Author: Luther College News

DECORAH, IOWA— Luther College’s annual One Team Day returns Thursday, Nov. 16, for its fourth year to raise money to support Norse athletics.

Donors can support the specific teams of their choice. Funds raised will provide critical operating support, such as advanced technologies for training and recovery, top-tier equipment and uniforms, and quality travel and training experiences.

Gifts made on Nov. 16 will be matched dollar-for-dollar by more than $130,000 in matching funds pledged by One Team Day challenge sponsors. In 2022, Luther raised $310,000 from more than 1,100 donors on One Team Day.

The day-long event also includes the first-ever One Team Day Celebration, which is free and open to the public at T-Bock’s upstairs from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The celebration includes complimentary appetizers and a cash bar.

“Every year, the athletics department looks forward to One Team Day because of the outpouring of support for Norse athletics from alumni, parents and friends,” said Renae Hartl, director of intercollegiate athletics. “One Team Day ensures that our coaches can provide competitive schedules and cutting-edge training equipment and technology for our student-athletes. We are grateful to everyone who supports our Norse athletes.”

To donate to athletic teams, visit the donation webpage or call 563-387-1862. Besides donating, people can participate in One Team Day by joining the Facebook event to catch fun updates throughout the day, celebrating Norse Athletics on social media platforms using the hashtag #OneTeamDay and visiting luther.edu/one-team-day to track the fundraising success for each sport.

About Luther College 

At Luther College in beautiful Decorah, Iowa, students explore big questions and take action to benefit people, communities and society. Luther’s 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.

A scene from Christmas at Luther in 2022.

DECORAH, IOWA—Christmas at Luther returns for 2023, offering both in-person and virtual opportunities for audiences to view this Emmy Award-winning production. This year’s theme, “Love, the Rose, Is on the Way,” will be featured in four performances running Nov. 30-Dec. 3 in the Center for Faith and Life’s Main Hall.

Tickets to view the show in the Center for Faith and Life go on sale to the general public as of Tuesday, Nov. 7, at 9 a.m. Livestream tickets are available for the performance at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 3. On-demand tickets are also available for the same performance, which allows for unlimited viewing Dec. 8-Jan. 2. Tickets are available to purchase on the Christmas at Luther website (luther.edu/music/christmas-at-luther) or by calling the Ticket Office at 563-387-1357.

“The seven ensembles involved with Christmas at Luther have been preparing the musical selections for this performance for many weeks already; all involved are eager to present this year’s production,” said Susan Potvin, director of music marketing and production manager for Christmas at Luther. “We especially look forward to premiering a brand new choral and orchestral arrangement of ‘Angels We Have Heard on High,’ which was commissioned specifically for Luther College and created by the acclaimed composer Dan Forrest.”

Hundreds of Luther student musicians are involved in the annual Christmas at Luther productions. Ensembles performing this year include Aurora and Collegiate Chorale, conducted by Adrianna Tam; Norskkor and Cathedral Choir, conducted by Mark Potvin; Nordic Choir, conducted by Andrew Last; and the Symphony Orchestra and the Percussion Ensemble, conducted by Dan Baldwin. The audience is also invited to participate in the singing of hymns.

Between larger ensemble pieces, Luther College organist Alexander Meszler will weave in threads of the melody “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming,” and a variety of students will narrate poetic and scriptural texts.

Luther College Music Showcase Day 

High school juniors and seniors interested in pursuing music at Luther have the opportunity to attend Christmas at Luther Music Showcase Day on Thursday, Nov. 30. Students will have the opportunity to connect with current Luther music faculty and students and get a behind-the-scenes look at this acclaimed production. The day also includes a catered dinner and a complimentary ticket to the Thursday evening Christmas at Luther show. A registration link is available at luther.edu/music/christmas-at-luther.

Holiday buffet tickets available to purchase

Luther Dining Services is offering a holiday buffet in the Peace Dining Room, located on the second floor of the Dahl Centennial Union, prior to the Christmas at Luther performances on Friday, Dec. 1, Saturday, Dec. 2, and Sunday, Dec. 3. Seating begins at 5 p.m. before the Friday and Saturday shows; there are multiple seating options from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are available to purchase online at tickets.luther.edu or by calling the ticket office at 563-387-1357.

About Luther College 

At Luther College in beautiful Decorah, Iowa, students explore big questions and take action to benefit people, communities and society. Luther’s 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.

Luther College announced a change of dates for its 2024 Homecoming celebration today, shifting to October 25–27, 2024.

A change in the overall schedule by the American Rivers Conference (in association with the NCAA) regarding the first week of competition for the entirety of Division III has resulted in the shift of the American Rivers Conference schedule for all members.

“Homecoming is a special event at Luther, and both our Alumni Office and Athletic Department work diligently to announce the dates two years in advance,” Director of Athletics Renae Hartl said in a message to campus today.  “We considered our options, including holding Homecoming on the original weekend without a football game, but after further consultation with internal and external groups, we have determined the new date for Homecoming will be October 25–27, as the Norse host Nebraska Wesleyan.”

Local Decorah area hotels have indicated they plan to honor reservations for the original 2024 Homecoming dates of October 4–6, but all who have reservations must contact their hotel by Friday, November 10, to confirm their reservations for the new Homecoming weekend. The college has also reached out to area short-term housing owners on platforms like AirBnB or Vrbo to encourage them to also allow visiting alumni and friends to rebook for the new dates.

Key on-campus partners were consulted about the options that were available, and they agreed that October 25–27 was the best option. They are already shifting the many other Homecoming traditions to align with this new weekend, including the numerous class reunions, performances and lectures, Homecoming concert, and Sunday worship service.

“We want to reassure you that we explored a wide variety of options, and we took feedback from many groups in reaching this decision,” Mary Duvall, vice president for development, said.  “It is unfortunate that the change of weekends is necessary, but we truly believe it’s the best solution when considering all the factors, and will lead to the best Homecoming atmosphere possible. We recognize this causes an inconvenience in rescheduling accommodations and other plans, and we want to be a resource for you.”

Those with questions related to logistics like rooms or venues can contact Sherry Alcock, executive director of alumni relations, by phone at 563-387-1861 or by email at alcock@luther.edu. For other questions, Duvall encouraged individuals to contact her at 563-387-1525 or mary.duvall@luther.edu.

“On behalf of all of Luther, I want to thank everyone in advance for their support and assistance, and, I might add, your grace,” Duvall said. “We are working diligently to facilitate the changes that will be necessary to shift weekends. But most of all, we are so grateful for the ways you show up and support Luther, and we are all looking forward to a fantastic Homecoming weekend next October 25–27, 2024.”

About Luther College

At Luther College in beautiful Decorah, Iowa, students 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

Luther College has launched a new strategic framework to guide the institution for the next two years. The framework addresses the college’s need to expand its reach, align its resources and strengthen its organization, as it maintains a vision of being both grounded and global.

During the fall 2023 semester, newly renovated classroom spaces provide active learning environments, a first step in implementing the college’s new campus master plan.

“This approach is deliberately conceived as a ‘framework,’ rather than as a ‘plan,’” said President Jenifer K. Ward. “Instead of creating a multi-year plan, which would require a lengthy process and has a high potential of becoming out-of-date in this era of rapid change, the framework will enable Luther College to lay the groundwork for adapting its strategies and operations going forward, while also aligning us with the college’s historical mission and values, which call us to be a community where we are enlivened and transformed by encounters with one another.”

The framework’s vision states that the college is both grounded in its place and mission and also global in its reach and impact. Luther is the first U.S. college founded by Norwegian immigrants, and its “rooted and open” Lutheran intellectual heritage remains a vital underpinning of its identity. At the same time, the strategic framework’s vision emphasizes its openness to the world, with high enrollment of international students and participation of students in study abroad, as well as a curriculum with a global focus.

In order to expand the college’s reach, the framework specifies work to add new academic programs, engage its constituencies, and form new partnerships. This area of focus would expand upon recent work such as a new engineering science major and a partnership with the University of Iowa College of Public Health to create a 4 + 1 Bachelor’s to Master’s Degree in Public Health. The college also launched a new core curriculum this fall with an emphasis on skills-based and experiential learning.

Another important tenet of the new framework is engaging alumni and friends of Luther to support the college and mission.

“’Activation’ is an important word for us right now. Luther is blessed to have so many alumni, parents and donors who have a deep love for this place and this community,” said Mary Duvall, vice president for development at Luther. “So we’re seeking to activate our community—equipping our alumni to connect current students to internships and job opportunities, inspiring prospective students to choose Luther and ensuring the transformational Luther experience is available for students long into the future.”

Implementing the first phase of the college’s new campus master plan is another component of the strategic framework. An early example of the types of campus-wide changes envisioned by the campus master plan includes this summer’s renovation of two classrooms, one in Main Hall and one in Olin Building, in order to create more active learning spaces. Additional projects included in the strategic framework include renovating more classrooms, fundraising for a Regents Center renovation and completing feasibility studies for the renovation of Preus Library and Main Building.

The strategic framework web page includes more details about the college’s plans to expand its reach, align its resources, and strengthen its organization during the next two years. The new framework succeeds the previous strategic plan, “Inspired. Empowered. Engaged,” launched in 2018 with a five-year life span.

About Luther College

At Luther College in beautiful Decorah, Iowa, students explore big questions and take action to benefit people, communities and society. Luther’s 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.

DECORAH, IOWA—Luther College’s Center Stage Series and Student Activities Council will kick off a year-long celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Asian Students and Allies Association (ASAA) at Luther with performances by internationally-recognized musicians Wu Fei and Abigail Washburn and comedian Aiko Tanaka.

Wu Fei and Abigail Washburn

Center Stage Series: Wu Fei and Abigail Washburn 

Musicians Wu Fei and Abigail Washburn blend Chinese folk songs with traditional Appalachian banjo music for Luther College’s Center Stage Series at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9,  in the Center for Faith and Life’s Main Hall.

Fei is a trained classical composer and a master of the guzheng, a 21-string traditional Chinese instrument that dates back 2,500 years. Her compositions combine Western classical styles with traditional Chinese music to create a unique and contemporary sound. Washburn is a Nashville-based musician, most widely known for her mastery of the clawhammer banjo. She won the 2016 Grammy Award for Best Folk Album for her collaboration with her husband and fellow banjo player Béla Fleck with their self-titled album. This is Washburn’s second time at Luther following her 2012 solo performance for the Center Stage Series.

Fei and Washburn will perform music from their self-titled collaborative album that was released in 2020; the record combines Fei’s guzheng and Washburn’s banjo. Fei and Washburn’s collaboration “recasts ‘world music’ as music of our shared world, highlighting our shared humanity and the transformative power of song.” The album is available to purchase on Bandcamp or stream.

The Center Stage Dinner Series is also available before the show beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the Peace Dining Hall on the second floor of the Dahl Centennial Union. Both dinner and show tickets are on sale through Luther’s Ticket Office in the Center for Faith and Life, online at tickets.luther.edu, by emailing tickets@luther.edu or by calling (563) 387-1357.

Comedian Aiko Tanaka 

The comedian, actress and TV personality Aiko Tanaka will perform a comedy show at 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11, at Marty’s in the basement of the Union. The event is open to the public, and general admission tickets are $5 at the door. The event is free for Luther students who have paid their student activities fee.

Born in Tokyo, Tanaka first appeared in the film “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift” and was also featured in the Justin Lin-directed mockumentary “Finishing the Game” about Bruce Lee’s last film. Tanaka has also been featured on the The Jim Jeffries Show, The Howard Stern Show and Comedy Central Stand-Up Asia! Live.

History of the Asian Students and Allies Association 

The ASAA was founded in February 1984 as the Asian Student Association as a way for Asian students, who, at the time, were largely Southeast Asian refugees and first-generation immigrants, to advocate and organize for themselves on Luther’s campus. They organized the first Ethnic Arts Festival, which began in 1984 and ended in 2020. In the early 2000s, the group added “allies” to their name in order to reach a wider audience on campus. More programming marking 40 years of ASAA on Luther’s campus will follow in February.

About Luther College

At Luther College in beautiful Decorah, Iowa, students explore big questions and take action to benefit people, communities and society. Luther’s 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.

DECORAH, IOWA—The Acting Company, the country’s premier touring classical theatre company, will present Odyssey at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 26 in the Center for Faith and Life’s Main Hall. It will be the second performance of Luther College’s Center Stage Series for 2023–24.

The production, written and directed by Lisa Peterson, is a modern retelling of Homer’s epic. Four young women trapped in a present-day refugee camp grapple with questions of home, belonging and the hero’s journey, and find themselves acting out “The Odyssey.”

The national tour of “Odyssey” premiered last month at the Marin Theatre Company, a theatre in the San Francisco Bay Area known for presenting nationally recognized and socially relevant productions.

The production is based on a translation of “The Odyssey” by Emily Wilson, who, in 2017, was the first woman to translate the epic into English. Her work and The Acting Company’s production were recently featured on an episode of  PBS NewsHour.

“This is an exciting opportunity for us,” said Kristen Underwood, Luther’s director of campus programming. “The Acting Company’s work is always outstanding, and we’re lucky to be among the first to experience this relevant new take on Homer’s classic.”

The play stars Layla Khoshnoudi, Zamo Mlengana, Anya Whelan-Smith and Sophie Zmorrod as the four women forced to flee their homelands. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, each of the performers “electrify” in their transformations. Broadway World calls the piece “engaging and beautifully staged.”

The production is free to high school students thanks to a grant from the Kurtich Foundation. Following the 90-minute production, The Acting Company will offer a Q & A.

Center Stage Dinner Series

The talented chefs on the Norse Culinary Team are back with the popular Center Stage Dinner Series. The dinners feature a multi course menu to complement each performance. A separate ticket is required. Dinner seating begins 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 in the Center for Faith and Life, online at tickets.luther.edu, by emailing tickets@luther.edu or by calling (563) 387-1357.

About Luther College

At Luther College in beautiful Decorah, Iowa, students explore big questions and take action to benefit people, communities and society. Luther’s 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.

DECORAH, IOWA—Dr. Rochelle Walensky, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), will give the 2023 Dr. David J. Roslien Distinguished Lecture at Luther College. Dr. Michael Osterholm, a 1975 Luther graduate and epidemiologist, will join Walensky Nov. 1 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Center for Faith and Life’s Main Hall. The event is free and open to the public.

Dr. Rochelle Walensky

Walenksy was appointed as director of the CDC in January 2021 by President Joe Biden and served in the position until June 2023. During the event, “Reflections on a Pandemic: A Fireside Chat with Dr. Rochelle Walensky,” Walensky will explore with Osterholm the intersection of ideology and science, as well as policies and practices during the pandemic. The event is hosted by The Center for Ethics and Public Engagement (The CEPE) at Luther.

Walensky is an internationally recognized infectious disease clinician, with her research focused on how to screen, treat and prevent HIV/AIDS. She also served as a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School from 2012 to 2021.

In 2017, Walensky was named chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital and served in the position until 2021. During her tenure as chief, she worked on the frontlines in Massachusetts at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic before being named CDC director. She currently serves on the board of directors at Mass General Brigham.

Osterholm, who published Deadliest Enemy: Our War against Killer Germs, was named to Biden’s COVID-19 Advisory Board in November 2020 and is the McKnight Presidential Endowed Chair in Public Health at the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities, where as part of his work at the university serves as the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy. He also serves on the Luther College Board of Regents.

The Dr. David J. Roslien Distinguished Lecture in Science and Leadership brings internationally recognized guests who have impacted society through science or leadership to Luther. Previous guest speakers include Ted Koppel, former host of ABC’s “Nightline,” and  former NASA director James Hansen, who helped bring climate change into public discourse when he testified before Congress about it in 1988. The lecture is named for Roslien, who served in a number of roles during his career at Luther, including as a professor of biology, a vice president and interim president.

“It’s quite an honor to host Dr. Walensky for this year’s David J. Roslien Distinguished Lecture. Lots of students, staff and faculty have shared their deep interest with me,” said Andy Hageman, director of The CEPE and a professor of English. “They and I feel it’s a vital time to explore the ethical questions of today, where medicine, science and public policy meet.”

About Luther College

At Luther College in beautiful Decorah, Iowa, students 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.

Dorothy Anderson, class of 1943, comes to Luther Homecoming every five years

DECORAH,IOWA—Every five years since 1943, Dorothy (McMillen) Anderson gets dressed up and makes it over from her hometown of Mabel, Iowa, to attend Luther College’s Homecoming and class reunions.

Even at 101 years old, she wasn’t going to stop that tradition, so she came to Decorah for the Luther reunion luncheon Oct. 7.

When asked how it feels to be the only member of the class of 1943 back for the Luther reunion, Anderson is quick with her answer: “I can’t believe it. I’m very happy to be here. God blessed us with a beautiful day.”

An only child who grew up on a farm near Hesper, Iowa, Anderson was the first in her family to attend college. Now, her family boasts a large coalition of Luther graduates. Her daughter Karen (Anderson) Forde ’69 brought her to the reunion luncheon. Her other daughter, Sonja (Anderson) Bennett, also graduated from Luther in 1967. Forde’s three children, Elizabeth Forde ’01, Joanna Forde ’05 and Karl Forde ’08, also all graduated from Luther

At Luther, Anderson earned her B.A., majoring in music and English. She has taught English, music and drama in Mabel and other places. During her time at Luther, she was a four-year women’s choir member, and she had some remarkable musical classmates. Luther legends Weston Noble, who built the college’s renowned music program, and Bud Herseth, longtime principal trumpet of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and David Preus, bishop of the American Lutheran Church, both also graduated in 1943.

Luther’s director of alumni relations, Sherry Alcock, was amazed when she heard that Dorothy planned to come for Homecoming. “In my 33 years at Luther, this is the first time we have welcomed an alum for their 80th class reunion!”

About Luther College

At Luther College in beautiful Decorah, Iowa, students 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.

DECORAH, IOWA— Luther College will host Anne Beate Hovind, who specializes in commissioning public art projects and developing public spaces in Norway, for the lecture Designing Trust through Future Literacy at 2 p.m., Oct. 21, in the Center for Faith and Life’s Concert Recital Hall. The event is free and open to the public.

Anne Beate Hovind

The event, organized by the Center for Ethics and Public Engagement and the Nordic Studies program, will discuss how and why to take a “future literacies” approach to soil, water and time in order to design long futures. Following the lecture, Hovind will lead a workshop, Seeding Collective Futures, where attendees will break out into small groups to discuss prompts on how to design long futures locally around foodways, collaborative organizations and practices of learning and teaching.

One of the public art projects Hovind oversees is the Future Library, an installation by Scottish artist Katie Paterson, which began with planting 1,000 trees in a forest outside of Oslo in 2014. In 100 years, in the year 2114, the trees will supply the paper for an anthology. One writer contributes a piece to the anthology each year for the next 100 years. Canadian author Margaret Atwood was the first writer to contribute a piece to the project.

As of now, the writings are held in trust in a specially designed room in the new public library Deichman Bjørvika in Oslo, Norway.

“I admire Hovind’s capacities to create user experiences that are pragmatic in surprising, ethical and artful ways,” said Andy Hageman, director of the CEPE and a professor of English at Luther. “Equally exciting is that local organizations and individuals are expressing interest in learning about future literacy and using the workshop as a chance to do some speculative design work that brings together diverse perspectives and voices.”

About Luther College

At Luther College in beautiful Decorah, Iowa, students explore big questions and take action to benefit people, communities and society. Luther’s 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.