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Dance Marathon hosts benefit concert
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Junior and senior recitals showcase Luther talent
Football falls to Central
COLLEGE
LUTHER “Let the chips fall where they may.” NOVEMBER 9, 2017
VOLUME 140, NO. 8 • EST. 1884
Faculty workshop discusses inequalities in higher education
Administration and BSU deliver statement on world tragedies
FORREST STEWART STAFF WRITER
MARTIN DONOVAN STAFF WRITER
Chancellor’s Professor of Law Berkeley Law School Angela Onwuachi-Willig led a faculty workshop titled “ P r e s u m e d Incompetence: The Challenges Faced by Faculty and Students at PWIs” on Oct. 30 in the Dahl Chancellor’s Centennial Union Professor of Law Nobel Room. at Berkeley Law The workshop School Angela focused on Onwuachi-Willig. the unique experiences of minority groups at predominantly white institutions (PWIs) and on ways that the institutional framework of colleges and universities fail to address social inequality. The workshop was sponsored by the Dean’s Office, the Diversity Center, the Diversity Council, and the President’s Office. According to the Dean’s Office, Luther’s faculty is 91.3% white and the student body is 89.1% white. Associate Professor of Political Science and workshop attendee Carly Foster highlighted reasons why this workshop was beneficial to the Luther community. “We spent most of the time thinking and talking about the overall implications related to the hiring of minorities,” Foster said. “[It is especially important] in a place like this that’s pretty far removed from larger cities [and] in a fairly conservative political climate with few minorities.” The workshop included a brief lecture by Onwuachi-Willig followed by group discussion and analysis of several hypothetical situations related to minorities’ experiences in higher education. Assistant Professor of Political Science Pedro Dos Santos said the workshop touched on issues that directly impact the Luther community. “As one of the very few faculty of color at a predominately white institution, [these things absolutely happen],” Dos Santos said. “[During] the hypotheticals, I just kept nodding my head [and thinking] ‘Yeah that happened to me.’”
Members of the Black Student Union (BSU) worked in collaboration with administrative staff to write a statement commemorating various recent tragedies around the world. The statement was read during the Luther football team’s home game against Wartburg College on Oct. 21 and was followed by a moment of silence. The statement was prepared by BSU president Harleigh Boldridge (‘18), Associate Director of Athletic Operations Alex Smith, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Renae Hartl, Vice President for Communications and Marketing Aimee Viniard-Weideman, Interim Dean for Institutional Equity and Inclusion Lisa Scott, and President Paula Carlson. The statement explained the reason for including the moment of silence before the game. “In recent weeks we have had much tragedy and devastation around this world,” the statement said. “Natural disasters including hurricanes, floods, and wildfires, acts of terror in Las Vegas and Somalia, and other tragic events have impacted our lives. Members of our campus community have close family ties with those that have passed and been injured and our thoughts and prayers are with them during this time. Please join us in this moment of silence.” According to Boldridge, the aim of the statement was to support Luther community members. “[The statement was intended for] Luther students and Luther’s community,” Boldridge said. “That extends to the faculty, to the staff, to the administration, to our board of directors, [and] to our alumni. All those people who are still connected and showing support to members of that community, who might have family ties to these tragedies or feeling them on a human level.” The idea for a moment of silence was proposed by a BSU member at one of their meetings. BSU’s original intention for the moment of silence was to pay tribute to the bombing in Mogadishu, Somalia. However, after Boldridge and Smith began communicating, they agreed that the statement should encompass other recentl tragedies. “[Smith] and I had some email correspondence and we talked over a statement that was inclusive of a lot of the horrors that are going on around the
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WORKSHOP | PAGE 4
The women’s cross country team starts a race during their meet against La Crosse. Photo Courtesy of Photo Bureau
Women's cross country receives $1 million donation ANTHONY RAMÓN PÉREZ SOTO STAFF WRITER An anonymous Luther alum donated $1 million to the women’s cross country and track and field program. The donation will go toward creating the Kent Finanger Endowed Chair. This will honor Coach Kent Finanger, who coached from 1956 to 1996 and was vital in developing Luther’s women’s cross country team. The establishment of this endowed coaching position is the first of its kind in Luther history. The announcement of this gift coincided with Kent Finanger’s 85th birthday. The functions of the chair, in addition with other details related to the gift have not been decided. Associate Head Coach of Women’s Cross Country Yarrow Pasche said she expects that this donation will positively impact athletes in the women’s cross country team in the
Former Luther cross country coach Kent Finanger. Photo Courtesy of luther.edu
future. “[The donation] will have a direct impact in the coaching experience for these athletes,” Pasche said. “[It will ensure] a long-term, high-caliber staff that invests and inspires each athlete in the program and is able to recruit individuals that can contribute in a great way to the program. Personal coaching attention is key to the success of any one individual and thus to the success of the team as a whole.” According to Pasche, the announcement of this gift exemplifies the impact that sports and coaches can have on both athletes and the entire Luther Community. “[The donor] wanted to give this gift on his 85th birthday in recognition of the tremendous impact Kent Finanger had on her life, both in the realm of running and her overall growth as a person,” Pasche said. “It has the effect of carrying forward the memories and success she experienced here as a runner and allowing for them to be encouraged and supported.” Member of the women’s cross country team Katherine Hoffman (‘20), hopes that the donation will be used to strengthen the team. “I think it could be used for equipment for our team, which would really help for recovery and injuries treatment,” Hoffman said. “It will really help our program and encourage people who would want to join the cross country team.” Hoffman echoed Pasche’s gratefulness toward the donor. “I feel really grateful that we received [the gift] and I know that we will make a good investment with that [donation],” Hoffman said. “I also thought that it was especially generous because they are not putting their name out there. This is someone who really loves the team.” Pasche hopes that the positive impact of this donation will continue in the future. “We look forward to continuing to build on the strong tradition of running here at Luther College and to the fantastic opportunities this gift will inspire for generations to come,” Pasche said.
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NEWS
PAGE 2 NOVEMBER 9, 2017
NEWS EDITORS: KATRINA MEYER & ANA LÓPEZ
Reformation 500th commemoration events conclude with symposium KARL NYCKLEMOE STAFF WRITER Luther College concluded the events commemorating the 500th anniversary of the Reformation with a symposium held on Oct. 31 titled "The Reformation of Everything." The symposium invited past and current faculty, students, alumni, and guest speakers to present on topics related to the Reformation. Students had no classes so that they could attend events. The event started with the opening convocation featuring University of Notre Dame Professor Brad Gregory. Gregory is the author of “Rebel in the Ranks," a recently published book that explores the Reformation and its lasting impacts. The convocation kicked off at 9 a.m. in the Center for
Dr. Brad Gregory from the University of Notre Dame delivers the plenary address at the symposium. Karl Nycklemoe (‘18) | Chips
Faith and Life (CFL) with President Paula Carlson, who spoke about Luther’s commitment to dialogue, debate, and persistent questioning. Gregory's lecture was titled “Why the Reformation Still Matters (Whether we Want It or Not)." Gregory’s lecture was divided into four distinct parts: Martin Luther as a reluctant rebel, the early German Reformation, how the Reformation defined a troubled era, and the Reformation’s impact on modernity. Gregory, as a Catholic, neither celebrated nor denounced the Reformation but simply analyzed the Reformation and its impact. According to Associate Professor of History Robert Christman, the purpose of Gregory’s lecture was to present a thesis on how the Reformation impacts us today and offer a view of the Reformation outside of Protestantism. “Luther College is not a college that preferences one religious confession over another — or religion at all — but seeks to provide a platform for all different views,” Christman said. “We didn’t want to indoctrinate anyone, we wanted students and faculty to understand what the Reformation was and how it impacts our lives.” Gregory focused was on the secularization of society and the privatization of religion in daily life because of the Reformation. Essentially, Gregory argued that the Wars of Religion and religious persecution of the era were due to the Reformation splintering Christianity. According to Gregory, when people got tired of this constant conflict, they sought to create society off something other than religion. This allowed consumerism to become a ruling aspect of Western society, as the U.S. and England followed the example of the mercantile, radically tolerant Dutch Republic. Religion’s presence in the private sphere of life, the disagreement among Christianity, and secularized society (i.e. separation of church and state), can be linked back to the Reformation. Attendee Alexis Olson (‘20) enjoyed Gregory’s lecture,
but found that his point was lost in the sheer amount of background information. “He spent a lot of time talking about the back story of the Reformation, and everything that happened, which is useful for people who have no idea [what the Reformation is],” Olson said. “But by the time he got to his main thesis point, it was a lot harder to get into it. That was the most interesting part, but I felt all that background information dulled his thesis.” After the convocation, around 30 presentations followed in two sessions. Topics included beer brewing practices of the Reformation era, lay religion, and Islam and the Reformation, to name a few. Samuel Scheidt (‘18), who was also a speaker on ecumenism in the symposium, believes having an event like this is important to increase understanding and the drive to find the truth. “Understanding the inner workings of the Reformation can help inform us about where we are today and inspire us to continue to challenge our perspectives and continue to dig deeper to search for the truth,” Scheidt said. “At the heart of it, I believe that is what the reformers were genuinely after. When else throughout history have we seen people so courageously defend their ideas in the search for truth?” Moving forward, Christman hopes that the event will generate more conversation about the role of religion in society, as the Reformation was a critical point in Western Christianity. “I hope that [Reformation Day] helps students to think of the role of religion in society and, more specifically, on this campus,” Christman said. “Religion is a powerful force in the world, and I think to know a little bit more about it will be essential for students in the twenty first century as it’s proving to be already. I hope [students] will be inspired to look at the Reformation more closely and to use it as a jumping off point to look at the role of religion in our world today.”
Lecture questions reality of middle class stagnation JORGE CONTRERAS STAFF WRITER Economist and Professor at George Mason University Donald J. Boudreaux presented a lecture titled “The Myth of Middle Class Stagnation” in Valders 206 on Thursday, Nov. 2. Over 30 students and Decorah community members attended the lecture. Boudreaux started the lecture by answering the main question of the session: "‘Is the middle class stagnating?’" Boudreaux said during the lecture. "I won’t keep you in suspense. I argue no. However, I will provide you with pieces of evidence that support this claim.” Boudreaux then displayed a graph showing the average hourly earnings of production for nonsupervisory employees from 1964 to 2016 in the United States. He highlighted the peak as $9.39 in December 1972, the lowest as $7.69 in August 1994, and compared it to today’s wage of $8.96. His ideas were further enforced by the fact that the graph calculations were made using the value of 1982-1984 dollars and not the current dollar value. Accounting for the inflation of the dollar value over time, that would change today’s value to $22.23. After that, Boudreaux presented a second graph of the median household income growth from 1976 to 2006, which showed that in 30 years there has been an 18 percent growth in this income. Boudreaux then explained that although these graphs show stagnation, it is not the whole picture
due to several factors not being taken into consideration in the calculations, including fringe benefits which are benefits that are in addition to an individual's salary. “A change that is worth noting is changes in the forms of compensation,” Boudreaux said during the lecture . “In 1975 the average worker recieved about 10 percent of his or her salary in the form of fringe benefits. Today the typical worker gets about 19 percent of the wage in the form of fringe benefits.” Boudreaux proceeded to support his position on stagnation by providing a personal example and explaining how standards of living have improved in less obvious ways. “I went to the store and bought a bag of celery and I noticed that it had a resealable top,” Boudreaux said. “In the 1970s you could buy celery, but you couldn't buy celery that had a resealable top. Over the past 40 years, a lot of the improvement in our standards of living has come in the form of many small improvements in quality.” In the second part of the lecture, Boudreaux compared the present purchasing power of an ordinary American worker to one in 1975. He displayed pictures of products in a 1976 Sears catalogue. He then compared the hours that an ordinary American has to work to get a similar product today, compared to the number of hours an American living in 1975 had to work. One example was a television that cost $750 in 1975 and costs $299 on the Sears website today.
“A not digital, no-remote-control television was worth to a 1975 typical worker 158.6 hours, roughly a month of work,” Boudreaux said. “Today a 43 inch T.V. that obviously has a remote, with much better sound and much better picture quality, costs only 13.5 hours of work.” Boudreaux finished the lecture by answering questions from audience members. Attendee Matias Velastegui (‘18), said that as an economics student, he found the lecture interesting. However, he thought that Boudreaux did not address the question of stagnation, but focused instead on technological improvements. “Boudreaux highlighted the importance of technological improvement over the years, acknowledging he is not concerned with issues of inequality,” Velastegui said. “It seems to me that he does not address the stagnation of the middle class as a social group and its growth, whether defined by income or multidimensional indexes. He is rather focused on cross time comparison of quite distinct groups.” Associate Professor of Economics Steve Holland stated that he thought Boudreaux effectively took into consideration details that are usually overlooked by economists. “It is always good to question conventional wisdom,” Holland said. “He raised some valid questions about whether many of us have become better off or worse off over the last 40 years. He also pointed out how different assumptions about often overlooked details, such as how economists
adjust for price changes over time, can make big differences in the story the data tell us.” While Holland found the new take interesting, he also felt that there were some pieces of the story that were left out. “I talked to a few people who attended the lecture and, like me, they felt that Boudreaux focused on our ability to buy things as a measure of well-being and failed to adequately account for the many other conditions that affect quality of life,” Holland said.
Donald Boudreaux highlighted the factors that led to the idea of middle class stagnation. Jorge Contreras ('20) I Chips
NEWS
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NEWS EDITORS: KATRINA MEYER & ANA LÓPEZ
Regina Mustafa talks interfaith and politics
NOVEMBER 9, 2017
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GRACE ONSRUD STAFF WRITER Interfaith activist from Rochester, Minnesota Regina Mustafa spoke about her experience as a Muslim woman working to promote interfaith dialogue and her recent campaign for Congress. On Wednesday, Nov. 1 in the Center for Faith and Life (CFL) Mustafa answered questions posed by Associate Professor of Religion Todd Green before opening the conversation to questions from the approximately 40 audience members. Mustafa spoke about her work with Community Interfaith Dialogue on Islam (CIDI), an organization that she founded in Rochester. Mustafa decided to start an organization for interfaith work after the media's portrayal of ISIS began to incite widespread anti-Muslim sentiment in the U.S. Mustafa wanted to provide people with information about Islam that counters the negative misconceptions held by many Americans. As part of her interfaith work, Mustafa attends religious services at various places of worship and writes reviews on them for CIDI’s website. She hopes that these reviews will be tools for people who want to learn more about other religions. Mustafa also hosts the Faith Talk Show in Rochester where she interviews guests with different religious backgrounds. During her conversation with Green, Mustafa discussed the challenges of having public conversations about religion because religion is often a 'taboo' subject. She said that she has to make sure people of all faith backgrounds can feel safe and respected on the Faith Talk Show, even during uncomfortable conversations. “I have to equally celebrate each voice,” Mustafa said in an interview after the lecture. “Even when the person right across from me has said ‘your book, the Quran, is misogynist,’ I say, ‘have you read it?’ I have to understand that that’s how this person perceives my religion, but I try to counter it by giving them a different way of looking at it.” Mustafa answered questions about the intersection of feminism and interfaith work. According to Mustafa, the intersection is important to her because a common misconception about Islam that it is inherently misogynist. “In the Quran, you have all of these very strong female characters,” Mustafa said. “I feel that men in general, including Muslim men, haven’t given these women enough of their own voice, and that’s not because of the religion. Men throughout history have tried to silence the voice of women to maintain
Associate Professor of Religion Todd Green directed the discussion with Regina Mustafa. Grace Onsrud ('20) I Chips
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38/28 Regina Mustafa founded and works for the organization Community Interfaith Dialogue on Islam, in Rochester, Minnesota. Grace Onsrud ('20)I Chips their own control and their own power, but what I see now is that the emphasis on these female characters is re-emerging.” During the discussion, Mustafa also talked about her recent campaign for Congress in Minnesota’s First Congressional District. She decided to drop out of the race because she is legally blind and has to rely entirely on others for transportation. Mustafa is now considering running for Mayor of Rochester. The discussion was organized by the Luther group Interfaith in Action, which has just started up again after years of inaction. This is the second event of this kind organized by Interfaith in Action, the first being the Interfaith 101 panel on Oct. 19. Green said that interest in the Interfaith group is growing partly because of the current political climate. He hopes that this rekindled interest in interfaith work will allow for open conversations about religion to occur within the Luther community. He says that one of the reasons why Regina Mustafa is good at what she does is because she is willing to have difficult conversations. “We need more people like Regina,” Green said. “We need more peacemakers. That work is very difficult because you have to put yourself in uncomfortable positions, in conversations with people who are very different from you. Regina Mustafa is not afraid to do that.” Interfaith in Action member and event attendee Elizabeth Wiebke (‘19) said that she was excited to see new people at the event. She said that Mustafa was inspiring to her because of her proximity to the Interfaith in Action group at Luther. “I think it’s neat to have someone that’s so directly influential so close to us,” Wiebke said. “It makes it more tangible. It’s nice to see that stuff like this is happening in the Midwest, in small towns, and in rural communities. That inspires me to keep doing interfaith work.” Green saw his conversation with Mustafa as a way to show audience members that Islam is diverse. According to Green, this will provide another view of Islam that is different from the dominant, often negative portrayal of Islam from the media. “I hope we can start to recognize that the Muslims in our communities are not the 'other,'” Green said. “They are our partners, next door neighbors, and people who run for political office because they care about their communities. In [Mustafa's] case, they are people running for Congress, and they are people that are trying to build bridges. If [the audience] took that away from the event with Regina, I would feel wonderful about that.”
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Corrections In the Vol. 140, No.7 edition of Chips, the photo caption for the story "Volleyball seeded second in IIAC tournament," misidentifies Morgan Twen ('20) as Paige Steward ('21). In the Vol. 140, No. 7 edition of Chips, the story "College Ministries begin new 'Healing Services,'" misidentified Ben Larson ('06) as the writer of the liturgy and prayers in Mourning into Dancing. Pastor Susan Ruth Briehl wrote the liturgy and prayers. In the Vol. 140, No. 7 edition of Chips, the story "Luther faces Eau Claire in first swim meet of the season," the race in which Collin Miller set a pool record was misidentified as the 50 free. The race was the 200 IM. Sam Kraft ('18) was misidentified as winning the 1000 freestyle by 28 seconds and the 500 freestyle by 31 seconds. She won those races by 10 seconds and 7 seconds respectively. Icons designed by Freepik from Flaticon.
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NOV 9, 2017
Life Outside Luther Texas shooter passed background check despite previous charges of domestic assault Gunman Devin Kelley, 26, shot 26 people to death and injured 20 at a Texas church on Sunday, Nov. 5. Staff from the retail store where Kelley bought a gun in 2006 said that Kelley passed the necessary background checks when buying the gun. Kelly was convicted of assaulting his wife and stepson while serving in the U.S. Air Force. The Air Force acknowledged on Monday that they failed to enter Kelley's conviction into the database used for background checks. Saudi Arabia claims that Lebanon has declared war against it Saudi Arabia accused Lebanon of declaring war against it as a reaction to aggression by the Shi'ite Iranbacked Lebanese group Hezbollah. This accusation threatens to worsen the already tense political crisis that Saudi Arabia is facing. Saudi-allied Lebanese politician Saad al-Hariri blamed Iran and Hezbollah during his resignation as the Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia on Saturday Nov. 4. Saudi Gulf affairs minister Thamer al-Sabhan said that the agression by the group Hezbollah is enough to consider it a war declaration from Lebanon against Saudi Arabia. Three aircraft carrier strike groups head to Asia as Trump conducts a "show of force" President Trump's visit to Asia is being accompanied by three carrier strike groups in a show of force. This was motivated by warnings about the nuclear threat from North Korea. This is the first time since 2007 that three carrier strike groups excercise together in the region. The date and location of the exercise will not be disclosed and there is no information on whether Trump will visit the carriers or not. Director of the office of Financial Research Richard Berner sets to resign at the end of the year Officials from the Treasury Department announced on Monday, Nov. 6 that Director of the Office of Financial Research Richard Berner will resign on Dec. 31. Berner supervises an agency created to monitor the financial markets after the economic crises of 2007-2009. Berner has been the first and only director of this agency. The treasury has not announced who will replace Berner. EU discusses tax heavens after 'Paradise papers' leak After the leak of the 'Paradise Papers,' which revealed investments made by wealthy institutions and individuals was released, the EU considers implementing a tax heavens blacklist. The European Commission said that they are discussing ways of fighting tax avoidance in the EU.
Taken from: reuters.com
NEWS EDITORS: KATRINA MEYER & ANA LÓPEZ WORKSHOP | PAGE 1 Associate Dean and Director of Faculty Development Jeffrey Wilkerson co-sponsored the workshop. Wilkerson discussed his takeaways from the workshop. “Just talking about these things is important,” Wilkerson said. “I think the real key to [the workshop] was thinking about faculty development. No two people have the same experience in an institution and… [it’s important to] help faculty think about how other people are navigating the institution.” Foster says differences in experience can impact the likelihood that minorities remain in the Luther community. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the 2016 graduation rate of black and latino students at Luther was around 60% while the overall rate was 78%. “Luther has challenges retaining people of color — both students and faculty — in part because of the location and in part because people don’t want to come here and be the only minority,” Foster said.
Chancellor’s Professor of Law at Berkeley Law School Angela Onwuachi-Willig poses with Luther students during her visit in 2016. Photo Courtesy of Julie Berg-Raymond | Decorah Newspaper “This is [about] trying to get beyond thinking of this as an issue of intentional racism and instead trying to think about ways that institutional factors make it harder to both attract and hold onto diverse candidates.” According to the packet of hypothetical situations discussed at the workshop, there are several institutional factors that affect minorities. These situations ranged from minority faculty members receiving poor student evaluations for
STATEMENT | PAGE 1 world, besides just Somalia,” Boldridge said. “We tried to use terms that would allude to a lot of the different tragedies that are going on around the world, such as the flooding in India and Nepal. We tried to bring in the hurricanes in the Caribbean and the south side of the United States.” According to Viniard-Weideman, the statement was intentionally broad so that it could encompass the numerous catastrophes around the world. “It was about how do we do this in a way that it isn’t just a general statement that is so generic that it means nothing, but it isn’t so specific that now you have people who are excluded,” ViniardWeideman said. “[We wanted] to figure out how to put this language together in a way that had meaning and intentionality, but also so you didn’t have an unintended consequence of someone sitting there saying ‘well what about this tragedy or this thing that hasn’t been named.'” Boldridge expressed her excitement with the administration’s efforts to work with BSU on writing the statement. She believes this is a stepping point for future dialogue on campus to actively support students of color. “I know some of the members of the administration have talked about having conversations with members of
reasons other than the quality of their teaching to minorities and women being less likely than white men to apply for a job that they feel unqualified for. “Those things aren’t a fault of Luther,” Foster said. “Luther didn’t create those problems. Yet, if we’re going to be serious about trying to bring people here, we have to do more community outreach and we have to find ways to make the community a little bit less closed.” According to Dos
Santos, Luther has been taking steps to try to accomplish that goal. “Luther is ahead of a lot of other institutions,” Dos Santos said. “Not every institution has a Dean for Institutional Equity and Inclusion, especially not every small liberal arts college.” Luther student Ashalul Aden (‘20) hopes that these workshops will lead to positive changes at Luther. “I am very happy there are [these] workshops going on to help
BSU about how we support these students, what things are available on campus, and where are we lacking,” Boldridge said. “That’s the impression that I have got, which really excited me because I know a lot of students, regardless of who they are, sometimes feels that the administration is really distant and not really listening to students. I think this was a really good opportunity to recognize that we have been heard and that the administration cares”.
make Luther a more inclusive and culturally competent college,” Aden said. “By working together and attending such workshops, faculty and staff can help more students stay at Luther and guarantee they have a great experience while they are here.” Foster also sees the workshop as a beneficial investment. “I’m very glad that Lisa Scott is marshalling the school’s resources and taking some concrete steps to make Luther a better place,” Foster said.
Scott echoed this sentiment by indicating that she, along with other Luther faculty members, are working on ways to expand discussions around campus. “I am really interested in campus dialogue and there is a number of us on campus looking at dialogical models for the campus to be able to have difficult dialogue around topics that may be sensitive,” Scott said. “Being relatively new, that work is in its beginning stages.”
Members of the Black Student Union participate in the 2017 Homecoming Parade. Photo courtesy of Mckendra Heinke
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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A&E EDITOR: LILY KIME
NOVEBER 9, 2017
Reformation Cantata features work by Luther composers
Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Music Joan deAlbuquerque directs Concert Band while they play music written by current students. Annie Goodroad (‘19) | Photo Bureau
NATALIE NELSON STAFF WRITER Concert Band, Cathedral Choir, and Collegiate Chorale gathered to perform the Reformation Cantata, the grand finale to the Reformation Symposium on Oct. 31. The concert showcased a collection of compositions by four current Luther students and four alumni composers. Instructor in Music and Conductor of Cathedral Choir and Norsemen Mark Potvin (‘01) said that the performance was a valuable
opportunity for the performers because the caliber of music was closer to the level of in a graduate school setting. “The performance was a really unique adventure for our student musicians,” Potvin said. “It gave us a chance to premiere new music, which is not something that Luther gets to do a whole lot, and it’s also music that is in a very different vein from what much of our programming typically is on campus. Consequently, it was a special opportunity for the ensembles that performed it.”
Emeritus David Judisch and Jonathan Kuehner (‘20) acted in the piece written by Dan Raney (‘92) and sung by Cathedral Choir. Annie Goodroad (‘19) | Photo Bureau
This unique event did not come without its challenges. Potvin added that working on such a collaborative project presented some difficulties in rehearsal, especially since all the ensembles only rehearsed together twice before the performance. According to Potvin, rehearsing the individual pieces in isolation can be difficult, but they become more cohesive when all of the parts are combined. “It was a lot like taking a pile of clay or Play-Doh and having a whole bunch of hands in the mix molding it into what it was going to be,” Potvin said. “That is incredibly rewarding and incredibly challenging because everybody’s vision is just a little bit different. Because it’s new music, there are no reference recordings. We’re creating this from scratch.” Concert Band played each piece of the evening including four solo pieces.Concert Band opened the concert with “this is most certainly true” by James M. Stephenson, the only peice of the event not written by a Luther student or alum. They also played Caleb Linville’s (‘19) “Wenn die Fülle der Zeit Gekommen war,” “Shattered Cathedral” by Hunter Prueger (‘18), and John Kuntz’s (‘19) “Two Minds.” Pablo Gómez-Estévez’s (‘18) song “Sola Fide” was performed by an instrumental quintet. Cathedral Choir sang Dan Raney’s (‘92) “Here I Stand.” Along with the choir and band, this piece included solos by Adjunct Faculty in Music Jonathon Struve (‘02) and Associate Professor of Music Beth Ray Westlund (‘89). It also featured a spoken dialogue performed
by Emeritus David Judisch and Jonathan Kuehner (‘20). Collegiate Chorale performed Daniel Kallman’s (‘78) “Luther on Laughter (LOL),” which also featured a blue grass ensemble. All of the ensembles performed Sky Macklay’s (‘10) “Disputations (On the Power of Indulgences)” and “Reformation Festival” by Mark Petering (‘95). Attendee Alexander Lapinski (‘19) was struck by the variety of the music that was all inspired by the theme of the Reformation. “What was really intriguing to me was the way in which all these composers were moving around the same general ideas in such different ways,” Lapinski said. “There were your very typical oratorio-style orchestral pieces with the choir behind them, but there was some really experimental music that was happening as well.” Lapinski said he enjoyed the opportunity the concert held for student composers at Luther. “My favorite aspect was the fact that current students [contributed] pieces,” Lapinsk said. “I hadn’t actually known that until I walked in and saw the program, so seeing the names of some people I know and consider friends was really cool and made me really excited to listen to the pieces.” Kuntz is a music major at Luther with an emphasis on composition and was one of the student composers invited to write a piece for the Cantata. He was happy with the way the different pieces came together. “I enjoyed the variety the most
because I think something like that rarely ever happens,” Kuntz said. “At first it was kind of nerve-wracking to have eight movements of a cantata that didn’t have any kind of musical motive that they shared or any sort of musical similarities, but what that did was allow for a huge amount of variety to take place that I think the crowd and the audience really responded positively.” According to Kuntz, collaborating with the alumni composers added to his knowledge about the field and what the life of a composer is like. “The biggest thing that I got out of working with Luther composers were their stories on how they got to where they are now since their time at Luther,” Kuntz said. “I think there’s a huge value in collaboration between alumni and students in many facets here. This is just one way of working with alumni, but if there is anything to be learned from this, it’s that more of this collaboration should take place at Luther.” Potvin said the Reformation Cantata performance felt like the perfect capstone to the Reformation Symposium. “It felt like we were a part of something that transcended a large chunk of the college’s history and that somehow mirrored the evolution of the Reformation from 1517 to 2017,” Potvin said. “We’re proud of it, and I’m particularly proud of our students and excited for them. I think the campus community was enriched by this experience. It was a perfect way to wrap up the day’s activities and the year-long 500th anniversary celebration.”
FEATURES
PAGE 6 NOVEMBER 9, 2017
FEATURES EDITOR: SHASA SARTIN
LCDM holds benefit concert atThe Lingonberry JONATHAN KUEHNER STAFF WRITER Luther College Dance Marathon (LCDM) hosted a benefit concert at The Lingonberry, a performance and event venue in downtown Decorah, on Friday, Nov. 3. For a five dollar admission fee, students and community members enjoyed a night of music, community, and Dance Marathon trivia. The night was led by former Morale Captain Zane Larson (‘19) who conceived of the event. “I had a crazy idea my freshman and sophomore year to start a benefit concert, but I didn’t get around to it until [this] year,” Larson said. “I decided I was going to do it. I contacted the [Dance Marathon] president and we started planning.” LCDM is the largest organization on Luther College’s campus with nearly 400 dancers participating last year. LCDM works with other Iowa teams to raise funds for the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. Last year, the group raised a total of $71,814.06. According to LCDM President Haley Steffen (‘19), the group hopes to meet or beat that amount this year, though they have not set a public goal. “We were just hoping to raise money for the kids,” Steffen said. “And we were hoping it would be a big awareness event as well, getting the word into the community about what Dance Marathon is and how it affects everyone around here.” Money is raised primarily by dancers who collect a minimum of $25 prior to participating in the final marathon dance event. This event will last from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on April 8, 2018. This event is the crux of Dance Marathon, but is preceded by a number of other fundraising opportunities such as Friday’s benefit concert and the Donut Dash, which took place earlier this semester. Other past fundraisers have included a dodgeball tournament and SPO Love, an opportunity for
students to send candy to their friends through the Mail Center. “A lot of people have this idea that Dance Marathon is just one big event in April, but that’s not really true,” Morale Captain Merrsadiz Smith (‘20) said. “We have many events throughout the year to raise money for the children.” The night began with the jazz stylings of Graham Hoshaw (‘20) and Troy Downey (‘20). Ingy and the Ernies, a group comprised of Christy Emanuelson (‘18), Inga Aleckson (‘18), and Emma Withers (‘18), then took the stage. They were followed by a traditional string trio featuring selections by Boccherini and the Beatles. The variety of performances continued as Luther students came forward to read their favorite poems, which included original works, inspirational poems, and children’s poems by Lewis Carroll and A.A. Milne. Following the poetry portion were performances from each of Luther’s four a capella groups, including the inaugural performance of the newly formed group, Fermata Nowhere. All this led up to a presentation from University of Iowa Dance Marathon member Erin Taber, who spoke on the importance of the program. The last performance of the night was Colin Cosgrove (‘20) who performed “Daughters” by John Mayer as well as an original piece. There were several other opportunities to be involved in the night’s festivities. For example, there was a ribbon board where attendees could pin ribbons for loved ones who have fought or are fighting various diseases. In the future, LCDM would like to use this event as an opportunity to reach out to the city of Decorah and surrounding areas. “Hopefully next year we can get more of the community of Decorah in here,” Larson said. “That’s something Dance Marathon has always struggled with.” LCDM plans to hold more fundraising activities before the main event on April 8, though no dates have been set.
Lauren Jo Eakes (‘19) reads some of her original poetry. Jonathan Kuehner (‘20) | Chips
Beautiful Mess prepares to perform in the Lingonberry. Jonathan Kuehner (‘20) | Chips
PALS celebrates Halloween with annual festivities
EMMA BUSCH STAFF WRITER Luther students and children from the Decorah community gathered for preHalloween fun at the first PALS event of the year on Oct. 29. PALS is a program that pairs one or two “littles” — kindergarten through middle school-aged children — with Luther students, or “bigs,” who share common interests. “Bigs” and “littles” meet on campus once a month for two hours to partake in various activities that usually correspond with themes or holidays. Approximately 125 children and 80 Luther students are participating in the program this year. According to PALS Co-President Isabel De Ayala (‘19), “bigs” serve as mentors for their “littles” who may not have older role models besides their parents. “It’s especially important because that child
may be struggling in school or want someone for guidance because they don’t have an older sibling,” De Ayala said. “So it’s nice to have someone that’s kind of in between, which is what the Luther students are.” At the Halloween event, PALS members decorated cookies, played board games, created possible designs for the program’s t-shirt, and partook in a trick-or-treat scavenger hunt. Most of these activities were held in the Center for the Arts (CFA), but the scavenger hunt brought them around campus. Buckets of candy were placed in buildings that they found using hints provided on a sheet of paper. Despite the cold weather, PALS Executive Board member Natalie Sandstrom (‘18) says that the scavenger hunt was one of the more popular activities at the event. “We changed it up a bit from last year and I think kids really enjoyed it,” Sandstrom said. “That or they enjoyed the candy that came
with solving every clue.” According to De Ayala, “littles” also enjoyed face-painting and got creative with the designs they asked for. “We had a Death Star request, a lot of spiders, [and] Spider-Man,” De Ayala said. “We also had one ‘little’ ask to be the Hulk.” According to PALS member Tyler Johnson (‘18), he and his “little,” Brock, who dressed as what Johnson describes as an ‘army man with a Nerf vest,’ partook in the scavenger hunt and played with Nerf guns in the CFA with other “littles.” “We fake fought each other and random kids they knew from class,” Johnson said. “They thought it would be fun to go up and down the elevator over and over again. Some other kids we were playing with would run up and down the stairs and we would meet them every time with the Nerf guns.” PALS Executive Board member Luke
Lumbar (‘18) and his “little,” William, who were paired together last year as well, spent most of their time exploring campus during the scavenger hunt and eating treats. “William and I wanted to focus more on the scavenger hunt,” Lumbar said. “He likes to run around and explore campus. So we did the scavenger hunt and he tried [decorating] some cookies. He just slapped a bunch of frosting on top of each cookie and got very messy, but it was pretty fun.” Sandstrom says she is looking forward to future PALS events and seeing how relationships between “bigs” and “littles” will evolve throughout the course of the program. “That first event is always tough,” Sandstrom said. “Kids are nervous and ‘bigs’ work really hard to get to know them. By the last event though, you can see how much they’ve bonded and enjoy spending time with each other.”
FEATURES
PAGE 7
FEATURES EDITOR: SHASA SARTIN
NOVEMBER 9, 2017
Nancy Lee (‘82) and her husband Hans Lee (‘83) right after their engagement in the summer of 1981.
Photo courtesy of Nancy Lee (‘82)
ALUM PROFILE: Nancy Lee (‘82) - Music Ed. MARTEL DENHARTOG STAFF WRITER Nancy Lee (‘82) came to Luther with a goal: “I wanted to be an amazing high school choir director,” Lee said. Since graduating from Luther, she has done just that. Lee has created successful high school choral programs in Southern Iowa, New Jersey, Wisconsin, and most recently, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her success has been recognized nationally, as she has received the Honorable Mention for Excellence in Theatre Education Awards from the Tony Awards and Carnegie Mellon University in 2016 and 2017. Lee’s foundation in music education developed at Luther under the influence of Professor Emeritus of Music Weston Noble (‘43), Professor Emeritus of Music David Greedy, and Professor Emeritus of Music Dennis Darling. Music education courses were held in the Annex, now Ockham House, until the ceiling collapsed one day when Lee and her classmates were supposed to have class. It was not until her senior year that the construction for the Jenson-Noble Hall of Music took place. Regardless of location, her classes were full of passionate students who challenged one another and created beautiful music. Lee’s passion for choral directing was not without scrutiny. In the early 80s, she found that directing music was traditionally a man’s game, and she set out to change that. “It was at a time, too, when
Weston [Noble], bless his dear soul, would say to women, ‘Oh you would be a great elementary teacher.’ And, ‘you’re just so nice,’” Lee said. “As a woman, you were very pegged. This is what you should probably do. And I came here going, ‘no I want to be like an amazing high school choir director.’ That was my goal.” Lee noted that this is not an issue anymore, —a testament to how much Luther has changed since she was a student. Grounded by two core principles of teaching, Lee felt prepared to enter the high school choir directing setting. The first of these core principles is instilling passion in her students. “Once you engage them, that passion transfers to other things,” Lee said. The second key value Lee advocates for is providing students with opportunities. “If you don’t give students opportunity, they’ll never know what their true passion is or what their true talents are,” Lee said. “It’s about opportunity and passion for my students, and, after that, it’s just keeping the ball rolling.” Alex Streitz (‘19) felt Lee’s enthusiasm for her students during his time in choir at Washburn High School in Southwest Minneapolis where Lee currently teaches and directs. “She made choir an environment where even if you [were] new to it, you [could] still be an active member and add something to the collective goal of making music,” Streitz said. According to Streitz, Lee’s
charisma and kindness aids in the development of an intrinsic desire to improve. Ian Adams (‘20), another Washburn student who attends Luther and was taught by Lee, talked about the impact of Lee’s passion. “She always encouraged me to stay after school to practice and try new things,” Adams said. “Working with her has helped me progress as a person.” When Lee started at Southwest High School in Minneapolis 20 years ago, there was no choral music. Only one of the seven high schools in the city had a choral program. “In my youthful enthusiasm, I thought [I] was going to change the whole culture of Minneapolis Public Schools,” she said. Even if choral music in Minneapolis did not completely change, it grew tremendously because of Lee’s commitment. Lee
helped grow the choral program at Southwest, and South High School grew their program in response. While those high schools were going through a period of growth, Washburn High School was not. However, before the 2008-09 school year, Washburn went through a “fresh start,” hiring a whole new staff. It was at this time that Lee moved from Southwest to Washburn and began to re-instill faith in the identity of the school. Her fervor for the arts was wellreceived among the community, and once Lee made the switch in schools, people started believing in Washburn. “The arts are the soul of a school and without that, there is something really missing,” Lee said. “All of a sudden people were saying to me, ‘Well if Nancy Lee would leave Southwest to go to Washburn, it’s a good place to send our kids.’”
Nancy Lee (‘82) poses with members of the 1981-82 Nordic Choir
Not only has Lee been shaping the high school music scene in Minneapolis, but she also teaches the choral methods course at St. Olaf College to future music educators. This course teaches preservice teachers how to teach to the standards, plan trips, and organize theatre productions. Before her students dig into these components, Lee has them reflect on their philosophies as music educators by having them create a statement describing their own philosophy and values. “Those are your roots when you sway in the wind,” Lee said. As Lee sways in the wind, she consistently brings her visions into reality while changing the lives of her students for the better. “When you do what you do, you don’t really feel much about it,” Lee said. “You just do what you do because you’re called to do it.”
Photo courtesy of Nancy Lee (‘82)
PAGE 8
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
NOVEMBER 9, 2017
A&E EDITOR: LILY KIME
Bach and box fans:
A weekend of student recitals OLIVIA ENQUIST STAFF WRITER For many music majors, minors, and enthusiasts, junior and senior year marks the onset of student recitals. These recitals are usually hour-long events that are either performed in tandem with another musician or by oneself. This past weekend, a total of 10 students performed music recitals in the Noble Recital Hall. The students who performed were Sarah Lodge (‘19), Abigail Korenchan (‘19), Hunter Prueger (‘18), Gabrielle Bruns (‘19), Samuel Naumann (‘19), Gabrielle Laske (‘18), Peter Mathistad (‘19), Devin Hedlund (‘18), Miranda Poncelet (‘18), and Iloria Phoenix (‘18). Trumpet player Lodge and vocalist Korenchan combined their junior recitals on Friday, Nov. 3. Lodge described how musical repertoire selection is a significant part of the preparation. “I didn’t know what pieces I was going to play until about the second or third week of classes, which gave me roughly two months to put together my part of the recital,” Lodge said. “‘Legend’” by Georges Enesco was my fall jury piece last year and my favorite of my recital. It’s one of the most difficult pieces I’ve played in my career, and I was really glad to show everyone how much time I spent on it and how hard I worked on it.” Korenchan described the joy of being able to host a recital after the amount of time spent perfecting the pieces. “Giving a recital is an invigorating and super exciting experience,” Korenchan said.“I’ve
spent the better part of this semester so far working in collaboration with my pianist. The time I’ve spent preparing for it is astounding, so it really warms my heart to look at my phone hours after the performance and find it full of messages and texts from friends and family saying how proud they were and what a lovely recital it was.” Lodge performed pieces by composers including Alexander Arutunian, Georges Enesco, Fisher A. Tull, and Herbert L. Clarke. Korenchan performed vocal pieces by artists such as Samuel Barber, George Frideric Handel, Vincenzo Bellini, and Franz Schubert. Cynthia Heck (‘19) accompanied both Lodge and Korenchan. “One of my favorite things about the recital process overall was that I got to share this big event with one of my best friends, Abigail Korenchan,” Lodge said. “Some people do their recitals with people they’ve never really interacted with before, but I was so lucky to get to go through it with one of my favorite people.” Prueger gave his senior composition recital on Saturday, Nov. 4. His recital consisted of six pieces and featured 26 collaborative student musicians. To prepare for his recital, Prueger composed all of his pieces by Oct. 1 and contacted all of the musicians that he wanted to have play in his recital. Once rehearsals with the musicians started, Prueger noticed new aspects of his music that he could not have heard in the composition process. “Having five pieces performed [live], I learned a lot about rehearsal strategies and writing parts that are easy to play, follow, and
Gabielle Bruns (‘19) plays her viola in her junior recital with Samuel Naumann (‘19). Olivia Enquist (‘19) | Chips
Hunter Prueger (‘18) plays his soprano saxophone into a box fan for his composition recital. Olivia Enquist (‘19) | Chips get cues for,” Prueger said. “Every time you write a piece, you will have people ask you questions about what you mean by a marking. Or people will tell me a part is not possible.” Because his pieces were composed over a span of months, including “Where Storms and Stars Come From,” a piece composed last summer during his time in Italy at the International Music Festival of the Adriactic, each piece contained a special meaning. During the recital, Prueger transformed everyday objects and sounds in his composition recital. One piece highlighted the use of box fans along with a saxophone quintet. Another composition featured melodica and a vibraphone that had an upside down snare drum with a crotale on it as well as coins taped to the bars. This piece, titled “Smoke and Vapors,” was Prueger’s response to having been told that the melodica was a “fake instrument.” Bruns on viola and Naumann on cello also performed their recital on Saturday, Nov. 4. Bruns described her preparation process as a way to help overcome performance anxiety.
“I picked out my recital repertoire right when I returned to campus this fall, with the help of my instructor,” Bruns said. “In order to prepare for the performance, I’ve been giving lots of ‘mini performances’ in my viola seminar, as well as playing for people in the practice rooms. It has really helped to ease my performance nerves.” In the recital, Bruns performed songs by composers including Johann Sebastian Bach, Robert Fuchs, and Alexander Nagy. Naumann performed songs by composers including Bach, Edouard Lalo, and Dmitri Shostakovich. They ended their recital by performing an excerpt of “Op. 11 Molto Adagio” by Samuel Barber. This allowed the two performers to play together in a quarter, which also featured Fiona Edberg (‘18) and Elizabeth Swartley (‘20). “One of my favorite parts of the recital was coming on stage after Sam and I had finished our last piece, and everyone started cheering for us,” Bruns said. “It really made the whole process worth it for me.”
Rachel Schwabenbauer (‘19) plays her flute in “Gallium-71” during Hunter Prueger’s (‘18) composition recital. Olivia Enquist (‘19) | Chips
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 Staff Writers Karl Nycklemoe Natalie Nelson Gillian Klein Emma Busch Grace Onsrud Olivia Enquist Jonathan Kuehner Anthony Ramón Jorge Contreras Pérez Soto Martin Donovan 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
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. 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
NOVEMBER 9, 2017
TO THE EDITOR
No excuses for saying the n-word Stop saying n***a if you are not black. Just like other students, I like to go to Scoes on Saturdays to have a good time with my friends. It is fun to dance around and sing along to Spotify’s top 40 bops (no shade). There is just one problem. I have come to realize that some students blatantly yell n***a without hesitation when it is being mentioned in a song. It is disrespectful. Claiming that someone can say the world because “it is a part of the song” is not a valid excuse. I do not care if you have slept with a black male or female in the past, or if mentioning the word is somewhat “normal” in your hometown. It also does not matter if you have black friends or that you grew up in an urban area. Using the n-word makes you look ignorant, disrespectful, and racist — even when it is unintentional).
Here in Decorah, there are not a lot of AfricanAmericans. Therefore, some people might get away with saying the n-word. In other parts of the country, people have been beat up for using the word. I am not saying that it is going to get that serious here, but I want to raise awareness that the use of this word is unacceptable. As a white person, you will never face the same issues I face; you will not get “randomly selected” by the airport security. Do not say the n-word if you are not ready for black people to confront you at ‘Scoes, or wherever you are at. Keep the six letter word out of your mouth, and keep it moving. Signed, Steffert Michael Thadeo Spencer (‘18)
TO THE EDITOR
“Midwest nice” interferes with public dialogue As both a Midwesterner and someone who wants to be a psychology therapist one day, I have trained myself to be pretty impartial. Sometimes I wish I were more opinionated. Opinionated people seem to have all the fun. But it is more than that. Opinions make us who we are. They make society function, or they can cause chaos. They spark roasts and flames and other fiery speeches. They inspire the masses. They drive change. You know what I want to change? Our lack of opinions. I understand that opinions can be used in a very negative way, but this is about the positive use of them. I know this is all very hypocritical coming from me. I am one of the most agreeable people you will meet. But I am trying to prove that even an unassuming victim of Midwestern politeness can take a stance once in a while. I believe that we have a generational issue on our hands. We are just as opinionated as ever. There is no denying that. But we say, “Oh I love that!” or “I hate that!” so easily. Do you really? Do you really love those cat videos your roommate just showed you? Do you actually care enough to hate that new Snapchat filter? I am calling you
out. I am afraid that, as a generation, we have neither the courage, nor the care to listen to each other and form deep, insightful opinions. Instead, we depend on simple agreeableness and flippant remarks. We nod our heads and say “Mmhmm” without really thinking about what we are agreeing with. Oftentimes, we do it simply to get the conversation over with faster. That needs to change. I believe that at the heart of the overuse of social media is a plea for attention. We all want to be loved, cared about, and told we are special and that we matter. Those extra tweets? That picture on Facebook? This is what they say to me: Love me or hate me, just care enough about me to respond. But we do not take the time to show we care about others. We do not take the time to really sit down and listen to what they have to say because we are afraid of what they might say. When we no longer have the courage to look each other in the eyes and say “Good morning,” our society is in trouble. How many times have you walked past someone on the sidewalk, only to look away because you feel awkward? It is okay. I have definitely done it too. People can be intimidating because face to face contact is hard. You are confronted
with the full, unedited version of a person. In reality, you cannot filter out those pimples or delete that insensitive remark? That is because real life does not come with undo buttons or filters. I am afraid that instead of confronting the messiness of being a human with real life emotions, we are hiding behind screens and politely nodding our heads. We are afraid to disagree with each other in reality. But guess what? Emotions are a huge part of being human. Here is my challenge for you: next time you message someone, ask yourself, “Would I say that to their face?” If the answer is no, then ask yourself why not? You are probably mentally nodding your head right now. Stop it. I want someone to really think about what I am saying and fight me. Find a flaw in my argument. And if you can not, then you had better come up with a good reason for why you agree with me. So, peace out, peeps. I would love to meet you on the paper battleground next week. P.S. This was all sparked because I heard that nobody even submits opinion pieces to Chips anymore. Signed, Ananda Easley (‘19)
OPINION
PAGE 10 NOVEMBER 9, 2017
MANAGING EDITOR: ELIZABETH BONIN
EDITORIAL
Grafitti on campus needs to be removed and prevented
BEN SELCKE SPORTS EDITOR Luther needs to remove the graffiti from the bathroom stalls of academic and campus buildings, specifically from the bathrooms in the Dahl Centennial Union. Students also need to stop putting graffiti there in the first place. I will keep my opinion limited to men’s bathrooms, though if women’s bathrooms present a similar problem, please know the opinion still pertains to them. I focus on bathroom stalls mainly because this is where where graffiti is most visible on campus.
But do not misunderstand me, I think graffiti elsewhere on campus is a problem, too. I just have not seen much of it, and for the most part, campus bathrooms are clean and well kept. Upon entering the stalls located in the men’s bathroom near the entrance to the cafeteria the problem is apparent: graffiti, vulgar words, fraternity letters, and drawings are scratched or drawn on the walls. There are also less serious examples in the library bathrooms and some residence hall bathrooms, specifically first-year residence halls, though those present less of a problem because usually only Luther students see the graffiti. What is most concerning about graffiti is the potential effect it has on prospective students and their parents. In order to
attract the next class to the student body, Luther invites a large number of prospective students to campus in the hopes that they will enjoy their experience, the atmosphere of the college, and ultimately return as students in the fall. Every student that tours Luther often has a meal in the cafeteria with other current students, professors, or coaches. The last thing a prospective student or their parent wants to see on a campus visit is a school and a student body that do not seem to care about maintaining clean facilities. This is especially true when Luther is so similar to many other liberal arts schools and something as minor as a graffiti could deter a student from choosing to attend Luther. Another product of graffiti is that places with graffiti tend to accumulate further
“On student’s part, we need to act as responsible college students who care about the appearance of the institution.” -Ben Selcke (‘18)
amounts of even more offensive graffiti the longer it remains unremoved. In the long run, this could attract graffiti that uses racial slurs along with the other obscene words. The issue of graffiti might seem rather minor, but it reflects poorly on the institution. We all have a part in keeping our community in good shape. Why then is this graffiti in the bathroom likely to be frequented by prospective students and their parent left unremoved? Why not fix a problem that is rather minor but highly visible to the public? My first year on campus the doors on the stalls in my floor’s bathroom were removed and repainted one by one. The college took action in that instance, and it would seem logical to take action in more visible locations on campus, such as the Union. This problem is easy to fix and requires little on the part of Luther and its students. On Luther’s part, a quick coat of paint and maybe a bit of filler will aid in graffiti removal. On student’s part, we need to act as responsible college students who care about the appearance of the institution.
TO THE EDITOR
Call “Gacha” what it is: gambling Pokémon Go was a wake-up call for the gaming industry. Almost overnight, developers realized the untapped potential of the mobile market. Since then, many developers have flocked to the mobile market. While there are a wide variety of mobile games, one genre has quickly risen to the top: “Gacha” — or “Gasha.” Gacha games get their name from Japanese Gashapon machines: coin-operated vending machines that vend random capsule toys. “Gacha” games operate similarly. Players use an in-game currency to “pull” a resource — like a character or weapon — from a pool. The more powerful a resource is, the more rare it is. Some popular examples include Fire Emblem Heroes, Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, Puzzles and Dragons, and Kingdom Hearts Union χ [cross]. Not only are these games popular, they are profitable. According to estimates from Thinkgaming.com — a
resource used by industry professionals), Fire Emblem Heroes and Final Fantasy Brave Exvius make about $92,580 and $10,855 a day, respectively. The problem with “Gacha” is that it is not a game; it is gambling. Players have no guarantee that they will pull something they want, regardless of how much real money they spend. While the user can play the game without spending anything, it is easy to get stuck behind a pay wall or struggle with high-level Player vs. Player. Usually, there is not a market where players can trade with each other, forcing them to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars and perhaps still come up dry. Furthermore, even if the player does get the item he or she is looking for, it is only valuable in the game; whereas the money players win playing blackjack is real money. Perhaps the most insidious thing about “Gacha”
games is that since they are most commonly mobile games, they can easily fall into the hands of children. It is time for us to step up. “Gacha” games need to be labeled as gambling games and become subject to the same legal restrictions. Complete “Gacha” — a specific style of “Gacha” games — was declared illegal in Japan, and other countries force games to publish pull rates. Short of legal action, we as consumers can do something too. Developers make these games because these games make them money. If we do not invest money in these games, developers will stop making them. But that means we need to be more critical of our digital entertainment, and call out these games for what they are. Signed, Grant Thomas (‘18)
SPORTS
PAGE 11
NOVEMBER 9, 2017
SPORTS EDITOR: BEN SELCKE
Football cedes second place standing to Central
Sam Houlihan (‘18) stiff arms a Central defender.
GILLIAN KLEIN STAFF WRITER Luther Football lost to Central College 21-23 on Sturday, Nov. 4. Prior to the game, Luther was tied with Central College for second place in the IIAC. Luther is now tied for third with the University of Dubuque. The loss to Central follows a thrilling triple overtime victory against Coe College on Oct. 20. Luther’s record now drops to 5-4 on the season. During the first quarter of the game, the teams were evenly matched, and the quarter ended with a 0-0 score. Central scored first early in the second quarter, when Jon Alberts made a 27-yard field goal, bringing the score to 3-0. Luther responded with an 11-yard touchdown by Sam Houlihan (‘18) and an extra point by Cory Wirth (‘18) which put Luther in the lead with a score of 7-3 at halftime. According to Mattew Foundos (‘19), lots of thought goes into a successful game plan. “Our defensive coaches watch a lot of film and game plan against what our opponents do,” Foundos said. “We game plan to remove their strengths. Every Friday, the coach gives us an equation for success that might not even involve
Gillian Klein (‘20) | Chips football but a lot of motivation.” Early in the third quarter, Central’s quarterback Blaine Hawkins ran an 11-yard touchdown, followed by a successful extra point attempt from Jon Alberts to give Central College a 10-7 lead. In the same minute, Luther’s Anthony Hollingshed (‘21) completed a 20-yard touchdown to put Luther in the lead once again, with a score of 14-10. At the end of the third quarter, Central again took the lead, 17-14, with another touchdown. The fourth quarter began with a 9-yard touchdown by Luther quarterback Brady Letney (‘18) and extra point by Wirth. Hawkins made a 2-yard pass to running back Danny Groezinger which brought the score to 23-21. Alberts’s extra point attempt was not successful, so Central settled for the two point lead. In the final minute of the game, Luther drove down the field into kicking territory and called on Wirth for the field goal. With seconds on the clock, Wirth missed the kick, giving Central College the 23-21 win. Roughly 1,000 spectators were in attendance, according to the Box Score summary of the game. Houlihan said the
spectators were a source of energy for the players. “The crowd’s energy is contagious and our fans are a very committed group,” Houlihan said. “Once the players sense that energy, we all feed off one another and nothing stops us at that point. It oftentimes feels as though there are more spectators there than actually are present because of the cheering.” According to Head Football Coach Aaron Hafner, the winning record of this year’s team reflects the leadership that the upperclassmen demonstrate. “The leadership from the upperclassmen plays a large role [in our winning record] because they are resilient,” Hafner said. “Out of the five wins we have, there are three comeback victories, which displays this resilience.” Hafner also offered an insight into the coaching philosophy at Luther. “Just like in life and in football, you can’t sit around and worry about your mistakes,” Hafner said “You gotta move onto the next play and make sure you are mentally strong enough to make it through the game. Don’t let the play before impact your next play.” Luther will next play Loras College on Saturday, Nov. 11 in Dubuque, Iowa. Loras is currently 3-4 in the conference.
Norse of the Week BEN SELCKE SPORTS EDITOR Linnea Lee-Brown (‘21), a first-year student at Luther, has already proven herself in the pool, winning both the 50 and the 100 meter freestyle in the past two swim meets. She has also competed on several successful relays teams. What events do you swim? Lee-Brown: I primarily swim the sprint freestyle and the butterfly, so I swim the 50 free, the 100 free, and the 100 fly, as well as the fly in the medley relay and the freestyle relay. I like feeling powerful and going fast and I have never really had the opportunity to train distance. I got pretty good at sprinting compared to other events so I stuck with it. What are your goals both, personal and team? For team goals I love relays. I like working hard on a relay. Our medley relay is doing really well so I’m hoping when we get to the [Liberal Arts Championships] I want to do well for my relays and swim well for the team. Personal goals, it’s kind of a long shot at this point but I do want to go to nationals. We’ll see what happens. What do you like about swimming at Luther? I really like the team. Practices suck in a good way, they hurt but the team is such a good family and everyone encourages everyone else and were always there for each other. It’s just fun to be at practice because of them.
How do you prepare for a swim meet? The women’s team does a cheer in the locker room and that really helps me get pumped for the meet. [Also], our walk out process at home meets is fun. We all have [another] Luther cheer that we do together. Before each race, I swim the race in my head and get ready for the event. Why did you start swimming? I watched Olympic diving and really wanted to dive but didn’t have the opportunity to, so I did the closest thing to diving. I swam. Who is you favorite swimmer and why? I like Katie Ledecky and Rebecca Soni, both are Olympic swimmers. They’re great people because they have great personalities and great attitudes towards everything, as well as being good role models for swimming. How does swimming at a different venue affect your performance? I don’t think it really does, unless there’s a something different with the pool. Sometimes the chlorine levels might be different or the water will feel different. The thing that mainly affects me is the temperature of the water. If the water is too warm I perform slower. What’s your favorite sports brand? I like Speedo. As far as non-swimming brands go, Nike is good. They make comfortable things, but otherwise it’s definitely Speedo.
Linnea Lee-Brown (‘21).
Ben Selcke (‘18) | Chips
SPORTS
PAGE 12
SPORTS EDITOR: BEN SELCKE
NOVEMBER 9, 2017
Weekly Standings Football Wartburg Central Dubuque Luther Simpson Loras Buena Vista Nebraska Wes. Coe
IIAC 7-0 5-2 4-3 4-3 4-4 3-4 2-5 2-5 1-6
Recent Scores
Overall 9-0 6-3 6-3 5-4 5-5 4-5 3-6 2-7 3-6
Nov 4 vs. Central College L 21-23
Upcoming Schedule
Nov 11 vs. Loras College
Women’s Soccer
Bernardo Marotti (‘18) attempts to out sprint Loras player to the ball.
Photo courtesy of Photo Bureau
Men’s and women’s soccer fall in IIAC tournament finals CARA KEITH STAFF WRITER Men’s and women’s soccer teams played in the IIAC tournament semifinals on Nov. 1. The men’s team won against Nebraska Wesleyan University and the women’s team won against the University of Dubuque. Both teams then played Loras in the tournament finals on Nov. 4, and both lost their games. Prior to the IIAC tournament, the men’s soccer team placed first in the IIAC and the women’s team placed sixth. The men’s team won 2-0 against Nebraska Wesleyan University on Nov. 1. Brunno Colon (‘19) scored the first goal in the 58th minute of the game, assisted by Benjamin Keller (‘20). The second goal of the game was scored by Rafael Broseghini (‘19) in the 87th minute. Head Men’s Soccer Coach Chris Garcia-Prats described what the win meant for the men’s soccer team. “There’s a lot riding on playoff games in particular,” Garcia-Prats said. “Our guys played extremely well. Obviously to win is super important, but the most important thing is that we played well. We put ourselves 90 minutes away from going back to the national championship for the second year in a row. For us to get back to the national tournament would put us in Luther soccer history, doing something only one other Luther team has done.” The women’s team won 4-3 against the University of Dubuque on Nov. 1. Eleanor Schmid (‘20) scored the first goal in the 26th minute, however assisted by McKenzie Lundquist (‘20). However, with 18 seconds left in the game, University of Dubuque Spartan Amanda Chlebek scored a goal which sent the game into overtime. During the two overtime periods, neither team scored a
goal so the game was sent into a shootout. In the shootout, Marta Springer (‘19), Lundquist, and Halina Pyzdrowski (‘18) each made goals. After five shots from both teams, the shootout score was 3-3. Sommer Stevens (‘19) shot the sixth goal that lead the women’s soccer team to victory. Claire Little (‘18) described how the women’s team secured their victory. “I think we came out strong,” Little said. “We were able to possess the ball and move it around really well. Ellie Schmid (‘19) did amazing and got behind the back line and scored for us. Lauren Thormodsgard (‘18) saved our butts by making incredible saves and kept us in the shootout. It was just a good game. People played remarkably and stepped up to the challenge.” On Nov. 4, the men’s soccer team played in the IIAC tournament championship against Loras College, and the game ended regulation in a 2-2 tie, bring it to a shoot out. During the game, Keller scored a goal in the 18th minute of the game and then again in the 70th minute of the game. Colon scored Luther’s only goal in the shootout while Loras scored 3 goals, causing Luther to lose the shootout 3-1. The women’s soccer team lost 4-1 against Loras College in the IIAC tournament championship game. Hanna Christopher (‘19) scored the only goal in the 24th minute of the game. Loras scored three of their goals within the first 22 minutes of the game and scored one more in the 66th minute of the game. The women’s season ended with an overall record of 7-10-2, and the men’s season ended with an overall record of 11-4-5.
Loras Dubuque Central Wartburg Coe Luther Nebraska Wes. Simpson Buena Vista
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 14-1-3 9-4-4 14-2-3 10-5-4 12-4-3 7-10-2 5-11-1 4-14 2-15-1
Recent Scores
Nov 4 vs. Loras College 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 13-5-1 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 College L 2-2 with 3-1 SO
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 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
Overall 24-5 16-10 22-10 28-7 14-16 11-17 12-15 9-17 9-24
Recent Scores
Nov 3 vs. Buena Vista L 0-3