Grace Schultz Finishes Record-Breaking Career

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Grace Schultz (First-Lake Geneva WI) admits that scoring wasn’t always her thing. During her high school basketball career at Fox Valley LHS, her main role was defense. But that didn’t stop her from setting high goals for her college career.

One of those goals was reached on December 4, when Schultz became the third player in MLC women’s basketball program history to score at least 1,000 career points. Schultz joined Erica Babinec ’12 and Emma Babinec ’06 as the only players to reach that milestone.

Schultz says that was one of several goals she set before her debut season in 2014, and the feeling of accomplishment after reaching that goal was special.

“I sat in the locker room and just absorbed all that had just happened,” she said. “It took me a little while to register that I had actually accomplished a big goal of mine. Sitting there, I couldn’t help but think of all the teammates and coaches that had challenged me to improve in practice and games throughout my life, knowing that none of my personal successes would be possible without them.”

Schultz hasn’t allowed the other aspects of her game to suffer as her scoring role increased. This season, Schultz set a new MLC single-season record with 97 steals, and finished second in program history with 265 career steals. She also finished second in program history with 666 career rebounds, and ranks sixth with 210 career assists. She finished her career with 1,299 career points, and ranks third in both career field goals and free throws.

While she has established herself as one of the premier athletes in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) during her career, Schultz credits her coach, Professor Dan Gawrisch ’08, and teammates for helping her game develop.

“I remember having conversations with Coach Gawrisch about what my role was on the team in every preseason meeting and how scoring became an important factor of my role,” she said. “Knowing his expectations and my own, along with hard work and a lot of shots in the gym, I have grown as a basketball player, and I give that credit to my coaches and teammates.”

Basketball is only part of Schultz’s athletic career at MLC. This fall Schultz finished her four-year career as a right-side hitter for
the volleyball team, where she was a two-year captain and finished with 436 career kills. During her career on both the basketball and volleyball teams, Schultz has helped her team qualify for the UMAC Postseason Tournament in all seven tries.

One of the things that made her athletic career special is sharing her experiences with friends and classmates. Jade St. Germaine (St. Mark-Watertown WI), Kira Grev (Divinity-St. Paul), Taylor Weber (Bethlehem-Germantown WI), Heidi Moldenhauer (St. John-Manitowoc WI), Jenna Miller (Riverview-Appleton WI), and Rylee Weisensel (St. John-New Ulm MN) were part of a seven-player senior class on the volleyball team, while St. Germaine and high school classmate Hailey Johnson (St. Paul-Green Bay WI) played all four years with Schultz on the basketball team.

“As my eligibility decreased, my love for sports turned into a love for family, the family that was created through these sports,” Schultz said. “I still enjoy sports, but what I enjoy more are the memories and friendships that have been created. The special thing about MLC, besides training for a lifetime of public ministry, is that you realize how blessed you are to be surrounded by God-fearing friends and future colleagues every single day.”

This feature was originally published in the MLC InFocus, Spring 2018 issue.

Knights lead UMAC with 85 academic honorees

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Martin Luther College led all Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) schools with 85 fall semester student-athletes named Academic All-UMAC, including 21 from the women’s soccer team alone. These student-athletes finished their semester of competition with a GPA of 3.5 or better.

The Knights also finished with the highest team GPA in four of the eight fall semester sports: volleyball (3.82), women’s cross country (3.78), women’s soccer (3.73), and men’s soccer (3.35). The three women’s teams—volleyball, cross country, and soccer—notched the top three team GPAs among all programs in the conference.

This feature was originally published in the MLC InFocus, Spring 2018 issue.

Evangelism Day Encourages Students

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More than 40 speakers from all over the country, including David Gartner DMLC ’92, ’10 (St. John-Redwood Falls MN), came to campus January 10 to encourage these future called workers with tips for Christ-centered ministry through the power of the gospel.

“So many awesome presenters shared their experiences and stories with us,” said sophomore Anna Hemmelman (Trinity-Goodview MN). “Evangelism Day puts all of our time and studies here at MLC into perspective. It realigned my focus and got me excited about ministry!”

This feature was originally published in the MLC InFocus, Spring 2018 issue.

Interim Director Concludes Service

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We thank Professor Erin Meissner (pictured) for her three semesters of service as interim director of instrumental music while Professor Miles Wurster pursued his graduate studies.

Here’s an excerpt of Professor Meissner’s departure letter:

“Within the rehearsal setting, concert performances, and interactions with one another, I witnessed firsthand the transformative power of music—as an edifying aesthetic expression and unifying force, certainly, but more significantly as a vehicle for the expression and profession of sincere faith.

At several points during the course of my three semesters at MLC I have remarked to my students about the privilege of teaching in an environment where all students share the same faith. We can speak it, sing it, play it, and pray our faith corporately. It is an awesome and profound blessing. . . .

I marvel at the young men and women the Lord is raising up to serve his people and at the talented and dedicated faculty and staff called to teach, direct, guide, and support them. I shall forever consider it a blessing to have served among you.”

CashCourse at MLC

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In order to provide important financial information to students on campus, MLC has partnered with CashCourse – a non-profit organization that provides financial education courses. Students have different topics to complete online each year, and the application of these resources helps them make better financial decisions. Last year over 300 students – in small groups or individual consultation – were served with important financial information through the work of MLC’s Financial Literacy Coordinator, JoElyn Krohn.

Each year CashCourse tracks the schools that utilize these resources. Once again, MLC has made the national top 10 list for web engagement and has also been granted the 2018 Reimbursement Program to help promote the CashCourse resources. This spring the financial literacy program will offer monthly drawings to encourage students to increase their financial literacy.

For more information on MLC’s ranking through CashCourse, visit their website. https://www.cashcourse.org/info/Blog/Article/115/Top-Ten-CashCourse-Schools-of-2017.

Books for Africa

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Anchor, MLC’s student led, service organization, will host a book drive January 22 through February 10, 2017 to help kids in Africa receive proper reading materials. While at home over Christmas break, please consider bringing some of your lightly used books back to campus for this wonderful cause.

A few of Books for Africa’s guidelines are below:

“We send textbooks, other reference books, and leisure reading (paperback and hardcover novels, picture books, etc.) that are less than 15 years old and in great condition (no “dog ears,” compromised bindings, etc.). Picture/reading books for primary aged children are greatly desired. School supplies (like pens, paper, rulers, etc.) are also desired.

We do not send Spanish or any other foreign language books. As we are interested in sending books that are culturally relevant to an African learner, please do not donate books about American History/ Government/holidays/culture/self-help. We no longer ship academic journals, used encyclopedia sets or National Geographic magazines.”

Archives Going into Hibernation Status

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We owe a debt of gratitude to Lois Bode DMLC ’67, Kelly Diersen DMLC ’95, and the volunteers who have done so much to help preserve and present the history of our blessed school. Many of the historical articles featured in InFocus magazine through the years were made possible due to our Archives team.

Lois Bode freely gave many hours each week as our volunteer archivist for several years. In 2016, Kelly Diersen was hired by the MLC Alumni Association as a temporary archives project manager. Kelly’s temporary funding will come to a close December 15.

With the loss of these two key leaders and no funding available, the MLC Archives will go into a hibernation status as of December 15. To prevent loss or damage to items currently in the Archives, access will be prohibited. New items will still be welcomed and safely stored, but they will not be processed or researched. It is our goal that at some point in the future, an archivist will be hired to revive our efforts.

To learn more, visit mlc-wels.edu/history.

MLC Professors GRACE THE BIG SCREEN

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Professor Paul Koelpin WLS ’90 and Professors Emeriti Daniel Deutschlander WLS ’68 and Arnold Koelpin WLS ’58 were featured in the Luther documentary, A Return to Grace: Luther’s Life and Legacy. Paul Koelpin (pictured) also appeared in Martin Luther: The Idea that Changed the World.

As Reformation historians, the professors offered context and commentary on this world-altering movement and its lasting effects. Both films were made by Boettcher + Trinklein Inc, the Emmy Award-winning production company of WELS members Steve Boettcher and Mike Trinklein. The Idea that Changed the World was featured on PBS in September. It’s available on Netflix and on DVD from PBS. A Return to Grace played in churches and select cinemas. It is available on DVD from Northwestern Publishing House.

Luther’s Christmas Pageant

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Adapted by Professor Emeritus Arnold Koelpin

“Luther on Christmas Eve” was painted by Bernhard Plockhurst in 1887.

Martin Luther liked to celebrate Christmas with the freshness and spontaneity of a child. He composed the Christmas hymn “From Heaven Above to Earth I Come” to be enacted as a family Christmas pageant. Published in 1535, it may well have been written for the previous Christmas, when his son Hans was 8 and his daughter Lenchen was 5.

Imagine: Near the Christmas tree stood a cradle. Most likely Luther himself, with his fine tenor voice, took the part of the angel and sang stanzas 1-2, where the angel announced: “From heaven above to earth I come to bear good news to every home.” Perhaps his wife, Katie, continued the angel’s announcement in stanzas 3-4, and then together, in stanza 5, they invited the children to come to the cradle.

The Luther children, like shepherds, were probably waiting not far from the cradle: John (Hans), Elizabeth, Magdalena (Lenchen), Martin, Paul, and Margaret. “Look now, you children, at the sign” was their cue. They took up the song at stanza 6: “How glad we’ll be that it is so! With all the shepherds let us go.”

We can imagine them approaching the cradle, individually or together, as they sang each of the subsequent stanzas, marveling at the Christ-child and inviting him into their hearts. And finally, the entire family joined in the closing doxology of stanza 15: “Glory to God in highest heaven!”

You can reenact this inclusive and intimate family Christmas pageant in your home, whether you have just a few people or a large group. Find the pageant, with hymn stanzas and the easy-to-use instructions, at mlc-wels.edu/go/luther-christmas.

Note: *Elizabeth died in infancy, but we have included her in the pageant nonetheless.