The Independent Student News Site of Grinnell College and staff gathered in the Harris Center on April 13 2025 to mourn the loss of Julian Sahlin `28 In an email sent to all members of the Grinnell community on April 13 President Anne Harris and Vice President of Student Affairs JC Lopez wrote “It is with deep sadness that we write to inform you that we have learned of the tragic death of Julian Sahlin ’28.” The Poweshiek County Medical Examiner has not yet released the cause of death Dean for Health and Wellness Terry Mason spoke to students first remarking the tragedy of the situation and the difficulty of losing a member of the Grinnell family Dean of Religious Life and Chaplain/Rabbi Sarah Brammer-Shlay spoke after Mason staff or any other community members to pay their respects to Julian and speak about how the loss impacted them loyal — just some of the words that friends and members of College community used to describe Sahlin Other students shared stories about Sahlin One student read Sahlin’s application to work at Pedal Grinnell aloud giving a glimpse into Sahlin’s love for bikes Sahlin’s loss comes with immeasurable sadness Mason and Brammer-Shlay both encouraged affected members of the community to engage with the College’s health resources — counseling through Student Health and Wellness and the Center for Religion “Grief can be experienced in many different ways engaging in classes and work will provide comfort and meaning; for others “Our profound sympathy is with his parents The CRSSJ hosts a weekly grief drop-in support space on Monday from 4:15-5:15 p.m. at the Religious Activities Room (Prayer Garage). All community members affected by the loss are welcomed to drop in. Additionally, the College provides and encourages students to engage with its support resources available to all students The S&B will be publishing a piece commemorating Julian Sahlin’s life If you have any memories or stories of Julian that you would like to share he was always an upbeat and friendly person I knew in Cali Within the small city of Sunnyvale he stood out to those who knew him and would make the funniest jokes and brighten anyone’s day no matter how much you think you know them but as a community member we care for our Grinnell College students and know they are in the prime of their lives with a bright future ahead Condolences to his family for a life taken much too soon We will print, address, stamp and mail your card for you. Don't worry! We have the address for the funeral home & the family on file. If you're not happy with your card we'll send a replacement or refund your money. The family of Don Edward Grinnell created this Life Tributes page to make it easy to share your memories. Don Edward Grinnell ( Don Boy), a lifelong resident... April 30, 2025 at 10:42 pm CDTExpandAudrey Muckler PELLA — Tori White won the 100-meter hurdles, Audrey Muckler ran to a win in the 3,000 and the shuttle hurdle relay team posted a season-best time in winning another gold medal during the Tulip Time Relays on Monday. The Cardinals also finished second three times and placed third four times. That helped them score 126.5 points in third. Pella won its home meet with 176.5 points and Dowling Catholic was next with 163. The rest of the field included Ottumwa (82.5), Oskaloosa (70.5) and Pella Christian (68). “After most of the team had more than a week without competition, they were ready to get back after it,” Newton head girls track and field coach Rachelle Tipton said. “While they keep impressing us, they know there is more work to be done.” White won the 100 hurdles in 16.68 seconds and then anchored the shuttle hurdle relay team to a win. The foursome of Camryn Klein, Macy Lampe, Mack Sims and White won the race in a season-best time of 1 minute, 7.24 seconds. The final win came from Muckler in the 3,000. Her winning time was clocked in 11:38.58 and Alexis Sorensen (12:31.03) and Talia Friedman (12:50.49) were third and fifth, respectively. The Cardinals also scored double points in the 400 as Lauren Clarke was the runner-up in 1:00.47 and Alex Riney finished sixth in 1:09.07. Newton was third in a pair of field events. White placed third in the high jump with a leap of 4 feet, 9 inches and Abby Bruce had a mark of 15-2 1/2 in the long jump. On the track, Winther (2:26.85) finished second in the 800, Lola Rivera (28.39) took fourth in the 200, Harper Barton (5:14.94) placed fifth in the 1,500 and Sims (1:17.27) was sixth in the 400 hurdles. There weren’t a ton of best times because of a strong wind throughout the night, but the distance medley relay team did post a season-best time. The foursome of Lola Rivera, Jazmyn Rivera, Winther and Barton placed second in a season-best 4:27.79. “The goal for the night was to defeat the wind, not let it defeat us,” Tipton said. “The team took on that challenge and had a fantastic night.” The 4x100 relay team of BrookLynn Britton, Lola Rivera, Klein and Clarke finished third in 51.65. Riney, Winther, Klein and Barton placed third in the 4x400 relay in 4:22.38. Cardinals finish third at Grinnell Coed Tiger Relays GRINNELL — Newton won a trio of relays and finished in the top three nine times during the Grinnell Coed Tiger Relays on Tuesday. Clarke and White posted the top individual finishes for Newton, and the Cardinals also were second in the 4x200 relay. “With back-to-back nights of competition we had to be strategic in events to get the best out of the athletes for both nights,” Tipton said. “We look forward to some good rest and training as we head into the next three important weeks of the season.” Pella won the meet championship with 114.5 points. Williamsburg (68.5) edged Newton (62.5) for second and the rest of the field featured Iowa City Liberty (53), Bondurant-Farrar (46), Grinnell (36.5) and Oskaloosa (11). The Cardinals’ first win came in the sprint medley relay as Lampe, Klein, Lola Rivera and Clarke won the race in a season-best time of 1:53.05. Not too long after that, Newton won the 4x800 relay with Barton, Muckler, Riney and Winther. They posted a season-best time of 10:13.14. The shuttle hurdle relay team also came home with the gold medal. The quartet of Klein, Lampe, Sims and White won the race in 1:08.36. Klein, Lola Rivera, Bruce and Clarke placed second in the 4x200 in a season-best time of 1:46.82, which currently ranks 14th in Class 3A. The 4x100 relay team was outside the top three but posted a time under 51 seconds for the second time this season. The foursome of Klein, Lola Rivera, Bruce and Clarke placed fourth in 50.78. “The weather was much more cooperative this evening, and the team took full advantage,” Tipton said. Clarke (12.86) was the runner-up in the 100, White (16.05) and Sims (career-best 16.57) were 2-3 in the 100 hurdles and the Cardinals also doubled up in the 1,500 and 3,000. Muckler (5:12.4) and Winther (5:13.61) each posted career-best times in finishing 3-4 in the 1,500, while Temple Barton (12:21.53) and Laek Sullivan (13:19) turned in career-best times in the 3,000 and came in third and fifth, respectively. Harper Barton ran a career-best time of 2:28.29 and finished fourth in the 800 and White (1:18.29) was sixth in the 400 hurdles. White (4-10 also took fifth in the high jump and Bruce (15-7) and Sims (14-9) went 5-6 in the long jump. “I want to shout out the freshmen,” Tipton said. “They came into the season with a mindset matching the upperclassmen, ready to work hard and expect great things, but tonight especially, we had some step up into new roles and events and do very well.” Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here Troy Nells (R-TX) introduced the Endowment Tax Fairness Act in the United States House of Representatives the act would make Grinnell College’s endowment subject to a 21% excise tax a sharp increase from the current 1.4% tax The tax would affect “realized investment gains and income” of the endowment Vice President of Communications and Marketing The rate of 21% is the current corporate tax rate which was initially ratified as 1.4% in 2017 applies to any institution where the endowment per student is greater than $500,000 The endowment per student at Grinnell College was $1,526,198 in 2024 according to the National Association of College and University Business Officers we underscore that policies that negatively impact endowments vice president of marketing and communications Grinnell’s endowment per student value is the fourteenth highest in the nation Pomona College and Swarthmore College slightly higher in the rankings “Small liberal arts colleges like Grinnell College rely on their endowments to a greater degree than state institutions that receive hundreds of millions of dollars in grants and other support,” de Graffenreid wrote in an email to The S&B De Graffenreid detailed the College’s response to the proposed legislation as a joint effort with other institutions “The College is reaching out to elected representatives to share the potential impact of the proposed endowment tax on Grinnell both on our own and through higher education associations,” she wrote disproportionately harm small colleges,” de Graffenreid added De Graffenreid wrote that the College “is committed to remaining a need-blind institution that meets 100% of demonstrated need without required loans,” but added that the tax would be harmful to this goal “This kind of financial aid support is possible because of the College’s endowment,” de Graffenreid wrote While Grinnell’s large endowment provides some financial security for the school decreasing reliance on the endowment has been one of the major goals in recent years which details the College’s strategy for 2023-2030 “identify long-term ways to reduce endowment dependency.”  2024 all-campus email from President Harris reflected the need for change to the financial structure of the College “More than 60% of Grinnell’s operating budget is funded by the endowment making it one of the most endowment-dependent institutions in the U.S,” she wrote in the email “Recognizing that over-dependence on any one source of revenue is not financially prudent RED (Reduce Endowment Dependence) is seeking $5 million in annual operational budget space (through either cost-savings or new revenue) by FY29.” I get writing about legislation that would directly impact the college’s endowment and limit its ability to continue providing need-blind aid but I think there are bigger fish to fry than an outlandish bill that will never get out of subcommittee Would love to see some pieces on the executive branch or maybe how congress is turning into an American Duma It has three cosponsors and hasn’t moved in two months but the fact remains that the last Congress enacted only 3% of introduced legislation this Congress has only passed four of over 4,000 pieces of legislation Republicans aren’t going to spend their political capital getting this through when they can barely agree to a budget Grinnell College faces a potential financial crossroads as the Trump administration threatens to pull federal funding of colleges that maintain commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. With a renewed push to dismantle what it calls “discriminatory” admissions policies the administration has issued an ultimatum: colleges and universities must scrap diversity initiatives or lose federal dollars In a Feb. 14 memo, the Department of Education gave educational institutions that receive federal funds an ultimatum to stop using “racial preferences” as a factor in admissions The department imposed a two-week deadline to end any practice that treats students or workers differently because of their race The sweeping demand threatens to upend aspects of campus operations ranging from college application essays to classroom lessons and clubs This two-week notice federal order has sparked uncertainty for both public and private higher education institutions Public and private higher education institutions which now face potential cuts to federal research grants and other funding if they fail to dismantle DEI-related programming “It’s incredibly terrifying that what’s been backed up by science over and over again and then my rights are essentially just transient privileges that can be given back or taken away based on who the current administration is at the time,” Jax Sylvester `28 said The University of Iowa, a public research institution just an hour away from Grinnell, stopped recognizing or supporting diversity councils, including the African American Council, Latinx Council, Veterans and Military Council, and Native American Council, in compliance with a state-level crackdown through Senate File 2435 of Iowa Code chapter 261J Members of the Iowa House of Representatives have also moved to restrict DEI programming at private colleges and universities the Iowa House’s committee on higher education recommended the passage of HSB 60 the bill would prohibit private institutions that participate in the Iowa tuition grant program from establishing diversity The Iowa Tuition Grant offers up to $8500 per year to Iowa residents attending in-state private colleges and institutions There are no plans to change any programs at this time Despite the challenges to DEI at the state and federal level Grinnell’s administration has not issued any campus-wide statement emphasized on the College’s commitment to DEI programs in an email to The S&B “There are no plans to change any programs at this time,” wrote Reed “Our work is focused on creating opportunity for everyone to see themselves reflected in the institution’s fabric regardless of race veteran status or any other protected class This is what it means to comply with the law.” “Our approach to working with students remains steady and responsive,” Vrinda Varia associate chief diversity officer for student affairs “We are hoping to grow responsive action by engaging the cultural center advisory boards and multicultural leadership council in ongoing conversation related to affinity communities and campus climate.” identity groups and advisory boards are an important part of the student experience “When I applied for that job [at the Disability Cultural Center] I had a vision for that kind of positive impact that I wanted to make on our campus,” said Hannah Pallister `25 disability cultural ambassador at Grinnell “Just knowing that there is a possibility that might change how I do that job and how I interact with other students is worrying to me.” As a private institution Grinnell College is not governed directly by state mandates in the same way public universities are private colleges still rely on federal student aid programs like Pell Grants and federal loans federal research grants from sources like the National Science Foundation and the Department of Education and other government-based funding or partnerships Grinnell has long framed DEI as an indispensable component of its mission “Grinnell College has long identified a diverse community as one of its core values. But it is not enough simply to believe a value is intrinsic; it must be lived every day,” wrote College President Anne Harris in a February 2021 “President’s Message.”  My rights are essentially just transient privileges that can be given back or taken away based on who the current administration is at the time President Harris’s 2021 message announced the creation of a three-member DEI cabinet The cabinet’s current members include Marc Reed associate chief diversity officer for staff assistant chief diversity officer for intercultural student life and Caleb Elfenbein associate dean for faculty development and DEI OJALÁ – Spanish for “God willing,” this was the tag that Julian Sahlin `28 chose for himself as he began doing graffiti was found dead on Grinnell’s campus on April 12 The Poweshiek County Medical Examiner’s Office has not yet released his cause of death publicly Julian’s friends continue to look for the “OJALÁ” tags he left on Grinnell’s campus and in the surrounding area “I wish I had asked him why exactly he picked that name,” said Jack Searby `28 he liked the way the letters looked next to each other,” said Jackson Scheer `28 He loved to play with the way letters interacted with each other he looked at letters like they were shapes… and he would play with the lines of them… he thought about letters in a way I had never encountered.” Searby and Scheer shared a deep friendship – symbolized by the “JS” initials they all had in common referred to the three as the “Triple Js.” When Versh and Alger who work for the bikeshare program Pedal Grinnell would show up to open the church where they hold bike repair hours Versh and Alger met Julian at one of these workshop hours during his first couple of months at the College “Unforgettable person when you meet him,” Versh said of Julian Other friends of Julian’s also remember how physically striking he was upon first impression Luke Skoskiewicz `28 met him for the first time at a Grinnell-in-the Bay Area picnic the summer before they both started at the College and there’s just this little white bulb of hair over the horizon after Skoskiewicz and Julian had become friends Skoskiewicz still found himself looking for Julian’s distinct head of hair around Grinnell “There was a period during winter in which every time I saw someone walking over the horizon in a white hat I would have to look extra close because I wasn’t sure if it was Julian or just somebody wearing white,” Skoskiewicz said “And I think that speaks to just how visible he was at a distance.” also remembers being struck by his white hair on move-in day Julian’s distinctively bright hair was a result of his albinism which also caused his eyes to constantly vibrate “His eyes would never sit still,” said Searby “When you have someone you can’t make eye contact with and you can’t tell what they’re looking at zone into the conversation a little bit better because you’re not worried about them looking at a certain part of your face or looking away or not paying attention.”  Friends said there was never a question that Julian was always paying keen attention to those around him He was often described as open and patient “It was really easy to think that you were bothering him because he was so quiet but he was actually a great listener,” Olivia Brown `28 said Julian had hoped to major in mathematics and economics “He had a very mechanically intuitive brain,” Searby said “He was an incredibly analytical person,” Versh said “He had a real talent at being able to diagnose things very quickly I think a lot of that shows in his bike skills.” Julian applied to work as a mechanic for Pedal Grinnell during his sophomore year When Pedal Grinnell staff conducted blind resume reviews of applicants they did not realize Julian had applied until after he passed away “We started to connect some of the dots based off what information we could glean off his resume like where he went to high school,” Versh said “We realized that he was gonna be interviewed by us and likely hired.” “Always doing something for someone else,” he said “Always bringing bikes in here to fix for other people.” he would never fix up his bike,” Scheer said Kaavya Shriram `28 was one of the friends that Julian and Searby repaired a bike for Shriram said that the now-refurbished bike is one of her most prized possessions people didn’t expect him to show up in the way he did and so it was always really special,” Shriram said literally every time you asked him to do anything.” “He was down for anything,” said Sebastian Mrotzek `28 That was one of his best qualities – he always showed up for everything.” His consistent ability to show up and support his friends is one of the primary ways Julian is remembered “He found it really hard to talk about himself most of the time even though we all wanted to know more about him “Sometimes he seemed like he was made out of stone “He had a wicked sense of humor,” said Shriram Skoskiewicz recalled a particularly funny moment during the setup of a recurring bonfire that was something of a ritual for Julian’s friend group “I keep hacking away at the base of the tree,” said Skoskiewicz “And he just walks up to the tree and he looks it up and down bear hugs the tree and just slams it straight into the ground and the tree snaps straight in half and then he’s like not so hard.’ He didn’t say that and then he just dragged it off into the tree pile and then just walked back on down the hill like it was nobody’s business.” like what do you want your life to be?’ I know that’s a big question “And he said that he wanted to graduate college get a good job and just be able to live on his own if he wanted Julian’s bike is still locked outside of Younker Hall friends tucked flowers into the bike’s wheel spokes and left more outside of his now-empty room “One thing that’s really helped me process everything is like which is parked outside of Younker,” said Shriram “That’s been something that’s been grounding for me a place where I can just be with him and process everything.” Julian’s Community Advisor in Younker’s pit said that he and Julian would occasionally run into each other while Al-Fatah was hanging out with members of the Queer People of Color group at Grinnell Al-Fatah said that Julian was always a welcome presence “He never really felt out of place when he was there,” Al-Fatah said Al-Fatah organized a small memorial for Julian outside of Younker on April 19 as well as staff at the College from the Center for Religion “I wanted to honor him in a very loving way,” Al-Fatah said “I wanted it to be a space to share experiences [about] Julian and to see how everyone was feeling.”  Al-Fatah said that the memorial largely consisted of friends sharing stories about Julian while they played Julian’s favorite songs intermittently Julian’s “OJALÁ” tags still remain around campus — lasting memorials to Julian’s friends and loved ones of his short and meaningful time at Grinnell I’ve just found it,” said Isaac McCollum `28 “It’s been kind of a nice way to remember him – he’s just kind of around – and to encounter that and think of him in that way.”  Searby and Julian often explored the area around Grinnell together so Searby is aware of some of the off-campus spots Julian tagged “There’s some that are hidden far away,” Searby said “There are some spots that I’m gonna bike and make a pilgrimage to just to sit with him But there are spots that I don’t think they’ll ever get to The S&B was unable to reach Sahlin’s family for comment Kaavya Shriram `28 is a copy editor for The S&B She was not involved in the writing or editing of this story State health inspectors uncovered eight food safety violations at Grinnell College dining facilities earlier this year, including mold-like substances and improper food storage temperatures, according to a report from the Iowa Department of Inspections The agency cited the Spencer Grill and other on-campus food sites for multiple infractions during two evaluations conducted between January and February The violations ranged from conditions that could cause foodborne illnesses to failures in employee health protocols A subsequent reinspection two weeks ago confirmed that all issues had been resolved inspectors found a “black and red mold-like substance” inside the ice machine wrote in an email to The S&B that the substance was located in a chute that was not easily visible “This was corrected when the inspector found this and showed us,” Moser wrote adding that the component is now cleaned weekly instead of every two months Another violation involved an employee filling reusable personal cups allowing the lip of the cup to touch the beverage machine’s dispenser Spencer Grill announced it will stop refilling personal bottles Students may now buy a cup of water for $0.50 instead Inspectors also reported a coffee nozzle with dry white buildup Sliced tomatoes were also found stored at 45 degrees Fahrenheit — above the safe limit of 41 degrees Fahrenheit — for over a day and were discarded at the time of the inspection Priority-level foodborne violations were also cited was vacuum-sealed on-site without the required labels indicating that the product must be kept frozen vegetables and cooked foods such as consommé sirloin and smoked plantains were also vacuum-sealed and stored without a necessary food safety plan in place Some staff members were found to be unaware of the requirement to report specific sickness symptoms that require reporting Inspectors also noted that milk frothers used for drink preparation at the Global Café in the Humanities and Social Studies Center were cleaned only once daily A scoop for sweetened condensed milk had also been left in a container of standing water Students expressed concerns regarding food safety practices on campus and I have people who I know in my life that either have dietary restrictions or it’s a really big deal that food’s handled safely,” said Jana Vadillo `26 “I’ve started inspecting the produce from the salad bar a little bit more thoroughly.” Moser said inspection results are posted in the Dining Office for public viewing located inside the Dining Hall’s kitchen near the washing station The Office of International Student Affairs has created a support card to remind students with F-1 visa status — a non-immigrant status for those pursuing academic studies or language training — about their lawful presence in case of difficult encounters with law enforcement or immigration authorities the white card offers reminders and also includes contact information for the Office of International Student Affairs staff The cards are available at the Office of International Student Affairs and several other campus spaces alongside the Immigrant Legal Resource Center’s red “Know Your Rights” cards “It has always been important to know your rights,” said Karen Edwards emphasizing the importance of awareness for non-citizens She specifically outlined that F-1 visa holders are allowed by their Duration of Status benefits to remain in the U.S lawfully for the duration of their academic program which is indicated in their I-20 and I-94 form The white card advises F-1 visa holders to carry their “grey passport sleeve” — a gift they received during the International Pre-Orientation Program — at all times which must be re-printed every time they enter or re-enter the U.S In case of being approached by police or U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers Know Your Rights cards remind students to remain calm not run or lie and be prepared to present a Real ID along with documents confirming their student status have the right to refuse a search of themself their car or their residence hall in the absence of a judicial warrant the right to remain silent until consulting an attorney and the right to call their home country’s consulate the Office of Campus Safety is the first point of referral for any campus visitors since they have training to review and vet a judicial warrant to be aware of their rights and follow procedures that increase the safety of the community She encouraged everyone to review or carry the Office of International Student Affairs’s F-1 card and the Immigrant Legal Resource Center’s red card She also emphasized the importance of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protections that apply to all Grinnell students Grinnell College received 479 early decision I (ED I) and 386 early decision II (ED II) applications for the College’s class of 2029 The combined 865 applicants represent a five percent increase from the number of individuals who applied early decision to Grinnell for the class of 2028 A larger share of the increase came from early decision II applications “We’re very excited about that,” said Sarah Fischer “We take that as increased interest in Grinnell … more sought after schools Despite the increase in early decision applicants applications to Grinnell are down by about 4 percent The increasing trend in the number of students applying early decision to Grinnell may be partly attributable to the Grinnell Choice Scholarship a $20,000 annual award guaranteed to domestic students who are admitted early decision Since introducing the scholarship about five years ago early decision interest at Grinnell has increased steadily In addition to an increase in the number of total applicants for early decision the acceptance rate for ED I increased as well going from 34 percent for the class of 2028 to 48 percent for the class of 2029 The acceptance rate for ED II applications was 18 percent “There’s no advantage to applying one over the other,” said Fischer “It’s really simply just the composition of the applicant pool for that particular decision round that then dictates admit rate.” There is no statistical difference between income levels of ED and regular decision applicants “Each application round has applicants from all income backgrounds,” Sittig wrote Other differences between the pools of applicants are harder to ascertain In reference to the rollback of affirmative action “I and the rest of the admission staff don’t see the composition of the applicant pool until we’ve released decisions So I actually don’t know what the composition of both our early decision pool as well as our regular decision pool is right now.” Grinnell College intends to stop offering complimentary housing and meals to students working Reunion or any other positions prior to or after an academic semester which include Community Advisors and those working Peer-Connections Pre-Orientation Program New Student Orientation and Grinnell Science Project will still be compensated during periods immediately preceding and following student arrival and departure The reason for this change lies in Article 6 of the contract between the College and the Union of Grinnell Student Dining Workers The article set a base wage of $13.50 at the time of its ratification for all student worker positions besides Community Advisors who can either choose to be compensated with a room grant or the $13.50 hourly base wage must comply with the agreement,” wrote Ellen de Graffenreid the College intends to honor the unambiguous language included in the collective bargaining agreement and compensate student workers as outlined in Article 6 of that agreement through the use of a uniform wage with an exception only for Community Advisors Members of the Union disagree with the position that providing workers with compensated housing and food would directly break the contract “We looked through the contract and there’s nothing in there that prohibits the College from providing food and housing,” said Donovan Wilcox `27 who is both a member of the Union and a Reunion worker for this summer “But we were able to figure out how they were using the contract as an excuse to prohibit food and housing by interpreting a vague statement in the contract.” So it was just three weeks of stress for no reason And it was also hard because I had four or five staff that were resigning because of the situation Reunion student workers were informed by email on March 4 that they would not be compensated with housing and meal benefits during Reunion this summer students were told they could purchase on-campus housing for $300 and a meal plan for $340 a Reunion worker for this summer whose position involves him managing staff schedules and hours said he attempted to allocate as many hours as he could to the Reunion staff “I was trying to find ways how I can maximize hours how can I minimize this damage as much as possible,” he said “We were running all of these calculations.”  If a Reunion worker were to work 40 hours for the two weeks of Reunion The meal plan and housing that they could purchase from the College would come out to a cost of $640 the College sent an email to students working during Reunion pre-orientation and orientation periods stating that they would be provided with complimentary housing and food as they had already been offered these benefits during the hiring process “So it was just three weeks of stress for no reason,” Chowdhury said “And it was also hard because I had four or five staff that were resigning because of the situation.” Chowdhury said that most of these Reunion workers who resigned have returned after the reinstatement of complimentary housing and food After the Union was informed of these changes to student worker benefits they drafted a memorandum of understanding – a signed agreement between two parties – to propose another exception for students working during Reunion and late departure and early arrival periods The College has not yet agreed to add this memorandum to the contract It is possible that we could make a legal argument against them a member of the student Union and a Reunion worker for summer 2025 a return to the bargaining table may be underway for the 2025-26 academic year “I think after we have one more informal meeting with them we’ll be able to assess how stubborn they are and whether it’s possible to convince them or whether we need to go back to collective bargaining,” Wilcox said The Union and the College held this meeting on Friday we can fight this battle again,” Wilcox added It is possible that we could make a legal argument against them.” The current contract between the College and the Union expires in 2027 Wilcox said that the Union will bargain for complimentary housing and food for students working during Reunion They will also bargain for the same benefits for Community Advisors during the late departure and early arrival periods Grinnell College’s long history of enrolling international students stems back to the 1800s are currently conducting research projects with the College archives to learn more about those international students Intentional recruitment and a more formal infrastructure began with the name Nancy Maly `61 Maly began working as a Grinnell admissions officer for the East Coast region in the early 70s while living in New Jersey higher education in the United States was becoming increasingly attractive to international students — as a result more and more American universities and colleges began increasing their international student enrollment and looking for ways to market their education efficiently Grinnell’s admissions office entrusted Maly to draw up a plan for international student enrollment She proposed a five-year plan to recruit and enroll international students from around the world and establish a department to oversee this process which was approved by Grinnell College President George Drake Maly became the first international recruiter for the College She began to travel the world with admissions officers from other liberal arts colleges they toured mainly American and International schools in Europe and South America but efforts soon expanded to Asia and Africa Grinnell offered up to 50 percent financial aid to international students By the time Nancy left her position in the mid-90s Grinnell’s international student body was roughly 10 percent of all students now vice president of admissions and financial aid at Lewis and Clark College in Portland continued to build Grinnell’s reputation in the field International student enrollment today comprises 20 percent of the student body Grinnell’s current international student body and worldwide international alumni network is widely regarded as the legacy of Maly’s visionary thought “I’ve never been more proud to see what turned out of what I started,” Maly said in reference to her proposal to President Drake the College announced a new Nancy Schmulbach Maly `61 International Student Leadership Award which is awarded by the Office of International Student Affairs Maly never truly left Grinnell’s international student community as she became a long-standing host parent in the Friends of International Students (FIS) program Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (formerly known as the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators) marking it as a “best practice” in support of international students in the U.S The program is made possible by the efforts of families and individuals living within or in the proximity of Grinnell who volunteer to become “host parents” of international students providing them vital assistance during their four-year stay but in many cases extending far beyond that explained that FIS dates back before her arrival in 2007 The Host Family Program began as a way to provide housing for international students when they arrived for International Student Orientation (now called IPOP) “Many hosts will match with more than one student,” Edwards said in an interview with The S&B “So we’ve worked hard to maintain the positive connections and we are so incredibly grateful for these kind community members who participate and support our students.” according to Dean of Admissions Joe Bagnoli former Grinnell College President Raynard S Kington established a task force consisting of staff and faculty with a goal to further internationalize the College The task force supported an increase in enrollment of international students financial aid provided to international students was increased to cover 100 percent of demonstrated need the Institute of Global Engagement (IGE) was founded IGE has built the College’s Global Learning Program (GLP) the Global Kitchen and many other initiatives aimed at enhancing global teaching and learning Guaranteeing the well-being and academic success of such a robust population of international students is the main work of the Office of International Student Affairs (OISA) The department navigates through complex diplomatic and legal frameworks to safeguard the activities of international students and exchange visitors every day of the year in response to the Trump Administration’s stance towards international students OISA has held open information sessions and issued revised guidance including “Know Your Rights” cards designed to help students in situations where their legal status might come under scrutiny One of the most visible projects of OISA is the International Student Pre-Orientation Program (IPOP) which takes place before New Student Orientation (NSO) IPOP is designed to help international students complete essential paperwork become informed about their rights and most importantly Edwards said that the program easily fills all five days with valuable content “We have had to shift a lot of the schedule to focus more and more on regulatory issues,” she said “But we also really value important content focused on cultural adjustment academic adjustment and just plain community building.” In response to the importance of Grinnell’s historic commitment towards a vast and diverse international student community Grinnell College President Anne Harris wrote in an email to The S&B: “International students are integral and vital members of the Grinnell community the experiences compared across communities the knowledge fostered through global frameworks — all of these connections and discoveries and more attest to Grinnell College only ever being the College it is — simultaneously rural and global — through its students and their shared endeavors and friendships.” Grinnell College employees have poured more than $400,000 into political campaigns and groups 98 percent of these contributions went to Democratic candidates and committees according to an analysis the Scarlet & Black conducted on publicly available Federal Election Commission data This near-exclusive support for Democrats sharply contrasts larger Poweshiek County, where Grinnell is located and consistently votes Republican. Donald Trump carried the county in all three of his campaigns — securing 50.3 percent of the vote in 2016 56.6 percent in 2020 and 57.5 percent in 2024 Local Republican candidates like State Representative Dean Fisher have repeatedly dominated elections Yet within this conservative-leaning county Grinnell College employees remain a liberal stronghold donating $76,871 to Democratic causes in 2024 The College’s strong Democratic lean reflects national political trends relating to higher education. Across the country, voters with advanced degrees favor Democrats — exit polls from 2024 show 55 percent of college-educated voters supported Democratic nominees assistant professor of political science at Grinnell College attributes academia’s Democratic lean partially to changes in political alignment related to education “It used to be that if you had a bachelor’s degree but if you had a master’s degree or doctorate you tended to be more likely to be a Democrat,” Nava said She explained that academia generally aligns with Democratic policies which tend to support research funding and educational institutions researcher and a scientist who works at an institution it would go against your own interests to vote for the Republican Party in a lot of ways because the Republican Party has platforms that are centered around cutting the Department of Education,” Nava said Nava noted that election years typically generate increased political donations due to heightened political awareness described by political scientists as “salience.” This phenomenon explains peaks in contribution activity during election cycles as individuals engage more actively in politics and related causes Grinnell itself has become increasingly vocal against such policies. In April 2025, President Anne F. Harris joined over 150 university leaders, including those from Harvard and Princeton, in condemning the Trump administration’s aggressive stance against higher education The overwhelming Democratic donations from Grinnell employees drew criticism from Republicans Iowa GOP Chairman Jeff Kaufmann described the college’s political leaning as problematic “The blatant biased partisanship of the Grinnell faculty does not surprise anyone,” Kaufmann wrote in an email to The S&B “What is sad is that I’m guessing it creeps into all of their classrooms under the guise of academic freedom This is not higher education — it is biased education.” English and history exclusively donated to Democrats Physics ranked fourth in total contributions and was the only department among the top donors to support Republicans although donations were predominantly Democratic overall which affirm a professor’s right to discuss their subject freely in the classroom while encouraging separation between personal political views and instructional content “Grinnell faculty and staff have the right to contribute to the political candidates and campaigns of their choice and to vote as their conscience directs,” de Graffenreid wrote in an email to The S&B The College has received a $150,000 three-year grant from the William Randolph Hearst Foundation to improve outreach and on-campus support for transfer students Dean of Admission and Financial Aid and Vice President of Enrollment Joseph Bagnoli wrote that the admissions office hopes to enroll 25 new transfer students at Grinnell per year which is about 3 times larger than the current number said that the College does not have a cohesive recruitment process for transfer students The Hearst Foundation grant funds will go towards marketing and recruitment for prospective transfer students as well as strengthening on-campus support mechanisms a transfer student from Cincinnati State Technical and Community College learned about Grinnell through the Chautauqua Summer Scholars Program The Chautauqua Summer Scholars Program works with honors students at community colleges across the U.S graduated at the top of her class at Cincinnati State and worked in adolescent behavioral health and as a waitress in fine dining “We started talking with them [Chautauqua Summer Scholars Program] last year to see if we could find students who have participated in that summer scholars program who might be interested in transferring to Grinnell,” Fischer said “It seemed like those students are academically strong which would make them a good fit for Grinnell.”  especially for students who might transfer in later in their college career interim assistant dean of academic success Howard learned about Grinnell’s existence five days before transfer applications were due “I met someone by chance that ended up changing my life,” Howard said “It wasn’t something I intentionally searched for It’s something that I stumbled upon that worked out in my favor.” Howard said that being at Grinnell has been somewhat isolating especially as she is older than most of the student body “I’ve met several people that live in town I would consider myself to be friends with but it’s not the same as being able to talk about school,” Howard said she said her perspective also allows her to support her friends on campus but it’s not the same as having age peers … But when they’re going through something the interim assistant dean of academic success is in charge of onboarding transfer students when they arrive on campus and supporting them throughout their time at Grinnell “A lot of them have talked about feeling more attached to maybe the first year class than their own class year just because they did the onboarding with them,” Ferraro said who transferred from Luther College last year said that a small school environment was important to her when making the decision of where to transfer “I still liked the small school environment because it’s easier to do things like undergrad research and you have more access to your professors “But I didn’t want to go back to my old school it was difficult to adjust to Grinnell’s environment “It was definitely pretty isolating to be here my first year,” Dooley said I’m starting to get to know some more people but I had to do my first year twice at two different schools.” Ferraro has started to host transfer student socials to build connections between transfer students I’m one of the few students that gets to approach their classes their education and their networking with former experience having already done so … and a fully developed brain to be able to have a more comprehensive understanding of the consequences of not networking and not asking questions and not listening to people “You get iced coffee and sparkling water and give them the opportunity to spend time with each other,” Ferraro said “No one really understands what that experience is like better than folks in these transfer cohorts.” Howard said that she would benefit from meeting other students who have had similar academic and life experiences which Ferraro acknowledged is difficult to arrange especially to the non-traditional students,” Howard said it’s not like I can pull a list of students over 22 and disseminate that,” Ferraro said frustrating on the student side of ‘How am I supposed to just find these people?’” While Howard does not have a connection with other students in her age range she said that she has enjoyed living in Cleveland Hall “There’s so many canon events in college that I’ve already experienced that they’re going through for the first time,” Howard said If I know that the kids are going out one night I pin crackers on the board outside my door The different perspective that transfer students bring is important to campus “They bring an awareness of life outside of Grinnell and what it means to be educated at another institution Howard said that her previous degree and work experience give her a different view on her Grinnell education which she hopes to use to make structural changes in social services “I’m one of the few students that gets to approach their classes having already done so … and a fully developed brain to be able to have a more comprehensive understanding of the consequences of not networking and not asking questions and not listening to people,” Howard said Ferraro said that she is always excited to get to know transfer students when they arrive at Grinnell “There is something unique about really actively choosing Grinnell when it’s not easy to transfer,” Ferraro said and yet we have this group of wonderful students every year who decide to take that leap and it’s just so fun watching them hopefully find a really good place to land.” Grinnell College will maintain its need-blind admission policy for domestic students the College’s Board of Trustees routinely reviewed the policy for reapproval every three years financial support for the policy will be considered during the College’s annual budget review cementing need-blind admission as high priority The decision comes as need-blind admission was being reconsidered as part of the College’s fall 2024 cost-cutting measures aimed at reducing endowment spending from 4.5% annually to 4% by 2029 Grinnell College is among the most endowment-dependent institutions in the country with its endowment accounting for 60% of annual revenue it has one of the lowest annual giving rates per student the one that will make an enduring difference in our capacity to be a need-blind institution – philanthropy through our upcoming campaign,” wrote President Anne Harris in an email to The S&B need-blind has emerged as a signature program of the College.” Many students tell The S&B that Grinnell’s need-blind admission policy was crucial in their decision to apply and attend “It was a big factor,” said Lily Freeman `27.5 “I made the decision together with my parents but it was definitely one of my highest priorities.” which matches low-income first-generation students with colleges and universities “The amount of financial aid they gave me was definitely something that I considered when I was going here,” she said I think it would change the type of people at Grinnell So it wouldn’t be as diverse of a school.” the one that will make an enduring difference in our capacity to be a need-blind institution – philanthropy through our upcoming campaign Harris wrote that socio-economic diversity is a pillar of Grinnell’s admissions she added that “need-blind admission by itself is not a guarantor of socio-economic diversity” but rather “other factors and efforts are active at Grinnell including how and from where high school students are recruited to join our community.” She added that preserving need-blind admission could also lead to revenue shortfalls Harris wrote that data reveals that Grinnell receives the least student tuition revenue among its need-blind peer institutions “That low student revenue is connected to the high amount ($77M) in financial aid that Grinnell makes available for college access,” she wrote “And the fact that the majority of financial aid (85%) is for need-based aid.” The need-blind policy does not extend to international students a practice consistent with most American higher education institutions offer need-blind admission to all applicants “The primary barrier to expanding need-blind admission to international students is financial,” said Harris “I say this with all focus on our upcoming campaign philanthropy would be the greatest force to remove that barrier.” Through the high winds and the biting cold of the Iowan fall and spring seasons through the snow-packed winters that bring the inconvenience of training indoors Grinnell’s golf team has always found a way to deliver a successful performance The women’s team is currently eyeing their 10th consecutive conference title while the men’s team is currently having their second all-time best season in terms of stroke average with 311.67 across 6 games Several players attributed their success to beginning the sport at a very young age with their fathers as coaches “My dad has always been a big golfer,” said Thornton Walker `26 who started playing golf at the age of four always there along for the ride and helping me improve at each level.”  Walker’s father often travels to help the team during games acting as a spotter and giving valuable advice to him and his teammates began playing golf at the age of eight with his father Vidushi Keni `26 grew up living just two minutes away from the golf course in her hometown of Bangalore Despite not having experienced relatives in the sport Meilin Hoshino `27 scored her first hole at just two years old She began playing competitively at five and progressed into Brazil’s national team where she represented her country in five IMG Academy Junior World Golf Championships and finished as the third best player in Brazil in 2022 adjusting to training conditions in Grinnell came with challenges for all of them both coming from countries with a tropical climate found it especially hard to get used to the cold weather during the fall and spring “Playing in freezing temperatures and strong winds was very challenging,” Hoshino said noting that the weather still occasionally impacts her performance “It’s been quite the challenge,” said Keni “But being able to navigate different types of weather has definitely made me mentally stronger.” Both emphasized the importance of the team to maintain mental composure under such conditions the athletes need to find a way to stay fit during the winter when the golf course is covered in snow and regular practice is impossible While Smith sees many advantages to training indoors he finds that there is nothing directly translatable to playing outside This also makes the transition to the spring season sudden the winter means she has to practice less than she used to “I would practice every day from four to seven and now I have to face the different seasons.” Each golfer finds trouble playing in the high winds “Sometimes you’ll hit a good shot and you’ll just catch a gust of wind and the ball will go sailing off in the wrong direction,” said Smith “And then I just stand there.” High winds can also ruin competitions as Walker shares that one of his poorest performances happened during the first day of a tournament where he had to face 40 mph winds “I was really proud of the way I came back and shot almost a personal best the next day and ultimately I posted a very respectable score,” he said Walker said he initially viewed the small size of the team as something challenging but has since adapted to embrace the benefits of a small team which created a competitive atmosphere as only five could participate in a tournament The team currently consists of only five golfers “I look at it in a pretty positive light,” he said “Everyone that’s on the team is going to play in every tournament and they know that their score is going to matter.”  part of her key to success is being part of a small “I enjoy practicing in college much more because I am with my teammates,” she said Smith’s recipe for success consists of three key factors Keeping his golf skills in good shape — noting that he frequently practiced his swing during the winter — confidence and a little bit of luck with the weather “I think our number one goal is to be able to finish top five at Nationals,” said Keni Walker hopes to win the Cobalt Golf All-America Scholar Award for a second time while Smith aspires to remain consistent and score at least a pair of 75s in each tournament hoping to one day surpass his 68 performance at the Central Fall Classic that occurred last October which ranked him third in the history of Grinnell’s extensive and consistent golf program JELD-WEN has announced it will be closing the window manufacturing line at its Grinnell facility by the end of March “While decisions that impact people are never easy we make them only after careful consideration and with the understanding that our actions today are necessary to position JELD-WEN for long-term success,” Katie Lykins manager of external communications for the company “We value the contributions of our employees and have provided those affected with a competitive separation package and outplacement services to help provide a smooth transition,” the statement said The company plans to move production to other existing JELD-WEN facilities Door manufacturing at the Grinnell facility will continue, according to Dan Nieland, executive director of Poweshiek Economic Development The North Carolina-based company had previously announced 152 layoffs in Grinnell in November the company also shuttered plants in Hawkins the company said it employed 900 workers in the Grinnell area Poweshiek County assessor’s records show JELD-WEN owns three parcels in Grinnell with over 600,000 square feet of floorspace in 24 buildings of various size The facility is valued at just over $9.8 million It was unknown Tuesday if the company would be selling any of the property Nieland said he had reached out to JELD-WEN but had not heard back as of Tuesday afternoon The company was founded in 1960 and has 18,000 employees and operating facilities in 16 countries in North America and Europe, with 2023 sales of $4.3 billion, according to the company’s website Kevin Baskins covers jobs and the economy for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at kbaskins@registermedia.com Grinnell’s track and field pole vaulting event has been suspended after Rohan Thota `28 sustained an injury due to a fall during a track meet on February 15 Luca Fornari `25 has led pole vaulting’s defense Fornari has largely self-coached his way through collegiate pole vaulting After sustaining a bad injury his junior year the athletic department closed the program until a dedicated pole vaulting coach could be found The process of finding a pole vaulting coach was a slow one so Fornari took matters into his own hands creating job posts on various social media platforms an engineer at Collins Aerospace and Level 1 certified USA Track and Field coach based in Waterloo Barney vaulted in high school with plans to continue in college until an injury forced an early retirement Committed to staying connected to the sport Barney sought out his track coaching certification when Barney moved to Iowa for a job opportunity he was disappointed to learn that pole vaulting was banned in high school track and field he jumped at the opportunity to pursue his passion for pole vaulting When Barney joined the track coaching team at Grinnell he did so under the temporary mentorship of former Grinnell coach William Freeman while Barney sought his level 2 jumping coach certificate the only three pole vaulters for the Grinnell track and field team until Thota’s fall at a meet in mid-February and I just didn’t really listen to my body telling me I was tired,” Thota said So instead of taking me through and landing on the foam pit Thota sustained fractures in both bones in his right forearm and an ACL tear in his right leg the fourth time he landed on the ground that session without any adjustment made from Will,” Fornari said this guy’s actually like really endangering his athletes.’” Fornari said that when he observed Freeman continuing to push Thota’s abilities but my form still remained the same,” Thota said He thought that I was being pushed too hard but I didn’t have that foresight to just say maybe I should stop and maybe I should focus on this it’s a great feeling to start being really good at something that you’ve been good at for a while.” the department was quick to cut the program “I’ve just been telling them to push for it to ensure a future for the sport here,” Fornari said but it requires proper coaching … What gets dangerous is then when coaches become obsessed with heights and just push athletes too much to where we’re not like pro athletes.” an early end to the season has allowed him freedom to enjoy his last few months at Grinnell without athletic responsibilities But the indefinite halt to pole vaulting has left questions for the future of remaining pole vaulters we lose points at Conference,” Barringer said “Rohan and Luca would have added on 18 points alone because it’s like the first and second place.” Thota and Barney expressed that the loss of pole vaulting as an event could cost the track team the points necessary to bring home a conference championship Barney brought up the additional concern of having athletes from other colleges compete in pole vault at home meets “We’re having other schools come to jump as well Why are we not allowing the students that are on our team to jump when we have people come visit wrote that “it’s desirable for a successful team to field a full lineup in all events” but “it’s not imperative” to do so especially due to the absence of certain events for various schools in the Midwest Conference (MWC) “There are a variety of reasons for this –– limitations on staff size fewer coaches with expertise in those events safety of the event [and] fewer high school athletes with experience in those events,” to name a few “I know most like higher-ups see pole vaulting as a waste it’s a test of someone’s physical and mental capabilities like no other,” Thota said “There’s not really any other sport that does that Just because overall it could be more risky It means we need some other safety measure that we can negotiate on we should never do it again –– that’s not right.” “It’s such an elegant and beautiful sport there’s nothing like it … when you take the right precautions the risk is minimized,” Barney said “You’ll never have zero risk but you can minimize the risk In response to a request for comment to Freeman wrote in an email to The S&B that “Grinnell College is legally obligated to protect the privacy of students (in this case both FERPA and HIPAA apply)… and will not be able to comment on any individual student.” She added that Freeman’s coaching philosophy prior to his retirement can be reviewed in his books papers and coaching video series as he is “a nationally recognized coach and expert on several track and field events.” but I never felt unsafe or pressured to perform under Coach Freeman “Luca was worried – I was being pushed too hard but I didn’t have that foresight…” I felt nauseous from traumatic brain injuries resulting from a pole vaulting at the 2010 Midwest Conference NCAA Div III Track And Field Championships Do Grinnell students know that Robert died (Is his plaque still outside Rose Hall where he lived?) Were students ever told that Robert DID land on the mat and because the pit was not strapped together the Right strip propelled him offside to the ground and he hit his head This is settled fact based on evidence presented to a jury in 2018 Grinnell College claimed that Robert missed the mat which they initiated after Robert’s death omitted the data point of Robert’s catastrophic fatal brain injury They say his statistic is irrelevant because the study was about pit dangers FOR YEARS I’m asking Grinnell to change the study and they don’t At least let Robert’s senseless death inform some truthful safety awareness The relevant point today is it doesn’t seem much has changed or other sensitivities take priority over safety The student has to figure it out on their own * [Catastrophic Injuries in Pole Vaulters: A Prospective 9-Year Follow-up Study Although I wasn’t ever told by anybody in athletics department myself and others know about Robert’s death His plaque is still outside of Rose as well If you are wanting/willing to talk further with me It is worth noting that Grinnell student Robert Yin ’12 died as a result of a pole vaulting accident fifteen years ago Google searching “Robert Yin Grinnell” will yield plenty of stories His mother won a wrongful death suit but her calls for corrective actions within the athletic department appear unanswered This is a longstanding issue and a direct failure of Grinnell to correct it I commend the Fornari for his actions in the face of the college’s negligence On March 4, registered voters in Iowa will have the opportunity to decide on a proposed increase to the Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL) The increase would raise property taxes by $0.67 per $1,000 of taxable property valuation to fund the construction of a new elementary school Voting will take place at Elks Lodge from 7 a.m School district officials say the investment is critical to modernizing outdated facilities and ensuring students have access to a high-quality learning environment “We have buildings that need a lot of upgrades to be super efficient and to meet the needs of today’s kids for where they’re going tomorrow,” said Superintendent Lisa Beames we’re potentially well over the cost of building in elementary school.” the Ahrens Park Foundation has pledged to donate land for the new school “We felt that the only way that we could possibly get this type of thing [PPEL approval] achieved is by donating the land,” said Chad Nath president and CEO of the Ahrens Park Foundation the Grinnell-Newburg Board of Education has held a series of community educational sessions to discuss the proposal and address residents’ questions “As a parent who went through the last bond issue there’s way more information available to the general public than there ever has been,” said Chris Grundler vice president of the Grinnell-Newburg Board of Education Many residents see the measure as a much-needed investment in the town’s schools “I’m for that [PPEL approval],” said Debra Ermin who used to work at the closing Davis Elementary School “I’ll probably vote for it,” said William Crosby “All the facilities are old and need to be either replaced or revamped some attendees expressed concerns about unintended consequences particularly the potential loss of resources currently located on the Ahrens-donated land “The draw to the community is a lot of those resources that’s going to have a cost to regenerate those things and then also the time that’s taken to bring those services back or those areas back,” said a community member who preferred to remain anonymous for electoral reasons “There’s a commitment by the community partners to come together and resolve any of those issues,” Nath said “There are some resolutions to some of those things that may be lost.” let’s do something,’ and the first thing you think of is me,’ you’re in it for the wrong reasons the community needs 50% of votes to be in favor of the proposed increase for the PPEL to pass Grinnell’s track and field teams delivered a record-breaking performance at the 2025 Darren (Dick) Young Classic spearheaded by the 100-meter shuttle raced by Lucas Fadden `26 Grinnell’s athletes won in 12 events and recorded 37 personal records which bears the name of the nine-time Midwest Conference champion sprinter and long-jumper Dick W April 12 under sunny skies and moderate winds expected faster times in the short sprint events where athletes run in the direction of the wind but also more challenges for longer runs that face headwinds he expected challenges for the throwing events which he said faced the hardest competition in a long time His expectations were met when Fadden dominated the 100-meter shuttle with a time of 10.42 school record and the third fastest time in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Conference Fadden achieved this after being injured with a broken toe that caused him to miss the indoor season already looking ahead to bigger goals –– a Nationals title and a time in the 10.3s “Joy wears off in the first five to ten minutes and then you’re already on to the next,” Fadden said Grinnell enjoyed double success in the 200-meter shuttle with Linus O’Brien `28 and Maile Crowe `25 both taking top spots as it marked her final home victory as a senior Reflecting on her time at the Dick Young Classic friends and alumni has always made the event feel special She said she was also grateful for this year’s sunny weather after a history of bad weather at the event “That makes the meet infinitely better,” Crowe said “And a little bit easier mentally because you’re not battling the cold along with the pain of running.” imagining a future where an athletic facility at Grinnell would bear his name “I want to put my name up there with the legends of this school,” he said Grinnell’s success continued at longer events like the 800-meter sprint as Andy Chestovich `26 and Tennyson Schultz `28 both brought home wins With barely a second between the first and fifth place runners in the race the men’s 800-meter run was the closest competition of the day Chestovich saw the gap on the inside of the track between the two forerunners and immediately seized the chance Schultz won with a comfortable three-second margin after running a personal record on Friday’s Jim Duncan Invite at Drake University She said she felt in great shape and hopes to achieve a 2:17 time that will put her on the podium at Conference The 1500-meter women’s run was dominated by Grinnellians Genevieve Madigan `28 emerged victorious with a 4:58 personal record Hannah Roth `27 came in second after breaking Grinnell’s record for the 3000-meter steeplechase with 11:13.05 during Friday’s Jim Duncan meet –– this record ranks her 21st nationally Other first-place finishes by the track team were achieved by Crystal Kaczmarczyk `25 in the 3000-meter steeplechase Jessie Goodman `26 and Xavier James `25 in the women’s and men’s 400-meter hurdles as well as by the women’s 400-meter relay team The field events did not yield any less success led by standout performances by by Ian Clawson `26 in the throwing disciplines whom his teammate and pole-vaulter Rohan Thota `28 describes as a “strong presence that makes the whole team perform better” and the “mama bear of track and field,” clinched second place in a tightly contested men’s hammer throw with a seasonal best winning the women’s triple jump and 400-meter relay High-jumper Jack Novelle `26 finished second with a seasonal high He said he feels confident about a 1.96 in the near future three-season athlete Juniper Schwartzman `27 achieved yet another victory with a 33.91-meter throw in women’s javelin “Our performances across the board were very strong every event group had some highlights,” Pedersen said He also said that the competition was useful for team building Pedersen added that the meet put the whole team in a good position for both Conference and National meets The 2025 Dick Young classic ended by honoring the senior athletes for whom this would be the last home meet representing Grinnell alumni and faculty cheered for Grinnell’s seniors waving posters and giving out bouquets as well as red-and-white neck garlands A strobe light splashed patches of blue and green across the dimly lit surfaces of Gardner Lounge Hundreds of little Brazilian flags were strung across the walls and ceilings Dozens of balloons resembling soccer balls were scattered around MC Livinho and other Brazilian funk artists well into the night This explosion of lights and color was the very first Brazilian Funk Gardner at Grinnell College onwards by the Brazilian Students Organization (BRASA) The idea of hosting a funk party was not a recent one for BRASA it’s always funk that’s playing And we wanted to bring that Brazilian party culture to Grinnell “The Funk Gardener has been an idea since before we came to Grinnell,” said Thai Theodoro `27 but we had no idea of how hard it actually is to host a Gardner.”  Hosting a Brazilian Funk Rave in French House in fall 2024 for the joint birthday of Brazilian students Bruna Sander Foss `27 and Beatriz Polo Diz `27 was the first iteration of their plan “We decided to do something official after that because we really miss funk parties,” said Foss it’s always funk that’s playing,” said Diz “And we wanted to bring that Brazilian party culture to Grinnell.”  “Funk started as a marginalized kind of music — it came from the favelas,” said Beatriz De Vasconcellos Dias `27 it’s going through a process of being solidified as Brazilian culture “The Brazilian students brought explosive energy to Gardner and gave me a chance to show off my Neymar skills,” said Farhan Rahman `27 referencing the soccer ball-shaped balloons which misled many a blurry-eyed partygoer “We were trying to give stereotypical Brazil vibes to the non-Brazilian,” said Dias “We don’t actually have those decorations in parties in Brazil.” A table was set up with numerous “I HEART BR” sunglasses to a particular São Paulo habit of wearing sunglasses to parties Dias attributed the majority of organizational work done in the service of the Gardner to Theodoro while acknowledging the support of Hayden Davis `25 “Thai was mostly in charge of everything,” she said BRASA members said they are looking forward to hosting more funk Gardners and similar events in coming semesters Thai Theodoro is a Staff Writer at The S&B The Global Café is expanding its weekday hours until the end of the semester the Global Café will now be open from 8:30 p.m in addition to its regular hours of 7:30 a.m The first day of the Global Café’s extended hours was Monday Director of Dining Services Jeanette Moser wrote in an email to The S&B that this is a pilot program designed to gauge interest in late-night dining options the Global Café is also updating its menu with several new offerings matcha ice cream and an assortment of gummies including sour worms and Halal and vegan-friendly Sour Patch Kids Two new drink options — lemonades with customizable flavored syrups and popping boba (vegan and gluten-free) — are also being introduced Moser explained that the new food and drink options were selected based on student feedback and encouraged students to share their preferences by either emailing Dining Services or using the anonymous comment form available at the Global Café Dining Services is particularly interested in learning which late-night items are most popular in case there is enough demand by the student body and the wider community for the program to continue into next semester Dining Services restructured supervisor coverage across the Marketplace The new late-night shifts are staffed by current Global Café student employees Update: The alleged perpetrator faces a Class D felony aggravated assault charge and posted bond on Nov A first year Grinnell College student is seeking felony charges against a Durant Iowa man accused of assaulting him at an on-campus party and calling him an anti-gay slur on the night of Nov chased into a corner and punched in the mouth by the alleged perpetrator Taylor said Grage called him a “fairy f****t.” In a phone interview with The S&B Grage admitted to punching Taylor and using the slur Taylor was later taken to the hospital with facial injuries including a missing tooth knocked out by the punch said he was invited to campus by a College student he met online Grage was accompanied by another non-Grinnell College student who witnesses and Grage identified by the name Donovan Grage and Donovan were both trespassed and escorted off campus by Campus Safety according to Director of Campus Safety James Shropshire 7 that he is seeking criminal charges only against Grage “Even though the school had told me that if they come back that they’re gonna be arrested for trespassing that’s not enough,” Taylor said of the two individuals Grage said it was “fully reasonable” that Taylor is seeking criminal charges against him emergency responders from the Grinnell Fire Department took Taylor to the Grinnell Regional Medical Center emergency room Taylor’s bottom left incisor was knocked out and the thin tissue connecting his gums and bottom lip was torn by the punch The lack of dental care under the College’s United Healthcare insurance plan means his insurance would not cover the cost of replacing a tooth Taylor’s three other front bottom teeth remain loose The alleged assault took place in Gardner Lounge A witness gave The S&B a photo and video of Grage and Donovan leaving the basement of Main Hall Campus Safety officers were already on the scene assisting an intoxicated student Shropshire wrote in an email to The S&B “One of the responding officers heard a commotion and noticed a student being struck by one of the non-students,” Shropshire wrote “The two non-students ran away.” Shropshire added that the responding Campus Safety officers then called the GPD to report the alleged assault Shropshire declined to provide the names of the responding officers The call to the GPD from Campus Safety took place at 11:18 p.m. That call was six minutes after Grage and Donovan left the basement of Main Hall according to the video provided to The S&B Police and fire were then dispatched to Mears Cottage 3 asking if she would come to the hospital Lindman said she got a ride from Campus Safety and arrived at the hospital around 1 a.m and his lip was very bruised,” Lindman said of Taylor’s state at the hospital He gave very short responses that were drawn out.” Grage and Donovan were later spotted near Haines Hall by Wesley Carne `27 and Soren Sandberg `27 who gave The S&B two photos of Grage and Donovan outside Haines Hall Carne said he had seen the two earlier at an off-campus party at 1015 High Street sometime around 1 a.m Carne and Sandberg said Grage had admitted to them outside of Haines Hall that he was involved in the alleged assault Carne called Campus Safety to tell officers of Grage and Donovan’s location In the hours between Campus Safety’s call to GPD and Carne’s call to Campus Safety Campus Safety had been conducting regular patrols of campus “We were aware of the description of the two ‘suspects’ and were on the lookout but did not notice them on campus property while conducting our regular duties,” Shropshire wrote The student who invited Grage to Grinnell on Nov an annual all-day off-campus party where students day drink Taylor first met Grage and Donovan during this party The S&B agreed to grant anonymity to the student who invited Grage who feared her safety would be compromised by the publication of her name said she saw Grage and Donovan following Taylor and that she “thought the best case thing to do was leave because there was no stopping them.” She said she left Gardner Lounge with another non-student individual who witnesses say was not involved in the alleged assault The police breathalyzed both Grage and Donovan after checking their IDs and questioning them after the police released Grage and Donovan she received a call from Grage asking her to tell the non-student individual to come meet him and Donovan so they could drive home Taylor said that he asked the Grinnell police officers who responded to Campus Safety’s call whether Grage and Donovan would be charged with a hate crime prove that it was a hate crime,” Chief McClelland told The S&B on Nov “We want to file it as an assault.” McClelland added that the police only had Taylor’s statement to confirm the slur said to him Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and chief diversity officer sent an email alerting the campus to the alleged assault that happened on Saturday in collaboration with the Division of Student Affairs is currently investigating and responding to the reported bias-motivated assault on campus that took place on Nov Taylor said he was consulted on the wording of the email and not have to deal with those problems anymore In response to an S&B inquiry regarding the safety measures that Campus Safety will implement to prevent similar events Shropshire did not provide specific measures “I think that thoughtful reflection is something we do well as a College and we will do so with this incident,” Shropshire wrote in an email to The S&B told The S&B in an email that the College has reached out to Taylor and offered multiple kinds of support both at the time of the alleged assault and in the following days The Bias Incident Response Team is following up on reports associated with this incident Grinnell Queer People of Color (QPOC) cabinet members tied this incident to a larger political climate that is intolerant towards queer and BIPOC students “The fact of the matter is that QPOC students are not safe on campus for the time being,” they wrote It would be wise to avoid inviting non-college students to student social affairs the Grinnell Community Theatre produced Neil Simon’s “Rumors” in the Loft Theatre of the Grinnell Arts Center dance and performance studies (TDPS) at Grinnell College the farcical comedy follows four couples as they attempt to cover up a series of mishaps at an anniversary party and makes abundant use of improbable situations The initial idea to perform “Rumors” came from Miller and Kate Baumgartner assistant technical director for the TDPS Department and member of the Grinnell Community Theatre committee “She and I had talked about how it would be great to do a farce in the spring during this difficult time of the world,” said Miller This production was Miller’s first time directing members of the Grinnell community so they’re there to produce a show,” said Miller “They have bigger responsibilities outside of the production than “I was brought on kind of last minute to the show,” said Buehrer “It was still really fun to get to work with so many actors and creative people from the broader Grinnell community Community theater has a level of professionalism and aged experience that I think high school and college theater doesn’t quite achieve.” Buehrer was additionally brought on as a makeup consultant for the performance working on creating makeup looks for the cast “It was a lot of fun to introduce some people to doing theatre makeup,” said Buehrer so it was fun to explore what the makeup trends were in that era and try to recreate them.” Although Buehrer’s part in the performance was minor they said they appreciated the opportunity to embody the role “A lot of people see actors playing roles that don’t have a lot of lines or stage time and think they should give you a better part next time,’” said Buehrer “I think having so few lines gives me the opportunity to explore more of my physicality and my reactions to other things that are going on which makes it a bigger challenge and more interesting than just making sure I have my lines memorized.” part-time student and Russian teaching assistant at the College Having mainly experienced theatre through the College prior this was Saparali’s first time working with the greater Grinnell community “I really enjoyed the whole process,” said Saparali “It was really interesting to think about my character in that sense and also just see how people with more theatre experiences interact.” because I usually take a lot of time to process what I need for my character,” said Saparali “My big goal was that people have a good time seeing it and that I wanted the people making it to have a good time making it,” said Miller Thursday and Friday April 10 and 11 at 7 p.m Game Recap: Men's Basketball | 11/19/2024 10:01:00 PM | Ben Woods Thanks for visiting housed in the Charles Benson Bear `39 Recreation and Athletic Center has undergone updates throughout the spring 2025 semester These updates have included replacing old machines rearranging the space and installing new doors assistant athletic director for facilities who has been with the College since January 2025 told The S&B that the funding for the updates is coming from the Fitness Center’s capital equipment budget The Fitness Center serves Grinnell College students as well as community members with no specific affiliations with the College The updates benefit everyone who uses the center especially student-athletes who rely on the space for some of their strength and conditioning training The new doors were installed because the previous doors did not lock properly “It is extremely exciting to see the moves that are being made to provide a positive and impactful experience for the student-athletes With the hiring of two new strength and conditioning coaches we are taking huge strides in providing great opportunities for all teams and student-athletes,” Lowe wrote in an email to The S&B “Their knowledge and expertise will also benefit everyone that use the Fitness Center as they know the type of equipment that will be most beneficial for all users.” The changes have been the result of collaborations between the athletic department and the two recently hired strength and conditioning coaches. Steve Lewis, head strength and conditioning coach, began employment with the College in late November 2024. Maddy Griess, associate strength and conditioning coach, was hired in January 2025 “Our goal is to maximize the training experience of Grinnell student-athletes as well as improve the fitness center environment for all participants including students staff and the wider Grinnell community,” said Lewis The changes have been noticed by Grinnell students who use the Fitness Center who goes to the gym five to six days a week “I think I’ve noticed significant changes just given that there’s been no change in the past three years some change at all is quite significant … It’s maybe more spacious given that they’ve taken out a few machines I do appreciate the cleanliness that they’re trying to bring to the space.”  Sarah Wilts `25 also goes to the gym a few times a week “The space seems to be a lot more well organized It is unclear what changes to expect from the fitness center in the coming weeks and months “We are in the very early stages of processing what the future changes might be for this area,” wrote Lowe Within the rugged white walls of the Bowladrome positive relationships have formed throughout its years of operation The Bowladrome is not simply defined by the immense ball and pin effigy above the door the colorful jukebox inside or by Buffy’s bar “Watching those pins fall gives me a sense of grandeur The Bowladrome opened in 1947 and was bought by Joseph Buffum in 1956 The Buffum family has owned and operated this venerable institution ever since Joseph’s grandson and the current manager of the Bowladrome has been working in the alley since he was 16 “I’ve been running around here since I was a little kid.” Grinnell community members Illinois and Indiana all arrive at the Bowladrome either on Saturday open-play nights or to participate in the bowling league “My favorite part of running the Bowladrome is that I get to meet so many different people from different cultures,” said Kriegel Professor Erik Simpson competed on a team of Grinnell College faculty friends and students  every Wednesday night in the Bowladrome league “We did take the bowling seriously,” wrote Professor Simpson in an email to The S&B “We all learned a lot about the sport Simpson recalled that although team conversations mostly centered around families every now and then the nerdiness of being a professor at a liberal arts college would express itself –– “I remember one Wednesday night where [Professor] Joe Mileti,our best bowler spent about an hour and a half trying to help the rest of us understand the nature of various kinds of mathematical infinities,” he wrote minds were blown –– bowling performances for the night however the head coach of Grinnell’s men’s soccer team has taught a physical education bowling course at the Bowladrome which he describes as a “really good physical exercise “My office is north of 10th Avenue,” said Jaworski “So I don’t often get to meet a lot of the student body and bring a sense of camaraderie.” His mentality regarding the course is simple –– it is a space to enjoy yourself and don’t take myself too seriously,” he clarified “Coach Jaws changed my life,” Kumano-Maloney who has taken three semesters of the bowling course said “That man can make you feel really good about a really awful bowling session.” One of the most pivotal moments in recent Grinnell bowling memory is when Lilli Lewis `25 triumphed over Jaworski “I had this really focused mindset against him which I didn’t have as much while playing against anyone else,” said Lewis “I was at the very top of my game playing against him.” The game ended with Coach Jaws scoring in the 150s Although camaraderie and enjoyment are the primary aims sincerely improving at bowling is important to most students in the course “Bowl as straight down the lane as possible” and “Wind up your body so that your arm is over the track when you release,” were provided by Lewis “The hottest people you know are probably bowlers,” said Kumano-Maloney This hotness of bowlers appears to be nurtured by the welcoming atmosphere of the Bowladrome “Mike lets students play the jukebox for free during the class,” said Coach Jaws conducive to bowling and a bearer of good luck for many students Coach Jaws is known to lean more towards 80s power-pop like Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel which peaked in the American Midwest in the 1960s “Everything’s gotten expensive,” said Kriegel “business gets really slow.” The Bowladrome still attracts 300 to 400 customers a week “My bowling balls and shoes are still in the garage waiting to get back in action,” wrote Professor Simpson more fulfilled person,” added Kumano-Maloney Thanks for visiting Sports psychologist Birant Akbay will return to Grinnell College in the fall of 2025 A current doctoral intern at the University of Iowa Akbay completed his practicum hours at the College from fall 2021 to spring 2024 working closely with the student-athlete population on campus Akbay will return to Grinnell under a two-year contract arranged between Student Health and Wellness (SHAW) and the athletics department a contract created in response to the overwhelming support for Akbay’s work by many student-athletes Akbay became an invaluable resource to many student-athletes said that she sought out Akbay her first year coming to Grinnell with a stress fracture in her shin that limited her ability to run Akbay helped her work through feelings of disconnection with the sport and identified other strategies for stress relief and emotional processing outside of running Akbay’s focus on gratitude and positive thinking within his work helped James Snyder `26 maintain a positive mindset when dealing with a slew of his own athletic injuries “Injuries are very psychological … The brain is so powerful that there’s healing that happens when the brain is more positive,” Snyder said he mentioned the importance of “just trying to maintain a positive attitude even in some really frustrating and upsetting times.” adjusting to life as a college athlete provides its own challenges said it was important to have Akbay to turn to in his first year of college “It’s challenging coming in trying to compete at a high level and then also adapting to college stress,” Chestovich said “I think having someone help [new students] through that more because we have great resources here for academics or personal life just not as much access for athletes without Akbay.” “I consider the student-athletes [to be] one of the under-served populations of students [at Grinnell],” Mason said After receiving such positive feedback about Akbay and his work with students SHAW and the athletics department worked to bring Akbay back to Grinnell While SHAW does not currently have the funds to create a permanent position for Akbay two-year postdoctoral contract that will bring him back to Grinnell in the fall “[SHAW] will work collaboratively with the athletics department to make sure that it’s a very rich experience for Birant but at the same time really provides a great service,” Mason said “How cool is it that we’re able to get him back and that’s how much he loves Grinnell Akbay went above and beyond what was required of his practicum hours driving to the College from Iowa City to meet with teams in person said that Akbay met the women’s team to talk about team dynamics bringing kinetic sand and other fidget toys for the players Along with their personal appreciation for Akbay Dixon and other athletes stressed the value of having a dedicated sports psychologist though other mental health resources exist a dedicated mental health professional who understands the unique stress and pressures of athletics is particularly valuable Akbay’s post-doctoral fellowship position at SHAW is not a sports psychologist position but it has a built-in specialization that will have him working with student-athletes “It will be a pleasure to reconnect with the Grinnell community – students faculty and staff – whose support has been invaluable to my professional development I look forward to engaging in outreach activities targeting a variety of athlete specific concerns,” Akbay wrote in an email to The S&B “I hope to work towards reducing the stigma surrounding athlete mental health expand access to services and promote the importance of mental health as it relates to overall student athlete well-being and performance,” he added “Reduce” the “stigma” means “continue to support” those taught and teaching that view and to “hold onto” some of it Scooter’s Coffee and Pizza Hut are franchising in Grinnell and owners of well-established local businesses including Saints Rest Coffee House and Pagliai’s Pizza Grinnell have mixed feelings about these new restaurant chains and impact they may have on Grinnell A Scooter’s is set to open by Thanksgiving and a Pizza Hut location will open shortly after the New Year While the owners of both Pagliai’s and Saints Rest feel that the new restaurant chains will affect their businesses they also expressed pride in the standards they have set for their own establishments Both said they believe their standards will set them apart from the incoming restaurant chains “Any new eating option will affect your business in some way They [Pizza Hut] will be more in the ‘fast food’ type of pizza market high quality ingredients experience and we know our customers value that,” Joey Pagliai While I’m not super excited about a Scooter’s coming into Grinnell I’m also not unhappy for the opportunities that it will give to some people that need jobs “I think that we [Saints Rest] will lose business I also think that there really is nothing I can do about that outside of focusing on my business and trying to improve my business so that the customer base I have stays with us,” said Sam Cox Cox added that she feels that Saints Rest and Scooter’s are different in terms of the products that the two shops serve and she takes great pride in the way she runs her shop “I’m very particular about the kind of product that I serve … we do everything from scratch we make all of our stuff in-house … so I’m very proud of our kitchen and what we bring out of it and I’m also very proud of the fact that our coffee is very fresh and we understand the industry … what those drinks should look like should taste like versus something that’s mass produced that’s the difference between myself and Scooter’s,” said Cox Joey Pagliai did not express any concern that the new Pizza Hut will impact Pagliai’s Pizza negatively Not only do these local businesses feel that there will be minimal impact on their business with the introduction of Scooter’s and Pizza Hut but they also see some potential benefits these new restaurants may bring and cultivate the fact that the more businesses that bring feet into Grinnell and into our downtown area tends to be a positive thing for everyone,” said Cox Cox also expressed that these businesses will bring much-needed jobs for people in the community “While I’m not super excited about a Scooter’s coming into Grinnell I’m also not unhappy for the opportunities that it will give to some people that need jobs,” said Cox a membership-based organization whose main role is to promote the City of Grinnell support Grinnell’s businesses and elevate the interests of its residents expressed a similar sentiment regarding the new businesses competition can be a positive thing for businesses they have more choice and that’s a positive thing,” said Rachel Kinnick president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce Scooter’s has made two previous attempts to come to Grinnell Cox recalled that Scooter’s initially tried to purchase the Classic Car Wash space next to the Steve Link Ford Lincoln car dealership on West Street the owner of the car wash set a high price for that location Scooter’s attempted to purchase the old Wells Fargo building a drive through coffee shop that Cox opened in 2019 The owner of the property decided not to sell it to Scooter’s Scooter’s had some luck when Grinnell College sold the land on the corner of 6th Avenue and West Street to the Scooter’s franchiser The newly built drive-through coffee shop now sits awaiting its opening sometime in the next couple of weeks There are many moving parts to opening a business The ways in which businesses are approved in Grinnell generally falls on the city of Grinnell which does not have a general business licensing program the director for building and planning for the city of Grinnell described the process for approving potential new businesses in Grinnell “Say someone wanted to come to Grinnell and open a Papa John’s the only formal review process that they would have to go through is the permit review process for the building that they would be either constructing or remodeling We don’t have a business licensing program where every single business in Grinnell has to pay a fee in order to operate,” he said businesses who do not wish to build or remodel do not need to go through any sort of permit review process “Say there’s a business that the code would consider is a mercantile type of business … Maybe one owner of it is selling clothing … and the next tenant who decides to rent that same particular space decides to sell tires If they didn’t change anything related to how that space is oriented or how it’s set up then they wouldn’t need a permit or business license whatsoever,” he said Both Pizza Hut and Scooter’s went through permit review processes for their renovation and building ventures and Avis said the processes were fairly smooth and simple The Chamber of Commerce can sometimes serve a supportive role in helping new businesses through the permit review process but the city of Grinnell is the only entity that can review and approve building permits for potential new businesses we do whatever we can to get more people to live in this place and to support the businesses that we have “If a business came to us [the Chamber of Commerce] and said ‘Hey we want to open here,’ we would help guide them through that process in terms of like Can we help you connect the dots in that way?’ When it comes to the point of permitting and that sort of process all of that goes through the City of Grinnell,” said Kinnick these new restaurant chains are responding to a community desire for more restaurants in Grinnell the need for more restaurants in the community was one of the top issues highlighted in the Build a Better Grinnell survey an ongoing research project responding to the wishes and goals of Grinnell community members for the sake of improving Grinnell The construction and opening of new restaurants helps fulfill that community desire “We don’t get into the business of supporting X over Y business is business and business is good,” said Kinnick and to support the businesses that we have.” informative article – especially on the city permitting process – and all the different perspectives There was a Pizza Hut at Sixth and Broad in the late 60s That Pizza Hut was still there and open when I graduated in 2009 This article was very thorough and impressive Sometimes it’s hard to get current information about such things in Grinnell I too believe we could use even more restaurants But I’m glad to see Pizza Hut really is going to happen I’m impressed with the attention to detail provided Interviews were enlightening and quite relevant Thanks for visiting Thanks for visiting Match Recap: Tennis | 3/13/2025 3:45:00 PM | Evan Smegal Thanks for visiting 60 percent of Grinnellians end up marrying other Grinnellians While this statistic is inaccurate — according to Jayn Bailey Chaney `05 Assistant Vice President of Alumni and Donor Relations the correct statistic is only about 13 percent — the recent Grinnell Marriage Pact has offered students the opportunity to find their “optimal backup plan” at Grinnell The Marriage Pact was created in 2017 by two undergraduate Stanford University students as a final project for an economics class taught by Paul Milgrom They sought to find a solution to the “stable marriage problem,” or the task of pairing as many individuals together as possible such that no individual would want to leave their partner for another individual who would similarly want to leave their partner for them They devised a questionnaire for students to fill based on personal values with prompts such as “I prefer politically incorrect humor” and “I would be OK if I spent my life doing good for others but did not receive recognition for it,” as well as an algorithm that would match participants based on their answers to the questionnaire students receive the name and email address of their match as well as a percentile score of their compatibility It’s working for people … It worked for us so hopefully for the majority of people it worked well Tanvi Bhujle `27 initially heard about the Marriage Pact from a friend at Northwestern University where it has been held annually since Fall 2020 this would be a fun thing to have at Grinnell,’” said Bhujle After entering her contact information on the Marriage Pact website to begin the process of launching the Grinnell Marriage Pact she was contacted by a Stanford student to guide her through the process The student instructed her to create a team of students that could help the survey have as large of a reach on campus as possible Bhujle first reached out to Sasha Fine `27 who then reached out to Jadyn Al-Fatah `27 and Owen Hope `27 to form the team of students who would bring the Marriage Pact to Grinnell ‘Do you wanna be a part of the Marriage Pact?’ and I was like and just see the vibes of what’s going on,’ and it turned out to be a really fun experience overall,” said Al-Fatah that she was trying to marry me — and I said yes and then I also said yes to actually being a part of the process as well,” said Hope Although the team brought the Marriage Pact to Grinnell and worked on advertising it they do not have access to the algorithm that pairs participants together; this access remains with the company that runs the Marriage Pact “We don’t really know how [the algorithm] works but we did get to pick some of the questions that went on the actual survey,” said Bhujle the Grinnell Marriage Pact confirmed existing relationships were matched with each other through the Marriage Pact “I just kind of heard about it from people in my circle as well as just the overall community,” said Cook “We’re already in a relationship so we don’t really need a person but we were just interested in seeing what the questions were like,” said Cook Cook and Pruitt were matched with other students they were ultimately paired with each other in the final results “I didn’t go into it with any expectations of who I was gonna get so it was just a pleasant surprise,” said Pruitt I guess we ended up with the right person,’” said Cook “It’s working for some people … It worked for us so hopefully for the majority of people it worked well,” said Cook Renfrow Hall suitemates Shinon Takei `26 and Eli Conrod-Wovcha `26 were matched through the Marriage Pact “I don’t think I was looking for anything in particular just interesting to fill out and see what happens,” said Conrod-Wovcha ‘cause it’s really hard to talk to new people unless you have a group project or something,” said Takei Takei and Conrod-Wovcha had been randomly assigned as suitemates for Renfrow Hall “I guess it’s indicative that ResLife [Residence Life] did a good job of pairing people,” said Conrod-Wovcha The Grinnell Marriage Pact received 964 submissions this year and while it promised a match for every participant this promise was not fulfilled for everyone the Marriage Pact said that it had 86 more men than women in its heterosexual matching pool While many of these students were matched with other heterosexual men as “friend matches” Sebastian Corry `28 was the only student who did not get a match “My girlfriend and I were hanging out with some friends see if something funny happens,’” said Corry “I’ve been joking about the 83 unmatchable straight men for a couple days now I guess I’m the unmatchable straight man,” said Corry These stories are a fraction of the varied results produced by the Grinnell Marriage Pact Whether students find romantic partners or get funny stories to share out of the project it brings conversation to any college where it is held members of the Grinnell Organizing Collective met in the basement of the United Church of Christ They gathered around a folding table spread with a white tablecloth The collective was founded after the November 2024 election in response to Donald Trump’s victory sitting in coffee time at church the Sunday after the election ‘What the hell do we do now?’” said Kelsey Sandeno and then it all just kind of spiraled out from there.” The group sought to provide an outlet for people who felt the urge to take action in the post-election period “There were four categories of thinking about ‘I need to do something now,’ what role would they be most drawn to,” said Liz Rodrigues “The four categories were: defending or protecting vulnerable communities disrupting harmful practices and building alternatives.” The collective is open to everyone and welcomes new faces whenever they appear “We’re very explicitly trying to pull folks from the biggest tent that we can because these issues affect all of us,” said Alex Barnum a community organizer and member of the collective “Whatever we can do to build and try to mend the social fabric and help and build the community and make it more resilient and better — great The attendance numbers of a given meeting usually depend on its purpose. When the group had a potluck right before the inauguration, and another at the beginning of March, 40 to 50 people showed up. The collective also supports different subgroups that target the social and political issues faced by people in and around Grinnell. Some subgroups include the Grinnell PFLAG chapter the Grinnell chapter of Indivisible and the Public-School Strong subgroup which was more of an organizational meeting for the group’s steering committee the topics discussed included Grinnell community gardens supporting stockpiling in the face of natural disasters and planning for upcoming political protests The group is already seeing the positive impacts of their actions Grinnell recently became one of seven other towns in Iowa with an officially registered chapter of PFLAG largely in part due to the actions of the Grinnell Organizing Collective they were also able to support the donation of more than 700 pounds of food to the Mid-Iowa Community Action (MICA) food pantry Some of their other goals are harder to measure and I just hope and pray that it continues we have people from all different spaces in the community to build relationships — especially to build relationships across the kind of social spaces where we might not run into each other.”  The Grinnell Organizing Collective is still in its early days but until that pie in the sky dream happens Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance has filed a proposal with Iowa regulators to establish a mutual insurance holding company seeking to access capital markets and improve its financial and operational flexibility outlined in documents filed with the Iowa Insurance Division would create three separate entities: Grinnell Mutual Holding Co Grinnell Holdings Inc as an intermediate stock holding company which would convert to a stock insurance company Grinnell Mutual Group reported a net income of $87.4 million a reversal from a $79.9 million net loss in the same period of 2023 Policyholders’ surplus increased to $628.1 million from $610 million over the previous year The company’s total cash and invested assets rose to $1.31 billion from $1.20 billion in the first half of 2023 Get the latest reinsurance news direct to your inbox twice a week. Sign up here Grinnell Mutual Group’s portfolio is evenly divided across personal lines The report noted that the company’s exposure to property lines has made it susceptible to weather-related losses with increasing frequency and severity in weather events affecting results from 2019 through 2023 Grinnell Mutual Holding would be overseen by a board of directors elected by Grinnell policyholders who would hold membership rights in the holding company The structure would position Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance stock under Grinnell Holdings Grinnell plans to issue a 100% stock dividend to Grinnell Holdings a move that requires the approval of the Iowa Insurance Commissioner the company does not intend to issue stock publicly currently Existing policyholders would remain covered under current policies and become members of Grinnell Mutual Holdings Grinnell’s current board members and officers would retain their positions across the new corporate entities according to the company’s reorganization proposal submitted by CEO Jeff Menary and president Dave Wingert Please feel free to share your comments below Get the latest reinsurance news direct to your inbox twice a week. Sign up here Grinnell College has dropped eight places in the U.S. News & World Report’s ranking of Best National Liberal Arts Colleges in 2025. The report ranked the College nineteenth, whereas last year’s report ranked Grinnell eleventh in the category associate vice president of institutional initiatives and enrollment wrote in a joint email to The S&B that the drop in rankings does not mean Grinnell’s quality as an academic institution has declined They wrote the drop is attributed to the dip in the College’s six-year graduation rate attributed by the College’s COVID leave policies “The College was aware that our generous COVID leave policies would suppress overall graduation rates,” Lindberg and Miller wrote we continue to believe that these policies were good for Grinnell students and will result in more students completing their degrees.”  They also noted the six-year graduation rate for students who received Pell grants dropped by six percentage points “While the change in the number of Pell-eligible students who did not graduate in six years is very small (8 students in the 2024 data and 12 in the 2025 data),” Lindberg and Miller wrote “This change had a comparatively large impact on the College’s social mobility ranking.” “Academic excellence and the student experience – and all of the factors that influence them – drive decision-making Both Lindberg and Miller emphasized that Grinnell continues to be ranked among the top liberal arts colleges in the country “We continue to perform at the highest level on many of the metrics reported in the U.S including student debt and student retention,” Lindberg and Miller wrote “The College doesn’t engage in any strategies to influence rankings or make decisions based on rankings,” de Graffenreid wrote “The rankings will not have any effect on the College’s work they do call attention to specific areas where we want to direct attention,” Lindberg and Miller wrote “We will continue to work hard to support students in ways which assist them with the ultimate goal of graduating from Grinnell.”  With “The Light is the Same,” the Grinnell Singers returned to Sebring-Lewis Hall in the Bucksbaum Center for the Arts to perform the songs they had debuted on their spring break tour of the Midwest. The performance on Sunday was divided into two sections — “Songs of Earth Songs of Hope,” featuring pieces centered around place and “The Light of Love,” which intertwined themes of love and faith The concert on Sunday contained many of the same songs performed on the Midwest tour and was intended as a culmination of the time that had been put into each piece “Over tour we cut some things because it was too loud and this was the concrete set that we were supposed to do … I think it went well,” said choir member Eva Rousseau `27 “We’re building a lot of energy throughout the tour … we’re always trying to perfect it,” said Jadyn Al-Fatah `27 we’re getting a little more excited with each piece Coming back to do it all for Grinnell was a big closing moment We’re building a lot of energy throughout the tour … we’re always trying to perfect it The concert kicked off with “You Through Me,” composed by Alex Berko professor of music at Grinnell and conductor of the Singers introduced the song as written from the perspective of the Elizabeth Street Garden in New York This theme of place and homeland united pieces composed  across centuries including a lively piece by Johannes Brahms and the percussive “Vasija de Barro” by Javier Zentner the choice to create balanced acoustics by having the soprano soloists was inspired by the text’s focus on memories and created a haunting Introducing the second thematic part of the concert Rommereim emphasized the “nuances of emotion” in “Blagosloven yesi ghospodi” by Sergei Rachmaninov a piece describing the arrival of the women to Jesus’s tomb to care for his body “We’re able to delve into it a bit more … that comes with figuring out what emotions we need to have at certain points The centerpiece of the set was the three sections of Reena Esmail’s “This Love Between Us,” which concentrate on different religions in India The final movement contained a central inspiration behind the performance with the lyrics“the lamps may be different but the light is the same,” a quotation from Rumi The performance of “O My Love is Like a Red Red Rose” included the choir forming a U-shape around the audience which choir members said was intended to create a more intimate said “Singing towards each other was really beautiful … we could hear the different parts more.”  The concert concluded with “Hallelujah,” arranged by Mervyn Warren and Teena Chinn so I’m able to move and just have fun,” he said The energetic final song brought home a sense of community “Now it feels like we’re kind of a family singing together we know each other’s energy more,” said Woodard “It’s like an uncommunicated vibe that’s happening.”  The Singers have another concert on May 4 in which they will perform new repertoire Woodard said she hopes that the Singers take the connection and sound they’ve created to hone their next performance “taking that bond and moving forward to continue to create blended by | Apr 21 The Iowa Economic Development Authority Board has approved economic incentives for a Norway-based company that wants to expand its operations in the state IEDA spokesperson Kanan Kappleman says Frontier Natural Products is getting tax incentives “They are planning to expand their Bell Plaine facility And the company is a cooperatively owned wholesaler of natural and organic herbs and essential oil products,” she says “For additional production and warehouse capacity The project represents a capital investment of just over 30 million dollars and is expected to create 16 jobs,” Kappleman says Italy got incentives to help build its North American headquarters in Iowa and suspensions for agricultural and industrial machines The company is actually planning to locate at the Perry Industrial Park,” she says Kappleman says it is an investment of more than $14 million “The IEDA board awarded them tax benefits The project is expected to create 35 jobs,” she says The Board awarded Dickinson County a $500,000 dollar tourism and attractions grant for the Clay County Connection Project “This includes the construction of a 3.5 mile addition to the Spine Trail the 32 mile trail corridor will link three counties in two states and eight municipalities,” she says ” So it will be part of the Iowa Great Lakes connection Kappleman says the City of Grinnell won a tourism and attractions grant of $343,000 “To construct a Veterans Memorial Monument in the plaza So the 40-foot steel structure representing an American flag is a unique art feature for the city’s park and downtown area and will be incorporated into community celebrations,” Kappleman says The IEDA board also awarded a sports tourism grant for an event “The Des Moines Metro Disc Golf Club was awarded just over $6,000 for the three-day Disc Golf Pro Tour which will host 160 of the world’s top players and over 300 amateur participants,” she says Kappleman says the disc golf events have been growing in popularity RadioIowa is a division of LEARFIELD © Learfield News & Ag, LLC. All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy  | Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information Grinnell College in Iowa has announced a $10 million estate gift from the Robert N Noyce Trust in support of the college’s computer science department and to foster interdisciplinary innovation and scientific research The bequest from the estate of Ann Bowers —made in honor of her late husband who died in 1990—includes $4 million to establish the Robert N Noyce ’49 and Ann Bowers Endowed Chair in Computer Science; $2 million to create the Endowed Fund for Curricular Development which will support interdisciplinary projects that enhance teaching and learning; $2 million for the Endowed Scientific Equipment Fund to maintain and upgrade essential scientific resources; and $2 million to establish an endowed scholarship for students demonstrating financial need The gift will enable the department to hire two tenure-track faculty members boosting the department to 10 faculty members and expanding its course offerings A co-founder of Fairchild Semiconductors and the Intel Corporation Noyce served as a trustee of the college for many years Noyce ’49 Science Center is named in his honor “Robert Noyce was a pioneer whose innovations have reshaped how we live and learn,” said Grinnell College president Anne Harris not only honors his deep connection to Grinnell but also secures vital support for future generations of Grinnellians helping them navigate challenges and opportunities yet to be imagined.” While benefits of volunteering have been well documented, less than 1 percent of total giving went directly to volunteer engagement between 2016 and 2025, a report from Points of Light finds Where should nonprofits focus resources dedicated to volunteers select any of the newsletters listed below Please report it so we can improve the news we bring you and more delivered to your inbox with Philanthropy News Digest newsletters Candid gets you the information you need to do good they came with a goal to bring structure to a strength and conditioning program that had been pushed aside for the past few years “Respectfully to all things that went on before we got here a consistent or defined program over the past couple of years,” said Lewis “So we’re going to bring everybody back in terms of standardization and then we’re going to build from there.” Both bring years of experience and a shared passion for helping athletes achieve their best but their motivations for joining Grinnell are deeply rooted in their personal values and professional goals the decision to join Grinnell College was made by his desire for a new career challenge Having previously coached at Central College he was already familiar with Grinnell’s reputation and saw the opportunity to work within a community that he said radiates positivity and energy “I knew immediately that Grinnell College was an incredible place,” he said and I’m lucky enough to be a part of it now.” was drawn to Grinnell because of her professional aspirations and her desire to return closer to home as well as her desire to take on a new challenge made Grinnell a natural fit “I’ve worked with Holly before and really respected her leadership and the support that she always showed for strength and conditioning,” Griess explained “Just really excited about the possibilities and the potential that this place and this department has to build something really powerful from an athletic performance perspective.”  Both coaches quickly recognized that Grinnell’s academic and athletic environment aligned with their goals Greiss and Lewis said that the pride and confidence athletes have in performing at a high level resonated with both of them “All the same things [Lewis] said about just wanting to always improve and always get better while also taking pride in the work that has been done Each coach’s approach to strength and conditioning is rooted in fostering strong relationships with athletes They both recognize that for athletes to perform at their best they must first believe in their potential “It’s going to be a lot of building relationships and it’s going to be holding people to a high level of accountability and increasing expectations and educating people [and] getting people to believe in their own capabilities,” said Lewis this means meeting athletes where they are on their fitness journey “We understand that some students may have experience in strength training while others may be stepping into a weight room for the first time,” she explained understanding their needs and guiding them through the process at a comfortable pace.” Griess said that to integrate strength and conditioning into Grinnell’s athletic culture it involves building relationships and structure raising that bar and those expectations to a place that you know are going to put Grinnell College athletics on the next level,” said Griess We understand that it’s going to be a learning process on all ends.” While maximizing performance is a key goal Lewis and Griess are equally focused on creating a supportive environment for athletes our goal is to educate people and give them the skills they need to be safe and productive here.” Both coaches explained that their priority isn’t focused on defeating the records on the Pioneer Power Record Board but rather pushing athletes to be their best “I look at those and there’s a lot of really impressive performances there right now but my overarching goal as a strength and conditioning coach is to one “We want to make sure that we build the infrastructure of a program that’s going to go far beyond just strictly numbers,” added Griess circle back and put some names up on that board.” While both Lewis and Griess have their sights set on raising the bar understanding that such success takes time “We’re just trying to kind of get our feet under us and make sure that we build some solid foundations of this strength and conditioning program,” said Griess my purpose –– propel Grinnell College student-athletes forward,” Lewis said “But there is life beyond college athletics setting them up for that transition out of college athletics or just to have a foundation of health and wellness too A few years after a 4-month investigation by Carter Ottele `25 The S&B is revisiting the topic of social division between student athletes and non-athletes The S&B conducted a survey answered by 77 overall respondents and interviewed 16 athletes about their views on the existence of a social division Reactions about the divide differed between “definitely exists,” “it’s perceived” and “it’s overblown,” but every athlete said it exists to some extent This consensus is supported by the results of the survey The aim of this investigation is not to argue whether athletes or non-athlete students are more culpable in perpetuating a division explanations and possibilities of improvement to the social divide In one of his investigations, Ottele pointed out two causes of the student athlete and non-athlete division from the perspective of athletes The first cause was the shared commitment of time towards athletics and the second was the fact that some athletes arrive on campus earlier and become part of a social group before other students “Even in [the] two weeks before NSO [New Student Orientation] we were already very close,” said Jack Ellwein `28 “I feel like it was interesting to meet a lot of [new classmates outside of cross country] but also it was kind of … nice to have this community where if I felt a little bit out of my comfort zone with the other students I could go back to my team and share a safe space.” arriving earlier on campus may not be necessary for athletes to feel part of a group before others do since they get to know their teammates upon their admission to the College “It was definitely a relief for me to come to college already knowing that I will have friends,” said Kayla O’Malley `28 a softball player who did not arrive to campus early “Sometimes I like to joke around and call them my forced friends.” The origin of the division between athletes and non-athletes is likely a natural division based on where and with whom students choose to spend their time “So all that time at practice with my team 20 hours a week with them means deeper connections –– it means that those people are your friends Student-athletes have also found that their schedules often mean they lose the opportunity to pursue other passions and meet more people outside of their team “I had extracurricular clubs that I would have loved to join over the years but my practice schedule would not allow me to,” said Sara Booher `25 who plays basketball and throws as a track and field athlete The S&B’s investigation found that members of some teams had more non-athlete friends than others The S&B surveyed 67 non-athlete students to express the extent of how easy it is to engage with members of each team The S&B’s investigation revealed the pattern that sports with both men’s and women’s teams tend to be perceived as more approachable by non-athletes than teams with only a men’s or women’s team These results further display that sports where the men’s and women’s teams spend time together during and outside of training are perceived as easiest to interact with The S&B interviewed several athletes from sports with both men’s and women’s teams to express their views on how gender diversity affects their sport’s dynamics “The women’s teams have their own traditions and so does the men’s we all compete together and support each other and on the men’s side that sort of gets us out of our bubbles,” said Gavin Stiglitz `28 an athlete on the swimming and diving team “The swim team has done a conscious effort to become a welcoming and for me it has been really helpful to have people of all gender identities on the same team.” Basketball player Kai Te Huki `27 said that while the women’s and men’s teams are separated when they travel together they’ve overall improved their relationship with each other “We always eat at lunch and dinner together … they’ve given me interesting perspectives that the other guys on my team would have never given me,” said Te Huki Booher said that she particularly enjoys her training sessions with the men’s basketball players during off-season women and people of all gender identities interacting with each other is important and creates a good competitive environment The track and field team shared the same sentiments as the swimming and diving team “It doesn’t create this sort of ‘locker room mentality,’” said Lily Mayo `28 “I think that having exposure to different people with differing opinions to you –– which I think maybe differing gender identities often do –– is good for seeing beyond yourself.” commented on a hypothetical creation of a women’s football team “I think that would be something beneficial for not just football players not just women who are interested in football I think that would lift a lot of stigmas regarding sports.” The S&B asked for comments about the findings of this survey from Grinnell’s department of psychology but they declined to comment because the College does not currently have a faculty member doing research in social behavior in athletics She came to TD SYNNEX after holding the CIO post at DXC Technology the global distributor and aggregator for the IT ecosystem said Thursday “Kristie brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of transformational leadership that will strengthen how we harness the power of data and digital to deliver personalized targeted customer engagement and operational excellence,” commented Patrick Zammit oversaw an IT organization consisting of more than 1,500 employees and helped drive significant advancements in technology and business integration She served as global CIO and chief supply chain officer at General Dynamics Information Technology prior to joining DXC who will retire from her role as TD SYNNEX CIO The premier source of breaking business news for the government contracting industry to-the-point stories of the most significant contract awards M&A activities and financial results of the sector’s most notable players GovCon Wire is always on top of the most recent contracting sector activity and is updated in real time as the news breaks Important URLs: About us – Government Contracting FAQ – Guest Contributions – 2024 Events Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application      Richard "Dick" Charles Grinnell at his daughters’ home.     Funeral Services will be held at Smith Family Funeral Homes Elsie with Pastor Kathy Leydorf-Keck officiating Burial will take place at North Star Cemetery at the funeral home and again on Tuesday from 10:00 A.M until the time of the service.     Dick was born in Detroit the son of Hurley and Alice (Cotton) Grinnell after 47 years of marriage.      Dick was an usher at the University of Michigan for football games for 20 years He loved tailgating for the games with family and friends Dick was a metal finisher for many years and also hauled milk for local farmers Dick and Hazel spent many years bartending and catering many events He was a member of the Knights of Columbus and the St Dick was always active and busy doing something "He never let any grass grow under his feet".     He is survived by daughter Paulett and Ron VanLake of Bannister MI; two stepsons: Walter and Maureen Ackels of St Missouri; and Paul Ackels; 19 grandchildren and 35 great-grandchildren and a brother Kurt Grinnell.     Memorials may be made to the St Online condolences can be sent to www.smithfamilyfuneralhomes.com The family is being served by Smith Family Funeral Homes Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors Over 100 people rallied in Grinnell’s Central Park and walked through much of downtown on Thursday to protest House File 583 (HF583), denouncing its exclusion of gender identity from civil rights that are currently protected by law 18 years after Iowa codified civil rights for transgender citizens the passage of HF583 would make it the first state to strip those protections and could set a precedent for their repeal nationwide Part of HF583 is the proposed amendment to Iowa Code Section 216.6A(1)(b) if signed into law by Governor Kim Reynolds would remove the language stating that gender identity is protected under civil rights law and effectively strip protections from transgender individuals The Iowa Senate approved the bill later on Thursday only a few hours after the Grinnell protest and as hundreds of other protesters packed the hallways of the state Capitol in Des Moines The bill was approved with a tally of 33 votes in favor and 15 against Iowa House members also passed the bill on Thursday with a tally of 60 votes in favor and 36 against Governor Kim Reynolds still needs to sign the bill in order for it to become law “It’s called a women’s rights bill It restores the right of women to have privacy in those private spaces and it restores the rights of women to have their own sports,” said Rep and they’re trying to erase women in our society The protest on Thursday was organized by a subgroup of the Grinnell Organizing Collective. The collective is working to establish a Pride Center, a Pride House and a PFLAG chapter in Grinnell and while some of us discussed going to the State House today we realized that’s not something everyone can do,” said Kelsey Sandeno “We wanted to do something here in Grinnell so those who can’t make it to the epicenter can still show that we’re there in spirit.” The demonstration brought residents of all ages together united in their concern over the proposed legislation “Human rights should never be contested by the government,” said a Grinnell high school student who chose to stay anonymous since her family disagrees with her political opinion on the matter “They’re more worried about taking away rights from people just trying to live and I feel like that is just not only unnecessary but clearly their priorities are not where we need them.”  trans rights are here to stay” as they walked through downtown Grinnell then that’s just really opening up for us to legally discriminate against them to hate on them,” Grinnell resident Rhonda Scull the legislation represents a direct threat to vulnerable communities “One of the most important things we can do is protect our children It is terrifying that there is legislation to not help every single child grow up to be successful,” said Angela Ruth Others said the attack on trans rights is part of a larger pattern of restricting civil liberties They’re all in line to be attacked by the folks who are behind these anti-trans laws It’s all a piece,” said Grinnell resident Maura Strasbourg Grinnell College students also stood in solidarity “I just hope trans people in Grinnell and around here can feel that they’re not alone no matter what national crisis they’re facing and the fear that they’re experiencing,” said Michael Murray `27 the struggle for trans rights is deeply personal and ongoing “One of our best friends declared being trans 45 years ago,” Judy Barber “She became just frightened about bathroom issues and licensed gender issues — same day issues today — 45 years later so I hope things will be better for her and everybody.”  The Pride Center’s first series of events third space,” will be held on the third Friday of every month at Grinnell’s United Church of Christ “We’re organizing a Pride Center here in Grinnell and it’s going to take a lot of work,” Sandeno said “It’s going to be a third space for LGBTQIA+ and allies where you can just be and know that there will be a rest for your soul and for your spirit.” Editor’s note: HF583 was signed into law by Gov I really appreciate your efforts to cover events in the wider community You do a wonderful job with capturing photos and gathering input I especially appreciate that you reached out to Dean Fisher and am impressed you were able to get him to respond and get his thoughts on this bill on record LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 8, 2025) — Growing up in Harve de Grace, Maryland, Sam Grinnell-Spiller developed a passion for horses at a very young age Despite it being a new interest for her family Grinnell-Spiller was able to find a small farm that welcomed her with open arms As an equine science and management (ESMA) student, Grinnell-Spiller wanted to bring that sense of community and support to the University of Kentucky. In Fall 2024, she took a step toward that goal by creating the UK Ranch Horse Team “I love seeing the smiles and confidence in the team members as they get more comfortable,” Grinnell-Spiller said “Bringing everyone together and growing this community has been so rewarding.” Grinnell-Spiller was working for Dean Moffett at Dizzy D Ranch when she took the Equine Science and Management Internship taught by Savannah Robin “As a part of the ESMA internship experience we ask students to select a project that empowers them to ‘leave the woodpile higher than you found it,’” Robin said “Sam took on this project to help both her placement and provide students at UK with an opportunity they wouldn’t have otherwise.” With the help of Mary Jane Little Grinnell-Spiller created the team as a project of her internship This team is open to students of all majors and equestrians of all experience levels; tryouts are not required “Sam approached me to be an adviser for the Ranch team and I was excited to help her achieve her goal when I saw the determination in her eye,” said Little “Working with Sam has been invigorating as she empowers other students in the club to take leadership roles.” As president, Grinnell-Spiller has been responsible for getting the team off the ground, writing the framework of the club and organizing activities for the members. The executive team members have been huge supporters of Grinnell-Spiller as they have worked through the challenges of starting a new “Ranch riding judges are looking for which horses they would want to take on the ranch to complete tasks,” Grinnell-Spiller said and each person can choose what they would like to show in There is something for everyone and the community is super supportive.” Students can choose to join as a social or riding member Social members are involved in monthly club meetings Riding members must also own or lease a horse practice with the team once a week and can choose to compete in local ranch riding shows “My favorite thing about this club is the community we have grown,” Grinnell-Spiller said “Our practices are such a hoot; they are easygoing and everyone is cheering on one another I hope as I graduate and the club continues I can’t wait to see it grow and bloom even more.” Learn more about the UK ranch horse team at https://ukranchhorseteam.wixsite.com/uk-ranch-horse-team the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing It's all made possible by our people — visionaries disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center