Concordia Portland Alumni eAlert

September 2008

Transformation Under Way

Construction continues on the George R. White Library and Learning Center. If you haven't already checked out the plans, we encourage you to visit our website. We invite you to watch the progress daily through the live camera.

Reunion Weekend is Under Construction

The bulldozers and workers are busy transforming the campus and constructing the George R. White Library and Learning Center and a new Quad. All this work means the campus will be a little messy this year, so Reunion is also under construction and will come back in the summer of 2009 bigger and better.

In the meantime, don't miss this amazing opportunity to watch the construction take place. For more information and to view our live footage, visit www.cu-portland.edu.

Alumni Basketball Games Changed to November 1, 2008

The annual Alumni Basketball Games have been moved to Saturday, November 1, 2008. The "old-timers" men's game begins at 3:30 p.m., the women's game starts at 5:00 p.m., and the day will conclude with the men's game at 7:00 p.m. All games will be in the gymnasium. For more information, or to let us know you are coming, email us.

With the Campus under Construction, Concordia Greets Largest Class in its 103-Year History

On Friday, August 22, Concordia University welcomed a record number of students to campus for fall classes. With nearly 1,800 students this academic year, it is the largest in the university's history. This enrollment growth is due in part to the university offering graduate programs off campus in locations such as Bend, Ashland, Medford, Aloha, and Gresham.

The most significant program addition to the campus this fall is the establishment of the Bachelor of Arts in Music. While music has always been a strong focus at Concordia University it has never been an academic degree program. With the new bachelor's degree comes the addition of band and orchestra to the celebrated choral program. The university did offer a band program for a period when both the high school and junior college were located on the campus, but has never offered it at the baccalaureate level. The music program is under the direction of Kurt Berentsen, who has directed Concordia's music program for nearly 10 years. Dr. William Kuhn will oversee the band program after spending the last 15 years at Concordia University, Nebraska.

In addition to the construction of the Library and Learning Center, Concordia will break ground on a new residence hall along NE 27th Street and a new athletic complex for baseball and soccer in the next 12 months. This summer, the university's bookstore "The Bookmark" moved to the corner of NE 30th and NE Ainsworth Streets and Concordia University also opened the state-of-the-art Throw Center, directed by two-time Olympic medalist Mac Wilkins. While the campus undergoes this physical transformation, Concordia University's soccer teams will play at Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation and the baseball team will play at Clark Community College in Vancouver, Washington.

Concordia University's regional accreditation was recently affirmed by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities and the Oregon State Board of Nursing affirmed the accreditation of the Nursing school for the maximum number of years in February. In addition, the university just received notification that The Council on Social Work Education has affirmed Concordia University's progress towards accreditation of the undergraduate social work degree program.

Several new faculty members have joined Concordia. Ron Miolla, Dr. Wilson Zehr, Dr. Michelle Wayte, and Dr. David Tucker have joined the School of Management. Dr. Lori Sanchez has joined the College of Education. Dr. Lee Paton and Maria Peyerwold have joined the College of Health & Human Services in the nursing program and the College of Theology, Arts & Sciences welcomed Dr. William Kuhn and Dr. Joel Davis.

Alumni Soccer and Volleyball Games

On Saturday, August 16, several hundred alumni, family, and friends gathered on the campus of Central Catholic High School (in 100 degree heat) for the annual Alumni Soccer and Volleyball games. The games were off campus this year due to the current construction on the George R. White Library and Learning Center. The final scores were: women's soccer CU 10, alumni 0; volleyball CU 3, alumni 1; and men's soccer alumni 2, CU 1. Check out photos from the games at here.

Concordia University Unveils Community Mural and Opens Bookstore to the Community

On Saturday, August 23, Concordia University unveiled a community mural on the side of the building at NE Ainsworth and NE 30th Streets in Portland, Oregon. The unveiling also marked the grand opening of the new location of the university's bookstore, "The Bookmark" at that same location.

The mural was created by Concordia University students under the direction of Larry Gross, chair of the art department and Greg Lewis, of Greg Lewis Studios and current adjunct faculty member in the art department. The students were supported in their work by community leaders Ken and Marta Thrasher, who donated the necessary funds to make the mural a reality, and the Regional Arts & Culture Council, which was involved through their public art group.

The mural, which took 18 months from conception to finality, was painted by six Concordia University students over 5 weekends. The mural was intended to communicate integrity and community and to accentuate Concordia University's expanding outreach into the north and northeast neighborhoods. The location of the mural, where the campus meets the community is a "perfect fit."

"The mural is symbolic of Concordia University's relationship with the community and how powerful that relationship can be when the campus and the community come together to embrace their respective cultures and values," said Concordia Executive Vice President, Gary Withers.

Concordia University Publishes its First Book

Catherine the Great, a German-born princess who became the ruler of Russia in 1762, is known for her shrewd foreign policies, her patronage of the arts, and her many lovers. Catherine, the first volume in the historical fiction trilogy The Volga Flows Forever written by Sigrid Weidenweber, follows the transformation of Princess Sophia of Anhalt-Zerbst into Catherine the Great and brings the personal and professional triumphs and tribulations of this powerful figure to life.

Catherine is the first book published by Concordia University's Center for Volga German Studies, and has received praise from scholars throughout the country. Dona Reeves-Marquardt of Texas State University describes the book as "a splendid fictional, yet historical romp through the fragile crystal of the eighteenth century." John Van Diest, founder of Multnomah Press and an associate publisher with Tyndale House Publishers, said, "Great nations become great because of great people. Sigrid has combined her research and writing skills to trace the story of one of Russia's great leaders. Catherine is superb reading about an exciting monarch who changed the course of European history-a real 'page-turner'!"

The forthcoming second volume follows Vadim and Svetlana to the German colonies along the lower Volga, and the lives of the Meininger family and their friends who settled in Norka and Schaffhausen. The third book explores the hardships of collectivization and deportation in the early Soviet years, and will finally reunite young Katharina with the Volga Germans who immigrated to the San Joaquin Valley of Central California. Volumes two and three are scheduled for release in December 2008 and April 2009 respectively.

Born in Germany in 1941, Sigrid Weidenweber remembers firsthand the horrific aftermath of fascism. At the end of the war, she found herself living under communism. Both of these totalitarian regimes left indelible marks on her psyche. After the Berlin Wall was built, she finally escaped with the help of friends and a French passport.

The Concordia University campus in Northeast Portland Oregon is in the same neighborhood where Portland's Volga German settlement began in 1882. Concordia's Center for Volga German Studies is the only one of its kind in the nation and supports research into and preservation of the heritage, history, traditions, and accomplishments of the Volga Germans. The Center seeks knowledge and understanding of the relevance of Volga Germans yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Catherine retails for $29.95 (which includes shipping) and can be purchased at http://cvgs.cu-portland.edu. It can also be purchased in some retail outlets [ISBN(13)978-1-934961-00-1 or ISBN(10)1-934961-00-0]. For more information, go to http://cvgs.cu-portland.edu.

Concordia University | 2811 NE Holman Street, Portland, OR 97211 | 503-288-9371 or 1-800-321-9371