Saberi Honored by NCAA

Roxana Saberi ’97 received the NCAA Award of Valor during the Honors Celebration at the NCAA convention Jan. 15 in Atlanta.

The award is presented to current or former student-athletes, coaches or administrators who have shown uncommon bravery and courage in the face of grave personal danger. Saberi and Capt. Richard Phillips, whose ship was hijacked by Somali pirates, were honored with the 2010 award.

Saberi, an international freelance journalist, became the subject of worldwide concern during a four-month imprisonment in Iran. She was released from prison last spring.

She played soccer for the Cobbers and graduated summa cum laude from Concordia.

Other individuals honored at the convention for their contributions to intercollegiate athletics included former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell, Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow and Olympian Jackie Joyner-Kersee.

President Pamela Jolicoeur, Dr. Larry Papenfuss, director of athletics, and Dr. Vince Arnold, the college’s faculty-athlete representative to the NCAA, attended the celebration.

“It was an incredible evening. We were thrilled to share Roxana’s big moment with her,” Jolicoeur says. “She represented Concordia with grace and class.”

The NCAA Award of Valor is not given annually. Saberi is one of 17 recipients since 1974.

Photos: Stephen Nowland/NCAA

New Program to Strengthen Study Abroad Experience

The Global Education Office is introducing a new program called “Journey” for students studying abroad to help them make the most of their experiences.

Journey, directed by history professor Dr. David Sandgren, will take students through a series of sessions, lessons and workbook exercises prior to their departure. The noncredit sessions, led by faculty from across campus, will cover everything from financial aid and insurance to culture, language and destinations.

“It was designed with more attention to advisement, anticipating a time when all students will go abroad,” says associate dean for Global Learning Dr. Per Anderson.

The final aspect of the program includes a re-entry component for students who participated in long-term programs. They’ll meet on an ongoing basis with other study abroad and international students to talk about their experiences.

“This has to do with people learning about their own culture and themselves,” Sandgren says. “Students have reported that when they go abroad it makes them think about where they came from.

Concordia Language Villages Receives Video Tutorial Grant

Concordia Language Villages received a $100,000 grant through the STARTALK initiative to provide an online tutorial for teachers of less commonly taught languages. The tutorial is patterned after a Village workshop, “Staying in the Target Language,” that provides teachers with strategies to use the Chinese language continuously while teaching their classes.

Concordia Language Villages director of Education and Research Donna Clementi says the tutorial focuses on how the teachers can make Chinese comprehensible to students by teaching the language in context and using drawings, pictures, gestures and repetition to support learning. The Villages previously received STARTALK funding for the Chinese and Arabic Language Villages.

STARTALK is a project of the National Security Language Initiative. NSLI’s purpose is to expand educational opportunities in critical languages for students in grades K-12 and professional development opportunities for teachers of those languages. The online tutorial will be available through the National Foreign Language Center in March.

Schlotterback to Oversee Vocation and Church Leadership

The Rev. Tom Schlotterback has been appointed as the director of Vocation and Church Leadership. He will assist Concordia in its mission as a college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, exploring creative partnerships with synodical and churchwide expressions of the ELCA.

“To help the college relate more deeply to the church is an absolute thrill that I look forward to,” he says. “It’s always exciting to build relationships and enhance what has occurred in years prior.”

Schlotterback, a 1982 Concordia graduate and a 1987 graduate of Luther Theological Seminary,has served congregations in Fremont and Omaha, Neb. Most recently he served as senior pastor of King of Glory Lutheran Church, Billings, Mont., and as a member of Concordia’s board of regents. Schlotterback began his work in January.

Concordia Enters Partnership With Bangladeshi University

A collaboration on asthma research is kicking off a closer relationship between Concordia and Independent University, Bangladesh.

Dr. Jennifer Bath, assistant professor of biology, and Dr. Rita Yusuf, assistant professor at IUB, will lead students in analyzing human blood samples to gain insight on asthma. Some Concordia biology students will travel to Bangladesh in May to help conduct that research and examine the prevalence of certain helminth infections like hookworm.
But it won’t be the last time Concordia students study in Bangladesh.

A visit to the Asian country in December confirmed that Concordia and IUB are a good fit for future student exchanges, says Provost Mark Krejci. Both schools provide a liberal arts, English-based education, and “our missions are similar,” he says. “Like us, they want to connect with a wider, global world and are committed to being responsibly engaged in the world.”

In addition to biology, IUB offers programs in business, English, communication and environmental science that could benefit Concordia students, says Dr. Per Anderson, associate dean for Global Learning. IUB already collaborates with several U.S. schools, including Harvard and Brown University.

“It’s a great opportunity for our students to experience a Muslim-majority country with an emerging economy,” Anderson says.

The partnership continues a relationship established when President Pamela Jolicoeur participated in a Hollings Center conference in Turkey that sought to strengthen exchanges between American and Muslim colleges and universities. There she met Dr. Omar Rahman, pro-vice chancellor of IUB.

Hovde, Larson Honored With Flaat Awards

Two Flaat awards were presented during the Fall Faculty and Administration Banquet. Dr. Peter Hovde received the Flaat Distinguished Teaching Award and Dr. Betty Larson received the Flaat Distinguished Advisor Award.

Hovde is a professor in the political science department and the co-director of the environmental studies program. He joined the political science department in 1971 and is known for the innovation he brings to the classroom. He was the first director of the International Education program and has been a proponent of global education for both students and faculty.

Larson is a professor of nutrition and dietetics and is the director of the didactic program in dietetics. Larson developed and directs Concordia’s accredited program in dietetics, which has gained a reputation for preparing dietitians who experience exceptional instruction and strong faculty mentoring.

The Flaat awards were endowed by Ole and Lucy Flaat, lifelong farmers in the Red River Valley.

Concordia Hosts China Town Hall

Concordia was one of 35 sites in the nation to host the third annual “China Town Hall: Local Connections, National Reflections” in December.

The event, brought to campus by the global studies program, provided an opportunity for college and community members to learn more about the importance of China’s relationship to the United States and key factors in the relationship including energy and the global environment.

The Town Hall featured a webcast interview with Dr. Kurt Campbell, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs. Dr. Jennifer Turner, director of the China Environment Forum at The Wilson Center, Washington, D.C., also took part in Concordia’s Town Hall. She presented some basic understanding of China-U.S. relations today with specific focus on the environment. The National Committee on United States-China Relations sponsored the event.

Theatre Students Compete

Eight Concordia theatre art students got a sense of what life is like for working actors. They prepared scenes and monologues for the Region V Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival in Overland Park, Kan.

Supervisors and peers nominated the eight – two from each of Concordia’s 2009 main stage shows. Being nominated is a mark of success for students, says Dr. David Wintersteen, associate professor of CSTA.

 “The festival allows students to get a feel for a bigger pond before coming back to their home program,” Wintersteen says.

Nominees were Hannah Holman ‘11, Bloomington, Minn.; Michele Hockett ‘10, Havre, Mont.; Anna Rice ‘12, Moorhead; Matt Ouren ‘10, Edina, Minn.; Matt Cerar ‘11, Moorhead; Monica Jones ‘10, Burnsville, Minn.; Jackie Grosz ‘12, Fargo, N.D.; and Caitlin O’Connell ‘11, Moorhead.

Virtual Tour Experience to Launch in February

What the Concordia campus looks like will become clearer to prospective students with the launch of a virtual tour experience on the Concordia Web site. The online tour features current students as tour guides who explain the different areas of campus. The camera uses a flythrough effect down the different walkways giving the appearance that viewers are making their way across campus.

The virtual tour doesn't replace the on-campus visit, but provides more reasons for students to visit in person, says Omar Correa, vice president for Enrollment.
“In some cases, where students live too far away to visit, this will be their way to experience Concordia College. Being able to look at specific buildings, to listen and see current students talking about campus will also be a great prelude to the actual visit,” he says.

The virtual tour experience will launch in mid-February along with a redesign of the college home page.

Critically Acclaimed Authors Visit Campus in March

Two best-selling authors will talk about their writing at the National Book Awards at Concordia event in March. The National Book Award winner for fiction, Colum McCann, and National Book Award for fiction finalist Daniyal Mueenuddin will be on campus to meet with students, hold master classes and be part of an evening of Readings and Conversation at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 25, in the Centrum, Knutson Campus Center.

McCann’s novels have circled the globe being published in 30 languages. His National Book Award-winning novel, “Let the Great World Spin,” depicts New York City in the 1970s and the pain, loveliness, mystery and promise that make up the city. The internationally best-selling author is a contributor to The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic Monthly and The Paris Review. McCann also teaches at Hunter College and lives in New York City.

Mueenuddin grew up in Pakistan with his American mother and Pakistani father until he was 13 years old. He then moved to the United States to attend boarding school. After graduation from Dartmouth College and Yale Law School, he returned to work on his family’s farm in Pakistan’s southern Punjab, where he lives today. His book that was a finalist for the National Book Award in fiction, “In Other Rooms, Other Wonders,” draws on the strata of contemporary Pakistan to give readers a sharp sense of their own lives. His stories have appeared in The New Yorker, Granta, Zoetrope and The Best American Short Stories 2008, selected by Salman Rushdie.

The Concordia Choir Tour 2010

Saturday, Feb. 20 • 7:30 p.m.
First United Methodist Church
of Orlando
Orlando, Fla.

Sunday, Feb. 21 • 4 p.m.
The First Presbyterian Church
of Pompano Beach
Pompano Beach, Fla.

Monday, Feb. 22 • 7:30 p.m.
Moorings Presbyterian Church
Naples, Fla.

Tuesday, Feb. 23 • 7:30 p.m.
First Presbyterian Church
of Gainesville
Gainesville, Fla.

Thursday, Feb. 25 • 7 p.m.
Faith Presbyterian Church
Tallahassee, Fla.

Friday, Feb. 26 • 7:30 p.m.
Lutheran Church of the Redeemer
Atlanta

Saturday, Feb. 27 • 7:30 p.m.
Shades Crest Baptist Church
Hoover, Ala.

Sunday, Feb. 28 • 4 p.m.
First Presbyterian Church
Nashville, Tenn.

Monday, March 1 • 7 p.m.
Christ Church United Methodist
Louisville, Ky.

Tuesday, March 2 • 7:30 p.m.
Church Street United Methodist Church
Knoxville, Tenn.

Wednesday, March 3 • 7:30 p.m.
Myers Park Presbyterian Church
Charlotte, N.C.

Thursday, March 4 • 7:30 p.m.
St. Peter’s Catholic Church
Columbia, S.C.

Friday, March 5 • 7:30 p.m.
Palms Presbyterian Church
Jacksonville Beach, Fla.

Saturday, March 6 • 4 p.m.
Orchestra Hall
Minneapolis

Sunday, March 7 • 7:30 p.m.
Memorial Auditorium
Concordia College

Drache’s Book Focuses on Jones Family

Dr. Hiram Drache’s latest book tells the story of a family who quietly lived the American Dream through four generations.

“Prairie Homestead to Wall Street” follows the story of the Jones family who established the Metropolitan Building and Loan Association, a multibillion-dollar firm that became the first North Dakota company to be traded on Wall Street.

The first generation of this family was Henry Jones, a Norwegian immigrant who became a successful homesteader in Minnesota. His son Martin founded the Metropolitan Building and Loan Association in 1926. Martin’s son Maurice then guided the business into a multimillion-dollar firm.

In 1967, Maurice’s son Norman took over. He weathered the savings and loan crisis and became a recognized leader in the industry. Norman Jones ’53 has served several terms on the Concordia Board of Regents.

Drache has taught at Concordia since 1952 and is now the college’s historian-in-residence. He has written 12 books. In addition, he has contributed to seven others and written more than 50 articles on topics like contemporary agriculture and agricultural history.

“Prairie Homestead to Wall Street” may be purchased through the Cobber Bookstore.