In order to fully understand what potential we can unlock with social media, it’s important to look at the different practices involved. I like to think of these uses of social media in four distinct buckets: create, perpetuate, innovate and consume. Create. Social media gives us the opportunity to express ourselves in entirely new ways….
Category: Columns
Black Friday: Stories from the battle front
Hello my financially stable and sound Cobbers. Oh wait. It is the week after Black Friday and Cyber Monday. So if any of you are like me and felt a compelling urge to invest in some new skinny yoga pants, dresses, shoes, electronics, DVDs and various other items instead of paying off your Cobber ring,…
The Cobber bubble
Throughout your four years here, you have heard, or will hear at some point, the phrase “Concordia bubble.” The bubble, of course, refers to our unique Concordia atmosphere: the happenings and people that occupy 901 8th Street. The things that—to us, at least—seem important, but many times bear little relevance outside our campus. Because of…
The visitation complaint continues
Call it predictable, unpersuasive or exhaustingly persistent, but until the Concordia policy governing visitation is amended—if not abolished—the same old tired, clichéd student grievances require redressing. Moreover, these necessary changes are long overdue, and the tax placed on the college in the meantime grows foul. The policy as it now stands is no secret to…
Confirmation: A reflection on the Catholic faith
It was only 84 years ago that Jose Luis Sanchez del Rio took a walk around the town toward the cemetery. At 15 years old, one wouldn’t expect him to be going toward such a dreary place, but rather enjoying time with his friends, perhaps playing a ball game. But Jose was far from such…
TEDxYouth at Fargo
You have likely watched a TED video before. From Bill Clinton to Malcolm Gladwell, speakers of incredibly diverse backgrounds have been invited to share their great ideas. These talks are tremendously popular, garnering hundreds of millions of views on the TED.com website. Just a few Sundays ago, Fargo hosted its own TED event. Themed the…
Let’s get social: forming a personal brand
We’ve all heard that employers look at our Facebook pages and search the web when they review an application. If that’s not reason enough to think about crafting a personal digital brand, then at least remember the hundreds, if not thousands, of people who have the ability to view and track your social media activity….
Sermons in Stones
As I write this column, my thoughts are running ahead to the journey to United International College in Zhuhai, People’s Republic of China, that Anne and I will begin Nov. 10 with our colleagues, Per Anderson (associate dean for Global Learning) and Lisa Sethre-Hofstad (associate dean for Core and Advising). Anne and I have never…
Let’s get social: introducing a new column on social media
Tweet. Like. Friend. Pin. Tumble. Favorite. Retweet. Blog. Post. Plus one. While your platform may not have made it on this short list, social media is weaved into nearly every thread of our world. We may not have an account set up with every vendor, but most of us digital natives interact with social media…
Downtown, baby!
Downtowns across the country are benefiting from “Renaissance zones” aimed at restoring old buildings and boosting pedestrian traffic. Programs are also being implemented to encourage more walking and less driving. We’ve seen a dramatic increase in bike share programs, like Nice Ride in the Twin Cities (and the potential for a similar program in the…

