Luke Vetsch Oral History interview, 2014
Dublin Core
Title
Luke Vetsch Oral History interview, 2014
Subject
Athletics
Dormitories
Employment
Description
A wrestler at Concordia who enjoyed Concordia a lot and liked how Concordia prepared him for post graduation life. He talked about how he still keeps in touch with his Concordia friends and the life lessons he learned while going to school. Also he talked about his time while here with living in dorms and off campus and also working on campus.
Creator
Vetsch, Luke (Donor)
Publisher
Concordia College Archives
Date
2014-10-10
Contributor
Gardner, Gabby (Interviewer)
Rights
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribut ion - NonCommercial - No Derivs 3.0 Unported License
Format
Oral Histories
Language
English
Type
Moving Image
Identifier
HH0102OH
Oral History Item Type Metadata
Interviewer
Gardner, Gabby
Interviewee
Vetsch, Luke
Location
Carl B. Ylvisaker Library (Moorhead, Minn.)
Transcription
Gabby Gardner: So can you state your name and spell it out please
Luke Vetsch: Luke Vetsch, L-U-K-E last name Vetsch, V-E-T-S-C-H
GG: Ok this is Gabby Gardner giving the interview and it is Oct 10th 2014, and we are going to get started.
Luke Vetsch: Alright
GG: oh gosh history harvest number is 0102 there we go, so you said you were in wrestling so did you have a tryout for that?
Luke Vetsch: No my coach Clay Nagel who was here in 2009 kind of recruited a bunch of us to come up here and we started captains practice and then eventually got right into the season and there wasn’t really any tryouts it was just kind of based on performance during the matches.
GG: and did you have a JV and Varsity?
Luke Vetsch: No I think it was just there was a varsity for dual meets then invitational tournaments you could have a number of wrestlers per weight so there wasn’t really a starter at the tournaments
GG: ok so do you have any particular tournaments you remember being bigger or like
Luke Vetsch: Yeah there’s quite a few that come to mind. Wrestling at the Bison open was an open tournament anybody on the team can participate or gets to wrestle. It’s a pretty heavy competition a lot of D1 schools and another one that comes to mind is a dual meet that we had here against MSU Moorhead State we beat them like for the first time in cant remember was like a number of years like 12 years or something so that was pretty neat.
GG: that is exciting
Luke Vetsch: Yeah
GG: Ok so let’s talk a little about your coaches did they instill any life lessons or did you learn any life lessons for being in sports?
Luke Vetsch: I would say for sure. Being in sports kind of teaches you a lot of things the discipline and the hard work and the sacrifice that it takes and that’s carried on into my after life or for my post college years as far as you know working and always wanting to improve each and every day, the things im willing to give up so that I can move ahead all those things.
GG: Ok so what are you doing now?
Luke Vetsch: I work for RDO equipment. I’ve worked out in Williston, ND for a couple of years and moved back, now I’m parts manager down in Rochester, MN.
GG: and do you think Concordia really helped prepare you for the work world?
Luke Vetsch: Yeah I mean I didn’t know it at the time you think it’s hard. When your 19-20-21 to understand how that’s preparing you but looking back years later I think it defiantly did and it just defiantly helped me mature and grow and I think coming to a close tight college like concordia and having role models, professors, and coaches defiantly prepares you on for later in life.
GG: ok did you stay in touch with any of your friends from Concordia?
Luke Vetsch: Yep yeah we get together a lot of us wrestlers do and even guys that not necessary your roommates and people that you just knew thru classes and stuff. We’ll still get together you know we still, we use social media so that’s easy to stay in touch and everyone, not everyone lives in Moorhead anymore a lot of us kind of spread out but I’d say at least once or twice a year we get together.
GG: ok that’s awesome so always nice to hear people stay together. So did you stay in the dorms or were you off campus or both?
Luke Vetsch: I lived in Erickson 2 years and then I moved and live off campus for 2.
GG: Ok were there any stereotypes made for the dorms? Be honest cause there are now so.
Luke Vetsch: well stereo types for Erickson or stereotypes
GG: For all dorm all dorms.
Luke Vetsch: Oh yeah you know people yeah theres stereotypes for sure.
GG: I was just making sure I don’t know.
Luke Vetsch: yeah theres
GG: there still that so…
Luke Vetsch: Well at least when I, when I was, yeah when I was in the dorm or even when I was living off campus there was still stereotypes and you know there was. I guess there was judgment on certain buildings and so.
GG: ok so why did you decide to stay off campus instead of on campus?
Luke Vetsch: after 2 years?
GG: After 2 years
Luke Vetsch: I think that was just something that you know for being on for year was neat and it was kind of required. I know some people kind of went thru different hoops and said they were driving that they lived in a certain miles from school they would say they were living at home but yet they were living off campus and I didn’t feel like I needed to lie or anything. I felt like living on campus would benefit me and I’m glad I did that and I was happy I chose to live off campus for 2 years cause a little bit more freedom, but also there’s a lot of responsibility of renting a house there’s a paycheck, utilities that comes with that and having to live with a few people under the same roof and stuff that’s a growing and learning thing that just you kind of have to find it and experience it.
GG: Ok also you talked about a paycheck did you work on campus?
Luke Vetsch: I did yep.
GG: where did you work?
Luke Vetsch: I worked; I worked in a couple different places I mostly worked in the kitchen. I worked with is It Mel Odagard I believe she is one of the people who kind of works, it was down below like with the spices and preparing the meals and then it goes up to the kitchen. I worked with her for a couple of year. I also worked like in the sandwich bar I can’t remember the specific names of these.
GG: yeah I don’t know the names either.
Luke Vetsch: Where else have I worked I think I know for one summer I worked with the maintenance crew the guys and replaced a lot of ceiling tiles. I think that was it I want to say I had a few more kind of temporary jobs when I was out of season and it was tough to have a job while you’re in a sport.
GG: Yeah did you find them to be helpful or fun?
Luke Vetsch: They were definitely something I needed because I needed the extra income it was tough. I certainly was, I definitely need the money, let’s put it that way.
GG: yeah that makes sense. Is there anything else you would like to talk about? or you don’t have to
Luke Vetsch: No I mean it’s a very nice campus and like I said. At the time of coming to attending Concordia I was happy but probably didn’t fully understand the way Concordia preparing me for later on in life and looking back I’m so happy I choose this school. There was so many different way or roads I could have chosen and coming to a small college was very beneficial.
GG: Ok well thank you for coming in today I really appreciate it.
Luke Vetsch: Alright, Thank You!
Luke Vetsch: Luke Vetsch, L-U-K-E last name Vetsch, V-E-T-S-C-H
GG: Ok this is Gabby Gardner giving the interview and it is Oct 10th 2014, and we are going to get started.
Luke Vetsch: Alright
GG: oh gosh history harvest number is 0102 there we go, so you said you were in wrestling so did you have a tryout for that?
Luke Vetsch: No my coach Clay Nagel who was here in 2009 kind of recruited a bunch of us to come up here and we started captains practice and then eventually got right into the season and there wasn’t really any tryouts it was just kind of based on performance during the matches.
GG: and did you have a JV and Varsity?
Luke Vetsch: No I think it was just there was a varsity for dual meets then invitational tournaments you could have a number of wrestlers per weight so there wasn’t really a starter at the tournaments
GG: ok so do you have any particular tournaments you remember being bigger or like
Luke Vetsch: Yeah there’s quite a few that come to mind. Wrestling at the Bison open was an open tournament anybody on the team can participate or gets to wrestle. It’s a pretty heavy competition a lot of D1 schools and another one that comes to mind is a dual meet that we had here against MSU Moorhead State we beat them like for the first time in cant remember was like a number of years like 12 years or something so that was pretty neat.
GG: that is exciting
Luke Vetsch: Yeah
GG: Ok so let’s talk a little about your coaches did they instill any life lessons or did you learn any life lessons for being in sports?
Luke Vetsch: I would say for sure. Being in sports kind of teaches you a lot of things the discipline and the hard work and the sacrifice that it takes and that’s carried on into my after life or for my post college years as far as you know working and always wanting to improve each and every day, the things im willing to give up so that I can move ahead all those things.
GG: Ok so what are you doing now?
Luke Vetsch: I work for RDO equipment. I’ve worked out in Williston, ND for a couple of years and moved back, now I’m parts manager down in Rochester, MN.
GG: and do you think Concordia really helped prepare you for the work world?
Luke Vetsch: Yeah I mean I didn’t know it at the time you think it’s hard. When your 19-20-21 to understand how that’s preparing you but looking back years later I think it defiantly did and it just defiantly helped me mature and grow and I think coming to a close tight college like concordia and having role models, professors, and coaches defiantly prepares you on for later in life.
GG: ok did you stay in touch with any of your friends from Concordia?
Luke Vetsch: Yep yeah we get together a lot of us wrestlers do and even guys that not necessary your roommates and people that you just knew thru classes and stuff. We’ll still get together you know we still, we use social media so that’s easy to stay in touch and everyone, not everyone lives in Moorhead anymore a lot of us kind of spread out but I’d say at least once or twice a year we get together.
GG: ok that’s awesome so always nice to hear people stay together. So did you stay in the dorms or were you off campus or both?
Luke Vetsch: I lived in Erickson 2 years and then I moved and live off campus for 2.
GG: Ok were there any stereotypes made for the dorms? Be honest cause there are now so.
Luke Vetsch: well stereo types for Erickson or stereotypes
GG: For all dorm all dorms.
Luke Vetsch: Oh yeah you know people yeah theres stereotypes for sure.
GG: I was just making sure I don’t know.
Luke Vetsch: yeah theres
GG: there still that so…
Luke Vetsch: Well at least when I, when I was, yeah when I was in the dorm or even when I was living off campus there was still stereotypes and you know there was. I guess there was judgment on certain buildings and so.
GG: ok so why did you decide to stay off campus instead of on campus?
Luke Vetsch: after 2 years?
GG: After 2 years
Luke Vetsch: I think that was just something that you know for being on for year was neat and it was kind of required. I know some people kind of went thru different hoops and said they were driving that they lived in a certain miles from school they would say they were living at home but yet they were living off campus and I didn’t feel like I needed to lie or anything. I felt like living on campus would benefit me and I’m glad I did that and I was happy I chose to live off campus for 2 years cause a little bit more freedom, but also there’s a lot of responsibility of renting a house there’s a paycheck, utilities that comes with that and having to live with a few people under the same roof and stuff that’s a growing and learning thing that just you kind of have to find it and experience it.
GG: Ok also you talked about a paycheck did you work on campus?
Luke Vetsch: I did yep.
GG: where did you work?
Luke Vetsch: I worked; I worked in a couple different places I mostly worked in the kitchen. I worked with is It Mel Odagard I believe she is one of the people who kind of works, it was down below like with the spices and preparing the meals and then it goes up to the kitchen. I worked with her for a couple of year. I also worked like in the sandwich bar I can’t remember the specific names of these.
GG: yeah I don’t know the names either.
Luke Vetsch: Where else have I worked I think I know for one summer I worked with the maintenance crew the guys and replaced a lot of ceiling tiles. I think that was it I want to say I had a few more kind of temporary jobs when I was out of season and it was tough to have a job while you’re in a sport.
GG: Yeah did you find them to be helpful or fun?
Luke Vetsch: They were definitely something I needed because I needed the extra income it was tough. I certainly was, I definitely need the money, let’s put it that way.
GG: yeah that makes sense. Is there anything else you would like to talk about? or you don’t have to
Luke Vetsch: No I mean it’s a very nice campus and like I said. At the time of coming to attending Concordia I was happy but probably didn’t fully understand the way Concordia preparing me for later on in life and looking back I’m so happy I choose this school. There was so many different way or roads I could have chosen and coming to a small college was very beneficial.
GG: Ok well thank you for coming in today I really appreciate it.
Luke Vetsch: Alright, Thank You!
Original Format
Oral History
Duration
09:03
Time Summary
:35 2009 Wrestler
1:25 Wrestling Tournaments
2:17 Like Lessons from Sports
2:55 Post Grad Life/Work
3:14 Concordia Prepares for after college
4:35 Living Situations Dorms/ Off campus
6:38 Work on Campus
8:22 Why he liked Concordia
1:25 Wrestling Tournaments
2:17 Like Lessons from Sports
2:55 Post Grad Life/Work
3:14 Concordia Prepares for after college
4:35 Living Situations Dorms/ Off campus
6:38 Work on Campus
8:22 Why he liked Concordia
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Citation
Vetsch, Luke (Donor), “Luke Vetsch Oral History interview, 2014,” Concordia Memory Project, accessed April 28, 2024, https://concordiamemoryproject.concordiacollegearchives.org/items/show/603.