Volume 135 Issue 5

Cemetery Walk to happen on Saturday

Women’s soccer team’s 19th win against Beloit

Ally Christmas teaches class on video art

Community page 4

Sports page 5

Arts page 3

Scarlet & Black the

Volume 135, Issue 5

Disparate realities leave students feeling left out during Family Weekend

By Henry Brannan brannanh@grinnell.edu

This Friday marks the start of the 70th annual Family Weekend here at the College, and although the weekend is a cherished tradition for many students and families, for others, it is a particularly difficult time. Students from a variety of backgrounds including low-income, international, survivors of familial trauma and/or those without ties to a nuclear family face a variety of seldom-considered challenges.

Low-Income Students For low-income students, high travel and lodging costs aren’t the only factors keeping their families home this weekend. “Not just the cost of traveling, but the time cost for my family,” Joe Fitzpatrick '21 said. “My parents would have to take off work.”

For many low-income families, missing work is simply not an option.

International Students As with domestic students, international students face barriers in the astronomical cost of travel and the challenge of family members getting time off work; however, many also face the added challenge of going through the often arduous and expensive process of attaining a visa.

Fit Getahun '21, an international student from Ethiopia, explained that for his family, in addition to $1,200 to $1,300 for each plane ticket, they also have an additional “$500 perperson at least for the visa.”

All in all, “It’s a lot of ifs and it’s a lot of money,” Getahun said, and for many like English international student Anita Hill '21, having family come out “for a weekend, for that distance, just doesn’t make sense at all.”

Trauma and Estrangement However, the experiences of those who might struggle with Family Weekend are not monolithic. While many wish their family could visit, for others with histories of trauma and/or those with identities their family doesn’t accept, the possibility of family visiting is not an exciting one. “Being around my parent is an experience that makes me vastly uncomfortable, [I don’t] feel like I can be myself and [I’m] subjected to many rules and social codes that [go] against my way of living,” said Harley Rivers '19.

Rivers explained that Family Weekend can be a tool that parents with abusive behaviors use to maintain contact. >> See Family Weekend page 6

SOFIA MENDEZ

A sign welcoming parents to Family Weekend outside of the JRC.

Pals of PALS no more

SARINA LINCOLN

Dog cages outside the main PALS building in Grinnell.

By Chloe Wray wraychlo@grinnell.edu On Sept. 5, Pals of PALS, the student group in support of the Poweshiek Animal League Shelter (PALS), announced in an email to student volunteers that Pals of PALS would no longer work with the shelter.

“It saddens us deeply to say this, however starting tomorrow Pals of PALS will no longer be operating in conjunction with Poweshiek Animal League Shelter,” the email read, later stating that the leaders can help put students in contact with PALS and connect them with rides. Previously, the group had coordinated volunteer shifts each week, recruiting students to fill them and providing transportation.

Gemma Nash, Katie Lou McCusker and Seth Ruiz, all '19, were leaders of Pals of PALS. Each had three years of experience volunteering

Construction on HSSC progresses

By Lily Bohlke bholkeli@grinnell.edu Since construction on the new Humanities and Social Studies Complex (HSSC) began, Grinnellians have watched milestones pass like the removal of the crane and the installation of brick and copper on the outer facade.

The biggest milestone yet, the grand opening of the new building, will be at the end of December, after which faculty will start moving into their offices, and classrooms will be used beginning in the spring 2019 semester.

According to project co-leader and building projects committee co-chair, Professor Jim Swartz, chemistry, the HSSC construction is right on schedule. Some rooms are nearly ready for use as workers currently are doing ceiling work, installing lighting, doing insulation work and performing other tasks of that nature.

Initially, primarily faculty with offices currently in the Alumni Recitation Hall (ARH) or Carnegie Friday Senior Research Portfolio Presentations Bucksbaum 154, 4 p.m.

Hall will move into the new building, as ARH and Carnegie will be closed for about a year and a half to be renovated. Eventually, however, faculty currently in Mears Cottage, Steiner Hall, Goodnow Hall and other spots around campus will move into the 145 new offices.

Some of the project’s overall goals, Swartz said, include more per-student space in classrooms, flexibility, collaborative spaces and interdisciplinary interaction.

The process for the new HSSC building began six years ago, Swartz said. Since then the building committee, comprised of faculty, staff, the Student Government Association, Vice President of Academic Affairs in each given year and especially Facilities Management, worked out a plan to bring the humanities and social studies together. Throughout the process the committee gathered >> See Construction page 2

REINA SHAHI

Faculty will start moving into HSSC at the end of December.

Saturday Grinnell Symphony Orchestra Performance Sebring-Lewis Hall, 2 p.m.

thesandb.com

September 28, 2018 • Grinnell, Iowa

Sunday Campus Council JRC 101, 7 p.m.

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at PALS. Nash believes that, based on archived email exchanges, the group dates back to 2012.

The dissolution of the relationship between the student group and the shelter comes with a shift in the PALS administration. In December 2017, Kacie Fattig and Jenny Fiebelkorn were hired to fill the role of parttime shelter co-managers. Fiekelborn shared that she and Fattig assumed their roles after previous management had vacated their position, leaving the new managers to learn the ways of the shelter on their own.

“PALS has significantly professionalized since Jenny and Kacie, our two part-time managers, took over at the start of 2018,” Professor Barry Driscoll, political science and member of the PALS Board of Directors, wrote in an email to The S&B. “They’ve built relationships with animal welfare

professionals outside of Iowa and have started to import some best practices for modern shelter care. … A successful program needs volunteers who understand their role in an organization and the negative impact made when volunteers are not reliable or ignore policies and procedures.”

Recent policies regarding volunteering introduced by Fiebelkorn and Fattig include new training procedures and request that volunteer shifts be requested three weeks in advance. Pals of PALS shared that it was difficult for students with shifting schedules to commit so far in advance, especially when their volunteers were used to signing up for shifts on a weekly basis.

Additionally, PALS now requires volunteer training by employees or board members for safety and liability reasons, whereas in the past Pals of >> See Pals severs page 2

College hires new librarian

By Esther Hwang hwangest@grinnell.edu

This fall, the College hired a new librarian, Megan Adams, to step in for four librarians, Rebecca Ciota, Chris Jones, Julia Bauder and Liz Rodrigues, who will be taking consecutive leaves in the academic years of 2018-2019 and 2019-2020.

Growing up in Largo, Florida, Adams aspired to be a teacher.

However, while she was attending the University of South Florida, she realized that working in public schools was not for her.

“Working with kids is a skill, and you should be passionate and good at it,” Adams said.

Instead, Adams decided to work in education with young adults. She obtained a Master of Library Studies (MLS) and an MA in literature at UWMadison.

For her thesis, Adams looked at historical trauma in two writers’ countries of origin — Haiti and the Dominican Republic. She looked at the Tuesday Grinnell Prize Talk JRC 101, 4:15 p.m.

way these 1.5 generation immigrants represented a violent incident that occurred at the borders and how they used their voices in a way that people back home could not.

One of the writers she looked at was the Haitian American writer Edwidge Danticat, whose book “Farming of Bones” is her favorite.

“It talks about violence in a disturbing way that’s also beautiful, the way the characters work through things and experience stuff, experience each other. I think that’s one that will last,” Adams said.

She has also worked in GRE test assessment, done freelance editing with graduate students, most often with international students and is also interested in web design, nature and drawing.

Her job at Grinnell is her first time working as a librarian instead of as a library assistant, and Adams hopes to support students during her time here.

“I like connecting people with information. I realized the thing I hated >> See Megan Adams page 2 Thursday Writers@Grinnell: Solmaz Sharif Reading JRC 101, 8 p.m.

Arts 3 | Community 4 | Sports 5 | Features 6 | Ads 9 | Opinions 10

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News Pals severs relationship with PALS

Continued from Front Page

PALS had been allowed to train their own volunteers.

The adjustment to the new management contrasted with experiences Pals of PALS had with previous management who were perceived as relaxed, if not at times unorganized. “I understand PALS’ reasons for making the changes that they did, it was just that there was a lot of difficulty in making that transition and I think that left an image issue.

While the reasoning is understandable, I think their attempt to phase us out became a lot more apparent,” Ruiz wrote in an email to The S&B. Nash and McCusker were abroad when the PALS management shifted and the new policies took effect, a factor which both Pals of PALS and PALS expressed in contributing to misunderstandings. Previously

Nash and McCusker interned at PALS, employed through the Service Learning Work Study program, however, in the time they were abroad, PALS hired new interns.

“We have a lot of experience, we have a lot of value, and we weren’t assigned that value,” said McCusker.

Ruiz wrote that Pals of PALS had essentially been “relegated into a taxi service” who no longer had input into the shelter’s organization.

The leaders of the former Pals of PALS, which is in search of a new name, are investigating alternate animal-care volunteer options in the area, such as Jasper County Animal Rescue League, who McCusker feels are more open to changing student schedules.

PALS, however, still welcomes Grinnell College students to volunteer independently.

Fiebelkorn says

that within the past month, over 40 students have expressed interest in volunteering with PALS, about half of whom have completed the two-hour training.

Within the new volunteer model, the Service Learning Work Study students are responsible for communicating with student volunteers and arranging transportation through College drivers. With the interns each at the office an average of five hours a week they have become attune to the daily and weekly needs of the shelter, making them well suited to acting as liaisons between the College and PALS, says Fiebelkorn.

Students interested in volunteering can contact PALS directly, or email the leaders of the group formerly known as Pals of PALS to explore other options.

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

Gates Lecture tackles religion, consumerism

Megan Adams hired as new librarian Continued from Front Page

SCOTT LEW

Megan Adams poses in front of bookshelves in Burling Library.

about standardized test assessment, besides the fact that it’s standardized test assessment, was that it was too late to help the people. You’re just assessing it at that point. They don’t get feedback beyond the score,” Adams said. “I realized I wanted to work with people in the process. So, I started putting all those things together and realized ‘Oh, I could be a librarian.’ Because you get to work with people in the process, help people find information, organize information. That’s what’s interesting to me.”

She has been settling into Grinnell and, so far, she has enjoyed talking to Kamal Hammouda, the owner of Relish and going to a folk music performance at the Arts Council with her partner. She is thrilled about the two-minute walking commute to Burling.

Construction progresses as planned

Continued from Front Page

student, faculty and staff input, according to Benjamin Ogden-Lord '19, who works on promotional materials for the construction sites for the communications department.

Many of the classrooms currently in academic buildings are best designed for lecturebased courses, rather than group discussion and active engagement, Swartz said. The classrooms in the new building, however, will have considerably more per-student space than they currently do. Chairs and tables will be moveable in all except four rooms, which are tiered rooms intended to add some variety.

The construction will bring updated technology, said Swartz.

There will be a room designed for conference calls with aimable cameras and high-quality sound systems. There will be more floor outlets in all classrooms, but some classrooms will also have raised floor systems, meaning there will be movable tiles on the floor with electrical outlets and data plugs.

There will also be ways for students to wirelessly display their computer screens to the class. For new group study spaces, the building committee

hopes to find an online reservation system so that students can find out if there is a collaboration room available and where it might be.

“I think we’re going to have to learn how to use … not just the technology, but pedagogically what makes sense,” Swartz said. “I think it’s going to take a while to really learn how to use them most effectively.”

According to Swartz, another element of the new building will be a Center for Global Studies, in which Off-Campus Study, Institute for Global Engagement and Intercultural Affairs will all have their offices located. There will be a lounge space, study spaces and a kitchen, in addition to the offices, all with a unifying global theme.

In terms of design, there have been many considerations and many decisions made. Outside, there will be areas with blackboards, giving students the option to work outside when the weather permits.

There will be more decorative aspects throughout the building than there are in many other academic buildings on campus.

However, the committee is not sure what those decorative aspects

will look like quite yet. Until the building is finished, it is hard to know exactly where things like fire alarm pulls will be and where the wall space will be available, as well as how the art will look in relation to its surroundings.

The new building encompasses both modern and traditional architectural themes. There will be an enormous glass atrium, through which the old entrance to the ARH will be able to be seen, said Swartz.

“In terms of collegiate Gothic architecture like North Campus or Carnegie or ARH, I do really like that traditional architecture style — I think it’s fitting for a college.

But I do think at the same time, the more modern facilities offered by the JRC, the Bear, Noyce, I think they’re more conducive for student learning, and just for spending time in. I love all the windows and being able to spend time in a well-lit space, especially during the winter when it’s dark. I think this new humanities and social studies building will offer a great space for people during the winter,” Ogden-Lord said. “I think students should be really excited about getting to take classes in the building in the spring.”

CONTRIBUTED

Dr. Kathryn Lofton delivered a Gates Lecture on Wednesday, discussing religion, consumerism and popular culture.

By Andrew Pavey paveyand@grinnell.edu On Wednesday Sept. 26, religious historian Dr. Kathryn Lofton presented a Gates Lecture on the intersection between religion, American consumerism and pop culture. Established in 1913 to honor George A. Gates, the College’s second president, the goal of the Gates Lecture is “to bring to the campus the very best of modern thought,” according to the College’s website. Grinnell hosts one to two Gates Lecturers every year.

Lofton’s talk entitled “Consuming Religion: How Ivory Soap, Kim Kardashian, and Goldman Sachs Explain this Modern Age,” explored the connection between consumption and spirituality in America.

Professor Tyler Roberts, religious studies, discussed the relevance of Lofton’s work in the context of the College as well as in a globalized world, said, “If we think about what organizes our lives today, two big ways … are consumption and corporations. That is, corporations have a huge amount of power. …

People sometimes talk about the fact that the nation-state is obsolete, and the things that are holding us together are international conglomerates and corporations. … So what kind of role do [they] play in informing us and enforcing how we live our lives?”

Lofton, who carried out fieldwork with Goldman Sachs while writing her second book, consider them crucial to understanding how religion has found a foothold in 21st century life.

“Most of us are hardcore consumers, and we get our identities partly from the way we consume,” Roberts said. “What I want people to see is a scholar of religion who is talking about [consumerism] in new and unorthodox and interesting ways that might help us … think about religion differently, think about ourselves as consumers, and think about how

consumption [affects] how we create ourselves as moral and spiritual people.”

Roberts stressed that Lofton offers a fresh perspective to the modern conversation surrounding religion, talking about the changing form of theology in an increasingly secular world. Using unconventional examples from the center of public consciousness, Lofton illustrates the ways in which consumers consider their possessions to be an integral part of their identity. Roberts cited her first book, “Oprah: The Gospel of an Icon,” as an example of this. “[Lofton] focuses … on both religious culture, things you would think of as obviously religious, but also a lot of things that you wouldn’t think about … Her first book was on Oprah. She’s talking about Oprah as kind of a spiritual figure, but she’s also very interested in consumerism.

Oprah endorses so many things.

[She’s] a kind of guru who, through our consumption, shows us how to live good, fulfilled lives … [Lofton] can talk about really obvious religious history things … [as well as] what it’s like to be religious in today’s world, where religion isn’t always institutional, and examine the forms it takes in all areas of our lives.”

When asked what she’d like Grinnell College students to take away from her lecture and her work as a whole, Lofton replied, “I want them to walk away thinking about what music they like and what TV shows they watch and what brands they buy and how they choose to spend their days. I want them to think about how those things — what they like and do — define who they are and what values they support. Students often imagine the goal of life is something abstract or faraway. The religions of the world argue again and again that what you are is what you do in small increments, in small choices, in specific acts.”

Updated diversity and inclusion policy adopted

By Marysia Ciupka ciupkama@grinnell.edu On Sept. 12, a Special Campus Memo informed students of President Kington’s approval of the latest Grinnell Diversity and Inclusion Plan.

According to the Memo, the goal of that plan is to provide “strategic recommendations on how to develop and sustain a diverse and inclusive campus community,” according to the Plan. The Council on Diversity and Inclusion under the leadership of Chief Diversity Officer Lakesia Johnson and Director of Intercultural Affairs Maure Smith-Benanti submitted the plan in consultation with students, faculty and staff.

The plan has more than 70 recommendations that, according to Leslie Gregg-Jolly, the interim chief diversity officer for 2018-2019, “infiltrate every area of the college.”

“There’s so many things we are going to do!” said Smith-Benanti when asked about the changes that the plan attempts to introduce in both academic and residential life at the

college. “Gender neutral bathrooms is something that you will see this year.”

Other improvements relate to the College’s name-in-use policy, as well as physical alterations to the College’s facilities to best accommodate people with physical disabilities.

Promises made by the Diversity and Inclusion Plan intend to respond to some long-standing student body demands, an example of which is the provision of improved mental health services. “There are things that are being restructured for mental health and SHACS. That’s been a challenge for years,” Gregg-Jolly said.

Gregg-Jolly believes that “inclusive practices in the classroom are really critical.” To support students’ learning experiences, she is preparing faculty workshops on inclusive classroom practices.

Additionally, “the Faculty Organizational Committee … are looking at having the [Council for Diversity and Inclusion] be a regular on-going committee, that will also help keep [the plan] a living thing,” Gregg-Jolie said. Part of Gregg-Jolly’s

job this year includes “identifying metrics to look at and track,” which will help evaluate the process of the plan’s implementation. Senior staff at the College will create reports on its progress by being required to address a prompt related to diversity and inclusion efforts.

Another crucial matter that the plan addresses is diversity of faculty and staff. “Diversity of our faculty is something that we are paying attention to and would like to increase as well as support the diverse faculty that we have here,” Gregg-Jolie said.

Her view is echoed in Human Resources’ recent hire of Marc Reed in the role of its first diversity recruiting manager. When asked about the specificities of his job, Reed said that it is related to “ensuring hiring practices at Grinnell College promote individual differences that are respected in the workplace” within the areas of “talent acquisition and retention for staff positions.”

Smith-Benanti believes that students can contribute to promoting diversity and inclusion not only

through participation of the Council on Diversity and Inclusion, or participating in the student government, but through their everyday actions. Her first piece of advice to the members of Grinnell community: “try to respect and understand people who are different from yourself.”

Smith-Benanti points out, at Grinnell “sometimes we forget to engage with difference in positive, healthy, constructive ways.”

Smith-Benanti also urges students

“[to] have a conversation with someone whose political beliefs seem to be different than yours. I think that for people who experienced injustice … having an event and then having a small audience around diversity and inclusion … can feel discouraging. If something horrible happens, lots of people show up. I think proactively providing support to [prevent things from happening] is a more effective way of promoting diversity efforts and inclusion.”

Arts

Edited by schultej@grinnell.edu

Ally Christmas debuts video arts classes

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Sofia Mendez both great both they both have different purposes What do you plan to do with photography in the future?

Since I am a fourth-year, I am trying to apply for grad school, and I am either going to pursue a more artistic path, a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in photography, or maybe like photojournalism or documentary photography. I will try my best to pursue photography as a career.

ZOEY KOHLER

The S&B sent writer Shuhan Yi '22 and photographer Sarina Lincoln '21 to catch up with Sofia Mendez '19 about her time as a photographer at Grinnell and her future in photography.

What made you love photography?

I have been doing photography for about seven years. I think at the beginning, I started liking editing photos first, I just thought that was fun, very basic things. Then I started realizing if I can take photos I will have more photos to edit. Initially, I just liked taking portraits of my friends, but since I came to Grinnell, like with this Studio Art major, I have a chance to bring more elements to it, I guess. I would say now most of the work I do, first documentary photography, but then I like to use Photoshop a lot, and so a lot of work I can do is editing the photo.

my surroundings. So it’s a mixture of documenting my friends, photographing events. Or, for example: last year I was able to go to a couple of hotels and took a photo of that. I really like continuing doing that. I am interested in photojournalism.

What type of photography inspires you?

It depends. Sometimes I am really into abstraction and like playing with colors, and I like the idea of taking an image and changing it into something totally different. But I also admire and respect the power in showing things as they are. So I think that depends.

And that’s something I am actually asking myself a lot these days, like the difference between photojournalism and artistic photography. They are

What kind of photographer do you seek to become in the future?

Ally Christmas came to Grinnell to provide students with digital media classes that the studio art department had lacked in the past.

I think it is important to keep in mind social justice or to address issues of our world, so I think that’s one big thing why I like documentary photography and photojournalism, 'cause it’s all about observing and being a witness and kind of showing a story, letting a voice have more power, maybe. But there is another aspect about self-expression. I would like to have a balance between them.

By Kelly Page pagekell@grinnell.edu

Do you have a memorable moment in photography?

Last year when I studied in Italy, I tried to doing some street photography. Those are interesting because it is really interesting when you are dealing with people, right? Of course I have to respect that, because not every one is comfortable with having their photo taken. So I think it is good to learn how to approach strangers.

So your initial passion was for editing photos?

No, I also love taking photos, I love being in an event and having a role as observing, I think it is very interesting, and think that is very fulfilling to be able to make myself responsible for observing something, and really being careful observing it, and thinking, “What is the most important part of this event? How can I photograph that? What aspect?” I think storytelling is an interesting part of photography.

Do you create photos for yourself and your friends?

It’s a mixture, I would say… It has a lot to do with memory I think, cause I think I have quite a bad memory, so on a personal level, I think it is good to document my own experiences, but also to be aware of what’s going on in

SOFIA MENDEZ

Sofia Mendez's work is both artistic and journalistic, expressive and watchful.

Students may have seen Ally Christmas for the first time on posters last semester announcing her arrival.

The posters showed Christmas zipping herself into a green spandex suit, part of one of her many video pieces which deal with the digital self. Maybe they have also witnessed her walking her dog (named Dresden, or Dr. Dre for short) with her husband (named Clay) around Grinnell. Christmas, a visiting studio art professor, arrived in Iowa to bring the College something many students felt it lacked: classes in digital media. Currently, she is teaching a class called Digital Image and Video Production.

“I had already gotten such an amazing vibe from the students when I visited back in April. I could already tell that there was a lot of passion and a lot of I think hunger for a class like this, a lot of students wanting to get into video and digital image-making in general. And so seeing their enthusiasm made me all the more excited to come to Grinnell,” she said.

Although Christmas is a filmmaker, she does not make movies in the traditional sense of the word. Most of her films are autobiographical and experimental. In her words, they focus on “Digging into the sort of relationship between my physical self and my digital self and how those two are connected basically … there’s me physically in what we would call like real time or lived experience and then there’s like every other representation of me … it’s like a copy that at the same time, it’s very much me also.”

Christmas recieved her MFA from the University of Georgia in Athens earlier this year. Part of her MFA exhibition was a piece called “Synching.”

Christmas explored the two meanings of that word, both technological and in terms of, as she said, “Sinking like into water, into the ground or like into one’s self.”

Christmas found it hard to put the piece into words. She said, “There’s

one part of the piece where there is a cutout of my face overlaid on top of a Google Map ocean, so kind of like trying to find ways in which I can blend these two spaces together in a more maybe confusing way.”

In Digital Image and Video Production, Christmas is teaching a similar type of filmmaking that is not necessarily rooted in narrative. She says she is already impressed by the work of some of her students. “We’ve only had one class critique so far for the first project and I was just blown away with what they were already doing after just two weeks of class,” she said.

In her next three semesters at Grinnell, Christmas hopes to continue providing classes in digital media that will fill gaps perceived by students in the studio art curriculum as well as repeating her current class for students who were not able to enroll this semester.

“I am definitely feeling like a lot of students have expressed interest in just learning photography, and that they haven’t learned just the basics of using a camera. So while it feels a little bit like moving backward, I’ll be teaching a photo class in the spring,” she said.

For the fourth and final semester of her current position at Grinnell, Christmas wishes to teach a class that combines many forms of cutting-edge digital media. “I’m probably going to be teaching a class based on the research I did in grad school dealing with the self and technology,” she said. “It’ll be a wider range of media, probably photography and video and some digital art like 360 videos or photography. Possibly I’ll get into VR or AR if I can teach it to myself before then.”

Although coming from Athens, Georgia to Grinnell has been a bit of an adjustment for Christmas, she says she is thankful to be here. “I’m just like so happy to be here, like the energy here from the other faculty, not just in studio art but like across the college is really inspiring and I just really love the students here,” she said.

Faulconer Gallery opens photography and Civil War shows

By Hannah Bentley bentleyh@grinnell.edu In Grinnell’s Faulconer Gallery, underneath dim lights, rest portraits — photographs of family members, friends, neighbors.

“Lighting levels are really important in every show,” said Milton Severe, director of exhibition design at the gallery. “Any light that falls on any work on paper causes some deterioration, so you want to cause as little deterioration as possible, and then hopefully at the same time have enough light so that people can actually see what you’re looking at.”

In this show in particular, the age

of many of the photographs is also more susceptible to light-related deterioration. Many of the photographs in the exhibit are the only, or original, copies — some, in the first section of the exhibit, are called “daguerreotypes.” Daguerreotypes are photos made using an antiquated process that involves iodine-sensitized silvered plates and mercury vapor, said Daniel Strong, associate director of the art gallery and curator of exhibitions, said of the process, “You make one and that’s it.”

In the 1840s, during photography’s inception, people experienced “photography as objects … as this

kind of thing that you would hold in your lap and then open,” Strong said.

Photography, he said, “becomes a way of remembering family members, often family members that are deceased.” Because of this, there was more of a need to keep those original photographs.

The exhibit, called “Irresistible Images: Photographs,” follows photography from its origins in the nineteenth century through to its new artistic ideals in the mid-to-late 20th century. The exhibit is broken up into three sections: “Pioneering Photography,” “Image as Object” and “Seeing Ourselves.” The photographs, Strong

SCOTT LEW

Faulconer Gallery's latest exhibition includes photography and paintings from a corporal in the Civil War.

said, were obtained from a collector, Dr. Nigel Maister, theater professor at the University of Rochester, whose collection has been done mostly “by unknown photographers … a field of collecting known as vernacular photography,” which has “become collectable in recent years,” according to Strong.

While the exhibit follows the histories of family members, it also goes through the history of photography itself. “To have this thing that is literally your mirror image,” Strong said, was very new and thus important at the time, and “suddenly you could have this done for a very little amount of money, and as the years go by it got even cheaper, so … we’re now at this point in the 1850s where we have tin-types, which is a photograph reproduced on a cheap piece of tin … these truly were affordable to just about anybody.” This affordability gave an increasing amount of people in the 19th century to have their own photographs done, allowing them to have their own “mirror images” of themselves. “Frederick Douglass,” Strong said, “is somebody who gives a speech about how photography is a medium that is available to everybody, and he actually sees it as a vehicle for social progress … it became a form of self-representation not just for the privileged few.”

In a smaller area of the gallery

hangs the exhibition “Watercolors of Corporal John Gaddis,” which takes the viewer through depictions of the American Civil War. The paintings, taken from the Wisconsin Veterans Museum, were created by Corporal John Gaddis during his time in the war, and they depict not the violent parts of that time, but instead the downtime that the soldiers often had. “We tend to think of images of war as the drama, when a lot of what happens during the war is the sitting around and waiting for something to happen,” said Dr. Lesley Wright, art and art history, and director of Faulconer Gallery. The “sitting around” is what ultimately has been captured

by Gaddis in these paintings: long, rolling landscapes, fire pits, soldiers building train tracks are all depicted in his paintings — but never the actual fighting. Gaddis, according to Wright, was an “untrained artist but really had some talent … he had a good eye for composition … he’s remarkably good at detail of everyday life.”

Both the photography and the watercolor exhibitions show the art of untrained artists — humans experimenting. They take the viewer through minute parts of history — not the great, incredible moments, necessarily, but instead the simpler areas of everyday life, which can be, and have been, turned into great moments through art.

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Community Controversy emerges as College takes sides and students vote in school bond election

Edited by taylorse@grinnell.edu

By Seth Taylor taylorse@grinnell.edu

The recent controversial school bond election brought simmering tensions between the College and community to a boil this month, both sides used the student vote to mobilize supporters, and the College seemed to take a public position.

Driving suspicion among members of the "no" campaign was the perception that the College and college students were biased actors in the school bond. They cited a large “Vote Yes” sign on College property as evidence.

In an emailed statment to The S&B, the President's Office confirmed that President Kington approved the “Vote Yes” sign on College property, saying that “As an institution, Grinnell College supports improvements in our local schools: A high quality K-12 education system is essential to a healthy community and is critical to the College’s ability to recruit and retain faculty and staff.”

But some community members perceived this decision as an instance of the College inappropriately interfering in a local election.

Dale Lamb '78, a supporter of the "no" campaign, sent a letter to the Board of Trustees expressing his dismay that the College would support one side of a divisive issue in the community.

A copy of the letter provided by Lamb to The S&B read in part, “In an era where the college purports to strive toward a goal of greater unification locally, taking such action … in this extremely divisive issue generates

a profound disharmony between the College and town people.”

According to Lamb, he contacted Facilities Management (FM) during the previous school bond election to ask if the "no" campaign could erect their own sign on College property and was told no.

Another point of contention involved students voting in the election.

Some community members felt that students lacked the financial stakes — because they do not pay property taxes — to vote in this election. But Rachel Bly '93, a College student turned community member who is now co-chair of the Poweshiek County Democrats and a city council member, as a well as a supporter of the "yes" Campaign, criticized the “landowner” argument as a “slippery slope” that harkens back to voting requirements that included gender, race and literacy. She said that while students may not pay property tax directly, they are still paying to be here.

“I would argue that everyone is

Sunrise Bakery temporary closes, now in transition

By Shabana Gupta guptasha@grinnell.edu Sunrise Bakery is going through a transition period, gaining a new owner and pastry chef. In order to accommodate the changes, the current owner Melissa Vine decided to close the business temporarily as the new owner sets everything up the way they want it.

Many of the menu items will change since the intellectual property of their recipes belong to Chef Taylor.

“It made more sense to get all the details worked out with the person purchasing the business and then they can take time to get things set up how they want and to practice their own recipes and then open when they’re ready,” said Vine. She has a buyer, but that information is still confidential at this time.

A few months ago Vine opened a music booking agency, which she will focus on after the bakery is fully sold. While the bakery was a good learning opportunity, Vine is excited for the future of her agency. “I love networking and I love music and I've met a lot of fun people so I think that’s more sustainable for me in the long term.” Vine is also a public speaker, and her number of gigs is increasing

as she is receiving corporate training.

One reason Vine feels the bakery was not as successful as it could have been is that she did not pay enough attention to the numbers. “I’m a very passionate person so the idea of bringing a bakery to Grinnell was very exciting to me,” she said. “Even before I opened, the numbers for having an owner and an operator as separate people didn’t look great.” Vine went forward with the idea because she was feeling good about the idea and structure.

There were other barriers when running the bakery, of course. “There are not as many females in business or as entrepreneurs,” Vine said, “and I think that you have to work that much harder to be treated with fairness and equality, and that has brought some major challenges at times.”

Despite these challenges, Vine has found that a small town such as Grinnell is the perfect place to open a small business, and she truly appreciates the community. “They have been faithful to support the bakery, to remember — when they have a birthday coming up or are taking the kids out for breakfast — those folks like me who are small business owners, and that has meant so much to me.”

Historical Society to host Cemetery Walk Saturday

ZOEY KOHLER

The Historical Society will host a Cemetery Walk in Hazelwood Cemetery.

By Sarah Licht lichtsar@grinnell.edu For all interested in the history of Grinnell residents, or those looking to spend a day among the dead, this Saturday is a day to remember. On Sept.

29, the Grinnell Historical Museum is having its annual Cemetery Walk in order to retell the life stories of some notable Grinnellians.

The Cemetery Walk will be located at Hazelwood Cemetery this Saturday from 2 p.m.-5 p.m., and, although admission is free, it is highly encour-

aged that each group donates $5. There is a rain-date scheduled for Oct. 6.

The walk itself will be divided into two groups that will visit five or six graves. One group will focus on Grinnellians in the military and the other will focus on notable women of Grinnell. Storytellers will be situated at each gravesite to reenact the life of each person. Although there will be two separate tours, visitors who are up for a bit more walking will be able to experience both groups. Visitors are encouraged to bring water and comfortable shoes.

actually a taxpayer, because if you rent in town you are helping that landlord to pay the property tax … Everyone, be it directly or indirectly, is paying a property tax.”

Allie Pearce '20, co-chair of the Campus Democrats and supporter of the "yes" campaign, worked to engage students in the election, and while she began her campaign intending to let students “decide for themselves,” Pearce was prompted by what she saw as a misleading and factually inaccurate "no" campaign to be more aggressive in her postering. Pearce regrets the polarizing nature of the posters but believes the stakes were high enough to warrant some polarization.

The posters featured provocative quotes from those against the bond, including one that quoted a Sept. 5 Facebook post written by “Vote no Grinnell,” a Facebook group that advocated against the school bond.

“A concerted effort to recruit Grinnell College students to vote is evident … If you want decades of taxation on

your property/increases in rent costs and the plans to spend those taxes to be influenced or determined by non/part time resident, non-taxpaying, gone in a few years voters then … get out and VOTE NO!!” read the post.

Another poster quoted Brent Hendricks on KGRN radio as saying, “The College students are mercenaries, being used because they have no attachment to the town outside of a four-year period … But they don’t pay taxes … all they will be left with is the fact that they got to come and participate on a local level in a political program.

Fine.”

However, immediately following the end of the quote on the poster, Hendricks continued in the KGRN interview, “They have that right, and that’s been the case for a long time. So I’m not making a case against them voting.”

In an era where the college purports to strive toward a goal of greater unification locally, taking such an action ... in this extremely divisive issue generates a profound disharmony between the college and town people.

Dale Lamb '74

In an interview with The S&B, Hendricks expressed dismay that college students who do not pay property tax still vote on issues with tax implications, but he dismissed the idea that they should not vote outright. Instead, he criticized community members who fail to vote in elections.

“If only 1,200 people vote in a town of 9,000, it’s not the College stu-

dents that are the problem,” he said.

Lamb argued that as long as students are well informed and understand the community, then they have every right to vote in local elections.

Some in the "no" campaign felt unfairly demonized by the "yes" campaign, according to Hendricks, driving resentment between the two factions in the community.

“The Vote Yes people don’t have the moral high ground here,” Hendricks said, “We’re not troglodytes who have no interest in children learning. We care too. You’re not morally superior just because you want to spend $60 million on a new building.”

In addition, Hendricks believes that the “adroit and capable” Grinnell students are “disserved when [they are] manipulated for a political gain.”

He singled out superintendent Janet Stutz, saying she failed to convince community members to vote for the bond and so turned to students — who he believes lacked a natural interest in the election — to vote in favor of the bond.

The School Bond Election has ended, but these divisions are unlikely to disappear after this election, and it’s an issue many students and community members grapple with. For Pearce the solution lies in simply “getting to know each other.”

“I really just want to make sure that students are able to involve themselves in the town and are able to consider themselves community members, and that there isn’t any resentment and there isn’t any bitterness,” Pearce said.

“And I know I’ve done my part to foster that, and now it’s time for me to work to fix things.”

Mary Mosiman, Rob Sand vie for office of Iowa State Auditor

By Andrew Pavey paveyand@grinnell.edu One of many contested offices in this fall’s midterm election is the office of Iowa State Auditor. A lesser-known yet vital role, the State Auditor is tasked with overseeing government spending and preventing misuse of taxpayer dollars.

According to The Cedar Rapids Gazette, after being appointed to the position by then-Governor Terry Branstad, Mary Mosiman became the first ever woman to hold the office in the 2014 elections. She looks to defend her seat once again in 2018, this time against Democratic candidate Rob Sand, an established figure in Iowa politics whose legal expertise and record-breaking fundraising make him a formidable candidate. A Libertarian candidate, Fred Perryman, is also in the running.

The S&B spoke to Rachel Bly '93, co-chair of the Poweshiek County Democrats, to learn what Sand might bring to the State Auditor’s office should he be elected this November.

“He’s really about making sure that the everyday person isn’t being taken advantage of,” she said, citing his work on a lottery fixing case and a recent Ponzi scheme, both of which affected people across the state. “There have been some cases in the last few years where cities have been taken advantage of and schools have been taken advantage of ... There have been some things that have happened ... that haven’t been caught.”

Bly suggested that Sand’s dedication to his work might help cut down on these oversights. When asked how the Sand campaign is engaging such a high number of voters and donors, she said, “I think it is Rob’s personality.

You meet him and you want to give him money. When he talks about [the campaign], he’s passionate … and the Auditor’s office is not usually something to get passionate about.” That certainly seems to ring true for Sand’s donors, who pledged a record-breaking $400,000 to the campaign as of the July primary elections, The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports.

The Mosiman campaign has been quick to raise questions about Sand’s experience. For the past 40 years the position of State Auditor has been held by a Certified Public Accountant, or CPA. Sand has no such certification.

Bly believes this is not an issue voters should be concerned about.

“I would argue, honestly, that his legal background … has probably given him as much background as he would need for this [position] as a CPA has.” Though it may be a useful and

CONTRIBUTED

Rob Sand (top) and Mary Mosiman (bottom) are both vying to be the Iowa State Auditor in the 2018 midterm elections. topical skill for a candidate to possess, the CPA is not an overt requirement for the position of State Auditor, according to Governing, a magazine that features articles about local government.

Like any incumbent, Mosiman is quick to tout her achievements — her campaign manager Jackie Cale concluded an e-mail to The S&B by writing, “Mary Mosiman is the most qualified candidate on the ballot!” Mosiman promises to build on the “over 1,000 audit reports … and over 100 fraud reports identifying $14 million of waste, fraud, and abuse in government entities” accumulated during her tenure. She also has 10 years of experience leading the Story County Auditor’s Office and five years of experience in her current position.

It could be difficult to excite voters about financial mismanagement, but Mosiman has found herself pitted

against a dynamic opponent who has done just that in a time of considerable energy on the American left. Still, her campaign holds strong to the claim that experience is key: “Of the three candidates on the ballot, Mary Mosiman … has the most leadership experience and history-making accomplishments throughout her tenure … Only a CPA can fully perform the statutory duties of the office, and Mary Mosiman is the only CPA running for State Auditor.”

Whether voters value proven success, in the form of Mosiman, or a fresh perspective, in the form of Sand, is a question that will only be answered when voters go to the polls to cast their votes Nov. 6.

The Poweshiek County Republicans declined to comment for this story, and the Sand Campaign did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

Sports Women’s soccer extends winning streak against Beloit

Edited by seibertl@grinnell.edu

pretty confident and feeling good,” said Jordan Maddaus '19.

Although the team has now increased their winning streak against Beloit, they are determined to work harder than ever to achieve this goal.

“We need to stay focused on our process, which means we need to train against the best players in the league at each practice. It takes everyone on the squad to create that environment. On game day, as long as we are outworking our opponents and playing a high-energy game, we can be proud of the outcome. We have to show them why Grinnell is the toughest game on their schedule, and show them why we have so much GC PRIDE,” wrote Koester.

CONTRIBUTED

Gwen Holtzman '19 handles the ball.

By Julia Anderson anderson14@grinnell.edu Last Saturday, the Grinnell women’s soccer team defeated Beloit College 4-1 in the first game of the Midwest Conference this season. In addition to starting the conference games off strong, the team added to their winning streak against Beloit that began in 1988. Since then, women’s soccer has beaten Beloit in every game, with the exception of one tie.

“In my time at Grinnell, Beloit has always been a dangerous opponent. Maybe we’ve dominated on paper, but it’s the work rate and sustained intensity of the players that gets the job done on the field.

This is the best Beloit team we’ve faced, which made this year’s win feel great. Plus, the goals we scored were pretty fun to watch,” head coach Kirsten Koester wrote in an email to The S&B. Despite the impressive winning streak, most players claimed to be unaware of the history and focused instead on playing well for the first

game of the conference. The greater motivation to win against Beloit came from the knowledge that Beloit had recently defeated Lake Forest, a major opponent for Grinnell in the conference.

“We were more focused on that, and I don’t think anyone even realized about the past,” said Elyse Salpekar '19.

In the game, Grinnell established their dominance early on by scoring three goals in the first half and one goal in the second. Beloit scored once in the second half.

“We came out really strong in the first half, and the majority of the goals were scored early on in the first half. I think it set a really nice tone,” said Gwen Holtzman '19.

After the success of the game, the team is feeling optimistic that they can advance far in the Midwest Conference, with the ultimate goal of hosting the tournament in November.

“You have to win most conference games, which I think is doable, and I think our team has a really good attitude after Saturday. People are

On game day, as long as we are outworking our opponents and playing a high-energy game, we can be proud of the outcome.

We have to show why Grinnell is the toughest game on their schedule.

Head Coach Kirsten Koester Despite the confidence following the past weekend, the players are careful to not let this success cloud their expectations of future games this season.

“There’s no game that is a probable win or a probable loss. It could go either way,” Holtzman said.

In order to continue their success, the team is prepared to support each other and motivate one another to play their very best.

“We talk a lot about different roles on the team, but I really want everyone to be able to contribute in the way that they want to contribute,” Salpekar said.

Women’s soccer plays Lake Forest College this Saturday at Springer Field.

Ryan Slager shatters record books

5

MAHIRA FARAN

Ryan Slager sits atop the record books for career tackles.

By Lily Bohlke bohlkeli@grinnell.edu Last November, Ryan Slager '19 beat the Grinnell College football team’s record for most overall career tackles, which was previously 433, held by Lee Kraemer '92. Slager was at it again last weekend, beating another team record for most unassisted tackles — versus an assisted tackle, which can include multiple players — previously held by David Ternes '15 at 207. Against St. Norbert College last Saturday, he recorded 17 solo tackles, putting him at 219 total in his career.

Despite Slager’s admirable performance, the team ended up losing to St. Norbert with a final score of 91-0.

“It was really cool, I wish we could have had a W with it,” Slager said. “It’s just a pretty cool feeling, and it’s just what I do. I’m just really good at making tackles and it’s just kind of normal for me.”

Not only has he hit these two career tackle milestones, but he has also led the nation in average tackles per game during the last two seasons, and he intends to do so again this year.

In the fall 2017 season, he averaged 15.4 tackles a game, and during the fall 2016 season, he averaged 15.1 per game.

“I just have a great eye for the ball. Everyone says that I just know where the ball is at all times, and that’s pretty much the secret, and just keep running — don’t stop,” Slager said.

According to Coach Jeff Pederson, “Slager has been a high-motor player since he set foot on campus.” Slager said he has always had somewhat of a leadership role on the team’s defense, as the starting middle linebacker. This year, he has extended that leadership role to the entire team as captain.

During the remainder of this season, Slager said he hopes to break the all-time Division III record for most tackles. However, he also emphasized his goals to see the team improve as a whole, become more consistent and “ultimately get the Ws.” Over the course of his football career, Slager said he is always “striving to get that W,” and “fighting for that extra step.” He recognizes that his personal statistics alone are not enough to get there, but rather that the team working together is what will do it.

“The cool thing to see has been the evolution of Ryan and some of his defensive teammates,” Pederson wrote in an email to The S&B. “Just like Ryan, several of them were also starting, or playing a lot, as first-years and it’s been fun to watch them grow from inexperienced players that needed a lot of coaching and mentoring to veterans who are now mentoring the younger guys. Those are the little things that most people don’t get to see, but that make it very rewarding for those of us who get to be a part of it every day.”

Thomas Zigo holds talk on the psychology of injury

By Shabana Gupta guptasha@grinnell.edu For many student-athletes, the onset of a serious injury can be as mentally difficult as it is physical. On Monday, Sept. 24 in Joe Rosenfield Center (JRC) 209, Student Health and Counseling Services (SHACS) counselor Thomas Zigo held a talk for students to address this issue.

Zigo spoke on debilitating injuries that can end sports careers or put those careers on hold. The room was overflowing, with people bringing in chairs and sitting on tables to hear the presentation. Zigo focused on the resources that injured athletes should take advantage of and how their uninjured teammates can help support them during the difficult time.

While Zigo has worked at SHACS, he also provides services in the Bear Athletic Center once a week, making him more visible to student-athletes. As Zigo himself participated in athletics while in college, he holds a unique perspective on how to manage the pressure that an injury

SHABANA GUPTA

Thomas Zigo helps athletes cope with injuries mentally and physically. adds to an already overwhelming set of responsibilities.

“I think it’s important as a student-athlete to be able to answer ‘What do I need?’ and ‘From whom?’

This is a very personal issue,” Zigo said in Monday’s presentation.

Zigo played a couple of videos, one that showed an athlete who recovers after an injury, and the other which showed one who does not recover. Both videos had positive

tones, demonstrating models of how to keep a stable mood during the recovery process. Zigo also advocated receiving counseling as a part of the recovery process.

In addition to talking, Zigo opened the conversation up to the room multiple times to discuss positive and negative ways of helping an injured teammate, as well as what injured people would prefer in their interactions.

One such coping mechanism that Zigo stressed was relying on others in the face of frustration — it can be comforting for athletes to know that there are other people with similar injuries and that they are not suffering alone. Soccer player Eric Paige '19 found that having other people chime in with their own experiences helped him overcome his insecurities “I find few people here who have gone through it to the extent at which I have, and [my injury] has honestly been a very prominent part of my life,” said Paige in an interview with The S&B. “I haven’t really felt like I could mention something like feeling ignored or feeling forgotten — that really resonated with me.”

In addition to feelings of loneliness, athletes noted that frustration, jealousy and anxiety can build up in the body and mind as a result of an injury. Zigo explained that part of this frustration stems from the tendency of student-athletes to depend on their sport to form a significant piece of their identity. If that piece is lost, they go through a crisis.

“It’s important to note ‘I am a person who plays sports, I am not only an athlete.’ How can [you] re-engage and connect with [yourself] in a different way?” Zigo said in the presentation.

One possible coping mechanism some people in the group suggested was to create small, concrete goals that they can reach, so that they can more easily see improvement. Another was to visualize negative energy building up as a specific color and leaving the body.

As far as injury prevention, a few students noted that taking care of their bodies can be more challenging during the off-season, as people do not depend on them to stay in top condition at the time. To combat this risk, several people in the group recognized the importance of eating healthy, sleeping enough and minimizing alcohol intake.

Zigo emphasized that he’s available as a resource to help students cope with whatever challenges they may face, whether injury-related or not.

Coach Harrold finds niche as coach and teacher at Grinnell

By Diana Chege chegedia@grinnell.edu For Dana Harrold, the 11th Pioneer women’s basketball coach in program history, sports seemed to come naturally. After competing as a five-sport athlete at Dubuque College, Harrold gained her bachelor’s degree in education with big plans for maintaining her involvement in athletics.

“I was sure I wanted to coach and teach, most likely at the high school level,” Harrold wrote in an email to The S&B. Her college coach presented the opportunity of working as a graduate assistant at her alma matter while acquiring her master’s degree.

At Loras College, she subsequently earned her master’s degree in physical education with an emphasis in athletic administration in 2006.

Harrold was named the head women’s basketball coach at the College in July 2013. She affirmed that her experience thus far has been even better than expected, mostly due to the players she works with.

“My student-athletes are students first, incredible people and dedicated athletes. I can’t think of a better group

SHABANA GUPTA

Coach Harrold advises student-athletes during a speed and agility session. of people I would want to surround myself with,” Harrold wrote.

Harrold’s decision to coach at Grinnell also lies in her strong Iowa roots. She was born and raised in Jesup, Iowa and is the eldest of her two sisters, of whom she “cannot go more than a couple of weeks without seeing.” Her husband Clay, works as principal at Grinnell Middle School. The two have a 21-month-old daughter, Braylee, and two wiener dogs, Bubba and Rocky.

Her philosophy for coaching has

always been “developing the whole person and not just the athlete.” Harrold wrote that she is keen that her students walk away with “leadership skills, ways to deal with adversity, an overall positive experience in addition to player development.” She aims to bring out the best in her students in the gym as well as all other aspects of their lives. In fact, one of her student-athletes refers to her as a resource not only for sports education but also for life lessons.

Her approach seems to be making

headway. The 2015-16 team enjoyed the biggest season for the program in more than a decade, winning 12 conference games and qualifying for the Midwest Conference Tournament for the first time since 2003-2004. The team still continues to grow and set their expectations high.

Her secret to success is “having a plan and the players buying in. You can have a great plan as a coach, but if you don’t find a way to get your players to trust you and buy in to everything, it makes things a lot more challenging.”

Additionally, she focuses on developing the mindset of her students.

Hanna Kessel '19 describes the term “90 for 40” that Harrold coined, meaning that for 40 minutes and 90 feet the students let go of everything else and focus on the task before them. Harrold also credits the students themselves, who she says are hardworking, focused individuals that haven’t settled on anything other than outworking teams and giving it their all.

In addition to serving as head coach of the women’s basketball team, Harrold holds the office of an assistant professor within the physical education department and will begin a role

as the assistant softball coach this upcoming season. She also runs speed and agility training on Mondays and Wednesdays for out of season athletes, during which she has the opportunity to work with several other teams throughout the year.

In her many responsibilities at Grinnell, Harrold hopes to instill values that remain with her players for years to come.

“My vision for the women’s basketball team is to create a positive and competitive experience for the students. Additionally, to form a cohesive family environment where the students have a support system off and on the court. One that stays for many years of their lives,” she wrote. She notes that one of the best things about her job is getting a message from a former player checking in or mentioning how much they miss being a part of the team.

Harrold admits that if she was not coaching she would still be involved in coaching and teaching at another level.

“Athletics and being a part of team has been such a positive experience in my life that I think I would still find a way to be around sports in some realm,” she wrote.

Features

6

Family Weekend fosters mixed emotions for some Grinnellians

Continued from Front Page

Trauma and Estrangement (continued) “If it’s not completely explicit, it’s still implicitly known that if you don’t allow [family members] to see you, then you will not get financial assistance from your parents, which for most people here means you will not be able to go to college,” Rivers said.

This reality forces students into situations where the College becomes the leverage families can use to maintain unhealthily and/or abusive relationships.

Loneliness, Frustration and Distrust Overall, for many Grinnellians, Family Weekend is just another difficult and sad reminder of life circumstances. “It just really sucks when everyone’s family is here and they’re having a good time and yours isn’t,” Fitzpatrick said. “It’s just kinda like, ‘Oh, damn, I’m too poor.'"

That space is not for my father. That space is not for my mother. These spaces are not designed to cater to my family.

Carrie Stallings '19

This experience can be particularly common during students’ first semester here when they may not have built a community and support system yet. “First semester when Family Weekend happened, I couldn’t make sense of it. I didn’t understand,” said Off-Campus Senator Carrie Stallings '19. “I was mad at the people and the families — everybody. And I was just pissed off and sad and disappointed and all these things,” said Stallings, who added that she feels this can be even harder as a student of color who perceives that most of the families attending are white.

Structural Barriers Despite their frustration, students recognize that in many ways, the problems of Family Weekend are not specific to Family Weekend, but instead part of larger societal problems that impact their lives everywhere. Stallings explained she isn’t mad at the families here and appreciates Family Weekend. “It’s just that I can see the skeleton of everything that’s making sure their families are there and mine isn’t,” she said.

This sentiment is for many the crux of the issue. According to multiple students interviewed, many students, particularly those who are low income or estranged from their families, feel the College has done little to acknowledge and address

the barriers they face and that leaves Stallings feeling that Family Weekend is not for her family.

“That space is not for my father.

That space is not for my mother.

These spaces are not designed to cater to my family. Cause they know they’re not coming.”

Stallings isn’t alone in this frustration. Many students feel betrayed by how much effort and resources are put into an event that, at a school with such large international and low-income populations, so many students and families here simply cannot participate in.

To many, like Fitzpatrick, “it feels like the College doesn’t care unless there’s somebody to impress.” For Hill, the College’s lack of response to her experience compared to those whose families can come “definitely gets to me a lot more than the fact that I can’t have my parents come visit.”

Push For Inclusivity Michael Sims, director of campus center operations and student activities, who, with Student Affairs Technical Assistant Nancy Guinane, puts on Family Weekend, recognizes the challenges Grinnell faces in making Family Weekend more inclusive. “It is something that is thought about,” Sims said. However, he stresses the complexity of the problem, later continuing, “It’s not just a money issue in order to resolve, there’s a variety of reasons why families are not able to come.”

Sims and Guinane stress that students are welcome and encouraged to come to all events regardless of whether their family is here or not.

“You’re a student here — this is your place,” emphasized Sims. “[Family Weekend] follows the typical Grinnell form of [being] open to all. We try to eliminate the haves and the have-nots and then that way everything is still free and open for everyone to participate,” Guinane added. “We encourage the entire campus to come to the information desk, get a program, get a schedule and participate in anything they want to.”

You’re a student here — this is your place!

Michael Sims, Director of Campus Center Operations and Student Activities But for many students, simply welcoming all to the existing programming is not enough. They see the entire purpose of Family Weekend’s events to be enabling those who can be with their families to enjoy that time together. Without her family, Hill feels uncomfortable attending events created and run for families, saying her invitation to them feels “very contrived and very not aimed at us.”

Cherished Tradition Despite its challenges, everyone interviewed agrees that the tradition is an important part of Grinnell.

Even those who don’t get to see their family like Joel Choi '22 feel glad “that Grinnell has Family Weekend” and appreciate that it’s a “great way for parents to check up on their kids.

It feels like the College doesn’t care unless there’s somebody to impress.

Edited by vitaioli@grinnell.edu

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Joe Fitzpatrick '21 And for many others, fellow Grinnellians’ responses to the barriers they face have been deeply heartening. During Family Weekend her first year, a mother in town for Family Weekend saw Stallings crying in the Alumni Recitation Hall and stopped to talk with her — nearly four years later the two still keep in touch and Stallings said the experience and the bond it lead to “redefined Family Weekend for me.”

Although Stallings’ experience is certainly not the norm, many students interviewed spoke of how they had been invited to spend time with their friends’ families and how that can, in Getahun’s words, “go a long way for a person who is homesick!”

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Possible Improvements Regardless of how widespread these individual acts of kindness are, changes are still needed to address the structural barriers that negatively impact students’ experiences of Family Weekend.

Part of the solution could be modeled by the programming the Office of International Student Affairs does to foster community here. Getahun, Hill and Paul Chan '21, an international student from Myanmar, all separately felt the programming put on by the Office, in particular, the “Friends of International Students” program does wonders to create support systems and community.

Hill thinks programming specifically designed for students whose parents can’t make it to Family Weekend would significantly help in making the tradition less exclusionary.

And for Stallings, the value of that programming would not just be that it gives students whose families aren’t here something to do, but that their peers and the College would acknowledge their experience.

“Just to even acknowledge, ‘Hey, we know there are a lot of students who really aren’t getting anything out of this event, … [do] everything they can to avoid it, [do not] want to look at it — [get] really sad when they do.’ Just something to acknowledge that.”

The history of the Joe Rosenfield Center: Grinnell's dining hall legacy

By Alanis Gonzalez gonzalez@grinnell.edu The history of Grinnell dining halls is blurry in the early years of the College, with many of the original students living off-campus dispersed throughout the town. In the early 20th century, after the construction of most of the North Campus dorms, dining halls were placed in Smith and Langan halls.

According to student handbooks from the early 20th century, these dining halls remained until 1942, when Cowles hall was constructed.

Cowles then served as the main

dining hall on North Campus.

Meanwhile on the other end of campus, the story of the dining halls begins in 1915 with the women’s dorms, when what was then called, “The Quadrangle,” now simply referred to as “South Campus,” was built.

Much thought was put into the construction of these intended women’s dorms. The details of the building were treated as factors that could greatly influence the female student experience.

“The homing instinct cannot be beat matured and developed by clubs or barracks or hotels. The

SARINA LINCOLN

The historic Quad dining hall in Main Hall, which originally served as a women's dining hall until the integration of dorms in 1968.

spirit of the home is lost if the aggregate of inmates is too great,” wrote Henry K. Holsman, architect and member of the class of 1891, in a letter to then President of the College John Hanson Thomas Main, in an attempt to influence the plans for the Quadrangle. It was greatly emphasized that the women attending the college would need to learn both academic skills and household skills that every female student of the time would need to be a proper woman of society.

Architectural plans were designed to include the installations of sitting rooms, kitchenettes and a dining hall suited for formal dinners, which we now know as the Quad dining hall in Main.

Once both North and South Campus dining halls were established, with the exceptions of a few residence halls that were yet to be built, there was a long pause in terms of dining hall changes.

Although cafeteria meals were an option, served meals were also held in both dining halls.

“For the served meal, there was a rule that the men had to wear coats and ties. There were table cloths on the tables and waiters would serve the food, bring plates to each person sitting down,” recounted Professor Jon Andelson '70, anthropology.

“We would be waiting out in the hall, prior to the start of the meal, the doors were locked, and

everybody who was waiting to have a meal there would be outside the room and then somebody from the inside would come and everybody would flock in, find a seat, and remain standing at their seat.”

“The whole thing started with a moment of silence. There was a student head of Cowles, [and the] dining hall had a little space where he would stand with a microphone for announcements,” Andelson said.

Andelson is not only a witness to these formal meals, but can also attest to one of the biggest shifts in Grinnell’s history: the transition from single-sex to genderintegrated dorms in 1968. This not only changed the dynamics between North and South campus, but also signaled the end of formal dining at Grinnell College, as the dining halls became gender neutral.

Another change that came a little before the gender integration of the dorms was the construction of the Forum in 1960. The Forum, now home to SHACS and Information Technology Services, originally served as the student center, which included a “grill” much like the Spencer Grill in the Joe Rosenfield '20 Center (JRC).

With the establishment of the Forum and the integration of the dorms, Grinnell’s social dynamics shifted once more. Cowles and Main remained the two dining halls on campus, with the Forum Grill

serving its purpose as a quick bite or late-night coffee stop. It was during this time period that the dining halls began to morph into what this generation of Grinnell College students think of when they hear “dining halls.”

The final change that occurs that brings us to the current day starts with the construction and opening of the JRC in 2007. The JRC took the place of the Forum as the student center, moving the grill and consolidating the two dining halls into one large dining hall.

Professor Sarah Purcell '92, history, saw the shift in campus dynamics across her time at the College, but is hesitant to say these dynamics could not shift again.

“The ‘center of campus’ has definitely moved north from where it used to be, and I think that it’s moved a lot of the action more toward that side of campus. But I don’t think we’re done seeing that change, because I think when the new ARH addition opens, that’s going to change things again,” she said.

Though the center of campus is found currently in the JRC, there is no telling what changes could lead to a new campus “hot spot.” However, one thing is certain: students will most certainly continue socializing, continue studying and of course, continue eating, regardless of location.

Features Fourth-years prepare Watson and Fulbright applications

Edited by vitaioli@grinnell.edu

By Mayo Sueta suetamay@grinnell.edu For fourth-year students applying to the Fulbright Grant and Watson Fellowship, national meritbased awards for after college, the start of the semester has been even busier than the already hectic schedule of a typical Grinnell student.

Reina Matsuura '19 committed to apply to the Fulbright Grant for the English teaching assistantship in South Africa close to the deadline.

“I committed at the last minute and I had a MAP this summer … and the MAP actually went into basically a few days before classes started,” said Matsuura. “I was pretty stressed, I cried a couple of times, I’m not gonna lie.”

For Matsuura, the biggest struggle of the application process was keeping up her self-confidence knowing that she was in competition with many other applicants.

“I guess the most challenging part was looking at what these programs want and being like ‘I’m not good enough’ because part of the whole process is … you’re gonna be compared,” she said. “So, going through those self-esteem moments I think was the most challenging.”

In such a grueling process, Matsuura stressed how the College, specifically the meetings with the Assistant Dean & Director of Global Fellowships & Awards Ann Landstrom, served as a helpful resource, and she urged future applicants to also take advantage of the CLS as a resource.

“Go to the CLS. Even if it’s just … [to] set up appointments just to force yourself to get drafts in. …

Even having someone else listen to your own academic trajectory really helps because other people are more attune to what you can present and what you should highlight.”

For Lily Hamilton '19, who worked on a big part of her application over the summer, the process was a long one.

“It’s been good. It’s been long. … I started talking to the adviser about it last May, and I’ve been working on essays and meeting with her over Skype and stuff since … June basically,” said Hamilton.

“I have eight drafts of essays and things, its only two one-page essays … so it’s been a long process but it’s kind of nice to have it done in October.”

Hamilton is applying for the English teaching assistantship in Morocco, where she hopes to continue to learn and speak French, which she started studying in Grinnell.

“I really liked how learning a language … prompted me to think in new and different ways and also to kind of reevaluate my role as an American citizen but then also as a global citizen, and how my American identity helps me fit into different contexts,” she said.

For me this would be a huge step, living abroad in … a nonwestern country where I know women have very different rights and I would be stepping into a role that I don’t have a ton of experience in.

Lily Hamilton '19 Receiving the Fulbright Grant would also help her acquire skills that she would need in the future, as she hopes to go to law school and work “in the realm of civil rights law or criminal law reform or just legal advocacy more broadly.”

“Doing that would require me to work with a lot of … communities holding a lot of identities that I don’t have … and that would require a lot of cross-cultural communication of me … so I thought that doing a Fulbright would be a good opportunity for me to really develop those skills … in a way that would serve me in the future as well,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton said the biggest challenge she faced during the application process was trying not to get overwhelmed by the idea of putting herself in a completely new environment.

“For me this would be a huge step, living abroad in … a nonWestern country where I know women have very different rights and I would be stepping into a role that I don’t have a ton of experience in,” Hamilton said. “I think the

biggest challenges … have mostly been … my personal introspection … and sort of using that as an understanding that informs my process, but also recognizing that ‘yeah, it is gonna be hard.’ But that also presents opportunities for growth so just trying not to get too overwhelmed by that, too.”

Steven Duong '19 has also been very busy with applications, as he is applying for both the Fulbright Grant and the Watson Fellowship.

“I applied for both the Fulbright Grant and the Watson Fellowship because I really want my year after graduation to be like a sort of an exploration in a … place that’s very unfamiliar to me,” Duong said.

“A lot of people have talked to me like ‘Oh, I thought you weren’t allowed to do that, you’re not allowed to apply to both the Watson and the Fulbright,’ but you are, it’s just a shit ton of work,” Duong said.

“You just have to be sure that … if you were able to get either of these … you’d actually wanna do them, and that’s the case with me.”

For the Fulbright Grant, he is applying for the English teaching assistantship in Vietnam, and for the Watson Fellowship, his project entails going to four different countries. For Duong, the process was definitely a stressful one.

“The interview process, definitely very stressful because, just a lot of dates and deadlines I had to come through for … sort of just like a lot of work, a lot of time,” Duong said.

However, similarly to the other Grinnell applicants, the CLS and his professors helped with navigating the application process.

“Ann Landstrom … was really helpful … She was here during the summer so I just came in with drafts of my essays for each of these applications and like worked on it throughout the summer. Probably had like six or seven drafts for each one,” Duong said. “And my professors definitely really helpful, just like giving advice … One of my professors who was my recommenders was also a Watson fellow … so he was really helpful with the process. … I’ve had support from both faculty and staff … It’s been good.”

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MAHIRA FARAN

From top to bottom: Reina Matsuura, Steven Duong and Lily Hamilton all '19 have spent their summers and fall preparing for the rigorous Fulbright Grant and Watson Fellowships.

Reaching for the stars: Reflecting on Grinnell's astrology culture

By Maxwell Fenton fentonma@grinnell.edu Since the invention of the calendar, the stars have been used to explain events spiritual and temporal. A multitude of cultures developed astrological systems that reflected their belief systems. In its earliest incarnations, astrology was used to explain divine events.

The appearance of astronomical events comets and shooting stars to name a few — were purported to be communications from the gods.

Through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, astrology became a predictive science, used to read one’s fate rather than speak to the divine. Through the ages, astrology developed into a method of reading personalities. Mass media and the spread of horoscopes in newspapers made the practice yet more popular.

Even Ronald Reagan used it while in the White House, relying on astrologer Joan Quigley to set the perfect time for announcements and policy decisions.

Astrology has seen a resurgence of interest among young people in the 21st century, its use by Ronald Reagan aside. But why has astrology taken hold here, and why now? Is there something about astrology particularly alluring to Grinnellians? Are we just doing it for the ironic kitsch factor? Or is there genuine knowledge to be gained from looking to the stars?

Even I have succumbed to the astrology craze. I downloaded an astrology app on my phone, CoStar, which provides daily updates of the movement of celestial bodies in my chart. As of my writing this article, my natal Jupiter is sextile my natal Mars, indicating a period

of “boredom allowing for action.” I went so far as to write an astrology column on The S&B backpage last year under the name “Sister Aurora Impulse,” featuring such excellent content as “The Signs as Trashy Reality TV” or my personal favorite, “The Signs as Different Types of Trash.” But for all of the interest if Aries is totally “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” or if Aquarius is really a cool ranch Doritos bag in puddle, the question remains as to why I — and Grinnell College at large — have this interest in the first place.

I must confess that despite my interest in and love of astrology, I am not a true believer. Something about the stars dictating the terms of my life and destiny is a bit too far-fetched and deterministic for my taste. That being said, I enjoy astrology in the same way I

enjoy the Enneagram and MyersBriggs personality tests: they all provide a safe lens to read oneself.

Introspection can be a very difficult process, and when trying to make changes to one’s personality or relationship with others, can be very painful on your own. The self can be like the open ocean, hard to navigate without the proper tools.

Like other methods of reading personality, I take astrology to be a tool in the process of knowing.

Astrology reduces personality traits and one’s actions to prescribed personalities described by the motion of celestial bodies in the same way a Myers-Briggs or Enneagram type has characteristics based on the pattern of answers to a test. My ethical and philosophical interests are derived from my Sagittarius sun, while my critical perspective comes from my Mars in Virgo. My nature as a human being emanates from the position of the stars and, even if not true, it’s still interesting to think about.

But does this ring true for all Grinnellians? As part of my investigation, I first checked the official Grinnell astrology Facebook group, “pseudoscience Technology Engineering Math,” which is chock full of astrological resources and self-generated memes. Like politics, sex, mental health and humor before it, the new format of astrological discourse is the meme.

Using the power of the image, media as diverse as Spongebob Squarepants to Caravaggio’s “Judith Beheading Holofernes” can be turned into an immediately recognizable portrait of the interaction of signs in one’s astrological chart.

Grinnellians in particular seem to have trouble knowing themselves.

Steep workloads and social whirlwinds take up any time for introspection, so astrology seems

to fill in the gaps. I asked my dear friend Cait Mohr ‘19, a Virgo, for their perspective on the astrology craze. They said, “[F]irst off, we're all gay, so jot that down. Secondly, I feel that queer intimacy and dating doesn't entail the same socially imposed boundaries and moments of intelligibility that straight romance does, so I think we exhibit a certain tendency to grasp towards mother natal chart for safety.” Indeed, astrology at Grinnell has largely been a queer preoccupation. Many threads in the Grinnellian Gays Group and Dining Hall discussions among queer people incorporate astrology as a mode of discourse.

The queer astrologer Chani Nicholas considers astrology “a tool of reflection that doesn’t judge the many aspects of self but only reveals them.” The revelation of the other is as much a part of astrology as the revelation of the self. In the queer context of longing, Cait agrees. “I definitely DON'T think astrology is a replacement for communication, but a lot of us find a small amount of comfort in the intelligibility that a lover's sign confers onto their behavioral patterns and intimate actions,” they said. In a world still hostile to queer love and joy, astrology provides a way to read another person, a mode of revelation hostile only to judgment.

Ultimately, in an era of crisis, astrology offers a way to analyze oneself, an ancient science of personality. The positions of the stars are fixed unlike the chaos on the planet Earth. Whether at Grinnell or in ancient societies, astrology provides a sense of certainty otherwise unfound. Since humankind first looked to the stars and charted their movements, astrology has been a way to know the formerly unknowable, whether in oneself or in another.

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S&B Cribs: High Street Manor

By Kelly Page pagekell@grinnell.edu When a group of students choose to live together in a house offcampus, it is usually because they are already a tight-knit group of friends.

However, the group of fourth-years inhabiting the beloved High Street Manor this year, as resident Nicolette Musachio '19 said, “just fell into each other randomly.”

After two people dropped out of the house — for good reasons, its current residents asserted — there was a scramble to fill the house with five residents. The final roster ended up consisting of Musachio, Addi Gould, Sonia Chulaki and Joseph Knopke, all '19, and Bardan Sigdel, '20.

Musachio explained their dynamic as a group growing closer from sharing a home. “We all knew each other but weren’t super close so it’s a good house dynamic because we’ve just sort of gotten to know each other together,” she said.

The residents chose this house specifically in part because Gould had lived there the summer after his second year and wanted to live in a house with a porch.

“We thought, you know, we wanted to live on High Street and having had this porch over the summer I knew that having a porch was a super great feel,” said Gould.

The porch, filled with a ramshackle assortment of furniture passed down from years of students who have lived in the house, is one of the more iconic features of the house.

One of the biggest bonding experiences for the housemates has been maintaining the house together.

Since off-campus residents cannot rely on Facilities Management (FM) for upkeep, moving off campus is often a rude awakening to the realities of cleaning and pest control.

... Having had this porch over the summer I knew that having a porch was a super great feel.

Addi Gould '19 Another (unofficial) obligation of High Street residents is to throw parties. On Saturday, Sept. 22, the residents threw a party that accidentally became unique from any other Grinnell function in recent history when Sigdel was threatened

by a high school student claiming to have a gun.

It all started when two “younglooking” boys who claimed to be visiting a first-year friend showed up to the Harris afterparty and attempted to commandeer the aux.

Sigdel said, “I see two guys … messing with the music system with aux cord one of them was pulling on it … and then the party suddenly stopped, the music stopped for one or two minutes and I thought it must have been them and it was. It was too crowded for me to actually go over and do anything but then the music started and then maybe 30 minutes, 45 minutes later I was walking out the back door, right, and I see one of those guys and then I say ‘Hey man, don’t fuck with the music, I told you it's not a party for you, you’re invited, you’re in the house, that’s fine, don’t fuck with the music.’”

He said, "I can pull my gun, you’ll be dead, I can pull my Glock."

Bardan Sigdel According to Sigdel, the ostensibly high school-aged partygoer responded that he was “just trying to make your party lit.”

Sigdel said he kept telling the youth that he shouldn’t have messed with the music.

However, the turbulent interaction didn’t end there. “He said, ‘I can pull my gun, you’ll be dead, I can pull my Glock,’ and then I think he kept saying Glock 47 …”

Sidgel said.

When asked if he was scared, Sigdel said, “I could tell [he didn’t have a gun].”

The night’s drama was not over with that. Gould noticed that someone had removed his poster from the wall. None of the residents could find the poster for the rest of the night or the entire next day, but when Gould posted about it on Facebook it showed up mysteriously, three hours later, on the dining room table.

Although their most recent party took some strange turns, the residents are still excited about inviting more people into their home. They look forward to 10/10, especially since this year’s fourth-year class are the last Grinnell students who experienced it before its conversion into Fall Fest.

Hopefully, no fake Glocks or poster thieves are in attendance.

THE SWEDISH PROGRAM

Features

Chalutzim student leaders take on new responsibilities, redefine roles

By Julia Anderson anderson14@grinnell.edu It came as a surprise to many students to hear that Rabbi Rob Cabelli would not be returning to Grinnell College this fall. For those involved in Chalutzim, Grinnell’s organization for Jewish students, the news meant more than losing a member of the Grinnell community: it signaled a major restructuring in the group’s organization and leadership.

Fortunately, students on the Chalutzim board have worked with Stacey Cannon, technical assistant for the Center for Religion, Spirituality and Social Justice (CRSSJ) and the Dean of Religious Life, Deanna Shorb, to maintain Chalutzim’s active presence on campus.

“While we don’t have an associate chaplain and rabbi, it’s certainly my expectation that Stacey and I would help — as far as possible — Chalutzim continue to be able to celebrate cultural and religious holy days and activities,” said Shorb.

Shorb and Cannon help organize certain details for Jewish events, such as inviting former Grinnell Rabbi Deborah Brin back to campus to lead services during Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. For the most part, though, students have completely taken over the group’s responsibilities.

“I really didn’t know how much [Cabelli] did until he left,” said Amelia Geser '19, a member of the Chalutzim board. One of the most challenging tasks for students to administer has been financial, as Cabelli previously oversaw the organization’s budget.

“We’re pretty lucky that this year we already have strong student leadership across different years,” said Noah Segal '19, also a member of the Chalutzim board. More students have become involved with the board this semester, motivated to support the continuation of Chalutzim and provide a welcoming Jewish community to the campus following the rabbi’s departure.

The leaders of Chalutzim volunteer around five hours a week to maintain Jewish life for students, notably through hosting a weekly Shabbat table. This event involves meal planning and preparation, coordinating cooking groups, leading Shabbat blessings, cleaning the kitchen and more. It requires considerable assistance, but students have been enthusiastic about helping.

“From what I’ve seen, there’s more engagement, and I’m hoping that that turns into more campus-wide Jewish community engagement,” Segal said.

Despite the initial adjustment and challenges, Chalutzim leaders are optimistic about the future of the organization and Jewish life at Grinnell as a whole.

“I think that structurally, this has been kind of a blessing in disguise.

I think that we’ve really come into our own as an organization. People who previously took a backseat have stepped up and taken more of a leadership role,” Geser said.

Chalutzim leaders emphasized that essentially all multicultural organizations on campus are completely student-run, and Chalutzim is inspired to revamp their student leadership. In this period of transition, students have

GRINNELL COLLEGE

MAHIRA FARAN

From left to right: Bardan Sigdel '20, Nicolette Musachio '19, Sonia Chulaki '19, Addi Gould '19 and Joseph Knopke '19 seated on their back stoop.

Economics • Sociology • Psychology Film • Art History • Political Science • Music Public Policy • Literature • Creative Writing Food Studies • Gender Studies • History

info@swedishprogram.org

Edited by vitaioli@grinnell.edu

the opportunity to reconsider the structure of the group and to offer their own ideas for changes.

“I think that having it be more student-led is going to be more valuable in creating a stronger community and in students taking initiative and responsibility,” Segal said.

“We’re all sad that we lost our leader, and we’re all going to miss Rob, but this is a chance for us to rethink our mission and to grow as an organization,” Geser said.

As for the future, the Chalutzim board aims to continue student involvement and to further increase Jewish life and community on campus. Though they acknowledge that it is difficult to hold religious

events without a rabbi, the group anticipates hosting more social and cultural events in addition to weekly Shabbat table.

Nonetheless, Jewish students recognize the need for a rabbi on campus. “We’ve all taken on new roles that we didn’t know we had, but the one role that none of us can fill is that of a spiritual leader,” Geser said.

The search for a new associate chaplain and rabbi is underway, though no developments are certain yet. The Chalutzim board will be involved in the hiring process.

Students can email [chalutz] to be added to the Chalutzim email list and keep up with Jewish life at Grinnell.

10.25" X 3.5"

CONTRIBUTED

From top to bottom: Amelia Geser '19 preparing Shabbat meal in the Chalutzim kitchen; Students help decorate the Sukkah for Sukkot at an event hosted

by Chalutzim and the CRSSJ.

Wednesday, October 10 11–1:30 PM JRC

www.swedishprogram.org

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Edited by vitaioli@grinnell.edu

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10

Opinions

Tresther’s Tru-pinions: Art, social action and a Grinnell women’s center

By Esther Hwang hwangest@grinnell.edu Last Thursday and Friday the CLS brought alumni for an Artists as Activists symposium. Alumni came together to talk about their work and how their care for people, communities and social justice guide their work. Talking to these alums got me thinking about some artists/activists on my radar and my own desires to use art to support myself and my communities.

Ai Wei Wei comes first to mind when I think of powerful artists.

Ai is a Chinese artist who was kidnapped and beaten by the Chinese government in 2011 for his political art. If you’re looking for something to watch, there’s a documentary on Netflix named after him.

Ai Wei Wei, Vienna Rye, ANACHA and Hanky Song are artists whose social action have inspired me, and I hope you check them out and gain some inspiration as well!

Also, be sure to check out Vienna Rye (@vrye on Instagram, www.v-rye.com). Rye is a self-taught visual artist based in New York City whose work is informed by her grassroots activism. She confronts settler colonialism, racism, capitalism and patriarchy. She is currently represented by the ACLU in a lawsuit against wide-spread police surveillance.

And if you or anyone you know has interests in exploring their artistic side, ANACHA [anacha-art] is a feminist art collective that expels elitism and fosters activism and collective practice of film, music, podcasting, dance and arts of any kind!

It’s named after two non-Western artists, Ana Mendieta and Theresa Cha who were both killed from sexual and gender-based violence. This collective has helped me overcome my self-doubt in the artistic field. As someone who grew up in a culture of comparison and competition, this is extremely helpful in dispelling tox-

icity around art!

I was fortunate to know the founder of ANACHA before she graduated — Hankyeol Song '17.

Song’s work to support survivors of sexual assault on campus has a legacy on this campus. Her efforts to implement a women’s center on campus led to the creation of Dissenting Voices, a radical feminist student group dedicated to holding Title IX accountable. If you want to read about Dissenting Voices, read Song’s “Letter to the Editor: An Elegy for Feminist Justice at Grinnell” at http://www.thesandb.com/article/letter-to-the-editor-an-elegy-for-feminist-justice-at-grinnell.html#_ftn8.

I’m telling you all this because Grinnell administration has a history of making life extremely difficult for students who push them to be better, and I want to keep the spirit of Song’s critical action alive. Though she is gone, she mentored many student leaders to be fearless in our pursuit for knowledge and our actions to hold others accountable for misuses of power.

That being said, if you are interested in helping establish a women’s center on campus, contact dissentingvoices9@gmail.com. Women’s centers were first created in the feminist movement of the 1970s to raise consciousness about female identity.

It is surprising that our college does not have a women’s center considering how many competing schools do. Establishing a women’s center on Grinnell College’s campus carries on the legacy of work done by feminist radicals generations before us. We have learned from feminist history about the place of identity and oppression in feminism. The work of our generation is to explore histories of racism, transphobia, settler colonialism and imperialism in our feminist practice today.

Grinnell administration has a history of making life extremely difficult for students who push them to be better. … Though [Song] is gone, she mentored many student leaders to be fearless in our pursuit for knowledge and our actions to hold others accountable for misuses of power.

Ai Wei Wei, Vienna Rye, ANACHA and Hanky Song are artists whose social action have inspired me, and I hope you check them out and gain some inspiration as well!

Edited by bohlkeli@grinnell.edu

This Week in Wellness: Vitamin supplements, global women, the Pernice Brothers and guacamole public. If you believe you may benefit from taking supplements, you should talk to your doctor to determine what is right for you.

By Eva Hill hilleva@grinnell.edu Walking through the over-thecounter medication aisle in any convenience store, you’re likely to find rows of shelves filled with dietary supplements, all with their own promised results — immune support, improved heart health and clearer skin are just a few of the most common. But do these supplements actually work?

First of all, it’s important to note that some people may need to take supplements for medical or dietary reasons — vegans, for example, may need to take certain supplements to make up for the lack of vitamin B12, found mostly in meat and dairy products. However, many people may take vitamins or other supplements simply because they believe they will improve their health, with or without scientific evidence.

In a January 2016 article, Market Watch declared the supplement business a $37 billion-per-year industry. But, they say, the majority of purchasers are not people for whom the supplements are medically necessary. The article continues, stating that although eating a nutritious diet is critical to one’s health, it’s generally better to get those nutrients from the food itself rather than consuming them in isolation as a pill. In addition, because of lack of regulation of the supplement industry, the manufacturers likely did not have to prove that the pills are safe, or that they work.

In addition to potential ineffectiveness, taking supplements you don’t need can actually be harmful to your health. According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health website, some supplements interact negatively with prescription medication (for example, vitamin K reduces the effects of certain blood thinners), and taking too much of various supplements can cause varying and unpleasant side effects, like nausea and headaches.

Ultimately, although dietary supplements are a medical necessity for some, they should not be used without reason by the general

This week’s book: “Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide” by Sheryl WuDunn and Nicholas Kristof is an intensely readable book, giving its message through the real-life stories of various women from around the globe. In addition, the book touches upon the problems that can arise from Western volunteer efforts in developing countries, as well as economic analysis of what it means to leave behind traditional gender roles relating to household management of funds and work.

This week’s music: To welcome in the cold weather and the fall air, try the Pernice Brothers’ ultrachill 2003 album “Yours, Mine & Ours.” Smooth vocals, electric guitar and ethereal melodies combine with enigmatic and occasionally almost indecipherable lyrics to create the ultimate autumn walking soundtrack. My favorite track on this album is the upbeat but wistful opening song, “The Weakest Shade of Blue,” but make sure not to miss “One Foot in the Grave,” which has the distinctive feel of early-2000s indie rock, and “Number Two,” which has perhaps the best lyrics of any song on the album and a bridge section that surprises me each time I listen to it.

Isabel Lieb: The Big Mood

This week’s recipe: Fresh guacamole This recipe is inspired by the New York Times’ recipe, but with a few edits that I feel make the flavor purer and fresher. Some people like to add lime juice, cayenne or chopped chili peppers; if you do, simply mix those in to taste at the end of the process. The key to this recipe is the chunkiness of the avocado — when mixing, make sure not to blend into a paste, but instead to leave it in small pieces.

Ingredients: • One avocado (soft to pressure but not overripe) • One medium-sized tomato or ¾ of a cup of cherry tomatoes • ¼ cup chopped onion • ½ teaspoon salt Directions: 1. Slice avocado in half lengthwise and remove pit. Peel both halves (peel should separate easily) and place face-down on cutting board. Cut both lengthwise and widthwise to create generally cube-shaped pieces.

2. Core tomato and squeeze out pulp (if using cherry tomatoes, do this by cutting off the tops). Like with the avocado, cut in a grid pattern to get cubical pieces.

3. Mash about a quarter of the onion with the salt in a bowl. Leave the rest of the pieces whole.

4. Put all ingredients into a bowl and mix well but gently and serve. Keeps up to 2 days in an airtight container.

Edited by bohlkeli@grinnell.edu

Opinions Maggie Parke: Oy vey but it's okay

11

Grinnell Queer Eyes: The gay and sporty WNBA

Welcome back to Queer Eyes, stream of consciousness writings from my gay mind. Today, I would like to talk about sportz. I am fully aware of the sporto/queer divide being discussed frequently on this campus; the proof is in the Grill.

One day, a friend of mine walked up to me and asked, “Yo do you wanna go sit on the arts and crafts side?”

Oh no. I believe there has been some confusion. The dynamics of the Grill are fluid, and though it is probably a lovely space for crafts or physical activity, it is essentially the gay bar of Grinnell’s campus.

What else in the universe is

unquestionably gay and involves sports? The WNBA. This league is gayer than a crowd live-streaming the Ellen show guest-featuring a live unicorn playing Lady Gaga through a nose flute. One of the gayest team of them all is the Phoenix Mercury, who won the WNBA Championship in 2009 and 2014.

Of the five players who started on the team that year, four of them are married to each other, including Brittney Griner, who has already married another WNBA star in the past. But essentially, Diana Taurasi (the greatest person to ever play the sport of basketball, arguably) married Penny Taylor (arguably the best Australian basketball player ever) and now they are raising a vegan child, as Taylor is an assistant coach and Taurasi plays starting point guard (P.S. Google Diana Taurasi kissing Simone Augustus; I think it is very funny). The other members of this team were DeWanna Bonner and Candice Dupree, who are currently raising their twins, despite the

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drama of Dupree being traded. This couple posts work-out vids of themselves lifting their children around their suburban Arizona home, and Bonner returned to basketball less than a year after giving birth to her twins, averaged double digits a game and helped carry her team to the league semi-finals. QUEER INSANITY.

What else in the universe is unquestionably gay and involves sports? The WNBA. There are these two specific ones and there is one specific, arguably regrettable, thing that I did.

My friend’s mom used to work for the Chicago Sky, and has the inside deets and hot goss, and she informed me that Allie Quigley and Courtney Vandersloot are getting married.

This made me physically overflow with excitement. Vandersloot is the only reason I applied to college at Gonzaga, just so that I could say that I went to the school where

Vandersloot once played. Quigley has been the sixth man of my heart and the league for more years than I can count. So obviously upon hearing this information I had to do some sleuthing. I found a wedding registry under the names Courtney Vandersloot and Allie Quigley with the wedding location set to Chicago.

I scrolled through the list of items to confirm my suspicions, and they were asking for a pool basketball hoop, so I knew it had to be them.

I was very emotional. It was late at night, I was watching the fourth quarter of what could have been Sue Bird’s (queer goddess of assists dating professional U.S. women’s soccer player Megan Rapinoe) last professional game of basketball and I had consumed a high quantity of frozen dairy. I scrolled through this wedding registry and decided I did not want them to think of me every time they took a shower. I settled on purchasing them an ice cream scoop. It’s not too creepy to think that a random person you don’t

know or will ever meet sent you an ice cream scoop for your wedding.

I had approximately 69 cents in my bank account, but I did it anyway.

The wedding isn’t for months and I am the only person who has purchased anything from the registry.

They probably opened it up in the mail and were like “psshh, neither of us know this human being so maybe we should make our wedding registry private.” But my personal DREAM is that they think it is so funny that they invite me to their lesbian-basketball-themed wedding.

Then I would self-implode and be happy forever.

Conclusion: I am a weirdo; the WNBA is full of the queer power couples of my dreams; ice cream is always the answer. Unless you are lactose intolerant like my roommate. Omg wait — what if Vandersloot and Quigley are lactose intolerant! Maybe they can eat yogurt? Is yogurt dairy? What even is yogurt?

— Gaylord Phoenix

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the

Back Page Volume 135, Issue 5

thesandb.com

"The best thing since the front page!"

Photo of the Week

Arbitrary Analysis

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

PETER CIPRIANO

“Somewhere between the bottom of the climb and the summit is the answer to the mystery why we climb.” — Greg Child

Feet

Social Calendar Friday

6:15 p.m. Shabbat Table @ JRC 209 7 p.m. Cookie Decorating @ Rathje Lounge

Saturday

Socks

Shoes

The S&B Crossword:

The Spookiest Season

6 p.m. Mid-Autumn Festival @ Harris Center Concert Hall 7 p.m. TinyD Presents: Farmstock! @ 1023 Park Street 7:30 p.m. Grinnell Singers in Concert @ Sebring-Lewis/ Bucksbaum Rotunda

Snedge

This week, Zainab Thompson '22 and Sara Licht '22 polled 100 students asking: Apple bottom jeans or Apple orchards?

JRC

Platinum Vajine 80%

ARH

Like what you see? check us out:

@thesandb /thescarletandblack thesandb.com @grinnellsandb

Across

Down

1. Natural peacekeepers 6. A common fall tourist attraction at places like Uncle Bill’s farm 7. The team lost 91-0 last weekend but are looking for a W this weekend 9. Beer and bratwurst 10. The party we miss :( 11. The shape of Cinderella’s coach

1. Rake 2. Freesound’s fall student showcase 3. Main month 4. Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat 7. The College gives us free shots but some of us still get it 8. Puss in

Rants & Raves:

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]

Maintaining Retinal Health

I Love Native Grinnellians

A Mixed Bag

Can we de-stygmatize sunglasses please?

People keep coming up to me like “oH hEy tHeRe wHaT hAvE yUo bEeN uP tO?” No I’m not high I just don’t want crows feet when I’m thirty. Like yeah weed is cool but have you ever tried maintaining proper retinal health?

Last week’s letter to the Editor was both funny and reassuring. That letter shows that people of Grinnell are kind and compassionate to all students of Grinnell College. I certainly hope to meet more of them in the future.

Rave for Russian food. Delicious. Rant for putting people with allergies in danger.

- Kilometers

- Peter Cipriano '20

- Former Possible Russian Major