STUDENT MUSIC VIDEO
FEATURES 7 SIRES & HALFLOVES PERFORM
A&E 8 ARRESTS DISCUSSION
OPINION 9 & 10
LUTHER COLLEGE
“Let the chips fall where they may.”
CHIPS
NOVEMBER 10, 2016
Serving the Luther College community since 1884.
VOLUME 139, NO. 8
Trump wins Regents discuss 2016 election educational quality DANNY MAY NEWS EDITOR
Republican Candidate Donald Trump won the 2016 Presidential Election on Nov. 8, totaling 276 electoral votes with 46 out of 50 states reporting, and winning key states, including Florida and Pennsylvania. He will be the 45th President of the United States. Trump defeated his main opponent, Democratic Candidate
Hillary Clinton, by 58 electoral votes and one percent in the popular vote with 48 percent to Clinton’s 47 percent at the time of reporting. Libertarian Candidate Gary Johnson totaled the thirdmost votes with three percent and Green Party Candidate Jill Stein totaled one percent of the popular vote. Inauguration Day will take place on Friday, Jan. 20, where Trump will be sworn into office.
BEN SELCKE STAFF WRITER The Luther College Board of Regents met from Oct. 27-29 for its fall board meeting, centering primarily on strategic planning and educational quality. Committee meetings were held over three days, which gave each committee
Brummel gives second Paideia Texts lecture
Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Rachel Brummel delivers her lecture in the Center for Faith and Life Recital Hall. Nathan Riley (‘18) / Photo Bureau ANA ITZEL LOPEZ STAFF WRITER Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Rachel Brummel delivered this academic year’s second installment of the Paideia Text and Issues Lecture Series on Nov. 1. Her lecture, titled “Trust in the Commons: On Interdependence and Saving the World,” addressed environmental politics and the role of trust in the efforts of “saving the world.” Approximately 60 students, faculty, staff and community
members attended. Brummel addressed the theme of the series “Who Do You Trust?” through her application of environmental politics. Brummel used the “Tragedy of the Commons” economic theory to underline interdependence among citizens when managing common pool resources. Brummel explained that individually focused systems lead to the depletion of common pool resources and damage to the environment, which can be avoided by mutual trust among citizens.
“There are definitely times where the ‘Tragedy of the Commons’ does capture how the world works in large common systems,” Brummel said. “In particular common systems related to pollution, where actors interact with our own shared resource. But there are many times when these tragedies do not occur. The times when it doesn’t is usually on local scales when there is a lot of face-to-face interaction on users and high levels of trust among communities.” PAIDEIA, PAGE 4
time to address all issues it faced. Faculty and student representatives presented to the Board regarding specific issues. At one of the Board meetings, Patrick Larson (‘17) brought up issues concerning student well-being on campus and the college’s role in addressing it. “[The college] needs to
be able to provide adequate resources for people who are suffering from mental health challenges,” Larson said in an interview. “Counseling Services has seen a huge rise in the number of people utilizing those services and aren’t able [in some cases] to adequately support everyone.” REGENTS, PAGE 4
Luther computer science team competes at ICPC DMITRY VORONA STAFF WRITER Three Luther computer science majors traveled to Macalester College on Oct. 29 for the Associtaed Colleges of the Midwest (ACM) Regional Intercollegiate Programming Contest (ICPC), taking 50th place out of 220 teams. Comprising the “Luther Norse Coders” team was Kirby Olson (‘17), Zechariah Smith (‘17) and Robert Nesmith (‘17), who solved three out of 11 problems to finish in the 25th percentile of teams despite what Nesmith explained were significant time and feedback constraints. “You can’t really spend a lot of time to perfect a program,” Nesmith said. “You just need to make it work as well as it needs to as quickly as possible. If you are doing something for homework you can spend a weekend and work on it consistently, but at the competition you have to work on a large amount of programs in a really small amount of time.” Both Olson and Nesmith said that teamwork was essential to overall success. Team members would ask for help and advice from the others as needed. However, Olson explained that the three had to delegate problems as they were only able to use one computer amongst the three of them.
“We each went through a packet of problems and picked one problem that we thought we could solve,” Olson said. “Whoever thought that he had a viable solution for the problem would take the computer first and try to type it in.” Olson, who also participated in this computer science competition two years ago, was pleased with the Norse Coders’ place in relation to the large competition field. “Even though we solved three out of 11 problems, we still ended up doing much better than a majority of the teams,” Olson said. Olson said that two years ago, Luther’s team was only able to solve one problem. He gives credit to increased computer science exposure and experience for the team’s improvement. “The first time I competed, I had taken two computer science courses and was in my third,” Olson said. “Now, I am one course shy from what Luther has to offer, so in terms of experience I am much more equipped to take on this complicated problem than I was two years ago.” According to Visiting Assistant Professor in Computer Science Roman Yasinovskyy, who assisted the team, there is no predetermined strategy for these kind of computer science competitions. CS COMPETITION, PAGE 4
NEWS
PAGE 2 NOVEMBER 10, 2016
NEWS EDITORS: DANNY MAY & JACOB WAREHIME
New cottonwood planted JULIA CURTIS STAFF WRITER Grounds Maintenance Staff Member Perry Halse bred the old cottonwood tree outside of Main, planting a new one within the general vicinity. This process began nearly seven years ago when Maintenance staff realized the tree was dying. With impending plans to renovate and expand Main, Maintenance made it a priority to save a piece of the tree to regrow it. Associate Professor of English Amy Weldon voiced concerns
about the tree’s future in relation to Main’s expansion. “The first question I asked was ‘what about the cottonwood?’” Weldon said. “Regardless of what happens to the building, we need healthy little offshoots to keep the tree going.” Originally, Halse tried to cut the lower hanging branches of the tree, but those cuttings did not survive. Powell Gardens in Kansas City, MO, contacted Luther College for a cutting of the tree to plant in their heritage garden. Powell Gardens sent tree carriers and a lift to reach the healthier branches at the top
Weldon teaches a class under the old cottonwood. Photo courtesy of Rebecca Sullivan
of the tree. They took 100 cuttings from the tree and sent 50 to Powell Gardens and Luther kept the other 50. Of those 50, four survived. Halse planted the one that grew the best by Main and the others are planted at the Luther College farm. “[The new tree] doubled in size this year,” Halse said. “It is 1520 ft tall right now … The other [trees] we have out there we might take more cuttings from and maybe start some [cuttings] that Development could use to sell as a piece of Luther College history,” Halse said. Danish-American Landscape Architect Jens Jensen planted the original cottonwood in 1909 to celebrate Luther College’s 50th anniversary. Luther alumni living in Chicago at the time contacted Jensen to landscape the campus. According to Professor Emeritus John Christianson, Jensen was a member of the Prairie School of Design, which mirrored the aesthetics of American plains. This aesthetic included portrayals of grasses and trees. The cottonwood as a prairie tree is known for its large size and its solitariness. “[Jensen] saw the cottonwood as sentinel of the prairie,” Christianson said. “It is a monument in the middle of the prairie.” It has been a monument on Luther’s campus for over 100 years and some say that it has become a part of the college’s identity.
The new cottonwood (foreground) and the old cottonwood (background). Julia Curtis (‘17) / Chips Professors such as Weldon hold classes under the cottonwood in nice weather and use it as an example in teaching. “Being able to see [the tree] and think about it ties us really deeply into the structure of the natural history of this place, but also the natural world and the rhythms of time,” Weldon said. “I think the tree is a wonderful sign of that.” Students also value the tree as a place for relaxation and a time to get away from a structured classroom. Megan Rachuy (‘17) appreciates Luther’s efforts to maintain the tree as a part of Luther’s history.
“It is preserving a piece of Luther that has been around for 100 years,” Rachuy said. “There are some people that saw it when it was a lot smaller than it is now. [We are] keeping the legacy of this tree going. Now I get to see that twig and continue that cycle.” Halse said he doesn’t know the future of either of the trees but hopes the steps taken ensure that they will continue to remain a symbol on Luther’s campus. “I don’t know if that tree is going to be there for another hundred years,” Halse said. “We are just planning for the future.”
Jalalzai lectures on women in global politics SHASA SARTIN STAFF WRITER Hannah Atkins Endowed Chair of Oklahoma State University Dr. Farida Jalalzai gave a lecture titled “The Global Dimensions of Women’s Executive Leadership” on Nov. 2. The lecture, which was attended by approximately 55 people, examined women in executive roles. Jalalzai began her lecture by speaking about the great strides women have made worldwide in regard to holding positions of power. She described 2016 as an outstanding year for women in politics. However, Jalazai added that, as of Oct. 2016, 94 percent of the executive positions around the world are held by men. Assistant Professor of Political Science and Director of the International Studies program Pedro dos Santos said Jalalzai’s work is important for society. “Dr. Jalalzai is a renowned scholar on women presidents and prime ministers,” dos Santos said. “[That] is a topic that is under-studied in political science, mainly because there are not many women holding high executive offices around the world. Her presence on campus allowed students, faculty and the community to better understand some of the reasons we have few women presidents in the world and it provided for a good discussion about our current presidential election.” According to Jalalzai, one of the reasons why there are fewer female presidents in the world is because women are less likely to run for candidacies than men. Jalalzai added that she was reluctant to share this information, as she didn’t want to be percieved as victim blaming, but she thought it important for the audience to know. Even though women are less likely to run, Jalalzai said, they are often more qualified than
Jalalzai said that although woman have begun to take more leadership positions in politics, there is still much progress to be made. Shasa Sartin (‘19) / Chips their male counterparts. “Women were more likely to combine legislative experience with cabinet experience,” Jalalzai said. According to dos Santos, the lack of studies regarding women in political science is a testament to the lack of representation for young women. “Descriptive representation — meaning [seeing] someone who looks like you — is extremely important,” dos Santos said. “The low number of women in politics is problematic not just for female political science majors, but for girls and women everywhere. The lack of female representation also means that the voice of
50 percent of our population is not necessarily being heard in D.C., which creates a system that is gendered in ways that is sometimes hard to pinpoint.” Courtney Field (‘19) said the lecture opened her eyes to many issues surrounding women in politics. “From her lecture I gained a new perspective on how gendered our world is not just by the lack of women in politics, but how the women who do hold positions of power sometimes have symbolic power rather than real power,” Field said. “Dr. Jalazai herself is [an] inspiring, well-educated woman who values the representation of women on a global scale.”
NEWS
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NEWS EDITORS: DANNY MAY & JACOB WAREHIME THURSDAY
Seven-Day Forecast
NOVEMBER 10, 2016 FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY WEDNESDAY
B H B B H H B 62/39
51/31
52/38
61/39
Third party candidates discuss two-party system
59/43
60/40
54/36
Life Outside Luther
One dead in gunfire outside California polling place A shooting at a polling station in the Southern California town of Azusa left one dead and three injured. Gunfire prompted police to lock down the polling station, surrounding parks and schools. Deputy Vincent Plair, spokesperson for the Los Angeles Sheriff ’s Department said that there is no indication whether the incident was related to Election Day.
Independant Iowa Senate candidates Charles Aldrich and Michael Luick-Thrams address Luther students and faculty.. Annika Vande Krol (‘19) / Photo Bureau BIZ WAGENSON STAFF WRITER On Nov. 4. two third party candidates for Iowa Senate, Charles Aldrich and Michael Luick-Thrams, came to Luther to address issues surrounding the current twoparty system in the United States. The event was titled “Perpetuating the two-Party System: How Our System Sidelines Independent Candidates” and was sponsored by Associate Professor of History Victoria Christman and the Center for Ethics and Public Engagement. Luick-Thrams is an Independent candidate and Aldrich is a Libertarian. In the lecture, Luick-Thrams explained that while they are running against each other, when they realized they were at a disadvantage, that they felt was unfair, they joined forces. They hope to ultimately bring this systematic problem to the public’s attention as they think it is disadvantageous for the public as well. “We face a common enemy,” Luick-Thrams said. “What I’ve discovered by now is the real problem with the electoral system isn’t just those slimy candidates. It’s the media.” During the event Luick-Thrams detailed disadvantages he faces as a candidate outside of the two-party system. “I began to interface with the Des Moines Register already in April,” Luick-Thrams said. “What I [received in response] right away was ‘well, we won’t talk about independent candidates until August.’ I argued, unsuccessfully, that they were giving free advertising to Republican and Democratic candidates for months.” Christman said the issues presented by the visiting candidates display detriments faced by the democratic process and subsequently, by Luther students. “As our system becomes increasingly polarized and our two main parties experience intensifying internal problems, the barriers to third party participation in our elections really limit the functioning of our democratic process,” Christman said. “Anything that does that
should be of concern to Luther students, and to all U.S. citizens.” Aldrich commented on the importance of young voters when it comes to impacting the way third-party candidates are treated and the effect they have on the elections. “The initial presidential poll failed to include responses from people under 35 and later polls failed to include responses from people under 50,” Aldrich said. “What this tells me is college-age voters, if motivated to vote en masse, could determine legislators for all open offices. The people under 35 are well informed as to who is running and their platforms, another positive is lack of loyalty to an established party.” Geoffrey Dyck (‘18) attended the event and said that he believes the presence of third parties should become more central to elections and be seen as viable options. However, Dyck added that he feels the current system still has its merits. “While the two-party system is broken, it still works,” Dyck said. “Yes, it is unfortunate that the only real options for president every four years are democrat and Republican, but at the same time only one percent of registered voters vote in the primaries. The ideas that third parties bring to the table are typically included in the platforms of the two major parties.” Attendee Alex Sekora (‘19) said he does not mind the two-party system due to the stability and moderation it brings to the United States. Sekora added that he feels the event brought attention to the negative side of the two-party system. “It showed me that there are many people who do not hold the same views as either of the two political parties, and that many people feel left out of the political process because of this,” Sekora said. “Our two-party system does not allow these people to change anything, however, because both parties have such a hold on the system, that they will do as much as they can to prevent anyone else from breaking that hold.”
“What I’ve discovered by now is the real problem with the electoral system isn’t just those slimy candidates. It’s the media.” - Michael Luick-Thrams
Ex-officer in Ohio shooting of black man says he acted in self-defense Officer Ray Tensing, 26, a University of Cincinnati police officer, was charged with murder of a black man during a traffic stop says he acted in self-defense and that he feared for his life. Tensing said in court that he felt he was going to be run over if he did not shoot. Former U.S. intelligence official imprisioned for child porn Following a guilty plea to charges of child pornography, former U.S. intelligence official has been sentenced to 20 years prision after producing evidence of child porn on Tuesday. U.S. Justices could potentially allow Miami to sue banks over lending lending biases On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court hinted that it might allow Miami to engage in lawsuits that would accuse major banks of predatory mortgage lending. The banks lent to black and Hispanic home buyers, resulting in loan defaults that drive down city tax revenues. The eight justices heard arguments in appeals filed by Bank of America Corp and Wells Fargo & Co. Jury awards $3 million in damages following Rolling Stone gang rape story On Monday, a federal court jury awarded $3 million in damages to a University of Virginia administrator that was found to have been defamed by a now-retracted Rolling Stone story about a gang rape. The 10-person U.S. District Court jury in Charlottesville, Virginia, determined that the writer of the article, should pay $2 million in damages and the magazine $1 million to the administrator, Nicole Eramo. Compiled from: reuters.com
NEWS
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NOVEMBER 10, 2016
NEWS EDITORS: DANNY MAY & JACOB WAREHIME
Regents discuss campus issues REGENTS, PAGE 1 In an interview, President Paula J. Carlson reiterated the importance of student wellbeing through campus safety. While safety concerns are handled through the Student Life Office and campus safety officers, keeping the Board of Regents grounded in student concerns is an important responsibility. “The information was [shared with] the Board so they would know and understand what is happening on campus,” Carlson said. “[They could then] see how much of a concern it is for us and what a high priority it is to address these issues.” The Board of Regents also finalized a new annual budget. According to Associate Professor of Economics Steve Holland, the budget was a concern and the board moved to address and limit its growth. “There was much discussion about how to reduce a projected budget deficit,” Holland said. “Next year’s tuition was set and a decision
was made to give faculty and staff a ‘salary supplement’ instead of an increase to base pay.” Among the priorities listed for the 2016-18 Board of Regents meetings on Luther’s website is the finalization of the comprehensive strategic plan that will help guide the college after 2018 for three to five years. Carlson explained that the committee that will help form this new plan started work this fall and will continue to work during the coming year to create a plan that emphasizes both faculty and student voices. “There will be many opportunities along the way for input from the community,” Carlson said. “The Strategic Planning Committee is setting the plan for the process and will begin working in earnest now to gather ideas, do the research and help us think about what the important priorities for Luther College starting in 2018 will be.” Despite the circulating discussion regarding potential faculty reductions, the two committees formed to address
the potential reduction — the Academic Planning Committee (APC) and Faculty Interests Committee (FIC) — did not formally present to the Board of Regents and will not do so until May. Holland explained that the issue was brought before several Board committees but that none took action, instead leaving the decision to the college. “Once the APC makes its recommendation the faculty will vote on it,” Holland said. “In other words, the Regents are not devising a plan to reduce the size of the faculty, but they are carefully watching the work that the faculty and administration are doing.” Looking ahead to the next Board of Regents meeting in February 2017, Carlson said that the Board of Regents will continue strategic planning for 2018. “In February we will focus again on strategic planning,” Carlson said. “That will occupy us for this year as we think hard together and work comprehensively to build a good plan for Luther going forward.”
CS majors finish in top third at ICPC
Kirby Olson (‘17) writes code on a whiteboard. Dmitry Vorona (‘17) / Chips CS COMPETITION, PAGE 1 “How they split the work is up to them,” Yasinovskyy said. “Some teams can brainstorm and work on one problem at a time, some teams split those 11 problems among themselves.” Yasinovskyy also said that these kind of competitions provide real-world experience for students.
“The problems you see in the contest are often interview-like,” Yasinovskyy said. “When you go for an interview, they may ask you to solve something that you may not see in a classroom, and so [the competitions provide] a chance to broaden your horizon.” Luther computer science majors will look to return to the annual regional competition next year.
Brummel delivers second Paideia lecture PAIDEIA LECTURE, PAGE 1
Brummel engaged the audience in conversation about common pool resources and their different examples. Associate Professor of Biology Eric Baack provided the example of open sea fisheries, in which the fishing industry takes fish from the sea at unsustainable
levels, even though the sea is a shared resource. The key to addressing these issues, according to Brummel, is to repair the lost trust in government and other citizens that has dissipated throughout the years. Increasing trust in neighborhoods and in the political system helps reach more effective and
Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Rachel Brummel observes discussion.
holistic ways to address environmental damage. To conclude her lecture, Brummel shared different ways to increase trust in communities, including visiting with neighbors more often, getting involved in our local community by volunteering and even simply sitting on the porch. Megan Oliver (‘19) explained how the
Nathan Riley (‘18) / Photo Bureau
lecture helped her appreciate different approaches to living sustainably. “I liked how [Brummel] talked about how it should not be our own individual problem but it affects everyone,” Oliver said. “I can do my own things to change how I live sustainably, but I also should be educating others and making everything more visible.” Laura Christensen (‘18) said that Brummel’s lecture intersected with other disciplines in addition to worldwide issues. “I think her lecture was really relevant for me,” Christensen said. “It stood out to me because she talked about things that we see in my economics class. I feel that her lecture explained so much about how the world works, and it applies not only to environmental conflicts but to social and cultural conflicts too.” According to Brummel, the theme of the Paideia Texts and Issues Lecture Series is particularly relevant for today’s issues and that her concern regarding environmental politics are connected to the theme. “This is a particular time when we are dealing with a lot of issues of trust across communities as well as lack of understanding,” Brummel said. “It is a question we all wrestle with because I think we all already have our own implicit ideas of who we should and should not trust. I think it is a crosscutting issue that addresses religious, environmental and racial concerns around the world. It is a uniting theme.”
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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A&E EDITOR: ELIZABETH BONIN
NOVEMBER 10, 2016
Tribunal decides the fate of war criminals in “Judgment at Nuremberg” JULIA CURTIS STAFF WRITER The Performing Arts Committee and L.A. Theatre Works presented “Judgment at Nuremberg” on Nov. 4. The play, written by Abby Mann, is set a year after the original Nuremberg Trials in 1946. The trials were used to punish those in power during Hitler’s reign. “Judgment at Nuremberg” explored the difficulty of judging innnocence versus guilt. These specific trials judged those whose crime was legal at the time they commited the act. The characters on trial in the play were jurists during the National Socialist regime. Tour manager and cast member Dylan Jones said that the play was intriguing because of its views on morality and message against a Holocaust-like event. “This was the first time a law was created where someone could be tried for a crime that wasn’t a crime when they committed it,” Jones said. “It wasn’t a law when they broke the law. They created a law after the fact.” L.A. Theatre Works presented this play to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Nuremberg Trials. About 700 people attended the show, including Luther’s firstyear Paideia students who are reading the “Judgment at Nuremberg” text. Following the performance, Associate Professor of History and Center for Ethics and Public Engagement (CEPE) Director Victoria Christman facilitated a question
and answer session. She stated that the play connects students’ personal lives to the public sphere. “[‘Judgment at Nuremberg’] deals with issues of to what degree you oppose the policies of your nation,” Christman said. “To what degree is it your personal responsibility to make decisions that go against what is publicly accepted or promoted?” Cast members formatted the play as a radio show, with eight actors performing 18 roles throughout the play. They incorporated a Foley table, which recreated everyday sounds such as turning pages or opening and closing doors. The performance used a projection screen that set the scenes and included images from concentration camps. This footage included pictures of emaciated prisoners, a lampshade and canvases made of human skin and torture devices used in concentration camp prisons. Attendee Joseph Keeley (‘20) said this added an extra element to his understanding of the Nuremberg text. “There were some parts that were hard to watch, specifically the footage from concentration camps,” Keeley said. “The text couldn’t convey how horrifying it was and it was another case where the show presented the text better than just by reading the text itself.” This production of “Judgment at Nuremberg” traveled to various college campuses while on tour. Jones stated that it is important for students and young people to know about the trials.
“Judgment at Nuremberg” will be touring around the country until April. Photo courtesy of www.baylinartists.com “Our younger generations are not being taught [the trials] as I was taught it,” Jones said. “There is some footage in the play and pictures that we were always shown in school and most places that we’ve gone and talked to college students have not seen them.” Assistant Professor of Communications and member of the Paideia Planning Committee Thomas Johnson said the committee chose the “Judgment at Nuremberg” text when they knew the play was coming to Luther because of its relevance to the overarching theme of
Paideia, “what does it mean to be human?” Students could also learn from both reading and watching the play. “This opportunity to read the text and then see it performed is such a unique and interesting opportunity for students because it is hard to make those things happen,” Johnson said. “We can stay with our essential question of what it means to be human, but we can engage with a text that comes to campus and do so in a way that helps our students think more critically about what it means to be human as well as other ideas about the human condition.”
Musicians take a bite out of “Music in the Shape of a Pear” concert MADELINE AJACK STAFF WRITER Assistant Professor of Music and Director of the Electronic Music Studio at the University of Chicago Sam Pluta and professional trumpet player Peter Evans performed on the laptop and the trumpet, respectively. Associate Professor of Music and Composer-In-Residence Brooke Joyce presented the annual concert series “Music in the Shape of a Pear” on Nov. 3. Starting in 2006, the music series brings in featured guest performers. According to Joyce, the list of guest composers, visiting musicians and ensembles numbered to 30. “That’s a remarkable number, and is a testament to the importance that this college community places on music making of all kinds,” Joyce said. Pluta explores the world of computerized sounds, improvisation, pyscho-acoustic
phenomena and soundscapes. Evans graduated from Oberlin Conservatory with a bachelor’s degree in classical trumpet. Evans is currently involved insolo performances, ensembles, free improvisation, electro-acoustic music, jazz and composition. The two performers have been collaborating since 2008. Joyce noted that this is the first time Luther has hosted a laptop performer. At the beginning of the concert, attendees were invited to sit within the middle of the recital hall. According to Joyce, there were four speakers designed to produce sound around audience members in the center of the hall. The sounds went through waves of being intense and quiet. Often times the two instruments would blend, switching between playing staccato sections together and longer, legato sections as a duo. At a climactic point, Evans was tapping, reverse breathing
and whistling into his trumpet to make unique percussion noises. As the piece progressed, there were solo features of both the trumpet and the laptop. Jazz and classical influences were present throughout their improvisations. Trumpet player Marya Haugland (‘20) was impressed and intrigued by the concert. “Watching the trumpet player do his thing was so captivating and, as a fellow trumpet player, I was left wanting to learn more about my instrument and to improve,” Haugland said. “The performance was amazing. It broadened my horizons and opened my mind to appreciating music of that type.” On the other hand, attendee Troy Downey (‘20) said he found the concert to be unique. “There were some jazz influences in there but I had trouble looking for them,” Downey said. “It was washed out by the free improvisation.
It was interesting and kind of weird.” Anna Ruble (‘20) said that “Music in the Shape of a Pear” influenced her consideration of
a music technology major. “This is exactly what I want to do,” Ruble said. “Seeing this laptop performer inspires me so much.”
FEATURES
PAGE 6 NOVEMBER 10, 2016
FEATURES EDITOR: FRAN STEVENSON
Alums work beyond the Luther bubble EMMA BUSCH STAFF WRITER Luther alums Kurt Hellmann (‘16), Erika Storvick (‘16) and Samantha Ea (‘16) are currently two months into their year-long experience volunteering abroad with the ELCA’s Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM). The program invites young adults between the ages of 21 and 29 to apply for yearlong international volunteer opportunities in 11 countries and six continents to provide support for communities in need. Hellmann applied to the program and was placed in northwestern Cambodia. According to Hellmann, his decision to apply was affected by Luther’s study abroad programs. “I would say that my study abroad experiences during my time at Luther largely influenced my decision to volunteer with YAGM,” Hellman said. “I applied to this program due to my appreciation for service and international inclinations; YAGM seemed to be a good intersection of the two.” Hellmann works with a nongovernmental organization (NGO) and teaches English in Cambodia. “ I work with an NGO that focuses on rural development through rights-based empowerment,” Hellmann said. “The NGO has many facets, but my role focuses on climate change adaptation in rural communities. In addition to this work, I teach English at several locations in the community.” According to Hellmann, while his experience in Cambodia has been enjoyable so far, it also has its fair share of challenges. “[I’m learning a lot] as I live within different cultural norms and continue working on my Khmer language skills,” Hellmann said. “Southeast Asian politics, economics, religion, history and agriculture are also a few things I’m learning a great deal more about as well.” In Fianarantsoa, Madagascar, Storvick volunteers as an English
Kurt Hellman (‘16) sits with members of the small village he works in. teacher. She applied for the program with Madagascar in mind. “I applied for the program my senior year, was accepted and entered an intensive interview process,” Storvick said. “I was drawn to Madagascar largely because of how different it is from the United States, at least where I had lived most of my life. While here, I have encountered these differences, but also been surprised by how similar it can be at times.” Volunteering abroad has been a opportunitiy for Storvick to learn more about Malagasy culture and herself. “I’ve heard that a year abroad is like any other year, with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, and I’ve found that to be very true.” Storvick said. “I’m learning a lot about Malagasy
Samatha Ea (‘16) and other volunteers pick olives.
culture, especially language — both spoken and sign language. I’ve been learning some dances and trying Malagasy food too, which has been fun. It has shown me a different education system, a different approach to treating our natural resources and ultimately a different way of living.” Ea was placed in Beit Sahour, Palestine and volunteers as an English language assistant in a Lutheran school. In addition, Ea performs administrative work. She was drawn to the YAGM’s Jerusalem/West Bank program. “I found out about YAGM from a good friend of mine, Betsy Fawcett (‘17), about a year and a half ago,” Ea said. “She told me that it would be a good fit for me, considering my past involvement with my home congregation, my passion for learning about
Photo courtesy of Samatha Ea (‘16)
Photos courtsey of Kurt Hellman (‘16)
different cultures and traveling. What drew me to the YAGM Jerusalem/West Bank country placement was the large history that the Holy Land brings and the knowledge and awareness that I, as a Westerner, did not know, and am still continuing to learn as I live and learn from those around me.” Ea has enjoyed her experience so far and is thankful for the support and hospitality she has encountered in Palestine. “I am having so much fun,” Ea said. “I love working as an English language assistant in the school, learning Arabic and being fully submerged in a new place and culture. Arabic is a difficult language to learn, but I am enjoying the challenge and
the support I am getting when I do try to speak. The hospitality that I’ve experienced being in the Holy Land has been absolutely amazing and I am so thankful.” Ea recommends that current students look into programs like the YAGM for great postgraduation opportunities. “My abroad experiences at Luther catapulted me into being more interested in the world we live in, to now truly seeing what it means to be a global citizen and how we see others in a global context,” Ea said. “I highly recommend anyone who is looking for a chance to explore a different country by living and being a part of a different community to work or volunteer abroad.”
FEATURES
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FEATURES EDITOR: FRAN STEVENSON
NOVEMBER 10, 2016
Creative minds collaborateto create music video SPENCER HODGE STAFF WRITER JJ Schrick (‘19) began work on his solo debut album “Cold Open” during the summer of 2016 in hopes of releasing it Dec. 2016. As a piece of the album project Schrick will also release a collaborative music video project with Luther students Kyle Livingood (‘19), Abigail Suhr (‘17) and James Mueller (‘16) to be released before Thanksgiving. Schrick characterizes his album as indie folk rock. “My big inspirations are Fleet Foxes, Father John Misty, Punch Brothers and Andrew Bird.” Schrick said. “In some tracks I like to give my sound more of an alternative rock backbone in a discrete kind of way.” Schrick played every instrument recorded in “Cold Open” himself including the drumset, bass, 12-string electric guitar and mandolin. He discussed the challenge of translating his solo into live shows is an opportunity he wishes to pursue. “I always have different people in mind that play each of the different instruments in case some people cannot make it to a show,” Schrick said. “Hopefully I get to [perform] shows during J-term and/or spring semester.” In partnership with videographer Livingood and dancers Suhr and Mueller, Schrick produced a music video to the album’s single “Bottom of the Hill.” Suhr choreographed a duet dance for herself
Abigail Suhr (‘17) and James Mueller (‘16) dance in music video. and Mueller which related to the theme of love that is present in Schrick’s music. “I usually pay a lot of attention to lyrics to figure out the storyline in my head,” Suhr said. “There are certain emotional parts of the dance that James and I agreed on — that one part is date night where we show everyone how cute we are, another part we’ve just broken up and are walking away from another, but we still get back together at the end.” Despite her direct response to Schrick’s writing, Suhr reminds viewers that she also serves the role of a creative originator. “I try to be literal, but not in the viewer’s face about what the lyrics are
saying,” Suhr said. “The audience can already hear the lyrics so my job is to put them into a visual form that adds something.” Livingood has experience with videographing weddings and other content for Luther College Video Bureau, but this was his first time behind camera for a music video. Livingood spoke of keeping his work simple and descriptive of Schrick, Suhr and Mueller’s contribution to the project. “I really wanted to keep the choreography as naturally as it could be,” Livingood said. “The idea for the video was that their dancing would
Photo courtesy of JJ Schrick (‘19)
tell the story rather than the camera movement.” Livingood commented on the value of the collaborative spirit of the project. “It was a good learning experience,” Livingood said. “I think it was really nice to branch out with other Luther students in different aspects. A lot of people only experience their single learning track of music, dance or video. It was really nice to combine all of those.” The music video “Bottom of the Hill” will be released on the artist’s personal media websites before thanksgiving break and the album “Cold Open” will be released sometime in December on Bandcamp and potentially Spotify.
LC Republicans group regains membership FORREST WINSTEAD VOLUNTEER WRITER The LC Republicans have begun their meetings and events for the 2016-2017 school year. Though their meetings — along with discussion, hosting of political events and outreach work with larger organizations — they hope to inform the student body of their organization and their values. The Luther College Republicans are headed by president Xavier Conset (‘19). The organization recently began their bi-weekly meetings, which discuss recent
political events, the presidential debates, and prevalent political topics. The organization is currently comprised of 55 students. “So far it’s really going well, and we’re excited for the opportunities around campus we could have,” Board Member Bryce Hingst (‘19) said. The Luther College Republicans also hosted the second and third presidential debates in Valders room 206, and held a discussion afterward. These events were coordinated by Conset and Hingst. Hingst hopes these events
open the group to the campus. “We really wanted to do more around campus regarding the election and wanted to promote a space where we can have an open discussion and hear all points of view and I feel that’s what we achieved.” Hingst said. The Luther College Republicans meet on Monday nights to share their views with their fellow students and colleagues. The group has been working with an organization named “Up to Us,” a national non-profit, nonpartisan organization based on raising awareness among younger men and women of the United States regarding the national debt. Conset spoke on the issue and his concerns about the prevalence of
LC Republicans meet in Valders 206. Forrest Winstead (‘18) / Chips the topic. “It really seems to be a nonissue on campus, but it is a very important topic to talk about and we want to raise awareness,” Conset said. “Up to Us” flew Conset to Philadelphia in order to participate in the 2016-17 campus competition “My Two Cents Day” at the “Net Impact” conference as a representative of Luther College. This competition includes over 75 colleges from over 40 states discussing the national debt, with over $10,000 in prizes distributed to the winning teams, along with the top students flying to Washington D.C. for the 2017 fiscal summit. The scoring of the event is based off the individual team’s campaign along with the effectiveness and creativity of the
team’s ideas. LC Republicans submitted Conset for the competition after reviewing the LC Republican’s work with the organization, promotion of discussion of the national debt and a paper written by Conset on the national debt and its effects on the economy. “Up to Us” is a non-partisan organization, which means the winner of the “My Two Cents Day” competition is allowed to meets long time “Up to Us” ontributor, Bill Clinton. “Since it has just been so busy, we have been meeting only every other week,” Consent said. “We also share informational pamphlets and discuss the debates at our meetings. The election year definitely influences our topics of discussion.”
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
PAGE 8 NOVEMBER 10, 2016
A&E EDITOR: ELIZABETH BONIN
Bands SIRES and Halfloves rock out to alternative indie sound LILY KIME STAFF WRITER SIRES and Halfloves performed in Marty’s on Fri. Nov. 4 at 7:30 p.m., sponsered by Student Activities Council (SAC). SIRES has toured around the nation and Halfoves is a young band from Iowa City. SIRES, a band based out of Waterloo, IA, performed first. They have also toured throughout Japan, and have opened for bands such as Mumford & Sons of Montreal and Mac DeMarco. According to the Dylan Sires, lead vocalist, guitarist and founder of the band, their style is heavily influenced by The Beatles, The Kinks and Radiohead. They have released a three part album titled “No one,” “Someone,” and “Anyone.” SIRES will be heading to Nebraska and Kansas next on their tour around the Midwest. Sires said that performing in Marty’s is a refreshing alternative to their other venues. “It’s really cool and intimate,” Sires said. “We have a lot of fun and everyone seemed to really enjoy it, which is great because you never know how people are going to react to your songs. Any warm welcome is a good welcome.” Halfloves followed SIRES on the Marty’s stage. They were originally named Olympics, but then changed their name to Halfloves in 2012 to avoid confusion with the International Olympic Committee. In the past, they have played with Titus Andronicus, Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s, Foxygen and Misterwives. They described their style as a mixture of pop with heavy textures and space to create an emotionally-charged sound. Their most recent album, “It’s Easy to Love,” was released in March 2016. Halfloves spent the past two years working with producer Brandon Darner. Darner has previously worked with Imagine Dragons and The Envy Corps. This concert has been in the SAC Spotlight lineup for several months. SAC Spotlight co-chair Sam Mitchell (‘18) was highly involved in the process of organizing this event. According to Mitchell, SAC first gets in contact with an agent that schedules the performers’ events. “They will send back information for the person you will need to get in contact with,” Mitchell said. “Then you keep emailing that person to get it all arranged. For some of the acts that we arranged this summer, we ended up going back and forth up to 20 to 30 times a day just to get the little details all worked out.” There are many details for organizers to consider while planning events like this, but according to SAC Spotlight co-chair Ryan Koning (‘19), the biggest struggle for this concert was the date. Koning was involved in much of the planning and communication with the two bands.
SIRES rock the stage in Marty’s on Fri. November “The first thing that we need to do is find out if they’re coming through the area,” Koning said. “If they’re already coming around here, it’s a lot cheaper to book them. Then we have to find a date that works for both parties. Finding the date is definitely the longest process.” Although it was a long and sometimes difficult process for the SAC Spotlight chairs, the concert was attended by around 40 students. Attendee Alex Shaw (‘19) enjoyed both SIRES and Halfloves. Shaw said she appreciated SAC Spotlight’s effort in organizing the event. “I think that Spotlight brought in really great groups,” Shaw said. “This is playing to a type of music that we need more of on this campus.” Attendee JJ Schrick (‘19) echoed these thoughts and expressed his enthusiasm that SAC Spotlight reached out to bands that are unlike other groups that have performed on campus. “We need more indie bands at Luther College because it brings in a whole different genre,” Schrick said. “SAC did a great job finding these groups, and I’m excited to see if SAC brings in more groups like this.”
Lily Kime (‘19) / Chips
Halfloves performs songs from their album “It’s Easy to Love.” Lily Kime (‘19) / Chips
OPINION
PAGE 9
MANAGING EDITOR: MAKEDA BARKLEY
Cantorei responds Over-emphasis to inter-choral of student arrests stigma, politics problematic
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. The opinion section is designed to provide a forum for Chips, its staff members and the Luther community. Opinions expressed in articles, editorials and columns do not necessarily represent the views of the Chips staff. The author is solely responsible for opinions expressed in Chips commentary. Chips will not accept submitted articles or campus announcements. Submissions for letters to the editor should be submitted as a Microsoft Word document 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, 300-400 words and submitted before Sunday at 5:00 p.m. the week before production. Publication of all letters is at the discretion of the editor. Contact Chips: Phone: 563-387-1044 Fax: 563-387-2072 Email: chipsedt@luther.edu Advertising: chipsads@luther.edu Website: lutherchips.com Facebook: facebook.com/LutherChips Twitter: @LutherChips Instagram: @luthercollegechips
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NOVEMBER 10, 2016
Emily Crowe Makeda Barkley Danny May Jacob Warehime Fran Stevenson Elizabeth Bonin Sidney Larsen Luke Berkley Emma Busch Julia Curtis Elizabeth Garvin Spencer Hodge Lily Kime Ana Lopez Katrina Meyer Shasa Sartin Ben Selcke Dmitry Vorona Biz Wagenson Olivia Benson Elyse Grothaus Sarah Owens Tyler Hovery Madeline Petellin Michael Vann Elyse Grothaus Sarah Owens David Faldet
Letter to the Editor
Letter to the Editor
I am in my third year as a member of Cantorei. Like being in any organization or simply being alive, this experience has been filled with both high and low moments. The stigma associated with this group does not help. I love this group and am greatly disturbed by how underrated it is. As we start preparing for Christmas at Luther (CAL), I urge everyone in choir to be cognizant of this. Cantorei prides itself for being a supportive community. Some have described it as “home,” “a loving, inclusive family” and the “kind of community that seeks to uplift and support across sections.” It is nothing short of an amazing group of treble voices with a large range of musical backgrounds come together to make music. We strive to include everyone and give everyone the chance to be heard. This member describes it well: “In Cantorei you are a person first. Always. Everyone cares about each other and [is] there for the joy of singing. Dr. Wilson is one of the most genuine people I’ve ever met and strives to ensure everyone is valued and finds a sense of belonging.” Cantorei is a group which aims to keep the purest goals of music at its core, enhance its members’ ability to independently learn music and make everyone feel welcome. It is not a group to be mocked. Elitism often accompanies talent and privilege. All of us in choir are a part of wonderful groups with remarkable people. Singing in the upcoming concert is a gift, and it is not about us. A member of Cantorei said, “It makes me so sad that Cantorei gets stigmatized. When I was in Aurora I remember hearing all about how terrible Cantorei is.” This excluding mindset takes away from the opportunity for our voices to become one and our groups to form a community. These words create a space in which we no longer feel welcome. It also turns the focus of CAL inward instead of towards the people for whom we perform. It is exhausting to be told we are not good enough to create music. Dr. Wilson has an amazing task to work with people with a variety of talents to create something beautiful. It is a joy and honor to have her as our director and to be a member of this choir. We will not apologize for what we do here. Signed, Marissa Wales (‘17)
To the Chips editor and Luther community: I was appalled and dismayed to see two Luther students’ photographs on the front page of the paper, police blotter style, for, reportedly, being arrested. Why is criminal mischief front page news? A crime report seems better suited to page five unless there is some contextualization that makes this crime distinct. The article fails to provide this context. My issues are twofold. One, criminalization of anyone on the front page with photos does not deter crime but only stigmatizes individuals. It is bad journalism and not respectful of our fellow students. Two, in the last few months I have heard of multiple sexual assaults, a physical assault of a gay identified student and the defamation of a Black Lives Matter poster. None of these transgressions made the front page. It is unclear to me why we haven’t heard about the investigations into these other crimes even when witnesses have given names of offenders. Shouldn’t sexual and physical assault warrant greater resources than mischief ? In addition to the daily microaggressions leveled against women and minorities there are important political issues that should be grabbing our attention—for one example, the Dakota Access Pipeline controversy. The solution is not however, to put others' photos on the front page as well. I do not want any individual's picture who is accused of wrongdoing plastered across the paper. What I want is public outrage at the misogyny and hate that our society "innocently" ignores when the victims are not powerful and the perpetrators are. What I want is to see fair and relevant coverage that treats students as if all people mattered. Char Kunkel Professor of Sociology, Chair of the Women and Gender Studies Program
An appeal to the opinionated
JACOB WAREHIME NEWS EDITOR Here at Chips, each of us editors are required to write two opinion pieces per semester. This is something I find rather difficult due to the fact that I have no opinions. Let me rephrase—I feel I have no strong opinions on things that really matter. Perhaps this is due to me being selfconscious about the way others will perceive me. But as my friend Shasa explained to me recently, I’m a Leo and therefore any form of self-awareness is a foreign concept to me. Alarmed by what she was trying to tell me, I naturally ignored her comments.
Add to this the fact that I don’t have any strong opinions on things that actually make up a large portion of the public sphere of discussion (Toy Story 3 was just alright, I will never back down from this) and you’ve got a perfect cocktail of ambivalence and apprehension to make the world’s least compelling student newspaper op-ed. To prove my point, here are the working titles of few pieces I considered writing before this one: “Technology is making us more alone, which is probably fine because that gives me more time to play games on my iPhone.” “Abortion is fine. Maybe it’s bad. I don't know. I don’t want to think about it.” “If I remember to close the toilet seat, can I be a social justice warrior too?” But here’s where I will take a stand; I believe my indifference is actually a benefit to society. (Is my Leo showing, Shasa?) Not everyone can be the man with the megaphone. And not everyone should. We need people who will sit back and listen while the others yell at each other. (If a weird uncle writes a 400 word Second Amendment diatribe on Facebook and there’s nobody around to
read it, does it even matter?) However, this is a hard thing to accomplish in a political climate that seems to increasingly reward only those who have turned said megaphones all the way up. The problem with this climate is that it creates large contingencies of people so entrenched in their beliefs that productive conversation becomes impossible. Eventually discussion devolves into a room full of people with their fingers in their ears, all yelling “I can’t hear you.” Think of it like Nixon’s Silent Majority. But instead of being afraid to express our opinions, this majority just doesn’t really have them to begin with. (Or maybe we do. We’re not sure.) And perhaps evoking Nixon as a rhetorical strategy isn’t the best way to win over your readers, but hey, I already said this persuasion thing isn’t my strong suit. So for those of us feeling guilty about not feeling, don’t worry. Its fine to think that things are… just fine. Then again, by publically expressing my opinion on this I’ve already lost all my cred as cool, uninhibited dude who doesn’t pay attention to what people tell him to. Damn. Now where do I sign up for my megaphone?
OPINION
PAGE 10 NOVEMBER 10, 2016
MANAGING EDITOR: MAKEDA BARKLEY
Chips coverage of sexual assault in question Letter to the Editor The student newspaper Chips has a unique opportunity to provide weekly news to a student body, as well as develop professional journalistic practices by working closely with a faculty advisor to hone this particular skill set. The role of Chips is to provide accurate news that represents this student body and the events that take place on and off campus. That being said, Chips must make decisions every week to include the most relevant information to their reader base, weighing the importance and presentation of that
content. In response to the front page article covering the arrest of myself, Nathan Moore (‘17), and Christian Erazo (‘17), I have found myself asking the question: what is the most important news for Chips to cover? Why does a simple misdemeanor make the front page news, while the countless acts of sexual assault are not covered in a similar manner? By relegating these violent acts to the back pages, Chips—or any news source—is complicit in the act of covering up the perpetrators of sexual assault. Chips has an opportunity to call attention to these violent acts, yet they choose to publicize something of much less significance: a nonviolent misdemeanor attempting to remove a sexist platitude by removing the “Hillary’s America” sign, a sign added after previous damage to the
“Trump” sign insinuating that a “Woman’s America” would be chaos or simply anarchy. This parallels the current actions of our media, in their dismissal of Donald Trump’s comments on sexually assaulting and inappropriately grabbing women. Chips is a reflection of Luther College and Luther College’s mission statement should be reflected through its media which includes the expectation that we will, as a community and as individuals, “serve with the distinction for the common good,” “seek truth” and “understand and confront a changing society.” By not covering incidents of sexual assault in favor of covering minor misdemeanors, our community chooses to go completely against the mission statement of our school. If Luther would like to serve the common
good, they will resist perpetuating rape culture by drawing attention to instances of sexual assault and firmly asserting: this is not okay. If Luther wants to confront this issue sincerely and progress in a changing society, they will explicitly resist rape culture. Unless Luther’s specific motives are to preserve a “safe” facade for their brochure, its student media must do the same. Chips has an opportunity to serve the common good of everyone who encounters it and if they wish to reflect the mission statement of our institution, they too must resist rape culture by exposing these horrendous acts head on: face-first on the front page. Signed, Nathan Moore (‘17) and Savannah Horn (‘17)
Response to Decorah News, Chips coverage of student arrests Letter to the Editor Before I offer my opinion on the Luther Chips article, I would like to apologize to the residents of 501 Locust Road for knocking down their Trump sign. During a state of intoxication, I forgot that everyone has the right to support any Presidential candidate with a sign on their lawn. Although I was intoxicated, I strongly agree that it is no excuse for my actions. I would however, like to contest the inaccuracy of the Chips article. To begin, I was not arrested, I was charged with criminal mischief in the 5th degree in the form of a citation. In addition, I did not “vandalize” the sign as the article stated, I knocked it over from its previously damaged state. I believe it is unjust for Chips to use an article from the Decorah Newspaper to define
me as a student here at Luther. I also believe it was unjust for Chips to print my picture on the front page because it criminalizes me before my voice can be heard. At Luther College I have been involved in many activities including being a member of Zeta Tau Psi fraternity. This act I have engaged in does not reflect the character of the Fraternity or myself. This incident should not takeaway the positive impact that Zeta’s have on the community. As Decorah News strongly refers to me as a “Chicago man,” it wrongly labels me as a criminal because of my origin. Coming from the city of Chicago to a smaller town like Decorah, it was a difficult adjustment because I have hopes to achieve a liberal arts degree despite being in a much different environment. Ultimately, I have faced prejudice in Decorah firsthand, due to the emphasis on my hometown, which should not define myself or my educational strives at Luther College. Again, I apologize for the wrongs that I committed against the residents at 501 Locust Road. I hope that other printed articles in the news including Chips will emphasize the facts and truths rather than labeling Chicago as a reason for my act. Signed, Christian Erazo (‘17)
Addressing crime coverage in Chips
EMILY CROWE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & JACOB WAREHIME NEWS EDITOR There is a long-standing precedent in the recent years of Chips’ production to cover stories of student arrests. In the past, these stories have often been printed above the fold on the front page of the newspaper. This is a precedent because the stories are of interest to the campus and community as serve as a way to minimize false rumors. In light of recent fair criticism of Chips in last week's issue, we felt the need to respond. As a the Editor-in-Chief and News Editor responsible for the layout of last week’s issue and the story regarding the arrest of two Luther students charged for vandalizing a political sign, we would like to apologize for printing the photos of the students. This implies that the students are a menace to society, and this seems doubtful in light of the caliber of their crimes. This in not, however, an apology for running the story, or even for running it above the fold on the front page — meaning it is visible even without opening the paper. In the past issues of Chips in which student-related crimes were covered, they were all printed above the fold and on the first page. I also know that these stories also received criticism. In a majority of the stories run by previous news
editors and editor-in-chiefs interviews with those arrested were included. In this case, too, we missed an important opportunity to print a well-rounded story by interviewing the two students who were arrested. For this, we must also apologize. We at Chips humbly accept these critiques as important feedback. We, as a student newspaper, continue to do our best to serve the Luther and Decorah communities and learn from our mistakes. Along with this valid criticism, Chips received some anonymous criticism in the form of unauthorized flyers stuffed inside every available copy of Chips. This flyer had a photocopied photo of our front-page layout and the question “How come sexual assault isn’t covered like this? Or is it just ‘locker room talk’?” While I believe (but do not know, as no one signed the statement or submitted a related opinion piece to continue public discourse on the subject) that the flyer was a response to our seemingly disproportionate coverage of two low-level crimes and a response to a larger question concerning the politics of this election. I think the flyer is also pointing out that Trump can brag openly about sexual assault and potentially become our president, but two college students cannot commit a silly crime defacing his political sign without their faces appearing on 750 copies of their college newspaper. These are valid points about the way Trump has successfully manipulated various media outlets and their coverage. This is a valid point about this election cycle. This is a valid point about the importance we placed on the story in Chips. However, the flyer did not clearly state which of these issues it was attempting to bring to the forefront of conversation. Therefore, another issue that has been brought to the forefront of the minds of all of us at Chips, intentionally or not, is how we receive and report on issues of sexual assault. All other crimes and arrests are covered in Chips
from facts sent to us by the Decorah Police Department in press releases; we have not received any press releases regarding sexual assault. This is not to say that all sexual assault cases are open and that no perpetrators of sexual assault have been apprehended. However, getting information regarding sexual assault is much more difficult than for, say, vandalism. There are also other concerns involved when covering sexual assault. For instance, the survivor of the sexual assault’s feelings and safety must be accounted for in a way that — for example — a political sign does not require. Sexual assaults can also be handled on-campus through Campus Security who is barred from releasing most information regarding sexual assault by FERPA—the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act—and by Title IX—which is a “federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally funded education program or activity,” according to justice.gov. This is for the privacy and safety of sexual assault victims, and something that most respectable news sources uphold out of respect and maintained integrity. We at Chips discovered the discrepancy in what information we receive from the Decorah Police Department in light of the reaction to our last issue, and are now taking the opportunity to learn and see if and how we can change how sexual assault is covered in our paper. In all, the response to last week’s front-page story is encouraging: Chips’ mission is to report news accurately to the Luther community, to serve as a platform for community discussion, and to learn as a student newspaper. It seems we have succeeded on all of these levels in last week's issue. I would, however, encourage more students, faculty and staff members to make their voice heard by sending opinion pieces to chipsedt@luther. edu with your full name included in the email. We accept submission up until 5:00p.m. the Sunday before the week you wish to see your opinion printed.
SPORTS
PAGE 11
NOVEMBER 3, 2016
SPORTS EDITOR: SIDNEY LARSEN
Volleyball falls to Coe at Conference ELIZABETH GARVIN STAFF WRITER
&
SIDNEY LARSEN SPORTS EDITOR Luther Volleyball competed in the IIAC Tournament semifinals against Coe College at the US Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, IA on Nov. 4. The Norse lost to Coe in a 1-3 defeat, ending Luther’s participation in the tournament. Coe went on to be defeated by Wartburg in the championship match. Luther’s final season record is 21-8.
In the first set of the tournament Luther gained the lead, winning 25-17. Coe retaliated and won the next three sets, 25-19, 27-25 and 25-18, to win the match. Emma Veum (‘19) led the Norse with 14 kills and Sam Sixta (‘20) tallied 24 digs and 46 assists. According to Head Volleyball Coach Danielle Lynch, a significant amount of work goes into preparing the team to compete in the IIAC Tournament. “We’ve been practicing really hard and training a lot in the weight room,” Lynch said. “On Saturday, we had a scrimmage to keep that competitive spirit up.”
The Norse volleyball team waits to compete with Coe College.
Defensive specialist Natalie Cote (‘19) explained that because the team has a competitive mindset, it helps them get the most out of practices. “Our team is pretty competitive all-around so when we scrimmage we split up the teams equally because everyone on the team is so talented,” Cote said. “We are all able to really push each other to be the best.” Teamwork was one of the Norse’s main goals going into the IIAC Tournament, according to Assistant Volleyball Coach Haylie Franklin. “The most important thing you can do
Courtesy of the Luther College Volleyball Twitter account
going into a tournament like this is staying fresh and focused and working as a unit,” Franklin said. “We go out there to win and in order to do so, we must all work together.” This year marks the first time that the IIAC Volleyball Tournament was held in one location over the course of two days. In previous years the tournament would commence on a Tuesday with two opening round matches hosted by the No. 3 and No. 4 seeded teams. The winners of these two matches would travel to the No. 1 and No. 2 seeded teams on Thursday for matches. The tournament then concluded with the championship match hosted by the No. 1 seed on Saturday night. This new type of tournament setting was no problem for the Norse, according to Cote. “We play well under the tournament setting,” Cote said. “It’s a big and busy environment but we’ve been doing tournaments like this every weekend since classes started. Having the homecourt advantage is a huge deal and this tournament style takes that away to make a more even playing ground for each team.” While the team is comfortable with the tournaments, Lynch said that it is important to stay focused and in the moment. “It’s important that we don’t get ahead of ourselves,” said Lynch. “Volleyball is a fastpaced game and it does not do well to look too far ahead into the game because so much can happen from the beginning of the game to ten points into it.” Luther’s loss to Coe marks the end of the volleyball season, but Cote is thankful for everything that has happened this year and looks forward to next season. “It’s been such an amazing season and this is such a cohesive team, we’re all really supportive of each other,” Cote said. “It’s a young and extremely talented team with the majority being sophomores so I’m glad that I have more years playing with this incredible team.”
Soccer wins Conference, advances to Nationals LUKE BERKLEY STAFF WRITER The Luther Men’s and Women’s soccer teams were both named Conference champions and qualified for the NCAA Division III National Tournament after victories on Nov. 5. The men’s team beat Loras in Dubuque with a score of 4-3 to gain their eighth bid to the National Tournament in school history. The women’s soccer team defeated the Wartburg Knights 1-0 at home to propel themselves to their first National Tournament in program history. During the Conference Tournament, after a bye in the first round, the Norse women defeated Central College with a score of 2-0 at home. This brought them to the championship match. During the game against Wartburg, Ellie Bunz (‘17) scored a goal at 6:06 into the first half and won the game for the Norse. The Men’s team started the IIAC Conference Tournament with a 2-1 overtime win at home against Wartburg. In the semifinals they defeated the University of Dubuque with a score of 4-0. The Norse men played Loras for the Conference title and came out to an early lead with three goals scored within a 20 minute period. The goals came from Aidan O’Driscoll (‘19) at 16:01, Ahmed Osman (‘18) at 31:36 and Nigel Nielsen (‘17) at 36:02. In the second half Luther conceded one goal to Loras before Rafael Broseghini (‘19) answered back with Luther’s final goal at 53:44. Loras was able to score two more goals before the end of the game. This was Luther’s fifth meeting with Loras in the title match, with Luther winning four out of the five matches. Head Men’s Soccer Coach Chris Garcia-Prats said that the team was extremely proud of the work they put in during the match against the University of Dubuque. “We feel great about our win over Dubuque on
Wednesday,” Garcia-Prats said. “It was one of our best because as soon as you lose, you are out,” Danielson said. performances of the year, and to play against a team we “Wartburg will be a tough match. They are one of our had lost to earlier in the year and come away with a 4-0 biggest rivals and they knocked us out of this tournament win is pretty amazing. We played well last time and didn’t last year. We are looking for some revenge for that. We win, so I feel that this time we got what we deserved. We beat them during the regular season, and it will be nice outplayed them and outscored them and it is a great win to play them at home. In the last four years, we have only for our program.” played them at their home stadium, so it will be nice to According to Midfielder Luke VonEschen (‘18) it is play them on familiar territory.” important for the men’s team to not look too far ahead The men will play their first match in the National and to stay focused on what is next. Tournament against St. Norbert on Nov. 12 in St. Paul, “We want to win it all, but we take everything one game MN. The women’s match will be versus Denison University at a time,” VonEschen said. “We need to just focus on the in St. Louis, MO, on Nov. 12. next game and not lose sight of what we want to do.” For the Norse women, women’s Team Captain Erin Danielson (‘17) said that it was a hard fought win over Central. “Beating Central was an exciting match,” Danielson said. “Playing against them is always a tough game, because they are a team that fights for the full 90 minutes. We beat them in the regular season 2-0, so it was a pretty similar game as far as the results go. We scored really early in the game, and that helped us get into the match and stay focused.” The women’s team looks forward to taking their season as far as they can heading into the National Tournament, according to Women’s Head Coach Russ Schouweiler (‘05). “Our goal all year has been to just try and play together as long as we can and just to reiterate the feelings of knowing that we are good enough and keep pushing to have something to show for that knowledge,” Schouweiler said. Danielson said that there is little leeway during the Conference Tournament. Melisse Chasse (‘17) directs the ball away from a “In this tournament there is really no room for error Wartburg opponent. Luke Berkley (‘20) / Chips
SPORTS
PAGE 12
SPORTS EDITOR: SIDNEY LARSEN
NOVEMBER 10, 2016
Norse defeat rival Wartburg in football
Weekly Standings Men’s Soccer Loras Dubuque Luther Simpson Wartburg Central Nebraska Wes. Buena Vista Coe
IIAC 7-1 6-2 5-3 5-3 5-3 5-3 2-6 1-7 0-8
Recent Scores
Overall 12-4 13-4 12-5-2 12-7-1 12-7-1 11-7 7-7-3 5-12-1 1-17
Nov. 2 IIAC Tourn. Semifinal vs. U Dubuque W 4-0 Nov. 5 IIAC Tourn. Champ. vs. Loras W 4-3
Women’s Soccer
The Norse play defense against the Knights. KATRINA MEYER STAFF WRITER Luther College Football defeated their rival, Wartburg College, on Nov. 5 with a score of 28-27 in overtime. This was Luther’s first victory against the Knights since 1986. During the first quarter of the game the score remained tied at 0-0. Wartburg was the first team to score with a touchdown in the second quarter. Luther retaliated at the half with a 16-play drive resulting in a three-yard touchdown run by fullback Christian Moore (‘17), tying the game at 7-7 with 33 seconds left in the half. The Knights regained possession and defensive lineman Joe Johnson (‘17) forced a fumble. Running back Sam Houlihan (‘18) took the ball five yards for another Luther touchdown to finish out the first half at 13-7. The Norse extended their lead to 20-7 early in the second half when quarterback Brady Letney (‘18) threw a 55-yard touchdown pass to running back Joshua Herrington (‘20). Wartburg fought back and tied the game at 20-20 in the third quarter. With a scoreless fourth quarter, the game advanced
into overtime. Wartburg scored a touchdown on their first possession and gained the lead at 27-20. Moore responded with a 16yard touchdown run that still left Luther trailing the Knights. The Norse decided to go for two, and running back Cooper Nelson (‘17) converted the two-yard rush, securing a 28-27 victory over their rivals. This win broke a 10-game losing-streak between Luther and Wartburg and a threegame losing-streak for the Norse in their 2016 season. Going into the Wartburg game, the team was excited to play a rival school, football co-captain and offensive lineman Sam Schultz (‘17) explained. “This is the most important week,” Schultz said. “No matter how our season is going or their season is going we play each other really hard, and it is always a good, fun, hard game. We’ve got ‘Beat Wartburg’ shirts that we wear while we lift and we’re ready to go.” According to Head Football Coach Aaron Hafner, the team had very specific goals going into their game against the Knights. “We want to win,” Hafner said. “That’s what we’d like
Courtesy of the Go-Knights.net to do. One of the main goals is just to come out with a level of confidence that will allow us to compete early in the game to give us an opportunity to win. We talk about two things: playing with confidence and playing with a high level of energy. Those two things will be the difference for us potentially winning the game on Saturday.” Luther’s victory against the Knights brings their conference record to 2-5 and 3-6 overall. With a long season, the players are a very large source of drive for each other, according to Recruitment Coordinator and Defensive Line Coach Raven Battle. “A lot of the motivation comes from the players,” Battle said. “They are the ones who keep that going [throughout the whole season]. The coaches are here more as encouragement to stay on track, but our guys love what they do. They enjoy going through the process of preparing for a game each week and that gets them going. A lot of that comes from them. We have a great team that keeps themselves motivated.” The team only has one game left to close out the
season. Hafner explained his goals for the team, especially the seniors, in the last game. “The big thing is our kids going out on a high note,” Hafner said. “Maybe that’s winning games or maybe that’s just creating an environment for our seniors to have a great end to their season. They should feel appreciated and enjoy their last couple of games because those are the games they are really going to remember for the rest of their lives.” Linebacker Jackson Vankirk (‘17) explained that the team was thrilled that they were able to clinch the victory. “We were ecstatic,” Vankirk said. “It’s so crazy because both teams were fighting so hard the whole game and it came down to the very last play. We said we were going to go for two at the end and we were just going to finish this thing off now. Nelson was determined to get in that end zone and we all believed that he would and when he got in that end zone it was like nothing I’ve ever experienced before as a Luther football player.” The Norse will play Central College at home on Nov. 12 at 12:00 p.m. to finish out their 2016 season.
Luther Loras Central Wartburg Coe Nebraska Wes. Dubuque Simpson Buena Vista
IIAC 6-0-2 6-0-2 6-2 5-2-1 4-4 2-5-1 2-6 2-6 0-8
Overall 10-2-3 11-3-2 15-3-1 10-4-3 11-7-2 7-11-1 6-10-1 3-11-3 3-13-1
Recent Scores
Nov. 2 IIAC Tourn. Semifinal vs. Central W 2-0 Nov. 5 IIAC Tourn. Champ. vs. Wartburg W 1-0
Football
Coe Dubuque Central Wartburg Buena Vista Luther Nebraska Wes. Simpson Loras
IIAC 7-0 6-2 5-2 4-3 3-4 2-5 2-5 2-5 1-6
Overall 9-0 8-2 7-2 5-4 3-6 3-6 3-6 3-6 1-8
Recent Scores
Oct. 29 @ Loras College L 28-43 Nov. 5 @ Wartburg W 28-27 OT
Women’s Swim & Dive Coe Simpson Luther Loras Nebraska Wes.
IIAC 1-0 1-0 0-0 0-1 0-1
Overall 1-0 3-1 1-0 2-3 0-2
Recent Scores
Oct. 29 vs. St. Thomas L 84-213 Nov. 5 @ Grinnell L 89-211
Men’s Swim & Dive Coe Nebraska Wes. Luther Simpson Loras
IIAC 1-0 1-0 0-0 0-1 0-1
Overall 1-0 2-0 1-0 1-2 1-4
Recent Scores
Oct. 29 vs. St. Thomas L 68.5-222.5 Nov. 5 @ Grinnell L 86-198
Wrestling
Wartburg Luther Coe Nebraska Wes. Buena Vista Central Dubuque Loras Simpson
IIAC 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1
Overall 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1 0-2