Personally, I don’t have much appetite for church politics.  Houston left me wondering whether the political polarization that I observed resembled the sort of factionalism St. Paul complained about when writing to the Corinthians.  While folks in New Orleans routinely exchange “high fives” with strangers walking past, people in Houston exchanged suspicious glances sizing up who was on which side.

In my work as president of CUW, I try to transcend the politics of the church.  We have lots of stakeholders and constituents, and among them are people of varying perspectives — even from within the LCMS.  That is why I enjoy working with the young people.  That is why I have “faith in the freshman” (I can’t write in my blog without a plug for the book).

So, let me throw out a few questions.  What happens to young people that causes them to become cynical when they get older?  What happens to the fresh faith of freshmen that moves so many of them to factionalism later on?  Why do the “high fives” of youth turn into suspicious whispers of adults?

Maybe you think my impressions are off base?  I’d be interested in yours.

Dear Dr. Ferry,

I wanted to drop you a note just to let you know that someone outside your “intimate inner circle” thoroughly enjoyed your book.  I could relate to your story on so many levels and was amazed that both of us even have a daughter named Rachel (ours however is Rachael).  The years for me have flown by also and can’t believe I will be turning 50 very soon.

Your inferences to TV and music choices just made me chuckle.  I haven’t thought about some of my favorites from way back then for far too long.

I have always believed that everyone has a story to tell.  My take on yours is that thus far it’s quite a love story.  Thank you for sharing it and bringing me down memory lane.  Thank you for your continued guidance at CUW — it’s the right place for my kids to be.  Most importantly, I offer thanksgiving for you as such a faithful Shepherd.

I would like nothing better than to meet Andrew someday.  He is remarkable in so many ways and CUW would be lucky to have him as a leader.

Kyle was very happy with his own personalized copy — he appreciated your kind words.  His final season is rolling by way too fast and just thinking about his run ending soon really makes me sad.  We are very excited for CIT though and hope to be able to say hello at some point during the tournament.

Sincerely,

Sue Barth and Family

Faith in the Freshman Cover

I’d certainly love to see you at the Thursday, November 19th “Launch” of “Faith in the Freshman” at Concordia’s Todd Wehr Auditorium.  Join me from 7-9 p.m. for some storytelling, refreshments, and friendly conversation.  Here is a chance to get a little Christmas shopping done early!  Copies of this story of hopes and hoops will be on sale, and I will happily sign one for you or your gift recipient. We can even gift wrap one, if you like!  Join us!

Click here for a map to the event.

Patrick Ferry in the Ozaukee News Graphic – October 2009

Once a semester our Student Government Association sponsors a forum for me and other administrators on campus to interact with students.  Usually on a Monday night, SGA leaders were careful to avoid scheduling the forum on an evening when the Packers might be on TV.  They were obviously less concerned about avoiding a conflict with my beloved Denver Broncos who were en route to their sixth straight victory with a win over division rival San Diego.  That’s okay—I’d rather spend an evening with Concordia students any time!

We have been doing these forums for many years.  In fact, we probably started doing them in some form or another already my first year in office in 1997 and have done them ever since.  For the most part the issues that concern students do not vary too much.  Food service and meal plans, residence life concerns, parking—the sort of things you might expect given that these pertain to student’s basic needs regarding what they eat, where they live, and how they are going to get around.  Last night was no exception.  We had a great crowd who gathered to eat pizza and chew the fat with the administration!

I expected questions about parking.  Since enrollment has continued to increase the volume of cars on campus has also grown.  We have tried to encourage some ride sharing.  In the past we have resisted charging a parking fee.  A fee might discourage people from bringing cars to campus unless absolutely necessary, and we may need to revisit that idea in the future.  Recently the Mequon Planning Commission approved our plan to add some additional spaces.  That should alleviate our problem for the rest of this year, but I don’t imagine that spirited discussions about parking will end any time soon, not with winter looming.  Once the snow flies the situation becomes even more complicated as the need to plow and the uneasy pedestrian access from some of the more remote lots come into play.

Most of the questions about food service dealt with the kinds of concerns that you would likely find on most college campuses.  Students would like more variety in their menus and hours of availability that more conveniently fit their schedules.  I anticipated that we might have more concerns than in the past since this year we adopted a “tray-less” service approach in the dining hall as a part of our Christian environmental stewardship initiatives.  Simply put, people waste less food when they don’t have trays.  We also use lots less water in the dish room since we don’t have to wash all those trays.  Admittedly, it is more of a hassle to juggle plates, and cups, and silverware.  Sometimes a few trips are required to get everything to the table to begin a meal.  The new approach is not without glitches, but it does save food, water, and is the right thing to do.  Sodexo, our excellent food service provider, continues to look for ways to make the dining experience better for our students, and they are responsive to student input.

In sum, most of the items raised by Concordia’s students relate to their quality of life which, naturally, they are eager to see improved.  My hope is that they will continue to find the university’s administration equally eager to make their living—and learning—experience the best that it possibly can be.  Certainly, our growing student population is both a testament to the fact that Concordia is meeting the needs of an ever-increasing number of college students, and also a challenge to continue to build out the infrastructure of support in staff and facilities to ensure that everyone is enjoying an opportunity to learn and grow here.

The students who attended last night’s forum were gracious and respectful.  Each one who stood to raise a question thanked us for coming and spending time with them.  I thank them—for being here and for all that they do make Concordia such a special place.

[View with PicLens]

One specific topic that I hope we can dialogue about is diabetes and its impact–especially type 1 diabetes (juvenile diabetes) and what young people like my sons, Andrew and Stephen, experience each day.  With that in mind, I was delighted to hear from Bruce even before the book went to press. He has been involved in our marketing effort, and as he became more familiar with the material Bruce found that he had something in common with me.  Thanks for writing, Bruce!

Hi Dr. Ferry,

As we have been working on the poster designs for your book, I have also been reading parts and pieces…very enjoyable.

As I have been playing noon time hoops at CUW for the last 4-5 years and have played a couple times with your sons but never knew that Andrew was Diabetic. I hope Andrew is doing well and keeping is diabetes under control. As the father of a diabetic son, I know all the in and outs of having a diabetic child. My son Ryan was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 3 and is now 24. He is doing great. He has been an athlete all his life and has done everything a non-diabetic kid would every want to do. He also knows how important it is to keep his diabetes in control in the short term and for the long haul. He is now out of college, working and off Mom and Dad’s payroll…hurray. My wife, and I have a lot of experience with diabetic kids and we are always ready to help other diabetic families and share our experiences. If you ever need any info regarding Andrew’s Diabetes please feel free to call at anytime night or day.  Ryan is also available if Andrew would like to talk to him direct.

Concordia University students return to classes

I do have faith in the freshmen!  This year we have a record number of them on campus. If initial impressions are a reliable indicator of what to expect, then I am very excited about the new students welcomed to campus. I have faith that they will have a positive impact on campus and will take their Concordia experience with them from here. The rippling effect will spread from Lake Michigan’s shore and reach far and wide!

Our enrollment exceeds 7,000 for the first time in Concordia’s history. That includes an increase of more than 10% in our traditional undergraduate population. Already our new residence hall, Coburg, is nearly full, and parking has been a real challenge during the first few weeks of school.

We are grateful for a terrific start to the new academic year. The chance to work with so many new students is part of the positive beginning. God continues to bless Concordia in ways too many to count.