April 3, 2009 Volume 125, Issue 20

The Scarlet and Black First College Newspaper West of the Mississippi

Grinnell College Grinnell, IA

Campus remembers
Whitney Hendrickson
BY R ACHEL F IELDS
Tessa Cheek’s ’12 first memory of Whitney Hendrickson
is a fitting one. Cheek was one-and-a-half, sitting in a Jolly
Jumper suspended from a door frame. She was crying in terror;
Hendrickson was using the door for extra jumping leverage.
“I was sitting there sobbing, I had no idea what was going
on, and Whitney was jumping around crazily,” Cheek says.
It seems an appropriate start for their 17-year friendship.
Hendrickson’s friends agree that certain moments were just
better when she was around—funnier, crazier, more alive.
“Everyone says ‘live in the moment’, but she was one of the
few people I met who really embodied that,” Cheek says. “She
was fully invested in the people she was with, and things were
always more fun when she was there.”
Hendrickson died on March 17 in her hometown of Colo-
rado Springs, Colo., when a pick-up truck collided with the
gas pump she was using to fill up her minivan. The gas pump
exploded, and witnesses were unable to get close enough to save
Hendrickson from the fire. Friend Julie Podair ’12 was with
Hendrickson at the time, but escaped without injury.
There are almost no words to communicate the tragedy
of Hendrickson’s death. In the days after the news was passed
along through phone calls, the online forum GrinnellPlans and
an e-mail from Student Affairs, students were stunned. For
many Grinnellians, it’s almost impossible to understand how
this could happen to someone like Hendrickson—someone so
bright and young and incredibly well-loved.
“She had a way of making you a little more daring because Whitney Hendrickson, formerly ’12, spreads her arms under a clear sky. Hendrickson was remembered by her friends for being one who
Hendrickson, see p. 3 brought humor and happiness to life, often in the least expected ways. CONTRIBUTED

No Limits Project incites debate through list of demands

The Project, which sent a list of 14 demands for the College to President Osgood, will continue quest to further social justice
BY PAT C ALDWELL & S AR AH B LACK
Shortly before students left for spring break, fliers ap-
peared across campus listing grievances and demands by the
No Limits Project, a new organization of students seeking
immediate administrative action on a variety of social jus-
tice, administrative, and institutional initiatives.
The group collected over 200 student signatures on a
petition addressed to President Russell K. Osgood, Vice
Presidents of the College, and the Board of Trustees outlin-
ing 14 requests and a timeframe in which each should be
accomplished.
While most students were busy working on midsems the
week before break, a group of student activists came together
to create the group and push for changes they thought the
administration had been too slow to enact.
“The No Limits Project came out of a lot of different
people having the same conversations about being frustrated
with the College [not] following up on social justice com-
mitments, specifically things that had been promised and
then not followed through on,” said Leah Krandel ’09, who
was involved with the Project from the beginning.
The group describes itself as non-hierarchical and has
named no individual leaders, aiming instead to make de-
cisions communally in meetings open to all students. The
group met each night of midsems week, crafting a list of 14
demands on a wide range of social justice issues, including
issues of greater diversity on campus, socially responsible in-
vesting, and the school’s environmental commitment, all of
which included specific dates by which the group expected
results to be implemented.
The group looked at both the history of activism behind
a topic and its relevance for their social justice mission when
creating the list. “There needed to be either a history of stu-
dent activism around them or it needed to be an obvious
pressing issue that could be addressed relatively simply,” said
Brian Perbix ’09, who was involved in all the meetings. “In
the final stage of demands we were actually looking at con-
crete action that could be taken, and we had to be able to
provide a time frame.”
On March 13, the list of demands was delivered in a let-
ter to the President’s office andsent to the Board of Trustees
and seven other senior members of the administration. The
group also placed posters around campus listing their de-
mands and encouraging students to become involved and
visit their website, nolimitsgrinnell.wordpress.com.
On March 24, Osgood sent a response letter to the group,
acknowledging the issues it addressed and concerns shared
between him and the group. However, he expressed his in-
ability to immediately fulfill demands. Osgood cited bud-
getary constraints due to the current economic downturn,
and institutional limits to his authority.
In an interview, Osgood reiterated the positions in the
response and underscored the boundaries of presidential
power. “There were a bunch of things [in the letter] that
looked like non-money things, but a lot of them involved
[changes in] governance or me overriding committees,” he
said.
Osgood maintained that students should feel comfort-
able communicating directly with administrators and ex-
pressed enthusiasm over No Limits social justice agenda. “It
seems to me that’s exactly the kind of thing we will probably
talk about when we move into the next strategic plan, which
is probably a year off,” Osgood said. “[But] you can’t do ev-
erything new all at once. Some of the things we haven’t been
No Limits, see p. 4

Increased Security presence disturbs Cleveland residents

BY BRIAN SHERWIN
With an increase in security presence and
arrival of police in Cleveland Hall, the south
campus dorm’s tight knit community has been
left largely confused.
At around 1:30 a.m., Monday, March 30,
Director of Security Stephen Briscoe called
the Grinnell Police Department to report a
cigarette size burn in the Cleveland lounge
carpet, according to a Grinnell Police report.
Officers Mike Dickenson and David Mennin-
ga arrived at Cleveland Hall and proceeded to
investigate the lounge. During their investiga-
tion, they found a bag of marijuana.
As part of nightly rounds, on-duty secu-
rity guards had gone into Cleveland lounge
and found the cigarette burn in the carpet,
cigarette butts on tables and the ground, and a
burnt piece of paper in the computer lab. After
the security guards notified Briscoe, he called
the fire department.
“With the intention of burning in the area
… we were concerned about [people] being in
an area where a fire could possibly start,” Bris-
coe said.
After reaching the dispatcher, the call was
forwarded to the police department. “Since it
wasn’t burning at that time,” Briscoe said, “the
police department came over to investigate.”
When Security and the police officers ex-
amined the lounge, they came across a bag of
marijuana beside a MacBook computer on a
table. “Then it became a criminal matter with
the marijuana,” Briscoe said.
Along with the marijuana, the officers
confiscated various items of students from the
lounge. Police searched for the owner of the
MacBook with the intent of finding the per-
son who possessed the marijuana. When they
found out that the computer belonged to Ak-
shay Bajaj ’12, they questioned Cleveland hall
residents about his whereabouts.
“I live across the hall from him [Bajaj],”
said Julia Gerasimenko ’12. “They went in and
shone a light in his roommate’s face, and were
like, ‘Where’s your roommate? Who does he
usually hang out with?’”
Although the officers did not speak with
Bajaj, they did not leave without encountering
complaints from Cleveland hall residents.
“[The officers] also got into a bit of tiff
with other people because they were look-
ing to get their things back,” Gerasimenko
said. “They [the residents] didn’t want their
things confiscated just because they were in
the lounge.”
Officers Dickenson and Menninga could
not be reached for comment. Their supervising
officer, Sgt. Chris Wray of the Grinnell Police
Department, also declined to comment at this
time because the investigation is still ongoing.
When Bajaj returned to Cleveland the next
morning, he found out that his computer was
Cleveland, see p. 4

It’s more than just a Space-time continuum Ben Jones went Chances are, if you

Inside 1 blood drive—it is Grin-

nell’s first bone marrow
drive........................p. 2
2 melts down, brings
Renaissance English
singers to Iowa......p. 6
3 here, teaches here,
and serves you cold
beer.........................p. 9
4 go to Grinnell, you
signed one of these
letters....................p. 11
2 edited by J. Francis Buse and Brian Sherwin
busejohn@grinnell.edu, sherwinb@grinnell.edu
S N& B EWS
Grinnell student founds and begins the
April 3, 2009

College’s first ever bone marrow drive

World Headlines
• In his first day as Israel’s Foreign Minister, Avigdor
Lieberman stated in a speech that the New York Times
called “blunt and belligerent,” that those “who want peace
should prepare for war.” Lieberman, who is a member of
the conservative Likud Party led by Prime Minister Ben-
jamin Netanyahu, has denounced the accords reached at
the Annapolis Conference that called for a Palestinian
state alongside Israel since it was not ratified by the Is-
raeli government.
• Residents of northern Japan have expressed fears re-
garding a North Korean rocket that is scheduled to be
launched at some point in the coming five days. While
the rocket pieces are planned to fall to the east and west
of Japan, into the Sea of Japan and Pacific Ocean, critics
have pointed to the possibility of a misfire as a cause of
concern.
National Headlines
• Several state governors have turned down federal stim-
ulus money for programs such as education and unem-
ployment benefits in a stance against Obama’s plan. The
Republican governors, who include Louisiana’s Bobby
Jindall and South Carolina’s Mark Sanford, preside over
states that largely have low funding for state programs.
The decisions have sparked several protests across states
that have refused the stimuli.
Iowa Headlines
• Following a $1 increase in federal cigarette taxes, calls to
Iowa’s tobacco cessation hotline, Quitline, have increased
over 20% in one week.
—Compiled by J. Francis Buse
• The Campus Climate survey is online now, and is an excel-
lent opportunity to give feedback to the College.
• Two resolutions were viewed for the first time. They were
on moving joint board to lounges several times a semester
and placing the Student Services Coordinator in charge of
ExCo.
• According to Travis Greene, next year’s New Student Ori-
entation has the potential to be completely different in struc-
ture from past years.
—Compiled by Hugh Redford
Jessica Reidies ‘09 organized the event that will provide marrow to needy recipients
BY M ARCUS ZEITZ three rounds of chemotherapy before doctors concluded his
Dozens of Grinnell College students generously donate cancer was resistant to the treatment.
at blood drives throughout the academic year. A new proce- “I needed a bone marrow transplant to become healthy
dure, coming to the College for the again,” Thorisson said.
first time, will offer students another Fortunately, Thorisson’s brother
opportunity to save lives. “The people who donated for us tell us that was a match, and he was able to re-
Jessica Reidies ’09 is organizing the experience for them wasn’t the physical ceive a transplant. “I was very lucky in
a campus marrow donation drive for that case,” Thorisson said. “Having the
this coming Wednesday, April 8. At experience. It was the emotional experience means of a good match for the bone
the drive, which will take place from in knowing they got to play such an impor- marrow is especially important to
9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in JRC 101, students avoid complications post-transplant.”
will register for a national registry of tant part in an effort to save somebody’s life.” Unlike blood donations, the re-
marrow donors. Colleen Chapleau, Asst. Director quirements for a donor-recipient
According to Reidies, such a match are more stringent and exclu-
drive is a first for Grinnell Col- Iowa Marrow Donor Program sive, and results of a mismatch can be
lege. Marrow drives are becoming dangerous. Complications include the
more common on college campuses, potentially fatal Graft vs. Host dis-
which have become excellent sources for registering potential ease, in which the body rejects a poorly matched transplant.
donors. “The 20-something demographic is a fairly philan- Reidies became interested in marrow donation when she
thropic age,” Reidies said. noticed an ad on a Native American website she was research-
The registration is a 15-minute procedure, according to ing. “It’s more likely to find a match within [one’s] ethnic
Colleen Chapleau, associate director of the Iowa Marrow group,” Reidies said. “There’s a critical need for ethnic minor-
Donor Program. Students fill out paperwork and swab their ity donors.”
cheeks. “We need to get a DNA sample from [the regis- The actual donation process
trants],” Chapleau said, in order to determine if their mar- can be done in two ways. One,
row matches a recipient’s. the traditional bone marrow
“Of all the people who join the registry, less than two procedure, involves a simple
percent will actually match a outpatient procedure, per-
patient in need,” Chap- formed under anesthesia. Do-
leau said. “The chances nors are sore after the procedure
are small that any one and must rest for 2 to 3 days. “Most
particular person people donate Thursday or Friday,
who joins will go on and are back to their routine by Monday,”
to donate.” Chapleau said.
According to the Another, newer method, called Peripheral
National Marrow Do- Blood Stem Cell (PBSC) donation, uses a drug to stim-
nor Program, every day thou- ulate stem cell production and removes stem cells from the
sands of patients search for a life- blood through apheresis, which separates red blood cells from
saving bone marrow transplant. 30 the marrow needed for the donor. At the end of the proce-
percent of these patients find donors dure, the red blood cells are returned to the donor, causing less
within their families, while the other complications than the traditional method.
70 percent must search outside their “The people who donated for us tell us that the experi-
families for a matching tissue type. ence for them wasn’t the physical experience,” Chapleau said.
For Ragnar Thorisson ’11, bone marrow donation has an “It was the emotional experience in knowing they got to play
especially personal significance. such an important part in an effort to save somebody’s life.”
Diagnosed with Leukemia at 14, Thorisson went through

Apr. 3 - Apr. 9 Movie Times on Page 7

3
Friday 4
Saturday 5
Sunday
6
Monday 7
Tuesday 8
Wednesday 9
Thursday
MEN’S TENNIS VS. RI- MEN’S TENNIS VS. UNIVERSITY OF CULTURAL FILMS: FALL 09 INTERN- BONE MARROW BLOOD SCREENING
PON: 10th Ave. Tennis LAWRENCE: 10th Ave. NEBRASKA BRASS CARAVAGIO: Bucks- SHIPS WORKSHOP: DRIVE: JRC 101, 9 AND BENEFITS FAIR:
Courts, 3:30 p.m. Tennis Courts, 10 a.m. QUINTET: Bucks- baum Faulconer Gal- CDO Conference a.m.-3 p.m. Multiple Locations, 6
WRITERS @ HERRICK ORGAN baum Sebring-Lew- lery, 7 p.m. room, 1127 Park USING PIONEERLINK a.m.-5 p.m.
GRINNELL READING: REDEDICATION: Herrick is Hall, 7:30 p.m. Street, 4:15 p.m. WORKSHOP: CDO APPLIED STUDIO
MICHAEL HOFMANN: Chapel, 3 p.m., 8 p.m. GRADUATE SCHOOL 104, 1127 Park STUDENT RECITAL:
Buckbaum Faulconer MEN’S TENNIS VS. PLANNING: CDO 104, Street, 4:15 p.m. Bucksbaum Sebring-
Gallery, 7 p.m. CARLETON: 10th Ave. 1127 Park Street, GENDER SYMPOSIUM: Lewis Hall, 12 p.m.
MOONLIGHT STORY- Tennis Courts, 3 p.m. 4:15 p.m. JRC 101, 4:15 p.m. OCS PRE-DEPAR-
TIME & OBSERVATORY: COMEDY SHOW: JRC HUMAN TRAFFICKING CULTURAL FILMS: TURE ORIENTATION:
Grant O. Gale Obser- 101, 7 p.m. PRESENTATION: JRC AELITA: QUEEN OF ARH 102, 4:15 & 7
vatory, 7-11 p.m. ALL CAMPUS HOE- 101, 4:15 p.m. MARS: Bucksbaum p.m.
HERRICK ORGAN RE- DOWN: Harris Center VISITING PROFESSOR Faulconery 7 p.m. GENDER SYMPOSIUM:
DEDICATION: Herrick Concert Hall, 7 p.m. LECTURE: CHEN JIAN: SGA FILM: Hor- JRC 101, 4:15 p.m.
Chapel, 8 p.m. GRINNELL MONO- ARH 102, 4:15 p.m. rible’s Sing A-Long GENDER SYMPO-
GRINNELL MONO- LOGUES: Loose COMMUNITY MEAL: Blog: Forum South SIUM RECEPTION:
LOGUES: Loose Lounge, 8 p.m. Davis Elementary Lounge, 7 & 9 p.m. Stonewall Resource
Lounge, 8 p.m. SGA CONCERT: School, 818 Hamilton ALLY TRAINING: Center, 8 p.m.
SWING QUAD: Main GRAND BUFFET: Main Avenue, 5:30 p.m. TBA, 8 p.m.
Hall Quad Dining Hall Gardner Lounge,
Hall, 9 p.m. 9 p.m.
April 3, 2009
S B 3
Expert on Palestinian-Israeli relations expresses hope
&
NEWS edited by J. Francis Buse and Brian Sherwin
busejohn@grinnell.edu, sherwinb@grinnell.edu

Dr. Maurice Roumani and Junayd Mahmood ‘09 sit down for a one-on-one Q&A on the issue of conflict in Israel
The Palestine Solidarity Group and Chalutzim teamed up to
bring speakers to campus this week to discuss the topic “Transcend-
ing Conflict: Palestine and Israel.” Representing the group Israel
on Campus, Maurice Roumani spoke in the 11 a.m. convocation
spot on the topic “Israel and Palestine: Intractable Conflict or Unre-
solved Issues?” Dr. Roumani is co-director of the Center for Middle
East Studies at the University of Oklahoma and is the founder and
Director of the J.R. Elyachar Center for Sephardi Studies at Ben
Gurion, University of the Negev in Israel. He was born in Libya
and spent a good deal of his young life in the Arab world before
emigrating to Israel.
How does your upbring-
ing in the Arab world uniquely
shape your perspective on the
conflict?
That peace can [and] will
exist between Jews and Arabs
because we have so much in
common … From the Qur’an
and the Old Testament we have
so much in common. As I said
before, the five pillars of Islam
can easily be reflected in Juda-
ism. You know, like sawm [fasting], like giving alms to the poor.
Like prayer—you know Muslims pray five times a day, we pray
that only on Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, but we pray
three times. The pilgrimage—we’re supposed to go at least once
a year to Jerusalem for pilgrimage, the same thing as in Mecca.
So there is a lot in common, and as I coexisted—I’m not
saying that I lived free like I’m living in America. From time to
time, I have to be careful, but I know I was tolerated as long as
I lived under Islam. I think this ability to coexist [can come],
providing that the Arab world can accept an independent Jew-
ish entity in the Middle East.
What is the national mood with regard to Iran in Israel?
Good question. There is a lot of fear, a lot of apprehen-
sion. Israel cannot undertake by itself any attack on Iran. [Iran
President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad, his WMD program would
have been fine if its not combined with the ideology of anni-
hilating [and] destroying the state of Israel. That combination,
the Israelis feel, is very dangerous.
Would they undertake an attack? I don’t think they can do
it by themselves. But, they are very frightened by the prolifera-
tion of nuclear weapons especially when they have a theocracy
like it is in Iran. That theocracy can govern an individual to do
certain things in the name of God and cover up everything else
… can be dangerous.
What do you think the prospect of peace is with the new
right wing government in Israel, especially Foreign Minister
Avigdor Lieberman?
Lieberman is an issue. But, he is only one minister. It’s Ne-
tanyahu. And Netanyahu already admitted that he will not do
the mistakes that he did when he was prime minister. So, I
think the prospects are much better because he is also older, and
he is also, let’s put it this way, he is also more mature and I think
with the Obama administration, he cannot do something that
would upset the Americans.
Why is a post-ethnic and post-racial society in the form
of a one-state solution no longer possible?
Because Israel will no longer be a Jewish state. The Jews
have escaped Europe, have left the middle east and north Af-
rica to have like Egypt, it’s primary Muslim, you have Muslim
holidays, Iran, you have Muslim holidays. They don’t call them-
selves Muslim states, but you know, look at the constitution
in Egypt. Number one, the religion is Islam after the name of
the state. And every state, including Morocco, including Libya,
all these places have at the basis of their state the religion of
Islam.
If the Jews in Israel would allow for a one state solution,
the demography will obliterate the nature and character of the
Jewish state. Because the Arabs have 3.2 births per family while
the Jews have 1.6. In 30, 40 years there will be a majority Arab
and a minority Jews. If that happens and its not solved, you will
have an apartheid state.
Do you feel that settlements, checkpoints, the wall, and
the occupation in general are obstacles to peace?
Yes, they are obstacles to peace, but on the other hand the
Israeli leadership is caught in the middle. As in any state whose
citizens pay taxes, the state is obligated to defend its citizens.
When you have suicide bombing and rampant attacks like we
heard just yesterday in the West Bank, if such a thing is finished
and over with, I think the Israelis must take off the checkpoints.
But if that is not the case, then you need it to protect the citi-
zens because in the middle of the day in Jerusalem or in Ne-
tanya, ‘boom boom’ and children and people in buses and all
that. That’s why there are checkpoints.
Israelis are not interested, you have to understand, in con-
tinuing the conflict. They want to have peace. They pray for
peace daily, it’s part of their culture. It’s part of the name of
God—peace, shalom, salaam. But they are afraid that when you
say salaam it is only a truce and not really a final truce, that
you cannot really have peace with the infidels. This is the crux
of the problem, and therefore you need reform and education
to accept the Jews—the human beings entitled also to exist in
the world.
What role do you think that the U.S. should take in the
conflict?
I think it should emphasize the commonality that exists
between them. What unites them, and what projects, mutual
projects that they can do together to promote the well being
of the Palestinians, and not the leadership of the Palestinians
because those are corrupt. But the people, the common man of
the street, his children, education, health, like Israel is doing in
Israel.
We need a Marshall Plan for the Palestinians. And the Eu-
ropeans have understood that. They say that 4.5 billion dol-
lars have already been allocated. Where do they go to? In the
leaders pockets or go to the people? We in Israel criticize very
much our leaderships—not one leadership, but leaderships at
every level, okay. There, they are afraid to criticize we know
that. We know what happens. The media doesn’t talk about it.
But Hamas people have shot Fatah people among themselves,
so we know these things but the media covers up such things.
But this is unfortunate because they are divided among
themselves and the people cannot rise up because the leader-
ship and say they don’t want this- they say I want to have my
home, I want to have good home. That Hamas indirectly, intel-
ligently is buying these people.
—Interview conducted by Junayd Mahmood

Hendrickson you were so into it,” Cheek said. on Mac Field. They happened to sit on the same branch, and Radoshevich said. “Any time I’d meet up with her, she’d seem to
from p. 1 “Whenever I did something that quickly exchanged names and phone numbers. For the next be enjoying whatever she was doing.”
maybe turned out to be stupid, she was usually present. Once week and a half, Gordon texted Hendrickson regularly—until Like all Grinnell students, Hendrickson wasn’t perfect,
I jumped off a pier because she was like, ‘Let’s do it!’ I’m really she agreed to go on their first date, a bike ride to Taco Bell. but her friends laugh thinking about it. She was forever los-
bad at swimming, and my biggest fear was “Whitney wasn’t the kind of per- ing things, they say, and she was constantly late. If she left
drowning, but still.” son who needed romance thrown in something in a friend’s room, it would be there for weeks, even
There are a thousand stories about Hen- “She wanted to find beauty in every- her face,” Gordon said. “She wanted months, before they finally forced her to take it back.
drickson, but one clear consensus emerged: thing. Her dad said something recently to find beauty in everything. Her dad “I think she lost five p-cards,” Podair said. “She’d lose her
she loved people, and people loved her. said something recently that charac- phone, and we’d go across campus looking for it, and she’d be
Danica Radoshevich ’12 met her in sixth that characterized her perfectly—she terized her perfectly—she was too like, ‘It might be in this person’s car from two days ago. Oh, I
grade, when Hendrickson was performing was too busy living life to worry about busy living life to worry about what don’t have the keys, though.’”
in a production of “A Christmas Carol.” it meant.” Even in the midst of his grief, Gordon is trying to focus on
She saw Hendrickson on stage and waved what it meant.” Gordon and Hendrickson, who the best parts of his time with Hendrickson. He thinks about
to her. Undeterred by the ongoing produc-
tion, Hendrickson waved back.
Brad Gordon ‘12 dated for six months before Hen-
drickson’s death, spent a lot of their
small moments with her—visiting her after she had finished
her homework, watching Arrested Development, and witness-
“I was just like, ‘Oh. I want to be friends time just talking—on Gordon’s com- ing her obsession with www.fmylife.com.
with her,’” Radoshevich said. fortable bed, or in the park a few blocks from Norris. They “Whitney just brought so much happiness to my life, and
Hendrickson brought the same energy to her life at could joke about anything, Gordon said, even things that other my entire world centered around making her happy,” he said. “It
Grinnell. Before they went out on the weekends, Kristen Mu- people would find offensive or strange. was my goal to see that smile and hear that laugh every single
maw ’12 and Hendrickson would meet in Mumaw’s room and “We were constantly berating each other, for lack of a bet- day. I can say with all honesty that my biggest achievement at
sing rap songs to each other. For Halloween, Hendrickson built ter word,” Gordon said. “That’s how we worked off each other. Grinnell so far was getting Whitney Hendrickson to love me.”
a piñata costume out of crepe paper and candy—a dress that Everything in life was funny.” A service to celebrate Hendrickson’s life will be held on Fri-
looked surprisingly real, her friends say, until they started eat- Hendrickson did not fight with people much, her friends day, April 3 at 4:30 P.M. in Herrick Chapel, with a reception
ing the candy off her. said. She didn’t see the point. With a whole world of costumes following in JRC 101. At the service, her friends will be able to
“She was like, ‘Guys, stop it! This is a piece! It’s not for and rap battles and sunshine to be experienced, she wasn’t one share their favorite memories of Hendrickson and pay tribute
consumption!’” Cheek said while laughing. to waste time on petty differences. to the girl they say made every day better.
Brad Gordon ’12 met Hendrickson after a night of parties, “She was always so aware of how precious things are, wasn’t “Of my entire life, 80 to 90 percent of my most hilarious
when he and 15 mutual friends decided to climb the big tree worried about the future as much as living life for what it was,” days were with her,” Radoshevich said.

MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR WHITNEY HENDRICKSON

TODAY AT 4:30 P.M. IN HERRICK CHAPEL
 4 SN&B
edited by J. Francis Buse and Brian Sherwin
busejohn@grinnell.edu, sherwinb@grinnell.edu

New Assistant Dean of Student Affairs hired by College

EWS April 3, 2009

Andrea Conner, future Assistant Dean.
BY C HLOE MORYL
In an e-mail to student staff on Thursday, March 19, Dean
of Students Travis Greene announced that Andrea Conner
had been appointed to the position of Assistant Dean of Stu-
dents & Director of Residence Life and Orientation. After
interviews, job talks, and informal discussions with students
was chosen by a committee comprised of members from
SGA, SAs, RLCs, faculty and administration
Currently, Conner is the Assistant Dean of Students and
Director of Residence Life at Bard College. According to the
Bard website, her position includes overseeing Area Coordi-
nators (ACs) of the dorms, comparable to RLCs, and Peer
Coordinators (PCs), who serve a function similar to SAs.
Conner, an Iowa native and Coe College graduate, is well
versed in not only all things Iowa, but also has been profes-
sionally involved with small, liberal arts institutions like
Grinnell for some time.
“From the minute Andrea hit campus the feedback we
were getting, especially from students, was that Andrea
seemed like a fit for Grinnell,” said Vice President of Student
Affairs Houston Dougharty. “She has by far the most experi-
ence at small liberal arts colleges having gone to and worked
at three ACM [Associated Colleges of the Midwest] colleges
and then being at Bard [College], which is similar to Grinnell
in some ways.”
Paul Gagne ’11, a student-at-large on the hiring commit-
tee, said Conner stood out above all the other candidates.
“She immediately understood not only the concept of self
governance, but also what it means to this school,” Gagne
said. “Also, the fact that she is very approachable makes her a
desirable person to have as an administrator.”
The position of Assistant Dean involves the hiring, train-
ing and supervision of all RLCs.
CONTRIBUTED
Though Conner will not be present on Grinnell’s campus
until May, she has already been involved with the search for
new RLCs. At a conference in Washington D.C. this past
weekend, she participated in interviewing RLC candidates,
according to Dean of Students Travis Greene.
Candidates will be coming to campus beginning as early
as next week.
One of the biggest changes to the Assistant Dean position
will include Conner heading up the NSO committee. Pre-
viously, several administrators were involved in the process,
often making it difficult to have a cohesive and coordinated
strategy. “Orientation has sort of floated, different people
have had responsibility for it at different times over the past
years and we’re really wanting it to have a home,” Dougharty
said.
Since NSO has been solidified in Student Affairs, some
of the initial differences will be infrastructural changes from
years past. “Instead of having a student committee and then a
faculty/staff committee … we’re bringing the whole group to-
gether,” Dougharty said. “In general, we’re going try to make
it a more integrated program, and we’ll put in it Andrea’s ca-
pable hands when she gets here.”
As part of Hugh Redford ’10’s Wilson internship, he will
be spending his summer in Grinnell working with Conner on
2009’s NSO. “NSO was broken before and it was impossible
to get things done and you never knew who you needed to
talk to,” Redford said. ”There’s only good that will come out of
everybody having to spend less time figuring out who to ask
their question to and more time trying to find the answers.”
“She [Conner] has the sort of background to be adminis-
trative and operate in that kind of way and environment but
also really get along with students and really be comfortable
with being a student advocate,” Redford said.

Future SGA Cabinet begins laying its foundation

Elected cabinet members have begun to review applications for cabinet seats and discuss their broad goals and plans
BY J. F RANCIS BUSE
There are fewer than 50 days left until the end of the school
year, and the future members of next year’s SGA cabinet have
begun to wet their feet in the often complex game of Grinnell
student governance.
With the positions of President, Vice President of Student
Affairs and Vice President Academic Affairs filled by Harry
Krejsa ’10, Ben Offenberg ’11 and Joanna Demars ’10 respec-
tively in last month’s election, and current Assistant Treasurer
Cyrus Witthaus ’10 in place to take on the position of Treasurer,
next year’s Cabinet has begun to sift through the applications
for the remaining six positions.
The remaining spots on cabinet are Administrative Coordi-
nator (AC), Films Chair, Concerts Chair, Service Coordinator,
Assistant Treasurer, and All Campus Events Coordinator.
In a departure from previous years’ processes, the position
of AC, who is responsible for drafting agendas for meetings,
serving on election board and other administrative duties, will
be filled before the other applications are looked at. This move
was made so that the AC would have a voice in the formation
of the cabinet it will oversee, Krejsa said.
In addition, those who apply for AC are often interested in
other, more specific cabinet positions, such as Films or Con-
certs. Under the new process, Krejsa said that the applicants
who are not nominated for AC will likely apply for other posi-
tions.
Krejsa said the decision for who will be AC would likely be
made today, in order to fully involve the student in the cabinet
selection process, which will begin this Sunday.
“Previously people have wanted to apply for both AC and
something else, because AC is a more overarching kind of job,
and the other Cabinet positions are a narrow kind of job,” Kre-
jsa said. “They might want to apply for that first, before they
apply for another. So we wanted to give them that option.”
While Cabinet positions are being filled, Krejsa said he is
thinking about a new technology position, which will cover ar-
eas regarding SGA’s implementation and maintenance of tools
such as GoogleDocs and instituting the organization’s web-
site. Offenberg compared the position to the current role of
the SGA posterer, who receives an hourly compensation from
SGA but is not considered a full Cabinet member.
“We’ve been tossing around the idea of a sort of ‘SGA tech
advisor’ whose position in SGA would be like the Presiding
Officer,” Krejsa said. “They would have very distinct and nar-
row duties, such as managing the website, helping us better use
PioneerWeb—if you think it’s confusing now, try running an
election through it—and things like that.”
Beyond simply changing the process of applying to Cabinet
and SGA positions, Krejsa and his team have already begun to
incorporate notions of a government “philosophy” into discus-
sion of their future plans.
“The four of us and [Assistant Director of Residence Life,
Loosehead RLC and SGA Advisor] Kim Hinds-Brush locked
ourselves away in the JRC for seven or eight hours on the Tues-
day of the second week of break and basically plotted out what
kind of Cabinet we wanted to have,” Krejsa said.
Talk has largely centered around the idea of striking a bal-
ance between student perceptions of 07-08’s former SGA Pres-
ident Megan Goering’s ’08 cabinet and this year’s cabinet under
President Neo Morake ’09.
The administrations of Goering and Morake have often
been contrasted insofar as their method of governance, and
have been referenced as aggressive and passive, respectively. In
an S&B article from January 23, 2009, Former Loosehead Sen-
ator Phil Hagen ’10 said, “a lot of people really didn’t like last
year—they thought it was too aggressive and too contentious.
The cabinet came in saying they were going to be a different
SGA than last year.”
The Cabinet-elect has talked to previous members stretch-
ing back to former SGA President Chris Hall ’07 in hopes of
assembling a cabinet of students that have a balance of experi-
ence and an appropriate “demeanor,” according to Krejsa.
Hinds-Brush will also play an important role in acclimat-
ing the new Cabinet to their positions. “She’s seen three Cabi-
nets and has a pretty good idea of what kind of approaches
have worked in the past and what kinds of approaches have not
worked in the past,” Krejsa said.
The upcoming Cabinet has said they have dedicated a large
amount of time to observing and interacting with current SGA
members and the administration in an attempt to minimize the
time it takes to adapt to SGA demands next year.
“I’ve been shadowing [current VPAA] Julie Hoye ’09 all
year,” Demars said. “So I am on all the committees that I’m al-
lowed to be on with her, and I’ve scheduled private committee
meetings with her and some academic officials.”
The process of acclimating themselves for their duties as
cabinet members, coupled with sifting through applications
and interviews from potential cabinet members, has been a big-
ger time commitment than expected, Demars said.
“I’m a little overwhelmed, I’m going to be honest with you.
The interview process and the application process is a lot big-
ger of a time commitment than I thought it would be,” Demars
said. “But I’m not worried at all about next year.”

Cleveland
from p. 1 confiscated by security.
“That night I was in Cleveland lounge till
about 10 p.m. and I left my computer there,
as I usually do and then I left to go to Rose
with my friend [Isaac Garcia Molina] and I
just stayed there for the rest of the night, I did
some work, and I just fell asleep,” he said.
After being held by security, Bajaj’s com-
puter was returned to him. “That my computer
was in that space does not mean that I was re-
lated to or had anything to do with that bag of
weed,” Bajaj said.
The identity of the person whom the mari-
juana belongs to is still unknown. “The inves-
tigation is ongoing. I won’t say exactly where
we are with that investigation,” Briscoe said.
“The police are investigating too.”
The security officer that happened upon
the cigarettes in the first place was part of an
increase in security patrols in Cleveland Hall.
According to Briscoe, the increased presence
of security in Cleveland is due to complaints
about cigarette smoking.
“We had been down there a number of
times before, but we’ve gotten complaints just
lately … again in that particular area [Cleve-
land 1st lounge],” Briscoe said. “And so we
started going to that area on a regular basis
and then when we saw what was going on, the
cigarette burns, the burning, we’re like ‘oh god,
we do have to be in here to keep checking this,
until we can get on top of this before it gets
worse and fires do occur.’”
Cleveland hall resident Cecilia Darby ’12
said that the security presence has stretched
beyond merely routine checks. “I was woken
up at three in the morning by a security radio
outside my door because they saw my pet rats
and thought they were wild rats,” Darby said
in a phone interview with the S&B. “Anyway,
it was just like a very strange invasion of our
privacy to be up on our floor at three in the
morning. He woke a bunch of people up.”
Cleveland third student advisor Kelly
Musselman ’11 expressed concern about se-
curity’s increased attention directed towards
Cleveland. “The amount of complaints that
Student Affairs has said that they received
[regarding cigarettes] wasn’t conveyed to the
SAs at a self-govern level,” said Musselman,
in a phone interview with the S&B. “Basi-
cally, we’re just really upset that the magnitude
wasn’t expressed to us and we could have done
something, and we’re annoyed that they had to
resort to this level to patrol us.”
Briscoe said he hopes that students and
security can reach a solution to halt cigarette
smoking indoors and decrease the presence of
security in the dorm. “We’re hoping that the
students will work with us to come up with a
solution … so we don’t have to go over there
anymore,” Briscoe said.
April 3, 2009

SOL celebrates Chávez Day

&
NEWS SB edited by J. Francis Buse and Brian Sherwin
busejohn@grinnell.edu, sherwinb@grinnell.edu 5

BY D AV ID L OGA N Chávez, the iconic symbol was conceived

Though César Chávez died 16 years of “to get some color into the movement,
ago, his activist spirit was alive and well to give people something they could iden-
at Grinnell College on Tuesday, as mem- tify with.” Organizers estimated that over
bers of Student Organization of Latinos/ 180 students received and displayed the
Latinas (SOL) commemorated the 82nd pins on their clothing.
anniversary of the late labor organizer and As most people filed into the dining hall
civil rights activist’s birthday. for dinner, SOL members and other stu-
Chávez ascended to national promi- dents stopped briefly at the table to sym-
nence through his role as a labor organizer bolically fast and reflect on Chávez’s work
in the American West and as a founder before continuing on to dinner. The short
of the United Farm Workers of America moments were intended to honor Chávez’s
(UFW ). Since then, he has evolved into last fast before his death in 1993.
an iconic figure for a bevy of social move- Fasting was a central tool in Chávez’s
ments, particularly those concerned with struggle to raise awareness of and support
labor and immigration rights. for farm workers. Chávez fasted for 25
SOL President Lizeth Gutierrez ’12, days in 1968 and 24 days in 1972. In 1988,
who assisted with tabling outside the din- Chávez fasted for 36 continuous days—his
ing hall, said she felt a responsibility for longest ever continuous fast—to protest
educating the campus about Chávez. the use of five pesticides on table grapes
“It was interesting having people here which he contended threatened the health
not knowing him at all. I couldn’t believe of grape harvesters.
it actually,” Gutierrez said. “I felt it was a Chávez was a powerful political figure.
certain responsibility to really inform my He was instrumental in Robert F. Ken-
peers about him because he was very im- nedy’s victory in the California prima-
portant, especially in my culture and for ries during his abortive 1968 presidential
what he stands for as well.” campaign. Chávez’s grassroots organizing
After finishing the eighth grade, spurred unprecedented turnout among the
Chávez dropped out of school to become state’s Latino voters which helped secure a
a full-time migrant worker alongside the victory for Kennedy. Some commentators
rest of his family. His activism began in have argued that Chávez’s turnout activi-
the 1950s with the Community Service ties sowed the seeds for Barack Obama’s
Organization, a Latino civil rights group. successful presidential campaign.
In 1962, Chávez helped found the Na- Rubio’s family experienced Chávez’s
tional Farm Workers Association, the pre- hands-on involvement directly. “My grand-
decessor to the UFW, which today is the father used to march in the Caesar Chávez
country’s largest farm workers union and marches, because he was—him and the
is active in over ten states. rest of my family—were grape pickers and
To raise awareness of Chávez and his lived in the farm, and they had basically no
causes, SOL members set up a table out- benefits, no rights,” she said. “They actu-
side the dining hall featuring literature ally got to meet Caesar Chávez, because he
and a video about the life and activities of would go and investigate their standards
the late union organizer. of living and how they were treated.”
SOL member Lupe Rubio ’10 echoed Organizers said they were pleased with
the importance of Chávez. “We’ve known the group’s efforts at raising awareness on
about him since we were little. Especially campus. “I feel like we got the word out. Spreading awareness of Cesar Chavez’s work and message outside the Dining Hall, Johana Lozano
when I go back and visit my grandpa, he’ll The people that I talked to and the people ’11 bears a familiar decree: ‘Si se puede,’ ‘ Yes we can.’ SOPHIE FAJARDO
talk about him,” she said. “He makes a re- that I saw were actually interested,” Rubio
ally, ‘you should not forget who this man said. “This school is very liberal, there’s a Chávez. In addition to the day’s activities, gest heroes and everyone knows him,” said
is, because it’s really important.’” certain activism that interests everybody the group is also soliciting signatures for a SOL member Johana Lozano ’11. “He’s
SOL members also distributed pins on this campus, so hearing about that ac- petition advocating that Congress official- like a Martin Luther King. We just want-
featuring the UFW logo, an Aztec eagle tually did get a lot of people’s interests.” ly designate March 31st as César Chávez ed to spread the word. Especially since it
inspired in part by the symbolism of the SOL is already planning for future ac- Day; eight states currently officially recog- was his date, and also because his day is a
Mexican flag and designed by Chávez’s tivities including potentially bringing a nize the holiday. holiday in some states, but not in all.”
cousin, Manuel. According to César speaker to campus who had worked with “For Hispanics he’s like one of the big-
No Limits
from p. 1 able to do because the budget now worries that the group might worsen tensions with ad-
cuts have been tighter.” ministrators. “They need to be aware that if we have this
Osgood stressed that with a smaller budget the College adult-versus-kid kind of mentality that I see going on, or
needs to focus on the parts of the current strategic plan it administrator-versus-student, then it’s not going to get us
is already attempting to implement, such as filling the four the things that we want,” Carlson said.
faculty positions in the Expanding Knowledge Initiative. But students involved in the project have defended the
“I didn’t see any recognition of where we are in the Col- approach taken, and particularly the use of the term ‘de-
lege’s budget,” Osgood said of No Limits’ letter. “I will tell mands.’ “People have promised up front to do things, but
you that if we add a bunch of positions, something will have have failed to follow through and have continually main-
to give. It will have to be the core academic program, finan- tained this outward demeanor of agreement, but underneath
cial aid, or we’re going to have to lay off people.” is just a lot of resistance,” said Joe Hiller ’12. “It’s sort of set-
Osgood also said that while he supported some of the ting a new paradigm in student-administrator relationships
issues the group put forth, the College cannot implement by reasserting a voice that is more strong and less willing to
these changes without sustained student work on the proj- accept excuses as to why these things aren’t met.”
ects. “When people come to me and they haven’t invested The group’s members plan to continue the efforts they
a lot of time or effort in doing committee work and spade started before break, and met throughout the past week to
work it’s hard for me to assess, should I throw out our stra- discuss how to encourage the administration to implement
tegic plan and do these things,” he said. their demands. While still in the planning stages, accord-
While many students have supported the group through ing to the minutes from a group meeting that took place
signing the petition, others have shared Osgood’s concerns. on Monday the group is focusing their future efforts on
Evan Ferrier ’08.5, who did not sign the petition, took is- furthering campus education among students, reaching out
sue with the tactics used by the group. “It is too idealistic, beyond students to faculty and alumni, and discussing their
especially considering what’s happening to the budget and complaints with prospective students during the upcoming
endowment,” Ferrier said. prospective student weekends during the month of April.
He also said that the demands ignore support already “We’d really like to work with the administration and
offered by the administration. “I don’t think it’s produc- move forward,” Emily Stiever ’09 said of the group’s future
tive, and it seems a little bit ungrateful for how many things plans. “But if there’s not movement on these different is-
Grinnell students do have.” sues, we’re definitely planning on sticking with it, and sort
“I have a lot of respect for people in the No Limits Proj- of escalating our responses. That’s not a threat … but it’s
ect,” Ferrier said. “I’m sympathetic to a lot of their concerns. important that this isn’t something that will just get dumped
Their methodology is my biggest criticism.” to a committee and go away, because that’s what kept hap-
Gretel Carlson ’10 originally signed the petition, but pening in the past.”
 6 edited by Mark Japinga & James Anthofer
japingam@grinnell.edu & anthofer@grinnell.edu
SA&B RTS
Troupe presents jazz-inflected poetry
April 3, 2009

Last night, one of the most unique voices in modern poetry read
in JRC 101. Quincy Troupe began his career as a poet and journal-
ist in Los Angeles, where he met and befriended such luminaries
as Allen Ginsberg and also developed his unique, syncopated rhyth-
mic style of poetry, based on jazz. Over the next 20 years, Troupe
would work as a poet, journalist, performer, professor, and editor of
a multimedia magazine out of New York University called “Black
Renaissance Noire.”
He has written 17 books of poetry, two children’s books, the only
authorized biography of Miles Davis, co-wrote the book and now
movie “The Pursuit of Happyness.” and the book and now screen-
play for a new movie based on his relationship with Davis entitled
“Miles and Me.” He has read his poetry all over America, Europe,
and South America and also taught and read in prisons in America,
where he also worked to increase awareness of prison education.

Peter Phillips, the founding member of the Tallis Scholars, conducts
the group during Wednesday’s concert in Herrick chapel as tenor
Mark Dobell and alto Caroline Trevor make magnificent Baroque
music. BEN BREWER
When did you first start to figure out how to create this
style of poetry?
I was working at all these little magazines [in Los Ange-
les] and making poetry on the side. It was a good gig, I was
making money ... When the Watts riots happened, Bud Schul-
berg [a famous screenwriter and novelist of the 50’s and 60’s]
went down to Watts and started the Watts Writers Workshop.
I covered this story at Los Angles City College where these
two poets [from the workshop] came. There was the defense
minister for the Black Panther party and this man Alvin Saxon
who called himself Ojenke at that time there. He had gone to
UCLA and majored in biology and physics, but he was a poet.
And I heard him read, and it just blew me away. I had taught
myself to write poetry by writing sonnets, villanelles, haikus,

Choral virgin no more
BY J. F RANCIS BUSE
Though the texts were primarily Latin and the subject was
often Catholic mass—two subjects alien to a large number of
Grinnellians—the Tallis Scholars nearly filled Herrick Chapel
for a concert this past Wednesday. The group of ten vocalists,
directed by the spritely Peter Phillips, brought a satisfying
and moving sample of classic choral music from England to
Grinnell.
The nine pieces performed by the Scholars and composed
by a smorgasbord of 16th century artists come from a unique
juncture between two points of musical development, Rennai-
sance and Baroque. The program notes were dense with de-
scriptions of the pieces’ musical subtleties and influences on
future developments in “secular, opera and instrumental music”
in their role as “proto-Baroque experiments.”
Phillips acknowledged the difficulty many audience mem-
bers might have interpreting the music, calling two pieces “ex-
tremely complex mathematically” in a break between songs
during the middle of the concert. While describing the echo-
ing, overlapping and inverting interactions between the dis-
parate groups within the choir, he noted that “you won’t hear
this—nobody can. But that’s how the pieces are written.”
The atmosphere was relaxed, and the audience seemed able
to enjoy the music without an encyclopedic knowledge of 16th
century choral music. The pieces encompassed a wide spectrum
between soft and loud, slow and quick. The presence of a male
alto added a uniqueness to the event beyond its inherent re-
markableness.
The highlights of the show included the pieces “Ave Maria”
and “Nesciens Mater” by Alonso Lobo and Jean Mouton, re-
spectively, the most musically unique of the pieces due to their
aforementioned complexity. The audience enjoyed “Missa Bell’
Amfitrit’ alterat”, a parallel of Catholic mass, to the point that
they applauded between each movement, visibly surprising the
Scholars.
Still, to the untrained ear, the differences could be hard to
distinguish and the music could seem mundane. An elementary
school-aged boy was allowed access to his PSP after the third
song, and spent the rest of the concert watching YouTube vid-
eos. Another student, looking conspicuously drowsy, rested his
head several times on the pew in front of him. It was a concert
to calm attendees and allow them to think, not necessarily to
awaken and excite.
I went into Herrick something of a choral virgin—I have
enjoyed the Tallis Scholars via Pandora and CDs checked out
from Burling over the past year, while also attending nearly all
of the Grinnell Singers concerts. But the sonic elegance dis-
played by some of the finest vocalists in the world was over-
whelmingly beautiful and mesmerizingly balanced, with or
without extensive knowledge of the music being performed.
As the last performance of the Grinnell College Public
Events Committee this year, the Tallis Scholars proved a note-
worthy and solidifying end to a program that has included the
likes of Wynton Marsalis and Inti-Illimani. Marsalis brought
us the lights of the city and Inti-Illimani the sounds of Chilean
folk music, but the Scholars showed us the sweeping grandeur
some modern of music’s origins.
and sestinas because I thought that was the way to do it.
But when I heard this poem—because his father was in the
churches, the Baptist churches—I couldn’t believe the energy
and the metaphors and the rhythm. I didn’t think you could do
that in poetry. I said, “Listen man, where do you go to learn this
poetry?”, because all these guys in Venice [Beach] were these
white guys who loved the fact I could write these form poems.
And he said, “In Watts.”
I went out there and threw away all my sonnets. A bunch
of great musicians were out there, and that’s where I found my
voice. The iambic pentameter beats like the heart, but when
you really study the language of everyday people, that’s not how
they talk. I started substituting lines of John Coltrane for hex-
ameters, ba ba ba do boo da boo ba and starting to make that
the line. Syncopation, you know? Like a Miles Davis solo.
Was Miles [Davis] the first one you felt that deep con-
nection with?
I had a deep connection with my brother, who was a jazz
drummer. When I was in high school, he would be doing these
paradiddles [a type of drum exercise] all day,
and I thought, if he could do these paradiddles,
I could shoot 500 jump shots, because I was a
basketball player then.
Miles was the greatest artist I had a con-
nection with, though. I learned so much from
him, not only about art. I was interviewing him
one time and I got a phone call and got in a
long argument with this guy. After I hung up,
Miles said, “Why’d you talk to the motherf--
ker so long?” I said, “What do you mean?” He
said, “You know how they have an on and off
switch on the television?” I said, “Yeah.” He
said, “Cut the the motherf--ker off. Cut if off,
cut it off. Hang up the motherf--cking phone. You could have
stopped talking to that motherf--ker five minutes ago.” I just
said, “Oh.”
I kinda do that with people now. What do you need all of
this extraneous conversation for? I did that to a friend of mine
before coming here, and he said,“I understand, that’s that Miles
s--t .” And I just explained that it wasn’t that I didn’t want to
talk to him, it’s just that I’ve got to do other stuff.
If Miles liked you, he’d do anything for you. If he didn’t like
you, that was it. It wasn’t arrogance, it was confidence. I heard
him talk to Clint Eastwood and he talked to him like a dog
about his latest movie at the time, “Bird.”
That kind of reminds me of what they said about Obama
early on the campaign trail.
He was saying, “I don’t do that, I don’t kiss your ass.” In my
early essays, I was saying he was going to win everything. In
January 2008, I said he was going to beat Clinton, and Mc-
Cain. People don’t understand that there are a lot of African-
Americans, women and men, who are like Miles. We learned
from Miles.
I remember I was standing in the airport, and I was wait-
ing in line. This white guy comes, obviously he’s a business-
man. There’s a whole line behind me. And he says to me, “Are
you in line, or are you taking up space?” I say, “You know what,
Visting poet, Quincy Troupe. LAURENCE SUMULONG
motherf--cker, you better get to the back of the line, or I’m go-
ing to pour you like lava.”
I just want to be equal to everyone else. If you don’t treat me
like a human being, I’m just not gonna deal with you.
I feel like that comes out in your poetry. You’re both an
African-American man, and you don’t forget that, but you
also see that you’re a part of this community of poets. It’s not
either/or, it’s both/and.
I feel that way. My mother, who will be 92 this year and is
about 5’ 2”, won’t take nothing from nobody. I grew up seeing
that attitude. I never have felt inferior to anybody. I tell people
that all the time. I taught for 32 years, and I would hear these
whispers being my back, you know, “Quincy’s so arrogant.” I
would confront them. I would say, “I’m not arrogant, I’m confi-
dent. I’ve been confident for a long time. I was
a great basketball player, and I was confident
then. Your idea of equality is my down here
and you up there. I don’t buy into that.”
That’s Obama, and that’s me. I was so hap-
py to see a politician like that, who says, you
know, that he’s a black guy but that’s not it. I
read, I know my history, and I love the United
States, I know about this stuff. I’ve participat-
ed in all this stuff, but I’m going to tell you if
it’s not working. If I think you are stupid, I’m
going to tell you that, black guy or whoever.
I’ve told people that who want me to write
their books. Black guys, and white guys. I tell
them that they gotta tell me the whole truth. It’s got to be a
literary project. I’ve got billionaire friends who I treat like that,
good friends. My wife and I go out to New York, and we see
them, because we like good wine, and good food, and we have
great conversations. That’s what it’s about. It’s built on that.
There’s one guy I know, I won’t say his name, but he’s one of
those guys who will say anything to you. And I’ll tell him: “F--k
you.” And he’ll say, “Oh yeah, f--k me?” And I’ll say, “Yeah, F--k
you.”
I just want human relationships with people, whoever they
happen to be, poets or whatever. If I don’t agree with you, I’m
not going to ambush you, but I’m going to tell you what I be-
lieve. And you can say what you believe to me, and our rela-
tionship is like that. That’s the way a good relationship has to
be. That’s how I am with all these people, Miles Davis, Jimmy
Baldwin, even Marlon Brando when I met him during the
Watts Writers Workshop...
He (Brando) actually introduced me to James Baldwin. And
the first night Baldwin and I met, we got into a big argument.
We got in a big f--king argument about nonviolence...
After a while you start to feel like you belong in this group.
You may not have a dime, but you feel like you belong there.
—Interview conducted by James Anthofer
(This Q&A is continued at www.thesandb.com)
 April 3, 2009
Come on, get happy with this weekend’s films
Golden Globe Winner Sally Hawkins stars in Happy-Go-Lucky, whose exuberant personality drives the film.
Happy-Go Lucky
(2008)
Poppy (Sally Hawkins), the protagonist
of Writer/Director Mike Leigh’s “Happy-
Go-Lucky”, seems to live in her own kooky
world. We first meet her as she rides her
SB &
ARTS
bicycle through the streets of London with
a warm, bright smile on her face. She sees
a friend that she knows and her smile gets
larger and she waves. And then she does the
same thing to another friend that she hap-
pens to see. And then we realize she’s waving
to people that she doesn’t know.
She pops into a bookstore and chatters
to a disgruntled employee working there
who seems irritated by her sunny optimism
and the way that she laughs at her own jokes
edited by Mark Japinga & James Anthofer
japingam@grinnell.edu & anthofer@grinnell.edu
ALLMOVIEPHOTO.COM
(when she takes a book titled “The Road
to Reality” from a shelf, she quickly puts it
back, commenting, “I don’t want to be head-
ed there, do I?”). It’s hard to know whether
to side with Poppy (she seems sweet!) or the
employee (she seems annoying!). Exiting the
bookstore, she finds her bike has been stolen
and quips, “We didn’t even get a chance to
say goodbye” before moving on.
How is this level of cheery exuberance
possible? Mike Leigh’s out to show us exact-
7
ly how, and Hawkins comes to quickly show
us what a wonderfully charming character
Poppy is.
The film doesn’t have a stereotypical
plot, working instead as a character study for
Poppy by looking at a few chapters in her
life that test her unwavering sense of opti-
mism. We see her care deeply for Zoe, her
best friend and flat-mate of ten years (Alexis
Zegerman), her youngest sister who is just
finishing college, and the kids she teaches in
her elementary school class.
But maybe Poppy cares too much. She
also can’t help but feel for the cranky driving
instructor Scott (Eddie Marsan), her more
moody sister living in the suburbs, and, in
one scene, a homeless man she passes on the
street late one night.
The scene with the homeless man sounds
cliché and really shouldn’t work, but it some-
how does. While walking home one night,
Poppy hears a mumbled chant coming from
an alley. Her face lets us know that she’s a
little scared and uncomfortable (and she
even murmurs “What am I doing here?”),
but she goes to investigate. There she meets
and strikes up a “conversation” of sorts with
a homeless man who doesn’t really speak in
words so much as sounds. They manage to
communicate, though—Poppy really listens
to the man.
It’s at this point in the film that it be-
comes clear that Poppy is very much living in
the real world, she’s just chosen to go through
life open, engaged, and happy. Poppy’s flat-
mate tries to lecture by saying that she, “can’t
make everyone happy.” But Poppy brushes it
off and replies, “No harm in trying, is there?”
Leigh succeeds in making “Happy-Go-
Lucky” both a funny and thought provoking
film. Hawkins won the Golden Globe for
Best Actress in a Musical/Comedy not only
for being sublimely funny (and Poppy is hi-
larious), but for showing us a woman who, in
the sad and mixed up world we’re living in,
chooses to enjoy life and leave other people
smiling in the process. “Happy-Go-Lucky”
is the definition of a feel good movie.
—Jaysen Wright

Giant cigarettes? Giant lipstick tubes? Bigger is better

A while ago I was looking at a pack of Marlboro Reds and a As it turned out, our idea—like so many ideas these days— have political appeal? Surrealist appeal?
funny idea popped into my head. What if it was ten times big- had already been dreamt up and executed, specifically by Swed- It’s a very simple concept, and its value lies in its ambiguity.
ger? What if I made a gigantic box of Marlboro cigarettes using ish-American artist Claes Oldenburg. In his early years, Olden- One can understand it and relate to it on an entirely subjective
papier-mâché? It seemed like the perfect medium for supersiz- burg was known for his soft (cloth-based), interactive sculptures, level. All Oldenburg really does is blow up an object and plop it
ing a cigarette box. including “Lipstick (Ascending) on Caterpillar Tracks” at Yale in an unexpected space. He takes familiar objects and presents
My mind raced. It jumped to the doughnut with the over- University. The 23-foot statue had to be pumped up by viewers them in unfamiliar settings. As he puts it, he strives to make art
sized cup of coffee seen as you enter Bob’s. Maybe I could add in order to stand up straight until a refurbishing project gave it “that does something other than sit on its ass in a museum” and
to that … After all, what more stability. definitely succeeds.
goes better with coffee and Later on in his career, Old- “We don’t copy the objects we use, we try to transform them
doughnuts than a cigarette?
Fellow High Streeter
Asa Wilder ’10 and I be-
Kat York ‘09 enburg became known for rec-
reating quotidian, mundane ob-
jects on a large scale and placing
and we hope they go on transforming as you look at them. The
idea of endless public dialogue … visual dialogue … is very im-
portant to us,” Oldenburg said during an interview about a 2002
gan to brainstorm different them in various public places. installation in San Francisco. Oldenburg’s work playfully asks its
ways to make it happen.
Cardboard. Wheatpaste.
Newspaper. Toilet paper
ART CRUSH While browsing through imag-
es of gigantic clothespins, ham-
mers and upturned ice cream
viewers to think about objects in a new way, devoid of the heavy-
handedness that one might associate with contemporary artists.
I guess that silliness is what I like about Oldenburg. To
rolls for the cigarettes inside cones online, I was surprised to someone else his sculpture might be more poignant, stultifying
of the box. For a few weeks we gathered supplies before finally find a sculpture that looked familiar. materialism in our day and age. To others it might be simply
beginning to put it together, taking care to keep the proportions Where had I seen it? I wracked my mind, then finally gave inane—not even worth a mention. Oldenburg’s message is basi-
as accurate as possible. up and looked it up. Turns out that the “Crusoe Umbrella” I saw cally whatever you want it to be, meaning that the importance of
While we worked, we began talking about the hilarity of en- is right here in Iowa, in front of the Des Moines Civic Center. his work lies in the dialogue that it inspires between viewers.
larging all sorts of different objects. Our imaginations ran wild. Oldenburg’s art hits home in a very unique way for me, in Back in Grinnell we’ll continue to work on the oversized
We could make a huge tack, a toilet, a port-o-potty or a key- a way that I find kind of difficult to articulate. Why is it that I cigarette box … born as a joke, we’ll put it in Bob’s or in some
board. Possibilities abounded. We had stumbled across some- am so attracted to disproportionately large objects? Is it a humor other public space and see whether any conversations get start-
thing new, something simple and exciting. thing (like it was with the oversized pack of cigarettes)? Does it ed.

H Slumdog Rocky Hor- F Happy A One Day S Monsters vs. Fast & Furious Race to Witch
MOVIE Millionaire ror Picture O Go Lucky R You’ll Un- T Aliens Mountain
Fri. - 4:20, 7:20 & 9:25 p.m.
A Fri.
R 10:30- 4:30, 7:30 & Show R Fri.- 7:30 & 9:30 H derstand R Fri. - 4:30, 7 & 9:05 p.m. Sat. - 2:10, 4:20, 7:20 & 9:25 Fri. - 4:30, 7:20 & 9:30 p.m.
p.m. p.m. Sat. - 2, 4:30, 7 & 9:05 p.m. p.m.

TIMES
Fri. - 8:00 p.m. Sat. - 2:10, 4:30, 7:20 & 9:30 p.m.
R Sat. - 1:30 p.m.
Sat.- 10:30 p.m.
Sun. - 1:30 p.m. U Sat. - 7:30 & 3 Sat. - 8:00 p.m. A Sun. - 2, 4:30 & 7 p.m. Sun. - 2:10, 4:20 & 7:20 p.m. Sun. - 2:10, 4:30 & 7:20 p.m.
I M 9:30 p.m. 0 Sun. - 2:00 p.m. N Mon.-Thurs. - 4:30 & 7 p.m. Mon.-Thurs. - 420 & 7:20 Mon.-Thurs. - 4:30 & 7:20 p.m.
S 2 D p.m.
 8 edited by Chloe Moryl
morylchl@grinnell.edu

SB
FEATURES
& April 3, 2009

Chris Bulbulia ’10

9:25 a.m. — My radio turns on, blasting music and my body

jerks awake. I shower and get ready.

10:05 a.m. — I sip a bottle of orange juice as I walk out

my door on my way to my 10 a.m. Theatrical Design Class.
“Fuck! At least I’m clean and well-rested,” I say to myself.

11:30 a.m. — During Design class, I remember that I have a

SPARC Cabinet meeting at 12 p.m. and text Christine.

11:35 a.m. — I leave class to go to the bathroom and as I am

leaving I see one of my classmates. She tells me that we got
out of class early. Sweet!

11:45 a.m. — I quickly check my e-mail for lounge reserva-

tions in Loosehead. Boo responsibilities! After reading two
e-mails, I decide to head to the JRC for my meeting. My
stomach grumbles in despair.

12:00 p.m. — I walk through the doors of the publications

office ready to work. Matt and Christine are waiting for
Tommy Johnson ’09 plays in Lyle’s Pub on March 4 with members of Wynton Marsalis’ band. BEN BREWER me.

Tommy Johnson x2 jam out

12:15 p.m. — I begin to rant about making SPARC more
democratic by making sure that media heads are more in-
volved in SPARC decisions. Then I realize we also have
more immediate concerns and we proceed to discuss these
with my silence.
Father and son share love of jazz, played with jazz greats in concert at Lyle’s pub
12:45 p.m. — Lunch
BY C HLOE MORYL this.”
Tommy Johnson ’09 and his father, also Tommy John- During the post-Marsalis concert in Lyle’s Pub, the 1:15 p.m. — Go home and finish some reading for my Pe-
son, share a lot of similarities: the same name, a passion elder Johnson, who drove to Grinnell f rom his home in riod Acting Class.
for the trumpet, and as of March 4, they both have played Lawrence, Kansas, used this technique in order to play
with Wynton Marsalis’ band. with his son and with Wynton Marsalis’ band. Though 4:05 p.m. — Out of Period Acting Styles. Professor Quinte-
The elder Johnson’s love of the trumpet comes f rom the elder Johnson has played any of the same venues as ro is the greatest and I love acting.
humble beginnings—both self-taught and classically Marsalis, the two don’t know each other personally.
4:15 p.m. — Arrive at the JRC and run into Tolcha.
trained, Johnson started playing at the age of eight and The elder Johnson first encountered Marsalis back in
played his first paid gig at the age of 13. “When I was 1981 at a jazz consortium in Chicago, where the two end- 4:19 p.m. — We leave the JRC and head to my room on
13 they paid us two dollars to play at a National Guard ed up playing on the same pinball machine in the lobby Loose 2nd.
Armory,” he said. “We were in heaven and that’s when I of a hotel. “He had just mosied over and he seemed like
decided, hey, we need to play more mu- a nice kid and we didn’t think anything 5:10 p.m. — Shrish comes over and all of us watch Power
sic.” of it but four days later at the end of Rangers: The Green Ranger Saga. We reminisce about the
The younger Johnson’s passion, on the concert he was playing headliner gold ole days.
the other hand, began as a result of his “It was amazing that they can come —he played at the end of the concert
dislike of cold weather—seriously. “In to Grinnell and play with students and just blew everybody away,” Johnson 6:05 p.m. — Tolcha says he feels sick. Shrish looks at the
the fifth grade we had a choice where said. “And Columbia Records got him time and decides to leave.
we could have 30 minutes more of re- like that. It was funny because Brian on contract and were giving out his al-
cess or we could go do band,” Johnson Cavanagh-Strong’s busted ass key- bums which are collectors’ items now 6:10 p.m. — I spilled water on my bed. A perfect day gone
said. “I love recess and I love basketball board, it’s got that one key that sticks given what he’s done.” awry.
but I think that it was wintertime and I Despite running in similar circles
didn’t like the cold and going outside so the whole time. And i told the piano musically—“When you travel espe-
6:45 p.m. — Debate whether I should run for Vice Chair
of SPARC again, apply for ACE Committee Chair, or con-
I picked band and [my father] happened player during the show and he kept cially in the jazz circles you tend to tinue my work with ACE Security next year.
to have another trumpet lying around.”
The senior chemistry major contin-
on looking down like ... uhhh i want run into the same people over and over
in different cities,” the elder John- 7:05 p.m. — Talk to people in the JRC and work out some
ued to play trumpet throughout high to play that note but ...” son said—neither Johnson had never HSC business with Dan Neely for the Beer 1000 on Fri-
school. His desire to excel primarily came thought they would have the chance to day.
from an opportunity extended to him play with Marsalis’ band.
because of his father’s musical prowess. Tommy Johnson ’09 Though the younger Johnson was 7:20 p.m. — I finally walk into the Dining Hall and sit
“In high school I wasn’t that good but performing with professional musi- down with some friends to philosophize.
my band director was obviously a fan of cians, he said that he was not anxious
[my father] and got me a spot in the symphonic band about his performance at Lyle’s. “I wasn’t that nervous be- 9:20 p.m. — Walk down to Cleveland and sit around with
which is the top band in our high school,” Johnson said. cause I knew a lot of people in the audience so that made Dave, Tyrone, Sophie, Katey, and Vardges and whoever else
“I was like, oh, wow—I should probably start practicing it a little less nervewracking,” he said. “But I mean, we’re wanders through. I begin to work on various assignments:
SPARC projects, HSC scheduling and e-mails, homework,
so I don’t make a fool of myself.” just out there making music, you know?”
and compiling my notes for this list.
Though both of his parents are professional musicians “He’s not going to need to be nervous from now on,”
and majored in music at college, Johnson decided not to his father added. 11:34 p.m. — Come up for air and think about calling it
major in music, enjoying instead the relaxing quality of Mostly, the younger Johnson is appreciative of Marsa- a day.
playing the trumpet, both by himself and with his dad. lis’ band for playing with a student group, and the Col-
His father, however, once nearly had to stop playing lege, especially Rachel Bly, for organizing a post-perfor- 11:35 p.m. — Laugh at myself and stay awake.
the trumpet. Four years ago, the elder Jonson developed mance at Lyle’s Pub. “It was amazing that they can come
Bell’s Palsy in his face, leaving the muscles in his face par- to Grinnell and play with students like that,” the younger 11:40 p.m. — Start putting together a Grinnell Relays team
alyzed—one of the worst fates for a trumpet player. After Johnson said. “It was funny, because Brian Cavanagh- with the spring break crew.
not playing for a few months, and toying with switching Strong’s ’09 busted-ass keyboard, it’s got that one key that
to the piano, Johnson discovered that if he held his lip in sticks the whole time. And I told the piano player and 12:00 a.m. — Group celebration of my friend Katey’s birth-
position, he could still manage to play. “I knew I wasn’t during the show he kept on looking down like … uhhh I day, a good study break.
going to quit music when it happened but it was a shock want to play that note but …”
to my lifestyle,” he said. “But then I figured out, hey, if Busted-ass keyboard or not, Grinnellians present will 2:00 a.m. — Bedtime. I didn’t finish all of my shit today, but
I hustled real hard, hustled, hustled real hard.
I hold my lip I can get air to go through the horn and I not soon forget seeing jazz greats playing at Lyle’s Pub,
ended up staying with the trumpet because of it. It was and both Johnsons won’t forget playing with them.
kind of a eureka moment when I figured out I could do
April 3, 2009
S B 9
Grinnellians travel to Nicaragua, help community
FEATURES
&
edited by Chloe Moryl
morylchl@grinnell.edu

BY A LYSIA VALLAS
While many Grinnellians parted two weeks ago for home
or destinations with temperate weather, Marissa Gilman ’09,
Aniko Drlik-Muehleck ’11, Katherine Gregersen ’09, Annie
Pigott ’12, Mary Jane Giesey ’12, Grace Philipp ’12, Evan Pon-
der ’10, and Emma Peterson ’10 headed to Nicaragua where
they spent their spring break experiencing firsthand the devel-
opment of the San Ramon community.
After an internship in San Ramon, where she worked with
an office of sustainable community tourism, Gilman was in-
spired to organize a return trip, this time with the company of
other Grinnellians.
Influenced by a Global Development Studies trip to Costa
Rica with Monty Roper, Anthropology, Gilman knew that she
wanted the trip to be an experiential learning opportunity. “I
still wanted to have some sort of learning component to it.
I wanted to have a group of students go to this community
I worked in,” Gilman said. “I knew I wanted us to deal with
Spanish, Global Development Studies, and Latin American
issues.”
Gilman, determined to see the trip through, set about pos-
tering and applying for funding for various College grants.
Although the College initially agreed to provide funding, risk
assessors brought to the administration’s attention the high
risk of eight unaccompanied students traveling abroad. “The
hardest part was finding funding,” Gilman said. “Two weeks
before the trip, the College was canceling our funding and the
administration, the higher ups, found out about the trip and
decided to revoke the funding that had been received.”
After contributions from President Russell K. Osgood and
his family, however, the trip was made affordable, and therefore
possible.
Once the eight students successfully made it to San Ra-
mon, they spent a little over a week learning about the region’s
economy and assisting in various community projects. While
the students anticipated more participation with the commu-
nity’s microfinance efforts, they took the advice of the com- Marissa Gilman ’09, Aniko Drlik-Muehlec ’11 and Katherine Gregerson ’09 cutting sugar cane in Nicaragua. CONTRIBUTED
munity’s development office and insetad learned more about
the general state of the community. “The office didn’t think satisfaction at their mastery of bench construction by the end the students, overall, found the trip to be a rewarding and eye-
this was the most beneficial thing to be done with our time. of the trip. “I had never used a machete before!” said Gregers- opening experience. “Even though there are so many limita-
None of us wanted to force our own agenda on the organiza- en. The remainder of their time was spent learning about the tions with a big group and short period of time, it was impor-
tion,” Gilman said. sustainable tourism effort in San Ramon and working with tant to have a taste of [the San Ramon community] and to
The students spent a good portion of their time at a cloud the primary office to help find ways to improve their tourism have other Grinnellians to share the experience with in order
forest reserve, studying the area’s economic dependence on programs. to better understand complex issues going on in a community
coffee and helping the proprietor create rest areas through- Despite an unfortunate encounter with fried bologna and that is trying to get out of a rut it finds itself in,” Gilman said.
out the plantation for potential tourists. Students expressed a few alarming incidents with vociferous indigenous monkeys,

Boozing in your p-hat with Ben Jones ’03

Grinnell native and alumnus bartends at several Grinnell watering holes, in addition to being a Statistics professor
CONTRIBUTED
BY M ICHAEL SCHOELZ
Ben Jones is a Statistics professor who en-
joys serving alcohol. Just not at the same time.
“I have never drank before 1 p.m. on the
days I have to teach,” Jones said.
The 2003 alumnus has been helping stu-
dents quench their thirst since he became a bar-
tender. Beginning this semester, he’s also been
helping students learn to interpret and under-
stand data sets. Jones was hired as a temporary
professor to teach Introduction to Statistics.
“I know its cliché but I have different hats,
one for teaching and one for bartending and I
only wear one hat at a time,” Jones said.
Jones grew up in Grinnell—both of his par-
ents were professors in the Math Department.
He attended Grinnell, received an undergradu-
ate degree in Statistics and attended Iowa State
University for graduate school. Before he left,
however, he began working for James “Jimbo”
Sadler-Tanzosch ’88 in the Down Under Pub,
bartending on Saturdays.
“I had actually worked for Jimbo as a bounc-
er the summer after I graduated,” Jones said. “I
was not a very good bouncer.”
Despite Jones never actually being trained as
a bartender, Jimbo gave him the job. Jones was a
good bartender and throughout grad school, he
continued to bartend on the weekends, driving
back to Grinnell from Ames. All of his drink-
ing expertise has either been picked up on the
job or carried over from college. His semester
abroad was particularly informative.
“I spent a summer in the Czech Republic
and after converting everything back to dol-
lars it was roughly 25 cents for a pint of what
I would say is good quality microbrew beer,”
Jones said. “Since then I have been drinking a
lot of good beer or snobby beer. So I would say
that I have a good knowledge of beer.
As Jones’ knowledge of beer and statistics
grew in his years after college, he started do-
ing more of both. He has taught nine previ-
ous sections of Introduction to Statistics at ISU
and Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa and he
started working for Lon of Lonnski’s pub.
“Lon, who had a bar at Lonnski’s,” Jones
said, “came into the Pub after hours and I kept
serving him drinks and that’s more or less how I
got hired as a bartender at Lonniski’s.”
When the Pub closed last year, Jones began
working a lot more for Lon. Lon also owned
Back Alley Deli and hired Jones to make sand-
wiches in addition to bartending. It was the
sandwich-making that landed Jones his job
at the College; Back Alley Deli is attached to
Saint’s Rest Coffee shop which happens to be
the same place that math professors Tom and
Emily Moore like to go to eat their lunch—
which was very lucky for Jones, because he and
the Moores go way back.
Tom Moore likes to say that he knew Ben
Jones “since he was negative.” Both Moores
began teaching in the Math Department at
Grinnell the same year as Jones’ parents, and
the Moores watched Jones grow up. When
Jones picked his advisor while at Grinnell, he
picked Tom Moore and the two kept in touch
as Jones traveled back and forth between Ames
and Grinnell.
“He popped into the house sometimes and
talk for an hour or so and we always had nice
chats,” Moore said.
When Moore saw that Grinnell needed a
temporary statistics professor for the spring se-
mester this year, he let Jones know.
“My wife and I like to have lunches at the
coffee shop and we go down there a few times a
week.” Moore said. “[ Jones] would always pop
over when the line was down to zero. So I just
said one day ‘you know we have this position,
you think you might be interested?’“
Jones was interested, and with Moore’s help
he was able to land his current job.
“Everyone knew him at least on a personal
level,” Moore said. “It was all conducted through
e-mail and me being at the coffee shop. Then,
formally, the dean offered him the job.”
Jones generally doesn’t mix his two jobs, but
he has held two study review sessions in the
Lonnski’s dining room. The Thursdays before
his last two exams, Jones had his students come
by Lonnski’s and he would help the students
with their practice exams.
“He bought us drinks—non-alcoholic—
and appetizers,” Toby Cain ’12 said. “It was a
really laid back situation. It was a lot easier than
going to his office hours. It put me at ease.”
But Jones wasn’t being a bartender then, just
a teacher trying to connect with his students.
During his regular hours, he hardly ever sees his
students.
“I don’t advertise in class,” Jones said, “or tell
my students when I’m bartending.”
Not that the idea of serving his students
bothers him, but that it’s just a separate part of
his life. There isn’t much overlap between the
two professions other than his favorite part is
exactly the same for both.
“I like interacting with people. Especially
for a mathematician, I am a very social person,”
Jones said. “I think that [teaching and bartend-
ing] are similar in the way that you are present-
ing something in front of two very different
crowds of people. But that’s one reason I like
and, I would hope, excel at both jobs.”
But Jones doesn’t plan on doing either job
for the rest of his life. He’s looking at getting
an industry job with his degree in statistics, and
he has been doing some consulting work in ad-
dition to his bartending and teaching. But right
now, with the job market in the tank and the
opportunities alive and well here in Grinnell,
Jones is happy to be quenching thirsts.
“When I get it, a ‘real job,’ I don’t think I
would bartend anymore. Maybe after I retire I’ll
start again. Maybe if Lonnski’s is still open.”
10 edited by Morgan Horton
hortonmo@grinnell.edu
SB&
OPINION
Job talks should mirror the classroom setting
April 3, 2009

This Week in Grinnell (April
3 –April 9)
Strand 3 Theatre. $5 Grinnell College
Discount Passes available at the Campus
Bookstore and the Pioneer Bookshop. Call
236-7600 or visit http://www.fridleythe-
atres.com/ for show times. Showing April 3
– April 9: Monsters Vs. Aliens (PG), Race
to Witch Mountain (PG), Fast & Furious
(PG-13)
Observatory Open House. April 3, 7
p.m.; Grant O. Gale Observatory, Grinnell
College, north of 10th Avenue and adjacent
to Les Duke Track. Stewart Library staff
will offer storytelling and activities focused
Changing the hiring process
Hiring and firing practices at Grinnell
College have been a topic of frequent campus
conversation this year. Such discussions were
sparked again recently when the History De-
partment decided not to hire a popular term
professor for one of its tenure-track positions.
According to those involved with the de-
cision, the controversial decision was attrib-
uted to the candidates’ job talk performances.
While this system for evaluating professorial
candidates affords students some means of in-
put in the decision-making process, it is overly
rigid and does not effectively communicate
how a candidate will perform in the classroom.
The format for evaluating prospective profes-
sors should be adjusted to better capture how
candidates will actually teach.
Many academic departments look to their
SEPCs and students at large to assess the qual-
ity of candidates. Students have the opportu-
nity to attend lunches and formal job talks in
which the candidate presents on a topic of their
choice and then fields follow-up questions.
While these talks may provide a glimpse
into the candidate’s academic credentials and
professorial
prowess, they
do not necessar-
ily reflect on the
candidate’s po-
tential classroom
performance.
These talks are
largely directed
at sitting faculty,
who tend to dominate both attendance and the
post-talk question period. Interaction between
the lecturer and students is generally limited
and, when present, impersonal.
Classes at Grinnell are rarely this formal;
instead, they are often discussion-based and
rely on active student participation. While
excellent academic credentials are important,
this College prides itself, first and foremost, on
being a teaching institution and its professors
should be hired accordingly.
In addition to the aforementioned job
talks, departments should provide forums
that more closely resemble class dynamics at
Grinnell. Some departments, such as math
and psychology, invite
their candidates to guest
teach during a class pe-
riod. They sometimes
even provide students
with literature relevant
to their topic.
This format provides
students and faculty
greater insight into how
a candidate would fit within the classroom and
the department. Candidates who may not ex-
cel at more formal lecturing may nevertheless
perform better in a classroom setting.
Professors at Grinnell are expected to do
more than simply talk at their students. They
must be willing and excited to facilitate dia-
logue, while mentoring their students in an ac-
ademically invigorating and emotionally nur-
turing environment. A mere lecture should not
be the determining factor in hiring Grinnell
professors.

Take advantage of Grinnell’s tiny campus

on the mythology of the moon at 7 p.m.
and a general open house will begin at 8:15
p.m. Bob Cadmus, director of the observa-
tory, will guide participants as they view the
moon and Saturn through the observatory
telescope. Activities will proceed in inclem-
ent weather. Those who plan to attend
should contact Stewart Library by calling
236-2664 before 5 p.m. on Friday, April
3. For additional information contact Bob
Cadmus at 641-269-3016, 641-269-3014,
or cadmus@grinnell.edu.
Savanna Restoration Workday. April
4, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.; Conard Envi-
ronmental Research Area. Volunteers will
pile branches and salvage logs from invasive
trees to restore a bur oak savanna, sponsored
by the Grinnell College Center for Prairie
Studies. To volunteer contact Larissa Mottl
at mottll@grinnell.edu or for more informa-
tion visit http://web.grinnell.edu/cps/Events/
Coming_Events/index.html
Community Day. April 4, 1:30 p.m. -3
p.m.; Faulconer Gallery, Bucksbaum Center
for the Arts. All ages are invited to try out
a variety of fun animation techniques—flip
books, painting on Plexiglas, drawing on
film, and simple paper cutouts. Refresh-
ments provided. For more information con-
tact Tilly Woodward at woodward@grinnell.
edu.
Carlos Lu ’10 reminds readers of the many benefits our small campus has to offer to students
Welcome back everyone. Spring break has goes to class. I see. to get to a class in Noyce (granted you’re some
come and gone, and I’m sure that most of you People, this school is small (we are a small kind of science major and actually know your
spent it somewhere liberal arts col- way around Noyce).
outside of Grinnell. lege, after all). A friend recently expressed to me how
Probably somewhere Carlos Lu ‘10 120 acres isn’t much he loved his current living situation.
considerably bigger that big. Most of This gentleman has a sink in his room in Main,
than the bubble that This School Has a Bad our peers would and is steps from the elevator that leads to the
is our sprawling, Sleep Cycle kill to be able to laundry room and food at Bob’s. “Carlos,” he
120-acre campus get places as fast says, “I never have to put shoes on!”
and the budding metropolis of a downtown. as we do. That’s why it pains me to hear people Sometimes at the end of the day, I stop and
Did you go somewhere where you had to moan and groan about walking from Norris think about all the things that I did that day,
drive a car to get from one place to another? to Burling, or East D to Bucksbaum. I know all of the different classrooms and dorm rooms
How long did that drive take? I bet it took lon- you’re walking all the way across campus, but I walked to, all of the people I stopped to talk
ger than however long it takes to drive from honestly, it’s not going to take to. Sure, it’s pretty
the East D parking lot to Chuong’s going the you more than 15 minutes, ten much the same group
speed limit. And if you did drive a distance if you walk briskly. “It’s crunch time people, so get of people for most of
shorter than that, then I hope you were in But I’ll be honest, I’m
Siberia and you couldn’t walk because it was definitely guilty of having
in that driver seat and do work, the year, but I knew
that coming in. I knew
so cold and windy that if you had walked, you complained about walking to son. ” that there would only
would have died. somewhere on this campus. be 1,500 other kids at
I bet that a few of you visited friends at Living in such a small world, it’s easy to forget my school, and I hope you did too.
other schools. Listen to Asher Roth much? just how good we have it with a school of our There are six weeks left in the academic
And I bet your friend’s campus was bigger size. year. It’s crunch time people, so get in that
than Grinnell’s (I’ll even bet my fake tooth on Let’s face it—we Grinnellians live by con- driver seat and do work, son. Take advantage of
it.) It takes your friend half an hour to get to venience. If you live anywhere in Younker how easily you can go from studying in Burl-
class? And that’s if he catches the 8 a.m. bus to South, it takes you less than five minutes to get ing one minute, to hanging out with friends on
get across campus? Oh, so that’s why he never to a class in ARH, and less than ten minutes Main loggia the next.

Herrick Chapel Organ Rededication

Concerts. April 3, 8 p.m. and Saturday,
April 4, 3 p.m. & 8 p.m.; Herrick Chapel,
Grinnell College. The world premiere of
a commissioned organ piece will be pre-
formed Friday, and an official rededication
ceremony and recital will be held Saturday
afternoon. A silent film with organ ac-
companiment will also be shown Saturday
evening. For more information visit http://
www.grinnell.edu/tv/gno/03_27_2009_1/

Brass Concert. April 5, 7:30 p.m.- 9

p.m.; Sebring-Lewis Hall (104), Bucks-
baum Center for the Arts. The University
of Nebraska Brass Quintet will present a
recital featuring music of the 20th and 21st
centuries. The band features members of
the University of Nebraska faculty on the
trumpet, horn, trombone and tuba.

Animation Open Screening. April 9, 7

p.m. - 8:30 p.m.; Faulconer Gallery, Bucks-
baum Center for the Arts. Artists of all ages
are invited to bring a DVD of finished ani-
mations for viewing. We provide computer,
projector, screen and refreshments. For
more information contact Tilly Woodward
at woodward@grinnell.edu. Mike Kleine ’11
April 3, 2009
SB&
OPINION edited by Morgan Horton
hortonmo@grinnell.edu 11
superficial. Consequently, we again demand that you istration had chosen other paths to communicate and
No limits response to RKO letter respond to our initial letter and specific demands with educate the residents of the dorm about the Clean Air
Thank you, President Osgood, for your timely a comprehensive plan for action, including a timeline, Act, such as through our RLC and SAs, we would not
response, which demonstrates your understanding of formulated with input and collaboration from all those feel so accosted. We hope that we all can facilitate bet-
the value of student voice. Your letter reaffirms that initially addressed by Monday, April 13, 2009. ter communication in the future, in order to prevent
we share many of the same interests and concerns. We [Note—Quotations in this letter are taken from such drastic changes in security measures. Cleveland
too see the need for “a community sense of restraint President Osgood’s response to the No Limits de- has always demonstrated responsible self-governance
and commitment to [the College’s] key priorities.” It mands on March 24, 2009 (a copy of which can be and we will continue to do so, if only we are allowed.
is this that draws us to action: the failure of the Col- found on the No Limits Project website). This letter —Addy Najera ’10 and Julia Gerasimenko ’12 The Snedge
lege to act in a manner that is consistent with our key was drafted by a subcommittee of 12 students chosen
priorities—in particular our commitment to social re- at an open meeting. Over 200 students had the op- Hire Rob Lewis for tenure track
portunity to suggest revisions and attend an editing
sponsibility.
session.]
We are writing to express our deep disappoint- Noyce and ARH
A point-by-point response to your letter can be ment in the History Department’s decision not to
found at nolimitsgrinnell.wordpress.com. Here, we —To see the 34 members of the No Limits Project who hire Professor Rob Lewis for a tenure-track position go head-to-head
would like to focus on a few key points. signed this letter, please see www.thesandb.com in Modern European History. Those of us who have
We would first like to address your concerns re- been fortunate enough to take a class with Professor
On Monday, J. Francis
garding the fiscal state of the college. To those who Cleveland police interrogations Lewis know that his passion for his subject is unri- Buse polled 50 people
suggest that this is an inopportune or irresponsible Picture this: you come back from spring break and valed, and his energy is infectious. His classes are al- at Noyce and Jai Garg
time to undertake this project, we assert that this is ex- spend a lovely Sunday reconnecting with friends. You ways full, and he has inspired many students to major polled 50 people at ARH,
actly the moment in which we must reaffirm our com- go to bed to get a good night’s sleep for your first class (or double major) in history. asking:
mitment to social responsibility. While we agree that back on Monday at 9 a.m. You are dreaming of the Not only is he an engaging professor, but Rob
there is a need for restraint and responsible spending, future Grinnell Water Park, when suddenly you are Lewis is also willing to dedicate vast amounts of time
towards helping students with whatever project they
No Limits or End-
our commitment to social responsibility—one of our awoken by loud bangs on your door. You open the door
three core values—cannot be compromised in the to see a police officer and Steven Briscoe on the other are working on—even beyond the bounds required for less Possibilities
name of economic caution. If we only put our words side as they begin to interrogate you. the actual class. Be it an essay contest, a scholarship ap-
into actions when the market is good, this is not a core This story refers to the incident that took place in plication, or internship advice, Professor Lewis always
value—it becomes a secondary consideration at best. Cleveland Hall at two in the morning this past Sunday makes himself available to help. We attend Grinnell Noyce
60%
Furthermore, let us be very clear: most of our demands night. In response to finding an illegal substance in College for the opportunity to be taught by professors
would be effectively cost-neutral. Cleveland Lounge (a common space), Grinnell secu- like Rob Lewis, who care about teaching and interact-
We appreciate your recognition of students’“unique rity and Grinnell Town Police began to search the first ing with their students just as much as they care about
voice,” and the integral role students have played in and second floors of our dorm. Anyone caught in the their own research. No Limits
enacting change on campus. The No Limits Project hallway of the first or second floor was interrogated During the hiring process, students displayed
is a natural extension of the work that student activ-
ists have done in an effort to promote our professed
and residents were awoken and kept awake by secu-
rity and police forces. They were looking for names of
overwhelming support for Professor Lewis by packing
into ARH 102 for his Friday evening job talk, some of 40%
values. However, students cannot be the sole agents of people who spend time in the lounge to incriminate us sitting on the floor. The crowd was an academically Endless Pos-
institutional change. Efforts must also be made at the in association with substances and personal belong- diverse group of students, and included majors of not
administrative level to demonstrate a genuine com- ings found there. We understand the legitimacy of the only history, but of all disciplines; the student body of sibilities
mitment to social responsibility. We have presented complaints and accusations against the lounge, espe- Grinnell expressed broad-based enthusiasm for Rob
you with fourteen specific actions that deserve your cially in light of the substances found. However, the Lewis’s candidacy. We wish the History Department ARH
44%
immediate attention. We are eager to collaborate once manner in which the search was conducted showed a had placed greater value on this outpouring of student
we have a sincere commitment to implement these lack of personal respect for the students in the dorm support as well as his consistently outstanding class re-
projects, many of which the administration has his- and a violation of our sense of security. Shining flash- views, and we urge you to reconsider your decision and
torically claimed to support. Unfortunately, you have lights in students’ faces as they sleep and random in- hire Professor Lewis for a tenure-track position. No Limits
thus far engaged with our demands inadequately by terrogations were not welcome at two a.m. the night We would also like to take this opportunity to
merely rehashing the college’s marketing rhetoric.
Finally, because the president is “ not the sole de-
before classes began.
There is a huge gap in communication between
thank Professor Lewis for the two outstanding years
that he has devoted to us, his students. Professor—on 56%
cision maker at Grinnell,” we continue to hold ac- the administration and the residents of our dormi- behalf of every Grinnellian who read a little deeper Endless Pos-
countable not only you, but also your administrative tory. There was a noticeable, uncomfortable and unex- because you engaged them in conversation, on behalf sibilities
colleagues and the Board of Trustees for failing to pected change in the presence of security in our home of every student who researched for your papers and
follow through on projects put forth by members of starting with the beginning of spring break. Security forgot that it was work, and on behalf of everyone who
the College community. As we have documented, the started coming in at least four times a day and have you introduced to the world of the Parc des Princes, of
extensive history of student activism through tradi- continued their rounds regularly. It is unfortunate that Haussmann, of Dreyfus or De Gaulle—thank you.
tional channels has produced insufficient results. All Cleveland has been targeted because residents have —To see the list of the 120 signatories of this letter,
too often, administrative support has been merely begun to feel less safe and less at home. If the admin- please visit www.thesandb.com.
DID
S&B Online: Ward ’09 on the dangers of the cold YOU
KNOW
The weather I just played two softball games in was described
variously as light ice pellets (sleet), “wintery mix,” and heavy snow
snow in converses with my coat unbuttoned. You know, because
the boys liked it. Like all parents, mine were convinced this would ?
fog with a chance of an old favorite—thundersnow. The tricky lep- kill me.
rechaun of weather once again eluded us, but we weren’t too upset as Were I on the verge of death, the first signs that I was develop- Every second, Amer-
even our feelings were numb by that point. ing hypothermia are described as the “umbles”: stumbles, mumbles, icans collectively eat
When it is 33 degrees and pelleting, and you are attempting to hit fumbles and grumbles, which is exactly what I sounded like on my one hundred pounds
a fast-moving object with an aluminum bat, you contemplate certain 7 a.m. hike. of chocolate
things about mortality—like how imminent it is.
I’m a Minnesotan, and naturally cool, which means that in high To read the rest of this column and view other web-only content, w w w. s t ra n g e f a c t s . c o m
school I didn’t take the bus and instead hiked a quarter mile through visit the S&B’s website at www.thesandb.com.

The Scarlet & Black welcomes story ideas from students, faculty and
other members of the town and college community. If there is any story that
should be covered, please email newspapr@grinnell.edu.
The Scarlet and Black April 3, 2009 Send letters to the editor via email at newspapr@grinnell.edu or mail
them to Box 5886. The author’s name must be included, but letters can be
published anonymously in certain occasions upon request. Letters will be
printed at the discretion of the editor. The S&B reserves the right to edit any
Editors-in-Chief Pat Caldwell Graphics Editor Mike Kleine and all submissions. The deadline for publication in Friday’s paper is Tuesday
and David Logan News Assistant Brian Sherwin of the same week. Please do not include footnotes in letters to the editor.
Ad Designer Karuna Giri News Editor J. Francis Buse
The opinions expressed in letters to the editor, opinion columns and
Arts Editor Mark Japinga Opinion Editor Morgan Horton advertising do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the S&B, SPARC or
Business Manager Katie McMullen Photo Editor Ben Brewer Grinnell College.
Copy Editor Stephanie Nordstrom Sports Editor Jai Garg
Design Editor Margie Scribner Web Design Tony Pan Advertising inquiries should be directed to the business manager, Katie
McMullen, who can be reached at sandbads@grinnell.edu or by mail at Box
Features Editor Chloe Moryl Honorary Editor Robert Logan 5886, Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA 50112.

The Scarlet & Black is published on Fridays by students of Grinnell College and is printed by Marengo Publishing Corporation. The Subscriptions to the S&B within the United States cost $25 per semes-
newspaper is funded in part by the Student Publications and Radio Committee (SPARC) and also relies on advertising revenue to cover ter. Subscriptions outside the U.S. are $55 for surface mail and $85 for air
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consent from SPARC. nell.edu.
12 &
OPINION
edited by Morgan Horton
hortonmo@grinnell.edu April 3 , 2009

Time to start preparing for an inevitable zombie invasion

SB
Rachel Fields ’09 may not have the appropriate weaponry to fight off mobs of angry zombies should they attack in the near future
I spent spring break in the exotic locale The point is that for the stretches of non- katana out of this Walmart lamp.” ate weaponry and our propensity to drink wine
of Lemont, Ill., home to the state’s largest Grinnell time, I could do something other Since I read Max Brooks’ “The Zombie in the afternoon, we don’t stand a chance.
cookie jar collection, a haunted softball field than sit at home and eat clam chowder straight Survival Guide” a few months ago, I’ve been I recently surveyed my room for potential
and the Lemont High School Injun. I wish we from the can. somewhat con- weapons, and the
were playing two truths and a lie right now, With the Target gone, I had to find some- cerned about my only things I could
but all of those things are true. I don’t even thing else to occupy my time. You’re probably lack of ability to find were a broken
know which one is the most ridiculous, but I thinking books or movies or running or fam- fight off the liv- Rachel Fields ‘09 hair dryer, a bag of
do know that if you thought the “state’s larg- ily interaction, but I laugh at all those sugges-
est cookie jar collection” might be a rollicking tions. I had something much more important
ing dead—or the
living, or small
Pro-Laugh Bananagrams tiles,
and a photograph of
good time, you would be wrong. Dead wrong. in mind—preparing for an inevitable invasion animals, inani- me sporting a bowl
Lemont recently decided to tear down of zombies. mate objects, a cut in sixth grade.
our Target, effectively sealing our victory as Let me preface this by saying that I should crippling sense of directionlessness, or pretty At this point, I’m pretty much counting
the World’s Worst Vacation never, ever, under any cir- much anything else. on a lesser-known zombie weakness being a
Destination and ruining my cumstances, be encour- If zombies could be killed by a sense of co- penchant for word games, or a strong sense of
life. In the past, if I had, say, If zombies could be killed by a sense aged to think about possi- medic timing, I might be okay, but as it is, I pity.
three hours to kill, I could of comedic timing, I might be okay, ble apocalyptic situations. would be among the first to go. I have a feeling I might be avoiding prepar-
go to Target and browse the It’s just too easy to use Over this break, I read a book called ing for graduation by preparing for the end of
children’s toy section. Sure, but as it is, I would be amoung the them as a procrastination “World War Z,” a scarily detailed “oral history” the world instead. I might run into problems
all that security video foot- first to go. tool. “Uh, yeah, I could of a zombie war. The main lesson I learned come May 18, but think about it, if the zom-
age of me brushing the hair write this paper,” I think at from the book was that if you want to survive a bies don’t come, I can always scrounge around
of Cabbage Patch dolls isn’t 4 a.m. on Thursday night. zombie apocalypse, it’s probably better if you’re for a job. Good luck building a makeshift ka-
going to win me any political positions, but “But are zombies going to be affected by reams not living at 1126 Broad Street. What with our tana on that kind of short notice.
that’s not the point. of paper cuts? Better get to work fashioning a two unguarded entrances, our lack of immedi-

Growing up in the 1950s surrounded by extended family

One of the myths prevalent when I grew deed, we lived with them in series during the family proximity but my cousins were a tre- all of the memories of our growing up with the
up in the 1950s was that people lived in to- summer in an old cottage in Rockport, Massa- mendously important aspect of our family life. wonderful aspects and the hard lessons about
tally nuclear families and that women did not chusetts, which the family still owns. My great Tommy and Bobby both died tragically while death and sadness can be recalled gently.
work outside of the home. My own upbring- aunts and uncles and my great-grandmother young but my brother, sister and I still occa- So, while life in the 1950’s certainly had its
ing, largely in Massachusetts, involved regular (called “Aunt Emma”) would visit the house sionally see my three other cousins, Joy, Susan, negative aspects, in my case it was not a life of
interactions with a very large extended family, while my family was staying there (my parents and Helen, and visiting with them is a way that isolated nuclear families.
including people who had emigrated or whose and my brother and sister). We would be there
parents had emigrated to the United States, with my Osgood grandparents, my father’s
and a large number of professional women. disabled brother, and a kaleidoscope of these
My mother’s parents, James Russell and relatives.
Annie Guthrie, were both from immigrant I can’t imagine a better education as I grew
families that came to the United States from up. They were all different and interesting.
Scotland (and also went back from time to Living with my disabled uncle was a seminal
time for further education and to see fam- experience in my life because I learned about
ily). Both of my mother’s parents had a dozen living with someone of different abilities, and
brothers and sisters. We didn’t interact with all I also saw my grandmother dedicate herself to
of them because some had returned to Scot- seeing that my uncle had every chance to live a
land or lived far away but we did see some of good life, a dedication that literally lasted until
the others regularly. A number of them, men the minute she died in a Boston hospital many
and women, never married and had various oc- years later.
cupations including college and public school My Russell grandparents came to live
teaching. eventually in Methuen, Massachusetts and
My father’s parents, Helen and George Os- were different but just as interesting. My
good, were lifelong New Englanders who grew grandfather was a learned and literary-minded
up within large extended families in Malden Presbyterian minister. He was a wonderful fig-
and Newburyport, ure matched only by
Massachusetts, his wife, my Grand-
respectively. My mother Russell, who
Grandmother
Osgood grew up
Russell K. Osgood spoke English with a
heavy Gaelic brogue.
in Oak Grove in The RKO Corner She had a feisty dis-
Malden after her position and was a
mother died of master of the house
diphtheria while her father was deployed to and the family. My grandfather was intellec-
Cuba during the Spanish-American War. tual and not practically minded. I remember
My grandmother was raised by her moth- my grandmother even managing her death (at
er’s sister, my Aunt Grace Dean, who never home) of cervical cancer and then the void af-
married and was a professional musician, ter she died. She had a large coterie of brothers
playing and teaching piano and the trumpet and sisters that left my mother and my sib-
in hotels around New England. Aunt Grace’s lings and me with a number of Scottish (and
parents owned the dairy store on the corner in Pennsylvanian) cousins. She loved Zane Grey
Oak Grove (the milk came from a family farm westerns and tried very hard to escape the role
in Cochituate, Mass.). of being the minister’s wife. She was a superb
Across the street my Grandmother’s Mag- Scottish cook and everything I know about
ee grandparents (originally from Nova Scotia) budget management I learned from her and
owned the grocery store. She had several Dean from my other grandmother, Helen Osgood,
uncles who also lived in Oak Grove and taught a smart manager and investor.
the French horn and the bassoon. Her father This could go on and on but I will finish
owned a legal stationery business in Boston with one other aspect of my family. My mother
and was an official in the American Legion. had two brothers and a sister and we would
My Grandfather Osgood had a sister, Jessie, occasionally see their children (my Russell
who never married and was an accountant cousins). More important in terms of contact,
with the New England Confectionary Com- my father had a second brother who had five
pany (NECCO) at its main Cambridge office. children and a wife from the South, my Aunt
His other sister, Mollie, married the Chief En- Mary. While my older relatives would come to
gineer of the New Haven railroad and I saw a visit for relatively short periods of time (one
lot of her when I attended college. week or so), my Osgood cousins, Joy, Susan,
The amazing thing about all of these rela- Helen, Bobby and Tommy, would come for a
tives is that they were uniformly long-lived month and stay in a nearby cottage.
and I got to know a large number of them. In- There were, no doubt, tensions in all of this
April 3, 2009 &
SPORTS 13
Track and field teams head to South Carolina over break
SB edited by Jai Garg
gargjai@grinnell.edu

BY M AX CALENBERG
With an influx of students, strong returning athletes, and
an encouraging indoor season, the men’s and women’s track and
field teams are aiming to have a standout season.
The teams traveled to Myrtle Beach, S.C., over spring break
to practice and compete in the Shamrock Invitational hosted by
Coastal Carolina University.
“We often did more than one workout a day,” said women’s
head coach Evelyn Freeman. “It was nice to not be limited by
time. There was a lot more opportunity to work on technical
events.”
After a week of practices, athletes competed in the invita-
tional against top competition including St. Norbert College,
UNC Wilmington, University of South Carolina, and 2008 Di-
vision II champion St. Augustine College.
On the men’s side, team Captain Nick Sparr ’09 ran away
with the 3000 meter race,
winning in a time of 8
“It felt good. Especially to beat minutes 47.44 seconds,
some Division I guys.” while setting a school re-
cord for the event.
“It felt good,” said
Nick Sparr ’09 Sparr. “Especially to beat
some Division I guys.”
Willie Stewart ’09
placed third in the javelin throw, throwing an impressive 191’ 11”,
an NCAA Division III National’s provisional mark, the tempo-
rary mark to qualify for nationals.
“I was pleased with my throwing,” Stewart said. “It was a
vast improvement upon my opening meet last year; hopefully it
speaks of good things to come.”
For the women’s team, Becky Bessinger ’09 claimed fifth in
the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, with a time of 11:53.85.
“It’s been two years since she’s run that race,” Freeman said.
“So it was nice to see her get a good race under her belt.”
One disadvantage plaguing Grinnell in the past has been low
team numbers in certain events, particularly shorter distances.
However, this season Coach Freeman has seen that trend re-
verse.
“In the past distance runners have been at least half the team,”
Freeman said. “This year we have a lot of new sprinter-jumper
types, so that really helps with balancing our team.” Left to Right Maia Olsen ’11, Victoria Vertilo ’12, Allegra Kwong ’11 cruise around the track at a blustery Monday practice in prepara-
Although the team did not fare too well at the Midwest tion for the team’s first meet this Saturday at Central College. SOPHIE FAJARDO
Conference Indoor Championships, with the men taking fifth
place and women eight-place, Coach Freeman cites injuries and Once the team gets healthy, and with the addition of some said. “We have never had a male high jumper, and now we have
missing athletes for the results. outdoor events, namely the javelin, in which Grinnell has four of Dylan [Boucher ’12] and Andy [Hirakawa ’12] who could both
“Had we been at full strength we have no doubt that we the top five throwers in the conference, both squads are looking potentially place at conference.”
would’ve finished second,” Freeman said. “With the women, to move up in a conference traditionally dominated by Mon- The Pioneers will be traveling to meets the following two
we had quite a few health issues and some key athletes studying mouth College. weekends, before retuning home to host their only home meet of
abroad.” “This is the most complete team in my four years,” Stewart the season, the Dick Young Classic on April 18.

TWO NIGHTS ONLY!

THIS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
AL EAST NL EAST
GRINNELL MONOLOGUES
Red Sox Mets
Yankees Phillies 8 P.M.
Rays Braves LOOSE LOUNGE
Orioles Nationals
Blue Jays Marlins

AL CENTRALL NL CENTRAL
Cubs
Indians Brewers
Tigers Reds
Royals Cardinals
Twins Astros
White Sox Pirates

AL WEST NL WEST
ALCS: Yankees Vs. Athletics
Athletics NLCS: Cubs Vs. Mets Dodgers
Angels AL Champion: Yankees Diamondbacks
Mariners Giants
NL Champion: Cubs Padres
Rangers Rockies
World Series: Yankees Vs. Cubs
Champion: Cubs
 14 edited by Jai Garg
gargjai@grinnell.edu
Cyclists invade the Grinnell campus—fix bikes, compete in races
Professor Robert Lewis, History, Anders Ahlberg ’10, and Joey Wendel ’11 represent Bike Club with pride and style.
BY A LEX WOLF
When the Grinnell College cycling club was created last
year, it barely had its wheels. “We started the club to get peo-
ple who enjoy riding bikes to ride together,” said Ahlberg.
Since then the club has evolved to encompass many
more aspects.“The goals of the cycling club I think are sort
Students bring mixed martial arts to the Grinnell campus
BY STEPHANIE NORDSTROM
This semester, the mats and pads of a dingy, windowless room
in the PEC have been getting quite a workout.
Five days weeks, a group of students gather in the mat room
to exercise and practice the technical aspects of different martial
arts.
“We’re just a couple of guys who work out together and trade
what we know about the martial arts,” said Ian Warlick ’10.
Warlick and David Paige ’09, both members of the College’s
swim team, started the workout sessions last year. Paige said he
tried to start a mixed martial arts club two years ago, but “it re-
ally failed pretty terribly” due to differences of opinion over the
nature of the club.
The group is mainly focused on fitness, from running to lift-
ing weights. “I don’t want people to get the impression that it’s a
fight club, that it’s really violent,” Warlick said. “We do spar but
not a lot.”
According to both Paige and Warlick, the group teaches each
other using the internet and books and by drawing on the mem-
bers’ experience in several different martial arts, including Muay
Thai, Tae Kwon Do, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, and forms of wres-
tling. The group has expanded to seven members, and they have
been working out since the end of the swim season.
“There’s a good base of people who actually do martial arts,
and if you can find them and get them into the mat room they
can teach you a lot,” Paige said. “What I fundamentally believe
about martial arts is that you can’t be exclusionary.”
The appeal of the workouts is different for each participant,
though the group agrees that the workouts are overall a great
experience.
“What I like most is that your really get the chance to com-
pete with other students,” said Anthony Oliveri ’09, a regular
participant in the club. “But in a friendly, not antagonist way.”
According to Paige, one of the major problems the group
has encountered is the state of the mat room. “It’s abysmal the
way that room is treated,” Paige said. “A decent kick will go right
through those pads.”
However, Paige and Warlick are overall pleased with the way
their workouts are progressing. “What we’ve got going on is a lot
SB
SPOO&
PORTS
P OR
ORT
RTS
R
RTTS
T April 3, 2009
Earlier this year, the cycling club presented an initiative
for a campus bike shop which the student body passed. The
bike shop aims to provide bike care education and bike re-
pair for students, free of charge. This year, SGA allocated
$1485.50 to cycling club to support the bicycle shop and to
help the team attend two races. As the weather gets nice, the
club plans too set up shop in front of the JRC. “People can
bring in their bike and we’ll do minor repairs for them, sort
of help the bikes
run more smooth-
ly,” said Joey Wen-
del ’11, who par-
“If anyone wants to ride, ev-
ticipates the club. eryone has access to the Plans,
In addition to
the bike shop the
where they can post if they’re
group has focused doing a ride, or they can send
on getting more
community in-
an e-mail to the whole group.”
volvement through Joey Wendel ‘11
group rides. “We
have fun rides on the weekends, especially when it’s nicer
out, like early fall and spring,” Wendel said. “If anyone
wants to ride, everyone has access to the Plans, where they
can post if they’re doing a ride, or they can send an e-mail
to the whole group.”
Aside from the casual group rides, the club also gets
involved with more competitive cycling. “We are going to
do sort of skills clinics later on in the spring,” Lewis said.
Last summer, members of the club strengthened Grinnell’s
statewide image by participating in Register’s Annual Great
Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, or RAGBRAI. According to
Wendel, the Grinnell team was well received by other races
at the annual competition. “People liked us on RAGBRAI,”
he said.
The club team races in the North Central Collegiate
Cycling Conference, which organizes races in various loca-
tions during the spring. The team hopes this season to at-
tend its first race at University of Nebraska at Lincoln on
April 18th.
Aside from competing in more events, the team hopes
SOPHIE FAJARDO to expand and grow on campus. “I think an answer in the
future is hopefully sort of growing the presence of cycling on
of twofold,” said Rob Lewis, History and cycling club par- this campus,” Lewis said. “Whether it means getting more
ticipant. “One is to basically promote awareness of cycling people to go out and ride recreationally, encouraging them
on campus at sort of all levels, and the other is to sort of to ride so that later in life so they will bike-commute, or
offer a chance for students who want to get a little more whether it’s turning it into a more competitive [club], cy-
seriously involved in the sport of competitive cycling, sort of cling is a fantastic sport, it’s addictive.”
help them get started racing.”
Ian Warlick ’10 performs a high kick with David Paige ’09 as Paul Bellora ’10 (left) and Sam Sherwood ’12 (right) look on.
MICHELLE FOURNIER
of fun,” Warlick said. “I’m very happy with what we’ve got.” Despite not being a club, members accomplish a lot and learn
Currently, the group is not an official club and does not re- from each other. “When I’m in there, I’m student and teacher,”
ceive SGA funding. The members have decided against pursuing Paige said. “I get a real sense of accomplishment. I really want to
official club status because of the obligation implied with it. “I be a teacher after I leave Grinnell. Just the act of teaching some-
didn’t try asking for money because I remember the fiasco last thing to someone and realizing how that makes you feel ... that
time,” said Paige. has been invaluable.”
April 3, 2009
S B 15
Baseball starts the season strong, prepares for MWC
&
SPORTS edited by Jai Garg
Gargjai@grinnell.edu

After being inside the friendly confines of the PEC, the team traveled on a ten game road trip including a trip to Florida
BY C HLOE MORYL
With late March and early April snow flurries; the baseball team has been
relegated to practicing and competing in indoor venues—not exactly conducive to
real game situations. After coming back from a successful training trip in Florida,
the baseball team has gained experience, confidence and sweet tan lines.
The Pioneers faced both conference and non-conference competition in their
ten-game road trip. Ending with a 7-3 record for the trip, many of the games were
high scoring, including a 20-4 win against Crown College, a 15-4 win against
Earlham College, and a 7-0 win against Lawrence University.
While there were definite standout performers, specifically Paden Roder ’10,
Ben Mendoza ‘09, and Greg Suryn ‘11, the Pioneers attribute their offensive suc-
cess to their depth of bats. “The nice thing about our lineup is that we have a lot of
guys that can hit well so when one of our top guys is having a bad day somebody
in the back can pick them up,” said Ryan Fletcher ’11. “We also had a lot of good
pitching. All our pitchers did well, but Harris was lights out.”
Pitcher Ryan Harris ’10 was named this week’s Midwest Conference Men’s
Baseball Performer of the Week after garnering a perfect 0.00 ERA. Over the trip,
Harris pitched a total of 13 innings and was the winning pitcher in two games.
Though the Pioneers have strong bats and quick gloves, many of the double-
header contests ended up being split. “It’s mainly due to a lack of focus,” Fletcher
said, “because we definitely have the talent to win but sometimes we just don’t
bring it as much as we can, and then sometimes the bounces just don’t go your
way.”
With seasoned talent on the team, for the first-year class, of which there are 12
playing on the team this year, the trip to Florida really meant getting significant
playing time in their first collegiate games. “Obviously, the trip was a good bond-
ing experience for everybody and then on the team you get a little bit better of a
view of what your role is going to be,” said catcher Mike Nodzenski ’12. “It was
definitely a good experience for the freshmen because everybody got playing time
and you know sometimes that won’t be the case later in the year.”
Fletcher agreed, adding that the volume of games will better prepare the team
for conference play. “But I think it’s nice that we have that many games they have
a chance to get in there and really feel it out so when conference comes around
they’re not like deer in headlights,” Fletcher said.
With a handful of games under their belt, the Pioneers travel to Galesburg to In the blistering cold, Jim Malewitz ’09 catches for a bullpen session outside while Chad Takabuki ’10 simulates a batter
face Knox College in their first conference game of the season this Saturday at 1 to get the pitcher used to throwing in near-game situations. PAUL KRAMER
p.m.
 The Back Page
The Best Thing Since The Front Page

Sarah Casson ‘11

Green Ideas

As people move on from the

basic simple steps of environmen-
talism, some are bound to get more
creative. More and more wacky ideas
are being proposed as ultimate and
unusual solutions to climate change.
According to Time, Agroplast, a
Denmark-based company, has come
up with the solution to plastic waste.
Instead of using plastic-based dis-
posable silverware and cups or even
vegetable-based ones (as the Grill
does for its cups), Agroplast uses
pig urine to create a biodegradable
solution to the problem. Yes, you
read that right—pig urine. They call
their company a Human-Animal
Solutions Equipment Biogas Con-
sultancy.
Photo of the Agroplast not only provides a
solution for the replacement of non-
After a chance meeting on the white-sand beaches of Costa Rica, Mo Gallo-Chasanoff ’10, Mark Rosenberg ’11, Brian Week biodegradable plastics but also aids
Wermcrantz ’09, Andrew Fair ’09, Jeff Raderstrong ’09 and Dorothy Sheu ’10 decided to spend spring break as only Jeff Raderstrong ’09 the agricultural sector by consuming
Grinnellians know how: intellectual stimulation combined with the pleasures of dirt-cheap, high-volume alcohol. a waste product that is both a bio-
The S&B can’t be everywhere! Submit your photo to us at [newspapr]. Earn $10 for contributing the winning photo.
hazard and expensive in its disposal.
They quite proudly boast that they
“transform manure into value-added
April 4, 1978—Over spring break, in a move unpre-
This Week in cidented amoung liberal arts colleges, Grinnell sold
and profitable products.” And plas-
tics are not the only area where they
use animal waste. They also produce
Grinnell H istory Norris Hall to Holiday Inns International for an un-
disclosed sum.
glue, fuel and diesel engine emission
cleaning products all created from
animal waste, rather than fossil fu-
els.
Waste products in the agricul-
tural sector do pose environmental
problems that both derogate the en-
HER MORNING ELEGANCE: This feel-good music video makes us all vironment and contribute to climate
wish that we had cooler beds. change. Water contamination, land
expansion to incorporate increas-
ing waste and the release of meth-
ane and ammonia into the air are all
PRICE OF CIGARETTES: It’s good that society won’t have to absorb as problems that need to be fixed. But
much of the costs of tobacco-plagued bodies. But $7 a pack means the are pig urine plates the answer? I’m
not sure I want to be eating off one
“non-smokers” need to stop bumming cigarettes outside Harris. of their plates, even if it is sanitary.
But perhaps this is the way of
the future, the solution to our prob-
PROFESSORS ASSIGNING WORK OVER BREAK: What is the point lems, and one day you will be eating
off these plates in the dinning hall
in giving students a vacation if they have to spend the entire time without even blinking an eye.
writing papers and doing assigned readings?

Remember “I” before “E” More on sub-free housing Someone spilled their coffee
random C’mon, Henry Rietz. Change your name or The current debate on sub-free housing has After enjoying Frost/Nixon at Harris this past

rants
get out of dodge. Over my four years here I’ve
received countless emails, letters, and packages
intended for YOU. Just because you’re a profes-
sor and your name is almost the same as mine
Students speak is no excuse! I don’t care that Alicia will not
about what’s on be in your class today (thanks, Health Center).
their minds in 142 I will not write your advisee a letter of recom-
words or fewer, mendation to become a counselor (thanks, reli-
and you’re invited! gious studies student). I will not be attending the
If you have a rant, Diversity Leaders Program Dessert Reception
e-mail it to (thanks, admissions office). I do not want your
[hortonmo]. Com- book on the religious history of Newton (thanks,
random stranger). And no, I do not plan on pay-
plaining in a public
ing for your trip to Philadelphia this spring break
forum is always
(thanks, accounting office). So please remember
more fun than do- – “I” before “E” except when contacting ME.
ing it alone.
brought up an important question. Why does
sub-free housing exist? The very existence of
it runs against self governance. I believe that
Grinnell students should learn to work out our is-
sues rather than isolate two groups with differing
opinions. This lack of working together results in
groups that can become polarized with sub-free
students learning to only associate drinking with
being obnoxious and racking up dorm fees and
extremists (like me) on the other end that assume
all Grinnellians drink. After all, out there in the
real world we will all have to live and work with
people with opposing opinions.
Also, asking Southies whether Cleveland or
James should be sub-free is like asking if you
would rather be shot in the arm or leg.
Saturday afternoon, I reached down and picked up
the copy of Jean Baudrillard’s Passwords that I had
set on the floor beside me. Unfortunately, I was
greeted not with the book I had originally placed
there, but instead with a “special edition” that came
pre-soaked with your coffee! I looked in the direc-
tion of the coffee flow but alas, you were already
gone. As it is a relatively thin (and absorbent) book,
this particular copy has been rendered essentially
useless by the liquid that has permeated it. Though
these circumstances would be unfortunate in any
case, this book happens to belong to Burling Li-
brary. While I usually tend to visit the library so I
may avoid paying for a book I will read only once,
you have granted me an exciting opportunity: now
I get to pay for someone else’s copy of this book!
Thanks!

—Henry Reich ’09 —Neal Wepking ’10 —Chris Davis ’12

www.thesandb.com S&B on the Web thesandb.blogspot.com