Wartburg College is still with me

Dr. Susan Kosche Vallem ’66, Chair of the Social Work Department, stopped in my office the other day to share with me a moving letter she received recently. Here is the text of the letter:

To the Holiday Shoppe,

I read “The Lutheran” article about Wartburg student’s involvement in the Holiday Shoppe. Thank you for your efforts in making Christmas gifting easier for people in your community. Enclosed is a small donation to help in your efforts.

I am a Wartburg graduate from the 1930’s. Yes, it was a long time ago, but the education I got at Wartburg College is still with me, a 95 year old man!

Elmer Maas

You can read the article by clicking here.

Susan and I, both being proud alums, talked briefly about how touching it is to hear about the impact a Wartburg education had on someone. As I think more about the letter, it reminds me of what I have heard from so many alumni, either in conversation at an event or in writing, about the profound, and many times transformative, impact that their time at Wartburg had on them. I have a hard time keeping all of the stories straight, primarily because they often involve people I never had the privilege of meeting. The common theme, however, in every story is that it is about the people that impacted their lives while they were here. The most common thing I hear from Wartburg grads from every decade, and I still hear it from students today, is that it is the people that make Wartburg the wonderful place it is. I agree.

Jeff Beck '01
Director of Alumni & Parent Programs

NUMBER 1 REASON TO HAVE A WARTBURG LICENSE PLATE!

Number 1 reason to have Wartburg License Plates: To BE ORANGE!

For more information on how to purchase a Wartburg license plate click here.

Compiled by Robyn, Dan, & Sarah Clark-Bridges and the Wartburg Alumni Office

2ND REASON TO HAVE A WARTBURG LICENSE PLATE!

Number 2: To be the “finest in the EAST and WEST” by having the most Iowa private college license plates on the road.

Check back tomorrow for the last reason to have Wartburg License Plates on your wish list this year.

For more information on how to purchase a Wartburg license plate click here.

Compiled by Robyn, Dan, & Sarah Clark-Bridges and the Wartburg Alumni Office

3RD REASON TO HAVE A WARTBURG LICENSE PLATE!

Number 3: To enjoy a lively discussion centered around plate personalization. What word best describes your identity?

Check back for the next two days for the last two reasons to have Wartburg License Plates on your wish list this year.

For more information on how to purchase a Wartburg license plate click here.

Compiled by Robyn, Dan, & Sarah Clark-Bridges and the Wartburg Alumni Office

4TH REASON TO HAVE A WARTBURG LICENSE PLATE!

Number 4: To watch state & local police eye you suspiciously as you travel past wondering if this is a legitimate license plate.

Check back for the next few days for another great reason to have Wartburg License Plates on your wish list this year.

For more information on how to purchase a Wartburg license plate click here.

Compiled by Robyn, Dan, & Sarah Clark-Bridges and the Wartburg Alumni Office

TOP TEN REASONS TO HAVE A WARTBURG LICENSE PLATE!

Number 7: To have alumni seek you out after seeing your plate in the parking lot to reminisce.

Number 6: To provide a great conversation starter with complete strangers.

Number 5: To show your pride when driving on the “enemies” home turf.

Check back for the next few days for another great reason to have Wartburg License Plates on your wish list this year.

For more information on how to purchase a Wartburg license plate click here.

Compiled by Robyn, Dan, & Sarah Clark-Bridges and the Wartburg Alumni Office

8TH REASON TO HAVE A WARTBURG LICENSE PLATE!

Number 8: To have a unique personalized plate that only “Wartburgers” would understand.

Check back for the next seven days for another great reason to have Wartburg License Plates on your wish list this year.

For more information on how to purchase a Wartburg license plate click here.

Compiled by Robyn, Dan, & Sarah Clark-Bridges and the Wartburg Alumni Office

9TH REASON TO HAVE A WARTBURG LICENSE PLATE!

Number 9: To display your orange loyalty and pride everywhere you go.

Check back for the next eight days for another great reason to have Wartburg License Plates on your wish list this year.

For more information on how to purchase a Wartburg license plate click here.

Compiled by Robyn, Dan, & Sarah Clark-Bridges and the Wartburg Alumni Office

TOP TEN REASONS TO HAVE A WARTBURG LICENSE PLATE!

With the holiday season among us, we wanted to share with all of you the TOP TEN REASONS TO HAVE A WARTBURG LICENSE PLATE! Check back for the next ten days for another great reason to have Wartburg License Plates on your wish list this year.

Number 10: To provide free advertising for the "college of our brightest days."

For more information on how to purchase a Wartburg license plate click here.

Compiled by Robyn, Dan, & Sarah Clark-Bridges and the Wartburg Alumni Office

Christmas With Wartburg

The sounds of Christmas are filling the halls at Wartburg in preparation of Christmas with Wartburg 2009! Angels and celebration are at the center of this year’s theme “Tidings of Great Joy!” The joyous news of Christ’s birth as foretold by the prophets and proclaimed by the angels will create an exciting opening to the concert. Next, we will celebrate the nativity through various traditional carols, sung by performers and audience members alike. Finally, the concert will reflect on the angel’s message to all people as we seek to be enfolded into the wings of Christ’s love.

This wonderful concert tradition will have a bit of a different look and feel this year. We have brought back the use of live narration to illuminate the music and the message of hope and celebration. This year’s narrators are Donald Meyer (Wartburg College Director of Development) and Kathryn Koob, ‘60 (Oral Communication Instructor ). We are once again using the beautiful mural painted by Janiece Bergland but it has a whole new look thanks to Hans Pregler, CWW Production Manager & Lighting/Set Designer, who has enhanced the mural with a variety of new visual elements.

Wartburg ensembles involved this year include: Wartburg Choir, Wartburg Wind Ensemble, Castle Singers, St. Elizabeth Chorale and the Ritterchor. The audience will also be a key part of the experience. They will be actively participating throughout the concert by singing well known carols and speaking some of the narrated dialogue. All elements will combine to create a spiritual journey through the reflective elements of Advent and the joyous celebration of Christmas.

This is definitely not a concert to be missed! We hope you and your friends/family will be able to join us as we kick off the Christmas season with one of Wartburg’s most beloved traditions!

Ticket Information:

Ticket Office: 319-352-8691

Tickets are $15 for individuals.

Meals will be offered Friday at 5:30 p.m., Saturday (Des Moines) at 5:30 p.m., and Sunday at noon and 5 p.m.

2009 Concert Dates - Click below to order tickets:

Friday, Dec. 4 - Neumann Auditorium, Waverly, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 5 - Lutheran Church of Hope, Des Moines, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 6 - Neumann Auditorium, Waverly, 2 p.m. AND 7 p.m.

Buy lunch/dinner tickets online by clicking here


Lee Nelson
Associate Professor of Music

Excerpts from President Colson's Remarks at Scholarship Day

This weekend I had the opportunity to attend one of Wartburg’s Fall Scholarship Days where I joined two families for lunch and then interviewed eight of the over 110 students who were on campus to compete for scholarship dollars in addition to the $10,000 they have each already earned. As I have each time before, I was again amazed at the quality of students I interviewed. They will all contribute a great deal to our already vibrant campus. If you are ever interested in joining us for a scholarship day to interview students, be sure to contact our admissions office.

During the luncheon, President Colson addressed the student’s and their families. While I was listening to him speak I realized that many of you would probably like to hear a few of the things he said, so here are a couple of excerpts.

Enjoy!
Jeff

Jeff Beck

Director of Alumni & Parent Programs




Excerpts from President Darrel Colson’s remarks at Wartburg’s Fall Scholarship Day, Nov. 15, 2009

………………

“Wartburg’s own vocation, I often say to people, is summed up in its mission statement: Wartburg College is dedicated to challenging and nurturing students for lives of leadership and service as a spirited expression of their faith and learning.”

“Here was the clincher for me. Not only is this mission something that I can believe in; it’s something that everyone on campus believes in. I was sold on Wartburg when I realized that it not only offered splendid liberal education, that it not only faithfully lived out its heritage of service to others and respect for vocation, but that every member of the Wartburg community took to heart the obligation and privilege of preparing young people for lives of leadership and service that expresses their faith and learning.”

“To those of you in the audience who are students facing the same questions I was facing last spring, know this: if you join us, we will offer you ample opportunities to develop your innate abilities. You will learn more about yourselves and about the world than you can even imagine right now; you will have occasions to exercise leadership on your own terms an in your own ways; you will almost effortlessly find yourself serving your neighbors and deriving great gratification from doing so; and you will enjoy many moments of reflection upon faith."

"And, I have noticed, you will have a lot of fun doing these things.”

………………

“I continue to be astounded at the successes our graduates enjoy. A week does not pass without my meeting an alum who is CEO of a very successful company, whether a company whose name you have all heard or a company that’s much smaller but just as successful. Similarly, a week doesn’t pass that I don’t meet an alum who has spent a life in service and received great rewards for doing so.”

“A couple of weeks ago, I was at a dinner in Washington where the College was receiving a prestigious award from the Washington Center. Oh, by the way, this happens all the time. Wartburg is always earning distinction: last week, our men’s soccer team won the Conference championship and headed to the NCAA playoffs, only to lose in the second round last night in a nail-biter—penalty-kick shootout after the second overtime; two weeks ago, “The Circuit,” Wartburg College’s student media Web site, won the 2009 Associated Collegiate Press Online Pacemaker Award, which is that association’s highest award. The week before that, the then-president of Des Moines University (who has since resigned so that he can run for governor again) said that our graduates are the best students in his med school. This goes on and on.”

“But, back to my story. To this gala Washington Center dinner where the College was going to be one of only 5 schools in the nation given the Civic Education Award, I had invited some alums who live in the Washington area. During dinner, I was eavesdropping on the conversation that two of them were having. The one fellow is an oncologist, the other a research scientist. Before that evening, they had not met, but to their mutual surprise, they realized that the physician had been prescribing medications that the scientist had developed in his labs at the University of Michigan and Johns Hopkins University.”

“It was a remarkable moment for me, driving home the point that I’m making about the quality of preparation that Wartburg provides.”

Where are they now?

Scott Milburn

Scott Milburn had a very successful football career for Wartburg College from 1995 to 1999. He was a starter at free safety for two seasons and was the Knights punter for four-years. His senior year, he helped the Knights go an impressive 9-1 and in the process earned All- Iowa Conference and NCAA Division-Three All-American honors.

Milburn chose Wartburg as it provided a good balance of athletics and academics. During his time at Wartburg he not only was able to play football but he also got the opportunity to visit Israel for his senior May term and go to Wartburg West in Denver, Colorado for an internship.

His favorite memory at Wartburg was when the Knights beat highly ranked Simpson his senior year. Simpson featured the number-one rushing offense while Wartburg featured the number-one rushing defense. Wartburg had a pivotal goal line stand in the game where they stopped Simpson on four rushes from the Wartburg one-yard line. The Knights then drove down the field and scored the go ahead touchdown in a Wartburg victory. Scott remembers at that time as it being one of the biggest wins for the Knights in recent memory.

Scott graduated with a major in accounting and finance. After college he began working at Pella Corporation in Pella. He’s worked there a total of nine years where he now is the Heritage Division Cost Management Manager, which oversees the finances for all manufacturing. Scott’s wife, formerly Sarah Hayberman, is also a graduate from Wartburg and was a football cheerleader for the Knights. Scott and Sarah have a six-year old daughter Abby and a two year old son Noah.

Scott feels that playing football for Wartburg helped him considerably in leadership skills. He feels that just like in football, where it’s not just one player but a team, you need the same mentality in the work force. He still follows the Knights closely and tries to make one to two games a year.

Where are they now?

Taylor Anderson

Taylor Anderson was a defensive standout for Wartburg College from 1995 to 1999. He was a starter at middle linebacker for two seasons and led the Knights in tackles both those seasons. His senior year, he helped the Knights go an impressive 9-1, he was named team captain and was voted the team’s Most Valuable Defensive player.

Taylor, a Zearing native who prepped at Colo-Nesco, chose Wartburg for several reasons. He liked the campus and atmosphere when he attended a football camp held at Wartburg, plus he liked the opportunity to play Division-Three football and get a good education.

His favorite memory at Wartburg was when the Knights beat highly ranked Simpson his senior year. Simpson featured the number-one rushing offense while Wartburg featured the number-one rushing defense. Wartburg had a pivotal goal line stand in the game where they stopped Simpson on four rushes from the Wartburg one-yard line. The Knights then drove down the field and scored the go ahead touchdown in a Wartburg victory. Taylor felt it was a huge win for the Knights and a pivotal one in turning the Wartburg football program around.

Taylor graduated with a secondary education major at Wartburg. Following college he taught and coached football at Williamsburg for one year, Mason City for five-years and is currently in his fifth year at Ankeny. Taylor’s wife, formerly Holly Wilcow, is a 1997 graduate from Wartburg and played basketball for the Knights. Taylor and Holly have a six-year old daughter Olivia and a two-and-a-half year old son Reed.

Taylor feels that going to Wartburg helped him to receive a strong education and expose him to many opportunities. He still follows the Knights closely and when he has the opportunity he tries to make it to a home game.

Homcoming Experience

"…oh, it's a small, liberal arts school in Iowa."

We've all said it. But that phrase does not do my alma mater justice.

This past Homecoming was a chance for me to take my fiancée, Teri, to visit campus for the first time and see the people and places that have become a big part of my life. Sure, she had heard some names, listened to a few of my stories, and wondered how a kid from the Twin Cities suburbs ended up in the middle of a corn field in Iowa.

Having graduated from a large university in the heart of a big city, Teri had a completely opposite college experience from me. Needless to say, she was in for a bit of a shock.

As we got out of the car after a nearly three-hour drive, it wasn't more than a minute before people said "hi"--and we hadn't even gotten out of the parking lot yet!

Within five minutes we had talked to nearly a dozen people--each one sporting orange and black.

Teri was amazed.

As we continued throughout the day, we met up with more friends, saw a few former professors and made the rounds to the buildings I spent my time in during my four years on campus.

There were the obligatory lines about what we all were doing now, how the kids were, how the job is, etc. But something that kept creeping into the conversation was what Wartburg was doing these days. What has changed? What's coming down the road?

As we headed home, Teri said she would have never expected what she saw. She marveled in our pride for our school--the way everyone seemed to not only care about Wartburg, but care how Wartburg has evolved and how it will continue to change. How, even after a decade or more, friends could just pick up where they left off like time and distance didn't exist. She felt at home there--having never stepped foot on campus before and not knowing a soul.

Wartburg: it's much more than just a small, liberal arts school in Iowa; for many, its home.

Nate Stoltman, '01
Duluth, MN

Where are they now?

Matt Wheeler

Matt Wheeler starred at quarterback for Wartburg College from 1996 to 1999. He was a starter for two-and-a-half seasons. He still holds several school records including: most touchdown passes in a season with 28, most touchdowns in a game being five and most touchdowns in a career at 59. His senior year in 1999, Matt guided the Knights to an undefeated regular season, the Iowa Conference championship and a berth into the NCAA Division-Three playoffs. He was a two-time All Iowa Conference selection.

Matt, a West Branch native, looked at other Iowa Conference schools his senior year of high school but decided on Wartburg. He chose Wartburg as it allowed him to play not only football but basketball as well. He also liked the campus and the football coaches. His favorite memory at Wartburg was when the Knights beat Central his senior year. Both teams were undefeated going into the game which was the second to last game of the season. Matt remembers the huge crowd and the environment in Waverly for the big showdown. The Knights won the game on their way to an unbeaten regular season.

Matt graduated with a Fitness Management major at Wartburg. After briefly playing football in Germany he returned to Wartburg where he was a student coach for the football team for one year. Matt coached at St. Cloud State in St. Cloud, Minnesota for three-years before taking his current job as the Offensive Coordinator at North Carolina Wesleyan in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Matt’s wife Emily, formerly Emily Bailey, also attended Wartburg and was a four-year starter on the women’s basketball team. Matt and Emily have a nine-month old son, Elijah.

Matt feels that playing football at Wartburg helped him in several areas of his life. He said it helped in time management, work ethic and provided perspective to make him a well rounded person. He still follows the Knights closely and three of his former teammates, Tim Morrison, Jeff Beck and Reed Hoskins are coaches on the current Knights team.

Where are they now?

Lance Christenson

Lance Christenson was a standout wrestler for Wartburg College from 1989 to 1993. He was a two-time NCAA Division-Three All-American. Lance finished third in the Nation in 1992 and was a National Champion his senior year in 1993. A four-year starter, he compiled a 111-36 record. He was captain of the 1993 team that finished second in the nation.

Lance, a Norwalk native, had several reasons why he chose to attend Wartburg. He had friends that already were attending the school, he liked the campus during his visits and it was the right distance away from home. His favorite memories from wrestling was winning the National title at 167 his senior year and a dual team tournament Wartburg was involved in his junior year. The Tournament took place in Atlanta, Georgia and featured many Division-One and Division-Two schools. Despite being only one of two Division-Three schools there, Wartburg won the tournament. He realized then how good that year’s Knights team was.

Lance graduated with a Marketing/Management major at Wartburg. After college he returned to Norwalk and sold medical devises for 13-years. He currently resides in West Des Moines where he works for Dice Holdings, a company that owns and operates six niche career web sites. In 2003 he married his wife Angie. They have two daughters, 5-year old Carly and 3-year old Paige.

Lance feels that competing in wrestling at Wartburg paid big dividends for him in the work force. He feels without the lessons he learned about time management, dedication, and motivation, he wouldn’t be as successful as he is now. He still follows the Knights in wrestling and makes it to one or two meets a year.

This year at homecoming Lance was honored by being named to the Wartburg Athletic Hall of Fame.

Wartburg vs. Luther Rivalry

It’s a tradition that’s been around since the 50s. It takes creativity, ingenuity and a whole lot of Wartburg spirit. The Wartburg rivalry with Luther College has long been intense, and so have the pranks.The pranking tradition began with the mystery of the missing Knight armor which was kept in a special little cubicle in the P.E. Complex, which was rather inaccessible.

To retaliate, Wartburg students painted Luther’s statue of Martin Luther yellow. The pranks continued the following years and some pranks became quite destructive. Students often went overboard trying to top each other. Luther students put a big ‘LC’ in the middle of the Wartburg football field.

Wartburg students responded by burning a huge ‘W’ in the Luther football field. Wartburg students used a chemical called atrazene, so Luther had to dig down three feet to get rid of the Knight’s symbol. But apparently Luther hadn’t dug deep enough because the big ‘W’ on the Norse field showed up for three years after the prank occurred.

The pranking tradition has slowly disappeared, but the traditional rivalry between Luther and Wartburg students and alumni will always hold true. Here is a story that was shared with us about a friendly Wartburg/Luther rivalry from Brian King ’92.

He was the first in his county to get a Wartburg plate (“REVD UP”) and their new Christian Education Director at Bethany Lutheran Church, Kristin Elerding was the first to get a Luther plate (“4 DINGS”). Besides helping her decorate her office with various Wartburg promotional materials and a lot of razzing back and forth at services and youth events, they decided to take it the next level.

They are doing a year-long Sunday School food drive for their local food pantry and have divided the Sunday School up into Wartburg (boys) vs. Luther (girls) and are keeping weekly and monthly tallies with various “penalties” for the “losing” team’s captain: Brian or Kristin. At the end of the year, the winning side gets to decorate the losing captain’s yard and there might be some blue or orange-dyed hair along the way!

Go Knights!

Homecoming 2009!

Fight on you Wartburg Knights! Homecoming week is finally here! All of those hours of planning are about to pay off in this awesome week of events. The Homecoming Committee is excited to welcome all knights; past, present, and future. Be sure to check out all these exciting events coming at you this week. You can get a list of all the events by clicking here. You can also follow us on Twitter.

We have introduced all of our committees, it’s now time to introduce ourselves. We, Nicole Lequia and Cassady Bolding, are the co-directors of the homecoming committee this year. It has been great serving on this committee in our positions and have loved working with our subcommittees and advisors. We are really thrilled to see all the hard work our subcommittees have put into this year’s homecoming come together throughout this week and into the weekend. We want to especially thank Jeff Beck and Renee Voves, our advisors, for all their help and guidance inside and outside all our weekly meetings!!! Hope to see everyone very soon!

Wartburg's 17th President

As I look just days ahead to the exciting events of next week—the annual celebration of Homecoming and the Inauguration of Wartburg’s 17th President—I’m finding it hard to believe that we’ve already arrived at this moment. It really seems as though I just yesterday moved into the office here in Luther Hall and began to work. Where have the last four months gone? As many of you know, Christy and I have been out and about, traveling the Midwest and West to meet alumni and other friends of the College in their native habitats. It’s been a grand adventure; we’ve had more fun than we could possibly have imagined. Next week is going to be even more adventurous, with more events happening than we can possibly count. I look forward to reconnecting with those of you I’ve already met and meeting those of you I haven’t. Let’s celebrate together this College we all love.

President Colson

Countdown to Homecoming 2009

The countdown to Homecoming 2009 continues! With less than one week left until the official week of homecoming, our group is becoming more and more zealous for the upcoming activities. As our meetings progress, the buzz in the air has become louder and louder in the meeting and around campus. We look forward to your arrival on campus for all of the fantastic events that our committee has put together.

Committee Spotlights

Parade: These three lovely ladies are hard at work putting together the final touches on what is to be one of the best parades yet! Look for the Homecoming Committee in our sleek and stylish ride for the parade. Bring all your friends and family down to Bremer Ave for a fun filled morning of Orange Power!

Service: This year we are honoring the heroes of our country by doing a DVD and CD donation drive for our men and women serving overseas. On your way up to Homecoming, be sure to stop by Wal-Mart or Target and pick up a DVD to bring. Anything little thing you can do can make a huge impact in the life of a soldier serving our country in a foreign land.

Pep Rally: The three rockin’ ladies have been hard at work putting together a Pep Rally that is sure to be a crowd pleaser. Cheerleaders and dance team will be there to pump up the crowd and bring the orange power. The committee has some fun activities that will get the crowd involved and given a chance to win some prizes! So, be there after Kastle Kapers to show off your orange spirit!

The Renaissance Faire Committee is hard at work getting ready for the big day. Every year campus organizations and local businesses come and sell some pretty cool things to all of the Homecoming participants. The campus mall is transformed into a street fair where you can buy freshly made mini doughnuts to a new Wartburg water bottle. You will never be disappointed with all Renaissance Faire has to offer.

The Banners and Windows contest has started. Students are given the opportunity to sign-up and paint either their dorm windows or the window of a local business to earn cash prizes. There are already ready a lot of people signed up for the contest, but there’s always room for more! So if you’re feeling artsy or just want to have fun sign-up today!

Oktoberfest is one of the last Homecoming activities, but is always a crowd pleaser. Come eat, drink, and be merry and celebrate Wartburg’s German heritage as you listen to polka music and enjoy the company of friends and family.

2009 Homecoming Committee