Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, two of the most highly anticipated artists to come to Luther, are set to perform on Thursday, Oct 31. at 7:30 p.m. Due to security reasons and safety concerns, SAC Concerts has issued a set of rules for concert goers.

“In combination with Halloween and ‘Thrift Shop,’ we felt it was necessary,” Dani Basche (‘15) said.

Attendees must present their student IDs along with their ticket. If the ID is not present or does not match the ticket name, the $25 ticket price will need to be paid at the door.

The co-curricular activities fee requires tickets to be used by the holder.

“We are trying to reduce scalping markets because we want it to be a Luther concert,” Basche said. “That is who SAC presents concerts for.”

Attendees who choose to wear a costume must wear family friendly attire or they will be asked to leave. Props, excessive facepaint and makeup and masks will not be permitted.

“We made the costume policy at the request of professional security,” Katherine Tangen (‘15) said.

SAC also set guidelines that pertain to general concert policies. Backpacks and cameras will not be permitted into the venue. Visual or physical pat downs may occur, and those who are noticeably under the influence will not be permitted to enter.

“We are helping the artist, we had to be prepared,” Tangen said.

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Setting a precedent. Matthew Gausmann (‘16) wants to bring together the city and the college.Laura Hayes/Chips

The season of elections has begun. Gathered before a crowd of around 60 Luther students and residents of Decorah, the candidates for mayor and Decorah City Council addressed the reasons why they should be elected to offi ce Oct. 17 at a forum in Valders.

Matthew Gausmann (‘16) is running for City Council for Ward Four. He would be the fi rst Luther student on City Council if elected. One major aspect of Gausmann’s campaign is the relationship between Luther and Decorah. Gausmann successfully petitioned to have a voting station in the Dahl Centennial Union on Oct. 25, making voting more accessible to students.

“Although my time here in Decorah is limited, I’ve fallen in love with the city ever since I stepped foot into this place,” Gausmann said. “I want to help students see themselves as residents of Decorah. By holding students accountable as citizens of Decorah, I think we

can ensure a nice, healthy relationship between the two communities.”

While the Student Senate’s Liaison to the City Council acts as a tie between the campus and the council, the liaison does not have any voting capabilities in the council. As a City Council member, Gausmann would be able to vote on issues that directly relate to the Decorah community throughout his two-year term. Some of the issues would include renewing liquor licenses, managing the budget and various issues proposed by residents.

Student Senate President Paul Esker (‘14) brought the idea to run for City Council to Gausmann’s attention. Esker told Gausmann about the upcoming election and suggested that he campaign for the position.

“I knew it was a big decision,” Gausmann said. “[Esker] met me at Oneota [Market] for lunch, and he gave me an overview of what was required and expected

The search for former Luther College President Richard Torgerson’s successor is beginning once more. On Oct. 15, the Search Committee met, welcoming new members in its stead. An email went out to the student body following the proceedings.

“During this meeting, we welcomed new committee members Wendy Davidson, Wanda Deifelt, Paul Esker (‘14), John Moeller and Jon Stellmacher,” the email said.

New members add a new dynamic to the search, and Executive Assistant to the President Karen Martin-Schramm said she appreciates the group’s dedication.

“We have a great search committee and they are working hard,” Martin-Schramm said. “They are busy planning an on-campus forum which will be a great opportunity to learn more about the search process.”

The details of the search are being kept under close watch. The committee members were not allowed to comment further at this time.

The campus-wide email included optimistic ideas about what may be in Luther’s future.

“While the review of prospective candidates is in its early stages, we are confident that we will find a dynamic leader who feels called to serve as Luther’s tenth president,” the email said.

Carrie JuergensStaff Writer

Presidential search begins again

This week, student organization leaders will fi nd out how much funding their groups will receive from Student Senate. Many will be curious as to how the increase in student organization funding will be distributed.

This noticeable increase led to changes in the application process to receive funding.

“In the past they’ve only offered us $4,000 for the entire year, but this year we’ve increased that signifi cantly to $14,500,” Student Senate Treasurer Dietrich Jessen (‘15) said.

Funding comes from the optional Student Activities Council (SAC) co-curricular activities fee.

“SAC distributes the co-curricular activities fee, and they give it to us to distribute to student organizations,” Senate Senior Class Representative and Finance Committee Chair Hans Becklin (‘14) said.

The $10,500 increase came about because of structural readjustment within SAC.

“SAC Diversity and SAC Spotlight merged together,” Jessen said. “Some of that extra money was given to Senate [to distribute to student organizations].”

The increase in funding allowed Student Senate to redesign the application process to require organizations to identify how they will use their funding.

“This gives a focus to our [Student Senate] work and the process itself, especially this year, because with more money we will be able to fund more events and activities,” Becklin said. “We [Student Senate] made a conscious decision to give out $10,000 in the fall so we could allow organizations to get kick-started. We discerned a pattern by looking at applications from previous years and we noticed there was a lot more need for funding in the beginning of the year to help organizations get started up.”

The new application is broken down into a three-tiered process. The fi rst tier is continuity funding, or money that organizations need to continue their missions and goals, according to Becklin. The $10,000 allocated this fall semester is focused on providing organizations with continuity funding.

“In the past, funding has been primarily used to send organizations to conferences and what we wanted to refocus our efforts around was to get student

Laura HayesStaff Writer

continued on page 4

Elections

Anna JeideStaff Writer

Student Senate raises funding by $10,500

continued on page 4Funding

Jayne ColeManaging Editor

Laura Hayes/Chips

Student steps up

SAC reviews rules for Macklemore

The ultimate test of enduranceSports 12

October 31, 20132 NewsLUTHER COLLEGE CHIPS

Jan Brett visits Decorah Marin Nycklemoe

Staff writer

Decorah has hosted many artists and authors, and on Nov. 10, children’s book author Jan Brett will be added to the list.

Brett has had a writing career that spans decades, filled with travels and adventure. She has written multiple books, such as “The Mitten,” “Gingerbread Baby” and “Daisy Comes Home.” Brett will be at Decorah High School to present her new book “Cinders: A Chicken Cinderella” and sign books afterward.

Born in Massachusetts, Brett decided to become an illustrator at a young age.

“I love Jan Brett’s stories and illustrations,” Vesterheim Registrar and Youth Educator Jennifer Kovarik said. “It is amazing the amount of detail she puts in each of her illustrations, including the borders around her illustrations which usually feature symbols or objects from the traditions she has encountered in her travels around the world. Often her borders also include what else is happening at the same time with characters who are on the sidelines and this draws the reader deeper into the story.”

For those unable to get a ticket for the presentation on Nov. 10, there is a traveling exhibit currently at the Vesterheim entitled “The World of Jan Brett.”

“For many years, Vesterheim Museum has wanted to have an exhibit about Jan Brett’s books and illustrations because many of them are inspired by her trips to Scandinavia, including Norway.” Kovarik said.

The exhibit will be on display at the Vesterheim until Jan. 5, 2014. People of all ages are welcome and encouraged to visit and explore the world of Jan Brett.

Story time! Children gather for a reading of one of Jan Brett’s stories at the Vesterheim on October 14.Photo courtesy of Becky Idstrom

Gingerbread kids. Decorah children play in a gingerbread house at the Jan Brett exhibit at the Vesterheim. Photo Courtesy of Becky Idstrom

Coffee shop named Nordic Brew Abby Carpenter

Staff writer

After looking through 416 name submissions for the new ice cream and espresso café next to Marty’s, a panel of judges narrowed it down to 3 names and

let the students vote on which name they liked best. The name “Nordic Brew,” submitted by Matthew Holcomb (‘15), beat out the names “Katie’s” and “Bean and Cream,” awarding Holcomb not only the honor of naming the café, but also 2 plane tickets to anywhere in the continental United States.

“I got the sheet for the naming contest in my SPO and I just thought that Nordic Brew would be a cool name for it,” Holcomb said. “It wasn’t much of a thought process. I just thought I’d throw it in there and see what happened.”

Holcomb is still deciding where he wants to go with his tickets, but is planning on giving the second ticket to either his girlfriend or a family member.

“I don’t really know where I want to go,” Holcomb said. “I have an aunt that lives in California whom it might be nice to visit. I’m trying to think of places that would be inexpensive once I got there. “

The name has received mixed reviews. Andrew Gomez (‘16), who submitted the name “Katie’s” likes the name of his submission because of the connection it has with Marty’s. Marty’s is named after Martin Luther, and Katie was his wife’s name.

“At first I was trying to come up with a clever or funny name, but then it just came to me because it seemed more fitting,” Gomez said. “I wasn’t a huge fan of it, but it makes more sense than Nordic Brew. Marty’s and Katie’s right next to each other makes a lot of sense. Nordic Brew doesn’t have the same connection that Katie’s has.”

Eli Patrikus (‘16), a student worker at Nordic Brew, approves of the name.

“Honestly, I think it’s a good original name,” Patrikus said. “I think a little more creativity could have gone into it, but it’s a solid name.”

As for people that aren’t fans of the name “Nordic Brew,” Holcomb says that it doesn’t bother him.

“People voted for it; they got to choose the name,” Holcomb said. “I just put in a suggestion and happened to benefit from that.”Leaving on a jet plane. Matthew Holcomb (‘14) poses with Wayne Tudor in front of newly named “Nordic Brew.”

Aaron Lurth/Photo Bureau

WAKE UP WITH

brightening your day since 1884

CHIPSLUTHER COLLEGE

Pizza and discussion. Cate Anderson (‘14), Ben Warner (‘15) and David Pfotenhauer (‘15) chat while eating pizza at the informational meeting for the revamped Scholar’s Program.

Maggie Steinberg/Chips

October 31, 2013 3News

Nev. lawmaker stirs fi restorm over slavery remarkA Nevada assemblyman came under fi re Monday after a

YouTube video surfaced in which he told a Republican gathering he would vote to allow slavery if that is what his constituents wanted him to do.

“If that’s what they wanted, I’d have to hold my nose ... they’d probably have to hold a gun to my head, but yeah,” Assemblyman Jim Wheeler told members of the Storey County Republican Party at a meeting in August.

His comments were swiftly denounced by Republicans and Democrats alike.

***

Beleaguered Syrian Christians fear futureSami Amir is used to the deep echoing rumble of the Syrian

army artillery pounding rebel positions on the outskirts of Damascus. It’s the thump of mortars launched from an Islamist-controlled neighborhood that scares him to death. The mortars have repeatedly hit in his mainly Christian district of Damascus, al-Qassaa, reportedly killing at least 32 people and injuring dozens of others the past two weeks.

“You don’t know when and you don’t know where they hit,” says Amir, a 55-year-old Christian merchant. “Life here is often too diffi cult.”

***

Europe considers sanctions against US over spyingThe United States could lose access to an important law

enforcement tool used to track terrorist money fl ows, German offi cials said Monday, as Europe weighed a response to allegations that the Americans spied on their closest European allies. In Washington, Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein called for a “total review” of all U.S. intelligence programs in response to the allegations - activity the California Democrat said she wasn’t told about.

***

Immigration bill’s fate murky on eve of lobbyingProspects for comprehensive immigration legislation this year

grew murkier on the eve of an all-out push by a coalition of business, religious and law enforcement to convince the House to overhaul the decades-old system. Proponents seized on two developments as a Senate-passed measure remains stalled in the House: President Barack Obama’s meeting at the White House on Tuesday with a House Republican working on legislation and a California GOP lawmaker’s willingness to back a House Democratic plan.

***

Hurricane-force gusts batter UK, Europe; 13 deadA savage coastal storm powered by hurricane-force gusts

slashed its way through Britain and western Europe on Monday, felling trees, fl ooding lowlands and snarling traffi c in the air, at sea and on land. At least 13 people were reported killed. It was one of the worst storms to hit the region in years. The deadly tempest had no formal name and wasn’t offi cially classifi ed as a hurricane due to a meteorological standard, but it was dubbed the “St. Jude storm” (after the patron saint of lost causes) and “stormageddon” on social networks.

***

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

Seven-day Forecast 35/50 34/4940/5531/49 32/48

TueSatFriThu Sun Mon Wed

Reinvented scholars program to be offered in the spring

Maggie SteinbergStaff writer

The previously-titled Honors Core Program at Luther has been revamped and is now called the Scholars Program.

After a year-long hiatus, the program has been reconstructed to offer more fl exibility for Luther students. The new program aims to offer all students the opportunity to take interdisciplinary courses, with the option of working toward graduating with a Scholars distinction.

The Honors Advisory Committee held a meeting recently for junior and senior students who had participated in the Honors Program.

“Students felt there wasn’t enough fl exibility in the Honors Program, so we designed the new Scholars courses to be more fl exible,” Director of College Honors Terry Sparkes said.

According to the Scholars Program website, the program aims to “challenge intellectually talented students to excel academically” and to “offer them opportunities to enrich the cultural life of the community.”

First-year students interested in participating must fi rst take Intersections 130: Scholars Colloquium during a semester or Intersections 185: Great Debates during J-term. Admittance to the Scholars Program is granted through an application process, which can be found on the Scholars website. For upperclassmen, the Intersections Seminars are offered each semester and are taught by a diverse group of professors.

“As a Physics and Math double major, I don’t get the chance to explore other academic fi elds as much as I would like, so the Scholars Program is a great opportunity to connect my interests with other fi elds,” Honors Advisory Committee member David Pfotenhauer (‘15) said.

The Scholars Program benefi ts professors as well, giving them the opportunity to teach beyond the basics of their discipline. Associate Professor of Chemistry Olga Rinco will teach an Intersections Colloquium course on Civic Engagement. Professor of Political Science John Moeller and Associate Dean Jeffrey Wilkerson will teach a course on public policy and science.

Skye Brocker-Knapp (‘15) is interested in the Scholars Program.

“I’m happy there will be opportunities for me to branch out from political science and study other disciplines as well,” Brocker-Knapp said.

The new program will open the door for many students who wish to engage in interdisciplinary learning or simply allow students the opportunity to approach their studies from a new angle. Students are also encouraged to simply take a course or two if they are interested in the subject matter.

“We hope that students will take the courses because they want to, not just because they want the certifi cation,” Sparkes said.

More information on the Scholars Program and the courses being offered can be found online at scholars.luther.edu.

Life Outside LutherNews from the rest of the world

Compiled by:Casey DeLimaNews Editor

40/56 36/49

October 31, 20134 NewsLUTHER COLLEGE CHIPS

10/31/1517 - Martin Luther posts 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany

11/1/1952 - United States tests first hydrogen bomb on Eniwetok atoll in the Pacific

11/2/1917 - British Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour declares support for Jewish homeland in Palestine

11/3/1903 - Panama declares independence from Colombia with support from U.S. government

11/4/1979 - Iranians storm U.S. embassy in Tehran and take 90 hostages, keeping 52 of them for 444 days

11/5/1605 - King James I learns of plot to explode the Parliament building by pro-Catholic Guy Fawkes, now known as the Gunpowder Plot

11/6/1860 - Abraham Lincoln elected 16th president of the United States, seven states secede by the time of his inauguration

Courtesy of http://infoplease.com, http://history.com

THIS WEEK

IN

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(10/31-11/6)

****

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1. sleepwalking

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continued from page 1

Funding

continued from page 1

Elections

BREAKFAST ALL DAY!

“Nothing fancy, just good food”

817 Mechanic St. Decorah 52101

M t W th F s Su

of me. I told him that this was something I would want to do. I’d like to dedicate myself to Decorah, and this would be a great way to do it.”

Part of Gausmann’s campaign has involved attending forums, such as the one on Oct. 17. During these forums, Gausmann and his opponent Bill Wagner discussed their primary issues and answered questions from the audience. Each candidate received three minutes for an opening statement to describe their qualifi cations for the position and their viewpoints on various issues.

During his opening statement, Gausmann said that his issues included frac sand mining because of the negative effects on the “natural wonders that we cherish so dearly,” the upcoming tax changes, sustainability and a possible community center that would be shared by both Decorah residents and Luther College students. The questions posed by the audience included truck traffi c on Water Street, sustainability and the relationship between landlord and tenant in the case of property neglect.

“The relationship should be mutually benefi cial, and it is now,” Esker said of the relationship between the campus and the town.

Voting will take place on Nov. 5 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.

organizations moving,” Jessen said. Senate hopes this continuity funding will

serve as “ground-funding” that will give students an “opportunity when they get back [from conferences] to do [something] with that expertise that they learned” and share knowledge with the Luther community, Jessen said.

The second tier of funding is focused on fi nancing an organization’s events.

“Our second priority is to provide funding for discrete events that provide meaningful events on campus or events that allow students at Luther to provide service to the wider community on a discrete day,” Becklin said.

A third tier in the application is designated to provide funding for organizations to attend events off campus, such as conferences.

Although there has been positive feedback regarding the application process, some voiced concerns.

“I do like that we have more money that’s

being allocated, but I think a lot of people, including myself, are concerned that we won’t be getting more funding [per group], but that [Senate] will just be funding more organizations,” Forensic Speech and Debate President and Model United Nations Vice President Jordy Barry (‘15) said.

Despite the increase, not all funding requests can be met.

“36 organizations requested money, and they requested around $40,000 of funding,” Jessen said. “We’re trying to be as fair and as frugal as possible and be as wise [of] stewards of the resources as possible. The primary function of organizations is to better the community around campus.”

Organizations will have another opportunity to apply next semester for the remaining $4,500.

“We still encourage students to apply in the spring when it will be more focused on events because [organizations] already have their continuity funding,” Becklin said.

Senate hopes that this funding increase will allow more organizations to accomplish their goals.

City elections coming up

Facing the issues. Gausmann and the Council candidates address the Decorah community at a forum on Oct. 17.

Laura Hayes/Chips

New funding method implemented

Getting a raise. $10,000 is available for organizations though Student Senate.

Anna Jeide/Chips

October 31, 20135

From studio to stage

Sam MolzahnStaff Writer

Music faculty host recital, discuss performance and teaching careers.

Arts & Entertainment

The Luther College Music Department presented a faculty artist series recital on Friday, Oct. 25. Faculty members Karen Kanakis, soprano, Eric Ashcraft, tenor, Jacob Lassetter, baritone and Jessica Paul, piano, performed works of late Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi.

“This recital is unique because we’re doing all Verdi,” Kanakis said. “[This year is] the 200th birthday of Giuseppe Verdi, and he is probably the most esteemed Italian opera composer of all time. It’s a unique challenge for [Paul] because everything we’re performing is an orchestral version that’s been reduced for piano, so she has to make the piano sound like an orchestra.”

Like many music faculty, Kanakis and Lassetter hold roles as performers in addition to teaching careers. One major challenge is fi nding time to participate in

performances off campus.“The fi rst challenge is that a lot of performance

opportunities happen during the academic year,” Kanakis said. “I can’t just leave any time I want to because I’m teaching. For opera, specifi cally, a rehearsal period would be three to fi ve weeks. So there’s not really any way during the school year that I could take off three to fi ve weeks and leave my class and my students.”

Kanakis and Lassetter teach applied voice lessons and help direct the opera curriculum. Because Kanakis and Lassetter cannot freely take time away from teaching, they use the summer months, January terms when they are not teaching and other breaks throughout the year to further their performance career.

“I spent a fall break that I could have spent relaxing and recovering from the fi rst half of the semester and grading things for my classes going to New York City to have voice lessons and continue developing that side of things,” Lassetter said. “But if I don’t do that, I can’t teach as well on this level.”

Performances like the faculty recital are used to teach students in addition to keeping professors at the top of their performance careers.

“I try personally to bring a level of preparation that sets a really fi ne example for my students,” Lassetter said. “I

need to be setting the highest bar example. I don’t feel like it’s fair, then, to come in here and expect the same of them if I don’t do more than I ask them when I perform.”

Faculty recitals serve as an outlet for students to see professional experiences and provide a chance to learn through example.

“[The recital] certainly brings the professional fi eld directly to us,” Jenny LeDoux (‘15) said. “It allows us to have quality experiences. These performances are things you would hear in opera houses all around the country, even around the world, and we get to go to them for free. It serves as a really big inspiration.”

According to Kanakis and Lassetter, teaching helps to develop a performance career and performing helps develop a teaching career.

“It’s really easy for me to forget that [performing] serves my students more in the long run if I do act a little bit in a way that might feel selfi sh at the time,” Lassetter said. “[Balancing performing and teaching] is always a struggle, but I always feel especially reinvigorated for my teaching when I come from a singing performance in a way that I hope I never lose. It keeps me in the business; it keeps me at the top of my game, which gives me the most pedagogical and career knowledge to pass onto my students.”

A balancing act. Professor of Music Jessica Paul accompanied Assistant Professors of Music Jacob Lassetter and Karen Kanakis at the recital on Friday, Oct. 25.

Sam Molzahn/Chips

Center Stage Preview: Masters of the FiddleWalker Nyenhuis

A&E Editor

The string and the fury. Masters of the Fiddle MacMaster and Leahy will perform on Friday, Nov. 1, at 7:30 p.m. in the CFL.

Photo courtesy of Columbia Arts Management, Inc.

The Performing Arts Committee will bring Masters of the Fiddle Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy to the Center for Faith and

Life on Friday, Nov. 1. The duo will draw from a full catalogue of fi ddle music, with styles ranging from Celtic to American Bluegrass.

Originally from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, MacMaster has a musical career spanning over three

decades. She has recorded 11 albums, the most recent being 2011’s “Cape Breton Girl.”

“There has never been a bad review of Natalie MacMaster,” Director of Campus Programming Tanya Gertz said. “This woman can sing, fi ddle, and dance all simultaneously without there being any confl ict, while pregnant.”

Leahy comes from a family of musicians. The eight brothers and sisters have recorded three albums, fi lmed PBS television specials and opened for Canadian pop-star Shania Twain.

Masters of the Fiddle also perform as a family. Married since 2002, MacMaster and Leahy tour with their fi ve children. The kids are between the ages of two to eight and often join their parents on stage, dancing and

contributing to the show’s energy.“You can’t go to this show and not

come away feeling really fantastic,” Gertz said.

Tickets to Masters of the Fiddle

are free with CAF. Doors open at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 1. For more information, visit tickets.luther.edu or call the Ticket Offi ce at 563-387-2000.

“Whedon writes strong female characters because people are still asking him why he does...”-Melinda McMahon

(‘14)

Orange Day. “Orange Day” will be in the vocabulary of current students on Nov. 5.Courtesy of Luther Archives

October 31 20136 OpinionCHIPS

Fall 2013 Staff

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 ChipsPhone: 563.387.1044Fax: 563.387.2072E-mail: chipsedt@luther.eduAdvertising: chipsads@luther.eduwebsite: http://lutherchips.com

Editor-in-Chief....................Ingrid BaudlerManaging Editor......................................Jayne ColeNews Editors........................Casey DeLima Brita MooreFeatures Editor....................Margaret YappA&E Editor......................Walker NyenhuisSports Editor..................................Matt YanStaff Writers.......................Abby Carpenter

Hannah GarryLaura Hayes

Matt HelmDylan Hinton

Anna JeideCarrie Juergens

Julia JosephSam Molzahn

Marin NycklemoeMaggie SteinbergBritta Thompson

Head Copy Editor......................Katie HaleCopy Editors............................Nils Johnson Cameron Meyferth Ad Representative..........Lauren Meintsma Ad Accountant.....................Sam MathesonPhotography Coordinator..........Casey DeLimaPhotographer................................Abby CarpenterWeb Manager...........................Noah LangeDesign Technician...................Noah LangeSocial Media Director.........Eric AndersonCirculation Manager................Tess WilsonAdviser.....................................David Faldet

Associated Collegiate Press National Online Pacemaker Award 2011

lutherchips.com

When asked in an interview years ago why he writes such strong female characters, screenwriter and producer Joss Whedon answered, “Because you’re still asking me that question.”

Whedon is the creative force behind various beloved television shows and fi lms such as “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Angel,” “Firefl y,” “Serenity,” “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog,” “Dollhouse,” “The Avengers” and more recently, “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” Most who have seen Whedon’s work remember the stand out characters such as the titular Buffy Summers, River Tam,

Willow Rosenberg, Echo or even Whedon’s version of Black Widow.

The praise Whedon has garnered from these characters is well deserved, but his work with male characters is often overlooked.Buffy gave us one of the most domineering fi ctional women in 1990s pop culture. Buffy Summers was a small, blonde, mildly ditzy high school student when she came into her calling as the Slayer. But Whedon did something amazing with Buffy; he made her human. Even Buffy broke down every once in awhile. In one of the very last episodes Buffy asks Xander Harris, her best friend since high school, to take her sister away from the fi nal battle. Xander tells her that he should be with

her, and Buffy tells him, “You will be. You’re my strength, Xander. You’re the reason I made it this far” (Buffy, season 7, ep. 21, 13 May 2003).

Xander had always seemed to be a bit of a throwaway character, but in this moment Whedon shows that Xander never was. From the fi rst to the last episode, it was Xander who never left Buffy. Even when she had given up

on herself, Xander still believed in Buffy. He knew she was stronger, faster and more skilled but he never tried to bring her down for it. Instead, he built her up. He treated her like a w o m a n , r e s p e c t e d

her as a person, and loved her as a sister. And even when it hurt him to do so, he always

stepped to the side to let Buffy save the world. And Xander was always there to save her.

Whedon has a history of creating characters with the same dynamics as Buffy and Xander. Sometimes the man was the de facto leader (“Firefl y”), sometimes it was the woman (“Dollhouse”) but he always created a chemistry based on respect. Whedon writes strong female characters because people are still asking him why he does, but that isn’t the true talent of Joss Whedon. Whedon’s true value is showing that no gender is better than another. Buffy was the savior of the world; Xander was Buffy’s savior, not because Xander was the man but because Xander knew the weight of Buffy’s calling. She had to save the world; someone else had to save her. Whedon has made incredible strides for the strong female but he never sacrifi ced the value of men for that. So thank you, Mr. Whedon, for reminding us that we all matter.

Feminism in “Buffy”Column

Column: Eve was framed

Melinda McMahonColumnist

Do you remember Orange Day? I don’t. In fact, none of the students that currently attend Luther College should remember what it is. The introduction of Sodexo to the cafeteria in 2009 essentially brought the celebration of all foods orange to extinction. With the more formalized meal schedules Sodexo brought to the cafeteria, flexibility with the school’s menu became difficult. In the scuffle of shifting food providers, Luther College forgot about its tradition of setting out carrots, chicken nuggets and oranges once a year for students to enjoy; it forgot about Orange Day. It wasn’t always that way. In fact, students themselves used to run food services. The creation of the Luther College Boarding Club back in 1896 brought dining services to Luther College through elected positions from the student body. Luther College resumed boarding functions in 1931 but remained flexible in its scheduling, with dining taking place in areas such as Loyalty Hall and Valders’ basement.

The shift from Luther College to Sodexo brought numerous changes, and the celebration of Orange Day fell to the wayside. Its extinction was not only silent, but rapid; there are articles in Chips referencing Orange Day as recently as 2011. So why do none of the current students at Luther College

know about Orange Day? Remember, students who graduated in 2011 ate in the cafeteria for a year before Sodexo came in, so they experienced Orange Day. But the current senior class of 2014 has always eaten under Sodexo, and as a result, none of our currently enrolled students have yet to participate in Orange Day in the cafeteria.

Key word: “yet.” With the collaborative efforts of Luther College Dining Services and Food Council, we’re going to be hosting the rebirth of the phoenix that is Orange Day on November 5 in the cafeteria. During dinner on that evening, expect Dining Services to go all-out on providing as many orange foods as they can. Food Council members will also be in the cafeteria listening to student feedback about the food so far this year. Don’t worry if orange isn’t your jam! There will be healthy and food-allergen alternatives available, as always.

Food Council aims to enliven the

dining experience here at Luther College, and bringing back Orange Day is only one of the events we’re offering this year. We’ll also be hosting Penny Wars starting October 29, where students can donate their spare change to the Northeast Iowa Food Bank, which provides meals to students who are hungry. We will be having a competition between classes where pennies count positively to each group’s total, and dollars and other coins subtract from the total. Food Council will be tabling to collect change outside Marty’s from 5-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, and from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Thursday. As usual, we’ve been listening to your comments and using them to guide Luther College Dining Services with their thoughts. Thanks for all of your feedback, and we hope to see you join us on the triumphant return of Orange Day. Enjoy!-Paul Christenson (‘14)

“...one can imagine the confusion I found myself in when I came to the realization some time ago that I’m not a humanist.”

-Noah Lange (‘14)

Noah LangeWeb Manager

October 31, 2013 7OpinionLUTHER COLLEGE CHIPS

I am not a conservative man.So one can imagine the confusion

I found myself in when I came to the realization some time ago that I’m not a humanist. I’d never been interested in the traditional conservative Christian criticisms of the “secular humanism,” and to a certain degree, I’m still not. Bill O’Reilly is not now and has never been a cornerstone of my moral philosophy.

I realized that we as people are not really all that fantastic. We lie, we cheat, we steal, we hurt others without a moments’ thought or reflection. We willingly serve and support the economic and political institutions that kill children in drone attacks, torture

animals, ruin our water, our air and our world.

And surprisingly, these things are really quite easy to justify away—“vote for that political party is the lesser of two evils,” “I don’t have the money not to shop at Wal-Mart,” “it’s too cold to bike to work”—but of course that doesn’t change the nature of the consequences. We can try to mitigate them, to minimize the effects of what we do, but in the end, we’re all complicit. We’re all compromised. We can acquit ourselves of what we do, but we can’t change the reality that what we do has consequences, and that those consequences hurt us and they hurt the world around us. At our very best we are flawed, and at the worst we’re as good a source of evil in the world as any supernatural one.

But it’s not all bad, and neither are we. No one, despite how much we would like to kid ourselves, is an agent of pure evil. There is an exercised capacity for good in even the worst of us. We’re all sinners, but we’re also saints. But I think where things go awry is when we start thinking that the duality isn’t the case. When we convince ourselves that goodness and evil are an either-or instead of a both-and, and that by doing enough good things we can make up the

other “bad” things we’ve done and then have earned the right to call ourselves “good.”

We’ve created institutions that reinforce this—political ones, economic ones. “Buy a nice pair of shoes, get another for an impoverished child,” “wear red to take a stand against rape culture.” They make us feel good, they make us feel righteous. They become means to salvation—indulgences, a forgiveness of guilt. But what they really d o — o f t e n t i m e s , more than fixing the issue—is distract us from our own role in the problem.

I’m not a rapist. But I engage in, participate in a popular culture that commodifies men and women, reinforces damaging power structures and promotes promiscuity. One that glorifies the irresponsible use of alcohol and sexualizes violence. And no matter how much I try to be a part of the solution and how much better that may

make me feel about myself, I’m part of the problem too.

There are things we can do, of course, to try to actually make a difference. We have to take stock of what we do

and think beyond the immediate consequences of our actions—only then can we make changes. But those changes, more often than not, require us to disrupt our lives. They force us to give up a part of ourselves for others—they’re u n c o m f o r t a b l e , they’re time-consuming and often go entirely without reward. So we don’t.

It’s thorny, it’s unpleasant and I don’t have any quick and easy answers. I wish I could say I whole-heartedly believed in God and in absolution, but to tell you the truth, I don’t know. All I know is that we are all broken to the core, and while we can bandage evil’s festering wound with things and with feel-goodery, it is well beyond our power to heal it.

I hope there is a God. If there is, I hope for grace.

Saint and sinner in an either-or AmericaEditorial

A deep, dark shadow is being lifted, and the wonderfully unique humor of the Luther community is reemerging.

What was this terrible shadow? Memes. Specifi cally the variety that found their way from the Internet into the everyday groups of people in the physical world. For those of you who aren’t aware, a meme is a photo with a caption, typically describing a situation in a humorous way. They reached their peak in the Luther community at some point in 2012, but since then they have continued to stick around.

Humor is a complex thing. Contrary to what memes suggest, there isn’t an exact formula for humor, and being able to make a joke is a sign of having a deep understanding of your subject and audience. In the online communities where memes were born, there were massive numbers of diverse people interacting, and with such groups, it was going to be diffi cult to understand one another’s sense of humor. There needed to be an established norm of humor, one that could be easily replicable and easily understood. A picture with a caption was just the thing, and it was essentially able to capture a very minimal outline of the sentiments, which are shared in a joke.

There is something admirable about the ability of people from vastly different backgrounds to share something in common, but as soon as this form of comedy leapt into the everyday world of face-to-face interactions, I could quickly see what a dreadful thing it was. When the unique environment of a place like Luther College adopts the generic comedic patterns of the online community, a part of the former community dies.

It is true that memes can be used to offer some customization and an outlet for creativity, but when a community is a physically present group of individuals, adopting an unrelated external model of humor is constricting and unhealthy. The most devastating effect of memes in my personal life occurred last summer when I was spending a weekend with two close family friends who are about fi ve years younger than I am. I’m always so excited to spend time with them, because they have such a hilarious outlook on life and always provide funny new perspectives. I was so disappointed when they spent the whole weekend making jokes that directly mimicked popular online memes. I felt like I had been robbed of something. I even found myself forced into using the same memes right back at them, just in order to connect. Other times I have found myself with various small groups, and as soon as I hear a meme, my brief satisfaction in belonging and understanding is overrun by a dread in the death of humor.

My favorite aspect of human beings is how every group forms its own unique behaviors and unique styles of humor. It is in small personal communities of close relationships and

intimate understandings of one another where humor truly comes alive. In Malta, a group of fi shermen would spend early morning hours laughing at the German tourists who were staggering along the beach, too drunk to fi nd their way home. At a nursing home in my hometown, everyone would joke about Frank’s latest futile pursuit of a fellow female resident. In my high school Spanish class, the comedic theme was a strange barefoot man who would walk past our class everyday, El Hombre sin Zapatos. At Luther College, apparently it was funny that we were bracing ourselves, keeping calm and doing all the things.

The use of memes injured communities worldwide. It manifested itself in posters, emails, facebook posts and, worst of all everyday conversation. These tedious jokes embed themselves in our personalities and prevent groups from forming unique styles of humor. Luckily, people have grown tired of these jokes and their use has decreased dramatically, but whenever certain situations arise, certain memes are quick to reappear. I hope these memes slink back into the online caves where they belong.-Luke Dovre (‘14)

October 31, 20138 Features

A tale of two Pi Sigs: Pi Sigma Omicron throughout the years

Carrie JuergensStaff Writer

LUTHER COLLEGE CHIPS

They see me rolling. Muffy Tiede and President Tiede ride in style at the 2013 homecoming parade. “We are having a wonderful time here,” Muffy said.Aaron Lurth/Photo Bureau

Meet Muffy

Although Pi Sigma Omicron, or Pi Sig, has been around for 60 years, the group has a history unlike that of any other group on campus. They began as a Luther-sanctioned fraternity, but are now running outside of campus.

“They said, ‘You either get Trout Fry or you get your charter,’ and we chose Trout Fry,” current Pi Sig President Ben Holmberg (‘14) said on how the group lost their charter.

Trout Fry is an annual party put on by Pi Sig, but it started out as something much different: an actual trout fry.

Director of the Nena Amundson Lifetime Wellness Program Greg Lonning (‘83) pledged Pi Sigma Omicron when he was a student at Luther 30 years ago, and remembers the beginnings of the now infamous celebration.

“We had a bunch of Pi Sigs that were into fi shing, and they’d go out fi shing, they had all this extra fi sh,” Lonning said. “They were freezing them in everyone’s refrigerators, and we decided, ‘We should have a fi sh fry.’”

As time wore on, Trout Fry expanded to include other activities.

“Beer and drinking started getting into the equation, and now we don’t really fi sh any more,

we just have live music and beer and a place to hang out and kill time before fi nals,” Holmberg said.

Lonning was startled by his former frat’s decision to slide under the radar.

“Most of us had just donated money to the fraternity [when they gave up their charter],” Lonning said. “And now we have this organization where the choice to go underground was probably made by one or two kids … it impacted close to a hundred of us through the years of Pi Sigs, and we all said, ‘We don’t want that to happen,’ but they never asked us.”

Lonning fondly remembers his days as a Pi Sigma Omicron. When the group was still a sanctioned fraternity, he remembers raising money for charity by delivering tacos for a local restaurant. For Lonning, Pi Sigma Omicron was not just about the charity or the pledging, but about the brotherhood.

“It’s just unfortunate because I feel like they’re missing out on some experiences that we had that they can’t have, especially after going underground,” Lonning said.

Holmberg, however, is happy with the fraternity as it is now and does not feel any indebtedness to the school.

“We don’t really feel entitled to serve the school. They’re not really a part of the equation any more. Obviously if there was a way of getting funding through charity work or raising events, if we had some kind of goals other than Trout Fry, then yes,

we would do that,” Holmberg said.Holmberg did not comment on any of the Pi

Sigs’ current pledging activities, but Lonning remembers the fun of pledging and tries to make sure that students on campus today have the same opportunities that he did.

“People get frustrated with the dress up stuff, [but] I think it’s so healthy to do that,” Lonning said. “It adds to the fl avor of campus; it’s fun. I think we have to be careful on these private campuses. We create this mold of a student, and any time they step

outside that mold, beyond their boundaries, we shake a fi nger at them... But I think it’s important to have people doing that.”

Lonning also explained how fraternities and sororities help improve wellness within the lives of students.

“They’re social and they’re active,” Lonning said. “For the most part, it’s stress relieving. I think it can be spiritual in the sense that you’re trying to

think of ways to promote your sorority or fraternity and its value systems. It meets all those dimensions. It’s wellness at its best, and I’ve always said that. I wish that we’d expand it.”

The future of Pi Sigma Omicron in relation to Luther isn’t clear, but upon hearing the news that one current fraternity on campus had doubled numbers with its new pledge class, Lonning was thrilled.

“That tells you something,” Lonning said. “ That means there’s a need out there for [Greek life].”

“They said, ‘You either get Trout Fry or you get your charter,’ and we chose Trout Fry.”

-Ben Holmberg (‘14)

Pioneer ArchivesTimes have changed. A 1963 Pioneer yearbook photo of Luther fraternity Pi Sigma Omicron.

Features

Matt HelmStaff Writer

A tale of two Pi Sigs: Pi Sigma Omicron throughout the years

Get to know Luther’s First Lady, Muffy Tiede, in this exclusive Chips interview.

Britta ThompsonStaff Writer

October 31, 2013 9

LUTHER COLLEGE CHIPS

Muffy Tiede. The name alone prompts intrigue and mystery. So just who is Muffy? She’s the “First Lady” of Luther Colleg e, of course! Short in stature and big in personality, Muffy is the wife of Interim President David Tiede. She recently sat down with Chips for an exclusive interview.

Chips: So… “Muffy Tiede”—is there a story behind the name?

Muffy Tiede: My name is Martha. I don’t mind my name. It’s not that I don’t like my name. When I was born my little brother was about two and a half and he nicknamed me Muffet from the nursery rhyme “Little Miss Muffet,” and that just sort of morphed into Muffy. My friends and my family and everybody that’s ever known me calls me Muffy. When I hear Martha it kind of jolts me a little.

In the 60s, a guidebook came out about being preppy and at the bottom it said, “Look Muffy, this book is for you.” It turned out Muffy was a preppy name, which I did not know! I was embarrassed to death, of course. I always feel like if anybody is old enough to remember that whole preppy thing, I have to let them know that I was “Muffy” before there was “preppy.” I really never did fi t the preppy mold very well.

What was your job prior to retirement?What I did with my life when I was employed is that

I’ve always worked in public education, secondary ed. I taught for many years. I eventually became the assistant superintendant for curriculum. That was very interesting

work; I just loved it. I’ve always been fascinated by how kids learn and what makes good environments for learning and how to improve that. And I love that there are lots of kids down here at Luther going into education. Part of my job used to be hiring teachers and I hired a lot of music teachers. I would sort through stacks of applications to see who came out of a Lutheran private college in music because they were always the best trained teachers.

What did you learn from being an educator?I hope I learned a lot. It’s interesting. I learned that the

best teachers that I ever had a chance to observe were the teachers who not only loved their subject matter but also loved the kids. I think that’s one of the reasons we’ve got good teachers down here at Luther. They like their students. I think that’s true from kindergarten all the way through. You need those two pieces. You gotta like the kids and be amused by them and think they’re fun and funny and think they’re worth giving your life to. I do think education is worth giving your life to.

What have you been doing with your retirement?

I make quilts. I read. I travel. I have ten grandchildren. We only have two kids, but we have ten grandchildren. How do you like that? I spend a lot of time with those kids now it’s great fun. It’s one of the great joys of my life.

Retired people always say they are really busy and they are. But it is a different busy because you are busy doing the things you love to do because you feel like doing them. I’m not as effi cient as I used to be because I don’t have to be. I even drive slower because I don’t have to get anywhere in a hurry. It’s amazing. We live at a different kind of a pace with a lot less stress. It’s worth getting there.

You make quilts?I never did quilting until the morning after I retired from

my job. My sister knocked on my door with a big fat quilt kit

in her hands. I had won it years ago at a quilt show and gave it to her but she never made that quilt. She asked me, “you aren’t working anymore are you?” and I said, “no, but just yesterday I was.” So she sat me down and taught me how to quilt. I’ve been crazy quilting ever since.

What do you think of Luther College so far?I am very impressed with Luther College. We are having

a wonderful time here. People are incredibly friendly and welcoming. And I think that is the experience of almost every person I’ve ever talked to who has come onto this campus. People always talk about how welcoming it is. I do not think that [it] is just talk—I think it’s really true.

I also think there is an enormous concern here for the well-being of the students and the success of the students. I hear

that a lot in a very healthy way. It is not that we are babysitting the students. We genuinely care at Luther College that students will get a good start on their vocation in life, and that they will think of themselves as having real life goals that will be contributing to the welfare of their fellow man but also to their own growth and health. I think this is a great school.

Do you have any advice for Luther Students?

Adults love to give advice but I think most of us realize nobody really wants it. I just say ‘hooray’ for everybody

who goes out and does something they’ve never done before. I would encourage kids to take every opportunity they get in college to explore something new and not be too worried about whether they’d be good at it or not. Make new friends. Eat new foods. Hear new languages. I love being on a college campus because there is just so much going on. College kids have so much fun just living life, which is a very good idea—don’t lose that! Don’t ever quit being just a little bit foolish and a little bit silly because life is more fun when you are.

“Don’t ever quit being just a little bit foolish and a little bit silly because life is more fun when you are.”

-Muffy Tiede

we would do that,” Holmberg said.Holmberg did not comment on any of the Pi

Sigs’ current pledging activities, but Lonning remembers the fun of pledging and tries to make sure that students on campus today have the same opportunities that he did.

“People get frustrated with the dress up stuff, [but] I think it’s so healthy to do that,” Lonning said. “It adds to the fl avor of campus; it’s fun. I think we have to be careful on these private campuses. We create this mold of a student, and any time they step

outside that mold, beyond their boundaries, we shake a fi nger at them... But I think it’s important to have people doing that.”

Lonning also explained how fraternities and sororities help improve wellness within the lives of students.

“They’re social and they’re active,” Lonning said. “For the most part, it’s stress relieving. I think it can be spiritual in the sense that you’re trying to

think of ways to promote your sorority or fraternity and its value systems. It meets all those dimensions. It’s wellness at its best, and I’ve always said that. I wish that we’d expand it.”

The future of Pi Sigma Omicron in relation to Luther isn’t clear, but upon hearing the news that one current fraternity on campus had doubled numbers with its new pledge class, Lonning was thrilled.

“That tells you something,” Lonning said. “ That means there’s a need out there for [Greek life].”

Working hard. Terra Kruger (‘14) (left) and Allison Vollinger (‘15) (right) help out at the Fall Fling.Britta Thompson/Chips

Do your fling

Raking leaves and pulling weeds is not typically a college student’s Saturday activity of choice. This past Saturday, Oct. 26, however, many Luther students did just that. They were participating in College Ministries’ seasonal volunteer event, the Fall Fling.

The Fall Fling is organized by Luther’s Student Congregation Council and spearheaded by Deacon of

Community Action Makayla Marinack (‘16).According to Campus Pastor Mike Blair, the volunteer

work mainly consists of yard chores like raking leaves and debris, cleaning windows, cleaning out a garage, cleaning out gutters, pulling weeds or trimming hedges or shrubberies. Every autumn and spring, around 30 households register to have student volunteers come and help out with these tasks. Any household may sign up to receive assistance, but many of the residents who request help do so because of age, disabilities or because they need a few extra pairs of hands to get the chores done.

“Between 75 and 100 students volunteer each time the Fall or Spring Fling comes around,” Blair said. “So typically we get a strong response from students.”

The Fall Fling has been sending students into the community for a long time.

“[The Fling] has been going on since the 1980s, possibly longer than that. At least thirty years,” Blair said of the event’s long history. “From its beginning, the student congregation has had a record of reaching out and serving the community.”

Ultimately, the Fall Fling reaches beyond the Decorah community. The residents who receive help have the option of making a donation to different causes and charities, which are selected by the Student Congregation Council.

“We looked at things that were going on locally and around the world, things that we were passionate to work for,” Marinack said.

The causes chosen this year were the YouVisa program of the Northeast Iowa Peace and Justice Center which provides support for immigrant families and immigration reform, and the Syrian Disaster Appeal of ELCA Disaster Response, which promotes awareness and assistance for Syrian refugees.

In past years, donations from Fall and Spring Fling have supported causes such as free clinics, food shelves, the ULCA Malaria Campaign, the work of the Northeast Iowa Community Action Agency and the Path to Citizenship Fund.

“That’s what I like about Fall and Spring Fling,” said Blair. “We generate awareness and support for many different causes, but it’s also a fun day in which students can get to know Decorah residents, and you might learn something about Luther or Decorah as well.”

Marinack shares Blair’s enthusiasm for the event. Last year, before she was Deacon of Community Action, Marinack participated as a Fall Fling volunteer.

“We raked and cleaned windows at the homes of two former Luther professors, and afterwards they gave us cookies and told us all about the Nottingham trips they had hosted, and it was super fun,” Marinack said. “We encourage the volunteers to get to know the people they’re helping out, because it’s a great way to get connected to the Decorah community.”

At the end of the day, students are invited to gather and refl ect about their volunteer experiences.

“The energy of the day is just really positive,” Blair said. “[The service] is very much appreciated and valued in the Decorah community. There are many ways to volunteer and serve, but participation in the Fling is a great way to give some of your time to a good cause.”

Luther students help out in the Luther Community

“SAC is presenting nothing else quite like him this year, due to his ability to perform so many diverse genres.”

-Emma Hartmann (‘15)

Mahone machineHannah Garry

Staff Writer

October 31, 2013 10

LUTHER COLLEGE CHIPS

Arts & Entertainment

Ohio singer-songwriter Jared Mahone performed in Marty’s on Friday, Oct. 25. SAC Spotlight/Diversity Co-Chairs discovered the dynamic singer at the National Association for Campus Activities showcase last spring.

“We really loved his energy and the kind of music he performed,” SAC Spotlight/Diversity Co-Chair Emma Hartmann (‘15) said. “We agreed that Luther students would really enjoy what he had to offer.”

Hartmann pointed out that Mahone does not represent just one type of music.

“SAC is presenting nothing else quite like him this year, due to his ability to perform so many diverse genres,” Hartmann said.

While the audience might not have expected much variety from one man on stage with a guitar, Mahone used a recording device to make loops of beat boxing or creating a beat by banging on his guitar to simulate

a full band and support a wide range of musical styles.Mahone lent his soulful voice to songs that varied

in style from sounding more like R&B to pop to soul. He also treated Friday night’s audience to a showcase of his beat-boxing abilities.

“He is something up and coming that we wanted to get our hands on,” Hartmann said.

In 2010, Mahone was working on a project where he wrote one song per week. He ended up with too many songs to fit on one album and so let his fans decide which songs would go on to his newest album titled “Mixtape.”

The album also features mix engineer Mike Landholt, who has worked with Maroon 5, and mastering engineer Brian Lucey, who has worked with artists such as The Shins and The Black Keys.

Mahone explained the origins of some of the songs he performed on Friday from “Mixtape” like the

song he wrote for his grandfather (“Been Watchin You”) or for a couple he met in West Virginia (“From: Joe To: Betsy”). Mahone also kept a relaxed dialogue with the audience going throughout the show, encouraging them to snap and sing along when he covered Britney Spears’ classic “Hit Me Baby One More Time.”

The Minneapolis rapper discusses writing, hip-hop and opening for Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.

Photo courtesy of Kelly Loverud

Can you explain the stage name Dessa?I’ve been going by Dessa since I was a teenager … I used it to sing underage in a karaoke bar.

What other music groups are you a part of?Dessa: I’ve been a part of Doomtree almost since the beginning of my career, we’re a seven-member arts collective from Minneapolis with five rappers and a couple DJs and producers. I tour with them and I tour as a solo act with a five-piece band.

What are your passions outside of music?I love writing, and I just released my first collection of poetry, called “A Pound of Steam.” When I have free time, though I haven’t really had free time this year, I probably spend it doing the same thing I do for a living, because before I was paying rent off of music and writing those were really my passions.

What first drew you to hip hop?It’s a form that awards high honors for word play and for creative figurative language, and as a person who had aspirations as an essayist I was really attracted to a genre with such an interest in language arts.

Chacos or Tevas?Combat Boots

What are the best and worst costumes you have sported for Halloween?Dessa: The best was Carmen Sandiego.

The worst was probably in my early twenties when I was a “Sexy Cat” or some other variation of an otherwise lame costume that you just add “sexy” in front of.

As a woman in male-dominated genre, what is the biggest challenge you’ve faced and the biggest reward you’ve received?At the beginning of my career it was disappointing to learn that a lot of professionally interested partners were actually romantically interested partners; that was disheartening. On the other end, I continue to garner attention from potential listeners who are interested in the idea of a woman working and succeeding in this field, and attention is really the hardest thing to come by as an artist. All you can ask is that someone listen to your music for 30 or 60 seconds before they decide whether or not they like it, so I still probably benefit from the fact that I’m an unusual entity in this genre.

How do you feel about opening for Macklemore and Ryan Lewis?I’m really excited, and it’ll be fun to see a live show. We shared a stage at South by Southwest this year and I really think that dude deserves every bit of success he’s had.

Dessa will open for Macklemore and Ryan Lewis on Thursday, Oct. 31 at 7:30 p.m. in the Regents Center. Copies of “A Pound of Steam” and other merchandise will be available in the main lobby of Regents. For more information on Dessa, visit www.doomtree.net/dessa.

Buckeye blues. Ohio singer-songwriter Jared Mahone performed in Marty’s on Friday, Oct. 25.

Hannah Garry/Chips

Chips Q&A: DessaDylan Hinton

Staff Writer

Singer Jared Mahone brings unique music to Marty’s.

October 31, 2013 11SportsLUTHER COLLEGE CHIPS

Luther students looking for an easy elective got more than they bargained for when they signed up for Adaptive P.E. This course has been offered since the 1960s and is currently taught by Track and Field Head Coach Jeff Wettach (‘79).

The course began with Luther students going to a local clinic to spend time with disabled children. Over the years it has helped Decorah become the hub of Northeast Iowa for special education. Last year there were fifteen school districts with approximately 161 kids that came to be paired with Luther students for this class.

The children, ranging from three to 19 years old, come to Luther once a week to play or swim with their Luther “buddy.” Activities that are offered in the hour time slot differ depending on the child, but can include basketball, crawling, reading, singing, parachute games, table tennis and more.

“I took Adaptive because I thought it would be an easy A, but it has been much more than that,” Mitch Patrikus (‘14) said. “It has been a very rewarding experience working with these kids each day. The excitement that these kids bring day in and day out is amazing as well. It really seems like it's the highlight of their day.”

This semester, enrollment in Adaptive P.E. is down from previous years, which makes it hard to run the class properly. There are 36 students enrolled this semester, but ideally Wettach would like to have around 50 students to properly pair up Luther students with buddies.

“For most students this class is an elective,” Wettach said. “I like having not just physical education majors, but social work, physical therapy and anyone else who wants to give back for 60 minutes, three days a week. This course is

all about experiential learning. It promotes communication and the use of trial and error. I am constantly amazed by the bonds students make with their buddies.”

Through the different presidents and deans, Adaptive P.E. has always had the school’s support. Adaptive P.E. offers a bridge between the Decorah school district and Luther by bringing students to campus. As current members of the class reflect, they see how beneficial this class is even though it can be challenging.

“The best part is seeing improvement in how the kids interact and warm up to everyone,” Sam Stokes-Cerkvenik (‘15) said. “It’s truly been an eye-opening experience for

me, and I’m learning a lot from these kids. I’m just so thankful that the kids are getting any sort of benefit, from having fun to becoming more confident and comfortable in society.”

Though it is unclear why enrollment is slightly down this semester, it is important that Luther students continue to enroll in this course so that there are enough buddies for the kids that travel here.

“The main goal of the course is to help each student make progress in what they can do,” Wettach said. “It is important to never underestimate the impact you can have on a child’s life.”

Having fun in the water. Kristiana Harris (‘15) and Ali Carlson (‘17) play with their child in the pool.Julia Joseph/Chips

Julia JosephStaff Writer

Swimmers navigate obstacles

12:38 - 1:12 a.m.: Perform cheers/feelings time. Lance takes pity on us and comes out of his hiding place; he leads us back to the turf room and we all perform our new cheers. I feel full of the spirit of one hundred Norse gods! Next, we huddle in our MT teams and submit to a little emotional bonding. We discuss our fears for the season and what we plan to do about them.

1:12 - 2:05 a.m.: Obstacle Course. We discover that while we were trying to find Lance, Bethany was setting up an obstacle course. It sounds simple enough, but MT never is. The first group has to complete the course blindfolded with the help of vocal instructions from a partner. The second group has to complete the course blindfolded as well, but their partner is not allowed to speak.

2:05 - 3:22 a.m.: Giants, Wizards, Elves: The team is divided into two big groups to play this full-body version of rock-paper-scissors. The basic rules are: giants beat wizards, wizards beat elves and elves beat giants. Before each round, the teams decide which character they will embody and, on the count of three, hope for the best. By this time, everyone is a bit fuzzy so it is always a struggle to figure out who has won.

3:22 - 4:35 a.m.: Sock wrestling/Buck-Buck. Up in the wrestling room, we sock wrestle. This simple, fun form of physical violence has one goal: to get your opponent’s sock off their foot before they get yours off. After everyone is all riled up, we play Buck-Buck, which is perhaps the most unexplainable part of MT, but here goes:

In Buck-Buck, five or six swimmers form a base by forming a line, bending over, and nuzzling their heads around and underneath the belly of the person in front of them. Then the rest of the team, one by one, sprints toward the group and launches themselves on top of

the unlucky base - grabbing on like a young koala in the moonlight. The goal is to pile the entire team up on top of one another.

4:35 - 5:45 a.m.: Senior speeches. The final part of MT is always the hardest. This final hour is devoted to the senior speeches and they can do whatever they want: give advice, reminisce on memories, cry and cry. Okay ... it was mostly just me crying.

Fifteen minutes early, we all disperse. I am exhausted and emotional, and hopefully a bit more mentally tough.

Adaptive P.E. gives back to community

continued from page 12

Mental Toughness

Swimmers getting weird. Seth Vanderhorst (‘15) guides Gunnar Swanson (‘17) through the obstacle course.Photo courtesy of Eric Crawford

Rocking war paint. David Carius (‘16) swims 500 yards during the Navy Seal Challenge in MT 2013.

Photo courtesy of Eric Crawford

October 31, 201312 SportsSwimmers get mentally tough

Every year on the Friday evening leading into Fall Break, the Luther College swim team participates in a full twelve hours of physical and emotional working out. “Mental Toughness” starts at 6 p.m. on Friday and ends at 6 a.m. the next morning. This year marked its 13th anniversary. This is one swimmer’s experience of the 2013 Mental Toughness.

How it works

The swimmers are split into five Mental Toughness teams, all of which come up with costumes and names that correspond with the overall

theme and motto of the night, decided by Head Swim Coach Lance Huber. This year’s theme was Star Wars, and the motto was “NORSE UNSTOPPABLE.” Team names had to be an anagram of the motto, explaining their incoherent strangeness. Competing teams were “Pros Peon A Sunbelt” (the Yoda team), “Nurlple Spoon Beats” (the Darth Vader team), “PoolBeasts #Repunn” (the Chewbacca team), “ln(seepoop run bats)” (the C3PO team) and “Postpone Real Buns” (the Princess Leia team).

Although Mental Toughness is technically a competition between these teams, no one keeps track of the points.

The Start

6:00 - 6:35 p.m.: Mind games. I wait in the Regents parking lot with my team, “PoolBeasts #Repunn,” for Lance to tweet our first scavenger hunt clue. We were supposed to get the clue at 6 p.m. sharp for this traditional first activity, but Lance is having technical difficulties. We are dressed in our awesome Chewbacca costumes: t-shirts spray-painted with the graceful silhouette of Chewbacca’s head, brown camo headbands and sashes. Even the fact that our t-shirts look more like hairy turds than Chewbacca can’t bring us down!

6:35 - 7:33 p.m.: Scavenger hunt. The first clue is a blurry photo of the ice caves; we arrive to find Lance and Assistant Coach Bethany Nicoll (‘10) waiting to meet us. They explain a few things, including one major rule for the night: when in the Regents Center, walking is not allowed. We have to jog from place to place, no exceptions.

7:33 - 8:59 p.m.: Enchilada. After driving around Decorah in our poop t-shirts we get to the last stop: Regents Center; this is where we will be for the rest of the night. Our base for the evening is the new turf room, which also happens to be where the old pool was. This immediately sends me into a nostalgic tailspin. Our first activity of the night is Enchilada, my favorite game. Enchilada is basically one-on-one dodgeball and is awesome because it gives the swim team an excuse to violently throw balls at one another!

8:59 - 9:14 p.m.: Frozen t-shirt contest. In this MT tradition, a first year from each team is picked to participate in a more athletic, school-appropriate version of a wet t-shirt contest. They are each given a t-shirt frozen into a block of ice and the first one to get it on wins.

9:14 - 10:42 p.m.: The Navy Seals Challenge. In what is perhaps the most physically challenging portion of MT, each swimmer must complete the Navy Seals Challenge. This consists of a 1.5 mile run, 500 yard swim and two minutes each of pull ups, pushups and situps. Somehow points and times are added up and subtracted to create a score. Maybe it’s long division? I’m not entirely sure how the scoring works because I was whimpering in a corner while it was explained.

10:42 - 11:22 p.m.: Team cheers. We return to the Turf Room and each team comes up with two brand new cheers, one for our MT team, and one for Luther swimming as a whole.

11:22 - 11:45 p.m.: Pizza.

11:45 - 12:38 a.m.: Find Lance. We hear the dreaded sound. It comes from far away. It is the deep, dark noise of impending doom. It is the air horn, which marks the beginning of the game “Find Lance,” which is basically a building-wide, impossible version of hide-and-seek. In our teams, we jog around Regents, opening strange doors we have never seen before and returning to the same places over and over. Just when we feel like we’re close to finding him, we hear the air horn from a completely different part of Regents. In 13 years, no one has ever found Lance.

Margaret YappFeatures Editor

Showing team spirit. “Pros Peon A Sunbelt,” or Team Yoda, was one of five teams that competed in Mental Toughness 2013.Photo courtesy of Eric Crawford

continued on page 11

Mental Toughness

Recent scores:-N/A

Upcoming schedule: -Nov. 2 vs. UW-Whitewater @ Whitewater-Nov. 9 vs. Grinnell @ Home

Weekly StandingsFootball

WartburgSimpsonDubuqueCoeCentralLutherBuena VistaLoras

IIAC4-03-13-12-22-21-31-30-4

6-15-24-35-24-32-51-61-6

Overall

Recent scores:-Oct. 26 vs. Central L 12-22

Upcoming schedule:-Nov. 2 vs. Buena Vista @ Home-Nov. 9 vs. Coe @ Cedar Rapids

Women’s Soccer

LorasDubuqueLutherWartburgCentralSimpsonBuena VistaCoe

IIAC Overall7-05-25-24-3

3-3-12-4-11-60-7

15-3-114-49-8

7-10-112-5-24-15-13-15-13-14-1

Upcoming schedule:-Nov. 2 IIAC Tournament First Round vs. TBA @ Loras

Recent scores:-Oct. 26 vs. Central L 1-2-Oct. 29 vs. Wartburg W 1-0

Volleyball

CoeWartburgLorasLutherSimpsonBuena VistaCentralDubuque

IIAC Overall6-06-04-23-32-41-51-51-5

32-322-1014-1514-1814-1116-1012-1910-20

Recent scores:-Oct. 19 vs. UW-Oshkosh L 0-3-Oct. 22 vs. Central W 3-0

Upcoming schedule:-Oct. 30 vs. Buena Vista @ Home*-Nov. 5 IIAC Tournament First Round @ Home

Women’s Swim and Dive

LorasCoeLutherSimpson

IIAC0-00-00-00-0

Overall1-01-20-00-0

Men’s SoccerIIAC Overall

LorasWartburgLutherSimpsonDubuqueCentralBuena VistaCoe

6-16-05-13-33-32-51-60-7

15-1-214-2-212-5

10-6-26-9-19-8-15-13

5-11-1

Recent scores:-Oct. 23 vs. Macalester W 2-0-Oct. 29 vs. Wartburg W*

Upcoming schedule:-Nov. 2 IIAC Tournament First Round vs. Loras* No results as of production time

Margaret Yapp