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Swim and Dive splashes into their season

Cabaret spices up Jewel Theatre

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CHIPS LUTHER COLLEGE

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November 21, 2013

Vol. 135, No. 10

Since 1884

21+ ordinance proposed

Anna Jeide/Chips

Access denied. Students under the age of 21 could soon be denied from businesses that serve alcohol such as and Toppling Goliath and Roscoe’s.

Anna Jeide

Staff writer agencies are at the table starting to talk about alcohol-serving establishments like Roscoe’s ordinance in effect.

A group of community members recently came together to consider the possibility of a 21+ ordinance in Decorah. If enacted, the ordinance would restrict underage students from going into bars.

“Individuals from the city, the county, the county sheriff’s department, Luther, some public health agencies and social service

the issues,” Decorah City Manager Chad Bird said.

Details of a potential ordinance are still in progress.

“The basic premise behind it is to establish some parameters around the times that individuals under the age 21 are allowed in certain establishments,” Bird said.

This might mean that over half of the Luther student body would be prohibited from entering

and Smiley’s On the River.

The 21+ ordinance is rooted in other issues related to alcohol.

“The issues are more than just what the ordinance might be, but the issues are date rape, binge drinking and underage drinking,” Bird said. “Those tend to be more of the issues that the group is discussing right now more than the ordinance itself.”

Iowa City is one town that already has a 21+

“[The ordinance] served its purpose of cutting down on DUIs, but it hasn’t stopped underage drinking,” Iowa City native Colin Berry (‘15) said. “Instead of going to the bar where [underage individuals] can’t get any booze and sober up for the rest of the night, they just keep drinking [at houses] until they pass out.”

21+ Ordinance continued on page 4

Student Senate Student sexually bylaws revised assaulted on campus Dylan Hinton

Staff writer

The Luther College Student Senate is an organization governed not only by its elected members, but also by a constitution and bylaws. A subcommittee of the Luther College Student Senate is working to rewrite certain constitutional bylaws in an effort to clarify wordings and eliminate inconsistencies.

“The bylaws are really what establish the standing committees, the way that elections are formed, and the expectations for senators,” ad hoc Constitutional and Bylaw Review Committee Co-Chair Hans Becklin (‘14) said. “Whereas the constitution creates the general framework for the Senate itself... sort of the bare bones of the Senate.”

While aspects of the constitution are clear about the intention of

the Senate and general principles, members of the bylaw subcommittee feel the bylaws often contain inconsistencies and lack clarity.

“We’re trying to make this document as easy to understand as possible,” Becklin’s co-chair Adam Sorenson (‘14) said. “We’re not really changing anything substantively, we’re just focusing on small day-to-day policies.”

Many of the changes the committee is making in the bylaws are focused on rules regarding the conduct of the Student Senate that have been unclear in the past or simply found to be unrealistic and inconvenient.

“This year we had to replace our secretary, and the most qualified person we found was not on Senate at the time,” Sorenson said.

Student Senate bylaws continued on page 4

Marin Nycklemoe

Staff Writer

This semester, a young woman survived a sexual assault on Luther’s campus. The survivor, who will remain anonymous, spoke about her experience with the hope of raising awareness.

“In my case, I don’t remember anything,” the survivor said. “I woke up and I didn’t know where I was, and I didn’t even know what time it was. I had texted my friends before it happened, and I couldn’t even spell.”

Last week, Luther students received a Safety Alert email from Campus Security. The email warned students about experiencing blackouts and memory loss after consuming small amounts of alcohol. The survivor of the assault reported that she experienced these symptoms.

“They think that someone put something

in my drink, and I never set my drink down,” the survivor said. “The problem was that I was holding my drink in a way that when I looked away, someone could slip something in to it. You think that at Luther, there’s no way it could happen.

But it did happen to me at Luther.”

Last spring, the college assembled a council of students and faculty to look over and rewrite the policy on sexual assault. The policy is online and available for viewing.

“I encourage everyone to be familiar with the new sexual assault policy and know what their options are,” Director of Campus Safety and Security Bob Harri said. “Just make sure you look out for each other.”

If someone is sexually assaulted, there are a few different steps that need to be taken, according to Security. First, Sexual assault continued on page 4

LUTHER COLLEGE CHIPS

News

2

November 21, 2013

Education program reviewed Julia Joseph

“Such intricate data collection systems are

Staff Writer a lot to maintain and organize,” Education

There were more than just students and professors in the classrooms this past week.

The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) was on Luther’s campus Nov. 10-14.

The national group and Iowa Department of Education representatives come to campus periodically to make sure Luther is providing the type of education for future teachers that it claims.

“In education today, we need to have evidence that students are getting the learning we say they are,” Associate Professor of Education and Assessment Coordinator Jeannette Pillsbury said. “They need to be sure the people we’re preparing are ready to teach.”

The accreditation process is ongoing. Two primary assessments are made about the abilities of students to plan while teaching and using the data in methods and student teaching.

Data about students’ GPAs in content knowledge area, national test scores and other assessment tools are collected and put in an annual summary. For the NCATE accreditation, this data is given every three years and they visit every six years.

Department Chair Deb Fordice (‘82) said.

“We get to the point where it’s a natural way of business, and it shows us where to go next to continue improving.”

While the reports and data collections are a key part to this process, these are not the only things the council has to look at. The representatives talked with around 100 people including faculty, administrators, department heads, committee members and practicing teachers in area schools to which Luther sends students. This gives the committee members more than the statistics collected as evidence of what Luther is doing.

All of the different departments are involved in the accreditation visit because Luther prepares teachers for every subject, meaning professors and department heads from departments beyond education are affected.

“This strengthens everything we do as a collaborative team,” Pillsbury said. “We work together internally and with the schools our students are placed.”

The feedback from both the NCATE and the state department representatives has an effect on Luther’s academic departments as a whole.

“What the teams say we’re doing well, we

Imsouchivy Suos/Photo Bureau

Study on. Sam Wettach (‘14) works with Associate Professor of History Brian Caton. keep doing,” Fordice said. “If there are things that aren’t working, we work together to figure out a way to fix the problem.”

Luther is one of five schools of the 32 in Iowa that is accredited nationally. The state accreditation is mandatory, but Luther is not obligated to take part in the national

Senate proposes new alcohol amnesty policy Britta Thompson

Staff Writer

Student Senator Leif Vandersteen (‘14) recently wrote a resolution with the desire for an amnesty policy for intoxicated students who need medical attention. Now Luther College is working to implement such a policy to reduce health and safety risks.

“The passage of this resolution and the desire to implement this policy stemmed from people’s experiences on campus,” Student Senate President Paul Esker (‘14) said.

According to Esker, students are sometimes too fearful to seek medical attention for themselves or for friends while under the influence of substances, since Luther implements sanctions for alcohol and drug violations. “[The resolution] is a very broad document that expresses our desire as a campus community to implement policy changes so that students are not afraid to seek medical attention if needed,” Esker said. “We don’t want people to be afraid to contact the police, campus security or their RAs. We want people to know that our first priority is safety

and not throwing down punishments.”

The motivation for the policy change came about when Vandersteen and other Senators noticed there was a precedence for medical amnesty at other colleges and universities and realized that Luther didn’t have anything similar.

“The state of Minnesota passed [a policy of medical amnesty] for all of its universities last year, and St. Olaf also has one, even though it’s a dry campus,” Vandersteen said. “I think that we’re a pretty open-minded institution, and it doesn’t make sense that we wouldn’t have a policy in place that encourages people to get help for themselves or for others.”

Vandersteen added that one of the main goals of the suggested policy change was to shift the view of underage drinking on campus from one of “zero tolerance” to one of “realistic risk avoidance.”

The resolution was passed by Student Senate and the Campus Life Committee. Dean of Student Life Corey Landstrom is writing the policy now. Once the policy is written, the same two bodies and the Cabinet will review it before it is put into place. According to Landstrom, the policy would likely come into effect in Fall 2014. What the policy would mean for students will be highlighted in the official policy.

At his previous position at Colgate College, Landstrom instituted a similar policy.

“Medical amnesty generally refers to the absence of disciplinary/conduct sanctions that would otherwise be associated with an incident of acute alcohol intoxication,” Landstrom said. “Generally, with medical amnesty, the student would retain responsibility and accountability for the decisions they made that led to the transport [to the hospital], but the outcome would be focused on health and safety rather than a specific conduct outcome.”

Landstrom went on to say that though medical amnesty will absolve students of sanctions in certain situations where a student has to be brought to the hospital, it will not apply in all cases.

“Amnesty must be requested rather than automatically granted,” said Landstrom. “That is, a conversation about what took place and how should be expected.”

accreditation; the administrators and faculty choose to do so.

“All teacher programs are accredited through the state,” Fordice said. “The national accreditation is voluntary. We do it because it raises the bar for Luther so we can be our best.”

Typhoon affects Luther students Spencer Hodge

Volunteer Writer

Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines Nov. 7, causing disruption among the nation’s population of 97 million. As the storm contacted the center of the Philippines from the eastern Pacific Ocean, it had reached peak wind speeds of 195 mph, wave heights near 50 feet and rainfall over 15 inches. Based on these statistics, the storm has earned the title “Storm of the Century.”

Filipino President Benigno Aquino III responded to the storm by declaring a “National Calamity,” which allows emergency funding to unfreeze. The estimated death toll, now at over 4,000, has consistently risen as damages have been evaluated and addressed. Many farmland and freshwater supplies have been contaminated and carried away by the storm, leaving 2.5 million citizens in need of food and water.

“Many people are really affected,” Filipino student ShariAnn Pan-Oy (‘17) said. “It’s been five to six days since people have eaten or drank clean water. There isn’t a fresh environment because everything is so muddy and destroyed.”

Pan-Oy said her family wasn’t affected beyond the economic pressure many Filipinos are facing.

Even buildings labeled as evacuation-safe have been flattened, leaving over 600,000 Filipinos displaced and homeless without roads, schools or public services. Vietnam was also hit, but not to the same extent as the central Philippines.

“The rainfall has overflowed on the streets,” Vietnamese student Lam Nguyen (‘17) said. “Many people must use a boat instead of a motorbike to travel.”

Nguyen’s family avoided serious effects as well.

Debris, flooding and the natural geographical isolation effect of the 7,100 Philippine islands make relief efforts difficult to provide to all those in need of them. National governments and private charities alike have donated millions of dollars to the country’s relief efforts. Luther students are lending a hand on fundraising as well. The International Student Association and Allies (ISAA) held a Nepalese cultural showcase at Marty’s Nov. 15 that raised money towards the storm relief.

“The [ISAA] was helping us fundraise,” Pan-Oy said. “Now if you’d like to help donate, use the Philippine Red Cross.”

The Philippine Red Cross and other online donation sites allow anyone who wishes to help out to do so.

News

November 21, 2013

Seven-day Forecast

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Fraternity holds discussion to reduce stereotypes

3 News from the rest of the world

Life Outside Luther

Compiled by: Brita Moore News Editor

Soldier: Minneapolis man ordered Nazi-led attack A retired Minnesota carpenter, shown in a June investigation to be a former commander in a Nazi SS-led unit, ordered his men to attack a Polish village that was razed to the ground, according to testimony newly uncovered by The Associated Press. The account of the massacre that killed dozens of women and children contradicts statements by the man’s family that he was never at the scene of the 1944 bloodshed. The June story prompted official investigations in both Poland and Germany. On Monday, the prosecutor leading Germany’s probe revealed to the AP that he has decided to recommend that state prosecutors pursue murder charges against 94-year-old Michael Karkoc.

***

Hannah Garry/Chips

Speaking up. Marley Crossland (‘15) contributes at the “Slurs and Stereotypes” discussion.

Hannah Garry

differed based on the stereotypes they had been told

Staff Writer were true.

Zeta Tau Psi hosted a discussion, “Slurs and Stereotypes,” on Nov. 12.

Zeta Tau Psi President Blake Potthoff (‘14) said he and his fraternity brothers were eager to host the discussion.

“I went and talked to Wintlett Taylor-Browne in the Diversity Center, and she pitched the idea to me, saying that there had been students coming to her this year that have been feeling stereotyped and hearing slurs that offend them, so we decided to move forward with this,” Potthoff said.

Potthoff feels that many stereotypes and slurs can be heard in average conversations between Luther students.

“It’s something that has become part of the language, part of the -Blake vernacular, part of everyday conversations or gym talk between guys,” Potthoff said.

Potthoff said Zeta Tau Psi also feels that having a discussion that encompasses all slurs and stereotypes is important because there are stereotypes for a vast array of categories people can be placed in.

“You can be of any class, any race, any gender, any sexuality, any religion and you could probably find a stereotype against you and slurs that people say and use to describe you,” Potthoff said.

The gathering started with a video that showed two social experiments, one that focused on the stereotype that African American people are better at sports but not as good at academic pursuits as other people and another where people were split into groups based on their eye color and given different rights and expectations.

Potthoff felt that one of the most important messages from the video was how the people’s performances

“I think the video [was] pretty powerful at showing how these stereotypes and slurs can really influence a person’s lifestyle,” Potthoff said.

After the video, the attendees had a discussion about it.

Megan McDermott (‘14) felt that the conversation covered a range of topics but that there was a lot of emphasis put on the need for education.

“I think the point of needing just to be educated in general was very important, and just making sure you know that what you’re saying may not be a joke, if people aren’t laughing that’s the biggest hint,” McDermott said.

McDermott said she thought that international students face a lot of stereotyping at Luther.

“I hear in the caf or just walking around campus all these slurs Potthoff (‘14) directed towards international students,” McDermott said.

Alex Lohrbach (‘15) said she hears a lot of jokes and slang directed toward students who are not white or identify as LGBTQ. She feels that changing people’s attitude towards slurs is an important step in stopping them.

“I thought an important point that came up was to change our focus from the intent of the person saying the joke or slur to the impact that it has on the recipient,” Lohrbach said.

Potthoff believes that taking a stand against stereotyping and slurs is important because often it can be an issue that is hard to keep up with.

“It’s a vicious cycle we need some way to get out of; otherwise we’re going to keep spiraling down and down. The faster and sooner we stop that, the better society we’ll WAKE UP WITH be for it,” Potthoff said.

LUTHER COLLEGE

“It’s a vicious cycle we need to get out of; otherwise we’re going to keep spiraling down and down.”

CHIPS

Girlfriend says Zimmerman pointed shotgun at her George Zimmerman was charged with assault Monday after his girlfriend called deputies to the home where they were living and claimed he pointed a shotgun at her during an argument, authorities said. The girlfriend called 911 in the early afternoon to say that Zimmerman had smashed a glass table, threatened her with the shotgun and ultimately pushed her out of the house, according to an arrest report. After pushing her out, Zimmerman barricaded the door with furniture and refused to leave, saying that he would talk to police by phone, authorities said.

*** Typhoon survivors rally cry: “We shall overcome” A Roman Catholic priest led dozens of displaced typhoon survivors on a march through this shattered city on Tuesday, seeking to boost its spirits. The marchers sang “We shall overcome” as they toured parts of Tacloban, at one point skirting some unburied corpses in bags by the roadside. The Rev. Robert Reyes, an activist priest known for running long distances across country to draw attention to social issues, said the marchers were living in a church and a sports stadium. “This is not an ordinary march. We call it the walk to overcome,” Reyes said.

*** Storms leave swath of destruction An unusually powerful late-season wave of thunderstorms brought damaging winds and tornadoes to 12 states: Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and western New York.

Illinois was the hardest hit, with at least six people killed and dozens more injured. Authorities said Monday that two other deaths occurred in Michigan.

*** Pong played on Philadelphia skyscraper sets world record A college professor who played a supersized video game on the side of a Philadelphia skyscraper now holds a Guinness World Record for the feat. Drexel University professor Frank Lee recreated the classic Atari game Pong on the 29-story Cira (SEHR’-ah) Centre last spring. The building essentially became a 60,000-square-foot screen as hundreds of embedded LED lights replicated the familiar ball and paddles, which were controlled by a joystick about a mile away.

brightening your day since 1884

Global News Compiled from: http://hosted.ap.org

LUTHER COLLEGE CHIPS

News

4

November 21, 2013

Subcommitee revises bylaws Student senate bylaws

continued on page 1

“But our bylaws state that to replace an executive member, the individual we select must be a current Senate member. In situations like this we really just want to give ourselves a little more leeway to ensure the best person is given the job.”

Other bylaws the committee is rewriting include policies regarding Senate absences, term requirements and additional replacement procedures. The existing policies have often been so inconvenient that the Senate has been forced to ignore them.

“I could probably list 20 times in the last year that the constitution and bylaws haven’t been followed just because they don’t make a lot of sense,” Becklin said. “I think one of the major goals of Senate this year is to professionalize itself and to make it so our documents and policies are well-suited to our work and our procedures, and don’t hinder the work we do.”

The ad hoc committee finalized the change on Nov. 17.

After an evaluation by the administration, the new document will be presented to Student Senate on Nov. 21 and voted on during the first meeting following Thanksgiving break. Some changes will need a vote by the Campus Life Committee by students and staff. All changes will take effect immediately following approval.

Noah Lange/Chips

Let bylaws be bylaws. Adam Sorenson (‘14) and Hans Becklin (‘14) work together to revise the Senate bylaws.

Student speaks up Luther remains after sexual assault neutral on proposal 21+ Ordinance

Sexual assault continued from page 1

the survivor can also seek help from an RA or someone on Security.

“We would encourage the survivor to go to the hospital for the medical exam, depending on the time frame,” Harri said. “We really try to put as much control as possible for the survivor.

They get to make all the decisions, and we just suggest that they go to the hospital.”

Luther itself is striving to raise awareness for what should be done to prevent sexual assault and how survivors can take care of themselves after incidents like this.

“I believe it is important to find the best ways to prevent incidents of sexual assault from occurring in our community while at the same time ensuring we remove barriers to reporting incidents,” Vice President and

Dean for Student Life Corey Landstrom said. “We must always recognize that the impact often can and does extend beyond the survivor of an incident. It is everyone’s collective responsibility to ensure we are a community that takes all efforts to prevent such incidents.”

The survivor called on other assault survivors to take care of themselves.

“The biggest thing is to know that no matter what the circumstances are, it’s never fault,” -Anonymous your the survivor said. “It’s scary getting the police involved, but you need to put yourself first and get medically checked. Worry about yourself. You don’t need to make the decision to prosecute right then. You need to get yourself checked for sexually transmitted diseases or unwanted pregnancy. You can think about legal stuff later.”

“The biggest thing is to know that no matter what the circumstances are, it’s never your fault.”

continued from page 1

The ordinance also affected party culture at the University of Iowa.

“The one thing I think is interesting is that University of Iowa wasn’t even in the top ten for party schools [before the ordinance], and now it’s the number one party school in the nation,” Berry said.

Iowa City experienced economic implications as well.

“The guy that owns a lot of bars downtown has had to shut down a lot of them because people aren’t going to them and they aren’t paying cover fees,” Berry said.

An ordinance in Decorah would target establishments that derive most of their revenue from alcohol, but it could impact restaurants like T-Bocks, as well.

“They derive most of their revenue from food, but they’re a bar as well, so are they exempt from the ordinance in some fashion?” Bird said.

Community members are discussing these questions.

In regards to an ordinance in Decorah, Berry said, “It’s a good idea ideologically to cut down on

Breakfast all day!

M t W th F s Su

underage drinking, but I don’t think keeping underage drinkers out of the bar will accomplish that.”

Bird and other community members are aware of the situation in Iowa City.

“We have looked at their ordinance and parts of it that seem to be working. We also know that there are some parts of the ordinance that don’t work and we’re looking at that as well,” Bird said.

Luther faculty has some involvement in the discussion.

“The City did invite some of us to a conversation about the ordinance to hear how it might affect the college,” Vice President and Dean for Student Life Corey Landstrom said. These faculty members included Landstrom, Director of Campus Security Bob Harri and Assistant Dean and Director of Residence Life Kris Franzen.

“We appreciated their efforts to outreach and seek counsel and guidance from us on the potential impact of such an ordinance,” Landstrom said. “We did try to convey how such an ordinance might impact college interests. We did not take a position on the ordinance.”

d rof o the W

Week

phosphene \ FAHSS-feen\

“Nothing fancy, just good food”

noun

817 Mechanic St. Decorah 52101

1. a luminous impression due to excitation of the retina

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Arts & Entertainment

November 21, 2013

Cabaret Cabaret Cabaret Cabaret

Matt Helm/Chips

Welcome to the Kit Kat Klub. Christie Owens (‘16) plays the Master of Ceremonies, or Emcee, in “Cabaret,” which opened on Friday, Nov. 15 in Jewel Theatre.

Luther Theatre takes a sensual journey into the nightlife of 1929 Berlin.

Matt Helm

Staff Writer

Jewel Theatre has been transformed into the Kit Kat Klub—a seedy cabaret full of scantily clad women, flowing liquor, jazz and divine decadence. The Luther College Department for Visual and Performing Arts opened “Cabaret” Friday, Nov. 15 to a jam-packed house with more performances to come the weekend of Nov. 22.

James Mueller (‘16) plays Clifford Bradshaw, an aspiring American novelist swept away by the uninhibited lifestyle of 1929 Berlin.

“He comes to Berlin with this idea that he’s going to live this bohemian lifestyle and to write his novel,” Mueller said. “In the process you see him try to figure out his own sexuality. He’s engaging in an exploration of himself while under the guise of writing a novel.”

The heightened emphasis on sexual and moral ambiguity of the time is reflected in the lewd choreography and revealing costumes.

“Berlin at this time was a place of excess with an emphasis of sexuality,” Associate Professor of Theatre and costume designer Lisa Lantz said. “I think the costumes show that. We wanted to ride the line between the beautiful and the grotesque. You are

drawn to it, but it also makes you feel uncomfortable.”

Caught up in wild parties, the characters of “Cabaret” do not notice the rising Nazi regime until it is too late.

“I think we can see our culture today reflected in ‘Cabaret,’” Assistant Professor of Theatre and codirector Robert Vrtris said. “We live in a time that encourages sleep. It encourages a disengagement from the world. We go there to lose ourselves, to not think about our lives. Do it now and don’t think about tomorrow … It’s the idea that the good times will last forever.”

With the majority of the action taking place inside a dark nightclub, some say the subject matter of the play does become crude.

“There’s masturbating,” Christie Owens (‘16) said. “I have a threesome on stage. If you are in the front you might get danced on, you might get flashed … It’s definitely been a bonding experience. How many times does your director say to ‘touch yourself more’ or ‘spread your legs wider’?”

Owens plays the part of the Master of Ceremonies, or Emcee, a role traditionally played by a male actor.

“I think the Emcee being played by a woman makes the play a little raunchier and a little more mysterious, a little less straightforward,” Owens said.

The show was co-directed and choreographed by Professor of Dance Jane Hawley (‘87).“We looked at paintings, visual images, Nazi propaganda, literature from the Weimar Republic and social dance history in Germany from the 1920s,” Hawley said. “When you look at the research, you’re thinking about the alignment of the body and its relation to space at that time. You start to understand the intention of some of the social dance moves that were being developed by the common people.”

Luther students have been working several months to bring “Cabaret” into fruition.

“We auditioned early September and have been rehearsing ever since for eleven or more hours of rehearsal for nearly six weeks,” Michael Ehrecke (‘15) said. “A musical is so much more intricate than a straight play. There are so many elements that have to come together to make the production work. It’s a good challenge.”

“Cabaret” plays 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 21, and Friday, -Lisa Lantz Nov. 22, and 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23.

Tickets are free for Luther Students with CAF, $15 without and available at the Luther Ticket Office or at tickets. luther.edu. Call (563) 387-1357 for limited seating inside the Kit Kat Klub.

“We wanted to ride the line between the beautiful and the grotesque.

You are drawn to it, but it also makes you feel uncomfortable.”

WAKE UP WITH

CHIPS LUTHER COLLEGE

brightening your day since 1884

Featu

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November 21, 2013

celebrate your herita Abby Carpenter/Chips

Catching dreams. Andrea Markert (‘17) (left) teaches Shantell Heins (‘17) (right) to make a dream catcher at her event celebrating National Native American Heritage month.

Luther students celebrate National Native American Heritage Month Abby Carpenter

Staff Writer

As a Luther student who is 50 percent Cherokee, Andrea Markert (‘17) has been involved in organizing several different events on campus, such as dream catcher making and sage-burning in chapel, to celebrate National Native American Heritage Month, Nov. 2013.

This isn’t the first time Luther College has acknowledged Native American Heritage Month.

“Every year the Luther Diversity Center creates a Native American bulletin board to celebrate and inform the campus about American Indians,” Executive Director of the Diversity Center Sheila Radford-Hill said.

“There are over 560 official tribes in the US; the largest being Navajo, Sioux and Cherokee.

Whenever a student or faculty member wants to promote an event, we partner with them to make it happen.”

This year, Markert wanted to do more than a bulletin board to celebrate National Native American Heritage month and helped plan several events on campus.

“It was Andrea Markert that came to us and said that she was interested in doing something to help celebrate and raise awareness of this Heritage Month,” Administrative Assistant to the Diversity Center Jake Dyer said. “The Luther Diversity Center celebrates NAHM and worked with Andrea to help set this event up.”

Markert is one of the few Native Americans on Luther campus, and comes from a unique background of being 50 percent Cherokee and 50 percent Norwegian.

“I am Cherokee because my dad has one of his family members on one of the Dawes Rolls,” Markert said. “So because of that,

Senior projects: part two Matt Helm

Staff Writer

It’s senior paper season!

Chips met up with a handful of senior students across the various disciplines to find out just what it is they have been researching so diligently.

Last week you met Christina Scharmer (‘14) and Abby Mesnik (‘14) and learned all about their senior projects.

Here are two more senior projects to check out!

Matt Helm/Chips

Nathan Converse

we’re federally recognized as being Cherokee.

My dad is 100 percent Cherokee, I’m only half.”

The Dawes Rolls are lists of individuals who were accepted as eligible for tribal membership in the “Five Civilized Tribes,” which are the Cherokee, Creeks, Choctaws, Chickasaws and Seminoles. These rolls contain more than 101,000 names from 18981906. Only descendants from people listed on these rolls are federally recognized as being part of one of the five tribes.

The irony of Native American Heritage Month coinciding with Thanksgiving is not lost on Markert and her family, who count themselves as one of the many Native American families that do not celebrate the holiday.

“We don’t celebrate Thanksgiving at my house. My dad always called it Kill-AllMy-People-And-Steal-All-My-Land Day… so we just don’t celebrate Thanksgiving,” Markert said. “He actually doesn’t even eat on Thanksgiving. We have a big meal at midnight before, and then we eat at midnight the night after.”

To help celebrate her heritage, Markert helped organize an event on campus at which she taught several students how to make dream catchers. Markert has been making dream catchers for many years and says she often gives them to friends as birthday presents.

Dream catchers are not just a craft, but also serve a function in Native American society.

“The circle in the middle is the part where the good dreams pass through, and the rest of it catches the bad dreams,” Markert said. “You would put it over an infant’s crib in a teepee so they wouldn’t cry at night.”

Markert also presented a sage-burning ritual in chapel with Professor David Faldet. Markert describes sage burning rituals, or “smudging,” as very important to her heritage.

“Smudging is when you burn sage and you bring the smoke onto you or something else and it’s supposed to purify whatever

Social media and democracy Nathan Converse (‘14) is a political science major interested in the impact of social media and online communities on the political process.

“I am studying the rise of online technologies, particularly social media, and how those have affected the way we as citizens interact with one another and interact with our government, changing aspects of how we engage and participate in our democracy,” Converse said. “I’m a political science major but this topic includes a lot of sociology, psychology, communication, philosophy and ethical implications.”

Scholars are divided over the subject and Converse plans on

you’re smudging,” Markert said. “Both my parents are in the military, so we moved a lot. Whenever we moved to a new house, we would sage the new house, to bring good spirits and a good aura. It took a long time but it was worth it.”

Another important aspect of Markert’s Native American heritage is attending powwows. Powwows are events in which Native Americans gather to dance, sing, socialize and honor Native American culture.

“I worked at a powwow in Minneapolis, which was a Powwow for Hope, a Native American cancer fund,” Markert said. “I love powwows; I go to, like, five a year. I’ve got the braids and the beads and the regalia, and the cool little moccasins with the jingles on them. We also make fried bread, which is very good.”

A collection of sweet dreams. Andrea Marke dream catchers. Markert has been making dre

researching both sides of the debate. “[Social media] has the potential for greater voter knowledge on political and social issues. It also has the potential to degrade the types of communication we are participating in. My research has been examining these two schools of thought,” Converse said.

Converse will be conducting a campus-wide survey to find out what Luther students think.

“I’m in the process of finalizing my statistical survey to measure those sentiments within students at Luther. Here are the ethical implications on both sides and I want to see which of those characteristics are visible on Luther’s campus. I encourage people to respond,” Converse said.

Photo courtesy of Babboni Photography

Anna Lee Murray

Crafting and performing a studentrun theater/dance production

The senior theater and dance majors are working together to create a student-directed and student-produced live performance based on the title

OLLEGE CHIPS

ures Slam features first-year poet age November 21, 2013

First-year Zora Hurst (‘17) is the featured artist at November ArtHaus Poetry Slam Laura Hayes

Staff Writer

“three summers old full to the brim with lavenderthoughts and softsmell i’d nap with my mama”

Beneath the white, twinkling Christmas lights at Elks Lodge, Zora Hurst (’17) begins her first poem. Before a crowd of Luther College students and faculty and Decorah natives, Hurst performs original works of poetry as the ArtHaus November Poetry Slam’s featured artist.

Founded in 2008, ArtHaus Poetry Slams are divided into the non-competitive “Original Voices,” in which poets are allowed to perform for two minutes, and the “Slam,” which is described by ArtHaus’s website as “a good-natured competition complete with prizes and Applause-oMeter.”

The Poetry Slams take place multiple times during the year at the Elks Lodge, and performers range from students to professors to community members.

Abby Carpenter/Chips

ert (‘17) on campus with her handmade eam catchers for many years.

“Where Does the Kissing Go? (Maiden, Mother, Crone).”

“We are basically studying the different phases of a woman’s life. We came up with this on our own,” theatre/ dance major Anna Lee Murray (‘14) said. “We are going to do multiple dance pieces. We have three different actresses performing three separate monologues that we are using to signify maiden, mother and crone to ourselves and the different ways that those three stages of a woman’s life can be shown and reflected.”

The performance is still in the planning stages and will not premiere until spring semester.

“Right now, we are just getting it together and figuring out what we are going to do for it,” Murray said.

Murray believes that this senior project will help her acting career outside of Luther.

7

This November, the Poetry “a rainy afternoon in april Slam was co-hosted by Professor of English Nancy mama walked me to ballet class and Barry and Coordinator of we feasted on plums and cold coffee.

Diversity Recruitment Keith Lesmeister (‘01). my feet squelching in rainboots “Writing is for everyone, while my sticky hands flew not just the select talented,” -restless little birds babblingBarry said. “Any time you can gather people of different ages, she held an umbrella over me backgrounds and walks of life letting her braids get drenched. together to celebrate poetry is a great thing.”

Since around 2009, Hurst i’ve never liked water on my face.” has participated in several workshops focused on the Excerpt from Hurst’s poem “beatus” spoken and written word, including Poemics, a program by the Iowa Youth Writing Project, and Was the Word, a monthly has also experimented with structured event focused on the spoken word and poetry forms, such as the pantoum, a storytelling by the Working Group Malay style that repeats specific lines Theatre. Hurst has performed in a wide throughout four stanzas. Hurst said that a variety of venues, ranging from farmer’s majority of her inspiration for her poems markets to the University of Northern comes from intense emotions, such as Iowa’s Interpreter’s Theatre to Decorah’s being disappointed and not being able own Elks Lodge. Hurst first performed at to sleep. Writers such as Walt Whitman, an ArtHaus Poetry Slam on September 27, e.e. cummings and John Murillo have also inspired Hurst. These inspirations which she won.

“I think that [slams are] a cool platform led Hurst to write about subjects such for people to feel comfortable exploring as children, family and religion. For the possibility of performing or writing in example, in her poem “beatus,” Hurst describes a child’s relationship with her general,” Hurst said.

With a writing style described as mother, while mixing in religious imagery.

Her other works included “tigerbalm,” “emotionally driven,” Hurst primarily writes free-verse poetry, or poetry “plum hearted,” “bless this mess,” “god without rhyme or meter, and often must be sad” and “roamer.”

“Her poetry is emotionally relatable,” incorporates unorthodox line breaks into her work. fellow performer Marley Crossland (‘15) Yet, Hurst said. “It’s cool that she can come in as a freshman, find her place and deliver such powerful work.”

The next Poetry Slam will take place in March at the Elks Lodge, located off of Water Street. The admission price is $5 for adults and $3 for students. Anyone is welcome to participate.

Hurst’s advice to new poets?

“Don’t try to sound like someone else,” Hurst said.

And the poem goes on: “are we not all holding our hands open for two more kisses on our fragile palms?”

Holiday Open House Please join us for

festive refreshments Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday

Nov. 21-24

Laura Hayes/Chips

The poet sings. Zora Hurst (‘17) at an ArtHaus poetry slam.

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LUTHER COLLEGE CHIPS

Arts & Entertainment

November 21, 2013

8

History on screen

Sam Molzahn/Chips

Rescreening the past. Michael Zahs (above) presented historic films and slides in the upper level of T-Bock’s on Sunday, Nov. 17 as a pre-event for the 2014 Oneota Film Festival.

Oneota Film Festival explores historic films through pre-event.

Sam Molzahn

Staff Writer

As a pre-event for the 2014 Oneota Film Festival, Michael Zahs, a film historian and collector, presented a series of short films and magic lantern slides from early cinema dated between 1895 and 1908 on Sunday, Nov. 17.

“This is the first pre-film festival event and it’s a collection of early cinema, sort of the very first in existence,” Director of the 2014 festival Erika Kambs (‘08) said. “These films are a collection that was purchased by Michael Zahs. These films were shown in Decorah presumably during the years of 1908 to 1912 and presumably in the Steyer Opera House.”

W.F. (Frank) Brinton and his wife, Indiana, collected and presented the films shown at the event.

“The Brintons were entertainers that travelled from Texas to Minnesota in the 1890s and early 1900s, and they were part of the Chautauqua circuit,” Zahs said. “These things were stored in a basement and I got them before they were thrown out. The earliest film is 1895. We have about 300 films and as near as I

can tell the latest film is 1908, so they all predate 1908.”

Zahs talked the audience through each of the silent films, explaining the history of early cinema. One of the films depicts the aftermath of the 1900 hurricane in Galveston, Texas. This film is the first example of a newsreel, according to Zahs. Other films were entertainment, showing everything from practical jokes to bank robberies.

“With films from the 1890s and early 1900s, a whole film can be less than thirty seconds; they can be very short,” Zahs said. “You will see one that is quite lengthy; I think it’s 11 minutes and it’s one of the longest films. It is also the only film in this collection that we have so far that has a car in it. All others predate -Erika cars. Many of these films were available in color, even in the 1890s. If you bought the film and it was in color, that means someone had to hand-tint every frame.”

The purpose of this special event was to promote the 2014 Oneota Film Festival, now in its fifth year.

“As a pre-festival event the purpose is to start to raise awareness about the festival coming up in three months,” Kambs said. “We’re also trying to get the community engaged and bring people’s awareness up on becoming a member of the festival and just other ways to get involved with the film festival

… We thought it was really interesting to loop in the historical significance of cinema, especially because of how rare these films are.”

Another reason these films were shown was to tie in the history of film and cinema.

“This is very much what the Oneota Film Festival strives to achieve in each year’s festival,” Kambs said. “We really want to connect the historical significance of film with the current issues of our time.”

The festival this year will have film screenings both on campus as well as some downtown locations including the upstairs of T-Bock’s and Decorah Kambs (‘08) High School. This is a way to get the downtown community more involved in the film festival, according to Kambs.

The festival looks for local, independent and student filmmakers to contribute to the festival.

“We focus on local filmmakers and independent filmmakers for the content that we include in the festival,” Kambs said.

“We’re eager to get a little bit more of a response from the Luther student community about student film submissions.”

The 2014 Oneota Film Festival is set to take place from Friday, Feb. 28 to Sunday, March 2. Students can submit a film to the festival at oneotafilmfestival.com under “films.”

“We really want to connect the historical significance of film with the current issues of our time.”

Turning students into artists

Maggie Steinberg

Staff Writer

Wandering through the art gallery in the Union or grabbing a cinnamon roll from Sunnyside, one might notice an eclectic variety of art hanging from the walls. These are the products of the students involved in ART 390: Junior Art Seminar. The show, “Title Pending,” is open throughout November, with a reception on Thursday, Nov. 21 at 4 p.m. in the Center for the Arts.

Junior art majors have been working on their pieces throughout the semester.

“We felt that it was important to have a seminar that focuses on what it really means to do an exhibition,” Assistant Professor of Art Ben Moore said.

The students themselves have a generally positive view of the seminar.

“It definitely helped push me to explore these new ideas that I wouldn’t have had the time to do before,” Michaleen Melby (‘15) said.

Melby’s piece reflects rosemaling designs traditional to Norway.

“Norwegian rosemaling has been a very big part of my art,” Melby said. “I’ve done [traditional rosemaling] for most of my work . . . but I wanted to bring it into something more fine art and give it more relevance in our

time.”

Jenny Bonnell (‘15) said that she feels more confident preparing for future shows since taking the seminar.

“I had no idea how to hang my own work,” Bonnell said. “I learned how to make myself seem like a professional.”

For her project, Bonnell took photographs of old barns along Highway 52. Interested in how time affects things that were once valuable, she hopes to recapture the barns’ beauty through her photographs. “[These barns] started out as buildings of great significance and value to a certain person, and now, over time, they have become dilapidated monuments of the past,” Bonnell said.

Not all the pieces are traditional paintings or photographs. Leroy Smith’s (‘15) piece is titled “Pabst the Big Blue Ribbon and His Real Surreal Adventure Through Blackout Land” and is composed of a framed book and a bottle on a shelf.

“It’s kind of a pun on drinking,” Smith said.

“I have it framed up here to take you to the story. And encapsulated in this bottle is the next three acts.”

There’s a performance piece as well, which Smith says will be visible via YouTube. The URL is on the wall next to his piece.

Katie Mathis (‘15) explored working with a

Maggie Steinberg/Chips

We’ve been framed. Katie Mathis (‘15) arranges a three-dimensional piece for ART 390: Junior Seminar. The exhibit’s reception is set to take place on Thursday, Nov. 21 at 4 p.m. in the Center for the Arts atrium. three-dimensional medium as well.

“It’s a commentary about the use of framing in art,” said Mathis. “[I’m] inverting what would typically be the framing material as the raw material for the sculpture, and what would be the primary paint material as the frame.”

Mathis believes that the seminar was helpful with the “business” aspects of art, such as building resumes and writing artist statements

for a show.

“The ART 390 experience is when we start treating [the students] like an artist instead of an art student,” Moore said.

The next time you’re in the CFA or the Union, take some time to look at the pieces hanging on the walls, or show your support at the reception on Thursday, Nov. 21 at 4 p.m. in the CFA.

9

Opinion

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

The Luther College Confessions page on Facebook has been getting a lot of attention, and many friends of mine have had issues with it and have even reported it and specific posts. Until Nov. 13, 2013, I was unaware that Luther College Confessions also had a Twitter when a friend of mine texted me asking if I had seen it. I replied that no, I did not; I try to avoid that stuff. I then ran into him outside of the Union after taking pictures for the yearbook with my sorority and he showed me the tweet reading, “Hi my name is

Associated Collegiate Press National Online Pacemaker Award 2011 lutherchips.com

Anna and I’m horny…hmu (***-***- the people who are hurt by it, either ****). This tweet contains not only my directly or indirectly (example: a name and harassing post harassing gay people), this page information, but is not funny. The also my private tweets and posts telephone number.

I reported the tweet are hurtful and this to Twitter because has to stop. They according to Twitter are not confessions anymore; it is rules, “You may not publish or post other a page to write people’s private whatever you want and confidential “ a n o n y m o u s l y, ” information, such as which one of my credit card numbers, friends found out street address or the hard way, is Social Security/ not anonymous at National Identity all. The students numbers, without of Luther College their express should take a stand authorization and to have this page permission.”

If -Anna Derdzinski (‘14) and the Twitter Twitter ends up feed terminated doing nothing about permanently.

The admin should be it, I will be bringing brought forth for the authorities into it. I have already reported it to Student allowing such content to be posted; especially when it is hurtful and Life.

I am not sure what people find harmful to the people it is written about. entertaining about these pages, but to -Anna Derdzinski (‘14)

“They are not confessions anymore; it is a page to write whatever you want ‘anonymously,’ which one of my friends found out the hard way is not anonymous at all. ”

Column: Eve was framed

Of unicorns, feminazis and objectification

Fall 2013 Staff

Editor-in-Chief....................Ingrid Baudler Managing Editor......................................Jayne Cole News Editors........................Casey DeLima Brita Moore Features Editor....................Margaret Yapp A&E Editor......................Walker Nyenhuis Sports Editor..................................Matt Yan Staff Writers.......................Abby Carpenter Hannah Garry Laura Hayes Matt Helm Dylan Hinton Anna Jeide Carrie Juergens Julia Joseph Sam Molzahn Marin Nycklemoe Maggie Steinberg Britta Thompson Head Copy Editor......................Katie Hale Copy Editors............................Nils Johnson Cameron Meyferth Ad Representative..........Lauren Meintsma Ad Accountant.....................Sam Matheson Photography Coordinator..........Casey DeLima Photographer................................Abby Carpenter Web Manager...........................Noah Lange Design Technician..................Bjorn Myhre Web Technician........................Isaac Davis Social Media Director.........Eric Anderson Circulation Manager................Tess Wilson Adviser.....................................David Faldet

November 21,2013

Melinda McMahon

Columnist

Earlier this week I was in the caf when I saw a man I know; we waved as I went to get more tea. As I was walking back I heard a comment from one of the boys he was sitting with that made my blood boil: “The objectification of women is totally justified and completely deserved.”

I have no idea what sparked that comment or why, all I know is in that moment something in me snapped. I didn’t say anything about the comment; I got my tea and went back to my table, seething.

I’m not going to delineate the rant that went through my head. Instead, let’s take a look at some of the aspects of objectifying women.

We’ll start with the idea that sex sells.

Think about all the ads that you’ve seen where you’ve applied the term. Now think carefully about those ads only had women or only had men; think about how many of the ads that had both men and women—who was more undressed?

Sex does not sell, women as sex objects do. Case in point, compare the covers of

one season of The CW’s “Supernatural” and The WB’s “Charmed.”

Let’s move on to something a bit closer to home.

I don’t like catcalling in general, especially drunk catcalling. And I really don’t like going out with my friends and having some guy I’ve never even met grabs my ass and ask me to dance.

Some women will be nicer in their response than I usually am. I don’t know you and I am not your property.

Don’t touch me.

That’s gotten me labeled a feminazi. Why this term comes to mind, I have no idea, but my response to that is, “how about I regulate your sexual choices, give you a pay cut, -Melinda treat you like an object with no mental capacity and see if you get a bit militant?”

And this brings me to my last point: unicorns. I read an article a while ago called “Why Good Girls Have Become Unicorns” on elitedaily.com. What the article boils down to is that good girls no longer exist because, due to sexual liberation, no woman wants to wait to settle down and men made them this way by wanting sex.

Excuse me, but what is this nonsense?

I know plenty of women who want to settle down and many who already

have. And men are not the only ones who want sex, but we’re not even going there right now. Personally, I borrow my philosophy from Greta Garbo, who said, “There are some who want to get married and others who don’t. I have never had the impulse to go to the altar.

I am a difficult person to lead.” But that does not mean I’m bad. It just means that I’m not waiting around for Prince Charming (for all I know, the idiot is stuck in a tree somewhere) to make everything better.

Women have started thinking for ourselves, which we have not historically been able to do. We can make our own choices now, but that doesn’t we’ve McMahon (‘14) mean all become bad girls or that good girls are unicorns.

Before this starts to resemble the rant that went through my head in the caf, I’m going to end my article on this note. I’ve lost my respect for the men who were at the table laughing and agreeing with the statement made about objectification. Objectification is a form of oppression, and I don’t like being oppressed. Maybe that will get me labeled a feminazi again, but if you had to deal with all of this on a daily basis (I wish I was exaggerating), wouldn’t you be a little angry, too?

“Objectification is a form of oppression.

And I don’t like being oppressed. Maybe that will get me labled as a feminazi again, but if you had to deal with all of this on a daily basis, wouldn’t you be a little angry too?”

LUTHER COLLEGE CHIPS

Opinion

November 21,2013

10

Column

Marginalization in Morocco

Carrie Juergens

Columnist

I had never felt alienated or marginalized until I studied abroad in Morocco last spring. I had never felt truly afraid for my well-being until I lived in a place where survival was tenuous and fear was like a daily dose of espresso—left you jittery, heart pounding, knees shaking, feeling like you have to pee. This, my friends, is the true meaning of fear. Knowing that wherever you go, the air may be punctuated with catcalls, and your feeling of security is ripped from you like a toy from a small child.

Knowing that your strength could never overpower that of the men that leer at you daily, breathe in your ear as they pass, stubbly faces inches from yours. Within the tight walls of the

medina, their disgusting words about what they want to do to you enter your ears against your will. When you’re inside your house, you feel safe but cloistered. When you’re outside, you feel free,, but vulnerable. There is no happy medium.

I was at the Slurs and Stereotypes talk on Tuesday, and an African international student spoke of how young men at this school frequently catcalled her and gave her a hard time about her body. I wish that this was the first time that I’d heard this, but there was another instance where I was struck by an international student’s description of how others treated her. The fact that this happens in Iowa at a private college makes me want to vomit. When you objectify an international student, you’re not only being sexist, but you’re making her feel like she doesn’t belong. You’re turning a person into a fetish, an object and an exotic thing. And that is not OK. If you’re one of these men making girls worry about leaving their dorms, whether it be in the middle of the day or the middle of the night, stop what you’re doing and think about your actions. Are you doing it to seem like more of a man to your friends? Are you doing it because you’re insecure

with yourself? Are you doing it to one voice to make a difference. Please try to get positive attention from the chew the attackers out. Please tell them woman in question? Are you doing it exactly where they can take their rude, because you think it’s funny or a good gross, and unethical comments. Please joke? Because it’s not. make them understand the impact of You are taking someone who’s already what they’re doing, not just to this girl, but also to the entire in a foreign and community as a difficult situation whole. Please stand and making it even together with those more terrifying. in need because it This is supposed builds community, to be a place where friendship and everyone feels compassion within welcome. Like it or a society, even one not, Luther College as small as Luther is ELCA affiliated, College. and that gives a For those who greater sense of experience this kind responsibility for of cruelty, there are a kind and open campus. Even if -Carrie Juergens (‘14) many safe places on campus for you you’re not Christian to seek refuge and (or any other talk about what religion), I’m pretty sure not making people feel afraid happened. These include the Diversity falls under the category of being a Center in the Union, Women and decent human being. People come here Gender Equality Center (or Gjerset specifically for the loving community, House) next to the CFA and Counseling and when you take that from them Services in the lower half of Larsen you’re stealing their happiness and across from Olson. Do not hesitate to talk to a caring professor, fellow peace of mind.

If you see something like this happen, student or anyone else. We will be here stand up for the victim. It only takes with ears, eyes and hearts open.

“I had never felt alienated or marginalized until I studied abroad in Morocco last spring.”

Editorial: With her nose in a book

The Oxford comma: why being a copy editor kills my soul

KAtie Hale

Head Copy Editor

The Associated Press Stylebook is the copy editor’s Bible. This is one of the first things I learned when I started working at Chips last year. Does wellbeing have a hyphen? Check the Stylebook. Gray or grey? Check the stylebook. What’s the proper abbreviation for Wisconsin? You get the idea.

For the most part, I’ve been able to accept the Stylebook’s word as law without question. There is one issue, however, upon which the Stylebook and I will never agree: The Oxford Comma.

For those of you who aren’t nerdy English majors like I am, the Oxford, or serial, comma is the final comma

before the conjunction in a list. For example: I had eggs, toast, and orange juice (The comma following “toast” is the Oxford comma). For some reason, the Stylebook seems to think this is unnecessary. I disagree, and here’s why. Take these two sentences: “I invited the strippers, JFK, and Stalin.” “I invited the strippers, JFK and Stalin.” In the first sentence, it is clear that the strippers, JFK, and Stalin are all being invited separately. In the second sentence, however, it is implied that JFK and Stalin are themselves the strippers. While this may be an amusing or disturbing visual that is easily found by searching “Oxford comma” on Google images, the clarity of the statement is lost.

I can swallow my pride and love for the Oxford comma enough to brutally kill it every time I catch it on one of the pages of our illustrious newspaper (though I know that some do slip through the cracks; we’re all human), but the worst part is that this Oxford comma violence seeps into other parts of my writing life. I want to cry every time I almost cross one out in a friend’s academic paper that I’m reading. “You don’t control me, Stylebook!” I want to shout to the heavens à la King Lear. But alas, I can feel its grip tightening around me. I only hope that I don’t lose my identity to its Grammarian ways.

Fellow English majors and newspaper workers will know my pain and inner turmoil related to the Oxford comma. The Onion even ran a hilarious article last year about ongoing feuds between followers of the AP Stylebook and the Chicago Manual of Style. While

Courtesy of Katie Hale

The wonderful, great, and highly neccesary Oxford comma. This illustration shows the comma’s usage. this dispute is surely one that will be ongoing, I can only work to keep the Oxford comma in my nonnewspaper life and hope that maybe someday the AP will finally see sense and restore this comma to its rightful, helpful state.

LUTHER COLLEGE CHIPS

Sports

November 21, 2013

11

Women’s basketball looking for a breakthrough

Luke Manderfeld

Volunteer Writer

The Luther Women’s Basketball team is no stranger to a sense of victory. After a 13-13 season last year, they made their first IIAC tournament appearance in four years.

They finished the season with a close 80-74 loss to the University of Dubuque.

A season like that left the women itching for another shot at the tournament. This year, they are setting their expectations for the top and won’t settle for anything less.

“Our expectations are to be top in the conference and to make it to the [national] tournament,” guard Logan Hjerleid (‘14) said.

The team has a reason to be very confident, with all of their starting five returning this year, as well as three seniors.

One player to look out for is forward Taylor Johnson (‘14). The leader on the team in points (431), assists (70), and rebounds (255) last season, she is still looking to improve.

“This year I’ve been focusing on improving my defensive aspect of the game,” Johnson said. “I really expect to help my team with the goals that we have, to get to the tournament and win the conference.”

They also have a sizable recruiting class coming in.

“We have brought in a number of new faces that add depth to our team, and they are all working hard Aaron Lurth/Photo Bureau to improve their game and contribute Looking for a pass. Logan to our program,” Head Coach Amanda Hjerleid (‘14) pushes past a Bailey said.

Loras defender last season.

Some of these notable recruits are Anna Madrigal (‘17), Brenna Hafner (‘17) and Haley Kirkpatrick (‘17).

Something that will be key for the team this year is winning conference games. The women went 5-9 in IIAC play last season.

“They know that nothing will come easy and that we have to respect our opponents, but we can’t be afraid of any of them,” Bailey said.

The team started out the 2013-2014 season with a bang, winning both of their games at UW-Eau Claire on Friday and Saturday.

The season opener put Luther against the UW-River Falls Falcons on Nov. 15. Luther seemed to have the game in hand with a 13-point lead in the second half.

The game was at 74-61 when the Falcons pulled together and went on a 11-0 run to close the gap to two points with 1:37 left. Tayler Jenks (‘16) stopped the run with a three pointer, which provided the team with enough energy to pull out a 80-75 victory.

Johnson and Meagan Koepnick (‘15) led the team with a double-double each. Johnson dropped 27 points with 14 rebounds, and Koepnick had 14 points and 10 boards.

In the second game, Luther faced the host UW-Eau Claire Blugolds and won 70-62. Luther was trailing 3532 at halftime, but outscored the Blugolds 38-27 in the second half to secure the victory.

Four players scored in double digits; Kirkpatrick had 17, Jenks dropped 15, and Johnson and Lyndsi Woolems (‘16) had 14 and 10, respectively.

The next game will be at home Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. against UW-La Crosse.

“We just need to take the next step and keep improving every game,” Hjerleid said.

Cross country Herman, Obert top teams qualify placers at Luther Open for nationals Matt Yan

Sports Editor

Cue a sigh of relief.

After placing third and fourth at the Central Regional, respectively, the men’s and women’s cross country teams must have been ecstatic to receive at-large bids to the NCAA Division III National Championships. The national finale will take place in Hanover, Ind. on Saturday, Nov. 23.

Tricia Serres (‘16) and Jayne Cole (‘14) earned all-region honors by placing in the top 35. Serres took third on the 6K course with a time of 21:42.44, while Cole took ninth in 22:26.84.

Accompanying Serres and Cole to the national championships are Lauren Mordini (‘16), Brenna Gibbons (‘14), Nicole Powers (‘14), Mallory Carr (‘17) and Sophia Ristau (‘15). This will mark the Luther women’s 14th national finals appearance and fourth in a row. The women’s race will start at 10 a.m.

On the men’s side, Marty Mitchell (‘14), Austin Bauer (‘14) and Alex Rigdon (‘14) were all-region performers with seventh, ninth, and 31st-place finishes, respectively. Mitchell had a time of 25:12.37, Bauer had a time of 25:18.92 and Rigdon finished in 26:02.52. Rigdon earned his first all-region honor after narrowly missing the honor by one spot last season.

Isaac Jensen (‘17), Brock Laue (‘14), Evan Neubauer (‘14) and Scott Mittman (‘14) complete the seven-man team that will compete at nationals. The Luther men are competing at the national championships for the 28th time and the third time in the last four years. The men’s race will start at 11:30 a.m.

Results can be found at www.luther.edu/sports.

Luke Hanson/Photo Bureau

Taking control. Eric Moreno (‘14) fights for an advantage during a 165-pound bout at the Luther Open.

Matt Yan

Sports Editor

Conner Herman (‘15) made a triumphant return to the mat at the Luther College Open on Saturday, Nov. 16, placing third in the 285-pound Elite Division bracket. He fell in the semifinals to two-time AllAmerican Ryan Fank of Wartburg 6-0 but bounced back with a pin against Corby Running of Minnesota State and a 2-0 victory over Terrance Jean-Jacques of the University of Iowa in the third-place match.

Herman missed all of the 2012-2013 season with an ACL injury he sustained in a football game. He qualified for the 2012 NCAA National Championships

before getting injured his sophomore year.

All-American Evan Obert (‘15) had a strong showing as well, placing second at 133 and losing only to NCAA Division I runner-up Tony Ramos of Iowa by major decision, 14-5. Obert advanced to the final with a 14-3 first-round win over Jacob Freeman of Simpson, a fall in 1:48 over Mitch Hood of Cornell College and a 6-0 shutout of Matt Gurule of the University of Iowa.

Other Luther placers in the Elite Division included Nick Scheffert (‘15), third at 125; Garrett Bonte (‘14), fifth at 165; Jarid Groth (‘14), fifth at 174 and Jayden DeVilbiss (‘15), who placed sixth at 184.

Luther competes next at the Augsburg Open in Minneapolis on Nov. 23.

Sports

12

Diving into swim season

November 21, 2013 Weekly Standings Football Wartburg Simpson Coe Dubuque Central Buena Vista Luther Loras

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

Overall 8-2 7-3 7-3 6-4 5-5 4-6 2-8 1-9

Recent scores: -Nov. 16 vs. Simpson L 21-28 Upcoming schedule: -Season concluded

Women’s Basketball Central Loras Luther Simpson Coe Dubuque Wartburg Buena Vista

IIAC 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0

Overall 1-0 2-0 2-0 1-0 1-1 1-1 0-1 0-2

Recent scores: -Nov. 16 vs. UW-Eau Claire W 70-62 -Nov. 15 vs. UW-River Falls W 80-75 Aaron Lurth/Photo Bureau

Breaking in the new pool. Swimmers take off during a race at the triangular meet against Simpson and Augustana.

Carrie Juergens

races differently. Vander Horst listens to music to mentally prepare himself. “fun. is my go-to band right before a Right now the swimmers are at the toughest point of their season, just a few race,” Vander Horst said.

Kramka is a sprinter and thus needs weeks before most will start their first taper, which lasts a few days. The entire more physical preparation.

“As a sprinter, you team feels the weight really have to get of practice but still your heart rate up has to push through right before your race; and perform in meets. otherwise, you’re not “With our training going to be ready to right now we’re go fast as soon as you starting to get to the -Seth Vander Horst (‘15) dive in,” Kramka said. point of the season “You just do a lot of where we’re really jumping around and broken down and tired,” Kramka said. “The goal is to still shaking your body.”

Slagel needs to stay cool and collected be fast when you’re tired. It’s tough, but after you do it for a little while you get but relies on her team for racing energy.

“Usually I’m on the side cheering and I used to it.”

Seth Vander Horst (‘15) also feels the have to fold my clothes and calm myself weight of the season, but that doesn’t down rather than rev myself up,” Slagel said. stop his tenacity and drive.

Although they all have different pre“Coach has been pushing us and trying to find our limits,” Vander Horst race styles, the members of the swim said. “He’s really been working us hard team came together on Saturday for a this week. I think my goal ... is to work win. And even better, they’re united by through it and swim through the pain; something more than a sport.

“We are a huge family,” Vander Horst swim through it all and swim fast.”

Each swimmer prepares for his or her said.

Men’s Swim and Dive

improvement physically as opposed to

Staff Writer just thinking you get better.”

Last Saturday, Luther Women’s Swimming and Diving beat both Augustana (171-128) and Simpson (203-24) in a triangular meet. Men’s Swimming and Diving beat Simpson (173-18) but lost to Augustana (95-128).

Clare Slagel (‘16) won every event she competed in at the meet, which included the 400 yard medley relay, the 200 yard freestyle and the 100 yard backstroke.

Slagel is the top returning performer from last season. She placed third and fourth in her two events at Nationals last year as a first-year and is back for more. Even with her success, Slagel says that she doesn’t necessarily make the difference, but it’s the team as a whole. Luther carries a certain grace with them no matter where they go, according to Slagel.

“The reason I love Luther’s team is that [they’re] classy, extremely respectful,” Slagel said. “After every race, all the swimmers will stay in the water and shake the competitors’ hands, even in warmup; it’s always respectful to the other team.”

Slagel was enamored with the swim team upon her first visit to Luther.

“Visiting colleges I tried to focus more on the academics than the swim teams, and coming to Luther I met Coach Huber and got to sit down for lunch with the swim team,” Slagel said. “They were definitely a great bunch of people, and I kind of fell in love with the team there and got to know them.”

Ryley Kramka (‘15) is a men’s swim team co-captain. He was originally recruited for baseball but was also drawn to the allure of swimming. He enjoys reaping the reward of dropping times.

“The thing I would say that I love about swimming is the fact that you have these times where you can really gauge your progress,” Kramka said. “I chose swimming over baseball because I felt that I was better at it, but I also felt that there’s something to be able to see

Upcoming schedule: -Nov. 20 vs. UW-La Crosse*

“We are a huge family.”

Loras Simpson Luther Coe

IIAC 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-1

Overall 2-1 0-0 1-3 1-4

Recent scores: -Nov. 16 vs. Simpson W 173-18 -Nov. 16 vs. Augustana L 95-128 Upcoming schedule: -Nov. 23 UW-La Crosse River City Relays @ La Crosse

Women’s Swim and Dive Loras Luther Simpson Coe

IIAC 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-1

Overall 2-1 3-1 0-0 2-3

Recent scores: -Nov. 16 vs. Simpson W 203-24 -Nov. 16 vs. Augustana W 171-128 Upcoming schedule: -Nov. 23 UW-La Crosse River City Relays @ La Crosse

Men’s Soccer Loras Wartburg Luther Simpson Dubuque Central Buena Vista Coe

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

Overall 17-1-2 17-4-2 15-6-1 12-7-2 6-11-1 9-9-1 5-13 5-12-1

Recent scores: -Nov. 17 NCAA second round vs. Loras T 1-1 (2OT, L 3-5 on penalty kicks) -Nov. 14 NCAA first round vs. Lake Forest W 3-0 Upcoming schedule: -Season concluded Aaron Lurth/Photo Bureau

Just breathe. Kaia Markovich (‘17) takes a big breath during a 50 meter freestyle event.

* No results as of production time