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September 13, 2012
Vol. 135, No. 2
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Resident halls revamped “Norse bus” proposed by safety- Keys replaced by student IDs to improve safety concerned students Noah nelsen-Gross
Staff Writer
A group of students has brought the safety of Luther students to the forefront beginning last year by proposing the idea of the “norse bus” to administration. Danny Smith (‘13) is one of the students who worked on the proposal. “It would be a shuttle bus to transport Luther students to downtown Decorah and back to campus on weekend evenings,” Smith said. The general idea is that it would be a shuttle that picked up students at several locations on campus and dropped them off at several locations downtown on Friday and Saturday nights. While it was proposed to administration last year, there are still some things that need to be worked out within Luther College administration. “It sounds like a great idea, ‘let’s implement it,’ but it’s more difficult than that,” Director of Wellness Greg Lonning (‘83) said. Before the shuttle can be implemented it must overcome several obstacles. One issue with this shuttle is perception. “It’s not simply a bus that moves students from the bars at night back to campus,” Lonning said. Shuttle continued on page 10
Noah Nelsen-Gross/Chips
Driving in Decorah. The proposed shuttle would take Luther students from campus to locations around downtown Decorah.
Katherine Mohr/Chips
Swiping students. Ryan Wilcox (‘14) uses the new ID scanner to gain access to Farwell.
Katherine Mohr
most notably enhanced security people and property,” Director of Campus Safety and Security Bob Harri said. According to Residence Life staff, it has made their access issues much easier to deal with. “The system is very useful during closed breaks when students relocate,” Director of Residence Life Kris Franzen said. Instead of worrying about losing their keys, students can now focus on not losing their IDs. “Now if a student loses their ID, when they go to get a new ID their old one is deactivated and will no longer work to get into the building,” Towers Area Coordinator Myles Coulter
Staff Writer of
This fall has seen the completion of all new entry systems which allows students to use their school-issued IDs for access to residence halls. The process began in summer 2011 with the Miller renovation and was campus wide completed before the fall 2012 semester began. The software infrastructure allows residents to access their residence hall with their school IDs from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m., when buildings previously are locked. The ID cards replace access keys, which had been issued with students’ room keys. “There are many benefits to the electronic access system,
said. The process is computerbased and can track who enters the building using their card. “If there’s vandalism in a hall, they can see exactly who entered the building prior to that and narrow it down,” Director of Software Development Marcia Gullickson said. A vestibule was also added in Dieseth, Larsen, Farwell Olson, Ylvisaker and Brandt Halls so that students can enter one set of doors before unlocking the second set. Gullickson says the project cost $138,000, the majority of which was spent on the Card Swipe continued on page 10
Dining services faces higher costs, prices increase John Freude
Staff Writer and our local foods,” Tudor said. “We
A rise in the 2012-13 tuition is not the only price increase Luther students will face this year. Dining services has experienced an increase in costs resulting in the rise in prices of particular items in both Oneota and Marty’s. Popular items like chicken strips, cheese curds and the value meals have all seen a slight increase.General Manager of Dining Services Wayne Tudor attributes the increase mainly to the increase in the cost of food. “With inflation and the drought, it just costs us more to purchase produce, beef
would love to have a year without a raise, but inflation and bad weather have made it necessary to raise prices.” The rise this year can be accounted to roughly a five percent increase in selected items, which is the same increase that occurred last year. This is two percent lower than the increase two years ago. According to the Operations Manager of Dining Services, Diane Narum (‘01), Casey DeLima/Chips
Dining prices continued on page 10
Decreased Dining Prices. Some products, like these to-go sandwiches, actually decreased in price.
LUTHER COLLEGE CHIPS
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September 13, 2012
Stirring sounds.
Joyce challenges audience to speak through music, sound Tony Chase
Staff Writer
Presented with this year’s Paideia theme “Can we talk?” Composer-In-Residence and Associate Professor of Music Brooke Joyce presented a lecture on composer
John Cage, and how to consider the role sound plays in the definition of the term ‘music.’ “Cage wants us to be able to find that expressive power not just in the music that we gravitate to naturally, but in all the sounds we encounter in our daily lives,” Joyce said. “It can be difficult to imagine that something as innocuous as an airplane engine or a buzzing insect could be expressive, but Cage wants us to open our ears and let sounds work their magic.” Joyce began by asking the audience what they loved about music, producing a long list with results ranging from ‘harmony’ to ‘community.’ Joyce then proposed the idea that different music resulted in different thoughts. To support this hypothesis, Joyce played two very different compositions for the audience, whose response to the pieces contrasted highly. At this point in the lecture, Joyce proposed the idea of music as a form of communication in regards to the two compositions. The audience gave very honest and intellectual answers that not
only reflected experiences they had, but also suggested mental imagery which audience members claimed had no explanation. Joyce’s initial question of, “Is music capable of speaking [to people],” became a point of interest as Joyce transitioned into talking about John Cage, a composer and music theorist who had some very interesting opinions on sound, music and communication. “Cage said that sound does not have to talk to us [to be meaningful],” Joyce said. “It does not have to contain a deep thought; it can just be a sound.” This opinion on sound has the capability to expand what some define as music. To Joyce, Cage’s opinion results in ideas that are pertinent to musicians. “[Cage’s opinion] suggests -Brooke Joyce a liberation for anyone in a musical scenario,” Joyce said. “They do not have to worry about what message the music communicates.” As Joyce drew even more audience reaction to Cage’s ideas, there appeared to be tension between audience members who seemed to be willing to expand their definition of music and those who were not. Regardless of the tension between musical intellects in the audience, it was clear that most people in the audience were actively thinking about the role sound plays in how we define music.
“Cage wants us to
expressive power not just in the music that we gravitate all the sounds we encounter in our
LUTHER COLLEGE CHIPS
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September 13, 2012
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Freeman traces present politics to ancient practices Bailey Mulholland
in
Political campaigning has not come very far in the past two thousand years, Luther College Professor of Classics Philip Freeman observes in his new book “How to Win an Election: An Ancient Guide for Modern Politicians.” The book, which has been reviewed by the likes of the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, and MSNBC, is a translated letter to the great Roman orator Cicero from his brother Quintus, advising him on how to win the 64 BCE election for Roman Consul. And Quintus’ advice is hardly outdated. In “Dirty Tricks, RomanStyle,” a promotional essay Freeman published for the book in the Wall Street Journal, he provides a summary sampling of Quintus’ shamelessly blunt political analysis. “Promise everything to everyone,” Freeman wrote
opponent’s weaknesses. Flatter your voters shameless[ly]. Give people hope.” This is clearly an effective strategy, considering Cicero won, and not altogether unfamiliar in this day and age. “Negative campaigning is so prominent in the present election that I just wanted to show that it’s nothing new,” Freeman said. He further discussed manipulative campaign tactics in another promotional essay published in the New York Times, “The Attack Ad, Pompeii-Style.” “This article looks at the graffiti found on walls in Pompeii that was used as negative endorsements, like the negative ads of today,” Freeman said. “A favorite trick of local politicians was to plaster the tombs and walls of the town with fake endorsements for their opponents from unsuitable supporters – runaway slaves,
the
summary.
“Call
in
Staff Writer favors. Know and exploit your
gamblers and prostitutes.” However, positive recommendations of a candidate as a “good man” or someone who “provides good bread,” “gives great games” or “will preserve the treasury,” existed as well. Freeman stressed that the book is a critique of politics as a timeless art, and he did not write it with any party leanings in mind. “I wrote it so people could draw their own conclusions and comparisons [to modern politics].” According to the Princeton University Press review, “How to Win an Election” should be “required reading for politicians and everyone who enjoys watching them try to manipulate their way into office.” Freeman, who received his Ph.D. from Harvard and formerly taught at Boston University and Washington University in St. Louis, has been a professor at Luther for nine years. His other works include “Oh My Gods: A Modern Retelling of Greek and Roman Myths,” for which he was interviewed on Iowa Public Radio, “Alexander the Great,” for which he was a finalist in the Society of Midland Authors’ “Best Books by Midwest Authors Published in 2011” and “Julius Caesar,” for which he was interviewed on National Public Radio. All three works have also all been nationally reviewed.
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Chicago teachers strike in bitter contract dispute out of the classroom Monday, taking a bitter contract dispute over evaluations and job security to the streets of the nation’s third-largest city – and to a national audience – less than a week after most schools opened for fall. The walkout forced hundreds of thousands of parents to scramble for a place to send idle children and created an unwelcome political distraction for Mayor Rahm Emanuel. In a year when labor unions have been losing ground nationwide, the implications were sure to extend far beyond Chicago, particularly for districts engaged in similar debates. *** Al-Qaida’s No. 2 in Yemen killed in airstike An airstrike killed al-Qaida’s No. 2 leader in Yemen along with six others traveling with him in one car on Monday, U.S. and Yemeni the group in the impoverished Arab nation. Saeed al-Shihri, a Saudi national who fought in Afghanistan and spent six years in the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, was killed by a missile after leaving a house in the southern province
unmanned drone aircraft. *** Debate surrounds annual $60M cost of 9/11 memorial A debate over balancing the need to honor the memory of Sept. 11 with the enormous costs of running a memorial and museum at Ground Zero has been reawakened on the eve of the attacks’ 11th expected $60 million-a-year operating budget and an agreement paving the way for the museum’s completion was reached. The number comes on top of the $700 million construction cost of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. A report Sunday by The Associated Press noted that $12 million a year would be spent on security, more than the entire operating budgets of Gettysburg National Military Park and the monument that includes the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. *** Crucial Ohio at the heart of presidential campaign It’s all about Ohio - again. The economy has improved there, and so has President Barack Obama’s standing, putting pressure on Republican Mitt Romney in a state critical to his presidential hopes. No Republican has won the White House without winning Ohio, and Romney hopes to catch Obama here by slashing at his jobs record in working-class regions. *** Magic store owner get two years; made cash disappear The owner of a Massachusetts magic store has been sentenced to two years in prison for making more than $560,000 disappear from a longtime customer’s credit card account. Harry Levy of Lexington was also sentenced in federal court in Boston on Thursday to two years of probation and was ordered to pay full restitution. Prosecutors say the 61-year-old Levy tried to cover up the fraud by lying to federal investigators and submitting false records to the grand jury.
Life outside Luther compiled from: http://ap.org Bailey Mulholland/Chips
Some things never change. Freeman displays his new book.
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Features
September 13, 2012
Students graze on Luther’s thriving edible landscapes Jena Schwake
Staff Writer
Move over, perfectly manicured lawn — there’s a new style of landscaping in town. Edible landscapes, like the ones tucked behind Valders and Ylvi, are gaining popularity around the country for their usefulness and aesthetic appeal. Requiring less water and fewer resources to maintain than a typical patch of lawn, edible landscapes are both economical and eco-friendly. “[It’s] something to do with dissatisfaction with the American lawn: why do we have all of this grass that we’re putting chemicals on and it’s not doing anything for us?” Sustainable Foods Intern Shantel Schwarting (‘14) said. “Lawns are pretty, but gardens are really pretty, too.” Former environmental philosophy students Victoria (Blanco) Tapia (‘10), Nathan Hecht (‘11) and Elsa McCargar (‘11) submitted a proposal for Luther’s first edible landscape in the fall of 2009. “The students did a good job of convincing [the Land Use Committee] that it could really be a beautiful thing and an asset to Luther,” Sustainable Foods Educator Maren Stumme-Diers (‘08) said. The proposal was approved by the Sustainability Council’s Land Use Committee and the garden came to life in summer 2010. David Cavagnaro of the Pepperfield Project, a local non-profit devoted to enriching people’s relationships with food, was hired to consult on the first edible landscape, located between Valders and the greenhouse. After a “wildly successful” first year, according to Stumme-Diers, a second garden proposal was approved and planted behind Ylvisaker in the summer of 2011. This diversity garden, also known as the “Walk Around the World” garden, contains vegetables from each continent represented by Luther’s student body, including North and South America, Africa, Asia and Europe.
Casey DeLima/Chips
Life’s a garden – dig it. Sarah Forsythe (‘15) picks ground cherries from the edible garden near Valders. “It really highlights the beauty of diversity in plant and human populations. We’ve got a lot of different vegetables that highlight where our students come from,” Stumme-Diers said. In addition to promoting sustainability, the edible landscapes are a vehicle by which Luther can highlight its commitment to the local foods movement and educate others about its importance. “People want to see where their food comes from,” Sustainable Foods Intern Melanie Grangaard (‘13) said. “It’s a learning tool.”
Nature’s bounty. The Luther edible landscapes are alive and in bloom, filled with peppers, melons, herbs, beans, eggplant, tomatoes and more. Photos by Casey Delima and Jena Schwake/Chips
Students, faculty and staff are welcomed and encouraged to explore the gardens at any time. Visitors may simply walk through, stop to relax or study—and pick a healthy snack straight off the vine. Laminated maps pinned to the fences are available as a guide to illustrate what vegetables grow in the gardens. “When we have visitors to campus, they’re always impressed that Luther has these gardens,” StummeDiers said. “I think it’s just a neat way for people to be reminded of where their food comes from every day.”
LUTHER COLLEGE CHIPS
Features
September 13, 2012
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Casey DeLima/Chips
Decorah dreams of buttercream Margaret Yapp
Staff Writer
Giant cupcakes topped with swirls of buttercream frosting and a myriad of colorful sprinkles are beautifully placed on crystal plates in a shining glass case. Nestled next to the bountiful cupcake counter, a spread of coffee and lollipops shines like the truest beacon of hope. Yes, you have seen these things in your dreams, and yes, they are now a reality. The brand new Decorah cupcake shop Buttercream Dreams, located at 404 West Water Street, offers a cozy atmosphere to enjoy both classic flavors like chocolate and -Chrisann vanilla, and more adventurous options such as Maple Nut and Salted Dawg. In addition to the giant (and delicious) cupcakes, Buttercream Dreams also sells various types of candy and coffee. Co-owner and operator Kathy Thomas opened Buttercream Dreams with her husband Kevin after the demand for her cupcakes – previously sold at Fayette coffee shop Pavo Blue
– grew far beyond the couple’s baking capability. “My daughter and I became really into making cupcakes when she was in high school and we started selling them on the side just for fun,” Thomas said. “All of a sudden people went crazy [for] them. They kept coming into the Pavo Blue and asking if we were selling them.” Buttercream Dreams began sales on Aug. 2 of this year in an attempt to meet the demand. They had their official Grand Opening this past Thursday, Sept. 6. The store stayed open for extended hours to celebrate and it certainly paid off. “We sold over Zuerner (‘15) 600 cupcakes at the Grand Opening,” Thomas said. “And over 400 of those were in the first hour and a half.” Contributing to some of those sales were many Luther students who attended the Grand Opening, including Chrisann Zuerner (‘15) and Ryan Castelaz (‘15). Hoards of Norse men and women flocked to the store, skipping and giggling the entire length
“Buttercream Dreams cupcakes are delicious. If I had to describe them in two words they would be: moist heaven.”
of College Drive. “Buttercream Dreams cupcakes are delicious,” Zuerner said. “If I had to describe them in two words they would be: ‘moist heaven.’” Not only have customers found the cupcakes delicious, but the atmosphere also made cause for high marks. The cozy sitting area offers high tables for homework and enough space for groups of friends to enjoy. “All in all I had quite a positive experience at Buttercream Dreams,” Castelaz said. “I will indeed return to indulge in some more delicious strawberry cupcakes.” The excitement that Luther students have over the new cupcake joint is not a one-way street. Thomas is very excited about the involvement and hopeful employment of Luther men and women. “I would love to have some Luther students working here,” Thomas said. “Having some representation from the college would be great. I know that cupcakeries in college towns are very popular. I just hope we can meet the need.” Anybody interested in trying some dreamy cupcakes for themselves can visit
Buttercream Dreams. Hours are Tuesday-Saturday, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Casey DeLima/Chips
Have your cake and eat it, too. Jayne Pearson (‘15) enjoys a cupcake at Buttercream Dreams during the store’s grand opening.
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Arts & Entertainment
September 13, 2012
Messersmith Minneapolis singersongwriter comes to Decorah on his Supper Club Tour. Walker Nyenhuis
Staff Writer
The potluck is a treasured Midwest tradition, uniting people through the sharing of food and conversation. On Wednesday, Sept. 12, such an event happened in Decorah, at a house party featuring live music by Minn. singer-songwriter Jeremy Messersmith. “It just seems fun, eating being one of life’s great pleasures and music being another,” Messersmith said. “Why not combine the two?” Decorah is the third stop of Messersmith’s Supper
Club Tour—a three-month, three-stage effort to drive across the nation and bring his music to the intimate setting of a house party-potluck. Messersmith conceived the idea of the Supper Club Tour several months ago, after discussing the positive and negative aspects of touring with his band. “I tried to think of a way to get all the fun things that I like about touring and get rid of all the terrible things,” Messersmith said. “Some of the terrible things include sitting around in a green room for four hours before sound checking… and often times eating terrible food.” The rules of Supper Club are simple: Show up with a dish to share and be respectful of the host and fellow guests. Messersmith’s ambition is for people to experience an eclectic blend of cuisine as he performs his solo music, an acoustic journey through the mind of the singer-songwriter. “I’m hoping for a good musical performance
complemented by the food,” Messersmith said. “Though I would love to be overshadowed by how good the food is. Either way, I win.” When he began organizing the tour, Messersmith chose the cities that he wanted to visit and then located hosts by posting notices on his website and Twitter. “All I did was ask,” Messersmith said. “We got tons of responses from people… People were really excited about it.” Folk rock singer-songwriter and Decorah resident Michelle Lynn is hosted the event. She lives in the Chez Shack, a converted apartment located above the RadioShack in downtown Decorah. “I’ve done it before with different events, and I always find it a very fun thing to do,” Lynn said. “I like to meet new people in town and I think that this is a great community we live in; it’s a good excuse to get people together.” Lynn will be hosting another house concert later this fall. Massachusetts based musician Kristen Ford will be playing a show on Monday, Oct. 22. “I travel a lot, doing music myself,” Lynn said. “And I don’t necessarily get to see [live music] all the time unless I bring it to my house.” Messersmith’s Supper Club stop in Decorah sold out on Tuesday, Sept. 4, but several Luther students were able to acquire tickets, including Cate Anderson (‘14). “I haven’t seen him perform before, so I’m excited,” Anderson said. “I’m making a dish that either includes couscous, curry or garlic.” This event will be Messersmith’s first time performing in Decorah. In addition to the Supper Club event, Messersmith will be recording an instudio interview with KWLC Radio. The airdate for the interview is currently undetermined.
For all you who didn’t make the show, check out Messersmith’s NPR Tiny Desk Concert at http://youtu.be/X-RVUGjCfug
Photo Courtesy of citypages.com
Here to entertain. Jeremy Messersmith brings his musical charm to the dining rooms of America.
LUTHER COLLEGE CHIPS
Arts & Entertainment
September 13, 2012 Album Review
7
Your apathy is their reward: Dan Deacon’s “America” Charlie Parrish
A&E Editor
Political protest can take many different forms, but rarely does it take the form of some of the most pleasing, drugged-out electro-pop music I have ever heard. Dan Deacon’s “America” is unique, as is everything about Dan Deacon. But “America” finds Deacon taking his voice as a musician and songwriter more seriously. The man who gave us the album “Spiderman of the Rings” five years ago is not the same man that
Photo Courtesy of speakersincode.com
created “America,” released on Aug. 28. “I was a nihilist absurdist who wanted the world to end,” Deacon said of his change in style in the August issue of Under the Radar magazine. “Now I am not that person, so I make this kind of music.” “This kind of music,” meaning the music that reaches into the void of his previous nihilism and finds meaning in the people and places that are a part of Deacon. Deacon bears this sign, “Your apathy is their reward,” his way of expressing his realization that his belief in nothingness, his apathy just fueled the corruption and injustice of the powers that be. “America” is the grasping of social responsibility for Deacon. Deacon was previously just a grandfather-spectacled, wonderfully hip, overweight, bizarro dude with an awesomely interactive live show, singing gibberish songs about crystal cats. Now he is all that, with substance! “America” shows Deacon coping with and calling out the systematic corruption of his homeland, filled with sentiments anyone with a healthy dose of angst can fall in love with. “The inspiration for the music was my love of cross-country travel, seeing the landscapes of the United States, going from east to west and back again over the course of seasons,” Deacon says on his website. “The lyrics are inspired by my frustration, fear and anger towards the country and world I
Photo Courtesy of mtv.com
“Dance as sassy as you possbily can.” Deacon’s live shows are one-of-a-kind. live in and am a part of.” The album is split into two sections. The first five songs are beautiful, thrashing dance music and the last is an ambitious four movement song/epic, “USA.” “America” also shows a departure from strictly electronic music. Horns and strings sound simple swelling chords, to introduce “USA,” showing a minimalism that evokes feelings of nostalgia for simpler times. At about two minutes into the song, these instruments are quickly replaced with maximalist,
warped, distorted beats and soaring, digitally effected harmonies. “America” is not the only new music from Deacon. Back in June, he brought us a brain bleeder remix of Carly Rae Jepson’s “Call Me Maybe,” where he layers the words from the song 147 times. It makes heads crack and noses bleed. Deacon’s creativity always shines in quirky ways. In “America,” it radiates poignantly in this incredibly personal noise-electro-pop epic of a protest album.
“The Water Coolers” make a splash Brita Moore
Staff Writer
&
Charlie Parrish
A& E Editor
I thought that the use of using well-known songs to sing their original words was funnier than the use of original music,” Emily Davis (‘13) said. The concepts the characters joke about are meant to be things that people worry about every day their jobs, home life, children and spouses, to name a few. “It’s things people talk about around water coolers,” Brown said.
The Performing Arts Committee (PAC) opened this year’s Center Stage Series with The Water Coolers, a musical comedy, based out New York City on Sept. 8. Previously an off-Broadway production created by the husband-wife duo of Thomas and Sally Allen, the cast has performed across the nation and world, bringing relatable humor to corporate and theatrical settings. “We do observational humor,” company manager and longtime cast member Peter Brown said. “People can recognize themselves in the situations we present. It’s like ‘Saturday Night Live’ with music.” The show was the cast’s first performance at Luther, and the audience appreciated the use of music as a tool for humor. “We have some original music, and we also use older music that people will recognize,” Brown said. For instance, a song about paranoia employed the tune to Händel’s “Hallelujah Chorus,” and a song about corporate jealousy used “Boogie Photo Courtesy of news.wustl.edu Woogie Bugle Boy.”
Hence, the title - “The Water Coolers.” The cast incorporated Iowa humor through a “teambuilding exercise” in which two students went onstage and had to answer trivia questions about Iowa, then perform with a “band.” The fact that both of the students were from Wisconsin, made the sketch even funnier. “We embrace things for different areas that we perform in,” Brown said. The cast members perform in Broadway and off-Broadway shows, as well as in other national touring shows and regional productions. They have performed “The Water Coolers” for corporations such as Microsoft and in theaters and universities nationwide. The show recently made its Asia premiere as well. “People seemed to really enjoy it,” Davis said. “It was very cleanly performed and well-rehearsed.” “The Water Coolers” marks the start of the Center Stage Series, a yearlong series of productions designed to invigorate passion for the performing arts. The year’s theme is “Feed Your Soul.” “We have a fantastic line-up for the series,” PAC President Lindsay Sheridan (‘13) said. “There’s so much variety, and each performance really stands out in its own right. To learn more about The Water Coolers, visit www. seethewatercoolers.com. To learn about the rest of this year’s Center Stage Series or PAC, visit centerstage.luther.edu or e-mail pac@luther.edu.
Opinion
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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 or 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 word document to chipsedt@luther.edu with “Letter to the Editor” as the 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 by Sunday at 5 p.m. the week before publication. Publication of all letters is at the discretion of the editor. Contact Chips Phone: 563.387.1044 Fax: 563.387.2072 E-mail: chipsedt@luther.edu Advertising: chipsads@luther.edu website: http://lutherchips.com
Fall 2012 Staff
Proper discourse during the political season You’ve got it, it’s that time again! Election Season 2012 is upon us and we are getting closer than ever to voting for the President of the United States and our local candidates. In Iowa, in fact, voting begins Thursday, Sept. 27, one of the earliest voting dates in the nation. As Election Day comes closer, both sides of the aisle are ramping up their efforts, especially in key battleground states like Iowa. Nationally, the Republicans have strengthened their presence on campuses like Luther and the Democrats have done the same. with over 50 in Iowa, including one right here on Water Street in downtown Decorah, next to J.C. Penny’s. Election season is an exciting time, especially on college campuses, where the majority of people will be casting their ballot
meetings and events hosted by political organizations on campus will exponentially rise as part of the effort to engage the youth of America. This brings me to the issue of respect in this election season. The week of Sept. 3, posters advertising the Democratic National Convention viewing party, put up campus wide by the Luther Democrats, were torn down, twice, and vandalized with various anti-Democrat epithets. This behavior is unacceptable and not representative of our values as a college. Luther College prides itself on being an institution that is inclusive of all viewpoints and encourages faculty and students to engage in conversation and debate with those that have different ideas. I urge students to talk with their friends and I encourage folks to get out there and stand up for their beliefs. But please, respect others’ as well and, to quote New York City’s MTA, “if you see something, say something.” Besides, tearing down another cause. Instead, you should use it as motivation to get out there, rally the gratifying than knowing that you have a hand in the future of our country. To wrap up, we the Luther Democrats are going to mobilize, get out there and WIN Luther College this November, with or without posters: because we know what really matters; getting out and talking with voters. –Isaac van Bruggen (‘12) and Erika Pohlman (‘13).
Editorial
Perpetually Uncomfortable
Jessy Machon
Features Editor
Editor-in-Chief...................Michael Crowe Managing Editor..........................Ethan Groothuis I’ve always been a bit of a nervous News Editors........................Ingrid Baudler person. Sarah King This is mostly just a part of my natural Features Editor......................Jessy Machon disposition, but my consistently awkward A&E Editor..........................Charlie Parrish Sports Editor...............................Jayne Cole Staff Writers..............................Tony Chase John Freude Carrie Juergans Katherine Mohr Brita Moore Bailey Mulholland Noah Nelsen-Gross Walker Nyenhuis Jena Schwake Matt Yan Margaret Yapp Head Copy Editor...................Benj Cramer Copy Editors...............................Katie Hale Kirsten Hash Ad Representative.................Charlie Bruer Michael Johnson Ad Accountant......................Sam Matheson Photography Coordinator..........Casey DeLima Videographer.....................................Bryce Kilker Web Manager...........................Noah Lange Web Technician...................Nathan Haines Design Technician...................Noah Lange Social Media Director..............Drew Mick Illustrator..........................Michael Johnson Adviser.............................Martin Klammer
and stilted conversations, my overlycritical analyses of the smallest details of my life and the fact that my mother has openly made fun of me for going to the library on Saturdays definitely doesn’t make me feel any better. The only thing that does make me feel better is telling my friends about my uncomfortable encounters. Somehow, telling embarrassing stories about my social interactions makes me feel more like an entertainer and less like a moron. When I was approached about writing a column for Chips, I agreed to it because I like writing. “It’ll be fine,” I thought. “I humiliate myself all the time. I’ll just write about it.” Oh, how wrong I was. As soon as I sat down to type this
Par for the Norse
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September 13, 2012
piece, I realized that I didn’t, in fact, have anything to type. I tried to start by sort of introducing myself, but pretty soon I’d wandered off into childhood stories about riding the bus with creepy Stephen and talking to weeping willows and that just wouldn’t do. So I tried again. I decided to write about how I was really glad that the first couple of weeks of school were out of the way because that meant that all the stupid ice-breaker games were done. Unfortunately I couldn’t accurately portray the amount of mortification I felt during a potato sack race I was forced to partake in, so that didn’t work out, either. I thought maybe I’d write about how holding doors open makes me nervous, but after writing a couple of paragraphs I realized that I pretty much just sounded like a crazy person writing about a bizarre fear of doors. That’s when my anxiety really began to kick in. You see, a big part of my anxiety problem has to do with my mind getting fixated on things. After deleting my crazy door lady story, I realized that I was just writing about myself. For a newspaper. “Why would anybody want to read this?” I asked myself. I ran over to my friend’s house and asked him if he would honestly enjoy reading a column by me called “Perpetually Uncomfortable.” He heartily approved of the endeavor, but I didn’t feel any better. The question, “What will this column accomplish?” kept circling around my head like one of those annoying moths that chill outside the door of my Baker house and attack me as I leave for class. And the thing is that I still haven’t really answered that question. My best guess is that maybe I’ll make some people feel better about their own lives by giving them a really pathetic standard to hold themselves to. Or maybe people will just laugh and throw things at me when I walk through the Union. Oh well. At least if that happens I can write about it.
LUTHER COLLEGE CHIPS
Opinion
September 13, 2012
9
Editorial
Great taste, less filling: Childhood so dramatic and awful that I was beside myself for hours, curled up underneath my bed whilst listening to my Big Boy Coping Mix Tape™. This is basically the last year of my life where it is acceptable to play games like hide-and-go seek or have a Nerf gun war until I have children. Suddenly, lurching from its dormant cavern within me [this metaphor is getting bizarre], the Ethan Cthulhu started clawing
Ethan Groothuis
Managing Editor
After only two weeks of being a senior, there are a few things I have noticed. One of these things is that every college student
like a bright phoenix from the ashes of high school, bad decisions, or whatever else holds someone back from maturing. The other self is the clawing, ravenous Cthulhu that is trying to hold back time and embrace every last moment of childhood. Typically, I am not the kind of person who gets very melancholy about activities or periods of time in my life ending. In most cases, it feels like it is time for something to be over, no matter how fun or insightful it was. However, I recently came to a conclusion
have I felt the urge to go to Neverland or discover the Fountain of Youth. Childhood games are something sacred and before long, suggesting to play will only get you put on one of those FBI lists you never want to be on. Do not get me wrong; being an adult is going to be super cool. You can wear suits every day in your cubicle, and you can gripe about your annoying family around the water cooler. Hell, you can even explain to everyone younger than you what cassette players are and how crucial it was to have every Mary Kate and Ashley cassette tape to tote around during recess. Still, there are big parts of living that you can never go back to without some warped sense of nostalgia. All those great hiding places are now too small for you. The nooks and crannies that hold your childish sense of wonderment are just awkward spaces in a boring house.
So consider this for future moments of free time before you graduate. You can watch movies or play video games until your dying breath. Those take just as much effort to do now as they will in 40 years. Maybe I am being a little dramatic. I
have also considered that there are even worse things that could happen in life. You could even have kids who do not like playing hide-and-seek. Welcome to the list of items on my nightmare list, population: irrational.
Graphic by Noah Lange/Chips
The Love(craft) of the game. My inner child Cthulhu playing hide-andseek. Welcome to the nightmares of your next week. You are welcome.
Editorial
Ben there, done that: Independence used to nice things. I decided that when I lived on my own, that would be my life. our dog and left, so I’ve had to do it all by myself, but I’m of my life and it has made me a stronger person. I hate to say it, but my dad was right: “It builds character.” I tend to chuckle to myself when my friends complain about have run into a dozen of my friends now faced with grocery
Benj Cramer
Head Copy Editor
Independence is a funny thing. When I began my senior year at Luther by moving into my apartment, I had a somewhat novel feeling. I remember getting all giddy and excited to shop for my own groceries and prepare my own meals. I would now be able to clean for myself and follow my own system unhindered by a roommate or parents. Oddly enough, my independence is slowly turning me into a ‘50s housewife. I was at Walmart shopping for another cast iron skillet and an apron when it hit me. I’m only three people away from a Nuclear Family. It probably has something to do with the fact that I grew up without any true semblance of order. My parents are both very intelligent, yet severely lack organizational skills. a church service because we were always late. I wish I were kidding, but I have eye-witness accounts of sane people observing my parents arriving 20 minutes late to their own 25th anniversary mass to have their vows renewed. I have been doing my own laundry since I was nine. I’d like to say I cooked and cleaned for myself too, but I learned to live in a hoarded mess; it was all I knew. When I reached
super fat at the time and really obnoxious, so it really didn’t happen until then). When I would visit my friends, I would walk into their house and exclaim “Wow, your house is so clean!” and “BOTH your parents are steadily employed?!” I wasn’t
duties frantically buying as many Pop Tarts as their carts could hold. It reminds me of when I was six and my nine year-old bigger brother, tasked with baby-sitting two younger siblings alone, making hot dog soup for dinner. Ah, the memories. I don’t present this story as a pity party, rather to make us all aware. I was raised by PBS and my older sister; a far from glamorous life. As hectic as it was, I made it here. There are tons of others who aren’t so fortunate. The idea is to realize that your problems really aren’t something to worry about, because worrying helps nothing, and it could be worse.
LUTHER COLLEGE CHIPS
News
10
September 13, 2012
Drought and inflation combined cause dining price increases Dining Prices continued from page 1
Luther’s commitment to providing a high standard of local foods has caused issues as well. “We have already made contracts with local providers and so we are not surprised by the increase,” Narum said. Unlike the to-go items in both Marty’s and Oneota, which have seen a slight decrease in price, the products that mainly received the price increase are the fried foods. “One of our most popular products is definitely the chicken strip basket,” Tudor said. “We go through roughly 200 chicken strip baskets versus 30 hamburger baskets a day in Marty’s. We actually had to add a new fryer to Marty’s simply to keep up with the orders.” To compensate for some of the added costs, Dining Services has raised the value of a meal transfer from $4.95 to $5.00 to allow
students to still purchase a value meal with one transfer. The ever increasing cost of food has placed a burden on the already strained Dining Services budget. “We make all of our dishes from scratch so we can be sure what is in everything accommodates allergies,” Tudor said. “This extra step and eliminating as many hormones and preservatives as possible adds a lot more to labor than most colleges.” Maintaining these practices is a real struggle for a department that did not receive any additional funding this year. Even with the increase in board this year, Dining Services does not have the option of changing the cost of board plans. The hope within Dining Services, however, is that the Casey DeLima/Chips effects of the drought will only Maintaining quality. Cate Anderson (‘14) buys her lunch where prices have be a temporary blight on food fluxuated from year to year. cost.
Shuttle trial run expected in the upcoming winter Carrie Mohr/Chips
Shuttle continued from page 1
Katherine Mohr/Chips
Security Upgrades. Director of Software Development Marcia Gullickson was part of the team that implemented the new card access software in campus residence halls.
Housing access updated Card Swipe continued from page 1
access software system. According to Franzen, the renovation of Miller and Dieseth helped to make the card access system possible.
“The cost for the software system was built into the [cost of the] Towers renovation,” Franzen said. “And last fall, the card access system was installed in the Towers and gave us a good trial run for the rest of campus.”
Harri is eager to see how this will improve security around campus. “It may take some time to get the system in full operation, but it will lead to a safer campus,” Harri said.
This is a point of emphasis in the proposal. This shuttle would be a service to students, offering another transportation option for getting to downtown Decorah, whether to see a movie on the weekend or go out to eat on a Friday night, especially during the winter months when biking and walking are not as desired. However, there is another more significant question. “Is it the college’s responsibility?” Lonning said. “Is it our responsibility to move students around?” That is a difficult question to answer, but there is a positive way to answer every question. “Off campus it’s not [Luther College’s] responsibility, but that’s what makes schools like Luther special,” Smith said. “They go the extra step to make sure the students are safe off campus.” Liz Hawkins (‘14), a student advocating for the shuttle, explained the possibility of a trial period. “Last spring we handed this proposal off to Student Senate, because proposals are more successful when advocated for by a prominent student group,” Hawkins said. “Last I heard, they were going to try for a trial run this winter if they can get it passed, to see if students would utilize it. They would be more inclined to being that it will be cold out.” Increasing student safety throughout the entire year is at the heart of this issue. “It’s their safety, it’s for the students and I definitely think that students here should be aware of [the proposal],” Smith said. “If it’s popular enough and if enough students voice their opinions, the administration can’t ignore it.”
BREAKFAST ALL DAY! M t W th F s Su
“Nothing fancy, just good food” 817 Mechanic St. Decorah 52101
LUTHER COLLEGE CHIPS
September 13, 2012
Sports
11
Carrie Juergens/Chips
Rough and fumble. Brooke Martin (‘16) fights over a ball with one of the St. Olaf soccer players in their game on Sept. 9, although it ended in a loss.
Norse soccer fights for troll The struggle continues to reclain the coveted Olga troll trophy against St. Olaf Carrie Juergens
Staff Writer
On Wednesday, Sept. 9, at Luther’s home stadium, men’s and women’s soccer had a double header against the St. Olaf men and women. The women lost 0-1 and the men won 2-0. The women played first in the early evening, and lost to the St. Olaf women in double overtime. The stop clock read 2:21 when St. Olaf scored the first and final goal. “Our goal was to take it to them, play our game, and kick butt,” Molly Ford (‘13). “Also, to win back Olga the troll.” Olga the troll is a traveling trophy fiercly contested by the St. Olaf and Luther women’s soccer teams. Maggie Herrity (‘13), one of the captains on the women’s team, had a particularly frustrating game, as she had the chance to make it a Norse win. “In the second overtime, there were four and a half minutes left,” Herrity said. “I lined up and I saw this shot, and I shot it, but it hit the inside of the post and bounced off. Had it been one millimeter to the right, we would’ve won the game.” The girls play a tough schedule this season, and Head Coach Russ Schouweiler says that this is intentional. “It’s easy to look at a game and say, ‘this sucks’ right after the fact, but it’s a character-builder in the long run,” Schouweiler said. Many are considering this a transition year, as over half of the team is composed of sophomores and firstyears. “We’re a very young team, and it’s a valuable learning tool for the younger ones to have a tough schedule and
throw them into the fire right away,” Schouweiler said. “We’re going to look at that game for the rest of the season and know it’s something that we never want to have happen again,” Herrity said. “Now we know we can’t give them anything in overtime, and it’ll be a huge motivator in the future.” One player, Kate Manning (‘15), played against her sister (a St. Olaf player) that night, and the stakes were high for her. “It was interesting,” Manning said. “It was competitive because it was an intense game, and it meant a lot more to me, because it meant bragging rights.” In the men’s game, Saul Rosales (‘13) was the first scorer for Luther off of a penalty kick, only two minutes into the game. “Getting the first goal helps us to be in control,” Head Coach Chris GarciaPrats said. John Gednalske (‘16) got the second goal 13 minutes into the second half. A St. Olaf player received a yellow card for a slide tackle on Saul Rosales with 30 minutes left in the game. “[The yellow card] showed frustration on St. Olaf’s part. [Luther] plays really well on the part of the crowd- it gets them going,” Garcia-Prats said. “Saul put on a great move, and the defender just got frustrated,” Aaron Fargo (‘16) said. The game ended with a rowdy Luther chant by the players and the crowd. “Some of the big things that we talked about were being the best team we can possibly be, and everyone contributing however they can, with even the guys on the sidelines being involved,” Garcia-Prats said. The men’s team has many firstyears placed as starting. “Our program is extremely competitive, and ultimately our guys want to be successful on the field,” Garcia-Prats said. “The young guys have jumped in and shown
that they can contribute on the field, and overall they’ve done extremely well.” Ben Reasoner (‘15), a transfer from the University of Iowa, commented on the team’s strength. “I’m impressed with a lot of people so far- there’s a lot of work ethic overall. I was really impressed with the goalkeeper, Peters, on the first night,” Reasoner said. “We have a deep squad, meaning that we have lots of talent across the whole team, and we have high expectations to compete well in conference and make it into the national tournament,” Dane Huinker (‘12) said. The men’s and women’s next game is at home against St. Thomas on Friday at 5 p.m.
Sports
12
All-Americans Norse runners reap rewards of summer mileage as season gains momentum at
Weekly Standings Football Coe Central Dubuque Loras Simpson Wartburg Buena Vista Luther
the All-American. Matt Yan
September 13, 2012
IIAC 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
Overall 2-0 1-1 1-1 1-1 1-1 1-1 0-2 0-2
Recent scores: -Sept. 8 vs. William Penn University L 9-31
Staff Writer
Upcoming schedule: -Sept. 15 vs. Wheaton College @ Home 1:00 p.m.
The Luther College men’s and women’s cross country teams hosted the 41st annual All-American Invitational this past
Women’s Soccer Buena Vista Wartburg Coe Dubuque Central Simpson Loras Luther
respective divisions. Alex Rigdon (‘13), Austin Bauer (‘14) for the Norse, while Tricia Serres (‘16), Maggie Pierson (‘14) and Christina Storlie (‘13) had the top times on the women’s side. Luther College Men’s Head Coach Steve in a post-meet interview. “Yeah, it was fun,” Pasche said. “We’re trying to come out here and continue to adjust the racing and this is a good Matt Yan/Chips step in the process of preparing for our Luther train. LCXC runners Brock Laue (‘13), Alex Rigdon (‘13) and Austin Bauer (‘14) championships. [We] had a really fun day today, [there were] lots of smiling faces out there.” “For me though it’s insane because there “We believe [it’s] what gives us that extra Pasche stressed that he puts more of an [are] so many more miles than I’m used endurance and ability to speed up when we emphasis on the team’s preparation than really need to, near the early results. I’m starting out at 40 end of the race, and “Training is a really important thing for [miles a week], some have that edge over us right now,” Pasche said. “We’re putting of the girls are up to everyone else. For in a lot of training, a lot of good quality, 50, 55.” the entire summer we a lot of volume. In some ways it’s more Ben Hanson (‘14) ask everyone to do at important to us than our racing is right now. talked about the preleast 400 miles for the -Ben Hanson (‘13) women and 500 for the I certainly can say it’s going really well.” season miles that set For Christina Hammerstrom (‘16), the the conditioning base men, but many go over training regimen coming up from high for the team. that. A lot of people put in up to 800, 900 school has been an ongoing adjustment. “We really pride ourselves on doing sometimes.” “Training is great,” Hammerstrom said. a lot of summer mileage,” Hanson said. Women’s Head Coach Yarrow Pasche
“We really pride ourselves on doing a lot of summer mileage,”
the program. “Each race in the meet is named after a Luther runner who has been an AllAmerican,” Pasche said. “That means they placed in the top 35 at the national championships. We’ve been blessed with a lot of success on the national scene in the past and so we’ve got a lot of names to list for the All-American.” Steve Pasche shared his wife’s sentiment in terms of the historical importance of the event.
Matt Yan/Chips
Generations. Abbie Gould (‘13) (center) finishes strong flanked by recent alums Sam McAllister (‘12) (left) and Anna Murray (‘12) (right).
“A lot of alumni come back for it. Working with Decorah High School to host a meet with them is also really neat. A lot of folks out there recognize that this meet is a memorial for Rochelle Swiggum (‘86), a Luther runner who passed away in a plane accident.” Yarrow Pasche had a positive outlook on the day’s results. “This is just our second meet of the season so we’re getting things rolling,” Pasche said. “It’s all just part of the process as the season unfolds. We’ve had a really big week of training this week, so this race is a great cap to that. We’ll take a little break to recover from all that training and move on. We’ve got the next weekend off and then we’ll be at Eau Claire the following weekend.”
IIAC 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
Overall 4-0-1 4-1 3-0-1 2-1-1 2-2 2-2 2-3 2-3
Recent scores: -Sept. 9 vs. Macalester College L 1-4 Upcoming schedule: -Sept. 14 vs. St. Thomas @ Home 5:00 p.m. -Sept. 16 @ Carleton College 2:00 p.m.
Volleyball Wartburg Dubuque Luther Coe Loras Central Simpson Buena Vista
IIAC 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
Overall 7-1 4-2 4-4 3-5 3-6 1-7 1-7 1-8
Recent scores: -Sept. 8 vs. Whitman College W 3-1 Upcoming schedule: -Sept. 12 vs. Coe @ Home 7:30 p.m. -Sept. 14-15 @ St. Catherine
Women’s Tennis Coe Central Simpson Luther Wartburg Dubuque Buena Vista Loras
IIAC 2-0 2-0 3-1 0-0 0-1 0-2 0-2 0-2
Overall 3-1 3-0 3-3 4-0 3-1 1-3 0-2 0-7
Recent scores: -Sept. 8 vs.. College of St. Benedict W 7-2 Upcoming schedule: -Sept. 12 @ Dubuque 3:45 p.m. -Sept. 16 @ Coe 2:00 p.m.
Men’s Soccer Loras Simpson Luther Buena Vista Coe Central Dubuque Wartburg
IIAC 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
Overall 4-0-1 4-1 3-0-2 3-0-1 3-2 2-2-1 2-2 1-2-1
Recent scores: -Sept. 9 vs. Macalester College W 2-0 Upcoming schedule: -Sept. 14 vs. St. Thomas @ Home 7:00 p.m. -Sept. 16 @ Carleton 4:00 p.m.