Broadcaster Winter 2015

winter 2015 | vol. 93 | no.1

Concordia University, Nebraska

DISCOVERING

purposepassion

A L I F E O F

AN

D

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

God surprises me frequently. Have you ever had an experience in life that caused you to say, “God, really? You want me to do what?!”

My mother tells me that when I was 4, I told her I wanted to be a pastor. Likely I did, but I never dreamed I would someday be a pastor with a Ph.D. and serve as the president of a Lutheran university. But God knew I would. He placed into my heart a love of people and a desire to equip students. He kindled a passion in me for spread-ing the Gospel and helping people support students with prayers and gifts. He blessed me with abilities and enabled me to hone tools to serve Him in a role like this. And He molded, shaped and grew my desires and skills so that I could passionately share my love of Jesus Christ in exactly this way.

It fascinates me how God forms each of us to be ex-actly the person—with personality traits, physical attri-butes and specific talents of His choosing—that He wants us to be. Then He presents us with amazing opportunities to use those gifts in service to others. In other words, He empowers us to live lives of purpose and passion in the name of Jesus Christ.

As the articles in this issue of Broadcaster reveal, purpose and passion are present in a vari-ety of vocations: Master of Public Health graduate Stephanie Williams GR ’15 put her own health aside to make others’ lives better in Ebola-infested Africa; Reinhold Marxhausen’s passion for play inspired

hundreds to see the world in a new way; and Drs. Amanda Geidel ’96 and Torri Lienemann empower students to ensure that the disabled have the same academic and emotional support as other students in the classroom. Alexa Marquardt ’13 and sophomore Rosa Gonzales have found purpose in fulfilling their calling first and foremost as children of God. They are going willingly wherever He calls them to explore and share His Word—even if that means living far from the comforts of home and the people they love.

As you read this issue, I challenge you to consider: What are your passions? Have you examined recently how God has equipped you to fulfill a purpose for which He would like to use you? And have you allowed Him to do so?

I thank God for providing all of us with unique traits, attributes, gifts and talents. I pray He continues to work through each of us so we may live lives of purpose and passion for the glory of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, and the love of our neighbor—those He calls us to serve.

Blessings,

Brian L. FriedrichPresident

Brian, age 4; graduation day at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis; ordination at Concordia Lutheran Church in Jamestown, North Dakota, his good friend and college classmate Richard Biberdorf on the right.

13

Fulfilling the Call

Drs. Amanda Geidel '96 and Torri Lienemann improve the lives of special education students through their leadership of Concordia’s special education programs.

4

Into the Heart of Ebola

Stephanie Williams GR '15 uses her God-given talents and Concordia graduate degree to serve in the fight against Ebola.

16

Digging into the Word

Alexa Marquardt '13 traveled more than 6,500 miles to the Holy Land, opening her eyes to the Bible in ways she couldn’t have anticipated.

8

The Serendipity of a Life Together

Reinhold and Dorris Marxhausen lived a joyful life with a passion for art, Concordia and each other.

20

24

28

39

Student Focus

Concordia Scene

Athletics

Alumni & Friends

cune.edu/highlights

Faculty and Student Highlights

Discover the many accomplishments achieved by our students, faculty and staff.

Broadcaster StaffDirector of Marketing Seth Meranda

Editors Danielle Luebbe Jennifer Suggitt

Designers Carlos Acosta Davila '18 Sarah Bowe '16 Aubri Bro '17Brianna Hallmark '17 Emmiline Moll '18 Chelsea Wohlgemuth '18

Contributors Demi Bartunek Kelsey Dinkel '16 Jacob KnabelHope Moural '18

Photographers Brianna Cripps '18Payton DeVencenty '18 Timothy Mehl '18Aaron Nix Benjamin Schranz '15

University AdministrationPresident & CEORev. Dr. Brian L. Friedrich

ProvostDr. Jenny Mueller-Roebke CO '73 GR '81

Executive Vice President, CFO & COODavid Kumm

Senior Vice President for Enrollment Management & MarketingScott Seevers '89

Vice President for Institutional AdvancementKurth Brashear, Esq.

Vice President for Student Affairs & AthleticsGene Brooks CO '91 GR '03

Board of RegentsDr. Dennis Brink, Lincoln, Neb.Mrs. Krista Barnhouse CO '95 GR '01, Lincoln, Neb.Mr. Ryan Burger '04, Lincoln, Neb.Mr. Robert Cooksey CO '84 GR '90, Omaha, Neb.Dr. Lesa Covington Clarkson '80, Woodbury, Minn.Rev. Dr. Brian Friedrich, Seward, Neb. Rev. Eugene Gierke, Seward, Neb.Rev. Keith Grimm, Andover, Minn.Mr. Barry Holst '86, Kansas City, Mo.Mr. Richard Huebner, Centennial, Colo.Mrs. Jill Johnson, Seward, Neb.Mr. Timothy Moll '89, Seward, Neb.Mrs. Bonnie O’Neill Meyer, Palatine, Ill.Mr. Paul Schudel, Omaha, Neb.Mr. Timothy Schwan '72, Appleton, Wis.Rev. Richard Snow, Seward, Neb.Dr. Andrew Stadler, Columbus, Neb.Mr. Max Wake, Seward, Neb.

About the CoverUsing electrical tape on a 16-foot wall outside the Thom Leadership Education Center auditorium, visiting artist Akira Ikezoe and Concordia senior Mitchell Volk '16 recreated a pencil drawing by Guatemalan artist Jorge de León. León often exhibits his drawings on paper while also enlarging one to mural size outside the gallery. León’s and Ikezoe’s artwork was displayed in Concordia’s Marxhausen Gallery of Art during the fall semester of 2015, giving students like Volk an opportunity to further discover their passions for art and work alongside nationally renowned artists.

© 2015 Concordia University, Nebraska

story illustrationDanielle Luebbe Sarah Bowe '16

Stephanie Williams GR '15 risks her own health to save

the lives of others during one of the largest epidemics

in the world’s history.

“I’ve always been an advocate for peo-ple,” Williams says. When her husband was in the Air Force, Williams became an activist for military families with special needs children. She had also done vol-unteer work at a clinic in Tanzania and helped with health care needs on mission trips to Mexico and Guatemala.

“I am very proud of the medical pro-fession, of my profession as a nurse,” Williams says. “I just kept hearing that so many health care workers were dying. A majority of those nurses work for two to four years before they’re offered pay. They were pulling nursing students out of classes; the whole healthcare system was overwhelmed.”

So, in March 2015 Williams left her husband, special needs daughter and 16-year-old son at home and an older son in college to volunteer for seven weeks in the Kono District of Sierra Leone. Her husband, youngest son and daughter were supportive; they understood her desire to go and her need to help. Her college-aged son was angry when he first learned of Williams’ decision. “He felt like I had responsibilities and things I needed to take care of at home, that I didn’t owe those other people anything,” says Williams. “I told him we all have to use our gifts to give back to the world. I couldn’t just turn my back.”

But Williams didn’t fully compre-hend the magnitude of her journey until she was in the airport. She was traveling more than 3,000 miles to combat an ex-tremely contagious virus that had a seri-ously high fatality rate. She didn’t know where she was headed once she landed in Africa, and she didn’t know what the liv-ing or working conditions would be like.

“I remember stopping for a moment prior to approaching the line to the tick-et agent and thinking, ‘What on earth are you doing?’” Williams says. “At that mo-ment, my husband, who I thought had left, appeared and gave me one last hug and gently sent me on my way. Even though for that small moment I questioned my decision, I still knew deep down I was do-ing the right thing. I knew that God had put me on this path.”

Four days after submitting her Master of Public Health thesis to Concordia, Stephanie Williams was on a plane to Sierra Leone, Africa, to take part in the fight against Ebola, one of the most infec-tious and deadly diseases in history.

“When I first responded to the re-quest for U.S. clinicians, I really didn’t give it a second thought,” Williams says.

“Ebola was ravaging a country, people were dying in masses and fellow health-care workers were risking their lives dai-ly, even when their own family members and colleagues were dying of Ebola. I had to go.”

The ongoing epidemic that began in West Africa in 2014 is the largest Ebola outbreak in the history of the world, and half of the people who have con-tracted this strain have died, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Ebola is spread through contact with body fluids or tissues from infected peo-ple or animals. If the symptoms of Ebola are treated early, it can significantly in-crease the chances of survival. However, good supportive care and a sound health-care infrastructure are necessary for making sure patients receive the treat-ment they need.

As Williams was earning her M.P.H., she was a public health nurse working PRN, or pro re nata, a Latin phrase that means she was working whenever she was needed. With a retired husband and her PRN job status, she had a very flexible

schedule, so when the 2014 Ebola outbreak occurred, she began exploring op-tions to take action.

Without discussing the idea with her family, friends or coworkers, she submitted her résumé to Partners in Health, a global organization that provides

medical services to underserved coun-tries. After completing her application, Williams shared her decision to serve. Those who knew her weren’t surprised. After all, Williams’ desire to help others was nothing new.

“We all have to use our gifts to give back

to the world. I couldn’t just turn my back.”

6 Broadcaster cune.edu

When she arrived in Africa, Williams safely found her way to her district, an area where she had less risk of coming into direct contact with the disease than in some other areas that received sup-port from organizations like hers. The Partners in Health team that flew to Africa two weeks before Williams left had contracted Ebola. But those were some of the last confirmed cases at the time, and efforts were shifting from re-sponse to recovery mode.

“We were there to help them get the care infrastructure moving again,” says Williams. “I was working in the hospital and clinic. We would assess people dai-ly for 21 days to make sure they weren’t bringing Ebola into the health facilities. It was all about prevention and control.”

Williams is grateful that she had the experience of Concordia’s Master of Public Health program to prepare her for the work she was doing in Africa.

“When I entered the program, I nev-er in a million years thought I would see all aspects of the M.P.H. come togeth-er,” Williams says. “It was an incredible

experience—there are so many aspects of the healthcare system that come into play. Poverty, poor healthcare infrastruc-ture, cultural issues. I was very grateful that I’d had all those courses to prepare me. I already had the medical background, but the M.P.H. just made me stronger. All aspects of that education came together. It prepared me to go out into the world and serve.”

After her seven weeks were over, Williams was ready to return home, but on the day she was scheduled to fly out, she spiked a fever. “I was a little afraid,” admits Williams. “I knew I hadn’t treated anyone with Ebola, but I still could have been exposed.”

After being examined, she was di-agnosed with malaria, which she had contracted even though she had taken preventive medicine, used bug spray and worn long-sleeved clothing.

“It was 90 degrees out with 90 per-cent humidity,” Williams says. “It was so hot, and we would eat lunch outside. I only remember feeling a mosquito bite maybe twice. It happens.”

After being treated for three days, Williams was allowed to fly back to the United States—but she didn't stay long. When she received another call to re-turn to Africa in mid-October 2015, she accepted without reservation.

“Not everyone’s path or calling will lead them to Sierra Leone to fight Ebola,” says Williams, “but there will be times in your life in which you are not sure if the path you are embarking on is the right path, or if you are the right one to walk along the path. It’s alright to look at it and say, ‘Here I am Lord … send somebody else.’ Of course, the response may be ‘You, my child, are still the one that I have cho-sen to do this.’ And then we move forward remembering that He is strong when we are weak.”

Williams is scheduled to return to the United States in early 2016 to resume life with her family. But as time goes on, she will continue listening for God’s call, keeping an open heart to helping wherev-er she can and letting Him speak through her to encourage others to use whatever gifts they have to serve. n

Stephanie Williams demonstrates the use of personal protective equipment for traditional Sierra Leone birthing attendants. Photo courtesy of Michael G. Seamans, original publication Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, 2015.

#GoHigher Broadcaster 7

The

It's been nearly 50 years since Reinhold Marxhausen completed two major murals in the Nebraska Capitol in Lincoln, one part of a remarkable career that was built on a remarkable partnership between

“Marx” and his wife, Dorris, who both described their life together as ongoing serendipity.

Marx’s passion and vocation was in making art and teaching people to experience it: painting, sculpture, film, mosaics, you name it.

Marx was the artist, filmmaker, pho-tographer and teacher, while Dorris was the homemaker, manager, critic, typist and supporter who also was a community activist. Both actively lived their faith.

Together Marx and Dorris raised two sons, Karl and Paul. They found that the joy and love for their family

multiplied as their boys grew into men, married and had their own families.

Marx retired from teaching at Concordia in 1990. He started to show symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease in 1994 and died in April 2011 at the age of 89. Dorris, who faithfully cared for Marx until the illness progressed to where he needed full-time professional care, passed away this past June at the age of 83.

Besides the two state Capitol murals, “The Spirit of Nebraska” and “The Building

of the Capitol,” which were completed in 1966, Marx especially was known for his sound sculptures, particularly the small enclosed metal sound sculpture called “Star Dust,” which earned him fame, including a 1986 appearance on

“The David Letterman Show.” But he was accomplished in a wide variety of other media as well.

Reinhold and Dorris Marxhausen actively lived their faith

and passion through art, community activism and a

joyful, playful existence.

story photosTobin Beck Payton DeVencenty ‘18 and

courtesy of Karl Marxhausen and the Concordia archives


I’m reminded of Marx and Dorris every time I walk into Jesse Hall, which is the home of the Marxhausen Art Gallery.

Marx came to Concordia in 1951 to teach biology and art. He was the school’s first art instructor. Dorris was a student. They met and, over time, fell in love. After graduation Dorris taught briefly, and then she and Marx married in 1953, the year my parents, Ted and Carol Beck (and five-week-old me), moved to Seward after Dad accepted a call to teach mu-sic. Our families became close friends. When my sister, Tedi, was born, Marx was one of her sponsors at her baptism. To me, Tedi, and our brother, Kevin, the Marxhausens were “Uncle Marx” and “Aunt Dorris.”

After I became a journalist, I would visit with Marx and Dorris when I was back in Seward, especially over Fourth of July holidays. In 1993 I asked them if I could record one of our conversations. They agreed. On the hot Friday afternoon of July 3, we sat on their front porch on Columbia Avenue just a block south of the Concordia campus and talked.

The Playfulness of Creativity

Marx: I still go out and lecture. I lecture on serendipity. Serendipity means the possibility of accidentally discovering something no one else has discovered. … So I’m introducing that word to the kids that I talk to and saying you don’t have to be famous to do things. You should be just an ordinary person who just notices things. That’s why I use a lot of slides: Do you notice things, do you look at things, do you think about things?

And another thing I talk about is, 'Do you learn in a playful attitude?' The whole sound thing that I’m involved in—it was a Saturday, it was a boring, dull day, Saturday, nothing to do, what do I do, so I went to the studio, where I would go every day, nobody there, empty room. I was bored, I picked up a doorknob, on the table there’s a doorknob there. Just for the hell of it I welded some wires to the doorknob. Just for the heck of it, looks

like a rocket. I was playing, I was play-ing around with this doorknob and these wires. Then I took another, I put it to my ear and plucked the wires and said ‘nice sound.’ So then I got another doorknob and put some wires on there, now I put a wire across here, so now I was playing this thing, and I thought, ‘Wow!’ So the whole sound sculpture idea started on a Saturday when I was bored, I had nothing to do, I played with the doorknob. That started my whole career.

See? I’ve told that story often, to show people that’s how it begins. When you play, when you’re not serious. So I teach people how to play, and I use that word a lot, the playfulness of creativity.

TB: For people who have lost touch with how to play, what do you tell them to do?

Marx: Yeah, that’s a good question. How do you play? What do you do? I re-member in Wisconsin a couple of years ago, these business executives had a conference. These were all high-tech people, and I was one of the speakers about creativity. I had these guys in kind of a park out there, it was way out in the boondocks somewhere, with some trees and some rocks. And I actually had these business people on their hands and knees with rocks and pinecones in the sand and they were making little villages with their rocks. That has to be one of the most memorable moments of my life, to see those guys crawling around, playing with rocks and sand. I don’t know what they thought about that, but that’s what they needed to do—it made little children of them, and it loosened them up.

TB: I’ve always admired Marx’s outlook—he sees things that other people pass by. But you both really seem to always have fun just in day-to-day living.

Marx: Best thing that ever happened to me, you know, you get a job like this.

Dorris: He was so happy with his job, because he was actually employed. And his father was actually impressed. And then, I guess, by some definitions of the word, ‘workaholic’ would apply. Because I always said he had three parts to his career: the teaching, speaking and pro-ducing artwork on commission, but each of those yielded a little money—not a heck of a lot, but it was always there.

At least we don’t have real high de-mands or ambitions in whatever it takes to sustain us.

Marx: But to be this close to the state capital, to be this close to the col-lege, to be in a rural town, all that adds—if I was in Chicago, on the south side of Chicago, living there, and doing exactly what I’m doing now, I wouldn’t be as successful. You see the site, and the cir-cumstance, you can be somebody in this state that has a small population. If I was in New York, it would be a lot harder.

Dorris: You know they say a prophet is without honor in his own country, and it’s true. He was regarded as a nut for the first 10 or 20 years ’cause he roamed the alleys picking up junk and was wear-ing a beard when nobody else did and seemed to most types of people a kook. But now he’s not only treated with re-spect in Seward, but it seems like awe at times.

Reinhold Marxhausen and his sons explored nature often, building snow

forts together during the winter.


Do you see cows or Nebraska zebras? Reinhold Marxhausen encouraged people to discover new possibilities in what they see.

Then, of course, comes the counter thing, that’ll be the people 30 or young-er, pursuing their careers, and they happened to cross paths somewhere or whatever, and never heard of him. OK, you know, so much for fame, so much for Capitol murals and all those press clip-pings, and that’s that.

Marx: When I got the let-ter to teach at Concordia, A.R. Kretzmann was a well-known clergyman in our church. He was a good friend of mine.

So when I got the job offer, he took me in his car and went to his favorite clothing store, and he told the guy, ‘This guy’s going to be a college professor and just can’t go running around in these blue jeans and socks, so I want you to fit him out in a new suit, new slacks, a pair of shoes and a

top coat.’ He told the clerk that. And all that, he wrote a check, paid for it and sent me out to Seward. The first thing I did in Seward, I went downtown and bought a brand new pair of blue jeans. And I went to chapel here with my brand new pair of blue jeans.

Dorris: That sounds like nothing now, though.

Marx: And I think I was the first person on campus to wear blue jeans in chapel. And it’s funny that this guy fit me out with a suit, and I never even wore it.

Dorris: Sometimes he’s disappoint-ed that he can’t rock boats like he did be-fore. It takes a lot of boat rocking to rock a boat these days. But he’s not willing to go over all kinds of edges and still have that sensationalism, but come on, we’re talking a major show-off here too.

Marx (laughing): Oh sure.

TB: As we talked about being in Seward, about Concordia, about ac-complishments, the conversation came back around to serendipity.

Dorris: The fact that he uses the word ‘serendipity’—sometimes also meaning just accidental—it’s very interesting that he has begun to use that as a title for a general creativity lecture in the last few years, because we’ve both been very conscious of serendipitous stuff through our whole life. . .

Marx: Serendipity—my whole life has just been very serendipitous. n

“I was bored,I had nothing to do, I played with

the doorknob. That started my

whole career.”

Reinhold Marxhausen worked with unique media and textures, as he did when creating "Grass." The finished piece (right) is currently on display at Jones National Bank & Trust Company in Seward, Nebraska.


Drs. Amanda Geidel ’96 and Torri Lienemann are

dedicated to improving the lives of special education

students through their leadership of Concordia’s

special education programs. CALLstory photosJennifer Suggitt Payton DeVencenty '18

Benjamin Schranz '15

FULFILLING THE

Geidel came to Concordia to earn an undergraduate degree in elementary education, as she had been planning to do for many years. Her junior year she explored adding a special education endorsement, but she would have had to stay at Concordia an extra year.

After much discussion with the special education program director at the time, Dr. Judith (Walter) Preuss CO

’60 GR ’75, she decided to proceed with her focus on teaching at the elementary level in a Lutheran school, wanting to

wait and see if her heart r e m a i n e d drawn to the field of special education.

G e i d e l ’s first teaching

call was to St. Michael Lutheran School in Wayne, Michigan, where she taught third grade. In her class was a boy named Kelly, who happened to have an intellectual disability.

With no special education teacher at her school, Kelly was included in Geidel’s class, and his needs were great.

“I was excited about having Kelly in class and afraid at the same time, but it ended up being the most wonderful experience, one that grew that passion

Discovering What Really Matters

Ed and Kelly. Special children with special needs. Without knowing it, these two boys changed the course of Amanda Geidel’s life forever, inspiring her passion for special education by simply being themselves.

As a high school student who knew she wanted to be a teacher, Geidel often volunteered to tutor students with disabilities. As she began to build a relationship with a boy named Ed, age 17 at the time, Geidel gained a perspective on life that she couldn’t find within her core group of friends.

“Ed wasn’t caught up in image or popularity,” says Geidel. “Because of his intellectual disabilities, he didn’t care about all the frivolous stuff that all my friends cared about. Maybe at the time I didn’t know it, but there’s a lot more to life than what kind of jeans you are wearing and what kind of car you have. [I thought,] ‘This guy is genuine, and he is my friend, and he accepts me unconditionally.’ That was when I realized there was meaning there.”

for special education even more,” she says. “It was a chance for me to see that inclusion can work, and that it really is about all of the people involved, including the individual with special needs, the other students and their teacher. Just seeing how the students took ownership in meeting Kelly’s needs and in helping him make progress, they learned so much from their relationships with him—things you don’t get from a textbook.”

After two years at St. Michael, Geidel knew special education was the area she needed to focus on professionally, so she enrolled at Michigan State University to pursue a master’s degree in special education.

Before her classes could begin, Geidel’s husband, Jeremy Geidel ’96, was recruited to be a graduate assistant for football and the head baseball coach at Concordia. The couple moved back to Seward, where she coached Concordia’s women’s soccer team for two years and worked on earning her master’s degree, this time from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

In the following years, Geidel taught special education at the elementary and middle school levels in and near Seward. She taught as an adjunct professor for Concordia for seven years before becoming a full-time professor in 2008, eventually accepting the role of director for Concordia’s special education program. Geidel earned her doctorate from Northcentral University in October 2015.

Geidel received the Outstanding Teaching Award in 2012, an honor awarded during commencement to an unsuspecting professor who is nominated by students. While accepting the award, she acknowledged the two students who touched her heart years ago: “Ed and Kelly are the reasons why I’m here and why teaching is possible—because it comes from the heart, and when I’m in front of my students, it’s really easy to share that passion.” n

“There's a lot more to life than what kind of jeans you're wearing.”

Dr. Amanda Geidel, assistant professor of education, director of special education program


Building Trust When Others Wouldn't Listen

When Torri Lienemann was in high school, her family was mostly beauticians and teachers—and she was determined to follow a different career path. So, she began her freshman year at University of Nebraska–Lincoln with a major in business administration.

“I could hear God calling me to education, and I kept telling Him no,” she says. “I had been fighting [becoming a teacher]—not that I didn’t have fantastic teachers in my life, but I had this idea that success was equated to money and affluence. That was my goal—to be successful monetarily—and that was not God’s goal for me.”

During college, Lienemann was asked to teach catechism to sixth graders at her Catholic church. A young man in her class, named Chris, had Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), giving him lots of energy and outbursts—and misunderstandings and challenges—in the classroom.

But things were different in Lienemann’s class.

“He shared what happened at school, that no one would listen to him,” says Lienemann. “They wanted to put him back on medication, but he didn’t think he needed it. He would share a lot of things about the other adults in his life who didn’t trust him and wouldn’t listen to him, but he did trust me.”

A natural connection, built stronger through after-class chats, empowered Lienemann to guide Chris through some difficult times. And Lienemann couldn’t deny that she was making a difference for Chris, but she didn’t embrace God’s call to the special education career path until the most unlikely of days to be analyzing one’s career—her wedding day.

A year after Chris was in her class, she was planning her wedding and shared an invitation with all her CCD students. On her wedding day, as she

stood at the back of the church getting ready to complete her processional, Chris arrived for the wedding, dressed up and with flowers in-hand. In the middle of December in Nebraska, the middle school student had bundled up and ridden his bike from northeast Lincoln to the south central part of the city to attend the ceremony.

“I was in the church vestibule waiting to walk down the aisle when Chris walked in. I cried for the first time all day, and I knew [special education] was what I was supposed to do,” says Lienemann. She changed her major to special education the next semester.

Since graduating from college, she has earned her master’s degree and doc-torate in special education, specializing in ADHD and non-medical academic in-terventions, as well as strategy instruc-tion. She is now Concordia’s Director of Graduate Studies in Special Education and Early Childhood Special Education, believing God’s call is for her to train oth-er teachers to effectively help students like Chris.

“The more I got into education, the more I realized there are so, so many students and teachers who are at a loss for what to do,” says Lienemann. “It has become my mission to train teachers to be effective in meeting the needs of all students. I’m only one person and can only touch so many students, but if I can train teachers to do that, we can have a whole army of fully equipped special education teachers who are prepared to help students be successful.” nDr. Torri Lienemann, director of graduate studies

in special education and early childhood special education

“I could hear God calling me to education, and I kept telling Him no.”


around the world multiple times to the politically charged, culturally diverse city of Jerusalem and its surrounding areas where Jesus himself lived, died and rose again.

From the Classroom into the Field

Marquardt traveled to Israel in 2012 with Meehl, who takes students, alumni and community members on a tour of the Holy Land every three years.

The trip exceeded Marquardt’s expectations.

After visiting places where the Bible took place, she felt as though she had “read the Bible in color,” building her passion even stronger to know more about the Bible and spread the Word. As Marquardt was completing her education degree and theology minor at Concordia, she considered how she could feed her desire. She believed more education—especially back in the heart of the Holy Land itself—could be the solution.

Alexa Marquardt sat in Professor of Theology Dr. Mark Meehl’s Old Testament class as a freshman at Concordia in 2009, staring at the piece of pottery in her hand from the time of Saul or King David. Examining the pottery from such a faraway land and a time so far removed from the 21st century, Marquardt thought, “I should not be holding this.”

Meehl’s class at Concordia “made the Bible come alive” for Marquardt. She was fascinated by her encounters with pieces of history from the times when events of the Bible occurred. She saw photos of a six-chamber city gate from the time of Solomon and the valley where the confrontation between David and Goliath took place, among other experiences, and this exposure motivated her to delve deeper into a world where archaeologists’ discoveries bring biblical history to life.

But she had no idea her new and growing curiosity would develop into a passion that would take her halfway

The Bible came to life for Alexa Marquardt ’13 on a tour of the Holy Land, taking her passion

for the Word of God to a higher level and igniting a desire to spread it around the world.

story photosJennifer Suggitt Payton DeVencenty '18 and

courtesy of Alexa Marquardt and Dr. Bob Mullins

DiggingWordthe

into

Archaeological site where Alexa Marquardt worked. Layers from the Persian period and the beginning of an Iron Age II period were at this site.


Alexa Marquardt assists at an archaeological dig in Israel, taking

elevations at the end of the workday. Photo courtesy of Dr. Bob Mullins,

a dig director at the site.

“My theology courses at Concordia ignited and fueled a desire to learn God’s Word more deeply and to be able to teach the Word with more experience,” she says. “Then, after visiting the Holy Land, I knew that by being there longer, I would learn things that I could not learn the same way anywhere else,” she says.

Finding Safety Among Other Christians

Marquardt began exploring options for graduate programs in biblical studies

with archaeological o p p o r t u n i t i e s. S h e discovered Jerusalem Un i ve rs i ty Co l l e ge in her research and studied there from January to May 2014 despite the perpetual

political and religious unrest occurring in the Holy Land.

“Living near the Old City of Jerusalem exposed me to the complexity and difficulty of the politics and the violence that has racked that part of the world in the most recent history,” says Marquardt.

“There’s so much diversity—and there’s

also a lot of misunderstanding between these diverse peoples too.”

Still, Marquardt felt physically safe in and around Jerusalem. Emotional safety was another story.

As a Christian in the midst of such a culturally and religiously diverse area, Marquardt found herself feeling emotionally challenged as a follower of Christ.

She explains, “It was difficult to live where the Bible took place, in particular, to be living very close to where Jesus died and rose from the dead in Jerusalem and to know that almost every person I passed on the street or interacted with each day did not believe that—that Jesus’ sacrifice and victory was not the reality to them. It was disjunctive while in the place those events actually happened.”

She found comfort in her studies of the Scriptures and a sense of belonging in the presence of other Christians in the area by volunteering in a Lutheran school in Bethlehem.

“A highlight of my experience was traveling to Bethlehem once a week to volunteer at a Palestinian Lutheran school (Dar al-Kalima Lutheran School), working with middle and high school

Dr. Mark Meehl shares Philistine sherds, fragments of pottery from around 1100 B.C. (the Iron I period), with students in his Old Testament class.

“Jesus’ sacrifice and victory was not the

reality to them.”


Professor of Theology Dr. Mark Meehl has lived and worked in the Holy Land for more than a dozen years during his professional career. He uses that experience to provide a unique, information-rich tour of the Holy Land for students and community members every few years, taking them to historical sites and archaeological dig sites like those he studied and worked at in the 1980s and ’90s.

As Meehl explains: “Connecting the Word of God to actual sites—taking a boat across the Sea of Galilee; walking through gates built by Solomon; striding across the Temple Mount platform built by Herod the Great as Jesus, the disciples and Paul did; walking down the streambed that David crossed to go fight Goliath and where he picked up the stones used to kill the Philistine, to name a few—is a powerful learning tool, enriching the biblical events and embedding them in the students’ memory for a lifetime.”

Meehl’s first trip to the region was in 1984, at which time he excavated at Abila of the Decapolis in northern Jordan and then worked at Tel Miqne-Ekron from 1985 to 1996 in Israel.

students learning English,” she says. “I was blessed by the hospitality and liveliness of the Palestinian Christian community who welcomed me into their lives and homes and shared their culture with me.”

While studying at Jerusalem University College, Marquardt spent most of her time examining the country’s culture, history and geography by visiting historically significant locations in and around the city as often as she could, further building her understanding of the Bible and her desire to teach it to others.

Becoming Equipped to Share the Word

She returned to the United States in May 2014 and began pursuing a Master of Arts in Biblical Exegesis from Wheaton College Graduate School in Wheaton, Illinois, using her credits from Jerusalem University College to fulfill part of her educational requirements. She plans to graduate in May 2016.

Despite the pursuit of another degree in the United States, Marquardt’s desire to learn in the Holy Land remained, so she returned to Israel in the summer of 2015 to participate in archaeological excavations at Abel Beth Maacah in the northern part of the country, near the Lebanon-Israel border. Meehl had encouraged her to dig there so she could learn about the way a dig operates, the decisions that are made as the layers are uncovered and how data is interpreted in the field.

“It is not only a lot of fun and really interesting to work with the material culture of biblical time periods, but it is also very valuable experience to gain since archaeology is an important part of biblical interpretation,” says Marquardt.

When she graduates from Wheaton, Marquardt would like to teach God’s Word, a Word that she says is living and active as we speak it and teach it to one another. She yearns to be a part of sharing that living Word because, to her, it will never be just a book of stories in black and white on a page. n

Meehl started as a volunteer at the archaeological dig site and worked his way up to assistant field archaeologist.

Meehl assisted with publishing outcomes and details about a part of the experience that he had supervised while digging in Israel, and he returned to the Albright Institute in 1999 to assist with the editing of the publication. He also spent a couple months in Syria in 1987, traveling and excavating at Tel Raqai in northeastern Syria near Hasakah.

Before joining Concordia in 1991, Meehl lived in Jerusalem at the Albright Institute for a couple of years, performing research for his doctorate on archaeological material stored in Jerusalem and Bir Zeit in the West Bank. He became the program director for the institute and arranged field trips to sites and dinners with local Israeli scholars for the fellows.

Meehl first led a group to Israel in 2000, returning with other groups in 2009, 2012 and 2015, and his next tour is in 2018. He hopes to continue leading the tours every few years, turning the stories of the Bible into reality for all who attend.

A Closer Look at the Holy Land Trip Leader

Dr. Mark Meehl and students David Schrampfer, Laura Sweere and Samantha Welch examine a bowl-shaped piece of pottery, held by Welch, from around 1600 B.C.


God Provides

story photosDanielle Luebbe Payton DeVencenty '18

Rosa Gonzales '18 overcomes the challenges in her life

by trusting in God and following where He leads.

Rosa Gonzales is not a traditional Nebraska college sophomore. She’s 25 years old, and she’s from Chiclayo, Peru. Combine that with the path that God has led her on, and Gonzales’ journey to Concordia University, Nebraska was about as unconventional as they come.

Rosa’s life was difficult from the start. She and her mother lived alone, and they struggled to make ends meet. “Our house was only a one-room house,” Rosa says, “but a room is like $100 a month. My mom is a seamstress and housekeeper, and working together we would make maybe $2,000 or $3,000 a year. So there’s a lot of trusting in God and knowing that He is always going to provide for you.”

Rosa started working when she was 5 years old and continued working through elementary school and high school. Even though she got good grades, Rosa wasn’t able to go to college in Peru.

“To get into a national school, the vacan-cies are very tight,” she says, “so you have to go to a special academy to get trained to take a test. Everybody fights for the spaces. I didn’t have the money for it.”

Instead, Rosa began volunteering at The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod mission. She learned that they didn’t have enough translators, and that sparked an interest in her. “I’m a person who likes to communicate,” Rosa says. “And I like languages, so I was like, I’m going to work and save money to go and study English.” Rosa worked at a call center and studied English for two years before becoming a translator for the mission. Soon after, she was confirmed in the Lutheran faith.

Two of the missionaries, Bruce ’05 and Sarah ’02 Wall, were looking for a housekeeper and nanny for their new-born baby. Rosa saw an opportunity to further serve. “In Peru, to work in a house, it’s not like here,” she says. “To clean a house or to be a nanny is like a denigration; you do that because you’re really poor and you don’t have other op-portunities. But Bruce and Sarah treated me like I was part of their family.”

Rosa was no stranger to hard work. She embraced each new position, know-ing it was an opportunity given to her by God so she could support herself and

Rosa Gonzales honors her Peruvian culture by keeping her country’s flag with her at Concordia.


her mother. “I have never been afraid or embarrassed if I had to work in a house,” Rosa continues. “I don’t think it’s an issue. My mom worked her whole life in house-keeping, and that’s the way she raised me, so why would I be embarrassed of it?”

When the Walls moved back to the U.S., they invited Rosa to visit. She traveled the country, seeing other mis-sionary families that she’d worked with in Peru and visiting colleges, including Concordia. That visit, with the way she felt on campus and the people she met, sealed the deal for Rosa; Concordia was where she wanted to be. But the actual process of attending was a little more complicated than just making the choice.

“When I came here, it was such a short amount of time,” says Rosa. “I came, I applied and I passed my English test, but I didn’t know I had to take an SAT.”

With only three weeks to study be-fore the SAT, Rosa put her future in God’s hands. “I was like, ‘God, whatever you want is going to happen.’ I was working for the church, I was studying for my test and it was just a lot. I studied for three weeks every night until 2 in the morning, and then I’d wake up and go to my job.”

All of her hard work paid off. She achieved a positive test score on the SAT, was accepted into Concordia and is now on a path full of opportunities that she never dreamed were possible. And she continues working hard on campus as a resident hall assistant and translator and trusting God each step of the way.

Rosa is studying middle level educa-tion with endorsements in social science and Spanish. She wants to teach in a tra-ditional classroom or serve as a mission-ary—or experience another unexpected path. “I am planning to go wherever God takes me,” she says. “It’s not my plan; it’s about God’s plan. If He wants to send me wherever, I will go to serve there. I’m sure I will be afraid, but I don’t think I belong anywhere. I belong wherever God puts me.”

Rosa hasn’t been back to Peru since she started at Concordia. For Christmas this year, some other resident assistants bought her a plane ticket home so she

could spend the holiday with her moth-er. Rosa misses her family and friends in Peru, but she calls or Skypes with them whenever she can.

“It has been hard for my mom,” Rosa says. “It was just she and I for a long time. But I know God is taking care of her and providing for her when I can’t.”

Her faith is what gets Rosa through whenever she starts to worry, and coming to Concordia has only solidified that faith.

“Sometimes people think that they don’t have anything and that they’re poor,” Rosa says. “God provides, God gives you life, God gives you a next day, gives you grace; what else can you expect for your day? I would say what drives me every day is just to wake up and say, ‘Thank You, God, for the opportunity that You give me every day to live and enjoy the day.’ Just to wake up is awesome.” n

Rosa Gonzales’ work ethic, inspired by her mother, earned her the opportunity to attend and thrive at college in the United States.


Anna Meyer '19 and Trevor Miller '16 examine a simulated crime scene

created as the final project of their forensic science lab.

story photosJennifer Suggitt Payton DeVencenty '18

The "crime house" near campus gives students unique, hands-on experience, led by Dr. Timothy Huntington ’02, one of just 17 board-certified forensic entomologists in the world.

InvestigationA Special

The house is a typical family home where a mother may be cooking in the kitchen and a father playing with children in the front yard, laughter and joy filling the air. Its cupboards are full of food, comfort-able furniture fills the rooms and plenty of clothes hang in the closets.

But a closer look reveals that some-thing here has gone terribly wrong.

The door is ajar, household goods and decorations are strewn across the living room a n d b l o o d spatters are visible on the f l o o r f ro m near the front entryway to the back door.

This is not the scene of a local crime that police are called to investigate; in-stead, it is the scene at a house near cam-pus that Concordia students are tasked to examine and study as part of their crimi-nal justice education.

Behind the scenes of this simulation is Dr. Timothy Huntington, associate pro-fessor of biology and criminal justice.

"While having blood spatter and fin-gerprints in a classroom is fine for teach-ing the techniques, actually having the students go to an unfamiliar house and process evidence that was left during the simulated commission of a crime is a to-tally different and much richer learning experience,” says Huntington.

Huntington knows that the foren-sic science, criminal justice and biology students in his classes are not just there to learn. They are there to gain hands-on, applicable experience.

The crime scene house—staged to look like a murder, kidnapping or bur-glary has occurred—provides a unique opportunity for students to apply the in-formation from their textbooks and class discussions to hands-on experiences that will help them explore their interest in criminal justice occupations and better understand the world in which they live and serve.

At the crime house, students work together to investigate the crime scene,

determine what has happened and iden-tify the next steps that will effectively wrap up their case.

“By offering this type of learning en-vironment, our students gain a better appreciation of how the criminal jus-tice system works, and they realize that the shows they watch on TV aren’t real,” says Huntington. “It is important that students with a criminal justice major know what they’re getting into. Hands-on

experience is the best way to help them un-derstand what working in this field could be like after grad-uation, and this

kind of learning environment demon-strates ways they can successfully serve in this field."

As a 2002 graduate of Concordia University, Nebraska with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology, Huntington is a forensic scientist with a background in criminal justice and law enforcement, currently serving not only at Concordia but also as a part-time county deputy sheriff for Seward County, Nebraska.

He is also one of just 17 board-cer-tified forensic entomologists in the world, using his expertise in the study of insects to consult as an expert analyst and/or witness for more than 100 death cases, including the Roy Ellis and Casey Anthony murder trials of the last decade.

Huntington realizes how valuable the exploration of different vocational interests is during college.

“When I came to college, I originally wanted to go into law enforcement," he explains. "Then during my junior year, I did this field study in entomology, and that’s kind of where it all started."

Huntington has served seven years as a professor of biology and criminal justice at Concordia. He appreciates the small-town feel of Seward and ev-erything that it has to offer, like the Concordia campus and its students.

“As a graduate of Concordia and member of a local Lutheran church, I obviously enjoy the Christian environ-ment. I also enjoy that Concordia is a small school and that I am encouraged to get to know my students well,” says Huntington. “Criminal justice is still pretty new, but it’s growing, and it’s only going to get better as it goes on.” n

“They realize that the shows they watch on TV aren’t real.”

This house near campus, now used to mimic a police crime scene, gives students a fresh, realistic space to learn techniques used in criminal justice occupations.


Clockwise from top, page 24: Concordia football players ring the victory bell after their 47-14 win against Nebraska Wesleyan University. Bryce Collins picks up rushing yards during the football game. Ann Spilker paints the face of a girl on campus for Homecoming festivities. Alumni Bailey Morris, Enrique Barajas and Von Thomas are recognized as 2014-15 senior athletes of the year. Concordia students make some noise during the football game. Clockwise from top, page 25: Homecoming King Jonathan Jahnke and Queen Talitha Elbert greet the crowd. Concordia’s volleyball team won against Nebraska Wesleyan University 3-0. Alumni Council President Matt Kuske ’12 (far left) and President Brian Friedrich (far right) join alumni and friends honored with 2015 Alumni Awards. Tamira Knight shares a big smile with community members.


Humbled & Honored

photosPayton DeVencenty ‘18

Benjamin Schranz ‘15

at Homecoming 2015

For the full list of Alumni Award recipients (shown above) and Athletic Hall of Fame inductees, as well as forms to nominate potential future recipients, visit cune.edu/homecomingawards.

Jonathan Jahnke '16 and Talitha (Tallie) Elbert '16 were voted the 2015 Homecoming king and queen by the student body. Both say they were surprised and humbled by the opportunity to represent Concordia and the Class of 2016 in this way, and they are looking forward to coming back for future Homecoming events as alumni.


Mallory, an 8-year-old second grader, loves to read. The more interactive the story, the better. So when she had an opportunity to meet authors and illustrators at the 20th annual Plum Creek Children’s Literacy Festival—and specifically, to mimic the moves of Eric Litwin as he led her, along with schoolmates and teachers, in the Polka Dot Dance—she couldn’t hide her enthusiasm.

She and the hundreds of other children at Litwin’s presentation executed the moves and loudly chanted the words of the song—as featured in his book “The Nuts”—without hesitation, smiles on their faces from start to finish.

Each year Mallory and thousands of other students have the opportunity to

participate in the festival on Concordia’s campus and in surrounding schools.

Au t h o rs a n d i l l u s t rato rs o f children’s books share their stories, creative processes and personal experiences. The more personal the speakers get, the more relatable they become to the children. “I learned that authors and illustrators don’t have to comb their hair, and they can work in their pajamas,” says Mallory, with a laugh as she recalls the day.

Getting to know the authors and illustrators as regular people strengthens the students’ connection with the book; helps children recognize that they too can achieve the same accomplishments someday; and encourages a love for reading, writing

and all the discovery and creativity associated with developing the books that the students enjoy so much.

Beyond meeting the minds behind the stories, the students also experience hands-on learning opportunities, such as an Author Talk during which stu-dents listen to a story by one of the festi-val’s featured authors and then make an associated craft to take home.

Authors, illustrators and literacy experts share their experiences and expertise with teachers, administrators and community members during an all-day conference on the last day of the event. The information, creativity and tools shared at the adult conference leave attendees feeling empowered to put their newfound knowledge into action. n

BRINGING BOOKS TO LIFE story photosJennifer Suggitt Seth Meranda

Benjamin Schranz '15

—Eric Litwin, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the first four “Pete the Cat” picture books and author of the new musical series “The Nuts”


PLUM CREEK CHILDREN'S

LITERACYFESTIVAL

21st Annual

Students, teachers, volunteers and community members served11,421

Attendees at adult conference and festival volunteers

Illustrations from “Otis,” written and illustrated by Loren Long

9,055

1,346

1,020

Students, parents and teachers who saw author and illustrator presentations

Attendees at community and school events with native-Nebraskan astronaut Clayton Anderson

Workshops like “Oobleck—the Science of Dr. Seuss” teach children to think beyond the words on the page and physically explore what the words are saying. In that session, students briefly re-enact the highly dramatic, silly tale of Dr. Seuss’ “Bartholomew and the Oobleck” and then make the slime described in the story, mixing it up step by step and joyfully squishing it and sliding it around in their hands.

—Dr. Jennifer Fruend, assistant professor of biology at Concordia and leader of the slime-creating activity session “Oobleck—the Science of Dr. Seuss”


DREW OLSON

Winningest coach in Concordia women’s basketball history with a record of 226-78 (.743) entering 2015-16

Leads all Concordia women’s basketball coaches in national tournament appearances (7)

and national tournament wins (11)

2012 GPAC Coach of the Year

2014-15 NAIA Region 2 Coach of the Year for women's basketball

2015 Midlands/State College Coach of the Year (The Omaha World-Herald and Lincoln Journal Star)

story photosJacob Knabel Payton DeVencenty '18

and courtesy of Drew Olson

Championship basketball coaches Rich, Jarrod and Drew Olson '03

find success by drawing strength from the late Olinda Olson and their

passion for the game they love.

BEHINDTHE SUCCESS:

THE OLSON STORY

It’s a Tuesday evening in the middle of July, and two brothers have reunited over a familiar round, orange and leather-coated object that has been prevalent in their lives since birth. Jarrod Olson, now 41, drives and whirls a pass back out top to Drew Olson, 36, who rises and fires a three. They narrowly miss out on the Olson-to-Olson scoring connection.

No matter—it’s simply one play in a series of pick-up games taking place inside Walz Arena on the Concordia University campus where the Olsons, as competitive as ever, mix it up with players much younger. On this night the two brothers from Omaha, Nebraska, pit themselves against foes mostly composed of the budding men's basketball team—coached by Ben Limback '99—and they still hold their own.

Afterward they join each other in the Walz athletic offices and answer questions regarding basketball, family and faith.

Currently the head women’s basketball coach at California Baptist University, Jarrod jokes, “I stunk tonight.”

Again, no matter. Drew and Jarrod are doing what they love. It’s what

they’ve always done. They used to play often as their mother Olinda Olson looked on from her wheelchair.

Rich in Success

In 1989, Rich Olson, the father of Drew and Jarrod, as well as daughter Kindra, won his first Nebraska girls’ high school state championship. It was only a start for a man that received induction into the Nebraska High School Hall of Fame in 2012. He won another state title in 1992. Then another in 1996 and another in 2005.

Rich has become well known for his many years coaching girls’ hoops at Millard South, Lincoln Northeast and Lincoln Lutheran, among many other schools—and he’s won everywhere he’s been. He even served a year as an assis-tant at Concordia on Drew’s staff.

He once left coaching briefly to work in a bank. He was a fish out of water. Like his two sons, he belongs in the gym.

“My dad was a sports guy,” says Rich. “He was a teacher and coach. We’ve always been around sports. I played basketball at Lincoln Northeast and

then I played two years—I didn’t really play—I sat on the bench for two years at Nebraska. I knew then after my first year that was what I wanted to do. I wanted to coach. I’ve been coaching since 1971. Here I am a whole bunch of years later.”

Like father, like son, Jarrod and Drew have followed suit. Over the past nine years, the two have led their respec-tive collegiate women’s basketball pro-grams to a combined record of 409-164.

Clearly they were drilled hard by their father on the finer points of coaching and steered relentlessly toward a career in the profession. Wrong. Says Rich, “That was never, ever a goal. It wasn’t anything we talked about. Their mom and I just tried to make life as simple as possible and tried to make every day count.”

Making every day count is what the Olson story is all about.

Defining a New Normal

Behind these successful coaches stood the rock of the family, Olinda. Courageous and fervent in her faith, Olinda likely nev-er imagined the type of impact she would

Rich, Olinda and Jarrod weathered a blizzard to cheer on Drew, who scored 22 points to help lead the Bulldogs to victory at the 2003 GPAC Tournament Championship game against Dordt College Drew's senior year.

THE SUCCESS:THE OLSON STORY


have. At 33, she was diagnosed with amy-otrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease). It was 1982, and Jarrod, Kindra and Drew were ages 7, 5 and 2, respectively. Life would never be the same in the Olson household.

For a disease that struck gradually, ALS hit the Olson family like a train by the time Jarrod reached the age of 12. That’s when Olinda, needing a trachea installed to help her breathe, lost the ability to speak. The three siblings grew accustomed to helping their mom and having nurses in the home. They often made her meals, fed her or helped her to the bathroom. But now they couldn’t even communicate verbally with her.

Life rifled plenty of challenges at a family that took everything in stride. They constantly worked to redefine normal in the midst of a decidedly abnormal set of circumstances. Says Rich, “It wasn’t normal. When you take out a lot of the little things in life and try to focus on the really big things, it makes things seem more normal. I don’t really know how to put it other than that. It’s hard to say what’s normal and what isn’t.”

Other than watching her lose the ability to speak, Jarrod says that seeing his mother move into an assisted living facility proved to be the biggest shock to the system. Drew had recently finished college (2003, Concordia Nebraska) when Olinda had to be transferred to a new home that could provide 24-hour care. Says Drew, “That was rough.”

There were certainly moments when Drew wondered 'why.’ He explains, “I definitely had times where I struggled with it in those adolescent years. ... Why would mom get that disease? I think it wasn’t until after being at Concordia for college and then coming back here that it helped me strengthen my faith.”

Gym Rats

Drew and Jarrod found their sanctuary on the hardwood. Though separated in age by more than five years, the two developed an intensely special bond that carries on today. Unsurprisingly, their brotherhood was defined, at least in part, by their love of basketball. The two boys played constantly at nearby Millard South High School, never missing a chance to hit up the open gym. They often played every day from 9 a.m. to noon and then again from 6 until 9 at night.

Though a big-time winner as a high school basketball coach, Rich never wanted to get pushy with his sons. Around Jarrod and Drew, Rich took off his coaching hat. He was simply dad.

“We just played. From the time that they were little, we always had a basketball hoop in the basement. We would just go play. That was fun. It wasn’t a matter of coaching or teaching them anything. This was fun. That was the whole deal. That was our time together.”

As a father, Rich learned his les-son. Once when Drew was playing as a

seventh grader, Rich, sitting on the end of the bleachers, barked at an official and received a technical (though dis-puted by Rich, Drew says his dad was tossed from the game). From that point on Rich brought a crossword puzzle to games and sat near the top of the bleach-ers. For the most part, he used a hands off approach when it came to basketball and his children.

That was fine for the Olson brothers, who played many youth games and for travel teams without their parents in attendance. The demands of Rich’s coaching, coupled with Olinda’s needs, sometimes prevented Rich and Olinda from seeing Jarrod and Drew play. Says Jarrod, “It’s weird because Mom and Dad just didn’t come to my games that much. When you grow up in a basketball family, everybody’s got a game. It was just different. I kind of enjoyed it actually.” Adds Drew, “There were a lot of things that made us more mature earlier. I think that was one of them.”

Circumstances allowed Rich and Olinda to see more of their sons’ games in college. Jarrod chose to play at Doane College, where he would go on to total more than 2,000 career points. Just a few years later, after ultimately ending up at Concordia for his final three seasons, Drew starred for two national tournament teams under then head coach Grant Schmidt.

Rich, Olinda and Jarrod were all there the night a blizzard swirled

Drew Olson and the women's basketball team watch intently as the Bulldogs defeat the Nebraska Wesleyan University Prairie Wolves 92-37 on Dec. 2, 2015.


and whited out Seward for the GPAC tournament championship game on March 1, 2003. Drew went for 22 points to help lead the Bulldogs to a 90-82 overtime victory over visiting Dordt College in a packed PE Building gym on the Concordia campus. Says Drew, “It was the greatest sports moment I’ve ever had. Jarrod, Mom and Dad were in the corner. It was a great game, but I’ll never forget that those three were there. That made it even more special.”

Finding a Home at Concordia

Drew left home to head to a different GPAC school for his freshman year after a stellar career at Millard South. Drew admits the decision to play there was a mistake. Even big brother recognized it. Recalls Jarrod, “I was really upset be-cause I knew [the school] would be a hor-rible fit for Drew. It was. It was horrible.”

Drew decided to leave after just one season. This time Jarrod was going to make sure his little brother found the right place. Jarrod took matters into his own hands by making some phone calls.

“I remember it like it was yesterday talking to Grant [Schmidt]," says Jarrod.

"He was just so excited that we were calling him and thought Drew would be perfect for his team. Looking back on it, Concordia was the perfect fit for Drew before he even knew it. The school itself has had such a big influence on him.”

Drew blew past 1,000 points over his three seasons and was the engine

that kept Schmidt’s Bulldog locomotive humming through the early 2000s. Coming to Concordia proved to be one of the best decisions of his life. He grew spiritually, helping him better come to terms with his mother's struggles. He also met his wife, M’Leigh '10, at Concordia and will go down as one of the top coaches in the history of the school.

Drew soaked up everything he could from Schmidt and assistant coach Marty Kohlwey CO '83 GR '98, now Drew’s top assistant. He calls the two of them some of his major influences in coaching and in life.

At Concordia, Drew is at home.

Jarrod and Drew Reach the Pinnacle

At just 25 years of age, Drew took over a Concordia women’s basketball program that the likes of Micah Parker '91 and Todd Voss '93 built into an NAIA power.

Now the winningest coach in the history of Bulldog women’s basketball, Drew admits he was still learning when hired in 2006. Says Drew, “It was really scary because I didn’t know what I was doing at the time. It was my first head coaching job, and I had never coached women before. I always feel bad about that first team because I screwed up so many times. I wish I could go back and be better for them.”

It didn’t take long for Olson to show he was the right coach for the job. His second team won 26 games and reached the national quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, Jarrod made his major breakthrough as a head coach far from home (Mom would not have wanted him to remain in Nebraska on her account alone). A former women’s basketball assistant for NCAA Division I Creighton, he landed a head job at Florida Southern before settling into his current spot at Cal Baptist. An already established basketball junkie, Jarrod “started coaching because I couldn’t play anymore.”

In 2015, both Drew and Jarrod again took teams to the national tournament. Once there, neither could stop winning. In an incredibly unique circumstance, the brothers both coached in national championship games in an 11-day span—Drew at the NAIA level and Jarrod at the NCAA Division II level.

Recalling that thrilling stretch, Rich beams with pride. “It was unbelievable. Drew’s team was awesome all year long. You just came to expect things going along the way, but things went better than anticipated. There they were in the national championship game. Every time we were driving home from Sioux City we were trying to pay attention to Jarrod’s games that were in Alaska, and they were winning there. It was just phenomenal.”

Suddenly, the tone changed as Rich reminisced. He began to break down. One thing had been missing from that March madness. Rich continues, “Olinda is so responsible for how they conduct themselves and how successful they are. The lessons she taught them made their success possible. I’m grateful for what they’ve accomplished, and we miss her not being a physical part of it.”

Adds Drew, “She would definitely be proud of us, but she was proud regardless of us being in national championships.”

It has been more than a year since Olinda’s passing, her memory still vivid. As said by Drew, she’s “enjoying heaven” while her husband, Drew and Jarrod are each in the midst of another basketball season. They play and coach on because it’s what they do. It’s what Olinda would want them to do. n

Faith Through TrialOlinda Olson, mother of Concordia Women’s Basketball Coach Drew Olson, shared wisdom and hope in a video played at her funeral after she died on Aug. 25, 2014.

Her faith and strength inspire others to live with courage and confidence in God’s love in the midst of challenges in life.

Watch Olinda's video by searching for "Olinda Testimony" on YouTube.


Playing soccer has been a Soenksen family pastime since before Esther and Gideon, the two Soenksen siblings currently attending Concordia, were born.

story photosJacob Knabel Payton DeVencenty '18

Jacob Knabel

Four Concordia soccer stars share more than the bonds of hard work and success on the

field—they share a family name.

MEET

FIRST

OF SOCCER

CONCORDIA'SFAMILY

If ever there were a first family of Concordia University, Nebraska soccer, the Soenksens would be it. As Linda Soenksen, mother of nine children, says jokingly, “If you don’t like soccer, we’re going to have to kick you out of the herd.”

The herd tended by Linda and her husband Phil won’t argue with Mom. In following a family tradition, every Thanksgiving the Soenksens head over to the grassy field at nearby St. Peter’s Catholic School in Lincoln, Nebraska, to squeeze in a game while the feast cooks. At times Linda will excuse herself to run home and check on the turkey. She’ll hustle back, and the Soenksens will resume.

Just don’t mistake this for your family backyard kickball game in which Grandma swings and misses and face plants. Of the seven Soenksen siblings that are college age or older, six have played or are still playing collegiate soc-cer, and the other one could have. Plus, the two youngest Soenksens appear to be on their way to earning scholarships of their own.

The Soenksens and soccer balls are inseparable.

“Whenever we go somewhere, it’s like, ‘Do we have a soccer ball along?’” says Phil. “So we’ve got soccer balls in

most vehicles sitting around. Whenever we’re stopped at a rest stop or have a little time, pretty soon a soccer ball is out, and they’re passing it around to each other and juggling.”

In some form or another, Phil has coached each of his nine children. Phil possessed a limited soccer background when he began coaching his oldest son Jesse in a youth league in a small town just north of Iowa City, Iowa. Jesse quickly developed a passion for the sport, and the dominoes began to fall.

The soccer bug bit the Soenksen family, and it bit hard.

“My mom actually did track and cross country. My dad p l aye d b a s e b a l l ,” s ay s Gideon Soenksen, the third Soenksen brother to make his way to Concordia. “I’m really not sure how it got started. I think my oldest brother just thought it would be cool to try. Then he played and my dad liked the sport, so we all just kind of followed in his footsteps.”

Before welcoming Esther (the seventh of nine siblings and a current Concordia women’s soccer player) to the family, the Soenksens moved from Iowa

“If you don’t like soccer, we’re going to have to kick you out of the herd.”

The Soenksen clan knows how to have fun both on and off the field. They celebrated Halloween as a family by watching Gideon and Esther.


Concordia senior Gideon Soenksen, a key member of the 2015 GPAC champion men's soccer team

to Lincoln, a location that fostered more soccer opportunities. By that point, Esther and younger siblings Uriah and Grace had virtually no choice. They had been born into an established soccer family.

Esther’s explanation for the family’s love affair with the sport closely resembles the remarks made by her brother Gideon. Says Esther, “Everyone else was playing, so I just started playing. Jesse started. He was the oldest, and everyone else just kind of followed suit. It was just something we all did.”

The family’s migration to Lincoln significantly increased the odds that one or more Soenksens may end up at Concordia. As a family that greatly values its Lutheran faith, Phil and Linda, an alumna of Concordia University Irvine, then called “Christ College,” saw the close proximity of Concordia as an added bonus to living in Lincoln.

Tim, the second oldest brother, began the pipeline to Seward when he transferred to Concordia for the fall of 2010 after beginning his career at Iowa Western Community College. Kevin came to Seward right out of Lincoln Lutheran High School a year later. Then another year later Gideon chose to be a Bulldog. Two years after that Esther became the fourth member of the family to arrive at Concordia.

Every year since 2010, at least one Soenksen sibling has called Concordia home. Tim and Kevin played together for one year at Concordia. So did Kevin and Gideon. The opportunity to compete alongside his brother proved a perfect selling point for Gideon, who earned first team all-conference accolades in 2014.

“My brother was here. I wanted to play with him,” Gideon says. “I think that’s ultimately what decided it because I love playing with my brothers.”

The Soenksen siblings, who all live within 80 miles of each other, continue to share a close bond built around—soccer, obviously. This past Halloween each of the Soenksens, even

Phil and Linda, wore costumes to the Concordia home soccer doubleheader that night. Then from Nov. 3-13, most of the Soenksen family spent the whirlwind period crisscrossing the GPAC footprint as both Bulldog soccer teams made runs to GPAC tournament championship games. It was a six-game-in-11-day bonanza.

Such is life for the Soenksen parents, who really couldn’t even estimate the number of their children’s games they have attended. Says Linda, “I have no idea [how many]. A lot.” Replies Phil, “Easily in the hundreds. I don’t know if it gets into the thousands.”

Eat. Sleep. Breathe. Soccer. One thing Concordia men’s soccer head coach Jason Weides has never had to worry about: having a Soenksen tire of a game each of the siblings started playing seemingly as soon as physically capable.

“You can be guaranteed you’re going to get an incredible work rate,” Weides

says. “Every Soenksen we’ve ever had has been really professional in the way they train and the way they approach improvement. They’re really passionate about the game. I’ve never had to tell any of the Soenksens, ‘Why don’t you work harder?’ Or ‘Why don’t you care more?’ They just love the game, and they give everything they have all the time.”

It makes sense that they would give all they have to a game that’s rewarded the family so richly. “It’s pretty amazing,” Phil Soenksen says. “It’s been a blessing. It’s helped them covering expenses. We’re thankful that they have the ability to do that. It’s been pretty neat to have kids that are capable of playing soccer at a college level. We feel very blessed by that.” n


On Nov. 12 head coach Jason Weides’ squad celebrated after slaying confer-ence regular-season champion Hastings, 1-0, for the first GPAC tournament title in the history of Concordia men’s soccer. The thrilling run through the league tour-nament saw the Bulldogs knock out each of the GPAC’s top three seeds—all on the road. After an up-and-down regular sea-son, Weides led Concordia to its first-ever national tournament appearance.

“I think we believed the whole time,” Weides said following the win at Hastings. “It was a bit of a rocky road for us, especially mid-season. Opening up conference play, we didn’t get the results we expected. The reality is this is where we expected to be, and this where we

MEN’S SOCCER

FALL SPORTS SUMMARIES

thought we had the capability of being in the conference final game. We just took a little different path.”

A 3-0 loss at second-ranked Okla-homa Wesleyan University in the opening round of the national championships brought the Bulldogs’ season to a close with a final overall record of 11-7-3. It marked the fifth-straight season that Concordia has won at least 10 games. The Bulldogs outscored their oppo-nents by a combined total of 44-26 during their historic 2015 campaign.

While taking out the conference’s top seeds, Concordia did not allow a single goal during GPAC postseason ac-tion. Junior goalkeeper Mark Horsburgh made a combined 26 saves over three

conference tournament games and emerged as the hero in the penalty kick shootout triumph at second-seeded Midland. Horsburgh and company went nearly 300 minutes before surrendering its first goal of the postseason.

Following the regular season, five Concordia players garnered all-confer-ence recognition, including secondteam choices in seniors Julian Amayaand Justin Lawrie and sophomore Lewis Rathbone. Junior Mark Campbell and senior Gideon Soenksen were tabbed honorable mention.

2015 GPAC CHAMPIONS


Head coach Brett Muller’s golf programs broke program records for lowest-single round totals during the fall season.

The Concordia women shot a school record 335 at the College of Saint Mary Invitational on Sept. 9. The next day the men broke a program record of their own, carding a 298 at the Siouxland Invite. As a team, the women sit in fifth place (354-348–702) in the GPAC standings after two of four conference qualifier rounds complete. Meanwhile, the men will enter the spring season with a ninth-place con-ference standing (312-316–628).

GOLFJunior Amy Ahlers continued her

stellar collegiate career by carding a program 18-hole record with a one-under-par 71 while also breaking the course record at Two River Golf Course on Sept. 18. At sixth place in the confer-ence, Ahlers (84-82–166) is Concordia’s highest ranking individual. Junior Kayla Krueger (83-87–170) is in ninth place, and sophomore Emma Jacoby (93-86–179) 19th. On the men’s side, sopho-more Tyler Ehresman (73-80–153) and Russell Otten (76-77–153) are tied for 19th among GPAC golfers.

REID WIEBE

After hitting a rough patch in the middle of October, Concordia recovered in impressive fashion while making a second-straight run to the GPAC title game. The Bulldogs won their final four regular-season contests and then knocked conference regular-season champion Hastings out of GPAC postseason play for the second-straight season. Third-year head coach Greg Henson’s squad celebrated on the Broncos’ home field once again after

WOMEN’S SOCCERwinning a penalty kick shootout. With a second national tournament bid in a row on the line at Morningside, Concordia surrendered a goal with just 38 seconds left and fell, 2-1, in the GPAC title game.

Despite the championship game loss, Concordia finished with a mark of 13-6-2—just two wins away from the program single-season record victory total set by the 2014 team. Under Henson, the Bulldogs have enjoyed unprecedented success by posting a record of 28-9-6

over the past two seasons. The 2015 Concordia squad was the stingiest in program history, having allowed only 16 goals all season while ranking first among GPAC teams in fewest goals allowed per game in 2015.

A group of five Bulldogs earned second team all-conference recognition: junior Chrissy Lind and freshmen Maria Deeter and Ashley Martin. Honorable mention accolades went to sophomores Jeannelle Condame and Jessica Skerston.

2015 GPAC RUNNER UP


While sitting on the national tournament bubble, a room of Bulldog volleyball players and staff celebrated a historic moment for the program on Nov. 16. On that date the NAIA announced that Concordia had received its first-ever national tournament berth. GPAC tri-coach of the year Scott Mattera’s squad earned its way there by winning 26 matches, going 6-4 versus ranked opponents and by advancing all the way to the GPAC championship tilt. Said junior Tiegen Skains, “It’s cool to have one of those things where it’s never

2015 GPAC RUNNER UP

happened before, and knowing you’re part of that is awesome.”

The season’s biggest highlights included road wins over No. 2 Midland (previously undefeated) and No. 11 Northwestern. The Bulldogs then knocked off a ranked Red Raider squad again in the GPAC quarterfinals in a contest critical to both teams’ national tournament hopes. Concordia toppled College of Saint Mary in the GPAC semifinals before falling at Midland in the championship. The season ultimately came to a conclusion with a straight-sets

The 24th season of Concordia cross country under head coach Kregg Einspahr produced three individual na-tional qualifiers, four all-conference per-formers and a pair of top-five GPAC team finishes (men: fourth, women: fifth).

Led by two-time all-conference hon-oree Kim Wood (10th-place GPAC finish in 2015), the women climbed as high as No. 20 in the national rankings and then received votes in the postseason coaches’ poll released by the NAIA.

Individually, senior Jordan Potrzeba paced the men at each meet this sea-son. He placed sixth at the GPAC

CROSS COUNTRYchampionships on the way to earning his third career berth to the national championships.

On the women’s side, Wood and sophomores Emily Sievert (11th) and Jordyn Sturms (14th) nabbed all-con-ference honors with top-15 GPAC fin-ishes. Wood and Sievert garnered their first career national championships appearances.

A total of eight Bulldog runners were named Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes following the season.

KIM WOOD

VOLLEYBALLhome defeat at the hands of Olivet Nazarene University in the opening round of the national championship.

The Bulldogs made their run to the national tournament behind a powerful attack and a defensive effort led by budding sophomore Jocelyn Garcia. Five different Concordia hitters piled up 240 or more kills for a balanced team. Three Bulldogs earned first team all-conference honors: sophomores Annie Friesen and Garcia and junior Alayna Kavanaugh. Junior Paige Getz and senior Claire White were named to the second team.


TREY BARNES

FOOTBALLConcordia got off to a 5-1 start and rose to a No. 23 national ranking before finishing the 2015 campaign at 6-4 overall and 5-4 in conference play (tied for fourth). All four losses came at the hands of teams ranked inside the top 20. Three of the four losses were decided by margins of seven points or less during the pro-gram’s second winning season in three years. In the process, head coach Vance Winter’s squad blew away Hastings (28-3), Nebraska Wesleyan (47-14) and Briar Cliff (48-0) and put together a memora-ble come-from-behind overtime win at Midland (41-38) after trailing 35-14 in the third quarter.

Junior defensive lineman Trey Barnes (10 sacks) blossomed in a second

team All-America season that made for one of the best defensive units in program history. Coordinator Patrick Daberkow’s defense ranked third nation-ally in pass defense (144.0) and fourth among all NAIA teams in total defense (279.6). Barnes was one of five members of the Concordia defense to be named ei-ther first or second team all-conference.

Offensively, the Bulldogs managed 29.4 points per game despite employing four different quarterbacks. First team all-league running back Bryce Collins piled up 946 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. Big-play receiver Jared Garcia caught 41 passes for 713 yards and eight touchdowns.


Gretchen (Staude) Jameson ’97 has been elected to a three-year term on the board of directors of the International Lutheran Laymen’s League/Lutheran Hour Ministries. She was installed at the board of directors meeting in St. Louis in July. Gretchen and her husband, Rev. Leon Jameson CO ’99 GR ’05 currently reside in Muskego, Wisconsin.

2000s

Jennifer (Borkenhagen) Carlson ’00 and husband Richard Carlson welcomed Simeon Russell into the world on April 17, 2015. The family lives in Maplewood, Minnesota.

Rev. Dr. Christopher S. Ahlman ’02, strategic mission developer for the LCMS, was recently featured as a recitalist in the “1000 Minuten Bach” celebration held at the historic Thomaskirche in Leipzig on June 3, 2015. Ahlman performed several free organ works of J. S. Bach as well as selected works from his Orgelbüchlein, in honor of the 300th anniversary of its publication.

Ashley (Schmidtke) Hanson ’03 and husband Matt Hanson welcomed baby Sophia Hanson into the world on Aug. 10, 2015. The family lives in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Care & Preschool in Bloomington, Minnesota. The preschool recently received national certification as a nature explore classroom. Natalie and her husband Dan currently reside in Bloomington.

1990sJohn Gierke ’91 was elected district secretary at the LCMS Mid-South District Convention, which was held June 26-28 in Memphis, Tennessee. John and his family currently reside in Conway, Arkansas.

Dave Everson ’93 received a promotion to mortgage originator supervisor at Pentagon Federal Credit Union (PenFed). He has been with PenFed for seven years. He and his wife of 19 years, Andrene, currently reside in Springfield, Oregon.

Cindy (Schroeder) Stoppel ’95 and Timothy Stoppel welcomed Stratton Lloyd Stoppel into the world on July 7, 2015. He joins siblings Tyson, 8, Clayton, 6, Weston, 2, and Logan, 2. The family lives in Ida Grove, Iowa.

Krisha Uden ’95 and husband Leland Uden welcomed baby Rebekah Kierra Uden into the world on Jan. 13, 2015. She joins siblings Abigail, 6, Darius, 4, and Josiah, 2. The family lives in Wood River, Nebraska.

1960s

Dr. Stan Obermueller ’68 received the Nebraska Society of Certified Public Accountants 2015 Outstanding Educator Award on Oct. 26, 2015. Stan and his wife Liz HS ’63 CO ’67 live in Seward, Nebraska.

1970sDouglas Tieman ’77 published “Flying Over the Pigpen – Leadership Lessons Learned on the Farm," available at Barnes and Noble and on Amazon. Doug is president and CEO of Caron Foundation. He and wife Frances live in Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania.

David Waltz ’78 was named Principal of the Year for 2014-15 at the Higgins Lake Conference for the LCMS Michigan District. Waltz served for two years as chair of the Principal Planning Committee for the District and currently serves on the District Accreditation Commission. He and his wife Carol reside in Clinton Township, Michigan.

Pastor Jay West ’79 recently published “Well, Well, Well,” a compilation of medical and miraculous healing stories with endorsements from ministry leaders and medical doctors. Jay’s four books are available on Amazon, Kindle, Audible and iTunes. Jay has been contracted by Destiny Publishing for his next book, to be published in 2016. Jay and his wife Diane ’82 and family live in Bellevue, Nebraska.

1980sNatalie Marose ’87 is owner/early childhood educator for My Friends Christian Child

AlumNotes


Travis Joseph Prochaska ’09 received a degree from the University of Nebraska Aug. 15, 2015, in Lincoln. Prochaska earned a Ph.D. in entomology. He lives in Seward, Nebraska.

Jon Ross ’09 accepted a position with Zillow Group in December 2014. He is now serving as corporate systems administrator in the Nebraska office. Jon lives in Lincoln with his wife Kelli '08 and sons Mikah and Malakai.

Concordia family members held triple baptism on Aug. 16, 2015, in Madison, Neb. Melissa (King) Pfeifer ’09 and Craig Pfeifer welcomed Bryce, born June 6, 2015. Christine (Pfeifer) Knapp ’11 welcomed Aubree, born July 13, 2015. Also baptized was Emmie Mae Bonk, born May 23, 2015. Emmie is the daughter of Cody and Michelle (Pfeifer) Bonk. Michelle worked in the Admission Office at Concordia.

Korey Danley ’07 and Tiffany (Rodden) Danley ’07 welcomed Sybianna Maxine Danley into the world on July 3, 2015. Sybi is pictured with her big sister, Tenley (age 2). The family lives in Greenwood, Missouri.

David Voorman ’07 joined the law firm O’Neill, Heinrich, Damkroger, Bergmeyer & Schultz PC, LLO in Lincoln, Nebraska, working in the firm’s litigation area. David resides in Lincoln.

Emily (Norman) Phoenix ’08 wrote “Journey On... Never Alone,” published through CTA for graduates seeking guidance as they transition into a new stage of their spiritual journey. Emily Phoenix currently serves as Director of Discipleship at Galilee Lutheran Church in Pasadena, Maryland.

Chris Whirrett ’08, president and CEO of DiscStore.com, has led the company to grow by 305% since 2012, earning it the rank of #1,363 fastest-growing private company on Inc. Magazine’s Top 5000 list.

Peter Nord ’09 recently accepted a new job with the LifeScape Foundation in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, as a Development Associate. LifeScape employs 1200 and serves people who have disabilities. Peter will coordinate the major events, the Ambassador program, employee giving, and third party fund-raisers. He lives in Sioux Falls.

Lisa (Kirsch) Burger ’04 and husband Ryan Burger ’04 welcomed Lexie Ruth Burger on April 27, 2015. She joins sibling Kylie, age 2. The family lives in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Ladd Wendelin ’04 is an instructor at Decatur Community High School in Oberlin, Kansas. He teaches seventh, ninth and tenth grade English and serves as head speech coach. In April 2015, he became mayor of Oberlin.

Harlan Anson CO ’05 GR ’09 was named Outstanding Lutheran Educator at the Nebraska District Lutheran Educators’ Conference on Oct. 22, 2015. Harlan serves as principal/teacher at Our Redeemer Lutheran School, Staplehurst, Nebraska. He and his family, wife Crissy and children Olivia and Owen, live in Staplehurst.

Angela (Gee) Davis ’05 married Ben Davis on July 18, 2015, in Lincoln, Nebraska. Angela and Ben live in Lincoln where they both teach special education and coach high school athletics for Lincoln Public Schools.


Dr. Erich von Fange HS ’40 CO ’43

Donald Kamtz CO ’41

Louis Eberhard HS ’43 CO ’46

Helen (Wolfert) Bentz CO ’46

Ronald Freudenburg HS ’46 CO ’51

Ethel (Kiehn) Naber CO ’46

Doris (Ohlmann) Bode HS ’51

Ruth Hellwege-Hess HS ’54

Dorris (Steinbrueck) Marxhausen CO ’54

Helmuth Harms CO ’55

Eunice (Sanley) Ruth CO ’56

C. Frederick Kroger HS ’60 CO ’64

Leland Schroeder CO ’60

Rev. Theodore Richter CO ’63

Karen Firnhaber-Glawatz CO ’64

Gary Heinicke HS ’64

Robert Ahrens CO ’65

Arlen Lahrs CO ’67

Dennis Engelbart CO ’68 GR ’76

Linda Gillan CO ’69

Gerald Rus CO ’70

Pearl (Asmus) Kurth CO ’72

Richard Webb CO ’75

Dave Callies CO ’77

Sharon (Barnes) Coe CO ’77

Jill (Sobotka) Hillmer CO ’92

Idongesit Mbong CO ’12

IN MEMORIAM

Arranged by year; current as of Oct. 31, 2015.

HS: High School, CO: College, GR: Graduate

Andrew Raphelt ’09 and wife Donna (McCray) Raphelt ’11 welcomed daughter Elise Christine Raphelt on Oct. 5, 2015. She joins brother Luke, 2. Andrew has a new position as technical services problem solver for Epic in Madison, Wisconsin. Donna is a stay at home mom. The family lives in Madison.

2010s

Heather (Blomenberg) Warren ’11 and husband Adam Warren welcomed Hadley Eliana Warren into the world on July 27, 2015. The family lives in Norfolk, Nebraska.

Kris (Easler) Miller ’12 illustrated her first novel for Bloomsbury Children’s Books, “The Day the Mustache Took Over,” written by Alan Katz and published on Sept. 1, 2015. The second book in the series is in production. Her work may be found at kriseasler.com. Kris currently resides in Chicago, Illinois.

Kelly (Thiessen) Shaver ’12 married Jordan Shaver on July 7, 2015. They live in Rockford, Illinois, where Kelly is in secondary education and Jordan serves in elementary education.

Dylan Teut CO ’12 GR ’15 was named on the International Literacy Association's “30 Under 30” list . Dylan is director of Concordia's Plum Creek Children's Literacy Festival.

Andrea Gaide ’13 was promoted to director of education for the Larabee School of Real Estate by HomeServices of Nebraska. Andie will also continue her previous role as director of the Home Owners Plus program.

Amy McDaniel ’15 married Travis Ferguson ’13 on June 6, 2015. Travis is vicar at Trinity Lutheran Church, and Amy is an adult case worker at Community Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center. They live in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.


Life insurance. An investment now to make a big impact later.

Most people invest in life insurance to provide financial security for their family. Gifting their life insurance pol-icy to Concordia, Marjorie (Luhman) Kertz ’70 and her husband David are now providing financial security for future Concordia students.

“My husband and I chose Concordia with our gift to support the continued ministry of spreading the Gospel of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” says Marjorie. “A life insurance policy pro-vides an avenue to leverage our gift. We do not know what the future holds as to our prosperity, so we wanted to ensure that we were able to maximize our gift and ensure that our gift would be made.”

Marjorie, a Lutheran and public elementary school teacher for 38 years, and David, a lifelong businessman, have

witnessed firsthand the positive impact of Lutheran, Christ-centered education.

“Each student is like a mustard seed, ready to grow in faith,” says Marjorie. “A significant portion of education in school settings today excludes Christianity. We want to support a school that has Christianity at the heart of its focus.”

Marjorie’s passion for supporting Concordia’s mission reflects her expe-riences as a student and as an alumnae serving and leading in the church and world since graduating.

“Concordia was a major influence in better preparing me for life in our world today—in my career, my marriage and my day-to-day walk [with Jesus],” she says.

“We encourage others who have a heart for Concordia and its mission to pursue dedicating financial help through the use of a life insurance policy or another vehi-cle of their choosing.”

“We want to support a school that has

Christianity at the heart of its focus. … A life insurance policy provides an avenue

to leverage our gift.”

An Uncommon Gift

Call 402-643-7221 today to

discuss how you can take

out a life insurance policy

now to benefit Concordia

students for years to come.

Nicole Hemmann '16, an elementary education major, is just one of hundreds of students who benefit from financial support like the insurance policy gifted by Marjorie and David Kertz.

—Marjorie (Luhman) Kertz ’70, with her husband, David


EXCELLENT ACADEMICS CHRIST-CENTERED COMMUNITY AFFORDABLE EDUCATION

Nebraska’s Nationally Recognized Christian University

1U.S. News & World Report (2016), 2Colleges of Distinction (2015), 3MONEY magazine (2015), 4CollegeFactual.com (2015)

cune.edu

A top 50 (#44) university in the Midwest region1

Highest ranked school in the Concordia University System1

Recognized as an “A+ School for B Students” and one of the “Best

Colleges for Veterans”1

The only Christian College of Distinction in Nebraska2

One of only five institutions in Nebraska to be named a

College of Distinction2

Recognized in the top 150 (#145) of “Best Nationwide Colleges for

Your Money"4

The 23rd most affordable private university in the country3

Start of Spring Semester Sleet and Snow Swing: Sleet Invitational for ForensicsVisit DayCUNE High School Speech ClassicVisiting Artist: Andrew White, voiceConcordia Invitational Tournament

Career and Graduate Fair IMPROVables PerformanceThemed Recital: "Music of Love"Visit Day Symphonic Band Tour

“Murder by the Book” theatre performance

A Cappella TourSpring BreakOsten Observatory Open House Visit Day24-Hour IMPROVathonAnnual Thank You Celebration A Cappella ConcertEaster Break

1116-17

18232329-30

55141518-2126-28

3-14 5-1314-171818-19192025-28

233-15

7-981417

17181921

2222-2424

29

301556

7919-21

15

Gathering of the TalentsChamber Choir ConcertBachelor of Fine Arts Thesis ExhibitionOne-Act Play Festival International Visit DayHonor RecitalOpening of Annual Student Art Exhibition Broadway at the Boulders concert53rd Guild Annual Meeting Symphonic Band ConcertChamber Orchestra and Chamber Choir ConcertVisit Day Spring WeekendMale Chorus and Women’sChorale ConcertSpring JazzFest

IMPROVables PerformanceHandbell ConcertGolden Reunion: Class of 1966End of Spring SemesterGraduate and Golden Reunion LuncheonCommencement Summer Semester BeginsHeartland DCE Conference

Early Childhood Conference

January

February

March

April

June

Please check cune.edu/events for a full list of available events and details. Calendar of EventsMay

Broadcaster Winter 2015

Documents

Transcript of Broadcaster Winter 2015