President Anne F. Harris discusses the strategic planning principle of financial sustainability with Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations Jaci Thiede and Chief Investment Officer Jainen Thayer.
President Anne F. Harris discusses the strategic principle of health and well-being with members of the Student Health and Wellness Student Advisory Council, Molly Nelson ’21 and Kate Kwasneski ’21.
President Anne F. Harris discusses the strategic principle of health and well-being with Dean of Health and Wellness Terry Mason and Interim Vice President of Human Resources Jana Grimes.
President Harris continues to discuss the strategic principle of diversity, equity, and inclusion with Chief Diversity Officer Schvalla R. Rivera.
President Anne F. Harris discusses diversity, equity, and inclusion with the leadership team from the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Mark Levandoski, Marc Reed, Vrinda Varia, and Autumn Wilke.
President Anne F. Harris discusses educational excellence and continuity with Dean for Student Success and Academic Advising Joyce Stern and Student Government Association Vice President for Academic Affairs Ashton Avelin ‘22.
President Anne F. Harris talks with Dean of the College Elaine Marzluff about the strategic principle of Educational Excellence and Continuity.
President Anne F. Harris discusses strategic planning and the principle of community with Joe Bagnoli, VP for Enrollment, and Fernando Villatoro ’22, president of the student government association.
President Anne F. Harris talks with Associate Professor Caleb Elfenbein and VP of Community Engagement and Strategic Planning Monica Chavez-Silva about the community principle of strategic planning for Grinnell College.
Artist Jean-Ulrick Désert joins us for a conversation about the power and responsibility of art. How do we confront hatred in the world? Creativity is not the easiest response, but it might be necessary. Désert uses common and recognizable objects from everyday life, but presents them with a poetic twist meant to interrupt expectations—and to create space for dialogue in the place of discomfort. Is he changing the world with his art? He wouldn't go that far, but he might be planting much-needed ...
Dartanyan Brown has been on a quest "to find sounds and vibrations that are healing to people or motivating to people." In liberal arts fashion, that quest has meandered with Dartanyan through careers in journalism, music, technology, and education. Listen to this conversation with the Iowa Rock n' Roll, Blues, and Jazz Hall of Famer for some musical healing and inspiration. In April 2019, he graced Grinnellians with his first performance in Iowa in 40 years.
There has never been a fair, just, or healthy food system in the United States of America. So how do we get there? LaDonna Redmond starts off the third season of the podcast with a long overdue episode on the connection between food and racial justice. From the beginning, the United States of America has relied on exploitative labor practices (and the consequent creation of a racial caste system) to produce food and other agricultural products. A national leader in food activism, Redmond underst...
Alex Reich ‘11 joins us to discuss his time at Grinnell, his Watson Fellowship journey, and the dangers of black and white thinking, especially in relation to our global food systems. As a student at Grinnell, Reich majored in biology, helped start EcoHouse, ran cross country and track, and even starred in one of the most popular Titular Head films. After graduating he spent a year in the Arctic on a Watson Fellowship, learning about how Arctic indigenous peoples were adapting to climate change,...
Dito Van Reigersberg visited Grinnell to perform his heralded Martha Graham Cracker Cabaret drag show. On this episode, Ben Binversie '17 talks with Dito about his hairy-chested drag persona and how she challenges him and the audience to grow and explore. Dito found a home in the performance space, embracing its radical possibilities to push us outside our comfort zones and express emotions and thoughts in a way that transcends the normal rhythms of daily life. Dito and Martha encourage us all t...
There's a party, and everyone's invited! We launch into the universe of Pink Neighbor with Erik Jarvis '12 and Katie In '13, two Grinnell alums who came back to live in Grinnell after graduation and become a staple of the creative community here in town. Together they form the band Pink Neighbor, and they both have solo projects and pursue other artistic endeavors. On this episode, they share their musical journeys, the ethos behind their creative projects, and why they decided to make Grinnell ...
This episode is dedicated to the late Nobel laureate and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, editor, and teacher, Toni Morrison. Ben Binversie '17 talks with Shanna Benjamin, Johanna Giebelhaus '96, and President Raynard S. Kington about the legacy of Morrison, whose name will be the first in a new series of names to be engraved on the walls of the new Humanities and Social Studies Center. Kington and Benjamin discuss the radical importance of Morrison in amplifying black women's voices and subvertin...
Hasan Davis shares his story of becoming a "hope dealer," overcoming challenging circumstances, learning disabilities, and numerous setbacks to find his path. Along the way, various people inspired him to see a version of himself that he could not, and now he brings that message of hope to people, especially youth, through work in schools and the criminal justice system. Davis wields the power of stories to engage in difficult discussions about the history of slavery and racism in this country, ...
We talk with with Ed Fallon, former Iowa legislator and founder of Bold Iowa, about marching for climate action and creating awareness of the climate crisis in the presidential primaries. After spending over a decade in the Iowa House of Representatives, he organized and participated in marches across the country for climate action, and founded Bold Iowa to oppose the Dakota Access Pipeline. Being in Iowa during caucus season, Fallon sees an opportunity and responsibility to elevate discussion o...
Doug Hess '91, assistant professor of political science, has researched the National Voter Registration Act basically since it was passed by Congress in 1993. The law was intended to advance voting rights by requiring states to incorporate registration opportunities into the application process for a motor vehicle license and many types of public assistance. States were supposed to implement the law by 1995, but as we enter 2020, many aspects of the policy have stalled or been neglected. Because...
On this episode, we talk with Anya Grundmann '89, the vice president of programming and audience development at National Public Radio. Once upon a time, she was a wide-eyed Grinnell College student, exploring her passion for music and throwing herself into the wide-ranging learning experiences of the liberal arts. The same spirit of exploration which informs so much of the NPR ethos can also be traced back to her time at Grinnell. From Grinnell to the world of public radio, and back, we also tal...
On this episode, Evelyn and Will Freeman, longtime coaches of cross country and track and field, reflect on almost 40 years of coaching student-athletes here at Grinnell. The Freemans' unique and evolving coaching philosophies, which center on a holistic approach to personal growth and individualized mentorship in tandem with athletic success, have influenced countless Grinnellians. We hear from the Freemans and some of their student-athletes as they gathered in the fall to celebrate their retir...
Joe Rosenfield '25 never wanted his name in the spotlight, but on this episode we are shining a light directly on Rosenfield, his remarkable life, and the enduring impact he left on Grinnell College. We talk with George Drake '56, president and professor emeritus, who recently published a biography of Rosenfield. Drake discusses how Rosenfield fell in love with Grinnell and provides a compelling portrait of a man whose love, humor, and generous spirit continue to live on at Grinnell College and ...
We talk with Dan Kaiser, emeritus professor of history, who shares three lesser-known stories from the 1930s and 40s that illustrate the evolving relationship between the town and College. From racist housing covenants and Japanese internment to botanical gardens and reduced tuition for Episcopal students, we discuss some moments that show how this complex relationship has played out over the years.
You know the name of the College yearbook, but do you know the story of where it came from? On this episode, we dive into the archives with Allison Haack to explore the impact of the 1882 cyclone that tore through town, leaving 39 people dead and dozens of homes destroyed. J.B. Grinnell led the recovery effort and the town and College came back stronger than before. The buildings that rose up in the immediate aftermath of the cyclone are now gone, but the legacy of this important turning point i...
Edith Renfrow Smith '37, the first African American woman to graduate from the College, shares her memories of growing up in Grinnell, her family's history of slavery, and her incredible life. Smith received an honorary degree at the 2019 Commencement ceremony. After graduating from Grinnell with a major in psychology and minors in history and economics, Smith then moved to Chicago, where she has lived since, working as a stenographer and public school teacher. Smith is now 105 years old and is ...
On this special episode of All Things Grinnell, we talk with Shafiq Khan, the winner of the 2019 Grinnell College Innovator for Social Justice Prize. Khan is the founder and CEO of EMPOWER PEOPLE, an organization in northern India that works to eradicate bride trafficking and empower and liberate the women and girls who are victimized.
George Drake '56 kicks off Season 2 of All Things Grinnell by taking us on a tour of the College's religious history. The College was founded by a group of Congregationalist ministers, in large part to train future ministers. Drake discusses how Congregationalism impacted the development of the College's values and priorities. Although Grinnell is no longer affiliated with any religious institution, the legacy of its religious past endures, manifested in its tolerant environment and commitment t...
All Things Grinnell is back for season 2 starting September 19. This season, we'll turn the lens inward to examine the people, places, and history that make up Grinnell- the town and the College. Highlights include George Drake '56, former professor and president of the College, and Edith Renfrow Smith '37, the first African-American woman to graduate from the College. Episodes will be released every other Thursday.
On this episode, the season finale, we say goodbye to Mike Latham, outgoing vice president of academic affairs and dean of the College, and talk about his time here in Grinnell and the importance of global education, before he becomes the president of Punahou High School in Hawai’i. Then we get global ourselves and talk to the language assistants from this past year, Mélanie Izrael, Maria Kustova, and Carla Wagner from Argentina, Russia, and Germany. We’ll also hear from Ania Chamberlin ‘19, who...
Amy Tan, bestselling author of The Joy Luck Club and many other novels, aspiring nature journalist, and musical dominatrix for the literary band The Rock Bottom Remainders, gave the 2019 Commencement address. She sat down to talk about the values she shares with Grinnell and how she found her own path to a meaningful career after a traumatic childhood. She discusses how writing has influenced her life and helped her to understand who she is and connect with her family, as well as millions of rea...
