ANNOUNCEMENTS

Message from the President's Cabinet

COLLEGE OPERATIONS

Finals week and break hours

Welcome Center and Dahl Centennial Union
Dec. 31: Closing at 5:30 p.m.
Jan. 1: Closed
Jan. 2-4: 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Jan. 5-6: 7 a.m.-10 p.m.

Reminder: flexible spending claims

Flexible spending account dollars deducted from employee paychecks during 2013 may be used for eligible expenses through March 15, 2014. Claims for these dollars must be submitted to Midwest Group Benefits by March 31, 2014. Claim forms are available in human resources and on the hr website: https://www2.luther.edu/hr/common-forms/. Select "Flexible Benefit Claim Form." Mail the form to Midwest Group Benefits, PO Box 408, Decorah, IA 52101, or fax to (563) 382-9613.

Midwest Group Benefits holiday hours

Midwest Group Benefits will be closed from noon Tuesday, Dec. 31 thru Wednesday, Jan. 1 for the New Year’s holiday. Flex checks will be processed on Thursday, Jan. 2, with direct deposit on Friday, Jan. 3.

Claims should be at MGB by 5 p.m. on the Monday of each week.

Residence halls, including Farwell Hall, closed for holiday break

The residence halls are closed for break. This means the Farwell Hall elevator will not be available for faculty/staff to use until Saturday, Jan. 4. Faculty and staff who normally use the Farwell elevator should plan ahead concerning other parking options on campus.

Public reading of a Letter from Birmingham Jail

Luther students, faculty and staff are invited to join in reading Dr. Martin Luther King's Jr.'s "Letter from a Birmingham Jail." One mass rehearsal for readers will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 9, in the CFA on the Luther campus; pizza will be served. Those interested in being involved in the event should email Lauren Kientz Anderson at <andela10>. Watch for more information to come on the scheduled readings.

Farewell party for Rachel Vagts

The Luther community is invited to join in celebrating Rachel Vagts' 15 years at Luther and wishing her well on her new position at Berea College in Berea, Ky. Light refreshments and beverages will be served from 2:30-4:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 2, in Peace Dining Room, with a short program at 3 p.m. Contact Sasha Griffin <grifsa01> or Sarah Wicks <swicks> with any questions.

Reminder: 27 biweekly paychecks in 2013

Because the biweekly pay date for the pay period ending Dec. 20 would have fallen on Jan. 1, a bank holiday, that payroll will be paid on Dec. 31. This will have two consequences. First, this will be the 27th pay check in 2013 and will show up on employees' 2013 W-2 instead of their 2014 W-2. There will still be 26 paychecks in 2014. Second, this will be the third payroll in December, so flex and health deductions will not come out of this paycheck. To make changes to the Dec. 31 payroll, for instance, to your SRA contributions or W-4s, submit forms to the payroll office as soon as possible, but no later than Dec. 18. Forms are available at https://www2.luther.edu/hr/common-forms/ or in Human Resources.

Reminder: Sign up for W-2's online

All students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to sign up to receive electronic W-2's using my.luther.edu. The W-2 Electronic Consent option is included in the employee profile section of my.luther.edu. If you chose the electronic option for your 2012 W-2, then you do not need to do it again for 2013. More detailed instructions and additional information can be found by clicking the W-2 Options link on the HR website https://www2.luther.edu/hr/common-forms/  Mac users: please do not use the "Preview" application to view your W-2. Remember, the electronic option is the sustainable option.

Google Calendar for facilities scheduling

The AdAstra room scheduling system is being replaced by a Google Calendar in early January. LIS has been working with Campus Programming and the Registrar’s office to create special facilities scheduling functionality in Google Calendar. Susan Peterson is meeting with schedulers in small groups to talk about the transition, demonstrate Google calendar if needed, and discuss the transition schedule. Please contact Susan if you use information in AdAstra and have not been contacted.

EVENTS

Chapel this week

No chapel during break.

COMMUNITY

Sympathy

To the family of Leander (Rufus) Vethanayagamony '10, who was killed in an automobile accident yesterday near Dodgeville, Wis. In addition to the grief felt in the Luther community, we remember the community of the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, where Rufus's dad is a professor. Expressions of condolence can be sent to Dr. Peter and Mrs. Serene Vethanayagamony, 218 S. Cranberry St., Bolingbrook, IL  60490.  

To Brenda Teslow on the Dec. 29 death of her husband Jeffrey Teslow, 47, of Ossian, Iowa. Services are at 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 3, at the Glenwood Lutheran Church, Decorah. Burial of the cremated remains will be held at a later date. Friends may call from 3-8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 2, at Schmitz-Grau Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Ossian. Friends also may call after 10 a.m. Friday at the church.

UNCLASSIFIED ADS

Wanted: Large or extra large dog crate. Contact Emily at phone 387-2138 or email <nealem01>.

Moving sale: Items for sale include TV entertainment stand, desk and chair, and a bookshelf/TV stand. Pictures available upon request. Prices are reasonable. Contact Emily at phone (952) 836-7808 or email <haywem01>. 

Wanted: Looking for basketball players over the age of 50 to play half-court basketball. Contact Bob by phone at (515) 491-5326 or email [email protected].

Wanted: Looking for Verizon non-smart phones. My kids seem to be hard on theirs. Contact <schwla01>. 

For sale: A 1999 Buick Lesabre that runs and drives great and is in good condition. Asking $2,600. Contact <mallamsa> for pictures and further details.

Wanted: Cheap or free pet/baby gate to buy or borrow. I broke one and need to keep my pup out of the basement. Contact Julie at <julie> or 387-1865.

EDITORIAL COMMENT

And finally...

Challenge: Make a different New Year's resolution this year. Many of us choose "lose weight" our resolution, only to find ourselves making the same resolution the next year.  Email <tuesday> your New Year's resolution, we'll keep a list and try to help you out with reminders throughout the year. Here are some new ideas for resolutions aimed at improving well-being courtesy of CNN.

• Get some fresh air: Simply being in nature can have a big effect on an overloaded mind. Make an effort to get some fresh air every day. Park your car a little farther from the door in parking lots, take a quick walk around your building at lunch or wake up 15 minutes earlier and jog around your neighborhood.

• Step away from the screen: As shiny as that new device you got for Christmas is, once in awhile, you need to put it down. Research shows children who spend too much time in front of screens are at greater risk for obesity, have a harder time falling and staying asleep, don't focus well and experience more anxiety and depression. Are adults any different?

• Sleep more: Sleeping helps you burn fat, decrease stress, improves your immune system and boosts your mood and mental clarity. Enough said.

• Add something: Instead of subtracting soda, sugar or fat from your diet, make a resolution to add something. Add a serving of veggies daily, add protein to your snack, add a glass or two of water. Or add something like 15 minutes of meditation, organization time or classical music; all aimed at helping you de-stress.

• Stop multitasking: Be mindful. When you're eating, just eat. When you're driving, just drive. When you're spending quality time, just spend time.

• Take time to breathe: Most people take only shallow breaths throughout the day, limiting the oxygen circulating throughout the body and leading to increased anxiety and higher blood pressure. 

• Try something new: Try a yoga or a spin class, Pilates or Zumba. Looking to get outside? Go ice skating, snow tubing or skiing. Take a cooking class. Find something new that you like to do!

• Be better: Today at lunch, instead of chips, buy an apple. Instead of watching TV to relax after work, do 15 minutes of yoga. Take the kids to the park instead of handing them a video game controller. Not all at once but one thing every day.

• Choose a theme: Choosing a word that describes how you want to feel instead of what you think you should accomplish can be really powerful. Once you have the word or theme, say it out loud, write it down and let it guide your behavior, goal-setting and free time throughout the year.