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Musicians and dancers perform “Who Do You Trust?”
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Symphony Orchestra and Nordic Choir perform Bach’s Mass in B minor
Baseball and softball play home openers
LUTHER COLLEGE
“Let the chips fall where they may.”
APRIL 6, 2017
CHIPS
VOLUME 139, NO. 18
College rejects elementary school proposal in victory for environmental proponents DANNY MAY NEWS EDITOR President Paula Carlson announced to the Luther community on March 30 the college’s decision to reject the Decorah Community School District’s request to build an elementary school on seven acres of Anderson Prairie, signaling a victory for environmental advocates in a months-long, contentious issue.
Serving the Luther College community since 1884.
Anderson Prairie in summer 2016.
In her message, sent via email to students, faculty, and staff, Carlson explained that she and the Luther Board of Regents reviewed the Land Use Committee’s recommendation against accepting the proposal and chose to follow it. The Land Use Committee arrived at its recommendation after extensive vetting of the district’s proposal, which included gathering input from the entire
Luther community via various media. According to Assistant Professor in Biology and Natural Land Areas Manager Molly McNicoll and Director of Facilities Services Jay Uthoff, both of whom serve as Land Use Committee co-chairs, this input came from more than 700 people. The committee concluded in an executive summary that, “the proposal would restrict or in some cases eliminate our ability to meet the three major goals of
Bolz-Weber reiterates the message of the Reformation
Annika Vande Krol (‘19) | Photo Bureau
the Land Stewardship Plan (educational mission of the college; nurturing connections to and caring for our natural surroundings; and acting as stewards of the natural areas placed in our care).” The Land Stewardship Plan aligns with the college’s overarching mission statement, which promotes “joyful stewardship” of natural areas. PRAIRIE | PAGE 4
College to upgrade to blue turf football field
XAVIER CONZET STAFF WRITER In one of the college’s capstone events celebrating the 500th Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, Lutheran pastor and author Nadia Bolz-Weber gave a speech titled “What is Worth Reforming?” on March 31. All 1,428 seats in the Center for Faith and Life were filled. In her speech, Bolz-Weber addressed the church’s need to focus on forgiveness and reconciliation of sin, while also incorporating contemporary politics. In the theme of the Reformation, Bolz-Weber talked about eliminating the desire to idealize the self. “We cannot afford to feel shame about sin — remorse, yes — but not shame,” Bolz-Weber said in her lecture. “Shame prevents us from seeing who we truly are.” The event doubled as the Farwell Distinguished Lecture and a recruiting opportunity for Luther, as the college invited Lutheran youth groups and certain high school students to attend. In a question-and-answer session after Bolz-Weber’s lecture, Northfield High School Student Danielle Haines asked her for advice about entering seminary immediately after completing her education, to which Bolz-Weber recommended pursuing a variety of experiences before committing to God in that way. BOLZ-WEBER | PAGE 4
An aerial shot of the current Luther football field, which will be upgraded to blue artificial turf. Julie Strom Hendrickson (‘93) | Photo Bureau
DANNY MAY NEWS EDITOR
Lutheran pastor and author Nadia Bolz-Weber speaks in the Center for Faith and Life. Annika Vande Krol (‘19) | Photo Bureau
The Luther football field will be upgraded to blue artificial turf from its current natural grass surface according to Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Renae Hartl, a decision based on improving player safety and boosting the college’s visual appeal. Tentatively, Hartl said the college plans to install the new field in either summer 2017 or 2018. Although the college has yet to garner an official cost for the new field, Hartl said that a general overview estimates the amount at $1.7 million. The top-level turf surface generally lasts between eight and 10 years, while the underlying pad lasts approximately 20 years. According to Hartl, this pad may reduce the risk of concussions and other impact-based injuries. TURF FIELD | PAGE 4
NEWS
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NEWS EDITORS: DANNY MAY & JACOB WAREHIME
Grant brings mini Martins to campus through grant SAM MITCHELL STAFF WRITER Luther College recently recieved miniature Martin Luther Playmobil figurines, as well as a life-sized iteration, via a grant through the German Embassy in celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. Professor of German Ruth Kath applied for the grant to use toward the Playmobil figurines, among many other items, to help celebrate Luther’s Liberating Grace Conference. “I applied for a grant from the German embassy in January,” Kath said. “This is part of an outreach they do every year to college campuses. They always have a different theme; this year was the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation. As part of the grant, I was permitted to plan a purchase, and ended up buying 200 small Martin Luthers, as they were already donating 100. They also gifted us a big statue, as with many of the other campuses who participated.” The lifesize Playmobil statue, not to be confused with the Martin Luther cutouts, can be found in the Language Learning Center in Main Building. The Playmobil figurines come with a twist. Each Martin Luther comes with a set of instructions attached, stating a goal to get as many pictures of the miniature Martins somewhere at Luther’s campus or in Decorah. Then, each photo is to be sent to Luther’s social media and the embassy in Washington D.C. with the hashtag “HereIStand” in the caption. Winners will recieve prizes. In celebration of the event, the Director of the German Information Center Stefan Buchwald and Director of the German media company Deutsche Welle visited campus to broadcast the events, specifically to showcase the items bought for the college, as well as the other colleges participating in the Playmobil event.
Luther College President Paula Carlson and Campus Pastor Mike Blair help out the life-sized, Playmobil Martin Luther. Students were encouraged to take a picture with the life-sized Martin and Carlson in the Union on March 28. Annika Vande Krol ('19) | Photo Bureau Pablo Alonso (‘17) says he thinks the figurines are fitting way to celebrate the reformation. “I think they are a fun way to engage the Luther community to celebrate Martin Luther’s legacy and the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation,” Alonso said.
Kath added that although the Playmobil figurines are fun, the grant will continue to benefit the college. “We should be very pleased that we got the grant," Kath said. "It’s neat, and it's done a lot for the German [department], as well as for the college.”
Fawcett and Larson named Fulbright scholars BEN SELCKE STAFF WRITER
Betsy Fawcett (‘17) and Patrick Larson (‘17) were chosen for the Fulbright U.S. Students Program; the recipients were notified over spring break. Both will conduct a onePatrick Larson ('17) year stay in Europe under the English Teaching Assistant Program. Fawcett will conduct her work at a university in Ukraine, and Larson will teach at a high
school in Bulgaria. Fawcett and Larson were two of 10 Luther students to apply for similar grants. Emily Crowe (‘17) was designated as an alternate for a study grant. In addition to her teaching position in Ukraine, Fawcett plans to study the political differences between the United States and Ukraine, Betsy Fawcett ('17) whose east and west sides are currently experiencing a separatist war. “I was really interested in
Eastern Europe in general because I feel like people in America don’t know much about it,” Fawcett said. “We just don’t talk about post-Soviet countries very often.” For Fawcett, her immersion into a foreign culture will be valuable, and she is looking forward to the ways in which her work will enrich her experience. “The reason I chose the Fulbright program is because they believe in peace through educational exchange,” Fawcett said. “I think that being able to teach English and be in a class is just a really good platform to learn about Ukraine and also to
share my life and culture.” Strengths Program Coordinator and Fellowship Avisor Ann Landstrom oversees the Fulbright program at Luther and feels that Luther recipients take up a responsibility once they embark. “Whenever someone is chosen for a Fulbright we hope that they will be a representative of themselves and the institution, along with the United States,” Landstrom said. Larson said that she hopes to volunteer in his placement community in an effort to engage with Bulgarian culture. Bulgaria is also a former Soviet
state, but has more Western influences, as it joined the European Union in 2007. Larson does not have a plan to additionally conduct a research project, but will likely get involved with extracurricular activities like speech and debate. “There really wasn’t one clear reason why I chose Bulgaria, but I wanted to immerse myself in an entirely new culture,” Larson said. “Also, the Bulgarian schools really encourage the [English Teaching Assistants] to lead extra-curricular activities, which I was excited about.” According to Landstrom, countries differ in their qualifications for respective Fulbright programs. She explained that there is not a single prescription for admitted students. “I know there are students who wouldn’t necessarily say ‘I’m a leader,’” Landstrom said. “They are more focused on how they navigate the world and how they experience what they do.” Only approximately 1,900 students across the U.S. are admitted into the program each year of the approximately 5,800 who apply. The program places U.S. students in 150 countries around the world.
NEWS
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NEWS EDITORS: DANNY MAY & JACOB WAREHIME
APRIL 6, 2017
Education students travel to California convention
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63/39 From left: Christian Deranek (‘18), Jacob Sund (‘17), Laura Storlie (‘16), Alexa Schroeder (‘17), Matthew Amann (‘18), and Adjunct Professor of Education Birgitta Meade. Photo courtesy of Matthew Amann ('18) SHASA SARTIN STAFF WRITER Five Luther education students and Adjunct Professor of Education Birgitta Meade traveled to Los Angeles, CA, March 29-April 1 to attend the National Science Teacher Convention (NSTC) where they gave a curriculum and methods presentation. The convention was hosted by the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) with approximately 10,000 attendees. The five Luther students who attended were Alexa Schroeder (‘17), Jacob Sund (‘17), Laura Storlie (‘16), Christian Deranek (‘18), and Matthew Amann (‘18). They assisted Meade, with an interactive presentation teaching students how to conceptualize time. “Essentially we had a bunch of different materials set up — some were on the floor, some were on the table — and as people walked by, we talked to them about how to explain
the concept of time to our students,” Schroeder said. “Specifically, how big time is and earth’s existence and how little amount of time humans have existed on earth. So it put a lot of things into perspective for [other teachers] and supplied materials that they can bring to their students.” The curriculum presented by the students was originally created by Meade. Meade primarily teaches at North Winneshiek Middle School, but also teaches part-time at Luther in the education department. She teaches Elementary Science Methods and Advanced Science Methods. Meade felt that the presentation went well, saying she was proud of her attending students. “After [the presentation], one of the editors of the NSTA publications asked our group to write up their work for publication in a science teaching peerreviewed journal,” Meade said. “Luther students represented our college
well.” Meade has broughtLuther students to conventions like these approximately twice a year for the past five years. She is does this through a grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. However, most conferences have not been as big as NSTC. Amann expressed similar sentiments about his conference experience. He added that he and Schroeder attended a Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM) expo in Denver, CO, over the summer of 2016. “This [conference] was definitely even larger than the previous one that we attended,” Amann said. “Just being around so many science teachers in that environment is pretty inspiring.” Unlike Schroeder and Amann, Deranek had not attended a conference like this before. “For me, it was really cool to just be surrounded by all these people who are really
passionate about science,” Deranek said. “In the elementary world especially, science gets dropped off to the side a lot of times because reading and math are the tested subjects and they’re important to get that foundation.” Deranek went on to explain how this can be problematic. “[There were] high school teachers saying they get kids in high school who have never had science before, and it’s really hard to help them to learn it in those short years that they have,” Deranek said. “It was just great to be surrounded by people who see the importance of that, to kind of get reinforced what we’re already taught at Luther.” Ultimately, Meade said she was happy to facilitate this opportunity for Luther students. “These are the kinds of experiences that determine students' identities as teachers [and] leaders within their chosen profession.”
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APRIL 6, 2017
Life Outside Luther Investigators say Russian metro bombing suspect a Muslim born in Central Asia A Russian suicide bomber originally from mainly Muslim Kyrgyzstan detonated the explosives in a St. Petersburg train carriage that killed 14 people and wounded 50, authorities said on Tuesday. White House official says North Korea is test for U.S.-China relations U.S. President Donald Trump will discuss how to rein in North Korea's nuclear program with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week in what a senior White House official said on Tuesday would be a test for the U.S.-Chinese relationship. Islamic State says United States is 'being run by an idiot' Islamic State said on Tuesday the United States was drowning and "being run by an idiot." These remarks were the first official ones by the group referring to President Donald Trump since he took office. Venezuela security forces battle antiPresident Maduro protesters Venezuelan security forces quelled masked protesters with tear gas, water cannons and pepper spray in Caracas on Tuesday after blocking an opposition rally against socialist President Nicolas Maduro.
NEWS EDITORS: DANNY MAY & JACOB WAREHIME PRAIRIE | PAGE 1
TURF FIELD | PAGE 1
For some, the announcement highlights the Luther community’s ability to mobilize in response to controversial issues. “To have learned there are so many students, faculty, and staff who all care about treating the land ethically has been vitalizing,” Shannon Meehan (‘18), a leader in the proprairie movement, said. “Knowing Luther has committed to preserving the prairie gives me hope that we will all continue to move towards a world that demands respect for each other and for this planet.” In a joint statement, McNicoll and Uthoff expressed their satisfaction with Carlson’s announcement and echoed Meehan in praising environmentalism in the community. “One of the silver linings of this process was validation from many college and [Decorah] community members and the value they place on access to native habitats and the benefits these areas bring,” McNicoll and Uthoff said. Decorah Community School District Superintendent Michael Haluska expressed in a statement his appreciation for the college’s willingness to entertain the district’s request. “We knew from the start this proposal may or may not work,” Haluska said. “The Decorah Schools would like to thank Dean Kevin Kraus, Vice President Eric Runestad, and President Paula Carlson for their time and consideration of the potential partnership.” For Carlson, the rejection does not hinder efforts to maintain positive relations between the college and the Decorah community. “I look forward to future opportunities to partner and work with Decorah and the broader community,” Carlson said in her statement.
Luther is currently the only school in the Iowa Conference that does not have a turf football field. According to Assistant Professor of Health and Physical Education Jeffrey Wettach (‘79), who also works as an assistant football coach, several football games held on a wet field have inflicted significant damage on the natural grass surface. “It still hasn’t recovered from that,” Wettach said. Further, Hartl explained that the current field’s crowning design allows for poor drainage, a flaws exacerbated under heavy rainfall. Hartl said that a summer 2014 assessment of the grass field by a Board of Regents-approved advisory committee highlighted these issues, which spurred the college to upgrade. The new field is part of Luther’s plan to revitalize lower campus. Boise State University currently has the trademark and licensing rights to blue turf fields, and Hartl explained that she had to receive permission from them to implement the surface on Luther’s campus. No costs were associated with this approval. Cost did play a large part, however, in considering whether to keep the current grass field or upgrade to turf. According to Wettach, the grass field maintenance requires a large staff and frequent seeding, a combination resulting in high expenses. “It takes too much [manual labor] and too many hours that Luther just can’t afford,” Wettach said.
Instead, Hartl explained that the college intends to cover all of the approximately $1.7 million for the new field through donations. Subsequently, a master planning committee — which is responsible for the lower campus master plan — will decide whether or not to replace the field at the end of its lifespan. Hartl emphasized the multi-sport potential of the new field, explaining that, in addition to football games and practices, soccer teams may use it for practice and as a backup game pitch in case of flooding or damage to the current soccer pitch. Other beneficiaries include the track & field, softball, and baseball teams. “This is something that can be used 12 hours per day,” Hartl said. Hartl also sees the new field as a potential recruiting tool, in particular because Luther would be one of the only schools in the world with a blue field. The field, she said, could attract students beyond just football players “I think [having a blue turf field] has really unique marketing implications,” Hartl said. “If we get a green field, we’ll just be catching up to everyone else. Lots of liberal arts colleges are looking to answer ‘Why us?’ and this adds to Luther’s list of answers to that question.” Hartl will meet with administration and Luther football staff on April 12 to determine cost, a specific installation date, a name for the field, and other details. Two the football staff members, Head Coach Aaron Hafner and Assistant Coach Raven Battle, declined to comment for this story.
France's Macron clashes with Le Pen, poll sees him as having best program Centrist Emmanuel Macron kept his position as favorite to win France's presidential election after a televised debate on Tuesday night in which he clashed sharply with his main rival, Marine Le Pen, over Europe, just 19 days before the election. U.N. calls for investigation into killing of Paraguayan protester A U.N. official on Tuesday called for an investigation into the killing of a Paraguayan protester during violent demonstrations last week, while President Horacio Cartes canceled an overseas trip to concentrate on resolving the country's political crisis. 169 Gambian migrants return after Libya prison ordeal 169 Gambian migrants returned home on Tuesday, after journeying across the Sahara in harsh conditions only to get stuck in Libya, most of them in jails far short of their intended destination in Europe. New U.S. sanctions bill delayed by concern over Iran election A bill to slap new sanctions on Iran has been delayed in the U.S. Senate due to concerns about Iran's May presidential election, in which conservative hardliners hope to defeat moderate President Hassan Rouhani, U.S. lawmakers said on Tuesday. Benin parliament rejects bill aiming to reduce presidential terms Benin's parliament narrowly rejected a draft bill by President Patrice Talon on Tuesday for a referendum to reform the constitution, including a provision to reduce presidential terms from the current two to one. Compiled from: reuters.com
Audience members listen as Nadia Bolz-Weber speaks about societal reforms in the Center for Faith and Life. Annika Vande Krol ('19) | Photo Bureau BOLZ-WEBER | PAGE 1 Associate Professor of History Robert Christman, who heads the Reformation commemoration planning committee, explained that the committee chose Bolz-Weber as its keynote speaker because of her presence within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) as well as her witty and provocative nature. Christman also felt that her talking points are particularly relevant to the Reformation. “Her message reaches beyond just the ELCA,” Christman said. “She articulates her understanding of how the impulses and ideas that came out of the Reformation are important, the degree to which they are important, and why they are still important 500 years after the Reformation.” Christman applauded Bolz-Weber’s speaking ability, pointing
to the widespread origins of many audience members — Canada, Germany, and across the Midwest — as proof. Christman explained that the lecture embodied Luther’s best academic and religious offerings, which motivated him to invite prospective students and Lutheran youth groups to the event. “Nadia Bolz-Weber is a well-known name among Lutheran youth groups,” Christman said. “We hoped that would stick out to future students who came to see her.” Haines was impressed with Bolz-Weber’s lecture. “This school is dedicated to encouraging the student body to express their Christian faith and grow as an individual,” Haines said. Bolz-Weber founded the House for All Sinners and Saints in Denver, Co. and has also written two New York Times bestselling novels.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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A&E EDITOR: ELIZABETH BONIN
APRIL 6, 2017
Musicians and dancers dare to trust Danica Kafton (‘18) and Inga Aleckson (‘18) practice during a rehearsal.
ANA LOPEZ STAFF WRITER Students and Decorah community members expressed the idea of trust through four dance performances as part of the Paideia series in the Center for the Arts Jewel Theater March 30 through April 1. Visiting Assistant Professor of Dance Andrea Vazquez-Aguirre directed and devised the dance to include different representations of trust. The dance piece, titled “Trust Me,” consisted of ten scenes that included dance, theatre, and music elements that incorporated solos and group pieces. According to VazquezAguirre, the American playwright Charles Mee—who writes plays in a collage—style of different found texts-inspired the style of “Trust Me.” The performance included readings from various poems, short stories, scientific articles, and interviews from politicians such as Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Pianist and composer James Kaufmann added details on the inspiration for the structure of “Trust Me.” “Charles Mee likes to make adaptable plays using various sources, encouraging them to adapt and change the piece,” Kaufmann said. “We liked the idea that we could take something from here and something from there. Different sources can support our theme.” Vazquez-Aguirre said that “Trust Me” explored the theme of trust in various ways by emulating Mee’s collage style. According to her, this feature of “Trust Me” complements the current Paideia theme. “I think that ‘Trust Me’ is bringing these different sources and voices around trust between countries, individuals, humans
and animals, and trust within yourself,” Vazquez-Aguirre said. “I think it is just rounding the conversation of how to understand and reflect altogether about trust. It is addressing all the possibilities around trust, that is our contribution to this conversation.” Vazquez-Aguirre wanted to continue the conversation of trust during rehearsals and dance classes. “During class we developed ideas of trusting one another and developing self trust,” VazquezAguirre said. “We also worked bigger ideas for different segments throughout the semester. It is play research.” One of the variations of the theme of trust included a scene of a whale and a diver. According to Vazquez-Aguirre, this scene intended to show the theme of trust between humans and animals as the story described the dangers of swimming with a whale. “I thought it was very thought provoking with all the scenes and the text,” attendee Melissa Kirby (‘19) said. Audience member Mikaela Reth (‘19) also enjoyed the whale scene. “Even though she never gets hurt everyone came together and everyone was doing their own thing,” Reth said. Another aspect highlighted was trust between the musicians and the dancers. The music used in the production was completely original and composed by Andrew Murray (‘18) and Kaufmann. According to VazquezAguirre, all rehearsals included the musicians so dancers and the musicians collaborated to create the piece. Both of the musicians also took an active role in the dance piece by appearing in multiple scenes.
Ana Lopez (‘19) | Chips Dance major Inga Aleckson (‘18) found “Trust Me’ to be a special opportunity as an artist. “I love that there is so much opportunity for improvising and expressing ourselves in the moment rather than trying to stick with a specific choreography,” Aleckson said. “I work way better with improvisation personally so that has been so enjoyable about this piece for me.” Aleckson went on to mention the rewards of participating in a dance production. “I feel like after every production [I have been in] I have taken away some sort of professional advice on how to work with people better,” Aleckson said. “Something that I think that we have all had to exercise a lot was patience for other people’s ideas because things don’t always come about super smoothly. ” Madi Brauer (‘19) thought the spontaneity and variety of dancing in the production kept the show interesting. “Having freedom to create and be creative was really fun,” Brauer said. “One thing I take away is learning how to listen, and express yourself within that.”
Community member Matthew Andreas and Madi Brauer (‘19) practice for the final performance. Ana Lopez (‘19) | Chips
FEATURES
PAGE 6 APRIL 6, 2017
FEATURES EDITOR: FRAN STEVENSON
Luther music celebrates the 500th anniversary of the Reformation Nordic Choir performs Bach’s Mass in B-minor.
Nathan Riley (‘18) | Photo Bureau
Luther College Symphony Orchestra, Nordic Choir, and guest musicians performed Bach’s ”Mass in B-minor,” a two hour oratorio, never previously performed by a collegiate choir, according to violinist Fiona Edberg (‘18).
JULIA CURTIS STAFF WRITER Nordic Choir, Symphony Orchestra, and select alumni artists performed Johann Sebastian Bach’s Mass in B-minor under the direction of Professor of Music Daniel Baldwin on April 1-2. The Saturday performance took place in the Center for Faith and Life and the Sunday performance took place in Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis, MN. The Music Department made the decision two years ago to perform Bach’s “Mass in B-minor” in conjunction with the Reformation planning committee and events. The music department knew that 2017 would be an oratorio year and wanted to contribute to the 500th anniversary celebrations. “We’ve been talking about this ‘Mass in B-Minor’ off and on for several years,” Associate Professor of Music and College Organist Gregory Peterson (‘83) said. “As the plans for the Reformation commemoration began to unfold it
Professor of Music Daniel Baldwin conducts Symphony Orchestra.
Nathan Riley (‘18) | Photo Bureau
Music Beth Ray Westlund (‘89), Grammy Award winner Aaron Sheehan (‘98), Matthew Stump (‘12), and Stacie Mickens (‘02). Luther College hired the trumpet soloist, Adam Gordon, from Fort Worth, TX, for this performance. “I have sung the ‘mass’ two other times as a soloist, but it [was] more than 15 years ago,” Westlund said. “So I prepared [for the ‘mass’] by studying the score, discovering what vocal and musical challenges are in each piece, and coming up with strategies to accomplish vocal and musical goals, listening to recordings, and reviewing text in context of the whole Latin.” To achieve the desired sound for the performance and accomodate for the difficulty of the music, fewer Symphony Orchestra members performed the piece with only Nordic Choir providing vocals. “Baroque playing is a lot different than what we’ve been playing because the instruments were different,” Symphony Orchestra violist Natalie Delcorps (‘19) said. “As an orchestra, we’ve been trying to become lighter to tailor to the music
and to the choir because the orchestra can [easily] play louder than the choir.” Rehearsals for the oratorio began in the fall of 2016 in preparation for the 2016 Christmas at Luther Concert, where the Nordic Choir, Symphony Orchestra, Collegiate Chorale, and Cathedral Choir performed the first two movements of the “Gloria” section: “Gloria in Excelsis” and “Et in terra pax.” Rehearsals for the rest of the piece began in January for Nordic Choir and February for Symphony Orchestra. From the beginning of the semester to the performance, choir members had 33 rehearsals to perfect the music. The last week before the concert, the performers had four rehearsals outside of their regular rehearsal time. “It’s exciting in the sense that it is a culmination in performances and concerts, but it also culminates in a mass and a long-lasting spiritual tradition,” Nordic choir member Kevin Honz (‘18) said. “There’s an amazing history behind the words and amazing power to the spirituality of it.”
seemed clearer to us that if we were going to do the ‘Mass in B-minor’ this would be the year to do it.” Bach composed his “Mass in B-minor” in four movements: “Missa” containing the Kyrie and Gloria; “Symbolum Nicenum” containing the Credo; “Sanctus;” and “Osana, Benedictus, Agnus Dei, and Dona Nobis.” Each of the movements then contained sections for soloists and the chorus. “This work is rarely performed because it is the biggest composition,” Nordic Choir member Meredith Diebold (‘18) said. “Usually there are only a couple movements of each of the settings in the mass, but Bach has several settings of each of the movements of the ‘mass’ and they are each really long and intricate.” The concert featured alum artists, whom Luther voice faculty selected based on their experience with Baroque music and their vocal flexibility. This was necessary because of the Baroque style’s fast, ornamental runs. The alum who performed were Kelly Holst (‘00), Laura Krumm (‘09), Associate Professor of
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FEATURES EDITOR: FRAN STEVENSON
APRIL 6, 2017
Teams splash in real life battleship OLIVIA ENQUIST STAFF WRITER Sixteen teams entered the Regents Center pool knowing that only one would emerge victorious. The Student Activities Council’s Special Events Committee and Recreational Services hosted the inaugural tournament of Battleship in the pool followed by a showing of the movie “Battleship” on April 1. Sixteen teams of four people each competed for first place by passing through multiple rounds of aquatic battle. The team names highlighted the creativity and humor of the event. The rules of the game were specifically designed to keep it fast-paced, since rounds longer than fifteen minutes often tired the competitors and made the game hard to continue to play. The
objective of the game was to be the last canoe in the pool, either by disqualifying other teams or sinking the other canoes. Each canoe contained three people throwing buckets of water and one person in the water guiding the boat. Assistant Director of Wellness Vicky Jaeger explained that while Recreational Services had to provide the canoes and lifejackets, the success of the team often lay in the tools teams brought. “Other than [moving the canoes], there’s not a lot of setup,” Jaeger said. “The teams have to bring their own buckets and shields. Meeting the captains was really quite fun because they were asking how big of buckets can we bring and what type of buckets can we bring. I was like ‘whatever you want to bring, you can. Whatever [you] think that [you] can lift to throw water into
the canoe.’” Battleship team members embodied Luther’s commitment towards sustainability as one of the most popular bucket choices were college-issued recycling bins. Although teams could use these buckets to sink or capsize other boats, they were not allowed to touch the other team’s canoes or bail out their own. Either of those offenses would result in a “penalty bucket.” Three penalty buckets resulted in the team’s disqualification. Referees were often encouraged to call penalties due to the chanting of the word “penalty” by sidelined teams. “My favorite part was probably the penalty bucket,” Audience member Cydney Rose (‘19) said. “When they were taking water out of their own boats or something like that they had the penalty
Tournament winners from left: Nathan Campbell (‘18), Natalie Wade (‘18), Sam Poppen (‘19), and Pablo Lopez Alonso (‘17). Olivia Enquist (‘19) | Chips
SHANNON BAKER STAFF WRITER
A
Team Holy Ship blocks an attack from another team. Olivia Enquist (‘19) | Chips bucket put in so that was really fun to watch.” Between rounds, Battleship competitor Kari Tanberg (‘19) commented on her team’s strategies.While each team needed to be moving at all times, there were areas of the pool to avoid. “Our strategy is pretty much not to tip,” Tanberg said. “Also, how to navigate through and not get trapped in the middle [of the pool]. The Diabolical Dolphins are a group that [we were] pretty concerned about.” The final round teams, named “Holy Ship” and the “Diabolical Dolphin Brigade,” battled for first place. “Holy Ship” reigned supreme as the “Diabolical Dolphin Brigade” took on too much water and capsized. Members of the winning team included: Nathan Campbell (‘18), Sam Poppen (‘19), Natalie Wade (‘18), and Pablo Lopez
Alonso (‘17). While recreational services has hosted events like dodgeball for charity and half-marathons for non-runners in the past, this was the first time that Battleship was hosted here at Luther. Team entries reached their maximum number. Jaeger, one of the head organizers for the event, explained that she first saw the concept on an email chain for intramural recreational services and was encouraged to organize the event because of their new equipment. “We have brand new canoes that have never been in the river, so we don’t have to worry about contaminates,” Jaeger said. “We thought this would be a great time to try it. We had done some research into the other schools that have done it and thought this would be another fun activity to offer here at Luther.”
Saying goodbye to Johns, Moeller
fter 18 years of teaching at Luther College, Professor of Communication Studies Mark Johns will retire after the 2017 spring semester. Johns began his Luther teaching career in 1999 as a part of the communication and linguistics department but is now soley involved with communication studies. According to Johns, he is the “media studies guy,” and he has primarily taught classes such as Intro to Mass Media, Public Relations, Persuasion Theory, Electronic Newsgathering, and Media Production Concepts. Johns also spent time abroad leading both the Nottingham program and the Malta program with his wife Mary. “I have always loved Intro to Mass Media because it is constantly
changing, so it is fun,” Johns said. “I teach the same basic approach each year, but the details change.” Communication Studies major Kristen Carlson (‘18) is currently enrolled in Johns’ Internet in the American Life course, but she has also taken Intro to Mass Media with him. According to Carlson, Johns’ teaching techniques are engaging, practical, and encourage her to improve her writing. “He has really stretched me as a writer and has made me view my writing as something that I publish for the world to critique as a representation of who I am,” Carlson said. “He is setting the bar really high, and I’ve wanted to meet that bar.” Though Johns said he will miss his colleagues
P
rofessor of Political Science John Moeller will be retiring after the 2017 spring semester after teaching at Luther since 1981. Initially Moeller taught law, political theory, and political science. He has not taught political science since 2016, but instead has taught philosophy and offcampus Paideia 450 study-
Mark Johns. Photo courtesy of Luther.edu. and the energy of Luther campus, he is excited to have time to work with amateur radio and electronics as well as spend time with his wife, children, and grandchildren. “We have a daughter in the Twin Cities and will eventually relocate there to be closer to her,” Johns said.
John Moeller. Photo courtesy of Luther.edu.
abroad courses. According to Moeller, he should have a business card that says “Paideia 450: will travel” because since 2008 he has traveled to London, Western Europe, Tanzania, Vietnam, and New Zealand. Throughout his years at Luther, Moeller gained great respect and noteriety among his students. Political science major Libby Morton (‘19) referred to Moeller as the “Weston Noble of the political science department,” and she said she was greatly influenced by Moeller’s classroom discussions and teaching techniques. “He is one of those great minds that puts little questions and thoughts in your mind that you would not have thought of before,” Morton said. “He plays Devil’s Advocate a lot and challenges you to think
outside of your ‘normal.’” Morton also acknowledged the great relationship Moeller has with his students outside of the classroom. In addition to his good-natured response after first years in Brandt Hall named the firstfloor bathroom “Moeller’s John” after him. Moeller’s attitude towards students is one of openness, according to Morton. “I just want to sit and have a conversation with him,” Morton said. “He doesn’t chide people, he asks for opinions, and he strengthens your beliefs.” After his career at Luther College, Moeller is not sure what he will do during retirement. “I haven’t given it a second of thought,” Moeller said. “But I will miss the students a lot. That is the most valuable and most exciting part [of Luther].”
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
PAGE 8 APRIL 6, 2017
A&E EDITOR: ELIZABETH BONIN
“Lulito’s World:” Childhood imagination brought to life LILY KIME STAFF WRITER Lulito shrinks after eating a jellybean, is chased by a lizard, braves the rough seas within the bathtub, and rescues his sidekick Charlie from a bear’s den that seems a bit like his mom’s room. Pablo Gómez Estévez (‘17) presented “Lulito’s World,” his story of childhood imagination blended with an original composition at ArtHaus on March 30. This was the final performance of this year’s Water Street Music Series. “Lulito’s World” is about an imaginative four year old boy named Lulito and the adventures that he has with the help of his sidekick Charlie Canillas. According to Estévez, the story is autobiographical and based on his own adventures as a young boy. Kristin Underwood, a member of the Water Street Music Series board and co-founder of ArtHaus, performed the verbal part of the story. In addition to the spoken tale, Estévez composed music for each of the 11 scenes. “From the beginning, the idea was to write something that I could base music off of,” Estévez said. The creation of “Lulito’s World” began three years ago. After writing
Pablo Gómez Estévez (‘17) and Kristin Underwood present “Lulito’s World” at ArtHaus. Lily Kime (‘19) | Chips the story, Estévez received a grant from Luther that allowed him to spend seven weeks during the summer of 2015 writing the music for the project with Associate Professor of Music and ComposerIn-Residence Brooke Joyce. In May of 2016, Estévez presented “Lulito’s World” and spoke about his future plans to have it illustrated at the Student Research Symposium. Underwood became involved when
requested to participate in a project for the Water Street Music Series. Underwood’s husband mentioned Estévez’s creation and suggested that she work with him on creating a live performance. Underwood and Estévez then collaborated to create the liveperformance version of “Lulito’s World.” “My job was to go through the 11 scenes and take more descriptive
notes and turn them into text that could be spoken in conjunction with the music,” Underwood said. Underwood and Estévez taught each other about different aspects of artistic creation in order to assist in the performance. “In general, the most difficult thing about the project for me is that I’m not nearly as musically literate as Pablo is,” Underwood said. “Pablo would say, ‘Just listen for the triplets
and come in,’ and I don’t hear that the way he hears it. So my music literacy was a little bit of a stumbling block.” Audience member Samantha Phillips (‘17) thought the show was a success. “I thought it was a heartwarming tale that captured Pablo’s personality perfectly,” Phillips said. Co-founder of the Water Street Music Series Daniel Fernelius (‘13) was impressed with the talent that connected Luther and the Decorah community. “When you have this much talent in this one little spot, it’s hard to go wrong,” Fernelius said. “Kristin has over 20 years of experience doing what she’s doing, and Pablo is so great that he can make all of this happen.” For Estévez, this performance was the beginning of his future plans. His goals include an animation, a printed and illustrated book, and an e-book. Estévez is proud of what he has accomplished so far. “When a dream comes true, this is what it looks like: a lot of hard work,” Estevez said. Estevez and Underwood will be giving another performance of “Lulito’s World” on April 6 at 7 p.m. in the Noble Recital Hall in JensenNoble Hall of Music.
Local artist presents: “Winn Co Op” exhibition GILLIAN KLEIN VOLUNTEER WRITER As a child, Decorah native Luke Severson used to sled down the hill behind Korsrud Annex before it was constructed. Now the Instructor of Ceramics at University of Nebraska-Omaha, Severson returned to Decorah to present a collection of sculptures called “Winn Co Op” in the Kristin Wigley-Fleming Fine Arts Gallery in the Center for the Arts (CFA). The gallery opened on March 30 for Decorah community members, Luther faculty, and students to enjoy. Outside the classroom, Luke Severson is the owner/operator of Morelic,
an art-focused contracting consulting company in object design and production. Severson’s display was not originally designed specifically for Luther. However, Severson’s ties to Decorah are the primary inspiration behind “Winn Co Op.” “Most of my work is quite nostalgic as I was born and raised in this town,” Severson said. All the sculptures on display at Luther represent symbols of hard work and labor and how culture manipulates those symbols. Severson creates displays that showcase his relatable symbolism. According to Severson, his goal is to draw viewers in.
Community member’s discuss Luke Severson’s gallery near the cinder block wall piece. Gillian Klein (‘20) | Chips “I don’t use my art to create a statement or expect viewers to take anything specifically from my art,” Severson said. “My art is in a gallery and is there to be looked at and approached, that’s about as far as I go with my work.” The journey leading to his display at Luther was not so simple. “I found myself finishing college with a degree I had no idea what I was going to do with,” Severson said. “I was working in the industrial technology department at the University of Northern Iowa and I had access to all of these tools and equipment I had never had access
to before. I realized I was not an engineer making something for a purpose. I just wanted to make something.” As a part of this creative process, Severson designed the display using canoes, vases, swords, and even a pegboard. One of Severson’s most notable key pieces on display is a cinder block wall. “There were fewer items than I expected but this adds more significance in a way,” community member Matthew Andreas said. “All of the objects are quite commonplace but this draws viewers in. It makes viewers ask ‘why?’”
The display only consists of four pieces composed from varying everyday objects. This is a smaller number of showpieces than what is typically displayed in the gallery. Andreas said that the simplicity works well for Severson. “Most of my work is serendipitous,” Severson said. “At the time I began constructing my pieces, President Trump was talking about building a wall. My work is times influenced by the news and world around me.” Campus and community members can view Severson’s gallery display in the CFA until April 19.
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.
APRIL 6, 2017
EDITORIAL
Is this the end of Liberal Arts at Luther College? The Merriam Webster dictionary defines liberal arts as college studies “intended to provide chiefly general knowledge and to develop general intellectual capacities (such as reason and judgment) as opposed ELIZABETH BONIN to professional or A&E EDITOR vocational skills.” Luther College’s mission statement says that “As a liberal arts college, Luther is committed to a way of learning that moves us beyond immediate interests and present knowledge into a larger world — an education that disciplines minds and develops whole persons equipped to understand and confront a changing society.” When I compare the definition of liberal arts and Luther’s mission statement to how the college is changing, I fear that the college is becoming a weaker liberal arts institution. As a high school senior, I was drawn to Luther because of the variety of classes I could explore. Though I knew I wanted to study English, I was excited to take other courses that intrigued me. I did not have to restrict myself solely to English classes. German quickly became one of my favorite classes. While taking Mass Media, I became fascinated with Communications Studies and added a double major. In Paideia 450 I am exploring the ethics of memory and memorials to aid my critical thinking when examining museums, monuments, and general history. I am also taking Nutrition, which has made me more aware of which foods I am consuming and how much. In addition to my major-required courses, I believe exploring outside my double major has helped me become a critical thinker and more aware of the world around me. Luther is threatening to cut multiple majors that would weaken our status as a liberal arts school.
If German, Russian, and the Chinese program get cut, our student body will be limited in terms of the languages we can choose to take. We are limited to explore fewer cultures. If these languages are cut, who is to say languages as a whole will not be eliminated in the future? Intersections is another area that allows students to widen their world view. Dance allows us to explore the world through physical movement. Athletic training gives students a hands-on opportunity to learn about care and prevention of athletic injuries. Though philosophy is not a proposed major to cut, the department faculty has shrunk significantly. If these majors are cut or severely limited, we will have fewer opportunities to practice critical thinking and expand our worldview. I understand that enrollment is down and therefore the college is struggling to keep certain majors that don’t attract as many students. Yet majors in the sciences — such as neuroscience and data science — have been added to the curriculum. This is not to discredit the sciences. Those majors are vital to our society. But if Luther is adding to the sciences and cutting from humanities and languages, I wonder just how much Luther actually values a liberal arts education. I realize that Luther brings in a great deal of students who are interested in the sciences, so of course the administration wants to capitalize on that. However, a great deal of students also came to Luther because they wanted to take classes outside their major to challenge themselves. Upon hearing about full department and faculty cuts, students may choose a different liberal arts college with more options. Perhaps investing more money in the sciences and cutting humanities is not the surest way to increase enrollment As of today, I still consider Luther to be a liberal arts college, though perhaps not the strongest. If administration continues to cut humanities while expanding and investing in the sciences, Luther will cease to be the unique liberal arts college it claims to be. I hope those who truly value a liberal arts education will reevaluate options to aid finances and enrollment.
The Norse Poll
Do you think that Luther is losing it’s liberal arts identity by cutting pertinent liberal arts programs?
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
“There is a fine balance between balancing the budget with our liberal arts values and I think its really important to encourage students to be well-rounded but there are practical implications.” -Emily Fuller (‘19)
“I think the cuts are necessary because we don’t have the funds, nor do the departments considering being cut have enough participants. That being said if in the future we do have the funds I believe they should be brought back.” -Andrew Botz (‘17)
“I think one of the reasons it is losing its [liberal arts identity] is part of Luther is going to be very restricted. I feel like one of the most important parts of a liberal arts college is different languages [which were in the email as departments being cut].” -Anthony Ramon Perez Soto (‘20)
OPINION
PAGE 10 APRIL 6, 2017
MANAGING EDITOR: MAKEDA BARKLEY
TO THE EDITOR
Sexual Assault Awareness Month April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Help us to raise public awareness about sexual violence and educate communities on how to prevent it. This year’s theme, “Engaging New Voices,” builds on the idea that we are stronger together and that new partners and community members are needed to expand sexual assault prevention efforts. We can all help the next generation foster attitudes that promote healthy relationships, equality, and respect. For the past 25 years, Riverview Center has proudly provided the healing and justice survivors of sexual violence deserve, free of charge. Get engaged this April during Sexual Assault Awareness Month by joining Riverview Center in ending sexual assault. Here are some ways to get involved: •Attend an event. Riverview Center is partnering with The Depot Outlet and Luther College Norse Against Sexual Assault (NASA) to bring Riley Dennis to Decorah on April 27th at 7p.m. at Luther College in Valders 206. Riley Dennis is a non-binary trans woman, writer, YouTuber, activist, and educator. She worked as the Editor-in-Chief of the newspaper “Quaker Campus”, where she pushed Whittier College to reform how they dealt with cases of sexual assault. Dennis will be speaking about specific examples of rape culture on college campuses and identifying ways for us to fix them, both on the individual and administrative levels. •Wear denim on Denim Day, Wednesday, April 26. For the past 17 years, Peace over Violence
has run a Denim Day campaign during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The campaign was started due to a ruling by the Italian Supreme Court that overturned a rape conviction because the justices felt the victim’s tight jeans required her to help her rapist remove them, thereby implying consent. The following day, the women in the Italian Parliament came to work wearing jeans in solidarity with the victim. If your workplace is interested in participating in Denim Day, please contact Gwen Bramlet-Hecker at gwen@riverviewcenter.org to learn more. •Buy coffee to support free services for survivors. Stop into Java John’s during the month of April to buy a SAAM Mocha and a portion of the sales will benefit Riverview Center and free services for survivors of sexual assault. Nearly one in five women and one in 71 men are victims of sexual assault (Black et al., 2011). We all have a role to play in preventing sexual violence in our community. Our actions, big and small, have a ripple effect on those we teach, guide, and influence. From modeling healthy behavior to addressing inappropriate conduct, everyone can make a difference. Signed, Jessica Rupp Riverview Center Volunteer Coordinator
EDITORIAL
In defense of Common Core State Standards If you were to ask me two and a half years ago what frustrated me — an education major about to enter college — most about our educational system, I very likely would have said that it was the Common Core. At the OLIVIA BENSON time, I would occasionally HEAD COPY EDITOR see numerous posts from friends on Facebook about how ridiculous Common Core math was and how frustrated they were about helping their children with it. Or I would come across conservative articles decrying the Common Core, suggesting that it was keeping schools from teaching what they wanted to teach. Even now, many of my friends unfamiliar with education are shocked when I say that, as a preservice teacher, the Common Core State Standards are the best, most effective tool and guide for me as I prepare to enter the field of education. For those unfamiliar with the Common Core, it is, according to its website, “a clear set of goals and expectations for what knowledge and skills will help our students succeed.” For almost every grade level and subject, the Common Core provides a series of benchmarks for content knowledge and skills, a guidebook for what a given child should know in a specific grade anywhere in the U.S. In theory, the Common Core effectively allows a
student to move to any state in the U.S. and have similar content knowledge and skills as the students there, meaning that teachers do not (hypothetically) have to play catch-up with a new student. The Common Core State Standards benefit both students and teachers and ultimately strive to maintain a high standard for the quality of education in the U.S. Why then has the Common Core been stigmatized in the U.S.? Why did current Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos herself call it a “federalized boondoggle” on her personal website? Why are so many Americans deeply misinformed about the standards and their intentions? The answers to these questions are more complicated and involved than can possibly be explained in one opinion article. But I do feel that the misrepresentation of the Common Core speaks to a larger problem in the U.S. today. Those who shout the loudest — which in this case are misinformed citizens — are often given more recognition, making the discourse seem one-sided. Platforms like these do not lead to uninformed citizens changing their opinions or gaining deeper understanding of the issue, often it leads to them feeling justified in their opinion that is based on non-facts. It’s a culture like this that allows the Common Core to become undervalued and stereotyped. Why shouldn’t we have standards for the quality of the education of U.S. students? Subjects like reading, history, math, and science do not and can not change depending on geographic location in the country. Meaning that national standards are relevant no matter where a student lives, negating the need for standards of unknown quality developed
by local or state governments. Further, the Common Core is not a curriculum. It has never pretended to be. It is a set of goals, a benchmark and an end point for students. Students will be asked to make and reach goals their whole life, their schooling can be an opportunity for them to develop the ability to achieve goals and standards. Yes, sometimes those standards might be inappropriate, and yes they are imperfect. But that does not mean that the Common Core is failing U.S. students. If anything, the population of teachers is failing students. But that’s a whole other argument. In almost any career or vocation, workers are given an idea of their objective and how to get there, the work that needs to be accomplished. The Common Core provides this structure for teachers and students, creates a blueprint for the education of the average student. It is developmentally appropriate, and was written with input from teachers. Yes, it still can be stifling or controlling for some teachers. But that does not mean that we as a country forgo providing a quality education to our children, that we cease to hold our Department of Education to the high standards that we, the citizens need. I’m not asking you to become a Common Core advocate, or to go challenge ever disgruntled parent on Facebook. What you can do, however, is to not blindly buy into the rhetoric that the Common Core State Standards are stifling creativity and a burden to teachers. Acknowledge your own misconceptions, and don’t be afraid to educate yourself. The Common Core State Standards are accessible online for free at www.corestandards.org .
TO THE EDITOR
Take the pledge: no more derogatory “R-word” Retard. This is a word that many of us have probably heard at some point in our lives. You may have heard someone say something along the lines of “that’s so retarded” or “don’t be such a retard” when describing a person or an action. Over the years, the R-word has become a common taunt used to make fun of others. Often times the word is used to describe behavior that is clumsy, hapless, or hopeless. What seems like harmless teasing to the people using the R-word is everything but that to the millions of people that have an intellectual disability in our world. The use of the R-word is hurtful, dehumanizing, and derogatory. Even in fairly recent history, the R-word used to be neutral in its use as a medical label for people with intellectual disabilities. What was once a medical term has transformed into a new meaning, one that is often synonymous
with the words “idiot” or “moron.” What has not been lost over the years, though, is the direct connection that this word has to the large community of people with intellectual disabilities. This community of people is one that already faces challenges and inequalities when it comes to employment, transportation, governmental assistance, and social inclusion. The use of the R-word only serves to further perpetuate unjust stereotypes and prevent this community of people from being able to receive the respect they deserve. During my time at Luther, I have been fortunate to be in a community where the vast majority of people understand the effects and gravity of using the R-word. Yet, this doesn’t mean I have gone my previous four years without having heard it or that the stigma generated by using the word doesn’t exist outside
of the Luther bubble. When the R-word is used, the hardest thing to do is to stand up for the marginalized community that is affected and hurt by that word choice. Multiple occasions have passed where I heard the R-word being used and failed to do anything about it. While someone differently abled may not have been present to hear the word being said, there is still no excuse for failing to address the use of a word that undermines an important group of people in our society. Moving forward, I ask that you join us in spreading the word to end the R-word. Being willing to stop using the word yourself and start a conversation with others about the use of the R-word is crucial in creating an environment that is more accepting to people with disabilities. In the words of Oregon Special Olympics athlete Dony Knight, “When you say the “R-word” it
makes people feel bad and it hurts my feelings and I don’t want to hear you guys say it. Instead, you can call me a leader, a hero, or a human being, but please don’t call me the “R-word.” From Wednesday through Friday of this week, members from the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will be tabling in the Union from 11a.m.-1p.m. to help spread the word to end the word. Please consider stopping by our table to take the pledge and learn more about how you can help spread the word to end the R-word. Much still needs to be done before people with intellectual disabilities hold equal standing in our society. However, pledging to spread the word to end the R-word is a simple first step that will help foster inclusivity. Signed, Patrick Larson (‘17)
SPORTS
PAGE 11
APRIL 6, 2017
SPORTS EDITOR: KATRINA MEYER
Norse of the Week KATRINA MEYER SPORTS EDITOR Pitcher Annie Versnik (‘17) was named Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) Athlete of the Week for March 1926. During this time, Luther Softball was competing at their tournament in Florida. During the tournament Versnik posted a 4-0 record over 24 innings. She let in no runs, only nine hits, eight strikeouts, and two walks. She held her opponents to a .113 batting average. This brings Versnik’s overall record to 8-1 with a .27 Earned Run Average (ERA). Luther softball’s record is now 18-2 going in to Conference games. What does it mean to be named IIAC Athlete of the Week? It was a really cool honor to get, especially being my first time. But honestly, whatever I can do to help the team out in any way is the most rewarding thing for me. How we do at the end of the day is most important, and whatever I can do to help is awesome. How does it feel for the team to have had such a great start to the season?
It feels really good. Going to Florida was it inning by inning, at bat by at bat, and such an important stretch for us. We got pitch by pitch and do whatever we can in each situation. 12 games in and it was a good When did you start playing confidence booster going softball and why? into Conference play. We I started with tee-ball in play in one of the toughest Kindergarten and then fast pitch conferences in Division started in second grade. I played III, so getting off to a good every sport when I was younger. start is always helpful getting into some of the Something about pitching hardest competition we really stuck out to me. I will see coming up. thought the underhand motion was so cool and What are some it took me a long time goals for the to get consistent. team now that Do you have any Conference role models that you games have look up to? started? The typical one We really for softball is Jennie just want to Finch. What she take it day by did for the sport day. We don’t and what she is want too look continuing to do is to far ahead incredible. I would to an outright say my mom is also goal. We just Annie Versnik (‘17) want to take Photo Courtesy of luther.edu an inspiration. She
played softball in high school and really got me into the sport. What is your favorite thing about playing softball at Luther? The team. You step onto campus your freshman year and instantly have 22 best friends. Having that team atmosphere is so rewarding and it’s so nice to be playing the game you love with everyone who also loves it. Do you have a favorite memory playing softball at Luther? Honestly, all of our bus trips. I wouldn’t say a specific game was my favorite. Spending time all together is the best. We make boring situations so much fun. There is never a dull moment. If you could change one rule in softball, what would it be and why? One rule that has recently been implemented that I’m a big fan of is making the pace of the game quicker. Our sport is starting to get slow with coaches giving signs and calling pitches. They are trying to speed up the game. Our catcher calls our own pitches, so we are able to keep a good pace going.
Track competes in Viking Olympics EMMA BUSCH STAFF WRITER The Men’s and Women’s Track and Field teams competed in their first outdoor meet of the season at the Augustana-Rock Island Viking Olympics in Rock Island, IL, on April 1. The men’s team took fifth place out of nine teams with 64.5 points, while the women’s team took ninth place out of eleven teams with 60 points. Top finishers for the men included Elijah Kane (‘18) who finished third in the decathalon, Lucas Kane (‘18) who finished third for javelin, and Patrick Finnegan (‘18) who finished third in the 3000m steeplechase. Top finishers for the women included Morgan Sammons (‘18) who finished second in the heptathlon, McKenzie
Ananda Easley (‘19) Photo courtesy of Kat Hoffman (‘20)
Carney (‘18) who finished second in the 5000m, and Stephanie Murray (‘17) who finished fourth in the 800m. According to Head Coach of Track and Field Jeff Wettach (‘79), this meet was an important opportunity for both teams to get into a competitive mindset. “This meet in particular is more detailed than others because we haven’t had a competition since February, the end of our indoor season,” Wettach said. “From that perspective, everything we’ve done since the end of February has been geared towards the outdoor season in general, but I consider this meet the biggest on our schedule.” Wettach also said that this meet in particular is interesting to compete in because of the team’s close ties to Augustana. “A unique thing about this meet is that we have a close relationship with Augustana College,” Wettach said. “Their head coach for their men’s team is a Luther graduate. We have a really close relationship with the college, and this is the 76th Annual Meet of the Viking Olympics, so it’s fun to be part of that.” According to Murray, the transition from the indoor track and field season to the outdoor season is exciting, but it is not without its challenges. “It’s great to be able to run with my teammates and it’s an exciting time to finally be out racing again,” Murray said. “I think we always see a lot of improvement from indoor to outdoor because we build upon our training. Outdoor track gets a little tricky, because sometimes the field
events aren’t in the same location as the track, whereas in indoor track everything is all together and we can all support each other. When we transition to outdoor, we have to be more intentional about going out to cheer for the people in the field events.” According to women’s distance runner Martel DenHartog (‘19), the outdoor season is also more competitive than the indoor season. “The main difference is just that we get to compete outside and usually these events are a little more competitive than indoor meets,” DenHartog said. “We have a lot more training in us and a lot more miles that we’ve run, so we kind of tailor or season to outdoor and try to be more competitive.” Men’s distance runner Grant Sparstad (‘19) says that the amount of training the team does in preparation for the outdoor season allows them to work towards improving their times.
“I think the guys overall are a little bit fitter [during the outdoor season], so we run faster times,” Sparstad said. “We compete more with the other teams in our conference because we train to run our best times outdoors, whereas other teams might try to win an indoor title. We choose to go for the outdoor and compete during this season. We have a really deep team and a lot of talent, so I think it’ll be fun to see if some guys rise to the occasion and put in some good times.” Wettach says that he stresses the importance of individual growth and improvement to his athletes rather than the amount of points they earn in competition. “I don’t worry about points,” Wettach said. “We work more on process and performances versus results. One of the topics I like to focus on is pursuing excellence because everybody on the team, regardless of their ability, has the
chance to become more excellent than they are right now. So we look to just keep progressing and getting better and building our team as we grow.”
Patrick Larson (‘17) Photo courtesy of Photo Bureau
SPORTS
PAGE 12
SPORTS EDITOR: KATRINA MEYER
APRIL 6, 2017
Baseball and Softball open season at home First baseman Natalie Stockman (‘18) gets an out. Katrina Meyer (‘19) / Chips
Norse go 4-1, with both teams winning opening home series
Wartburg Buena Vista Dubuque Coe Luther Nebraska Wes. Loras Simpson Central
IIAC 3-0 4-2 4-2 3-3 3-3 3-3 2-4 2-4 0-3
Recent Scores
Overall 12-7 11-8 10-8 10-6 10-7 10-12 8-11 5-13 8-11
April 1 vs. Coe College W 3-1 April 1 vs. Coe College W 5-4
Upcoming Schedule
April 7 vs. Wartburg College April 8 vs. Wartburg College
Luther Coe Wartburg Loras Buena Vista Central Nebraska Wes. Dubuque Simpson
IIAC 2-0 2-0 2-0 1-1 1-1 0-0 0-2 0-2 0-2
Overall 20-2 19-2 14-8 13-5 12-6 18-4 13-9 8-12 5-15
Recent Scores
April 1 vs. Nebraska Wesleyan University W 9-2 April 1 vs. Nebraska Wesleyan University W 10-0
Upcoming Schedule
Katrina Meyer (‘19) / Chips
The women’s softball team and the men’s baseball team both returned from spring break to play home openers this past week. On March 28, the Norse women won their home series against Saint Mary’s. The first game in the new Betty Hoff Stadium was a celebratory occasion. Aside from the joy of winning, Pitcher Annie Versnick (‘17) said the atmosphere made the game memorable. “The introductions [were special], seeing all the fans come out,” Versnick said. “I turned to someone and said: ‘look at how beautiful our stadium is, playing in March in 60 degrees, it does not get better than this.’”
Baseball
Softball
Cody Reimer (‘17) pitches. NORA FELT STAFF WRITER
Weekly Standings
Coming off of a spring break trip to Florida, the Norse women gained experience with adversity. They lost their first two games in Florida, but responded by winning the rest of their games. “We didn’t sulk and feel sorry for ourselves,” Kaeli Kovarick (‘18) said, “We learned from our mistakes and it made us a better team.” That spirit showed in the opener: despite St. Mary scoring two home runs in the first inning, putting the Norse down 2-0, the Norse were able to bounce back. “We knew we had the ability to score the runs and win,” Kovarick said. “It was fun to see the offense come to life. It didn’t seem like anyone really struggled, everyone just learned from everyone else. Offensively
and defensively we played really well; outs being thrown from the knee, dive plays — it was awesome.” The Norse women won the home series 10-2 and 10-4. On March 31, baseball lost their first game against Coe College, 4-2. Despite the initial loss, the Norse responded on Saturday winning both games, 5-4 and 3-1 and winning the series overall. The first game was tied 4-4 at the end of the ninth, but the Norse pulled through, winning in the 11th inning with a run scored by Jake Vogt (‘19) on a balk. The Norse men spent spring break in Arizona and played nine games in seven days. Their focus was on playing a more consistent game. “We keep level heads,
never too high of highs or too low of lows,” Ben Voss (‘17) said. “We are hitting well, pitching well, and fielding well, it is just putting all that together consistently.” Senior Jon Opdahl (‘17) also commented on consistency and is excited about the Norse’s potential. “Our drive to win is there,” Opdahl said. “Our motivation is high, we just need to put the pieces together. What we really need to improve on is hitting, to get timely hits, and make our opportunities count.” Both teams have their next games at home. The Norse men play on Tuesday, April 4 against Coe College, and the Norse women play Wednesday, April 5 against UW- La Crosse.
April 8 vs. Coe College April 9 vs. UW- River Falls
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 7-4 7-3 4-5 7-7 5-7-1 1-8 0-15
Recent Scores
March 22 vs Elmhurst College W 7-2 March 23 vs Kalamazoo College L 9-0
Upcoming Schedule
April 8 vs Carleton College April 13 vs Winona State University
Men’s Tennis Coe Luther Dubuque Wartburg Buena Vista Loras Central Nebraska Wes. Simpson
IIAC 5-0 3-0 1-0 1-1 2-4 1-2 1-2 1-3 0-3
Overall 17-4 13-3 6-3 6-10 4-14 9-3 4-14 3-11 5-9
Recent Scores
April 1 vs. Creighton University L 7-0 April 1 vs. Nebraska Wesleyan University W 9-0
Upcoming Schedule
April 8 vs. Carleton College April 9 vs. Wartburg College