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VOLUME 139, NO. 6

Just Action issues BLM pledge SPENCER HODGE STAFF WRITER Luther social activism group Just Action released a Black Lives Matter statement on Oct. 18, citing a continuous narrative of American racism and Luther’s historic antislavery foundation.

“The American experience has entailed an ongoing systematic devaluing of black lives, including 240 years of slavery, 100 years of Jim Crow laws and the last 55 years of racialized discrimination, profiling and violence,” the statement reads. “As an academic community founded in 1861 in protest to a theological justification of slavery, Luther College is a community rooted in the belief that black lives matter.”

Since its release, approximately 725 individuals and ten group organizations such as the English Department, the Global Learning Center and the Luther College Jazz Band have endorsed the statement.

Assistant Professor of Sociology

Ronald Ferguson commented on the response to the statement thus far.

“I’m absolutely encouraged by the amount of signatures,” Ferguson said.

“But, I’m disappointed that there hasn’t been any official recognition from the institution.”

According to Professor of Religion Guy Nave Jr., receiving an official endorsement from the institution may not happen.

“The president has articulated that she will not be signing any statement or making any statement as an official college,” Nave said. “She might make a statement of her own, but there has not been any indication of that.”

Making reference to the Dakota Access pipeline protests by the Standing Sioux Tribe in North Dakota, Ferguson explained the precedent of issue-based institutional endorsements.

“Schools have taken official stands with the tribes,” Ferguson said.

“Presidents have done this. They stand up, and it is written into the institution’s meaning. There is a choice, and we are

Professor of Sociology Charlotte Kunkel discusses the Black Lives Matter statement in a panel meeting.

Spencer Hodge (‘17) / Chips choosing not to.”

Harleigh Boldridge (‘18) was one of the students who attended private meetings with President Paula J. Carlson regarding the statement.

“She was very defensive,” Boldridge

Former Sen. Davis speaks on campus JULIA CURTIS STAFF WRITER Former Texas state Senator Wendy Davis visited Luther on Oct. 12 as part of her campaign for Democratic Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton.

Approximately 25 Luther students, professors and Decorah residents attended the event, held in Farwell Hall.

Davis talked about her experience as a young single mother working multiple jobs and attending classes at the University of Texas-Arlington, Texas Christian University and Harvard University. She then talked about her 11-hour filibuster that delayed the Texas state Senate from passing a bill with heavy abortion restrictions, relating these experiences to

Former Texas State Senator Wendy Davis speaks in Farwell Hall.

Davis is campaigning for Hillary Clinton.

Julia Curtis (‘17) / Chips

her support for Hillary Clinton.

According to LC Democrats member Emily Markee (‘17), Davis added a personal touch to Clinton’s campaign.

“As a candidate, Hillary can seem a little robotic and scripted,” Markee said. “I think bringing in someone like Wendy Davis who speaks from her own experiences as a single parent, who had to go through a lot of these choices that women have to make, brings more life to that issue.”

Davis is campaigning through battleground states and visited Waterloo, IA later that day. She also traveled to two other college campuses in Iowa and will end her campaign in Coon Rapids.

“We wanted to make sure we were touching as many people as possible, particularly the opportunity to touch some college campuses along this trip,” Davis said. “Our young voters are going to make such a difference in this election and I want to play my part to see how important their voices are in the ballot box.”

DAVIS, PAGE 4

said. “And she did not seem particularly enthralled to work with us, not really offering solutions, but instead just saying ‘keep doing what you are doing.’”

BLACK LIVES MATTER, PAGE 4

Meskwaki language project commenced ANA LOPEZ STAFF WRITER Associate Professor of Linguistics and French Laurie Zaring commenced a collaborative research project this past summer, working to revitalize the Meskwaki people’s language amongst their settlement in Tama County, IA. Luther student Pablo Lopez Alonso (‘17) aided Zaring in her work.

The project is intended to increase the fluency of settlement members in the Meskwaki language. It also seeks to train native speakers to teach their language to others.

According to Zaring, Yolanda Pushetonequa, a member of the Meskwaki community, has been communicating with the Meskwaki people to promote the value of conserving their original language within the settlement.

After hearing Pushetonequa speak at the Undergraduate Research Conference last year, Zaring responded to

her request for support from linguists, beginning the language revitalization project.

Zaring is currently working on a book that will be a grammar guide for Meskwaki language learners.

“This is a chance to give back to a culture that has had so much taken away from it,” Zaring said.

According to Zaring, staying in touch with Pushetonequa and native speakers was key to the project: “[I worked] with native speakers to figure out how the language works,” Zaring said.

“I have never worked with an indigenous community before, so I was just really excited to find out more about what the state of the language was and why is it important to them.”

Alonso aided Zaring in the project by analyzing verbs, among other tasks.

He explained that this was a unique opportunity to work with a language.

MESKWAKI, PAGE 4

NEWS

PAGE 2 OCTOBER 27, 2016

NEWS EDITORS: DANNY MAY & JACOB WAREHIME

Deifelt and students give address on Martin Luther

Professor of Relgion Wanda Deifelt addresses the audience before the students in her class took the podium to continue the address.

BEN SELCKE STAFF WRITER Professor of Religion Wanda Deifelt and students from her annually taught class “Luther and Lutheranism” spoke about Martin Luther, his lasting impact on religion and the founding of Luther College during weekday chapel on Oct. 12. Deifelt and her class spoke in honor of Founder’s Day. Deifelt said that the content of the class lent itself nicely to the message given during chapel.

“I was asked by Pastor Mike Blair if I would like to speak at Chapel for Founder’s Day and also do something that was inclusive of Martin Luther,” Deifelt said. “In addition, [we wanted to] acknowledge Reformation month.”

During the service, Deifelt explained that the founding of Luther College has its roots in the abolitionist movement of the nineteenth century. Like Luther himself, the new college rejected old interpretations of the Bible.

“At the basis of the foundation of Luther College was the disagreement of laypeople in the nineteenth century, with the type of Biblical interpretation that was being carried out at the seminary in St. Louis,” Deifelt said. “They were practicing a type of Biblical interpretation that supported slavery.”

Six students from Deifelt’s class spoke alongside her, each taking turns to talk about a different aspect of Luther’s writings and theology. Each student focused on quotes from Luther himself regarding a specific issue.

Sarah Grabe (‘17) said the whole class participated in the project.

“We had an assignment to write about what we thought Luther’s greatest contribution to either society, economy or religion was,” Grabe said.

Deifelt said she then integrated the class’ ideas into a full speech.

“I systematized and organized it into a coherent, cohesive narrative,” Deifelt said “Each student should be able to see themselves reflected [in the speech] because something that they said about the importance of education, translation of the Bible, the importance of music or the centrality of Luther’s theology.”

Kevin Honz (‘18) said he feels the work of Martin Luther alive and strong.

“Luther was a man of many things,” Honz said. “He worked with music but he also worked with theology and thoughts about marriage and the Bible, that all shape how we as Lutherans think about things today.”

During her speech, Deifelt offered an evaluation of Luther that was grounded in Luther College’s role as an

Ben Selcke (‘18) / Chips

institution of education.

“It really gave us an opportunity to reaffirm what in Lutheran tradition and heritage is so important in the context of a college,” Deifelt said. “Luther emphasizes education, making sure that everyone would be exposed to the experience of betterment that education could afford.”

Honz said that there’s much to say about Luther’s achievements and contributions. It’s often difficult to understand the man himself, to understand the rhetoric that surrounds him and other figures. He added that his experience with the class has helped him better understand Luther as a person.

“It provides a lot of context and grounding in the sense of an understanding of why Luther is important, why we should be called Luther College, but also understanding our shortcomings,” Honz said. “He wasn’t just this fantastic heroic figure, he was also human.”

Deifelt said that Founder’s Day and the events surrounding it are a good way to remember the foundations on which the college is built.

“It’s a unique opportunity for people on campus to go back and look at what our heritage is, and what the institution stands for and look towards the future,” Deifelt said.

Norse Key recieves new restrictions EMMA BUSCH STAFF WRITER Luther College converted its Colleague and My.Luther systems to a new server, Microsoft SQL, which required the Information Technology Services (ITS) to implement restrictions on Norse Key in early August of this year.

The new password restrictions apply to all faculty and students with a Norse Key. Access to most digital resources on campus, such as Norse Apps, My.Luther, KATIE and a number of other websites require a Norse Key login.

According to Director of User Services Diane Gossman, these new restrictions affect what kind of passwords students are able to use.

“New Norse Key passwords will be slightly more restrictive because they can no longer contain [certain] special characters,” Gossman said.

These special characters include

backslashes, asterisks, colons and commas. A full list of restricted characters can be found on the Information Technology Service’s blog.

“The next time you go to change your password, you can’t use those characters. In the past you could,” Gossman said. “Even if your current password has one of those characters and you want your new password to have it, you cannot do that anymore.”

Previous requirements for Norse Key passwords have remained the same. Student passwords must at least be ten characters long, include at least one number and a special character and must not contain any spaces. Passwords must also be changed every 180 days by staff and students. All users will receive five notices prior to the expiration of their password. Upon receiving these notices, students can visit norsekey.luther.edu to change their password.

According to Director of Network and

Systems Adam Forsyth, these rules are in place to ensure the security of faculty and students while they are online.

“We’re trying to keep the whole network safe and everything connected to it, whether that be college-owned or personal devices,” Forsyth said.

Students can take a number of steps to ensure their personal safety, in addition to protecting Luther and the surrounding Decorah community. According to the ITS network use policy, Norse Key information should never be shared in any way. ITS will also never request students to share their Norse Key over email. Any email regarding these requests is likely an attempt to compromise one’s account.

ITS also recommends that students avoid using passwords with dictionary words or references to their personal life. Strong passwords are generally lengthy, unique and never used as logins for multiple online

resources.

Norse Mail is particularly at risk for phishing scams and malware. The Technology Help Desk advises students to avoid opening email attachments unless they know the sender and refrain from opening emails that request personal information.

According to the Technology Help Desk’s safe computing tips, having antivirus protection software on your personal computer is the best way to combat these issues. This software is often included with the purchase of a personal computer, but the Help Desk provides a list of free or paid antivirus software that those without protection can view on their website.

In addition to the Norse Key restrictions, Luther is also seeking ways to implement Two-Factor Authentication in Norse Apps.

This process requires a password and login confirmation from a different device, and is more secure than only using a password.

NEWS

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NEWS EDITORS: DANNY MAY & JACOB WAREHIME THURSDAY

Seven-Day Forecast

OCTOBER 27, 2016 FRIDAY

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CEPE hosts debate viewing, discussion SHASA SARTIN STAFF WRITER The Center for Ethics and Public Engagement (CEPE) hosted a viewing of the second presidential debate on Oct. 19. The viewing was preceded by a lecture given by Associate Professor of Communication Studies Derek Sweet on the rhetoric of the 2016 Presidential Election.

The CEPE previously hosted a viewing of the first presidential debate on Oct. 9, which included a lecture by Associate Professor of Political Science Carly Foster and Professor of Political Science Michael Engelhardt.

Associate Professor of History and Director of the CEPE Victoria Christman said the nature of Sweet’s lecture differed slightly from the one given at the first debate viewing.

“It was a different flavor of introduction and it was more about the sort of nuts and bolts of the debate system and how it’s grown up over time,” Christman said. “I think there was growing interest in doing [the viewings], which is always a good thing.”

Christman also said that students were overwhelmed at the first community screening because community members were very active.

“Students felt intimidated by the fact that community members asked so many questions and had their own sort of back and forth in the question and answer period,” Christman said.

Christman tried to resolve this issue by

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Life Outside Luther Indians, Cubs meet in World Series The Cleveland Indians will face the Chicago Cubs in the 2016 World Series. The series will kick off Tuesday night at Progressive Field. Both teams have gained notoriety after long World Series droughts. Cleveland’s last title was in 1948 and the Cubs are trying to win for the first time since 1908. The two teams combine for 174 straight seasons without a title.

Associate Professor of Communication Studies Derek Sweet speaking before the debate aired.

Shasa Sartin (‘19)/ Chips suggesting that students ask their questions first during the second screening.

“There was a balance between community members and students, and I think that’s really healthy,” Christman said.

Sweet’s lecture focused on rhetoric in the debates. He explained that rhetoric is important because it brings light to problems that Americans currently face such as abortion, unemployment and taxes.

“All of these questions at some level challenge us to think about who we are as a community,” Sweet said.

Sweet also touched on the nature of

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this election’s debates, which Christman thought was beneficial.

“One of the key elements especially in this year’s debates has been the use and misuse of rhetoric,” Christman said.

“Sweet helped us parse out some of that and see through some of the spin on the way candidates are using facts and abusing facts and whatever else. I just think it’s helpful that the more input you have going into it, the better you understand what’s going on.”

During his lecture, Sweet said that the needed changes would not be easy to implement.

“These [changes] are not meant to be affable exchanges,” Sweet said. “They are meant to be contentious.”

Following the viewing of the debate, there was a question-and-answer session.

Christman and Assistant Director of the CEPE Krista Holland said that the session was a good environment for students and community members alike to practice their discourse skills.

“It’s part of the [CEPE’s] mission to make us comfortable talking about these things,” Holland said.

Holland added to this, saying that these skills are valuable for life.

“I mean, we’re always going to be in these situations where [we feel like we disagree] and [we need to learn how to] calmly talk about things and not propel people’s fuel,” Holland said. “So that’s also healthy, that we’re learning how to converse and be cordial and respectful.

It also provides a good forum for us to practice. Whether it’s community members or students, we all need practice.”

Firm says that many dead people registered to vote Data analysis group TargetSmart released a report on Tuesday which analysed Indiana’s voter database. The group concluded that there are thousands of people over the age of 110 who are deceased yet still registered to vote.

TargetSmart was hired on behalf of Republican Secretary of State Connie Lawson’s office due to Patriot Majority, a voter registration group with ties to the Democratic party. However, Patriot Majority said this new report only shows that the state’s database is full of errors, not that there is fraud.

Militants attack Pakistan police academy Militants equipped with suicide bomb vests attacked a Pakistani police academy in the city of Quetta during the night Tuesday. A gunbattle ensued killing 61 police cadets and recruits as well as injuring 128 more. The attack lasted for four hours and is now one of the most deadly attacks on Pakistani secuurity forces in recent years. The attacks were so deadly due to the fact that most of the cadets and recruits were sleeping at the time of the initial attack.

Search for suspect in Oklahoma decapitation continues Local authorities have been searching the last 24 hours for 38-year-old Oklahoma man Michael Dale Vance Jr. Vance Jr. posted a Facebook livestream while on the lam after a violent outburst in which he shot two cops. stole a car and murdered his aunt and uncle by attempted decapitation. Vance Jr. is wanted on multiple accounts including two counts of firstdegree murder.

Donald Trump attacks Obamacare in lategame move Donald Trump declared “Obamacare is just blowing up” Tuesday during a press conference.

Many pundits see this as a late-campaign move to gain ground on Hillary Clinton as support for Obamacare has started to dip.

Compiled from: www.nytimes.com

NEWS

PAGE 4

OCTOBER 27, 2016

NEWS EDITORS: DANNY MAY & JACOB WAREHIME

Just Action issues BLM pledge BLACK LIVES MATTER, PAGE 1 Despite these shortcomings, Just Action received a verbal agreement from President Carlson that she would participate in a discussion panel on race. This panel will be held on Nov. 16, location and time to be determined.

During Weekday Chapel on Oct. 19,

College Pastors Mike Blair and Anne Edison-Albright read the statement and explained race in the context of biblical stories and Luther’s foundational history.

Blair said the college was founded as an alternative to Concordia Seminary of St. Louis, which had then accepted a biblical defense of slavery. Despite the practical partnership between Decorah’s local

ministry and Concordia Seminary, the laypeople decided defenses of slavery were intolerable. Consequently, they decided to build Luther College, a school supporting their own beliefs in universal human freedom. “[Our] laypeople somehow heard voices from the margins, their sisters and brothers who suffered under racism and

Former Sen. Davis campaigns at Luther

slavery,” the statement reads. “Luther’s beginnings are tied to a complex crosscultural immersion, a pioneering faith that integrates love of God, service to neighbor and the call to social justice—particularly to racial justice. That’s our story.”

Students, faculty members and group organizations can read and endorse the statement on the Just Action website.

Zaring continues language revival MESKWAKI, PAGE 1 “It’s pretty cool because there are probably only three or four linguists who have worked with this language,” Alonso said. “The community is really interested in teaching and learning the language. It is exciting.”

Zaring had previously taught aspects of the importance of language revitalization in her Introduction to Linguistics class.

However, she explained that she had only worked with European languages and not those of Native Americans.

“I was surprised that there were no linguists from Iowa doing this,” Zaring said. “That’s why we got in

touch with [Pushetonequa]. We are not many but we can try to do what we can.”

According to Zaring, the fact that this was a new experience in her career as a linguist makes the project more exciting, especially as the linguistics department becomes more popular at Luther.

Zaring hopes to get Luther students interseted as the project continues. This spring, Zaring will bring her research to the classroom with the new course she developed based on her research, titled “Linguistic Pursuits”, which will analyze why it is important for American Indian communities to maintain fluency in their languages.

Pablo Lopez Alonso (‘17) and Laurie Zaring collaborate on language revival.

Ana Lopez (‘19) / Chips

Wendy Davis (middle) poses with Luither students and faculty member Pedro Dos Santos (in back right corner) after speaking in Farwell Hall.

Julia Curtis (‘17) / Chips DAVIS, PAGE 1 During the 2008 primaries, Davis supported Clinton and later Barack Obama. When Clinton ran for president in the 2016 election, Davis again pledged her support.

“I do believe that she is not only extraordinarily qualified,” Davis said. “But also, as a woman in this country who has had her share of struggles, I’ve seen [Clinton] fighting for women in a way that is unique.”

After speaking, Davis posed for pictures with Luther students and professors.

Student attendee Jordan Boge

(‘18), said that this is out of the ordinary for politicians. “[Davis] was open to students taking pictures, which some politicians are against and say they want to get out of here as soon as possible,” Boge said. “But Senator Davis actually wanted to be invested with the group.”

Davis related to Luther students and the small-town community, reaffirming common beliefs and decisions for some while strengthening Clinton’s candidacy.

“I was already going to vote for Hillary, but Wendy Davis further solidified my confidence that Hillary is the

most suitable person for the [presidency],” Boge said.

Davis attested to the mutual inspiration shared between herself as the speaking politician and the audience.

“The thing that impacts me the most when I travel to places like Iowa are the people who, for days and weeks and months, have committed themselves to the outcomes of this election,” Davis said. “They are fighting for something so much bigger than they are as individuals, and they know that. I am honored and humbled by the people I see committing themselves to that work.”

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

PAGE 5

A&E EDITOR: ELIZABETH BONIN

OCTOBER 27, 2016

“Transfer of Memory” photographs illustrate hope in Holocaust survivors LUKE BERKLEY STAFF WRITER

A collection of 24 photos that seek to fight anti-Semitism and racial tension comprise the exhibit “Transfer of Memory.” The exhibit opened in the Center for Faith and Life on Friday, on Oct 21.

The photos depict Holocaust survivors in their homes who have relocated to Minnesota. Decorah is the first city in Iowa to host the “Transfer of Memory.”

The gallery was created by the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas. The goal of this collection is to remember the survivors in a respectful manner and to share their stories of survival and freedom.

These images, taken by David Sherman of Sioux City, IA are in full color. They are accompanied by brief excerpts of their life story written by Lili Chester, a writer and daughter of two Holocaust survivors.

The excerpt tells the story of the invidividual’s survival, and then how they built their new life in Minnsota.

Laura Zelle is the Curator of the Collection and Director of Tolerance Minnesota, an organization dedicated to educating the public about racial discrimination and anti-Semitism. Zelle stressed the importance of educating the public about racial discrimination.

“This exhibit highlights the need to educate the public about the dangers of discrimination, including antiSemitism, as potential warning signs of deeper hatred and social pathology,” Zelle said. “By showing people pictures of more local people and by sharing their story it shows how they are more alike than not.”

Gallery Coordinator David Kamm said that this collection was brought to campus to accompany the Center Stage Series show “Judgment at Nuremburg.”

The play will be performed on campus Nov. 3, and depicts the struggles of those who helped Nazi Germany commit crimes against humanity.

“When I knew that was coming, and because different groups on campus like to coordinate activities and events, I started searching for an event to go along with that,” Kamm said. “I found this show, and I thought that it fits our needs, and it relates very well to what is going on. We just had to figure out the logistics, and then the pieces just fell into place.”

Kamm said that although the gallery focuses on a specific event, the central themes are related to recent events as well.

“This gallery is representative not only of fighting anti-Semitism, but of more general terms,” Kamm said. “For example, there is a genocide happening right now in Syria. We as humans always have some catastrophic event happening. We never really get past those events.”

Kamm stated that even though the exhibit focuses on a tragic event, these photographs convey feelings of hope

Lauren Summers (‘20) studies a photo from the exhibit. and light.

“Part of this show is about showing the survivors how to give a very hopeful message,” Kamm said. “For me there is a message of hope in this gallery; regardless of these awful things we do to each other, people do come out the other end, and they have stories to tell.”

Lauren Summers (‘20) also said that these photographs show hope through the tragedy.

“It is inspiring to see these people come through this scary dark time, and to see that they are still happy,” Summers said. “They are still joyful after all that has happened to them, and

I think that it inspires us to find joy in our lives no matter how tragic we think it is.”

Kamm emphasized that it is easy to get swept up in commemorating such a massive event and to forget the individual people. These individual photos show these specific people survived genocide.

“I think that can resonate in a way that we usually lose sight of in the totality of these historic events,” Kamm said. We have trouble wrapping our minds around the whole event, but when we see that here is a person who lived through this, and here is another

Luke Berkley (‘20) / Chips

person who survived, it gives us a reason to hope for the future.”

Kamm hopes that the show humanizes the Holocuast to create empathy within viewers and help them recognize the event on a more personal level.

“I can’t fly to Syria and stop the violence there, but we all can do little things in our day to day lives maybe just to make us a bit more sensitive and aware to what is going on in other people’s lives,” Kamm said. “If we all do a little bit, the net effect is positive.”

The display will be in the CFL until Dec. 5.

FEATURES

PAGE 6 OCTOBER 27, 2016

FEATURES EDITOR: FRAN STEVENSON

Geology students reflect on studies from Italy DMITRY VORONA STAFF WRITER As part of the Luther study abroad program “The Earth and Environment in Italy” Luther students Amy Thor (‘17), Andrew Carlson (‘17) Alyssa Kolb (‘18) are spending a semester in Coldigioco, Italy.

While geology and the environment are the focal areas of study, students also study the Italian language, art and art history.

Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Laura Peterson has previously led the program.

“The primary emphasis of the program is field geology.”

Peterson said. “Students do a variety of projects ranging from geologic mapping to analyzing river sediments to analyzing soils. In addition to the field geology work, students also take an art course that combines art and art history, as well as a course in basic Italian. At the end of the program, students also complete an independent research project.”

According to Peterson, one of the benefits of the program is learning outside of the program.

“The program is unique in that it is very experiential — students are out in the field most days making observations, collecting data or collecting samples to analyze back at the observatory,” Peterson said.

“It’s a very different format from traditional textbook learning, and challenging because the real world is much messier than textbooks — both figuratively and literally.”

From Left: Andrew Carlson (‘17) , Amy Thor (‘17) and Alyssa Kolb (‘18) hike in Italy.

Photo courtesy of Amy Thor (‘17)

Even with the scientific emphasis of the program, Peterson highlighted that the program is accessible to students not majoring in the sciences.

“Students need to complete a lab science course in order to apply to the program, but do not need to be science majors,” Peterson said. “The learning curve is fairly steep for everyone on the program, and it’s helpful to have some Earth

memorable experiences for me has been during our trip to the Dolomites.” Thor said. “We visited Marmolada Mountain and the Marmolada glacier, though we didn’t actually ever get to get near the glacier because it has shrunk so much in recent decades, that was one of my biggest/most real experiences with climate change.”

While the program definitely had a positive and profound impact, Thor said she still misses Luther.

“I do miss Luther, the biggest thing I miss would be just the general sense of comfort and familiarity,” Thor said. “I miss all of the usual things: my friends, seeing the leaves change and walks through Hickory Ridge.”

science background going in.

The most important thing is not prior knowledge but rather an enthusiasm for getting up each day and being excited to learn something new.”

Thor (‘17) shares her experiences from Italy this semester.

“Studying in Italy has been a great experience,” Thor said. “The areas we’ve been studying have had recent active orogenesis which is much

Amy Thor (‘17), Andrew Carlson (‘17) and Alyssa Kolb (‘18) explore Coligioco, Italy.

Photo courtesy of Amy Thor (‘17)

different from the geologic history of Northeast Iowa. It has been very interesting.”

According to Peterson, aside from Geological Observatory of Coldgioco, where most of the program takes place, students have an opportunity to explore other European regions.

“A lot of the program is based at the Geological Observatory of Coldigioco,” Peterson said.

“But there are also three extended group field trips, to the Italian Alps, northwest Tuscany and Croatia.”

Despite the fact that the program is still ongoing, Thor highlighted that traveling throughout Italy was one of her best experiences from the program so far.

“Some of the most

FEATURES

PAGE 7

FEATURES EDITOR: FRAN STEVENSON

OCTOBER 27, 2016

Student workers collaborate with security to keep campus operating late ELIZABETH GARVIN STAFF WRITER In 2013, Directory of Campus Safety and Security Bob Harri began a student security assistant program with the goal of enhancing safety and security on campus.

Having students assist with building security and other non-enforcement functions allows full-time officers to have more time for proactive patrol and calls for service. The program is also an opportunity to engage students in campus safety while providing a student work position with a high degree of responsibility.

Student security officers allow for extended night hours in the library.

According to Public Services Coordinator Eddy Atwell, the addition of student security assistants allows students to stay on the main floor of the library past the closing of the library Sunday through Thursday at midnight.

“All of our student security assistants have been a really good fit here at the library.”

Atwell said. “We have had no problems throughout the entirety of the program.”

Harri was already planning to propose this program for students to assist with security on campus. After the program was implimented student security assistants collaborated with the library to keep it available to students for one more hour Sunday through Thursday.

Other essential duties and responsibilities of Safety and Security Assistants include ensuring buildings on campus are vacated, secured and locked every night.

According to Safety and Security Assistant Kjerstin Nelson (‘18), students also help out with a variety of events on campus such as concerts, athletic events and other activities like personal safety operations and physical security on campus.

“It's nice work because we just make sure people are doing what they should be doing and making sure buildings are locked,” Nelson said. “It's really nice to get to know all of the security guards too because they are all really nice and care about our safety.”

Harri explained that part of the process was knowing what to do in order to make sure this program was successful. He did so by researching other colleges similar to Luther and seeing how they utilized their student security workers.

“The student workers we

Mibel Iskandar (‘19) locks up the Office of the President currently have and the previous assistants have done a great job of helping to keep Luther a relatively safe place,” Harri said. “We are examining ways to get our security assistants even more involved. Students have clearly demonstrated the capacity to be successful in this role.”

Harri worked as a student security assistant when he attended college and the security staff was composed almost entirely of students. This experience assured him that students would be successful in this security role.

“We have to have a lot of communication between the full-time security staff to let each other know what’s going on around campus,” Mibel Iskandar (‘19) said. “[The security staff is] really nice and flexible and care about our safety. It’s a rewarding job overall to secure down the buildings and making sure everyone is safe.”

“I highly encourage students to use the escort service provided by campus security which is always available, all you have to do is call 563-3872111,” Assistant Chase Gilson (‘19) said. “This is a number I recommend everyone should have in their contact list.

Remember that if you do not have a cell phone that there are emergency phones located around campus.

Student

Elizabeth Garvin (‘18) / Chips Security officers are committed to the safety of the students on campus and want to ensure that all students get home securely.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

PAGE 8 OCTOBER 27, 2016

A&E EDITOR: ELIZABETH BONIN

Versa-Style performs versatile dance, promotes hope and social equality Versa-Style dance group works with K-12 youth to help them embrace

their culture.

BIZ WAGENSON STAFF WRITER Hip-hop dancers hailing from Los Angeles stormed the Center for Faith and Life on Oct. 21. The Versa-Style Dance Company were sponsored by the Diversity Center to perform their new show “Box of Hope,” which spanned to hip-hop Motown songs.

Versa-Style is a nonprofit dance company that is influenced by multiple genres of hip-hop.

“Their hip-hop has come out of a number of dance styles,” Interim Director of Campus Programming Yvonne Kuhlman said. “It’s versatile, so they call themselves VersaStyle.”

They include forms of hiphop such as house, popping, locking and whacking. They are also influenced by other dance forms that have roots in Afro-Latin cultures including the salsa, meringue and cumbia.

The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) adjunct lecturers for the World Arts and Cultures/Arts Department founded Versa-Style. Many of the dancers in the company graduated from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in dance.

According to Kuhlman, the

Versa-Style’s hip-hop dance stems from African American and Latina communities. group wanted to show the level of skill that hip-hop requires.

“I think that what they are hoping to get across to the audience is that this style of dance is a serious kind of dance,” Kuhlman said. “You can see how skilled these dancers are. They are trying to promote the art of hip-hop.

It’s an art. That’s the most important thing to remember.”

The dance company is a multi-racial group whose mission is to empower others through the movement and culture of hip-hop. They began the organization in 2005 to

perform for Los Angeles youth and to teach them about the roots of hip-hop dance.

They also tour underpriveleged K-12 schools to give free hip-hop dance classes to encourage students interested in performing arts.

President of the Performing Arts Committee Sheri Schwert (‘17) recognized their mission in their performances.

“With a message of hope and common passion specifically aimed at Los Angeles disadvantaged youth, Versa-Style is a diverse group that emphasizes that diversity

Versa-Style supports social equality by uniting themselves through a common passion, regardless of race or socio-economic background.

Biz Wagenson (‘17) / Chips

and shows how they and the youth they teach are stronger because of it,” Schwert said.

Versa-Style’s new show “Boxes of Hope” was put together by founders and artistic directors Jackie Lopez and Leigh Fouaad. Fouaad’s character is portrayed as being at odds with the other dancers. In the end, Fouaad’s character is accepted into the group and is given a box to match the other members’. The performance represents how dance and social issues can interact.

“They try to use their new show, ‘Box of Hope,’ to highlight issues of social

Biz Wagenson (‘17) / Chips inequality and the hope and joy that dance can create in the face of this inequality,” Schwert said.

Attendee Keanna Belau (‘19) explained that she was grateful to see the show because of how they portrayed the issue of social inequality through dance. Belau also said the performance gave a message about the power of hope.

“Inequality still affects many people, but I enjoyed how Versa-Style was able to tell a story that shows that hope still exists and can make a huge difference in people’s lives,” Belau said.

OPINION

PAGE 9

MANAGING EDITOR: MAKEDA BARKLEY

Shadow block changes cause more issues than they solve

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.

The opinion section is designed to provide a forum for Chips, its staff members and the Luther community. Opinions expressed in articles, editorials and columns do not necessarily represent the views of the Chips staff. The author is solely responsible for opinions expressed in Chips commentary.

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Fall 2016 Staff Editor-in-Chief: Managing Editor: News Editors: Features Editor: A&E Editor: Sports Editor: Staff Writers:

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OCTOBER 27, 2016

Emily Crowe Makeda Barkley Danny May Jacob Warehime Fran Stevenson Elizabeth Bonin Sidney Larsen Luke Berkley Emma Busch Julia Curtis Elizabeth Garvin Spencer Hodge Lily Kime Ana Lopez Katrina Meyer Shasa Sartin Ben Selcke Dmitry Vorona Biz Wagenson Olivia Benson Elyse Grothaus Sarah Owens Tyler Hovery Madeline Petellin Michael Vann Elyse Grothaus Sarah Owens David Faldet

EMILY CROWE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF I attended the Student Senate open forum about cutting shadow block from our schedule during their meeting (which met during shadow block) on Thursday, Oct. 20 with an open mind. However, I left with a sense that this change has gone too far in the opposite direction and that a compromise needs to be made.

The changes intended — to make the school day more about academics, to add another time when courses could be offered (laboratory courses in particular) and to give students an opportunity to take a class that doesn’t conflict with their musical or sporting events and practices — are practical and logical. In practice, though, the changes don’t eliminate the conflict between academics and extracurricular events; it just shifts the problems later in the day.

Shadow block is a little over an hour on Tuesday and Thursday mornings when classes are not allowed to be scheduled. 9:40 a.m. to 10:50 a.m. is a time open for everyone during which student organizational meetings, faculty meetings and any other group meetings — like group projects, work-study, tutoring or unofficial ensemble or athletic team practices — meet. It also gives students with classes all day a break to grab some breakfast or lunch, finish up their last bit of homework, see their friends for a while or even take a nap.

Now, shadow block is being moved to Fridays from 3:55– 5:00p.m. However, athletic practices and music rehearsals can begin at 4:00 p.m., so this time is not a universally open time as Tuesday/Thursday morning shadow block is. In fact, this time is not even intended for student meetings. It is largely for faculty meetings. As the child of two professors, the idea of a late-afternoon Friday faculty meeting is questionable to me. I am betting attendance — and therefore

the number of faculty discussing and voting on important topics — will drop.

Furthermore, there will be another night class option added on Thursday nights. We already have night classes offered on Monday from 6:00-9:00p.m., and no student organizations can meet during this time. This new Thursday class will not disallow student organizations from meeting, but it will force students to choose between any meetings, activities, concerts or events and class. This directly opposes the point of removing shadow block, which is supposedly so that students don’t have to choose between classes — laboratory courses, for example — and being in a sport or ensemble.

My biggest problem with this change is that students are not likely to choose between the various extracurricular activities we do simply because we can no longer meet during the day. Instead, these meetings will get pushed into the evening to try to accommodate everyone’s schedules.

Our days will certainly be more separate: academic courses somewhere between 8:00a.m. and 4:00p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and 8:00a.m. to 4:30p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, all music rehearsals and sports practices beginning at 4:00p.m. each week day, everything else we are involved in after that and then, finally, homework.

I can appreciate the positives of the change. Those who play football, for example, can take their lab course in the morning and still attend practice in the afternoon. Those who have ensemble rehearsal and private lessons and seminar can schedule all their classes in morning and devote their entire evening to music. However, this was kind of an option already. It is true that most lab courses were in the late afternoons and could conflict, but this could still be the case. While it is true that non-academic classes — choir, for example — must start after 4:00p.m., there will still be classes until 4:30p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, a conflict that will remain.

In all, it seems as though this change will not actually solve the problem it intends to solve and in fact create new problems for student organizations. While we are at Luther first and foremost to get a degree, we are also not going to give up our membership in SAC groups, clubs, major related organizations, service groups, ensembles and sports teams simply because an hour in the morning was re-devoted to courses.

The problem with Luther study abroad and Paideia 450

JULIA CURTIS STAFF WRITER With class registration coming up, I figured the topic of Paideia 450 was very relevant — particularly for students who studied abroad or are planning to study abroad.

Last semester I was in Münster, Germany with other sophomores and juniors. The semester required us to take two German courses, one History/Religion course and a Paideia 450. When we got back to campus, the juniors received credit for their work in Paideia 450. The sophomores did not. And this is because they didn’t

have a high enough class standing. The sophomores completed the same work as the juniors. They went to the same sites and the same cities. We had class together and participated in the same activities every day.

Since the sophomores did not have enough class credit behind them, they were unable to keep their credit and fulfill their Paideia 450 requirement.

For some of the sophomores, last semester was the most opportune time to study abroad. They were minoring in German and they needed to fulfill their study abroad requirement. It wouldn’t make any sense for them to study abroad in two years because they would be out of practice.

Studying in Germany was the end of their German course load. They had to go. By studying abroad with a Luther program, the classes were already chosen for them.

Therefore, they needed to take Paideia 450. It was a requirement for the semester.

Because all of the classes were chosen for the students that went to Germany, too, they were unable to take classes that fulfilled other major requirements. Now,

not only do students need to compensate for major requirements this semester, but for the sophomores that studied abroad, they have to retake a class that already should have counted toward an all-college requirement. These students wasted their time and their effort in passing this fourcredit class that doesn’t help them fulfill any requirements in return.

I understand that Paideia 450 is supposed to be an end cap and it is supposed to round out the experiences of students at Luther. If that is the case, then it should be necessary for students at Luther to wait until they are actually in their junior or senior year — and not junior or senior standing — to take a Paideia class. It doesn’t make any sense to require a class and not give the right credit where credit is due. If they weren’t going to receive Paideia 450 credit for their Paideia 450 work, then they should have been offered an alternative. At this point, after the class and semester abroad is over, it would be most beneficial for these students to receive their Paideia 450 credit and not have to unecessarily retake a class.

OPINION

PAGE 10 OCTOBER 27, 2016

MANAGING EDITOR: MAKEDA BARKLEY

Perpetuation of “othering” in the US Letter to the Editor The question comes out of nowhere. One second he is asking me about my major, and then out of left field comes the question I get all too often: “So, where are you from?”

I quickly answer, “I’m from Des Moines.”

“That’s cool, but I mean what ethnicity are you?”

“I’m American.”

“Oh, I am talking about what country you’re from.”

As badly as I want to answer America again, I give him the answer he is looking for.

“I see what you’re asking, well my grandparents immigrated here from India.”

I didn’t want to believe that yet again I was getting the question, “No really, where are you from?” This conversation

happened the other day in Dahl Centennial Union. A tall, middle-aged white man came over to where my friends and I were sitting and started to talk to us. This whole exchange was harmless; the questions were typical small talk. Then he tried to find out what race I am. At first glance, this line of questioning may seem trivial. Something still doesn’t feel right: he didn’t ask any of the other four white people sitting around me about their race. He asked where they were from, but responses like Idaho and Wisconsin were sufficient. He never followed up with, “No, I mean, where are you really from?” He assumed that they must be from the United States because of their skin color. And the thing is, ethnicity in its definition, according to the Oxford Dictionary, is a “state of belonging to a social group that has a common national or cultural tradition.” So, my ethnicity is still American. I was born and raised here. My common national and cultural tradition is American.

The real kicker of this whole exchange is he never asked any of the white people around me “where they were really from.” This reminds me of a simple narrative that has been perpetuated since the beginning of the United States: if your skin color is not white, you must not be from here. I feel left out every time I am asked that question, as if my answer of being American isn’t good enough. It doesn’t matter that

people of color have inhabited the United States long before any settlers got here. It is this consistent idea of an “other” that I am continually reminded of. No matter how long, how integrated or how assimilated people of color become in the United States, we are still bombarded with these questions. For others it is more than just questions, it is racial slurs or physical attacks ending in the worst of outcomes. We are still treated as an “other,” still different from the majority. Sometimes it feels as if nothing will ever be good enough to show that we (people of color) ARE American. I rant about this because being at a school that is overwhelmingly white, these questions have been asked more often than not. Granted, I am only speaking for myself and do NOT by any means speak for all people of color on campus. I can guess, however, that others (like me) on campus get these questions far too frequently.

So, I ask all of us to think about the questions we are asking people of color. I ask us all to truly do our research. The responsibility of education falls on the individual, not the minority to educate the majority.

Be educated. Be informed. And most importantly, listen often.

Signed, Jordan Boge (‘18)

A step in the right direction for Luther Letter to the Editor

I want to express my thanks to the Just Action group for issuing a statement of support for the Black Lives Matter movement and to the many Luther faculty, staff, students and alumni who have endorsed it. But I am disappointed that the Luther administration has elected not to give this statement an institutional endorsement. I think we are missing an important opportunity here on two counts.

First, we are missing an opportunity to take a moral stand on the side of justice. While we may debate what it means for Luther to be a college of the church, one thing it has to mean is

that we stand and express our support for those who are the victims of injustice. Luther College at its inception took a stand against slavery. Can we do any less today when African Americans continue to struggle for equal protection under the law?

Second, we may be missing an opportunity here for a less obvious reason. As everybody knows, Luther is currently experiencing an enrollment decline that could well necessitate a significant reduction in the size of the faculty and staff over the next few years. The reasons for this enrollment decline are complex, and Luther is not alone in facing this kind of situation. But one of the issues driving this seems to be receiving little attention.

Luther is struggling to attract students of color to campus even though students of color are applying to Luther in ever larger numbers.

In 2014, 550 applicants were students of color.

This year, that number doubled to nearly 1100.

But while we yielded almost ten percent of those applicants in 2014, we yielded only about six percent this year. Compare that to the nearly 20

percent yield rate on white applicants. Growing that six percent yield rate on a demographic group that is making up an ever larger slice of the application pie will be crucial to addressing our enrollment challenges.

Another way to look at this is through statistics published by the Chronicle of Higher Education in Sept. According to numbers reported to the Department of Education by American colleges and universities in 2014, Luther College reported that its student body contained 8.8 percent non-white students.

That puts us close to the bottom of other upper Midwest ELCA and ACM schools. For comparison, St. Olaf reported 15.6 percent, Carleton 23.9 and Grinnell 25.3. Even Wartburg at 10.8 and Gustavus at 12.7 were above Luther’s percentage. Given the rapidly changing racial demographics of the country, I don’t see how it will be possible for Luther to thrive without substantially increasing the racial and ethnic diversity of the student body.

Given this reality, an institutional endorsement of a statement of support for

a social justice movement addressing an issue that predominantly affects people of color would be an important signal to these communities that Luther cares about them and would openly welcome them into the Luther community. An institutional endorsement of the Black Lives Matter statement would be both morally right and could be strategically beneficial, and it is not always the case that what is morally right lines up so closely with what is strategically beneficial.

In response to Just Action’s statement, a recent alum posed the following question: “What conversations is the Luther administration having in light of this statement about how they can actively promote equity at Luther?”

This is an important question. It seems to me that institutionally endorsing a statement of support for Black Lives Matter would be a good place to start.

Signed, Associate Professor of Religion Robert Shedinger

Student Senate considers room draw revision A Sit-Down with Senate This fall semester our student senate has had excellent dialogue on several different issues on campus. One such issue is the current state of our room draw process. As many people know, our room draw system relies on the use of credits when determining the order in which students get to choose where they live on campus. However, a system based on credits presents multiple flaws and it is time we seek a new alternative.

First, a credit-based room draw system benefits students who are coming to Luther with college transfer credits. During the fall of 2015, 54.8 percent of the entering first-years came to Luther with at least one college-level credit. Of these first-years, 33.8 percent are arriving at Luther with 10 or more college credits. As a result, just over a third of the class of 2019 are given a distinct advantage over their peers when it comes to room draw before they have taken one credit at Luther.

A common argument for having a credit-based system is that it rewards students who are higher achievers and work harder. However, in order to attain college credit in high school students must be enrolled at an institution that actually offers the classes. Thus, students from smaller high schools are not lacking college credit because they are not high achievers, instead it is more than likely because they may not have had the chance to take these college level classes. Additionally, in order to gain college credit from an AP class, students must

take an exam that costs $93, a cost that is not always financially feasible for everyone. As a result, by having a credit-based room draw system we are giving precedence to student from larger high schools who have the financial means to pay for the exams that allow them to gain credit.

Due to the shortcomings of the current room draw system, student senate has been discussing moving to a random lottery system by grade. The logistics of room draw would largely remain the same except the method for how students get assigned their number would be completely random within their grade. In this way, students will no longer be disadvantaged because they were not able to come to college with credits. Other alternatives such as taking into account GPA or moving to a system only based on credits earned at Luther have also been brought to the table. However, neither option promotes equity among students for room draw. Moving to a GPA system will disadvantage students who take more rigorous classes. Additionally, a system based on just Luther credits will disadvantage students who take fewer than 16 credits because they might be involved with other activities, working a part-time job, or simply taking a lighter load to benefit their mental health. In my opinion, a random lottery room draw system is the most equitable option and will allow everyone to have the most equal opportunity when it comes to choosing housing on campus.

As student senate continues to discuss the current state of our room draw system, I would encourage you to participate in our dialogue by coming to student senate meetings on Thursdays at 9:40a.m. in the Mott room. Also, please do not hesitate to email me (larspa06@ luther.edu) with any questions or concerns.

Signed, Senior Class Representative Patrick Larson (‘17)

SPORTS

PAGE 11

OCTOBER 27, 2016

SPORTS EDITOR: SIDNEY LARSEN

Volleyball competes in Colorado KATRINA MEYER STAFF WRITER The Luther women’s volleyball team competed at the Pike’s Peak Challenge in Colorado Springs, CO on Oct. 14-15.

The team went 3-1, beating ConcordiaMoorhead, Millikin University and Eastern University. They suffered their only loss to the tournament champions, Colorado College.

The first game of the tournament for the Norse was a 3-1 victory against Concordia-Moorhead. Jamie Sindlinger (‘20) had a season high of 17 kills and Sam Sixta (‘20) led the team with a season high of 49 assists and 24 digs.

During their second match of the tournament the women fell to No. 8 nationally-ranked Colorado College one set to three. Sindlinger again led the team with 15 kills, Taylor Gaide (‘18) tallied 27 digs and Sixta helped the team with 42 assists.

Luther bounced back in the next match, beating No. 23 nationallyranked Millikin University three sets to zero. Emma Veum (‘19) racked up 12 kills and Sixta once again led the team with 14 digs and 37 assists.

Luther finished off the tournament by beating No. 12 nationally-ranked Eastern College with a final score of 3 sets to 0. Anna Larson (‘19) had 12 kills, Sixta made 31 assists and Gaide completed 15 digs. Overall, the tournament was a success for the Norse, improving their season record to 19-6.

The trip to Colorado Springs was unique and important for the team, co-captain and middle blocker Lexie Erickson (‘17) explained.

“We only get to go on a big trip

every two years,” Erickson said. “My sophomore year we went to Chicago, and that wasn’t super [far] away, so it is super exciting to go somewhere further away. I think the teams were really good competition for us too.”

In addition to the competition, the trip provided the team with a great opportunity to bond according to middle blocker Kathleen Shabatura (‘18).

“I think the whole process of getting there and being in the airport is all a big part of team bonding,” Shabatura said.

“Keeping 17 girls together, getting on the plane together, all the long drives and every moment with the team is a big experience for team-building and bonding.”

The team played their toughest competition of the year with three opponents ranked in the top 25 nationally. Head Volleyball Coach Danielle Lynch highlighted the team’s mindset going into such high competition. “[The team] plays for each other, they don’t play individually, and that’s one of our goals,” Lynch said. “We also try to play up to our level. Those are our main goals, and they’re simple, but if you know what you want, then you can go from there.”

After the Pike’s Peak Challenge the Norse have moved to 19-6 overall and are 4-1 in Conference play. They are tied with Wartburg for first place and with three games left, the team is excited about where they are moving forward. Larson explained the team goals heading into the conference tournament.

“We have a really big goal of winning the conference,” Larson said. “We’re

ranked number one right now and Luther College Volleyball has never won the conference tournament, so that would be awesome if we could do that this year.”

Norse Volleyball beat Simpson College at home on Oct. 21, three sets to zero and then played Central College on Oct. 22, again winning three sets to zero. The Norse have one game left before the Conference tournament, and the team continues to be ranked number one. Assistant Coach Haylie Franklin is proud of the team and the first place ranking at this point in the

season.

“It feels good [to be ranked first in the Conference],” Franklin said. “It feels like where we are supposed to be, and it shows that all our hard work is paying off. It’s really exciting to be in this position with such a young group of girls, and it pays tribute to those that came before them and the hard work they put in building the program up.”

Norse Volleyball will finish up their regular season with the IIAC Conference Tournament held at the US Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, IA on Nov. 4-5.

Emma Veum (‘19) jumps up to tip the ball away from the opposing blocker.

Maddie Miller (‘19) / Photo Bureau

Norse of the Week SIDNEY LARSEN SPORTS EDITOR Men’s cross-country co-captain Isaac Jensen (‘17) is a senior from Iowa City, IA. He was an individual qualifier for the National Championships in 2015 where he placed 47th. Jensen placed 8th at the Conference Championship race last year and 15th in 2014. He is a two-time winner of both All-Conference and All-Region Honors as well as a two-time Iowa Conference All-Academic honoree. Jensen made his first appearance at the National Championships as a freshman when the team qualified in 2013.

Chips: What has been your best race of the season so far? What made it your best?

Jensen: I guess I would say that it was two weeks ago at La Crosse. I made it my goal to get out a little more aggressively to practice the skills that I’ll need later in the season. It was the most complete race effort that I’ve given all season, so I suppose it would be my best race thus far.

What are your goals — personal and team-oriented — for this season?

My personal goals are to continue to improve throughout the season and put myself in a position where I can be competitive at the conference, regional and national level at the end of the season. For the team, I want to see everyone continue to make strides and put together great races during championship season.

Ultimately, I’d like to see us compete for a conference title and make it back to nationals as a team.

What does a typical day of training look like for you?

Training is variable: we do different types of runs throughout the week. Typically, Monday is a long run, often on trails or gravel, we have workout in the middle of the week and a race or workout on Saturday. Interspaced between these harder efforts are distance days, during which we just get out on the road and run at a comfortable pace. And of course there is a lot of other auxiliary training, including strides and barefoot running, lifting, stretching and core. So every day brings something new.

If you could run at any exotic location in the world, where would you go?

Running is a great way to see the world when you are traveling, so I think about this question quite a bit.

Probably New Zealand, it is a land of stunning natural

Isaac Jensen (‘17) runs hard near the finish.

Photo courtesy of Photo Bureau

beauty and amazing rugged terrain that would be amazing to explore on foot.

What do you like about running?

What’s not to like? I love that it gets me outside everyday, that it takes me to places that few people get a chance to see, that it allows me to spend time with an awesome group of human beings. Running can be a form of meditation, it keeps me sane even when everything else in my life seems overwhelming.

What are you looking forward to during the remainder of the season?

For the remainder of the season, I’m looking forward to the opportunity to push my limits and represent Luther to the best of my ability in upcoming championship races.

When you graduate, will you still be involved with cross-country?

I can’t really imagine my life without running, so it will definitely still be a part of my life after graduation.

The intensity of my training and the extent to which I will continue to race post-collegiately will depend on any number of factors, but I know that I’ll be a runner for life.

If you had to pick another sport to play, besides track or cross-country, which would you choose?

Probably soccer or ultimate. I played soccer for a long time growing up, although my ball skills were pretty atrocious, and I always like to get out and toss a disk. Really I’m not great with the whole hand/foot-eye coordination thing though, so running is a pretty good gig for me. I also enjoy climbing a lot, which I guess is a sport too. It will be in the Olympics in 2020, so I can always aim for that.

SPORTS

PAGE 12

SPORTS EDITOR: SIDNEY LARSEN

OCTOBER 27, 2016

Nebraska Wesleyan University joins IIAC

Weekly Standings

LILY KIME STAFF WRITER Nebraska Wesleyan University officially became a part of the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference on July 20.

The addition of Nebraska Wesleyan to the conference is the first since 1997 and marks the only time a Nebraska school has been a part of the IIAC. Nebraska Wesleyan was originally a member of the Great Plains Athletic Conference which included schools in Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota.

According to Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Head Softball Coach Renae Hartl, Nebraska Wesleyan was looking for a conference that would offer more conveniently located games.

“They sought out the league,” Hartl said. “They are located in Nebraska, which doesn’t have any other Division III schools.

They were seeking out a [NCAA] Division III conference that would assist them in scheduling more DIII games that would be as close to them as possible. I think [the IIAC] was that natural partner for them.”

In order to become a competitor in the IIAC, Nebraska Wesleyan reached out to the conference and requested to join. According to Hartl, this addition was discussed in meetings between the presidents, athletic directors and male and female athletic representatives of the member colleges of the conference, and the issue was eventually voted on by the presidents. The addition was approved in July 2015 but was not put into effect until July 2016.

Nebraska Wesleyan joining the conference has caused an abrupt change for all schools in the IIAC.

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

IIAC 3-1 3-1 3-1 2-1 2-1 2-2 2-3 0-3 0-4

Recent Scores

Overall 10-2 9-2-2 9-4 8-4-1 6-4 7-6-1 6-4-3 1-10 4-9-1

Oct. 19 vs. University of St. Thomas L 1-2 Oct. 22 vs. Central College W 5-0

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

The Nebraska Wesleyan University Prairiewolves joined the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Photo courtesy of kfornow.com It is common practice for Athletic Directors to schedule conference games several years in advance. With the addition of Nebraska Wesleyan, all of these schedules needed to be redone, according to Assistant Athletic Director Alex Smith.

The reaction from Luther coaches to the addition has been generally positive.

Although the commute to games has raised some complaints, the inclusion of this new competition is seen as a welcomed challenge, according to Head Volleyball Coach Danielle Lynch.

“I think they’re a strong school to bring in because they do have a strong athletic program,” Lynch said. “I think that’s better than bringing in a team that you’re going to whoop-up on in every game. We want to challenge ourselves to get better, so I think adding them only helps our strength of schedule, at least for a volleyball perspective.”

This positive reaction was echoed by Head Football Coach Aaron

Hafner, who said that he feels that Nebraska Wesleyan fits well into the IIAC. “As far as football goes, they’ve been extremely competitive throughout the season,” Hafner said. “They’re very wellcoached. The players are awesome and have great character. They fit the profile of what I think the IIAC is all about. So far, from a football standpoint, it’s been a great addition.”

The addition of Nebraska Wesleyan to the IIAC may not be the only change coming to the conference in the near future. According to Hartl, three focus groups are being created in response to a strategic visioning process that took place last year.

President Paula Carlson, Hartl and Vice President for Communications and Marketing Rob Larson will be the Luther College representatives on each of these groups.

“One of these [focus groups] is going to discuss [governmental process of league operations], one

is going to discuss sport sponsorship and the last one is going to discuss [expansion possibilities],” Hartl said. “I believe that one of the groups will be diving deeper into what the actual name of the league will be. It could remain the IIAC and it could also change.”

This name change is under debate because it has been suggested that a name change would encourage more schools that are not from Iowa to join the conference.

The inclusion of more schools into the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is a trend that many, including Hartl, wish to continue.

“Nine members always makes a conference stronger than eight members,” Hartl said.

“The NCAA requires that a conference maintains seven league members in full-time status to continue to retain your automatic qualifier to the NCAA tournament. Having nine members definitely gives us that sure feeling that we’re moving forward as a powerful conference in the nation.”

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

Overall 10-2-2 11-3-1 10-3-2 13-3-1 10-7-1 7-10-1 6-9-1 2-11-3 3-12-1

Recent Scores

Oct. 16 @ Nebraska Wes. T 1-1 2OT Oct. 22 vs. Central College W 2-0

Volleyball

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

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

Overall 21-6 17-5 18-10 12-11 13-13 12-13 13-16 9-13 10-17

Recent Scores

Oct. 5 @ Wartburg W 3-1 Oct. 11 vs. Coe College W 3-0

Football

Coe Dubuque Central Wartburg Simspon Buena Vista Luther Nebraska Wes. Loras

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

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

Recent Scores

Oct. 15 @ Buena Vista L 24-48 Oct. 22 vs. Coe L 6-45

Women’s Swim & Dive Simpson Loras Luther Coe Nebraska Wes.

IIAC 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1

Overall 2-0 1-0 1-0 0-0 0-2

Recent Scores

Oct. 21 @ St. Mary’s W 152-81

Men’s Swim & Dive Nebraska Wes. Luther Coe Loras Simspon

IIAC 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1

Overall 2-0 1-0 0-0 0-1 0-1

Recent Scores

Oct. 21 @ St. Mary’s W 141-42