Scarlet & Black

07/27/2023

The S&B is hiring our staff for the Fall Semester! Use the link below to view positions and access the job applications. Applications will be open until 6 pm on August 11th. Any questions? DM us email [email protected]. We look forward to reading your applications!

https://grinnell.joinhandshake.com/stu/employers/83647

05/12/2023

Hear from our graduating staff members as they reflect on their time with the S&B in this year’s Senior Issue.

1. Millie Peck – Opinions Editor
“The opinions section is the way that we highlight the voices of people outside of the S&B staff. The ability to have your work published should not be gatekept by people with journalistic prowess.”

2. George Kosinski – Staff Writer
“Now reflecting on my time at the S&B, faced with the difference between myself now and first year, I see a happier, much more confident, engaged and capable person.”

3. Paul Hansen – Photographer

4. Nadia Langley – Editor in Chief
“This job doesn’t get any easier, but it doesn’t become any less important, either. And I had a pretty fun time along the way.”

5. Maddi Shinall – Visuals Editor
“I also felt like I was part of something bigger again, helping to tell people’s stories.”

Continued in print or at thesandb.com.
We’ll miss you, best of luck in your future endeavors!
📸Maddi Shinall, Paul Hansen

05/11/2023

Read about more of our featured seniors from this year's Senior Issue of The S&B!

1. To Theo Prineas `23, not much is more punk than a public library, except perhaps politics. An English and political science double major, this year Prineas was president of Grinnell College Campus Democrats, sharing his political experience and advocating for student participation in local elections.

“We are a part of the Grinnell community, and that means we need to have a voice in it,” Prineas said.
📸Sofiia Zaruchenko

2. Koffi Amegble `23 is a graduating first-generation, low-income student and biology major. He credits the Charles Benson Bear `39 Recreation and Athletic Center (BEAR) weight room as the first place he truly felt seen at Grinnell.

“The Bear was the first place where I was like failure was kind of a good thing in a way, and so once I realized, ‘hey, I failed, the world didn’t explode,’ it wasn’t game over. I started realizing that meant, academically, it was kind of the same,” Amegble said.

📸Paul Hansen

3. Letícia Monteiro `23 is a Gender, Women’s and Sexuality Studies (GWSS) and Theatre, Dance and Performance Studies (TDPS) double major from Brazil. Monteiro’s immense passion for her art ultimately led her to receive a scholarship to study at the National Theatre Institute (NTI) in Connecticut paid for by playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Now in her last semester back on campus, Monteiro said, “There’s something special here, and I think people are cherishing each other and being very genuine, and loving and joyful.”

📸Maddi Shinall

4. Morell Old `23 is a classics and biology double major. In their time at Grinnell, Burling Library has been their home and a source for their passion for librarianship, which was only natural to them considering their childhood passions and current studies.

“I was the little kid who knew all the facts about animals,” Old said. “And also my particular biology interest is taxonomy, which is like organizing everything … it reminds me of classics in a way of making sure everything is organized in its place and understanding the world.”

📸Paul Hansen

Read more about these seniors and others at thesandb.com!

05/10/2023

Meet more of our featured seniors from this year’s Senior Issue of The S&B!

1. Maya Gardner `23, a biology major and statistics concentrator, likes to get her hands dirty. While not originally intending to major in biology, she’s found herself exploring her passions everywhere from knee-deep in water on a recent biology field trip to conducting fieldwork in South Africa during her sixth semester. In addition to her biological explorations, she also works for the office of admissions as a senior interviewer. Many of her fond memories of Grinnell before the pandemic consisted of cherished campus traditions.

When it comes to shifting campus culture, Gardner said, “When I came here, they were like, ‘you don’t even know what self-gov is,’ and so it’s always gonna be changing, and I think that’s just the nature of it all. But I think the students care, and that’s maybe the most important thing.”

📸Ohana Sarvotham

2. You might have seen Tino Tazvitya `23 on campus anywhere from this year’s International Student Organization as an emcee to the archery range. A computer science and mathematics double major, Tazvitya has found fulfillment and friendship in unexpected places throughout her time at Grinnell.

“I just love talking to people and meeting new people,” said Tazvitya. “I’m grateful I was able to do that in every aspect of things.”

📸Paul Hansen

3. Andrew Thompson `23 has truly made his mark on Grinnell. His passions in tattooing and printmaking in particular have guided him, and his skill in various art styles recently earned him the College’s Fourth-Year Art Prize at the annual Bachelor of Arts Exhibition. As a member of the Union of Grinnell Student Dining Workers organizing and bargaining teams, he’s also passionate about student involvement and advocacy on campus.

“I want to see people at Grinnell feeling empowered to start their own things, not feeling like they need permission from SGA or administration to start organizations,” Thompson said. “There’s so much power in student organizing.”

📸Owen Barbato

Read more about these seniors and others at thesandb.com!

05/10/2023

The S&B's Zach Spindler-Krage `25 tours Grinnell House with his roommate, Carolina Klauk Novaes `23. The two students live in the historic building and sometimes attend to guests when they visit the House.
Edited by Sarah Evans `26.

The S&B's Zach Spindler-Krage `25 tours Grinnell House with his roommate, Carolina Klauk Novaes `23. The two students live in the historic building and somet...

05/10/2023

Meet more of our featured seniors from this year’s Senior Issue of The S&B!

1. Greta Schmidt `23 is a mentor to the College community. She is an esteemed captain of the Grinnell College women’s frisbee team, the Grinnelleanor Roosevelts or the Svelts, for which she is a Student Athlete Mentor. A biochemistry major with a dual concentration in science, medicine and society, she’s also a science community leader for chemistry students. She’s made many close friends at Grinnell, many of which she bonded with during the pandemic:

“It was just really happy times in a bleak period.”

📸Evan Hein

2. Huandong Chang `23 is a mathematics and computer science double major with a concentration in statistics. He’s taken advantage of a multitude of academic, social, and athletic opportunities at the College, from his time as president of the Chinese Student Association (CSA) to playing with the International Soccer Club (ISC). Chang’s experiences at Grinnell have helped him carve out his interests in data science and a future in machine learning.

“I believed [Grinnell] was a place that could give me success, and I believe it has,” Chang said

📸Ohana Sarvotham

3. Saulė Keliauskaitė `23 is an economics major and international student from Lithuania. Her interests and extensive experiences in debate in high school have ultimately led her to a multitude of leadership roles at Grinnell. After joining the Grinnell Debate Union, she entered the investments sphere by joining the Pioneer Capital Investments group (PCI), known to be a male-dominated space, where she was asked to lead the group after her first year.

“Instead of being, ‘oh no, I don’t belong here,’ I wanted to lean into that feeling that I want to explore this and maybe it’s going to be interesting,” she said.

📸Ohana Sarvotham

Read more about these seniors and others at thesandb.com!

05/08/2023

In this Senior Issue of The S&B, meet some members of the Grinnell College Class of 2023 and learn about their passions and accomplishments.

1. Emmie Smith `23 is a dedicated swim and dive team athlete and filmmaker. She recalls her time at Grinnell as having helped her become more independent and comfortable in who she is.

“I like to think that I’ve matured as a person, but my personality has never changed – kind of silly, and outgoing and not really afraid to speak my mind. And my mom will say that has carried with me since I could speak,” she said.

📸Paul Hansen

2. Sam Reid `23, a chemistry major and neuroscience concentrator, hopes to be in a lab forever. In her time at Grinnell, she’s made great strides, from completing groundbreaking chemistry research, to joining the track and field team her junior year, to overcoming the academic pressures of Grinnell.

“I never pulled an all-nighter, and it was okay. I think it’s okay to just take it easy sometimes. You don’t have to be perfect,” she said.

📸Owen Barbato

3. A sociology major from Japan, Tomoyoshi “Tom” Sato has accomplished plenty. He is co-founder of the Salsa and Bachata Club and a key member of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Club. During his time abroad in Sweden, he learned to dance salsa and bachata and did incredible volunteer work for a refugee organization.

“Grinnell is not a place that just gives you opportunities. Grinnell is a place that supports students who create their own opportunities. You must speak up,” advised Sato.

📸Evan Hein

4. Skye Ryan `23.5 is well-known on campus for her incredible guitar skills, most notably in her band Bādphakák. Although her involvement in music is what she’s most known for, Ryan’s involvement in computer science and her interests in the intersection between sound design and CS have driven her experiences at Grinnell.

“I’ve got my band. I love my band. Occasionally, we drive each other a little crazy, especially during concert prep, but it’s the best time after shows just getting to hang out with all my friends in the audience and all my friends on stage,” she said.

📸Evan Hein

Read more about these seniors and others at thesandb.com!

05/05/2023

BREAKING: The Grinnell-Newburg Community School District’s Reconsideration Committee unanimously decided that Jeannette Walls’s memoir “The Glass Castle” will remain in Grinnell-Newburg High School’s (GHS) ninth-grade English curriculum with alterations. This decision was reached in a closed-door deliberation following the committee’s second public session on May 3.

According to Janet Stutz, superintendent for schools, in an email to the S&B, alterations include assuring that alternate learning materials are available and will adhere to the class’ unit template to “provide an inclusive classroom environment.”

Read more at this link: https://thesandb.com/43102/article/breaking-the-glass-castle-to-remain-in-ghs-curriculum-with-alterations/

05/04/2023

The editors in chief, they’re just like us! Take a peek inside the The B**b Abode and The Bed & Breakfast Penthouse, the Cribz of Allison Moore `24 and Nadia Langley `23!

Allison Moore `24 The B**b Abode Sometimes, it is difficult for college residences to feel like homes. Just a single loop through apartment 3 of 1215 Elm St. reveals that Allison Moore `24 and Kayley Ronnkvist `23 were the right duo to take on the challenge. Every object in sight has a story and int...

05/04/2023

47% of students have considered withdrawal from Grinnell College, according to a recent College-administered survey. A disproportionate number of students of color have considered leaving the school, and some students who have transferred from the College cited lack of diversity and inadequate financial aid among their reasons for leaving.

Amid recent College-administered surveys that reveal nearly half of Grinnell College students have considered leaving the institution, including a disproportionate number of students of color, some faculty and administrators have expressed intentions to address contributing factors, including academ...

05/04/2023

Luke Stefan `25.5 writes about the misguided perception of mental wellness in athletics and calls for a better understanding of mental health difficulties in sports.

“Just like we do with physical injuries, we need to know when we reach the point when poor mental health is inhibiting our ability to compete, or perhaps more importantly, when competition is inhibiting our ability to live a normal life.”

The “athlete mentality” is one of the oddest phenomena in the world of mental health. We are taught that if it does not hurt, you are not working out the right muscle. If you’re not tired, you’re not working hard enough, and if you don’t get it, you’re probably not thinking the right way...

05/02/2023

Pedal Grinnell, originally founded by five Grinnell College students as a peace and conflict studies project, aims to bring accessible, sustainable transportation to students through free bike rentals on campus.

See Paul Hansen’s photo series here: https://thesandb.com/42972/article/photo-gallery-pedal-grinnell-opens-for-spring-season

05/02/2023

Grinnell College English professors Dean Bakopoulos and John Garrison will leave Grinnell College at the end of the spring 2023 semester. Both are the only current Guggenheim fellows at the College, recipients of a selective grant given to individuals who excel in the arts. Bakopoulos is taking a position as an associate professor of screenwriting at the University of Iowa this fall, and Garrison plans to be closer to his family in Southern California where he will teach high school English classes.

Grinnell College English professors Dean Bakopoulos and John Garrison will leave Grinnell College at the end of the spring 2023 semester. Both are the only current Guggenheim fellows at the College, recipients of a selective grant given to individuals who excel in the arts. Bakopoulos, the current d...

04/27/2023

What do Grinnell College students want to accomplish in four years? Conrad Dahm `26 asks students to share an item from their college bucket list.

Edited by Sarah Evans `26.

What do Grinnell College students want to accomplish in four years? Conrad Dahm `26 asks students to share an item from their college bucket list.Edited by S...

04/25/2023

The Bachelor of Arts Exhibition (BAX), which showcases the work of third- and fourth-year Grinnell College students, is now on display at the Museum of Art through May 22. Those featured in the exhibition will present their artwork in three Twenty Minutes @11 artist talks in the museum on May 2, May 3 and May 5.

The Bachelor of Arts (BAX) Art Exhibition, showcasing the artwork of third and fourth-year students, is currently on display at the Grinnell College Museum of Art through May 22. Studio Art Student Educational Policy Committee (SEPC) members Jillian Bhuyan ’24, Georgia Carbone ’24, Philomena Fra...

04/25/2023

Carter Otelle `25 takes us back in time to the very first Grinnell College Drag Show in this week’s edition of History Takeover.

Drag Show ranks among Grinnell College’s most prominent traditions, occupying a place next to time-honored customs such as 10/10, TitHead and Relays. But when did students host the first Drag Show on campus? To answer this, I spoke with two alumni-turned-professors, Fredo Rivera `06, art history, ...

04/25/2023

Check out some of the spectacular photos from the stellar Grinnell College Drag Show, hosted by the Q***r People of Color organization (QPOC) last Friday, April 21. This semester’s performers took to the stage following the theme, “Cowboys vs. Aliens.”

https://thesandb.com/42939/article/drag-show-spring-2023-cowboys-vs-aliens-2
📸Paul Hansen, Evan Hein

04/21/2023

In this episode of The S&B Podcast, we hear from Henry Coen '25 and Evie Caperton '25, two co-presidents of Almost Always Improv (AAI). Henry and Evie talk us through the 24-hour improv show, a fun and interactive fundraiser put on by AAI every spring. Listen to hear about the event's history and this year's show, when AAI raised over $1,700 for Iowa Safe Schools.

In this episode, we hear from Henry Coen ’25 and Evie Caperton ’25, two co-presidents of Almost Always Improv (AAI). Henry and Evie talk us through the 24-hour improv show, a fun and interactive fundraiser put on by AAI every spring. Listen to hear about the event’s history and this year’s s...

04/20/2023

Grinnell College’s football team has historically struggled to maintain a sufficient number of players on their roster. Grinnell’s location and campus culture requires a unique approach to recruitment.

In reference to improving recruiting strategies, Head Football Coach Brent Barnes said, “I think we are being a little bit more forceful about saying ‘Hey, here’s who we are, and here’s how we differ from other schools.’”

Landon Skinner `24 had been at Occidental College for two years when the offensive lineman learned that his school would be discontinuing their football program. Skinner described the time as a “feeding frenzy” of other liberal arts institutions working to recruit anyone still looking to play. H...

04/19/2023

Grinnell students Jules Covitz `24, Ruby Brent `25 and Kade Dolphin `24 shared the stories and meanings behind some of their tattoos in this edition of "Students Speak".

Jules Covtiz `24 Jules Covitz `24 proudly rocks two gargoyles by the tattoo artist Molly Emmerich at Ritual Tattoo Gallery in Denver, Colorado, one resembling a dog and the other an eagle. Covitz said that the purpose of the gargoyles in architecture is to allow water to drain, similar to gutters. I...

04/19/2023

Check out these photos from Cultural Evening, hosted by International Student Organization (ISO) on April 15 in the Harris Center. See more here: https://thesandb.com/42776/article/cultural-evening-fills-the-harris-center-with-song-and-dance

04/14/2023

Here’s a taste of some stories you’ll see in the paper on Monday… read ahead at thesandb.com!

04/13/2023

1008 Park Street, formerly known as Food House, will host a new project house during the 2023-2024 academic year. The focus of the new house will be to provide a safe space for students with allergies and dietary restrictions who might be unsatisfied with dining hall meals.

“I’m frustrated that you have to pay for a primary meal plan when we live on campus because that meal plan does not really serve my needs,” said Mara Feirer `26, a student living in the house next year. “It’s frustrating to me that I have to pay for food that won’t necessarily be safe for me to eat.”

The Grinnell College Department of Residence Life approved a new project house for students to live in for the 2023-2024 academic year. This as-of-yet unnamed project house is targeted toward students’ dietary restrictions or allergies. The next-year residents have already been selected. A project...

04/12/2023

The Disability Cultural Center (DCC), which opened on April 4, aims to be a space where disability culture is celebrated and disabled students can be themselves.

“My hope is that it will feel homey, but like an accessible version of homey… I go here, and I feel like I have a space that’s for me,” said Roman Belsher `24, executive outreach coordinator for the DCC.

The new Disability Cultural Center (DCC) opened Tuesday, April 4, establishing a space for disabled students on campus to socialize, relax, attend events and create conversations surrounding disabled culture and ableism. The DCC, located in Steiner Hall room 205, is run by three students and one adv...

04/12/2023

Watch Jada Fife `24 give the S&B’s Zach Spindler-Krage `25 a tour of her apartment, featuring: her reasons for living off-campus, a closet tour and a comprehensive fire safety plan. Edited by Sarah Evans `26.

Watch Jada Fife `24 give the S&B’s Zach Spindler-Krage `25 a tour of her apartment, featuring: her reasons for living off-campus, a closet tour and a compreh...

04/10/2023

As Grinnell College’s student newspaper, it is our responsibility to provide fair and comprehensive coverage of issues that affect our community. In light of recent anti-trans legislation in Iowa, it is important to address that trans rights is not an issue with two equal sides and we refuse to platform bigotry that may cause further harm to trans individuals. We hope to emphasize that the S&B is a resource to all members of the Grinnell community and we look forward to highlighting these voices in our coverage as well as through op-eds and letters to the editor. Read the full statement here:

As Grinnell College’s student newspaper, it is our responsibility to provide fair and comprehensive coverage of issues that affect our community. In light of recent Iowa legislation that directly endangers and marginalizes the trans community, it is important to address both this harm and the way ...

04/10/2023

In the wake of increased transphobia online and in legislatures across the country, Jay Kratz `23 calls on the community to listen to trans voices.

“We exist too, and we deserve to live our fullest lives. I am tired of being outspoken, I just want to live in peace.”

Content warning: contains discussion of violence, transphobia, school shootings and su***de When I clicked on the hashtag on Twitter late in the afternoon on March 27, the first image I saw was of a shooter’s professional headshot next to their name and pronouns (he/him). Female, r...

04/10/2023

The Iowa state legislature has proposed 29 anti-LGBTQ+ bills this legislative session, threatening the safety of transgender people in the state. Zach Spindler-Krage `25 breaks down the current status of the Iowa legislature, the impact of these rulings on Grinnell and the College’s response, student initiatives, as well as the future of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.

“I know, I know, I know that children will die because of this law,” said Monty Roper, associate professor and department chair of anthropology. “But I am hopeful, so hopeful, that we are at the nadir of this political ideological parabola and that better days are coming.”

The Iowa state legislature has proposed 29 anti-LGBTQ+ bills this legislative session. Governor Kim Reynolds signed two particularly restrictive bills into law on March 22, causing fear across Iowa about the impact of the laws and uncertain future of civil rights in the state. Many students, faculty...

03/17/2023

In her op-ed “If you’re reading this, would you understand me?” Lucia Cheng `23 reflects on four years at Grinnell College as an Asian American student.
https://thesandb.com/41896/article/if-youre-reading-this-would-you-understand-me-a-look-back-on-four-years-at-grinnell-as-an-asian-american/

Monterey Park is my hometown but not my home. On Lunar New Year, Monterey Park — the first ever Asian American suburb — was the site of a mass shooting. Monterey Park is also the city where, according to my parents, I will die. Grinnell was a place where I was supposed to learn resilience,...

03/16/2023

On March 2, poet Phan Nhiên Hạo visited Grinnell College for the second Writers@Grinnell event of the spring semester. During the event, Grinnell professor of English, poet and translator Hai-Dang Phan alternated with Hạo between English and the original Vietnamese as they read Hạo’s poetry to an audience of Grinnell students.

“[The visit is] a unique opportunity to meet and encounter a Vietnamese diasporic writer, a writer in exile, a writer with a very unique path who reminds us that sometimes being a writer is not just about publishing with the big publishing houses and having agents, or popular books, but maybe it’s just writing and hoping that you’ll find an audience,” said Phan on the significance of Hạo’s visit.
https://thesandb.com/41915/article/a-poet-in-exile-phan-nhien-hao-with-hai-dang-phan-at-writersgrinnell/

Phan Nhiên Hạo’s poems are short, sincere bursts of life which in simple language capture precise impressions of incredibly complex feelings and emotions, intimately portraying the history of a country, a man and his journey into exile. During the second Writers@Grinnell event of the spring sem...