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Recent alum Ervin Liz (‘17) and his venture into coffee production
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Symphony Orchestra concert
Track and Field does not compete because of weather
COLLEGE
LUTHER “Let the chips fall where they may.”
VOLUME 140, NO. 17• EST. 1884
APRIL 12, 2018
Community responds to hate incident
“Facing the Strange” through art MARTEL DEN HARTOG STAFF WRITER Gallery Coordinator David Kamm and Professor of English Lise Kildegaard finished the 2018 Paideia Texts and Issues Lecture Series with a presentation titled, “Turn and Face the Strange: Creative Activity as a Catalyst for Change,” in the Center for Faith and Life Recital Hall on March 20. Inspired by David Bowie’s hit song, “Changes,” Kamm and Kildegaard invited the nearly 100-person audience to consider how art can be used to confront the realities communities face. “Be the Change” is the Paideia Texts and Issues theme this year, and one of its guiding questions, “How can we confront the feeling that nothing can be done?” prompted Kamm and Kildegaard’s presentation. Kamm’s art exhibit, displayed on the second floor of the CFL, was used as a springboard for the conversation. “Part of what we’re talking
about is the strangeness of the times we live in, where school shootings, for example, seem to start feeling routine, almost expected,” Kamm said. “We’re using creative response — the art exhibit — as a lens to face issues that seem strange or even beyond the reach of any individual to somehow deal with.” During the presentation, Kildegaard and Kamm discussed Kamm’s creative process and pieces from his show. The show consists of pieces constructed with hateful or violent materials, such as bullet casings and strips of paper from “The White Man’s Bible.” Kamm and Kildegaard acknowledged the transformative nature of this art. “His art demonstrates how materials can be transformed,” Kildegaard said. “The art is not reducible to a message, but he is trying to reveal something. And one of the things I think he reveals is that hateful objects can be transformed. And if that’s
MARTIN DONOVAN STAFF WRITER
Gallery Coordinator David Kaam holds a brass bowl with 80 bullet casings. Some of the casings contained pieces of paper with the names of victims of the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012. Photo courtesy of Rachel Miller (‘18) true, that does help us imagine a world where a hope is more productive than hate — where hope is possible over hate.” The presentation engaged listeners and encouraged reflection on Kamm’s work. Comments from the audience noted a resemblance between guns blowing objects to bits and pieces that looked like broken, radiating, oscillating fragments. Some
said that though the pieces are composed of words from “The White Man’s Bible,” the meaning has dissipated in the mosaic patterns. Attendee Max Skrzypek (‘19) articulated how although those hateful words have been transformed, conversations are not over. “It’s important to talk about
In the wake of the hate incident on March 11 at Carlson Stadium, the Luther College community mobilized to condemn bigotry and racism. Luther’s administration as well as numerous departments, student organizations, and individual community members have publicly denounced the hate incident. Vice President of Communications and Marketing Aimee Viniard-Weideman and Interim Dean of Institutional Equity and Inclusion Lisa Scott highlighted the administration’s sense of urgency to respond to the hate incident. “Once we understood what had occurred, it was decided that we would call the community to gather on the football field Sunday evening to reclaim it as Luther’s community space,” Viniard-Weideman and Scott said. Additionally, the administration utilized three listening sessions on March 13 and 15 to compile students concerns and suggestions to help shape Luther’s future actions. Luther will respond to these concerns at a community meeting on Monday, April 16. Furthermore, Luther held a faculty workshop on social justice pedagogy on April 5 and will hold an anti-racism workshop on May 5. Luther was also recently approved to work with the Sustained Dialogue Institute during the next academic year, which is a nonprofit organization based out of D.C. that
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RESPONSE | PAGE 4
Baker holds energy saving competition GILLIAN KLEIN STAFF WRITER The Center for Sustainable Communities organized an energy reduction competition between residents of Baker Village from March 12 to 17. A total of 18 units participated. Energy advocate co-chair for the Center of Sustainable Energy Nathan Campbell (‘18) analyzed the results of the competition through comparing energy usage. “We compared energy consumption from a week in February to the week of March 12 to 17,” Campbell said. “Over this last week, the village used 20 percent less energy. Out of all the houses, Trondheim six reduced their energy usage the most, by 57 percent.” The Center for Sustainable Communities’ preparation for the energy competition began during the fall semester of the 2016-17 academic year. Assistant Director of the Center for Sustainable Communities Maren Beard (‘08) shared why this project aligned with Luther’s environmental issues. “Years ago, Luther set a 2 percent per year reduction rate in energy usage,” Beard said. “Our theory is that, through this project, we are giving students access to
energy information specific to their usage and connecting students to their energy intake.” In order for students to access their energy information the Sustainable Council recruited a web developer to create a mobile-friendly website later launched as “Baker Village Appening” in mid-February. In early February, sustainable educators — part of the Sustainable Council — ran a secret competition about phantom energy usage. Phantom energy is the energy that is consumed by devices not in operation but still plugged. The competition compared reduction in phantom loads per unit since the release of the website. The data from this week was used as a comparison to the competition week in March. Phantom loads, according to Oslo resident Liam Fraser (‘18), were one of the easiest ways to reduce energy consumption. “A phantom load is the energy you are using when you aren’t charging or powering anything,” Fraser said. “Just unplug anything you are not using, like phone chargers or BAKER | PAGE 4
Baker Village.
Gillian Klein (‘20) | Chips
NEWS
PAGE 2 APRIL 12, 2018
NEWS EDITORS: KATRINA MEYER & ANA LÓPEZ
Lecture highlights impact of AfricanAmerican composers
ACM offers grad school fellowship
FORREST STEWART STAFF WRITER
GILLIAN KLEIN STAFF WRITER
Alumni Guest Lecturer in Music Evan Mitchell ('14) gave a lecture examining the lives and works of notable African-American classical music composers on March 20. The lecture occurred jointly with a meeting of the diversity council which was open to all members of the public and sponsored by the Luther College Diversity Center. Mitchell’s presentation focused primarily on three AfricanAmerican composers from the 20th century and featured student performances of musical pieces by each composer. Mitchell said his decision to lecture on the topic came about from his own frustration about the overrepresentation of a relatively small group of well-known composers in both professional and collegiate musical repertoires. “I wanted to find more music for students to sing for their studies,” Mitchell said. “I just kept finding myself in the same rut with the same composers I had seen before and music we had done before. I wanted to know what else we could do.” Diversity council member Asha Aden ('20) attended the lecture and sees presentations like this one as an important way to combat what she perceives as unfair historical representation of black artists. “I know for myself, growing up as an AfricanAmerican woman, when you are in [school] and there aren’t any figures that you learn about that look like you it’s hard to think that you’ll ever achieve success," Aden said. "When I was learning music in elementary school we only studied white artists so I thought that was only a white person’s job and that black people didn’t do that. I’m glad that they’re being highlighted so that younger people can have artists to look up to.” Mitchell’s presentation focused on both the artistic qualities present in the music as well as the barriers the composers faced while producing and sharing work in a white supremacist society. Mitchell noted that these barriers took many forms from individual discrimination to complex societal and cultural racism. According to Mitchell, minstrelsy, the practice of performing negative racial stereotypes through performances, songs, and jokes, is one such example.
Alumni Guest Lecturer in Music Evan Mitchell ('14) lectures on the importance of African American composers. Forrest Stewart ('19) I Chips
Iloria Phoenix (’18) prepares to perform a piece by composer Harry Burleigh. Forrest Stewart ('19) I Chips “There were certainly other musicians who were prejudiced against African-Americans and that’s just on a personal level,” Mitchell said. “There was also a cultural expectation that African-Americans were relegated to only perform music that was about African-Americans or at the expense of African-Americans. Minstrelsy was an example of a very limiting and stereotypically reinforced music choice that many African-Americans had to take because of their economic situation.” Collin Zollinger ('20), who performed "I Dream a World" from William Grant Still’s opera Trouble Island as a part of the lecture believes that these barriers are still evident today in the ways that African-American composers do not receive as much historical appreciation as their white counterparts. “I had to do a little bit of research on [‘I Dream a World’] for my voice seminar and I found it really difficult to find information on it,” Zollinger said. “I think [that difficulty] is really the whole reason of the lecture; these composers and musicians haven’t received enough credit for their work.” Mitchell noted that there is tension inherent in being a white professor teaching about AfricanAmerican history. “I try to [embrace] that tension because I can’t have every answer as a white person,” Mitchell said. “I don’t know every struggle that someone feels as they sing spirituals that are written in Ebonic vernacular. But hopefully I can be a source that’s open to ask the questions or to have that conversation.” Aden was pleased with how Mitchell navigated the issue. “I think he did it justice,” Aden said. “At the beginning he talked about him being a white man and how his history is known and that people don’t know a lot about some of these black artists’ history. I think it was good for him to recognize that he’s a white man bringing this from his perspective.” Mitchell says he hopes the lecture will inspire people to explore artists who have not been remembered as much as prominent white American composers. “I hope people go and look up these composers’ names: Florence Price, William Grant Still, and Harry Burleigh,” Mitchell said. “I hope people seek out these opportunities to hear music like this from these composers and find these stories that don’t often get told.”
Luther is a member of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest, a group which offers the Graduate School Exploration Fellowship Program. The program is a part of an initiative to diversify higher education faculty in the humanities. This year Luther joined 14 other Midwestern colleges to collaborate under the ACM. The colleges within the ACM worked to conduct joint initiatives for their students. In 2016, the ACM created the GSEF Program. The first group of Luther students to begin working with the program started in 2016. One of those students was Jordan Boge (‘18). From May until early August, Boge researched cultural appropriation in the movie "Moana" at the University of Wisconsin at Madison alongside Associate Professor of Media and Cultural Studies Lori Lopez. “This experience helped me uncover and show the relevancy of academia in our world,” Boge said. “I began forming ideas of how representation matters through research. That’s when I discovered I wanted to bridge academia and the making of real content.” Currently, Boge is employed at CNN continuing similar research, an opportunity that began with the experiences GSEF provided him. The program’s initial start-up in 2016 began with the search for funding. Liaison for the Fellows Program to Diversify the Professoriate Lily Lavner has a role in the search for funding the fellowship. “As part of the advisory board, it is my job to write grants to fund the ideas the ACM presents to us,” Lavner said. “By researching, we found the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, who now funds us.” The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation strives to strengthen, promote, and defend the contributions of the humanities and arts as well as support the well-being of diverse and democratic societies. Students interested in the program must apply and, with the assistance from their ACM campus contact, the application process can begin. Associate Dean and Director of Faculty Development, Jeff Wilkerson is involved in the application and program timeline. “During students’ sophomore years, I look for candidates and have interested candidates approach to apply,” Wilkerson said. “I’m much like the glue that connects candidates to the program.” Once the application is submitted, acceptance into the program is based on the Mellon foundation’s goals. The foundation and fellowship serve to support traditionally underrepresented groups pursuing careers in teaching and research at the collegiate level in the humanities or arts. The GSEF classifies the following as underrepresented: AfricanAmericans; Hispanics; Native Americans; Alaska Natives; Native Hawaiians; other Pacific Islanders; first-generation students; or those who have followed non-traditional pathways to college through societal, economic, or academic disadvantages. Support from the GSEF can be anything from financial aid, to research experience, to mentoring students. Wilkerson shared why he believes this support fits the Luther and ACM academic goals for its students. “Students should have a transformative experience,” Wilkerson said. “We are helping students discover how they fit into the world and how the world works.” Through this support, students have the opportunity to research at one of the Big Ten Academic Alliance institutions and present their research afterwards. The Big Ten Academic Alliance is made up of 15 Division I schools varying from Northwestern University to Purdue University. During the summer before a student’s senior year, they are paired with a professor at one of the 15 schools to conduct research alongside them. For students like Boge, the research was a turning point. “I found my passion for research in uncovering the truths of this world,” Boge said. “You really have to love what subject area you study to embark on a journey like this.” Looking ahead for GSEF at Luther, Boge also expressed his support in the continuation of this program after the hate incident on March 11. “With recent events a lot of people want action on Luther’s campus right now,” Boge said. “This program works to decrease the diversity gap in higher education faculty. The best version of Luther is one that is an inclusive community.”
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NEWS EDITORS: KATRINA MEYER & ANA LÓPEZ
APRIL 12, 2018
Miller and Ranum to retire from computer science department DIRK UMBANHOWER STAFF WRITER Professor of Computer Science Brad Miller (‘86) and Professor of Computer Science David Ranum ('83) are set to retire at the end of this academic year. According to Miller, the interactions with students are the most enjoyable part of his job and what he will miss most. “I have really enjoyed getting to know the students over the years,” Miller said. “Watching them grow and seeing them start out with no computer science experience and ending up with amazing skills is really gratifying and humbling.” Data science major Aaron Zerfas ('19) enjoyed his time in Miller’s classes. “I had [Miller] for Data Science 120, and he did a very good job at being there when we needed him but also giving us the space to do our own work,” Zerfas said. “He was nice to talk to and approachable both in and outside of class. He’s very smart and he can bring a lot to the world with that.” Brad Miller graduated from Luther in 1986 and came back to teach in 2003. Before teaching he had worked as the Vice President of Product Development for Net Perceptions, a system software supplier whose customers included Amazon and J.C. Penny. The company led the field until the internet bubble burst back in 2001. In retirement, Miller will still work on technology projects and plans to focus more on his latest project, the Runestone Interactive. “The Runestone Interactive is an online interactive textbook environment that we use here at Luther for some classes,” Miller said. “In addition, around 20,000 students a day use it in both high schools and colleges all around the world. My goal is to make that two million. I like to think the mantra of Runstone is democratizing textbooks for the 21st century.” Ranum is officially retiring after nearly 40 years of being involved with Luther, both as a student from 1979 to 1983 and as a professor for 28 years beginning in 1990. “During that almost 40-year period, I've had the opportunity to be taught by; to teach with; to work with; and to teach an amazing group of faculty, staff,
and students,” Ranum said. “We have four generations of Luther alums in my family and am excited that my youngest daughter will be starting her time at Luther in the fall, so I'll still be around campus as a parent.” Ranum has not been teaching for the past two years, however, as he has been on sabbatical leave. During that time period, Ranum has been working with IBM in Rochester, Minnesota with the Watson project and the Mayo Clinic. He plans on continuing that work in retirement. “In 2015, I was given an opportunity to work with IBM Watson Health and the Mayo Clinic on a partnership focusing on applying modern artificial intelligence and natural language processing techniques to problems in clinical oncology,” Ranum said. “It's extremely fast-paced and challenging work but very rewarding.” With Ranum having been on leave for the past two years, not many current students at Luther had him as a professor. Computer science major Aaron Herman (‘18) had Ranum his first year in the program's introductory courses. “He was really good at making it seem simple to learn and he taught us a lot of the core concepts,” Herman said. “He helped me get my internship, which was a very beneficial experience and overall he was a very good professor.” Because computer science is a growing major the department will need to adjust and replace both Miller and Ranum to keep offering the same courses in both computer and data science. Professor of Computer Science Kent Lee and the department have already been taking this into consideration. “We’ve been able to adjust to David’s absence already by hiring [Visiting Assistant Professor in Computer science] Roman Yasinovsky, who has been teaching the systems courses and has been learning to teach our internet programming course,” Lee said. “I will also be taking over data science courses that Brad has typically taught.” The department will also get help from four new hires next year. The department has hired Alan Zaring, a professor from Ohio Wesleyan University, to teach computer science courses
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Professor of Computer Science Brad Miller ('86). Photo courtesy of Luther.edu
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46/29 Professor of Computer Science David Ranum ('83). Photo courtesy of Luther.edu next year. The other two hires are Executive Director of ITS and Staff Instructor of Computer Science Paul Mattson, who will now be teaching full-time in introductory Data Science and Database design courses and Professor of Mathematics Richard Bernatz who will be teaching Intro to Computer Science courses next fall. The only position left to be hired is a tenure-track position for Miller’s job, a search that Lee expects to have finished by Thanksgiving this year. “Computer science and data science are in great shape at Luther,” Lee said. “We are thankful that the administration realizes how popular these two
majors are with students, and so while we will miss Brad and David, I know that our program will remain strong going into the future.” Lee also said that he has enjoyed working with Ranum and Miller over the years. “David and Brad were both great guys to work with,” Lee said. “David had excitement, a good attitude, and a good breadth of skills, while Brad brought lots of internet programming experience that he was able to share and he was also a very good generalist. I am happy for both David and Brad, and they are both graduates of Luther so I am sure we’ll continue to see them from time to time.”
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Icons designed by Freepik from Flaticon.
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Life Outside Luther FBI raids the office and house of Donald Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen According to Cohen's lawyer Stepen M. Ryan, the raid was a referral from the Office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller as a part of an ongoing investigation regarding Russian involvement in the 2016 elections. The raid involves records of Cohen, particularly email correspondence. The raid is said to increase legal pressure on the president. Trump called the raid a "total witch hunt" and denied any collusion during the federal elections. After suspected chemical attack in Syria Trump promises a rapid response The suspected chemical attack in Douma killed at least 60 people and injured over 1,000 people. U.S. assessments have not been able to determine whether the attack was a chemical attack or not. Trump addressed the attack at a meeting with military leaders and national security advisers and said that he will make decisions to respond from a wide range of military options. When asked if President of Russia Vladimir Putin shared responsibility for the attack, Trump said “He may, yeah, he may. And if he does, it’s going to be very tough, very tough.” Both the Syrian government and the Russian government denied involvement in the attack. Trump administration issues rule weakening Obamacare The Trump administration passed a rule to give states more authority to regulate their insurance markets. Part of the ruling allows states to relax rules on what insurance companies are required to cover. The previous Affordable Care act of 2010 required insurance companies to cover 10 benefits including prescription drugs and maternity. This ruling allows state to require more or less benefits. Around 200 immigrants from Central America travel in caravan seeking asylum Approximately 200 immigrants from Central America have been traveling through Mexico towards the United States in search for asylum. An organization called Pueblo Sin Fronteras (People Without Borders) organized the caravan and had originally expected a turnout of about half of the current number of immigrants. The immigrants are mostly from the countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, and include people of all ages and genders. Trump has criticized the Mexican government for not stopping the caravan in its journey through Mexico.
Taken from: reuters.com
NEWS EDITORS: KATRINA MEYER & ANA LÓPEZ PAIDEIA | PAGE 1 fueled by hate is something that needs addressing … If we want a more inclusive society, we need to fight for the reduction of hate.” When their proposal for a Paideia Texts and Issues Lecture was submitted over a year ago, Kildegaard anticipated reminding the audience of the racism and gun violence that may have slipped to the back of people’s minds. However, in the wake of a hate incident on campus on March 11 and 17 school shootings in the U.S. so far this year (according to CNN) ,the audience needed no reminding. “There is a constant presence of these terrible elements that are visible in our lives,” Kildegaard said. “We’re in a rather different place right now than when we first planned this talk — unfortunately.” Kamm reiterated this sentiment, and throughout the lecture called for attendees to “turn and face the strange” throughout the lecture. “This isn’t somebody else’s problem, it isn’t their problem and they live far away,” Kamm said. “It is our problem, and it is our problem very close to home.” Paideia Program Director and Associate Professor of Library and Information Studies Rebecca Sullivan was impressed with both the presentation and student responses. “It was everything that we hoped it would be,” Sullivan said. “Actually, it was more. The depth of David’s comments about his process and the sensitivity to which he talked about how he brings messages to his art, particularly considering current events was profound. I appreciated the way that Lise contextualized his work aesthetically and philosophically.” Sullivan also expressed the relevancy of this presentation to Paideia’s overarching commitment to discussing issues of
Lise Kildegaard delivers the last lecture of the Paideia Text and issues series. Photo courtesy of Rachel Miller (‘18) diversity and life in community. “It’s important to be able to draw the lines between substantial texts, even if they aren’t from the present, to messages that have meaning for current issues,” Sullivan said. Kamm closed the lecture with an offering. He held a brass bowl filled with 80 bullet casings. Forty of them were empty. Forty held small pieces of paper.
Some pieces of paper were blank, and others contained the names of victims from the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012. Facing the strange does not mean ignoring or accommodating hate but confronting it. “That’s why we’re saying ‘turn,’” Kildegaard said. “Turn away from complacency. Turn away from fear, turn away from ignorance, and face. Face up to what’s strange in our world.”
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RESPONSE | PAGE 1
Students and faculty collaborated throughout the duration of the project. One of the contributing collaborators was Assistant Hall Director of Baker Village Emily Dirks (‘18). Dirks highlighted the crucial role that collaboration between Residence Life, Baker Village, and the Sustainability Council had on the project. “The Sustainability Council first came to me with the proposal about Baker Village,” Dirks said. “Immediately, I made flyers for each house to showcase the competition. Sustainability implemented the app and it ran smoothly because of that.” The success of the project was not only due to the coordination between multiple Luther members, but between Baker Village residents. Housemates collaborated with each other to brainstorm and execute various energy conservation strategies. According to Fraser, the possibilities for conservation were endless. “It all began with awareness of the energy we use when we aren’t using our appliances or electronics,” Fraser said. “We unplugged everything. Then we progressed to decreasing our thermostat temperature to 60 degrees and even doing our homework together with candlelight.” Luke Lumbar (‘18) lives in Trondheim 6, the Baker unit which won the competition. For Lumbar, the competition provoked questions about energy usage he had never asked. “Recognizing when you use energy should not be as hard as it is,” Lumbar said. “The experience of focusing on what I was using for energy helped me begin questioning if what I was using needed to be used.” As the second half of the semester begins, the Sustainability Council anticipates there will be another similar energy challenge in Baker Village.
primarily focuses on easing tensions and community development through dialogue. community development through dialogue. Besides administrative action, student organizations released statements denouncing the hate incident. Student Senate President Jack Benson (‘18) said it was important for senate to publicly condemn the hate incident in a timely manner. “As representatives for the students, we wanted to make it indiscriminately clear that we are opposed to the presence of hatred in all of its forms, and that this would not be an incident soon forgotten or ignored,” Benson said. “It was discerned that the sooner we reply the better, in order to show our immediate engagement.” Student Senate is also collaborating with other departments and the administration to establish future solutions. “Student Senate is currently working with several departments and administration to soon host an event dubbed ‘Peace in Peace’ in the Peace Dining Hall in order to once again gather our community [and] to continue laying the groundwork towards creating a lasting action plan,” Benson said. “This will also be working off of the current plan that is being established by the Luther administration as they seek to have more feedback and insight from our student community.” Hannah Gross (‘20) said that the social work department condemned the hate incident because of the departmental focus on social issues and equity as well as representing students who were directly targeted by the hate symbols. “As a part of social work, a lot of work is in social justice and equality, [so] it was really important that we made a statement,” Gross said. “We have students that are of minority groups, so it was really important for them to be heard and their voices to be heard.” The social work department’s statement went beyond condemning the hate symbols at Carlson Stadium by emphasizing the importance of understanding people’s implicit biases. “We are reminded to examine our own biases and assumptions in order to build meaningful relationships with one another, to learn from those who are different from ourselves, and to commit to ongoing dialogue that promotes equity and inclusion of all people,” the statement read. According to Scott, continual action will contribute to institutional change at Luther. “The work of creating an inclusive and welcoming community belongs to all of us," Scott said. "It is rarely created on the macro level with one big push but rather in the sustained day-to-day interactions of its people.”
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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A&E EDITOR: LILY KIME
APRIL 12, 2018
Senior dance and theatre projects Mohammed Aljardat (‘19) and Madeline Skjervold (‘19) perform in Inga Aleckson’s (‘18) senior dance project titled “Cold Open Live.”
EMMA BUSCH STAFF WRITER In the span of a couple hours, two clowns climbed a mountain, one artist collaborated with his community, the Marx brothers dabbled in old Italian comedy, a lighting designer called attention to gender stereotyping, and dancers spun elegantly across the stage. While this may sound like the setup for a joke, in reality these events were the product of several senior projects at the Dance and Theatre Senior Showcase on April 7 in Storre Theatre. Emma Brashear (‘18) began with a performance that grew out of her fascination with a class on clowning and improvisation taught by Assistant Professor of Theatre Robert Vrtis. “Clowns experience everything with either the most happiness you’ve ever felt or the most sadness you’ve ever felt,” Brashear said. “There’s no in between.” Brashear wanted to use the tools she learned in class to answer the question, “How would a clown climb down a mountain?” Brashear and fellow performer Annika Peterson (‘19), dressed in an unusual assortment of clothing, spoke in gibberish to each other during the entire performance as they climbed a “mountain” — a stack of black boxes — with encouragement from the audience and Miley Cyrus’s “The Climb,” which Brashear plaed during the performance. Tanner Huppert (‘18) followed with a presentation titled “Building Connections: Weaponized Masculinity, Voices, and Discarded.” Huppert displayed photographs of his three pieces, the first of which was a print of pink penises stamped in the shape of an assault weapon titled “Weaponized Masculinity.” Hupperts other pieces, “Discarded” and “Voices,” required assistance from those in the Luther community. “I left two prompts out for the community that asked for clothing donations or to write down a time
where you felt ignored because of your race, gender, sexuality, or other reasons,” Huppert said. “I wanted to get a collection [from as] many different voices from the community as possible.” Following Huppert’s presentation, Danica Kafton (‘18) introduced her project ,“On the Grid: Dance Anatomy Curriculum Implementation,” in which she enlisted people with varying levels of dance experience to perform her choreography as well as improvise. “I used just about every textbook that I bought over these whole four years in making a large manuscript that has my whole brain,” Kafton said. “My whole theory of what it is like to teach dance and what it’s like to be a dancer, and it is separated out into levels for people with different levels of experience with dance.” Erik Mueterthies (‘18) followed with his presentation, “The Lazzi of The Marx Brothers: An examination through a commedia dell’arte,” in which he explored the connections between the Marx brothers and commedia dell’arte, an old Italian theatre style. Mueterthies pointed out similar stock characters the brothers and the art form share by showing scenes from the 1935 Marx brothers film “A Night at the Opera.” Mueterthies was inspired to explore this topic further after recognizing the connection between the art form and the Marx brothers’ work. A segment of Inga Aleckson’s (‘18) dance duets, titled “Cold Open Live,” came next with a cast of dancers including Aleckson, Mohammed Aljardat (‘19), Maggie Schwarz, Emma Withers (‘18), Madeline Skjervold (‘19), Richard Weis, and Visiting Assistant Professor of Dance Andrea VazquezAguirre. Throughout the performance, dancers either had freedom to do as they wanted or Aleckson spun around the stage, posing them individually before pushing them all over. At the end, Aleckson was lifted into the air as if she was flying before they all dropped slowly back down to the floor.
Barbara Stier (‘18) was next with her presentation “Gender Stereotyping and its Influence on Technical Theatre,” in which she explored the ways that women are underrepresented in positions on the technical side of theatre, such as set design and lighting design. In addition to researching, Steir reached out to women and nonbinary individuals in the professional theatre world for their views on gender disparity in technical theatre. According to Stier, many women see this gender disparity and choose to leave the technical theatre world or avoid it altogether, but she sees it as an opportunity to be a role model for others. “I see this, and I take it as a challenge,” Stier said. “I want to be one of those women that can show that yes, we can do this too, and encourage other
women interested in this field as well.” Abby Suhr (‘18) closed the showcase with “Outside In,” a piece she choreographed for three separate pairs of dancers: Sabrina Benedict (‘21) and Madison Brauer (‘19), Kalie Debelak (‘21) and Danielle Koster (‘21), Avery Pazour (‘21) and Hope Shishilla (‘20). Each pair had similar choreography but with different lighting and music. The first pair represented strangers, the second friends, and the third lovers. “Whenever I saw a dance performance, I always formed an idea of what type of relationship it represented in my head,” Shur said. “So this led to a question that I had: what is about those specific performances, movements, or things that are happening on stage . . . that make me perceive a certain relationship?” Attendee Susie Wold (‘20)
Emma Busch (‘20) | Chips appreciated the uniqueness of each performance and presentation. “They were all very different, but I really liked the relationship between the different dances [in ‘Outside In’] and how little things were changed that made a huge difference in the performance,” Wold said. “Emma’s performance [in ‘The Climb’] was also really funny, and they did such a good job of engaging the audience.” Brauer said that seeing all of the seniors’ projects was an emotional experience. “It makes me so emotional because you see these people doing and creating things they love and using people that they love to make that dream or vision come to life,” Brauer said. “It feels like a huge sharing of knowledge and creativity that I just think is so beautiful.”
Annika Peterson (‘19) and Emma Brashear (‘18) portray clowns working together in Brashear’s senior theatre project “The Climb.” Emma Busch (‘20) | Chips
FEATURES
PAGE 6 APRIL 12, 2018
FEATURES EDITOR: SHASA SARTIN
Content Warning: This page includes content about sexual assault.
Know Your IX: Fighting to educate NATALIE NELSON STAFF WRITER Following a change at the national level surrounding Title IX, Luther College and the Decorah community reflect on how to best stay informed of students rights as they pertain to sexual assault and harassment. In September of last year, United States Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos issued a statement rescinding the 2011 “Dear Colleague” letter from the Obama administration as well as the 2014 Frequently Asked Questions document, which listed questions and
answers about Title IX and sexual violence. The “Dear Colleague” letter that DeVos rescinded was drafted by Former Vice President of the United States Joe Biden and Former United States Secretary of Education Arne Duncan in 2011 to provide clearer guidelines for approaching sexual assault for K-12 schools and higher education. DeVos issued “Interim Guidance” in their place. “Interim Guidance” is seeking to increase accountability in students that report sexual assault at their institution. Know Your IX is an organization founded in 2013 and led by youths
Title IX infographic made after Betsy DeVos’s rescinded the 2011 “Dear Colleague” Letter. Infographic courtesy of Know Your IX
and survivors of sexual assault with the objective of ending sexual and dating violence in schools. Know Your IX accomplishes this by educating students about their rights, training student survivor activists, and advocating for campus policy change. Soon after DeVos released “Interim Guidance” Know Your IX issued a statement arguing against the change. “Today’s guidance allows schools to systematically stack campus investigations against survivors and push survivors out of school,” the statement read. “The Department of Education is sending the message that they value survivors’ access to education less than that of the students who assault and abuse them. [...] Title IX is the law and schools’ responsibility to respond to sexual violence is unchanged. Even though, Betsy DeVos and the Department of Education have turned their back on survivors, we will not let universities backslide on their obligation to provide for an equitable and safe learning environment.” The notice and comment period on “Interim Guidance” is expected to start soon and will entail the introduction of new regulations regarding Title IX by the Education Department. After public input on these regulations, the department is required to respond. If the department cannot adequately provide reasoning for the regulation or if the regulation is deemed not in concordance with Title IX, it may be struck down by the court. According to Know Your IX, the period consists of four stages: the notice of proposed rulemaking, a comment period, issuance of the final rule, and a 30-day delay until the rule goes into effect. “Because courts can strike down regulations that are insufficiently responsive to public input, writing a detailed comment is an important way for students and advocates to influence the Department of Education’s decision-making,” the Know Your IX website read. “The most important steps for our purposes are the [Notice of Proposed Rule Making] and the
comment period.” Lacy Jorgensen is a Sexual Assault Advocate at the Decorah Riverview Center. She has been with Riverview Center since November of 2016, and in victim services for almost three years. She said Know Your IX is very helpful in keeping people informed and up-to-date on Title IX and providing resources. “Students should be aware that they can start and stop their involvement in the [appeals] process at any time and that it is typically voluntary,” Jorgensen said. “Students can also file a Title IX complaint at any time — however, the school is limited on what they can do depending on if both students [involved] are still in school or not.” Jorgensen also provided clarifying information on what qualifies a Title IX complaint. “You can file a Title IX complaint even if you are not yourself the survivor of sexual assault but have been affected by a hostile sexual environment, or on behalf of another student or group,” Jorgensen said. “Students going through this process also have the right to a support person and accommodations.” Jorgensen said that Riverview Center’s partnership with Luther allows the center to better serve college students in the area. The center has regular office hours at the counseling center and holds a support group for survivors once a month. The center also works with Norse Against Sexual Assault to bring awareness to the ongoing issue of sexual assault and bring events to campus. “We are partnered closely with Luther College to make and receive referrals in working with students who are going through the Title IX process or who have been assaulted and choose not to go through the process,” Jorgensen said. “When working with survivors who are going through the Title IX process, we make sure that they are aware of the policies and procedures that Luther has, as well as asking them if they have any questions about Title IX and what that
looks like. We also provide and assist with trainings for the Luther College Hearing Board.” Jorgensen said there are multiple ways for students to be involved in Title IX activism. “Just being aware of Title IX and how that [filing] process works is important,” Jorgensen said. “Riverview Center provides volunteer and internship opportunities for students and NASA is a great resource for students to get involved with on Luther’s campus. Being an active bystander and speaking up when you see something or hear something that isn’t okay can help make a big impact in regards to changing viewpoints and the actions of others.” Decorah Middle School Principal Justin Albers said that the notice and comment period will affect college campuses more heavily than a middle school, but that the topics of sexual assault and violence are currently covered in health class. “Whether it is as relevant at the middle school level as it would be at the college level, if we can begin to give our students some knowledge at an early age as it pertains to this subject, this will be one way for us to empower our students moving forward,” Albers said. Associate Director of HR at Luther and Title IX Coordinator Matthew Bills said that the notice and comment period is likely to cause only minor changes to the way that things are handled at Luther. According to Bills, this is because the subregulatory guidance needs to stay in concordance with the laws. He said that students carry a responsibility within their community to keep the conversation going. “We are seeing a culture change in which the broader culture is more willing to talk about issues of sexual assault and violence,” Bills said. “Students should be aware as bystanders to ensure the most promising results and keep the conversation going in order to strengthen the community.”
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month “21% of TGQN (transgender, genderqueer, nonconforming) college students have been sexually assaulted compared to 18% of non-TGQN females and 4% of nonTGQN males.”
“11.2% of all students experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation (among all graduat and undergraduate students).”
“More than 50% of college sexual assaults occur in either August, September, October, or November.”
Information is from rainn.org/statistics/campus-sexual-violence.
FEATURES
PAGE 7
FEATURES EDITOR: SHASA SARTIN
APRIL 12, 2018
COLOMBIAN COFFEE CONNECTION Luther alum Ervin Liz (‘17) starts business with Jon Baklund Ervin Liz (‘17) and Jon Baklund in front of the Luther Bell.
Photo courtesy of Ervin Liz (‘17)
Left to right: Ervin Liz (‘17), his neighbor Manuel Andela, Ervin Liz’s father Isidro Liz, Colombian Coffee Connection’s main farmer Misael Muse, Jon Baklund, and Tara Baklund. Photo courtesy of Ervin Liz (‘17)
PIPER WOOD STAFF WRITER Upon graduating college, Ervin Liz (‘17) developed a business plan and a commitment to selling Colombian coffee directly from farmers. As a member of the indigenous Nasa tribe of Colombia, Liz grew up on a coffee farm and was introduced to Colombian coffee at a young age. Liz’s personal experiences in the coffee farms of his childhood sparked his business idea and led to the creation of the Colombian Coffee Connection in partnership with Jon Baklund, a lecturer who visited one of Liz’s classes. “I am originally from Colombia; for me, there is a strong connection to my country,” Liz said. Liz came to Luther as an international student in 2012 after completing schooling with the United World College in Norway. At Luther, Liz majored in economics, focusing on finance, management, and communications. It was during Liz’s entrepreneurship course that he met Baklund, who gave a lecture on his entrepreneurial experiences. Although the two kept in touch, Liz and Baklund didn’t join forces until 2017. The momentum from Baklund’s lecture inspired Liz to try and make it on his own as an entrepreneur. “In the spring of 2015, I almost quit Luther,” Liz said. Instead, Liz took a gap year to explore Columbia, teach English, and try his hand at entrepreneurship. “In Colombia I was all on my own,” Liz said. “I arrived with $40 in my pocket.”
After a year of encouragement from family members Liz decided to return and finish his education at Luther. “My sister told me, ‘you need to complete the cycles that you open in your life’ and I realized, maybe I should go back to Luther,” Liz said. Liz regards his year off as a formative experience that helped him realize his entrepreneurial goals. “I don’t regret a single moment,” Liz said. “I wouldn’t have been prepared for the real world without taking a year off. Only when you experience the world for yourself can you truly know yourself and know the world.” Liz recommends that students seek out internship and job shadow opportunities whenever possible so they have a better understanding of their own skills when they leave college. Liz graduated from Luther in spring of 2017 with a plan for his first business venture and a potential business partner, Baklund. “He had written a business plan and a three-year plan for the Colombian Coffee Connection,” Baklund said. Baklund partnered with Liz, offering entrepreneurial guidance and an awareness of American marketing culture to the business. Their company, Colombian Coffee Connection, buys Colombian coffee directly from farmers of the Nasa tribe, cutting out the middleman and giving profits back to the community when needed. According to Baklund, their primary focus is to educate consumers and contribute to the Nasa people. Liz’s direct connection to the Nasa tribe and to coffee farming was the catalyst
for their company’s objective. “Coffee is a product that gets horribly underpaid in countries [like Colombia] that produce it, and ultimately the producer is only getting 1 percent of the sales profit…,” Liz said. “I thought, ‘what if I can connect the farmer directly to the consumer so that the farmer earns more, and the customer gets the best quality coffee.’” The Colombian Coffee Connection roasts small-batch, premium coffee in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They pay the farmers fair wage, while also offering financial support to the area through their humanitarian initiative, Coffee with Heart. The Coffee with Heart project donates 10 percent of coffee profits back to the indigenous Nasa Community. As a business partner, Baklund appreciates the unique perspective that Liz offers. “Ervin is dynamic and smart … he is very good at allowing things to happen,” Baklund said. Baklund is one of many entrepreneurs that speak in Professor of Management Tim Schweizer’s entrepreneurship course, which features regional business owners, Luther alums, and global entrepreneurs. Liz fits all three descriptions. As a result, in March, Baklund and Liz presented their own entrepreneurial experiences with the Colombian Coffee Connection to the class. In his entrepreneurship course, Schweizer has a different speaker present to his class each week and focuses on the “non-linear” nature of each entrepreneur’s journey. “What I ask them to do is to come in and tell their story,” Schweizer said. “About 50 percent of the stories overlap, but everyone has their own experience.”
Colombian Coffee Connection has only had one full year of business, but Liz and Baklund are looking forward to the future of their small-batch Colombian Coffee. “People like the company and people like the cause,” Baklund said. For Liz, the Colombian Coffee Connection has helped him apply his knowledge from his time at Luther to a cause that he truly cares about. “Although I am not directly using my degree as itself, I am extremely grateful for Luther and the opportunities it gave me,” Liz said. “Achieving success is not about the knowledge that you have, but how you leverage that knowledge.”
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
PAGE 8 APRIL 12, 2018
A&E EDITOR: LILY KIME
Symphony Orchestra concert showcases diverse repertoire
OLIVIA ENQUIST STAFF WRITER
With grand, sweeping melodies and challenging scores, the Luther College Symphony Orchestra performed in the Center for Faith and Life on March 22. This performance was the first of their two spring concerts. The concert highlighted Elizabeth Shoemaker (‘18) with a lengthy violin solo during the orchestra’s performance of Julius Conus’s “Concerto for Violin in E minor.” The concert program consisted of three pieces: Jean Sibelius’s “Finnlandia Op. 26 No. 7,” Julius Conus’s “Concerto for Violin
in E minor,” and Igor Stravinsky’s “The Firebird” 1919 concert suite. The concert was the first since Symphony Orchestra’s J-term tour, making it the first time in the new year that the musicians learned all new repertoire. The orchestra began the concert with a performance of “Finnlandia.” This piece switches between two different moods: a turbulent, sometimes dissonant mood and the more serenesounding melody. The piece was originally written as a protest to Russian censorship, and the conflict in moods represents the struggle of the Finnish people. Symphony Orchestra President Sarah Bauer (‘18) liked how
Winner of the Concerto Competition Elizabeth Shoemaker (‘18) solos in Julius Conus’s “Concerto for Violin E minor.” Olivia Enquist (‘19) | Chips
the piece gave the orchestra an opportunity to refine their musicality. “Personally, it was one of my favorite concerts,” Bauer said. “What’s cool about [‘Finnlandia’] is that it’s not super difficult. A lot of high schools will do it too, but it is nice to do something at a college level that you can really put a lot of finesse on, compared to how it is performed at the younger levels.” Symphony Orchestra also performed Julius Conus’s “Concerto for Violin in E minor,” which highlighted violinist Shoemaker, concert master of Symphony Orchestra. Shoemaker was one of the 2017 winners of the music department’s Concerto Competition. Having chosen the piece when auditioning, Shoemaker collaborated with Professor of Music Daniel Baldwin and Symphony Orchestra during rehearsals. “I was really shocked that I had been chosen,” Shoemaker said. “I had been getting serious with violin, but it was my junior year and I had only just started to buckle down. Ever since then I have been working towards graduate school. The whole process really motivated me to practice and improve.” The program concluded with the 1919 concert suite “The Firebird.” Originally written for ballet, the suite utilizes rhythmic, almost dance-like, melodies that pull from the tradition of Russian folk songs. “The Firebird” is based on Russian folklore of the firebird, a mythical being that offers feathers as a symbol of fortune or possible woe. The performance shocked the audience with a loud resounding boom hidden within the suite. “I especially enjoyed the Firebird suite,” attendee Isabel De Ayala (‘19) said. “The surprising moments were very powerful and it was clear they worked very hard on these parts. Their efforts certainly make it worth it for the audience, and students should definitely take the time to attend all the ensemble’s concerts throughout their time here.” Symphony Orchestra will now prepare for their annual showcase with Nordic Choir on May 25 in the CFL.
“Making Change” with multi-media CARA KEITH STAFF WRITER Gallery Coordinator David Kamm’s art exhibit titled “Making Change” encourages visitors to enact small acts of change, especially considering the issue of gun violence and white supremacy. The exhibit opened in the Center for Faith and Life on March 6. Kamm’s exhibit consists of two related bodies of work. One is a response to gun violence and consists of graphite drawings and mixed media pieces created specifically in response to the mass shooting that occurred in 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The other body of work in Kamm’s exhibit is centered around transforming works of hate literature by white supremacist groups. This body of work uses fragments hate literature, such as “The White Man’s Bible” and “Rahowa” to create collages. Kamm used a variety of materials to create art that directly relate to his subject matter. “The materials really started to focus on the relationship of shell casings and crayons,” Kamm said. “They both have such strong symbolic associations and putting them together in one piece became the basis of the work. Whether I was creating mixed media pieces with actual shell casings or actual crayons, or using the shell casings to trace around the casings, these seemed to be directly related to the subject of the work.” Kamm’s use of the shell casings caused attendee Bridget Carruth (‘21) to think more deeply about acts of hatred. “I really liked the portion of the exhibit with the drawings made up of bullets,” Carruth said.
“It really makes you stop and think about how different instances of hate can all stem from a similar place. I hope this exhibit will help start conversation among students about making change and getting at the root cause of acts of hatred.” Kamm’s work correlates with the previous exhibit in the CFL titled “Hateful Things,” as well as Luther’s recent “Hope Over Hate” initiative to understand and practice diversity on campus. A notable piece of mixed media in the exhibit is titled “End of the Rainbow.” This piece features a small wooden box with a Plexiglas cover where different colored crayons have been inserted into empty gun cartridge casings. This piece was a part of a national campaign against gun violence titled “Bearing Arms: Responding to Guns in American Culture.” This piece of art especially struck faculty members when featured on this year’s gallery poster. “The gallery poster was distributed to faculty and staff and some people didn’t want to hang it up,” Kamm said. “I learned from a colleague that the subject was just too tough and it reminded them of Sandy Hook. It’s not a fun subject matter for art, and some people simply don’t want to be reminded of it, which is perfectly legitimate. In this way, I suppose the art is doing its job by remembering the events and maybe prompts us to consider how these terrible things can happen and is there something we can collectively do about it so it doesn’t become routine.” Typically, Kamm brings in other artists to feature at Luther and would not choose to
feature himself. Associate Professor of Art Ben Moore found importance in Kamm’s retirement in relation to his decision to feature his own work in the CFL. “Generally when faculty have solo shows, it’s at the end of a sabbatical project or when there’s a pretty significant event, and David’s retirement is a pretty significant event,” Moore
said. “It’s in the CFL gallery because it’s one of David’s favorite spaces. He’s been the gallery director for more than 20 years and he really liked the idea of having a show there.” Kamm’s exhibit was displayed from March 6 to April 6. It is followed by photographer Diane Fox’s gallery titled “UnNatural History,” which will be on display in the CFL until May 27.
Zach Sturgeon (‘21) notes symmetry in Gallery Coordinator David Kamm’s collage “Transforming Blanket Device” made from hate literature. Cara Keith (‘21) | Chips
OPINION
PAGE 9
MANAGING EDITOR: ELIZABETH BONIN
STAFF Editor-in-Chief Jacob Warehime Managing Editor Elizabeth Bonin News Editors Katrina Meyer Ana López Features Editor Shasa Sartin A&E Editor Lily Kime Sports Editor Ben Selcke Staff Writers Gillian Klein Natalie Nelson Grace Onsrud Emma Busch Martin Donovan Olivia Enquist Matthew Gleaves Piper Wood Dirk Umbanhowar Cara Keith Part-time Writers Forrest Stewart Kristen Wuerl Martel DenHartog Rozlyn Paradis Head Copy Editor Olivia Benson Copy Editors Elyse Grothaus Lyndsay Monsen Ad Representatives Bergen Gardner Web Content Manager James Miller Social Media Director Elyse Grothaus Distribution Manager Lyndsay Monsen Faculty Adviser David Faldet
APRIL 12, 2018
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Students should vote on municipal electric utility issue On May 1, the citizens of Decorah will vote on whether to authorize city council to establish a municipal electric utility. Our current electricity distributor is an investor-owned utility, Alliant Energy, which strongly opposes municipalization. If the vote passes the city council will be authorized — though not required — to apply to the Iowa Utility Board (the state’s regulatory body for utilities) to buy the town’s electricity distribution infrastructure and form a municipal electric utility. The IUB would take over the services currently supplied by Alliant. The IUB will then consider the issue and decide what is in the best interest of the citizens. I encourage all students to become acquainted with this issue and decide for themselves what is best for Decorah. However, this letter has a separate yet related focus. There are some members of the Decorah community who oppose Luther students’ right to participate in this election. First and foremost, I consider suggestions that voting rights be revoked for a certain sect of a community to be inherently antidemocratic and am disappointed that such rhetoric is being espoused in Decorah — a place I consider to be so forward-thinking and inclusive. While there need not be any response to these suggestions other than “all citizens of a town have the right to vote on local issues guaranteed to them by law,” I seek to address the specific reasoning that has been put forth since I have heard Luther students themselves echoing these sentiments as reasons why they think they should refrain from voting on the MEU issue. I have heard some say that because students are not permanent residents of Decorah they should not have a say on issues that will affect the community after they graduate. However, this argument ignores the fact that while individual students may eventually leave Decorah, Luther’s student body is a permanent fixture in the Decorah community with considerable interest in the well-being of the town. While many current Luther students will not live in Decorah in another four years, there are thousands of future Luther students who will be affected by this vote. When we
cast votes on local issues we are not only representing ourselves but also the entire student body of Luther — both present and future. I urge all Luther students to vote on May 1 in a way that they believe will strengthen both Luther and Decorah for the future. This argument that temporary residents shouldn’t vote also falls flat when one imagines the other groups of people who would be excluded under this logic. Elderly folks, those with terminal illnesses, and anyone who plans on moving elsewhere in the near future would also be excluded if we are consistent with this logic. Consider the ridiculousness of a suggestion that nursing home occupants should be barred from voting because of the possibility that they won’t be around to feel the direct effects of the election. Finally, many Luther students choose to remain in Decorah for work after graduation and many others return years later to raise their family. Today over 1,000 Decorah residents are Luther alums. Another complaint I have heard about Luther students voting is the perception that since we don’t pay electricity bills, we aren’t stakeholders in the issue at hand. While it is true that we don’t receive individual monthly bills from Alliant, students absolutely pay for electricity. Luther pays Alliant over $1 million each year for electricity and as a student at Luther $500 of your tuition each year is for electricity. Don’t let anyone tell you that you are not paying for electricity. You are. College students are already severely underrepresented in American political discourse; less than half voted in the 2016 presidential election. Do not fall for anti-democratic rhetoric that seeks to further diminish our political voice. Vote on the MEU issue. You can vote on May 1 or on April weekdays at the courthouse. Transportation to the polls will be offered for all students on April 13 and April 27. Remember you must be registered in your current residence hall. Voter registration forms can be found online or at tables outside the cafeteria this week and next week. Signed, Forrest Stewart (‘19)
SUBMISSIONS Submissions for letters to the editor should be submitted 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, 400-700 words, and submitted before Sunday at 5 p.m. the week before publication. Publication of all letters is at the discretion of the editor. Chips will not accept submitted articles or campus announcements. Opinions expressed in columns and letters are those of the authors(s) and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Chips or organizations with which the author(s) are associated.
The Norse Poll Do you plan on voting on the referendum? Why or why not?
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. Fax: 563-387-2072 Email: chipsedt@luther.edu Advertising: chipsads@luther.edu Website: lutherchips.com Facebook: facebook.com/LutherChips Twitter: @LutherChips Instagram: @luthercollegechips
“I am planning to vote. I’m going to vote partially because I’m from the Decorah community. So I feel like it’ll affect me and my family. And also because voting is very important.” -Lauren Bruneau (‘19)
“I will vote because I vote in all of the small elections. I think it’s important for not just the big elections but also the small ones.” -Genevieve Ehlers (‘19)
“I didn’t sign up to vote in the upcoming elections here just because I’m from Nebraska and it’s a little more difficult for me to just kind of switch over back and forth. That’s the only reason why.” -Isabel De Ayala (‘19)
OPINION
PAGE 10 APRIL 12, 2018
MANAGING EDITOR: ELIZABETH BONIN
EDITORIAL
Good art does not excuse sexual and domestic violence
SHASA SARTIN FEATURES EDITOR When I went to Rome in the summer of 2013 with my grandparents and cousin we went to see the Trevi Fountain so we could throw our coins, ensuring our return to Rome. The Trevi Fountain is one of the most magnificient sculptures in the world and is a must-see when visiting Rome. It was created by the famed Gian Lorenzo Bernini. My grandparents taught my cousin and me that Bernini had attempted to
murder his brother and assault his wife with a razor after he caught them having an affair. Pope Urban VIII pardoned Bernini because his art was too good. His art was so good that the Roman Catholic Church was willing to overlook his sin of attempted murder so he could work on St. Peter’s Basilica. This is one of the most extreme examples of “separate the art from the artist” that I have ever heard, and that’s why I’m coming back to it. Aside from Bernini, I don’t know a lot about many visual artists. I am a music person and I pay the most attention to hip-hop and R&B. There are issues of musicians being accused of domestic violence, sexual assault, and promoting hate speech, among other things. A great example of this is R. Kelly. R. Kelly is a known sexual predator, specifically targeting young teenage girls. This is not up for debate. He has had many allegations against him in the past 20 years and one instance of his predatory behavior is on video. Yet his discography is very celebrated and “Ignition (Remix)” is still played
in clubs across the country. People are making the conscious decision to look past these terrible actions in order to celebrate his art.
“People are making the conscious decision to look past these terrible actions in order to celebrate his art.” -Shasa Sartin (‘19) I personally don’t seek out R. Kelly’s music because I am disturbed by his behavior. Similarly, I don’t listen to “rising star” Xxxtentacion and I never have by choice. Xxxtentacion has been publicly charged with multiple counts of domestic abuse against a pregnant woman and this March his album debuted at number one
on the Billboard 200. Highly regarded rappers such as J Cole and Kendrick Lamar have openly embraced and complemented Xxxtentacion. Kodak Black is a rapper and convicted rapist. His misogynistic fans tweeted “Free Kodak” while knowing the reasons he was imprisoned. Naturally, his August album also debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. People are clearly putting their money and their mouth in two separate places. While many Americans are priding the general public for taking part in large conversations about sexual assault and other kinds of abuse at the hands of men in positions of power, these are the same Americans that are purchasing and streaming the projects of abusers like Xxxtra Violent and Not a Kodak Moment. Charts don’t lie and what Billboard 200 taught me is that allegations of abuse against women won’t stop your commercial success. I just have to ask, though, are these two aforementioned rappers as good at their craft as Bernini was at his?
TO THE EDITOR
Luther is stronger than the hate incident As we settle into the aftermath of the hateful events that took place on the football field on March 11, it seems that there has now been a lull of action among students and faculty here at Luther College. There is struggle in all adverse events that take place in the world. That is just a fact. Sometimes we do not understand how to deal with these types of events that occur. Maybe fear has some part to play in this issue, but I think that some part of it may be the
shock that something like this could happen so close to home. I challenge you to think about the effect this has on people of color, our international students, and people with different beliefs than you. Put yourself in their shoes. Think about the diverse nature of your friend groups you may have had back home and imagine how you would help your friends deal with an act of hate such as this had it been directed toward them.
We all come to Luther College scared and uncertain of how we will be perceived by our fellow students and classmates and nobody has the right to take that fear and move it into a malevolently constructed issue. Nobody has the right to try to use these types of events to strike fear into 18-to 22-yearold kids. Not everyone in this world is hateful or spiteful towards people who they see as inferior. I guess some people feel the need to show more hate to make
up for it. Do not let this issue be lost in the everyday life of us college students. Take time to reflect on the way you treat people. Say hello to someone you have never met. The realization that needs to be made is that our world is so far from perfect and that this can be clouded by our own personal lives. This stuff happens every day and in new places every single day. Even the ones you never thought it could. Don’t let this slip from everyday conversation
and don’t let this be something that takes the power from your voice or the love in your heart. And, most importantly, don’t let this be something that keeps you from loving Luther College and your classmates. The acts of cowardly individuals should not paint the picture of who we all are as students here at Luther. Knock the hatred down. We are stronger than it could ever hope to be. Signed, Brady Uekert (‘20)
SPORTS
PAGE 11
APRIL 12, 2018
SPORTS EDITOR: BEN SELCKE
For teams, Florida offers break from cold
Women’s Softball in Florida
Winter is hitting its last hurrah as the snow sticks through April. Because of this, spring sports have a hard time practicing and, more importantly, getting all of their games and matches in. During spring break, Women’s and Men’s Tennis along with the Softball Team went to Florida to fill out their schedules and escape the snow. The warm weather is just a perk, however, as the teams travel out of necessity rather than to escape the cold. “We live in the midwest, we can’t play outside,” Head Softball Coach and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Renae Hartl said. The main focus of the Florida games
was for the team to play as many games as the NCAA allows. If the teams do not travel, they lose out on game time. During the end of winter and the start of spring, the teams are still able to practice inside. Because they can practice at Luther, the main focus in Florida is performance. “We mostly play games,” Hartl said. “We don’t go down for practice. The point of going is that the NCAA lets us play a certain number of games. Because we live in the Midwest, if we didn’t go, we wouldn’t be able to play a full schedule.” Each year, the schools compete against teams that have a similar spring break schedule as Luther. Hartl commented on their opponents in Florida. “We just match up with schools that have the same spring break as us,” Hartl said. “So we kind of have some rivalries
Natalie Stockman (‘18) throws the softball Photo Courtesy of Renae Hartl
built up.” Luther competes against other DIII schools in Florida, though they are not a part of the IIAC. Because of this, it gives the softball and tennis teams more experience in playing against opponents with different skill sets. According to Anders Jensen (‘18), a senior on the Men’s Tennis team, this is ultimately beneficial. “It’s probably a little tougher,” Jensen said “The IIAC is really strong at the top, but our competition in Florida will get us ready to play at the top of the IIAC.” Even though the competition can be difficult, Luther performs to the challenge. “We went undefeated last spring break and we are going to try to repeat that this year,” Jensen said in an interview before the trip. “So we’ll see how that goes.”
Norse of the
MATTHEW GLEAVES STAFF WRITER
Photo courtesy of Renae Hartl Men’s Tennis returned home with a four win, one loss record. They took down Calvin College 7-2, St. Lawrence University 6-3, Mount St. Mary’s University 9-0 and Huntingdon College 9-0. They only fell to Loyola University New Orleans 4-5. Women’s Tennis came back with no wins and three losses. Their losses came from Calvin College 2-7, Kalamazoo College 4-5 and Loyola University New Orleans 2-7. Luther’s Softball team went undefeated in 11 games in Florida, beating St. Olaf College 8-7, Williams College 3-2, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point 11-2 and 6-4, Union College 5-0, D’Youville College 8-0, Thomas College 8-0, College of Mount Saint Vincent 9-0, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater 8-3 and Colby College 17-1 and 3-0.
Week
Brian Murman (‘19) was named IIAC player of the week on April 9 for his performance in Men’s Tennis. Photo courtesy of Luther Athletics
SPORTS
PAGE 12
SPORTS EDITOR: BEN SELCKE
APRIL 12, 2018
Luther track and field faces weather-related hurdles GRACE ONSRUD STAFF WRITER Luther Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Teams were set to compete at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois over spring break. However, it was canceled due to weather. This became a trend as the teams’ next two meets, the Norse relays and Gustavus were also canceled due to weather. Luther’s Men’s and Women’s teams of 95 total members were to compete against teams from a few other schools including Augustana. Luther’s team attended this event in the past, although only rarely, since it depends on where spring and Easter break fall in relation to the meet. The event was not rescheduled. Distance runner Anna Ryden (‘18) said that while the team had been preparing for the event since the end of the indoor track season in February, their main goal is to work towards their best performance at the conference meet rather than training for specific meets. She was looking forward to the event as an opportunity to get a taste of what meets might be like this season. “As a distance team, this meet was going to be viewed as more of a workout with most of the team running the 4x800, 4x400, or the steeplechase,” Ryden said. Distance runner Ananda Easley (‘19) expressed similar feelings about the event as a way to practice for future events. “While some of us were disappointed not to get the chance to race, we have the rest of the season ahead of us,” Easley said. “Ultimately, the goal is to peak at the end of the season, so I am glad it was the first meet that was cancelled and not one of the later ones.” According to Easley, she focused on her personal goals at the meet rather than taking a competitive mindset in preparation,
especially since it is early in the season and seen as a chance to practice while working towards the peak at the end of the season. Easley said that one of her events, the steeplechase, would have had specific challenges given the weather circumstances had the meet gone ahead. “I was going to race in the steeplechase at [Augustana],” Easley said. “The steeple is a 3K race on the track with hurdles and a water pit. It’s my favorite event. But even I have to admit that the water pit didn’t sound too appealing in below-freezing temperatures. It would have made quite the story, though.” Middle-distance runner Grant Sparstad (‘18) said that Luther’s team usually places somewhere in the middle at big early season events such as this one. According to Sparstad, one of the benefits of meets like this is that they often include teams from outside the Iowa Inter-Collegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC). “These meets usually have teams from outside the IIAC that we don’t get to race against all that often,” Sparstad said. “We have a pretty even distribution of meets held in Minnesota, Illinois, and Iowa. We usually face off against teams from the Midwest but we don’t see our main IIAC competition until the outdoor conference championship.” For now, the team will continue to work towards their best performance at the outdoor conference championship, with a few other meets before then. Their next meet, the Norse Relays, was also canceled due to weather. As a result, a portion of the team travled to Pella, Iowa to compete in a make-up meet, midweek. Then, a week later, the team’s meet at Gustavus College was canceled, which prompted another last minute make-up, this time at St. Mary’s University. However, with spring around the corner the track and field teams hope the cancelations are now behind them.
Weekly Standings Baseball Coe Loras Dubuque Buena Vista Wartburg Luther Nebraska Wes. Simpson Central
IIAC 7-1 5-1 5-2 7-3 5-3 6-5 2-9 2-9 1-7
Recent Scores
Overall 12-7 16-5 8-10 11-12 14-8 16-7 6-16 3-19 10-14
April 8 vs. Coe L 2-11
Upcoming Schedule
April 13 vs. Wartburg
Softball Nebraska Wes. Central Simpson Loras Coe Wartburg Luther Buena Vista Dubuque
IIAC 4-0 3-1 3-3 1-1 1-1 2-4 0-0 0-2 0-2
Recent Scores
Overall 17-9 16-6 17-9 13-10 11-9 12-10 22-2 15-7 4-18
April 9 vs. UW-River Falls W 3-2
Upcoming Schedule
April 11 vs. Buena Vista
Men’s Tennis Coe Loras Luther Central Wartburg Dubuque Simpson Buena Vista Nebraska Wes.
IIAC 5-0 2-0 1-0 3-1 2-1 0-2 0-3 0-3 0-3
Recent Scores
Overall 17-4 10-2 13-3 11-9 8-9 2-8 6-9 4-7 1-12
April 7 vs. University of Dubuque W 9-0
Upcoming Schedule
April 10 vs. Wartburg
Morgan Sammons (‘18) at last year’s Luther-Wartburg dual meet.
Annie Goodroad (‘19) I Luther Photo Bureau