Luther College Woman's Club program April 16

Bonnie Koloc, visual and recording artist, will present "Visual Voice," at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 16, in Peace Dining Room. All women are welcome. For information on the shuttle service available from the Decorah swimming pool lot, call 382-4999. For childcare needs, call 382-8604.

Religion Forum lecture April 16

Robert Shedinger, associate professor of religion, will present a Religion Forum lecture at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 16, in Olin 102. The lecture, "Radically Open: Transcending Religious Identity in an Age of Anxiety," is based on his book of the same title and will discuss how modern American society serves to foster the anxiety epidemic and how it prohibits anxiety sufferers' access to the spiritual resources they desperately need. The event is open to the public with no charge for admission.

'Generation Me: Why Today's Students are More Assertive, Confident, Entitled, and More Miserable Than Ever Before'

Jean Twenge from San Diego State University will speak at Luther April 16-17 on what it means to be a college student today. Her April 16 lecture, “Generation Me: Why Today’s Students are More Assertive, Confident, Entitled, and More Miserable Than Ever Before,” will be held in Valders 206 from 8-9:30 p.m.

On April 17 she will speak on “The Narcissism Epidemic and How to Address It,” from 9-10:30 a.m. in the CFL Recital Hall. Twenge is an internationally recognized expert in this field and works from a database of 11 million. She is known for her witty and engaging lectures. 

Local artist on display at Luther

An exhibit from local artist John Snyder titled "New Work" will be on display now through May 19 on the upper level of the CFL. A gallery reception for Snyder will be held from 4:30-6 p.m. Wednesday, April 17. This art display will include works that are grounded in a so-called "Church of the Unknown" which reflects Snyder's personal mythology that draws on several sources, including self-taught art, Christian iconography, pre-Renaissance Italian frescoes, Buddhist cave paintings, and African and Oceania imagery.

Luther College Ringers and Cantorei ensemble to perform concert April 17

The Luther Ringers will join Cantorei for a combined concert at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 17 in the NRH. The Cantorei portion of the program will include two sets of music. The first set will include sacred music and the second set of music will feature more contemporary music that speaks to the diversity of experiences in women's lives. The Ringers portion of the concert centers on bell transcriptions of classical repertoire.

Luther to host 'Celebrate Ability' awareness event April 17

Luther invites the community to "Celebrate Ability" on disability awareness day April 17. The day's events will begin at 12:30 p.m. in the Union with a "Wheel of Ability" game. There will also be an online petition available for participants to sign in the Union, pledging to remove the word retard, also known as the "R word," from their everyday vocabulary. A panel of student speakers will discuss their personal experiences with disabilities from 7-8 p.m. in Valders 206.

'Monstrosity & Damage as Human Capital in "Gaga Feminism"'

Join professor Robin James at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 17, for a discussion on the philosophy of contemporary musicians Lady Gaga, Rihanna and more in her lecture, "Monstrosity & Damage as Human Capital in 'Gaga Feminism'." The lecture, open to the public with no charge for admission, will take place in Olin 102.

Luther College Wind and Percussion Ensemble and Varsity Band to perform April 18

The Wind and Percussion Ensemble and Varsity Band will perform at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 18, in the CFL. The concert is open to the public with no charge for admission. The Wind and Percussion Ensemble will perform several works, including a staple piece of wind band literature, Vincent Persichett's "Divertimento for Band" Op. 42. The Varsity Band's program includes work inspired by the music of Latin America.

Minneapolis artist to offer discussion April 19

Minneapolis artist Pat Benincasa will be discussing her work, currently on display in the Kristin Wigley-Fleming Gallery, at 2 p.m. Friday, April 19. The discussion will also be held in the Wigley-Fleming Gallery. All are welcome to join the conversation.

Luther College Philharmonia spring concert April 19

The Luther College Philharmonia will present a spring concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 19 in the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall on the Luther campus. The concert is open to the public with no charge for admission. The Philharmonia will perform a piece inspired by a poem written by Modest Mussorgsky titled, "Night on Bald Mountain," and arranged and orchestrated by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. The ensemble will also perform Symphony No. 2 in B major, op. 5, "Bogatyr" by Alexander Borodin.

Persick to present the Brudos Family Opera Prize recital April 20

Erin Angeline Persick '13, will present the Alan R. and Sally J. Brudos Family Opera Prize recital at 4 p.m., Saturday, April 20, in the NRH. Persick is the 2012-13 recipient of the Brudos Family Opera Prize. She will perform works by Haydn, Respighi, Poulenc, Rachmaninoff and Previn. Collaborating on piano is Jessica Paul, professor of music. A reception will follow the performance. Both the recital and reception are open to the public with no charge for admission.

Luther alumna to speak on experiences in Palestine April 20-23

Alma Gast '10, will be on campus speaking at several events about her yearlong experience in Palestine. She will offer a public discussion at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, April 21, in the Mott Room titled, "An American in Palestine: Learning to see with new eyes." There will be a brown bag lunch with students at noon Monday, April 22. Gast will complete her time at Luther by offering the Don Kemp Memorial Lecture, "Following the Rainbow: Stories and Adventures," at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 23, in the Baker Commons. The memorial lecture will also celebrate the life of Don Kemp, former social work faculty member.

Guest artist performance in dance and theater: Nick Bryson in residence April 21-24

Nick Bryson, co-artistic director of Legitimate Bodies Dance Company based in Birr Theatre & Arts Centre in County Offaly, Ireland, will complete a residency at Luther College April 21-24. Bryson's workshop will take place 6:30-9:30 p.m. Sunday-Tuesday, April 21-23.

He will also teach two classes while on campus and hold a performance at 9 p.m. Wednesday, April 24 in Studio II in the Center for the Arts.

Richard Simon Hanson presents "Poetry for Various Reasons" at ArtHaus April 21

Luther presents 'Singing Justice Together' April 21

The community is invited to explore connections between justice, faith song and community with the 2013 Sihler Lecture "Singing Justice Together." The lecture begins at 7 p.m. Sunday, April 21, in Studio II of the Center for the Arts. The lecture is open to the public with no charge for admission.

Luther College Cathedral Choir to perform Homecoming Concert April 23

The Luther Cathedral Choir will perform a homecoming concert at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 23, in the CFL. The concert is open to the public with no charge for admission. Cathedral Choir will perform works by Johannes Brahms, Jan Sweelinck, Giovanni Palestrina, Rihards Dubra, Brooke Joyce, Eric Whitacre, Morten Lauridsen, Eleanor Daley and arrangements by Paul J. Christiansen, Jeffrey Ames and Moses Hogan.

'Alternative Fuel Vehicles' information session April 24

Learn everything you wanted to know about alternative fuel vehicles. Local speakers include Larry Grimstad and Chris Schneider from LaCrosse Honda Motorwerks. Speakers will present on various alternative fuel vehicles and discuss what effect renewable fuels have on the environment and fuel economy. Following the session will be a demonstration featuring a Honda Civic natural gas vehicle, a plug-in Prius and a Chevrolet Volt. For more information contact Erika Kambs, <kamber01>.

Luther College Jazz Orchestra to perform tour homecoming concert April 25

The Luther College Jazz Orchestra will perform a tour homecoming concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 25. The concert will include classic standards by Dizzy Gillespie, Chick Corea, Astor Piazzolla, Duke Ellington and Charlie Parker in addition to more recent compositions by Gordon Goodwin, Rick Lawn, and Luther's own composer-in-residence, Brooke Joyce. Traditional Brazilian dance music arranged for the ensemble will also be featured to round out a diverse program of Latin, swing and fusion styles.

Discussion of spring theater production April 26

Sponsored by the English and theater departments and by the Center for Ethics and Public Life, Eric Baack, Andy Hageman and Kate Narveson will lead a discussion of, "Arcadia," the play that Kristen Underwood is directing as this spring's theater production. The discussion will be held at 4 p.m. Friday, April 26, in the Borlaug room of the Union. Refreshments will be provided. The event will focus around the ways in which the play invites discussion of nature and the human. Copies of the script are available in the book store at no charge for those who would like to participate.

Philip Ackerman-Leist, farmer, author and Green Mountain College associate professor, will present "Rebuilding the Foodshed: Remapping Our Expectations for the Food We Share," a lecture on local food systems at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 30, Valders 206. A signing session with Ackerman-Leist will follow the lecture. Both the lecture and the book signing are open to the public with no charge for admission.

Student recitals

Jacob Schnabel '14, will perform a bass voice recital at 4 p.m. Sunday, April 21.

Andrea Keuper '14, will perform a soprano recital at 4 p.m. Sunday, April 21.

Student recitals are held in the NRH with receptions following each performance. Recitals and receptions are open to the public with no charge for admission.

ARTICLES, CREATIONS, HONORS, ETC.

His Excellency Ambassador Wegger Chr. Strømmen of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Washington, D.C. has the honor of announcing that the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit will be conferred on President Richard Torgerson. President Torgerson will be awarded the Order by Norwegian Honorary Consul Quentin Boyken on behalf of His Majesty King Harald V of Norway as a program of events takes place on Luther's campus on Friday, May 3.

Sarah Floden '15, Rob Manges '16, Andrew Meland '13 and assistant professor Holly Moore represented the philosophy department at the 15th annual Midwest Undergraduate Philosophy Conference at Creighton University in Omaha, Neb., April 5-6. Floden presented her paper, "Accounting for Change: Parallels in the Work of Parmenides and Aristotle," Meland presented his paper, "A Refutation of Empiricism," and Moore presented the keynote lecture for the conference, "Cultivating Difference: The Gardens of Adonis and the Order of Demeter."

Alexander Greiner '14, received a $7,500 Goldwater Scholarship based on academic merit. He is one of 271 students to receive the scholarship out of a pool of 1,107 candidates. The Goldwater Scholars were selected from a field of mathematics, science and engineering students who were nominated by the faculties of colleges and universities nationwide.

Evan Mitchell '14, is the recipient of the 2013-14 Alan R. and Sally J. Brudos Family Opera Prize. The Brudos Prize is a $5,000 award to be presented annually by Alan and Sally Brudos to a rising senior voice student at Luther who is preparing for a career in opera performance.

Jim Martin-Schramm spoke about "Luther's Renewable Energy Projects and Climate Action Goals" at the Luther College Lunch Connection for friends and alumni in the Des Moines area April 12.

Kirk Larsen presented a talk titled "Insects of Middle Earth: Big, Bad, Bizarre and Beautiful" at the Iowa Day of Insects conference on April 6 at the Reiman Gardens in Ames.

Kate Elliott and David Kamm attended the 2013 Foundations in Art: Theory and Education conference hosted by the Savannah College of Art and Design. Elliot moderated a panel titled, "More than Just Office Decoration: The College Teaching Collection," and presented a paper titled "Learning Professionals: The Student-curator in the Classroom and Gallery." Kamm's presentation, "Drawn to Form: The Sculpture Project," was part of a panel titled "Stop Being Flat: Bridging 2-D Drawing to 3-D Space in the First Year."

Evgenia Fotiou presented the paper "Perspectives on Teaching about Indigenous Religions in College" at the 33rd annual meeting of the Society for the Anthropology of Consciousness, April 4-7, in New Orleans.

Brian Caton presented a paper, "The Transition from Animal Capital to Land Capital in Colonial Punjab, 1850-1900," to a conference on "Asian Ecologies: Capital, Modernity, and the Environment," on April 6, at Lahore University of Management Sciences in Pakistan.

Derek Sweet, Sarah Wilder and Thomas C. Johnson presented a panel, "New Media and Popular Pedagogy," at the recent Central States Communication Association convention. This panel was nominated by the Iowa Communication Association for presentation at CSCA as the "Best of Iowa Showcase" panel.

Diane Scholl's poem "Lilacs" appears in the spring issue of Cider Press Review. Her poem "Graven Image" appeared in Ruminate's fall 2012 issue. "In the Bleak Midwinter" appears in the winter issue of Sow's Ear Poetry Review.

Jayme Nelson has published two peer-reviewed teaching strategies "Sentinel Event Simulation Presentation" and "Practicing Effective Provider Phone Contacts" with the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses Institute. The QSEN project is funded by Robert Wood Johnson and is a national initiative developed to educate nursing students on patient safety and quality health care delivery.