Category: Luther College and Decorah Schools

June 13, 2023

Norskkor performs at the 2023 Iowa Choral Showcase.

Norskkor, Luther College’s choral ensemble for first-year tenor and bass singers, was selected to perform at the 2023 Iowa Choral Showcase on Wednesday, April 26. The annual showcase event, which features choral groups from across the state, took place at Coe College in Cedar Rapids. Norskkor is the only college choir that was selected to perform at the showcase.

Organized by the Iowa Choral Directors Association, the Iowa Choral Showcase is chaired by Jason Rausch, choir director at Decorah High School.

The Iowa Choral Showcase has a unique selection process among choral conventions. At many other similar events, choirs are selected based on their recordings from the previous three years. The Iowa Choral Showcase, however, makes its decisions based on recorded performances from the current academic year.

Norskkor is a first-year choral ensemble. It is open to students at all levels, whether they have previously sung in choirs or not. It boasts members from various academic majors and musical backgrounds.

Iowa Choral Showcase audition recordings were due in January 2023, representing only one semester’s worth of choral work together for the Norskkor ensemble.

“Norskkor’s Iowa Choral Showcase selection recognizes the singers’ merit, not the school’s reputation,” said Mark Potvin, Norskkor director. “The event is unique in that the students were selected based on their scholastic skill, artistic intuition, work ethic and sense of community, making it the perfect way to acknowledge their achievements,” said Potvin.

Norskkor member Samuel Scheffler, Luther class of 2026, said, “It felt incredible to attend the Choral Showcase with all my friends. I know it is cliché, but Norskkor is family. We are a very tight-knit group that works hard. Only a few first-year groups at the collegiate level get to travel together, so I am grateful for this opportunity to come along for Norskkor.”

During the trip to Cedar Rapids, Norskkor also performed at First Lutheran Church, attracting an audience of approximately 150 listeners.

Scheffler added, “Through this Showcase, Norskkor honed our performance skills and spread the word of Luther choirs to those on the college search. I have had a great experience in the Luther choral program, and displaying that to people searching for such a collegiate choral experience feels fantastic.”

“It is an honor for Norskkor to be selected for the Iowa Choral Showcase,” Potvin said. “We were excited to share our music with the community and represent Luther College on such a grand stage.”

About Luther College Music 

Luther is home to one of the largest undergraduate music programs in the nation, with five choirs, three orchestras, two bands and two jazz bands. One-third of all Luther students participate in music, including large ensembles, faculty-coached chamber groups, private lessons and master classes. Nearly 175 music majors study music theory, ear training, history, education, composition, jazz, church music and performance. Learn more at luther.edu/music.

May 31, 2023

Amanda Weber, class of 2008, receives the Young Alumni Award at commencement, May 21, 2023.

Luther College 2008 graduate Amanda Weber, founder of the Voices of Hope choirs, received the college’s 2023 Young Alumni Award. The announcement was made during the commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 21.

The Young Alumni Award is given to a Luther alumnus in the spring of each year for notable personal accomplishments, leadership qualities and service to Luther or society. The recipient must be a graduate from the last 15 years who best represents the college’s mission to serve society.

“Receiving this award and attending commencement at Luther with my family has me reflecting on so many ways in which my college experience shaped me,” Weber said. “I am so grateful for the memories—the mentoring from faculty who continue to inspire me, the challenging new ideas, the opportunities for leadership and of course the lasting friendships. It was an honor to accept the Young Alumni Award and even more moving to see this year’s graduates and sense their collective enthusiasm for all that awaits them. I am proud to be a part of this community. Go Norse!”

After graduating from Luther with a double major in music and art, Weber has pursued her calling as a musician while working in service to her community. She is the founder and artistic director of Voices of Hope, a choral organization providing singing opportunities in Minnesota state prisons. Weber also serves as director of worship and the arts at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis.

Amanda Weber, Luther College class of 2008

Early in her career, Weber spent a year in Washington, D.C., with the Lutheran Volunteer Corps. She was assigned to a church that had a women’s homeless shelter. When her supervisor suggested she get to know the women at the shelter a little better, she decided to start a choir. She directed Bethany’s Women of Praise for three years.

While working on her doctorate in choral conducting at the University of Minnesota, Weber started the Voices of Hope choir at the women’s prison in Shakopee, Minnesota. Voices of Hope has expanded to include a second choir—for men—at the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Stillwater.

Singing in a choir provides people who are incarcerated the opportunity to feel free, heal from trauma and build community. One Voices of Hope singer said, “We are given many tools at Shakopee, but none have healed me like music.”

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.

May 22, 2023

Luther College graduating senior Mychal Shed received the college’s Elizabeth A. and Paul G. Jenson Medal for the class of 2023. The announcement was made during the Commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 21. 

“I feel truly blessed and honored to win this award. The Jenson Medal is especially humbling for me because it came from my classmates and friends who deemed me worthy enough to represent Luther College and the amazingly talented class of 2023. These are the same people who I entered Luther College with as strangers, and now, four years later, we are leaving as friends, teammates, brothers, and sisters. This is an honor that I will forever cherish and hold near and dear to my heart,” said Shed. 

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 ’48 and Elizabeth (Dybdal) Jenson ’49 of Vassalboro, Maine, the Jenson Medal supports Luther College’s mission of service.

During his time at Luther, Shed was a member of the men’s basketball team and was voted team captain. Additionally, he was the president of the Black Student Union and served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and on Luther’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. He also worked in the Admissions Office as a Lead Student Ambassador and was an active member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes organization. The role that was most fulfilling for Shed was serving as camp counselor/mentor for the Junior Norse Skills Camps. 

“Working with the children at camp served as a challenge of patience, understanding, and connection—a challenge that I took pride in achieving. As an aspiring youth and adolescent social worker and school counselor, I know that these experiences will be similar to the day-to-day occurrences that I will face in my career. I am grateful for those campers, as they helped me learn a great deal about myself. They helped me learn how to communicate effectively with different youth, how to build and maintain genuine relationships and connections with them, and the most salient—they taught me how to become a better listener,” said Shed. 

Shed graduated with a degree in psychology. He is the son of Maya Sample and Marcus Shed and is from Teague, Texas. He said, “Coming to the rural Midwest was a concern of mine four years ago. Will I be accepted? If they do accept me, will they understand me? During my first semester at Luther these fears were alleviated completely. Now, after four years of deeply rooting myself in this community through genuine service, leadership, and love—I can wholeheartedly say that my peers have accepted me, understood me, and most definitely have supported me every step of the way.” 

This fall, Shed will attend the University of Chicago, where he has been accepted into the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy and Practice to pursue his master’s degree in social work.

Ashley Benson, dean of student engagement, got to know Shed very well during his time at Luther. She said, “Myke is a dynamic human being. I remember meeting him when I interviewed at Luther. I have enjoyed watching him grow as a student leader and seeing the impact he has on his peers. He is valued by so many. He brings warmth and joy to any room he enters. I look forward to watching him grow as a graduate student and a professional. Myke truly deserves this prestigious Jenson Medal award that is woven into the fabric of Luther College.” 

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. 

May 16, 2023

Luther College seniors Gideon Perez, Sadie Pichelmann and Berit Skogen have received Fulbright awards for the 2023-24 academic year. All three will serve as Fulbright English Teaching Assistants.

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program. Every year, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards more than 2,000 students, artists, and early-career professionals from all backgrounds and in more than 100 different fields of study to teach English and undertake research abroad. Fulbright awards are given based upon leadership potential, academic achievement, and record of service.

Gideon Perez ’23 was selected for a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Slovakia.

Gideon Perez ’23 of Austin, Minnesota, will graduate in May with a major in English. He was selected for an English Teaching Assistantship in Slovakia. “After learning about Slovakia’s rich history, deep culture, and beautiful natural landscapes, it was so easy to fall in love with,” said Perez. “Outside of teaching, I’m excited to integrate myself into a new community and meet plenty of new friends,” he said. After his Fulbright, he plans to continue teaching English or pursue a career in publishing.

Sadie Pichelmann ’23 was selected for a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Slovakia.

Sadie Pichelmann ’23 of Jacksonville Beach, Florida, will graduate in May with a major in history and minors in biology and music. She also was selected for an English Teaching Assistantship in Slovakia. “I know much more about Western Europe than I do about Eastern Europe, and I hope to fill this gap in my knowledge through my time in Slovakia,” Pichelmann said. “I’m most excited for the opportunity to encounter people and situations that will challenge my sense of self and my worldviews,” she added. After her Fulbright experience, she plans to attend medical school. “I am of the firm conviction that treating each person as a whole and acknowledging their unique individuality is vital to being an effective caregiver, and being able to understand and appreciate other cultural backgrounds and viewpoints is a large part of that,” Pichelmann said.

Berit Skogen ’23 will be a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Norway.

Berit Skogen ’23 of Fergus Falls, Minnesota, will graduate in May with majors in history and Nordic studies and minors in Africana studies and religion. She will be an English Teaching Assistant in Norway, where she previously studied abroad. “I chose Fulbright because it provides grantees with so many amazing opportunities and connections. Living there for 10 months will give me a lot of language practice and opportunities to learn from my students as well as foster connections between the US and Norway,” said Skogen. When not in the classroom, she is excited to run and ski in the mountains. After her Fulbright experience, she plans to pursue graduate degrees in Scandinavian studies.

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.