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LUTHER COLLEgE
“Let the chips fall where they may.”
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MARCH 31, 2016
Serving the Luther College community since 1884.
VOLUME 138, NO. 18
Hightower set to resign AnA López STAFF WRITER Director of Choral Activities, Conductor of Nordic Choir, Professor of Music and Artistic Director of Christmas at Luther Allen Hightower will be resigning to continue his career as Director of Choral Studies at University of North Texas. In light of this announcement, Luther music faculty and staff prepare to search for such an important position. Hightower joined the Luther community in fall of 2010, a decision, he said, that prompted by Luther’s choral tradition and the legacy of Weston Noble. Along with being the Director of Choral Activities, Conductor of Nordic Choir, Professor of Music and Artistic Director of Christmas at Luther, Hightower was also granted the Weston Noble Endowed Chair in Music. He is the only endowed chair in the music department. At the University of North Texas, Hightower will be teaching graduate students. According to Hightower, the opportunity to work with graduate students largely influenced his decision to move schools. “For many years I have considered whether part of my own mission in life might be to work with masters degree students and doctoral students in choral conducting,” Hightower said. “I have a really sincere desire to ‘pay forward’ and to invest in the next generation of choral conductors and teachers.” According to Hightower, the University of North Texas has a large conducting program and has been offered a tenured position. For Hightower, these were both signs that he was making the right decision. Although Hightower expressed that his decision to leave Luther was a difficult one, the opportunity to move back to
Dr. Allen Hightower has conducted Luther’s Nordic Choir since 2010. Texas was influential in making this decision. Hightower is originally from Texas, and moving back would provide him the opportunity to be closer to his family. According to Hightower, one of the most difficult aspects of leaving Luther is leaving the students with whom he works. Nordic Choir President Julia Riemann (‘16) said
Guest lecturer Randall Auxier presents a new way to look at science eLyse grotHAus STAFF WRITER Southern University of Illinois-Carbondale professor Randall Auxier gave a lecture titled “Evolution, Time and the Irrelevance of Darwin’s Natural Selection” in Valders Hall of Science on Wednesday, March 16. Auxier is a philosopher of culture, specializing in the philosophy of logics and the metaphysics of time. Visiting Assistant Professor of Philosophy Laura Mueller knew Auxier from her own dissertation work and invited him to speak at Luther because she felt his knowledge would be beneficial to Luther students
and faculty. “I felt that the kinds of work that they are doing is perfect for the student body and for the liberal arts,” Mueller said. Auxier said that his area of study provides a different way to approach scientific issues. “I study the philosophy of culture,” Auxier said. “What I have studied for my entire career are the forms of culture: religion, art, science, history. When I look at science, I don’t understand it the way a scientist or a philosopher of science does; I understand it the way a philosopher of culture does.” In the lecture, Auxier looked at science through his understanding of culture, arguing that the understanding
of evolution today has almost no connection to Darwin’s ideas of natural selection. He explained that Darwin is used as a diversion to keep religion out of modern science. Auxier also said that scientific journalism, which is the level of understanding most people have about science, is different from actual science. Because of this, Auxier pointed out that the average person does not have a good understanding of the complex topic of evolution. Auxier concluded his lecture by arguing that evolutionary science needs to improve by incorporating a stronger idea of time into evolutionary models. Lecture, PAgE 4
Aaron Lurth / Photo Bureau
Hightower has been a positive leader for the members of Nordic Choir. “He is an incredible leader,” Riemann said. “Especially on tour, we’ve seen a more fun side of him. He really made an effort to get to know everyone in the choir.” HigHtower, PAgE 4
Trumpeters travel to national competition kArL bAdger STAFF WRITER Seven members of the Luther College Trumpet Studio performed at the semifinals of the National Trumpet Competition at Columbus State University in Columbus, Georgia on March 10. Each school participating in the competition sent a recording of themselves performing one song in order to be considered for the semifinals. Luther was one of 22 schools chosen from 150 schools to advance to the semifinal round where they competed in the Large Ensemble category. Out of this category, three schools advanced to the final round. This year, Central Michigan University finished in third place, the University of Texas at Austin placed second and Oklahoma State University
took first place. Luther performed the piece “Homage”, written by Murray State Associate Professor of Music Michael D’Ambrosio for its audition for the semifinal round and during the competition. The piece was written in honor of Adolph “Bud” Herseth (‘43), who was the principal trumpet player for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for 54 years and was a Luther College alum. The piece has yet to be published but was commissioned for the Luther College Trumpet Studio. As a result, Trumpet Studio Director and Assistant Professor of Music John Cord noticed that students thought that using the piece would be a unique opportunity for Luther’s participation in the competition. trumpets, PAgE 4
News
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News editors: katie NelsoN & jacob warehime
C-Store explains pricing methods jana mueller staFF writer In response to student complaints about high costs for merchandise, Luther’s C-Store explained the way that it sets its prices. According to Retail Manager Curtis Raddatz, Luther’s C-Store gets a price from the retailers that sell them food and drinks, and sell it for a lower price than they buy it for. “It is its own business entity, so each one of our operations [within Dining Services] are all expected to be self-running,” Raddatz said. “All of the money we make goes back into running the C-Store.” According to General Manager of Dining Services Wayne Tudor, the C-Store doesn’t have enough merchandise to lower the prices at the store. “Grocery store chains, especially those as big as Walmart, buy items by the trainload, and we just don’t have the buying power to compete with that,” Tudor said. “Pretty much everything we have is either at or below suggested retail price from the manufacturer. We keep our margins as low as we possibly can.” According to Operation Manager of Dining Services Diane Narum (‘01), part of the cost of items at the C-Store comes from the convenience of the campus location, though the goal is to be at the convenience of the students and not to make money off of them. “It’s the C-Store, meaning ‘convenience’ store,” Narum said. “Sometimes that convenience comes at a cost because we do buy at lower volumes. We try to have things that students are looking for, that they don’t have to go all the way downtown for. We can’t stock huge amounts of merchandise. Competing with Walmart and other places is just not something we can do.” The cost of labor also must be factored into the costs at the C-Store. “[At the C-Store], we have one full-time employee, but then we have a lot of students that work there, and all of that has to
krysta chroninger (‘19) buys food at the c-store from student worker Nicole kahugu (‘16) be funded by what we sell,” Tudor said. According to Tudor, their prices are also more comparable to a gas station convenience store such as Casey’s instead of Walmart or Fareway, as places like those buy in bulk. “We can’t actually be compared against a regular grocery store,” Tudor said, “Comparable prices are more toward those like a gas station.” There are other things to consider about pricing other than what is just at face value of the operations. According to Tudor, the C-Store and other branches of Dining Services are designed to save money for students. “Besides the C-Store, one thing people don’t realize if you
Jana Mueller / Chips
go to places on campus like Marty’s and order a hamburger, we are usually at or below suggested retail price, but you automatically save seven percent because we pay the taxes on the [food and beverages],” Tudor said. According to Tudor, there is work underway to try and lower prices for the future. “One thing that we’ve started looking [into] is places like Casey’s get special deals from their manufacturers,” Tudor said. “We’ve started looking to see if we can get some specials and lower prices for our buyers. That would help people out a lot. We try to be as fair and as equitable as we possibly can on all of our prices. Our goal is to keep the doors open for our students.”
Paola Canova lectures on sexuality in the Chaco region joram mutenge staFF writer
Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of Texas-Austin Paola Canova gave a lecture titled “Empowerment Lessons from the Margins: An Examination of Ayoreo Sexuality in Paraguay’s Chaco Region” on March 15 in Olin 102. The lecture was part of the Price Lecture Endowment. Canova’s research interests include gender and sexuality and indigeneity, which led to her ethnographical work with the Ayoreo. Canova has received funding for her research
from the Wenner-Gren Foundation, Columbia Libraries and the Tinker Foundation. Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Gender Studies Maryna Bazylevych explained the importance of the Price Lecture Endowment. “[Price lectures] focus on topics that are otherwise not presented by the faculty that’s already here,” Bazylevych said. “For instance, [for studies on] indigenous people of a particular area where we have no specialist in school. I think that we can learn a lot from the most marginalized group of people.”
Canova’s lecture focused on sexuality among Ayoreo women. The Ayoreo are a group of about 6,000 people currently living in Bolivia and Paraguay. Although they live in these two countries, the Ayoreo live a very different life from the Paraguayans or the Bolivians. According to Canova, the Ayoreo are considered a primitive group of people. For this reason, they do not share the same neighborhoods as the Bolivians or the Paraguayans. Although sexual acts of the Ayoreo women might be seen as “prostitution” in Western culture,
Canova pointed out that the Ayoreo community does not consider the sexual acts of its women that way. Ayoreo women usually go out with white men (men who are not part of the Ayoreo community) and indulge in sexual acts in exchange for gifts. “The gift does not necessarily have to be money, but [Ayoreo women] hope that it is money,” Canova said. Canova also talked about the stigmatization Ayoreo women suffer from non-Ayoreo women. Ayoreo women are perceived as primitive, dirty and backwards. “They are seen as prostitutes who steal money from other people’s
men,” Canova said. Jorge Lopez (‘17) said his biggest take from the lecture was how the notion of prostitution can be different in various cultures. “I found it very interesting that there’s something that challenges Western notion of prostitution in other cultures and is deemed normal,” Lopez said. “I can appreciate indigenous characteristic structures that go against what we see as normal.” Ashley Meyers (‘16) said the biggest message for her was the differences in which different people view sexuality. “What we might see as sex work might be different to the people who are actually doing it when we get to talk to them,” Meyers said. Canova emphasized that in order to understand the sexuality of Ayoreo women, it is important to understand the culture of the Ayoreo community. Her research is aimed at raising awareness of the culture of this marginalized group. “My goal to make sure that people who are not aware of their culture can understand the meaning behind their practices,” Canova said. “I am not seeking to change [the Ayoreo’s] way of living but to change people’s perception of them.”
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Paideia lecture focuses on changing climate
emma SCHlaBaCH staFF writer Associate Professor of Environmental Studies and Chemistry Laura Peterson gave the last lecture in the Paideia Text and Issues Lecture Series titled “Back to the Future: Understanding the Anthropocene” in the Center for Faith and Life Recital Hall on March 15. Peterson’s lecture looked at past geological time periods to predict the future climate changes as well as examined human impact on the environment. Peterson’s lecture focused on the Anthropocene, a new geological period that has yet to be made official. This era would mark the time in history where geological rock layers have been changed due to human activity. “[This lecture is] looking at the past to understand the future climate changes that we might expect to happen,” Peterson said. Peterson compares the current Anthropocene to the Pleistocene, a geological period whose temperatures and sea levels are similar to present day. “It’s interesting that [these climate changes] have happened before, but also to see what were the commonalities between those earlier events and now,” Peterson said.
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laura Peterson delivers the Paideia texts and issues lecture about climate change in the center for Faith and life recital hall. Emma Schlabach / Chips
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She points out how climate change has been greatly accelerated during the short period that humans have been changing the Earth. “Things now are happening much more quickly [due to human activity], whereas those previous things were constrained by slow forces,” Peterson said. Peterson’s interest in the climates of different geological eras was piqued early in her academic career. “I became interested as an undergraduate student because I did a senior project looking at past climates,” Peterson said. “My PhD is in geological sciences, but my research ever since I was a graduate student has been in paleoplanetology, which is the study of past climate systems.” Peterson’s lecture ended by explaining the change in mindset that active citizens need to have to help sustain a healthy planet. “We actually have a big impact on the Earth, but that doesn’t mean that we are the most important organisms here,” Peterson said. “We have to take ownership [of our impact]. We know that we are undergoing changes now and I was hoping to show that we should in part embrace those changes, but also change our own mindset.” Megan Sisson (‘16) attended the lecture and commented on Peterson’s delivery and content. “[Peterson] is really good at presenting [her information] in a way that anybody can relate to,” Sisson said. “I think it’s interesting that you can look at past changes in the climate and see how those relate to the changes we are going through now.” Sisson studied abroad under Peterson’s direction in the Earth and Environment course in Italy. “We were with [Peterson] and an Italian geologist who took us around to different places in Croatia and Italy and taught us about the rock record, how to look for certain things in the rocks and then we did individual projects based on areas we were studying,” Sisson said. Peterson’s research of the Anthropocene and Pleistocene differ from the geology course in Italy according to Sisson. “Our research in Italy was very focused on Italian geology, which kind of relates, but is a little bit different than what [Peterson] is doing,” Sisson said. After her lecture, Peterson commented on how the Anthropocene and climate change directly relate to how humans operate in the world. “It is a big mindset change to grapple with our power as humanity with respect to the Earth’s system,” Peterson said. “It’s helpful for people to know that we aren’t the first organisms to fundamentally alter our surroundings, but also to look at those lessons from the past that spell out the way to survive.”
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life outside luther: election update KatIe nelSon News editor Primaries and caucuses have been taking place across the country since the first caucus took place in Iowa on Feb. 1. Since this time, Democrats and Republicans have been gaining delegates state by state. The total counts are as follows: Pledged democratic elegates: Hillary Clinton - 1,243 Bernie Sanders - 975 Dropped out: Martin O’Malley, Lincoln Chafee, Lawrence Lessig, Jim Webb Republican delegates: Donald Trump - 739 Ted Cruz - 465 John Kasich - 143 Dropped out: Marco Rubio, Ben Carson, Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, Carly Fiorina, Jim Glimore, Lindsey Graham, Mike Huckabee, Bobby Jindal, George Pataki, Rand Paul, Rick Perry, Rick Santorum, Scott Walker Results from states holding primaries or caucuses between March 8 and March 26 are as follows: Mississippi Clinton (D) Trump (R) Northern Marianas Islands Clinton (D) Trump (R) Florida Clinton (D) Trump (R) Illinois Clinton (D) Trump (R) Missouri Clinton (D) North Carolina Clinton (D) Trump (R) Ohio Clinton (D) Kasich (R) Arizona Clinton (D) Trump (R) Democrats Abroad Sanders (D)
Michigan Sanders (D) Trump (R) Idaho Sanders (D) Cruz (R) Utah Sanders (D) Cruz (R) Wyoming Cruz (R) Maine Cruz (R) Kansas Cruz (R) Hawaii Sanders (D) Trump (R) Louisiana Trump (R) Kentucky Trump (R) Alaska Sanders (D) Washington Sanders (D)
NewS
PaGe 4 MarCh 31, 2016
NewS ediTorS: KaTie NeLSoN & JaCob warehiMe
Trumpeters travel to Georgia, compete in national competition trumpets, PaGe 1 “We were trying decide what we want to play, and the kids just said, ‘Why don’t we do this?’” Cord said. “This is our piece; it represents our studio. Nobody out there in the world has this piece right now, so we know we’ll have something unique.” The students rehearsed the piece twice a week beginning in September. The song was performed in a similar manner to a chamber piece because there was no conductor during its performance. For competition participant Liam Fraser (‘18), this aspect of the piece’s performance was quite engaging. “We were doing [the piece] without a conductor,” Fraser said. “So that was a huge challenge because there [are] tempo changes and dynamic contrasts. We had to figure out how to do that just with eye contact.” After performing on Thursday, students took masterclasses taught by professional trumpet players. Lead
trumpet player Michael Winkler (‘19) found these classes to be an intriguing look into the routines of professionals. “It’s really interesting to see how simply all of these mega-stars in the trumpet world do things,” Winkler said. “They don’t psych themselves out or try to get too involved in what’s happening, they just really take a simple approach. You just gotta play the horn.” In addition to taking masterclasses at the competition, students were able to hear performances by the masterclass instructors and ensembles from other schools. Cord felt that this part of the competition was one of the most beneficial for the students. “I think it was great exposure for them to see what’s out there,” Cord said. “It was a chance to benchmark ourselves against all these other school. I think that’s important and I think it raises your perspective to a more realistic degree.” Curtis Cook (‘19) said he used the opportunity as a measure of his own
Members of the Luther College Trumpet Studio pose with their instruments while at Columbus State University in Columbus, Georgia. Photo courtesy of John Cord skills. “To be able to hear [the groups] made you rethink how much you need
to practice to be able to get where you need to get,” Cook said. “You strive to be as good as the teams that won.”
Hightower to accept Auxier gives lecture on new position in Texas science and philospohy hightower, PaGe 1 Riemann said Nordic Choir’s reaction to the decision has been relatively positive. “People took it pretty well,” Riemann said. “There were some people who were more upset about it. Especially underclassmen because they don’t know who they are going to have next year. But overall, people were excited for him to have that opportunity and thankful that we had time with him in the first place.” Meanwhile, the Dean’s office and the Music department are already starting to think about the search to fill Hightower’s position. Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of the College Kevin Kraus said that after Weston Noble (‘43), there have only been two other conductors,
including Hightower. “We don’t do this all that often,” Kraus said. “This will be the fourth time in the last 30 years or so.” Kraus explained that the process through which another director of choral activities will be chosen will be similar to a search for faculty. A committee primarily consisting of music faculty will sort through applications. Out of the pool of applicants, a select few will perform Skype interviews. From those applicants, some will be chosen to come and do interviews on campus. This interview will include having them direct a Nordic Choir rehearsal and meeting with students and faculty. The committee will then make a recommendation to Kraus who will confer with Luther College President Paula Carlson.
Kraus said he is optimistic about finding a new director of choral activities, although a decision may not be made immediately. “The music department is suggesting we don’t do the search right now,” Kraus said. “It’s most common to do these searches in the fall and winter. Their feeling is that with the time of the school year we are at, and with the cycle of hiring, there wouldn’t be enough time or that the best candidates will already be taken.” The music faculty is suggesting to begin the search in the fall. According to Kraus, the challenge will be to find someone to do Hightower’s job while they begin the search. The music department is still deciding whether that person will take on all of Hightower’s current responsibilities or whether they will be distributed among other members of the music faculty. According to Kraus, it seems likely that the at least the artistic director of Christmas at Luther will stay within the Luther music department faculty.
lecture, PaGe 1 “It’s not going to be much of a talk in pure philosophy,” Auxier said. “[Attendees] will probably hear a lot of things in evolution and natural selection that they have never heard. There is quite a difference between the way science is reported and real science. So people imagine that they know a lot that is going on when in fact they don’t.” Kelly Kennedy (‘18) attended the event after hearing about it in her Introduction to Philosophy class. She was impressed by the research that Auxier presented and thankful that she had an opportunity to hear a speaker with a different
perspective on both philosophy and science. “I think that we are such a small bubble and community that bringing in big speakers, big ideas and just different ideas can allow us to see what else is out there,” Kennedy said. “It gives us a new and different perspective.” Mueller hoped that the lecture would provide students a different outlook on philosophy. “I hope that the students here will be able to see just how vital philosophy really can be to our daily lives,” Mueller said. “Students will also see how philosophy applies to things that we don’t normally think about and how we can think better about them.”
Auxier lectures students on the intersection of philosophy and the scientific process. Elyse Grothaus / Chips
Arts & EntErtAinmEnt
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A&E Editor: JEnnA nElson
mArch 31, 2016
Artists destigmatize the nipple
brA jungle. Artists megan Wachholz (‘16) and Jenna courtney (‘16) hang out in their exhibit which explores stigmitization of the female nipple. mAtijA nikolic stAFF WritEr Luther art majors Megan Wachholz (‘16) and Jenna Courtney (‘16) created an exhibit on display in the Dahl Centennial Union Gallery showing from March 14 to April 14. The show, titled “Titilation,” explores female nipples through race, media and basic human anatomy, with a special emphasis on the stigma behind overt sexualization of the female nipple in society. Wachholtz and Courtney were inspired by the nipple after learning about various degrees of sexism and objectification of women that occurs in the world of art. In particular, they drew inspiration from Sarah Lucas, a British feminist artist. The exhibition is free of professor sponsorship and is not part of their senior project
nor compulsory art portfolio, but rather the artists’ own idea derived from personal passion. The artists attempted to shed light on the objectification of women in society, which happens in media and advertising, while focusing on societal attitudes toward the nipple. According to Wachholz and Courtney, the nipple has become idealized in society’s perception. They believe people shouldn’t think of it just as a perfectly symmetrical, flawless object, but rather should be aware of its asymmetrical shape, humanness and flaws. Different types of iconography in the installation aimed to support these ideas and encourage the audience to reflect on their values. In particular, the artists used metaphors such as jugs, different kinds of fruit, color traces of breast prints on canvas and fish bowls.
According to Wachholz and Courtney, the whole creative process lasted four years, while the physical aspect of setting up the installation lasted one weekend. After spending significant time preparing the work, Wachholz and Courtney hope that the audience will try to familiarize themselves with the topic before trying to make assumptions. “Ideally someone would read the didactic label first and grasp the concept before being a part of the actual art,” Courtney said. Furthermore, Wachholz and Courtney explained the interaction they hoped to provoke with the observers. “It’s really important for us to have viewers of this exhibit be a
part of art,” Courtney said. “We want them to interact with the space and live and breathe into this project.” According to the artists, the main message of the installation is that there is no main message. Rather, their main goal was to spark a conversation and a new perspective, which is more easily achieved when the artist leaves the audience reflecting on their opinion, rather than artists directly imposing their view. “We wanted to ask questions and [ask] people to reflect on their own nipple experience.” Wachholtz said. “Its not like we wanted to impose our opinion of nipple to the audience, but we wanted to make people reflect on their own nipple experience
Matija Nikolic / Chips
and take a look at how they are represented in the society.” Emily Markee (‘16) had a positive response to the exhibit and reflected on one example of nipple censorship. “I don’t understand why breastfeeding in public is such a big deal, especially as there are many health benefits to it,” Markee said. Kylie Kozelka (‘17) expressed similar sentiments. “This exhibition celebrates the differences of women,” Kozelka said. “We all have different figures and we all have different shapes, sizes and backgrounds but we shouldn’t be judged on that. We should be more accepting. Women should not be embarrassed of their bodies.”
perky. the exhibit features recreations of the nipple using everyday objects
Jenna Nelson / Chips
Features
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Features editor: erika storvick
Habitat travels to Florida for break
building homES and ConnECtionS. the Luther chapter of habitat for humanity gathers in front of one of their projects. ElizabEth bonin staFF Writer
all SmilES. sam scheidt (‘17) works on the roof. Photo courtesy of Mikayla Brockmeyer
Rather than skiing on icy slopes or spending long days at warm beaches, a group of students spent their spring break rebuilding, painting and landscaping. The Luther chapter of Habitat for Humanity traveled to Dade City, Florida, where they worked on building six different houses that were all in different stages of construction. Students rotated around the six houses and also worked in restores. Restores, according to Morgan King (‘19), are comparable to Goodwill. They resell house items such as furniture, and the proceeds go toward Habitat houses in Dade City. According to Jenny Olofson (‘16), who is on the executive board for the chapter, Dade City was chosen because students like to travel somewhere warm, and they needed a site that could hold 33 students and two adult chaperones. The site had two full houses in need of volunteers. Advising and Tutoring Coordinator for the TRIO Program Chivonne Marlow served as a chaperone on the trip. Her duties included the paperwork details of the trip, such as organizing the buses. Marlow enjoys
Photo courtesy of Mikayla Brockmeyer
seeing the students learn new skills, such as putting on siding or painting inside the houses. But most of all, she loves seeing the students bond together. “Students who may not have known each other before, just because of working together in proximity, get to know each other really well,” Marlow said. Reed Johnson (‘16), a three-year veteran of the Habitat trip, stated that he always enjoys serving the community, as well as getting to meet new people. He hopes that firsttime students will take away new friendships. “I hope what they will take away is friendships with people they have not met yet at Luther,” Johnson said. “Also an appreciation for the value of the work they are doing, and being able to carry into what they’re learning at school.” Johnson believes students can get so caught up in school that their lives revolve around studying. He thinks service trips really help students reevaluate their priorities as they help others in the community. “The benefit of helping these people is great, but also the ability to get out in the community and make those connections and work with
your hands for a change, especially for a student, is really nice,” Johnson said. By the end of the trip, Olofson said she could really tell a difference in the students from when they first arrived in Dade City. She noticed first year students were shy at first, but after the students were split up into family groups for devotions, they were able to connect with each other more. “By the second or third day, everyone was really excited to contribute and share their stories,” Olofson said. Throughout the course of the trip, the group went from mere acquaintances to a tight-knit group by working together to rebuild a community in need. “We gave an opportunity to people,” Olofson said. “You can definitely tell it was changing things around there.” King reported how the volunteer group got to witness the impact they made in the community. On the last night of the service trip, a family living in a Habitat House next door visited and shared their testimonial experience with Habitat. Before their Habitat house was built, the mother and son were living on slabs of wood and had no access to clean water. “It was the best to hear that after the trip,” King said. “That was the coolest part of seeing our impact. They were so grateful and humble about us being there.” King said the biggest lesson she learned was that being a part of something bigger than herself is the most rewarding part of life. According to King, taking a leap of faith with a service trip like Habitat will always benefit a person. “People need to try new things because it’s incredible what can happen, and the impact that can happen if you take the chance,” King said. For more information about getting involved, email habitat@ luther.edu
Features
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Features editor: erika storvick
March 31, 2016
norse check in from Europe students and faculty abroad in Nottingham, Malta and Münster report on their adventures across the atlantic. ERika StoRviCk Features editor While most students and faculty have returned to their routine at Luther after break, some have not. Members of the Luther community are studying abroad through Luther programs in Nottingham, Malta and Münster, continuing their education outside of the Luther world. nottingham The Nottingham Year is an exchange program that Luther students participate in every year. Students take courses at the University of Nottingham in addition to classes with the Luther faculty in residence. Participants also share a flat and communal living space. As a result, according to the Luther website, this program focuses on community. “On the Nottingham Program, Luther students gain an experience that places them in a foreign country with the familiarity of a Luther community,” Peder Hopkins (‘17) said. “The combination of the flat home life and faculty-guided house trips coupled with exposure to the English university system creates a unique experience.” According to participants in the program, the living experience is both a highlight and a weakness. They enjoy the communal living space and recognize it is a unique opportunity, but living with that many people from different background can pose challenges. The flat is also a considerable distance from the University of Nottingham campus. “I think the experience would be very different, and possibly better in terms of fully interacting with the culture, if we were put in halls on campus,” Sarah Owens (‘17) said. That being said, Owens believes that the program still offers opportunities for cultural immersion. During the year there are two breaks, each about three and a half weeks long, where the flat is locked and students are in charge of planning their own travel. The group often goes on traveling excursions together to other regions in England. “One of the best things that we are gaining from this trip is the ability to explore independently,” Owens said. “This year has really been about seeing things that I would never find back home and experiencing moments that will not be forgotten for a very long time.” Co-Director of the Nottingham Program David Faldet (‘79) had very positive things to say about the group this year. As director of the program, he has many different responsibilities. “The directors wear every hat imaginable: teacher, administrator, residence life person, counselor, Luther’s representative to the British Home Office, food shopper, tour guide, resident mom or dad, dinner companion, plumber, hedge trimmer,” Faldet said. The group of 12 students and two directors is currently on
SEEing nEw SightS. (From left) cailin higgins (‘17), sarah owens (‘17) and Megan rachuy (‘17) traveling abroad. Photo courtesy of Sarah Owens break but will soon return to Nottingham to finish out the academic year. malta The Malta Program, based in Sliema, occurs every spring semester and focuses on the development of the Mediteranean region, both historically and culturally. While living on the island, students in the Malta program take a Paideia II course, a service course on immigration and courses at the University of Malta. Like the Nottingham program, students live together and participate in group travel. The group of 12 students and two leaders is currently on a spring break trip in Morocco. Professor of Communication Studies and Program Coordinator Mark Johns is responsible for planning the traveling for the Malta program. He believes that an important asset of the Malta program, in addition to the length, is the fact that it allows students to be fully immersed in the culture. “When one stays a semester or a year, one begins to know the culture of the place in a way that simply can’t happen in a shorter program,” Johns said. “I suppose the weakness is the same — it’s a full semester. That makes it difficult for some to fit into their time at Luther.” Johns strongly encouraged students to consider applying for programs like Malta or other lengthy study abroad programs, as he believes that study abroad teaches students independence and helps students learn to solve problems in unfamiliar settings. “The world is becoming a smaller place, and educated people need to learn to understand that things and people are different in other places around the globe,” Johns said. münster The Münster, Germany Program is also taking place
currently, as it is offered every other year. Similar to the Malta and Nottingham programs, students in Münster have the opportunity to take Paideia II while abroad, in addition to German language and religion courses. However, this program is unique as it has a specific language focus. Students live with host families as opposed to fellow Luther students. According to some students, this is an important asset to the program. “The Münster program is also incredible because you get to stay with another family and that allows you to not only enhance your lawnguage skills, but it allows you to immerse yourself in a culture different from your own,” Samantha Mitchell (‘18) said. While a culturally enriching experience, students in the program also remarked on the challenges. “Being in another country, especially with a language barrier, isn’t always easy,” Mitchell said. According to Mitchell, the classroom is located in inner city Münster, which gives the program an urban feel that is different than the Luther experience in Decorah. However, there are some traditions that stay the same, as Mitchell reports that many of the students do their studying in coffee shops around the town. Associate Professor of History Victoria Christman is the coordinator of this year’s program. “She definitely makes this trip worthwhile,” Mitchell said. These students were recently on break, traveling to countries including Ireland and Norway. Mitchell appreciates this traveling and believes she has learned a lot. “It’s not just a change of scenery but rather a whole different lifestyle that changes you as a person and changes the way you see the world around you,” Mitchell said. Applications for these programs are located on the Luther website, with Nottingham applications due in November and the others due in March of the preceding academic year.
arts & EntErtainMEnt
PagE 8 March 31, 2016
a&E Editor: JEnna nElson
ON THE ROAD. (From left) aidan schmidt (‘17), andrew tank (‘19), sylvia Kaare (‘17), linnea Baas (‘17), samuel haefner (‘18) and tad guy (‘18) load their percussion instruments on the tour bus before leaving luther. Photo courtesy of Grant Preheim
An inside look at Concert Band tour lily kimE staFF WritEr The Luther College Concert Band toured the Upper Midwest over spring break, visiting six different towns in four different states. They will hold a homecoming concert in the Center for Faith and Life (CFL) Main Hall on March 31 at 7:30 p.m. The tour was Concert Band’s main tour for this academic year. The tour locations were chosen based on availability, distance and who lives at that location. Luther ensembles will often choose to tour in locations where either students or alums live. According to Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Music Joan de Albuquerque, this is to ensure that there will be a good crowd for that particular performance. This may sound like a relatively straightforward process, but according to Coordinator for Instrumental Music Marketing and Tours Kate Ailabouni (‘10), there is a lot of scheduling and arranging done in order to make this tour happen. “It’s a lot of reaching out to churches, high schools and colleges and asking if they will host,” Ailabouni said. “There’s a lot of things that go into being a host, so it’s a big responsibility. Then we have to see if their availability works with our availability. Is it within driving distance of our previous performance? It’s a big puzzle that you have to match together.” The locations that worked out for this particular tour were Appleton, Wisconsin, Woodbury, Minnesota, Westby, Wisconsin, Mason City, Iowa, Galesburg, Illinois, and Dubuque, Iowa. The Concert Band played at one location per day. Most events were evening performances, but they played at a high school in Dubuque the early afternoon. Between performances, rehearsals and
driving, the band members will often do homestays over the tour. Baritone saxophonist Ryan Goos (‘16) finds these homestays to be a memorable and enjoyable aspect of the tour as a whole. “It’s a really fun time,” Goos said. “We’ll stay with Concert Band alumni, which is cool because we get to hear their perspective and how things [at Luther] have changed. It’s a good way to connect with alumni as well.” Once band members arrive at the location where they are performing that evening, they will do one or two hours of rehearsal before the concert
itself. After some relaxing, they prepare for the concert, which, according to de Albuquerque, lasts about an hour and a half. This year’s concert included seven pieces and two encore pieces that were performed at most of the tour stops. De Albuquerque was very pleased about the work the students have put into the preparation for this tour. “The most incredible thing about this tour, compared to any other tour that I’ve done since being here at Luther, is that the students have prepared this tour in only seven rehearsals,” de
Albuquerque said. “There’s some music that we’re bringing back that we did in the fall, but three of the hardest pieces that we’re playing, they’ve had seven rehearsals on.” To complete the Upper-Midwest tour, the Concert Band will perform a homecoming concert in the CFL to showcase their hardwork and the performances they polished the tour. Although their main tour is over for this year, next year Concert Band is looking forward to performing in Spain for their international tour, which they do every four years.
kEEp THE BEAT. concert Band director Joan de albuquerque rehearses with the band before a tour performance. Photo courtesy of Grant Preheim
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 López 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 31, 2016
Fighting ignorance through solidarity Letter to the Editor Students write in response to “Fighting ignorance with understanding” in Volume 138, No 17. of Chips which was published on March 17, 2016 We respect your attempt to strive for understanding, however we would like to address the critique of the Statement of Solidarity and those who created and support it. When considering “why someone is Islamophobic” it is important to remember the public and community aspect of their thinking. People become Islamophobic because of poor education about Islam. They are influenced by the rhetoric of news media that spouts that all Muslims are evil. Islamophobia is a systemic issue in our nation and to combat a systemic issue, communities must address the system. The Statement of Solidarity discourages Islamophobia when the rest of the nation encourages it. Addressing Islamophobia is a community issue. The Statement was signed by hundreds of individuals, many student organizations and departments. It was also picked up by Sojourners Magazine, featured in an Interfatih Youth Core Webinar, and used in their resources. The Statement made by the community creates a community of support. It addresses Islamophobia by creating a more welcoming environment for understanding that will then correct misunderstandings through education and building relationships through support. Islamophobia will not be solved only through individual interactions, though they are important. Rather than trying
to individually change a person’s mind, we need a community to change our national community. We need a community of support and public address that makes people think about how they understand Islam. Noorullah would like to point out that we need a community of support when the rest of the US does not understand Islam. Why are many of us stopped at the airport for further unnecessary questioning just because we are Muslim? For the whole institution to change, communities must work in support of their members. Public displays of support are important. We would like to point out that the public panel discussion that allowed the previous article writer the opportunity to have his perspective changed was a community event of support for transgender students. The Statement of solidarity is providing the same opportunity for support and change. We were in chapel the day the Statement was read. Todd Green was absolutely correct to explain that a public of ignorance and hatred is what we are up against. The students of the Muslim Student Association and Allies are extremely appreciative of the statement. We would like to thank the Just Action Group for creating the statement so others think and reflect on Islamophobia and try to find a solution for it. It is uncomfortable to be Muslim in the United States. If the Statement of Solidarity made some uncomfortable, perhaps that is exactly how they should feel. Having our perspectives challenged provides opportunity for growth. The Statement was meant to support the Muslim Students and create a community for support to promote change. If it made some of us uncomfortable, so that we seek new understandings, so be it. Addressing Islamophobia is a community event and we are thankful Luther is raising its voice and taking a stand.
“Islamophobia will not be solved only through individual interaction, though they are important. Rather than trying to individually change a person’s mind, we need a community to change our national community.” -Makayla Marinack (‘16) and Noorullah Zafari (‘16)
Norse Poll
Signed, Makayla Marinack (‘16) and Noorullah Zafari (‘16)
What was your best April Fool’s prank ever?
“Once back in the day, “When I was younger, “In middle school, I I filled someone’s room I filled my sister’s got my friend Taylor’s from floor to ceiling hair dryer with baby mom to wake her up early and bring her to with cardboard boxes.” powder.” school on a Saturday.” -Kate Sorenson (‘19) -Jesse Hitz Graff (‘16) -Juan Navarro (‘16)
opiNioN
pAgE 10 MArch 31, 2016
MANAgiNg Editor: stEvE pEtErsoN
A reflection on the artful expression of the body JEnnA nELson A&E Editor Just a few days ago, I was scrolling through Facebook when I came across one of those video news stories about a health movement that has been taking place in the fashion industry. The video’s description of the progressive legal movements regarding health of fashion models in European countries reminded me of the delicate and powerful relationship between the human body and artforms that utilize it for expression. In December 2015, France joined the countries of Israel, Italy and Spain in creating new legislation for working models and agencies regarding model physical health. Under this new French legislation, models must provide employers with a
medical certificate that demonstrates a healthy Body Mass Index (BMI) for their height. French modeling agencies and fashion houses that do not follow these new regulations are subject to six months imprisonment and a fine of 75,000 Euros. The legal movement is a response to a rate of approximately 30,000 French adolescents with anorexia. I believe that France, by combining the influence of high fashion image ideals with body health advocacy, is taking positive steps toward mending a questionable relationship between the body and art in fashion industries. This discussion of body, art and health is something that I have been a part of here at Luther as well. I came to Luther with 15 years of training in technique-based dance styles such as ballet, tap, lyrical and jazz. Though I am not enrolled in the dance department major or minor programs, I have participated in two department dance productions and am currently enrolled in Dance 130: Contact Improvisation. The Luther dance program has challenged me to investigate the intricacies involved with movement and artistic expression as they relate to the body. Specifically, my recent participation in
Professor of Dance Jane Hawley’s (‘87) “The Invitation Game” brought these ideas of body awareness and health closer due to the show’s focus on inviting people of all bodies, all comforts and all abilities to dance. Through this production process, dancers explored the relationship between the body and high art, one that I feel fits with discussions regarding the current situation for models in fashion as well. During this production process I frequently found myself asking questions like, “What does a dancer look like,” and, “How do image expectations and aesthetics alter experience and exclusivity of the artform?” Questioning the relationship between body composition and artistic expression is something to pursue as it allows students and professionals in artistic fields to develop a more comprehensive understanding of their artistic work
environments. Here at Luther the dance department is founded in a healthy self-examination and exploration of the body using the Movement Fundamentals curriculum. I love how this curriculum links the body and the arts in such an informative and positive way. In classes and productions, dancers learn to care for their bodies, really taking the time to listen to what is needed for balance, artistic expression and health. The arts world in general can oftentimes be a place where critique overpowers expression and, in the case of these models, sometimes health. I am happy to see that notice is being given to this imbalance between body health and artistic aesthetic in the fashion industry, and I am especially proud of how Luther’s dance department teaches a methodology rooted in healthy body awareness as an art form.
“the arts world in general can oftentimes be a place where critique overpowers expression and, in the case of these models, sometimes health. -Jenna Nelson(‘16)
Student Senate President shares ideas on American Israel Public Affairs Conference Letter to the Editor As a general rule of thumb, I like to take care of business before I have a little bit of fun, and this spring break was no exception to the rule. As the Student Senate President, I get invitations extended to me from various organizations every once in awhile to attend different conferences all around the nation. For the first five days of break I had the opportunity to visit our nation’s capital as Luther’s delegate to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). This committee heavily advocates for a peaceful resolution to issues facing Israel as a Jewish state. In all honesty, before this conference I was unaware of the many issues that were facing Israel and how close and influential our relationships have been and continue to be to each other. When we first think of Israel many of us imagine gas, war zones and general unrest, but there is so much more than those issues. As a queer Latino, I was unsure about how my voice could add to the movement of peace, and after attending sessions directly linked to anti-Semitic crimes committed in Spain, Venezuela, Uruguay and California (one of the most densely populated areas of Hispanics in the U.S.), my ears turned on. I furthered my own investment by attending a session specifically attuned to Gender and Sexuality Minority (GSM)
and women’s advocacy. I learned of the progressive actions taken for the GSM community and women in Israel long before it was an “issue” here in the U.S., by providing equal opportunities for these distinct groups. Israel has moved forward with the possibility of more to be done in the future. AIPAC focuses on creating a bipartisan relationship with Israel because they realize by working with republicans and democrats, the movement can move forward regardless of who’s “in charge.” Thanks to AIPAC, I’ve now had the opportunity to hear every current presidential candidate’s (except for Bernie’s, but that’s an issue for a whole other op-ed) on foreign policy. The countless demonstrators and the attendees (comprised of 4,000 students and 331 Student Presidents) have shown me that this is an issue to consider and that there’s more education and research to be done. AIPAC provided me with full funding to attend this conference, including paying for my travel, room and registration costs. This afforded me the opportunity to observe and learn alongside fellow student presidents whom I was very happy to meet with and discuss various issues facing our campuses, and to be honest I made some pretty great friends from this conference.
Although I am absolutely grateful for the experience, I was extremely disappointed with the rhetoric that was used by other attendees and our presidential candidates. I, alongside fellow class presidents whom I befriended, witnessed AIPAC screening student questions at a Q&A session, not only asking them to rephrase questions but not letting them ask their question at all. I was also met with heavy passive-aggression from AIPAC employees that was undeserved and much unappreciated. After learning how heavily publicized this event was by CNN and other news sources as well as the long standing tradition of legislative pull AIPAC has, I was more than disappointed by the overall impression I’m left with on the part of the organization itself. I urge my fellow Norse to not only educate yourselves on this complicated issue but to constantly challenge what you know, think and feel by venturing out of the Luther bubble. As we move forward in our lives and seek to become global citizens, as uncomfortable and daunting as that endeavor might be, there’s no bad place to start.
“i urge my fellow Norse to not only educate yourselves on this complicated issue but to constantly challenge what you know, think and feel by venturing out of the Luther bubble. As we move forward and seek to become global citizens, as umcomfortable and daunting as that might be, there’s no bad place to start.” -Jesus Lucero (‘16)
Signed, Jesus Lucero (‘16)
SPORTS
PAGE 11
MARCH 31, 2016
SPORTS EDITOR: DAnny MAy
Ultimate teams travel for spring tournaments
Freya co-captain Hannah Garry (‘16) catches a pass during a fall tournament. SIDNEY LARSEN STAFF WRITER The Luther College frisbee teams, LUFDA, Freya and Pound, traveled to Las Vegas, Georgia and Virginia, respectively, to compete in spring break tournaments on March 19-20. LUFDA then traveled to Utah, while Freya and Pound traveled to North Carolina for team bonding and relaxation on the beach for the remainder of spring break. Freya, the women’s Ultimate Frisbee team, attended the College Southerns tournament hosted by Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia. Freya went 3-2 in pool play, earning them a spot in the consolation bracket, where they were able to secure seventh place. This was Freya’s third appearance at this tournament in the last four years. Freya co-captain Hannah Garry (‘16) explained that College Southerns has worked well for the team in the past and that Freya was looking forward to returning. “We went [to this tournament] in 2013 and 2014, but then last year we didn’t go to that tournament because it didn’t overlap with our spring break,” Garry said. “We just look for tournaments that overlap with our spring break and we thought this one would be the most fun.” According to Garry, the women’s
Ultimate team has been training hard to prepare for the spring break tournament. “Since January, we’ve been training and conditioning,” Garry said. “Every night of the week we have practice, and we’ve just been playing a lot of Ultimate and trying to get as much outside throwing in as possible.” Pound, one of two Luther men’s Ultimate Frisbee teams, competed in the River City Tune Up tournament in Richmond, Virginia. The Pound men finished in 6th place with a record of 2-5. Pound co-captain Jesse Hitz Graff (‘16) said that location had a big effect why Pound chose to compete in this tournament during this spring break, and that traveling to a new state was exciting for the team. “We knew we wanted to stay at Ocean Isle Beach, so we just looked for a tournament along the East Coast; something that’s within four or five hours of Ocean Isle,” Hitz Graff said. “This year it is called River City Tune Up. We’ve never been to Virginia, so it’s fun to be places we haven’t been, go to a different area and meet new teams, which is kind of the point of Ultimate.” After their tournaments, both Pound and Freya traveled to Ocean Isle, where they stayed in beach houses along the coast. Hitz Graff said that while this
would be a good opportunity for the two teams to interact, they would also have a lot of time to bond independent of one another. “I think that even though we do spring break with Freya, we have our own independent spring break,” Hitz Graff said. “We’ll hang out with Freya, but we’ll have a day or two where it’s just us. I know that we have an inter-team mentality that will carry over no matter who is spring breaking with who.” LUFDA, Luther’s other men’s Ultimate team, traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada, to compete in the Trouble in Vegas tournament, finishing in fifth place with a record of 2-4. According to LUFDA co-captain Sean Dempsey (‘17), LUFDA chose the Las Vegas Tournament because it lined up well with LUFDA’s skill level. “The number one team in the country, Wisconsin, will be there, and then a plethora of middle-tier teams, like BYU, USC and CAL,” Dempsey said. “We should be right in the mix with that second tier.” LUFDA member Evan Berg (‘17) appreciated the evenness of competition that LUFDA saw at the tournament. “We were ranked sixth and had the seventh, eighth and ninth teams in our pool,” Berg said. “[That] was nice because that means we played three other teams that were really similar in skill to us.” After their tournament, LUFDA traveled to Zion National Park in Utah to stay in a cabin for the rest of the week. Like any spring break trip, Ultimate tournaments are expensive to attend. Hitz Graff explained that Pound covered their expenses for the trip with fees paid by the team members. “It’s all pretty much out of pocket so we’ve always set a baseline of about 200 dollars which is really not that bad for a seven-day trip,” Hitz Graff said. “When you put 30 [people] in a beach house, you get it for really
Rachel Miller / Photo Bureau cheap.” While Pound pays completely out-of-pocket for tournaments, both LUFDA and Freya credited school funding for paying some of their tournament fees. According to Garry, in addition to school funding, Freya also fundraises and collects dues from players in order to make their participation in tournaments possible. “We get a stipend from the school at the beginning of the year and in addition we request money from Student Senate,” Garry said. “We also fundraise by working at different
events and get dues from everyone on the team, and it all goes into this one big fund, and then out of that different tournament fees are paid for.” Berg said that most of LUFDA’s tournament-related expenses were paid for through Luther funding, while the cabin for team bonding and other costs were covered outof-pocket by the team members. Despite the cost, it was all worth it for the chance to spend a week with his team, according to Berg. “It was a very relaxing trip with a lot of team bonding,” Berg said.
LUFDA player Isaac Johnson (‘16) competes in a fall game. Rachel Miller / Photo Bureau
SPORTS
PAGE 12
SPORTS EDITOR: DANNY MAY
MARCH 31, 2016
Slagel places second at Division III National Championships
Weekly Standings Softball
IIAC 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
#7 Luther Coe Simpson #18 Central Buena Vista Loras Dubuque Wartburh
Recent Scores
Overall 19-1 14-2 19-4 12-6 10-7 6-8 7-11 6-14
Mar. 27 vs. Williams, W 7-2 Mar. 27 vs. Middlebury, W 5-0
Upcoming Schedule
Apr. 2 @ UW-Oshkosh (double-header), 2:00 PM
Baseball
IIAC 1-1 1-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
Coe Simpson Luther Loras Wartburg Dubuque Wartburg Central
(From left) Interim Men’s and Women’s Swimming Head Coach Bethany Nicoll poses with Clare Slagel (‘16) and Assistant Men’s and Women’s Swimming Coach Cassie Peterson. Photo courtesy of Clare Slagel KATRINA MEYER STAFF WRITER Clare Slagel (‘16) finished runner-up in the 100-yard backstroke at the NCAA Division III National Swimming & Diving Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina, on March 16-19. She is now a four-time All-American in the event. After clocking a time of 54.47 in the 100-yard backstroke preliminaries to break her own previous school record, in the finals Slagel fell just short of capturing her second national title in the event. She finished .35 seconds behind junior Emma Paulson of University of St. Thomas. Slagel also competed in the 500-yard freestyle and the 200-yard backstroke at the national championships. Her time of 4:56.90 in the 500-yard freestyle earned her 12th place and an All-American honorable mention. In the 200-yard backstroke, Slagel, the reigning national champion in the event, posted a time of 2:00.42, missing the cutoff for finals by .05 seconds. She won the 200-yard backstroke consolation final with a time of 1:58.58 in the final race of her collegiate career. Slagel’s resume now includes eight All-American honors and two national titles. At the national championships, she won the 100-yard backstroke in 2015
and the 200-yard backstroke in 2014. She also holds five individual school records, in the 500-yard freestyle, 1000-yard freestyle, 50-yard backstroke, 100-yard backstroke and the 200-yard backstroke. She is also a part of two school record relay teams: the 200 medley relay and the 400 medley relay. Slagel recognizes the importance of teammates and coaching. “As a team, to get the success we want it is vital to support, to push and to hold each other accountable throughout the season,” Slagel said. “I do not believe we would have such great success at [Liberal Arts Championships] if it wasn’t for our team dynamic. Not only do we have strong individual swimmers who are great leaders to the team, but we have two amazing coaches who have such confidence in us and push us through the whole season.” The swimming season starts in midOctober. The Regional Championships, where Slagel qualified for nationals, took place in late February, almost an entire month before the national championships. When asked how Slagel is able to stay at the top of her game over the course of the season, Interim Head Men’s and Women’s Swimming Coach Bethany Nicoll attested to her motivation. “After [Liberal Arts Championships], she puts in long practices and high yardage again, and then tapers back
down so she can be rested for nationals,” Nicoll said. “As far as the different events, she trains both [backstroke and freestyle] and focuses on the technical things in the water.” Nicoll attributed the success to Slagel’s work ethic. “Clare always wants to be better,” Nicoll said. “She is always wondering what she can do to improve. She is extremely humble and a great example of good sportsmanship.”
Overall 5-5 4-8 11-1 6-4 5-2 7-5 7-5 2-7
Recent Scores
Mar. 25 vs. Bethel (double-header), W 11-10, W 5-4 Mar. 26 vs. Gustavus Adolphus, W 7-3
Upcoming Schedule
Apr. 1 @ Central (double-header), 1:00 PM
Women’s Tennis IIAC 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
Coe Luther Loras Central Wartburg Simpson Dubuque Buena Vista
Overall 3-6 2-4 2-2 1-0 1-6 0-0 0-3 0-2-1
Recent Scores
Mar. 23 vs. Wooster, W 8-1 Mar. 23 vs. Elmhurst, W 7-2
Upcoming Schedule
Apr. 1 @ UW-Eau Claire, 6:00 PM
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 15-2 2-10 11-6 3-4 4-6 9-5 6-8 2-11
Recent Scores
Mar. 23 vs. Wooster, W 5-4 Mar. 23 vs. Elmhurst, W 5-2
Upcoming Schedule
Apr. 1 @ UW-Eau Claire (in Winona, Minn.), 6:00 PM
Clare Slagel (‘16) swims backstroke earlier this season. Breanne Pierce / Photo Bureau
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