Luther College
EN-3: Student Life

The Environmental Concerns Organization (ECO) is a student organization that strives to bring awareness to ecological and consumer issues by working with the Luther and Decorah Communities. They aim to think globally and act locally. They often work in collaboration with the sustainability department on some projects, but coordinate many things on their own. This group was active up until Fall 2016 and now is seeking to find new leadership.

Other sustainability-related student groups include:
-Food Council
-Habitat for Humanity
-Interfaith Student Association
-International Student and Allies Association
-Luther Athletes Serving Others
-Students Helping Out Community
-Luther College Feminists
-Muslim Student Association and Allies
-PRIDE

Luther has a college farm where students work under the leadership of a Food and Farm Fellow to grow and sell food to the college cafeteria. The farm consists of 1/2 acre of outdoor production and a 30x96 high tunnel, which allows for seasonal extension. Each year 15 students have the opportunity to work in the gardens and dozens more are engaged through volunteer opportunities and events. Students also help oversee the Luther Community Garden where students, staff and faculty have garden plots. Additionally, students coordinate the college's Cafeteria to Community Program where excess food from the cafeteria kitchen is packaged and donated to the local food pantry. Students are supported through internships with Seed Savers Exchange and local farms and one student is hired each summer to serve as a Sustainable Foods Assistant in the Center for Sustainable Communities.

In Spring 2016 Luther hosted a leadership conference for college students from across the region. Several Luther students attended.

Luther brings at least three sustainability-related speakers to campus each year. Within the last year, speakers have included Sonia Kendrick of Feed Iowa First, author Cornelia Mutel and outdoorsman/environmentalist Chuck Stark.

The Center for Sustainable Communities has hosted workshops on tiny houses and renewable energy in the past year.

Luther is a sponsor and host of the Oneota Film Festival, a festival that brings many sustainability-themed films to the community. Students can attend for free and have the opportunity to submit films.

Luther College celebrates the cultures of the world when it hosts Ethnic Arts Festival. The festival, which began in the 1980s, features presentations, programs and displays by Luther's international students from 48 countries. Ethnic Arts Festival is designed as an educational and entertaining activity for all students, as well as community members. Participants can tour the world with their own "passport," getting it stamped while they visit with students who provide information about their home countries. This event helps to everyone in the community to further understand and appreciate the diversity of cultural backgrounds represented on campus.

Spring 2015 Nineteenth century Art course curated an exhibition that paired objects from the Luther College Fine Arts Collection with the writings of Jens Jensen. The students delved into Jensen work and isolated key things that informed his landscape design, and the Luther landscape. They then found images that seemed to reflect or directly engage with Jensen's teachings. The exhibition hung first in the library gallery and was moved to the Union Gallery the following summer.

Immersion Program: We offer week-long Immersion experiences for incoming students as a way to build community, leadership capacity and a connection to the natural world.

Luther College Adventure Crew and Rec Sports offer spring break trips and wilderness experiences.

(For younger students) Discovery Camps are week-long environmental education programs providing hands-on learning experiences in the out-of-doors that are fun, engaging and full of discoveries! Participants learn about: woodland, wetland and prairie ecology, wilderness camping and survival, alternative energy, animal behavior, nature crafts, wilderness awareness and much, much more!

In 2015-16 all incoming students were required to read "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henrîquez which tells stories from an Immigrant's point of view.

The 2015-16 Texts and Issues Lecture Series was entitled "Impermanence: Embracing Change" and included lectures such as "Back to the Future: Understanding the Anthropocene"

The 2016-17 Texts and Issues Lecture Series centers around the common theme of "Who do you trust?" Lectures include "Trust in the Commons? On Interdependence and Saving the World" and "The Racialization of Trust: Who Have We Been Taught Not to Trust"

In summers 2014 and 2015 Luther offered a free gardening series to all faculty, staff, students and community members.

Workshops have been held on tiny houses and renewable energy in the past few years. Those are open to everyone, including students.

The Luther College Sustainability House is a co-ed, two-story home located in a residential neighborhood within walking distance of campus. This house offers a living-learning environment where students reside together that share a dedication to an environmentally, socially, and fiscally sustainable lifestyle. Members of the house take part in house meetings, book discussions, hold house leadership roles, develop an annual operating plan for the house, and also provide education and outreach to members of the Luther and surrounding communities.

At Luther we provide nearly 40 students the opportunity work in the Center for Sustainable Communities throughout the year. Students work in close collaboration with staff, faculty and students across campus, as well as community members. Positions include:

1. Cafeteria to Community Coordinators
2. Gardeners
3. Recycling and Composting Crew
4. Sustainability Educators (see EN-1)
5. Marketing and Communications Coordinators

The Graduation Pledge is a pledge of social and environmental responsibility that graduating seniors are encouraged to sign saying that they will be socially and environmentally responsible throughout the rest of their life, specifically in their careers.

The pledge reads as follows:

"I pledge to explore and take into account the social and environmental consequences of any job I consider and will try to improve these aspects of any organizations for which I work."