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Summer Travel

07/01/2025

Mary Anderson

A globe with buildings and airplanes and the caption: Summer Travel Summer is a great time to break free from routine and explore new places. Whether a hike in a nearby state park, a weekend road trip through the Midwest, or a journey overseas, travel offers a way to recharge and grow through experiences that reduce stress and improve emotional health.

Travel offers numerous benefits beyond relaxation. Navigating unfamiliar places, trying new foods, and meeting people from different backgrounds helps our adaptability and problem-solving abilities. These encounters also broaden our perspectives and deepen our understanding of the world, teaching us to listen more closely and observe more carefully. Through shared adventures, travel also can strengthen relationships while building empathy, confidence, and resilience that extend far beyond the journey itself.

For students, travel can be especially transformative when it is tied to education. Study abroad programs offer immersive experiences that combine academic learning with cultural engagement. These experiences challenge students to think globally, communicate across cultures, and gain independence. But meaningful travel doesn’t always mean going far. Domestic programs, internships, and service-learning trips can be just as impactful, offering new perspectives close to home.

Loras offers a range of study abroad opportunities, from semester-long to short-term faculty-led programs. Here students are encouraged to explore the world with intention. Whether studying theology in Rome, completing an internship in Ireland, or participating in a domestic immersion experience, Loras students are invited to see travel not just as a destination, but as a path to deeper understanding. For more information on study abroad visit https://loras.edu/study-abroad/. To get some ideas for summer travel, check out the book display on the fourth floor of the Library.

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Recent Posts

Summer Travel

Summer is a great time to break free from routine and explore new places. Whether a hike in a nearby state park, a weekend road trip through the Midwest, or a journey overseas, travel offers a way to recharge and grow through experiences that reduce stress and improve emotional health.Travel offers numerous benefits beyond relaxation. Navigating unfamiliar places, trying new foods, and meeting people from different backgrounds helps our adaptability and problem-solving abilities. These encounters also broaden our perspectives and deepen our understanding of the world, teaching us to listen more closely and observe more carefully. Through shared adventures, travel also can strengthen relationships while building empathy, confidence, and resilience that extend far beyond the journey itself.For students, travel can be especially transformative when it is tied to education. Study abroad programs offer immersive experiences that combine academic learning with cultural engagement. These experiences challenge students to think globally, communicate across cultures, and gain independence. But meaningful travel doesn’t always mean going far. Domestic programs, internships, and service-learning trips can be just as impactful, offering new perspectives close to home.Loras offers a range of study abroad opportunities, from semester-long to short-term faculty-led programs. Here students are encouraged to explore the world with intention. Whether studying theology in Rome, completing an internship in Ireland, or participating in a domestic immersion experience, Loras students are invited to see travel not just as a destination, but as a path to deeper understanding. For more information on study abroad visit https://loras.edu/study-abroad/. To get some ideas for summer travel, check out the book display on the fourth floor of the Library. ...

Summer Gardening

Gardening is a global activity practiced across cultures and climates. For some it is a hobby that brings relaxation and enjoyment, while for others it serves as an important source of food. Whether you tend just a few pots of herbs, a large backyard plot, or a section of a community garden, gardening brings numerous benefits. Perhaps most obviously, gardening supports physical health. Growing fruits and vegetables encourages healthier eating habits and provides access to fresh, nutrient-rich food. Homegrown produce can supplement one’s diet and, in some cases, make a meaningful difference toward food security. In addition to nutrition, gardening can serve as a form of exercise that improves flexibility, strength, and endurance.Gardening also can have a positive impact on mental health. Spending time outdoors and working with plants has been shown to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. Many gardeners describe their time in the garden as meditative. Additionally, the sense of accomplishment that comes from nurturing plants from seed to harvest can build confidence. The connection to growth cycles and seasonal changes, likewise, can help people feel more grounded and connected to natural rhythms.Beyond personal benefits, gardening fosters community through shared gardens, plant swaps, and neighborhood beautification efforts. Loras College's Tom Blacklock Memorial Campus Garden exemplifies this community spirit. Started in 2014 by Professors Aditi Sinha and Tom Davis with Honors students, the garden began as a way to explore edible landscaping and educate the campus about local eating. It has expanded over the years, featuring carefully planned plantings that always include at least one unusual vegetable, plus prairie plants that attract beneficial insects. The garden's produce is freely available to the campus community, and all are welcome to volunteer. Those interested can sign up at Garden Volunteer Sign Up Summer 2025. To learn more about gardening visit the book display on gardening on the Library’s third floor....

It's Preservation Month!

If you’ve spent time in museums you’ve probably seen the terms preservation, restoration, and conservation used to describe how an artifact has been treated. All of these are processes to help ensure that a historical object continues to exist and which one is chosen depends on the condition of the object and its future use.In archives, preservation is the most common process and generally the least intensive. Our main goal is to minimize future damage or deterioration. Sometimes it’s as simple as putting the object in a box and in a safe place, but it can get much more involved. Archival materials are generally transferred into boxes and folders that are specially designed to mitigate issues such as acidic paper, light sensitive inks and dyes, and metal oxidation and to provide proper support. Our safe space is also carefully designed to maintain consistent temperatures and humidity. Restoration is a process that attempts to make the item look like new. Damaged areas are fixed, treatments are used to remove discoloration or stains, and new materials are added to replace missing bits. While this is most commonly done with art and furniture, it can also be done to books and documents. The video below shows the process of restoring a painting.Conservation can be seen as a mix of preservation and restoration. Like with preservation, the goal is maintain the item in its current condition and like restoration, the goal is to repair damage. Items that go through a conservation process are usually unusable in their current condition, but need to be used. Conservation treatments are less extensive then restoration and seek to conserve as much of the original material as possible. All processes are well documented and anything that is removed is usually retained.Want to learn more? Email Heidi to see examples of preservation and conservation in the archives and Special Collections. She's also happy to talk about on-campus preservation internship opportunities....

Mental Health Awareness Month 2025

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to focus on the importance of mental well-being. It is an opportunity to foster open conversations, raise awareness, and promote education around mental health. Mental health refers to a person’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how people think, feel, and behave, as well as how they handle stress, relate to others, and make decisions. Just like physical health, it can fluctuate over time based on life circumstances. Good mental health means being able to cope with daily challenges, maintain relationships, and function effectively in different aspects of life. For college students, particularly at the end of the school year, maintaining mental health can be challenging, but there are steps you can take. Ensure you get enough sleep, stay active, and eat healthy foods. Practice mindfulness techniques to maintain balance and focus. Keep in touch with friends and family for emotional support and to take breaks from academic work. Divide tasks into smaller steps and set achievable goals. Finally, don’t be afraid to seek assistance. Asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness.Prioritizing mental wellness takes effort, but it is an essential aspect of living a balanced life. To learn more about mental health, please visit the book display on the third floor of the Library. ...