Volume 135 Issue 8

Grinnell Community celebrates Halloween

Cribs: 1132 Broad Street

Community page 4

Features page 5

A recap on sports during Fall Break

Sports page 10

Scarlet & Black the

Volume 135, Issue 8

November 2, 2018 • Grinnell, Iowa

Grinnell to host speakers for biannual TEDx conference

SARINA LINCOLN

The theme for this year's TEDxGrinnell will be "Turn On the Light."

By Sarah Licht lightsar@grinnell.edu Although watching a TED Talk usually occurs on YouTube and Facebook, the College has hosted its own series in the Grinnell community: TEDxGrinnell. This Saturday, Nov. 3 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. in Roberts Theater, students and Grinnell community members will have the opportunity to hear numerous lectures from Grinnell College alumni.

TEDxGrinnell. an independently-coordinated TED event, will have the basic format of a regular TED Talk. Speakers will give 10 to 15 minute long talks, which will follow the year’s theme, “Turn On the Light.” The purpose will be to focus on topics and

areas of interest that speakers don’t usually cover in TED events. “[There will be] one talk about the deaf community, and another that will be about the effects of current legislation and political issues on students in schools themselves,” said Megan Tcheng '19, one of the organizers and coordinators of the event.

A talk on the deaf community will be given by a Grinnell alum, Jody Haymond '67, who has become very prominent in the deaf community and will focus on navigating the controversy of cochlear implants.

Kenji Yoshino '11, a Grinnell alum who invented a small and inexpensive microscope, will discuss how he motivates himself

and others to achieve their goals in life.

The process of choosing speakers was highly selective.

Tcheng, who is also on the speaker subcommittee, explained that they approached alumni who had an “interesting personal backstory or career path, the dynamic personality needed to captivate an audience, had not visited Grinnell for some time, and came from a variety of different classes and cultural backgrounds.”

Once the process was over, the subcommittee chose seven different speakers and prerecorded three Ted talks relevant to the central theme.

Many different factors go into the process of planning and executing >> See TEDxGrinnell page 2

thesandb.com

Students hold vigil in response to synagogue shooting

By Mayo Sueta suetamay@grinnell.edu

On Tuesday, Oct. 29, a vigil was held in JRC 101 in remembrance of the anti-Semitic violence at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh.

This gathering, which was open to the whole campus, followed a similar event on Monday night in which Jewish students were welcomed to the CRSSJ garage to find support and solidarity among one another.

The students of Chalutzim organized both events after they realized that the administration had not released a statement concerning the tragedy.

“The vigil … because we don’t have a rabbi, we weren’t really sure kind of what to do or who was organizing it,” said Noah Segal '19. “But Deanna Shorb [dean of religious life] reached out to us from the CRSSJ and she’s been great and has been really helping us. We were really able to get it together because Dylan Caine '21 reached out to a rabbi in Ames and there’s … very few rabbis in Iowa, but he was able to come down and do that.”

Segal said that coming back to campus after the shooting presented a unique set of challenges.

“Coming back to campus after the shooting was a little jarring [because] one, we were all dealing with it personally, but then … with the lack of structure in terms of having, like, the wider Jewish leadership without a rabbi or without really any paid person at this time, we were trying to figure out how to make sure that the lives [that] were lost were honored and memorialized and also kind of how to deal with the wider issues of antisemitism. We’ve felt like both of those things were very important to address,” he said.

Amelia Geser ’19 also expressed

her frustration with organizing the vigil in an email to The S&B. “Since we had to scramble to find a Rabbi and organize a space, the service was more stressful than relaxing for many of us,” wrote Geser. “It was hard to return to a campus where we, a very small representation of all the Jews on campus, had to plan and organize everything at a time when we should have been able to decompress and grieve.”

President of the College Raynard Kington’s response caused further confusion among students.

On Monday afternoon, he sent out an email about the massacre after Shorb’s all campus email, addressed specifically to a group of Jewish and non-Jewish students concerning the shooting.

“We were disappointed with [Kington’s] response and it was not really until … students and faculty and ... even some alumni [asked] the administration [to] send out an all campus memo condemning antisemitic violence and violence and hate as a whole … after a lot of urging we got an email that … [was] just to the Jewish students but it was unclear where they even got that list and I know not all Jewish students got this email,” Segal said.

Segal believes that the email should have been sent out to the whole campus community, as Jewish students and faculty weren’t the only people impacted by the event.

“It didn’t feel very sufficient, one … we know that there is antisemitism in this country and on this campus but it’s important that the rest of the campus who isn’t knows that there is antisemitism.

We appreciate the administration sending out an email to us, however they figured out who the Jewish >> See Students reflect page 2

Admissions, cashier and registrar offices change buildings

By Eva Hill hilleva@grinnell.edu This week, the Grinnell College Cashier, Registrar and Offices of Admissions and Financial Aid made the move from the John Chrystal Center (JCC) to the new Admissions and Financial Aid (AFA) building.

While it may have come as a surprise to students, the transition has been several years in the making, according to Joseph Bagnoli, vice president of enrollment and dean of admissions and financial aid.

The move occurred this week for a very specific purpose: application season starts in just a few weeks and will last until mid-March. Since the building is close to finished, staff can begin moving into the new offices and settle down before they begin to process applications for the next admission cycle.

The prospect of moving to a new building arose from research done by the Grinnell Visit Experience Taskforce, or G-VET, which formed in 2013 and aimed to investigate “why Grinnell had an unusually low visitor-to-applicant conversion rate and a low enrollment yield rate on offers of admission,” Bagnoli wrote in an email to The S&B. That task force revealed extensive information regarding the application process that resulted in the implementation Saturday Two-Sided Story: Film Screening The Strand Theatre, 11:30 a.m..

of several new initiatives by Grinnell staff, including “three independent evaluations [that] revealed a lessthan-favorable assessment of the John Chrystal Center.”

According to Bagnoli, the task force believed that “the southwest entry to campus lacked the kind of ceremonial arrival point typical of peer colleges” and that it was “too far from the campus center or the ‘intellectual heartbeat of the College,’” making it an inauspicious place to start a campus tour. One consultant, Bagnoli wrote, remarked that the building was “out of step with Grinnell’s less formal campus culture.”

Comments regarding problems with the JCC as the starting point for campus tours were prevalent throughout the task force’s evaluation. These problems ranged from the fact that the view from the JCC is of the Bucksbaum loading dock to the feeling that the JCC is “more like an office building than a place to welcome students and their families.”

Another adviser pointed out that the JCC was “a beautiful administrative building that doesn’t function well as an admission office.”

As an example, Bagnoli explained that the JCC has no dedicated space for information sessions; as a result,

The new Admissions and Financial Aid building is ready for the offices to start moving in. the college has previously had to our needs while opening up valuable space and will be working to answer use a room in the basement of the space in the JCC to accommodate an questions regarding student billing building for that purpose. office that would function well in it.” and financial aid without requiring While administrators considered Brad Lindberg, Grinnell’s students to ‘line hop.’” making modifications to the JCC, Assistant The JCC building will still serve Vice President for an important role for students on Enrollment and Director of Financial they ultimately decided that a fresh start would be the most effective way Aid, explained the function of the campus. After the move to the new new Student Financial Services building, it is set to host the Center to shift application trends.

“After conferring with an Office, which combines the offices of for Careers, Life, and Services, which architect who has worked on financial aid and the cashier. Lindberg currently resides in four separate several of our campus buildings, we wrote in an email to The S&B that the buildings on campus. The JCC, he concluded that there were few low- combined office is intended to make explained, is well-suited as “a space cost opportunities for modification,” it quicker and easier for students to for hosting prospective employers, exploratory advising, our seven new he wrote. “The Board of Trustees receive finance-related services.

“While still keeping our distinct career communities, and the students concluded that a new building in a better location could better serve identities, we will share a combined served through these programs.”

Saturday Teachers Talk Series: Monessa Cummins and Todd Crites Rosenfield Center 209, 12 p.m.

Monday Ecodharma: Buddhist Teachings for the Ecological Crisis Noyce Room 1023, 7:30 p.m.

ANDREW TUCKER

Follow us on Twitter @thesandb and on Instagram @grinnellsandb

Tuesday Gallery Talk: The Irresistible Collectible Photograph Faulconer Gallery, 4 p.m.

Tuesday Gina Caison: Dramatic (Dis)Unityon Roanoke Island Burling Lounge, 7:30 p.m.

Ad 3 | Community 4 | Features 5 | Opinion 7 | Arts 9 | Sports 11

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News

Edited by seibertl@grinnell.edu & suetamay@grinnell.edu

Students Professor Susan Ferguson wins national award reflect after for contributions to field of sociology vigil

Continued from Front Page students were, but … that wasn’t totally the point, the point is that the whole campus knows that this is an issue,” Segal said.

It was hard to return to a campus where we, a very small representation of all the Jews on campus, had to plan and organize everything at a time when we should have been able to decompress and grieve.

Amelia Geser '19

CONTRIBUTED

Professor Ferguson. sociology, recieved the Hans O. Mauksch Award.

After receiving the email, the group of students involved in organizing the vigil expressed their concern to Kington regarding the email, after which Kington invited the Chaluztim and Jewish leadership on campus to sit down with him and dean of the college Mike Latham.

“We do ... appreciate them reaching out and it seems like they are interested in helping, but... there was nobody really from the administration at the vigil,” Segal said. “Going forward we really hope that ... they recognize that we need their support...that it's important that they ... step up and meet us to make sure that the Jewish community on campus is supported and feels that the administration is on our side.”

By Shuhan Yi yishuhan@grinnell.edu Professor Susan Ferguson, sociology, was honored with the Hans O. Mauksch Award for Distinguished Contributions to Undergraduate Sociology in August 2018. The Hans O. Mauksch Award is a prize given annually by the American Sociological Association to honor an individual scholar that has contributed to the teaching and learning of sociology through various aspects.

Ferguson has several areas of specialty that she has explored over the last few decades at the College.

In addition to teaching introductory and tutorial courses, she has offered a course on the sociology of health

and illness as well as a seminar on the family. Two years ago, she also taught in the Semester at Sea program.

Devoting herself to the enrichment of Grinnell’s, as well as the nation’s, sociological community for nearly three decades, Ferguson said that winning this prize acknowledges the work and teaching she has done over these years.

In the professional domain, Ferguson has published several books that have influenced the teaching of sociology worldwide.

Her three anthologies on introductory sociological material, the family, and race, class and gender, respectively, have been used in colleges and universities nationwide, as well as in

China and Europe.

“Those three anthologies I have edited contain what I think are really compelling voices in sociology, and a lot of faculty are using them,” Ferguson said.

Besides having written and published several books, Ferguson has led teaching workshops for other faculty, has served as an external reviewer of other colleges’ sociology departments and participated in designing the sociology curriculum nationwide.

What parallels her academic achievement is her experience and enthusiasm for teaching. During her graduate school years, Ferguson had already begun to teach classes and was nominated for an award as a graduate student teacher.

However, Ferguson still felt as though the College challenged her teaching style when she first arrived 25 years ago.

“Coming here, it pushed me to a higher level because the students demanded it,” she said. “In that, I could not just come to the classroom and, you know, stand at a podium and lecture for 50 to 80 minutes. There was more engagement, and students asked great questions so I needed to push my teaching to a different level.”

Ferguson also later wrote in an email to The S&B that her teaching philosophy revolves around “the importance of decentering dominant narratives in the classroom by

introducing diverse voices and texts,” and that “learning needs to be student centered and that faculty need to narrate their positionality as teachers.”

Although Ferguson’s career at the College has brought many personal accomplishments, her priorities still center around her students.

“Teaching never gets old,” Ferguson said. “The students challenge me and bring new perspectives to the readings and the learning that goes on in each class. I came to Grinnell because of that high-quality teaching, the emphasis put on it, but I have stayed for the students. I’ve learned as much from them over the years as I have taught. They push me. So Grinnell students certainly contributed to [the award].”

Despite Ferguson’s lengthy career, she still has several immediate plans for the future in wake of her award.

“The award comes with an expectation that I will do a lecture at next year’s meeting,” she said. “Next year I will give Hans O. Mauksch Award lecture in August at the ASA meetings, so I am doing research right now in preparation to write that lecture and then it will be published in Teaching Sociology, it’s our top journal on teaching."

Ferguson is now designing new courses that will involve more global work, and she also hopes to teach on Semester at Sea again, while conducting international sociology research at the same time.

Members of UGSDW defend themselves at hearing

By Zoe Fruchter and Chloe Wray fruchter@grinnell.edu wraychlo@grinnell.edu

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) hearing as to whether the Union of Grinnell Student Dining Workers (UGSDW) could hold an election to expand their membership to all student workers concluded on Thursday, Oct. 18. The hearing began on Wednesday, Oct. 17.

Judge Martha Freeberg, an appointee of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), presided over the banquet room of Grinnell College Golf Course, where the hearing was held.

Cory McCartan '19, UGSDW advisor and founder, and Sam Xu '20, UGSDW board member-at-large, argued on behalf of the Union’s petition. President Raynard Kington and attorneys Frank Harty and Thomas Cunningham from Nyemaster Goode, P.C. represented Grinnell College, the employer and respondent to UGSDW’s petition.

Typically, the NLRB will hold an election in which at least 50 percent and one of the proposed unit, in this case student workers, must vote in favor of unionizing to grant collective bargaining power. This was not the case at Grinnell.

According to Jacob Schneyer '21, UGSDW board member-at-large, the College’s argument is grounded in the

TEDxGrinnell themed "Turn On the Light" Continued from Front Page the conference. Tcheng, who began working for TEDxGrinnell her first year for the previous event, says that the main work included finding a date, committee, staff and community members to help and then picking speakers to talk during the event, as well as advertising and ticketing.

“It’s good that we have a conference every other year … because then we have roughly a year and a half to plan for [the event] itself,” Tcheng said.

“Turn On the Light” will be very similar in structure to the last conference two years ago that was themed “Bursting the Bubble.”

However, the experience will be incredibly different due to the talks themselves.

“The conferences are designed around the speakers. All of them have very different backgrounds, areas of interest, and focuses of their talk,” Tcheng said.

notion that students are not employees and therefore do not have the right to unionize, thus blocking the proposed election. Even if the NLRB decides in favor of UGSDW, Schneyer said the two parties would still need to meet a neutral agreement to hold the election.

On Oct. 17, the College called five witnesses to testify before Judge Freeberg: Grinnell College President Raynard Kington, Maria Tapias, professor of anthropology and associate dean, Brad Lindberg, assistant vice president of enrollment and director of financial aid, Mark Watts, human resource training and student employment coordinator and Susan Sanning, associate dean and director of service and social innovation.

The Union called Nancy Combs, controller and assistant treasurer, as their first witness on Oct. 17. The following day, UGSDW called four students to testify about the economic necessity of their employment at the College: Union President Quinn Ercolani '20, Caitlin Richter '19, Peter Cipriano '19 and Allyson Leicht '19.

Following the Union’s witnesses, UGSDW and the College delivered their final statements.

Cory McCartan, UGSDW advisor and founder, said that student workers are statutory employees of the College and thus have the right to collective bargaining. McCartan argued against the College’s stance that students’ jobs

are educational and thus not deserving of union status, saying that a job being instructive has no connection to the economic condition of the students or their need for collective bargaining.

McCartan invoked the NLRB’s 2016 decision The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York and Graduate Workers of Columbia as precedent, noting that the NLRB decided that student workers were eligible for collective bargaining in this case.

Finally, McCartan addressed the College’s allusions to wealth stratification throughout the hearing: “If the employer is concerned about inequity between wealthy and lowincome students, they should take a look at their current system in which many low-income students have to work much more than their peers.”

Harty claimed that the petitioner’s witnesses proved the College’s point. Harty expressed that witnesses corroborated Grinnell College President Raynard Kington’s testimony that campus jobs were primarily educational, and that students attend the College for higher education, not working, thus they are not employees subject to NLRB review.

Harty went on to state that the fear of stratification was real, and that if collective bargaining were granted, work opportunities would be limited to those with the most need. He concluded

that unionizing would violate FERPA and FAFSA, jeopardizing students’ rights to financial privacy. Harty denied comment to The S&B. According to UGSDW members, the process of choosing an appropriate setting for the hearing presented difficulty.

Originally scheduled to be held in Minneapolis, the Regional Office headquarters of the NLRB, the hearing was moved to Newton, IA. However, UGSDW objected to both locations, expressing concerns over travel costs and missing school.

To hold the hearing in Grinnell, UGSDW agreed to drop the unfair labor charge they filed at the same time as the petition in response to an April 18, 2018 statement from President Kington.

In a Special Campus Memo emailed to all students, President Kington stated that unionizing all student workers “… could have an adverse impact on our students who receive financial aid through the workstudy program.”

The Union interpreted Kington’s statement as a threat to student’s financial aid.

After the Union dropped their unfair labor charge, the College proposed the Golf Course as the hearing location, ostensibly due to a lack of availability of other spaces on campus.

“We had to let them get away with

that [unfair labor practice] in order to have the hearing on campus and allow the student body to see firsthand the administration denying them their rights,” said Quinn Ercolani '20, UGSDW president.

Facing two established professional lawyers, McCartan and Xu relied on Xu’s two years of Mock Trial experience and personal research. “The internet is a great place,” McCartan said.

“The College’s denial of our rights is negatively impacting my educational experience because I can’t focus on my classes at all when the College has hired two high powered union-busting attorneys to waste my time for two days,” McCartan said.

Lisa Lacher, senior content strategist for media relations in the College’s Office of Communications, wrote in an email to The S&B, “because there is a pending matter before the National Labor Relations Board, we [the College] think it prudent not to comment.”

Following the hearing, the NLRB will notify both parties if they can administer an election to expand the union. Should the NLRB rule in favor of UGSDW’s petition, the election will take place in Joe Rosenfield Center (JRC) 101 on Friday Nov. 9, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Any undergraduate employee of the College who logged hours between Sept. 16, 2018 and Oct. 15, 2018 will be able to vote.

Grinnell preps for centennial accreditation evaluation

By Mira Tellegen tellegen@grinnell.edu On Tuesday, Nov. 6, Grinnell College will hold an open session at 11 a.m. in JRC 101 for students, faculty and staff to discuss their perspectives on the College’s ongoing accreditation evaluation process. This session will follow a gathering that happened last week, during which administrators met with student leaders to discuss their perspectives on how the College handles issues of inclusion, governance structures and available resources on campus. The event is to prepare for when five peer reviewers from the regional accreditation body, the North Central Higher Learning Commission, will meet with Grinnell College representatives to evaluate whether the College qualifies for reaccreditation.

Accreditation occurs every ten years and determines whether a college is eligible for federal funding.

The college president Raynard Kington and Board of Trustees, according to associate dean and member of the chemistry department Mark Levandoski, will represent the College. If all goes as planned, the college will receive confirmation of their accreditation by the end of the semester.

CONTRIBUTED

The College will hold an open session at 11 a.m. on Nov. 6.

Although the College has remained continuously accredited for over 100 years, the process of securing funding is extensive. Levandoski has worked for the last two years to create a comprehensive profile for the college, which includes information about the mission statement, the College’s core values of social justice, diversity and integrity, and evidence such as the Student Handbook and Advisor’s Handbook.

Levandoski emphasized the importance of the cause, as remaining accredited and securing federal funding is extremely important in providing a positive environment for their students.

“If you don’t have federal funding for students to attend your university, you might have trouble making your institution work,” Levandoski

said. However, he remains confident that “[accreditation] should not be a problem for Grinnell,” as it is “an exceptionally high-functioning institution."

Levandoski identified five facets of the College that hold particular relevance in the evaluation process.

First, the mission of the College and how it’s implemented in the day to day life of students and faculty; second, the structures on campus meant to promote ethical conduct and improve campus climate; third, the high quality of teaching and emphasis on academic excellence at Grinnell; fourth, the improvements and expansions to the academic programs; fifth, the resources and institutional effectiveness of the college.

At the last accreditation evaluation in 2008, the committee discussed issues

such as diversity, institutional research, governance, student assessment and learning, faculty retention and mentoring, and student affairs.

Following the feedback given in 2008, Grinnell has implemented new policies around diversity and inclusion, which are highlighted in the 2018 report to the Higher Learning Commission.

“We talked a lot about our work in diversity and inclusion over the last 10 years, because we’ve done a lot of work over that time period,” Levandoski said.

After hearing from the staff and student body, the commission this year will communicate with the College about potential areas of improvement in their policy. Levandoski said the College then takes that feedback and works to enact change.

“We think about how to improve things and then we implement plans that will lead to those types of changes,” Levandoski said.

According to Levandoski, the student participation in the accreditation process is extremely important.

“They want to hear from you, they want to understand what it’s like to be a student at Grinnell,” Levandoski said.

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Community Dave Maxwell, Ann Egley compete for House District 76

Edited by taylorse@grinnell.edu

By Andy Pavey paveyand@grinnell.edu

When voters cast their ballots in the Nov. 6 midterm elections, constituents in Iowa’s 76th District will make a choice between newcomer Ann Egley, a Democrat looking to score an upset victory, and David Maxwell, the Republican incumbent, for the Iowa House of Representatives.

Egley views her dearth of experience in public office as a strength.

“I have a lack of experience as a legislator or as a public official, but I think that’s what sets me apart. You don’t have to worry that I’ve been in the game so long that I just play by my party’s rules,” said Egley. She trained as a journalist, having worked at two newspapers and as a substitute teacher. She also served as treasurer of Democrat Jacob Tornholm’s campaign against Representative Maxwell during the 2016 elections.

Egley often speaks about issues from the perspective of the average citizen, drawing evidence and examples from her own life. “I’m here for myself, my family, and my neighbors … I want what everybody wants,” she said during a public forum Monday.

Her key campaign focus is education. “I have a daughter on the autism spectrum. She relies on a peer educator, and right now, with budget shortfalls, her education is at risk,” she said. Having grown up in a union household, Egley is a strong advocate for workers’ rights and is in favor of single-payer healthcare.

However, in a district that has kept Representative Maxwell in office for the past three elections, it may be difficult for Egley to make a case for change that resonates with voters. Describing himself as a “fiscal conservative and a social moderate,” Representative Maxwell touts his roots and

CONTRIBUTED

Dave Maxwell (left) and Ann Egley (right) are both running for a seat in the Iowa House of Representatives here in Poweshiek County.

his tenure above all else: “I’m a small business owner and a farmer. I’ve been operating my business for 44 years, and we’re still doing business in the same spot.”

He also touted his bipartisan appeal, saying “[Most Democrats in the State House] think I’m a great guy.

Republicans don’t always think I’m a great guy.” Still, Maxwell offered few solutions when it came to achieving legislative compromise in an ultra-partisan political environment.

Maxwell stated that his biggest goal was improving mental health care in the state. Mental health has long been an issue for Iowans, and a recent bill tackling the issue was passed earlier this year by lawmakers.

On the issue of taxation, Egley argued that middle-class tax increases do more harm than good, but floated the possibility of increasing taxes for corporations doing business in Iowa: “If you’re making a million dollars or more, if you’re a corporation, if you’re a business that’s using the

market in Iowa to make a profit, then maybe we should [re-examine] how much you’re paying, and how much you should give back to the state that’s making you money.”

Maxwell offered conflicting messages on his taxation philosophy, saying that, “To me, the government takes their money, and if they do a good job providing goods and services back in turn for that tax money, that’s fine. But whatever the government takes is really not a whole lot different than having somebody rob you with his gun out.” He also said, “I have nothing against raising taxes if they need to be raised to cover an issue.”

Maxwell was wary of recent middle-class tax cuts. “I’m not sure that I fully approved all our tax cuts this past year, because I don’t know where they are. I haven’t received any of them,” he said. However, he ultimately voted with the Republican Party in favor of reducing taxes despite his skepticism.

Egley is also in favor of campaign finance reform. “Ever since Citizens United opened the door for big contributions from all sorts of different corporations and special interests, it’s been a problem.” According to public election finance records, she has only received funds from the Iowa People’s PAC (which organizes small Iowa donors), local labor organizations and small individual contributions. “I don’t have any corporations that are putting five thousand, ten thousand, or fifteen thousand dollars into my bank account, and I think it shows. And I think my voting record … will show that as well.”

Egley raised questions about Maxwell’s acceptance of PAC (Political Action Committee) funding.

Many criticize large PACs for influencing elections by using large amounts of money, often from corporations or the extremely rich, to fund campaigns. Public records show that Maxwell has received nearly $60,000 in donations in 2018, the majority of

which originates from PACs. Maxwell was candid about his acceptance of PAC contributions. “I have no problems taking political action committee money because I have contributed thousands of dollars to PACs. That’s the only way you can get enough to make any difference to anyone, especially on the national level.”

In the choice for District 76 Representative, voters will decide between an established, three-term public servant and a bold, untested challenger promising to shake things up in the Statehouse. Representative Maxwell is betting on the connections he’s forged with area citizens and a lifelong tenure in central Iowa, while Egley believes that change is necessary to keep the state relevant and working for people like herself.

Democrats have thrice failed to unseat Maxwell, but in a year of unprecedented voter turnout and Democratic enthusiasm, this may finally be their chance.

New holiday decorations will debut during annual Jingle Bell Holiday

By Clara Larson larsoncl@grinnell.edu

CONTRIBUTED

These banners will soon adorn many of the light poles in Grinnell.

Next week, the Grinnell Area Chamber of Commerce will place new holiday decorations around the downtown area. “Our existing decorations have definitely seen their use. They are about 30 years old,” said Rachael Kinnick, director of the Chamber of Commerce.

The new decorations are part of a city-wide mission to enliven the Grinnell community. “We are really looking into ways of improving community vitality and making sure that Grinnell continues to be relevant not only to our residents but also to visitors,” Kinnick said.

The old decorations will most likely be distributed to Grinnell’s peer communities in other towns, “so that we don’t have to just dispose of them, but be able to give them to

another community that could see some use out of them,” Kinnick said.

Grinnell has about 125 light poles downtown, and after the new decorations are up around two-thirds of them will be adorned with lighted snowflake displays while giant green holiday banners reading ‘Welcome’ will hang on the rest.

Kinnick said “the idea behind them is that they were a little cheaper than some of the other options, and also that they’ll be some color during the day with the banners, and then at night, we’ll have the snowflakes that will be very visible as well.”

“Trying to manage visual perception and what people want to see with cost has been a really interesting challenge,” expressed Kinnick.

She reported that each individual decoration cost between $200 and $500. With 125 light poles to cover,

that puts the total cost of the decorations somewhere between $25,000 and $62,500.

The decorations were mostly funded by the Hotel-Motel Tax Committee, a group tasked with doling out the revenue from lodging taxes in Grinnell. “They primarily spend it on things of community vitality, making sure that Grinnell is a thriving and relevant place for people to come visit,” Kinnick said. The remainder of the costs will be covered

by Chamber of Commerce fundraising.

The Chamber wanted to ensure that the new decorations were up in time for the city’s holiday kickoff event, Jingle Bell Holiday. The event is held each year right before Thanksgiving. Stores stay open late and host activities, live music is played downtown, Central Park

holds a tree lighting ceremony and hosts Santa Claus and free carriage rides are given around downtown.

Jingle Bell intentionally takes place well before the holiday season is in full swing. “The reason for that is to make sure people are thinking about all the ways that they can support local before they go out and do most of their shopping outside of the community,” Kinnick said, “so we really like to use it as more of a Holiday kick-off – less about doing your shopping that night and more about building community and getting to see some of the offerings that our local stores will have.”

Kinnick explained that in the future the Chamber hopes to replace the city’s holiday decorations on a more regular basis, rather than all at once, in order to disperse the high costs over a larger period of time.

In celebration of Halloween, The S&B’s Sarach Licht '22 and photographer Liz Paik '22 ventured out Halloween night in order to catch the superheroes, spirits, and other spooky creatures of Grinnell – and their canine compatriots – in action as they roamed the streets looking for a trick, or a treat.

“I’m a robber ... It was easy to make.” -Katie

“I’m the Hulk ... He’s awesome!” -Blake

“[I’m] a cowgirl ... It was easy.” -Halle

“We’re both masquerade runaways!” -Crissy and Alicia

“I am an alien who snuck onto Earth and is now dressed as a human to fit in. And my dog Jocko is an alien disguised as a dog with a sweater and pearls on.” -David

“I’m Little Red Riding Hood, and my dog Ronin is the Big Bad Wolf.” -Bella

Features

Edited by vitaioli@grinnell.edu

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Safer streets in Grinnell:

The S&B examines infromal campus courtesy ride program

By Zoe Fruchter & Chloe Wray wraychlo@grinnell.edu fruchter@grinnell.edu In recent weeks, rumors purporting an end to courtesy rides from campus security have circulated among students.

Courtesy rides are a service offered by Campus Security through which students may call security to be picked up and escorted, typically to a location across campus or to a nearby off-campus residence.

While fears of gender-based violence and harassment pervade the minds of students walking at night, particularly off-campus, institutional policies and culture can be crucial to uphold and create avenues for student safety.

We are still providing safety rides upon request from the campus community James Shropshire As part an ongoing series on student safety at night, The S&B felt that this rumor need be investigated.

“We are still providing safety rides upon request from the campus community,” wrote James Shropshire, director of campus security, in an email to The S&B. Shropshire noted that there may be a wait time if security staff is responding to an emergency or has other service calls. This semester campus security has been operating with a reduced staff. However, Shropshire is in the process of

hiring for three open positions in the campus security office.

“Any significant change to our services would be announced to the campus community in advance of the ‘sunset’ date,” wrote Shropshire.

“I have no intention of eliminating or decreasing our safety ride service, in fact, I am looking to expand a shuttle service to Wal-Mart and HyVee after students return from winter break.”

While Campus Security intends to expand their shuttle service, SGA is also working to increase levels of safety both on and off-campus.

“I really want students to know that they’re still doing escorts, they didn’t stop,” said Khadijah Toumbou '19, Student Government Association vice president of student affairs. “I encourage people to [use the escorts off campus] ... especially if you’re a woman or student of color.”

However, Toumbou noted, courtesy escorts are a Campus Security practice, not an official policy. She added that she intends to work on formalizing the practice in cooperation with Shropshire and other members of SGA. Beyond formalizing the courtesy ride service, Toumbou and other SGA cabinet members are working on several other initiatives surrounding safety and prevention. Toumbou is the co-chair of the Harm Prevention Committee, along with Wellness Coordinator Jen Jacobson '95.

Students’ safety off-campus is implicitly related to on-campus culture. Many students travel to High Street or Broad Street to attend

parties, in part due to the restrictions on alcohol consumption on campus.

The Harm Reduction Committee aims to foster a safer party culture on-campus.

I encourage people to [use the escorts off campus] ... especially if you’re a woman or student of color.

Khadijah Toumbou '19 Toumbou proposed extending Harris parties to a later time so that students have more time on-campus

instead of off-campus where there are no official security measures.

At Harrises, Toumbou noted, All Campus Event Security (ACES) is present and there is food available to mitigate the effects of alcohol. She also proposed serving alcohol at the beginning of Harrises to incentivize upperclassmen to come early, which then would set a norm of parties starting earlier for the entire campus.

“Then you’re in a safe environment when alcohol consumption is happening,” she said.

The S&B’s investigation into student safety at night will

focus on institutional forces and responsibilities. The investigation will evaluate the role of both Grinnell College and the town of Grinnell.

Future pieces will include but are not limited to discussing the role of zoning laws in lighting distribution, the office of campus security and avenues of recourse available for students who have experienced harassment or assault off-campus.

This series is open and evolving.

Please contact [fruchter] or [wraychlo] if you would like to share your story or give your input to this investigation.

SARINA LINCOLN

A campus safety van parked outside of the JRC on 8th Avenue. These vehicles are used in the informal courtesy ride service the campus offers.

DAPL’s impacts on S&B Cribs: the broads of 1132 Broad natives and non-natives

By Julia Anderson anderson14@grinnell.edu

The residents of 1132 Broad Street, a cozy green house located just off of North Campus, believe their home already has a legacy, and it’s one that they are determined to continue.

Maddie Birchfield, Maggie Dambro, Sophia Deleonibus, Lydia James and Sophia Stern, all '19, are close friends who have known each other nearly their entire time at Grinnell. “We all became friends immediately,” Dambro said.

Choosing this house specifically was no accident, either. Most of its current residents had visited the house and its prior tenants before, and its peaceful, creative energy drew them in. They signed the lease at the end of their second year, and though it was early, they felt confident with the decision. “There was definitely a moment when we all were like ‘so we’re going to do this, right?’” Stern said.

For its residents, the house also came with an unofficial tradition. “A lot of powerful women have lived here. It just seemed really like a wholesome environment, and I think we were all kind of excited to recreate that,” Deleonibus said. They hope to provide the same positive spirit that the house’s previous residents emitted.

“Every year, I was like okay, so these women that I idolize live in this house, if I live in this house, I can become my true being,” Birchfield said.

The vibe of the home is warm and welcoming. A couch sits on the front porch, along with a pumpkin for Halloween spirit. The house is green outside, and each bedroom is each a different color, ranging from orange, yellow, turquoise, light blue and purple. “It’s very recognizable to people who have lived in this house or who have been in this house,” James said.

The five residents work enthusiastically to make their alreadycomfortable house even more serene.

In the living room, its walls painted lavender, the residents have hung a series of string lights and art posters above several floral-patterned couches.

“It’s a very nice, homey environment.

We keep it nice,” Deleonibus said.

High on the wall, there’s a small picture of an old man left by previous residents. The housemates debate over if the man is meant to be God or if it’s a self-portrait of Rembrandt.

Nonetheless, they plan on likely changing it to a picture of Rihanna soon. “More Rihanna needs to get put up in the house, so that’s a goal,” Birchfield said.

Living in an older house comes with its quirks, though they tend to be oddities that the group embraces.

“From my room, I can hear everything that goes on in the whole house,” Dambro said. Other eccentricities of the house include a side door that becomes swollen when it rains, a couple of makeshift bedrooms without closets and some occasionally leaky

pipes. “There’s definitely little quirks like that in living in a house like that, and you just figure it out,” James said.

Whether or not the house is haunted remains up to debate.

There haven’t been any recent ghost sightings, though there has been a bat who moved in briefly. “I’m just dubious that there are not, not ghosts,” James said.

The house sits on a corner that seems representative of the Grinnell community as a whole. Depending on the direction, anyone who visits it can see downtown, the college campus and a residential area down Broad Street. Living closely in the community is another aspect of the house that its occupants value deeply.

“Being in Grinnell is so much easier when I feel like I’m part of Grinnell, not only the college, but also the city,” Birchfield said.

The five friends have found living together to be a positive and rewarding experience. They even consider their home to be more of a compound with the house next door. “This house next door is a bunch of our closest friends, and this property between is very much both of ours,” Stern said.

Although the house undergoes fairly regular rearrangements of its furniture and decorations, the residents are delighted with their home and the cozy environment they’ve created within it.

“We all fell in love with this house, separately and together,” Dambro said.

MAHIRA FARAN

From left to right: Sophia Stern, Lydia James, Maddie Birchfield, Maggie Dambro, and Sophia Deleonibus, all '19.

By Sarah Licht lichtsar@grinnell.edu

During last Tuesday’s seminar and roundtable discussion “The Wealth of the Black Snake,” Sebastian Braun, the director of the American Indian studies program at Iowa State University, spoke about the effects of the Dakota Access Pipeline on both Native and non-Native communities and the controversies surrounding the construction of the pipeline. The talk was sponsored by the Center for Prairie Studies.

Despite being born in Switzerland, Braun became interested in Native American studies from an early age. He recounted reading books on American Indians at an early age, and became immersed in their different cultures. After receiving his degree in Ethnology, History, and Philosophy from Universitaet Basel, Braun traveled to the United States for his Master’s in Anthropology and Folklore and a Ph.D. in Anthropology from Indiana University.

Now an Associate Professor of Anthropology at Iowa State University, he works to educate the non-Native population of the United States about Native culture and how it is marginalized by both the government and the public.

The roundtable discussion was informal in nature and allowed for the audience to directly ask Professor Braum questions about his field of work and interest. As can be imagined, many of these questions related to the controversy over the construction and location of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL).

The pipeline, which was completed in 2017, passes 500 feet from the edge of the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in an unseeded territory. Braum described it as “limbo because the [United States] government paid the tribe over 200 years ago for the rights to the land” but “the tribe never accepted the money.”

This would mean that legally the land is owned by the federal government because it was purchased, even though the money has yet to be collected. Unfortunately, this also means that should the reservation have sued to prevent the construction of the DAPL, the Supreme Court would have found the pipeline’s existence to be legal under eminent domain — the federal government taking private property for public use — because payment was given in exchange for the land.

The initial discussion over the

construction of the DAPL led to an even more interesting talk about the treatment of Native Americans in the United States. Braun mentioned a Supreme Court case from 1831 in which Native American tribes were established as “domestic, dependent, sovereign entities,” a phrase that has yet to be deciphered to this day.

“As dependents of the federal government, the people living within a reservation have no real say over their status as a legitimate tribe, and, as a sovereign body, any court case filed had the potential to go to the Supreme Court where it will be found to be constitutional because the reservations are under the care of the United States,” Braun said.

A final topic discussed during the roundtable was the expectations of Native Americans in the modern United States. Despite “American culture being expected to grow and change,” Braun said, “American Indians are supposed to remain the way they were in the 1800s to be considered Native.” This is due in part to public opinion of Native culture which widely revolves around stereotypes of past centuries.

Braun stated that “until the American Indian culture is accepted by the majority of non-Natives, we can expect even more pipelines to be built on their land.”

The complex nature of the discussions and its free layout piqued the interest of many of the audience members. One guest, Mica LinAlves '22, said that the roundtable taught him about “the contradictions in the rights given to indigenous people by the Supreme Court” as well as “how their rights and oppression is based on stereotypes and how they are perceived as being Native.”

SARINA LINCOLN

Sebastian Braun gave his talk “The Wealth of the Black Snake” in JRC 101, which was sponsored by the Center for Prairie Studies.

Features

6

By Candace Mettle mettleca@grinnell.edu On Facebook, a group has developed with implications that often spill beyond the internet: Grinnell Thumbs Down (GTD). The group exists for Grinnellians, past and present, to express grievances related to the College. Some posts venture into the humorous, while some have generated polarizing reactions from the members, leading to call-outs on oppressive behavior, bans and reactions from the College administration. Such occurrences that appear has made GTD infamous but nevertheless an integral part of the Grinnell College experience.

Origins and growth Grinnell Thumbs Down started with Shida Jing '19. He wanted to create a place where students can hold critical and non-sanitized opinions of the College. For him, conversing on the internet lowers self-censorship, a tendency he says occurs frequently in real life.

“From personal experiences I think it’s really dangerous for a group of people to have a collective sense of satisfaction towards their governing body. … Regardless of how [the governing body] is doing its job, it’s dangerous for us to constantly feel like it’s satisfactory,” Jing said. “I am frustrated that we don’t have a way to collectively criticize what’s going on in the school.”

Jing never expected GTD to grow exponentially, but the fact that membership now exceeds 1300 Facebook users reveals that students want to participate in critical discussions about their College experience. With membership nearly as large as the student population, Jing anticipated GTD to unravel tensions among the campus and heated discussions, but he did not anticipate the harm it has brought to members.

As the internet lowers pressure to act a certain way, people can also use it as a tool to disrespect others. “[GTD] is not for you to hurt other people, let your anger out…

What I meant is it’s a way for you to say the things you don’t like about the place you are in, to express your opinions,” Jing said.

Jing gave up an administrative role in fall 2017, when a post calling out sexual assault led various members to approach Jing and ask for him to take action against the accusers and accused. On top of it, Jing claimed that during the sexual assault allegations, members of the administration approached him to force him to either delete the group or hand over control to Student Government Association.

Feeling uncomfortable and unqualified to rule on matters regarding sexual assault, he chose three moderators who came from different backgrounds yet seemed able to handle the group in ways that he could not. Of the three, only Carrie Stallings '19 remains. Jing now

Edited by vitaioli@grinnell.edu

Grinnell Thumbs Down: Discourse on the defensive occasionally posts in the group, but for the most part is not involved in GTD. “I think in regards of handling conflict I think I’ve definitely learned that is should put less of my personal preferences and opinions into deal with conflicts of two parties I think I should stay neutral,” he said.

The heated moments In recent months, the group has experienced an increase in the banning and removing of members when their appeared to violate the group’s civility rules. Rhonda Stuart '86 was banned from the group by an admin who claimed Stuart attempted to undermine a student’s experiences regarding an instance of racist language in the classroom. In combination with reactions by other alumni and current students to her ban, additional members were banned by some group administrators.

The ensuing reaction represented to Stuart an unavoidable consequence of internet groups.

“I understand rules are intended to make the conversation more civil but it does not always turn out that way,” said Stuart “Sometimes there is authoritarianism in the way that the rules are enforced. People overlook things that their friends say when admins or are harsher on other people because they simply don’t like them.

But ... again, that’s the limitation of the medium. You’re free to participate or leave, you’re always free to start your own group, so to that intent it doesn’t really bother me. … this group will have to work out its own dynamics.”

Stuart serves on the Alumni Relations Council, a volunteer group dedicated to alumni outreach to current students and the administration, and has a child currently attending,. She claimed GTD has made her role as an advocate for current students possible as she can pressure the College to take actions or simply offer resources to students with complaints and concerns. For instance, Stuart raised money to replace the stolen money from SHIC, but could not have done that had she had not heard of the issue.

In light of the situation regarding GTD, Misha Lawrence '18 stepped down from his admin role.

“It’s that I left the group in an attempt to diffuse the conflict and let other students speak. I'm not lying about this to cover my ass; that's honestly why I did it. I don't like seeing people hurt,” wrote Lawrence in an email to The S&B. He declined to comment further.

The Discourse that’s not Really Discourse GTD’s most famous rule seems like a catch-22: no discourse.

However, as people’s posts often relate to their identities as experienced in the College, inklings of discourse are unavoidable.

Eli Calalang-LaCroix '21, a GTD member, has a loose definition of discourse that at least includes

having discussions on issues in the abstract and producing some type of resolution. Regardless of what it truly is, he says at times, the conversations held in the group do not reach the group of people who have relevant identities.

“It would be nice to … if there would be allowed for a system … taking care to prioritize voices of oppressed people, which gets tricky ‘cause oppression Olympics is shitty, but often times there are identities more relevant to the topic at hand,” said Calalang-LaCroix. “It’s not any worse to have a discourse group than to have a group that turns into arguing, so if we’re going to say no discourse, then we should shut down any threads with any arguments...I think it’s hypocritical to allow arguments about discourse but also we use discourse is such many different ways.”

Stallings echoes similar sentiments of the group’s struggle with discourse that dissolves into arguing instead of discussion. She became a moderator because of the intersections of her identity and continues to be a one despite the emotional drain it poses. Though the group does include large members of the student population, Stalling believes that the voices of marginalized identities often are talked over, ignored and disrespected.

“What discourse should be and what is often labeled as discourse are often two different things, I believe. Discourse is when you have a conversation for the sake of learning and challenging your perspectives ... However, I find that often what people call discourse within the Grinnell community is actually just a conversation in which people who are unwilling to learn and change their minds attempt to demonstrate to the other person they are entirely wrong or that their opinions have no value,” said Stallings.

“I definitely think often the people who speak in GTD, especially the more harmful content, are people who are socially privileged enough to do so, who feel that they will face little consequence,” Stallings added.

So what is GTD now?

Though not having an explicit mission, GTD still represents a space in which the rosy idea of the College and students is muddled. To Stallings, the “Grinnell bubble,” a colloquial term to describe that the College community is monolithic in its idealogies and student body, does not exist.

Stallings also highlighted that for students with marginalized identities, the hurtful implications in these posts are not actions that can be easily brushed aside, they are attacks on their very belonging at this institution.

“Perhaps the most appalling thing is to consider that people think these issues are equally sided; that within a space like GTD when we make claims and embarrass and blame one another, and that we all have the

same amount of things at stake and that's not true. There are students of color and women and poor students and first gen[eration] students and other marginalized people who already struggling with their sense of belonging at this institution who read this content and engage with it and they don’t just get mad,” Stallings wrote.

Looking forward All interviewees agreed that GTD must continue to exist and remain out of the College’s control, and it seems that the College administration for the time being is not interested in taking control of GTD. Unlike the administrators that allegedly approached Jing, Associate Dean of Students Ben Newhouse believes that it would defeat the purpose of GTD to have it influenced by the College.

Newhouse claimed that the only time the College would get involved in GTD and other Facebook groups would be when issues that harm students arise.

“I think these groups have success and momentum because they’re student lead and student spaces there’s a reason why we don’t insert ourselves in them … and that’s okay. I think this is part of our learning experience in how to engage with one another in a productive fashion that reacts to one another in a space that’s largely unregulated, but reflects the kind of dialogue that we’re capable of,” said Newhouse.

He also hopes that as students engage with one another on issues that criticize the College, they can eventually feel comfortable to approach admin with their concerns.

“I think there’s a reason students are drawn to those sites … sometimes you just also need to vent about a place that you call home and that can be healthy too. … I’ve always said you can always love your college and not be in love with your college, because

you love your college you can also be critical about [because] you’re so invested in it being its best version of itself and you know it’s full potential,” Newhouse said.

In terms of creating a more fulfilling and respectful environment for GTD, Stallings reached out to Regina Logan '20, SGA diversity and outreach coordinator, to seek guidance on how to best handle GTD. The meeting coincided with Logan’s goal as coordinator to make SGA available as a resource to moderators of Grinnell-oriented facebook groups.

To Logan, moderators and admins are also student leaders as they deal with the student body, even if not directly on campus.

“I think [SGA] is uniquely connected to resources, and one of our jobs is we support students,” Logan said. “In my role it’s kind of unique as the DOC I do have a particular eye out for bias related discussions incidents, … so one of the reasons I tried to say plugged into social media is I think these online forums give bring out things that people don’t always formally report or random concerns that people might not know if it’s big enough to file a bias related incident or what. So I think Facebook conversations are the same way on having the pulse on what are the campus conversations the same way students feel what’s happening, what can I do to support.”

As a concession towards improving GTD, Stallings, with Logan and SGA and the wider Grinnell College administrative community, have considered involving conflict resolution training for future admins of the page. Stallings does not intend to further moderate the page and as such has initiated elections for replacement group admins. The elections for GTD admins are still ongoing but whatever the results, the group will certainly remain a fixture of the Grinnell College community.

Opinions Peer educators This Week in Wellness: on productive Mythbusting suggested 96 ounces conversations about of water per day consent

7

Edited by bohlkeli@grinnell.edu

In light of a recent thread on Grinnell Thumbs Down regarding a comment written on walls of the Burling first bathroom, we felt compelled to address the unhelpful nature of smackdown culture at Grinnell College.

Grinnell claims to be passionate about cultivating productive discussions that lead to social change, but in our four years we have felt that the dominant voice has the power to produce shame and reduce the space in which we may have educational conversations.

There is no shame in trying to improve your understanding but it is your responsibility to educate yourself.

We are not writing to legitimize the perpetrator or to suggest that their language is ever acceptable. However, we want you all to take a moment to consider what repercussions come from hate speech on Facebook. We recognize that strong emotional reactions to this message are natural, especially if you or someone you care about has been a victim of sexual misconduct. We are not suggesting that you and your feelings regarding this incident are not valid in their strength.

However, when we hear a voice that is dissenting and against our values, we must respond in a productive manner.

We have power in these moments to help people understand why what they said is likely to have a harmful impact.

The first thing we noticed when we saw what was written on the wall was the first two words, which read, “I’m scared.” Can we ask ourselves to take a step back from the heat of anger and just for a moment recognize the possibility that the motive behind this was not of mal intent, but rather fear due to a lack of understanding? Even if this one message was written with malignity, what about all the other silenced voices on our campus who might be navigating similar fears?

While we are not advocating that expressing fear in this manner is a productive way to engage, we are recognizing that there are behaviors on the College’s campus that can make consent more complicated than its definition on paper. Consent only gets clearer the more we have productive conversations about it. Educational conversations about consent will reduce the number of unclear and nonconsensual incidences on this campus.

If you are unsure about consent, you are not alone and the best thing to do is to start asking questions in a place that feels safe to do so.

There is no shame in trying to improve your understanding but it is your responsibility to educate yourself. Luckily on Grinnell’s Campus there are plentiful trained resources eager to help you in this process of learning. Some of these resources include: Peer Health Educators, Advocates, Title IX, Wellness and Prevention and CAs. If you are upset about this incident, unclear about the intricacies of consent, or want to continue this conversation please reach out to us and we would be more than happy to thoughtfully discuss this further and help create cultural change on campus.

— Gwen Holtzman '19 and Eliza Bunnell '19

By Eva Hill hilleva@grinnell.edu You’ve probably heard that the correct amount of water to drink per day is eight 8-ounce glasses, or 64 ounces. However, the ever-exhaustive, ever-dubious health resource that is the Internet provides varying answers.

So, how much water per day is really the right amount?

According to the National Academy of Sports Medicine’s website, the recommended daily water intake ranges from 91 to 130 ounces per day, depending on sex, weight, and other characteristics. 96 ounces seemed like a lot of water to me, so I decided to try what every other health writer has apparently already done: drink 96 ounces of water per day, every day, for a week, and see if it has a visible effect.

The first thing I learned over the course of my very unscientific experiment was that 96 ounces of water is both more and less water than I expected. I decided to measure my intake by drinking 3 full Nalgene bottles of water per day, since one regular-sized bottle holds 32 ounces. Some days, it seemed like way too much to drink, while on others, I barely noticed that I was drinking more water than usual. Once I got into the routine of bringing the bottle everywhere I went, it got easier to finish each day’s requirement.

Most of the benefits promised

by staying very hydrated likely take a while to show up, and a week is probably not nearly enough time. I did, however, find that being hydrated when I went to bed made waking up in the morning much more pleasant, which is a definite plus. I also opted to drink water with meals more frequently to finish the day’s requirement more quickly, so that’s a parallel benefit, though not an actual result of increased hydration. There were no dramatic changes in how I felt when going about my daily life, for the most part, it made me more aware of the need to stay at least reasonably hydrated. I doubt I’ll continue with a 3-Nalgene-per-day regime, but I’ll keep carrying my water bottle around campus to remember to drink more water.

This week’s book: Written in only two weeks in 1988, Paulo Coelho’s “The Alchemist” is a worthwhile read. The story follows Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy, as he attempts to follow what he believes to be a prophetic dream. Coelho’s poetic prose makes the story itself take on dreamlike qualities at times, and at just around 200 pages, it’s an ideal adventure to escape to when classes get too stressful.

This week’s music: Need some good walking music to get you through the second half of the semester? Try Tom Waits’ “The Heart of Saturday Night,” with plenty of mournful, bluesy melodies and soulful saxophone solos to jazz up any latenight stroll through the loggia. Lyrics are not, for the most part, this album’s strong point, but the soul-jarring intros to “Semi Suite” and “New Coat of Paint” more than make up for it.

This week’s recipe:

Leek-and-potato soup This is loosely based on my grandmother’s recipe for this soup, a favorite of mine and my cousins’ after coming in from a freezing afternoon outside. The recipe depends on the texture of the leeks, which will soak up the broth and make the whole dish more flavorful. If you’ve never prepared leeks before, it’s probably a good idea to find a photo tutorial online with instructions to avoid getting sand or grit in the soup. I would strongly recommend against using reduced-sodium broth for this particular recipe, because I have not included any seasoning in the ingredients – I usually find that the saltiness of the broth provides plenty of flavor.

Ingredients: 2 cans of chicken or vegetable broth (uncondensed) 1 large carrot, peeled 3 large potatoes, peeled Half an onion 3-4 leeks 1. Chop off the tops and bottoms of the leeks and slice them lengthwise. Fan the layers under cold water to wash out any sand or grit.

Chop widthwise into half-inch pieces.

2. Chop the carrot and potatoes into medium-sized chunks. Dice the onion, fairly roughly.

3. Place all the vegetables in a pan and cover with water. Boil until the leeks are semi-transparent and the potatoes are nearly soft.

4. Drain the water from the pan and return the pan to stove. Add the broth and simmer on a medium-to-low setting until the potatoes are soft all the way through and the leeks are fully transparent. Remove from heat and serve. Refrigerates and reheats well; serves 2-4 people.

Alumni call for College support of Union of Grinnell Student Dining Workers expansion

Many of us chose Grinnell College over other institutions because the College’s orientation towards social justice and self-governance reflected our own commitments and aspirations. Although we often debated and disagreed over the best means of promoting equity on and off campus, we took seriously the imperative to keep our voices as students at the forefront of this work.

For this reason, as alumni, we are dismayed to learn that the College administration has actively worked against the right of students to have a voice in the conditions of their campus employment.

If self-governance means making a personal commitment to work on behalf of the welfare of our respective communities, then the work of the Union of Grinnell Student Dining Workers (UGSDW) to advocate on behalf of all student employees is an obvious extension of this commitment. No one understands campus culture and the impact of economic inequality on student experience better than students themselves. Many of us used campus employment to help cover tuition and the cost of living, and it is true that, for some of us, these positions also had great educational value. However, collective organization would not have impeded the role these jobs played in our education, nor would it have exacerbated existing economic inequality on campus. Rather, collective organization is itself a practice of self-governance and social justice. An independent, student-led union provides a structure for students across economic backgrounds to join together in efforts to advocate for greater equity in their own community, of which all workers, at every campus job, are a part.

As alumni, we are disappointed that the College administration fails to see the obvious connection between

the work of UGSDW and its own stated mission.

We are proud to carry degrees from the first undergraduate institution with an independent student worker union, and emphatically support the efforts of the union to expand its representation to the whole of the Grinnell student body.

As such, we implore the college administration to recognize the critical value of their work to increasing equity across the student body, and to extending the College’s mission to a formative aspect of student life.

Greater collective power for students represents a challenge to the College administration to practice what it has preached. As alumni, we support this challenge, and hope the College can embrace the work of UGSDW as a unique realization of the values we were told set Grinnell College apart from other institutions.

Carol Riddle Cupples ‘67 Kenneth Braun ‘77 Larry Brow ‘80 Mark Kreider ‘80 Scott Adams ‘81 Lesley Williams ‘82 Anthony Sheeder ‘83 Carla Tilghman ‘83 Chris Mortika ‘84 Lisa Sergienko ‘84 Steven Boyd ‘85 Lynn Haller ‘87 Marc Bass ‘88 Julie Fisher-Rowe ‘93 Robert Fisher-Rowe ‘93 Sharyn Obsatz ‘93 Scott Wittstruck ‘93 P. Michelle Holcomb ‘94 Joni Brown ‘97 Joshua Trost ‘97 Molly Dingel ‘98 Jaemin Kim '98 Jessica Chapman '99 Per Olstad '99 Aaron Wagner ‘99 Elizabeth Twieg ‘00 Annalisa Hultburg '01 J. Robin Kimball ‘01 Jenny Haggar Blanchard ‘02 Hilary Bown ‘02 Paul Carlson ‘02 Christy Dolph ‘02 Anne Kosseff-Jones ‘02 Ross W. Martin ‘02

Eleanor (Raulerson) Sayre ‘02 Taylor Wheeler '02 Brandon Zicha ‘02 Katie Mears ‘03 Patrick Midtlyng ‘03 Amy Shebeck ‘03 Corinne Weible ‘03 Alison Elizabeth '04 Amanda Hodgman ‘04 Evan Torner ‘04 Margo Gray ‘05 Beth Moscato ‘05 Vanessa Zboreak ‘05 Andrew Behrendt ‘06 Trevor Harran ‘06 Mary Parker '06 Joseph Stryka ‘06 Patrick Waldo ‘06 Jess Eaton ‘07 Nate Kimball ‘07 Karly Kondratowicz ‘07 Chelsea Leventhal ‘07 Brendan Mackie ‘07 Melissa Nye ‘07 Eric Schatzkin ‘07 Laura Shannon ‘07 Elizabeth Yang ‘07 Avery Root Barrett '08 Elizabeth Bologna ‘08 Daniel Furuta ‘08 Christopher Neubert ‘08 Liza Newman ‘08 Madison Van Oort ‘08 Nicole Spear ‘08 Lindsey Taggart ‘08 Emily Willborn ‘08 Bryan Williams ‘08 Ian Young ‘08 Andrea Albright ‘09 Jess Cheney ‘09 Will Flagle ‘09 Eric Husted ‘09 Jess Issacharoff ‘09 Katherine Jarvis ‘09 Caitlin Monaghan ‘09 Jesse Peterson-Brandt ‘09 Parvoneh Shirgir ‘09 Jaimie Stomberg ‘09 Virginia Andersen ‘10 Kevin Cashman ‘10 Nora Frazin ‘10 Sophie Greenfield ‘10 Timothy Hederman ‘10 Arpi Karapetyan ‘10 Ivy Lee ‘10 Hanna Liebl ‘10 Jordan Scheibel ‘10 Margie Scribner ‘10 Josh Tetenbaum ‘10 Cyrus Witthaus ‘10

Claire Branigan ‘11 Allison Brinkhorst ‘11 Mona Ghadiri ‘11 Tyrone Greenfield ‘11 Graciela Guzman ‘11 Maia Olsen ‘11 Sam Peterson ‘11 Hannah Sagin ‘11 Felicity Slater ‘11 Christopher Wilson ‘11 Kate Ander, ‘12 Frances Bothfeld ‘12 Camila Barrios Camacho ‘12 Lindsey Challis ‘12 Matthew Corley ‘12 Madeline Eiler ‘12 Alenka Figa ‘12 Julia Gerasimenko ‘12 Cait De Mott Grady ‘12 Dane Haiken ‘12 Joe Hiller ‘12 Corinna Keeler ‘12 Chooi Yen Lim ‘12 Caroline B. Lowe ‘12 Katie Moy-Santos’12 Grace Philipp ‘12 Annie Pigott ‘12 Martha Reilly ‘12 Zoe Schein ‘12 Casey Strickler ‘12 Kathy Andersen ‘13 Jumi Bello ‘13 Julie Bunt ‘13 Amber Gruner ‘13 Katie In ‘13 Shannon Kelly ‘13 Alexia Klatt ‘13 Andrew Klinkenborg ‘13 Abraham Kohrman ‘13 Andrew Lange ‘13 Alice Nadeau ‘13 Taylor Nys ‘13 Sivan Philo ‘13 Carolin Scholz ‘13 Lauren Teixera '13 Bridget Toomey ‘13 Paul Tovarez '13 Karen Vincent ‘13 Mai Ha Vu ‘13 Kaitlyn Waller ‘13 Jacob White ‘13 Moira Donovan ‘14 Jessy McMillen ‘14 Delia Salomon ‘14 Jazmine Bjelland ‘15 Miriam Clayton ‘15 Kristen Dabney ‘15 Taylor Dabney ‘15 Douglas Dale ‘15 Tess Given ‘15

Abigail S. Lowe ‘15 Christian Noyce ‘15 Scott Olson ‘15 Becca Rea-Holloway ‘15 Jacqueline Reynders ‘15 Harry Baker ‘16 Addison Coley ‘16 Isabel Cooke '16 Dan Davis ‘16 Tyler Dewey ‘16 Ezra Edgerton ‘16 Becca Heller ‘16 Carley Kleinhans ‘16 James Marlow ‘16 Meghan McDermott ‘16 Meagan McKinstry ‘16 Elias Mulhall ‘16 Lex Mundell ‘16 Lars Naborn ‘16 Rosie O’Brien ‘16 Ellen Schoenmaker ‘16 Eva Smith ‘16 Eleanor Tursman ‘16 Sandy Barnard ‘17 Jenkin Benson ‘17 Ashleigh Bull ‘17 Annie Casey ‘17 Kieran Connolly ‘17 Amal Dadi ‘17 Linnea Dolph ‘17 Patrick Dowd ‘17 John Gallagher ‘17 Linden Galloway ‘17 Erin Gaschott ‘17 Jamie Magyar ‘17 Valerie McGraw ‘17 Abraham Mhaidli ‘17 Destini Powell ‘17 Michelle Risacher ‘17 Caleigh Ryan ‘17 Muhammad Sami ‘17 Zoe Schmiechen ‘17 Rebecca Siglin ‘17 Miranda Thomas ‘17 Megan Treichel ‘17 Sarah Trop ‘17 Allison Bartz ‘18 Christopher Bell ‘18 Taylor Burton ‘18 Kayla Estes ‘18 Kirsten Gillis ‘18 Misha Laurence ‘18 Hana Lord ‘18 Emily Porter ‘18 Victoria Robinson ‘18 Charlie Rosenblum ‘18 Sonja Spain ‘18 Liam Stowe ‘18 Ric Tennenbaum ‘18 Austin Jacob Wadle ‘18

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Edited by bohlkeli@grinnell.edu

Isabel Lieb: The Big Mood

Reckoning with Pittsburgh

Although our elected officials expressed shock that such an attack could happen, the terror carried out in Pittsburgh last weekend should not have come as a surprise to anyone.

The scourge of antisemitism has existed in the United States since the country’s inception, but as the horrors of the Holocaust reached our American conscience, and an association with antisemitism became an association with Nazism, its legacy was conveniently erased from our national memory. America’s dominant culture conveniently removed the more overtly antisemitic elements from its outward identity without experiencing any sort of reckoning.

Yet American antisemitism persists, and on the morning of Saturday, Oct. 27 during Shabbat morning services, 11 Jews were murdered because of it. In representing the Jewish community at Grinnell College, we see it as our obligation to name and condemn this attack for what it is: an antisemitic act of terror inspired by white supremacy.

Denial of antisemitism’s existence allows it to thrive, so recognizing it is key to combating it. Antisemitism is unique in that it is essentially based on an abundance of conspiracy theories. Unlike other forms of hatred, antisemitism functions cyclically, characterized by periods of lull followed by periods of intense violence, and doesn’t rely on clear, constructed binaries. America and the world at large are experiencing a surge of antisemitism, with the Anti-Defamation League reporting a 35 percent increase in the United States of instances of antisemitic hate crimes in 2016, and a 57 percent increase in 2017. The Pittsburgh shooting is no isolated incident.

It is the product of a sea of radical hatred, newly emboldened by an apparently sympathetic Oval Office.

Now that antisemitic dog-whistles

have entered the political mainstream (our president has taken to tacitly defending the protesters in Charlottesville who chanted, “Jews will not replace us,” and recently failed to immediately condemn the antisemitic motivation of a shooter who yelled “All Jews must die”), allyship is as important as ever. Think about how you interact with antisemitism, and how it manifests in your own life. We ask that you recognize antisemitism as endemic to our culture and understand that it infects us in the same way that racism, sexism, homophobia and all other societally learned hatreds do. We urge you to do anything in your power to ensure that antisemitism is recognized as a legitimate threat in the spaces you create in and outside of Grinnell, and to combat it whenever possible.

The scourge of antisemitism has existed in the United States since the country's inception, but as the horrors of the Holocaust reached out American conscience, and an association with antisemitism became an association with Nazism, its legacy was conveniently erased from our national memory.

We understand that we are by no means alone in the fear and hatred we are experiencing, and we stand in solidarity with all other marginalized groups affected by the unabashed white supremacy entering the mainstream. We are stronger fighting it together than we are alone.

Jewish students of Grinnell, do not allow moments like this to cause you to force your Jewish identity into obscurity. Support each other. Love each other. Speak up for others and speak up for yourself. Your voice matters now as much as ever.

You can contact Chalutzim at [chalutz]. Get on our mailing list and join us for Shabbat table.

— The Chalutzim Board

Rueter's Digest: Barstool Sports and carving about an American cultural sports niche

By Sam Rueter ruetersa@grinnell.edu In an era of ever-shortening attention spans and instantaneous content, Barstool Sports is uniquely equipped to flourish. Launched online in 2007 and revamped in 2016, Barstool boasts an impressive 1.28 million Twitter followers and over 10 million unique page viewers per month. Many of these viewers are fiercely loyal fans (sometimes termed “stoolies”) who love anything and everything Barstool, from blogposts to podcasts, live shows to apparel. Even the most ardent opponent of Barstool must admit that they are awesome at what they do.

Their podcast, “Pardon My Take,” consistently outranks many larger sports and pop culture websites in positive ratings and downloads. They were one of the first websites to live-stream themselves watching sporting events, giving their fans a kind of “second-screen” viewing experience on Instagram, Facebook and Periscope.

Yet Barstool has had its share of detractors. In 2012, the website had to shut down some of its infamous “Blackout Parties,” events that allowed underage drinking and numerous instances of alleged assault, thereby opponents think it normalizes rape culture and trivializes women in its content.

In response to mounting allegations of sexism, Barstool founder and president Dave Portnoy published a defense of Barstool, lamenting what he saw as unfair judgement

of the company, including charges of sexism.

“The author [of various pieces against Barstool] never bothers to reach out to any of the 100s of women we’ve worked with in the past 15 years,” wrote Portnoy. “Yeah at times I wish I said things differently, but my intent was always to make people laugh. There was never any malice behind anything I ever wrote or said.”

Portnoy’s defense of his website seems to hinge on two simple facts: he hires lots of women and he tries to be funny.

Barstool does hire women (their CEO is a woman). But the women they hire are mostly young, white and attractive. Unless Portnoy subscribes to a monolithic notion of womanhood, he surely cannot think that his subset of employees somehow represents all women, or worse, that it makes him and his site untouchable from charges of sexism. It is like Ted Cruz arguing that he can’t be racist because he has a bust of Martin Luther King, Jr. on his desk.

Portnoy’s second claim is a little more complicated. In a world becoming increasingly politically correct and trying to reconcile “impact” vs. “intent,” comedy seems muddled.

But the fact that Portnoy seems unwilling to even listen to the voices of those impacted by his website makes his argument troubling. Intent and impact both should matter when engaging in social justice-oriented discourse, but I question when intent is privileged over the impact to such an extent that those impacted are laughed off or continually mocked (as happens on Barstool).

Barstool and Portnoy seem to champion the same kind of “political-incorrectness” that our current U.S. president does. But it would be wholly unfair to label Barstoolsports.com or all of its consumers as “scum,” a charge Portnoy contends he must constantly refute.

Barstool Sports caters to and reflects a very real demographic of

sports fans. These fans want to engage in “shoot-the-shit” conversations centered around sports, women and pop culture — what they see as “authentic” discourse. Whether one wants to be part of these conversation or thinks that these conversations should be more nuanced, Barstool undeniably has taken these conversations out of dorm rooms, sports bars and offices and into the light of day.

Barstool Sports caters to and reflects a very real demographic of sports fans.

Furthermore, a holier-than-though approach to criticizing Barstool is unlikely to provoke any real reflection on the part of the site or its consumers, many of whom would probably feel attacked by individuals who probably similarly consume and love problematic things.

I don’t like Barstool and think it is demeaning to women. However, I also love TV shows that privilege heteronormativity, fetishize machismo and violence and promote unhealthy messages about body image.

In fact, I would assert that nearly all of the content that we love also do stuff that we don’t agree with or that makes us uncomfortable.

Our consumption of problematic stuff doesn’t mean we are bad people, but rather that we are picking and choosing that which we can stomach and that which we cannot.

We are constantly (and often subconsciously) reconciling the “impact” vs “intent” question whenever we open up Netflix, turn on a football game or scroll the Internet.

While I don’t think it is fair or wise to characterize Barstool as a website fueled simply by male chauvinism, I leave future critical consumers with a warning: if you are looking to Barstool for anything other than a brief chuckle, a meme-moment or faux-pornography, then you are going to be sorely disappointed.

Arts

Edited by schultej@grinnell.edu

Ella Williams '18 and Victoria Park Artist on display: Zoe Fruchter '21 '21 discuss recording over fall break

CONTRIBUTED

Ella Williams '18 and Victoria Park '21 have performed together as of late, and both recorded solo work over break.

By Clara Larson larsoncl@grinnell.edu Victoria Park '21 and Ella Williams '18 have been collaborating since last winter, when Park began playing bass for Williams’s live shows. “She came with me on a tour over the summer just around the East Coast and then played some shows with me in Boston,” said Williams.

Over fall break, they both completed significant recording projects.

Williams recorded her first fulllength album at a studio in Brooklyn.

“I’ve been working on it for a very long time,” Williams said, “but only in the past six months did I have a recording date and was I able to buckle down and make this an album and not just a bunch of random songs.” After coordinating with the producer over email and over phone to schedule a recording time over fall break, Williams says, “I booked a flight to New York and just did it.”

She is creating the album under the moniker Squirrel Flower, which she uses for most of her musical pursuits. “I came up with it as a kid,” explained Williams, “I would write songs and poems and it was the name I made up for it, so I just decided to stick with it.”

After working 11-hour days for the entire week, “the album is done being recorded but it’s not done with all of the mixing and production stuff,” Williams said. She added that,

as a result, “there’s still room for it to evolve into something else.” The album will consist of 12 original songs, and the release date has not yet been set.

Park, on the other hand, remained in Grinnell for a few days to work on a musical project. “I spent Friday and Saturday recording bass for Erik Jarvis’s new album,” she explained.

Jarvis '12 works for the Grinnell Area Arts Council and the Stew, Grinnell’s downtown arts center.

After returning home for the rest of break, “I also released the first single of an EP that I recorded over the summer that I’m releasing with a friend’s EP as kind of a split album,” Park said. The entire album will be released Nov. 9, and Park is playing a release show at the Stew on Nov. 30, opening for Karen Meat.

Her single has already made it to college radio stations at Boston University and Skidmore College.

Williams will be graduating this December. In January, she plans to tour with Adrianne Lenker of the indie rock band Big Thief. Within eight days, Williams and Lenker will tour in Europe. Her plans do not end there, as Williams hopes to pursue music for as long as she can.

“The plan is to keep touring,” she explained. “[I’ll] probably do a bunch of U.S. stuff, maybe some more Europe touring, and at the same time, finish this record and talk to labels and find a label to put out the record,

and then put it out and keep touring and then record another record.”

Park has similar aspirations, but is a bit more wary of depending on a future career in music. “I think that in an ideal world, I’d love to keep playing music and play bass for as long as I can,” Park said, “but I also know that it doesn’t always work out for everyone, so I’m also preparing for other things.”

Both Park and Williams have been involved in music since they were children, and expressed that, throughout their journeys, misogyny has been ever-present in their experience.

“Music everywhere, it’s just such a boy’s club,” Williams said. They both expressed that, as women, they have experienced far more condescension from the music industry than their male peers. “You just don’t experience that if you’re not a woman. You just don’t,” Williams said.

“So much of music, especially behind the scenes, is ... mostly white men,” Park added, “so even if we have [women] that are more visible on the front [of the industry], the structure still needs to change before other things do.”

Williams explained the phenomenon of tokenization of women in the music industry as people point to the existence of famous female musicians to insist that misogyny no longer exists in the music world.

Park expressed that, in the past, this was often her experience. “That was my role in high school,” she said, “I was the one girl that people would call for their bands, and it’s nice to not feel that way as much [at Grinnell]. In that way Ella’s been a really good role model too.”

When asked what advice they would give someone looking to get involved in music at Grinnell, they replied almost simultaneously: “Go to Freesound.” Freesound hour is held every Thursday night from 8 to 9 p.m. in Gardiner Lounge, and is a chance for student musicians of all levels to get together and collaborate.

“If you’re intimidated and afraid [to get involved with music at Grinnell], don’t be,” Williams said.

Park advised: “Just message people you want to collaborate with, go to Freesound, and play every song you write.”

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The S&B's own sports editor Zoe Fruchter '21 has delivered incredible sketches to go with interviews for the Writers@Grinnell series. The following images are from Writers@Grinnell events for which The S&B did not interview the visiting writer. Captured in the following sketches are Michael Perry and Solmaz Sharif.

In the spirit of the weekend's Halloween festivities, S&B staff recommend their favorite spooky art

“To me, a film is truly scary when it leaves a bodily effect on the viewer, and no horror film literally chills me as deeply as Robin Hardy’s 1973 masterpiece “The Wicker Man.” The prudish Christian Sergeant Neil Howie is dispatched to the distant Hebridean island of Summerisle and finds the island’s residents have turned to the old pagan gods, [having intercourse] publicly in the churchyard and using bizarre folk remedies all under the leadership of Lord Summerisle.”

- Max Fenton '19, co-editor-in-chief

“As a childhood fan of the forensic investigation television series “Bones,” the Halloween episodes were always my favorites. “Bones” is unfailingly gory and often spooky (the title references the bones of a human skeleton, specifically a murdered one) but the Halloween story lines are the best. Obviously the gore used on the show is fake, but juxtaposed with less realistic Halloween fakery the show’s conceit becomes a lot less believable, and therefore a lot funnier.”

- Zoe Fruchter '21, sports editor

“Phoebe Bridgers’ album “Stranger in the Alps” may not have the obvious scares of some of the other spooky recommendations here, but trust me when I say it is deeply haunting.

Try to listen to Bridgers’ seven-minute cover of “You Missed My Heart,” a narrative of death as told through the eyes of a serial killer, without feeling an unsettling chill down your spine. Plus, there’s a friendly ghost on the album cover to get everyone in the Halloween spirit.”

- Julia Anderson '19, business manager

“One of my favorite ways to get in the Halloween spirit is [watching] “The Shining.” I’ve always loved horror movies, and to me “The Shining” is the perfect combination of cinematic execution and creepiness. I’ve watched it four or five times now and still haven’t figured out exactly how to interpret the ending, which I think is one of the main reasons I keep going back to it. The score, development of plot and characters, and suspense make it irresistible.”

- Lily Seibert '19, co-news editor

“The 2017 film “It.” One moment you’re laughing at mom jokes, the next moment you’re watching horrified as Pennywise moves in for the kill. Apparently, the actor who played Pennywise purposefully didn’t interact with the other members of the cast, so people would actually be terrified when they saw him. If you walk too close to a sewer — well, you’ll float too.”

- Mayo Sueta '20, co-news editor

“1990 horror film “Troll 2” has six percent on Rotten Tomatoes, but in the hearts of its fans it’s fresh every time.

A family goes to the rural town of Nilbog (DON’T read that backwards) for a vacation. They end up needing to fend off vegetarian goblins who turn people into plant matter before eating them. “Troll 2” is also the source of that meme where a guy in glasses says “They’re eating her ... and then they’re gonna eat me! Oh my GOD!” But the overwhelming badness of “Troll 2” makes it a pure joy, from start to end.”

- Kelly Page '21, copy editor

Sports SGA ponies up funds for Equestrian Club

Edited by fruchter@grinnell.edu

10

By Kelly Page pagekell@grinnell.edu Grinnell College’s Equestrian Club has come under fire for their large budget requests from Student Government Association (SGA) activities funding.

Quinn Ercolani '20, SGA treasurer, estimated that around 25-30 percent of the Student Programming Committee’s funds this year will go to Equestrian Club. The club uses the funds to sponsor riding lessons and a drill team for about 20 consistent members.

Some students appear upset that such a large percentage of a student programming budget, which is primarily funded by a fee that every College student is required to pay alongside their tuition, goes to the club.

This past week, the Loosehead Mini Minutes email read, “Passed the Equestrian Club Budget of $4,320 to fund that student group until the end of the semester. … This one is always kind of a grumbler. We def don’t like giving away fat stacks to this club that serves so few people.”

However, Ercolani does not think that SGA funding of Equestrian Club is particularly problematic.

He said, “We can afford it, so we do it, because that would be 20 students less receiving benefit from their money in student government.”

In spite of its costs, the members of Equestrian Club are steadfast in their commitment to the club.

Anna Emerson '20, a member of the club, said, “For me personally, horses have been a great outlet emo-

tionally and physically, because it’s a great way to exercise while also decompressing completely.”

Emerson also believes that it is important for the Student Programming Committee to use its funds to make equestrianism financially accessible. “I think that making it so that it’s not a financial burden and something associated with a higher bracket of financial wealth is something that is hugely important because I personally think that everyone should be able to at least try it.”

Although the club is free to join, lessons and drill team practices have an additional out-of-pocket cost.

SGA-subsidized lessons cost $8 or $13 for private and group lessons, respectively. In addition, each member of the drill team pays $10 each week.

Securing SGA funding for the club is no small task, either. Emerson says that Equestrian Club members have been forced to answer personal questions at Campus Council meetings.

“It’s a lot about personal finances that comes up, and not a lot of people on the team are necessarily willing to disclose their socioeconomic status,” she said, “mostly because that’s not something they feel comfortable talking about because in an environment like Grinnell everyone wants to feel like they’re included.”

Molly Vornholt '19, another member of Equestrian Club, said “The economic environment of Grinnell is that you have money, and a lot of us don’t, which is the common misconception that we have on drill team is that we’re all rich.”

Equestrian Club members also work at Triple V Stables, whose horses and facilities they use, every weekend, building up credit so that if SGA funding falls through they can still continue riding.

“I don’t want to be out there doing manual labor when it’s below zero, but I would,” Emerson said.

Equestrian Club are very aware of the large proportion of the Student Programming Committee’s funding that they use and the criticisms leveled at them. The club has looked into becoming an official club sport, which would mean the Grinnell College Athletics department would eventually finance their expenses.

This would be a welcome change for SGA, which is dealing with a more tightly-constrained budget than in previous years due to the creation of a new position funded by the student activites fee. Though Ercolani claims no student groups have been severely affected by cuts to the student activities fund, SGA would be relieved of funding an expensive club. Further, Equestrian Club members would no longer need to constantly defend their budget at Campus Council meetings.

Water polo and ultimate frisbee groups have made the transition from being solely funded by the SGA Program Committee to receiving partial funding from Athletics. However, becoming an official club sport is no simple task. Assistant Athletic Director Ben Cooprider says that the team needs to prove that they have a sustainable roster, compete outside of campus and belong to a higher organization

CONTRIBUTED

Equestrian Club takes a break between rides to pose on a pile of hay bales. with bylaws.

The drill team holds events off-campus, but it only officially began three years ago, so it is unclear how sustainable its roster will be. In Cooprider’s words, “We don’t want to be supporting something that’s gonna die out in two years.”

Since most colleges do not have an equestrian team, Equestrian Club members are currently asking around the country to find a higher organization to belong to.

Despite this, Cooprider thinks that the club “has a legitimate case.” He added, “They seem more organized

and attentive to the things we want them to be attentive to than they were three years ago. They check boxes they didn’t check three years ago. I’m impressed with their organization and dedication to the group.”

Equestrian Club also plans on making changes in how they welcome other students into the club.

“We want to be as transparent as possible," said Emerson. "In the past we’d be like 'yeah, it’s open to everyone' but we weren't necessarily broadcasting that, and that’s a problem because we can’t claim accessibility if we’re not telling people that it’s accessible.”

No rest for the Pioneers: Athletics fall break re-cap While many Grinnell College students returned home for a relaxing fall break, Grinnell College’s soccer, football, cross country and volleyball teams were hard at work competing in athletic events at home and on the road across the Midwest. The S&B's Andy Pavey [paveyand] broke down the scores and statistics from the weekend of Oct. 26.

Soccer

Cross Country

CONTRIBUTED

CONTRIBUTED

Jordan Maddous '19 prepares to shoot against the Illinois College Lady Blues.

John Lennon '19 earned All-MWC honors on Oct. 27.

Both men’s and women’s Pioneer soccer teams had a record-breaking weekend.

Women’s soccer shut out Illinois College 6-0. The Pioneers registered 48 shots against the Lady Blues, the 11th highest in program history and the highest since the 2007 season.

The men’s soccer team defeated Illinois College 3-0, breaking the school records for assists in a season, assists per game in a season and shots on goal per game in the process. This performance brought the men's season to a decisive finish, leaving the team with a 5-4 record in the Midwest Conference and 8-7 overall record.

In cross country, the women’s team finished third at the Midwest Conference Championship in Lake Forest, Illinois.Three athletes achieved All-MWC honors, including Mikayla Fujiwara '20, Ally Cottrell '21 and Tori LaVerdiere '20.

The men’s team finished second, bested only by Cornell College. Gray Streetman '19 placed seventh in the eight-kilometer course, putting him at 28th on the Pioneers’ all-time list for that event. He also earned All-MWC honors for the third time, as did John Lennon '19 and Jackson Schulte '20. Both teams will advance to the NCAA Division III Regional Championships on Nov. 10.

(Note: Jackson Schulte is the arts editor for the S&B)

Football

Volleyball

CONTRIBUTED

CONTRIBUTED

Sal Kargbo drives the ball down the field against Illinois College on Saturday, Oct. 27.

Hannah Taylor on the attack against Illinois Tech.

Grinnell football suffered a 55-14 defeat in their game against Illinois College.

Though the Pioneers made several incursions into Blueboy territory during the first half, they were unable to make it to the end zone. At half-time, Illinois led 32-0.

In the third quarter, the Pioneers executed a 69-yard scoring drive, scoring with just 55 seconds left in the period. Though Grinnell added another touchdown in the fourth quarter, they were unable to stave off Illinois College’s offense, which added 23 points in the second half and ultimately secured the win.

Despite the team’s loss, individual players still managed to walk away with several career, season, and Division III records. Jelani McCray '21 had a career-high 11 tackles, while Sal Kargbo '22 had a season best for kickoff return yards at 118 with a long of 42. The football team will conclude their slate of home games on Saturday when they face Cornell College at Rosenbloom Field.

Grinnell’s volleyball team lost two regular season matches on Friday, Oct. 26 against University of Dubuque and Loras College.

Yet the weekend also saw a career-high 32 digs for Kaylin Kuhn '21. Sophia Carbajal '21 also scored four solo blocks, the best of her career.

Despite these losses, the Pioneers concluded their regular season on Saturday, Oct. 27 with a close win over Illinois Tech.

The two teams remained in a dead heat throughout but, at the end of the fourth set, Emma Willhardt '19 secured a kill to put the Pioneers on top, ending the fourset match 3-1. The Pioneer season record improved to 17-15, its fourth-best record in history.

The team will meet St. Norbert College in the Midwest Conference Tournament semifinals on Nov. 2.

Edited by fruchter@grinnell.edu

Sports Water Polo makes a splash at nationals

By Seth Bartusek bartusek@grinnell.edu

Carleton College and Knox College.

One team from each division competes in the CWPA national championship.

Earlier in the season, the team played in two regional tournaments, then won against Macalester College in the divisional championship game.

Women’s Co-Captain Olivia Konieczny '21, said that club sports differ from varsity sports in that students can choose their own level of involvement.

You put into it what you want to; its self driven.

Olivia Konieczny '21 ELENA COPELL

The water polo team practicing for nationals at Grinnell College's Russell K. Osgood pool..

By Mira Tellegen tellegen@grinnell.edu As other students enjoyed the last days of their fall break, members of the Grinnell College club water polo team, The Wild Turkeys, rose early last Friday morning to catch their flight to Connecticut.

They attended the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) national

championship tournament, which took place Oct. 27-28 at Wesleyan University.

The team played three matches: against Tufts University, which they lost 16-7; against the Coast Guard Academy, which they lost 20-8; and against Carnegie Mellon University, which they lost 13-10. The Wild Turkeys finished in eighth place, their lowest placing in program his-

tory.

Although collegiate water polo operates on both a varsity and club level, varsity teams are few, according to men’s captain Alex Lavery '21. The CWPA organizes men’s club team into 20 geographic divisions and the women’s teams into 15. Grinnell is a member of the Heartland Division, along with other Midwestern institutions like

“You put into it what you want to; it’s self-driven,” said Konieczny.

“We don't have coaches, we just have our captains run the practices and run the drills and decide what direction the team should go in.”

“We don't practice every day, so it was good to spend time with the team,” said Konieczny, a member of the College swim team. She said that nationals provided an opportunity for the team to bond.

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Lavery, a member of the College’s baseball team, said that because participation in the sport is optional, the team doesn’t spend as much time together as a varsity sport would. The full team, for instance, was not in attendance for the tournament. “For nationals, I guess it was more optional for us, so we didn’t have very many people go,” said Laver.

Team captain Kevin Donahue '21 and team goalie Jack Flukinger '22 could not attend nationals, so Konieczny said the team dedicated their games to the two.

“Kevin Donahue is the spirit of the water polo team,” Lavery said.

Next season, Konieczny said that the women’s team aims to bring in more new people. “We’re trying to bring in more scrimmages, more breaking down the basics, so we can bring in more new people,” she said.

“A lot of us are either swimmers or we’ve played in high school, and I think if we focus more on the basics so new people will be less intimidated.”

Lavery said that scrimmaging with mixed teams of starters and bench players will allow the team to grow together and improve their conditioning.

“Our goal is always to make it to nationals again,” Konieczny said.

Ryan Slager breaks D-III national tackling record

By Zoe Fruchter fruchter@grinnell.edu

CONTRIBUTED

Ryan Slager poses with his coaches and teammates on Oct. 20 after breaking the national Division Three record for Individual Career Tackles.

The Scarlet & Black Staff Editors-in-Chief News Editors Features Editor Sports Editor Arts Editor Community Editor Opinions Editor Copy Editors Photo Editor Video Editor Graphics Editor Business Manager Honorary Editor

Maxwell Fenton Candace Mettle Lily Seibert Mayo Sueta Keli Vitaioli Zoe Fruchter Jackson Schulte Seth Taylor Lily Bohlke Kelly Page Ben Mikek Andrew Tucker Nana Okamoto Ryuta Kure Julia Anderson Candy Corn

On Oct. 20, at Grinnell College’s Rosenbloom field, Ryan Slager ’19 made history when he broke the NCAA Division III record for career individual tackles.

Slager had made 561 tackles in his career by the end of the game, surpassing the previous record of 545 held by Luther College’s Kyle McGivney.

He made his record-breaking tackle in a game against Lake Forest College, which the team lost 24-0.

On the field on Saturday, game play stopped to celebrate Slager’s achievement. Slager is from outside of Chicago and his family drove four hours to Grinnell to see him break the record. His family and friends flood-

ed the field on his 545th tackle to take pictures with him and the rest of the team.

“It’s amazing, I feel awesome …

I’m just ecstatic,” said Slager the day after shattering the record.

Following his record-breaking accomplishment, Slager plans to attend scouting camps in Florida this winter.

He hopes to get scouted by a team from the National Football League (NFL), Canadian Football League (CFL) or a team that plays abroad.

“The NFL’s the goal, we’ll see if it works out, but I’m gonna work hard to get noticed,” Slager said.

Although the NFL may be in his future, Slager is a dedicated student at the College. He is a history major and chose Grinnell over the scores of other colleges that reached out to him during

his senior year of high school because of the College’s strong academics.

Aside from classes, Slager and the rest of the football team intend to finish their Conference season strong.

The team will face off against Cornell College on Nov. 3.

The NFL's the goal, we'll see if it works out, but I'm gonna work hard to get noticed.

Ryan Slager '19 Despite holding a national record, Slager remains down to earth. He plans to do his best to help the team succeed and “keep on improving, get better every day.”

SPARC Policy The Scarlet & Black is published on Fridays 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.

Advertising Advertising inquiries should be directed to the business manager, Julia Anderson, who can be reached at sandbads@ grinnell.edu or by mail at 1115 8th Avenue Grinnell College Box 5886, Grinnell, IA 50112.

Back Page

Volume 135, Issue 8

thesandb.com

"The best thing since the front page!"

Photo of the Week

Got a backpage-worthy photo? Submit it to [bohlkeli] and earn $ for contributing a winner!

“I guess this must be the place.” — Talking Heads

HIMANSHU BAINWALA

Arbitrary Analysis

Candy bar

Social Calendar Friday

6:15 p.m. Shabbat Table @ JRC 209 7 p.m. [Weekend] Pumpkin Carving S'mores @ Younker Hall Lounge 7 p.m. Japanese Movie Night @ ARH 120 10 p.m. Creatures of the Night Gardner @ Gardner Lounge 10 p.m. Nerf @ Noyce @ Noyce 1022

Fun size candy

The S&B Crossword

Toothbrush

By Ned Watson '22

Saturday

10 p.m. BCC Halloween Afterparty @ BCC 10 p.m. Halloween Harris @ Harris Center

Snedge

This week, Lily Bohlke '19 and Mira Tellegen '22 polled 100 students asking: Hot apple cider or Black widow spider?

JRC

ARH

Like what you see? check us out:

@thesandb /thescarletandblack thesandb.com @grinnellsandb

Across 1. Pantera hit set in India?

11. One of the four elementary forces 12. A chicken farmer’s MO? 13. And repeat 15. Hey there, boy!

16. Orientation for international students at Grinnell College 17. Hairier homo sapiens 20. Syndrome with complications of large incisors, delayed development and triangle-shaped faces 22. Heavy equipment manufacturer succeeded by Navistar 23. In the Freudian psychic apparatus, the primal and conscious minds 25. Exclamation of mild surprise 26. 2009 Nobel Prize laureate author Mueller

Rants & Raves: Stop Flexing Somebody left 650 pounds on the leg press machine yesterday.

- Strong, but not that strong

27. Logarithm very common in analysis 28. Alternate spelling of raspberry 30. Our overlords in a hundred years 31. Our overlords right now 32. A pouch of fluid in an organism 33. A wood-working tool, shaped like an axe with the blade turned 90 degrees 34. It’s above you 36. Indigenous people of the Mexican Plateau 38. Where you hope the ball lands 42. Indefinite article for words starting in vowels 43. Turning socially unacceptable impulses into acceptable ones

Down 1. Writs to make a case in front of the SCOTUS 2. Straw headgear worn by certain Pennsylvania communities 3. Ambulances, for ex.

4. A female deer, in the Sound of Music 5. A card needed to board an airplane 6 Californian college serving adults, abbrev.

7. Campfire byproduct 8. Admiral of the Fleet George 9. A soon-to-be dismantled lab in ARH from which this is being written 10. Making something into jargon needlessly 14. The simplest negative response 18. 2002 US Olympic speed skater and world record setter Derek 19. To begin the last section of a piece of music, less an E 21. Texting form of a command to happiness 23. Valerie Solanas hatred acronym 24. Coarse unit of time 29. The jovial second mate of the Pequod 33. The place in which a military maneuver happens 35. Politically incorrect subforum on social media website 37. Testing for rapid heat/ cool durability 39. Nicaragua country code 40. Outward facing part of a computer program 41. US State commemorating theft from southern neighbor

Students speak about what’s on their minds in 75 words or fewer, and you’re invited! If you have a rant or a rave, email it to [bohlkeli]

The tricks that keep on treatin'

Fall Fun

Big thank you to the two trick-or-treaters that came by Broad Street last night-- I was afraid the mannequin legs on the front porch would scare y'all off but I'm glad it didn't! Minnie and Batman made my night <3

The leaves have been so beautiful this week. It's so nice to walk around campus among all the foliage.

-I was a Space Cowboy '19

- Autumn Crisp