The Welcoming Face of Concordia
The Welcome Center is where many students receive their first impression of Concordia, and where the staff tries their best to make these new students feel welcomed. Long before this welcome center was established, Fjelstad often took this job upon herself to make homesick students feel more at home and welcomed in the Cobber community. During the time Fjelstad served as matron, many students were leaving their homes at a very young age to attend Concordia.(3) For many of the Norwegian students headed to Concordia, Concordia and Fjelstad's name were the only names they were aware of when leaving Norway and heading for America.(4)
Fjelstad was known by many of the students as a second mother. For many of the students attending the college, they were quite far from home, and would easily become homesick. Fjelstad took it upon herself to visit with homesick students, nursing sick students back to health and talking with Cobbers over milk and cookies.(5) Alumni visiting campus would seek out Miss Fjelstad for conversation and she would recall them by name.(6) While not only being a welcoming face to the students, Fjelstad was also a face known within the Moorhead community. Hungry beggars and homeless pepole in Moorhead had heard of Fjelstad and would come to the college for food. Fjelstad would turn no one away and would always provide them with a meal.(7) However if Fjelstad was to discover the beggar was of Norweigan heritage, along with their meal they coud also expect a lecture, as begging was a "sin" against the Norwegian nature.(8)