Luther athletes honored at Norse Awards
SPORTS 12 Students promote sustainability grant
NEWS 3
LUTHER COLLEGE
“Let the chips fall where they may.”
CHIPS
FEBRUARY 19, 2015
Serving the Luther College community since 1884.
VOLUME 137, NO.14
Decorah residents discuss Palestine ERIKA STORVICK STAFF WRITER George and Martha Lowe brought the reality of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict all the way to Decorah through a presentation on Thursday, Feb. 12. Their discussion at the Northeast Iowa Peace and Justice Center highlighted the growing inequality between the Israeli and Palestinian people and encouraged American action on behalf of Palestine. The presentation marked the Lowes’ recent return from their 90-day trip to Palestine. Their trip was sponsored by the Lutheran World Federation, where the Lowes served as volunteers and taught in the vocational training school. “90 days is a long time for a vacation, but we just kind of got our feet wet in how wonderful it is to live in that part of the world,” George Lowe (‘76) said. “We are so fortunate to have been able to travel there, and I wish that every American would have the opportunity to go and see.” The couple took about 5,000 photographs throughout their stay but focused on 40 during the presentation. The theme of their presentation was “movement,” or lack thereof, particularly of the Palestinian people. “It just takes one or two days to see what’s going on, and suddenly it may change all the things you thought about the way things were,” George Lowe said. The Lowes were in Jerusalem as part of a pottery program at the Lutheran World Federation vocational center. The couple team-taught a class on the basics of art, teaching everything from pottery to drawing and weaving. Their students were primarily Muslim Palestinian women, all from East Jerusalem. “They are trying to increase the number of women who are coming to school and getting the skills so that they can go out into the work force or have some sort of profession,” Martha Lowe (‘75) said. According to the Lowes their trip occurred during a tense time in Israel, so their students were unable to make it to class. Road closures and house demolitions also prevented students from getting to school. In spite of the political climate, they were able to see some of the women they taught experience new freedom by attending their class. PALESTINE, PAGE 4
EXPLORING CONFLICT. Martha Lowe (‘75) presents on her visit to Palestine. G.V. Suos / Photo Bureau
MARCHING FOR CHANGE. Community members gathered in the Center For the Arts on Feb. 15 to raise awareness of police brutality and racial inequality. G.V. Suos / Photo Bureau
“Don’t Shoot” series hosts march to campus MATT HELM STAFF WRITER Luther College Ministries collaborated with local congregations to host a “March for Justice” in response to police brutality and racial inequality prior to their annual Gospel Sunday worship service on Feb. 15. “Marching urges us to come together and realize that we are all in this together, we have to be allies to each other,” Assistant Professor of Social Work and “March for Justice” committee member Ginger Meyette said. The march began at the Congregational United Church of Christ and gathered members from First United Methodist Church, First Lutheran Church and Northeast Iowa Unitarian Universalist Fellowship as they made their way to campus. “The walk of solidarity is inherently political in that it's saying we are not going to overlook what is happening in our world,” United Church of Christ Pastor Laura Arnold said. “There's a great monastic tradition that everything we do can be an act of prayer: To put
faith in our feet. To be a visible and viable presence. To exercise that witness with our bodies seems undeniably important in our lives right now.” Arnold believes that the church should play a role in ending racism. “We are really good at being ‘Iowan Nice,’ and what that means is that overt racism is not going to be exercised as much, but that doesn't mean racism doesn't exist,” Arnold said. “Culturally, we are at a pivotal moment where we can no longer ignore the problem at hand. If the church in particular isn't a part of making a visible commitment to not let this continue, then humanity as a whole is robbed.” The group stopped at the Center for the Arts, the location of the original Black Student Union house, where they sang and reflected on black history at Luther College. Afterward they marched to the Center for Faith and Life for a gospel worship service. “The Gospel Sunday service gives us a chance to learn from how the African-American portion of the Body of Christ worships,” Campus Ministries Pastor Amy Zalk Larson (‘96) said. “If we look at the scripture, we can see so
“We are really good at being ‘Iowan Nice’ ... but that doesn’t mean racism doesn’t exist.” -Laura Arnold
much about God's care of all people. Jesus talked constantly about issues of economic exploitation and injustice. We need to apply his principles to remedy our broken systems.” Maggie Steinberg (‘15) is a student organizer for the ongoing series of lectures and events entitled “Don't Shoot: The Perils and Promises of Privilege,” of which the “March for Justice” was a part. “There are about 16 AfricanAmerican women on campus,” Steinberg said. "It is difficult for the small portion of students to keep the conversation going when most of the campus is unwilling to speak up. Luther students will not be shielded from the world forever. As young people we have the energy and the ability to really create positive social change, and we have to take advantage of that." For more information about upcoming events in the “Don't Shoot Series” go to www.luther.edu/dontshoot or follow the QR code below.