Month: September 2022

NE IA Get Charged Up! EV Event

Join us at the NICC Wilder Business Center on Thursday October 13th for the Northeast Iowa Get Charged Up! Electric Vehicle Event!!!  A line up of subject matter experts and panel discussions will introduce attendees to community electric vehicle (EV) readiness, EV fleet transitions, charging infrastructure deployment, funding opportunities and more.  Also check out the EV exhibit, Ride and Drive opportunity, and networking lunch. This is a free, full day event (9 am – 4 pm). Our goal is to bring engagement around this expanding technology to our local communities so they can capitalize on opportunities and prepare for local impacts.  Businesses and organizations, schools, community leaders, and more are encouraged to attend and GET CHARGED UP ABOUT EVs! Visit the website for more information on the event and to get registered!

https://whova.com/web/KYwwfxE5WRuLsall5hJtdN-rmLPBS4W-NVO0-MADgr0=/

Presented by: Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission, Northeast Iowa Community College, Northeast Iowa Resource Conservation and Development, Luther CollegeMajor Sponsors: Iowa Economic Development Authority – Iowa Energy Center, Northeast Iowa Funders Network, Northeast Iowa Community College, and KAR Auto Group

DHS students donate to Winneshiek County Celebration of Life

While planning homecoming activities, students in Lori Crum’s Business and Marketing Communications class expressed a desire to give back to the community.  Two events from the week were fundraisers: the team admission fee for Viking Olympics and Wednesday’s Pink Out dress up day.  In all, the students donated $300 to the Winneshiek County Celebration of Life. Senior Kaeley Downing said, “We’re impressed with our classmates’ generosity.”

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Students from Mrs. Crum’s class who helped organize the fundraising efforts for Celebration of Life (l-r): Chloe Dixon, Rebecca Bruening, Kaeley Downing, and Chloe Chyle.

Luther College named the “Hidden Gem” of Iowa and Plains Region

Luther College has been named the number one “Hidden Gem” of Iowa and the Plains Region for 2023 by College Raptor, a leading college planning platform that helps families make smart decisions about college.  

Each year, College Raptor recognizes top-notch colleges and universities that students may not know about but deserve consideration. Since 2019, Luther College has been named the number one “Hidden Gem” of Iowa. Luther College has also been named the number one “Hidden Gem” of the Plains Region since 2020 when the category was established.  

The complete College Raptor Best Hidden Gem College Rankings include:

We are thrilled to be named a top school in College Raptor’s Hidden Gem Colleges List. Our campus and our town of Decorah combine natural beauty with the best of small-town life and high-performing student outcomes. The fact that 95% of Luther professors live within 5 miles of campus reflects our community’s commitment to this amazing place of living and learning. Luther is also global in scope. 90% of Luther students study away or study abroad, and our student body includes citizens from more than 60 countries and 48 states. We are happy that College Raptor has confirmed our status as a gem of Iowa and the Plains Region!

Karen Hunt, vice president for enrollment management

The Hidden Gem Colleges are the highest-rated schools in College Raptor’s 2023 Best Colleges rankings that have fewer than 7,000 undergraduate students, have a 10% or higher acceptance rate, offer five or more unique majors, and receive fewer than 5,000 applications per year.

About Luther College

Luther College is home to about 1,800 undergraduates who explore big questions and take action to benefit people, communities and society. Our academic programs, experiential approach to learning and welcoming community inspire students to learn actively, live purposefully and lead courageously for a lifetime of impact. Learn more at luther.edu. 

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Luther College hosts multimedia hip hop artist and activist DJ Spooky

DJ Spooky. Photo by Janelle Pietrzak

Paul Miller aka DJ Spooky will appear at Luther College at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11, in the Main Hall of the Center for Faith and Life. Miller is known for immersing audiences in his multimedia presentations which highlight environmental and social issues. 

I’m so excited for DJ Spooky’s visit to Luther because he’s a renowned public intellectual and musician who models how to connect arts and sciences, music, data, and storytelling in order to approach the great challenges today.

Andy Hageman, director of the Center for Ethics and Public Engagement at Luther College.

Sponsored by the CEPE, the event titled “Arctic Rhythms” will feature “top-notch DJ mixing accompanied by local string musicians and astounding cinema. It’ll be an intermedia experience to move bodies and minds,” according to Hageman. 

Miller hears music in almost everything—from visual forms and economic theory to the great outdoors. In 2007 and 2008, Miller undertook two expeditions to Antarctica to shoot a film, collect data and create an acoustic portrait of the rapidly changing continent. That led to his celebrated 2011 publication The Book of Ice and his 2013 album Of Water and Ice. Sponsored by the Sierra Club, Miller traveled to the Arctic Circle in 2014 and came away with the inspiration for another volume of music, Arctic Rhythms. Miller uses his custom-designed DJ mixer app and juxtaposes hip-hop, electronic, and minimalist classical sounds to create a unique concert experience.

Miller’s work centers around issues concerning environmentalism, racism and algorithm culture. He has collaborated with an array of recording artists, including Metallica, Chuck D, Steve Reich and Yoko Ono. His 2018 album, DJ Spooky Presents: Phantom Dancehall, debuted at #3 on Billboard Reggae.

The event is open to the public with no charge for admission. 

Following the event, on Oct. 12, Miller will meet with students to review and discuss their recently completed activism projects focused on a variety of issues. “Students will have the opportunity to get feedback on their own creative concepts. Both parts of this visit should inspire us to work in new and imaginative ways for a better future,” said Hageman. 

 

About Luther College

Luther College is home to about 1,800 undergraduates who explore big questions and take action to benefit people, communities and society. Our academic programs, experiential approach to learning and welcoming community inspire students to learn actively, live purposefully and lead courageously for a lifetime of impact. Learn more at luther.edu. 

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Decorah Gear Exchange Oct 8-9

Save the Dates! Decorah Gear Exchange to be held October 8-9, 2022

Six local businesses and organizations are partnering together this fall to bring a new event to the area, The Decorah Gear Exchange. Held October 8-9 at Carl Selland Wayside Park in Decorah, this event will allow individuals to sell and/or buy new or gently used outdoor gear such as kayaks, canoes, tents, backpacks, fishing gear, bicycles, skis, lifejackets, car racks, camp stoves, and more! To note: No firearms or weapons will be accepted.  Proceeds will benefit Decorah Parks and Recreation, further expanding recreational opportunities in the Decorah area.

Those who are looking to sell outdoor gear they no longer need will have two opportunities to drop items off at Wayside Park prior to the sale: Thursday, October 6 from 4-6 PM and Friday, October 7 from Noon-6 PM. The seller will set the price or can take the advice of coordinators. If an item sells, the seller will receive 70% of the sale price, 20% will benefit Decorah Parks and Recreation, and 10% will go towards administrative costs. All items must be brought to one of the gear drop-off times. Unsold items must be picked up on Sunday after the event or will be donated.

The Decorah Gear Exchange is the product of a collaboration between The Getup, The Decorah Hatchery, Decorah Parks and Recreation, Driftless Outdoors, Luther College Center for Sustainable Communities, and Visit Decorah. Questions? Email alyssa@visitdecorah.com.

GEAR DROP-OFF
Thursday, October 6 / 4-6 PM
Friday, October 7 / Noon-6 PM

SALE HOURS
Saturday, October 8 / 10 AM-5 PM
Sunday, October 9 / 11 AM-3 PM

UNSOLD GEAR PICK-UP
Sunday, October 9 / 3-6 PM

For more information, visit https://fb.me/e/2Orv09Fx4.

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Armchair Travelogue: Romania

Decorah Public Library is hosting an Armchair Travelogue discussion about Romania and William Blacker’s book “Along the Enchanted Way” at 6 p.m. Tuesday October 25 in the library’s mezzanine. The discussion will be facilitated by Paul Gardner and Rebecca Wiese. 

“Along the Enchanted Way” tells a story of life and love in Romania after the end of the Soviet Union, through the perspective of an outsider. Englishman William Blacker entered the country shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall and spent eight years living among rural Romanians as they navigated the collision between their centuries-old traditions and a rapidly modernizing country. Blacker also gains intimate knowledge of Romania’s complicated relationship with the Romani people after falling in love with a member of that community. 

Our local guides, Paul Gardner and Rebecca Wiese have spent considerable time in Romania, most recently as part of a Fulbright Fellowship in the fall of 2021. They’ll bring their first-hand experience traveling through modern Romania to the discussion of Blacker’s experience living in the country during its transition.   

Stop by the library’s front desk to check out a copy of “Along the Enchanted Way” or call 563.382.3717 or email dpl@decorahlibrary.org to reserve one. Contact Zach Row-Heyveld at zrow-heyveld@decorahlibrary.org for more information.  

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Luther College Center Stage Series presents: Jaerv + The OK Factor

At 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, the Luther College Center Stage Series presents Jaerv + The OK Factor. Jaerv is a world-renowned Swedish quintet, beloved for its vigorous and heartfelt folk music rooted in pop and jazz. With a combination of vivid storytelling, outstanding vocals and intricate dances, Jaerv creates a “captivating, personal, and innovative” performance experience. Jaerv is appearing at Luther College as part of a U.S. tour in collaboration with Minneapolis-based duo, The OK Factor, whose genre-bending performance style and composition are second to none. 

“I’m excited about all of the shows in this season’s Center Stage Series, but I have a personal connection to these musicians which makes this extra special,” says Kristen Underwood, director of campus programming. “Jaerv was one of the last concerts I attended before everything shut down in 2020. Their magnetic stage presence and musicianship was unforgettable. And I’ve known Olivia and Karla of The OK Factor since they were students at Luther. I’ve been following their careers ever since and am so proud to bring them back for a home-town performance.”

Jaerv is based in Sweden but is widely known in the folk music world. They have released three full-length albums with tracks landing them recognition and awards from the Royal Academy of Music, the Swedish Arts Council and the American Swedish Foundation. Their music includes collaborations with Japanese Koto-master, Hiroe Morikawa, who was the composer for the 2022 Japanese drama, Mayonaka.

The OK Factor features Olivia Diercks and Karla Colahan – cellist and violinist. The duo finds great joy in defying expectations and delivering an experience outside of what audiences anticipate from a cello and violin combo. Their original compositions and arrangements feel both comfortingly familiar and uniquely fresh. They were awarded the honor of Artist Fellowship for Scandinavian Folk Arts through the American Scandinavian Foundation for their collaborative work with Jaerv. 

The Swedish folk and original music performed by Jaerv + The OK Factor is a unique way for audience members to explore and immerse themselves in Scandinavian culture and heritage. This opportunity was enabled by sponsorship from Luther College’s Center for Nordic Studies. 

Arrive early to enjoy the Sip and Shop in the Luther College Book Shop from 6-7:15 p.m. Present a ticket for Jaerv + The OK Factor and enjoy a complimentary glass of wine while you browse.

The highly creative and talented chefs on the Norse Culinary Team invite you to partake in the Center Stage Dinner Series before the show. The dinners feature a multi-course menu to complement each performance. A separate ticket is required. All meals begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Peace Dining Room on the second floor of Dahl Centennial Union. 

Both dinner and show tickets are on sale through Luther’s Ticket Office and online at tickets.luther.edu, by emailing tickets@luther.edu, or by calling (563) 387-1357.

 

About Luther College

Luther College is home to about 1,800 undergraduates who explore big questions and take action to benefit people, communities, and society. Our academic programs, experiential approach to learning, and welcoming community inspire students to learn actively, live purposefully, and lead courageously for a lifetime of impact. Learn more at luther.edu.

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October Book Discussions

Decorah Public Library staff are hosting six book discussions in October. The groups are open to the public and newcomers are encouraged to attend. Anyone interested should call the library at 382-3717 to learn more or to reserve a book. Zoom links are available on the Library’s website or you can email ktorresdal@decorahlibrary.org to be added to any of the six groups’ email distribution lists. Funds for multiple copy sets were generously provided by Friends of Decorah Public Library.

For more information, contact Tricia Crary (Friday Book Group), Zach Row-Heyveld (Cookbook Book Group) or Kristin Torresdal (Happy Hour, History, and Speculative Fiction Book Groups) at 563-382-3717.

What Could Be Saved

The Happy Hour Book Group will meet via Zoom Wed. Oct. 12 at 5:15 p.m. to discuss Liese O’Halloran Schwarz’s “What Could Be Saved.” Laura Preston is a reclusive artist at odds with her older sister Bea as their mother slowly slides into dementia. When a stranger contacts Laura claiming to be her brother who disappeared forty years earlier when the family lived in Bangkok, Laura ignores Bea’s warnings of a scam and flies to Thailand to see if it can be true. But meeting him in person leads to more questions than answers

 

Baking with Dorie

The Cookbook Group will meet in the library’s mezzanine on Thursday, October 13 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss “Baking with Dorie” by Dorie Greenspan. Every recipe is easy and accessible, made with everyday ingredients. You’ll find ingenious twists like Berry Biscuits. Footlong cheese sticks made with cream puff dough. Apple pie with browned butter spiced like warm mulled cider. A s’mores ice cream cake with velvety chocolate sauce, salty peanuts, and toasted marshmallows. It’s a book of simple yet sophisticated baking. Like all of Dorie’s recipes, they lend themselves to being remade, refashioned, and riffed on.

Unruly Americans and the Origin of the Constitution

The History Book Group will hold a hybrid meeting Thurs. Oct. 20 at 3:00 p.m. to discuss Woody Holton’s “Unruly Americans and the Origin of the Constitution.” In-person attendees will meet in the lower-level public meeting room at the library and digital attendees will join via Zoom. The framers of the Constitution who gathered in Philadelphia in 1787 were determined to reverse America’s post-Revolutionary War slide into democracy. The primary purpose of the Constitution was to make America more attractive to investment, which meant taking power away from the states and ultimately away from the people. That the framers were only partially successful in curtailing citizen rights is due to the reaction of unruly average Americans. 

The Personal Librarian

The Friday Book Group will meet via Zoom Fri. Oct. 21 at 2:00 p.m. to discuss Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray’s “The Personal Librarian.” In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J.P. Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library. But Belle has a secret, one she must protect at all costs: she was born not Belle da Costa Greene but Belle Marion Greener. She is the daughter of Richard Greener, the first Black graduate of Harvard.

 

My Volcano

The Speculative Fiction Book Group will meet via Zoom Wed. Oct. 26 at 5:15 p.m. to discuss John Elizabeth Stintzi’s “My Volcano.” On June 2, 2016, a protrusion of rock is spotted by a jogger growing from the Central Park Reservoir. Three weeks later, when it finally stops growing, it’s nearly two-and-a-half miles tall, and has been determined to be an active volcano. As the volcano grows and then looms over New York, an eight-year-old boy in Mexico City finds himself transported 500 years into the past; a scholar in Tokyo studies a folktale about a woman who descends a mountain and destroys a village; a writer in Jersey City struggles to write a sci-fi novel; a nurse tends to refugees in Greece while grappling with the trauma of living through the bombing of a hospital; a nomadic farmer in Mongolia is stung by a bee, magically transforming him into a creature that aspires to connect every living thing into its consciousness.

 

Exhalation

Following the Speculative Fiction Book Group, the Speculative Short Fiction Group will meet at 6:15 p.m. via the same Zoom link to discuss the following stories from Ted Chiang’s collection “Exhalation:” “The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate,” “Exhalation,” and “What’s Expected of Us.”

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Free Introduction to Pickleball Classes – Oct 6

Free Introduction to Pickleball Classes – Oct 6

Posted: September 26, 2022 at 9:46 AM in News Recreation

Decorah Parks & Recreation and local pickleball enthusiasts are hosting free introduction to pickleball classes Thursday, October 6th at the Decorah City Tennis Courts. Classes are free and open to the public with two time slots to choose from. The morning class will run 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and the evening class will run 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Both classes will be identical, and will focus on basic pickleball instruction and score keeping. Registration is not being taken for these classes; participants should show up at the courts at their preferred class time. Participants are encouraged to bring their own paddle and ball. Limited equipment will be available for those who do not have their own. Questions should be directed to the Decorah Parks & Recreation Office via email (parkrec@decorahia.org) or by calling 563-382-4158.

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Luther College baseball makes history on the Field of Dreams

The Field of Dreams movie tag lines held true on the night of Sept. 16, 2022, when Luther College and Briar Cliff University became the first collegiate teams to play on the iconic field. The event was “built” over the past 18 months and people came. More than 2,200 attendees took in the sights and sounds of American baseball at its finest and some likely questioned, “Is this heaven?” 

“It’s a surreal moment. I mean, just being out here is unbelievable. To step out on this field for the first time ever made it even cooler,” said Nick Dufoe, Luther baseball player. 

“It’s a dream come true. I’ve been here four or five times, but every time I come here, it gets more special. We watched the movie together as a team on Tuesday and it’s exactly like the movie. Perfect, I guess, is the only way to describe it,” said Ryan Manternach, Luther baseball player. 

This was more than a baseball game. This was a day full of meaningful connections and reconnecting. Hundreds of Luther friends, alumni, students and parents got the energy going at a pre-game gathering at Fuse, a restaurant and bar near the field. 

It was packed! Everybody was so excited to be here and so excited to see each other. It was exciting to see this sea of blue. It’s just been a really great time for people to remember what it means to be connected to Luther College.

President Jenifer K. Ward

“There are some people here I haven’t seen in a long time and even some family friends that I didn’t even know went to Luther. So yeah, it’s super awesome to see everybody’s familiar faces,” said Ellie Linmark ’22.

The event was a perfect excuse for Luther College baseball alumni to get together again. Alumni players from each decade, from the fifties on up, came together to scrimmage before the big game.  

“Luther meant so much to me as a kid and it kind of changed my life. I thought ‘I’m going to go back and see this game.’ Then, I heard they were doing an alumni game and Kevin (Doseth ’85) reached out. ‘Kent! You want to play?’ I just had knee replacement surgery 11 months ago, and I said, ‘I’m in. I’m not going to miss that,’” said Kent Stock ’85.

 “Luther baseball is a family. We used to get together on off nights and hang out–just to hang out. We did everything together, especially during the season. This was an excuse to try to get some older guys from our class to be involved and it ended up working out. There are five or six guys in our age group here, so it’s amazing,” said Doseth. 

A highlight for many was finally watching the Luther Baseball team walk out of the cornfield and onto the Field of Dreams. And the crowd went wild when Ghavin James, a senior player, hit a home run deep into the corn. 

While the end score didn’t favor Luther, the game was still a major win. After the dust settled, families joined their players on the field for a late night game of catch. 

“It’s family. And, you know, today really just encompasses that,” said Dufoe.

About Luther College

Luther College is home to about 1,800 undergraduates who explore big questions and take action to benefit people, communities and society. Our academic programs, experiential approach to learning and welcoming community inspire students to learn actively, live purposefully and lead courageously for a lifetime of impact. Learn more at luther.edu. 

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