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Black History month alumni profiles
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James Jankowiak’s ‘Prismatic Vernacular’ exhibit
Jeff Wettach retires after 33 years at Luther
COLLEGE
LUTHER “Let the chips fall where they may.”
VOLUME 140, NO. 12• EST. 1884
FEBRUARY 22, 2018
Residence Life announces Baker Village will do away with double rooms next year, cites student preference and low enrollment
Singles
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GILLIAN KLEIN STAFF WRITER
Currently, Baker Village can house up to 112 students.
Baker Village, a senior housing option at Luther, will be offering only single rooms for the 2018-19 school year due to student preferences and decreasing enrollment. The village-style homes currently have six units with four bedrooms and 12 units with six bedrooms. There are also two units with two bedrooms. Both four and six room units house six students. One hundred and twelve students may live in the Baker homes if they are filled to capacity, and there are currently 106 residents housed in Baker this semester. Originally, Baker was built to only offer singles. A shortage of rooms led to the decision to offer four bedroom units to four or six residents. Room-draw packets released
Feb. 7 announced that Baker rooms would be returning to exclusively single rooms. This was the first time many students were made aware of the changes. For Christopher LangePearson (‘19) it was not publicized enough. “I searched for anything about Baker singles for 15 minutes, and I could not find anything,” Lange-Pearson said. “The lack of publicizing is probably not a benefit as it creates a disconnect between the students and administration.” Lange-Pearson was not the only student who was confused. Other students indicated a concern about what effect this would have on the 2018-19 room draw process. Morgan Streyle (‘19) shared her concerns. “The change was okay for my group because
Gillian Klein (‘20) | Chips
our six-person became a four-person recently,” Streyle said. “For other groups it’s now more of an issue because[we think] it is going to be more difficult to secure a six-person Baker.” The new policy led other students to speculate about why Residence Life implemented the changes. Ryne Hanson (‘18) commented as to why he believes there are different housing options being offered this upcoming year. “Baker’s not the only dormitory facing low residency: Brandt’s quads are filled with two or three people instead of four,” Hanson said. “It’s possible that attendance is declining because tuition prices have increased for most private schools.”
Assistant Dean for Student Life and Director of Residence Life Kris Franzen commented on the effect enrollment has in the housing options offered each year. “When we made the change to increasing the units from four person to six person units in Baker, we had students living in study lounges on campus,” Franzen stated. “So yes, enrollment has played a role in housing options over my eleven years in residence life at Luther.” According to Franzen, enrollment affects housing every year, and enrollment in the past five years has seen a steady decline. BAKER | PAGE 4
Demographic retention rates in perspective MARTIN DONOVAN STAFF WRITER Luther’s Strategic Plan for 2018 - 2023 details an effort to increase the college’s overall diversity as well as its retention of underrepresented students. Since 2008, the average four-year graduation rate for all demographics at Luther has hovered at 68.3 percent.
However, the six-year graduation rate is almost ten percentage points higher with the mean sitting at 76.7 percent. Luther’s Director of Assessment and Institutional Research (AIR) Jon Christy (‘84) and Assistant Director of AIR Nan Hibbs compounded Luther’s retention rates of 2008-2010 first-year students. Their goal was to compare Luther’s sixyear graduation rates by race, gender, and ethnicity with
other private non-profit colleges. The reason AIR compiled three years’ worth of data on graduation rates is because of the small number of students in certain race and ethnicity categories enrolled at Luther. In this three-year span, Luther’s overall six-year graduation rate was 79.3 percent, whereas the national average of private non-profit institutions was at 62.2 percent. However, the 52.6 percent retention rate of female Latina students at Luther was lower than the national average of 60.7 percent. Also, there was no reported representation of “American Indian or Alaska Native” or “Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander” among first-year students from 2008 to 2010. According to Luther’s 2017 fall semester census data, there were 221 U.S. students of color enrolled at Luther which accounted for 10.8 percent of Luther’s total student body. Additionally, there were 161 international students enrolled, which made up 7.8 percent of Luther’s total student body. In addition to racial and ethnic diversity, “The New York Times” created an annual College Access Index to measure colleges’ “commitment to socioeconomic diversity.” The College Access Index analyzes the total number of low and middle-income students enrolled in a college that has a graduation rate of at least 75 percent, and the price students pay to attend the institution. In the most recent College Access Index, Luther was below average for socioeconomic diversity, ranking 116th out of 171 colleges and universities in the U.S.
Graph courtesy of Luther College IPEDS annual reporting
RETENTION | PAGE 4
NEWS
PAGE 2 FEBRUARY 22, 2018
NEWS EDITORS: KATRINA MEYER & ANA LÓPEZ
Pipe bursts in Union before admissions event
Exhibit displays "Hateful Things"
Colin Cosgrove ('20) looks at pieces from the "Hateful Things" exhibit.
NATALIE NELSON STAFF WRITER Luther is hosting a travelling exhibit from the Jim Crow Museum titled “Hateful Things” in the second floor of the Center for Faith and Life (CFL) from Feb. 12 to March 2. The exhibit displays racist objects, images, and advertisements. The opening of the exhibit was accompanied by a guest lecture on racism by the founder of the Jim Crow Museum David Pilgrim on Sunday, Feb. 18 in the Center for Faith and Life Recital Hall (CRH). The exhibit is usually located at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, MI. Pilgrim described the collection as “Anti-black Memorabilia,” including Mammy candles, Nellie fishing lures, Sambo masks, and Golliwog marbles as well as tickets, brochures, photos, and other media promoting racist ideas. According to Pilgrim, the goal of the museum is to engage people in open and honest discussions about racism. “If you’re going to deal with racism, you have to really look at it, and you have to bring it out into the open,” Pilgrim said in his lecture. “In the U.S., we like happy history. History the you can celebrate: balloons and people marching. [...] However, not all of our history has been good. I’m doing this because I want people to have a deeper understanding of what racial relations were like in the period between the 1870s and the 1960s.”
For Pilgrim, avoiding the topic of racism was not an acceptable solution because race is already discussed in the context of daily life. “The reality is people talk about race every day,” Pilgrim said. “They talk about it in horrors, they talk about it in their offices, they talk about it at home, they talk about it at their kitchen tables, they talk about race everywhere, but they don’t talk about it in places where their ideas can be challenged.” Director of the Diversity Center Wintlett Taylor-Browne said the decision to bring Pilgrim to Luther began when International Student Coordinator in the Diversity Center Amy Webber noticed a similar event in her alumni magazine from Hope College. Taylor-Browne passed the idea to Gallery Coordinator David Kamm, who organized the exhibit and lecture during Black History Month. “We could have had this exhibit any time of the year, but since it’s Black History Month it’s important to respect and honor that,” Taylor-Browne said. “Beyond black history, it’s American history, not black or white, and it’s important. When you think about the political climate that we are operating in and some of the negative social consequences of those behaviors, maybe we need something to shock us. That is my hope: that it will shock us into recognizing that we talk about one nation.” The effort to bring the exhibit and lecture to Luther and to fund them
Founder of the Jim Crow Museum David Pilgrim delivers lecture about racism in the Center for Faith and Life Recital Hall. Natalie Nelson (‘20) | Chips
ROZLYN PARADIS STAFF WRITER
Natalie Nelson (‘20) | Chips was a collaborative project between the CFL, the Diversity Center, the Center for Ethics and Public Engagement, and the Dean’s Office, as well as the Africana studies, English, and religion department. Kamm said that a collaborative project of this size was unusual, and that they put in careful effort to publicize why ‘hateful things’ were being displayed on Luther’s campus. “All of the objects are accompanied by didactic labels which give context for each, and I hope that people will not just look, but will spend a little bit of time to read,” Kamm said. “Then they will understand what this work is doing at Luther College, and why we brought it here, and what effect, or role, it has played on even society today.” According to Kamm, the title “Hateful Things” was not an exaggeration and the exhibit shed light on objects that seem playful and innocent on the surface, but when combined with their historical context, perpetuate negative stereotypes and impressions. “I’m hoping the show will help us reconsider both individually and as a community what our role can be in fighting [racism] or, at the very least, not perpetuating it,” Kamm said. Professor of Africana Studies and English Novian Whitsitt appreciated that the exhibit items conveyed the effect they had in American History. “I think his collection did a wonderful job of showing you the literal physical weight and an abundance of these historical pieces that help us get a better sense of the journey of race in America," Whitsitt said. "Anytime we get a better understanding of what that journey is, the more useful our understanding of the present moment in which we find ourselves becomes.” Whitsitt said he hopes that more students will visit the exhibit and that they will talk to their own communities of friends and family about what they see. “I’m sure that, for some [students], some of those stories are completely new," Whitsitt said. "Maybe they’ve never even known that those stories and that that sort of material history even existed, so hopefully they’re having conversations about what they saw and what they heard with one another. That’s the point: to generate conversation.”
On Feb. 10, at 12:27 p.m. the fire alarm went off in Dahl Centennial Union due to a pipe bursting in the Welcome Desk area. “I was in the [cafeteria] eating lunch when the fire alarms went off,” Susie Wold (‘20) said. “I thought something had burned that set off the alarm so we were ushered outside.” Despite numerous rumors across campus about what happened in the Union that day, Assistant Director of Facilities Ivan Hackman said, “I can assure you there was no fire.” Welcome Center and Information Operator Judy Schnitzler was working at the desk when the incident occurred. “I just heard this really loud noise and I looked up and just saw water pouring out [of the pipes],” Schnitzler said. “It just kept coming and coming. It was just like a waterfall!” According to the Director of Facilities Jay Uthoff, the piece that connects two water supply pipes in the fire suppression system —also known as the sprinkler system— that supplies the Union broke that afternoon. The flow of water through the fire suppression system automatically activates a signal to the fire alarm control panel, sounding the alarms to evacuate the building. The alarm sounded just 15 minutes before the Scholar’s Recognition lunch for prospective students was about to take place in Peace Dining Room. “My face went white —No! This is the worst timing ever,” Assistant Director of Admissions for Special Events Kristin Padilla said. “[But]it was actually great timing . . . We had gotten word we could go back in about two minutes before families were about to walk into the Union to go up for lunch.” There were 110 prospective students attending Scholar’s Recognition Day an admissions recruiting event for high-achieving, accepted applicants. The prospective students, their families, current students, faculty, and staff attending the lunch totaled more than 400 people. “It ended up being just fine and it was all cleaned up by the end of lunch,” Padilla said. “Our facilities team is like no other. We were so appreciative!.” Supervisor of Admissions Campus Visits Deidre Duvel and Padilla are not concerned that the pipe bursting reflected poorly on Luther College for the prospective students. In fact, the Monday after the event eight students submitted their enrollment deposit despite the incident. “If nothing else, this will be a great first-year memorable story to tell,” Duvel said. The exact cause of why the pipe burst is unknown but under investigation. There are growing concerns of this happening elsewhere on campus. “With piping systems in general, there is always a possibility of [pipe bursts] to happen elsewhere, but chances are low,” Uthoff said. When asked what steps were being taken to fix the issues, Uthoff said, “The sprinkler line was capped this weekend and the suppression system was recharged with water.” The water damage done to the walls near the burst water pipe is being evaluated by Luther College’s insurance representative. Uthoff estimates the cost of repair to be in the thousands. “We appreciate that those in the Union respected the sounding of the fire alarm and exited the building in a timely fashion,” Uthoff said. “The safety of our students, guests, faculty, and staff is the most important factor in an event like this.” Admissions was grateful for the quick response. “The clean-up timing was just impeccable,” Duvel said. “The facilities team was on it, the security team was on it, I have never seen water being sucked up so fast.”
NEWS
PAGE 3
NEWS EDITORS: KATRINA MEYER & ANA LÓPEZ
FEBRUARY 22, 2018
Gates Madsen wins Katherine Kovacs Prize
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36/22 Associate Professor of Spanish Nancy Gates Madsen poses with first Vice President of the Modern Language Association Anne Ruggles Gere after receiving the Katherine Singer Kovacs Prize. Photo courtesy of Edward Savaria Jr.
OLIVIA ENQUIST STAFF WRITER The Modern Language Association awarded the Katherine Singer Kovacs Prize to Associate Professor of Spanish Nancy Gates Madsen for her book “Trauma, Taboo, and Truth-Telling: Listening to Silences in Postdictatorship Argentina.” The award was given at the Modern Language Association’s annual convention in New York City on Jan. 6. The Katherine Singer Kovacs Prize honors outstanding books published in English or Spanish in the field of Latin American and Spanish literature and culture. Only one book is
recognized every year. In “Trauma, Taboo, and Truth-Telling: Listening to Silences in Postdictatorship Argentina,” Gates Madsen discusses the role of silence in the articulation of cultural trauma after Argentina’s Dirty War. During the period of 1976 to 1983, Argentina was controlled by a dictatorship which resulted in the disappearance of an estimated 30,000 people often referred to as the “desaparecidos,” the disappeared. Although Argentina’s administrations and human rights groups worked to encourage public exposure of past crimes and traumas, there are still taboos and unanswerable questions surrounding the Dirty
The cover of "Trauma, Taboo, and Truth-Telling" by Nancy Gates Madsen. Photo courtesy of UW Madison Press
War. Within the book, Gates Madsen analyzes Argentinian cultural texts to understand which individual stories are told and which are silenced. The committee described Gates Madsen’s book as innovative and important in how she explores the issues of historical memory after cultural trauma. “The work weaves together the silences that surround the Argentine dictatorship while giving voice to their several meanings, revealing silence as an expressive phenomenon rather than oblivion or absence,” The Katherine Singer Kovacs selection committee said in their press release. “This is an original, well-written, and important contribution to the body of research on memory and trauma studies in Latin America.” Gates Madsen explained what made writing about the Dirty War a difficult task. “I'm delighted the book is receiving such recognition,” Gates Madsen said. “The topic is a difficult one as the book addresses the legacy of systematic human rights violations in Argentina, in particular the lingering taboos that surround representations of torture and disappearance.” Samantha Rabang (‘18) described her reaction when she heard that Gates Madsen had been awarded the prize. “She is an amazing Spanish professor,” Rabang said. “Even though I haven't been in her class for a couple of years, she is still very interested in my life and she cares about her students. I'm so happy for Spanish Professor Gates and I congratulate her for her book and award.” Gates Madsen’s faculty assistant Jen Stanley (‘18) explained how Gates Madsen
speaking about the book in class inspired her to travel. “The topic of Gates' book was something we discussed in a class I took with her two years ago, and her knowledge and insight about the dictatorship in Argentina was one of the things that got me interested in studying abroad in Buenos Aires,” Stanley said. “I'm so lucky that I got a chance to learn about this subject from Professor Gates and then go to experience parts of the memory and history that she talks about in person in Argentina.” Along with the Katherine Singer Kovacs Prize, two other books were awarded honorable mentions within the category: “Alva Ixtlilxochitl’s Native Archive and the Circulation of Knowledge in Colonial Mexico” by Amber Brian and “Latin American Cinema: A Comparative History” by Paul A. Schroeder Rodríguez. Gates Madsen expressed the importance of having her work appear among these authors. “The list of past winners of the Katherine Singer Kovacs Prize represents some of the finest works published on Latin American and Spanish cultural production,” Gates Madsen said. “I'm honored that my book appears in such good company." The Katherine Singer Kovacs prize was established in 1990 as a gift from Joseph and Mimi B. Singer, parents of the late Katherine Singer Kovacs. The prize rememberes Singer Kovacs after her death in 1989. She was a specialist in Spanish and Latin American literature and film.
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NEWS
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FEBRUARY 22, 2018
Life Outside Luther Trump draws criticism after tweets about FBI's role in Florida high school shooting President Donald Trump responded on Twitter last Saturday to the FBI admitting that they had received a tip about the shooter in the Florida school shooting. Trump said that the shooting could have been avoided altogether if the FBI had spent less time investigating potential collusion between his administration and Russia. These tweets drew sharp criticism from both Democrats and Republicans as people argued that Trump should not use a tragedy to further his political agenda. Pennsylvania court redraws voting districts Republicans presented a proposal for redistricting Pennsylvania voter districts, but the top Pennsylvania court declared the proposal unconstitutional on Monday. They drew up their own plan according to "traditional criteria." With the new districts Democrats have a chance to win seats back in the 2018 elections.
NEWS EDITORS: KATRINA MEYER & ANA LÓPEZ
Amy Weldon to publish two books in 2018 PIPER WOOD STAFF WRITER Associate Professor of English Amy Weldon will publish two books in 2018. "The Hands-On Life," available in February and "The Writer’s Eye," available in July. In "The Hands-On Life: How to Wake Yourself Up and Save the World," Weldon questions and explores technology’s role in everyday life. “Human consciousness and the human way of being in the world is being sold away without our knowledge or consent,” Weldon said. Weldon focuses on the importance of noticing the world, and finding time to unplug from technology. "The Writer’s Eye" is Weldon's guidebook for creative writing. Weldon offers exercises and writing prompts across creative genres to inspire serious writers. Both texts underscore the importance of observation in life and literature. Her work on "The Hands-On Life" began in 2010, while "The Writer’s Eye"
Russian meddling concerns play an important role in preparation for the 2018 midterm election As states prepare for the 2018 midterm election in nine months, they are brainstorming how to handle potential Russian meddling. States are sharing tactics to fend off cyber attacks. Many states are working together to defend against these attacks, but federal officials are concerned that other states are not taking the threat seriously enough. Alibaba and Tencent continue their battle to win over consumers Important Chinese technology companies Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Tencent Holdings Ltd. are increasing retail investment in an effort to force consumers to choose sides. The two companies combined are worth over $1 trillion. Since last year, the two companies have spent over $10 billion in an effort to boost their online reach to secure more buyers and investors. Congress considers stricter limitations on cryptocurrency after the global investment craze created by Bitcoin After the investment craze started by Bitcoin, Congress recognized the potential harm cryptocurrency has on investors and the financial system. With those threats in mind, there is bipartisan support in Congress for imposing stricter regulations on investing in cryptocurrency. There is little regulatory framework that currently exists, so the House and Senate are creating a framework to better protect the U.S. economy.
Taken from: reuters.com
"The Writer's Eye" will be published in July 2018. Photo courtesy of Amy Weldon
BAKER| PAGE 1 Luther’s partnership with the American Institute of Research (AIR) shows a steady decline from 2013 to 2017 in general enrollment. Luther had 2,466 students enrolled in 2013 and as of the most recent enrollment data released by AIR, Luther’s 2017 enrollment was 2,053 students. Enrollment is not the only contributing factor in the 2018-19 housing changes. Franzen mentioned that the Residence Life Office observed student preference for single rooms. “It’s important to note that the fourbedroom units have been the last units selected by groups of six even with the lower rate,” Franzen said. “It’s clear students prefer the single bedroom option by how they have selected their units in past years.” Looking to the future, Residence Life does not anticipate more changes concerning room draw.
is the product of four months of writing. Weldon said she approaches each genre differently. “I write bits and pieces of drafts and work through sources and other texts to create cohesive chapters,” Weldon said. She recommends this method of gathering and synthesizing data to her Paideia students to help them organize their spring research papers. When writing "The Hands-On Life", Weldon focused on getting all possible content on to the page to create a rough draft, and then revising from the work that she had on paper. “I try always to just keep connecting with the page regularly, a little bit at a time, every day,” Weldon said. Another writing tool Weldon utilizes is a writing partner to offer feedback and constructive criticism. For the last decade, Assistant Professor of English Rachel Faldet has played the role of Weldon’s friend and writing partner. Faldet's advice for "The Hands-On Life" began in the conceptual details of the work, helping Weldon decide what to keep or remove in early drafts of the piece. Weldon also relies on the advice and opinions of fellow writers and students. Following a recent writer’s conference, Weldon was inspired to rewrite the introduction in "The Hands-On Life" to recount a personal classroom experience. In all aspects, Weldon employs the opinions and advice of her students in writing. “Student fingerprints are all over this book,” Weldon said. Weldon's engagement with her students gave her insight into how technology affects her students, and she wrote both texts with a student audience in mind. With "The Hands-On Life," Weldon hopes to empower young students to assess the negative consequences of a life constantly behind a screen. Weldon connects with her students through her classes, especially her Januaryterm course that follows Mary Shelley’s life through Europe, "In Frankenstein’s
Footsteps." During her latest trip, Weldon used student feedback to help change her books' cover design. Emma Schlabach (‘19) completed Weldon’s British Romanticism course and went on the 2018 J-Term with Weldon. Schlabach appreciates Weldon’s innate desire to absorb the world around her. “[With Professor Weldon], everything is a learning opportunity,” Schlabach said. Schlabach looks forward to "The Writer’s Eye," and the opportunity to use Weldon’s creative writing techniques after she leaves the classroom. “I’m extremely honored to learn from her,” Schlabach said. Weldon’s "The Hands-On Life" is published through Wipf and Stock Publishing and "The Writer’s Eye" is forthcoming from Bloomsbury Academic. "The Hands-On Life" is available for order through Dragonfly Books. On March 12 at 7 p.m. Weldon will have a reading of "The Hands-On Life" at Dragonfly Books in downtown Decorah.
"The Hands-On Life" will be published in February 2018. Photo courtesy of Amy Weldon
RETENTION| PAGE 1 One way Luther hopes to increase the retention of underrepresented students is by working with an organization called College Possible. The aim of College Possible is to make higher education more accessible to low-income and first-generation college students by guiding high school students through the college application process. For the fall 2018 semester, College Possible is extending its high school model onto Luther’s campus through a program called Catalyze. “It is going to be geared towards underrepresented, lower-income, and first-generation students,” Luther’s Coordinator of Diversity Josue Silva (‘16) said. “We want to make sure [to reach] students who are first-generation [and] who may not have much knowledge from their parents or relatives of what their career is going to be like [at Luther]." Luther is searching for recent Luther graduates to act as mentors to the students who are part of Catalyze. “We are currently looking to hire Luther grads to take over this position who know what it is like to be a student here, to show them where all the resources are and who to talk to,” Silva said. “They are going to be in charge of making sure that they are in classes [and] making sure they stay on top of their academics." Silva also noted the recent increase in enrollment for domestic students of color at Luther, and attributed it to Luther’s culture. “I’ll speak for myself as a former student and what my experience was like," Silva said. "Looking at Luther and how progressive and welcoming the school is, that is what drew me in as a student. I grew up in Chicago and went to a school near downtown Chicago where it was as diverse as it could be. I don’t want to generalize because it is not the case for everyone, but [Luther] is a very welcoming place."
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
PAGE 5
A&E EDITOR: LILY KIME
FEBRUARY 22, 2018
Nordic Choir Tour: traditions and memories Elizabeth Fischer (‘19), Aidan Spencer (‘18), and Anna Streeper (‘18) sing in the featured ensemble for “Long Time Traveller/Swing Low Sail High.” Annika Vande Krol (‘19) | Photo Bureau
JULIA LIEB STAFF WRITER From old traditions to song premiering, Nordic Choir delivered a performance of peace and faith in their homecoming concert in the Center for Faith and Life (CFL) on Feb. 13. This concert concluded their Midwest and Colorado tour. Nordic started with a pre-tour to Wisconsin in Jan. 27-28 and then the full tour Feb. 1-13. Throughout their tour, Nordic performed for approximatly 1,000 audience members in seven states. All 71 members of Nordic began preparing repertoire for the concert program during fall semester; however, half of the program was introduced at the beginning of January. The ensemble then practiced five nights a week during JanuaryTerm to finalize the program. The tour program consisted of 16 pieces and an encore. The program included “Ye Were Sometimes Darkness” by Randall Thompson, “Exultate Deo” by Hans Leo Hassler, “Hail, Gladdening Light” by Charles Wood, “Mangisondele Nkosi Yam” by Michael Barrett and “Long Time Traveller/Swing Low Sail High” by The Wailin’ Jennys. “We started the program with traditional music and then we transitioned into a South African piece,” Nordic Choir President Aidan
Spencer (‘18) said. “The first half included texts that were connected and were all in the same key. The second half included a double-choir selection and an Americana portion.” During the homecoming concert, the audience responded with a roaring applause to The Wailin’ Jennys song, “Long Time Traveller/ Swing Low Sail High.” Before their performance of this song, the choir changed formation. A large group of female singers remained on the risers and held hands, a large group of male singers stood on the floor in the aisles of the CFL, and a group of nine singers formed a semi-circle on stage with Colin Cosgrove (‘20) and Nick Vande Krol (‘18) playing guitar behind them. “When they went up the stairs by me, it was cool to hear their sound surrounding me,” attendee Katherine Kemp (‘21) said. “I was encompassed in music.” Attendee Devin Hanggi (‘18) was impressed with “Long Time Traveller/Swing Low Sail High and the instrumentation used during the performance. “It was awesome to see the guitars brought out for The Wailin’ Jennys song,” Hanggi said. “You don’t see that often. It was the first live performance of Nordic Choir that I have seen. It was just fantastic.” According to Spencer, the song was meaningful to the choir as well.
“That song was particularly dear to all of our hearts because we were premiering it as a choir,” Spencer said. At the end of every concert, Nordic alums join current choir members to sing Pavel Chesnokov’s “Oh Lord God.” This song has been Nordic’s signature benedictory since 1948. It is used to create a bond between generations of Nordic singers. Not only do Nordic alums span generations, but they also involve families. Nordic soprano Abby Saner (‘20) was joined on stage by both of her parents to sing “Oh Lord God” at the homecoming concert. The performances of this piece spark memories of past concerts and tours in the minds of Nordic alums, according to former Nordic member Joshua Vorvik (‘97). “It was great to come back here [and sing onstage] after so many times singing as a student,” Vorvik said. “To have the song be second nature to me was rewarding. [Assistant Professor of Music and Nordic Choir conductor Andrew Last (‘97)] and I sang a couple of the songs together 20 years ago. To see Nordic all these years later and see my choir-mate conduct them was exciting.” This is the first tour the ensemble has performed under the direction of Last. According to Coordinator for Choral Music Marketing and Tours Eric Ellingsen (‘99), each new
conductor brings a new sound. “The sound [of the choir] is definitely different, which happens any time you change conductors,” Ellingsen said. “Each conductor has their own philosophy of blend and timbre [that] affects the production and sound to the choir.” Spencer has been in the choir for three years. Some of Spencer’s best memories from her time in the ensemble are from tours. “Touring is my favorite time of the year,” Spencer said. “I love spending time with everyone on the bus and exploring different cities.” While Spencer enjoys the fun of a tour, she acknowledges the hard work to run everything smoothly. “[The domestic tour] is a wonderful tour to sing in [because there are] so many different venues, and it really challenges us to adapt our sound to a new space,” Spencer said. “[Performing] our concert over and over again allows us to hone our skills and makes us perform the
music at the highest level possible.” During the tour, choir members spent one night in a hotel, but stayed primarily with host families. According to Spencer, staying with families was a great opportunity to meet people from the communities where they performed. According to Ellingsen, domestic tours ofen do not travel outside of the midwest. “[The last] similar tour, geographically, [was] six years ago with my first tour as tour manager in 2012,” Ellingsen said. Spencer was pleased with this tour and looks forward to future performance opportunities. “I think it was a great tour and a great bunch of people, and I’m excited to do it again this summer for the international tour,” Spencer said. Nordic will depart on a short-tour in the Twin Cities during spring break. Nordic will also travel to Germany for an international tour in May.
Assistant Professor of Music and Nordic Choir conductor Andrew Last (‘97) conducts altos Grace Huber (‘20), Demetria Armatas (‘19), and Mayalyn Cott (‘19) during the homecoming concert. Annika Vande Krol (‘19) | Photo Bureau
FEATURES
PAGE 6 FEBRUARY 22, 2017
FEATURES EDITOR: SHASA SARTIN
BLACK HISTOR mary elizabeth williams ‘97
EMMA BUSCH STAFF WRITER Mary Elizabeth Williams (‘97) came to Luther with a love of storytelling and music that grew into a fruitful career as a professional opera singer. A native of Philadelphia, Williams first heard of Luther from her church’s choir director, Jon Spong. When she visited campus prior to her junior year of high school, Williams knew Luther was the school for her. Though she was interested in singing, Williams initially decided to pursue a degree in music management. “I came to Luther already very interested in singing but unsure I wanted to put all my eggs in that basket, so to speak,” Williams said.
“I first intended to get a degree in music management, but after my first accounting class, I decided that wasn’t a good idea!” Williams eventually took a poetry class that inspired her to study English literature. “I liked that class so much, I wanted to study more,” Williams said. “Later on, I realized that studying English literature was actually a logical place to start for a career in opera, because opera is about telling stories.” Williams says that while she was different from others on campus she found her experience at Luther pleasant and instrumental in her development as an adult and professional performer. “I would say that as a mixedrace person, I was highly visible on campus and clearly different,
but not just because of my skin color,” Williams said. “I’m from the east coast. I was young [because] I started my freshman year at Luther when I was sixteen. I was not a typical Luther student, I suppose, but I didn’t dwell on that and I hope that my friends and teachers didn’t dwell on it either. I found Luther to be a friendly, open [and] loving place to learn how to be an adult, and I was very cared for and treated with respect.” Shortly after graduating, Williams began her professional singing career with the yearlong national Broadway tour of “Showboat.” Soon afterwards, she completed young artist contracts at the Seattle Opera and Opéra National de Paris. Williams has performed many spinto soprano and colorature roles in productions
ALUMNI PR GRACE ONSRUD STAFF WRITER
Mary Elizabeth Williams (‘97) as Tosca at the Seattle Opera. Photo courtesy of Mary Elizabeth Williams (‘97)
special edition SHASA SARTIN FEATURES EDITOR In honor of Black History Month, I wanted to make sure Chips allocated time and energy to sharing black accomplishments with the Luther community. In the first part of a two part series, I am doing this through the presentation of alumni profiles. Black students have always been a small demographic at Luther, as this is a predominantly white institution (PWI). Despite that, black students have left amazing legacies at this school and in this country. Mary Elizabeth Williams (‘97) is an internationally renowned opera singer and Alex Rowell Jr. (‘68) is a former Minnesota Twins baseball player and one of Luthers most celebrated athletes. We are honoring them this February.
According to storied Luther coach Bob Naslund (‘65), Alex Rowell Jr. (‘68) is one of the most talented athletes Luther has ever seen. During his time as a student at Luther College, Rowell played basketball and baseball, going on to play in the minor leagues for the Minnesota Twins from 1968 to 1970. Rowell began playing baseball and basketball during his childhood in the suburbs of Chicago. His athletic skills grew throughout high school and he became an all-conference football player. He decided to come to Luther after he was recruited by a Luther football coach. He knew he wanted to play baseball professionally, so he decided to give up football during college. Like many Luther students today, Rowell had multiple interests. He was an allconference player in both basketball and baseball for his entire time at Luther. He majored in physical education and minored in history. He remembers his time as a student athlete fondly. “My favorite part [about being a student at Luther] was the camaraderie with all of my
teammates, the success we had over my four years in both basketball and baseball, and the wonderful relationships [I had] with many of the students and faculty,” Rowell said. “I made a lot of friends that I am friends with to this day.” He was popular at Luther, among students and staff alike. “I started at Luther as a good student and a superb athlete,” Rowell said. “I was elected as freshman class president.” Rowell also met his wife Saundra Rowell (‘69) at Luther, friends and professors from Luther came to Chicago for his wedding. Rowell said that being a black athlete at Luther in the 1960s did not affect him much. “I came from a very [racially] integrated high school and community so it was really not a big issue for me,” Rowell said. “I really didn’t think about it at all.” During the spring of his senior year, Luther’s president at the time, Elwin Farwell, asked him to return in the fall to teach physical education and work as an assistant basketball coach. He agreed because his wife was a senior and he knew he was going to be drafted in the free-agent draft for baseball. He left Luther during the spring of 1969 to start spring training with the Minnesota Twins.
FEATURES
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FEATURES EDITOR: SHASA SARTIN
FEBRUARY 22, 2017
RY MONTH such as “Tosca,” “Aida,” “Nabucco,” “Macbeth,” and “Norma.” While there are many productions that she has enjoyed, her roles in “La Wally” and “Norma” stand out to her in particular. “In [‘La Wally’] I had a great rapport with the stage director, Guy Joosten, and I think we were able to tell a story that made sense and kept the audience at the edge of their seats,” Williams said. “Vocally, I really enjoyed singing the title role of Norma with Florida Grand Opera a few seasons ago. The role of Norma is an incredible tour de force, and I loved confronting the technical challenge it provided and hope I get to do it again soon.” When Williams is not traveling for performance opportunities, she lives in Milan with her husband, Lorenzo Decaro, whom she met
while they worked in Palermo, Italy together on a production of “Aida” at the Teatro Massimo in 2013. She also spends time in Philadelphia with her mother when she is in the United States. Williams is currently performing in Cardiff, Wales in productions of “Tosca” and “La Forza Del Destino” at the Welsh National Opera. She is more than happy to speak to students and would like to extend an invitation to anyone interested in singing to contact her. “I am very proud of being a Luther grad and am always available to Luther students and recent grads as a reference or mentor,” Williams said. “If there is anybody at Luther who is contemplating a career in singing and wants help, advice, or just a friendly ear, look me up. I’m on Facebook.”
Mary Elizabeth Williams (‘97) as Leonora in “II Trovatore.”
ROFILES He played in the Twins’ minor league for two summers while teaching during the school year. After his teaching job at Luther, Rowell taught physical education and coached at Gustavus Adolphus College and North High School in Minneapolis. He eventually went on to a career in medical device sales, but he remained active in the athletic community. He held leadership positions in organizations such as the Minnesota Youth Athletic Services Board of Directors; The Minnesota Twins Community Fund Board of Directors; and the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission, a government-appointed position. Bob Naslund (‘65) coached at Luther during the same time as Rowell and shared an office with him for one year. He worked at Luther in some capacity from 1963 to 2008, and said that Rowell was one of the best athletes at Luther while he was there. “He was a great person as well as a great athlete,” Naslund said. “He was humble.” He remembers that while Rowell was playing basketball for Luther, an opposing team’s coach told him that Rowell was the player that cost him the most sleep. “He was as good as anybody anywhere,” Naslund said. “And that was only his second
Photo courtesy of Mary Elizabeth Williams (‘97)
alex rowell, jr. ‘68
best sport.” Naslund remembers Rowell’s time at Luther as a time of change. Elwin Farwell became the president of Luther in 1963 and made it his mission to increase enrollment at the school, including the enrollment of AfricanAmerican students. “When Farwell came in 1963, our student body was about 1,100 total,” Naslund said. “There were probably at the most four or five black students. Farwell’s mission was to build this college, and by 1970 we nearly doubled enrollment and had about 100 AfricanAmerican students.” Rowell was the only black student on Luther’s baseball team during his time, but Naslund described him as well-received by his peers and the faculty. “I think people gravitated toward him,” Naslund said. “People wanted to be on his team because there was a chance you might win.” Rowell is now retired and living in Eden Prairie, MN, but he continues to hold leadership positions on The Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission and the Minnesota Youth Athletic Services Executive Board. He is still involved in sports to this day, golfing as often as he can. Alex Rowell Jr. (‘68) at Minnesota Youth Athletic Services. Photo courtesy of Minnesota Youth Athletic Services.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
PAGE 8 FEBRUARY 22, 2018
A&E EDITOR: LILY KIME
“Prismatic Vernacular”: the language of color
James Jankowiak’s art exhibit “Prismatic Vernacular” features a striped wall made with colorful tape.
KRISTEN WUERL STAFF WRITER Chicago artist and educator James Jankowiak wants gallery visitors to feel as alive as his artwork when they step into the Kristin Wigley-Fleming Fine Arts Gallery in the Center for the Arts (CFA) to see his exhibit, “Prismatic Vernacular.” “The feeling of being alive makes art so valuable,” Jankowiak said. “Everything that you make is kind of a testament to your existence and that you’re alive. Art doesn’t have to be painting or on a canvas. It can just be the way you live your life.” Jankowiak is an abstract artist who works primarily as a painter but also incorporates tape installations into his gallery shows. In “Prismatic Ve r n a c u l a r ,” Jankowiak presents 16 paintings and one multicolored floor-to-ceiling tape installation spanning a curved wall. Walking into the gallery, visitors first encounter a large painting of black, red, yellow, and blue vertical stripes hanging on the wall. On either side of this painting are smaller, square paintings with silhouettes of a Bundt cake mold, one of Jankowiak’s signatures shapes. The largest piece is the tape installation, a combination of bright yellow, green, pink, blue, red, and orange artist tape. “I love color and mixing up color,” Jankowiak said. “I’m all about abstraction, and nothing has to look like anything. Abstraction is a distraction from reality.” Jankowiak used color as an inspiration for the title of his exhibit, “Prismatic Vernacular.” “Vernacular is a form of speech,” Jankowiak said. “The art is a reflection of the chatter that goes on between an artist who realizes he’s talking to artists from the
past and artists of the future at the same time. It really is about a language of color.” Jankowiak’s language of color spoke to Sai Oo Hseng Ngin (‘20) when he attended the opening event on Feb. 16. “I love Jankowiak’s art because his use of color is very new to me,” Ngin said. “I’m typically very minimalist, and using black and white colors is my favorite. Seeing Jankowiak’s use of color is really nice, and the use of tape [in his installation] is a brilliant idea.” Along with creating his own work, Jankowiak is an art educator. Jankowiak visits high schools in the Chicago area to teach art lessons, often with projects that involve class collaboration. This aligns with his goal to make art more accessible to underresourced students living in his home city of Chicago. “The most important thing when you’re teaching is to really represent the subject that you are,” Jankowiak said. “The students know I’m there freely teaching something I absolutely love, and that’s when it becomes contagious and when good things start to happen. Some really magical things can happen if you can get young people to collaborate on a project.” According to Gallery Coordinator David Kamm, Jankowiak has been invited to Luther for the past couple years partly because of his work in schools. “[Adjunct Faculty in Art] Lea Lovelace (‘97) knows Jankowiak from Chicago, and she was interested in the work he does intersecting with public school students and underserved populations,” Kamm said. “We look for a variety of ways to expand artists’ exhibits. It’s very special when artists can do this.” Art major Martha Hall (‘18) finds these expanded exhibits and artist visits at Luther valuable resources.
“The art is a relfection of the chatter that goes on between an artist who realizes he’s talking to artists from the past and artists of the future at the same time. It really is about a language of color.” - James Jankowiak
“Anything I’ve learned from visiting artists I’ve been able to apply to my studio practice,” Hall said. “[These artists] give me hope that I can find jobs and make art work outside of Luther. It’s great to apply art in the real world and in a future career.” To teach Luther students more about his work, Jankowiak held an artist talk on Feb. 15 in the CFA. He spoke about his past as an artist and inspirations for his art. He also showcased past work and special commissions and told personal stories about his work with Chicago schools and after school-programs. Channeling Jankowiak’s profession as a teacher, art education students at Luther used Jankowiak’s colorful, abstract style as inspiration to teach
Kristen Wuerl (‘18) | Chips
elementary and middle school students in Decorah. Students enrolled in the course, Elementary Methods for Art Educators, collaborated to write lesson plans and teach contemporary art lessons. “[The other art students and I] introduced Decorah students to Jankowiak’s work with lines, color, and shapes,” art education student Ryan Koning (‘19) said. “We wanted students to create abstract forms, so we worked with contour line drawings.” These elementary and middle school artworks are displayed in the Gregerson Gallery in the CFA as a supplement to Jankowiak’s Prismatic Vernacular. Both exhibits will be on display through March 20.
Ryan Koning (‘19) visits James Jankowiak’s art gallery and observes the vibrant colors and geometric shapes used throughout the exhibit. Kristen Wuerl (‘18) | Chips
OPINION
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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 Julia Lieb Olivia Enquist Jorge Contreras Piper Wood Martin Donovan 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
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FEBRUARY 22, 2018
“Thoughts and prayers” after a national tragedy I rarely think like a Republican. Across the board I am as liberal as they come and people who know me well can attest to how outspoken I am about these beliefs. But lately there has been something I seem to disagree with my likeminded friends on, and that is this new notion of LYNDSAY MONSEN “thoughts and prayers” being COPY EDITOR problematic after a mass tragedy occurs. On Wednesday Feb. 14, 2018, a 19-year-old man walked into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkville, FL with an AR-15, killing17 individuals and wounding many others. Let me make one thing clear: this is a gun issue. No ordinary individual in our country needs this war weapon of an automatic rifle, and the fact that this troubled young man — who the FBI was notified of just months prior — was able to gain access to one is ridiculous. I am sick of Congress not doing anything about this. I am sick of getting CNN updates on my phone that yet another person has just walked into a school with a gun. I am sick of the fact that this is already the 18th school shooting — as of writing — in America this year and it’s only the middle of February. There cannot be a 19th. Something has to be done. But if our lawmakers need to pray while they do that, I completely understand. I believe in the life-changing and world-altering power of prayer. Faith can move mountains and I have seen that happen. These families in Florida are grieving over the unimaginable, and they need our prayers right now more than ever. If you don’t believe in that power, that is OK. I am not writing this with the intent to suddenly make everybody religious. It seems unfair to me, however, that so many are quick to attack
these lawmakers for taking time to practice spiritual health and ask for healing and comfort for those affected. We all want to send our support to the victims and their families. Some of us just do it in different ways. Normally I keep up with the news as all good journalists do, but it took me almost 48 hours to read a “New York Times” article about the shooting victims and their stories. I experienced the same thing after the Las Vegas shooting. And when I actually sat down and was able to comprehend this senseless tragedy, I cried. And I prayed. For me, that was a coping strategy. I cannot understand why someone would ever go into a school and murder so many of his peers. I cannot be there personally to comfort the victims, but I believe that God will. Now let me make a second thing clear: thoughts and prayers cannot be our only way of combatting this issue. God is not the president, nor does He have a seat in the Senate or the House of Representatives. If we want real change to occur, action must be taken and our current legislation needs to change. If Republicans want to place the blame on mental health then we should get more federal funding for mental health. We should also consider the fact that so many countries similar to the U.S. have stricter gun laws and do not have nearly as many gun violence issues. As the popular headline from “The Onion” says, “‘No way to prevent this,” says only country where this regularly happens.” We cannot continue to lose our children, teachers, and innocent people due to something so preventable. But please, please, think twice before you post that tweet saying “Wow if you’ve been praying for school shootings to stop God must hate you.” That is simply untrue, and prayer is important for so many other reasons. Prayer can comfort those who are praying, and — I believe — it helps those on the receiving end as well. There is nothing else like it. If you would like to discuss or pray over any of these tragedies, College Ministries is available via ministry@luther.edu, or by stopping by their office in the Center for Faith and Life.
J-term needs to be restructured
ELIZABETH BONIN MANAGING EDITOR “J-term play term,” they said. Maybe it’s just me, but the only “play term” I’ve ever had was when I was studying abroad, so I was not even on campus. January-term is advertised as a great time to only take one class, get a general education requirement out of the way, and relax between the more challenging fall and spring semesters. My J-Term experience has been more like scrambling to finish assignments while also sliding down to Regents for practice. Now I’m not saying that I hated my J-Term class. This year I took a film course and I absolutely loved watching movies and
learning how to analyze the different elements of cinematography, editing, and mise-en-scène. Shout-out to Professor Row-Heyveld for teaching a fascinating class. My problem with J-Term is that someone actually thought condensing a semester-long class into three and a half weeks was a good idea. Throughout our academic careers, we have been taught that the best way to learn and retain information is a little bit of that information over a longer period of time. Studying for a test two or three days in advance is supposedly better than the night before. If this is true, then cramming a semester’s worth of content into just a few weeks doesn’t seem like the best way to learn anything. How should students be expected to keep up with assignments, understand material, and recall information at such a fast pace? Even though J-Term classes are typically three hours long, I felt as if we hardly had time to cover the material we needed. Most students on campus are either first-years who are required to spend their first J-Term on campus, musicians rehearsaling, or athletes who must stay for practices and meets. Even though I
was only taking one class, I did actually find it difficult to balance practice and the work load for class. Again, this is because we were trying to complete a semester class in just a few weeks. I barely had time to keep up with the readings, reflections, and projects. Because of that fast-paced nature, I felt that I hardly had time to learn and understand one day’s content before we moved on to the next. This is not to say that J-Term should be completely done away with. I think J-Term is a good experience for firstyears and is a great time for students to choose to study abroad, complete an independent study or a directed reading. I do not have a great perfect solution, but I would suggest that the college consider making J-Term only required for first years and still offer independent studies, directed readings, and study-abroad programs. I understand that we need to learn a great deal during J-Term since the classes are typically semester-long. Perhaps the semester-long classes should stay at the semester length, and any J-Term classes should be crafted specifically for J-Term. If J-Term is supposed to be a time to slow down, it should actually be presented as such.
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PAGE 10 FEBRUARY 22, 2018
MANAGING EDITOR: ELIZABETH BONIN
How do we take responsibility for ignorance?
SHASA SARTIN FEATURES EDITOR Leading up to February, I spent time brainstorming story ideas for the Features section as well as editorials I could write in order to celebrate this time. Right away I knew I wanted to include black alumni profiles, easy! I also thought that this is the perfect time to write an editorial calling attention to taking classes in the Africana Studies department as a means of ridding ignorance in regards to black history. And then I paused. I wondered to what degree it is appropriate to call students out for an ignorance that they were wrongfully gifted. I have always struggled with this idea of responsibility. My mother is an attorney who graduated with a history major with a focus in African-American history. My grandmother has worked in several non-profits focused on Native American life in the Twin Cities and has
a bachelor’s and a master’s in English writing. All of the adults in my family have a graduate-level degree of some sort and have made it their mission to learn about a variety of human experiences. This is normal to me. The importance placed on education was, naturally, passed down to me. For my entire childhood, school did not end when I got home. A new session began with Ms. Sartin. I learned much of the African and AfricanAmerican history I know from her with the help of a giant black encyclopedia called “Africana.” My mom knew the Minneapolis Public School system would fail to teach me about that part of my heritage, so she took it upon herself to do so. If I could gather the Luther students who grew up in the U.S. and ask them to raise their hand if their parents taught them black history after school and on the weekends, I would guess that there would be only a few hands. Probably the hands of other black students and maybe students of other racial identities who have teachers or professors as parents.
What is normal to me is not normal to many of my peers at Luther. I struggle with that. I grew up learning about Mae Jemison, the first black woman to go to space. I grew up learning about Madame C.J. Walker, the black woman who invented the hot comb and was the first American woman to be a selfmade millionaire. I grew up learning that black history is important. From my mother’s perspective, it was non-negotiable. She couldn’t afford to not teach me about black history because my perception of myself would suffer greatly as I grew older if she did not. White people do not have as much to lose. Not learning about Garrett Morgan, the black man who invented the stoplight, is not going to hinder a white boy from pursuing his dream to become an engineer. Not learning about Nichelle Nichols, one of the first black women actors to portray a non-servant character on American television in Star Trek, is not going to hinder a white girl from participating in elementary school theatre performances. Not learning
“I wondered to what degree it is appropriate to call students out for an ignorance that they were wrongfully gifted.” -Shasa Sartin (‘19)
about Ryan Coogler, director of Black Panther and awardee of the highest budget ever given to a black director, is not going to stop a white child from dreaming to direct their own movie one day. I cannot say the same for black children. Learning about these figures among many others is an integral part of believing in oneself in a country that degrades you incessantly. I wish the motivation was as high for people outside of black America, but it is not. So I feel empathy mixed in with my frustration for my white peers who do not care to celebrate Black History Month by reading Twitter threads about black queer icons or black women in the civil rights movement who are not Coretta Scott King. If I were to ask how many of you have discussed the importance of diversifying curriculum to not be exclusively a white narrative in the public schools, I know that many hands would fly up. This has been an ongoing conversation for educators and non-educators alike for most of my life. If society is so aware of the omission of this part of history, why isn’t change happening? I do not understand and I do not know who or what to blame. But I do know if you have not felt motivated to take responsibility for ignorance before, take this editorial as a sign to do so. Happy Black History Month.
Respect is a double standard for current and prospective students
LILY KIME A&E EDITOR As I walked into the Symphony Orchestra concert on Feb. 11 during the intermission, I was excited to hear music that one of my co-workers told me would be amazing. While she was, of course, correct, I did have an unexpected surprise. This particular concert
happened to fall during the beginning of the Dorian Orchestra Festival, so there were more than a few high school students in the audience, specifically in the balcony, where I chose to sit. As I settled in for all four movements of Tchaikovsky’s “Symphony No.5 in E Minor, Op. 64,” I noticed the herds of Dorian students around me were not settling in quite so silently. In fact, with every passing movement of the piece, they got louder and louder. One group even got up and left after the first movement and they made sure not to leave quietly by letting the door swing shut behind them. What made the experience even more uncomfortable is that Professor of Music Daniel Baldwin knew exactly what was going on without even having to
turn around and see it because he waited to cue Symphony to begin the second movement until he heard the door shut. And if that did not make everyone in the balcony cringe enough, the outright disrespect continued. The talking continually grew louder until it was no longer even an attempt at whispering. Groups of high school students were laughing and chatting audibly while actually enrolled Luther musicians played a gorgeous piece of music. This may seem like a minor matter to some, but while this was happening, I found myself thinking of a time that Luther students’ actions during a concert were seen as rude. During a concert this past fall semester, a group of Luther students were sitting in the balcony of the CFL doing
homework, as is very usual practice for music majors/minors that need to get those green cards but also read that chapter for homework tomorrow. During a brief intermission in this concert, one member of the music faculty walked over to students who were obviously doing homework and told them that if they were not going to respect the work of their peers by giving their full attention to the concert then they should just leave and do their homework elsewhere. Although this was an unexpected request to bring an end to something that has happens on a regular basis, the member of the music faculty was being entirely reasonable. These student musicians put so much time into what they are doing on that stage. They deserve to be more than background music.
With this in mind, my question is why is doing homework seen as more disrespectful than talking during a concert? Or is it just too much of a risk to ask prospective students to be respectful and shut up for any stretch of time? Are we so desperate to raise enrollment that we will allow prospective students to show blatant disrespect toward students that are already paying to go here? Students of the fine arts, including music, deserve to be given respect for the hours upon hours of work they put into everything they create. The music department clearly recognizes this, but it gets thrown under the bus any time prospective students are involved. It is time to get rid of the double standard before current students start to transfer to other institutions that show them more respect.
SPORTS FEBURUARY 22, 2018
PAGE 11 SPORTS EDITOR: BEN SELCKE
Wettach retires from coaching after 33 years at Luther JORGE CONTRERAS STAFF WRITER Head Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Coach Jeff Wettach (‘79) will retire at the end of the year. Wettach has served at Luther for 33 years in a number of different capacities. “All in all, I have been so lucky to coach Men’s and Women’s Track and Field, Men’s Cross Country, and Football.” Wettach said. “All of these have provided amazing opportunities to grow as an educator and to work with many special people. For the past 33 years, this is the only job I have ever wanted. It has been the perfect job for me.” Prior to coaching, Wettach was an athlete at Luther on the Football and Track and Field teams. Wettach was hired in 1985 in a tenure-track faculty position in the health and physical education department. He also served as assistant coach for both the Football and Men’s Track and Field Teams. While at Luther, Wettach has taught a variety of courses, including Coaching Theory of Track & Field, Methods of Teaching Team Sports, and Adaptive P.E. as well as a number of skills classes. During Wettach’s first 12 years at Luther, he was an Assistant Coach for Football and Men’s Track and Field, after which he became Head Men’s Track and Field Coach in 1987. In 1997, he was named Men’s Cross Country Coach, serving in that position until 2005 and in 2006, Wettach also became the Women’s Track and Field Head Coach. Throughout his many commitments over the years, Wettach’s love of Luther has been the defining thread that holds everything together. “I still love walking through the doors of Regents Center every day,” Wettach said. “Just as I did 33 years ago. In my early years at Luther I was a bit more anxious, though. It was challenging to keep up with everything, as I was coaching with two sports — football and track and field — teaching classes, and attending committee meetings.” According to Assistant Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Coach Doug Hamilton (‘11) Wettach pushed him to better himself on and off the track. “When I arrived at Luther and joined the track team, my primary concern was running faster,” Hamilton said. “However, [Wettach’s] primary concern was my development as a complete person, not just as a student-athlete.” During his years at Luther, Wettach met and worked with numerous students and faculty members. He emphasized that he has learned much from his colleagues in his time at Luther. “I had so much respect for my older colleagues in my early years [such as] Paul Solberg, Bob Naslund, Kent Finanger, Betty Hoff, and Jay McGrew — all of whom served Luther for 25 years or more,” Wettach said. “These friends were, and continue to be, amazing mentors to me. So the opportunity for me to serve at Luther for 33 years is very pleasing and rewarding.”
Jeff Wettach (‘79) introduces alumni at the 2018 Alumni meet. Photo coutesy of Photo Bureau
Norse of the Week
Claire Marburger (‘19) catches a pass in a game against Macalester. Photo courtesy Photo Bureau
Jeff Wettach (‘79) with his daughter Molly Wettach (‘17) at the 2017 Norse Awards . Photo courtesy of Photo Bureau
Claire Marburger (‘19) scored 28 points and lead Women’s Basketball to a win over the University of Dubuque on Feb. 14. The win solidified Luther’s second-place position in the conference standings. Women’s Basketball play their next game at home on Feb. 22.
SPORTS
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SPORTS EDITOR: BEN SELCKE
FEBRUARY 22, 2018
Swim and dive finish third and sixth at Liberal Arts Championships CARA KEITH STAFF WRITER
Preparations to host the championship started well in advance. Head Swim and Luther College hosted Dive Coach Nicole Kaupp the Liberal Arts Swimming initiated the process in and Diving Championship 2016. (LAC) on Wednesday, Feb. “It started when I got 14 through Saturday, Feb. hired here two years ago,” 17. This was the first time Kaupp said. “I wondered Luther has hosted this endwhy we hadn’t hosted the of-season event. meet, just because we have LAC is the last chance a pretty great facility, so I for swimmers and divers started asking questions to post times or scores that just to figure out what it qualify them to compete in would take to host. We the 2018 NCAA Division III put together a bid and National Championships. last January we submitted At the meet, each swimmer the bid. Then in April the can compete in a maximum coaches voted on it and of seven total events, only they voted to have the meet three of which can be here.” individual events. Prior to the meet, The Women’s Swim Team Kraft, a co-captain of placed third out of 11. the women’s team, felt Linnea Lee-Brown (‘21) confident about the team’s became a Liberal Arts ability to compete in the champion when she swam championship, especially the 50-meter freestyle and in the home pool. finished first with a time “I think this year is going of 24.06. Lee-Brown also to be the best yet because went on to place fourth we have trained incredibly in the 100-meter freestyle hard,” Kraft said. “It’s at with a time of 55.0. During home this year so I think the 800-meter freestyle it’s more hyped up and relay, Pilar Dritz (‘18), Sam everyone’s excited to swim Kraft (‘18), Martha Stelter in a home pool. We swam (‘19), and Sofie Wallock Trevor Kao (‘18) dives from the three-meter board. this pool every day so we (‘18) placed third with Photo courtesy of Photo Bureau know our turns and we a time of 8:09.13. Kraft know our walls.” went on to finish third in Barnard, a co-captain of the 500-meter freestyle with a time of 5:09.91. Kraft also the men’s team explains how he expected the team to placed second in the 1650-meter freestyle with a time of perform. 17:42.06. In three-meter diving, Megan Broadbent (‘18) “All of the guys expect to get out of their comfort zone finished third with 383.75 points and Elizabeth Bonin and race the guy next to them in order to make it back (‘18) finished fourth with 361.45 points. to the finals session,” Barnard said. “In the past we’ve The Men’s Swim Team placed sixth out of nine teams. had a strong presence in the finals session so that is Matt Staver (‘20), Peder Smith (‘20), Soren Gloege Torp always our main focus during prelims.” (‘21), and Hunter Barnard (‘18) placed fourth in the Lilly Nelson (‘21) explained how her first 800-meterfreestyle relay with a time of 7:11.08. Smith championship affected her swimming career. placed fourth in the 400-meter IM with a time of 4:11.77 “LAC was so fulfilling because it showed all the hard and Staver went on to place fifth in the 400-meter IM work that we’ve been putting in all year,” Nelson said. with a time of 4:19.45. In the 200-meter medley relay, “It took lots of dedication to be able to improve, and Zach Martin (‘19), Landon Albro (‘21), Staver, and Smith as a team, I feel like we’ve come so far. The team has received 6th place with a time of 1:38.86. so much spirit and I’m proud to be part of the family.”
Weekly Standings Men’s Basketball Nebraska Wes Loras Buena Vista Simpson Wartburg Central Dubuque Coe Luther
IIAC 13-3 12-4 10-6 9-7 9-7 7-9 7-9 5-11 0-16
Recent Scores
Overall 22-3 19-6 17-8 13-11 16-9 10-15 15-10 9-16 5-20
Feb 17 vs. Buena Vista L 70-71
Women’s Basketball Wartburg Luther Coe Loras Buena Vista Simpson Nebraska Wes Dubuque Central
IIAC 16-0 12-4 11-5 8-8 8-8 7-9 5-11 3-13 2-14
Recent Scores
Overall 25-0 18-9 14-11 16-9 13-12 13-12 14-11 5-20 7-18
Feb 17 vs. Buena Vista W 83-62
Upcoming Schedule
Feb 22 IIAC Tournament
Men’s Swim and Dive Nebraska Wes Coe Luther Loras Simpson
IIAC 5-0 3-1 1-2 1-4 0-3
Recent Scores
Overall 7-0 3-4 1-4 3-9 2-5
Feb 14-17 Liberal Arts Championships
Women’s Swim and Dive Coe Luther Loras Simpson Nebraska Wes
IIAC 3-0-1 2-0-1 3-2 1-2 0-5
Recent Scores
Overall 5-1-1 2-2-1 7-6 6-2 0-7
Feb 14-17 Liberal Arts Championships
Wrestling Wartburg Loras Coe Central Dubuque Luther Simpson Nebraska Wes Buena Vista
IIAC 8-0 7-1 6-2 4-4 4-4 4-4 2-6 1-7 0-8
Recent Scores
Feb 15 vs. St. Olaf College W 50-4
Overall 18-2 17-1 13-6 6-4 9-6 10-7 3-11 2-9 1-9
Upcoming Schedule
NCAA III Central Regionial
Pilar Dritz (‘18) swims butterfly at LAC.
Photos coutesy of Photo Bureau