I had a chemistry exam on Friday that involved some preparation, but the rest of the school week was pretty normal in terms of workload. This next week is going to be a little different. I am finishing up a lab report for chemistry lab, I have a couple of papers that will need to get written, another paper I must plan for and start researching, and I get to top it all off with a hefty botany exam on Thursday. Wish me luck!
However, there have been a lot of positive things happening this weekend. On Friday, I went to the final Center Stage Series concert in the Center of Faith and Life. It was the New Zealand String Quartet and Richard Nuuns. I had seen the quartet while living in Dunedin, New Zealand, so it was a nostalgic experience for me. They are fantastic musicians, and this time they performed with Richard Nuuns, who is an expert in traditional Maori (New Zealand native) instruments. It was fascinating and very entertaining. Saturday was a busy day. I went to my friend's junior vocal recital, and was amazed by his talent. There are so many good singers and musicians at Luther. I have a hard time keeping up. After that, I went to a performance done by a group of guys from Guatemala and Mexico. In May, there was a large immigration raid in Postville, Iowa, which is only a stone's throw from here. It was a very chaotic, painful, and in my opinion, poorly handled occurrence. These guys decided to tell their story in a play form in order to explain to people the terrible things they had to live through and hopefully shed some light on the crooked immigration policies in our country. It was very eye-opening. I have spent a bit of time with a few of the guys who performed, so I had a vague background of their stories, but it was shocking to hear it in its entirety. They are truly amazing individuals.
Saturday night was a little less heavy. It was the first Highlandville folk dance of the season. Each month, a great band called Footnotes performs in a small schoolhouse in a town called Highlandville which is about 15 miles north of Decorah. They play folk music and we all dance waltzes, polkas, two-steps and others until our legs are too tired to hold us any more. I have been going to these events consistently for the past few years and it seems to have transformed more into a gathering of younger people. There were lots of Luther students, as well as Decorah High School students. It was such a great time dancing and having fun with all those wonderful people. I cannot wait for the next one.
Finally, today is going to be another busy day. Another couple of my buddies have their junior recital, so I will undoubtedly go to that. Pretty soon here I am going to head over to the Center for the Arts for an event called Empty Bowls. It is a fundraiser for a couple agencies dealing with world hunger. Potters from around the area come together to make hundreds of bowls to sell for $20 dollars, which goes on to these organizations. Local restaurants donate soup and bread to fill those bowls. So it is a meal that goes toward a good cause. I have gone the last two years, and the soup and craft are amazing. There is music, good company, and a pleasant atmosphere. It is incredible what people do with their talents.
So that is what my life has been like for the last few days. Hopefully this next week will be as enjoyable as the last. I wish you all the best. If you are getting snow, keep warm. If you are getting sun, send it our way. Take care.
Peace,
Collin
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