December 11th Issue

A cappella groups serenade a full CFA

A&E 5

Cross country track season

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LUTHER COLLEGE

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DECEMBER 11, 2014

Serving the Luther College community since 1884.

VOLUME 137, NO. 12

Decorah to hold civil rights vigil

BLACK LIVES MATTER. In early December, protestors in Times Square, New York City marched in response to recent police action.

ANNA JEIDE NEWS EDITOR The Decorah Human Rights Commission, Northeast Iowa Peace and Justice Center and area churches will host Black Lives Matter: Civil Rights Vigil at the Winneshiek County Courthouse at noon on Saturday, Dec. 13.

This vigil will be an open meeting of the Decorah Human Rights Commission in response to recent police action in the United States, which resulted in the deaths of individuals such as Michael Brown and

Eric Garner.

“After the last situation in New York City where the grand jury chose not to indict a police officer, we felt that we had to have some response as an organization in order to create conversation,” Human Rights Commissioner and Northeast Iowa Peace and Justice Center board member Matt Tapscott said.

The vigil in Decorah coincides with the National March Against Police Violence in Washington, D.C., which will be held on the same day.

“We think this is a human rights issue,

not just a civil rights issue,” Chair of the Decorah Human Rights Commission Sheila Radford-Hill said. “It’s about the patterns of policing and the brokenness of the criminal justice system. We recognize that the police are operating in a very broken system. We just want to stand up to say enough is enough and it’s time to make some changes.”

All who attend the vigil will be invited to sign a petition that will be sent to United States Attorney General Eric Holder.

“The Peace and Justice Center’s perspective is that justice means justice for

Photo courtesy of ibtimes.co.uk

all, but it’s fairly obvious that for people of color their communities are policed differently than majority communities are policed,” Tapscott said. “We are going to petition the Attorney General to review police guidelines and investigate abuses.”

The vigil will be an opportunity for participants to sign the petition, listen to keynote speakers and join the conversation about this issue, according to Radford-Hill.

VIGIL, PAGE 4

Faculty blog on Ferguson Students reflect on change projects receives mixed responses LAURA HAYES STAFF WRITER On Nov. 24, Prosecuting Attorney for St. Louis County Robert McCulloch announced that the grand jury would not indict officer Darren Wilson, sparking controversy nationwide.

In August, Wilson fatally shot Michael Brown, 18.

Since the incident began in Ferguson, Mo., there have been dueling testimonies.

The day after McCulloch announced that the grand jury decided that there was no “probable cause” to file charges against Wilson, Professor of Religion Guy Nave published a blog entry entitled “Ferguson: A Question of Excessive Force.”

“I was sitting in a hotel room in San Diego the evening that the prosecuting attorney made the announcement,” Nave said. “I was so taken aback by the verdict. I was not surprised by the verdict,

but I was somewhat surprised by the lack of any acknowledgement or recognition of what seemed to me an obvious excessive use of violence.”

In this blog entry, Nave raises the question of the use of “excessive force” by the police department.

Citing the Washington Post, Nave says that a total of six Ferguson officers have been “named in civil rights lawsuits alleging the use of excessive force.”

“What does it say about police training if a trained police officer feels his life is at risk because an unarmed teenager is approaching him?” Nave writes. “Do we really believe there is NOTHING wrong, excessive or even illegal when a police officer kills an unarmed teenager by firing more than ten shots at him?”

Within minutes of being posted, Nave’s blog received feedback.

FERGUSON BLOG, PAGE 4

MATT HELM STAFF WRITER

Students in the environmental studies senior seminar course have spent the semester working on environmental change projects to better the community.

“The general tenor of the course is about taking action in the environment,” Assistant Director of the Center for Sustainable Communities Stratis Giannakouros said. “This course isn’t just about being critical, it is about doing something. We make the move from just reading about something for a class to getting answers for yourself. The important part here is the process, not the answer.”

Throughout the semester the students have been studying how businesses and grassroots organizations make changes to more sustainable practices.

“My original research was on sustainable cities and how they function,” Emily Stumpf (‘15) said.

“About 35 percent of waste that goes into a landfill could have been composted. The Decorah landfill has about seven years left on it before it fills up. For our project, we wanted to initiate curbside composting, where you take your compost scraps and set them up at the end of the driveway with recycling.”

CHANGE PROJECTS, PAGE 4

NEWS

PAGE 2 DECEMBER 11, 2014

NEWS EDITORS: ANNA JEIDE & MARGARET YAPP

Baker seeks recycling improvements NOAH LANGHOLZ STAFF WRITER A report published in the spring of 2014 stated that Baker Village had the largest number of recyclable items in their dumpsters of any residence area at Luther College. Luther is taking steps to improve upon the recycling measures taken by students.

The report was supervised by Winneshiek County Recycling department manager Terry Buenzow. Buenzow points to evolving mindsets and a lack of infrastructure as to why Baker Village and Luther College as a whole have a variety of results when it comes to recycling.

“I’ve been here 15 years [and have] seen Luther evolve from the early stages of recycling,” Buenzow said.

“If you go up by Ylvisaker Hall you will see a six-cubicyard dumpster. Baker’s dumpsters have 12 cubic yards of waste disposal whereas Farwell has a two-cubic-yard dumpster. If you recycle properly, that’s all you need. It’s a little bit different setup, but that’s just how things evolved.”

Buenzow also spoke to the lack of easy of access that students in Baker Village have to

recycle properly.

“We knew there would be patterns and most of them were not surprising,” Buenzow said. “When you come up to [Baker] there is not the same easy access to recycling.”

Maintaining efficiency for custodial workers is also a necessity, according to Buenzow.

“Do not burden your custodial staff,” Buenzow said. “Their jobs are hard enough as it is.”

Custodial Worker Helen Novak addresses students’ busy lives as part of an issue when it comes to recycling.

“Everybody is always in a hurry,” Novak said. “They will have their bag of recyclables and just throw it in the dumpster.”

Despite the fact that Luther creates places or to help improve the recycling process, the responsibility is in the hands of students to take interest in the process.

“You can’t overnight put in place mandatory recycling,” Buenzow said. “You have to peck away at things. It does need to be an expectation. It’s in your best interests to put the right things in the landfill.”

Cargill Energy and Waste Fellow Jamie Stallman (‘14) also highlighted individual

“ Everybody is always in a hurry. They will have their bag of recyclables and just throw it in the dumpster.”

- Helen Novak

BAKER WASTE MANAGEMENT. Dani Basche (‘15) utilizes the dumpster in Baker Village.

Noah Langholz / Chips

responsibility in improving the recycling process.

“There has to be some responsibility for students,” Stallman said. “It is a comprehensive problem that has to be tackled. You can’t just throw one solution across campus. Brandt, for instance, is different from the library.”

According to Stallman, it can be difficult to make the recycling process more efficient without being an intrusive figure in students’ lives. In other words, educating people on sustainability issues can be complicated.

“Education is this nebulous term that

people throw around,” Stallman said.

“What does education really mean? What does it mean for a Baker resident? Is it infrastructure and a little sheet, or do I lecture about what is recyclable and what is not recyclable?”

Ultimately the situation boils down to students taking initiative and getting the community together and thinking about the issues in place, according to Buenzow.

“The correction process is well underway,” Buenzow said. “Just in the last couple years we’ve really been able to get people on board.”

Students revive study abroad organization KATIE NELSON STAFF WRITER

ONE DOES NOT SIMPLY GO ABROAD. Ben Warner (‘15) presents on There and Back Again as his Launching Luther Leaders change project.

Photo courtesy of Ben Warner

There and Back Again has recently been revived on campus.

The student organization centers on supporting students returning from study abroad experiences and mentoring those about to embark on one, has recently been revived on campus.

The group was created in 2012 but was inactive last year. This year, student ambassadors working through their respective study abroad programs decided to bring it back. Ambassadors include Ben Warner (‘15), Rachel Skinner (‘15), Dylan Hinton (‘15), Sarah Kottke (‘15), Donald Wolfgram (‘15) and Kristin Anderson (‘16), advised by Center for Global Learning intern Amanda Peck (‘14).

“There’s a group of [six] of us who are global ambassadors,” Warner said. “We’re trying to start [the club] back up again. From what I heard two years ago, it was

a really cool group, so we’re trying to set that up for students in the future.”

A large focus of There and Back Again is supporting students returning from their study abroad experiences by opening up a safe space to talk about their time away and help with the culture shock.

“You’re readjusting to life and trying to understand it in a new way,” Anderson said. “That was an experience that we had in common and had struggled through in different ways, and it’s a good thing to share.”

It is also helpful for the travelers to talk about their experiences with others like them, according to Peck.

“I think there’s a need for it when students come back,” Peck said.

“They want to talk about their experiences; they had fun, they had really great, unique experiences and they want to share that with each other, without annoying their friends.”

The group also aims to help support travelers before they embark on their own trips. There and Back Again held an event on Nov. 19, called “Study Abroad Hacks,” to give specific advice and information they wished they had known before going abroad.

“Luther has quite a few resources for students who have decided to study abroad … but there isn’t a lot of talk before you leave to prepare you for the weirdness of it all,” Anderson said. “So to talk to students who have just been through it and to be able to ask them in a really informal setting we thought would be helpful.”

For Warner, reviving this group is also part of his Launching Luther Leaders change project.

“We had to find something at Luther that we wanted to change,” Warner said. “I really enjoyed the conversations I’ve had with my friends who have studied abroad, and I recognized that it was really helpful for me to think about my experience in that way, and so creating a space where people could talk about their experiences seemed like a natural thing.”

Although the group is not official at this time, Skinner is working on writing a constitution and getting There and Back Again recognized

by Student Senate, with a goal of making it official next semester.

Other students who have returned home from study abroad travels are encouraged to meet with There and Back Again to share their experiences. Interested students can contact Warner at warnbe01@luther.edu with any questions.

NEWS

PAGE 3

NEWS EDITORS: ANNA JEIDE & MARGARET YAPP THURSDAY

Seven-Day Forecast

DECEMBER 11, 2014 FRIDAY

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SAC Christmas Cheer donates holiday gifts to local families

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Life Outside Luther Afghanistan mired in war as US combat command ends American and NATO troops closed their operational command in Afghanistan on Monday, lowering flags in a ceremony to mark the formal end of their combat mission in a country still mired in war 13 years after the U.S.-led invasion toppled the Taliban regime for harboring those responsible for 9/11. The closing of the command, which oversaw the day-to-day operations of coalition combat forces, is one of the final steps in a transition to a support and training role that begins Jan. 1. But with President Barack Obama’s recent move authorizing U.S. forces in Afghanistan to carry out military operations against Taliban and al-Qaida targets, America’s longest war will in fact continue for at least another two years.

THE BEST WAY TO SPREAD CHRISTMAS CHEER. (From left) Caroline Carlson (‘16), Laura Vestle (‘16), Lexie Scharmer (‘16) collect gifts for Christmas Cheer in Marty’s on Tuesday, Dec. 9.

Abby Carpenter / Chips ABBY CARPENTER STAFF WRITER 54 families in Decorah and the surrounding area will receive gifts from Luther organizations this Christmas through the efforts of the Student Activities Council (SAC) Christmas Cheer committee.

“It makes me feel good that Luther can make such a big impact,” Christmas Cheer Co-chair Carly Densmore (‘16) said. “We have department heads participating, as well as student organizations. It’s not just students or adults; it’s everyone helping.”

Christmas Cheer is a SAC committee that has been a part of Luther College since 1992. The program works with Northeast Iowa Community Action Corporation (NEICAC) and Luther College organizations to collect gifts for underprivileged families in the Decorah area and surrounding community.

NEICAC works with co-chairs Densmore and Laura Vestle (‘16). Each organization is provided a slip with the

gender, age, clothing sizes and wish lists of the children of a family, but names are kept confidential.

“There [are] usually some clothing recommendations, because they are families that are underprivileged, so they need some basic needs, and also some fun things like Barbies and Legos,” Densmore said.

When buying gifts for the families, NEICAC recommends that organizations also buy household items like dish soap and laundry detergent to help out during the season.

Vestle enjoys shopping for the families each year.

“It’s so fun going shopping for the kids,” Vestle said. “It really makes you remember the real reason of Christmas, because these people asked for such little things like clothing, socks and toothpaste, all of the essentials that [most people] take for granted.”

Although the recommended price range for each child is about $30, many organizations go above and beyond, according to Vestle.

“A lot of organizations will raise

much more than the expected amount and will top the children’s wish list expectations,” Vestle said. “It’s just really great to see that.”

Dieseth Resident Assistant Tayler Jenks (‘16) is participating in Christmas Cheer for the women’s basketball team and also decided to start a Christmas Cheer group on her floor as a service project.

“Being involved in Christmas Cheer makes me feel like I’m doing good for the community,” Jenks said.

Like Jenks, many students are not only participating in Christmas Cheer once, but are participating through several different organizations on campus.

“A lot of people are involved in organizations on campus, so we’re just really appreciative that it has become such a known thing and so many people are willing to participate,” Densmore said.

Collection day was on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., when all participating groups brought their wrapped presents to Marty’s. After the gifts were collected, the Christmas Cheer committee brought them to the congregational church downtown, and NEICAC later distributed the gifts to the families.

Vestle remembers being very moved by the experience of collection day last year after seeing what the Luther organizations had accomplished.

“I remember last year when we had all the presents on the Marty’s floor I just got very teary-eyed because it makes you feel really good that you’re helping people that wouldn’t otherwise be able to have gifts on Christmas,” Vestle said.

Religious nonprofits challenge health law In the latest religious challenge to the federal health care law, faith-based organizations that object to covering birth control in their employee health plans argued in federal appeals court Monday that the government hasn’t gone far enough to ensure they don’t have to violate their beliefs. Plaintiffs including a group of Colorado nuns and four Christian colleges in Oklahoma argued in the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver that a federal exemption for groups that oppose contraceptives, including the morning-after pill, violates their beliefs.

U.S. prepares for security risks from torture report American embassies, military units and other U.S. interests are bracing for possible security threats related to Tuesday’s planned release of a report on the CIA’s harsh interrogation techniques, the White House says. The report from the Senate Intelligence Committee will be the first public accounting of the CIA’s use of torture on al-Qaida detainees held in secret facilities in Europe and Asia in the years after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks.

The committee is expected to release a 480-page executive summary of the more than 6,000-page report compiled by Democrats on the panel.

Chokehold case stirs debate on special prosecutors After a police officer wasn’t indicted in a fatal chokehold caught on video, some officials are reviving calls to entrust such cases to special prosecutors, rather than local district attorneys. The city’s elected public advocate and some state lawmakers are pressing for appointing special state prosecutors for police killings, saying Eric Garner’s death has bared problems with having DAs lead investigations and prosecutions of the police who help them build cases.

State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman asked Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday to give Schneiderman’s office the authority to investigate deaths at the hands of police.

Chicago museum lifts lid on Egyptian mummy coffin Not until the lid was off the wood coffin — exposing the 2,500-year-old mummified remains of a 14-year-old Egyptian boy — could J.P. Brown relax. The conservator at Chicago’s Field Museum and three other scientists had just employed specially created clamps as a cradle to raise the fragile coffin lid. Wearing blue surgical gloves, they lifted the contraption and delicately walked it to a safe spot on a table in a humidity-controlled lab.

Compiled from: www.ap.org

NEWS

PAGE 4 DECEMBER 11, 2014

NEWS EDITORS: ANNA JEIDE & MARGARET YAPP

Faculty blog questions police force FERGUSON BLOG, PAGE 1 The comments the post received were from Luther College alums, current students, parents of current students and faculty. According to the Director of Web Content Tabita Green, Nave’s blog post has received over 5,000 views.

Nave’s post caused mixed reactions.

“I have an 18-year-old son (or an ‘unarmed teenager’ as you so continuously assert),” Timothy Root (‘93) said. “He will never, ever, be shot by the police. I know this not because he’s white but because he will never rob a store … My son will never disobey a police officer who tells him to get on the ground … It is also really sad for Luther College that a professor such as yourself would use a tragedy like this to mislead young minds, deny the truth, misapply out of context statistics and generally ‘rabble rouse.’”

The Black Student Union also discussed the attorney general’s announcement at their meeting on Dec. 4.

“Is it justified if he stole cigarettes?” Black Student Union member Pharez Kwesi Monney (‘17) said. “That comes back to Guy Nave’s article.”

Although Nave’s initial post was about the use of violence by the police force, many of the comments brought up racial issues.

“I thought there would be comments raised about appropriate use of force,” Nave said. “I was anticipating those types of conversations.

I wasn’t expecting the comments about race, and I wasn’t expecting the lack of civility that was present in a number of the responses.”

Nave later made a second post entitled “Can we try again?: An Attempt at civil dialogue,” in which he reiterates that his blog post was not about race but about excessive force.

The second entry only received two comments, saying that it was good to begin by looking at the “basic guidelines” for excessive force.

“I think it’s important not to become so overwhelmed and upset by the stuff that we see that we become disillusioned and maybe even hopeless,” Nave said. “I think sometimes it’s easy to think that there’s nothing that we can do. Things are so bad that it doesn’t really matter. We withdraw and develop a sense of apathy. I think that’s something that we have to fight against.”

RESPONDING TO FERGUSON. At a Dec. 4 meeting, Black Student Union members Nikki Thompson (‘15) and Zora Hurst (‘17) discuss the reactions to Nave’s blog post.

Laura Hayes/ Chips

Decorah organizations petition for civil rights

Upcoming Events

VIGIL, PAGE 1

Thursday, December 11 Women’s Basketball- Martin 5:30 p.m., New Ulm, Minn.

Luther College Men’s Basketball- Martin Luther 7:30 p.m., New Ulm, Minn.

College Friday, December 12 Last day of classes All day Kwanzaa Chapel

10:30 a.m., Center for Faith and Life, Main Hall 7:00 p.m., Center for the Arts

Ultra Mega Mega: CFA Open House Saturday, December 13 Wrestling- University of Northern 9:00 a.m., Cedar Falls, Iowa Iowa Open Women’s Basketball- University of 2:00 p.m., Home Northwestern (MN) Kwanzaa Dinner 3:30 p.m., Dahl Centennial Union, Peace Dining Room Men’s Basketball- University of 4:00 p.m., Home Northwestern (MN) Sunday, December 14 Peace Brunch with Santa 10:00 a.m., Dahl Centennial Union, Peace Dining Room Candlelight Nativity Service 9:00 p.m., Center for Faith and Life, Main Hall Monday, December 15 Final Exams All day Tuesday, December 16 Final Exams All day Silent Meditation 5:15 p.m., Center for Faith and Life, Melanchthon Interfaith Room Wednesday, December 17 Final Exams All day Thursday, December 18 Final Exams All day

“In many ways, criminalizing black people is not new,” Radford-Hill said. “What is new is that my children and now my grandchildren are suffering injustice at the hands of a really militarized police and a polarized society. This threatens our democracy and our way of life.”

Both Tapscott and Radford-Hill encourage faculty, staff and students at Luther College to join the vigil on Saturday.

“We have to have an open conversation and an open

mind,” Radford-Hill said. “Collect the evidence and let that lead you to the truth of a case. This is what you’re trained to do as college students, don’t put that aside. Pick it up and use it now. The best weapon against injustice is an educated citizenry.”

Anyone interested in helping prepare for the vigil should contact the Northeast Iowa Peace and Justice Center at neipjc@gmail.com.

“I know it’s a busy time for students at Luther, but this is wonderful opportunity to get involved in a nationwide movement at the local level,” Tapscott said.

Student projects aim to address local environmental concerns CHANGE PROJECTS, PAGE 1 Stumpf discovered that enacting environmental policy change is difficult.

“After talking to the city manager and the mayor we discovered that there is a possibility for us to do a smallscale compost project within the waste site to create mulch,” Stumpf said. “We figured out that you have to start small and then grow the program because people have a hard time dealing with change, and curbside composting would be a lifestyle change in Decorah.”

Giannakouros told his students that failure is a part of the process.

“I feel frustrated and excited when I think about environmental issues, and it can be disheartening at times,”

Stumpf said. “The environment is a big puzzle, and it is going to take a lot of people to put that puzzle together. Working with the right people, small voices can turn into large voices.”

Alex Catena (‘16) is working on a project to educate younger generations about environmental problems such as deforestation.

“We’ve had to change up our ideas a few times, but basically we are aiming for some sort of environmental education program for elementary schools,” Catena said. “Working on this project has been eyeopening trying to find out what it takes to start up something like this. There are a lot of little components that you don’t see at face value.”

Working on these projects prepares the environmental studies students for the problems

they will have to face after college according to Giannakouros.

“It’s been difficult but also a lot of fun and rewarding working on a semester-long project,” Catena said. “At first I was not very big into policy, but after this I’ve realized how important it is, because policy change is key to solving environmental problems like deforestation.”

Giannokouros believes Luther’s progressive attitude toward sustainability will inspire students to take on grassroots activism in the future.

“Luther has embraced the idea of students testing things out and being innovative,” Giannakouros said. “We lead in sustainability in the nation. We have so many opportunities for students to engage in environmental, handson application. Luther stands out in that regard.”

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

PAGE 5

A&E EDITOR: DYLAN HINTON

DECEMBER 11, 2014

A cappella groups pack CFA MAGGIE STEINBERG STAFF WRITER Beautiful Mess, Bromatic Progression and Undeclared, Luther’s three a cappella groups, performed in the Center for the Arts atrium on Saturday, Dec. 6 to a crowd of more than 200 people. Community members, parents and students sat in chairs, stood along the walls and crowded around the upper balcony to hear the student groups.

“The music department has repeatedly denied us the [Noble Recital Hall],” President of Undeclared Tim Komatsu (‘15) said before the concert. “Can I just take a picture of you all? Maybe this will convince them to let us use their space.”

After attempting a photo, Komatsu video

CREATIVE CROONERS. James Odegaard (‘15) and Undeclared often arrange their own pieces.

Maggie Steinberg / Chips

A CA-SCUSE ME? A cappella groups Beautiful Mess, Bromatic Progression and Undeclared played to a crowd more than 200 people in the Center for the Arts.

Maggie Steinberg / Chips recorded the crowd to get everyone in the picture. Some students showed their solidarity by raising their hands in a three-fingered salute; a gesture borrowed from “The Hunger Games” films.

The concert began with Bromatic walking toward the front of the atrium from within the crowd. The group members all wore scarves to show their winter spirit and concluded their set with a hearty rendition of “Auld Lang Syne.”

“My favorite song to sing is probably ‘You Go Down Smooth,’” Bromatic member Nick Vande Krol (‘18) said. “It’s just really fun to perform.”

Beautiful Mess followed Bromatic, opening with “Salute” by Little Mix. The group dressed in Christmas sweaters and showcased many arrangements by their own members. A crowd favorite featured a mash-up of Disney Channel theme songs from the likes of “Kim Possible” and “That’s So Raven.” “‘The Theme Song’ is super fun,” Beautiful Mess singer Becca Chapin (‘15) said. “Everyone recognizes the different pieces we put in it.”

Undeclared concluded both sets with songs from the likes of Justin Timberlake, Sam Smith and Martina McBride.

With the concert between Christmas at Luther performances and most of members in choir, the concert provided another style of musical expression for participants and audience members.

“I’m in Norsemen and [this week] was pretty rough,” Vande Krol said. “But it was good and fun so I think it’s worth it.”

Chapin explained how Beautiful Mess worked around the intense choir schedules by practicing during the day between classes.

“We practice twice a week for an hour,” Chapin said. “For Christmas at Luther, we started doing rehearsals during shadow blocks and chapel breaks.”

For the past few years, the a capella groups held their concert in the CFA Atrium because it’s the only place they’ve been able to perform.

Former Undeclared member James Cochrane (‘14) remembered the struggle of finding performance space on campus after the groups

were denied the NRH in Jenson. “[The a capella concerts] are not a sanctioned music department performance,” Cochrane said. “If [we were] a chamber group like Collegium [. . .] they wouldn’t have as much of a problem with it. Approval would have to go through some committee as well.”

The guidelines for student-led music ensembles are outlined in the “Music Student Guidelines” section of the Luther website.

“Like all other ensembles, student-led ad hoc ensembles will bring all requests for public performances to the calendar committee, who will in turn make a recommendation to the music faculty,” reads one section.

Regardless of these policies, the a capella members want to perform in a bigger space to accommodate the community members and students who attend their concerts.

“It’s a huge draw for prospective students,” Bromatic member David Pfotenhauer (‘15) said. “We go to schools in town and Admissions would give us Luther t-shirts to hand out to students. They love it when we perform.”

Student films feature local lore MATT HELM STAFF WRITER Students in Assistant Professor of English Andy Hageman’s “Film” class had the opportunity to step behind the lens and create their very own film projects this past month.

“I like to include a creative project in all of my classes because I want to give students who maybe aren’t good test takers or paper writers another opportunity to show me what they know,” Hageman said. “This project allows them to think in a hands on way about the film techniques we’ve

studied this semester.”

Carl Bates (‘15) is a self-described “cinephile” who has wanted to take a film class for a long time. The film class watched an average of two films a week across a multitude of genres.

“If you weren’t already obsessed with film history you wouldn’t have seen most of these films,” Bates said. “We really get to dig into the technical aspects and history behind them. We’ve seen everything from silent Charlie Chaplin films and high art films, to Alfred Hitchcock and contemporary movies like ‘The Big Lebowski.’”

Bates and his group made a film about the Larsen ghost.

“We decided to make a picture in the horror genre and to focus on the lore of the Larsen ghost because it is a part of the culture of Luther College,” Bates said. “We probably spent three or four hours filming.

We shot it from the perspective of the ghost [who] bangs drawers and messes with people’s laundry.”

The students had to apply what they learned from the films they watched while making their own films.

“The goal of the film assignment

is to demonstrate what we’ve learned about the filmmaking process by actually making a movie,” Bates said.

“It really illuminated how involved making a film is; there are a lot of different steps.”

Peter Jarzyna (‘15) and his group made a documentary about night life at Roscoe’s, a popular bar near Luther.

“Roscoe’s is an interesting part of the cultural landscape here,” Jarzyna said. “I just wanted to talk about it with [as objective a lens] as I could and record what you see at Roscoe’s when you’re there. The film wasn’t putting moral judgment on the place or the people.”

Hageman could not decide on a favorite student-made film.

“They all did really different films,”

Hageman said. “We had one that was an homage to David Lynch, another about windows called ‘Gates of Glass’ and another one that followed the process of an artist constructing one painting. The Larsen ghost film managed to synthesize styles used

by Alfred Hitchcock with aspects of the ‘Paranormal Activity’ film. They each made use of Luther campus in really different and new ways.”

Jarzyna recommends taking the class to any student who has ever been enchanted by film.

“I love the medium of film, just sitting down and letting myself be engaged with an art form for an hour and a half or two hours,” Jarzyna said. “Film class is a great opportunity to delve in and learn more about the subject.”

Monday - Saturday 9am - 5pm | Thursday 9am - 8pm

FASHION. FOR REAL LIFE.

NOW PLAYING IN A CLASS NEAR YOU. Hannah Dailey (‘16) plays the Larsen ghost in a Hitchcock-inspired short for Assistant Professor of English Andy Hageman’s “Film” class.

Photo courtesy of Carl Bates

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FEATURES

PAGE 6 DECEMBER 11, 2014

FEATURES EDITOR: CASEY DELIMA

Christmas at Luther’s unsung heroes

DISTIGUISHED DINING SERVICE. Catering Services Student Manager Shannon Gallagher (‘16) serves families at Peace Dining .

Christmas at Luther weekend depends on the work of students and staff outside of the concert.

DANNY MAY STAFF WRITER Christmas at Luther is the college’s major annual production and, as such, much is invested in preparation. The amount of time put in by the performers is well-known to all, but a look behind the scenes reveals the integral role played by many others, such as ushers, technicians and catering workers.

“Christmas at Luther is probably our second-biggest weekend for catering behind homecoming,” Catering Services Student Manager Shannon Gallagher (‘16) said. “We serve about 300 people Thursday night, 500 people Friday

night, 300 Saturday night and then 500 again on Sunday.”

Serving nearly 2,000 people over the course of four days makes for a busy schedule, and the hours were plentiful, with shifts typically lasting seven hours.

Gallagher confirmed that nearly all of the catering students were required to work.

“It’s basically all hands on deck,” Gallagher said. “Every single person in catering is working, even the people that are in the show that work for catering have to find shifts to take. It can be pretty hectic.”

Despite the high traffic and long hours, the catering workers approach Christmas at Luther week with anticipation, generally enjoying what they do.

“It’s probably one of the more fun shifts to do,” Gallagher said. “For the most part, customers are in a really good mood because it’s Christmas time.”

Another crucial role during Christmas

at Luther weekend was played by the Christmas at Luther Production Manager Eric Ellingsen (‘99), who was involved in the performance when he was a student.

“I’m backstage making sure all the stuff is happening,” Ellingsen said. “I ensure that people have their candles in the right spot, that they know when to go onstage and when to come offstage, and I make sure that it’s quiet backstage.”

Now his fourth year on the job, Ellingsen’s work extends year-round, as the preparation for Christmas at Luther is a continuous process.

“Once Christmas at Luther is over, we start preparing for the next one,” Ellingsen said. “We already start brainstorming for ideas, themes and pieces we want to perform.”

Ellingsen puts in a large amount of hours, especially in the week leading up to the performance.

“Christmas at Luther week is an overtime week for me,” Ellingsen said.

HOLIDAY FEAST. Christmas at Luther weekend is one of the busiest weekends for Catering Services at Luther, seving between 300-500 people each performance day.

Danny May / Chips

Danny May / Chips

“Pretty much when the concert is over is when I get to go home each night.”

A number of ushers were present during the performances, many of whom were members of the women’s soccer team. The players worked shifts typically ranging from five to eight hours in order to raise money for the team.

“We are assigned a section in the CFL and answer any questions that people may have,” Melisse Chassé (‘17) said.

Despite its length, the players find the shift manageable and enjoyable and look forward to working each year.

“It’s awesome to work because we get to watch the performance,” Gabi Meirick (‘17) said. “The performance is always different every year, so it’s pretty cool.”

Other crucial positions are held

by Campus Programming Manager Technician Paul Atkins and Ticket Office Bradley Phillips. As a technician, Atkins helps with lighting and stage setup, as well as figuring out the projections for the performance. Atkins worked extensively in his second year on the job, clocking 12 hours on dress rehearsal day alone.

“On the technical side, it’s last-minute things that are the real challenges,” Atkins said. “But I absolutely enjoy the job. The show is stunning. It’s a fantastic spectacle.”

Phillips, in addition to his position as Ticket Office Manager, is the Director of Lobby Decoration. Phillips’ job included putting up thousands of lights on the CFL’s Christmas trees. In his 25th year at Luther, he worked an 80-85 hour week leading up to the performance.

Regardless, Phillips was ecstatic about his job.

“I get involved in all aspects of Christmas at Luther,” Phillips said.

“The job is great; there’s just so much happiness in one place. It’s a special weekend for us and we enjoy it.”

Without these people, Christmas at Luther would not have the notoriety that it does. The performance requires the work of many people who dedicate much of their personal time to making the show a spectacular.

FEATURES

PAGE 7

FEATURES EDITOR: CASEY DELIMA

DECEMBER 11, 2014

Photo Bureau captures Luther campus JENNA NELSON STAFF WRITER The Luther College Photo Bureau that photographs approximately 300 events and assignments per semester and is an essentially a student-facilitated department.

Photo Bureau has been an oncampus work-study position for over 40 years. Currently, the team consists of 10 student photographers lead by Director of Visual Media Aaron Lurth (‘08).

The students come from a variety of photography experience levels and often learn from one another.

Bre Pierce (‘16) has three years of Photo Bureau experience and remembers a time when she had to learn the ropes.

“I had an interest and kind of an eye, so I had to learn a lot in the first six months,” Pierce said. “I like that it is a team and you can come in and be like, ‘Hey, I need help,’ but I also can still have some independence in working on my own.”

The Bureau meets once a week to go over assignments that are developed in consideration of the Luther College Marketing and Communications department, other departments of the college and student organizations. During these meetings they also take time to consider one another’s work and provide feedback.

“It’s kind of a mixture of a short classroom lesson environment and a professional workplace,” Lurth said.

Photo Bureau’s learning atmosphere and professional work environment is evident in the widespread use of their photos throughout campus.

“You can see them all over, and we’re constantly surprised where they go,” Lurth said. “It’s mostly because we might be asked to cover a specific event, and we have a good idea of where those type of photos will go, but other times you wind up finding our photos in the Alumni magazine, hallway frames, Chips, Luther.edu and CD covers.”

The photos are also often used in various publications and media outlets beyond Luther because of their regularly accessed Flickr page.

“We used to have a photo site that was hosted and run by Luther College on our own servers, but with the number of photos growing every year we were told that we were taking up too much space,” Lurth said. “We consider Flickr a little bit like a Band-Aid for a problem we haven’t quite solved yet, which is how to make our photos easily accessible to the public.”

The creation of the Flickr page not only solved the problem of not having enough space, but also allowed the Photo Bureau

to represent Luther College on a larger social media platform. In fact, according to Lurth, the Photo Bureau Flickr site is the mostvisited media entity connected to Luther College.

“It’s visited more often than our website, our YouTube site or any other site connected to Luther College,” Lurth said. “The biggest day that we’ve had was when more than 150,000 people visited our Flickr page in one day. It’s handsdown the most visible and most visited part of Luther College.”

Because of its public access, the Photo Bureau Flickr page allows anyone to easily access and download photos off the site.

Student photographer Michael Hagstrom (‘17) appreciates the level of engagement the Flikr site provides.

“I love that people experience Luther through this site and through the lenses of our cameras,” Hagstrom said.

As a work-study position, Photo Bureau insists upon creativity and professionalism from their photographers.

“I really like that it’s an active job where you’re constantly using your creative mind,” Hagstrom said. “You can’t just push a button on your camera; you need to think about shot composition and how to capture the essence of the event.”

The future of the Bureau looks

ABOVE AND BEYOND. Zachary Stottler (‘15) takes photos DW Ć UVW \HDU PRYH LQ GD\ LQ $XJXVW Bre Pierce / Chips bright as the team continues to grow in their photography and achieve professional quality images.

“We’re always looking at making the work-study opportunity here as meaningful and as robust as possible,” Lurth said.

To learn more about how to become involved in Photo Bureau visit https://www.luther.edu/visualmedia/ and remember to check out their current work on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/ lcphotobureau/.

Luther celebrates “Principles of Kwanzaa” ALISON VUOLO STAFF WRITER Luther College has celebrated Kwanzaa since the 1980s. In recent years events celebrating the holiday have become popular, drawing students from many different backgrounds.

This year, the college will celebrate Kwanzaa with a chapel service on Friday, Dec. 12, and a dinner on Dec. 13.

Kwanzaa is an AfricanAmerican and PanAfrican holiday that is officially held from Dec. 26 through Jan. 1. The holiday as it is practiced today was started by Maulana Karenga in 1966. It is a non-religious holiday and its purpose is to create unity with all people of African descent under common values.

These values are referred to as the Seven Principles, or Nguzo Saba, and include Unity, Self-Determination, Collective Work and Responsibility, Cooperative Economics, Purpose, Creativity and Faith.

Executive Director of Diversity Center Sheila Radford-Hill commented on the foundations of the holiday.

“Kwanzaa really focuses on the Seven Principles of nation-building, and on building the African diaspora as a community,” RadfordHill said. “It is a time when we can celebrate our heritage. It comes out of the notion of building community.”

According to Radford-Hill, Kwanzaa was

first officially celebrated at Luther in the 1980s.

“A group of African-American faculty members wanted to have an opportunity to express cultural heritage and share that with the campus,” Radford-Hill said. “Kwanzaa seemed like a good opportunity to talk about the African-American community, to talk about culture and cultural values and talk about what is now known as the ‘Principles of Kwanzaa.’

Two faculty members decided to have a dinner celebrating Kwanzaa in their home, and this became the basic template for the Kwanzaa dinner.”

For many years the tradition remained small, but during the 2000s it became more popular as students of all backgrounds were encouraged to attend.

“We’ve tried to make this holiday an opportunity for everyone to understand these principles,” Radford-Hill said. “This is an opportunity to use African-American cultural experience as a lens through which to look at our broader society.

That’s how Kwanzaa became multicultural at Luther and how it became something that attracted a larger number of people. Now we have over 200 people attending the Kwanzaa dinner, including students, faculty, staff and community members.”

Student Coordinator for the event Masha Statkevich (‘16) has attended the dinner each year she has been at Luther.

“When I came here, I didn’t know about Kwanzaa, but every year that I would attend I

“This is an opportunity to use African-American cultural experience as a lens through which to look at our broader society.”

-Sheila Radford-Hill

would learn more and more,” Statkevich said.

“Even though Kwanzaa is an African-American holiday, we are trying to involve many people from diverse backgrounds.”

Student Publicity Assitant Derah Egbuna (‘16) emphasizes the Kwanzaa celebration’s importance for Luther’s community.

“Last year was the first time I went,” Egbuna said “There was poetry, singing and dancing.

It was just a good time to hang out and talk with people about holidays and traditions ...

Sometimes we forget that we are not only here for educational purposes, but we are also a community.”

Radford-Hill also commented on the community focus of the event.

“These particular values are not religious values. They are values of community building,” Radford-Hill said. “In this time, in the polarized nation that we live in, bringing people together is important not only for African-Americans, but for everyone.”

The Kwanzaa chapel service takes place in the CFL on Dec. 12 at 10:30 a.m. The Kwanzaa dinner is 3:30 - 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 13 in Peace Dining. Tickets for the Kwanzaa dinner are limited; check in the Diversity Office for ticket availability.

CULTURAL MOVEMENT. Students perform at a Kwanzaa celebration in 2011.

Di Yin / Photo Bureau

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

PAGE 8 DECEMBER 11, 2014

A&E EDITOR: DYLAN HINTON

Student artwork inspires campus NILS JOHNSON STAFF WRITER Friday, Dec. 12 marks the first installment of the semiannual Ultra Mega Mega (UMM) open house in the Center for Fine Arts. This year Luther art students will display some of their semester’s finest works: everything from drawings and paintings to VCR tape sculptures and live dance.

Originally conceived by Professor of Art Ben Moore (‘02), UMM has been in operation for six years. Moore shed some light on the specifics of UMM. “[The show includes] all of the studio classes including art, theatre and dance,” Moore said. “There [are] monologues and [several] of the studio classrooms are open. There are literally hundreds of pieces on display.”

In addition, the open house includes a reception with prize giveaways and awards for artists and spectators alike.

“There’s an award for best hair, most popular work, et cetera,” Moore said. “All you have to do to win is put your name in a luchador mask [and] we’ll draw it out.”

Custodial staff worker Lyle Halverson has a unique perspective of the artistic happenings in the CFA. For over 10 years, Halverson has traversed the halls and studios of the building, Monday through Friday, seeing hundreds of pieces from Luther artists.

One of Halverson’s personal favorites is nature scenes. Pointing to a painting of two gold finches, Halverson said, “Look at the intricacy of this; they just pop out at you. The detail is incredible.”

Halverson witnessed the creation of a sculpture of VCR cassette tapes

2014

ULTRAMEGAMEGA

THER EISNO MAGIC ARTISTIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS. Ultra Mega MegaARTS is a semiannual art open house thatOPEN featuresHOUSE the work of art, theatre FALL STUDIO VISUAL & PERFORMING and dance students.

Photo courtesy of Ben Moore FRIDAY, DEC. 12, 7:00PM-‐9:00PM

CENTER FOR THE ARTS constructed by Rachel Madyrga (‘16).

The piece is two stories high and is held up by a steel cable.

“I watched [the artist] build this,” Halverson said. “It took a motorized lift to put it together. That’s the pleasure, I guess. I get to see these works made from scratch all the way up to the final

product.”

Halverson believes that the artwork featured in UMM would be accessible to awide variety of students and faculty.

“I’m really encouraged by the quality of work and I’d like to see more of the campus out here to see it, too.”

According to Halverson, there is only

Album review:

one change he would like to see to UMM. “I just wish it was longer,” Halverson said.

Ultra Mega Mega is a free event in the CFA and will be open to the public from 7 - 9 p.m on Friday, Dec. 12.

“Its free love, free art, free money,” Moore said. “But not really free money.”

“Mark Kozelek Sings Christmas Carols” PETER JARZYNA KWLC PROGRAM DIRECTOR If it were any other artist, save perhaps Kanye West, something as simple as a Christmas album would be hard-pressed to invite much critical character study, but Mark Kozelek has had quite a year. Recording engineer Nathan Winter says it best

when playing the part of Linus in opening number “Christmas Time Is Here,” responding to Mark’s yuletide blues with a minor reinterpretation of the classic line from “A Charlie Brown Christmas”: “…of all the Mark Kozeleks in the world, you’re the Mark Kozelek-iest.”

For those following the melodrama, the idea of Mark Kozelek singing Christmas carols may come as a bit of a

surprise; in recent months, Kozelek seems to have made it his mission to make headline news of his petty antagonism toward Philadelphia rock band The War On Drugs, whose set at the Ottawa Folk Fest threatened to drown out his own. Immature, one-sided Grinchiness ensued as Kozelek seemed to challenge his own fans to choose between loyalty to his gorgeous musical achievement under the moniker Sun Kil Moon, last spring’s “Benji” and respect for

common decency.

All schoolyard antics aside, let’s make this clear: Kozelek is capable of heart-wrenchingly beautiful musicianship on “Mark Kozelek Sings Christmas Carols.” That opening cover of “Christmas Time Is Here” is laced with his signature arpeggiated nylon-string fingerpicking that moves with a tidal gentleness perfect for the season’s first falling flakes.

Without his own confessional lyricism, Kozelek’s delivery does fall flat at times, occasionally edging dangerously close to numbingly sultry Starbucks music.

Overall, however, the singer’s soulgazing stillness brings contemplative warmth and wonder to a host of familiar Christmas tunes. Two surprising stocking stuffers arrive in Kozelek’s interpretations of The Pretenders’ wistfully

sweet “2000 Miles” and the subtle Americana twang of Greg Lake of King Crimson’s “I Believe In Father Christmas.”

While it may be a stretch to liken this record to the redemptive ribbon and bow of Mark ‘Grinch’ Kozelek’s 2014, it is a gentle reminder that the sensitive soul responsible for “Benji” may still linger beneath the childish and spiteful lump of coal he’s been dragging around.

For the best in new independent music, tune into KWLC Radio Monday through Friday from 8 p.m. - 1 a.m. and Saturdays and Sundays 7 a.m.

- 1 a.m. KWLC can be found at 1240am on the radio dial or online at kwlc.luther.edu.

OPINION

PAGE 9

MANAGING EDITOR: SARAH KING

KWLC seeks art

DECEMBER 11, 2014

The big question SARAH KING MANAGING EDITOR

KWLC is in the beginning stages of priming its office for a major aesthetic re-design and is hoping to put the space to as creative of a use as possible. With that goal in mind, KWLC is organizing a visual art competition.

The competition is open to any and all interested in creating their own artistic interpretation of the triangular KWLC logo. What does our logo signify to you? A mountain? The Illuminati? An inverted slice of pizza? The possibilities are truly endless.

As you craft your interpretation, please keep in mind that KWLC would like to use the submissions as wall installations. Your art will occupy an honorary spot within the station, and what’s more, the winner of the competition will receive a cash prize of $150. That’s right, folks: one hundred and fifty big ones.

The deadline is Feb. 15, 2015. Details regarding contest rules and how to submit work will be posted later on the KWLC website, but we would like to encourage all interested parties to begin working on their ideas soon.

If you are interested in submitting or have questions, please send an email to Peter Jarzyna at jarzpe01, or Carl Bates at bateca01.

It’s that time of the year again, folks. Yes, it’s the time for giving, the time for carols and the time for overindulgence. It’s the most wonderful time.

It’s also the silliest time of the year. A time for silly pranks on family members, silly Christmas family photos and, worst of all, silly questions. There is one question in particular that is silliest of all, and not in a cute silly way, like pranks and pictures.

This question, The Question, that so many college-aged people face when hugging Aunt Dolores or filling their paper plates in the buffet line next to Uncle George is, “So, do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend yet?”

I find this question is asked most often this time of the year due to the combination of a significant amount of time spent at school (an entire semester finished) and a substantial amount of time spent at extended family functions.

Even being in a relationship does not save one from this line of questioning, but instead alters it marginally to something along the lines of, “How are you and so-and-so doing?”

I do think it is a question that is more frequently asked of females,

however, I do not want to assume that males are excluded entirely. There are certainly plenty of grandmas out there pestering their grandsons about partners.

Of course, this question does not necessarily have to be a bad thing. It would be natural for a family member sitting down with you for a nice chat to inquire about a person’s life, including the topic of the existence or the absence of romance in your life. After all, love is one of the greatest parts of life. Love of family, love of friends, love of music, love of [insert passion]. Admittedly, we are young people, and young people are supposed to have lives full of romance and intrigue, right?

It is when The Question becomes the first and last question of a conversation that I find it problematic, and, furhter, when it is asked more often of women than men. This line of questioning only perpetuates the belief that the goal of women should be to marry.

All too often, the only question relatives ever seem to be interested in is relationship status. Is this because often they themselves are married and hope to live vicariously through our current dramas or trysts? Do they hope to reminisce on their own past romances in conversing with us about ours? Or do they see us as people at The Age – the age when we should

seek our future, lifetime partner. Do they assume we should care about this or that this should be our end goal?

It seems to me that many relatives see the purpose of college education not as an intellectual experience, a time for learning more about our selves or time for social development (since many people share rooms with other people for the first time in their lives), but rather a breeding ground for twenty-year-olds.

Naturally, every family is different, and furthermore so is every relative within each family. Therefore, The Question can be relatively innocent depending on context. However, in my experience and that of many of my friends, relatives ask about this and only this.

I do not think I have ever discussed my latest research or favorite professor with more than one or two relatives in all of my time as a college student.

Writing this, it saddens me so much to realize this. On the other hand, I can say with certainty that I have been asked The Question every single time I go to a family reunion by almost every aunt and some uncles.

Please don’t get me wrong. I love my partner very much and enjoy talking about him with family and friends, but for once I would like to begin a conversation with “How was your semester?” rather than “How are you and your boyfriend doing?”

@MPR LEAD BY FOLLOWING You can stay up to date with MPR in so many ways:

listen + like + follow + click

MPR keeps you informed with news and inspired with music. Make it part of your college life.

Listen to MPR News on 88.7 FM and Classical MPR on 89.5 FM or stream online: mprnews.org | classicalmpr.org | thecurrent.org MPR would like to thank the faculty, staff and students of Luther College for their partnership and support.

OPINION

PAGE 10 DECEMBER 11, 2014

/XWKHU &ROOHJH 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.

Chips will not accept submitted articles or campus announcements.

Submissions for letters to the editor should be submitted as a Microsoft Word document 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, 300-400 words and submitted before Sunday at 5 p.m. the week before production. Publication of all letters is at the discretion of the editor.

Contact Chips: Phone: 563-387-1044 Fax: 563-387-2072 Email: chipsedt@luther.edu Advertising: chipsads@luther.edu Website: lutherchips.com Facebook: facebook.com/LutherChips Twitter: @LutherChips

MANAGING EDITOR: SARAH KING

)LUVW \HDUV WR Ć QG êVXSHU VWUHQJWKVë Career &RUQHU First-year students, mark your calendars now to attend “Super Strengths Saturday” on Jan. 17, 2015 from 12:30-5 p.m.

At “Super Strengths Saturday” you will discover your top five talents and learn how to turn your talents into strengths for greater engagement and well-being, leading to improved confidence, direction and hope. According to Gallup, Inc., “When people know their talents and are able to use them, they report a higher quality of life than those who don’t know and don’t use their talents.”

“Strengths really helped me out to know who I am and

Walker Nyenhuis Sarah King Anna Jeide Margaret Yapp Features Editor: Casey DeLima A&E Editor: Dylan Hinton Sports Editor: Julia Joseph Staff Writers: Makeda Barkley Abby Carpenter Emily Crowe Laura Hayes Matt Helm Nils Johnson Noah Langholz Danny May Jenna Nelson Katie Nelson Maggie Steinberg Erika Storvick Bailey Mulholland Alison Vuolo Rachel Williams Head Copy Editor: Katie Hale Copy Editors: Cameron Meyferth Bethany Seavers Templeton Ad Representative: Alex Brandt Sam Ward Ad Accountant: Tyler Hovey Photography Coordinator: Casey DeLima Photographers: Abby Carpenter Bjorn Myhre Design Technician: Bjorn Myhre Web Manager: Isaac Davis Distribution Manager: Elizabeth Hurley Adviser: David Faldet

Ann Landstrom Coordinator of Strengths-Finders Program

Boobies is a four letter word?

Fall 2014 Staff Editor-in-Chief: Managing Editor: News Editors:

it led me to my work in the Admissions Office and the Diversity Center because I knew I could use my strengths in those positions,” Marlon Henriquez (‘15) said. “I also think Strengths will help me in my future career of being a teacher.”

This opportunity begins as a two-part process. First, take the StrengthsFinder assessment in your residence hall the first week of J-Term. Second, attend “Super Strengths Saturday” to begin the process of understanding your talents and strengths and learning ways to maximize your potential.

The afternoon will include RA-led breakout sessions, food, fun and will end with several awesome door prizes. And you will have plenty of time to get ready for the Brandt Open Mic Bar (BOMB) event!

Please watch your email and postal mail, at home and school, for more details on how to register for “Super Strengths Saturday.” If you have questions now, please contact Coordinator of Strengths-Finders Program Ann Landstrom at landan02@luther.edu.

This opportunity is brought to you by Student Life and the Career Center, with support through the Strengths Based Servant Leadership Program.

Letter to WKH (GLWRU I’m constantly amused by peoples’ reactions to the word “boobies.” Whether it’s a belly laugh from a 70-year-old woman, an enthusiastic testimonial from a breast cancer survivor or a furrowed brow from those who blush at a mere glimpse of the word, I’m reminded that we all have different perspectives on things.

In today’s day and age, with all that we’re exposed to through the media, I personally don’t think the word “boobies” is going to cause the world to come crashing down in ruin. But then again, I’m a lover of the word “boobies.” It makes me giggle; it always has – even before I was an avid advocate for healthy “boobies.”

There are plenty of unproductive

/87+(5 :,),

slang terms out there for female parts I didn’t even know I had.

Many of these terms are vulgar or offensive and are even defined that way in the dictionary. However, I don’t put the word “boobies” in this category. In fact, when researching the uses of this provocative word, I learned that “boobie … is a term of endearment derived from the Yiddish term bubele, meaning baby.” Hmm, a term of endearment?

Now that’s interesting.

So, you may be wondering why I’m discussing the word “boobies” in such detail. What’s the big deal anyway? Well that’s just it … what is the big deal? I’ve learned that this word actually is a big deal to some.

Since beginning Feel Your Boobies in 2004, I’ve probably received a handful of emails from people who express concern over the use of this term. Some are embarrassed by the term, others feel it’s demeaning to women or that it’s making light of a very serious disease in an inappropriate manner. I appreciate hearing these points of view. They

remind me that my love of the word “boobies” is subjective and that my approach to breast cancer awareness may not be met by approval from all. And that’s OK. If it was, then the approach wouldn’t be unconventional I suppose – and, likely, would be less effective, considering the women we target.

And so I continue to ponder this mild debate over the word “boobies.” What exactly is it that causes this controversy? Why do some people find this word to be playful and humorous while others feel that it’s offensive and demeaning? I suppose the answer to that will always boil down to an individual point of view. But when it boils down to awareness vs. ignorance, talking vs. silence, tuning in vs. tuning out and early detection vs. death, the only fourletter word that really matters is “life” … and that’s something we can all agree on.

Leigh Hurst Founder of “Feel Your Boobies”

Sarah King

SPORTS

PAGE 11

DECEMBER 11, 2014

SPORTS EDITOR: JULIA JOSEPH

Cross country trains for indoor season MAKEDA BARKLEY STAFF WRITER With the cross country season officially over, the distance athletes are enjoying a period of recovery. The track & field season begins in January and offers different opportunities for the athletes.

The majority of the team ran their last race in the JV Cup on Friday, Nov. 7. however 14 ran in the Regional meet on Nov. 15.

“From your last race we say you need three weeks for some down time, but that down time is very relative for different people,” Trever Schwichtenberg (‘17) said. “Some people don’t run at all those three weeks. They’re injured and they powered through to the end, and now they’re taking the time off. A good majority of the other people will run five to six days a week. We just run a handful of miles and don’t really think about how far or fast we’re going. It’s as much a mental as it is a physical break.”

During their recovery time between the cross country season and track season the athletes continue to run at reduced distance and speed, staying active while recuperating in preparation for January training.

“Right now with finals and everything going on, it just makes sense that it’s a time to step away from team training,” Assistant Cross Country Coach Maggie Pierson (‘14) said.

The athletes will transition from cross country training to track training in the next few weeks. With the track season comes new challenges and dynamics, offering opportunities for athletes to specialize in different distances and forcing them to train in the harsh winter conditions typical of Iowa.

“The winter running season is rough because we’re running on snow,” Lauren Mordini (‘16) said. “It takes a couple weeks to get used to. Your legs are sore because you’re using different muscles to run and your runs are a lot slower, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, you just have to realize you’re not going to be able to go as fast as you were during cross season because of the weather

Norse of the Week JULIA JOSEPH SPORTS EDITOR Meagan Koepnick (‘15) has been a captain of the women’s basketball team since her sophomore year. Koepnick was named IIAC female Athlete of the Week for the week of Monday, Nov. 10. A starter since her first year, Koepnick has been amongst the leaders for scoring and assists throughout this season.

The team is currently 5-1 for their season with two games before their Christmas Break trip to Nashville, Tenn.

Chips: Why did you first start playing basketball?

It’s in my family. My dad played in college and my mom played in high school. My brother came here to play basketball. I started playing because I watched my dad coach and I liked it and kept with it. I’m glad I’ve gotten to play in college.

What is the best part about being on Luther’s team?

ENJOYING THE RUN. Andrew Johnson (‘15) and John Westby (‘17) run together in the off season. Makeda Barkley / Chips

CAN’T STOP WON’T STOP. Devon Hovey (‘15) and Lauren Mordini (‘16) train for track season. Makeda Barkley / Chips

conditions,” While those conditions open up more opportunities to injury and require more self-discipline, it doesn’t faze these athletes.

“The first mile is always kind of rough, but there’s also this kind of exciting moment mid-run and … it’s like this kind of meditative experience,” Schwichtenberg said. “It’s this cool moment because you’re the only one outside.”

Only a small handful of athletes that compete in cross country will not participate in track due to study abroad or major-related commitments, as the sense of commitment to running and their team keeps most of the athletes running competitively as long as they can.

“We’re continuing to think of long-term growth, and we think

of our seasons in long arcs,” Schwichtenberg said. “We don’t take it race by race, we take it season by season and year by year.”

Track provides new opportunities for athletes that cross country does not offer.

“In track, our group is split into a long distance group and a sprint distance group … in the long distance group, their training looks a lot like cross country, while the sprint distance group moves away from the distance training a little bit,” Pierson said.

In addition to providing a different race format and distances, track also offers a different mentality from cross country.

“Track season is a time for some of us to focus on our individual racing and our mentality for racing,” Mordini said. “This helps us for both track and cross seasons.”

I love being with the girls; it’s just the best.

Every year new people come in and it’s a great community of girls. It’s just fun to spend time with them in and out of practice. I love hanging out with them; it’s the best part of my days.

What do you do to help lead the team and get new players involved?

I try really hard to reach out and be friendly, especially with the first-years because it’s a new time for them and I’ve been through it. As a senior, I feel like I can help them out with that transition and be a friend to them if they need it. Same thing on the court: I just try to work with everyone and try to make the team mesh, which hopefully helps us win.

What game are you most excited for coming up?

I’m excited to start conference play. We’re in the middle of non-conference right now. I’m excited for this year’s conference season, I think it’s going to be really competitive. I want to see how the other teams are this year.

What is something you will take away from the coaches?

To work hard. Working hard leads to success.

I’ve tried to develop that throughout the years.

That’s how I try to lead my team as well-by showing a hard working example. When you work hard at something, you will be successful.

What professional basketball player would you want to play one-on-one?

Present would be Kevin Durant, because he’s my favorite player. I think it would be cool

TAKING IT TO THE HOOP. Meagan Kopenick (‘15) comes off Carrie Kilen’s (‘15) pick to get to the basket. Toby Ziemer / Photo Bureau to hang out with him and play him. All-time would be Michael Jordan, because he’s the best.

He would definitely beat me, but it would be so cool.

Do you have any team rituals before a game?

We play a lot of music. Sometimes we dance, we have a little routine so it’s a fun pregame. We have certain songs that get our energy up.

What are goals personally and for the team for this season?

We're off to a great start. Expectations are pretty high at this point. Our main goal this

season is to play well as a team. The main goal I have is to play my hardest every single day and do my best, get better every day. Senior year, it’s the last year. I just want to put it all out there every single day. If I can do that I can take that away and say that I did everything I could.

What will you miss the most after this season?

It’s hard to think about. I’m going to miss the game. Basketball is one of those things where it’s hard to play once you’re done with organized.

It’s never the same as playing with your team.

I’m going to miss the game and my teammates.

SPORTS

PAGE 12

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Swim team competes in Rochester Invitational

Weekly Standings Men’s Basketball Dubuque Central Wartburg Coe Loras Luther Buena Vista Simpson

IIAC 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0

Recent Scores

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

Dec. 6 vs. Viterbo W 87-69

Upcoming Schedule

Dec. 11 @ New Ulm, Minn. vs. Martin Luther 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 13 vs. University of Northwestern (Minn.) 4 p.m.

Women’s Basketball Wartburg Simpson Central Luther Dubuque Buena Vista Loras Coe

SWIMMING IN SUPPORT. Luther’s swimming and diving team creates a supportive dynamic at every meet.

Maria da Silva / Photo Bureau

IIAC 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0

Recent Scores

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

Dec. 6 vs. Viterbo W 96-64

Upcoming Schedule

Dec. 11 @ New Ulm, vs Martin Luther College 5:30 p.m.

Dec. 13 vs. University of Northwestern (Minn.) 2 p.m.

ERIKA STORVICK STAFF WRITER The Luther College swimming and diving team competed in the Rochester Invitational from Friday, Dec. 5 through Sunday, Dec. 7. The men’s team finished fifth of six teams and the women’s team finished sixth of ten teams. “It’s fun to have that new level of competition for us,� Laura Boran (‘16) said. “A lot of them are state schools, so they have different programs.�

The three-day meet, hosted by St. Cloud State, was attended by teams of all divisions and provided great competition for Luther’s swimmers.

Primarily Division II schools attended, but students from Division I and Division III schools, like Luther, also competed. Luther has attended this meet for three years. “This meet probably has the most competition,� Lexi Scharmer (‘16) said. “It’s fun because we get to swim against people who are very fast. You really get to go out there and race.�

This meet was also special as swimmers can qualify for nationals with a fast enough time. The team brought out the fast suits and did a half taper, cutting their yardage to prepare for the occasion. “It’s a good chance for people to qualify,� Scharmer said. “It’s nice because

you never know what’s going to happen later in the season. If something happens, you still have a meet where you have a fast time.�

The Invitational began Friday with the 400 meter medley relay and the mile. Events Saturday and Sunday included the 100m, 200m and the 200 and 400 IM relay. Each individual event had both prelims and finals, so the top 24 swimmers of each event swam twice a day. “It’s a very cold meet, but it’s always fun to see how we compare to other teams and levels,� Boran said.

The Rochester Invitational arrives about

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- Lauren Boran (‘16)

halfway through the season, making this competition a good mark of progress.

The majority of Luther’s swimmers and divers competed in the invitational, but the team was a few swimmers short due to Christmas at Luther. “Sam [Weinberg (‘15)] and I followed the results online, but it’s not the same as being at the meet,� Sam Raiche (‘15) said.

The team felt the absence of some members during the competition.

Although it is considered an individual sport, the swim team has a strong sense of community. “It feels weird whenever our whole team isn’t there. We have a very distinct dynamic,� Scharmer said. “We definitely missed them, especially when we were singing the national anthem.�

The team is now looking forward to their training trip in San Diego, Calif., which takes place annually over Christmas break.

Wrestling #4 Coe #7 Wartburg #8 Loras # 13 Luther Dubuque Central Simpson Buena Vista

IIAC 2-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1 0-1 0-1

Recent Scores

Overall 2-0 3-1 2-1 1-1 1-3 2-1 2-2 0-4

Dec. 3 @ Mt. Vernon vs. Cornell College L 14-19

Upcoming Schedule

Dec. 10 vs. UW La Crosse 7 p.m.

Dec. 13 @ Cedar Falls, Iowa UNI Open 9 a.m.

Men’s Swimming Loras Coe Luther Simpson

IIAC 2-0 1-1 0-0 0-2

Overall 3-2 1-6 0-3 2-2

Recent Scores

Dec. 5-7 Rochester Invitational @ Rochester 5 of 6

Upcoming Schedule

Jan. 3 vs. Loras College 1 p.m.

Women’s Swimming Loras Coe Luther Simpson

LEAVE IT IN THE POOL. Lexi Scharmer (‘16) advanced to the $ Ć QDOV DQG SODFHG WKLUG LQ WKH PHWHU ć \ ZLWK D WLPH RI 58.49.

Maria da Silva / Photo Bureau

IIAC 2-0 1-1 0-0 0-2

Overall 3-2 5-2 1-2 1-3

Recent Scores

Dec. 5-7 Rochester Invitational @ Rochester 6 of 10

Upcoming Schedule

Jan. 3 vs. Loras College 1 p.m.