Commencement 2015

Commencement address / Jenson Medal / Young Alumni Award

Commencement address

Mike Danforth ’95 presented the 2015 Commencement address, drawing on his expertise in radio comedy and his professional experiences to give a speech full of humor and relevant advice for graduates. Danforth is an executive producer for the NPR show Wait Wait . . . Don’t Tell Me and cohost of the podcast How To Do Everything. In his address, the unedited version of which appears below, Danforth used topics from How To Do Everything to share tips with the graduates:

Thank you, President Carlson.

Congratulations graduates. Congratulations parents, professors, administrators, everyone who has had a hand in getting you here today …  Graduates, this is what you’ve been working toward for the last 4 years…or five…or six, who knows. We’re not here to judge. Maybe it’s only taken you three years, in which case, shut up. Stop bragging.

20 years ago I sat right about where you are. Towards the back where people without any honors sat. So to be standing here is a bit of surprise.  (In fact, when I told my wife, Eva, who is also a Luther grad, that I was invited to speak at commencement, her first response was not, “Wow!” or “Congratulations” She said, quote: “I got much better grades than you.”)  And it’s true, she did.

I did not get great grades. And by the time I was sitting where you are now, I had absolutely no clue what I was going to do next. My main ambition in life at that point was to take a nap in my parents mini-van as they drove me back home to my childhood bedroom. (A goal I easily achieved).Image may be NSFW.
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My commencement speaker that day was a former Minnesota Vikings player, who went on to become a state supreme court judge. You’re not getting an NFL player-slash-judge. You’re getting a public radio nerd. Some of you might be disappointed by this—but, be happy: you are stepping out into the world at a time when the bar for how successful you have to be to come back here and speak at graduation has never been lower.

I am a radio producer who also hosts a podcast for National Public Radio. If you don’t know what NPR is, think about the last time you borrowed your grandma’s car.  That noise you heard before you turned off the radio—that was NPR.

The show I produce, Wait Wait, Don’t Tell Me, is a funny show about the week’s news. You can hear us on public radio stations on Saturday mornings. It’s a pretty sweet job—I work with talented and funny people and basically get paid to read the news all day and make jokes about it. The thing that most people do when they’re avoiding work—that’s my job.

Three years ago I started a new show called How To Do Everything with a colleague, Ian Chillag. It’s an advice show where listeners send in questions. Some are “how to” questions, some are just questions people are too lazy to google. For example: Is baby spinach really a baby version of spinach? How do you stop a charging rhino; How do I watch a sex scene with my parents. We, the hosts, don’t actually know anything, but we find experts to answer the questions. In the course of doing that we get to talk to some fascinating people and learn something new. (In case you’re wondering...The answers to those questions are yes, baby spinach is a baby and when we eat it we’re eating babies; , you stop a rhino by tickling a rhino in his man region, his sensitive parts, with a stick--that distracts him]);, and you should never watch a sex scene with your parents. There are some problems with no solutions. 

So, I think the best thing I can do for you today is tell you some of the things I’ve learned in my job as a radio producer and used in my life since graduation day. These tips are not poetic or lofty, but they will save your life.

Tip number one: how to survive if you’re pushed off a cruise ship.

When I first started at Luther our president at the time, H. George Anderson said during opening convocation that starting college was like pushing off the side of a pool into the water. You’re holding on the edge and you kick off with your feet and suddenly you have all this water rushing past you, all these experiences coming at you and it can take some time before you get your bearings, find your rhythm. And if you made it this far, you probably found your stride at college. But graduating from college, at least for me—was the complete opposite. Graduating wasn’t pushing off into a new safe and inviting pool. It was like was getting tossed off a boat into the ocean. And as far as metaphors go, College as a cruise ship kind of makes sense--you have all these people living on top of each other, there’s crappy food in three different restaurants, people are getting sick and you’re forced to see people wandering around in their underpants.

For me, when college was done--instead of new experiences and opportunities rushing past me—I was just floating there, alone, a little lost. I didn’t have a plan, I wasn’t going to grad school or pursuing a particular career path. I was just hanging out, trying to survive.

Now. If you really fall off a cruise ship--assuming you’ve survived the fall from the ship, now you’re floating in the water. The first thing you do—and this comes from a former Navy Seal we interviewed on How To Do Everything . . . he says you need to stay calm, conserve energy…and then, take off your pants. The Seals have something they call the dunk technique—you tie off the legs of your pants and then lift them over your head and slam them into the water. That forces air into the pants. You seal that up as best you can and you have a sort of crude floatation device. You do this every 10-15 minutes—you don’t drown.

Now, in my experience, after I graduated that’s what I did. I floated around. I was lucky—I graduated with an English degree—No one had any expectation I would have immediate or even gradual success. I tried all sorts of jobs—some great, some terrible--before I figured out what I wanted. I worked in the basement of the Electric Fetus record store in Minneapolis (good job, free music and concert tickets), I interned at a record label (super boring, and bad free music), I was a barista (good, free food), a theater usher (super boring, free theater seats), I taught English for a year in Slovakia (great experience, free, but really gross school lunch).

You might find yourself bouncing around job to job, unsure of what you want to do. You should know you have things that can save you. When you’re literally floating in the ocean: it’s your pants. In the floating metaphor, it’s the self that’s been shaped over the last few years as a student. That’s what Luther has given you. You may not realize you’re wearing metaphorical floaty pants right now, but you are!

One of the most influential jobs I had during that time was cooking for a year at restaurant here in Decorah. It’s gone now—Café Delux--but that was where I learned to cook.

And it was in that kitchen, chopping up celery and carrots between the lunch and dinner rush, that I started listening to public radio.

And that’s when I figured out what I wanted to do. I wanted to be a radio producer. So, when I had the chance—I started applying for radio internships. This brings me to...

Tip Number Two: How to Look Professional Wearing Kids Clothes

To get an internship you’re going to do a job interview and you will want to look nice, professional. That definitely means wearing clothes. But, you don’t have a lot of money to spend because you’ve just graduated—We interviewed a guy who needed nice, professional clothes but didn’t have a lot of money. He’s in his 30’s, his name is Chris and he lives in Boston and one day, he realized: he was a medium in Men’s Ralph Lauren shirts, but in Boy’s, he was an extra large. So now he shops in the Boy’s section and saves 100s of dollars. If you try this, he doesn’t recommend trying on the shirts in the Boy’s section. Sneak them over to the men’s.

For me, I eventually got hired for two unpaid radio internships at two different radio stations. I learned a whole lot: how to edit tape, how to schmooze people on the phone and book them for interviews, I learned not to complain when someone sends you out to get their lunch (I did complain once and I had to have private talking to) and I learned it’s hard to make money working two unpaid internships.

I got through this using an old fashioned trick called getting married. It's not for everyone, but it worked out great for me. I worked for free, Eva made the money. Even if there's someone you kind of like, if they have a steady income, think about asking them to marry you.

Now eventually you’re going to get a job. And that means you’re going to be working with other adults.…and here’s the thing about adults—they like to feel smart. And after four years of being a student, you’re excited to get out there and show the world what you know. But, for all things you’ve learned here, there’s so much you don’t know.

And that brings me to tip number three: How to learn to ride a bike when you’re a 30 year old man.

When I first started working at NPR I was easily intimidated by the people around me. These were reporters, journalists who went to fancy colleges and whose voices I heard on the radio. When my colleagues found out I went to Luther College in Iowa, they assumed I graduated from a seminary or a monastery. In their mind, I had spent college deep in prayerful contemplation, singing hymns and walking around in choir robes like a kind of Lutheran Hogwarts.  And I found myself wanting to prove how smart and clever I was. That is such a mistake. You will do this, too. And you really don’t need to. If there’s one thing we’ve learned at How To Do Everything is that there’s no shame in admitting you don’t know something.

And that’s where the bike comes in. We got a call from this guy  Brian in Pittsburgh. His wife had bought him a bike for his 30^th birthday—but he didn’t know how to ride it. He’d never learned as a kid. Whenever he tried in his driveway, the boys and girls in his neighborhood—4 and 5 year olds who already knew how to ride two-wheelers--would point and laugh. So we flew out to Pittsburgh, met Brian and his wife and showed him how. Well, the first thing we did was get him on tape saying we weren’t responsible if he crashed in to a wall and died—but once that was out of the way, we got him up on a bike. After a few practice runs, with me holding his seat to keep his balance, he was doing it on his own. And it was beautiful—this fully grown man riding a bike for the first time in his life….giggling and nearly losing control and crashing into the side of a building.

Now, you don’t need me to tell you how to ride a bike…but the big thing that Brian did right was that he wasn’t afraid to admit he didn’t know how to do something that everyone else learned when they were five.

You’re going to be working side by side with people who might be 25 years old or 50... people who’ve been there for 30 years and people that have been there for five months. And you might feel small or unsure. And admitting you don’t know something may feel like a weakness, but really it shows your strength. It takes real courage to speak up and ask a question. I’ve seen that with the young people who come in as interns on our show—I know when someone asks a question, that they’re engaged and that they care about what we’re doing. We need that--we need your energy, your ideas and curiosity. But, please don’t fake it out there.

Of course, once you’re socially adjusted to office culture, things can still go wrong. And that brings me to tip number four: How to survive an encounter with a bear.

One of the most deflating experiences of my early working life happened when I was a production assistant at a show called Prairie Home Companion. The host, Garrison Keillor, asked me to do some research at the Minnesota history museum—looking at old newspapers for stories about crimes from 100 years ago. I spent days there—I even dragged along an intern and Eva, my wife-- looking through microfilm, collecting all this information that we typed up and put together in a thick stack of pages. And it felt like a real accomplishment—this was going to be a feature on the big Millenium show and we had all played a significant part in its creation. Got back to the office and handed it over to the boss. He looked it at, said thanks. The next day, I found the entire thick stack in the garbage.

I felt gutted. Destroyed. I knew the work I did was good enough, but for whatever reason it didn’t fit the show. This will also happen to you.

So, what do you do if you run into a bear in the woods? On the show we talked to an outdoor guide named Matt, at Camp Denali in Alaska. His advice is simple—if you startle the bear, don’t freak out….Just stay cool and say in a loud voice to the bear “Hey bear…Heyyyy Bear…How you doin’ Bear?” That way he knows you’re a human and not something he normally eats--like a fish or a blueberry. And we know this actually works ---after we posted this episode, we heard from a listener  who was out running with her dog and they came up on a bear--she spoke right up and the bear moved on ….Now maybe if I handed over all that research and said, “Hey Garrison Keillor….Hey Garrison” things would have turned out differently. But I doubt it.

And here’s the other thing—I’ve been that bear—I’ve tossed out work that people have spent a lot of time on. And they got upset. And--Sometimes your work will be not good enough--or just in vain. You will encounter a bear and it’s going to sting (or bite, or maul…whatever it is bear’s do). But, instead of panicking or giving up, get yourself out of immediate danger. You’ll feel discouraged, but instead of dwelling on the bear, think back on the mentors in your life. The people you admire—who’ve shown you how to be a human.

For me, I think about professors like Nancy Barry and Lise Kildegaard, John Moeller and Dick Ylvisaker. When I was figuring out how to be an adult, these were my role models. People like Bob Larson, who always encouraged me to live in my own skin. I think about that all the time. In acting class Bob was a calm and steady presence. He didn’t heap praise on us, but he knew how to inspire. Outside class, we’d hear Bob playing tennis in the field house. We didn’t see him--we heard him---yelling and growling at every misplayed ball. He told us that was how he recovered from teaching all week. This was Bob being his authentic self. I hope when you go out there, you’ll find yourself new mentors –people that see your talent when you don’t--people that give you an example, something to aspire to.

And when you have bad days in your career and--even worse--when you hit the real crises that will inevitably come your way--in your relationships, in your physical health, in your soul, well, you will need to know how to survive those too.

That’s when you will need tip number five: How to survive in the desert.

Now, this tip will save your life, but at a terrible price. It comes from outdoorsman Bear Grylls, who told us that when you’re stuck in the desert, one of the first things you’re going to need is water. And unless you’re carrying your own water bottle—you’re screwed. You can wait for rain, you can squeeze the juice out of cactus, and if you get really desperate, really thirsty--the nuclear option, and, again i apologize, you probably know where this is going--is you can drink your own urine.

I’ve been lucky in that I’ve never run out of water. But I have dealt with things that seemed enormous at the time and things that were legitimately frightening. You will experience these too. And just like in the desert: remember, the answer is within you. Yes, it’s in your bladder, but also in your heart.

My Luther friendships are some of the most important in my life. I’m hoping this is true for you too.  These are people that know you so well and have seen you through key moments in your coming of age. You’re friends have seen you grow from an awkward first year student, to an awkward senior. My friends from Luther have gone on to do critical work--they’re nurses and teachers, they’re saving the environment, they’re pastors, they’re fighting diseases, they’re making schools and churches safe for gays and lesbians, they’re musicians and performers. You and your friends will do amazing things. And--just like my friends and me--you will go through tough times. When you do, turn to each other. These are the people who’ll stand with you when you get married, the people you’ll tell when your children are born, the people you will call when you don’t know who else to call. Your friendships will sustain you through whatever you encounter.

At the end of the every How To Do Everything show we ask each other the question, “What did we learn this week.” And if you’ve listened to this speech the way I listened to the commencement address at my graduation, you’ve maybe heard two or three of the things I’ve said. In which case, you will head out into the world, take off your pants off, put on a child’s shirt and drink your own urine. For that I apologize. But, if you learned anything I hope it’s to keep asking questions. There’s a lot you’ve gotten out of your four years here at Luther. I know, because I got it too. I hope, as you leave here, you take all that with you: take all that you know—but also take with you what you don’t know. No one is expecting you to know how to do everything and—believe me, no one wants you to. Be open. Be honest. Best of luck.

Jenson Medal

The notion of service is central to the Luther College mission—to prepare students to serve with distinction for the common good. In affirmation of the Luther mission, the Elizabeth and Paul Jenson Medal, established by these two Luther alumni, is presented to an outstanding senior. The person is selected by the graduating class, as the graduate who best demonstrates the ideals of the college through service to students and the college community. Corey Landstrom, vice president and dean of student life, delivered the address, which appears unedited below:

The 2015 recipient of the Jenson Medal is Libby Logsden from Iowa City, IA. While Libby makes her way up to the stage, I’d like her family to stand. Libby’s parents Karen and Ron Logsden and her brother Zach, her grandfather, Merle Krummel, and her cousin Sean Krummel are present to celebrate this day with her. Sean is a member of the incoming Class of 2019.Image may be NSFW.
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When I met with Libby to talk about her Luther journey, I asked her how she came to be here. Libby was destined to be at Luther but this was not readily apparent to her. From the age of 2, she had her heart set on attending the University of Iowa. She was pre-med and had her housing all set. But, with persistent, personalized outreach from Luther, she decided to apply (without telling her parents). When she got accepted, her parents urged her to visit campus.

As many of you – students - likely experienced, the visit sealed the deal. She fell in love with the campus, was captivated by the professors she met, and was amazed at how engaged her tour guide was with peers. All the elements of a potentially powerful experience were present.  So Libby came to Luther and she has embraced with full heart all that a residential, liberal arts education can provide.

Throughout her four years on campus, Libby would say she was transformed by her encounters with her peers, in all their human complexities, on good days and bad days.  This enabled her to form deep and authentic relationships with her peers, with faculty and with staff. Libby had the opportunity to think critically about what makes a good and true life and she is thankful faculty challenged her to consider this question.

While Libby “bounced around majors” her first two years, she was moving forward on discerning what her career might be. She recalls the impact an Immersion Trip had on her as an incoming first year student.  Her leader was retired professor Uwe Rudolph, and she was captivated by his positive spirit and his guiding presence. Professor Mona Nelson has been a strong, female influence who taught Libby to be realistic about time & commitments. Libby has seen this relationship become a friendship marked by a mutual exchange of ideas.

Libby’s contributions to Luther have been impressive. Whether through her leadership in Student Senate, the Student Activities Council, or Dance Marathon, Libby dedicated herself to fostering a community where individuals could grow as persons and be allowed to make mistakes. Through the Launching Luther Leaders and the Scholars programs, Libby explored the intersection of intellectual discovery and ethical decision-making.  Through Freya – one of Luther’s women’s ultimate frisbee teams – Libby found healthy competition and camaraderie.

The combination of all her experiences – including studying abroad during J-Term – has helped Libby discover what is important. According to Libby, happiness, as a goal in and of itself, is insufficient. Finding things you are very passionate about – that you have thought about – is what makes you fulfilled. What others think should not prevent you from following your passions. Immersing yourself in community gives you the opportunity to meet people where they are and appreciate what they have to offer. Fostering an atmosphere where values are shared, possibilities can be explored, and balance can be achieved are gifts Libby received here at Luther and which she will bring forward.

When I think of Libby Logsden I think of honor, service and dedication.

Luther College is richer because of her commitments and contributions.

It gives me great joy to present her with this year’s Jenson Medal.

Young Alumni Award

The 2015 Young Alumni Award was presented to Charles Leonard ’00. Leonard founded Blue Water Theatre, a children’s theatre in Wayzata, Minn. He has directed more than 50 musical productions, each involving 40 to 60 young people, ages 6 to 12. Lisa (Schneider) Strube ’87, president of the Luther Alumni Association, said Leonard was selected for the honor for how he fulfilled his role as a dedicated teacher, director, and mentor to young people, and for the way he has so perfectly blended his passion for the work he does with service to others. Kirk Johnson '82 wrote the encomium below, which was delivered by Lisa (Schneider) Strube ’87.  

Since 2004 the Alumni Council has awarded the Young Alumni Award, making Charlie Leonard just the twelfth recipient of this prestigious honor. The varied and important work of some past recipients include: a geneticist at Johns Hopkins, a medical doctor setting up mobile hospitals in Haiti, a top gun fighter pilot, an opera singer, an epidemiologist with the CDC, a human rights activist, a State Department official in Iraq, a cultural anthropologist researching substance abuse in Baltimore, the founder of a micro-lending organization for African women, and an advocate for American veterans. The award is testament to the opportunities a Luther education will afford you, and to the lives of service our alumni lead. Their stories are all unique.Image may be NSFW.
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Charlie Leonard is the founder and executive director of Blue Water Theatre, a successful and growing children’s theatre company in the Twin Cities. Surprisingly, he was NOT a theatre major. He majored in English and counts among his mentors: professor Lise Kildegaard, who was the faculty advisor for Chips, during the years when Charlie progressed from staff writer to managing editor; AND Jennifer Cantine general manager at KWLC. Jennifer recalls, “a highly creative and dedicated corps of students at the radio station during that time. They had fun. They were wildly experimental on the air, and their enthusiasm was contagious. Charlie was at the center of that.”

Charlie taught English at Wayzata West Middle School for a few years, where he met and mentored another Luther “Charlie,” Charlie Bruer, the Jenson Medalist from 2013, and one of many Luther students and alumni impacted by Charlie Leonard. “In 8^th grade,” Says Bruer, “I auditioned to play violin in the pit orchestra, and instead, Charlie cast me as salesman #2 in The Music Man. It was my first theatrical experience, and it was incredibly positive and formative. Charlie is the reason for my continued interest in theatre and improvisation.” Blue Water alumni also include first-year students Isaiah Cammon and Timothy Radermacher (Timothy is playing in the band today… and has appeared in a record 18 Blue Water productions). He says, “Blue water teaches confidence, unity, clarity, communication, understanding and teamwork. My experiences at Blue Water have led me to want to become a teacher and inspire my future students with the same passion and excitement that Charlie exhibits at every rehearsal.” Timothy tells me that three more Blue Water alumni will be first-year Luther students in the fall.

One parent wrote, “I have come to see what makes Charlie and the work he does so unique. He is sensitive to each child’s strengths and vulnerabilities, and focuses on the education and growth of the children throughout the process of rehearsal and production. He creates an environment were every child is welcomed… He allows kids to shine through in their areas of strength and encourages them to grow and take on challenges. He teaches the students to support and respect each other and encourages the older students to mentor the younger ones… He truly cares about the kids with whom he works, and strives to create a safe, supportive, and educational atmosphere. He is a unique and gifted teacher and mentor.”

With a rigorous season of four main stage musicals per year, plus a handful of smaller productions including a student-directed show, the theatre draws students from grades 6 to 12. Since 2007 Charlie has directed more than 50 full musical productions, with each one involving 40 to 60 young people. Says another parent, “Charlie’s amazing work with more than 1,500 young people has been transformative for many, and enriching and mind-expanding for all participating kids AND their families.” Blue Water Theatre is a community asset with a budget of $150,000, with $110,000 evenly split between ticket sales and registration fees, and the rest from donations and fundraising. On tap this summer is a production of The Drowsy Chaperone in June; the Broadway musical, Big Fish, in July; and a summer camp production of Disney’s The Aristocats Kids performed by children in grades 3 through 5. Charlie says you can order tickets online at the Blue Water website.

Former U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley once said, “I believe arts education in music, theater, dance, and the visual arts is one of the most creative ways we have to find the gold that is buried just beneath the surface. Children have an enthusiasm for life, a spark of creativity, and vivid imaginations that need training – training that prepares them to become confident young men and women.” Luther College is pleased to honor Charles Leonard for his role in “finding the gold . . . beneath the surface” as a dedicated teacher, director and mentor to young people, and for the way he has so perfectly blends his passion for the work he does with service to others.