Wartburg Vs. Luther SCHEDULE Sarah Speltz, 1998

Home , Luther (play), Wartburg College

THE R I VA LRY January 2009 Produced by: Student Alumni Council Edited by: Elsa Lantz BEAT LUTHER WEEK Wartburg vs. Luther SCHEDULE Sarah Speltz, 1998

January 12: It’s a tradition that’s been around since the 50s. It showed up for three years after the prank occurred. takes creativity, ingenuity and a whole lot of Wartburg “The vandalism is one of those that we tried to put a • 7:00 p.m.- Women’s JV Basketball - Levick Arena spirit. stop to,” said Kurtt. The Wartburg rivalry with Luther College has long Dr. William Hamm, current president of Waldorf Col- January 14: been intense, and so have the pranks. lege and a 1966 Wartburg graduate, was a student when • All day- Wear Beat Luther Shirt or Orange: Jan Striepe, director of alumni and parent relations Wartburg and Luther instituted “the battle of the britch- and graduate of the class of 1959, was a student at es” tradition to continue the rivalry. Stickers and Pizza Ranch coupons Wartburg when the pranking tradition began with the “Actually, I’m somewhat embarrassed to admit that mystery of the missing Knight armor. the ‘battle of the britches’ was my idea. I’m embar- will be handed out by STALC members Striepe said at that time the Knight armor was kept rassed because my good friend Duane Shroeder later in a special little told me he thought it was the • 6:00 p.m.- Women’s Basketball - Levick Arena cubicle in the P.E. worst idea he’d ever heard,” Complex, which was said Hamm. • 8:00 p.m.- Men’s Basketball - Levick Arena: “rather inaccessible,” The idea was that the student watching over the body president of whichever Free pizza will be handed out at halftime basketball court near college lost the Wartburg vs. in the student section. Provided by STALC the press box. “All Luther football game had to re- the sudden one day it move his pants in front of the January 17: was gone,” she said. crowd and hand them over to Shortly after was the winning school’s president. • 7:00 p.m.- Wrestling - Luther College the Wartburg vs. Lu- “The intent was to try to im- ther basketball game prove the positive aspects of at Luther in Decorah. the rivalry and reduce the level The gym was packed, of inappropriate behaviors,” Neither rain, sleet, snow and many Wartburg Hamm said. “David Hutson, Adam Harringa, 2007 students were there; ’65, was the first president to “I was there,” said lose his pants.” Hamm was

Striepe. Wartburg’s student body presi- 77.75 miles. That’s the distance from the Hebron park- During half time, Bill Hamm, Student Body Presdent, removes his pants while dent his senior year, and the ing lot to the Regents Center parking lot on the Luther the Luther pep band Luther’s laughing SBP looks on. 1965 Trumpet game was at Luther. campus. It is also the distance the Wartburg cross country played a song called, “Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue,” “I planned carefully for an team ran on Saturday for the annual “Luther Run.” But the Luther students had changed the words to “Five appropriate undergarment,” he said. “We had a huge In support of the of the basketball teams, the “Luther foot nine, does it shine, has anybody seen our Knight?” crowd, and we took a horse and someone in the suit Run” traditionally takes place the day of the Wartburg-Lu- Striepe said, as she sang the tune. And then, the sto- of armor as a mascot for the day. We had a great time ther basketball game in Decorah. And inclement weather len Knight appeared. A couple of Luther students had despite the freezing temperatures, and the fact I lost a won’t keep the team from completing their journey. With sneaked into the P.E. Center and snatched the Knight. good pair of trousers!” the high temperature only reading 19 degrees and snow To retaliate, Wartburg students painted Luther’s stat- Striepe said she remembers the tradition, especially covering the countryside on Saturday, the runners had to ue of Martin Luther yellow. the year when both presidents were women sometime brave the elements on their journey north. “I think that was the start of the intense rivalry,” said in the mid 70s. It had the potential to be a very sticky “It wasn’t great weather, but we’re used to running in Striepe. situation for President Cindy Kasper, ’78, but Striepe these conditions,” cross country captain Danny Corken In years following, the pranks continued- though said, “it was very tastefully done. said. “We have track practice outside everyday.” sometimes in a somewhat destructive way. John Kurtt, Striepe said she wore a denim skirt, which she grace- The “Luther Run” has been traced back as far as 1969, Wartburg College athletics director and coach from fully removed and twirled above her head before hand- and has taken place every year since at least 1978 accord- 1961 until 1993, remembers one prank when he said ing them over. ing to an article written in the trumpet in 1983. The tradi- students may have gone overboard trying to top each Dr. Paul Torkelson, class of ’76 said another Wart- tion was originated by members of the Clinton One South other. burg tradition in the mid’70s was the “Mafia,” a group dormitory, but soon after was taken over by the cross coun- “They (Luther students) put a big ‘LC’ in the middle of students who dressed in gangster outfits and carried try team. of our (football) field,” Kurtt said. violin cases to the basketball games. With runners covering between one and 14 miles at Wartburg students responded by burning a huge The group walked into the gym for the first half of the a time, there is always at least one person running with ‘W’ in the Luther football field. Kurtt said they used games and sat right in the middle of the bleachers. a basketball in hand, as other runners pile into cars and a chemical called atrazene, so Luther had to dig down Dr. Fred Waldstein, class of ’74, was a basketball drive ahead to wait for the exchange at the next stop. Since three feet to get rid of the Knight’s symbol. player on the Wartburg team during this time when the 1983, the runners have carried the same Voit basketball But apparently Luther hadn’t dug deep enough Wartburg/Luther rivalry was extremely intense. with the inscription “Beat Luther’s Ass,” using it as a ba- because Kurtt said the big ‘W’ on the Norse field “It was very exciting,” Waldstein said. “It was in- ton and proudly holding it up for passing traffic. tensity that created a festive atmo- “A lot of people going to the game honk and wave as sphere around the college.” they go by,” Corken said. “One guy even stopped to get a The bleachers were always packed picture taken with the ball.” One runner each year also has for every game; even at way games the distinction of running 19.75 miles, in honor of legend- at Luther, there were almost more ary track All-American Dan Huston, who was murdered Wartburg fans that Luther fans, he in 1994. Huston’s senior year he set the record of 19.75 said. miles. This year Jordan Wildermuth completed the feat. “The crowd enthusiasm can give “Jodan did well but the real heroes were the guys you that extra momentum that makes knocking down the J’s like Tim McKenna and Jake Hom- a difference between winning and mer,” Corken said, referring to the 3-point contest against losing,” said Waldstein of his expe- the Luther cross county team during halftime of the men’s rience. game in which Corken also competed. Wartburg reclaimed “It does definitely give you a lift … the trophy after losing the previous year. makes you play better and harder.” With foul weather a non-factor. Wartburg cross country Striepe said she remembers the runners will continue to keep their “Luther Run” tradition gym being packed for the Wartburg alive for years to come, while supporting the men’s and vs. Luther games. women’s basketball teams. Student’s showing school pride. (continued on pg. 3) Yearbook 1991

Produced by: Student Alumni Council Page 1 STALC: “Students today Alumni forever.” The Antics of KWAR

Operation: Groundhog Day to Decorah, where they had arranged for a trailer to 2000 be waiting. They decorated the trailer, donned Luther From: John Borleske clothes, put Luther signs on the van, took their place in To: Luther College the parade, and began a live broadcast, via cell phone, Subj.: Groundhog Day to the folks back in Waverly. When the float reached the parade observation stand, Greetings! And Happy Groundhog Day! where Luther radio station KWLC was broadcasting, the I am John Borleske, station manager of Wartburg students “cut the cake,” ala Animal House. They ripped College’s radio station KWAR-FM. off their Luther clothes to reveal Wartburg orange and I wanted to take a moment to thank every one at black, they hauled out Wartburg signs, and they tore Luther for making today’s stay an enjoyable, safe, and the Luther signs off the van. Boeding said about 40 fun one. Wartburg students who were at the parade-and report- This morning, half-a-dozen “transfer students” walked edly even some alumni-eventually fell in step behind into classes at Luther College. They were not registered the float and joined the KWAR staff in yelling Wartburg for classes, were not on any of the professors’ rosters, slogans and distributing orange and black candy kisses and did not have student IDs. The prank, planned and to the pro-Norse crowd. carried out by KWAR staff, was dubbed “Operation: Although some observers registered disapproval and the float got its share of boos, the incident provoked no Groundhog.” We attended 9 a.m. classes around cam- KWAR members marching in Luther’s Parade. trouble. “The Luther students were good sports about pus, went to opening convocation, ate in the cafeteria, 2001 yearbook and attended 12:30 p.m. classes. The day was a joy for it,” said Boeding. “They congratulated us and were Last year, posing as a church youth group from La Crosse, us and for the listeners back here at Wartburg College. laughing about it.” Wis., staff members got a campus tour, a free lunch, and free To the professors who hosted these mysterious trans- For those who missed the live broadcast, KWAR tickets to the Wartburg-Luther football game. During the tour, fer students: Thank you for your hospitality; unfortu- aired a replay several times in the week following the they surreptiously left KWAR bumper stickers throughout the nately we won’t be back to class anymore at Luther. We parade. campus. missed Wartburg too much. After learning of the hoax, Luther officials Again, thanks for the day and we hope there are no billed the Wisconsin church for the students’ hard feelings! We’re the ONE for College Pranks…89.1 expenses, and Boeding happily picked up the FM KWAR. tab. John Borleske This year, the Wartburg-Luther football game KWAR station manager coincided with Homecoming for the Norse. Admittedly influenced by the college movie Operation: Everyone Loves a Parade classic, Animal House, KWAR staffers decided Linda Moeller, 2001 to enter a float in the Luther parade. Passing In the latest chapter of the Wartburg-Luther rivalry, themselves off as the Organization of Nature members of KWAR-FM radio station not only infiltrat- Enthusiasts (ONE) from Lanesboro, Minn., ed the Luther’s Oct. 17 Homecoming parade, but they they got permission to participate in the parade did a live broadcast of the entire escapade. and even notified the mayor of Lanesboro, who The station, which airs on the 89.1 frequency and agreed to verify their status in case someone calls itself “The manager Jay Boeding ’99 of West from Luther called his office. Union said it was the second consecutive year KWAR On a drizzly fall Saturday, the KWAR en- has pulled off a clandestine operation at Luther. tourage took a minivan and a cellular phone Wartburg student’s in Luther’s Parade. 2001 yearbook

Knights Rise AboveLinda Moeller Norse 1998 in Fall Caper

Wartburg-Luther highjinks reached new heights armed with 3,000 handbills warning, “The time has come/ The Decorah police chief apparently missed that last fall when junior David Max and sophomore Jef- You need to fear/A holy war is drawing near/We will be point and quickly contacted his counterparts in Wa- frey Huber flew a light avenged,” and request- verly, who greeted the duo when they landed at the air- plane to Decorah for ing the return of the cap. port. Max and Huber were charged with littering and an aerial leaflet assault A report in the Des pled guilty at a November court hearing in Decorah. on the Luther College Moines Register said The Luther flyover cost them each $90 in fines and campus. Max and Huber missed court costs, plus an admonishment from the magistrate “I hope it’s some- the Luther campus and that “the next time you decide to fly the friendly skies, thing that will be re- dropped most of the don’t do it around here.” membered for awhile.” leaflets in the Deco- Wartburg students quickly rallied to the cause and Says Max, noting rah swimming pool. came up with about $140 in donations toward what has that the air drop was However, three cross become another legendary chapter in Knight-Norse reported in every major country team members folklore. newspaper in Iowa who drove to Decorah “You have to have something to tell your grand- and even got national to witness the air strike kids.” Concludes Max, whose own grandfather, mention on the ESPN disagreed, noting in a Dr. Herbert Max, taught in the Wartburg Education network. subsequent letter to the Department for 23 years and still lives in Waverly. The mission grew editor that “approxi- George Max ’64. Dave’s father, was a four-year cross out of a longstanding mately 80 percent of the country runner at Wartburg and is now a chemistry rivalry between the David Max (Left) and Jeffery Huber (Right) pamphlets landed on the professor at Lenoir-Rhyne College, an ELCA school in Wartburg and Luther cross country Wartburg Archives Luther campus and 20 percent drifted Hickory, N.C. Dave’s sisters, Laura ’93, and Sara ’96, teams. Max says the rallying point with the light wind to the city swim- were members of nationally ranked Wartburg women’s this time was a Luther stocking ming pool and private residences.” cross country teams and are now graduate students cap the Knights pirated away from the Norse two years “Plus the swimming pool is so close to the campus that it at the University of Iowa. “They even have friends ago. After Luther runners stole the cap back at a cross should count as a direct hit,” Max adds. at Iowa who graduated from Luther,” concedes their country meet last fall, the Knights opted for retaliation. The pilot says he had weighed the consequences of the brother. The mission fell to Max, a team member who had prank before the trip, and he made sure he didn’t violate any completed requirements for his pilot’s license earlier Federal Aviation Administration regulations on the flight. in the month. He rented a plane from the Waverly Air- “We wanted to keep it safe, harmless, and offensive but port and took off on Oct. 24 with Huber, a teammate not vulgar or profane,” he said. “The Wartburg-Luther ri- from Keota, Iowa, along as bombardier. They were valry is about having fun.”

Produced by: Student Alumni Council Page 2 STALC: “Students today Alumni forever.” Wartburg vs Luther (continued from page 1) The doors had to be locked at 6 p.m. because there was The Wartburg Five tell their story no more seating available. “There was constant noise,” she Norm Singleton 1977 said. Kurtt said when he was athletic director, there was re- served seating for the Wartburg/Luther games, and tickets Now it can be told. ran out and felt the hood and it was still warm. But I for the Friday night games were sold out by Tuesday, Few persons around here have heard the whole story of didn’t give Hawley any of your names.” “The games now are nothing like the Wartburg/Luther the Wartburg Five. The reason for this is that the tale of Ferden, Wilken and Siefkes turned themselves games used to be,” Striepe said. how five stalwart young gentlemen got reamed for a simple in next, all returning with identical reports. The “One time one of the Luther students came down in front display of school spirit has never been officially released. two schools had agreed to take no action against us, of the crowd and proceeded to drop his pants and moon ev- Well I know. I was one of the Five. The privilege cost though social probation was a possibility. Dr. Haw- eryone, said Kurtt. The student spent the night in jail for me $53.50 and I was happy to pay it. ley had been very nice about it, and they were glad his antics. I’d like to know who to send the bill to. I could hit up they went in. Since the start of the rivalry, the competition has varied in the countless alums who have perpetuated the tradition of For a week, it was the Wartburg Four. But when intensity, but pranks have always been part of the tradition. burning a “W” on Luther’s football field. Or I could bill the official from the Fire Marshall’s office showed up Kurtt described one event when some Wartburg students Bob Siefkes for organizing the John Wayne Fan Club here. for a little chat with us, I was “encouraged” to attend caught some Luther students trying to cause trouble on cam- But maybe I should just absorb the cost and get on with the the meeting. It was a fun chat. pus, so they shaved the Luther students’ heads and branded telling. The guy was quite civil and we did our best to be them each with a big ‘W’ using black Walnuts. It goes back to Monday, Oct. 17, 1977, when the afore- cooperative, secure in the knowledge that this very Wartburg students were also once caught trying to plant mentioned Siefkes commissioned me to be a part of the cooperation insured there would be no action against an explosive in the Luther football field, according to commando raid on Luther’s field, called Operation “L,” to us. We cheerfully gave our names and home ad- Kurtt. be held two nights later. Being a commando squad leader dresses, described the whole scenario, explained the “I hope the shenanigans that occurred then will not with the rank of captain in the JWFC, I naturally accepted workings of the detonator, or bomb as he kept calling surface again,” said Kurtt. “It wasn’t healthy for either the mission. it. school.” Colonel Siefkes then recruited lieutenants Dave Wilken, The official talked to us for maybe an hour, then Kirt Ferden and Randy Iverson. concluded with this thought. “Well, boys, if it was At the briefing session at 2400 hours the following night, up to me, I would leave it right here on account of Siefkes handed out mission assignments. Iverson, being your helpfulness. But I have to talk with the people familiar with the lay of the land around the Luther campus above me.” We left in high spirits rejoicing in the was appointed as scout and driver. Wilken drew the high mysterious ways of justice. sentry post. Ferden, Siefkes and myself were the demoli- Two days later we got served with our court sum- tion team, with the duty of transporting and laying the gas mons. on t he field, which in turn was to be set off by a detonator We were informed that our offense could net us of Siefkes’ construction. This device, made up of Pabst two to five years in the state pen, with perhaps a side Blue Ribbon can containing two ounces of gunpowder, a trip to the Federal job in Fort Leavenworth for the Ray-o-vac battery and an alarm clock of Goodwill origin charge of Constructing and Transporting an Incendi- would emit a flash to ignite the gas. ary Explosive Device. But thanks to the benevo- At least, that’s what I was told. lence of the legal system in Winneshiek County, we Three students sporting anti-Luther t-shirts. At 2300 hours on Wednesday, Oct. 19 we departed wear- would get off with a stiff fine – maybe. It was up to Yearbook 1991 ing commando outfits, i.e. dark clothing, dark hats and the magistrate. charcoal on our faces, and still bearing the vestiges of tear- In the following days, we developed a fondness “It always gets kind of out of hand,” said Striepe. ful farewells from numerous female well-wishers. There for an old Merle Haggard tune called “Mama Tried” Torkelson said Wartburg students painted Luther’s was some talk of consequences should the authorities catch which contains the following line: Martin Luther statue orange more than once. us. “The worst that could happen would be to spend a night “I turned twenty-one in prison Pranks have been much more creative in recent years, in the Decorah jail,” Wilken said. “Doing life without parole.” he said. Right. It seemed to fit. “The best prank of all occurred when I was an admis- Iverson drove us to the edge of the fog-enshrouded Luther But as happens at Wartburg when the need is sions counselor at Wartburg,” said Hamm. campus, where the five of us debarked to cautiously tra- great, aid was proffered. Sam Michaelson informed “I received a phone call one day from a student from the verse the mile to the field, twice hitting cover to avoid by us that a student defense fund was at our disposal. Twin Cities. He asked if a friend and he could come for passers. Coach Oppermann recommended a good lawyer. a campus visit the following Friday … The men’s basket- Wilekn, armed with a flared gun to warn us of intruders, Clinton, Hebron, Centennial, Vollmer and Tom Poe ball game … would be that evening, and it was between was left to guard the road covered by the fringe of fir trees donated kegs for a benefit kegger which netted over Wartburg and our archrival, Luther. He asked if they could skirting the tennis courts near the field. The other four of $150 and provided a multitude of persons with a attend, and I told them the tickets were already sold out, us crept along this same cover until we were within 100 jolly time. but that I was sure we could accommodate a couple of yards of midfield. Then, Campus Security drove up. We thought it might be our last drink in the free prospective students. “Don’t p-p-panic, men,” Siefkes said. The security world. When the complainants heard we might fight “The students arrived on Friday, took a tour of the cam- guard, 15 feet away and oblivious of our presence, got out, the charge, they threatened to up the charges to the pus, had dinner in the cafeteria, saw the game and stayed communed with Mother Nature and drove away. We went felony level and send us up the river. We were glum, in Clinton Hall,” said Hamm. into action. even when Joe of the Knighthawk donated half a Hamm said Monday he received a phone call from Dr. Iverson and Ferden sprinted to the field with the gas can. shot of Jack Daniels to our defense fund and prom- James Fritschel, then director of the Wartburg Choir, ask- When they hit midfield, Siefkes and I followed with the ised to cake with a fifth inside should we end up in ing what a Wartburg student was doing hosting two Luther dtonator and fireworks, arriving as the last drops were be- the jug, so to speak. Our laughter was pretty weak. students that Friday. ing poured on the “W.” We laid the charges and departed. The affair dragged on past Thanksgiving, when, in “We’d been had ... and big time. These guys knew this Elapsed time: about a minute and a half. the conference room of the attorney’s office, we were was the only way they could get tickets to the game, and Then we ran. And laughed. It had been so easy. given the following choices: fight the charge and risk they got them without charge,” said Hamm. As it turned out, too easy. We retreated a safe distance taking the hit or accept the misdemeanor charge of Hamm said Larry England, the Wartburg student who and waited for the flash. Illegal Use of Fireworks. Vie hands went up for the hosted the Luther pranksters, responded by publishing an It never came. second choice. We were damned tired of the whole “underground newsletter” containing Wartburg propaganda So we went back again and just in time discerned affair, weak prison jokes and Merle Haggard was and distributing it throughout the Luther campus. through the fog and dark the form of a security guard. We getting old, too. So we coughed up the amount of “No one ever knew the source,” said Hamm. took off for Waverly like an ape with striped bottom, still $53.50 per head and slunk back to our dwellings, not Recent pranks on Luther seem to have some sort of wondering if the damn thing ever went off. so much happy or bitter, but pretty well confused. resemblence to this past Luther prank’ one involving Wart- The next day we found out. Well, I’ve had a couple of months to sort out the burg propaganda and the other involving Wartburg stu- We found out that we had become an overnight sensa- affair now, and I’ve come to the conclusion that dents disguising their identity to gain access to the Luther tion. “Bomb Found on Luther Field” headlines convinced future arsonists who choose to invade the Norsky campus. us that not had our bomb not gone off, but that everybody territory should use a match, not a “bomb,” if they In 1996, David Max, ‘98, and Jeff Huber, ‘99, execut- and his dog had heard of it. It seemed that the security should choose to do so at all. At any rate, one should ed the great “air drop.” guard found our detonator, which we viewed as a pretty get a clock that works. And last year, the staff and friends of Wartburg’s harmless implement, somewhat akin to a fuse. And I’ve also concluded that I did get something radio station, KWAR, played a prank on Luther the day of He didn’t see it that way. out of the deal and I’m almost sure that I came out the Wartburg/Luther football game at Luther, Operation: In fact, he called the Decorah police, The Iowa Bureau nearly even. Because on my wall hangs the most ex- Groundhog Day. of Criminal Investigation and an official from the State Fire pensive piece of paper I own. There are only four in “It was the first [prank] KWAR has ever done and it Marshall’s office. I assume he was dialing the National the world like it. It says: “Citation of Merit 1st Class won’t be the last,” Boeding said. “We are trying to increase Guard when the cooler heads showed up. We immediately for risking your life in Operation ‘L.’ JWFC.” the rivalry again because it’s fun.” agreed to lay low until the whole thing blew over. It’s almost worth it. What will happen next year? Will Luther retaliate? The next day, Iverson went in to talk with Dr. Hawley, It remains to be seen, but somehow since the rivalry director of student affairs. “I had to guys,” he told us. began, there have always been pranks and intense competi- “Security identified my car when Luther called them. They tion. Its just part of the Wartburg tradition. Produced by: Student Alumni Council Page 3 STALC: “Students today Alumni forever.”