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.
Monday, October 30, 2006
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Cut to the Quick
College boys are the new high school girls. But it’s not the boys’ fault. I blame 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.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
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.”
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.”
Friday, October 13, 2006
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.”
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.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
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.
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.
Friday, October 06, 2006
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.
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.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
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.
• 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.
Sunday, October 01, 2006
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.
“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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)