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Accident grounds A different kind of climbers lunchbox for “free-gans” Sports 12

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April 26, 2012

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Campaigners call for visibility brita Moore

Harney and Webb face the challenge of running

Staff Writer their campaign while Harney is abroad in Ecuador

for the semester. However, both cite their activity in the Luther community as support for earning the student vote. Each have served on the Student Senate Wellness Committee and as Resident Assistants, as well as in a variety of other student organizations.

“I love getting to know people in my grade or grades above me that I wouldn’t know otherwise,” Webb said of being an RA. “I feel like I know a diverse population of students.”

Harney emphasized the roles of the president and vice president as members of the student body, in conjunction with their campaign slogan, “Teamwork Makes the Dream Work.”

“We hope to be a resource to link Luther together to provide not only the most, but the best, results for a community,” Harney said.

Through their campaign, Harney and Webb hope to show their openness to student ideas and making Senate effective.

“The more people you have working on different things, the more ideas and the better the outcome will be,” Webb said.

Social media is a huge aspect of their plans for open communication.

Courtesy of Laura Harney Courtesy of Charles Banta “Teamwork makes the dream work.” Laura Harney “Got swag?” Presidential candidate Charles Senate campaign (‘13) (left) is running for Student Senate president wtih Banta (‘13) (left) and vice presidential candidate continued on page 10 Christopher Heitz (‘13) (right). vice presidential candidate Sarah Webb (‘13) (right).

The candidates for the 2012-13 Student Senate President and vice president have been announced and are campaigning for the April 26 elections.

Laura Harney (‘13) is running for president with vice presidential candidate Sarah Webb (‘13).

Presidential candidate Charles Banta (‘13) and vice presidential candidate Christopher Heitz (‘13) make up the other ticket.

Women with a kick Green lectures about women’s role in martial arts Hannah Lund

Staff Writer

Visiting scholar Thomas Green recently presented a lecture titled “Vernacular Movement Arts” and met with students to demonstrate a form of Kung Fu. Fresh off of a February trip to China, Green shared common situations of female martial artists during his visit to Luther on April 19. Sponsored by Lecture and Fine Arts and the Women and Gender Studies Department, Green’s visit challenged viewpoints on what it means to be a female in combat. To accomplish this, he drew on his personal research and the visible role of women throughout Chinese martial history.

Green highlighted the experience of one of these women.

“She was a tiny woman in her late 80s, but everyone was coming by and paying homage to her,” Green said. “She was well-recognized and she had both male students and female students. It’s something that, while it seems exotic to us, like a lot of things, is commonplace there.”

Green explained the role of women in the history of martial arts.

“A lot of martial arts systems have been alleged to have been invented by women,” Green said. “The U.S. is the last holdout, because there are still debates on whether or not women should go into combat. We’ve treated combative women as curiosities. I think that you almost have to be blind not

Revisions coming to Scandinavian Studies Dept.

John Freude

Refsal at the end of last year, Dr. Stokker

Staff Writer was left as the only full time Scandinavian

With the head of the Scandinavian Studies Department Kathleen Stokker set to retire at the end of the semester, many are left wondering about the future of the department.

After the retirement of Professor Emeritus of Scandinavian Folk Art Harley

Studies professor on campus. With her retirement quickly approaching, the Luther administration has decided to take action and institute key changes within the department.

Scandinavian Studies continued on page 10

not be paying attention.”

One such example from Green’s lecture is Fu Hao, a former concubine of an emperor in the Shang Dynasty, who may have invented martial arts.

“Fu Hao is the real deal,” Green said. “They found her grave and she was buried with 130 weapons. There’s a statue of her standing with her axe.”

Courtesy of Thomas Green

Hi-ya! Thomas Green demonstrates Kung Fu.

Green lecture continued on page 10

Walker Nyenhuis/Chips

Jeg snakker norsk. Professor Kathleen Stokker, who will retire this year, helps Chandler Roberson (‘15) with an assignment in her Norwegian 102 course.

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April 26, 2012

E-Club hosts serial entrepreneur Josh Hoffman

Staff Writer and use the materials you have to create a new one,” Hoffman

Minneapolis-based serial entrepreneur G.L. Hoffman, who has started over 100 businesses, spoke to Luther’s Entrepreneurship Club (E-Club) last week about his experiences with starting and running a business.

“Startups are the trend of the future,” Hoffman said. “I believe that one day everyone will start and run their own business, in some form or manner.”

Hoffman was born in Kansas and later attended the Air Force Academy. It was there that Hoffman made his purchasing and selling motorcycles.

Hoffman then went on to start Varitronics, a poster printing company, and Insignia Systems, an in-store advertising company.

After years of experience starting businesses, Hoffman advocates innovation as the key to business success.

“If your current business isn’t working out, kill the product G.L. Hoffman

said. “Creativity is merely rearranging things in new ways.”

Hoffman offered a myriad of advice on all aspects of starting a business and answered audience questions about his personal entrepreneurial ventures.

“The two most important pieces of advice I can give when starting

E-Club meets every Tuesday in Olin 107 and provides members with a forum to work through and develop their entrepreneurial ideas.

“E-Club is the only business club we have on campus so far,” E-Club CEO Rachel Jungwirth (‘13) said. “In addition to providing students an environment to discuss their business ideas, E-Club attends many speaking events, such as the Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization, where attendees have the opportunity to network with students from all over the country.”

E-Club also works with Fancy Pants, by helping the downtown business develop an online -G.L. Hoffman Decorah marketing presence, and rents refrigerators to Luther students.

“E-Club basically gives practical advice about how to run a business,” Jungwirth said.

Next year more effort will be spent reaching out to prospective members.

“A lot of people don’t understand the purpose of a business club,” Jungwirth said. “If I went out into the real world and it was not for E-Club, I would not be prepared to plan, develop and promote a successful business.”

“The two most important pieces of advice I can give when starting a

second, know arithmetic,” Hoffman said.

Many of the students that attended Hoffman’s presentation were E-Club members who have ambitions of starting their own businesses one day.

“The main thing I took away from the presentation was that the number one thing you need as an entrepreneur is passion,” E-Club member Jordan Nady (‘13) said. “You could have the best idea ever, but if you are not passionate about it, no one else will be either.”

Overall, E-Club has been a valuable experience for Nady.

“Interacting with students who have similar interests provides me with an unforgettable experience that I will hold on to after I graduate,” Nady said. “The importance of E-Club is to surround yourself with other future entrepreneurs.”

arithmetic.”

Student Senate raises awareness about disabilities Bailey Mulholland

Dawley after hearing her speak in a class

Student Senate recently hosted a Disability Awareness Day to educate students and faculty about the experience

to return. Despite having cerebral palsy, a disease that impairs muscle function, Dawley asserted that there is a lot more to her identity.

Volunteer Writer and didn’t think twice about asking her

focus on accessibility issues on Luther’s campus.

“It was the brainchild of Sally Ea (‘12),” Student Senate Diversity and Ethnicity Representative Oket Dakwa-Agyekum (‘13) said of the event. “She actually came up with the idea.”

With the support of Student Senate, Dakwa-Agyekum took charge of organizing the occasion, which included a promotion in the Union and evening speakers. Dakwa-Agyekum and other Senate members set up the colorful “Wheel of Ability,” which passersby could spin to win a prize if they answered a question about disabilities correctly.

“The game [in the Union] is more for visibility about the speakers tonight and said.

Evening speakers included Student Senate member Nicholas Rohde (‘12) and Lydia Dawley, a freshman at Decorah High School.

Dakwa-Agyekum was inspired by

have to do things differently,” Dawley

Former head of Luther’s Disability Services Tom Countess explained the with wheelchairs may face on campus.

“A college on a hilltop may be picturesque, but it is a nightmare for someone in a wheelchair,” Countess said.

Although attendance at the speakers’

talks was not as high as desired, the event may be repeated.

“Hopefully, through some of these activities, people will become educated about how to respect and interact with people with disabilities,” DakwaAgyekum said. “And realize there’s more to be done.”

Dawley uses an assistive communicative device to convey her thoughts, moving on a screen, which are then spoken by an automated voice. By participating in 4H, cheerleading and classes at school, she has proven cynical doctors and teachers wrong about her capabilities, especially her intelligence.

“I hope you will realize that everyone is capable and everyone has a voice,” Dawley said.

The focus of Rohde’s speech was his experience of living with a disability on Luther’s campus. He described the inconvenience and inaccessibility of campus buildings such as Main, Towers and Larson. what they have to work with, but what they have to work with is not perfect,” Rohde said. “I need to plan out my routes to get to class.”

Bailey Mulholland/Chips

Spin the wheel. Students answer trivia questions during Disability Awareness Day.

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Paigaam holds peace fair Lisa Diviney

Staff Writer

Tables strewn with earrings, photographs, henna, handbags and t-shirts, Luther’s second Paigaam Peace fair made its presence known in the Union last week.

Alumna Ufra Mir (‘11) not only worked the tables every day, but is the founding executive director of the organization Paigaam: A Message for Peace.

Paigaam is an Urdu word which roughly translates to “message.” different initiatives Paigaam is currently working on.

“Paigaam’s goal is to transform thinking in order to Mir said.

Mir is originally from Kashmir, India where she “The organization I’m working on now is something I’ve dreamt about since I was a kid,” Mir said.

Mir started the organization her senior year at Luther while completing her degrees in psychology and health sciences. peace training,” Mir said.

Using her experiences with peace courses in Nottingham, England, and from high school courses in India, Mir often led these peace-training sessions.

Each would focus on creating awareness.

“We were then able to present at the Nobel Peace Prize Forum last year at Luther, and people began to think more seriously about Paigaam,” Mir said. different initiatives.

“One thing we’re looking at is creating peace education through art,” Mir said.

The Art of Peace Initiative helps students with violent pasts to boost their self-esteem and learn about leadership through creating artwork.

According to Paigaam’s website, “the process building exercises to help these young children overcome trauma, fears and weaknesses.”

Mir’s goal for the Art of Peace initiative is to eventually collect artwork created by students to be put on exhibition at Luther. Postcards and copies of the art will be sold and the money given to the students to help fund their education.

Paigaam’s ‘Gift’ Initiative also focuses on creating educational support for women around the world.

The initiative is named in honor of and dedicated to the memory of Sylvia Gift Nabukeera (‘10), a Luther alumna who was killed last summer. Nabukeera was raised in Uganda and was determined to help fund educational opportunities for women.

The ‘Gift’ Initiative currently is working on sending feminine hygiene products to schools in Uganda.

“A lot of women in African countries don’t have access to these luxuries, and so once a month, a lot of young women will simply stay home from school,” Mir said.

Mir’s next goal is to begin a peace program at Luther, offering students courses on justice and peace.

“We’re working on the structure of the program, trying to get that down to see how it will work,” Mir said. She hopes to have the program set up in the next two to three years.

Mir hopes to eventually return to her home to start a peace organization in Kashmir.

For more information, visit Paigaam’s website at http://www.paigaampeace.org.

Compiled by:

Ingrid Baudler News Editor

Social Security heading for insolvency even faster Social Security is rushing even faster toward insolvency, driven by retiring baby boomers, a weak economy and politicians’ reluctance to The trust funds that support Social Security will run dry in 2033 - three years earlier than previously projected - the government said *** Romney backs student loan proposal Obama supports Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney recently embraced a student loan proposal President Barack Obama is promoting on the campaign trail. Romney also refused to endorse Sen. Marco Rubio’s conservative immigration plan aimed at helping young illegal immigrants.

The two policy positions signal an effort by Romney to move to the political center as he works to court critical general election swing voters - including young voters and Hispanic voters - after a brutal primary *** Now out of jail, George Zimmerman fades from sight George Zimmerman, who slipped out of jail on $150,000 bail in the to another state to avoid threats as he awaits his second-degree murder trial for the killing of Trayvon Martin.

Later on Monday, the Sanford City Commission rejected by a 3-2 vote the resignation of Police Chief Bill Lee, who was roundly criticized for not initially charging Zimmerman and had stepped down temporarily in March. *** 12th military member tied to prostitution scandal The Secret Service prostitution scandal grew Monday to include a 12th member of the U.S. military as the Pentagon suspended the security clearances of all the military personnel who have been implicated. The Secret Service has also taken action against 12 of its employees. involved was in Colombia in advance of President Barack Obama’s arrival for the Summit of the Americas and was assigned to the White House Communications Agency, a military unit that provides secure the condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing, said

at the White House.

***

US-Afghan security pact sends warning to al-Qaida A new strategic partnership that commits the U.S. to defend Afghanistan militarily for 10 years after most foreign forces leave in 2014 is intended to signal that the U.S. will not tolerate a resurgent alQaida or attacks launched by militants from neighboring Pakistan.

The agreement, parts of which were read out Monday in the Afghan parliament, is big on symbolism but light on substance. It leaves out

Courtesy of Ufra Mir

Afghan security forces or how many U.S. troops will stay on after the withdrawal deadline. *** Walker Nyenhuis/Chips

Projects for peace. Top: Students browse the peace fair products. Middle: Ufra Mir (‘11) tables during the peace fair while Tom Tourdot (‘15) scans the selection. Bottom: Founder of Paigaam Mir promotes the ‘Gift’ Initiative.

Bullet leaves hole in Boston boy’s Celtics shirt A 9-year-old Boston boy says divine intervention saved his life bedroom wall and left a smoking hole in the Boston Celtics jersey he was wearing.

Preston Stevens says he felt some sort of force push him before the bullet went through his Rajon Rondo jersey Tuesday afternoon, barely missing his torso. He says “it was like God” pushed him. He saw and smelled smoke.

Police found a bullet in the boy’s bedroom and casings in the street but are still looking for the shooter.

Meanwhile, Preston’s bed has been moved away from the window.

Life outside Luther compiled from: http://ap.org

Courtesy of Ufra Mir

Arts & Entertainment

4

April 26, 2012

New bands make debut

Courtesy of Charlie Parrish

Band of Brothers. (From left) Logan Langely (‘13), Charlie Parrish (‘13) and Ted Olson (‘14) of newly formed band Mostly Ghosts performing at a gig.

Jayne Cole

and learn new music,” Doty said. “You can’t give up

Staff Writer school to play.”

2Tall4U With posters advertising “good tacos and good music,” 2Tall4U has been taking the Decorah area by storm, becoming best known for their performances at Club Pyramid on “Taco Tuesdays” from 6 to 9 p.m.

Kurt Bearinger (‘13) and Jake Doty (‘13), the members at T-Bock’s open mic night on February 26. Now local sensations, the two have booked performances all around the area.

It didn’t take Bearinger and Doty, who live across the hall from each other in Dieseth, long to discover their similar taste in music. After hearing each other play guitar, they decided to get together early this semester and start a band.

Their unique band name is in reference to their height.

“Most people don’t expect two 6’7” guys to play guitar,” Doty said.

The acoustic group also got local media attention after being featured on Artist Direct on KDEC in early March, “We thought it sounded kind of catchy,” Doty said. and the band.

“Unless, of course, this goes big,” Bearinger added.

For now, the two have enjoyed the move from dorm room to live audience.

“People like live music and it’s a blast to play with someone,” Doty said.

“We feed off each other’s energy,” Bearinger added.

The duo plays country, folk and rock songs in their performances. Often they split the show so each member has a solo segment.

Declaring themselves 90s fans, the two said that their rendition of Oasis’ “Wonderwall” is a crowd favorite.

“Everyone loves it,” Bearinger said.

Some originals are also in the works. Bearinger currently the works. The group hopes to eventually write 10 to 12 original pieces.

“Hopefully we will have a fully recorded album out next year,” Bearinger said.

“The lady in Subway already asked us for a CD,” Doty added.

The group hopes to keep their music local during their senior year and continue playing around the Decorah area.

Sites this year have been in Oelwein and Calmar, Iowa, Club Pyramid, T-Bock’s and the ArtHaus in Decorah.

“It would be nice to keep playing at a lot of venues.

That’s what is in our sights,” Doty said. “Who knows

where it goes from there.”

2Tall4U will next perform in Decorah at Club Pyramid on May 1 and at Toppling Goliath Brewing Company on May 19.

For more information, be sure to like 2Tall4U on Facebook.

Mostly Ghosts 2Tall4U isn’t the only new band on campus. Mostly Ghosts has also hit the Decorah scene this fall after being inspired by another Luther-based band, General B and the Wiz. “We’re all good friends and this summer Kyle and I would jam with them, but we were also pining to have our own band as well. The group sort of came from that,” Mostly Ghosts member Logan Langley (‘13) said.

Mostly Ghosts consists of Langley on guitar and banjo, Kyle Holder (‘12) on drums, Ted Olson (‘14) playing the bass and Charlie Parrish (‘13) on guitar and vocals.

“We mesh well, it’s been a lot of fun,” Langley said.

Their music leans towards the folk side, with twinges of rock and songs that are more lyrical, to create a unique sound that favors harmonies. The band writes their own music and also mixes in some covers. Because most of the members have played in other groups, they also customize old songs as their own.

to play it sounds good,” Langley said. “We enjoy playing together.”

The group has performed a few times throughout the year, including a show with General B and the Wiz at Wild Tymes in the St. Paul on February 4. The group hopes to have a show at Toppling Goliath soon.

Holder plans to move to the Twin Cities after graduation. However, the group plans to maintain a busy schedule performing in the Decorah area this summer, and continuing to play and make music whenever possible.

“Whatever lands in our laps,” Langley said.

Photo courtesy of Jake Doty

12 stories high, made of radiation. Jake Doty (‘13) and Kurt Bearinger (‘13) of 2Tall4U performing at Club Pyramid.

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Arts & Entertainment

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Rising author Ben Percy visits campus Sarah King

Luther College on April 19

“A writer of national importance, Ben is not only exceptionally talented, funny and friendly, he has also worked really hard to achieve his much-deserved success, and his example and his advice show us what is possible for us as writers if we work hard too,” Associate Professor of English Amy Weldon said.

Benjamin Percy visited

a reading of an excerpt of his novel “The Wilding.”

Percy currently teaches in the MFA program at Iowa State University and at the lowres MFA program at Pacific University. He has also taught as a guest faculty member at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and regularly lectures at conferences and universities around the country.

Though Percy’s name may

Staff Writer to lecture in classes and give

not be a household one yet, Weldon anticipates his success will propel him further into the limelight of the literary world.

“I’d admired his work ever since I’d read his unforgettable story “Refresh, Refresh” in The Paris Review,” Weldon said. “Here’s a writer, too, who can do just about anything: mixing it up at the borderlands of genre, blending horror and pathos and the textures of real, observed life in places from a wilderness area under threat to a cave that opens underneath a grieving couple’s feet.”

Percy is only 32, but has already penned a hit novel, “The Wilding,” with another, “Red Moon,” on the way. Both are set to become movies, as is one of his short stories.

“I always want to try to raise the bar,” Percy said. “I try to hurdle my way over it and overcome that challenge.”

Percy has met his challenges.

Having written for “GQ,” “Esquire,” “Outside,” the “Wall Street Journal” and other prominent publications, Percy is becoming one of the most prominent contemporary writers.

Perhaps one reason why his appeal is so great is the nature of his writing, which he described to one of the classes he visited.

“You are always, as a writer, like a crow, gathering up all the shiny objects in the world,” Percy said. “I’m trying to take what’s good about literary fiction - and there are a lot of things I don’t like in literary fiction - and I’m trying to take the best of genre, and I think there are a lot of things that suck about genre as well, and trying to merge the two kind of

like Margaret Atwood.”

The response to Percy’s reading and talks have been positive.

“The book he read from was poignant and powerful and showcased his ability to control language,” Jessa AndersonReitz (‘14) said. “His voice was undeniably interesting, and he was quite personable, despite his dry humor.”

Weldon retarded his advice to students about writing enthusiastically.

“Writers learn from other writers, by

reading them and by talking with them, and Ben is a wonderful writer and person for us here at Luther to learn from,” Weldon said. “Several students told me that hearing Ben talk about writing multiple drafts and developing work habits like putting unused scraps and paragraphs in a graveyard file for later use has inspired them to do the same with their own writing. This is one of the many things I hope for when writers come to Luther, and I could not have been happier with Ben’s visit.”

Sarah King/Chips

John Hancock. Ben Percy signing autographs after his lecture.

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Featu

April 26, 2012

Dumpster diving for dinner Lauren Maze

new way of acquiring food:

Staff Writer dumpster diving.

While most people get their food from grocery stores, restaurants and other conventional locations, Emma McVey (‘12) has introduced Luther to a

McVey got the idea from the documentary “Dive” which she saw in Colorado over J-term. The film brings to light not only how much food America wastes, but also how much food

Lauren Maze/Chips

A new way to eat. Emma McVey (‘12) has found foods such as chicken, hummus and steak in her dumpster searches.

is thrown away before it even hits the grocery store shelves.

“In the United States, half of the food we produce doesn’t make it to somebody’s mouth,” McVey said. “That equates to about 96 billion pounds of food per year.”

Most food that is thrown away from stores is perfectly fine, but due to a “best by” date or because there is one damaged item in the bunch, the food is thrown away well before it needs to be tossed.

“An egg will break out of a dozen and they throw the whole case away,” Phil Marty (‘13) said. “That package could easily have gone to a shelter. There isn’t even effort to try to save food or give it to someone else.”

Although dumpster diving can be dangerous and can be considered trespassing, McVey is cognizant of where she goes and is careful not to go anywhere that specifically prohibits trespassing.

“One time there was a [store] employee who was throwing food away as I was in the dumpster,” McVey said. “I just explained myself and said, ‘these are things you’re willing to throw away and I’m going to take them.’ They didn’t have a problem with that.”

McVey’s diving has supplied the Sustainability House with the majority of its food for the past several months and was even an inspiration for an Environmental Concerns Organization [ECO] event.

“I saw how much Emma was bringing back, so I brought it up to ECO because we were looking for an idea for

Lauren Maze/Chips

Dumpster diving pro. Emma McVey (‘12) proudly displays an assortment of her dumpster-diving treasures. an event,” Marty said. “We is thrown away each year, thought it’d be cool to make a several students questioned meal out of dumpster food and the American standards for then show the movie.” throwing food away.

On April 14, ECO served a “The ultimate questions it meal made completely from comes down to are ‘what laws dived-for food and showed and economic practices are in “Dive.”

Attendees were place that lead stores to throw surprised by the quality of the away so much food and is that dived-for something we food. can change?’”

“I wouldn’t Hanson said. have guessed H a n s o n the food believes that was from a saving food d u m p s t e r, ” could actually Luke Hanson save lives. (‘14) said.

“If grocery “ W h e n stores, instead I heard of throwing that, I was away all of skeptical this food, sent at first, but trucks to the it was all food banks, perfectly no one would w e l l be hungry,” -Luke Hanson (‘14) Hansen said. packaged and tasted McVey has just fine. made dumpster It’s just food they throw away diving a lifestyle choice and around the best by date, so it’s continues to go on a monthly not like it’s expired.” basis in the hopes of raising In addition to learning awareness about the amount about the amount of food that of food that is wasted and teaching others alternative ways to put that food to good use.

“I’m trying to bring awareness to how wasteful we are as an American society,” McVey said. “We can easily divert the food to other means, like a donation center or composting. It’s unfortunate that stores hesitate to do this because there are many ways to use that food other than just throwing it away.”

“If grocery stores, instead of throwing away all of this food, sent trucks to the food banks, no one would be hungry.”

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April 26, 2012

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Welcome to Bjornson House Charlie Parrish

Staff Writer

It’s Professor Tuxedo’s Scottish birthday party.

“It’s the celebration of the day of my birth…except Scottish!” Professor Tuxedo, played by Joe Schifsky (‘12), explains in Episode 3, “Scottish Birthday,” of “Bjornson House,” an original KWLC radio comedy created, written and performed by a small group of Luther students.

Tuxedo’s party is eventually spoiled by the presence of his arch-nemesis, Professor Steve Bjornson, played by guest star Ben Gardner (‘12), boasting about his life accomplishments.

The rivalry climaxes when Tuxedo hilariously screams at Bjornson, “You fat, fat jerk!”

“Bjornson House” began this semester when producer Megan Creasey (‘12) chose to devote part of her hour-long radio show at KWLC to the radio comedy.

“I called a meeting with some of my friends that were interested in doing this and we started brainstorming,” Creasey said. “We wanted something that didn’t have too huge of a cast, but something with recurring characters that would give us a lot of flexibility for writing.”

The story is centered on Bjornson House, a fictional Luther house, that is inhabited by a variety of odd characters and absurd events. The story begins when ‘average Joe’ Peter Anderson, played by Aaron Schmaltz (‘12), transfers to Luther and gets placed in Bjornson House, where he is soon

Carl Cooley

On the air. The cast of the student-written and produced radio comedy “Bjornson House” brings their characters to life in the KWLC studio. met by Professor Tuxedo, who teaches at Luther, but it’s not really part of bee-keeping along with all of the other the Luther community so we don’t classes at Bjornson House. have to make jabs at specific people,” “Peter is kind of a loser figure,” Creasey said. “The events that happen Schmaltz said. “He is always in the in the show are so bizarre that it’s wrong place at the not something that wrong time. He is the would happen in newest addition to real life. It’s kind Bjornson House and of fun to have this he was placed there really surreal thing kind of randomly. and then nail it down It goes along with with something more the absurdity of the realistic like Luther show. He is a fun College.” character to play.”

The remainder -Kate Hammond (‘12) The show is based of the Bjornson in a fantasy Luther House is made up of College where everything is turned Bridget Pencildorfer, an uptight RA, upside down. However, the writers try played by Hannah Lund (‘12), Krysii to add a touch of realism, mentioning Poldanski, a cheerleader, played by Paideia and other Luther-specific Kate Hammond (‘12), Edith Thorpe, things. a hippie environmentalist, played by “It’s cool because it is technically Abby Nance (‘12) and Tony Chestnut,

“We just sat down one night and wrote a script and we said ‘this is really stupid!’ and it was perfect.”

PROFILES

SENIOR Megan Creasey

Staff Writer

What are you doing next year?

I’m entering the Ph.D. program at University of Wisconsin at Madison. I might possibly switch subdisciplines and become an astrophysicist instead of a particle physicist. It’s a lot like “October Sky.” It’ll actually involve building detectors and apparati to be mounted on rockets and satellites that will go into space. There’s also particle-astrophysics, which is this wonderful hybrid of the two and involves looking for high-energy particle events in things like cosmic rays and things coming from space. Cosmic rays course through you every second and you don’t even know. We could put a detector on the table and see them. But I’m not so vain as to think that after four years of doing physics I know exactly what I want to do with my life. I’ve barely scratched the surface.

If you could teach any class at the collegiate level, what would you want to teach?

I don’t know if the subject matters so much. I like the small, discussion based classes, though. Having that mature, intelligent conversation with a small group of people is enjoyable regardless of what you’re talking about.

a weirdo creep, played by Eli Johnson (‘12).

“Megan had the idea for ‘Bjornson House’ and we just sat down one night and wrote a script and we said ‘this is really stupid!’ and it was perfect,” Hammond said. “It was just something fun to do because senior year is ridiculous. So writing the show has been an excuse to do work without having to really do any work.”

A new episode of “Bjornson House” airs every two weeks at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday mornings in the middle of Creasey’s KWLC folk radio show. It also streams online at kwlc.luther.edu.

Tune in, in the weeks to come, for a possible surprise guest star appearance from Professor of History Jackie Wilkie.

Michael Crowe/Chips

A very Scottish birthday. Joe Schifsky (‘12) plays odd Professor Tuxedo in ‘Bjornson House.’

Dallas Wulf Majors: Math and Physics Minor: Spanish

What topics do you get most fired up about?

Particle physics is something I really like to talk about, but it’s also the topic I know the most about. I like talking about physics problems in general, even if they’re trivial in implication, but not trivial in solution. If it’s not an immediately intuitive answer, I like talking to people about those. When I tutor for SASC, I really like to run into first-year students that are curious for the sake of being curious. They may have solved the problem but they still want to talk about it and ask questions.

Megan Creasey/Chips

Rocket man. Dallas Wulf (‘12) hopes to someday be an astrophysicist with a deep and gravelly voice.

What spot on campus will you miss the most when you graduate?

I don’t know if there’s a particular spot, but walking across campus, like when I go to my 8 a.m. classes, at that time of year when the sun is just rising and most people aren’t out. I like those morning walks and having the bluff to my left.

What’s the meaning of life?

I just finished reading “The Sirens of Titan” by Kurt Vonnegut, and according to Kurt Vonnegut, everything people have ever done is in a grand scheme to get a spare part to a Tralfalmadorian pilot who’s stranded on a moon of Saturn. So this alien race basically created all of the life on earth, and it was an elaborate ruse to get this spare part, because it was much quicker to develop this society than to travel themselves. It’s a strong argument.

If you could impersonate anyone’s voice, whose voice would you steal?

Alec Baldwin or Will Arnett. I’ve thought about intentionally lowering my voice and having it be more gravelly and dramatic in everything I say.

Almost more subtle and subdued so everyone has to lean in to hear. Ideal for lecturing, because people would have to listen intently and hang on my every word.

Opinion

8

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.

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Spring 2012 Staff Editor-in-Chief................Melissa Erickson Managing Editor.............................Michael Crowe News Editors........................Ingrid Baudler Ashley Matthys Features Editor......................Jessy Machon A&E Editor.......................Ethan Groothuis Sports Editor......................Gunnar Halseth Staff Writers........................Brandon Boles Jayne Cole Megan Creasey Lisa Diviney John Freude Josh Hoffmann Sarah King Hannah Lund Lauren Maze Brita Moore Charlie Parrish Margaret Yapp Head Copy Editor...................Benj Cramer Copy Editors......................Martha Crippen Kirsten Hash Ad Representative.................Charlie Bruer Ad Accountant......................Jack McLeod Photography Coordinator.....Walker Nyenhuis Web Manager..........................Chelsea Hall Design Technician...................Noah Lange Illustrator..........................Michael Johnson Advisor.....................................David Faldet

Don’t pass judgment on Nordic I am a political science major, but I consider myself an honorary music major. There is rarely a day when I do not spend hours in Jenson practicing, working in the music library, geeking out to choir music, or simply being with my fellow musicians. First, I express my respect and appreciation for everyone involved in the music department at Luther College. Few other schools are lucky enough to enjoy the deep sense of community, teamwork and breadth of talent that we have the privilege to experience every day. However, as a member of Nordic Choir, I must address a harmful and unfair perception about Nordic and its members that has permeated the campus mindset.

There is somewhat of a negative stigma associated with being a member of Nordic Choir.

I have heard people call the group a “cult” and its members “divas” who think they are better than every other singer who is not in Nordic. “Oh, he/she is in Nordic…” the saying goes (you know the tone). I concede that stigmas exist for a reason; there will always be those select few in every group who lack the sensitivity to others’ feelings, the tact to not pass judgment and the common sense to understand that it is simply rude to make comments that degrade our peers who love singing just as much as we do. On behalf of those select few, I sincerely apologize.

On the other hand, I want to stress the fact that most of us in Nordic constantly make conscious efforts to never embody that horrible stereotype of the typical “Nordic diva.” We are by no means a cult; rather, we are a group of singers an art that we love. Yes, Nordic Choir is closeknit, almost like a family. We are not ashamed to admit that we share a connection that extends beyond the music into our personal lives. All music groups at Luther strive for that same goal, right?

“Nordic Choir isn’t superior to us, so why are they put on such a pedestal?” I overheard this comment the other day in the cafeteria.

Nordic Choir is by no means “superior” to other

April 26, 2012

music groups at Luther. Each one works just as hard as Nordic, rehearses with the utmost professionalism and presents music that is not only technically stunning but also emotionally moving. At the same time, it would be unfair to ignore the 66-year history of Nordic. The group undoubtedly has played one of the largest roles in making Luther’s music program worldrenowned (not to mention the even longer band tradition that dates back to the founding of the school). Weston Noble’s 57-year career as director made Nordic known for its excellence in performing a cappella repertoire in the Lutheran choral tradition—a Midwestern choral genre that is known and respected around the world. Nordic’s reputation is well-deserved and every member knows how fortunate he or she is to have the privilege of continuing the tradition for future aspiring Luther singers.

In short, every ensemble at Luther is equally valuable. Luther’s music program is special not only because of the quality of each ensemble, but also because of the camaraderie and the respect that its students give one another. I write this with the hope that all musicians at Luther will keep in mind the respect their peers deserve before they cast judgment on them.

Bill Haugen (‘13)

Le moine et le voyou

by Charlie Parrish (‘13)

Editor’s note: The title for this column comes from the nickname for French composer Francis Poulenc.

Translated idiomatically, the phrase means “Half Monk, Half Delinquent.”

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

-Romans 8:38-39

that the eternal could love the temporal, that the pure could love the sinful, should be regarded as a miracle. Even more, that God should cross the gap between Heaven and Earth and become man is the greatest miracle.

Christ shows us a God that reveals His power through nonviolence

We take for granted that God is a loving God. We take for granted that God is good. The phrase, “God is good,” has become a cliché, a meaningless expression that we say when nice things happen to us. The news that God is good and that in God’s goodness, God loves us, is the best news that we could possibly hear.

We overestimate our lovability and underestimate the capacity that God has for love. It is a wonder that we expect love from God, when we can hardly love each other. “One can love one’s neighbors in the abstract, or even at a distance, but at close quarters it’s almost impossible,” Ivan tells his brother Alyosha in Dostoyevsky’s “The Brothers Karamazov.”

The idea that God loves us, that the perfect could love the imperfect,

cross and conquering death in His resurrection. Death cannot separate us from the love of God! Christ is not only good, but He embodies goodness. All goodness comes from God. There is no supreme moral principle outside the will of God. And God, in His goodness, loves us. “God is love” (1 John 4:8).

God’s love stands with the oppressed and the poor and against the powers of this world. The powers of the world: violence, greed, governments and even our own egos try to suppress the love of God. But the love of God cannot be suppressed. Not “anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Receive God’s love with humility and as Good News.

Stop Sitting Down; It Could Save Your Life!

For most college students, sitting is a major aspect of daily life. Young adults spend up to 8 hours a day in a classroom, sitting at a desk.

Many adults sit in cell-like cubicles staring at computer screens, rising only for a lunch or a quick restroom break. Unknowingly, these patterns contribute to an alarming rise in probability of early death. Who knew something as harmless as sitting could increase your risk of biting the dust early?

According to a study conducted by Alpa Patel, an epidemiologist with the American Associated Collegiate Press Cancer Society, the amount of leisure time National Online Pacemaker Award 2011 spent sitting “was associated with higher lutherchips.com risk of mortality, particularly in women.” A study by the American Cancer Society shows

women who spent more than 6 hours sitting each day were 37% more likely to die during the research period than those who reported sitting 3 hours or fewer. Men were 18% more likely to die during the research period due to 6 hours or more of sitting each day than those who reported 3 hours or fewer of sitting.

How can a presumably harmless activity like sitting increase risk of early death? It decreases electrical activity in muscles, causing a slew of negative health effects including a decrease in calorie burning ability and insulin function, and increased risk for Type 2 diabetes and obesity.

You might be thinking, “Well, there are a lot worse things I could be doing than sitting.” Right. However, sitting is an easier habit to break than smoking, for example. By making small changes daily, you decrease the probability of early death. One small change helping you burn more calories than if sitting completely still. Fidgeting may be discouraged in the classroom, but it may help extend your life. Another change to consider is doing more activities standing. It sounds silly, but try to read standing up, eat upright, or work on the computer at a high counter.

Your legs may complain, but in the long run, your body will thank you.

As the link between sitting and mortality

rates has become more apparent, steps have been taken to help Americans avoid time in chairs. According to an article by James Vlahos, innovative elementary classrooms are getting kids jumping for math problems and crawling for vocabulary words. Trends in video games have also helped us move our bodies. Popular gaming systems like the Nintendo Wii and Xbox Kinect have utilized technology and turn gamers’ bodies into controllers. Though these high-tech video games come with a hefty price tag, you may consider this a small investment to help extend your lifespan (while getting cuttingedge entertainment!).

Sitting is an elusive evil lurking in daily existence. We don’t think anything of plopping down on a comfy couch to watch a favorite TV episode, or consider sitting in a classroom for 8 hours a day a death sentence.

To battle the destructive effects of sitting, just move; recruit friends to join the battle against sitting, set “activity” goals for yourself and make it a challenge. If big changes seem drastic – good news! Simply keep active in your seat.

Small movements make a big difference.

Sitting doesn’t have to be lethal; just be smart about how you do it.

Lauren Stokke (‘13)

LUTHER COLLEGE CHIPS

Opinion

April 26, 2012

9

Editorial: Michael Crowe (‘13)

Is the POTUS using student loans to pander?

Much like reality TV, political campaigns often tease a compelling narrative from the mundane. Little is captivating as a hero triumphing in the face of adversity. Even President Obama, the most holy of holies to a young liberal like myself, can fall prey, which it seems he has this week.

If left unchecked, on July 1st the current interest rate for Stafford loans (3.4%) will double, to a loan-shark-esque 6.8%.

This would hit close to home for the Luther community, since 67% of last year’s seniors held loans that would be affected.

The Obama campaign has been rabidly and publicly working to prevent this increase, at least lately. But it’s the theatrical nature of their work that’s concerning.

Tuesday afternoon, President Obama hosted a conference call for collegiate journalists to discuss this imminent rise in student loan interest rates. On that call, he stressed how important it is for our country to keep student interest rates low, especially while the economy continues to recover. He’s even touring the country right now – he stopped in Iowa City Wednesday – to spearhead the push to keep interest rates low.

Sexual assault is no joke To the Luther College Community: As you may have heard, “in the early morning hours of April 22, 2012 a female student who had been sleeping in a Farwell male kissing her feet. The male left when told to do so but returned to look at the female through the cluster window. When confronted by friends of the woman the male did leave.” body by Director of ResLife Kris Franzen and Director of Campus Safety & Security Bob Harri, I was struck by the absurdity and humor of what has now been dubbed the

In Defense of the Honors Core Luther’s mission statement proclaims “As a liberal arts college, Luther is committed to a way of learning that moves us beyond immediate interests and present knowledge into a larger world.” A brochure on Luther’s curriculum reads: “Students who demonstrate breadth of knowledge are able major intellectual, artistic and social landmarks of human history, and use methodologies from different disciplines with competence and creativity.”

Talk to any professor on campus.

My bet would be that most of them would convey that the goal of a Luther education is to educate and prepare well-rounded intellectuals for the world.

At the very core of Luther as an establishment is an unwavering promise that the college seeks to

However necessary this whirlwind tour may be to minute nature of the whole push. It’s too perfect. All the elements of good drama are there: the people’s hero (Obama), a faceless evil (higher rates, boooo/hissssss), and a tight time schedule. This could all be a campaign ploy. A “look, students of the world, I am your defender.” And if it is, our growing collective debt is a huge chip to gamble with.

Obama is beating the bushes looking for support to keep these interest rates low, stressing the imminent July 1 deadline. where they are. However, when I tweeted about the conference call, a follower posed this question: If this student loan issue is so important, why didn’t Obama act sooner? Why delay?

I will never claim to be well-versed in the political goingson of this country. I keep tabs, but I’ll never be an empirical source. But this last minute push speaks for itself. It looks like a ploy to grab at student support. A public show of how much the president cares about keeping higher education affordable,

“foot licking incident” on the Luther College Memes Facebook page. I found the oddness of this email to be funny. I thought about what I would do if I was woken by a strange person kissing my feet. But my response (as a 6’4” 270 pound man) is extremely different than the responses that I have seen from the women who live in Farwell who confronted this man, and women who had nothing to do with the situation, but are nonetheless affected.

The reaction of men on the Luther College Memes Facebook page is very similar to my initial reaction. Many of the memes have come with disclaimers that say such things as “Disclaimer: I’m not for sexual assault of any kind,” “Too soon?,” and “by the way, I’m not defending the foot-licker or sexual assault or anything, so don’t get worked up. I just think it’s topical...” Well, I’m sorry to say to Luther College Memes that I am worked up. And I am not the only one. I have spoken to women who encountered the man and are scared.

What if this woman had been raped? Would the response be the same? In the years of 2008, 2009 and 2010, there were 5, 3 and 4 “forcible sex offenses” reported on Luther’s campus.

According to the Annual Campus Crime Statistics Report “a forcible sex offense is ‘any

be an educational institution that is consistently dedicated to providing its students with opportunities for intellectual growth and engagement.

As a liberal arts school, Luther claims to value interdisciplinary inquiry and collaboration.

In light of the promises and values that the college claims to nourish and support, the recent decision by the administration to discontinue the 200-level Honors Core courses next year is beyond upsetting. If nothing is done to restore it, this step will eventually serve to shut down the entire Honors Core program. Even if it is revived in subsequent years, as a result of this decision an entire class of students will miss out on the opportunities presented by the program.

The Honors Core program embodies the very soul of the mission that Luther promotes. While Luther’s set of core requirements certainly ensures that students are at least exposed to other disciplines, the Core is a comprehensive set of courses whose goal it is to integrate different disciplines in order to analyze and explore the progress intellectual developments. The Honors Core program at Luther is a set of four 4-credit courses whose liberal arts education by helping them understand major crossroads in

an issue that has been kept under the rader until the drama of a deadline sets Obama up to be a hero. It’s certainly a possibility. reached in this interest rate issue – even if it manages to keep rates low – is a short-term one a best, a stop-gap measure.

Keeping higher education within reach isn’t a short-term issue, and shouldn’t be solved with short-term legislation. Much like the debt limit crisis earlier this year that was averted at the absolute last moment, we’re still only hanging a picture in front of that hole in the wall, instead of taking the time to get out the Interest rates need to be kept low. Higher education shouldn’t slip out of reach for lower income students. However, the drama of last-minute support gathering and drastic deadlines, balance certainly casts this all as a stage-production, in which the president emerges the hero.

But, then again, all the greatest heroes do create their own villains. It makes the triumph all the more poetic.

sexual act directed against another person, forcibly and/or against the person’s will where the victim is incapable of giving consent.,’ and includes forcible rape, forcible sodomy, sexual assault with an object and forcible fondling” ( see www.luther.edu/studentlife/dead/crime/).

This is happening on Luther’s campus, and many of these instances go unreported.

Making jokes about this foot licking incident is not only inconsiderate, but is masking a true issue that is going on at Luther.

The fear that I see in female students and professors is not unfounded. We regularly hear stories about brutality against women. We know statistics about rape, violence and abuse. and oppresses them. This incident only adds to the shared consciousness of women who do not feel completely safe in a place that promotes equal learning and living.

As a man, I cannot completely understand the feelings that women in our community have about this incident, but I can be compassionate and I can do my best to feel the pain that they are going through. I urge everyone to try to see this foot licking incident in a similar light.

the development of human responses to questions about the natural world, human society and ultimate meaning and values” (To clear up a common misconception, the “honors” year students are not related to the Honors Core).

The most recent strategic plan that the college published provides a list of ways in which it is recommended that Luther pursue its mission. The reads as follows: “Strengthen other distinctive programs including … the honors program … and publicize them as elements of a transformative student experience built on close and personal collaboration with faculty and staff.”

I’ve learned a lot throughout my educational career, and I don’t ever recall working to strengthen something being synonymous with abandoning it. As it has stood as a relatively new program, the Honors Core could certainly use some tweaks that would improve the enrollment.

But if Luther wishes to preserve its academic integrity, it must stand by its mission and the educational opportunities at the college which best embody it. The Honors Core program attracts, strengthens and develops the very kind of students that Luther asserts the college strives to create. It is saddening that the

I picked Luther College as the school I wanted to attend because of the compassionate community that I saw here. But right now, we as a community are dropping the ball.

A truly compassionate community stands together when members are attacked. A truly compassionate community supports each member in their struggles. A truly compassionate community sees that there are women who live on our campus who are legitimately afraid to go to sleep because of what could happen to them. And a truly compassionate community extends its support in any way possible. The people posting on Luther College Memes are showing that we are not a truly compassionate community.

Please do not take this as a personal attack on the people who have posted jokes on Facebook about this situation. But please do realize that there is a lot more to this situation than what we see at face value. This is more than an absurdly funny situation where a man was licking feet. This is a situation that is testing Luther as a community, and right now we are failing that test.

Seth Rumage (‘13)

institution would even consider doing anything other than working to fortify it.

Of course, I write this with the assumption that Luther is still striving to be a liberal arts institution of high educational caliber. If there is a planned change coming up in the college’s mission that involves

reversing the upward academic trend that the college has always claimed it is endeavoring towards, then, and only then, would the elimination – temporary or otherwise – of any part of the honors core program be a step in the right direction.

Kelly Dotseth (‘12)

Par for the Norse

LUTHER COLLEGE CHIPS

News April 26, 2012 Banta, Harney have eyes on presidency 10

Senate campaign continued from page 1

“We will use resources such as the Senate website, Facebook, Twitter, Google Docs, email distribution lists, bulletin boards and more,” Harney said.

One of the main projects which they intend to work on has come through the Wellness Committee this year. “This semester we have been approached by a who want to provide a bus that transports people to and from the bars from 11 p.m. - 3 a.m. on weekends,” Webb said. “It’s responsible students creating a responsible option for students on weekends.”

Harney and Webb have a vision

for furthering the community that already exists at Luther.

“When the issues with which we will work come from impassioned students, we will have impassioned results,” Harney said.

Banta and Heitz are also longtime leaders at Luther. Banta is the president of PRIDE and serves as a Student Senate Diversity Representative. Heitz is a member of the Student Senate Campus Betterment Committee and the Honor Council.

Visibility is one of their main goals.

“So many students don’t know what we do and what we’ve done the past semester or previous semesters,” Banta said. “So if

we get the positions, we’d like to have a table in the front of the Union with a couple of rotating Senators who have a board up with what we’ve been currently working on, and they can actively engage students to talk about any issues. And the Senate meetings are always open forum.”

Heitz echoed the concern for helping students get their voices heard through Senate.

“We want to get students directly involved by coming to the meetings and talking about the issues themselves rather than just the senators saying what their own issues are,” Heitz said.

One of Banta and Heitz’s major projects is geared toward making the campus more handicap-

accessible.

“Some of my friends in Ylvi were saying there needs to be an elevator,” Heitz said. “Right now there are four girls on crutches and they have trouble going up the steps.”

Within his computer science major, Banta is currently working on creating a map via Google Maps that can be used to make it clearer which places on campus are handicap-accessible. know someone who has had to go through those kinds of struggles,” Banta said.

As part of their campaign to help student voices be heard, a major concern is the place of students on the Board of

Regents. Currently, the Student Senate President, SAC President, Congregation Concil President and Diversity Council leader sit on the board. However, because of a decrease in the number of committees within the board, it is likely that there will only be three student representatives next year.

“Everybody talking doesn’t agree with anyone being knocked off,” Banta said. “We want all voices to be heard from all areas on campus.”

Voting for president, vice president and other Student Senate positions will take place electronically on April 26 and 27. The candidates encourage all students to vote.

Students try their hands Norwegian roots (and feet) at kung fu reflected in classes Green lecture continued from page 1

To supplement the information on female demonstrated the crane form of kung fu on April 20 in CFA Dance Studio I. Students and faculty alike learned and practiced the martial art. for years,” Associate Professor of Art Richard Merritt said. “This is just my own theory, but I think that martial arts speak to power, not because of being lethal, but because they make social bonds.”

Merritt, who met Green through a martial arts group known as the “52 Hand Blocks” community, echoes Green’s belief that such bonds are what keep folk or “vernacular” traditions alive. In Green’s lecture, he highlighted not only the effort to destroy martial arts traditions in the 1966 Chinese Cultural Revolution, but also how they survived and exists in many forms around the world today — most notably, Green says, for both males and females.

Hunter Woodley (‘13) attended both the lecture and the kung fu demonstration and was surprised by the information.

“It was really interesting, because I

hadn’t heard a whole lot about the women’s participation, even though I knew it occurred,” Woodley said. “I just hadn’t actually seen the evidence of it yet.”

Woodley, a Luther College Taekwondo instructor, also enjoyed learning more practically about the nuances in Chinese kung fu.

“It’s certainly different from taekwondo,” Woodley said. “In taekwondo, you have lots of nice, wide stances, and most of the movements are kicks, instead of hand movements and stuff that are here in kung fu. Lots of these moves can be helpful [for me], like the grabs and things that we were doing. I think it will complement [taewkondo] well.”

Integrating several ideas through one exercise is precisely the message Green hoped to convey. For him, this is the way that martial arts, especially in how they integrate women, illuminate Chinese culture as a whole.

“With martial arts, it’s not just a path … it’s a weaving,” Green said. “All of these things are woven together. Or, it’s like a house of cards.

If you take out one card, then the whole thing understand that small manageable part, you see

Walker Nyenhuis/Chips

Norwegian knowledge. Isak Kvam (‘15) studies in a Norwegian class.

Scandinavian Studies continued from page 1

students are capable of taking and alienating everyone else,” IudinNelson said.

With changes occurring within the department, some students have become wary of the future of the major and Norwegian classes as a whole at Luther.

Scandinavian Studies minor Solveig Entwistle (‘14) is skeptical of the changes and hopes this is not foreshadowing the demise of Luther’s Norwegian program.

“The Scandinavian studies program has

“The Norwegians have a lot to offer outside of simply their history and language,” Kraus said. “They are among the best in the world at deep sea oil drilling, sustainability practices and health care coverage. We are looking at revamping the major to include political science and history courses to give students a good understanding of all Norwegian aspects.”

The current program offers a few courses within these areas, but only recruits a a handful decline over the of students because years,” Entwistle those courses are said. “Revamping the currently taught only in program sounds great, Norwegian. Associate but requiring one Professor of Russian professor to teach all and Head of the Modern courses is far too -Laurie Iudin-Nelson the Languages Department demanding.”

Laurie Iudin-Nelson With the changes acknowledges this issue and plans to to the department, Entwistle is remove the program toward a more open considering her academic future at future.

Luther.

“Currently the program is very “Another option I have is taking language intensive, which is great the remainder of my [Scandinavian for the majors and minors, but not for Studies] courses at another university students with an interest in the program still offering the program,” Entwistle outside their own major,” Iudin-Nelson said. said.

With rumors circulating concerning Iudin-Nelson is part of a committee the elimination of the Scandinavian that, with the help of incoming Studies Department, Professor IudinProfessor Kari Gronningsaeter, plans Nelson said that Luther’s current stance to take resources already available at on the subject is clear.

Luther and incorporate them into the “I don’t know where these rumors Scandinavian Studies program. are coming from, but Norwegian is too “It’s not a sustainable practice to important here to ever go away,” Iudincreate classes that only two or three Nelson said.

“Norwegian is too important here to ever go away.”

Courtesy of Thomas Green

Deadly dance. Students follow the instruction of kung fu expert Green during his interactive lecture.

LUTHER COLLEGE CHIPS

Sports

April 26, 2012

11

Football trains during off-season Margaret Yapp

staff Writer

Although their season ended in November, the Luther men’s football team has continued to train throughout the spring.

By NCAA Division III rules they are allowed only eight nontraditional practices a year; nontraditional meaning not in-season but with coaches in attendance.

They will take advantage of these practices throughout April and captains will continue to hold captains’ practices until the end of the school year.

“The captains’ practices are optional in that we cannot be forced to go,” running back Alex Hain (‘15) said. “That being said, everyone does attend. We have to stay strong and keep improving for next year. We know that every other team is training just as hard, so we want to do what we can to get ready.”

The team takes virtually no break between the end of season and offseason training.

“December through March the team works with our strength coach Dave O’Connor in the strength center,” Head Coach Mike Durnin said. “This is when our players work on power and strength. They focus on running form, quickness and agility.”

These four months provide a base for the eight non-traditional practices when the team hones in on improving skills needed in the game.

“During the non-traditional

Gunnar halseth

sports editor

In a now infamous incident during Sunday’s game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Oklahoma City Thunder, Lakers Forward Metta World Peace (formerly Ron Artest) struck Thunder Guard James Harden with with an elbow to the head after a slam dunk.

World Peace was immediately ejected from the game while Harden lay on the court’s Margaret Yapp/Chips

Huddle up. Spring training is a time for the players to work on skills and conditioning, as well as building team spirit and a sense of trust. practices we focus on footwork, how we run certain plays and defenses,” Durnin said. “We want to improve our catching skills, route running, basically all the intricacies of the actual game of football.”

These are a few of the many practically year round, but there is one more very important and sometimes overlooked pay off to spring training: team bonding.

Spending so much time together training toward a common goal is creating team communication and trust.

“Spring training is a great way to get the team together,” defensive lineman Obi Ukabiala (‘13) said.

“It improves team atmosphere and

cohesion.”

Luther football’s motto is “1-0 Every Day,” meaning that they want to be the best they can be every day.

The program strives to be bigger than just a sports team; players are encouraged to apply the team motto to every aspect of their lives.

“Our goal is to be 1-0 every day in every way,” Durnin said. “We talk about that not only in regard to football, but in regard to our academics and how they conduct themselves while they’re not in class or football. I believe very strongly in this idea, that it is part of our mission here, and is the football program’s contribution to Luther College as a whole.”

The team has big goals and big hopes for next year’s season.

The 1-0 motto will carry the men through summer training, which they will complete individually.

“This summer Coach Durnin and Dave O’Connor will lay out our training day-to-day,” offensive lineman Ian Naatz (‘13) said. “It is very self-propelled; no coach will be watching us, but every player will train as hard as they would with a coach there.”

This sense of discipline, commitment and self-motivation is important as the team hopes to make the most out of every day of training.

“We are going to go out there with the goal to get better every day,” Ukabiala said. “If you’re not moving forward, you’re moving backward.”

Baseball looks to post-season after Cornell win Brandon Boles

staff Writer the doubleheader 4-1 after an impressive complete game from pitcher Augie Lindmark

Entering last weekend’s series with the Cornell Rams, Luther stood tied for eighth in the conference in a three team race for the Tournament.

After being on the outside looking in, the Luther College Norse swept the Rams in three games, and are now in sixth place in the IIAC standings. The Norse control their own stretch of the season.

Opinion: Metta World Peace brutally strikes James Harden

allowing one run on seven hits.

“Putting up two or three zeros to start the game allows us to be more aggressive with a lead at the plate,” Lindmark said. “We had a

crucial for the Norse in the standings.

“The three games that we played against Cornell, as we have discussed at practice, were very crucial for getting us back into the top six teams,” Erikson said. “We have shown that we are very capable of winning important games at home.”

On Saturday, the Norse played a nine inning

In game two of the doubleheader, the Norse the Rams in a 14-0 shutout.

The team leader in batting average, Chris Erikson (‘13), said last weekend’s series was

sports.luther.edu

Clutch win. The team hopes to ride their momentum into the conference tournament.

and did not look back as Luther held on to win behind an impressive pitching day from Danny Smith (‘13).

“We have to go into every game with the belief we are going to come out on top,” Head Coach Alex Smith (‘03) said. “We’ve emphasized to our players all year that every game within league play is a big game.”

The weekend series with Cornell began an eight game home stand for the Norse.

The Norse hold a solid three game lead over Cornell and Loras. The Norse are also competing with Simpson for a chance to move

year will be this weekend against Dubuque.

The Norse will wrap up the regular season at Wartburg and Coe the following week.

For now, the team is focused on continuing to win during this home stand.

“The upcoming eight game home stand is a critical part of our season, and our guys are eager to be at home to take on the challenge of putting together a winning streak,” Smith said.

a concussion as a result of the attack but is currently “feeling “good” according to Harden’s personal twitter account .

The NBA swiftly responded to World Peace’s attack on Harden by handing down a seven game ban, which could cost World Peace $348,000 in salary if he serves the entire suspension this year.

Ultimately, the extent of World Peace’s punishment comes down to his reputation as a violent player. This ban is the third Peace has served of seven games or more. Previously, he most famously was suspended for 86 games, which stands as the longest ban for an oncourt incident in NBA history, after heading into the stands of Detroit’s Palace of Auburn Hills World Peace had since made strides to reform his image, chaging his name in an effort to promote “world peace,” and even winning the NBA’s top citizenship award last spring for his charity work with mental health awareness.

NBA comissioner David Stern issued a thinly-veiled statement targeting World Peace in response to the incident.

“We remain committed to taking necessary measures to protect the safety of NBA players, including the imposition of apporpriate penalties for players with a history of on-court altercations,” Stern said.

Thus far, World Peace has characterized the incident as an accident, a claim which may only further his reputation as one of the league’s most violent players.

latimes.com Oklahoma City’s Serge Ibaka confronts Metta World Peace after the elbow to James Harden’s head.

Sports

12

Climbing wall closed after accident

Weekly Standings Baseball Central Wartburg Coe Simpson Buena Vista Luther Loras Cornell Dubuque

Wall will be re-opened after belayers complete

IIAC 15-3 9-6 10-8 10-8 7-8 7-8 5-10 5-10 4-11

Overall 25-7 17-14 19-13 16-17 15-14 16-15 16-15 8-23 15-15

Recent scores: -Apr. 20 vs. Cornell W 4-1, 14-0 -Apr. 21 vs. Cornell W 5-4 Upcoming Schedule: -Apr. 27 vs. Dubuque -Apr. 28 vs. Dubuque

Megan Creasey

staff Writer

Frequenters of Legends Fitness Center have likely noticed the “Closed Until Further Notice” signs surrounding the climbing wall, which is closed temporarily for belayer retraining following an accident.

Employee and frequent climber Chris Neumann (‘12) avoided injury when his belayer, the anchoring person who keeps friction on the climbing ropes to prevent falls, lost control.

“The belayer let me down too fast, he tried to slow me down, but he couldn’t control it and I fell 30 feet,” Neumann said.

Neumann, an avid climber since high school, bent his knees and rolled when he fell to avoid injury, but the incident served as a “wake-up call,” according to Wellness Director Greg Lonning.

“It was enough of a scare for us to relook at the certification of the belayers on the climbing wall,” Lonning said.

The current certification process allows for belayers to teach and certify other students so they can belay their friends on the wall.

“The issue is that the

April 26, 2012

Softball Luther Central Simpson Coe Cornell Buena Vista Loras Dubuque Wartburg

IIAC 11-1 9-3 9-5 7-7 6-6 6-6 5-7 3-9 0-12

Overall 30-4 28-6 26-12 27-9 19-13 16-12 16-14 14-20 6-30

Recent scores: -Apr. 14 vs. Buena Vista W 1-0 6-0 -Apr. 18 @ Dubuque W 5-0, 4-0 Upcoming Schedule: -Apr. 28 vs. Cornell -May 3-5, IIAC Tournament

Men’s Tennis

Walker Nyenhuis/Chips

Ghost wall. The climbing wall has been closed since Chris Neumann (‘12) fell 30 feet. person belaying wasn’t a staff member,” frequent climber Joe Lane (‘14) said.

Lane, who misses using the wall, considers closing the entire wall an overreaction.

“Closing it down seems like overkill,” Lane said.

“They should just limit belaying to staff members, because they do know what they’re doing, guaranteed.”

The wall will reopen in about a week, Lonning said.

“The belayers on the climbing wall are going to get certified like we certify the people on the ropes course.

We’ll set up a couple of days where they can come in and they’ll becoming certified belayers, then we can reopen the wall,” Lonning said.

For the time being, however, only work study students will be able to belay climbers.

“What’s nice about the

Walker Nyenhuis/Chips

Sorry for the belay! Some consider the temporary closure of the wall to be “overkill.”

wall is, if you know how to belay, you and your friend can belay each other,” Lonning said. “We still want that to happen, but we have to figure out another way to do it.”

While the wall is closed, some work study belayers are searching for other work hours, while others are playing the waiting game.

“It was short notice, so we’re just waiting for the wall to open,” Neumann said.

However, Lonning said the belayers will gain compensation for the training.

Despite his fall, Neumann is anxious to get back on the wall.

“It’s still a great place to go and have fun,” Neumann said. “It’s nothing to be afraid of. We’re definitely looking at the issue and changing policy features so it’s a more safe and fun environment.”

Lonning also hopes the new training will create a safer environment for climbers.

“In the long run it’s a good thing,” Lonning said.

“It’s just unfortunate that an accident happened and that we have to close the wall down for right now.”

Coe Luther Cornell Dubuque Wartburg Central Buena Vista Loras Simpson

IIAC 7-0 6-0 5-2 4-2 4-4 4-4 1-6 1-7 0-7

Overall 19-6 19-5 13-8 13-7 13-6 11-10 4-11 3-15 4-14

Recent scores: -Apr. 21 vs. St. Ambrose W 9-0 -Apr. 22 @ Grinnell W 6-3 Upcoming Schedule: -Apr. 27 vs. Coe -Apr. 29 @ Gustavus

Women’s Tennis Coe Luther Wartburg Cornell Simpson Central Buena Vista Dubque Loras

IIAC 8-0 7-1 5-3 6-2 3-5 4-4 2-6 1-7 0-8

Recent scores: -Apr. 14 vs. Carleton L 0-9 -Apr. 22 @ Grinnell W 5-4 Upcoming Schedule:

Overall 19-3 17-11 12-9 13-6 10-8 8-13 5-8 5-16 1-13