The Spirit of the Fall Semester

Dear Cal Lutheran Community,

October is to the collegiate year as December is to the holiday season. The crisp air wakes us up as we walk across campus or wait for the BART to bring us to our seminary classes. Midterm grades reveal where students and faculty are as both groups gear up for the final stretch. Homecoming activities loom large while alumni near and far make the trek back to their alma mater. October includes all of that and more for members of our community.

Much of this Thursday’s note to campus highlights key activities that deserve your attention. Here are just a few of the biggies:

• Swenson Science Dedication Ceremony: All are invited to join us tomorrow, Friday, October 22, at 3:00 p.m. at the entrance to the Swenson Science Center as we celebrate this extraordinary place and the people who helped bring it to life. A blessing from our Campus Pastor, reflections from donors and leaders, and a musical performance will draw us together in gratitude for this science-in-action facility.
• Homecoming Weekend: There’s something for everyone this Friday-Sunday as we open the campus to over 1,100 alumni.

• Lace up your running shoes and get your heart pumping with our annual Loop da Lu 5K on Saturday morning.

• Head over to our home athletic On Saturday you can cheer on the men’s and women’s swimming and diving, men’s soccer, women’s volleyball, and football teams, all of whom compete on the TO campus in a single day!

• Lest you think Homecoming is all fun and games, stop by the Swenson Center for Social and Behavioral Sciences and support our students who are presenting their undergraduate research on Saturday morning at 11:00 a.m.

• Relish the sweet sounds of the Music Student Showcase Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. and the Cal Lutheran Choir and Women’s Chorale as they open the season with the homecoming concert on Sunday afternoon at 2:00. Both concerts are in the Samuelson Chapel.

• Annual Convocation Meeting: Like last year, the Convocation meeting will be held over Zoom this Fall. The meeting, scheduled for October 28 - 29, is an important one as its agenda includes the ratification of the University Bylaws and the slate of new regents. Convocators will also participate in an exercise that helps us identify and define the Lutheran values of higher education that we expect all members of our community to embrace and embody.
• Board of Regents Meeting: On the heels of the Annual Convocation meeting, the Board of Regents (BoR) convenes its Fall meeting which takes place October 29 - 30. This, too, is an important meeting; relevant issues discussed and approved at this BoR meeting will be shared at an upcoming Town Hall.
• Town Hall: Faculty and staff who are interested in hearing the latest updates from the President’s Cabinet and the Board of Regents meeting should mark their calendars for November 2 at 8:30 a.m. Join me and the Vice Presidents in Ullman Commons 101/102 to hear the latest news regarding enrollment, the academic year budget, the strategic and master planning process, faculty searches, and more. Schedule permitting, this is one I hope you will attend.
• Strategic Planning: Finally, mark your calendar for one of several opportunities for faculty and staff participation in the strategic planning process. On November 18 from 2:30-5:00 p.m. in Gilbert Arena, consultants from Credo will lead all interested staff and faculty through an exercise that charts our forward movement. The planning has begun and I welcome you to be a part of this vital work.

While many of us reading this note will savor the moments we will share with old and new friends this weekend, others of our community will be recounting some of the wonderful memories we have of beloved faculty member and coach, Jim Kallas, who died on October 9.

Dr. Kallas served Cal Lutheran from 1961-1978, holding the distinction of being “first” in a couple of key areas. Jim was the first professor to arrive on the Cal Lutheran campus and the first chair of the Religion Department. He played a key role in the early formation of Cal Lutheran’s athletic programs. His wife of 70 years, Darlean, preceded him in death by a mere six weeks, passing on August 27. Jim and Darlean were fixtures on the CLC campus; their home, affectionately known as the “Kallas House” until it was sold to the University, was a gathering spot for many activities. That special spot is now the home of the Academic Services Building.

Those who wish to make a gift in memory of Dr. Kallas may direct their support to the Dr. James Kallas Scholarship for Christian Leadership. This fund was established in 2019 through the generosity of over 50 former students, friends, and family members, and it serves as a living tribute to a man who shared his life, his spirit, and his heart with Cal Lutheran. May he and Darlean rest in eternal peace and joy.

We have been reminded of a lot during this pandemic. Amongst the most important is that life is precious, relationships—even though imperfect—feed our soul, and our work at Cal Lu shapes not only the present day but the future that lies ahead. 

Lori E. Varlotta, Ph.D.
President