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mARCH 17, 2016
Serving the Luther College community since 1884.
VoLUmE 138, no. 17
New gender-neutral housing Greenhouse policies clarified, discussed speaks on law, laura proescholdt STAFF WRITER & aNNa jeide EdIToR-In-CHIEF Residence Life and Student Life continue to evaluate how gender-neutral housing spaces will be implemented on campus. While returning students have the opportunity to apply to a new gender-inclusive cluster in Farwell Hall, the way in which space in Brandt third floor center corridor is utilized will depend on the needs of incoming students, as interpreted by Residence Life. According to Interim Director of Residence Life Kelsey Boyce, the rooms in Brandt Third Center Corridor are not specifically designated as genderneutral, gender-inclusive or co-ed. The addition of a gender non-specific restroom and shower facility allows the space to be utilized as gender-neutral if deemed necessary by Residence Life. “If we have students that have a need or a desire to live in that gender neutralspace then that is how we will arrange that floor,” Boyce said. “If that isn’t a demonstrated need that comes through or a request that anybody’s articulating a need for, my understanding right now is that Third Center will continue to be kind of what it is right now, which is it may be male or female based on the gender breakdown of the incoming [first-year] class.” According to Boyce, incoming students interested in gender-neutral housing might make an indication on
their housing application or through direct communication with Admissions or Residence Life. “If we have students who express a need or a desire to live in a space like that, we would work with them on an individual, case-by-case basis,” Boyce said. “That most frequently would happen by a student writing that on their housing application that that’s a space that they’re looking to live in.” According to Housing Assignments Coordinator Vanessa Wiest (‘10), the housing application released as early as October to incoming students does not indicate that gender-neutral space may be available in Brandt. The application was released before the decision to add a gender non-specific restroom and shower facility to Brandt third floor center was finalized. According to Wiest, Residence Life will reach out to students who voluntarily disclose information on their application that indicates that the student may be a good fit for the Brandt space. The Luther housing application asks students to select their gender from the choices of male or female. According to Wiest, there is no specific place for incoming students to indicate their gender identity outside the male/female binary, which could be different from their sex. Some students provide this information in open-ended portions of the application. Current students have expressed concern regarding the lack of transparency for gender-neutral spaces on campus. Adam Bartucci (‘17), transgender
male, views the limited gender preferences on the housing application as problematic. “They’re still hiding the genderneutral options by not providing a place to indicate gender identity on the housing form,” Bartucci said. Vice President and Dean of Student Life Corey Landstrom said that there are important considerations colleges must keep in mind when asking students for information on gender identity such as which student information is stored and where. In 2011, the Common Application board struck down a proposal to include questions on gender identity and sexual orientation. Though the questions would have been optional, board members worried that they might make students feel uncomfortable, according to Inside Higher Ed. 414 colleges accept the Common Application, including Luther College. As for indicating on the housing application that Brandt third floor center is a potential gender-neutral housing location, Landstrom says administration needs more information to make that decision. The current application round will help reveal how many students indicate an interest in the space. According to Landstrom, incoming students may learn of Brandt’s option during Registration, Orientation and Advising Day (ROAD) or through contact with Admissions or Residence Life. “We’ll find ways to signal to students that there are options,” Landstrom said.
Sarah Rickertsen (‘16) won first place at the English Honor Society Sigma Tau Delta conference for a creative work relating to the theme “Finding Home” in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during March 4-6. Luther students have the opportunity to submit to the Sigma Tau Delta national convention every year. Rickertsen, an English major, has been writing since she was very young, and this is her second time submitting to Sigma Tau Delta. “Every year they have a conference at which students who are members of Sigma Tau Delta have the opportunity to submit papers, critical papers or creative papers, to be presented at this national conference,” Associate Professor of English and chapter sponsor for Sigma Tau Delta at Luther Amy Weldon said. “Rickertsen won a prize for her story at the conference, which is a really big honor because there are more than a thousand
greenhouse speaks in CFL Recital Hall. Sidney Larsen / Chips sidNey larseN STAFF WRITER
students [submitting works].” Rickertsen recalls the origins of her story in Weldon’s Creative Writing: Poetry and Fiction I. “‘Painting Milk’ is a fiction piece I wrote in Dr. Weldon’s creative writing class,” Rickertsen said. “It’s about a woman who is a tattoo artist but kind of wishes she was a ‘real’ artist.” The story began as a prompt in Weldon’s class that grew into something larger. “Its origins kind of make me chuckle because it was definitely [written] on a day in class where I didn’t feel like writing,” Rickertsen said. “We had a prompt that basically involved people putting a bunch of random words on the board, and I saw tattoo gun and I thought, ‘You know what? I’m going to write about tattoos!’” Rickertsen submitted her work under the short story fiction category but did not anticipate winning a prize.
Arthur W. Marks Professor of Anthropology and Chair of the Department of Anthropology at Princeton University Carol Greenhouse presented a series of talks across campus Thursday, March 10, sponsored by the Luther College chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society. Talks included a lunch discussion, a philosophy group talk and a lecture which was titled “Citizens United/ Citizens Divided: A Case Study in Anthropology of Law.” Greenhouse is a 1976 graduate from Harvard with a Ph.D. in anthropology. Her previous teaching experiences include positions at Cornell University and Indiana University. She is the president of the American Ethnological Society and has published numerous books on legal anthropology. According to Professor of Political Science and President of Luther’s chapter of Phi Beta Kappa Mike Engelhart, the national Phi Beta Kappa chapter annually sends out scholars to colleges like Luther to discuss their work. “Most years we’ve been lucky enough to have someone expert in their field come to speak,” Engelhart said. “This year we looked through the list and picked Carol Greenhouse, a sociocultural anthropologist.” Associate Professor of English Amy Weldon said that she is very appreciative of the opportunity Luther has to hear scholars like Greenhouse speak. “I am really excited that Phi Beta Kappa brings scholars like this to Luther,” Weldon said. “I think it’s a really great opportunity for faculty and for students to be a part of national conversations.” Jessica Morrill (‘17), an anthropology major and an attendee of the lunch discussion with Greenhouse, valued the chance to speak with such an experienced anthropologist about the possible applications of
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Rickertsen wins first prize at English honors convention emma schlabach STAFF WRITER
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News editors: katie NelsoN & jacob warehime
Various restrooms renovated to become gender-neutral laura proescholdt staff writer & aNNa Jeide editor-iN-chief Two restrooms on the lower level of Preus Library were designated to be gender non-specific in December and January 2016, according to Public Services Coordinator Eddy Atwell. A proposal written by Dean of Student Life Corey Landstrom over the summer spurred the change and prompted the following announcement released by the President’s cabinet in October. “In the next few weeks, signage on single-occupancy restrooms on campus will change to the gender-neutral term ‘restroom,’” the announcement read. “This change reflects respect and a spirit of inclusivity to all members of the Luther community.” The restrooms in Preus Library are single-user restrooms with a lockable door. According to
Director of Facilities Services Jay Uthoff, restrooms configured in this manner are the easiest to designate gender-nonspecific. Last summer, Landstrom walked the Luther campus to identify restrooms with these characteristics and wrote a proposal outlining where changes could be made. According to Landstrom, the changes were motivated, in part, by developments in the Iowa Civil Rights Act. In 2007, the act was amended to protect against discrimination based on gender identity and therefore requires that employers allow employees access to restrooms that correspond with their gender identity rather than their biological sex. According to Associate Director of Human Resources and Title IX Coordinator Matthew Bills, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission also requires this of employers under Title VII. According to Bills, students employed by the college through work study are provided the same
protections under the Iowa Civil Rights Act and Title VII as other employees of the college. Students articulated the importance of having genderneutral bathrooms to use. Adam Bartucci (‘17) is a transgender male. “I feel that the bathrooms here are not very inclusive for someone who is female-bodied but identifies as male,” Bartucci said. “Going into the bathroom is terrifying. I really wish that the bathrooms were more accepting. I always get a sick feeling when I have to hide in a woman’s bathroom.” Bartucci hopes for more genderneutral bathrooms on campus. “They should definitely make the spaces more visible,” Bartucci said. Another student, identifying as a transgender female who wished to remain a confidential source on the basis of protecting her identity, articulated her frustration that these bathrooms are not widely known or clearly labeled. The confidential source disclosed
that on the first day of class last semester, she blacked out due to dehydration. The source had been avoiding drinking water because she wanted to avoid using a bathroom that made her uncomfortable. It was only after passing out in front of the entire class and disclosing her transgender identity with her professor that the professor informed her that there are genderneutral bathrooms in the Center for the Arts. “[The bathrooms are] often hidden in weird corners, which is why having a map of them could be really helpful,” source said. “It would be nice if they were close to where most of the traffic is.” In 2015, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released a best practices report on restroom access for transgender workers. The report recommended that employers provide employees with access to single-occupancy gender-neutral facilities. According to Bills, conversion of single-user restrooms was a logical
move. “Since we have single occupancy restrooms, there’s no real reason at all that those should have to be gendered, so we removed that to make it clear that everyone’s welcome in the spaces,” Bills said. According to Uthoff, in addition to the newly-converted restrooms in Preus Library, at least one gender non-specific restroom exists in Dahl Centennial Union, Legends Fitness for Life Center, Koren, JensonNoble Hall of Music, Valders Hall of Science, Sampson Hoffland Laboratories, Main, Campus House, Korsrud Heating Plant, Shirley Baker Commons, Facilities Services, Ockham House, Farwell Hall, Brunsdale Lounge, Miller Ground Floor, Dieseth Ground Floor and Larsen Hall. Over the summer, Facilities Services plans to create a genderneutral, single user restroom and shower facility in Brandt Third Center Corridor. Use for this bathroom will be determined based on student demand.
Professors Amy Weldon and Jon Jensen hold reading at Dragonfly Books Jacob Warehime News editor & matiJa Nikolic staff writer Associate Professor of English Amy Weldon and Associate Professor of Philosophy and Environmental Studies Program John Jensen held a reading of their contributions to the new anthology “Fracture: Essays, Poems and Stories on Fracking in America” on Wednesday, March 9. The event was held at Dragonfly Bookstore in downtown Decorah and included a discussion afterwards. The event was part of a national promotional tour put on by the book’s publisher, Ice Cube Press. “Fracture” is an anthology of poems and essays, both fictional and non-fictional, on the practice of fracking in the Midwest. Weldon’s essay is titled “A Miniature Handbook for New Women Activists,” and Jon Jensen’s essay is titled “Sand In My Backyard.” According to Jensen, the collection was intended to give readers a personal, more intimate perspective on how the fracking industry affects the lives of ordinary Americans. Weldon explained that the actual process of fracking is comprised of pumping frac sand (a combination of sand, water and chemicals) into the earth in order to obtain natural gas. The frac sand flows into cracks made in the rocks and keeps these cracks open, which allows the natural gas to be released. The type of sand that is needed for this process is common in the Midwest. As a result, the frac sand industry has been growing in the Midwest in recent years. The growing practice is what originally interested
Weldon in the topic. Weldon said she is concerned with the dangerous consequences that accompany fracking and mining for the sand. “[Fracking] uses huge amounts of water and chemicals,” Weldon said. “In pretty much every way that you can imagine, frac sand mining is seriously damaging to the quality of air and water in these communities.” During their reading, both Weldon and Jensen emphasized the importance of citizen involvement to protect the land around Northeast Iowa. “[Thankfully] sand mining hasn’t come to Northeast Iowa yet,” Weldon said. “This is a direct result of the work of ordinary people.” Weldon said she hoped the book would help create an emotional response to fracking in those who read it. “It just stirs something in your heart when you hear about bad things happening to the land,” Weldon said. “You think, ‘I don’t want this to happen,’ in the same way as you would try to prevent someone you love from getting beaten up. I write about this in my essay.” Jensen echoed this sentiment and said that he wrote his essay in hopes that people would better understand how they are a part of the fracking industry, whether they know it or not. “I wanted to raise questions about the systemic dimensions of fracking,” Jensen said. “Particularly the way that all of us, even those who are fighting against fracking, are complicit in the economy and society that depends on the fracked oil and natural gas. Things are not as black and white as they initially seem and my essay seeks to explore the moral complexity of this issue.”
Weldon reads to the crowd at Dragonfly Bookstore. Jacob Cole (‘18) said that not only did the event teach him a lot about fracking, but he was also moved by Jensen and Weldon’s essays. “I had never really thought much about fracking before,” Cole said. “This was relatively new territory for me. I was impressed by the emotion and thought put into the two essays presented, and I can’t wait to read the rest of ‘Fracture’ to be challenged and moved by literature.” Nathan Campbell (‘18) agreed with Cole and added that he was impressed by the essays’ ability to bridge disciplines. “I really appreciated the connections made between environmental causes and humanitarian causes,” Campbell said. “I think they are much more interconnected than a lot of people consider. I also think that they are both very important—both by
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themselves and together.” Event Coordinator for Dragonfly Books Kate Scott said the event was beneficial to the Decorah community in more ways than one. “It’s important for our bookstore to be able to feature authors from the local area,” Scott said. “On a larger scale, it is important to focus on fracking which has been a big problem. I really enjoy when we bring everyone together to celebrate the talent but also talk about issues that are relevant to our lives.” Jensen believes the event was a success. “The event was a great mix of Luther students, faculty, and community members,” Jensen said. “We are so lucky to have a great local bookstore that provides a venue for events like this and promotes community engagement.”
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Guest lecturer Kavka explains why bad things happen to good citizens JaNa mueller staff writer & Jacob Warehime News editor Professor of Religion, Ethics and Philosophy at Florida State University Martin Kavka gave a lecture titled “Does God Watch Over Our Nation or Why do Bad Things Happen to Good Citizens?” The lecture was held in Valders Hall of Science room 206 on March 8 at 7 p.m. Kavka’s lecture, which was sponsored by the Religion Department, the Center for Ethics and the Public Life and Diversity Center, sought to examine the belief that God is the cause of human suffering— both on an individual and national scale. Kavka explored various models of this belief by giving examples from prominent 20th and 21st century political figures. He also contrasted this information by extrapolating on the reasoning of those who do not share the belief that God is the cause of human suffering. In his lecture Kavka discussed quotes from former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Antonin Scalia and Gov. of Arkansas Mike Huckabee. In particular, Kavka discussed an instance where Huckabee implied that the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Connecticut, was a punishment from God for prayer being banned in public schools. Kavka explained this type of thinking was an example of Covenant Theology. Kavka said that for people who have this mentality, the suffering in their lives is a result of human wrong-doing. “Victims of this kind of judgment are left wondering things like, ‘Did my child die of a miscarriage because my wife and I did something wrong?’” Kavka said. Professor of Religion James MartinSchramm found the lecture thoughtprovoking and reflected on how Kavka’s information pertained to his own discipline. “He offered several good arguments of why and how we should call Covenant Theology into question,” Martin-Schramm said. “I teach in Environmental Theology. So on the one hand, when human beings transgress the natural limits, bad things tend to happen. There are also some folks that talk about those limits as divine, natural law.’” Martin-Schramm added that he believes this can be a problematic way of thinking. “Of course the problem is the people who transgress the natural law—[the people] who push all the greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere—are the ones that suffer the least from climate change, from oceans rising and from the
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life outside luther Jacob Warehime News editor Donald Trump rally in Chicago forced to shut down after protesters cause safety concerns
Kavka speaks from the podium during his lecture. spread of disease,” Martin-Schramm said. In addition to explaining the mentality behind Covenant Theology, Kavka gave rules that he argued should be implemented if one is to make these Covenant Theology claims. “People who make statements like [those who have sinned, deserve their suffering] need to be explicit about the stake of their claims,” Kavka said. As part of these rules, Kavka advocated for personal assessment among individuals who believe in Covenant Theology. “You don’t have to endure tyranny,” Kavka said. “Just because it’s God, doesn’t mean that it must be true. You are allowed to stop and assess these statements.” Christopher Lange-Pearson (‘19) agreed with some of Kavka’s points, however he wishes Kavka had given solutions to the examples he used. “Although I agree with [Kavka], I don’t recall him giving examples of what Huckabee could have said instead of, ‘Sandy Hook happened because Newtown outlawed prayer in schools,’” Lange-Pearson said. “I cannot think of a
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different way of wording his statement as to not insinuate that.” Audrey Dontje Lindell (‘16) echoed this sentiment, saying that she wished Kavka added a political context to his message. “I wish that Kavka had addressed these comments in the context of the idea of separation between church and state,” Dontje Lindell said. “It all felt very removed from the political milieu he was drawing quotes from. Kavka never even broached that aspect of the conversation, and I wish he had.” Ultimately, Martin-Schramm believed the lecture to be helpful in understanding the rationale behind Covenant Theology. “As I understand the tradition: God is with those who suffer, period,” MartinSchramm said. “Actually, I think the reason covenant theology is used, is because it allows people to avoid addressing big, systemic reasons why people suffer: racism, militarism and sexism. So instead we can just say, ‘no, you’re suffering because you’ve done something wrong.’ It is a lot easier to blame the victim than to take responsibility for complicity in systemic injustice.”’
The Donald Trump presidential campaign was forced to suspend a rally amid prostests on Friday, March 9. The intended rally was to be held at the University of Illinois in Chicago. In a statement released by the Trump Campaign, Mr. Trump “determined that for the safety of all of the tens of thousands of people that have gathered in and around the arena, tonight’s rally will be postponed to another date.” Violence between protesters and rally-goers broke out immediately following the announcement. Chicago officials reported that five arrests were made. According to The New York Times, Trump responded to footage of the protesters by saying,“Honestly, we have a very divided country.” Marco Rubio drops out of presidential race Florida Sen. Marco Rubio announced on Tuesday that he would be suspending his presidential campaign. This announcement came immediately following a loss to Donald Trump in the Florida Republican primaries. Rubio’s campaign hoped that a win in his home state, Florida would provide his campaign the extra momentum it needed to secure a bid for the presidency. However, after securing roughly half the votes of Trump, Rubio’s campaign was left with no other option. Secretary of State John Kerry set to travel to Russia Secretary of State John Kerry is set to travel to Russia next week in order to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov about the crisis in Syria. This decision comes on the heels of an anouncement from Moscow that Russia with be partially withdrawling its forces from the country. Acording to UPI.com. Kerry stated that he feels this is one of the best oppertunities in recent years to end the Syrian crisis in years. However other U.S. officials have been more cautious in their optimism.
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gender-neutral spaces considered gender-neutral, Page 1 Professor of Sociology Charlotte Kunkel fis concerned that working with gender-nonconforming or trans students on a case-by-case basis risks making them feel singled out. Kunkel suggests that the housing application could specifically ask students if they are willing to live with transgender students or in a gender-neutral space similar to the way in which students are currently asked if they would be willing to live with an international student. This information could then be used in the roommate-matching process. “It would just be a characteristic amongst all of them,” Kunkel said. A confidential source identifying as a transgender female acknowledges that she sees the option for a gender-neutral space in Brandt as a step forward, but she shares some of Kunkel’s concerns with regards to the inclusivity of the space. This source was granted confidentiality based on concerns of protecting her transgender identity. “The big problem with Brandt is that it’s gender-neutral in name only because the requirement that the roommate be of the same legal sex prevents it from being properly genderneutral,” the source said. “If I had been coming in my first year I would have wanted to live with a girl because that’s how I identify.” The source also explained the challenges she has experienced as an upperclassman trying to find housing. The source explained that the parents of one of her potential clustermates have decided they will not pay room and board for their daughter if she chooses to live with a transgender female student, which has made it difficult for her to find roommates.
“In a case where it’s parents exercising control indirectly over students’ choices, there’s nothing Res Life could do that I know of,” the source said. The source positively affirmed the recent developments in Farwell Hall. “Farwell is exactly what it should be with the option to have a roommate, so that you aren’t discriminating against people in terms of cost [of paying for a single],” the source said. Not all students feel that the Farwell gender-neutral clusters satisfy their needs. Zora Hurst (‘17) was active in campaigning for gender-neutral housing during the fall semester. “While I am disappointed that BSU’s suggestion for a gender-affirming living community wasn’t implemented, I am pretty hopeful for the next coming years at Luther,” Hurst said. “This year was extremely difficult and jumpstarted a lot of conversation between students and administration which I think is incredibly empowering.” When asked about what other improvements Luther College could continue to make, both Bartucci and the confidential source emphasized the need for more communication and openness about gender-neutral spaces on campus. “I think they should first of all announce that they’ve done this,” Bartucci said. “I didn’t really know [about the developments] until after I’d applied, that you are allowed to room with someone of the same gender-identity. A lot of my friends didn’t know either.” Bartucci hopes that the gender-neutral housing options will continue to expand over the years. “If they could include safe spaces in all the dorms that would be great,” Bartucci said. “I liked living in Miller. I just didn’t feel safe there.”
Bartucci currently lives in a single room in a co-ed Farwell cluster. Although this is not technically a gender-neutral space, Bartucci compares the environment of this space to the previous all-female floors where he lived in Miller. “It’s been wonderful as a safe space because everyone is very accepting of my transgender status,” Bartucci said. “The first two years I lived here I lived in all-female floors and it was quite uncomfortable. The bathroom situation wasn’t good. Now in the cluster the bathrooms aren’t assigned a gender and I feel more comfortable walking into one.” A panel comprised of three staff members and one faculty member will evaluate the applications, according to Boyce. “Some identify within the LGBTQIA community, but all four people who are a part of that group are well aware of the mission and goals of the cluster,” Boyce said. According to Associate Director of Human Resources and Title IX Coordinator Matthew Bills, colleges are currently under no legal requirement to provide gender-neutral housing to students. Although Title IX prohibits institutions from discriminating against individuals based on biological sex or gender identity, Title IX does not extend to housing, and colleges retain the right to house students based upon their biological sex. For this reason, according to Bills, changes in housing options at Luther College are mainly student-driven. “Since we’re not being motivated by Title IX, we’re being motivated by our students, and so we’d love to hear from students about what would help them feel comfortable attending school here,” Bills said. According to Boyce, any returning student is eligible to apply for the gender-inclusive cluster. At present, Residence Life is still accepting applications to fill the 13 spaces in the cluster.
Rickertsen wins at Greenhouse Sigma Tau Delta gives lectures greenhouse, Page 1
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Rickertsen with her winning work. Emma Schlabach / Chips
“I have no recollection of [submitting under the theme category], so I had no idea,” Rickertsen said. “When we passed the original fiction category, I thought I didn’t win this year, so I was absolutely floored.” Rickertsen’s work fits the theme of “finding home” in an unconventional way. “It is kind of a different idea of finding home, not as a geographical place, but figuring out where home is for you in yourself,” Rickertsen said. The conference has many categories that students can submit to, including a yearly theme, to which students can submit their work. “Every year they have a theme which is broadly construed and [the writers and judges] interpret the theme kind of creatively, which leads to some really good and really interesting papers,” Weldon said. Luther has Sigma Tau Delta members who consistently attend the conference every year. “Luther College has taken students to Sigma Tau Delta every year that I have been [at Luther],” Weldon said. “We had three students go this year and [Rickertsen] was one of them.” The idea of finding home in oneself is something that Rickertsen relates with as she explores careers. “I really love writing, but I have learned that I also really enjoy helping other people write,” Rickertsen said. Approaching graduation, Rickertsen contemplates the relationship between career and her passions. “It’s more about remaining true to what you love even if it’s not your career,” Rickertsen said. “As a senior, two months from heading out the door, it’s very important to me to keep doing things I love doing.”
“She was really interesting and gave me a lot of information about future careers and the different anthropology fields that I could go into,” Morrill said. “I’ll be using some of that information for future career paths and graduate school.” Greenhouse described the wide scope of anthropological study. “Anthropology looks at how people understand their own needs, human relations, adaptability, interrelatedness of materials and human work, social and cultural reproduction over time, imagination, communication and problem solving, among other things,” Greenhouse said. According to Greenhouse, in her work as a legal anthropologist she has found that it is important for students to realize that anthropology can be used as an intellectual tool in examining other fields of study, such as law. “The takeaway that I want students to have from my lecture is that anthropology’s mission is less to convey science than to let people know that anthropology is there to use as a tool to think with and to bring into other settings across the board,” Greenhouse said. Greenhouse’s lecture was a case study on the Supreme Court case Federal Election Commission vs. Citizens United that took place in 2010. She used this case, which gave corporations the right to free speech and funding of political agendas, to show through the lens of anthropology, that with this ruling the Supreme Court was, in effect, suspending the distinction between public and private interests. According to Greenhouse, a main focus of her lecture was to show that this particular way of thinking can be applied not only to corporations in the business sense, but to other types of collective interests, such as families. “A Supreme Court ruling can link up highly disparate social domains, finding fertile ground for application far from the case at hand,” Greenhouse said. “Our case study tonight about election law turns out to draw on law related to abortion law.” According to Weldon, Greenhouse’s lecture offered new insights into the application of anthropology across fields that she found extremely illuminating. “I thought [this lecture] was a wonderful example of intellectual versatility in practice,” Weldon said. “I had never even heard of the idea of legal anthropology, but when she started explaining how law creates culture, how it participates in culture, how it draws on the same kinds of assumptions and value and codes that anthropologists study, that made all kind of sense to me. I think that using one discipline to illuminate another was really interesting.”
Arts & EntErtAinMEnt
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lightwire lights up the CFl
dino-light. the dancers of lightwire create visual representations of movement using electroluminescent wires. elyse grothaus stAFF WritEr As a part of Luther College’s Center Stage Series, Lightwire Theater gave a performance that combined art and technology on Friday, March 11. The show was completely sold out with 1,040 people of all ages in attendance in the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall. The performers put on a twohour show in complete darkness where characters came to life with the use of electroluminescent wires incorporated into their costumes. Ian and Eleanor Carney are the creators and directors of Lightwire Theater Company based in New Orleans. They were professional dancers for many years before a friend introduced them to the electroluminescent wire, a phosphor-coated copper wire that
glows when an alternating electric current is applied. “The wire itself was really what inspired us,” Eleanor Carney said. “Then you are working with this medium that requires a lot of electrical components. It’s very heavy in tech and it is definitely a project where art has met science.” Director of Campus Programming Tanya Gertz chose to bring Lightwire Theater to Luther after she watched one of their school performances. She knew that this would be a unique experience for the audience because of how it brings together technology and movement. “One of the cool things about Lightwire is that it seems that there are just a bunch of people dressed up, but they are core dancers who have danced in major dance companies,” Gertz said. “It is a physical but also
very visual performance.” The visual aspect has taken a lot of work and creativity to refine. The costumes that performers wear are made and engineered completely by the company members themselves. In a talkback after the show, Ian Carney explained that his costume was made out of soccer shin guards, baseball catcher pads, a paintball vest and kneepads. Each performer also carries a personal power pack and hand dimmer in order to control the lighting of their costume. “We like to tell people that everything that you see onstage is made by us,” Eleanor Carney said. “I think our biggest message is that you look and see what we have done, and when we started we didn’t have a lot of money, but we had a lot of creativity and ideas.” Caitlin Maly (‘19) attended the event after she heard that Lightwire Theater had competed in the reality television show “America’s Got Talent.” During their time on the show in 2012, Lightwire made it to the semifinal round of the competition. Maly was especially impressed by the costuming. “I thought it was really interesting and innovative when he was talking about how they put the costumes together,” Maly said. “The whole
Photo courtesy of Stephen Charles Nicholson time during the performance, I was wondering how they got the costumes.” Overall, the audience enjoyed being able to learn more about the performance through the talkback. It allowed for attendees like Elizabeth Wiebke (‘19) appreciate how much work is put into their show. “I think it was really good that they did the talkback because I would have had a lot of questions to look up on my own otherwise,” Wiebke said. “It made me appreciate it even more because the performance was effortless, but they must have put so many hours into getting it together.” Ian Carney also talked about how a show like Lightwire is a true example of the human experience. They are able to create a unique and enjoyable performance for people, but their own performance is shaped by the audience. “We erased the dancer and let people wonder and imagine again,” Ian Carney said. The final Center Stage performance of the school year is American Spiritual Ensemble on Thursday, April 7. The ensemble will stay and do several student workshops on the following Friday. This performance is presented in partnership with Minnesota Public Radio.
“the wire itself was really what inspired us. then you are working with this medium that requries a lot of electrical components. it’s very heavy in tech and it is definitely a project where art has met science.” - Eleanor carney
Features
Page 6 March 17, 2016
Features editor: erika storvick
Women’s History Month:
BAlAncing Act. Hartl talking to Shari Huber (‘13) and Elisa Smith (‘13) before their first game in salem, virginia in 2013. Photo courtesy of Renae Hartl AnA lópez staFF Writer
Renae Hartl For Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Softball Head Coach Renae Hartl, her job is constantly changing. Hartl is in charge of managing schedules of the Regents Center, the competitions and the teams. As opposed to most coaches at the collegiate level, she has to think about 19 programs instead of just one. “Every day is different,” Hartl said. Each day she maintains a balance between administrative activities and coaching. Her mornings normally consist of meetings on topics such as recruiting, staff, schedules and different events. Then, in the later afternoon, she coaches the softball team, which provides Hartl with an special balance. “I have a unique dual role of doing administrative things all day, and then I get to switch in the late afternoon and head out into the field with my girls to coach,” Hartl said. She also spends a significant time talking to other members
of the administrative side of Luther athletics and the coaches themselves. “That’s probably the most rewarding and fun part,” Hartl said. “The daily conversations I get to have with our coaches, administrative and support staff, and student-athletes.” For Hartl, this interaction with student-athletes provides her balance and helps her perform these jobs. “When I entered into this dual role, I felt I could be a better administrator staying in the trenches of college coaching,” Hartl said. “[It] gives me the opportunity to see things through different eyes than what I saw when I was just coaching.” Although Hartl believes that the societal expectations of women to stay at home are still really high, she thinks that it is an important time for women in athletics. “I feel like we are at a great time for women in sports –especially at Luther College,” Hartl said. Hartl thinks that achieving a life-work balance or efficiency is something challenging, especially for women, but something that everyone should try to achieve
Amy Weldon Associate Professor of English Amy Weldon, who recently delivered a lecture on her new publication in an anthology called “Fracture,” teaches creative writing courses and Paideia. For Weldon, this will be a busy but productive spring. Even though she just published an essay, she will keep working on other essays and short stories to be published in the near future. Her research mainly focuses on different aspects of creative writing in the classroom and the pedagogic aspects of it. According to Weldon, the connection between her creative writing and her academic writing has helped her develop both as a scholar and as a person. “As a person and a writer, as you get older your task is to grow and change and become more of the person you are meant to be,” Weldon said. “[You’re] more connected to the world, more responsible to other people, and your voice as a writer is going to reflect that process of growth and evolution as well.” Regarding her experience in the field of academia as a woman,
DynAMic WRiting. amy Weldon engages students in a creative writing lecture. Annie Goodroad / Photo Bureau she explains that many changes have been made during her time here. “It’s always an interesting time to be a woman, I think,” Weldon said. “Since I have been in academia, I have been the beneficiary of many changes in the field and I have seen many changes move forward.” She also explained that as academia becomes more inclusive, it is also important to keep in mind that education comes with an obligation to share knowledge with others. “Because I am a professor, I have an education; I’ve been privileged,” Weldon explained. “I have to use that to help other people.”
Holly Moore Assistant Professor of Philosophy Holly Moore was recently granted tenure as an Associate Professor for the next academic year. Moore teaches classes in the philosophy department as well as in the women and gender studies program. As part of her independent work, she just finished a
paper that she will present in Lisbon, Portugal, next month. Her research is based on why philosophers do what they do, using the works of Plato as her foundation. “[I am] working with things that have to do with the relationship between how do we do what we do in philosophy and how that impacts the people we teach,” Moore said. Moore believes that her interaction with other disciplines and her engagement with various interests of her students have influenced her work. As a female professor, Moore also emphasized the importance of inclusion in fields like philosophy, even though changes have been made in the field in the last couple of years. “I think that is really relevant still,” Moore said. “Especially given that the profession is still extremely male dominated as well as very white.” While she thinks the environment at Luther College is not hostile at all for women in academics, she believes that there is still some tension in practicing philosophy as a woman. “I do find that there’s some embedded tensions in doing philosophy as a woman because a lot of the culture of argument has a masculine veilance or tone to it,” Moore said. Moore’s advice for any girl interested in pursuing the field is to “just go for it!” As she explains, it is indeed very challenging but also very rewarding.
Bach Fosaaen If you have ever picked up a sandwich from Grab n’ Go, you have probably seen Bach Fosaaen. Fosaaen works as the Grab n’ Go supervisor. For her, Luther feels like home. She has been familiar with the institution since two of her brothers and one of her sisters graduated from Luther. WoMen, Page 7
Features
Page 7
Features editor: erika storvick
March 17, 2016
Recognizing faculty and staff
AnAlyzing pHiloSopHy. holly Moore teaches philosophy and courses in women and gender studies. Ana Lopez / Chips
SeRVing DinneRS. Bach Fosaaen packages a to-go dinner with a student worker in the grab n’go line. Ana Lopez / Chips
WoMen, Page 6
about their everyday life. “I love to talk to students,” Forsaaen said. “To know how are things going, how was their day and stuff like that.” As Forsaaen enjoys interacting with students on a daily basis, she also experiences challenges fulfilling all of the responsibilities that are part of her job. According to Fosaaen, however, this is a rewarding experience for her. “I enjoy what I am doing,” Forsaaen said. “It’s a hard job, but it’s worth it.” She mentioned that a piece of advice for young women at Luther would be: “Never give up so easily, no matter how tough it might seem,” Forsaaen said. “Follow your dreams.”
For Fosaaen, it is a priority to ensure that Luther students get quality food, as she cares deeply about their well-being. She interacts with students every day and makes sure everyone is well-fed. “Because I have kids your age, I think of you guys as my own kids,” Forsaaen said. “That’s why I am happy to serve all the students that need food.” She is also in charge of supervising many student workers in the Grab n’ Go line. She ensures that students learn how to manage the food hygienically, always keeping in mind the well-being of the student body. She also takes opportunities to talk to the students
Project Pengyou unites U.S. and China JoRAM MUtenge staFF Writer Project Pengyou, a program of the Golden Bridges Foundation, is a United States-registered public charity with operations in Beijing. The project’s mission is to empower and mobilize a new generation of U.S.-China bridge-builders to serve, inspire and transform lives. Project Pengyou works to foster a critical mass of Americans with experience in China to capture the return on investment for American exchange programs in China. As an international organization, Project Pengyou mainly focuses on college campuses across the U.S. and China. “[The program] tries to spread awareness on U.S.– China relations by trying to create intercultural bridges between the two countries,” President of Project Pengyou at Luther Samuel Kaplan (‘16) said. “[It creates] good relations with China at a person-toperson level.” Kaplan introduced Project Pengyou to Luther in 2015. However, the Luther administration is still in the process of validating Project Pengyou as an official school organization. Kaplan talked about his study-abroad program to China as his inspiration for bringing this project to Luther. “I studied abroad in China last spring where I met a bunch of people who were interested in China,” Kaplan said. “I felt that Luther had very little interest in China, so I thought it was important to bring Chinese culture to Luther.” Members of Project Pengyou also talked about their interest in joining the project. “As president of Asian Student Association and Allies (ASAA), I’m interested in cultural diversity and because I’m Chinese, I thought being part of Project Pengyou would be awesome,” Yifeng Zhang (‘17) said. Facilitator of Project Pengyou James Foster (‘16) also shared his motivation for joining this project. Foster said that his Mandarin Chinese class increased his interest in Chinese culture. “I took Chinese on a whim,” Foster said. “I didn’t have a reason, but eventually I started enjoying the language. I also studied abroad in China and fell in love with China, and I realized that I needed to know
more about the country.” Member of Project Pengyou Alvin Kim (‘16) shared his interest in learning about other people’s cultures and how important it was to have knowledge of different cultures. He also pointed out that learning too many cultures at once does not help. “It’s a very broad experience to learn about every other culture,” Kim said. “We need something like [Project Pengyou] where it’s a little bit more focused.” Kaplan clarified that Project Pengyou is not in any way affiliated with the ASAA. “It is true we do similar things—promoting cultural diversity and awareness, but China is not Asia and Asia is far more than China,” Kaplan said. “Pengyou is a Chinese word, and the project is specifically geared
toward China.” Kim pointed out the importance of Project Pengyou’s ideals to college students. “Through the creation of intercultural bridges between China and the U.S., we can erase the divisions that we see between China and America,” Kim said. “I think [Project Pengyou] is a very good way to go culture-by-culture to remind us that we’re all one people.” Kim added that it was important for other countries to adopt this one-on-one relationship with the U.S. in order to build effective intercultural bridges. Project Pengyou meets every Thursday at 8 p.m. in Valders 262, and all are welcome to attend the meetings.
teAcHing neW cHARActeRS. sam kaplan (‘16) discusses chinese letters as part of promoting u.s. - chinese relations. Steve Peterson / Chips
arts & EntErtainMEnt
PaGE 8 March 17, 2016
a&E Editor: JEnna nElson
space jams. students gather in the Miller Planetarium in preperation for the electo-acoustic space-inspired composition show.
Karl Badger / Chips
compositions debuted in space karl badger staFF WritEr Twelve composition students from the Electro-Acoustic Music studio presented their midterm compositions in the Miller Planetarium, a non-traditional acoustic setting. Approximately 100 people attended the two shows that took place Wednesday, March 9 where the students’ electronic compositions were played as a star show was projected on the ceiling. The compositions contained various sounds, some as commonplace as the sound of footsteps, that were recorded and then manipulated in a sound studio. One attendee, Caroline Charles (‘16), appreciated having the music debuted inside of the planetarium. “I thought it was really unique and cool to have the
music paired with outer space and planetarium feel,” Charles said. “It was kind of a more philosophical, eerie feel to [the] interpretation of the musical recordings they did.” The instructor for the class, Associate Professor of Music and ComposerIn-Residence Brooke Joyce, felt that the planetarium was a good venue for these types of compositions. “I think the planetarium inspired the music,” Joyce said. “The notion of listening to music in a darkened space, where you can’t necessarily perceive where the sounds are coming from, is exciting and leads to a different kind of sonic exploration for composers.”
Students in the class began working on these compositions two weeks ago after spending the earlier part of the semester writing etudes, listening to other composers’ work and recording sounds that would ultimately be put into their compositions. Student composer Pablo Gomez Estevez (‘17) found this process to be both “experimental” and “spontaneous.” “You’re like a kid again, because everything is a sound that you may use,” Estevez said. “You’re always so sensitive to your surroundings.” After spending the first part of the semester collecting sounds and manipulating them in a studio, the students drew graphical representations of their song idea. How the song could be represented was entirely the choice of the students and served as a guide for composing the song. While composing his piece, Caleb Linville (‘19) was able to discover some differences between composing traditional music and this electro-acoustic style of music. “The great thing about electronic music is you don’t have to practice it, so you can work in a much tighter timespan,” Linville said. “On the other note though, it’s also harder because you have so [many] tools at your fingertips that it’s easy for your mind to get sidetracked.” For the remainder of the semester, the Electro-Acoustic Music studio will focus on composing works based on sculptures made by local artists through ArtHaus. These final compositions will be presented by placing a speaker within the sculptures, which will be displayed at the Student Research Symposium on May 6. Attendees of Wednesday night’s performances are interested in what will happen next for the studio composers. Attendee Zane Kittleson (‘19) felt that many students wanted to hear more of these compositions. “I thought [the show] was great, it just blew my mind,” Kittleson said. “I’m pretty sure some people probably stayed for a second performance, so I thought it was a hit, and I hope they do it again.”
“You’re like a kid again, because everything is a sound that you may use. You’re always so sensitive to your surroundings” - Pablo Gómez Estévez (‘16)
in the studio. students timothy Burianek (‘17) and Forrest Winstead (‘18) prepare for future compositions as part of the electric-acoustic composition studio. Jenna Nelson / Chips
OPINION
PAGE 9
MANAGING EDITOR: STEVE PETERSON
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. 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 5:00 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
Spring 2016 Staff Editor-in-Chief: Managing Editor: News Editors:
Anna Jeide Steve Peterson Katie Nelson Jacob Warehime Features Editor: Erika Storvick A&E Editor: Jenna Nelson Sports Editor: Danny May Staff Writers: Karl Badger Elizabeth Bonin Elyse Grothaus Lily Kime Sidney Larsen Ana Lopez Katrina Meyer Jana Mueller Joram Mutenge Matija Nikolic Laura Proescholdt Emma Schlabach Head Copy Editor: Cameron Meyferth Copy Editors: Bethany Seavers Templeton Olivia Benson Ad Representatives: Alex Brandt Jesse Anderson Ad Accountant: Tyler Hovey Layout and Design Technician: Cameron Meyferth Photography Coordinator: Katie Nelson Photographer: Steve Peterson Web Manager: Michael Vann Social Media Director: Nora Sell Distribution Manager: Elizabeth Hurley Adviser: Laura Fuller
MARCH 17, 2016
Fighting ignorance with understanding Letter to the Editor Controversy is in the air. Every other conversation I have is seemingly centered around one topic: the statement put forth by the Just Action Committee about Islamophobia and their “fight” against it. Even in choir, we had a full discussion where questions were asked such as: should a choir or organization pledge their support to this statement? Will it help the victims of Islamophobia? Am I signing this for me or for those people who are oppressed? Is it the right thing to do? Does signing this mean that I am a good person? What is Islamophobia? How do we end it? I encourage you all to think of answers to these questions. However, the most important question that I’ve found is, “What makes somebody Islamophobic?” I find this question to be important above all others because it pushes you into stepping into their shoes—to think critically about the Islamophobic mindset and really consider, respectfully, how that person thinks, something that I think would be the first priority in solving this problem. Instead I hear mockery. I was at dinner when the subject came up. Someone at the table said, “I just don’t understand how anybody can not support the statement, why wouldn’t they pledge?” I answered, “I think that there are some people that don’t understand the Muslim faith, they don’t really understand the difference in belief between the jihadists in the Middle East and the Muslims that may live down the street. So they mistakenly assume that all Muslims are dangerous.” The retort: “OK, so they are just a bunch of stupid bigots.” A few people laughed, but I was left stunned. That wasn’t my only problem. In other places I started to see this uncooperative and adversarial speech pop up. My personal favorites were those found in the Chips article about the statement. There, a quote read, “I want to stop Islamophobia because all it is, is ignorance. Hating somebody because what they believe in is ridiculous.” And Todd Green made these comments on Dec. 7 in chapel: “This is what you’re up against; this is what we’re up against,” and, “There are people out there who do intend harm. And there are people out there who want you to give in to fear.” These statements and my experience at dinner stunned me. They dehumanize the people that they speak about. These people who “intend harm,” and the people who are “stupid bigots” and those people who are out there who really are Islamophobic aren’t evil and they aren’t irrational wackos. The only thing that they can most assuredly be called is “human.” They are just like you and me. They sleep at night, they have hobbies, they water their plants and they have people who love them. They aren’t out to get you. The sole difference between them and you is their misinformed opinion that they have about
people of the Muslim faith. To say that they are evil or stupid because they hold that opinion is disrespectful and discounts their experience as people. It supposes that they are illogical and should be shamed and ridiculed for what they think, but ridicule is not how one learns respect or acceptance. Understanding and empathy are the tools to change somebody’s mind. At least that’s what worked for me. Just this last semester I came to a revelation of my own. I had felt disgust towards trans people. I didn’t understand them, I didn’t want them to have genderneutral housing, and I thought of their state of mind as fake, or as some mental illness. That’s what I thought about trans or gender-neutral people for the longest time. Until, that is, I went to the panel on gender-neutral housing. There I saw a video of testimonies and first-hand accounts of trans people who felt marginalized and unsafe. I heard them out and was educated about what it means to them to be gender-neutral, and I changed. I no longer feel that disgust or bigotry, because I was shown how these people feel and what they went through. See, what I didn’t experience was being called a bigot or an idiot for having these thoughts. I wasn’t treated as an enemy. I wasn’t treated like a fool. Nobody screamed at me that I was wrong, nobody judged my opinion, nobody made me feel unwelcome, nobody even said I was wrong. I was treated like a person, a person who didn’t have all the information, a victim of ignorance. I grew and evolved into a more accepting and loving person. That is what it took to help me understand the issue and the people behind it. That’s what it takes for all people. It takes cooperation and understanding to really help somebody be cured of their own ignorance and prejudices. To come to a person with an open heart and mind, and to do it out of compassion, not out of righteous zeal or anger. So when someone who you are talking to says something bigoted toward Muslims, or any group for that matter, do you hear them out, listen to their reasoning and help them realize why they are wrong, or do you call them a stupid bigot and later talk behind their back about how bigoted they are? To help or to hinder? To silence or to discuss? To fight against or to strive toward? These are the questions that must be asked. Those are the choices that make the difference between understanding and further division. The issue of Islamophobia is not some grand fight against oppression and evil. What you fight “against” are ordinary people. They aren’t crazy hate-filled bigots who live to destroy the Muslim faith. They are misinformed and uneducated ordinary people who deserve the right to be exposed to the truth, and not see the world through a peephole. The only thing you can do is to help them. To come from a place of love and open the door for them. Not with a petition or through a speech but with conversation and understanding. Heart-to-heart. Mind-to-mind. That is the only way to help, not fight, those who have become victims of ignorance. Soli Deo Gloria.
It takes cooperation and understanding to really help sombody be cured of their own ignorance and prejudices. To come to a person with an open heart and mind, and to do it out of compassion, not out of righteous zeal or anger. -Samuel English (‘18)
Signed, Samuel English (‘18)
OpInIOn
page 10 MaRch 17, 2016
ManagIng edItOR: Steve peteRSOn
Student urges attendance for Kate Harding lecture on sexual assault Letter to the Editor A lot can happen in seven minutes, but in the United States, every seven minutes someone commits a rape. In the time that it could take to walk from one side of Luther’s campus to the other, someone is also making a choice to change the life of another. On March 30, the Center for Ethics and Public Life will be sponsoring Kate Harding to come and talk about sexual assault. Kate Harding is the author of, “Asking For It: The Alarming Ride of Rape Culture, and What We Can Do About It.” This book covers a wide array of topics. It debunks common rape myths, such as, ‘they asked for it,’ ‘it wasn’t really rape’ and ‘they lied about it’.
She also does an in-depth analysis of copy, that I more than agree. the United State’s justice system when Now, I’m sure that spending an handling sexual assault complaints. evening talking about sexual assault And as a sexual assault survivor, Kate might not sound appealing to everyone, Harding is more than qualified to talk but when deciding if you should go or about it. not remember In Jen Zoratti’s this: sexual review of ‘Asking Statistically, it is more assault happens For It,’ she says, the time. than likely that you know all “There are good Statistically, it is books, well worn someone that has been more than likely and dog-eared, you know assaulted. Sexual assault that that you pass someone that has around among can happen to someone been assaulted. your friends Sexual assault you know, someone you with a singlecan happen to -Brigid Burke (‘18) someone line review: ‘you love. you have to read this.’ know, someone And then there you love. Sexual are important assault could books. Books that capture a cultural happen to you. And in the next seven movement. Books that have the power minutes, another person will commit to change attitudes and influence another rape, unless we as a community, thinking. Kate Harding’s ‘Asking For It’ start doing something about it. is both kinds of book.” And you can tell So I’m asking students, that on by looking at my highlighted and worn Wednesday, March 30, instead of staying
in and watching Netflix or hanging out with you friends, you come to Valders 206 and help to start the discussion about sexual assault. I’m asking this of you because until we start having the discussion about sexual assault, the numbers will never change. Not only will this conversation have an effect here at Luther, but the lessons you learn here will also be taken into the outside world. Having this conversation will do so much to start to change the social stigma surrounding sexual assault. It will also help to educate people about what sexual assault can look like, and enthusiastic consent. But there is also a chance that learning about this topic will inspire others to step into concerning situations. These are all important lessons we need to learn so that we will be able to leave a positive impact here at Luther, and beyond. Signed, Brigid Burke (‘18)
At odds with opinions Letter to the Editor You are about to read an opinion article that has been three years in the making. Don’t get too excited about it...it’s not full of pent up emotions and opinions that have been screaming to get out. On the contrary, I have spent the past three years wanting to write an opinion article for Chips, but have either felt like I didn’t have a strong enough opinion, or I felt that I was so bogged down with other forms of writing, that formulating thoughts into a coherent article that I did not have to write sounded like the last thing I wanted to do. But alas, here I am second semester of my senior year, 12:28am on a Sunday night, a Toppling Goliath Rover Truck in hand, Billie Holiday playing quietly on my computer, finally writing the longawaited opinion piece. At this point, if you’re still reading, you probably are wondering if this opinion piece even has an opinion. Good question. We live in a society full of strong opinions. In the midst of campaigns and endless controversial headlines and issues, there is an incessant demand for opinions. Everyone must choose a side. If you don’t, you probably just don’t care. If you don’t care, you’re not doing your duty as a citizen and as a human. At least, this is often how society makes you feel. As a senior about to head off into the world, wanting to make a difference for the better but not knowing how, I’ve struggled a lot with trying to determine what role I am best suited to play in the world. So many of the people I admire are on the front lines of social activism and organization. They lead the charge for efforts they really care about, at Luther and elsewhere. I really care about these issues, too, except there is always something holding me back:
opinions. I certainly have opinions, but they are all too often diluted by one of my greatest strengths and weaknesses; perspective. Yes, I am blessed and cursed with being able to really empathize with multiple perspectives on an incredible range of issues. It’s a blessing because it keeps me level-headed. It’s a curse because I too often become paralyzed with indecision. My inescapable ability to see many angles to any issue, as well as the consequences related to any particular course of action, keeps me standing by watching as so many I know and love are “changing the world.” Throughout these personal quandaries of feeling like I am doing nothing to support important causes, I’ve had a few realizations (and have maybe even found a few pent-up emotions): First and most importantly, indecision is not the same as indifference. I care a heck-of-a-lot about people and nature and the world. It is because I care that I can’t formulate a stiff opinion or make a consequential decision. If you asked me to take a side on an issue that I didn’t think mattered, I would either choose a side without much thought or leave it to others to deal with. Yet, if you ask me what I think we should do to save endangered fish in polluted streams or how we should try to reduce the number of homeless people in American cities, I will agonize over the matter for days if given the time and power to do so. I want to make sure that the decisions made or the actions taken will have the best possible impact on as many involved parties as possible. Secondly, multiple perspectives are essential to any effort. Of course, the ability to empathize with multiple perspectives has little positive impact when standing alone, but this approach has great value when
employed alongside strong opinions and proaction. Every opinion should be examined, I can’t imagine it is worthwhile to formulate opinions simply for opinion’s sake. Sometimes strong emotion can lead to oversight in considering other plausible options. That’s where people like me become important. We are great at conversation—at determining what, or who is at stake in any given situation. We can help others think more thoroughly about the full consequences of particular actions. Last, the necessary question to ask is not, “Do I care?” Rather, we must ask ourselves, “What is my role?” We can’t all play every part. Without the multi-perspectivists, the strongly-opinionated would constantly be in conflict. Without the proactive, the multiperspectivists would accomplish nothing. This matter certainly is not black and white. There are far more types of players in any crusade. However, this gets at the necessary question of what roles our strengths are best suited to. So if you, like me, have moments of thinking, “Wow, what good is a shy, introverted, non-opinionated youngster like me doing for the world?”, remember that you have a place at the table. You play a role in shaping the world. If you have strong opinions, you are important. If you don’t have strong opinions, you are important. We can’t all be on the front lines. Mohandas Gandhi once told us to “be the change we wish to see in the world.” How we choose to be that change is entirely up to us.
Remember that you have a place at the table. You play a role in shaping the world. If you have strong opinions, you are important. If you dont have strong opinions, you are important. We can’t all be on the front lines.” -Solveig Orngard (‘16)
Signed, Solveig Orngard (‘16)
SPOrTS
PAge 11
MArCh 17, 2016
SPOrTS eDiTOr: DANNy MAy
Wrestling team places third at national championships, Van Anrooy captures title
2016 National Champion Drew Van Anrooy (‘16) wrestles in a match against Buena Vista University last season. katrina Meyer Staff writer The Luther wrestling team placed third at the NCAA Division III National Wrestling Championships on March 1112 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, led by Drew Van Anrooy’s (‘16) national title at 141 pounds. The Norse totaled 64 points behind Messiah College’s 100 points and Iowa Conference rival Wartburg College’s 129.5 points. Five Norse wrestlers earned All-American honors, given to those who place in the top eight in their respective weight class. After his runner-up
performance at 141 pounds last year, Van Anrooy won his first national title by beating undefeated Jimmy Nehls from Elmhurst College in the title match. Also earning AllAmerican honors were Justin Kreiter (‘17), placing fourth at 184 pounds; Tristan Zurfluh (‘17), placing fifth at 157 pounds; Dakota Gray (‘16), placing sixth at 149 pounds; and Conner Herman (‘16), placing eighth at 285 pounds. Luther’s sixth qualifier Javier Reyes (‘17) made his national championship debut, losing to the second-seeded wrestler at 174 pounds before being eliminated in the consolation
All-American Tristan Zurfluh (‘17) competes in a match against Conrell College earlier in the season. Annika Vande Krol / Photo Bureau
bracket. Heading into the national championship, the Norse were ranked eleventh in the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Poll. Kreiter and Zurfluh attributed the success to this year’s team environment. “We have a very unique team this year,” Zurfluh said. “Even the guys [who] didn’t qualify for nationals have played a big role in the team’s success. They’ve really been helping the team get ready.” Kreiter agreed that the team was an important factor toward success, commenting on the distinctive team atmosphere this season. “[The key to our success this year has been] the chemistry of the team,” Kreiter said. “It’s a lot different of a feeling from the last couple years. It just feels like everyone gets along really well, and things are clicking.” According to Zurfluh, the coaching staff and team mentality also played an important role in preparing the wrestlers for the national championships. “We all know what we need to do and what we need to improve on,” Zurfluh said. “Our coaches help us and we’ve improved on everything we needed to. Everyone on the team has.” Another factor in the team’s
Breanne Pierce / Photo Bureau
All-American Justin Kreiter (‘17) wrestles against Cornell College earlier this season. Annika Vande Krol / Photo Bureau success was attributed to the competition the team faced in the Iowa Conference, which included national champion Wartburg and four nationallyranked teams. Kreiter commented on how this weekly competition helped the team prepare for the national championships. “[The Iowa Conference competition] helps quite a bit,” Kreiter said. “It’s a tough conference; there are quite a few quality opponents in it. You have a high level of competition all year, so you know what to expect when you
get to nationals.” The Luther wrestling team’s third place equals its highest ever: in 2004 and 2005, the Norse also finished third. They finished ninth at last year’s national championships behind Iowa Conference opponents Coe College and Wartburg College. The Norse had three wrestlers earn AllAmerican honors that season. With his victory, Van Anrooy is Luther wrestling’s 13th national champion, and the ninth to be coached by Head Wrestling Coach Dave Mitchell.
SPORTS
PAGE 12
SPORTS EDITOR: DANNY MAY
MARCH 17, 2016
Luther baseball team begins season with four-game sweep
Weekly Standings Baseball
IIAC 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
Luther Buena Vista #24 Wartburg Dubuque Loras Coe Simpson Central
Recent Scores
Overall 4-0 3-1 6-4 2-2 2-2 4-4 3-7 2-5
Mar. 12 vs. North Central (MN), W 19-3 Mar. 12 vs. North Central (MN), W 14-4
Upcoming Schedule
Mar. 20 @ Carthage (in Tuscon, Ariz.), 10:00 AM
Softball
Zach Hendrikson (‘16) prepares to field a ground ball. LILY KIME STAFF WRITER
The Luther baseball team began its season on March 11-12, facing North Central College (MN) in two consecutive double-headers. The Norse swept all four games, winning 8-0, 21-0, 19-3 and 14-4. Catcher Mitch Knippenberg (‘16) totaled 12 RBI combined over the four games, while Zach Hendrikson (‘16) scored five runs and tallied three RBI over the four games combined. In game one on Friday, first team all-Iowa Conference pitcher Teddy Klingsporn (‘17) had six strikeouts and a walk en route to retiring the final 13 batters he faced. The Luther baseball team has a brief training period in the fall, practicing with coaches 10 times before the players focus on strength and conditioning in a more individual setting. Center fielder Alex Weber (‘16) attested to the importance of leadership on the team, which is built over the course of the season. “We just assume that we all need to be leaders, all of us,” Weber said. “It doesn’t
matter how old you are. With that being said, everyone’s just trying to be a good teammate. Doing the little things right and doing the right thing at all times is what we strive to do.” Official team practice began on Jan. 31. Along with practicing offensive and defensive drills, Head Baseball Coach Bryan Nikkel preaches mental toughness. Along with regular practices, Nikkel has given many members of the team copies of books focusing on how to improve an individual’s mentality during a game. Nikkel’s objective is to increase the consistency of the team’s performance. “I think this team really has a chance to do some things,” Nikkel said. “We’ve looked really good at times in practice, and we’ve looked not-so-good at times, so I think we’ve got to find our groove and find [a] way to be mentally tougher.” The Luther baseball team’s roster contains players at a variety of ages, including eight seniors and 16 first-years. As Klingsporn pointed out, there are a lot of first-year players who are diversifying
Lily Kime / Chips the lineup this season. “We had a lot of hard workers come in this year,” Klingsporn said. “Coach Nikkel did a really good job of getting a good freshman class. They came in right away and wanted to get to work. They want a spot on this team. [Nikkel] has a mentality [for the players] of getting after it and working hard to get your spot.” The Luther baseball team was predicted to finish fifth in the 2016 Iowa Conference Preseason Coaches’ Poll, but the Norse are looking for more than a mid-conference finish. “Our goal is to win [the] Iowa Conference Championship,” Nikkel said. “That’s what we need to do, and we took a step in the right direction last year. The expectations are high, and our guys are putting that expectation on themselves” The Luther baseball team will travel to Tucson, Arizona, over spring break to compete in eight games against teams from around the country. After their return, the Norse will delve into conference play with a four-game series against Central College on April 1-2.
Serres places fourth in mile at Indoor National Championships DANNY MAY SPORTS EDITOR
Tricia Serres (‘16) runs at an outdoor meet last spring. Kate Knepprath / Photo Bureau
Tricia Serres (‘16) placed fourth in the mile at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships in Grinnell, Iowa, on March 12. Serres’s time of 4:55.22 earned her All-American honors. “I am very happy with how I raced and competed this past weekend,” Serres said. “[I] enjoyed the opportunity to race with great competition in a venue that was echoing with positive energy and excitement for the sport of track and field.” Serres is the reigning 1500-meters champion from the 2015 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
She was also the runner-up in the mile at the 2014 indoor national championships. Serres is now an eight-time All-American in track, according to Luther’s track & field web page. Combined with her two All-American honors in cross country, Serres’s count comes to a total of 10. “I viewed the whole experience as a gift; a gift to express my fitness, to do what I love, and to represent [my] Norse [track and field] teammates at the highest stage,” Serres said. “Every race, every season, is an opportunity to challenge myself to give my best, to grow as a competitor and person, and to overcome uncertainty and fears, replacing them with confidence and courage.”
IIAC 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
#7 Luther Coe Simpson Loras #17 Central Buena Vista Wartburg Dubuque
Overall 7-1 12-2 17-4 3-1 12-6 3-3 3-9 2-8
Recent Scores
Mar. 5 vs. UW-River Falls, W 7-2 Mar. 5 vs. Macalester, W 3-1
Upcoming Schedule
Mar. 19 @ Skidmore (in Kissimmee, Fla.), TBA
Men’s Tennis IIAC 3-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1 0-1 0-2
#36 Coe Buena Vista Luther Loras Central Simpson Wartburg Dubuque
Overall 14-2 1-7 10-3 3-1 4-5 7-4 4-6 2-8
Recent Scores
Mar. 12 @ Saint John’s, W 6-3 Mar. 12 @ Saint Mary’s, W 8-1
Upcoming Schedule
Mar. 21 @ Grinnell (in Orlando, Fla.), TBA
Women’s Tennis IIAC 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
Coe Loras Wartburg Central Dubuque Simpson Luther Buena Vista
Overall 3-5 1-1 1-5 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-2 0-2-1
Recent Scores
Feb. 27 @ St. Olaf, L 1-8 Mar. 6 @ UW-La Crosse, L 1-8
Upcoming Schedule
Apr. 1 @ UW-Eau Claire, 6:00 PM
Swimming & Diving Luther Women Coe Women Loras Women Simpson Women Luther Men Coe Men Loras Men Simpson Men
IIAC 2-0 2-1 1-2 0-2 2-0 2-1 1-2 0-2
Overall 4-2 4-4 4-5 2-3 3-3 4-4 3-4 2-3
Upcoming Schedule
Mar. 16-19 @ NCAA Division III National Championships