*Note this story was originally published 12/20/24
As 2024 is coming to an end, we want to celebrate 40 years of The Beacon. 1984 was the first year of Concordia Universities, The Beacon. A student newspaper is important because it keeps everyone on campus informed about events, issues, and achievements. It gives students a voice to share their thoughts, opinions, and stories. It also helps build a sense of community by connecting people and sparking discussions. Plus, working on a student newspaper teaches students important skills like writing, teamwork, and leadership, which can help them in their future careers.
This is the 40th year that CUW students have been working as a team to publish stories to keep students informed and speak as the voice of the student body. A lot has happened in the last 40 years. Let’s start by going back to 1984 and see what was happening, and read until the end for an announcement.
What was going on in 1984 at CUW?
This was a monumental year for the University. It was the first year that The Beacon was introduced and it had been a year since Concordia moved to the Mequon location.The Milwaukee Campus was sold in 1984 to the Forest County Potawatomi Tribe to use for their Indian Community School.
What else was going on in 1984?
- Minimum wage was $3.35 per hour.
- Billboard’s Top Songs for the Year included “When Doves Cry” (Prince), “What’s Love Got to Do With It” (Tina Turner), “Say, Say, Say” (Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson), “Footloose” (Kenny Loggins), and “Against All Odds” (Phil Collins).
- Celebrity births in 1984 included Mark Zuckerberg, Scarlett Johansson, LeBron James, Mandy Moore, Katy Perry, Aubrey Plaza, Prince Harry, and Trevor Noah.
- The highest grossing films of the year included Ghostbusters, Beverly Hills Cop, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Gremlins, and Karate Kid.
- The Detroit Tigers won the MLB World Series and the Los Angeles Raiders won the Superbowl.
- The average cost of tuition for a private four-year college in 1983–1984 was $5,093.
- The Olympics were hosted in LA.
What was going on in 2004 at CUW?
On May 14, 2004, President George W. Bush visited Concordia University Wisconsin to deliver the commencement address to the graduating class. During his speech, President Bush talked about the importance of character, kindness, and charity, encouraging the graduates to lead lives of purpose and service. The event was a wonderful example of CUW’s commitment to developing future leaders who embody strong values and a dedication to making a positive impact in the world.
Wayne Rasmussen was inducted into CUW’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004. In 1983 Wayne Rasmussen became the head men’s basketball coach at Concordia University Wisconsin, compiling a 105-63 record over nine seasons. After a period as an assistant coach at Milwaukee Lutheran High and Wisconsin Lutheran College, he returned to CUW in 2005 for a second stint as head men’s basketball coach. He was dedicated to developing athletes and was passionate about basketball.
What else was going on in 2004?
- Minimum wage was $5.15 per hour.
- Billboard’s Top Songs for the Year included “Yeah!” (Usher featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris), “Burn” (Usher), “This Love” (Maroon 5), “If I Ain’t Got You” (Alicia Keys), and “Hey Ya!” (OutKast).
- Celebrity births in 2004 included Shiloh Jolie-Pitt, North West, Blue Ivy Carter, Willow Smith, and Jaden Smith.
- The highest grossing films of the year included Shrek 2, Spider-Man 2, The Incredibles, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and The Polar Express.
- The Boston Red Sox won the MLB World Series, breaking an 86-year championship drought, and the New England Patriots won the Super Bowl.
- The average cost of tuition for a private four-year college in 2004–2005 was $21000.
- The Olympics were hosted in Athens.
What was going on in 2014 at CUW?
In 2014 Concordia was continuing to expand its academic programs after its merger with Concordia University Ann Arbor. The Falcons also had a notable year this year. The women’s basketball team had an excellent season with a talented team. One of their strongest games was against Lakeland. The football team achieved several victories, including a 47-20 win against Concordia Chicago. This great team led to Concordia making headlines when three student athletes attracted the attention of NFL scouts from the Minnesota Vikings and the Dallas Cowboys.
What else was going on in 2014?
- Minimum wage was $7.25 per hour.
- Billboard’s Top Songs for the Year included “Happy” by Pharrell Williams, “Dark Horse” by Katy Perry featuring Juicy J, “All of Me” by John Legend, “Fancy” by Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX, and “Counting Stars” by OneRepublic.
- Celebrity births in 2014 included Prince George of Cambridge’s sister, Princess Charlotte, and actress Eva Mendes and actor Ryan Gosling’s daughter, Esmeralda Amada Gosling.
- The highest grossing films of the year included Transformers: Age of Extinction, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Guardians of the Galaxy, Maleficent, and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1.
- The San Francisco Giants won the MLB World Series, and the Seattle Seahawks secured victory in Super Bowl XLVIII.
- The average cost of tuition for a private four-year college in 2014–2015 was $31,231.
- The Olympics were hosted in Sochi, Russia.
What happened in 2024 at CUW?
This has been an exciting year for CUW, full of renovations. We had the R. John Buuck Field House ribbon cutting. Pat Connaughton was on campus to talk about the new Fieldhouse that was heavily sponsored by his foundation. The Dining Hall was also remodeled along with the creation of the engineering lab which will be ready for the 2024-2025 academic year.
What else happened in 2024?
- Minimum wage was $7.25 per hour.
- Billboard’s Top Songs for the Year included”Vampire” by Olivia Rodrigo, “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus, “Kill Bill” by SZA, “Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift, and “As It Was” by Harry Styles.
- Celebrity births in 2014 included Jennifer Lawrence and her husband Cooke Maroney, singer Ed Sheeran and his wife Cherry Seaborn, and actress Emma Stone and her husband Dave McCary.
- The highest grossing films of the year included Inside Out 2, Deadpool & Wolverine, Despicable Me 4, Moana 2, Dune: Part Two, and, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.
- The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched the MLB World Series title, defeating the New York Yankees in five games. In the NFL, the Kansas City Chiefs secured victory in Super Bowl LVIII.
- The average cost of tuition for a private four-year college in 2024–2025 was $36,000.
- The Summer Olympics were hosted in Paris, France.
In celebration of The Beacons 40th Anniversary, we are announcing a print version of The Beacon coming in Spring 2025. We are excited for many more years of stories and students’ voices being heard.
— Mikayla Sells is the Beacon Student Promotion/Social Media Manager. She is a Junior Business Scholar majoring in Business Management with a minor in Marketing
This blog was originally published on December 27th, 2024. It has been updated to reflect current information.