June 2005
Hi Class of (Can you believe it’s been 25 years!?) ’80,
Here we are in June 2005 and we are only 4 months from our 25th Reunion Homecoming – talk about time flying! It seems like only yesterday (or at least last week) that we were walking down the aisle in a very hot Memorial Auditorium collecting our diplomas! And yet we know much time has flown by and many changes have happened at our beloved alma mater! Time to fill you in on reunion details and a few of the exciting changes happening around the campus.
Of course, you all know that Concordia has completed its first year under new president Dr. Pamela Jolicoeur. But you may not have realized that she was just formally inaugurated this past April 23. We were not able to make it to the inaugural event, but in talking with some folks who were there, they said Dr. Jolicoeur’s speech was one of the best speeches they had ever heard. You can find the complete text of the speech on the Concordia web site (www.ConcordiaCollege.edu) – I have checked it out and agree that it is an inspirational speech! There are other exciting developments on campus, including some new vice presidents being named. Those details will be in the Cobber X-tra included with this mailing. And the fund-raising has now reached the threshold where plans can move forward on the fabulous new Campus Center that will be built next to and around the current Knutson Center. Amongst many other things, the dining hall will finally be above ground when the new center is completed!
As for our 25th reunion at this fall’s Homecoming, we have a few more details for you. We have lined up a gathering spot for our Saturday night get-together at the Ramada Plaza Suites in Fargo, not far from West Acres. That gathering will begin about 8 pm. The Ramada has also set aside a block of 24 rooms for us that will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis for those interested in booking a 2-room suite (a sleeping room with 2 queen beds plus a sitting room with a sleeper couch) for Friday and Saturday nights. You can reserve one of these rooms by calling (701) 277-9000 and mentioning our group code of “CORS” to get a special rate of $94.00 a night for these rooms. The hotel also has a nice water slide/pool facility for those of you that might bring kids (or those of you who are still just big kids yourselves). But there are also a number of other hotel options in that part of Fargo. And of course, there are a few options nearer to campus in Moorhead, too. Also be sure to check out our 25th Reunion web page at www.ConcordiaCollege.edu/1980. By registering here, other members of our class can also see who has registered to come to the reunion and will be encouraged to attend as well. Tickets for various events such as the Friday night Homecoming Banquet, our Saturday morning Class Breakfast, and the Saturday night Homecoming Show can also be ordered at this site. We will also be adding updated information on other possible Class of ‘80 events that get developed for that weekend. Check it out!
As part of our celebrating our 25 years since graduating from Concordia, we would like to make a special appeal to you as it relates to the Annual Alumni Class Challenge. When it comes to giving to our alma mater, PARTICIPATION is what it is all about. For college-ranking organizations like U.S. News & World Report and for grant-making foundations, the percentage of alumni who give back to Concordia is an important factor in their decisions – even more so than the size of the gifts. Please think about giving even $25 to commemorate and celebrate the 25 years we have had since our Concordia graduation. (And if you are in a position to give more – more is good, too!) I’m sure many of you are in a position similar to ours where you have kids or soon will have kids in college that will stretch your finances. But many of us benefited from the financial aid that was made possible by earlier alums who gave gifts just such as this in the days when we were students at Concordia. Your gift, no matter the size, ensures that Cobbers today will have those same possibilities and experiences you and I had.
Now it’s time for those Class News & Notes that many of you look forward to. Please also know that you can now submit your Class Notes online through the Concordia web site. So don’t hesitate to let us know of that exciting job change, an honor you’ve received, or other kinds of exciting news that takes place in your lives as it is a way for us to stay connected and informed.
CLASS NOTES
Randy Stenson, Yokohama, Japan, directs the high school choir at St. Mary’s International School in Tokyo. The choir at St. Mary’s was selected to perform at the 2005 American Choral Directors Association Convention in Los Angeles. And Stenson was selected by Pavane Music Publishing to edit a new men’s choral series launched at the convention.
Susan (Allers) Hatlie, Elko, MN received a doctorate in narrative counseling theory and theology from the Minnesota Consortium of Theological Seminaries and received teaching certification as an associate supervisor in the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education. She is the director of chaplaincy for the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches.
Dale Degner, St. Paul, MN, has entered the master of divinity program in rural ministry at Luther Seminary.
Kevin Scharper, Forest City, IA, a school social worker, had his manuscript, “Teaching Forgiveness as a Part of Character Education within a Conflict,” published in the Spring 2004 issue of the Journal of School Social Work.
Timothy Carlson, O’Fallon, MO, owns a Maids To Order franchise.
Barbara Cartford, Minneapolis, MN, received the Circle of Peace Award in recognition of 15 years of outstanding service at the Concordia Language Villages.
Steven Tjeltveit, Minneapolis, MN, is a controller at South Lake Pediatrics, Minnetonka.
Karen (Urness) Stengel, Eden Prairie, MN was recently nominated and elected to the Concordia College National Alumni Board and will begin her 4-year term at Homecoming 2005. (She’s going to have a busy weekend!)
Finally, in closing, we’d like to make one more appeal to those of you who value and cherish the education and experiences that Concordia gave you. One of Dr. Jolicoeur’s early messages to all those close to Concordia is that the demographics of graduating high school students in the Midwest (Concordia’s primary drawing area) are changing rapidly – the number of students is dropping and the diversity within that body of students is also changing dramatically. For Concordia College and its mission to carry on, the college and those of us close to it are going to need to become more active and aggressive in recruiting prospective high school graduates who might benefit from the Concordia experience. If you know of high school students who you think might be interested in Concordia (and this may require a change in the profile of what the typical Cobber student might look and sound like from the past), please don’t hesitate to pass that name or names onto the Cobber Admissions Office. There are such exciting possibilities brewing in Cobberville and we can play a part in keeping that dynamic mission alive and thriving.
As your class agents, we continue to plot and plan (along with a small committee of your fellow graduates) for an exciting Homecoming reunion weekend and we do hope you consider joining us to celebrate those 25 years and relive past glories (or embarrassments – those make even better stories!) of our days at Concordia. Hope to see you there!
Sincerely,
Randy & Karen Stengel
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