ABOUT
The stories here are the result of a semester-long class called “Telling the Story: Investigating and Interpreting the News,” the advanced reporting class in the multimedia journalism program at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota.
Concordia’s commitment to global education and integrative learning prompted us to get off campus and report on and write about a global issue that has had profound impact on our community. Because North Dakota has resettled more refugees per capita than any other state in the nation, this seemed the ideal topic.
Each of the 11 students in the class took on a particular aspect of refugee resettlement in an attempt to provide an overview of the challenges faced by New Americans.
The class was taught by Catherine McMullen (mcmullen@cord.edu).
WRITERS
TYLER ALDOUS is a 2016 graduate with a major in Multimedia Journalism and a minor in Environmental Studies. He is from Brainerd, MN, and is involved in Concordia’s On-Air television program and the track and field team. He has had a film premiere at the 2016 Fargo Film Festival. After graduation, he hopes to work in film or television. taldous@cord.edu
KATIE BEEDY is pursuing a double major in communication studies and multimedia journalism at Concordia College. She plans to graduate in the spring of 2018. Her writing has been featured in The Concordian, on Concordia College’s website, and online for Emerging Prairie, where she will intern in the summer of 2016. kbeedy@cord.edu
KELSEY DRAYTON is a 2016 Concordia College graduate with degrees in multimedia journalism and communication studies with a concentration in public relations. Her work has been published in the Concordia College campus newspaper, along with On The Minds of Moms, a Fargo-Moorhead local publication. She plans to take her undergraduate degree wherever the wind blows. kdrayton@cord.edu
BEN GISLASON is a 2016 graduate from Concordia College. As a Multimedia Journalism major, Gislason will go into sports broadcasting upon graduation. He played collegiate hockey for St. Olaf College for two years, and continued at Concordia College when he transferred after his sophomore year. He was born and raised in Burnsville, Minnesota, and is a graduate from Breck High School in southwest Minneapolis. bgislaso@cord.edu
MARIT JOHNSON is a 2016 graduate of Concordia College. Her work has been featured in the Concordia College campus newspaper, where she also served as web editor during 2015-16, and at Prairie Public Radio where she interned in Fall 2015. Johnson continues to do freelance writing for Augsburg Fortress Press in Minneapolis, Minn. mjohns67@cord.edu
KATELYN KASELLA is a sophomore at Concordia College. She writes for the campus newspaper, The Concordian, and plans to travel as much as possible before and after graduation. She hopes to write for a reputable newspaper or magazine one day. kkasella@cord.edu
SYDNI KREPS will graduate in December of 2016 from Concordia College with majors in multimedia journalism and communication studies. Her work has been featured in The Concordian and campus literary journal AfterWork. She served as a copy and literary editor for the 2015-2016 Djembe: A Journal of Intercultural Affairs and plans to collaborate with Concordia Language Villages on an editing project in the summer of 2016. Sydni created the website for this publication. skreps@cord.edu
AUBRIE ODEGAARD is planning to graduate May of 2017 from Concordia College working toward a double major in Communication Studies and Multimedia Journalism. She plans to graduate in 2017. Her work has been featured in the Concordia College campus newspaper where she is currently a sports writer. Aubrie is continuously producing content for The Odyssey, a social content platform that shares its content through social media outlets. aodegaa3@cord.edu
PAIGE OLSON plans to graduate in December of 2017 at Concordia College pursuing a double major in Communication Studies and Multimedia Journalism. She is actively involved on campus as a Student Ambassador and as Vice President of Lambda Delta Sigma for the 2016-2017 school year. Paige is from the Fargo-Moorhead area and has enjoyed learning more about the refugee population in the community she grew up in. polson7@cord.edu
HANS PETER will be graduating from Concordia College in December of 2016 with majors in English Writing and Multimedia Journalism. With luck, he’ll work as a reporter in the U.S., and eventually, as a foreign correspondent abroad. hpeter@cord.edu
KALEY SIEVERT is planning to graduate in 2017 from Concordia College. She is a double major in multimedia journalism and political science. Her work has been featured in the Concordia College newspaper, where she now holds the position of Variety Editor, and in the High Plains Review. Kaley continues to write weekly for The Odyssey, a social content platform that shares content through social media. ksiever1@cord.edu