Women’s track dominates at Grand View Viking Classic

Paige Olowu ’22 ran the second-best time in school history with a time of 25.97s in the 200m at the Grand View Viking Classic in Des Moines. Contributed photo.

By Papa Kojo Ampim-Darko [email protected]

The Grinnell women’s track team turned in a great performance at the Grand View Viking Classic in Des Moines last Friday, picking up steam as they head into the Midwest Conference tournament next week.

Paige Olowu ’22 ran a competitive 25.97s in the 200m, the second-best time in school history. “In high school and up until [now] I’ve only ever run 27s in my 200s … so [when] I heard it was a 25 I was very, very excited,” shared Olowu. Going into the meet, however, Olowu was focusing more on collaborative events. “It was a week where we focused a lot more on relays… I like that a lot, because I like the team aspect of it, you’re actually working together with other people and [we] encourage [each other] to do our best.”

Emma Schaefer ’22 set a new personal record with a time of 18:38.71s in the 5000m which moves her to third place in the Midwest Conference rankings for the race. “I’ve been loving it so much. It’s such a great team, very supportive coaches. And I feel like I can see my growth as an athlete as well as the rest of my teammates. And that’s really inspiring,” she said. She also shared her excitement about her new PR. “It was fun to look at the time and be like, wow, that was a big chunk off of my PR… I’m really happy with how I ran it.”

Schaefer acknowledged that a combination of factors had contributed to the successes of the season so far. She said, “I think the coaching is really consistent and works with my running style. I feel the little things are making a difference, like stretching after I run and making sure that I’m eating well… it’s so motivating to be on a team with so many dedicated athletes who really love what they’re doing. And I think that just raises all of us up.”

Rebecca Villa ’21 completed the 800m in 2:24.88s, another PR for the day. She felt similarly about the degree of support from her teammates contributing to the team’s success, saying: “I feel like it’s partly our incoming class… they’re really, really high energy [and] they all have a passion for track. I think it really spreads to the rest of the team. I definitely feel a difference [with] people motivating each other and telling each other good job, stuff like that.”

Looking ahead to conference, Villa hopes to build on the team’s performance in the indoor season. She said, “I think for the [Indoor Conference meet], we surprised ourselves with how well we did. So, I think now that it’s outdoor, we want to solidify how good we are… maybe move up in our team ranking, that would be really nice.”

Schaefer also hoped to have a successful showing at conference, saying: “I’m just really excited for what will come out of conference. I think the energy on the team this year feels really powerful… and that really makes a difference.”

Olowu and Villa also shared some personal goals. Olowu said, “I’ve really enjoyed my time triple jumping, so I’m hoping to PR, which is ambitious.” Villa also said, “I feel like if I can do well, I [can represent] people who share my background as a person of color and low economic status. So, it’s a lot more to me than just getting a good time… It’ll be a really symbolic victory if I can make the top three.”

The Pioneers will be back in action on May 4 at the Monmouth Open in Monmouth, IL. Men’s tennis head to 16th straight NCAA Tournament Coach Paige Madara named MWC Coach of the Year for the second year in a row. Photo by Liz Piak.

By Ray Goedeker [email protected]

This past weekend, Grinnell men’s tennis completed a clean sweep of the conference tournament, going nine-for-nine in their matches. This marks the 16th consecutive year that the Pioneers are headed to the NCAA D3 Tournament.

“Everything went really well, we had some great highlights of the season, we beat a nationally ranked team and we were nationally ranked for the first time in Grinnell history, it was a great season,” said Ben Cobin ’20.

“We’ve had a great season, and we have a little bit more to play, which is always a great thing to be able to say going into May and our final weeks,” said head coach Paige Madara.

First-year Bowen Mince stepped up to first place, along with Ben Cobin as they won three sets of duo matches. They took down Knox in an 8-1 match, followed by beating Lake Forest 8-5, then finally playing Cornell and winning 8-2. Mince also went on to give an exceptional performance in singles matches, winning against St. Norbert, Cornell, and Illinois College at the number one seed. Mince has now been named the Midwest Conference Newcomer of the Year.

“It is so great to be recognized for all my hard work I put in before coming here. It was really amazing to have the coach put me into a leading position on the team and it was a lot of pressure, though as the season moved on, playing against the other school’s number one players has really helped me grow. Newcomer of the Year feels incredible because I have tried really hard to get better and contribute to the team’s success,” said Mince.

The team had what Madara calls a “record setting season.” They beat Stevens, a nationally ranked team, for the very first time. Grinnell also became ranked nationally for the first time ever and hopes to continue their incredible play in the NCAA Tournament. Historically, the team has never moved past the second-round of the tournament, but this year things are looking like that could change.

“We have been past the first round a couple times, but never past the second. It would be a really good chance for us to move past into the third round this year and show that we should be ranked way above what we currently are,” said Cobin.

“We lost to a few good teams earlier in the season and we would really love another shot at them in this tournament, as well as we really just want to play every good team in the region that we can. We hope that when we play against some of the best teams in the country, that we can prove all of the hard work we have been putting in. Win or lose, we really just want to put it all out there on the courts. It’ll be great to get a win or two in the tournament,” said coach Madara.

Coach Madara was named MWC Coach of the Year for the second year in a row. She attributes her recognition to “the team’s performance day in and day out.”

Grinnell men’s tennis will compete in the NCAA Division Three Tournament the week of May 13. Women’s tennis concludes historical season at conference Lily Hamilton ’19 was awarded the Midwest Conference Elite 20 Award for her impressive tennis career and high GPA. Contributed photo.

By Andy Pavey [email protected]

On Friday, April 25, Pioneer women’s tennis concluded a historic 16-8 season, the eighth-highest victory total in program history, with matches against Lake Forest (5-0 Lake Forest) and Cornell (5-0 Grinnell).

Lily Hamilton ’19, one of the team’s two captains, was awarded the Midwest Conference Elite 20 Award at the tournament, which is given to fourth-years participating in the conference tournament of their sport. The award recognizes both academic excellence in the classroom and performance on the tennis court. Hamilton was chosen because of her impressive tennis career and her high GPA.

The award is the latest in a line of accolades under Hamilton’s belt — she has been consistently recognized for both academics and sports, having been selected as a multi- year intercollegiate Tennis Association Scholar-Athlete. She sports a combined 125 wins in her career – 70 in singles and 55 in doubles.

Hamilton, who has played tennis for the duration of her time at the College, is honored to have received the accolade — but looking back on her experience, she says she’s most proud of the team’s tight-knit community and the importance of fostering a supportive group dynamic. “We focused on [creating] a relaxed vibe and [making] sure that tennis was fun for everyone, and I think that helped a lot in an atmosphere where, sometimes, sports can feel like a weight in addition to everything else in life and school. We were also a really small team – We started out with eight [players] and ended up with nine. I think that was good for creating a positive team culture where everyone was on the same page, and we felt pretty close,” she said.

Fellow athletes Abby Nielsen ’21 and Judith Fan ’19 echoed Hamilton’s sentiments. “This year, we not only worked hard and improved on the courts, but I felt as though by the end we really came together and were able to communicate openly with one another on what was working and what wasn’t,” Nielsen wrote in an email to the S&B.

Players like Fan, who rejoined the team after taking a break from tennis, quickly felt the impact of the team’s commitment to promoting community. “The team dynamic is one that is very collaborative and supportive. My teammates always have my back. They encourage and support me when I am down and celebrate with me in my accomplishments. This semester, they welcomed me to the team as a newcomer,” Fan wrote.

Fan and Nielsen worked together during the season finale in doubles play against , securing the top spot with an 8-1 decision. Fan ends her career with a 65.8 percent winning percentage in singles play (the eighteenth-best in Grinnell history) and a 73 percent winning percentage in doubles (the fourth-best). As Hamilton and Fan move on from Grinnell tennis, they emphasize above all else continuing to propagate the team’s community spirit. “Try not to put too much pressure on yourself to win,” Fan wrote. “Rather, enjoy the time that you share with your teammates and leave everything on the court!”

Hamilton echoes that sentiment. “When I think back on my experience in tennis, it was great to have athletic success, but having the opportunity to build relationships with some really exceptional women… has been incredibly rewarding for me,” she said. “I hope I’ve instilled that… as a value for the team that will continue on in the future.”

An Unsolicited Opinion: On vaccine exemptions

By Katherine Moody [email protected]

At 3 p.m. on April 24, 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a media statement reporting 695 cases of measles in 22 states. This is the highest number of cases in the United States since the disease was eliminated from the country in 2000. Measles has no known reservoirs in the United States; outbreaks occur when an infected traveler transmits the disease from abroad. Three large outbreaks – two in New York and one in Washington State – are responsible for the record high.

Because measles is a highly-contagious disease, outbreaks typically appear in clusters and occur in population groups with low vaccination levels. Both the New York and Washington State outbreaks are examples of this phenomenon. When individuals refuse to get vaccinated or to vaccinate their children, they jeopardize not only their own safety and health, but also that of their communities.

Babies cannot receive the first dose of the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine until they are 12 months old, nor can they receive the second dose until they are at least four years old. Not everyone can receive the vaccination. Many individuals have health conditions, such as cancer, that suppress their immune systems and prevent them from being vaccinated.

In a society with a high vaccination rate, herd immunity protects those who can’t be vaccinated. Herd immunity defends the population because disease cannot spread if enough people are vaccinated. If the vaccination rate drops, those most vulnerable to the disease are left unprotected. In an interview published by Oxford Vaccine Group, Dr. Manish Sadarangani estimates that in the case of measles, at least 90-95% of the population needs to be vaccinated to maintain herd immunity and safeguard the young and the infirm.

It’s bad news, then, that the percentage of young children in the United States who don’t receive any vaccinations has quadrupled since 2001. While there is more than one reason for the increase, rising rates of vaccine skepticism are a contributing factor. This increase is likely the result of a vocal group of activists known colloquially as “anti-vaxxers,” who believe that vaccines can cause autism despite all scientific evidence to the contrary.

Study after study has shown that vaccines do not cause autism. Most recently, a study published just this month evaluated over 650,000 children over the course of ten years in Denmark and found no increased risk of autism from the MMR vaccine.

So why then, in the face of such definitive evidence, do people choose to put themselves, their children, and their communities at risk? And in the face of rising vaccine skepticism and recent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable disease, what action should the government take to protect public health?

The answer to the first question is fairly complicated, having to do with the public health apparatus, misinformation in the digital age and the psychology of conspiratorial thinking. The answer to the second question is simple: state governments should end nonmedical exemptions that allow parents to send their kids to school without having been vaccinated.

While all 50 states and the District of Columbia have laws that require students to be vaccinated before attending public school (some also require vaccinations to attend private school and day care facilities), the accepted reasons for an exemption to these laws and the ease of obtaining such an exemption differs from state to state.

All states have a medical exemption that allows students who cannot receive vaccinations for a medical reason to attend school. In California, West Virginia and Mississippi, this is the only exception that exists.

Some states allow for both medical and religious exemptions, and 17 states have even more lenient laws that allow for exemptions on the basis of personal or philosophical concerns.

Lenient laws that allow parents to obtain exemptions on the basis of non-medical concern are clearly a public health hazard. State governments should move to protect their communities by passing legislation that prohibits vaccine exemptions for both religious and personal reasons. The federal government should also move to restrict the ability of states to implement or maintain lenient exemption laws.

The United States Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of barring religious and personal vaccination exemptions. Lower courts have used the decisions of the Supreme Court in the cases of Jacobson v. Massachusetts and Prince v. Massachusetts to affirm that individual liberty should not contribute to the endangerment of public health.

Even those most weary of government power and intervention should acknowledge the rectitude of tougher vaccine exemption laws. Those who don’t receive vaccinations or choose not to vaccinate their children reduce herd immunity and increase the risk of illness and death of those around them. Unless you’re prepared to argue that illness and death don’t constitute harm, it’s difficult to justify government inaction. A call for a better conversation about antisemitism

By Dylan Caine [email protected]

Having gone to bed numb and speechless, once again, to the news that another Shabbat had passed with American Jews being gunned down in their Synagogue—occurring six months to the day after the deadliest antisemitic attack in American history—I ask my fellow Grinnellians to carefully consider ways that we can work together to improve and elevate our own discourse on antisemitism amid the steepest rise in attacks on Jewish people worldwide in decades. To begin, here are some facts: In 2017, Jews were the targets of 58.1% of “religiously motivated hate crimes” in the United States, according to the FBI. 2017 also saw a 57% increase in antisemitic incidents over the previous year, which included an astonishing 94.1% rise in antisemitic cases reported in K-12 schools. These distressing variables have been trending upwards for years now.

Lest one think it is purely an American phenomenon, however, CNN’s recent omnibus survey of European attitudes towards Jews yielded profoundly troubling results for the continent where one out of every three Jews on the face of the Earth was murdered by the Nazis and their local collaborators less than 80 years ago. In countries such as Poland and Hungary, over four in 10 respondents believed that “Jews have too much influence in business and finance around the world,” and over a third said the same in regards to political affairs, echoing long-established antisemitic myths and conspiracies. This parallels the resiliency of arguably the greatest global stronghold of antisemitism, North Africa and the Middle East, where a 2015 Anti-Defamation League Global Survey found that 75% of respondents held antisemitic views. In many ways, even after being targeted by numerous massacres in a matter of months, antisemitism still remains a slightly more distant, though increasingly close, reality in the United States when compared to the experiences encountered by the small Jewish communities in Europe and the almost non-existent ones remaining in North Africa and the Middle East, where daily, street-level hostility and threat has remained a fact of daily life.

With this troubling portrait of a global antisemitism in mind, I implore the Grinnell community, which prides itself on advocating for the safety and well-being of marginalized communities, to extend the same level of support to your Jewish peers. Though different in both its history and nature than other bigotries, the effects of antisemitism remain just as deadly. Antisemitism is a complex phenomenon which has existed in some form for over 2,000 years, transforming from a political into a theological, and then biological and racialized phenomenon over such time. It has lived on both the left and right historically, and on each side the Jew has served as a symbol upon which prevailing societal fears and myths are projected. Throughout history, Jews have been framed as both capitalist and Communist, political elites, biological bottom dwellers, and many other harmful stereotypes.

If you would like to learn more about antisemitism, and how the Jewish community seeks to confront it, I implore you to discuss, and, most importantly, to listen, to a large swath of Jewish peers, faculty, and institutional leaders, and consult experts on the subject, such as the pre-eminent American writers on antisemitism today: the historian-author Deborah Lipstadt, and journalist Yair Rosenberg of Tablet Magazine. I also encourage you to learn more about the history of antisemitism and the Jewish people, whose roots as an indigenous Middle Eastern people that were forcibly expelled from their homeland into two thousand years of exile, play a critical role in understanding the issues and endless persecution Jews faced throughout the Diaspora and continue to challenge today. But most critically, I ask that you take the easiest initial step to fight antisemitism, which is to merely acknowledge that it exists – that it actively harms and threatens the lives of our friends, families, and selves in 2019. I ask you to acknowledge that it is not made up or manufactured – that instead, it is all too real.

This does not preclude bad actors from cynically exploiting antisemitism as a political football, as attempts at manufacturing outrage are often accomplished on both the right and the left. However, the best way to combat this is to center Jewish voices in any conversation on antisemitism. These issues are not political wedges or social media “likes” for us. Antisemitism is a matter of life and death. Any time it is exploited for politics, no side wins. Only Jews lose.

As the Chabad of Poway, a synagogue very much the same as the Chabad shul I have attended my entire life, buries Lori Gilbert-Kaye, of blessed memory, treats its wounded, and works to repair its irreparable injuries, I ask that you take this opportunity to consider how we can lift up and protect the visibility of Jewish voices in our own campus community.

At a time when white supremacists in the West are increasingly targeting Muslim, Latinx, Black, and other marginalized communities, standing in solidarity with targeted peoples could never be more important. Together, we shall work to fight this White Supremacist scourge that may take many forms, but whose effects are almost uniformly deadly.

May Lori Gilbert-Kaye’s memory be a blessing, and may we each strive to create our own corner of a more loving, understanding, and repaired world.

Phoebe Schreckinger ‘19: Dear Cheryl

Native Histories Project works to disrupt eurocentric narratives

By Kelly Page [email protected]

The painting “American Progress” by George A. Crofutt depicts the march of white settlers to the western United States. It shows a white woman in a white, flowing dress floating over settlers marching forward in wagons. In the distance, Native Americans are seen running away.

To Grinnellians working on the Native Histories Project, which attempts to create lesson plans about Native Americans for secondary school students, this painting is emblematic of the problems with American historical narratives.

The Native Histories Project website includes a picture of “American Progress,” with the caption, “Who is ‘American’ in this view of ‘American Progress?’ This same Eurocentric story is what we often find in American History textbooks at the secondary-school level. Native peoples are forced to the periphery, not presented as central to the ‘American story.’ The Native Histories Project’s goal is to help teachers disrupt that distorted view. We assert that Native History is American History and should be integral to what we teach in our secondary schools.”

While working on -based teacher education, Professor Deborah Michaels of the Education Department originated the project in 2016 after connecting with Leah Slick-Driscoll, a Native American teacher at the Meskwaki Settlement School. Since then, several students have been involved in the project. “[Native American History] is something that often gets overlooked, so we just make lesson plans that they can choose to use to teach students more about past Native American history or even current things that are going on right now,” said Gabby Gordon ’22, one of the students involved in the project.

Gordon took her tutorial with Professor Michaels, and Michaels invited her to join the project this past semester. Now, Gordon focuses on creating lesson plans about sports in Native American communities.

“I’m looking at the controversies around mascots,” she said. “Football, basketball and soccer, those are all things that are played within Native American communities, but there’s a disconnect – like after history we kind of forget about them, so the whole unit is [designed] to kind of bring [students] back to the idea that they’re still here.”

Additionally, Gordon will contribute to the Native Histories Project as a Vivero Fellow next year. Within the fellowship, Gordon will help maintain and develop the Native Histories Project website. Web presence is very important to the mission of the project.

Gordon said, “I think when you’re teaching history it’s important to integrate other parts of history, but when you check out textbooks that teachers have to use, it’s a lot harder or more difficult to change textbooks. But it’s a lot easier to design a website where a teacher can pull a lesson plan from. So maybe it’s a way of tackling a problem from another side. History textbooks don’t include everyone’s history, but we can put it up online to help teachers find easy ways to integrate that into the classroom.”

With the website, teachers can easily download lesson plans that are ready for them to immediately bring to the classroom.

As of right now, the project’s website includes units on Indian boarding schools, Latin American colonization, Native American identity and Native American slavery in Latin America, along with others, and students working on the project continue to create new content for the website.

A living, growing project with the potential to create positive change in the classroom, the Native History Project’s website says, “The curriculum is evolving, we welcome constructive feedback and suggestions for future units and lessons. We are especially eager to collaborate with Native American teachers, scholars, and students.” Gabby Gordon ’22 is working on the Native Histories Project with Professor Deborah Michaels, education, on creating lesson plans about sports in Native American communities. Photo by Scott Lew.

Industrial composting comes to Grinnell

By Jackson Schulte [email protected]

The College has begun a large-scale industrial composting program on campus in response to students who expressed interest and as part of a general effort to improve its carbon footprint. The new industrial composting system is separate and larger than previous composting efforts at Food House and the Grinnell College Garden, in addition to the composting the dining hall has been doing at a local farm.

Under the new system, students can put their compostable material in bins outside Smith, Dibble on North Campus, Loose on South Campus and a bin in the Kershaw recycling room on East Campus. Compostable materials include all items at Spencer Grill with an “Earth choice” logo, which indicates industrial compostability. This includes cups, lids for cold drinks and sauce containers. However, hot drink lids must be thrown away. Students can also compost paper plates, napkins and anything that could normally be recycled but has grease or food on it.

The new system creates greater composting possibilities, as previous practices did not have the resources to compost as many materials. Under the new system, Grinnellians can now compost bones, meat or plant-based plastics. “We’ve had plant- based plastics in the Grill for a long time, but we’ve had to throw them away because we didn’t have an industrial composting system, even though they were industrially compostable,” said Rachel Snodgrass ’21, co-chair of the SGA Green Fund Committee.

Around ten years ago, the College had looked into industrial composting, but the costs were too high to make it a viable option. This semester, however, the green fund looked into industrial composting and found it costs half of what it did a decade ago. “When I started here, I had [looked into] what it would cost. At that point, we were going to be the only stop on a route anywhere near us,” said Chris Bair, Environmental and Safety Coordinator for the College.

“The price has gone down a lot, I think in part because they have more clients nearby,” Snodgrass said. “It would be on their way to pick it up here.”

The Student Environmental Committee decided to look into composting this semester due to the failed divestment movement last year. A sustainability committee, which Bair helps run, receives alumni donations that go toward sustainability. In partnership with Green Fund, they were able to help pay for the new composting services. “The sustainability committee is paying $1,500 and Green Fund’s paying $3,500. The contract lasts 12 months,” Snodgrass said.

The College’s contract is with GreenRU, a subsidiary of Chamness Technology. Every Wednesday morning, a truck will take all compostable materials back to Eddyville, IA, where Grinnell’s compostable materials will be handled. “95% of [GreenRU’s] compost is sold to farms, and part of it is sold to homeowners and landscaping companies,” Snodgrass said.

For now, students involved with Green Fund will be in charge of taking the orange composting bins to one large bin behind the Joe Rosenfield Center on Tuesday nights. Students are in charge of the bins “largely because it’s student-funded, but that doesn’t mean that a while from now it will be student- hauled,” Bair said.

Bair also notes that in the future, composting bins could be placed in academic buildings, so long as it goes well in the dorms. “If we don’t go to this larger system, we’ll never be able to capture all of these compostable things,” Bair said. Green Fund members Lukas Mendel ‘21, Ryuta Kure ‘21, Rachel Snodgrass ‘21, Isabella Kugel ‘20, Luca Nelson ‘20 and Nick Haeg ‘20 pose in front of the new industrial composting bin behind the JRC. Editor’s note: Ryuta Kure ‘21 is the graphics editor for the S&B. Contributed photo. Bob’s gets a makeover: Students add their own art to the underground cafe

By Kelly Page [email protected]

Before shutting down last year, Bob’s Underground Cafe was a fixture of the Grinnell community, and part of its appeal has always been the art on its walls. On April 28, a group of students repainted Bob’s as an effort to reinvigorate the space.

“I first saw this space on admitted student’s day. They were serving smoothies or something, and I spent four hours in here just kind of looking at the walls,” said Oscar Buchanan ’21. “I was kind of surprised that there were several decades of students’ thoughts and random musings up, and when it shut down it disappointed me, because it wasn’t going to be a living space anymore. It wasn’t going to be a place that students could make their own, it was just kind of frozen in time when it shut down. I think there’s a lot of value to having a place that we can change and where we can put up our own thoughts and pieces of ourselves.”

Now, Buchanan and a “ragtag band of people,” as described by Tess Kerkhof ‘21, are working to reinvigorate Bob’s and make it a working space once more. Part of that effort was an event on Sunday, April 28 that allowed students to come repaint Bob’s.

The Facebook page for the event called on students to make Bob’s their own again, saying, “Come make your mark in Bob’s! The mural walls need a little love, and only you can help.”

For three hours, dozens of students cycled through Bob’s, picking up paint brushes and leaving their art – including dragons, cows and even the words “95% of Grinnellians get married at Tit Head” – on the walls of the Underground Cafe for future Grinnellians.

Kerkhof originally had the idea to host an event centered around repainting Bob’s when she realized that no one had painted on the walls since approximately 2015. For students who arrived after that, the paintings on the walls of Bob’s, although ranging from beautiful to hilarious to bizarre, can feel like historical artifacts of what Bob’s used to be before their arrival. Kerkhof wanted to change the stagnancy of Bob’s walls to show that it does not simply belong to the past.

“I thought it would give current students much more of a sense of ownership of this place if they could add to the murals and then come back and see their artwork,” she said, “because right now it’s the stuff from – we’re thinking Class of 2015 was the latest round of painting that was done. And so yes, the art is very cool and unique but it’s not as much of a living, breathing space as it could be, so we just wanted to make that a possibility.”

After receiving backing from the Art SEPC and securing SGA funding, Kerkhof set out to plan the event, bringing paint and brushes to Bob’s and setting them up for students to use freely.

Vice President-Elect of Student Affairs Saketan Anand ’21, another student currently working to reinvigorate Bob’s, said there is an element of self-governance implicit in allowing students to freely paint whatever they want on the walls of Bob’s to exist for years. He feels that this is emblematic of the larger theme of self-governance at play in the space.

“I think [Bob’s is] one of the few vestiges of true self-gov, and this event has me thinking about how this is such a cool self-gov thing to do,” said Anand of the painting.

This event is part of a wider effort to give students more opportunities to make Bob’s their own in the wake of its discontinuation as a food service location. The students involved in the effort recently succeeded in creating more hours when Bob’s would be open to the public, and they are working on a proposal to create more opportunities to use Bob’s, which they hope to finish by the end of the year. Sriyash Kadiyala ’21, another of the students involved, hopes to model this proposal off of a space similar to Bob’s that he saw on a recent trip to Oberlin College.

Kerkhof, Anand and Kadiyala hope that other interested students reach out to them to get involved and help in this effort. Anand said, “We need to prove that we still care about this space to the people who we’re working with on this, and part of that is being involved.” Students spent three hours repainting the iconic walls of Bob’s Underground Cafe on Sunday. The effort was part of a larger movement to get Bob’s operational again and open it for student use. Photo by Liz Paik. Visiting professors look back on their time at Grinnell

By Papa Kojo Ampim-Darko [email protected]

Some familiar faces will be missing from the faculty of various departments next semester, as time at the College for a number of visiting professors is coming to an end. Visiting professors at Grinnell are usually hired on one or two-year contracts, after which they move on to other institutions of higher learning, or, in some cases, stay and fill in existing tenure track positions.

English professor Jennifer Lorden began teaching at Grinnell right after completing her doctorate in English and Medieval Studies at the University of California Berkeley.

Lorden expressed her gratitude for the experience she gained at the institution, saying, “I’ve been very grateful for my experience at Grinnell, and especially for my amazing colleagues and students.” In her time here, Lorden has taught courses on the tradition of English literature. In the fall, she will move to William & Mary, where an assistant professor position awaits.

Political science professor Ryan Dawkins will be moving to the Air Force Academy in Colorado after this academic year. On his time at Grinnell, he said, “Oh, I’ve loved it. I think it’s been great. I mean, I would love to stay … the students are great.”

While here, Dawkins has taught a number of classes, including Intro to Political Science and Urban Politics. He’s also taught seminars in constitutional law, public opinion and political behavior. Dawkins noted that he was impressed by his students, saying, “[Grinnellians] have really just impressed the hell out of me. …The way [my students] have approached the subject and the questions they ask, and just the genuine interest that they have expressed, has just been amazing.”

This difference can be partially attributed to the nature of the institutions he’s taught at previously. Dawkins explained, “I’ve taught at Ohio State, which is the largest public research university in the country…having a large research institution, where I’ve taught classes that [have] 400 students, I mean, you just can’t really compare. Plus, the students here are just better, and it’s reflected in the work that you do.”

Similarly, Professor Fredo Rivera ’06, art history, came from a much larger institution and has observed a number of differences at Grinnell. Rivera was hired as a visiting professor, but is now in a tenure-track position at the College. He said, “My previous job was at an architecture school at a large public university. The experience was very different, both in regards to resources and the size of my classes. Being a large commuter school in a more urban setting, I do miss the diversity of students.”

Rivera continued, “As an alum of the college I do prefer the liberal arts setting. I love how much faculty care about teaching, and how Grinnell challenges us to develop our pedagogy in meaningful ways.”

Rivera, whose research interests involve art and architecture in modern Cuba, Haitian art, and the relationship of the art world and real estate development in contemporary Miami, has taught courses on Caribbean art, visual culture, and contemporary architecture in his time here. In his work, he has found a renewed appreciation for Grinnell.

“I’ve loved getting to work with students at an individual level. I’ve also had the wonderful opportunity to travel with students, both abroad and throughout the United States. As an art historian whose work focuses on modern architecture, it’s a unique privilege to visit sites and consider them in situ. I also get to know my students a lot more personally, something I have also experienced on brief class field trips within the Midwest,” Rivera said.

While these three professors have enjoyed their time at the College so far, they have also noticed certain areas where they feel change would be beneficial. Rivera said, “We are always too busy, myself included. Sometimes in the stress of the semester you forget to breathe and appreciate how wonderful this place can be.”

Dawkins remarked on the curriculum, saying, “I think in general the student body would be well-served by having more ideological diversity. I know, there’s [been] a movement to diversify the curriculum, to include more voices. I think that’s a good thing. And I think I would like to see more ideas being introduced with students, rather than fewer.”

Lorden shared an all-too-relatable thought, saying, “I came directly from my PhD at UC Berkeley, and [the] -50 wind chill has certainly been different!” Mental Health Task Force releases final report

By Wini Austin [email protected]

Student Health and Counselling Services (SHACS) is becoming Student Health and Wellness (SHAW), but a shiny new acronym is only the beginning. Recently, the Student Mental Health Task Force published a report outlining the state of student mental health on campus. Based on assessments gathered from multiple data sources, the report highlights recommendations made by the task force for improving and expanding health and wellness services at Grinnell.

According to research cited in the report, there have been an increasing number of students experiencing mental health diagnoses on college campuses since 2000. Grinnell is no exception; data from Grinnell’s Office of Analytical Support and Institutional Research suggests that students’ reported rates of anxiety and depression are actually higher than those found on other campuses.

Grinnell’s rural location makes it more difficult for students to seek mental health care off campus. Additionally, as the report states, “the College’s intense and demanding academic atmosphere has continued to place strain on students, many of whom struggle to find healthy ways to relieve stress and anxiety.” According to the report, unhealthy coping mechanisms may contribute to mental health issues.

In 2016, Raynard Kington created the Student Mental Health Care Task Force, charging it with analyzing and recommending solutions based on mental health promotion models, current College and community resources as well as innovation and research to understand and serve mental health needs at small colleges. The task force included fourteen members belonging to the College community and was co-chaired by Angela Voos, Vice President for Strategic Planning and Chief of Staff, and Michael Latham, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College.

The multi-authored report focused on two main areas: the College’s mental health services model, and the promotion of mental health and wellness. During the first two years of the task force, an analysis of the campus atmosphere in relation to mental health was conducted using a wide variety of data, including data on the College’s health service model, national undergraduate population data, Institutional Research data on students’ mental health experiences, and an external review of the College’s student mental health services. Strategy recommendations were formulated following the analysis. After final edits were made by Voos and Latham, the report was released.

Outlined in the report are some important – and troubling – findings about mental health and wellness at Grinnell. Overwhelming experiences of anxiety and depression are affecting the academic performance of Grinnell students and undoubtedly other areas of their lives. Additionally, drug and alcohol use and a lack of sufficient sleep are reported to impact—and be impacted by—students’ mental health. Fortunately, the task force also found a significant willingness of Grinnell students to seek assistance from SHAW counseling services, even as they were found to be in short supply.

In the meantime, the task force has already begun improving mental health services on campus. VP for Strategic Planning Angela Voos commended President Kington’s plan for implementation of early steps towards health service integration. “When there’s obvious things that need to be done, things can happen. You don’t have to wait for three years, wait for the recommendations, then do the implementation. There was a lot of important work done during the task force.”

These early steps include the formation of an integrated student health and wellness model (SHAW) and the creation of a Dean of Student Health and Wellness. In addition to new group therapy sessions, a newly developed partnership with the has introduced telepsychiatry services to supplement the shortage of psychiatry providers in Grinnell. The College has also increased spending towards mental health services in the past five years, from $226,000 to $605,000.

The principal recommendation of the task force, as stated in the report, is that Grinnell College must “make a renewed, sustained, and broad commitment to student mental health.” The report elaborates, emphasizing the need for an integrated approach including professional treatment services, mental health education programming, and a shift towards the promotion of positive health and wellness within the campus culture. As part of the transition to a “holistic, student- centered approach to health services,” SHAW will be moving to Mears Cottage when the HSSC campus plan is completed, in order to house physical health, mental health, and wellness services in a centralized location.

Going forward, the College will be focusing on the implementation of the task force’s recommendations. Following the recent resignation of Dean of Health and Wellness Eric Wood, a new dean will be appointed who will co-lead the implementation with the Associate Vice President of Student Affairs. A complete list of the task force’s recommendations can be found on the College’s website, or in the recently sent Special Campus Memo.

In an email to the S&B, Jen Jacobsen ’95, Assistant Dean for Health and Wellness, said that listening to feedback from the campus community on the task force’s findings is the next plan of action. Additionally, Jacobsen will be co-leading a summer faculty workshop with associate professor of psychology (and task force member) Andi Tracy ’99 on the role of faculty in supporting students’ well-being.

The report encourages continued research, analysis, and discussion of student mental health at Grinnell. Voos emphasized that further attention to the topic of student mental health is crucial. “One of the key recommendations is continued attention to this issue. We don’t have this solved. This is a big issue, and we need to continue to attend to it, to understand, to continue with assessment.” Special Collections student workers “Break Open the Vault”

By Abraham Teuber [email protected]

As finals week looms and Burling Library becomes steadily busier, students working for Special Collections aimed to attract visitors to the building’s basement for the seventh annual “Break Open the Vault” event on Thursday, May 2.

The event gave library visitors a chance to view a selection of literature and artifacts curated by student archivist assistants Erik Henderson ’19, Temitayo Wolff ’19 and Elaine Thut ’20. Each artifact was accompanied by a short description of the item and its significance, inviting students and other visitors to learn from the item themselves.

“In the special collections, we keep all the rare and special books that the library has, so all the special assets are locked up in the vault because lots of them are pretty expensive. Basically, it’s just preserving older works that students can reference in their papers, do research [with], know the history of the College, all these really cool things that people don’t know about . . . it’s a really cool place,” Thut said.

Some of the historical artifacts featured at the event included an early manuscript of “Candide” by Voltaire, a peace treaty on witches written in the 1600s and the book “Strong- Minded Woman,” written by Grinnell alum Louise Noun, class of 1929. The oldest book in Special Collections is a German Bible written in the 15th century.

“When you actually look at a primary source of something from that era, it changes the way you view things and it changes your appreciation for material and artifacts . . . when I saw [that Bible] I was like, wow, this has been preserved for almost 400 plus years . . . the amount of hands that have touched that and all the power that is in these books that many people have never even heard of,” Henderson said.

“Break Open the Vault” also featured pieces of Grinnell College’s history, such as a scrapbook featuring photos of campus life in the 1940s and other student publications. Such artifacts serve as physical examples of the institutional memory of the College spanning from its beginnings to present day.

Besides “Break Open the Vault,” student archivists curate other displays and projects which can be viewed in the basement of Burling Library. Behind the scenes, students work with archivists Allison Haack and Chris Jones, to not only preserve the past, but also the present. Their duties include identifying people in photos for the upcoming annual College reunion, as well as adding current posters around campus to an archive of events that have taken place at the College.

Henderson noted that Special Collections is becoming under- utilized as online research methods grow more prevalent. However, while there are a wealth of resources online, Special Collections offers students the rare chance to physically view artifacts that have historical significance. Thut and Henderson both encourage students to use the space more, not only for academic projects but also as a way to explore the history of their school.

“Look at something old . . . Even though we’re so far and distant from the past, you can still learn something from the past because literally, if you don’t know where you came from, you don’t know where you’re going . . . Check out the archives and see where you came from,” said Henderson.