CHIPS November 5, 2015

HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH NEWS 2 THE 5 BROWNS PERFORM IN CFL

A&E 5 SOCCER PREPS FOR SEMIS

SPORTS 12

LUTHER COLLEGE

“Let the chips fall where they may.”

CHIPS

NOVEMBER 5, 2015

VOLUME 138, NO. 8

Senate hosts gender-neutral housing panel

Student Senate hosted a panel comprised of faculty and staff on Thursday, Oct. 29, to discuss the creation of new temporary gender-neutral housing opportunities by room draw in February 2016. They also discussed the continued work needed to implement permanent gender-neutral housing.

The panel included Assistant Professor of Philosophy Holly Moore, Assistant Professor of Africana Studies and History Lauren Anderson, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies Thomas Johnson, Director of Residence Life Kris Franzen and Associate Director of Human Resources and Title IX Coordinator Matthew Bills, and was moderated by Student Senate President and Pride President Jesus Lucero (‘16).

“We felt like we needed to catch the rest of the

Sexual assault: a review of policy JACOB WAREHIME STAFF WRITER

student body up,” Lucero said. “We thought the easiest way to do that would be to do some sort of panel or forum to host the conversation about it. The original reason we developed the panel was to educate the general student body on what could happen to Luther and how we can catch up and be better and excel in residential living.”

The forum also included testimonies of two transgender students telling their stories of trying to be fit into binary housing as transgender students.

“The two students that [were speaking that night were] essentially coming out,” Lucero said. “There was a lot of hesitancy if they really wanted to stand up and speak in front of people because it was outing themselves. There’s been a lot of reassurance and positivity around trying to create that safe space.”

In light of the attempted sexual assault on Luther College’s campus on Thursday, Oct. 8, there has been a renewed focus on Luther College’s policies regarding the handling of sexual assault cases. The campus policies are derived from Title IX. Although the law itself does not directly address sexual assault, colleges across the country have utilized it to create programs that protect and aid against sexual assault. Through this, Luther has developed an extensive framework to assist victims of sexual assault.

Associate Director of Human Resources and Title IX Coordinator Matthew Bills explains how exactly Title IX is used to help deal with cases of sexual assault on Luther’s campus.

“Title IX is a very brief law that basically says schools may not discriminate based on sex,” Bills said. “The law itself is a page and a half long; it’s really short. But around that law, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has created a very complex compliance framework.”

Although the law is commonly thought of as “the law that forces schools to have the same number of women’s and men’s sports teams,” Bills says it’s really about equal opportunity.

“In 2001 the OCR issued what they would call a significant guidance document where they said that allowing sexual harassment to occur on campus is just another form of discrimination,” Bills said. “By allowing that kind of atmosphere on your campus, you are discriminating.”

Sexual assault, Bills points out, is an extreme form of sexual harassment.

“Title IX applies to everyone,” Bills said. “So it’s really important that we have a campus-wide framework.”

It is through this framework that Luther has developed extensive on-campus resources for those affected by either sexual assault or harassment.

“We always want [students] to call 911 if there’s an active threat,” Bills said. “Similarly, they can call on campus safety.”

However, Bills says, if the event happened in the past, Luther also provides confidential services for students who don’t want to report the incident to law enforcement.

PANEL, PAGE 4

RESOURCES, PAGE 4

CHANGE IN ACTION. Panelists Lauren Anderson, Thomas Johnson, Kris Franzen and Matthew Bills listen to Student Senate President and panel moderator Jesus Lucero (‘16).

Frances Stevenson / Chips FRANCES STEVENSON STAFF WRITER

Serving the Luther College community since 1884.

Luther’s Board of Regents discusses campus-wide issues DANNY MAY STAFF WRITER The Luther College Board of Regents met Oct. 23 and 24 to discuss campuswide issues. According to Vice President for Communications and Marketing Rob Larson, issues included the budget, housing and the enrollment plan.

The Board of Regents showed support for Luther College’s 2016-18 Priorities, which are the administration’s main initiatives for the coming years.

According to Luther’s website, one

of these priorities is to “develop a comprehensive plan for achieving and maintaining maximum fiscal strength.”

In support of this, Larson explained that the short- and medium-term budget was discussed, and that a balanced budget has been approved for 2015-16.

“We are tuition dependent,” Larson said. “So managing costs and generating enrollment is a vital task of management and the Regents.”

Another priority, to “offer students a more fully integrated learning experience across their four years

at Luther,” contains an initiative to improve both Main Building and athletic facilities. The Board supported this as well, and their next step is to determine financial specifics for these projects.

As for gender-neutral campus housing, Larson stated that the Regents sought to clear up this issue.

“Housing was discussed, but no specific action was taken,” Larson said.

“Rather, education and identification of options and issues were the focus.”

Student Representative to the Student Life and Academics Committee Sukeji

Jeffrey (‘17) explained that the Board handed down the decision on genderneutral housing to the Luther College administration, and that possible living spaces for these accommodations were considered.

“The Board decided that it will support the administration in making this decision,” Jeffrey said. “The Board did not vote on anything, but rather we just had a discussion on what Student Life and the students had in mind.”

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Attendees share perspectives on Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration MAtijA nikoliC stAFF writer The Spanish department, Diversity Center and HOLA (Hispanic Organization for Latinos and Amigos)-Enlaces hosted the second annual Hispanic Heritage Month celebration in Hammarskjold Lounge in the Dahl Centennial Union on Thursday, Oct. 29.

Hispanic Heritage month is recognized from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, honoring Latino American culture and its contribution to the United States.

About 40 students, faculty and staff attended the event. Guests had the opportunity to enjoy Hispanic cuisine while listening to the educational and cultural program presented by members of HOLA-Enlaces. The second part of the program included musical performances from students and a demonstration of Latin American dances from the Luther College Ballroom/Swing club.

HOLA-Enlaces leader Martin Enciso (‘18) emphasized the significance of this event.

“When it comes to Latino culture, it is important that people see beyond just Mexico, as there’s much more to Latino diversity,” Enciso said.

The Spanish department and Diversity Center began celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month as a way to provide a space for Latino students at Luther to express the importance of Latino culture in the U.S., according to Associate Professor of Spanish Alfredo Alonso Estenoz. Hispanic identity is one that continues to develop and change in the United States, according to Estenoz.

“It is debatable what exactly Hispanic or

Latino culture means … for people who came to the U.S. five years or a decade ago; one would ask whether they are Latino or not,” Estenoz said. “The term itself usually refers to people of Hispanic descent who were born and/or raised in the U.S. and who are bicultural or bilingual. [The event] celebrates the general relationship between the United States and Latino / Hispanic cultures.”

The event caused some attendees to consider how Hispanic culture can be best represented at Luther. Coordinator of Multicultural Student Programs Michelle Boike (‘13) attended the event and shared her perspective with regard to representation.

“Next year, we should do a better job of partnering with more students who identify as Hispanic, in the case they would like to get involved with the event,” Boike said. “When we have an event that highlights a specific identity, are we saying: ‘this is your event and we support you’ or are we saying, ‘this is your event and we are going to run it’? I was glad to be there, and they did a good job of talking about the culture, but I was wondering who was this actually for? Is this happening because the Spanish department wants their students to be educated about these issues, or is it because we want to celebrate the achievements of Hispanic and Latino peoples?”

HOLA-Enlaces leader Ryan Goos (‘16) agreed that some aspects could be improved but assures that the group put forth their best effort.

“In regards to the issue of not having Latinos present, it was a matter of not having anyone stepping up to do it,” Goos said. “HOLAEnlaces is a Spanish club on campus, and we

Singing HiSpAniC folk SongS. isabella rosales (‘16) performed with her father gerardo raymundo rosales at the Hispanic Heritage month gathering.

Anna Jeide / Chips were approached by the Spanish department to do it.”

Goos points out that Latino students were represented through various performances.

Pablo Gomez Estévez (‘17) played a Cuban piano piece, and Isabella Rosales (‘16) sang traditional Mexican folk songs with her father Gerardo Raymundo Rosales.

Goos affirmed that HOLA-Enlaces welcomes Latino student involvement and is open to suggestions for next year’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebration.

“We absolutely want and need Latinos to be involved,” Goos said. “I agree that there were not a lot of Latinos in the program, but that is something that we are actively trying to fix.”

Jose Lopez (‘18) also attended the event.

“I really appreciated the notion of celebrating the lives of great Latino people,” Lopez said. “I was worried that there wouldn’t be any event on campus to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, considering that the Latino population at Luther is comparatively small.”

Lopez did share Boike’s critique of how the event was presented.

“The people presenting gave me the impression that HOLA-Enlaces is mostly comprised of and run by white American students and not the Hispanic or Latino student groups it tries to represent. But I do appreciate the fact that they organized that event to celebrate Latinos and their achievements.”

Kovacovich tells story on Iowa Public Radio AnnA jeide news editor

Active Minds President Katie Kovacovich (‘16) was interviewed

by Iowa Public Radio to discuss mental health on college campuses during the station’s River to River program on Thursday, Oct. 29.

Iowa Public Radio reached out to Kovacovich for the work that Luther’s Active Minds chapter has done to promote awareness about mental health. Most recently, Active Minds organized their annual red umbrella campaign in an effort to destigmatize mental health and spread awareness.

Kovacovich was one of three guests on the show “Community

Engagement Essential for Mentally Healthy Campuses,” along with Professor in the School of Education at Iowa State University Robert Reason and Director of Counseling Services at the University of Iowa Barry Schreier, hosted by Ben Kieffer.

The show focused on a new study that shows that community engagement can lead to higher reporting of mental well-being among college students, according to Reason.

During the 45-minute program, Kovacovich shared about her own personal journey with mental health and how she has learned to cope with the difficulties of mental illness.

“I first started experiencing mental health struggles early on in high school in about my ninth and tenth grade year when I started experiencing a lot of anxiety and depression,” Kovacovich said. “I did get the push from friends to start seeking help.”

When asked about her transition from high school to college, Kovacovich had fairly positive things to say.

“To speak to the Luther community, they do a fabulous job of integrating students in their first year and pushing community and pushing involvement,” Kovacovich said in the interview. “I found that transition to be smoother than I expected. I also was blessed to

have a wonderful floor that year; my floormates and my roommate were all wonderful people, and it built a wonderful community around me.”

According to the broadcast, one in four young adults ages 18-24 have a diagnosable mental illness, and 40 percent of students with diagnosable mental conditions, did not seek help.

A new study from Iowa State University has discovered a strong correlation between a student’s community involvement and mental health.

“When we asked students how often they participated in community-based projects, the more often [they participated in

community projects] the more likely they were to report higher levels of well-being,” Reason said.

According to Reason, this new evidence is significant in terms of how we understand potential strategies for managing mental health issues.

“If we go back to Katie’s story, she talked about the isolation that can accompany mental health concerns, alleviating the isolation, finding places to connect,” Reason said. “She talked about engagement with students and student groups, specifically Active Minds. Those provide meaning in life.”

Although she was nervous to talk about her own struggles on air, Kovacovich admits that she has come to see the value in openly discussing her own personal experience.

“I came to embrace that vulnerability and hope that I’m making a difference for a lot of people, letting them know that it’s OK and necessary to talk about it,” Kovacovich said. “I was humbled and honored to be interviewed by Iowa Public Radio.”

To hear the complete interview with Kovacovich, the full program broadcast can be streamed online from iowapublicradio.org under the title, “Community Engagement Essential for Mentally Healthy Campuses.”

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Panel discusses “Guys and Guns” lAURA pRoeSCHoldt stAFF writer Students, faculty and staff convened to discuss perceptions and drivers of mass violence in the U.S. on Tuesday, Oct. 27. The panel, titled “Guys & Guns: Perspectives on Mass Violence, Media and the U.S.,” was sponsored by Just Action, a student and faculty group whose goal is to facilitate conversation on pressing social issues such as race, privilege and systemic injustice.

Just Action, short for the phrase “Not just words; just action,” is a continuation of last year’s Keep it Going and Don’t Shoot Series events sponsored by the Diversity Center and other student groups. Tuesday night’s panel included presentations by Assistant Professor of Sociology Joseph Kremer, Interim Director of the Diversity Center Wintlett Taylor-Browne, Associate Professor of Psychology Stephanie Travers, sociology student Jorge Loyo (‘17) and Director of Campus Safety and Security Bob Harri. Panelists covered topics ranging from the causes of mass shootings and the portrayal of mass violence in the media to mental health aspects of violent events, violence prevention and gun policy on campus and in the state of Iowa.

Much of the presentation focused on deconstructing misperceptions of mass violence. Kremer pointed to a study that indicated that the number of mass shootings has stayed relatively steady over the past three decades while media coverage of these events has increased, leading to a skewed idea of the prevalence of mass violence. Kremer also indicated that the media tends to lump different types of shootings together in reports about mass violence, creating a barrier to understanding the underlying causes.

“Media is part of the issue because they’re over reporting,” Kremer said. “So we need to be understanding of where the data comes from and that it may or may not line up with official definitions of crime, which we have standardized so we can all understand what we’re talking about.”

A recurring theme throughout the panel

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life outside luther TransCanada asks US to suspend pipeline application review

StigMA And SAfetY SURRoUnding gUn ViolenCe. Panelists representing faculty, Campus Security and the Diversity Center field questions about gun violence .

Laura Proescholdt / Chips was the complexity of mass violence and the idea that reductionist conceptions of mass violence can lead to ineffective responses. Kremer presented a recent poll that stated that most Americans identify untreated mental illness, media portrayals of violence, gun laws, or “pure evil” as the cause or causes of mass violence. Kremer stated that while these are factors (excluding “pure evil” from the analysis), instances of mass violence are multidimensional, and there are systemic drivers, such as inequality, that often go unaddressed in debates on the subject.

Travers pointed out that instantly blaming mental illness for mass violence contributes to stigmatization. “[It’s] another black eye for mental illness, and that’s one of the reasons, not the only reason, that I’m particularly aware of school shootings,” Travers said.

Travers and Loyo argued that building an inclusive community might be a way to prevent acts of mass violence at places like Luther College.

“Community support needs to be

there for people who are going through strenuous times,” Loyo said.

Taylor-Brown contributed demographic data relating to mass violence, stating that more millennials die as a result of gun violence than any other generation.

Whites are more likely to shoot themselves or others and blacks are more likely to be shot. Taylor-Browne posited that cultural change might be a factor in instances of violence.

“The American culture is in a state of change,” Taylor-Browne said. “The shooters are trying to grapple with this rapid change.”

For Lily Brondyke (‘17), the discussion of mass violence revealed the complexity of the problem. She felt it should be discussed more in the future.

“It’s a very multifaceted debate,” Brondyke said. “It’s not in any way onedimensional, and from what I can tell, it’s something that’s not been explored to the depth that other social issues have been. With increased media coverage, it’s something that is coming to the forefront of people’s minds that needs to be dissected and discussed.”

Travers hopes that the panel and ensuing conversation will lead to an ongoing dialogue among students, staff and faculty about social issues.

“I would like students to come away thinking that there are faculty and staff in a number of areas that are really concerned about this and open to conversation about it,” Travers said. “It’s not just something that you guys are facing as students, and it’s not a one-discipline problem. It’s everyone’s problem.”

To learn more about myths relating to mass shootings or the Just Action group, more information can be found at the following websites: chronicle.com/blogs/ conversation/2012/12/18/top-10-mythsabout-mass-shootings/ or luther.edu/justaction/.

TransCanada, the company behind the controversial Keystone XL pipeline from Canada to the U.S Gulf Coast, has asked the U.S. State Department to pause its review of the project.

TransCanada said Monday it had sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry requesting that the State Department suspend its review of the pipeline application. The pipeline company said such a suspension would be appropriate while it works with Nebraska authorities for approval of its preferred route through the state that is facing legal challenges in state courts. The move comes as the Obama administration was widely expected to reject the pipeline permit application.

US Supreme Court questions district attorney’s alleged rejection of black jurors The Supreme Court signaled support Monday for a black death row inmate in Georgia who claims prosecutors improperly kept African-Americans off the jury that convicted him of killing a white woman.

Justice Stephen Breyer likened the chief prosecutor to his excuse-filled grandson. Justice Elena Kagan said the case seemed as clear a violation “as a court is ever going to see” of rules the Supreme Court laid out in 1986 to prevent racial discrimination in the selection of juries.

At least six of the nine justices indicated during arguments that black people were improperly singled out and kept off the jury that eventually sentenced defendant Timothy Tyrone Foster to death in 1987.

Vatican arrests two in latest inquiry of leaked documents The Vatican said Monday it had arrested a highranking priest and another member of a papal reform commission in an investigation into leaked confidential documents — a stunning move that comes just days before the publication of two books promising damaging revelations about the obstacles Pope Francis faces in cleaning up the Holy See’s murky finances.

The latest arrests of two advisers hand-picked

by Francis to help in his effort to overhaul Vatican finances threatened to further expose infighting and rifts surrounding the pope’s efforts at reform and a church that uses its money to help the poor.

Bush hits campaign reset, retools slogan Jeb Bush hit the reset button on his presidential campaign, racing across Florida on Monday with a new slogan that cast him as the sole Republican candidate who can right what’s wrong with Washington: “Jeb Can Fix It.” Bush told the crowd that American voters are looking for “authenticity” in a presidential candidate and “not a big personality on the stage.”

Compiled from www.ap.org

NEWS

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NEWS EDITORS: ANNA JEIDE & KATIE NELSON

Gender-neutral housing panel hosted PANEL, PAGE 1 The forum included a discussion on where administration stood on finding suitable locations for a gender-neutral floor and on providing upperclassmen with a gender-neutral living situation.

Vice President and Dean of Student Life Corey Landstrom worked to create the panel and works with Franzen to create a safer living situation for transgender students and non-binary students.

“While we have options available for returning students in specific locations

as well as those made available on a case-by-case basis, we do not currently have a space for any incoming firstyear students,” Landstrom said. “We are working to rectify that situation and have identified a prospective location. We are awaiting an estimate for the renovations required to install a private, single user shower and restroom in the location.”

Many of the concerns around creating a gender-neutral space has stemmed from questions about students wanting to live there for the wrong reasons.

“There are a lot of misconceptions on

Upcoming Events

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Larson explained that the Board of Regents meetings are broken down into four parts: a plenary session, committee meetings, a business meeting and an executive session. The Board, according to Larson, seeks to be as efficient as possible.

“The nature of the Regents meetings is that they try and stay at high levels of decision making,” Larson said.

“They prefer to not get too close to micro-managing the organization.”

Of the four committees, Larson stated that the most headway is

made in the committee meetings, which consists of Board of Regents members, staff, faculty and student representatives.

“This is where the real work gets done,” Larson said. “Each committee has a specific agenda and an institutional charge.”

Student Representative to the Outreach and Development Committee Nicole Lussier (‘16) said that her committee focused on future development on campus. Lussier explained that her role as a student representative is to be a voice for the students and their experiences on

RESOURCES, PAGE 1

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“[We] can just be a sounding board to talk to and figure out what happened and why,” Bills said.

As detailed in the Student Handbook under Student Sexual Misconduct Policies and Procedures, these confidential resources are Counseling Service and Campus Ministries and, for medical attention, Health Service.

“What’s particularly important about [these resources] is that in each of these areas, these folks all have professional licenses that provide legal privilege to the council that they give students,” Bills said. “So even if this does become a lawsuit down the road, whatever you tell that person is purely confidential.”

After a student reaches out to the campus or to any of the listed confidential resources, there is a wide range of things the college can do to accommodate victims.

“We have a broad authority to address it in the short term,” Bills said. “We can issue no-contact orders, and that’s very common.”

Other measures include changing course schedules and moving an offending student out of a class. However, if there is sufficient evidence to move forward, then a hearing will be scheduled with the newly constituted Luther College Hearing Board. According to Assistant Dean for Student Life Jane Hildebrand, the hearing board is comprised of 11 members— three faculty, three staff and five students.

“We have representation across the institution,” Bills said. “We think it’s really important that there are students on that hearing panel. The students bring really important knowledge and experience of what student life really is like here. I think they provide really good context for events.”

The Hearing Board looks at the student handbook and determines if the accused is

Information from luther.edu/events

campus.

“It’s great that we’re able to share our opinions and to think about how students would be affected,” Lussier said. “It’s a chance for us to make sure that we have input in how [the Board] understands the community at Luther.”

Lussier also stressed the role of the Board of Regents.

“They really act as people who love Luther,” Lussier said. “They want to make sure that it’s a sustainable, diverse and growing community. You can really see how passionate they are.”

Title IX and campus assault resources discussed

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7:30 p.m., Center for Faith and Live, Main Hall Sunday, November 8 Sunday Worship Service 10:00 a.m., Center for Faith and Life, Main Hall Sr. Recital: Peter Swanson, 2:00 p.m., Noble Recital Cello Hall, Jenson-Noble Hall of Music Sr. Recital: Tyson Lund, 4:00 p.m., Noble Recital Trombone Hall, Jenson-Noble Hall of Music Hemp Prize Sr. Recital: 7:00 p.m., Noble Recital Daniel Ray, Violen Hall, Jenson-Noble Hall of Music Monday, November 9 Chapel: Eric Ellingsen 10:30 a.m., Center for Faith and Life, Main Hall Tuesday, November 10 Marketing Your Study 9:40 a.m., Olin 107 Abroad Experience Guest Masterclass: Amy 7:30 p.m., Noble Recital Johnson, Voice Hall, Jenson-Noble Hall of Music Planning Your Internship 7:30 p.m., Main 112 Writing Your Resume and 7:30 p.m., Olin 213 Cover Letter Wednesday, November 11 Letters to Veterans 9:00 a.m., Decorah High School Shopping Shuttle 7:30 p.m., Student Organizational Suite

“It affects us the most because we are the ones on the ground actually dealing with the issue,” Lucero said.

“As much as we pride ourselves and our community on acceptance, there are the people that are not comfortable being in a situation where they would have to live with someone who doesn’t exactly look their sex. As much as we want to preach acceptance in our community, there are those people who exist and those people are just as valid as anybody else. The only way things can move forward is if student are behind it.”

Board of Regents meets REGENTS, PAGE 1

Thursday, November 5 Volunteer / Non-profit 10:00 a.m., Dahl Centennial Career Fair Union, Main Louge Zotero Workshop 7:00 p.m., Preus Library, Hovde Room Friday, November 6 Women’s Cross Country - 3:30 p.m., Home JV Cup Men’s Cross Country - JV 4:15 p.m., Home Cup Center Stage Series: The 5 7:30 p.m., Center for Faith Browns and Life, Main Hall Saturday, November 7 Men’s Soccer - IIAC All day, TBA Tournament Final Women’s Soccer - IIAC All day, TBA Tournament - Final Football - Loras College Military Appreciation Day Men’s Swimming and Diving - Grinnell College Women’s Swimming and Diving - Grinnell College Jazz Band Concert

what this space will be used for,” Lucero said. “Like people who just want to date each other or couples, people who will abuse the system. Which is not to say,it won’t happen, but personally I am hoping students are smart enough to say, ‘I don’t want to live with my boyfriend or girlfriend, and that’s not a good idea.’ But there’s a lot of trust in that.”

According to Lucero, the student body has a right to be informed about what is happening on campus, and it is important to include differing views in the conversation.

responsible for violating any of the terms. It then proceeds to determine an appropriate sanction.

Hildebrand echoes the effectiveness of the board.

“I applaud the board members and have been very impressed with the cases the board has handled in the past and current year,” Hildebrand said Bills also draws attention to the lack of conversation about sexual assault on Luther’s campus.

“This issue of sexual misconduct on campus is one that I don’t think we talk enough about here,” Bills said.

“The issues that tend to draw a lot of interest are the ones like we had two weeks ago. But that’s not the way these things happens—that’s the first incident we’ve had like that here in five or six years.”

The more common issue, Bills points out, are cases where alcohol is involved.

“Types of sexual assaults where consent is hazy and alcohol is involved are happening constantly,” Bills said.

Bills also says that Luther is trying to expand their awareness efforts and invites students to help.

“We’re trying to figure out if there’s interest in a student group to do sexual assault awareness and sexual education on campus,” Bills said. “If anyone is interested in that, I’d love to hear from them, and we’d love to get a student group to provide some energy on campus.”

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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A&E EDITOR: JENNA NELSON

NOVEMBER 5, 2015

The 5 Browns to play in Center Stage Series 5 PIANOS FOR 5 BROWNS. (From left) Siblings Melody, Desirae, Ryan, Gregory and Deondra Brown gather for a photo.

ELIZABETH HURLEY STAFF WRITER Five pianos, all arranged to look like one, will fill the CFL stage; glossy black, shining in the light, the keys of the five Steinways will reflect a soft glow as the stage awaits the five Brown siblings to take their places and begin…

On Friday, Nov. 6, the 5 Browns will perform in the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall at 7:30 p.m. A musical group composed of five siblings, the Browns are an ‘orchestra of pianos,’ playing pieces arranged specifically for their unique act.

“There was a time this felt like a pipedream,” Director of Campus Programing Tanya Gertz said on getting the 5 Browns to Luther. “I had a lot of

Photo courtesy of Bryan Hernandez-Luch

requests for them in the past.”

A world-renowned quintet, the 5 Browns are known for their musical ability and their unique act.

“It’s very different,” pianist Melody Brown said.

“Nowhere else can you see [or hear] pianos on a stage like this.”

5 BROWNS, PAGE 8

Ailabouni in jazz music showcase JESSE ANDERSON STAFF WRITER Students, faculty and jazz enthusiasts gathered on Tuesday, Oct. 27 in the Noble Recital Hall to hear Adjunct Professor of Music Jon Ailabouni (‘10), his former classmate Lars-Erik Larson (‘10), Joe Strachan and Ted Olsen preform a jazz program.

According to his website, Ailabouni graduated from Luther College summa cum laude as a music major with an emphasis in classical trumpet performance.

Afterwards, Ailabouni completed a master of music degree in jazz studies at Western Michigan University.

While at Luther, Ailabouni worked closely with his classmate and recital percussionist Larson.

“We both played in the jazz orchestra and in jazz combo together at Luther, and then we fell out of touch when we went to different grad schools,” Ailabouni said.

Larson and Ailabouni recently reconnected to bring this performance to Luther.

“We both went on to grad school to study jazz, so it’s fun to reconnect and see how the other person has grown and gotten better,” Larson said.

The jazz community is built on these collaborative connections as they facilitate good jazz performances.

“The music relies so heavily on in-the-moment spontaneous creation and improvisation,” Ailabouni said. “It’s really important that you get good chemistry between the musical and social personalities of the players.”

According to Ailabouni, his personality on the trumpet met with those of Larson’s on the drums, Olsen’s on the bass and Strachan’s on the piano to produce this recital, blending diverse classical pieces with contemporary interpretations.

“I aim to show a diversity of classic jazz compositions and composers,” Ailabouni said. “I think that [diversity] happened but was also filtered through the kind of contemporary or modern approach of the musicians in

the group who are rooted in the tradition of jazz, that side of Jon’s creativity,” Graf said. “It’s really wonderful is, the way it used to be played, but also are committed to hear all of his creative ideas coming out in sound.” to exploring modern possibilities.”

According to Ailabouni, this recital was a step in his One piece in particular, “Price jazz career that, through teaching, learning and playing Albert,” originally composed by he will continue to hone his jazz skills to touch the lives Kenny Dorham, exhibited a of his students and listeners. modern take on a classical piece.

According to Ailabouni, as the arranger of this piece, he changed the meter and the melody while using improvisation in the be-bop style to help the piece stay true to its roots. Ailabouni was impressed by this piece as it allowed his quartet to be truly experimental.

Recital attendee Michael Winkler (‘19) was especially moved.

“I thought it was a phenomenal show,” Winkler said. “I really enjoyed their takes, especially in ‘Prince Albert.’ Jon’s arrangement is lights-out phenomenal.”

According to Winkler and Adam Graf (‘16), this performance stands as a testament to the quality of jazz played at Luther College.

Professor of Music and Director of Luther College’s Jazz Program Juan Tony Guzman (‘90) shared similar sentiments about the performance.

“Outstanding, the sense of communication, the finesse in artistry in jazz, ideas that are really refreshing,” Guzman said. “It [was] just a really enlightening and enjoyable performance.”

Faculty performances allow students to see their professors in an environment where the classroom comes to life.

“It’s really amazing to hear Jon play AILABOUNI GETS JAZZY. Adjunt Professor of Music Jon Ailabouni Jesse Anderson / Chips because a lot of times we see the teaching (‘10) perfoms in his faculty recital on Oct. 27.

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FEATuRES EdIToR: Abby cARPENTER

Collaboration. (From left) Emily Alcock (‘17) and Visiting Assistant Professor in Spanish Megan Strom conduct research on the portrayal of Latino children in the media.

Breanne Pierce / Photo Bureau

Students and faculty collaborate on undergraduate research projects elyse grothaus STAFF WRITER Some students chose to stay on campus this summer and conduct an undergraduate research project in collaboration with members of the Luther faculty. Research projects ranged from creating a mathematical model for vaccinations to looking at the relationship between psychological well-being and religious aspects. These projects allow students to go in-depth in their studies alongside professors. They are funded by summer student/ faculty collaborative research grants or work study as well as external funding.

One example of an undergraduate research project that took place this

past summer was titled “Effects of Core Body Temperature on Running Economy.” Biology major Tricia Serres (‘16) reached out to Associate Professor of Biology Mark Eichinger and Associate Professor of Health and Physical Education Brian Solberg (‘88) with interest in this topic.

This research was a continuation of projects that Eichinger has been doing for approximately four or five years. Serres and Eichinger looked at the cost of transport, which refers to the amount of energy needed for an individual to perform a certain task.

In this case, the task was walking or running. Eichinger explained how their project has always been designed to include students.

“It was a collaboration, but it was far from 50/50,” Eichinger said.

“Tricia probably did 90 percent of the work. Brian and I helped formulate an idea, maybe refined her question a little bit and helped her with developing the research model.

She then took off with everything else. In this case, Brian Solberg and I, the faculty, were mostly guiding her.”

Eichinger also explained how this is only one example of the many collaborative projects that are taking place in the biology department. He stressed the importance of including students in research projects.

“I think it’s invaluable for all parties,” Eichinger said. “I think, for the students, they gain necessary critical skills in science: asking questions, developing controlled experiments and troubleshooting.

They gain experience being a

scientist. For the faculty, it keeps us active in our fields. There is mutual benefit for this.”

Another collaborative research project that was conducted over the summer was titled “The Representation of Latin Child Immigrants in English- and SpanishLanguage Media in the United States.” Spanish and international studies major Emily Alcock (‘17) worked with Visiting Assistant Professor in Spanish Megan Strom.

They studied the representation of Latino child migrants in U.S. media in the year 2014 by analyzing the New York Times, Los Angeles Times and regional Spanish newspapers in the U.S. This was a critical discourse study through linguistics.

While analyzing different grammar

structures and words that were used, they found that the media tends to liken these child migrants to a natural disaster caused by water. The words that were used most often to describe Latino child migrants coming to the U.S. were “flood,” “wave” and “surge.”

Their research has already brought them to two conferences, and one of their manuscripts was recently accepted for publication. It was not easy work, but Alcock knows that they conducted important research.

“Hopefully we can spread the message and spread what we found so that people don’t take the media at face value and they can critically read it,” Alcock said. “I have benefited by having this experience as an undergrad. And just the experience of presenting at conferences and understanding what academic research is like, especially at a professor level. It’s also made me a more critical reader and writer.”

Strom, the collaborative professor on this project, didn’t know what she was getting into at first. However, she soon realized how these research projects are incredible experiences for undergraduate students.

“I was just blown away by the whole experience,” Strom said.

“Number one, that faculty-student collaborative research can work, and it doesn’t even have to be a miniproject; it can be a full-blown project that can be published in the best journals that are out there. That was a huge take away for me.”

FEATuRES

PAgE 7

FEATuRES EdIToR: Abby cARPENTER

NoVEMbER 5, 2015

Decorah trick-or-treaters visit first-year residence halls Katy roets VoLuNTEER WRITER On an unusually warm Halloween evening, Luther’s campus slowly came under siege around 5:30 p.m. The threat?

Petite monsters, magical beings, celebrities and beasts of all kinds on a hunt for processed sugar sustenance.

Despite the nervous tension at their arrival, the air quickly dissolved into a chorus of “awwws” as Decorah children flooded the first-year residence halls to trick-ortreat.

For the past eight years, the Luther College campus has opened its three first-

year residence halls’ doors to gaggles of Decorah area children and their families on Oct. 31 between the hours of 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. Students in these halls can choose whether or not they would like to be a part of the evening. Those who choose to participate tape a paper pumpkin to their door.

Being able to show off costumes without fear of being too cold appeals to parents and children alike. Less walking means a shorter night for parents and less chilly fingers for kids. Those who attend Luther for trick-or-treating also have the opportunity to play games and engage with students and residence life

staff on a different level.

“For a lot of our residents, it’s the first time they’ve ever been on the other end of things,” Ylvisaker Resident Assistant Alexa Schroeder (‘17) said.

“Seeing the kids come in so excited for a holiday we’ve experienced for so many years is really amazing.”

Before Olson and Ylvisaker got in on the game, Brandt was the only hall that offered trickor-treating. It is unknown how far back the tradition extends.

According to Assistant Dean for Student Life Kris Franzen, the three halls offer distinct activities aside from doorto-door trick-or-treating.

With cookie decorating in

Olson, games in Ylvisaker and crafts in Brandt, families and children alike are given a full range of Halloween activities.

“Getting to see the joy on the faces of these guys when they win a candy fishing game is just such joy,” Ylvisaker Resident Assistant Fred Scaife (‘16) said.

Ylvisaker Assistant Hall Director Chris Lovagnini (‘16) agrees that the fun of accommodating trick-ortreaters is seeing how happy the kids are to participate.

“That 3-year-old’s earto-ear smile is what makes the whole night worth it,” Lovagnini said.

The concerns about allowing

the children into these halls primarily revolve around Luther students and Halloween night activities.

Brandt Assistant Hall Director Gideon Matchey (‘17) theorized why only first-year halls are used for trick-or-treating.

“It’s a little bit less of a risk considering the ban on alcohol in these halls,” Matchey said.

“Things still happen, but the chance is lowered a lot by this assumption of a ‘dry’ building.”

The consensus among RAs, students and parents seems to be that Luther should continue to welcome these colorful and wild creatures for as long as fun and safe candy solicitation remains the priority.

CanDy Man. gideon Matchey (‘17) is ready with candy for trickor-treaters.

Katy Roets / Chips Monday - Saturday 9am - 5pm | Thursday 9am - 8pm

FASHION. FOR REAL LIFE. AFFORDABLE BOUTIQUE SHOPPING

little Monsters. Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Women and gender Studies Maryna bazylevych (second from left) poses with trick-or-treaters in the brandt Hall study lounge.

Katy Roets / Chips

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Arts & eNtertAiNmeNt

PAge 8 November 5, 2015

A&e editor: JeNNA NelsoN

5 Browns piano quintet to perform 5 BrOwns, PAge 5 The idea to play together came to the siblings while they were studying at Julliard.

“There was a day and age in the 1800s where pianists would join together to play what they called ‘monster concerts’ which had anywhere from three to 100 pianos. That’s the roots of what we do,” Melody Brown said.

Having all studied piano since the age of three, the Julliard track came to them after the two oldest Browns, Desirae and Deondra, were accepted at the conservatory. Encouraged by their sisters to pursue Juilliard’s pre-college program, it wasn’t long before the others followed suit.

“Before we knew it, we were out in New York at Julliard studying piano proficiency,” Gregory Brown said.

Over the course of nine years, Julliard was home to at least two Brown siblings at a time.

It was here that the idea of performing together came to be.

“We came up with the idea to combine and play music together,” Gregory Brown said.

“There was no music for five pianos, so we arranged music we loved. We had some lucky breaks, and now we’re here together.”

Gaining attention in 2002, the group has since toured and performed at the Kimmel Center, Symphony Hall and Alice Tully Hall in the United States. They have also toured internationally at the Grand National Theater in China and the Suntory Hall in Japan.

“They are exceptional artists,” Gertz said. “Part of that is because there is an interplay between them that is playful and respectful; you see the interaction between them on stage and with the music.”

Their performances are driven by joyful passion for music and the challenges that come with it. “[Playing piano] is what gives me the most joy in my whole life,” Gregory Brown said. “It allows me to express myself in a way I can’t express with words.

There are still times where it’s really challenging, technically and emotionally, but when it comes down to it, it’s what I do, and it’s the one thing I love the most. I could never give it up.”

Melody Brown shares a similar sentiment.

“It’s just such a passion,”

Melody Brown said. “It’s not amazing all the time, but somehow putting yourself into the music, something starts coming together and clicking, even when you have nothing else to give. That’s the cool part about music.”

The Browns look forward to affecting the audience’s perceptions of classical music.

“There is power in music, especially classical music, that can really affect human emotions in a poignant way,” Gregory Brown said. “[At the concert,] I hope people come away with a lot of different emotions. I hope they go home having had fun and in some way feeling moved.”

Though a classical show, the 5 Browns are all about having fun, balancing the wellknown classical pieces with lesser-known pieces and new arrangements, playing a range of music from Rhapsody in Blue to Star Wars and the Sorcerer’s Apprentice.

“I want people who have never heard classical music before to come out thinking, ‘If this is what classical music is like then I want to listen to more of it’,” Gregory Brown said.

Bethany Larson (‘19) is looking forward to this unique show. A piano performance major at Luther, Larson has studied piano since she was four years old. Hearing about the 5 Browns from her mom, Larson looked them up and has now booked tickets for herself, her mom and a family friend.

“I’m excited to hear the complexity of five different pianos and five different parts at the same time,” Larson said.

“And I’m excited to hear pieces that I know portrayed in a different way. I think that will be the best part.”

Hoping to talk to the Browns after the show, Larson may get a chance. Looking to connect with their audience both on stage and off, the 5 Browns will be in the lobby after the concert.

But regardless of if Larson gets to meet the Browns, she’s expecting to be “blown away” by their performance.

For more information on the 5 Browns, visit their website, the5browns.com.

To book tickets to the show, visit tickets.luther.edu/Online/ center-stage-series.

The show will take place in the CFL on Friday, Nov. 6 at 7:30 p.m.

DanCe alOng. (From right) malcom Kelly and tony oller (mKto) perform for students.

Brandon Whitish / Photo Bureau

MKTO and Hippo Campus in concert Jenna nelsOn A&e editor Student Activities Council (SAC) Concerts hosted headliner MKTO with opening act Hippo Campus on Friday, Oct. 30.

MKTO is a pop/rock duo featuring Malcom Kelly and Tony Oller, hence the name MKTO. Popular songs include their debut single “Thank You” (2013), chart topper “Classic” (2014) and their latest single “Afraid of the Dark” (off of their 2015 Extended Play (EP) “Bad Girls”).

SAC Concerts committee chose the duo with the use of student polls and feedback from previous concerts. Erica Drake (‘17) appreciated the choice and loved the energy of MKTO’s dance-along music.

“I was happy they were chosen because they gave a great performance,” Drake said. “I love when we can get groups or individual singers who can portray a ton of energy that makes everyone want to dance along, even though you may not know the words to their songs.”

Kelly and Oller interacted with the student crowd.

“Tony came out in the Luther promo

homecoming hat, which was cool because it showed that they really were excited to be here and were engaged with their performance,” Drake said. “They also interacted with students in the crowd by taking someone’s selfie stick to take a selfie of them with the crowd!”

Students were also excited to see the concert opener, Minnesota-based band Hippo Campus.

The four-piece alternative rock band started the night with a few songs off of their recent EP titled “South.” With so many Minnesotan students at Luther, Hippo Campus had connections in the crowd. Alyssa Wildenauer (‘17) from Woodbury Minnesota, went to high school with some of the members.

“I went to the same high school for my freshman year with some of the band members,” Wildenauer said. “People from the Twin Cities also just tend to love them, so it is pretty exciting to see them live.”

Information regarding the spring concert artist decision will be released within the semester. For more information on artist suggstions, voting and the SAC Concerts committee, please contact sacconcerts@luther. edu.

In THe spOTlIgHT. Hippo Campus lead singer Jake luppen at the mic.

Brandon Whitish / Photo Bureau

OPInIOn

PaGE 9

manaGInG EDITOr: CamErOn mEyfErTh

nOvEmBEr 5, 2015

In response to lecture criticism Director of Center for Ethics and Public Life Greg Jesson responds to Claire Boeke’s (‘16) Letter to the Editor published in Chips volume 138, number 7 on Thursday, Oct. 29.

I appreciate Ms. Claire Boeke’s sincere concern over the issues expressed in her letter.

However, she makes many serious claims about Richard Winter’s lecture on Thursday, Oct. 22, which are false and misrepresent the spirit of the presentation. Because her claims are so egregious, I will address many of them in some detail. But, before I do this, it is important for the readers of this paper to know that there were faculty members in the audience, both male and female, along with the dean of the college who did not hear all the things that Ms. Boeke alleges. Further, before Winter came to campus, he spoke with the head of counseling, at her request, just to make sure that his message was not in conflict with the value of respecting all persons regardless of sexual identity and orientation.

1. Ms. Boeke claimed that the speaker was not knowledgeable. Richard Winter, M.D., has been a psychiatrist and psychotherapist for over 40 years and is currently the director of a counseling program in a graduate school.

He has dedicated his life to helping people who have been hurt, including rape victims. If Ms. Boeke dismisses these qualifications, then isn’t she ignoring the evidence?

Winter spoke compassionately about rape, depression, bullying, attempted suicide and suicide, and quoted from several recent cases involving rape, rapes by fraternity members (who were not punished by their colleges except by “expulsion after graduation”), sexual assault and the rape culture that is so common in many colleges. He referred to the recent case of Yale fraternity pledges chanting, “No means yes; yes means anal,” and the case of the rape of a high school student where a date-rape drug rendered a female unconscious (after which she was lugged from party to party while “students watched and did nothing”). He spoke about the troubling instances of special exceptions for college athletes that are too common today, and mentioned one case where “thankfully there was a conviction.” He also spoke of the recent University of Virginia case where “students who admitted sexual assault were not expelled and nobody had been expelled for rape for years.”

Winter spoke about all that is at stake for everyone involved. He provided the distressing statistics that indicate how few rapes are reported and how few are prosecuted. However, he did not claim that everyone who is accused of rape is necessarily guilty. Some might have found his claim, “Two lives are at stake, the profoundly traumatized who has been sexually assaulted or raped, and it’s a traumatic thing on the other side to be falsely accused of rape,” troubling, but accusation is not identical with guilt. This results in the sometimes-difficult situation of determining precisely what happened. He indicated, however, that often we are not doing a very good job at making this determination.

Winter carefully defined rape culture as “a culture in which the victim tends to be blamed, where rape is trivialized by passing around videos and laughing about them, where police and college administration are often apathetic and involved in a cover up and where there is

a lack of prosecution and a conviction of rape.”

2. Ms. Boeke claimed that Winter did not present a clear thesis and that his conclusions were not supported by the evidence. I, along with many of the faculty members I have been able to talk with, did not find it difficult to ascertain Winter’s thesis. There is a deeply distressing rape culture around the world, where the sexual assault of women is often institutionalized in many religious, cultural and political realities. He did not rule out that these profoundly oppressive structures might also be related to colonial powers and systematic exploitation. In the United States, especially on college campuses, rape culture is often promoted, maintained and perpetuated through the prevailing trends of porn culture, unrestrained sexual freedom, raunch culture and a hookup culture. He never even suggested that there is a clear and quantifiable link between these realities or that these are the only factors in play. As Aristotle observed, not all questions can be answered by appeal to quantifiable factors. “…it is the mark of an educated man to look for precision in each class of things just so far as the nature of the subject matter admits; it is evidentially foolish to accept probable reasoning from a mathematician and to demand from a rhetorician scientific proofs” (Nic. Ethics, I.3, 1094, 24-30).

Did Winter provide evidence for his thesis?

The point of Aristotle’s claim is that establishing a direct causal chain, as is done in the sciences, does not exhaust all possible justificatory procedures. We rarely try to establish a direct causal chain in most of the judgments we make in ordinary life for which we think we have adequate evidence. You know that you exist and that you ought to treat every person fairly, but you do not know these things by means of quantifiable proofs.

My point here is merely to establish the rational plausibility of Winter’s categories of explanation for the rape culture on some college campuses. The categories Winter raised as possible influences promoting our rape culture (absolute sexual freedom, hookup culture, porn culture and raunch culture) are all categories in the current academic literature discussed by feminists and non-feminists alike. Some agree with such categories and some do not; Google “rape culture” and any of the above terms to see for yourself. Further, I strongly encourage anyone who really cares about how human lives can be destroyed in our rape culture (as opposed to mere ideological posturing) to read the account of a young woman living in the rape culture of one contemporary college. The anonymous author of “My Rape Convinced Me that College Hookup Culture is Really Messed Up” refers to most of the categories Winter suggested. It is not a pretty picture, and it contradicts much of what Ms. Boeke is promoting. (In this article, Ms. Boeke might find a plausible answer to her question, “How does sexual freedom promote rape culture?”) http://verilymag.com/2015/07/sexualassault-campus-hookup-culture-date-rape

“There is a deeply distressing rape culture around the world, where the sexual assault of women is often institutionalized in many religious, cultural and political realities.”

- Greg Jesson

Here are some of that author’s words: “So what do I mean when I say the college sex scene was fertile ground for my rape to take place? I saw disturbing trends that I found to be conducive to unhealthy views of sexuality, especially for women.”

“Yes, I was raped that night. But when it comes to me owning my sexuality, that had been worn away slowly for years. I believe it made me all the more vulnerable to that rape.

I am still dealing with the sense of violation I experienced that night. But also very powerful and damaging was the campus hookup culture that conditioned me to embrace unhealthy sexual views—that men deserve sex, no doesn’t always mean no and real life should resemble porn.”

Ms. Boeke might not agree with Winter’s analysis, but from this it does not logically follow that Winter is irrational or without plausible lines of justification. Again, some faculty members who were present found Winter’s argument insightful and even compelling. As written by one faculty member who wrote to me, “I just wanted to reiterate how much I appreciated his talk, and I wanted to thank you for inviting an insightful scholar who presented fact-based evidence and got the attendees thinking about the larger issues. I believe what he had to say was helpful to the Luther community, and that Richard truly has the best interest of our society in mind. Thanks again, and I encourage you to continue inviting scholars who will challenge our community to think about the important ethical issues.”

3. Ms. Boeke alleges that Winter promoted classic and dangerous stereotypes, including violent and misogynistic Muslims (the word “radical,” used by Winter in his lecture, was conveniently omitted), warring African countries and their casualties, and the restrictive dress code and importance of virginity in India. I am well aware that in this politically correct atmosphere, many are quick to minimize and even dismiss substantiated facts by simply appealing to the label of stereotyping.

But is Ms. Boeke really claiming that widespread sexual abuse and rape of women is not an institutionalized and often accepted reality in these places? If so, I think the empirical evidence is clearly against her. However, I think Winter’s case could have been made stronger by also pointing out other religious (including some so-called Christian traditions) and secular traditions, institutions and cultural structures that have incorporated a systematic subjugation and abuse of women. How easy it is to have one’s heart broken by all the commonly accepted ways women have been exploited and abused.

various circles is completely acceptable. He was merely describing what we find. At no point did he ever make any kind of moral judgment or draw any moral equivalency about any of the sexual possibilities. Insofar as we are all sexual creatures, he was simply pointing out that we live in a culture in which almost everything sexually goes. It was up to each person in attendance to evaluate if this is true and what, if any, are the implications.

5. Ms. Boeke said that speakers like Winter are dangerous to our community, and she admonishes the Center of Ethics and Public Life to realize that the speakers it brings have the potential to do harm to the community.

The point is well-taken, but she should likewise realize that a glaring misrepresentation of speakers and views with which she disagrees also has the potential to harm our community.

The Center of Ethics and Public Life at Luther has, since its inception, invited a wide range of speakers who represent intellectually respectable views from across the spectrum.

It has never been the policy of the Center to eliminate free speech by acting as the thought police and imposing an ideological fitness test to see if the speaker is presenting views on which all agree. It is probably literally impossible to find a speaker with whom every single person in the college agrees. Incidentally, I have never rejected a request to bring a speaker to Luther because I held views different from those of the speaker. As director of the Center, my position requires trusting the wisdom and dedication of my fellow faculty members and believing that I still have much to learn from those who have different views. A popular view in universities is that the highest objective of a liberal arts education is not to be offended. In this view, college is about having all of one’s unchallenged views reinforced whenever possible; only take classes that reiterate what you already believe; dismiss teachers and books that contradict your opinions, etc. It is my view, and the view of most faculty and administrators at Luther College, that this is an incredibly impoverished “education.” It is closer to indoctrination.

The other view is that a liberal arts education is about living the examined life. It is about being confronted and challenged with a wide variety of ideas so that students and faculty alike can engage in life-transforming dialogue in a respectful, nurturing and noncoercive manner, always trying as best we can to be open to the possibility that we could be wrong. Winter came to Luther doing just that.

Have we?

Finally, in the spirit of this letter, I offer an invitation to any students, staff and faculty who would like to continue this discussion. Will we reach a consensus? Probably not. But what we will do is at the very heart of the legacy of this institution; we will grow in understanding the stories and reasons of our fellow colleagues. I can think of few issues that are as important and that so profoundly affect all our lives.

“I am well aware that in this politically correct atmosphere, many are quick to minimize and even dismiss substantiated facts by simply appealing to the label of stereotyping.”

- Greg Jesson

4. Ms. Boeke argued that Winter’s presentation was not inviting to all students.

Do you really think that the dean of the college would quietly sit by in attendance and let some of our students be marginalized and ostracized?

Winter did put up a chart that was titled “Sexual Freedom.” On it he listed every possible sexual variation that is presently being practiced and in

Greg Jesson Director of Center for Ethics and Public Life

OPINION

PAGE 10 NOVEMBER 5, 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

MANAGING EDITOR: CAMERON MEYFERTH

Missed opportunities in Luther Sustainability CAMERON MEYFERTH MANAGING EDITOR Everyone at Luther knows how big Luther is on sustainability. We as a college have been awarded multiple recognitions and awards for sustainable practices, we promote our sustainability to prospective students and we make it apparent on campus that sustainability is a priority (e.g. the wind turbine in a very conspicuous, visible location). But if sustainability is so important to Luther College, why do we not do everything we can to become even more sustainable and environmentally friendly?

To preface, this opinion piece is not meant to tear down Luther’s superb sustainability efforts. Rather, my goal with this column is to improve our sustainability and to further reduce our effect on the environment.

There are two major things that I think could be improved sustainabilitywise at Luther, and both of them have to do with waste. The first is brown paper item composting, and the second is glass recycling.

First off, brown paper items are

compostable. All of them! There are signs over the compost bins in the cafeteria instructing students to compost their napkins, which are also labeled as being compostable. But how many signs tell students that they can compost their brown paper bags from the to-go line or their brown paper towels from nearly every bathroom on campus? And even if these signs existed to inform students that brown paper items are compostable, where would students be able to compost them? Some brown paper bags might make their way to the recycling after students consume their meals in the privacy of their own room, but all of the paper towels used in bathrooms get thrown into a trash can and are presumably brought to a landfill.

An alternative to this current brown paper waste would involve an informational campaign on the compostability of all brown paper items and the installation of separate bins for collecting compost in bathrooms (and residence halls, while they’re at it).

Second, glass recycling is not accepted

by Winneshiek county recycling. Why?!

According to the Glass Packaging

Discussion on oppression

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 Larson Danny May Matija Nikolic Laura Proescholdt Elizabeth Stay Fran 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 Design Technician: Kathryn Olson Web Manager: Michael Spear Social Media Director: Britany Thorpe Distribution Manager: Elizabeth Hurley Adviser: Laura Fuller

Institute, glass is 100 percent recyclable and can be recycled endlessly without loss in purity or quality. In addition to that, recycled glass can be substituted for up to 95 percent of raw materials in the production of new glass products.

These statistics cannot be said of paper, plastic or metal, and yet these materials are recycled in Winneshiek county and glass is not. It is understandable that it’s a county decision and not exactly Luther’s responsibility, but Luther should be fighting to get glass recycling because glass absolutely does not belong in a landfill. No sign above a trash can on Luther’s campus should read, “Landfill.

Does this item need to be buried forever or can it be recycled or reused? Glass goes here.” This is an actual sign found on a trash can in Baker Commons, which I believe is incredibly misleading.

Again, this is not to tear down or belittle Luther’s accomplishments in sustainability. I only wish to inform readers on two sustainable waste practices Luther is currently not partaking in, and to hopefully help improve Luther’s already successful sustainability program.

Letter to the Editor I am a liberal. It feels natural for me to believe that everyone on Earth should enjoy the same degree of respect, freedom and (when possible) power. Yet, since I came to the U.S., I became disappointed by the local liberal groups. Liberalism in this country is dogmatic, with certain assumptions that you cannot criticize or freely discuss certain topics.

One of these seems to be that Western/European culture is necessarily the main oppressive one. If we address oppression and discrimination in the rest of the world, then we are being culturally insensitive. When I look online, many liberal opinionated articles and journals use the phrases “European oppression,” “Western oppression” and “White oppression”.

This has brought a dangerous generalization of history. In multiple academic settings I have heard sentences like, “The Europeans promoted and benefited from the Atlantic Slave Trade.” Did all Europeans benefit? I don’t recall Bulgaria, Finland or Serbia benefiting from the Slave Trade.

I guess collective guilt is wrong only when applied to nonEuropeans. Yet, when we look at the world today, is our society that oppressive? Yes, but are other societies better? We always address European racism, closing our eyes on the fact that albino people in rural Tanzania are still at risk to be killed for witchcraft purposes. We condemn our society’s discrimination of Muslim people, ignoring that in 2008 in the Indian state of Orissa 54,000 Christians were made homeless after their houses were burnt in one of the periodical anti-Christian pogroms. We call out the injustice of the homophobic cultural setting we live in and we forget that in 79 countries in Asia and Africa, homosexuality is illegal, and in some of these countries the punishment for homosexuality is death. Yet, the Western world is still largely perceived as the main source of oppression around the world.

Can we instead start realizing that oppression and discrimination are present in all societies? If we want to fight it, we cannot pin down oppression to a particular culture.

All cultures contain oppression. Europeans/Westerners have done much wrong to the rest of the world. The Slave Trade is ours, the Native American genocide is ours and so is colonialism. Yet, so is the European Renaissance, Shakespeare and the concept of democracy. Show me that you care about fighting oppression world-wide, not pinning it down on “the West”, and I’ll truly feel liberal.

Alessandro Battaglia (‘17)

Professor provides additional thoughts on Boeke’s letter We should welcome Claire Boeke’s (‘16) critique of Richard Winter’s presentation on rape culture. I do. She offers reasons for her position, and I hope that she and others who share her views had the opportunity to discuss them with Dr. Winter; I assume

that is the goal of the Center for Ethics and Public Life in bringing speakers to campus. I confess that I am disappointed in the implication that it is unacceptable to have speakers who do not share Boeke’s perspective on these important matters, but it could be

that I am misinterpreting her. I hope so, because that would miss the point of having a Center or guest speakers—or, for that matter, a college.

Storm Bailey Associate Professor of Philosophy

spOrts

page 11

NOveMBer 5, 2015

spOrts editOr: steve petersON

Swimming and diving competes in first meets

deep Breath. Baylee Bowman (‘18) squares off against swimmers from Morningside College on thursday, Oct. 29.

Sidney LarSen staff writer The men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams kicked off their season with a home meet against Morningside College on Thursday, October 29, and an away meet versus UW-Whitewater on Saturday, Oct. 31. Both the men and women came out on top at the Morningside meet with final scores of 147-55 and 18945 respectively. The Norse fought hard against UWWhitewater but were not able to achieve a victory. The men’s final score was 72-165 and the women finished at 96-145.

Before the Morningside meet, men’s team captain Gunnar Swanson (‘17) had big expectations for the team.

“We’ve got really high hopes for tonight,” Swanson said. “We’re definitely ready. Attitudes are great, I think everyone is in good shape and we’re ready to race. We’ve been kind of itching to get in the pool and race another team and prove to ourselves that we can do it.”

This confidence paid off as the Norse swam to their first victory of the season.

Steve peterSon spOrts editOr Tyler Broadwell (‘16) was crucial to the men’s cross-country team’s third place finish at the IIAC Championships on Saturday, Oct. 31. Broadwell finished first among runners from Luther and fifth overall, with a time of 26:54.8 on the 8,000 meter course at the Dubuque Soccer Complex. That time was good enough to earn Broadwell all-confernce honors (granted to the top-15 finishers) for the second time in his four years at Luther. Broadwell will race in the NCAA III Central Region Championships on Saturday Nov. 14. in Pella, Iowa, while looking to run in the NCAA Div. III National Championships on Nov. 21.

According to the swimmers, this season has been a little different from past years. Swanson said the team had a faster start to the season than usual.

“I definitely think we’ve taken off quicker than we have in previous years,” Swanson said. “We were kind of thrown into it this year. It’s different, but I feel like it’s going to pay off in the long run.”

Megan Jelinski (‘17) noted that the team’s dynamic has also changed from last season.

“It’s kind of different without the class that just graduated because it was just such a huge class,” Jelinski said.

Swimmer Jacquelyn Hughes (‘17) said that despite losing many senior athletes, the new first-years have made a big impact on the team, contributing to the win against Morningside.

“We’ve got a big incoming class of first years” Hughes said. “They’ve all been really positive, and I think it pushed everyone to work harder, which is why I think we had such a good first meet.”

Before the UW-Whitewater meet, Hughes said that it might be difficult for the Norse to have the two meets two days apart, but she was confident of the team’s chances.

Chips: How did your event go that day?

Broadwell: The meet went really well. It was a cold and rainy day, so the perfect day for a cross-country meet. The course was pretty much mud, and the race times were slow, but overall it was a fun day to run.

Were you expecting to perform as well as you did?

Over the last couple of months we have been doing a variety of workouts and runs preparing ourselves for the championship season. We have been able to put a lot of work in and get in shape. With all of these things I feel that I was prepared for Conference. But I was not expecting to get fifth or to have our top two guys in before Wartburg’s first.

What are you looking

forward to most with the approach of the indoor Track and Field season?

I’m actually not able to do Track this year, I’ll be off campus in Chicago doing my social work practicum.

How has your experience with cross-country changed or remained the same over your four years at Luther?

Over the past few years I feel I have been able to value my runs and races more. When I first came to campus, running was just that: running. Over the past four years, I have developed a different appreciation for all of the different aspects of it.

Whether it is my teammates or the trails that we get to go explore, running at Luther has allowed me to be able to become more appreciative of the things I get to do.

Do you plan on incorporating your experience with cross-country into your life after graduation?

It think it’s fair to say that I will be a lifetime runner. I may not be as competitive out of college as I am now, but I still foresee myself going on my daily runs.

Finally, do you have any superstitions/rituals when it comes to racing?

In cross-country, we as a

Brandon Whitish / Photo Bureau

“Having two meets that close together is really hard to try to do just because you’re so tired from the first one,” Hughes said. “Our team is good about it; we’ve had to do it in the past so we’ll be fine.”

Unfortunately, the Norse were unable to take the win on Saturday, but that isn’t stopping them from looking ahead.

Swanson said it is one of the team’s goals to win the Liberal Arts Championships (LAC) this season.

“I would say one of our main goals is to win LAC and we have a really good opportunity this year,” Swanson said.

Swanson also mentioned academics and positivity as goals for the Norse swimmers and divers.

“It’s really important for us to maintain our Academic All-American status,” Swanson said. “Not only do we want to be respected for what we do we in the pool, we don’t want to be thought of as ‘oh, well they’re good, but they’re not well-rounded.’ I also like to say, keep a positive attitude.”

The Norse will take on the Grinnell Pioneers at home on Saturday, Nov. 7.

Keep Breathing. Tyler Broadwell (‘16) runs for the finish line in a meet last season.

Photo courtesy of Tyler Broadwell group have a superstition called “the night before the night before.” It’s pretty much that we get a good night’s sleep

two nights before the race to make sure that we are getting enough rest and recovery for the meet.

SPORTS

PAGE 12

SPORTS EDITOR: STEVE PETERSON

NOVEMBER 5, 2015

Quarterfinal wins for soccer in IIAC Championship games

Weekly Standings Football

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

Dubuque Wartburg Central Loras Coe Simpson Luther Buena Vista

Recent Scores

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

Oct. 24 vs. Wartburg, L 7-47 Oct. 31 @ Coe, L 22-44

Upcoming Schedule

Nov. 7 vs. Loras, 12:00 PM Nov. 14 vs. Simpson, 12:00 PM

Women’s Soccer

FOOTWORK. Josh Galvin (‘16) handles the ball against Coe College in the first round of the IIAC Championships on Oct. 31.

Photo courtesy of Luther College Athletics

EMILY CROWE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF The women’s and men’s soccer teams have been preparing for their semifinal games on Wednesday, Nov. 4. The women play at Wartburg at 5:00 p.m., and the men play at Dubuque at 7:00 p.m.

According to Head Women’s Soccer Coach Russell Schouweiler, the semifinal game comes with a bit of rivalry.

“The importance of the game is multi-faceted,” Schouweiler said. “First of all, it is a semifinal and it gets us one step closer to our team goal of getting to the NCAA Tournament.

Secondly, they are a regional opponent, and the game will carry weight for the NCAA selection, and thirdly, it is against Wartburg.”

Despite the fact that the semifinal game holds different challenges for the players, the women have been preparing (mostly) as usual.

“The only changes in our preparation is just running out of daylight with daylight savings time now,” Schouweiler said.

“In the playoffs, you can’t end a game in a tie, so we have to prepare for kicks from the mark.”

Both teams beat their IIAC Tournament first round opponents.

The women were victorious over Central College, winning 2-1 with goals by forward Lauren Hughes (‘17) and cocaptain and midfielder Erika Balk (‘16). The men beat Coe College 4-0 with goals by midfielder Kyle McNeese (‘17), forward Josh Parris (‘16), midfielder Nigel Nielsen

(‘17) and midfielder Rafael Broseghini (‘19).

However, the men are looking forward and keeping their eyes on the prize, according to forward Aaron Fargo (‘16).

“Even though we defeated the University of Dubuque the last time we played, that result means nothing now,” Fargo said. “We are focused on Wednesday and keeping our season alive. It is our biggest game of the season, and we are all ready to again rise to the challenge.”

The women are equally driven when it comes to their semifinal game, according to Balk.

“The IIAC is super competitive this year,” Balk said. “There have been a lot of upsets, and no team is unbeatable in our conference. I think this is a great thing for us looking forward to our next

ONE UP. Teammates celebrate after scoring the first goal against Central College on Oct. 31.

Photo courtesy of Luther College Athleteics

games in the tournament, because we know every team is beatable, and if we play our best, then we can come out on top. Winning our first conference game against Central gave us some confidence going forward, and now we just have to keep the momentum going.”

Both teams know that the coming games will take a lot of strength both physically and mentally.

“This year, we had a very strong start,” women’s co-captain and defender Cecilia Douma (‘16) said.

“We beat good teams and we played good soccer,” Douma said. “Our national rankings were higher and more consistent than ever before. We are proud of those accomplishments, but we are not satisfied yet. We know that we can beat Wartburg. We know that we can compete for the IIAC tournament championship, and we know that we can take this program further than it has ever been before. At this point in post-season play, every opponent will be challenging, and every game is a must-win. When we play at our highest level, we are tough to match.”

As both the men’s and women’s team prepare for their final games, they are glad to have support from fellow students.

“A big thanks to all of our supporters throughout the season,” Fargo said. “Go Norse!”

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

Wartburg Coe Loras Luther Central Dubuque Simpson Buena Vista

Overall 13-4-1 15-1-2 11-5-2 13-4-1 9-6-2 10-7-2 5-13 3-13

Recent Scores

Oct. 27 @ Wartburg, L 0-1 Oct. 31 IIAC Tournament - 1st Round vs. Central, W 2-1

Upcoming Schedule

Nov. 7 IIAC Tournament - Final, TBA

Men’s Soccer IIAC 7-0 5-2 4-2-1 4-2-1 4-3 2-5 1-6 0-7

Loras Dubuque Luther Simpson Wartburg Coe Central Buena Vista

Overall 12-4-1 11-5-1 11-5-3 9-8-3 11-6-2 6-13-1 4-13 5-12

Recent Scores

Oct. 27 @ Wartburg, L 0-1 Oct. 31 IIAC Tournamnet - 1st Round vs. Coe, W 4-0

Upcoming Schedule

Nov. 7 IIAC Tournament - Final

Swimming and Diving Coe Men Luther Men Simpson Men Loras Men Coe Women Luther Women Simpson Women Loras Women

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

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

Recent Scores

Oct. 29 vs. Morningside College, W 189-45 Oct. 31 @ UW-Whitewater, L 96-145

Upcoming Schedule

Nov. 7 vs. Grinnel College, 1:00 PM

Wrestling

Buena Vista Central Coe Dubuque Loras Luther Simpson Wartburg

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

Overall 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0

Upcoming Schedule

Nov. 14 Luther Open, 9:00 AM