Season of Light

January 2022

“Arise, shine, for your light has come and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.”

Isaiah 60:1

Dear fellow alumni,

Do you enjoy the sight of Christmas lights? For many people, lights are used extensively for decorating during Christmas. Lights are hung on trees in our living rooms; candle-like lights may be placed in windows; and brightly shining lights adorn homes and commercial properties alike. Community light displays seem to gain popularity every year and many families join in the tradition of December night drives to view all the wonderful displays of light.

Has this ever caused you to wonder about the extent of the Christmas decoration market? Believe it or not, it has grown to a $6 billion industry, due in part to all the lights used for display. It is estimated that 150 million light sets are sold in the U.S. each year and approximately 80 million homes are lit up for Christmas. Even the 79-foot Norway spruce in New York’s Rockefeller Center was lit this year by 50,000 lights.

Would you agree that the display of light is a big deal at Christmas time? Although most historians trace the tradition of the first candle-lit Christmas tree to 16^th century Germany, the real Light and BIG deal of CHRISTmas appeared much earlier than that. The prophet Isaiah speaks about that in the verse above. Even when we pack away the decorations and lights for another year, we can rest assured that the season of light is not actually over. The season of light has really just begun in the Epiphany of our Lord.

As Concordians, with hearts together, let each of us arise and shine, for your light has come and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. May this be our confidence as we face this New Year filled with hope and embrace the opportunities and potential it brings!

The peace of Christ be yours.

Greg Witto '94

Director of Alumni and Parent Relations

Become an alumni ambassador for CUW

Would you make a good alumni ambassador? We know from our spring 2021 Alumni Attitude Survey results that our alumni want to serve as ambassadors promoting CUW to others. This month, we will host TOUCHPOINT: ALUMNI AMBASSADORS. The goal is to empower you to promote CUW to students who are considering becoming Falcons. Click here to learn more and to sign up. Here's an opportunity to serve from the comfort of your home!

Leaving a Legacy of Faith:

Answering your questions on long-term care planning

January 31

Join us Monday, January 31, for a free informational webinar focusing on the basics of long-term care planning. Attorney Jessica Liebau joins us to explain the ins and outs of estate and long-term planning. Learn how to plan for the “what-if scenario” with an attorney who focuses on elder law and special needs planning. Click here to learn more and register.

Check out the top 10 headlines from 2021

Throughout the trials and triumphs of 2021, God has been faithful to Concordia University Wisconsin. This year has produced a myriad of changes, perhaps most notably: a farewell to a beloved president. As always, our Strategic Communications team took a moment to round up the top 10 most-read stories of 2021. Here are the news stories Concordians read the most this past year.

School of Ed announces 2021 Master Education Award winners

CUW's School of Education annually recognizes outstanding Lutheran educators in conjunction with commencement celebrations. The recipients of this year’s Master Educator Awards are 2004 alumna Libby MacGillis of St. John’s Lutheran School in Plymouth, Wisconsin, and David Lane of Mayer Lutheran High School in Mayer, Minnesota. Congratulations! To learn more about the award and these two recipients, click here.

Department of Communication alumni serving their community

Two recent Department of Communication graduates, Gina Cuccio (‘20) and Alex Loding (‘21), currently are serving their communities by producing the news. Cuccio works for WDJT CBS-58, and Loding works for TMJ4 News. Take a look here to learn how Concordia prepared them for their new roles.

Supply chain management offered virtually

If you're still waiting on some Christmas packages, then you have an idea about the significance of supply chain management in business operations. Want to learn more? Check out this course that is offered by an expert in the field.

Save the date for virtual town hall meetings

Interim President Dr. Bill Cario will provide university updates as well as an opportunity for Q&A during upcoming virtual town hall meetings next month: February 15, 16, 21, and 24. Stay tuned for more information.