Irvine Mayor Larry Agran and Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod leaders to join university for anniversary celebration, Oct. 2–3
IRVINE, Calif. — Concordia University Irvine will mark its 50th anniversary with a weekend of public celebration on Friday, Oct. 2, and Saturday, Oct. 3, highlighted by ribbon-cutting ceremonies for two major campus projects totalling $45 million: the newly renovated and expanded Concordia University Center for Worship and the Performing Arts, and the new Golden Eagle Athletics Complex.
Media opportunities, Friday, Oct. 2
- 2:00 pm: Ribbon cutting, CU Center for Worship and the Performing Arts. Speakers include Irvine Mayor Larry Agran; Concordia President Dr. Michael Thomas; Board of Regents Chair Ryan Ermeling ’97; and Rev. Dr. Alfonso Espinosa ’87, Third Vice President of the LCMS. A Concordia Symphony Orchestra concert, the first in the renovated hall, follows.
- 4:00 pm: Ribbon cutting, Golden Eagle Athletics Complex. Speakers include President Thomas; Vice President of Athletics Crystal Rosenthal ’02, MCAA ’07; student-athlete leaders Trey Vergenz and Bell Barrett; and Rev. Dr. Jamison Hardy, Concordia University System President. Tours and live music follow.
- 4:30–6:00 pm: Artist available. Carla Krazl of St. Louis, creator of the CU Center’s new entryway artwork, will discuss her work in the CU Center.
Location: Concordia University Irvine, 1530 Concordia West, Irvine, CA 92612.
A renovated home for worship and performance
Originally opened in 1988, the CU Center has been expanded by 6,000 square feet and an additional 300 seats, bringing the total seating capacity to 800 with 270-degree seating around the thrust platform. A narthex with a stone baptismal font and new artwork by Krazl now greets visitors. The hall also features a sound system from Vienna-based Amadeus Active Acoustics, the first of its kind in the United States, which uses dozens of microphones and speakers to shape the room’s acoustics.
A new home for the Golden Eagles
The $24.5 million Golden Eagle Athletics Complex is a two-building facility of more than 20,000 square feet, made up of the Golden Eagles Fitness Center and the Golden Eagles Clubhouse. It includes locker rooms, a theater-style film room, an athletic training facility with hot and cold therapy baths, a press box, and a 6,000-square-foot fitness center open to the entire student body. Fans can watch baseball, softball, lacrosse, soccer, and track and field from a rooftop terrace and shaded seating areas. The complex reinforces Concordia’s position as a premier NCAA Division II institution in Orange County.
“Concordia has been part of the Irvine community for 50 years. We opened with one building, 36 students, and a great deal of faith. Today, more than 28,800 graduates later, we celebrate with deep gratitude for everyone who prayed for, sacrificed for, and believed in this university,” says Concordia’s president, Dr. Michael Thomas. “Our 50th anniversary theme, ‘I am with you always,’ reminds us that God has been faithful at every step, and we look forward to serving students and our community for years to come.”
Celebration open to the community
Friday evening’s Fall Family & Friends Festival runs 5:00-8:30 pm and is free to all, with carnival games, bounce houses, music, and a Ferris wheel. A build-your-own taco bar is available 5:00-7:00 pm for $10 per person.
On Saturday, Oct. 3, the Festival of Hymns 50th Anniversary Celebration Service begins at 2:00 pm in the CU Center (reserved seating, $20; tickets at cui.edu/tickets). Oktoberfest and alumni reunions follow on the Commons Lawn from 3:30 to 8:30 pm, with live entertainment from the Bavarian Beergarden Band and Die Gemütlichen Schuhplattler. The Oktoberfest is free and open to the public.
Throughout both days, the anniversary art exhibition Under the Same Sky: The Beauty of Concordia at 50 Years Old is open in Grimm Hall South, 2nd floor, from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm.
Learn more about Concordia’s 50th anniversary celebrations throughout the year, and RSVP for the weekend events at cui.edu/50th.
Contact: Ann Ashmon, Associate Vice President of Strategic Communications, [email protected], phone: 949-813-3047.
About Concordia University Irvine
Concordia University Irvine, a private, non-profit, Lutheran Christian university, is proud to be one of the founding institutions of higher education in Irvine, CA. For 50 years, we have prepared “wise, honorable, and cultivated citizens to serve the church and society.” Today, we educate nearly 5,000 students annually as a comprehensive university, offering more than 60 degrees and awarding bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees through our on-campus and online programs with an alumni network that has grown to over 28,800 worldwide. U.S. News & World Report recently recognized Concordia as a top-ranked university for Social Mobility. Concordia is also the first NCAA Division II school in Orange County.