New Blog Features. Don't Panic!

If you've come here only to be shocked by a blue banner don't turn around, you're at the same old S&Blog you've quickly come to love. Today, we upgraded the S&Blog to the new Blogger Beta with a few new features that we think will help you use the S&Blog much better.

On the sidebar to your right, you'll see a list of labels. From now on we'll tag each article with its section (Arts, Corrections, Editorial Posts - something from the editorial staff, like this-, Features, News, Opinions, Sports, and, maybe in the future, The Backpage). If you only want sports, only read sports. If you want opinions, read only opinions.

Furthermore, if you want to go back to articles in November, we've got a great archive section in our sidebar that allows you to browse through our previous articles in a very efficient manner.

As for the red, don't worry. It'll be back.

Swimmers finish seventh in Omaha, prepare for Florida trip

by Eli Best

Grinnell’s swim teams each finished seventh in the Mutual of Omaha Invite last weekend out of nine men’s teams and 10 women’s teams. Those results may seem surprising coming from teams that are accustomed to holding up MWC championship trophies, but the swimmers felt good about their weekend performances because of the high level of competition they faced.

The Pioneers were up against a field of mostly Division II schools. Also, Grinnell did not bring divers and was not eligible to score points in some events. Considering they competed against DII schools, and could not score points in the diving events, the Pioneers were proud to not finish last.

Julia McHugh ‘07 highlighted yet another challenge of the meet: competing against academic pressures as well as good swim teams.

“It’s always tough … right before hell week,” she said. “We all have a lot on our minds on top of swimming.”

The Pioneer women received a strong performance from first-year Meghan McDoniel. She took seventh in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:11.99, and she was also part of a relay team that finished 5th in the 200-yard medley.

A first-year on the men’s team also had a strong showing. Paul Gagne ’10 followed up his Midwest Conference Performer of the Week award with a third-place finish in the 1650-yard freestyle (18:01.59) and was part of the 800-yard freestyle relay team that finished 5th.

The Pioneers will spend the next couple of weeks preparing for their winter break trip to Florida, where they will both train and compete.

“Florida is where we are really challenged with our training,” McHugh said. She pointed out that the workouts in the pool and on dry land will both intensify.

The Pioneer swimmers compete next against Connecticut College.

Concert preview: Treologic returns this Friday

by Alysia Vallas

With influences like Dr. Dre, Miles Davis, and Arrested Development you know that Treologic is here to redefine cool, again. This hip-hop group out of Chicago, whose visits to Grinnell have become a regular occurrence, mixes its rhymes with backbeats inspired by jazz, gospel and world music, as well as other rappers.
Treologic is comprised of Lance Loiselle, Mcbilla Camp, Justin Boyd, DJ Savage, Eric Koppa, Jordan Lopez and Anthony Massaro, whose mission is to blend genres of music while sending out positive lyrics to break down the stereotypes associated with the hip-hop culture. The winning combo typically leaves the audience with a taste of ingenuity and a euphoric grin.

The show was to be opened by The Coup and Mr. Lif, but their tour was cancelled after their tour bus was in an accident on Monday. Some passengers were injured but none were killed. Filling in for them will be another hip-hop group, the Doomtree Collective. Their website announcing their visit to Grinnell claims that “Kids get down in the middle of Iowa, man.” With an endorsement like that, let’s hope for a good showing at Gardner tonight. We wouldn’t want to let them down.

Cut to the Quick

I don’t know how you live at home. Maybe you have a maid that cleans up after every little mess you make. Maybe you just live in squalor. Or maybe your neat-freak personality shines through. But here at Grinnell, you are not at home. On any given floor, you are living with 20 other people, and, like it or not, you are sharing a bathroom with them. Some of them may even be of the opposite gender. As such, there are rules that need to be followed. A code of etiquette,if you will. Sit at your computer in awe as I educate you.

First of all, close that stall door. Seriously. There is absolutely no way that you could be in such a rush that you don’t have three seconds to turn around and lock the door behind you. And while you’re at it, flush the toilet. There is no reason that you don’t have the three more seconds it takes to push the handle. Both of these activities extend your total bathroom experience by six seconds. I certainly hope you can spare the time.

While we’re at it—the bathroom sinks are not a place to dispose of food. There are kitchens for that. When you dump leftover whatever into the bathroom sinks, they get clogged, and the next person to run water in them gets all your little food particles floating up to greet them. In case you were wondering, there are not garbage disposals in the bathroom sinks. Those are … where again? That’s right. In the kitchen.

Finally, as you are sharing a bathroom with all of these people, it is inevitable that you will run into them from time to time while brushing your teeth, washing your face, et cetera. At this point in the semester, you should at least know the names of everyone on your floor. Say hello to whoever is standing next to you at the sink. Nothing is more awkward than the whole brushing-your-teeth-while-pretending-the-other-person-isn’t-there thing, except for maybe the wow-I-really-wish-that-kid-would-put-some-clothes-on-so-I’m-going-to-ignore-them thing. You don’t have to be best friends, or eat dinner together, or even like each other. Just acknowledge each other.

Yes, Grinnell is different from the real world. There are different standards of cleanliness and acceptable social interaction. Every one of us is going to have to leave here eventually though (except for the weird, creepy ones), and I’m pretty sure that these are basic skills you’ll need to be considered even marginally socially capable wherever you end up next. All you have to do is nod at the kid brushing his teeth in his underwear, then lock the door, and push that little lever. You can do it. I have faith.

Breaking: Friday basketball games postponed

Due to inclement weather, both the men's and women's basketball road games at St. Norbert today have been postponed to Sunday. Sunday's tip-offs will be at noon for the women and 2 p.m. for the men. Saturday's game times of 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. at Carroll College are unaffected.

Women's cross country finishes 7th in nation; two earn all-America honors

By Chloe Moryl

As seven mud-covered Grinnellians crossed the finish line on Nov. 18, they came to the end of an unprecedented season. The women’s cross country team had sealed Grinnell’s place in history as the first team in the Midwest Conference to win an NCAA Regional title a week earlier, and their seventh-place finish at the NCAA Division III National Championships established the program as one of the best in the country.

This year was the first time Sarah Spencer ’08 and Sara Brady ’07 competed at Nationals, and the two top Pioneer runners earned all-America honors. Spencer came in third place overall with a time of 22:52.00, while Brady came in 35th place with a time of 23:54.00.

Injuries had kept Spencer from competing at a top level in past seasons.

“I think the reason Nationals meant so much to me is because I’ve battled injuries for the past two and a half years, so I didn’t know if I’d be able to get back into running again,” Spencer said. “My biggest goal was to make it to the end of the season and to stay healthy, so to have done that and performed well was something that I didn’t know [would be possible].”

Brady joined the cross country team as a junior, and she has exceeded her own expectations by becoming one of the top runners in the country.

“This kind of represents … the time I’ve put into something, “ Brady said. “And [proves] that hard work really can pay off.”

But the Pioneers’ long hours of hard work couldn’t have prepared the runners for the soggy course in West Chester, Ohio.

“The conditions made it a lot more of an intense experience,” said Spencer. “The race was in a park, and it had rained a lot leading up to the meet. We were running through several inches of mud and water and runners’ feet were getting stuck and their shoes were being pulled off; some people were finishing with only one or no shoes.”

Spencer and Brady were supported by three other Pioneers who finished in the top 100 out of over 250 runners. Katie Ryan ’07 placed 83rd, Allison Louthan ’08 finished 92nd and Becky Bessinger ’09 crossed the finish line 93rd.

Grinnell is expecting to have a strong incoming first-year class next year to build on the team’s recent success, which has included three straight MWC titles.

“I think recruiting has gone well this year for [coach] Evelyn [Freeman],” said Spencer. “How this season went will make the recruiting easier because they will come to her instead of her having to seek them out.”

Although they are losing nine seniors before next season, the team looks forward to continued success.

“We’re losing a couple of the really crucial members of our team,” Spencer said. “But I would love to see the younger runners step up and be able to fill their shoes so we can have another exciting season like this one.”

Extended Q&A with one-act director Becky Mwase ’07

The S&B sat down with Becky Mwase ’07, director of the one-act play Defusion. The one-acts festival is this Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

What sparked your interest in the play you chose to direct?
I went to this bookstore in Taiwan that had a lot of English-speaking books and I found The Best Short Plays of 2005 and I was like, “Sweet, I can find my one act.” So I read through about four and then got to Defusion, and thought it was amazing and decided that’s what I was going to do, even though I thought Chris [Connelly] might say no because there weren’t stage directions of any kind and no blocking, so basically I would have to come up with everything.

Describe your play.
It’s about a man and a woman. They don’t have names. My play is after the fact. The woman had a boyfriend and she started an e-mail affair with a guy that she’d met three years previously and then went to see him. And they had sex and everything went wrong, so she went home and her boyfriend broke up with her. But the story is being told after all of this has happened and she’s sort of trying to work her way through it.

Did you look for anything in particular during the auditions?
Can you act? I had no preconceived notions about what I needed or wanted. I basically went in and looked for people who I thought listened to direction well and then called those people back and looked at how they interpreted the parts I gave them to read. And I looked at how informed their choices were and how they varied.

Describe your directorial style.
Sexy. (laughs) It depends on what we’re working on. I take notes every run and if I’m working stuff I move around to view things from different angles, and it helps me think when I’m walking. During the actual performance I try not move because it distracts [the actors].

What are the challenges of being a student director?
Never knowing what you’re doing. No, it’s weird because the directing class mainly just consists of reading and discussing articles by other directors. They rarely help me because there are so many divergent views on how you should direct and it’s difficult to sift through that and find your own style and the way that you work the best.

Have you identified with any of the directors that you’ve read in class?
Not really. All of the directors that we read are professional directors and so they’re working with professional actors. They don’t have the issues that we have, such as working around schedule conflicts. You can’t force them [our actors] to do anything, so if they show up late, the most you can do is give them time fines or a stern look. (laughing) You don’t want to yell at them and make them hate you. Every minute that they’re late you can hold them a minute after.

How has your perception of the play changed?
I understand the play much more for what it is rather than what I was trying to make it. I was trying to make it like a love story—she fell in love and then she went [to meet her lover]—but that wasn’t what was happening. Instead, she wanted to have an affair and it blew up in her face. That’s what happens and it’s painful. But there are fun moments in it and I’d been missing those. Now there’s a balance and the stages of her development are more obvious.

Do you plan to continue to work in theatre?
I would like to. I really enjoy directing, surprisingly. There’s something fulfilling about shaping and creating this thing. Initially, the play ran at 17 minutes, and now the actors have truly relaxed and are able to give a more nuanced performance that runs at 21 minutes. So that’s a tangible difference.

Extended Q&A with Grinnell Monologues leaders

The S&B sat down with Amanda Slatus ’07 and Stephanie Rosenbaum ’08, co-leaders of this year’s Grinnell Monologues. The Monologues will be performed tonight at 9 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m. in Loose Lounge.

How long have the Grinnell Monologues been going on?
AS: This is the third year.
SR: The idea is based on the Vagina Monologues, but what we did was decided to take the idea of the Vagina Monologues and make it our own. So it’s actually all written by the Grinnellians who are in it.
AS: Grinnell Monologues is a brainchild of Sarah Millhouse, who came to Feminist Action Coalition three years ago and said, “Listen, every year when we do the Vagina Monologues we invite Grinnellians to write their own and we always get fantastic ones. I think we have enough interest to do a show all of our own and not even do Vagina Monologues.” And so she and a few other people, including myself, created the Grinnell Monologues out of Feminist Action Coalition.

So is it still about vaginas?
SR: Some of it. Not all of it.
AS: The subject matter has certainly expanded. We’ve gotten monologues about everything from body image to smelly vaginas to …
SR: Gender identity, sexual orientation, fetishes …
AS: Being awkward …
SR: Dating at Grinnell. Because it’s such an open forum, you get so many different responses to what we aim to talk about.

How many pieces are there?
AS: There are 16, and three choral pieces.

What’s the boy-girl ratio?
AS: This year we have three boys.

What do you think makes this special for Grinnell?
SR: I think a really nice part about it is that it’s a very honest way of expressing how people feel about certain issues that may be more uncomfortable to talk about. So when you have a group of people that are willing to share their own experiences about sex, sexuality, body images, all of these above topics, which are sometimes taboo to talk about, which are sometimes very uncomfortable to talk about, and you have these people that are being very honest about their own experiences, it opens it up for other people to say what they think about it.
AS: For me, it’s really cheesy, but you start off at the beginning of the process with a group of strangers, and by rehearsal week, not only do we know each other’s monologues and each other’s names, but we know each other’s feelings about a variety of things, and we’ve become friends.

Thanksgiving in Grinnell

A belated post is better than no post, right?

by Merrick Meyers
This coming Wednesday, most Grinnell students will scatter to their homes or other destinations for Thanksgiving break, the briefest of all Grinnell vacations, returning in time for classes to resume the following Monday. Some Grinnellians, however, will be staying put, enjoying the holiday right here on campus.

Vice President of Student Services Tom Crady estimates the number of students who stay at around thirty percent of the student body. Most of these students simply live too far away from Grinnell for it to make sense to spend time and money returning home for a mere half a week before coming back to campus. Others live nearer by but do not desire to leave, or at least not enough to go through the trouble, preferring to hang out on campus with their fellow students.

Thanksgiving break generally passes without incident, though legends are still told of the break several years in ago during which some students stored a full turkey in the ceiling of a dorm hallway, and then completely forgot about it, not remembering it was there even after the smell of rotting turkey flesh became overpowering. The turkey was not discovered by Facilities Managements until two weeks later.

Many of those remaining on campus are international students, for whom returning home for such a short break is obviously impractical. While some vacation with fellow Grinellians or other American friends, or stay with a host family, a good portion simply stay where they are.

In a few cases, however, there were more somber reasons for staying at Grinnell. Last year, friends of Thomas Alexander '05, who had died in a car accident during Thanksgiving break the previous year, stayed on campus in order to be with one another.

The Thanksgiving and Fall breaks are the only vacations during which all students are allowed to stay in the dorms. Lingering during other breaks requires special permission, which is given to international students and others who require it. Of the two, the campus is significantly more populous during Thanksgiving break, as Fall break is much longer, making it more worthwhile to make travel plans.

At this critical point in the semester, some stay focused on their studies, working on papers and other projects. Others take the time to relax. "It's toward the end of the semester, so there are a lot of projects that people have been working on, so Thanksgiving, people say, 'I'm not gonna worry about it,'" said Jon Ohliger '07. "There's definitely a large amount of time dedicated to just hanging out." Many students select one day to devote to schoolwork, and treat most of the rest of the break like a vacation.

Some partake of dining hall food for their Thanksgiving feast, but the service is limited so that the dining staff can be with their families. Similarly, most alternatives in the town are closed for the holiday, leaving students largely to their own devices. Several Thanksgiving dinners are thrown on campus each year, with at least one open to all comers.

For the most part, these culinary efforts are well-planned and tend to go smoothly, although the residents of DAG House recall with amusement last year's attempt at mashed potatoes gone horribly wrong, which they say went through several color changes before being declared inedible. "None of us knew how to make mashed potatoes," admitted otherwise successful cook Christina Gargiullo '08, "so I made it up."

Of course, many of the international students on campus have no particular attachment to the Thanksgiving holiday or its traditions. "For me it was just a long weekend," pointed out Yue Hou '09, a Chinese student.

Reducing the population of the college to a fraction of what it usually is during the school year can do a lot to change the atmosphere of the place. "It was really quiet, and I kind of liked the feeling that there's not so many people around," said Hou, "but also when you saw people coming back it was really really nice cause it's a really small place and when it's really quiet there's nothing going on."

Others are more impressed with the change. Janaki Sullivan '07 describes life on campus during the break as "a lot more relaxed, a lot less frenetic, more peaceful, so you can actually feel like you can take time to stroll around campus, if there are any fall colors still left look at fall colors, or the snow, go to a movie in town, just hang out in the lounge somewhere, spend time with friends without feeling like you have to go rush off and go to class or an activity or homework or what have you." It's the kind time, she said, "which honestly I wish there were more of at Grinnell."

Game of the Century? No Question.

Over the past few weeks, many football fan friends of mine have entered my room and glanced puzzlingly at my computer wallpaper, which depicts Michigan RB Mike Hart and Ohio State QB Troy Smith in action poses with “Game of the Century” written on the bottom half. “Really?” they ask inquisitively. "This Saturday’s #2 Michigan vs. #1 Ohio State clash is the 'Game of the Century?'"

The unconvinced looks proved to me that few outside of Michigan and Ohio truly understand the magnitude of the greatest rivalry in sports. Other great rivalries give each team multiple chances to beat the opposing foe each year. The Red Sox and Yankees played 19 times last year, while Duke and North Carolina battle two or three times per year in basketball. For Michigan-Ohio State, each team’s shot at glory—and usually the Big Ten title—comes once a year, on the third Saturday in November.

No game has shattered more national title hopes than Michigan-Ohio State, and this Saturday, the game is even bigger. The two teams are playing each other as the #1 and #2 ranked teams in the nation for the first time ever, and both teams enter the game undefeated for the first time in 33 years. The winner goes on to play for the national championship, no questions asked.

Wait a minute. Enough objectivity. The best way to communicate the scale of this rivalry is to throw out journalistic integrity altogether. So let me put it bluntly:

I hate Ohio State. I despise them with every ounce of my blood. I rate entire seasons based primarily on whether Michigan beats Ohio State. I think that any Michigan coach who cannot win more than 50 percent of his games against Ohio State after five seasons should be fired on the spot, regardless of his record in every other game. I think OSU coach Jim Tressel’s sweater-vests are a sign of the anti-Christ.

My level of fanaticism at best equals that of any fan making the trek to Columbus this weekend. Tensions are running so high that the Michigan Dean of Students e-mailed everyone on campus traveling to the game, warning them of the Buckeye hooligans that roam the streets of Columbus.

The memo told Michigan fans, “If possible, drive a car with non-Michigan license plates, … stay with a group … [and] avoid High Street in Columbus,” referring to OSU’s main campus thoroughfare. One Ohio State student said, “There will probably be some rioting [if OSU loses] ... but I don’t think it will be too bad.”

Wow, that’s reassuring. But that’s Michigan-Ohio State, where calling in the National Guard is just another item on the Columbus to-do list. No #1 vs. #2 game has packed this much loathing into one epic Saturday. The result will either completely ruin my November or make me the happiest fan at Grinnell, with no in-between.

Such is the life of a Michigan fan, living and dying by the 3rd Saturday in November and always remembering the words of former Michigan broadcaster Bob Ufer, who once said, “Never forget that Ohio is a four-letter word.”

Go Blue.

Columnist Mark Japinga is a second year student. He invites all of those who are not Ohio State fans to enjoy the game with him in Read Lounge at 2:30 on Saturday.

Concert Preview: Mucca Pazza, Low Skies and Vegetable Medley

by Alysia Vallas

This weekend’s concert combination will be like nothing you’ve heard before. Mucca Pazza and Low Skies, both from Chicago, break all sorts of musical barriers and do it in style.

Mucca Pazza does not fit your conjured image of a typical punk group, unless, of course, you generally picture a 27-piece circus marching band. They parade the stage with their big band, surf and punk sound, sporting all sorts of instruments: trumpets, trombones, accordions, and more percussion than you can handle. Running amok in their snazzy costumes fit for a football team marching band, the group is bound to keep you entertained. Believe it or not, cheerleaders come included. The band’s MySpace describes them as, “Oompah-oompah-oompah-pah! Toot-toot! Doo-doo-doodoo-doo! Honk! Boom-bap boom-boom-bap.”

Low Skies may be a little less flashy, but they rock a mean, nerdy look. They push the limits with unique vocals and an atypical sound, a fun fusion of indie, soul and blues with a twinge of electronica. The band leaves you singing its tunes thanks to the soulful yet twangy vocals of Christopher Salveter and misty atmosphere the rest of Low Skies produces. While the music has lots of potential to be mopey and sad, it actually leaves a happy-go-lucky aftertaste. The overall affect is music that you can thoughtfully bob your head to while pondering your exes and the world at large.

Mucca Puzza and Low Skies will perform with campus band Vegetable Medley this Friday night in Gardener Lounge at 9 p.m.

UPDATED: Power problem closes Noyce

The Noyce Science Center closed at 6 p.m. tonight. Workers are attempting to fix a cut power line and are trying to finish before classes start tomorrow, but there are no guarantees.

A subcontractor working on the Noyce construction accidently cut the power line. In order to fix the line, workers have to cut off power to the building, pull up the old line and lay a new one.

Cut to the Quick

Okay, admit it. If you’re reading this blog, you’re probably on Facebook, too. I don’t care if you “almost never go on,” or if you think it’s “totally lame.” You’re on it. Period. Now that we’ve established that, we can get to the heart of the problem: profile pictures. Pictures of you smiling, or you with a friend or dressed up in some ridiculous (note: “ridiculous” and “slutty” are not the same thing) outfit … those pictures are okay. But there are certain types of pictures that aren’t.

The “Oh-My-God-I’m-So-Effing-Hottt” Pictures
You want to bring sexy back? I suggest you put it away again. I have no interest in pictures of you in your underwear, pictures of you giving any sort of “come hither” look to the camera or pictures of you taken by a professional photographer. Facebook isn’t a beauty contest, especially not here at Grinnell.If you put up some picture of you looking “sexy,” chances are everyone who sees it knows that you don’t look like that on a regular basis because they see you in the dining hall in your pajama pants eating stir fry and ice cream.

The “Look-Look-Look!-I-Have-a-Significant-Other!” Pictures
It’s wonderful that you have someone who thinks you’re special. Someone who likes you so much that they don’t tell you how creepy it is that you’re using a picture of the two of you kissing for your profile picture. Truly, I’m happy that the two of you have found each other. But I am not so happy for you that I have to be confronted with pictures of the two of you making out every time I turn on my computer, especially if the caption is something like, “Aren’t we soooo cute?” and you’ve listed their name as one of your interests. If you’re dating them, I’m going to assume that you find them interesting. (Although if you do this, I’m not sure that I can say what they see in you.) You do not need to inform the Facebook world of your relationship. It just makes it more entertaining when the status suddenly goes from “In A Relationship” to “It’s Complicated” and finally to “Single,” and the profile picture goes from the happy couple to you with your cat.

The “My-Soul-Is-On-Fire” Pictures
I’m sorry that you feel so much more existential angst than the rest of us. I realize that as an artiste, your emotions run deeper than those of the average person. You alone recognize the injustices in the world, and thankfully, you’ve found a medium to express this to the world: your Facebook picture. That black-and-white picture of you looking morosely off into the distance, or of just your eye, caked in black eyeliner, really makes the rest of the world take a closer look at itself and realize its inadequacies. The very fact that you can put down your poetry journal or guitar long enough to participate in something so pedestrian as Facebook astounds me, and I commend you for it.

Yes, Facebook may be a little ridiculous, and it is kind of embarrassing to admit that you use it. But don’t make it worse than it already is. Don’t be one of these people.

Iowa Election Results

It was a big day for Democrats in the state of Iowa, as in most other places around the country. Democrat Eric Palmer beat longtime Republican state representative Danny Carroll 5,697 to 5,021, with 53.15 percent of the vote.

This helped Democrats take control of the state legislature after years in the minority. Several seats are still very close and not yet decided, but the Des Moines Register predicts 54 out of the 100 House seats and 30 of 50 Senate seats in Democratic hands. Before the election Republicans held a 50-49 edge in the House, and the parties each had 25 Senate seats.

Democrat Chet Culver, the Iowa Secretary of State, won election as governor with 563,538 to Republican Jim Nussle's 464,228. Culver took 54.03 percent of the vote.

U.S. Representative Leonard Boswell (D) beat back a determined challenge from Republican Jeff Lamberti, taking 114,558 votes to Lamberti's 103,182. Boswell had a 51.76 percent majority.

Democrats Bruce Braley and Dave Loebsack won the 1st and 2nd House Districts for the Democrats over Republicans Mike Whalen and Jim Leach. The GOP held on the 4th and 5th districts, with Tom Latham and Steve King handily winning reelection.

Michael Mauro (D) beat Mary Ann Hanusa (R) for Secretary of State with 53.63 percent.

Republican Bill Northey defeated Democrat Denise O'Brien for Secretary of Agriculture with 51.42 percent of the vote.

For more results and reactions, be sure to see this Friday's S&B.

East Hall Dedication

This Thursday, the college will dedicate East Hall in honor of Frank Rathje Jr. '50. Rathje is the former president of Illinois Regional Bank and former chair of Illinois Valley Bancshares Inc. He has also been active in charity, chairing the Glenwood School for Boys. The dedication ceremony will be Thursday at 8 p.m. in the new Rathje Hall's first floor lounge.

For more on Rathje and the decision to name a hall after him, be sure to see this Friday's S&B.

Election Day

Well it's been a wild ride this election season. And it all ends tonight.

In our pages, we've mostly focused on the local race for IA House District #75 between Danny Carroll (R) and Eric Palmer (D) because that is closest to home and Grinnell College students can have the most impact on the outcome of that race (they're also the candidates who are easiest to get a hold of for interviews!). That being said, David's recent post reminds us that there are other races to watch tonight as well.

We plan on doing some final analysis of the election and Grinnellians' role in it after we see tonight's results, so stay tuned. Other than that, go out and vote (if you feel comfortable doing so, as our latest staff ed would be sure to remind you). Polls are open until 9 pm tonight at the community center located on Park Street between 4th and 5th Ave.

Truckstop Souvenir brings y'allternative sounds to St.'s Rest

by Amelia Koford

When Truckstop Souvenir moved from Seattle this past fall, they picked a fitting destination. Iowa’s highways are dotted with souvenir-filled truckstops, including the world’s largest truckstop on I-80 near Walcott, IA. Whether or not husband-and-wife duo Dennis James and Lauryn Shapter knew this when they decided to move to southeast Iowa after several years on the Seattle scene, their move to the heartland is in line with their commitment to what their MySpace site calls “the music of the American landscape.”

Truckstop Souvenir’s acoustic music draws on country and folk traditions. Their easygoing songs invite toe-tapping and singing along. The two trade off on vocals and guitar, and incorporate fiddle, piano and mandolin.

Although James and Shapter harmonize flawlessly together, they maintain distinctive sounds. Their debut album, Leave Nothing Behind, is split into five songs written and sung by James and five by Shapter. The two join forces on a cover of The Allman Brothers Band’s “Ramblin’ Man.” Texas-born James’s songs, like "Pretty Woman (You Walk On My Soul)" and "It’s Simple Here," have a straight-up, honky-tonk Texas country feel. New York-born Shapter’s tunes, like "All-Night Franchise Diner" and "Mama's Debt," have a subdued country-folk groove and more unusual lyrics.

Their tribute to traditional American music is radical on the country scene, which is dominated by trendy, hit-based Nashville country. Truckstop Souvenir’s emphasis on non-Nashville music aligns them with artists like John Prine and early Wilco, in the movement referred to as alt-country, americana, or my personal favorite, y’allternative.

Truckstop Souvenir performs at St.’s Rest on Wednesday, Nov. 8 at 6:30 p.m.

Sports previews

Pick up Friday's S&B for stories on three Pioneer teams that captured MWC championships and are gearing up for postseason competition:

Women's Soccer - Grinnell's stingy defense allowed just one goal in the conference season and heads into this weekend's MWC Tournament ranked in the top ten in the region.

Women's Cross Country - Pioneer runners accounted for five of the top seven finishers, including individual champion Sarah Spencer '07.

Men's Cross Country - Drake Ballew '08 nabbed the top spot, and the team finished tied for tops in the conference with Monmouth College.

The cross country teams are preparing for the NCAA Regionals in Northfield, Minn. on Nov. 11th.

An update on Iowa politics

Courtesy of Pollster.com, here's a chart that gathers a variety of different polls on the Iowa gubernatorial race.

Q&A with Blake Sennet, lead singer for The Elected

By Patrick Caldwell

How did you make the transition from television and film to doing music?

Because I picked up the guitar and started writing songs, and then started writing songs with my friend Jenny [Lewis], and then made a record under the name Rilo Kiley, and then started touring, and wasn’t really a conscious choice, it just happened, but followed what I preferred.

Did you guys have any problems when you first started trying to get record deals, since you were both known as actors at the time?

I guess people didn’t know us that much as actors, it’s not like we were that well known, so no. The music we preferred was the kind of music that didn’t have much on an emphasis on image, you know, mainly indie-rock, or what have you, whatever they were calling it at the time. So we would send our records to indie labels.

What made you decide to start The Elected when you were already in Rilo Kiley?

I guess we just recorded the first record and I sent it to my friend Tony at Sub Pop, and he checked it out and liked it and wanted to put it out. Maybe one day The Elected will go away. I don’t know. We were only signed on to do two records with Sub Pop, and we did our second one. Who knows, maybe we’ll be finished.

Since The Elected is your solo project, do you feel closer to this than the work you do with Rilo Kiley?

I don’t know, that’s a good question. I probably feel closer to Rilo Kiley since I’ve been doing it longer, and it’s become more of my identity, that that’s who I am and what I do. This is probably a more ancillary endeavor.

Since you started The Elected, when you write a song to go in thinking that you are writing a song for The Elected versus Rilo Kiley or do you write what you feel and decide afterward?

You can kind of tell halfway through a song which way it’s probably going to go. But still I’ve offered up songs to Rilo Kiley that I thought were for Rilo Kiley that ended up Elected songs. And then I’ve played Rilo Kiley what I thought were Elected songs that have ended up Rilo Kiley songs. So you never can tell, can you?

What different music influences have you had for The Elected and Rilo Kiley?

Well, I guess a big fan of Gram Parsons and the Byrds, early Grateful Dead, fucking Eagles. I don’t know, stuff like that. Neil Young. I guess that’s stuff that has a voice in me that I’m trying to speak to when I’m making these records.

How has your sound evolved throughout your career, and the differences between Me First and Sun, Sun, Sun?

Well, I think the production was a lot dirtier, obviously. We went from, kind of, built a lot of songs around drum machines, beats and stuff. And on the second one we tried to just make it sound like early to mid-’70s American folk-rock. So in both cases we kind of went for a conceptual thing. The first one just kind of materialized that way, and the second one we kind of made more of a conscious effort. A little cleaner on the second one. I think I like the dirtier production, but I think the song writing was stronger on the second one.

So I’ve heard some strange theories, especially for Rilo Kiley, about where the name came from. Where did the names for Rilo Kiley and the Elected come from?

Well, my friend Tony at Sub Pop made up the name for The Elected. It was going to be called The Senate, sort of like a joke at myself. Rilo Kiley…came to me in a dream. Heard that one?

So what was the dream?

Pretty much what you said. Just some dude, from Scotland in a dream told me some stuff about Jenny. His name was Rilo Kiley, I woke up and wrote it down. We made a band a couple years later and I remembered that I had that dream so I told them about, and that’s what we named the band.

So what’s in store next for you, with both Rilo Kiley and The Elected?

We’re going to make a new Rilo Kiley record, it’s about eighty percent done right now, and it’s going to come out in early spring next year. And The Elected, I don’t know. Maybe break up, maybe play a show in about 40 minutes.

Throughout your career you’ve worked on many different labels, Basurk, Saddle Creek, and now Warner Brothers with Rilo Kiley, and Sub Pop with the Elected. How have your experiences been working a lot with indie labels and switching to Warner Brothers, especially now with Rilo Kiley at a major label?

I guess having our own label Brute/Breaute through Warner Brothers has been the best thing, because you get to decide exactly what you want. Sub Pop is a little different, they kind of work like a mini major label, like they have their machine and they kind of have their equation and you’re the variable and they stick you in and hope for the best. Saddle Creek is a little more flexible. On Barsuk we were so young at the time, as far as understanding how labels do what they do that, I can’t remember, but I surely like Josh, the guy who runs Barsuk.

We’re on Warner, but through Brute/Breaute, so we don’t have to put up with a lot of bullshit that other bands do. They don’t get to hear the music until it’s time to get put out, they don’t get to tell us when it’s time to make a record. A lot of other bands have to wait. There’s a lot of bullshit that people have to put up with, but we’ve been lucky enough to skirt. I’ve heard that being on majors can be a nightmare, but it hasn’t yet been so for us.

Cut to the Quick

College boys are the new high school girls. But it’s not the boys’ fault. I blame Laguna Beach.

If you’ve ever seen the show, you’ll recognize what I’m talking about. Whenever two or three of the guys are hanging out, they end up having a horrible, forced conversation about the “state of their relationships.” It’s supposed to be reality TV, but take in the conversations they have and decide for yourself. It goes a little something like this:

Gregory: So, man, um, what’s going on with you and Marissa?

Christopher: I don’t know, it’s like, complicated. It’s like, I have so many emotions. She’s just so, like…you know?

Gregory: Yeah, but you two are, like, so in sync sometimes. And she can be so chill, but other times, it’s, like, totally drama all the time.

Christopher: Yeah, I don’t know what I’m gonna do. We’re gonna have to have a serious talk or something. I mean, she’s really hot and all, and I’m really in to her right now, but I just don’t want to be, like, committed, you know?

Gregory: For sure, man.

I’m all for openness and honesty, but these boys are picking up on the wrong parts. Two friends from home have recently relayed situations to me that have convinced me that this “Laguna Beach Syndrome” (LBS) is spreading.

The situations I have in mind both took on the unnecessarily dramatic elements of the aforementioned conversation. This first involves an unbelievably long “we’re breaking up” e-mail, detailing the last three years of a relationship, and using the words “heed,” “succumb,” and the phrase “hopes, dreams, fears and wishes.” Real people don’t talk like that, except on MTV.

The other situation involves something called “The Man Code.” To set the stage, there were two male acquaintances. We’ll call them Ricky and Pat. Pat was dating a girl, and then cheated on her. Ricky, several months later, started dating the same girl. He then received an invitation to join a Facebook group—which only makes this better—from Pat, called “The Man Code,” which apparently has 37 rules. Ricky then received a subsequent Facebook message, informing him to look closely at rule number 9, which involves not dating a friend’s ex-girlfriend. I couldn’t make that up if I wanted to.

Having mature conversations about things that are important to you is one thing; it’s another to make declarations about breaking universal Man Rules. It reminds me of girls who, when they’re mad at someone, get all of their friends to stop talking to them as some sort of show of solidarity.

Don’t get all up in arms about how I’m being unfair to guys or girls or high schoolers. There is a cure for LBS. We should just all calm down. The next time you have the urge to act like Gregory or Christopher, take five minutes and think about whether or not you would want it aired on TV. I’m guessing not.

ASIA film festival promotes dialogue and Ramen

by Lawrence Sumulong

Acclaimed director Martin Scorsese’s thriller The Departed will probably be received as his personal cinematic creation. But what the public likely doesn’t know is that Scorsese’s film is based on a Hong Kong film entitled Infernal Affairs. Last month, Sept. 25-29, student group Asian Students in Alliance (ASIA) staged a film festival to highlight Internal Affairs and other films from Asian countries. With the festival, the group hoped to celebrate the cultural nuances of Asian countries, as well as to feature original Asian cinematic gems instead of their Hollywood knock-offs.

“ASIA as a cabinet and [its members] felt that the main stereotype for Asians [is that] there is no separation between Koreans, Vietnamese, Filipinos, Chinese, etc. We’re all viewed as one,” said event coordinator and ASIA cabinet member Diana Phung-Vuong ’07. “The main reason for doing the film festival is to show people on campus [that] ASIA, as a group, consists of very different cultures.”

The festival presented five foreign films, selected by the votes of ASIA’s members. The films were shown over the course of five days with each night representing a different country: Korea, China, Japan, India and America. According to Phung-Vuong, the festival shied away from a cohesive theme to simply present the diversity of genres and perspectives within the different countries. “Most of the movies that we chose were foreign made and we tried to stay away from any Americanized movies,” he said. “We wanted to show, ‘Well, this is another aspect, this is another culture that you really don’t see by just looking at the students here’.”

Each viewing featured snacks specific to the night’s highlighted country. The reason was to impart, along with the film’s content, a sense of each country's culture. “It exposes Asian culture in little things,” said Phung-Vuong. For example, when the Korean romantic comedy 100 Days with Mr. Arrogant was shown, the audience was given Korean Kim Chi Ramen noodles.

The festival’s organizers were slightly concerned that the films would perpetuate stereotypes of Asian countries. “[ASIA and its members] were worried [the films] would give off those stereotypes and people would stay with them,” said Phung-Vuong, “but as long as it creates a dialogue, that’s something that’s good.”

Leonard Kurz film debuts at Grinnell

by Patrick Caldwell

Grinnell, Iowa is not the first place that comes to mind as the location for a film premire. But this is where filmmaker and alumnus Leonard Kurz ’75 brought his new film, Kitka and Davka in Concert: Old and New World Jewish Music, for its first public showing last week.

The film, set to air on public television stations starting in December, is a performance special of Kitka, a female vocal group, and Davka, a male instrumental group. For this performance—only the second time the two groups have worked together—the groups played a combination of traditional Jewish music along with original compositions.

The film screening, organized by Rabbi Daveen Litwin and the Jewish student group Chalutzim (which means Pioneers in Hebrew), came at an important time of year for the Jewish students on campus, falling between the holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. “Between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is a time when many Jews are thinking about what it means to them to connect to Judaism,” said Litwin.

Kurz first became interested in film at Grinnell, where he was a history major. “I saw many films on Africa and Asia, and also The Grapes of Wrath, and was very impressed by the power of film,” he said. He went on to create a film as a course project during his junior year.

Kurz’s Grinnell-bred belief in social justice has affected the projects he has taken on as a filmmaker. “I am not doing what I do to become rich or famous,” he said. His past documentaries have addressed issues like child abuse, and his next film, Free the Children, depicts the work of an organization that fights child labor around the world.

Although the film screening was Kurz’s first time on campus in 17 years, he has remained involved with the college community. According to Jaime Frankle ’08, co-leader of Chalutzim, he has provided funding for the group and helped students get internships in film and media.

Kurtz’s decision to premier Kitka and Davka in Concert at Grinnell came from his wish to connect with the students at his alma mater. “I wanted it to be a cultural experience that people could share,” he said, “and perhaps a spiritual experience.”

A website by Paul Shuman-Moore's family

The family of Paul Shuman-Moore '09 has put up a web site with information about the search and downloadable posters. We will continue to post information relating to the search on this blog, both as the authorities release it and as we uncover things ourselves.

Women's golf finishes 2nd in MWC Championships

The women’s golf team finished second out of seven teams at the MWC Championships this weekend. Illinois College ran away with the three-day meet, besting Grinnell by 110 strokes.

While none of the Pioneers finished among the top 12 golfers overall, the team got consistent play across the board to edge third-place St. Norbert by five strokes. Amy Livingston ’09 led the Pioneers, posting rounds of 92-96-93 to finish 13th with a total score of 279.

Stephanie Goggin ’10 and Caitlin Campbell ’08 tied for 15th with a 282. Haddie Dowson ’08 posted a 293, Jordan Heguy shot a 297, and Marie Liska ’07 shot a 323.

The top four scoring golfers determine a team’s round score each day, so different players can contribute on different days. For example, Dowson’s 93 was used towards the Pioneer team score on Friday, but her 103 on Saturday was not.

Heading into the meet, Livingston said, “Our team goal for the season--for conference--is to finish second, and we think we can do that.”

The Pioneers met that goal and may be in good position to do it again next year. Head coach David Arseneault is slated to lose just two of his top six golfers next season. Liska will graduate, and Campbell plans to study abroad next fall.

Livingston, the long-hitting #1 golfer, has two years of eligibility remaining. Goggin, the #2, has three years remaining.

For full meet results, visit the Midwest Conference site at www.midwestconference.org.

Our apologies...

Just a quick note: we hope everyone liked our cover story about Matthew Atherton '95, the Grinnell alum who's achieved his lifelong dream to be a superhero thanks to Stan Lee and a Sci Fi Channel reality show. We had a lot of fun making a comic to draw attention to that story, but unfortunately due to miscommunication with our printers that comic didn't turn out in red like it was supposed to. Here's a quick look at what it was supposed to look like; we'll get this issue's PDF online as soon as we can.

Women's tennis team gears up for MWC Championships

by Alex Woodle
The Pioneer women’s tennis team wrapped up two long weeks of play last weekend, ending with three tough matches in two days. They won two of the three to move to 5-3 (2-0 MWC) heading into their final season match Sunday.

The stretch began with the ITA Regional Championships, a very competitive singles and doubles tournament against some of the best players in the region, on the weekend of Sept. 22. Shweta Khajuria ’07 defeated two opponents to advance to the third round before falling 6-3, 6-4.

“We actually improved our score this year,” coach Barb Waite said, explaining that the team goal is to win more total individual games this year than last year.

The team followed the ITA Regionals with a match versus Simpson College last Saturday. No. 2 singles player Rachel Engh ’08 missed the match due to illness, but the Pioneers managed to take four of six singles matches and all three doubles matches to move their season record to 4-2. Khajuria, Maya Lipert ’09, Katie Colver ’09 and Jill Akiyama ’10 all won their singles matches, while Margaret Block ’08 and Laura Goffman ’09 both lost close matches.

Doubles play, which has been a consistent problem for the team this season, was something the team has focused on improving this season, according to Coach Waite.

“We used a new strategy [in doubles matches],” Lipert said. “We came up to the net more and played more aggressively.”

Later in the day last Saturday, Grinnell faced Luther College from the strong Iowa conference. Khajuria earned the only win for Grinnell in singles play, 6-3, 6-1. The doubles teams played close matches, with Khajuria and Engh playing to an 8-6 loss and Lipert and Colver losing 8-5.

Coach Waite was not fazed by the loss, “For us to beat Luther would have been an upset,” she said. “We’ve been working hard and it’s starting to pay off big time.”

The Pioneers went up against conference opponent Beloit College last Sunday, one day after the Luther loss. Although Grinnell won 7-2, there were several close matches in both singles and doubles play.

Khajuria and Engh both lost in singles, but each forced their final sets to a seventh point. Lipert, Colver, Block and Akiyama all won, with Colver forcing a third set and winning it 7-5.

“It was really tough, waking up Sunday feeling like you had played a few hours of tennis the other day is not the easiest thing,” Colver said of playing on back-to-back days.

For Lipert, the quick turnaround took a toll on more than her body. “I was cranky,” she said.

Coach Waite looks forward to their next match on Sunday, when she hopes the Pioneers “beat Lake Forest and send a message to the northern [division of the Midwest] Conference.”

The match starts at 10:00 a.m. at the home tennis courts, and is the last match for the Pioneers before the MWC Championship tournaments next weekend in Madison, Wisc.

Watson nominees chosen

Doug Cutchins, the director of Social Commitment, announced Grinnell’s four nominees for the $25,000 Watson Fellowship. Up to 50 fellowships will be awarded. Winners spend one year pursuing a topic of interest abroad, during which time they are forbidden to enter the United States. Grinnell’s nominees are:

• Alvin Irby ’07. Irby’s proposal “Hooked: Cultural Transformation and the Global Evolution of Crocheting,” would have him travel to Australia, Guatemala, West Cameroon, Ireland and Jamaica.
• Katie Jares ’07. If chosen, she will study “Forgiven: The Social Impact of Christian Prison Ministries” in Trinidad and Tobago, the Bahamas, Zambia, The Gambia, Fiji and Northern Ireland.
• Dale Mackey ’07. She is proposing a trip to Ireland, England, Germany and Australia to examine “Artistic Liberties: An Exploration of Theatre in Prison.”
• Sarah Parker ’07. Her trip would take her to Botswana, South Africa and Namibia to research “The Impact of African Marimba on Youth Education and Culture.”

Detailed profiles of the four nominees will follow in our next issue.

Shuman-Moore's family speaks

As the search for missing student Paul Shuman-Moore ’09 continues to expand, two of Paul’s uncles, Bob Moore and Mark Shuman, spoke on behalf of the family at a press conference on Sunday night.

“Our hearts are filled with gratitude for everyone who has taken part in the search for Paul,” Moore said at the press conference.

The family members explained that while the search will continue in Grinnell, family and friends in the Chicago area have mobilized and begun posting flyers.

“We feel confident that Paul is not in this immediate Grinnell area,” Moore said.

Moore and Shuman described Paul as a “happy-go-lucky kid,” who loves Ultimate Frisbee and is a “bright, level-headed young man.”

Shuman extended a message from all family and friends to Paul: “We want Paul to know this: Paul, we love you, nothing else matters. You need to come back to us now. We can help you only if we see you or hear you. Come home, Paul.”

Grinnell Police Sergeant Randy Hanssen also spoke on the progress of the continuing investigation. Because today was the beginning of Iowa bow hunting season, ground search efforts were halted for the day due to safety concerns. Hanssen said police hope that as Iowan farmers and hunters begin working in the fields they will be able to aid in the search.

“What we are doing right now is following up on a lot of leads. We will continue following those up until he is located,” said Hanssen.

Cut to the Quick

The Sound of Snobbery

“The Dandy Warhols are amazing.”
(Superior, smudged-mascara stare.)
“Um, what I meant was that they, um, used to be cool … I liked them when I was, like, ten …”

Oh, I’m sorry. Did I say something to offend you? I didn’t realize that you were the All-Knowing Arbiter of Musical Taste. The Dandy Warhols are, like, so over? Oh my god, does this mean I’m not allowed to like the Strokes anymore either? They sold out? I didn’t realize! Hold on, let me get out a pen. Per your instruction, I will no longer be listening to the Strokes, the Arcade Fire or Sleater-Kinney. (Although I’m permitted to be nostalgic for this last group, now that they’re no longer touring. But it was way lame that they played Lollapalooza.)

You’ve been on one side of this situation: you’re either the poor person with absolutely no musical taste whatsoever, or you’re the music snob. You can always see one coming if you watch for the tell-tale sign: the slightly curled lip. Those people who, every time you mention liking a band or a song, even one that they themselves used to like, say, “Yeah, I was into them for like, a minute, but then they got so … whatever.”

I don’t know anything about music. I can’t tell you about composition, or what key anything is in or if something has a 5/12 time signature, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t figure out what I like. I’m not saying at all that you have to like everything, or that you can’t have an opinion. There are a few bands that I absolutely can’t stand. Just don’t dismiss everything you don’t personally enjoy as “lame.”

I don’t know how music became the most important factor in judging a person. No one, at least no one I know, judges people by what they read. Even movies, which can sometimes lead to snobbery, don’t carry the same sort of weight that music seems to.

So I’m sorry if it offends your delicate ears when I play my passé music. I know it makes you cringe when you’re forced to listen to my unbearably pathetic selections as you walk past my room. I sincerely hope that one day, I can be bohemian, like you.

(Note: The bands in this piece do not necessarily represent my personal taste. Rather, they are bands that I have either been berated for liking, or have heard others be similarly lectured for the same reason. Don’t try and be a smartass and e-mail me about my horrible musical taste. It’s too easy.)

An Open Letter from the S&B Editors

This open letter originally appeared in the 9/29/06 issue of the Scarlet and Black.

Since Monday morning, our campus has been one person short, but we have been left with a hole that is much larger than just one person. We are all anxious, and we must deal both with Paul's disappearance and our reactions to it. The S&B is charged with documenting campus events, but at this moment, we are more than journalists covering events—we are scared and worried students grappling with uncertainty. We are all searching for the right words.

Some of those who know Paul and some of those who do not have shown their support and concern by aiding the search for him, but this highly visible effort is not the only way to help. It is okay to feel uncomfortable with searching for Paul and there are other things that need to be done on campus.

Already, many students have opened their doors, minds and hearts to help support the student body. We are encouraged by the immediate compassion that people have shown and we hope that this compassion and events like last night's open forum are only the first stage of campus-wide discussion, reflection and coming together.

Our collective conscience has been powerfully jarred. It is difficult to articulate and address exactly how we feel. It seems as though many of us are waiting for some kind of conclusion before examining our feelings, but we are all experiencing emotions right now that should not be ignored. Discussing the effects of Paul's disappearance is—simply put—a difficult necessity, and it is something that we and the college administration must do now.

For many of us, sitting in class feels utterly irrelevant knowing that a classmate and friend of ours is missing. We are worried for Paul and his family and are hoping for the best. However, continuing on with our daily lives as best we can and checking in on each other are the most immediate actions we can and should take. Trying to know how we feel is scary, but engaging the emotions and thoughts swirling through our minds is the healthiest thing we can do right now.

If you are feeling uneasy, please talk to someone. It might be a friend, a professor, an SA, an RLC or someone at the mental health center or chaplain's office, but, whoever you talk to, the important part is dealing with what has happened.

A member of our community is missing, and on a campus as small as Grinnell's, we are all affected by his disappearance. We care about each other and that makes us all involved in some way. We should not stop worrying about Paul-quite the opposite, it is impossible not to-but we should also worry about ourselves and each other.

Ask your friends how they are doing. Then, ask again.

Take care of yourself, Grinnell.

Some thoughts on our role as students

Today we posted Sports Editor Pat Ritter’s response to something that ran in his section this week, a column about Grinnell's football team. Some have expressed concerns about this post appearing above the updates about Paul, which is feedback I appreciate and want to address.

While thinking about how to address these concerns, I realized we've talked to you a lot as journalists but not very much as fellow students. As a student and a member of the Grinnell community, I understand the concerns about the blog format—it feels like everyday things like football aren’t quite as important when someone from our community is still missing. I know it seems insensitive to post other things "on top of" news about something so difficult for the community this newspaper serves. Posts appear in the order they are posted, with the most recent first. It is one of the limitations of a blog, and people much technologically smarter than I am are trying to change it.

That said, I do think it’s important to try to continue with our daily lives as much as possible. For the S&B that means covering other things that are happening and other things people are thinking. Some sense of normalcy is crucial during such a difficult time, and we’re still a newspaper that covers all sorts of news and opinions—debates about football included.

But that doesn't mean we've forgotten about Paul and moved on—we haven't, and we won't. For me, reporting about Paul’s disappearance is really tough because it’s something so emotional and close to home. I can’t just put on a reporter hat and shut out how scary and worrisome this is—it’s always scary and worrisome. And all I’ve thought about this week is that if I don’t know Paul and I’m this scared and worried, I can’t imagine how hard it must be for his family and friends.

David Montgomery, our News editor and Sarah Pierce, a staff writer, have done most of the reporting about Paul’s disappearance, but when they both had class on Wednesday, I went to one of the press conferences. It was unexpectedly jarring. Logically, I know that anyone’s disappearance is news, but sometimes logic is hard to hang onto. It was so bizarre to hear reporters talk about Paul and his disappearance like it was any other news story. The reporters weren’t heartless or mean—journalism is their job, and they were just doing their job to the best of their ability. But this isn’t their school or community and Paul isn’t their classmate or friend. I don’t know Paul, but I know people who do, and Paul is a part of this tiny, tight-knit community I call home nine months of the year. We’re missing “one of our own” and the uncertainty is really hard. Technically, I was at the press conference as part of the media, but I wasn’t, fundamentally—I’m a student, and I’m completely freaked out.

As journalists, we are charged with reporting the news. But as students, providing facts and updates is also our way of helping, our joining a search party. I think we try to put on reporter hats as much as possible so we can do that job as best we can. So if we on the S&B ever seem insensitive or dispassionate in covering this story, that's why.

We happen to be student journalists and Paul’s disappearance is news, but he is not news. Paul is a peer and friend and part of Grinnell, and that is always with us.

Behind the news: a look into the S&B's coverage

As news editor for the S&B, I usually deal with very mundane problems. A story I had been planning on running in one week is unusable because a reporter wasn’t able to get in touch with a key source. Limited space forces me to make decisions about what articles to cut. I try to keep our political coverage as neutral as possible.

This week made all those problems seem trivial. On Tuesday morning I became aware via GrinnellPlans that Paul Shuman-Moore ’09 was missing. At that point I—and almost everyone else on campus—had no idea what lay ahead—and we still don’t. Regardless, it was something that the student newspaper should cover.

I sent out an e-mail to all our writers asking for someone to keep tabs on the search, with the end goal of writing a story for this week’s paper, and Sarah Pierce ’08 responded within minutes. But we could also do more. Paul could be nearby, in a situation where anyone could find him. But not everyone knew that Paul was missing, what he looked like or the circumstances surrounding his disappearance. We are a weekly paper, but this new blog meant that we could offer news on a minute-by-minute basis. I took information from the best source then available, the Plan of Ian Lunderskov ’08, and posted it for anyone to see.

Our early postings on the blog were little more than amalgamations of rumors. Many of the initial pieces of information we posted turned out to be false leads, and we corrected those when we became aware of them. With the chance to find Paul quickly, though, the benefit from putting information up with a disclaimer potentially outweighed the harm. In the long run, though, we needed to move beyond that. Our next post was a more measured news story including input from authorities helping with the search.

At the same time that I was working on putting whatever useful information we could on our blog, I also had to do something much more unpleasant: consider the possible endings for this scenario, and how we as the student newspaper would react to each one. By the end of Tuesday, it was clear that no matter what happened, this would be the dominant story for this issue; I talked with our editors-in-chief and we decided to move our previous Page One centerpiece, an article about the Elephantitis Ultimate Frisbee tournament, back to the sports pages. I also e-mailed my editor at the Seattle Times (where I interned over the summer), Grinnell alum Kim Eckart ’92, for advice on what tone to take in our article.

By the time I started laying out this week’s S&B Wednesday night, with still no sign of Paul, I had decided to devote the entire front page to this story. Everything else was just less important. A couple of articles I had been planning on running this week were pushed back. I also sat down with Sarah Pierce and we outlined what we would do under different scenarios.

We also made another key decision Wednesday night about what not to publish: the information that Sarah had learned of a note that Paul left behind. Grinnell Police Chief Jody Matherly had told reporters that Paul was “despondent” before disappearing, and we also knew that Paul’s family had asked that the note not be publicized. We decided to respect their wishes.

The Des Moines Register made a different decision. Finding out about the note in the same way we did, they published its existence in a headline and the first sentence of a front-page story. Local—and national—TV news also broadcast the note’s existence. The other S&B editors and I quickly revisited our decision. We still respected the parent’s wishes, but the news had broken. We decided that with the news out there, it was better that Grinnell students find out from us than from the Des Moines Register. But concerned about the ramifications of publishing such sensitive information, we called a number of experts around the area, including an RLC, Director of Communication Kate Worster Foster ’87, Tom Crady, the Health Center, the Poweshiek County Mental Health Center and the mother of one of our editors, who is a professor of journalism ethics. Not everyone was there when we called, but those we were able to reach supported our decision with some revisions. We made those, ran our post past everyone, and then published the existence of the note on our blog.

We’ll continue to cover this story as it breaks, and hope for a happy ending. We’re very conscious of the dual role we must play as a newspaper reporting facts and as members of the Grinnell community sensitive to community needs. We hope to fulfill those responsibilities as best we can. Any concerns or comments that readers have are welcome.

Ritter: Keep the football team

On 9/29, the S&B Sports section ran an opinion piece written by Mark Japinga ’09 that argues Grinnell College should drop the football team. I disagree with Japinga’s argument and feel that he fails to take a fair look at the team’s on-field performance, Grinnell College’s finances, and campus-wide interest in football. He also does not address many key benefits of having the football team and, in focusing on win-loss record and finances to begin with, misses the mark on the real purposes of a Division III sports team.

Firstly, to clear up any misconceptions, Grinnell is not a perennial football cellar-dwellar. The Pioneers posted a 40-30 record from 1998-2004 and had a winning record (6-4) in 2004.

The past year and a half has been the exception, not the rule. Even if on-the-field performance was the judge of a college team's value (which it is not), it would be far too early to talk about dropping a traditionally competitive program. If Grinnell was this quick on the trigger a few decades ago, our most dominant program today—cross country—would have gotten the axe.

Instead, we should be supportive of getting a team that has proven it can be successful back on its feet and rallying for a repeat of the undefeated 1998 season.

Secondly, it is off the mark to criticize the football team for having “only” 400 people in attendance at the games, or around 2400 over six home games. Try to name even three of the other 17 sports that warm up 2400 seats per season.

400 people attending a sporting event here is very good. In comparison, the top-notch women's soccer team (6-1-1, 3-0 MWC) drew 100 versus a good Beloit team last Saturday. Contrary to Japinga’s claim, attendance figures make it obvious that a lot of Grinnellians would, in fact, miss football.

Thirdly, it makes no sense to bring up the collective finances of other colleges to claim that Grinnell’s football team is stealing funds from other sports, as Grinnell obviously differs greatly financially from the vast majority of colleges that go into such statistics. The facilities, equipment, jerseys, coaches and accommodations for all of our sports are tremendous compared to other schools at our size and level of competition. With a brand new athletic center and a staff of full-time coaches (something few colleges Grinnell's size can boast), the rest of the sports here are not at all being held back by football.

But the most important point to this discussion is that college athletics—especially non-revenue sports at the Division III level—are not about money and not about win-loss records and athletic accolades. All of Grinnell's sports lose money every year. And in the vast majority of years, no Pioneers become professional athletes.

Our teams should take pride in win-loss records and individual athletic accomplishments, but those accolades are not vital to the functions that athletics serve our small-college community.

Grinnell athletics should be about opportunities for students to play sports that they love. Football gives that opportunity to several dozen people.

Grinnell athletics should be about giving the student body entertainment. Football does that more prolifically than any other sport here outside of basketball.

Grinnell athletics should be about attracting unique, diverse students. Our athletic department considers football a “blue-collar” sport because it helps to bring in the working-class students that Grinnell so desperately needs for diversity. Football also brings in students from all over the country, as only a handful of roster members are from Iowa. The football team is one of our most valuable tools for admissions diversity.

What we have with the Grinnell football team is a program that has won half of its games over the past decade (including an undefeated season), a team that gives anywhere from 35 to 60 students an opportunity to compete every year, a sport that attracts more spectators than almost any other sport, and a sport that adds to student body diversity and recruiting. I see no good argument for eliminating the program but see many good reasons for keeping it.

Note: For those who use grinnellplans.com, Mark Japinga has posted more of his thoughts under the account [japingam].

Investigation continues

The search for missing student Paul Shuman-Moore ’09 continues, but has changed from broad-based searches to what Grinnell Police Chief Jody Matherly described at a press conference Thursday afternoon as “surgical.” Around a dozen searchers went out today, with more in teams of two on all-terrain vehicles, down from the hundreds of people combing the area yesterday.

As the investigation draws into its third day, Matherly admitted to feeling slightly “frustrated” with not having found Shuman-Moore yet. He insisted that he would not close the investigation until Shuman-Moore was found, and said that authorities continue to follow leads and continue the search.

Matherly, who had been holding press conferences three times per day, also announced that there will be no further updates until he has new information to report.

Special Agent Wade Kisner from the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation is assisting Matherly, both with searches and with tracking down leads.

Matherly encouraged those students who wanted to help search to contact Security and add their name to the list, but said that every student could help in their own way by keeping up with their normal lives. “It is difficult when a friend’s in distress like this,” Matherly said. “Even though Paul’s missing, Paul would want his friends, his acquaintances and his fellow students to continue with their classes, stay together, support each other … That’s the best way to serve him.”

Vice President of Student Services Tom Crady said later that counseling is available on campus. “If there are students you are concerned about, refer them to professionals,” Crady said. “Resources are open and no appointment is necessary. If people need assistance, let us know. This is a tough time for everyone … and especially for students. We’re doing everything we can to find Paul.”

Security is keeping a list of volunteers to call upon if necessary, but only around 25 students have signed up so far. Students interested in being on the list should call Security at 641-269-4600.

One lead that has failed to pan out is the rumor that searchers had found Shuman-Moore’s shirt. A shirt was found, but Matherly said that they don’t believe it was Shuman-Moore’s.

Note found

As many of you probably know, the Des Moines Register reported earlier today that Paul Shuman-Moore ’09 left behind a note before disappearing early Monday morning.

The S&B found out last night from Shuman-Moore’s roommate, Mike Horrell ’09, that Shuman-Moore had left a note. We decided not to publish the information out of respect for Shuman-Moore’s parents, who had asked that the information not be released.

The college offers a number of resources for students looking for someone to talk to. The Health Center offers walk-in counseling in the basement of the Forum. They can also be reached by phone at 641-269-3230.
The Chaplain’s Office also offers counseling services. They are located at 1233 Park Street, and can be called at 641-269-4981.
The Poweshiek County Mental Health Center also has counselors and trained staff available to help students. Their phone number is 641-236-6136.

Shuman-Moore Update

Updated Wednesday 9/27 at 5:29 p.m.
Grinnell Police Chief Jody Matherly held a press conference at 3 p.m. today, but had no substantial new information. Another press conference is scheduled for 7 p.m. tonight outside the Security office at 1432 East St.

Over 300 personnel continue to search for Paul Shuman-Moore ’09 starting at 7 a.m. Wednesday morning. The search is principally focused on a 3-mile radius around Grinnell. An investigative team is also searching through electronic information, bank accounts, and interviewing witnesses to try to gain more information to help searchers.

Shuman-Moore’s family asked Kate Worster Foster '87, director of Communication for Grinnell College, to thank everyone who has helped with the search.

Worster Foster said that authorities have confirmed that Shuman-Moore was “despondent” at the time of his disappearance. This “heightens our concern for his welfare,” Worster Foster said.

Grinnell Police Chief Jody Matherly, who is coordinating the search efforts, said that while investigations are still underway, Shuman-Moore did not appear to have taken any personal effects with him.

At a press conference after searching ended at 7 p.m. last night, Matherly said that there was no reason to suspect an abduction, assault or any foul play. “He is just missing at this point,” Matherly said.

“We have an individual here who is a good son, a good student, he is a nice person and to just take off like this is out of character,” he added.

Students interested in searching for Shuman-Moore are encouraged to participate in the official search and not to go out on their own. The next search will stage at noon today and leave at 1 p.m. Volunteers should wear appropriate clothing, including long pants, sleeves, and closed-toe shoes.

The search parties this morning include over 200 volunteers, and more than 160 personnel from 14 different civil agencies. Several airplanes are conducting aerial searches, and authorities have horses on standby to traverse difficult terrain.

Grinnell Security can be reached at 641-269-4600.
The Grinnell Police Department can be reached at 641-236-2650.

—Sarah Pierce contributed reporting for this article

Missing Student: Paul Shuman-Moore '09

Editor's note: Not all of this information may be accurate. In constantly-changing situations like this, authorities and witnesses often provide information that later turns out to be partially or wholly wrong. We are trying to aggregate all the information we can to help searchers and provide what information we can to those concerned about Paul. As we discover something reported here to be wrong, we will correct the mistake. We apologize for anything we may get wrong here, and hope that Paul is found soon. Thank you.
Updated Tuesday 9/26 at 7:27 p.m.
Administrators from GrinnellPlans said that while Shuman-Moore's Plan was logged into at 11:58 a.m. this morning, it was not him. Rather, someone else accidentally logged into his Plan from a computer with Shuman-Moore's Plans password stored.

Updated Tuesday 9/26 at 3:07 p.m.
Campus Security provided this description of Shuman-Moore at the time of his disappearance: "He is 19-years old, stands five feet and seven inches tall, weighs about 138 pounds. He has medium length brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a green t-shirt, a light colored plaid shirt, and white sneakers."

Searchers will continue until 7 p.m. tonight and continue the search in the morning.

Shuman-Moore's parents have been notified.

Updated Tuesday 9/26 at 2:29 p.m.
Paul Shuman-Moore '09 was reported missing at 10:25 p.m. last night. His friends, Security, and police are searching for Shuman-Moore. Here's some information about Paul and the search. (Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge, but will be updated as more facts come in. Keep checking back.)

• The sighting of Shuman-Moore at the Kum 'n' Go getting into a grey van, as previously reported, is considered a dead lead.
• He last ate in the dining hall Sunday lunch.
• His bike is still here. We previously reported that his guitar and amp were missing, which was incorrect—all of his instruments and his computer are still here
• The last confirmed student sighting of Shuman-Moore was 1:23 a.m. on Monday morning
• Local police, fire, sheriff's officials, college staff and volunteers have all been mobilized to search for Shuman-Moore. The local Community Emergency Response Team has also been activated. KGRN is broadcasting the news.

Shuman-Moore is known for taking long walks out of town. Security is looking for anyone who saw Shuman-Moore on Monday, as he did not come back to his room Sunday night either.

Contact Security (641-269-4600) with any information about Shuman-Moore's whereabouts.
Security is forming a search party. Contact them (x4600) if interested in joining the party, or stop by the Security office at 1432 East Street. A tent has been set up, and volunteers can get orientation, supplies, radios and refreshments there.

Updates coming periodically.

Musings on Political Reporting

For any newspaper, reporting on politics is a tricky business. How does a news article (or series thereof) stay objective in an environment where every fact is spun? This is more than just equal time. As our politically-involved Editor-in-Chief Ben Weyl argues, equal time can be unfair when the facts clearly favor one position. But our own biases color what we see as facts. And Grinnell is a very liberal campus, where many people take for granted some facts that others dispute.

The S&B is not a partisan newspaper. Our editorial coverage will take positions, and if we do endorsements will probably endorse all Democrats. (As News Editor supervising our coverage of local political races, I'll abstain from editorial decisions and debates about political races to avoid even the appearance of impropriety.) Further, the issues that we choose to cover—issues like gender, sex, racial justice, poverty, and social action, to name a few—betray our implicit biases. A politically conservative reader looking through an S&B could with complete justification pick out ways in which we make value judgements based on what we cover and the tone we take in our stories. But we're a campus newspaper, and we'll cover campus issues, which tend to be liberal. We're not going to change to try to impose a false political balance on this campus. We do need to acknowledge where we're coming from, though.

My number one concern in editing political stories is to get past those implicit biases and deliver news in as objective a way as possible. I work with our writers, drawn from the same overwhelmingly liberal student body as I am, to parse sentence by sentence and eliminate statements that display bias.

An example:
In our first piece of political coverage this year, we did a breakdown of the positions of the two candidates for the Iowa House of Representatives in our district. Our writers sat down with Danny Carroll, the Republican incumbent, and Eric Palmer, his Democratic challenger, and got them to explain what they believed and what they'd do if voters sent them to Des Moines.

This particular election is a rematch from two years ago, when Carroll barely one. That election touched directly on Grinnell College, because of a mailing from the Iowa Republican Party in support of Carroll that attacked Grinnell students' voting in Iowa. The mailing also used images of Sens. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and Hillary Clinton (D-NY) to describe the campus as "1000 East Coast liberals." In the aftermath of that mailing, Carroll apologized for the portrait of Grinnell's overwhelmingly midwestern student body but insisted that he wasn't involved in that mailing.

Now, that's the background. The question that I as an editor (and other editors I consulted about this) faced was, to what degree is this a relevant piece of information for an article about THIS election? We came to several conclusions:
• With the same two candidates running this year as last election, their previous matchup is important to provide context for the half of our student body who weren't around in 2004.
• As a campus newspaper, the mailing is still relevant because the issue of out-of-state students voting in their college town is still contentious. It's a way that the election directly touches the Grinnell student body.
• To touch on the mailing without context would be unfair to Carroll. By presenting it as a "Republicans vs. Grinnell College students" issue, the carefully laid out policy positions elsewhere in the article would be meaningless. It would make voting a personal matter for students who felt threatened as political actors by Carroll. (That's not to say that students should or shouldn't take the mailing personally. It's just not our job as newspaper to incite opinions either way.)
• Placement matters. We debated whether the mention of the mailing should go at the top of the article or at the bottom. On one hand, the mailing was a subsidiary issue to what we hoped to do in the article (explain policy positions), and should therefore be placed at the end of the article. On the other hand, it's bad writing to introduce the election, explain the candidates positions on the issues, and then say "Oh by the way" and bring in the election from 2004. Still, to put the mailing at the top of the article would privilige it over the here-and-now facts.

The decision we made was to run it at the top of the article, after the basic framing of the case and immediately before we launched into the issues. We expanded the one paragraph dealing with the article in the initial draft into two, placing it in a "horse race" context: yes, the Republicans are opposed to all these liberal college students voting in Grinnell, because it's a political threat to them. The Democrats, on the other hand, try very hard to encourage college students to vote in Grinnell because they see political advantage in it. Many students may still take that personally, but our presentation of it was in neutral terms as each party trying to maximize their share of the vote.

A long way to go
Obviously, our political reporting isn't very sophisticated yet. We make mistakes. I let phrases and quote selections slip through that favor the Democrats. And absolute objectivity is impossible. All we can do is constantly be aware of our biases and try to adapt to them.

It's a great thrill to be able to have the opportunity to cover political races as a college newspaper. Local politicians of both parties are very obliging in taking time out to sit down with reporters from a newspaper that covers around 2,500 readers who've likely already made up their minds as to which side they'll vote for. We understand that, and hope to simply inform those readers as best we can about issues that affect them as students and citizens.

Comments are welcome.

Another Great Issue

Hello faithful readers of the S&Blog,

Wanted to let you know that our first three issues are all now online and remind you that our latest issue is hot off the presses and located conveniently, as always, in Crady Mail Services (ie the post office).

This issue is jam-packed with goodness. And when I say jam-packed, I mean it. Normally we put out a 12 page newspaper, but we had so much content this week that we bumped it up to 16. So enjoy those four extra pages, no extra charge.

Here's a quick run-down of this week's paper:
In News, we say goodbye to Pip Gordon and Eric Stabb, while welcoming Rabbi Daveen Litwin and Pepsi-Cola. Also in News, you'll find some strong political reporting of the recent Harkin Steak Fry, as well as a pair of article son the campus center, specifically on Out Takes (first reported right here) and the possible pub-holding basement.

Arts gives us a nice look at the sketchy alums, er, 9th semester art interns, as well as returning Grinnellian John Chavez '05 who will be playing on Sunday with his band, The Punks. Also in Arts: movie reviews, how to download music at Grinnell, the a cappella scene, and a really, really good Review Corner piece by English Prof Khanh Ho. Definitely check that one out.

Features boasts the first double-truck (two page spread in middle of paper) of the year with a fascinating study of safe sex practices on campus. Kudos to writers Amy Levin, David Logan, and Tiffany Au as well as Features Editor Abby Rapoport and Graphics Editor Mark Root-Wiley. These people really worked their asses off on this and it shows. Besides, with quotes like "The worst STD you can get [at Grinnell] is a kid" and "I should use condoms when giving oral sex, but the risk factors are so low and the taste of latex sucks" you know you are in for a great piece. (What can I say, sex sells.) Features also has an interesting piece on the divide between international and domestic students. This is a really important issue that not enough people seem to think about. A Day in the Life of the always adorable Emma Lawler rounds up the Features section.

We finally received some Letters to the Editor (on the hot topics of Sri Lanka and Israel), so check them out in this week's Opinions section. You can also find a terrific cartoon by Asia Sample. She has produced great stuff every week so far, so let's hope she keeps it up. Also in Opinions are the usual bag of goodies: Sudoku, Snedge, and a nice Overheard quote concerning Al Gore and Lindsay Lohan. But perhaps the best parts -- at least in my opinion -- are the two biweekly columns. Molly Rideout's is bitingly funny and Brendan Mackie's is thoughtful as always. With those two, plus Lindsay Dennis' humor and Sheahan Virgin's political musings, in addition to Leigh Kunkel's blog-sclusive column, I think I can say with some confidence that we have the best S&B columnists in years.

Sports sports articles on the male and female cross-country teams, just coming off a huge victory, which made front page news of last week's S&B. We've also got a couple of great stories on the women's tennis and men's soccer teams, who after a somewhat rocky start, have really kicked their games up a notch. Also included is an article on the football team's loss. While offense seems to be doing alright, defense seems to be "one step off" according to one player.

Finally, the Back Page (the best thing since the front page) rocks out with probably it's finest showing since its debut two weeks ago. Photo of the week goes to Calvin Heiling for his picture of students flying on the homemade swing that was mysteriously cut-down. Arbitrary Analysis gives thumbs up to the NOJO, thumbs down to the hockey mask assailants, and a half-and-half to Outtakes. A hilarious blast from the past from Freeda Brook, plus some rants, and an excerpt from Paul Kramer's comment from the S&Blog.

To be honest, this post went a little longer than I intended. I'll make it shorter next time. And sorry for all that gushing (don't I sound like a proud parent), but I think if you read this week's issue, you'll know why the title of this post is "Another Great Issue."

Happy Friday!

Breaking News: Dining Changes

Following student input, several key changes have been made to Dining Services.

• The lunch hours for Out Takes have been extended until 12:30 p.m. on weekdays. Hours had originally been curtailed away from peak hours because Out Takes is located in the Grille and Dining did not to overcrowd the facilities. For more information about Out Takes, see this week's S&B on Friday.

• Dining employees will no longer search students on the way out of the dining hall. Students are allowed to take small items such as fruit and ice cream out with them. In addition to student complaints, this issue was raised prominently by a parent during the State of the College address last Saturday, in which Vice President for College Services John Kalkbrenner admitted that enforcement had been "overzealous."

Extended interview with Steve Clemons

Steve Clemons is the author of The Washington Note, a foreign policy blog. He was also the New America Foundation's former executive vice president and is now a fellow there. The S&B met with him at Prairie Lights bookstore in Iowa City on Sept. 11. What follows is an expanded—though edited—transcript of the interview led by staff writer Brendan Mackie. The original article ran in the Sept. 15 issue of the S&B.

How did you get involved in blogging?

The Washington Note is an effort to carve out a space for deliberative thinking and discourse about serious national security foreign policy issues that struggles with the unique problems of our times. If you look at these times as a hinge-point in history, a moment of discontinuity where what we're going to be doing in the future is likely very different from what we've done in the past—how we change our institutions and thought in response to this change requires serious deliberation. I'd been at a think-tank for years. I helped build and create the New America Foundation. But I needed a blog to find my voice and I needed to find out what I thought, if that makes sense.

I'm not trying to reach broader America. If they wander through my blog, great. But I write a wonky, clonky blog. I'm aiming at much more of an elite audience. I have probably one of the best readerships among senior journalists, politicians and people in government. I'm trying to influence them.

What can young Americans do to get involved in policy work?

I don't want to give you a cornball answer and say you have to be engaged and write letters to your congressmen. If you want to make a difference in the things that matter you have to learn how to think, how to communicate and how to lead. To become a public intellectual—somebody who's not an intellectual, but an activist who's aware of what the political currents are—you have to be able to add value to what you talk about beyond what that subject is.

What news stories are we not reading, that we probably should?

The struggle over John Bolton [America's ambassador to the U.N.] is a big game of symbolic politics over what kind of character U.S. foreign policy is going to take in the future. Whether we're going to have revived and legitimated this pugnacious nationalistic fortresses mentality, or whether we're going to have a more enlightened one.

There's a battle over Rule of Law in the Bush administration. There is a vital battle in the administration between David Addington, who's Cheney's chief of staff, and the folks around Condi Rice about whether we should end the secret detentions of terrorists, to end extraordinary rendition, to bring the people in who are in the black space in our legal environment into the light. And the president's speech last Wednesday—while poorly delivered—was an important move essentially ending this black space.

These issues about values are important. America seems to be rejecting modernity. Most of the country gets riled up because they get their nerves pushed over gay marriage, stem cell research or education—and they feel threatened. Everybody's now paying homage to these really barbaric anachronistic attitudes and so the Enlightenment is invisibly losing ground. Democrats and moderate Republicans who were products of the Enlightenment and reason haven't figured out how to tell their side of the story yet.

Structural corruption in Washington, like the kind of things that Tom Delay was up to, are important. Just because he's gone doesn't mean that it's over. The problem is that in Washington people don't go after the bad guys. After a certain point Washington becomes a place where no one wants to take risks.

What’s happened to America after the attacks of September 11th, 2001?
A lot of the fault about what happened on 9/11 lies—in my view—in the Clinton era. The Clinton era failed to replace the Cold War brand of thinking with a new brand of thinking that worked. I’m going to be unfair, perhaps, and overstate for this point for effect. I think that the Clinton administration’s foreign and economic policy became (for lack of a better term): Whatever was good for the multinational corporation was good for America. There was a kind of a spiritual vacuum in that way of thinking. There wasn’t much pride of place, there wasn’t much aspiration. We deluded ourselves in thinking that all this new IT infrastructure would automatically create more global opportunity, automatically create more wealth, but it’s just not like that. We deluded ourselves much like Bush is deluding himself now about the success in Iraq.

It’s really interesting to me how the Bush administration came in as Republicans and essentially retracted the ‘What’s good for multinationals is good for America’ strategy. Most people look at the Republicans as representing big corporate America. But they don’t really act that way if you’re honest about it. They’ve shaken up the international system in ways that aren’t good for globalization – you don’t have people and ideas, business and money moving across borders like you once did. The globalization after 9/11 is messier, the borders are thicker.

I think to some degree we became different as a society after 9/11. We’ve been trying to sort out who and what we are and I think we’re very uncomfortable. There’s a pugnacious nationalism that got awakened by 9/11. It’s outraged, very xenophobic and jingoistic, and is politically powerful. This nationalism has started to fill the spiritual vacuum Clinton left with some reason and rationale for a sort of new American triumphalist nationalism. Those of us who are on the more Enlightenment side – those of us who see ourselves as part of the Northeastern political establishment whether we live in Iowa or in California – are struggling to understand how this came to be. Part of it is our own failings as a country to get everybody on the same page before. We were deluded thinking that the IT world was this equalizer. It never was. 9/11 more than anything exposed our own internal weaknesses, which have come back to bite us.

What do you think we should do about Iraq?
I think it’s horrible either way. We’re either in a slow bleed situation if we stay, or if we leave we’re in a situation where great harm will be done to a lot of people. But I think at the end of the day you can set a date for departing Iraq that becomes a wake-up call for everyone else in the region, particularly Arab states and Europe, which basically says: “We’re leaving, guys. You’ll be dealing with the million people who leave Iraq when there’s a bloody civil war, you’re going to deal with the Shia/Sunni regional conflagration as the Jordanians and the Syrians and others rush in to protect their Sunni brethren from being wiped out by the Shia as we leave.” At the end of the day I think [former Secretary of State under President Carter Zbigniew] Brzezinski is right, the Sheiks and warlords that sit on top of these militias and movements and tribes need to look into the abyss of how awful it really could be if there was a full-scale civil war and do a deal. As long as we’re there buffering that deal from being able to take place then these other key players won’t be responsible for the vision of stabilizing Iraq. The only way that we can end the civil war is for leaders on both sides to say that the option of a full-scale civil war is so horrible they would have to make a deal to stop it. Such a full-scale civil war wouldn’t stay internal to Iraq, it would involve all the nations in the region, and they would tear themselves apart. The rest of the world would simply put a big sandbag around the region and wait for them to kill each other. But you’ll see massive migration, massive dysfunction and a humanitarian crisis that we haven’t seen in that part of the world for thousands of years as a result.