Building Local Community Through Arts, Cultural, and Recreational Events, and the Exchange of Goods and Services
The junior/senior robotics team from Decorah High School, the Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Men and Women, competed at the state robotics competition in Coralville on Saturday. The championship competition featured the top 48 robotics clubs in …
On March 5th, Decorah School Special Olympians competed in the Northeast Iowa Regional Track and Field competition at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls.
Placing in the event for Decorah High School include the following: Allison Kalvelage–1st in shot put and 2nd in the 100 meter dash, Francesca Wilkerson–2nd in shot put and 2nd in the 50 meter dash, Wyatt Pleggenkuhle–1st in shot put and 1st in the long jump, Donnie Hrdlicka–3rd in the softball throw and 2nd in the 50 meter dash, John Lippe–1st in shot put and 1st in the 50 meter dash, Braden Ramstad–2nd in shot put and 2nd in the 100 meter dash, and Kamryn Leuenberger–1st in the tennis ball throw and 1st in the 25 meter walker race. In addition, Francesca Wilkerson was selected as a Torch Bearer for the Opening Ceremony.
Placing for Decorah Middle School were Daniel Bean–1st in shot put and 1st in the 100 meter dash, Zoey Lollar–3rd in long jump and 3rd in the 50 meter dash, and Luke Thompson–1st in long jump.
Coach John Dunt remarked, “The Special Olympians competed hard and had fun at the event.”
Chad Elliott, Nutrition Director and Culinary Specialist for Decorah Community School District, works in tandem with science teachers Tim Hayes and Brad Johansen to help provide fresh food to students and staff. When he learned the cedar raised beds used to grow some of that food were falling apart after ten years of significant use, he wrote a grant to replace them.
This week the district was informed they are the recipient of a “Grow it, Eat it Sub-Grant,” provided through the 2022 USDA Farm to School Grant received by the Iowa Department of Education. This will allow the high school to spend almost $2000 replacing the raised beds.
According to Elliott, “These beds produce bushels of basil and gallons of peppers each year for the kitchen to incorporate into school menus. Replacing the wooden beds with stone will last longer and match the stone raised bed already in place on the west side of the greenhouse. The nutrition department uses the basil to make pesto for the creamy tomato-basil soup served in the winter months. The peppers are used for salads, chicken fajitas, Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, and fresh garden salsa.”
The raised beds will be assembled by students with the help of teachers. Horticulture and Environmental Science students will then plant basil, flowers, and peppers grown from seeds in the high school greenhouse. These students will tend the beds during the growing season and then harvest and deliver the food to the kitchen when ready. To complete the cycle, food scraps are collected in the cafeteria and used to make compost for the gardens.
Elliott added, “Building these two beds will give the students pride in knowing their hard work will be appreciated by so many future students. Planting produce in the beds and weeding and watering during the growing season teaches students responsibility and gives them the experience of growing a garden that they can use into their adult lives. Harvesting and then consuming the produce in the cafeteria will give them a great understanding of where food comes from. Students will participate in this activity for many growing seasons into the future.”
The Decorah Middle School 7th and 8th grade students will be presenting “A Night of Plays” on Thursday, March 9, at 7:00 p.m. A variety of small cast plays will be featured, including one from the Carol Burnett Show.
The performance will be at the Carrie Lee auditorium, and admission is free.
Decorah High School musicians from the 7 O’Clock Jazz Band, directed by Matthew Cody, will be joining forces with the Middle School Jazz Band, directed by Emily Hahn, to share their talents at a Jazz Coffeehouse Friday, March 3, in the high school cafeteria. Doors open at 6:45 p.m. and music starts at 7 p.m.
Coffee from Impact Coffee and desserts prepared by Decorah Community School District Executive Chef Chad Elliott will be available. A free will donation with a suggested price of $5 for one dessert and a beverage is appreciated to support music in Decorah schools. The public is cordially invited to join in the fun, relaxed atmosphere.
Eleven Decorah High School band students were selected to attend the Dorian Band Festival at Luther College. Over 420 students from the area participated and were able to attend a mini lesson with the option of competing in a solo competition.
Three students were selected to perform as soloists at the grand concert, and two of them were from Decorah High School. Alex McGohan was selected to perform on Bass Marimba and Elias Vorvick was selected to perform on Bass Trombone.
At times in our lives, we lean on music to express what is felt inside–what is brewing just beneath the surface or, in other times, what is radiating from us. These moments occur during grief, happiness, hope, and celebration. Additionally, all of us have experienced hearing a song and being transported back to another time in our life: a popular song from a TV show when we were young, a family road trip song, a song shared at a family member’s funeral, “Pomp and Circumstance” from high school commencement, and the list goes on and on.
On Tuesday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m. in the Decorah High School auditorium, the Decorah Middle School Seventh and Eighth Grade Choir will combine with the Decorah High School choirs to celebrate “Why We Sing.” This concert program uses music to comment on times in our lives of challenge and celebration, to encourage us to embrace these moments, and to hear the messages as we explore why we sing.
Pieces shared at the concert will include “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing,” “Over the Rainbow,” “Where the Light Begins,” “You Will Be Found” from Dear Evan Hansen, and “Requiem,” a song written in response to the 2004 Asian tsunami.
The concert is free and open to all.
Decorah High School’s individual speech participants—coached by Molly Holkesvik, Gabriel Twedt, Carrie Kauffman, Rachel Breitenbach-Dirks, and Lyra McKnight—competed in the district contest on Saturday, February 25th, at Decorah High School. Around 47 DHS students participated in the contest. Out of Decorah’s 51 performances, 45 received I (excellent) ratings. Those performances will advance to the state competition.
The directors shared, “Our students did an incredible job representing our school with their poise, professionalism, and preparedness. We are also so grateful for all of the students, staff, families, and community members who stepped up to help us host this contest.”
The Individual Speech State Contest will be held at Starmont High School in Arlington on Saturday, March 11th.
Results for Decorah Speech Performers Grades 10-12
Receiving a I (excellent) rating:
Original Oratory: Becca Kane, Jenna Hartz, Diep Doan
Public Address: Grace Blikre, Alex McGohan
Expository Address: Max Wilson, Junior Battle
Storytelling: Margret Zook, Henry Weis, Ramsey Zilka
Prose: Danielle Rix, Bethany Hanson, Sophia Christman
Poetry: Kathryn Kelly, Ezra Vorvick, Brynn Storhoff
Review: Jensen Korsness, Elliana Brodbeck
Literature Program: Natalie Goodner, Hayley Stowe, Leslie Campbell
Solo Musical: Libby Phillips, Ella Grouws
Acting: Jake Magner, Ada Lovelace
After Dinner Speaking: Davis Coppola, Lily Sandhorst, Gabriel Hiner
Spontaneous Speaking: Michael Njus, Corina Timm, Ethan Stravers
Radio News: Rebecca Anderson, Anders Lovstuen, Simon Kutz
Individual Improv: Jack Sovern, Joe Stammeyer, Liam Chamberlain
Receiving a II (good) rating:
Expository Address: Luke Arendt
Review: Braunwyn Darrington
Solo Musical: Alex Kane
Acting: Elsa Johnson
Public Address: Klaara Short
Results for Decorah Speech Performers Grade 9
Receiving a I (excellent) rating:
Original Oratory: June Breitenbach-Dirks
After Dinner Speaking: Caleb Johnson
Prose: Ezra Harman-Wood
Literature Program: Mikayla Hiner
Solo Musical: Mikayla Hiner, June Breitenbach-Dirks
Acting: Caleb Johnson
Storytelling: Klara Kelly
Receiving a II (good) rating:
Acting: Ezra Harman-Wood
Luther College is proud to announce that five students are semi-finalists in the 2023-24 Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Operating in 160 countries worldwide, the Fulbright Program is the largest and most esteemed exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government. It is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.
The Luther College semi-finalists are:
These students were approved by the National Steering Committee and selected among the nearly 10,000 applicants on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields.
The Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Program places recent college graduates and young professionals abroad as assistant English teachers in classrooms from primary through university level.
The finalists will be announced this spring.
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.
Baker Village is the first part of the Luther Campus that is carbon neutral. Due to net metering, geothermal energy from the earth and electrical power produced from the sun provide all of the energy utilized at Baker Village.
Luther College is announcing that the institution has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by more than 72% since its baseline was established in 2003. Achieving this milestone puts the college on track to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.
“Our mission at Luther calls us to practice joyful stewardship of the resources that surround us. As we celebrate this achievement, I can’t think of a better example to demonstrate how we’re living into that. This work distinguishes us as a college, and while many of our peer institutions are coming to the party now, we have been leaders in this space for some time, in part due to the commitment of many in our present campus community, those who have gone before us, and our community partners,” said President Jenifer K. Ward.
Several projects on campus contributing to this success include
The Luther College Wind Turbine, affectionately known as “Darryl,” generates one-third of the college’s electricity. Several large solar arrays also have a large impact on reducing the college’s carbon footprint. 53% of Luther’s electricity comes from renewable power sources (wind and solar) generated on campus.
“But it’s just as much about the little things,” said Jon Jensen, director of the Center for Sustainable Communities at Luther College. “That is changing out lights to LED and everybody on campus doing their part to reduce their energy usage where they can. That combination of big projects and accumulated small actions has allowed us to get to this point.”
Luther College students contribute to these energy reduction efforts each day. Grace Parrott is an environmental studies major who volunteers in the Caf to Community program. She works to keep excess food out of the landfill and onto the tables of those who need it.
“I want to do my part because I like to enjoy the environment. I love to be outdoors and I recognize that it’s really important to take steps now instead of waiting to take action to mitigate climate change. This work Luther is doing is really inspiring to me,” said Parrott.
I want to do my part because I like to enjoy the environment. I love to be outdoors and I recognize that it’s really important to take steps now instead of waiting to take action to mitigate climate change. This work Luther is doing is really inspiring to me.
Grace Parrott ’24
Cole Barrett is majoring in environmental studies and Nordic studies at Luther. He assists in lowering college emissions, in part, by taking shorter, cooler showers and turning off the lights.
“I’m interested in the fact that this is about more than just for our generation. If we want to continue living the way we want to live, it’s important to reduce our carbon footprint,” said Barrett.
Luther also supports wind energy projects in nearby Mitchell County, Iowa. In return for this financial support, Luther receives renewable energy certificates (RECs), which contribute to the reduction of the college’s carbon footprint.
Luther has self-imposed restrictions on its use of RECs, however. “Some claims to be carbon neutral are totally based on purchasing RECs,” said Jensen. “Luther made a commitment years ago to limit our use of offsets to no more than 25% of our reductions and to only use RECs from known projects within our region.”
Next steps
To bridge the gap between 72% and 100% carbon neutrality, the college is in the beginning stages of two long-term projects.
Part of Luther’s Energy Master Plan is to convert all campus buildings to geothermal energy, a type of renewable energy taken from the Earth’s core. Luther leaders are working with engineers on the details of the 10-year plan. The goal is to complete phase one of the project in the next two years. Currently, Baker Village and the Center for the Arts run on geothermal energy.
College leaders are also discussing the possibility of adding another large solar field in the future.
“2030 is our carbon neutrality goal and it still feels possible. I would say the closer you get to the end, the harder it gets, so we need to be able to make those things happen. But, I am optimistic that the folks who are working on this and some of the plans that we have make it possible for us to make that 2030 goal,” said Jensen.
I am optimistic that the folks who are working on this and some of the plans that we have make it possible for us to make that 2030 goal.
Jon Jensen, director of the Center for Sustainable Communities
Luther College is a leader in sustainability
In 2022, the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) named Luther College the fourth best baccalaureate institution in the nation for its efforts in sustainability. The Sustainable Campus Index is a comprehensive and independent assessment that includes hundreds of schools. Luther is ranked number nine among all colleges and universities in the nation in the Curriculum category. 37% of all courses include a sustainability component and 100% of departments have sustainability course offerings. Visit the Center for Sustainable Communities website for more information about Luther’s efforts in sustainability. The Climate Action Plan details how the goal of carbon neutrality came about.
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.