With themes of violence, wealth, power, family, hospitality and a desire for the comfort and safety of home, Homer's "The Odyssey" has stood the test of time and continues to challenges minds of every generation. Emily Wilson, who is the first known woman to pen a complete translation of "The Odyssey" in English, will give the Luther College Opening Convocation address Thursday, Aug. 30.

Area musicians soon will have a new option for musical experiences. Luther College music and education students are opening the Luther College Community Music School, open to anyone in the Decorah area.

Public libraries can contribute to the growth of a town and the minds that inhabit it, according to Luther College senior Keanna Belau and junior Collin Kern. Belau and Kern's research show that the public libraries' viability is sustained upon the ability to adapt to the needs of the community they serve. Partnering with the Decorah Public Library, Belau and Kern are researching ways in which the library can remain a treasured resource for the community.

When the United States left Vietnam and Southeast Asia following the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, the Hmong who had supported U.S. military operations were targeted by the communist-supported regime in Laos. Thousands fled to Thailand and were placed in refugee camps. Following the Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1975, Laotian refugees arrived in the United States in great numbers. Anika Nelson, Luther College senior of Carroll, Iowa, is interviewing Hmong refugees that came to Decorah from Laos during the Vietnam War for her summer research project.

Understanding foreign cultures and global citizenship can be a struggle for some students. Peder Smith, Luther College junior of Brainerd, Minnesota, is creating, along with Luther's Nordic studies research team, historically based role-playing simulations in order to stimulate and to engage students in the learning of modern languages.

According to research by Luther College senior Catelyn Janda, a community music school would benefit not only local musicians but also Luther College music education students looking to get more hands-on experience. The Batavia, Illinois, native is spending her summer exploring the creation of a Luther College Community Music School.

Luther College is joining the push to mitigate one of the most critical public health crises facing the world, according to the World Health Organization and Center for Disease Control and Prevention: antibiotic resistance via development of a new research-based lab course by Jodi Enos-Berlage, Luther professor of biology, and a summer research collaboration between Enos-Berlage and Martel DenHartog, Luther senior majoring in neuroscience.

As a member of NCAA Division III, the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announces its name change and positions itself for a future as notable as its past. Honoring its heritage in Iowa and its recent expansion outside the state, the American Rivers Conference brand will build on the academic and athletic success provided by its legacy, the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Dogs have the ability to communicate with human beings through everyday interactions and bonds. With his summer research project, Jacob Noble, Luther College senior of Plymouth, Minnesota, is studying the extent to which certain interactions affect canine-human relations.

Luther College announces the induction of 37 seniors into the Luther chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa national academic honor society at a ceremony held this spring in the Center for Faith and Life on the Luther campus.

Only approximately 50 of the nearly 400 effigy mounds remain in the state of Iowa. The mounds tell the story of Iowa's prehistoric past, serving both as a visible reminder of the past as well as standing as a symbol of Iowa's heritage. Thanks to a grant by the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, the Luther College anthropology program is working to further document and conserve some of the remaining Effigy Mounds in Northeast Iowa.

Is there more to cafeteria and food services workers quitting than just not wanting to work in the food industry for a living? Jacob Wessels, Luther College senior of Dubuque, Iowa, is examining the reasons behind turnover of food service workers for his summer research project and will use the information he gathers to help the college's cafeteria student work retention rates.