Spring 2020
Dear Members of the Class of 1983,
Like colleges all over the country (and the world), Luther College has just wrapped up a spring semester like no other. Our students participated in remote learning, connecting with their professors and classmates online and on Sunday, May 24, we celebrated the Class of 2020 with a
virtual commencement
. It certainly wasn't the spring semester we imagined, but the Luther community responded with resiliency and creativity.
Many of us are making adjustments, sometimes daily or even hourly, to these uncertain times but we wanted to be sure to connect with you and to send you John's letter. We think you'll enjoy reading what he has written to your class.
We hope you and your loved ones are safe and healthy during these times. For updated information about Luther's response to the pandemic, visit
luther.edu.
Many thanks for your steadfast love and support.
Mariah Bringer Smith ‘95
Director of Development, Current Gifts
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To Members of the Class of 1983 and beyond,
How nice would it be to hear or read something that doesn’t begin with the uncertainty caused by COVID-19. But the reality is, once again, we are going through another life-changing event. How crazy to be a student leaving for spring break and then being told to stay home for the remainder of the semester. Virtual learning is being taken to another level and it’s not an easy transition with everyone learning and working under the same roof. My high-risk niece’s husband tests positive, my college roommate loses his dad, a great man, this week. Who among us has not been impacted by this pandemic? The challenges we face seem daunting. I hope that you have remained happy and healthy as we endure this huge change in our lives. I imagine it’s not how we envisioned life approaching the age of 60, but we must persevere, work together and we will get through this for better days ahead.
My wife Karla (Nelson) Balk and I had the unique opportunity to co-host President Ward’s alumni visit to Denver, Colorado on February 20 and meet with the President, Stephen Sporer, the new VP for Development, and Nathan Ersig and Doug Nelson from the Development office. It was obvious to see how much energy and connection to the Luther student base that President Ward has. It was exciting and inspirational to hear the vision and innovation that the new leadership team brings to the college. Little did I know how much different things would look in the matter of weeks. What a challenging time for all of us and for our beloved Luther College.
You may have seen that just this week Luther announced plans to move forward with the upcoming academic calendar year. Highlights include shifting to a one-class September term like our old J-term that brings first-year students to campus in combination with online courses for upper class students with a plan to progress to fall quarters in October. We thought we had challenges moving from high school to college in the late 70s/early 80s. Michael Osterholm ’75 Luther grad, Director for the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, who chairs Luther College’s Board of Regents Academic Affairs Committee considers Luther’s plan for opening this fall thoughtful, aspirational, yet realistic and doable. If you followed the pandemic news, Dr. Osterholm has been front and center as his warnings in 2005 and again with his book
The Deadliest Enemy
in 2017 warned us about the pandemic we are facing. It is probably safe to say that Michael is now the most famous Luther grad that starts with an O, apologies to Michael Ostermeyer, Susan Oberman, and all the Olsons.
Luther has created many plans and opportunities as it looks to the future beyond the next 12 months. They have
partnered with Northeast Iowa Community College
(NICC) in an effort to meet growing workforce needs in the social work field. This allows students at NICC to obtain their B.A. in social work with an additional two years. A recent study projects the social workforce in Iowa to grow between 15-22% from 2016 to 2026.
Luther also has plans to offer a new program,
Global Health
, which educates students to recognize the challenges facing health systems on a global level, understand ways to measure and address them, and be familiar with the resources needed to tackle the challenges. How timely is this new major?
These are just some of the things you can read more about on the
luther.edu
website.
As President Ward stated, "Luther College is a people bound together by a mission with enduring impact. We step confidently and courageously into the future, knowing that the pandemic will continue to challenge all aspects of business as usual and that we have the ability to find innovative ways of being, learning and working in its midst." I think this challenge applies to all of us. Now more than ever, Luther College needs our support in whatever way you can find to do that.
I look forward to a return to Decorah in the future, whether it be Homecoming, Nordic Fest, or just a run to support the local businesses and the college. I hope you will keep those in the Luther community at the forefront of your thoughts and support. Stay safe and best wishes.
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John Balk
1983 Class Agents:
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John Balk
1304 Vine Cliff Heights
Colorado Springs, CO 80921-7213
719-330-1995
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Michele (Mertens) Stevens
108 Maple Lane
Denver, IA 50622
319-231-0420
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CLASS NOTES
Cindy (Walker) Austin
retired from elementary music education after 32 years. She is now a certified teacher ambassador for QuaverMusic.com, LLC. in Nashville, Tenn.
Lori Erickson
of Iowa City, Iowa, is author of a new book,
Near the Exit: Travels with the Not-So-Grim Reaper
. She spoke about the book and signed copies at Dragonfly Books in Decorah in Sept. 2019. Erickson is one of America’s top travel writers specializing in spiritual journeys.
Mike Ostermeyer
is a partner at Ballard Spahr, LLP in Phoenix, Ariz. He focuses on guiding public infrastructure projects; developing commercial, institutional, and industrial real estate; and advising on real estate portfolios.
OBITUARY
Beverly Holmes-Archer
of Abaco, Bahamas, died Dec. 19, 2019, age 58.
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