The newly renovated R. John Buuck Fieldhouse was officially unveiled last Tuesday, September 16th, during a ribbon cutting ceremony preceding the Falcons Women’s Volleyball matchup against the Rockford Regents.
The event began with an opening prayer from the CUW’s new campus pastor Jonathan Bakker. Bakker comes to Concordia after serving as a Senior Pastor at Zion Lutheran Church in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. Bakker has roots in Canada. He was born in Ontario and attended a high school in Guelph before venturing to the U.S. to begin higher education. In 2001, he earned his bachelor’s degree in music from CUAA (then called Concordia College). Following CUAA, Bakker attended Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne (CTSFW). For his vicarage year, he returned to Canada and served at a four-point parish in eastern Saskatchewan.
Bakker was followed by second-year Concordia President Erik Ankerberg, who gave remarks on the fieldhouse’s marvelous facelift, before handing over the mic to a special guest: Milwaukee Bucks Guard Pat Connaughton.
Led by Connaughton, the Pat Connaughton Foundation is “focused on making a positive impact in the hearts, minds, and futures of young athletes by making the sport of basketball accessible to kids across the world. Connaughton’s efforts were a big factor in the funding of the upgrades, accompanied by Matt Burow of Catalyst Construction and Three Leaf Partners, and the CUW Student Government Association.
CUW Athletic Director Rob Barnhill gave the closing remarks of the night “I could not be happier with the way the project turned out and the way our campus community showed up to celebrate. Our partners and donors were pivotal in getting this done and I sincerely appreciate their generosity.”
In addition, R. John Buuck himself was in attendance, and spoke a few words to the crowd. He recalled the original construction of the fieldhouse and expressed gratitude that his original project has transformed into something that all CUW students can benefit from.
The R. John Buuck Field House first opened its doors on September 30th, 1989, just seven years after the LCMS purchased the former campus of the School Sisters of Notre Dame in Mequon. The renovations included a fresh coat of paint, new bleachers, and new flooring throughout the Field House. The unveiling was open to all, with a majority of CUW athletes in attendance decked out in a “blue-out.’
After the ceremony, the Falcons Volleyball team completed a three-set sweep of the Rockford Regents, ending the night on a high note.
—Will Sommers is a Graphic Designer and Writer with The Beacon. He is a Senior Mass Communication major graduating in May of 2025 with a minor in sports media