March 12, 2015

Dance Marathon recruits for “Big Event”

NEWS 3 Women’s basketball competes in NCAA III SPORTS 12

LUTHER COLLEGE

“Let the chips fall where they may.”

CHIPS

MARCH 12, 2015

Tuition to increase for 2015-16 year DANNY MAY STAFF WRITER Tuition for the 2015-16 academic year has increased from the 2014-15 tuition by 2.02 percent. Students will pay $38,940, compared to last year’s tuition of $38,170.

With room and board, the comprehensive cost for students next year is $46,590.

According to Vice President for Finance and Administration Diane Tacke, administration has been tracking tuition rates since 1995, and they have increased every year. Tacke explained some of the factors leading to tuition increase.

“Technology is one thing in the higher education industry that has a higher cost than what you would see in other industries,” Tacke said. “The demands are high.

Technology use is 24/7. Our residential occupancy is very significant, and I.T. plays a big part in that.”

According to Tacke, the administration examines tuition by looking at Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Higher Education Price Index.

“When we look at CPI, we look at goods and services and the family expenses that are going up,” Tacke said.

“Higher Education Price Index is similar to CPI and deals specifically with higher education.”

Tuition increase has varying effects among students.

Gifty Arthur (‘17) spoke about the increase’s effect on her as an international student.

Serving the Luther College community since 1884.

VOLUME 137, NO. 17

Mary McAleese visits campus Former President of Ireland speaks about her experiences with faith, peace and leadership.

TUITION, PAGE 4

Nor wegian amb a ss a d or Skypes with students KASI MISSELDINE STAFF WRITER

Norwegian Ambassador H.E. Kåre R. Aas spoke with approximately 45 students about Norway’s role in peace and reconciliation in areas of conflict around the world over Skype on Thursday, March 5.

The event was hosted by the Scandinavian Studies program and was granted through the Royal Norwegian Embassy’s Virtual Ambassador Program, which invites college students from all over the U.S. to converse with Aas about Norway’s global priorities.

“It’s very difficult to develop a country without peace,” Aas said. “The cost of war is enormous. We see that in Syria today, [which is] probably the worst humanitarian crisis since the second world war. It’s fair to say that negotiation and dialogue is key. We know that from domestic politics. It’s always better to talk than to fight, and we’re always looking for opportunities to see if we can be helpful in conflict areas.”

Aas emphasized the time and energy required AMBASSADOR, PAGE 4

CHURCH AND STATE. Former President of Ireland Mary McAleese speaks about her experience as a political leader and a Catholic in a religiously divided nation.

Zach Stottler / Photo Bureau ERIKA STORVICK STAFF WRITER Former President of Ireland Mary McAleese was featured as a Farwell Distinguished Lecturer on March 10. Her lecture, entitled “‘Faith, Peace and Leadership: A Conversation with Mary McAleese” focused on her work to promote peace in Northern Ireland during her presidency between the years 1997-2011.

“She’s so empowering, for not only women’s voices but also the voices of people in general,” Katie Kovacovich (’16) said. “I am just astounded by her policies and philosophies on peace and building bridges.”

Professor of Political Science Paul Gardner and Associate Professor of Social Work Britt Rhodes (‘96), who regularly teach a January term course in Northern Ireland on peace and reconciliation, hosted the lecture. The lecture was set up as a conversation and was followed by a question and answer session as well as a meet and greet.

Her talk focused on the issues of sectarianism and sexism that face Ireland today. She encouraged audience members to practice self-reflection, reach across boundaries, and to love the other in working towards peace.

“Unfortunately, in every peace process, there are people who don’t want peace and are wedded to conflict,” McAleese said.

“Those who are committed to peace have really got to dig deep ... and are in it forthe long haul.”

Mary McAleese was the eighth president of Ireland and the first female president to serve two consecutive terms. She is ranked as the 64th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes magazine and, according to a Luther press release, has accepted the position of Professor of Irish Studies at St. Mary’s University in London this coming fall. She recently received a Doctorate in canon law from Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian University.

Director of Campus Programming Tanya Gertz was excited to bring McAleese to campus.

“She is just so smart and progressive and kind,” Gertz said. “The more I learn about her, the more I want to be her.”

According to Gertz, McAleese has family ties to the Decorah area. Through her second cousin, Gertz was able to connect with her and schedule her on campus.

“It is a deep and great honor to have her at Luther,” Gertz said.

“We are incredibly lucky.”

McAleese was present across Luther’s campus throughout the week. She attended several classes across campus, including Professor of Political Science John Moeller’s course on Global Citizenship, Assistant Professor of Political Science Pedro Dos MCALEESE, PAGE 4

NEWS

PAGE 2 MARCH 12, 2015

NEWS EDITORS: MAKEDA BARKLEY & EMILY CROWE

Annual Ethnic Arts Festival celebrates cultural traditions language in Laos; there’s only five Hmong at Luther so not a lot of people know about us,� Moua said. “The festival gives us an opportunity to talk about who we are.�

As part of the cultural entertainment, students from East Timor performed a dance about coffee harvesting dressed in traditional fashion. “We had fur before Vogue,� Pedro Cadalak (‘15) said, referencing the fur around his ankles.

Natasha Walleser (‘16) attended the fair and received a henna tattoo from one of the students representing India. “Luther students are so proud of their countries and willing to share what they know,� Walleser said. “I learned about wedding traditions in India, traditional clothing from Tanzania and just how diverse these countries are even within themselves.�

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Matt Helm / Chips Services to prepare a really diverse international students the chance well.� then she has lived in Uganda for menu,� Statkevich said. “My favorite to talk about their countries, their More than 30 countries were seven years and Kenya for 10 years. is the curry goat from Jamaica, they MATT HELM experiences and growing up in a represented at the country fair in “The festival kind of makes have a very spicy type and a mild STAFF WRITER different culture.� the Dahl Centennial Union. me homesick, but at the same version for people like me who can't According to coordinators, “The festival creates a space time it is such a great opportunity take spicy food. And of course the The annual Ethnic Arts Festival the purpose of this event is to for international students and to represent my country and to Pad Thai; it’s really delicious.� celebrated cultural diversity at educate the Luther and Decorah American students to interact, hear about others,� Mikaya said.

The Ethnic Arts Festival Luther College with cuisine and communities on the countries that otherwise we are alien from each “Hearing the stories first-hand concluded with a performance of entertainment from all over the Luther students represent. other,� Berta Tilman (‘15) said. creates a much clearer picture of poetry, skits, songs and dances from world on Saturday, March 8. “Some people have trouble even “Instead of saying that you are from a country and a culture than just different countries in the Center for “The Diversity Center helps knowing where in the world some Africa or Asia, you can delve in and reading about it online.�

Faith and Life. sponsor the festival, but it is a countries are,� Student Coordinator talk about your specific country.�

MaiTeng Moua (‘16) represented “The festival makes me feel like student-run event,� Diversity Masha Statkevich (‘16) said. “I Sukeji Mikaya (‘17) is from the country of Laos as well as the I'm more global,� Marfiano Manuel Center Administrative Assistant think it’s an educational event, and Sudan, but she had to leave her Hmong ethnicity. (‘16) said. “Like I’m part of one Jake Dyer said. “The festival gives it helps to broaden horizons as country because of a civil war. Since “Hmong is an ethnicity and world.�

Meal swipes fund Lutheran Disaster Response, Ebola relief SARAH OWENS STAFF WRITER Students showed their support for Ebola relief by donating meal swipes to the Lutheran Disaster Response during a Cafeteria Fast on March 6. 594 meal swipes were donated to the fund by 426 Luther students, the money from which will go to aiding Ebola victims.

The Luther Congregational Council collaborated with Campus Ministries and Dining Services to create this event. “Each council member brings ideas to the table during our meetings,� Congregational Council Vice President Annē Wermedal (‘16) said. “They talk with friends, students and peers to see what the Luther College community would be interested in supporting. We try to craft our fundraisers toward something that the entire student body can unite around and feel involved in.�

The council project was chosen in late September. Most of the coordinating work was done in the past month in order to

meld with busy schedules. “[The council] liked the idea of working through the Lutheran Disaster Response because 100 percent of the money you give to them goes directly to help,�

Campus Pastor Mike Blair said. “None of [the money] is lost in overhead or administrative costs. They have a great system in place.�

The Lutheran Disaster Response focuses on providing relief to families who have been affected by cases of Ebola.

The program also offers assistance in the development of hospitals and churches in Liberia and Sierra Leone. “They do work in different countries,�

Blair said. “Their method is to work with local agencies and partners so that they’re bringing support but local people are

carrying it out. They’re helping so that it’s sustainable over time. When Luther Disaster Response leaves, what they’re contributing to will continue.�

Sujana Shrestha (‘17) donated both her lunch and dinner to the charity. “It’s for a good cause,�

Shrestha said. “I am always interested in community health and social outreach.

I am really happy that someone is doing this project.�

According to Shrestha, cafeteria fasts provide a way for students to donate, especially if they aren’t carrying much cash.

Shrestha believes that the fasts are something that all students can support. “We already spend so much money Friday nights and Saturday nights having fun,� Shrestha said. “Instead of having fun

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one night, they can donate money to a good cause.�

The council has had a record-breaking amount of participation by the Luther community this year. “Thank you so much to the Luther community as a whole. We’ll be making a big difference,� Wermedal said. “It made my day to be tabling and to see people donating.

It’s been so rewarding to be involved in this whole process, and to see it through to such a successful finish was really exciting.�

To find out more information on where the Caf Fast fundraising is going, visit http://www.elca.org/Our-Work/Reliefand-Development/Lutheran-DisasterResponse or follow the QR code below:

NEWS

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NEWS EDITORS: MAKEDA BARKLEY & EMILY CROWE

MARCH 12, 2015

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Seven-Day Forecast 31/50

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Life Outside Luther

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Samantha Phillips / Chips

Dance Marathon recruits for higher attendance, donations SAMANTHA PHILLIPS STAFF WRITER The Luther College Dance Marathon executive board and morale captains flooded the Union with purple to recruit more participants and get students excited about the big event on March 2-6 during Registration Week. “We were behind our goal of registration by about 100 people, and so we decided to have another big push for registration,� Dance Marathon Executive Board President Clay Walker (‘15) said.

Because this will be the second year holding the event, the Dance Marathon leadership team hopes to get 555 students involved this year event. Last year, between 400 and 500 students danced for 12 hours straight to raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network.

Registration Week began with “Media Monday,� where participants were encouraged to share their personal dance fundraising pages on social media to raise awareness for the CMN. Co-morale Captain Libby Mumm (‘17) took photos of students on Tuesday, March 3, with messages written on their hands expressing why they dance. These pictures have populated social media and helped DM raise more awareness for the CMN. There was also a silent auction in the Dahl Centennial Union to raise additional funds.

On Wednesday, March 4, 45 days out from the big event on April 18, purple ice cream was offered in the cafeteria, students had purple balloons tied to their backpacks and numerous signs promoting Dance Marathon lined

the sidewalks around campus. Purple ribbons and suckers were also passed out on March 5 and 6.

Dance Marathon participants are bringing a unique Iowan spin to their fundraising efforts this year with a fundraiser called “Kiss the Pig.�

Seven morale captains and executive board members each have a designated jar in which their friends could place money. Whoever has the most money in their jar by the end of the fundraiser has to kiss a pig. The second and third runners-up must catch the pig on a local farm.

The Kiss the Pig fundraiser is not the only new component of the second year of Dance Marathon. “You’re working with a different campus,� Recruitment and Morale CoChair Sam Weinberg (‘15) said. “600 people graduated, 600 are coming in.

Your executive board is going to be made up of different people, and everybody brings something new to the table. Even though it’s the same event, it is always going to be a little different.�

Weinberg, Walker and Libby Logsden (‘15) were all members of the original Luther Dance Marathon Executive Board and were responsible for bringing the event to Luther in 2014. Walker and Logsden have roots in Iowa City, home of the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital, and were inspired by the positive impact Dance Marathon had on college students there. “I dance to be part of something bigger than myself,� Dance Marathon participant Kylie Hanschman (‘17) said. “When you have that many people in one room, all fighting for the same cause,

the energy that flows really helps get everyone motivated to make a change.�

The executive board’s goal is to match face value of Luther tuition by raising $47,555, going above and beyond last year’s total of $38,612.01. Weinberg is hopeful that this year’s event will be even bigger and better than DM 2014 in more ways than just fundraising. “Seeing the amount of people that we have been able to get involved and rally around one awesome cause is really powerful,� Weinberg said. “Just having people know about it is really important.

We’re going to have a really strong group coming back and that is only going to make it more exciting.�

PURPLE POWER. 0LOHDK *XPSHUW ç WLHV D EDOORRQ RQWR 0DULVVD .RWèV ç EDFNSDFN WR UDLVH DZDUHQHVV IRU 'DQFH 0DUDWKRQ Samantha Phillips / Chips

Video of racist chant threatens University of Oklahoma’s progress Almost a generation ago, the University of Oklahoma set out to raise its profile, seeking to build a regional school that served mostly students from the Southwest into a leading institution that attracted top scholars.

President David Boren made striking progress, achieving a reputation that now extends well beyond the Sooners football team that once defined the campus. But those improvements seem in peril after members of a fraternity were caught on video chanting a racial slur. The chant referenced lynching and indicated black students would never be admitted to OU’s chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Boren, a former Oklahoma governor and U.S. senator, acted swiftly. He immediately severed ties with the fraternity and ordered members to vacate their house.

On Tuesday, he expelled the two students who appeared to be leading the chant for creating a hostile educational environment and promised others involved would face discipline.

Argentina probes helicopter crash as France mourns dead athletes Investigators picked through the wreckage of two helicopters Tuesday, removing cellphones, bits of paper and other charred and unrecognizable items, as France mourned the loss of prominent athletes in the dual crash in the Andean foothills. The eight French nationals and two Argentine pilots on the two aircraft were killed when they collided and burst into flames shortly after taking off Monday near the remote settlement of Villa Castelli in northwestern Argentina.

ACLU: Snowden proved NSA internet spying harms Americans The American Civil Liberties Union and other groups sued the National Security Agency and the Justice Department on Tuesday, challenging the government’s practice of collecting personal information from vast amounts of data harvested directly from the Internet’s infrastructure. The suit filed in federal court in Maryland accuses the NSA of scooping up virtually everything sent via the Internet between Americans and people outside the United States, and then scouring it to identify and monitor foreign intelligence targets. A similar challenge was turned away by the U.S. Supreme Court, which said the plaintiffs couldn’t prove they’d been harmed. This lawsuit says that’s changed since the government confirmed the surveillance after its scope and details were leaked by former government contractor Edward Snowden in 2013.

Jury finds Pharrell, Thicke copied for ‘Blurred Lines’ song A jury awarded Marvin Gaye’s children nearly $7.4 million Tuesday after determining singers Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams copied their father’s music to create “Blurred Lines,� the biggest hit song of 2013.

Gaye’s daughter Nona Gaye wept as the verdict was read and was hugged by her attorney. The verdict could tarnish the legacy of Williams, a reliable hit-maker who has won Grammy Awards and appears on NBC’s music competition show “The Voice.�

Compiled from: www.ap.org

NEWS

PAGE 4 MARCH 12, 2015

NEWS EDITORS: MAKEDA BARKLEY & EMILY CROWE

Norwegian Ambassador Kåre Aas praises effectiveness of peace talks together and discussing it. When [Aas] vision.

Norwegians have been in Sudan for years, talked about it I wished that it were more “I don’t think their model is totally off the and we know that in some ways that’s not doable. I think the Norwegian reputation is ball,” Johnson said. “One of the things that any closer to being resolved. [But] they have for peaceful approaches to prove effective. too good. I don’t think we deserve all that has to be stated is that it takes a long time. the long-term lens. They’re willing to go “You have to build confidence; you have glamor. We have done a lot, and we tried Norwegians have been in Sudan for years, back and work on it.” to build trust,” Aas said. “That sort of to do a lot, but we certainly have our own and we know that in some ways that’s not Johnson was pleased with the success of confidence-building, and trying to establish interest to protect ... There are more sides to any closer to being resolved. [But] they have the event and opportunity it gave students a lot of trust, takes a long time.” it.” the long-term lens. They’re willing to go in the Nordic studies program, the new Nathan Plass (‘15) was impressed by Andrea Berkeland (‘15) was more back and work on it.” rendition of the Scandinavian studies Norway’s widespread involvement in peach optimistic about Norway’s non-invasive Assistant Professor of Scandinavian program, to learn more about Norwegian talks, as well as their commitment to a long- strategy for creating change.

Studies Maren Johnson offered her culture. term process.

“I think that it’s more likely [to be effective] perspective on Norway’s vision.

“This was a great event to build community “I didn’t realize how involved Norway when lower-profile countries like Norway “I don’t think their model is totally off the in the Scandinavian studies program and was with peace talks,” Plass said. “I’ve been are able to take charge, and it’s not quite as ball,” Johnson said. “One of the things that to show the embassy the strength of our to Norway, and to Croatia and Bosnia, [but high-intensity as when the U.S. is trying to has to be stated is that it takes a long time. program here at Luther,” Johnson said.

I] didn’t realize how active they were in the tell the Taliban to stop what Middle East ... that really struck me. The they’re doing,” Berkeland thing that popped out the most to me was said. “[Insurgent groups are] how long these peace processes take.” maybe more likely to listen Visiting Instructor of Scandinavian Studies when it’s a county that According to Tacke, increases have been consistent, TUITION, PAGE 1 and native of Norway Kari Grønningsæter doesn’t have the history of but they have become less dramatic. The increase in was skeptical of Aas’ idealism. power.”

“It’s going to take a toll on my family, because my tuition for next year is the lowest since 1995.

“The Norwegian reputation is that we Assistant Professor of brother is going to go to college in the States this year,” “It’s been significantly contained,” Tacke said. do dialogue; we try to solve conflicts,” Scandinavian Studies Arthur said. “I’m not very happy about it.”

“Amongst our cross-application at colleges such as Grønningsæter said. “Of course, this is the Maren Johnson offered her Arthur explained that the exchange rate of American Gustavus Adolphus and St. Olaf, Luther’s [tuition] vision that you can solve conflicts by getting perspective on Norway’s dollars to Ghanaian currency, cedis, was one to three increase has been at or below the average increase since when she left for college, but is increasing.

2008-09.”

“Our currency back home is currently undergoing Although tuition increase and enrollment decrease inflation, so tuition increase really does affect us,” Arthur have coincided, Tacke does not see a correlation. said. “I work hard and make sure I maximize all of the “I think changes that we’ve made for the 2015-16 class allowances I receive from work study, so that if I can, I have made the difference,” Tacke said. “It’s not price pay the differences myself. That way I won’t have to put as much as these changes we’ve made in admissions. so much pressure on my parents back home.”

I think that generally, colleges sometimes experience Tacke explained what sparked the greater effort to ‘down years.’ ” control tuition increases.

Tacke expressed the reality of college costs.

“The economic downturn in 2008-09 really impacted “I don’t foresee a time where tuition won’t increase,” families,” Tacke said. “I think all of higher education said, Tacke said. “Costs increase, and we have to be able to ‘We can’t keep increasing and increasing and increasing; cover our costs.” we need to make college affordable.’”

Thursday, March 12 About 50 percent of the increase for next year, $770, Don’t Shoot Series: Book 4:00 p.m., Dahl Centennial Union, goes back to students in financial aid, according to Tacke.

Discussion Nansen Room Th e remainder covers the cost of increased expenses, Guest Lecture: Colin Gordon 7:00 p.m., Valders Hall of Science, such as utilities and health care.

Room 206 Tuition control is executed in a number of ways, and Friday, March 13 administration works ahead. According to Tacke, tuition Women’s Track and Field— All day, JDL Fast Track — planning for the next year begins at the end of October.

NCAA III Indoor National Winston-Salem, N.C. “We have to do a constant evaluation,” Tacke said.

Championships “And we have to know the market and what families can Softball—The PFX Spring Games All day, Clermont, Florida afford. Over the long term, we have to continue to build our endowment for scholarships for students. The larger Baseball—Spring Trip to Tucson, All day, Kino Sports Complex, our endowment becomes, we can hopefully stabilize the Arizona Tucson, Arizona increase in tuition.”

Graphic by Samantha Ea Nordic Brew, C-Store, Marty’s 5:00 p.m., Dahl Centennial Union close Saturday, March 14 Spring Vacation All day Men’s Golf—Spring Trip 2:00 p.m., Orlando, Florida Concert Band Tour 7:30 p.m., Bethel Lutheran Church communities throughout the United States, such MCALEESE, PAGE 1 Rochester, Minn. as Decorah.

Santos’ course on Women, Representation and Politics, Sunday, March 15 “I grew up in Decorah at the time we had the and Professor of Religion Wanda Deifelt’s course on God Ulster project, so I actually do remember when Spring Vacation All day and Gender. she became president,” Assistant Professor of Men’s Tennis—UW-La Crosse 9:00 a.m., Orlando, Florida She delivered a chapel talk and is scheduled English Andy Hageman said. “It was exciting to to eat breakfast with the students who took feel the way the whole audience got wrapped up Women’s Tennis—UW-La Crosse 9:00 a.m., Orlando, Florida Gardener and Rhodes’ course in January 2015 on in particular stories she told; she’s such a great Monday, March 16 Thursday, March 12. storyteller.”

Spring Vacation All day McAleese also attended a reunion for the In addition to being President of Ireland, Tuesday, March 17 Decorah-Ulster exchange Spring Vacation All day program, a partnership Concert Band Tour 7:30 p.m., Grace Lutheran Church between Limavady, Northern Palo Alto, California Ireland and Decorah that Wednesday, March 18 lasted from 1985-97.

Spring Vacation All day According to the Ulster project’s website, this Thursday, March 19 international program was Spring Vacation All day responsible for promoting Baseball—Hamline University 3:00 p.m., Kino Sports Complex, peaceful Protestant and (MN) Tucson, Arizona Catholic relationships Information from luther.edu/events by sending teens from Northern Ireland to various AMBASSADOR, PAGE 1

Tuition

rate

increases

Upcoming Events

McAleese lectures on faith, leadership

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

PAGE 5

A&E EDITOR: DYLAN HINTON

MARCH 12, 2015

REPRESENTING FEMALE COMPOSERS. The vocalists behind this semester’s Art Song Jamboree strike a pose.

Photo courtesy of Jessica Paul

Art Song Jamboree continues MARGARET YAPP STAFF WRITER Professor of Music Jessica Paul hosted the second Song Jam of the 2014-15 Luther College Art Song Jamboree series on Monday, March 9. The event took place in the Recital Hall of the Center for Faith and Life to a full crowd of students, faculty members and Decorah community members.

Paul has organized Song Jams once a semester for the past eight years. The series originally stemmed from her research on female composers during her second sabbatical in 2006.

“My project was women composers, looking for art songs,” Paul said. “I found a lot of music that I wanted to share, so at the end of that sabbatical I came up with this idea.”

Over the past eight years, the series has grown from featuring only Paul and a few other faculty members to including many student performers.

“I realized that I really wanted

to share [this work] with more people,” Paul said. “At first I began to just program my own recitals once a year ... It was all faculty who were my collaborators. [But then] I wanted to share it with a wider field and with the students.”

In this most recent Song Jam, Paul was joined onstage

by Emily Clay (‘16), Jimmy Deignan (‘15), Wesley Frye (‘16), Matt Knutson (‘15), Micki Kruse (‘15), Jenny LeDoux (‘15), Mary Lieberman (‘15), Patrick Pauloski (‘16), Allison Vollinger (‘15), Bryan Waznik (‘15) and Adjunct Faculty in Music Valeria Kishkunas.

As is typical of the Art Song Jamboree series, the Song Jam featured music written exclusively by female composers. “[In the past], female composers were absolutely forgotten,” Paul said. “Things have changed and women are far more prominent [today] ... perhaps they don’t need the banner carried by me, but I find it an interesting subtopic and it is one I am going to stick with.”

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UNIQUE VOICES. Wesley Frye (‘16) performs Mathile von Kralik’s “Fünf Blumenlieder” during the Art Song Jamboree on March 9.

Margaret Yapp / Chips For LeDoux, performing in the Art Song Jamboree series is one of the only opportunities she has had to sing songs written by female composers. This was her second time performing in the series.

“As a music major, I have [performed] dozens and dozens of songs [during my Luther career],” LeDoux said. “Maybe two or three have been by a female composer. [This series] is a way of bringing these women composers to the forefront. They deserve to be just as much in the spotlight as the male composers.”

According to LeDoux, the Art Song Jamboree series is unique to campus for many reasons, including the location of the performances.

“There is a more intimate level [to the performance] because we are in the smaller space in the CRH,” LeDoux said. “You can see the faces of [the people in] the audience.”

The performances feature a

type of music called “art songs” which, according to LeDoux, also adds to the intimacy of the series.

“The idea is that [art songs] are their own stories in one little piece,” LeDoux said. “They’re driven by the poetry ... They’re much more intimate, and very accessible.”

Paul tries to feature lesserknown composers that most people might not be familiar with.

“The newness, the freshness, is what appeals to me,” Paul said.

For LeDoux, the freshness of the music is a major pull to participate in the series.

“It’s a little jewel that we get each semester,” LeDoux said.

“It’s different from what we [normally] work on, it changes things up.”

In the preparation process, the singers were accompanied on piano by Caleb Sander (‘15) who assisted Paul as the rehearsal accompanist. According to

Sander, Paul has a talent for selecting music. “[Paul] has an ear for good music, interesting music, challenging and debatable music,” Sander said. “[She picks] music that maybe not everyone would consider to be tonal or to be beautiful. It is an interesting project.”

Paul intends to continue with the Art Song Jamboree series in the future, in part because of her desire to bring female composers into the public sphere.

“There is music by female composers being uncovered, still, from the 19th century,” Paul said. “There is still more work to be done.”

CORRECTION In the March 3 issue of Chips, Vusi Mahlasela’s name was misspelled in a subheadline and a photo caption.

FEATURES

PAGE 6 MARCH 12, 2015

FEATURES EDITOR: ABBY CARPENTER

International Festival of Owls is a hoot ELIZABETH BONIN STAFF WRITER Professor of Biology Tex Sordahl (‘73) brought a group of seven Luther students to The International Festival of Owls in Houston, Minnesota on March 6-8.

“It’s a modern day bird festival,” Sordahl said. “A lot of communities around the country have found that that’s a good way to bring people together, bring in tourists and celebrate nature.”

Sordahl drove a van of seven students to the festival on Saturday, March 7.

The festival began as a hatch-day party for Karla Bloem’s (‘94) owl, Alice. According to Sordahl, it’s a family-oriented event full of activities to celebrate owls and educate the attendees. The festival has since grown tremendously, bringing in nearly 3,000 people.

“I feel like a lot of people are really fascinated with owls but they don’t really know a lot about them, and the festival is a place you can learn,” Kim Howell (‘15) said. “There’s educational talks, too, and it raises awareness about owls.”

Howell enjoyed learning about the different species and learning owl calls. According to Katelyn Evenson (‘16), the entire town of Houston participates in the event as well. The elementary school children work on owl projects, the pizza places sell owl face pizzas and the churches host a special breakfast.

“There’s an owl-themed pancake breakfast every morning, which is super fun,” Evenson said. “There’s a ton of events. You can build the nest boxes, and do a pellet dissection, but I think my favorite part, the thing that everyone should want to see, is the owl program with trained owls that actually fly over the audience’s head for an hour. It was so cool because you could feel them right above your head. You’re never going to get that close to an owl in real life.”

Evenson described watching the owl fly over the audience as especially unique.

“They had a flying barn owl that flew down through the audience and it was so quiet that if you weren’t watching you wouldn’t know it,” Evenson said.

Evenson is originally from Houston and has worked at the festival for the past five years. She usually runs children’s events, such as the owl face painting, or runs games for them.

WHO, WHO? An owl handler from the Illinois Raptor Center serves as a perch for a barn owl at the International Festival of Owls in Houston, Minnesota.

Photo courtesy of Katelyn Evenson Attending the event has encouraged Evenson to pursue her dream of becoming a zoologist.

Students and professors aren’t the only ones fascinated by the owl festival. The event has grown to attract people from all over the world, including Russia and Norway. According to Evenson, there’s no other owl festival like this in the world.

“People just have a natural affinity for owls,” Sordahl said.

“They’re so interesting. They look like living human caricatures because the eyes are on the front of the face. I think that’s what draws people to them the most. Because they’re night predators, there’s also this element of mystery about them.”

At the festival, several children and adults performed their owl calls in front of an audience, including Sordahl.

“He (Sordahl) said it was an Australian breed that he liked

because it sounded like a bomb, but without the explosion part at the end,” Evenson said. “Then we had professional callers come out too.”

The owl festival isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Bloem has received a grant to build the international owl center in Houston, which will be built when sufficient funds have been raised. Meanwhile, Sordahl and other students encourage others to attend the unique festival.

“The students that have gone with me, if they aren’t seniors, are usually repeaters,” Sordahl said.

According to Sordahl, more Luther students attended this festival than in recent years, and Evenson believes next year they may have to take two vans because of the growing popularity.

“It’s really fun,” Evenson said. “You won’t regret it.”

Ballroom Club competes at U Dance Fest EMMA DEIHL STAFF WRITER The Luther College Ballroom/Swing Competitive Team danced in U Dance Fest, their biggest competition of the year, at Dancers Studio in St. Paul from March 7-8.

The competition lasted almost all day Saturday and Sunday, running 8 a.m. 11 p.m. the first day and 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. the second.

The competition breaks off into four different levels based on the couple’s years of ballroom experience. All dancers who joined this year competed in the newcomer level. The second year dancers competed in either beginnerbronze or advanced-bronze, and the more experienced dancers competed in silver. Gold is a higher level of dance in which Luther has never had a participant.

“Every dancer performs the same types of dances, but each level has a different set of signature techniques and moves they can use,” Competitve Practice Chair Jessica Skjonsby (‘17) said.

According to Jane Wilson (‘16), every dancer performs three rhythm dances: cha cha, rumba and swing, and three smooth dances: waltz, tango and foxtrot. In addition to these “big six” dances, dancers may choose to compete

in other, less common dances such as Argentine tango, Lindy hop, and West Coast swing.

To prepare for the big event, the club has been practicing since the beginning of the year. Their usual practice schedule consisted of Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays for an hour each day, but for the last couple of months, they’ve increased each practice to two hours.

The club’s coach April Dahl comes from Rochester to work with the team about once a month, but the team usually practices independently.

“We usually work on the choreography during the week so that we can present it to the coaches and see what we can work on apart from that,” Competitive Events Chair Michael Jungbluth (‘15) said.

Because they aren’t able to work with a professional coach very often, the team is mainly student-led and relies on the members of the club to take leadership positions and teach new choreography.

“It is run by a group of people all working together rather than one person kind of running it, which is really nice to see in this sort of setting,” Jungbluth said.

They competed against large state schools such as The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, The University of Wisconsin-Madison, The University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse and The University of Northern Iowa.

“We’re competing against people who

LET’S (‘18)

DANCE. have

fun

Mario Aung during a

have coaches with them all the time,” Wilson said. “Some of the teams are really intense, and we’re more relaxed.

I feel like we’re pretty content with the way things are. We’re just going there to do our best and have fun.”

Aside from the U Dance Fest, the club attended mock competitions hosted by other schools. “[The mock competitions] give everyone a chance to get a feel for competition and get critiques from professionals,” Skjonsby said.

(‘17) and Kalie Kampa Ballroom/Swing rehearsal.

Emma Deihl / Chips Although there will be an optional competition in Cedar Rapids later this month, U Dance Fest is the only competition the entire group participates in each year. According to Skjonsby, it’s catered toward collegiatelevel dancers rather than studio or professional dancers. “[This dance competition] really just makes you so much more passionate, not just about dancing, but a lot of other things that are going on in your life,” Jungbluth said.

FEATURES

PAGE 7

FEATURES EDITOR: ABBY CARPENTER

MARCH 12, 2015

Graphic by Samantha Ea

Students use break for experiential learning ERIN DANIELSEN STAFF WRITER Every spring break, student organizations, music ensembles and sports teams at Luther travel within and even outside the country to either hone their skills or perform community service. Although all of these trips are used as training opportunities for the organizations, they are also an opportunity for the groups to bond and create memories off campus.

Women’s Soccer

This year the women’s soccer team will travel to Costa Rica, where they will stay in three different cities and spend time on and off the field.

“We have lots of fun stuff planned when we’re there,” Captain Erin Wilson (‘15) said. “In addition to playing three games against Costa Rican teams, we will be doing lots of sightseeing and spending some quality time on the beach whilst partaking in other various fun activities. The coaches and company we are traveling through did a great job coming up with exciting things for us to do.”

Although Luther soccer teams have taken trips in past years, this is the first time the team will venture to Costa Rica which, according to Wilson, presents a great opportunity for the team to experience soccer in another culture.

“Costa Rican-style soccer will definitely be different, but that is what makes the sport so great,” Wilson said.

“Different people in the world can connect through a mutual love for the game. Hopefully we will all come back with a new and different understanding and respect for the sport that will show for many years to come.”

Ultimate Frisbee

The three Ultimate Frisbee teams on campus will attend tournaments within the continental United States. The men’s varsity team, LUFDA, will travel to Austin, Texas, to play in a tournament before heading to South Padre Island to spend the remainder of their time together.

Meanwhile on the east coast, Pound, the second men’s team, and Freya, the women’s team, will participate in a tournament in South Carolina. They will play eight or nine games there before traveling to North Carolina. According to Sarah Feltault (‘17), the Frisbee teams’ spring break trip is a special tradition.

“I’m not really sure when it started, but we usually go down to Tiby, Georgia, and there was a pizza store down there that had Frisbees up on the wall,” Feltault said. “They had one of our Frisbees from 2007 up there, signed by the whole team.

So it’s been going on for a while.”

According to Feltault, the annual Frisbee trip is one of the first major opportunities for the whole team to bond due to the progression of the season.

“It will be a great time to meet everyone on the team and get them all involved and closer,” Felto said. “We bond a lot with the guys’ team, too, which is really great, getting those connections between the teams. It makes Ultimate more fun.”

Habitat for Humanity

This year, Habitat for Humanity will journey to Colombia, South Carolina, to volunteer for the local Habitat for Humanity chapter. The group will stay at Shandon Presbyterian Church.

“We will be in some tight quarters, but that’s a part of the fun.” Habitat Board Member Paul McKay (‘15) said. “Fifty people in a church can get a little crazy.

Last year was my first trip with Habitat for Humanity, going to Santa Fe, New Mexico.

We made so many new friendships on that trip and we have a lot of returners that are going this year, some who are going on their third, even fourth trip with Habitat.”

According to McKay, the positive impact of the trip on Luther students and the communities they help is one of the benefits of being involved in Habitat for Humanity.

“The board, Lisa Ausen (‘15), Travis Nietert (‘15) Jenny Olofson (‘16) and our adviser Chivonne Marlow have worked so hard to put this trip together, and I can’t wait to see their hard work pay off in a trip that will be so rewarding for so many people,” McKay said. “Helping a different community while building a stronger connection to people in our Luther community is something that we look forward to each year.”

Baseball

Another team that will take their annual spring break trip is the Luther baseball team. This year the group will return to Tucson, Arizona, to participate in the Tuscon invitational games.

“There are days when we will spend the whole day at the ballpark,” Jon Opdahl (‘17) said. “We normally play a double header and maybe a JV game or something like that. It gives the team a chance to see the ball in the air a little bit, especially for the outfielders; they have a tough time inside seeing it off the bat, so that’s really helpful.”

According to Opdahl, the players are hoping to make the most of their trip with the opportunity to play so many games outside, while also working to accomplish the other main goals of the trip: teambuilding and fun.

“The main thing is that the team gets together and becomes more comfortable,

especially with the stuff we can’t practice inside,” Opdahl said. “Otherwise, just getting a feel for the game speed and what it’s like to be in a game since we haven’t really had that all year yet, so that’s the main focus of the trip, and also just having fun. It’s baseball. We are down there to have fun; it’s a game for a reason.”

Concert Band

Luther’s Concert Band will take a spring break tour that will travel from Minnesota to California and then to Arizona. According to Erin Bradley (‘17), the group will give concerts, going to clinics and working on their musicianship during the trip.

“Clinics are always interesting experiences due to the differences between every instructor,” Bradley said.

“You can never be certain of what will happen, but you almost always come out a better musician. I expect this experience to be no different.”

Along with giving concerts in different high schools and working in clinics with Director of California State University Bands John Carnahan, the group will also have free time to relax, explore and bond.

“No tour would be complete without fun,” Bradley said. “One of our nights is spent in a hotel on the Long Beach, so the beach is definitely in the plans for that night. I am also hoping to grow closer to my fellow band members. Once an ensemble goes on tour, there is a new level of connection that is attained and it helps to create a new level of musicality and group coordination. I look forward to returning as an even closer band family.”

Other groups that will travel over break include the men’s and women’s tennis teams going to Orlando, Florida; the men’s golf team also going to Orlando and the softball team voyaging to Clermont, Florida.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

PAGE 8 MARCH 12, 2015

A&E EDITOR: DYLAN HINTON

&RQFHUWR &RPSHWLWLRQ IHDWXUHV ĆQDOLVWV FRANCES STEVENSON STAFF WRITER The Concerto Competition is a musical soloist competition held every other year at Luther. This year’s competition took

place in the Noble Recital Hall on Friday, March 6.

Over 30 students auditioned for the chance to compete. The eight vocal and instrumental finalists completed two round of auitions before being featured in Friday’s competition. One of the judges

for the final competition was Professor of Music Daniel Baldwin.

“Luther students who are currently enrolled and study music, some instrument or voice, are eligible to enter,” Baldwin said.

The competition involves a variety of students from different majors and years. The eight students who made it to the final this year were Bryan Banowetz (‘17) on piano, Braun Oldenkamp (‘15) in voice, Daniel Ray (‘16) on violin, Peter Swanson (‘16) on cello, Kelley Lokensgard (‘15) in voice, Marissa Eckberg (‘17) on viola, Namuun Tsend-Ayush (‘17) on violin and Jenny LeDoux (‘15) in voice. “[There is] no requirement that the contestants be music majors, but there are many music majors,” Baldwin said.

“We [have] first-year students all the way up to seniors.”

Concerto is a specific type of music that involves a soloist and full orchestra.

For the competition, there was a pianist in place of the orchestra. According to Baldwin, this competition provides students who generally participate in ensembles to experience solo performance.

“Musicians spend a great deal of time

in ensembles: choirs, orchestras, bands, jazz groups, larger groups, chamber ensembles, smaller groups … students also study solo literature with one cellist, one singer [and] one pianist,” Baldwin said. “Our orchestra studies concerto literature, so our orchestra should have a chance to play some of the concerto. It’s a part of the balance that we try to provide for our students.”

Swanson played Dmitri Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No.1 in E-flat major, Op. 107, first movement for the competition.

“It’s a piece that I discovered in high school, and I actually played it with my high school orchestra,” Swanson said. “For me, it’s a piece that as a whole is really fun to play, and extremely challenging but also incredibly emotional.

The first movement is very angsty, but as a whole it encompasses so much and has always spoken to me personally.”

The winners of this year’s competition were Banowetz, LeDoux and TsendAyush. The music department encourages students from all backgrounds and classes to audition to compete in 2017 when the next competition will be held.

“Do it. Just do it,” Swanson said. “There is no downside to competing; always put your best effort in.”

“There’s no downside to competing; always put your best effort in.”

- Peter Swanson (‘16)

FRIENDLY COMPETITION. Several competitors pose after the Concerto Competition.

Photo courtesy of Amy Trew Lokensgard

KWLC Album Review: Dan Deacon, “Gliss Riffer” LUKE STENNES SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR I feel like Dan Deacon is an anomaly these days. I would argue that music in general, but especially electronic music, has been moving toward the sad, the emotional and the minimal. I feel like I can’t go on the Internet without seeing another electronic release featuring sparse and ethereal production, wispy vocals and a serious tone. Dan Deacon tends to flip all of that around, giving us a profoundly euphoric and maximal sonic adventure on each and every project. His latest is “Gliss Riffer,” and that trend continues to be heard in his music.

The record begins with “Feel the Lightning,” a fantastic introduction to what is in store for the listener moving

forward. It can be best described with a word I’ve already used, but it is so applicable that I will use it again: euphoric. Deacon provides all of the vocals, ranging from high-pitched squeaks to a lower-register chant. His vocals blend with the dense, electronic-disco production to create a simply awesome feeling of happiness, which continues on to the next track.

“When I Was Done Dying” transports the listener to some kind of community ritual

around a bonfire on a beach, where everyone is holding hands and having a great time together. That might sound like a stupid or pretentious (or both) description of a song, but it really does have that effect. In fact, his music as a whole has that effect. His records tend to have a celebratory, communal happiness to them, and this is reflected in his live shows. He typically sets up a table amongst the crowd and performs on their level rather than separate himself, sometimes leading

movement and dances, always engaging with others.

My personal favorite track on here is “Take It to the Max,” which begins with some basic Reich-style drumming and keeps building and building over the course of a few minutes into a wacky, glittery conclusion. That’s a great two-

word synopsis of Deacon’s music: wacky glittery. His stuff is weird, incorporating disco, funk, blues, everything.

It is not for everyone, and it certainly pushes back against a lot of what is out there today.

But, if you are in the mood for a little euphoria, “Gliss Riffer” certainly has some to offer.

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 pitchfork.com

OPINION

PAGE 9

MANAGING EDITOR: SARAH KING

MARCH 12, 2015

Housing system woes Letter to the Editor

There are a lot of positive qualities about Luther College, but the accommodations for upperclassmen living are absolutely atrocious.

When I visited Luther my senior year of high school, the tour guide implied that a select few seniors, mostly athletes, chose to live on campus for the easy accessibility, but almost all seniors either lived in Baker or off-campus.

The option of living off campus my senior year played a role in my decision to come to Luther, and now I am quickly learning that this may not be a possibility solely because of the number of credits I have.

I grew up in the small town of Lynnville, Iowa, where I graduated with 39 other students. Many students at Luther come from bigger cities, where AP classes are offered and students are able to earn college credit. At my high school, AP credits weren’t even an option, and students were lucky if they were allowed to take a class online through a college and even luckier if those credits transferred for college credit. For this reason, I personally find it very unfair that the housing applications are completely based on a student’s number of credits.

When I chose to go to college at Luther in 2012, it was my understanding that I would be able to live off campus, and now I am learning that my chances of even getting approved are very slim. I don’t think that my desire to live off campus next year should be overshadowed by students with more credits just because they were given opportunities to earn college credit in high school that I wasn’t.

In my opinion, college is a time to grow and mature into an independent adult. I have already tried to take control of my own independence and have applied for several different housing options for next year, but after receiving a rejection letter from both Baker and college apartments, my hopes of being approved to live off campus next year are very low.

I have had several conversations with Res Life and am continually told that living on campus is cheaper for students, but I have crunched the numbers and know for a fact that the plans I have arranged for next school year will be much cheaper than living on campus and will make me much happier. More importantly, my independence is important to me, and I never anticipated being forced to live on campus my senior year. I shouldn’t have to be punished for Luther’s low enrollment by being forced to live in the dorms.

Instead of only looking at credits, Luther should take into consideration the hard work that I have put in at Luther during my time here. I have taken a full load of credits almost every semester, have been involved in SAC every year (including an executive position), have routinely participated in intramurals, have been a morale captain of dance marathon going on two years and have made a point to support Luther athletics by attending several sporting events, including almost all basketball games.

If Luther wants to keep the reputation of being a residential campus, then there should be a focus on building more housing for upperclassmen. I find it especially frustrating that in 1999 when Baker was built, all of the pipes and plumbing were put down for more houses to be built but there has been no further progress on building upperclassmen housing.

I refuse to accept the phrase “Life isn’t fair.”

I know that Luther is a residential campus, but just because there are rooms to fill doesn’t mean that people want to be there.

Cierra Stafford (‘16)

ABBY CARPENTER FEATURES EDITOR For decades, Luther has allowed hundreds of seniors to live off campus. This year, the grand total of students approved to live off campus is 20, as announced on March 9.

In September we were informed of the residential policy and told that the number of students approved to live off campus would be lower than in previous years due to decreased enrollment. However, we were not informed until March 9, a few days before the list of approved off-campus students went up, that the number of approved students would be lowered to 20. In previous years, Res Life has approved approximately 200 students each year to live off campus. This year’s number has decreased to one-tenth of the average approved number of students. I don’t think I have to say that this is a massive decrease that students were not expecting.

What bothers me most about finding out that only 20 students would be approved to live off campus is that we were told once there were absolutely no other options but for all of the students who applied to live off campus to live on campus – in the dorms.

This strikes me as exceedingly manipulative and opportunistic of Res Life. If I had known that there would be only one-tenth of the average number of students approved to live off campus earlier in the year, I could have made other arrangements: to apply for Baker, apply for Prairie Houses, apply for Norby or college apartments, basically anything but face another year of being forced to live in a cramped 11’ by 16’ box with another person for nine months.

Because Res Life chose to release this information after the deadlines for all other applications had passed, they conveniently found a way to fit an additional 92 students into the dorms. A total of 112 students applied for off-campus housing, but only 20 were actually approved.

Spending another year being forced to spend my money on living in a dorm is not how I pictured my senior year at Luther. I was hoping to gain a little financial and personal freedom by living off campus next year, but instead I will be slapping down almost $4,000 for nine months of food and $3,500 each semester to live in an 11’ by 16’ room I don’t want to be in.

In my opinion, the “solution” of denying 92 students the opportunity to live off campus as seniors is a temporary fix that will only solve Luther’s monetary and enrollment problems for the time being. As dissatisfied students leave Luther and tell their younger siblings and their friends about how manipulative and opportunistic Res Life was, Luther’s enrollment will plummet even further.

DJ seeks exposure for radio station across campus Letter to the Editor The Luther College community is one that continually seeks to be self-sufficient and selfsupporting. These themes of sustainability, local

production and community are very prevalent on our campus but are typically associated with food, energy or the environment. I believe that these ideals could be and should be applied to our beloved local college radio station, KWLC. This year KWLC has made many changes, and the hard work and improvements made at the station should not go unnoticed by the college. In short, Luther College should do more to support the college radio station by broadcasting KWLC programming in the Caf and Marty’s.

Playing student programming in public areas such as the Caf and Marty’s would be a fantastic way to promote the college radio station not only to students but also to visitors and prospective students. In

addition, publicly broadcasting KWLC on campus would definitely encourage student DJs to be more creative with their shows and to produce higher quality programming. Having been a DJ at KWLC, I always appreciated feedback and support from listeners and I know that if Luther College chose to support the radio station in this way, the quality of broadcasting would only increase.

By playing KWLC student programming in the Caf and Marty’s, both the radio station and the college would benefit: Luther College would get to show off its hip, student-run radio station and the student DJs would get the publicity they deserve.

Anders Hopkins (‘15)

#NorseAware: advocating for proactive responses to sexual violence How do we educate society on sexual violence? We start by talking. In the last few weeks, both our local and global communities have begun to talk about sexual violence and the consequences it carries.

Our own Luther community has experienced events in the last few weeks that have heightened our sensitivity on the issue of sexual violence. We commend our peers who have opened up the conversation about sexual violence on our campus.

Sexual violence can happen to anyone, anywhere. Most survivors know their attackers.

We need to be aware of sexual violence, how to prevent it and how to heal from it.

Giving people safety steps is more effective than just telling people to stop from committing sexual violence. Some feel that giving steps or advice on how to avoid sexual violence perpetuates the problem, but we cannot deny the way our society works and the behaviors it condones. Indeed, it is unnerving

that we should have to educate our young and peers on sexual violence, but saying “we should not have to” does not acknowledge the reality of the world we live in today. Sexual violence does happen.

The issue is not about telling others what to do. Instead, we are advocating for the empowerment of our community in these situations through education. The more we talk about sexual violence as a community and recognize our roles as active bystanders

in the lives of others, the closer we come to condemning the act as a whole and hopefully working toward a safer environment for all.

For more discussion, we encourage you to follow our Twitter account @NorseAware, respond to us in Chips, and use the #NorseAware hashtag to ask questions, share knowledge and raise awareness about sexual assault.

Aly Danielson (‘16) and Matt Sullivan (‘15)

OPINION

PAGE 10 MARCH 12, 2015

MANAGING EDITOR: SARAH KING

Yik Yak stirs debate on online accountability

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.

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The author is solely responsible for opinions expressed in Chips commentary.

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Editorial Students in the 9:15 a.m. Survey of U.S. History Since 1877 class have had the campus buzzing, or, more specifically, yakking.

Recently, one student in the class posted a yak admitting to having a crush on a woman in who sits in the front row. This student identified himself as someone who sits in the back row. Not long after, a female student in the class identified herself as someone who sits in the front row and that she, coincidentally enough, has a crush on a man who sits in the back row.

This Yik Yak situation has been positive thus far, even garnering jokes from Associate Professor of History Edward Tebbenhoff, who teaches the class. According to updates from Yik Yak, Tebbenhoff acknowledged seeing the posts. He then offered extra credit to the students if they manage to go on a date before the end of the semester and then warned the rest of the class that a question on the final exam will be about the postings.

Unfortunately, not all other universities have had such light hearted posts. According to the March 8 New York Times article “Who Spewed That

Abuse? Anonymous Yik Yak App Isn’t Telling,” students in an Eastern Michigan University class last fall posted dozens of demeaning, crude and sexually explicit comments about three female professors. Professor of Philosophy Margaret Crouch was one of the victims.

She hoped to take legal action against those responsible for the posts, but was unable to due to the anonymous nature of Yik Yak. Yik Yak is a social media application that does not create user profiles. Instead, it allows those using the application to post to a common message board based off of geographic location. Only posts within a 1.5-mile radius appear on a user’s phone, making it particularly popular on college campuses. All posts are anonymous and can be boosted or downvoted by fellow Yakkers, with boosts adding points to the post’s popularity score and downvotes taking away points.

It is because of similar profane and bullying posts that the application makers have taken steps to curb the cruelty of its users. Yik Yak boasts that it has created “geo-fences” around 90 percent of the nation’s middle and high schools in order to prevent immature users from using the application. It also has created a function where the application

The Norse Poll

“Freedom of speech is important, but I feel like wherever you are going to go, whatever social media you’re using, there’s going to be bullying.”

Branna Elenz (‘17)

recognizes common hateful words and phrases, which then prompts a warning message to pop up and question the user’s intentions. Further, any post that receives a score of -5 is removed.

Although Yik Yak has tried to take responsible steps to curb cyberbullying, the continued hateful use of the application has many wondering if anonymous social media platforms should be legal. Some believe it promotes harmful social behavior and makes people crueler because they do not have to take ownership of their words.

On the other hand, no one is forced to use it. Everyone has a choice to participate or not. Therefore, if you find it dumb, uninteresting or offensive, you do not have to read or contribute to the forum. We all have a choice.

Furthermore, shutting down Yik Yak and other anonymous forums would place limits on freedom of speech.

Yik Yak’s downvoting feature creates a new potential for people to stand up for what is right. If something is offensive, users can take control and downvote the post until it is removed, sending a clear message that profanity and hatred is not acceptable. This is an opportunity to demonstrate the power of voting. We can lessen the prominence of cyberbullying and abuse. We can decide.

What do you think of anonymous social media platforms?

“It’s enjoyable ... but because of the anonymous piece, it can turn into something really negative really quickly.”

Tim Ostby (‘16)

“I think people can say things they wouldn’t normally say.”

Natalie Auer (‘16)

Singers taken to court for wrong reasons The song “Blurred Lines” by singers Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams has raised a number of controversies concerning its lyrics that promote rape culture and the song’s general misogynistic nature. More recently, it is facing a completely unrelated issue of plagiarism. Thicke and Williams are being accused of copying deceased R&B artist Marvin Gaye’s song, “Got to Give it Up.” The Associated Press released the news of the trial on March 5, revealing that Gaye’s family lawyer believes that Thicke and Williams should face financial consequences for using Gaye’s music and lying about how they wrote the song.

Williams and Thicke’s attorney responded saying that his clients had done nothing wrong in trying to replicate the feelings that Gaye’s music gave his listeners, adding that if Williams and Thicke were wrongly committed of copying Gaye’s music, it would negatively affect those in the music industry.

Now, I have listened to “Got to Give it Up,” and I will say that there are striking similarities. But I can list a number of other songs that are similar to each other: Kelly Clarkson’s “Already Gone” and Beyonce’s “Halo,” Katy Perry’s “Roar” and Sarah Bareilles’s “Brave.” Also, let’s not forget almost every single pop

country song. There are clearly other instances in which songs have sounded very similar and no one has tried to take someone to court over it.

I think there are plenty more reasons to take Williams and Thicke to court other than the fact that they supposedly copied some dead artist’s work. Shortly after the song was released in summer of 2013, the Internet erupted in flames, negatively responding to its lyrics containing blatant disregard for consensual sex. It even went as far as being called a song “from the mouths of rapists.”

I will admit, I find the song excruciatingly catchy, but the message it gives off is alarming; the lyrics are just so rape-y. The song features lines, such as “I know you want it” and “You’re a good girl.” Many rape survivors see similarities in “Blurred Lines” lyrics and what their rapist had said to them.

If someone takes Thicke and Williams to court for anything over their song, it should be for their distasteful word choice, not for supposed plagiarism.

LuAnna Gerdemann (‘18)

SPORTS

PAGE 11

MARCH 12, 2015

SPORTS EDITOR: JULIA JOSEPH

Athletic Director Joe Thompson announces upcoming retirement COLIN ROBINSON STAFF WRITER Joe Thompson will retire at the end of this semester, marking the end of his 20 years as the Director of Intercollegiate Athletics. Thompson has seen many changes to Luther College athletics as he has the second-longest tenure of the athletic department.

Thompson received his undergraduate degree at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. As an athlete at Augustana, Thompson competed regularly at Luther as a pole vaulter in track & field and also played football as a running back.

Thompson coached at multiple schools, from his alma mater to Dickinson State, St. Thomas and UW-La Crosse.

His role as Athletic Director at Luther affects many important choices and also sets up future opportunities for Luther’s coaches and athletes.

Chips: As the Athletic Director of Luther College, what is your first priority?

Thompson: There are several things, but I can say the most important part is the hiring process. If you hire good people, good things happen. Conversely, if you hire people that aren’t necessarily able to do what you want to do, it’s a problem in any profession. I would say hiring good people has always been my top priority.

Do you get a lot of face-time with the athletes?

I used to coach before I came here. Then, it was a day-to-day thing; here, it’s a bit removed. But I’ve gotten to know several athletes through the years quite well – some teams better than others, but still enough that it has been fun. I certainly feel comfortable talking to a pretty large group of student-athletes.

But you don’t have anywhere near the same interactions that you would as a coach.

Will you reflect on your fondest memory from the last 20 years as Athletic Director?

Well, it’s always about the people. I’d say the thing I’m most fond of or proud of is that we have a fantastic staff. I think we have a coaching staff that is committed to success, and they’re concerned about the well-being of the student-athletes. I look around at various schools and programs and I think the thing I’m most proud of is the staff we’ve assembled.

What do you think you will miss the most after your retirement?

I would say the excitement of what goes along with athletics: watching the students work hard to achieve what they want to do. There is a lot of energy here. It’s an emotional occupation.

You see student athletes in some of their lowest moments, but also their highest. You see coaches in some of their lower and higher moments as well. It’s the energy and emotion that goes with this occupation, which is one of those things that you probably miss the most. It’s hard when you see the disappointment that comes with a loss or a failure. Certainly it’s much more fun to see them succeed.

How does it feel to be leaving on such a high point?

It’s exciting to see that. I think the football program had a wonderful fall season. I think the wrestling team is poised to do well at the national championship. The swim team has been very successful this year. The excitement after the women’s basketball game when they won the conference tournament is exciting to see. You can go on and on, and there’s a lot of shortterm things you can look at, but over the long haul there is a myriad of very exciting things. I think that over time, Luther has done very well with winning championships, or at least competing for them.

What does retirement have in store for you?

Not coming to work every day. In this business, it’s deeply

THOMPSON STEPS DOWN. Joe Thompson spoke at the Norse Awards to share his past with Luther’s athletes.

Maria da Silva / Photo Bureau involved with planning and right now I’m trying to avoid exactly that. I’m not quite sure what’s going to happen, but I’m interested in finding that out. So our short-term plan is to stay here in Decorah. We’re going to travel a lot; I don’t plan to be here when it’s cold. I don’t know that I necessarily have this real defined road map. What I know is that I won’t be here in the office at 8.

Norse of the Week JULIA JOSEPH SPORTS EDITOR Anna Madrigal (‘17) led the women’s basketball team in scoring a career high of 25 points in the first round of Nationals against St. Norbert. Madrigal’s shooting record was 9 of 13, going 6 for 8 on the three-point line to help the Norse defeat St. Norbert 72-61 at St. Thomas.

Chips: What was the highlight of nationals for you?

Madrigal: For the majority of the season our goal was to win the Conference Tournament, so for a lot of us we hadn’t looked beyond what would happen at Nationals. Winning that first game was gratifying, to know that we were actually meant to be there and we weren’t just some fluke fairy tale story. That first game was really crucial, especially for our program to solidify us as a good team.

Is there anything you would change about

PUSHING UP THE COURT. Anna Madrigal (‘17) helps Luther get the win against Central with a score of 63-44 on Feb. 14.

Will Heller / Photo Bureau the second game?

I think if we could have had one more minute in that game, we would’ve won. We’re always looking to adjust during the game and I think we did that; it just didn’t play out in our favor.

St. Thomas is a really good team. I don’t know if they deserved to win that game, but they deserve to be in the position they are in the tournament.

What was one of the biggest challenges for the team this season?

We came into the season and half of our team was returners and the other half was completely new to the program, so they didn’t really know what we were all about. That helped us form a new definition of what Luther basketball is. So many of us were ready for a change and to revitalize the program.

Being able to come

together as a new group with a new common goal was crucial for us, but it definitely was a challenge for us to get there.

How do you stay mentally focused in the bigger games?

It’s all about the girls out on the court with you. People like Moran Lonning (‘16) and Meagan Koepnick (‘15) are both great leaders and are able to reign you in and give you a common focus. They’re able to tell you to work hard right here, right now, for however much time you have left. That’s really crucial, to have those big-time leaders.

Do you have any pre-game rituals you do as a team before games?

We do a prayer, and then Moran always says, “Get ready to run, baby,” and I always say, “Oh, it’s a good thing, because I brought my running shoes.” That is one of our common exchanges. This year that focus on sprint mentality has been so crucial for us to get up and down the court and be able to outrun so many other teams.

Have you done a lot more running in practice to prepare?

Nothing out of the ordinary for pre-season, but once we came into practice it was all focused on getting up the court as fast as we can and sprinting back on defense and sprinting into our offense. We’re always looking to push the ball up the court. We were conditioned to it and by the end of the season we’re all in the best shape of our lives.

Is this different from other seasons?

It wasn’t always a focus for us to get up and down the court as fast as possible. Maybe a focus on getting back on defense, but not up on offense.

If you could bleed a Gatorade color, what color would you bleed?

I would bleed blue, Mountain Blue.

What is one of the biggest accomplishments you’ve had this season?

Winning that conference tournament. Being picked last in the conference, no one expected anything out of us, Coach Bailey or any of our returners, and they didn’t have any idea about our newcomers and who they were as players.

The IIAC is a tough conference nationally, so being able to win that conference was crucial.

How did Coach Bailey influence the success of the season?

I would run through a wall for Coach Bailey or Coach Foley. Right from the get-go, they were both driven and had that common goal in mind. She gave us what we needed to do, and we just had to buy into it. We couldn’t question what she said or do our own thing.

There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that we wouldn’t be able to accomplish our goal; it was just a matter of all buying into what she said.

If you could play for a professional team who would you play for?

I would play wherever LeBron James is.

Don’t hate on Lebron James. He’s a good player. He’s my favorite player.

SPORTS

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Women’s basketball competes in NCAA Tournament STEVE PETERSON STAFF WRITER The Luther women’s basketball team traveled to the University of St. Thomas to compete in the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Tournament with games on March 6 and 7. The Norse started the tournament on a high note, beating Wisconsin’s St. Norbert College by a score of 72-61 to advance to the second round.

Luther’s season came to a thrilling but disappointing end in the second round after losing to the number tworanked host of the tournament, St. Thomas, by a score of 57-60. Meagan Koepnick (‘15) led the team in scoring with 22 points. It was the undefeated St. Thomas’ smallest margin of victory all season.

Despite the loss, 2015 IIAC Coach of the Year Amanda Bailey expressed her immense satisfaction at the team’s efforts this season. “You can tell our [players] we’re not going to win a game, and it won’t mean anything to them at all,� Bailey said. “They’re going to come out and play hard every day.�

The team won the IIAC Conference Championship against Wartburg on Feb. 28. They clinched a spot in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2007 with an overall record of 225.

The Norse mounted a significant comeback in the second half only to see Kylie Romeo’s (‘16) potentially gametying three-point shot blocked as the buzzer went off.

Bailey was particularly proud of the way the team played against undefeated St. Thomas. “It was a physical and close game,�

Weekly Standings Women’s Basketball IIAC 11-3 10-4 10-4 9-5 6-8 6-8 3-11 1-13

Dubuque Luther Coe Loras Wartburg Simpson Buena Vista Central

Recent Scores

Overall 17-9 23-6 18-9 15-11 17-11 16-10 8-17 10-15

Mar. 7 @ St. Thomas Academy vs. St. Thomas L 57-60 Mar. 6 @ St. Thomas Academy vs. St. Norbert W 72-61

Wrestling #1 Wartburg #8 Luther #10 Coe Central Loras Dubuque Simpson Buena Vista

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

Overall 18-1 13-6 9-8 8-4 9-11 8-13 7-11 2-14

Upcoming Schedule

Mar. 13-14 NCAA Championships @ Hershey, Penn.

Baseball

#24 Buena Vista Central Dubuque Wartburg Coe Luther Loras Simpson

TIP OFF. Carrie Kilen (‘15) jumps to start off the Luther-Wartburg Conference &KDPSLRQVKLS JDPH RQ )HE Photo courtesy of Luther Athletics

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

Recent Scores

Overall 5-0 2-0 3-0 6-1 3-1 3-1 4-2 1-2

Mar. 8 @ Jacksonville, Ill. vs Carleton College W 10-2

Upcoming Schedule

Mar. 13-22 Spring Trip to Tuscon, Ariz.

Bailey said. “It just showed how hard we play, no matter who we’re going up against.�

Starting the season with a ranking of eighth in the conference, it came as somewhat of a surprise for the Norse women to be so successful this season. “We came into the tournament wanting to prove that

our success wasn’t just a fluke,� Anna Madrigal (‘17) said. “We had to win a game to show that we belonged with the best teams in the country.�

Playing with confidence is one of the keys to the team’s success, according to Carrie Kilen (‘15). “We play with grit, and teams should be scared to play our game for 40 minutes,� Kilen said.

One of the team’s mottos this year has been “This is what we do� and has been an important reminder for the players to stick to “their game� and to focus on what is within their own control. “We will make adjustments based on our opponent, but in all we continue to stick to what we do and play Luther basketball,� Kilen said.

A light-hearted and focused attitude has been important for the team, but hard work has perhaps been the biggest contributor to the success of the season, according to Madrigal. “All season long we were successful because we always out-worked our opponents, and that isn’t something CELEBRATION TIME. /XWKHU ZRPHQèV EDVNHWEDOO WHDP you can adjust,â€? Madrigal said. “You FHOHEUDWHV DIWHU GHIHDWLQJ 6W 1RUEHUW LQ WKH Ć UVW URXQG RI either do it or you don’t.â€?

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- Anna Madrigal (‘17)

Softball

#18 Luther #25 Simpson Coe Wartburg Central Loras Dubuque Buena Vista

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

Recent Scores

Overall 8-0 16-0 5-3 7-5 2-2 2-2 3-3 4-4

Mar. 7 @ Rochester Dome vs. Bethel University W 9-7

Upcoming Schedule

Mar. 13-22 PFX Sprig Games @ Clermont, Fla.

Men’s Tennis #35 Coe Wartburg Luther Central Simpson Dubuque Buena Vista Loras

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

Recent Scores

Overall 10-3 6-4 5-4 2-3 2-5 4-8 1-6 0-5

Mar. 7 @ Madison, Wis. vs. Grinnell College L 4-5

Upcoming Schedule

Mar. 15-18 Spring Trip to Orlando, Fla.

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

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

Recent Scores

Overall 14-4 9-4 8-6 7-3 5-8 5-10 4-9 0-10

Mar. 7 @ Janesville, Wis. vs. UW-Whitewater L 1-8

Upcoming Schedule

Mar. 15-18 Spring Trip to Orlando, Fla.