We provide all-inclusive packages for summer events, including meeting space, residential housing, dining options, planning services, and beautiful areas for outdoor recreation, including sand volleyball and our challenge course. Contact us to book your event, or for more details find us on the web.
Lawn fertilization
Weather permitting, the college lawns will be fertilized and sprayed for broad-leaf weeds beginning Friday, May 29, through Sunday, May 31. For more information, contact Facilities Services, 387-1146.
Course evaluation reports available week of June 8
Course evaluation reports will be finalized the week of June 8 on Google Drive. It is important to note that prior to the week of June 8, it may be possible to see Google placeholders for these "work in progress" reports, but please do not access them. LIS will announce when the reports are ready to be viewed.
Luther seeks Friendship Families
The International Student Friendship Family Program is seeking individuals and families in the Decorah community to help Luther College's incoming international students adjust to life at Luther College and in the United States. The goal of the program is to promote international understanding and develop an appreciation of how others live and view the world. Interested individuals and families can sign up at: http://www2.luther.edu/diversity/friendship-family/.
Luther football continues educational experience in Norway
The Luther College football team has been in training this spring, running sprints, perfecting tackles, learning new plays… and reading history, studying culture and learning bits of a new language in order to travel to Norway and Denmark May 26-June 3, for an educational and athletic experience.
KATIE upgrade and Sandbox: summer 2015
August 2015 KATIE will be upgraded to version 2.8. To prepare for these changes, a test environment has been created called KATIE sandbox (sandbox.luther.edu) where it is possible to log in to a KATIE system running on 2.8. There is an option to request a current course be imported into the sandbox by contacting the LIS Technology Help Desk. To learn more about the upgrade and the sandbox, see KATIE Upgrade and Sandbox: Summer 2015 at www2.luther.edu/lis/blog.
Fiscal year end approaching
Outstanding travel expense reports, original invoices, supporting purchase orders and purchase permits or account adjustments should be sent to the Office for Financial Services by Friday, June 12 to be included in FY 2014-15 budget. No faxed copies. Items for deposit must be sent to the Office for Financial Services by Friday, June 5. Thanks for helping OFS close out the year in a timely manner.
New recycling infrastructure
New recycling bins on campus have been placed by Brandt, Olson, Farwell, Ylvi and Towers as a result of a partnership between Luther, Winneshiek County and a DNR grant. The bins make responsibly disposing of trash easy. Please use them to reduce waste that would otherwise go to the landfill. When everyone is moving out, the college's waste stream goes up. This makes recycling especially important.
Learning to drive with Ms. Ruby: Luther College alumna teaches international students how to drive
Luther College alumna and Decorah local, Ruby Hermeier, lovingly referred to as "Ms. Ruby" by her pupils, has spent the past few years offering driving lessons to eager-to-learn international students. In the past four and a half years, she has helped 40 Luther students from nearly 20 different countries obtain their driver's license. As a retired teacher, the 81-year-old finds her satisfaction through her volunteer efforts. Her motto for giving life meaning after retirement is, "giving is living and living is giving."
Holm and Kovacovich named Peace Scholars
Luther College juniors Emily Holm and Katie Kovacovich have been selected as Peace Scholars for the 2015-16 academic year. The pair will spend seven weeks this summer studying peace and conflict resolution in Lillehammer and Oslo, Norway.
New parental leave policies
We are pleased to announce new parental leave policies for both faculty and staff. These policies will be incorporated into the next versions of the faculty and staff handbooks, respectively, and are also available on the Luther College website:
Faculty policy: https://www2.luther.edu/academics/dean/assets/407.2_Parental_Leave_Policy__Spring_2015_.pdf
Staff policy: https://www2.luther.edu/hr/assets/Staff_Parental_Leave_Handbook_Language__FINAL_.pdf
There are also new forms for requesting parental leave available. Please contact Matthew Bills, <billma01>, in Human Resources with any questions.
Luther first-year students Hoff and Vande Krol awarded Peter Leadership Award
Luther first-year students Evie Hoff of Hortonville, Wisconsin, and Nicholas Vande Krol of Decorah, Iowa, were awarded the 2015 Timothy and Sandra Peter Leadership Award at Luther's annual Aurora and Norsemen spring concert on May 1.The Timothy and Sandra Peter Music Leadership Award was established in 2012 by alumni, parents and friends of Luther in celebration of the dedicated teaching and choral conducting careers of Tim, Luther class of 1986, and Sandra Peter.
Luther sophomore Kolek awarded Karen Julesberg Scholarship
Luther College sophomore Kalinda Kolek has received the Karen Julesberg Scholarship for the 2015-16 academic year. The $1,000 scholarship, created by Karen Julesberg of Madison, Wisconsin, Luther class of 1960, benefits Luther students involved in Student Support Services, a federal TRIO program sponsored by Luther since 1973.
Luther awarded grant by ASIANetwork-Freeman Foundation
Luther College was awarded a $45,290 grant from ASIANetwork Freeman Student-Faculty Fellows Program to support a collaborative summer research experience. Luther is one of eight recipients for the summer 2015 program, funded by the Freeman Foundation. The grant will fund an opportunity for six Luther students and two Luther faculty to study urbanization in Hetou, China. The group will travel to Hetou on May 26, to spend four weeks on field research for their collaborative projects. The faculty team consists of Hongmei Yu and Stratis Giannakouros.
New alumni magazine online
The spring issue of the Luther Alumni Magazine is now available online, with stories that celebrate retiring and newly tenured faculty, an alumna's award-winning conservation efforts in Panama, a Detroit pastor who is saving a Lutheran church by opening it to other faiths, students' gorgeous study away photos, and much more. The printed issues are in the mail.
Book Shop closed for inventory
The Book Shop will be closed Tuesday-Friday, May 26-29 for inventory. If you'd like to make a purchase, please knock on the door or call 387-1036. Sorry for any inconvenience.
Music Department releases new 'Handel's "Messiah"' CD
The Luther College Music Department is proud to present the newest recording of Handel's "Messiah." The album is compiled from live recordings of the performances at the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall at Luther College onMarch 27, and Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis, Minnesota, onMarch 29. The physical and digital format of the album are available online athttps://www2.luther.edu/music/messiah/,or at the Luther College Book Shop for $25.
EVENTS
Chapel
Chapel will resume when the fall class schedule begins.
See the College Ministries webpage for the full chapel schedule, along with information on Sunday worship, Holden Evening Prayer and other worship opportunities.
Joe Thompson retirement celebration
Joe Thompson, director of athletics, will retire after 20 years of service to Luther. Under Joe's leadership, Luther has enjoyed tremendous success with its athletics programs at the conference, regional and national levels. Thompson was also the HPE department head for 15 years. All are welcome to wish him well on his retirement in Peace Dining from 2-4 p.m. Thursday, May 28. He will leave a lasting mark on Luther College and will be very much missed.
John Goodin retirement party
The campus community is invited to a retirement reception to honor John Goodin from 2:30-4 p.m. on Thursday, May 28, in the Hovde Room, Preus Library. Please join us to thank John for his 21 years of service to Preus Library and Luther. Refreshments will be served.
Farewell for Marty Berg
Please join the admissions office staff in honoring Marty Berg for her many years of service to Luther College. Help admissions celebrate Marty's retirement during an office open house from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Friday, May 29. We hope you can swing by the office for some refreshments and wish Marty the best as she prepares for a new chapter in life.
2015 Driftless Safari
Materials for the 2015 Driftless Safari program will be available at all county public libraries beginning Friday, May 22. This free, long-term scavenger hunt is open to everyone that loves to explore and wants to visit some amazing places in Winneshiek County. For more information, visit www.driftless-safari.org or call 534-7145. This event is sponsored in part by the Center for Sustainable Communities.
COMMUNITY
Nena Amundson Wellness director
Chandra Jennings '08 has been appointed the new Director of the Nena Amundson Wellness Program. Jennings currently serves as assistant professor of Community Health Education and the Wellness program developer and coordinator at the University of Maine, Farmington. She earned her bachelor's degree from Luther in health and psychology. Jennings earned her master's in health education and psychology of physical activity in August 2010 and a PhD in health education in 2013 from the University of Kansas. Jennings will begin her work on July 27. She is joined with her partner Scott, also a Luther graduate, along with their two dogs and cat.
Celebrations this week
Birthdays
May 26: Melissa Rosendahl, Dennis Woodhouse
May 27: Christal Alve-Frana, Bob Harri, Eric Westlund
May 28: Mark Eichinger, Andrew Ellingsen
May 29: Trudy Barnes, Jan Koenig, Ahmed Muaz, Kathleen Teff
May 30: James Hall
May 31: Stratis Giannakouros, Kirk Larsen, Craig Rocksvold
Thank you
To the many colleagues and students who supported me during my father's illness and the difficult time following his death. Your caring words, prayers and other acts of kindness were a great comfort to me. I am especially grateful to those who helped to cover my classes in my absence and to the students for their understanding and expressions of sympathy. I am thankful to be part of such a loving and supportive community.
-Lori Stanley
Rhonda and I would like to thank the Luther community for the overwhelming support and thoughtfulness we have received following the death of my mother in March and my father in May. Your thoughts, kind words and prayers have been greatly appreciated.
-Joe and Rhonda Thompson
ARTICLES, CREATIONS, HONORS, ETC.
Richard Cole's book "What Did the Reformation Look Like a Hundred Years after Martin Luther: Community and Culture in Ansbach, Germany in the Seventeenth Century," is available in hard, paperback and ebook editions. For additional information about this book see: www.mellenpress.com. The Preus Library will have a copy soon.
Loren Toussaint was recently interviewed for a piece that appears on the CNN website discussing the Boston Marathon bomber case. The title of the story is: "Does Death Penalty Bring Closure." The full story is at:http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/20/opinions/marsh-tsarnaev-forgiveness/index.html. The piece references another article in "Greater Good Magazine" that was written on the 100 Projects for Peace forgiveness project that was done in Sierra Leone by Toussaint and Luther alumni Alyssa Cheadle '08, and Anthony Sellu '10, (http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/the_greatest_test), as well as, referencing another study recently conducted by Toussaint, Gabriel Dorn '15, and UCLA and UC-Davis colleagues (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25139892).
Tricia Serres captured the national title in the 1,500 at the NCAA III National Championships May 23. Serres placed fifth in 2013 and was the national runner-up a year ago in this same event. Serres crossed the finish line clocked at 4:26.30. Serres is only the second Luther athlete in women's track history to claim an outdoor national title and the first to do so since 1997. Turena Johnson won both the 5,000 and 10,000 meter runs in 1997. That same day, Serres earned the seventh All-America honor of her career, placing second in the 5,000 meters. Serres crossed the finish line in 17:08.15, less than four seconds behind the national champion.
UNCLASSIFIED ADS
T-Bock's biking fundraiser: 5-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 20, join the guys from "To the End of the Earth" bike trip at T-Bock's where 20 percent of all proceeds go towards Winneshiek County Habitat for Humanity and the bike trip. Learn more about their six-month bike trip through Central and South America and their fundraising efforts at www.gofundme.com/totheend2015 or endoftheearth2015.blogspot.com. For more information contact Ben, <harnbe01>.
Pots needed: In search of a three to four large decorative planters/pots for Girl Scouts doing a landscaping project. If you have any that you no longer need, we would love to take them off your hands, either as a donation to the project or for a nominal fee. Contact <gehlje01> with details of what you have available.
Wanted: Lawn mowing jobs. Call Joyce, 382-6022, and leave message.
For sale: A beautiful 2010 Harley Davidson xl1200c Sportster is looking for a new home. Purchased new from dealer in 2012, it is hardly broken in with just over 5,000 miles (20k miles less than expected for a bike of its size). Its 5,000 mile service was completed by Harley Davidson in Waukon. I will include a windshield and passenger backrest/luggage rack. $7,900. Contact Benjamin, <bmw>.
Housing wanted: Luther professor seeking housing for February-May 2016. Looking for one bedroom apartment or house. Nonsmoker, no pets of my own. Returning to Luther to work for spring semester. Contact Paul, <paul>.
Children's DVDs for sale: 1. The Land Before Time: The Wisdom of Friends 2. The Land Before Time: Friendship Double Feature 3. Surf's Up 4. Meet the Robinson's 5. The Magic School Bus Sees Stars (three episodes) 6. The Three Musketeers with Mickey, Donald and Goofy 7. Secrets of the Mountain 8. Puss In Boots: The Three Diablos 9. Alpha & Omega 2: A Howl-iday Adventure 10. Scooby Doo double feature movie: Monsters Unleashed. If interested contact Jennifer at <thueje01> or 387-1037.
Home for sale: 308 5th avenue, three bedrooms and two bathrooms, built in 1920, 1,581 square feet, two-stall detached garage. For more information contact Cappierre Dellarai, (612) 791-9889.
For sale: Oak dining-room set. Round oak pedestal table with two leaves and four chairs. Asking $100 OBO. Also, very used but very comfortable blue recliner asking $20. If interested and would like pictures call Shawn, 380-4401.
Housing wanted: Looking for a room to rent from June 18-22 for my sister. Area hotels are booked. She's a fantastic houseguest, and she'll be visiting us during the day, so she'll only be at your house to sleep. If interested, please contact Jennifer, <jennifer.self> or 382-4552.
For sale: Barbie bicycle for sale, 16-inch. Text Eric, (574) 850-6351, for picture. In good condition. $100 new, asking $35.
For sale: Four-five bedroom home in desirable location near college. Custom, premier quality and ready for family and friends to enjoy. All appointments and amenities. Plenty of storage space as well. Beautiful setting in the trees offering privacy and delightful views of the Oneota Valley. Call for more information, 387 0242.
Yard sale: 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday, May 29, at 204 West Street in Decorah. All sales/donations (except from our daughters' lemonade stand) will be given to Samaritan's Purse (http://www.samaritanspurse.org) to support efforts to combat human trafficking.
For sale: Whirlpool Estate electric dryer; white, barely used. Comes with four-inch flex venting with clamps and new hook up cord; manual included. Asking $90 or best offer. Contact Dennis, <magnusde> or 382-4423.
EDITORIAL COMMENT
And finally...
This Friday is National Put a Pillow On Your Fridge Day. This day is celebrated in Europe and the USA and supposedly brings good luck and wealth to the household.
It is unclear as to where this tradition originated from. However, it is known that before the 1930’s, cloth was put in larders to bring prosperity and good luck to the household. The first refrigerator to see widespread use was the General Electric “Monitor-Top” refrigerator which was introduced in 1927. Since then fridges have replaced larders worldwide, causing the old tradition to be unheard of.
Don't forget to upload your pillow pictures to the National Put a Pillow on your Fridge Day official Facebook Page.
