You may or may not have noticed it when you picked up this newspaper, but the satirical “Follies” section that historically ran at the end of the semester is absent from this edition of CHIPS — and may never return.
A little context for those who need it: “Foolsies” was a CHIPS tradition in which staff members would write satirical news stories about Luther; The goal was to provide some activity for the campus as finals week approached. But three years ago, one of our satirical stories sparked widespread controversy across campus and forced the removal of our sports section from the newspaper. At the time, several CHIPS team members were harassed, and some even received death threats, all because of a fake story that was meant as a joke.
In the aftermath, CHIPS struggled to separate itself from the controversy, leaving many in the campus community with a misconception about the purpose of CHIPS as an organization. We are still struggling with this. In August, the day before fall semester began, a student walked up to the CHIPS table at the Fall Activities Fair and said the following:
“Wow, I love potato chips! You all write such funny stories!”
Funny Stories? CHIPS is much more than just a group that writes funny stories. We are Luther’s official student newspaper, not The Onion. As editor-in-chief and managing editor, the two of us have not been in control of a publication that has been in operation for nearly 150 years, has weathered major political upheavals and documented every aspect of Luther until it was called “the funny.” With this interaction (and many others) in mind, we thought it would be best to explain our thought process behind getting rid of the “jerks.”
First and foremost, although writing “goon” stories was fun, too often these stories were mistaken for factual, legitimate news reporting even though they were clearly labeled as otherwise. Since we cannot force everyone on campus to learn media literacy, the responsibility to solve the problem falls on us. Consider the challenges to the safety and well-being of CHIPS staff caused by the “foolishness” as well as the growing belief that CHIPS is not dangerous, and it is simply a no-brainer. This fall, CHIPS is grateful to have our sports department back (as new writer Chase Camosina can attest). We prefer to prioritize “real” stories if it means the Luther community takes our posts seriously.
In addition, CHIPS wishes to avoid contributing, wherever possible, to a perceived “culture of complaint” around campus. As Dean of Student Engagement Ashley Benson said at a recent Student Council meeting, there has been an uptick in negativity and complaints by students, and she worries that staff and faculty will “start to feel beaten down” if the negativity continues. Although we wish to avoid negativity, we reiterate that the purpose of CHIPS is to report stories that are important and relevant to the student body. This means that our stories may not only be “positive.”
As former editor-in-chief Jackson Gedelman (23) wrote last spring, “Our paper is not a graduate magazine.” Sometimes, the stories that need to be told do not align with the positive, bright image that Luther College wants to project. Some opinions are not permissible in this particular section. We manage opinions knowing that they are just the opinion of an individual or group. It does not reflect the opinion of this newspaper, nor does it always present an unbiased view or fact. Regardless, students’ voices deserve a platform, even if their voices don’t paint the college in the best light.
Moreover, as Joseph Pulitzer reminds us, the newspaper is more than just a tool in the hands of its owners. As journalists, we have an incredible responsibility to tell the truth.
“The journalist is the guard on the bridge of the ship of state [or College, in our case]Pulitzer said. “He notices the passing sail, and the interesting little things that dot the horizon in good weather. He reports the drifting castaway who can be rescued by the ship. He looks through the fog and storm to give warning of the dangers ahead. He does not think about his wages or the profits of his owners. “He is there to watch over the safety and well-being of the people who trust him.”
Like Pulitzer, we want to highlight stories that matter to the student body, and while we will never be perfect for everyone, we will keep trying. Perhaps in the spring we can renew the Foolsies issue, or perhaps that responsibility will fall to the future editorial team. But, until such time as the regular work of CHIPS is taken seriously by Luther students, faculty, staff, administration, and community members, we cannot in good conscience create something that might undermine the hard work of our writing, photography, and editorial staff. – As volunteers, though!
Finally, we’d like to close with two quick messages. To our amazing employees: Every one of you makes it happen, day in and day out. We’ve made so much progress, and we (and Christy) are both so proud of each and every one of you. We are grateful to all of you for your contributions to CHIPS! Good luck in the finals, then go and take your well-earned break. To our readers: Whether you are one or a thousand, or whether you are a supporter or a hater – thank you for your continued engagement with CHIPS.
Editor’s note: This story originally appeared in Vol. 149 of CHIPS, which was published in December 2023. As of 10/12/2023, the printed version has not yet been distributed around Luther College.
We regret to inform you that the decision has been made to remove “Follies” from the upcoming Fall print issue. After much deliberation and consideration, we have come to the difficult conclusion that it is in the best interest of the publication to not include “Follies” in this edition. We understand that this may come as disappointing news to many, but we assure you that this decision was not made lightly. We appreciate your understanding and continued support as we strive to produce a high-quality and representative publication for the Luther College community.