Author: Luther College News

Luther College President Jenifer K. Ward and Athletic Director Renae Hartl are excited to announce the addition of men’s and women’s bowling to the athletic department. Additionally, Luther alumnus Dan Bellrichard has been selected as the head coach of both teams. Beginning in the 2023-24 academic year, men’s and women’s bowling will become the 20th and 21st sports in Luther’s athletic department, making the Norse the third member of the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) to add the sport. 

“We are excited to introduce men’s and women’s bowling as the first new sports at Luther College since 1990,” said Ward. “In addition to allowing us to recruit students of high academic promise with an opportunity to continue in a sport popular in high school athletics programs, we are happy to work with the newly opened King Pin Entertainment Center to advance local partnerships in a great new facility.”

“It has been over 30 years since we have added a new varsity sport at Luther College, and I am very excited about this announcement and the first coach of our two new programs,” commented Hartl. “It is the perfect time to add this sport to our athletics department. Coach Bellrichard will join us immediately and begin recruiting and communicating with prospective student-athletes. We hope to have a mix of new first-year students in addition to some current students to schedule and compete in a full season for the 2023-24 academic year.”

Dan Bellrichard

While announcing the addition of bowling, Hartl also announced Bellrichard as the programs’ inaugural coach. A 2001 Luther alum, Bellrichard held a variety of positions at the college from 2009 to 2014 and has been active in the growth of bowling in Winneshiek County. Bellrichard has been involved in the Youth Mentoring Bowl-a-thon, which serves families and children in Allamakee, Howard and Winneshiek Counties, and has also been a member of various leagues in the area. 

“I am thrilled to be returning to Luther College as the head women’s and men’s bowling coach,” said Bellrichard. “My goals are to not only build an excellent bowling program, but also help the team members be successful in the bowling alley, the classroom and the community.  I’m excited to begin recruiting our inaugural team members and working with these women and men on their personal and athletic development.”

Luther’s home venue will be the King Pin Entertainment Center, located in Decorah, Iowa. The building, which opened in September 2022, features 16 bowling lanes, an arcade, billiards tables, ax throwing, meeting rooms and a bar and grill. 

“I’d like to thank Luther College Athletic Director Renae Hartl. Her enthusiasm and commitment to bringing bowling to Luther gives me the confidence to lead the newest Norse athletic program,” continued Bellrichard. “Additionally, I’d like to thank Russ Novak for his commitment to bowling and the Decorah community through his amazing renovation of King Pin Entertainment Center. Without this, Luther College’s new bowling program would not be possible. I can’t wait to get started!”

Bellrichard will begin recruiting efforts immediately to build the team rosters for the 2023-24 season. Individuals interested in joining the Norse bowling teams should contact him at dan.bellrichard@luther.edu. 

Owen Matzek and Meg Sessions prepare meals to be sent to area organizations.

The Luther College Cafeteria to Community program hit a major milestone. Since the program’s inception in 2014, more than 80,000 pounds of food has been donated to local organizations to address hunger.

“The Caf to Community program is a great opportunity to simultaneously reduce Luther’s food waste and help feed our community,” said Meg Sessions ’23, student program coordinator. “The meals we send are recently-prepared, healthy and balanced, which recipients of the food appreciate. Volunteering with Caf to Community is an easy way to make an impact in our community while encouraging sustainability on campus.”

Twice a week, students, volunteers and Luther Dining Services staff work together to package and label food that is provided to four Northeast Iowa facilities: Open Hands Food Pantry, Northeast Iowa Community Action, Decorah Food Pantry and Midwest Mission Bible Training Center. Each facility ensures that individuals and families receive the nutritious meals at little to no cost.

Midwest Mission Bible Training Center residents enjoy their food from the Cafeteria to Community program.

John Talley is a director at the Midwest Mission Bible Training Center in Cresco, a non-profit, faith-based organization serving those who are desperate to overcome drug, alcohol or emotional problems. He says that they rely on this food week after week.

“We are so grateful to Luther College for this food and the organization and thought behind it,” said Talley. “Not a day goes by that Luther’s food is not utilized. The donations are integral in ensuring our residents are fed healthy and delicious meals.”

The Cafeteria to Community program also keeps food waste out of the landfill. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a report in 2021 that indicates food waste is the single most common material landfilled and incinerated in the country. The EPA estimates that food loss and waste leads to 170 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent GHG emissions—equal to the annual CO2 emissions of 42 coal-fired power plants. This estimate does not include the significant methane emissions from food waste rotting in landfills.

Another way Luther avoids adding to the landfill load is through its composting efforts. “Cafeteria to Community is part of a trio of efforts to reduce food waste at Luther College,” said Chris Frantsvog, sustainability coordinator at Luther. “All food prep scraps and dining waste are composted and compost collection sites are available in every residence hall and academic building. These two compost approaches plus Cafeteria to Community are helping keep Luther on track toward its goal of carbon neutrality by 2030.”

The Cafeteria to Community Program is always looking for more volunteers. Those interested can sign up online at signup.com/go/ipLHVOQ for a one-hour slot on Wednesdays and Sundays from 6-7 p.m. Contact Sessions with any questions at sessma02@luther.edu.

November 9, 2022

President Ward and student athletes have some fun dressing up on One Team Day.

Luther College hosted its third annual One Team Giving Day on Thursday, Nov. 3. The campaign raised more than $310,000 from 1,189 donors to support student-athletes, exceeding the college’s $300,000 goal. 

“We were absolutely blown away by the amount of support we received on One Team Day,” said Renae Hartl, director of intercollegiate athletics. “We want to thank everyone who shows up for our student athletes on this day and throughout the year.” 

Funds raised through One Team Day support Luther student-athletes as they continue to uphold Norse traditions established by decades of excellence in Luther Athletics. The monetary donations allow coaches to create competitive schedules, purchase new equipment and gear, and maintain top-notch facilities. Donors had the opportunity to give directly to individual sports programs or to all student-athletes as ‘one team.’  

One Team Giving Day followed Luther Fund Giving Day 2022 on March 10, when more than $1.1 million was raised to support scholarships and financial aid, field study trips, music tours, student organizations, volunteer opportunities in the community, college ministries, residence hall improvements, campus landscaping, building maintenance, intramural sports, student/faculty research and more. The eighth annual Luther Fund Giving Day will be held on Thursday, March 9, 2023.

Luther College, an NCAA Division III athletics program, is a member of the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) located in Decorah, Iowa.

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.

Richard “Rick” Torgerson, Luther’s ninth president, died on Sunday, Oct. 30, 2022. A legendary figure in Luther history, he shaped the college in deep and meaningful ways that will resonate far into the future.

Torgerson and his wife, Judy, served two terms at Luther, from 1999 to 2013. During their tenure, the college moved forward in innumerable ways, including adding major facilities to campus—Sampson Hoffland Laboratories, the Center for the Arts, the Legends Fitness Center, and the Aquatic Center. Under Torgerson, major additions and renovations were also made to Valders Hall of Science, Dahl Centennial Union, Jenson-Noble Music Hall, Loyalty Hall, and all residence halls. The central campus green areas and roadways were reconfigured and Bentdahl Commons was constructed, enhancing Luther’s standing as one of the most beautiful campuses in the nation.

A man of action who was also known as an attentive listener, Torgerson was a top-notch strategic planner. He shaped and directed two transformational strategic plans to advance Luther into the new century of higher education, and he led Luther’s Development team to the completion of three major campaigns for scholarships, facilities, and other educational needs: Leadership for a New Century, which raised $63.5 million; the Higher Calling Campaign, which raised $93.3 million; and the Sesquicentennial Fund, which raised $57 million. These funding initiatives added more than $55 million to the college’s endowment.

Torgerson was a national leader in environmental sustainability on college campuses. He was a charter signatory of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment in 2007. His strategic planning included a goal to eventually achieve carbon neutrality, and he did this in part by erecting a wind turbine on campus. He also presided during the installation of the college’s first solar energy field, the largest in Iowa at the time. His visionary thinking combined with meaningful action garnered national recognition for Luther as a leader in sustainability and contributed to a 2009 invitation to join the Associated Colleges of the Midwest, a consortium of the region’s most prestigious liberal arts colleges and universities.

Torgerson’s service to higher education extended far beyond the Luther campus and included serving on the executive committee of the Lutheran Educational Conference of North America, the academic program working group for the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment, the North Central Association’s Higher Learning Commission, the NCAA Division III Presidents Council, the Presidents Council of the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, and the boards of the Iowa Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, Minnesota Public Radio, and Bioscience Alliance of Iowa.

In 2018, five years after the Torgersons left Decorah and moved to Edina, Minn., the Richard L. and Judith A. Torgerson Center for Nordic Studies was established at Luther. The center, with a lead gift from longtime friends O. Jay and Patricia A. Tomson, honors the Torgersons’ impact at the college and the special efforts they made to strengthen Luther’s treasured ties with Norway. For these efforts, Torgerson was also awarded the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit in 2013.

While Torgerson will long be remembered for leading the teams that reshaped Luther’s physical campus, nearly tripled its endowment, built a national reputation in sustainability, and strengthened the college’s academic program, he will be remembered even more fondly as the energetic, intense, passionate, vital man that so many students, staff, and faculty counted as a supporter and friend. His fabled handshakes, bear hugs, and shoulder claps were never in short supply, and neither was his genuine care and attention as a listener.

Asked once how he’d like to be written into Luther’s history books, Torgerson answered, “I think I’d like people to say, ‘He was authentic, and he added value.’” 

Service arrangements have yet to be determined.