Welcome to the Second Issue of
Norse Notes
!
While Loyalty Hall is still closed to visitors and most of us continue to work remotely, we want to stay connected with you and share what is happening at the college. Be sure to let us know at
alumni@luther.edu
if there are stories you would like to read, or share, in this newsletter. We would love to hear from you! Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, all of our alumni events through the fall have been cancelled or postponed. It has been quite disappointing to cancel so many events, especially this fall’s Homecoming. However, we feel that the safety and well-being of our alumni, students, faculty, and staff must be our top priority. We miss you and look forward to when we can gather as a community again. Because of the recent killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, and the subsequent protests across the country and the world, we have asked the co-presidents of Luther’s Black Alumni Association and Alumni Association to share their thoughts with the Norse community in this newsletter. Here at Luther, we stand together in support of equality for all human beings.
Sherry (Braun) Alcock '82, Executive Director of Alumni Relations
Kirk Johnson '82, Associate Director of Alumni Relations
Alyssa Ritter '11, Associate Director of Alumni Relations
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Black Lives Matter. All Lives Matter. Humanity Matters.
We are living in some interesting times, are we not? Behind disruption, there is always an opportunity for creativity when we seek human connectivity and freedom. As co-presidents of the Luther College Black Alumni Association, we can attest that being Black and living in America has its own unique challenges. We navigate daily what we say and how we say it, where we go, and what we do within the context of race. If we didn’t, it could literally cost us our lives.
Living through good and bad times since our graduation from Luther, which thankfully provided us with an excellent liberal arts education, this much we know for sure: Life is simple, it just isn’t easy. We must CHOOSE to do the right thing, every time. Then choose again and again. When we ignore justice, freedom, and equality for all, destruction occurs in a massive way. It is not enough to believe in what is right for all human beings, we must act accordingly. Silence is complicit with the status quo.
Black Lives Matter. All Lives Matter. Humanity Matters.
If we don’t truly get this right and act within the context of equality for all human beings, there will be nothing left but the cockroaches on this planet. It is time we stand as light warriors, sharing our light as the leaders we are meant to be—individually, in our families and communities, and with our global neighbors. Regardless of your opinions, replace anger and judgment with love and compassion for all. May the light of our love for Luther and all of humanity shine deep within our hearts and extend to bless the world.
Perran G. Wetzel IV '79 and Loretta Dooley Wetzel '80, SPHR, MBA
Co-Presidents, Luther College Black Alumni Association
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Loretta Dooley Wetzel
and
Perran G. Wetzel IV
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Denise Davismckennie and
Willie Davismckennie
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Waiting to Exhale
I can't breathe echoes through my mind. My heart pulsates as fear swells and the tears roll. I drop to my knees in prayer for the life I see in despair, and because I know it could have been my sons, brothers, spouse, or me. George Floyd's murder now etched in history is a brutal reality check for all of us. It's the epitome of the ugly truth; a long overdue reckoning and the opportunity for the country to look in the mirror.
These trying times demand change and simply asking is not enough. The protest ignited by Floyd's killing is not just about the savagery and carnage that his death represents, but also against years of systemic racism, stereotyping, a lack of justice and suffering, an exhausted fight for human rights, decency, and equality. Our role in this struggle needs to be clear—and unified—as a college, faculty members, students, alumni, and persons. We must be on the right side of a new history and boldly make a difference. Being complacent is not an option. Step outside of comfort zones and actively align with being a part of the solution. We have to engage!
Despite our differences, we need each other to solve this crisis. Numbness, casualness, and bystandership defeats progress. We can and all should be able to ring the Luther BELL with the framework of
President Ward's Action Steps
, while we also add to it in our/your own ways. Help carry and lift the cross with the big little things. Debate with compassion, decency, and respect. Ask me my name, and where I'm from. The antidote to fear is to take action! Get to know someone of color. Acknowledge the pain and call out the wrong. Listen to the voices, hear the message, and dare to speak out when you know better. Don't be offended when you hear "black lives matter”; it’s not about you, but it takes you to stand for that. It means all lives matter but black lives are oppressed and being targeted, jailed, and killed. You may have been taught to revere the police, but black lives learn to fear them. The knee of Colin Kaepernick is a peaceful protest, the knee of a police officer kills. Ask yourself which one really offends you more? Don't ignore the elephant in the room. Be an ally, speak out against racism, both overt and indirect. We are at the point where we need people to be antiracist. Challenge your beliefs by reflecting on situations where you may have made racial jokes or heard someone being offensive. Read an article, a book; look up the history of slavery or the Black Wall Street Massacre of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Participate in a
Luther Minority Scholarship
, the
Luther Book Fund
, visit the
Luther Black Alumni Association website
, send a tweet. Pick a minority student, minority faculty, or alumnus/a and just reach out. We dare you to pick someone you don't know. We end with the words of Michael Jackson "Man In The Mirror.” Surely we can ring that BELL and say a prayer as "We Are Called" from Micah 6:8. We're holding our breath for change and waiting to exhale.
Willie Davismckennie '84 and Denise Davismckennie '82
Co-Presidents, Luther College Alumni Association
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The Need for a Radical Revolution of Values
In response to the racialized police violence exhibited in the recent murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, Professor of Religion Guy Nave was asked to speak at the Decorah Unitarian Universalist fellowship on June 7, 2020. Click
here
for the recording of his remarks on how we are all responsible for building a beloved community.
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Guy Nave, Professor of Religion
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Congratulations to the Class of 2020!
We're so proud of our seniors, and an achievement like graduating from college shouldn’t pass without some pomp and circumstance. So, just as we creatively found ways to learn and connect during this time of separation, we developed meaningful ways to mark and celebrate Commencement—together in spirit while physically apart. View our virtual Commencement featuring remarks by President Jenifer K. Ward and the recipient of the Jenson Medal, musical selections, and more
here
.
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Asha Aden '20 Named Jenson Medal Recipient
Each year an outstanding senior is selected to receive the Elizabeth A. and Paul G. Jenson Medal, which was established through an endowment gift from Luther alumni Paul '48 and †Elizabeth (Dybdal) Jenson '49. This year’s recipient was Asha Aden
from Rochester, Minnesota. Through involvement in groups including the Black Student Union, Interfaith in Action, and Student Senate, Aden actively worked to create a beloved community during her time at Luther.
Read more about Asha on the Luther
website
and listen to her remarks during the college’s
May 24
th
virtual Commencement
.
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Is Your Company Hiring? Hire a Luther Grad!
For many employers, the recent downturn in the economy has meant hiring freezes. But for some areas, things have already begun to turn around, and the outlook for employment has improved. Two Luther alumni—Chase Gilson '19 and Kyle Knoke '17—work for companies that recognize the benefits of hiring Luther College graduates.
At Hormel Foods Corp.—where Chase works as plant quality and process control manager in Alma, Kansas—candidates whose principles and characteristics align with Hormel’s culture are sought: “We look for individuals with community involvement, well-developed leadership, innovative thinking, and a willingness to explore and learn new information and skills. It’s my belief and experience that Luther alumni hold this same passion and tenacity. Luther’s liberal arts education does an exemplary job at shaping students into creative thinkers who look outside the box and carry a unique perspective to situations.” Over the years, Hormel has hired Luther alumni to work in departments throughout the company, including accounting, operations, quality control, human resources, and sales.
Kyle Knoke is employed at Nordic in Madison, Wisconsin, a consulting firm that specializes in health IT staffing, advisory consulting, and managed services. “Central to the company’s philosophy are eleven maxims that shape who we are, what we do, and how we interact with those around us. What we’ve seen here at Nordic in our Luther alumni are employees who are not only a good fit due to their Luther education and experiences, but they are passionate about our maxims, and embody the maxims in action. Luther alumni who work at Nordic have been essential for growing and developing this relationship, which, in turn, keeps us connected to Luther’s best and brightest graduates.”
Chase adds, “Luther alumni have the ability to be highly sought-out candidates who would benefit any organization. Given what we have all experienced in the last few months, while learning to live with Covid-19, I believe Luther alumni from the Class of 2020, and in subsequent years, will hold valuable skills in persistence and adaptability, making them great candidates for organizations in the coming years.”
Luther’s
Career Center
partners with alumni, parents, faculty, staff, employers, and friends of Luther College to support students and graduates as they navigate the career planning process. Please consider reaching out to our newest alumni, the Class of 2020, with information about job opportunities, and, if your company is hiring, hire a Luther grad!
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Two NEW Virtual Book Clubs for July and August 2020!
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Growing Up Decorah
by Peter Ylvisaker '84
Growing Up Decorah
is
not
a National Book Award winner and will
not
make the New York Times best-seller list. Thanks, however, to word-of-mouth and the wonders of social media, this memoir by Luther College graduate Peter Ylvisaker '84 is generating enough Oneota Valley buzz to warrant a conversation. Peter, son of Dr. Richard Ylvisaker '50 and Joanne Ylvisaker, moved to Decorah as a toddler in the mid-60s, and stumbled his way through childhood on Leif Erikson Drive and Meadow Court before traveling two small-town blocks to the Luther campus, where he applied himself just enough to earn a degree with an English major.
Growing Up Decorah
is a coming-of-age story that is equal parts silly, sentimental, and tragic. It is also the tale of a town – a magical place that continues to forgive the misdeeds of youth. The book is a very short read.
Growing Up Decorah
will meet on Zoom to discuss the book with the author on two separate occasions. Choose one: Tuesday, July 21, at 5:00 p.m., or Sunday, July 26, at 5:00 p.m. For more information, click
here
.
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How to Be an Antiracist
by Ibram X. Kendi
(Optional books:
The Fire Next Time
by James Baldwin, and
Invisible No More
by Andrea Ritchie).
A black woman said to her white friends: “I’ll be happy to talk to you about my experience. But do the work first.” This five-week book club is a start to “doing the work,” educating ourselves in order to understand the current movement following the killing of George Floyd and other black Americans. We will devote the first three weeks to our reading of Ibram X. Kendi’s thought provoking
How to Be an Antiracist
(2019). In the last two weeks, participants may choose to read or simply to listen to discussion of two other perspectives: James Baldwin’s classic,
The Fire Next Time
(1963), and Andrea Ritchie’s
Invisible No More
(2017), which examines police violence against black women and women of color. Professor Emerita of French Ruth Caldwell and Professor Emeritus of Political Science Paul Gardner will lead this book club. It is open to everyone, regardless of experience.
How to Be an Antiracist
will meet on Zoom Thursdays at 5:00 p.m., beginning July 30. For more information, click
here
.
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Christmas at Luther
2019 Facebook Watch Party!
Thursday, June 25, at 8:00 p.m. CST
Have you participated in any Facebook Watch Parties yet? Here’s one you won’t want to miss. Members can watch and comment on
Christmas at Luther
2019
videos to create a shared viewing experience. Invite some friends and join the party!
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The Music of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven
Last March, Professor Emeritus of Music James Griesheimer was teaching a course on campus for Lifelong Learners entitled "The Viennese School: Music of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven," examining the musical developments of the Viennese Classical Period over the course of roughly seventy-five years (ca. 1750-1825). When the college closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the final two classes were interrupted. James wished to complete the course for participants virtually. With a little help from Aaron Shouse '18 and Kirk Johnson '82, the final lectures were recorded over a few weeks and shared with the Lifelong Learners group. Even though the first half of the course was delivered live and was not recorded, the lectures hold up well on their own, and we thought some of our alumni might enjoy seeing them and learning from them. Click
here
to view Dr. Griesheimer’s lectures.
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James Griesheimer
Professor Emeritus of Music
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Cuando me veas volar, recuerda que tú me pintaste las alas. Gracias, MAMÁ.
When you see me fly, remember you painted my wings. Thank you, mom.
Maria Morales '20 posted a lovely tribute on Instagram to her mother, and others who supported her during her four years at Luther: “I am overwhelmed with love and joy…I graduated today! My mom had me at 17 years old, so she dropped her dreams to make mine possible. I am a first-generation graduate in my family and that brings me so much honor. I could have not achieved this milestone without my support system I had through these four years. Thank you God, my mother, my grandparents, my boyfriend and his family, my relatives, my girls, my advisors, my professors, my cheer team, my Tau Delt sisters, and anyone who I met through this journey. The memories I created at Luther College will forever be engraved in my mind!”
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At Luther College, we learn actively, live purposefully,
and lead courageously for a lifetime of impact.
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