You may or may not have noticed this when you picked up this newspaper, but the satirical “Foolsies” section that’s historically been featured at the end of a semester is absent from this edition of CHIPS — and may not come back.
A bit of context for those who need it: “Foolsies” was a CHIPS tradition in which members of the staff would write satirical news stories about Luther; the goal was to provide some levity to campus as the stress of finals week approached. But three years ago, one of our satirical stories provoked widespread controversy across campus and forced our Sports section to be dropped from the newspaper. At the time, multiple members of the CHIPS staff were subjected to harassment and some even received death threats, all because of a fake story that was intended as a joke.
In the aftermath, CHIPS struggled to separate itself from the controversy, and many in the campus community were left with the wrong idea about what the purpose of CHIPS was as an organization. We’re still struggling with this; in August, the day before the start of Fall semester, a student walked up to the CHIPS table at the fall activities fair and said this:
“Wow, I love CHIPS! You all write such funny stories!”
Funny stories? CHIPS is so much more than a group who writes funny stories. We’re Luther’s official student newspaper, not The Onion. As editor-in-chief and managing editor, the two of us did not assume control of a publication that’s functioned for nearly 150 years, survived through major political turmoil and documented all aspects of Luther to be dubbed “funny.” With this interaction (and many others) in mind, we thought it would be best to explain our thought process behind the elimination of “Foolsies.”
First and foremost, as fun as it was to write “Foolsies” stories, these stories were frequently mistaken for factual, legitimate news reporting despite being clearly labeled as otherwise. Since we can’t force everyone on campus to take Media Literacy, the responsibility to solve the problem is on us. Factor in the challenges to safety and wellbeing of individual CHIPS staff members that “Foolsies” caused as well as the growing belief that CHIPS isn’t serious, and it’s simply a no-brainer. This fall, CHIPS is thankful that our Sports section is back (as new writer Chase Kmosena can attest). We’d much rather prioritize “real” stories if it means the Luther community takes our publication seriously.
Additionally, CHIPS would like to avoid contributing — where it can — to a perceived “culture of complaint” around campus. As Dean of Student Engagement Ashley Benson has stated in a recent Student Senate meeting, there has been an uptick in negativity and complaints launched by students, and she is concerned that staff and faculty will “begin to feel beat up on” if the negativity continues. Although we would like to avoid the negativity, we reiterate that the purpose of CHIPS is to report on stories that matter and that are relevant to the student body. This means our stories might not only be the “positives.”
As former Editor-In-Chief Jackson Geadelmann (‘23) wrote last spring, “our paper is not an alumni magazine.” Sometimes the stories that need telling do not align themselves with the positive and sunny image that Luther College would like to project. Neither might some of the Opinions in this very section. We run opinions under the knowledge that they are just that — an individual person or group’s opinion. They do not reflect the opinion of this newspaper, and they do not always feature unbiased perspective or fact. Regardless, student voices deserve a platform, even if their voices might not paint the college in the best light.
Furthermore, as Joseph Pulitzer reminds us, the newspaper is more than just a tool of its owners. As journalists, we hold an incredible responsibility of telling the truth.
“A journalist is the lookout on the bridge of the ship of state [or College, in our case],” Pulitzer said. “He notes the passing sail, the little things of interest that dot the horizon in fine weather. He reports the drifting castaway whom the ship can save. He peers through the fog and storm to give warning of dangers ahead. He is not thinking of his wages, or of the profits of his owners. He is there to watch over the safety and the welfare of the people who trust him.”
Like Pulitzer, we wish to bring to the forefront stories that matter to the student body, and while we will never be perfect for everyone, we will continue to try. Perhaps in Spring Semester we can revamp our “Foolsies” edition, or maybe that responsibility is up to a future editing team. But, until there’s a time where regular CHIPS work 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 that our writing, photography, and editorial staff have done — as volunteers, nonetheless!
Lastly, we’d like to close with two quick messages. To our incredible staff: each of you make it happen day in and day out. We’ve made so much progress, and the two of us (and Christy) are so proud of each and every one of you. We are grateful to all of you for your contributions to CHIPS! Best of luck with finals, and then go take the break you’ve wholeheartedly earned. To our readers: whether you are one or one thousand, or whether you’re 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.