Concordia University, Nebraska

Seven students from Concordia University, Nebraska's global and multi-cultural studies class recently completed a mission trip to Latvia Nov. 17-24. The group's goal was to encourage Latvians in the Christian faith and to learn about the country's culture. During the trip, the students took part in local worship, visited families and children at afterschool centers to sing, played games and encouraged both students and teachers in faith. The group also left Bibelots, small clay trinkets, as reminders of faith with the Latvians. "This experience was more than I had hoped," said Tim Rippstein, assistant professor of education and leader of the group. "There were tremendous mission opportunities to encourage and support Latvians who have endured a deeper economic recession, personal and social challenges, and to share the Gospel of Christ and his love." Since the trip occurred over Concordia's Thanksgiving break, the mission team prepared a traditional Thanksgiving meal to share with the Latvian people. The students explained the tradition, the purpose behind the meal and the history of the Thanksgiving holiday, followed by a game of football outside. The course, Topics in Culture and Ministry in Latvia, aims to teach students about the country of Latvia and its people, history, political and economic situations. In addition to mission work during the trip, students ate traditional Latvian foods and studied the WWII history of the area as well as the post-war occupation by the USSR. Concordia students who visited Latvia include:

Concordia University, Nebraska announced its term honors list for the first semester of the 2012-13 academic year. The top 25 percent of undergraduate students who complete at least 12 credit hours qualify for the honors list. The list of students includes:

Concordia University, Nebraska hosted its annual Christmas at Concordia concerts Dec. 7-9 at St. John Lutheran Church in Seward. An additional concert was added to the slate of Christmas at Concordia performances this year to better accommodate demand. In recent years all tickets have been reserved within a few days of becoming available. More than 2,000 people attended the four concerts. Multiple ensembles from the music department at Concordia took part in sharing the Christmas message. The four concerts featured the University A Cappella Choir, the University Symphonic Band, Male Chorus, Handbell Choir, Women's Chorale and the University Brass Ensemble. The groups performed traditional hymns of the season and request audience participation throughout the concerts. Scripture readings and original music from Concordia students and faculty also were part of the celebration. Students from your area who took part in the concert include:

Concordia University, Nebraska's computer science department sent two teams to the ACM North America North Central Regional Programming Contest, held Nov. 3 at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Contest sites were spread across the region for contestants to participate. The teams, made up of three members each, competed in the day-long event against hundreds of other teams across the region, writing computer programs to solve nine different problems within a five-hour time period. The Association for Computing Machinery hosts the contest each year from locations around the North Central region, made up of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Western Ontario, Manitoba, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and part of Michigan. The top teams in regional competition advance to the world finals, to be held in St. Petersburg, Russia, June 30-July 4, 2012. All contests this year are sponsored by IBM. Concordia team members included:

Concordia University, Nebraska's Chamber Orchestra gave its first concert of the season on Sunday, Dec. 2, in the Music Center's recital hall. The orchestra, which formed last fall, has increased in size this year. The string section has doubled in size since the ensemble's first performance in October of 2011, now numbering nine stringed instruments in addition to the rest of the orchestra. "My goal for our ensemble this year is to present polished performances and explore literature for small orchestra from a variety of contrasting time periods," said Dr. Christopher Nichols, conductor of the orchestra. The concert began with Robert W. Smith's arrangement of "In the Bleak Midwinter" by Gustav Holst. Because the piece was arranged for a symphony orchestra, Nichols says he adapted the score for the lighter instrumentation of the Chamber Orchestra. Next, the ensemble presented three minuets by Giacomo Puccini, a composer known for his operas of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. These pieces featured the ensemble's string section. Emily Brandt, senior, of, Loveland, Colo., and Kelly Jacob, junior, of Winnebago, Neb., performed a concerto by Georg Philipp Telemann. The concerto will set Brandt's flute and Jacob's bassoon talents against the rest of the orchestra. The piece also utilized the unique sounds of a harpsichord. In closing, the orchestra performed excerpts from Johann Sebastian Bach's "Musical Offering, BWV 1079." This piece, based on the "thema regium" or "theme of the king," according to Nichols, was composed after Bach's visit to King Frederick II in 1747. The orchestra performed several short sections from the hour-long composition.

The theatre department at Concordia University, Nebraska presented "Into the Woods," a musical production depicting troubled fairy tale creatures, based on the works of the Brothers Grimm. The musical was performed Nov. 2-3 and Nov. 9-11 in the Weller Hall Auditorium. "Into the Woods," written by James Lapine, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, follows the stories of several fairy tale creatures including Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Jack from "Jack and the Beanstock" and Rapunzel. The stories weave with the tale of a baker and his wife on their quest to start a family as they discover they've been cursed by an evil witch. The following Concordia University, Nebraska students were a part of the cast or crew:

Concordia University, Nebraska inducted nine students into Phi Epsilon Kappa, a health and human performance honor society, during a ceremony on Sunday, Nov. 4. Phi Epsilon Kappa is a national professional academic honorary for students engaged in or pursuing careers in health and human performance. Students must maintain an overall GPA of at least 3.25, major in the health and human performance department, have at least junior standing, provide service to the department and Concordia community, participate in extracurricular activities and lead a healthy lifestyle. "We are excited to add nine new members to the honorary," said Megan Shrum, graduate teaching assistant for Concordia's health and human performance department. "Each is a great addition and will continue to be a great service to the HHP department and Concordia community. We thank them for their hard work and dedication to their academics."

One hundred thirty-five undergraduate and graduate degrees were awarded in August at Concordia University, Nebraska. "We are proud we continue to grow the number of graduates serving and leading in the church and every sector of the workforce," said Concordia President Brian Friedrich. Undergraduates earning degrees from Concordia were eligible for distinction or high distinction honors. Up to 10 percent of those who earned, at minimum, a 3.75 GPA were designated as graduating with high distinction. An additional 15 percent of those who earned degrees with at least a 3.5 GPA graduated with distinction.

A group of Concordia University, Nebraska students took part in a study tour to the Holy Land June 6-20. The tour, led by Dr. Mark Meehl, professor of theology, included visits to Galilee, Bethlehem, the Dead Sea and Jerusalem. The tour was designed, according to Meehl, as a pilgrimage tailored to the needs of Concordia's students, alumni and friends. Participants had the opportunity to meet and speak with people of the regionaEUR"Palestinians, Israelis, Christians, Jews and MuslimsaEUR"as well as take part in a 13th century worship service in the Crusader Chapel of Jerusalem. The tour highlighted important biblical sites and events in order to help students better understand and relate to both the Old and New Testaments. "The best part of the trip was being able to learn a lot about God's Word, Middle Eastern culture, and biblical history every day knowing that I was walking where Jesus walked," said Tyler Zander, a senior theology education major. "A journey like this makes everything you learn in Sunday school, church, and in a Lutheran school classroom growing up seem and feel more real." Those participating in the tour included:

A group of Concordia University, Nebraska students traveled north to Canada as part of an artic study tour June 13-25. Led by Dr. Joseph Gubanyi, professor of biology, the group examined northern ecosystems and studied plants and animals of the region. Their studies took them as far north as Hudson Bay, where they cruised the icy waters in Zodiac boats among a school of beluga whales and icebergs. "It was an amazing experience to witness the amount of marine life and dynamic physical characteristics of the Hudson Bay," said John Chatwell, a senior biology major from Lincoln, Neb. Through the course of the trip, students visited ecosystems ranging from boreal forest, tundra, fens (arctic marshes), and arctic coastal marine environments. They also studied tundra biology in northern Manitoba at Churchill Northern Studies Centre, a field station established for research and education of the arctic. "Working out of a facility built specifically for the development of sub-arctic research gave our group the chance to work with other researchers and experience the real-life challenges and skills needed to be an on-site research specialist," said Chatwell.

Concordia University, Nebraska announced its term honors list for the second semester of the 2011-12 academic year. The top 25 percent of undergraduate students who complete at least 12 credit hours qualify for the honors list. Founded in 1894, Concordia University, Nebraska is a fully accredited liberal arts university committed to excellence in Christian higher education. Concordia was named to the top tier in a U.S. News & World Report's 2012 "America's Best Colleges" ranking in the Regional University- Midwest category and 28th in the "Top 50 Baccalaureate Colleges" of the 2011 Washington Monthly College Rankings. It is one of ten institutions belonging to The Lutheran ChurchaEUR"Missouri Synod's Concordia University System. The list of students includes:

A team of students and two professors from Concordia University, Nebraska embarked on a study tour of four national parks May 7-18. The group visited Death Valley, Sequoia, Kings Canyon and Yosemite national parks in California. "The objective of the trip is to open the eyes of students to the wonderful system of national parks we are blessed to have in this country," said Dr. Joel Helmer, associate professor of geography and leader of the trip. "I always tell them aEUR~it's your land, go see and use it.'" Students were required to select a resource management issue in the parks. They then researched the issues through interviews with park personnel, photographs, journaling and information from visitor centers. Each student also completed a digital journal of photos, writings and observations. "This was a trip of a lifetime," said junior Matt Wingert. "Never again will I go to that many national parks or learn that much in one trip. Dr. Helmer did an outstanding job. I can't wait to go visit those parks again and share with my friends and family the things I learned," he said. The trip included a hike on the sand dunes and a visit to the Racetrack Playa in Death Valley, exploring the backcountry in Jeeps, viewing the world's largest tree in Sequoia, and camping and hiking in Yosemite. The following local students participated in the national parks study tour:

A 16-member team from Concordia University, Nebraska completed a medical mission trip to Guatemala May 22-30. The mission team held medical clinics in two cities, El Progreso and Quebrada de Agua, providing health assessments and medicine for the villagers. Additionally, team members taught children hand washing and other hygiene techniques. The team also built stoves in seven homes with the aim of providing safer methods for cooking. According to Dr. Jennifer Janousek, director of Concordia's public health program and leader of the trip, most people in the villages cook over open fires, which causes respiratory problems and takes a toll on the environment. "What a blessing it was to share my heart and passion of mission work in Guatemala with these amazing students. I pray the people of Guatemala felt God's love as we served in this capacity," said Janousek. Team members shared Bible stories, songs and books with the villagers and spent some time hiking Pacaya Volcano in the mountains of Antigua. The mission team was made up of students from Concordia's Global Health class as well as two professors and a local doctor. The Concordia University, Nebraska student(s) from your area who completed the medical mission trip to Guatemala are:

Five hundred and eighty-five undergraduate and graduate degrees, diplomas and certificates were awarded at Concordia University, Nebraska's 105th commencement on May 5, the most in Concordia's 118-year history. Alumni class members of 1962, celebrating their golden reunion, led the processional in the Walz Human Performance Complex. "This marks the largest number of degrees awarded in Concordia's 118-year history," said Concordia President Brian Friedrich. "What's better is Concordia's placement recordaEUR"96 percent of our graduates have gained employment within six months of graduation at a time when 50 percent of the nation's graduates are unemployed or underemployed. We are proud we continue to grow the number of graduates serving and leading in the church and every sector of the workforce." Undergraduates earning degrees from Concordia were eligible for distinction or high distinction honors. Up to 10 percent of those who earned, at minimum, a 3.75 GPA were designated as graduating with high distinction. An additional 15 percent of those who earned degrees with a minimum 3.5 GPA were graduated with distinction. Departmental awards were also announced. The following are Concordia University, Nebraska graduates from your area:

Nine Concordia University, Nebraska students recently returned from a mission trip to Hong Kong, China, May 9-20. The trip served as an opportunity for the students to teach about God at churches and primary schools around Hong Kong. Throughout the trip, the Concordia mission team traveled to churches and primary schools to teach Sunday School, lead assemblies, converse with students during recess times and participate in worship services. Even though some of the activities and church services were given in the Cantonese language, the team felt language was not a barrier. "It is so exciting to know that wherever we go, no matter what we look like or sound like, we serve the same God," said Hannah Uden, a member of the mission team, about meetings with fellow Christians. The team also had the chance to stay with host families in Hong Kong and get a sense of what it's like to live there every day. "The visit enlightened our perspectives on the Chinese way of living, as well as our own," said Lydia Pomerenke, a member of the team. "We came to the conclusion that the two cultures, Chinese and American, are not so different." The Concordia mission team prepared for the trip by holding fundraisers. They held a raffle for students to win a home-cooked meal, and they sponsored a 5k run/walk in April. The team also completed training through recorded DVD sessions and manuals from The Lutheran ChurchaEUR"Missouri Synod World Mission program. To read more and view photos from the trip, visit the team's blog at http://missiontohongkong-cune.blogspot.com. Student missionaries from your area include: