Recent Luther College graduate Brody Von Berge built a baseball pitching app designed to help young players be consistent, strategic and effective pitchers.
“There’s a lack of sequencing awareness in youth baseball, and my background in both pitching and computer science helped me design realistic logic to address it,” Von Berge said.
Experiential learning is a core curriculum requirement at Luther College. Through experiential learning, students have the opportunity to apply their learning in a context beyond the traditional classroom setting.
Many students elect to complete their experiential learning through internships or research. Individual student-designed projects like Von Berge’s project are less common, but his project is an example of how the core curriculum requirement may be tailored to a student’s interests and studies. Von Berge majored in computer science at Luther College.
“At Luther College we believe that learning in context beyond the traditional classroom is a critical part of developing the whole person. For that reason we developed a requirement whereby students can connect their unique interests to experiential learning in a wide variety of settings and types of experiences,” said Brittany Cord, director of experiential learning at Luther College.
Von Berge joined Luther’s baseball team after transferring in 2024. This spring, Von Berge was a valuable member of the Norse baseball team’s outstanding season and was twice named American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) baseball pitcher of the week. Earlier this month, the Luther baseball team was named the outright A-R-C champions. Ending the regular season with a 19-5 conference record, Luther earned the No. 1 seed in the A-R-C baseball tournament and earned an at-large bid into the the NCAA Division Ⅲ Tournament.
Recent Luther College graduate Brody Von Berge built a baseball pitching app designed to help young players be consistent, strategic and effective pitchers.
Von Berge brought years of pitching experience to his experiential learning project. His background shaped the app’s logic for what a pitcher would actually throw in a given count and helped him test the suggestions against his own intuition.
“The highlight of the experience was when the app began generating pitch suggestions that matched my own expectations,” Von Berge said. “Seeing the model reflect realistic pitching logic was quite satisfying. It showed that the system I built was working as intended.”
Built in Apple’s Swift programming language, Von Berge’s app helps young pitchers learn what to throw, when to throw it and how to set up sequences. The finished version includes pitch information, customizable pitch mixes that range across fastball, slider, changeup and other common types, simulated at-bats that respond to the ball-strike count and a history tab. Logic Von Berge wrote into the app accounts for what he calls “pitch decay,” a baseball analytics theory that overused pitches lose their effectiveness. The app also tracks tunnels, where two pitches share the same release look.
“Brody being involved in creating this app is not surprising,” said Luther College Head Baseball Coach Bryan Nikkel. “He is the kind of guy whose brain is always working and he is constantly trying to better himself but also those around him. Brody is what type of student-athlete we get here at Luther. He is the best and brightest and has a great future ahead of him on and off the field.”
Von Berge, of Hudson, Wisconsin, earned his bachelor’s degree in computer science from Luther College on Sunday, May 24.
“I’m very interested in staying in the baseball and sports world and using my degree for analysis or player development,” Von Berge said.
“To be selected is humbling and a sign of trustworthiness and stewardship,” said Gideon Armah-Amissah, an economics major from Columbus, Georgia.
May 26 2026
Sophomore QQ Khamphinit will work with villagers and school children to establish a demonstration farm in Thailand.
Luther College graduating senior Gideon Armah-Amissah received the college’s Elizabeth A. and Paul G. Jenson Medal for the class of 2026 during Commencement on Sunday, May 24.
Gideon Armah-Amissah received Luther’s Jenson Medal at Commencement on May 24, 2026.
“To receive the Jenson Medal is such an honor,” Armah-Amissah said. “To be selected by peers that I interact with daily is humbling and a sign of trustworthiness and stewardship.”
Luther’s Elizabeth A. and Paul G. Jenson Medal is presented each year to an outstanding senior, selected by the graduating class, who best demonstrates the ideals of the college through service to students and the college community. Established through an endowment gift from Luther alumni Paul, class of 1948 and Elizabeth (Dybdal) Jenson, class of 1949, of Vassalboro, Maine, the Jenson Medal supports Luther College’s mission of service.
Armah-Amissah was a two-sport athlete for Luther and competed in basketball and track and field. He was a leader on campus and represented Luther at the conference and national level. An officer of the Norse Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC), Armah-Amissah was president of the American Rivers Conference SAAC. In 2025, he was a member of the NCAA Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
An economics major, Armah-Amissah was a Sorenson Scholar and an active participant in TRIO programs. He served as a leader with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, was vice president of the Black Student Union and worked as an ambassador in Admissions. He received the Krahn Family Student Life Service Award in 2025 for his positive impact on student life. He is the son of Emelia and Richard Amissah.
A humble student-athlete with a servant-leader mindset, Armah-Amissah acknowledged his Christian faith and thanked the Luther community during his acceptance speech at Commencement.
“First, I want to give all glory and thanks to Christ my Lord, who has guided me, strengthened me and carried me through this journey. Without Him, I would not be standing here today,” Armah-Amissah said. “…To my teammates and friends, thank you for becoming family. The practices, games, meets, road trips, wins, losses and everyday moments are memories I will carry with me forever.”
Armah-Amissah, of Columbus, Georgia, recalled the first time he visited Luther College.
“I remember people saying hi and the numerous people smiling,” he said. “I had this warm feeling and I felt that Luther was a place where I would succeed and connect with people that truly cared about me.”
Luther Men’s Basketball Coach Mark Franzen was among those who encouraged Armah-Amissah to attend college in Decorah.
Luther College men’s basketball player Gideon Armah-Amissah (far left) attends the 2025 NCAA National Convention, Jan. 14-17 in Nashville, Tennessee. Armah-Amissah represented both Luther College and the American Rivers Conference at the convention.
“Gideon lived out his faith by showing a genuine concern and interest in others during his time at Luther College. We will greatly miss his positive impact on campus and in our program,” Franzen said.
Armah-Amissah planned to study nursing at Luther but switched to economics during his third semester. Steve Holland, professor of economics, was one of the reasons why Armah-Amissah decided to change majors.
“Professor Steve Holland was someone who was not just an advisor or professor, but someone who stretched my way of thinking,” Armah-Amissah said. “When I first stepped into his office, he gave me a clear plan of what I needed to do, how to do it, and with an objective goal. Every single class I took with Steve was filled with lessons outside the realm of economics — these same principles apply to everyday life.”
Holland said Armah-Amissah’s positive impact was felt throughout campus.
“It didn’t matter what the class was or what time of day, Gideon entered every classroom with a huge smile on his face and always treated everyone with kindness and respect. Other professors have shared how Gideon’s positivity was so contagious that it transformed the tone of their classes,” Holland said. “Gideon’s humility, servant-leader mindset and love for his community make him exactly the kind of graduate Luther strives to send into the world.”
Armah-Amissah received his bachelor’s degree in economics on May 24. His next step is to take his talents into the corporate world. He will be working as a carrier account representative for Arrive Logistics in St. Paul, Minnesota.
“‘I’ll be living with a few friends and hopefully still be around campus every now and then,” he said.
A huge THANK YOU to everyone who participated in our Electronics & Scrap Metal Recycling Event this past Saturday! Because of the support from our community, we were able to responsibly collect and recycle a large amount of material that may have otherwise ended up in a the landfill.
Here’s a look at some of the items collected during the event:
47 TVs
21 Dehumidifiers
12 Computer Monitors
10 Microwaves
7 Air Conditioning Units
7 Refrigerators/Freezers
6 Washers/Dryers
2 Stoves/Ovens
Total: 112 units
We also received a lot of scrap metal and other small units.
Events like this help keep valuable metals out of the landfill while ensuring electronics and appliances are handled safely and responsibly. We appreciate everyone who took the time to clean out unwanted items and support recycling efforts in our community!
Couldn’t attend the event and still need to recycle electronics or appliances? No worries! We accept all these items during our normal business hours! We are open Monday to Friday from 6:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
Thank you again for making the event such a success!
After nearly four decades of mentoring students and welcoming guests to concerts, distinguished lectures, royal visits, and Center Stage Series performances, Bradley Phillips is closing the curtain on his 37-year career at Luther College.
Bradley Phillips
“There are so many wonderful things that have happened while I’ve been here. We’ve had wonderful lectures, and all of the theater, dance and music have been really cool too. What we do is pretty phenomenal,” said Phillips, assistant director for programming and outreach at Luther.
This summer, Phillips will retire after 37 years at Luther. The Decorah community is invited to his retirement reception taking place from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, May 15 in the lobby of the Center for Faith and Life (CFL). Luther College’s a cappella student groups, Beautiful Mess, Undeclared and Uptempo, will provide music at the reception. The event is open to the public.
Phillips was hired as the Brandt Hall director in 1989. After two years in that role, he transitioned to the campus programming office and has been there ever since. He has been offered other positions on and off campus through the years but has turned them down because he wanted to stay connected to Luther students. His office is embellished with photos, handwritten notes, signed tickets and programs and inside-joke-style doodles on scraps of paper curated during his time at Luther.
“The Box Office students are my joy. This is a home. They are always welcomed here. They are comfortable here. This is a very safe environment where everyone is accepted,” Phillips said.
Phillips cultivates a tight-knit community and prides himself on how closely the students work together. As their mentor, Phillips maintains an open door policy and is willing to listen when they want to talk about their challenges. His caring attitude guides his work and sets the standard for customer service within the CFL.
“I take care of my students because if I don’t take care of my students, they can’t take care of the customers,” Phillips said. “We have a lot of stuff going on inside this building and we need to be hospitable. We need to make the CFL a great environment for people and greet people and make the CFL feel like a home. Because we take care of our people, we hardly ever have an issue with a customer because we take care of them.”
And if there is an issue?
“We fix it,” Phillips said.
In addition to being the assistant director for programming and outreach at the CFL, Phillips also advises the Performing Arts Committee, made up of Luther students, with Susan Potvin, director of programming and outreach. Phillips is also the advisor for three ultimate frisbee teams.
He received the Luther College Staff Excellence Award for the 2017-18 academic year. This award recognizes exemplary performance by staff members who consistently excel in their position and demonstrate integrity and a strong commitment to the mission and values of Luther.
Phillips’ official last day on campus is Aug. 28, 2026.
Orçun Selçuk is an associate professor of political science and director of the International Studies Program at Luther College.
May 13 2026
Sophomore QQ Khamphinit will work with villagers and school children to establish a demonstration farm in Thailand.
