5
PRIDE hosts “Drag Me to Hell”
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Profile of Professor of Spanish Alfredo Alonso Estenoz
Golf goes for conference title three-peat
COLLEGE
LUTHER “Let the chips fall where they may.”
VOLUME 140, NO. 20• EST. 1884
MAY 3, 2018
Luther community responds to hate
[Left] Jasmin Arias (‘21) speaks at the international student forum. [Middle] Matthew Espey (‘19), Rebecka Green (‘19), Asha Aden (‘20), Juan Pablo Velásquez Quiroga (‘21), Mikayel Simonyan (‘20), and Faye Lee (‘20) sing at the CFL prayer vigil. [Right] Okogyeamon speaks about a culture of inherent racism at the forum in the cafeteria. Jacob Warehime (‘18) and Matthew Gleaves (‘19)| Chips
JACOB WAREHIME EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & KATRINA MEYER NEWS EDITOR On April 24, the sign used to mark the Spanish Table in the cafeteria was replaced by a sign that read “Whites only.” The sign was discovered in the Student Organizational Suite
and reported Wednesday afternoon. Students were notified of the incident via a campus-wide email the next day. On Thursday, April 26, students received a second email notifying them of another incident that happened on Wednesday: a sign advertising PRIDE’s annual drag show was vandalized with the words “Bad Y’all are going to hell” on it in a stall in the men’s bathroom of the
Students and staff gather at the steps of the CFL for a prayer vigil. Jacob Warehime (‘18)| Chips
Union. The email also stated that two students had come forward to accept responsibility for the incident involving the sign for the Spanish Table. In light of the two incidents, President Paula Carlson and the Luther administration organized a vigil outside of the Center for Faith and Life and a community discussion in the cafeteria. International students also organized a forum in Valders 206. All events happened on Thursday, April 26. In an interview for Chips, Carlson acknowledged the impact of the swift response of the Luther community. “The incidents that happened last week violate our core Luther values,” Carlson said. “They cause deep pain and hurt of members of our community. I was moved and proud that students, faculty, and staff gathered together to support one another and to witness our deeplyheld belief in the dignity and worth of
each person.” The vigil was led by Campus Pastor Mike Blair as well as various students, many of whom are part of Interfaith in Action or College Ministries. Students spoke about responding to hateful actions from the perspective of their own experiences and cultures. “You are loved by far more than you are hated,” Matthew Espey (‘19) said during the vigil. “No single person who takes to voicing their opinions in a bathroom stall is going to stop us from being our beautiful selves.” After students were done speaking, Blair and Faye Lee (‘20) led a litany in which the responses were “hell no,” and “amen.” At 7:00 p.m., members of the Luther community gathered in Valders 206 for a forum led by and focused on Luther’s international students. The forum began with Juan Pablo Velásquez Quiroga (‘21) introducing himself and two other leaders, Alonso Zevallos Rubi (‘21)
and Jasmin Arias (‘21). In Velásquez Quiroga’s introduction, he noted that the United World College’s international office had given their support to the petitioning around campus. Afterward, Zevallos Rubi spoke. He repeated the question “what now?” and lamented the fact that he now struggles to recommend Luther to his peers back home. Arias spoke next, noting that her parents were originally afraid that she would have a target on her back at Luther. She then called on the administration, saying “enough is enough.” Afterwards, the floor was open for other international students to share their experiences of discrimination at Luther. Issues raised included stories of being told to speak English, not feeling safe wearing their country’s traditional clothing, and being unable to excel in the classroom due to feeling unsafe on campus. COMMUNITY | PAGE 4
Students demand change with sit-in JACOB WAREHIME EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Members of the Luther community held a sit-in on the second floor of the Union on Friday, April 27. The sit in, which lasted from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., was intended both as a response to the bias incidents reported on April 25 and 26 and as an opportunity for students to voice their concerns directly to the administration. The sit-in was organized by students in Associate Professor of Religion Todd Green’s Theology and Religious Diversity course following a discussion they had during class. After deciding to organize a sit-in, members of the class reached out to campus organizations for support, such as PRIDE, Luther College Young Democratic Socialists, and the Luther choirs. Member if the Theology and Religious
Diversity class Sierra Twesten (‘18) said that the goal of the sit-in was more than just to draw attention to the bias incidents. “With the sit-in, we are choosing to sit in the places where decisions are made to show that we, as a campus, are involved in the making of decisions,” Twesten said. “It’s not just about the administration hearing our ideas and translating them into action. We want to help spur that action. This sit in is not a reaction to what happened, but a call for action to move forward in the future.” Twesten’s class also created a poster on which attendees were encouraged to write. “The [poster] is titled ‘Ideas for Institutional Change,’” Twesten said. “It’s our campus’ way to say, ‘Look at all these ideas. Here are all the voices from our community.’” Throughout the day, various campus organizations led events and donated
resources. Community member Liz Rog led a song and dance circle outside the Office of the President, PRIDE made stars to show support of the LGBTQ community, choirs joined in song, and many other groups donated food and water. Students were also encouraged to
sign a petition drafted by Nick Vande Krol (‘18) which advocated for the addition of a required social justice course to Luther’s curriculum. SIT-IN | PAGE 4
Students gather outside the office of the president during the sit-in. Jacob Warehime (‘18)| Chips
NEWS
PAGE 2 MAY 3, 2018
NEWS EDITORS: KATRINA MEYER & ANA LÓPEZ
Seniors inducted to Phi Beta Kappa KRISTEN WUERL STAFF WRITER A group of Luther seniors were inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, America’s oldest and most prestigious academic honor society in the Center for Faith and Life Recital Hall on Sunday, April 29. Formed as a secret society at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia in 1776, Phi Beta Kappa’s founding members wanted to encourage inquiry and seek truth. Today, the society recognizes academic achievement in the liberal arts. “I was thrilled when I received the [acceptance] letter in mid-March from [Professor of English and Campus Chapter President] Kate Narveson inviting me to join the society,” inductee Emily Osborne (‘18) said. “It feels incredible to be part of an organization with such a positive legacy. I feel very honored and proud to be inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa society.” In order to be a Phi Beta Kappa-affiliated college, Luther has to demonstrate that the college offers high-quality programs for its students. Luther joined the society in 1983. “Phi Beta Kappa is the gold standard of academic societies,” Narveson said. “We think about how we committed ourselves to be a liberal arts school and intellectual inquiry for its own sake.” To be selected as a Phi Beta Kappa inductee, a committee of Luther faculty and staff who are Phi Beta Kappa members review transcripts
of graduating seniors each year at the start of spring semester. The committee only looks at courses that are not professional courses and then selects, based on academic achievement, students who have taken 90 credits purely in liberal arts courses. “Students [selected] have expressed achievements in a broad range of fields and excellence in their majors,” Narveson said. “[The society] creates a campus culture that values educating the whole person.” Inductee Michelle Brown (‘18) took courses in multiple disciplines during her time at Luther and she attributes her academic achievement to her diverse educational experiences. “I started as a music education major but switched [my major] to psychology and later decided to study Spanish,” Brown said. “This type of path speaks to the liberal arts experience and that it’s not something to be frowned upon. Having benefited from the [liberal arts education], I definitely encourage it. I’ve had some unique opportunities because of my education at Luther.” At the Phi Beta Kappa induction ceremony each student signed his or her name in a book, which signified formal induction into the society. After the induction, artist and educator Scott Thoe (‘68) gave the Ruth A. Davis Memorial Lecture on his exploration of academics throughout his life. The Albert Lea, Minnesota native also presented pictures of some of his paintings, sculptures, and public art projects in the Lofoten Islands in Norway where he
Devin Hedlund ('18) signs her induction into Phi Beta Kappa . currently resides. Inductee Sam Scheidt (‘18) embodies an educational philosophy similar to that of Thoe’s due to of his studies in multiple disciplines at Luther. He partially attributes his induction into Phi Beta Kappa to his Paideia class taught by Associate Professor of English Amy Weldon almost four years ago.
Kristen Wuerl (‘18) | Chips
“I was lucky to be with Weldon, and right from the beginning we fostered the idea of exploration and community,” Scheidt said. “For me, Weldon has been a huge part of helping me understand what a liberal arts education is all about. Having that experience right away, I never questioned getting involved in lots of different things and for that I’m really grateful.”
Davis leads archaeological digs in Israel, Greece GILLIAN KLEIN STAFF WRITER Professor of Classics Dan Davis will lead two archaeological excavations in Israel and Greece in early May. Five students and faculty will attend. This four-week summer program is an introduction to archaeological excavation techniques such as digital reconstruction, artifact processing, and architectural survey. Students could choose between visiting Israel, Greece, or both. This year will be the first expedition that includes Israel. Three students will travel to Israel and two students to Greece. According to Zachary Ziarnik (‘20), the trip is offered to every
Allison Simms ('18) takes part in a dig . Photo courtesy of Dan Davis
student regardless of major. “I had never been on an archaeological dig before,” Ziarnik said. “I am an anthropology major and my interest in Israel was one of the motivating factors for this trip, not really my major.” Davis’s experiences on previous trips to Greece motivated him to continue leading excavation experiences. “I see a combination of experiences come together on these trips,” Davis said. “Everyone takes away something different each year.” Since 2011, the classics department has partnered with the University of Maryland and Vanderbilt University to offer students the opportunity to participate in archaeological excavations in Greece or Israel. The director of the project is Associate Professor of Classical and Mediterranean Studies at Vanderbit University Joseph Rife. Davis's connections with Vanderbilt have made the trip possible. “Joseph Rife and I have been friends many years,” Davis said. “It’s wonderful that, through this connection, we offer students exposure to ancient archaeological ruins.” Students accepted on the Israel trip began preparing early this semester for the departure. The trip will go from May 9 to June 2. The students are assigned readings on the history of the site they excavate. Classics major Robert Muller (‘20) commented on how the predeparture learning has prepared him thus far. “The textbook readings are not the enthralling part,” Muller said. “But they do serve as a motivator for the trip because, once we get there, those readings and images come to life. We’re figuring out the history with our own eyes instead of through another’s eyes.” The Israel trip will begin in Caesarea, Israel. Centuries ago, this city was a way station for travelers to Rome, including the apostle Paul. The city was home to thousands of people and a metropolitan hub of international exchange. Davis highlighted why the variety of cultural influences in Caesarea are a good fit for excavation work. “We are planning to excavate right in the heart of the urban center,” Davis said. “It was and still is a different culture from the United States. We are exploring not just for the experience, but for the human-building aspects, too.” Students will experience the culture of Israel in other locations including Jerusalem, the Western Wall, the Dome of the Rock and the Sea of Galilee. The Greece trip extends through the month of June. The students will live in Isthmia next to Kenchreai and Corinth. They will
excavate in the city and take several excursions, including the cities of Epidaurus and Mycenae, a city made famous by Homer in the “Iliad.” The ruins in these cities are extensively preserved. Anna Luber (‘20) emphasized why the preservation of both countries is beneficial beyond the excavation. “I really wanted to go for the people,” Luber said. “The preservation of the culture is not only in the artifacts but in the people, too.” The preservation of the cities offers students unique opportunities, such as walking around on mosaics 2000 years old. According to Davis, this experience helps students reconstruct history. “It’s exhilarating to see history come alive,” Davis said. “I live that through their eyes and their excitement is my excitement.”
Chad Villhauer ('18) at an excavation in Greece. Photo courtesy of Dan Davis
NEWS
PAGE 3
NEWS EDITORS: KATRINA MEYER & ANA LÓPEZ
MAY 3, 2018
Palkki lectures on LGBTQ issues in music education
WEATHER THURSDAY Thunderstorms
68/52 FRIDAY Sunny
72/47 SATURDAY Sunny
68/45 Students listen to Joshua Palkki's lecture on being both a safe person and music educator.
OLIVIA ENQUIST STAFF WRITER Guest Lecture Joshua Palkki gave a presentation titled “Creating Safe People: LGBTQA and Gender Issues in Music Education” in Valders 206 on Sunday, April 29. The lecture focused on Palkki’s doctoral research regarding LGBTQ issues in music education, specifically challenges that transgender students face in choral and orchestral ensembles. In addition to the lecture, Palkki hosted an informal discussion with music education students in Sunnyside Cafe. The lecture was sponsored by the Lecture and Fine Arts Committee. Assistant Professor of Education and Coordinator for Music Education Jill Wilson helped bring Palkki to campus. She appreciated how the lecture discussed issues that Luther students are currently facing. “I was fortunate to hear Dr. Palkki speak at a conference a couple years ago and have wanted to bring him to campus ever since,” Wilson said. “Thanks to the Lecture and Fine Arts Committee, the dream became a reality. The lecture was planned months ago, but the timing is uncanny given recent events on our campus.” Palkki began the lecture with a photo of the first choir he ever conducted. He invited the audience to comment on things that they found problematic within the photo. The discussion highlighted issues that the transgender community faces within a music ensemble, specifically the often gendered dress codes. Palkki stressed that while dress codes are something music educators can overlook, it can play significant role in whether a student feels comfortable within the classroom. Palkki explained that his own identity as a gay man was, in part, what motivated him in his doctoral research. The disconnect between two
identities can be harmful and he used his own story as an example. “One of the things that I think made me less effective as a K-12 teacher was that I could never understand how to reconcile my teacher identity and my gay identity,” Palkki said. “[Trying to] figure out how to navigate that at school . . . caused me to be less connected at school especially with the students.” In addition to providing background on vocabulary and concepts such as the gender spectrum, Palkki gave examples of strategies that music educators could use to create more welcoming learning environments. Palkki listed examples such as calling role by last name, or naming ensembles “treble choirs” instead of “women’s choirs” as small things that music educators could do to include LGBTQ students. Grace Simpson (‘20) appreciated how the lecture highlighted the importance of creating a space where students feel safe. “I think the biggest thing for me is
SUNDAY
Olivia Enquist (‘19) | Chips
that we know that you cannot learn in a place where you are afraid,” Simpson said. “If you are a minority, either because you’re LGBTQ or otherwise, if you do not feel recognized in your classroom you are automatically in a space of fear. You won’t be able to learn.” Palkki discussed the overall importance of setting an example in a classroom: educators need to create a welcoming environment by setting a standard for behavior. He especially stressed the importance of communicating with students. According to Palkki without making students aware that the teacher is a safe person to talk to they will assume otherwise. “More broadly, what we can do is make our spaces and our people safe for all kinds of students,” Palkki said. “Students who are struggling need sanctuaries at schools. Very often those sanctuaries are music classrooms. I think it is important for us, that we know how to facilitate those spaces.”
Rain
71/46 MONDAY Mostly sunny
68/49 TUESDAY Partly cloudy
70/54 WEDNESDAY Showers
67/45 Corrections In the Vol. 140 No. 19 issue of CHIPS, the story "New identity studies major" story incorrectly stated that the major will be available to students in Spring of 2019. The major has only been proposed to the Academic Planning Committee. The proposal will be subject to a faculty vote and approval from the Board of Regents before the major is offered. Joshua Palkki delivers his lecture on safe people in Music Education. Olivia Enquist (‘19) | Chips
Icons designed by Freepik from Flaticon.
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NEWS
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MAY 3, 2018
NEWS EDITORS: KATRINA MEYER & ANA LÓPEZ
Students hold education workshop GRACE ONSRUD STAFF WRITER The student organization Educators For Social Justice held an Educators Workshop at 7:30 p.m. on April 25 in Koren. Four English teachers from Park Center High School near Minneapolis, MN came to speak to future educators at Luther about relationship building with students, classroom management skills, and cultural sensitivity. There were about 20 students in attendance. One of the guest teachers, Suzanne Kottke, was the mother of Educators for Social Justice member and event organizer Sam Kottke (‘19). Another was a Luther graduate. The event was driven mainly by questions from the students. One of the main focuses of the event was the need for real-world experience with teaching, especially in classroom environments
different from the ones in which Luther preservice teachers grew up. Students expressed worries about whether their classroom studies at Luther would provide them with the realworld skills necessary for running a classroom. Teachers explained that student teaching would be a pivotal moment in preparing students for teaching jobs. English teachers present also discussed the difficulties of teaching books with sensitive topics. Students asked questions about how to teach and interact with parents who might have concerns about the inclusion of frequently challenged books, such as Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye.” Speakers also stressed the idea that teachers should be their authentic selves when working with students, while maintaining a certain distance and authority. They said this can be especially difficult for young teachers who may
not be very far in age from their students. Music major and education minor Ethan Harris (‘18) said that he felt the workshop was helpful because he was able to hear from practicing teachers who could provide concrete advice. “It reaffirmed some ideas that I already had,” Harris said. “I’m doing my senior project about teaching right now and I’m finding there’s a big disconnect between what we learn in [college] and what you learn in the schools. And that relationship-building and classroom management is something we are always uncomfortable with when we get out there.” Harris and music major and education minor Jonathan Baccam (‘19) both stressed the importance of student teaching in a place where they will feel challenged. This point was brought up by visiting teacher Janet Freeberg-Lawson who spoke about her experience as a young
teacher at an alternative school in Minneapolis where many students had behavioral problems. Baccam says he worries that many Luther education majors do not seek out schools that are different from what their personal experiences. “I really liked hearing, and I think a lot of people do need to hear this, that you need experiences in a school that is different from where you grew up,” Baccam said. “And some people aren’t getting that experience.” The workshop lasted for an hour and a half before student organizers called for final questions and many students stayed after the event was over to continue talking with the guest teachers. Kottke expressed her hopes for students at the event. "I hope students got a real life feel for the classroom, and learned that building relationships with students is an essential part of teaching," Kottke said.
State auditor candidate visits campus DIRK UMBANHOWAR STAFF WRITER Decorah native Rob Sand, a democrat running for the position of state auditor of Iowa, talked at a meet and greet hosted by Luther College Democrats Thursday, April 26 in Olin 101. Students, family, and Decorah citizens were in attendance, including Iowa house candidate Kayla Koether. During his talk, Sand frequently referenced his Decorah upbringing. Sand was born and raised in Decorah and was known in high school for advocating for the city to build a skate park. He graduated from Decorah High School in 2001 and attended Brown University. Sand said Decorah largely made him who he is today. “Growing up in the city of Decorah was a huge influence on my life,” Sand said. “I would tell anyone who I met that if you want to understand me, you should come see a small town in Iowa. There’s so much about it that fundamentally defines me: the community, caring about your neighbors, outdoor ethic, and every time I come back here I just feel better.” Sand also said that a number of his family members
COMMUNITY | PAGE 1 At 7:30 p.m., community members congregated in the cafeteria for a broader forum on racism. The central dining area of the cafeteria was filled, with many students and staff having to stand. After an opening statement by Blair, Carlson spoke, acknowledging that although progress has been made, there is still work to do. Carlson called on attendees to “commit to change.” She then listed off a number of changes Luther has already made, or will make in the near future based on the voices of student and staff over the last month. These changes were: making the Larsen west door 24/7 ID access, developing a LGBTQ webpage, increasing genderneutral housing options on campus, dropping the question on new student housing forms which asks if a student is comfortable living with international students, updating tour guide training manuals, restructuring first-year orientation, having Sodexo commit to a deeper diversity training of staff, and having the APC review general curriculum requirements. After Carlson, Interim Dean for
attended Luther, connecting him to the college. “Both my parents are Luther grads, and nine out of the twelve Sand cousins are Luther grads, so besides myself and my sister, it’s really the family's school,” Sand said. “I went swimming here when I was little, I took summer programs and an anthropology class here, as well as sneaking onto the roof of the CFL sometimes with my friends.” Before running for state auditor, Sand was named the Assistant Attorney General in 2010 under the Attorney General Tom J. Miller in which he spent 18 months investigating and prosecuting tax credit fraud related to Iowa’s filmmaking tax credit program. Rob later went on to lead the nationwide lottery-fixing investigation that uncovered seven fixed lottery tickets across five states. During this time, he prosecuted multiple people from both parties. Sand prides himself on being non-partisan. Sand also criticized the current state auditor Republican Mary Mosiman for misspending money, displaying a lack of interest on the board, and comments that she has made about the budget. His disapproval in what is going on in the office is a major reason why Sand chose 2018 to run for the office. “The current state auditor refuses to hire people with
Institutional Equity and Inclusion Lisa Scott spoke, saying, “What I see [here] is a committed community.” She also urged students to continue their activism on campus. “Keep it up,” Scott said. “Hold us accountable.” Scott then introduced Okogyeamon, known professionally as Dr. Herbert Perkins, an expert in anti-racism training. Perkins is slated to come to campus on May 5, however he made an impromptu trip down to Decorah to speak at the forum after Scott contacted him earlier on in the day. “Racism is not about ‘out there,’” Perkins said. “It’s about ‘in here’ — inside us.” Perkins then went on to say that a person cannot live within the United States without internalizing racism. He compared racism to a language, explaining that one cannot simply stop using a language that they have been taught from birth. Anti-racism, he then explained, is like a foreign language which must be learned. Perkins also stressed continued activism.
“It will take more than just a moment like this,” Perkins said. “It will take ongoing work.”
The incident involving the Spanish Table sign directly affected the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics because the table is a part of curriculum for many students in the Spanish department. As a result, the department released a statement on Facebook condemning the acts and expressing support for students affected. “It is a perversion of the core values of inclusion and intercultural learning we promote as educators of language and culture,” the statement said in part. “We stand with all students who are harmed by such hateful rhetoric, and we will do everything we can to support you.” Associate Professor of Spanish Nancy Gates-Madsen said the primary concern of the department is to help the students who are affected. “It is important for students to know that their professors care, because we do,” Gates-Madsen said. Two students came forward to admit they replaced the Spanish Table sign. Campus security and the administration are continuing investigation of the incidents.
law enforcement experience,” Sand said. “She only hires accountants and CPAs. It’s like having 11 quarterbacks playing on the same offense. It doesn’t work well.” Overall, Sand made a great impression amongst students who were there, including President of Luther College Democrats Alex Sekora (‘19), who said that he learned a lot about the state auditor's position. “[There are] a lot of tasks that I did not realize the state auditor did, so it was good to learn more about that,” Sekora said. “Rob also has many great ideas about how the state auditor can be doing their job better, which is necessary considering the problems in the office now with the current office-holder. Overall, I enjoyed hearing what Rob had to say.” Sand’s campaign has raised nearly $1 million through the first quarter of 2018, nearly double what the current state auditor made during her 2014 campaign. While it’s not all about the money, senior political science major and LC Dems member Geoffrey Dyck (‘18) said that Sand has a good chance of pulling off a win in November. “I think Sand has a really good chance to win,” said Dyck. “He seems to be practical and unbiased when it comes to prosecuting people who have broken the law. This is extremely important for the auditor to do.”
SIT-IN | PAGE 1 Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College Kevin Kraus was one of many faculty and administration members present at the sit-in. “I’m a Luther faculty member,” Kraus said. “I think it’s great that the kids are saying ‘Stop. Fix what you can fix.’ I think it’s great.” Community member Sandhya Purohit Caton said she attended to support the Luther students she knows. “Momentum,” Purohit Caton said when asked what she hoped the sit-in would achieve. “I’ve known of similar incidents over the past 15 years and I’m tired of it happening over and over again. Students will come and go in four years, but over 15 years I’ve seen this hurt, confusion, and fear before; I’ve offered comfort while at the same time felt deeply pained myself. This is tiring.”
By the end of the day, over 600 students attended the sit-in and approximately 450 students signed the petition for a required social justice course. Community liaison for PRIDE Neve HeimerLang (‘19) said it was inspiring to see so many students and community members show their support. “So many people have been here to support not only the LGBTQIA community but also all sorts of different minorities and people who have been targeted in the last couple days,” HeimerLang said. “It's really powerful."
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
PAGE 5
A&E EDITOR: LILY KIME
MAY 3, 2018
Drag Me To Hell All performers in the second annual Luther Drag Show joined Karl Nycklemoe (‘18) onstage at the end of his routine.
PIPER WOOD STAFF WRITER Students filled the Center for the Arts for Luther’s second annual drag show, “Drag Me to Hell,” presented by Luther PRIDE on Friday, April 27. Vice President of PRIDE Matthew Espey (‘19) hosted the show and facilitated auditions, rehearsals, and the final production of the show. Espey was excited to see the hard work pay off for the performers. “I love it,” Espey said. “It’s such a great experience. We are a studentrun organization, so we have to do everything between homework, outside commitments, meetings, and class. Finding an opportunity for everyone to come together and rehearse has been quite difficult. It’s been hard, but it’s been worth it. We had a great show and everyone was very invested in it.” Friday’s production consisted of kings and queens in full drag lipsyncing and dancing to music for the audience. In true drag style, performers encouraged audience
members to interact with them cheering, dancing, and tipping the royalty. “Drag is fun,” Espey said. “It’s funny, it engages with the audience, [and] it’s performative. It’s the best way to engage the community in coming together to refuse to abide by the gendered rules that society has placed on us.” The performers included first-time drag kings and queens, as well as veteran performers. Madeline “Muff Daddy” Skjervold (‘19) performed for a second year at the drag show. This year Skjervold lip-synced to NSYNC’s “I Want you Back” and “Bye, Bye, Bye” with a group and had a solo performance of Fall Out Boy’s “My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light ‘Em Up).” For Skjervold, the drag show is an opportunity for visibility of the queer community and a personal outlet for self-expression. “My dancing style and the look I go for tends to be more like Panic! At The Disco and Fall Out Boy,” Skjervold said. “Those are the angsty bands I
listened to when I was younger. Even though the character that I play is not myself, it is an extreme assertion of part of my identity. I remember when I first saw drag performances. It gave me a lot of confidence and I felt really inspired, and I want to keep doing that or the people that this does really matter to; I want to be that person for others.” Skjervold rehearsed choreography for the group NSYNC performance and created her own dance for the Fall Out Boy routine, but ultimately improvised most of the solo. “My dance was a looser structure, because I feel most comfortable improvising,” Skjervold said. “I did a lot of my own individual dance work to build my dance vocabulary.” Following the recent hate incident that targeted the drag show and the LGBTQ community at Luther, Espey was concerned for performers’ sense of safety but ultimately used the incident as motivation to produce an even better performance. “[The people who did the hate crime] put a fire underneath us to
do an even better job, to make fun of gender norms even more, to keep going and do more productive work,” Espey said. “I’m very proud of everyone involved in the show. I was afraid we would have people drop out, and I saw it as my duty to contact people and say, ‘Hey, you are loved, you are accepted, you are wanted on this stage and if you are comfortable doing this, I implore you [to] please share your skill.’” New performer Karl Nycklemoe (‘18) as Charlene “Chuck” Fey performed to Britney Spears’s “Toxic” and Kesha’s “Rainbow” and drew character inspiration from fellow drag queens. Nycklemoe adjusted the performance in response to the hate incident, and changed songs to Kesha’s “Rainbow” at the last minute. “I changed to ‘Rainbow’ because it is much more politically charged,” Nycklemoe said. “It very much emphasizes solidarity and it emphasizes a strength beyond how we see ourselves. It was basically my counter message to the hateful message and hate incident that
Piper Wood (‘21) | Chips happened.” Nycklemoe saw the drag show as an opportunity to express his acceptance and appreciation for his fellow performers and atendees. “Drag is not an art form in only one format; it’s taking societal norms, it’s taking what is assumed and it’s flipping it and making it fun,” Nycklemoe said. “So the purpose is love. If I get ‘dragged to hell’ helping people embrace who they are and to see things differently in order to feel more love and inclusion, than that’s just the way it’s going to be.” The show plans to continue next year and Espey promises that the show will have even more momentum. “We are going to make it even bigger, badder, more ghastly next year,” Espey said. “Come and support us. Be vocal and be openly loving toward the LGBTQ community because it’s something that we need in this current time and always. Show respect and love toward those individuals just as you would want shown to you.”
“The purpose is love. If I get ‘dragged to hell’ helping people embrace who they are
and to see things differently in order to feel more love and inlcusion,
than that’s just the way it’s going to be.” - Karl Nycklemoe (‘18)
Top Left to Right: Matthew Espey (‘19), Karl Nycklemoe (‘18), Julia Simpson (‘20), Nam Nguyen (‘19). Bottom Left to Right: Madi Brauer (‘19), Julia Simpson (‘20), Morgan Seemann (‘20), Shai Shay (‘20), Sarah Jennings (‘20), and Madeline Skjervold (‘19), Noah Manke (‘20). Piper Wood (‘20) | Chips
FEATURES
PAGE 6 MAY 3, 2018
FEATURES EDITOR: SHASA SARTIN
Alfredo Alonso Estenoz
Journalist, professor, and published author EMMA BUSCH STAFF WRITER Originally from the province of Matanzas in Cuba, Associate Professor of Spanish Alfredo Alonso Estenoz grew up with a passion for writing and reading that would later compel him to leave Cuba for the United States. Alonso Estenoz was born on a farm and lived in a small town the size of Decorah with his family. From the ages 12 to 17 he attended a boarding school, as many other children in Cuba did in the aftermath of the Cuban Revolution. Though Alonso Estenoz and other students would visit home every weekend, interaction with his family was limited. “This was part of the plan; the Cuban government had to change the educational system in Cuba,” Alonso Estenoz said. “I mean the schools were good, but there was also a way the government . . . diminished the influence that your family could have in your upbringing. It was not that we were bombarded by political propaganda at the time, but everything in Cuba was, and in a way still is, subject to political propaganda from the government.” Alonso Estenoz recalled that students would attend class in the morning, have lunch, and then spend the remainder of the afternoon working in the fields harvesting crops like tomatoes, cucumbers, and coffee. The field work was mandatory for all students; the motivating factor behind this combination of education and physical labor was believed to educate individuals in a “complete sense,” though Alonso Estenoz says that the idea was not widely accepted. Alonso Estenoz regards education during the revolutionary years as “one of the greatest contradictions in Cuba.” He remembered having great teachers and the Cuban government’s emphasis on education, but he also says that the ways people could apply their education was limited. “The government has invested a lot in education, but at the same time, [the citizens] haven’t taken advantage of what they have learned,” Alonso Estenoz said. “So they have control of what people can do with that knowledge. You teach people how to think, but you limit what they can think or topics that they can discuss.” Alonso Estenoz obtained his bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Havana in 1994. He said that as a 17-year-old student he was aware Cuba did not have freedom of the press, but he did not realize how politicized the career was until he became a reporter. He instead thought of it as a way to develop his writing skills. Despite its challenges, Alonso Estenoz says that journalism gave him access to information others in Cuba did not have.
Alonso Estenoz (on the righthand side in the striped top) appears with his college friends during a colloquium they organized in Matanzas, Cuba, in March of 1995. Photo courtesy of Alfredo Alonso Estenoz “The Cuban Communist Party that controls the government [publishes] a newsletter that circulates among journalists and people in important positions in the government and it’s a summary of important international news,” Alonso Estenoz said. “Since there was no internet back [in 1989], and access to information was always problematic in Cuba, studying journalism was a good way to get access.” After leaving the radio station, Alonso Estenoz worked as a freelance journalist with national newspapers and magazines as a cultural correspondent and a film critic. He also worked for Casa de las Américas, an institution founded in 1959 following the Cuban Revolution in order to promote Latin American culture. Casa de las Américas publishes several journals, books, and has departments devoted to arts, theatre, and music in Latin America. Alonso Estenoz served as a staff writer and proofreader for the institution’s main journal. In 1998 while Alonso Estenoz was working for Casa de las Américas, the University of Havana opened its first master’s degree program in Latin American literature. Alonso Estenoz decided to pursue his interest in the subject, but did not finish the program after the opportunity to study at the University of Iowa following a presentation he gave at the Latin American Studies Association in Miami in 2000. Alonso Estenoz says his decision to come to the U.S. was spontaneous, but it made sense from an academic standpoint. “For me, that was the logical continuation of what I was
Alonso Estenoz when he was a pionero, term referring to all students in first through ninth grade, in front of a wall with the slogan that translates to “We will be like Che Guevara.” Students had to recite it every morning befre classes started. Photo courtesy of Alfredo Alonso Estenoz
doing in Havana,” Alonso Estenoz said. “I didn’t have a clear idea [of] if I was going to stay in the United States or not, but then I was offered this opportunity, which was an ideal way to continue my studies.” Alonso Estenoz graduated from the University of Iowa in 2005 with a Ph.D. in Spanish with an emphasis on 20th century Latin American literature, specifically literature from the Rio de la Plata region. Most of Alonso Estenoz’s research has been on Jorge Luis Borges, an Argentinian writer, poet, literary critic, and activist. Borges’ work was banned from Cuba due to his criticism of the Cuban Revolution. Alonso Estenoz explores how Cuba received the writer’s work before and after the revolution in his book “Borges en Cuba: Estudio de su Recepción,” [Borges in Cuba: A Study of his Reception] which was published in September 2017. Alonso Estenoz’s interest in teaching comes from a desire to share his knowledge and research while working as a staff writer at Casa de las Américas. Once he entered graduate school it became a passion and way to develop in students a better understanding of language and culture. “Teaching became for me an opportunity to engage in discussion with students to contribute in a way to a better understanding of the Spanish language, Spanish culture, and Latin America in particular,” Alonso Estenoz said. Alonso Estenoz has shown Hannah Wright (‘18) how to make the best of difficult circumstances, a lesson that was especially pertinent during a 2016 J-term course abroad in Havana when the city suffered severe flooding. “When we were in Cuba, there were huge floods at least once a week,” Wright said. “He actually got stranded in his apartment for two of the floods, but instead of getting really frustrated with all the water he laughed it off and changed plans. He also encourages laughter in class, too. There are times when I completely miss the point of the lesson and I get frustrated with myself, but Alfredo just tells me to shrug it off and move forward.” Noah Tiegs (‘20) says Alonso Estenoz also gave him the chance to combine his passion for theatre and Spanish in a way he never had previously. “I will always remember Professor [Alonso] Estenoz because he was the first person to teach me theatre in Spanish,” Tiegs said. “He gave me the opportunity to unite these two passions and continued to provide me with resources to dig deeper into the text. He even sent me some memes about the play. His passion for the content he teaches, and the look on his face when students can’t get enough of it is very special.” Alonso Estenoz is currently working on a project that focuses on writers that came of age in 1959 during the early years of the Cuban Revolution. “The purpose is to create an online reference guide that includes short biographies and information on how the Cuban Revolution affected their careers one way or the other,” Alonso Estenoz said. “I hope to collaborate with several students on this project.”
FEATURES
PAGE 7
FEATURES EDITOR: SHASA SARTIN
MAY 3, 2018
James Griesheimer Considering concertos
James Griesheimer explains the common components of concertos at Arthaus.
CARA KEITH STAFF WRITER Known as an encyclopedia of music history, former Luther College music professor and musicologist James Griesheimer gave a presentation titled “Mozart at His Most Personal: The Piano Concerto” on Saturday, April 28th at Arthaus. In his presentation, Griesheimer provided background about Mozart’s life as a musician and then analyzed the different themes in Mozart’s piano concertos. This lecture is one of many in a series titled “Arts Off Campus” which is designed to bring the research and expertise of Luther College faculty to the community of Decorah in the interest of making it more accessible. In his lecture, Griesheimer focused on demonstrating how different aspects of Mozart’s life influenced his piano concertos and described the way these concertos are organized. Griesheimer focused heavily on “Piano Concerto No. 15 in B-Flat Major, K. 450.” Griesheimer provided a handout that had the melody of six important themes to help audience members visualize what they were hearing. “The reason I chose to play this one is because it’s one of the most complex of the concertos,” Griesheimer said during the lecture. “The first movement is really an eye-crosser. It’s got all kind of things going on in
it. Also, the typical format for a first movement in a classical period is the sonata form and this sonata form is kind of a showcase form.” In his lecture, Griesheimer explained key musical terms before playing Mozart’s music so the audience would know what to listen for. Attendees immediately applied this background to the examples, ultimately enhancing their experience. One musical term that Griesheimer highlighted was “cadenza” and how the cadenza functioned in Mozart’s concertos. “One feature of this form, which we call concerto-sonata or sonata-concerto, is that somewhere towards the end there will be an extended solo passage we call cadenza,” Griesheimer said. “You can tell when a cadenza’s coming because it builds up like a sneeze and there’s a big pause and the orchestra falls silent and the pianist wails or the trumpet player or whoever.” Although this lecture delved into the specifics of Mozart’s concertos, attendee Bridget Carruth (‘21) still thought that the lecture was engaging for those who do not have a strong interest in music. “I really enjoyed listening to his presentation even though I didn’t know much about the subject matter he was presenting on,” Carruth said. “You could tell how passionate he was about Mozart as he spoke and he even
got slightly emotional at certain parts of the lecture. I feel like I know a lot more about Mozart now than I did before the presentation.” During his time at Luther, Griesheimer was known for his passion and knowledge concerning music history. Professor of Music Edwin
Cara Keith (‘21) | Chips Andereck is a friend of Griesheimer and recalled how easily Griesheimer could remember certain dates in music history. “His wife told me that when they’re in the grocery store, whatever the total of the bill is, Jim can tell you what happened on that day,” Andereck said. “If
James Griesheimer defines “cadenza” to attendees.
the amount was $15.21, he could easily recall that 1521 was the year that the composer Ludwig Senfl was active.” Griesheimer has remained in Decorah after retiring from Luther and continues to influence the community with his knowledge about music in similar events.
Cara Keith (‘21) | Chips
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
PAGE 8 MAY 3, 2018
A&E EDITOR: LILY KIME
Dancing with stars for charitable causes NATALIE NELSON STAFF WRITER
Winner: Overall Competition and Stage Presence Ticket Office Manager and Box Office Assistant Bradley Phillips and Kjerstin Nelson (‘18). Natalie Nelson (‘19) | Chips
Winner: Most Impressive Choreography Natalie Wade (‘18) and Catering Director Justin Scardina (‘04). Natalie Nelson (‘19) | Chips
Winner: Most Captivating Performance Help Desk Lead Erin Zidlicky and Jason Sczypiorski (‘18). Natalie Nelson (‘19) | Chips
With rhythm and smooth style, the third annual Dancing with the Luther Stars took place in the Center for Faith and Life on Saturday, April 28 at 7:30 p.m. The event premiered two years ago as a way to fundraise for the Luther College Ballroom and Swing Club, but this year it changed into a charity event with each of the three competing couples dancing for a charity of their choice. Campus Programming Assistant and Box Office Manager Bradley Phillips and Kjerstin Nelson (‘18) won the competition. Janet Irankunda (‘19) and Instructor in Music Mark Potvin (‘01) were the Masters of Ceremonies for the event and the judging panel included last year’s winner Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Music Joan de Albuquerque, Bach Fosaaen, and alum of Ballroom and Swing Ehren Kluge (‘16). The event, modeled after the TV show “Dancing with the Stars,” featured three competing couples with two dances each, group dances featuring the entire Ballroom and Swing Club, and a hustle by members Brenna Sherman (‘19) and Anna Streeper (‘18). Catering Director Justin Scardina (‘04) and Natalie Wade (‘18) won the award for Most Impressive Choreography for their rumba and foxtrot performance. Wade said the foxtrot was her favorite of the two because it was lighthearted, cheesy, and fun. “I have been surprised by how quickly Justin has picked things up after learning the basic steps,” Wade said. “Ballroom is really fun in that way because even if you don’t know the exact steps, you at least have an idea of what the next step might be. It was really awesome to see Justin naturally fill in some of those gaps.” Wade said the event was a reminder that anyone can dance and that her partnership with Scardina was positive. “Justin is a very laid back individual that
really just enjoys dance and it has made the preparations for this event really enjoyable,” Wade said. “Justin shows up to practice excited to learn and work hard and it’s really great to see his excitement and joy when things ‘click.’” The duo danced for the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation, which donates tens of thousands of dollars to a variety of hunger programs. Help Desk Lead Erin Zidlicky and Jason Sczypiorski (‘18) won the award for Most Captivating Performance. They performed the waltz and the hustle and both agreed that the hustle was their favorite dance. Sczypiorski said the biggest challenges were coordinating schedules and creating choreography that both showed off their technique and was eyecatching. “I would say [to future competitors] that you should get an early start and lay down your foundational bricks before you start doing the really flashy moves and all that,” Sczypiorski said. Zidlicky said she decided to compete in Dancing with the Luther Stars because it seemed like a fun adventure. “I wanted to show people that, no matter their body image or the limitations they think they may have, that if I can do it then they can do it no matter what they think of themselves, and they can have fun doing it,” Zidlicky said. The pair danced for Decorah Kids Lunch Club, a program that provides free lunches during the summer for kids in the Decorah area. Zidlicky said it was important to her because over 150 kids do not otherwise have lunches during the summer. As well as winning the competition, Phillips and Nelson won the Best Stage Presence award the end of the show. They danced the cha cha and the ballero. Both said their favorite dance was the ballero, which was brand new to the whole team. Nelson recognizes that Phillips’ personality added to the quality of their performance. “Brad is so great,” Nelson said. “He’s so funny
and he has a personality that he just lets shine everywhere. Every single performance is going to have that little spark of personality. I always feel that he is really wanting to do his best for the performance and he puts so much hard work into it.” For future competitors, Nelson said she recommends focusing on featuring the star. “The best you can do is to highlight the person you’re dancing with and let their personality shine through: being flexible but also understanding that main role of the dance is to engage the community with what you’re doing,” Nelson said. “It isn’t really about the dance. It’s about something much bigger.” Phillips said he agreed to compete only if he could dance with Nelson. “I’ve known her for a couple years and she’s just a sweetheart, so it’s the only reason I’m doing this,” Phillips said. “She’s so passionate about it and it’s pretty contagious. What motivated me is her drive and her compassion and her joy of being able to dance. This is her last dance at Luther because she’s a senior, so I tried to make it special for her.” Phillips said that after getting the choreography down, he really started to enjoy the dancing and he would recommend anyone that gets asked to compete to say “yes.” “I’m a pretty behind-the-scenes person in general, but sometimes putting yourself out there is a pretty good thing,” Phillips said. “I’ve been here for over 20 years and this has been my best year ever. Kjerstin and this process have made it very special to me. It’s challenging and it’s just a growing experience no matter how old you are.” The pair danced for the First Lutheran Free Clinic where Nelson volunteers, which offers free medical assistance for people in the area every Thursday. Phillips went to volunteer at the clinic the week of the competition. The Ballroom and Swing Club plans to continue hosting Dancing with the Luther Stars.
Luther Ringers and Cantorei spring concert MATTHEW GLEAVES STAFF WRITER Luther Ringers and Cantorei performed their spring concert in the Noble Recital Hall on Friday, April 27. Luther Ringers and Cantorei join each spring for this concert and typically perform one song together. The theme of the Ringer’s concert was “From Peril to Peace to Joy.” Member of Luther Ringers Cassidy Woods (‘18) commented on the program’s emotional journey. “‘From Peril to Peace to Joy’ is name of the first song and we’ve structured the performance around that,” Woods said. “It starts with kind of melancholic songs then it ends on a very high note.” The concert featured a wide range of music, from a somber processional, to familiar church music, to pop classics. The Ringers began the concert amid the crowd before they performed “The Processional in E-Flat.” As the piece began, members of Ringers walked onto the stage to finish the piece. When the song ended, Cantorei filed into the NRH and stood around the hall to perform “The Canon of Praise” in conjunction with Ringers. After Cantorei exited the NRH, the Ringers performed “From Peril to Peace to Joy.” After this piece, the performance began to take on a new tone. As each song was performed, the music became more uplifting. The ensemble performed familiar songs throughout the program including the hymn “It is Well with My Soul” and “Blackbird,” by The Beatles. With determined looks and content smiles, it seemed that the Ringers enjoyed their time performing. Professor of Music, College Organist, and Conductor of Luther
Ringers Gregory Peterson (‘83) believes that the members’ attitudes enhances both rehearsals and performances. “It’s not an ensemble that you have to do in order to get credit for your music major,” Peterson said. “It’s simply a time of enrichment. Everyone who is there wants to be.” Other than Christmas at Luther, the spring concert is Luther Ringers’ major performance of the year. Preparation for CAL and the spring concert differ: with CAL, the group performs one or two pieces and then has a break until the end of the program. For the spring concert, the ensemble plays several pieces in succession. Following the Ringers’ performance, Cantorei took the stage. Assistant Professor of Education, Coordinator for Music Education, and Conductor of Cantorei Jill Wilson explained that there was no over-arching theme for their performance. “The theme is kind of anti-theme because it’s all about variety this time around,” Wilson said. “We’ve got everything from the renaissance to romantic to contemporary and we’re doing some vocal jazz. We are also doing a South Sami yoik from people in Norway.” For the energetic vocal jazz piece, titled “Voice Dance” Wilson counted the group in then stepped aside to allow the members some freedom of expression. In place of a conductor the group danced and swayed to keep time. Cantorei President Jackie Simays (‘18) said the vocal jazz piece was exciting to perform. “[‘Voice Dance’] is one of my personal favorite songs [to perform],” Simays said. “It’s a jazzy number and it’s really kind of a rocking and rolling piece. It’s all voice consonants.”
Although their programming was unique to both ensembles, Cantorei and Luther Ringers presented a concert that showcased a variety of musical styles and difficulty levels for their audience.
Top: Logan Ardovino (‘18) and Emily Riley (‘20) Bottom: Jackie Simays (‘18) and Annie Holtz (‘18) sing in Cantorei’s spring concert.. Matthew Gleaves (‘19) | Chips
OPINION
PAGE 9
MANAGING EDITOR: ELIZABETH BONIN
STAFF Editor-in-Chief Jacob Warehime Managing Editor Elizabeth Bonin News Editors Katrina Meyer Ana López Features Editor Shasa Sartin A&E Editor Lily Kime Sports Editor Ben Selcke
MAY 3, 2018
EDITORIAL
In response to the apology from two students
Staff Writers Gillian Klein Natalie Nelson Grace Onsrud Emma Busch Martin Donovan Olivia Enquist Matthew Gleaves Piper Wood Dirk Umbanhowar Cara Keith Part-time Writers Forrest Stewart Kristen Wuerl Martel DenHartog Rozlyn Paradis Head Copy Editor Olivia Benson Copy Editors Elyse Grothaus Lyndsay Monsen Ad Representatives Bergen Gardner Web Content Manager James Miller Social Media Director Elyse Grothaus Distribution Manager Lyndsay Monsen Faculty Adviser David Faldet
SUBMISSIONS Submissions for letters to the editor should be submitted to chipsedt@luther.edu with “Letter to the Editor” as a subject line. Letters to the Editor are subject to editing without changing the meaning of the letter. Authors will not be notified of changes prior to publishing. Letters must be signed, 400-700 words, and submitted before Sunday at 5 p.m. the week before publication. Publication of all letters is at the discretion of the editor. Chips will not accept submitted articles or campus announcements. Opinions expressed in columns and letters are those of the authors(s) and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Chips or organizations with which the author(s) are associated. LUTHER COLLEGE
CHIPS Chips is a student publication of Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. The paper is designed, composed edited and managed entirely by Luther students. It is published weekly during the academic year, excluding the month of January. Fax: 563-387-2072 Email: chipsedt@luther.edu Advertising: chipsads@luther.edu Website: lutherchips.com Facebook: facebook.com/LutherChips Twitter: @LutherChips Instagram: @luthercollegechips
ANA LÓPEZ NEWS EDITOR I wait. I wait for the day when actions taken against hate are as bold and strong as the pain it causes in our community. I wait, but I don’t wait idly. In the meantime, we were sent an apology by two students. While I wait, I wish to respond to these two students. You said: “an action on our part created pain and fear among our fellow students when we created a note stating ‘Whites Only’ and left it where other students could find it.” Two students, I want to let you know that after Wednesday, you are everywhere. I constantly fear your presence. I fear encountering you in the hallways of this excruciatingly small institution.
Your anonymity is a privilege I do not have. I walk around this campus inhabiting a Mexican body: short, messy black hair, and brown. I have an accent that gives away my otherness, my lack of belonging, my foreignness. Paradoxically, the visibility of my difference simultaneously flags me, labels me, and makes me invisible, it subordinates me. I do not have the luxury of anonymity. You know who I am. You have seen me and heard me. My name is Ana López and I work at the Spanish Table. I found your “note.” You and I know that it was not a “note.” You had to open the Language Center cabinet, replace our original sign, which had flags from Spanish-speaking countries and the photo of one of my coworkers. It read, “La mesa de Español.” You replaced it with an A4 sized-piece of paper, and you wrote “Whites Only” in big letters with a marker. It was not an accident. You carefully left the sign ready to be used. It was not a “note.” It was a deliberate message to our community. I held the sign in my hands as I walked around the Union wondering how to ask for help and to who. I wondered if anyone would help. I can’t explain to you the pain you have thrust into my life.
You finished your “apology” with: “We will be talking to our friends, students and others who were directly affected by this incident.” I wonder if this is true. I have not heard from you. In fact, I am using this platform to communicate with you and the administration. I want to let you know that as I am waiting for the administration to respond adequately I am also waiting for you to have the courage to live up to your word. I would like to thank the people who have supported me and my friends through our pain. You have provided me with pockets of peace and love. If we want to think about things to do while we wait, Joshua Palkki delivered a beautiful lecture on Sunday titled “Creating safe People: LGBTQ Issues in Music Education.” In his lecture, Palkki mentioned how safe spaces are stagnant and immobile and that one should strive to be a safe person, to carry that safeness with you and provide pockets of safety in a very unsafe place. While we continue to wait for policy, action and stronger response, I encourage student allies to take Palkki’s suggestion. I encourage everyone to strive to be a safe person. We wait, but we won’t wait idly. And we won’t wait forever.
EDITORIAL
Students must use their platforms for change At the beginning of the year, we at Chips mounted a cover from the Vol. 86, No. 20 edition of the paper (published in 1969) in our office. The cover is all black with a quote from James Baldwin in the center. It reads: “A country is only as good . . . a country is only as strong as the people who make it up and the country turns into what the people want it to become. Now, this country is going to be transformed. It will not be transformed by an act of God, but by all of us, by you and me. I don’t believe any longer that we can afford to say that it is entirely out of our hands. We made the world we’re living in and we have to make it over.” In the wake of recent hate incidents on our campus, we as an editorial staff are asking ourselves these questions. What does it mean for the world to be in our hands? What does it mean to make it over? In the context of Luther, we believe this means that student-led organizations, like Chips, must take charge. But we recognize that this is difficult. Not just because it takes effort, but because if the problem is truly ours to fix then that means it always has been. The implication then becomes that we, in some form or another, have been complicit. This is not an easy pill to swallow and many of us resist it. But no more. The sit-in which occurred on Friday is a powerful
example of what can go right when students realize that simple declarations of solidarity are not enough. Students must be the change. We must, to use Baldwin’s words, “make it over.” There is only so much the administration can do. We are only here for four or five years as students, sometimes fewer, and these issues are not solvable in only a few years. However, the institutions which we, as students, are a part of are able to be changed. Chips has been a presence at Luther since the 19th century. Therefore, we as an editorial staff stand with students who are taking steps to orient their platforms in the directions of significant social change. We have multiple members on staff who are personally and deeply affected by these events and many more who are affected by proxy. So, yes, we stand against these incidents. We also stand for students making a change. To quote the lyrics of the refrain sang outside of the Center for Faith in Life during the vigil last Thursday, “We are the people at the full height of our power. This is the place and now is the hour.” Use your platforms while you still have them. Use this power. Because, as students, it is uniquely ours. Signed, Chips editorial staff
OPINION
PAGE 10 MAY 3, 2018
MANAGING EDITOR: ELIZABETH BONIN
TO THE EDITOR
To be an ally, practice what you preach International students or students of color are not looking for sympathy. Please allow me to kill that assumption. We are not looking for you to give a big grin when approaching us and go back to your resting face as soon as you pass by. Those non-genuine yet polite smiles? That’s not what we are looking for. Rather, we are looking for is you to practice what you preach because most of these incidents that occur on campus brew up a hostile steam of discussion then die out as soon as people get tired of talking. This is done by our fellow students and our friends, too. For one to come to us and say, “Oh I heard what happened in the field or in the cafeteria. I am so sorry.
This is not what I signed up for when I came to Luther,” is not enough if they are going to keep silent upon hearing their friends make racially discriminatory remarks. You say you are sorry, but when given the opportunity to call out a friend and shut down that remark before it becomes an action, you don’t. So what exactly are you sorry for? What you allow is what will continue. Thus keeping quiet when you know you should be saying “No, that’s wrong,” only gives out an impression that what they are saying or doing is OK. Excuse me for speaking for everybody — even those who might not necessarily agree with me. But let me also point out that I am not trying to be ungrateful to those
who have shown great support to the minorities at this college. I am simply trying to say that Luther College as a whole should do more and hold up a bit on the talking. We’ve been talking for a while now; let’s start practicing what we preach. The next time you want to dismiss someone’s raciallybiased comment or action because it’s not that much of a big deal, remember that it all builds up and the ripple effects of that small thing may cause an extraordinarily big effect for some community members. Signed, Legoadi Princess Ramabele (‘20)
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Administration response to hate incidents is not enough The only thing that bothers me more than the hateful incidents that happened last week is the administration’s response. I get the sense that they are more interested in keeping a positive reputation by just making it look like everything is fine rather than actually fixing the issues. They call them bias incidents when they are real acts of hate, racism, and discrimination. We received an email saying that the Luther community
rejects such acts, but what are we actually doing to reject them? The individuals who wrote “Whites Only” and “Bad Ya’ll are going to hell” are definitely not going to attend workshops on race and inclusivity. Even some of my friends didn’t know what was going on when I brought up the topic and simply ignored the emails and continued living their busy student lives. There is a need for real consequences. Back in my previous academic institutions if
something like this happened, the head of the school would schedule a compulsory meeting for the entire student body, give a real speech, and then wouldn’t allow anyone to leave until the offender stepped up and admitted their guilt, otherwise all students would get penalized. The offender then would need to apologize and most likely get expelled. Perhaps we can’t do something like this in a college with a larger community, but we
need to be more strict. There are rules that shouldn’t be broken; we are an academic institution. The letter of apology written by the students involved in the “Whites Only” incident seems to me like just another effort of making everything look fine. Perhaps the letter pleased most of the Luther community, but not us, not the ones who were directly affected by the issue, not my coworker who found the note and felt extremely unsafe and hurt by
it. People need to know about the truth regardless of any consequences to reputations. Discrimination acts at Luther aren’t going to be solved by sending emails and hosting voluntary attendance meetings, events, and workshops. I feel disappointed. The administration is doing a poor job at providing a place where everyone can feel safe. Signed, Jorge Contreras Osegueda (‘20)
TO THE EDITOR
Pioneers in protest demand change In light of the events that occurred last week on campus, the students demand change. The pioneers in the protest have been working to come to an agreedupon list of demands to submit to the administration. Although the finalized list of demands remains in the works, the pioneers in change have agreed to release the general requests. There are two goals for the outcome of the demands. In the short term, the students are requesting changes to Paideia to include a more internationally diverse curriculum and to include guided discussions on the international conflicts presented
within each text. The students are also demanding a committee with student representatives to oversee the future of international curriculum changes. Secondly, the students demand an explanation, be it academic or informal, as to why the events on campus are deemed a bias incident instead of racist or even discriminatory when according to Iowa state law all three incidents are defined as hate crimes. The students are also demanding not the name of the culprit, but the reparations that the students will be facing to be made public or disclosed to the students in charge of the protests and
subsequent demands. As for some of the long-term goals, the students are demanding and have begun a consolidation of student orientation. It is abundantly clear that the separated orientation of international, Chicago, and the rest of the students that are to begin their first year at Luther fosters an environment and belief that the students shall always be integrated separately or remain on separate levels of campus. Furthermore, the students have begun to question the effect that the current policy in regard to faculty tenure has had on the events at large. In order to force professors to also take part in
the curriculum change and to make it obligatory for the professors to take similar diversity courses, they must provide proof that they have taken such courses in their portfolio to move forward with tenure. The students want change. They are working vehemently to demand that change. The projected date of the finalization of the list of demands is aimed for the end of the semester. They will be gathering continuously until a conclusion is met. Signed, Quinn Chamberlain (‘21)
SPORTS
PAGE 11
MAY 3, 2018
SPORTS EDITOR: BEN SELCKE
Men’s golf tees off conference tournament, hopes to win third title ROZLYN PARADIS STAFF WRITER The Luther College Men’s Golf team will compete in the four-day Conference Championship Tournament. The conclusion of the tournament is Saturday, May 4 and Sunday, May 5. The first round of play was held at the University of Iowa. The second will be held at Wartburg College. The team with the lowest combined score will move on to nationals in South Carolina. Five Luther men make up the tournament team: Joe Fewer (‘19), Ben Grotnes (‘18), Spencer Horst (‘19), JP Knutson (‘20), and Bryce Pierce (‘18). Over the two weekends, a total of 72 holes will be played with a par of 288. The lowest four individual scores will be counted towards the team’s total. The University of Iowa always hosts the first weekend of tournament play for the Conference Championships. It is a quality course that the team is familiar with. The second course, at Wartburg, has not been played by any member of the Luther Men’s Golf team. The Thursday before play, the team will complete a practice round on the course. Head Coach Scott Fjelstul was excited going into the tournament as the “Two-Time Defending Champion” with two returning all-conference players: Grotnes and Fewer. Coach Fjelstul and his players feel confident about “threepeating” this year. “This will be our chance to win three in a row,” Horst said. “I think the pressure is on to three-peat. Our goal for this year has been to win a third, it’s been our mentality all year. It will be breaking history again, no one had ever won back-to-back before and this would be winning back-toback-to-back. It would be super cool and super fun.” As for all spring sports this year, preparing for competition has been challenging. “This has been a very difficult spring because of all the snow and cold weather,” Fjelstul said. “We have normally had six rounds of tournament competition in normal years and outside practice for at least three weeks. This year, we are just inside hitting balls into nets.” Fjelstul wishes the team had more outdoor practice, but feels the team has overcome the challenges of inclement weather. He is uncertain how the competition will be this weekend due to the limited tournaments. He believes the lack of experience against other schools is independent of his team’s performance. “I don’t really worry about other schools and how they are
Ben Grotnes (‘18) prepares to hit the ball. playing,” Fjelstul said. “We just worry about ourselves and how we are playing, and we worry about our preparation.” Horst is confident in the team’s ability to perform in the championship. “I think we are true performers,” Horst said. “When the time is needed, we are there to play. When the pressure is on, we perform as we need to be.” Horst’s only concern is for poor course condition, but that remains a constant concern for all teams playing in the tournament. He remains confident as he says they will play with the cards they are dealt and improvise to overcome the circumstances.
Photo courtesy of Lori Pierce The first weekend is crucial for the final standing of the tournament. “We are trying to get into a good position after the first weekend,” said Grotnes. “You can lose it the first day, but you can’t really win it the first day. You are just trying to go out there, put your team in a strong place, and remain in the first seed for the following weekend.” After this first weekend of play, Luther stands in the strong place Grotnes was hoping for. They are third out of nine conference teams, down 15 strokes from first place. The current total is +41 with 606 strokes. The final 36 holes will be played next weekend at Wartburg.
Connor Gossman (‘18), JP Knutson (‘20), Ben Grotnes (‘18), Bryce Pierce (‘18), Spencer Horst (‘19), Joe Fewer (‘19), and Head Coach Scott Fjelstul.
Photos courtesy of Lori Pierce.
SPORTS
PAGE 12
SPORTS EDITOR: BEN SELCKE
MAY 3, 2018
Weekly Standings Baseball Wartburg Dubuque Coe Luther Loras Buena Vista Central Nebraska Wes. Simpson
IIAC 13-5 12-5 11-5 13-8 11-9 9-11 7-11 5-15 4-16
Recent Scores
Overall 22-10 17-15 19-13 23-12 22-13 13-20 16-18 9-23 6-27
April 30 vs. Wartburg College L 4-6
Upcoming Schedule
May 5 vs. Grinnell College
Trent Ostby (‘20) clears a height.
Madie Miller (‘19) | Photo Bureau
Track and field compete at Drake and St. Mary’s MARTIN DONOVAN STAFF WRITER The Luther College Women’s and Men’s Track and Field teams competed at both the St. Mary’s Open and the Drake Relays last weekend. Luther brought nine women and 10 men to Des Moines for the Drake Relays, while the rest of the team travelled to Winona, Minnesota to compete at St. Mary’s University. According to Assistant Professor of Health and Physical Education and Head Track and Field Coach Jeff Wettach (‘79), these two meets are particularly important for the Luther Track and Field team as their training is focused on the last few meets of the season. “It’s in the last third of our season, so when we hit St. Mary’s and [the Drake
Relays] it means we only have three meets left,” Wettach said. “In track and field you train and gear towards the last three meets of the season hoping for your very best performances.” Going into the weekend, Wettach indicated that he is not concerned about the end results of either of the two meets. “My philosophy is that we are all about performing more than outcomes,” Wettach said. “You can’t control where you place because you can’t control competition.” Top performances at the St. Mary’s open included Ilsa Knivsland (‘20) and Martel Den Hartog (‘19) who finished fifth and sixth respectively in the women’s 800 meter, while Aubrey Highum (‘20) placed third overall in
javelin. Additionally, Erik Duethman (‘18) finished fourth in the men’s 1500 meter. Notable Luther women’s races at Drake included an 11th place finish in the 4x800 meter relay, 21st place finish in the 4 x 400 meter relay, and fourth place finish in the Iowa Conference distance medley relay. On the men’s side at Drake, the distance medley relay finished fourth in the Iowa Conference, ninth in the sprint medley relay, and Elijah Kane (‘18) placed 21st in javelin. There were no reported team scores at the St. Mary’s Open or the Drake Relays. Jonah Gehrt (‘19) said that the Drake Relays, one of the largest track and field meets in the nation, provided challenging competition. “I think it was a chance for
good competition more than anything else,” Gehrt said. “[In] the college division there are a lot of teams outside of the IIAC, so it’s a lot of teams we don’t get to see very often.” Kaia Bierman (‘18) echoed this sentiment. “You know going into it that you are going to go out in your lap faster than usual, which is a great opportunity to push yourself at a new level,” Bierman said. “Especially when you are in the company of these other teams who are perhaps a tier above or at the same level. It’s a really cool opportunity to get into a groove that you are not used to.” Additionally, Luther track and field members said that the sheer size and significance of the Drake Relays separated the meet from other events. “Hearing your name announced in that giant stadium while you’re running and I saw myself on that giant screen, that was just crazy,” Amelia Hornseth (‘21) said. Bierman added to Horseth’s comment. “Just being there is an honor and people have some inherent respect for you, even if they don’t know your standings or your race,” Bierman said. “The expectations are so high there and you just have to roll with it and accept that you are going to push yourself past your limit.”
Softball Coe Central Luther Nebraska Wes. Loras Simpson Buena Vista Wartburg Dubuque
IIAC 13-3 11-4 10-5 8-8 7-9 7-9 6-10 5-11 4-12
Recent Scores
Overall 25-11 26-9 32-7 21-17 19-19 21-15 21-15 15-17 8-30
April 29 vs. Coe College L 0-1
Upcoming Schedule
May 4 IIAC Tournament
Men’s Tennis Coe Luther Central Loras Wartburg Dubuque Nebraska Wes. Simpson Buena Vista
IIAC 8-0 7-1 6-2 5-3 4-4 3-5 2-6 7-1 0-8
Recent Scores
April 28 vs. Central College W 9-0
Overall 22-5 19-4 14-11 13-5 11-12 5-11 4-16 7-14 5-13
Upcoming Schedule
May 4 Iowa Conference Tournament