Month: April 2025

Amy Weldon, professor of English at Luther College and co-director of the Luther College Writers Festival, is proud to announce that her fifth book, “Creature: A Novel of Mary Shelley and Frankenstein,” was recently released and is available at bookstores and online.

Weldon’s “Creature” is based on the life of English novelist Mary Shelley. It interweaves her little-known life journey with that of her most famous character, the “creature” created by Swiss scientist Victor Frankenstein in Shelley’s 1818 novel “Frankenstein.” Shelley’s classic novel, a precursor to the horror and science-fiction genres, asks readers to question societal norms of birth, bodies and those we call “monsters.”

“When Mary Shelley began writing ‘Frankenstein’ in the summer of 1816, she was a 19-year-old single mother with one dead and one living child, in love with a married man and haunted by the legacy of her mother, a famous English feminist who died giving birth to her,” Weldon said. “But when she was awakened suddenly from a dream in which a scientist was animating a giant semi-human being, giving it life, she obeyed that dream. She started writing and she kept writing until the end of her life.”

Amy Weldon is a professor of English at Luther College.

Traveling from London to Italy and into a technological future, Weldon’s “Creature” blends historical realism and literary magic to show how a bookish, haunted girl learns to confront her monsters by bringing them to life.

“Shelley battled every one of the fears and insecurities any one of us might battle today,” Weldon said. “And she wrote a book that — much like Victor Frankenstein’s ‘Creature’ himself — will never die. People will be reading ‘Frankenstein’ as long as they are reading books.”

Weldon’s admiration for Shelley started when Weldon was attending graduate school at the University of North Carolina. Through her own path as an English professor and author, Weldon’s admiration for Shelley has only deepened through the years.

“What she did with this novel, especially in her time, at her age, is a real achievement,” she said.

An Alabama native, Weldon joined the Luther faculty in 2005. Since 2013, Weldon has taught the January Term study-abroad course “In Frankenstein’s Footsteps: The Keats-Shelley Circle in London, Geneva, and Italy” to Luther students. This three-week course follows the path of Shelley as she wrote “Frankenstein” through London, Geneva, Venice, Florence and Rome.

“Teaching that course helped me and students walk through the locations in which I was literally able to set scenes and characters. For example, without ‘In Frankenstein’s Footsteps,’ I still might never have made it to Venice, on which I drew heavily for the setting of an episode that’s under-reported in Mary Shelley’s life: the death of her second daughter,” Weldon said.

Through the writing process, Weldon encountered many challenges, including the limitations of encapsulating Shelley’s “vast and marvelous life into a single book.” An early draft of “Creature” was 236,000 words. The final published version is roughly half that size.

“I had to compress, elide and sometimes just pass over some things. But it was important to me that I treat her whole life, her entire creative life — not just ‘Frankenstein,’ and not just her marriage to [Percy Bysshe] Shelley and the loss of their children — as fully as I can,” Weldon said. “Students ask me, ‘Why is ‘Frankenstein’ the novel you’re obsessed with? When did this obsession start?’ I find it weirdly difficult to remember. It seems like this novel has always been a part of my bloodstream, always been something I’ve known.”

Weldon has written four other books. Her next book, “A Thing of Beauty: Reading the Romantics in a World on Fire,” is scheduled for publication by Bloomsbury Academic in 2027.

“Creature: A Novel of Mary Shelley and Frankenstein” was published by Sea Crow Press and released on March 25, 2025. Copies are available both online and at the Luther College Book Shop.

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The Decorah School Board has approved the administration’s recommendation to forgive
the two snow make-up days originally scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, May 27
and 28.

Because the district operates on an “instructional hours” calendar rather than a traditional
days-based calendar, it has the flexibility to forgive these days. Even with the
cancellation of the two make-up days, the district will still meet the 1,080 instructional
hours required by Iowa Code.

With this approved amended calendar, the last day of school for Decorah Community
School students will be Friday, May 23.

Superintendent Dr. Cronin said, “Let’s make the most of these final weeks and finish the
year strong.”

By: Isaac Bentley, Oak Pasche, and Sophia McGee

On Friday, , students in Decorah High School’s Advanced English 9 class competed at Iowa’s State Future Problem Solving (FPS) Bowl at Central College in Pella, Iowa. To reach the state level, students had to advance from the regional level. Future Problem Solving presents students with a fictional scenario set in the future. Students then analyze the scenario, using critical thinking skills to identify an underlying problem within the scene and problem-solving skills to generate a solution. The competition welcomes 4th through 12th grade students in several categories: global issues, community projects, creative writing, and storytelling. Students participating in FPS develop skills that are beneficial in both school and work environments, including leadership, communication, problem solving, creative thinking, and writing.

Decorah’s four teams competed in the global issues category, and Nils Peterson submitted a short story in creative writing. Future Problem Solvers received a scenario built around nanotechnology usage in the future. Over the course of two hours, students developed a solution to combat possible issues that could arise from the scenario.

At the awards ceremony, Decorah’s successes were revealed. The team of Nils Peterson, Kaya Johnson, Charlotte LaBelle, and Matthew Burkholder was declared state champions in Global Issues. This group now has the exciting opportunity to compete at the FPS 2025 International Conference, held in Bloomington, Indiana, this June. Nils Peterson received 2nd place in the state middle division for his short story entitled “Hanz’s Vertical Farming Fiasco.”  Pranav Caton and Sophia McGee received 4th place in a skit performance presenting their solution to the nanotechnology scenario. Those two, along with Raelyn Newhouse, earned 6th place in the state for their global issues submission.  Advanced English 9 teacher Addie Sadler shared, “I am so proud of my students and the hard work they have put into this contest. It is not easy, but they persevered and won! This is an excellent group of future leaders.”

Photo ID DHS FPS State (l-r):

Rachel Weis, Raelyn Newhouse, Kaya Johnson, Charlotte LaBelle, Isaac Bentley, Max Goodner, Oak Pasche, Matthew Burkholder, Oscar Grimstad, Pranav Caton, Nils Peterson, Poppy Bellrichard, Leah Garcia-Prats, and Sophia McGee. 

DHS FPS First Place Winners (l-r):

Matthew Burkholder, Nils Peterson, Charlotte LaBelle, and Kaya Johnson

On Saturday, April 19th at Silvercrest Country Club, Decorah High School’s chapter of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) will be hosting a “Birdies for Business” 18-hole four person best shot golf tournament. The proceeds of this event will support students who hope to attend the FBLA National Leadership Conference competition in Anaheim, California, this summer. The entry fee is $120 per team, with registration beginning at 9:00 am and a shotgun start at 10:00.

FBLA advisor Alyssa Marso stated, “DHS FBLA members worked very hard and came home with ten national qualifiers from the state-level competition! The qualifiers are hoping to attend the national-level competition in Anaheim, so the proceeds of this tournament could go a long way in supporting their efforts. We have space for up to 24 teams in the tournament, so the more teams we get registered, the better.”

From Sunday, March 30th to Tuesday, April 1st, 23 Decorah High School Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) state qualifiers attended and competed at the Iowa FBLA State Leadership Conference hosted at the Cedar Rapids Convention Complex.  The conference included competitive events, seminars, workshops, and many networking opportunities. The students’ hard work and preparation paid off: the team came home with ten national qualifiers and five state champions.  The DHS national qualifiers hope to represent the state of Iowa and compete at the FBLA National Leadership Conference, held in Anaheim, California, from June 29 to July 2.

At the state-level competition, first-place winners include Hunter Quandahl in Client Service; Oliver Bollinger and Ian Giddings in Digital Video Production; Mitchell Stemper in both Financial Statement Analysis and Organizational Leadership; and Austin Helgerson in Supply Chain Management.

Others earning a national qualifying spot in events include third place finishers Oliver Bollinger, Ian Giddings, and Mitchell Stemper in Data Analysis; and Jaidyn Duvel, Savannah O’Reilly, and Sophia Fahey in Website Design. Fourth place winners are Cashton Riehle in Client Service, Kelby Kerndt in Entrepreneurship, and Jackson Pipho in Financial Statement Analysis.

The top ten place winners in each competitive event were recognized during the awards ceremony, and DHS was well-represented. Earning a fifth-place finish were Kelby Kerndt, Addy Lukes-Smith, and McKenzie Tollefson in Broadcast Journalism. Seventh place finishers include Hunter Quandahl in Agribusiness; and Jenna Leuenberger, Kahri Oberbroeckling, and Keaton Riehle in Introduction to Social Media Strategies. Eighth place awards went to Erika Valdez in Introduction to Event Planning and Austin Helgerson and Cashton Riehle in Sports & Entertainment Management. Earning ninth place were Keaton Riehle in both Introduction to Business Presentation and Introduction to Business Communication, Dak Sabin in Personal Finance, and Jackson Pipho in Securities and Investments. Tenth place winners were Austin Helgerson in Accounting II and Jaidyn Duvel in Personal Finance.

Other students who attended the State Leadership Conference include Bryan Ajzac, Gavin Luzum, Brynnah Hanson, Grant Remington, Sara Johanningmeier, and Kennadi Schuman.

The FBLA website states: “FBLA inspires and prepares students to become community-minded business leaders in a global society through relevant career preparation and leadership experiences.”  DHS FBLA adviser and business teacher Alyssa Marso commented, “Many thanks go out to area businesses and individuals who generously offered financial support to make it possible for DHS students to participate in the State Leadership Conference!”

FBLA State Champions: Hunter Quandahl in Client Service, Ian Giddings and Oliver Bollinger in Digital Video Production, Mitchell Stemper in both Financial Statement Analysis and Organizational Leadership, and Austin Helgerson in Supply Chain Management

FBLA National Qualifiers: Hunter Quandahl, Austin Helgerson, Jaidyn Duvel, Savannah O’Reilly, Kelby Kerndt, Jackson Pipho, Cashton Riehle, Ian Giddings, Oliver Bollinger, and Mitchell Stemper