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"But other students were throwing crayons around — you know how elementary school is."
"Art for Dark Places, Art for Light Places," at the Stewart Gallery
Swim & Dive opens season with big win
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Scarlet & Black Volume 134, Issue 10
November 10, 2017 • Grinnell, Iowa
Trustees return to campus for final climate impact talks
thesandb.com
2017 tuition increase exceeds inflation How need-blind admissions and increasing tuition coexist
By Alice Herman hermanal17@grinnell.edu
SARAH RUIZ
Rick Lancaster '76, vice president for power generation at Great River Energy, discussed alternative energy in JRC 101. By Chloe Wray wraychlo@grinnell.edu On Monday, Nov. 6 and Tuesday, Nov. 7, the Fossil Fuels and Climate Impact Task Force held the last of three rounds of community dialogues on divestment and carbon footprint reduction that have occurred this semester. The goals of this week’s campus wide dialogue series were “open, transparent and participatory,” as described by Kathryn Mohrman ’67, a member of the task force.
These three major principles do take a specific form in the task force’s current practices, as elaborated upon by Michael Kahn ’74, chair of the task force. “[Our goals include] recommending meaningful actions Grinnell College can take to positively impact climate, including consideration of fossil fuel divestment, taking a very broad approach that will consider our curriculum, our campus carbon footprint and our use of capital,” Kahn wrote in an email to The S&B.
Dissenting Voices holds national vigil to support survivors of sexual assault On the evening of Thursday, Nov. 9, Dissenting Voices held a national vigil in support of survivors of sexual assault. The vigil was part of a current national movement on campuses throughout the United States in response to the Trump administration’s rescinding of Obamaera Title IX guidance, and to continue awareness of the recurring problem of sexual assault on campus. The S&B’s Kate Irwin sat down with Dissenting Voices co-leaders Evan FeldbergBannatyne ’20 and Ty Pratt ’20 to discuss the intention of the vigil and what Dissenting Voices has planned for Grinnell this semester. The S&B: How did Grinnell’s Dissenting Voices decide to join in on the national movement against sexual assault? Evan Feldberg-Bannatyne: I came upon a couple different organizations that we were subscribed to saying that they were going to have this in the wake of Betsy DeVos rescinding the 2011 "Dear Colleague" letters. So building off that momentum is kind of what spurred [Dissenting Voices
holding a vigil]. We wanted to localize this national movement and bring that here to campus so that we can amplify the momentum behind the call. Is this the first time Dissenting Voices has held a vigil for survivors of sexual assault? EF: Maybe specifically a vigil is new. But definitely demonstrations — [DV has] a long history of that. Check out our website! What are the plans for the vigil? Ty Pratt: The vigil is kind of our first meeting in addition to this, so we're going to introduce people to Dissenting Voices as it is our first meeting of the year. And just [tell people] what we do. EF: We're going to be doing some art and some sign making, chilling with the members. We're going to leave it open-ended [and ask people if they] want to learn more about the policy change on the national level, or hear more about the history and legacy of sexual assault at Grinnell. And for the people who come to the meeting, we can be a resource and direct them to >> See Dissenting Voices, page 2
Students hold divest action By Kelly Page pagekell@grinnell.edu As the Board of Trustees held their third round of discussions on the possibility of Grinnell College divesting from fossil fuels on Monday, Nov. 6, student activist coalition Grinnell Student Resistance held a coinciding day of action. Leading up to the Grinnell Student Resistance programming on Monday, the student activists undertook a week of visual activism around campus, which consisted of various art installations and informational signage related to the impact of global warming. “[The goal of the visual campaign] was to bring attention to Friday Austin Dean '06 Presentation Burling 1st Floor, 4 p.m.
the student body, to remind them that this issue is ongoing and that this is the time to take a stand,” said Evan Feldberg-Bannatyne ’20, a member of Grinnell Student Resistance. “We had coal piles and the facts and the oil spills out front of the JRC. We did handprints in charcoal, all sorts of good stuff.” Feldberg-Bannatyne explained his involvement in the divestment campaign and described his concerns about the College’s investments in fossil fuels. “People are dying right here right now abroad and in the United States as a direct result of fossil fuels. These are finite resources and we can’t exploit them forever. Coal is dead, so why >> See Student activists, page 2 Saturday 50th Anniversary Young, Gifted and Black Gospel Choir Concert Sebring-Lewis Hall, 4 p.m.
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In order to achieve these goals, the task force, composed of Kahn, Mohrman and Ed Senn ’79, has worked in conjunction with an advisory committee of students and faculty to host three rounds of dialogue on campus throughout the semester. These dialogues have focused on the College’s fossil fuel usage and climate impact. This week’s set of dialogues involved the task force, the advisory committee, students, faculty and the >> See Grinnell College trustees, page 2
As tuition prices soar nationally and college students anticipate an increasing burden of post-grad debt, Grinnell College remains one of a few institutions retaining the policy of need-blind admissions and meeting 100 percent of demonstrated need for admitted students. The College, however, has increased tuition dramatically over the past five years, netting $9.6 million more in tuition from 2012 to 2017. So how does the school make increasing revenue on student tuition while remaining need-blind? The school has a few ways of pulling high “student revenue” while maintaining a policy of not considering student’s financial need in admissions. For one, not all applicants are
treated as need-blind applicants: students applying from abroad and students from the United States but without legal citizenship are required to apply as “international students” and are subject to a “needaware” evaluation. According to the College’s website, “[t]he College requires a clear and honest submission of family financial resources to determine an applicant’s aid eligibility” from international applicants. For domestic students, the College does what most organizations with money to spend on advertising do: buy and interpret information about potential customers from other companies. “We do purchase names off the College Board through ACT — I’m sure you remember when you took >> See Admissions, page 2
DACA talk explores immigration policy By Amanda Weber weberama@grinnell.edu On Monday, Nov. 6, Grinnell College hosted a panel called “Policy in Practice: Supporting Undocumented and DACAmented students.” The talk was the most recent development in Grinnell’s commitment to community members affected by the termination of DACA. The talk, sponsored by the Office of International Student Affairs, American Studies and the Rosenfield Program, was initiated by students Sofia Martinez ’20 and Karla Gomez ’19. They aimed to inspire conversation on campus about DACA and the recent developments with US immigration policy. “After a few meetings, we [said], ‘Okay, we think we know what we want to do. … More than anything, we want to inform people about what’s going on, what our community is feeling and how this impacts students,” Gomez said. The panel informed students of the realities of living as a non-citizen in the United States. Visiting speaker Miryam Antúnez De Mayolo, an immigration attorney with Frerichs Law Office, spoke about the specifics of American immigration policy and what the technicalities of the deportation process mean for those at risk of being subjected to it. “When you are not a citizen, you are only a guest in this country,” Antúnez De Mayolo explained. As such, it is very easy for undocumented residents to find themselves swept up in the deportation process. As Antúnez De
Mayolo noted, non-citizens who are unaware of their own rights are often taken advantage of by overzealous officials seeking out a lack of documentation. She also discussed the specifics of immigration court proceedings and the oft-convoluted nature of deportation, including the provisional waivers that prevent undocumented immigrants seeking permanent residency from returning to the United States upon exit. “The immigration system that we have now doesn’t work for anyone. It’s completely broken,” Antúnez De Mayolo said. However, there may be hope for improved immigration policy yet. Antúnez De Mayolo referenced Senate Bill 1615, also known as the Dream Act of 2017, which was introduced in July by Senators Graham, Durbin, Flake and Schumer. According to Antúnez De Mayolo, the bill would grant a path to permanent residency for a considerably larger population than was covered by DACA. “I don’t have a crystal ball to see if the new Dream Act will pass. Hopefully it will — it has bipartisan support. I think that it has a good chance, but given the history of the old immigration bills that have been proposed, I think we have to be careful,” Antúnez De Mayolo said. So what can be done in the meantime to support fellow students and residents of the United States who have been affected by the repeal of DACA and US immigration policy? According to Antúnez De Mayolo, a good first step is to call representatives and tell them to vote
for legislation like Senate Bill 1615. Affected students are advised to meet with an immigration attorney and see what other avenues are available for them now that DACA has been repealed. As for what can be done to foster a more aware, supportive community as a whole, Office of International Affairs Karen Edwards and another speaker at the panel emphasized the importance of continuing conversations. “I think as liberal arts learners that we have a responsibility to our peers to engage in deeper dialogue about how culture impacts the way you walk through the world,” Edwards said. Gomez put similar emphasis on dialogue as a tool for promoting awareness and building a stronger community. “If people don’t know about DACA or immigrant families or policies, they can’t make an informed opinion, so I think a panel like this … was the first step,” Gomez said. However, as was emphasized in the panel, it is important to remember that the issue is not limited to Grinnell College. “This discussion has taken place at Grinnell, but this discussion isn’t about Grinnell,” Edwards said. “This discussion is about immigration policy in our country and how it impacts college and university students … and individuals in our nation, period.” Resources are available for students who have been affected by the repeal of DACA on the Office of International Student Affairs GrinnellShare page.
MAHIRA FARAN
Visiting speaker Miryam Antúnez de Mayolo discussed immigration policy and the impact of the termination of DACA Saturday Drag Show
Monday QuestBridge Student Panel
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JRC 226, 7:30 p.m.
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Grinnell College trustees engage in third round of campus dialogues
HELENA GRUENSTEIDL
Patricia Fitzgibbons Anderson '80 talks divestment. Continued from Front Page Grinnell community at large. The Grinnell College website explained that these talks focused on “[d] ivestment decisions by other colleges, reducing the College's carbon footprint, providing more curricular support and exploring sustainability efforts.” Discussions varied from the importance of partnerships in divestment and how other colleges have gone about divestment, to alternate renewable energy options and Grinnell’s own sustainability plan. Student activist groups also held demonstrations in the Joe Rosenfield Center (JRC) over the course of the two-day event, calling on the College to divest from the fossil fuels industry. The dialogue series was kicked off on Monday morning with a video conference call by activist Matt Remle, who spoke on his involvement with the Standing Rock movement and his work with the city of Seattle’s own divestment. When it became known in 2016 that Wells Fargo supported the Keystone Pipeline, Remle urged the city of Seattle to pull out of their contract with Wells Fargo and explore alternate banking options. Remle centered his story around his reliance on partnerships to implement change. Remle’s talk was followed by a presentation on Monday evening by Rick Lancaster ’76, vice president for Power Generation, Great River Energy, entitled “Transitioning to Renewable Energy — Practical
Challenges.” Following Lancaster's talk was one by Pitzer College former President Laure Trombley on Pitzer’s own process leading to divestment. “Grinnell really can’t do this alone — we want to have significant impact. We need to have partners who multiply our impact,” Mohrman said in her introduction to Trombley’s talk. In her presentation, Trombley shared the steps that Pitzer College took to divest, albeit with a smaller endowment than Grinnell: Pitzer depends on their endowment for only about 20 percent of their operating costs, as opposed to Grinnell’s 55 percent. Since achieving divestment in 2014, Pitzer has acted as a model and example to other institutions. However, Trombley stressed that the journey to divest for Pitzer occurred after years of carbon footprint reducing initiatives, highly driven by students, and that the shift did not occur overnight. For some, however, the link between divestment and carbon footprint reduction is not so clear. “As we have heard from many speakers, a divestment action brings greater public awareness to climate change, but in itself does not have any immediate impact on climate,” Kahn said. “Grinnell’s shares in the five fossil fuel stocks we own would be bought by other investors in a matter of seconds. Divestment or being an engaged investor is about having impact, by making your voice heard. On the other hand, there are many things we can do to reduce our carbon footprint, so there is no need to choose
between one or the other.” Professor Liz Queathem, biology, elaborated on this relationship between divestment and the College’s carbon footprint, specifically in relation to her work on the advisory committee. “We [focused on the carbon footprint] in part because that was the charge that the president gave the committee … but also because we did not believe that we could persuade the Trustees that divestment would be worth the risk of lower returns,” Queathem wrote in an email to The S&B. “The beauty of our carbon footprint is that we have control over it, and it is truly and concretely our responsibility.” Queathem enumerated some of the most frequently asked questions surrounding divestment. “What steps can we take that will do the most good? If someone else is going to purchase the stock in companies when we divest, does it even hurt them? If it doesn't hurt them, what good does it do? I believe that it makes a moral point, and holds companies up as examples of bad actors, but I think we are all hoping for more than that, and educating ourselves on how people understand and analyze these issues of corporate accountability, public shaming and moral responsibility.” Over the course of the next few months, the task force will gather the information that they have acquired from the dialogues and presentations, assembling a report with recommendations to the trustees that will be presented at the April board meeting. Until then, Kahn encourages students and community members to continue collaborating in the divestment evaluation process. “Continue to reach out and communicate with us,” Kahn said. “The trustees share the desire to see our College take meaningful actions on climate, and we are all in this process together.”
Edited by hermanal17@grinnell.edu & mettleca@grinnell.edu
Admissions uses data to recruit a diverse student body Continued from Front Page the exam you started getting all this mail from colleges and universities, and of course we engage in that practice as well,” said Director of Admissions Sarah Fischer. The College incorporates available data on high school students around the country to gauge interest in the school and focus recruitment on a diverse and high-achieving group of students who have expressed interest in the College. Fischer emphasized that revenue is only one of the school’s goals in recruitment. “Building this deep pool of diversely qualified applicants through our recruitment efforts … allows the admission committee to select a pool of highly qualified students without regard to financial circumstances while still moving towards the revenue objectives set forth by the college. We are proud to consistently enroll a class that brings in a broad range of backgrounds and perspectives, including socioeconomic diversity across geographies,” Fischer wrote in an email to The S&B. The College sorts and interprets data on prospective students using Slate Technolutions, a service that, according to the company’s webpage, over 650 colleges and universities use to keep track of their student and admissions data. Among other functions, the Slate database stores prospective students’ test scores, home addresses and the number of times they’ve clicked on the College's admissions webpage. This does not mean that the College can gauge to a dime the amount of tuition its prospective students can provide as the College does not require from applicants their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) information or any
other explicit financial records. “The best indicator that we would have of a student’s financial background would be where they live, and that’s a flawed analysis. Because people who live in California, for example, with incredibly inflated home prices could live in a zip code that’s got million dollar houses, and that [might not be] actually indicative of wealth that that family has ... It’s an incomplete analysis,” Fischer said. Furthermore, data indicating a student’s financial status is used to reach a wider pool of applicants and has no sway on the process of admitting students. “You can make inferences [about financial status] based on zip codes, but that’s very separate from the need-blind admission process. So, we don’t take any of that information into account when we’re making our admissions decisions,” Fischer said. In agreeing to meet both full need and admit students without considering their finances during admissions, the College exposes itself to the risk of unpredictable student revenue — tuition — for its operating budget. The College’s most recent Fiscal Year budget report shows that between 2007 and 2017, the school saw its costs rise by 5.44 percent and experienced a 4.96 percent increase in revenue. The increasing revenue reflects both a steady increase in tuition and returns on the College’s endowment, while the costs represent, in part, College construction projects such as the Humanities and Social Sciences Complex (HSSC). While for now, the College uses relatively little personal information to understand its applicant pool and recruit accordingly, the acquisition and trade of data represents a brave new world for not only credit agencies but, apparently, college admissions as well.
Student activists call for the College's divestment from fossil fuels
Kathryn Mohrman '67 and Professor Tim Dobe, religious studies, participated in the dialogues on divestment and carbon footprint reduction this week in the Spencer Grill. Continued from Front Page do we have $11.4 million invested in coal? It doesn’t make any sense. There are lots of companies that are very profitable that are sustainable energy programs. I think it makes a lot of financial sense to divest because when this bubble bursts, stocks are going to crash, and that could leave the College in trouble,” he said. Following the visual campaign, on Monday Grinnell Student Resistance ran nine and a half hours of action. These events coincided with presentations coordinated by the trustees’ Fossil Fuels and Climate Impact Task Force. From 12 p.m. until 3 p.m. in the Spencer Grill, student bands played music and Grinnell Student Resistance provided art supplies so that students could
create activist art. Next, at 3 p.m., the task force held community conversations in which students discussed the issues of divestment and the College’s climate impact with trustees. At a dialogue moderated by Professor Tim Dobe, religious studies, the conversation turned to Grinnell’s decision decades ago to divest from South African companies during the apartheid era, under the belief that to stay invested would be “morally reprehensible.” Then, in Faulconer Gallery, Rabbi Rob Cabelli led a spiritual and moral contemplation of divestment. His talk was centered on how to make a difference when one feels powerless and how to foster conversation without power dynamics getting in the way. “Not any single college is going to solve [the problem of climate change],
but that has never been a reason to stop doing the right thing,” Cabelli said. Next on the docket was a rally in the Grill, wherein students engaged in chants, such as “Hey, get off it! The enemy is profit. Climate devastation will not be stopped by corporations,” and “One, we are the students. Two, we have the power. Three, we want divestment for our future.” Student musicians played along. Students whose lives have been directly impacted by climate change then gave testimonies about their experiences. One student spoke of the impact that fracking had had on their community: the town’s drinking water was polluted to the point that residents could light it on fire. “I’m getting chills just thinking about [the testimonies]. It was really powerful,” said Morgane Garnier ’19,
a leader of Grinnell Student Resistance who played a part in organizing the Day of Action. At 6:30 p.m., student activists set up in the top floor of the Dining Hall to host “D-Hall-Ogues.”
"Not any single college is going to solve [the problem of climate change], but that has never been a reason to stop doing the right thing." Rabbi Rob Cabelli “We intercepted the advisory committee and trustees to ask them to join us in dialogue thinking about shareholder activism, climate change and divestment as a social issue, and
CHARUN UPARA
how it relates to our commitment to social justice as a college,” Garnier said. The night concluded as students had coffee with trustees, engaging further in dialogue around divestment. Garnier viewed the day of action as a success. “I was really impressed with how many people turned up to the D-HallOgues. I think that was really great and the trustees really got the message that we care as a student body. … And I’m amazed at how many first-years came, and people who I didn’t really expect to be there. So I’m appreciative of that.” Come April, trustees will vote on whether or not to divest. In the meantime, there is no doubt that Grinnell Student Resistance ensured that concerned students’ voices could be heard.
Dissenting Voices talks to The S&B about their mission and vigil Continued from Front Page further resources if they have more questions. In September Betsy DeVos decided to rescind the "preponderance of evidence" standard for reporting sexual assault. How do you think the Trump administration's decision to raise the standard to "clear and convincing evidence" affects how sexual assault is reported? How does this impede the ability of students to report sexual assault and to ensure that sexual assaults are thoroughly and appropriately deal with? TP: People are going to be less likely to want to report, because they might feel like, “oh the evidence that I have isn't up to the standard that the government wants anymore.” Also I think too it might just be the fact that maybe a survivor didn't get a rape kit done because they were scared, and
by the time they realized they wanted to come forward, all the physical evidence is gone. So they might feel like there's no point. And even if they try and go through a process they're [told they] can't do anything. EF: I guess the new guidance allows schools to use that new standard of "clear and convincing evidence" for sexual assault … even though schools use a "preponderance of evidence" for all other violations, essentially creating a different class for sexual assault. It kind of issues the government a license to discriminate against survivors, which is a pretty serious problem. Part of the reasoning behind this decision was that advocates for accused students, most often men, believed that the judicial process became biased in favor of other victims. Do you think there is any credibility to this rationale? EF: I'm going to say no. I think the [old]
system very clearly shows that a lot of the times the accused walks free and is actually a pretty harmful system for the survivors to go through. And it rarely leads to any serious consequences. Out of every 1,000 rapes, 994 preparators will go free. So, if anything, the system doesn't do enough to back survivors and ensure that rapists are kept from becoming serial rapists. And the fact that the Trump administration is lessening this is quite worrisome. What does Dissenting Voices hope to gain from being part of this national movement? TP: Ultimately, awareness of the fact that this stuff is going on. I feel like a lot of people on campus and on campuses around the country don’t know that these are happening. The huge, big picture goal is for this not to be the case anymore. But immediately, awareness and letting people know if something happens to you, even if the
government isn't on your side, we're here for you. EF: This is meant to be a healing space for survivors, so letting them know that despite the federal policies, they're not alone and we're going to be working tirelessly to hold our school accountable to keep doing even better than we have been, to keep pushing for that progress. Does Dissenting Voices have any plans for the future of ways to raise awareness of the prevalence of sexual assault or ideas on how to work to lower and end sexual assault on campus? EF: In terms of raising awareness we plan to do more actions this semester. … In terms of policies, we're focusing on three goals this semester: expelling rapists, making sure that we can hire a permanent, fulltime Title IX coordinator and establishing a fully staffed women's center here on
campus, which is something that our peer institutions all have and we do not. What are immediate steps that can be taken to help end sexual assault on our college's campus? TP: I feel like a lot of it is active bystanderism, not in the sense that people can do something all the time, but if rapists know they're being watched, they're less likely to do something. What is Dissenting Voices' mission statement? EF: We are a grassroots coalition of students who are committed to ending sexual violence at Grinnell College through collaborative policy changes and peer education. We're the school's only gender-based violence prevention group, and we are here to end rape on campus.
Arts
Edited by vitaioli@grinnell.edu
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Marco Saffold By Chloe Wray wraychlo@grinnell.edu Holding a piece of chalk, Marco Saffold ’20 sat facing me as he sketched repetitions on the table next to him. He apologized for being fidgety. His energy, a curiosity to create, was unbridled. His uninhibited energy transfers to his art, which prefers to remain unrestricted. “I try not to rely too much on one medium. I find myself not able to be focus[ed] on one thing,” Saffold explained, citing the art courses he’s taking this semester as wide-ranging and multi-faceted. An intended studio art and philosophy double major, Saffold remembers the value his parents placed on education, doing math and reading workbooks at an early age. His earliest memories of making art are from elementary school. “It was a pretty hard time for me. I really tried taking it seriously, making stuff I would be proud of, that other people could enjoy,” Saffold said. “But other students were throwing crayons around, you know how elementary school is.” Since elementary school, art seems to have been something that has been a constant in Saffold’s life. In middle school he prioritized taking art classes. In the mix of figuring out school and friends and oneself, Saffold admits to letting his focus on art slip in high school. He circled back to it once at Grinnell, a passion resurfaced from the backburner, something into which he knew he wanted to pour his energy and focus. During his first year at Grinnell, Saffold joined ANACHA, an art collective started by Hanky Song ’17. “ANACHA is a dedication to two
non-western women who were murdered for being amazing artists and amazing activists,” Saffold explained. “The first portion of the name, ANA, is dedicated to Ana Mendieta. The second part is dedicated to Theresa Cha. Both great artists — theorists as well. A lot of people get confused about it, asking if there’s a dash between the names, but like we’re post-structuralists, so we don’t care about that.” Following Song’s graduation, Saffold is now leading ANACHA along with TJ Calhoun ’20. Ironically, it has been since coming to Grinnell that Saffold has found film. Without faculty or a film department, ANACHA has begun to attempt to fill whatever voids it can. Hosting cinematography workshops, film screenings and discussions, Saffold hopes that ANACHA can provide a space for members to fulfill a component that has been neglected in Grinnell’s liberal arts education. Aside from the opportunities the collective is creating around film, Saffold began working on his own projects last year, largely inspired by the film course he took with former professor of media studies Theresa Geller. The class’ exploration of avant-garde and post-modernism struck him, and with inspiration from Maya Deren’s “Meshes of the Afternoon,” he made his own short film. “Maya Deren’s work is pretty strange,” Saffold said about the oddity of his own film, the plot of which loosely followed Calhoun as the protagonist who was tasked with retrieving a stolen good from a mysterious figure. Conceptualizing the film and then realizing it, shooting it with Calhoun and Song, having to be resourceful in the face of a lack of materials and then editing all left Marco with a sense of
fulfillment, the reward being a tangible project. Next, he wants to film music videos to accompany his raps. “Whatever I do after Grinnell, I want it to be centered around me working with other people to do art. … I want [art] to be more of a collaborative thing. I know I’m a skilled artist, but at a point it gets kind of useless, like why am I doing this, it shouldn’t be something I’m doing for myself,” Saffold said. Through ANACHA, Saffold is creating a role that tests the boundaries of what it means to be an artist for him, and what it means to ask critical questions. “Through leading this collective, I really wanted to help other people with their ideas, and I felt like that’s a whole lot more fulfilling and helps me grow as an artist as well,” Saffold said. “It’s still pretty difficult to get people to be dedicated to a project but that’s what I’m here to do, work and learn, see what works and what doesn’t. “A lot of people who like art aren’t necessarily comfortable with art making because it’s a pretty intimidating thing for people, so they’re here to still participate and be involved with discussion.” Saffold and Calhoun both encourage “anyone who’s not an asshole” to join the collective, which meets Wednesdays at 7 p.m. in Bucksbaum 242, and to bring with them a sense of curiosity and understanding as well as a desire to ask questions. “We come here to make art to relieve ourselves of this place at times, and use it as a space to talk about things as well,” Saffold said of ANACHA, suggesting that perhaps his biggest project right now is a social one, one that creates a dialogue surrounding art and relies on collaboration to be sustainable.
Jay Som's eclectic Tuesday night jam in Gardner
PHOTOS BY HELENA GRUENSTEIDL
Saffold returned to his passion for art at Grinnell, exploring his interest in film as a co-leader of the ANACHA art collective and working through collaboration in all art forms.
Leyla McCalla Trio musically blends Haitian and Creole culture By Hallela Hinton-Williams hintonwi@grinnell.edu The Leyla McCalla Trio took over Herrick Chapel last Monday, Nov. 6 as the end of their Midwest tour, as well as the last public event of the semester for Grinnell College. The trio is made up of Leyla McCalla, the lead vocalist, who alternates between the cello, banjo and guitar, Daniel Tremblay, who plays the banjo, guitar and triangle and Free Feral, the violinist and back-up vocals. The three play a variety of songs in a genre that blends soul and folk. Their influences mainly stem from Haitian and Creole culture. In fact, a majority of their songs are sung in French and McCalla provides a translation of the lyrics before the song. Growing up with Haitian parents, McCalla quickly developed a curiosity about Haitian music and culture that fascinated her as she explored instruments such as the banjo, cello and triangle — instruments still present in the trio’s performance. McCalla started to follow prominent Haitian artists and started to adapt the style of music to Haitian and American poets. McCalla’s Haitian roots influence her music style and guide her towards different artists and poets.
Creole culture is another important inspiration for the music the trio plays. The group is based in New Orleans, so the local blend of Creole and Haitian culture is reflected in their music. In the performance on Monday, the audience members saw this Creole influence in their first song, “All the Plates on the Table Are Set.” During the performance, the Leyla McCalla Trio plays a tribute to the troubadour music common in Haitian culture, emphasizing the music’s tendency to be a veiled social and political commentary. The trio also plays a song, “Money is King,” from an upcoming album, “The Capitalist Blues,” which is inspired from the current political climate and commentary from Haitian and Creole musicians, artists and poets. The group also honors Langston Hughes by adapting his poetry into music, a concept presented in McCalla’s first album, “Vari-Colored Songs: A Tribute to Langston Hughes.” The Leyla McCalla Trio is a group that unifies the musical genres of soul and folk in their music while honoring roots in Haiti and New Orleans. The group produces beautiful covers, as well as original music that created a great experience for the audience on Monday night.
HELENA GRUENSTEIDL
On Tuesday Nov. 7th Oakland, Calif. native Melina Duterte graced Gardner lounge with her musical project Jay Som. While the wind whirled outside, Jay Som's genre-bending tunes masterly mixed indie, rock and pop sounds. Some fun stage moments included Duterte asking the crowd "what's the hot gossip" on campus and when her guitarist asked if there were any history majors in the audience and was met with chuckles. Her most recent album "Everybody Works" features an eclectic lineup with lyrics that vacillate from the deeply sincere to songs that make you wanna dance. Check out a preview of the show from last week's edition online.
SARAH RUIZ
The Leyla McCalla Trio features cello, banjo, guitar, violin and even the triangle in their creation of Haitian and Creole inspired music.
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Divest Day of Action creates art as resistance By Amanda Weber weberama@grinnell.edu Grinnell Student Resistance held a Divest Day of Action on Monday, Nov. 6, which inspired conversation about the controversial issue of divestment on campus through a variety of venues — from rallies to talks in the D-Hall to, quite notably, art. Divest Art took place in the Spencer Grill, and transformed the space into a hub of energy, information and action. The movement decorated the Grill’s walls and windows with banners and posters, including the “Wall,” a large poster covered in notes and sketches related to divestment and the environment. Tables were converted into stations to make signs for the rally later in the day, and to decorate binders for the trustees. Student band TGI Funkies also played, first building energy and drawing attention with their music and eventually transitioning to music-backed divestment chants. Essentially, it was a space for conversation, action and community to manifest through the shared medium of art. “I think that art is very special in activism because it pushes people to engage physically, mentally and spiritually,” said Morgane Garnier ’19, an organizer for Grinnell Student Resistance. “I also just love how [art] brings people together and allows people to have a lasting expression.” The event was the result of two
months of considering the idea, followed by a month-and-a-half of focused planning. The organization and execution of the event was very much a group effort, involving fellow members of Student Resistance and organizations such as the Little Creek Movement. “It’s a lot of parsing through ideas and just being in a room with people and being like, ‘Okay, what do you guys think of this? … How do we change this, how do we make this more effective, how do we even get people to be a part of the event much less show up?’” Garnier said. The end result was an enthusiastic, welcoming event, which the movement hoped would be motivating and welcoming to all attendees. “I know that not everyone is comfortable being at a rally and being loud and being around a lot of people, … so we’re trying to create space for everyone,” Garnier said. However, for all of its more light-hearted and relaxed elements, the event was still a push for student action and administrative change. In this regard, Garnier considered the event a success. “Our goals were to show that the students were engaged and care about the issue and to get to a space where we could dialogue with our trustees and our administration,” Garnier said. “I think that we successfully took the trustees on a journey that moved them to a different space in this discussion.”
MAHIA FARAN
Caleb Forbes ’21 paints a poster during Divest Day of Action.
Arts
Edited by vitaioli@grinnell.edu
Infinite Coincidence continuously collects laughs through long-form
By Saiham Sharif sharifsa@grinnell.edu Few people at Grinnell College perform oddball characters and hilarious, unexpected moments better than Infinite Coincidence, a longform improvisation group that crafts approximately 45 minute scenes in real time. Infinite Coincidence is a five member group this semester. They practice twice a week and recently finished the first of their three performances of the fall. Hannah Lundberg ’18 and Sam Dahlke ’19 are devoted members of Infinite Coincidence, having both joined Infinite Coincidence in their first year at Grinnell and continuing to participate with pleasure. They explained that the use of long-form improv allows for Infinite Coincidence to develop characters over a longer period with the hope of connecting emotionally to the audience.
"In a long form scene we’re looking to be funny, obviously, but also to fulfill the audience — hopefully." Sam Dahlke '19 “Long form is more focused on story, while short form is more focused on bit,” Dahlke said. “So in a long form scene, we’re looking to be funny, obviously, but also to fulfill the audience — hopefully. To create emotional relationships between our characters that feel meaningful.” The length of scenes can also be a challenge, according to Lundberg. If the character the actor comes up with in the moment isn’t suited for the scene that unfolds, they’re stuck with it, and have to figure out a way to reintegrate their character. Lundberg finds that the interpersonal dynamics of Infinite Coincidence are essential to the development of their scenes. The members cannot be reduced to any set of generalizations, other than that they are all very funny. They come to the
CONTRIBUTED
Infinite Coincidence features (from left to right); Sophia Schott ’21, Maya Dru ’21, Hannah Lundberg ’18, Sam Dahlke ’19 and Caroline Loftus ’20. group with varying degrees of experience and interest in improv and different academic and personal goals. That diversity is part of what makes them so interesting, but in a college environment, where member turnover is always high, that dynamic is changing from year to year and even semester to semester — three of Infinite Coincidence’s members are currently studying abroad. However, Lundberg and Dahlke believe that Grinnell continues to provide the personalities and talent necessary to sustain a group like Infinite Coincidence.
"[Members of Infinite Coincidence are] people who care about each other and who care about having a positive impact on the campus and the world" Hannah Lundberg '18 “There’s so much talent on campus,” Dahlke said. “We’ve been really lucky that the people we’ve gotten have been amazing and really fit into the sort of group paradigm that we
have.” For Dahlke, improv serves as a way to escape the rigors of college. “I’m often stressed academically, which is unusual for this college,” Dahlke joked. “So improv is a good outlet for that, like any sort of hobby. To go to this room twice a week and be transported to a different reality is nice when you have a lot of work. Lundberg was drawn to improv and Infinite Coincidence specifically because she saw it as a socially conscious, friendly and humorous way to enhance the campus culture at Grinnell. They focus on punching up and often weave relevant issues into their scenes. “[Members of Infinite Coincidence are] people who care about each other and who care about having a positive impact on the campus and the world … without overtaking it,” Lundberg said. If you missed Infinite Coincidence’s first performance, don’t worry — they have two more upcoming. You can catch their shows on Friday, Nov. 10 or Friday, Dec. 6. Or join them for both — they never do the same show twice.
The Overcoats on music and friendship Rashmi Varma discusses On tour with their debut album "YOUNG," The Overcoats embrace vulnerability through minimalist melody and honest songwriting. On Nov. 16 they'll be performing in Gardner lounge. The S&B's Ania Chamberlin and Naomi Worob interviewed members Hana Eilon and JJ Mitchell to discuss friendship, inspiration and the creative process. Ania Chamberlin: What kind of music did you both grow up listening to? Hana Elion: I liked the classics like Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, Dixie Chicks, stuff like that. Coldplay. I liked a lot of pop music and I liked a lot of folk music too. Yeah, my parents mostly listened to … Prince, and they really like lots of, like, really energetic funk and R&B. So I had a little bit of that around as well. But I mostly liked pop and folk music. JJ Mitchell: I think I definitely got into Amy Winehouse. Before high school, I don’t know what I listened to. I think Madonna. ... We both listened to Madonna growing up. Naomi Worob: We noticed that one of the strong things about your music is that you have a very tight and beautiful relationship, and that contributes a lot to your sound and what you’re able to do together. We were wondering how that relationship has informed your music? JM: I think that’s spot on. We were definitely friends first and foremost, before we had even thought about starting a musical project together. … We were friends since our first week of freshman year. HE: [We] bonded over mutual love of anthropology and cheese puffs. JM: We would always just goof around and hang out and we were always there for each other all four years of college — and we’re both very creative people so that was always part of our friendship. … I would visit Hana in the painting studios in the art center of our college and see what she was working on. And she would come see me in the print shop and we were always involved in each others’ artistic lives. We sang a cappella together, but we weren’t “Overcoats” until sort of the last couple months. NW: It seems like you started writ-
ing music at a very specific point in your college career and in your life. How does that inform the music? HE: I think we started writing together when we both really needed an outlet to make sense of what we were going through. We were both having intense relationships and we were getting ready to graduate college and we were talking about stuff that was happening with our families. Writing became this outlet through which to understand the world and release healing and all of this stuff. Once it became our outlet, it has been that outlet since. So, I think it was really just all the stuff that we were going through and we were like, “Let’s write something about this — write something about what we’re already talking about,” and that’s how it started. AC: I was wondering what input you have about the creative process and how you find a balance of how personal you want to be and how much of yourself you can put into an album? JM: Yeah, that’s an interesting question. I’m not sure how much of it is a conscious decision to include versus exclude certain personal facts, or to write in a slightly more universal tone. I don’t know how much of it is predetermined by us, but I think one thing that helps in a collaboration … is that you can bounce these ideas off of one another. I think Hana and I will write in a way where we’ll try something and if the other person is like “I know exactly what that feeling is,” or like … “I understand what you’re saying, but this is a clearer way of saying it.” We
have each other to kind of translate our deepest feelings into a form that is, you know, readable to the outside world and makes sense as a song that others could connect to. I think we use our friendship as a jumping off point for that. We never really limit ourselves. We’re not like “that’s too personal.” We lay it all out there. AC: What were your plans for after graduation before you realized that you could make this music thing work? JM: That’s a funny question because I feel like part of the reason that we ended up being able to pursue this is because neither of us had a concrete plan. … There was sort of nothing really that captured me in a way where I was like, “I want to leave school and do this particular job,” or whatever. We’re both multifaceted people, interested in both creative things and also more intellectually driven as well. I studied Middle Eastern politics and Hana studied philosophy of religion, so there was not a clear path for us. … And as we gained momentum and traction, we were just like, “Okay, let’s keep going, this is really, really good.” And now it’s been almost three years and I haven’t really had the desire to do anything else. HE: Yeah, I think it’s just like following the passion. If there’s something you’re passionate about, go do that and throw your whole heart into it. There’s things that we could’ve done — and we did do some of them. … I think [music] was inspiring us in a way that nothing else was. So whatever it is, whether its a nine-to-five or not, I think it's just about following the passion.
CONTRIBUTED
The Overcoats, JJ Mitchell (left) and Hana Eilon (right) will come to Gardner lounge on Thursday Nov. 16.
capitalism and cultrue
GOVIND BRAHMANYAPURA
By Saiham Sharif sharifsa@grinnell.edu Last Tuesday Nov. 7, Rashmi Varma, an associate professor of English at the University of Warwick in England, delivered a Faulconer Gallery talk on how the art of indigenous communities can land in private collections. This topic provided a lens into postcolonialism, aesthetic challenges and culture. Her presentation is a part of the current Faulconer Gallery exhibit on Indigenous Indian Art. She began her speech with a striking example that captures the life of many indigenous artists. “In 2001, a small newspaper column in India had reported that Jangarh Singh Shyam had committed suicide in Tokamachi, Japan,” Varma said. “There are two or three of his works here. Jangarh was a tribal, Adivasi artist, who belonged to the Pardhan clan of Gond tribe from central India. Working in contracts and privately owned millionaire museums in Japan, where he had been brought to produce a body of work for a running salary of about $200. Much is not publicly known about the circumstances leading to his death, whether his suicide was a culmination of an act of depression, or luminous in a foreign plan, or an act of desperation and cognitive dissonance, against the exploitative conditions of the globalized production of art. His death was both a catastrophe and an omen.” Impoverished, many indigenous artists must hold day jobs, stealing away rare free moments to work on their art. Mostly through the lens of Jangarh, Varma focused on the Adivasi community, who comprise eight
percent of India’s population and constitute a marginalized community. She touched on the storytelling role of artists in communities, and how capitalism disrupts culture through its relentless commodification. Some modern Goan art includes depictions of gods and goddesses, but Verma believes, “there is absolutely no evidence in [indigenous] Goan culture of visually representing their gods and goddesses.” However, the art market, reflecting the desires of private individuals who expect certain cultural icons in art, compels distortions. Consequently, indigenous artists create works that appeal to consumers, and thereby change the perception of their culture. “My contention in this talk is that any critical interpretation of Adivasi art must draw upon the material economic and symbolic observation of its emergence and presence in postcolonial India and beyond,” Varma said. Delving into the mechanics of Marxist theory, she explained how specifically primitive accumulation, also known as the private accumulation of capital, contributes to the suffering of many indigenous artists. Primitive accumulation entails the enclosure of private property, a recurring theme in India’s colonization and current globalization. When private property is reserved for the wealthy, the poor are then displaced and must move elsewhere to live. Art is an extension of this accumulation. Once publicly supported, art is now privately held mainly in special collections. Capitalism thereby demands culturally impure art and the subjugation of the poor. Varma connected a Ramachandra Guha’s quote to the state of Goan art. “‘In the history of Independent India, the most bloody conflicts have taken place in the most beautiful locations,’” Varma quoted. “There is a similar structure of feeling in Goan art, radiating from the beautiful pictures of trees, inhabited by magical creatures, people dancing. In [this] art there is a feeling of loss that emerges from only the destruction and enclosure of forests and many peoples, but also culture, a pervasive theme.”
Features
Edited by mckechni@grinnell.edu
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Activism and the academy: Professor Eliza Willis speaks With student activism heating up on campus — from divestment art to actions supporting increased gun control — the wisdom of our College’s most seasoned activists is becoming increasingly relevant. The S&B’s Saiham Sharif met up with Professor Eliza Willis, political science, to learn about her first call to activism and her consequent participation in political actions, all the way to the present day.
them. Rather than just accepting the official story, the reasons for these involvements, I had a rich perspective, more complete because I was studying the politics of the region. I had a deeper understanding of the impact, and it did seem out of step [with] what the purported values of the government were. That disconnect really struck me. That informed a lot of my activism. Do you teach activism in your classes? My classes are taught from a really scholarly, academic point of view. What I’ve tried to do in the classes is try to provide the kind of knowledge that has been important to me in my activism, in informing the activism that I’ve done. Knowing what a situation is in a deeper way, and not just accepting the superficial understanding. Getting to a deeper understanding informs my activism in a deeper and more sustainable way. My classes have been devoted to providing a variety of perspectives on issues. Well, I take that back. I used to teach a tutorial about the fight against global poverty, which was about the way to act, if you call that kind of social entrepreneurship about how to act. How do you create an organization to address an initiative that you would like to introduce activism? I haven’t taught from the perspective of how to lead a social movement.
The S&B: When did you first begin your activism? Eliza Willis: Well, I probably first began my activism when I was a college student, protesting some U.S. policies abroad. Most of my activism, early on, was about international involvements of the United States, so I was involved in a protest following U.S. policies in Central America and Latin America, also, in other places in the world, where the U.S. was intervening in ways I disagreed with. So, mostly early on I was doing things like marches. I was more of a participant, not a leader. That was when I was an undergraduate and a graduate student. I’ve always had some level of activism in the institutions that I’ve worked at or where I’ve studied, more on things that the institutions were doing, not necessarily political. The activism that I’ve been doing the past couple of years has been more politically focused because I have more time for it. I’m what we call Senior Faculty Status, so I have more free time to devote, and I’ve really stepped up my involvement in voting rights, in particular, something I’ve been working on. And now, in regard to gun violence and gun control — I’m getting involved in that now.
"I'm going to say something about activism: you need to do things that you feel passionate about. … You have to choose where you put your energy." Professor Eliza Willis
How does your academic interest feed into your activism? Because I had spent a lot of time living in Latin American countries, I had a perspective that came from there about U.S. involvement. I think I probably felt a lot more informed about what those policies really looked like in practice, and how people were affected by
Your activism seems to be very information based. People say we live in a post-truth society. We have fake news swarming around. How do you think activists or maybe students can stay informed? I think it’s gotten a lot harder. I think that you really need to study
the sources that you think are credible, [some] have been around for a while. You can examine their credibility by looking at what other news entities say about the same issue, and see how well those align. Of course, if you’re reading media that has a really strong perspective, you’re going to get that news through that filter. Just be aware of what [that] filter is. Maybe that filter is consistent with your own worldview, or not. I do think there are credible sources out there and they’re identifiable. But you might have to work at it. I agree it has become more difficult. Never take one story for the basis of anything. Never. You really need to look beyond one particular report, whether it comes from a newspaper of record, like The New York Times or Washington Report or Democracy Now, or some other site with a stronger perspective. You always want to have multiple sources to be using. I still believe in facts. They exist. How can we reconcile activist efforts even though we’re still complicit in oppressive systems? That’s called living in the United States. That’s called living in the modern world. You can’t completely divorce yourself from that reality, and I think we all are going to be complicit in certain things because you can’t fight every front at every time. I’m not very interested in isolating myself in the woods. It bothers me, but — this might sound kind of lame — we do the best we can. You know, we do. Each individual needs to decide which thing they’re being complicit in that bothers them the most. I’m going to say something about activism: You need to do things that you feel passionate about. You simply cannot feel passionate about anything. You’re going to put your best energy into things you’re passionate about, whether that be divestment from oil and gas, or be gun control or reproductive rights. You have to choose where you have to put your energy. You have to address the complicity involved in that. That seems most realistic to me.
Grinnell Technology Committee: Easing campus-life for everyone By Kelly Page pagekell@grinnell.edu According to many Grinnellians, technology at our College can be either extremely useful or incorrigibly inconvenient. That’s why the SGA Tech Committee is working on several technology-based projects that aim to make life easier for every Grinnell student, providing a link between ITS and the rest of the Grinnell community “In general, IT for me is kind of a shadowy figure off in the forum. So, Tech Committee makes it better mesh in the community in terms of tech stuff that goes on in the campus,” said Quinn Ercolani ’20, a member of the committee. Last year ITS polled students asking what technological challenges they struggle with on campus, and students formed the Tech Committee with the goal of remedying those difficulties. The first issue that the Tech Committee tackled was printing, with Addison Gould ’19 and Henry Mahar ’19 spearheading ways to make printing easier and more environmentally-conscious on campus. “Currently, the printers are overloaded because people just print a ton of stuff,” said SGA Tech Advisor Myles Becker ’19. “The issue starts at the beginning of the semester when people just download and print their entire textbooks, which takes a toll on the printer after a while.” To save overworked printers, the Committee is working on limiting the number of pages a student can print at one time. Gould is also working on adding a single print queue, which already exists for staff and would be simple to add to student computers. That way, students could release a print job to any printer on campus. Additionally, Mahar seeks to find a method of keeping track of how much students print, in order to raise awareness about using less paper. Aside from printers, the Tech Committee has a whole litany of technological endeavors. They currently work to digitize the room
draw system, which will no longer be done on paper by 2019. Another promising project of theirs includes putting room inventories online by next semester. They are also working on making GrinnellShare easier to navigate, as well as easing the process of posting Professor Quotes on Pioneer Web. After Professor Quotes were removed from Pioneer Web and added to the GrinnellShare home page (where one must scroll really far down to see them), quote submissions have dropped significantly. Another important project of the Committee includes adding gender pronouns to the Campus Directory to prevent the misgendering of students.
"The issue starts at the beginning of the semester when people just download and print their entire textbooks, which takes a toll on the printer after a while." Miles Becker '19 The Tech Committee is also trying to replace outdated televisions in dorm lounges. “Since we’re transitioning from allowing lounges for alcohol consumption and partying, we’re looking for ways to facilitate community in lounges that don’t involve substances,” Becker said. “So with really topical TV shows like ‘Westworld’ last semester and ‘Stranger Things’ this semester, it would be really cool
to allow students to create social environments around watching shows together.” This is especially an issue on east campus, where televisions have not been updated since the dorms were built in 2004, making it impossible to plug in a computer and watch shows from the Internet on a bigger screen. The Committee is also currently attempting to institute a system where students can log onto an app to see which laundry machines are in use, no longer needing to travel to the laundry rooms in person to find out. The system could also send SMS alerts to students when a machine frees up. Finally, Becker said he is also pushing to change computer labs in campus dorms in order to transform them into collaborative study spaces. With so many projects in the works, the biggest hurdle for the Tech Committee to jump includes securing funding for these various projects. Becker believes it would be valuable to turn these projects into student initiatives, to show administrators how many students would support these measures. He also hopes to receive more input from the student body about changes that could be made to technology on campus. “Our committee meets every Monday in JRC 203 from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.,” Becker said. “Any way we can get more student input is good. I think there’s a lot more we can do.”
MAHIRA FARAN
Professor Eliza Willis, political science professor and activist, in her office.
What is your general philosophy of activism? What can students take away? Just this recent activism I’ve been involved with, it has its ups and downs. It has its high heady moments of, “Wow, this is incredible what we’re doing” and these other moments where you feel like you’re not making a difference or you can’t agree with other people about how to move forward or you’re exhausted, energy-wise, monetarily-wise. The passion will carry you through. That will be a very important message. Another important message, which we hear all the time is: take care of yourself. It’s so important to take care of yourself in that process. To be an activist is taxing. In this day and age, it’s gotten worse because you’re concerned about the blowback you might get, which has always been there, but there are more ways one can experience that than in the past. Inform yourself. Be a well-informed activist. Activists lose a lot of credibility when they don’t inform themselves well. Some of my activism isn’t connected to Grinnell, but connected to
my training as a political scientist, looking at voting rights, voter registration, and trying to really address issues of low registration in marginalized communities — a lot of what I do, in Iowa City, where I live. Some of my activism is associated with Grinnell, what policies Grinnell has, where it’s located and so forth. I would say it’s still institutionally-tied [and] disciplinary, to some extent. I definitely see the world through my disciplinary training. You have to figure based on your information, your studies, what feels true to you. I don’t devalue intuition. One reason that many Grinnell students feel we’ve lost our history of activism is that there are so many issues, and in the past, we’ve had far fewer issues that people could get behind. What I would say, and the other thing is that people have come to believe that change is not possible. I totally disagree with that. I was giving the example of guns — things didn’t used to be that way, they will not be that way in the future. Only we can make change. It’s a myth that we can’t. People would like you to believe that we can’t change things. They’re wrong.
Diwali brightens Grinnell By Arumina Fatehpuria fatehpur@grinnell.edu Grinnell students gathered in Harris Center on Friday, Nov. 3 to celebrate the Hindu festival of Diwali. Hosted by the South Asian Student Organization (SASO), this year marked the tenth year that Grinnell College students have celebrated Diwali as a public event. Diwali, also known as the festival of lights, marks the return of the Hindu god, Rama, to the kingdom of Ayodhya after a 14-year long exile. It is believed that during his exile, Rama fought and defeated the rival king Ravana of Lanka. On his return after his victory, the people of South Asia lit and decorated their houses with oil candles in little clay pots called diyas to signify the triumph of good over evil, or light over darkness. This tradition of decorating one’s house with diyas remains a popular one all over South Asia today. This celebration occurs over a period of three days in India and over five days in Nepal (there, the festival is called Tihar, instead of Diwali). It is a time for meeting one’s extended family. At night, after performing the various rituals, people often set off fireworks. In Grinnell, Diwali kicked off at 6 p.m. when the SASO cabinet served Indian food brought in from Des Moines. The menu for the night featured dishes such as tandoori chicken, alu gobi and drinks like mango lassi. At 7 p.m., there was a cultural show hosted by Kavya Shah ’18 and Vedika Haralalka ’18, showcasing Bollywood dance and musical performances by students as well as the Bollywood
Dance group on campus. “For me, Diwali is about getting together with your community,” said Sanah Suri ’20, vice president of SASO. “It may not necessarily be the same as how I’d celebrate it back home, but you still get that family feeling. I feel that Diwali here is really special because we don’t only celebrate it as Indians, but it’s a really inclusive time. We also have students from Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh who join in on the festivities.” SASO intends not only to unite the South Asian community at Grinnell, but also to bring awareness of South Asian culture to all students. “SASO’s aim is not only to bring the South Asian community in Grinnell together but also to make domestic and other international students aware of the rich and varied cultures of South Asia. This year, in addition to college students, a few townspeople also attended the event,” said Nandita Banik ’20, a cabinet member of SASO. The organization has changed its cabinet structure this year, and has a student from every country in South Asia as part of its leadership. Earlier this semester, a Rohingya fundraiser was held to raise awareness and funds for the Rohingya refugees from Myanmar. Another event celebrating the Hindu festival of Holi will be hosted by the organization in the spring semester. SASO’s intention is to talk about and discuss South Asian culture, especially in the context of being South Asian in the United States. When asked one thing she wants the college’s students to know about SASO, Suri said, “we make good chai.”
CONTRIBUTED
Performers pose together after dancing for Diwali.
Features
6
Edited by mckechni@grinnell.edu
The Sanctuary on High Street
GOVIND BRAHMANYAPURA
From left to right, Erhaan Ahmad, Sydney Quartey, Jonah Zimmermann, Ayon Dey, Aleks Hrusanov and Artis Curiskis, all '18, pose in their living room, propping up a life-sized cutout of John F. Kennedy. By Hallela Hinton-Williams hintonwi@grinnell.edu Erhaan Ahmad, Ayon Dey, Artis Curiskis, Jonah Zimmermann, Sydney Quartey and Aleks Hrusanov, all ’18, live in what they call the Sanctuary. “We’re a pretty diverse house, maybe the most diverse on High St. We wanted to be very open to anyone who wanted to come, and kind of play off the idea of sanctuary spaces as our house being a sanctuary to anyone,” Curiskis explained.
“Yeah, we’re one Christian, two Jews, one Hindu, one Muslim, one Orthodox,” Dey added. “It’s a weird mix, but everyone’s connected, pretty deeply.” “The best part is that we’re really close, and we come from different places and bring stuff from home like our Bulgarian flag and food,” Ahmad chimed in. The housemates are like a family and definitely act like one. Their friendships date back to first year, as early as the International Students
Pre-Orientation Program (IPOP). One year, five of us lived in Read and Sydney lived in Loose. We were just all around,” Dey said. “We would never leave the dorm” Cursiskis continued. “It was problematic,” Zimmermann laughed. “We never left our dorm, we did everything there and we just called people over. That hasn’t changed much. We just do the same thing,” Dey reflected. “Never leave the house,” Hrusan-
ov finished Dey’s sentence. When they’re all together, the six all tell stories while riffing off each other about the past four years of their friendship. A time they all went out separately but grouped back together at the end of 10/10 is a special one. They talk about games they play that drive each of them insane, but continue to play and appreciate. They argue about whether or not they are more like the Scooby-Doo Gang (plus Scrappy) or a six-sided die. The six of them even try to cook together as often as possible. “Most of us have reduced meal plans, so we cook together,” Ahmad said. “We make butter chicken, stir fry, all types of stuff,” Curiskis elaborated. Quartey interjects jokingly, “most of my food just tastes like curry but it's good, though. We also do this thing where one of us will get a to-go box and we’ll all crowd around it.” The daily life of the house is always changing for them. Curiskis said things “pop up,” but some things remain constant. For example, every morning, “Jonah comes out of his room and says ‘I have class in ten minutes’ and then stays and talks for like five or six minutes. It’s like a whirlwind,” Curiskis said. “The only variable is who he’s talking to. One of us. Two of us. None of us,” Hrusanov joked. The group of friends also have similar interests in their involvement in intramural soccer and in the music scene at Grinnell. “We’re a very music-oriented
group of people,” Curiskis said. “Jonah used to be in Singers, Aleks was in a band, Sydney DJs, Erhaan and I help with Tiny Dorm concerts.” They also all agree that Dey’s hidden talent is singing in the shower. “The most beautiful opera voice,” Zimmermann teased. The house itself is adorned with different paintings that were gifts or finds, posters and a life-size cutout of JFK, taken from the basement of Zimmermann’s house. “[The JFK poster] has become a staple of our house,” Ahmad noted. “He watches over us,” Dey joked. “It really doesn’t leave the space either. When we’ve had people over, he just ends up in the corner. He just watches over everyone,” Cursiskis expanded. Their favorite piece is the coffee table in the middle of the living room. “This table … used to be a closet door. It’s been around for about six years, and has now been passed down to us,” Dey said. Overall, the house these six friends live in is welcoming and open to all. “We don’t really organize parties, we just have friends that know they can come over whenever,” Hrusanov said. “Some of us will just come back, but there’ll be people here who don’t live here.” “No one’s home, but there’s a party happening,” Ahmad commented. The residents of 1015 High street have a house that is a safe space for everyone, especially friends. Quartey summed it up with, “it truly is a sanctuary.”
Beloved Grinnell librarian treks through the Himalayas By Caleb Forbes forbesca@grinnell.edu For those who thought they had an adventurous Fall Break, library staff Chris Gaunt probably outdid you. Freshly back and still integrating her bold experience, Gaunt recently journeyed on a spiritual trek through the highlands of Nepal. Gaunt was chosen as one of 19 people from all over the globe to pay to take part on the trip through the organization I AM AVATAR. She had heard about the trip through the organizer, Tiara Kumara, who she had taken courses with previously. Gaunt applied for the trip based on a bout of “inexplicable” intuition. “I’ve never done anything like that in my life before,” she said. “How could an Iowa pig farmer be spending Fall Break in the Himalayas?” The group trekked eight days through the Annapurna circuit, making their way through jungle, yak
and goat-inhabited meadows and mountain valleys with the assistance of ten sherpas and two guides. To prepare for the trip, Gaunt hiked all summer long here in Iowa, camping at various parks on weekends. “I got myself in the best shape, all things considered, as when I was a college graduate,” said Gaunt, “and I’m three kids and quite a few years later.” “I love to hike … and I know the spiritual energy in the Himalayas is really pretty good, so I wanted to go experience it, and I did. It was quite an adventure,” said Gaunt. “It didn’t fill anyone’s expectations. … It was more adventurous and there were more obstacles than any of us thought there would be,” Gaunt said. The trail they followed was scattered with dangerous landslides, and, at one point, a car broke down on a mountain road in front of their bus, adding an extra seven hours onto a 10-hour bus ride.
While on the trip, Gaunt was referred to as Ganesha, a Hindu God who “sits at the threshold of space and time and removes all obstacles.” "That name was given to me during
"I love to hike...and I know the spiritual energy in the Himalayas is really pretty good, so I wanted to go experience it, and I did." Librarian Chris Gaunt a vision quest,” she said. At Muktinath, a sacred place in both Hindu and Buddhist traditions, as well as the highest point of elevation along their journey, the group performed a “‘oneness transmission” so we put all of our energies together and put some spiritual energy into the grid that covers the earth to try to go for this healing of the chaos that the earth is experiencing,” Gaunt said. “We had the whole temple to ourselves …and
that’s where we did our ‘transmission’ from.” The trip will take some time to process for Gaunt because it was very spiritual in nature. Additionally, Gaunt reported that she witnessed “a lack of respect for the Nepalese culture,” which upset her. For instance, Gaunt explained that at the teahouses they stayed at overnight, their group would be served dahl, “but we westerners jumped at the chance to ask for this and ask for that … and that just bothered me, it didn’t seem right.” Something else Gaunt will continue to contemplate is how the trip reinforced her belief in the value of, “accepting the present … and not only that, but loving it. That bus ride that was supposed to be 10 hours and turned into being 17, so what? It is what it is. We are living and I would call it a chaotic time. ... So that is the place where I’m going to work from. That place of just being here.”
CONTRIBUTED
Librarian Chris Gaunt appears smiling, decked out in trekking gear for her hike through the Himalayas.
Meet Grinnell's Independent Majors By Kate Irwin Irwinkat@grinnell.edu A defining aspect of Grinnell College is the liberal arts education it offers, and the independent major is truly as liberal arts as it gets. Currently, eleven students are registered as independent majors. Grinnell provides a very open curriculum, as there are no general education requirements, aside from major and concentration requirements and the first-year tutorial. The option of devising an independent major takes this curricular freedom a step further, as it allows students to be the architect of their education. The independent major allows students to choose courses from between two and four departments to combine into an interdisciplinary major. Like every other major, there are credit requirements that students must complete. An independent major is ideal for a student who does not seem to fit inside the boundaries of a specific major. “If you have something that cannot be done with the existing system, don't be afraid to pursue it, because you can,” said Zach Steckel ’18, who crafted a decision theories major. Additionally, the independent major allows students to focus on classes that interest them and circumnavigate major requirements that do not pique that interest. “If I declared an economics and psychology double major with a policy studies concentration — that was basically the next closest thing I could do — I would have had to
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Morgane Garnier ’19 is an international human rights major.
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Misha Gelnarova ’18: an international relations and communications major.
Lucid Thomas ’19 is an activist theater major.
Joe Beggs ’19 is an biophysics major.
take a lot more classes that I wasn't as interested in as directly related to my interests, [and] wouldn't have space for the electives that I wanted,” Steckel said. For Morgane Garnier ’19, an international human rights major, the independent major epitomizes Grinnell’s emphasis on intersectionality. "I think [the independent major] is sort of the epitome of what Grinnell is teaching us in subjects, in terms of intersectionality, and when we look at an issue, we have to look at it from many, many perspectives before we can get somewhat of a full understanding,” Garnier said. Garnier’s international human rights major borrows from four departments. “As of right now, it is a combination of political science, sociology, global development studies and Spanish,” she said. “My classes sort of ended up revolving around this idea of international human rights.” Kevin Nguyen ’19 devised an international entrepreneurship major. "It's a combination of the
anthropology, Chinese and French departments. … I came here really interested in learning foreign languages, but I also wanted to make myself marketable in the business world,” Nguyen explained.
dent major, students must conduct extensive research, often spanning the course of several months, in order to demonstrate to the registrar that their idea is worth studying. Further, an independent major can create the perception of a lack of community, because each independent major is the only one in their discipline. On top of this, it can often be difficult to for independent majors to get into the classes they need, especially with upper level courses. "Every semester I have to recalibrate," said Eyram Koblah ’19. Koblah is an organizational behavior major. "You take elements of psychology, but only industrial psychology and theories of workplace motivation, and for economics, you take micro economics, and just throw away the macro and public, government side of that," she explained. The senior thesis of the independent major can often intimidate students. The thesis replaces a senior seminar where a student essentially produces independent research for course credit. The student meets with their advisors once a week while working on their
paper. "It's a huge opportunity," Steckel said. "You basically get a MAP for free." While the independent major requires a lot from these self-selecting students, the ability to study exactly what one wants can be worth the work. "It allows me to look at things from different perspectives. … Once you learn how to come out and look at things from a wide perspective, you can never go back in," said Aminata Kinana ’18, a Euro-Africana studies major. "I study the historical and anthropological links between Europe and Africa predating slavery to the present," she explained. Although independent majors are not in the majority at Grinnell College, they offer an ability to craft an interdisciplinary education that may speak to many liberal arts students. "I definitely don't think it is just me who is interested in things that are not in one discipline,” Kinana said. “I think everyone has that, but a lot of people, if you don’t have some to tell you it's possible, … might not necessarily rush to do it.”
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"If you have something that cannot be done with the existing system, don't be afraid to pursue it, because you can. " Zack Steckel '18 Not only does an independent major allow for students to create their education, it allows for the possibility of spending a year abroad without the worry of failing to complete major requirements. "It really gave me a lot of leeway in doing what I'm really interested in, plus going abroad, and getting the courses and combine it all together," said Misha Gelnarova ’18, an international relations and communications major. While the independent major can be a flexible way to hone in on one's interests, it can also prove a challenge. To apply for an indepen-
GOVIND BRAHMANYAPURA
Sports
Edited by schultej@grinnell.edu
Rueter's Digest: World Series Lifts Spirits in Houston By Sam Rueter ruetersa@grinnell.edu Baseball is a fickle game. Perhaps there is no other sport in the world in which momentum matters more and precedent matters less; where chilly October nights and the 40,000 fans they envelope may bear witness to the improbable. The 2017 World Series Champion Houston Astros are one such improbability, although, make no mistake, the nature of their achievements is not surprising. Rather, it is their resurrection from the dead, their symbiosis with the city of Houston, that best explains the magic that the team has managed to capture. A long-suffering franchise since the 1960s, the Astros enjoyed a brief spell of success in the early 2000s, culminating in a poor World Series showing against the White Sox in 2005. However, within the following year the team began what would eventually become a decade-long rebuilding project, where they spent very little money on their roster and instead worked on building a strong farm system to facilitate the development of young talent within their organization. During the rebuilding years, Astros fans endured nine straight losing seasons from 2006-2014, including multiple hundred loss seasons. The franchise became a laughingstock, and a playoff berth, let alone another World Series appearance, seemed out of reach. Eventually, though, the waiting started to pay dividends, as scores of young, homegrown-talent blossomed
throughout the spring and into late fall, just in time for playoff baseball. Of the nine players in the Astros batting order for the pivotal World Series Game 7, six were originally drafted or signed by the organization. Carlos Correa, their star shortstop, was drafted by the team when he was 18 years old, as were Alex Bregman, Marwin Gonzalez and World Series MVP George Springer. At 43 years old, the team's manager, AJ Hinch, is one of the youngest in the league as well. But it is not just the age of the team that defies traditional expectations. Standing five feet six inches tall and making just over $500,000 per year, Jose Altuve is not your typical MLB superstar. The hustle, grit and elegance that typifies his MVP caliber skillset is emblematic of a team that quickly ascended the league ranking despite having only the 18th highest payroll in major league baseball. Conversely, the Los Angeles Dodgers — whom the Astros beat in the World Series — have an endless supply of money and resources. Thus, the Houston team's victory symbolizes the triumph of subsistence over shameless accumulation of talent. For Astros fans within the Grinnell community, this triumph has been a long time coming. “The World Series was an emotional rollercoaster and perhaps the best 7-game series of baseball that I have ever watched,” wrote life-long Astros fan Nathaniel Zaroban ’18 in an email to The S&B. “All of those bad years were worth it to win the championship.”
In addition to the important ramifications that their victory will have on roster construction and fan perception, however, the Houston Astros had other, more personal reasons why they wanted to bring a title to the city of Houston. Throughout their run to the World Series championship, the players emphasized the fact that they were playing for their city and their fans. While this proposition is more often than not a tired cliché used by athletes to ingratiate themselves among a fanbase, in this instance, it took upon new meaning. That is because Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Houston just before the MLB playoffs began, leaving death, destruction and devastation in its wake. Instead of wallowing in despair, affected residents rallied together to rebuild their lives and communities, helped in part by their lovable baseball team who wore "Houston Strong" patches throughout the postseason. “With the devastation caused by Harvey, … it was great for the city to come together,” wrote Hunain Ali ’21 in an email to The S&B. Although the people of Houston can revel in the success of their Astros, reconstruction will continue to be an arduous process. Winning does not cure all ills. Baseball does not rebuild homes. Hopefully the Astros’ win served as a distraction from circumstance, a reclamation of identity and point of civic pride. Perhaps a small, home-grown team of perennial losers made a city believe in magic again.
Soccer teams finish up at conference
CONTRIBUTED
Artis Curiskis ’18 pushes the ball upfield in the men's soccer team's remarkable victory over Knox College in last weekend's conference semifinal. The Pioneers put forth an incredible effort to beat Knox's regionally ranked squad. By Lily Hamilton hamiltol@grinnell.edu
The men’s and women’s soccer teams both ended their seasons at the Midwest Conference Tournament last weekend. The women’s team battled with Knox College in the semifinals before falling 1-0. The men had a groundbreaking 3-2 win over the number one seeded and regionally-ranked team from Knox to advance to the finals before eventually falling to Lake Forest 2-0 in the finals. The captains of the women’s team were proud of the team’s ability to fight through tough matches in the tournament and throughout their season. “We seem to play best with our backs against the wall,” said women’s captain Lauren Hurley ’18. “We had to win out a lot of games at the end to make the tournament.” Hurley referenced an earlier 2-3 loss to Cornell College that would have clinched the team’s spot in the tournament. According to Hurley, the women’s team’s subsequent win over Monmouth to make it to the tournament, “spoke to our perseverance throughout the year and the team’s ability to play well in difficult
situations.” Knox tested the team’s perseverance in the semifinals of the Midwest Conference tournament. Reflecting on the match, Hurley said, “Everyone put everything into it.” Captain Annika Helverson ’18 agreed and added, “It was a really evenly-matched game, and it could have gone our way.” The men’s team captains and coach echoed Hurley’s and Helverson’s messages of perseverance regarding their tournament play. The men faced adversity early in their semifinal match when a Grinnell player received a red card and was ejected from the game, leaving the Pioneers down a man and a goal after Knox’s successful penalty kick. The Pioneers embraced their circumstances, however, and rallied to get back in the game with another goal. “We began to chirp and try to breathe life back into our team. We were never negative. And then we got one,” said coach Brian Jaworski. The Pioneers celebrated a scrappy overtime win, their first over Knox in four years. “We just dug deep. We just refused to lose,” Jaworski said. Zach Thal ’18 echoed Jaworski’s sentiment, saying, “If we play Knox a million more times after go-
ing down 1-0 in the third minute with 10 men, we will lose 99.9 percent of those games, so to win the way we did was ridiculous.” Captain Francisco Sanchez-Conde ’18 agreed. “I think that was the most emotionally and physically rewarding game I’ve ever played in.” The men eventually fell to Lake Forest in the finals, with a score of 2-0. “It was day two. We had spent a lot of energy. Lake Forest was ready and fought with the same spirit that we had against Knox,” Jaworski said. As their seasons have drawn to a close, the captains of the men’s and women’s soccer teams look forward to the future after fulfilling the expectation that both teams would make it to and perform well at the Midwest Conference Tournament. “One team can’t continue what the other team did from the season before, but they can continue the winning culture that we’ve hopefully set up in the last two years,” said men’s captain Antonio DiMarco ’18. “I think next year is going to be a really strong year again for our program,” Helverson added. “In the history of Grinnell, our team is typically very strong.”
Men's and women's basketball anticipate a successful winter
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Hanna Kessel ’19 attempts a floater over teammates in practice. By Quan Tran tranminh2@grinnell.edu Next weekend, college basketball is returning. At Grinnell, that comes with high expectations from both the men’s and women’s teams. After a fruitful season with the teams placing third and second, respectively, in the Midwest Conference standings, the Pioneers are heading into their opening games with confidence. Even with the loss of many valuable seniors from last year, the team, according to the men’s and women’s basketball head coaches, still retains last year’s depth and has also acquired many valuable assets from the freshman pool. “We have a great group this year that is working hard every day to establish their identity on and off the court and we look forward to many new faces out on the court this season. Kayla Morrissey (’18) is the returning Midwest Conference leading scorer so we are obviously expecting big things from her, but we will look for our other six returners to step up into bigger roles this season with the help of some of our first years,” wrote women’s head coach Dana Harrold in an email to The S&B. On the men’s side, many important contributors from last year’s team return. “This season, key returners include: third-year guard Vinny Curta, third-year guard Ky-Sean Johnson, fourth-year forward Jacob Ekstrand and fourth-year guard Sean Cullinane. We’ve [also] added 11 first-year players, including seven players between 6’6 and 6’9. First-year Hannes Kogelnik, a 6’7 combo guard, has had a great first few weeks of practice,” wrote men’s head coach David Arseneault Jr. in an email to The S&B.
With the season around the corner, players say that the atmosphere at practice has been strong. Each team has different adjustments to make, however. For the women’s team, it’s more about the mindset going into each match. “Our approach is to focus on the controllable this is a unique opportunity where six of our players have no prior expectation of the teams we play, and [therefore] will walk into every game with the same confidence,” wrote Hanna Kessel ’19 in an email to The S&B. On the other hand, the men’s team is looking to reinforce the leadership that was essential to the team’s success last season. “That special leadership is going to be really hard to replace, but the captains this year are taking a lot of what they did and trying to implement it whether it be on the court or off of it,” wrote Vinny Curta ’19 in an email to The S&B. “This last season feels kind of weird. I realized [basketball] is a huge part of my life. I’m not going to be too devastated, but it’s kind of sad when it’s all over. Hopefully we will end it on a good note,” said Jacob Ekstrand ’18. “It’s exciting, but it’s gonna be very sad when it’s over. Playing basketball here with this incredible group of women that I’ve been able to meet and bond with has been the best experience of my life. Not having a group like that around every day once I graduate is going to be difficult. I’m happy to go into my senior year, trying to go out with a bang, but it’s definitely bitter-sweet,” said Kayla Morrissey ’18. The women’s and men’s teams open their season against Emmaus Bible in Grinnell’s Darby Gymnasium next Wednesday at 5 and 7 p.m.
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Sports
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Edited by schultej@grinnell.edu
For good reason, the NBA is becoming the most fun pro sport
CONTRIBUTED
James Harden and Aaron Gordon go head-to-head in a matchup last season. Both are having stellar seasons so far. By Jackson Schulte schultej@grinnell.edu The NBA is back, and it’s more fun than ever before. Maybe it’s because the NFL has been shrouded by racist executives and concussion coverups this year. Or, maybe it’s because, while it’s great for Hous-
ton that the Astros won the World Series, it seemed like everyone wanted a Cubs-Yankees World Series matchup and we didn’t get it. Yet, I think those reasons make light of the fact that the NBA is simply the best professional sports league on the planet right now. For starters, the NBA is experi-
encing a level of parity that I haven’t seen in my lifetime. The Cleveland Cavaliers had a losing record in their seven October games. They lost to the Brooklyn Nets, who were mostly considered a bottom-feeder in preseason predictions. The Timberwolves beat the Thunder twice in a week, and they’re sitting at the
top of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Likewise, the Detroit Pistons are at the top of the East’s Central Division with wins over the Warriors and Clippers, among others. The level of relative equality among teams is a product of some incredible development among younger players, and while it’s early, it’s been a blast to watch. Aaron Gordon is leading the Orlando Magic to wins they’ve never been able to reach in his three previous NBA seasons. Andrew Wiggins and the Wolves look haphazard at times, but ultimately, they’re pulling off victories they wouldn’t have dreamed of last year. All of this success among last year’s bottom-feeders leads us to one question: What’s going on with teams like the Warriors, Cavs and Raptors? To me, it seems that the league is simply beating them at their own game. The Nets, Pacers and Magic, despite their lack of star power, are playing fast. NBA writer Dan Arnovitz of ESPN noted last week on Twitter that “The Phoenix Suns ‘7 Seconds or Less’ '04-'05 team, which led the NBA in pace, would rank 25th this season.” If the Cavs are to survive, they need to be less reliant on an aging LeBron James, and they might even have to look at trading some other players to cater to the way the game is being played this year.
Lastly, the league’s young “unicorn” players who showed flashes of brilliance last year seem to have a new level of comfort this year. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kristaps Porziņģis, Devin Booker and Aaron Gordon are ready to take over their teams, and experience is on their side this season. Despite this early season fun, we still have to wonder which teams will make their success last. My guess is it’s teams like the Celtics and Rockets, who have veteran players and experience playing at a quick clip. The Celtics, for that matter, seem unphased by the loss of Gordon Hayward in their first game. They’ve gone on a ten game winning streak, and Kyrie Irving has adjusted well. In Houston, James Harden is charging through their schedule with his chaotic brand of basketball, naturally, and players like Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson seem to have hitched on for the ride. As the season progresses, I can’t imagine the Warriors, Cavaliers and Raptors not getting their footing and rising to the top of their respective conferences. It will be tough to get past the mega-team Warriors in the West and LeBron James in the East, who has won seven consecutive Eastern Conference Finals. Whether or not we get a thirdstraight Warriors-Cavs rematch (and I hope we don’t), there will be youngsters making it harder on the veterans than ever before.
Athlete Spotlight: Ryan Slager tackles football and Grinnell
By Quan Tran tranminh2@grinnell.edu
For the Pioneers, football season is coming to a close this Saturday with their final game against Beloit College on Rosenbloom Field. After a season that included the team’s first win in almost two years against Trinity Bible, players are looking forward to an offseason full of resting, conditioning and focusing on academics. However, Ryan Slager ’19 is on a different mission this weekend: he’s taking time to reflect on his past seasons. “Looking back on last year, I feel like we’re definitely playing more as a team this year. [Therefore], I hope to get that W against Beloit. We have been struggling all year so it’s nice to get a W. I always want to see improvements in everyone,” Slager said. Slager is an incredible talent, having recorded a total of 154 tackles last season while averaging 15.4 tackles per game, which is the third-highest for a season in Pioneer history. At that point, he led the nation in tackles across Division III and was seventh all-time at Grinnell. Now, at the end of his third season, Slager has put himself in yet another chance to make history. He’s made 141 tackles so far this season, bringing his career total to 429, only four shy of the all-time leading tackler at Grinnell — Lee Kraemer ’92. Slager still has a game this weekend
and all of next fall to go. In reflecting on having some of the best stats among all linebackers nationwide, Slager expresses enthusiasm but at the same time doesn’t forget to credit his teammates — the people who make the tackles possible in the first place. “It’s definitely a team effort. I obviously can’t get tackles if the D-line isn’t blocking anybody, or if the outside corners don’t scare the guys into me. It’s a little bit of my part too, but to make the tackles time and time, [I owe a lot] to the D-line,” he said. Looking forward to the next season, Slager is confident that he’s going to break some records and end his college student athlete career on a high note. Also, like many of his peers, the economics major has already started thinking about his life beyond Grinnell. “I don’t think next season will be my last season with football. I’m [thinking of getting] some football experience outside Grinnell. I want to pursue something involved with the NFL, or maybe something in finance, marketing or economics,” Slager said. Born into a family of four in Orland Park, IL, a suburb just outside of Chicago, Slager has been playing football ever since he can remember. Slager’s family always encouraged him to pursue the sport. Believe it or not, while he enjoyed some success in high school, he has never been in
MAHIRA FARAN
Ryan Slager at practice late this fall. Slager has been a nationally ranked tackler and defensive force for three years. the spotlight this much until now. “I did make a lot of tackles in high school, but I wasn’t really the superstar of the team. So I didn’t get that stardom,” Slager laughs. “You know, defense wins game but offense gets the fame and glory.” But now even with his success, the linebacker leads a life not unlike most other Grinnellians. Off the field, he often goes fishing with his teammates or spends time catching up on homework and readings. On the field, football is everything to
Slager. He, in Slager’s own words, fell in love with the game the moment he touched the ball at the age of seven. “[To me], football is the only legal time to hit somebody in public,” Slager laughed. “It’s what I do, it’s like my job, it has been pretty much my life. During high school, I did many other sports but football is definitely always the focus.” Like all student athletes, there are times where Slager faces challenges — an injury or personal mat-
ters that test his love for the sport. At the end, however, Slager has for himself a very practical solution. “Of course you never expect for stuff like that to happen to anybody. But we all [have to] think about that sometimes, at least I do a little bit. That’s why I’m [also] trying my best for the Grinnell degree, so when I’m too old or beaten up, I still have a career to support myself.” And to do that, Slager plans, like with all challenges in life, to take it one play at a time.
Swim and dive starts the season with a win against Luther
CONTRIBUTED
Grinnell swimmers and divers beat Luther for the second year in a row in a meet that has become a tradition. By Emma Friedlander friedlan@grinnell.edu The men’s and women’s swim and dive teams splashed into the new season last weekend with big wins all around against Luther College. At the dual meet, the men’s team won 199-92 while the women’s team cruised to a 188-111 victory. Veteran swimmers and divers as well as standout newcomers contributed to the team’s victory. “There’s a first year, Sarah
Weltz ’21, who just came out of nowhere and killed it in her 100 breaststroke,” recalled Maria Venneri ’18, one of the captains of the women’s swim and dive team. “On the men’s side we had another first year, Kevin Donahue ’21, who actually got our ‘Midwest Conference Swimmer of the Week’ this week. … It’s just so fun to see these newcomers do things you don’t really expect them to do.” Although Grinnell and Luther do not compete in the same con-
ference, the Pioneers make a point every year of opening their season with a dual meet against Luther, as it is a relatively comparable program to Grinnell’s and thus offers a good introduction to competition. “My first couple of years they were better than us, and so it was a really tough competition and we usually came really close to beating them but didn’t quite,” Venneri said. “In the last two years, we actually beat them. It’s just so much fun to go to this dual meet knowing it’s going
to be really good competition.” This weekend the swim and dive teams will be competing on the road at Coe College. For the divers in particular, who saw big results from veterans Summer White ’18, Katie Parrish ’18, Elaine Thut ’20 and Jonathan Rebelsky ’20 at Luther College last week, this means continuing to wait for a home meet at Grinnell before bringing new divers to competition. “We have the best facility in the Midwest Conference, and so going anywhere else is, for us, a step down,” explained Michael Lee ’18, a diver and captain of the men’s swim and dive team. “[Diving Coach Mike Retelsdorf] and [Head Coach Erin Hurley] want them to have their first competition be home, so they’ll have that sort of comfort and all they have to worry about is diving as they would dive in practice.” For a team as consistently successful as swim and dive, winning meets and the Midwest Conference Championship has become something of a given. The women’s team has won 17 of the last 19 Midwest conference championships, while the men’s team has won 13 of the last 15. Despite this strong winning pattern, swimmers and divers alike recognize the importance of staying motivated and not taking any meet or championship for granted.
“Clearly, the reason that we are a successful team is because we put in the work for it. We compete against Division II schools and Division III schools that aren’t in our conference that are clearly better than us, to get rid of that sense of false security that we have sometimes,” Venneri said. “There are plenty of other people that are much faster, and that keeps us motivated to try to beat these better schools. Our driving force as a team isn’t necessarily to get that championship — and I think that’s a pro to our team. A lot of us are here to better ourselves, whether that’s as athletes or as people.” Lee also emphasized that while winning meets and championships is always a goal, the divers are particularly focused on improving as individual athletes. “Our dive coach Mike has so many catchphrases, but one that always sticks is ‘dive to win,’” Lee said. “Be sure that as you’re approaching the board, you have the intent of doing your best. That means giving it 100 percent and diving in order to dive well, as opposed to diving not to make a mistake. If you dive to not make a mistake, then you’re holding something back.” The team goes to Coe College on Friday, Nov. 10, and they will wrap up the weekend at Monmouth on Saturday, Nov. 11.
Community "Art for Dark Places, Art for Light A trip to the Grinnell Places" opens at the Stewart Gallery Historical Museum
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Edited by braneckm@grinnell.edu
By Zoe Fruchter fruchter@grinnell.edu
A new show opened last week at the Stewart Gallery downtown in the Grinnell Area Arts Council building. Local Grinnell artists Netia Worley and Merle Zirkle presented “Art for Dark Places, Art for Light Places,” an exploration of light and darkness using diverse materials and natural imagery. The exhibit will run through Dec. 14. Worley’s paintings utilize metallic paint so as to be seen even in the dark (hence “Art for Dark Places”) while Zirkle’s pastel pieces work with the theme of light — reflecting off of water, in leaves (hence “Art for Light Places”). Zirkle taught ceramics, design, jewelry and sculpture at the College for 32 years. She retired in the spring of 2000 and still lives in Grinnell, where she continues to make and show her work. Worley is also a local resident who works with a variety of media, from etchings to acrylic paintings showing currently at the Stewart Gallery. Both artists are as grounded as the earthy subjects of their work. “Merle and Netia hung this show themselves,” wrote Erik Jarvis ’12, Grinnell Area Arts Council director of events and facilities in an email to The S&B. “We really appreciate when artists are self-sufficient like this. … Netia and Merle have shown several times together throughout their time
in Grinnell, and they contacted us to book a show for their new works. This will probably be their last show here, so we prioritized them for this local slot.” Jarvis wrote that it is important to the Arts Council to display works from both Grinnell artists and outside artists in their gallery shows. “Local artists need a space to show, and we love to provide that venue. We also tend to get a much better turnout for local shows. The community here is very supportive. At the same time, it’s important for us to see what else is happening out there. As they say, nothing is created in a vacuum.” The mission of the Grinnell Area Arts Council is to support the creative expression of Grinnell community members. To this end, the Council has run shows by Grinnell artists and outside artists for over a quarter century at the Stewart Gallery, which is located in the historic Stewart Library. The Gallery used to be located in the community center that is now the Hotel Grinnell, but moved to its current location at 926 Broad St., the Stewart Library building, in 2009. “As we’ve settled into this building (now just called the Arts Center), Stewart Gallery has been sort of a gateway for us,” Jarvis wrote. “The gallery is really our only public ‘programming’ that happens during business hours, so people drop in to see the
gallery show, and then find out about other events at the Arts Council.”
“Local artists need a space to show, and we love to provide that venue.” Erik Jarvis '12, director of events and facilities at the Arts Council The Arts Council is putting on multiple such events in the next couple of weeks. The first is the Local Artist Market on Nov. 17 through 18, at which artists and artisans from the greater Grinnell area will be selling their work. Nov. 17 is also Grinnell’s annual “Jingle Bell Holiday,” at which downtown Grinnell will be “hopping with shopping” — the slogan of the event. As a part of the Jingle Bell Holiday, the Arts Council is hosting musical performances by the Grinnell Children’s Choir and the Too Many String Band in addition to serving cocoa and hot cider. “We’ll also have an Empty Bowl Fundraiser, where people can buy a bowl made by local ceramic artists, and fill it with home-made soup,” Jarvis wrote. All proceeds from the fundraiser will go to the Mid-Iowa Community Action (MICA) food bank. Be sure to add all of these events to your November calendar, starting with “Art for Dark Places, Art for Light Places” at the Stewart Gallery.
SARINA LINCOLN
The new exhibit at the Stewart Gallery features two local artists.
Transgender Education Summit to be hosted in Des Moines
By Lily Bohlke bohlkeli@grinnell.edu
Iowa Safe Schools, an organization that supports LGBTQIA+ youth and allies through education, outreach and advocacy, is holding a Transgender Education Summit in downtown Des Moines on Friday, Nov. 17. On March 2, 2016, 16-year-old Kedarie Johnson of Burlington, IA was killed, leading to a grand jury hate crime case, which culminated in a guilty verdict this week. Johnson’s death hit home for Iowa Safe Schools, and inspired them to organize this educational event. “The overall mission is to give information and education to teachers, school counselors, administrators and other service providers, who will be interacting with transgender individuals, and giving them the tools necessary to provide competent services to them, and to provide a welcoming and safe education,” said Joshua Merritt, Iowa Safe Schools LGBTQ youth advocate.
“It's all about protecting the kids and providing teachers and other professionals with the tools that they need to build those inclusive environments...”
Scott Heldt, director of development and communications for Iowa Safe Schools Various professionals as well as parents and community members are both leading sessions and at-
Movies at the Strand
tending. The summit expects at least 250 people, “a really well-rounded group of professionals and individuals,” according to Scott Heldt, director of development and communications. “We’ve got folks registered from all over the state as far southeast as Keokuk-Burlington area, up through Ida Grove, Sioux City, so we’ve got a really great representation of the entire state pretty much,” Merritt said. “We’ve invited everyone from law enforcement to mental health professionals to school administrators, teachers, school counselors,” Merritt said. “Parents of trans students have indicated and expressed interest in being there, in addition to the parents we already have speaking.” The summit will begin with a panel of parents, in an effort to set the tone and underscore the importance for Iowa youth of understanding these issues and to ensure the classrooms they occupy are welcoming and inclusive. Then, attendees are split into three tracks: General Trans* Information, School Policy and Practice and Service Provision. Workshop session leaders are both transgender individuals relaying their expertise and professionals in the field. “We have educators who are working with trans students, we have representatives who work with victims of human trafficking. So each session is led by someone with an expertise in the topic that they’ll be presenting on,” Merritt said. One major component of the summit will be a legal panel with the Iowa ACLU, the Department of
Education and the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, at which they will help to explain responsibilities of schools and students’ rights. “That’s happening at lunch so everyone will be in that session so they’ll be able to hear regardless of what their profession is — they’ll be able to hear what should be happening for trans individuals and their rights. So that if they see things not happening that way, they can call it out and change the policy,” Merritt said. Other sessions include Trans* Voices in Iowa, Gender in School: Working with Students at the Elementary Level, Mental Health in the Trans* community, among others. “Some of the ones I think are going to be really important, especially for educators, are how to work with families of trans individuals, and how to be an ally for those trans individuals in the classroom,” Merritt said. After the summit, Iowa Safe Schools hopes that attendees will go back into their classrooms and their offices, using the tools they’ve learned to make schools more inclusive and influence policy. “Honestly, my goal is not to receive those calls of how do we proceed, but to be able to have already given them those tools through this summit,” Merritt added. Ultimately, Iowa youth are the reason for the summit. “It’s all about protecting the kids and providing teachers and other professionals with the tools that they need to build those inclusive environments,” Heldt said, “and make sure that we are serving kids in the best way that we can.”
THOR: RAGNAROK
Showtimes: 6:30 p.m. 3D: 3:40 p.m., 9:10 p.m. "[Mark Ruffalo] posted a really good TBT yesterday" — Keli Vitaioli '19
HELENA GRUENSTEIDL
The Grinnell Historical Museum is housed in the McMurray House, a piece of Grinnell history itself. By Zoe Fruchter fruchter@grinnell.edu From the outside, the house at 1125 Broad St. appeared to be just another residential building in a row of large, porch-laden houses. But this was before I noticed the “Grinnell Historical Museum” sign, climbed the porch and stepped inside. Immediately I was greeted by six silk top hats perched casually on a simple wooden rack in the vestibule. This display sums up the attitude of the Grinnell Historical Museum — beautiful and sometimes whimsical historical artifacts displayed unpretentiously to all who choose to enter.
Even after an hour of exploring, I still don't think I had looked at half of the artifacts, yet I had learned so much about the town I walk through every day.
Upon entering the house proper, I was greeted by Denny Conway, a cheerful volunteer docent and former school teacher. Conway emerged from a back room as soon as I stepped inside and offered to take me on a tour of the house. The Historical Museum is housed in the McMurray house, which once belonged to J.H. McMurray and his wife, a relatively wealthy Iowan couple who made their money in the dry goods business. The Museum’s exhibit is closely entwined with the design of the home. The collected artifacts are grouped according to how the McMurrays used the rooms of the house, even though they are from a different century. Conway started off the tour by showing me an immense dark wood rollaway desk that sits at the front of the museum. Proudly, Conway told me that desk is the only known artifact left from J.B. Grinnell, the minister who founded the city of Grinnell in 1854 along with three companions. With this auspicious beginning, my tour wound through the rooms of the house, including the master bedroom with a carved Norwegian chest from the 1850s, the “Doll Room,” which displays old board games alongside multiple porcelain dolls and the “Nursing Room,” which contains a microscope, cases of medicines labeled “blood balm” and boasts three bedpans. Pointing to the jars of powder, Conway informed me that “most of them were for constipation.”
Immediately I was greeted by six silk top hats perched casualty on a simple wooden rack in the vestibule.
The vast majority of the artifacts displayed were donated to the Museum by past Grinnell residents and those from the surrounding area. The Historical Museum was founded by four women’s groups in the 1950s. These groups — two chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), the Historical and Literary Club and the Tuesday Club — submitted their idea for a historical museum to a community projects contest sponsored by the Grinnell Herald-Register. The idea was met with enthusiasm from the community, many of whom began donating artifacts to the new muse-
A BAD MOMS CHRISTMAS
Showtimes: 4:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m., 9:30 p.m. Still "bad," still moms.
um. The museum first stored these artifacts above the Candyland Gas Station but was forced to move after a fire destroyed most of the building. It then occupied a small house bequeathed to the museum by Rubie Burton. The sale of the Burton house, accompanied by an anonymous donation, allowed the museum to buy the McMurray house, where the Historical Museum has remained since 1965. The ethos of the museum has remained the same over the years — preserving and sharing the history of Grinnell through artifacts. It has, however, grown and changed since its founding, for example, the McMurray house has become integral to its exhibit. The McMurrays were unusual for their time. They were wealthy and able to afford indoor plumbing, and the tiled bathroom features a shower and toilet, although Conway warned me that neither were in working order. The McMurrays also owned a washing machine and retained the services of a full-time maid — Kate Siehl. Interestingly, the childless McMurrays willed their house to Siehl when they died. Conway showed me Siehl’s room, which features its own set of stairs leading to the kitchen, where she would cook and serve the McMurrays in the dining room.
"That cat has been here for a long time, but you know what? He's content." Denny Conway, volunteer docent at the Grinnell Historical Museum As we walked down Siehl’s stairs I thought the tour was ending, but the museum is even larger than it appears from the outside. Conway opened the door to the basement, which contains the “military room,” “school room” and the museum’s recently installed exhibit on “Manufacturing in Grinnell.” The Military Room contains the uniforms of Iowan soldiers that date back to every war of the twentieth century. Among the army coats is a heavily decorated German helmet captured by an anonymous Grinnellian in World War I. The manufacturing exhibit displays early models of dishwashers that were manufactured in Grinnell but, as Conway informed me, “didn’t sell very well” due to a patent issue. The basement also hosts a huge spinning wheel in the “Weaving Room,” donated by the Norris family, after whom Norris Hall is named. These artifacts are only a small sample of the Historical Museum’s collection. Even after an hour of exploring, I still don’t think I looked at half of the artifacts, yet I learned so much about the town I walk through every day. The Grinnell Historical Museum is well worth a trip; it is a record of the history that surrounds us and a reminder of how much the world has changed. The exhibit presents an informal opportunity for reflection to be taken at the pace of the visitor. The artifacts are inconspicuous treasures, just waiting for someone to take notice. As Conway quipped to me about a small porcelain figurine: “That cat has been here for a long time, but you know what? He’s content.”
DADDY'S HOME 2
Showtimes: 3:50 p.m., 6:45 p.m., 9:00 p.m. "They work hard but..." — Riley B. Murphy '19
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Community
Grinnellians organize 26 Days of Action to call for legislative gun control change
Edited by braneckm@grinnell.edu
New community group works to protect immigrants
By Carter Howe howethom@grinnell.edu
ANDREW TUCKER
Brownells, the largest gun part manufacturer in the US, is owned by NRA President and Grinnell resident Pete Brownell. The group behind 26 Days of Action has called for a response from Brownell about the recent mass shootings. By Seth Taylor taylorse@grinnell.edu As reports of gun violence become commonplace in U.S. media and U.S. politicians’ responses to mass shootings become so regular they might as well be recycled, Grinnellians have begun to mobilize, seeking the legislative change that they see fit. According to a press release, a group of “neighbors, parents, students, educators, co-workers, retirees, volunteers and business owners” have organized 26 Days of Action against Gun Violence to “call for constructive change to our country’s gun laws and culture.” The 26 Days of Action will begin Nov. 19 and end Dec. 14. Professor Eliza Willis, political science, and the Rev. Wendy Abrahamson are members of the group behind the 26 Days of Action. They are careful to specify that they are not members of an organization, but “just a group of people that are interested,” Willis said. It all started with a letter. After the Oct. 1 shooting in Las Vegas, a group of Grinnellians sent a letter signed by 170 people to Pete Brownell. Brownell is the president of the National Rifle Association (NRA), the CEO of Brownells (the largest gun parts manufacturer in the United States) and a resident of Grinnell. The letter asked Brownell for a meeting to discuss gun issues and the NRA. Brownell offered no response, so the group decided to act on their own. The result, after much consideration and planning, is the 26 Days of Action against Gun Violence.
Each of the 26 days stands for one of the 26 students and teachers killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. During these days a host of educational events and community discussions will be held to bring attention to gun violence in the United States. Some notable events include a panel on current gun law, a showing of the documentary “Newtown” (attended by the filmmakers themselves) and a session to write postcards to Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa. It all culminates with a vigil on the 26th day, Dec. 14, commemorating the Sandy Hook shooting and all those who have lost their lives to gun violence. Abrahamson sees Grinnell as having a unique opportunity to affect change, having Pete Brownell as our neighbor. “One of the things I find powerful … is that we’re just his neighbors,” she said. “We’re not an organized group that has come from anywhere. You go to the movies and he’s at the movies … we want our neighbor to help us.” The group hopes to achieve “a broad community discussion,” combining the voices of both the College and town communities. Willis hopes “to really have a discussion about what’s the way forward, including thinking about people who have guns, but are really in favor of having some kind of controls on those guns that are reasonable.” While both Abrahamson and Willis believe in the power of activism, they are convinced that real change must be undertaken at the legislative
level. “In America anyway, the way that we affect common life is through legislation,” Abrahamson said. “Activism plays a very important role in raising consciousness and awareness,” Willis added. “And the push for legislation can come out of that, out of that process. It’s the only process that those of us who do not have a lot of money and power can do to bring those things to the awareness of the legislative government.” In the end, they hope that raising awareness and having this conversation will help to spark change. “I want to communicate that change is possible,” Willis said. “I liked very much the thing that Senator Chris Murphy said yesterday or the day before: it’s a myth that this cannot be changed. It’s a myth. We cannot allow ourselves to get into a mode of thinking that this problem that we have of too many people dying from guns [is normal]. … This is not normal, and it’s a myth that we can’t change it. It didn’t used to be this way. It doesn’t need to be this way in the future.” “I’m not really approaching this as an activist. For me, it’s just humanity,” Abrahamson said, in a similar vein. “I’m doing this as a human being. … For me, this is an act of mourning.” No matter where you fall on the issue of gun violence, these 26 Days of Action provide a plethora of opportunities to learn more about the issue and make your voice heard. To participate in the conversation, you just need to show up.
A new local group, Welcoming Communities Grinnell, has been started to ensure there is support for immigrants in Grinnell and to advocate for pro-immigrant legislation. The group held their first meeting on Oct. 16 at First Presbyterian Church and were joined by the group Immigrant Allies from Marshalltown and the Eastern Iowa Community Bond Project, based in Iowa City, which helps provide persons who are detained by immigration enforcement with legal representation and money to post bond. Their next meeting, which will be a strategy session, will be held Nov. 16 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the basement fellowship room of the United Church of Christ at 902 Broad St. The group’s founder, Aaron Wagner ’99, who has past experience organizing for immigrant rights, felt compelled to do something because of Trump’s handling of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), the Obama-era executive action that granted relief from deportation to undocumented people brought to the country as children. “Realizing that Trump was using DACA and impacted students as a bargaining chip to try to build the wall, that made me decide that I needed to get active and try to get people together locally, you know. I don’t think that those actions reflect Grinnell values,” Wagner said. Though Wagner sees the group working on efforts outside of Grinnell as well, especially in nearby Marshalltown where there is a sizeable and growing Latinx population, they also emphasized that there are many immigrants here in Grinnell whom they hope the group can be a resource for. “It was started, you know, to support immigrants generally in Marshalltown and Central Iowa, but also realizing that we do have a growing immigrant population and refugee population in Grinnell, and we want to make more concerted efforts to, you know, make sure that impacted persons, whether they’re in the community or at the College, know they’re supported,” Wagner said. With an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Cedar Rapids and a detention center in Marshalltown, Wagner hopes that the group can be an
advocate for individuals who might have received unfair treatment from law enforcement, like Asucena Natareno Ramirez, who fled violence in her native Guatemala but was later detained and held in ICE’s office in Cedar Rapids. After members of the public staged a demonstration, she was released. “They were able to get her released with some public pressure, but, you know, it’s part of the unfortunate circumstance that every single case has to be fought individually to get people out of detention,” Wagner said. “We also want people hopefully to know that, hey, people are being detained in your backyard in this part of Iowa.” Though the group is still in its early planning stages, they already have a few things planned. For example, they will be handing out signs. Grinnellians may have seen around town that say that immigrants are welcome in various languages. Additionally, local resident retired medical ethicist David Isch is also helping to organize a project called Friends for International Harmony. A partnership with First Presbyterian Church, the project helps new immigrants in Grinnell secure various things and skills, from drivers’ education to furniture to help learning English and obtaining healthcare. “There are 21 volunteers and we are willing to help international persons integrate into the community socially as well as economically and politically so that they feel comfortable and feel welcome. It’s a very practical application of social justice,” Isch said. Wagner is happy that they have not received any backlash yet, though they concede that the group’s organizing efforts are not yet in full swing. “I put my name on the flyer and said contact me, and I haven’t received any hate calls or anything and I think we’re prepared for that,” Wagner said. “So far we haven’t met any friction, but we really haven’t started to rock the boat in any way either.” Wagner hopes that undocumented people in the community will feel comfortable joining Welcoming Communities Grinnell. “We’re hoping that those folks feel comfortable joining our group, that they know that we’re supportive, but if because of legal fears they’re not able to feel comfortable attending in person, we just want to be communicating and letting them know that there’s a group of us in town that want you to feel supported and loved as human beings in a difficult political climate.”
True Grinnellian: Wendy Abrahamson
By Arunima Fatepuhria fatepuhr@grinnell.edu Grinnellians can see the Rev. Wendy Abrahamson all around town, wearing different hats as she takes on various roles in the community. Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m., she can be found delivering sermons at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. Other times, she can be found lobbying for gun safety as an Episcopal Church lobbyist in the Iowa General Assembly, fighting for the rights of indigenous tribes in the Standing Rock Movement or enjoying a cup of coffee at Saints Rest.
“For me, my faith is critically important. ... Issues where the holiness of the person is denied grab me.” Reverend Wendy Abrahamson Born and raised in Minnesota, Abrahamson lived in New York and Washington D.C. before moving to Iowa 13 years ago and Grinnell four years ago. Since then, she has been the rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in town and a well-known and leading figure on the Grinnell social justice front. “For me, my faith is critically important,” Abrahamson said. She firmly believes in the idea of the peaceable kingdom, where everyone is treated equally. “It’s one thing to say that and pray for it, I also think that we have to work for it.” Though churches are often engaged in community service through soup kitchens and other activities, for Abrahamson it comes down to the cause of the suffering itself. She feels that targeting legislation is the
appropriate way to bring about any change and therefore is involved in social justice concerns in and around Grinnell. The Standing Rock Movement and gun safety are two issues Abrahamson is passionate about. “Issues where the holiness of a person is denied grab me,” she said. Abrahamson added that people have become more energized since the Trump administration came into power and are becoming increasingly aware that things they care deeply about are being threatened. For Abrahamson, the shooting in Texas on Sunday highlights how legislation is something that affects everyone on an individual level and is not just an abstract concern. In addition to the church and activism, Abrahamson regularly participates in the town’s community theatre and directed her first play there this year. She frequents the many “fantastic cultural opportunities” the College offers and loves the MET Opera screenings and concerts in particular. She and her husband, Steve Carrol ’68, are big hockey fans and regularly go to Des Moines for Iowa Wild games. Abrahamson loves the outdoors and often drives to her family’s cabin in northern Minnesota, where she spends her time fishing. Once an avid runner, a surgery a while ago has prevented her from running as much as she used to. However, she continues to go to the Jacob Krumm Nature Preserve, five miles southwest of Grinnell, and likes boating and hiking there. Abrahamson adores the town of Grinnell. “It’s one of the most beautiful parts of Iowa,” she said. She mentioned how intellectually curious and civically aware Grinnell
MAI VUO PHUOUNG
Reverend Wendy Abrahamson does work surrounding a wide variety of social justice issues, including organizing the 26 Days of Action for gun control. residents are. “Everyone’s always doing stuff. … The community is very caring and invested.” The town is much smaller than other places she has lived in but she does not mind it. The anonymity which she observed in her time in larger cities is removed and she believes that this motivates the people to be more involved in social and political matters. “Here we go to church with each other, you go to a concert and you see people you’re working on an activist thing with. Saints Rest is like a big town’s meeting every day. It’s magical.” Abrahamson said that it is very easy to assume that some political
issues are unsolvable and feel overwhelmed and discouraged by the situation. However, her faith and intimate familiarity with Grinnellians in the tightly-knit community motivate her to continue doing what she does.
“Everyone is made in God's own image. Everyone should be treated like they are a beautiful creation of God.” Reverend Wendy Abrahamson “It’s really encouraging and you know that you’re never working
on any of these things alone. And it’s also humbling because none of us alone are responsible for any of these things. We have to work on it together. There are times when you just can’t muster up the energy but you know there are other people working on it.” At the end of the day, for Abrahamson, everything comes down to her faith. Following the model of Jesus Christ and how he lived his life, she continues to be an active member of the Standing Rock movement and the fight for greater gun safety. “Everyone is made in God’s own image. Everyone should be treated like they are a beautiful creation of God.”
Edited by fentonma@grinnell.edu
As Told by Aminata: What happened to the Pan-Africanist spirit?
by Aminata Kinana This week’s article is going to be a conversation. Although it will be my views on the page, I hope that we can work through our thoughts and ideas together. As a Euro-Africana Studies independent major (it always goes back to that), I have loved getting to learn about Africa and our ties not only to Europe but the Americas as well. The African diaspora is filled with so many incredibly diverse experiences and narratives, and one could learn about them over a whole lifetime. As a young African woman, navigating through my time here in the United States and other parts of the Americas, in other African countries (aside from my birthplace, Tanzania) and experiences in Europe, the question of what it means to be African has come up several times. My experiences are not unique. For many African students studying abroad, like other international students, you find yourself subconsciously holding onto your identity more than you would at home. I wonder if four years ago I would have identified myself as African — not that I would not consider myself one, but rather I would not have had to publicly identify as such. Looking back at history, I am particularly mesmerized with the intellectual brilliance of the Pan-African movement. I am Tanzanian, so by default I think Julius Nyerere is one of the best African politicians to ever have walked the earth — though some people may want to debate that. Many people like to link Pan-Africanism with idealism, but for me, the most inspiring thing to come out of the movement has been the honesty and ambition that leaders have had in seeing their people uplifted. I have to go back in time a little bit. What is Pan-Africanism? This movement seeks the union of all African nations as well as the diaspora. The movement was at its prime in the 1950s and 1960s in the era of decolonization. The broadness of what the movement encompasses varies. For some, the most important aspect is intellectual dialogue and understanding. For others, it is the actual physical joining of countries to form — dare I say it — the United States of Africa.
Opinions
Aside from Nyerere, other key figures of the movement have included Kwame Nkrumah, Thomas Sankara and W.E.B. Du Bois. I hope I am no being too harsh (I need to stop saying that and be more assertive!) but quite frankly, African and diasporic intellectualism has truly never quite been the same since. The fire is not as hot in the African continent and outside it; the natural follow-up question is: why?
For many African students studying abroad, like other international students, you find yourself subconsciously holding onto your identity more than you would at home. I wonder if four years ago I would have identified myself as African — not that I would not consider myself one, but rather I would not have had to publicly identify as such. Like all relationships, work is involved. Over the past few years, collaboration within the African diaspora has not been as strong. Aside from the economic and political partnerships, I am talking about actual intellectual connectivity. The fact of the matter is that members of the African diaspora have similar realities. This is not to discount the differences we have in regards to our histories and societies, but when it comes to things that matter like economic struggles, we tend to be on the same boat. One thing that is causing fractures in the relationship is overemphasis on the differences at a base level, as well as the lack of ambition in some of our African leaders in regards to building good relationships with others. These men (they are mostly men!) are ambitious enough to run and win a presidency, but unfortunately after that, it becomes a power and money game. Africa does have good leaders, but most of them could do with a bit of work. Another failure is the youth. This is not a “blame the current generation” type of thing; the spark in youth is dwindling. Maybe it is because this generation has so much, or it finds other causes to be more interesting. Regardless, there is a great need for all of us to be connected in our communities. The biggest difference between the 1960s and now is that with easy communication, we can connect not only with the diaspora, but with the whole world, and make an even greater impact.
Film Perception: The Magic of Cinema and Dreams ing thrown at the screen. But fear not — the 3-D aspects only add to the childlike wonder the movie offers.
by Allison Isztok If you’ve been on the hunt for a cinematic masterpiece that includes incredible acting, a heart-wrenchingly beautiful plot and visually astonishing cinematography, look no further. The 2011 award-winning film “Hugo” is not simply a movie to be watched, but also one to be experienced, and what an incredible experience it is.
Director Martin Scorsese filmed the movie in 3-D. Of course, this prospect instantly brings to mind cringe-worthy action films involving random objects being thrown at the screen. But fear not — the 3-D aspects only add to the childlike wonder the movie offers. This historical drama is an adaption of the 2007 book “The Invention of Hugo Cabret” by Brian Selznick, originally inspired by the life of French filmmaker Georges Méliès and his collection of automata. The author describes the book as “not exactly a novel, not quite a picture book, not really a graphic novel, or a flip book or a movie, but a combination of all these things.” The visually inspiring book features over 200 pages of only drawn pictures and diagrams that make up over half the novel. “Hugo” adapts these pictures into beautiful cinematography, since the film relies heavily on the use of visuals. Oftentimes, it features scenes almost entirely made up of action with very little dialogue, accompanied by a beautiful soundtrack. Director Martin Scorsese filmed the movie in 3-D. Of course, this prospect instantly brings to mind cringe-worthy action films involving random objects be-
“Hugo” adapts these pictures into beautiful cinematography, since the film relies heavily on the use of visuals. Oftentimes, it features scenes almost entirely made up of action with very little dialogue, accompanied by a beautiful soundtrack. The film takes place in Paris in 1931, and revolves around 12-yearold orphan Hugo Cabret, who lives and works in Gare Montparnasse, a train station, with his alcoholic uncle. In the station, Hugo keeps an automaton once owned by his father. After his father’s death, he continued to repair it with stolen parts, believing the machine to contain a message from his father. While on the hunt for parts, toy store owner Georges catches him stealing and forces the boy to work in the store before he will return Hugo’s father’s notebook about the automaton. He meets George’s goddaughter Isabelle, to whom he shows the mysterious machine. She relays to Hugo how her godfather never allowed her to see a movie, while Hugo and his father shared a deep love of them. The rest of the film revolves around this curious automaton and the relationship of the characters to both it and each other. With so many mysteries uncovered during the movie, I will keep myself from retelling more of the plot. “Hugo” features outstanding acting, and it boasts a very impressive cast, including Ben Kingsley, Asa Butterfield, Chloë Grace Moretz, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jude Law, Helen McCrory and Christopher Lee. Together, these actors and actresses bring to life a touching story about family, cinema, heartbreak and dreams. From the slightest glances to emotionally-charged arguments, the cast delivers beautiful performances that keep you en-
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thralled in the life of this orphaned young boy.
Together, these actors and actresses bring to life a touching story about family, cinema, heartbreak and dreams. From the slightest glances to emotionally-charged arguments, the cast delivers beautiful performances that keep you enthralled in the life of this orphaned young boy. The movie also received numerous awards and nominations. It won five Academy Awards and was nominated for six more, including Best Picture (won by “The Artist” that year). “Hugo” also went on to win two of the eight British Academy Film Awards it was nominated for, and one of three Golden Globes. Despite all this critical success, it didn’t do as well commercially. I hardly remember seeing advertisements for it, and it may have been overshadowed by other films released at the same time. In my own experience, the only reason I saw it in theaters was because my friend wanted to see it for her birthday. Because of this lack of initial commercial success, I hardly hear people talk about “Hugo,” and often people only know what I’m talking about because of the success of Selznick’s book. However, the film is a magnificent work of art, and it deserves far more attention than it has received. I truly believe that the beauty of both the plot and visuals can capture any movie lover’s attention. Even if I failed to describe the film in an exciting manner, and if the prospect of a “historical drama” sounds incredibly boring to you, I encourage you to give the movie a try and watch at least the first 15 minutes. I’m sure that once you get into it, you won’t even think to check how long you’ve been watching. “Hugo” strikes childhood dreams, imagination and innocence into the viewer, leaving a feeling of wonderment that seems to be increasingly hard to find in the films of today.
The Grinnellian Experience by Amelia Darling
Letter to the editor: 26 days of local action on gun violence I write in the wake of the mass shootings in Las Vegas and Texas in recognition of the fact that last year 33,880 Americans died from gun violence. In response to these tragic events, a number of concerned Grinnellians are joining together to hold 26 days of action, leading up to a vigil on December 14th in remembrance of the Sandy Hook massacre five years ago. The vigil will be held in Central Park at 7:30 p.m. On that evening and in the days preceding it, we strongly urge the community to come together to discuss gun violence in our country and strategies for reducing it. We in Grinnell have an unusual as well as a very important role to play in this discussion. The president of the National Rifle Associ-
ation, CEO of Brownells and local philanthropist Pete Brownell lives in our community. We requested that he enter into dialogue with us in a personal letter signed by 170 citizens, to which he did not respond. We now publicly call on him again to use his influence both as a business owner and as president of the NRA to help shift the NRA’s political agenda from one of “guns for everyone all the time in every place” to one of sensible gun laws that promote public health and safety. Please watch for news of the events planned for late November and December, and please join the conversation. Sincerely, Former College President George Drake
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"Nothing echoes like an empty mailbox." — Charles M. Schulz
Arbitrary Analysis Social Calendar
MAXWELL FENTON
Donald Kagan
Thucydides
Snedge
This week, Maxwell Fenton '19 polled students asking: Ethan Frome or Garden Gnome?
Friday
6:00 p.m. Showvember @ Gardner Lounge 7:00 p.m. Infinite Coincidence @ Bucksbaum 154
North Loggia
Saturday
1. Butt Juice 2. Rum and Cock 3. Queers for Feers
The Signs as Characters from Arthur
Taurus: Mr. Ratburn
Gemini: Tibble Twins Cancer: Fern Leo: Muffy
South Loggia
Virgo: The Brain Libra: Binky
Scorpio: Prunella Sagittarius: D.W.
check us out:
Capricorn: Arthur
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Rants & Raves:
Pub Quiz Winners
Aries: Francine
3:30 p.m. Bioethics Film: Sicko @ Noyce 2021 8:00 p.m. Drag Show @ Harris Center Concert Hall 10:00 p.m. Reggaeton Gardner @ Gardner Lounge
Like what you see?
Herodotus
Aquarius: Sue Ellen Pisces: Buster
— Sister Aurora Impulse Students speak about what’s on their minds in 100 words or fewer, and you’re invited! If you have a rant or a rave, email it to [newspapr] or [fentonma]
Terrific Trustee
Science and Sexism
Biochemistry Blues
Tinder Talk
Thank you Dr. Robert Austin Jr. '54 for coming to my American Studies class this week. You were so inspiring, and I just want to say we're lucky you have a voice on the Board of Trustees.
Dear male science professor, When you consistently condescend to and insult the women and NB people in your lab, you create a hostile learning environment that does not help us succeed. Be aware of your classroom biases because they negatively impact your students. Sincerely,
Why the ENTIRE fuck are labs all zero credit classes? They’re three hours a week in class like any other course, they are just as educational as any other class, and lab reports are as demanding and as frequent as essays for a comparable-level humanities course. I devoted the 22 of the last 26 hours to a 12-page biochemistry assignment, but it’s worth a quarter of my semester lab grade, which is a quarter of my semester grade for the course.
Reactivating my Tinder after fall break only reminds me of how desolate Grinnell is in ways other than geography and distance.
- Jackson Schulte '20
- Capable women and NB scientists
- The Angsty Noyce Gremlin
- Swiping Right in Despair