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Library hosts “Those Who Can Do Teach” art exhibit
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Luther celebrates National Library Week
Baseball beat Central College
COLLEGE
LUTHER “Let the chips fall where they may.”
VOLUME 140, NO. 18• EST. 1884
APRIL 19, 2018
Luther prepares for Students abroad address attack energy referendum in Münster PIPER WOOD STAFF WRITER
Luther Students for Municipalization held an information session on Thursday, April 12 to answer student questions on the upcoming power referendum vote. The session, led by Forrest Stewart (‘19), covered potential student concerns and explained what the referendum would mean for Luther. Stewart argued that the move to municipal energy is more common than people might think. He detailed the potential changes that could occur in Decorah, noting that a “yes” vote would shift the leadership of municipal energy to a board of directors in Decorah and would not rely on investors, which could potentially lower rates. Stewart also said that the move to a municipal energy utility would offer local control over electric priorities. Decorah Power argues that the shift could potentially be $5 million cheaper for the community. The vote, which takes place on May 1, is a vote to continue the
FORREST STEWART STAFF WRITER
Conner Kujak (‘21) responds to a survey as Susie Wold (‘20) tables for voter registration. Katrina Meyer (‘19) | Chips discussion about municipalized energy for Decorah. Geoffrey Dyck (‘18) originally got involved in the issue by interning with Decorah Power. “If you vote ‘yes’ on May 1, you will be voting to authorize city council to potentially pursue a municipal electric
utility,” Dyck said. “You are not saying, ‘We want a municipal electricity now. It just continues the conversation. . . It’s a conversation worth continuing in my opinion.”
Luther students and faculty living in Münster, Germany participating in the Münster semester were present in the city during the attack on April 7. All Luther students and faculty are safe and the Center for Global Learning has mechanisms in place to ensure student safety abroad during crises. On April 7, a van drove into a crowd in Münster killing two people and injuring 20 others, according to local officials. The incident appeared to have been a deliberate attack and the driver of the van killed himself before law enforcement arrived at the scene. Police say they found no evidence that the driver was motivated by either political or religious ideology but that the man had a history of suicidal thoughts and mental illness. At the time of the attack, nine Luther students, Professor of German Sören Steding, and Associate Professor of German Elizabeth Steding were in Münster for Luther’s semester abroad program. CJ Heck (‘19) was attending a barbecue when the incident occurred and heard about it through word of mouth. “It was just a sunny afternoon,” Heck said. “And then someone came out of the house and said ‘Did you hear what happened?’” Because it was a Saturday, the students were spread out throughout the city. Executive Director of the Center for Global Learning Jon Lund monitored the situation from Luther using information systems designed to help inform travelers of potentially dangerous situations. “We check a couple different systems that help give us an idea of security situations around the world,” Lund said. “This year we’ve implemented a system called Alert Traveler and we’ve encouraged students to download it to their phones. It allows [students] to gain realtime information pushed to their phones as situations occur.”
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Israeli Palestinian activist shares experiences MATTHEW GLEAVES STAFF WRITER Miko Peled held a Q&A format lecture titled “From Israeli Zionist to Palestinian Defender” discussing two of his books on Friday, April 13. The lecture, hosted by the Center for Ethics and Public Engagement, focused on Peled’s journey growing up as the son of an Israeli general in a prominent Israeli family and the transformation he went through to become a Palestinian activist. In preparation for the lecture international studies classes read Peled’s first book, “The General’s Son,” which talks about his experiences and how he came to the proPalestine stance. Associate Professor of History and Director of the CEPE Victoria Christman assigned Peled’s book because of its content. “This conflict forms the basis for so much of the modern history of the Middle East — and beyond — that I see it as a key issue with which all international studies majors should be familiar,” Christman said. “[‘The General’s Son’] is a sort of history of the Israel Palestinian conflict told through the lens of his own autobiography, so it provided the students with a range of information about the past 70 years.” Peled decided to write his book and give lectures because of his unique position. “I’m promoting a very particular perspective on
Palestine,” Peled said. “It’s a perspective you don’t hear a lot and a perspective many people consider too radical. I think it’s particularly important because of my background, being an Israeli and coming from a prominent Israeli family.” Peled also lectures to inform others. He thinks Americans need to hear both sides of the conflict. “There is no audience that’s more important to this issue than the American audience because Americans pay a lot of money to Israel in the form of foreign aid,” Peled said. “No other country in the world gets as much off Americans taxpayers as Israel does. Now, if somebody is taking a bunch of your money and using it for something, and you’re not resisting, then you must agree.” Peled talked about the weight of voting in America and that voting for representatives with similar beliefs is important. “We vote for our members of Congress, they vote to send all this money to Israel, and most Americans don’t know why or what it’s going for or how much it is,” Peled said. “Unless you’re informed, you may be allowing this money to do some terrible things. You might be complicit in something that is horrifying and you might not know it.” Peled’s lecture and book argues that a large part of the problem lies in the occupation of the Jewish people and not with Jewish people as a whole. President of Interfaith
Miko Peled answers questions from attendees. Emily Turner (‘19) | Photo Bureau in Action Rebecka Green (‘19) talked about her takeaways from the lecture. “I think it’s important that people hear from someone like him who comes from the side of the oppressor — as he would say — and is informing us about what really happens, to the people who most people would assume be his enemy,” Green said. “He was so adamant about it not being an issue with the Jewish people, but with the occupation. It’s with the politics. It’s with the violence.”