Vol. 139, Issue 2

Sthecarlet & Black

College hires four new RLCs, makes changes to ResLife

By Conrad Dahm dahmconr@grinnell.edu

Grinnell College has hired four new Residence Life Coordinators (RLCs) for the 2022-23 school year and restructured the dorm clusters on campus following a lack of RLCs during the previous school year. The four new RLCs, Eric Zhao `20, Cassie Oliver, Em Heath, and Katie Filiakova were hired by the Department of Residence Life this summer, with a fifth RLC position still in the process of being filled.

RLCs live on campus in dorms, oversee Community Advisors (CAs) and serve as a link between the administration and students living on campus. Currently, to be hired as an RLC at Grinnell College, applicants must possess a minimum of a bachelor’s degree and have previous experience working as a Resident Advisor or CA at a college or university. A master’s degree in higher education administration, college student personnel, counseling or hotel management is also preferred. All current RLCs must also have previous experience working in some form of Residence Life either at Grinnell or other institutions.

“I worked for a small liberal arts school in Wisconsin,” said Oliver. Oliver started at the Chaplains Office at Carthage College before being promoted to work in Residence Life at Carthage. She decided to leave the school and look for other jobs in higher education.

“I grew up in Cedar Rapids. My

high school played Grinnell, so I had been to the city of Grinnell before,” Oliver said. She said she found the RLC job posting online and applied. Since coming to Grinnell, Oliver said she has had nothing but positive experiences. “It’s a very warm and welcoming community.”

Zhao, the only current RLC who is a former Grinnell student, graduated in 2020 with Bachelor of Arts degrees in English and Chinese. As a student at Grinnell College, he got experience working with Residence Life.

“I was a CA and in my fourth year I was the house coordinator for Chinese House,” Zhao said. “I enjoyed working with residents, programming and the community.”

In addition to hiring new RLCs, the College has reorganized dorm clusters. The new clusters are La CaNaDaK (Language Houses, Clark, Norris, Dibble and Cowles), Smounker+RaGaLa (Smith, Younker, Rawson, Gates and Langan), East and South; each RLC oversees one of these clusters. The restructuring was due to multiple factors, according to Assistant Dean of Residence Life and Student Conduct Dennis Perkins. One of the reasons was a lack of CAs in previous years.

“In some buildings, students would not have a CA on their floor, they would have to go upstairs or downstairs for their CA,” said Perkins. By reorganizing the clusters, Residence Life was able to ensure

Academic freedom concerns arise over proposed Learning Spaces Policy

conflicting, viewpoints.

By Nina Baker bakernin@grinnell.edu

Grinnell College faculty will discuss the proposed Learning Spaces Policy (LSP) at an all-faculty meeting today, Sept. 19.

According to a May 2, 2022 memorandum, the LSP, first introduced by faculty in February 2020, would allow students, faculty and staff to file an “incident report,” and seek an investigation overseen by the Dean’s Office, if a situation occurs in an academic space which results in a perceived “harmful or inhibiting

learning environment.”

Clark Lindgren, professor of neuroscience and 2022-23 chair of the faculty, said the LSP is fundamentally an effort to create an avenue for redress when students, particularly BIPOC or LGBTQIA+ students, perceive their identity to be threatened by academic practice.

According to Lindgren and the Feb. 21, 2022 all-faculty meeting minutes, some faculty perceive the current draft of the LSP as not just an avenue for redress, but also as a threat to the academic freedom to exchange ideas and express diverse, sometimes

“One of the concerns is that the policy could challenge the effectiveness of teaching if you’re teaching a discipline which is inherently controversial,” Lindgren said. For example, he said that in classroom discussions about race or violence, the possibility of creating an uncomfortable situation for a student is present.

As a result, Lindgren said there is a concern among some faculty that

Thousands of dollars in student loans may be forgiven under President Biden’s program

By Jandry Perez Garcia perezgar@grinnell.edu

With President Joe Biden’s new federal student loan debt forgiveness plan soon to open for applications, the S&B spoke with Grinnell College students who expressed a sense of mild satisfaction and desire for more.

On Aug. 24, 2022, President Biden announced a three-part plan to help relieve those with federal student loans of their debt. The first part of the plan extended the pause on federal student loan payments until Dec. 21, 2022, that is, payments resume in January 2023; the extension is automatically applied to all federal student debts by the Department of Education.

Part two of the plan forgives up to $10,000 of federal student loan debt for students who are not recipients of a Pell Grant and up to $20,000 for students who have received a Pell Grant as part of their financial aid package. The eligibility of the debt forgiveness is determined by income; individuals that earn less than or equal to $125,000 per year and households that earn less or equal to $250,000 per year are eligible.

In October, an application will be launched that will allow the Department of Education to determine applicants’s eligibility for federal debt forgiveness. The Department of Education has provided a notification service that will update those who sign up when the application opens.

The debt may be forgiven automatically for borrowers whose income data is available to the Department of Education.

The third part of the plan seeks to “[m]ake the student loan system more manageable for current and future borrowers.” This would be accomplished by changing the loan balance forgiveness from 20 years to 10 years, preventing student loan debt balances from increasing if monthly payments are made covering the monthly interest and ensuring

borrowers that make less than $15 an hour, or its equivalent, do not have to make monthly payments.

All this information and more is found in the Federal Student Aid Office of the Department of Education website.

While Grinnell College has officially eliminated the inclusion of loans as a part of need-based financial aid, instead offering more scholarships and grants, Grinnell students are not immune to federal student loan debt. In fact, approximately 45% of members of each graduating class at Grinnell have graduated with some federal student loan debt over the last several years according to Director of Financial Aid Pamela Sittig in an email to the S&B.

In the same email, Sittig listed the total student loan debt of Grinnell students over the past five years which is summarized in the table below. Sittig said that students in past years have had an average of approximately $15,000 - $16,000 of debt by the time they graduate, but this number decreased for the class of 2022, averaging $11,700 per student.

Sittig explained that the total debt has been decreasing over recent years due to COVID relief policies such as the stimulus checks and the Higher Education Emergency Relief Funding by the federal government. Sittig said College policies including the COVID grant administered to students during the 2020-2021 school year and the No-Loan Initiative also played a part.

Bailey Sowers `24 said she believes this is a great start, but it is still insufficient to meet the promises Biden made during his campaign, and

she will have to accrue significantly larger loans than what is being forgiven as she is planning to attend medical school.

Sam Sirna `25 said he acquired his first federal student loan this semester, so it will not be covered under the debt forgiveness by Biden’s plan; however, he said his parents are still paying their own federal student loans which will be forgiven through the Biden administration plan.

Sirna explained that the money that is going to pay the loans will likely be used to pay off the house mortgage, car loans or ideally to help cover the costs of his sister’s education.

Andy Kenley `22 said he feels “really fucking good” about the debt forgiveness plan. He said he thinks it is a step in the right direction, however it is not an end-all solution. He also said that the government and higher education institutions should address the rising costs of college and higher education in general.

Kenley also said that he would like to use the money that would have gone towards paying the debt

into treating himself, but that is not realistic and would likely end up covering only living expenses given their rising cost.

“Whether it be for medical school or law school, and some of those folks make above $125,000, but they’re still being burdened by this massive amount of debt that they’ve accumulated for just wanting to further their education” Kenley said.

Arts: Theatre and Dance adds Performance Studies

Sports: Grinnell football opens season with 48-0 loss to Monmouth, team remains optimistic

Community: Family of Michael Williams calls for permanent memorial Features: Ready, set, game! Smash club hits the ground running

OWEN BARBATO

The proposed Learning Spaces Policy would allow individuals to report incidents they perceive to be harmful to the learning environment.

Whether it be for medical school or law school, and some of those folks make above $125,000, but they’re still being burdened by this massive amount of debt that they’ve accumulated for just wanting to further their education.

Andy Kenley

Global Café finally open to customers

NAMI raises awareness for National Suicide Prevention

By Jane Hoffman hoffmanj@grinnell.edu

September is designated worldwide as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month—a time to commit to making suicide prevention a national priority, remembering the lives lost to suicide and acknowledging the individuals, families and communities that have been impacted, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

services to meet student needs.

“Grinnell is a college that has high-achieving students. A lot of high-achieving students also are very mentally hard on themselves,” said Schwindt. “We want to make sure our members are doing great, and we see the whole student body as our members. We check in on you, we see how you are doing. It doesn’t replace therapy, it doesn’t replace SHAW, but it is another resource.”

In the community Financial obstacles can prevent individuals from accessing care, according to a report published in the National Library of Medicine.

By George Kosinski kosinski@grinnell.edu

Since the Humanities and Social Sciences Center (HSSC) opened in 2019, one space on the north side of the first-floor atrium has languished idly, giving students potential hope of a new dining option on campus: The Global Café. After a long delay, Grinnell Dining Services officially opened the space on Aug. 20.

As indicated by its name, the Global Café intends to offer a selection of foods and drinks from around the world. The current menu includes a rotating assortment of pastries such as tarts and croissants, as well as beverages like tea and lemonade.

The space itself is small, with just enough room for two workers behind the counter — typically one Dining Services staff member alongside a Student Dining Worker. “It’s nice, it’s not too intense or too involved,” said Amelia Denek `24 about operating in the café. She has worked in Dining Services for three years and said that the café offers a nice change of pace.

Currently, the Global Café offers a modest array of international drinks, baked goods and snacks, but options are expected to increase as Dining Services and the International Student Organization (ISO) collaborate to develop a more extensive menu.

Despite the incomplete menu, students at Grinnell have already begun to enjoy what the Global Café has to offer. “My dining experience was fantastic,” Theo Richter `23 said after purchasing a croissant. “My croissant was actually very good — I think it was much better than D-Hall. It had a really nice hazelnut chocolate filling.”

Appreciating the space itself, Richter continued, “it’s very cute in there. They have this cool retrolooking oven and lovely tiling in the back. It was odd that one side of the café looks closed, and the display is relatively empty. I think that took away from the ambience, but I will still definitely come back.”

Expanding the menu is a high priority for Dining Services as well as ISO. “We were not initially consulted about it,” said ISO President Jivyaa Vaidya `23. “I first heard that the Global Café would be opening in early August, and I immediately contacted Dining Services asking how ISO could help. It seemed weird how they had the title ‘global’ plastered on the café without ever consulting the many international students at Grinnell.”

Vaidya credits the Executive Chef of Dining Service, Scott Turley, who is working on getting the café fully ready, for his receptiveness to the proposal, saying, “Turley is very excited about the ways in which ISO and Dining Services can collaborate.”

Turley could not be reached for comment regarding the café’s opening.

“I was aware of the Global Café last year,” said Richter. “Last school year, in the fall, there was this big hubbub about it opening, and then that never occurred. It’s taken a really long time, but I also know that there were staffing shortages in Dining Services, and it seemed D-Hall [The Marketplace] was enough of a challenge.”

With the space still being in the works, Vaidya indicated that ISO will be releasing a survey soon, explaining the capacity of the Global Café and giving students an opportunity to suggest items that they think would work well on the menu.

“I’ve had so many students come up to me and ask about boba tea,” she said. In the spirit of “active collaboration,” after hearing about this interest in boba, Turley quickly decided to add it to the café’s offerings, according to Vaidya.

On Sept. 10, 2022, the United States joined the World Health Organization, the International Association for Suicide Prevention and countries across the globe in designating Sept. 10 as World Suicide Prevention Day. “I call upon all Americans, communities, organizations and all levels of government to join me in creating hope through action and committing to preventing suicide across America,” said President Joe Biden in a proclamation commemorating the day.

The Grinnell area is home to local and campus organizations that are committed to supporting the mental health of students and residents.

On Campus In honor of suicide prevention awareness month and day, the Grinnell chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is planning to host a tabling session outside the JRC in the second half of September, according to NAMI president Mary Ann Schwindt `24.

Organization members will pass out temporary tattoos with a green ribbon icon, the international symbol for mental health awareness, and students will have the chance to write messages of support on a post-it note display. The projects are meant to highlight inter-student support for one another, said Schwindt.

The NAMI board also hopes to collaborate with Student Health and Wellness (SHAW) and organize a walk during which participants can show their solidarity and support for the cause, according to Schwindt.

Through SHAW, students can meet with licensed mental health counselors and supervised graduate trainees for individual and group sessions, including both process and skills-development sessions and a weekly mindfulness workshop.

Sarah Newell, registered nurse, said she is looking forward to launching a group based on the tenets of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), which will teach skills that “anyone can benefit from,” including “regulating emotions and tolerating stressful situations more effectively, being more effective and getting what we need in our relationships, and mindfulness.”

The JPK Fund, overseen by the Grinnell Area Mental Health Consortium, has been working to address this challenge locally. The JPK Fund was created by Dr. J.R Paulson in 2018, in honor of the late Dr. Jeffrey P. Knobloch, to provide funding for Grinnell area residents needing mental healthcare services, regardless of their ability to pay. Over the past years, the non-profit has dispersed over $140,000 and helped 300 people access care, according to its website.

80 of Iowa’s 99 counties, including Poweshiek County, have been designated as Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) — regions that are federally identified as having a shortage of healthcare providers relative to their populations’ needs, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration.

“We literally don’t have enough providers. We don’t have enough beds,” said Rachel Bly `93, a board member of the JPK Fund. Bly explained how this shortage means that people seeking care often cannot get the help that they need, and that police officers and emergency rooms often become points of contact during a mental health crisis, regardless of if they have received training on how to handle such circumstances.

In September 2021, following student allegations of lacking mental health services on campus, SHAW partnered with the Virtual Care Group (VCG), a free and 24/7 telehealth counseling service. During the 20212022 school year, 304 students used the service, according to Newell.

The College also partnered with the University of Iowa Healthcare’s Psychiatric Department to provide free telepsychiatric services for students.

The JPK Fund has collaborated with the Grinnell Police Department to further the force’s mental healthrelated training and to employ a mental health technician. The organization also works with the Grinnell-Newburg School District and has funded mental health training for its staff.

Students can expect boba and Vietnamese coffee, another popular suggestion, to be served at the Café within the next few weeks.

“It is important that the food at the Café is appealing and tastes good, in order to respect all the different cuisines that are represented,” said Vaidya. She cited the skepticism of workers in Dining Services about boba, as the drink received a mixed response when it was previously offered at the Spencer Grill.

ISO is additionally organizing a panel that will consist of international students with cooking experience and upper-level chefs from Dining Services. ISO, the largest student organization on campus, hopes to create discussions about menu items and establish more regular and transparent communication between students and Dining Services.

The Global Café can be found on the north side of the HSSC atrium and is open from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Thursday.

ResLife hires new RLCs and reorganizes clusters

ResLife Changes — Continued from Front Page

that CAs do not have to manage as many students.

“I would love to have a CA on each floor,” Perkins said. This reorganization created more positions for CAs, which the college has filled so far. Perkins also said that the college has been pursuing a closer student-to-RLC connection, including increased programming for students who live in dorms.

“We are having programming for both semesters this year,” said Zhao. One example is an activity on South Campus called “Mocktails and Mingle”. Zhao said that students could “go around and connect with their CA and me, their RLC.”

Another way for students to meet their RLCs is by going to their office hours. Oliver said that students can scan a QR code to schedule an

appointment to talk with them. Oliver said she hopes that the availability of meetings will help students build a strong connection with their RLCs, strengthening the relationship between students and Residence Life as a whole.

Oliver, Zhao and Perkins all said they hope to see a stronger relationship between the student body and Residence Life.

“Go to programming, meet your CA, and never be afraid to reach out to your RLC,” said Oliver.

This semester, she said the group is looking forward to serving as a student support group and diving further into advocacy work. She said they also hope to develop a stronger partnership with SHAW—both by highlighting the resources SHAW offers and identifying ways that SHAW can continue to improve its

Students who would like to access SHAW’s counseling or psychiatric services can call 641-269-3230 to set up an initial consultation or dial the Need to Talk Line at 641-269-4404 to be connected to a VCG counselor.

Students also have access to Neolth, an online platform that provides stress and mental health support tools and exercises.

The group recently received the 2022 “Leave it Better Than You Found It” award from the Claude W. and Dolly Ahrens Foundation, a $5,000 grant that honors a local nonprofit organization that has “left a mark” on the Grinnell community, according to the Ahrens foundation’s website.

“We are all tiny cogs trying to do good things in a broken system,” said Bly.

If you or a loved one are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 or 1-800-273-8255.

Learning Spaces Policy proposed to faculty for discussion

Learning Spaces Policy — Continued from Front Page

the LSP will cause professors to avoid discussions of controversial topics, to avoid the possibility of a student filing an incident report.

Lindgren also said that another prominent concern among faculty was that incident reports would damage the reputation of accused faculty members, even if the faculty member was cleared under an investigation. Junior faculty, who are not protected by tenure, have voiced this concern the most, Lindgren said. These concerns are also reflected in the April 4, 2022 faculty meeting minutes.

The text of the policy is not finished and continues to be modified to reflect the suggestions of students, faculty and staff involved in the process, according to Lindgren.

The May 2 memorandum, which includes the most recent outline of the LSP, does not provide examples of what would and would not constitute an incident leading to a report. The memorandum also does not detail what types of incidents may result in a penalty, versus what incidents might be deemed as having “no merit” during the formal investigation.

If an incident is determined to have merit, possible redress options include restorative practice interventions and sessions with the chief diversity officer or other professional mediators, according to the May 2 memorandum.

Upon filing an incident report, the May 2 memorandum states that the incident report shall be shared with the dean of the College, the chief diversity officer or their designees. These reports will be confidentially stored in the Dean’s Office but will be collected by the chief diversity officer to be summarized in an annual report to the

president and dean of the College.

The memorandum did not state if incident reports deemed to have no merit will be included in the annual report or shared with the president.

In February 2020, senior faculty member John Whittaker, anthropology, stated the n-word as an example of a modern “taboo word” during his introductory anthropology course. Whittaker, who is white, later wrote a public letter defending his use of the term as appropriate in an academic context and wrote that he “will not apologize for using an offensive word in a classroom context. Some people feel that speaking a word gives it power. I feel that speaking it without fear and confronting it is a better way of robbing it of its force.”

A copy of the open letter, along with a response by Errol Blackstone `20, was published in the S&B in Sept. 2020.

Blackstone and Raven McClendon `22 wrote an op-ed in the S&B that August criticizing Whittaker’s use of the word. Later, in September, students filed a petition in the Grinnell College Disorientation Guide demanding Whittaker resign from his tenured position at the College.

In October 2020, reportedly in response to the same incident, the 2020-21 Executive Council of the College, which includes the president, dean of the College, chair of the faculty and all three division chairs, banned the spoken use of the n-word by faculty, students, staff and visitors in class. The moratorium is still in effect today.

Lindgren said the proposed creation of the LSP, which was first introduced to faculty in February 2020, was not necessarily a direct result from the Whittaker incident. The

driving factors for the LSP included the Whittaker incident, Lindgren said, but also discourse surrounding the 2020 George Floyd protests and the increasing emphasis on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives from the College.

Referring to the incident involving Whittaker, Lindgren said, “that was one of the things that raised awareness on the part of faculty that there are issues that probably should be dealt with in a more clear way.”

The intention of the LSP is to address inequities in the classroom and to assist students who perceive their identity to be threatened by discourse, said Lindgren.

“The idea is not just to record it, but to do something about it,” Lindgren said. “The idea would be to create a process whereby some kind of resolution can take place.”

Multiple faculty members, including Dean of the College and Vice President of Academic Affairs Beronda Montgomery, declined request for comment about the LSP due to the ongoing nature of the policy creation process.

Student Government Association (SGA) Vice President for Academic Affairs Jivyaa Vaidya declined request to comment on the extent of student involvement in the LSP this year, also citing the ongoing revisions to the policy.

While the controversial policy may finally come to a head this afternoon with a vote amongst the faculty, the LSP may also once again be postponed or withdrawn, allowing for more revisions to the text of the policy.

The May 2 memorandum and all faculty meeting minutes can be found on the GC Sharepoint website under “Faculty Meeting Information”.

OHANA SARVOTHAM

The Global Café, located on the north side of the Humanities and Social Studies Center, welcomed its first customers on Aug. 20.

Go to programming, meet your CA, and never be afraid to reach out to your RLC.

Cassie Oliver Residence Life Coordinator

Grinnell is a college that has high-achiev ing students. A lot of high-achieving students also are very mentally hard on themselves

Mary Ann Schwindt `24

I think it was much better than D-Hall

Theo Richter `23

Features

table also holds fond memories.

High St. wants to buy your furniture

Cribz:

By Ellianna Cierpiot cierpiot @grinnell.edu

Upon walking through the front door of 1021 High St., visitors come face-to-face with sepia-toned, duck-printed wallpaper that over takes the entryway. From the outside, the most eye-catching feature of the house is a robust collection of small houseplants and cacti — or, perhaps, the striking multi-pane window that allows pedestrians to see the spots of green through the glass.

“Mia says I’m too attached to them [the plants],” Samantha Morrison `23.5 said, pointing out

which plants were hers and which plants had been propagated from one original.

In the living room, Morrison, Mia Overvoorde `23 and Zoe Robinson `23 sit on two squishy plaid couches, coordinating, but not matching. The windowsill plants are complemented by a small potted tree and a blue stuffed moose sits on the cushions — a birthday gift from Overvoorde to Morrison. Above their heads float two green dinosaur party balloons; looking up a bit farther at the ceiling reveals even more dino-themed decor. When Morri son moved in, there was only one

dinosaur in the living room from a birthday party in June.

“But then the first weekend here, we ended up hosting a little friends birthday party. It was a surprise late birthday party for Mia and our other friend … so we went and bought a second dinosaur,” Morrison said.

“You can tell one of them is a little more depleted than the other,” Overvoorde said. “But they’re cute.”

To characterize their home, all three talked about creating a comfortable, cozy space. One of the things that the residents of 1021 agree contributes to the eclectic charm of their home is the furniture,

the vast majority of which is the result of many successful Facebook Marketplace purchases.

When asked about the item that most encapsulated the energy of their house, Overvoorde and Morrison both pointed, looked at each other and burst into laughter.

“The trampoline chair,” they said simultaneously.

In the corner, innocuously fold ed, the trampoline chair leans against the living-room wall. The two bought it in 2020 when they were living in Michigan.

“I found this chair and it was like $5 on Facebook Marketplace,” Overvoorde said. “It was advertised as a kid’s gaming chair, but I was like, ‘We need this trampoline chair.’ But it was like a 25-minute drive.”

“I was kind of against it at first,” Morrison added.

“I was like, ‘Whatever, I'm going to message the person,’” Overvoor de said. “‘Can we come pick it up when you're available?’ and they're like, ‘You can come get it in the next hour.’ I had class starting on Zoom right then so I was like, ‘Samantha, please go.’”

“I drove out there; I went and picked it up,” Morrison said. “I brought it back to our house, and it instantly became everyone's favorite chair.”

Amanda Ramirez `23, the fourth resident of 1021, joined Morrison, Overvoorde and Robinson in the living room after coming home from softball practice. For Ramirez, her goal for living at and furnishing 1021 is all about creating good energy. She said her favorite piece in the home is the dining room table, which is flanked by a set of matching chairs — a particularly good Facebook Marketplace find of Robinson’s. The

“Zoe had homework due at 10:59 and she was really worried about finishing it,” Morrison said. “And I said, ‘Zoe, if you get your homework done by 10:59, we’ll all have a glass of wine and go to bed.” With new motivation, Robinson did indeed get her homework done, and everyone did successfully enjoy their wine together.

“Now sometimes if all or some of us have work we really can't get done, we set timelines: 10:59, glass of wine time, go to bed.”

Robinson hosts a club called Brownie Thursdays, which happens on Wednesdays.

“This year we’re having it in our house,” Robinson said, “and it’s a nice gathering to see everybody and debrief the week. Eat some brown ies.”

Morrison, who is one of the Ultimate Frisbee team captains this year, said she also looks forward to hosting something called Slammers, which is where the team sits in a circle and gives anonymous com pliments, until everyone has been ‘Slammed.’

“So we’re going to have Slam mers in this room, and we’ll have everybody sitting in a nice big circle. Yeah, that’s what I was looking forward to using this space for,” said Morrison.

The front door closes with a little bit of a smack on the way out, and at dusk, a warm lamp-light shines through the front window. Through the glass, plaid couches, fairy lights and a flash of bright green dinosaur balloon. With a mismatched collec tion of furnishings and décor, 1021 High St. reflects the personalities of the people who have put time, work and love into making it their own.

"Ready, Set, Game!": Smash Club hits the ground running

By Molly Wilcoxson wilcoxso2@grinnell.edu

Choi said.

so people could enjoy competition within a tight-knit community.

does a really good job at being ac cessible to everyone, which is a great thing.”

One of the College’s newer clubs is aiming to unite the students of Grin nell through the power of video games.

Smash at Grinnell, a club dedicated to playing Super Smash Brothers Ulti mate, is open to players of all experi ence levels.

Although students have played Smash on campus for many years now — there was even a tournament-based club in 2018 — Phukao Prommolmard `25 and Axel Saries `25 formally creat ed Smash at Grinnell last semester.

Prommolmard is currently the president of the club, overseeing book ing events and communication with

administration. Saries, along with Joel Choi `23, Luca Blankenship `24 and Zade Mullin `24 serve as techni cal officers, teaching new players the rules of the game and facilitating club meetings.

The majority of the meetings are open for players of all skill levels. Called “friendlies,” these meetings are intended to be a relaxed setting for stu dents to play Smash together without pressure.

“Last year, it was more focused on having tournaments and a space where people could be competitive, but this year we are more friendlies-focused,”

Despite this shift toward new play ers, the Smash tournament scene is still very much alive at Grinnell. Saries, an experienced player with history in participating in national tournaments, oversees the seeding and organization of these events. The club plans to hold tournaments monthly, with the first one scheduled tentatively for Sept. 24.

“I fell in love with the competitive scene,” Saires said. “There’s some thing about the way the game moves, like it’s any other sport, that I’ve al ways found fascinating.”

Because of this, the game holds a sense of nostalgia for those who be gan playing at a young age. The factor that caused the three of them to con tinue playing, however, was the sense of community that Smash provides. Wanting to continue this spirit at Grin nell, they founded Smash at Grinnell

“I want to make sure that peo ple — those without a community, or people who just want something to occupy their time with — can just go to our meetings,” Saries said. “Even if you've never played in your life, even if you've never played a game or heard of Smash in your life, come to Smash Club. I'll teach you. I think this club

Smash at Grinnell holds their “friendly” meetings every Sunday at 3 p.m. in HSSC room N3170. Super Smash Brothers Ultimate is avail able to play on the Nintendo Switch, though you do not have to own the console or the game to participate in Smash at Grinnell.

By Conrad Dahm dahmconr @grinnell.edu

If you were to ask anyone who has attended Grinnell what the most infamous street is, most would answer High Street. Countless Grinnell students have made their way down High Street at one point or another. On Saturday nights, loud music, flashing lights and drunk college students fill this small street. And one house in particular is known for its parties: 1008. At Grinnell, this number has become synonymous with a good time for all students. Adorned with Bernie Sanders signs and a coffin on the front porch, this house is known for some of Grinnell’s wildest party stories. The S&B spoke with some of the residents of the house about parties, school and living with your friends. Due to the salacious content covered, all residents have asked to remain anonymous for the interview.

“I’m really happy living in the house,” said one resident. “It’s a good vibe to live here with your friends.” Living off campus is not uncommon at Grinnell, but the number of students who do so is limited. To live off campus, one must be at least a third year and apply for permission.

“Living off campus is differ

ent from living in dorms. There’s always someone to chill with inside the house.” For the most part, the residents of the house do every day college things. They work on homework, make meals and watch TV together. Occasionally though, this normally tidy and well-kept house turns into a gathering place for students looking to have fun.

“It takes around three hours to set up for a party,” another resident said. The process of setting up for parties is not too complicated. Essentially, most furniture is moved out of the living and dining rooms. It is stored in a safe place where it can’t be broken. A small table is set up for holding beverages for the party. In a short while, the lights are off, the speakers’ volume is set to the max and the party begins.

The hosts could not be happi er. “We love hosting parties.” On Saturday, Sept. 10, the residents decided to host an impromptu party.

“We’re very spontaneous,” a resident said. “We saw no one else was hosting so we decided to host one that day.” All the residents love to host but are taking a couple of weeks off from doing so. After all, hosting multiple parties in the span of a few weeks is not only tiring but expensive.

“It costs a significant amount of money to host a party,” said one res

ident. To offset the costs associated with hosting a party, the residents ask patrons to Venmo them some money in order to help pay for the event. This system is imperfect as not everyone who attends pays, leaving the hosts in a deficit.

Occasionally at parties, some unexpected costs arise. For ex ample, the residents of the house claimed that at the party on the 10th, their sofa was completely destroyed. The S&B verified this claim, and upon thorough inspection

can say that the sofa was indeed de stroyed. Moreover, cleaning up after the parties normally takes hours.

“Clean-up takes much longer than set up,” explained one resident.

“We have to clean up the inside of the house as well as the lawn out side.” Clean-up normally consists of picking up trash, mopping the floors and putting furniture back in place. Yet it’s not always so simple.

“This week we had to clean jungle juice from the ceiling. It was difficult,” said one resident.

1008 High St. is home to many unique sights for partygoers. A coffin is on the front porch, signed by those who come to the house.

Along with this, the most prized possession of the house is a painting that is passed down from year to

year. On the back of the painting are the names of the previous residents, dating back to 2004. This painting is an important part of the house’s history and must be kept within the confines of 1008.

All in all, 1008 High St. is more than a house. It encapsulates the spirit of Grinnell: community, academics and friendship. The resi dents of the house all pursue diverse fields of majors, ranging from biolo gy to economics. Of course, they do their best to support Grinnell College ideals at their parties.

“Parties should be fun, but they should also be safe,” one resident said. Most importantly, all the resi dents agreed that parties “should be inclusive for everyone. Everyone is welcome here.”

Edited by chengluc@grinnell.edu

ELEANOR HEDGES DUROY

The spontaneous 1008 High St. loves to host parties, but does not want another broken couch.

OWEN BARBATO

The residents of 1021 High St. stand in front of their plant-filled home. From left to right: Amanda Ramirez `23, Zoe Robinson `23, Mia Overvoorde `23 and Samantha Morrison `23.5.

BY PHUKAO PROMMOLMARD

CONTRIBUTED BY PHUKAO PROMMOLMARD

The newly revived Smash Club provides a space to make new friends.

Voter's Guide: Poweshiek County 2022 Midterms

Grassley has held the position of U.S. Senator for 64 years, first entering the U.S. Senate in 1981, making him the longest serving senator in Iowa history. He previously served in the Iowa House of Representatives and the U.S. House of Representatives. Prior to his entrance into politics, Grassley was a farmer and a machinist.

Dean Fisher, incumbent candidate for the Iowa State House of Representatives, is currently in his fourth term in office. Prior to his political career, Fisher worked as an engineer, businessman and cattle farmer.

elections a state priority.

How to get involved

By Eleanor Corbin corbinel@grinnell.edu

Campaign commercials and yard signs can only mean one thing: the 2022 midterm elections are quickly approaching. The hope for this guide is that you—as a voter or resident in Poweshiek County—will look at your ballot and know each name and what they stand for.

All information regarding candidates’s platforms and issues was sourced from their personal campaign websites and the Iowa state legislature’s website. So, without further ado, here is everything you need to know going into this year’s election season:

Governor’s race: Reynolds (RI) v. DeJear (D)

Kim Reynolds, the incumbent gubernatorial candidate, has just completed her first term. Her top priorities are education, mental health reform and tax cuts. In her tenure, she has instituted substantial tax reform through cuts and created a Children’s Mental Health Board in Iowa.

Reynolds runs on a strict pro-life platform and has been working to institute a six-week abortion ban in Iowa. Her website reads, “She will never back down in protecting every human life, including the unborn child.”

Her challenger, Diedre DeJear, is currently a business owner running Caleo Enterprises, a company that assists new businesses start up in Iowa. She also co-founded a non-profit called “Back 2 School Iowa,” which provides school supplies to local students.

DeJear’s platform is largely related to education and job stability in Iowa. Her campaign issues include increasing education funding with Iowa’s surplus budget, protecting collective bargaining for workers, reinstating a loan forgiveness program for educators and expanding abortion access.

U.S. House, Iowa District 2: Hinson (R-I) v. Mathis (D)

Representative Ashley Hinson, the incumbent in this race, is just finishing her first two-year term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Prior to holding this position, she reported on the KCRG-TV9 news broadcast and served in the Iowa House of Representatives.

Hinson’s platforms include cutting taxes, opposing Medicare for All, reducing foreign oil dependency and holding China accountable. She also is outspoken about her opposition of Biden’s immigration policies, believing they have allowed a surge of illegal immigration.

In her time in the House, she served on the Appropriations Committee and Budget Committee, where she introduced legislation meant to increase childcare access in Iowa and to enact federal lobbying bans.

Her challenger, Liz Mathis, is currently representing Iowa’s 34th district in the Iowa state Senate.

Previously, Mathis has reported for news organizations KWWL and KCRG. She has also worked as a leader for several nonprofits including Horizons, which specializes in elder care and meal delivery, and Four Oaks, which provides family and childcare.

Mathis supports the Affordable Care Act and an increase in Iowans’ access to health care. Her platform also includes supporting farmers through infrastructure, combating climate change and protecting small businesses.

In her time in the State House, Mathis has served as a ranking member of the Human Resources Committee, sponsored legislation that funded future preschool programs and sponsored bills relating to incorrectly denied or underpaid claims by Medicaid organizations.

U.S. Senate: Grassley (R-I) v. Franken (D) Incumbent Senator Chuck

Over the course of his tenure, Grassley signed the 2015 letter to Iran condemning Obama’s decision to make a deal without congressional approval. He also participated in the 2013 filibuster regarding the Obama administration’s policies on drones. More recently, Grassley has released statements critiquing the current level of federal spending from congressional Democrats and the Biden Administration. He has also encouraged mental health vigilance as a means of curbing mass shootings.

Admiral Michael Franken is Grassley’s challenger this election cycle. Franken served in the U.S. Navy as the first commanding officer of the U.S.S. Winston S. Churchill and has since worked for the Pentagon.

His platform includes elder care through social security, Medicare expansions and the spread of democratic ideals in the U.S. and abroad. Universal and affordable healthcare is also a priority in his platform.

State Senate District 27: Sweeney (R-I) v. Cox (D)

Incumbent Annette Sweeney is completing her second term in the Iowa State Senate, following two terms in the Iowa House. For her work, she continues to run a third-generation cattle farm and previously worked as a teacher.

Much of her political work is focused on agriculture, as she is on the International Board of the State Agriculture and Rural Leaders Association and formerly served as executive director of the Iowa Angus Association.

Sweeney’s challenger, Sam Cox, is a Grinnell business owner, running Saint’s Rest Coffeehouse and founding Lucky Cat Coffee located in downtown Grinnell.

Cox’s platform includes protections for small businesses and local farms, increased funding to education and support of rural communities. She also considers herself an advocate for animal rights, often fostering animals and doing community outreach for local shelters.

State Representative District 53: Fisher (R-I) v. Smith (D)

Fisher is a member of several organizations, such as the National Rifle Association, the Farm Bureau, the Iowa State Trapshooting Association and the Iowa Firearms Coalition. Some legislation he recently sponsored includes prohibiting COVID-19 vaccination requirements in schools and an exemption of retirement income from individual income tax.

Challenger Sarah Smith currently works as director of Program Outreach and Events right here at Grinnell College. She serves on the board of UnityPoint Regional Medical Center and the Grinnell-Newburg School Foundation.

Smith’s areas of focus are family support through prenatal care and childcare access, ending labor shortages and rural development. She additionally supports mental health crisis training and background checks for firearm ownership.

Other races on the ballot

In addition to the seats up for reelection mentioned above, several other offices will also be on the 2022 ballot.

Republican Roby Smith will be challenging incumbent Democrat Michael Fitzgerald for the position of state treasurer. Fitzgerald has served nine terms so far, first elected in 1982.

Republican Todd Halbur is running against incumbent Democrat Rob Sand for state auditor. The Iowa state auditor is often referred to as the “Taxpayer’s Watchdog,” as they are responsible for governmental financial transparency.

The race for agricultural commissioner is between incumbent Republican Mike Naig and Democrat John Norwood. Iowa’s agricultural industry is stuck in a drought, making water quality and soil health key issues for some voters this election.

Additionally, incumbent Attorney General Democrat Thomas John Miller is running against Republican Brenna Bird. Both candidates want to keep a handle on crime: Miller said he helps prevent crime and Bird said she helps keep criminals off the street.

Finally, incumbent Republican Paul Pate will be challenged by Democrat Joel Miller for the position of secretary of state. Despite their ideological differences, both candidates consider fair and accessible

With 18.8% of Grinnell students coming from abroad, not every student will be eligible to vote in Poweshiek County elections. Even those who are able to change their voter registration from their home state to Iowa may opt to vote in their home state or county as well. As such, engagement in the elections comes in many forms besides voting in Poweshiek County.

Professor Barbara Trish, political science, is teaching a two-credit course this semester discussing that very topic, titled Practicum: Politics. Within this class, Trish has created a nonpartisan practicum to encourage civic engagement on campus. Dissemination of information plays a huge role in this effort.

“Part of it is looking at the kind of mechanical things you need to know in order to participate,” Trish said. “As you know, it's complicated.”

The practicum already has plans to arrange rides to farther voting stations and groups to walk to local polls. Trish cites this as an example of a way for those not voting in Poweshiek County to still help increase engagement.

Students can also keep an eye out for future visits from candidates in Grinnell and Poweshiek County. DeJear spoke to students on Tuesday, Sept. 13, at the Harris Center, and a group of other candidates including Franken, Mathis and Cox attended an ice cream social in Grinnell on Sunday, Sept. 18.

Those who have an Iowa driver’s license or ID can register to vote online. Otherwise, a voter registration form must be printed, filled out and mailed to County Auditor Missy Eilander. Trish said she would be happy to collect registration forms to turn into the Poweshiek County auditor for those with difficulty mailing.

When filling out the form, student filers must use the address of a residence hall, project house or offcampus residence. The address of an individual mailbox will be deemed invalid.

Trish encouraged anyone interested in getting involved in this year’s election to begin as soon as possible.

“Act now,” she said. “If you’re registered to vote and you’re registered at the same address you live at now and you show up on Election Day with appropriate ID, then that’s straightforward. But there’s a lot of steps that have to be met in order for that to happen, so start early.”

Family of Michael Williams calls for permanent memorial

Park memorial.

encouraged attendees to add candles to the altar and then urged them to yell the words on the banner—“Michael Ronnell Williams Sr. was here!”—as loudly as possible. The shouts echoed through the park.

Monique Washington, advocate for the Williams family, who have said they believe that Michael’s killing is inextricably tied to the history of lynching in America.

ALLISON MOORE

By Allison Moore mooreall2@grinnell.edu

When his family remembers Michael Ronnell Williams Sr., they describe his infectious laugh, his love for his children and his signature end to every conversation: “I love you.”

On Sept. 16, 2020, 31-yearold Steven Vogel murdered fellow Grinnell resident Michael Williams and disposed of Williams’ body in a ditch in rural Jasper County, with the assistance of three other Grinnell residents.

Police reportedly believe that Vogel murdered Williams on Sept. 12, 2020. After keeping Williams’ body in a basement for four days, he enlisted his mother, stepfather and his friend Cody Johnson to help dispose of the body. Vogel and Johnson abused the corpse and reportedly joked about killing "Black Mike,” according to documents at Vogel’s trial.

Everyone involved in the murder lived in Grinnell. The four coconspirators were white.

44-year-old Williams was a father, a grandfather, a brother, a son a friend. And a Black man.

On Sept. 10—what would have been Williams’ 46th birthday— community members gathered in downtown Grinnell not just to remember his brutal death, but also to celebrate his life.

About 50 people gathered in Grinnell’s Central Park before an altar adorned with flowers, candles and a banner that read “Michael Ronnell Williams Sr. was here.” A plain white birthday cake stood nearby. The Des Moines Black Liberation Movement Collective (DSMBLM), which sponsored the event, asked attendees to come dressed in orange, Williams’ favorite color.

As the rain beat down on the sides of the Central Park pavilion, organizer Jaylen Cavil reminded the audience of the brutal circumstances of Williams’ murder. The official cause of death was ruled to be strangulation. Further investigation revealed that Vogel also beat and hung Williams, wrapped and bound his corpse in plastic and cloth with tape and rope and then rolled the body into a carpet before disposing of it on the side of North 67th Avenue East.

During the ceremony, organizers

After leading the audience in singing "Happy Birthday," organizers encouraged everyone to have a slice of the cake and to write letters to the Grinnell City Council in support of a permanent memorial in Central Park in honor of Williams. Williams often slept in the same park during periods of homelessness.

Although the Iowa-Nebraska NAACP chapter concluded on Sept. 17, 2020 that Williams’ murder was not racially motivated, members of the Williams family and some people who have followed the case continue to view the case differently.

Following Steven Vogel’s guilty verdict on Nov. 16, 2021, the DSMBLM released a statement that said: “Michael Williams’ death is a part of the legacy of lynching in this country, where white men feel entitled to murder Black men for whatever reason they see fit and do so in ways which align their actions with centuries of white supremacist violence against Black people.”

In a statement to the press, president of the Iowa-Nebraska NAACP chapter Betty Andrews said, “I fully understand that having a body of an African American man found burning in a small town in Iowa would raise several red flags and concerns. Justice still is needed in this case. And we join the family, law enforcement officials and the community in seeking that justice.”

This NAACP ruling falls in direct opposition to the opinions and pleas of the family, including Williams’ aunt Paula Terrell and

At a Nov. 2021 vigil commemorating Williams' murder, Washington insisted that the ignored racial dimensions of the killing contributed to inadequate news coverage about their son.

Recently, Michael Williams’ family has advocated for a change in Iowa hate crime classification, which does not enhance punishments for homicides, according to Iowa Public Radio.

Washington and members of the Williams family maintain that Williams’ murder mirrors Emmett Till’s. At the vigil last November, James Williams Sr., Michael’s father, said that he was at first unable to identify his son’s body.

Since Vogel, Cox, Garner and Johnson have all pleaded guilty and been sentenced (to life, 7 years, 9 years and 2 years with credit for time served, respectively), the Williams family has continued to push for the city of Grinnell to create the Central

Grinnell City Manager Russ Behrens told the S&B in an email that he has not been a part of any discussions about a memorial. Nevertheless, Williams family members and DSMBLM organizers said they believe a memorial for Michael is a step towards the justice they continue to seek.

Williams' children and ex-wife have left Grinnell in the past year, and most of his extended family now resides in New York and Florida. Unable to attend the celebration, they watched the ceremony online.

Janalee Boldt, Michael’s ex-wife and mother of three of his children, Danté, Michael Jr. and Jameka, commented on the Facebook Live video of the celebration to express her gratitude. She wrote, “You guys are family! You are now Michael’s family and friends.”

Michael’s father wrote on Facebook that “I am going to miss you for the rest of my life.” He insisted that he would continue “fighting for your rights [to] change the hate crime law” in Iowa. He concluded: “I love you and will always miss you.”

At the Williams birthday celebration, held on Sept. 10, attendees created signs in honor of Williams and wrote letters to the city of Grinnell advocat ing the creation of a permanent memorial to honor Williams.

ALLISON MOORE

This memorial is not the first memorial to Williams held in Central Park. Last November, the family held a candlelight vigil to mark the start of the trial of Stephen Vogel, who was convicted that month of Williams' murder.

QINGSHUO DU

Arts

of students and classes coming in is one thing I really enjoy; I really love the way that the collection and the students engage with one another." She said that despite not being compensated for teaching, she holds a large amount of knowledge about the material in the collection and enjoys sharing it.

attended were available to me as somebody interested in art and art making. I think that there's a lot to be gained from pursuing your own creative research in collections. It's something that once I started knowing I could do, either with art, books, manuscripts or archives, it opened up and taught me the things that I was interested in," she said.

By Ashley Baek baekashl@grinnell.edu

As the collections manager and registrar at the Grinnell College Museum of Art, the bulk of Jocelyn Krueger’s work consists of something many people only dream of: sifting through thousands of beautiful prints and works of art every day.

Krueger, who was named “member of the month” for September by the American Association of Museums and Galleries (AAMG), jumped into collections management by accident.

Krueger is an artist by training, and in 2008 while she was pursuing a degree in studio arts at the University of Iowa, Iowa City was struck by a record flood. Outside her classroom, she recalls seeing barricades to hold back the high water from the flooding. "Partway through the first two weeks, it became apparent that those barriers weren't going to hold," Krueger said. In response to this impending threat, she, one of six students in her printmaking class, helped to move hundreds of prints.

"I remember seeing work by Elizabeth Catlett, just passing in front of my fingers while I was

Jocelyn Krueger

shuffling through really fast. And it felt like an important thing to do, and there just wasn't anybody there to do the work," she said.

Krueger’s commitment helped to save hundreds of pounds of artwork and sparked a lifelong interest in collections work.

Her experience moving artwork during the flood helped her after graduating, when she secured the position of curator at the Indiana State University Permanent Art Collection. "I was looking at a job that wanted to move their collection storage,” she said. “They didn't have anybody again that could move it, and I had some experience from that moving artwork … so I lucked out and found a job."

I didn't know that the col lections of the institutions I attended were available to me ... I think that there's a lot to be gained from pursuing your own creative research in collections.

Jocelyn Krueger, GCMoA Collections Manager

After her stint at Indiana State, she came into her current position at the Grinnell College Museum

of Art. As an Iowa native, she remembered coming to Grinnell for a Halloween party when she was sixteen. Her brief encounter with Grinnell inspired her to apply for the job posting here.

Outside of collections work, Krueger is an artist, saying she works in “a large variety of media, from drawing and painting and printmaking to video and performance" with a specialty in figurative art. She also makes her own ink from walnut husks. Krueger’s diversity in artistic interests lends itself naturally to the wide range of media she encounters in both her collections work and work with students.

Krueger said she enjoys working with students in a nontraditional classroom setting. This often involves working directly with the collections material and information about the material, such as the College’s databases and historical paperwork. Visitors to Special Collections come from majors ranging from anthropology to German to physics. This semester, there have been 45 sessions of courses signed in from a variety of different departments.

Krueger said, "I like being able to show the artwork to people and students. I think that the number

Krueger said she wishes that more students knew that it is possible to access the collections outside of their classes, and she encourages them to come in and do research, whether for a creative project or purely out of curiosity.

"I didn't know that the collections of the institutions I

If you find yourself in the basement of Burling Library between 1:30 and 5:00 p.m., consider stopping by Special Collections and Archives to see these works for yourself. The collection also has an online database on the Grinnell College Museum of Art website.

Theatre and Dance department renames to include Performance Studies

By Taylor Nunley nunleyta@grinnell.edu

Grinnell College’s former Theatre and Dance Department was renamed the Department of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies at the beginning of the 2022-23 school year. The emerging field of Performance Studies brings a new interdisciplinary aspect to the

department, allowing students to further connect their knowledge of theatre and dance with the embodied act of performance.

Assistant Professor of the department Jen Shook said, “Thinking of the department as Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies makes us think about everything we do from the point of view of performance. Performance

Studies allows us to think about how the concepts of performance, the lens of performance, allow us to look at everyday life.”

With the new change, students are encouraged to see the ways various disciplines connect to performance. “Students will be able to not think of us as like an extra add-on, but think of us as something that is integral to their journey and

their paths of curiosity,” said Shook.

Despite the name change, the department itself is not changing drastically. For years, it has been incorporating elements of Performance Studies into its curriculum. Making the name official allows the department the freedom to unite and consider non-traditional components of performing together.

“We can talk about drag performance. We can talk about durational performance arts. We can talk about parade as performance. We could talk about social media performance in ways that in the past just wouldn’t have been a part of that class,” Shook explained.

“Some of the existing classes are morphing, and some of them will be new classes.”

Shook also expressed a hope to change the pedagogy of the department, with a focus on understanding how the study of performance and performing are not separate but one.

The department aims to tear down existing beliefs of theatre, dance, scholarship and living as being distinct entities and instead embrace their intrinsic integration.

An emphasis on safety and awareness has also arisen from the department’s efforts to understand what performance means and how

to express it. In the past, toxic work environments have been rampant in theatre and dance, with long hours and late rehearsals, but Grinnell’s department and its faculty stress how important it is to recognize the humans behind the art.

“People have bodies, and you need bathroom breaks, and you need to sleep, and you need to eat,” said Shook.

These standards are inspired by a movement spearheaded by the Chicago Theatre Community called ‘Not in Our House.’ The movement worked to address issues of sexual and emotional abuse, and other toxic norms in performance culture.

The department’s steps toward integrating the different studies into a more holistic approach is representative of a greater trend in higher education towards interdisciplinary learning. Students taking classes in the department will now experience a more allencompassing, diverse view of performance and be able to apply it to more than just plays, manuscripts or dancing.

They will see performance everywhere.

“You’re thinking about the whole picture in the whole body and the whole life all at once,” said Shook. “It’s kind of understanding human behavior as performance.

Collage Club pieces itself together

By Ella LaBarre labarree@grinnell.edu

Among the host of new clubs and student organizations ushered in by the new school year, one stands out with its crafty flair: Collage Club, founded by Jay Kratz `23, along with help from Libby Eggert `25.

This club will provide a space for newcomers and experienced crafters alike to engage with collaging as well as create a welcoming and comfortable environment to destress. Kratz said that they are eager to create an accessible space on campus where people can come together and work on cutting and pasting images in a community.

At meetings, students will be given the chance to create collages ranging anywhere from a whimsical display of thought, to a piece dedicated to a favorite friend or that

one celebrity they have a microobsession with (i.e. many Taylor Swift and Phoebe Bridgers collages to come). The club will provide materials such as stickers, tapes, images and other embellishments as requested.

In the future, Kratz hopes to have the means to display the collages made in the club in a printed collection at the end of the semester or year.

Club meetings will take place at the Stonewall Resource Center (SRC). The SRC is located in the basement of Younker Hall, and it is intended to provide a safe space and resource hub for LGBTQIA+ students. Kratz said that this space is the perfect place to host the collage club, due to the students that have gravitated towards the activity.

While pretty pictures and cutout stars are certainly part of the fun, there is more to collage than

just cutting things out.

“There’s such a strong, just inherently queer connection to the art of collaging,” Kratz said.

Collaging gives artists a chance to deconstruct art and tell their own stories with it — an opportunity that holds unique appeal to members of the LGBTQIA+ community who rarely see their own worlds reflected in mainstream art. It’s queering the creative narrative by bringing together materials, including those that have been discarded or dismissed, to channel one’s own artistic vision.

When asked what niche Collage Club fills on a campus rife with artistic opportunities, Kratz offered that art, especially at Grinnell, is often subject to so much pressure to be perfect that it can detract from enjoyment and self-expression.

“[Collaging] is such an intimate portrayal of your

innermost emotions, and I think it’s able to represent that without a perfectionistic atmosphere intruding,” Kratz said.

Collage club meetings will take

place on Thursdays from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in the SRC. Students can drop in at any time if they feel like expressing themselves in a new, crafty way.

EVAN HEIN

Jocelyn Krueger, Collections Manager and Registrar at the Grinnell Col lege Museum of Art.

CORNELIA DI GIOIA

Performance Studies adds an interdisciplinary focus to the existing Theatre and Dance curriculum.

ELEANOR HEDGES-DUROY

Collage Club provides a low-stress atmosphere for student expression.

SportS

Grinnell football opens season with 48-0 loss to Monmouth, team remains optimistic

By George Kosinski kosinski@grinnell.edu

Ever since making national head lines in the fall of 2019 for the abrupt cancellation of their season, the Grin nell College football team has been in rebuilding mode. Last fall, after the 2020 season was cancelled due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, Grinnell football put its improvement on full display — winning multiple games, including a signature victory over Lawrence University and finishing ahead of several teams in the Midwest Conference standings.

On Saturday, Sept. 10, hoping to build off the promise of last year, the team opened its season at home against Monmouth College. Unfor tunately, the 2022 season got off to a rocky start. Monmouth College defeated Grinnell in a lopsided 48-0 blowout, in which Grinnell’s offense was stifled for most of the game while the defense struggled to contain Mon mouth’s juggernaut attack.

Though ugly on paper, the loss did not discourage members of the Grinnell football team.

“The scoreboard was probably not what we wanted it to look like, but I also don’t think that it reflected how we played. We made some mistakes and could have been better, but we’ll improve on that next week. I think we

played a lot better than it looked,” said quarterback Grayson Woodhouse `24.

“The scoreboard would say it’s the same as it has been the past few years,” said running back Daniel Quirk `25. “I know that can be a little discouraging but being on the sideline and being in the game you can tell that it’s definitely different this year. Guys are more bought in. Sometimes it takes a second, but I really think over the next few weeks we’re going to get into a nice groove and really launch our season.”

Now, looking ahead toward the rest of the season, the team hopes to improve upon its first performance and last year’s 2-7 record. “We want to build off what we did last year,” said Quirk. “We really want to pick up some wins, which hasn’t been the norm for this program for a while. We call it the foundation — you have probably seen it all over the t-shirts — and it sounds really corny, but that’s kind of what last season was for us: setting a base for the next few years to keep growing. I’d say this year we want to be around five hundred [.500], picking up two to three more wins than last year.”

“I think all of us just want to win more football games,” agreed Wood house. “I think there are certain teams that we lost to last year, and this year

we know we should start beating these teams and competing with them more.”

It remains to be seen whether re sults will improve, but team members said they already noticed a better at mosphere around the team this year. “We’ve been talking about this a lot, and some of the older guys have been saying how much different the culture is than what it was when they joined the football team, and how much bet ter it is,” said Woodhouse. “Everyone is a lot closer, and overall, it’s a better team culture than we’ve had here at Grinnell for a long time.”

“It’s a great atmosphere for get ting better as a team overall,” said Quirk. “I feel like everyone wants to improve. We’re all bought in, and no body [is] just here to be on the team and not participate. Everyone wants to play, everyone wants to develop, and I think overall the team attitude is really positive.”

Both Quirk and Woodhouse men tioned the current first-year class as a key to the team’s success this year. “There are a lot of first-years that are really good, and in their first game last week they showed what we can look forward to in the next few weeks as they gain experience and play more college football,” said Woodhouse.

Quirk and Woodhouse both men

tioned linebacker Davis Cooper `26 as a new player they expect to have a big season. Others to watch out for include Woodhouse, who returns as starting quarterback, Quirk, last season’s second leading rusher and wide receiver Nick Rhinehart `25 on offense.

On the defensive side of the ball, linebacker Adam Khater `23 returns after leading the team in tackles last year, Luke Porter `23 returns on the line, and defensive back Hugh Werner `25 looks to build on an impressive first season. “Werner is a great lead er, and kind of runs the defense,” said Woodhouse. “We’re expecting him to have a great season this year.”

pressure to opposing teams.

“Style is different for both sides of the ball,” said Quirk. “On defense we want to be imposing physically and bring lots of pressure. On offense it’s all about execution, knowing where you have to be every play, making the right assignment, whether that’s run ning the right route, the right timing on throws or the right assignment on run blocks. It’s about knowing what you have to do and then having the ability to go do it.”

Looking at the remaining eight games of the season, several key contests stand out. “Obviously, every game is a big game, especially when we only have nine of them this year. Specifically, we want to play well against Illinois College and Cornell College. Those are two big games this year that we think we can do well in,” said Quirk.

Daniel Quirk `25

Led by Head Coach Brent Barnes, who is also the offensive coordinator, the team will continue operating the pistol formation offensively. On the other side of the ball, new Defensive Coordinator Jason Martinez has im plemented a new, blitz-heavy scheme with the intent of applying heavy

The outcomes of Grinnell’s next two games against Lawrence Uni versity and Beloit College — both teams which Grinnell beat last year — should indicate what direction the season goes for the team and whether it lives up to its full potential building from last year’s improvement.

The team’s next game is at 1 p.m. this Saturday, Sept. 17 at Lawrence; their next home game is on Saturday, Oct. 1 against Beloit.

Miyamoto, Goodell set pace for cross country teams at historic meet

ners ahead of me.”

Miyamoto said they had never had a complete stranger so invested in their success before. “It’s really cool to be part of a tradition where the fans are so intensely supportive and into it, and just by virtue of your school.” Miya moto, the first finisher for Grinnell, placed third overall out of 93 runners and ran the 29th-fastest time in the his tory of the program. They were named the Midwest Conference Cross Coun try Player of the Week after their per formance on Saturday.

was to go slower at the beginning and then keep passing people throughout the race.”

Goodell and Burnell both said how good they believe the cross-coun try teams are, and they looked to the Les Duke’s outcome as an indicator of future success. Overall, they said they see the early races as a chance to try out different techniques before the championship races later in the season.

By Taylor Nunley nunleyta@grinnell.edu

Grinnell College’s men’s and women’s cross country teams had a promising race at the 60th annual Les Duke invitational on Saturday, Sept. 10. Held at the Grinnell College Golf Course, seven teams competed in the women’s event and eight in the men’s.

The Grinnell women’s team placed fourth overall and the men’s placed similarly at fifth.

A number of alumni and parents attended the event, continuing the hon ored tradition of Les Duke for cross country at Grinnell. “It [the Les Duke Invitational] is one of those events that really ties generations of people together,” said Sarah Burnell `14, the head cross country coach.

This year was Brian Goodell’s `24

second run of the Les Duke. Goodell recounted how in the 2021 Les Duke, the swim team showed up to support the athletes on the cross country team.

“I like the team aspect of it,” he said. “I really appreciate everyone who comes out and supports us, and we try to show up to source stuff as well.”

the race with current team members, allowing them to partake in the Les Duke experience once more. “It’s kind of nostalgic,” said Andrew Nickeson `24, who finished 24th overall. “Some of them are still training pretty serious ly after college, so it’s a nice oppor tunity for them to go race a familiar course and see where they’re at.”

Both teams emphasized patience when it came to racing. Compared to last year’s Les Duke results, the scor ing runners for the 60th event were much closer and consistent with times. The men’s scoring runners all finished within 51 seconds of each other and the women’s finished within a minute and 55 seconds. “We packed really well, and we were really patient and held back in the first mile,” Burnell said. “Sometimes it gets easy to settle there, but they didn’t. They were hun gry for it.”

“I think the team this year has got such good depth. A lot of the first years are really good. They really add to the team depth because a lot of teams only have one or two good people, but we have a really strong top group there,” Goodell said. Goodell also said his own goal is for the team to win the conference championship — and he said he believes they might be able to pull it off.

The Les Duke often brings years of alumni back to Grinnell to cheer on the teams, many of whom participated in the event during their college ca reer. They have the opportunity to run

Newcomer Keely Miyamoto `26 said they had never been a part of a tra dition so welcoming and supportive. They partly attributed the motivation they received from both their team and the spectators to their success at the Les Duke. Miyamoto “There was this one part of the race where it was probably the last 800 meters or so, and there was this same guy with a dog. He was there cheering for me and encour aging me to go catch the couple run

Goodell, who finished 14th overall and was Grinnell’s first finisher on the men’s team, also said patience was im portant for his strategy. “I kind of knew that people are going to start out a little fast because it starts downhill, but it’s a really hilly course. So my strategy

Cornell College, a main competi tor for Grinnell in the Midwest Con ference, had their men’s team finish on Saturday with a score of 115. The Grinnell men’s team followed closely behind at 120 points. For the women’s team, Grinnell beat Cornell with a whopping 88 points compared to 199.

“I think that the fact that we did so well at this meet, that we had such a tight grouping of people, is a good sign going forward that we’re going to be in a good position,” said Goodell.

Emma Schaefer `23, a captain for the women’s team, expressed similar hopes. “I’m excited to see what we can do over the next few weeks during our intense training block that we’ll have before our next meet,” she said.

Grinnell’s next race is the Aurora University Invitational in Geneva, Illi. on Oct. 1.

Edited

EVAN HEIN

The Grinnell football team practices following their season-opening loss to Monmouth University, 48-0. Players remain hopeful for success this season despite the disappointing opener.

CONTRIBUTED BY TED SCHULTZ

Keely Miyamoto `26 runs in the Les Duke Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 10. Miyamoto finished with the 29th-fastest time in program history, pacing the women’s team’s fourth place finish.

Everyone wants to play, everyone wants to develop, and I think overall the team attitude is really positive.

It [the Les Duke Invitational] is one of those events that really ties generations of people together.

Sarah Burnell `14

It’s really cool to be part of a tradition where the fans are so intensely supportive and into it, and just by virtue of your school.

Keely Miyamoto `26

EVAN HEIN

Brian Goodell `24, right, finished 14th out of 127 men’s runners.

EVAN HEIN

Andrew Nickeson `23, center, finished 29th.

OpiniOns

An Investigation into the Social Divide on Campus

By Carter Ottele otteleca@grinnell.edu

On Sept. 4, I attended the first event in Grinnell’s Symposium on Title IX — a months-long program celebrating the landmark legisla tion’s 50th anniversary. For this ini tial discussion, the college brought in four alumni to discuss student athletics. They fielded questions on a variety of subjects, ranging from the Chicago Sky to Grinnell football’s 1998 record. In this wide-reaching talk, however, I noticed the conver sation veering repeatedly toward the same two topics.

First, I heard the speakers pas sionately defending the value of stu dent athletics. Touting the academic, social and professional advantages to varsity sports, they appeared not just content but proud of their choice. Even though the speakers varied in age, having graduated between 1977 and 2015, they all concurred in their endorsement. Clearly, Grinnell Col lege athletics meant something.

Meanwhile, also reemerging was what one audience member called “anti-jock sentiment”: the idea that non-athletes on campus look down upon athletics. Kit Wall `77 referred to it as “the elephant in the room.” Even President Anne Harris, before asking an unrelated question to the panel, took time to address the issue. “There’s something to consider,” she admitted, “We think about this at the senior leadership level.” After the session, she shared that she’d heard from numerous students who hide their athletic participation

By Lucia Cheng chengluc@grinnell.edu

Wednesday, Aug. 31

from classmates, in order to avoid judgment.

I’m Carter Ottele, Class of `25. I’m not a varsity athlete, though I do play on the Grinnellephants club frisbee team. This semester, I’m investigating this idea of a social divide between athletes and non-ath letes. There’s a tension between the two groups, characterized by mistrust and judgment, and I aim to illuminate this issue.

For context, my high school lacked any sports teams. Prior to Grinnell, I had little exposure to the nuanced politics of varsity athletics and their impact on school culture.

What I knew, I’d mostly picked up from secondhand accounts—friends at other schools, social media, TV shows, etc. I assumed that these unreliable sources had exaggerated the issue beyond recognition, and I believed that Grinnell wouldn’t have a social divide like in the movies.

To some extent, I wasn’t wrong; Grinnell has yet to feel like a John Hughes film. As I begin my sopho more year, however, I don’t think I was completely right either. Some troubling similarities have emerged between the rigidly predetermined social structure of popular culture’s schools, and the awkward, implicit

discord behind Grinnell’s social life. Here, the star quarterback may not be dating the head of the cheerlead ing squad; yet, I have always sensed a remnant of that dynamic, a percep tion of hierarchy and exclusion.

Since then, my peers have confirmed my doubts about the integration between sports players and the rest of the school. Non-ath letic friends have made offhanded comments about the exclusivity of sports teams, just as classmates have groaned when assigned to work with athletes on a project. Evidently, some portion of non-athletes harbor resentment toward varsity team

members. Among athletic friends, I’ve heard similar concerns, worries that involvement in sports has con structed a permanent barrier between them and the rest of the school. Echoing the Title IX symposium, it’s clear that some of the mistrust is mutual.

Grinnell’s social divide mani fests itself everywhere. It’s evident in off campus houses, several of which are rented solely by members of one sports team. It’s evident in the dining hall, where cliques are so visibly represented. It’s even evident in the language of the school, where the word “sporto” signifies an un derlying tension—one that weakens the social fabric of the school. I’m writing this series because I’m trying to shed light on something simulta neously unspoken and obvious.

Most people on campus recog nize a divide between athletes and non-athletes, yet the topic rarely re ceives extensive consideration. Over the coming weeks, I’ll interview students, staff, faculty and alumni in an attempt to better understand the social divide. Maybe, by focusing attention on the issue, Grinnellians can work to create something better.

One last note: this is not about a war between nerds and jocks. Reducing this issue to something so basic would strip away nuance, foster divisions and reinforce stereo types. As I start my investigation, I seek to achieve the opposite. I’ll start next time with admissions: how students choose Grinnell, how Grin nell chooses students and what that means for athletics on campus.

Covid 2.0: sparking my decison to be “full gay”

discussion about the U.S. as the New World built over the ghosts of Indigenous people. Another friend and I try to raise our hands, but we are unseen, unheard.

9:30 a.m.: Struggle to wake up. Think my cat Winona is sitting on my chest, but it’s really my depres sion chest stone. Winona stares at me from the floor, then throws up.

10:15 a.m.: In class, I get the sneezes three times in a row. They’re just allergies, I tell myself.

11:30 a.m.: I get winded walking from the HSSC to the JRC. Think it’s the sheer exhaustion of inhabiting a flesh prison.

12:00 a.m.: “I’m sick,” I tell my friend. “Nice,” he says. “What if it’s COVID?” I ask. “From the casino on Saturday?” he asks. “Yeah, the one where you said we would get hate-crimed for wearing a mask at?”

I ask. “Yeah,” he says. (And yet, the Asian American woman in a group of white men is the only one to get COVID. When will karma be on my side.)

8:30 p.m.: Take a rapid test; it’s negative. Realize that I got a bug stuck in the sticky strip.

9:00 p.m.: Spit into the PCR test tube.

Thursday, Sept. 1

10:00 a.m.: Zoom into class

11:00 a.m.: Get a to-go box of food. Mac and cheese is better if you dump Zuppa Tuscana in it. Good soup. Continue sneezing onto my cat.

1:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.: Nap.

7:15 p.m.: Wake up, miss my ex and decide to swear off men. I refuse to be half gay anymore. I will be full gay.

back positive. I text everyone and shed a single tear. I must have eaten COVID-y chicken strips at the casino.

10:15 a.m.: People ask if they can get me anything. But can they get me a new partner? No.

3:00 p.m.: Consider doing a quarantine haircut. Wolf cut or undercut? Wonder if I should do a pixie cut, but know that I will look like an egg. The struggle of a mid size Asian.

7:00 p.m.: My friend says I should be grateful that D-Hall is still giving me food. It’s true. With each mouthful of powdered eggs I think, gratitude, gratitude.

Saturday, Sept. 3

12:30 p.m.: Wake up. Winona’s butt is in my face. Miss lunch.

1:30 p.m.: Winona screams at the door, wanting to go outside. Me too, my precious child, me too.

4:00 p.m.: Zoom chat with a staff writer but can’t keep track of my tangents. My mouth is moving, but words are not making sense. Hope I will not have COVID brain for the rest of the semester.

7:00 p.m.: I decide to eat a packet of Shin Ramen Red dry as a snack.

the ukulele.

Sunday, Sept. 4 11:00 a.m.: Hysteria is setting in. Day in, day out, waking up and staring at the same section of the ceiling with the same drool on my cheek. Is life real? What am I doing here? Why does it take so much energy and resources to keep up this flesh body?

12:10 p.m.: Winona comes back up and all is right in the world. She loves me and I love her.

1:00 p.m.: I consider texting my ex about friendship, but I am still blocked. My therapist tells me to wait a week, which essentially translates to “don’t do it.”

3:00 p.m.: Go outside to study, making it valiantly through one article, but not retaining any infor mation. Break into a karaoke session with my friend. Get lightheaded and need to lie down.

9:00 p.m.: Winona does not care about life or death. Only her litter box.

Monday, Sept. 5 12:30 p.m.: I am DONE. Slept through my alarm. Runny nose and am loopy.

1:00 p.m.: I consider eating the same grass Winona does. Or perhaps beg for a smoothie from the Grill.

Tuesday, Sept. 6

10:00 a.m.: FREEDOM.

11:15 a.m.: I want to sing my ode to the heavens about how good lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes taste.

9:30 p.m.: Winona turns into a rotisserie chicken.

Friday, Sept. 2

10:00 a.m.: PCR test comes

9:00 p.m.: I listen to the sounds of happy people partying. After I am released from my spiral of envy, I play Madison by Orla Gartland on

12:00 p.m.: Fire alarm goes off and Winona hides under the bed. 12:05 p.m.: Instant loneliness. What have I become. I am taking up space and I don’t like it. Allthese resources for the flesh prison and for what?

3:00 p.m.: My brain is trying to thaw; walking makes the liquid slosh to the front of my head. I am pulled in one specific direction: destruction.

4:00 p.m.: Look out, Tinder. The tiger has been released from its cage.

Horoscopes: How to Use Venus to Win Cuffing Season

By Ms. Constellation Prize

Autumn is slowly but surely forging its way into Grinnell. The loggias are the warmest place on campus, Cleve Beach is covered in leaves and the sun is setting before 9 p.m.. This means it’s time to cuddle up and settle down with a partner be fore winter isolates us all. So, it’s a great moment to reflect on our Venus placements — the sign of love.

Your Venus placement is depen dent on which of the 12 constella

tions the planet Venus was in at the time of your birth. Venus changes a little less consistently than the sun signs, somewhere from 20 days to a couple months.

I read birth charts your Venus sign is the first thing I will look at. The way we express and desire love and plea sure, the way we seek out affection and how we interact with money are all key to understanding a person.

Every astrologist is different and approaches reading birth signs with their own personal philosophy. When

Each planet has its own “Re turn.” This is when the planet returns to the sign it was in when you were born. For example, if you’re a Scorpio Venus, when Venus passes through Venus this year, you will experience your Venus Return.

This period should be a positive

SPARC Policy

one: this is when you should engage with love the most. Go on some dates, talk to your crush at that party and expect your love life to flourish.

If it’s not your Venus Return, investigate what sign the Venus is passing through. Although it might not be as intuitive or in your nature, you can respond accordingly. For example, Venus is currently in Virgo.

Virgos are practical and humble. They prioritize loyalty over all else. They are methodical and intentional with their behavior. So, try to repli

cate these Virgo traits when it comes to your love life, until Sept. 29.

I cannot guarantee that even if you perfectly encapsulate a Virgo for the next month, you will find your soulmate, but paying attention to your Venus allows you to be intentional with your behavior and try something new. You never know! Maybe this meticulous approach is exactly what your dates were miss ing. As always, take what resonates and leave what doesn’t.

Nadia Langley Allison Moore

Mohammad Igbaria

Nick El Hajj Lucia Cheng Lilli Morrish

Isaiah Gutman

Nina Baker Millie Peck

Sam Bates Emme Perencevich Maddi Shinall

Cornelia Di Gioia

Qingshuo Du Alina Ihnatesku

Malibu Barbie Paytas-Hacmon

The Scarlet & Black is published on Mondays by students of Grinnell College and is printed by Times Republican of Marshalltown.

The newspaper is funded in part by the Student Publications and Radio Committee (SPARC) and also relies on advertising revenue to cover operating costs. All publications funded by SPARC are copyright of SPARC and cannot be reproduced elsewhere without specific written consent from SPARC.

Contributions

The Scarlet & Black welcomes story ideas from students, faculty and other members of the town and college community. If there is any story that should be covered, please email newspapr@grinnell.edu or visit thesandb.com

Send letters to the editor via email at newspapr@grinnell.edu or mail them to Box 5886. The author’s name must be included, but letters can be published anonymously in certain occasions. Letters will be printed at the discretion of the editor. The opinions expressed in this section do not necessarily reflect those of the editorial staff. The S&B reserves the right to edit any and all submissions.

CORNELIA DI GIOIA

Features Editor Lucia Cheng `23 writes about her second time getting COVID this year.

LUCIA CHENG Lucia’s cat becoming a chicken.

LUCIA CHENG Lucia mid descent into madness.

This period should be a positive one: this is when you should engage with love the most.

Volume 139,

Dear Sage & Blunt,

BackTpage

2

The

Sage & Blunt Advice: Sulking and Single

I met this girl at a party a couple weeks ago, and I’m falling fast for her. We have a palpable energy between us and have been talking and hanging non-stop. She’s in a long-distance relationship and I don’t know how to know if she’s in an open relationship or if she is exclusive with her partner.

Additionally, I had all but sworn off relationships this year. But if this girl wanted, I would love to start a relationship with her. I also would be happy if she just wanted to be casual. (I think. I really like her.) Should I ask her about her partner?

What if she just wants to be friends and is flirty by nature? I’m freaking out, S&B, please let me know what I should do!

Sincerely, Sulking and Single

Get advice here!

Dear Sulking and Single, Oh, how I love a crush. There is no sweeter bliss, no greater torture!

I’m sorry that the circumstances of this one aren’t exactly ideal, but I wholeheartedly believe that it is a cause for celebration each time someone new like this comes into our lives. I hope that as you medi tate on how to handle this relation ship, you can return to gratitude for

a genuine and exciting connection, no matter how things turn out.

You’ll notice I use the word relationship to describe what is blossoming between you and this girl. Sulking, you are already in a relationship with her, and you will get many chances to define this relationship together as it develops. Your role in determining that defini tion is just as important as hers.

I could tell you a few different things about how to handle the first part of your letter. For instance, I might say that the only way to un derstand the terms of her long-dis tance relationship with her partner is, of course, to ask her — but you already know this. And I don’t think it really matters, because to be hon est with you, it is the second part of your letter that really interests me.

You say you had “all but sworn off” relationships, and I will assume you’re referring to the romantic va riety here. Why? Why did you take romantic relationships off the table for yourself this year? What about this girl seems to have put them right back, just like that? I wish you had written me an extra three pages, Sulking, spent just pondering these questions. Write them for yourself.

Do you know somewhere, in your heart of hearts, that it might be better for you to be alone for a little while? I can’t know what the right thing is for you, but I can tell you not to be afraid of knowing it yourself. I’m biased, but I think getting words down on a page to process your emotions is the best thing since sliced bread (which is, to be fair, a really close second).

A journal is the only place you can be so deliciously self-centered, so

Pisces (Feb. 19 - Mar. 20)

Consider what is essential to you in your soulmate, your lifelong partner. Literally make a list of must-haves and never compromise these. You do not need to compromise in your romantic life: it is supposed to be joyous and empowering. You will undoubtedly marry another Grin nellian.

Aries (Mar. 21 - Apr. 19)

Virgo (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22)

Congratulations — it’s your Venus Return! You should be anticipating an abundance of love, flirtation and romantic inquiries this month. You don’t need to put yourself out there; love should come to you. Fight your instinct to over-prepare yourself (you don’t need to do a four-hour gym session before your date!) and nitpick your potential partner. Per fection is not a necessity.

Libra (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22)

Libras should be preparing for their own Venus Return. Resist the urge to focus on romance and love but indulge in some much-needed selfcare! Reflect on what brings you joy in your day-to-day life. Watch lots of TV during this Return as self-care. How do you want your partner to be involved in your everyday? Where do they fit in?

Scorpio (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21)

Your love life might not be popping, but your social life is going full force! Introduce yourself to everyone at that party this weekend. Network, network, network. Also, it’s time to download a dating app. Put some work into your Tinder profile and swipe right on everyone. Someone new you meet during this Return (ei ther a social or romantic connection) is going to be an important person in your life.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21)

Don’t resist the desire to be the center of attention! You deserve it. You’ve been working hard and some recognition is due. If you get a professional opportunity, jump on it (even if you don’t think you are qualified). Make sure you capture ev ery moment with a photo. Celebrate liberally!

Capricorn (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19)

Capricorns, look around at your new classes. Do any of your new class mates stand out as potential love interests? You’re going to meet your new romantic partner in a classroom setting. Try to make a significant memory with them and bond over this shared experience.

Aquarius (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18)

Physical touch is going to connect you to people around you. If you have a special someone in your life, lead with a physical connec tion. Hold their hand, give them a massage or play with their hair. This should be a gentle and intimate physical interaction. This will help you make some progress in your relationship!

Burn any energy you were going to put into sex and relationships and go for a run. Seriously, don’t bother this month. If you have a partner already, invite them to go exercise with you. Reallocate the energy into something external, but not sex or love. Don’t worry, you’ll have time and energy for pleasure this fall.

Taurus (Apr. 20 - May 20)

Your romance this month is led by a desire to be creative. If you want to plan a date (with a new or existing flame), try to plan something artistic!

Focus on physical art (i.e., drawing, painting, etc.). A random suggestion: if you can babysit or interact with children, this would be so healing for you. Seek out a babysitting oppor tunity!

totally fearless. It’s the place where we admit our desires to ourselves.

I hear you saying that you would be happy with whatever kind of relationship this girl wanted, but I don’t believe you. I think that you want what you want, and you have to figure out if you want it so badly that you can’t imagine just being her friend. If you can, be her friend, and enjoy her flirty nature. My advice in general is to enjoy people who are flirty by nature — they are the very best of us. And if you can’t just be her friend, tell her how you feel or don’t, but I don’t think it makes sense to stay in her life.

Oh, and don’t even get me started on trying to define the word “casual” when it comes to sex and romance. Which is the point! You get to define it. You get to be the one who wants. Your wants might not match up with hers this time, and if that’s the case, you have my permission to sulk, but not forever. Dust yourself off, get back out there and FLIRT. It’s fun! And it doesn’t have to mean anything. More mirac ulous people will find you. Happy hunting!

Signed, Sage & Blunt

Gemini (May 21 - June 20)

If you want to impress a new roman tic interest, invite them to dinner with your best friends. It’s the best time to bring together your platonic and romantic life. Or, if you want a more intimate experience, cook a meal with your romantic partner.

Cancer (June 21 - July 22)

Go be outside with nature, Cancers! Go for a walk by yourself and let life speak to you. While you wander, try to focus on what you love/ like about your romantic interest. If you want to show this person you like them, spoil them with words of affection. These can be spoken or written. If you feel the urge, jump on it and write a love letter to your romantic interest (or for anyone you love). They will appreciate it more than they can express.

Leo (July 23 - Aug. 22)

This month, focus on financial pros perity over love. Look out for a way to make some money on the side. Perhaps this investment of time and energy in a new project with mon etary value will help lead you to a new romantic interest! A workplace crush might come about — don’t be afraid to lean into this!

By Allison Moore `24

CORNELIA DI GIOIA