Reflections on Kwanzaa 2014
Celebrating Kwanzaa in America, a reflection by Luther Professor Guy Nave on the effect of the social climate on the Kwanzaa celebration.
An Iowa College in the Liberal Arts Tradition
Ideas and Creations
The ideas and viewpoints expressed in the posts on the Ideas and Creations blog are solely the view of the author(s). Luther College's mission statement calls us to "embrace diversity and challenge one another to learn in community," and to be "enlivened and transformed by encounters with one another, by the exchange of ideas, and by the life of faith and learning." Alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends of the college are encouraged to express their views, model "good disagreement" and engage in respectful dialogue.
On being uncomfortable
Discussing being uncomfortable, Gereon Kopf, Luther professor of religion, finds that maybe being comfortable isn't all it's cracked up to be. Do we really want everyone to agree with us?
What's really going viral: The virus or our hysteria?
La Donna McGohan, Luther College associate professor of nursing, talks about the dramatic media portrayal of the Ebola virus and what really should be filling the headlines. How can we advocate for our health? Read on.
And on earth, the hard work of peace
Amy Weldon, Luther associate professor of English, writes of finding peace through word, song, art, imagery and work, lots of hard work.
Geeking out
What do professors do all day? Why, geek out of course! Let Kate Elliott, Luther assistant professor of art history, explain why "geeking out" is a good thing.
Coding Bootcamp
Kent Lee, professor of computer science at Luther, talks in code. When you've taught web programming for almost 10 years, it's bound to happen. Coding Bootcamp discusses how Luther computer science courses help our graduates stay relevant in a changing tech world.
Can we try again?: An attempt at civil dialogue
Guy Nave, Luther professor of religion, penned a response post to the overwhelming commentary on his blog post from last week, "Ferguson: A question of excessive force." Read along and join in the conversation.
Dogmatic Darwinism
Can intelligent design theory be considered a valid scientific alternative to Darwinian evolution? Can evolutionary questions be answered by naturalistic science alone, or do religion and philosophy still have a valid stake? Read on as Bob Shedinger, Luther associate professor of religion, explores the possibilities in Dogmatic Darwinism.
Ferguson: A question of excessive force
Guy Nave, Luther professor of religion, asks the hard questions regarding the Nov. 24 Ferguson shooting announcement. When is "by any means necessary" appropriate? Is it ever? What exactly qualifies as "excessive force"? How do these questions relate to being a professor at a liberal arts college?
What I've learned in my career
After a little self-reflection, Sheila Radford-Hill, executive director of Luther's Diversity Center, asks us to ask ourselves "what have we learned?" and gives three insights for a successful career in higher education.
'Luther Trumpets take over Des Moines!'
Let the trumpets sound! An homage to Adolf Herseth and an impressive tour through Des Moines reminds us of the power of music through the work of Luther Assistant Professor John Cord, and his trumpeters.
Living in a backwards world
Luther senior Abby Powell asks us to board the sustainability train with her and learn more about reevaluating our sense of community, our habits and how and why we work.