Volume 134, Issue 13.

Arts

Community

Yi-Chia Wang ’20 takes The S&B through her artistic engagements with the world

Sports

The Stewart Art Gallery displays Portraits of Nature in Iowa — ­ Part II

page 3

Basketball and swimming and diving competed over break

page 7

the

page 5

Scarlet & Black Volume 134, Issue 13

thesandb.com

January 26, 2018 • Grinnell, Iowa

1967 Martin Luther King Jr. speech to Grinnell College streamed for the first time

By Caleb Forbes forbesca@grinnell.edu JRC 101 was packed this past Tuesday, Jan. 23 as students, staff and community members listened to a recording of a speech given by Martin Luther King Jr. at the College 50 years ago, “Remaining Wake Through a Revolution.” Organized

by Special Collections Librarian and Archivist Christopher Jones, Director of Rosenfield Center Barb Trish, Rosenfield Program in Public Affairs Program Associate Laureen Van Wyk, Assistant Director of Intercultural Affairs Jordan Brooks and Associate Dean Maure Smith-Benanti, the event commemorated Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The organizers promoted the

TOP: CONTRIBUTED, BOTTOM: HELENA GRUENSTEIDL

A crowd gathered in JRC 101 to hear Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1967 speech.

Tuition increases by lowest percentage in five years

By Chloe Wray wraychlo@grinnell.edu On Jan. 10, a campus memo was sent out to Grinnell College students announcing the tuition and Comprehensive Fee Increase for the 2018-19 academic year. This notice sent by President Kington outlined a 3.31 percent increase in the total comprehensive fee, from $63,114 to $65,202.

The comprehensive fee for each year is a result of discussion between the president, treasurer, vice president for enrollment and associate vice president of financial aid, said Nancy Combs, interim chief financial officer, controller and assistant treasurer in an email to The S&B. Several scenarios are drawn up to reflect a variety of financial factors which are sent to the Board of Trustees Finance Committee for review and then passed along to the full Board for approval.

“The 3.31 percent increase in the comprehensive fee for 2018-19 is the second lowest percentage increase in the last five years,” said Patricia Finkelman, a Life Trustee, in an email to The S&B, adding that “future increases in the comprehensive fee will be kept to the minimum required to fulfill our mission and maintain the quality of the Grinnell educational experience.”

Finkelman also pointed out that the 3.3 percent increase is less than the Higher Education Price Index increase of 3.7 percent, which is a measurement of national changes in primary costs of higher education institutions such as staff and faculty salaries and utilities.

Additionally, Finkelman stressed that President Trump’s new tax plan was not a factor in determining the comprehensive fee for 2018-19.

Combs elaborated, stating, “There was no interest in raising the comprehensive fee as a way to offset the impact of the new endowment tax. It is our intent to cover the cost of the tax through other options. It's worth noting that

the rules determining calculation of the new endowment tax are still being defined. We are watching the situation carefully. In the meantime, the Investment Office has modeled the potential cost of the new tax to help us prepare for and cover the impact of the tax in the operating budget.”

From an admissions perspective, the increase in tuition raises the question of how prospective students will react.

“All top-tier national liberal arts colleges charge a comprehensive fee of more than $60,000 per year (and pay more than that to educate students),” explained Joe Bagnoli, vice president for enrollment and dean of admission and financial aid. “Many have not yet set their fees for next year but after fees for our benchmark institutions — schools we refer to internally as the “Peer 16” — were set last year, Grinnell’s total comprehensive fee ranked 15th. The average increase at these institutions last year was 3.8 percent. Grinnell’s increase for next year, by comparison, is lower than recent increases at peer institutions.”

Combs seconded this, stating that Grinnell’s comprehensive fee is also amongst the lowest of its peer institutions.

“As comprehensive fee increases, maintaining financial accessibility for Grinnell students remains a top priority for the college,” Brad Lindberg, assistant vice president of enrollment and director of financial aid, wrote in an email to The S&B. Upon initial announcement of the increase, many students may have questioned the impact this would have on their financial aid awards.

“Our need-based financial aid program is designed to respond to yearly increases in comprehensive fee as well as changes to family circumstances,” Lindberg said.

“Families who do not experience significant financial changes from year to year can expect a consistent financial >> See Tuition page 2

Saturday Met Opera Live in HD: Tosca

Monday Workshop: ASTEP

Harris Center Atrium, 12:00 p.m.

Bucksbaum Rotunda, 7:00 p.m.

Follow us on twitter @thesandb

event, acquired permission from the King Estate to play the entirety of his speech and created a PowerPoint presentation that displayed relevant images. Some of these images included King at Grinnell, as well as various forms of protest.

After the speech, attendants reflected on what they had heard and wrote down any memories of the original 1967 speech. These were then to be contributed to Burling Library Special Collections, “so that future scholars of social justice movements on campus will be able to use those for researching,” Jones said.

The original presentation of the speech 50 years ago was the centerpiece of a three-day convocation titled “The Liberal Arts College in a World of Change.”

That convocation also included such prominent speakers as James Armstrong, Daniel Bell, Stephen Benedict, George Champion, Ralph Ellison, Fred Friendly, Richard Gilman, S I Hayakawa, Gerald Holton, William Lawrence, Benjamin Hays, Dean McHenry, Marshall McLuhan, Leonard Meyer, Ashley Montagu, Willie Morris, Calvin Plimpton, Robert Rauschenberg, Richard Rovere and >> See MLK page 2

Voter ID law implemented

Students required to provide mailissued ID cards or sign affadavit to vote in 2018 elections

HELENA GRUENSTEIDL

Emma Friedlander ’18 is one of the many students who have received their voter ID card.

By Kate Irwin irwinkat@grinnell.edu Earlier in 2017, Iowa passed a bill containing changes to the voter identification laws. Essentially, the legislation stipulates that each Iowa resident must have an identification card specifically for voting, and past forms of identification, such

as a driver's license, are no longer sufficient.

The process of integrating the voter identification cards into the voting system is beginning with a soft rollout. Individuals with the new identification card can begin to use it, but those who have not yet received their copy are allowed to >> See Voter IDs page 4

SGA considers new conduct and academic requirements for senators, executive members

By Lily Bohlke bohlkeli@grinnell.edu

During the last campus council session of fall 2017, senators voted to change the Student Government Association (SGA) by-laws to require SGA staff to be in “good conduct standing.” The first campus council of this semester will discuss adding the by-law to the constitution, as well as potentially require SGA staff to be in good academic standing, according to SGA President Summer White ’18.

Actions that would put a student on conduct probation, or in bad conduct standing, include arson, burglary, drugs, harassment, harm to others, retaliation, vandalism, threats of violence and weapons, according to White. Conduct warnings, on the other hand, would not put a student in bad standing. Reasons for conduct warnings include alcohol agreement violations, community disruption from pets, violating quiet hours, computer usage policy, copyright infringement,

and have “no academic sanctions more severe than probation,” according to the Grinnell College website.

“The first piece, the good academic standing, is designed to serve as a safeguard for the students in SGA, because sometimes people are such great leaders and they’re so dedicated to serve the student body, at their own detriment,” White said. “And so, because this is a learning institution and the primary mission of the College is to be a student and to graduate, it only makes sense that people who are in positions of leadership would have good academic standing because it’s the primary reason we’re here. So in student leader, student comes first and foremost.”

At last semester’s campus council session, White introduced both the academic and conduct components of the proposed change. However, after much discussion, senators and cabinet members decided to only pass the conduct piece. While many people in the room agreed with the proposed

“To me, [about] the academic standing piece, the most useful or the biggest reason I would want that is so that people who have committed academic dishonesty wouldn’t be on SGA because I don’t think that’s in line with our values,” said Regina Logan ’20, one of last semester’s East Campus senators. “But that to me wasn’t worth budging on when you consider the rest of the academic standing stuff, which I think disproportionally will affect people that had worse high school backgrounds, lower income, people of color. And those are things that we could have fleshed out and considered.”

Once campus council attendees decided to amend the change to just include the conduct piece, discussion continued.

“For the conduct piece, it’s sort of the other way around. Rather than focusing on protecting the students in SGA, it’s protecting the student body,” White said. “By that I mean it’s making sure that, for

SARAH RUIZ

SGA debated the adoption of new standards for participation, including required good academic standing and conduct. fire safety, lit candles, guest policy and improper bike storage.

To be in good academic standing, a student must be making “normal scholarly progress toward the degree”

academic standing eligibility change, others felt that it would take away students’ agency, according to a video recording of the session on the SGA’s website.

instance, someone isn’t in student government who has been found responsible of sexual misconduct, because if they were in that situation >> See SGA page 2

Tuesday Writers@Grinnell Reading: Thisbe Nissen Pioneer Bookshop, 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday Sex Week Information

Thursday AH Visitng Artist Guess Joyce Tsai

JRC 101 Lobby, 11:00 a.m.

Faulconer Gallery, 4:00 p.m.

Arts 3 | Community 4 | Sports 5 | Features 6 | Opinions 7

2

SGA will debate new bylaws this semester

Continued from Front Page that’s not necessarily creating a safe environment that is welcoming and open and representative of student ideas.”

The good conduct standing eligibility requirement was ultimately approved at the last session, after a lengthy discussion about what exactly good conduct standing means.

“I understand the goal that we are all trying to achieve. We need better wording about it. … It’s the fact we’re not being careful about our language that really concerns [and] frustrates me,” Logan said. “I think it’ll come

to the re-wording of it, so that’s why I think that spending a lot of time on the values part of a policy is very important, you know, we jumped so quickly to a solution. … It’s the fact that we all have our own opinions of good conduct and we all have our own understanding of it, because it’s not really written down anywhere, so we need to all be speaking the same language.”

The conversation about incorporating both good academic standing and good conduct standing requirements for SGA staff will continue once senators are elected and campus council resumes.

News

Edited by hermanal17@grinnell.edu & mettleca@grinnell.edu

Burling possibly next in line for architectural makeover

By Kate Perry perrykat@grinnell.edu With the new Humanities and Social Sciences Complex (HSSC) under construction, the attention of campus administrators is shifting towards “Phase Two” of the campus construction plan. This phase will include a renovation or possibly even demolition of Burling Library. The details of the plan are still uncertain, and the possibility of a new library is still five to ten years away. However, a committee of library staff and faculty is reviewing renovations made

be stored in an off-site facility, and serves a student body of 1,500. The building fails to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements, and many of the classrooms are too small to accommodate growing class sizes. According to the library team, space has become a serious problem as students adopt more collaborative and technology-focused learning methods.

“When Burling was built, libraries were quiet, hushed places,” said Christopher Jones, the College’s Special Collections Librarian.

Students and faculty nowadays want

younger scholars now prefer to search directly for content on websites like Amazon, JSTOR or Google Scholar.

Librarians are addressing this issue by buying access to more and more content directly from publishers.

In the past three years, Grinnell has acquired direct access to journal articles from Sage, Elsevier, Science Direct, Taylor and Francis, Wiley and Springer, as well as the e-book collections of JSTOR, Springer and Project MUSE. The downside to this approach is that buying content directly is more expensive. To offset the cost of the new journal subscriptions,

Tuition jumps 3.3 percent Continued from Front Page aid package, adjusted upwards for cost increases, over each of their four years at Grinnell.”

Lindberg also urged students or families to contact the financial aid office with any questions, reaffirming their commitment to ensuring that they have all necessary information to provide an appropriate financial aid package to each student based on their family’s circumstance.

“It is also important to note that through the careful stewardship of our resources, including our endowment, and the generosity of our donors, we are able to keep our comprehensive fee significantly lower than our actual operating costs,” Kington reassured

students in his special campus memo.

According to Bagnoli, the operating costs for 2018-19 will exceed $80,000 per student, meaning that no student at Grinnell pays full price, or that “even those who pay the full comprehensive fee, therefore, receive a substantial gift from Grinnell College.” Operating costs include paying faculty and staff and maintaining facilities, while the comprehensive fee is “the portion of our costs we assign to students and their families.”

“We trust that prospective students and their parents (and current students) will find the substantial value of a Grinnell education to be worth what they are required to pay for it,” Bagnoli stressed.

HELENA GRUENSTEIDL

Burling Library may face changes in the next round of campus construction. recently by other academic libraries in Iowa and will present their report at the end of this academic year. The new library is one aspect of an ongoing effort to modernize Grinnell’s library system and keep pace with changing learning methods and technologies.

Plans for a new library began in 2012, when the Academic Space Planning Committee met to create recommendations for Phases One and Two of Grinnell’s campus construction program, according to Associate Librarian Julia Bauder and Head Librarian Mark Christel.

At the time, two alternatives were put forward for the new library, one involving additions to the existing structure and the other involving a completely new building. One of the goals of both plans is to integrate the ITS offices into the new library.

Burling Library was built in 1959 to house 300,000 volumes and serve a student body of about 950. It now owns more than twice that number of books, over 70,000 of which must

places where they can meet, talk and collaborate. As they wait for the new, larger library to be built, the library staff have tried to address these concerns by clearing additional space on the second floor for group meetings and class sessions.

Access to technology is also a problem — Kevin Engel, the College’s Science Librarian, said that he has often seen students “lined up six deep at computers, like in a grocery store — you close one lane down and you get long lines.” A new building could provide space for more computers, as updated projectors and other media devices.

Engel noted that the way students and younger faculty search for information has changed. Until recently, the Grinnell Libraries offered access to online journals mostly through for-profit aggregators like EBSCO and ProQuest, which buy content from publishers and then distribute it to colleges and universities for a subscription fee. However, many

Grinnell is pooling resources with other academic libraries in Iowa.

The Iowa Academic Library Alliance and the State Library of Iowa have partnered to buy journal subscriptions and a new Integrated Library System (ILS), which will replace Grinnell’s current library database system at the end of next year.

“When you design spaces, you’re aiming at a moving target, and that target is increasing in speed at an exponential rate,” Jones said. Any new library will have to be built to be flexible, so that it can accommodate the rapid pace of change in library science, which can be “exciting,” but also “nerve-wracking.” However, Christel cautioned that there is continuity as well.

“Whatever the library becomes at Grinnell, it will always continue to serve the traditional roles that libraries have served. It will be a space where people can come and find a quiet area to do really deep thinking and reading.”

Community Hour debates adoption MLK speech draws crowd of new Gift Acceptance Policy

By Kate Irwin irwinkat@grinnell.edu This past Tuesday, a Community Hour was held to discuss the current gift acceptance policy of the College and whether changes should be made to it. Those in attendance included current and former faculty members, individuals from the Office of Development and Alumni Relations, alumni and students.

A group of concerned alumni urged President Kington to reevaluate the gift acceptance policy and be more conscious of the origin of donations in an email that was circulated widely last semester. Central to this conversation have been monetary donations to the College by NRA President Pete Brownell. Community Hour leaders, however, stressed that the purpose of the meeting was to discuss the gift acceptance policy and the procedures to be followed to implement the policy, and would not concern specific donations, such as those from Brownell.

Prior to December 2015, the College did not have a gift acceptance policy. The current gift acceptance policy has two guiding principles: "Grinnell College seeks to only accept those gifts that have a reasonable expectation of ultimately benefiting the College" and "Grinnell College seeks to only accept gifts that are in the philanthropic interest of the donor. Grinnell College shall not encourage any gifts that are inappropriate in light of the donor's disclosed personal or financial situation."

The current gift acceptance policy contains information regarding the Gift Acceptance Committee, a committee that holds seats composed of administrative individuals, a faculty member and a student. However, the committee was not formed and has not met as of December of 2015, when the gift acceptance policy was created.

Chuck Connerly '68, professor of urban planning at the University of Iowa, represented the Grinnell College Concerned Alumni group.

The group created an outline of seven recommendations for the gift acceptance policy. Recommendations included logistical issues, such as having the committee meet and implementing a seat designated for alumni representation on the committee.

Other recommendations connected to the incidences and discussion regarding the donations from Brownell. Such recommendations included that "the College should take into account whether an individual is a leader in an organization whose values differ greatly from the values of the College," "Grinnell College seeks to accept gifts that do not pose significant reputational risk" and lastly, "The College should adopt a policy whereby a gift will be returned if the donor is found to have misappropriated the College's name by making public statements that suggest the College's endorsement of ideas that are counter to the College's values, traditions, and reputation."

"Some people may question if we should benefit from money that was obtained in an immoral way, or should we be associated publicly with somebody who has done immoral things," -Janet Seiz, Economics Some Community Hour attendees noticed that these stipulations raise the issue of how subjective each individual circumstance is and the specific context surrounding each donation. If each donation is put under a microscope, it is probable that many donations could be

considered "dirty money" in some aspects. Connerly does not have specific ideas about how this type of distinction will be achieved, but he is confident that it is possible for the Gift Acceptance Committee to come to a solution.

Janet Siez, professor of economics, believes that the best next step would be to establish some sort of policy that allows the College to refuse donations. "I think it will be a positive step just to have a policy in place that enables us to refuse some gifts. I think that conversation has been great," Seiz said.

"The idea isn't that anyone who wants to donate has to go through this elaborate political vetting process. … It's not quite that bad, but some people may question if we should benefit from money that was obtained in an immoral way, or should we be associated publicly with somebody who has done immoral things," Seiz said.

There are no clear future plans regarding the gift acceptance policy, but the Office of Development and Alumni Relations is currently addressing the problem. The recommendations made by the concerned alumni and notes from the Community Hour will be sent to the Advancement Committee for the Board of Trustees. The Advancement Committee will then discuss the policy proposal and if they vote, the proposal will be presented to the Board of Trustees when they meet in early February for their next meeting. However, if the Advancement Committee does not vote, the discussion regarding the proposal will end.

If any students have any concerns or recommendations regarding the gift acceptance policy, it is not too late to contact Student Government Association President Summer White '18 at sgaprez@grinnell. edu, as White is a member of the Advancement Committee.

HELENA GRUENSTEIDL

Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1967 speech to Grinnell College was streamed in 101.

Continued from Front Page Harold Schonberg. “[King] really draws on his southern Baptist preacher speaking style to deliver this speech,” Jones said of the recording. “He speaks very slowly, he enunciates very clearly. It is a very impassioned speech.”

“I think his speech was a signal event in the lives of a lot of people who were here at the time,” said Associate Chaplain & Rabbi Rob Cabelli. “In that sense it is a little bit of coming full circle in a way, when the 60’s came and [King] being here.”

Cabelli identified an important quote from King’s Grinnell speech: “Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality.”

In his speech, King addressed how our destiny is tied together, and explained that the world has grown integrated because of science. He reminded the audience to keep moral improvement in line with scientific

progress.

King revealed that things would not work themselves out because time is a neutral force. Remaining awake means recognizing that racism is still an active force and it can only be intentionally combatted.

Cabelli emphasized King’s message of avoiding the “convenient denial of being part of a society in which injustice endures, and perhaps even prevails.”

“Who are you into relation to this?” Cabelli said. “Can you really be silent?”

The speech includes “some almost eerie parallels to current political and social movements and counter-movements,” according to Jones.

“With respect to AfricanAmericans it is arguable that our progress in many ways has stalled out,” Cabelli said. “That we’re still going through the same conversations right now that we might have been having forty or fifty years ago. …

What kind of equality can take place if we don’t see the injustice that is expressed against somebody else as being an issue for us too?”

Arts

Edited by suetamay@grinnell.edu

3

Haitian art exhibition opens at Faulconer

Yi-Chia Wang

By Ahon Gooptu gooptuah@grinnell.edu People use and interpret art in myriad ways. Yi-Chia Wang ’20 uses art to share her view of the world with those around her.

Wang took her first studio art class in the spring of 2017. The introductory course redefined her perception of studio art, which she had related primarily to sculpting. It exposed her to the vast scope of the world she was engaging in and she realized that she could use a range of media to create her own form of art.

“There is no specific art that I do. There is no set form. Art to me is using different media or techniques to create something new on my own,” Wang said. “From the very beginning, I was doing everything on my own. Putting so much time and effort into creating something that is your own — that’s the beauty of it.”

Wang’s sources of inspiration range from the ordinary to something quite unique. As a child, she mostly stayed at home. Like most other children in the world, she too was afraid of the monsters behind her or under her bed. However, instead of thinking of the unknown as a scary thing, she embraced it and started imagining a friendly rabbit hiding beneath her bed. This rabbit went on to inspire her to recreate scenes from her childhood imaginations, using print media.

"Putting so much time and effort into creating something that is your own — that's the beauty of it."

Yi-Chia Wang '20 However, recreating moments in her life through her art comes with some struggles.

“I usually feel kind of sad when working on my art,” Wang said.

“More recently, I feel tired when making my art. While in the process, I stop, think a lot — about college and life, family and friends. Sometimes what I’m thinking makes me sad. But I’m trying to be happy, and hopefully can be happier in the future.”

Wang also cooks specialties from Taiwan and bakes traditional

desserts from China.

“I’ve found that I was cooking European dishes back home, but am cooking more home food in Grinnell,” she said. “Loroufan — minced pork rice — especially reminds me of home.”

For Wang, baking is another form of art altogether. The traditional Chinese desserts are quite different from Western pastry, solely because of the ingredients involved in the preparation.

“You’ll very rarely find red beans, lotus seeds and tea in Western pastry,” she said.

better than me. But I appreciate this feature, just as I appreciate my mom supporting my decision to pursue studio art.”

"Honestly I just want more fun in my life."

Yi-Chia Wang'20 When asked about her plans

for the future, Wang mentioned her wish to have her own studio for the public.

“Somewhere over the rainbow, I’ll have my own café with a studio in the loft or the basement. A place where everyone can come, relax, appreciate some art, even if it’s not mine. People can stop, pause and think about their lives, without any stress.”

SARAH RUIZ

Charlotte Richardson-Deppe '19 presents the new exhibition in Faulconer Gallery.

By Amanda Weber weberama@grinnell.edu

"I usually feel kind of sad when working on my art."

Yi-Chia Wang'20 Wang is also one of the handful of Grinnellians who visited Tainan, Taiwan over the summer last year.

Their mission, led by Professor Craig Quintero, theatre and dance, was to collaboratively develop a site-specific performance in a hotel.

Every night, the group staged six performances, each of which had only one audience member. Wang, who sings alto in Grinnell Singers, channeled her passion for music in this performance, too.

“I remember that we had to keep adjusting our performances depending on what the audience gave us,” she said.

Over spring break, Wang will join Quintero, Professor Andrew Kaufman, art and art history, and four other students from the College in Taipei, Taiwan as part of “Just For You,” a special topic interdisciplinary course based on art and performance.

“I have no idea what is going to happen this time. Even last time, we didn’t know what we were going to do there until we got to the hotel,” she said.

Currently, Wang is taking courses in digital media and drawing. She hopes to learn about using different kinds of media and interacting more with people interested in studio art.

She is grateful to the people who have been a pillar of support in her life, be it friends or family.

“Honestly, I just want more fun in my life,” she said. “There are people in Grinnell who are so much

HELENA GRUENSTEIDL

Wang uses a variety of artforms, from print media to baking to singing, to share her view of the world with others.

The Artist as Citizen: 3 Days of Art and Activism can rediscover their voices and their power. Their programs partner with schools and community organizations to reach young people affected by issues such as gun-violence and refugee status. ASTEP’s programming connects young individuals with volunteer artists such as Aaron Rossini, the teaching artist coming to Grinnell.

Rossini is an actor, director, producer and teacher in New York and founder of the Fault Line Theatre company.

CONTRIBUTED

The art workshops will be held from Jan. 28 through 30 in various places on campus and downtown.

By Zoe Fruchter fruchter@grinnell.edu How can improv have a global impact? What does entrepreneurship have to do with activism? Learn the answers to these questions and more at an upcoming series of workshops titled “The Artist as Citizen: 3 Days with Artists Striving to End Poverty (ASTEP),” starting on Jan. 28.

“The overall goal is to think about using arts in the process of activism and poverty alleviation — art as a mediating device to work with a community,” said Professor Monty Roper, Director of the Wilson Center for Innovation & Leadership. “We want to let students understand that entrepreneurship is not just about developing a new gadget but coming up with innovative ways to solve problems … that

involves a whole range of skills that Grinnell students are learning … both in and out of the classroom.”

“To me it is so clearly a fit for Grinnell College students...”

Guinevere McIntyre, Applied Music Associate Among the three days of workshops are “Lead with your Art,” focusing on the skills practicing artists can utilize as educators, “Exiting the Comfort Zone,” examining cross-cultural exchange, and “Artistry, Activism, & Entrepreneurship,” centering around finding your personal mission.

The workshops are the result of collaboration between outside organization ASTEP, the Grinnell College Office

of Community Enhancement and Engagement, Grinnell’s Music Department, Artists@Grinnell, the Center for the Humanities and the Grinnell Area Arts Council. Applied Music Associate Guinevere McIntyre discovered ASTEP while performing with Kristen Chenoweth, whose musical director founded the organization.

“To me it is so clearly a fit for Grinnell College students who I see as so very involved in the world around them and active in making a positive impact on their community and beyond,” McIntyre wrote in an email to The S&B. Forging connections between communities is central to ASTEP’s institutional mission to empower underserved youth through art and artistic mentorship. The organization aims to create safe spaces where individuals

“I [hope] to see participants who don't necessarily consider [themselves] artists, but care about reaching out to those who are in need.”

Guinevere McIntyre Applied Music Associate The three days of programming will run from Jan. 28 to Jan. 30 and are located throughout both the College and town of Grinnell. The workshops will culminate in a final Sharing and Reflection on Jan. 30 that includes a talkback between the creators and the audience. The workshops are free and open to all. McIntyre stressed that the workshops are accessible to a wide range of individuals.

“I [hope] to see participants who don't necessarily consider [themselves] artists, but care about reaching out to those who are in need,” McIntyre said.

“These participants could discover talents and creativity in themselves that they didn't know they had.”

This Thursday, a new exhibition entitled “En Voyage: Hybridity and Vodou in Haitian Art” opened in the Faulconer Gallery. The exhibition features four pieces of art by Haitian American artist Edouard Duval-Carrié, who visited Grinnell as an international fellow last fall. The exhibition pieces were curated by a panel of nine students, led by Assistant Professor Fredo Rivera ’06, art and art history, as part of his Exhibition Seminar. “[Exhibition Seminar] was probably one of the most incredible experiences that I had as an undergrad, so one of the things that I did when I came to Grinnell was I asked if I could possibly teach the Exhibition Seminar,” Rivera explained, who has long been interested in Haitian art.

According to Rivera, the Exhibition Seminar was an opportunity for students to gain experience in a number of different aspects of the curatorial process, and he wanted to give the student panel the opportunity to make the big decisions themselves. According to Charlotte Richardson-Deppe ’19, one of the student curators, in the end the students decided on a thesis inspired by a phrase Duval-Carrié himself told them: “Displacement creates new forms and aesthetics.” An intriguing theme in and of itself, the thesis also bears particular relevance to current events.

“Displacement, migration, refugees [and] new things coming out of migration or displacement are all huge themes in the political landscape right now,” Richardson-Deppe said.

“It seems especially timely that we have our president saying very ignorant and hateful things about Haiti,” agreed Ellen Taylor ’19, another student curator. “Hopefully, this exhibition will allow us to address some of the misconceptions that people have about Haitian people and their culture and their art. … Instead, we can showcase the rich artistic traditions and the complexities of their religion and give them a platform to be admired.”

The team collaborated with Faulconer Gallery to put on the exhibition, and also borrowed works and inspiration from the Waterloo Center for the Arts, the Figge Art Museum in Davenport and various museums that the team visited in Miami. Throughout the process, the class split itself into three specialized teams — catalogue, exhibition design and education. This helped the class to divide up work, while also continuing to communicate and collaborate throughout the process.

“There were many times when they prompted themselves to meet as a group and that they had an incredible level of dedication. … What I’m most impressed by is how they worked together so seamlessly,” Rivera said.

Now that the exhibition has been completed, the team has expressed shared satisfaction with the project.

“We have a really good team, we were able to work with some amazing collections and artists, and our professor is also a great leader,” Taylor said.

“I’m really proud of the work we did, and I’m excited to share it with the community.”

For students interested in seeing more of the exhibition, the team will be facilitating short lectures by professors David Campbell, Kesho Scott and Doug Hess, as well as a documentary film screening and an Artists@Grinnell Gallery Talk. For more information, see the Grinnell Events and Programs page.

Community

4

Stewart gallery features new art form

Grinnell school district seeks approval to issue bonds

By Chloe Wray wraychlo@grinnell.edu

CHARUN UPARA

The Stewart Gallery's exhibit, “Portraits of Nature in Iowa — Part II,” is on display until Thursday, Feb. 15.

By Mayo Sueta suetamay@grinnell.edu A new brand of art is now on display at Grinnell’s downtown Stewart Gallery. The current exhibition at the Grinnell Arts Center is “Portraits of Nature in Iowa — Part II,” a set of nature photographs by local artist and photographer Ken Saunders II. The exhibit includes vivid photographs of animals, both in motion and still. The photographs were taken “within a 40-mile radius … of Grinnell,” and capture significant wildlife in Iowa, according to Saunders.

"Our goal/mission as an organization is to support creative expression in the community. Just by showing a local artist, we have achieved that.

But really, we want our audience to become inspired and say, 'Oh, I take walks at Rock Creek all the time, maybe I'll bring a camera next time.'"

Erik Jarvis, Grinnell Arts Center Events and Facilities Management Saunders’ photography journey started when he was around seven years old, using his Kodak 104 instamatic. He has continued to pursue his passion for taking pictures since then, buying different types of cameras and lenses to polish his craft. The photos in the exhibit were taken by a Nikon D810 digital SLR camera, a Nikon D300S SLR camera and a Nikon D200 digital SLR camera.

Saunders’ show was recommended to the Grinnell Arts Center through a close friend of the artist.

“We have a committee that does most of the booking, but this show was recommended by Tom Lacina, who is close friends with the artist Ken Saunders,” wrote Erik Jarvis, Events and Facilities Management at the Arts Center, in an email to The S&B. “Tom and Ken grew up together. We try to show local artists as much as we can.”

In a departure from usual procedure, Saunders set up the show himself.

“Part of my role as Facilities Management is to assist with gallery

installation,” Jarvis said. “However, I am not an ‘artist’ by trade, so I really appreciate when the artists can be self-sufficient.”

The Stewart Gallery rarely features photography, making this show an exception to the rule. The exhibit is also unique in that each photograph is accompanied by a description of the animal and the setting, providing opportunities for visitors to not only enjoy the photographs, but also to learn about nature.

Some of the animals featured in the exhibit are the American lady (Vanessa virginiensis), a “medium-sized butterfly … of the brush-footed butterfly family,” the common loon (Gavia immer), “a large, long-bodied, low swimming bird” that changes colors depending on the season when it reaches adulthood, the hooded merganser (Lyphodytes cucullatus), “a large, stately, slender, white wading bird” and the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), “the smallest member of the North American deer family,” Saunders wrote.

Being a naturalist, Saunders hopes that his photography “will contribute to the purpose of environmental education, perhaps to stimulate those who are not familiar with the gifts of nature or further stimulating those who already are,” he wrote.

“I feel that if one becomes more intimate with nature, one is likely to realize these gifts, perhaps becoming passionate about them, and certainly becoming interested in not losing them,” he wrote in a profile about himself for distribution at the exhibit. “It would be difficult to feel loss if one is not aware of what they are losing.”

Jarvis agreed, saying that the intersection of nature and art in the exhibit can introduce nature to art-lovers and vice versa. He hopes that the exhibition will make an impression on people and inspire them.

“Our goal/mission as an organization is to support creative expression in the community. Just by showing a local artist, we have achieved that. But really, we want our audience to become inspired and say, ‘Oh, I take walks at Rock Creek all the time, maybe I’ll bring a camera next time.’”

“Portraits of Nature in Iowa — Part II” will be on display at the Stewart Gallery until Thursday, Feb. 15.

Edited by mikekben@grinnell.edu

On Thursday, Jan. 25, a forum was held on the proposed $60 million bond for the Grinnell-Newburg School District. Hosted by the League of Women Voters at the Drake Public Library, the forum allowed the public a chance to engage with Superintendent Dr. Janet Stutz, the Board of Education and “Educate Our Kids, We Are Grinnell,” an advocacy group in support of the bond.

“The League highly regards Education and Community Improvement,” wrote Ivy Schuster, a member of the League and an organizer of the forum, in an email to The S&B. By hosting this forum, “the League hopes to provide non-partisan information on the bond issue. There will not be a weighing of pros and cons; attendees will be expected to interpret the information given to form their opinion on the matter.”

The forum precedes voting on the bond which will be held from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 6 at the Elks Lodge. The ballot will include two questions which must both receive more than 60 percent of the vote for the bond to take effect. One of the questions asks for approval of the bond, and the other asks for approval of a change to the district’s tax levy.

According to the district’s website, “we are asking [Grinnell residents] to vote for a proposed $60 million bond — a $4.05 tax levy increase.” If the bond referendum passes, the district will simultaneously reduce the current tax levy, decreasing the net impact.

“The net impact people will feel is $2.60 per $1,000 assessed valuation. So for the average home owner in Grinnell, it will cost about $230 a year,” Stutz said.

By raising the debt levy to $4.05, the district will have sufficient income to sell bonds. “We can sell the bonds at low interest rates at this time of year,” Stutz said, but “if we wait and this bond doesn’t pass, it’s just going to get more expensive and the work isn’t going to go away.”

With an extensive background in facilities and learning environments,

Stutz was hired as the Grinnell-Newburg School District Superintendent just over 18 months ago. Coming into the position, Stutz knew of the School Board’s concerns with the district’s facilities, so soon after her appointment, she ordered two audits. First, an internal audit was undertaken through which Stutz and the principal of each school looked at the “life safety components” of each building — everything from plumbing to playgrounds.

Once these had been assessed, Stutz developed her own audit based upon the 33 design principles of Dr. Jeffrey Lackney, University of Wisconsin, Madison. These principles focus on school buildings, facility planning and architecture, and allowed Stutz to create a rating scale with which principals could evaluate buildings. The findings of these two audits indicated several shortcomings, both specific and general.

After conducting the audits, the corporation hired Estes Construction and CMBA, a Des Moines architecture firm, to conduct a cost analysis for the required work at each school.

The estimate for all mechanical, electrical and plumbing work came to just under $50 million dollars for the district’s five buildings: three elementary schools, one middle school for grades 5-8 and a 9-12 high school.

“Rather than put $47 million into old buildings where we get no educational addition value, we’re going to do $60 million, build a new school, gut

and renovate the middle school, and enhance the high school,” Stutz said in reference to the initial cost analysis. Other planned enhancements to the schools include safer entry ways, storm shelters for the elementary and middle schools, and ADA compliance.

To optimize learning environments for community-specific educational goals, qualitative data were gathered from students, staff and parents, generating five standout principles to guide the remodeling. Key among these principles, according to Stutz, was innovation. “We want to have kids who have the ability to collaborate, communicate [and] work in spaces where they can do that, so [we want] some flexible spaces,” Stutz said. Students also want more opportunities for career and college readiness and above all, according to Stutz, the district wants to be a leader in education and best practice.

This is not the first time the district has attempted to authorize increased taxes for construction; in 2015, a slightly different proposal failed at the ballot box.

“The last bond that failed, … the plan was different,” Stutz said. At that time, “they wanted to put the elementary school out here [at the middle school], but this is a tough short corner and putting 850 kids out here is not a good idea. There’s no room.”

The school corporation hopes that this round will be better. The vote will occur on Tuesday, Feb. 6.

HELENA GRUENSTEIDL

Davis Elementary is one of Grinnell's current public schools.

State distributes voter ID cards

Continued from Front Page

present other forms of identification and sign an affidavit, for the time being.

The bill originated in the Republican-controlled Iowa Senate as a solution to voter fraud, although the presence of systematic voter fraud has never been demonstrated.

“Often times [what is considered voter fraud] is just record keeping issues, which happens. If you have a 99.9 percent success rate, [then] a certain amount of mistakes will happen in the record keeping process.

The important thing to know is that voter identification does not prevent this from happening,” said Austin Wadle ’18, President of Grinnell College Campus Democrats.

Additionally, these new laws end the same-day voter-registration program. A person who happens to move between elections must now provide address documentation that is less than 45 days old.

This new bill is a challenge for Iowans who moved within the state soon before Election Day, and for new voters who simply may not have the required documentation.

Further, this bill affects Iowa's absentee voting rules by reducing how far in advance ballots are mailed out.

“At the end of the day, this bill doesn't affect the average voter. But that's not what matters. It's how it affects the inconsistent voter, the voter that's consistently marginalized because of their economic or work situation or their living situation. … It's important to keep in mind that while this doesn't affect most people, it's going to affect the populations that are most vulnerable,” Wadle said.

Much of the discussion surrounding this bill has included charges of voter suppression, especially in regard to college students.

The claims are based on the fact that transient individuals, such as college students, are often moving and therefore have a harder time providing residency documentation.

Additionally, college students in Iowa are least likely to have state issued identification, such as a driver's license, making them even more negatively affected by this bill.

“As Grinnell College students, we're moving almost every year to a new physical address. … Moving

every year makes you less likely to be registered at your current address, and so even if you have a voter identification card that got sent to you last time you registered, often times that voter identification card will be out of date,” Wadle said.

A voter identification card is an additional thing that people have to remember to bring with them to the polls. In some cases, additional requirements have the potential to discourage many individuals from voting.

Wadle stresses that students should make sure that they are registered and check their mail for their voter identification cards. If students have not received their card or cannot locate it, it is easy and free to request a replacement from the county auditor. In some cases, it may have been sent to a student’s home address during winter break.

“It's just one of those things,” Wadle said, “like your Saint's Rest bean card, to just keep in your wallet at all times with you. Have it become part of what you keep as a set of things that you need.”

The next local election takes place on Tuesday, Feb. 6.

Edited by schultej@grinnell.edu

Rueter's Digest: our Lavar Ball problem

By Sam Rueter ruetersa@grinnell.edu The two most storied franchises in NBA history, the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers, played a regular season game on Nov. 8, 2017 in their first matchup of this season. In the days leading up to the game, ESPN ran a series of promos trying to stir fan interest in the relatively meaningless affair. These promos included footage of iconic players such as Magic Johson, Jerry West, Bill Russell and Larry Bird. Each of these individuals famously wore Celtic green or Laker purple and gold. While not every promo contained the same content, they all ended the same way: a graphic would flash across the screen with the words “rivalry renewed,” alongside a picture of three Celtics players and one Lakers player. That single player is a skinny, acne-speckled 20-year-old named Lonzo Ball, the new king of the Lakers. But what, or more aptly, who really fueled Lonzo Ball’s coronation?

Back in 2016, Lonzo Ball’s father, Lavar, declared that UCLA, Lonzo's then-college team, would win the NCAA men's basketball championship. Lavar has been a non-stop source of hot-takes, media sound bites and self-promotion ever since. He has parlayed Lonzo's name recognition into a reality TV series, a slew of endorsement opportunities and most notably, an apparel company called “Big Baller Brand,” where Lonzo and his 16-yearold brother LaMelo have signature shoes that retail for upwards of $400 a pair.

According to those familiar with the retail industry, Lavar cost his family millions by turning down a proposed deal with heavyweight sports company Nike in favor of branching out on his own with “Big Baller Brand.”

What Lavar lost in revenue, however, he more than made up for in individual mobility and influence. He retains sole decision-making power when it comes to all things concerning the Ball Family enterprise.

Operating within an inherently exploitative environment, covered by a sports media industry that increasingly relies on yelling as opposed to thoughtful discussion, there is a certain poignancy to all that Lavar Ball does.

Over and over again, he cuts out a middle man who is widely decried. He yells and screams for attention, much in the same way as those who admonish him. Like President Trump, he is the manifestation rather than the cause of the political, social and cultural environment in which he exists. As such, we must ask the question of Lavar that we ask of Trump: is he gaming the system or destroying it?

It is perhaps giving Lavar too much credit to assert that he is a master manipulator who pushes all the right buttons and pulls all the right strings.

However, it is equally misleading to write him off as a buffoon who landed in the spotlight simply because of his

talented sons. It is more likely that Lavar had big goals for his family and his kids, poured his energy and efforts into achieving them and was then thrust into the spotlight when his investments started to pay dividends.

That doesn’t make Lavar a genius or a chump, but rather an opportunist whose motives are up for debate.

What isn’t debatable, however, is that Lavar has done little to take the shine off of his son Lonzo. If anything, he has given Lonzo a certain amount of goodwill from people who see Lavar as an exploitative father and Lonzo as the docile and obedient son. In fact, the word most often thrown around by sports media about Lonzo, aside from adjectives which describe his god-like passing ability, is “misunderstood.”

Many may think it applies to Lonzo, but Lonzo, writing an article in The Player's Tribune before the June NBA Draft, argues that it also describes his father.

“The confidence that you [Lavar] have in me makes me feel so strong,” Lonzo wrote. “It’s helped me to never back down from a challenge and to stay true to myself. I’m going to be taking this next step to the NBA knowing that I’m ready.”

During a May 2017 interview on Fox Sports’ “The Herd,” contributor Kristen Leahy attempted to ask Lavar Ball a question about his brand and his relationship with his sons. “Stay in your lane,” Lavar snapped back at her. Instead of apologizing in the wake of intense backlash to what many perceived to be offensive comments, Lavar doubled down. Within days the “Big Baller Brand” online store was selling shirts adorned with the phrase “Stay in Yo Lane.”

This commercialization of casual sexism, emblematic of Lavar's ability to make anything marketable and relevant simply because “Lavar said it,” is the scariest part of his ascension to the limelight. Much like President Trump, Lavar has become a cultural force and a brand, who sweeps up scores of supporters with rhetoric and hides behind a mantra (“Big Baller” or “Make America Great Again”) that solely benefits its creator.

Although Lavar Ball and President Trump hold different roles with different responsibilities, they have similarly used their big personalities and brashness to garner a strong support base — a support base that is willing to overlook the questionable character traits of their respective patriarchs in the name of belonging to a movement. In Lavar’s case, he has made unapologetically sexist comments on multiple occasions. In Trump's case, he has threatened the very foundation of American Democracy.

Hopefully Lonzo Ball's selfless playstyle leads to greatness on the basketball court and affection off of it. Hopefully Lavar Ball can serve as a prescient reminder that we need to separate brands from ideologies and good fathers from questionable men.

Sports

Athlete spotlight: first-year Paul Cover '21 breaks school record in 100-yard butterfly

5

CONTRIBUTED

Paul Cover ’21 broke the school record in the 100-yard butterfly last weekend at the Grinnell Invitational.

By Quan Tran tranminh2@grinnell.edu At the swimming and diving team’s Grinnell Invitational last Saturday, Jan. 20, Paul Cover ’21 was thinking about breaking records.

“I had known from my swim in the morning that I had a shot at breaking [the record] and asked my coach if I could wear those special suits that help us go faster — the tech suit. Going in I looked at the board and knew what I was shooting for,” Cover said.

By the end of the night, Cover clocked in at 51.30 seconds in the 100-yard butterfly event, besting Emmanuel Spooner ’13’s previous record of 51.34 seconds.

The suit, however, was not the only thing that propelled Cover to a historic night. Cover’s friendly competition with his roommate, Mitch Sevier ’21, who happened to swim in the next lane over that night, played a major role. In the end, it certainly paid off. Unlike previous wins, this victory seems much sweeter for Cover.

“I [also] have a 100-yard butterfly record on my high school and my club teams. … [But] I definitely like this one more because I knew I got Mitch with me and [butterfly]’s not really [just] my thing here.”

As for his fans and coaches,

they knew Cover was going for the record the moment they saw him pull on the suit. They might have witnessed what essentially is the beginning of a storied rivalry between the two roommates.

“But I’m not done by any means, and Mitch [is] still coming for me so I still have somebody to race for that.”

“I want to keep bringing that record down because I know I can go faster. Maybe I'll go for the 200-yard [butterfly] record as well.”

Paul Cover '21 Growing up in Columbia, Missouri, Cover played many sports when he was a kid. He got into swimming at a very young age, and by the age of 12 was swimming competitively. He then realized that everything else had to go to make room for swimming.

By the time college application season got around, the intended biology major knew he wanted to attend a Division III institution.

Among the college trips he went on, Grinnell’s facility was, to him, “nowhere even remotely like the others.” He also really liked the intimate atmosphere of the team and felt really close to everyone. Also,

there’s no doubt that the presence of Coach Hurley, who Cover describes as “unbelievably good,” made his decision to join the Pioneers much easier.

Nevertheless, attending a highly academic Division III college like Grinnell also poses challenges for Cover. Nowadays, he usually finds himself rotating between classes, homework and practice. What has kept Cover going, he finds, is his own responsibility for planning out his day, a habit he learnt well from high school. However, comparing high school and college is not always the most clear-cut comparison. Swim practice, for example, is certainly different now.

“It’s sort of hard to compare [high school and college practice].

They have a very different training style, [and] college’s is super coach-dependent. I did many more yards [back in high school], and here we do fewer but each one matters more,” Cover said.

All in all, Cover knows his student-athlete career has just begun.

There are many more miles — or in his case, yards — to cover.

“I want to keep bringing that record down because I know I can go faster. Maybe I’ll go for the 200yard [butterfly] record as well. As long as I get to race, I’m fine with whatever happens.”

Winter break wrap-up: basketball and swimming and diving teams compete through break posting double-doubles on a consistent basis, and has made it into the top five of the team’s all-time scoring list and second all-time in free throws made. The women sit at 7-8 overall, and with a month left, they face familiar conference foes the rest of the way.

Men’s basketball

CONTRIBUTED

Abby Hellweg ’19 on the floor for the Pioneers. The women's basketball team competed several times at Darby Gym while most students were away.

By Jackson Schulte schultej@grinnell.edu Most people on campus probably envision winter break as a time for Grinnell’s student-athletes to get a taste of free time that is typically unavailable to people who attend class, practice and weight sessions

every day during the academic year.

For Grinnell’s basketball and swimming teams, however, winter break lands during the heart of their seasons. The S&B sifted through box scores and post-game articles to bring you the highlights from Grinnell’s winter break competitions.

Women’s basketball

The Pioneer women’s basketball team posted a 3-2 record over break.

Following Wednesday night’s home loss to Cornell College, they sit at .500 for the month of January. From an individual perspective, Kayla Morrissey ’18’s dominance particularly stands out. Morrissey has been

The men’s basketball team is coming off a winter break in which they won three games and lost another three. The wins included hard-fought victories in conference matchups, and the losses came at the hands of talented teams such as Nebraska Wesleyan, which is 17-2, and Monmouth, which sits just above Grinnell in the conference standings. In the Pioneers’ 107-93 victory over Lake Forest, they recorded their 1,000th program win, an impressive feat for coaches David Arseneault Sr. and David Arseneault Jr., who have been at the helm for over a third of those victories. Vinny Curta ’19 leads all divisions of the NCAA in scoring, averaging 33.4 points per game.

Women’s swim and dive

The women’s swimming and

diving team started their return from break on a team trip to Florida, where they trained and competed in a duel against Connecticut College in Naples. Connecticut College is nationally ranked, and although the Pioneers lost, they posted some impressive individual performances, including Summer White ’18 winning the duel on the diving board.

The Pioneers’ only other meet during break was the Grinnell Invitational on Jan. 19 and 20, at which they took first place. The win at the Grinnell Invitational was the first in 10 years for the Pioneers. They compete again this weekend at Macalester College.

Men’s swim and dive

Just like the women, the men’s swimming and diving team traveled to Naples, Florida to compete against Connecticut College at the beginning of January, where they lost 83-143.

However, also like the women, they won the Grinnell Invitational, where Paul Cover ’21 set a school record in the 100-yard butterfly. Besides Cover’s record, Joshua Cottle ’18 won the 1650 freestyle and Michael Lee ’18 won three-meter diving. The men will travel with the women to Macalester College this weekend.

Features

6

Edited by weberama@grinnell.edu

Philosophy SEPC: practicality and personality

SHACS embraces healthy masculinity

By Chloe Wray wraychlo@grinnell.edu When I met the philosophy student educational policy committee (SEPC), they were dressed in varying shades of grey, quite suited for a field of that is often thought of as morose. The quick humor of the group, however, was anything but dour — aside from the potential for surly jokes at the expense of the major, which highlighted a love for the department and discipline.

The philosophy SEPC comprises Patrick Armstrong ’18, Tristan Aschittino ’18, Vincent Benlloch ’18, Jin Chang ’19, Maxwell Fenton ’19, Candace Mettle ’19 and Max Pilcher ’18. Members of the SEPC act as student-faculty liaisons for the philosophy department, participate in tenure review procedures for faculty and interview new hires.

Other roles include hosting and promoting events. The first such event of the semester is on Feb. 8, when the department is bringing Michael Olsen ’03 to present a talk called “Interrogating ‘Kant.’”

One “venerable” tradition, as Fenton put it, is the philosophy SEPC book club, which has been taking place on campus for several years. The most recent meeting featured an early article by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor on race and political economy and a selection by Gloria Anzaldúa on Mestiza identity, along with pancakes courtesy of Benlloch. The book club does not limit itself to seminal philosophical texts as these two selections might suggest — they cover everything from race to sexuality to disability studies, as well as literary classics like David Foster Wallace and Kafka.

"[Philosophy is] a necessary component for everyone to think about their own choices and apply some reflexivity to the decisions they are making."

Max Pilcher '18 Other roles of the SEPC involve encouraging department engagement. The SEPC highlighted two

By Zoe Fruchter fruchter@grinnell.edu REINA SHAHI

Members of the Philosophy SEPC (left to right, top to bottom): Patrick Armstrong ’18, Vincent Benlloch ’18, Max Fenton ’19, Max Pilcher ’18, Tristan Aschittino ’18, Candace Mettle ’19, and Jin Chang ’19. visiting professors in the philosophy department this semester, Mukasa Mubirumusoke and Jo-Jo Koo, who will be teaching Contemporary Ethical Issues and the Philosophy of Race and Gender, respectively.

On the subject of department involvement, the members of the SEPC were quick to share their reasons for practicing philosophy, much of which revolved around the insight philosophy offers into the shared human experience. “[Philosophy is] a necessary component for everyone to think about their own choices and apply some reflexivity to the decisions they are making,” Pilcher said.

Aschittino offered similar thoughts on the relevance and usefulness of the philosophy major.

“Everyone has to go through life with a world view, and philosophy is a way to look at a huge number of world views and how they compete and alter each other and how they interact,” Aschittino said. “It maybe is the most practical major if you’re thinking of the practicality of being a human being in the world!”

“It’s something that is both deeply rigorous but also in many ways deeply personal,” Benlloch added. “I do think there are less majors that require a certain level of personal commitment to the way in which you figure into the things you read.”

Armstrong affirmed the person-

al dimension of studying philosophy as well.

“On the personal level, there’s also something about the practice itself that’s really thrilling and exciting,” Armstrong said. “I’ve never had the same feeling intellectually after reading as I have after reading really dense philosophy of any kind for eights hours straight. Particularly with really old or ancient philosophy you get into this really odd logic that you have to occupy with your brain and you have to make the arguments as they would. It feels like you’re occupying a different form of reality, in a really cool and rigorous way.”

Fenton was sure to emphasize the interdisciplinary nature of philosophy.

“You can apply different [lenses] of philosophy to contemporary philosophy to ethical issues, political issues, social issues … it’s very much the underpinnings of a lot of other disciplines. I don’t know if we’d have sociology or Gender, Women’s and Sexuality Studies, or empirical sciences, without philosophy providing a basis for them. It’s very much the structure of how contemporary thinking works,” Fenton said.

—Editor's note: Maxwell Fenton '19 is the opinions editor for The S&B and Candace Mettle '19 is the news editor for The S&B

Grinnell has recently welcomed a new group onto campus — one dedicated to the male identity.

“Masculinity is entirely personal — the important part is defining it in a way that is meaningful to each of us,” wrote Thomas Zigo, founder of the new “Defining Masculinity” identity group and a SHACS counselor, in an email to The S&B. The purpose of the new group is to facilitate a discussion among male-identifying Grinnellians about healthy and toxic masculinity. Zigo was inspired to form the group through his work as a therapist in the University Counseling Center at Grand Valley State University, and further developed the idea with other college counselors who specialize in men's issues counseling. “[Masculinity is] liberated from the roles and expectations inflicted on male-identifying individuals to subscribe to traits that are seen as traditionally masculine,” Zigo said. He explained that masculinity can often be toxic, with men “stuck thinking/ feeling/acting in ways that are traditionally accepted, not representative of who we are, and that are harmful to self and others.”

“Masculinity is entirely personal—the important part is defining it in a way that is meaningful to all of us.”

Thomas Zigo, SHACS Counselor

Recently, the harmful effects of toxic masculinity have been addressed nationally with the advent of the #MeToo movement, which gives voice to survivors of sexual harassment and

abuse. Zigo recognized that while the formation of the group has no connection with the movement, it is still relevant. “[It is] absolutely imperative that male-identity groups need to address the different factors that may perpetuate men's physical and sexual violence,” Zigo wrote.

SHACS already provides individual counseling services for students dealing with issues surrounding gender, but Zigo hopes that a group setting will enable the opportunity for male-identifying students to share personal experiences and exchange ideas in a supportive environment.

“The group members will experience a sense of belonging and unity, while also learning from the experiences of others.”

Thomas Zigo, SHACS Counselor “The group members will experience a sense of belonging and unity, while also learning from the experiences of others,” Zigo said.

The group will meet from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m on Fridays, starting Feb. 16 through April 20. The program is intended for “Grinnell College students who carry a male identity.”

“Research overwhelmingly supports the notion that male-identifying individuals are significantly less likely to seek any sort of counseling services.

This group will impact the Grinnell community by working to reduce the stigma that male-identifying students may associate with counseling services,” Zigo said.

If you are interested in joining the “Defining Masculinity” group, stop by SHACS or email zigothom@g5rinnell.edu to set up a screening.

Goals for a new semester Shoot for the moon and you'll land amongst the stars. Grinnell students share their goals for the new semester, from drinking more water and keeping up grades to just surviving. The S&B's Aru Fatehpuria and photographer Mai Phuong Vu went to the Spencer Grill and Laurel Leaf Lounge to find out about Grinnellian goals.

“My goal is to get at least a 3.8 or above, gain about 15 pounds and just stay on top of my SGA work.”

— Max Hill ’20

“I really would want to get more involved in campus activities, try to become more a part of campus life. I really want to tighten down on my classes and make sure I’m putting my best effort into my classes, try to get my GPA up just a little bit.”

—Bryce Cook ’21

“For this semester I’d like to, one, drink more water and, two, make Dean’s List again.”

—Madison Wardlaw ’20

“Just survive.”

“This semester I really want to focus on my academics and my physical and mental health. That means working out, putting in time for my academics and making sure that I’m taking care of myself mentally, like playing video games, having a great time, hang out with my friends.”

—Jemuel Santos ’19

“I hope to stay on top of my classes and be a good mentor to the class that I’m mentoring for.”

—Vijeeth Guggilla ’21

— Michelle Lee ’19

Edited by fentonma@grinnell.edu

While being a part of Dissenting Voices (DV), I’ve had the honor of experiencing radical feminist praxis that has led to direct and effective change. DV has accomplished so many things for the campus community, including bringing Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) nurses to the since-closed Grinnell Regional Mental Health (GRMH), more frequent Clery reports, banning of responsible perpetrators from student safety jobs, directing Grinnell’s issue to national attention through the Huffington Post and, most importantly, the opening of an official Title IX Complaint to the Office of Civil Rights (OCR).

Last year, the complaint was closed by OCR “based on the settlement agreement and the revisions to the Title IX policy and procedures.”

In other words, students withdrew their complaint and the College revised their Title IX policy that applied to the students’ claims. While the OCR is no longer investigating this complaint, it set an important precedent at Grinnell that rendered visible the possibility of legal action against parties responsible for sexual discrimination and the weight that legal action can have on changing policies and procedures.

Thanks to the labor of many feminists of the national campus anti-rape movement, there are now easily accessible resources for survivors’ legal rights (like knowyourix. org & endrapeoncampus.org). Survivors and activists around the nation are filing complaints to the OCR and even filing private suits against gender and sex discrimination. Title IX protects equal access to education. It “prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any education program or activity operated by a recipient of

Opinions

Letter to the editor: An elegy for feminist justice at Grinnell

federal financial assistance. Title IX also prohibits retaliation for certain protected activities.”

A few key rights under Title IX: You have the right to live and learn in environments free from your assailant (dorms, classrooms, work, dining hall, etc.).

Survivors are entitled to costfree accommodations (counseling, tutoring, changes to housing, etc.).

You do not need to suffer the financial burden of your school’s mistakes. If the school fails to take prompt and effective steps to eliminate violence and prevent its recurrence, they may be required to reimburse lost tuition and related expenses.

The importance of Title IX is that it addresses both the personal and professional effects of sexual violence on campus. It is not just about the rapists and the horrifying violence they enact on their peers — it’s about the grounds and structures that allow these instances of violence to occur and the impact on survivors’ place in the public sphere.

Feminist theorists such as Susan Brownmiller have re-theorized sexual violence as a crime of power, not a crime of passion. Sexual violence has been used historically to control and dominate women’s bodies to reinforce women’s place as one in the private and domestic sphere. Sexual violence is a tool of terror utilized by the oppressor to kill access to public space of the oppressed. This is why it is important to understand campus rape as an equal access issue and why administrators need to act fast to eliminate any barriers to a survivor’s access to education.

DV has received critique from the administration for our protests against policies and practices of

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

Lily Bohlke Emma Friedlander Alice Herman Candace Mettle Amanda Weber Jackson Schulte Mayo Sueta Ben Mikek Maxwell Fenton Caleb Forbes Ahon Gooptu Lica Ishida Andrew Tucker Helena Gruensteidl Riley Murphy Kate Irwin Chloe Wray Tim & Eric

our Title IX office. The reason why feminist activists have critiqued the administration is because our campus does not provide an equal access campus. It is not equal access when a countless number of serial rapists graduate while their peers affected by their violence are on medical leave. In May 2017, I walked Commencement stage with a banner that read: “We are Graduating with Two Serial Rapists,” only to learn two days later that number should have actually been five. It is not equal access when survivors have to share the three-block radius of campus with their perpetrators, even with no-contact orders. It is not equal access when students are almost never notified (as required by the Clery Act) when their peer commits a sexual crime against another peer.

DV has been effective because of its recognition of the College’s investment in its own image. We’ve hit them where it hurts: their public identity and their money. We’ve held actions at family weekend, prospective student weekends, we’ve created websites that establish institutional memory of the many times that the institution has failed its students and we continue to deconstruct the image that the College spends so much money to build. We have held dis-orientation events, installed anti-rape protest art, held Take Back the Night events and provided resources to survivors on campus.

DV has persisted through countless retaliation tactics, including the College’s hiring of Pepper Hamilton, a firm notorious for its retaliation against survivors and activists and in helping institutions maintain their image instead of helping to create a discriminatory-free campus.

Part of the reason why feminist ac-

tivism can persist is the institutional memory that we leave behind. When we trace the discourse around rape and Title IX at Grinnell, there is a clear reason why there is no trust between students and administration.

It is because we see a clear history of the countless retaliation tactics enacted by the administration, as well as disconnects between survivor stories and statements made by the administration. This is not a personal attack on any single member of the administration, but a demystification of the motivations with which administrative decisions are made. The bureaucratic structure of Grinnell’s administration makes it people’s jobs to prioritize liabilities and image over protecting survivors.

Administrators — if you want students to trust you, fire Pepper Hamilton, hire a full-time Title IX coordinator, provide trauma-informed counseling or transportation to such counseling, make sure the Title IX adjudication process is speedy and transparent, create a GWSS center to make space for conversations and education … I could go on since there is so much that administrators can act on to provide a more safe and equitable campus. Listen to students’ concerns and demands and do whatever you can in your power to help these aims and goals happen. Actually read the aims and goals of DV — it was compiled with weeks and months of research and input from survivors. In the end, what we should be aiming for are effective and ethical policies and practices that support survivors and end rape on campus.

Survivors — know that you have much more support and resources than you may realize, on

7

and off campus. The law is on your side and there are so many different ways for you to get your power back. I cannot stress enough that under federal law, you do not need to suffer the financial burden of your school’s mistakes. If the school fails to take prompt and effective steps to eliminate violence and prevent its recurrence, they may be required to reimburse lost tuition and related expenses.

If you are a survivor and want to know more about how Title IX applies to you specifically, all you have to do is contact the legal team at Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault (ICASA), where you can receive free legal counseling (legal@iowacasa.org). Federal Title IX complaints must be filed within 180 days of the date of the alleged discrimination, but may be extended for good cause. You can find a composite list of survivor resources, including culturally specific resources, like Monsoon, confidential resources on campus, like the Chaplain’s Office, and anonymous reporting, like EthicsPoint, on our website.

This elegy is more of a call to action. I’ve heard so many people asking, “what can we do?” after learning about sexual violence on campus and in the world. First of all, believe and support survivors. Read the DV aims and goals and demand them, work toward them and create spaces for consciousness-raising and direct action. Know the law and learn more about effective organizing. Begin and continue to point out discriminatory practices and protect equal access to education.

— Hankyeol Song '17

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

The newspaper is funded in part by the Student Publications and Radio Committee (SPARC) and also relies on advertising revenue to cover operating costs. All publications funded by SPARC are copyright of SPARC and cannot be reproduced elsewhere without specific written consent from SPARC. Contributions The Scarlet & Black welcomes story ideas from students, faculty and other members of the town and college community. If there is any story that should be covered, please email newspapr@grinnell.edu or visit thesandb.com Send letters to the editor via email at newspapr@grinnell.edu or mail them to Box 5886. The author’s name must be included, but letters can be published anonymously in certain occasions. Letters will be printed at the discretion of the editor. The opinions expressed in this section do not necessarily reflect those of the editorial staff. The S&B reserves the right to edit any and all submissions.

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

the

Back Page Volume 134, Issue 13

thesandb.com

"The best thing since the front page!"

Photo of the Week

Got a backpage-worthy photo? Submit it to [newspapr] and earn $5 for contributing a winner!

"Sunday evenings often feel like the weekend is over before it's even begun." — Catherine McCormack

Arbitrary Analysis Social Calendar Friday

MAXWELL FENTON

Hamsters

Gerbils

Snedge

This week, Maxwell Fenton '19 and Seth Taylor '21 polled students asking: Tide Pods or Laundry Sauce?

7:00 p.m. Exhibition: En Voyage @ Faulconer Gallery 7:00 p.m. Blade Runner 2049 @ Harris Cinema

Guinea Pigs

The Signs as Dad Rock Bands

North Loggia

Saturday​

12:00 p.m. Met Opera Live in HD: Tosca @ Harris Cinema 10:00 p.m. jardner @ Gardner Lounge

Like what you see?

South Loggia

check us out: @thesandb /thescarletandblack thesandb.com @newspapr

Rants & Raves: Posse remembered and forgotten Today the Posse Retreat got brought up in class and a first-year student asked what Posse even was. I sat in disbelief for a second and then realized that the eradication of future Posse students at Grinnell has come to the point where some don't know what an amazing program it is and the inspiring people who are a part of it.

Aries: Jethro Tull Taurus: Kansas Gemini: The Doobie Brothers Cancer: John Cougar Mellencamp Leo: Eric Clapton Virgo: Stevie Ray Vaughan Libra: Styx Scorpio: Steely Dan Sagittarius: KISS Capricorn: Rush Aquarius: The Cars Pisces: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young — Sister Aurora Impulse

Students speak about what’s on their minds in 80 words or fewer, and you’re invited! If you have a rant or a rave, email it to [newspapr] or [fentonma]

Barber babes

The quest for opinions

Non-alcoholic advice

Emma Friedlander '18's new bangs are bangin'.

The utter lack of grievances in Grinnell is really grinding my gears. Why is it so hard to find a good rant or rave? Submit rants, apathetic students. The world needs your enthusiasm. I need your enthusiasm.

When you get sick at the beginning of a Grinnell semester (as you will), might I recommend the D-Hall Shirley Temple: 2/3 cups cranberry juice, 1/3 cup Sprite.

- Her hairdresser

- Strong Opinions '20

- Auck Fdministration -

- Roy Rogers '34