Welcome to Michigan Lutheran Seminary! MLS is a high school that is owned and operated by the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). On September 13, 1910 Michigan Lutheran Seminary opened as a preparatory school. “Seminary” is an appropriate name. It means “seed bed,” a place where seeds are planted and nurtured toward maturity. By God’s grace, the seed of the Word takes root in the hearts of our students and bears fruit in their lives of service to the Savior. To this day, the school continues to fulfill its purpose: To prepare high school students for the public ministry of the gospel, encouraging them to enroll in the WELS college of ministry, Martin Luther College.
Dean Troy Scheiner Dean Melissa LaBair
SEMINARY FAMILY
We pray that your time at MLS will be filled with rich blessings from the Lord. The “Seminary Family” is a close bond that exists at MLS. Common Christian faith ties us together in love and concern for one another as we worship, study, practice, compete, and eat meals together. Friendships grow so strong that students often consider each other brothers and sisters for life.
CHRISTIAN WORSHIP
At MLS, we encourage each student to make use of every opportunity for worship. Churches listed below are happy to have MLS students worship with them for Sunday services as well as for Advent and Lenten services. They also welcome you at their communion table.
St. Paul Lutheran Church
2745 W. Genesee Ave. Saginaw, MI 48602
Visit www.stpls.org for service times.
St. John Lutheran Church
4705 Brockway St. Saginaw, MI 48638
Visit www.stjohnsbrockway.org for service times.
Bethany Lutheran Church
5051 McCarty Road Saginaw, MI 48603
Visit www.bethanysaginaw.com for service times.
Christ Lutheran Church
8795 Ederer Rd. Saginaw, MI 48609
Visit www.christlutheransaginaw.com for service times.
CARDINAL PRIDE
SCHOOL HYMN SCHOOL FIGHT SONG
God’s Word is our great heritage And shall be ours forever; To spread its light from age to age Shall be our chief endeavor. Through life it guides our way; In death it is our stay. Lord, grant, while worlds endure, We keep its teachings pure Throughout all generations.
Seminary, Seminary, Go boys really go Dashing onward, Passing forward, Team you’re doing fine. Rah, Rah, Rah Seminary, Seminary, Go boys really go Soon you’ll be victors o’er the conquered foe.
Oh, when our team goes dashing down the field You know they’ll do their very best to win. And our dashing boys will ever shine, And their sturdy hearts will never e’er give in. And so we’ll fight, fight, fight, with all our might, And we will have a victory tonight. For we’re out to win, we’re bound to win, We’re the Lutheran Cardinals.
ALMA MATER
The shadows linger softly on the school we hold so dear And in the fading twilight, our thoughts speed swiftly here. MLS, dear Alma Mater, we raise our voice to you
Our loyal hearts we offer: To you we’re ever true.
God bless you Seminary, throughout the passing days; May His rich grace and favor be your eternal praise. MLS, dear Alma Mater, we raise our voice to you Our loyal hearts we offer: To you we’re ever true.
DORM LIFE
Living in a dormitory for high school has a lot of advantages, but it also requires a lot of responsibility. There are no parents around to pick up behind you. You will be expected to make your beds daily, empty the trash, vacuum the carpet, and keep everything neat and tidy. It is vital, when we have so many people living together, that each person be extremely careful about their personal cleanliness. Change and wash your clothes regularly. Shower after participating in any type of sports activity. For health and sanitation reasons, no pets or plants will be allowed in the dorms. Rooms are checked regularly by the tutors.
Freshmen will be assigned a roommate at the beginning of the school year by the deans. At the end of the first term, you can choose your roommates for the remainder of the school year. Available to the students are two, three, or four person rooms. Since students live so close together, it is easy to think all the things in a room belong to you. It is also easy to think that you can do as you would at home and go to another room and get what you want or need. Unfortunately, this is not home. Even if you think of it as borrowing and have every intention of returning the item, it is disrespectful and wrong to borrow something without the owner’s permission.
At the beginning of the year you will fill out a “Room Condition Report” Any undue damage will be charged to the residents of your room. No furniture is to be removed from a dorm room without permission. No additional furniture may be added to a dorm room without permission from the Dean of Students. You may have electronics (computers, game systems, televisions, etc.) in your room. However, freshmen are not allowed to have televisions in their rooms until second semester. If any of these things are not used properly or become a hindrance to studying, they may be confiscated by the dorm staff. Electrical appliances (microwaves, hot pots, irons, and candle warmers, etc.) are not allowed in dorm rooms. These items will be confiscated. No tape of any kind may be used on the walls. The Inter-dorm Office (IDO) will provide adhesive to the dorm students free of charge.
You will be given a room key. Losing a key or failing to turn it in at the end of the year will result in a $25 fee. To help protect your possessions, you should always lock your room when you are not in it. You may keep your money in the safe located in the IDO. You are able to access your money whenever the IDO is open.
Typical Dorm Room
You may have cell phones on campus but may not be used in class unless a professor gives permission. They also are not to be used after bedtime. Breaking these rules may result in the loss of your phone for a length of time. If parents need to speak to you, they may call the IDO and have you paged.
There are laundry machines available, at no cost to the student, on the first floor of both the boys’ and girls’ dormitory. There is also an exercise room on first floor which is open for student use any time the IDO is open. There are also bikes available for the students to check out and use.
Although students at MLS are still teenagers, we require students to rise to the challenge of accepting responsibility at the school. Students are expected to do certain chores. Taking trash out to dumpsters, cleaning the student commons and game room, setting up and removing chairs, some snow removal, and cleaning microwaves are all examples of chores the students may do.
Dorm students may have visitors on campus. They should always check in at the IDO first. You may not have visitors during scheduled study halls. Commuting students may stay in the dorms on the weekend with a friend with permission from one of the deans. All permission should be secured by noon on Friday. If it is for a school activity, there will be no charge. If it is not for a school activity, there will be a $10 fee paid to the IDO.
No member of the opposite sex will be permitted in the dormitories unless some type of open dorm arrangement has been declared by the Dean of Students. Commuting students should ask permissions from a member of the dorm staff before visiting the dorms. Commuting students are to remember that they are guests and act accordingly.
Adequate rest is vital for students so that they are not drowsy during classes. Freshmen and sophomores must be in bed at 10:15 P.M. Juniors and seniors must be in bed at 11:15 P.M.
Students may have cars on campus. There is a fee for parking spots and drivers must turn in their car keys whenever they arrive on campus. At the beginning of each school year, parents will fill out driving and riding permission forms for their child(ren). Dorm students are limited in the number of times they may use their vehicles or ride in vehicles. The dorm staff will usually take dorm students to places they need to go such as doctor appointments, physical therapy, etc.
The faculty has pledged itself to give counsel and help to all students. Such counsel and help may be used both for personal and academic problems. The faculty, however, does not read minds. Therefore, it is your responsibility to seek such help if you need it.
Certain class divisions may have times when they do not actually have a class scheduled. Students are then required to be in the student commons or dorm for such periods. Free periods are an excellent time to get ahead on your assignments.
STUDY HALLS & PERS
Our students are doing pre-college work. To continue as a student at MLS it is required that you maintain an average high enough so that we can recommend you to college. For this reason study halls are vital hours in every day. Evening study halls will be conducted for all dormitory freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and some seniors.
Simply stated, a per (permission) allows a student to be absent from study hall(s) on a given day and to leave campus after “per time.” “Per time” is usually 7:00 P.M., except for early fall and late spring when it is 8:00 P.M. Juniors and Seniors have eight pers each term. Freshmen and Sophomores have six pers each term.
Pers are given by the dorm staff. Therefore they may be taken away by the dorm staff. Pers are lost for things such as not making your bed in the morning, having a messy room, or missing study hall. If a dorm student goes over their allotment of pers for the term, appropriate discipline will be levied.
HOW TO DRESS FOR SCHOOL
Being a student at MLS is a high calling. It is your current God-given vocation, a step towards another high calling later on. As you consider what to wear each day, give thought to how it will enable you to be a good student, whether it is appropriate for the classroom setting, how you along with everyone else can instill pride in the student body, and whether it is modest, neat, and in keeping with the important business of the day that is before you. A faculty committee will work with you so you can better understand what the school considers proper attire and as you make decisions on what to wear. This committee will also counsel you when they feel it is necessary and ask you to change your attire if it is considered inappropriate.
DAILY SCHEDULE
The schedule for Monday through Thursday is the basic pattern, and so the schedule for those days is given first. Since the schedule for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday is different, the schedule for those days is listed separately.
7:00 - 8:00 a.m. Breakfast
7:50 a.m. 1st Hour
8:35 a.m. 2nd Hour
9:20 a.m. Chapel
9:40 a.m. Break
9:50 a.m. 3rd Hour
10:35 a.m. 4th Hour
11:20 a.m. 5th Hour/Lunch
12:05 p.m. 6th Hour/Lunch
12:50 p.m. 7th Hour
1:35 p.m. 8th Hour
2:20 p.m. 9th Hour
3:05 p.m. Activity & Advising Period
3:10 p.m. Period 10
3:15 - 4:15 p.m. 1st Study Hall
4:20 - 5:20 p.m. 2nd Study Hall
4:30 - 6:30 p.m. Dinner
5:25 - 6:25 p.m. 3rd Study Hall
6:30 - 7:30 p.m. 4th Study Hall
7:35 - 8:35 p.m. 5th Study Hall
8:40 - 9:40 p.m. 6th Study Hall
9:45 p.m. Chapel
10:00 p.m.
10:15 p.m.
11:00 p.m.
11:15 p.m.
Underclassmen Upstairs
Underclassmen Bedtime
Upperclassmen Upstairs
Upperclassmen Bedtime
Friday
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
(Same as Monday -Thursday until dinner time)
4:30-6:00 p.m. Dinner
11:30 p.m. All dorm students upstairs
Midnight Bedtime for all dorm students
Saturday
10:30-11:30 a.m. Brunch
5:00-5:30 p.m. Dinner
11:30 p.m. All dorm students upstairs
Midnight Bedtime for all dorm students
Sunday
9:00 a.m. Breakfast (IDO)
8:00-12:00 a.m. Attend a worship service
12:15 p.m. Lunch
5:00-5:30 p.m. Dinner
6:30 - 11:15 p.m. (Same schedule as Monday-Thursday)
ILLNESS
A student who wishes to remain in bed because of illness must obtain permission as follows:
• Before class - If a student is sick in the morning before class, the student is responsible for seeing the school nurse.
• During class - If a student becomes sick during class, they are to report to a member of the dorm staff.
Any student sick enough to stay in bed will remain there for the entire day. In addition, that student may not participate in any extra-curricular activity that day or night. A violation of these rules will result in unexcused absences for the entire day.
If a student needs to see a doctor, a member of the dorm staff will take the student to the doctor’s office. For emergencies at any time, students are taken to a hospital here in Saginaw.
DINING HALL
The MLS Dining Hall provides healthy meals each day for the Seminary Family. Located below the dormitory, it is operated by our own dining hall staff who takes great pride in providing a warm and friendly environment. Students can also buy snacks from vending machines in the IDO and from the Bird Feeder in the Student Commons.
FREE TIME
During each school day you will have free time over the lunch period and after school. We encourage you to fill some of these times with extra-curricular activities. You will be able to choose among musical and literary organizations, student council, and athletic programs. The times and schedules for the various extra-curricular activities will be announced during the course of the school year. Be careful not to overload with these activities so that you have enough time to study.
For those who stay on campus for the weekend, there is a lot of free time. Friday and Saturday nights are free nights. No pers are required. If a person checks out for the weekend and decides to come back to the campus, that student must abide by all dorm rules. If someone wants to stay in another room over the weekend, they must ask permission from a member of the dorm staff first. The dorm staff may deny the request.
The Commons and Game Room are places where students can meet and have fun and relax. The Bird Feeder, which is located in the commons, has snacks available for purchase and is open in the evening on select nights during the week, and for athletic events. The Game Room is open for students after school until 11:00 p.m.
If a student wishes to work off campus, he or she must have a work permit signed by the President of MLS. If a student’s grades suffer from work off campus, this working privilege may be taken away.
DISCIPLINE
Though we emphatically maintain that the students of MLS are Christians, we know very well that they are not perfect. Each student must fight the good fight of faith in their own personal life. Unfortunately, more often than we would like, we lose the fight with our Old Adam and give in to some form of temptation. When such sin occurs in our midst, it is the responsibility of each of us to correct and admonish the person who has erred and encourage them in sanctified living. Several forms of temptation are listed below. As the dorm staff becomes aware of problems in the matters listed, appropriate action will be taken:
• Tobacco: No MLS student will be permitted to use tobacco while under school jurisdiction. Mere possession of tobacco will lead to discipline and students may be returned to the care of their parents. This includes e-cigarettes and vaporizers.
• Drugs: Misuse of drugs is forbidden. Students involved in this problem will be disciplined accordingly and may be returned to the care of their parents.
• Alcohol: No student is permitted to drink or have in their possession any alcoholic beverage while under the jurisdiction of the school. Students will be disciplined and may be returned to the care of their parents.
• Firearms: No firearms are to be brought on campus.
Ordinarily when a student gets into minor difficulty, the problem is handled without notifying the parents. If infractions are severe or habitual, we may step up the discipline.
CAMPUS PROBATION
When students are “campused,” they are not allowed to use their pers or leave campus. This includes weekends as well unless a student is going home. Students may not spend the weekend at a friend’s house unless given special permission by the Dean of Students. Students are not allowed to ride or drive in a vehicle.
“Dorming” is the most severe form of discipline with the exception of returning students to the care of their parents. Students who are “dormed” must follow all the rules of campusing with the addition of being on the upper floors of the dorm any time they are not in class, chapel, study hall, or eating.
DATING
We have no objections to normal dating relationships between boys and girls. At the high school level we do not feel that students should want to be together so much that they exclude all other friendships and socializing. Such dating may indeed be wholesome, but it causes students to miss much of the fun they can have in high school. Those who date have a special responsibility to keep their actions above reproach. They should not even “give the appearance of evil.” People do become concerned when they see couples hugging for extended lengths of time or sitting together in secluded places. The first responsibility for keeping all actions above reproach lies with the couple. If questionable conduct does occur, the members of the dorm staff or faculty will seek to counsel the students. We hope and pray that such counseling will correct the situation. If it doesn’t, appropriate disciplinary procedures will be followed.
YOUR FAMILY
Dorm students should make their plans for the weekend before Thursday at noon. Those who intend to leave for the weekend must indicate their destination. If a student changes their plans, this change must be called to the attention of the dorm staff. To stay at the home of friends over the weekend, permission must be obtained from a parent of each student before they leave campus. Emails will be sent to parents indicating where their child plans to spend the weekend. If the information agrees with what you expected, then there is no need to contact us. However, if the information disagrees, contact the dorm staff. All students who have checked out for the weekend must be back to campus by 7:00 p.m. on Sunday night. Parents are asked to keep this in mind when they bring back their children. Exceptional cases may be cleared with the dorm staff.
All mail for students at MLS should be sent to: Students Name
℅ Michigan Lutheran Seminary 2777 Hardin St. Saginaw, MI 48602
CONCLUSION
Remember that MLS is your “home away from home”. May your years at MLS be filled with rich blessings from the Lord.
