘61 in the print issue. She is alive and well and has appreciated hearing from concerned classmates. Concordia Magazine regrets the error.

Maryallyn Ek, 70, Lafayette, Colo., in July. Ruth Schneider, 91, Minneapolis, in January.

Laurice Beaudry, 84, Osseo, Minn., in November 2013. Mary (Kveno) Hoppestad, 66, Mahnomen, Minn., in January; she is survived by her husband, Paul.

Gregory Wallander, 65, Froid, Mont., in September.

1975

Henry Baer, 59, St. Cloud, Minn., in September; he is survived by his wife, Bernadette.

1976

Melinda “Mindy” (Kunz) Bowman, 59, Bemidji, Minn., in February 2014; she is survived by her husband, Don.

1979

Jeff Laeger-Hagemeister, 56, Albert Lea, Minn., in October; he is survived by his wife, Mary ’81. Charlene Stelck, 57, Plymouth, Minn., in October.

1981

Mark Johnson, 56, Glenwood, Minn., in February; he is survived by his wife, Mary (Lysne).

1983

Martha (Forde) Nesheim, 53, Sioux Falls, S.D., in January; she is survived by her husband, Paul.

1984

Mary Lamb, 88, Fargo, N.D., in November.

1990

Jonathan Hagestuen, 45, Gaston, S.C., in May

2013.

1996

Kelly (Svor) Fuhrman, 40, Bemidji, Minn., in February; she is survived by her husband, Corey.

2009

Benjamin Steiner, 28, Colorado Springs, Colo., in November.

IN MEMORIAM Dr. Marcus Borg,

Stay in Touch Want to stay on top of news and events between magazines? Follow us on any of the following social media channels: Alumni Facebook Facebook.com/CobberAlumni Facebook.com/FMACobberAlumni Facebook.com/CobberAlumniTC Alumni Twitter Twitter.com/CobberAlumni College Facebook Facebook.com/ConcordiaCollege College Twitter Twitter.com/Concordia_MN College Instagram Instagram.com/Concordia_MN Storify Storify.com/Concordia_MN

For more alumni resources, events and information, visit

ConcordiaCollege.edu/alumni

CLASS LETTERS This year, class letters will only be sent electronically.

If you need to provide a new email address, please update your information at ConcordiaCollege.edu/ classnotes.

CLASS NOTES POLICY Due to space restrictions, we confine our class notes to news submitted within six months. We do not accept announcements of upcoming marriage or acceptance to graduate school; please submit following the wedding or graduation. Memorials should be sent in by family, with an obituary if possible. Photographs should be accompanied by a brief description, including when it was taken and a list of those in the photo (including maiden names if Cobbers), their grad years, and cities and states of residence. Children of graduates should be pictured in Concordia clothing. Emailed photos should be taken in at least 300 DPI resolution in TIFF or JPEG formats.

Submission of photos does not guarantee publication.

Class notes and photographs may be submitted online at ConcordiaCollege.edu/classnotes. Deadline for the next issue is Sept. 1, 2015. Questions? Email classnotes@cord.edu

72, Portland, Ore., died Jan. 21. A prominent theologian, author and New Testament scholar, Borg was best known for popularizing debates about the historical Jesus. He was among a group of scholars, known as the Jesus Seminar, that worked to identify which of Jesus’ acts and words could be confirmed as historically true. He was a sought-after speaker who authored more than 20 books, some of which were New York Times and national bestsellers. According to The New York Times, his studies of the New Testament led him not toward atheism but toward a deep belief in the spiritual life and in Jesus as a teacher, healer and prophet. Borg became, in essence, a leading evangelist of what is often called progressive Christianity. He was a gentle provocateur who helped many people recover a Christianity that had become strange to them. Yet, he counted among his friends several scholars and religious leaders who disagreed with his theology, but were willing to partake in respectful debate and dialogue.

After graduating from Concordia in 1964, Borg accepted a fellowship to do graduate work at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. He went on to further studies at Oxford University, where he earned his doctorate degree. He taught at various Midwestern universities, including Concordia, when he returned to the U.S. In 1979, Borg joined the faculty at Oregon State University where he taught religion and culture until his retirement in 2007. His work is often assigned by faculty in Concordia’s religion department to introduce students to the academic study of Christianity. He returned to Concordia twice to speak, once at a summer conference and again to present an Oen Fellowship Scholar and Religion 100 Enrichment Lecture. Borg’s books include “Jesus: A New Vision” and the best-seller “Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time.” He is survived by his wife, Marianne; son, Dane; daughter, Julie; son-in-law, Benjamin; and a grandson.

Allwin Monson, 97, Kalispell, Mont., professor emeritus of speech, communication and theatre art, died Feb. 17. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Concordia in 1938. Following service in the U.S. Navy and graduate study at Syracuse University and the University of Denver, Monson joined the faculty of Concordia in 1948. He served as department chair, directed the forensics program from 1948 to 1957, and was the first elected secretary of the faculty. He retired in 1981, returning to his home state of Montana where he was able to fulfill his retirement plan to enjoy the many hiking, fishing, hunting and golfing opportunities the area has to offer.

Monson and his wife were members of Northridge Lutheran Church in Kalispell. In 2012, he created the Allwin and Dorothy Monson Forensics Excellence Fund and received the Soli Deo Gloria Award.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy (Nelson) ’38. He is survived by his daughter, Joyce Monson Tsongas ‘63 (Dennis Brooks); son Arthur ‘65; two grandchildren and one greatgrandchild.

Roger Spilde,

85, Moorhead, professor emeritus of business and economics, died Oct. 31. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Luther College, Decorah, Iowa, in 1956 and a master’s degree in 1958 from the University of Iowa, Iowa City. He served in the U.S. Army from 1951 to 1953 in Germany.

During his nearly 40 years at Concordia, he served on major committees, was instrumental in the development of the cooperative education program, and was awarded the Reuel and Alma Wije Distinguished Professorship in 1995. He was an active member of Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, serving three terms as president of the congregation. He went on many mission trips, including teaching Vacation Bible School through LAMP (Lutheran Association of Missionaries and Pilots) for 24 years. Spilde was involved in MCEIA (Midwest Cooperative Education and Internship Association) since 1975, serving as president in 1992 and was named the first recipient of the Educator of the Year Award in 1997. Since retiring in 1997, he volunteered for SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives), mentoring many clients in starting small businesses. He is survived by his wife, Barbara; daughters Kristi Mann ‘82 (Carter) and Karen Spilde ‘92; sons Peter ‘86 (April), Erik and Paul (Shanen); and four grandchildren.

Concordia Magazine

29

KISSING IN THE

P R AY I N G I N T H E

By Adam J. Copeland

oodbye. I must have said “bye” to my parents hundreds of times before, but never had I done so with so much emotion (not counting a problematic separation anxiety stage in preschool).

There we stood on the front lawn of my first college dormitory about to say our parting words. Within minutes my parents would be leaving, driving their rental car back to the airport to fly the fifteen hundred miles home. I would not be joining them. I was starting college.

What did my parents – what did I – imagine would take place over the next four years as they left their firstborn son in the care of college administrators they did not know, roommates they did not trust, and parties they did not sanction? What experiences would shake me to my core?

What tears would I cry? What subjects would I study? What friends would I make?

What decisions would I regret?

A few days after that goodbye, I attended Sunday morning worship on campus with several new friends from my dorm. At my small, liberal arts, church-related college, worship attendance wasn’t quite expected, but it was certainly accepted. The overall culture of the college encouraged faith exploration, and the campus congregation was no exception. I did not know it then, but I would end up attending worship more often than not throughout my college career. Along with late-night pizza, gallons of coffee, and my fair share of cheap beer, Sunday worship and daily chapel services became part of my weekly college diet.

The student congregation, and the leadership of the college pastors, choirs, and organist, nourished my faith on Sunday mornings, but that hour functioned as one small piece of my larger college faith puzzle. I can name religion courses, offcampus study, creative writing courses, three choirs, conferences, classroom assignments, spring break trips, and dozens of relationships that were much more instrumental in my faith formation.

But worship, nevertheless, marked many Sundays.

It is not coincidence that both the journey through college and the journey of Christian faith recognize formal stages

of progress. In college, one begins as a freshman (or, increasingly, “first-year”) often without a major and moves through the ranks of course credits, degree requirements, capstone experiences, and eventually a formal graduation. In many Christian churches, faith steps marked include baptism, receiving first Communion, confirmation, and eventually becoming a full adult member of a congregation. Death, sometimes called the “completion of baptism,” eventually follows.

In the winding journey of discovery, selfunderstanding, and formal stages, faith and college share a kinship. For many people, one cannot truly progress without the other.

The essays within the pages of my recently published book, “Kissing in the Chapel, Praying in the Frat House: Wrestling with Faith and College,” speak to the many connections of faith and college. It is true that in most colleges and universities students can manage, if they wish, to leave their faith unexamined. In fact, some professors discourage all faithrelated discussions in the classroom – talk of faith can get emotional after all, not to mention political. Even at private, faithrelated schools, students can stoop to boilerplate answers or accurate scholarly

In the winding journey of discovery, self-understanding, and formal stages, faith and college share a kinship. For many people, one cannot truly progress without the other. analysis without examining their own faith claims. The writers in this collection, however, have refused to uphold the false dichotomy between faith and learning.

Indeed, their reflections provide insight into how faith can deepen and complicate – every aspect of one’s college experience.

Commentators have already spilled much ink on the millennial generation, those born between 1980 and 2000, approximately. We’re told that today’s twentysomethings, as well as those of us in

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our early thirties, are lazier than previous generations. We marry later, we are less likely to be affiliated with traditional religious beliefs, and more than a few move back into our parents’ basements after college. While generational theory can be helpful for some big-picture, wide-ranging descriptions, it breaks down when it comes to individuals. That’s where stories come in. Personal narratives can break through

While generational theory can be helpful for some big-picture, wide-ranging descriptions, it breaks down when it comes to individuals. That’s where stories come in. the broad brushstrokes of generational theory and describe real, unique, individual experiences in all their troubled beauty.

This book came about because I was tired of hearing my generation described by outside “experts” in ways that sounded vaguely familiar, but lacked the passion and particularity of individual stories so important for true understanding.

My interest in the themes found in these pages of the collection is more than academic. Born in 1983 and thus a member of the millennial generation myself, the portrayal of millennials affects my own self-understanding and expression. More than once, I have presented on millennials, whether to a church group or within the academy, and while the descriptors leave my mouth, and graphs of generational expressions illumine the screen behind me, I have thought, “But … this isn’t true for me … or my friend Tory, or my lunch buddy Andrew, or my college classmate Lindsey, or my seminary colleague Buz.” As a millennial myself, the stories in these pages help give voice to those thoughts I have often not shared.

My approach to editing this collection also reflects my status as an ordained clergyperson in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). As I worked through the essays

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with each writer, I reflected myself on how college can push, prod, and deepen religious convictions. While I myself align with a certain Christian tradition, my bias in editing this collection was to ensure the stories presented are faithful to each writer’s authentic experience. My faith calls for a freedom to listen to diverse voices, even and especially ones that make me reexamine my convictions. In other words: no story has been censored out of theological concern.

Finally, my interest in these writers’ stories flows also from my position as a member of the religion faculty at a small, church-related, liberal arts college. On the one hand, as a professor I have certain access to the lives of college students today. I see students every day and teach them several times a week in class. I read their essays, meet with them during office hours, and follow many of them on Twitter.

On the other hand, while my position on a college faculty allows me more insight than the average person into the lives of college students, the process of editing this book has also made me acutely aware of the limits of my understanding. The stories have alerted me that there is a whole world of college students’ experience to which faculty rarely gain access. Beyond access, however, I believe the book will be valuable to college faculty and administrators because, as the writers tell their stories, they also begin to make meaning from them.

The essays are not simply action reports of what happened to students’ faith in college, but also reflective, often beautiful, and sometimes heart wrenching stories of wise young adults seeking to understand the world, God, and the powerful events that affect faith in college.

As a millennial pastor-turned-professor, some of the stories in these pages are difficult to read. A few make me nostalgic for my college days, while others describe university experiences very different from my own. It is my fervent hope that the pages will serve as a valuable resource both to those in higher education and to those in Christian ministry.

Four years after my parents and I said “goodbye” outside my first college dormitory, they made the trek back

to campus for my graduation. The commencement ceremony took place on a Sunday afternoon, preceded by a morning baccalaureate worship service. Because the crowd was too large for the college chapel, it took place in the gym filled to the brim with soon-to-be graduates, family, and friends. Though I was thrilled to be graduating, I felt a strong sense of loss on that late spring day. Caught up in the day’s emotions, I believed that the richness of my college experience could not be duplicated later in life. So, while I was more than happy to be granted a diploma, I was not ready to “commence.” I was not eager for college to end as those four years, cliché or not, had actually been the best four years of my life. Then, it was with a heart already filled to the brim that I began singing the closing hymn.

Go my children, with my blessing,

never alone; Waking, sleeping, I am with you, you are my own, In my love’s baptismal river I have made you mine forever, Go, my children, with my blessing, You are my own.

The hymn text of Jaroslav Vajda (about whom I had written a seminar paper) stung with significance. I was aware that the hymn had been criticized for putting words in God’s mouth, but for me that graduation morning, the words felt heaven-sent.

God loved me. And, at points along my college journey, I had touched and been touched by God’s glory. Through God’s grace, my many college sins had been forgiven.

Eyes glistening with tears, yet thankful for my college years, I rallied to sing the final verse. They were words I had heard a dozen times, but with that congregation, with that graduating class, in that place, in the closing moments of baccalaureate, the meaning soared beyond any I had known before.

Go, my children, fed and nourished,

closer to me.

Grow in love and love by serving,

joyful and free.

Here my Spirit’s power filled you; Here my tender comfort stilled you.

Go, my children, fed and nourished,

joyful and free.

My experience of wrestling with faith and college laid the foundation for a future in graduate school, pastoral service, and, eventually, a return to the academy.

The writers included in this collection are working in nonprofits, starting new churches, leading efforts toward interfaith cooperation, studying for graduate degrees, and more. They wrestled mightily with faith and college. Now, as they share their stories, it’s our turn to do the same. ■

Go, my children, sins forgiven, at peace and pure, Here you learned how much I love you, what I can cure; Here you heard my Son’s dear story, Here you touched him, saw his glory, Go, my children, sins forgiven,

at peace and pure.

I had to silently mouth the next verse, tears in my eyes. Surrounded by a college community and a faith community that had given me books to read, papers to write, songs to sing, and friends to love, I knew those words were more true than I could ever have known four years prior. On that college campus, I had learned how much

This excerpt has been reprinted with permission from “Kissing in the Chapel, Praying in the Frat House: Wrestling with Faith and College” by Adam J. Copeland.

It is published by Rowman & Littlefield. Copeland is director of theological inquiry at Concordia. In July, he begins as director of the Center for Stewardship Leaders at Luther Seminary in St. Paul.

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Tail of

Two

Squirrels

By Eric Lillehaugen

At Concordia, even the squirrels have something to teach.

Concordia’s squirrels have been the subject of Orientation Week sketches and even have their own Facebook group. But for Dr. Joseph Whittaker, assistant professor of biology, the squirrels are no punchline.

Whittaker and his student researchers are studying the campus squirrel population. They attach radio bands to captured squirrels and track them upon release. The research has received two separate grants and involved more than a dozen students.

A combination of factors makes Concordia’s campus uniquely suited for learning about how the North American Gray Squirrel and the American Red Squirrel interact with one another and with the humans who share their habitat.

“Squirrel species have been well studied individually, but there are few studies looking at two species occupying the same area, and particularly these two species,” Whittaker says. “Additionally, very few look at them in an urban setting.”

Whittaker and two of his students applied for grants to purchase the radio telemetry equipment they’ve been using to track over a dozen squirrels since last spring.

Caitlan Hinton ’14, who worked with Whittaker on the initial grant proposal, believes the experience gained through this type of research has broad applications.

“Research is a great way to strengthen many skills that will be helpful in future jobs,” she says. “It also opens the door to a lot of opportunities like jobs and research conferences.”

Whittaker believes there’s still plenty to learn about Concordia’s squirrels.

“There are a lot of big ecological concepts that can be tested with squirrels and, in some cases, already have been,” he says. “I think we are at the tip of the iceberg.” ■ Photo: Submitted

Caitlan Hinton ’14 (left) and two student researchers track squirrels on campus using the telemetry equipment secured via a research grant.