Scholarship, Sleep, and Self in the Pandemic
Nancy Simpson-Younger sits at her desk, poised to explain how communicating remotely is completely different from speaking face-to-face, when a loud bang sounds from behind her. She laughs. “That was my cat knocking the little whiteboard off the back of the bookshelf.” She considers the…
“All Tradition is Change”: Redefining Community in the SCC
2020 has been no stranger to change. Change in communities, ways of life, understanding, normality, mindset: change seems to be the common theme of 2020. With the significant changes that PLU has had to make during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, Dr. Jason Schroder, Director of…
Encouraging Biliteracy Through Online Learning
Dr. Bridget Yaden, professor of Hispanic and Latino Studies at Pacific Lutheran University, served as the President of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) for the very eventful year of 2020. ACTFL is a national organization of language teachers, with a…
Un Remedio: Confronting the Challenges of Distance Learning
When asked how her students are persevering in times of distance learning, Giovanna Urdangarain, Associate Professor of Hispanic and Latino Studies responded, “They inspire me daily.” Transitioning to online learning has been a lengthy process for all involved, but Professor Urdangarain is grateful to have…
Greetings from the Dean
PLU’s Division of Humanities concludes the 2020-21 school year with relief and gratitude. Dean Kevin O’Brien working from home. Also pictured is Pancake, one of two cats he adopted during the pandemic You can probably imagine the reasons for our relief. This was the third…
Educator and Cheerleader: Dr. Brenda Llewellyn Ihssen
The COVID-19 pandemic is presenting itself to be a challenging time for educators, but experienced professors like Dr. Brenda Llewellyn Ihssen are facing this challenge head-on. Dr. Llewellyn Ihssen is a professor in the religion department at Pacific Lutheran University and teaches classes in the…
The Adaptation of Learning
In March 2020 PLU shifted to online learning in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. “How will classes work? Will there still be group projects? Will Capstone presentations still happen? How long will it be like this?” These are just some of the questions students and…
Professor Rick Barot, Director of the MFA program, long listed for National Book Award
PLU’s Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, also known as the Rainier Writing Workshop, is a three-year program offering one-on-one faculty to student mentorship. Professor Rick Barot, Director of the MFA program, believes the program’s strength lies in its strong community of diverse writers…
Teaching during a Global Pandemic
Professor Rings sits in the basement of his house in Downtown Tacoma explaining the difference between being online versus in the classroom during a global pandemic. The room is more dimly lit and quiet than a classroom, and the discussion feels homey. There was no…
Dr. Torvend on Sustainability in Monastic Communities
Dr. Samuel Torvend spent his sabbatical during the 2019-20 school year researching environmental consciousness and sustainability in early medieval monastic communities. Early medieval monasteries were built to last, he emphasizes. “When these monastic communities were established, they did not think they were going to be…