Tale of the tape

On May 22, St. John–Emmanuel Lutheran School Principal Axel Gruen kept his promise to be duct-taped to the wall by students after they met their goal of raising $1,000 for the Lutheran Malaria Initiative, an ambitious effort to control the disease in Africa. Students at the Monroeville school raised the money through chapel offerings and other efforts.The significance of using duct tape lies in the fact that Axel moved to this area from Oregon, where he became an avid fan of the University of Oregon Ducks. Moreover, Axel's son Jared is a student at the University of Oregon.Second-grade teacher Kim Priest suggested the taping event as a fun way to reward the students if they met their goal, and Axel readily agreed to participate."It was the least I could do for our students," Axel says. "I'm so proud of them for setting a goal and then meeting it in support of such a worthwhile endeavor. Instilling a sense of social obligation is a hallmark of a Lutheran school education."