CHIPS April 13, 2017

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Seniors perform “Eurydice”

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Students recognized in Emerging Artists Exhibition

Track competes in 51st annual Norse Relays

LUTHER COLLEGE

“Let the chips fall where they may.”

APRIL 13, 2017

CHIPS

VOLUME 139, NO. 19

Farwell to undergo repairs

Timeline released for potential cuts JULIA CURTIS STAFF WRITER Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College Kevin Kraus made the decision in conjunction with President Carlson that proposed program cuts, if made official, will not take effect until after the enrollment of graduating 2017 high school seniors.

This decision comes in part because the faculty has not yet decided which programs to cut. This timeline change also gives the administration time to inform the faculty whose programs will be cut about the nonrenewal of their contract. Another reason behind this decision is the upcoming registration events for graduating seniors.

“The first ROAD happens in May and there are ROAD events in June, so it doesn’t seem fair or wise to pull the rug out from under the students who have committed to Luther,” Kraus said.

Kraus added that this timeline also ensures that decisions are not made in haste.

“I’ve put it upon myself that I’m asking a lot of questions and making sure that people are not moving too fast because some people want to make quick decisions to make the pain [of cutting majors] go away,” Kraus said.

Kraus also asked faculty members about which programs could be cut while still maintaining Luther’s educational standards.

CUTS | PAGE 4

Professor of Dance Andrea VazquezAguirre instructs students in their technique. The dance program is currently among the programs considered to be cut.

Nathan Riley (‘18) | Photo Bureau

Serving the Luther College community since 1884.

BEN SELCKE STAFF WRITER

Pedro Lopez (‘17) talks about his experiences growing up as the son of immigrants.

Ana Lopez (‘19) | Chips

Immigration and Unaccompanied Minors Panel highlights both legal and personal experiences surrounding immigration .

ANA LÓPEZ STAFF WRITER The Center for Ethics and Public Engagement, along with the student organization HOLA-Enlaces sponsored a panel titled “Immigration and Unaccompanied Minors” on April 5. The panel was constituted of immigration attorney Yer Vang, Visiting Assistant Professor of Social Work Susan Schmidt, and Pedro Lopez (‘17).

Schmidt started the panel by sharing some of the results of her interactions with immigrating unaccompanied minors. Schmidt’s portion focused on statistics related to the causes that spur immigration. She said that minors mostly leave their home countries for safety reasons rather than solely economic — a large threat is gang violence. Schmidt’s data showed high rates of homicides in the Central and North American countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Mexico. Schmidt included several quotes from detained children that came from different countries in Central America and Mexico.

Attendee Jorge Contreras (‘20) shared his reaction as an international student

from El Salvador.

“Coming from El Salvador, it was very intense,” Contreras said. “I almost cried. What shocked me is to find out how they treat my people. I know Salvadorans. They are just trying to find better opportunities for their lives and they are actually escaping gang violence.

To think that they are treated that way once they are captured by the authorities in the border is really heart breaking. ” Contreras elaborated on his discomfort with U.S. immigration policies.

“I didn’t know about this reality and I am mad,” Contreras said. “I am a student here, paying for everything here and to see that part of the money that I am giving to the government goes towards abusing my own kind is really sad to think about. ” In the second part of the panel, Vang talked about immigration law surrounding unaccompanied minors and the recent changes made by executive orders from the Trump administration. Vang explained that the legal process for a minor after being detained at the border is long and complicated. According to Vang, many children wait for several months to go through a process that would grant them a legal status in the U.S. Vang added that going through the legal process is especially complicated since unaccompanied minors do not have the right to be represented by a public attorney if they cannot afford their representation. Vang explained that a vast majority of the cases where minors have no representation are usually lost.

PANEL | PAGE 4

Over the summer Farwell Hall will undergo renovations to the exterior of the building to repair the roof and fix moisture problems with the building’s brick wall.

The work will take two years to complete.

The first installment of work will begin following commencement and will go until mid-August. The second half of the work will happen the following summer. Luther will be working with Merit Building Enclosure Systems for complete the project. Luther has worked with the company in the past, most recently to repair the roofs of Dieseth Hall and Preus Library.

Director of Facilities Services Jay Uthoff said the work will take a great deal of time because of the extensive nature of the project.

“It is estimated to take just over 14,000 hours of work to complete the repairs,” Uthoff said.

The work will cost a projected two million dollars, according to Vice President of Finance and Administration Eric Runestad.

Uthoff said much of the work addresses issues related to water and moisture in the building.

“We are having a lot of exterior maintenance work completed on the building,” Uthoff said. “This work will include replacing the horizontal thru-wall flashings, replacing damaged stone accents, re-caulking the building expansion joints, new windows, adding sill pans for drainage, and washing the building and new membrane roofs.”

FARWELL | PAGE 4

The exterior of Farwell following progress made over spring break. Contractors removed brick in order to attach temporary rigging.

Ben Selcke (‘18) | Chips

NEWS

PAGE 2 APRIL 13, 2017

NEWS EDITORS: DANNY MAY & JACOB WAREHIME

Dance Marathon raises record funds in fourth annual event SAM MITCHELL STAFF WRITER Luther held its fourth-annual Dance Marathon on April 8, reaching a record-breaking $71,816.04 raised across nearly a year’s worth of fundraising events.

Approximately 300 people attended the event.

The amount of funds that the organization raised this year are sent to the Children’s Miracle Network, a non-profit organization comprised of approximately 170 hospitals that treat children for various diseases and injuries. Dance marathon funds are used for purposes such as building new units in hospitals and providing affected families with emotional support.

Luther’s 12-hour dance marathon is the capstone of all fundraising events, which have been ongoing since fall semester 2016. Events prior to the dance marathon included several “Push Day[s],” for which Cochair for Publicity and Outreach Allison Meier (‘17) said the organization exceeded its initial fundraising goals.

“That created hype not only within the leadership team but also our dancers,” Meier said.

This year’s dance marathon featured a craft table, a photo booth, and a jail that dancers could pay to send other dancers to, where they would be detained

Dance marathon attendees announce the final total funds raised.

Kate Knepprath ('17) | Photo Bureau until they raised a designated amount of donations. Attendees could also play laser tag and three-on-three basketball. The main feature of the event asks that attendees refrain from sitting for the entire 12 hours.

“Families also come to tell their stories of how Dance Marathon and the hospital have helped them through their challenges,” Meier said.

Past funds raised at Luther’s dance marathon have been put toward building a patient room in the inpatient unit at the recently-opened University of

Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital in Iowa City, IA, according to Co-chair for Entertainment and Logistics Haley Steffen (‘19).

“This is very special to all of us, and something that Luther should be very proud of,” Steffen said.

For dancer Kristin Davis (‘18), who had her hair cut as part of fundraising for the event, focusing on the recipients of those funds was essential.

“We dance so those kids can have a better, more healthy life,” Davis said.

Dance marathon attendees watch a video screen during the 2017 event.

Kate Knepprath ('17) | Photo Bureau

In Gjerset lecture, Peterson addresses children's rights LILY KIME STAFF WRITER Rachel Peterson (‘04) gave a lecture on April 6 addressing family life in Norway, focusing on children’s rights.

Approximately 140 people attended the lecture, which was this year’s installment of the annual Knut Gjerset lecture series.

In her lecture, titled “Barnets Beste: Growing Up in Norway” Peterson included her personal experiences with family life in Norway, where she lived for approximately nine years.

During that time, Peterson worked at an organization called Save the Children Norway, which informed Norwegian children of their rights.

Peterson explained that Save the Children Norway emerged out of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), a human rights treaty. According to Peterson, Norway ratified this treaty and undergoes regular review of its children’s rights practices.

Part of the UNCRC includes the Norwegian government informing children of their rights. Peterson said Save the Children Norway plays a large part in this, as its members travel to schools to educate children on this subject. Peterson explained her appreciation for the opportunity to speak about her work at her alma mater.

“I feel so strongly about [children’s rights], so it is great for me to do some new research on children’s rights and what is happening in the field of children’s rights in Norway,” Peterson said. “[This lecture] prompted me to sort of refresh my knowledge, so that was great because it reminds me that I feel very passionately about it.”

The modern languages and Nordic studies departments invited Peterson to give this

lecture. Assistant Professor of Scandinavian Studies Maren Johnson was a part of the committee that invited Peterson to speak.

“We decided as a group that we wanted to feature somebody that was a younger alum and had some involvement,” Johnson said. “We had had Rachel visit campus the year before, so we thought she would be a natural fit for this lecture.”

Visiting Instructor in Scandinavian Studies Kari Grønningsæter, a native Norwegian, recognized aspects of her culture in what Peterson described.

“It is always interesting to listen to a person who has lived in Norway long enough not to just look into it as a tourist, but as a person who has gotten to know the culture, has had experiences, and knows more than just the surface,” Grønningsæter said.

“She’s really been a part of the culture for quite a while and that is always interesting to me because I hear things she says that I agree with.”

Peterson said that she wished to make this lecture more informative than persuasive because she did not want to encourage her audience members to place Norway on a pedestal. Attendee Steffenee Voigt (‘18) felt that Peterson achieved her goal.

“I really like Rachel’s energy because, personally, I have an interest in education and working with children, so I connected with her on that aspect,” Voigt said. “It was cool to learn about the organization she worked with because it is not something I’m familiar with. I want to learn more about it.”

The modern languages and Nordic studies departments are currently in the process of determining a lecturer for next year’s installment of the Knut Gjerset series.

Rachel Peterson ('04) gives the annual Knut Gjerset lecture.

Lily Kime ('19) | Chips

NEWS

PAGE 3

NEWS EDITORS: DANNY MAY & JACOB WAREHIME

APRIL 13, 2017

Carroll discusses gender and drug use in Ukraine

WEATHER THURSDAY Mostly cloudy

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Attendees engage in discussion after hearing Medical Anthropologist and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Medicine at Brown University Jennifer Carroll's lecture.

Kristen Wuerl ('18) | Chips KRISTEN WUERL STAFF WRITER Medical Anthropologist and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Medicine at Brown University Jennifer Carroll gave a lecture on gender and its influence on drug use in Ukraine on April 6. Approximately 20 people attended the lecture Carroll’s lecture, titled “Of Methadone and Men: The Gender of Drug Use in Wartime Ukraine,” was based on her research on the lived experience of drug use and forces that contribute to drug use, particularly gender.

Carroll’s interest in gender as a research lens stemmed from her work studying anthropology.

“Gender is a major pillar of value systems and cultural systems that you learn to deconstruct and study [when studying anthropology],” Carroll said. “I see gender dynamics everywhere.”

Carroll explained that initially she was familiar with drug culture but only had simple, scientifically conservative ideas about drug use. She became interested in studying drug use while working at Outside In, an organization in Portland, OR, that helps homeless youth and marginalized people improve their health and selfsufficiency.

“I decided to go back to graduate school [to study drug use] because I was asking questions the organization wasn’t prepared

to answer,” Carroll said.

In her lecture, Carroll noted that the gendered experiences of war are very different and gender in Ukraine is femaleoriented. In Ukraine, women are honored because of their obligations to create the nation and to care for the nation, she said.

The anthropology, sociology, and social work departments hosted the lecture.

Trever Schwichtenberg (‘17) attended the lecture for his class, “Gender, Health, and Medicine,” and said that Carroll’s lecture coincided with a theme his class addresses frequently.

“Carroll discussed how gender impacts public health choices,” Schwichtenberg said. “[She provided] a recommendation for better

drug policies, including public injection sites for illegal drugs. This is a great example of morals versus what evidence-based research says.”

Carroll is currently writing grants to participate in more projects in Ukraine, and she said her goal is to combine anthropology with the medical skills and resources she has gained since working in a medical school.

“It’s not usual to have an anthropologist working at a medical school,” Carroll said. “It was a really big adjustment, but I’m sold.

It’s so much teamwork, so many interesting questions, and a lot of value placed on the diversity of skill in the research team.”

Despite studying such sensitive topics, Carroll said

her work is valuable and worthwhile.

“My research has informed my own thinking and knowledge,” Carroll said. “I am constantly running up against preconceived ideas that people are reticent to let go of. The people I study are worth something, and [my goal is] to humanize them for [listeners]. I’m very happy to do that work.”

Carroll met with Luther students in last summer’s Paideia 450 course titled, “Cold Wars: Then and Now,” while they were in Europe. She established her connections to Luther when she met Associate Professor of Anthropology and Women and Gender Studies Maryna Bazylevych while working in Ukraine during her research studies.

MONDAY Mostly sunny

60/46 TUESDAY Showers

62/49 CORRECTIONS In an April 6 letter to the editor titled "Take the pledge: no more derogatory 'R-word,'" Chips made an editorial decision to change the author, Patrick Larson's (‘17), words from "autism and down syndrome" to "differently-abled." The term Chips should have used is "people with disabilities."

In a March 9 opinion piece titled "Concerned Students' Action Plan for the Betterment of Luther College," Chips incorrectly recorded the graduation year of Jacqueline Congello (‘17).

In an April 6 story titled "Bolz-Weber reiterates the message of the Reformation," Chips incorrectly stated that Nadia BolzWeber has written novels; they are nonfiction books. Further, she has written three, not two, monographs: "Salvation on the Small Screen," "Pastrix," and "Accidental Saints."

Medical Anthropologist and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Medicine at Brown University Jennifer Carroll lectures on drug use in Ukraine. Kristen Wuerl ('18) | Chips

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NEWS

PAGE 4

APRIL 13, 2017

Life Outside Luther United Airlines faces international backlash United Airlines and its chief executive are facing mounting pressure from worldwide backlash over the treatment of a passenger who was dragged from his seat on a plane on Sunday to make room for four employees on the overbooked flight. United CEO Oscar Munoz released a statement on Tuesday apologizing to the passenger without naming him. "I'm sorry. We will fix this," Munoz said. "I deeply apologize to the customer forcibly removed and to all the customers aboard. No one should ever be mistreated this way."

Maduro returns to Venezuela admist protests President Nicolas Maduro returned to Venezuela on Tuesday after a visit to leftist ally Cuba. However, oppositional leaders suggested his rally went off the rails amid mounting protests against him.

State television footage showed a crowd breaking through a security cordon and attacking the vehicle that Maduro was standing on as he waved goodbye at the end of a military event in the state of Bolivar on Tuesday evening.

Tesla overtakes GM as most valuable U.S. car maker Silicon Valley's Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) overtook General Motors (GM.N) on Monday to become the U.S. car maker with the largest market capitalization as the century-old automobile industry increases its reliance on software and cutting-edge energy technology. Helped by an analyst's recommendation, Tesla rose 3.26 percent to a record high of $312.39 on Monday, leading its market value of $50.887 billion exceeded GM's by about $1 million.

New York to begin free tuition plan New York recently rolled out the Excelsior Scholarship, a first-in-the-nation plan that will let New York residents whose families makes up to $125,000 per year attend the state's public colleges and universities for free. The scholarship, which begins this fall, also allocates $8 million to pay for resources such as e-books for students, the governor's office has said. As a stipulation, eligible students must be enrolled in college full-time and maintain a healthy grade point average. After graduating, they must also live and work in the state for the same number of years as they received the scholarship.

Four killed in explosion at Army ammunition plant in Missouri One employee was killed and four others were injured in an explosion at a U.S. Army ammunition plant in Independence, Missouri, on Tuesday. The four injured workers were evaluated at the scene and declined further treatment. The blast took place at about 1 p.m. central time in a primer mixing cell at the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant.

Compiled from: reuters.com

NEWS EDITORS: DANNY MAY & JACOB WAREHIME PANEL | PAGE 1 Vang also explained that immigrants are held in detention camps resembling prisons before their cases are able to be heard in court. According to Vang, these detention camps have become a way to profit from immigrants, as they receive federal funds per immigrant detained per day.

The panel finished with a testimony from Lopez. Lopez came to the U.S. from Mexico when he was two years old and has lived in the city of Postville ever since. Lopez shared how his family was affected by the 2008 raid in Postville.

After the raid, his mother was deported and sent to various detention centers.

Lopez spent a long time separated from his mother as a result of this. However, his mother now has a legal status in the United States after going through a legal process that provided her with a visa.

Lopez urged attendees to talk to more people about matters of immigration and its accompanying policies to spread understanding.

Attendee Adam Morgan (‘19) said hearing Lopez’s story was powerful.

“I thought hearing from Pedro was great because a lot of times you don’t really get a face to the statistics that you hear,” Morgan said. “Pedro’s story is one among many, so hearing that definitely puts exposure to types of stories that we are not hearing but

Hannah Potter ('18) reads a quote from a child in an immigration detention center.

As part of the panel audience members read similar accounts out loud.

Ana López (‘19) | Chips are affecting many people.”

Another attendee, Claire Lutter (‘18), said she felt it was important to hold the panel.

“I think the panel brought up a lot of important ideas about immigration,

especially since it is such a hot topic right now with all the executive orders,” Lutter said. “This has got a lot of people really worried and concerned, so I think it is important to bring to campus just because it is on the minds of a lot of people.”

FARWELL | PAGE 1

CUTS | PAGE 1

Although facilities has been monitoring the building’s water and moisture problem for some time, recent investigations made them feel it was time to move forward with repairs.

“After doing some spot investigations by removing some exterior brick at selected locations, it became evident the level of work that was required,” Uthoff said.

When determining which buildings need repairs, Luther operates off of a twenty-year plan for building maintenance. The plan helps track which buildings are due for repairs when.

“We have a long list, we chip away every year,” Runestad said. “The Farwell exterior work has been on our list, we got a little better sense of the extent of it in the last year or so, and that accelerates the planning.”

Luther budgeted one million dollars this year specifically for repairs to buildings on campus.

However sometimes, like this year, larger projects must exceed that budget.

“It’s a campus that has been very well taken care of, and we try to stay on top of those small issues before they become big ones,” Runestad said.

Currently minor preparation work has started on the building. The work being done will allow crews to start work as soon as school ends.

“The contractors removed brick in key locations so they can attach the system they will be using to work on the vertical faces of the building,” Uthoff said. “The system will allow them to easily work across and up the building for accessing all of the masonry joints and windows.”

Farwell resident Erik Duethman (‘18) commented on the current preparation work being done to the building, applauding the minimal amount of disruption it has caused.

“It hasn't affected me much, I haven't really been disturbed,” Duethman said. “Obviously different people have different experiences though.”

Duethman also appreciated the college stepping in to fix the problem now and their desire to maintain a comfortable experience for residents.

“I think it’s nice Luther wants to take care of their students, and maintain a good living environment,” Duethman said.

“We’ll have a somewhat smaller offering, but I don’t think it fundamentally changes who we are,” Kraus said. “We’re still fundamentally a college with a lot of things to offer, just not as many things as before.”

Administration and faculty began discussions about program and major cuts in the spring of 2016 when they realized student enrollment decreased for the 2016-2017 school year. The administration found a need to cut faculty to follow the studentfaculty ratio of 13:1 that the Academic Planning Committee (APC) advised. In recent years, this ratio has decreased significantly due to lowered enrollment.

“The charge of the APC was to evaluate academic programs in light of the administration’s aim to become closer in line to the 13:1 ratio,” Associate Professor of Philosophy Holly Moore said.

Faculty added extra meetings to their regular meeting schedule to

discuss the changes Luther could make in more detail. If necessary, Kraus said, the decision of which courses to cut might not be made until the fall semester of 2017.

“To do this work, to eliminate majors, is to send the message that the faculty are serious that we are willing to do our part to help ensure the future of the institution,” Moore said. “[But] I think it’s very hard for students to hear that the health of the institution in ten years is more important than what the students care about now.”

Hannah Reuss (‘19) said she believes that although necessary, removing programs and majors will ultimately harm Luther’s future and ability to provide for future students.

“I understand that there are a lot of professors and less students are coming [to Luther] than before," Reuss said. "But I don’t think cutting entire programs helps because students are getting left out who would possibly be interested in those courses."

Results of faculty vote Results are in response to the question "Should the program be removed." The results of the vote will now be sent to the Board of Regents for approval.

Athletic Training Major: Yes – 123; No – 35 Education: K-12 Health & PE Minors: Yes – 105; No – 54 Secondary Education Minor in World Languages: Yes – 114; No – 44 Intersections Program: Yes – 143; No – 19 Chinese Program of Instruction: Yes – 54; No – 109 Russian Program of Instruction: Yes – 92; No – 65 Dance Major: Yes – 83; No – 78

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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A&E EDITOR: ELIZABETH BONIN

APRIL 13, 2017

“Eurydice” unites classical with contemporary Gillian Constable (‘17) performs alongside Eva Gemlo (‘17).

XAVIER CONZET STAFF WRITER “Eurydice,” a senior honors project, sold out every seat for each show on April 8 and 9 in the Center for the Arts (CFA). Inspired by the fable of Orpheus, the play written

by Sarah Ruhl in 2003 is told from the perspective of the character Eurydice and has several changes from the original myth.

Student Director Eleana Hoekstra (‘17) explained that her goal in directing this play was to show the ability of classical and ancient stories to be reinterpreted in a contemporary setting.

“I want the audience to know that classical stories still have something to tell us,” Hoekstra said. “There are themes within these kinds of stories that can still be found in life today and can continue to be brought to life in new ways.”

After his death, Eurydice’s father preserved his memory in order to send his daughter letters from Hades. While trying to retrieve the letters from a strange man, Eurydice rejects the man’s seduction attempts and then falls down the stairs, resulting in her death.

The dead Eurydice must choose to either return to earth to her husband or remain in the underworld with her father.

“Eurydice” begins by displaying the tragedy of her death and descent into Hades as well as Orpheus’ undying search for a way to contact her.

In the second act, the

performance moved from the upstairs lobby in the CFA to the stairs.

Hoekstra, along with Gillian Constable (‘17) and Eva Gemlo (‘17) decided to make recreating “Eurydice” their senior honors project because they were all fascinated by the story when they read it for the first time. A senior honors project is a year long project as opposed to a semester.

“We read it again last year when we were juniors and when it was time to start planning our senior project we thought about how

Kien Dao (‘20) | Photo Bureau “I hope that they can see and comprehend the fatherly love that you can give to your children,” Eral said. “It can be applied to other types of relationships as well such as romantic and platonic.”

Hoekstra was pleased to see the results of her year long project as well as that of the cast and crew.

“I think Colin Eral and Gillian Constable did a very good job of showing the heartbreak of losing a parent,” Hoekstra said. “They did a very good job of connecting with their emotions and I think having a live audience heightened that for them.”

S t a g e m a n a g e r Matthew Espey (‘19) voiced his agreement and thought the production was a success.

He especially thought the simplistic style of the set worked well with the production.

“This is a timeless tale,” Espey said. “A lot of these classics can be worked into a contemporary setting because they are relatable. The fact that this show was able to be put into the setting it was and still work will show how much people can connect to it on a human level.”

“There are themes within these kinds of stories that can still be found in life today and can continue to be brought to life in new ways,” —Elaena Hoekstra (‘17) we as artists love to collaborate,” Hoekstra said. “We collectively decided to do ‘Eurydice’.”

The conflict between familial and romantic love was one of the themes featured. Eurydice, played

by Constable, is caught between the love of her father and her husband Orpheus.

Hoekstra felt that the play highlighted these two different kinds of love.

“The play does a very good job showing the conflict that happens in every person’s life as they are growing up,” Hoekstra said. “I think the college environment where people are getting ready to leave school and go off into the real world is the perfect place to show this performance.”

Colin Eral (‘17) played Eurydice’s father and hoped the audience made a personal connection.

Gillian Constable (‘17) performs in “Eurydice.”

Kien Dao (‘20) | Photo Bureau

FEATURES

PAGE 6 APRIL 13, 2017

FEATURES EDITOR: FRAN STEVENSON

Alexis Olson (‘20) and Erin Haefner (‘20) practice alternative medicine techniques.

Salazar initiates Alternative Medicine club MADELINE AJACK STAFF WRITER Kathy Salazar ('17) created an Alternative Medicine club with the help of Doctor David Gehling from Decorah Chiropractic in hopes of providing students with information on alternative medicine.

The club had its first meeting the week of April 12 and meetings will continue into the next year.

Alternative medicine is defined as therapies and treatments that are implemented as substitutes for other mainstream medical therapies and treatments. Students involved in the alternative medicine club will study these therapies and treatments scientifically and academically.

The alternative medicine club is lead by both Salazar and Gehling. Gehling will teach students about different kinds of alternative medicine. As a

certified chiropractor he brings a professional view on alternative medicine.

“The club began because I’ve had great experiences with alternative medicine,” Salazar said. “I wanted other people to know that it’s another option along with traditional methods of medicine.”

The alternative medicine club will meet approximately twice a month. The first meeting is going to be lecture-based with

guest speakers and seminars from Gehling. The second meeting of the month will be a handson learning experience with alternative medicine.

“Meetings will consist of Gehling coming and speaking, maybe bringing some of his equipment too,” Salazar said. “He also suggested heading into the labs to work with some anatomical structures. He wants people who are going into medicine to understand that when patients come to them with questions about alternative medicine that they can say that ‘Yes, this is real and it works.’”

A January term class for firstyear students allows students to explore the world of alternative medicine. Students, such as Alexis Olson (‘20), learned how to reverse a human’s natural energy, how to use herbs to help remedy illnesses, and different points on the body that can be massaged to counter chronic pains.

“It was fun to explore different therapies that I’d never heard of before,” Olson said. “I had so much fun in this class, and I actually use the remedies that we were provided in class.”

One of the techniques Olson learned in class is reversing someone’s energy.

“The purpose of reversing energy is to stay focused,” Olson said. “It also helps maintain someone’s positive energy flow and recharge yourself.”

Similar to the class, the club will give people an introduction to alternative medicine and how it can be used in everyday life.

Those who attend club meetings will research and experiment with the scientific aspects of alternative medicine.

“Basically this club would be

Madeline Ajack ('20) | Chips a resource for students,” Salazar said. “You don't get this kind of exposure in Decorah, IA. It’s made my life better, honestly.”

In other parts of the world, these alternative medicine practices are commonly used in everyday life.

Current members were drawn to the club for many reasons.

“When I was growing up I had a lot of exposure to different kinds of alternative medicine,” Haley Ogoy (‘17) said. “I always thought it was fascinating having grown up in Juneau, AK, and I wanted to help people have a better understanding of alternative medicine.”

Another focus of the group is to help medical students to expand their knowledge of different treatments, therapies, and remedies outside of the traditional methods. These include home remedies that are easily accessible to all people.

“I think, especially for premed students, Luther prides itself on having a very well-rounded community,” Ogoy said. “This is just another way for people to discover new methods for treatments.”

Salzar hopes the club will help make Luther a more diversely educated community.

“Not only will this club be super helpful, especially to college students but it can help people find other career options through the club," Salazar said.

Items such as acupuncture, chiropractic practices, cleansing diets, holistic healing, spiritual healing, herbs and oils, and meditation can all fall under the category of alternative medicine.

“Students would be using these skills on a day-to-day basis,” Salazar said. “It helps with stress and daily pains, it’s super useful.”

FEATURES

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FEATURES EDITOR: FRAN STEVENSON

APRIL 13, 2017

Riverview Center helps survivors OLIVIA ENQUIST STAFF WRITER Within a small office complex in Decorah, tucked behind a Maurice’s and a Subway, lies the Riverview Center. The Riverview Center is a nonprofit organization that provides victim services for survivors of sexual assault and domestic abuse.

This office is only one part of a larger network, that serves fourteen counties in northern Iowa and provides services such as therapy.

Volunteer Coordinator of the Riverview Center Jessica Rupp explained the history of the organization and why there was, and continues to be, a need for organizations like this.

“We were actually founded in 1992, in Galena,” Rupp said. “How it came about was that our two founders witnessed a couple of sexual assault cases where there was a blatant disregard of the survivor’s rights. They were like, ‘we need to do something about this.’ After teaming up, and researching a little bit more, they had a board of directors get together and they established The Riverview Center.”

The Riverview Center offers a wide range of services, such as medical advocacy, legal advocacy, and community education programs. Because every situation is unique, the center mostly functions on a case-by-case basis. Volunteers mainly provide medical advocacy to survivors of sexual assault.

“In 2013, victim services — which is what we’re called — were restructured in Iowa,” Rupp said.

“Riverview center serves fourteen counties in Iowa and two counties in Illinois. We do sexual assault services in Iowa, and in Illinois we do sexual assault and domestic services.”

Lydia Nelson (‘18) is a volunteer for the Riverview Center as a survivor advocate.

“I’ve been doing this since my freshman year and I’ve only been dispatched three times,” Nelson said. “You’ll go there and meet with the survivor and the nurse. How it usually goes is that a nurse will take down a statement from the survivor of what happened. Your job is to help them through that process because it is traumatic to relive that for a lot of people. From there it pretty much goes on to the medical exam and the process of actually doing a rape kit and a police statements. Your job is to be there for the survivors.”

Nelson went on to say that she highly encourages people to volunteer and that even if a person has a busy schedule it is easy to give time to the organization.

“It’s actually pretty low commitment,” Nelson said. “You pick two or three days a month that you can be on call. Then if you are on call and someone is assaulted and they go to the hospital, you are dispatched to go to the hospital to provide medical advocacy.”

Rupp believes that it is important above all else to show support to the survivors and to provide them support in whatever capacity they desire.

“It really depends on what the survivor’s needs are,” Rupp said. “Everything we do is centered around what that survivor wants. We do medical

Riverview Center provides medical and legal resources for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.

Olivia Enquist ('19)| Chips advocacy, which is meeting the survivor at the hospital and providing them options about their rights in a medical setting, and then we can go with them to any follow-up exams that they want.”

Both Rupp and Nelson recommend students or community members to volunteer for the Riverview Center.

Jenny Hickey ('19) is a student volunteer for Riverview Center and has used the center's resources herself.

"Riverview really helped me get my voice back.

Hickey said. "Becoming an advocate has been really empowering for me personally. To feel like I’m giving back, or I’m helping other people, because I’m able to connect with them and understand what they’ve went through.”

For survivors of sexual assault and domestic abuse the Riverview hotline is always open at 1-888-557-0310.

Students participate in Emerging Artists Exhibit Joschua Setiawan ('18) in front of his piece which was awarded Honorable Mention. Photo courtesy of ArtHaus

BIZ WAGENSON STAFF WRITER The seventh annual ArtHaus Emerging Artists Exhibit was held on Friday, April 7 at the ArtHaus Gallery. The featured exhibit allows college students to submit their art pieces to a jury for the chance to be featured in the Emerging Artists Exhibit.

The jury was composed of local artists that specialized in different media. The artists also have a chance to win the People’s Choice award, which is worth $100 and is chosen by the public.

One exhibiting student artist is able to win the top award, Best in Show, earning a prize of $200 and their own show. Anna Segner from Iowa State University won that prize this year. The exhibit also had two honorable mentions, one of the recipients included Joschua Setiawan ('18) for a large portrait piece "I, Eye. Aye." The other honorable mention was Rachel Deutmeyer of Iowa State University.

Director of Arthaus Shannon Dallenbach Durbin praised Setiawan’s honorable mention piece as one of the more striking works of the show.

“I feel like Joschua’s large portrait

is one of the highlights of the show," Durbin said. "People really enjoyed it. The orange background he gave it really makes it stand out."

The show featured five other Luther artists as well. Annie Stenseth ('19) exhibited a print and a wood piece, Ryan Koning ('19) exhibited two portrait pieces, Martha Hall ('18) exhibited two dry point etchings, Nate Orton (‘18) exhibited a textured ribbed ceramic plate print, and Makeda Barkley ('17) exhibited two dry point etching prints.

Hall explained that what most interested her about the show was the community of artists the exhibit

brought together.

“The most exciting part of the event was seeing my pieces alongside my peers’ art on the walls,” Hall said.

“It’s exciting to see young artists become more visible and have the opportunities to show their work.”

There were 81 total entries into the show and 30 art pieces were selected featuring 20 artists. According to Koning, this achievement affirms her confidence in her art.

“Being selected for this exhibition gives me some reassurance that what I am making is worthwhile and that I am on the right track,” Koning said.

“As an artist, it is sometimes difficult to gauge how people are responding

to your work, but being chosen by people in artistic professions to be in this show has given me more confidence in my artistic practice.”

Koning expressed that one of the highlights of the show was the diversity in the styles of art represented there.

“I loved seeing the variety of subjects and mediums represented in the show by all of the artists," Koning said.

"It is inspiring to see what other artists my age are making right now.”

Much of the art in the exhibit is up for sale. The exhibit and voting for the People’s Choice award are open until May 13.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

PAGE 8 APRIL 13, 2017

A&E EDITOR: ELIZABETH BONIN

The Bad Plus redefines jazz

SHASA SARTIN STAFF WRITER

A New York City-based and Twin Cities-bred jazz trio The Bad Plus performed in the Center for Faith and Life (CFL) on April 7. David King played drums, Ethan Iverson played piano, and Reid Anderson played the bass.

“I thought it was pretty complex stuff,” attendee Andrew Bien (‘17) said. “But [it was] really cool. I definitely dug it.”

King also described their music as complex. Part of the instrumental tradition of jazz is reworking old songs. In The Bad Plus’ set they played remakes of “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper and “The Robots” by Kraftwerk.

Performing Arts Committee (PAC) volunteer Genevieve Ehlers (‘19) appreciated this aspect of their show.

“It was cool how they took songs that people know and gave them a jazz twist,” Ehlers said.

“I’ve never really listened to jazz music before, and I thought they were really interesting.”

King spoke to the importance of remaking classic songs to keep them interesting. “[We] reinterpret [the songs] with our language,” King said. “Sometimes the music is

David King and Reid Anderson, members of The Bad Plus, perform in the Center for Faith and Life.

Shasa Sartin (‘19) | Chips reframed with a totally different emotion.”

The Bad Plus took the original “Time After Time” lyrics and brought them to life using a harmonious combination of drums, piano and bass.

The group formed in 2000, but before their beginning they

were a part of the same jazz scene in their high school years.

“They’ve been playing together for so long that they’ve developed a sound that has ventured far from where they began, pretty clearly,” Bien said.

“Their music is far from what most other people in music are

doing. Because they’ve been together for so long, they’ve just got a very developed sound and [are] very unique.”

Ehlers found that bringing different musical groups to Luther is an excellent way to learn.

“I think bringing in shows

like The Bad Plus is important because it allows students to expand their interests and explore new things,” Ehlers said. “These kind of shows really provide an opportunity for students to expand their horizons.”

The Bad Plus also gave a masterclass to Luther College Jazz Orchestra before the concert.

All other jazz students were invited as well. Peter Mathistad (‘18) and his jazz combo group Transition Gallery played a tune for The Bad Plus and received feedback from them. According to Mathistad, The Bad Plus is known for holding down metrically and rhythmically challenging grooves with ease.

“Playing that kind of music at such a high level requires that each individual is wholly focused on maintaining that level consistently,” Mathistad said. “the most important thing that I took from the masterclass was the importance of individual attention in relation to the group effort.”

As a developing musician, Mathistad especially enjoyed the Q&A session.

“All three of [The Bad Plus musicians] provided thoughtful, invaluable insights into aspects of musicianship and innovation,” Mathistad said.

Vidar Skrede: An invitation to Norway EMMA BUSCH STAFF WRITER Nordic folk musician Vidar Skrede brought a taste of Norwegian traditional music to Marty’s during KWLC’s Norwegian Folk Music Night on April 6.

Skrede, a native of Haugesund, Norway, earned a master’s degree in Nordic folk music from the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm and has appeared on national television in Norway and Iceland. He is known as a leading member of the Nordic folk music scene. Skrede recently moved to Chicago and travels around the Midwest to teach his style of music.

After discovering that Skrede was scheduled to teach Scandinavian folk music classes at the Vesterheim Museum the same weekend, KWLC’s World Music Director Maddie Tyler (‘17) felt motivated to invite the musician to perform at Luther.

“I’ve been the world music director for three and a half years and I always wanted to organize some kind of cultural music event,” Tyler said. “This year I was really inspired [when I heard] a good friend of my family’s, Vidar Skrede, was coming into town, so I thought we should try to get him to do an event. I’m a huge

Nordic Folk Musician Vidar Skrede plays the fiddle in Marty’s.

Ryan Bjelke (‘20) | Chips advocate for Nordic music, so I really wanted to get Vidar here.”

Tyler said that the Nordic studies department and Norskklub provided an immense amount of support for the event.

“I’m so grateful for them because they kept promoting the event very heavily,” Tyler said. “They kept saying ‘Come in and talk about this event’ [in our Norwegian classes]. That energy and their willingness to help us was phenomenal.

They’re just as invested in this as KWLC.” During the event, Skrede played a variety of songs that he says developed differently over time in various areas of Norway.

“The oldest fiddle music we know of is called pols, polska, or springar,” Skrede said. “It came to Scandinavia in the early Renaissance time, from a region between Poland and Germany. It was actually the first dance known in Europe where you could dance as couples. This spread all over Norway, and today each valley has their own version of it. That’s the way to tell where the music comes from, listening to their springa.”

The event attracted approximately 60 people, including Visiting Instructor in Nordic Studies Kari Grønningsæter, who said Skrede’s music was reminiscent of her youth in Norway.

“A concert like this takes me back to Norway, to the mid-1970s and 1980s, when there was folk dance all over the place, in the cities as well as in the countryside,” Grønningsæter said. “We

would dress up in our bunads, our national costumes, and dance for hours, often a group of five [or] six people playing [fiddles and guitars]. We went to dances in small school houses in the country [with] the wood stove burning hot and at colleges with hundreds of people gathered.”

The event also brought back memories for attendee and Nordic studies major Linnea Kephart (‘19), who recently studied abroad in Norway.

“I just love everything about [Norwegian] culture,” Kephart said. “I went to Norway this summer and danced to this style of music there. It was exciting to experience something similar here.”

Skrede said he enjoyed sharing his music with others and hopes that those who attended will continue to seek out more musical experiences like this.

“Music brings people together, to listen, dance, and also play together,” Skrede said. “It’s an art form of cultural expression, both individually and as a society. It’s fun, emotional, beautiful, and groovy. It taps into all kind of feelings, identities, and invites others to be part of the experience and connects across borders. I hope they [enjoyed] the music, find interest in hearing more, [and] maybe even start playing themselves.”

OPINION

PAGE 9

MANAGING EDITOR: MAKEDA BARKLEY

STAFF Editor-in-Chief Emily Crowe Managing Editor Makeda Barkley News Editors Danny May Jacob Warehime Features Editor Fran Stevenson A&E Editor Elizabeth Bonin Sports Editor Katrina Meyer Staff Writers Lily Kime Ana Lopez Sam Mitchell Shasa Sartin Ben Selcke Biz Wagenson

Madeline Ajack Shannon Baker Emma Busch Xavier Conzet Julia Curtis Olivia Enquist

Part-time Writers Nora Felt Kristen Wuerl Head Copy Editor Olivia Benson Copy Editors Elyse Grothaus Sarah Owens Ad Representatives Tyler Hovey Madeline Petellin Web Content Manager Michael Vann Social Media Director Elyse Grothaus Distribution Manager Sarah Owens 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 5:00 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.

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APRIL 13, 2017

TO THE EDITOR

In opposition of blue turf in Oneota Valley I felt conflicting emotions when I saw the front page of the [Chips] April 6 issue: the leading headline “College rejects elementary school in victory for environmental proponents” and below it “College to upgrade to blue turf football field.”

I felt happy and proud about the first story, a piece about the college reaching a decision after comments from over 700 people that aligns with Luther’s land stewardship plan of “nurturing connections to and caring for our natural surroundings; and acting as stewards of the natural areas placed in our care.” Author Danny May (‘17) points out that the land stewardship plan connects to the college mission of “‘joyful stewardship’ of natural areas.”

I felt ill about the second: a story announcing a decision, newly made public, of replacing perhaps the college’s most visible “natural area” with a 1.3 acre mat of brilliant blue plastic to “boost … the college’s visual appeal,” work as a “recruiting tool,” and offer “unique marketing implications.”

“Blue turf ” is an oxymoron.

I understand the reasons for artificial turf: reducing the risk of impact injury, using less fertilizer and herbicide, and putting us on a par with the schools in our conference with artificial turf.

I also know that the nation’s first blue field, at Boise State, heralded a sizable boost in applications, increased donations from boosters, and a home field advantage against schools not used to reading the blue on blue action of the home team.

I disagree, however, with the logic offered by Luther’s athletic director, that with a green field we would at best be “catching up” with other conference colleges, while with a blue

field we have a great new answer to the question, why choose Luther?

If I wore a dayglow orange suit to a job interview I would no doubt stand out from my competitors in their modest business color, but that doesn’t mean I would necessarily be more likely to be hired.

I realize that any artificial turf field, regardless of its color, is not natural.

Blue, however, is the color of sky, of the water in a tropical coral reef. That is the nature of blue. Natural turf — grass — is not and never has been blue.

I am skeptical of the Boise State comparison for recruiting and marketing. I have spent lots of time in Boise. The turf of Albertsons Stadium is only seen by players, by ticket-purchasing fans, or by people watching football games on television.

The steep bowl of the stadium screens the field from the rest of the city and campus. If you see blue, it’s because you came to see it. And the designer of the field had the good taste to leave the surrounding track cinder brown.

Carlson Stadium could not be more different. The view of the Oneota Valley is shared daily by every person on the Luther College campus at two or three meals and in passing to and from the Union. It would be added to the bright blue roof of Regents and the track: the loudest voice in a gaudy chorus.

I proudly show off the campus to visitors and have yet to hear one say they are sorry about the view to our west and north. The college has purchased hundreds of acres to preserve that view, and the city of Decorah has in its wisdom and deference planned its expansion to the south and east to preserve the pastoral view from the college.

Placing an electric blue field as the

massive foreground of that view is like the Louvre Museum putting down a yellow shag carpet in the gallery housing da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa.”

The college hired Jens Jensen to develop a landscape plan for the college on its 50th anniversary. Jensen’s philosophy was to create a shaped landscape that echoed the natural landscape around it. He included a long, hilltop drive that allowed many views of the river. And whereas most of his projects included building in a water feature, he left that off Luther’s plan because we already had one: the river. The construction of buildings like the Union (and many others) have continued to build on Jensen’s wisdom by orienting the main view toward the Oneota Valley.

The color of a turf field doesn’t go away or change. The river valley, the prairie, the hills will change from spring pastels, to the deep green riot of July, to fall orange, to brown, and to white. Only the white phase of the seasons will grant us a reprieve from 1.3 acres of Luther blue, brazenly glaring up at us morning, noon, and dinner time from one end of the year to the other, in each season twice as electric as the landscape it eclipses.

While blue turf might be a recruiting tool for the dozens of athletes on the varsity teams who will use the field, I question whether it will be a plus for the hundreds who choose Luther for its view, for its environment, for its deliberate work of “nurturing connections to our natural surroundings,” and who will only be able to avoid seeing it every day if they shade their eyes.

Signed, David Faldet (‘79) Professor of English

TO THE EDITOR

Abortion restriction bill: ineffective and unnecessary On April 5 the Iowa House cast the final vote on a bill regarding abortion restrictions and sent it back to the Senate to approve any additional stipulations they added. This is not a new political trend and makes Iowa the 18th state to enact such a law. Before any arguments for or against this bill can be made, one must first know what that law entails.

This law, titled Senate File 471, would ban abortions after twenty weeks of pregnancy as well as requiring a three-day waiting period and an ultrasound before it can take place. That is all it does; it essentially does nothing and the republicans in state congress are acting like they did something huge.

Here is why it is a lame excuse for a restriction.

About 1.3% of abortions are at or after twenty weeks. Of that 1.3%, most would be exempt due to either fetal abnormalities or a threat to the mother's health. How can that be a big win? Not only is the

bill not actually a big win, it adds things that are completely unnecessary. The fact that they added an ultrasound requirement just shows even further that this bill isn't actually about reducing abortion and is actually about “political points.”

In studies of over three hundred abortion patients, both the University of British Columbia and the University of Texas Austin found that getting an ultrasound did not change a single mind. If the republicans in the Iowa congress actually cared about the issue rather than just wanting political points then I have some advice for them: pass a law that would actually affect the number of abortions happening and don't add stipulations that do nothing other than make Iowa residents pay for things that don't work.

Signed, Xavier Conzet (‘19)

OPINION

PAGE 10 APRIL 13, 2017

MANAGING EDITOR: MAKEDA BARKLEY

STUDENT ORGANIZATION COLUMN

The need for diversity and inclusion, starting with the college classroom It’s no secret that our community is experiencing stirrings for change and an ongoing identity crisis.

Looking outside Luther, our nation and our world have undergone a stark pendulum-swing in political agenda, one that has furthered the drastic polarization of our country and strained relationships with our international neighbors. Perhaps I’m not the only one that feels a sense of anxiety when learning about the many complex and divisive issues in the world today.

Yet instead of being paralyzed by our fears or sense of helplessness, our liberal arts education calls us to engage. Just Action, a growing and diverse group of faculty, staff, and students from across campus, hopes to encourage our community to invest in conversation, advocacy, and action. In our bi-weekly meetings, we discuss local and national issues of social justice, as well as the campaigns and policies that seek to address them. We brainstorm creative ways that we can support ongoing efforts and introduce fresh ideas to make an impact here at Luther and beyond. We hope to continue collaborating with various campus organizations and the administration to facilitate these important conversations and implement positive change.

Recently, Just Action discussed how the recent concerns for diversity and inclusion could be addressed at Luther. In their February report, strategic planning consultant Keeling & Associates highlighted a prevailing theme revealed in their interviews, one that consistently “expressed the need to address diversity and inclusion.” While there certainly can be no quick, easy fix to this multifaceted concern, many members of Just Action have proposed that Luther’s

response begin at the core of Luther: the classroom.

In order to confront the issue of diversity and inclusion in the classroom we need to establish safe classroom environments that genuinely embrace all aspects of students’ differences and facilitate conversations which challenge students to consider alternative perspectives. The close-knit communities formed within Luther classrooms present prime opportunities to humanize the issues we face, broaden students’ horizons, and wrestle with the stereotypes and prejudices we all hold.

To encourage these formative classroom discussions, faculty need to have the resources to facilitate them.

Keeling & Associates also reported the common belief that “Luther must explore ways to support incoming students academically and to help them feel safe and included, and to prepare faculty and staff to work effectively and empathetically with a more diverse student population.” Some students have pointed out that while some professors have deeply challenged their beliefs and forced them to consider perspectives they wouldn’t otherwise, too many members of the faculty avoid sensitive topics or further harmful narratives with tone-deaf comments. Just Action believes that in order to reverse this pattern of shoving uncomfortable topics under the rug and/ or hurting students with harmful comments, there must be further support and training for faculty and staff. These conversations are central to the strength of Luther’s hallmark as a welcoming and inclusive community. Not to mention, they are essential to making sure students of many diverse backgrounds feel respected and valued on Luther’s campus.

There are no obvious answers as to what this support should look like, but Just Action feels it is essential that we provide faculty and staff the tools to facilitate challenging conversations with students throughout the campus community. Previously offered trainings have been sparsely attended and campus conversations about these issues tend to be frequented by the same group of faculty and staff, therefore we feel it is necessary to incentivize or require such training.

One proposed model suggests including this training as part of the third-year review or tenure processes.

No matter how it is approached, we feel that it is not enough to simply make this training available to our faculty and staff, but that there is a need to hold one another accountable.

I know I’m not alone in saying that I hold great respect for the faculty and staff at Luther. Some of the mentor relationships that I value most are the ones in which my thinking is challenged and I’m encouraged to consider different perspectives. I sincerely hope that this training will be considered as a chance to foster an informed and thoughtful community and to live out our calling to be a place that welcomes and celebrates all of our unique differences.

Just Action is open and welcoming to all individuals on campus and in the Decorah community who are interested in contributing to social justice advocacy at Luther and beyond. To learn more, please contact Joseph Kremer at kremjo01@luther.edu.

Signed, Mareda Smith (‘19) Just Action Columnist

TO THE EDITOR

The importance of constituent voices in legislature and state politics Over the past few months, we have seen many controversial bills make their way through both Congress and the Iowa Legislature. Congress attempted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which would have devastated millions of people that depend on the ACA. Congress has also successfully gutted internet privacy rules that would have prevented internet service providers from collecting and selling your data without your permission.

Here in Iowa, we have seen the state legislature rip away collective bargaining rights from public workers and take away local cities’ and counties’ power to raise their minimum wage. This effectively lowers the minimum wage for thousands of workers whose cities and counties have raised it in the past few years, to cite just a couple of the many extreme laws that have been enacted.

After the November elections, I saw a lot of energy from a lot of people who wanted to actively resist President Trump’s far-right agenda. The Indivisible movement and the Women’s March on Washington are two notable examples of people who are not always involved in politics stepping up and organizing to resist. Here in Decorah, we saw our own Women’s March bring 1,000 peaceful protesters to the Winneshiek County Courthouse, and our Indivisible chapter is growing in numbers as each month goes by.

But seeing many of these extreme laws enacted in our own state can be disheartening, and I have spoken with and seen many people who are demoralized and discouraged because they feel that their representatives are not listening to them.

While it is okay to be discouraged, we must also continue to fight the good fight. I spoke with State Senator Nate Boulton of Des Moines this past weekend at a conference at the University of Northern Iowa, where he encouraged everyone to continue to contact your representatives, because most of them do listen and take into account their constituent’s opinions.

I would encourage you to contact your elected representatives on issues that you care about, especially if that bill is up for debate in the legislature. You can email, call, and even text our local representatives: State Senator Michael Breitbach and State Representative Michael Bergan. You can also call or email the office of our congressional representatives: Congressman Rod Blum, Senator Chuck Grassley, and Senator Joni Ernst. It does not take long to call or email them. It takes just a few minutes when you have time in your day.

I would also encourage you to attend our representatives’ town hall meetings or listening sessions when they are in the area. At those meetings, they can easily be held accountable because they cannot just hang up the phone or not respond to an email. If you ask a question, it is very hard for them to ignore it.

You can also make a larger difference in our area by becoming involved with our local Indivisible chapter or the Winneshiek County Democrats.

We even have a group on campus that is focused on politics and resisting Trump’s agenda. You can join the Luther College Democrats or at least get on our email list. We meet every other Wednesday night so it is a pretty low time commitment, and we would love to have you join us.

But whatever you do, do not just sit on the sidelines and not pay attention or care enough to do anything. Your future, Iowa’s future, and the country’s future is too important to do that.

If you have any questions about how to become involved with these organizations, or just on how to make your voice heard, please do not hesitate to email me at sekoal01@luther.edu, or lcdemocrats@luther.edu.

Signed, Alex Sekora (‘19) President, Luther College Democrats

SPORTS

PAGE 11

APRIL 13, 2017

SPORTS EDITOR: KATRINA MEYER

Baseball defeats rival Wartburg GILLIAN KLEIN VOLUNTEER WRITER & KATRINA MEYER SPORTS EDITOR Luther Men’s Baseball hosted their rival, Wartburg College, for a three game series April 7-8. The Norse lost the first game 3-0 but came back to take the series winning the next two games 7-6 and 6-4.

In game one, Nate Beckman (‘17) pitched

Trent Athmann (‘19) at bat.

a complete game for the Norse giving up two earned runs on ten hits with one walk and five strikeouts. Mitch Bruggers (‘18) and Bryce Hingst (‘19) had the two hits for the team.

In game two, Cody Reimer (‘17) pitched for the first seven innings giving up two earned runs on nine hits and got no decision. The win went to Joe Silversmith (‘17) who came in to relieve Reimer in the top of the seventh inning.

Silversmith gave up two earned runs on five hits to secure the win. Hingst led the team with three runs batted in. Bruggers also had a top

Kate Knepprath (‘17) | Photo Bureau

performance, going three for four and scoring three runs. Joey Sullivan (‘17) picked up two runs batted in, and Silversmith and Trent Athmann (‘19) each picked up one run batted in.

In game three, Teddy Klingsporn (‘17) pitched a complete game giving up just four earned runs on nine hits. Hingst and Bruggers picked up two runs batted in each, and Bruggers scored two runs. Jon Opdahl (‘17) also got a run batted in. With a win in both games of the double header, the Norse won the series 2-1.

The team now stands with a 12-10 record, with a 5-6 record in the conference. The team’s consistent efforts in practice have led to a successful start to their spring season.

Catcher Mason Whitham (‘18) described what the team is doing to continue to improve.

“The team continues to get better every day by putting the work in and good things happen,” Whitham said. “Right now we have practice everyday on the afternoons that we don’t have games, but typically we have Sundays off. We lift twice a week as well.”

Outfielder Kyle Livingood (‘19) explained the sense of purpose that keeps the team motivated.

“My favorite part of baseball is seeing how impactful the game can be for people around the world of all ages, races, abilities, and how it can really bring people together,” Livingood said.

For now, the team is focused on remaining consistent for the remainder of the season.

“Our goals for the rest of the season are similar to this game, and are along the lines of making sure we stay true to our style of play,” Livingood said, “Our main goal is to play the game like we know we can, and that includes staying in the game the whole time and making sure we maintain our style of playing the game.”

The Norse have 18 games left before the Conference Tournament in May. The next game is against Simpson College on April 1415 in Indianola, IA.

Nate Beckman (‘17) pitches against Wartburg.

Kate Knepprath (‘17) | Photo Bureau

Norse of the Week KATRINA MEYER SPORTS EDITOR Nate Parsons (‘19) was named Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Athlete of the Week for March 19-26. Parsons was 10-1 on the Norse spring break trip to Orlando, FL, helping the team get a record of 6-0 on the trip.

In singles competition, Parsons was 4-1 for the week. This included a match against senior Chris Conley from Carthage College who is ranked 16th in the nation. His victory helped the Norse to a 5-4 win over Carthage.

Additionally, Parsons and his doubles partner Anders Jensen (‘18) were undefeated on the trip with a record of 6-0.

Chips: You were named IIAC Athlete of the Week.

What does that mean to you?

Parsons: It shows that as a team we had a good week.

I was able to capitalize on what everybody else was doing. Ultimately, I didn’t really think it was just me who did well. [Jensen,] our [fourth ranked player,]

had only one loss all week.

Brian [Murman (‘19)] won all his singles matches.

That was really good. I had a decent week like everyone else and I got lucky. I am proud of it because I have been working hard, but everybody else has too.

You guys have a tournament coming up in May. How are you getting ready for that?

I think that the matches that we are playing now are good preparation.

Over spring break we played a few teams that are tricky. Ultimately, the tournament that we are getting ready for has the toughest team, Coe College. None of the teams that we have played are quite as difficult, but we had a Division I opponent in Creighton. That is a little different because they are in a different league. Coe is beatable, but still really good. These close meets against good teams are good preparation for that.

When did you start playing tennis? Why? I started going to the park and playing when I was seven. At that point,

it was just recreational.

Then, when I was around 13 I started signing up for

tournaments. When I got older, I played in fewer tournaments, but knew

Nate Parsons (‘19) returns a hit against Simpson.

Annika Vande Krol (‘19) | Photo Bureau

that I wanted to play in college. I played a lot of sports, but I chose tennis because I think it has the most balance between the mental strength and physical ability that you need to play. The balance of mental and physical is intriguing for me.

Do you have any role models in the sport?

I would say that I look up to our captain Kyle Appel [(‘17)]. He plays [in the top-ranked spot] for us. He’s a great role model. He helps show me that you don’t need to care about tennis too much. He knows that he doesn’t have to put everything into the game and that other stuff is important too. I think that that is important to remember when we go out on the court. Other than that, I just try to model myself around my friends and teammates, people that I respect.

What is your favorite part of playing tennis here at Luther?

The team is my favorite part. I really love the guys.

It is a really fun team to be on because everyone is

unique. Everyone knows each other really well, and we do everything together.

That is really fun.

Another thing is the fact that we are all really good at tennis and really like it, we all are also very involved in other things. The coach understands that and lets us do our own thing while we still hold each other to our expectations of being on the tennis team.

That is probably the best part of playing at Luther: we all love tennis, we all play tennis, but at the end of the day we involve ourselves in other things and understand that everyone is involved in other things. I think that is pretty awesome.

If you could play a tennis match against anyone in the whole world, who would it be and why?

I would probably play a tennis match against Gael Monfils. He is a French tennis player. He hits the craziest trick shots, and I think that it would be fun to get destroyed by him and try to look good while doing it.

SPORTS SPORTS EDITOR: KATRINA MEYER

PAGE 12

APRIL 13, 2017

Norse hold 51st annual Norse Relays

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

IIAC 7-2 6-2 6-2 6-5 4-4 5-6 4-7 4-7 2-9

Recent Scores

Overall 13-9 15-8 15-9 13-8 12-12 12-10 10-14 11-16 5-18

April 8 vs. Wartburg College W 7-6 April 8 vs. Wartburg College W 6-4

Upcoming Schedule

April 14 vs. Simpson College April 15 vs. Simpson College

(Left) Elijah Kane (‘17) takes off from starting blocks, (Right) Sarah Holtz (‘20) triple jumping.

Katrina Meyer (‘19) | Chips

SHANNON BAKER STAFF WRITER The Luther Track & Field team hosted the 51st annual Norse Relays Saturday on April 8 in Carlson Stadium.

Luther College, University of Wisconsin-Superior, Bethany Lutheran College, University of Dubuque, University of NorthwesternSt. Paul, and Luther alumni participated in the event.

The women’s and men’s teams both finished second out of five teams.

Luther women finished the meet behind the University of Dubuque.

Individual first-place finishers included Morgan Sammons (‘18) in the 400-meter hurdle event with a time of 1:12.27; Sarah Holtz (‘20) in the high jump at 5-0 1/4; Meredith Robinson (‘18) in the 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 12:42.22; the 4 x 400m relay team of Delaney Schurer (‘18), Shannon Baker (‘20), Taylor Schuring (‘20), and Marta Springer (‘19) with a time of 4:10.49; and the 1600m sprint medley of Schuring, Schurer, Springer, and Stephanie Murray (‘17) with a time of 4:20.06.

The men also finished second behind the University of Dubuque.

Their performance included first-place finishes

from Elijah Kane (‘18) in the javelin at 169-3; Cooper Nelson (‘17) in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 58.87; Isaac Jensen (‘17) in the 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:11.75; the 4 x 800m relay team of Kyle Gilberg (‘19), Bret Powers (‘17), Collin Kern (‘20), and Andrew Millan (‘20) with a time of 8:08.31; the 4 x 1600m relay team of John Westby (‘17), Danny May (‘17), Erik Duethman (‘18), and Patrick Larson (‘17) with a time of 18:15.00; and the 1600m sprint medley team of Nana Asante-Apeautu (‘20), Maxwell Tapp (‘20), Noah Goetzke (‘20), and Kern with a time of 3:39.88.

Having home support can be an incentive to perform well for the team, according to senior thrower and captain Jill Harstad (‘17).

“We’ve trained hard all of March to prepare for the outdoor season,” Harstad said. “We always look forward to competing at home, so I believe everyone took extra pride in their training leading up to Norse Relays to have the best possible performances in front of our home crowd.”

Aside from being the first home meet of the outdoor track season, the Norse Relays is a meet characterized by the return and involvement of former

Luther track and field members. Assistant Track and Field Coach Austin Bauer (‘14) was excited to be a part of the long-standing tradition in the form of a Luther Alumni 4x1600 relay team. In an interview before the meet, Bauer expressed the importance of the Norse Relays for both current and past Luther athletes. “[It is] special for the alumni to come back and for Luther students to see the much broader community of people who are still willing to compete and share their stories from their time at Luther,” Bauer said.

Luther Distance runner Patrick Finnegan (‘18) enjoys sharing the Norse Relays experience with current team members and alumni.

“I get excited, especially when there are teammates that I’ve raced with in the past,” Finnegan said. “It gets me psyched because [the alumni] are usually pretty fast, but we’re all on the same team.”

In addition to the involvement of Luther alumni, the Norse Relays encourages the participation of other Luther sports teams in one particular event: the All-Sport Relay. In this 4x100-meter race, other Luther teams can form a relay squad and represent

their respective sports through costumes or in the way they run the race. At the meet this past Saturday, Luther Wrestling and Luther Men’s Swim and Dive team participated in the All-Sport Relay. The wrestling team wore their uniforms and the swim team sported speedos, snorkels, and flippers on their hands and feet.

Finnegan believes the AllSport Relay demonstrates camaraderie between the different teams.

“Everyone represents their sport and it is a bit of a shared experience in that way,” Finnegan said.

Prior to the meet, Bauer and the other coaches met with the distance, sprint, and field crew members to discuss progress and goals for the meet as well as the rest of the outdoor season.

Based on the past couple of weeks, Bauer is optimistic about the rest of the season and hopes training will build success in future meets.

“We have been focusing on building off of each meet and getting experience and then using [that experience] as a stepping stone to get to the next competitive level,” Bauer said.

Luther’s next track and field competition will be the Meet of Champions at Augustana College, Rock Island, IL, on April 22.

Softball

No. 14 Central No. 5 Luther No. 7 Coe Loras Nebraska Wes. Wartburg Buena Vista Dubuque Simpson

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

Overall 22-4 25-3 22-5 20-6 16-10 15-11 14-10 9-17 5-19

Recent Scores

April 9 vs. UW- River Falls W 5-3 April 9 vs. UW- River Falls W 10-0

Upcoming Schedule

April 15 vs. University of Dubuque April 18 vs. Central College

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

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

Overall 10-2 9-1 8-5 7-3 4-5 7-7 5-7-1 1-8 0-15

Recent Scores

March 23 vs. Kalamazoo College L 9-0 April 8 vs. Carleton College L 8-1

Upcoming Schedule

April 23 vs. St. Norbert College April 23 vs. Augustana- Rock Island

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

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

Overall 20-4 15-4 8-11 5-11 5-14 6-5 10-4 3-16 5-10

Recent Scores

April 9 vs. Wartburg College W 9-0 April 9 vs. Central College W 9-0

Upcoming Schedule

April 22 vs. Coe College April 25 vs. University of Dubuque