On April 8th, fifteen 4th grade students from Carrie Lee Elementary Extended Learning Program led by Mrs. Kari O’Hara competed in the Noetic Learning Math Contest. Cassius Sadler and Sam Bills were the team winners and also won the National Honor Roll title.
Noetic Learning Math Contest is a national mathematics contest for elementary and middle school students. The goal of the competition is to encourage students’ interest in math, to develop their problem-solving skills, and to inspire them to excel in math. This spring, a total of 39,078 students participated in the contest, where 4,355 students earned the prestigious National Honor Roll title, and 16,069 students earned the Honorable Mention title.
The following students from Carrie Lee received National Honorable Mention, awarded to approximately the top 50% of participating Mathletes: Brandon Bailey, McCoy Bonnet, Hunter Goedken, Elle Hanson, Eli Lyon, Ida Sauer, Ellery Schwickerath, Quinn Soland, and Ivan Maki. All other students received a participation certificate for their great effort.
O’Hara remarked, “Congratulations to all the winners! The contest results demonstrate the students’ excellent problem-solving skills and math talents. They also show that the students can rise to the occasion and can meet the challenge.”
The Decorah Elementary Family, Educator, and Community Organization (FEC) recently hosted a Spell-a-thon fundraiser that raised over $36,000 for Decorah early childhood and elementary buildings. This money will go towards funding classroom materials, field trips, guest visitors, classroom and library books, family events, and teacher appreciation festivities.
The FEC runs the Scholastic Book Fair, creates the Elementary yearbook, and hosts additional family events including the Back-to-School Pool Party, Winter Dance Party, Playdate in the Park, and end of year ice cream party at Sugar Bowl.
FEC President Shanna Putnam Dibble stated, “We are extremely grateful for the FEC volunteers who made this fundraiser possible and to all of our families and community members who made it a success. These funds play a crucial role in supporting our efforts to increase student engagement while providing access to high quality learning experiences.”
The FEC is looking for new members to serve on the committee or to volunteer at events throughout the 2024-2025 school year. Follow the FEC on Facebook or contact Shanna Putnam Dibble at shanna.putnamdibble@decorah.school to learn more.
FEC Winter Dance Party
The FEC funds Decorah Apparel for all kindergarten and third grade students to ensure all students can show their Viking Pride!
The FEC funded a pizza party during the Kindergarten “Friendsgiving”
The Decorah High School Music Department participated in the annual State Large Group Music Festival on Friday, May 3 at Decorah High School. This is an adjudicated festival at which music ensembles perform for a panel of three judges and receive one of five divisional ratings for their performance: Division I “Superior” rating, Division II “Excellent” rating, Division III “Good” rating, Division IV “Fair” rating, Division V “Poor” rating. The ratings are based on a point scale. The DHS Concert Band, Concert Choir, Orchestra, and Viking Chorus all received division “I” ratings from the three judges, and the Ninth Grade Choir received a “II” rating.
“We are impressed with the growth our students made over the year, and this culminating performance was an acknowledgment of their dedication to high-level music making,” said the DHS music faculty.
The band is conducted by Dustin Bliven and Matt Cody, the choirs by Jason Rausch, and the orchestra by Nicole Cody.
Decorah High School’s Fall 2023 production of The SpongeBob Musical received Outstanding Musical Production, Outstanding Ensemble, and Outstanding Student Orchestra honors from the Iowa High School Musical Theater Awards (IHSMTA). A group of cast members will perform an excerpt from the show at the 2024 IHSMTA Showcase on Thursday, May 30, at the Des Moines Civic Center. The Awards Showcase will be live streamed at IowaPBS.org.
“SpongeBob was an amazing experience for all of us, and we’re so proud that our company was recognized for their contributions,” says Karen Trewin, producer, co-director, and choreographer. “Being selected among the top high school musicals in the state is a tremendous honor for our cast, crew, orchestra, and director team.”
Cast members Libby Phillips (SpongeBob SquarePants) and Gabriel Hiner (Squidward Q. Tentacles) were recognized for Outstanding Performance in a Principal Role. Both auditioned and qualified for IHSMTA’s “Triple Threat” Award, which recognizes outstanding work in singing, acting, and dancing. They will receive individual coaching on solo pieces, work with a New York City-based choreographer and music director, and collaborate with other high achieving students from other schools during the showcase. They will also audition to represent Iowa at the National High School Musical Theater Awards in New York City.
Four cast members received Special Recognition for Performance in a Principal Role: June Breitenbach-Dirks as Sandy Cheeks; Oliver Brummel as Patrick Star; Davis Coppola as Patchy the Pirate; and Ezra Vorvick as Sheldon J. Plankton.
“Our students consistently astound us with their dedication to delivering exceptional performances,” says Jason Rausch, music director. “We emphasize the power of storytelling–weaving together music, character, and technical precision to create memorable experiences for our audiences. Seeing our students’ efforts acknowledged is truly gratifying.”
DHS also received Special Recognition for Community Engagement for the Krusty Krab lunch event sponsored by the school’s chapter of the National Honor Society.
The production staff for The SpongeBob Musical also includes Karmyn Bakken, stage manager; Chris Hadley, technical director; Jensen Korsness, choreographer; and Kristen Underwood, co-director/costume designer.
The SpongeBob Musical is the fourth production honored by IHSMTA since DHS started participating in the adjudicated program in 2017. The program was canceled in 2020. Decorah High School produces fall musicals every two years with a student variety show offered during alternate years.
Libby Phillips as SpongeBob SquarePants Photo by William Connor
Gabriel Hiner as Squidward Q. Tentacles Photo by William Connor
June Breitenbach-Dirks as Sandy Cheeks Photo by William Connor
Oliver Brummel as Patrick Photo by William Connor
Davis Coppola as Patchy the Pirate Photo by William Connor
Ezra Vorvick as Sheldon J. Plankton
Photo by William Connor
Pit Orchestra for SpongeBob Squarepants Photo by William Connor
The “Whole Town” Outstanding Ensemble Photo by William Connor
The SpongeBob Musical – full company Photo by William Connor
With the 2024 Commencement just around the corner, we’re celebrating the graduating class with Senior Spotlights. Learn more about Cole Barrett and Sammie Sabin in these videos.
2024 Senior Spotlight—Cole Barrett
Cole is majoring in environmental studies and Nordic studies. He’s also a member of Jazz Orchestra, Student Activities Council, Luther College Ticket Office and more.
2024 Senior Spotlight—Sammie Sabin
Sammie, a communication studies major and management and applied leadership studies minor, is a member of the women’s soccer team, a career peer advisor in the Career Center, and much more.
DECORAH, IOWA—The gray fox population is declining across the Midwest; Dawn Reding, associate professor of biology at Luther College, is trying to understand why. She’s leading part of the lab work of a multi-state study, which includes Iowa, Indiana and Illinois, on gray foxes.
While many gray foxes are dying of canine distemper, a highly contagious virus that attacks the respiratory, gastrointestinal and nervous systems of canines, that doesn’t tell the whole story. The disease has affected gray foxes since at least the 1970s, but the population decline has significantly increased in recent years.
Dawn Reding
“There are multiple factors involved in the decline of gray foxes,” Reding said. “We are still putting together all the pieces; it’s going to be a complex story.”
Reding has been studying the decline for the past four years through a grant with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and the Wildlife Ecology Institute (WEI), a nonprofit that researches and manages wildlife. Reding’s part of the study focused on genetic testing to understand how gray fox movement patterns, diet and prevalence of bacteria in their gut could contribute to disease susceptibility.
The researchers are also working with Kansas State and Purdue University. Reding’s team collected blood and tissue samples and sent them to a team at Kansas State to test for various viruses and parasites at its diagnostic lab, then researchers at Purdue and Reding’s team examined carcasses to determine the cause of death of gray foxes.
She hopes to begin a new four-year study with the Indiana DNR and the WEI on possible comorbidities that could be exacerbating the spread of canine distemper among gray foxes by testing DNA.
Reding and her team are looking into habitat as a possible reason for the decline, since gray foxes are coming into closer contact with humans as their natural habitats shrink due to development. The animals may come into contact with common household toxins like rat poison or antifreeze. Lab tests revealed that a gray fox had died after ingesting antifreeze.
A gray fox that was captured during the study before being released. Photo credit: Julia Nawrocki
There’s also a possibility that gray foxes could be in competition with other species such as coyotes and bobcats. This could mean they don’t have access to nutritious food to keep their immune systems strong and fight off canine distemper.
Luther students worked under Reding,which gave them valuable skills for their future professions.
Poppy Thuy Duong Truong, a junior majoring in identity studies, helped examine the animals last summer as a research assistant for the study. She traveled to Indiana, where many gray foxes are found, to collect the bodies and study them.
Poppy Thuy Duong Truong works int he lab as part of the gray fox study.
“During the research project, I learned how to work collaboratively and learned how to communicate with my team members,” Truong said. “These are skills that I can take into a future career.”
A Luther student also helped analyze the DNA of gray foxes to understand the species better. Adam Koller, a senior majoring in data science and mathematics who also worked as a research assistant, helped Reding in interpreting DNA sequencing data during the study last summer.
“I was working with the sequence data after it was sent to a lab for testing to understand gray foxes,” Koller said. “While it’s a biology research project, I found a way to fit it into the study with my data science experience.”
Gray foxes are not officially considered endangered, but have become a species of concern. It is legal to hunt the animals, but gray foxes are not a typical game. According to the Iowa DNR’s “Trends in Iowa Wildlife Population and Harvesting” logbook, only one gray fox was harvested during the 2021-22 hunting season. It was hunters and trappers in the Midwest who acted as the catalyst for the study when they noticed the decline and alerted wildlife officials.
They are North America’s only canine species that can climb trees because of their long, hooked claws. This allows them to escape predators or find food sources in trees. Rodents are also a part of the foxes’ diet, giving the foxes an important role in regulating rodent populations.
“There is not a lot known about gray foxes since they’re not well-studied,” Reding said. “This study is very broad and comprehensive to understand the species better.”
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—A Luther College senior and recent alum both received Fulbright English Teaching Assistantships for the 2024-25 academic year. Robert Clower, class of 2023, and senior Amy Webb will spend the year abroad immersing themselves in German language and culture as well as improving their students’ English abilities and knowledge of the United States.
The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program. Every year, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program selects more than 2,000 students, artists and early-career professionals to teach English and undertake research abroad. Fulbright awards are given based upon leadership potential, academic achievement and record of service.
Fulbright winners have gone on to win Pulitzer Prizes and Nobel Prizes, as well as gone on to become leaders in a number of sectors, including government, business and education.
Robert Clower
Robert Clower, class of 2023
Clower, of Grinnell, Iowa, graduated from Luther in 2023 with a degree in music. He also minored in German during his time on campus, which is why he applied for the Fulbright award.
“Working in public schools in Germany will allow me to continue this cross-cultural learning with hands-on experience in the classroom,” Clower said. “Interacting with Germans in an environment like a classroom will help immerse me in the culture.”
While at Luther, Clower found that studying music and German simultaneously gave him a fresh perspective on the world. Learning a new language helped him become a better musician as well. He played oboe in Luther’s Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra. He also studied voice and sang in Collegiate Choir. He spent a month in Austria rehearsing and performing with the Symphony Orchestra as part of their renowned Vienna Residency program.
“I cannot imagine being successful with oboe over the last two years if I had not started taking German; it allowed me to learn to think in a different way,” Clower said.
Amy Webb
Amy Webb, class of 2024
Webb, of Waverly, Iowa, is a double major in international studies and German with a minor in English. Webb felt the Fulbright program was the natural next step after college to pursue her interests in language and culture.
“I heard about the Fulbright program from my first German class here at Luther, and ever since it had been on my mind to apply,” Webb said. “I loved the prospect of not only being able to live and work in Germany, but also act as a cultural ambassador and strengthen relations between countries and with people from different cultures.”
Webb plays violin in the Luther Symphony Orchestra and traveled to Austria with the group for the Vienna residency. She is a member of the Sigma Tau Delta English honor society and the Delta Phi Alpha German honor society; later this month, she will be inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. Webb also serves as the president of Luther College Model United Nations and the Luther Association of Gamers.
“I have found that traveling fosters open-mindedness, empathy, self-confidence, and enhances one’s personal development,” Webb said.
After completing the program, Webb plans to pursue an advanced degree in library sciences or international relations. She plans to take these values into her future education and career.
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.
The 87th annual Decorah FFA Awards Program was held at the Decorah High School auditorium on Thursday, at 7:00 p.m. About 200 guests were in attendance, including parents, family members, community sponsors, business leaders, and members. The Conduct of Meetings Team consisting of President Gabe Monroe, Vice-President Braden Hemesath, Secretary Madelynn Dahl, Treasurer Andrew Carolan, Reporter Mara Lovstuen, Sentinel Hadley Alexander, and Advisor Aiden Helgerson officially opened the awards program.
Chapter President Creed Monroe welcomed everyone in attendance. The 2023-2024 officer team then presented Greenhand FFA Degrees and Chapter FFA degrees to the recipients, and Jackson Irwin presented the FFA Creed. This year’s twenty-one Greenhand FFA Degree recipients include Hadley Alexander, Andrew Carolan, Kale Christopher, Michael Clement, Brinlee Courtney, Madelynn Dahl, Dominick Duffield, William Hahn, Noah Heiselman, Aiden Helgerson, Braden Hemesath, Tristan Hunter, Jackson Irwin, William Kruse, Mara Lovstuen, Gabe Monroe, Karter Orris, Ryan Rocksvold, John Toby Schnitzler, Isabella Schnitzler, and Peyton Schultz.
The 2023-2024 Chapter FFA Degree recipients include Rylee Averhoff, Ryan Bigler, Mason Brumm, Henry Brynsaas, Karlee Bullerman, Jerikah Dodd, Karlie Einck, Nick Farley, Ayden Guevara, Jacob Hageman, Lauren Holthaus, Kaylee Larson, Raleigh Lensing, Lyla Lovstuen, Eden Scheidel, Annika Schmelzer, Jake Teslow, Gracie Thompson, Kamryn Werges, and Thea Zidlicky.
Brody Courtney and Travis Nordheim then awarded the leadership awards to members who successfully served as leaders within our chapter by serving as an officer and/or a committee chairperson. Members receiving leadership pins for completing their first year of service include Kiele Eberling, Rashell Lippe, Lyla Lovstuen, Eden Scheidel, Kamryn Werges, Kolton Werges, and Thea Zidlicky.
Members recognized for more than two years of leadership service to the chapter include Brooke Anfinson, Cade Averhoff, Annika Brynsaas, Brody Courtney, Braunwyn Darrington, Anders Lovstuen, Creed Monroe, Travis Nordheim, Jeramiah Rediske, Derek Tieskoetter, Ciara Wedmann, Mara Wyatt, and Olivia Wyatt.
Annika Brynsaas and Derek Tieskoetter introduced the members who had perfect meeting attendance this past year. These members include Hadley Alexander, Henry Brynsaas, Annika Brynsaas, Karlee Bullerman, Brody Courtney, Brinlee Courtney, Karlie Einck, Nick Farley, Aiden Helgerson, Braden Hemesath, Tristan Hunter, William Kruse, Anders Lovstuen, Lyla Lovstuen, Creed Monroe, Gabe Monroe, Travis Nordheim, Jeramiah Rediske, Eden Scheidel, Derek Tieskoetter, and Thea Zidlicky.
Anders Lovstuen and Lyla Lovstuen presented scholarship pins and certificates to all of the Decorah FFA members who made the honor roll this past year. Members receiving this honor and a pin include Hadley Alexander, Rylee Averhoff, Andrew Carolan, Kale Christopher, Brinlee Courtney, Madelynn Dahl, Camren Darling, William Hahn, Lauren Holthaus, Tristan Hunter, Jackson Irwin, William Kruse, Gabe Monroe, Karter Orris, Peyton Schultz, and Haley Stinson.
Members receiving a scholarship certificate for being on the honor roll multiple years include Brooke Anfinson, Cade Averhoff, Ryan Bigler, Henry Brynsaas, Annika Brynsaas, Karlee Bullerman, Brody Courtney, Braunwyn Darrington, Jerikah Dodd, Kiele Eberling, Nick Farley, Austin Helgerson, Raleigh Lensing, Anders Lovstuen, Lyla Lovstuen, Creed Monroe, Travis Nordheim, Jeramiah Rediske, Eden Scheidel, Annika Schmelzer, Jordan Sims, Kayleigh Smith, Jake Teslow, Ciara Wedmann, and Mara Wyatt.
Kamryn Werges presented the Academic Achievement Awards. The senior academic awards are awarded from the Iowa FFA Association and are presented to the seniors with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5. Recipients who received a certificate and a medal include Brooke Anfinson, Annika Brynsaas, Anders Lovstuen, Creed Monroe, Travis Nordheim, and Ciara Wedmann.
Kiele Eberling and Eden Scheidel recognized this year’s members of the month. Members selected to be honored for their FFA accomplishments include Anders Lovstuen, Brooke Anfinson, Karlie Einck, Travis Nordheim, Kamryn Werges, Jeramiah Rediske, Derek Tieskoetter, and Creed Monroe.
Creed Monroe and Jeramiah Rediske presented the top five fruit sales awards after announcing the chapter had sold a total fruit sales amount of $55,435. Members receiving fruit sales awards include 1st– Jordan Sims, 2nd – Karlie Einck, 3rd – Karlee Bullerman, 4th – Rylee Averhoff, 5th Aiden Helgerson, 6th – Dominick Duffield, 7th – Derek Tieskoetter, 8th – Lauren Holthaus, 9th – Kaylee Larson, and 10th – Elora Schnitzler.
The Decorah FFA Letter was presented by Gabe Monroe. In order to letter, members must be an active member in FFA and the community. This year twenty-three members lettered in FFA. These members include Brooke Anfinson, Cade Averhoff, Annika Brynsaas, Brody Courtney, Camren Darling, Braunwyn Darrington, Kiele Eberling, Karlie Einck, Christopher Larson, Anders Lovstuen, Lyla Lovstuen, Creed Monroe, Travis Nordheim, Jeramiah Rediske, Eden Scheidel, Kayleigh Smith, Derek Tieskoetter, Ciara Wedmann, Kamryn Werges, Kolton Werges, Mara Wyatt, Olivia Wyatt, and Thea Zidlicky.
Each FFA member has a requirement to keep records on either a job placement, agribusiness ownership, or a livestock or crop project. Members then submit their record books for evaluation. Karlie Einck announced the top record books for each class. They were senior Jeramiah Rediske, junior Kiele Eberling, sophomore Eden Scheidel, and freshman Hadley Alexander.
Braunwyn Darrington and Travis Nordheim presented the Star Greenhand award to Brinlee Courtney and Gabe Monroe. They also presented the Star Chapter Farmer award to Anders Lovstuen, and the Star Chapter Placement award to Creed Monroe.
Kolton Werges congratulated this year’s proficiency award winners. This year’s chapter proficiency winners include the following: Annika Brynsaas (Agriculture Sales Placement), Creed Monroe (Agriculture Services), Jeramiah Rediske (Beef Production-Entrepreneurship), Brody Courtney (Dairy Production Entrepreneurship), Kayleigh Smith (Dairy Production-Placement), Eden Scheidel (Equine Science), Karlee Bullerman (Goat Production), Ciara Wedmann (Landscape Management), and Jordan Sims (Swine Production-Entrepreneurship).
Derek Tieskoetter and Kamryn Werges thanked the senior class for all their leadership over the years and congratulated them on all their accomplishments. This year’s 2024 Decorah FFA seniors who were recognized include Brooke Anfinson, Cade Averhoff, Annika Brynsaas, Brody Courtney, Camren Darling, Braunwyn Darrington, Christopher Larson, Anders Lovstuen, Creed Monroe, Travis Nordheim, Jeramiah Rediske, Kayleigh Smith, Ciara Wedmann, Kolton Werges, Mara Wyatt, and Olivia Wyatt.
Annika Brynsaas presented the Star FFA Alumni and Supporters award to Cole and Ashley Horgen. Brody Courtney and Creed Monroe then recognized our 2024 Friends of Agriculture Award Recipients Mr. Brian Waskow and Mr. Dave Waskow.
The 2023-2024 Chapter officers then presented the Honorary FFA Degree. The Honorary membership is for any farmers, school superintendents, principals, members of boards of education, chapter advisors, teachers, staff members in agricultural education, business people, and others who are helping to advance agricultural education and the FFA and who have rendered outstanding service. They may be elected to honorary membership by a majority vote of the members present at any regular meeting or convention. This year’s recipients were Hubka Construction and Paul and Sue Bruvold.
Chapter Advisor Joni Bruvold thanked all the volunteers and individuals who have supported the chapter throughout the last year. Following Ms. Bruvold’s speech, the Decorah FFA Alumni and Supporters came to the stage to provide an update. There also was a live auction to raise money for Decorah FFA Senior Scholarships through the Decorah FFA Alumni and Supporters. After watching the year in review video, the new officer installation took place before the banquet was adjourned. The 2023-2024 officers installed the following 2024-25 officers: President – Creed Monroe to Kamryn Werges, Vice President – Brody Courtney to Eden Scheidel, Secretary – Annika Brynsaas to Karlie Einck, Treasurer – Anders Lovstuen to Gabe Monroe, Reporter – Jeramiah Rediske to Brinlee Courtney, Sentinel – Travis Nordheim to Derek Tieskoetter, and Assistant Officer – Derek Tieskoetter to Lyla Lovstuen. The officer team performed the closing ceremonies and concluded the banquet with the Pledge of Allegiance.
2024 Decorah FFA Friends of FFA Award Recipients: Mr. Brian Waskow and Mr. Dave Waskow
2024 Decorah FFA Best Record Book Winners:
Hadley Alexander, Eden Scheidel, Kiele Eberling, and Jeramiah Rediske received best record book awards.
2024 Decorah FFA Honorary FFA Degree Recipients:
Sue and Paul Bruvold received the Honorary FFA Degree. Hubka Construction was absent from the photo but also received the Honorary FFA Degree.
2024 Decorah FFA Letter Recipients: Row 1: Kamryn Werges, Ciara Wedmann, Anders Lovstuen, Creed Monroe, Kolton Werges
Row 2: Eden Scheidel, Derek Tieskoetter, Mara Wyatt, Olivia Wyatt
Ashley and Cole Horgen received the 2024 Decorah FFA Star FFA Alumni and Supporters Award
2023-2024 Decorah FFA Top 5 Fruit Sales:5th – Aiden Helgerson, 4th – Rylee Averhoff, 3rd – Karlee Bullerman, 2nd – Karlie Einck, and 1st – Jordan Sims
2024 Decorah FFA Star Award Recipients:
Gabe Monroe, Anders Lovstuen, and Creed Monroe received a 2024 Decorah FFA Star Award. Brinlee Courtney also received a FFA Star Award but was absent for the photo.
2023-2024 Decorah FFA Proficiency Award Winners Row 1: Annika Brynsaas, Creed Monroe, Jeramiah Rediske, Brody Courtney, Kayleigh Smith Row 2: Eden Scheidel, Karlee Bullerman, Ciara Wedmann, Jordan Sims
Decorah FFA members receiving the Chapter FFA Degree Row 1: Lyla Lovstuen, Raleigh Lensing, Karlie Einck, Nick Farley Row 2: Karlee Bullerman, Lauren Holthaus, Jerikah Dodd, Rylee Averhoff, Annika Schmelzer Row 3: Ryan Bigler, Henry Brynsaas, Kamryn Werges, Eden Scheidel Absent from photo: Mason Brumm, Ayden Guevara, Jacob Hageman, Kaylee Larson, Jake Teslow, Gracie Thompson, and Thea Zidlicky
Decorah FFA members receiving the Greenhand FFA Degree Row 1: Hadley Alexander, Madelynn Dahl, Andrew Carolan, Michael Clement, Aiden Helgerson Row 2: Jackson Irwin, Tristan Hunter, Mara Lovstuen, Isabella Schnitzler, Peyton Schultz Row 3: Dominick Duffield, Braden Hemesath, Karter Orris, William Kruse, Gabe Monroe, John Toby Schnitzler Absent from photo: Kale Christopher, Brinlee Courtney, William Hahn, Noah Heiselman, Ryan Rocksvold
DECORAH, IOWA— Five Luther College seniors attended the annual Sigma Tau Delta Convention in St. Louis from April 3–6. The students, all English majors or minors and members of the Sigma Tau Delta English honor society, presented work on topics like George Eliot’s “Middlemarch” and queer identity in literature, in addition to original fiction and poetry.
Five Luther seniors attended the Sigma Tau Delta Conference in April. From left to right: Mia Irving, Scott Rush, Ashley Imdieke, Ethan Kober, Amy Webb.
The five students who attended were:
Ashley Imdieke, of Northfield, Minnesota
Mia Irving, of Coralville, Iowa
Ethan Kober, of Cedar Falls, Iowa
Scott Rust, of Hudson, Wisconsin
Amy Webb, of Waverly, Iowa
Each year, the international conference brings college students and faculty from different institutions to present their work and celebrate undergraduate writers. Students also learn about career and graduate school opportunities for English majors and minors. They also have the opportunity to earn awards for outstanding work.
Webb received an honorable mention in the Stemmler Dennis LGBT award category for her critical essay “Stone Fruit: Inner Wildness and Queer Identity.”
“The Sigma Tau Delta convention gathers a supportive and dynamic community brimming with creativity and new ideas,” Webb said. “I enjoyed discovering the diverse ways my English minor can be applied in different careers, exploring various interpretations of literature and multimedia and listening to a variety of original poetry and prose by my peers. Overall, it was an incredibly inspiring experience.”
“Luther should be very proud of the quality and professionalism of these students’ presentations,” said Marie Drews, associate professor of English and faculty advisor to Sigma Tau Delta. “In their participation at the conference, the students proved fine ambassadors of a Luther education.”
“I found that this conference was very valuable for me personally, as it gave me the opportunity to meet and learn more about the career paths of professionals in writing and editing jobs,” Imdieke said. “Additionally, I enjoyed the experience of presenting an academic paper that I wrote this year; it was a great opportunity to further develop my public speaking skills and to meet students from all across the country.”
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 courageous for a lifetime of impact. Learn more at luther.edu.
Two Decorah Envirothon teams recently competed in the state contest held at Jester State Park near Saylorville, Iowa. Both teams had qualified for the state competition by achieving very high scores at regional competition. They, along with 13 other teams from across the state, vied for the state title and a trip to the international Envirothon contest to be held in Geneva, New York this year.
For the second year in a row, team DNR finished first at the state competition. Team members are Lucas Arendt, Connor Evelsizer, Gabriel Hiner, Anders Lovstuen, and Aiden Nalean-Carlson. By finishing first at the state contest, they have earned an expense-paid trip to New York to represent Iowa in international competition July 28th-August 3rd. The DNR team had the outright high score in the Aquatics, Forestry, Soils, and Oral Speech categories.
For the second year in a row, team Skabush also qualified to compete in state competition and finished in an impressive second place. Team members include Henry Weis, Nathan Swarbrick, Alex McGohan, Riley Berns and Carson Bohner, who won the current Issue category and finished with high scores in each of the other categories. This is the first year that Decorah teams, competing at the state level, have taken home the first and second place awards.
The Envirothon is a team competition for high school students, testing their knowledge of the natural world around them. In the field and classroom, teams of five students are challenged to use their knowledge and critical thinking skills to conduct hands-on investigations, solve real-life scenarios, and answer questions covering five categories: Aquatics, Forestry, Soils, Wildlife, and a current topic. This year’s current topic, “Renewable Energy for a Sustainable Future,” required each five-member team to also prepare and present a speech outlining a designed plan with recommendations and possible solutions to meet the current topic challenges.
Advisor Larry Berland shared, “I am very proud to say that 60 awesome Decorah high school students participated in the Envirothon program this year. They offer hope for the Earth’s environment.” He continued, “A very special thank you goes out to Barb Schroeder and the Winneshiek County Conservation Board along with Conservation Districts of Iowa for their generous donations to our cause. I also want to thank parents, school administration, teachers, and a community that cares: you make our success possible.”
Envirothon State First Place Winner 24: Lucas Arendt, Aiden Nalean-Carlson, Gabriel Hiner, Connor Evelsizer, and Anders Lovstuen
Skabush at State – Second Place: Henry Weis, Carson Bohner, Alex McGohan, Nathan Swarbrick, and Riley Berns
Envirothon State Winners 24: Front row–first place team: Connor Evelsizer, Anders Lovstuen, Gabriel Hiner, Aiden Nalean-Carlson, and Lucas Arendt
Back row–second place team: Chaperone Nick Lovstuen, Carson Bohner, Nathan Swarbrick, Riley Berns, Alex McGohan, Henry Weis, and Advisor Larry Berland
