Chips 7 October 2015

Soccer teamS UndeFeated

spOrts 12

decorah pLedgeS againSt bULLying

Features 7

LUther coLLege

“Let the chips fall where they may.”

CHIPS

october 8, 2015

Serving the Luther college community since 1884.

VoLUme 138, no. 5

On-campus wedding policy Study lounges revisited for discussion chosen in place administration is open to reconsidering current policy which of dorm rooms prohibits wedding ceremonies from being performed on-campus. bethany seavers templetOn head copy editor

will weddings cOme back tO campus? Jasmine high (‘06) and Scott heckman (‘06) celebrate their wedding reception, but not ceremony, on campus in 2012.

Photo courtesy of Razvan Horeange jacOb warehime StaFF Writer Students and faculty at Luther College are in conversation to reconsider Luther’s current policy which does not permit wedding ceremonies to be performed on campus. This policy change went into effect in 2009 shortly following the Iowa Supreme Court’s decision to legalize gay marriage. Although there is currently no proposal to change this policy, the current leadership is open to the idea of change. Currently, wedding receptions can still be held on campus.

Student Senate Gender and Sexuality Minority Representative and Chair of Campus Life committee on Student Senate Tyler Broadwell (‘16) has been conducting preliminary background research on this policy.

“Student senate at the beginning of the year decided this would be an issue that we would tackle,” Broadwell said.

“Everyone I’ve spoken to so far has been very supportive of it [reconsidering the policy].”

Broadwell has met with administrators and campus pastors from College Ministries.

According to Campus Pastor Mike Blair, even before the current policy was put in place, on-campus weddings were not a common occurrence due to the nature of Luther’s campus and the tight limitations of when the campus was available. “[Holding weddings] depended on space—the calendar was more of a factor than anything else and because [the Center for Faith and Life] is not a space that really shouts ‘wedding,’ people don’t look at it and think, ‘this would be a great place for a wedding.’ We didn’t have very many weddings in a year,” Blair said. “Two or three would be a high year when weddings were happening on campus.”

The actual decision to stop hosting marriages was enacted as an umbrella-solution to three individual issues that arose shortly following the 2009 Iowa Supreme Court decision to legalize gay marriage, according to Vice President of Communications and Marketing Rob Larson.

“In late 2009 or early 2010 President Torgerson engaged the leadership cabinet along with others on campus in addressing several questions,” Larson said. weddings, page 4

For the 2015-16 school year, 12 study lounges in Dieseth and Miller Halls have been converted into double rooms. The students living in those rooms made the choice to do so during spring room draw but had limited knowledge as to what the rooms would look like.

According to Housing Coordinator Vanessa Wiest (‘10), there were still double rooms available in Towers and other buildings when students signed up to live in the study lounges.

“Some students wanted the option to live on a specific floor or near their friends, so we allowed them the opportunity to select a lounge space if they wanted,” Wiest said. “No student was assigned a lounge space by our office but selected that space over other options.”

Josh Beck (‘18) explained that he understood during room draw that he would be in a converted study lounge but based that decision on his knowledge of the study lounges in Brandt Hall, where he resided last year.

“Every study lounge had a window,” Beck said. “I still can’t comprehend why it’s any different here. No sunlight or fresh air is really starting to affect me.”

Some rooms have makeshift closet space with no doors.

Because the rooms are made of cement, students also have difficulty connecting to the Internet and retrieving cell phone service in the lounge.

“There are days where I can’t even connect to Luther Secure, Wireless or Guest,” Beck said. “I feel cheated in a certain way. I pay the same amount for a room that doesn’t even possess the same qualities of a normal room.”

Miller resident Elizabeth Hardy (‘17) believes that converting the study lounges into bedrooms affects all students, not just those living in them.

“For me, the biggest problem with turning study lounges into rooms is that it takes away one of the very few private spaces for students,” Hardy said. dOrm rOOms, page 4

Gender-neutral housing discussions continue: student organizations plan to take action anna jeide neWS editor Members of Student Senate, Black Students’ Union (BSU), Luther College Feminists (LC Fems), Residence Life and Student Life continued to discuss the possibility of creating more gender-neutral housing on campus at the Student Senate meeting on Thursday Oct. 1.

Student Senate released a statement of affirmation in support of transgender and gender non-conforming students at their meeting on Sept. 24.

“We, in joyful assembly as the 2015-2016 Luther College Student Senate, hereby commit to working during this academic year toward improving the campus environment

for members of the Luther community who are transgender and gender non-conforming,” the Student Senate statement of affirmation read. “We affirm the rights of students, faculty and staff to organize for the reform of college policies in ways that are deliberate and respectful.”

Following this public endorsement, Student Senate and members of BSU collaborated to draft a letter of intent addressed to Luther College President Paula Carlson and the Board of Regents, detailing the need for more gender-neutral housing options on campus.

“The idea to draft a letter came out of the forum and from Senate as well,” BSU Vice President and Student Senate Gender and Sexuality Minority Representative Zora Hurst (‘17) said. “Senate suggested that would be an area they would

feel comfortable helping with, so the Student Life committee was drafted to do research for references to the statistics we made.”

A draft of the letter was presented to members of Student Senate at the Student Senate meeting on Thursday, Oct. 1.

Members of BSU, Residence Life and Student Life were also in attendance. The letter explains the need for more genderneutral housing options on campus and requests specifically that Olson Hall and Norby House be considered as potential options. Currently, Farwell Hall is the only building with gender-neutral clusters, according to Vice President and Dean of Student Life Corey Landstrom. gender-neutral hOusing, page 4

NEws

PAgE 2 OCTOBER 8, 2015

NEws EdiTORs: ANNA JEidE & KATiE NElsON

Students bike to Luther Farm, share food and learn Ben jerke vOlUNTEER wRiTER

The Bike to the Farm Potluck, sponsored by the Center for Sustainable Communities, took place at the Luther College Farm on Saturday, Oct. 3.

The event, a potluck for students organized by Cargill Energy and Waste Fellow Sam Pollan, was to promote awareness of the farm among the student body.

“Having a farm on a college campus is a tremendous resource, and I think it’s something that needs to be stressed,” Pollan said.

“There’s no reason that 90% of the

student body hasn’t been out there for something that’s not related to Fit and Well.”

Student workers also feel that the gardens could be utilized and promoted, but they think the event helped improve this.

“It’s a chill, laid back way of introducing people to what we have going on here,” Sustainability student worker Meghan Barker (‘17) said. “It’s a way of letting people know what we’re doing out here, showing them where their ‘local food’ comes from, telling them about the community gardens, which a lot of people don’t know about.”

fun at the farm. Katie vorderbruggen (‘16), Ashley dress and Paige wettach chat after at the farm.

Ben Jerke / Chips

After the meal, student sustainability workers took students on a tour of the farm.

Kristina Johnson (‘18) led the group to each of the farm’s facilities and explained their respective functions.

Music was provided after the tour by Vera Bang and the Bad Pornstars, a project by Margaret Kienitz (‘16) Annie Waniger (‘16), and Megan Des Rochers (‘16).

Kienitz, both performing and attending the event, enjoyed the event and would like Sustainability to host more like it.

“I think that fun events like these are a great way for Sustainability to build awareness,” Kienitz said. “I can’t remember Sustainability ever doing something like this before.

We all had a good time.”

The community gardens are a section of the farm that is available to all students, faculty, staff and community members who want to grow their own produce.

Anyone interested in requesting a plot can contact Assistant Director of the Center for Sustainable Communities Maren Beard (‘08) at the Sustainability Office in Valders. Student plots are available for $10 per growing season.

Bikers rally. Many students bring their bikes to the luther Farm for the Bike to the Farm Potluck.

Ben Jerke / Chips

Students talk with Landstrom

connecting with students. Corey landstrom sits down in the Union to have a candid conversation with students.

Sidney Larsen / Chips sidney larsen sTAFF wRiTER Vice President and Dean of Student Life Corey Landstrom met with a group of students in the Student Organizational Suite (SOS) located in Dahl Centennial Union as a part of a series of monthly meetings titled “Conversations with Corey” on Wednesday, Sept. 30.

In these informal meetings, students are encouraged to come chat with Landstrom about any questions or concerns they may have about things happening on campus.

According to Landstrom, the idea for this event came from conversations he had with students this summer.

“When we talked this summer, there were things that [students] were not aware of that were going on,” Landstrom said. “These conversations will help to facilitate awareness and communication about things that might be going on [around campus].”

Five students were present at the event. Landstrom said he had

hoped for a larger turnout, but the small number of students was still good for conversation.

Despite the small turnout, he is excited to see the progress of these meetings in the future.

“It’s a small start, but we’ll see where it goes,” Landstrom said.

Topics of discussion were prompted by the students in attendance and included meal plans for students on campus during the summer, genderneutral and off-campus housing, as well as whether or not Advanced Placement (AP) or other outside credits should be factored into room draw and class registration processes.

Pharez Monney (‘17), one of the students attending the event, said he really enjoyed the chance to have a conversation with Landstrom about these topics.

“I think it’s great to have the opportunity to talk to him, and I really appreciate that,” Monney said.

Corey Landstrom has been the Dean of Student Life since the 2012-13 academic year. As Dean of Student Life, Landstrom oversees many important parts of the college, including Residence Life, Counseling Services, the Career Center and part of the Diversity Center.

Landstrom said that he feels it is important for students to be aware that they are able to make appointments to discuss questions and thoughts with him.

“I’m always here if [anyone] has questions or to hear what’s on their mind,” Landstrom said.

“My hope is that there’s good information exchanged and questions explored, but also being able to link people to others with dialogue, too.”

NEws

PAgE 3

NEws EdiTORs: ANNA JEidE & KATiE NElsON THURsdAY

seven-day forecast

OCTOBER 8, 2015 FRidAY

sATURdAY

sUNdAY

MONdAY

TUEsdAY wEdNEsdAY

N H H B B H H 73/50

62/43

69/51

79/58

71/50

72/46

67/45

AEDs absent in diversity center residence halls in interim period frances steVenson sTAFF wRiTER

Luther’s seven residence halls currently do not contain any Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to be used in the event of heart distress or failure on campus.

There are 14 AEDs on campus, including one in the security van, according to Director of Campus Safety and Security Bob Harri. The issue with the current AEDs is that most of them are in buildings that are locked at night, meaning the AED in the security van is the only reachable AED on campus past midnight. The AEDs instruct the user in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and the use of the machine, increasing the chances of survival for someone in cardiac distress.

“They calm the rescuer, telling [them] what to do,” Coordinator of Recreational Services Vicky Jaeger said. “We should have someone who knows how to do CPR in every building to begin with.”

Luther’s residence assistants (RAs) are trained every year in CPR by Jaeger, who has made it her personal mission to have an AED in every building on campus before she retires.

Although there are many students and staff on campus who are trained in CPR, including RAs, athletic trainers and nursing students, having an AED present during cardiac arrest can increase the chances of survival by 70 percent, according the American Red Cross.

“The time to make the change is before [instead of after],” Sophomore Class Representative in Student Senate Campus Betterment Committee member Nathan Campbell (‘18) said. “The time to do it is before we learn our lesson the hard way.”

During the RAs’ CPR training they are informed where the nearest AED is for each residence hall. According to Campbell, for Miller and Dieseth Halls, two of the more populated residence halls, the nearest AED is in the Union.

“Seventy percent of all occurrences [of cardiac episodes] are in residences,” Campbell said. “A lot of us spend time in our rooms here, so I think that is certainly an applicable statistic.”

Although the necessity of AEDs is not frequent, it can be very important to have them nearby in the event of a cardiac episode.

“In the time I’ve been at Luther I can name five times that we’ve had CPR done,” Jaeger said. “The last student was in Towers, and their roommate found them. It was very traumatic.”

The Campus Betterment Committee is working through a few different avenues to purchase new AEDs according to Campbell, including working with Winneshiek County Hospital, reaching out to alums for funding or looking at government programs that provide AED donations.

The AEDs cost $1,800 but require very little upkeep, requiring a new battery about every five years and replacement around every 15 years.

“We have a fairly large population concentrated in a small area,” Campbell said. “[Cardiac distress] is not totally out of the question.

I think that [this] kind of change would really make campus a safer place.”

discussing diVersity. interim director wintlett Taylor-Brown speaks to sukeji Mikaya (‘17) and Coordinator of Multicultural student Programs Michelle Boike (‘13) in the diversity Center Office .

Jesse Anderson / Chips jesse anderson sTAFF wRiTER Former Director of Luther College’s Diversity Center Sheila Radford-Hill left Luther in spring 2015, creating the need for a team to make plans for keeping the Diversity Center in operation while searching for new leadership. Wintlett Taylor-Browne was named Interim Director of the Diversity Center, and Michelle Boike replaced Taylor-Browne as the center’s Coordinator of Multicultural Student Programs.

“Before Sheila left, the Diversity Center sat down and developed an interim plan to make sure the work of the center continued beyond her departure,” TaylorBrowne said. “That’s the plan we are working on at the moment, and everything is proceeding according to the plan.”

According to Taylor-Browne, a visioning committee will be created in October to discuss the future leadership of the center.

“First, you get a visioning group, and that’s usually faculty and staff, and some visioning groups also have students, it all depends,” Taylor-Brown said. “Then, they are given a charge; the scope of their work is given to them, so that they know what they’re working toward.

They’ll have a couple of meetings, talk to a number of people in the [Luther] community, and then from casting the net wide they will come up with some common themes and ideas and use them to determine the new structures. Then the committee would report back to the president, and the president, would move forward with the recommendation.”

Taylor-Browne has a number of hopes for the future of the Diversity Center. One thing in particular that she would like to see is a more systemic approach to diversity at Luther. To achieve this end, she is considering what having a Chief Diversity Officer would look like at Luther.

“One of the things that I would really like to see is somebody to occupy the position of what is now known as a Chief Diversity Officer,” Taylor-Browne said.

“Many schools have these people,

and these people operate outside of the college’s diversity center. They usually report to the president, and at some schools they’re part of the president’s cabinet. They are part of the major decision making body of the school.”

The benefits of having such a person in the leadership would be far reaching, according to Taylor-Browne.

“That person would have the ability to communicate with faculty, the cabinet, human resources and all other places on this campus,” Taylor-Browne said.

Diversity Center Administrative Assistant Jake Dyer agrees with Taylor-Brown’s ideas of a systematic approach to changes in Luther’s diversity.

“It needs to be a top-down approach for everyone to take it seriously,” Dyer said.

According to Boike, it is also important to reevaluate diversity programs that worked in the past to see if they are as effective today.

“It’s important to be reevaluating every program to see what works for the current student population,” Boike said. “It is especially important to evaluate the ways students can feel engaged with the center and more connected.”

Interdepartmental cooperation is central to the work of diversity in the college environment.

“We need to have those kinds of collaborations in order to improve the campus climate and to really get a handle on this thing called diversity and intercultural competence,” Taylor-Browne said.

Students interested in diversity, improving intercultural competence and inclusion can check out the Diversity Center’s website, stop by the office or stop in for popcorn Thursdays.

NeWs

Page 4 OctOber 8, 2015

NeWs eDitOrs: ANNA JeiDe & KAtie NelsON

Students, administration explore gender-neutral housing possibilities gender-neutral housing, Page 1 Although Student Senate and BSU wrote the letter in collaboration, Student Senate chose not to endorse the letter. The letter explains that BSU plans to stage a live-in on Farwell Clearing during the weekend of the Board of Regents meeting beginning Oct. 23. The livein will involve students camping out on library lawn to demonstrate their need for inclusive living spaces on campus.

“We agree with the movement and the call for genderinclusive housing but not exactly the tactics being put forth and presented to administration, President Carlson and the Board of Regents,” Student Senate President Jesus Lucero (‘16) said. “As a Student Senate body we feel that at this time, there is insufficient education on the topic, and that’s one of the things we wish to rectify in the coming weeks.”

The letter and its endorsing parties call upon the Board of Regents to disclose information that demonstrates that the Board discussed the gender-neutral housing in their minutes. Within 48 hours, endorsing parties wish to receive confirmation via meeting minutes. If students

do not receive confirmation they plan continue to the live-in on Farwell Clearing.

“The action is a symbolic representation of how serious this issue is,” Hurst said. “Students who are trans and non-gender conforming have always been here on this campus, but whether they have been visible is another question.”

Some senators, members of Residence Life and Campus Life raised concerns about the action being taken as a threat to the Board of Regents.

“Our action isn’t to be in defiance of anyone,” Hurst said. “It isn’t to accuse anyone of anything. Our action is to bring visibility.”

Administrators are now involved in exploring possible locations on campus that could be adapted to accommodate gender-neutral living spaces. Residence Life and Campus Life will be working with students to identify temporary housing solutions before room draw, according to Dean of Student Life Corey Landstrom.

“I want all students to be able to thrive in their environment,” Landstrom said. “How we create an environment where students are accepted and can live authentically, that’s my responsibility.”

According to Hurst, one of main concerns is that

Students select converted study lounges as rooms dorm rooms, Page 1 “Sometimes you need a private space to make phone calls, Skype or cry, that can’t be your room, for whatever reason,” Hardy said.

Hardy concludes that having students live in study lounges affects the mental and physical health of all students living the Towers.

“It seems unfair that [all] students should lose this space, which could affect their mental health,” Hardy said. “It is unhealthy to live in a space without access to sunlight or fresh air.”

Towers Area Coordinator Sophia Engelman (‘13) says this is not the first time the study lounges have been converted into double rooms. In fact, it has been going on for at least a decade and is based on student preferences.

“Since the renovations have been completed in Towers, the buildings have become more popular with students,” Engelman said. “Before the renovations, Larsen Hall would fill up before Towers.”

Wiest said that students who are unhappy living in a study lounge should contact her to discuss other options.

“We did have one group select a lounge during room draw but changed their minds over the summer,” Wiest said. “We worked with them to select another room on campus.”

While there may have been limited housing during room draw last spring, there are now some partially occupied and unoccupied rooms across campus that students could move into. Engelman says this is because of some last minute decisions of some students about housing or returning to Luther.

“Some of those beds are open because students selected other housing options,” Engelman said. “Some of those spaces are open for other reasons, such as a student deciding at the last minute not to return to Luther. In some cases, a student returned to Luther, but has since left.”

Beck added that his main complaint with living in the study lounge was the lack of Internet access.

“I have a multitude of purposes for having a proper Internet connection,” Beck said. “If I can’t even enjoy living in my room, it really ruins the experience of college and living away from home.”

students be provided a place to live in a safe environment where they can exist authentically as individuals and in community with one another.

Student Senate is currently in the process of organizing a forum to discuss the implications of gender-neutral housing and to educate students about the issue. The forum will likely occur toward the end of October, according to Lucero. useful terms transgender—describes the gender identity of a person who identifies with or expresses a gender identity that differs from the one which corresponds to the person’s sex at birth. gender non-conforming/non-binary—describes a person who does not ascribe to the male-female gender binary. One who does not identify as male or female. gender-neutral housing—housing that is inclusive to all genders. Differs from co-ed housing which still adheres to a gender binary.

Wedding policy open to possible revision weddings, Page 1 “One was determining Luther’s response to the Iowa Supreme Court decision,” Larson said. “A second was creating usage guidelines for [the new] Bentdahl Commons that came in part from a request to reserve the space for a heterosexual couple’s marriage. The third was deciding if the use of the CFL for weddings was still feasible given Luther Summer Music, Dorian Camps and the many other demands upon the building space.”

According to Larson, the 2009 Iowa Supreme Court decision was not the sole reason for Luther’s ban on weddings, it was simply the catalyst.

“More than anything, [the Iowa Supreme Court decision] brought the broader question forward for consideration.”

Larson said. “The discussions considered each of these questions concurrently, and no one factor determined the policy decision.”

As Blair pointed out, the decision to get rid of weddings was one way to address the recent Supreme Court ruling.

“We made the decision both for logistical reasons, for practical reasons but also as a way to kind of bypass, or not directly address the question of same gender marriages, knowing that it was controversial for some,” Blair said.

“At the same time, they made it clear that campus pastors were supported in whatever choices we would make about officiating weddings when we had requests.”

The decision to get rid of weddings served as a solution to a number of pre-existing logistical problems on campus and was designed to treat both straight and same-sex couples equally, according to Larson.

As far as why exactly this topic has suddenly resurfaced in the public eye, Blair had a few insights.

“It’s a couple of things,” Blair said. “I think partly it’s because of the Supreme Court decision this summer. Also, [there is] a new administration and a new president [and] it’s certainly a factor that students are inclined to see this as a question of justice and fairness.”

Because of this, revisiting the current policy is a possibility.

“There are many ways that Luther is progressive and inclusive on policies,” Blair said. “I think revisiting this is also a way of saying ‘How do we practice the kind of inclusive community that we want to be?’”

Broadwell looks forward to the possibility of altering this policy and is optimistic about the ways which Luther can create a more inclusive community.

“As an individual who is part of the Gender and Sexuality Minority community, knowing that my college wanted to bypass the controversy was kind of demoralizing,” Broadwell said. “I’m also really glad that they’re owning up to mistakes they’ve made in the past and are open to making changes.

Currently, there are no proposals to overturn this policy, though the administration is open to possible changes that take space constraints and other issues into account.

“When the current leadership team discussed the topic this week, there were some very creative and positive ideas of how a change might look,” Larson said. “I am certain that no distinction would be made between same-sex marriages or those between a man and a women.”

Larson also added that those who feel strongly are more than welcome to get involved.

“If members of our community wish to see this policy evolve, I hope they share their thoughts and reasoning,” Larson said.

Corrections Last week in Chips Meggie acker (‘18) was interviewed as Norse of the Week. A photo was published of Maddie Bouslog (‘16) mistakenly when a photo of Acker should have been published.

Arts & EntErtAinMEnt

PAgE 5

A&E Editor: JEnnA nElson

octobEr 8, 2015

‘Love and Information’ shown in 57 short scenes EmILy CrowE Editor-in-chiEf Luther College’s Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) department will present the play “Love and Information” by Caryl Churchill Thursday, Oct. 15 at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 16 at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 17 at 7:30 p.m. in Jewel Theatre in the Center for the Arts.

The play is composed of many mini-scenes and is about human relationships and the effect of information.

“The show is an hour and a half total,” Kajsa Jones (‘16) said. “There are 57 written scenes and some extra—‘randoms,’ they’re called— and those are just 1-2 lines. There are no character names, but we kind of come up with the names. No characters come back [after their scene].”

The show doesn’t have a common plot line connecting each of the scenes like a traditional play. This creates more room for the actors to play with the emotions and characters they are playing.

“From an acting standpoint, this has been a really good opportunity

to focus on listening and responding to your [scene] partner because that is really all that is holding the piece together,” actor James Mueller (‘16) said. “From an educational standpoint, that has been really exciting.”

The play is stretching the actors as well as the costume designers because Churchill did not include information about setting or characters.

“You don’t get to see what it is like to develop a character for 60 pages because the whole scene is only a few lines long,” Mueller said. “It’s a hairball of a show because it keeps shifting.”

The show does have common themes present throughout that create continuity and cohesion despite brief stage time for characters, according to Jones.

“I think [the hard part is] trying to find the through line to connect with the audience,” Jones said. “How is anyone going to connect to 157 people in 90 minutes? You couldn’t take a section out and just do that.

You have to have the whole thing, and it is a very powerful piece.”

The script doesn’t give the actors

SCEnE rEhErSaL. Adrienne lee (‘19) and skye newcom (‘17) prepare one of their love and information scenes, just one of 57 scenes the show features.

Emily Crowe / Chips much information in terms of setting or lines, so the actors are working

Look at It thIS way. director robert larson gives feedback to actors ryan Pierce (‘17) and Zora hurst (‘17) during love and information rehersal.

Emily Crowe / Chips

with Professer Emeritus and show director Robert Larson to create specific characters.

Professor of English Lise Kildegaard has also been working with the actors as the dramaturg, or an assistant to the director. Her focus is doing research and giving context and meaning to the play.

“The little dialogues are very brief, very naturalistic,” Kildegaard said.

“Individually, they are somewhat random and very much like normal conversations that people might be having. But taken all together, they have interesting things to say about memory, what we can know about each other and how we learn and connect to other people.”

Kildegaard has been awarded the Jones Distinguished Teaching Professorship in the Humanities, which gives her the opportunity to focus on a project that will “enhance humanities education,” according to luther.edu.

“My special project is to work on things that are short shorts,”

Kildegaard said. “I am interested in literary flash fiction, micro fiction, short lyrics, poems and art works that are small and quickly seen. The play is based on these little snippets of conversation, and I am interested in connecting with that.”

Each 30-second to one minute long scene shows a different aspect of a human relationship or human experience, according to Kildegaard.

Even if it is difficult to connect to one scene or character, it is over quickly and another scene is already beginning.

“It’s a vision of how people communicate and connect, and the dangers when we don’t,” Kildegaard said.

The show is abstract, which can be intimidating to both audience and actor, according to Mueller. However, the show as a whole is powerful.

“It is kind of like a bouquet of flowers,” Mueller said. “You get to appreciate the whole thing, but you get to pick and chose what your favorite aspects are.”

Love and Information: thursday oct. 15 @ 7:30 p.m. friday, oct. 16 @ 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. saturday, oct. 17 @ 7:30 p.m.

Visit www.tickets.luther. edu for ticket pricing and purchases. student tickets are free with cocurricular Activites fee.

FEATuRES

PAgE 6 OcTObER 8, 2015

FEATuRES EdITOR: Abby cARPEnTER

the digital age. Professor of Art Richard Merritt stands next to his piece “Ferguson, MO” in his exhibit “Schemata.”

Matija Nikolic / Chips

Richard Merritt unites digital information and art Matija nikolic STAFF WRITER Interaction with data is unavoidable in modern times. Information flies from immediate sources and clutters human lives. Professor of Art Richard Merritt investigates the visual principles of big data through a series of his works of art in the exhibit “Schemata.”

Merritt says schemata are “the models imposed on the complex realities, relationships and experiences of existence.”

These models act as placeholders for vast quantities of data and act as imaginary intermediaries between raw experiences and how those experiences are perceived and organized.

The result of several years of research on social media data, Merritt’s exhibit seeks to strip the raw data from models, leaving them with pure schemata.

“I’ve been working with data for many years, and I’ve done a lot of information

visualization,” Merritt said. “I also own a small software startup that deals with big data and particularly with social media analytics.”

Apart from traditional painting and drawing techniques, Merritt has turned to creating his own custom 3-D software with the purpose of creating his work.

“I wrote the software in ‘processing’ computer language, which is an implementation of Java,” Merritt said. “It would create DXF files, which I would send to manufacturers, and then closely work with them on production.”

The themes that the exhibited artwork portrays range from very abstract ideas of “two actors,” to concrete events such as last year’s Ferguson, Missouri, incident and the social media reaction to it. The choice of colors is intentional and in some cases carries a clear message, as according to the artist: “Yellow is a standard warning color.” Some of the other symbols include sine

waves on blue background, which represent actors.

“I hoped to bring the viewer into this and his own ideas in when two actors or two individuals coalesce in their own lives,” Merritt said. “An actor can be an individual, as much as it can be a trending corporation or trending temperature or two different climates.”

Merritt wanted to show the relationship between the art and the viewer.

“I also wanted these to be highly polished and reflected so that if you look at them you would see that the viewer is physically engaged in the act of looking,” Merritt said. “I’m really interested in ways in which people can bring their own sets of knowledge and experiences to abstract data.”

Merritt has been a member of the Luther faculty since 1998. He teaches courses in art and technology, drawing, intermedia arts and critical theory.

Due to his exhibited and published research in a wide

variety of disciplines presented around the world, Merritt’s scholarly work has appeared in numerous publications, such as the “Leonardo Journal of Arts and Sciences” of the MIT Press and in the proceedings of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.

Recently, he has presented “The Computational Body, Composite Bodies and Post Human Prototypes in Contemporary Performing Arts” at the University of Ghent, Belgium, and received an invitation to present

“Absence of Bravery: African American Masculinity and the Construction of the Hero Narrative During the World Wars” at Liverpool Hope University in England.

“Schemata” is on display until Oct. 18 in the Kristin WigleyFleming Fine Arts Gallery of the Center for the Arts on Luther’s campus. A gallery reception will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17.

Both the exhibit and the gallery reception are open to the public with no charge for admission.

FEATuRES

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FEATuRES EdITOR: Abby cARPEnTER

OcTObER 8, 2015

Decorah Scarf Project raises bullying awareness saMantha ea STAFF WRITER The Decorah Scarf Project took place at the Decorah Public Library as an anti-bullying event on Thursday, Oct. 1. In an effort to raise awareness for anti-bullying and encourage community members to take an antibullying pledge, knitters from the Decorah community, along with on-campus knitters and student group Norse Knitters, made more than 120 scarves for those who pledge to help stop bullying.

President of Norse Knitters Jacqueline Congello (‘17) supported the event. “[It’s for] anyone that takes the pledge to stand up and act against bullying and make sure everyone feels safe, and to have something as a symbol that stands for anyone that’s going to be the protectors, not just on Luther’s campus, but around the community,” Congello said. “The Norse Knitters, as well as many other groups, knitted rainbow scarves.

That’s going to be the symbol for anyone that takes the pledge and vows to protect others who are being bullied.”

Director of Programs at Gay Straight Alliance for Safe Schools (GSAFE) in Madison, Wisconsin, Brian Juchems (‘95) spoke at the event about the different forms of bullying with a focus on race, gender stereotypes and sexual orientation.

Juchems works with educators to help create comfortable environments for transgender and gender-nonconforming students.

“I find that [the problem with] off-the-shelf anti-bullying curriculum that teachers can use is that they spend a lot of time talking about bullying but never talk about race, or real or perceived sexual orientation,” Juchems said. “And yet, a lot of the language we use to police or keep people in their boxes are homophobic, sometimes racist, oftentimes sexist, but a lot of that curriculum never really talks about that.”

In an open discussion, Juchems asked questions throughout his talk, giving opportunities for everyone to participate and take part in the presentation. Juchems asked questions such as, “What is bullying? Why do

people get bullied? And what happens when someone gets bullied?”

“In a bullying relationship, somebody has some type of power, whether it’s physical power, whether it’s social power, emotional power, monetary, whatever it is, they have something that they can use over a person,” Juchems said. “They do it intentionally to cause harm. Most of the time it’s repeated.”

Juchems addressed the gender issues that are often a part of bullying.

“Oftentimes, what’s a big issue for that population is that they’re getting targeted because they’re not acting like the ‘right’ kind of boy and the ‘right’ kind of girl,” Juchems said.

Pastor Laura Arnold of the United Church of Christ (UCC) in Decorah read the pledge and encouraged those present to take a stand against bullying by signing their name and taking a scarf.

“I believe everybody has the right to live in a community where they feel safe, included, valued and accepted,” the pledge reads. “I will treat others with respect and kindness. I will act with compassion and not be a bully. I will act with courage and not be a bystander. I will use my actions, my words, my presence to support those who have been bullied and to let them know that they are not alone. As a member of this community, I pledge to be a part of the solution and to do something that actively contributes to ending bullying.”

Co-sponsored by the Social Work Department, Associate Professor of Social Work Ginger Meyette gives insight on the Scarf Project, and how prevalent bullying is not only on campus but everywhere.

“The thing about it is that people will be wearing these scarves all winter,” Meyette said. “If people see them and ask about them, it’s a really good chance to talk about the importance of anti-bullying and being aware. I think that sometimes people aren’t even aware that so much bullying goes on. It goes on among college students, even among faculty. It goes on with adults, or various situations come up and people are bullied. I think it’s just a wonderful project.”

Meyette views the Scarf Project as a

scaRVes FoR change. Pastor Laura Arnold of united church of christ and President of norse Knitters Jacqueline congello (‘17) with the scarves the norse Knitters made.

Samantha Ea / Chips union between individuals and the Decorah community.

“It’s visible, and people can do something,” Meyette said. “[In] the knitting of the scarf itself, you’re weaving a certain amount of yourself into that scarf and then [in] wearing a scarf that someone else made, it ties the community together in a way that some

you aRe good. brian Juchems (‘95) was the key speaker of the decorah Scarf Project.

Samantha Ea / Chips

projects don’t do. Sometimes you feel like just an individual, trying to voice your views about things.”

Joy Gnade (‘17) crocheted a rainbow scarf for the event.

“I think it’s a great cause to raise awareness for,” Gnade said. “Giving people a symbol for people to rally behind is kinda cool.”

The main message Juchems wanted attendees to leave with is to educate themselves and be open and understanding of others.

“Simply learn more,” Juchems said. “As myself, as a white man, I’ve had to do research in understanding my privilege as a white man, as well as understanding racism. I’ve also had to do a lot of work with understanding my privilege as a male and how that impacts women. And as somebody who is not transgender, I’ve had to think about my gender identity. How am I privileged in that?”

Juchems emphasized that it’s natural to make mistakes, but we should make the effort to learn from our microaggressions.

“We all do things that unintentionally hurt people on a daily basis, whether we know it or not,” Juchems said. “I want people to recognize that [the bully] is still a nice person.

I did something that I didn’t mean to do and somebody pointed that out. And instead of being defensive, or deny it, or whatever else, simply own it and say, ‘Yep, I made a mistake, I’m so glad you told that to me because that makes a huge difference.’”

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

PAGE 8 OCTOBER 8, 2015

A&E EDITOR: JENNA NELSON

Flutist alums present concert ELYSE GROTHAUS STAFF WRITER Every semester, the Luther College music department presents a concert aimed to highlight contemporary music, student alums and new compositions known as the Music in the Shape of a Pear concert series.

On Sunday, Oct. 4 in the Noble Recital Hall in the Jensen Noble Hall of Music, the series hosted “Flute Menagerie.” The performance featured four recent graduates of Luther College: Tara Meade (‘08), Rachel Haug Root (‘10), Bianca Najera (‘13) and Daniel Gallagher (‘14). Professors of Music Carol Hester (‘95) and Juan Tony Guzmán (‘90) also performed.

Hester explained how she came up with the idea to bring these flutist alums back for one of the Music in the Shape of a Pear events.

“At one of last year’s Music in the Shape of a Pear concerts, the entire concert was of pieces by former composition students,” Hester said. “So I sat there at that concert thinking of some of our recent flute grads that have done so well, and I thought that would be so cool to have them back to do a concert.”

All of the performers have found success in their music careers after graduation, whether it be through music performance, education or business. The performers took time to reflect on what it means to be back at Luther College and how well their education has prepared them for their current careers.

“I think it’s amazing to come back here,” Najera said. “This concert in particular is really exciting. I was reading everyone’s biographies and reading all of the amazing things that everyone has done since we’ve graduated, and I think everyone is doing something a little different. Some are teaching, some are performing, I’m in business and it’s amazing

LISTEN TO THE MUSIC. (From left) Daniel Gallagher (‘14), Bianca Najera (‘13), Carol Hester (‘95), Tara Meade (‘08) and Rachel Haug Root (‘10) take to the stage.

Elyse Grothaus / Chips to see how Luther has prepared us for all of these different careers in music.”

The concert itself featured a menagerie of instruments in the flute family. The flute, piccolo, alto flute, bass flute and contrabass flute were featured in the program.

The concert’s program included contemporary music that was avant garde and tonal in nature. One of the solos, played by Meade and written by Greg Patillo, featured beatbox-style flute playing. There were also two composition world premiers including

“Bisbigliando Study,” written by Decorah native and Luther staff member Steve Smith (‘95), and “Daphne’s Flight,” written by Philip Wharton.

“I think it’s a good variety of music,” Haug Root said.

According to Haug Root, there’s a percpetion that all flute music sounds the same. People who came to this concert found that this was certainly not the case.

“We [had] you on the edge of your seats going, ‘how are they making those sounds?’”

Haug Root said.

Flute player and music education major, Rachel Schwabenbauer (‘19) expressed her excitement while attending the concert.

“It was really refreshing,” Schwabenbauer said. “I am very glad I went. I never really get to hear contemporary music, and it was really cool to see the composers of the world premiere pieces. It was also really inspiring that all of them were alumni because it makes me think how I’m going to improve as a flute player.”

Track Review: DIIV, ‘Dopamine’ JACK ROSS CO-STATION MANAGER From time to time, I hear a song that I know is something special right from that first wave of sound.

Sometimes things just resonate in ways that transport you to another place.

Such is the case with “Dopamine,” the first single released from DIIV’s forthcoming sophomore album “Is The Is Are.” As a gently distorted guitar line begins the song, we are soon greeted with the distinct

bell-like electric guitars that made up much of the sonic palette of their 2012 debut record “Oshin.”

However, once the drums launch the song into a comfortably brisk pace, it becomes evident that “Dopamine” also brings something new to the table.

The tighter, punchier and cleaner production that ironically allows the intended lo-fi quality of the song to speak louder without sounding too piercing is like much of the production style found on their debut record.

Substance abuse is no stranger to DIIV’s Zachary Cole Smith, who unapologetically reflects on this aspect of his life in

“Dopamine.” With confessional lyrics such as, “I’m fixing now to mix the white with the brown” arriving before lines such as “I got so high I finally felt like myself,” the song serves as a sad revelation of Smith’s lingering struggles with himself.

Although internal struggle specifically involving substance abuse is not new territory in Smith’s songwriting, his explicitness in this album when approaching these topics and feelings is a refreshing development.

Although an official release date is yet to be announced, DIIV’s second album, “Is The Is Are,” will be out this fall via Captured Tracks.

For the best in new independent music, tune in to KWLC Radio Monday through Friday from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. and Saturdays and Sundays 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. KWLC can be found at 1240AM on the radio dial or online at kwlc.luther.edu.

Photo courtesy of www.dotsanddashes.co.uk

opiNioN

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maNagiNg editor: cameroN meyferth

october 8, 2015

Different education systems abroad Katie nelson News editor The United States has a tradition of holding out where other sectors of the Western world conform sensibly, in areas such as the metric system, bilingualism and their academic systems.

I never realized how different academic structures really were until I went abroad myself and experienced an entirely different kind of learning from the one I was acclimated to in the states.

Abroad, classes usually consist of about two large projects worth half of the final grade. My expectation was that I would struggle with this, crack under the stress of so much riding on one assessment and fail entirely. What I got instead was more freedom in what I chose to pursue within each course, the requirement to work independently to an extreme, and an intensive work load that was still within reasonable management.

This new style contrasted heavily from my norm, but I was very happy in my classes and became more engaged and

passionate about the material because I was choosing how to individualize my learning. I felt not only freer to study what I wished but also freer to open my eyes to new perspectives.

I was surprised by a conversation one night about wider academic styles with another international student named Mawada, from Libya, on the bus into the city center. We asked each other about our respective countries and about how the other was liking the unfamiliar English academic system we found ourselves in. Her system in Libya was much the same as the one we were currently experiencing, and she was a bit stymied when I explained the one I was used to. “…So it’s easier?” she asked.

“Well…”

I didn’t really have an answer.

Being back in the States and reflecting back on that question has helped me finally come up with an answer to Mawada’s question. She may be surprised, but the answer is that it is certainly not easier.

Perhaps some of my perceived benefit of the academic system abroad was study abroad h o n e y m o o n syndrome, where I was happy about experiencing a new place and culture.

But honestly, I don’t think that was all it was.

The normal crushing stress and exhausting busyness of American college life wasn’t there.

The constant worry about academics and getting everything done on time wasn’t there.

“Just because the stress and constant ‘busy work’ wasn’t there doesn’t mean it wasn’t still challenging, because it certainly was.”

- Katie Nelson (‘16)

The excessively large workload and strive for extreme perfection wasn’t there.

I was alive in academic freedom and diverse schedules, free from the American exhaustion of “doing it all.”

Being back, I’ve had similar conversations to that I had on the bus with Mawada, with people asking if (or assuming that) academics abroad were easier. That isn’t the case either.

Just because the stress and constant “busy work” wasn’t there doesn’t mean it wasn’t still challenging, because it certainly was. I was hyper-focused on research and critical thought, a depth which I haven’t often experienced here at home. Both systems are challenging, and both certainly have their benefits.

For me, however, the evidence tells me that the other system is the better choice.

Now that I’m home and realizing all these benefits and differences, I have to wonder: why is the United States clinging to its institutional academic systems, and will it ever adapt?

Making sense of gun control alex brandt ad represeNtative Hillary Clinton recently announced her plan to combat gun violence following the shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon. She promised to close gun show loopholes, forbid domestic abusers from purchasing guns, increase background checks and revoke licenses of “bad actor” dealers who knowingly sell guns to traffickers. Another solution she suggested: hold gun manufacturers liable for any deaths committed with their weapons.

Many Americans support increased gun control measures. A majority (over 80 percent) think we should increase background checks and do more to keep guns out of the hands of those with mental illness. I agree. I wasn’t able to find any polling data on what Americans think about holding gun firms liable. I would hope the majority are against it.

Neither guns nor gun manufacturers kill people.

People kill people. Cars don’t kill people, knives don’t kill people, hammers don’t kill people, chainsaws don’t kill people. I could go on for a while. If someone bludgeons someone else to death with an acoustic guitar, you shouldn’t be able to go sue Gibson. Companies can’t control what people do with their products. Not only is it nonsensical, but it would flood the courts with frivolous lawsuits and put companies out of business.

This is a view held by Bernie Sanders, who voted against a similar measure put to congress in 2005. Being from a rural state with a strong hunting tradition, he has a rather middle-of-the-road approach as well as a mixed voting record on gun control. Last week he issued a statement calling for “sensible gun-control legislation which prevents guns from being used by people who should not have them.”

Now we get to the real reason Clinton made this announcement: Clinton has been losing ground to

Bernie Sanders since mid-summer, especially in early voting states. She is behind by double digits in some polls in Iowa and New Hampshire, although she still holds an edge in national polling. She’s trying to show her liberal side and hopefully siphon some supporters away from Team Bernie in the coming months. Expect gun control to feature big in the first Democratic debate next week.

However, this announcement is a dual-edged sword for Clinton. Taking a hard stance on gun control can only alienate the majority of Republican voters, as well as some moderate independents. And don’t forget about those rural states where many Democrats like their guns and hunting as much as Republicans. Gun control has lost other Democrats the presidency. Al Gore lost Southern pro-gun states like Arkansas and Alabama as well as his home state of Tennessee, and in turn the presidency. Don’t expect the gun debate to go away anytime soon.

Keeping an open mind, asking questions emily crowe editor-iN-chief Recently, Chips has covered the discussion and events surrounding gender-neutral housing. Because I identify as female and was born a female, am heterosexual, am white, am from an upper-middle class family and have access to higher education, I have privilege. I will never know what it is like to have the government and 39 percent of the country oppose allowing me to marry the person I want to marry. I will never know what it is like to be “randomly selected” by TSA while traveling. I understand that I will never experience a situation where a group of strangers have to discuss whether or not I can live in a place where I feel safe and comfortable being myself.

For that reason, I have to ask many questions regarding gender-neutral housing in order to try to understand and empathize. I didn’t, for instance,

know the difference between co-ed housing and gender-neutral housing.

The distinction might not seem big— both allow males and females to live on the same floor or in the same cluster or room—but they are very different.

Co-ed implies that the individuals still adhere to the gender binary—male or female. Genderneutral, on the other hand, is inclusive to individuals who do not identify as male or female.

This means that gender-neutral housing is inclusive for those who are gender non-conforming or non-binary. This might not seem like a huge distinction to someone who has never experienced discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation or race, but the words

used are important. The words used can either include those who identify as gender non-conforming, or it can exclude them.

I am the first to admit that I am not an expert on gender. I have to ask a lot of questions in order to get a grasp on even a small portion of the discussion happening on the Luther campus.

And that is OK. I think that knowing that you have more to learn and taking the time to try to understand the issues being discussed at Luther and beyond is the first step toward becoming an inclusive community of people who are kind, educated and compassionate.

I am going to try to continue to ask

“the words used can either include those who identify as gender non-conforming, or it can exclude them.”

- emily crowe (‘17)

questions and apologize for mistakes I will make along the way. Understanding and inclusion do not require a perfect understanding or entire knowledge about the topic being discussed; they are based upon a desire to create community and understanding that includes everyone in the community.

While I am not an expert, I would like to encourage others to also ask questions. By trying to learn more about other people and their experiences, we can come together to stand by those who experience discrimination and create further understanding. Topics being discussed, such as gender-neutral housing, may seem like they affect only those who identify as gender nonconforming. However, the topics are being discussed in order to create a community in which every individual feels safe and comfortable. Because this is the case, these issues affect us all. Let’s listen and ask more questions; let’s try to understand.

OPINION

PAGE 10 OCTOBER 1, 2015

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

Fall 2015 Staff Editor-in-Chief: Managing Editor: News Editors:

Emily Crowe Cameron Meyferth Anna Jeide Katie Nelson Features Editor: Abby Carpenter A&E Editor: Jenna Nelson Sports Editor: Steve Peterson Staff Writers: Jesse Anderson Cody Arndtson Samantha Ea Elyse Grothaus Elizabeth Hurley Sidney Larsen Danny May Matija Nikolic Laura Proescholdt Elizabeth Stay Frances Stevenson Jacob Warehime Head Copy Editor: Bethany Seavers Templeton Copy Editors: Olivia Benson Erika Storvick Ad Representatives: Alex Brandt Hannah Mick Ad Accountant: Tyler Hovey Photography Coordinator: Abby Carpenter Photographer: Cody Arndtson Web Manager: Michael Spear Social Media Director: Britany Thorpe Distribution Manager: Elizabeth Hurley Adviser: Laura Fuller

MANAGING EDITOR: CAMERON MEYFERTH

Mental illness: an ode I am one of the 26 percent of college students who live with a mental illness. In my case, depression and anxiety. Sometimes this surprises people. “You seem fine!” they say. I have to point out that I seem fine because I am fine, and I’m fine because I manage my symptoms: I take antidepressants, I go to counseling, I exercise.

That doesn’t change the fact that I have depression and anxiety.

You wouldn’t say to a person with diabetes, “Well, you’re not in insulin shock and your blood sugar is stable, so you must not be diabetic.” You would not suggest that they phase out their insulin, or treat their reliance on it as some kind of weakness of character.

Sometimes I envy the people who go through life without ever experiencing a mental health disorder. And yet while I would not choose to have a mental illness, there are times when I am grateful for what it has given me. Kahlil Gibran writes, “The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain,” and while I’ve been fortunate enough to experience far less sorrow than many, many people, I’ve found some truth in that. I want to take great care here not to romanticize. Anxiety is crippling and depression is hell.

Still, awful as it is, I can’t bring myself to believe that there is no value in mental illness, or that I or the world would be better without it.

I had a breakdown at age 18 for a million reasons beyond the scope of this piece. Suffice it to say, one afternoon, without warning, I had the first of a series of panic attacks that precipitated a mental health crisis. My mind collapsed in on itself. I felt unbearably restless and curiously detached at the same time: trapped, depersonalized and more alone and afraid than ever before or since. Like I’d been buried alive and replaced with a hologram.

I can say without hesitation that it was the worst experience of my life, and it took a lot of time, medication and counseling to bring me back. And yet here I am, wiser, stronger, more empathetic.

I have a story. I’ve been there and back again. I’ve known pain, and it taught me compassion. I’ve known recovery, and it taught me hope.

And I’ve found an unexpected joy in telling my story and finding out I was never alone, that so many others have suffered the way I have. I’ve gained the rare and precious privilege of being able to say, “I understand.”

I guess what I most want to

say to my fellow sufferers, and to everyone, is: tell your stories.

Mental illness thrives on secrecy and stigma. Left in the dark it grows, fungal and insidious. Don’t let that happen. Drag it out into the light.

There is solidarity in struggle and healing in storytelling. And there are literally millions of people who desperately need to hear that while mental illness can steal your time and your happiness, it can’t steal your voice.

Alain de Boton writes, “Feeling lost, crazy and desperate belongs to a good life as much as optimism, certainty and reason.” We need to hear the voices of people with mental illnesses because their stories are the stories of us all. The parts of us that run wild in mental illness are the same parts that make us human. Here’s to the lost, the crazy and the desperate. Here’s to the depressed, the anxious, the obsessive-compulsive, the bipolar, the schizophrenic, the suicidal, the addicted, the traumatized, the vast and beautiful tribe without whom our world would be something different and poorer.

Here’s to our darkness made light, our loneliness made solidarity and our vulnerability, gloriously, made strength.

Jake Porter (‘16)

Ideas on Common Core BETHANY SEAVERS TEMPLETON HEAD COPY EDITOR Junior and senior elementary education majors are currently taking, and some might say suffering through, methods classes. If you’re friends or roommates with an education major, you’ve likely heard them talking about the classes we are all taking right now: math methods, language arts methods and math in the elementary schools. This is not a column whining about the work we are doing in those classes.

This is a column about what we are learning in our two math classes, namely the Common Core.

Judging by the number of Facebook posts I see about it, I think it’s fair to say that a lot of the students here at Luther (not just education majors) have at least heard of the Common Core, and judging by the number of Facebook posts I see about it, I think it’s fair to say that not very many have actually looked into what it is. Given that we are all preparing to enter a world where our neighbors, community members or even our own future children may be in a school where Common Core standards are implemented, we owe it to ourselves to know and understand what it is and what it does in our classrooms.

The Common Core is an attempt to standardize what students are taught across the United States. It does not prescribe a way in which it is taught, but rather, it ensures that if there is a student who moves to a different school district during grade school, they will not fall behind in content learning. It is not required for every state to adopt these standards, but it provides teachers with benchmarks for learning that they can watch for in their students. All teachers teach to a set of standards, be it Common Core, or other state standards, but this is an attempt to level the playing field. At this time, 42 states have voluntarily adopted the Common Core.

Notice that I keep saying “attempt.” The Common Core is not perfect by any means. I’m sure that as I

continue into my teaching career, I will learn the high points and the flaws of it.

What I do know is that the Common Core is a set of standards and not a set curriculum. It offers suggestions of ways to teach children foundational knowledge to guide them to higher order thinking. While this is the format of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in both language arts and mathematics, the biggest changes seem to be felt among parents who say they do not understand the math homework their children are taking home. That’s fair. Concepts are being taught in new ways that lead to the algorithms that we all know and love to cling to.

What makes me mad is when I see post after post on Facebook from adults and peers of a viral photo of the “new” math, with a caption like “We need to bring common sense back into our classrooms!” or “Lol what does this even mean?” If you look at it for more than a second, it does make sense. Just because it is not the standard algorithm you were taught and mindlessly memorized when you were a kid, it does not mean it is not a perfectly valid way of doing the problem. Take, for instance, the standard algorithm of multiplying. It is fairly quick to do with pencil and paper, but can you explain why you take the steps that you do? Can you do it in your head without losing track of the numbers you are carrying and adding? Do you follow another process when doing mental math?

Most of us do. Most of us have developed our own methods of doing adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing quickly in our heads. The goal of the “new” math is to teach children those methods early on, teach the shortcuts later and give reasoning along the way.

Not only does this give students the mental agility to see the validity in different approaches to solutions, but it also gives them a way to back up their reasoning. What’s funny is that the Facebook posts I am consistently seeing show a very closed mindset, without any reasoning behind it. Perhaps they are the ones who could use the Common Core math the most.

sPorts

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oCtoBer 8, 2015

sPorts editor: steve Peterson

Ultimate teams host Luther Invite

EyE on THE PrIZE: sam Berglund (‘16) watches the disc at the Luther invite frisbee tournament.

Cody Arndtson / Chips Cody ArndTson staff writer The Ultimate Frisbee season is off and running for Luther College’s Ultimate Teams.

LUFDA, Pound and Freya now have played in two of their three fall tournaments and hosted

the Luther Invite last weekend Oct. 3 and 4, at the IM fields in Decorah.

Exit 69 was the first tournament of the fall season, providing an opportunity for all three of Luther’s team to showcase what they have to offer as a team thus far. LUFDA’

Go dEEP. Colin robinson (‘16) looks to throw deep during Pound’s game against st. thomas.

Cody Arndtson / Chips

sTEvE PETErson sPorts editor Melisse Chassé (‘17) is co-captain and leading scorer (seven goals) of the Norse women’s soccer team which is undefeated in conference play at this point in the season. Chassé led the team in both goals (9) and assists (12) last season and has been named the Norse Offensive MVP for the last two seasons. She looks to help the Norse women find success in conference play with her knack for finding the back of the goal.

nICE ToUCH. Greta Schmitt (‘17) thows the disc accross the field to another handler during this past weekend’s tournament.

Cody Arndtson / Chips

co-captain Sam Berglund (‘16) said that the display put on by their players was impressive this early in the season.

“Our defense was outstanding,” Berglund said. “[The] guys were really working and pushing themselves hard and leaving it all on the field.

It was really awesome to see new guys running and working hard, but returners stepping up into bigger roles. We played really well.”

Freya walked away from Exit 69 with their heads held high, and captain Hannah Garry (‘16) said that she is looking forward to talent of the new players and what this means for the program as a whole.

“We have a really fantastic group of new players this fall who are picking up the sport very quickly,” Garry said. “We can’t wait to see how they improve over the rest of the fall and in the spring. It’s exciting to have so many young players because it means the program will continue to grow in the future.”

Turning to the Luther Invitational, the Ultimate

Chips: What, or who, do you attribute your success to at this point in the season?

Chassé: I would have to always attribute my success to my parents and friends because they are the ones who make me keep pushing w hen I don’t want to, and they remind me why I truly play, which is because I love the relationships I’ve made through soccer.

What will be the biggest challenge for the team this year?

Our biggest challenge will be playing our game no matter what other teams throw at us. I know we are the best team in the IIAC this year, but to actually earn that title we need to show up to every game and never stop getting better.

Do you have any personal goals you’d like to achieve this season?

I think Ellie Bunz and I both have a shared personal goal this year, which is to make the 1st Team All Conference list, because the past two years we have both

tournament hosted on campus last weekend, all three Luther teams were excited to again have the opportunity to host a tournament and bring Ultimate back to the Luther community.

“One of the cool things about Ultimate is there is a huge community behind it,” Berglund said. “I have lots of friends who are visiting from other teams that I get to see and it is fun to host them.

Getting to invite those teams and friends to come play here is so fun for us.”

Reflecting on the season so far, Berglund sees nothing but possibilities for success this year with LUFDA. “One word that I would use to describe this year as I see it right now is ‘potential’,” Berglund said. “We have a ton of young athletic guys who are passionate about the game, we have a lot of potential, I could very easily see ourselves going to nationals this year and I could very easily see something going wrong and we’re not there.”

While LUFDA is focused on representing Luther again at

only gotten second team. We’ve both been working really hard to get better, and I think this could be the year for both of us.

What is your favorite thing about being on the soccer team?

My favorite thing about being on the soccer team is that I get to play my favorite game with my best friends every single day. I also get to watch my program get better every year, which is extremely exciting!

What are some things you like to do off the soccer pitch?

Off the pitch I enjoy spending time with my family, exploring the outdoors and hanging out with any cat I can find.

Do you have any superstitions/rituals in your game?

I try to do everything the same way before every game, such as putting my left sock on before my right, having the same person braid my hair, warming up next to the same people, etc. Sometimes remind myself that the game will go fine anyway!

nationals, Pound is looking to succeed in a different aspect of the game. Pound captain Jesse Hitz Graff (‘16) said that Pound is about being together and creating a team that plays Ultimate for the love of being with one another as a team.

“We do not have an end goal in terms of regionals, nationals, how many teams we’re beating, our only goal is to grow as a team,” Hitz Graff said. “The only reason we go out there and play everyday is to play alongside the guys who are there with us.”

Attendance is a big factor for Pound, which allows players to take days off as they need them, according to Hitz Graff.

“Going forward, we just want to retain our numbers as we can,” Hitz Graff said. “Keep striving together as a team. How well we can play is determined by how strong of a team we are.”

With the fall season nearly half over, teams are gearing up for the spring semester with expectations of playing well, practicing hard and possibly representing Luther both regionally and nationally.

In ConTroL. Melisse Chassé (‘17) moves the ball against edgewood College.

Photo courtesy of Melisse Chassé

SPORTS

PAGE 12

SPORTS EDITOR: STEVE PETERSON

OCTOBER 8, 2015

Soccer teams still unbeaten in IIAC

Weekly Standings Football

Wartburg Coe Dubuque Simpson Central Luther Buena Vista Loras

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

Recent Scores

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

Sept. 19 @ Grinnell College, W 56-0 Oct. 3 @ Dubuque, L 14-16

Upcoming Schedule

Oct. 10 @ Central College, 1:00 PM Oct. 17 vs. Buena Vista 1:00 PM

Women’s Soccer TEAM WORK. Luther’s men’s team lines up before their victory against Buena Vista.

CAMERON MEYFERTH MANAGING EDITOR The women’s and men’s soccer teams took on their Buena Vista University counterparts for the second conference game of the season last Saturday, Oct. 3. The women’s team won in a 6-0 shutout and the men’s team also won with a score of 5-1, improving their record to 7-3-2 overall and 2-0 in conference play. The women’s team also played Carleton College on Sunday, Oct. 4 and beat them 2-1, improving their record to 10-1 overall and 2-0 in conference play.

The women’s team started strong against Buena Vista, with midfielder Madison Speer (‘17) starting off the scoring with a header goal five minutes into the game.

The Norse women then scored four more goals before halftime. Forward Melisse Chassé (‘17) scored two goals, and forward Lauren Hughes (‘17) and midfielder Hanna Christopher (‘19) each put the ball in the net. After the half, the defense remained strong and didn’t allow any goals, and midfielder Ellie Bunz (‘17) added one more goal to the final score of 6-0. Goalkeeper Lauren Thormodsgard (‘17) had one save in her sixth clean sheet of the year.

Going into the match, both the Luther and the Buena Vista women’s teams hadn’t had a match since Sept. 26, which Head Women’s Soccer Coach Russell Schouweiler (‘05) said was a welcome break.

“This is the first time that we’ve had a week off,” Schouweiler said. “We haven’t had a midweek game which has been really nice at this point in the year, the kind of halfway point, to have some rest.”

According to Schouweiler, the last week of practice started light and then moved into heavier, full-field practice in preparation for back to back games. He said they also had to take into consideration the Buena Vista defense, who prior to Saturday’s game had a goalsagainst average of 1.18 and three shutouts.

“They haven’t let in that many goals in their games,” Schoueweiler said. “[We looked] at their defense and how they break down teams, looking at a couple ways how they score in terms of on counterattacks and ways that we can cycle that as well. Conference takes the precedence, so our focus most of the week has been on [Buena Vista].”

Defender Cecilia Douma (‘16) was pleased with the game’s result.

“With a double header this weekend, our goal … was to shut the game down early and get as many waves of fresh legs on the field as possible,” Douma said. “That’s a goal we definitely accomplished.”

According to Douma, she’s been proud of the team’s defense all season but thinks their defensive style is a full-team effort.

Cameron Meyferth / Chips

“It starts with high pressure in our offensive half, with forwards and midfielders who are willing to work hard off the ball,” Douma said. “We also have a very solid back line this year that hasn’t been allowing opponents many opportunities, and, of course, Lauren has been very consistent in goal.”

The men’s team also started strong in their game against Buena Vista, with defender Myles Norville (‘17) scoring the first two goals of the game. Buena Vista midfielder Marcus Krause closed the gap by taking advantage of a penalty kick, ending the half 2-1. The Norse men kept up the pressure second half with three more goals by midfielders Nigel Nielsen (‘17), Matheus Beato (‘17) and Aidan O’Driscoll (‘19), for a final result of 5-1.

Heading into the match, the Luther men were still recovering from a tough stretch of four games over seven days, according to Head Men’s Soccer Coach Chris Garcia-Prats.

“These last couple days have just been recovery and just getting refocused a little bit as we head into October, a critical month to our season with conference play along with a pretty good non-conference game with UW-Oshkosh,” Garcia-Prats said.

Garcia-Prats also commented on how the young Buena Vista team, which starts seven first-years and has a coach in just his second season, presents a different challenge.

“They’ve got a really young, youthful team with energy, and they’ll know they’re playing a good team,” Garcia-Prats said. “[We have to make] sure that we use our experience, because we’re playing a good number of seniors and upperclassmen and guys who have been in the program for a good number of years, and [recognize] how our experience is going to come into play.”

Nielsen was satisfied with the outcome of the game, despite what he viewed as a disappointing first half.

“I think the game went well,” Nielsen said. “We didn’t have the ideal start we wanted in the first half in terms of getting the ball into the back of the net, but we kept pressure on their doorstep and sure enough the goals started to come for us.”

A key factor in the men’s team’s success so far this year, according to Nielsen, has been the team’s mentality and effort for one another.

Both teams will look forward to playing their third conference game of the season at Simpson College next Saturday, Oct. 10.

“We still have some unfinished business in the IIAC,” Douma said. “We’re hoping to carry this momentum forward and improve as we continue down our conference schedule.”

The women’s team begins play at 5 p.m. and the men’s game will follow at 7:30 p.m.

“We still have some unfinished business in the IIAC.” -Cecilia Duoma (‘16 )

Luther Central Loras Coe Dubuque Wartburg Buena Vista Simpson

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

Overall 10-1 7-3-1 6-3-2 11-1-1 8-2-1 7-3-1 3-8 2-8

Recent Scores

Oct. 3 vs. Buena Vista, W 6-0 Oct. 4 vs. Carleton College, W 2-1

Upcoming Schedule

Oct. 10 @ Simpson, 5:00 PM Oct. 14 vs. Dubuque, 5:00 PM

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

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

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

Recent Scores

Sept. 29 @ Macalester College, L 1-3 Oct. 3 vs. Buena Vista, W 5-1

Upcoming Schedule

Oct 10 @ Simpson College, 7:30 PM

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

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

Overall 7-1 7-1 7-2 5-5 5-5 2-9 1-10 0-7

Recent Scores

Oct. 3 @ Simpson, W 9-0 Oct. 3 @ Central , W 7-2

Upcoming Schedule

Oct. 9-10 IIAC Individual Tournament 9:00 AM

Volleyball

Buena Vista Luther Wartburg Loras Coe Central Dubuque Simpson

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

Overall 13-7 12-7 14-3 11-8 13-7 12-7 10-12 11-11

Upcoming Schedule

Oct. 10 Wartburg College Quadrangular 11:00 PM