Water Panel to discuss the quality of Iowan water

By Kelly Page [email protected]

This Sunday, Feb. 25 at 2 p.m., Bucksbaum 152 will host a panel discussion entitled “Where Does Our Water Come From & Where Does It Go? A Look at Water in Grinnell and Poweshiek County.” Coming shortly after the passage of a $282 million water quality bill in the Iowa legislature in late January, which aims to reduce nitrogen and phosphorous in Iowa water, this discussion is extremely timely and will offer a chance for Grinnellians to ask experts on local water about how state wide water-related patterns play out on a local level.

There are many issues with water in Grinnell that may provide discussion points on Sunday. In Iowa, runoff from farming cause chemicals like nitrates to seep into water supplies. Additionally, in 2016 the Iowa Department of Natural Resources found that upwards of 6,000 Iowans may have been exposed to unsafe levels of lead in their drinking water. Although Grinnell was not one of the affected communities, many Grinnellians probably want to know for sure just how safe the town’s drinking water is. The water quality report on the City of Grinnell’s website has not been updated since 2016, when Grinnell’s drinking water did not violate federal contamination limits.

Professor Peter Jacobson, biology, who will moderate the discussion, said, “At the national level people hear about Flint, Michigan and other areas where water quality is a significant issue, so folks may want to know how safe Grinnell’s tap water is.” Interestingly, some water taste judges say Grinnell’s water is some of the best-tasting in the country: it was a finalist in the National Rural Water Association’s Great American Water Taste Test, so that, according to the Center for Prairie Studies email about the event, “[it] is a of local pride that the Poweshiek Water Association is providing its customers with some of the best tasting water in the country.”

Additionally, Grinnell’s current wastewater treatment plant is outdated and its emissions are not in compliance with federal guidelines, so the City is in the process of updating their current facilities, which may be another issue attendees will want the panel to address.

On the panel, which was assembled by Professor Jonathan Andelson, anthropology and prairie studies, will be Jan Anderson, water resources director; Chad Coburn, executive director of Poweshiek Water Association; Mindy Siek, watershed coordinator with the Poweshiek Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD); and Matt Tapken, the Poweshiek Water Association’s chief operations officer. Each member of the panel will give a ten-minute presentation, and afterwards there will be a chance for audience members to ask questions.

Anderson has worked closely with Grinnell’s water treatment facilities since 1979, after he recieved a Master’s in geology from the University of Iowa. He has overseen upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant and the water treatment plant, and helped the community construct a deep water well in 2000. Coburn has worked in rural water for 17 years, collaborating with state and national government and several Iowa communities. Mindy Siek’s focus since 2008 has been improving the quality of water and soil in Iowa and Kansas. Finally, Tapken is an expert in water treatment and groundwater, as well as making water taste good. This dream team of local water experts are a perfect set of people to field questions about what comes out of Grinnell’s taps. Do Grinnellians need to Brita filter tap water and buy fancy bottles of water at Walmart? Or should they savor the local water’s supposedly top-tier flavor? This Sunday in Bucksbaum is the perfect time to find out.

Urban Education Symposium addresses impacts of inequality

By Zoe Fruchter [email protected]

Although the urban education systems of cities may seem far removed from rural Grinnell, last Thursday, Feb. 22, the Urban Education symposium covered just that. In reality, though, urban education is not as far removed from the Iowa corn fields as one might think.

“It’s important to know that education was the second most common immediate career field for the College’s class of 2016,” wrote Dan Covino, director of the Education Professions Career Community within the Center for Careers, Life, and Service and the Rosenfield Program, in an email to The S&B. Covino also noted that of the alumni that go into teaching work, many teach in urban areas.

“Although urban education might seem far removed from Grinnell, it is a common career destination for our graduates. I hope the symposium provides students who are considering teaching in cities with some idea of the policy questions urban districts confront and the realities urban teachers face,” Covino wrote.

Beyond post-college career choices, the topic of urban education holds relevance for various members of both the College and local communities.

“Many of the issues (e.g. school choice, segregation, unequal access to educational opportunities) that our speakers will discuss affect education across the United States, not just American cities. … Since these issues affect education across locations, I hope many community members from Grinnell and surrounding communities will benefit from the symposium events as well,” Covino wrote.

The Symposium consisted of three events: “School Segregation in the 21st Century: Conflicts over Education Equality and Community Control” presented by Rachel Moskowitz ’06, assistant professor of public policy and law at Trinity College in Connecticut; “Inside the Urban Classroom,” a panel discussion between alumni urban educators Emily Kugisaki ’09, Anna Taylor ’06 and Erin Whalen ’12; and a keynote speech by New York Times investigative journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, followed by a discussion with Stephanie Jones, professor of education.

“When designing the symposium, I sought to include events that would cater to the interests of different audiences. For example, I know from advising appointments with students that many are interested in education policy. [Dr. Rachel Moskowitz] is a professor whose research focuses on the politics of urban education reform. Her talk will provide insight for all attendees, but especially for those who are primarily interested in education policy reform. Likewise, since I know many students in the Ed Pros community are interested in teaching, I wanted to include a space to hear current teachers’ voices. I was lucky enough to add the alumni panel of teachers,” Covino wrote. The keynote address was delivered by Hannah-Jones, whose invitation was the impetus for the Symposium’s topic.

Lauded journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones spoke on campus this week. Photo by Sofia Mendez.

“Shortly after starting in my position as the Director of the Education Professions Career Community, in mid-July, I knew I would be planning a symposium for this spring but I hadn’t chosen a topic,” Covino wrote. “I asked Education Department faculty members for ideas about topics and speakers they would be interested in bringing to campus. Professor Stephanie Jones (Education) suggested that [Hannah-Jones] would make a great keynote speaker. Since much of Nikole’s work is about the re- segregation of American urban schools … the theme of urban education grew from there.”

Hannah-Jones presented a keynote entitled “Focusing on the Role of Inequality and Segregation in Public Education.” This keynote address speaks to Hannah-Jones’ expertise within the field of racial segregation. She was awarded the MacArthur Genius Grant in 2017 for her reporting on school segregation and reports on this topic for The New York Times Magazine. Hannah-Jones is currently writing a book about school segregation entitled “The Problem We All Live With.” Hannah- Jones also helped found the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting, an organization that aims to increase the amount of investigative reporters of color.

The Symposium is mainly sponsored by Education Professions Career Community, with help from the education Department, the gender, women’s and sexuality studies department and the political science department.

“The symposium’s underlying themes are multidisciplinary, which is one reason why several departments co-sponsored this event. I hope that the symposium provides insights for students across the campus, not just future educators,” Covino wrote.

College faces ongoing health services challenges

This past Tuesday, Feb. 20, Grinnell College held its 10th Annual Student Wellness fair. The fair provides an opportunity for campus resources, such as departments, offices and student groups, to publicize what they have to offer the student body. These resources for wellness range from academic advising, to physical and mental health, to identity support groups.

Additionally, community resources, such as the Grinnell Regional Medical Center, were present at the fair. Having community resources present reminds students that opportunities for wellness extend beyond the campus.

“[The resources offered] are meant to remind them that it’s important to take care of yourself before the semester gets too far into it and you get too busy with work,” said Connie Herchek, administrative support assistant for student affairs. “I think it’s good to just be reminded of what [resources] are out there. I think at Grinnell there’s so many different resources that sometimes we forget about the ones we need, because there’s so many different opportunities to do things or go places.”

There is no budget exclusively for the Wellness Fair. Each group and organization in attendance uses their own budget to supply necessary items. If in need of funding, student organizations go through the Student Government Association, as they would with any other event. Organizations such as SHACS or the Wellness Lounge have their own budgets for this event and allocate any needed money out of their regular funding.

Along with making resources known to students, SHACS has recently expanded their services to include a male identity support group and have a counselor on site at the athletic facilities.

“We have more mental health resources than ever before,” said Jen Jacobsen, director of wellness and prevention. Currently, SHACS has full time and part time counselors, a partnership with the University of Iowa where doctoral student serve as a resource and counselors from a Masters of Social Work practicum.

“The number of hours they’re providing this year is more than ever before,” Jacobsen said.

However, despite events such as the Wellness Fair that publicize resources and resource expansions, some students feel that the resources at Grinnell College are not sufficient, especially in the realm of mental health.

Students represent their wellness organizations at the fair. Photo by Mahira Faran.

One solution to addressing this problem is the implementation of a Student Mental Health task force.

“Its purpose is to ask the questions and assess what are our needs, what are our recommendations so that the college can move forward in a strategic way,” Jacobsen said.

Two weeks ago, in part of this strategic move forward, external reviewers from the directors of counseling from Hamilton and Knox Colleges visited Grinnell College. They met with different groups and organizations to get feedback and assess the adequacy of the resources Grinnell College has to offer.

As the external reviewers come from small, rural, liberal arts colleges, their perspective allows them to better understand the needs that students at Grinnell College have and utilize related work on their respective campuses.

“It creates some objectivity in making their recommendations,” Jacobsen said.

After completing the report, the external reviewers will summarize their findings and give recommendations of what still needs to be addressed to President Raynard Kington, Mike Latham, dean of the College and Angela Voos, vice president for strategic planning. Both Latham and Voos are co-chairs of the task force.

“I think we’re at a really exciting time that there’s an investment in that task force to make recommendations to where our greatest needs are,” Jacobsen said.

Additionally, the National College Health Assessment was recently sent out to students over email. This assessment is important as it tells groups, such as the task force, how students are doing and what is and is not being addressed.

“[The National College Health Assessment] informs a lot of the work that we do,” Herchek said. “It has a huge impact on our work and the resources that we’re able to advocate for, whether it’s additional staff or additional programing or funds.’

The National College Health Assessment is open until March 5. Jacobsen urges that all students take the assessment so that resources, especially for mental health, can be addressed and further improved.

Jacobsen has ideas that she would like to see addressed to better mental health.

“When I think about the mental health promotion side, I think about ‘how do we create an environment that both promotes mental health and supports help seeking behaviors?’” Jacobsen said.

Jacobsen believes that the college environment needs to be changed so that students are more able to make decisions that promote positive mental health. Such environmental changes could be in the classroom, such as having more detailed syllabi from professors, or at the institutional level, such as implementing a breakfast on Sunday mornings at the Dining Hall.

“I want us to think more about how we incentivize the behaviors that are helpful and support the students and make it easier for students to make those choices,” Jacobsen said.

While resources for mental health at Grinnell College may not have reached their potential, the College is attempting to address these issues and make the necessary changes to improve mental health at Grinnell College. Jasmeen Patheja and Action Heroes confront gender-based violence

By Lauren Miller [email protected]

Jasmeen Patheja is the founder and facilitator of Blank Noise, a community of activists, termed “Action Heroes,” who are fighting to make collective change against gender-based and sexual violence in India and around the world, according to the Blank Noise site. Patheja visited campus this past week to talk about her work with Blank Noise. Since the first time she experienced street harassment outside Srishti, a university in Bangalore, India in 2003, Jasmeen Patheja was determined to make a change in the way women are treated in public spaces.

Patheja began by taking photos of men who had harassed her and posting them online.

“That is where the first community started getting built,” she said.

After receiving support through her blogging community, Patheja described a “snowball effect” as one step led to the next, the community expanded and others helped to spread the word.

This project was not launched without pushback, however. Patheja explained that at first, some classmates brushed off street harassment as “not a big deal,” saying that “boys are like that,” or even that she should “focus on more serious issues” in response to her discomfort at being stalked, groped, stared at and nudged in public spaces.

Still, Patheja had a large group of support within the Blank Noise community, as well as university faculty who helped her get the project up and running.

The Blank Noise community has launched a number of projects encouraging women to not be afraid in public spaces. Some of the projects have been “Being Idle,” in which Action Heroes stood in public and were encouraged to make eye contact and not be afraid of the consequences, as well as “Meet to Sleep,” in which Action Heroes slept in a public park.

“Through collective action … [the goal of these projects] is really about unlearning fear,” Patheja said. Traditionally, women are taught to walk as fast as they can and avoid eye contact in public spaces. Blank Noise has been revolutionary in challenging those norms. Patheja acknowledges that these actions do not come without possible dangers, which make them so boundary-pushing in the first place. To combat potential harm, Patheja said that with all Blank Noise projects, participants “negotiate fear in their own way,” and that people can take action at their own pace.

“We can’t assume everyone is in the same place. What we can assume … is that there is something still connecting us” Patheja said. While they do not offer crisis intervention, Patheja stresses that the community does offer a network of support between one another.

Blank Noise gained even more ground after a tragic incident in December of 2012, when a female medical student was gang raped and murdered on her way home from the movies in Delhi.

Patheja said that the incident “forced and enabled a lot of conversation,” which marked a significant shift in public conscience and in the conversation on harassment.

Regarding the evolution of her own beliefs, Patheja said that while at first her experiences with harassment seemed personal, she has contextualized them through her work at Blank Noise.

“I’m experiencing it, which is valid, but I’m also learning to see it as something that is systemic.”

Blank Noise itself is also becoming more intersectional, as women across all identities experience harassment.

As a question to students at Grinnell, Patheja asked, “How can you contribute to a safe space?” Argued that while it is easy to believe it is someone else’s responsibility, each person has a role in building a safe campus.

On a broader scope, on June 16, Blank Noise is facilitating a “Meet to Sleep” event where anyone can participate in taking naps in public parks across the world. An advertisement for the event read:

“Sleep. Alone. Together. We sleep to fight fear, through trust and belonging. In sleep we assert our right to be defenseless. In sleep we protest.”

Patheja’s visit serves as a reminder of the fact that everyone can take steps to better our campus environment. As Patheja said, “Everyone has the ability to influence public space.”

SGA Executive Elections heat up

By Max Fenton [email protected]

Student Government Association (SGA) elections are imminent. The student body will be able to vote for candidates for SGA executive positions on online polls that will open at 8 a.m. today, Feb. 23 and close at 8 a.m. tomorrow, on Feb. 24. There are six candidates in total, all members of the class of 2019, running for three different positions.

Myles Becker and Dylan Welch are running for SGA President. The race for Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA) includes Riley Murphy and Joseph Robertson. Vice President of Student Affairs (VPSA) is a matchup between Kadiata Toumbou and Takshil Sachdev.

The issues:

Key issues that candidates have chosen to focus on in this election cycle are largely tied to the offices they are running for. For VPSA candidates Toumbou and Sachdev, improving student quality of life is the linchpin of their platforms. Sachdev counts “promoting student safety and wellness and representing the student body’s interests when dealing with issues related to Title IX, mental health and diversity” as areas of focus. Toumbou is interested in tackling issues related to “inclusivity and diversity on campus, mental health and cyber bullying.”

Sachdev in particular is interested in improving Grinnell’s institutional memory after having seen student activist and political efforts hurt by a failure to adapt when students depart.

“I want to institutionalize the mechanisms for leadership transition among critical identity-based and activism oriented student organizations who might be involved in dealing with issues with the administration or the community in the long- term. This would enable these organizations to thrive even as students themselves come and go,” Sachdev wrote in an email to The S&B.

VPAA candidates Murphy and Robertson have both focused on the irregularity and intractability of many campus academic resources, although they approach the issue in different ways.

“Supplies like adequate (and working) printers, A/V equipment and proper lighting should be available at a much higher rate around campus,” Murphy wrote in an email to The S&B. “Additionally, more students should have opportunities for non-classroom academic growth, like with internships or research projects.”

Robertson, on the other hand, emphasized the curricular.

“One [goal] that I’m really passionate about is more transparency in terms of curriculum, and what is going to be offered. I feel like if there was a live updated document [of courses] … that’s being constantly arranged [it] would be very helpful,” Robertson said.

Robertson is also interested in creating positions similar to that of community adviser for each major.

“I don’t know right now what it would look like exactly. I don’t know if it would be an individual thing, a group thing or by affinity,” Robertson said.

The office of SGA President has broad powers, and the platforms for both candidates are correspondingly wide. In interviews with The S&B, both Becker and Welch spoke of general goals they have for SGA if they are elected. Dylan Welch ’19 is vying for the 2018-19 SGA President role. Photo by Sofia Mendez.

Myles Becker ’19 hopes to become SGA President for the 2018-19 academic school year. Photo by Sofia Mendez.

As a general goal, Becker is particularly interested in fostering a better relationship with administration, SGA and the student body. “I’ve worked with administration pretty closely in a variety of different areas for a variety of different things, and as students know they’re not the easiest group of people to work with, and I think for a variety of important reasons. Financially, if students got everything they asked for, I don’t think that would be a smart decision for the school. I think I’ve shown a strong voice,” Becker said.

Welch is motivated by a desire to improve SGA’s reputation and role in the student body.

“I think the first priority is always listening to student concerns and translating them into effective policy. For example, I feel that SGA, whether it is a fault of leadership or just how SGA is perceived by the student body, is not necessarily the go-to for students when they have concerns,” Welch said. “We have [Facebook] pages like Grinnell Thumbs Down where people go to rant … and it would be a priority of mine to build an SGA that people come to when they have issues like that. As a member of SGA and someone who cares about SGA and cares about representing students, it feels like we aren’t doing our best job when we aren’t hearing about that earlier.”

Endorsements:

Endorsements provide a way for interest groups to make their collective voice heard in politics, and SGA elections at the College are no different. A number of Grinnell organizations and entities have issued endorsements for this cycle.

The Union of Grinnell Student Dining Workers (UGSDW) put out a list of endorsements on its Facebook page on Wednesday, Feb. 21. The Union endorsed Becker for President, Toumbou for VPSA and Murphy for VPAA. UGSDW Vice President Quinn Ercolani ’20 explained the reasoning behind these endorsements.

“The Union endorsed those candidates because those were the candidates our members voted for. … Those are the candidates that won because the members of the Union feel they will represent them the best,” Ercolani said.

But the UGSDW is not the only organization to endorse candidates this election cycle. Some of Grinnell’s meme pages have bolted into politics, offering endorsements of their own. The Twitter account @CleveSmellsLike endorsed Welch’s candidacy, saying that Cleveland Hall smelled “like the sweat juice of student government” in a exhortatory tweet from Feb. 18.

On that same date, @GrinnellSafety endorsed Becker, offering the support of Campus Safety and “all sleeper agents.” Though they are generally intended for humor, meme accounts have quickly become a new frontier for political discourse on the Grinnell Campus as students blend the absurd with the civic. Though he mentioned he was “less well-versed in the Twitterverse” than others, Becker was appreciative of the endorsements of various Twitter accounts.

“I know there are several parody accounts that my friends run … and I think they have done some campaigning for me there. Twitter definitely has a presence on campus, though it’s not the biggest,” Becker said.

Social media and campaign strategy:

The endorsement of Grinnell’s meme pages underscores the importance of social media this election cycle. Social media has played an obvious and important role in elections in the past, particularly through the use of Facebook pages. Khadijah Toumbou ’19 is running for Vice President of Student Affairs. Photo by Sarina Lincoln.

Takshil Sachdev is running for Vice President of Student Affairs while completing a year-long study abroad program in London. Contributed photo.

“I’m using Facebook to share my platform with the student body, specifically, I am using student pages such as Grinnell Current Students, and Multi-cultural pages to help outreach for my campaign,” Toumbou wrote.

In addition to Toumbou, four other candidates this semester have Facebook pages for their campaigns, and rely on the amplifying power of social media to make their voices heard. Welch was particularly confident about the power of social media in elections.

“I think it does a lot of good when people see from someone else’s perspective. … I think it’s nice to hear about a candidate in someone else’s words. I think social media really streamlines that because there’s such a network of Grinnellians on Facebook, Twitter or what have you.”

But not all candidates have utilized social media in their campaigns; Robertson sees Facebook as more of a possible liability than a benefit, and unlike other candidates, does not have a Facebook outreach page.

Joey Robertson ’19 has a different approach to his run for Vice President of Academic Affairs. Photo by Elena Copell.

“I’m not very adept with online social media, and I’m also hesitant because there’s a campus rule that says you can’t send out an email to more than two people at a time. It feels strange to have mass messages to people. I pay attention to some emails about as much as I pay attention to a new Facebook post,” Robertson said.

Postering remains an important part of outreach for candidates, providing visual political messaging to the student body across campus. Becker in particular has been vigilant about postering.

“I think we’re looking at somewhere in the high 350 to 370 [posters] range at this point. … That’s been my nightly activity for many, many days now.”

Other candidates have utilized the poster formats in interesting ways. Murphy has expanded into more creative postering, including “[him] photoshopped over iconic movie posters and replacing the title with ‘MURPHY FOR VPAA.’” In particular, he has posters themed after iconic films like “Back to the Future” and “Home Alone.”

Riley Murphy ’19 hopes that his experiences with SGA will make him the worthy candidate for the Vice President of Academic Affairs position. Photo by Sarina Lincoln.

Robertson has incorporated humor into his postering strategy, stating that he would be “happy to be number two.” Robertson stated that “[the] poster is meant to be funny. … I was hoping people would say ‘he has a good sense of humor and I’ll vote for Joseph.’”

Campaign strategy takes many different forms, particularly when students are not on campus to oversee their campaigns and the election cycle. This is the experience of Sachdev, who has spent the past year in the United Kingdom for off-campus study. Though Sachdev acknowledges campaigning has been difficult from 4,000 miles away, given it denies the personal aspect of politics, he was clear about the importance of friends and social media in maintaining connections from far away.

“I have tried to use social media to get my name out there as far as possible and I am doing my best to reach out to all the people I am connected to at Grinnell who might not know my motivations for running,” Sachdev wrote.

The competition:

Each candidate offers a unique perspective towards SGA and campus politics. To explore these differing perspectives, The S&B asked each candidate what they could bring to the table that their opponent could not.

Murphy believes his experience in SGA and academic affairs affords him a unique and experienced perspective in government, particularly for the role of VPAA.

“I have been senator, presiding officer, S&B business manager, classics SEPC co-chair, Liberal Arts in Prison tutor and a member of a half dozen committees. … Because of this, I think I’m the most qualified candidate to efficiently and comprehensively improve academic affairs at Grinnell and to advocate students’ best interests firmly and honestly with administration,” Murphy wrote. His opponent Robertson also spoke about his idea of a campaign.

“Overall I just really want to be receptive to people. I really have trouble asking people to vote for me, I hate the idea of that. I prefer asking people how academic affairs can be improved to shoehorn into a larger discussion about things,” Robertson said. “I think I can be more articulate … consistent … and persuasive and ‘hustle aplenty.’”

In regard to the VPSA race, Sachdev argues his experience living many places and interacting with many people affords him a unique perspective and ability to communicate.

“I am very outgoing due to my upbringing in eight cities across continents. I can interact effectively with people from many different backgrounds. I can use this ability to be approachable and understanding in my interactions with the student body while being respectful yet determined when representing their interests to the administration,” Sachdev wrote.

His opponent Toumbou believes her identities and sociability gives her the edge as a communicator.

“I have a lot of identities on campus that connect me with a variety of students, for example, I am Muslim, African- American, POSSE scholar and student-athlete just to name a few. … I think it’s important as an executive cabinet member to get to know the student body you’re representing, but also it’s equally important for the student body to know you as an elected ,” Toumbou wrote.

With respect to his competitive qualities as a candidate, presidential candidate Becker said that, “Acting as a voice for high-financial need students as well as first-gen students is a unique opportunity that I have … and I think dedication … whether that’s going around putting up posters all the time, or being as accessible as possible.” Welch highlighted his own role in SGA and personal qualities as important to his candidacy.

“What I can offer is a commitment to SGA since my second year, in which I’ve steadily taken on more and more responsibility. … My first semester, I was on one committee, the Diversity and Outreach Committee … and I really got a feel for how SGA operates. … I feel like I’ve budgeted my time wisely throughout my career in SGA and otherwise,” Welch said.

SGA elections open at 8 a.m. on Feb. 23 and close at 8 a.m. on Feb. 24.

Students speak: What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen in the Olympics so far?

With the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games upon us, The S&B’s Ahon Gooptu and photographer Mai Phuong Vu asked students about the craziest things they’ve seen in the games so far. From specific athletes to event logistics to figure skating and even memes Grinnellians have a lot of different thoughts about this exciting winter event — dangerous, emotional, excessive and fire are only a few of the words used.

“I think luge is one of the craziest things, because it’s so fast and so dangerous.” —Esmé Kayim-Yanko ’21

“The craziest thing I saw was Nathan Zhou doing his long performance in men’s figure skating singles last Friday, where he had had such a terrible week that he was just falling all over the place in his first program and then he just killed it in his long performance — didn’t place, but totally redeemed himself. I was very emotional.” —Megan Tcheng ’19

“The drums in the opening ceremony. It looks very, very excessive.” —Nathan Chen ’21

“It was only yesterday or day before that I saw the German team bobsledding and after they crossed the finish line, they completely fell but they were still uninjured and still placed first.” —Devansh Chandgothia ’21

“The fire memes on Instagram.” —Kirtimay Pendse ’19

“I saw this U.S. gold medalist, I think he was a snowboarder, and his name is Red Gerard and he almost missed his final ’cause he overslept and missed his alarm and I think that represents a lot of students in college.” —Vidush Goswami ’21 Sean Cullinane ’18 and Vinny Curta ’19 each broke records during the final game of the basketball season. Photo by Elena Copell.

By Quan Tran [email protected] Another Pioneer men’s basketball season has ended with two major records broken. Last weekend, as the men’s team wrapped up at Illinois College, both Sean Cullinane ’18 and Vinny Curta ’19 etched their names in history. Cullinane is now the school record-holder for career 3-point percentage (47.5 percent), while Curta has set the national Division III record for both attempts (327) and free throws made (252) in a season. Men’s basketball head coach David Arseneault Jr., in an email to The S&B, emphasized the impact Cullinane and Curta have had on the program.

“I’m proud of both Vinny and Sean. It’s exciting that their names will be etched in the record books for their accomplishments and they deserve all the credits for their hard work and determination,” Arsenault wrote.

For Cullinane, who is now a senior, this is an incredible ending to his basketball career. Being considered one of the best 3-point shooters in school history is no small feat when playing in “The System.” Cullinane was recruited out of high school to assume the role of a 3-point shooter, so this record is a culmination of all the hard work he’s put in for the past four years to perfect his shooting.

“[Over the years] I gradually get more accurate; my release gets quicker. I started getting more shots in the game,” Cullinane said.

What is even more impressive about Cullinane’s record is the frequency with which he shot 3-pointers throughout his career. Yet, his numbers don’t lie. With an astounding career accuracy of 47.5 percent from beyond the arc, Cullinane is, in Arseneault’s words, “one of the best pure shooters in GC history.” This season in particular, he’s also developed a better isolation game.

“Sean was effective off his own dribble this season and did an incredible job creating his own shot attempt when defenses overextended to him,” Arseneault wrote.

While Cullinane was busy knocking down jumpers from the outside, Curta was causing mayhem in the paint. With a career 29.2 3-point percentage, Curta admits he’s developed a better inside game than outside game. This season, he made 252 shots from the charity stripe, a factor which helps contribute to another high mark of Curta’s, his division III best in points per game at 32.7.

“It’s all about trying to pick up fouls on the other team. When we pick up fouls and get their best players out, it helps our defense because the [opponents] have to put their bench players in,” Curta said.

This is the one part of the Grinnell system that many people don’t talk about. To kick the ball out to open shooters outside the arc, the point guard must first drive into the teeth of the defense, attack the paint and force it to collapse on him. This works great for Grinnell because that’s where Curta makes his bread-and-butter.

“I can get people to jump and get out of their comfort zone defensively. So [getting to the free throw line] is just about working on being creative around the rim,” Curta said.

Nevertheless, working to draw fouls of big men and guards who are chasing you down also means putting yourself in awkward positions in midair. Many times during games Curta would go down in ways that may seem like an easy way to get hurt. To Curta, however, it’s only a part of his job.

“Yes, I think there are more consequences when you play like that. It’s [always] more challenging to stay healthy when you’re constantly being aggressive, and especially with me trying to pick up fouls on other guys. I’m just thankful I didn’t have any serious injuries this year,” Curta said.

Although Cullinane will leave his 3-point legacy behind at Grinnell when he graduates in May, Curta returns for one final push next year, and it’s not unimaginable that other records will be broken along the way.

Rueter’s Digest: United States Soccer Federation President-Elect Cordeiro brings hope to U.S. soccer fans and players

By Sam Rueter [email protected]

After months of campaigning, Carlos Cordeiro bested seven other candidates and emerged on Feb. 10 as the newly elected president of the United States Soccer Federation (USSF). Cordeiro most recently served as the vice president of the USSF under former President Sunil Gulati, who announced he had no intention to run for re-election following the U.S. Men’s Soccer team’s humiliating defeat away to Trinidad and Tobago — a result which ended any hopes of World Cup qualification.

Although throughout the election cycle Cordeiro was portrayed as a continuation of the old regime by his opponents and detractors, in reality he possesses a unique skill set and comes from an unconventional background.

Born in India, Cordeiro immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 15 with his mother and siblings, eventually earning a scholarship to Harvard University, and, later, Harvard Business School. Following his time in Cambridge, Cordeiro worked in international finance for 30 years, including notable spells as an analyst helping South Africa’s post- apartheid government and as a partner at Goldman Sachs.

Experience in business and finance is likely a large part of Cordeiro’s draw, as the USSF has continually struggled to effectively invest in soccer at the grassroots and club level, especially in comparison to other world football powers, such as Germany, France, etc.

A piece to improving the financial outlook of the program hinges on securing North America’s right to host the 2026 World Cup, a decision which could bring in large revenue shares as well as introduce American soccer fans to the world’s biggest clubs and players and vice versa.

Furthermore, greater revenue streams would also enable the federation to re-invest in youth soccer education programs throughout the country, which would hopefully make the game more accessible to socio-economically disadvantaged groups. For too long American soccer has been a game disproportionally played by white and middle-class children and families, and with club soccer team fees costing upwards of $5,000 a year, it is fair to the say the worlds game is leaving a whole lot of people behind.

A fundamental tenant of Cordeiro’s campaign was his commitment to equity and inclusion, and once elected he says he will appoint “a full-time, paid director of diversity and inclusion to promote equality across all programs for all athletes, regardless of gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, socio-economic background or disability.”

In addition to opening the game up to minority groups, the USSF also has an obligation to its female athletes, who, despite their prolific record in international play, have yet to receive equal treatment, recognition and pay when compared to their male counterparts.

These three issues — generating revenue, opening the game up to more people and leveling the playing field — will all be important for Cordeiro to address in his first few months in office. However, the biggest obstacle that he and his associates face is how to help grow soccer culture in America, as opposed to simply promoting soccer itself.

America is a relatively new presence in the greater football sphere, as four major hegemonic sports — basketball, baseball, American football and ice hockey — have long received the majority of interest and attention from our most impressionable and impassioned sports fans.

From an anthropological perspective, soccer in America is a reconfiguration, rather than a reconstruction, of identity. We market star players vastly differently, our stadiums are more sanitized and even the fact that we call the game “soccer” reveals important ways in which we have co-opted a global phenomenon to make it fit our local, idiosyncratic needs.

Further complicating soccer’s place is its vulnerable role as a supposed affront to the androcentric nature of violent, individualized sports like the NFL, MMA and UFC. Although stereotypes that portray soccer players as “soft” athletes have started to die down, it will always be hard for some fans to accept a game which, when played at its highest level, is about one team functioning as a smooth, single organism.

Despite these challenges, there is hope for the future. In recent decades hockey’s popularity has begun to dip and many youths are leaving football due to concussion research findings, two facts that, combined with a growing focus on America’s burgeoning immigrant population, have led to the rise of Major League Soccer (MLS). In addition to following local franchises, Americans have also turned out in droves to watch the World Cup, with television ratings indicating that the US — at least during the Cup cycle — consumes soccer at a clip comparable to its global contemporaries.

Thus, while the game readily dissipates to various corners of the country, it is having trouble permanently sticking in our cultural sports zeitgeist, a problematic notion that the new USSF president-elect hopefully has the tools to address.

In his role as an economic insider and a racial and cultural outsider, Carlos Cordeiro possesses the business acumen and the empathetic nature required to grow the American game in a way which is most accessible to the largest number of people.

Such an undertaking relies on a conception of American soccer as a global game practiced, played, and perfected in a local space — a notion which I believe Cordeiro understands better than most. Men’s and women’s track ready for indoor conference at Ripon

John Osler ’20, Matt Lieberman ’21 and Jackson Schulte ’20 prepare for this weekend’s indoor track conference in Ripon. Editor’s Note: Jackson Schulte is the Sports Editor for The S&B. Photo by Elena Copell.

By Alice Herman [email protected]

As Grinnell track and field prepares for its indoor conference meet, both athletes and coaches look forward the event with excitement and nerves. Both Will Freeman, men’s track and field coach, and Evelyn Freeman, coach of the women’s team, have high expectations for the distance and sprint medley relays.

Ally Cottrell ’21, who will run the 800-leg of the distance and sprint relays, the 4×400 and the mile for the women’s team, said that she looked forward to the meet, and, considering the number of events she’ll run, anticipated “not dying, hopefully,” and emphasized that she was “excited to run the relays — [they have] more of a team atmosphere.” Evelyn Freeman noted that Cottrell was among few runners participating in so many events, and said Cottrell’s would be races to look out for.

The men’s distance medley relay team promises a competitive race as well, according to Will Freeman. The anchor of the relay, Matt Lieberman ’21, said that this was the event he had most be looking forward to.

“I think we have the chance to get all-conference or even win it. I think that’ll be an exciting race,” he said. 1600 meters, the longest leg of the distance medley relay, is not the longest distance Lieberman will run at conference, however. For his second event, the 5K, Lieberman will lap the 200-meter indoor track 25 times.

Both coaches emphasized the intermediary nature of indoor conference, and situated the meet within the trajectory that will lead the teams to outdoor conference in May.

“I think always the goal is to improve over what they’ve done before … for our distance runners at least, … you can’t have a triple peak. You can have a double peak; cross country and outdoors, [though], so we’re progression training through May,” Will Freeman said. He added that the team had performed impressively so far this season.

“The workouts they have done — absolutely remarkable. I’ve been here a long time, I can take you through a season of ‘hard day’ workouts and compare, and there was just not a bad workout, not [this] indoor season,” he said.

Evelyn Freeman added that the indoor meets serve “as little tests to see how the training’s going. … [H]opefully backing off on the training a little bit, we’ll see some performance bests of the season. We’ve already started seeing those even though we haven’t backed off much. So that’s gratifying to see,” she said. “Our goal is to be unified as a team, support each other, we hope to see seasonal best performances and the information that we gather at the end of the meet will help us plan for the outdoor season.”

For some, however, the meet represents the last of their season. Andrew Shults ’19, who has had a “banner season,” according to Will Freeman, will part with track and field to start his baseball season after indoor conference.

“There are gonna be some nerves, about this being the last meet of the season and the pinnacle of inter-season for pretty much everyone … but I just remind myself that we put in all this work and as long as I leave it all out on the track I have no regrets,” Shults said. For others, such as pole- vaulter Tori LaVerdiere ’20 of the women’s team, indoor conference will be the first of many during the outdoor season.

The conference meet is at Ripon College in Ripon, Wisconsin this Friday and Saturday.

Both swim and dive teams are Midwest Conference champions The women’s swimming and diving team won their sixth Midwest Conference Championship title in a row last weekend. Contributed photo.

By Will Telingator [email protected]

Another swimming and diving season is over, and both the men’s and women’s teams won the Midwest Conference Championship (MWC). Winning this title has become something of a routine for the swimming and diving teams, as the Grinnell women claimed their sixth Midwest Conference title in a row — and 19th in the last 20 years — while the men won their third consecutive championship — 15th in 17 years.

A lot of their success can be attributed in part to Head Coach Erin Hurley, who just completed her 23rd season as Grinnell’s head swimming and diving coach. In her time leading the program, Hurley has been named MWC Women’s Coach of the Year five times, MWC Men’s Coach of the Year nine times, and MWC Coach of the Year three times — in addition to one year where she was named Co-Coach of the Year.

Such a history of success breeds high expectations, and the swimming and diving team entered the season with their sights set on defending their crown. “As defending conference champions for both men and women, we did have team goals to repeat as MWC champions,” Hurley wrote in an email to The S&B. However, Hurley also notes that the team had goals beyond winning the title. “We are looking for personal improvements from each member of the team. They all have individual goals and our focus as a team is to help them reach their personal goals.”

The teams achieved both of these goals this weekend, as a series of amazing individual performances culminated in a team championship for the men’s and women’s teams. Among some of the standout performers on the women’s team were Maria Venneri ’18 and Madeline Peak ’21. This season, Venneri was named the MWC Swimmer of the Year for the second time in her career, and she added to her spectacular season with two more victories on Sunday, giving her a total of nine league titles in her career. Furthermore, Madeline Peak ’21 had a breakout first season in the MWC, as she was named MWC Newcomer of the Year and finished competition on Sunday with five league titles.

On the men’s team, a pair of first-year stars helped lead the way to victory. Paul Cover ’21, the MWC Swimmer of the Year and Mitch Sevier ’21, the MWC Newcomer of the Year, won their respective events and now each have five league titles to their name.

Fourth-year diver Katie Parrish ’18, who placed third in the three-meter diving event for the third medal of her career, is quick to acknowledge the integral role that the first-year class played in the team’s success this season.

“We had a killer first-year class come in. They are incredible kids. Not just talented at swimming, but just wonderful people.”

Paul Cover ’21 also credits team chemistry with being a key factor in winning the conference championship. He notes that the upperclassmen worked hard from the outset of the season to cultivate a tight-knit team community.

“As a team we knew we wanted to get everyone involved and working together both inside the pool and out of it. Our upperclassmen are really careful to build a collaborative, great culture, and once they set the standards for us as a group we all came together well,” Cover wrote in an email to The S&B.

Standout diver Summer White ’18, who qualified for regional competition in San Antonio, has won the Midwest Conference Championship in every year that she has competed at Grinnell.

“It was a good way to go out,” White says. “It was nice to have a celebratory moment as the season came to a close. For the fourth-years, it was a really good capstone on what’s already been a positive experience for so many people for so many years.”

The men’s team also won their third title in a row. Contributed photo. Veterans Commission gains member, moves ahead with fundraising The Veterans Memorial Commission will contract with Amperage to conduct a study of the feasibility of raising $3 million for the renovation of the Veteran Memorial in Central Park. Photo by Helena Gruensteidl.

By Chloe Wray [email protected]

The Grinnell Veterans Memorial Commission has a new member, Randall Hotchkin, who has been vying for a seat on the commission for almost two years and was appointed by the City Council on Feb. 5. Then, on Feb. 19, the City Council unanimously approved the hiring of Amperage, an Iowa-based fundraising company, by the commission. The Veterans Memorial Building, located in Grinnell’s Central Park, may now finally be moving towards renovation.

Once the contract with Amperage is finalized, the group will begin conducting a feasibility study, which will help the commission determine whether raising $3 million for the renovation of the Veteran Memorial is a viable option.

According to Leo Lease, chair of the Veterans Memorial Commission, the study will cost about $24,300, and will be financed with the fruits of previous commission fundraising efforts. Though voters did approve a tax levy to generate about $125,000 per year for the operation of the memorial beginning in April 2019, the building, which has been plagued by a host of issues for several years, still needs to undergo serious renovation. Thus, the $3 million needed for renovations is separate from the tax levy passed in November.

“[The tax levy] was for support and management of that building. It has to do with an ultimate goal of an appropriate veterans memorial. … What that will look like in the future will depend on a lot of things, mostly money,” Lease said. “The support of the program in the future will not be nearly as expensive as the refurbishing of the building to do it right, and so that’s where the private funds come in.”

“None of us are professional fundraisers,” Hotchkin said, and the commission is hopeful that contracting with Amperage will be worth the investment.

“[The feasibility study will] be definitive, and it’s something we need to know — whether or not this is something reasonable to proceed with and put all the time and effort in to make it work. It’s definitely a worthwhile goal with regards to the veterans’ memorial and to drawing the community together,” Lease said.

If the study indicates feasibility, Amperage will begin reaching out to donors nationwide.

Both Lease and Hotchkin expressed excitement about the prospect of a potential artist residency program, which would see funding and space provided for one artist at the veterans memorial. The plan, which is included in the $3 million renovation, was proposed by Tom Lacina in January 2017. The artist residency program is seen as a way to draw donors, veterans and community members to the new space.

“If we become known for the [artist residency], people might come here, and they might stay in our hotels. … There are a lot of things that can make a city more vibrant, and hopefully this will be a piece of that,” Hotchkin said.

Whether it be through murals, sculptures, music or plays, the residency will help revitalize the veterans memorial and Central Park. Hotchkin also hopes that veterans themselves apply for the residency and that there may be a possibility of holding art therapy classes for veterans. “If enough veterans apply, it will be more of a veterans’ function than [the building] has ever held in the past,” he said. Despite these optimistic hopes, much remains in the years-long saga of the Grinnell’s veterans memorial.

“There’s a lot of work to get done, but hopefully it keeps going in this direction. … It’s all a slow process, and it might be too slow for some people, because it’s already been sitting there as kind of an eyesore for a long time but we’re making every effort we can,” Hotchkin said.

“If people have questions, we need to encourage people to participate. This is something that has a lot of definite positive outcomes for the community,” said Lease. “[We want people to] understand how it works and where the money comes from, and get rid of some previous opinions about what’s going on — those may be in error. We want to get those [questions] answered.”

The Veterans Memorial Commission meets on the second Monday of every month, and the public is encouraged to attend and participate. Calls to police spike while arrests decrease

The Grinnell Police Department released their annual report at the end of January, showing an increase in calls, but a decrease in arrests. Photo by Helena Gruensteidl.

By Carter Howe [email protected]

The Grinnell Police Department (GPD) recently released its 2017 annual report, which contains crime statistics for the year as well as details of police operations. The report showed that crime in 2017 stayed relatively close to the 2016 numbers, though with notable increases in narcotics and sexual abuse cases and decreases in burglary, theft and overall arrests. Grinnell experienced no murders in 2017.

In an email to The S&B, Police Chief Dennis Reilly noted that better recordkeeping, rather than actual changes in crime frequency, may explain the increase in the number of calls for service. Continued implementation of new records management software at the department might be behind the increase in the overall number of calls for service, since it includes topics from reports of criminal activity to traffic enforcement and medical and fire emergencies. Explaining why the number of calls for service increased while arrests decreased, Reilly said that increases in calls for service do not always generate proportional increases in arrests and said that much of the increase came from large increases in minor categories such as nuisance property complaints or fireworks complaints.

“The reduction in arrests equates to just over one less per week. I will say that I have noted, and this is more of a personal observation in reviewing reports and working night shifts periodically, that our public intoxication arrests appear to be less. We have also seen a decrease in OWI arrests over the last couple of years,” Reilly wrote.

In 2017, there were 100 narcotics related investigations, a 30 percent increase from 2016. Reilly wrote that this increase could be the result of increased reporting because of better community-police relations and the work of GPD’s narcotics investigator. GPD lost grant funding in 2012 for the officer’s salary because of federal budget cuts, but was able to reallocate resources and rehire a dedicated narcotics officer in 2016. In terms of types of narcotics, Reilly stated that drug crime in Grinnell is concentrated mostly in methamphetamines and marijuana, and that, thankfully, problems with opioids have been minimal.

Grinnell also saw a 31 percent increase in sexual assault over 2016, and Reilly thinks it is difficult to pinpoint the factors behind this issue. He wrote that continued cooperation between GPD, the community and the College is paramount, and urged students and community members to be vigilant, especially at parties and in situations involving alcohol and other substances.

“GPD works closely with our local sexual assault advocates, whether they are based out of Grinnell College or Crisis Intervention Services. Not being a sexual assault prevention expert, we rely on these advocates to be the experts in not only addressing the needs of sexual assault victims but also in awareness and prevention components,” Reilley wrote. “Often times, these acts take place when the victim is under the influence of alcohol or some other substance. We need to make sure that party hosts and attendees are aware of this, seeking to identify those who may have had to [sic] much to drink and ensuring their safe return home.”

Additionally, Reilly looks forward to GPD collaboration with advocates for Sexual Assault Awareness Month and says that GPD is committed to respecting the wishes of survivors of sexual assault.

“Sexual Assault Awareness Month is April, where our advocates will campaign to raise public awareness about sexual assault while educating individuals on how to prevent this violence. It is my hope that our advocates will include law enforcement in these awareness and prevention presentations since it is important for individuals to be acutely aware of law enforcement’s approach to sexual assault investigations,” Reilley wrote. “[GPD seeks] to respect the wishes of our victims as it relates to sexual assault investigations while seeking to collect evidence and obtain statements while memories are fresh. Unless there is an identified risk to public safety, GPD will not proceed with criminal prosecution until the victim is ready.”

Finally, Reilly stated that GPD seeks to maintain a strong relationship with the College and student body and enumerated some of the ways in which GPD works to build that relationship.

“GPD is continuously working to strengthen and build relationships,” Reilley wrote. “We are always looking for opportunities to broaden our engagement activities on campus, and I would be hard pressed to recall an invitation that we turned down.”

Thus, with cooperation key to preventing or reducing crime, the GPD is looking forward to a new year with a safer community.