Vol. 139, Issue 5

Sthecarlet & Black

Moving Downtown HSSC finally dedicated after 2.5 years

By Jane Hoffman & Charlotte Krone hoffmanj@grinnell.edu & kronecha@grinnel.edu

Two and a half years after its reopening, the Humanities and Social Studies Center (HSSC) finally had its official dedication ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 1.

in 2012 with the goal of “improving spaces for teaching and learning, especially in the humanities,” said Erik Simpson, co-chair of the College’s Planning Committee and professor of English.

Civic Engagement Quad to be College’s first dorm building downtown

By Ashley Baek baekashl@grinnell.edu

The Grinnell Board of Trustees voted on Oct. 1 to break ground on the Civic Engagement Quad (CEQ), the College’s first off-campus student housing complex. Construction is now expected to begin within the next month and is to be completed by the fall of 2024.

The College is working with New York-based Adjaye Associates and Des Moines-based OPN Architects to design and construct the project on 1029 Broad St. According to the College’s website, the CEQ is meant to serve as a “gateway that fuses and dissolves the barriers between town and institution” as well as a means to “expand the architectural discourse beyond Des Moines and the capital cities of the Midwest, placing Grinnell on the map as a dynamic 21st century destination.”

To assess the community’s

reception of the new residence hall and to “prioritize community engagement,” Adjaye Associates and OPN Architects ran the “Grinnell New Downtown Student Residence” survey in November 2020 with student, faculty, alumni and community member respondents. The survey showed that 18% of respondents visited the building location every day and another 45% visited it 1-2 times a week. Additionally, 77% of respondents replied “Yes” to the question “Do you think that more intentional connections between the College and the Town could be beneficial?”

According to Anne Harris, president of Grinnell College, the CEQ lies within the zone of confluence where the campus and downtown meet. “Broad and 6th [Avenue] is exactly that space. You can still see campus from it, but you can also look to downtown from it,” she said.

Harris added that apart from

community engagement, the CEQ is also part of a larger project to expand and renovate student housing on campus. “There are multiple wheels in motion. Some are larger wheels that have been going on for about five years to renovate student residences, such as Norris right now, but our next wheel is in the new vision of student residential living.” That vision includes air conditioning, aerated and light-filled spaces and communal living, and it is a shift from the 19th-century model of dorm rooms to newer apartment-style dormitories, according to Harris.

She praised Adjaye Associates and its founder, David Adjaye, for the design of the CEQ — “globally renowned is not even in itself a generous enough term … he’s been recognized in all sorts of different bodies, including Her Majesty the Queen, getting the highest order of

The building was abuzz with activity as multigenerational groups toured the building before gathering for a dedication ceremony on the commencement stage. Converging with the Golden Reunion bringing together several classes from the 1950s, the event drew faculty, staff, students, alumni and trustees together for a weekend of activities.

The construction of the HSSC began in 2017 and finished in 2020, and the first classes were held during the spring of 2019. The building now hosts 15 departments and contains 40 classrooms and 145 faculty offices.

The Boston-based EYP architectural firm designed the building, assisted by Des Moinesbased OPN Architects who also helped in designing the Civic Engagement Quad residence hall that is to be built downtown. Architects Robert McClure and Charles Kirby of EYP attended the weekend’s festivities.

Over the course of the dedication activities, speakers stressed the three fronts of innovation furthered by the HSSC and its design: the academic, the environmental and the accessible.

Academic Planning for the HSSC began

Before the construction of the HSSC, many teaching spaces, chiefly for humanities faculty, were “pedagogically inadequate,” said Monessa Cummins, professor of classics, in a panel discussion about the impact of the new building on teaching. Often, classes with high enrollments were held in small classrooms with sparse seating options. Many rooms were dimly lit and had limited technology, and classroom discussion was difficult to generate when not all students could see the images or each other clearly, said Cummins.

Cummins went on to describe the benefits of the HSSC and its classrooms which were designed with key pedagogical goals in mind. She said she often teaches in classroom N3110, which features a teaching table at the front of the room with students seated in three gradually higher tiers arranged in a horseshoe around the teaching table. This setup allows every student to have a “direct and unencumbered” line of sight to the images on the projector, the instructor and one another. The space facilitates both an illustrated lecture as well as questions and conversation that the instructor can lead from the

Pedal Grinnell prepares bike share program on campus

By Molly Wilcoxson wilcoxso2@grinnell.edu

Student organization Pedal Grinnell plans to allow students to rent bikes on campus — for free. The bike-sharing initiative has purchased 20 bikes for student use, and it will allow any student to rent a bike from various locations around campus starting in the spring semester.

Pedal Grinnell is the first student organization to be approved by the Student Government Association (SGA), and it is dedicated to providing free rental bikes for students. Eli Brotman `25 first came up with the idea for a completely free, carbon-neutral bike share program last year. After some planning and a successful SGA referendum for Pedal Grinnell, he enlisted the help of Tanner Alger `25 and Rachel Bottum `24 to run the initiative during the 2022-23 school year.

“After I realized how much work it was going to be and how many resources we would need, I got some people together,” Brotman said.

Last year, SGA approved a request for Pedal Grinnell to purchase 20 bikes to be stationed around campus for student use. Brotman said he estimates that, by next semester, these bikes will be available for students to use. Pedal Grinnell will run alongside Bird, an electric scooter renting service the city of Grinnell implemented in 2021.

“One of the things we wanted to do was offer an alternative to the Bird scooters,” said Alger. “We don’t really like the scooters at all. Because they’re electric, they have to be charged, which has an emissions cost. It’s not done in a sustainable way, and it isn’t free.”

The bike sharing program will work with the assistance of On Bike Share, which is currently available to download on the app store. If a

student wants to rent a bike, they first must understand the expectations of using the service, such as proper bike etiquette and Pedal Grinnell’s usage expectations.

One of the things we wanted to do was offer an alternative to the Bird scooters. We don’t really like the scooters at all. Because they’re electric, they have to be charged, which has an emissions cost. It’s not done in a sustainable way, and it isn’t free.

Tanner Alger `25 Co-President of Pedal Grinnell

After the app approves the student to use the bike, the bike will unlock itself for the selected time slot. When the student is done, they simply return the bike to one of the

docking stations.

“One of our main goals was to just provide free bikes for students,” said Brotman, “especially because there’s a problem with bikes being stolen on campus.”

Pedal Grinnell has attracted the interest of many students. At their table during the Student Organization Fair on Sept. 8, Alger said they filled “four whole notebook pages” full of interested students.

One of the shared sentiments among some of these interested students was the ability to explore Grinnell past its campus.

Gabriela Roznawska `26 first heard about Pedal Grinnell at the fair. “I feel like I’ll be able to have fun past Grinnell’s campus,” they said. “I want to discover more beautiful places in Iowa.”

Scott Lee `26 said that Pedal Grinnell will make transportation across campus “less of a hassle” than simply walking. “I think it’s important to just generally provide an avenue for college students to explore the area they live in,” he said.

After the bike-share program is

implemented next semester, Pedal Grinnell hopes to expand their organization to create a cohesive cycling community. Alger, who is from Grinnell and has worked at Bikes To You downtown for over six years, also hopes to offer free repairs and maintenance for students’s bikes.

One of our main goals was to just provide free bikes for students especially because there’s a problem with bikes being stolen on campus.

“The bike share program is more because we needed something flashy to draw people’s attention,” Alger said. “Long-term, we want to build more of a cycling community on campus as well as teach people how to fix their own bikes.”

Sports:

Eli Brotman `25 Founder of Pedal Grinnell

CAs face increased workload compared to previous years

By Saniya Kelkar kelkarsa@grinnell.edu

Beginning this academic year, each community advisor (CA) has had an increase in their workload compared to last year. However, some CAs have criticized the change, as they said they were not informed of the new workload expectations prior to accepting their positions.

The changes, which some CAs have called unexpected, call for a robust programming plan to increase community engagement. For this new program, every CA is supposed to plan and execute two active programs in the first six weeks of the semester. These active programs require the CAs to create events for their residents to participate in. Additionally, they are also expected to help their residence life coordinators in the planning and execution of cluster-wide programs.

“It adds stress to try to figure out what they [residence life] want. Often because things change so often” Edo Biluar `23, a CA in Main Hall, wrote in an email to the S&B, referring to their workload changes. “[The] college has an obligation to talk to us about changes that they’re going to make. And I think that they have failed.”

In addition to the new programming requirements at the start of the year, CA training includes Title IX and Student Health and Wellness training, meeting with insurance counselors and restorative justice training, which would take place 10 days before student movein.

However, the new robust programming plan received considerable backlash from some CAs. Biluar said that one of the reasons this program was unfair is not entirely because of the changes made but because they were made without consulting the CAs or the Union of Grinnell Student Dining Workers, which expanded to include all student workers in April 2022.

“It’s like we signed up for a job, but they’re giving us a different job or an alternative form of the job,” said Biluar.

Driver’s ed program’s future uncertain following crashing halt

By Ella Labarre labarree@grinnell.edu

The Student Government Association’s (SGA) driver’s education program, piloted in April of 2022, has been brought to a standstill following a switch in administration and a “bad” accident, according to Sarah Beisner `22, former SGA resources and services coordinator who organized and spearheaded the program. Many students are now left with little information on when or how it could someday be revived.

The program was the first of its kind and intended to help provide and pay for 20 students’s six-week driving instruction course. Beisner organized the program, which would help students obtain an Iowa learner’s permit and license with help from the Centers for Career, Life and Service.

An application was sent out to the student population early in the spring of 2022, and a budget of $16,180 was approved for the program, with the possibility of increasing capacity and budget in the future.

Grinnell’s spring break. However, on March 10, Beisner said she received word that the driving instructor from Street Smarts, the driving school SGA partnered with based in Clive, Iowa, had terminated his position.

will be automatically selected to participate.”

Upon graduating last spring, Beisner handed off all the information regarding the program to the new SGA cabinet and Ashley Adams, associate director of student involvement.

OWEN BARBATO Edo Biluar

According to Assistant Dean of Residence Life and Student Conduct Dennis Perkins, this robust programming, which is called the ‘Residential Curriculum,’ is aimed at increasing social interaction among students. He said that the first sixweek program aims to help students get to know one another at the start of the year.

“That’s the whole point, we live in Grinnell,” Perkins said. “Sometimes people say it’s the middle of nowhere or the middle of everywhere depending on how you see it.”

In August, the department of residence life discussed adding more programs throughout the entirety of the semester, according to Perkins. However, this expectation was rescinded after some CAs contended that this change did not align with their workload expectations based on the contract they received in May 2021.

Biluar also said that they believe CAs are not compensated enough in comparison to the work they are expected to do. For CAs, the expenses of the room and board are paid for. Hence, this amount is considered to be their salary. If they receive financial aid, they are compensated for the room and board expenses not covered by their financial aid package. CAs do not earn any additional money from the College for the first 10 days of training before classes begin.

“My first year of college I didn’t have a driver’s license, and I was trying super hard to learn, but there was just not that much opportunity and the classes were super expensive,” said Beisner.

Two hundred ten students reported interest in taking a driver’s ed class at Grinnell College according to a survey run by SGA in which 68.28% of international student respondents and 41.54% of Black student respondents expressed interest in taking the course compared to only 11.5% of white respondents expressing interest.

“International students only comprise 19.5% of the student body, but 52.6% of students who expressed interest in driver’s ed were international students. Black and Hispanic students were similarly overrepresented,” said Beisner.

According to Ed Jennings, owner of Street Smarts, the termination came after the instructor, along with the high school student he was teaching, got into a car accident that left the car totaled.

“There was a fairly bad collision. The car was on a two-lane country road when another car crossed the centerline, swerving to miss an animal or something, and they hit our car and caused it to somehow roll over on the road,” said Jennings. He explained that no one was seriously hurt but the driving instructor was “pretty shaken up and didn’t want to get back in the car for at least a little while.”

Jivyaa Vaidya `23, one of the students originally selected for the program and current SGA vice president of academic affairs, said that “as of right now, working on projects is not a priority because we want to focus on other basic foundations.”

“We understand the interest and the value of the program, and we’re hopeful for the future … but it would be premature to talk about the specifics,” Adams said.

Beisner expressed concern over the program still being on hold and said, “I got emails from students who were excited about it. Now, I am worried that because it didn’t happen, that means it never will happen.”

Ed Jennings Owner of Street Smarts

“It’s a pressing equity issue that I think should be addressed, and I just don’t know if there’s willpower among the students or staff to do it,” she added, referring to the lack of driving accessibility.

Perkins said that residence life has been looking into this issue and hopes to increase the compensation CAs receive for their work. Perkins also noted that this change could possibly take place by fall 2023.

Perkins said that residence life also plans to make changes to how work is assigned to CAs, but the timeline of these changes has not yet been worked out.

Beisner said she made it a goal of hers to address the lack of accessible transportation on campus and said that transportation, even with the limited resources provided by the college, remains difficult for students without a valid U.S. driver’s license.

“As an international student, it is really convenient to know how to drive in Grinnell where there is very little public transportation,” said Paata Kaloiani `25, one of the students selected for the program.

The program was set to begin on April 4, 2022, the week after

As the driving school did not have another instructor at the time, the program was put to a halt and Beisner contacted students by email saying the program would be discontinued until at least the following fall.

Beisner’s email read, “I’ve spent the past week contacting other driver’s education providers, and no one has the capacity with this late notice to provide instruction to twenty students. I am currently working to ensure that the program does happen this fall, and if it does work out, you

“I was really happy to have the option of learning how to drive, and I thought I would finally no longer need to rely on others to drive me around,” said Amisha Pershad `23, one of the students originally selected for the program. She explained that having a U.S. license would be especially beneficial for her as she is graduating soon and will no longer be able to rely on other students for day-to-day transportation.

“I am disappointed, but I understand their reasons. I really hope the SGA can start it again soon,” Pershad added.

Downtown dorm approved

well at the front of the room.

“I have a room that does everything I need it to do, which sets me free to concentrate on teaching,” said Cummins.

Environmental

According to Rick Whitney, director of facilities management, the HSSC was designed to only use 45% as much energy as a similarly sized building.

Several environmental features make this possible: the irrigation and toilet system that uses collected rainwater, the energy-efficient LED lights that light up the building and the geothermal energy that is harnessed for the heating and cooling of the building. When walking along the third floor of the south wing, one can also spot the plants that are part of the building’s blooming green roof.

Accessibility

At the panel, Autumn Wilke, associate chief diversity officer for disability resources, explained how the HSSC was designed with accessibility in mind. Some elements of this goal may be more obvious to the passersby: the hallways are wide enough to easily accommodate mobility aids and there are prominent elevator access points beside major stairwells.

Additionally, each hallway

features gender-specific and inclusive restrooms, whose design also bore in mind the needs of users with mobility aids, service animals and attendants, according to Wilke.

Wilke also noted that the planning process prioritized physical accessibility to spaces, audiovisual accessibility concerns and lighting. She explained that some low-vision students benefit from different kinds of light — natural and nonnatural — coming from a variety of directions.

At the panel, Wilke said it was rewarding to see who was gravitating towards the building, as she knows there are students who have previously struggled to find spaces to study in.

recognition for an architect.” David Adjaye visited Grinnell to scout the town and its feel and explained his ideas for the project during a virtual meeting with the trustees, said Harris.

The design of the dorm differs “greatly” from the ones already on campus, according to Rick Whitney, associate vice president of facilities management and the College’s point of contact with Adjaye Associates. He said the CEQ will be built in a “U-shape” with a north and south tower. A yet-to-be-approved plan would see the construction of a sculpture and zen garden within the middle of the “U-shape”.

Echoing architecture on campus, the CEQ will also have a two-story loggia. This loggia, nicknamed the “Pajama Floor” by Harris, would connect the north and south towers while simultaneously allowing for privacy and community, said Harris.

The CEQ will have 110 beds for students as well as two faculty apartments, residence life coordinators and community advisors, according to Whitney.

Another major aspect of the dorm is its sustainability, according to Harris. Ipe wood, which is generally considered a sustainable wood due to the trees’s carbon sequestration and carbon storage, will be used in the construction. Biophilic design will be emphasized in the complex, a means of using natural resources to create a sense of harmony between modern

architecture and the natural world, with the addition of a green roof and lush greenery, according to Harris. She mentioned the lack of greenery within Grinnell in the winter-time and said that the building will always be green and lush to help combat seasonal depression.

According to Harris, the trustees’s roles in approving breaking ground on the CEQ is purely fiduciary as their responsibility is to make sure that the resources and the mission of the College are maintained over time.

Harris said the Facilities Committee and the Finance Committee of the College were also responsible for bringing the project to life. “The Facilities Committee looks at the design and really assesses if the cost of the design is warranted, and the Finance Committee investigates the funding structure of something like this because we’re not going to pull whatever the amount is from the operating budget,” said Harris.

The budget for the CEQ involves two figures: the guaranteed maximum price and the total project cost.

According to Harris, the guaranteed maximum price for the complex is $67 million and the total project cost is $85 million. “What if the market goes wild? The 85 is our ‘what if?’ number and the 67 is a guaranteed number.”

When asked whether the billed cost of living in the new dorm will be different from on-campus dorms, Harris said, “that has not been determined yet. What I can say definitively is that financial aid would

apply and meet need in full to all residence halls.”

When asked if the new dormitory will mean an expansion of the student body, Harris firmly said, “No, this is not about expanding the student body. We are at capacity in the Dining Hall and in our classrooms … In fact, what this is is we currently have about 230 students who live out in town. This is about providing what students have asked for over the years: more options.” There will be no Dining Hall in the CEQ, said Harris.

“We’ve purposefully not decided everything. I can’t tell you how it’s going to be decided that students live there. I can’t tell you what’s going to be happening in terms of the programming spaces. Is this an opportunity for multicultural organizations? Is this an opportunity for themed floors? All of that we want students to shape, and I’m so excited to see your creative energy,” said Harris.

HANNAH

They hit our car and caused it to somehow roll over on the road.

It’s like we signed up for a job but they’re giving us a different job or an alternative form of the job.

Edo Biluar `23 Community Advisor

ADJAYE ASSOCIATES

An artist rendering of

planned interior

Features

"tag," you’re it: Rebranded student trans group renews commitment to advocacy

transgender students should be more involved in selecting their roommates.

Kratz said students have been trying to install trans bathrooms in Noyce since they came to Grinnell in 2019. “I don’t have hope, honest ly, of seeing that change in my time here. However, if we can keep being persistent and create a long-lasting foundational space,” said Kratz, “That’s the best we can do at this point.”

Finally, Garcia and Kratz dis cussed their new initiative of trying to find the best binders for students that use them. Binders are under garments that help to flatten breasts and are used most often by trans and gender non-conforming individuals. The tag co-leaders said that they no ticed that many of the gc2b brand of binders in the SRC and in the gender-affirming apparel program garnered criticism from students who had issues with the sizing and overall quality.

For trans students, discussing these issues in a supportive environ ment, Kratz said, “lets them know that they’re not necessarily alone.”

Indeed, both Kratz and Garcia emphasized the importance of com munity for trans and other queer people. They encourage all people in the SRC to be open and wel coming and to remember that it is specifically a queer-student-focused resource center.

By Allison Moore mooreall2@grinnell.edu

Although some version of the organization has been on campus since 2006, the resource group Trans at Grinnell hopes to rein vigorate its goals of advocacy and community. Once called the Trans Action Group, the same initials have also stood at one point for Trans Anarchy Group. Now that the organization has rebranded itself as “tag” (all lowercase), leaders Jay Kratz `23 and Romeo Garcia `23 are not worried that the lack of a capital letter will hamper tag’s visibility.

Grinnell,” Garcia said. Robby Specht, assistant director of intercultural affairs and supervi sor of the SRC, has been instrumen tal in kickstarting and approving tag’s initiatives, according to both Garcia and Kratz. Kratz said that after the pandemic, the institution al memory of tag began to decline. However, “to have someone that can just be the guardian of that knowl edge and all of those resources,” said Kratz, “is so, so, so important.”

Additionally, Kratz said that they want advocacy meetings to serve as a space “that is welcom ing, first and foremost, to trans stu dents to be able to bring any issue that they have to us and find a place where they can have support.”

a Trans 101 class,” said Garcia. “That’s a very important distinction we make: We center trans students in this space above all else.”

At their first advocacy meeting on Sept. 17, Kratz and Garcia said that attendees agreed that Noyce needs gender-neutral bathrooms, outdated language on certain Col lege forms should be changed and

Tag received administrative approval to begin a confidential binder trial program in which stu dents would sample different kinds of binders and anonymously report about how they felt in them. The binder trial volunteer form says that the goal is to have participants with a variety of measurements to en sure that the brands they eventually choose work for a diverse array of body types. Currently, tag is waiting for more participants before offi cially launching the program.

“Just being in a space where I know that I’m not the only trans person is so rare in rural Iowa. To be able to have that is kind of life-changing,” said Kratz. In fact, Garcia, originally from Oklahoma, said that he never found a trans community until coming to Grin nell.

While reflecting on what tag and the SRC means to them, Kratz said, “One of the most beautiful parts of just being in this space, now that it’s coming back to life, is being able to actually make all these different connections with people from all different years, all different flavors of queer and walks of life. Having a gathering space is just so crucial.”

Garcia said that tag, which op erates out of the newly renovated Stonewall Resource Center (SRC) in the Younker pit, is meant to be a place of support. “It’s a space to create trans community, to empow er each other and find belonging at

“We’re really starting out by going back to the absolute foun dations,” said Kratz. Because both Kratz and Garcia explained that they want to start from the ground up, they want their advocacy meet ings to be an environment in which students explain what resources stu dents need, rather than making as sumptions.

While advocacy meetings are open to cis allies, “it’s not like

From Peace Rock to pieces of rock:

end of the decades-long Class Scrap

the tradition and, with the agreement of the presidents of the freshman and sophomore class, elected to place a large stone in the center of campus to commemorate the agreement.

The expected Class Scrap was instead replaced by a gathering of men in the first- and second-year classes on a farm hauling a large gran ite boulder. The stone was pulled in a cart, by hand, back to campus. They unloaded the stone and officially de clared the end of the traditional Class Scrap.

History Takeover

After researching the Peace Rock and its history on campus, Huef tle-Worley requested aid in April 2017 from John Whitaker and Kathy Kamp, two anthropology profes sors and experienced archaeologists at Grinnell College, in recovering the Peace Rock from its grave. Using photos, yearbooks and ground-pene trating radar, its general location was estimated.

As part of a field methods class, the students and pro fessors successfully excavated frag ments of the detonated rock from the site. Now, those pieces are located outside Bucksbaum.

By Marcy Cassidy cassidym@grinnell.edu

From the 1870s to 1913, Grinnell College was the site of a long-held tradition: the “Class Scrap.” Fresh men and sophomore men participated in a capture-the-flag style wrestling match, seen as a spectacle by even the town’s local news. The competition included camping out in town and kidnapping members of the opposing team for points. The event would usu ally conclude with a grand final bout that lacked formalized rules or guide lines regarding safety or restraint.

However, with many students and staff concerned about the violence, the scrap was put to an end with a boulder called Peace Rock.

But that was only the beginning of Grinnell’s culture war. In the spring of 1914, after being illicitly painted red the week prior, the boulder was blown apart with a large bundle of dynamite on the early morning of April 21. Following weeks of blood shed and bombing, the rock would find its indefinite resting place when several vandals rolled it into a freshly dug hole. Although the Peace Rock is

long gone, archaeologists excavated fragments of the stone in the spring of 2017, and it is still a marker for Grin nell’s cultural history.

Local historian and author Byron Hueftle-Worley led a 2017 excava tion of the Peace Rock and has re searched its history extensively.

“As one might expect, many peo ple in town, and most certainly the college administration, took a very dim view of such a breach of fair play and decency,” Hueftle-Worley wrote for Volume IV, Issue 2 of Rootstalk

2018.

Several cases of property damage and severely injured students became commonplace during the Campus Scrap. In one case, some students trapped others in a room and one threw bromine through the window. The freshmen became sick and one received severe chemical burns on his arm.

After the death of a student in a similar event at a Wisconsin college, then Grinnell College President John Hanson Thomas Main decided to stop

“The class scrap returned the next school year in the form of a game of pushball … Some vestiges of the tra dition lasted at least until the 1960s with much more restraint,” wrote Hueftle-Worley.

As for the rock itself, after stu dents blew it up with TNT, others took pieces of it and stashed them away around the town of Grinnell. One piece marks the grave of Grin nell alumn Billy Robinson, an avia tor who died attempting to break an altitude record. A different fragment of the Peace Rock is located at Long Home, the first house in Grinnell, and another at J. B. Grinnell House, which is named after the founder of the town.

Notably, World War I started a few months after the Peace Rock’s burial. Drafting began three years lat er in 1917, so the same campus that had erected this rocky installation for peace was to experience it for long.

“Most of the male students on campus, along with many of the re cent graduates, enlisted in the mili tary,” Hueftle-Wortley wrote. “Many of them served overseas, and some never returned.”

Hueftle-Worley spoke with the S&B about his research and provid ed information about the Class Scrap and Peace Rock. More information can also be found in Grinnell’s De bate Union documents.

ELEANOR HEDGES DUROY

The two leaders of tag, Jay Kratz `23 and Romeo Garcia `23, are hoping their advocacy meetings will build the foun dation for trans students to feel comfortable asking for the resources they need.

It's a space to create trans community, to empower each other and find belong ing at Grinnell.

ELEANOR HEDGES DUROY

True Grinnellian: Lori Vos of Loralei's Giftshoppe

By Conrad Dahm dahmconr@grinnell.edu

In one of the historic buildings that line Commercial Street sits Loralei’s Giftshoppe. While on the outside it may look like the other businesses on the street, one step inside will reveal a world of creative knick-knacks from collectible figurines to home decor. Lori Vos, owner and founder of Loralei’s, is an Iowa native with a deep love for the unique.

“I was born in Grinnell but lived 15 miles from here. I worked at the business across the street [now Village Decorating] since the 1970s,” said Vos. She said that she is inspired by how much the town of Grinnell has to offer despite its small size. This perspective has made her love everything colorful, which is one of the main attractions of her business.

“We carry uniquely different things,” said Vos. “‘Unique, fun and funky’ is my tagline.” The wide variety of items in the store are all liked and chosen by Vos herself. She said that she has specific criteria for what items end up on the shelves. Usually, she prefers locally made items that have color and would not normally be found in a larger department store.

We carry uniquely different things. 'Unique, fun and funky' is my tagline.

Lori Vos

“I love color, texture and design,” said Vos. She said that this long-time love inspired the opening of Loralei’s Giftshoppe.

The story of Loralei’s Giftshoppe began around 18 years ago, when Vos, who also owns Village Decorating, needed more space to house the extra inventory.

The building itself is on the Grinnell historic registry list, and it was originally built in the 1800s as a harness shop for horses. Vos started the renovation process after purchasing the building in 2002. The original windows were uncovered and the original ceiling was preserved. Many of the walls, however, were replaced.

The business officially opened

in March of 2003. Vos noted the variety of customers she has seen and spoken to since the store opened nearly 20 years ago, both from the town and from Grinnell College.

“I ask people what brings them to Grinnell, and [they say] this is a meeting place since it’s in between Des Moines and Iowa City,” Vos said.

Grinnell Health Care Center

hospital

Although her primary demographic comes from Grinnell, Newton and Marshalltown, Vos said that plenty of college students and their families visit, particularly during events that bring families to town like sports games or parents’s weekends. In fact, Vos said that she has a fair amount of regulars who are college parents that visit the store whenever they are in Grinnell.

“It’s fun to have parents come and visit and become repeat customers,” Vos said.

She said that one of her favorite stories is of a Grinnell College basketball player’s family who would consistently come to Loralei’s when visiting the student. Although this student has since graduated, Vos said that she hopes more students will continue to come, bring their families and check out what the store has to offer.

Vos noted that many items offered in the store are great dorm decorations or gifts for friends and family. As an added bonus, all gift wrapping is complimentary at Loralei’s. Vos encouraged students to engage with the town, saying, “I hope that college students come downtown and visit the store. I hope they come here for a unique gift and visit other stores in the town.”

I hope that college students come downtown and visit the store. I hope they come here for a unique gift and visit other stores in town.

By Ellianna Cierpiot cierpiot@grinnell.edu

The Grinnell Health Care Center (GHCC), a facility that provided short- and long-term care for elderly patients, closed permanently in August 2022. Hickory Recovery Network, an Indiana-based corporation, has proposed the establishment of a psychiatric hospital in the now empty building, located at 415 6th Ave.

The GHCC closed for financial reasons, Dr. Brian Heineman, former medical director of the GHCC, said in an interview with the Grinnell Herald-Register. The facility was unable to accept Medicaid reimbursements and was losing money. The GHCC was meeting all regulations for patient care, and it was not over capacity at the time of its closing, according to Heineman.

The GHCC provided services such as physical and occupational therapy, including rehabilitation therapy to help patients return to an independent life at home, according to the list of services on the GHCC’s website. It also had long-term nursing care facilities. At the time of closing, there were 25 residents, all of whom were relocated to other facilities by the time the GHCC closed, according to Heineman and the Herald-Register.

Other long-term care and rehabilitation facilities continue to exist in and around Grinnell. The Mayflower Community offers longterm residential care for the elderly, and the Brookhaven Nursing Home

in Brooklyn, IA offers both longterm and short-term rehabilitation care with physical and occupational therapies. The Montezuma Nursing and Rehabilitation Center also provides rehabilitation, long-term care and hospice. Those seeking rehabilitation or nursing services for an elderly patient can find more information about the services offered by these facilities on their websites.

According to Heineman, 25 to 30 nursing homes across Iowa are closing, or likely to close, this year due to financial issues. Many of them have a high proportion of Medicaid recipients among residents. Several of the facilities that are closing are owned by corporations which hold the rights to multiple nursing homes.

For example, the GHCC is owned by Chosen Health Care, an Indianabased corporation.

In an interview with the Grinnell Herald-Register, Dion Schrack, the executive administrator at St. Francis Manor, said that most of the homes that are closing have experienced low resident numbers. Since less beds are filled, and many patients are Medicaid recipients, this causes the expenses per resident to rise as the cost of labor and operation is not spread largely among patients. The GHCC experienced this trend prior to their closing.

Chosen Healthcare announced its closure in early August. On Aug. 23, Hickory Recovery Network filed a letter of intent to Iowa state officials proposing the establishment of a

Community

psychiatric hospital in the building.

The letter of intent stated that the Hickory Recovery Network is seeking a certificate of need. At this time, the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) has not granted the Hickory Recovery Network the certification to provide psychiatric treatment in Iowa.

According to the IDPH website, receiving a certificate of need requires an application to the IDPH before the development of a new health service — this can apply to hospitals, nursing homes, outpatient surgery centers or purchases of medical equipment. This review process must be considered by IDPH staff and the State Health Facilities Council before a new health service can be offered.

Since the new services that might be offered by the Hickory Recovery Network’s hospital have not been reviewed by the IDPH, no plans have been put into motion about changes to the building, according to Building and Planning Director Tyler Avis, who said that he had not been contacted by anyone about changes and was only recently made aware of the possibility of a new entity coming into town.

As of Oct. 4, the certificate of need has not been reviewed. Applications that are submitted before Dec. 12 have a possibility to be reviewed at a meeting on Jan. 31 by the IDPH board.

The S&B did not receive a comment from the Hickory Recovery Network.

Wolf

11:00 a.m. on Oct. 11

Park Street

Museum

a.m. on Oct. 11

College Museum of Art

for

p.m. on Oct. 11

College Golf Course

Speaker

Kayaking - Poweshiek County Conservation

p.m. on Oct. 11

Lake

Ceramics: Pierced Ceramic Vessels

p.m. on

11 & 25

Makerspace

It's fun to have parents come and visit and become repeat customers.

Lori Vos

Lori Vos

take its place

Arts

Casting The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

By Cadence Chen chencade@grinnell.edu

This is the first installment in a three-part series chronicling the casting, rehearsal and opening of "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee."

Director Lucy Polyak `23 held auditions for the musical comedy “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” as a part of her mentored advanced project (MAP) during the first week of October. For a cast of nine, 30 students auditioned, which Polyak said is the highest number of auditionees for a production this semester at the College.

Stage Manager David Gales `23 and Music Director and Pit Lead Jacob Johnson `23 joined her for the audition process and the three made casting decisions together. Polyak referred to them as her “co-conspirators” to the students auditioning. Claire Liddle `23, who was not present at the auditions, is the house manager for the production.

While Polyak knew she wanted to direct a light-hearted, morally positive musical, she was especially attracted to “Putnam County Spelling Bee” for its small cast size. Given time restraints, she found that the music in the show was interesting without being too difficult to master in a two-month period.

During auditions, she was looking for people who were making “really big choices” and were willing to be silly. After students sang a song of their choice, Polyak asked them to sing a rendition of a song in a different character to test their flexibility and observe the choices they decided to make. Some were asked to read aloud a McDonalds meme.

While the line “there are no small roles, only small actors” may sound like an overused turn of phrase, Gales,

who holds that the line “is not true,” said that there are “literally” no small roles (or actors) in this show especially. All the actors will be on stage for most, if not all, of the show.

With a strong cast, this show could still be strong with “just $50 and a MIDI keyboard,” said Jacobson, who has led the pit orchestra in a high school production of the show and was music director for a production of the musical “I Dig You” last year, which Polyak acted in.

version, which changed vulgar songs like “My Unfortunate Erection (Chip’s Lament)” to “My Unfortunate Distraction (Chip’s Lament).” Jacobson said they would not have agreed to be a part of this project if they were putting on the junior version.

Recent media aimed towards an adult audience, like the TV shows PEN15 and Big Mouth — where adults portray middle school students — may point towards a cultural fascination with this particular period in people’s lives.

“Have you ever met someone who had a good experience in middle school? Like a universally, overall positive experience?” Gales asked. “Of course you haven’t. It's fucking miserable.”

Polyak said that the junior version takes away a key aspect of the show as adolescents are at the boundary of childhood and adulthood.

She said, “It’s a very scary feeling to have to cross that bridge into adulthood, and I still feel like I haven't

fully grasped it some days.”

At 21 years of age (“That’s 12 backwards!” Polyak added), and as she is preparing to leave the Grinnell community, Polyak is thinking about what it means to belong, a theme that recurs throughout the show.

Though Polyak and Gales said that “Putnam County Spelling Bee” was a staple show for many school and community theaters, Polyak did not see a production of the show until June of 2021 at the City Circle Acting Company in her hometown of Iowa City. She will be borrowing props from this production.

She watched this at a time when she said COVID-19 felt like it was in a transitional period — with some saying it was over and others refuting it — and when she had felt a longing for belonging.

“The spelling bee is where they have found value in their lives,” said Polyak about the show’s characters.

“They have found that when they excel there, they feel like they belong for a

minute.”

She then cites a line that is repeated in the show: “The best spellers don’t necessarily win,” a crucial reminder that success and winning are not always the same thing.

Though Polyak is working with the understanding that her MAP will eventually lead to a grade from her advisor and producer of the show, Professor of Theatre Craig Quintero, a yellow dinosaur named “Lugubrious Baker Pineapple,” or “Goob” for short, rested on the audition table to remind her that she is supposed to be having fun in the midst of this ambitious undertaking.

“I did not have to do a MAP to graduate. I did not have to do a MAP to this scale to graduate,” she said. “Whenever I need to, we just make some eye contact, and I've reset myself.”

Rehearsals began on Oct. 6. The show is set to open at the Grinnell Area Arts Council Theatre on Dec. 9 of this year and will run until Dec. 11.

The group was impressed and expressed excitement over the talent showcased during auditions. Jacobson has worked out many possible permutations of the show’s casting.

“We could run two nights back to back and have a completely different cast between those two nights with no repeats, and they would both be great shows,” they said. The team ultimately had to choose nine actors for the cast.

A Broadway and Tony awardwinning production, “The Putnam Spelling Bee,” originally created by Rachel Sheinkin and William Finn, follows six eccentric middle schoolers and three adults as the adolescents compete in the titular spelling bee.

At some middle and high schools, like Jacobson’s, the original musical was eschewed in favor of the junior

A small show with big heart: 'Xoti' in Smith Gallery

By Nadia Langley langleyn@grinnell.edu

The print’s reddish-orange tissue paper, dried in ridges, eerily resem bled veins and capillaries, according to Jillian Bhuyan’s `24 friends; “It looks like skin,” Bhuyan admitted.

Jillian Bhuyan displayed their exhibit “Xoti” in Smith Gallery with five prints, all of which they created specifically for the exhibit. Bhuyan used the printmaking style “chine collé,” which involves layering tissue paper of different colors and designs using an adhesive, often wheatpaste. Bhuyan also used rectangular reverse

artistic field relatively new to Bhuyan, who had been most interested in still lifes and portraiture when they first started taking classes at Grinnell Col lege. It was a printmaking class at the College that first introduced Bhuyan to abstraction, and they have been in trigued ever since.

Bhuyan’s prints include shapes ranging from the organic to the sci entific. While more familiar shapes like circles and rectangles make ap pearances, it is the abstract shapes that draw the viewer in.

Visitors with a particularly keen eye may observe that certain shapes are repeated across several of the

to staging their own since declaring the major.

“It’s really vulnerable to share your work,” Bhuyan said, but they also gained a new perspective on their own art by exhibiting it. By displaying their own art in a space free of other distractions, they said they were able to see it in a way they never had be fore.

Bhuyan did not have a traditional opening for their Smith show, instead opting to show their exhibit for the first time to a smaller gathering of friends. While showing their art to others in volved stepping out of their comfort zone, Bhuyan said it also provided

"blur" defies definition

By Ella LaBarre labarree@grinnell.edu

On Oct. 5, 2022, Grinnell’s Flana gan Theatre premiered its production of “blur,” an immersive performance experience directed by professor of theater Craig Quintero. Six students brought the show to life by creating a multifaceted and boundary-push ing theatrical performance. Seven twelve-minute performances took place daily over the course of seven days, making a total of 49 short shows.

Unlike most ordinary plays, “blur” is performed for an audience of one person, and as such, it is complete ly tailored to the audience. The actor gauges how they will perform based on how they analyze the audience. For example, if an audience member seems more settled, the actor will perform in a way that provokes excitement and energy. This flexibility allows a direct connection between them and the actor.

“Oftentimes in theater, if you're on a big stage, you're performing to darkness because you can't see them because of the theater lights. In this [performance], there's direct eye con tact, there's contact with the audience. So, it's really something where it's not about going to see a performance, but it's about experiencing something.” said Director Quintero.

Due to the nature of the show, the rehearsal process started without a script and focused on improvisation. Students would slowly begin to devel op their own ideas and visions through out rehearsal while expanding upon the creativity of their performance.

line Berry `26.

Given the show's raw, vulnerable style, some caveats were bound to arise due to the precision required to keep the mechanics of the show fluid. In typ ical performances, it is often easier to conceal the technical aspects of a show that create its magic, but because of the lack of distance between the audience and the performer in “blur,” more work was put in by both the crew and the ac tors. From there, a fully formed show began to emerge and led to the expe riences that were performed on stage during the 49 performances.

The performance immersed the audience right away by leading them through a dark corridor. From there, the audience member traveled through a moving room, with help from crew members, while watching the actor through a screen. The set involved many quirks to further immerse the audience such as giving the audience member different foods and having them interact with puppets.

While traditional theater has its merits, theater at Grinnell College is looking to challenge these boundaries and push performance in new, unortho dox directions. “blur” did exactly that.

“I was excited about college the ater because I could have experienc es like this, since my previous drama teacher only really wanted to stick to traditional shows. There's room for us to suggest our own ideas and try things out which I really liked,” said Berry.

stamps with relief ink on several of the pieces. The range of bright colors and use of organic shapes in each of the prints naturally links the pieces in the collection.

The exhibit’s name is the word for “small” in Assamese, the language of the northeast Indian state of Assam, where Bhuyan’s family is from. Bhu yan chose the name due to the limited number of pieces in the exhibit and because they liked the way it sounded, but said naming their art is not some thing they’re fully comfortable with yet. “I don’t think it ever feels not corny,” they said. Visitors to the gal lery may notice that none of the five prints are named.

The prints explore abstraction, an

prints, including the orangish positives cut from one sheet of tissue paper used in the skin-like print and repurposed in another piece with more purple tones.

This in-the-moment transplanting al lowed Bhuyan to conserve materials while also creating a design tether be tween the prints.

Studio art majors are required to participate in BAX, the end-of-year Bachelor of Arts Exhibition, before they graduate, but shows in Smith Gallery, located just outside the Din ing Hall in the Joe Rosenfield Center (JRC), are recommended as another opportunity to showcase a cohesive body of work. Bhuyan said they think the Smith show is great practice in ex hibiting and had been looking forward

feedback to inform how they should approach their own work in the future.

“Knowing what people respond to and also being able to open my mind to other people’s experiences gives me more tools to be able to shape the experiences and reactions that I want,” Bhuyan said. “Or maybe what things to avoid.”

Bhuyan said they hope those who visit the exhibit take the time to ob serve the prints and explore the many layers they might find.

“I like when people get all up close,” they said.

“Xoti” was set to close on Oct. 7, but due to a gap in the Smith Gallery schedule, it might be possible to catch the exhibit for a longer period before it is removed from the space.

“It's a lot of trial and error. I think we definitely try a lot of stuff out just to see if it works. And if it doesn't, it doesn't, but if it does, then it's exciting because that's something new that we can add to the show.” said actor Caro

As Quintero puts it, “blur” is a pro duction that makes the audience lose themselves in order to find themselves, truly “blurring” the line between the performance and the audience’s intro spection.

Performances of “blur” will be held from Oct. 5-11 in Flanagan The atre within the Bucksbaum Center for the Arts.

Have you ever met someone who had a good experience in middle school, like a univer sally, overall positive experi ence? Of course you haven't. It's fucking miserable.

David Gales `23 Stage Manager

EVAN HEIN

ELEANOR HEDGES-DUROY

From left: Music Director and Pit Lead Jacob Johnson `23, Stage Manager David Gales `23 and Director Lucy Polyak.

Men’s soccer maintains 3-0 winning streak in conference play with big revenge win over Cornell

By Taylor Nunley nunleyta@grinnell.edu

The Grinnell men’s soccer team had their retribution against Cornell College on Tuesday, Oct. 4 at Spring er Field. It was Grinnell’s first time facing Cornell since their devastating loss at the Midwest Conference Tour nament Semifinal in Nov. 2021. Yet, Grinnell did not despair. After a close first half, where both teams ended tied and a tense back-and-forth sec ond period, the home team prevailed over the Rams with a final score of 4-2.

The men’s soccer team came out blazing in the first half, with Noah Guyton `23 scoring the first goal of the game within five minutes. Cor nell’s team scored the following two goals, but Dylan Maddux `25 man aged to tie it up through a penalty kick shortly after, setting the score at 2-2. It stayed that way until after halftime.

A brief stalemate occurred during the second half. “We kind of came out in the second half a little bit asleep,” said Guyton. “We weren’t really play

ing very well. We think they [Cornell] came out really strong, ready to play and we maybe weren’t.”

For a grueling 20 minutes, Grin nell attempted to break the tie. “I was a little scared for sure,” Guyton said, referring to the close calls Cornell had to score and Grinnell’s own lack of scoring. “But I think we’re kind of used to that. It’s just how a soccer game goes, it’s back and forth. And so we didn’t get down about that, and then we put away our chance when the time came.”

Maddux finally launched Grin nell into the lead with his second goal of the night. Ecstatic, the team embraced at the sidelines while the crowd, which had steadily grown throughout the game, erupted in cheers. “That was a big moment,” said Guyton. “We had been strug gling for a little bit there and then that [goal] was important, I think, for the end of the game.”

Maddux also said that the fourth goal from Peter Murphy `25 “just kind of finished it off. And it was just a good moment. The game was kind of on the edge for a while.”

Murphy, just a few minutes after Maddux’s game-changing goal, ce mented Grinnell’s spot as the victor at the Tuesday night game. Cornell, with its two goals in the first half, was completely shut off from scoring in the second half by goalkeeper Carter Benson `24.

It’s just how a soccer game goes, it’s back and forth. And so we didn’t get down about that, and then we put away our chance when the time came.

Noah Guyton

Cornell tried to catch up to Grin nell’s two-point lead but failed. The final horn blew after the 90-minute mark, ending the game at 4-2 in an other win for Grinnell.

For some of the players on the team, Tuesday’s game was person

al. “Cornell beat us during the sea son last year as a team,” said Matias Bambi `23. “And then, obviously, they knocked us out of the Midwest ern Conference (MWC) Tournament at the end of the year. So I think that it just felt a little extra good to show that we’ve come back stronger this year.”

And come back stronger, they have. With their win over Cornell College, the men’s soccer team moved to a 3-0 record in MWC play. In their previous game, Grinnell managed to upset Knox College, the defending MWC champion, from the comforts of their title. But despite these impressive victories and their overall four-game win streak, players emphasized being humble.

“It’s definitely a step in the right direction,” said Guyton. “Es pecially with two of those games being [against] better teams in our conference. We’re confident but not overconfident. We’re not expecting to win. We know we still have five games to play to win [the] confer ence. But it’s definitely three games in the right direction.”

“It’s also all the more reward ing,” said Maddux, “because towards the start we didn’t have the best debut of the season. We were kind of strug gling, like losing some games we felt like we should have won. But we made some little tweaks to the sys tem. And then the past four games, we’ve been playing really well and coming together. We’re looking very good to keep going on this run and hopefully win [the] conference.”

I think that it just felt a little extra good to show that we’ve come back stronger this year.

Matias Bambi `23

The men’s soccer team faced Beloit College on Saturday, Oct. 8, at Grinnell’s home field. Their next game is at Monmouth College, in Monmouth, Illinois, on Saturday, Oct. 15. Both games are part of the MWC season.

Volleyball Club welcomes all to practices, hopes to compete

er now. “We’re one big club, which is awesome. We debrief after each practice, decide on what drills to do the next day and play it by ear. There’s nothing really to fumble — we just get together and play.”

Practices, which currently hap pen twice a week, consist of an hour of drills and exercises followed by an hour of playing actual games. There is a focus on improving fun damental volleyball skills, as many members of the club are relatively new to the game.

“I’d say a handful of players have background experience and knowl edge,” Neace said. Some, including her and Benjamin, played volley ball at a high level in high school. Neace said that people who take the volleyball physical education course do come to club meetings. However, many members are also entirely new to the sport. “There’s not really any crossover between our club and the varsity team,” she said.

really exciting and fun but not exact ly what we anticipated,” Benjamin said. “That has really helped ev eryone get better.” Neace described coaching as a collective effort be tween the more experienced players.

Both Neace and Benjamin said that they are happy about the consis tent numbers that the club has been able to attract, with an average atten dance of over 20 people each prac tice. With the fall semester in full swing, the co-captains are now espe cially focused on creating more op portunities for the club to compete.

At this point, Benjamin said that the club team is still figuring out the competition. “We’re hoping that by the end of this semester we’ll play in at least one tournament, and then definitely by next semester either start going to adult tournaments or play against other club teams at col leges like Macalester or Carleton.”

from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the auxil iary gymnasium at the Bear Athletic Center.

“Everyone is welcome to come practice,” Neace said. “We have people who show up for an hour and then leave, and we have people who come every single day. I think it’s a very welcoming atmosphere.”

UPCOMING HOME GAMES:

Thursday, Oct. 13 Women's Volleyball vs Knox College 7:00 p.m. Darby Gymnasium

Friday, Oct. 14

Men’s and women’s swimming vs Scarlet and Black 4:30 p.m. Natatorium

By George Kosinski kosinski@grinnell.edu

Grinnell College students who wished to play competitive volley ball at a non-varsity level were out of luck until last year when a group led by Matthew Kenny `25 started a men’s club team. Now, all on cam pus are welcome to play after sever al students seeking to start a wom en’s volleyball club merged their organization with his.

“Volleyball Club is a new orga nization on campus that is open to anyone who wants to play at a more intense level than intramurals but not at the varsity level,” said co-cap tain Meredith Benjamin `24.

In the past, students were able to play intramurals and take the vol leyball course offered by the athletic department. However, these settings did not necessarily offer the intensi

ty or competition that some players sought, and with intramurals being discontinued this year, many felt the need for a new club on campus.

“Last year there was not an option for women to play club vol leyball at Grinnell,” said co-captain Liz Neace `24. “At the beginning of this year, I and a few other people wanted to start a women’s club. We wanted to create a space for women on campus who were interested and wanted to play.”

Neace said that she and her co-captains were tabling next to Kenny’s at the student organiza tion fair. Since the men’s club was already looking to become gen der-neutral, they decided to combine into a single club.

“It was a little rocky at first, just since we weren’t originally plan ning to merge,” Neace said, adding that things are going much smooth

We’re one big club, which is awesome. We debrief after each practice, decide on what drills to do the next day and play it by ear. There’s nothing really to fumble — we just get together and play.

Liz

“There are a lot of new players, but they make drastic improvements every single practice, and our level of play is getting better every day,” Benjamin said. Since the club is not a varsity sport, there is no official coach. Instead, leaders and other players with experience have taken that responsibility.

“Because the club is open to ev eryone, we have found ourselves in more coaching roles which has been

“I’m not sure how realistic it is this term since we just started,” Neace said, “but we do want to be able to compete with other schools by next semester and in the years to come.”

Benjamin cited Grinnell’s high ly successful ultimate frisbee team, which is also not a varsity sport, as a model for what she hopes the team can become in the future as the organization continues to develop. She pointed out that the organization needs to research more about the opportunities for gender-neutral vol leyball competition. “At schools like [Grinnell], there is usually only a women’s varsity team, so there’s of ten just a men’s club team. We’re in the process of figuring out how that will affect our ability to compete,” she said.

Led by co-captains Benjamin, Neace, Kenny, David Stefanoff `24 and Ellen Hengesbach `24, Volley ball Club meets every Thursday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday

Saturday, Oct. 15 Men’s and women’s swimming vs Alumni 12:00 p.m. Natatorium

Wednesday, Oct. 19 Women’s soccer vs Saint Mary’s University 4:00 p.m. Springer Field

Wednesday, Oct. 26 Women’s basketball vs William Penn University 5:30 p.m. Darby Gymnasium Scrimmage

Men’s basketball vs North Iowa Area Community College 7:00 p.m. Darby Gymnasium Scrimmage

EVAN HEIN

Nate Girard `23 winds up to kick in Grinnell men’s soccer’s game against Cornell College on Oct. 4. Grinnell won 4-2.

CONTRIBUTED

MARCY CASSIDY

Grinnell’s new Volleyball Club poses for a photo after a practice. The club was

OpiniOns

On the same Paige: sexplanations and other equity tips

By Paige Olowu Olowupaig@grinnell.edu

Sexplanations and Other Equity Tips is an anonymous Q&A column center ing on all things related to sex, gender and healthy relationships. It serves as an educational resource aimed at in creasing access to information, normal izing healthy behaviors and promoting a culture of sexual respect on campus.

Questions will be answered by Post Baccalaureate Prevention and Outreach Coordinator, Paige Olowu `22, in col laboration with the Title IX office.

“Am I a bad person for wanting to end things with my girlfriend from home? I think I’m starting to want different things.”

You absolutely aren’t a bad person for taking some time to reflect on what you want! I think this is a natural thought for a lot of people who come into college al ready in a relationship. College is a time for self-discovery. From my experience, it can be a place where you learn who you are, what you want and need and where you’re going in life. Your ques tion sounds like you may be looking at some type of change in the dynamic of your relationship. Over time, the nature of relationships can transform due to personal developments or shifting cir cumstances (like going to different col leges). Long-distance relationships can be draining and it’s okay to take some time off if that’s what you need. The longer you’ve been with someone, the harder it may be to shift the dynamic of your relationship from romantic to pla tonic or maybe even something else. I understand feelings of guilt associated with even wanting an adjustment, but not being honest with your feelings and staying in a relationship you don’t want may be more damaging to your girl friend than just ending things.

By Sage & Blunt

When exploring your options, it’s always helpful to communicate your thoughts and feelings with others; this could be a conversation with your friends and family. Even though it may not be easy, you should communicate with your girlfriend from home. “End ing things” doesn’t have to be a sign of hate or disdain for the other person in volved. In fact, discussing where you’re at emotionally can be a gesture of car ing, self-awareness and respect for the relationship. It is possible to move from a romantic relationship into a new pla tonic configuration. Often it just takes time, communication and some mental adjustments. Best of luck to you!

“As wild as it sounds, someone slid into my YikYak DMs and we’ve been talking. I feel weird about meeting up with them though.”

The way in which we communicate and meet each other is constantly chang ing. Just two years ago I would have thought it was wild to take a dance class completely online, but that’s exactly what fall 2020 had in store for me. Now relationships can begin, exist and be sus tained entirely online. Meeting someone via YikYak DMs could absolutely be the start of a beautiful love story. However, unlike many modern dating apps, Yik Yak is an entirely anonymous platform. There is no way of knowing the person you’ve been conversing with is actual ly who they say they are. If you choose to continue chatting or plan to meet up, I encourage practicing basic online safety. This includes, but is not limited to, withholding personal information, meeting in a public or familiar place and being wary of odd or inappropriate requests. Like with all things (and espe cially in ambiguous instances like this), I think it’s best to listen to your gut and trust your instincts. Happy Yakking!

“I feel like people here only have sex drunk.”

It’s completely valid to feel that way. I’m sure walking through D-Hall and overhearing some Sunday morn ing conversations would cause many people to agree with you, but actually, most Grinnellians prefer sober sex. Not to bore you with statistics, but the per ception that Grinnellians prefer to have sex while intoxicated was not reflected in our last Sexual Climate Survey (con ducted by Professor Chris Ralston’s MAP team) or data collected from the College’s last American College Health Association National College Health Assessment.

Trends with data points from 2013, 2015 and 2018 show a statistically sig nificant increase in students who self-re ported having oral, anal or vaginal sex in the last 30 days before taking the survey. They also self-reported being sober for 75% or more of their sexual encounters, from 53.8% in 2013 to 70.6% in 2018.

Additionally, the percentage of students who self-reported having sex in the last 30 days and self-reported never being sober for sex decreased significantly, from 23.8% in 2013 to 7.8% in 2018.

While the percentage of students who self-reported that they preferred to be intoxicated when having sexual contact with someone else held relatively steady (13.9% in 2015 and 11.4% in 2018), the percentage of students who reported that they thought the typical Grinnell student preferred to be intoxicated if they were going to have sexual contact with some one else decreased by almost half, from 50.6% in 2015 to 24.2% in 2018.

When making sweeping statements, I err on the side of caution. Engaging in sex can be a vulnerable act; I’ve heard of instances when people choose to drink alcohol to relax their inhibitions and others who choose to abstain from drinking to have an intimate experience

with their partner. As long as it is con sensual, individuals should act in ways that make them most comfortable. Re gardless of where you fall on the sexual spectrum, as a campus we can promote

Reach out! The QR code will take you to an anonymous form in which you can ask questions, raise concerns or contact Paige directly. The form also provides confidential and non-confiden tial resources if more immediate help is needed.

more accurate social norms and attitudes towards substance-free sex. By becom ing more accurate in our perceptions, students should feel empowered to have the kind of sex they want to have.

Sage & Blunt Advice: Hopelessly Hurting

Dear Sage & Blunt,

How do I become friends with someone I’m still in love with? I loved someone and left them at home. I will be going home soon. How do I interact with them? I still love but can’t.

Signed, Hopelessly Hurting

Dear Hopelessly Hurting,

Before I give you advice, I want to tell you something about myself: I fall in love with my friends. By that I mean I find a profound kind of romance in the feelings I have for dear intimate friends who I would never want to kiss on the lips, and I also mean that the people I have crushes on and fall in love with almost always start out as platon ic companions. I love watching a friendship deepen and stretch and turn into something else. I love get ting to know someone one way and then getting to know them again. I’ve never had feelings for someone I haven’t laughed with extensively. I have a very expansive definition of the word “soulmate.” The point is, I experience friendship romantically, and I tend to blur the lines.

If you can believe it, Hopeless ly Hurting, this has gotten me into some trouble in the past! I truly don’t think I’ll ever be able to con ceptualize love any differently or compartmentalize any more effec tively, but this approach can cer tainly lead to considerable pain and confusion. Breakups in general are painful and confusing; having to in teract with your ex while things are

still delicate can make the mess of a breakup stickier and harder to climb out of. And as someone who is deep ly uncomfortable with the idea of severing ties with anyone who was once significant in my life, I just want to acknowledge how tempting it can be to keep things sticky.

My advice would probably change depending on how close of a friendship you intend to carry on and whether you differentiate be tween being in love and wanting to create something mutual and roman tic out of that feeling. But to make a long story short, I don’t think you can be friends with someone you’re still in love with.

At least I can’t, not without intermittent periods of mis ery, not without trying to talk myself out of knowing what I know, want ing what I want. The truth is that I’ve never done it before — rebuilt

a friendship with someone I was once in love with, that is. But in my experience, if you’re in love with someone who’s not in love with you, a friendship with them will just always be taxing in a way you don’t deserve. And if they’re looking for a friend, they deserve someone who honestly wants the same thing.

I have these questions for you: do you want to stay in love with this person? Are you waiting for them? I can’t tell from your letter whether you feel obligated to see each oth er or if you are earnestly looking to rekindle a connection but afraid of your feelings getting in the way. Re gardless, take it one step at a time. Don’t worry about what your rela tionship with this person will look like in the future; for now, all you have to do is learn how to be around them again. See how that feels first.

It might still be too intense, it might be much easier than you thought it could be or it might be totally an ticlimactic. Act accordingly: if you find you still can’t exhale around them, step away to catch your breath. If I may gently suggest it, let go of the idea that you need to see this person or be their friend at all. You’re allowed to take your time apart from them and not interact with them. In fact, if you ever want to be in love again — with anyone — or be friends with this person again, I think putting off interaction until your feelings fade is the best, and maybe the only, way.

Let’s talk about the last sen tence of your letter: “I still love but can’t.” Hopelessly Hurting, the love you have for this person, for the people who raised you, for your best friends, your dog, whoever is

important in your life, is likely a big part of what makes you who you are. I hope you hold on to it and that it keeps you company as you move through the rest of your life. Heal from this heartbreak, meet new lov ers and make new friends. I believe that being in love is just that, a state of being, an ethos which you can embody all on your own, and that is the most heartbreakingly gorgeous thing about being alive.

I’m so sorry you had to leave your love. I’m sorry that you can’t go home without thinking about having to see them. Do only what you can do. Be gentle with yourself. Go find out where else your love might take you.

With great affection, Sage & Blunt

SPARC Policy

Nadia

OHANA SARVOTHAM

Paige Olowu `22 is building a bridge between Title IX and the student body.

CORNELIA DI GIOIA

Feeling like you too could use some advice? Contact Sage and Blunt us ing this QR code!

BackTpage

best thing since the front page!”

Horoscopes: Elements and Signs

If you want just one more piece of the puzzle to help you understand your horoscope and your birth chart, look at the natural elements associated with each sign: earth, fire, water and air.

Each sign is grouped into an element that helps address some commonalities of the signs. It is a general grouping. It is also a good way to start understand ing signs. For example, if you know nothing about what being a Sagittarius means, but you know what being a fire sign means, you can operate through that lens.

When I read people’s birth charts, I like to look for patterns or lack thereof

— What stands out? What doesn’t fit? A good way to identify patterns is by look ing at common elements when it might seem like someone has a wide range of placements with nothing in common.

For example, I recently met some one who had a Gemini sun and a Libra moon. This confused me because on the surface, these signs are usually very dif ferent. But the reality is these signs have a lot in common because they are both air signs. So, I focused on the traits of the air signs rather than the individual signs.

Each element has its own distinct traits that define it:

Fire signs are Aries, Leo and Sagit

Signs as Questionable

Libra (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22)

Macaroni and cheese pizza topped with hot dog slices

Scorpio (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21)

Calamari pizza with eel sauce and seaweed salad

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21)

Chocolate tofu pie pizza

Capricorn (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19)

BBQ sauce pizza topped with every “style” of fries Dining Hall offers

Aquarius (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18)

Anchovy and artichoke pizza with olive oil

Pisces (Feb. 19 - March 20)

Thanksgiving dinner pizza (fea turing turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, bread, green bean casserole and pumpkin pie)

tarius. Fire signs are, well, fiery. Their bold and unabashed energy often makes them the center of the party. Adventure and spontaneity are critical to their life styles. Lust motivates how they move through the world, how they present themselves and how they behave in inti mate relationships.

Earth signs are Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn. Earth makes me think of the ground, which makes sense because earth signs are grounded. They are prag matic, logical and organized. They are very grounded by their strong beliefs and morals. Being grounded makes them in touch and present in their bod ies. Earth signs desire sensuality and

intimacy in their relationships.

Air signs are Gemini, Libra and Aquarius. Air signs move (like the wind) in a breezy and flexible way. Air signs are also focused on analyzing ev ery move of themselves and the people around them, although they do not al ways let that influence their behavior.

They are smart and analytical but do what feels good in the moment. Their goal is to do what’s best for the most people in the room. These signs are flirty and will flow in and out of your life — don’t try to tie them down.

Water signs are Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces. These signs feel a lot and they feel big. Emotions will run high if you

interact with a water sign. They need lots of ways to express their emotions, which helps us understand why water signs have an insatiable desire to be cre ative. These signs are in tune with their family and home life. Having a safe place to call home is their number one priority.

These general traits are applicable to your signs regardless of what placement you are looking at (sun, moon, rising, etc.).

Elements are a powerful tool: even though they are more general and vague, they are nevertheless essential to seeing the whole picture of someone’s birth chart. As always, take what reso nates and leave what doesn’t.

Aries (March 21 - April 19) Peanut butter, Nutella and banana pizza

Taurus (April 20 - May 20)

Buffalo chicken pizza (yes, this already exists, but it’s so contro versial that I needed to include it)

Gemini (May 21 - June 20)

Biscuits and gravy pizza

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Loaded chili potato pizza topped with nacho cheese Dorito flakes

The

Leo (July 23 - Aug. 22) Cheese pizza sprinkled with edi ble 24K gold flakes

Virgo (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22) Pizza topped with green olives, black olives, canned tuna and ranch dressing

Mini

By Allison Moore `24

Drawn a doodle you think could be a comic? Thought of a SNEDGE-worthy question? Have an opinion about literally anything? You too can be published in the S&B! Contact the Opinions section editor [peckcami].