CHIPS November 3, 2016

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FEATURES 7 HALLOWEEN ORGAN

SQUASH FEST

A&E 8 SWIMMERS HOST ST. THOMAS

SPORTS 11

LUTHER COLLEGE

CHIPS

“Let the chips fall where they may.”

NOVEMBER 3, 2016

Serving the Luther College community since 1884.

VOLUME 139, NO. 7

Two students arrested for vandalism JACOB WAREHIME NEWS EDITOR & DANNY MAY NEWS EDITOR Decorah Police arrested and charged two Luther Students with Criminal Mischief in the 5th Degree on Oct. 23 for vandalizing a Donald Trump sign belonging to the residents of 501 Locust Road. According to the police report, officers were dispatched to 501 Locust Road on Oct. 9 at approximately 2:15 a.m. following a report of vandalism in progress. When

officers arrived, no one was at the scene. However, there was visible damage done to the sign. After an investigation, police concluded that Christian Erazo (‘17) was responsible for the vandalism. Police arrested him on Oct. 23 at approximately 8:43 p.m. Erazo was then charged with Criminal Mischief in the 5th degree. According to decorahnews. com, after the damage inflicted to the residence’s sign during the Oct. 9 incident, Winneshiek County Republicans added a new sign to the yard, which read, “How

tolerant Democrats respect your rights.” Later the night of Erazo’s arrest, police arrested Nathan Moore (‘17) for damaging the repaired sign. According to the police report, officers observed Moore carrying a part of the sign on College Drive at 12:29 a.m. After investigation, the officers reported that they concluded Moore broke the sign off of the frame and took it with him. Moore was also arrested and charged with Criminal Mischief in the 5th degree. Both Erazo and Moore were issued citations.

From left: Nathan Moore (‘17) and Christian Erazo (‘17) were both arrested for vandalizing the same Donald Trump sign. The incidents occured on seperate days. Photos taken from Luther directory

Club sports face Conversation funding reduction about faculty

cuts continues ANA LOPEZ STAFF WRITER

The Women’s Rugby Team competes last year during a home match. Women’s Rugby is one of five club teams affected by funding cuts.  Megan Oliver (‘19) / Photo Bureau BEN SELCKE STAFF WRITER As Luther College continues to tighten its budget, club sports teams have seen a reduction in funding from the school. At the beginning of the academic year Assistant

Director of Wellness Vicky Jaeger met with the five club sports teams, the three frisbee teams and the two rugby teams, to discuss club sport policies. During the meeting she informed them they would likely not receive funding through Recreational Services as they had in previously years. CLUB TEAMS, PAGE 4

The Academic Planning Committee (APC) and Faculty Interests Committee (FIC) are working with Luther College’s administration to address what they consider to be an unsustainable student-to-faculty ratio at the school. Potential measures include lowering the number of faculty in certain departments, getting rid of majors and minors and having faculty teach in more than one department. According to Associate Professor of Physics and Chair of the Academic Planning Committee Todd Pedlar, first-year enrollment has decreased significantly over the past few years. This decrease in enrollment has contributed to a financially unsustainable student-to-faculty ratio. According to Pedlar, the current student-to-faculty ratio is 11:1 while the calculated ideal ratio is 13:1, given the type of private college that Luther is clasified as. “In 2003 the Luther student body was about 2600 students,” Pedlar said. “Right now it is under 2200. The faculty size has remained the same. There are budget pressures from that.” FACULTY CUTS, PAGE 4

Luther reaches carbon footprint goal EMMA BUSCH STAFF WRITER Luther College Sustainability reached its goal of a 50 percent reduction in the campus carbon footprint last May. This goal comes as a result of continued steps taken towards energy efficiency and carbon neutrality laid out by the college in 2003. According to Director of Facilities Services Jay Uthoff, the college’s carbon footprint is currently at 49.96 percent with 13,846 metric

tons of equivalent CO2. In 2003, Luther’s carbon footprint was at 27,646.9 metric tons. By working with Alliant Energy to create an energy performance contract, the college achieved their goal. “Alliant discovered $1.5 million dollars worth of work we could do to reduce our energy consumption,” Uthoff said. According to Uthoff, in Jan. 2007, Luther signed the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). By doing this, Luther set a goal

to make sustainability a part of every student’s education and set a date for carbon neutrality. “They didn’t say you had to set it by any certain date, you just had to pick a date,” Uthoff said. “It wasn’t set as an official target [by the Board of Regents] until 2012, which is when we decided on a 50 percent reduction by 2015, 70 percent by 2020 and 100 percent by 2030.” According to Assistant Director for Campus Sustainability Maren Beard (‘08), it was important to Luther to reach these

goals without purchasing carbon offsets. Carbon offsets, Beard explained, are permits that allow holders—usually countries or organizations—to produce one ton of carbon dioxide to offset their emissions. The money used to purchase a carbon offset goes towards financing projects elsewhere in the world, like renewable energy, that would otherwise not be possible without the money. SUSTAINABILITY, PAGE 4


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