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PRIDE and ABY present the Royal Drag Ball
Maasai perform and host song and dance night in Marty’s
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Women’s tennis competes at National Automatic Qualifier
LUTHER COLLEGE
“Let the chips fall where they may.”
CHIPS
MAY 4, 2017
Serving the Luther College community since 1884.
VOLUME 139, NO. 21
Environmental Studies major undergoes redesign
Dunbar-Ortiz addresses U.S. genocidal history Harleigh Boldridge (‘18) listens to Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz speak at the Gjerset House.
Author, historian, and activist Roxanne DunbarOrtiz visited classes and gave a lecture to discuss the “Doctrine of Discovery” OLIVIA ENQUIST STAFF WRITER Author and activist Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz delivered a lecture titled “The Doctrine of Discovery and U.S. Genocidal History and Policies” on April 25 in Valders 206 to an audience of students, faculty, and community members. The lecture discussed the definition and terms of genocide, Indigenous People and American political relations of the past, and the current effects of the “Doctrine of Discovery.” In addition to her lecture, Dunbar-Ortiz attended four classes and held a reception
Olivia Enquist (‘19) | Chips
in the Gjerset House during her stay. Associate Professor of Political Science and Chair of the Diversity Council Carly Foster said that bringing Dunbar-Ortiz on to campus was a timely decision. “I had read some of Roxanne’s work back when I was in college and I am currently teaching American Politics and Women in Politics,” Foster said. “I saw that she had two bestseller books published in the last couple of years, both of the most recent ones were on issues that were related to native people. Since I am chairing the Diversity Council this year, and there was the Standing Rock protest in North Dakota that some of our students were traveling to and were interested in, it just seemed like an ideal opportunity to bring her in.” Dunbar-Ortiz began the lecture by outlining the specific definitions of genocide as laid out by the United Nations in the Genocide Convention. She explained that the terms of genocide are much broader than people usually assume given the fact that the act works in part for the prevention of genocide. She then explained the ways in which the American government had committed genocide against Indigenous Peoples. DUNBAR-ORTIZ | PAGE 4
Lucia Holte (‘17) prepares to present a survey of the trees on Luther’s campus for her ENVS 175 course. Annika Vande Krol (‘19) | Photo Bureau
BEN SELCKE STAFF WRITER The environmental studies program is changing requirements for the major and minor and implementing a new teaching plan. The changes come following two external reviews conducted by St. Olaf and Macalester College earlier this year of Luther’s environmental studies program. An area that was specifically targeted for improvement is integration of different classes within the major. With the exception of senior seminar, there are no courses within the program that bring all environmental studies students together in a single class to combine elements from their other classes. ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES | PAGE 4
Interfaith Student Association sets sights on future SHANNON BAKER STAFF WRITER After conducting several meetings over the past academic year, the Interfaith Student Association (ISA) plans to update the group for the upcoming 2017-18 school year. From the Luther website, ISA “facilitates the interaction between student of different religious tradition and spiritual or humanistic beliefs and bring them all together for positive dialogue.” ISA president Rebecka Green (‘19) hopes to develop three different parts to the group for the 2017-18 school year. The first part, called “interfaith dialogue,” will include conversations on a smaller scale regarding theology or specific faith traditions. The second part, called “interfaith literacy,” will teach people how to talk about interfaith ideas in an educated way. “[Interfaith literacy] would take the form of attending lectures and panels, watching documentaries, and we also hope to have a summer reading list with ideas for books to read,” Green said. The third part of the group will be “interfaith activism,” which will likely involve interfaith participation in service events that have already been scheduled by other groups, such as College Ministries. INTERFAITH | PAGE 4
From left: Anne Harriman (‘19), Anna Becker (‘19) Rebecka Green (‘19), Elizabeth Wiebke (‘19), Anila Bano (‘20), and Sarah Jennings (‘20). Not pictured: Asha Aden (‘20), Shasa Sartin (‘19), and Jordan Boge (‘18). Shannon Baker (‘20) | Chips
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NEWS EDITORS: DANNY MAY & JACOB WAREHIME
Gulliksen to receive honorary doctorate at Luther commencement MADELINE AJACK STAFF WRITER Retired Professor of American culture and literature Øyvind Gulliksen will receive an honorary doctorate during the 2016-17 commencement, an award for his research during his time at Luther. Gulliksen has been working on numerous projects as a visiting scholar, such as transcribing 155 of the Elisabeth Koren letters — work that is still in progress. Gulliksen has been working with Froydis Ronneberg (‘18) on the transcriptions. “I hope for them to be published,” Gulliksen said. “When? I don’t know, but I hope I will be alive to see it happen.” Gulliksen’s time at Luther began in 1976, when he followed his interests in Norwegian immigrants to Decorah and visited while conducting graduate work in American Studies at the University of Minnesota. He returned to Norway before again coming to Luther to teach Norwegian Literature and Translation as well as Immigrant Studies as part of a Fulbright program in 1983-84. In 2001 he taught Paideia at Luther.
“I am so absolutely excited to get my honorary doctorate,” Gulliksen said. “I always enjoyed being at Luther and it’s my privilege to do that. And I’ve been able to do things here that I wouldn't [be able to do] in Norway.” Assistant Professor of History Anna Peterson has worked and taught with Gulliksen, including taking students to local cemeteries to analyze the headstones. “He always opens that class with a quote and it’s a very romantic idea of walking around a cemetery,” Peterson said. “It brings the voices of the past back to life.” Peterson, Gulliksen, and his wife, Visiting Instructor in Scandinavian Studies Kari Grønningsæter, have all been involved in the Nordic studies department. “He’s given a lot to this place,” Peterson said. “I’m really glad he’s getting the [honorary] degree.” History major Alex Aakre (‘19) has had personal and academic experiences with Gulliksen, especially in regard to Gulliksen’s knowledge of the Hauge Synod, a U.S. body of the Norwegian Lutheran church. “Øyvind is the only other person I know who gets excited about
Retired Professor of American culture and literature Øyvind Gulliksen talks with a peer at a cemetery. Photo courtesy of luther.edu 19th century Norwegian Pietists,” Aakre said. “He’s the only person I know whose hobby is exploring old graveyards. He will be missed, and I’ll have to find someone else who gets excited about Norwegian
pastors.” At the conclusion of his work with the Elisabeth Koren letters, Gulliksen will depart for Norway with Grønningsæter at the end of this spring semester. He will
continue his research in Norway. “I’m not prepared to go, but I have to leave,” Gulliksen said. “The day I go back I guess I just have to be ready. This is probably the end of my semester-long stays at Luther.”
Counseling Service discusses controversial Netflix television series LILY KIME STAFF WRITER Counseling Services held a discussion regarding the Netflix series “13 Reasons Why” on April 25, which addressed the mental health issues that the show depicts. Approximately 15 people attended the discussion. Netflix describes this drama as follows: “After a teenage girl’s perplexing suicide, a classmate receives a series of tapes that unravel the mystery of her tragic choice.”
The show is presented through the eyes of Clay Jensen, a friend of the teenage girl who commits suicide, Hannah Baker. While listening to the tapes Jensen experiences both his reality in the wake of Baker’s suicide and the flashbacks Baker describes that led to ending her own life. Counselor Bobbi-Jo Molokken decided through discussion with her peers and student workers at Counseling Service that an open conversation concerning the show and reactions to it was an appropriate measure.
(From left) Savannah Hartman ('18) speaks at the "13 Reasons Why" discussion as Towers Area Coordinator Sophia Engelman ('13) listens. Lily Kime ('19) | Chips
“We had heard that other counseling centers were talking about [the show] and what impact it was having,” Molokken said. “We’ve had a number of clients come in and talk about how it has been impacting them, in many cases triggering mental health issues or past assaults and struggling with that.” Attendees addressed the show's worth and its issues. Matheus Beato (‘17) pointed out that the show was powerful to its audience because it includes topics such as suicide and bullying, with which many are familiar. Tamar Tedla (‘20) appreciated the show’s racial diversity. “I feel like a lot of TV shows today either don’t have characters of color or, if they do, there are a ton of stereotypes that surround those characters,” Tedla said. “I really enjoyed that in this show there was a surplus of people of color and interracial relationships.” Some took issue with the show, however, such as Counseling Service student worker Savannah Hartman (‘18). She was bothered by the fact that it does not explore issues of mental health. Grace O’Brien (‘17) conveyed her displeasure with the character Baker’s choice to make tapes that give her reasons for committing suicide. “I thought that [Baker] was being rude,” O’Brien said. “Why would you want to wish that on other people when you know exactly how that feels and you’re on the brink of death? I know she wants to make them aware, but I don’t think that’s the best way to do it.” The conversation turned to what the show did poorly in regard to addressing the mental health needs of its viewers. Molokken argued
that the show’s only warning for the sensitive material is the content label at the start of the show, and believed that the show could have offered more support to those viewers who may have been triggered by its material. Molokken said that providing phones numbers to selfhelp hotlines at the beginning and end of every episode would aid this. Hartman also expressed her disappointment in the show’s portrayal of mental health professionals. “The way the show depicts the counselor is not how professional help actually is,” Hartman said. “They would know how to handle a potentially suicidal person, and they wouldn’t just dismiss it or take a phone call over someone in their office. That’s kind of sending a message to viewers that maybe you can’t trust professional help, which is really awful.” Molokken recommends that individuals who have not yet watched the show take time to reflect on their mental health before deciding whether or not to watch it. For those that have watched it and have reacted strongly, Molokken advises them to seek support through Counseling Service, Health Services, or College Ministries — the confidential resources on campus. According to The New York Times, Netflix announced on May 1 that it will indeed add a warning to the start of the show as an extra precaution. National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255
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NEWS EDITORS: DANNY MAY & JACOB WAREHIME
MAY 4, 2017
Luther widens summer jobs applicant pool due to low student interest
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65/39 SUNDAY Isabel Lockheimer Toso ('20) works in front of Dahl Centennial Union during her grounds crew shift. Shasa Sartin ('19) | Chips SHASA SARTIN STAFF WRITER In response to insufficient Luther student applications, Luther’s facilities services has opened its summer grounds crew positions to Decorah area high school students above the age of 16. Some say the low application count resulted from Luther
offering minimum wage pay to student workers. The change came on April 24, as the grounds crew feared being understaffed for summer 2017. Generally, facilities prefers to have 16 student workers on staff to maintain Luther’s 150 acres of land throughout the summer. Iowa’s minimum wage, according to The Des Moines
Students conduct work in the Gateway prairie. Annika Vande Krol ('19) | Photo Bureau
Register’s report on March 27, has been frozen at $7.25 per hour. Vice President for Finance and Administration Eric Runestad said that some businesses in Decorah offer higher wages than the minimum pay that Luther provides. Further, Minnesota’s minimum wage sits at $9.50 per hour as of August 2016. “Students need to make a determination about whether or not two dollars an hour is worth it,” Runestad said. According to Director of Human Resources Marsha Wenthold, prior to 2009 the college left summer work positions open to area residents on campus due to low Luther student applications; those eligible included 14 and 15 year-olds who acquired work permits. In 2009 there was a surge in Luther student interest, after which the college changed its hiring policy for summer employment; thereafter, only current Luther students were eligible for summer jobs on campus, a policy that will change this summer. During the summer of 2016, there were many parttime grounds crew workers. Grounds Maintenance employee Perry Halse explained that last summer only one student worked full-time hours daily; the remainder were part-time workers who split hours between grounds crew and elsewhere. Morgan Sammons (‘18), a student from Iowa City, IA, will work on the grounds crew this summer, but was
hesitant to accept the position because of the minimum wage. “[The hourly rate] was the only thing that was holding me back,” Sammons said. “I’ve never worked for that little. In Iowa City, the minimum wage is higher and I’ve always been a waitress and gotten a lot of tips, so I’ve never worked for that little — not since I was 15.” While the wage was unappealing to Sammons, there were other aspects of the job that excited her. She spoke to the way the position will complement her summer schedule while she takes a class on campus. “I knew that I would be spending a lot of my time this summer inside, doing physics,” Sammons said. “We have lab, so studying would be inside and I really wanted a way to be outside. I knew if I was tired all the time from work [at] some other job, then I’d just want to go lay in my bed, but now I have an excuse to be outside when I’m working.” For Runestad, the visual presentation of the campus is a top priority, and the college needs its grounds crew to maintain that asset. “An awful lot of work has to happen over the summer to make sure that campus is presented in that way,” Runestad said. Other summer employment positions on campus that have experienced application shortages include custodial and painting, but Wenthold said that both have been filled.
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MAY 4, 2017
Life Outside Luther Trump, Putin discuss Syria ceasefire in first talks since U.S. air strikes U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday moved to ease the tension from U.S. air strikes in April against Russian ally Syria, expressing a desire for a Syrian ceasefire and safe zones for the civil war's refugees. The two leaders spoke by phone for the first time since U.S. relations with Russian were strained by the U.S. attack on a Syrian airfield. They two leaders set the foundation for what could be their first face-to-face meeting in July. U.S. Senate votes to confirm Jay Clayton as SEC chairman The U.S. Senate voted on Tuesday to confirm attorney Jay Clayton to head the Securities and Exchange Commission, the agency tasked with policing and writing rules for Wall Street. In a 61-37 vote, the Senate approved the nomination, with some moderate Democrats joining their Republican colleagues in supporting his confirmation. Clayton could be officially sworn in as SEC chairman as soon as Thursday. Service workers' union calls for investigations of McDonald's rent policies The Service Employees International Union, backer of a five-year campaign to improve pay and job conditions for fast-food workers, on Tuesday asked Illinois and California officials to investigate how McDonald's Corp calculates restaurant rents, which generate about one-fourth of its revenue. The union behind the "Fight for $15," campaign alleges that McDonald's does not accurately or specifically disclose the formula used to set rents and that it charges far more than landlords of other fast-food chains. That makes it difficult for the company's 2,500 U.S. franchisees to raise hourly wages for restaurant crews, it said. Tesla is most painful stock for short sellers in 2017 Traders short selling Tesla's (TSLA.O) soaring stock have lost $3.7 billion this year, eclipsing the combined losses of traders shorting Apple (AAPL.O), Amazon.com (AMZN.O) and Netflix (NFLX.O). The Palo Alto, California, company's stock has become a battleground between investors betting Chief Executive Elon Musk will revolutionize the automobile industry and skeptics who question his aggressive production targets. France's Le Pen lifts parts of rival's speech, aides brush off plagiarism accusations French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen came under fire on social media on Tuesday for lifting sections of a speech from a conservative rival, in what Le Pen's aides said was a "nod-and-a-wink" to her voters.
Taken from: reuters.com
NEWS EDITORS: DANNY MAY & JACOB WAREHIME DUNBAR-ORTIZ | PAGE 1 Dunbar-Ortiz also explained the “Doctrine of Discovery” — a doctrine that still exists as part of the American legal system. This doctrine allowed the American government to take control of Native land due to their “discovery” of it. She emphasized that it is important to note that this doctrine still has effects on native people today. Anna Dewitt (‘19) said the lecture provided her with a lot of new information. “I wasn't aware of all of the different parts to the definition of genocide,” Dewitt said. “I was surprised by how broad the definition was. Even though I knew that a lot of [Indigenous Peoples] have been killed throughout the history of the U.S., I was also shocked and interested to learn about the forced sterilization of women. I don't think many people had heard of that before. Just learning what I did during the lecture really made me think about other parts of our history that have been covered up or just aren't
Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz delivers her lecture in Valders 206 to a full audience. Olivia Enquist (‘19) | Chips talked about.” Attendee Morgan King (‘19) echoed this sentiment. “My eyes were opened to the implications of genocide throughout the world,” King said. “I was taught
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES | PAGE 1 “Environmental studies has a challenge because it’s an interdisciplinary major,” Associate Professor of Biology Eric Baack said. “Students take courses in philosophy, political science, biology, and geology and yet we want students to pull all of these ideas together. Currently we only have one course, the senior seminar, that asks them to do that.” A new course, Environmental Studies 250, is designed to address this problem. It will be a requirement for both the major and the minor and will ask students to synthesise what they have learned across the major sooner in their program. “We will use the laboratory of northeast Iowa to get people thinking about, [for example, water] from all of those perspectives — biology, chemistry, and political perspectives,” Brummel said. “To have those case studies where you are integrating all of those disciplines into a single context.” As part of the redesign of the major, a new track was added to the existing two. Two new, policy-focused courses will be added to this track. “In the new major we’ve added a third track which is environment society and culture and we’ve made the policy track a little more
INTERFAITH | PAGE 1 ISA member Elizabeth Wiebke (‘19) said current Luther classes as well as past events hosted by Campus Ministries and the Diversity Center have had a great impact on her growing interfaith interest and desire to continue the group. “The first time I heard about [ISA] was when Syrian refugee and interfaith scholar [Ghada] Ghazal came to campus,” Wiebke said. “[Religion] is relevant to so many situations, as I have seen through my
coursework in religion and political science.” Green noted that Luther College, while taking steps to promote diversity, is not a perfect reflection of the myriad beliefs that students can expect to encounter after they graduate. “Interfaith competency is becoming more and more important for the average person,” Green said. “Many times we will, after we graduate, end up in communities that are a lot less homogeneous than Luther, and it’s important to be able to navigate places of cultural and
throughout my high school education about the genocides that happened elsewhere. I realized that our society continues to generate practices that are extending beyond mere oppression and into the global definitions of genocide.”
focused on politics and economics, so really deepening that look at political and economic institutions,” Brummel said. Environmental studies student Meghan Barker (‘17) said it is important for the environmental studies major to be interdisciplinary. “It pretty clear that you can’t even start to solve some of the environmental issues until you consider all of those [biological, chemical and political implications],” Barker said. The redesign will also affect the context in which students study environmental issues. “We’ve always been very strong making use of the [local region], but what we are hoping to do now is to develop the global side to pair with that local side,” Baack said. Baack said the major should help students solve environmental issues after they leave Luther. “We want students to be able to gather information from multiple sources and pull that all together, and that’s quite challenging,” Baack said. “Realistically, almost all environmental problems involve scientific information and well as information from government agencies.” Students entering the major next year will be using the new redesigned major and minor structure. Students already in the major will be given the option to switch. religious diversity.” According to College Pastor Mike Blair, the group participated in interfaith events revolving around holy days and conferences in the past few months, yet has not been able to meet regularly. “Leadership transitions, particularly in College Ministries and Diversity Center, have made it harder to offer consistent staffing support for student interest in interfaith work,” Blair said. Though there has not been enough membership or support to keep the group sustained in the past, Wiebke and Green hope that reformatting the group will increase interest and level of activity within the group itself. They hope to increase interest in the group and make it clear that all are welcome
to participate in interfaith events, regardless of commitment to ISA itself. “A lot of [the members] want to bring panels to the community, not just to our meetings, because we want everyone to be educated,” Wiebke said. “It’s for anyone who is interested in learning about other people and talking about any aspect of religion at all." Green agreed, stressing the inclusivity of the group for people of any faith background. “Religion can be a scary, daunting thing for some people, but if you find the right medium, [religion] can speak to all kinds of people with or without faith,” Green said. ISA will not meet again this semester, but it plans to resume meetings in the fall of 2017.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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A&E EDITOR: ELIZABETH BONIN
MAY 4, 2017
Blind dates and heart break in “Becky Shaw” Gracie Griffiths (‘19) performs in Storre Theaters. Photography by Brittany
SAM MITCHELL STAFF WRITER In the play “Becky Shaw,” a blind date implodes and relationship drama explodes. The show, written by Gina Giofriddo and directed by Visiting Director Jennifer Thomas, was performed in Storre Theatre on April 28 and 29. Two more performances hosted by Visual Performing Arts will take place on May 5 at 7:30 and 6 at 1:30. The play is set in a modern society and explores the lives of Susanne Slater, performed by Steffi Sea (‘19) and Max Garrett, performed by Josh Weisenburger (‘17). The story focuses on Slater’s economic situation after the death of her father. In the first scene, the relationship between Slater and her family friend, Garrett, a financial shark, is explored, which sets the intimate tone for the rest of the play. Eva Gemlo (‘17) who portrayed Slater’s mother, drew a connection between “Becky Shaw” and this year’s Paideia theme “Who Do You Trust?” “The people in the show are normal people,” Gemlo said. “They’ve been through stuff that has shattered their lives and it is that kind of thing that makes people do desperate things. Then you have to question who you can actually trust.” Gemlo’s character had multiple sclerosis, and found portraying her bitter personality challenging. “I was just filled with frustration and anger,” Gemlo
said. “That’s how the character works. So it’s trying to balance between this really cruel character who says awful things to her daughter and people that she loves, but also finding the weakness within that because she is the villain.” Sea found playing Slater difficult because she did not identify her character. “What you find out in the show is that every character in the show has a dark side,” Sea said. “It’s hard to find the balance of how to play with the character so that you don’t judge them and can play them effectively.” Audience member Kate Morin (‘18) enjoyed the production. “‘Becky Shaw’ was a great play with complex characters and an engaging plot,” Morin said. Thomas was chosen as a visiting director from St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY. She wanted the audience to realize that all of the characters are flawed and working to try and make a connection with each other. “The thing to take away from this play is finding where the people are in our lives that carry that weight with them of feeling flawed or unworthy, and where can we alleviate that,” Thomas said. The student performers said that they learned a great deal from the experience. “The main thing we learned is how to actively release these emotional maneuvers that we put ourselves into all the time,” Weisenburger said. Weisenburger found the show
to be indicative of life itself. “These are different people in a different world trying their best to figure life out,” Weisenburger said. “No one in the show is perfect and they
don’t have to be.” Weisenburger felt that the show was a success with the audience. “If a show like this can cultivate empathy or recognition
in its audience where they begin to have a really good discussion about these complex feelings that people have, then I feel that we’ve done our job,” Weisenburger said.
Ryan Pierce (‘17) and Gracie Griffiths (‘19) perform an emotional scene in “Becky Shaw.” Photography by Brittany
FEATURES
PAGE 6 MAY 4, 2017
FEATURES EDITOR: FRAN STEVENSON
Luther alum bikes for Syrian refugees
(From left) Alum Matt Boelter (‘16), and a map of the TransAmerica trail. Photos courtesy of Matt Boelter (‘16)
EMMA BUSCH STAFF WRITER Luther College alum Matt Boelter (‘16) is biking 40 miles a day from Yorktown, VA, to Astoria, WA, on the 4,228 mile TransAmerica Trail this summer to raise money and awareness for Syrian refugees. On May 1, Boelter will begin his trek across the country with the intention of raising $10,000 for the Save the Children Organization by Aug. 30. Fellow Luther alum and Boelter’s partner, Sarah Stutzke (‘16), says that this fundraising endeavor reflects Boelter’s compassion for other people and his desire to make a difference in the world through his own interests. “Matt is an extremely empathetic person [who] is very much concerned about the wellbeing of others,” Stutzke said. “He is taking on a serious
endeavor by committing three months to this trip, but I don't think he would have it any other way.” During his bicycle trip, Boelter will interview people across the country about their opinions on refugees and post them on his blog in order to create dialogue between people with different life experiences and political opinions, something he believes is necessary to solve national and global problems. “I think that when we build very rigid identity walls we separate ourselves from other people, not only globally as U.S. citizens but also locally,” Boelter said. “There are a lot of community members that you may separate yourself from whether they’re experiencing homelessness, are of a different religion, or if they are of a different political viewpoint. I believe this really hinders our ability to work together to solve some of these issues.”
According to Boelter, his idea for this journey was inspired by a number of things, one of which was his mother’s health crisis. “I was living out in Washington State, had recently graduated college, and [was] working a desk job that was ultimately unfulling,” Boelter said. “I got a phone call from my step-dad informing me that my mother had had a stroke. So I ended up moving back to Eau Claire from Washington to help her along her path of recovery. That experience in itself really made me reevaluate my own life in a lot of values that I hold. Also more importantly, [it made me] really examine what I want to do with this life, because it can be over in such a short time.” In an interview with Wisconsin Public Radio, Boelter explained that reading reports of the staggering amount of human suffering in Syria
and surrounding countries also compelled him to take action. “I had been reading a lot in the news about the incredible suffering that a lot of people in Syria are experiencing, but specifically women and children because often times they are the most vulnerable among any population” Boelter said. “I had read this article about children in Yemen, a country fairly close to Syria, who were also suffering. Basically, the children would eat garbage in order to stave off hunger.” Boelter was particularly struck by the number of Syrians that have been killed or displaced from their homes during the course of the Syrian civil war. “In Syria, I believe the United Nations (U.N.) just released that around 400,000 people have died in Syria just from the Syrian civil war in the past five years,” Boelter said.
“Around 12 million are displaced, and 9 million of [this group] have filed as refugees with the U.N. So there’s just incredible need out there, specifically for the children to relieve some of their suffering, in emotional terms, but also physical terms and that means shelter and food.” According to Boelter, he chose Save the Children because of their widereaching impact on those in need globally. “I chose the Save the Children organization because they already operate in 120 countries around the world, so they already have a lot of the means necessary to directly help these people,” Boelter said. Updates on Boelter’s trip and links to his Save the Children donation page can be found on his Facebook, Thought for Food Transcontinental Bicycle Tour, and his blog, Thought For Food Tour.
Grønningsæter returns to Norway BIZ WAGENSON STAFF WRITER Visiting Instructor in Scandanavian Studies Kari Grønningsæter will be leaving Luther and Decorah following the end of this semester and returning to Norway. Grønningsæter began working at Luther in 2007 and left in 2009. She came back to Luther in 2012, and has remained until now. She has been working in the U.S. on a five-year J-1 visa since 2012 and applied for an H1B visa. However, due to the uncertainty surrounding how long the visa would take to receive she made the decision to return to Norway following this semester. Grønningsæter’s husband, retired Professor of American Culture and Literature øyvind Gullikson will also leave Decorah. “If Luther applies for a H1B visa for me, there might be a chance that I will come back,” Grønningsæter said. “I am not done here yet, half of my heart is still in Decorah and at Luther College.” Grønningsæter teaches Norwegian 101-102, 201-202, and 345 which explore the Norwegian language, literature, and culture. Grønningsæter incorporates field trips to folk dances, Henrik Ibsin plays, and the Vesterheim into her courses. “It is important for students to get their own view of Norway beyond [its] beautiful fjords,” Grønningsæter said. “to get to know Norway today, not just the beauitful postcards of glaciers.” Associate Professor of Nordic Studies Maren Johnson
commented on how much the Nordic Studies program grew into what it is today because of the effort and unique perspectives brought by Kari. “Kari brought incredible passion, energy and enthusiasm into our Nordic Studies program,” Johnson said. “In a period of transition, she brought stability to the program. She also helped to engage students to understand the significance of studying Norway and Norwegian at Luther College.” Grønningsæter said she will miss teaching, the friendliness of Luther’s population, and the students most when she leaves. “I like to think [the students] keep me young,” Grønningsæter said. “I get so inspired by their energy and curiosity. As I get older myself it becomes so interesting to listen to what this generation thinks about the world and themselves. As I get older myself it becomes so interesting to listen to what this generation thinks about the world and themselves, and be inspired by their freshness.” Johnson explained that Grønningsæter connects with the students on a personal level that furthers their studies. “[Grønningsæter] is masterful at connecting with students,” Johnson said. “She cares deeply about each of the students sitting in her classroom and works collaboratively with her classes to ensure she employs teaching methodologies and includes information that makes the courses challenging, exciting, and fun.” Nordic Studies major Summer Gracey (‘17) elaborated on how Grønningsæter brought excitement into the classroom for
Megan DeMouth (‘18), Alexis Hove (‘18), Kari Gronningsaeter, and Hannah Tulgren (‘18). Photo courtesy of Kari Grønningsæter all students and made it an enjoyable learning environment for her. “[Grønningsæter] brings so much energy and enthusiasm everywhere she goes and it really shows in the classroom,” Gracey said. “I always looked forward to going to Norwegian because I didn’t want to miss out on whatever we were doing that day. I will miss [Grønningsæter] so much, along with everyone else I am sure.” Grønningsæter will have a job teaching international studies part-time at the University of Agder in Kristiansand, Norway next year. Johnson commented on the Nordic Studies department’s will have an empty positon next year with Grønningsaeter’s absence. No decision has been made yet.
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FEATURES EDITOR: FRAN STEVENSON
MAY 4, 2017
PRIDE & ABY host Royal Drag Ball Ashli [Noah Manke (‘20)] and Broc [Anne Wilson (‘20)] perform a song from Rocky Horror Picture Show together. Kelsey Chang (‘20) | Photo Bureau
Wyatt Anians (‘19) hosts the Royal Drag Ball.
NORA FELT STAFF WRITER Amidst cheering and blaring music, PRIDE (People for Rights and Inclusion of Diversity and Expression) in partner with Alpha Beta Psi sorority hosted the Luther College Royal Drag Ball on April 22 in the Center for the Arts (CFA)atrium. Physical tickets sold out, so exact numbers for the event are unknown, but it is estimated that over 250 people attended. PRIDE debated charging for the event because their main goal was not fundraising, but rather to gain visibility for PRIDE and
LGBTQ rights. Wyatt Anians (‘19) hosted the show in a sparkly blue dress and blonde wig as the queen Donna D. Anians and was thrilled with how the event gained exposure for PRIDE. “We wanted to demonstrate something that the LGBTQ community is proud of,” Anians said. “We felt that Luther deserved something different and diverse that people are not always aware of. A lot of people that went said they had never been to a drag show and that is so exciting for people to experience once in their life.” Filiberto Lopez-Garcia (‘19), who helped extensively in the production of the show, echoed Anians’ sentiments.
Kelsey Chang (‘20) | Photo Bureau “Our goal for PRIDE was to create a sense of community, to bring back the drag show,” Lopez-Garcia said. The drag show was an event previously hosted at Luther but ended ten years ago due to unknown controversies. Now, the drag show is back and caused a lot of excitement on campus. The success of the drag show will help fuel other aspects of PRIDE, notably their annual trip to the Midwest Bisexual, Lesbian, Gay, Transgender, and Ally College Conference (MBLGTACC). The conference provides education on a wide array of topics and PRIDE works every year to have as many students as is financially feasible to attend the event.
In addition to the funds, the exposure the drag show created brings the hope of fostering dialogue on important LGBTQ rights on campus. Technical Director of the Drag Show and PRIDE president Ashleigh Bunkofske (‘18) expressed excitement over the gender-neutral multi-stall bathrooms present at the show as a start to discussing heteronormativity. “[The drag show] is a big headline event to get PRIDE noticed and have people pay attention to us,” Bunkofske said. “Then we can start to talk about fighting heteronormativity on campus. We can talk about things like the gender-neutral bathrooms that already exist on campus, and maybe get a directory of them.” PRIDE is looking forward to carrying the momentum and excitement generated by this event into next year. They hope to make the drag show an annual event, a title given to an event after five consecutive years. This will help the group make a statement about PRIDE’s continual commitment to creating a positive and accepting Luther community. Lopez-Garcia said that attendees were thrilled by the performances and the prospect of getting involved themselves, as the drag show presents a chance to experiment with an expressive art. “The show presents truly authentic selfexpression,” Bunkofske said. “A chance for people to experiment with something they might not otherwise. A chance to play with gender, play with gender roles, challenge societal gender roles. A chance for Luther to experience something completely new.” The show was successful in part because it presented opportunities for changes and growth, according to Bunkofske and LopezGarcia. They spoke of changing the location or technical aspects to provide for the longevity of the show. The CFA atrium offered good connection between the audience members and the performers. Performers could walk, or fall, off the stage into shrieks and waving dollar bills. Lopez-Garcia expressed concern about the size of the space and will investigate a change in venue to help the show. Bunkofske is worried about finding someone who can handle all aspects of tech once she graduates. Bunkofske was responsible for sound, set-up, stage design, and volunteer coordination. Bunkofske enjoyed the work, but in hopes of making the annual title a reality, she recognizes the need for a sustainable model for tech which anyone could implement.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
PAGE 8 MAY 4, 2017
A&E EDITOR: ELIZABETH BONIN
Maasai tribe members celebrate Tanzanian culture ANA LÓPEZ STAFF WRITER Two members of the Maasai tribe from Tanzania shared their culture in a colorful dance party. Student Activities Council (SAC) Leadership, the Diversity Center, and the anthropology department sponsored Leboy Oltimbau and Musa Kamaika’s visit to Luther on April 27. The evening started with a presentation of singing and dancing by Oltimbau and Kamaika. They accompanied the background music by singing in their native language, Maa, and playing instruments from Tanzania. Oltimbau and Kamaika shared the meaning of the songs they performed. They mentioned that their songs talked about cattle because they are sacred to their tribe. After the explanation of their solo dance, Oltimbau and Kamaika got off stage to dance with the audience of Luther students, faculty, and Decorah community members. Oltimbau and Kamaika taught the crowd how to dance to their singing with jumping and shoulder shaking. Attendee Clinton AkomeaAgyin (‘17) was interested to learn about the Maasai culture after hearing so much about them. “I appreciate the culture
because it’s really different from where I come from in West Africa,” Akomea-Agyin said. “It’s important to understand that there’s a meaning behind the dance and that it’s not just jumping around and it actually means something to them. It was really nice that everyone was dancing and it was really fun.” The evening was completed with a piece of contemporary rap from Tanzania. Oltimbau and Kamaika wore their traditional outfits but changed to other clothes for the second part of the performance. Professor of Anthropology Lori Stanley (‘80) has been involved with the January term study-abroad trip to Tanzania since 2002. She thought Oltimbau and Kamaika’s visit was beneficial to Luther students. “It’s their first time to come here but they feel like they know Luther well,” Stanley said. “They’ve been a really important part of the educational opportunity that our students have. I hope that students have fun and enjoy a different form of music and dancing than what they typically would experience here.” Stanley believes the connection of the Maasai communities and Luther are important. “We keep trying to find ways to strengthen this connection between those Maasai
Leboy Oltimbau and Musa Kamaika play Tanzanian musical instruments. Annika Vande Krol (‘19) | Photo Bureau communities, our friends,” Stanely said. “We’re just trying to strengthen that connection and keep it going.” Attendee Mikayla Brockmeyer (‘17) went on
the Paideia 450 study-abroad course to Tanzania where they learned how to dance and sing with the community. “Dancing was something that we got to participate in while we
were there,” Brockmeyer said. “When they came here they wanted to show us how they dance and how everyone can do it. It makes people laugh and it also creates good bonds.”
Top Banana welcome back alums
XAVIER CONZET STAFF WRITER
Each performance by Top Banana is completely unplanned and new for all. The improvisational theatre group had their Star Wars-themed alum show on April 29 in Valders. The returning alums partly consisted of Kajsa Jones (‘16), Ben Sides (‘16), Chelanga Langason (‘16), and Tom Komatsu (‘15). According to Sides, the show was a great way to return to campus. “It’s been really hard since I haven’t been on campus,” Sides said. “This was a good way to de-stress and get a dose of improv.” Jones echoed the sentiment. “I really miss Top Banana,” Jones said. “It was a lot of fun.” The performance consisted of several games where a place and idea served as the basis of the crew’s performance. One was
a skit that took place at a middle school dance. Members and alums poked fun at overly protective adults and teachers who try to fit in with middle school students. Attendee Kurt Anderson (‘19) found this skit to be particularly funny. “They are incredibly creative and have great timing,” Anderson said. Top Banana member Noah Lauer (‘19) has enjoyed his first year with the improv group. “It is always exciting to see what creative twists the fellow members will add, and to see how the skits turn out,” Lauer said. “It’s definitely as fun for us as it is for the audience.” Top Banana member Emma Brashear (‘18) finds participating in an improvisation group to be a unique experience. “It’s a chance for organized goofiness, which is not something you get a lot of time for in college,” Brashear said.
Attendee Christopher Lange-Pearson (‘19) especially appreciated seeing the alums in the various skits. “I thought it was a great performance, as usual,” Pearson said. “It was extra hilarious due to the presence of the alums.”
Tom Komatsu (‘15) and Chelanga Langason (‘16) perform a skit in Valders. Xavier Conzet (‘19) | Chips
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 Hovey Madeline Petellin
MAY 4, 2017
EDITORIAL
Luther is not exempt from racism and discrimination With the recent attention that St. Olaf has been receiving for the racist acts taking place on their campus, I think it is worthwhile to take a second to look at ourselves as a campus community in relation to our Minnesota neighbors. A St. Olaf student of color found a violently racist threat from MAKEDA BARKLEY an anonymous source left MANAGING EDITOR on her car windshield last week, sparking several days of campus-wide protests at St. Olaf. According to an article in the Washington Post, this was not the first racist threat or message targeting students of color on their campus this year. For some of us that are part of the white population on Luther’s campus, I think this might be somewhat shocking or surprising for us to hear as we are never the target of racist hate speech and rarely experience racist behaviors in person because of our skin color. However, for those who feel surprised or shocked by the events taking place on St. Olaf’s campus, you are oblivious to the very same climate on our own campus here at Luther. On a primarily white campus like that of Luther or St. Olaf, it is easy for white students to remain ignorant of the daily racism that their fellow students of color experience here. I am also guilty of this ignorance, having never experienced it firsthand and rarely hearing about the more extreme instances from the
victims. However, talk to any student of color at Luther about their experiences with racism and discrimination both on campus and in Decorah and I believe that any of them could easily think a single or multiple personal experiences where they have been the victim of hate behaviors. In the recent strategic planning survey that was sent out to all of Luther’s campus, active diversity and inclusion was one of the top issues that was asked to be addressed, over and over. Campuses nationwide have been experiencing upheaval from students of color and allies who have had enough with racist behaviors, from Mizzou and Harvard to the UC Berkeley protests of far-right guest speakers. This isn’t happening in a vacuum, and it isn’t a new thing. Students of color are harassed and discriminated against on campuses nationwide, Luther College included. I don’t have a solution for what is taking place in our country and on our campuses and it would be naive of me to pretend like I did. The purpose of this piece is to argue that while what happened at St. Olaf is extremely upsetting and unacceptable, this is not an isolated issue and it is something that also happens at Luther. It’s easy to stand back and point to St. Olaf’s current situation from our pedestal because our own racism on campus hasn’t come to the forefront. Just because similar behaviors on our own campus haven’t resulted in campus-wide protests and the cancellation of classes doesn’t mean that our own students of color are not experiencing similar prejudice and hate behaviors. We can move toward radical change for the better by fostering a community of inclusivity and condemning those that are perpetuating hate and racism. Support your fellow students of color, make an effort to be aware of the systemic and individual racism they experience, and make it clear that hateful behavior has no place here.
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.
St. Olaf students gather to protest recent racist threats.
Photo courtesy of Avery Ellfeldt
The Norse Poll
How does what is happening at St. Olaf impact your feeling of our racial climate at Luther?
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
“This is why we need a Dean of Equity and Inclusion to address these issues. Luther should be making a statement about this.” -Melissa Young (‘18)
“People don’t think this thing can happen, that institutional racism doesn’t exist. This is a perfect example that [racism] is everywhere, it doesn’t matter if you’re at a state school or a private college. We [Just Action] have been trying to make people aware of this and its upsetting that it takes something this damaging to make it known.” -Jacqueline Congello (‘17)
“When you look at how [Luther] and President Carlson have handled things like Islamaphobia and BLM, it’s really not a surprise that this is happening at St. Olaf. When you look at how our social events have corresponded with theirs, it’s a matter of time until this happens at Luther” -Michole Farrin (‘17)
OPINION
PAGE 10 MAY 4, 2017
MANAGING EDITOR: MAKEDA BARKLEY
EDITORIAL
The practicality of modern languages Part of the reason that I decided to come to Luther College was because it was a liberal arts school with lots of choices for different majors and minors. I was undecided, and for most of my first year here, I did not have a clue what I wanted to study, much less what I wanted to do after college. That is why all the KATRINA MEYER options seemed so perfect to me. Whatever I eventually SPORTS EDITOR decided that I wanted to do seemed available. The field that I eventually settled on was political science, though I also spend a lot of time in the modern language department. For the most part, I have been very pleased with my options, but I have also noticed some areas of study that I think would be incredibly valuable to the school. That is especially true for me in the modern languages program. Languages have always been fascinating to me, and I think they are some of the most practical things that a person can study. I spend a lot of time with languages as I work to complete minors in Spanish, Nordic Studies, and possibly Russian Studies. I think
that languages are valuable because knowing different languages helps make you a better student and learner. There have been studies showing the positive effects on the brain when a person speaks more than one language. Languages also open your eyes to different cultures with different ways of thinking and expression. They also invite study abroad opportunities, which are a big part of the experience that Luther offers. Speaking another language helps make travel and cultural experiences even more unique and valuable. A knowledge of languages can also offer a practical purpose in the world and in better understanding other majors here at Luther. Political science is a very popular major here at Luther (and I am admittedly a little biased towards how great it is). Knowing different languages and understanding different cultures is a huge part of political science. Being able to understand and think in different ways about cultures is a vital part of being an informed political scientist. For those reasons and many, many more, I believe that languages are incredibly valuable areas of study for all students, whether they are political science majors or not. I am very glad that part of the liberal arts curriculum here requires some language experience. That being said, I really wish that the school would invest more in the modern languages program. Currently, the modern languages that are offered are Spanish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Chinese, and Russian. Italian does not even offer a major, minor,
or any upper-level classes. On top of that, when it came time to cut programs, German, Chinese, and Russian were all considered for being cut. Fortunately, German and Chinese avoided removal. All of this is very frustrating. The school only offers seven modern languages to begin with, and then almost half of them are considered for being cut. We need to do the exact opposite. We aren’t offering enough languages here. There are so many languages that are becoming increasingly relevant in today’s world. I would love the opportunity to study Arabic or Hindi or Farsi or one of a dozen other languages that are growing in international influence and importance in an increasingly globalized world. Our world is becoming more and more interconnected. That reality leads to an amazing confluence of ideas and it leads to conflict. Understanding each other’s differences and cultural uniqueness is the key to moving forward in a peaceful, constructive manner. Having experience and knowledge of as many languages and cultures as possible is a very important step in that process. Whether languages are being used to solve conflicts, gain cultural awareness, becoming a better student, or a better global citizen, modern languages are valuable for everybody no matter what they choose to do with their life. Learning new languages is a unique and valuable experience with innumerable benefits, Luther should work on not reducing, but expanding the Modern Languages program here.
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Petty gym behavior is counterintuitive As someone who appreciates the benefits that a work out can offer, I am no stranger to the Legends Fitness for Life Center. While the amount I workout per week often varies, it is still something that I enjoy. This enjoyment is tested, however, by a couple of things that I have encountered regarding Legends. I am under the impression that there are two reasons why someone interested in working out would not go to Legends. The first is, for obvious reasons, time. The second reason is that, as much as we may not want to acknowledge it, some people in Legends can be brutal while sporting a sweaty t-shirt and an innocent laugh. It is horrifically common for individuals in Legends to find comedy in the fact that others are trying to do some good for themselves. Perhaps because to them, someone seems “too fat” to be riding a bike or someone appears “too skinny” to be lifting weights. I have been the unlucky recipient of this kind of targeting. While doing a particular stretch, I overheard someone near to me turn to her friend and say, “And that’s a stretch you should do in private.” Now, I already hate doing this stretch around people and silently beg for nobody to look at me, and having this young woman take it upon herself to say such a thing with a laugh confirmed every single feeling of embarrassment and horror that I had formulated in my own mind. Her saying this told me that what I was doing was indecent. What I was doing was stretching in a gym. How very indecent of me. When recently talking to a friend of mine, she told me that she witnessed somebody making fun of a young woman on a treadmill because they saw her as being overweight. My friend then pointed
out to them that what they were saying was unkind, yet they tried to excuse themselves by claiming that she could not hear what they were saying from across the room anyway. I am sure that they are always considerate enough to say unnecessary and awful things out of earshot. To those of you that find yourselves making these comments, society dictates that there is a right and wrong way to look. For the people that are in the category of “wrong,” they are informed that they should be doing something about it. Then they go to the gym and people like yourself decide that their effort is entertainment. You wanSt to shame people for the way you think they are based on their appearance and then again for putting the time and energy into their health, possibly to make the changes you so unkindly said they needed. Maybe instead of giving unwanted “advice,” you should stop spewing spitefulness and make an effort to like yourself. To everyone who has experienced this shaming or is hesitant to go to Legends because of it, understand that it is not acceptable, nor is it a reflection on you. You have just as much of a right to be in Legends as anyone else, and your health is nobody else’s concern. This problem can only be solved when we learn to stop taking aim at each other to boost ourselves. That does not mean we need to suddenly take it upon ourselves to be everyone’s number one cheerleader, but we can at least take a moment to consider how we are treating each other and why. Signed, Lily Kime (‘19)
TO THE EDITOR
Alum speaks to importance of Russian program It's hard to put in writing what was going through my mind when I read Ben Selcke's news article "Faculty vote to remove fields of study" in the April 28 issue of Chips. A few words come to mind — disappointed, angry, and heartbroken. I graduated from Luther in 2015 after majoring in English and minoring in Russian Studies. In addition to working for Chips, I was a Russian language tutor at the Language Learning Center for three years and I participated in the music ensemble Balalaika. Russian Studies, Professor Laurie Iudin-Nelson, and my fellow peers in the Russian department were an influential part of my Luther experience. I still remember my very first Russian class when I was a first-year six years ago. Like many other first-years, I came to Luther intending to major in music. That morning, I had my first music theory class and quickly realized I didn't know as much about music as I thought. I was still disappointed when I walked into Main 211 — the Russian language classroom for my four years — for the first time. Professor
Iudin-Nelson, however, quickly changed that. As anyone who has studied Russian or taken one of her classes can attest, Professor IudinNelson's energy is as infectious as the sound of her accordion that can frequently be heard echoing throughout Main. After choosing our Russian names and learning parts of the alphabet, Professor Iudin-Nelson taught us a Russian folk song. When I left the class, my mood had completely changed and I went back to my dorm and tried to teach my friends what I learned. Professor Iudin-Nelson asked us why we decided to take Russian. I studied Spanish throughout high school and tested into Spanish 201. I had every intention of continuing to study Spanish, but something held me back. If I didn't have the opportunity to explore new areas of study in college, when would I have the chance? If not now, then when? Why did I decide to study Russian? My initial answer would've been that I loved the (horribly historically inaccurate, but completely
awesome) movie Anastasia and Dr. Zhivago. Now, my answer is different. Studying Russian prepared me to enter a global community upon graduation by providing me with an in-depth education on a history, culture, and political system that at times seems so at-odds with American democracy. In high school, I received a crash course on the Bolshevik Revolution and the Soviet Union's involvement in World War II and the Cold War, but it failed to teach me how history laid the seeds for a man like Vladimir Putin to take office. To this day, I still recommend Russian to every Luther undergrad that I meet. In his article, Selcke reported that Luther faculty voted to remove a number of majors, including Russian. Considering our political climate and the question of Russia's involvement in the recent presidential election, I think cutting the knees off of the Russian department would be doing future generations of Luther students a disservice. We should be preparing our students to enter a global society.
I would like to know why these programs were selected. How are these programs marketed to incoming freshman? Did staff observe the classrooms? Did they speak with students currently in the program? Did they ask students who dropped the course why they chose to do so? Russian, in my opinion, is an incredibly challenging language to learn for several reasons — it uses a different alphabet and it has different grammar constraints, including six cases. My class had six students go through the upper level. We became close friends that still keep in touch. Our Russian Studies (either major or minor) was a badge of honor. Luther is one of the few liberal arts colleges in Iowa to offer Russian to students and should be marketed as an asset to the campus. Use it as something that separates Luther from other colleges. I beg the Board of Regents to keep the Russian program in its entirety. Signed, Laura Hayes (‘15)
SPORTS
PAGE 11
MAY 4, 2017
SPORTS EDITOR: KATRINA MEYER
Women’s Tennis wins runner-up in Automatic Qualifier Tournament GILLIAN KLEIN VOLUNTEER WRITER Luther Women’s Tennis competed in the National Automatic Qualifier tournament
at home April 28-29. While the No. 1 seed Norse advanced to the finals, they ended up losing to Coe College 5-4, just missing a berth in the national tournament. “We’ve had a tough schedule this
Kelsey Kruse (‘20) competing against Augustana-Rock Island earlier in the season. Photo Courtesy of Photo Bureau
spring which definitely has been preparing us for this tournament,” Erin Halverson (‘19) said. “Regardless of the match scores, we have been able to grow a lot this spring.” The season has been challenging for the team, but they have made a lot of progress, as Emilyn Ryski (‘18) explained. “Our record for the spring does not reflect how we have played,” Ryski said before the tournament. “We have played really well against some very strong teams. Every match has provided a learning experience that will help us this weekend.” The first semi-final matches began with Luther playing Central. In singles competition, Luther took home two wins including Luther’s Lauren Welch (‘17) vs. Coe’s Walter with a final score of 6-0 and 6-1. The other singles competition win went to Luther’s Claire Christian (‘18) with a final score of 6-0 and 6-2. Luther swept the doubles competition against
Central with match wins from Luther’s Britta Pressler (‘19) and Welch vs. Central’s Maley and Walter (8-1), Luther’s Christian and Jackie Cychosz (‘18) vs. Grindberg and Vannausdle (82) and Luther’s Madisen Crow (‘17) and Kelsey Kruse (‘20) vs. Krumm and Stewart (8-1). With these wins, Luther advanced to the championship match. The competition continued that day as Coe took on Loras in several semifinal matches. Coe swept the doubles competition giving them the opportunity to compete against Luther in the final that afternoon. Championship singles matches began with several Coe wins, including matches between Luther’s Cychosz vs. Coe’s Resnick (6-1, 6-4) and Luther’s Welch vs. Coe’s French (6-0, 6-0). However, Luther took home two wins with Pressler winning her match 7-5, 6-0, and Kruse winning 6-3, 6-2. Doubles competition began with another Coe win. Only Luther’s Christian and Cychosz (8-0) and
Crow and Kruse (8-0) won doubles matches against Coe. At the end of the day, Coe took home the 5-4 win and automatically qualified for nationals. Going into the tournament, the Norse had a 14-11 record including a 7-1 record at home, 3-6 on the road and a 4-4 record in a neutral destination. The whole season has given the team opportunities to play many ranked teams. The season has helped prepare the players for the qualifying tournament, according to Halverson. Despite falling short in qualifying for the national tournament, the team had a good season overall. Ryski was pleased that the team’s spirits were high at the end of the season. “We hoped to win and play again, but we went out on our own terms,” Ryski said. “This team has so much heart and it shows every match.” The women finished off their season with a record of 15-12.
Norse of the Week KATRINA MEYER SPORTS EDITOR Anna Strien (‘18) was recently named one of the top 25 finalists for the Schutt Sports/National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III National Player of the Year award. Strien is having an incredible season as short stop for the Norse. The National Player of the Year will be chosen from the pool of 25 athletes at the end of the year. Strien is a member of the number four-ranked Norse softball team. Strien is batting .544 with 44 RBIs, 11 doubles, three triples, four homeruns, and an .867 slugging percentage. Strien is nationally ranked in the top-11 for batting average, RBIs, and slugging percentage. Chips: What does it feel like to be named a finalist for player or the year award? Strien: I am very honored, to say the least. This was not something I was expecting, and I have to give the credit to my team for the hard work that we have all put in trying to get better every day. How does it feel to have had such a successful season thus far? Well it is always an awesome feeling when we come together on game day and get to put into practice everything we have trained for. All of the off-season workouts, 6 a.m. lifts, conditionings, batting practices, and fall-ball practices are done to prepare for game day. It’s an amazing
feeling to see how all the team’s hard work has paid off. You can’t dwell on all the games you have played in the past because we need to be ready for the ones right in front of us, but it’s very rewarding when you look back at what we have accomplished thus far and see the results we strive for everyday in our practices! When and why did you start
playing softball? I started playing ball when I was about three, with t-ball. Then in kindergarten I began playing actual softball, but only coaches could toss the ball because we weren’t old or strong enough to pitch yet. I would have to say it was my father who got me into the sport. My family has always been a baseball family. My
Anna Strien (‘18) prepares to field the ball.
dad played college ball here at Luther and coached high school as well. My brothers both play, and my grandpa played town-ball, so baseball and softball were always a constant in my life. Do you have any role models or athletes that you look up to? Growing up as kid I was, and I still am, a huge Derek Jeter fan! He is my
Photo Courtesy of Luther.edu
favorite baseball player by far and he played on my favorite baseball team: the New York Yankees. He was the reason I wanted to become a shortstop. Besides his athletics, he is a very good person. What is your favorite part of playing softball at Luther? I could go on for days trying to explain all of the reasons I love playing softball at Luther, but I would have to say one of the biggest reasons is that from the moment I stepped on this campus, I was given not only teammates, but a group of people who have become my best friends. Does the team have any pre-game or pre-practice rituals? We tend to follow the same routine of pre-game hitting and fielding and our eight minute warm up just before games. I don’t know if you can call that a ritual but we do do a ‘Big LU’ just after our coach and the opposing coach meet at home-plate before the games. Honestly a lot of baseball and softball is ritualistic in a sense because you try to follow the same routines whether it’s in the batter’s box or warming up just before the game. If you could have a superpower that would help you with softball, what would it be? I would have to say the ability to jump really far [would be helpful]. I’m not exactly the tallest, so it would be nice to get some of the balls that are just a little bit too out of reach for me above my head!
SPORTS
PAGE 12
SPORTS EDITOR: KATRINA MEYER
MAY 4, 2017
Weekly Standings
Luther Men’s Golf Grabs Lead in Conference Tournament
Baseball Wartburg Dubuque Luther Buena Vista Coe Central Loras Nebraska Wes. Simpson
Luther’s Men’s Golf Team played 18 of their 36-hole conference at the neutral Finkbine Golf Course in Iowa City, IA, on April 28. Due to inclement weather, the second round of 18 holes, scheduled for April 29, was canceled. Despite the weather, Luther managed to finish the first day of competition in first place with an 11-stroke lead on Nebraska Wesleyan, and a 21-stroke lead on second runner-up Central College, who tied for third with Loras College. Luther led with 309 strokes, Nebraska Wesleyan followed with 320 strokes, and Central and Loras both had 330 strokes. Luther’s five players, Andrew Betts (‘17), Joe Fewer (‘19), Ben Grotnes (‘18), Spencer Horst (‘19), and Peter Kephart (‘17) all scored in the top 15 out of 45 players at the conference. Fewer and Grotnes tied for first place, with scores of 76 and four strokes above par. Betts took third place with a score of 77 and five strokes above par. Kephart tied for sixth place with a player from Simpson College and scored 80 strokes. Horst tied with three other players for 13th place with a score of 82 points. According to Kephart, the team lifts and plays pickup basketball during their off-season to stay in shape for competition. “We went to Orlando for spring
Recent Scores
Overall 26-10 22-12 22-14 21-14 19-14 18-19 13-22 13-27 6-27
April 29 vs. Nebraska Wesleyan University W 9-3 April 29 vs. Nebraska Wesleyan University W 12-7
Upcoming Schedule
May 5 vs. Loras College May 6 vs. Loras College
Ben Grotnes (‘17) putts at the Ronnie Eastman Invite earlier inthe season. Photo Courtesy of Photo Bureau
JULIA CURTIS STAFF WRITER
IIAC 17-3 16-4 12-8 12-8 11-9 10-11 6-14 6-18 3-18
break and had an awesome week of practice,” Kephart said. “Playing a lot of golf and putting in the hours is the only way to get better at golf.” Despite the unfavorable weather conditions, the team was prepared to handle adversity, according to Grotnes. “One of the things we worked on is staying calm when things aren’t going our way,” Grotnes said. “In golf it’s easy to lose focus because you are angry. If we control our emotions at the conference tournament we have a good chance of winning.” Head Men’s Golf Coach Scott
Three of the golfers played in the same conference in 2016 and won. The team prepared for this year’s conference by practicing on the conference courses, according to Betts. “I think all of our scores throughout the spring have been really consistent,” Betts said. “I think overall consistencywise, we are a good team. I think when it comes down to it, consistency will be the determining factor in the Florida championship.” The Men’s Golf team has played in the IIAC conference in Iowa City for the past 29 years. 20 years ago, the IIAC changed the number of holes they played for the conference to match the NCAA championships, where competitors play 72 holes. The IIAC conference tournament, hosted by Simpson College, will resume in Indianola, IA, on May 6. Coaches are deliberating between golfers playing the regularly scheduled 36 holes over May 5 and 6 for a total of 54 holes at the end of the conference, and playing 54 holes over the same period to reach the total 72 holes. “We are still waiting for the coaches to get together and decide a plan for the weekend,” Kephart said. “Either way we are going to go out and play like it’s a new tournament.” If the men win the conference next weekend, they will play in the NCAA Division III championship in Howeyin-the-Hills, FL, May 16-19.
I think when it comes down to it, consistency will be the determining factor in the Florida championship.” -Ben Grotnes (‘17) Fjelstul (‘83) said the team has had a successful year because they have won two tournaments so far — one in the fall and one in the spring. “The players work hard every week, they play both in the fall and the spring and work on all parts of their game,” Fjelstul said. It is because of the effort that the team put into playing this year that the members felt confident going into the last Iowa conference of the year.
Softball
No. 4 Luther No. 14 Central No. 15 Coe Wartburg Buena Vista Loras Nebraska Wes. Simpson Dubuque
IIAC 15-1 11-3 11-5 9-7 8-8 6-8 3-11 3-13 2-12
Overall 37-3 29-7 29-8 21-15 20-16 22-12 18-18 8-28 11-26
Recent Scores
April 29 vs. Simpson College W 11-3 April 29 vs. Simpson College W 7-4
Upcoming Schedule
May 5-6 IIAC Tournament May 12-14 NCAA III Regionals
Women’s Tennis Luther Coe Dubuque Central Wartburg Loras Simpson Nebraska Wes. Buena Vista
IIAC 8-0 7-1 6-2 5-3 4-4 3-5 2-6 1-7 0-8
Overall 14-12 17-9 9-7 11-7 7-12 16-8 5-12-1 3-18 2-21
Recent Scores
April 23 vs. Augustana- Rock Island L 7-2 April 28-29 NCAA III AQ Tournament
Men’s Tennis Coe Luther Central Wartburg Nebraska Wes. Loras Dubuque Buena Vista Simpson
IIAC 8-0 7-1 6-2 4-3 4-4 3-5 2-5 1-7 0-8
Overall 23-5 17-5 9-14 9-13 6-12 13-6 7-9 3-21 5-14
Recent Scores
April 25 vs. Loras College W 9-0 April 25 vs. University of Dubuque W 9-0
Upcoming Schedule
May 5-6 IIAC AQ Tournament