Luther Homecoming took place over the first weekend of October and welcomed home Luther alumni and their families. Events, reunions and festivities were happening all around campus and Decorah, providing many activities for students past and present.
Student Activities Council (SAC) kicked off the weekend early with Promo Night on Oct. 2 in the Caf. There, students on the SAC board handed out free merchandise such as custom Luther totebags, stickers and frisbees. Later in the evening, SAC hosted Open Mic Night in Marty’s. This friendly competition was guest judged by Dean of Students Julie Thornton and Associate Director of Admissions Jenna Mockler-Gjerde (’06), who awarded the Group Prize to dance group The Boomlettos for their choreographed performance of Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies.”
On Friday, Luther began welcoming alumni to campus. Three notable ceremonies took place on Friday: President Brad Chamberlain’s Inauguration, the Celebration of Distinguished Services and the Athletic Hall of Fame Induction.
Recipients of Distinguished Services Award, which according to the Luther College website honors “professional achievements; service to the community; loyalty to Luther; and exhibiting qualities that exemplify Luther’s mission” included Allan Solomonson (’60), Linda (Olson) Bieri (’75), Michael Goze (’75), Perran Wetzel (’79), Lorretta Wetzel (’80), Esther Menn (’80), Erika (Barth) Cottrell (’95) and Ryan Nilsestuen (’05).
The alumni who were inducted into Luther’s athletic Hall of Fame were are follows: Dave Lee (’80) for football, Gene Adams (’00) and Jeff Patzke (’05) for wrestling, Holly (Wendt) Crowser (’00) and Tiffany (Kruse) Rave (’10) for softball, Matt Louder (’00) and James Garcia-Prats (’14) for men’s soccer, Leah (Schmitt) Taylor (’00) for women’s tennis, Katie (Dolan) Gerber (’10) for women’s cross country and track & field, Michael Pettengill (’10) for men’s swimming & diving and Warren Berg (’48) who was awarded the Meritorious Service Award for Sports Information Director which was accepted on his behalf by his children.
To end the first day of homecoming activities, organized student a capella groups Undeclared, Beautiful Mess and Uptempo performed at The Landing as part of the Inaugural Night on the Town celebrations in honor of President Chamberlain.
The annual Homecoming Parade took place on Saturday morning. Student organizations, clubs, sports teams, greek life and other community organizations marched from Water Street to the Luther campus in a display of Luther pride. Groups like PALS and Black Student Union held handmade signs and banners illustrating their connection to Luther and the community. Members of Alpha Beta Psi (ABY) and Omega Omega Omega (OOO) intermingled in the back of a pickup truck, while members of Tau Delta Gamma (TDG) hitched a ride on a Decorah City fire truck.
Back on campus, reunions took place for the classes of 1975 (50-year), 1970 (55-year), 1965 (60-year), 1960 (65-year), 1955 (70-year) and 1950 (75-year). Later in the evening, other class reunions took place around campus and in Decorah.
Down on the Blurf, Luther Norse football played Wartburg while the Homecoming Carnival took place at Farwell Circle Drive. Internal Operations Assistant for the athletic department Alison Shearer, who planned the carnival, commented on the people and events involved.
“This year’s carnival was made possible by the energy and creativity of Residence Life, Wellness, and our Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) as well as student clubs and organizations,” said Shearer. “Tau Delta Gamma hosted giveaways and raised funds for their philanthropy, the Rock Climbing Club challenged everyone’s grip strength and Mock Trial served cold brew and matcha tied to their current case. The Merry Makers brought laughter with fortune telling, magic tricks, and even a pie-in-the-face moment with a celebrity appearance from Mark Potvin.”
“Wellness handed out free cotton candy and hosted a silent auction with all proceeds going towards the Norse Awards, while Residence Life kept all ages busy with games and prizes,” Shearer said. “SAAC raised funds by selling drinks, ABY sold popcorn, and Recreation Services provided yard games. Men’s Volleyball fired up the grill to serve hot dogs and hamburgers, while Women’s Basketball ran a shooting game with prizes. The last group to have a booth is Dance Marathon. They shared giveaways and mini-games to promote their cause.”
Over in Jewel Theater, the drama department performed “1984,” a stage adaptation of George Orwell’s novel by the same name, on both Friday and Saturday.
Concluding the weekend activities, on Sunday, Luther’s music ensembles took the stage in the Center for Faith and Life for the Homecoming Concert. The Nordic Choir, Concert Band and Symphony Orchestra all performed in an afternoon of music, and high achieving music students and alumni were honored with awards. Concert Band and Symphony Orchestra percussionist Audrey Zielstra (‘26) was awarded the Richard C. and Joann M. Hemp Family Prize for Orchestral Performance. As a surprise, former faculty member and recently retired director of orchestras Daniel Baldwin made an appearance to present the award.
During Concert Band’s portion, the Carlo A. Sperati award was presented to Luther alumnus Jon Ailabouni (‘10), a former Luther trumpet professor who is currently the director of jazz programming at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse.
Nordic Choir closed the concert after presenting the Weston Noble Award to Tony Guzman (‘90). For their last song of the night, the choir invited Nordic alumni to the stage to perform Pavel Chesnokov’s “O Lord God,” the traditional Nordic concert closer.
As homecoming weekend came to a close, alumni and students prepared for the visit of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon of Norway. Crown Prince Haakon’s Monday visit closed out the busy weekend of events with a celebration of 200 years of Norwegian immigration to the United States.
