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Scarlet & Black Volume 134, Issue 11
November 17, 2017 • Grinnell, Iowa
Tax plan poses threat to colleges and universities President Kington calls for action to prevent legislation
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College faculty and staff to face higher insurance premiums
By Carter Howe howethom@grinnell.edu
Effective on Jan. 1, 2018, College faculty and staff will see their health insurance premiums increase by 5.6 percent and their dental insurance premiums by 2 percent. Much more controversially, however, approximately 150 College employees will lose their “flex credit” benefit. “Flex Credit is money given to employees who 1. Decline our
health insurance coverage and seek coverage through a spouse/domestic partner/parent’s plan elsewhere or 2. Employees who insure another College employee on their health or dental plan receive a discount to the net premiums they pay for coverage,” wrote Assistant Vice President of Human Resources Mary Greiner in an email to The S&B. Because the flex credit system gave refunds to those who elected to use it, having this benefit taken away is akin to a pay cut for the
150 College employees who took advantage of the credit. An announcement regarding the policy change that was obtained by The S&B says that flex credit benefits like the ones offered by the College are not a standard feature of health insurance plans, and that the College’s health insurance plan still meets standards of affordability prescribed by law. “Elimination of flex credit dollars ensures that the College is >> See New Insurance page 2
Students protest Title IX legislation, question removal of display By Emma Friedlander friedlan@grinnell.edu
“Over half of our budget comes from the endowment. Many of us forget how extraordinary that is,”
Kington said. “Between a quarter and a third of our students basically get free tuition. Very few schools can say that, especially among the elite schools with large endowments. One of the biggest things in our budget is $49 million last year in financial aid. It’s inevitable that [the tax] would affect that ability — either we’re going to reduce a service or some function or salaries that may limit our ability to get quality teaching faculty.” If the 1.4 percent excise tax were enacted, it would result in the loss of between $1.5 million and $4 million dollars from the endowment. This is a significant portion of the $48.5 million that goes towards institutional grant aid this year, of which 87 percent of Grinnell students receive some portion. “[This legislation] is driven by reasons that are purely political, which is that the Republican government needs to show that it can do something,” Kington said. “One of the reasons why colleges and universities are in the cross hairs is because the governing party isn’t thrilled about our institutions. We’re perceived of as being elitist and liberal and democrats and blue states and all the way down the line.” At the end of the special campus memo, Kington urged students to call their representatives to express their concerns about the proposed changes. When asked, Kington provided solid guidance on how to talk to your representatives in Congress. “One, be extraordinarily polite. Two, state in unambiguous terms what your position is and why. You could say, for example, ‘I’m a student at Grinnell College in Iowa. Grinnell College has a large endowment. Much of their endowment goes to pay for the cost of the College, including my aid, my grant aid. To add this tax means that money that would go to help this institution function is now going to the federal government and that I strongly object to this.’” The College will keep Grinnellians informed as the bill continues to move through the Senate. In the meantime, Kington finds some optimism in the differences between the House and the Senate’s bills and thus the opportunity for compromise. “I’m hopeful that some of these issues can be addressed. It looks like the Senate side and the House side might be quite different on a number of dimensions, so there might be something of a reconciliation process between the two,” he said. “I can only hope that some of these components are addressed at a time when it’s even more clear that higher education remains the engine of social and economic mobility in this country.”
Friday Black Awareness Week: SAA JRC 101, 6:00 p.m.
Friday All Campus Talent Show Harris Center 8:00 p.m.
On Thursday, Nov. 16, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a major rewrite of the tax code, a significant step in the Republicans’ current attempt to pass new tax legislation that could threaten college finances. The legislation has been working its way through the House and the Senate for some time, and last Thursday, Nov. 9 President Kington sent out a special campus memo to inform the Grinnell community about the bill’s potential implications and to implore people to call their representatives saying they do not support the bill. “I wouldn’t usually send out [a memo] like that,” Kington said. “The reason I did in this case is because [according to] the drafts as publicly discussed and circulated in the newspapers, this was a piece of legislation that would have [a] pretty significant, direct impact on students, in ways that are relatively unusual.”
"It’s inevitable that [the tax] would affect that ability – either we’re going to reduce a service or some function or salaries that may limit our ability to get quality teaching faculty." Raynard Kington, Grinnell College President The memo outlined a number of possible components of the legislation that could have a negative impact on the College. These include a 1.4 percent excise tax on private college endowments, the repeal of the Student Loan Interest Deduction, the removal of tuition benefits for employees’ dependents and the banning of tax-free bonds for private schools’ building projects. Although the language of the bill drafts is neither specific nor finalized, the possibilities presented cause major concerns, especially for Grinnell’s endowment and the aid it provides to students.
"I can only hope that some of these components are addressed at a time when it’s even more clear that higher education remains the engine of social and economic mobility in this country." Raynard Kington, Grinnell College President
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PAUL CHAN
Grinnell College students hold signs and candles in support of survivors at last Thursday's vigil. By Alice Herman hermanl17@grinnell.edu Last Thursday, Nov. 7, Dissenting Voices (DV) held a vigil in support of campus survivors of sexual assault. The visual display that the organization coordinated for the event was removed under contested circumstances, which led to a week of back-and-forth between administrators and the organizers of the event. DV organizer Evan FeldbergBannatyne ’20 described the event as initially successful. “Instead of it just being a normal vigil — which was responding to a call of action by a bunch of national organizations — we … upped the ante and decided to make it a kind of mock-memorial to the federal government’s support of our Title IX rights and a critique of the Trump administration and Betsy DeVos’ Department of Education rescinding the Obama-era guidelines in Dear Colleague letters. ... It turned out very beautifully.” The demonstration, which also served as the group’s first general meeting of the semester, follows a
wave of sexual assault and harassment allegations against prominent entertainers, politicians and news personalities. Members of the organization lit candles, hung banners and placed a wreath on the brick Grinnell College sign on the corner of 6th Ave. and Park St. The resulting display framed the sign and remained overnight, but was removed sometime after 7 a.m. the following morning. “At 7 a.m., I went over to look at it, and it looked really good,” Feldberg-Bannatyne said. “The wind didn’t tear it all down or anything, so that was nice. It was quite a surprise to come out of class and find that it was gone … everything was gone. Everything was taken away.” Because the group had cleared the display with Facilities Management (FM) in anticipation of the event, DV leadership contacted FM to inquire about the removal of the display. “Later that day I got another call from FM, … and he told me that they were called by Campus Safety because someone from Nollen House had called them to get [the display] out of there,” Feldberg-Bannatyne
said.
"Instead of it just being a normal vigil...we upped the ante and decided to make it a kind of mock-memorial to the federal government's support of our Title IX rights." Evan Feldberg-Bannatyne '20, DV co-leader After reaching out to Campus Safety, The S&B was also re-directed to Nollen House. The ensuing conversations between DV, Campus Safety and the Associate Vice President of Student Affairs Andrea Conner left all parties split over the question of how, exactly, the display had come to be removed. “I truly believe there is a simple answer here but I’m not done figuring it out,” wrote Conner in an email to The S&B on Wednesday. Next, Director of Campus Safety James Shropshire, using Campus >> See Removal, page 3
Pioneer Weekend 4.0 continues student entrepreneurship
By Ben Mikek mikekben@grinnell.edu
On Nov. 10, students, mentors and organizers gathered for Pioneer Weekend 4.0, an entrepreneurship program organized by the Wilson Center for Innovation and Leadership. Approximately 20 students participated, according to Professor Monty Roper, anthropology, director of the Wilson Center. Groups made up of three or four students generated ideas for a project and, with the help of mentors, developed their ideas over the course of the three-day competition. “There are several things which we hope come out of [Pioneer Weekend],” Roper said. “We hope that it’s fun, we hope that students are being creative, we hope that they are being collaborative, they’re learning to work in teams, they are learning a little bit of Saturday Grinnell Symphony Orchestra Sebring-Lewis, 2:00 p.m.
what it takes to develop an idea, [and] they are getting the opportunity to practice failure in a safe environment.” To help achieve these goals, alumni return to serve as mentors for Pioneer Weekend, and they help students first crystalize and then improve their ideas. “You are really just trying to ask questions and push the thought process. People [might say,] we’re going to build this. … OK, have you thought about what materials you’re going to use, or where you’re getting those materials, or how you’re going to get them?” said Andrés Chang ’05, one of the mentors. In this advisory capacity, the mentors helped expand participants’ perspective, and lead them to consider potential problems that might not otherwise be identified.
“[The teams] are changing as they go. Sometimes they take five minutes in between [mentor sessions] and try to think about, ‘what does that mean?’ Sometimes a mentor completely throws a wrench in it, and they realize they need to go in a new direction,” Roper said. “It is so fun to see those ideas develop from day one, when they first have an inkling of an idea. … Things evolve from one moment to the next.” Past participants noted that Pioneer Weekend was invaluable in helping kickstart an idea. Last April, at Pioneer Weekend 3.0, a team made up of Myles Becker ’19, Nathan Calvin ’18, Nomalanga Shields ’18 and Dylan Ambrosoli ’18 won with a project to fund bail for those incarcerated before trial. >> See Students page 2
Sunday Local Foods Thanksgiving Main Hall Quad Dining Hall 6:00 p.m.
Monday Linguistics Guest Speaker ARH 120, 4:00 p.m.
Community 4 | Features 5 | Sports 7 | Opinions 8 | Arts 9
News Students design New insurance policy to increase premiums, cut option to opt out social justice-oriented projects with alumni of College plan
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Edited by hermanal17@grinnell.edu & mettleca@grinnell.edu
Continued from Front Page compliant with a demonstration of affordability under the Affordable Care Act. Survey data, collected and researched by Willis Towers Watson, reveal that insurance waiver Flex Credit dollars are outdated and are no longer considered a best practice,” the announcement read. However, for many College employees, the removal of flex credit dollars is significant. For Ann Isgrig, an administrative assistant in the department of student affairs, who uses health insurance her husband gets through his employer, the loss of flex credit dollars from the College now means that she will receive a little more than $3,000 less from the College in compensation per year. “I was given — I don’t know what it is — $200 a month in my paycheck because I was on my husband’s insurance, so now as of January 1, they’re not going to do that anymore,” Isgrig said.
"I think that transparency is really needed and I just want to say that I want us to be better than [average]." Anonymous College employee
Additionally, though many employees acknowledge that the benefits they receive from the College are generally of high quality, they are more upset about
the way they were notified about the changes to their health insurance. Isgrig received an email notifying her about the changes on Nov. 6, four days before the start of the “open enrollment” period, which lasts from Nov. 10 through 20, during which employees are free to change their health insurance plan. Employees are not allowed to change their health insurance plan during the rest of the year unless they experience a “qualifying event.” Sending information about health insurance in early November is a common, annual practice, according to Greiner. “Open enrollment materials were sent to faculty/staff on Nov. 7 … this is sent typically the same time every year,” Greiner wrote. However, Isgrig said that before the email was sent, there was little notice that the flex credit would be taken away. “It just seems kind of a crappy way to inform us that they were going to do that without having some education around it or a town hall. I’ve worked other places where they’ve done things like that to employees, and they’ve always been transparent about it and told us, you know, a couple months ahead you know ‘hey you’re not going to get a raise this year’ or ‘hey you know we’re going to take this benefit away from you,’ but it just … didn’t seem like it was communicated in a just way,” Isgrig said. “I think that transparency is really needed and I just want to say that I want us to be better than [average]. … I think we have good
benefits, but it may not come from benefits but it sure as heck should come from the way that we treat each other and the way we communicate with each other. … Don’t give us surprises; let us be a part of that conversation,” said a College employee at a “fireside chat” on Tuesday about the changes in health insurance hosted by members of the department of human resources. Ultimately, Isgrig said that the slow communication about the changes in health insurance is indicative of an unequal environment for employees at the
"The fact [is] that it seems like there's a hierarchy in how people are treated here ... it's worse than other colleges, more pronounced ... I would definitely like to see staff and faculty treated on a more fair basis when it comes to benefits and raises. " Ann Isgrig, administrative assistant in the department of student affairs College. “The fact [is] that it seems like there’s a hierarchy in how people are treated here, and I’ve heard it from multiple sources that it’s worse here than it is at other colleges, more pronounced, and so I guess I would just say, in addition to the flex credit thing, I would definitely like to see staff and faculty treated on a [fairer] basis when it comes to benefits and raises.”
Continued from Front Page “We came up with the idea for [Pioneer Weekend]. We weren’t going to do it otherwise, … and we got very valuable mentoring,” Becker said. “The idea of an incubator is that it gets everyone to buckle down and focus. Without that, I don’t think [our idea] would ever have come to fruition,” Calvin said. Pioneer Weekend 4.0 featured several fascinating ideas with real potential for development. The third place winner was Roots, a project by Julia Echikson ’20 and Alden Wahsono ’20 to create a nutritious vegetable bar. Coming in second place was Doorway, a project by Emmet Sandberg ’18, Henry Bolster ’18, and Gracee Wallach ’20 to create an election canvassing app. The first prize winners were Yash Gupta ’20, Nicole Nie ’19 and Paps Ampim-Darko ’19 with their project, DSRPTN.
"The mentors were invaluable, and the whole process made the idea happen. Without the facilities the program provided, there wouldn’t have been … much more than a half-backed idea." Yash Gupta '20 “The goal of the project was to make creating powerful applications easier and more accessible to people from all walks of life,” wrote Gupta in an email to The S&B. “The hope is to be able to sit anyone down in front of a computer and with minimal explanation on how the interface
works, have them creating scale-able feature-rich applications in hours or days.”
"It is so fun to see those ideas develop from day one, when they first have an inkling of an idea. … Things evolve from one moment to the next." Monty Roper, director of the Wilson Center and Professor of Anthropology. DSRPTN worked to create a simple interface which wraps apps from a user-friendly language to behave natively on Android, iOS, Windows and other platforms. Like those that came before, the team relied on help and mentoring along the way. “The mentors were invaluable, and the whole process made the idea happen. Without the facilities the program provided, there wouldn’t have been … much more than a halfbacked idea,” Gupta wrote. One of the attractive elements of Pioneer Weekend, though, is that teams can continue their projects well beyond the three-day competition. Ambrosoli, Becker, Calvin and Shields, for instance, conducted research and engaged with community partners to further their idea following the program. DSRPTN is still a new team, so the future is less certain. “In terms of future development, we’ll have to wait and see,” Gupta wrote. Regardless of the decisions they make, however, the experiences had at Pioneer Weekend are unlikely to be forgotten soon.
Trans Remembrance Day will be magical Ric Tennenbaum '18 and Trans Advocacy Group to replicate famous 1970s anti-police brutality protest through archives and found a flyer from 1970. It was part of this Gay Liberation Front protest. … The poster had names of three people, all I believe, brutalized or murdered by the Los Angeles Police Department. So this flyer was in L.A., and it was calling for people to come and gather outside of the LAPD and bring, specifically, tin cans and sticks to make spooky noises. And the idea was to levitate and make disappear the police department for two hours to temporarily halt the police violence. Is this the first time TAG has done this kind of demonstration? This is definitely the first time TAG has done this kind of demonstration. … TAG has always gone for a candlelight vigil, and that’s pretty much the mainstream, prescribed action on [Trans Remembrance Day]. … But there’s a lot of issues with the candlelight vigil. It’s hard work to get pronunciations for everyone and we can’t always tell who it is or how to say their names. So that’s always felt wrong, and especially doing that vigil on Grinnell campus. The vast majority of us at Grinnell are pretty removed from the kinds of violent situations that led to the deaths of the list of the trans people, namely homelessness and sex work. So it’s always felt like this somber act of voyeurism.
ALICE HERMAN
Ric Tennenbaum spoke with The S&B about TAG's planned levitation demonstration In lieu of a vigil for Trans Remembrance Day, Trans Advocacy Group (TAG) has planned a “levitation demonstration” in which participants plan to cast spells upon and make levitate the Grinnell Police Department building downtown. The event is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 20 and
will begin at 5 p.m. in the Grill. The S&B’s Alice Herman sat down with Ric Tennenbaum ’18 to talk about the history and goals of the protest. The S&B: What are the origins of this event? Did you come up with the idea? Ric Tennenbaum: I did not. This
is very much a translation and recreation of an action done in 1970. I’m sure that wasn’t the only case of it happening in the past, and certainly the uses of magic go very far back in order to resist oppressive forces. This came from when I was taking A.J. Lewis’s gender studies class two years ago, and he dug
Is remembrance incorporated into the action that you’re doing on Monday? Yes! We will be gathering in the Grill and the first thing we will do is — this is a flexible model — but my envisioning is the first thing we’re going to do is call in any names of people, things too, human or otherwise, dead, undead, living or otherwise — just names of people and forces and things that we want to bring into the space with us, that we want to call in. Do you want to elaborate on the forces of power that you are going to be bringing in? [M]agic, “irrationality” — in air quotes — ... I really love
irrationality because it’s so powerful as a uniting force and also as an actant. For some advocacy groups, it doesn’t matter how well-reasoned an argument is, how compelling it is, doesn’t matter that you speak out and say that, for example, “right now the average life expectancy for a trans woman of color is 35 years old.” None of that even registers for so many people because they don’t even want to listen. That can feel so defeating, so dehumanizing to have factual evidence that even the powers that use factual evidence and statistics don’t care for. So it’s like, “What else do we have?” … and we have so much. And [we are] coming together and spellcasting and feeling bounded by our power to do that. What's on the agenda? We’re going to leave through that fire exit that everyone hates when it gets cold. ‘Cause, you know, we’re a large group, and it’s important. Then we’re going to walk three blocks to the GPD, I’m gonna talk with them to find out exactly where we can stand to not disrupt the order of things. And then, you know, spellcasting. We are inviting people to bring spooky noises. I especially invite people to bring bird calls, I would like at some point to have the entire group caw-ing at the police station, because the power of birds is very important. Birds can do a lot for us, they have the aerial view, they can surveil the police. They can drop their shit on the police, with really no scrutiny. They’re not going to be thrown into the prisonindustrial complex for shitting on cops. Anything else? This is a trans-led action. But at the same time, our invitation is for “those of us considered disposable under white supremacist capitalist patriarchy.” Because this not just about trans protesting, it’s also not just about ending violence against trans, because the violence against trans is levied against so many people and we really want to find coalition in whoever is down to do that.
Edited by hermanal17@grinnell.edu & mettleca@grinnell.edu
Removal of protest material draws ire Continued from Front Page Safety phone logs, investigated and reconstructed the events that occurred surrounding the removal of the display. His account, which he sent in an email to The S&B, opens with a description of the circumstances in which Shropshire was first apprised of the DV demonstration.
"I truly believe there is a simple answer here but I'm not done figuring it out." -Andrea Conner, associate vice president of student affairs “I received a call from my staff at 9:15 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 9 informing me that there were some signs and candles placed upon and near the Grinnell College sign located at 6th and Park St. Andrea Conner and I discussed the signs and elected to allow them to remain in place despite the appearance that these items were left behind from an event that had concluded, as well as a violation of campus posting policy. … At 8:21 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 10, Andrea Conner and I discussed the removal of the signs,” Shropshire wrote. Dissenting Voices, however, took the position that the display had not included posters, and as such, did not violate the campus policy indicating that organizations must write their name on posters displayed around campus. The email also reports the decision by administrators to allow DV to reinstate the posters, an offer which DV declined. “We collectively determined that we would like to offer Dissenting Voices this opportunity to place the signs in this location again. It was communicated to me that Dissenting Voices elected to not take advantage of this proffered accommodation,” Shropshire wrote. The report, however, ultimately shifted its focus from the impetus of the situation to its handling. “I am concerned and disappointed about any confusion that my staff might have caused you regarding the removal of these signs,” Shropshire concluded.
News
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Multicultural panel reflects on earlier days at Grinnell
By Saiham Sharif sharifsa@grinnell.edu Last weekend on Nov. 11, five alumni, Chris Wilde ’88, Amihan Huesmann ’93, Anna Dudda ’96, Camila Barrios-Camacho ’12 and Javon Garcia ’14, who are all of queer and other marginalized identities, came together to share their stories of struggle in a panel titled “Traversing Identities: Intersectional Activism at Grinnell College.” “The term intersectionality was coined by Kimberle Crenshaw, specifically to describe the experience of being Black and being a woman. That term has gone into broader usage. I want to make sure we remember the origins of a term created by a Black woman,” Dudda said. The panel drew from an event on-campus in the 80s known as The Speakeasy. “[It] was a panel put together by student of color, where people of the audience, like myself, were invited to come, and as I like to say, sit down and shut up and be schooled. Audience members were not allowed to ask questions, make comments or respond in any way. And the people of
color were there to tell their stories in blistering honesty,” Wilde said. Throughout the panel, the alumni talked about their multiple identities, their Grinnell College experiences with those identities and their lives post-graduation. Grinnell forced some of the panelists to think differently about their identities. “I identified as White, which is especially weird because I’m a third culture person. Don’t ask me where I’m from unless you want to sit down and have coffee. I have a whole itinerary. I had never been in a space that was primarily white American since, like, the fourth grade,” Huessmann said. “I grew up in a time when transgenderism wasn’t a thing. It wasn’t until much, much later when I realize what was really going on,” Dudda said. Barrios-Machado spoke about her experience as a graduate student in neuroscience. “I saw the reality of what graduate school is like, as a queer, as a Latina. I remember walking into the student orientation, scoping around and [thinking], ‘I’m going to be here for six years,’” she said. For many of the older panelists,
Grinnell was an especially difficult place in part due to the lack of important resources such as the Stonewall Resource Center (SRC) and the Accessibility Office. When the SRC opened in 1986, it was called the Human Resources Center, a signifier of administrational opposition. “If even just one gay person is served by the founding of the Gay Resource center, then his work, in particular would be rewarded by that,” Wilde said, recalling the words of Matt Ricker ’89, who was part of the group that founded the organization. “When I was at Grinnell, we didn’t have a disability access office at all. We didn’t have language around access,” she said. “I knew I was gay since birth, but it was like, how do I say it out loud? Coming to Grinnell was a dream come true because I didn’t expect a college in Iowa to embrace me. The SRC just meant so much to me, knowing I could have that space. By the time I left Grinnell, I truly became comfortable with my sexuality,” Garcia said. Yet the stories of the panelists urge current students to do more. The SRC, though helpful for many, is inaccessible due to its location in the basement of Younker.
Following the event, Wilde concluded that it was a success. “All of us involved with the creation and execution of the Traversing Identities panel were extremely pleased with how it went and each of us received many thanks and accolades,” wrote Wilde in an email to The S&B.
"I want to make sure we remember the origins o fa term created by a Black woman." -Anna Dudda '96 Yet the limited time of the panel couldn’t fully honor Grinnell’s queer, intersectional alumni. “Had we more time for the panel itself (one hour was NOT ENOUGH even for what we set out to accomplish), we wanted to expand backward in time to include older queer alumni with intersectional identities,” Wilde wrote. “We thought it was important to focus on alumni who would have been on campus during the time that the SRC has existed.”
HELENA GRUENSTEIDL
At the Multicultural Reunion, alumni discussed challenges and successes since graduating from Grinnell College.
Installation ceremony honors four professors By Kate Irwin irwinkat@grinnell.edu This past Tuesday, Nov. 14, Grinnell College held an installation ceremony to recognize faculty and staff who have been honored with an “endowed faculty chair.” In addition to being publicly honored, each recipient gave a short speech reflecting on their work and time at the College. Donations create endowed faculty chair positions, which often carry the name of the donor, who can stipulate the requirements such as the field of study or academic interests of the recipient. The endowed chair allows professors and faculty to advance their research with sizable funding. “There are no additional requirements expected of the professors who take on new titles as the holders of endowed chairs. They are expected to continue their work and they receive additional funding to promote their scholarship,” wrote Mike Latham, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the College, in an email to The S&B. Endowed professorships have a long history at the College, dating back to the 1850s. After receiving the chair, professors carry the title until retirement. After a former chair retires in the spring, the search for a successor is conducted. When the next individual is selected, an installation ceremony is held in the fall of that same year. By awarding an endowed chair, the College provides public recognition of the recipient’s achievements and potential. To even be considered for holding an endowed faculty chair, an individual must show excellence in their academic pursuits and in the service to the College. “[Named chairs and professorships] are extremely
important to the academic enterprise. They honor outstanding scholars and teachers, they support their best work, they confer prestige on the institution and on the recipient. And they also signal donor's esteem for faculty and the important work they do,” said Raynard Kington, president of the College, at the installation ceremony. This year, Elaine Marzluff, Daniel Reynolds, Erik Simpson and Shuchi Kapila were honored with endowed chairs. Marzluff, a professor of
“It's an incredible honor to be recognized. We have so many faculty here who do so many amazing things who could list the same sort of things we do. It's kind of humbling to be pulled out of that group and be pointed out as [doing] something special,” Marzluff said. “It's a recognition I'm not sure I ever expected to have, and it's nice to have that recognition.” Reynolds, a professor of German, has been honored with the Seth Richards Professor in Modern Languages endowed chair.
“It's humbling. It's an honor. It's wonderful to be recognized. I'm very cognizant of many of my colleagues, whom I admire greatly who also would deserve endowed chairs. … It's humbling in that regard when I think about some of the work my other colleagues do,” Reynolds said. “What I also liked about it is that it says ‘Grinnell values the liberal arts.’ And I think these chairs have existed for a long time. They are a legacy of Grinnell's commitment to the liberal arts.”
SARAH RUIZ
President Kington honored the faculty recipients of endowed faculty chairs. Chemistry, received the BreidMcFarland Professor of Science endowed chair. Marzluff has done extensive research on the structure of peptides and proteins. She plans to continue and expand this work with her newly endowed faculty chair.
Reynolds recently completed a book about tourism to sites of the Holocaust and remembrance. He plans to continue his research on tourism and the Holocaust and learn Polish to study the Holocaust memory in Poland and German-Poland relations.
Simpson, a professor of English, has been awarded with the Samuel R. and Marie-Louise Rosenthal Professor of Humanities endowed chair. Simpson has published two books: “Literary Minstrelsy, 1770-1830: Minstrels” and “Improvisers in British, Irish and
American Literature and Mercenaries in British and American Literature, 1790-1830: Writing, Fighting, and Marrying for Money.” Additionally, Simpson serves as co-leader for the academic side of planning the new Humanities and Social Sciences Complex and as Grinnell College's Principal Investigator for a $1.6 million grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. “It's humbling to be grouped with the other chair-holders, both those installed this year and the ones who already hold endowed chairs, because I admire those colleagues enormously. More broadly, the installation has given me an opportunity to reflect on and talk about how happy I am to be part of the larger Grinnell — of faculty, staff, alumni, and community members — who work together to make this such a special place,” Simpson wrote in an email to The S&B. Kapila now holds the title of assistant vice president for global education, and senior international officer. Having endowed faculty chairs sets Grinnell College apart from its peer institutions. The presence of such accomplished individuals on campus serving as faculty gives Grinnell students a valuable resource that is hard to come by at other colleges. “Our faculty is full of scholars who love to teach,” Latham said at the installation ceremony. “And I think that's a phrase that captures today's honorees especially well. All of them are innovative, dynamic scholars who have worked the leading edge of their fields. … They are also gifted and dedicated teachers, the kind of instructors that one can only hope our students have the chance to meet and learn from.”
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Sculpture installed at Drake Library
Community
Photo by Helena Gruensteidl. By Zoe Fruchter fruchter@grinnell.edu On Friday, Nov. 10, Drake Community Library installed a new 11-foot-tall, rainbow-hued “Library” statue on Park St. to greet its visitors. “The sculpture conveys fun and it is also functional, as it informs visitors that this is your public library,” wrote Marilyn Kennett, Director of Drake Library, in an email to The S&B. According to Kennett, the initial impetus to build the sculpture was to bring attention to the library. “The outcome has been that the sculpture serves the dual purpose of not only identifying the library, but bringing more public art to our community,” she wrote. In accordance with this mission, the Library Board of Trustees recently established the Art Advisory Council. The council enriches the library user’s experience by displaying the work of local, na-
tional and international artists in the Drake Library space. The designer of the new sculpture, Ryan McGuire, is one such artist. McGuire previously created “Word Bird” — a ten-foot tall cartoonish bird sculpture — for the Tompkins County Public Library in New York. Kennett was aware of McGuire’s work and brought him in to design a sculpture that would convey the exploration and fun of the library to the community. The Friends of Drake Community Library board of directors embraced McGuire’s designs and funded the $9,975 sculpture. Kennett then connected the artist with Ben Latimer, director of digital media at ASI Signage Innovations. Thus, the sculpture was born. “It’s like a brand-new box of crayons — full of wonderful possibilities!” Kennett wrote. “We hope that interpretation transfers to the library itself — full of millions of ideas waiting to be explored.”
Edited by braneckm@grinnell.edu
New mayor voted into office
By Lily Hamilton hamiltol@grinnell.edu
Dan Agnew was elected mayor of Grinnell in an uncontested election last Tuesday, Nov. 7. Agnew is a nearly lifelong resident of Grinnell and former president and CEO of Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company, a nationally-known insurance company and one of Grinnell's largest employers. Agnew has big shoes to fill given that his predecessor, Gordon Canfield, has held the mayoral seat for 18 years. However, Agnew claims that his 19 years of leadership experience as Grinnell Mutual’s CEO has prepared him for his new position. “I think leadership is leadership whether it’s in business or in politics. The way that you lead, the manner, the culture is the same.” Agnew plans to focus his efforts on economic development, and hopes to continue the city’s tradition of building relationships among prominent community organizations and sectors to create lasting benefits for all members of the community. “What we need to do is keep working with all of the major entities,” he said. “I’m talking about all of the players in the town, whether it’s the city, the chamber, the College or the business community itself, industrial as well as downtown, to keep communicating on the needs of the city.” The mayor-elect pointed to a series of focus groups that the community of Grinnell conducted roughly a year and a half ago as a means of understanding some of the desires citizens have for the community. “From those focus groups came a lot of good ideas from the people, from our citizens, on the things they’d like to see the city doing, and several of those things have been initiated.”
Poweshiek Iowa Development and local community members for filling two of those community wishes already with the imminent opening of the new Sunrise Bakery on Main St. and 5th Ave. and the recent opening of Peace Tree Brewing Company on Main St. However, he said he would like to continue pushing toward achieving the community’s other developmental goals by taking the expertise of community members into account.
"I think it's more about looking forward to the things we need to continue to do and the new things we need to do to keep Grinnell a vibrant community." Mayor-elect Dan Agnew Agnew appears adamant on continuing the efforts of the previous administration, though he definitely has plans of his own. “I can’t say I’m going in with an agenda,” he said. “I think it’s more about looking forward to the things we need to continue to do and the new things we need to do to keep Grinnell a vibrant community, and that goes back
to the College because neither one of us can stand alone. The College can’t be vibrant if the town is dying, and the town can’t survive without the College.” The College’s Zone of Confluence is an indicator that the relationship between the College and town will continue to grow, according to Agnew. The Zone of Confluence is the geographic area between the downtown and the Grinnell campus. The College hopes to transform some of the area’s underutilized properties into mixed-use spaces, according to the College website. Agnew credits President Raynard Kington and the Trustees with taking initiatives to buy properties in Grinnell with hopes of revitalizing them. By updating the spaces, Agnew believes the College and community will transition seamlessly into one another, presenting observable evidence of efforts by both parties to develop their relationship. Given the strong bonds the town and College have already formed through the Zone of Confluence project, Agnew looks forward to the opportunity to work with the College in his new position as mayor. “I think we will continue to constantly foster that good relationship,” he said.
"I can't say I'm going in with an agenda." Mayor-elect Dan Agnew The focus groups revealed that residents of Grinnell wanted a renaissance of the downtown bakery, a brew pub, an indoor activity center for youth and a pharmacy in the downtown area. Agnew credits the city, chamber of commerce,
MAHIRA FARAN
Dan Agnew will now inhabit the mayor's office, which was previously occupied by Gordon Canfield for 18 years.
Veterans Memorial renovations move forward
Tax levy to fund building passes, commission plans for artist residency program
By Mira Braneck braneckm@grinnell.edu
Grinnell voters passed a tax levy to fund the renovation of the Veterans Memorial Building in Central Park during last Tuesday’s Nov. 6 election. The election was close, with 807 votes or 50.75 percent voting for the levy and 783 votes or 49.25 percent against. The levy, which will start paying in April 2019, will increase property taxes by 41 cents for every $1,000, and will generate about $112,000 per year to fund the renovations and the new artist residency program that will be implemented in the building. The Veterans Memorial Building has been a site of controversy since renovations of Central Park began. After asbestos was removed from the structure, the building was left gutted. Members of the Veterans Memorial Commission, which has jurisdiction over the building, wanted to leave the structure intact and renovate it, but felt that members of the town wanted a new memorial built in its place. The narrow margin of votes that passed the tax levy speaks to this divide. Leo Lease, chairman of the Veterans Memorial Commission, wants everyone in the community to feel included in the process, whether they voted for the tax levy or not. “We are not saving a building here,” Lease said at a meeting of the Veterans Memorial Commission on Monday, Nov. 13. “We have a broader goal of having an appropriate veterans memorial here, a service to the community here, that everybody could have some use for. Those kinds of general buildings can appeal to people that may have voted against this. They still have something to say about it, and we should include them in the process. To have so few people here is dangerous. … We have to stick to the idea that we have a bigger appeal than to just veterans or just anybody, so that everyone in the community, different ages, different interests, could participate in it.” Lease did point out the fact that the larger-than-usual voter turnout shows support for the memorial.
“It would really behoove us to try to include as many people as possible. I think we’ve accomplished some of that by the turnout, having about three times what the turnout was the last time. Those are people that didn’t vote last time, we spoke to them, and that probably made the difference. We still have approximately half the people that didn’t vote for it that need to be included in this and feel like this is something that they can participate in, something that they can be proud to have in the park,” Lease said. “So as much as is possible, we have to try to do that.” Randy Hotchkin, who spent 26 years in the air force as a master sergeant and has been a huge proponent of the memorial, worked hard to help get out the vote. “Myself and a few others, we kind of called ourselves ‘the friends of the memorial building.’ We put together funds to help promote the vote,” he said. He and some friends took out advertisements in the paper, wrote op-eds and did radio interviews. “I think the huge turnout we got was a credit to a lot of different sources, but it’s surely impressive that we got that many people to get out and make that move to vote.” However, with the passing of the tax levy, the Commission will move ahead with its new plan to build a
space for artists’ residencies. The memorial building will house the new program, Prairie Star Residency, which will run year-round and consist of both veteran and non-veteran artists. According to the program’s website, the renovated building will have six small living spaces for the residents, three shop areas for the artists’ use, five artist studios and a lounge for the artists. The building will also have a meeting room for veterans and a large public meeting space. Tom Lacina, former president of the Grinnell Area Arts Council and current Arts Director, was the person to come up with the artist residency concept. Hotchkin was thrilled when he came forward with the idea. “This program that came about from Tom Lacina — that really spurred my enthusiasm for the building as well. We didn’t have a strong purpose for it, we were trying to use it for things that were probably outdated — dances and wedding receptions and things like that. We have other event centers in the community,” Hotchkin said. “So the idea that we could have veteran artists or artists of all types come in here, maybe do some art therapy for veterans, just really excited me. And I actually had a father who suffered from PTSD, he battled nightmares every night, and he found solace in wood-working and photography and those kinds of things.
I’d really like to be involved with helping people in that way.” Moving forward, Lacina wants to see active collaboration among the Commission, city and Arts Council. He wants to see a committee formed with representatives from these groups. “The purpose of that committee would be to actually fill in the blanks a little bit as to what exactly is the Prairie Star Residency, how is it operated, what would its budget look like, and to give substance to that program that would exist in that facility,” Lacina said at the Commission meeting. He believes that by solidifying plans and the working relationships of the various groups involved, more people who are on the fence about the memorial would come on board. “We need to know that in order to actually help explain this to that middle group of folks who are kind of on the edge, back and forth, they’re in the center, exactly what is it that we’re talking about.” This will also help get more funding for the building, as donors want to know about the program to which they are donating. “It [is] also the only way we’re going to get funding. I believe that we have to explain what the program is. So this is the first step toward effective fundraising,” he said. Lacina wants to see many donors
SARINA LINCOLN
The Veterans Memorial will become a space for three-five week long artist residencies.
coming together in a collaborative way to support the building. “I’d like this to be a composite of many voices, and many pockets coming together,” he said. “This is something that appeals to the entire community, and could endure for a long time.” While the commission is largely comprised of veterans, Lacina emphasized that he wants this to be a community effort for the veterans. “The veterans shouldn’t have to build a memorial to themselves. I get a little troubled when people are saying, ‘the veterans are going to build this.’ … To me, the memorial should be from the whole community and speaking to the veterans as a thank you,” Lacina said. “And this would be a living memorial. … I think that sometimes, right now, I hear too much about the veterans doing this. I’m not a veteran, and of course I love the arts, and that’s a big reason that I came up with the idea, … but I also know that we owe a lot to the veterans.” Lease emphasized that, in order for this to work and for the community to get on board, the community and the commission need to work together. “I am a veteran but I still feel like this is a big family and that everyone has got to contribute,” Lease said. “Compromise is not a four letter word. We’re going to have to do that if we’re going to get where we want to be.” Hotchkin is most excited by the uniqueness of this memorial. “I think economically, socially, this can do much for the community,” he said. “Every other community has memorials — they’ve got walls or statues or whatever. We could be different. We could have a building that says we honor veterans, not only in the façade of it, the signage, but also the contents of it. “I always tell people, think about the dead of winter, we could have ice sculptures in the park, carving all kinds of cool stuff. There’s a lot of people that can’t picture artists and veterans intermingling,” Hotchkin said. “I mean, who wouldn’t love seeing a chainsaw carver?”
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Features
Edited by mckechni@grinnell.edu
5
Showvember: entertainment and English muffins By Kelly Page pagekell@grinnell.edu Every November, Grinnellians gather in Gardner Lounge for Showvember, a festival of Grinnell student bands. Last Friday, Nov. 10, several bands took the stage for this important Grinnellian event. According to Josie Sloyan ’18, who played rhythm guitar in Alien Girls, Showvember went smoothly and was full of talent. “I’ve been in a couple of them before and I think this time was maybe a little less nerve-wracking and it was really kind of nostalgic. And I was full of pride. I got kinda sappy seeing some of the underclassmen doing stuff that was really impressive, you know, and technically skilled,” she said. Sloyan discussed the importance of Showvember as a space for students to perform. “I think as somebody who doesn’t do performance, like theater or any of that stuff, as somebody who genuinely likes being behind the scenes, it’s a pretty validating experience to be able to be competent onstage and know that you’re doing something that other people are enjoying. I think that’s a really important experience, especially for women and nonbinary individuals and marginalized groups in general to be able to comfortably inhabit a stage,” she said. Sloyan’s band, Alien Girls, recently released an album on Bandcamp called “Without Further Delay” and used the opportunity to perform some of their new material. This year, many students tried to use their time on the Showvember stage to its fullest potential.
One example was when punk rock performance art outfit Butt Machine Bois took the stage and ended up tossing sex toys into the audience while feeding them English muffins.
"I think … as somebody who genuinely likes being behind the scenes, it's a pretty validating experience to be able to be competent onstage and know that you're doing something that other people are enjoying. " Josephine Sloyan '18 “I thought of it as more of a suite than anything,” said Maxwell Fenton ’19, who played Autoharp for the Bois. “It was sort of centric around the notion of beef. We started almost trying to fool the audience — because we have contempt for the audience in a way — into thinking that we were something that we’re not. We started out with this sort of quiet, emo-esque music, like very twangy, but then we very quickly got into this very very aggressive punk-sounding music. We called it slow beef, followed by fast beef, followed by nasty beef. Nasty beef was the point where we went into the audience and tossed sex toys in and fed people English muffins. So it was as much performance art as anything else.” Fenton believes that Showvember is an important time to unify students who might not otherwise come together to celebrate student music. “I think that organized music on campus and Showvember in par-
ticular is a great way to show that there’s a lot of very, very creative people on campus, especially in the music world. In general, organized music is a way to really transcend things like majors or friend groups to sort of come together and do something interesting and sort of show yourself to the world and express an interest.” Many students were thankful for how well Freesound ran Showvember this year. Jasper Cole-Kink ’19, who played drums at Showvember, discussed how Showvember has improved during their time at Grinnell. “It’s more organized now than it used to be. I remember last year sound check was horribly inefficient. My first year it didn’t even happen until December. It’s much more smooth now. … Last year I think we were two hours behind by nine o’clock but we were relatively on time this year.”
"Nasty beef was the point where we went into the audience and tossed sex toys in and fed people English muffins." Maxwell Fenton '19
HELENA GRUENSTEIDL
Deniz Sahin ’20 smiles while singing onstage at Showvember. Cole-Kink was the drummer for a plethora of musical acts over the course of the night, including Just 3 Girls Looking to Have Fun, Harley and the Uncredited Backup Band and their primary band, R&B group TGIF. They see Showvember as an important opportunity for many students who would not otherwise be able to put together a band and play music for others. “There are a lot of people who
don’t really get an opportunity to perform their stuff live. Also people who can’t really commit to having a full time band can just get together for this show and have a fun time,” they said. Whether as a viewer or a performer, those who attend Showvember recognize it as one of the most important nights for the Grinnell student music scene. It is an oppor-
tunity to play new music, meet new people, sing about beef, hear a new song and appreciate the Grinnell community. Friday, Nov. 10 will go down in Grinnell history as an entertaining and English-muffin-filled night in Gardner Lounge. —Editor’s note: Maxwell Fenton ’19 is the opinions editor of The S&B.
CBS holds Black Awareness Week to promote Black student visibility By Caleb Forbes forbesca@grinnell.edu This past week, student organization Concerned Black Students (CBS) put together Black Awareness Week to promote Black awareness, improve Black student visibility and normalize Black students on campus. “I’d like to emphasize that these events are not only for Black people,” said CBS Secretary Ty Pratt ’20. “We’re not trying to isolate people. We want to bring everyone together and make Blackness more normalized.” There has been a Black awareness event every day this week, including a Black current events symposium, two student panels, a monthly CBS meeting on visibility, a movie night, a closed group Black Intercollegiate Alliance meeting and a Saturday night party called Freaknik.
"I want to make sure this keeps going. … We're better together, and our voices are stronger if we're together." Autumn McMillan '20 CBS re-implemented Black Awareness Week after rediscovering the week-long event in the CBS bilaws. “We have Black History Month in spring semester, but what are we doing in fall semester that could bring attention and awareness to the
black experience at Grinnell?” posed CBS Lead Organizer Autumn McMillan ’20. Films and posters were set up on the 3rd floor of the Alumni Recitation Hall to kick-off Black Awareness Week. Some of the posters were related to recent bias-related incidents on campus, while another celebrated eight U.S. cities that recently elected a Black mayor for the first time. One interactive poster was titled “#Grinnell So White,” with space for students to comment.
"I'd like to emphasize that these events are not just for Black people. … We want to bring everyone together and make Blackness more normalized."
A monthly CBS meeting occurred at Spencer Grill on Wednesday. Students planned to dress in black and tape their mouths shut for the day. “Taping your mouth is a practice used by many oppressed groups … as a symbol of our silencing, of people ignoring us and our existence and treating us as if we’re invisible … I think it’s a statement that needs to be made,” McMillan said. During the Thursday movie night, CBS showed a film called “Higher Learning.” “[The film] follows a group of Black freshmen in their first year at a PWI,” McMillan said. “They talk a lot about race, socioeconomic status and gender lines that they face. … It really speaks to the Black experience at a PWI.”
Ty Pratt '20 "Taping your mouth is a A student panel on intellectual practice used by many fulfillment took place Tuesday night, oppressed groups … as a in which Professor Stephanie Jones, symbol of our silencing." education, facilitated a discussion with four Black students at Grinnell. The theme was how Black identity intersects with studies at Grinnell. Topics ranged from the difficulty of adapting to a predominately white institution (PWI), to coping with being around so many white people interested in what it’s like to be Black. Students also discussed how Grinnell could be more accommodating for Black students and how students can connect with Black professors most appropriately.
Autumn McMillan '20 Today’s Friday student panel focuses on sexual assault awareness. “[The panel will discuss] the general things about sexual assault awareness on college campuses and specifically how it affects Black people,” Pratt said. “Sexual assault victims are more often Black women and Black people in general.” The Saturday Black Intercollegiate Alliance meeting represents,
REINA SHAH
Students participate in an exercise deconstructing whiteness. “the launching of the first ever alliance between Black student unions within our Iowa area,” according to McMillan. “I want to make sure this keeps going,” McMillan said, “We’re better together, and our voices are stronger if we’re together … Us Black people in Iowa, we have to see each other, we have to recognize that it’s not just us who are here. “The Black Intercollegiate Alliance was actually inspired by the CBS manifesto that happened in 1971,” McMillan continued. “CBS
chained themselves to the library in Burling and they shut down the whole building and they had ten demands.” Freaknik Part 24, in honor of Kobe, will be held Saturday night as a finale to Black Awareness Week. “Freaknik historically starts in Atlanta, and it was this day where everybody just took to the streets and just partied … and everybody t’d up,” McMillan said. “So it’s to carry on that legacy. This is CBS’s party of the semester, where we just get wild, let go, let free and have fun.”
Day in the life: Maxwell Fenton
HELENA GRUENSTEIDL
6:15 a.m.—Awaken to first alarm, which was set under the proviso that I’d rise and catch up on work. Since my willpower is nothing, I turn it (and the five other ones I set) off and go back to sleep.
8:00 a.m.—ACTUALLY awaken. Check Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. As always, I send [clarkjoh] a Snap. Even from 4,500 miles away we are sure to maintain our nearly year-long streak.
8:15 a.m.—I’ve spoiled myself with too much rest and social media, and I have class in 15 minutes. I bolt out of bed, get dressed, hurriedly pack my messenger bag and leave my room all within seven minutes. 8:28 a.m.—Roll into History of Ancient Philosophy and take my seat next to the illustrious [mohrcait]. We’re discussing Aristotle today, so I’m ready to make some distinctions. 9:30 a.m.—Existential crisis. “But what if the Polis is natural? Do I even have a choice of joining?” 10:02 a.m.—My inspired decision to lead the good life ends abruptly with my purchase of salt and vinegar chips and a Big Cookie™ at the Grill. Aristotle is rolling in his grave. 10:15 a.m.—Head back to my room to consume my purchases and read Graham Allison. 12:00 p.m.—Decide to forgo lunch in favor of an episode of Mad Men. I am on my sixth rewatch and already on season five. 1:50 p.m.—Seminar on U.S. foreign
policy. Become worried at the prospect of nuclear war between the United States and China. 4:00 p.m.—Chalk earlier fears of nuclear annihilation up to low blood sugar, and assuage them by buying a Sprite. Find a comfy spot to work in JRC until the D-Hall opens. 4:30 p.m.—Receive dinner invitations from the fabulous [reschluk]. Begrudgingly accept despite my whirlwind social schedule. 5:00 p.m.—Head into the D-Hall with the intention of getting stir-fry. The line is already 20-deep by the time I get there, so opt for cheese pizza instead. Fear that I will come to regret this decision. 5:45 p.m.—Dinner conversation with [reschluk] hits its zenith with a conversation about people I hate on Instagram and Björk music videos. 6:47 p.m.—Leave D-Hall and realize I have to read four chapters of a book for class tomorrow. Mild panic ensues. 9:15 p.m.—Two chapters into this reading. It’s time for a break, so I get
up for a stretch and encounter [mohrcait] shredding on his recently purchased board quite literally inside the library. He offers to teach me, but I must decline this offer. 11:09 p.m.—Finish remaining chapters of reading. Decide that I am burnt out and head back to my room. 12:00 a.m.—Receive pestering from family group chat to watch new episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm. I’ll comply tomorrow. Demand pictures of my dog, which I (thankfully) receive. 1:00 a.m.—Respond to emails I didn’t get to earlier. Check all social media for the fourteenth time for some spicy takes on issues of the day. Find none, so decide to lull myself to sleep with another episode of Mad Men. 1:45 a.m.—The episode ends on a cliffhanger and I immediately regret this choice, even though I have seen the following episode several times. 2:00 a.m.—Pass out. —Editor’s note: Maxwell Fenton ’19 is the opinions editor of The S&B.
Features
6
Food Bazaar: a scrumptious success
By Mayo Sueta suetamay@grinnell.edu This past Sunday, Nov. 12, the International Student Organization (ISO) hosted the annual Food Bazaar. Each year, students sign up to cook around 40 servings of a dish from their home country and share their unique recipes with the community. This year, they had 57 recipes from all over the world. Deqa Aden ’18, president of ISO, stressed the extensive planning that went into organizing the event and the logistics of readying the ingredients for the cooks. “The work that really went into it was us trying to figure out a system. Like how can people submit their recipes? … [Then we moved on to] dividing the work … to communicating with [the cooks] about their dish for more information. … Then we just basically moved into the idea of bringing all the recipes into a master
list …Then [we went] shopping and then we [had] to sort everything out. … [Then we spent] all Friday night … distributing their ingredients to them, … so it took weeks and weeks of planning,” Aden said. Despite the work involved, she felt that it was all worth it to see the event succeed. “It’s all for the fun of it. It’s all for the people. … I feel good. Everybody’s happy. Everybody’s tummy is filled with interesting food.” During the weekend, kitchens all over campus were occupied by students preparing their dishes for the event. For her first year participating in the Food Bazaar, Avery Barnett ’21 chose to cook a popular dish from her home country, Jamaica. “Me and my friend Caleb, … we made jerk chicken and festival, which is one of the most known dishes that comes from Jamaica,” she said. “We chose it because … it just embodied
Edited by mckechni@grinnell.edu
Jamaica more so than what our national dish is.” Yawen Zhang ’20 from China made a dish that especially reminded her of home.
"It's all for the people...I feel good. Everybody's happy. Everybody's tummy is filled with interesting food." Deqa Aden '18 “It’s just like a homemade dish that you just cook at … home and it’s not like super fancy,” she said. “It’s really famous [in] my hometown and … when you’re cooking [it,] the whole floor will have the smell. Actually, there [were] people who [were] following the smell and [coming] to the kitchen [to] ask me what I [was] making.” David Chang ’18 and Ana Segebre ’19 created a fusion dish. “Ana is Honduran and so we
LICA ISHIDA
The International Student Organization (ISO) hosted this delectable event. wanted to make a dish that sort of represented both Korean and Honduran cultures. She’s also half Mexican, so what naturally came to mind was some taco but with like a Korean marinated beef,” he said. “We were
conflicted whether we should just make and devote our time to a purely Korean dish or a purely Honduran dish and I [said] let’s have fun with this and that’s the whole spirit of ISO right?”
SHIC: resources both practical and pleasurable By Audrey Corcoran corcoran@grinnell.edu Grinnell students know the Sexual Health Information Center (SHIC) as a source of advice, support and free and discounted — $10 or less — supplies of all kinds. SHIC sells both “health products” and “pleasure products,” including everything from menstrual supplies to vibrators and handcuffs. Patrons can always ask about products they want to see. Since funds and time are finite, however, SHIC’s staff must make informed decisions about what to stock. SHIC employee Vivian Cheslack ’19 explained that the organization prioritizes health-related items such as “… condoms, … lube, dental dams, pads, tampons, menstrual cups and pregnancy tests. She noted that “last semester, about 75 percent of our product budget went towards providing these health-related products,” most of which are provided to
GOVIND BRAHMANYAPURA
Jherron Sutton '18 lounges in the welcoming and fun SHIC space. students for free. Menstrual cups are subsidized and cost $10, and these funding priorities seem to match student needs. “Historically, menstrual cups have been incredibly popular,” Cheslack said. Emily Ricker ’18, who also works at SHIC, said she saw
people coming in for condoms, pregnancy tests and Plan B especially consistently. The rest of SHIC’s product budget goes to the more eye-catching “pleasure products.” “Our mission for SHIC is to be a great place to go if you're new to
toys, you want to try something out for the first time, you're not sure what you would like or you're just curious,” Cheslack said. “[SHIC] aim[s] for breadth of options rather than depth.” At any given time, the center usually carries at least one basic version of each of the following: vibrator, dildo, butt plug, masturbator and cock ring. There is a cap on the prices of toys bought so that SHIC doesn't charge students too much, and toys need to be safe, usually “made out of porous materials (hard plastics or silicone),” according to Cheslack. Along with these guidelines, Nai’ya Willis-Hogan ’20 said that SHIC employees maintain a spreadsheet of products that they have researched or previously stocked so that it's easy to see what to buy. Ricker also mentioned that each employee is assigned to “choose a topic and research it and come up with an information handout” so that SHIC has experts on a variety of sexual health topics.
SHIC also factors in student demand and preferences when purchasing products. “If something sells out quickly, and we hear good things, we keep ordering that. If we get something that is crappy, we won't order it again,” Cheslack said. Ricker said she had fielded a wide variety of questions, some about products SHIC hasn't previously carried and many about temporarily out-of-stock products; Willis-Hogan remembered selling “at least everything” carried. While SHIC can't carry every product, Cheslack said, “we frequently try new things out to gauge interest.” There is also an email list where students can be notified when a product they wanted is back in stock. As it navigates the practical and administrative requirements of a student organization, SHIC continues to provide what Cheslack called “accessibility and inclusivity” in its education and product decisions.
Weekly Student Specials
Wednesday
Sports
Edited by schultej@grinnell.edu
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Rueter's Digest: Assault scandals magnify Grinnell athletics' commitment to sexual assault
By Sam Rueter ruetersa@grinnell.edu
Comments by U.S. Womens National Team goalkeeper Hope Solo — in which she alleged that ex-FIFA President Sepp Blatter touched her inappropriately during an awards ceremony in 2013 — have gone viral, fueled by recent sexual assault scandals involving Hollywood executives like Harvey Weinstein, as well as actors Kevin Spacey, Louis C.K. and multiple others. Much of the public's reaction to these scandals has been positive, with scores of victims, of all genders, coming forward to courageously report their experiences with harassment and abuse. While it is crucial to focus the majority of our attention on these survivors, we cannot forget that behind every story of inappropriate — and in many cases, criminal — behavior, there stand large companies and people in positions of power who had the opportunity to intervene but chose not to do so. These people and corporations, who legitimized abuse with their silence and supported it with their wallets, bear some burden of responsibility too. It is this type of willful ignorance, often for monetary purposes, which can best describe the relationship that the American sports landscape has with cases of alleged sexual assault, abuse and harassment. At least four major American sports icons — Kobe Bryant, Ben Roethlisberger, Brett Favre and Peyton Manning — have been embroiled in sexual assault or harassment scandals at some point during their careers, and, save for losing a few endorse-
ment deals, none have suffered significant consequences. In fact, it would seem that many athletes choose to wield the influence of their platforms to victimize others, often those whose admiration and fandom creates a clear and obvious power difference. This notion that fame, money and social capital make athletes above the law has trickled down into the college ranks, with many Division I schools grappling with sexual assault scandals or sexual assault cover-ups in recent years. Grinnell College has recently been investigated for its handling of sexual assault cases and reports. In an article published on the Huffington Post in 2015, it was alleged that the College did not take the required steps to protect the identity of at least one victim/survivor of sexual assault, and furthermore failed to go to adequate lengths to punish offenders of such acts. Although this investigation was officially closed early on during the 2017-2018 academic year, questions still remained because of the fact that the closure occurred after procedural and administrative changes were made in the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR), according to an article The S&B published on Sept. 1. However, the school is still determined to promote a culture of sexual awareness and respect on campus, and they have identified their student-athletes as important agents of such action. “While we have no evidence that student-athletes are disproportionately a part of the problem, research and experience suggest that they can be some of the most effective leaders on campus in creating positive culture
change and being committed active bystanders,” wrote Jen Jacobson ’95, assistant dean of students and director of wellness and prevention, in an email to The S&B. The importance of this stance isn’t lost on athletes, who recognize that they are in a position to make a positive impact in the Grinnell community outside of the athletic sphere. “Athletes make up a large portion of Grinnell College, and that's part of the reason why there is a particular emphasis on making sure that we have beneficial and useful techniques to diffuse a situation,” said Avery Lewis ’21, a member of the school’s baseball team. In addition to their daily lives as meaningful contributors to Grinnell's epistemic community, many of Grinnell's student-athletes are also involved with various student-run groups that seek to promote social change and community awareness. Of the many initiatives spearheaded by student-athletes, recent ones include a film screening sponsored by Student Athlete Mentors (SAMs) and Grinnell Advocates about sexual assault survivorship, Student Athletes Leading Social Change (SALSC)’s second annual Sexual Assault Awareness Week, and students’ continued participation in Grinnell’s Title IX Advisory Group. “As a student-athlete, I believe we have a great opportunity to not only influence many people, [but also to] use our team work and life skills we learn from athletics and apply them to issues such as sexual respect,” wrote Carson Dunn ’18, a captain of the football team and a member of SALSC. In fact, Dunn, along with three
other Grinnell College students, were invited to the NCAA Apple Institute last January in Charlottesville, VA, to present on the work that student-athletes do regarding sexual respect awareness and harm reduction. Aside from athlete-led initiatives and events, all Grinnell student-athletes are required to participate in supplementary harm-reduction and active bystanderism training. “We try for 100 percent of the teams and student-athletes to be trained in active bystanderism and harm reduction for sexual misconduct every year,” wrote Andy Hamilton ’85, athletic director, in an email to The S&B. “This training is more specific than what is presented during NSO because the training takes into account how different teams react within their cultures during different situations on campus.” For their part, student-athletes report that they are empowered by the training the school gives them, and many incorporate it into other areas of their Grinnell lives. “The situations that are discussed in the trainings are never truly exclusive to the student-athlete experience,” wrote Nikolai Harroun ’18 in an email to the S&B. “It is everyone’s responsibility to try to make a positive impact wherever they can.” For Harroun, that positive impact includes integrating training into his work as a Grinnell Advocate and an organic chemistry mentor. For other student-athletes, their sexual respect and harm reduction training is invaluable in their residential life leadership roles. “As a CA, we have more concentrated sessions and much more thorough discussions [about harm
reduction and active bystanderism],” said Lily Hamilton ’19, a member of the women's tennis team. “I think that the training is good because I can take those discussions and bring them to my team … and hopefully that can dissipate more from each teammate to the people that they know too.” Grinnell is in a constant effort to train student-athletes as effective allies and active bystanders. This is spearheaded by Jacobson, who says we do what is expected of most colleges and universities, although Jacobson knows there is always more to be done. “Active bystander training and other work on sexual respect is available to any student or student organization. … Anyone who wants more information or training is encouraged to contact me [jacobsen] or Emily Howe ’16.5, post bac for sexual respect and harm reduction [emilhowe2].” Athletes in the U.S., particularly men who play major hegemonic sports at the professional or Division I collegiate level, are inherently empowered by their platforms and prestige. As such, they are seen as role-models who operate in liminal spaces, where power dynamics may be inverted or people may think that social and cultural norms need not apply. If more athletic institutions and universities aligned with Grinnell College's thinking — namely, the notion that athletes can be agents of positive social change as opposed to impediments — and undertook meaningful programs of sexual respect training, then it is probable that the number of reported instances of sexual harassment, abuse and assault amongst athletes would go down.
Physical education department highlights course offerings By Kate Irwin irwinkat@grinnell.edu The physical education department at Grinnell College offers a wide range of interesting classes that most students may not know about. From four credit classes to one credit activity courses, there is something for every student. At the College, the workload of faculty-coaches is treated in the same manner as a professor. Professors teach up to five classes. Faculty-coaches are required to coach two sports, each sport counting as two classes. For the four remaining credits, faculty coaches have the option to pick between teaching activity courses, graded classes or a combination. “Some people in our department feel more adept at teaching activity classes, some feel more comfortable doing a combination of activity classes and theory classes,” said Andy Hamilton ’85, director of athletics and recreation and chair of the physical education department, who is currently teaching a tutorial, “The Black Ath-
lete: Changing 20th Century Society.” Activity courses range from beginning to advanced sports, with offerings from bowling to pickleball. Whether one wants to improve technique, start a new sport or simply improve their personal fitness, there is an option for every student. “My engagement with students who aren't in the athletic program is one of my greatest enjoyments,” Hamilton said. “Typically, in my sports sociology class, we have [a varied number] of scientists who are really looking for something different. And yet, because of their understanding of the scientific method, and how that relates to sociology, they really bring a lot to the course.” Paige Madara, the head coach for the men's and women's tennis teams, teaches beginning and advanced levels of tennis along with a Leadership section of Organization and Administration of Athletics this fall. “Teaching [tennis] is a great way for me to think about the way that I instruct to different learning styles and ability levels. … In the classroom, it
allows me to get to know more students on this campus and have a better understanding of what make Grinnell such a special place to work,” Madara wrote in an email to The S&B. Erin Hurley, head coach for the men's and women's swim and dive teams, teaches beginning swimming and triathlon training, activities which she believes are lifelong activities. “I've had swim team members, but also student athletes in other sports, but I've also had students come in with no background in either of those areas, and I think that's challenging but that also keeps me focused on different ways to teach people, different ways to explain something, and also reminds me that people are coming from different backgrounds,” she said. Participation has remained relatively consistent for activity courses and has increased for theory courses, in part due to three factors: physical education courses count as social studies credit; there are around 400 student athletes on campus who are interested in learning about sports; the structure of these courses is different
MAHIRA FARAN
Andy Hamilton ’85 leads his tutorial class in the Bear Athletic Center. than most courses offered at the College. Having coaches who teach shows their commitment to both athletics and the values of a liberal arts education. “The net result, or the benefit is, that we know the curriculum better, we know the College better, we know the students better because we have this opportunity to teach them, not just to coach them,” Hamilton said. The department is even planning to offer a seminar in the future.
The department has something for every student, and it's even possible to request that a class be offered. “I think [the physical education department] is a valuable asset. … I think sometimes students who are at their credit maximum and seem to be very academically stressed, one of the best things for them for their general health and wellbeing is to take a P.E. class with some instruction and guidance, and hopefully they can utilize that,” Hurley said.
Fall sports wrapup: Pioneers find success across the board Football
The Pioneer football team wrapped up their season on Saturday, Nov. 11 in a 35-0 loss to Beloit College. The team finished 1-9 which, although on paper doesn’t look great, was actually a terrific improvement. After going almost two years without a win, they picked up a 15-6 victory over Trinity Bible College in a defensive battle. Also, the team put up a great fight the week before against Cornell College on Nov. 4, scoring 20 points and going head-to-head until the second half. Ryan Slager ’19’s 447 tackles this fall made him the nation’s leading tackler, and Grinnell College’s all-time leading tackler. It is no surprise, then, that Slager finished the season on the All-Midwest Conference Football Team for a second time.
Volleyball
The volleyball team finished with a 16-9 record, reaching their highest victory total in 15 years. This is an incredible year for a team in its first year under a new coach, head coach Eric Ragan ’12. Some noteworthy matches include their 3-1 victory over Lawrence in October, and their conference tournament-clinching victory over Monmouth. As far as postseason honors, Kaylin Kuhn ’21 picked up Midwest Conference Newcomer of the Year. Kuhn was the team’s cumulative kills leader. Blocks leaders include Emma Willhardt ’19 with 48 kills, and Olivia Jensen ’21 with 43.
Women’s Tennis
The women’s tennis team finished their season atop the conference with an 11-1 record. Four women won conference in their respective flights. Milica Cvrkota ’21, Ali Hickey ’21, Abby Nielsen ’21 and Lily Hamilton ’19 won the first, third, fourth and sixth flights, respectively. The match was Hamilton’s 50th career win and second conference title, which places her ninth on the College’s all-time singles wins list. In doubles, Hickey and Nielsen won a conference title in the second flight. To cap things off, head coach Paige Madara earned Coach of the Year honors. Perhaps the most promising part of the team’s success is that five of six players in the lineup will return next fall.
Women's Cross Country
This fall’s cross country season’s successes can be attributed to older leadership and important new faces. Emma Zimmerman ’18 led the way, finishing All-Region and third in the conference. What’s even better for the team, though, is the fact that many standout runners will be back next year. Anna Ahrens ’19, Mikayla Fujiwara ’20 and Cara Keleher ’21 consistently finished with terrific times, ultimately leading to the team’s second place finish at the Midwest Conference Meet. Ultimately, this is one of the deepest teams in program history. At conference, nine Pioneer runners ran times that placed them top 30 in all-time program history, and most of those runners will return next fall.
Men's Cross Country
While the men’s cross country team fell just short of winning their 20th conference championship in 22 years, they still posted a runner-up performance and several men set personal record times. Leading the way all season was John Lennon ’19, who ran a personal best 25:26 8-kilometer race at conference, which ranks 18th in program history. Pieter Hansen ’19 also cracked the all-time top 50 list, running a 26:09 race that places him 49th in team history. The most promising aspect of the cross country team is the fact that all seven scorers are returning next fall, and there are a lot of young runners in the top seven. Matt Lieberman ’21 was the Midwest Conference Newcomer of the Year, with a 26:20 personal best. Along with Lieberman, Jackson Schulte ’20, Lucas Chamberland ’21 and Matt Phipps ’20 are all returning scorers next year. Editor’s note: Jackson Schulte is the sports editor for The S&B.
Women’s Golf
The women’s golf team had yet another successful season this year, winning their fifth Midwest Conference Championship in a row, led by sisters Vidushi and Vrishali Sinha, both ’19. The Sinhas were the top two performers in the conference, and Samanike Hengst ’18 was not far behind, placing seventh. Grinnell’s women’s golf team was loaded with young talent this year as well, with Danielle Oberlander ’21 and Julia Echikson ’20 rounding out their lineup. Every golfer except for Hengst will return next fall, making a sixth straight conference championship seem likely.
Opinions
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Edited by fentonma@grinnell.edu
IoWhat is Going On in Sexplanations: Politics? Questions on Title IX and body parts Maternal/electoral politics
by Austin Wadle My mother is an incredible woman. A native of Texas, my mother has instilled in me my greatest personality traits: strong will and passion. Besides being my mother, though, she was also my teacher, both inside and outside the classroom. According to her, I was devastatingly average until I was a student in her second grade class. She is the person who provided me with a deep-seated interest in learning and justice. She was never afraid of challenging what I thought, pushing me harder to love more and work harder. She was the one who first launched me into politics, by signing me up to knock on doors for former President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign. She pushed me to jump on a campaign to update the Human Rights Ordinance in Miami-Dade County to include gender identity and gender expression when I had some extra time in the second semester of my senior year of high school. When I saw my world turned upside down on Nov. 8, 2016, a part of me resented that my mother had led me down the path to politics. My throat still stings a little whenever I think about sitting in Lyle’s on that fateful night. But my mom was also one of the people I relied on most after the devastating results of that election. Since I was young, she had taught me that there is always work to do. Regardless of what happens on Election Day, there are a million things to get done — and somebody has to do it. That is, I think, what makes me who I truly am. Like many other Democrats, I fell asleep extremely happy last Tuesday, Nov. 7. We handily won very important races in Virginia and New Jersey and broke barriers at the state and municipal level across the country, electing many first-time and female candidates to office. I see so much of my mother in the women candidates that won handily last Tuesday. I see her sense of justice in State Senator-Elect Manka
Dhingra, who served as a prosecutor for more than 17 years before being elected to the Washington State Senate this past Tuesday. I see her sense of pragmatism in Danica Roem, elected as the first openly transgender person to the state legislature in Virginia. Roem is also passionate about infrastructure, focusing on fixing Route 28 so that constituents can have better and safer commutes. I see my mother’s strength in New Jersey’s Lieutenant Governor-Elect Sheila Oliver, who was never afraid to take on the boys’ club of New Jersey politics, including helping to uncover the Bridgegate emails during Chris Christie’s term as governor.
But my mom was also one of the people I relied on most after the devastating results of that election. Since I was young, she had taught me that there is always work to do. Regardless of what happens on Election Day, there are a million things to get done and somebody has to do it. But there are also other races to watch and take notice of in the coming months, including the race for mayor of Cedar Rapids. Monica Vernon, who you might remember from her run for Congress in 2016, advanced to the run-off against attorney Brad Hart. I can’t help but see the overwhelming compassion my mother practices everyday in the actions and qualifications of Vernon. She did incredibly important work helping rebuild the city of Cedar Rapids after the devastating floods of 2008. She’s long been an advocate for women, helping to establish the first shelter for women and children in Cedar Rapids many years ago. My mom instilled many values in me, and I try and seek out the same things in the candidates I look up to. These are just a few of the amazing women that I have been paying attention to. I hope you can find some inspiration in these women, and also find candidates that reflect your own values.
Sexplanations is an anonymous Q&A column to increase access to information regarding sex, sexual health, sexuality, relationships, and the promotion of sexual respect at Grinnell College. Questions are answered collaboratively by the Sexual Health Information Center (SHIC), the Stonewall Resource Center (SRC) and the Office of Wellness and Prevention. Submit questions at https://goo.gl/ forms/buyQ1aZWhdcDspUx2 Are my Title IX rights gone now that Betsy DeVos has rescinded the Obama Era Title IX guidance? Thanks! — Lost to DeVos Hi Lost to DeVos, This is a complicated question. Technically, Title IX itself has not changed, but its interpretation has altered somewhat over the years. As students, you are still entitled to an education free of discrimination on the basis of sex. This includes sexual and gender-based harassment, stalking, intimate partner abuse and other forms of sexual violence and exploitation. During the Obama administration, the 2011 Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) was published, pushing educational institutions that receive federal funding to widen their net to include a number of other practices to help strengthen Title IX. The guidelines recommended in the DCL include publishing policies related to Title IX, having a Title IX coordinator, training employees about their reporting responsibilities, having prompt and equitable processes and avoiding mediation in cases of sexual assault. Two of the most impactful guidelines recommended by the DCL were about equitable complaint processes and retaliation. Equitable complaint processes ensure that both the victim/survivor and the respondent have rights to a support person of their choice (including attorneys), equal and timely access to all information and the opportunity to appeal. Further, interim remedies such as a no contact order or moving dorms help the parties avoid one another during the process. This section also states that schools must utilize a preponderance of evidence or evidence that presents the event
as “more likely than not” (51 percent chance of) having happened. Guidelines around retaliation protect all those involved in a proceeding from any adverse action. Although the federal government has rescinded the 2011 DCL and 2014 Questions and Answers guidance, Grinnell will continue to abide by the Obama Era Title IX guidance to the greatest degree possible. To clarify, the new guidance does not increase the evidence standard but allows for an institution to choose between preponderance of evidence and clear and convincing evidence. The new guidance states that the standard used should be consistent with the standard used to adjudicate other forms of misconduct across campus. This means that Grinnell maintains its standard of using a preponderance of evidence in Title IX cases. For full conduct cases, Grinnell will continue to use external investigators and adjudicators. As always, a number of interim remedies are available, and many Grinnell students who choose to meet with the Title IX office decide they would only like to utilize interim remedies. A person does not need to pursue or participate in any conduct proceeding to access interim remedies. For more information, please see The S&B interview with the Title IX office in the article “College to Uphold Most Obama-Era Title IX Guidelines, Reconsider ‘Mediation’ Approach” from September 2017 or check out www.grinnell.edu/sexualrespect. If you continue to have questions about Title IX on campus or are interested in having more conversations about improving the Title IX process here at Grinnell, please reach out to [titleix] or a member or the Title IX team. I’ve never had sex with a person with this set of genitalia! Ah! What do I do?! — Perplexed about privates Hey Perplexed about Privates! Let’s first talk about how we talk about people’s sexual places. Especially when you’re referring to the bits of a partner who is trans/gender non-conforming, you cannot assume what language they use to describe their chest and crotchy bits. And being able to refer to body parts is important in physically intimate sex, so everyone can know what they’re consenting to when you ask to touch their body. Of course, asking how people re-
fer to their bodies can feel awkward if you’ve never done it before, and if you’ve been with a partner for a long time it might feel different. For example, when I’m really in the groove with someone and we’re having open conversation, I’ll ask if they have any specific ways they like to refer to their chest and crotch, and then offer my own preferences: “Hey, do you have any ways you like to refer to your body parts? I myself don’t like being referred to by my “dick” or “cock,” but I don’t know if I have a preferred set of language … just not those.” If we’re not so close, I’ll usually hold-off and be attentive to ways they talk about their own body, and in the meantime refer to their “chest” and “crotch.” Sometimes, I don’t even have to use the word “crotch” where specific actions like “giving head” already specify where the action is headed. I also start off by asking: “Are there any places you don’t like to be touched?” We all have a right to establish red zones — areas off limits to any kind of touch — so making space to acknowledge that before any touching happens is such a nice and necessary thing. And now a gripe: I do not appreciate people telling me — warning, really — that this is the first time they’ve been with a male-bodied/AMAB (assigned male at birth)/trans person. It makes me feel on-edge and alien and it feels like this person is preemptively asking for compassion for their inevitable shittiness. Instead of voicing novelty, I think it’s a better practice to reflect on what this means for sexual communication and comfort. Should I check-in more about what feels good and how much pressure I should be applying? Should I be explicit about discomforts I’m feeling? Should I ask for more instruction about how they like to be touched? The answers to these questions are always YES, especially with new partners. Excusing one’s responsibility to communicate with new partners by drawing attention to how my body is novel to them not only alienates me and makes me feel bad, but it also directs us away from good informative communication (and therefore, good sex). This approach is all about abandoning that dusty sexual script and talking openly about you and your partner(s)’ pleasures and discomforts! Talk about actions for pleasure when you’re uncertain. Talk less about how one’s gender/sex/disability/physicality is exotic for you.
Letter to the editor: Dissenting Voices speaks out Last Thursday, Nov. 9, Dissenting Voices (DV) held a “mock memorial” in mourning of the recent revocation by the federal government regarding Title IX protections. Students, survivors, supporters and activists came together intersectionally to heal through artistic sign-making and conversation. This was followed by a walking chant from Bucksbaum to the Grinnell College sign in front of JCC. As we gathered in a circle and discussed the twin problems of silence and erasure, we performed a moment of affirmation in support of one another and survivors on college campuses nationally. DV contacted Facilities Management (FM) in advance to let them know DV held full responsibility for its cleanup after it received daylight attention. To find the display we created
gone and things returned to the status quo the next morning was disappointing. At first I thought, “what student would take this down?” I figured the effort would be too much for busy Grinnellians, let alone one student, unless they were actively pro-rape. I will not spend time blaming. Instead, I write this piece to express my confusion as a student on a campus that can provide safe spaces for womxn. I can’t help but juxtapose last week’s fiveday-long action in support of fossil fuel divestment to a vigil whose life spanned a mere twelve dead-ofnight hours. I can’t help but juxtapose Divest’s protest against the school and DV’s protest against the federal government. I can’t help but juxtapose the sensitivities surrounding fossil fuels versus rape. I am not
comparing one to the other because one deserves more attention (they both matter). I bring them up because they inform me about political activism at our college. This is also why DV is determined to continue its work. The three current goals at Grinnell College, in addition to a 24-page outline of extensive aims, are to: hire a permanent full-time Title IX coordinator, establish a fully-staffed womxn's center and to expel rapists (before they graduate). DV would also like to bring a teach-in by lawyer Rebecca Stout from IowaCASA in the future to inform us comprehensively of our rights as well as provide us with accessible in-formation. Thank you to those who attended the vigil and those who continue to fight for survivor rights. — Reina Matsuura ’19
Slice of Life Slice of Life
by Seungyun Chong
Arts
Edited by bohlkeli@grinnell.edu & vitaioli@grinnell.edu
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Young, Gifted and Black "The First Time I Walked ACSU holds Gospel Choir celebrates on the Moon" opens in Head-wrap Flanagan Theater 45th anniversary Wrap By Mayo Sueta suetamay@grinnell.edu
CHARUN UPARA
The Young, Gifted and Black Gospel Choir at Grinnell in Sebring-Lewis for their 45th anniversary performance By Saiham Sharif sharifsa@grinnell.edu As a part of the Alumni Multicultural Reunion weekend, the Young, Gifted and Black Gospel Choir (YGB) celebrated their 45th anniversary with a concert in Sebring-Lewis Hall. Although some posters branded the event as YGB’s 50th anniversary, the concert was actually the group’s 45th anniversary. Founded in 1967, the group did not formally meet until 1972. According to the Grinnell College website, the group’s name comes from a work titled “To Be Young, Gifted, and Black” by the famous Black author Lorraine Hansberry. The same description on the website states the group organized around three basic goals: “cultural uniformity as a result of the Black Church experience; a strong desire to continue that same cultural heritage while pursuing higher education at Grinnell College; the choir's expressed desire to act as an active agent in raising money for the Martin Luther King Scholarship Fund at Grinnell College.” The group primarily sings Black gospel music, and often goes on tour to various cities. “The choir does a plethora of songs ranging from hymns to newer, more contemporary gospel artists such as Travis Green and Casey J.,” wrote YGB member J’remi Barnes ’19 in an email to The S&B. According to Barnes, although the group changes over time due to the four-year turnover at the College, they consistently maintain a positive musical energy. “YGB has had its fluctuations of members each semester, but the energy that it provides people are still the same,” Barnes wrote. “YGB is a group that people join for many different reasons. Some people come to experience the community, music making, singing, to destress from the
week and sometimes they come for an easy credit (which is okay also). For the most part we tend to be anywhere from 10-20 students each semester, but as previously mentioned, we tend to try to stick to the traditional values of the original YGB members.” For their 45th anniversary concert, the group put on a unique performance. They began by singing choir songs, inviting the audience to sing and dance along with them, which can be difficult in the unwieldy auditorium, but many swayed and clapped their hands to the beat. Surprisingly, YGB exited the stage and took seats. However, the same powerful energy they left was carried through as Created to Worship, a black choir group from New Orleans, stepped onto stage. The group wore light-up shoes, a relic of the past, and as they sung gospel music, they captured not only the audience’s ears, but also their eyes. They displayed the spirit of gospel music by wholeheartedly being themselves and having fun on stage. Even the most reserved audience members found themselves clapping their hands to the soulful rhythm. Barnes’ experience with Created to Worship dates back before his time at Grinnell, having sung with the group during his youth. Barnes believed they would be a great addition to a celebration of YGB’s enduring time on campus. “Forty-five years is a very amazing accomplishment, especially for a Christian group on this campus. Therefore, Michael [Sims, director of student activities] wanted to do something big for the anniversary,” Barnes said. “That's when I mentioned my old choir from home. Created To Worship is a phenomenal group of singers and musicians that I've sang with for a few years now, and when Michael said that he was looking for groups and artists to come, they were the first people I thought of.”
Anticipation for the show “The First Time I Walked on the Moon” has been building ever since its casting, and will finally come to fruition on its opening night this Thursday in Flanagan Theatre. Initially, Professor Craig Quintero, theatre and dance, and director of the show, was inspired by the first time man set foot on the moon in 1969 and how it brought the whole world together. However, after going to see a screening of “I am Not Your Negro,” he decided to add another layer to the concept. “It was sort of a similar time period going from there to now, but … so many of the issues had not been resolved,” Quintero said. “I think that the performance has turned into sort of a reflection of dream and aspiration but also … [about how] we have moved so much forward but we’re still stuck. And how do we then move forward as a nation and as a country.” The play is unlike any other in many aspects. For example, the audience will be elevated ten feet above the stage and look down on the performance, which will feature music created by Professor John Rommereim, music, and projections by Taiwanese video designers, Ti Pei Hou and Bang Wei Cheng. Furthermore, the play has no script and the process of creating it was highly collaborative. When asked about the unique process, Quintero talked about the actors’ active roles in developing the performance. “It’s been really amazing. [The actors] have been very integral in developing the script. So, the first day of rehearsal [we] sort of talked generally about the concept. The second day they did an introductory performance. And actually a lot of the images and some of the music that we’re using in the show was what they brought to that introduc-
tory performance. Throughout the rehearsal process, sometimes we would arrive at a scene [and] I would sort of get stuck [and I would ask them] ‘What do you think?’ Then we try and improvise and try and improvise. And so, a lot of the elements of the show were generated by the actors.” Amaris Bates ’18, one of the cast members, agreed that the process involved a lot of improvisation and adapting as the play came along. “It’s been different to anything I’ve experienced before,” Bates said. “[It’s] really rewarding, I think, to see one of your ideas actually in the show or having something you thought of make it all the way, but it also becomes stressful at times just because sometimes we practice a scene for a night for three hours and then it gets cut. … [But] it’s so rewarding in the end to see everything we’ve done pay off that it definitely eliminates all of [the stress].” Quintero also mentioned how the creative process mirrors the concept of the play. “I think it’s part of the process but also a part of, if we really want to move forward as a nation, it’s not individuals, it’s not what one person can do, but it’s what we as a unified people can do,” Quintero said. Quintero hopes that every audience member takes away something different from the performance and that the play inspires them to act. “Art is interesting because it functions more like a mirror. … Hopefully, if we have 100 audience members, each person will get something slightly different based on their past, on their life. Hopefully the performance will provide a moment, a space and time for self-reflection and hopefully, then that self-reflection will lead to action.” “The First Time I Walked on the Moon” will take place on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Flanagan Theatre.
HELENA GRUENSTEIDL
Lyn Powell answered student questions in JRC 209 on Thursday. Lynn Powell, a renowned poet, professor of creative writing at Oberlin College and recipient of the 2017 Felix Pollak Prize in Poetry for her book "Season of Second Thought" led Writers @ Grinnell round table this Thursday. The S&B's Amanda Weber sat down with Powell to discuss religion in poetry and delving into nonfiction writing.
felt like there was an injustice being done to take a stand and to take action and I was part of that. … It was actually very arduous and it felt like I had to start from scratch, learning how to write even a sentence all over again. I think I had a poet’s arrogance that if you can write poetry, you can write anything, and I was really humbled. … I’m glad they’re both in my life.
The S&B: How does writing poetry differ for you from writing creative nonfiction? Is there a style that you prefer? I’ve been instinctively a poet since I was a child, and so I think poetry is my native tongue, although that doesn’t mean it’s easy for me to do. … I wrote a nonfiction book when there was a legal case in my community that called for those of us who
I’ve noticed a pattern of Biblical allusions in much of your poetry— what inspired that motif? I grew up a Southern Baptist in East Tennessee, so I was raised in a very religious home, and it’s kind of like an ethnicity. Even after you no longer live in that culture anymore, it’s made you who you are, and you see the world through the metaphors and images and language you grew
By Seth Taylor taylorse@grinnell.edu Grinnell hosts a wide array of multicultural groups on campus, representing people and practices from every corner of the world. One such group is the African Caribbean Student Union (ACSU), and on Wednesday, ACSU hosted the Head-wrap Wrap. The Head-wrap Wrap was an event designed to educate those in attendance about the history and significance of head-wraps. It also served as a small workshop, offering ideas for different styles and tutorials on how best to wear them. Angela Frimpong ’20, a member of ACSU from Ghana, organized and hosted the event. The idea originated after students began asking her about head-wraps. She didn’t know all the answers, so she brought the questions to ACSU, and from there the Head-wrap Wrap was born.
“People my age don't really wear head-wraps to be honest, because there are so many hairstyles and you want to flaunt your hairstyle.” Angela Frimpong '20
HELENA GRUENSTEIDL
From left to right: Maddie Birchfield ’19, Yufei Wang ’18, Dru Greenwood ’18 and Amaris Bates ’18 during tech week rehearsal for the show.
Writers @ Grinnell: Lynn Powell
ENSTEIDL
MAHIRA FARAN
Eyram Koblah ’19 (left) during ACSU's Head-wrap Wrap workshop.
up with. As a child, I went to church three times a week. … I was a poetic child and a metaphysical child, which means I really was thinking hard when I was little about what is good and what is evil and what is death and what is the meaning of life? … I really believe that as a writer, you should bring everything you are into your voice and into your writing, and to censor that is to deprive yourself of a richness in your own life, in your own voice. … That’s something I register as a potential gap between me and a number of readers, but I think it would [be] a sad world if I only wrote to what I thought everybody knew, so what I hope is that there will be enough in the poems to get a reader interested so that they might Google who Delilah is, or who Lazarus is, and educate themselves. “Framing Innocence” seems like such a departure from your past works in poetry — you said that there had been an incident in the community, is there anything else that made you want to write it? You had been asking about the religion in my work and, coming back to that metaphysical child, I think one thing I value deeply about my religious upbringing is that I was taught to value the truth, I was taught to love my neighbor as I love myself and I was taught you’re supposed to risk your own interest to save others. Now maybe, the way I was growing up, it meant save their souls, but save their souls can mean different things, as you get older and think about it.
There were ways in which I became a leader in the community that stood up against this injustice, and I think that’s a direct line between the kid that grew up in the church that said love your neighbor as yourself. … I think that writing a book of nonfiction is a very far cry from writing a poem, but I tried to bring to that nonfiction the same kind of precision I aspire to in my poems, the same kind of care for language and the same kind of pressure to get to the complicated truth. What do you think were some of the most helpful lessons you learned in college? The first thing I learned is that there are other poets in the world. I literally grew up in a home where the main book was the Bible — there was no poetry in the house. It was a loving home but not a literary home. … I walked [into my college creative writing class] and our textbook was called “Contemporary American Poetry,” which is something I didn’t even know existed but there was a whole book of it. And I thought, “These poets are out there breathing right now and writing poems right now, just like me.” I think I’ve never quite gotten tired of the wonder of that — that so many people need poetry, that so many people want poetry. … The biggest thing that happened for me in college was the opening of that world, and working with a poet closely who became my friend and my mentor, and I’ve never lost that sense of discovering a new world.
For Frimpong, living in Ghana, head-wraps are an everyday part of life. They can be worn as professional clothing, as an expression of personal style or as a practical tool to protect hair from the scorching sun. Frimpong’s grandmother used to sell head-wraps at the local market, and her mother wore them for work and fashion. Frimpong believes that it is less common for young people to wear head-wraps. “It’s a cultural thing,” Frimpong said. “The more you grow the more you don’t want to see the [messy hair].” Frimpong noted that headwraps can be a functional, fashionable choice for the workplace. “People my age don’t really wear head-wraps to be honest, because there are so many hairstyles and you want to flaunt your hairstyle.” For Frimpong, the young people who choose to wear head-wraps are making them a part of their style, expanding the traditional look and adding their own personal touches since, as of now, “[head-wraps] are trending.” The colors, prints and styles of head wraps vary widely. Some prints have special meanings, and there are different color schemes for different occasions. “It’s the colors that denote where you’re going to wear them. More colorful colors for every day or special events or festivals [and] weddings, and darker colors for funerals or sad things that happen,” Frimpong said. Frimpong hopes that this event, and others like it, will bring even more diversity of culture to Grinnell. “For me personally, seeing someone wear head-wraps after they’ve been to the event, particularly the style we use or using the same print that we use, would really remind me of home, and it would make me feel more part of this community,” she said.
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Edited by bohlkeli@grinnell.edu & vitaioli@grinnell.edu
Fall 2017 Biannual Show
By Emma Friedlander friedlan@grinnell.edu Queer People of Color (QPOC) held their biannual Drag Show last Saturday, Nov. 11, complete with gender subversion, talented performers and Pussycat Dolls songs. One of the most beloved Grinnell traditions, Drag Show features gender-subverting performances in front of students and staff, while raising money for charity. This year, proceeds will go to the Hurricane Maria Community Recovery Fund, an organization that provides aid directly to Puerto Rico rather than to nonprofit bureaucracies. “Because Hurricane Maria was so fresh at the beginning of the semester, it was something that was on a few of the [QPOC] members’ minds,” said QPOC group leader James Caruso ’18, who on Drag Show night is known as Kristal Meth. “We raised $425 and 25 cents — and 50 Indian
rupees, which I think is hilarious and amazing.” Caruso has been performing in Drag Show since his first semester first year, and was the integral organizer of this year’s event. Through his extensive Drag Show experience, he has witnessed many changes, including the coming and going of strong drag personalities and the varying of individual versus group performances. Saturday’s show was notable for its heavy focus on individual drag queen acts over group performances. “In the past, especially in recent history, people remember a lot of sports teams doing Drag Show. As people have graduated, that trend has decreased because influential queer people of color who were on sports teams are no longer here,” Caruso explained. “But I think that there’s a real art and level of confidence that it takes to be an individual performer at Drag Show, and to be on the stage
Edited by bohlkeli@grinnell.edu & vitaioli@grinnell.edu
and command all of the attention for yourself. … It’s nice to see that more traditional forms of drag are coming up here in Grinnell, which I think was missing in a lot of past years.” When asked if there were any queens that impressed Caruso in particular, he raved over the series of first and second-year drag performers who stole the show: Errol Blackstone ’20 as the glamorous Heaven Ne’Vaeh, Alec Elston ’20 as the hilarious Ophelia Bedelia and Conner Stanfield ’21 as the bubbly April Showers. “As a senior, I’ll be leaving next semester,” Caruso said. “It’s so nice to see young, talented people on stage.” Of course, Kristal Meth remains a staple of Grinnell Drag Show. She kicked off the show and made an encore performance in the second half, all to the applause and screams of an approving audience. “Kristal Meth is me on crystal meth,” Caruso laughed. “Exagger-
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ated, extra, loud but then also super sexy and super girly and fun. It’s all about the fantasy. I think Kristal Meth for me is definitely the fantasy of what I would want to be if I were a woman.” Caruso’s love for drag is largely connected to his D.C. Posse community, which created a long line of drag queens at Grinnell. “I have my drag mother who’s D.C. Posse 6, and then his drag mother who’s D.C. Posse 5. It’s a big family of people from Posse,” Caruso, who is from D.C. Posse 10, said. “I want that legacy to continue for as long as possible, even though Posse’s ending as well.” When asked if he would continue to perform after graduation, Caruso had a quick response. “l’d love to if I’m paid,” he laughed. “This is for charity. Outside in the real world, my time is worth money.”
ALL PHOTOS BY SARAH RUIZ
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 Writer Honorary Editor
Lily Bohlke Emma Friedlander Alice Herman Candace Mettle Caryn McKechnie Jackson Schulte Keli Vitaioli Mira Braneck Maxwell Fenton Carter Howe Mayo Sueta Lica Ishida Jeff Li Helena Gruensteidl Riley Murphy Kate Irwin Danny DeVito
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.
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"It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light." — Aristotle
Arbitrary Analysis Social Calendar Friday
MAXWELL FENTON
The Void
The Abyss
Snedge
1. Butt Juice II: Electric Boogaloo 2. How Many Months Until Henry Kissinger Dies? 3. Queers for Fears
North Loggia
The Signs as Characters from Mad Men
Aries: Joan Harris
Saturday
10:00 p.m. Soccer Ball Harris @ Harris Center 10:00 p.m. SHIC Gardner @ Gardner Lounge 11:00 p.m. Freaknik @ Black Cultural Center
Taurus: Henry Francis Gemini: Paul Kinsey
Cancer: Pete Campbell Leo: Peggy Olson
South Loggia
Virgo: Lane Pryce
Libra: Betty Draper
Scorpio: Don Draper
Sagittarius: Sally Draper
check us out:
Capricorn: Harry Crane
@thesandb /thescarletandblack thesandb.com @newspapr
Rants & Raves:
Pub Quiz Winners
This week, Maxwell Fenton '19 and Lily Bohlke '19 polled students asking: Stevie Nicks or Dirty Tricks?
7:30 p.m. The First Time I Walked on the Moon @ Bucksbaum 191 10:00 p.m. BLACKOUT @ Gardner Lounge
Like what you see?
The Pit
Aquarius: Roger Sterling Pisces: Bert Cooper
— 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]
A comment on PoC
A voice on the vigil
A question about the bubble
A beanbag gone AWOL
It’s not people of color’s job to make you feel comfortable in and about your whiteness. It is not our job to explain to you why some of us condemn tools of systemic injustice and inequality. We are not here to absolve you of your privilege or lend you social capital.
It's reprehensible that our institution took down a vigil for survivors of sexual assault. We need our administration to protect survivors, not take down a vigil, behind students' backs, that supports them.
Planning to take Life After Grinnell I & II; because the best professors to teach this are alums still here.
During fall break, the giant red beanbag in the SGA offices went MISSING!!!! Please return it — napping is integral to our productivity!!! Yours sincerely,
— Elliott Maya '18
— Mira Braneck '19
— Anonymous
— SGA Cab