Concordia University, Nebraska

On May 6, Concordia University, Nebraska awarded undergraduate and graduate degrees to more than 300 graduates. The class of 2023 was honored during undergraduate and graduate commencement ceremonies. At the ceremony, Concordia Nebraska President Dr. Bernard Bull encouraged graduates to embrace opportunities with a combination of boldness and humility while using their gifts, talents and abilities to serve God and others.

Each year, Concordia University, Nebraska art students submit work for the university's annual Student Art Exhibition, and awards and scholarships are earned based on submitted work. This year's art scholarship and award recipients were announced at the Marxhausen Gallery of Art on April 23. The Student Art Exhibition is on display through May 3.

Concordia University, Nebraska's Department of Science recently held their annual banquet and recognized students for their outstanding work in the department.

The Concordia Theatre department presented six student-directed performances on Thursday, April 20th, Friday, April 21 and Sunday, April 23rd in the Weller Chapel for Concordia's Annual One Act Play Festival.

On April 24th, Concordia University, Nebraska hosted its 12th annual academic research symposium. A total of 58 students gave 28 poster and 37 oral presentations. Students presented on a wide variety of topics, from migration patterns of snow geese to a summary of a science fiction novel.

The Concordia Nebraska Theater Department performed three showings of 12 Angry Jurors from March 31-April 2. The play depicts a group of 12 jurors in a room as they debate whether a young man is considered innocent or guilty of murder. Emotions arise and the true personalities of the jurors come to the surface while they discuss their decision.

The Concordia University, Nebraska forensics team competed in several national championship events in March and April 2023. The team attended the Asynchronous Speech Championship March 22-26, the AFA National Speech Tournament March 31-April 3 and the National Christian College Forensics Association Tournament March 30-April 1.

On Saturday, April 1, twelve Concordia Nebraska business students traveled to and competed in the Collegiate Leadership Competition (CLC) US Invitational Scrimmage at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia.

On Thursday, April 13 and Saturday, April 15, Concordia's leadership teams participated in the national Collegiate Leadership Competition (CLC) via Zoom. The two teams - made up of 12 students total - each competed in three challenges on Thursday and three challenges on Saturday placing first and second in the competition.

During this year's honor recital program, three students were inducted into the Iota Nu Chapter of Pi Kappa Lambda, the national honor society for higher education music students.

On April 4th, Concordia University, Nebraska hosted the Spring 2023 Honor Recital

Concordia University, Nebraska held its Spring Composer's Recital on Tuesday, March 24 at St. John Lutheran Church in Seward, Nebraska.

On Sunday, March 26th, Concordia's music department hosted their spring chamber recital.

On Saturday, February 11, Concordia Nebraska hosted the Nebraska Intercollegiate Forensics Association (NIFA) State Tournament. The prestigious tournament featured competition from many of the nation's top forensics programs. Several Concordia speech and debate team members achieved noteworthy success at the event.

The Concordia University Nebraska Theatre department performed four shows of No Body Like Jimmy from January 27- January 30.

Concordia University, Nebraska named 224 students to its honors list for the Fall 2022 semester. Students who earn a 3.90 GPA or higher while also completing at least 12 credit hours qualify for the honors list.

Concordia's A Cappella Choir represented the university at the Nebraska Music Education Association conference on Nov. 18.

Concordia University Nebraska performed three showings of Twelfth Night from October 28-October 30.

The Concordia University forensics department hosted a speech and debate tournament on the Concordia campus on Saturday, October 1. This was the first in-person forensics event for the department since 2019. "It was a pleasure to welcome other colleges to our campus to compete in the 11 AFA-NST Individual Speech Events as well as team Parliamentary Debate," said Concordia's Director of Forensics Joe Davis. Concordia faculty and staff helped judge the event. Participating schools were from Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota and South Dakota. "Being back in person for a competition was a reminder as to why I love the activity and enjoy getting to connect with competitors from other schools," said senior Sabrina Reed who placed second in prose interpretation. "I am grateful we were able to compete in person again on our home campus for the first time since I was a freshman and I look forward to what the season brings." Freshman Matt Koenig and sophomore Aarin Dean were named parliamentary debate champions. Three Concordia Nebraska students also received parliamentary debate speaker awards: Zipporah Johnson received third place, Koenig received second place, and Dean received first place. "It was so exciting to have debate back on campus after a decade away," said Forensics Graduate Assistant and Interim Director of Debate Malia Frerking. "It was a bonus that we won, but honestly, just having the program back on campus was the best part of the weekend. I'm very proud of the progress that our debaters have made, and how they are working to shape the future of our team." About Concordia University, Nebraska Concordia University, Nebraska, founded in 1894, is a fully accredited, coeducational university located in Seward, Nebraska, that currently serves more than 2,500 students. Concordia offers more than 100 undergraduate, graduate and professional programs in an excellent academic and Christ-centered community that equips men and women for lives of learning, service and leadership in the church and world. For more information, visit cune.edu.

Concordia University, Nebraska recently named 240 students to its honors list for the Spring 2022 semester. Students who earn a 3.90 GPA or higher while also completing at least 12 credit hours qualify for the honors list.

On Friday, October 21st, Concordia's music department hosted their fall chamber recital. There was a wide variety of acts hosted, boasting a range of genres of music, including a range from a bold, flirty vocal quartet to a somber, bombastic trombone duet.

On May 7, Concordia University, Nebraska awarded undergraduate and graduate degrees to more than 400 graduates.

Concordia University, Nebraska honored graduating seniors who achieved outstanding academic accomplishments during their college career at its Commencement Honors Dinner on May 6.

Concordia University Nebraska'a department of Natural and Computer Science recognized students for their excpetional work and contributions to the department during its annual awards celebration on April 20th.

Concordia University, Nebraska's Vocal Jazz Choir will travel to Missouri, Indiana and Iowa for its performance tour May 7-11. Under the direction of Dr. Kurt von Kampen, Concordia University Nebraska's Vocal Jazz Choir, a 14-voice select ensemble which performs standard jazz and pop-influenced choral music, will perform in five cities on their tour. Concert sites include Kansas City, Missouri; St. Peters, Missouri; Indianapolis, Indiana; Fort Wayne, Indiana and Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Concordia University Nebraska's 11th annual Academic and Research Symposium provided students with an opportunity to showcase their achievements to the campus community on April 25th.

Twelve business students participated in the Collegiate Leadership Competition on April 7-9 2022.

The Concordia University, Nebraska forensics team competed in several national championship events in March and April 2022, making a strong showing for a small school team. The first nationals event the team participated in was the Asynchronous Speech Championship, which took place virtually March 24-27. Gwen Gaunt, a sophomore from Hastings, Nebraska, and Alia Hurst, a senior from Fairmont, Nebraska, advanced to the quarter finals in Dramatic Interpretation, while Sabrina Reed, a junior from Crete, Nebraska, advanced to the semi-finals in Poetry and Dramatic Interpretation. The team overall placed No. 2 in the River Division Team Sweepstakes, a division for teams of 15 entries of less) and No. 9 overall in the Ocean Division, which includes all 33 schools at the tournament, regardless of entry size. At the National Christian College Forensics Invitational at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, March 18-20, Thomas Welch, a sophomore from Jefferson City, Missouri, received a speaker award in Parliamentary Debate. "Because of the distance to the National Christian College Forensics Invitational, which was held in-person this year, we were only able to bring a few students," said Joe Davis, director of forensics at Concordia Nebraska, "but with our newly-founded debate presence, we look forward to making a larger competitive splash at Christian Nationals in the future." The Concordia Forensics Team was one of only two Midwest schools to qualify more than 10 competitors to the prestigious American Forensics Association National Speech Tournament held at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in Lincoln, Nebraska, April 1-4, 2022. Fourteen different competitors earned the team sweepstakes points in preliminary rounds, which includes members of all classes, senior to freshman. Concordia ranked No. 22 in the nation, regardless of division, maintaining their placement from the 2021 tournament. "So much of our competitive success is derived from an intentionally team-centered effort," said Davis. "Our speech participation is some of the largest in the country, and I look forward to growing the debate program in a manner that not only is reminiscent of our university's impressive forensics history but works towards accomplishing our goal of becoming the best Christian collegiate forensics program in the country."

Concordia music students performed in the annual Spring Honor Recital on April 13

On Saturday, February 26, six Concordia University Nebraska students competed against schools across the Midwest region in the International Collegiate Programming Competition.