Fall 2016
Dear Classmate,
Luther College Homecoming was early this year, which presented a challenge to the many music groups to be ready for performance. They were up to it, however: Five choirs participated in the Sunday morning worship service, plus a brass ensemble and a jazz combo. The Symphony Orchestra and Concert Band are well on their way to a good year with long-standing conductors. Nordic Choir has an unusual situation this academic year—following the resignation of Allen Hightower late in the spring, too late for a proper replacement search—and there will be a succession of three conductors in the course of the year. Ann Howard Jones, professor emerita of music at Boston University, is the conductor for the fall semester. She is impressive; the choir sounded amazing at its Homecoming concert.
Two student awards were presented at the Sunday afternoon Homecoming Concert: the Theodore Presser Award, to an outstanding senior student majoring in music, and the Hemp Family Prize for Orchestral Performance. The Presser Award went to Pablo Gomez Estevez of the Dominican Republic; the Hemp Prize to Namuun Tsend-Ayush of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Luigi Enriquez of Racine, Wis., was announced the winner of the annual Alan R. and Sally J. Brudos Family Prize for Opera Performance. Luther students represent all parts of the globe.
On the academic front, the Board of Regents has approved the addition of two new majors—data science and neuroscience—drawing on existing faculty strengths and linking up with the growing demand for qualified graduates in these burgeoning fields.
Special attention is being paid to the college’s enrollment and related budgetary issues. Two years ago there was a decline in enrollment, followed last year by a partial recovery, but then another decline this fall. Currently the total student body numbers around 2,150 (vs. a peak of 2,500 or so). The number of new students this semester is 552, 525 of them first-year students. Interestingly, the decline of new students has been focused in Iowa, where pressure from the state’s regents has pushed the University of Iowa and Iowa State University to intensify their recruiting of in-state students. With leadership from the president, academic dean, and major committees, a careful process is now underway to meet this challenge: reassessing the appropriate size of the faculty and staff relative to the number of students, confronting the decline in prospective students who identify as Lutheran, developing a “Next Steps for Sophomores” program to help students focus sooner and more effectively on their vocational direction, and dealing with the concern of parents about college debt. Fortunately, the college finished the most recent fiscal year in good financial shape, comfortably in the black, and had one of its best fundraising years ever. So the foundation for moving ahead is solid.
Your continuing support for the college is as important as ever, even more so given the challenges now facing private higher education in general and Luther in particular. Thank you for your past gifts!
We’ll write again in the spring,
Jess (Romens) Schouten
2003 Class Agent
[email protected]
Joel Sommers
2003 Class Agent
[email protected]
Your gift. Every year. Put to work, right away, where it is needed most.
Each year more than 10,000 alumni, parents, and friends support the Annual Fund with gifts from $5 to $100,000. Strong support from alumni helps Luther secure additional funds from foundations and corporations, and your gift each year helps us to reach our goal of 27% alumni giving. Here’s how your class is doing so far this year:
CLASS OF 2003 TOTAL GIVING: $12,678.93 FROM 17.77% OF THE CLASS*
Have you made your 2016 gift to Luther? Only 47 more gifts are needed to reach 27% for your class. Please visit givenow.luther.edu to make your gift today. Thank you!
Please note: Your Spring 2017 class agent letter will include a listing of your classmates who gave to Luther during 2016. Be sure to make your gift before December 31 to be included.
*as of October 19, 2016
Class Notes
Jessica Aguilar and Anthony Pizer live in Sioux Falls, S.D. Jessica is the enterprise executive director of Sanford Initiatives for Sanford Health Research. Anthony is a recruiter for Thrivent Financial.
Julie Bauch is a nursing supervisor for Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.
Jon Bengtson is a client service analyst for Mercer in Iowa City, Iowa.
Narren Brown is the associate director of the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment at Grinnell (Iowa) College.
Emily Dreiling earned master’s and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Northern Colorado. She is a clinical psychologist at Clinical Psychology Services in Fairfax, Va.
Peter Eliason earned a master of science degree in predictive analytics from Northwestern University. He is a senior data scientist at Polaris Industries in Plymouth, Minn.
Tim Fink is the director of research and policy analysis for the Supporters of Agricultural Research (SoAR) Foundation in Arlington, Va.
Liz (Langkamp) Gullick is high school choir director for the South Washington County Schools in White Bear Lake, Minn.
Jana (Chmelar) Klauke is vice president of human resources and talent management for DivvyDose in Rock Island, Ill.
Ryan Kling-Punt is community outreach manager for Rochester (Minn.) Area Habitat for Humanity.
Andrew Nelson is pastor for the children, youth, and family ministry at St. Mark Lutheran Church in Sioux City, Iowa, and serves as president of the Mary J. Treglia House board of directors.
Kelly Shomper is a teacher in the Minneapolis Public Schools.
Joe Sievers is talent acquisition consultant for Glanbia Performance Nutrition in Downers Grove, Ill.
Joel Sommers is an estate planning, trust, and legal consultant for Fiduciary Counseling Inc. in St. Paul, Minn.
Katie (Hendrickson) Thompson teaches middle-school math at Ave Maria Catholic School in Parker, Colo.
Arvid von Taube is an associate attorney with Ropes and Gray, LLP, in Boston. He was elected chair of the Wellesley Historical Commission, which is in charge of preserving the architectural, political, and social history of Wellesley, Mass.
Josh Visser is a senior sales support specialist for Kronos Inc. in Bloomington, Minn.
Beth Willer earned a doctor of musical arts degree in choral conducting from Boston University. She is assistant professor of music and director of choral activities at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pa., and the founder and artistic director of Lorelei Ensemble. In 2014 Beth received the prestigious Louis Botto Award for Innovative Action and Entrepreneurial Zeal, and Boston University’s Kahn Career Entry Award.
Marriages
AMANDA ARMSTRONG and Nick Rahko, June 22, 2014
ERIN CLARK and Nick Benedict, Feb. 27, 2016
CARISSA GORDON and Michael Rozinka, Aug. 2, 2014
JOSH VISSER and Steve Kern, March 4, 2016
Births
SARAH (ROOT) '02 and JON BENGTSON welcomed a son, Isaiah Robert, in December 2015. Isaiah joins brother Aaron.
SUE (GILBERTSON) and Drew Boxrud welcomed a daughter, Lillie Kathrin, in March 2014.
JANELLE (FEINE) '04 and CHARLIE DAHL welcomed a son, Connor, in September 2015. Connor joins sister Ruby.
ANGIE (DEMMER) and Derek Hietala welcomed a daughter, Lyla Rebecca, in January 2016. Lyla joins sister Aviella and brother Grayson.
JENN (SMITH) '02 and PETER HOESING welcomed a son, Samuel Weston, in July 2014. Samuel joins brother James.
Amanda and RYAN HOLLENBECK welcomed a daughter, Piper Kay, in February 2016. Piper joins sister Adalyn.
KELLY (HAVE) and JOSH JANSEN '02 welcomed a son, Crawford Elias, in March 2016. Crawford joins brother Beckett and sister Landrie.
RIAN (HELGERSON) and Tim Jentz welcomed twins, a daughter, Eloise Lorraine, and a son, Owen Goldwin, in December 2015.
AMBER (KOBLER) and Ryan Lynch welcomed a daughter, Hailey Pearle, in October 2015. Hailey joins sister Nora.
KJERSTI (ELLISON) and Danny Nayar welcomed a son, Finn, in November 2015. Finn joins sister Rowan and brother Leif.
ALYSSA ERICKSON '02 and KWAME OWUSU-ACHEAMPONG welcomed a daughter, Adoma Linnea, in May 2016. Adoma joins sister Irene.
JESSICA (AGUILAR) and ANTHONY PIZER welcomed a daughter, Elyse Marie, in July 2015. Elyse joins brother James.
Heather and JEFFREY SCHUMAN welcomed twins, a daughter, Aubree Joy, and a son, Caden William, in May 2016.
Amy and JOE SIEVERS welcomed a son, Benjamin Clarke, in December 2014. Benjamin joins brother Jackson.
KATIE (HENDRICKSON) and JASON THOMPSON welcomed a son, Dean Robert, in April 2016.
