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Planetarium show
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Luther hosts the Oneota Film Festival
Softball ranked first in conference
COLLEGE
LUTHER “Let the chips fall where they may.”
VOLUME 140, NO. 19• EST. 1884
APRIL 26, 2018
Sparkes set to retire
Identity studies major introduced
MARTEL DEN HARTOG STAFF WRITER
PIPER WOOD STAFF WRITER
Assistant to the Interim Dean for Institutional Planning and Mission Terry Sparkes is set to retire in May 2018. Since her arrival to Luther 1990, Sparkes has been involved on campus in a variety of capacities, including Associate Professor of Religion and Associate Dean and Director of Curriculum Development and College Honors, and, most recently, Dean for Institutional Planning and Mission. For the past 28 years, Sparkes has continuously been invested in improving the quality of education for Luther students. “One of the neat things about being in education is that you can just keep learning, making connections, and building networks,” Sparkes said. “The environment of higher education is one where you find new, interesting puzzles to work on and growth is continuous.” During her early years at Luther, Sparkes encountered several challenges such as heading the religion and philosophy department when it was facing substantial faculty turnover. Within this role, she helped cultivate a diverse and dynamic religion department. “[Sparkes] played a significant role in reshaping what the religion program would look like going forward,” Professor of Religion Jim Martin Schramm said. “For [Sparkes], diversity has always been really important. [She also cares about] ensuring that whomever we hired was committed to the mission of the college and put priority on student learning and effective teaching.” Besides her official positions on campus, Sparkes has served as a mentor to her colleagues. “She mentored me in my own role as department head and she was one of the first people I talked to about what I needed to know as head of the religion department,” Associate Professor of Religion Sean Burke said.
Irankunda said. “We wanted to help facilitate that, which is the main role of the President and Vice President. We [want to facilitate] conversations and connections with the administration and the student body.” Irankunda said that she and Anians are looking forward to improving connections with the Luther student body next year. “We want to make sure that every voice is at the table from every demographic on campus, and therefore make sure that we are making the best decision for everyone,” Irankunda said. “I’d also like us to get more involved with the student body and meet with them on a more one-on-one basis so the student body really knows who their representatives are.” Anians was unavailable to comment as he is currently spending the semester in Malta. In the elections for Congregational Council, Ajack was voted president for the 201819 academic year. Ajack said she will focus on inclusivity in College Ministries. “My main intentions for the congregation next year are to focus on inclusivity and having more opportunities for community service work,” Ajack said. “I want to make College Ministries a place where all people feel welcome, regardless of who they are before they come to College Ministries.” College Pastor Mike Blair says he looks forward to working with Ajack next year.
Luther plans to offer a new identity studies major that will combine the disciplines of Africana studies, Asian studies, dance and women and gender studies into one discipline. The identity studies major will be available to students starting spring 2019. According to Professor of Africana Studies and English Novian Whitsitt the major will focus on the intersections between disciplines that combine to form the identity studies major. “The grounding theoretical principle behind our identity studies program will be the notion of intersectionality,” Whitsitt said. “[Intersectionality is] a term that highlights the ways in which systems of power, privilege, hierarchy, and domination are in place in most social environments, and it looks particularly at how those systems coalesce . . . as a result of those moments of overlapping, what you have are unique kinds of subjectivities and identities.” The major will require 10 courses overall, with five core courses and three different areas of studies: gender and sexuality, race and ethnicity, and body studies. Whitsitt explained that students will be required to take courses in each area, but are also able to specialize in a specific area of study. According to Whitsitt, the new major will be an adjustment to the already existing disciplines in order to satisfy the needs and interests of students. “This is a move to create a new major that is relevant to students’ lives in a new and exciting way,” Whitsitt said. “Much of the coursework will remain similar to what currently exists in these different majors and yet they will be reshaped and crafted in order to speak more directly to the goals of identity studies and intersectionality.” Anna Lavender (‘21) is looking forward to the possibilities of the new major for expanding the overlap of identities in the 21st century. “Given recent events, it is really important to have an open dialogue about the role of race in our society and to figure out how to have a society where everyone is equal,” Lavender said. “With the [#Metoo] movement, and with society viewing gender differently, [identity studies will be] more current than looking at women and gender studies under one perspective.” The creation of the major will dissolve the respective individual majors. “These programs and majors have all faced similar challenges in creating interest among the student body in our courses,” Whitsitt said. “We would like to see a greater level of student interest in our courses, for the sake of the courses and not for the sake of general education requirements.” Whitsitt is aware of what this change means for the visibility of Africana studies and was initially concerned about the shift to identity studies.
ELECTIONS | PAGE 4
IDENTITY STUDIES | PAGE 4
SPARKES | PAGE 4
Assistant to the Interim Dean for Institutional Planning and Mission Terry Sparkes. Photo courtesy of Terry Sparkes
Elected President and Vice President of Student Senate Janet Irankunda (‘19) and Wyatt Anians (‘19). Photo courtesy of Mimi Finger (‘19)
Student elections DIRK UMBANHOWAR STAFF WRITER Student Senate and Congregational Council held elections to choose new leadership positions in their organizations last week. Janet Irankunda (‘19) and Wyatt Anians (‘19) were elected President and Vice President of Student Senate and Madeline Ajack (‘20) was voted President of the Congregational Council for the 2018-19 academic year. Irankunda and Anians ran on a platform of enhancing the presence and transparency of Senate on campus, improving Senate’s accessibility, and striving for a more inclusive environment for all of those involved in the Luther community. “Wyatt and I are very excited about it,” Irankunda said. “Each group running did a very good job of explaining their arguments and what they wanted to get out of Senate next year. Wyatt and I were lucky enough to be voted President and Vice President next year.” Irankunda said that she and Anians decided to run for President of Student Senate earlier in the year. This was the second time Irankunda ran for a position in Senate. Irankunda had run for Vice President a year ago with Katie Hendrikson (‘18) and lost, but she took this year to learn more about Senate. “In our positions that we’ve held, we’ve seen a lot of the great things Senate does and the tough conversations that they have to have to make great things possible,”
NEWS
PAGE 2 APRIL 26, 2018
NEWS EDITORS: KATRINA MEYER & ANA LÓPEZ
Melissa Martinez joins political science staff
Students participate in colloquium on market morality GRACE ONSRUD STAFF WRITER
Melissa Martinez specializes in Latin American politics and comparative policies. Photo courtesy of Melissa Martinez
GILLIAN KLEIN STAFF WRITER Current graduate student at the University of North Texas Melissa Martinez will be a visiting professor of political science to teach during the 2018/19 academic year. Martinez’s emphasis is in Latin American politics and comparative policies. She received a bachelor’s degree in international relations from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. Upon completing her bachelor’s, Martinez attended the University of North Texas where she received a master’s degree in political science. Currently, Martinez is completing her Ph.D. in political science at the University of North Texas. She plans to finish her doctorate degree before coming to Luther this fall. According to Associate Professor of Political Science Carly Foster, Martinez brings a unique perspective to the diverse faculty in the department. “Her area of expertise was most drawing to staff in the department,” Foster said. “She’s young, she’s enthusiastic, and hopefully she can teach some of the courses [Assistant Professor of Political Science Pedro] dos Santos has taught.” The department began looking for a fill-in professor this past fall when dos Santos announced his retirement after the 2017-18 school year. Dos Santos taught courses in political science and international studies. His research focus has been primarily Latin America, specifically Brazilian politics. One of dos Santos's colleagues, Professor of Political Science Paul Gardner, will also retire this spring. Currently, no one is replacing Gardner's position in the fall of 2018. According to Gardner, professors like Martinez are crucial for the department and the college
at this time. “President Carlson and the Dean gave the go-ahead to replace dos Santos with Martinez and this is important,” Gardner said. “Our department has had conversations with departments like philosophy and economics about sharing positions as the college moves forward in a very challenging enrollment environment.” Foster is enthusiastic about other disciplines Martinez will bring to the department. “She’s bringing an additional area of expertise in human rights,” Foster said. “We will continue educating students on politics outside the United States and our department needs the balance of domestic and internationallybalanced courses.” Martinez is looking forward to joining the Luther community offers. “I enjoyed completing my bachelor’s degree at a liberal arts institution,” Martinez said. “There is a close-knit community built in these sorts of campuses and I am excited to contribute as a faculty member.” This fall, Martinez will teach Introduction to International Relations, Global Politics, Introduction to Comparative Policies, Human Rights, and Latin American Politics. She will also lead a J-term Paideia 450 class with Associate Professor of Social Work Susan Schmidt called Borders and Migration. “The college and students, that’s what I most look forward to familiarizing myself with,” Martinez said. “I’m also aware of the music and arts activities this college has to offer. I am looking forward to going to a few performances.”
Nineteen students participated in a discussion focused on “Markets and Morality” on Saturday, April 21 in the Mott and Borlaug rooms. The event was organized by the Institute for Humane Studies, which holds economicsbased discussions at colleges nationwide. The morning discussions titled “Capitalism — For and Against” and “Justice and Liberty.” Each lasted about one hour. The afternoon consisted of two more discussion sessions titled "Critical Perspectives" and "Capitalism and Social Order" along with a dinner. An Institute for Humane Studies director and discussion leader led the discussions. Their role was to call on students who wished to talk and to keep the discussion on-topic. The conversation mainly focused on students and their own perspectives on the readings. Professor of Management Tim Schweizer ('90) was responsible for bringing the event to campus as the Birkestrand Economics and Management Chair at Luther. This position was created by Luther alum Suzanne Birkestrand and Dennis Birkestrand ('64) who wanted to fund opportunities for discussions on economics, specifically pro-market ideas. The lecture on “The Myth of Middle Class Stagnation” by economist Don Boudreaux last fall was also sponsored by this endowment. The participating students
Joram Mutenge ('19), and Karl Nycklemoe ('18) participate in a discussion . Grace Onsrud ('19) I Chips had a diverse range of majors and interests. Schweizer said that the Institute for Humane Studies seeks to include students from all different departments, not just students interested in economics. Since the event lasted all day on Saturday and required students to study reading materials beforehand, Schweizer selected students who were willing to do additional work outside of their courses. “You have to get students who are motivated enough to do all these extra readings,” Schweizer said. “It was a good surprise to get so many people that were interested, so I think we know if we do this again next year it will work.” Schweizer found more than enough Luther students willing to participate, so much so that he had to create a waiting list
Minh Anh Nguyen ('20) and Professor of Management Tim Schweizer ('90) discuss market morality. Grace Onsrud ('19) I Chips
for the event. He said that since this was a popular event he will organize more next year so students who were not able to participate will have a chance. Participating student and business major Menzi Nkambule (‘18) said that he was most interested in the discussion on “Capitalism — For and Against” which included readings by economists such as Adam Smith and Karl Marx. He said that he enjoyed how the discussion was structured with minimal input from the facilitator. “I would gladly participate in an event like this in the future,” Nkambule said. “I liked the open nature of the discussion. The facilitator only existed to give us the background of each reading, ensure that all can speak, and to keep us on topic. He had no prompts to nudge us into any way of thinking.” Nkambule also enjoyed the range of views of the participating students. “This small group of less than 20 students who are open to all views is a good model of how we can use our intellect to have open discussions on challenging topics and listen to one another,” Nkambule said. Schweizer was also pleased with the range of perspectives in the assigned readings from the Institute for Humane Studies. He hopes that the discussion motivated students to think in new ways. “I hope that it’s intellectually stimulating,” Schweizer said. “[I hope] that they leave with new ideas and fresh perspectives on things, that they are able to articulate arguments for or against any position that they take.”
NEWS
PAGE 3
NEWS EDITORS: KATRINA MEYER & ANA LÓPEZ
APRIL 26, 2018
Students attend national research conferences
WEATHER THURSDAY Rainy
65/38 FRIDAY Partly cloudy
60/40 SATURDAY Sunny Marta Williams ('19), Cassidy Woods ('18), Lily Kime ('19), Kelly Kennedy ('18), Ananda Easley ('19), Katie Patyk ('18), Kaitlyn Buls ('19), Laila Sahir ('18), and Nicole Weber ('18) attend the National Conference on Undergraduate Research in Oklahoma. Photo courtesy of Marta Williams ('19)
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each presented their research at the philosophy conference in Georgia. To deliver their presentations, all 13 student presenters sat at a round table and read their papers to the other presenters, the moderator, and the keynote speaker. They discussed each presenter’s topic in depth. “This was a great opportunity because 13 students presenting gives you the opportunity to meet people, know what they’re working on, and establish personal relationships,” Herman said. “We discussed what people were talking about. These very informal presentations turned into a seminar and symposium-style presentation. It was awesome.” At the philosophy conference, Herman presented a paper she wrote for her Ancient Philosophy class fall of 2017 on two pre-Socratic philosophers and how they present their views regarding who can acquire knowledge. Herman enjoyed her time at the philosophy conference and looks forward to Luther’s Student Research Symposium on May 11. “There is some really cool research right here at Luther,” Herman said. “You don’t have to venture that far if you’re interested in research that undergraduate students are doing.” Buls, who presented a version of a paper she wrote for an English class at NCUR, provided advice for students looking to conduct their own research. “Find a question that really interests you,” Buls said. “The best presentations [at NCUR] were the ones by people who loved their topics. If your research is done, you should be proud of it.”
SUNDAY
KRISTEN WUERL STAFF WRITER Nine Luther students attended the National Conference on Undergraduate Research at the University of Central Oklahoma in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma from April 4-7. Additionally, three students presented at the Kennesaw State University Undergraduate Philosophy Conference on April 13 and 14 in Kennesaw, Georgia. Laila Sahir (‘18), Kelly Kennedy (‘18), Katie Patyk (‘18), Nicole Weber (‘18), Cassidy Woods (‘18), Kaitlyn Buls (‘19), Ananda Easley (‘19), Lily Kime (‘19), and Marta Williams (‘19) presented at the NCUR. Rachel Brodeur (‘18), Jamie Herman (‘18), and Marcella Meza ('18) presented at the philosophy conference. More than 4,000 undergraduate students from across the country and students from 19 other countries presented at the NCUR conference. Professor of English and Faculty Advisor at NCUR Lise Kildegaard expressed her pride for all the presenters. “This was an extraordinary group of nine young women,” Kildegaard said. “They represented the college well and treated the conference as an opportunity to learn as much as possible. It was a great joy to me.” NCUR focuses on multiple divisions of research — arts and humanities, biology, chemistry, education, engineering, geosciences, health sciences, mathematics and computer science, physics and astronomy, psychology, and social sciences — and has opportunities for students to give oral or poster presentations.
Sahir gave an oral presentation titled “Gender and Performance in Marie Antoinette." Her project evolved from her performance in Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" during fall of 2016. Her idea started with the cast's discussion of gender roles and how they affect a performance. “It was very interesting to see how other people performed genders that aren’t their own [in Twelfth Night],” Sahir said. “Marie Antoinette was intriguing for me because, historically, Antoinette was criticized for not properly performing her [gender] roles in society.” Williams gave a poster presentation titled “Implications of Micra Leadless Pacemaker Extraction for Tricuspid Valve Integrity” and an oral presentation titled “PI3K/AKT Signaling Influences Neuronal Function in C. elegans.” Williams worked with
Assistant Professor of Biology Stephanie Fretham ('05) on her C. elegans research. She also worked with graduate students and mentors at the University of Minnesota at Minneapolis last summer in her research on tricuspid valves. “I was confident [in my presentations], especially because this conference was an interesting challenge because it was not science-specific,” Williams said. “I talked to Fretham about how to adapt my presentations to make them more accessible to others and it was fun to think about these different audiences.” To apply to attend NCUR, students submit an abstract of their work to the Dean’s office, which then chooses abstracts to submit to NCUR. NCUR organizers then email students of their acceptance to participate at the conference along with specific information regarding when and where they will present. Brodeur, Herman, and Meza
Jamie Herman ('18), Marcella Meza ('18), and Rachel Brodeur ('18) present their research at a philosophy conference in Georgia. Photo courtesy of Marcella Meza ('18)
Partly cloudy
67/52 MONDAY Partly cloudy
72/56 TUESDAY Thunderstorms
63/50 WEDNESDAY Cloudy
61/48 Corrections In the Vol. 140 No. 17 issue of CHIPS, Forrest Stewart's opinion piece "Students should vote on municipal electric utility issue" the piece was incorrectly edited to say "The IUB would take over the services currently supplied by Alliant." The piece should have said "The MEU would take over the services currently supplied by Alliant."
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APRIL 26, 2018
Life Outside Luther Driver runs rental van into a crowd in Toronto, kills nine A driver of a white Ryder rental van ran over pedestrians killing at least nine and injuring 16. The incident took place at lunch hour in a busy sidewalk in the streets of Toronto. Canadian officials have not commented on the motivations of the driver but are engaged in a thorough investigation of the incident. Nashville Waffle House suspected shooter arrested Police arrested the man suspected of shooting and killing four people at a Waffle House in Nashville. After opening fire, the shooter fled the scene naked. Police started a search of secluded wood areas nearby. The arrest ended a 36-hour manhunt. The motive of the attack is still unknown. George H.W. Bush admitted to Houston hospital Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush was admitted to the Houston Methodist Hospital for an infection that spread to his blood one day after the funeral of his wife Barbara Bush. Spokesman Jim McGrath said that Bush is responding to treatment and in recovery. Bush was admitted to the same hospital about a year ago for mild pneumonia. Wells Fargo CEO's salary information draws criticism from employees Wells Fargo & Co. disclosed information about their Chief Executive and President Tim Sloan’s pay compared to other employees in March. The disclosure of Sloan’s salary raised criticism during the bank’s shareholder meeting. A worker advocacy group plans on raising issues about pay raise in the upcoming shareholder meeting in Des Moines. Google owner Alphabet Inc. reports peak sales and profit Google owner Alphabet Inc. announced that first quarter sales and profit increased due to strong ad sales and accounting investment. There were not signs that rising concerns regarding global privacy will affect profit. Dozens of Central American migrants from the “caravan” arrive at U.S.-Mexico border Dozens of migrants from Central America arrived at the border city of Tijuana on April 24. The migrants will try to cross the border and seek asylum despite warnings that it will be futile. U.S. President Donald Trump ordered border officials to repel the migrants.
NEWS EDITORS: KATRINA MEYER & ANA LÓPEZ SPARKES | PAGE 1 Sparkes’ commitment to fostering strong learning environments for students was also evident in her position as Associate Dean and Director of Curriculum Development and College Honors, in which she helped students apply for prestigious fellowships and scholarships. “Sparkes has worked with programs [that focus on] student learning and experience,” President Paula Carlson said. “Her love for the college and care for students has been so important in her department and her career.” This position also entailed expanding the student research symposium, which has allowed students in every class across departments to present their research to faculty, staff, and fellow students since 2010. Sparkes mentioned that this was one of the most rewarding projects she contributed to as Associate Dean. “There was an energy around research in the undergrad experience, so it seemed like it was the right time to expand the research symposium and really put an emphasis on student work,” Sparkes said. “The energy around that first research symposium was absolutely incredible. Every year I love to see the way faculty and staff support their students and just revel in the experience of listening to their students as the experts.” Sparkes carried her enthusiasm for students, faculty, and staff with her when she took on the inaugural Dean for Institutional Planning and
Mission position, which was created by Carlson during the summer of 2016. This position came to fruition because of two large projects that needed leadership: reaccreditation and strategic planning. In addition, Sparkes’s role involved coordinating a variety of campus programming centers more intentionally. “I thought Sparkes would make a strong candidate for this position,” Carlson said. “And I am confident this was the case.” Nathan Campbell (‘18) worked closely with Sparkes on the Strategic Planning Committee. “I think her time as a professor really influences her work [as a Dean] in the way that she cares about the students and her emphasis on their experience and their ability to make the
ELECTIONS | PAGE 1 “Madeline and the council as a whole bring an openness, a desire to use faith as a resource for building community, and also just a joy in gathering others,” Blair said. “Those resources will be very influential on how the council works together.” Besides the presidency, the rest of the positions in the Congregational Council were chosen as well. Faye Lee (‘20) was elected(‘20) Treasurer, Kari Jacobson (‘21) as Deacon of Worship, Alex Sekora (‘19) as Deacon of Community Action, Sarah Jennings (‘20) as Deacon of Global Concerns, Elise Carlson (‘21) as Deacon of Spiritual Formation, and Alexis Olson (‘20) as Deacon of Outreach. Jana Mueller (‘19), a member of the current council, stated that one of College Ministry’s goals next year is to create a place of hospitality and community at Luther. “Yes, we are predominantly ELCA
IDENTITY STUDIES | PAGE 1
Taken from: reuters.com
Associate Professor of Africana Studies and History Richard Mtisi and Assistant to the Interim Dean for Institutional Planning and Mission Terry Sparkes at the opening convocation. Photo courtesy of Terry Sparkes
“Africana studies has been a central part of the Luther identity and campus life for a long time,” Whitsitt said. “As a faculty member of Africana studies that has been here for basically 20 years, I don’t take lightly what it means
most of their time at Luther,” Campbell said. “Terry was one of those professors really dedicated to seeing their students grow, and that trend continued certainly in her deanship . . . She clearly has a passion for Luther and for the possibilities that it presents for everybody that is involved in the experience here.” In December 2017, Brad Chamberlain took over as Interim Dean for Institutional Planning and Mission, but the future of the position is still undefined. “At this point it will be up to President Carlson’s perspective to determine how long the interim aspect remains as part of the position,” Chamberlain said. “There’s a possibility I’ll stay in the position and there’s a possibility that President
Lutherans, be we also sponsor the Muslim Student Association, the Interfaith Student Association, the Catholic Student Community, and more,” Mueller said. “We are working on collaborating with students from a variety of faith traditions to expand people’s perceptions of what College Ministries is, and are eager to reach out to more students and to hear from their perspectives no matter what faith traditions they come from.” Ajack also said that she is looking to improve sevice opportunities inside and outside of the Luther community. “I want to offer more community service opportunities that will benefit our college, the greater Decorah community and the world,” Ajack said. “I was talking with a friend I met in Namibia, and she told me that the thing that keeps girls from attending schools in rural areas is that they don’t have any access to sanitary pads. It would be an easy activity for us as a
for Africana studies as a department to be subsumed within a new major and department.” Although the majors will all be dissolved, Lavender is optimistic about the opportunities that the interdisciplinary study will offer students moving forward.
Carlson could ask someone else to serve in that position.” Luther’s reaccreditation process will finalize in the spring of 2019, at which time the Dean for Institutional Planning and Mission position will be reevaluated. Whether she will be found canoeing, delving into a lengthy reading list, or fighting for social justice, Sparkes’s passion for learning and building community will remain a constant long after her retirement. “I want to continue working on issues related to immigration, justice, diversity, peace, and nonviolence,” Sparkes said. “How I’m going to do that, I’m not sure. But I intend to be able to engage more in the broader community than just at Luther.”
congregation to do and it would also really benefit some girls who want to continue their education.” Blair also emphasized these goals for next year’s council as stated by Mueller, especially building more relationships and collaborating across campus. “We are looking at making sure the campus knows that the Center for Faith and Life is their place as well, not just the ministry’s,” Blair said. “Next year we are collaborating with the diversity center in a sustaining dialogues project, and myself and the council are looking for better ways to foster community here at the Center for Faith and Life when people come as well.” While Congregational Council elections are finished, there will be more elections involving Student Senate this Thursday as the student body chooses their class representatives for next year as well as other positions on the Student Senate, such as Secretary and Treasurer.
“None of these disciplines are mutually exclusive,” Lavender said. “They are all cohesive with each other and they all run into the same kind of issues with identity . . . having the opportunity to look at all the different aspects of the identity is really interesting.” Associate Professor of
Philosophy Holly Moore is interested in the major as a facet of Luther’s interdisciplinary mission. “I’m very excited about this program, both for what it can offer the faculty involved and how it can become a model for truly interdisciplinary, intersectional study,” Moore said.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
PAGE 5
A&E EDITOR: LILY KIME
APRIL 26, 2018
Winter storms do not stop Jazz Orchestra and Collegiate Chorale
Jackson Churchill (‘20) plays a trombone solo during Jazz Orchestra’s Homecoming Concert.
MATTHEW GLEAVES STAFF WRITER Jazz Orchestra and Collegiate Chorale set out on tours the weekend of April 13 but met adversity. Both tours had to think on their toes when interrupted by a spring blizzard. Each ensemble played at least one concert and performed a homecoming concert on campus throughout the week after returning from their respective snow-covered tours. Despite the changes in their weekends, their homecoming performances went on as planned. Jazz Orchestra performed their Homecoming Concert on April 17 in the Center for Faith and Life. Their performance consisted of 16 different pieces, with compositions ranging from American composer and jazz musician Duke Ellington to pieces gifted to the Luther Jazz Orchestra while they performed on international tour in Brazil in 2016. The program also included vocal charts and two songs performed by Vocal Jazz. The eclectic music ranged from poetic pieces with solos to pieces that challenged the strength and speed of the musician’s lungs and fingers. Emma Withers (‘18) is part of the rhythm section and the vocalist of Jazz Orchestra. She enjoys how Professor of Music Juan Tony Guzman (‘90) arranges
diverse programs. “[Guzman] is an incredible director and tries to pick a wide variety of songs that touch on different eras of jazz and different style choices,” Withers said. “I really like how he sets up the program so there is something for everyone. It keeps the audience really engaged.” Since their tour was cut short, Jazz Orchestra only performed one of the four planned concerts of their tour. Returning Friday morning, the ensemble wanted to continue spending time together and Withers took part in planning the ensemble’s Saturday activites. “Andrew Murray (‘18) and I organized a fake tour day on Saturday,” Withers said. “Our whole group met up and did this silly gift exchange at Dollar Tree and Goodwill. Then after that we got dinner at Old Armory and went [to see a] movie. Then we had a Jazz Orchestra Prom that night. Each person had to do a Promposal. We coordinated outfits, had a grand march, took photos, and danced.” While Jazz Orchestra returned to campus due to the untimely weather conditions, Collegiate continued their tour. The ensemble performed each day of their tour, but not in the originally planned venues. The group performed in Davenport, Iowa, on April 12 as scheduled. The next day they traveled to the Twin Cities, where the blizzard kept them for three days. During
this time, they performed at two churches in the Twin Cities, with one service based entirely off the ensemble’s performance of “The Peace of Wild Things,” composer Jake Runestad’s setting of a Wendell Berry poem. When they finally got back to Decorah, Collegiate’s Homecoming Concert took place on Thursday, April 19 in the CFL with a program focused on peace. Assistant Professor of Music Jennaya Robison (‘96) selected
choral pieces and spoken texts that represented this theme. “It’s called ‘Prayers for Peace’ and I would consider it a marriage of both music and spoken text,” Robison said. “The idea [is] that we have the power to create goodness and justice and peace in the world.” As a part of this theme, Matthew Espey (’19) read a text written in remembrance of Matthew Shepard, a young man who was brutally and fatally attacked in
Matthew Gleaves (‘19) | Chips Colorado for being homosexual. This introduced Craig Hella Johnson’s “All of Us,” a piece from the oratorio “Considering Matthew Shepard,” which was the group’s final piece. Although both tours were interrupted by severe weather, the ensembles persevered and delighted audiences at their homecoming concerts. And although they enjoyed the experience, those involved a look forward to warmer weather.
Matthew Espey (‘19) recites an excerpt about the Matthew Shepard Foundation introduing Craig Hella Johnson’s “All of Us” from his oratorio “Considering Matthew Shepard.” Annika Vande Krol (‘19) | Photo Bureau
FEATURES
PAGE 6 APRIL 26, 2018
FEATURES EDITOR: SHASA SARTIN
planetarium show
The Leo constellation followed by Ursa Major and the Little Dipper.
open and free to students, staff, and community has been one of my inspiring factors to really start advertising.” Foster led both star shows and began by pointing out the blacklight paintings on the walls of the planetarium before turning off the lights completely. “I like to tell kids that we sent a painter up there and we go up and collect his work every once in a while,” Foster said during the show. The planetarium was nearly engulfed in complete darkness when two more attendees entered the space. Foster instructed them to stay by the door and led them to their seats. Audience members across the room checked their phones but quickly learned that the brightness was too much for their eyes. Others laughed as Foster gently advised everyone to avoid checking their phones for the rest of the show. Foster continued the show by pointing out the five constellations visible from Decorah at all times during the year, starting with the Big Dipper. In addition to pointing out the constellations displayed
on the domed ceiling with a laser pointer, Foster also projected illustrations so audience members could easily make connections between the stars. The Big Dipper is inside the constellation Ursa Major and nearby is Ursa Minor, or the “mama bear and her cub,” as Foster explained to the audience. Foster proceeded to ask if it was smart to separate a mother bear from her cub, to which most of the audience responded “no.” However, the dragon constellation Draco does just that because it is composed of stars between the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper. The final two constellations visible year-round in Decorah are Cassiopeia and Cepheus. Foster explained that Cassiopeia was a farmer before she met her husband, Cepheus, who gave up his title in order to marry her. Cassiopeia, a “W in the sky,” always looks out at her husband, whose discarded crown is visible across the sky from both constellations. Foster rotated the sky to show more constellations, including Gemini, Taurus, and Delphinus, a
The strobe and projector before the show in the Emil C. Miller Planetarium.
Emma Busch (‘19) | Chips
EMMA BUSCH STAFF WRITER Lights dimmed slowly to reveal the night sky as 31 Luther students sunk into their seats and gazed upward at the constellations above them in anticipation of the first of two star shows that were held on Thursday in the Emil C. Miller Planetarium. Installed in the Valders Hall of Science in 1964, the planetarium was named after Miller in 1998 to honor his time in the physics department and his role in bringing the planetarium to campus. According to planetarium student worker Christen Foster (‘18), the planetarium holds great importance to her, but many others in the Luther community do not realize it exists. This is why staff hold open shows. “We have this great resource here at Luther College and when I was a prospective student I actually got to come in and be in the planetarium,” Foster said. “That was one of the many reasons why I chose to come to Luther. The fact that so many people don’t realize that this is
This strobe and projector is used to project the stars that are in the sky onto the domed ceiling. Emma Busch (‘19) | Chips constellation she jokingly invited to write a story about since it does not have a backstory. “It’s just a dolphin, but if you write me a story and stick it under the planetarium door, I will tell it as if it’s the truth,” Foster said. “We can vote on the best one.” Next was Andromeda, Cepheus and Cassiopeia’s daughter, who was abducted by a king and rescued by Cepheis and his horse Pegasus. Orion’s Belt followed and as Foster explained the constellation’s backstory, she accidentally swore, a slip-up met with laughter by the audience as Foster apologized profusely. Before ending the show, Foster pointed out Leo and the stars that make up the Winter Triangle. Foster explained that the Winter Triangle is actually composed of the stars Procyon, Betelgeuse, and Sirius but she tells younger audiences it is made of stars with names from Harry Potter — including Regulus and Sirius Black and Bellatrix Lestrange — instead so they can remember it better. According to attendee Abby Tefft (‘21) the star show was
her first experience in the planetarium and she was surprised by the size of the space and what she learned. “I actually didn’t know there was a planetarium on campus until I saw a sign outside,” Tefft said. “I wanted to see it and experience it but didn’t expect it to be like this at all. I expected a much larger space. I was really interested to see my own star sign, [Gemini], which I ended up seeing.” Attendee Brooke Prohaska (‘21) was similarly intrigued by the show and plans on applying what she learned during the show when she goes stargazing. “I really liked learning all the different constellations that I’ll be able to find myself in the real sky,” Prohaska said. “It’ll be really fun to go outside, look up, and go ‘Oh, those are the stars I learned about.’” As the lights slowly came back on, Foster encouraged audience members to come back and hold events under the night sky indoors, an experience that can only be replicated on campus in Luther’s own planetarium.
FEATURES
PAGE 7
FEATURES EDITOR: SHASA SARTIN
APRIL 26, 2018
French film series “We get to know more about French culture, which is a very important thing when you get to know the language.” - Kien Dao (‘20) NATALIE NELSON STAFF WRITER Once every other week the French department screens a French film with English subtitles in the Hovde Room of the Preus Library. The films are a part of the French 239 course Cinema for French Conversation, but the screenings are opened up to anyone on campus who wishes to attend. Adjunct Professor of French Ruth Caldwell retired from Luther in 2014 after teaching for 44 years. She stepped in for Associate Professor of French Anne-Marine Feat who is currently on sabbatical.
“I have found that it’s too superficial to just do a film a week because there’s too much to discuss,” Caldwell said. “A film is like a text and you have to look at how it’s constructed and scenes that are parallel to other scenes. I teach on Tuesday and Thursday and there’s just no way. Plus, we’re doing it in French which adds another dimension and we need to work on expression and grammar.” The class spends three days discussing each film. On the fourth day they take a quiz and learn the historical and geographic context for the next film. Caldwell said it was simple for her to make the class film viewings open events for the campus.
Movie poster for Emily Stifter’s (‘20) favorite movie “Joyeux Noel” in this semesters’ film series. Photo courtesy of IMDB.com
Adjunct Professor of French Ruth Caldwell “The film series comes from this class, because here I am with this class and these films and I thought, ‘why not have it be a film series and invite the whole campus to come to the screenings?’” Caldwell said. “I know some students [watch] them on their laptops and I think that’s too bad because you don’t get the full view of it.” The class watches six films over the course of the semester. Caldwell decided the theme of the films would be the interactions between different ethnic groups and social classes, in addition to a project that incorporates French colonialism and its effects. “I think it’s very important to incorporate diversity wherever one can in the curriculum and so that was my way of doing it,” Caldwell said. “It’s always important to try to extend the resources of the college and the department to the wider campus community and even beyond. Watching and seeing how they feel . . . makes us more aware of the challenges that people have with class and ethnic differences.” Caldwell said that, although the French series may be the only one this semester, the other languages in the modern languages, literatures, and linguistics department have all had a film series at one time or another. The programs included are Chinese, German, Russian, Spanish, and Norwegian. Kien Dao (‘20) finds the course intriguing as it taught him about French culture and francophone countries (other French-speaking countries) through inclusion of films from African and Asian countries. “There’s a lot of culture and diversity in that class, and so I’ve really enjoyed it,” Dao said. “We get to know more about French culture, which is a very important thing when you get to know the language. Second, we get to learn a lot of new words. There are old words that are not used anymore, so it’s very interesting to know how the French language has developed through time.” The course is taught entirely in French
Photo courtesy of Ruth Caldwell and Dao said the greatest challenge is to discuss the films with limited French vocabularies. “One of the problems is that since we are only 200 level, sometimes we are not able to keep up with what the professor is saying and sometimes she won’t be able to catch up with what we are saying because we don’t have enough vocabulary and grammar to put it into a perfect sentence,” Dao said. “But most of the time we don’t have any problem at all. We are able to understand the main issues and the main topic of what we are discussing and we are able to deliver what we are talking about.” Music and French double major Emily Stifter (‘20) is also a student in the class. She said that, as a French major, the class is an important opportunity to get involved in French culture. “It’s important to learn about other world cultures,” Stifter said. “In this class there’s been a nice discussion of the historical context of each film so we can learn about the social classes and various immigrant populations who occupy these social class positions at different time periods.” Stifter said that her favorite film so far has been “Joyeux Noël,” about the ceasefire that occurred during World War I to celebrate Christmas. “Something we discuss a lot in this class is how French cinema differs from American [cinema],” Stifter said. “It’s more realistic and the endings are much more ambiguous than the typical happy ending of American movies. For me, this has made ‘Joyeux Noël’ my favorite movie because although it’s about the war and they eventually go to war after their Christmas ceasefire, it’s promising because we know what will happen afterwards historically and that the war will end.” Stifter said that she hopes more people will get involved with French activities, such as the movie series, at Luther. The next and last movie in the series, “Welcome,” will be shown in Hovde Room Sunday, April 29 at 8:00 p.m.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
PAGE 8 APRIL 26, 2018
A&E EDITOR: LILY KIME
“Making Connections” at the Oneota Film Festival
Over 85 films were shown at the 2018 Oneota Film Festival.
CARA KEITH STAFF WRITER Filmgoers made connections with directors and filmmakers at the Oneato Film Festival. This annual event was hosted at Luther from April 19-22 and featured over 85 films from around the world. The film festival’s theme “Making Connections” highlighted the connections attendees made with other filmgoers, filmmakers, and festival volunteers during the festival. The films showed included documentaries, comedies, dramas, and even a musical. They also ranged in length from full-length feature films to short films. Community members were required to buy tickets to access this event while Luther students attended for free. Tickets for opening night were $5, tickets for the rest of the nights were $10, and an all-access pass for the event cost $25. Films were shown in Valders 206, Valders
Photos courtesy of vimeo.com, newscult.com, twincitiesfilmfest.org, hungryhippo.se, tmbd. org, roninfilms.com, imdb.com, and peaceonearthfilmfestival.org.
362, Olin 102, and the Concert Recital Hall in the Center for Faith and Life. Moviegoers attended films of interest, moving between each of the viewing locations as they saw fit. Friday’s theme was “Homegrown Connections” and featured films with local and regional roots. Saturday’s theme was “Connecting Culture and Community” and on Sunday the theme was “Connecting with Our World.” Many directors and filmmakers attended the film festival and held Q&A sessions after their films. This gave attendance members the chance to connect directly with the creators. Local community members also submitted movies that were shown in the festival. Associate Professor of Communication Studies Thomas C. Johnson submitted a short film he directed entitled “Marieke.” “This will be the third time that I’ve had a film screen at the Oneota Film Festival,” Johnson said. “‘Marieke’ is a short subject documentary film about a woman named Marieke Penterland who immigrated from
the Netherlands in the 1920s and has since built a Gouda cheese-making empire at her state-of-the-art facility in Wisconsin.” The film festival also screened “To This Day: Remembering Nordic Choir’s First International Tour,” which featured Nordic Choir’s May 1967 tour to Norway, West Germany, and East Germany. This film was created by Aidan Spencer (‘18) and Professor of History Jacqueline Wilkie as a three-year student and faculty collaborative project, which debuted in the fall of 2017. In addition, the festival screened “Night Call,” winner of Best of Fest student narrative award and “Heroin(e),” a 2018 Academy Award Nominee for Best Documentary (Short Subject). Not only were community members involved in the creation and submission of films, but Luther students and community members also worked to put on the film festival successfully. Multimedia Strategic Fellow Jack Ross (‘17) generated student involvment in the execution of the festival.
“We have student workers that work for basically the entire festival,” Ross said. “They’re there for support and for starting and stopping the films, even just the mundane aspects of showing the films. They’re on call all weekend though, in case tech issues come up. We basically just provide general tech support for the festival all weekend.” Community members make up the Oneota Film Festival board and other community members volunteer to run the festival. Executive Director of the Oneota Film Festival Christy Ebert Vrtis hopes the festival affects Luther students. “Every year, we’re hoping that we have more of an effect on Luther students,” Ebert Vrtis said. “It’s hard to get the word out since Luther students have so many opportunities and so many things to do. But this film is free for all students, so we’re hoping that they’re at least able to come to one film. We provide the opportunity for students to see a wider variety of films that they maybe wouldn’t choose themselves.”
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
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. 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
APRIL 26, 2018
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Luther students should vote “yes” on May 1 The local election involving the formation of a municipal electric utility in Decorah will take place May 1. If the vote passes the city council will be authorized to apply to the Iowa Utility Board — Iowa’s regulatory body for utilities — in order to buy out the local electric distribution infrastructure from our current utility, Alliant Energy. The formation of an MEU in Decorah would be greatly beneficial for the town’s economy as well as Luther’s well-being. Alliant, as an investor-owned utility, must run their business in a way that generates profit and growth for investors. This for-profit business model is incompatible with the electricity market for two primary reasons: There is no competition in the electricity market nor is there growth in the sector as a whole. In a market economy, profits are meant to incentivize businesses to improve so that consumers will choose their product over their competitors’. However, electricity consumers have no such choice. Electric utilities are assigned their territories by the government and the customers within these territories are then forced to buy electricity from the assigned company, in our case Alliant. Additionally, the actual product, electrons, cannot be improved or increased in value over competing electrons. Thus there are no competitive pressures on IOUs to keep prices low. This is part of why Alliant’s rates are higher than average Iowan MEU rates. If there is no way to grow a company through winning new customers, a business must try to sell more of the product to their existing customers. While electricity usage in the United States did increase for the better part of the 20th century, it has now been static or falling for the last 20 years. This change is due to both better electricity efficiency standards as well as the increase in household generation — solar and wind. This is a positive development to be sure but it poses fatal challenges to Alliant’s business model. Thus, without the standard methods of profiteering available, Alliant’s remaining option is to raise the price of their product. And, unsurprisingly, they did so last year. By applying to the IUB, Alliant raised our electricity rates from 7.8 percent
in 2017, although they sought to raise them much higher. In that same year they made $450 million in profits and paid investors over $77 million. As Luther students, we pay $500 a year for electricity in our tuition. Luther pays Alliant over $1 million each year for electricity. These rate increases affect Luther students. To me it seems ridiculous that a portion of our tuition dollars are going to pay the salaries of corporate executives and line the pockets of investors for a service that is easily handled by local entities. Indeed, the formation of an MEU is not the radically risky endeavor that Alliant’s messaging would have people believe. There are 136 municipalities with MEUs in Iowa alone. The entire state of Nebraska is run by public power. Major cities such as Los Angeles have MEUs as well. These communities choose public power because it is simply the more efficient way of distributing electricity. A Decorah MEU would have no requirement to demonstrate growth or profits. This means that if Decorah were to establish an MEU the money that is currently sent to Madison for investors and for the multi million dollar salary that Alliant’s CEO receives could be reinvested into local projects that prioritize our community. This could mean more renewable energy, lower rates, investments in the community, and many other exciting local opportunities. These decisions would be handled by a board of local community members who will actually use the services they are making decisions about. Given these realities, it is in the best interest of the Decorah community — including present and future Luther students — to explore the opportunity to establish a municipal electric utility which will keep our money local, work in the interests of local citizens instead of investors, and operate at a lower overall cost. Vote yes on May 1 or vote now through early voting. Find out about free transportation to the polls on the Facebook page Luther Students for Municipalization. Signed, Forrest Stewart (‘19)
TO THE EDITOR
The power referendum: civil rights and responsibility I am a local citizen helping in the campaign for a municipal electric utility. Yesterday I was standing out in front of Dahl Centennial Union talking with students about the May 1 Decorah referendum and a staff person approached me in frustration. He told me he felt it was inappropriate for me to be doing that. I appreciated his willingness to say this to me in person to engage in conversation. This is the heart of democracy, something that must happen in order for us to survive these times of division. Neither of us, through our short conversation, changed our views but we did learn that we could be civil in our disagreement and that was worth everything. This staff person felt that I was “strong-arming” students. I told him that I was simply giving them information so they could be educated voters, their right and responsibility. He felt that this issue does not
concern the students; I feel that, since Luther is a major player in the local economy and approximately $500 per student’s tuition a year goes to paying the electric bill and that rate is going up, it most certainly does. I am just a citizen doing the little things I can, on the street, faceto-face. Alliant’s tactic is typical corporate, using large amounts of money in an ad campaign that tells outright lies that are based on numbers that by their own admission are fabricated — that’s in their small print. This is worse than inappropriate. I understand why some may want to steer clear of this local controversy. But I think it’s also important to understand that doing so plays into Alliant’s strategy. History clearly shows us that creating controversy and division always helps those opposed to any kind of change. Coming together to explore something that could potentially be good for our community is not
divisive. It’s healthy and necessary. In our little town I’ve never seen a more clear depiction of the David and Goliath story. I am rooting for David and hope that many students will see through Alliant’s lies, continue or begin their citizenship now, take the power of their one vote, make a difference at their future alma mater, and vote “yes” on May 1. To vote on Tuesday May 1 go to Good Shepherd Church, 701 Iowa Ave, a 10-minute walk or get free rides from Hometown Taxi, 563-3828013. If you are not yet registered, you must bring two things: proof of your identity and proof of residence — like a utility bill or a letter from a landlord that includes the address. College students living in dorms must obtain proof of residence from the Office of Student Life. Learn more at decorahpower.org. Signed, Liz Rog
OPINION
PAGE 10 APRIL 26, 2018
MANAGING EDITOR: ELIZABETH BONIN
EDITORIAL
The necessity of modern languages
KATRINA MEYER NEWS EDITOR As Luther faces lower enrollment, a number of cuts must be made to majors, minors, and programs in an effort to save money. One of these programs is Russian studies. In a liberal arts school, cutting a language program, especially Russian, is a mistake. Languages give students incredible, unique opportunities abroad. Russian in particular, especially Russian culture, is becoming more relevant now than ever as tensions between the United States and
Russia continue to heighten. Nevertheless, Russian 101 is not being offered next fall as the program is beginning to be phased out of Luther. Languages are an integral part of a liberal arts education, especially at Luther which so heavily emphasizes the importance and value of being a global citizen. There is a lot to learn from other cultures. Studying languages is a valuable window into other cultures and gives students studying abroad the ability to experience other cultures in a new way. In Spain this past J-term some fellow students and I lived with host families in Córdoba. My host family consisted of a mom, a dad, a 14-year-old girl, and a 15-year-old boy. It wasn’t easy living with a host family because they did not speak any English. We sat around after dinner every night, watched TV, and talked for at least an hour. We would ask each other questions about everything from school to sports to politics. There were a number of difficult moments like trying to explain calls a referee was making during a basketball game or trying
to explain what the Electoral College is and why we use it. Overall, though, the whole experience was incredible. I learned so much about Spanish culture and I got a window into what life there is like. None of that would have been possible without the Spanish classes I have taken in high school and college. As many students as possible should have this type of experience and Luther should offer as many languages as possible to help students learn and grow. Russian in particular is an increasingly important language and culture to understand. The high tension between the United States and Russia will not resolve itself any time soon. One class that I am taking now as a part of my Russian studies minor is called U.S., Russia, and the World Today. We have focused on Russian history, Russian culture, and the background of Vladimir Putin. We have studied current events to gain insight to some of the moves that Putin is making. Attempting to understand the reasons why leaders make the decisions that they do is very important for predicting further actions
and for coming up with potential solutions to deescalate conflict. Having a strong basis of knowledge in Russian history and Putin’s life is valuable for any student in understanding what is happening on the world stage. A lot of the news today is scary and foreboding. Understanding motives and beliefs of leaders on both sides can take some of the mystery away from the conflict. That knowledge will only gain value moving forward in helping people understand and construct informed opinions on U.S. policy towards Russia in the coming years. For the purposes of a liberal arts education and staying informed about current events, the possibilities the Russian studies program offers to students are just as valuable and relevant as ever. I believe that instead of beginning to phase the program out Luther should reconsider and continue to give students the opportunity to learn about the culture and language of an important, relevant country that will likely continue to be highly involved in U.S. foreign policy for many years to come.
TO THE EDITOR
Power referendum is about the people To the Luther community: Recently I submitted a letter to the editor to the local Decorah newspaper and online news. Although it is not my practice to submit opinion pieces to Chips, I am breaking my personal protocol given the central importance of Luther students being fully included and welcomed as members of the Decorah community. This includes acknowledgement of both the “fairness” and right to vote in the May 1 referendum or any other election, as well as the appropriateness to have a voice in the energy future of Decorah. I encourage all Luther students to educate themselves on this issue and to vote, regardless of their position. My original letter is as follows: Although I do not live in Decorah, I have been paying close attention to the discussion surrounding the city’s exploration of a municipal electric utility. I work in Decorah, do most of my shopping in Decorah, and my children attend Decorah’s outstanding schools. My employer, Luther College, is the largest electrical purchaser in Decorah and one of the biggest economic drivers in the region. The last rate hike by Alliant Energy — 7.8 percent — cost my employer $130,000 per year. I write for two reasons: The continuing call from some Decorah community members that “it’s not fair” for Luther students to vote in the May 1 referendum and to bring attention to the blatant imbalances in motivations, resources, and transparent information shared in the organizations advocating for yes and no. These imbalances can only be addressed by an impartial third party review. First, though there is no question in terms of Luther students’ legal right to vote, I am saddened by the current atmosphere and urge this community
to consider what this mentality reflects. To whoever is referring to the “real residents” of Decorah — stop it, please stop it. Though many individual Luther students are likely transient members of this community — albeit over 1000 Luther alumni live within five miles of Decorah — they represent a constant body of individuals whose families are major contributors in terms of enabling Decorah to be what it is. The benefits are both broad and deep. Directly and indirectly, Luther students and their families support downtown Decorah businesses, businesses in the broader region, Decorah educational and healthcare infrastructure, the vibrant Decorah arts culture, housing development and property values, a culture and place that is attractive for retirees, volunteer community service, etc. Try to imagine Decorah without them. Significantly, Luther students have chosen to attend a college that has stewardship of environmental resources in its mission statement. They currently pay electrical costs totaling over $1 million annually and Alliant has told Luther to plan for five percent increases annually. These students should not be considered ‘others’; they should be welcomed as full community members, and as such, strongly encouraged to exercise their right and responsibility in this democracy — the same as every other Decorah resident. There is no more un-American action than to disenfranchise one’s fellow citizens from voting and no more proAmerican action than voting. Please consider this before questioning the right of anyone, anywhere, ever, to exercise that fundamental right. Second, I wish to bring attention to disparities between the two advocating parties in this debate. On one side is a large, deep-pocketed,
out of state company that — while providing Decorah with high quality, reliable electrical service for many years — necessarily has a primary allegiance to their investors, rather than to the Decorah community. Given that the electric rate in Decorah is one of the highest in the state, Alliant executives are making millions and previous requests for renewable energy projects have either been ignored or denied, Alliant’s business model deserves critique. Critical evaluation is also in order for Alliant’s inactions, actions, and communications surrounding this issue — to a community that has loyally purchased their product for 100 years. Denying the city’s 2017 request for aggregate electrical usage data that customers had already paid for? Ignoring the city’s request to delay installation of smart meters and instead proceeding anyway? Not openly sharing with customers that they could refuse this meter installation, and then attempting to charge $15 per month to those who did so? The Office of Consumer Advocate has since filed an objection. Promoting that Alliant is regulated by the IUB — and is pro-renewable energy — while simultaneously lobbying at the statehouse to decrease this regulation and essentially dismantle the state’s energy efficiency programs? Planting seeds of fear into Decorah homes and businesses that “only Alliant” is capable of delivering reliable electricity during extreme weather when over 100 Iowa electrical municipals and rural co-ops successfully handle the same extreme weather for their customers? Flyers advertising shockingly higher cost predictions for municipal power based on — valuation of infrastructure by a most unwilling seller, a self-funded study with a footnote indicating it is not based
on real Alliant data, and multiple disputable assumptions that can only be answered by the IUB? These actions do not convey a business that appropriately respects and partners with its long-standing customers. On the other side is a group of dedicated Decorah community members who are driven not by personal financial gain, but rather support for community — one that can determine its own energy destiny and reap the economic benefits of locally-supplied electricity. Through their well-researched, extraordinary efforts, and countless unpaid hours over two years, another model — one that is not driven by profits — has now risen to compete. And make no mistake, Alliant is worried — as evidenced by the remarkable dollars being spent in their intensive marketing campaign and the intensity of their response. Key to this debate is what this level of response actually reveals: Alliant has a lot to lose, and that — at least at this moment in time — is the most accurate indicator of what Decorah has to gain. Given that one side is driven primarily for-profit while the other is for-community, that one side has access to vast utility profits to fund its campaign while the other relies on donations and community fundraisers from a small rural town, that one side has a over $16 million financial conflict of interest — and possibly much more given that Decorah’s application has a good chance of success at the IUB, thereby opening the door for other communities — who should be trusted to provide accurate information? The only equitable solution for this scenario is to give all parties a trial in front of an impartial jury — the IUB — which is required by law to rule ‘“in the public interest.’” This result is exactly what a yes vote
would accomplish and nothing more as no decision gets made by the Decorah City Council with this vote. The discussion thus far has been focused almost entirely on what the risk is of voting yes. What about the risk of voting no? I urge voters to not take for granted the kind of spirit, passion, vision, and drive for community that has led to this point. The folks leading this effort, along with all Decorah residents, deserve a fair and comprehensive evaluation and they have not had anything close to that yet. For it is this same creativity, boldness, willingness to challenge the status quo — and dream — that results in things like: new Decorah businesses, the Trout Run Trail, Flower Baskets on Water Street, the Decorah Eagles, the Oneota Coop, the Hotel Winneshiek, Nordic Fest, The Winneshiek Idea House, etc. It is this spice that attracts individuals and families to live, work, play, shop, retire, and go to school in this special place. The risk of losing a few hours of electrical power once in a great while — a claim based on no evidence — will not hold a candle to the risk of losing, diminishing, or demoralizing the spice that makes this city. What future visionary community project might no longer happen as a result of lack of fair evaluation of this one? The bottom line? Decorah’s power is not about electricity, rather, people. Not many small rural towns have this level of spirit and human capital and as someone who has spent most of my life in such towns I know that it is key to survival. Decorah is already famous for toppling one Goliath; there appears to be opportunity for another. Signed, Professor of Biology Jodi EnosBerlage
SPORTS
PAGE 11
APRIL 26, 2018
SPORTS EDITOR: BEN SELCKE
Softball first in conference with win over Nebraska Wesleyan
Abby Gehringer (‘20) squares up to the plate.
Olivia Enquist (‘19) | Chips
OLIVIA ENQUIST STAFF WRITER
Samantha Bratland (‘19) winds up for the pitch.
Olivia Enquist (‘19) | Chips
After unexpected snow showers and poor field conditions forced game rescheduling, Luther Women’s Softball swept their double-header home opener against Nebraska Wesleyan University on Sunday, April 22. Luther won 4-2 and 8-3. The team now ranks first in the Iowa Conference standings. Shortstop Anna Strien (‘18), who finished the first game with multiple hits going 2 for 4 with runs batted in [RBI], was excited about the outcome of the game. “I would have to say the team showed a lot of resiliency, especially in the first game,” Strien said. “Not to mention I felt after the win in that first game we carried that mentality directly into the second game and it paid off for sure.” The first game was a hard-fought win, as the teams seemed evenly matched. Third baseman Paige Timmerman (‘20) tied the game with a pinch hit double in the sixth. The score remained tied 2-2 through the bottom of the seventh inning. With one out in the inning, infielder Natalie Stockman (‘18) hit a two-run walk off home run going over the left field fence. Stockman’s home run broke the tie and she finished the game 3 for 4. “I was so glad to see our bats come alive again,” third baseman Blake Banowetz (‘19) said. “Natalie’s walk-off was sweet. Then in the second game we were able to really get it going. Our defense and pitching performances remained strong throughout both games, which was great
to see.” The women’s softball team carried the momentum from their first game win into their second, scoring 10 hits over the course of the game. Half of those hits occurred within the third inning with five runs scored. Stockman and Banowetz both drove in two runs over the course of the game. Strien, second baseman Bailey Victoria (‘19), and infielder Elsa Skeie (‘21) all drove in one hit. Skeie’s hit a solo home run in the fifth inning and the first of her career. Pitcher Courtney Cooper (‘21) was credited for the win in the second game. Cooper pitched five hits, only three of which were earned runs, walked two batters, and struck out three. Cooper liked that the win was a collaborative team effort. “It was a great team win and it was so much fun having the bats come alive in the second game,” Cooper said. “With it being our first home opener and senior day, it was awesome to end with two conference wins.” In addition to the April 22 doubleheader being the home opener, the team also celebrated senior night. “We have amazing seniors who are not only top-notch athletes but also fantastic people,” Cooper said. “It was nice to have a day dedicated just for them and all of their hard work over the years.” Sweeping the double header gave the Luther Women’s Softball team a league record of 5 to 1, and 27 to 3 overall keeping them at the number nine position within the league. The team will host Loras College Tuesday April 24 at 2 p.m.
SPORTS
PAGE 12
SPORTS EDITOR: BEN SELCKE
APRIL 26, 2018
Men’s tennis wins over Loras, falls to Coe
Weekly Standings Baseball Coe Luther Wartburg Dubuque Loras Buena Vista Central Nebraska Wes. Simpson
IIAC 11-3 10-5 8-4 8-4 8-6 8-6 5-8 3-12 2-15
Recent Scores
Overall 17-10 20-9 17-9 13-14 19-10 12-15 14-15 7-20 4-26
April 24 vs. University of Dubuque W 7-6
Upcoming Schedule
April 27 vs. Nebraska Wesleyan
Softball Luther Central Coe Loras Simpson Buena Vista Nebraska Wes. Wartburg Dubuque
Brook Norwood (‘20) returns the ball in a singles match.
MARTIN DONOVAN STAFF WRITER The Luther Men’s Tennis team defeated Loras College 8-1 in their first official home match of the season on April 17, bringing the Norse to 5-0 in the IIAC and 17-4 overall. This was also Luther’s first outdoor match since the team travelled to Florida over spring break. After the Loras match, Jake Smith (‘19) indicated that playing outside was a noticeable transition from playing in the Sports and Recreation Center “The biggest difference for us is that we are used to playing indoors all season,” Smith said. “[The outdoor] courts are extremely slow compared to the SRC, which is so fast. The ball comes so slow in these outdoor courts, so in the SRC you definitely have to be more ready. That difference can throw a lot of players off.” Besides the difference in courts, Brian Murman (‘19) added that the outdoor play has additional factors that are absent indoors. “Indoors there are a lot less factors,” Murman said. “Outdoor you have the wind, you have the sun, you have the temperature. It affects how you play, but it also affects how your opponent plays. The better player will find a way to get past all those hurdles and play through it, and that’s what we are usually able to do.” Head Coach Adam Strand (‘04) expressed his contentment with the Men’s Tennis team, as Luther put together two new doubles pairs last minute due to scheduling conflicts. “I thought Anders [Jensen (‘18)] and Cole [Schneider
Martin Donovan (‘20) | Chips
(‘21)], the number one doubles for us, really did a good job,” Strand said. “It’s actually the first time those two played together, just because we had a couple of guys who had some class conflicts. I thought our number three pair, Grant Morton (‘21) and Sakchham Karki (‘21), another pair that we partnered up for the first time, also played pretty tough.” Despite this change, the new double pairs Jensen and Schneider won their match 8-3, and Karki and Morton won 8-1. Smith and Ryan Ortega (‘21) also won their respective matches, defeating Loras’ number two doubles pair 8-3. Furthermore, Luther won five of their six singles matches; with Schneider posting a (6-1, 6-4) victory, Jensen defeating Loras’ number three singles player (6-0, 6-0), and Murman winning (6-2, 6-3). Directly after the match the Luther Men’s Tennis team shifted its focus to their meet against Coe College on Saturday, April 21. “[Coe] will be one of the top teams that we’ll play all year, just like they are every year,” Strand said. “Last year we played them twice and they got us both times, but we pushed them and played pretty well. I think our guys have a lot of confidence and I think they are looking forward to the opportunity on Saturday.” Smith echoed this sentiment but remained optimistic. “Everyone is pretty excited,” Smith said. “Coe is our rival [and] they have got a number on us a couple of times. We haven’t beat them in a couple of years.” Luther lost at home to the number eight regionally ranked Coe 6-3, giving the Norse their first conference loss of the season.
IIAC 5-1 8-2 7-3 6-4 6-8 5-7 5-7 4-8 2-8
Recent Scores
Overall 27-3 23-7 19-11 18-13 20-14 20-12 18-16 14-14 6-26
April 24 vs. Loras College W 2-1
Upcoming Schedule
April 25 vs. Wartburg College
Men’s Tennis Coe Luther Central Wartburg Loras Nebraska Wes. Dubuque Simpson Buena Vista
IIAC 8-0 5-1 5-1 4-2 3-3 2-5 1-4 1-6 0-7
Recent Scores
April 21 vs. Coe College L 3-6
Overall 21-5 17-4 13-10 11-10 11-5 4-14 3-10 7-13 4-12
Upcoming Schedule
April 27 vs. Simpson College