CHIPS November 16, 2017

5

6

VPA performs RENT in Jewel theater

11

Computer Science society hosts first Hackathon

New Women’s Lacrosse club forms

COLLEGE

LUTHER “Let the chips fall where they may.”

VOLUME 140, NO. 9 | EST. 1884

NOVEMBER 16, 2017

Luther to switch from Mac to PC KRISTEN WUERL STAFF WRITER Nazario Jap Dos Santos (‘19) speaks at the United Nations in New York City.

Photo courtesy of UnitedNations.org

Luther student addresses United Nations EMMA BUSCH STAFF WRITER Luther student Nazario Jap Dos Santos (‘19) spoke at the United Nations (UN) in New York City on Oct. 4. Dos Santos spoke in favor of a referendum in Western Sahara before the Special Political and Decolonization Committee, also known as the UN’s Fourth Committee.

The Fourth Committee meets annually in October to discuss decolonization and non-self-governing territories such as Western Sahara, a disputed territory in Northern Africa on the border of the North Atlantic Ocean that is currently occupied by Morocco. Individuals and organizations are welcome to apply to address the committee as petitioners.

During the four minutes of speaking time allotted to individual petitioners, Dos Santos asked the UN to consider a referendum for Western Sahara, and he condemned the multinational companies that he believes are exploiting the territory’s resources. Dos Santos called on Spain, as the territory’s former colonizer, to support Western Sahara’s efforts towards self-determination. Dos Santos also argued for an increase in the budget for the United Nations Mission

for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), which would aid the health of those in refugee camps.

Dos Santos credits the Center for Ethics and Public Engagement (CEPE) and the Dean’s Office for providing him with the funds necessary to travel to New York and for supporting his interest in petitioning. Dos Santos said that he was encouraged to speak in front of the committee by Fatimetu Jatri Emhamed (‘17), who addressed the committee last year, because of the similarities between their countries East Timor and Western Sahara. Emhamed responded to this, saying that Dos Santos’ interest in politics and Western Sahara led her to recommend that he speak to the Fourth Committee.

“I [encouraged] Nazario to go because we are good friends who [happen] to always talk about politics, not only on my country, but in other parts of the world,” Emhamed said.

“Moreover, this summer Nazario has volunteered in an organization in his country, East Timor, that supports my peoples’ right to self-determination. He knows a lot about my country, which happens to have a quite similar history to his own.”

In January 2017, Luther College’s Information Technology Services (ITS) began implementing changes to update faculty and staff work computers issued by Luther.

ITS will complete two important changes over the course of this current refresh cycle, which began during the 2016 academic year and will last three to four years. ITS is transitioning faculty and staff from Apple Mac computers to Dell computers where they consider it beneficial, and is supercharging computers that the faculty and staff currently have.

Supercharging a computer involves increasing its random access memory (RAM) to eight gigabytes and replacing hard drives with faster 240 gigabytes Solid State Drives (SSDs). The supercharged computers will physically look the same but will have better performing processors.

According to Director of User Services Diane Gossman, the change comes as part of budget assessments throughout the college.

“The primary reason for the change is cost,” Gossman said. “Our existing budget won’t support [faculty and staff members] receiving new computers because of [Apple’s] increasing prices.”

According to ITS’s website, as of June 1, 2016, Mac desktops cost about $600 more than Windows desktops, and Mac laptops cost about $400 more than Windows laptops. With those costs in mind, Gossman explained what changes will be made.

UNITED NATIONS | PAGE 4

COMPUTERS | PAGE 4

Online incident report forms introduced GILLIAN KLEIN STAFF WRITER As part of a recent effort to increase the number of reports filed, Luther implemented new bias and sexual violence report forms on Oct. 30. This form is available online.

According to Associate Director of Human Resources and Title IX Coordinator Matthew T. Bills, the creation of online report forms give reporters a different avenue to file reports.

“These forms are implemented through Google forms,” Bills said. “The choice of anonymity appeals to students who have

experienced sexual incidents or bias and do not want their identities to be revealed in fear of there being retaliation against them.”

Online forms for bias incident reports are seeking to increase the number of incidents reported. According to the 2016 Luther Security Report, no hate crimes were reported in 2014, two were reported in 2015, and none were reported again in 2016. The bias incident form includes a statement emphasizing its importance.

“At Luther, acts of bias go against our mission and our community values,” the statement said. “We seek to provide you a timely response and support. Bias refers to

language and/or behaviors against persons because of, but not limited to, others’ actual or perceived: age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, marital status, national origin, parental status, physical appearance, race, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and/ or veteran status.”

Reports of bias incidents will go to the bias response team consisting of Vice President and Dean for Student Life Corey Landstrom, Interim Dean for Institutional Equity and Inclusion Lisa Scott, Associate Dean and Director of Faculty Development Jeff Wilkerson, Director of Campus Safety and Security Bob Harri, Assistant Dean

for Student Life and Director of Residence Life Kris Franzen, Director of Human Resources Marsha Wenthold, and Bills.

According to the American Association of University Women (AAUW), the 2015 National Clery Act report stated that 89% of U.S. college campuses disclosed zero reported incidences of rape, but this contradicts the national statistics on the number of rapes that occur on college campuses. This data suggests that some students on college campuses feel uncomfortable reporting sexual and bias incidents.

INCIDENT FORMS | PAGE 4

NEWS

PAGE 2 NOVEMBER 16, 2017

NEWS EDITORS: KATRINA MEYER & ANA LÓPEZ

Demuth lectures on the role of computer science in medicine JORGE CONTRERAS STAFF WRITER Chief Technology Officer at Mayo Clinic Steve Demuth (‘77) presented a lecture titled "Digital Medicine: Why Doctors and Computer Scientists Increasingly Need Each Other," on Thursday, Nov. 9 in Olin 102. The lecture focused on the increasing need for computer and data scientists in the healthcare field as technology advances.

Demuth graduated from Luther with a Bachelor of Arts in physics and mathematics in 1977. He then served as the director for administrative computing at Luther from 1977 to 1992.

At the lecture, Demuth encouraged data and computer science students to consider working in the medical field, discussed the many new technological advances and applications that are being implemented in medicine, and provided examples of technology implementations at the Mayo Clinic.

Professor of Computer Science Kent Lee agreed with Demuth, emphasizing the versatility of computer science as a discipline.

“Computer science is the tool we use to do other things, like help in the practice of medicine,” Lee said. “Many advances in medicine have and will continue to come from collaboration between computer and data scientists and the medical profession. People with a background in computer science and data science and medicine will have necessary skills to make a big impact on medicine.”

During the lecture, Demuth highlighted the importance of technology at Mayo Clinic. According to Demuth, there

are more than 250,000 devices that have access to Wi-Fi and are connected by one single network at Mayo Clinic.

They work with thousands of different applications. For example, one of these applications related to the field of genomics, is a personalized diagnosis application that uses 500 gigabytes of pictures for the initial read of a single genome. Mayo reads around 100,000 genomes per year.

Demuth emphasized that computer scientists should work alongside doctors to develop new algorithms to improve the efficiency of specific medical areas. According to Demuth, new technologies have brought capabilities to medicine that have transformed the way healthcare is delivered in the last decade.

One such example is the new mobile interactive care plans at Mayo Clinic. Demuth believes that healthcare can still be improved, and he provided an example of an algorithm that could suggest medication titration based on complete blood counts tests and current doses within the artificial intelligence area.

“If you read our papers about machine learning, you’ll understand how everything these days is about artificial intelligence,” Demuth said. “The point of these A.I. technologies is to get machines to act without being programmed to do so. Algorithms are trained to determine likely outcomes by reviewing many cases with known outcomes.”

Lee stated that he agrees with Demuth’s ideas to improve the efficiency of healthcare with the help of new technologies to improve the work already done by humans.

“As human beings, one of our fundamental intellectual skills is pattern matching,” Lee said. “Steve said that human beings can detect patterns with up to about five different

Chief Technology Officer at Mayo Clinic Steve Demuth ('77) lectures on the applications of computer science.

Jorge Contreras (‘20) | Chips dimensions or variables. But computers can go way beyond that in pattern detection. Detection of patterns with seven or more variables is not a problem for a computer. This is one way data science and computer science are becoming

Students attend Decolonizing Lutheranism conference NATALIE NELSON STAFF WRITER & ANA LÓPEZ NEWS EDITOR A group of Luther students attended the Decolonizing Lutheranism Conference in Philadelphia on Nov. 3 and 4. This is the second year the event was held. The goal of the conference was to increase inclusion within Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) churches.

The conference focused on decolonizing the structure of the Lutheran Church.

According to the Decolonizing Lutheranism website, the group’s beliefs focus on four types of decolonization.

The first belief of the movement is decolonizing justifications, which draws on the principle of justification in the Lutheran church. This states that everyone’s faith is justified, thus prompting the movement to include everyone.

Their second belief focuses on decolonizing leadership, which strives to include minorities in leadership positions within the ELCA. The third belief focuses on providing alternative cultural narratives and incorporating them within the church.

The fourth belief of the movement focuses on decolonizing Evangelism. The aim of this belief is to move away from white European dominance and the use of “evangelism as a tool for oppression and violence.”

Corinn Schmieg (‘18) a student who

attended the conference, said the event was important because it focused on the role of the Lutheran Church in social justice.

“I think that, in every form, social justice is really important, but the church doesn’t seem to be the place most people think about first when they think about where social justice needs to happen,” Schmieg said. “We need to make sure we’re including all groups of people.”

Schmieg said that she would recommend the event to anyone interested in promoting inclusion.

“If you are involved in the church and you want more people to get involved in the church who have felt excluded in the past, I think that this would be a very good place for you to go and start learning how to make that difference instead of just hoping that your church leaders do it,” Schmieg said.

Schmieg added that a lot of what the group from Luther did at the event can be accessed through online research.

Students who were unable to attend the event are still able to participate in the movement.

Student attendee Alex Sekora (‘19) said that the most important thing he gained from the event was a new perspective.

“I think it was really cool to go to an event like this, coming from a majority white congregation,” Sekora said. “ It was really cool to see a much more diverse people and to see that we’re excited to get more people of diversity involved in our church.”

Sekora said that focusing on ways to promote diversity in ELCA congregations

is important because it is the second least diverse denomination in the country. It was one of the main focuses of the event and the reason that Harleigh Boldridge (‘18) chose to attend.

“As a person of color, church has always been a space where I was always the 'odd one out,'" Boldridge said. "After talking to some of the Luther students who went last year and some friends who help organize the event, I thought that this would be a great way to experience a church more representative of what I consider to be the actual body of Christ. There are a lot of ways that powerful western countries, especially the U.S., are still colonizing indigenous people. Every U.S. citizen needs to be aware that colonization didn't end in our history books.”

Boldridge also said that a major part of the conference was determining whether or not the conference will continue, change, or end entirely.

“At the conference, we talked about dissolving this 'conference' model and moving to a community-based model in order to reach more people, especially those who don't have the resources to travel,” Boldridge said. “Hopefully this event ceases to exist. I think that decolonization has greater applications than just in the ELCA, and it is worth mentioning that the act of decolonizing society is not just the work of minorities.”

Schmieg is also hoping that the need for the conference will lessen in the next year.

“We hope the conference is not necessary next year,” Schmieg said. “Of course, I'm sure that it will be because that would be a lot of change to take place in one year.”

The conference will continue next year in Los Angeles on Oct. 19 and 20. No decisions have been made about whether it will continue after that.

Logo of the Decolonize Lutheranism movement.

Photo courtesy of decolonizelutheranism.org

NEWS

PAGE 3

NEWS EDITORS: KATRINA MEYER & ANA LÓPEZ

NOVEMBER 16, 2017

Activist and author Ryan Sallans speaks about gender transitions

WEATHER THURSDAY Mostly cloudy

41/33 FRIDAY Rain

44/30 SATURDAY Partly cloudy

36/18 SUNDAY Sunny Activist and Author Ryan Sallans during his lecture on transitioning.

OLIVIA ENQUIST STAFF WRITER Transgender activist and author Ryan Sallans delivered a lecture titled “Gender Transitions: Scouting the Unknown” on Nov. 8.in Valders 206. The event was sponsored by the Center for Ethics and Public Engagement (CEPE) and People for the Rights, Inclusion and Diversity of Expression (PRIDE).

Sallans described his story as a way to inform the audience.

After his presentation, he answered questions and signed copies of his book "Second Son: Transitioning Toward My Destiny, Love and Life.”

Ryan Sallans is a female-to-male transgender individual.

Sallans spoke about his personal journey with gender and how he uses it as a way to educate others. He described how his transformation started during childhood. He became aware of his body image which eventually lead to the development of an eating disorder during college. This process culminated with him coming out as a transgender individual.

Sallans discussed the emotional and mental issues that he faced while trying to find acceptance from society, family, and himself. He also discussed the financial issues that many transgender individuals face. The lecture coincided with the celebration of Transgender Remembrance Day. PRIDE President Filiberto Lopez-Garcia (‘19) described why he thought that this event was important to Luther’s campus.

“Bringing awareness to the topic of transgender issues and the knowledge that everyone is on their own gender spectrum is something that I think is important,” Lopez-Garcia said. “It is something that [Sallans] really explained well through his own personal narrative of transitioning.”

Sallans began his lecture by briefly describing the concept of gender, specifically the differences between one’s gender identity, their assigned gender, and one’s sexual orientation.

Sallans explained that all three identities are a spectrum.

According to Sallans, although it is possible to identify strongly as male or female, some people do not identify as either, meaning that they are non-binary.

During his lecture, Sallans discussed personal anecdotes and stories from both his life and his book to highlight his experience. Secretary of PRIDE Wyatt Anians (‘19) talked about PRIDE's involvement in the process of bringing Sallans to campus.

“PRIDE took part in advertising the event to more folks

32/23

Olivia Enquist (‘19) | Chips

and getting discussion gathered around Ryan’s story and the topic of gender identity,” Anians said. “The timing just happened to be serendipitous that Ryan arrived on campus on the same month that Transgender Remembrance Day is held.”

Caitlin Maly (‘19) said she thinks lectures like this help create a better sense of community on campus.

“He was really inspiring,” Maly said. “Even for someone who isn’t transgender or a member of the LGBTQ+ community it is still such an important topic to learn and educate yourself about. I think that it's important to raise awareness to the topic so that we can be good allies to our transgender brothers and sisters.”

Lopez-Garcia explained the event’s importance in regards to transgender awareness.

“I thought that it was a great event for Luther's campus, especially as the Day of Transgender Remembrance approaches on November 20th,” Lopez-Garcia said. “I thought the event highlighted transgender voices and allowed people to share their stories.”

MONDAY Mostly sunny

40/27 TUESDAY Partly cloudy

35/18 WEDNESDAY Partly cloudy

30/21 Corrections In the Vol.140, No.8 edition of Chips, the story "LCDM holds benefit concert at The Lingonberry" incorrectly states that the Luther College Dance Marathon will take place on April 8, 2018. The even will take place on April 7, 2018.

Logo of the "I SUPPORT YOU" campaign by Ryan Sallans.

The campaign is directed towards educating transgender persons and allies to provide appropiate support during transitioning.

Photo courtesy of ryansallans.com

Icons designed by Freepik from Flaticon.

M

NEWS

PAGE 4

NOVEMBER 16, 2017

Life Outside Luther Lebanon fears economic blockade from Saudi Arabia Lebanon fears that Saudi Arabia will force other allies in the area to enforce an economic blockade on them if the Lebanese do not meet the Saudis demands regarding Hezbollah. Saudi Arabia imposed a similar economic blockade, with the participation of many Middle Eastern countries on Qatar. Lebanon does not have as many natural resources to rely on if they are put in a similar situation, so Lebanon is fearful about the potential impact of this on their economy.

Earthquake kills 450 in Iran and Iraq A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck the Iranian region of Kermanshah which borders Iraq on Sunday. The State TV in Iran reported that 450 people were killed and 7,000 injured.

Rescue teams are still searching for survivors, and the death toll is expected to rise as the teams make their way to remote areas of Iran and Iraq.

Trump calls on Congress to cut top tax rates and health mandates as a part of the tax reform President Trump praised Republican lawmakers on their efforts towards tax reform so far, but he also had some requests. Trump wants the tax rate that is paid by the wealthy to be cut. He also asked lawmakers to cut the Obamacare individual healthcare mandate. This mandate requires people to pay a fine if they do not have healthcare. All of this is a part of the overhaul of the U.S. tax code that the Republicans are working on in Congress. The House and the Senate are working to resolve the differences in their plans before the new year.

U.S. courts allow Trump's travel ban to partially go into effect A court in California ruled that part of Trump's travel ban went into effect, allowing the administration to block the access of people from six majority Muslim countries if they have no ties to the United States. The countries included in the ban are Chad, Iran, Syria, Libya, Yemen, and Somalia. Immigrants must show a 'documented relationship' with U.S. entities such as universities or with family members. Barring immigrants from North Korea and Venezuela was not approved.

Roku Inc. stocks hit a record high after their Philips licensing deal Roku Inc., a streaming device maker, made a deal that would put its technology on all Philips-branded televisions in the U.S. this year. As a result, Roku's stock rose 43 percent, a record high for the company.

Taken from: reuters.com

NEWS EDITORS: KATRINA MEYER & ANA LÓPEZ UNITED NATIONS | PAGE 1

INCIDENT FORMS | PAGE 1

Both Western Sahara and East Timor were held by colonial powers and invaded by neighboring countries once those powers left or were driven out. East Timor was colonized

by Portugal, who they were able to gain independence from briefly in November of 1975 before Indonesia occupied the territory days later. In 1999, East Timor received the chance for referendum from the Indonesian and Portuguese governments and choose to be an independent nation.

Western Sahara, a former colony of Spain, was claimed by Morocco in 1957 and Mauritania in 1960. Mauritania left the territory in 1979, but Morocco still maintains its power over the territory. Many Sahrawis have fled the area, and according to the UN Refugee Agency, an estimated 165,000 of them live in refugee camps in their neighboring country, Algeria. Ninety thousand of these refugees are classified as “vulnerable” and lack “incomegenerating activities.”

During his time at the UN, Dos Santos had the opportunity to meet students, lawyers, and ambassadors who are also interested in Western Sahara’s case for referendum, including the ambassador of Venezuela.

“We got invited by the Venezuelan ambassador to have breakfast with him,” Dos Santos said. “We talked about his support of Western Sahara’s cause. He also recognized that Venezuela is in a dangerous position right now because of the situation in their country, and he gave us books about Hugo Chavez, Fidel Castro, and Evo Morales.”

Salamu Ali Brahim (‘19), a displaced Sahrawi raised in an Algerian refugee camp, said he is proud of Dos Santos and was pleased to hear his friend speak on his country's behalf when he could not.

“I was also going to go but I couldn't because I was so busy,” Brahim said. “I am proud of him and I liked the points he made in his speech. When I was watching the video of his speech, it made me happy that he spoke on my country's behalf.”

According to Dos Santos, the experience was valuable for a number of reasons. He was most grateful for the opportunity to speak about the case and reflect on East Timor’s history.

“I got to know more about the UN, and I might go back to do some internship over there in the future,” Dos Santos said. “I met a lot of people that I don't think I would have ever met, but the main thing for me was getting to speak about the case. It's a self-reflection for me about what people in my country did during the Indonesian occupation.”

Dos Santos will speak of his experience on Thursday, Nov. 16 at 4 p.m. in Valders 367.

The Clery Act requires that colleges and universities receiving federal funding publicly disclose campus crime statistics. Luther’s reported incidents have increased from one in 2014, to three in 2015, and seven in 2016. Luther has also reported a rise in fondling and dating violence incidents from the same years. The crime reports are shared with students annually.

Reports of sexual assault incidents go to the sexual assault response team which includes Bills, Harri, and Director of Case Management and Assistant Dean for Student Life Janet Hunter.

Autumn Maas (‘20) felt encouraged by the increasing numbers of reports.

“It doesn’t surprise me that there are more reports each year,” Maas said. “It takes courage to report, and [courage is] something that is building in our school culture as well as society. It’s a sign that we are more willing to open up about these incidents.”

Anonymous reporting limits the extent of resulting investigations that Luther can conduct because an investigation cannot be initiated against an accused individual if the report came from an anonymous source. Hunter suggested, however, that it is important for students to feel comfortable reporting incidents.

“Though there are limits to reporting anonymously if students choose to, it’s the report forms being available to students that matters,” Hunter said. “If this is an avenue that allows students to report more of these incidents, then [the forms] are serving their purpose.”

According to Hunter, while there are limitations to the reports, these forms were created to give students an opportunity to report and talk about the incidents. According to resident assistant Alex Shaw ('19), the additional online method of reporting puts the power of choice into the survivor’s hands.

“With this form, the choices students have are to report on their own time, choose if it is anonymous or not, and to share their story to give a better idea what our community is experiencing,” Shaw said. “Those struggling with sexual incidents deserve a voice, and the voice behind the incident deserves to control the timeline in these situations.”

The forms are now open to students, and can be found by visiting https://www.luther.edu/safety.

COMPUTERS | PAGE 1 “We’re not removing all Macs,” Gossman said. “We’re just moving away from Macs where it makes sense for what faculty and staff are doing.”

There are currently seven computer labs in residence halls, eight computer labs in buildings, 14 computer classrooms, and six publicly available kiosks across campus.

According to Workstation Support Communications Administrator Matt Hughes ('97), the benefit of shifting to more computers with Windows operating systems and supercharging current Mac computers is that it is becoming increasingly difficult to repair Apple computers.

“Apple has made some design changes that take our ability to repair computers out of our hands,” Hughes said. “It’s easier to work with older [Mac] models because you can replace more of their [operating parts]. With newer [Mac] models, often you can only replace one piece, or sometimes no pieces, [in it].”

ITS has been changing and upgrading faculty and staff computers over time, and they offered an online form for faculty and staff to fill out regarding computer model and computer supercharge preferences.

The form offered six options for choosing how to refresh their computers: supercharging current Windows or Macs, refreshing Mac software, switching from a Mac to a Windows Desktop, switching from a Mac to a Windows laptop, switching from a current Mac to a supercharged MacBook Pro, or consulting with ITS to determine the best refresh option.

Assistant Professor of Management Alexandra White currently has a Lutherissued Dell work computer, but is not choosing to refresh her computer.

“My work computer was already upgraded about a year or so ago as part of the [Business] department’s technology plan with ITS,” White said. “I am not aware of any refresh needs [on my work computer] at the moment.”

While ITS is currently upgrading and refreshing faculty and staff work computers, they are not planning on removing all Mac computers in labs across campus. Some computer labs have seen decreases in the number of Mac computers based on usage, but not all Macs have been removed.

Gossman explained the process for

reducing computers in labs that are not frequently used.

“For any lab, when it’s time to upgrade, we look at the number of computers to see what makes sense,” Gossman said. “When we have conversations, there are some spaces where the number of computers there aren’t needed, so we’ve reduced them.

The [music department] wanted the JensonNoble lab to be more of a seminar room, and the computers in that room weren’t being used based on our stats and based on what [the department] was seeing, as well. [The department] made the decision to drop from 10 to four [computers], and [ITS] agreed.”

For more information on Luther’s faculty and staff refresh cycle, visit the Technology Help Desk and ITS websites.

ITS is reviewing computer labs across campus in deciding what changes to make.

Vicky Agromayor (‘19) | Photo Bureau

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

PAGE 5

A&E EDITOR: LILY KIME

NOVEMBER 16, 2017

RENT cast searches for“One Song Glory” Tamar Tedla (‘20) and Parker Fretheim (‘19) perform the closing song in “RENT” together as Mimi Marquez and Roger Davis.

JONATHAN KUEHNER STAFF WRITER I should tell you, I should tell you that “RENT” opened in Jewel Theatre in the Center for the Arts (CFA) on Friday, Nov. 10. This performance of Jonathan Larson’s musical by the Visual and Performing Arts Department (VPA) features a diverse cast of students who portray a group of friends enduring the harsh realities of life in 1980s New York City.

Larson’s “RENT” originally opened at the New York Theater Workshop in 1996 and has performed on and off-Broadway, on tour, and now in Jewel Theater. The show was inspired

by Puccini’s 1896 opera “La Bohéme” and follows a group friends living in a lowincome New York City neighborhood during the height of the AIDS epidemic. The setting allows the show to address issues including social inequality and sexual orientation.

“This show gives voice to people who are crying for social change and that feel disenfranchised,” Music Director and Adjunct Faculty in Music Jonathon Struve (‘02) said.

“We need to think about what matters in our society, what matters in our relationships with one another, and how we’re supposed to deal with the strife that inevitably comes along with human interaction.”

The VPA, which performs a musical every other school year, did not initially consider “RENT.” A group of students proposed “RENT” as an alternative option to the previously planned “Jekyll and Hyde.” The department agreed to reconsider, although some were reluctant at first.

“We really admired [the students’] drive, but my reservations were that ‘RENT’ [needed] a diverse cast that we don’t always have auditioning,” Director and Assistant Professor of Theatre Robert Vrtis said. “I think ‘RENT’ is about inclusiveness, and I think it’s about people coming together from different backgrounds and different communities and finding a community that way.”

As a result, “RENT” was only selected after auditions. In fact, enough students auditioned for “RENT” that four major roles were double-casted — the roles of Mark

Janet Irankunda (‘19) performs in “RENT” as Joanne Jefferson and solos in the song “Season of Love.”

Jonathan Kuehner (‘20) | Chips

Cohen, Joanne Jefferson, Mimi Marquez, and Maureen Johnson are played by alternating actors for the six performances of the show.

Emma Withers (‘18), who acts in several different roles as a part of the ensemble, enjoyed the process of staging the show and watching the pieces come together.

“It’s been neat because some nights we’d have lots of dancing and we’d just dance for three hours straight, and some nights were strictly singing,” Withers said. “The coolest part has been putting all those elements together and seeing how they work cohesively as a show.”

In addition to traditional rehearsals, the cast was encouraged to research the issues and context of the show. Some of the issues were AIDS, drug abuse, and poverty in the 1980s.

“We had [the cast] research the time period quite heavily so they could put it into context and get a greater understanding,” Stage Manager Meghan Gaffney (‘18) said.

“We all went through our angsty teenage phase and our rebellious phase, and we are the ages of the characters, so it’s one of the

Jonathan Kuehner (‘20) | Chips more relatable shows we’ve done.”

“RENT” also relates to the VPA’s season theme: Revolution and Reformation. This is connected to the campus-wide celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. When proposed, the show was accepted because it not only discusses revolution and the search for societal change, but it presents these issues in a novel format.

Grace Huber (‘20), who plays Maureen Johnson, found that the plot of “RENT” related to ideas of reformation.

“The show is shining a light on parts of the world that people don’t want to think about,” Huber said. “I think it’s a revolution not only of the homeless and the people who have been silenced deciding to take a stand, but also a revolution in the minds of everyday people who don’t know what was going on.”

“RENT” performances will continue this upcoming weekend in Jewel Theater. The Thursday and Friday shows will be held at 7:30 p.m., and the Saturday and Sunday matinees will be at 1:30 p.m. Tickets can be bought at the door or ahead of time at the Ticket Office.

Zachary Loving (‘19) performs in “RENT” as Tom Collins Jonathan Kuehner (‘20) | Chips

FEATURES

PAGE 6 NOVEMBER 16, 2017

FEATURES EDITOR: SHASA SARTIN

Hackathon

Computer Science Society holds 12 hour coding competition GRACE ONSRUD STAFF WRITER Computer science students participated in a “hackathon” event on Nov. 4. Three different teams, two groups of three and one individual, worked on independent coding projects in Olin for twelve hours — with a few breaks! — and then were judged on how usable their final product was. The hackathon was organized by the Computer Science Society (CSS) which is a new student organization this year.

Each team came in with an idea about what they might want to accomplish, though for the most part they started from scratch. The project that was deemed the closest to being ready for use was a new website for Luther’s Caf menu.

Hackathon was CSS’s first event this year. Vice President of CSS Alexander Davis (‘19) said that he hopes to have another hackathon in the spring because it is a way to set aside time for students to work on their own projects.

“In the computer science field, you’re encouraged to do a lot of side projects in addition to your curriculum,” Davis said. “Sometimes people don’t feel like they have the time to start extra projects.

So having hackathon events gives people opportunities to work on those projects.”

Davis’s three person team worked on an app for the laundry machines in the residence halls. The app would ideally keep track of which machines were in use for the benefit of the students, as well as tracking sustainability in the residence halls. The other two members of his team

were first-years who had not had much previous experience in this type of work.

“As a first-year, you might have some basic understanding of programming languages, if that, and then maybe some concepts on design but that’s really it,” Davis said. “So being able to show them some new things and then getting that little high of enthusiasm when something works made it fun.”

Assistant Professor of Computer Science Roman Yasinovskyy was one of the two judges at hackathon. He said that the biggest factor he kept in mind while judging the projects was how close they were to being usable. He hopes that the students will keep working on the projects they started during hackathon.

“It could turn into a senior project, or something they can promote to other services,” Yasinovskyy said. “So I hope they keep working.”

Yasinovskyy said that hackathon is beneficial to students because it is not a class assignment and it gives them a chance to learn from each other. He encouraged first-year and sophomore advisees to go and work with junior and senior computer science students.

“It’s a way to use your skills outside [of ] the classroom,” Yasinovskyy said. “It’s something that interests you, rather than a class assignment. And it’s a chance to learn something new.”

President of CSS Aaron Herman (‘18) came up with the idea for the new Caf menu and led a team of three students who had never done web programming before in developing the idea.

Alexander Davis (‘19) works on a computer during a CSS meeting .

Grace Onsrud (‘20) | Chips “It would be nice for the website to know the day and the time automatically and tell you what is being served when you open the page,” Herman said.

Computer Science Society members Bradley Kovacovich (‘19), Aaron Zerfas (‘19), James Miller (‘19), and Alexander Davis (‘19). .

Grace Onsrud (‘20) | Chips

Herman is meeting with Dining Services about the project and says that it will soon be available for Luther students to use.

He said that CSS was formed because of a need for mentorship among computer science students.

“For computer science, it can be hard to know what classes to take and not everyone is starting at the same level,” Herman said. “We thought it would be nice as a first-year to have [juniors and seniors] you can talk to about that.”

At weekly CSS meetings, they have some workshops on subjects that may not be taught in lower-level computer science classes.

“Some of the stuff we talk about is taught in the Luther computer science program, but first-years don’t get to take a lot of the fun stuff until later on,” Herman said.

The hackathon was another way for CSS to make sure students at every level can get involved in the “fun parts” of computer science outside of class.

The participants received prizes after the event, including water bottles and T-shirts from a few local companies.

“Not to be that person, but I think the real prize is that completed project,” Davis said.

FEATURES

PAGE 7

FEATURES EDITOR: SHASA SARTIN

NOVEMBER 16, 2017

Students listen to Tyler Zeimet (‘20) and Mimi Finger (‘19) as they lead the workshop.

Martin Donovan (‘20) | Chips

‘Handling the Holidays’ Counseling Service hosts workshops on increasing sensitivity regarding breaks MARTIN DONOVAN STAFF WRITER While Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks are a time to destress for some, they may cause extra distress for other students. Luther College Counseling Service sponsored two workshops for first-year students in Brandt and Ylvisaker Halls called “Handling the Holidays” to address students who feel this stress on Thursday, Nov. 9. Student workers Mimi Finger (‘19) and Tyler Zeimet (‘20) led the workshop.

Finger and Zeimet focused the workshop on topics such as expectations at home, grief due to the recent loss of a loved one, selfcare, conflicts with family members, and loneliness. According to the Director of Counseling Services Meg Hammes, the purpose of the workshop was to provide resources and tools to address students’ various circumstances.

“Our intention is to provide some self-care ideas to students regarding the holiday season,” Hammes said.

“Often, for our students who have lost a loved one, it can be a time of great challenge. For our students who do not have a home to return to or have distressing home lives, the holidays can be a difficult time to navigate.

We hope the workshop offers some strategies and points to think about regarding self-care and care of those in our Luther community.”

Finger and Zeimet also utilized the workshop to teach students to be more mindful of their peers’ anxieties. The intention of this was to encourage students to reach out and be more supportive of their peers’ anxieties during holiday breaks.

“I think it is really a matter of letting them know that they’re not alone and then making sure that they can be as comfortable as possible whether they stay here and are nervous about that or whether they go home and are nervous about that,” Zeimet said. “There are a lot of issues when [students] go home — it’s not just about staying here.”

In addition, Finger urged the attendees of the workshop to avoid

Tyler Zeimet (‘20) and Mimi Finger (‘19) lead the workshop in Brandt social lounge.

Martin Donovan (‘20) | Chips generalizing international students’ situations. Finger suggested to the participants that they should reach out to international students and be empathetic towards those who are staying on campus during holiday breaks.

“Don’t just assume that

international students are staying here because they could be leaving and going home with their roommate or leaving with someone else,” Finger said. “I think it is important to reach out and maybe ask what their winter break plans are instead of saying, ‘how do you feel about staying on campus?’ Just listen to what they have to say.”

Finger and Zeimet intend to build off the two workshops by organizing another event before Christmas break. This event will focus on being mindful of students who do not celebrate Christmas. Finger and Zeimet also want to expand the workshop beyond first-year students so they can reach the larger Luther community.

“You have to keep in mind that not everyone celebrates Christmas [and] not everyone is Lutheran,” Finger said. “There is this mindset that everyone at Luther College is Lutheran.”

The workshop also centered around the length of Christmas break, particularly for students who remain on Luther’s campus. Christmas break is Dec. 14 to Jan. 8, 2018 which is 26 days. Finger and Zeimet believe that this topic is relevant because of the number of students who stay on campus for this amount of time.

According to the Ylvisaker Hall Director Kevin Wegner, the amount can range anywhere between 100-200 students, the majority of which are international students.

Finger attested that the end goal of the “Handling the Holidays” workshop was to give students a sense of ease, as winter break can be a stressful time for some.

“We don’t want to put extra stress on students,” Finger said. “We want our workshops to be reassuring and calming to give the people who attend it a sense of ease about topics like homesickness or handling the holidays.”

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

PAGE 8 NOVEMBER 16, 2017

A&E EDITOR: LILY KIME

The power of parody in visual art KYLE NYCKLEMOE STAFF WRITER Chancellor Professor of Art at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville Beauvais Lyons talked about his art as a mock documentarian on Thursday, Nov. 9. The exhibit titled “Envisioned Worlds: Litographs from the Hokes Archives” is on display in the Kristen Wigley-Fleming Fine Arts Gallery in the Center for the Arts (CFA).

Lyons’ works include prints, fabrications, and cultural artifacts. The titles of his works include “The Association for Creative Zoology,” “Reconstruction of an Aazudian Temple,” and “Creative Medical Arts.”

A dozen students, faculty, and Decorah community members attended Lyons’ gallery talk. Lyons began his talk with a quote by Linda Hutcheon about parody existing as an imitation of specific works, genres, or disciplines. Lyons used the many imitations of the Mona Lisa as an example. Lyons described parody as something that can aid us in critical thinking, with parody artists potentially being a sort of trickster to both the media and ourselves. Lyons then explored the many works of parody and imitation that have been created, ranging from “mockumentaries” such as “This is Spinal Tap,” a parody of documentaries that focused on the faux band, Spinal Tap, to parodies of academic work such as the “centaur skeleton” at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Lyons then finished the talk by addressing his own work and activities with parodies in

medicine, zoology, archaeology, and folk art. In an interview after the event, Lyons elaborated on what parody is and why it is important.

“Parody means you can take the authority of a recognized work of art or system of information, be it an encyclopedia or something else, and imitate it,” Lyons said. “But then ironically treat it, so it becomes a critical commentary on that background work. It’s a way of calling attention to the authority of the background work, but also decentering it and undermining its authority too.”

Students who attended the event appreciated Lyons’ approach to parody. Art major Ryan Koning (‘19) compared Lyons’ work to that of Lutheran theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was frustrated with those who blindly accepted what the media or those in authority said.

Koning is hopeful that parody can be a tool for critical thinking.

“I feel that’s what a lot of people are like today — just following what people tell them,” Koning said. “I think that presenting people with this parody and then having them find out it isn’t true can encourage them to look at things with a more critical lens in the future.”

Currently, Lyons’ work is set up salon-style in the Fine Arts Gallery, grouped together by the topics of zoology, archaeology, and medical anatomy. While each work is presented as a true academic print, including a biography of Everett Ormsby Hokes, every work is completely fictional and parodies the topic it reflects. Gallery Coordinator and attendee of the gallery talk

Hannah Perendy (‘20) admires Beauvais Lyons’s artwork.

David Kamm notes that since the exhibit involves a parody of several academic fields, it should be of importance to those who study these fields.

“This is not a show just for artists, and while most of our shows are not just for artists, this one specifically addresses and deals with areas that [many] people have an interest in,” Kamm said.

“History, archaeology, anthropology, biology, the environment, medicine, anatomy, all of those things are touched upon in this show one way or another.”

Beyond the gallery talk, students enjoyed the exhibition whether or not they are an art student.

Karl Nycklemoe (‘18) | Chips

Hannah Perendy (‘20), a nursing student who visited the exhibition, believes that addressing the absurd or fictitious can give a better understanding of what is true.

“In nursing, [our curriculum] is so intense,” Perendy said. “We focus on what it is [real] and how to fix it. Because of this I think that it’s good to bring into question things like: ‘what if the proportions of our organs were off?’ [Our bodily functions] would change so much, and from there we can learn [our organs] are this way for a reason and solidify what we know.”

The exhibition will be on display until Dec. 8.

Luther brass ensembles take the stage

The Brass Choir performs “Out of the Depths I Cry to Thee: Thematic Transformations for Brass Choir,” which was written and conducted by Associate Professor of Music Michael Smith. Cara Keith (‘21) | Chips

CARA KEITH STAFF WRITER The Brass Choir, Horn Ensemble, Tuba and Euphonium Ensemble, Trombone Choir, and Trumpet Ensemble performed the Brass Ensembles Concert on Nov. 8.

The concert began with the Brass Choir, which is comprised of the brass players in Concert Band and a few extra players when necessary. The Brass Choir performed “Out of Depths I Cry to Thee: Thematic Transformations for Brass Choir.” Associate Professor of Music Michael Smith arranged this piece for the Reformation service earlier this year and conducted the piece at the Brass Ensembles Concert.

After the Brass Choir performed, the Horn Ensemble performed under the direction of Adjunct Faculty in Music Rebecca Boehm Schaffer. The Horn Ensemble performed three songs during the concert: “Bells!” by James Naigus, “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” by Johann Sebastian Bach, and “Portraits of the American West I. Santa Fe Trail - 1826” by James A. Beckel Jr. During their performance of “Bells!,” the Horn Ensemble mimicked the sounds of bells through their accented notes.

Horn Ensemble member Kyli Kurtenbach (‘21) explained how the timing of the Horn Ensemble’s rehearsals led to difficulties in preparing for the concert.

“We meet on Tuesdays, which gave us a little bit of a challenge with having Fall Break fall over a Tuesday as well as

the Reformation,” Kurtenbach said. “So we had to do a lot of individual practice, too. When we practiced as a group, we had to focus a lot of getting the right style and playing together so that it would all come together really well.”

Smith conducted the Tuba and Euphonium Ensemble portion of the concert. They performed “Tubaphonium” by Zach Collins, “Beast!” by Greg Danner, and “Rolling Thunder” by Henry Fillmore, arranged by Steven Cross. During “Beast!,” the musicians clapped, rubbed their nails against their instruments, and chanted different phrases, including the word “beast” in order to create an upbeat and eerie mood for the piece.

Member of Tuba and Euphonium Ensemble Devin Hanggi (‘18) described the difficult process of choosing music for the Tuba and Euphonium ensemble.

“We don’t have that wide range of instruments so we don’t have the big, twinkling flute lines,” Hanggi said. “We play a lot more Renaissance and medieval Baroque music just because that’s what’s written for Tuba and Euphonium choirs. There’s not a lot of stuff specifically written for us.”

After the Tuba and Euphonium performance, the Trombone Choir performed “Trinity” by Jerome Naulais, “Scarborough Fair” arranged by Bill Reichenbach, and “Mojave Cadillac”

by Frank Gulino. Smith conducted the first and last song, and student conductor Christopher O’Connell (‘18) conducted “Scarborough Fair.”

The Trombone Choir incorporated three instruments other

than trombone into their performance: organ, bass guitar, and drums. Professor of Music and College Organist Gregory Peterson (‘83) also accompanied the Trombone Choir in “Trinity.” In “Mojave Cadillac,” students Brennen Schedler (‘21) and Joshua Tank (‘20) accompanied the Trombone Choir on drums and bass guitar, respectively, to give the performance a jazz style.

The last group to perform was the Trumpet Ensemble, conducted by Assistant Professor of Music John Cord. This group performed “Celebratory Fanfare” by David Dzubay, “Ice Town” by Mike D’Ambrosio, “Salute” by Leslie Bassett, and “Neon Fanfare” by Elaine M. Ross. The Trumpet Ensemble featured multiple fanfare pieces, a common style for trumpet.

Smith described how the brass ensemble concert came about.

“I created this venue back in 2002 or 2003,” Smith said. “It was primarily a community thing. The size of the program here really lends itself to segregation because you have ensembles and students [who] don’t know students from other ensembles. It was also about recruiting. When you have these Luther students that perform off-campus or on-campus, other students see the performances and want to be a part of something special.”

Concert attendee Natalie Polak (‘21) enjoyed the connection that the musicians had to both each other and their directors.

“My favorite part was seeing the ensemble members smiling and laughing after the director did something silly,” Polak said. “It showed that they had a lot of fun playing together.”

OPINION

PAGE 9

MANAGING EDITOR: ELIZABETH BONIN

STAFF Editor-in-Chief Jacob Warehime Managing Editor Elizabeth Bonin News Editors Katrina Meyer Ana López Features Editor Shasa Sartin A&E Editor Lily Kime Sports Editor Ben Selcke

NOVEMBER 16, 2017

EDITORIAL

Apple products reinforce implicit classism

Staff Writers Karl Nycklemoe Gillian Klein Grace Onsrud Jonathan Kuehner Jorge Contreras Martin Donovan

Natalie Nelson Emma Busch Olivia Enquist Anthony Ramón Pérez Soto Cara Keith

Part-time Writers Forrest Stewart Kristen Wuerl Martel DenHartog Elizabeth Hand Head Copy Editor Elyse Grothaus Copy Editors Jackie Cychosz Lyndsay Monsen Ad Representatives Bergen Gardner Web Content Manager James Miller Social Media Director Elyse Grothaus Distribution Manager Lyndsay Monsen Faculty Adviser David Faldet

SHASA SARTIN FEATURES EDITOR Team iPhone or team Android? I️ have been a proud member of Team iPhone since 2011 with the launch of the iPhone 3GS. Like most of my teammates on the cross country team, I do not really know why I am on team iPhone.

Since my iPhone 6S was acting up all summer — just like my iPhone 6 did before that, and my iPhone 5S before that — I decided I needed a new phone. I was not able to make calls, the messages app crashed constantly, and I had no storage space left because it

was a mere 16 gigabytes. I began researching the iPhone 7S Plus and compared it to the Samsung Galaxy S8, which came out around the same time and is the biggest competition for the iPhone. I watched numerous YouTube review videos — as we all should — comparing and contrasting the two phones, as if I was actually going to consider the Galaxy.

Obviously I chose the iPhone 7S Plus and not because of the characteristics. I chose it because of the brand. I thought about my friends destroying me for having an Android. They might taunt me for snapchat videos that look like “WWII war footage,” green messages instead of the beautiful aqua blue of an iMessage, and slightly three dimensional emoijs instead of the regular iOS version.

I think the reason society is obsessed with iPhones is the reason we are obsessed with Macs and Apple in general: the companies sell us luxury and the “best of the best.”

A common joke is a screencap of someone on iMessage who received a green text message. The caption states “I don’t speak broke [expletive].”

This basically means if you have an Android, do not even text me.

Minneapolis rapper Drelli literally has a song called “If your texts GREEN...we can’t be SEEN.” The song is a bop, for one. Secondly, the hook goes “never touch a [expletive] with an Android, I got too many options.” While this song and the aforementioned tweet are mostly jokes, we know that the jokes people tell reveal a truth they may not have the strength to own up to. America hates poor people, and for some reason we associate not owning this particular kind of smartphone with not having money.

This is just like high school when kids were scoffed at for wearing Xhilration brand boots instead of UGG’s, donning a Columbia fleece instead of a North Face, and having Old Navy jeans instead of Hollister.

The jacket kept them just as warm, the jeans fit just as well, and the boots protected them from the snow.

A Galaxy S8 will make just as many phone calls, take even better pictures, and even scan my eyeballs to unlock it. Maybe it would work for more than six months, too.

SUBMISSIONS Submissions for letters to the editor should be submitted to chipsedt@luther.edu with “Letter to the Editor” as a subject line. Letters to the Editor are subject to editing without changing the meaning of the letter.

Authors will not be notified of changes prior to publishing.

Letters must be signed, 400-700 words, and submitted before Sunday at 5 p.m. the week before publication.

Publication of all letters is at the discretion of the editor.

Chips will not accept submitted articles or campus announcements.

Opinions expressed in columns and letters are those of the authors(s) and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Chips or organizations with which the author(s) are associated.

The Norse Poll

Are you Team iPhone or Android? Why?

LUTHER COLLEGE

CHIPS Chips is a student publication of Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. The paper is designed, composed edited and managed entirely by Luther students. It is published weekly during the academic year, excluding the month of January.

Fax: 563-387-2072 Email: chipsedt@luther.edu Advertising: chipsads@luther.edu Website: lutherchips.com Facebook: facebook.com/LutherChips Twitter: @LutherChips Instagram: @luthercollegechips

“Team Android. I haven’t broken the screen like a lot of people who have iPhones .”

-Gretchen Blain (‘21)

“Neither. Because I don’t think that there should be a phone monopoly. So, people should do whatever they want.

I personally have an iPhone, but I would be happy to go to Android.”

-Taylor Romeo (‘18)

“I’m team iPhone because the only person I know with an Android has been getting system updates everyday for the past two weeks.”

-Amelia Hornseth (‘21)

OPINION

PAGE 10 NOVEMBER 16, 2017

MANAGING EDITOR: ELIZABETH BONIN

EDITORIAL

When did not caring about academics become cool?

ELIZABETH BONIN MANAGING EDITOR As students, we have always been taught to prioritize attentively listening in class, working on homework, and studying. At Luther, we literally pay $40,000 a year (without financial aid or scholarships) to learn in class, complete homework, and study. If we are paying this much for education, surely students must value education, right?

Yet for some reason, students who dedicate time to school

work are often perceived as fools wasting time. I cannot count the number of times I said that I finished homework a day early or started making a study guide for an exam and received a response like “Wait, you actually studied?” or “You realize that’s not due till tomorrow, right?” and one time “You are a senior and you have only skipped two classes ever?”

Considering that I am taking the English seminar, working on my senior paper, competing in the middle of the swim and dive season, taking arguably the hardest communication studies class offered, working as the Managing Editor of Chips, and attempting to eat and sleep on a somewhat regular basis this semester, yes, I do actually need to work ahead to retain the small amount of sanity I have left. Somehow I managed to find the most time consuming

organizations on campus.

Meanwhile, those who procrastinate will be pulling their hair out with shaky, overcaffinated hands at midnight on a Saturday night while I have everything finished and can still make the occasional trip to Scoes because hey, I deserve it. And during the week, call me grandma if you want, but I actually enjoy going to bed before 10:30 on a weeknight, or even weekends if I can.

Skipping class? That is hardly ever an option in my book. Now I totally understand those who have a huge research paper the next day and feel that their time will be better spent working on that paper than class time. I get frustrated when those who skip class to sleep in or binge watch “Stranger Things” make fun of me for attending class.

If I am paying thousands of dollars to attend these classes

during my four years at Luther, you know I will be making use of those thousands of dollars. I will also be reading those required books too, because I did not spend all that time perusing the internet for the cheapest site for nothing. So have fun sitting in bed while I actually get the education I paid for.

I understand that for some students the stars aligned perfectly when they were born, meaning if they do not study they still pull out an “A” on the final exam. But the stars did not align on February 14, 1996, meaning that I do study or else I will be dropping out and working as the manager of a strip club because apparently I am too short and shy to be a stripper (who knew?). If you are one of those lucky students, please refrain from making fun of those who actually need to study.

Working hard and managing time well are wonderful qualities to have and should never be a reason to scoff at someone.

Go ahead and make fun of me for looking like a 12-year-old at age 21 or my unexplainable obsession with Harry Potter, but keep your comments about my study habits and organization to yourself.

Even though many students attend Luther for sports, music, student ministries, or other extracurricular activities, we are all here for a liberal arts education. So when did working towards that education become a waste of time? When did watching Netflix all day and then scrambling to finish assignments at 1 a.m. become the cool thing to do?

I value my education and the money I invest in it and refuse to feel bad for staying on top of my studies.

TO THE EDITOR

Advice from outside the Luther bubble I left the lovely Luther bubble six months ago to enter the cold real world.

This past weekend I visited campus and had some time to reflect on where I am now.

As a Chips alum as well as a Luther alum, I have been following Chips issues regularly to keep up both on news from Luther and to keep an eye on my favorite newspaper.

I really enjoyed Jackie Cychosz’s opinion piece on not caring so much about grades.

Having been a part of the job market for a bit before committing to my current job through Lutheran Volunteer Corps, I can tell you that I absolutely agree.

In my professional life after Luther, the fact that I have a bachelor’s degree has been far more important than both what I studied and what my grades were. A good portion of my position is networking with other nonprofits and people who volunteer for my organization. The connections I have made with people who I hope will bring me into new professional positions in the future are more curious about where I went to school or if I know that one person they knew who went to Luther.

I know for a fact that the “C” I got in biology, the only “C” I have ever gotten and something I genuinely cried about at the time, factored zero percent into the

hiring process for my job; my boss and I have talked about it.

Grades are far less important in the professional world than I felt they were when I was a student. Now if you are considering furthering your education past a bachelor’s degree, grades are pretty important but your first “C,” that panic attack inducing “C,” will not follow you around. No one will know about it or care until you bring it up at a happy hour. Happy hours are also an exciting part of the professional world that I feel the career center does not stress enough but I am not going to get into it right now.

My point is: if my status as an alum and a person with a job in the field I studied in can help you avoid a panic attack about a “C,” this is me telling you: do not have a panic attack about a “C.”

Now that I have casually segwayed into mental health, my next advice is to see a counselor at Luther and talk about mental health with your friends, professors, and even casual acquaintances. I did not talk about my own issues with mental health with my Luther family and I wish I did. All of the semesters I spent on campus at Luther I saw a counselor for a lot of different reasons: depression, anxiety, panic attacks, eating disorders, and even drama with friends and relationships.

There is no shame in counseling, and Luther is doing a lot right in this department by pushing its students towards talking about mental health and counseling. Anxiety and stress do not go away when your senior paper is sitting at the register’s office. I saw a therapist when I was a student and I am seeing one now,

“Treasure your friends and social connections at Luther but also do not stress if you have not found your home here yet.”

-Fran Stevenson (‘17)

the only difference is now I have to pay for it. Your mental health is important, it is okay to act like it.

Treasure your friends and social connections at Luther but also do not stress if you have not found your home here yet.

It took me a lot of time and heartbreak to find a group of people on campus that I really felt at home with. I did not get there until my senior year and for a while I felt really alone in the Luther bubble.

I made friends and connections but I did not have the social life that I felt other people did. I spent a lot of my time comparing my life to the people around me and I always came up empty. I know that this is not the case for a lot of people at Luther and I am glad for the tight-knit community that exists at the school that I love.

Maybe you have not found your Luther family yet and maybe you are not someone who will. That is completely and utterly okay even if right now it does not feel like that. There is a life outside of the Luther bubble: I cannot tell you where you will end up but if your experience is anything like mine you will be okay.

Signed, Fran Stevenson (‘17)

SPORTS

PAGE 11

NOVEMBER 16, 2017

SPORTS EDITOR: BEN SELCKE

Luther takes a swing at lacrosse ELIZABETH HAND STAFF WRITER As of this fall Women’s Lacrosse, though not officially recognized, is hoping to become an official club and compete by spring. In past years, the club has not been officially recognized because there was not enough campus interest.

Fallon Cassidy (‘19) started the women’s lacrosse club which is open to people of all experience levels.

Currently, the club has 10 members.

Cassidy was inspired to create the lacrosse club because after competing in sports in high school, quitting them in college was difficult.

“I have missed my sport a lot since coming to college,” Cassidy said. “The biggest challenge is getting enough interest in the sport in general. It is really popular in Minnesota, and when I came to Iowa it was a big change.”

In order to compete in the spring and be considered a club at Luther, Cassidy will need at least 11 members.

However, they would like to have more in order to have substitutes during games.

Cassidy explained some of the misconceptions about lacrosse. According to Cassidy, it is easy to pick up and is a sport that she describes as “hockey in the air”.

“The sport isn’t as hard to learn as everyone thinks,” Cassidy said. “By just learning the basics of catching and throwing you will have plenty of time to learn the game before the season starts in the spring.”

Cassidy understands the busy schedules of students at Luther. They currently practice twice a week for an hour, and during their season this schedule will increase to three or four times per week.

“It’s not the huge time commitment of a varsity sport, but you still get to play and compete against other schools,” Cassidy said. “Students will like that it is not as time demanding and we are really flexible with people’s schedules.”

New club members Anna Barton (‘20) and Brooke Johnson (‘20) look forward to having more women join the lacrosse team.

“It is easy to pick up and we’d love for anyone to come,” Johnson said. “It is a fun thing to do and a great way to spend your time.”

Barton had not played lacrosse prior to joining the club but found it easy to pick up thanks to coaching from the other players.

“We are really focused on the official Division III sports here, and it is definitely a good thing to change things up and have more clubs,” said Barton.

Cassidy is aslo working to get a field on lower campus painted for lacrosse because the lines on a lacrosse field are different than other sports. They hope to accomplish this in time for the upcoming season.

The women’s lacrosse club will play four to five competitive games in the spring.

Brooke Johnson (‘20) scoops the ball after a catch.

Elizabeth Hand (‘21) | Chips

Fallon Cassidy (‘19) and Frances Rhodes (‘20) practice lacrosse skills by Lindeman Pond.

Elizabeth Hand (‘21) | Chips

Fall sports in review: did Luther’s teams improve?

BEN SELCKE SPORTS EDITOR Football: Football finished third in the IIAC with a record of 5-3 and an overall record of 6-4. Luther started the season well with an early win against 25th nationally ranked University of Dubuque and a win at Luther’s homecoming game against Nebraska Wesleyan University. The rest of the season included a mix of wins and loses. Last year, football finished seventh in the IIAC with a 2-6 record.

Men’s Soccer: Men’s soccer won the IIAC and took home the conference title. They ended with 19 points and a season record of 6-1-1. Luther then played in the Iowa Conference Tournament after the regular season, which determines which team will qualify for the Division III National Tournament. Luther received a BYE in the first round, won the second round against Nebraska Wesleyan University, but lost in the final against Loras College. In the 2016 season, men’s soccer finished third in the IIAC with 15 points and a record of 5-3. They went on to win the Iowa Conference Tournament and attended the National Tournament where they received a national ranking of 23.

Women’s Soccer: Women’s Soccer finished sixth in the IIAC with 12 points and a record of 4-4. They were the last

seed in the Iowa Conference Tournament but defeated Central College and then the University of Dubuque to advance to the finals. Both games were tied after double overtime, which brought the game to a penalty kick shootout. In both cases, Luther outshot their opponent 4-3. Luther then lost in the finals against Loras College. Last year women’s soccer tied for first in the IIAC with Loras and were the Iowa Conference Tournament Champions. They were ranked 25th at the national tournament.

Women’s Tennis: Women’s tennis won the IIAC, finishing with a record of 8-0. Last year they also won the IIAC with a record of 8-0.

Volleyball: Volleyball finished second in the IIAC with a conference record of 6-2. Last year they also finished second with a record of 6-2. In the Iowa Conference Tournament, Luther had a first round BYE and in the second round they lost to Buena Vista 0-3.

Men’s Cross Country: Luther finished fourth in the IIAC with 117 points and fifth in the region with 159 points. Last year Luther finished fifth in the IIAC and fifth in the region with 179 points.

Women’s Cross Country: Luther finished third in the IIAC with 80 points and finished 11th in the region with 269 points.

Last year Luther finished third in the IIAC with 90 points and finished 13th at the regional meet with 323 points.

The Luther Women’s Soccer Team, sixth in the IIAC and second in Conference Tournament.

Charlie Mitchell (‘17) | Photo Bureau

SPORTS

PAGE 12

SPORTS EDITOR: BEN SELCKE

NOVEMBER 16, 2017

Wrestling starts season with the Luther Open

Weekly Standings Football Wartburg Central Luther Dubuque Simpson Loras Coe Buena Vista Nebraska Wes.

IIAC 8-0 6-2 5-3 4-4 4-4 3-5 2-6 2-6 2-6

Recent Scores

Overall 10-0 7-3 6-4 6-4 5-5 4-6 4-6 3-7 2-8

Nov 11 vs. Loras College W 35-21

Women’s Soccer Loras Dubuque Central Wartburg Coe Luther Nebraska Wes. Simpson Buena Vista

Connor Murphy (‘19) in a clinch with an opponent early in the match.

ANTHONY RAMÓN PÉREZ SOTO STAFF WRITER Luther Wrestling hosted the Luther Open on Saturday, Nov. 11 in the Regents Center it was their first official meet of the season. Teams from NCAA Division I, II, and III participated in the event, which allowed Luther wrestlers the opportunity to wrestle a variety of skill levels.

Due to the nature of the event, there are no team scores and the results have no impact on the conference standings.

Seventeen schools participated in the event, including Division I team University of Iowa. 28 Luther wrestlers took to the mat in the tournament.

According to Head Wrestling Coach Dave Mitchell, these kinds of tournaments help the wrestlers to gain experience against tough opponents. In addition, he is confident that because of this tough preparation, the wrestling team is now ready for the season.

“Having the perennial NCAA Division I power, the University of Iowa, attend the event makes it even better,” Mitchell said. “It is a great experience for our guys to wrestle top Division I opponents. We have a number of guys who I think can break out and be in the mix to place at the NCAA Tournament later in the year.”

Two Luther wrestlers competed in the elite division.

Connor Murphy (‘19) placed third in the 125 weight class and Keenan Feldpausch (‘20) placed sixth in the 285 weight class.

“I was very pleased with Connor Murphy’s performance at 125 [lbs] in the elite division,” Mitchell said. “We think Connor is one of the best guys in the country. I also think we have a very special heavyweight in Keenan Feldpausch.

He has great physical tools and a desire to be the best.”

Wrestlers Murphy and Billy Poray (‘18) feel that the team is strong enough to compete at a high level this season.

“We are aiming to be a trophy team at the end of the year, win nationals,” Murphy said. “Last year was a little off.”

Poray echoed Murphy’s sentiments.

“We always set our goals really high,” Poray said. “There is a long tradition of tough wrestling at Luther College. In the past 15 years we have been top in the country [Division III] several times.”

Although official training started on Oct. 10, many of the wrestlers trained before the season started.

“I stayed here this summer so that gave me a lot of good training and experience,” Murphy said. “I was lifting three to four days a week every morning.”

Fifteen first-year students joined the wrestling team this year. The new Luther wrestlers are expected to grow in experience as they take part in different tournaments,

Anthony Ramón Pérez Soto (‘20) | Chips

meets, and conference matches.

“We have a pretty inexperienced team and we can look much different in February than we do now if we stay true to the process and keep our eyes toward improving every week,” Mitchell said.

Poray echoed Mitchell’s sentiment about the young team and acknowledged the importance for upperclass students to help make the transition of the new wrestlers more effective.

“We still have some juniors and seniors that have been around for awhile,” Poray said. “So they [juniors and seniors] are doing a really good job of keeping everybody focused which is positive. I think everybody is extremely focused right now.”

Luther Wrestling will compete on, Saturday Nov, 18 at the Augsburg Open in St. Paul, Minnesota.

IIAC 6-0-2 5-1-2 5-1-2 4-1-3 4-3-1 4-4 2-6 1-7 0-8

Overall 15-2-3 9-4-4 14-2-3 10-6-4 12-4-3 7-10-2 5-11-1 4-14 2-15-1

Recent Scores

Nov 4 vs. Loras L 1-4

Men’s Soccer Luther Loras Simpson Nebraska Wes. Dubuque Wartburg Central Buena Vista Coe

IIAC 6-1-1 6-2 5-2-1 5-3 4-2-2 3-3-2 3-5 1-7 0-8

Overall 11-4-5 14-6-1 15-3-2 11-7-1 8-6-3 8-5-5 10-6 4-13-1 3-14

Recent Scores

Nov 4 vs. Loras L 2-2 shootout 3-1

Women’s Tennis Luther Coe Central Wartburg Loras Dubuque Nebraska Wes. Simpson Buena Vista

IIAC 8-0 7-1 6-2 5-3 4-4 3-5 2-6 1-7 0-8

Overall 8-1 8-3 8-2 7-4 8-4 9-7 2-7 3-7 2-10

Recent Scores

Oct 13-14 IIAC Individual Tournament

Volleyball Wartburg Luther Buena Vista Dubuque Coe Nebraska Wes. Loras Simpson Central

IIAC 8-0 6-2 5-3 5-3 4-4 3-5 3-5 1-7 1-7

Recent Scores

Nov 3 vs. Buena Vista L 0-3

Keenan Feldpausch (‘20) attempts a single leg takedown.

Anthony Ramón Pérez Soto (‘20) | Chips

Overall 25-6 16-10 22-10 28-7 14-16 11-17 12-15 9-17 9-24