Renovation of the Miller and Dieseth residence halls has long been considered by students to be somewhat of a pipe dream and a foregone fantasy.

Over J-term, the first annual Oneota Film Festival will take place on campus, offering a selection of films relating to sustainability.

The films, ranging from feature-length films to short films, will be shown in three different venues on campus Jan. 22 and 23.

Sustainability Coordinator Dan Bellrichard talked about how the idea for the festival came about.

This Friday through Sunday Luther’s mock trial teams will compete at Macalester College’s (Minn.) invitational mock trial competition. The mock trial teams, led by Mitch Zoelzer (‘10), Allison Dahlberg (‘11) and Jonathan Grieder (‘12), recently competed amongst nine other teams in a competition held at Luther Oct. 24.

With initial cases of swine flu appearing a day or two before classes started, H1N1 moved in among the students and looked as though it was going to stay.

As the semester went on, cases of the virus appeared to have dropped and the college community began to wonder if the worst was over or yet to come.

Iowa Supreme Court Justice Mark Cady delivered a speech at Luther last Tuesday regarding Iowa’s legalization of same-sex marriage. Cady is the author of the unanimous majority opinion for the case, Varnum v. Brien, which legalized same-sex marriage in the state in April 2009.

Despite national economic hardships, staff and faculty will receive a one percent raise this year. The raise is smaller than in the past, but professors are not showing great concern.

“It’s tough times,” Walt Will, professor of computer sciences, said. “We’re in a recession. I can handle it.”

Luther alumna Hoa Nguyen (‘03) was released after nearly nine weeks in the custody of International Customs Enforcement while awaiting a possible deportation to her homeland of Vietnam.

Nguyen, who was teaching at the University of Minnesota, was incarcerated in August after she failed to show up for a court date to discuss a change in her student visa status.

“Beautiful,” “Fun,” “A great place to live.” These are just a few comments made by new Norby House residents and visitors who attended Norby’s open house Saturday, Oct. 24.

In Oelwein, Iowa, just 50 miles from Decorah, a tragic and unique story has stepped into the national spotlight through Nick Reding’s “Methland.” Three of the book’s featured figures appeared at Luther Oct. 22 to share how their collaboration is combating the disastrous effects of methamphetamine on their community.

Oelwein Mayor Larry Murphy, assistant Fayette County prosecutor and Luther alumnus Nathan Lein (‘98) and Dr. Clay Hallberg spoke to students, staff and faculty as well as community members and officials. Decorah Chief of Police Tom Courtney attended the lecture along with members of “Moms off Meth” and area healthcare and social workers.

“Methland” tells the story of what the author calls “the all-American drug,” methamphetamine, and the effects it has on communities throughout the country. Oelwein is one of several towns examined in the book and is used as a prime example of rural meth infestation.

“Oelwein was looking at the grave,” Murphy said. “We knew that we were dying.”

Methamphetamine, more commonly known as meth, is an illegal drug that has infiltrated rural communities with easy availability, low cost and highly addictive effects.

Hoa Nguyen (‘03) was alone in the Minneapolis home she shares with her husband Dan Hanson (‘03) Aug. 14 when four immigration officers forcibly detained her for failing to attend a court date where she was to discuss a change in her student visa status.

Though the Sampson-Hoffland Laboratory building is less than one year old, its surroundings have already received a facelift. Three construction projects are taking place around Luther’s newest building— a rain garden, an oak savanna and a new greenhouse.

With more high schools administering college credit courses through local community colleges, the number of students bringing in high numbers of credits is increasing—and worrying professors.