Category: Luther College and Decorah Schools

DHS Donates Proceeds of Prom’s Grand March to HSNEI

On Saturday, April 13, Decorah High School hosted Prom, which included the Grand March, dance, and Post Prom.

238 students participated in the Grand March, which was held in the high school gym. Revenue from the spectators amounted to $993 and will be donated to the Humane Society of Northeast Iowa. Every year the participants select the charity who will receive the money collected at the door.

The dance was also at the gym, followed by Post Prom which was held at the Community Building on the Winneshiek County Fairgrounds. 175 attended this event, which included a magic show, black light dodge ball, karaoke, nine-square, laser tag, caricature drawings, and many other fun activities. Students who attended received prizes throughout the evening valued at over $4000, generously contributed by over 100 community donors and sourced locally or donated.

Associate Principal/Activities Director Adam Riley shared, “The students and staff of Decorah High School would like to express our sincere gratitude to those who supported Prom and Post Prom through their donations and volunteer help. Those who fully participated in the festivities had a great time creating memories in a safe and welcoming environment. This couldn’t happen without great community support.” 

Prom HSNEI Donation

Photo ID: Prom-goers show off the $993.00 check made out to HSNEI

(l-r): Jaidyn Duvel, Lydia Frank, Caden Branum, Brock Christensen, Grant Zilka, Addy Albertson

Luther College student Kamina Gager lands internship at the National Museum of American History in D.C.

DECORAH, IOWA—Kamina Gager, a junior at Luther College majoring in history, knows she wants work as an archivist one day. Through her hard work at Luther and passion for history, she landed an internship at a world-renowned museum in Washington, D.C., where she’s spending her spring semester. 

Gager in front of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History

Gager is one of two students interning as a processing and reference archivist in the Archives Center of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History (NMAH). Part of her job is helping to evaluate boxes of historical items, and processing and cataloging them for the museum as part of a large-scale processing project. 

“There will be a box that’s been sitting in storage since the 1950s and no one really knows what’s in it yet. I get to be the person who really figures out what we have and why it matters,” Gager said. “I love organizing materials.”

One of her tasks included verifying, organizing and housing documents, photographs and other archival materials related to American pocket watches that are part of the Jon and Jennifer Hanson Watch and Clock Collection. 

“Kamina approached her internship in the Archives Center with tremendous enthusiasm and curiosity. She was open to learning all aspects of our archival program and she tackled collection work documenting a wide variety of topics including watches and clocks to bridges to advertising to music,” said Alison Oswald, an archivist for the Smithsonian and Gager’s supervisor at NMAH. “I have no doubt that based on her experience in the Archives Center, that Kamina will pursue a career working for a culture heritage organization.”

She also aids in overseeing the reading room at NMAH, where she helps researchers find sources and materials they need for projects. 

Gager in in NMAH where she is interning this spring.

Gager is interning through the Lutheran College Washington Semester, a personalized program for students at Lutheran-affiliated colleges to take advantage of academic and professional opportunities in the nation’s capital. 

As a high school student in Woodbury, Minnesota, Gager knew she wanted to study history when she got to college. Gager, who is also minoring in museum studies and classical studies, eventually chose Luther for all the opportunities she would have as a history major. 

“I came to Luther because it has a museum studies minor, since not a lot of undergraduate programs offer it; it’s usually a graduate school program,” Gager said. “I knew the museum studies minor would make me stand out when I eventually apply for graduate programs.”

Before heading off to D.C., Gager worked in Luther’s Anthropology Lab and Collections, which is where she found her passion for archiving. She originally had aspirations of becoming a museum curator, a person who designs exhibits, but quickly found working in the lab she loved to preserve and organize items, such as photographs and documents. She was drawn to making sense of objects that seem random at first glance, but tell a whole story when looked at closely. 

“Kamina’s curiosity, attention to detail and resourcefulness to address the complexity of tasks as an Anthropology Lab collections assistant reflects the strength of her liberal arts education,” said Destiny Crider, the Anthropology Lab manager who oversaw Gager. “She has worked with our ethnographic collections, trained in different methods of digitizing audio, video and archival documents, and applies a strong personal ethic to the duty of care to every object in our collection.”

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.

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Peter Essa Named Bradish Scholarship Recipient

Decorah High School has named Peter Essa as the recipient of the Norman C. Bradish
Scholarship for the 2023-2024 school year. He is the son of Jared and Tracy Essa. He will
attend Washington University in St. Louis and will study engineering.

Throughout high school Essa has been active in band, large group speech, National
Honor Society, robotics, soccer and cross country.

Norman Bradish created a scholarship to be awarded to a graduate of Decorah High
School who possesses high academic ability and curiosity, is liked by peers and adults,
and displays high standards of character. The recipient must agree to attend a non-
religious college outside the state of Iowa. In addition, the student must remain unmarried
until finishing his or her studies.

Luther College restructures nursing program to enhance integration with Mayo Clinic

Luther students in the Nursing Simulation Center, which creates a practice setting that closely recreates a real hospital environment.

DECORAH, IOWA—Luther College announces changes to the nursing program curriculum in order to better meet the needs of students and of the nursing profession. 

Beginning with the cohort entering in fall 2024, nursing students will spend their senior year working at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, rather than their junior year, to ease the transition into professional nursing after graduation. 

During the Rochester year, students are placed in a variety of settings throughout the Mayo hospitals, including obstetrics, pediatrics and surgical units. Luther nursing students have spent their junior year in Rochester since the nursing program’s inception in 1974. Annually, anywhere from a third to half of Luther nursing students go on to work at a Mayo-affiliated hospital.

“We want our students to use their senior year to develop the skills and independence to work as a licensed nurse by easing the transition from student to professional life,” said Angela Kueny, Ph.D., M.S.N., head of the nursing program at Luther. “These changes are meant to adapt to the needs of both students and the nursing field as a whole.” 

Nursing program leaders consulted with students in this curriculum restructure. One of them, Souksakhone Sengsaisouk, class of 2023, is now a registered nurse in the general surgery unit at Mayo. He praised the invaluable experience of the Rochester year and said the curriculum restructure would help students transition into professional nursing and retain the skills they learn at Mayo into their careers. 

“The structured practicum of Luther’s nursing program and the clinical experiences it offers through healthcare organizations like Mayo have not only honed my abilities but also positioned me as a standout candidate and an impactful contributor to Mayo as a professional nurse,” Sengsaisouk said.

“Mayo Clinic values the clinical placement partnership with Luther College and we support the exciting new curriculum and placement of nursing students,” said Jeanine Gangeness, program director for Midwest nursing academic affairs at Mayo. 

Luther’s nursing curriculum is designed to help students master nursing competency skills before taking the nursing licensing exam (NCLEX-RN), which all students must pass to work as a registered nurse. In 2023, 90% of Luther students passed on their first try. 

“We anticipate that the revised program would increase the support to students to pass NCLEX because of increased nursing credits and intensity of courses to build and review for taking the exam after graduation,” Kueny said.

This change will also promote student wellness and ease students’ workloads by redistributing their pre-nursing classes. During their first and second years, students take biology and psychology; students also take Luther’s core curriculum, including its renowned Paideia courses, to establish a foundation of liberal arts education in their nursing practice. During their junior year, students will take nursing courses in the Decorah area, introducing them to nursing practice in the rural setting and preparing them to work at Mayo. During their senior year in Rochester, students will take advanced nursing courses, including a “Transitions to Professional Nursing” to prepare them for their careers. 

This change will not impact current students, who will continue to spend their junior year in Rochester. The 2027-28 will be the first year Luther students will spend their senior year at Mayo. 

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.

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Small Island Big Song to perform for Luther College Center Stage Series April 23

Small Island Big Song, a collective of artists of Island nations, will perform at Luther Tuesday, April 23.

DECORAH, IOWA—Small Island Big Song, a collective of renowned First Nation musicians from across the Pacific and Indian Oceans, will perform for Luther College’s Center Stage Series at 7:30 p.m Tuesday, April 23, in the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall. 

Set to panoramic visuals of the artists’ homelands, Small Island Big Song offers everything from soulful ballads to irresistible grooves, creating a beautiful, immersive musical experience from a region that shares an ancient seafaring heritage as well as the impact of our changing seas.

“In my conversations with the producers, I’ve become even more excited about presenting Small Island Big Song, especially the week of Earth Day,” says Kristen Underwood, director of campus programming. “They are on a mission to help us reconnect with nature, deepen our understanding of island cultures, and inspire all of us to work for change. They bring a message of hope and cooperation, and the ensemble, from different nations, model togetherness with no finger-pointing.”

Taiwanese theater producer BaoBao Chen and Australian music producer and filmmaker Tim Cole spent nearly a decade visiting artists on 16 island nations from Mauritius to Madagascar and Taiwan to Tahiti. The results are two award-winning albums, a feature film and this internationally acclaimed concert tour.

“I’ve wanted to present this show since I met the producers in New York in early 2020. Something that has stayed with me since that meeting is the idea that we are not separated by the oceans, but connected by them. That’s one of the stories of Small Island Big Song. I also love that the experience begins the moment you enter the lobby. Audiences of all ages are encouraged to attend,” Underwood said. 

Center Stage Dinner Series

The talented chefs of 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; the menu for April 23 can be viewed online. 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 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. 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 to host residency for Chinese martial artist and musician Master Zhongxian Wu

DECORAH, IOWA–Luther College will host Master Zhongxian Wu, a Chinese martial artist, calligrapher, and musician, from April 9–28. During his time on campus, he will lead workshops that are open to the Decorah community.

Master Wu

“I think such experiences that Master Wu is offering are valuable because they can decenter European and American understandings of religion, philosophy and artistic expression,” said Scott Hurley, associate professor of identity studies at Luther. “After all, other places and cultures in the world have profound and sophisticated ideas about art, one’s relationship with others, whether human or nonhuman, and ultimate truth.” 

Wu will offer four workshops during his time on campus; to sign up for events, email Hurley at hurlsc01@luther.edu. Here are the events he’s hosting: 

Originally from China, Master Wu is a lifelong practitioner of Daoism, an indigenous Chinese religion. He is the co-founder and director of QinJian Akademin in Stockholm, Sweden, where he hosts workshops in-person and on Zoom related to martial arts, traditional Chinese music, and health and healing. He also travels throughout the U.S. and Europe offering these workshops.  

In addition to calligraphy and Chinese medicine, he teaches qigong, a form of Chinese movement practice that incorporates proper body posture, breathing and meditation; and the guqin, a Chinese zither. Master Wu has published numerous books and articles in both Chinese and English on these subjects. 

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.

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DHS Envirothon Students Qualify for State Competition

Decorah High School was well represented at the regional Envirothon competition: 45 DHS students–nine teams of five–recently took the regional test to qualify for the state competition. Two teams will represent Decorah at state, including last year’s defending state champions Team DNR: Lucas Arendt, Connor Evelsizer, Gabriel Hiner, Anders Lovstuen, and Aiden Nalean-Carlson. The other team to represent Decorah at state will be Team Skabush: Riley Berns, Carson Bohner, Alex McGohan, Nathan Swarbrick, and Henry Weis.

Five of the nine teams who competed should have qualified for the state competition, but the “Decorah Rule” has been in effect since 2007 after four Decorah teams qualified to compete in the state contest in 2006. Until that time, no one school had ever qualified more than two teams in the top 15. Now only the two top finishing teams from the same school are allowed to move on to state competition.

Other teams who represented Decorah are as follows:

7th place Leaf Me A Loam: Phuong Doan, Reid Kuehner, Emily Myers, Mason Myers, and Kellen Roffman

8th place Blundstone Babes: Hannah Arendt, Caden Branum, Eily Hegdahl, Lily Sandhorst, and Amelia Wadsworth

12th place The Eco Warriors: Elliot Berland, Lawrence Christman, Kathleen Delphey, Beau Newhouse, and Clarence Nimrod

Team Oh Scotland, My Scotland: Mara Branum, Elsa Christman, Mikayla Hiner, Nora Lesmeister, and Kaylie Wemark

Team Fun Run 5: Spencer Christensen, Margaret Hahn, William Hahn, Nina Sessions, and Myla Leitz

Team Squirrel Friends: Grace Blikre, Natalie Goodner, Chloe Sheffield, Ava Steine, and Kamryn Steines

Team Toni: Thatcher Brown, Thomas Davis, Jack Hammell, Owen Rix, and Oskar Swanson

The Envirothon is designed to stimulate, reinforce and enhance interest in the environment and natural resources among high school students. Envirothon challenges students to hone critical thinking skills and create inventive solutions to the complex local and global environmental and natural resource issues facing the world today, whether in the field or in the classroom. Teams of five work together while increasing their knowledge and critical thinking skills to conduct hands-on investigations, solve real-life scenarios, and answer written questions covering five categories: Aquatics, Forestry, Soils, Wildlife, and a Current Environmental Issue. Each team is tested of their knowledge of each of these categories at the regional level.

The state competition will be held at Jasper Nature Center in Granger, Iowa on April 29th. The team finishing with the top score at this year’s state competition will represent Iowa at the International Envirothon contest to be held July 28 through August 3 at Hobart and William Smith College, located in Geneva, New York.

Envirothon advisor Larry Berland remarked, “I am so proud of all of the students that participate in our school’s Envirothon program. They have stepped forward to accept the challenge that our troubled environment presents to everyone. They have and will continue to leave a positive footprint!”

The Envirothon competition, North American’s largest high school environmental education competition, is sponsored by the conservation districts of Iowa.

Team DNR

Team DNR (l-r): Aiden Nalean-Carlson, Lucas Arendt, Anders Lovstuen, Connor Evelsizer, and Gabriel Hiner

Team Skabush

Team Skabush (l-r): Alex McGohan, Henry Weis, Nathan Swarbrick, Riley Berns, and Carson Bohner

Decorah High School Student Creates Laptop without Borders

When Jack Sovern, a junior at Decorah High School, noticed some of his family members owned laptops that were gathering dust, he had an idea to put them in the hands of people who could use them, starting with his classmates. Sovern is advocating for digital inclusion in the community by his initiative he calls “Laptops without Borders.” He shared, “Having grown up surrounded by technology, I believe in equal access to the internet, a sentiment shared by the United Nations in 2016 when it recognized internet access as a human right.”

Sovern continued, “While many in our town take this right for granted, some, especially recent immigrants, face barriers, particularly during the summer when school-provided computers become unavailable. To bridge this digital divide, I have launched a project to refurbish old, unused laptops.”

Community members who have laptops they are no longer using can donate them and their chargers. Sovern will securely wipe all data from them; clean, repair, and refurbish them; then donate them to people in need in Decorah and the surrounding areas. These computers will be loaded with educational software, productivity apps, a web browser, and many other tools, including a user-friendly software installer.

To coordinate donations, anyone can contact Sovern at 563-419-1114 or decorahlaptops@gmail.com.  More information can be found at qrco.de/decorah-laptop.

Laptops without Borders2

decorahlaptops@gmail.com.  More information can be found at qrco.de/decorah-laptop.

Jack Sovern gives computers to classmates.

Laptops without Borders1

DHS students Agustina, Guisela, Jack, and Fatima

John Cline Second Graders Publish Their Own Book

Mrs. Katie Casterton’s second grade class at John Cline Elementary School recently published their own animal book. This was made possible by the McElroy Excellence in Education Enrichment Grant through Keystone AEA. Mrs. Casterton applied for the grant and received enough money for each student to have their own hardcover book published by School Mate Publishing.

The students spent time researching an animal of their choice, creating a rough draft, revising with a peer and adult, and then turning their polished writing into a page of the book. Casterton remarked, “The students enjoyed learning more about an animal of their choice and seeing their work turned into a real book!”

The purpose of the McElroy grant is to provide funding for a small but important idea a teacher has to provide enrichment to the curriculum. It includes innovative, educational experiences for students and demonstrates excellence in education.

Mrs. Castertons class with their books.jpg

Mrs. Casterton’s class shows off the book they collectively wrote. 

Marshall Delaney.jpg

Marshall Delaney shows off his page of the class book.

DHS Musicians Perform Extremely Well at Solo and Small Ensemble Music Festival

The Decorah High School Music Department participated in the Iowa High School Music Association State Solo and Small Ensemble Music Festival on Saturday, March 23, at Clear Lake High School. Other schools participating include Algona High School, Charles City High School, Clear Lake High School, Crestwood High School, Forest City High School, Hampton-Dumont High School, Humboldt High School, and Waverly-Shell Rock High School.

This is an adjudicated festival in which students receive one of five division ratings for their performance: Division I “Superior” rating, Division II “Excellent” rating, Division III “Good” rating, Division IV “Fair” rating, or Division V “Poor” rating. The ratings are based on a point scale. It was a successful day for the DHS Music Department. Each judge is allowed to present one “Outstanding Performance” award for the performance they deem to be the most superior of the day. There were eleven judges overall in the vocal, orchestra, and band categories, with five of them awarding it to DHS musicians.

Students were accompanied on piano by Dean Beckman, Mary Beth Bouska, Mike Ellingsen, Cathy Evelsizer, Chris Hadley, Miko Kominami, Julia Severtson, Gabriel Hiner, Linda Martin, Kayla Scholl, David Severtson, and Nicholas Shaneyfelt.

Receiving “Outstanding Performance” awards include Libby Phillips, Vocal Solo;Claiborne Treble Singers; Grant Zilka, Baritone Saxophone Solo; Alex McGohan, Marimba Solo; and Simon Kutz, Cello Solo. 

Receiving a Perfect Score were the following: Libby Phillips, Vocal Solo; Grant Zilka, Baritone Saxophone Solo and Alto Saxophone Solo; Alex McGohan, Marimba Solo, Timpani Solo, and Xylophone Solo; Aidan Nalean-Carlson, Timpani Solo; Natalie Goodner, Marimba Solo and Piano Solo; Percussion Quintet: Alex McGohan, Aidan Nalean-Carlson, Natalie Goodner, Kealy Hines, and Liam Chamberlain; Percussion Choir; and Simon Kutz, Cello Solo. 

Division I – Superior Ratings:

Solos

Flute: Jay Hawthorn; Oboe: Ansel Kowitz; Bassoon: Noah Potvin; Alto Saxophone: Brenna Parker and Grant Zilka; Tenor Saxophone: Brenna Parker and Grant Zilka; Baritone Saxophone: Grant Zilka; Trumpet: Aitor Cuevas; Trombone: Evan Madsen; Piano; Natalie Goodner, Julia Severtson; Mallet: Natalie Goodner, Kealy Hines, Alex McGohan (2), Aidan Nalean-Carlson, Julia Severtson; Timpani: Alex McGohan, Aidan Nalean-Carlson; Violin: Spencer Christensen, Gabriel Hiner, Liam Huang, Naomi Kutz, Lauren Severtson, Gwenyth Thompson; Viola: Lucas Arendt; Cello: Simon Kutz; String Bass: Ezra Vorvick; Soprano: Mikayla Hiner, Elayna Hook, Sydney Kipp, Brynn Storhoff, Gwen Thompson; Alto: Elliana Brodbeck, Bethany Hanson, Greta Jones, Kealy Hines, Kamryn Steines, Hayley Stowe, Abbie Valkosky; Tenor: Spencer Christensen, Lucas Hanson, Libby Phillips; and Bass: Oliver Brummel, Liam Chamberlain, Ezra Harman-Wood, Gabriel Hiner, Caleb Krieg, Tyler Shaw, Joseph Stammeyer, Colin Thompson, and Ezra Vorvick.

Ensembles

Flute Choir, Woodwind Choir, Saxophone Choir,Brass Choir, Percussion Choir, Woodwind Quintet (Wemark, Kowitz, K. Walter, Wadsworth, & Potvin), Trumpet Duet (Cuevas & Kruger), Mallet Duet (McGohan & A. Nalean-Carlson), Percussion Quintet (McGohan, Goodner, Hines, Chamberlain, & A. Nalean-Carlson); String Duet: L. Severtson & N. Kutz, G. Hiner & G. Thompson; String Quartet (G. Hiner, Monreal, L. Arendt & S. Kutz); String Group (Huang, S. Christensen, C. Riley, Franzen, Kuennen & Vorvick); Piano Trio of Violin, Cello + Piano (G. Hiner, S. Kutz & J. Severtson); Piano Duet: G. Hiner & J. Severtson; Vocal Duet: E. Hook & Evelsizer, M. Hiner & G. Thompson, Brummel & Kruger; Madrigal Singers, CC Chamber Singers, CC Chamber Choir, Claiborne Treble Singers, 9th Gr. Bass Clef 10 (S. Christensen, Irwin, Nimrod, L. Christman, Courtney, Potvin, Shaw, Berland, C. Riley, C. Thompson), 9th Gr. Treble Clef 7 (Lundtvedt, Severtson, Volz, Searcy, Stockman, Cline, Rissman), VC Treble Clef 7 (M. Hiner, E. Christman, Klara Kelly, Albert, Lesmeister, Wemark), VC Bass Clef 9 (Malanaphy, J. LaBelle, Duder, Kuennen, McElree, Milburn, Harman-Wood, C. Johnson, Sassaman), CC Bass Clef 7 (L. Hanson, Newhouse, Phillips, Coppola, G. Hiner, Krieg, Sovern), CC Bass Clef 9 (Evelsizer, Kruger, Roberts, Brummel, Chamberlain, L. Hook, Stammeyer, Vorvick, Weis), Vocal Quartet (M. Hiner, G. Thompson, C. Thompson, G. Hiner).

Division II – Excellent Ratings:

Solos

Flute: Mikayla Hiner, Olivia Volkmann; Clarinet: Mikelle Havens; French Horn: Lily Sandhorst; Trombone: Colin Thompson; Mallet Percussion: Ariana Albert, Olivia Rissman, Grace Stockman; Snare Drum: Beau Newhouse; Timpani: Jackson Irwin; Drumset: Liam Chamberlain; Piano: Tyler Shaw, Olivia Volkmann; Violin: Jayden Lundtvedt, Lydia Monreal, Spencer Rix, Haylee Stravers, Kinsey White; Viola: Thatcher Brown, Madysen Lippe; Cello: Lulu Bellrichard, Grace Blikre; String Bass: Nina Sessions; Soprano: Jayden Lundtvedt, Stella Pole, Julia Severtson, Jillian Volz; Alto: Ariana Albert, Grace Blikre, Emma Cline, Olivia Rissman, Vivian Searcy, Grace Stockman, Amelia Wadsworth; Tenor: Lawrence Christman, Connor Evelsizer, Andy Kruger, Beau Newhouse, Nat Roberts; Bass: Caleb Johnson, Alex McGohan, Noah Potvin, Jack Sovern.

Ensembles

Brass Quintet (Cuevas, Pritchard, Sandhorst, N. Simon, & Brummel); French Horn Quartet (Sandhorst, Wadsworth, Kamryn Steines, & Volz); String Duet: Brown & O. Rix, Sessions & Vorvick, Stravers & Lippe; String Quartet (Sabin, Q. LaBelle, Gegax & B. Christensen); Chamber Orchestra, Cello Choir; Vocal Duet: L. Suhr & R. Suhr; 9th Grade Chamber Choir, VC Chamber Choir, CC Treble Clef 10 (Bakken, Downing, Pritchard, C. Sheffield, L. Suhr, B. Bentley, Brodbeck, Delphey, Holland, Wemark).

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