EXCO provides quirky classes, but participation has been low

By Alisha Saville

To the majority of students on campus, Anne Geissinger is known as a dean of the college and coordinator of the Grinnell-in-London and Grinnell-in-Washington programs. To a select few, she is the “Permanent Belly Dance Member.” Thanks to the SGA-run Experimental College program (EXCO), Geissinger has been able to fuel her passion for dance over the past six years.

Historically, EXCO classes have always enjoyed a large participant base, but the past few years have seen a decline in both the number of classes offered and the level of participant interest, though it still attracts between 150 and 200 students. One reason for the decline could be the infamously busy schedules of Grinnellians. “It’s one of those things that Grinnell students are really intrigued with, but don’t really have time for,” said Ben Bowman ’08, one of three Belly Dance teachers.

Because the classes do not count for credit, EXCOs are often the first activities dropped from a busy schedule. Even so, Matt Johnson ’08 said that the low-stress nature of EXCO is generally what draws students to the classes. “It’s really chill, something students do for fun," he said.

Despite its previous popularity, EXCO nearly did not happen last semester, which some worry might hurt student participation in the future.

Suzanne Polivy ’08, coordinator of EXCO programming this semester along with Jackie Graves ’09, said that administrative difficulties last fall also played a large part in the program’s reduced presence on campus this year. “We’ve had fewer responses than in previous years [to teach classes], probably because of last semester,” said Polivy. But she and Graves said they are pleased with the eight classes that will be taught this semester.

The program was originally intended to bring students, college staff and community members together to share interests, skills and particular talents that are not normally part of the college curriculum. In recent years the program has veered away from this initial goal, catering mainly to students.

To increase the program’s presence in the entire community in the future, Polivy suggested inviting those from town to participate. “EXCO was designed to bring together students, professors and townspeople,” said Polivy. “It would be nice to open it up again, to foster more of a sense of community.”

With an operating budget of $2000 per semester, potential teachers do not need to spend their own money to share a skill or interest they feel could benefit others. “A lot of students have ideas and talents to share,” said Polivy. “EXCO gives them the resources to do so.”

Second Winter Storm Coming Through -- Grinnell preparing for possibility of 72 hour power loss

icicles on bicycles after Saturday's storm (photo by Sidionie Straughn Morse '08)

I was sitting in a Younker dorm room yesterday when the phone rang. It definitely wasn't who I expected to be calling.

"This is a message from the Department of Homeland Security..." said a prerecorded voice on the other end of the line. Poweshiek County has been declared a disaster area and, the government voice urged, "If you are still without power, seek shelter immediately."

An ice storm ripped through campus these weekend, coating every blade of grass and abandoned bicycle with a solid layer of ice. The storm also downed trees and knocked out power to the campus and town for at least several hours.

While power has returned to all of campus, students, professors and college employees living in some parts of town -- and other cities -- are still in the dark. "Basically, living without power for five days, it feels like you haven't slept," says Mac Pohanka, of High Street, who has been sleeping on couches at friends houses and in lounges since the ice storm Saturday. His apartment still doesn't have heating or electricity. "Every day, you go to class and you're more tired and furious than the day before."

Even before Grinnell is entirely back on its feet, however, the town is bracing for another hit: a snow and ice storm rolling through tonight and Thursday. That means more ice and possibly more power outages.

Get prepared! If you're still without heat, find somewhere safe you can crash for a few days. Head out to the store while you still can -- it's not snowing here yet -- and stock up on supplies. Here's a shopping list, courtesy the Department of Homeland Security, of what you should have on hand:

matches
candles
canned food (week of tuna, anyone?)
extra water
blankets!!
extra hats, mittens and warm clothes
flashlights
extra batteries


also:
charge your cell phone and computer
park your car off the street

and
(for you nerdlings out there afraid you won't be able to finish your homework)
print off any Pioneerweb or e-reserve readings now

If anyone else has any preparation advice, feel free to add it in the comments. I'm from Southern California, I've got no experience with this "ice" thing.

We'll keep you updated here on the S&Blog, but check out major Iowa news sources for more info on the storm and where it's headed.

Song, dance and job interviews at ISO Cultural Evening

by Lawrence Sumulong

For students who know International Student Organization (ISO) mainly through their popular food bazaar, it is high time to add another item to the calendar: the Cultural Evening, ISO’s other major annual event.

Cultural Evening, which will take place on Sunday at 7 p.m. at Harris, showcases the cultural cornucopia at Grinnell through various student performances. It also serves as a get-together for international and domestic students, especially graduating seniors and students returning from abroad, and enhances dialogue between social and cultural groups.

“It’s extremely important because on the most basic level it encourages American students to learn more about different culture and different ways of life outside of the United States,” said ISO treasurer Hamza Hasan ’09. “But it’s not just specific to the students of the college—we usually get a good number of people from the town as well.”

The longstanding Cultural Evening is an open forum for students and groups. According to Hasan, ISO sends out an invitation to the various cultural organizations asking for anyone who might be interested in representing their country, organization, and culture through various artistic mediums. Emphasizing diversity, ISO shapes the final list of participants by making a concerted effort to represent as many different countries as possible.

The evening profits from performances by a medley of different student organizations, like the African Students’ Union, the Korean P’ungmul Percussion Ensemble and the Latin American Ensemble. And in the vein of offering new avenues of cultural insight, this year’s program will include a new segment: a short skit showing four students from differing social backgrounds in the setting of a job interview. The addition of the skit represents ISO’s continuing effort to disarm stereotypes, entertain and educate the public about the world outside of what they consider familiar.

Hasan said Cultural Evening’s strength lies in its capacity to unite students and groups, and said, “It’s a collaborative event that serves to bring together people of all nations and countries.”

The rules of chains

Everyone loves Harris parties. This is a documented scientific fact, supported by a wealth of empirical evidence. By which I mean, of course, that Harris has essentially no redeeming value. The loud music damages your hearing, any calories you burn off by dancing are immediately replaced by empty booze calories, and the all in-the-moment drunken excitement about hooking up with someone pales in comparison to the immense awkwardness of the day after. We all know this. Yet we all still go. Hell, you probably still have the stamp from the last Harris party on the back of your wrist, you dirty hippy. All of this irrational Harris-related excitement is quintessential to the atmosphere of Grinnell, and no party embodies the gratuitous sketchiness of Harris more than last weekend’s Chains of Love party.

The premise is simple. Pick two people you (for some reason) think need to spend more time together. E-mail these names to an account, see if they accept an anonymous chain, and if all goes well, they get handcuffed (“screwed”) together at the party. On the good end of the spectrum, this can lead to people being chained to their extra special super best friends and having adorable platonic dance parties, or to two individuals with tremendously obvious sexual tension finally getting over their insecurities and having a practice session for 100 days, as it were. On the more negative end, this leads to people being chained to their worst enemy or to some random person they may or may not have once had a History class with. These malicious chains tend to lead to excess drinking, or even worse, really awkward situations in which your chain is making out with someone else’s chain, leaving you unable to do anything but stand off to the side, making idle chit-chat with your chain’s make-out partner’s chain. And that connection is not nearly enough of a common bond to facilitate the creation of a real friendship. Seriously.

As such, perhaps it is time to make a series of rules of chaining etiquette, so as to save future generations the pain and humiliation of a really uncomfortable chain.

The first rule of proper chaining etiquette is to make sure you actually know who you are chaining together. Many people on campus have similar names. As such, it is never a bad idea to pull up Stalkernet to double-check your choices. Your friends will thank you when you manage to actually chain them to their crushes rather than to Rusty K or Darcy, the pizza lady.
The second rule is that unrequited affection is not sufficient grounds for a chain. Even if your friends are creepy people who don’t mind being exposed for the stalkers they are, it will still probably be really awkward if they get chained to that one guy who works in the dining hall who has really shiny hair. Not even the bounciest hair can substitute for a complete lack of conversational topics. Nor should you assume that, just because the girl down your hall is always talking about how hot a certain football player is, that they have any amount of common ground or basis for spending the evening together. Clues that such chains might be a bad idea often come in subtle signals, such as the fact that she only ever refers to the fellow by his jersey number or vaguely descriptive nicknames such as Buff-o or Sexy Rexy.

The third rule is that chains should not be a venue for proposing riddles to people. That is, do not chain people together who have never met simply because you happen to know of some really insignificant commonality they happen to have. No one wants to spend all night asking stupid questions in an effort to figure out whether they and their chain had a goldfish with the same name when they were seven, or whether their high schools had the same vaguely racist mascot.
And finally, the fourth, and most important, rule about chains etiquette is that these rules really only apply when you are considering chaining me to someone. Honestly, I would have a much better time at chains if I had the opportunity to see everyone else in really awkward situations.

Q&A with writer Stephen Kuusisto

by Lawrence Sumulong

The S&B did an e-mail interview with writer and disability activist Stephen Kuusisto, who will be on campus Tuesday as part of the Writers @ Grinnell series and Disability Awareness Week. Kuusisto, who has been blind since birth, is the author of the memoir Planet of the Blind and the poetry collection Only Bread, Only Light. He will read from his latest work, Eavesdropping: A Memoir of Blindness and Listening, on Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 8 p.m. Learn more about Kuusisto from this week's S&B article (PDF), Kuusisto's Web site and his blog.

In regards to your poetry and your prose, who are some of the writers that have helped hone your voice and in what ways have they influenced you?

I began reading poetry when I was a high school student. A friend loaned me a copy of an anthology of contemporary American poetry edited by Stephen Berg and Robert Mezey, called Naked Poetry. I discovered Kenneth Rexroth's poetry in that book, along with work by Robert Bly, Adrienne Rich, W.S. Merwin and James Wright, just to name a few of the amazing poets who were becoming important in American letters in the sixties and seventies. I was absolutely infatuated by the beauty and intelligence of contemporary poetry and I think that this discovery helped to save my life. I was anorexic and very depressed about my circumstances as a blind teenager attending a mediocre rural high school. Poetry dazzled, affirmed, insinuated and was politically and intellectually risky. I wanted to join the dialogue.

You have appeared in numerous anthologies, publications, and T.V. shows; are you conveying the same message across different media? To clarify, does a poem of yours appearing in The New York Times Magazine differ from your personal appearance on a show such as Oprah in regards to the convictions you are conveying? Furthermore, are there any concerns when you decide to involve yourself in various modes of public perception?

This is an excellent question. I try to remain the same thinker in all the various forms of communication one uses. On Oprah I talked at some length about the history of people with disabilities in the U.S.; in poetry I also talk about this history, as in the poem "Learning Braille at 39" or "Only Bread, Only Light." I've found lately that blogging has allowed me space to write editorials about disability and contemporary culture in a timely way, and I value that new freedom.

I was talking to Professor Ralph Savarese about your work, and he mentioned how your exquisite attention to language seemingly transforms, like a work of alchemy, prose into something closer to poetry. With that in mind, how has your background in poetry spilled into the structure of the memoir and creative nonfiction?

I learned how to write nonfiction largely from the point of view of a poet. In general, poets love language—its compression, imagery, sweetness, muscularity, energy and musicality. While prose writers often admire these things as well, very often a fiction or nonfiction writer will be thinking ahead about the narrative arc of her or his story. Poets tend to think word by word, line by line, like the old children's song about watering the garden: inch by inch, row by row. So I simply began writing true stories by using the poet's love of language as my essential building block. I tend to find out where I'm going with the story only after I've enjoyed putting the images and sounds on the page. As the poet Theodore Roethke said, "I learn by going where I have to go."

Between the walking tour of Grinnell College's campus, your reading and class visitations, your upcoming Writers @ Grinnell appearance seems to be one of the most involved and invested presentations to date. Dovetailing with Disability Awareness Week, what is the message that you are bringing to the college? How do you plan to convey it through each individual event?

I think that having a message is sometimes really a matter of being open to hearing the people in the local community. I've long been fascinated by the life and accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who as you know was a coast to coast mover and shaker in the civil rights movement in the ’50s and ’60s. He would never give a talk in a city or town until he'd heard the local people either in a church or a community center. I think that's crucial. You may have some pre-formed and seemingly important ideas, but they can't be useful unless you take the time to know what the people around you are thinking. So at Grinnell I will endeavor to learn from students, faculty and staff, and I'll try to shape what I have to say about disability and higher education in accordance with local needs. Obviously talking about poetry and literature can be more from the world of the writer, though it can be argued that poetry is also a community activity.

Urban Bush Women mesmerizes crowd

by Sarah Mirk

Roberts Theatre is packed with people--students in the center rows and out toward the edges, where a few seats linger unfilled, older professors and trustee look-alikes sit talking and paging through programs. It’s a diverse crowd, and a rowdy one. Everyone is waiting, excited, for the Urban Bush Women dance troupe to raise the curtain for their one-night performance, Thursday, Feb. 8, at Grinnell. Right on schedule, the theater goes black. Slowly, the light fades up in a single circle onstage, where a dancer stands wearing a wide-brim hat. The audience cannot see her face, but from the light falling from above on the well-defined muscles of her arms and legs, it is obvious that she is incredibly strong. And sexy. These are recurring themes in the night’s performance.

Urban Bush Women hails from Brooklyn, but the women who make up the creative team are from all over and all use the theatrical style of modern dance to explore and express different ideas. Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, the buff, grey-haired founding artistic director of the 22-year-old group (who also choreographed three of the four pieces performed on Thursday) was raised in Missouri. Her pieces ranged from the outrageous ode to butt-shaking, “Bati Moves” (Bati is a Caribbean word for buttocks), in which five dancers rapped about being proud of their large bodies and large attitudes, to the moving solo dance, “Give Your Hands to Struggle,” which mixed a slow traditional spiritual song with powerful body movements laden with overtones of African-American/female empowerment. In this latter piece, the dancer, the strikingly gorgeous Paloma McGregor, is dressed in flowing white. Her movements are smooth and fluid, but her every muscle – including her face – is tensed and she pushes through the air like it’s lead. Zollar, offstage, reads the names of influential African Americans, filling the theater with their sound. As she reads “Malcolm X,” Dénécy’s hand forms a fist, thrusting upwards into the light and then exploding into five fingers. The audience was silent, enraptured.


Each piece, in its own way, expressed the strength of the female body. In the opening piece of the night, where the first dancer wore that wide-brimmed hat, the dancers moved quickly through very difficult moves. Their costumes, which can only be described as safari-chic, revealed their rippling muscles as each body moved through arabesques, pirouettes and handsprings. When one dancer spun the entire length of the stage, sweat flew from her body across the light, reminding the audience just how rigorous the simple moves of modern dance can be.

The S&B Online

We appreciate everyone's patience with the lack of S&B issues online. We're currently hiring a new web editor and will have the issues up as soon as possible. In the meantime, we're going to be uploading pdfs of each issue so you can view the issues that way. Last week's issue is available at http://web.grinnell.edu/sandb/. Thanks again for your patience!

Caitlin Carmody, Editor-in-chief

Rocking on Campus: Rehearsal Space in the Last 5 Years

The article “Bands search for space,” on the front page of this week’s S&B, describes the recent efforts of students and faculty to find adequate practice space for campus musicians. But the campus has faced this issue before. Check out the links to the S&B archives to trace practice space history though the years.

by Ari Anisfeld & Justin Erickson

Campus bands have struggled for years to find a space that meets their requirements for “rockability,” which include acoustics, availability, equipment security and acceptability to neighbors. From 1999 to 2004, the off-campus college-owned house at 1128 High Street was designated as Music House (a.k.a. Musik Haus or Freesound House). At least 9 bands practiced in the wooden-floored living room during the 2003-2004 academic year, according to former SGA Concerts Chair Brendan Baker ’06. Music House treated residents to consistent practice space, safe storage of instruments and a community of like-minded musicians.

But Music House also had its downsides. According to Music major Ioannis Loukakis ’07, it was often difficult to fill the house because many students were not willing to live with the noise level. He cited the case of a college athlete, who had no connection to music but did not mind the noise, living in a Music House single.

In 2004, Music House lost its spot at 1128 High St. to the now-defunct International Gourmet House. John Chavez ’05 and other campus band advocates went to Vice President for Student Services Tom Crady, and they worked together to make an accessible practice space available in Norris Pit. The large, graffiti-covered room had been used as a practice space from the 1960s to the 1980s. Crady appropriated funds for foam to line the space, which Baker said "contained noise in the room" but did not soundproof it. With the foam, the acoustics were "as all right as a concrete room could sound,” said Baker, but the noise was still bothersome to Norris residents. Freesound received funding from SGA to buy basic equipment for the space, including a guitar and a bass.

In the 2005-2006 year, Music House experienced a brief revival as Art and Music House, but this lasted only a year. Currently, 1128 High St. is home to Dag House.

The search for alternatives has led bands to unconventional spaces, including off-campus houses, dorm lounges and dorm rooms.

Movie review: La Dolce Vita

reviewed by Andrew Lippman

A masterpiece. Federico Fellini’s 1960 rumination on sex, love and miscommunication is as challenging and engrossing today as it was nearly fifty years ago. Seven days and nights in the life of playboy journalist Marcello Rubini (Marcello Mastrianni) seem an unending parade of socialites, celebrities, exhibitionists and “intellectuals,” all of who contribute to the empty decadence of 1960s Rome. Caught in the whirlwind are Marcello’s clinging girlfriend Emma (Yvonne Furneaux), the married academic Steiner (Alain Cuny), and Marcello himself, who earnestly seems to love both everyone and no one. Acknowledging the frivolity of his existence, Marcello intends to settle down and do some “serious” work. However, he finds a life of meaning more elusive than he anticipated.

La Dolce Vita is three hours long, but Fellini keeps the film going at a good pace and chocks it full of hot cars, trendy nightclubs, beautiful women and, of course, the circus. The sets and costumes are tremendous (the film won an Academy Award for Costume Design), as is the soundtrack. Mastroianni and Anouk Aimee (who plays heiress love interest Maddalena) are newcomers in their first collaboration with Fellini (they come together again for 8 ½). Watch for “American film star” Anita Ekberg’s famous fountain scene, as well as Valeria Ciangottini as the ingénue waitress Paola.

Showtime: Friday Feb. 9, 8:00 p.m. ARH 302


photo courtesy http://www.ledoux.be

Why am I so awkward?

Every time I leave the Grinnell campus for an extended period, I wind up being rudely slapped in the face with the realization that I have no idea how to conduct myself in the real world. I often spend several days confused by the prevalence of people not between the ages of 18 and 23, people who are offended by profanity and sexual references, and people who stare blankly at me when I use words like “opprobrium” in casual conversation. My tendency to dress like a hobo and my love-hate relationship with makeup and shaving suddenly qualify me as a weirdo, whereas my Grinnell self had always seemed so painfully mainstream. But one thing that really frightens me about my inability to pass as normal in actual American society is that I’m pretty sure I never actually learned how to legitimately flirt.

I know that sounds dreadfully shallow. Shouldn’t I be concerned about human rights, the destructiveness of capitalist consumer culture and the impending disaster of global warming? Sure, and I am. Really. My interests are many and varied. They just also happen to include occasionally hooking up with people.

Generally, this is less of a problem at Grinnell. Most people here are awkward enough to make me seem vaguely charismatic. As such, my stilted, bastardized version of flirtation actually seems to work. However, I often forget that the real world operates quite differently. This often leads to strange situations in which I give the impression of being mildly tweaked in the head.

One prime example of this occurred last week, when I was visiting a coffee shop in Des Moines with my good friend, Christy “not-awkward-enough-for-Grinnell” Boeckholt. I approached the counter first, hanging back briefly to decide what I wanted to order. As I was perusing the menu, the fellow behind the counter addressed me casually, trying to make conversation. At some point during this interaction, it dawned on me that this individual was flirting with me. This realization was bewildering for me. I specifically remember being agitated. I hadn’t entered the situation with the expectation that it would require any form of actual social skills, and as such I had not prepared myself. I had absolutely no idea what to say to this man. I made a half-assed effort to play along, not wanting to seem unfriendly.

The fellow seemed to have noticed my stilted mannerisms and attributed them to tiredness, saying, “Had a long day, huh?” I could easily have lied, pretended that I’d spent all day at some sort of legitimate job instead of sitting around reading Plans and crocheting earflap hats. But instead I decided to be unnecessarily honest, saying “No, not really. I’m actually just incredibly awkward.”

Had I made a similar comment to a Grinnellian, we probably could have shared a friendly laugh of commiseration at our mutual social ineptitude. However, outside of Grinnell, a statement such as this sends a pretty clear message of “I’m really freaking weird,” as evidenced by the relatively quiet manner in which the rest of our interaction panned out. I walked back to my table, confused and a bit embarrassed. Christy subsequently ordered, flirting casually and comfortably with the same man who had already written me off completely.

The encounter wasn’t a total loss, however. I got a delicious café mocha out of the transaction, and I managed not to trip while walking to or away from the counter. Also, I learned that flirting should not include blatant admissions of my own awkwardness. This just puts me one step closer to the day when I will finally be able to have comfortable social interactions with people I don’t really know. I’ve been making a lot of progress lately. At this rate, I should be pretty damn charismatic by the time I’m elderly.

Arseneault a finalist for Cousy Award

Point guard David Arseneault '09 has been named a finalist for the Bob Cousy award, given annually to the nation's top collegiate point guard by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Arseneault is one of only two Division III guards named to the list of 17 total finalists. Last year, Illinois' Dee Brown won the award, which is presented by the Hartford Financial Services Group.

The Grinnell native is averaging 19.2 points per game (3rd in the MWC) to go along with a league-leading 8.39 assists. He averages over three assists more per game than second-place David McMullen of Ripon College.

E-Registration is a mixed blessing

by Pat Caldwell
For the first time ever at Grinnell, students did not have to brave the frigid walk to the John Crystal Center or stand in the long lines at the Harris center to finalize their registration. Instead, students were able to confirm their registration status from the comfort of their own dorm rooms as the Registrar’s Office implemented a new system for students to confirm their registration online when they returned to campus.
Registrar of the College Gerald Adams said he instituted the change because the previous method took a lot of time on the first Sunday back from break for faculty and staff members. Adams said that the new method so far appeared to be a success, and many students seemed to agree.
Victor Colussi ’09 initially was unable to log in and register when he arrived, but later on Sunday completed the process: “I thought it was easier [than before],” he said.
Arunabh Singh ’09 agreed. “It is way more convenient and should be persisted,” he said.
But the new form of registration did cause problems for some students. According to Adams, many students will be fined for late registration. The school attempted to remind the students about the change in policy with repeated e-mails. But Adams lamented that campus-wide emails are not always effective at disseminating information. “It upsets me that the official form of communication at the college is ignored,” he said.
The online confirmation process also required students to be on campus in order to register. The system would only allow students to confirm their registration through Pioneerweb if they were on a computer connected to the college’s network.
One student, Kat York ‘09, did not realize that she needed to confirm her registration until she was interviewed for this article on Wednesday. “It was kind of in the background and I don’t read the e-mails from the school; they send a lot of stuff,” she said.
Students also potentially face difficulties coordinating with professors without the central location at the Harris Center. Julie Edwards ’07 takes Piano lessons at the college and had problems scheduling a time for lessons with her professor. Where previously she had been able to meet with the professor during registration, she had to try to coordinate with the professor through e-mail which proved more difficult. “I wish there was still the option to go to the Harris Center,” said Edwards.
Many students even questioned the necessity of what they thought was a trivial process. Said Edwards, “I thought it was kind of silly; you only had to click two buttons.” However the office of the registrar views the process as an important function for the school. Adams said the system is important, because “We [the college] need to know physically who’s returning.”
According to Adams, the Office of the Registrar considers this a test and has not decided whether or not the online confirmation will continue. But one aspect of new registration will not change: first-year registration at Harris will remain a part of the Grinnell tradition.

Black, White & Scarlet all over

After a slow winter break here at the S&Blog, we've rolled out our new design, just in time for a new semester of great "blog-sclusive" content!

Enjoy!

(Of course, no design is ever really final. Got comments on the design? Leave them on this post and we'll do the best we can to fulfill all your requests.)

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.