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loved playing the Suzuki songs, but I also loved to sing and sang in a group like the Tacoma Youth Chorus (the Northwest Boychoir) as well. I also took piano lessons from my mother, and later from a local high school student named Rick Steves (yes, he grew up to be THE Rick Steves!). I loved all of these things (and continue to), but by the time I was finishing grade school I knew I had to make a choice. I gave violin my all, but learned a bit of guitar, and occasionally sang in choirs. When I was

July 7, 2011 Bashair Alazadi ’13 and Carlos Sandoval ’13 look forward to talking about the perceptions and the realities with the Muslim club. (Photo by John Froschauer) Engaging faith: A Muslim Student’s Perspective The first question that Bashair Alazadi ’13 gets from fellow students usually is framed like this: “Do you really want to wear a hijab, or is your husband making you wear it?”Or some variation thereof. But the real answer: It’s a choice for her, a declaration of modesty, and also

choreography career in New York City through Birlibirloque, now BQdanza. In 2008, she won the Margaret K. Williams “excellence in the Arts”award in Pierce County. She is the dance specialist at The Elk Plain School of Choice in Tacoma, a school selected as best in Arts in Washington state last year by Arts Ed Washington. Her work has been commissioned for Strictly Seattle, the Seattle International Children’s Festival, Ecuador’s National Dance Company, and UDLA Danza in Puebla, Mexico, month others

PLU Assistant Professor and Reference Librarian Lizz Zitron. The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender was named one of 2014’s best books by Publishers Weekly and Hudson Booksellers and also has been nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award and for YALSA’S Best of Fiction for Young Adults award. The fantasy novel tells the story of 16-year-old Ava Lavender, who inherits a rich family history and a legacy of heartbreak. A young man becomes convinced that Ava is an angel when he discovers that

diversity,” Rush said. “When I read the mission statement I thought ‘wow I really relate to this.’” Beiermann and Rush were chosen from a group of nine students. Ksenija Simic-Muller, program director and assistant professor of math, said the choice was challenging. “We all thought as a committee that anyone of the applicants could have done it and represented PLU very well,” Simic-Muller said. “But Austin and Cate have different backgrounds and different interests and I think they will complement each

Lutheran University. But while he loved his time playing forward and center for the Lutes, he was far less certain about his initial choice of major.“Business school wasn’t a great fit,” Duncan recalled. “I had some awesome professors and I had some classes that I really loved, but then there were some that I just couldn’t get through. I wasn’t loving it, so I ended up switching to graphic design after my sophomore year.” And yet, Duncan has generated quite a buzz over the last year as a business owner

into her home each day after a shift, hasn’t seen her children or grandchildren since volunteering despite living close by. She doesn’t want to take the risk. However, she doesn’t regret her choice, and would volunteer again in a heartbeat if offered the chance. “For me, it’s very rewarding,” Krogstad said of her work. “I was glad to finally get out and do something and feel like I’m helping in some way. I just want to do my job — and I want it to get better.” Read Previous PLU’s new Community

make higher education accessible to students from all financial backgrounds.  Kaila grew up an hour and a half from Tacoma in Castle Rock, Washington and attended Castle Rock High School. An education major, with an emphasis in special education, and a music minor, PLU was always her first choice. “I was really lucky because my high school band director, Mrs. Dietz was a PLU alum,” Harris explained. “We even had the opportunity to come up to PLU and attend music workshops with PLU educators while I

continues to be the choice art form for so many talented vocalists and composers? There are many reasons why vocalists and composers will participate in the choral genre. Speaking for myself, I enjoy singing and feel great satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment when singing in a choir. Singing is a full-body physical activity that is connected to emotions and mental well-being, and there’s even research on its correlation to affecting heart rate. I believe each chorus member fulfills a need when

wanted to impact people’s lives in a positive way, but I also didn’t want to major in biology or chemistry, so I entered my freshman year as a computer science major,” he says. It was a choice that would radically change his chosen path.In his first computer science class at PLU, Gavidia learned how quickly software can scale and impact people around the world. “Just one person, or a small group of people, can accomplish so much,” Gavidia says. That moment was key for him: he realized he didn’t have