CHIPS February 23, 2017

LUTHER COLLEGE

“Let the chips fall where they may.”

CHIPS

FEBRUARY 23, 2017

Serving the Luther College community since 1884.

VOLUME 139, NO. 13

Prairie

problem

Echinacea Purpurea, commonly referred to as the Purple Coneflower, in Anderson Prairie. These flowers could be threatened by the construction of a school in the prairie.

Annika Vande Krol (‘19) | Photo Bureau

Following a propsal to construct an elementary school in Anderson Prairie, many voices have come forward to discuss potential ramifications

ANA LÓPEZ STAFF WRITER Students and faculty are coming forward to voice their concerns as Luther College continues to consider of a proposal from the Decorah Community School District allowing construction of a new elementary school on seven acres of Anderson Prairie.

As a way to gather feedback about the potential administrative decision, Luther’s administration and the the Land Use Committee held various forums for faculty, students, and community members last week. The goal of these forums was to answer concerns as well as to urge students, faculty, and staff to make their voices heard.

The forum on Feb. 16 for students and community members was attended by approximately 100 people. Consisting of both an informative presentation and an open floor for questions, the event explained the possible benefits of the school as well as the current use and benefits of the prairie. Questions asked by attendees ranged from logistical problems to possible conflicts with the Luther College Mission Statement.

PRAIRIE | PAGE 4

The proposed school build site (red) and the already reserved land for a future expansion of Baker Village (blue).

Photo courtesy of luther.edu/biology

Dean for Equity and Inclusion candidates interview on campus XAVIER CONZET STAFF WRITER Luther College began interviewing candidates for the newly formed position of Dean for Institutional Equity and Inclusion this month.

The three candidates— Lloren Foster, Leon Rodrigues, and Poonam Arora, — came to Luther’s campus during a twoweek time period to give individual on-site forums which students, faculty, and staff were encouraged to attend.

“The Dean for Institutional Equity and Inclusion re-visions the work of the former position of Executive Director of the Diversity Center,” according to the job posting.

The posting Lloren Foster. also states that Photo courtesy of www. the candidates omega5d.us

have “education, perspectives, and experience [which will] enable them to promote a culture of inclusion, and develop Leon Rodrigues. and implement Photo courtesy of Linkeinstitutional din.com strategies and initiatives to sustain and advance the college as a diverse and welcoming community.”

The first candidate to Poonam Arora. interview was Lloren Photo courtesy of Foster. Foster started manhattan.edu his educational journey at Chicago State University where he earned his bachelor’s degree in English and recieved a Ph.D. in Afro-American Studies from Amherst College. Foster

worked as an assistant professor of English at Hampton University and an assistant professor of African-American Studies at Western Kentucky University. This led him to become the Executive Director of the University of Florida in 2015 for a year before the administration decided not to renew his contract in the fall of 2016.

Leon Rodrigues’ interview was held a week after Foster’s. Rodrigues earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Western Cape in South Africa before enrolling in the University of Minnesota to complete his master’s degree and Ph.D. After graduating from the U of M, Rodrigues began to teach for the U of M from 19992003. Following his time at the U of M, Rodrigues worked at Bethel University as an associate professor. He was promoted to the position of Special Assistant of the President and later became Chief Diversity Officer.

NEW DEAN | PAGE 4

Strategic Planning Committee begins data collection BEN SELCKE STAFF WRITER At the beginnig of the year, Luther formed the Strategic Planning Committee whose role is to outline what requires the most improvement at Luther and formulate a plan to implement these changes.

Every three to five years, the college forms a new committee to help improve a specific area of focus. For example, Luther’s dedication to sustainability was born from past committees. The committee consists of students, faculty, staff, and Board of Regents representatives.

The strategic planning process takes place in three steps. Currently, the committee is still working through phase one, which involves the collection of data and ideas.

“The way that the process is designed is that the community, faculty, staff, students, and administration work on identifying the goals and priorities that are then presented to the Board of Regents,” Dean for Institutional Planning and Mission and Co-director of the Strategic Planning Committee Terry Sparkes said.

STRATEGIC | PAGE 4

NEWS

PAGE 2 FEBRUARY 23, 2017

NEWS EDITORS: DANNY MAY & JACOB WAREHIME

Bill moves to Iowa House to reallocate clinic funding DANNY MAY NEWS EDITOR & XAVIER CONZET STAFF WRITER The Iowa House of Representatives is currently reviewing a bill that would defund Planned Parenthood and other organizations that perform abortions. Many Luther students who receive services from these organizations could be affected by the financial change.

Senate File 2, which the Iowa Senate passed on Feb. 7 and has since passed a House subcommittee, would discontinue the Iowa Family Planning Network Waiver (IFPN)—a Medicaid program— and replace it with a state family services planning program.

Under the new program, funds will not be distributed “to any entity that performs abortions or that maintains or operates

facilities where abortions are performed.”

The Northeast Iowa Community Action Corporation (NEICAC), a health clinic located in Decorah, does not perform abortions but will still be affected by the discontinuation of the IFPN. According to NEICAC Health Programs Director Lori Egan, 612 of the 1,373 patients who visited the clinic last year had their expenses covered by the IFPN. “Without the IFPN our clinic will close,” Egan said. “For many of the young men and women [to whom] we provide preventative health care services we are their primary source of health care.

The elimination of the IFPN would likely leave 600 to 800 people without their source of primary health care.”

Senate File 2 has raised concern among students and faculty at Luther about whether or not they will have access

to clinics like NEICAC and Planned Parenthood which offer services such as birth control and contraceptives.

“Many Luther students I know rely on the affordable services provided by Planned Parenthood, which includes birth control and contraceptives, among other basic health care needs,” Ashalul Aden (‘20) said.

“Some Luther students are not able to have these needs taken care of elsewhere. Defunding Planned Parenthood will cause most, if not all, of its clinics to close, leaving these students without a place to get adequate and affordable health services.”

Students in support of the bill are hopeful about the benefit of redirecting funds that Planned Parenthood currently receives to other qualified health clinics.

“I think defunding Planned Parenthood will absolutely benefit Iowa,” Abigail Cornejo (‘20) said. “The money that

would be going to Planned Parenthood will be redirected to federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and family planning organizations that do not provide abortions. I think this is an absolute win for Iowans. ” Iowa Senator from the 28th District Michael Breitbach, who helped to push Senate File 2 through the Iowa Senate, took issue with the specifics regarding which clinics will be affected by the shift in funding. “[The bill] is not specifically defunding Planned Parenthood,” Breitbach said. “[Rather,] it is defunding abortion providers.

But Planned Parenthood does receive about $1.5 million from the state of Iowa so it is included. This should have no effect on Luther students going to the Women’s Health Center in Decorah. That clinic will not lose funding because its location does not provide abortion services.”

Aden expressed her further concern about the deficit left when $1.5 million is pulled from Planned Parenthood facilities.

Planned Parenthood patients will need to seek services elsewhere if their regular facilities are unable to offer services. Many other health clinics will likely experience dramatic increases in patient numbers.

“It’s not a matter of reallocating money, it’s a matter of being able to come up with $1.5 million ourselves,” Aden said. “If Iowa can come up with that difference, I think over time the health centers may be able to adjust to the dramatic influx of new patients, but only if that funding is guaranteed. If the state of Iowa won’t help fund it, then there is no way that the health centers could make up the difference.”

The bill will now move to the House Human Resources Committee for consideration.

At career day, English majors and minors explore future paths BIZ WAGENSON STAFF WRITER The English department held a Careers Day for English majors and minors on Feb. 18.

Approximately 19 students attended the event.

Six Luther English alumni returned to speak about their post-graduation experiences. The day consisted of a 90-minute classroom session with six stations, oriented to allow current students to speak with the alumni individually.

Libby Caulum (‘02) gave a keynote address in the evening.

Professor of English Martin Klammer organized the event, aided by the English Administrative Assistant Judy Boese and student assistant Sam Schultz (‘17). According to Klammer, the department has been hosting the event for several years. Its aim is to debunk beliefs about how challenging it is to find successful careers after graduating with an English degree.

“There’s a myth that the English degree isn’t as marketable as other majors, and that’s simply not true,” Klammer said. “Our alumni have had excellent success with careers in writing and editing, media relations, marketing, journalism, business, teaching, ministry, social services, and law. Bringing alumni to campus for a day gives our students a chance to hear about career options they might not otherwise have considered."

Schultz said the event made clear to him that the English major can be diversely applied.

“I learned from speaking with the alumni that there is no straightforward path to a rewarding career after Luther,” Schultz said. “I don’t think any of the alumni are still doing the same thing they did immediately after graduation, which shows that there is time to make your own way in the world.”

Caulum discussed in her speech the different turns her career path has taken. After graduating from Luther she went to volunteer for AmeriCorps and also the Peace Corps in Niger. She later went on to get her master’s degree in Public Policy and now works as the Communications Director for the Minnesota Department of Revenue.

“I was really honored to come back to Luther to meet with these future English grads,” Caulum said. “It was inspiring to meet so many smart students who share a passion for writing and reading with me. I hope that the bits of advice that I shared on Saturday will help students see that, while you may not have a clear

picture of where you’re going yet, the skills you learn as an English major will open doors to possibilities that you may not know even exist.”

According to attendee Kate Koch (‘18), Caulum’s speech excited her about what an English degree can do in a variety of careers.

“I thought it was so cool that she talked about her experiences in [Niger] and her experiences working in government,” Koch said. “She was able to succeed in both of those places and English helped her with that because she knew how to communicate with other people.”

Samuel Kottke (‘20) added that the event also reassured him that an English degree provides a multitude of options.

Students speak with an alum at the English Department Careers Day.

“It can be a little intimidating to not know where you are going to end up,” Kottke said.

“But from what the [alumni] said, the skills you learn [with your English degree] are enough to take where you want to go.”

Klammer said he thinks the students came away from the event with an awareness of the skills they can gain from the English major and minor and how they can be used.

“The students learned that their liberal arts education and their English major gives them a set of abilities not everyone in the workforce has,” Klammer said. “Namely, the ability to think critically, to communicate effectively, and to write clearly and well.”

Annika Vande Krol ('19) | Photo Bureau

NEWS

PAGE 3

NEWS EDITORS: DANNY MAY & JACOB WAREHIME

FEBRUARY 23, 2017

Luther PRIDE organization attends Chicago conference

WEATHER THURSDAY Rain and wind

45/32 FRIDAY Rain and snow

38/20 SATURDAY Cloudy and windy

26/17 SUNDAY Snow showers

31/18 MONDAY Partly cloudy

40/30 TUESDAY Light rain

43/31 Members of Luther PRIDE in Chicago.

SAM MITCHELL STAFF WRITER Luther’s PRIDE organization traveled to the Midwest Bisexual, Lesbian, Gay, Transgender and Ally College Conference (MBLGTACC) in Chicago on Feb. 17-19 to engage in group discussion and workshops.

Eleven members of People for the Rights and Inclusion of Diversity and Expression (PRIDE) organization attended the conference, which featured the theme "Standing in Solidarity."

According to Luther PRIDE Vice President Hannah Will (‘17), the conference features workshops regarding various topics, such as intersectionality.

“Intersectionality, for example, is if someone is gay, Latino, and middle class, and

then there are all different things in their life that come together,” Will said. “The topic is talking about how those things play with each other and what that means for that person.”

Will added that there are also workshops on the topics of various movements, such as Black Lives Matter and Queer People of Color, that offer support.

Luther PRIDE secretary Wyatt Anians (‘19) explained that workshops in the past have focused on topics such as how to be "A Better Ally to the LGBT Community,’" and "Gay Sex Ed." “There’s just a plethora of workshops that go on,” Anians said. “Last year I attended sessions about things that usually don’t get talked about.

[These sessions address] a lot of things that some educational

Photo courtesy of Wyatt Anians (‘19)

systems lack, as well as what society just generally lacks.”

Will said that between PRIDE's meeting topics, which switch between both social and educational concepts for the LGBT+ community every other week, the conference will hopefully spark ideas for them to help to better educate the Luther community on what PRIDE believes in.

Anians added that the conference allows for expression of self and exposure to others who are also accepting.

“A lot of students who identify with LGBT have not been exposed to mass amounts of people in the same community,” Anians said. “When you come to MBLGTACC, thousands of allies get go to identity forums for the groups who you specifically identify with and there you are able to relate with

people and have conversations with them. You are all just understanding each other, without having to explain who you are.”

Luther PRIDE member Pablo Alonso (‘17) said the conference provides a weekend of relaxation for allies of the LGBT community and those who identify as a gender, sexual, and romantic minorities.

“It gives you energy to say ‘Wow, there are all of these people who are just like me, but also different in their own way'," Alonso said. “There are just a lot of people who are accepting of you.”

MBLGTACC began in 1993, with many colleges in the midwest attending to show support with the LGBT+ community. According to Will, Luther students have attended the event for several years.

WEDNESDAY Snow showers

34/23 CORRECTIONS In a December 14 article titled "Nursing department assesses changes," Chips reported that the nursing department's retention rate for its 2017 class was 50 percent. This is incorrect—the retention rate was 73 percent.

Further, the article is misleading in its description of why the department made the changes. Nursing Department Head La Donna Dale McGohan stated in a correction that "Assessments that motivated our adjustments include student feedback, student performance, faculty feedback, national trends and/or guidelines, and clinical site feedback."

Icons designed by Freepik from Flaticon.

NEWS

PAGE 4

FEBRUARY 23, 2017

Life Outside Luther MILO YIANNOPOULOS RESIGNS Political provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos quit his position as a senior editor of the Breitbart News website. The far-right commentator resigned after comments he made condoning relationships between men and young boys. Yiannopoulos said that some of his comments were taken out of context.

TRUDEAU: CANADA WILL CONTINUE TO ACCEPT ASYLUM SEEKERS Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday that Candada will continue to accept asylum seekers illegally entering the country from the United States. This announcement comes following an increase in refugees into Canada at unguarded border crossings in the weeks since Donald Trump was elected president.

U.S. HOMELAND SECURITY EMPLOYEES LOCKED OUT OF COMPUTER NETWORKS According to three sources, the Department of Homeland Security employees in the Washington and Philadelphia areas were unable to access some agency computer networks on Tuesday. A DHS official since realeased a statement confirming a network outage that temporarily affected four U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) facilities in the areas.

U.S. SECRET SERVICE DIRECTOR RESIGNS On Tuesday, U.S. Secret Service Director Joseph Clancy declared that he plans to step down. Clancy, who took over the position two years ago after the high-profile security lapses by service members responsible for protecting the president, will of ficially step down on March 4., the agency says. President Donald Trump will now be tasked with selecting his own security chief.

Compiled from: reuters.com

POLICE BLOTTER Feb. 19 On Feb.19 Decorah police officers arrested and charged Aubrey Highum ('20) with providing false identification to a police officer and public intoxication, simple misdemeanors. Paige Timmerman ('20) was arrested and charged with possession of a fictitious license/ ID, serious misdemeanor, and public intoxication, simple misdemeanor.

Both were booked into the Winneshiek County Jail.

The information in the log comes from the Decorah police department activity bulletin.

All those accused of violating the law are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

NEWS EDITORS: DANNY MAY & JACOB WAREHIME PRAIRIE | PAGE 1 According to Assistant Professor of Biology and chair of the Land Use Committee Molly McNicoll, the Land Use Committee is an advisory body in charge of overseeing decisions regarding the use of natural areas owned by the college based on Luther’s Land Stewardship Plan. The committee consists of faculty and administrative representatives as well as student representatives.

McNicoll said that the Land Use Committee is in the process of compiling a report on the potential effects of a school on Anderson Prairie.

“We are a coordinating and recommending body,” McNicoll said “We gather information from faculty, students, and staff. At the end of February we will put it in a report and we will vote on it. The summary will be presented to the Board of Regents. But where it will go from there is dependent on how the President’s office decides to pursue it.”

Currently, the Land Use Committee is still collecting student opinions for consideration before submitting their recommendation to President Paula J. Carlson and the board of Regents Student representative for the Land Use Committee Shannon Meehan (‘18) says her goal is to accurately represent student interests surrounding Anderson Prairie.

“We have talked about whose voices we want to hear,” Meehan said. “It was emphasized that the student voice is very important. Comments that are made by students will be taken with high consideration, possibly even over alumni and other areas of people.”

Forum attendee Matthew Peterson (‘17) has used Anderson Prairie throughout his time at Luther and expressed concern about its usage for a school site.

“I am a biology student who has done prairie burns as well as research on all the lands,” Peterson said. “I hike regularly and I enjoy every part of Luther’s natural areas. I am opposed to the idea — not the idea of a school being built, because it seems like [Decorah School District] STRATEGIC | PAGE 1 The Strategic Planning Committee, with the aid of Kelling and Associates — a consulting firm hired

by Luther to design a plan — have gathered student and community input in three primary ways: open forums, an email survey, and idea walls.

While Board of Regents approval is needed to adopt a plan, the Luther community, not the board, is in charge of the direction of the proposed changes.

“We’re not asking the Board at this stage to make any decisions, but to be engaged in the conversation,” Sparkes said.

Student representative Jordan Boge (‘18) explained that to remain competitive, institutions must always be changing and improving themselves.

“The assumption is that Luther is doing a lot of things well but we can always do better and this plan is supposed to do that,” Boge said.

Sparkes emphasised that the planning committee is willing to take risks and is aspiring to make

needs one — but the location is not ideal.”

Peterson also voiced his concerns during the student panel.

“Some of the questions raised today resonate with questions of land ethics,” Peterson said.

“Does it meet mission statement standards?

What are the carbon sequestrations? I think they need to acknowledge that.”

The concerns raised by Peterson were

“The student voice is very important.

Comments that are made by students will be taken with high consideration, possibly even over alumni and other areas of people.”

- Shannon Meehan ('18) echoed by other attendees at the forum. Since the announcement of the proposal, the Luther College Biology Department wrote and posted an open letter to Carlson on the Luther College Biology Department webpage. The introduction of the letter states: “Anderson Prairie is the face of our natural areas, given its proximity to our main entrance and high visibility from campus. The current proposal to develop a portion of this prairie will sacrifice our reputation and strong academic standing as a model for conservation and stewards of native biodiversity and water resources.”

Carlson responded to concerns regarding the mission statement.

“The mission statement sets forth the college's commitment to practice joyful stewardship of

meaningful changes to Luther.

“Out of the responses that we have received from phase one, we’re going to be looking for and calling for some of those big, bold, audacious ideas, and probably more mundane ideas along the way,” Sparkes said.

The second stage will start mid-March and continue through the summer. This stage will see the formation of priorities gathered from the input the committee received in stage one. The third stage, Plan Completion and Adoption, will happen in the fall of 2017.

Boge said that Luther has made an effort to talk to all groups across campus and that he believes a diversity of viewpoints is crucial to the success of the plan.

“Keeling and Associates are meeting with every constituency group possible," Boge said.

"They're talking to domestic students of color, faculty, part-time staff, fulltime staff, they’re getting any perspective you could think of. They’re collecting the data and then putting it in summaries for us to

look at.”

As part of the process to keep the Board of Regents up-to-date, the committee traveled to the Twin Cities on Feb. 11 to meet with the board. Student representative Nathan Campbell (‘18) detailed his experience with the board.

“We all sat at different tables and we talked about three main topics: diversity and inclusion, institutional sustainability, and academic excellence,” Campbell said.

Campbell said the meeting was beneficial because it got all members up to speed on the progress of the process.

“We were able to gauge where they were and how they viewed the process,” Campbell said. “They definitely get the overhead view but we were able to communicate some of the more nuanced ideas and some of the more specific interactions and dynamics that we see on campus.”

Moving forward, the strategic planning committee will shift into the second phase in the coming weeks and start to plan and goal-set for the coming years.

the resources that surround us,"Carlson said.

Among the major issues discussed in the forum, a concern for the financial aspect of the decision was brought up. However, according to Vice President of Finance Eric Runestad, the finances of the decision is a non-factor.

“The financial piece of this is a minor consideration in the project,” Runestad said. “A long-term land lease based upon market rents for would mean $20,000 to $25,000 per year to the college. That is real money, but not the kind of thing that drives the decision.”

Runestad also mentioned that the decision must consider the long-term relationship of cooperation between Luther College and the Decorah community. Carlson also expressed concern over this connection.

“The partnership between Luther College and the Decorah community is very important to us,” Carlson said. “The college and the community have worked together for our common good since the college was founded more than 150 years ago. During these many years, we have worked together on other possibilities and our partnership remains strong. We will continue to nurture this important partnership with our community.”

The biology department’s open letter also addresses the issue of community relations.

“While we recognize the close relationship that Luther has with other institutions in Decorah, and the inherent value we place on its outstanding educational system, granting the use of prairie space negatively impacts the educational mission of the college. The proposal to site an elementary school in Anderson Prairie goes against the environmental values the college espouses, the academic mission and uses of our natural areas, and the sense of place that draws many students specifically to the college.”

According to McNicoll, students and staff who could not attend the forums or still wish to have their voices heard should follow the link to a submittable forum on Luther’s website at: www.luther.edu/sustainability/about/ council/elementary-school-proposal/

NEW DEAN | PAGE 1 The final candidate to apply was Poonam Arora.

Arora earned her bachelor's degree from St. Stephen's College in India. She then went on to earn a master's degree in English from the University of Delhi.

Arora recieved her Ph.D. at Binghamton University.

After completing her education, Arora taught as an associate professor while directing the Women and Gender Studies program at the University of Michigan Dearborn for nearly twenty years. After that, she went on to become an assistant dean at Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates. Arora returned to the U.S. after applying to be an English professor and the Vice President of Diversity Integration at Hamline University where she stayed until 2012. After her time at Hamline, she began to work at Grinnell College as the Dean of Diversity and Inclusion.

Interim Director of Diversity Center Wintlett Taylor-Browne said the Diversity Center is optimistic about the new position.

“There is not a single person on this campus that will not benefit from this position,” Taylor-Browne said. “Nobody. A position like this that helps all of us think broadly about diversity and inclusion can only be for the better."

However, some have raised concerns over the influenece of the new position. Professor of Religion Guy Nave said he is worried that the new dean will not be given enough control to make a difference.

“While the title suggests this position is concerned about institutional equity and inclusion, according to the last organizational structure flowchart that I saw, the only direct reporting line to this position is the Luther Diversity Center," Nave said. "It seems to me that by limiting the position's direct oversight to the Diversity Center only, the college is suggesting that the Diversity Center is the only place where issues of equity and inclusion are addressed.”

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT A&E EDITOR: ELIZABETH BONIN

PAGE 5 FEBRUARY 23, 2017

The fight for equality in art and architecture

Artist Muha Bazila paints portraits of people of color to raise questions about diversity.

OLIVIA ENQUIST STAFF WRITER Brazilian artist and architect Muha Bazila gave a lecture titled “A Reflection on Art, Representation, and Black Militancy.” He gave the lecture and displayed his artwork to a group of approximately 30 Luther College students, faculty members, and Decorah community members on Feb. 15. His artistic practice is a response to racial discrimination within art.

Bazila discussed the racial inequalities in Brazilian education, his own cultural influences, and the importance of representation of people

different states of Brazil, particularly the socioeconomic landscapes and ethnic populations Some cities such as Brasília are ultramodern in design and are segregated by economic class, while other cities such as Rio De Janero people of different socioeconomic classes live adjacent to each other.

Attendee Veronica Seher (‘17) said that the explanation of the different areas of Brail is vital in understanding differences in cultural influences.

“I’m really happy that the speaker provided information on Brazil’s different states,” Seher said. “It helped because it can be easy to forget how big

“...Muha Bazila talked about the importance of cultural representation in artowrk and how there is a fine line that exists between representation and appropiation.”

-Ryan Koning (‘19) of color in art. A teacher and mentor of Bazila inspired him to combine his interests in art with his degree in architecture.

Bazila debuted as a painter with his 2014 series “Odara” which emphasized the beauty of black women in Brazil.

Since then he has presented his artwork in festivals in São Paulo, Paris, and New York City.

“I find it important to appreciate the black woman aesthetically, without necessarily sexualizing,” Bazila said in a 2015 interview with NoBrasil.

Bazila began the lecture by describing Brazilian geography and population statistics. He went into detail about the

Brazil is and that each city is unique especially in culture. You can especially see this diversity in music like samba. It reminded me that, similar to how cities here in the U.S. will feel different, so will cities in Brazil.”

Overall, Bazila emphasized the importance of representation and how the ability to see oneself within art and culture should never be a privilege. He used photos to highlight the differences that currently exist in Brazilian culture, specifically in the state of Salvador.

Bazila used two photos to contrast differences. One photo depicted a protest that would normally be seen on the streets of Salvador, Brazil.

Muha Bazila paints portraits of women are exclusively women of color.

The second photo was of a beauty pageant in the same area. While the protest showed a diverse mix of ethnicities, the pageant contained only one person of color.

Bazila challenged the audience members to think differently about those representations in art. He described how friends and colleagues would ask why he only paints women of color.

He went further to say that few people question when an artist only paints white people, and that it should be normal for people to have access to media that accurately represents their culture and ethnicity.

Attendee Anna Phearman (‘19) studied in Brazil this past January term and appreciated how Bazila represented his country in a variety of ways.

“I would say what struck me most about his lecture was how he intertwined various elements of his background and experiences in Brazil in order to create unique portrayals of Brazilian culture,” Phearman said. “Having traveled to Brazil for this January term, I was happy to see Brazilian culture portrayed in such a way.”

Attendee Ryan Koning (‘19) was glad that Bazila explained the differences between representing a person from a different culture and appropriating that culture in art.

“I really appreciated that Muha Bazila talked about the importance of cultural representation in artwork and how there is a fine line that exists between representation and appropriation,” Koning said. “As a portrait painter, it is easy to get wrapped up into the subject without thinking about how the viewer may interpret them in an unintended way. Bazila helped me navigate how to represent cultures other than my own in an authentic and well-intentioned way.”

Photo courtesy of mariapreta.org

Below: Muha Bazila aims to bring more black female representation in art.

Photo courtesy of afropunk.com

Above: An example of Muha Bazila portraits.

Below: Muha Bazila poses with one of his portraits.

Photos courtesy of luther.edu

FEATURES

PAGE 6 FEBRUARY 23, 2017

FEATURES EDITOR: FRAN STEVENSON

Anna Jeide (‘16) and Billy Jeide (‘18) during a camping trip. Bahkita Soares (‘18) and fellow classmates in the White House in Washington D.C.

Photo courtesy of Bahkita Soares (‘18)

Photo courtesy of Anna Jeide (‘16)

Jeide and Soares: 2017 Peace Scholars Director of the Center for Ethics and Public Engagement Victoria Christman helped choose Billy Jeide (‘18) and Bahkita Goncalves Soares (‘18) as the 2017 Peace Scholars who will travel to Norway in the Summer of 2017.

SHASA SARTIN STAFF WRITER The 2017 Peace Scholars were announced the weekend of Feb. 11. This year’s Peace Scholars are Billy Jeide (‘18) and Bakhita Goncalves Soares (‘18). They will spend seven weeks this summer engaging in peace-driven education in Lillehammer and Oslo, Norway.

Each student also receives a scholarship that covers the academic experience.

This was the first year that Associate Professor of History and Director of the Center for Ethics and Public Engagement (CEPE) Victoria Christman headed the application and decision process. Christman sees the program as very valuable to its participants.

“It really is the experience of a lifetime,” Christman said.

Christman was responsible for overseeing the logistics of

the application process. The students were chosen by a decision committee comprised of faculty members on the Honors Committee. Faculty involved in the decision process include Associate Dean and Director of Faculty Development Jeffrey Wilkerson, Associate Professor of Linguistics Laurie Zaring, Associate Professor of Chemistry Claude Mertzenich, and Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies and Political Science Rachel Brummel.

“The criteria for selecting these students is that they must be academically strong enough to make the most of the opportunities,” Christman said. “[They must be] thinking of pursuing a vocation in which such experiences will be benef icial.”

Soares and Jeide both expressed the importance of strengthening their ability to

engage in peaceful dialogue after Luther. Soares plans to continue an initiative headed by 2016 Peace Scholar Betsy Fawcett (‘17) regarding Luther’s social climate while in Norway.

“We are thinking about bridging the relationship between domestic students and international students,” Soares said. “We are trying to find ways to connect them all together again. That is the point of having us [international students] here, so we can learn

Timor and implement what she has learned about peaceful dialogue. She knows firsthand how easy it can be to choose conflict over peace.

“We had [a] civil war in 2006,” Soares said. “Many Timorese students want to find different ways that we can learn about how to build peace in our own countries, or even our own communities wherever we go.”

Soares also wants to work on sustainable development planning, drawing from her

“We are thinking about bridging the relationship between domestic students and international students. We are trying to find ways to connect them all together again. This is the point of having us [international students] here, so we can learn from American culture and Americans can learn from our cultures.”

- Bahkita Goncalves Soares (‘18) from American culture and Americans can learn from our cultures.”

When she leaves Luther, Soares wants to return to East

environmental policy major and her role in the Peace Scholars program.

Soares is also excited to return to Norway since attended high

school at an United World College high school in Flekke, Norway.

“The high school itself was about Red Cross,” Soares said. “So we were really about humanitarianism and helping other people.”

In 2014 Jeide traveled to Peru with American Youth Leadership Program (AYLP) influencing him in his desire to work in South America after Luther. Jeide found that crafting the required 1,000-word essay expanded his understanding of peace studies. “[While writing] I found that peace studies was even more interconnected with what I want to do than I initially thought,” Jeide said. “The greatest need that I see in the world is to move our societies towards a more environmentally conscious way of living.”

Jeide acknowledges that western ideals are often forced onto non-western communities in conversations surrounding development.

“I want to be in a [work] space that is environmentally friendly but also culturally sensitive,” Jeide said.

Soares and Jeidi encourage Luther students to apply for this opportunity in the coming years.

FEATURES

PAGE 7

FEATURES EDITOR: FRAN STEVENSON

FEBRUARY 23, 2017

Rob Larson

Vice President for Communications and Marketing to return to a teaching position in the Business Department Fall of 2017 BIZ WAGENSON STAFF WRITER Vice President for Communications and Marketing Rob Larson will be stepping down from his position after the 20162017 year and returning to the business department to teach this coming fall.

Larson stepped away from teaching to pursue the positon of Executive Director of Communications and Marketing in 2011 for four years before being promoted to Vice President for Communincations and Marketing in 2011. Larson started his career at Luther in 2003 in the business department.

During his time as vice president Larson was responsible for the improvement of Luther’s online influence, according to President Paula J. Carlson.

“One of the major contributions of Mr. Larson in his time as vice president has been the web content expansion,” Carlson said. “During his years [at Luther] the web presence has grown tremendously for Luther.

That is a major accomplishment.”

Larson said that he considers the update and expansion of the website as one of his main accomplishments during his service.

“I think we have as strong a web presence as there is at colleges of our type,” Larson said. “It is very intentional and very focused on the audience that we need to influence.

We didn’t have a video bureau when we started and this year alone we’ve already put out [approximately] 30 videos.”

During his time as Executive director and then vice president,

Larson also had the opportunity to employ students in many capacities, such as web content. One of those students was Branna Elenz (‘17). Elenz worked with Larson on updating Luther First-Year experience webpage, and she felt he was a friendly and constructive employer.

“He’s a great connection to have and really supportive, so even after I didn’t work for him anymore I could always go have a chat with him,” Elenz said. “He really cares and wants to be updated on my life. I’m sure he does that as a professor too.”

Larson is looking forward to returning to the classroom and excited to know more students.

“I can walk across campus [right now] and sometimes I feel like people are about to ask me if I need directions,” Larson said.

“I’m not known to the kids and they’re so important. I have fun in the classroom, I hope I’m an effective professor but like so many of my peers I really value those relationships. I really look forward to being in my discipline and my classroom.”

Carlson also said that she sees Larson’s ability to build relationships with students benefiting his classroom.

“My experience with Rob is he is a dynamic, engaging teacher, and I know that he very much enjoys and values his time in the classroom,” Carlson said. “We here at Luther are all called to have a particularly strong engagement with students.”

Looking ahead to the coming year, Larson may assist the new Vice President for Communication and Marketing in addition to acting as a professor.

Rob Larson teaches a bussiness class.

Photo courtesy of Rob Larson.

College Archivist Hayley Jackson with a archived Luther College baseball hat.

Emma Busch (‘20) | Chips

Luther Archives preserves history

EMMA BUSCH STAFF WRITER The Luther College Archives were established in 1927 with the intent of preserving Luther’s history, a mission continues today with the help of College Archivist Hayley Jackson.

Jackson came to Luther during the summer of 2015 after obtaining master’s degrees in library science and history from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and earning her bachelor’s degree from Elmhurst College. Jackson became interested in doing archival work during her years as an undergraduate student.

“I was a history major and I took a class my junior year on historiography, which is the art of how to write history,” Jackson said. “One of our assignments was to write a paper based on primary sources, so my professor had us visit our college archives. I kind of had a lightbulb moment when I was working down there. I was enjoying working with the artifacts and the papers much more than I was enjoying writing the paper.”

As an archivist, Jackson works to preserve records, primarily paper documents, donated to the college.

However, at one point in time this responsibility belonged to a different position at Luther.

“For many, many years it was cared for by librarians in addition to their other duties,” Jackson said. “Alumni, former professors, and faculty would donate their materials and then of course departments around campus would also send their materials to us. But it wasn’t until 1998, I believe, when we had our first professionally-trained archivist come in and take over the job full time, and that’s what it has been ever since.”

According to Jackson, the archives also accept personal papers from members of the Luther community.

“We accept what we call personal papers from faculty, staff, students, and alumni,” Jackson said. “[We like to collect material from] anyone who is affiliated with Luther because if their story tells part of Luther’s story, then we’re interested in helping

preserve that. So we’ve got a quite wide range of materials.”

Luther’s story is also intertwined with Norwegian history. This influences much of the artifacts found in the archives.

“Many of our founders were Norwegian immigrants themselves,” Jackson said. “Our first president, Laur Larsen, had come from Norway specifically to serve congregations in Minnesota. The Preuses originally came and served in Wisconsin, the Korens also came to serve in Wisconsin. All of their records are part of that Norwegian heritage as well.”

According to Jackson, there are a number of ways to get involved in the archives and she welcomes all Luther students to use this resource to learn more about the school’s history.

“I don’t know how familiar all the students are, but we have Chips, the yearbooks, and the Agora publication all digitized and available through our website,” Jackson said. “So if you’re just interested in looking up some fun Luther history that’s a great place to start and just surf through and read some old newspapers. It gets addicting really fast to read these editorials and see what was considered news at the time.”

Anthropology Lab Instructor and Instructor in Musuem Studies Destiny Crider also uses the archives within her work as an anthropologist and within her classes.

“The archives are useful because they help give context to the materials that we have,” Crider said.

“It helps me to understand as broadly as possible the complexity of the cultures that we’re representing and the history of the college.”

For Jackson, the archives are a reminder that no matter how far removed we are from the people of the past we share many connections with them today. “[I] get invested in these people,” Jackson said. “It reminds [me] that they’re human. I think it’s a little easy to forget, especially in eras when photography was really stiff, that these people are people. They told jokes and had senses of humor and they had feelings.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

PAGE 8 FEBRUARY 23, 2017

A&E EDITOR: ELIZABETH BONIN

Sō Percussion: Passing on philosophy of education and exceptional music KRISTEN WUERL STAFF WRITER Sō Percussion, translating in Japanese as “to offer sound,” performed in the Center for Faith and Life (CFL) on Feb. 18. Sō Percussion is professional, nonprofit percussion quartet and chamber music group Sō Percussion played five pieces, each by a different composer. They played original commissioned music compositions, as well as compositions written by ensemble members.

“When you commission a new piece, even though it’s written by somebody else, you’re very involved in making it happen,” Sō Percussion member Adam Sliwinski said.

“You’re the one who realizes the piece and brings it into the world.”

Sō Percussion does not use conventional percussion instruments. A large part of the group’s repertoire features pieces played with flowerpots, wine bottles, tin cans, rattles, conch shell, and invovles audience participation.

“Part of the interpretation of percussion music is in choosing instruments,” Sliwinski said. “With percussion, you never really know what instruments you’ll be playing [for each piece].”

One instrument the group played was the chord stick, an instrument invented for the piece “Music for Wood and Strings” by Bryce Dessner.

“What’s so cool about this instrument is

Sam Haefner (‘18) observes a member of Sō Percussion in the masterclass.

Lily Kime (‘19) | Chips that the composer designed an instrument that’s like a guitar, except there aren’t any frets,” Sliwinksi said. “You lay it flat and play it like a percussion instrument. It sounds like a lot like an electric guitar with a big sound.

It’s a lot of fun.”

According to Performing Arts Committee (PAC) Co-Vice President Grant Holsinger (‘18), Center Stage Series likes to bring acts to campus that will work clinics with students

on campus or in town. In addition to their performance, Sō Percussion held a masterclass in the CFL with student composers.

The group members sight-read percussion compositions by Hunter Prueger (‘18), Pablo Gomez Estevez (‘17), and Mitch Stevens (‘17). Sō Percussion offered feedback to the three composers during and after playing their music.

Sliwinski said that their goal for the workshop was to give student composers an idea of how their music sounds in a short amount of time. According to Prueger, he gathered his inspiration for his piece “Amateur Madman” from the challenging and unique instruments Sō Percussion plays.

“The group sent us their instrumentation list months [ago],” Prueger said. “It was based off of the Paul Lansky piece ‘Springs’ that the group played in their concert. It includes some unconventional percussion instruments such as tin cans, glass bottles, and pieces of metal.”

According to Sliwinksi, Sō Percussion enjoys mixing performances and educational activities while on tour, especially at universities. They currently serve as the ensemble in residence for the music department at Princeton University.

“We have a pretty strong academic core to our activities,” Sliwinski said. “That’s why we play at a lot of universities. That tie to universities and academia is very strong.”

Sō Percussion will host a percussion festival this summer at Princeton University July 16-30.

Jonathon Struve strives to set a musical example

Adjunct Faculty in Music Jonathon Struve (‘02) performs in the Noble Recital Hall.

Lily Kime (‘19) | Chips

LILY KIME STAFF WRITER Adjunct Faculty in Music Jonathon Struve (‘02) presented the only voice faculty artist recital of the semester in the Noble Recital Hall on Feb. 16. This recital involved collaboration with several faculty members of the music department and was a display of the talent possessed by Luther College faculty.

Struve’s recital incorporated a wide variety of languages, genres, and tones of music. The recital began with the performance of Johann Sebastian Bach’s cantata “Ich Habe Genug.”

The piece was performed in full by Struve, Instructor in Music Kathryn Reed on harpsichord, Associate Professor of Music Heather Armstrong on oboe, Professor of Music Virginia Strauss on violin, Visiting Assistant Professor of Music Igor Kalnin on Violin, Professor of Music Spencer

Martin on viola, and Assistant Professor of Music Philip Borter on cello. This cantata, sung in German, was written to capture the delight of a devout man described in Luke 2:21-39 holding the newborn Jesus who he had hoped to see before his death.

After the cantata, Struve and Visiting Assistant Professor of Music Nicholas Shaneyfelt performed six of George Butterworth’s songs from “A Shropshire Lad.” These six consecutive songs from the composition were sung in English and told the story of appreciating life.

Struve and Shaneyfelt then continued with two Italian pieces by Francesco Paolo Tosti, “La Serenata” and “L’ultimo Canzone.” They ended the recital with a French song set by Maurice Ravel. Ravel uses a variety of style and meter choices to convey the meaning behind each of his pieces.

This wide range of music chosen for this recital was an impressive display of the extent of Struve’s vocal talent. Associate Professor of Physics and audience member Erin Flater (‘01) appreciated the variety of the pieces performed by Struve.

“It was really dynamic,” Flater said.

“It covered a broad range of emotions and the words were so deep and meaningful.”

When choosing the pieces to perform in this recital, Struve did not have a particular theme in mind.

According to Struve, he chose these

songs on the basis that they were either things that he has wanted to sing or that he enjoys singing.

The Bach piece was included in the recital because Struve had performed it previously without instrumentation, which is something that he had wanted to do for some time. Other songs, such as the George Butterworth pieces, were songs that Struve discovered during his time in graduate school but never had the opportunity to sing.

Although faculty recitals are not required to follow the same specification as student recitals, Struve made an effort to periodically follow these rules as an example for students. For this particular recital, he followed the language requirement by performing songs in four different languages: German, English, Italian, and French. Struve feels that faculty recitals are important for both the faculty to continue their professional resume and for students to experience and use in their growth as musicians.

“I think it is important for students to see their professors being active performers,” Struve said. “It is sort of an expectation of your job to be teaching and doing this professional work, so you show students that you are able to do what you are asking them to do.

Sometimes I will choose repertoire that I am assigning to my students all of the time so that they can hear somebody who has graduate degrees in voice singing those works.”

This recital served as an example for student instrumentalists. There was a great deal of instrumental talent showcased in the recital from seven professors collaborating with Struve.

Music major and audience member Brenna Sherman (‘19) enjoyed seeing a performance that members of the music faculty worked together to create.

“The collaboration of the other music professors to enhance Professor Struve’s recital was phenomenal,” Sherman said. “They all showed the musical qualities that they want their students to emulate.”

The way in which this music was presented was a source of enjoyment for those in attendance, according to audience member Anna Krenshaw.

She appreciated the rehearsal Struve put into this recital and noted how he showed familiarity with the meanings of each song.

“I just loved his expressions,” Krenshaw said. “In [‘La Serenata’], I was so excited for his facial expressions and I was not disappointed.”

According to Struve, an important step of learning any piece is researching the composer and the relevant history of the composition because it helps decipher what the composer is trying to communicate through a specific piece. The next recital for the faculty artist series will be Igor Kalnin’s violin performance in the Noble Recital Hall on March 5.

OPINION

PAGE 9

MANAGING EDITOR: MAKEDA BARKLEY

STAFF Editor-in-Chief Emily Crowe Managing Editor Makeda Barkley News Editors Danny May Jacob Warehime Features Editor Fran Stevenson A&E Editor Elizabeth Bonin Sports Editor Katrina Meyer Staff Writers Lily Kime Ana Lopez Sam Mitchell Shasa Sartin Ben Selcke Biz Wagenson

Madeline Ajack Shannon Baker Emma Busch Xavier Conzet Julia Curtis Olivia Enquist

Part-time Writers Nora Felt Kristen Wuerl Head Copy Editor Olivia Benson Copy Editors Elyse Grothaus Sarah Owens Ad Representatives Tyler Hovery Madeline Petellin Web Content Manager Michael Vann Social Media Director Elyse Grothaus Distribution Manager Sarah Owens 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 5:00 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.

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FEBRUARY 23, 2017

TO THE EDITOR

The danger of blindly following our fears I’m currently in Washington D.C. doing an internship with the Democratic Governors Association for the semester. During my stay, I had the incredible opportunity to witness the inauguration of President Donald Trump. While I find Trump to be repulsive on multiple levels, I could not help but stand in awe of history unfolding in front of me. To be honest, however, this moment lasted for all of two seconds.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) took to the podium and started to talk about the virtues of equality and patriotism. He even mentioned this: “Whatever our race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, whether we are immigrant or native-born, whether we live with disabilities or do not, in wealth or in poverty, we are all exceptional in our commonly held, yet fierce

devotion to our country, and in our willingness to sacrifice our time, energy, and even our lives to making it a more perfect union.” As he said this, a chorus of boos rang out across the sea the of red hats that flooded the West Lawn of the Capitol.

But why? Sen. Schumer talked about what makes America the country we know and love, so where did all of this hatred come from? I have a theory.

The primary motivation behind all of this hatred is fear: fear of terrorists coming overseas to blow us all up.

The thing to remember is that this fear is not irrational. Terrorist attacks happen around the world and it’s hard to forget about 9/11. However, the problem with this fear is that it is leading to the creation of policies that do not directly address these fears and/or they end up harming more people than they are helping.

Of the seven countries that are a part of Trump’s executive order, not one country post-9/11 has produced a terrorist that has killed Americans within our borders. However, this travel ban threatens to tear families apart, has hurt America’s global reputation, and is blocking many women and children from seeking asylum in this country (around 75 percent of refugees are women and children).

This misplaced trust in fear is just a single example of how politicians can manipulate our feelings to push agendas that harm people. To quote one of my favorite fictional characters: “Fear leads to anger.

Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” –Yoda.

Sincerely, Geoffrey Dyck (‘18)

EDITORIAL

Proposed school: Proximity to Luther not reason enough After returning to campus three weeks ago, it seems like talk of the proposal to construct an elementary school in Anderson Prairie has been inescapable. I have seen flyers across campus, been invited to numerous panels concerning the prairie, and read a number of pleas on Facebook to oppose the proposal. Many of my peers, both science majors OLIVIA BENSON and not, have offered compelling HEAD COPY EDITOR arguments against the proposed school founded in the health of the prairie and the importance of conservation. While I do agree with their opinions, I would like to consider the proposed school from the perspective of an education major and a future teacher, voices I have found noticeably absent in this discussion.

In the issues of Chips printed on Dec. 4 , Decorah Community School District Superintendent Michael Haluska said that “the school board looks to engage in educational collaboration if the new facility is built in close proximity to Luther’s campus, such as establishing a laboratory-type setting in the prairie and also bringing in Luther students to help teach second languages to elementary students.” While I cannot deny that this kind of collaboration would be beneficial to both parties, I find it absurd to suggest that such a partnership would suddenly result from an elementary school in such close proximity to Luther.

After all, John Cline Elementary is already just a five-minute drive from campus. If Luther students and classes would be willing to make the five-minute walk to the proposed school, shouldn’t they logically also be willing to make the five-minute drive to John Cline? Therefore, how would the proposed elementary school change Luther’s current relationship with and access to Decorah schools? Luther students and the education department already work closely with John Cline. There are a multitude of students placed at the school for ED185 and teaching practicums, student workers and volunteers collaborating with classroom teachers in the school, and Luther students volunteering their time to tutor academically struggling students. What educational opportunities could a new elementary school possibly offer than John Cline Elementary isn’t already providing? If Luther language students would benefit from teaching in a elementary school, why aren’t they already doing? Suggesting that the proposed elementary school on Anderson Prairie would bring new educational opportunities to Luther students completely ignores our current partnership with John Cline and is blatantly unfounded in reality.

Furthermore, anyone interested in volunteering or working in the

Decorah Community School District has to pay at least a $47 fee to obtain a background check. I find it unlikely that any Luther class would feel that reducing our proximity to an elementary school by one mile merited adapting their curriculum to allow for a partnership with said elementary school. However, let’s say that a department or class was motivated to change their curriculum to collaborate with the elementary school. Would any academic department be willing to charge students potentially hundreds of dollars for the necessary background checks to do so? Moreover, if Luther classes outside of the education department could benefit from a partnership with Decorah schools why aren’t they currently pursuing them? How would the newly proposed school change anything in this regard?

Finally, the proposed elementary school would not only be a detriment to the prairie, but I feel it would also be a detriment to the students of said school. No child wants to attend school in a community where the presence of their school is unwanted by community members. From the reactions I have seen to the proposal to build an elementary school on the prairie I can say with some certainty that if the elementary school is built it will be met by animosity from the majority of the population at Luther. Students deserve better than to receive an education where their very presence is considered a travesty. Decorah teachers deserve better than to work in a school where, through no fault of their own, they will likely face stigma and bias because of the repercussions of the construction of their school building.

If students and teachers will not benefit from the proposed elementary school on the Anderson Prairie and Luther will not receive any additional benefits from the proposed elementary school, what can be done? How do we move forward? I don’t have the perfect solution and I’m sure that there are nuances to this discussion that I can only begin to understand. What I can offer however, is a request. A request to those who still are in favor of the proposed school on Anderson Prairie to stop using the proximity of the proposed elementary school as an argument for its existence. It will be only one mile closer than John Cline Elementary and, in all actuality, will change very little in our current relationship with Decorah Community School District.

For those of you that already oppose the school proposal, I implore you to not only consider the biological and environmental consequences of this potential school, but the educational consequences as well. There has to be a better solution for Decorah Community School District as they seek to incorporate students from the North Winneshiek Community School District. Could they not revisit the other potential sites for their new school? Is there no way to expand on John Cline Elementary or Carrie Lee Elementary to accommodate for this influx of new students? I know that I do not have the answers to these questions. But I do know that there has to be an alternative to this proposed elementary school which will ultimately benefit neither Luther, nor the prairie, nor the Decorah Community School District.

OPINION

PAGE 10 FEBRUARY 23, 2017

MANAGING EDITOR: MAKEDA BARKLEY

EDITORIAL

New Voices Act and student journalism This past weekend I attended the Best of the Midwest Associated Collegiate Press conference in Minneapolis. At the conference the Chips staff had the opportunity to attend sessions and receive critiques on how to improve our content and design. While we learned about how to enhance a paper’s ELIZABETH BONIN structure, localize the news, and develop an interesting A&E EDITOR story, what motivated me even more was the topic the keynote speaker addressed: the New Voices Act. I had never heard of the New Voices Act. It began when a group of college students in North Dakota wrote legislation in response to the Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier case. The Supreme Court ruling of this case decided that school officials may censor or prevent the publication of student media content without having violated First

Amendment rights. The New Voices Act is striving to protect the rights of students in high school, public universities, and private colleges such as Luther. Since 2013, the New Voices Act has made headway. But the point of this piece isn’t to detail the New Voices Act. The point is that I truly realized how important the media as a whole and the freedom of the press is, especially in the era of the Trump presidency.

President Trump (I hate writing that) has claimed journalists are the “enemy of the American people.” He has called out specific politicians and newspapers that disagree with him. As a result, he has created fear among people. While at the conference, the keynote speaker stated that a news station in Texas changed their broadcast material because they feared backlash. This is the kind of fear and censorship Trump has created. Without even having to create new legislation, Trump has already increased censorship of the media.

As students, we know we are the future. If we want to promote future change, it is our duty to educate ourselves about the world around us. But how can we fully do so if cases such as Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier allow censorship, and if our president is causing censorship as well? This is why journalism and the freedom of the press is vital. Not only as students, but as Americans, we deserve the

right to know what is happening around us and how these events affect us. We cannot be the change if we do not know enough.

Trump has also made many claims of “fake news.” As a journalist, I can’t say that every single news story is 100 percent true. There is always the risk of bias and occasionally facts can be misconstrued.

As news consumers, we must take the responsibility of being smart consumers. We must read and watch as many news outlets as we can. This gives us a wide variety of perspectives and can shed light on potential contradictions. As a journalist, I can also disagree with Trump that journalists are not out to get anyone by printing and broadcasting lies. Our responsibility is to inform the people, but we can not do that if we are censored not only be legislation, but by fear of repercussion. Repercussions are scary. But ignorance is far worse.

The media arguably needs more support at this period in time than any other. This can be as big as calling your legislators about the New Voices Act or submitting a story idea, or simply subscribing to a local paper and talking about the issues with your community.

Freedom and national support of the press is a vital way to create change and awareness.

EDITORIAL

Falsely-based fear of providing abortions leads to de-funding of crucial NEICAC The Northeast Iowa Community Action Corporation (NEICAC) received about 50 percent of its funding from the Iowa Family Planning Network Waiver (IFPN) last year. According to EMILY CROWE NEICAC’s website, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF this non-profit provides “Early Childhood Education, Housing, Family Services, Regional Transit, Family Planning, and Energy Assistance.”

You will note that in that list of services the NEICAC provides to low-income families in Decorah, abortion is not included.

And yet, because of a fear that tax payer money might go toward providing abortions—which are an important aspect of women’s healthcare, but that is beside the point—this community-centered organization may lose a large portion of its funding, essential to help underprivileged Winneshiek county residents.

While Energy Assistance, Regional Transit, Housing, and Early Childhood Education may not seem like the most relevant services for Luther students, the Family Planning services provide birth control, sexual health care, cancer screening, and sexually transmitted diseases (STD) testing to anyone,

regardless of gender or income. That means that even as college students with little to no extra funds, Luther students can drop in to NEICAC and receive the healthcare that they need at a reduced rate, often cheaper even than visiting Health Services on campus.

Prices at NEICAC are prorated depending on clients’ ability to pay, so it is difficult to say exactly how much each of their services cost. They are also able to bill Medicaid and private insurance which can sometimes be a problem through health services.

For instance, if you were to go to Health Services for emergency contraceptives, it would cost you $30.

If you don’t have health insurance, this is actually a pretty good deal. However, if you were to stop into NEICAC, you might be able to get them for free or at least cheaper. This will likely not be the case when their

funding is cut due to the Iowa House of Representetives decision to discontinue the Medicaid fund to prevent abortions, something that is already not being done at the NEICAC. If the idea that an organization that does so much good is losing funding because people are scared it might perform a service that it has never and does not perform makes you mad—and it should—you should call our Iowa Representatives and let them know. They can be reached by phone as follows: Kevin Koester (R) at 515-321-6575, Beth Wessel-Kroeschell (D) at 515281-3221, and Shannon Lundgren (R) at 563-4516200. Phone calls are short and easy, and much more effective than writing letters. For more information, reference page two article titled, “Bill moves to Iowa House to reallocate clinic funding” in this issue.

TO THE EDITOR

In response: “Mental health education and support” You can do public marches to decry the stigma of mental illness.

Yes, you can, or you can march against those who direct that prejudice. They are the real issue. You could also march against those who repeat that prejudice, they do as much harm. In fact, because of their numbers, they do more harm.

“Advocacy For” is the positive use of language to achieve positive goals. It is measured by the frequency of positive affirmations, the infrequency of negatives. As simple as that seems, recognizing the positives and the negatives in a society which confuses the two is often difficult. The use of positives must be deliberate, constant, and consistent, for it takes many positives to overcome one single negative.Though it is a rule of “Advocacy For” to present the positive, sometimes negatives are so well established, focusing on them can bring them clearly to peoples’ consciousness. In the simplest, most

common of metaphors lie the most powerful negatives.

A First Primer of “Don’ts”: •Avoid the intransitive verbs “are” or “is” and thereby avoid the offensivelabeling of people as “schizophrenics” or “a schizophrenic.” Instead, useperson-centered language and name the illness, such as “He/she has schizophrenia.”

•Avoid the articles “the”, “a”, and thereby avoid “the” mentally ill, “a” depressive. Use “person-centered” language, such as “people with bipolar disorder” or an “individual with depression.”

•Avoid using adjectives that label people. Instead, use substantives, naming their conditions.

•Avoid “mental illness”. Whenever you can use the fully informative, specific diagnosis.

•Avoid “mental illness” in the singular. Use the plural, “mental illnesses,” as there are many.

•Avoid “mental” illness. Whenever possible, use illness instead.

They are illnesses.

•Avoid the innuendo “stigma”, it victimizes. Use instead “prejudice” or “discrimination,” “cultural bias”, specifics which can be concretely addressed or redressed.

•Avoid recounting “myths,” as they are repeated in folk cultures well known, instead inform and educate to truths.

•Avoid what is “not” true, educate to truths.

Signed, Harold A. Maio, retired mental health editor Ft. Myers, FL

TO THE EDITOR

In response: “Google’s 2-step Verification: Not worth the hassle” On behalf of ITS, I’d like to respond to the students in last week’s edition of CHIPS that expressed frustration with the new policy to require Google 2-Step Verification on Luther email addresses.

It is unfortunate that a class was held up.

Security doesn’t have to be an inconvenience.

2-Step can be quick and accessible to everyone.

Many people just need other, better ways to get their codes. Authenticator apps are popular and don’t rely on cell or wifi service. Printed backups

are always there in a pinch. Physical keys are great for people without phones. Enable as many alternative methods as possible. The Technology Help Desk can get you started.

The reality is that phishing has only gotten more sophisticated and targeted. Without 2-Step, one wrong step and your personal information is available to a nefarious actor. They can login to your email and not only get at your personal information, but pretend to be you or entice you to give up passwords or download malware.

The threat is real. Compromised accounts are really weaponized accounts, and we need to remember that the other people attacked through a compromised account are also victims.

A compromised account exploits and degrades trust in your community, trust in Luther, and trust in you. A compromised account threatens all the people you know, everything that has ever passed through your computer, and any system to which you have access or with which you interact.

2-Step Verification is becoming the new minimum security standard almost everywhere. You’re probably used to seeing it on bank accounts, though maybe implemented differently. Security is also one of many skills which contribute to your digital literacy. We recommend that you visit turnon2fa.com to find other services that support 2-Step.

Signed, Jesse Mulert, Technology Help Desk Lead

SPORTS

PAGE 11

FEBRUARY 23, 2017

SPORTS EDITOR: KATRINA MEYER

Four athletes break Luther records MADELINE AJACK STAFF WRITER Four Luther athletes have recently broken school records in both Track and Field and Swimming and Diving. Members on the Luther Track and Field Team Collin Kern (‘20) and Andrew Millan (‘20) have both recently broken the school’s 1000m record. Swimmers Samantha Kraft (‘18) and Matthew Staver (‘20) broke school records in the 1650m freestyle and the 400m individual medley respectively.

Kern and Millan both gained important experience from such remarkable success so early on in their athletic careers.

Millan, the first record-holder, explained the importance of this success.

“It improves confidence knowing that we have been able to make a comfortable transition from high school to this program,” Millan said.

Kern and Millan both broke the 1000m run record, however, Millan holds the new record, having beat Kern by .04 seconds in the race. Kern described the value in his record-breaking performance.

“I guess to know that I’ve broken a record means that I am capable of performing well at Luther and it is just another reminder to trust in the guidance of my coaches and the training on my team,” Kern said.

Kraft is looking forward to next season with added confidence.

“Although our season is over, it gives us excitement going into next year knowing we can crush those records again,” Kraft said.

According to Head Swimming and Diving Coach Nicole Kaupp, Kraft’s performance and endurance exemplified how all of her hard work has paid off in training since her first year.

“For someone like Sam Kraft, she has been chasing the school record in the 1650 free for three years,” Kaupp said. “Yes, she broke the school record. But more importantly, she set a personal best time in the 1650m by over 13 seconds. The school record was just a byproduct of her outstanding swim.”

Breaking a school record is an impressive feat, especially for Staver, Millan, and Kern as first-year students.

Team support is a huge factor to the members of these sports teams, especially on the track team. Millan explained the importance of all the teammates during a race.

“Having Collin right there to race with is a large part of us as a team,” Millan said.

Luther swimmers and divers also value teamwork in their success. Staver explained how his teammates helped

contribute to his success.

“Holding a record is definitely a confidence booster, but it goes both ways, I wouldn’t have broken any records without my team cheering me on,” Staver said.

This success helps both the Swimming and Diving and the Track and Field Teams with their ability to perform with more confidence and to encourage their members and their team to push their limits.

In the end, the performances came down to the team environment. Staver expressed his gratitude for his team members.

“I’m so glad that I have been able to contribute to Luther’s swimming legacy,” Staver said. “Our team has such a great environment. We all push each other to be the best we can be. I would not have been able to put in the necessary work this season if I did not love this team as much as I do.”

Sam Kraft (‘18) starts a race against Coe.

Photo courtesy of Annika Vande Krol (‘19)

Women’s Soccer Senior Legacy SHANNON BAKER STAFF WRITER After winning the 2016 Conference Championships and making an appearance in the NCAA tournament this past fall, the Luther College Women’s Soccer Team (LCWS) is graduating 11 seniors this May. Despite their ultimate success in the 2016 season, LCWS faced hardships throughout their most recent season as well. This past fall, the team was not able to play at home until the end of September due to flooding. Ultimately, they played only six home games and travelled a total of 4,766 miles by bus to play away games. In the middle of September, LCWS lost to both UW-Whitewater and UW-LaCrosse — two teams that appeared in the national tournament in 2015. Through rainstorms and delays, Head Women’s Soccer Coach Russell Schouweiler believes the team needed to lose.

“They were battle-tested,” Schouweiler said. “If you can deal with [all] that, you can deal with some crazy girl trying to knock you down for 90 minutes.”

This adversity paid off for the team who ended up with a record of 13-3-3 which earned them a berth in the NCAA III National Tournament for the first time in school history. The 2016 season brought many other awards and honors for the team including

co-conference champions, with a record game winning streak of 13, and an overall National Soccer Coaches Association of America ranking of 25th in the nation.

This season was not typical of the careers of the 11 seniors on the team. With their 2013 season beginning with four straight losses, the LCWS seniors had a rough start to their Luther College soccer careers. Throughout their four years on the team, the seniors accrued school records such as Best Start to the Season in 2014 and Most Consecutive Wins in 2015, yet they did not go to the national tournament until 2016. According to Schouweiler, the current seniors’ rocky first seasons did not deter them from making history; they

set a school record winning streak of 13 matches this past season.

“This group of seniors had to go through a lot,” Schouweiler said. “They were 1-5 their first six games. It’s fantastic for them to go out in the way that they did.”

Beyond the statistics, school records, and their bout in the national tournament, the seniors of LCWS have impacted the team in crucial ways.

Melisse Chasse (‘17) a leading forward for LCWS, described the important lesson other players can take away from the seniors.

“We have had to learn some tough lessons, but as a group we were able to rise and end up on top,” Chasse said. “I hope future players look at our years here

LCWS poses for a team photo after winning Conference.

and see that believing in your teammates is necessary for success on the field.”

Erin Danielson (‘17), a senior midfielder, hopes the legacy left by this year’s seniors is one of team unity.

“How successful they are as far as wins and losses next year doesn’t matter as much to us as team chemistry and things that are less sought-out on the statistics sheet,” Danielson said.

The number of graduating seniors in 2017 is a big turnover for LCWS, who lost only five seniors last year. Of the ten graduating, seven were starters, ensuring that the team on the field next year will be very different.

Attacking center midfielder

Lauren Hughes (‘17) talked about the future of LCWS after she and her fellow seniors leave.

“A lot of players will definitely be lost, but we aren’t irreplaceable,” Hughes said. “I think we have strong personnel that will step up and continue the success of LCWS.” Younger players on LCWS will have to rise to new leadership roles, but the fresh-from-nationals team plans to maintain their strong cohesiveness and heart as Lindsay McFarland (‘20) explained.

“The seniors definitely built the foundation of the program and what LCWS stands for today,” McFarland said. “Next year will be different, but what’s not going to change is our identity. We are still LCWS soccer.”

Photo Courtesy of Coach Russ Schouweiler

SPORTS SPORTS EDITOR: KATRINA MEYER

PAGE 12

FEBRUARY 23, 2017

Fifth Annual Norse Awards celebrates 2016

Weekly Standings Men’s Basketball Nebraska Wes. Loras Buena Vista Simpson Wartburg Central Dubuque Coe Luther

IIAC 11-5 11-5 10-6 9-7 8-8 8-8 7-9 6-10 2-14

Recent Scores

Overall 18-7 18-7 14-11 16-9 16-9 14-11 10-15 10-15 4-19

Feb. 15 @ Simpson College L 74-62 Feb. 18 vs. Central College L 105-70

Women’s Basketball

Several coaches come together to make a presentation.

JULIA CURTIS STAFF WRITER The Athletics Department hosted the fifth annual Norse Awards in Regents Center on Feb. 19. The event, including a reception for athletes before the award ceremony, recognized individual athletes and teams from spring 2016 through January 2017 for their achievements during their respective seasons.

Associate Professor of Health and Physical Education and Program Director of Athletic Training Brian Solberg (‘88) hosted the event.

Coaches nominated athletes at the end of their seasons and then members of the voting group, including professors and vice presidents who have a connection to athletics, decide which athletes will win.

Eli Crogan (‘57) won the Alumni Coach of the Year Award for his work as Luther’s former basketball coach. Crogan spoke about his time before attending Luther. He pitched for the Wisconsin Badgers for a week before quitting and planning to sign a deal with

the St. Louis Cardinals. It was only when his pastor intervened that he decided to go to Luther instead.

The awards show first awarded individual athletes for their achievements. Tim Ostby (‘17) was awarded the Perseverance Award. Female and Male Freshman of the Year are Samantha Bratland (‘19) and Bryce Hingst (‘19), respectively. Female and Male Athlete of the Year are Clare Slagel (‘16) and Drew van Anrooy (‘16).

The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee recognized the student assistant managers for the Men’s and Women’s Soccer Teams, the Football Team, and the Women’s Basketball Team. As part of their recognition the assistant managers played Heads Up Seven Up to determine how well they could communicate with their coaches. Senior athletic training majors were also recognized at the event.

Luther’s Football Team won the Play of the Year award for their victory against Wartburg.

The Women’s Tennis Team won the Comeback of the Year Award. The Women’s Soccer Team won the Female Team

Julia Curtis (‘17) | Chips

of the Year. The Men’s Team of the Year went to baseball.

Melisse Chasse (‘17) and Associate Director of Athletics Operations Alex Smith started planning the event in November and asked other athletes to participate in planning and creating different segments in the awards show. The event included videos from game live streams which detailed individual and team achievement and close-ups of each of the nominated athletes.

“What I like about it is we have our Student-Athlete Advisory Committee group that predominantly works to put the event on, but then we have other student volunteers that assist with the video portion of it, the script writing, and set up,” Smith said. “It’s really a collaborative effort amongst all the student athletes and the athletic department to pull it off.”

Part of the awards show incorporated videos of three different mannequin challenges from the Swimming and Diving Teams, the Women’s Soccer Team and the Men’s Cross Country Team. The Norse Awards also included memes

created from athletes’ pictures in an attempt to add humor to the event.

“I think the big thing about the Norse Awards is recognizing that all of the coaches and all of the players have different personalities and being able to play off of those and to make it funny, or coaches who are better motivational speakers can be a little more serious,” Chasse said.

Chasse said the main purpose of the Norse Awards was to promote inter-athletic support since athletic schedules are very busy. Cam Long (‘19) confirmed the athletes appreciation for other teams and their achievements.

“We’re really not ever in the same place in the same time and there are a lot of sports who don’t play very many home matches, so it’s cool to see everyone,” Long said.

For those unable to attend, the event will be available to stream online for the next few months at https:// portal.stretchinternet. com/luther/portal. htm?eventId=347063&stre am-Type=videohtm?event Id=347603&streamType=v ideo.

Wartburg Luther Loras Buena Vista Coe Nebraska Wes. Simpson Dubuque Central

IIAC 15-1 12-4 10-6 9-7 7-9 6-10 6-10 5-11 2-14

Overall 23-2 16-9 16-9 13-12 12-13 13-12 9-16 9-16 9-16

Recent Scores

Feb. 15 @ Simpson College W 68-61 Feb. 18 vs. Central College W 83-68

Upcoming Schedule

Feb. 25 IIAC Tournament Championship

Women’s Swim & Dive Luther Simpson Coe Nebraska Wes. Loras

IIAC 1-0 2-1 2-1 1-1 0-3

Overall 2-4 7-1 3-2 1-2 4-7

Recent Scores

Jan. 28 vs. Coe College NTS Feb. 8-11 Liberal Arts Championships 2 0f 11

Upcoming Schedule

Feb. 24-25 NCAA III REgional Diving Championships

Men’s Swim & Dive Nebraska Wes. Luther Coe Loras Simpson

IIAC 2-0 1-0 2-1 1-2 0-3

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

Recent Scores

Jan. 28 vs. Coe College NTS Feb. 8-11 Liberal Arts Championships 4 of 9

Upcoming Schedule

Feb. 24-25 NCAA III Reginal Diving Championships

Wrestling Wartburg Loras Central Coe Luther Dubuque Simpson Buena Vista Nebraska Wes.

IIAC 8-0 7-1 6-2 5-3 4-4 3-5 2-6 1-7 0-8

Overall 20-0 12-7 10-2 11-8 9-8 7-11 6-9 2-7 1-9

Recent Scores

Feb. 11 Winona Statue University Invitational NTS Feb. 14 @ St. Olaf College W 38-9

Upcoming Schedule

Feb. 25 NCAA III Central Regional Mar. 10-11 NCAA III National Championships