Dr. Lynda Nyce, professor of sociology at Bluffton University, will discuss the immigration issue as both political and personal during a Bluffton Colloquium at 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 8, in Stutzman Lecture Hall in Centennial Hall. The event is free and open to the public.

Nyce's presentation will center on research she conducted during her 2008-09 sabbatical as a Visiting Research Fellow at the Center for Intercultural Teaching and Learning at Goshen (Ind.) College.

The Bluffton elementary newsletter is now available. To open it click on the attachment to this story.

Here are several news items relating to Bluffton High School. News from the Middle School is also in this story.

Oct. 1 is the last day for students to hand in your T-Shirt order for the "White-Out". Pick up your order form in office.

Student Senate has a meeting Friday morning at 7:15 a.m. in Mrs. Riffle's room. All members must attend.

Seniors - Jostens will be here Thursday at 10:40 a.m. to meet with you regarding caps and gowns, announcements and other graduation items.

The October lunch menu for the Bluffton High School cafeteria has been posted. Persons interested in viewing it may open the Icon attachment on this page.

The Bluffton Library had many donors and volunteers support its recent 75th anniversary celebration. The attachment to this story lists those donors.

Bluffton High School girls tennis team lost a match to the weather and another to a Western Buckeye League team in this week's early action.

A home match with St. Marys was rained out Monday and will not be rescheduled. The Pirates lost at Van Wert Tuesday 4-1 as Ashlin Gable and Emily Sprague won at No. 1 doubles.

Other BHS competitors were Shannon Koch, Jess Hunter and Rachel Sehlhorst in singles and Kristi Geiser and Liz Diller at No. 2 doubles.

It's one thing to want your name on your license plate. It's another thing to be the first in the state to achieve it (without adding a number). Here's a success story when it comes to beating the crowd of all Ohio Loewens to the plate. You'll often see this plate near the Ed Reichenbach State Farm Insurance office.

Note: Christine Purves writes about Swiss dialect words, phrases and stories, which relate to the history of this community. Her column is printed with permission by the Swiss Community Historical Society.

By Christine Habegger Purves

I never heard my grandmother use the word "rheumatism," but she came close. She would say, "I got some rheumatic fer shoor."

Or more specifically, "I ha jetszt es haxaschuss, und es duet mi viel rookveh." Literally this means, "I have a witch's shot and it gives me a big pain in the back."

Note: This update on the Swiss Community Historical Society is reprinted from the society's recent newsletter.

By Phil Kingsley, president of the society

In the wake of the June 2010 Swiss Day the Society's Board has begun exploring some new directions and possibilities, and has reorganized some of its committee structure to support this.