Softball claims third consecutive conference tournament title
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“Dancing with the Luther Stars” features ballroom dancers and college faculty
Luther alums continue Sugar Bowl tradition EST. 1884
MAY 11, 2017 • VOLUME 139, NO. 22
Community voices opinions in response to artificial blue turf field
A computer-generated mock-up of the artificial blue turf field. The design is still subject to change.
DANNY MAY NEWS EDITOR In light of the college’s plans to install a blue artificial turf football field, students, faculty, and staff members alike have voiced opinions both in favor of and in opposition to the new facility. Proponents say that the field will distinguish Luther from other schools, while critics point to it as a polarizing eyesore. According to Vice President for Development Jim Jermier, the blue coloring for the artificial turf field will cost more than the usual green coloring, which he said the college has budgeted for in its donor fundraising goal of $1.7 million. “Depending on [which installation
vendor] is selected, [the blue coloring] would be anywhere from the high teens to upper thirty thousand [dollar] range,” Jermier said. Other costs associated with the new field, including replacements for the surface and underlying pad and changes to the track and the surrounding landscaping, are also built into the fundraising goal. The fundraising goal will be met entirely through private donor gifts. Jermier explained that, as of May 8, the college was still working toward that goal and that the Luther Board of Regents will need to approve the project for this upcoming summer at its May 12-13 meeting. BLUE TURF | PAGE 4
Photo courtesy of Rob Larson and Eric Runestad
College administrators and President Paula Carlson (second from right) pose during a groundbreaking session for the new artificial turf football field. Kate Knepprath (‘17) | Photo Bureau
St. Olaf College students demonstrate against racial aggressions SHASA SARTIN STAFF WRITER Over 1,000 St. Olaf community members congregated on their campus on May 1 to protest a number of racist and threatening acts against students that have occurred since October 2016. Like Luther’s group Standing For Social Justice (SFSJ), St. Olaf student group A Collective for Change on the Hill presented their college’s administration with a list of demands — alternatively named ‘terms and conditions of negotiation’ — aimed at improving the St. Olaf student experience holistically in response to
these incidents. The latest incident at St. Olaf occurred when an unidentified subject(s) left a series of derogatory notes on the windshields of black students’ cars. “I am so glad that you are leaving soon,” the note read. “One less n****r that this school has to deal with. You have spoken up too much. You will change nothing. Shut up or I will shut you up.” Krysta Wetzel of St. Olaf, a leader in the protest movement, was frustrated by St. Olaf community members’ lack of action prior to the aggressive incidents. “People care about these [hate speech incidents], but a lot of things are
Religion department makes changes LILY KIME STAFF WRITER
going on that aren’t as visible that get ignored,” Wetzel said in an interview with the Manitou Messenger, the student newspaper at St. Olaf. Luther student Joshua Gonzalez (‘18) of SFSJ shares Wetzel’s sentiment and feels that Luther faces similar issues. “I think that the situation with St. Olaf got a lot more attention than a lot of the incidents that happen here,” Gonzalez said. “For whatever reason, people — and by people I mean administration [at Luther] — don’t feel like the things that students are expressing to them are as serious because they can’t see it or haven’t seen it.”
The religion department will require its students to take classes from four different categories starting in fall 2017, an expansion from its current two categories. The decision comes from reviews done by the department, assessments collected from graduating senior majors, and a growing realization by the department its major and minor were no longer meeting student needs. The major and minor formerly had two categories: two classes in one particular religious tradition and two in another tradition. Now, however, the major and minors will take classes from the following four categories instead of two: texts, traditions, issues, and interactions.
ST. OLAF | PAGE 4
RELIGION | PAGE 4
NEWS
PAGE 2 MAY 11, 2017
NEWS EDITORS: DANNY MAY & JACOB WAREHIME
Lecturer Morris addresses media's role in justice and forgiveness
Continuing lecturer of Religion at Augustana College Daniel Morris lecturers in Valders 206. BEN SELCKE STAFF WRITER Continuing lecturer of Religion at Augustana College Daniel Morris gave a lecture titled "Trusting a God of Justice: On
Forgiveness and the Unarmed Black Man." The lecture was held in Valders 206 on May 2. Approximately 70 people attended. Morris’s lecture focused on how people, especially those in the media, have come to understand the killing of unarmed black
Students listen and take notes during the lecture.
Nathan Riley ('18) | Photo Bureau
Nathan Riley ('18) | Photo Bureau
men, saying “I see a deficit of trust playing at the heart of this phenomenon.” Morris stated that the killing of black men was not a new phenomenon, but that society’s ability to capture these scenes on camera has changed. The lecture also focused on the media’s insistence on asking families of victims to forgive their loved one’s killer. Morris said that this act has become a ritual in an attempt to bring order to the situation. “I think the media coverage could be better if journalists refrained from asking black families if they are willing to forgive their loved ones’ killers,” Morris said. Morris also said that this lecture is especially important for college students to hear. “I enjoy talking to college students most because they are particularly passionate and because they are often open to new arguments and different perspectives in ways
that older citizens are not,” Morris said. In an interview for Chips, Morris said he saw his lecture as a call for white Christians to help seek equality. “The responsibility to love the oppressed and seek justice for them means, in the U.S. context, that white Christians must do a better job of getting involved in conversations about race, cultivating the virtue of solidarity, and making sacrifices on behalf of those who suffer from racial injustice,” Morris said. Attendee Rebecka Green (‘19) acknowledged the specific impact that the lecture could have on Luther students. “The lecture tied in the religious aspect which is important to many students,” Green said. “Since we are a Lutheran college, it really helps to tie in two areas, [the other being social justice].” Morris’s lecture will be the last lecture given by the religion department until the fall of 2017.
Iowa Rep. Mark Smith calls for social workers to stand up OLIVIA ENQUIST STAFF WRITER Iowa representative Mark Smith gave the keynote talk of the Don Kemp Memorial Lecture, titled "Social Workers Stand Up” on May 2. Smith talked about the history of social work and its major influencers, as well as how future social workers should look to the past for inspiration in continuing their work. In addition to the talk, the Don Kemp Memorial Lecture also included the induction of new members to the program's Lambda Theta chapter of the Phi Alpha National Social Work Honor Society, as well as awarding two scholarships. The Don Kemp Memorial lecture works to bring in speakers that address a yearly topic chosen for the Social Workers month. This year the topic was “Social Workers Stand Up.” Therefore, the social work department worked to bring in a speaker that connected both social work as a job and understanding
social policy. Smith began his talk by outlining a brief history of social work, as social work has only existed in its modern definition for about one hundred years. He highlighted important figures from its history and
different facets of public service. “As social workers, we uphold six core values from our code of ethics,” Schmidt said. “One of these values is social justice, which entails ‘standing up’ particularly for those who are vulnerable or oppressed. Social workers have a simultaneous duty to practice these values towards individuals as well as towards the broader society. I hope that Mark's example inspires some of our Luther College social work students to also pursue public service, whether by working for a county child welfare program, a statewide agency, or by seeking elected office at the local, state, or federal level.” Smith also acknowledged that the current political climate posed issues to social workers, specifically that the repealing of the Affordable Care Act will significantly impact the population that social workers work directly with. “If social workers can accomplish as much in the next 100 years as they have in the past 100, then we have a bright future ahead of us,” Smith said.
“If social workers can accomplish as much in the next one hundred years as they have in the past one hundred, then we have a bright future ahead of us.” - Iowa Rep. Mark Smith explained their continuing importance today. He said that figures like Jane Adams or Jeanette Rankins were the shoulders upon which occured. Visiting Assistant Professor of Social Work Susan Schmidt said she hopes that students look to Smith as an example of a social worker engaged in multiple
NEWS
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NEWS EDITORS: DANNY MAY & JACOB WAREHIME
MAY 11, 2017
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76/54 Mariam Abu-Ali addresses the audience. Behind Abu-Ali are posters of those imprisoned under the auspices of terrorism-related investigations. Annika Vande Krol ('19) | Photo Bureau
Islam and pre-emptive incarceration SAM MITCHELL STAFF WRITER Ikraan Abdurahmān, Mariam Abu-Ali and Human rights lawyer Kathy Manley, gave a lecture titled “Islam and Pre-emptive Incarceration” on May 3. The lecture was the final part in the Center for Ethics and Public Engagement’s (CEPE) “Tough Talk, Calm Voices” lecture series. The lecture gave an introduction into the U.S. criminal justice system and the imprisonment of those who are in contact with the terrorist group ISIS. The lecture then discussed how the recent rise of mass incarceration has been dealt with by these people. Manley, a human rights lawyer who works for the National Coalition to Protect Civil Freedoms, began the lecture by discussing the controversial convictions of the people who have been prosecuted for different associations with ISIS. “We studied terrorism cases and found that less than 1 percent are actual terrorists or trying to attack anybody,” Manley said. “Most people were either unfairly convicted in sting operations where they were manipulated or given money to say bad things on a tape and got prosecuted for it.” Manley added that sting operations, undercover operations constructed to catch a person who may be suspicious of committing a crime, were used under the Bush and Cheney administration after the events of 9/11 and lasted until 2010. “[Suspected terrorists] were prosecuted with vague material supporter conspiracy charges where they’re not actually trying to do anything to harm anybody, but are sentenced very harshly,” Manley said. “The discrepancy is based on racism and Islamophobia, and we think people really need to know about this and are not aware
of these cases.” The other lecturers, Abdurahmān and Abu-Ali, spoke about their personal experiences with the criminal justice system, as both of their brothers were imprisoned under terrorism-related investigations. Abdurahmān, whose brother pleaded guilty to being in contact with ISIS, talked about the struggle her family and community faces. “I feel like there is so much injustice, which is unfortunate and continues to happen in the world,” Abdurahmān said. “But love and humanity and having compassion for other people's internal and external struggles is one way to combat injustice.” Abu-Ali echoed Abdurahmān's sentiment. “If we look at our criminal justice system, it is broken in so many ways,” Abu-Ali said. [Pre-emptive and mass incarceration] is just one facet of how it is broken and how it's affecting the Muslim community.” The lecturers also discussed the
controversy of whether or not those incarcerated should face the length of sentences that they are given. Assistant Director of the CEPE Krista Holland said that she hopes the lecture moves students to take action. “The [CEPE] aims to provide a space for dialogue, a vital component in the process of self-discovery,” Holland said. “Those attending the panel might not be moved in the same way, but this process of self-discovery helps us all take moral responsibility as individuals in a world that feels overwhelmingly large at times.” Associate Professor of History and Director of the CEPE Victoria Christman agreed, saying that the lecture was in line with the CEPE’s goals. “One of the most important goals of the [CEPE] is to provide a space in which we can raise difficult questions and discuss them in an open environment,” Christman said. “This particular event raises questions about our legal system and our constitutional rights as citizens of the United States.”
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Ikraan Abdurahman, Human rights lawyer Kathy Manley and Mariam Abu-Ali speak in Olin 102. Annika Vande Krol ('19) | Photo Bureau
Icons designed by Freepik from Flaticon.
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MAY 11, 2017
Life Outside Luther In shocking move, Trump fires FBI Director Comey U.S. President Donald Trump on May 9 abruptly fired FBI Director James Comey, who had been leading his agency's investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign and possible collusion with Trump's campaign. France's victorious Macron reminded of huge, immediate challenges Emmanuel Macron was confronted on Monday with pressing reminders of the challenges facing him as France's next president, even as allies and some former rivals signaled their willingness to work closely with him. South Korea's Moon takes presidency of divided country amid North Korea tensions South Korea's liberal leader Moon Jae-in will take the oath of office as president on Wednesday, tasked with navigating the country out of rising tensions over North Korea's nuclear program and the risk of a rift with the United States. Libya's neighbors, U.N. voice support for its new move for talks Libya's neighbors and the United Nations on Monday voiced their support for a meeting held last week between the North African country's main rival figures, the head of the U.N.-backed government, Fayez Seraj, and eastern commander Khalifa Haftar. Britain's May says will introduce energy cap if re-elected United Kingdom's Prime Minister will introduce a cap on "unfair energy price rises" if she is re-elected on June 8, Theresa May wrote in the Sun newspaper on Monday. Canada political pressures force PM's hand on U.S. trade disputes Canada escalated a trade dispute with United States by making threats Washington called inappropriate in part because Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is under pressure to secure support in a key region ahead of the country's 2019 elections. U.S. to arm Syrian Kurds fighting Islamic State, despite Turkey's ire Despite fierce opposition from NATO ally Turkey, President Donald Trump has approved supplying arms to Kurdish YPG fighters to support an operation to retake the Syrian city of Raqqa from Islamic State, U.S. officials said on Tuesday. Compiled from: reuters.com
NEWS EDITORS: DANNY MAY & JACOB WAREHIME BLUE TURF | PAGE 1 “We do not want to use any college funding to apply toward the project,” Jermier said. Vice President for Finance and Administration Eric Runestad said that fundraising for the field has been ongoing for the past several months, and that as of May 9, the college has raised approximately $1.4 million. Runestad added that the project will happen independent of the aggregate $26 million of improvements to the athletic facilities. “It’s a self-contained project,” Runestad said. “We have the only grass field in the Iowa Conference and it is average to play on.” In an effort to garner student-athlete input on the project, the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) collaborated with athletic administration to send out a survey on April 18 to all 643 Luther student-athletes in which they could choose their preferred artificial turf field color — blue, green, or no opinion — and comment accordingly. According to SAAC president Patrick Larson (‘17), 309 of the queried student-athletes responded, including responses from at least one person from each of the 19 NCAA sports teams on campus. Larson said that SAAC decided to send out the survey after the athletic administration did not communicate intentions to consider input from SAAC prior to the April 6 Chips story which reported the plans for the new field. Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Renae Hartl explained that this move came because the administration had not yet decided that the field was going to be blue, and that after the Chips story she worked with SAAC by reviewing the survey questions. Larson saw the role of SAAC as aiding Hartl and the administration in their decision-making process. “We wanted to get student-athlete feedback on a proposal that affects different sports teams,” Larson said. “The purpose wasn’t to undermine efforts to implement the new field, but to provide objective data for [Hartl].”
Larson explained that SAAC previously discussed with Student Senate the potential for gathering feedback from the entire student body but that said doing so is no longer feasible because the college has already committed to the project. “This affects more than just studentathletes,” Larson said. “But knowing that Luther administration has already made this decision, [SAAC] supports the initiative.” For cross country student athlete Jordan Boge (‘18), the artificial turf field would be better if left green, because having blue turf is not a legitimate recruiting draw. “I just don’t think blue turf looks good — if we just do green, that makes way more sense in my mind,” Boge said. “I feel that the color of turf is not a determinant for people coming to a college. If anyone is going to come to a college, it is going to be because of the programs and the things within it. If they are going to come to play football, they are going to come because of the program, not because of blue turf.” Hartl remains open to criticism, and attended a May 7 SAAC meeting to answer questions about the project. “I welcome discussion,” Hartl said in an interview. “I love the dialogue and the conversation this has created.” The Luther football team played on St. Olaf College’s new artificial turf field on September 10, 2016 — the first game ever played on that field, which was installed in summer 2016 — an experience that, according to Head Football Coach Aaron Hafner, motivated Luther to install a similar surface. “Our [players] loved it,” Hafner said. “It was soft and it fits into our sustainability efforts here at Luther. I did a lot of research and talked to them about the surface they put down.” According to Hafner, the field contains recycled plastic beads instead of beads made of rubber tires, the former being a more sustainable material. For Luther Land Use Committee student member Shannon Meehan (‘18), this sustainability aspect is a top concern for the group.
“Being so close to the river I wonder if the plastic beads will get into our natural land and rivers,” Meehan said. Hafner remained focused on the new field’s marketability and player satisfaction as positives, with a nod to criticism that has arisen surrounding it. “[This will allow us] to market ourselves a bit differently than other Iowa conference schools and help our football team grow,” Hafner said. “People who are disappointed about us putting a blue turf down are going to attack [these] things.” For football team quarterback Brady Letney (‘18), the plans for the new field are exciting and provide a chance for improved athlete performance and recruiting college-wide. “I think everyone [on the football team] has bought in, and they’re all for it,” Letney said. “It’s pretty rare that you get to play on a unique surface like blue [artificial] turf.” In response to criticism, Letney explained that his reservations regarding the new field were eliminated after Hafner showed him the tentative design. “After seeing the actual layout, I think it enhances the view of the valley,” Letney said. “If it was all blue, including the surrounding area, it would be too much, but the addition of the green surrounding the blue isn’t overwhelming. It complements the tennis courts well and is a really sharp look.” Letney also advocated for the artificial turf field’s performance benefits, which complement the football team’s triple-option offense, a fastpaced play scheme that features three players who might run the ball on any given play. “Our offense is predicated on being in the right place at the right time,” Letney said. “Overall, I feel that it is easier to cut [on a turf field].” Runestad added his support for campus conversation on any of the college’s plans for new projects. “If we didn’t hear that opposition, we would be worried,” Runestad said. “Because that means people aren’t paying attention.”
ST. OLAF | PAGE 1
RELIGION | PAGE 1
In the days since of these incidents, St. Olaf students Precious Ismail, Shivani Vyas, Don Williams, Samantha Wells, and Wetzels organized demonstrations starting on April 24. On May 1, the St. Olaf administration cancelled classes to accommodate the upcoming sit-in. According to the Washington Post, St. Olaf spokesperson Kari VanDerVeen said that classes were cancelled “so that we may have time for faculty, students, and staff to continue the discussions about racism and diversity on our campus.” Protesters arrived in a common area at 7:50 a.m. on May 1 and stayed until approximately 3 p.m., at which point St. Olaf College President David Anderson agreed to sign the aforementioned terms and conditions of negotiation, according to the Manitou Messenger. These terms and conditions included that parents and alums be aware of the document and its signage, and that the St. Olaf Board of Regents be provided with the document as well. Both of these terms were met. In an interview with Chips, executive editor of the Manitou Messenger Emma Whitford described the energy in the sit-in as integral in having Anderson sign the document. “[The May 1] sit-in was electric,” Whitford said. “The students who were leading the movement were wildly persistent and so determined to produce positive change, and their determination was crucial to getting the ‘terms and conditions for negotiation’ signed by President Anderson.” Some St. Olaf students took issue with the demonstration, however, such as Kathryn Hinderaker (‘19). “They are now using [the racially motivated events] to argue that our entire institution is racist inherently,” Hinderaker said in the Manitou Messenger. “I disagree with that. And the way they have gone about it, yelling at our president, demanding things, some of it is valid but they have gone about it in a very terrible way.” Luther's Just Action group will hold a demonstration on May 12 in an effort stand in solidarity with St. Olaf victims.
Associate Professor of Religion and Department Head Sean Burke said that these changes have been considered for the past decade but gained more momentum in the 2015-16 school year. Burke added that, in the current system, students commonly take the path of studying Christian tradition and then pick another tradition to study for the remaining two classes. “That’s really not a twenty-first century model for a religion major or minor unless you’re actually doing a full-blown comparative world religions program where you will study multiple religious traditions,” Burke said. According to Burke, the goal of these new categories is to give students the opportunity to explore wider topics of study and how religion functions in different spheres of life. Religion majors and minors from the class of 2018 will continue on the original plan. Majors and minors from the classes of 2019 and 2020 were given the option to either stay on the original plan or switch. The class of 2021 will be the first year that is required to complete the new program. Religion major Elizabeth Wiebke (‘19) has decided to switch to the new major plan. Although changing from the original major plan to the revised one has resulted in her current credits no longer fulfilling a requirement, she remains confident in this plan. “I think the new structure is something that I would rather tell people that I’ve studied,” Wiebke said. “It gets a really well-rounded look at the religion studies. They’ve also created some really cool classes and revamped some older ones.” According to Wiebke, other students chose not to switch to the revised plan. Wiebke said that some current sophomores chose to stay with the original plan because they had already
outlined out their schedules until graduation. According to Wiebke, some current juniors and seniors expressed their disappointment at not being able to complete their major through this new revised plan due to the expanded perspective it offers. “The courses themselves are not outdated,” Wiebke said. “But I think the style they were organized in was a little outdated.” Although the religion department’s changes have been created and approved by the college, it is not the only department that has been considering such changes. According to Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College Kevin Kraus, there are several departments on campus that may seek approval for changes to their majors and minors in the upcoming years, including the English, biology, German, and women and gender studies departments. Kraus cites changes in student interests and the need for preparation for their future careers as a major factor in the motivation for these changes within the departments. “I think [the religion department] has done a really good job of looking at what students are learning in their courses and what majors are learning as they go through that set of courses,” Kraus said. [It has also considered] what’s important today and in the near future for a religion major to be able to say what they experienced and how they’ve grown in their skills and knowledge.” According to Kraus, each academic department goes through a review process every seven years and he said each review ideally includes a survey of current students and alums. Through this process, students are able to provide input regarding changes they would suggest. According to Kraus, the departments that will be reviewed in the 2017-18 year are English, psychology, international studies, visual performing arts, and Paideia.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
PAGE 5
A&E EDITOR: ELIZABETH BONIN
MAY 11, 2017
Gondoliers set sail for Venice
Zane Larson (‘19), Kurt Anderson (‘19), Scott Kleeman (‘19), Kelvin Li (‘18), Nathan Baldwin (‘19), and Steven Holkesvik (‘19) perform in a dress rehearsal. Lily Kime (‘19) | Chips
KRISTEN WUERL STAFF WRITER A 21 year-old woman learns that her parents married her to a young prince when she was a baby. She must meet two men who may be her husband, but her parents do not exactly know which man her husband is, yet the woman is in love with someone else. This was the plot of the spring opera, “The Gondoliers,” that was performed by a 35-member cast on May 4-7 in the Center for the Arts (CFA) in Jewel Theatre. The work began last October when students auditioned for roles in the production. The first round of the audition process consisted of singing an aria, or a solo, in front of a panel of voice faculty. If students received a callback, they performed dialogue for a potential role. Associate Professor of Music and stage director for “The Gondoliers” Andrew Whitfield, along with Professor of Music Edwin Andereck, made the decision to produce “The Gondoliers” this year. “We look for operas that will suit the student performers we currently have, that will provide continued training in works
of various styles and periods, and that will work well for the performing space and resources that we have at Luther,” Whitfield said. The spring operas are normally performed in the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall, but this year Jewel Theatre housed the opera. “For this year’s opera, I was very interested in being in a more intimate space,” Whitfield said. “[I wanted to] choose a work that would match this intimacy, and I believe ‘The Gondoliers’ does this very well.” Jewel Theatre is a black box theatre, meaning it has a simplistic set-up so the placement of the stage and audience seating can be changed. For “The Gondoliers,” the stage was in the middle of the theatre. The actors performed in the center space while audience members sat on two sides facing the actors. Visiting Assistant Professor of Music and conductor for “The Gondoliers” Nicholas Shaneyfelt agreed that the smaller space provided different opportunities for student performers. “Because we didn’t have an orchestra [this year], we had the ability to perform in more of a chamber music setting,” Shaneyfelt said. “This is the
direction that opera is going now. It was a great experience for students to try something in a smaller, nontraditional space and to play to everybody surrounding them.” Attendee Mari Rathke (‘18) thought the opera’s staging was interesting but sometimes made it difficult for the audience. “It was sometimes hard to see and hear the actors because they were facing different ways from the audience, but I still thought it was interesting,” Rathke said. “It was very well done from the actors’ point of view because it’s a different type of experience.” In addition to an inventive staging for the opera, the casting was especially unique. “The Gondoliers” was double cast, meaning that each lead role had two actors performing it on
alternate performance dates. “The tradition of double casting at Luther is well established,” Whitfield said. “We normally try to offer opportunities to as many qualified students as possible. Between using double casts and performing a piece with so many parts, this year’s opera provided many opportunities for our student performers.” Shaneyfelt added that students had the opportunity to learn from each other by watching the performances they were not in. “All casts are called to all rehearsals, so the cast that wasn’t on that night was still watching, taking notes, and learning about their characters,” Shaneyfelt said. “[Double casting] is a gift to singers because these roles can be demanding, especially as a young
singer. [Double casting] is our way of helping students maintain and preserve vocal health.” Shaneyfelt also enjoyed how the different casts performed the same opera. “It was really wonderful to see what these different casts brought out of the same show,” Shaneyfelt said. “It’s incredible to think about what these students learned in that short amount of time, and I’m extremely proud of them [for it].” Performer Isaiah Cammon (‘18) enjoyed rehearsing for the final performances. “Tech week is always my favorite part [about rehearsing and performing],” Cammon said. “That’s when we finally get to put all of our hard work together and see what we have accomplished as a team.”
FEATURES
PAGE 6 MAY 11, 2017
FEATURES EDITOR: FRAN STEVENSON
Professor Anderson to explore art in Massachuesetts
EMMA BUSCH STAFF WRITER
Assistant Professor of Africana Studies and History Lauren Anderson announced that she will leave Luther at the end of this semester after five years of teaching at Luther. In a statement made prior to her interview with Chips, Anderson said she reached this decision due to concerns for her own ability to prosper at Luther and for the ultimate well-being of her family. “I’m leaving Luther for my own health and well-being and in the best interests of my family,” Anderson said. “Though there are elements of the Luther community that I have appreciated since I arrived five years ago, I have come to realize that I cannot be a healthy and productive member of the community here and that is why I am leaving so abruptly.” According to Associate Professor of History Brian Caton, the Africana studies and history departments are searching for a candidate to fill Anderson’s position temporarily and hope to recommend an appropriate replacement to Dean of the College Kevin Kraus before the end of this semester. “At present, the search process for a temporary replacement position is at the stage of bringing a candidate to campus for an interview,” Caton said. “This includes interactions with the Dean, the two departments, representatives from the Paideia program, and students. Our objective is to make a recommendation to the Dean regarding the hiring of this candidate before the end of classes this term.” Anderson and her wife plan to move to Massachusetts where she will focus on pursuing art in a community she believes will be more receptive of her creations. “I’m going to pursue art and take a break from academia,” Anderson said. “I’ve already started to make some connections to the art community out there. Also, my art is increasingly taking a queer focus and there’s a much bigger audience out there for queer-focused art. The place we’ve chosen in Massachusetts is Northampton, which is historically [an LGBTQI-centric] community.” Anderson is specifically interested in making art for gay families to display in their homes, as well as creating children’s books with LGBTQI protagonists. “I’m thinking about creating art that people would want to have in their homes, particularly gay families, and there’s a big space there for that,” Anderson said. “There’s art for individuals who are really exploring the sexuality piece of it, but not really the family-building, having kids in the house,
Assistant Professor of Africana Studies and History Lauren Anderson listens as guest speaker Charles Burnett speaks. Emily Turner (‘19) |Photo Bureau that kind of thing. I’m also thinking about creating a series of children’s books that would either have queer parents or queer kids.” According to Professor of Africana Studies and English Novian Whitsitt, Anderson has been indispensable and will be deeply missed. “We are deeply sad to be losing Lauren Anderson from Africana Studies,” Whitsitt said. “She has been an amazing colleague over the last five years. Her intellectual, pedagogical, and disciplinary approaches have been invaluable, benefiting the campus at large.” Whitsitt believes Anderson has made a large impact on the Luther community — particularly minority students. “Her ideas about programming for our Africana studies events and her keen contributions about recruiting students for Luther College, especially students of color, have left significant imprints on Luther’s life,” Whitsitt said. “Her
Environmental Studies adds new classes MADELINE AJACK STAFF WRITER The environmental studies major recently remodeled and will be adding new courses, some are required for the major and minor and some are open to any student who is interested in learning more about environmental studies. New courses that will be offered are Environmental Studies 250, Sustainability: Systems and Solutions; Political Science 340, Environmental Justice and Law; Environmental Studies 210, Climate Dynamics and Modeling; and Environmental Studies 225, Earth’s Climate: Past, Present, and Future. Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies and Political Science Rachel Brummel, Professor of Mathematics Richard Bernatz, and Associate Professor of Environmental Studies and Chemistry Laura Peterson will teach these classes. “In the new major, the courses have not been offered previously,” Associate Professor of Biology Eric Baack said. “Everyone in
environmental studies after this first-year class in the major has to take the 250 course.” Baack will not teach any of the new courses, but was involved with the development of the courses. Baack teaches mostly in the biology department, including a January Term course titled Ecology of the Southwest which takes an environmental approach to biology. “I’m not going to be teaching any of these courses,” Baack said. “They have been developed from a conversation from the environmental studies department. We looked at what we were teaching and areas that we thought could be strengthened and so we picked these courses in conversation with different faculty members.” Bernatz will teach Environmental Studies 210, Climate Dynamics and Modeling. “This course examines climate patterns and trends and their dependence on solar radiation, atmospheric structure, and earth surface makeup,” Burnatz said. “Physical, chemical, and quantitative principles are used to explain and explore these relationships. Quantitative methods for modeling are
commitment to social activism and social justice has served the campus well; her voice has echoed all over Luther. Her absence won’t be easily filled, but we have grown a great deal because of her contributions.” Anderson believes that she has grown as an educator at Luther and is proud to have been a part of her students’ growth as well. “I feel like I developed as a teacher and became much better at it,” Anderson said. “I’m really proud of the students I got to work with and some of the ways that I’ve seen them grow. I’ve tried to be an advocate for students of color and LGBTQI students here. When I first came just five years ago, there were individuals who were doing that well, but it felt a little bit disconnected and piece-meal across campus. But I’ve been proud to be a part of trying to help students who might not immediately feel connected at Luther feel more connected.”
used to explore, among other things, the earth’s climate response to anthropogenic perturbations.” Students who wish to take this course must have a prerequisite of Mathematics 140 and a background in calculus. Students who are currently majoring in environmental studies have the option to stay in the old major or to change to the new and remodeled major. Those who are in the policy concentration of environmental studies will take Brummel’s course Political Science 340. “[Political Science 340] is a course that is focused on understanding social patterns of environmental degradation and participation in environmental policy-making,” Brummel said. “We want students to explore both the ways that environmental problems are social problems and environmental policies also need to be social policy. Much research has shown that communities of color, women, and people in poverty experience disproportionate environmental burdens. In this class, we want to both understand those patterns but also think about how we can use judicial and legal approaches to ameliorate those inequalities.” Students who are not majoring in environmental studies are welcome to take classes such as Environmental Studies 210 and 225. “In all cases, these are great courses that I’d
encourage anyone — not just environmental studies and political science majors — to take,” Brummel said. “They are about understanding our place in our beautiful and complex world, our responsibilities to the world and each other, and the ways we can seek to promote positive environmental change.”
Assistant of Environmental Studies and Political Science Professor Rachel Brummel discusses Environmental issues in class. Madeline Ajack (‘20) | Chips
FEATURES
PAGE 7
FEATURES EDITOR: FRAN STEVENSON
MAY 11, 2017
Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl sold to alums Nathan Todd (‘09) and Brittany Todd (‘10) who hosted a meet-and-greet for the Decorah and Luther communities on May 5.
Kelli Gapinski (‘17) and Stephanie Duregger (‘17) enjoy ice cream during the Sugar Bowl Meet and Greet. Julia Curtis (‘17) | Chips
JULIA CURTIS STAFF WRITER This spring, the ice cream parlor Sugar Bowl came under new ownership as the previous owner Craig Running decided to sell the small shop to Luther alumns Nathan Todd (‘09) and Brittany Todd (‘10). The Todds held a meet and greet on May 5 to get to know their customers. Running started designing the project in 1999 that eventually became the Sugar Bowl. “I designed the whole building and worked on it for eight years,” Running said. “So now this is my tenth season and I’m one month into it, and now it’s been sold.” His favorite memories of the Sugar Bowl revolve around the major life events of Luther students. One Luther student put his engagement ring for his girlfriend in the ice cream. Another student asked to rent the shop after hours to propose to his girlfriend, decorating the place in crepe and candles. Students have also used the building for wedding and graduation parties. “I’ve been very appreciative of the Luther College student body,” Running said. “I’ve found them a wonderful group of people; I’ve thoroughly enjoyed them coming in here because they have a lot of positive energy.” Running sold the company to Nathan Todd and Brittany Todd, who also own Photography by Brittany, across the street. In his time at Luther majored in physical education Nathan Todd and later earned a Master’s degree in management and leadership. A research paper for his degree planted the idea to purchase the Sugar Bowl. During this transition period, Running said he would work with them on an as-needed basis, but has a lot of confidence in their abilities.
“I’m very happy the Todds are going to be the owners because I very much appreciate them and what they are going to bring to the building,” Craig said. “They are young, entrepreneurial, have a lot of good ideas, have a lot of energy, and they’ll be successful [owners the company].” On May 5, the Todds held a meet-and -greet at their new business, introducing themselves to the community as the new Sugar Bowl owners. They also introduced a new flavor of ice cream, lemon poppy seed as well as soy ice cream — a vegan alternative to the other flavors in the store. “I’m really excited for Nathan Todd and his family to own the Sugar Bowl, and I think having another local business stay in town is really important,” meet-and-greet attendee Kelli Gapinski (’17) said. “The Sugar Bowl is a great place for Luther students and community members to go. At first I was sad because I didn’t know if Sugar Bowl would be closed down completely, but I’m really happy that Nathan could have the business handed down to him and keep the sweet treats going.” Despite having mixed feelings about selling the business, Running said he spent a lot of
Kelli Gapinski (‘17) and Stephanie Duregger (‘17) cheers with their ice cream dishes. Julia Curtis (‘17) | Chips time creating and growing the business and was ready to start new projects. “I have had such positive returns out of having built it and having established the Sugar Bowl Company, but it is time to [sell] it,” Running said. “I’ve
been at it for a total of 18 years including construction and operation. [Selling the Sugar Bowl] seemed the right thing to do.” Gapinski, who had connections to the Todd family before they purchased the Sugar Bowl said
she was happy for their new purchase and the future of the business. “I’m excited to see the business grow and, knowing the family, see the kids grow up and hang out at the Sugar Bowl,” Gapinski said.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
PAGE 8 MAY 11, 2017
A&E EDITOR: ELIZABETH BONIN
Orchesis and Eklipse: Showcasing a year of progress SHANNON BAKER STAFF WRITER Luther dance teams Orchesis and Eklipse displayed a variety of studentchoreographed spring showcases on May 6 and 7. About 100 people attended the two events. Both Eklipse and Orchesis are dance teams that typically practice three times a week for about two hours at a time and perform at special events around campus. Though Eklipse is considered to be a student organization and Orchesis is co-curricular with the dance department, Professor of Dance Jane Hawley (‘87) advises both groups. The Orchesis performance began with a video introducing the team members, immediately followed by a performance to the song “The Fear” by Ben Howard, choreographed by 2016-17 co-facilitators Alyssa Wildenauer (‘17) and Lindsey Ahlers (‘18). In addition to group performances, the Orchesis showcase contained duets and solos with upbeat music like “Run Boy Run” by Woodkid as well as more somber music like “Taste” by Sleeping at Last. Wildenauer and Ahlers said they consider Orchesis a contemporary lyrical group, though
Members of Orchesis left to right: Danica Kafton (‘18), Bethany Larson (‘19), Jacqueline Schnier (‘17), Selena LeGarde (‘17), Haley Steffen (‘19), Alyssa Wildenauer (‘17), Lindsey Ahlers (‘18), Abby Suhr (‘18), Grace Larsen (‘19), and Amanda Nyquist (‘19) perform in a rehearsal. Photo courtesy of Alyssa Wildenauer (‘17) many team members have a chance to bring their personal style and message into the group through their own choreography. “Sometimes people choreograph a dance with a message in mind and convey a meaning with lyrics,” Wildenauer said. “Otherwise, they just choreograph to move, and the audience interprets it as they would like.” In the Eklipse showcase, members performed a mix of small group routines and solos. A variety of music
characterized the show, including hip-hop numbers like “Emergency” by Icona Pop, “Touch” by Little Mix, and “I’m Blue” by Eiffel 65. In an interview before the showcase, 2016-17 Eklipse cocaptains Baylee Bowman (‘18) and Erika Finanger (‘17) said they were most excited about showing their audience what they had been working on all year. “I’m just looking forward to performing again,” Bowman said. “There’s a lot of dances that no one has
seen except us, so I am excited to get those out there. There are also special performances that I haven’t seen yet, and I am excited for those as well.” Eklipse showcase attendee Delaney Schurer (‘18) enjoyed the opportunity to watch a studentorganized dance group. “It’s nice to see a lot of the talent on campus that we don’t regularly get to see,” Schurer said. Halfway through the Eklipse performance, the K-Pop Dance Crew and Amatullah made guest
appearances to showcase their talent. Luther DJ “DJ Stikboy” mixed the music for the entire event. With 10 current members on the Orchesis squad and 14 on Eklipse, both teams testified to the importance of being open to everyone’s ideas. “Eklipse started as a huge dance group and has kind of evolved into a smaller group because it’s easier to communicate with fewer people,” Finanger said. “Our hip-hop style changes with the addition of different members each semester.” For Ahlers, Orchesis’ communicative atmosphere makes the team a worthy commitment. “[Dance] is a medium that lets me express my thoughts through actions rather than through words,” Ahlers said. “Orchesis is a fun, welcoming environment.” Attendee Madi Brauer (‘19) acknowledged this visible camaraderie in Orchesis, as well as wide variety of dancing styles. “I used to dance in high school, so seeing it [here] makes me feel nostalgic. [Orchesis] has a range of songs, both happy and sad, and you can tell they really love each other.” Orchesis tryouts take place in the fall semester, and Eklipse holds tryouts in both the fall and spring semesters.
Luther stars waltz to victory ANA LÓPEZ STAFF WRITER Luther performed its own version of Dancing with the Stars on May 3 in the Center for Faith and Life. Luther College Ballroom and Swing, Student Activities Committee (SAC) Special Events, and Student Senate sponsored the event. The event was the culmination of months of practice on behalf of the couples to present two different dances. Each couple was composed of a Luther star and a member of Luther Ballroom & Swing. The Luther Stars were Head Women’s Basketball Coach Amanda Bailey, Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Music Joan de Albuquerque, and Ylvisaker Hall Director Kevin Wenger (‘13). The pros from Luther College Ballroom & Swing were Jessica Skjonsby (‘17), Stephen Ster (‘17), and Joshua Weisenburger (‘17). They also choreographed the dances and taught the Luther stars how to dance. Each of the couples presented two dances: rhythmic and smooth. The genres varied from the cha-cha to the waltz. The panel of judges consisted of Assistant Professor of Music Jennaya Robison (‘96), Founder of Luther Ballroom & Swing Joe Carey (‘11), and Assistant
Director of Student Activities Kasey Nikkel. The Luther stars emphasized how the performance was a learning experience and challenge. “I have really enjoyed this experience and getting an inside look at the hard work and dedication it takes to be a dancer,” Bailey said. “I would also say that I have really liked the challenge.” De Albuquerque echoed the sentiment. “I learned so much,” de Albuquerque said. “I had no idea that dancing was so incredibly difficult but so much fun. Dancing has helped me realize that even at my age I can still challenge myself to do something out of my comfort zone and have fun doing it.” The winner was decided 40 percent by the judge evaluations and 60 percent on student voting. The winners of this year’s Dancing with the Luther Stars were de Albuquerque and Weisenburger. According to Ballroom & Swing member Deanna Grelecki (‘19), organizing the event was intense but rewarding. “I think that Dancing with the Luther Stars allows us to connect more with the Luther community as well as Decorah's community,” Grelecki said. “We are able to work side by side with faculty and staff through sharing our love of ballroom dance
Joshua Weisenburger (‘17) and Associate Professor of Music Joan de Alburquerque won this year’s Dancing with the Luther Stars. Photo Bureau | Emily Turner (‘19) and also have the outside community aspect since they donated their services to help us run the show.” Besides the dances from the Luther Stars, Ballroom & Swing also showcased several other dances performed by club members. Member of Ballroom & Swing Jason Hu (‘19) shared why the event was important for him and the community. “I think we proved a lot of things that night” Hu said. “We proved that [de
Albuquerque], [Bailey], and [Wenger] are fabulous dancers. Our club proved how much a student-led organization can accomplish with passion and commitment.” Audience member Kelsey Ott (‘18) attended the event to support Wenger. “I thought all the contestants were really good, but the winners brought it all,” Ott said. “I came to support [Wenger] and even though he didn’t win, it was still really fun.”
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
MAY 11, 2017
STUDENT ORGANIZATION COLUMN
A majority recognition of privilege, prejudice is required for change Just Action voiced their stance of solidarity with St. Olaf students in a recent statement, saying, “Just Action of Luther College stands with St. Olaf students and peoples both harmed by and concerned about the recent racist incidents in your community. As a similarly situated historically and predominantly white college, we are dismayed. However, we also understand these issues are historically situated and part of a larger social system in which whiteness is normative and protected and folks of color are always suspect and marked as Other. We offer you support in working collectively to dismantle the systems of oppression and advantage in higher education and society at large." When reflecting on the recent acts of racism at St. Olaf College, I am once again reminded of the current campus climate we face at our own college. Luther, like St. Olaf, is not immune to the institutional racism that plagues this country and the economic, political, and social systems within it. Thinking about the educational system in particular, issues regarding inclusion need to be at the forefront of everything higher education institutions do. Whether it’s crafting curriculum that engages students in critical conversations regarding common societal issues or implementing policy that promotes purposeful sharing of perspectives, colleges and universities must ensure all students are provided with the least restrictive learning environment.
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Establishing this least restrictive environment is not the responsibility of the students. Attending college is an extremely challenging feat within itself. It is the institution’s responsibility to eliminate the added pressures present alongside this feat. However, before this can be done, there must first be a realization and a validation of these pressures. As a white heterosexual male on this campus, I am privileged enough to not have to deal with these pressures. I do not have to deal with getting stared at on a daily basis. I do not have to deal with people making misguided assumptions of my intelligence or character based on the color of my skin. I do not have to deal with slurs or insults or threats because of how I am viewed by society. If our campus is ever going to make strides in fostering genuine racial and ethnic diversity, derived from the inclusion of all students, it is going to take the majority on this campus, student, faculty, and especially administration, to recognize the privileges they have and confront them. We cannot unite as a campus until everyone in it is cognizant of the fact that a plethora of people, a plethora of students, are not being treated as equal at this institution. In order to show our empathy for the situation students face at St. Olaf, which like Luther, is created through the institution’s travesties of social justice, we will be standing in solidarity with them this Friday at 10:50a.m. on the steps of the Center for Faith and Life (CFL). The gathering will take place immediately after Chapel and all are welcome to join hands and show our support to those affected by such atrocious actions. Signed, Josh Gonzalez (‘18) Just Action Columnist
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.
The Norse Poll
Do you think that Luther students should make more than minimum wage working on campus in the summer?
“Let the chips fall where they may.” 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
“It might depend on the position because some positions are more labor intensive than others.” -Jamie Linert (‘17)
“Absolutely, I think it’s really hard to get by working a summer job and just working minimum wage. You need to have enough money to survive through the rest of the school year.” -Ally Peters (‘19)
“Yes, because they’re choosing to stay on for a summer and that takes more guts to do.” -Hannah Carman (‘19)
OPINION
PAGE 10 MAY 11, 2017
MANAGING EDITOR: MAKEDA BARKLEY
TO THE EDITOR
In place of cuts, respond with holistic departmental approach It is unfortunate that Luther is in a financial state that requires cuts to be made to some academic majors and minors, including the athletic training major, the dance major, the K-12 health education minor, the physical education minor, the secondary education minor in world languages, and the Russian language program. All of them benefit a liberal arts institution as they do not merely include vocational courses, rather they allow students to explore subjects and become more culturally competent. However, with these cuts, an expectation of holistic learning must become a prominent aspect of other disciplines. The negativity circulating around campus that condemns these cuts negates the opportunity and obligation professors in every classroom have to engage their students and provide spaces tailored to developing “general intellectual capacities” as the Merriam Webster dictionary includes in its definition of liberal arts. Obviously, it is unrealistic to expect a biology class to teach Russian or to learn dance in an English class. Regardless, the mission of Luther values learning “beyond immediate interests,” and equipping minds to thrive in a changing society, which can be accomplished in any course. All professors have the responsibility to do this for their students and with fewer ‘liberal arts’ majors offered that expectation is even greater. I am considering the neuroscience major Luther will offer beginning next fall. In this program, I hope to see pedagogy that values critical thinking skills and inquiry, like other majors should as well. I am currently in genetics, where connections and implications of genetic research and social issues are consistently mentioned in lectures. But in other courses I have taken I have been
disappointed with the lack of connection to the broader world. As a student who appreciates finding connections between subjects, I think Luther can do a better job of this. Making courses relevant to the world is what engages students. For example, an introductory Chemistry class should obviously include the fundamentals of the subject, but what if it also touched on the importance of science and inquiry in the world today? What if we discussed reaction rates in terms of combustion reactions and how these contribute to climate change? Or what if physical education courses were requirements of all education majors? With physical and mental health becoming higher priorities in K-12 schools, these courses could benefit everyone in the major. The appeal to Luther should be the incorporation of a liberal arts attitude into all classrooms and having a large variety of majors offered. Our college doesn’t undervalue liberal arts, but recognizes that in order to keep majors and minors with higher enrollment in place, changes must be made. Luther is at a point where it must make decisions about what aspects of its identity it wants to highlight in order to stay competitive. Of these, having classes where learning is applicable and challenging as well as maintaining competitive financial aid packages should be top priorities. The elimination of certain majors and minors cannot take away from the value of approaching diverse ideas in every classroom at Luther College. Signed, Martel DenHartog (‘19)
TO THE EDITOR
Two dollars more an hour is worth it In response to the news article “Luther widens summer job applicant pool due to low student interest” quoting Erik Runestad, I would like to reflect on one of the comments made by the school administration and suggest another factor of student summer employment that may not currently be taken into consideration by Luther’s work study department. In the article, Eric Runestad says “students need to make a determination about whether or not two dollars an hour is worth it.” This strikes me as a fairly odd statement: of course two dollars an hour is “worth it” to a college student. In fact, for a majority of these students the two dollar difference is the difference between receiving minimum wage or not. Students who work at Luther over the summer most likely work on campus unless they are one of the lucky few who call Decorah or surrounding areas home. Naturally, residing on campus is not free. The cost
of one night in a single room is $11, while a double costs $8.75. These fees are competitive in terms of housing, and I understand that they are necessary to cover the costs of keeping the lights on. However, they must be taken into account when determining student summer worker wages. $8.75 a night means that for eight hours of work, a student is effectively getting around fifty dollars a day before tax ($6.15 an hour). The effective hourly wage for a student residing in singles is even lower. If the same student living on campus decided to get a job in Decorah — even with the cost of living at Luther — they would be earning wages far closer to or even exceeding the Iowa minimum. These costs should not be ignored by the administration, as they play a crucial role in choices made by prospective student workers. If the college wants to ensure they receive sufficient student
employment over the summer without sourcing local high schoolers, the administration should consider revising summer wages or costs. This could also include reducing the price of on-campus living for students employed by the college to make summer work study employment options more competitive for students. However, I acknowledge that the transition to local high school workers might be beneficial for the college, as Iowa minimum wage is more acceptable when living costs are handled by parents. When it comes to the two-dollar-an-hour difference in wages, I think the college needs to make a determination about whether or not sourcing Luther student workers is worth it. Signed, Alexander Davis (‘19)
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Crosswalks at Baker Village, College apartments a hazard Living in Baker Village one must cross College Drive on a regular basis and, to be frank, it is not a good time. This crosswalk is not enjoyable for drivers either. I’ve been on both sides of the issue now, as a person who hasn’t realized someone was standing at the corner and hoping to not get flattened by oncoming traffic; and as the person standing on the corner, trying to figure out if this car will actually see me and let me cross the street. It’s even worse at night on that corner because there isn’t any light. When it’s dark and rainy and people are wearing their dark rain jackets it is almost impossible to see them on the side of the street. It’s
dangerous for the drivers and for the students who just want to go home or just want to go to class. The problem is even worse on the way to apartments. At least the Baker crosswalk has a sign. The apartment crosswalk has zip. Zilch. Nada. Drivers knowing that they are leaving downtown Decorah anticipate increasing their speed despite passing through residential areas of Luther’s property and a lot of foot traffic. Unfortunately a lot of this foot traffic and car traffic happen at the same time. In the mornings when students are walking to class and school busses are driving their routes to pick up
younger students, parents are driving to work. The same thing happens in the afternoons when Luther students walk home from classes and everyone else travels home at the same time. During the warmer months when students ride their bikes it can be hard for them to stop when biking down the Baker Village hill or biking down the hill from Sampson Hoffland. Friends have said that they are worried they might get hit by cars when walking to or from class. Fortunately nothing bad has happened yet. However, in light of the recent facelift the crosswalks have gotten, this effort doesn’t seem like it’s enough. To me, the best way to make
sure that these crosswalks are safe for all parties is to put stop signs on both cross walks. To me, it doesn’t make sense to have stop signs going from Baker Village or College Apartments to the main part of campus when there aren’t any stop signs for the cross walks. The best way to ensure student and driver safety is to put more stop signs there. It’s a fairly easy solution and it won’t slow someone down so much that they can’t get to where they need to go on time. Signed, Julia Curtis (‘17) Staff Writer, Chips
SPORTS
PAGE 11
MAY 11, 2017
SPORTS EDITOR: KATRINA MEYER
Men’s Tennis: Runner-up in Automatic Qualifier Tournament BIZ WAGENSON STAFF WRITER The Luther College Men’s Tennis team traveled to Cedar Rapids, IA, to play Coe College and Central College in the two-day IIAC Automatic Qualifier Tournament for a chance to go to nationals on May 5. Luther received second place, ending their season with an 18-6 record. Luther began the tournament competing in the semifinals against Central College. Kyle Appel (‘17) and Trent Schneider (‘18) defeated Central’s CJ Cliff and Jimmy Cunningham in doubles with a score of 8-2, while Anders Jensen (‘18) and Nate Parsons (‘19) defeated Central’s doubles team of Alex Anderson and Garret Taylor 8-3. Kenny Goins (‘17) and Brian Murman (‘19) defeated Central’s of Sam Dykstra and Tom Palmer 8-2. In singles competition, Schneider and Goins each won a match with a score of 6-0 for both. Overall, Luther won the semifinal against Central 5-0. They then advanced to the championships to play against Coe. Luther started out with a 2-1 lead in the match against Coe after two doubles wins. Schneider and Appel beat Coe’s team of Josh Pudlo and Luke Ford 9-7, and Luther’s Jensen and Parsons beat Coe’s Brady Anderson and Nate Greiner with a score of 8-6. Luther’s doubles team of Murman and Goins lost to James McManus and Nate Ackert 8-2. Coe was able to take back the match with several wins in singles. In the end, Coe defeated Luther in the championship match with a score of 5-2.
Head Men’s and Women’s Tennis Coach Adam Strand talked discussed the team’s strengths going into the tournament. “I think our strong point is probably our depth because we have contributions from so many different guys,”
Kyle Appel (‘17) returns a hit against Wartburg earlier in the season. Photo Courtesy of Photo Bureau
Strand said. “I think our other strong point would be experience. We’ve got a lot of guys who have been in the varsity line-up for two or three years. I think for us the thing we’re always working on is getting everybody to play their best tennis and play their best tennis on the same day. Getting to that level where we are getting the results we want is going to require all nine courts to play at the same high standard.” Strand regarded the men’s season as successful and praised the team members on competing well throughout the year. “I think the men have had a great season,” Strand said. “We continue to get great production from Appel, who is our number one player for the third year in a row, and couple other guys in our senior class. [Sam] Buffington (‘17) has continued be a really strong player for us in the senior’s line-up and Goins has really stepped into the doubles and done a nice job, and it kind of goes down the line from there.” Goins agreed that this season has been a positive one and a great experience for the team. “This season we’ve actually had a lot of success,” Goins said. “All of our losses have been to really good teams, and this team is different because last year there were no seniors, so we’ve had the same group of guys for the last two years with just one freshman added in. We’ve had a lot of time to bond and develop team chemistry.” With a second place finish in the tournament, the Norse end their season 18-6.
Track and Field Hosts Annual Luther-Wartburg Dual Meet KATRINA MEYER SPORTS EDITOR Luther Men’s and Women’s Track and Field hosted Wartburg in the annual Luther-Wartburg Dual meet at home on May 4. The Norse men lost 111-77, and the women lost 119-72 in their final meet before the conference
championships next week. Some of the top performances for the day for the men’s team included a first-place finish from Collin Kern (‘20) who set a meet record in the 1500m run with a time of 3:58.13. Other first-place finishes included Mitch Stenoien (‘17) in the 800m run with a time of 1:55.91, Trent Ostby (‘20) in the pole vault with a 12 ft. 11.5
Mitch Stenoien (‘17) runs a relay against Wartburg. Lily Kime (‘19) | Chips
in. jump, Koltin Pfaffle (‘18) in the shot put with a 45 ft. 1.5 in. throw, and Lucas Kane (‘18) in the javelin with a 168 ft. 9 in. throw. Some of the top performances for the women’s team included a first-place finish from McKenzie Carney (‘18) in the 3000m run with a time of 10:23.56, which is the tenth fastest 3000m run in Luther’s history. Other first-place finishes for the women included Sarah Holtz (‘20) in the high jump with a 5 ft. 1.25 in. jump and Aubrey Highum (‘20) in the javelin with a 110 ft. 11 in. throw. The meet against Wartburg was a unique opportunity, according to Head Coach Jeff Wettach (‘79). The meet is the only dual on Luther’s schedule. Wettach explained how a dual has a different scoring system. The first place finisher gets 5 points and the second place finisher gets 3 points. Then, because only two athletes from each team score, the next highest finisher from a team that has not had two athletes score gets 2 points, and the last place gets 1 point. Wettach explained why that was a unique opportunity. “The head-to-head competition is something I look forward to every year,” Wettach said. “It is our only dual of the season, actually. If I had my way, we would schedule more duals,
but most teams prefer to go to larger meets. I like the efficient time element and the head-tohead competition to see how the teams match up.” The Wartburg dual was also special because it was the last home meet of the season for the Norse. Distance runner Anna Phearman (‘19) talked about the significance of home meets for the team. “It was a great atmosphere and a fun meet,” Phearman said. “It was really good competition. Wartburg is tough. Their women’s team is ranked very high nationally, so we knew that it was going to be tough competition going in, but we were excited to get out there and compete and do the best that we could. We had a lot of great performances. The home atmosphere really helped with the performances that we had.” The Luther-Wartburg dual was also the last meet of the regular season for the Norse. The team is now preparing for the upcoming Conference Championships. Elijah Kane (‘18) reflected on the progress that the team has made over the course of the season. “Our philosophy is to exponentially grow after indoor season so that by the time outdoor season comes around we are doing our best performances,” Kane said. “That
is definitely the case this season. In the meet against Saint Mary’s we had 30-40 personal records. People are at the top of their game.” As the Norse move on to the Conference Championships, women’s captain Erin Ellefsen (‘17) explained the team goals. “One goal is that we would like to place better than we did at the Indoor Championships,” Ellefsen said. “There is something really cool about the way our program is. We are one of the teams that improves most from indoor season to outdoor season, so a team goal would be to place better than we did at the Indoor Championships, but also to
perform as well as we can and get a lot of people to score.” Men’s captain Alex Bishop (‘17) also explained team goals going into the championships. “We always have goals going into Conference,” Bishop said. “It can be hard in track to have one collective goal because every individual is different, but overall, we are working to have our best performances on the day. Hopefully that results in lots of personal records and wins for Luther.” The men’s and women’s teams will travel to Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, IA, to compete in the Conference Championships May 11-13.
Sarah Holtz (‘20) high jumps against Wartburg. Lily Kime (‘19) | Chips
SPORTS SPORTS EDITOR: KATRINA MEYER
PAGE 12
MAY 11, 2017
Luther Softball Wins IIAC Conference Championship
Weekly Standings Baseball Wartburg Dubuque Luther Buena Vista Coe Central Loras Nebraska Wes. Simpson
IIAC 19-5 17-7 15-9 15-9 13-11 12-12 7-17 6-18 4-20
Recent Scores
Overall 28-12 23-15 25-15 24-15 21-16 20-20 14-25 13-27 7-29
May 6 vs. Loras College W 7-6 May 6 vs. Loras College W 8-3
Upcoming Schedule
May 11-13 Iowa Conference Tournament
Softball
Ashley Burrows (‘18) attempting to lay down a bunt.
GILLIAN KLEIN VOLUNTEER WRITER Luther Softball hosted the IIAC Tournament Championships on May 5-6 and won the championship for the third year in a row with a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth. The Norse defeated the Wartburg Knights in the semi-final 5-1, scoring four of the five runs in the fifth inning. Offensively, infielder Natalie Stockman (‘18) led the Norse with three runs batted in. Outfielder Ashley Burrows (‘18) and outfielder Sara Nelson (‘17) scored two of the five runs for the Norse in the fifth inning. Defensively, pitcher Samantha Bratland (‘19) allowed only one run on seven hits, walked two batters, and struck out a season best of 12 hitters. The semifinal win advanced Luther to the second day of tournament
play against Central College. In the tournament finals, the No. 3 Norse faced No. 10 Central College. The Norse won with a score of 4-3 in nine innings. Pitcher Anne Versnik (‘17) started the first two innings, allowing just two hits. The Norse then brought in Amanda Witzlib (‘17) who pitched five innings, allowing only two runs on eight hits. Bratland came in as the relief pitcher and ended up getting the win, allowing one run on three hits. The Norse were losing 3-2 going into the bottom of the ninth inning, but were able to load the bases before Anna Strien (‘18) tied the game on a sacrifice fly that scored pinch runner Lilly Johnson (‘20). With runners on first and second base with one out, Stockman singled, scoring Burrows in a 4-3 walk-off victory for the Norse. With that win, the Norse became 2017 IIAC Conference
Gillian Klein (‘20) | Chips Tournament Champions. The team has shared many wins and losses together, but this season has been meaningful to many of the players, including Witzlib. “This is a very special team with a great deal of depth,” Witzlib said. “We don’t focus too far ahead, just one game at a time. This has been the best senior year I could have asked for.” According to Stockman, the Norse created a simple game plan for the tournament. “Our goal always is to go out there and play our game,” Stockman said. “We worked hard all season for this and now we just have to go out there and execute.” Witzlib also commented on the team’s mindset going into the games. “We don’t focus too far ahead, just one game at a time,” Witzlib said. “Regardless of the outcome
of this game, I am so grateful for the fantastic memories and successes we have had over my past three years here.” At the end of the day, the Norse success was due to the team’s chemistry. “This year we had a new group of girls on the field,” Stockman said. “We’ve learned how to adjust to each other and work together.” Stockman commented on the high level of competition in the tournament. “The IIAC is one of the toughest conferences in the Midwest,” Stockman said. “Every team has the ability to win on any given day.” This is the third year in a row that the Norse have won the IIAC Tournament Championship, and it is the sixth title they have won in eight years. With this win, the Norse will advance to play in the NCAA III Regional May 12-14.
No. 3 Luther No. 10 Central No. 20 Coe Wartburg Buena Vista Loras Simpson Nebraska Wes. Dubuque
IIAC 15-1 13-3 11-5 9-7 8-8 6-8 3-13 2-10 1-13
Overall 39-3 32-8 29-9 22-16 20-17 23-13 8-28 17-17 10-27
Recent Scores
April 29 vs. Simpson College W 7-4 May 5-6 IIAC Tournament Champions
Upcoming Schedule
May 12-14 NCAA III Regionals May 19-20 NCAA III Super Regionals
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 14-12 17-9 9-7 11-7 7-12 16-8 5-12-1 3-18 2-21
Recent Scores
April 23 vs. Augustana- Rock Island L 7-2 April 28-29 NCAA III AQ Tournament Runner-Up
Men’s Tennis Coe Luther Central Wartburg Nebraska Wes. Loras Dubuque Buena Vista Simpson
IIAC 8-0 7-1 6-2 5-3 4-4 3-5 2-6 1-7 0-8
Overall 25-5 18-6 10-15 11-14 6-13 13-7 7-10 3-21 5-14
Recent Scores
April 25 vs. University of Dubuque W 9-0 May 5-6 IIAC AQ Tournament Runner-Up