Communication

Attorney Josh Tepfer ’97 is one of the founders of the Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth (CWCY), part of the Bluhm Legal Clinic at Northwestern University School of Law in Chicago, Ill. He shared this video about Johnnie Lee Savory, who hasn't been exonerated but is one of the center's clients seeking testing. Tepfer also shared this link to footage from an actual juvenile false confession, Michael Crowe, who confessed to killing his sister.

This article appeared as a web extra for The Grinnell Magazine, Fall 2009.

J.B. Grinnell is a towering figure in the history of Grinnell, Iowa. Josiah Bushnell Grinnell -- better known as J.B. -- was born in Vermont in 1821. He grew up a farm boy, working in the fields in the spring and summer and attending school only in the winter. He learned quickly and began teaching in a one-room schoolhouse by the age of 16. After spending a few years teaching, he left Vermont to attend Oneida Institute in New York, a radical institution that opposed slavery.

It was there that Grinnell became a staunch abolitionist. He would remain vocally opposed to slavery for his whole life -- even founding the town of Grinnell based on this tenet. He once hosted abolitionist John Brown in Grinnell as Brown was bringing several freed slaves along the Underground Railroad to Canada.

After leaving Oneida, Grinnell cycled through many jobs. He studied with a physician and considered a medical career, but then decided to head into the Wisconsin Territory to discover and survey new tracts of land. He went west with the American Tract Society, a religious organization, and while working with this group, he decided to go into the ministry.

Returning east, Grinnell settled in Washington, D.C., after being ordained in New York. He started the First Congregationalist Church there and gave the first anti-slavery sermon the city had ever heard. Most people in Washington were strong supporters of slavery at the time, and Grinnell was forced to leave the city because of his opinions.

Although the story may be apocryphal, it is said that Grinnell heeded the famous advice to "Go west young man," delivered to him by politician and friend Horace Greeley. At any rate, Grinnell did set out again for uncharted territory. He enlisted the help of Homer Hamlin, a minister; Henry Hamilton, a surveyor; and Dr. Thomas Holyoke to find a location for a new settlement. They looked at different locations in the Midwest, including Minnesota and Missouri, but decided on the divide between the Iowa and Skunk rivers, where the east/west and north/south Rock Island railways were set to cross. On this site, the city of Grinnell was founded.

J.B. Grinnell and his three companions commenced building the settlement in 1854 with three temporary log cabins. They began to sell land for $1.62 an acre, and the town quickly grew. The one stipulation on all the deeds sold was that alcohol could never be sold or consumed on any of the properties, as Grinnell strongly opposed the use of alcohol. This rule was upheld for many years, until a court overruled it.

With the founding of the town, Grinnell also founded "Grinnell University," although it was a university only in name. He created a board of trustees and listed all the members of town as professors. No buildings were ever built, nor classes held, but after J.B. Grinnell persuaded Iowa College to move to Grinnell from Davenport, Iowa, all of Grinnell University was signed over to the Trustees of Iowa College.

Grinnell went on to serve in Congress, where his abolitionist stance often put his life in danger. After winning re-election twice, he lost a third bid and moved back to Grinnell. He remained there until his death in 1891 from bronchitis and asthma after a trip through Texas into Mexico.

This was originally published in The Grinnell Magazine, Fall 2009 edition 

It was so hard to narrow down my favorite Titular Head films to a list of 10, and even harder to rank them. (As my friend Allison put it, "It's like having to chose your favorite child!")

I've chosen these films based on multiple, wholly subjective criteria. I tried to include as many videos as I could that are available online, but several are not for one reason or another. Also, almost all of these films contain some measure of violence, strong language, and/or references to drug and alcohol use (they were made by college students, after all). If you are easily offended, you should probably just turn away now.

1. Racquetball Tunak Tunak Tun — Widely considered the greatest Titular Head film ever made (although Star Wars Grinnell has given it a run for its money). From breathtaking stunts to inappropriate nostalgia inspired by someone getting hit in the face with a cup of Forum coffee, Racquetball has it all.
2. Star Wars Grinnell - This film, which won the 2009 competition, sets a new bar for special effects. Definitely the most technically accomplished film ever made.
3. Burling (I Do It All the Time) - I tend to write papers at the last minute, and could often be found squirreled away in a corner of Burling the night before a big paper was due, surrounded by piles of books. So yeah, this film speaks to me.
4. The Day I Put On That Cape Is the Day I Got a Girlfriend - I love the style of this movie. It is a timeless story about love, loss, fights in the Burling stairwell, and running around campus like a dinosaur.
5. The Resounding Death of Playtime — RKO gives Brian Fritsch '06 a reality check. The look on Brian's face when the music kicks in makes me giggle every time.
6. A Fresh Movie - This was one of the first Titular Head movies I watched. Sadly, the audio has been disabled by YouTube, but just sing the Mentos song in your head and you'll be fine.
7. Weapon of Choice — Winner of 2008 Titular Head. Watch the music video for Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice" starring Christopher Walken to understand why this video is so genius.
8. Steven Hawking's Fantastic Universe — This was shown my first year, and I came very close to falling out of my seat laughing.
9. Space Cup Goes to Mars — Cute story about a dining hall cup that takes a fantastic journey.
10. Drop — I still have no idea how Ian Young '08 managed to make this video. It boggles my mind. Someday I'll be less lazy and try watching it backwards, but until then I'll just marvel at it.

These aren't all Titular Head has to offer. You can find more videos online (Google Video seems to have the widest selection; search for "titular head"), and DVDs of past entries are archived in the Listening Room in Burling Library.

Originally published as an online web extra for The Grinnell Magazine, Summer 2009

Illustration by Kelsey Morse-Brown '09 From "Poetry and Walking"

Wandering, reading, writing -- these three activities are for me intimately linked. They are all ways of observing both the inner and the outer weather, of being carried away, of getting lost and returning. I started to get serious about poetry in the late '60s when I was a first-year student at Grinnell College. I vividly remember how I used to walk out into the deep Iowa night to steady myself and think about what I'd read, to go over the words and repeat the phrases to myself. I was studying the English Metaphysical poets then (Donne, Herbert) and trying to learn something from the English Romantics, who were prodigious walkers.

Some nights I ended up on the edge of town ("I have been one acquainted with the night"), other nights I'd circle back and sneak into Burling Library just before closing. The librarians would turn off the lights, but 15 minutes later the cleaning staff would come in and turn them on again. I'd just wait in the dark and then spend the night in a cubicle poring over the texts.

I had stopped in the library but now my walks continued on another plane. I walked with Wordsworth at Cambridge ("I was the Dreamer; they the dream; I roamed/Delighted through the motley spectacle") and Eliot in London ("A crowd flowed over London Bridge, so many,/I had not thought death had undone so many"). I walked with the holy eccentrics of English poetry, such as Traherne ("To walk is by a thought to go;/To move in spirit to and fro") and Blake ("I wander thro' each charter'd street"). I was on fire with the movement of words. In the early morning, I'd step out into the breaking day, startled by the cold Midwestern light, suddenly alone again, exhausted, exhilarated.

Originally published in The Washington Post Book World, reprinted here with permission from the author

Originally published as an online web extra for The Grinnell Magazine, Summer 2009

Bonnie organized a reunion of Red Emma, made up of five Grinnellians who moved to Portland in 1971. This photo, taken 11 days before Bonnie's death, includes four of us. From left: Bonnie Tinker '69, Kristan Knapp, Beverly Schnabel '72, Kathleen Clarke, Ann Mussey '72, and Mollie Clarke '71. Courtesy of Beverly Schnabel.

Bonnie Tinker, a lifelong equal rights and peace activist, was killed recently in a bike accident in Blacksburg, Va. A Portland, Ore., resident, Bonnie was attending a national Quaker meeting where she had been presenting her "Opening Hearts and Minds" workshop devoted to nonviolent change.

Bonnie moved to Portland in 1971 with several other women from Grinnell and started a feminist collective, Red Emma. After looking around the community for ways to support women, they started a halfway house for women and a Women's Health Clinic that was a presence in Portland for more than 20 years. In the mid-1970s, Bonnie and others founded the first shelter for battered women in Portland. Bonnie was the founding director of Bradley-Angle House and the first chair of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Bradley-Angle House continues to serve women in Oregon.

At Bonnie's memorial service, her nieces and nephews read from the 1978 Portland Police Intelligence Report as part of the memorial. Bonnie was considered a danger because her sister had been to Cuba and because Bonnie had harbored battered women in safe houses and sought protection for them. Another friend who spoke agreed that Bonnie was a danger, but for a very different reason. Once Bonnie started talking with you, she patiently pursued you to lobby a bill, serve on a board, or do whatever it was she felt you could do, until you agreed.

In 1992, Bonnie put together a documentary, Love Makes a Family, about lesbian and gay marriage in the Religious Society of Friends. She created a nonprofit organization by the same name that works to meet the needs of lesbian, gay, bi, transgendered, and queer families. Public education has always been a need, and Bonnie gave interviews and speeches, even debating the leaders of an Oregon group that initiated a series of vitriolic anti-gay ballot measures in the early 1990s.

Bonnie took a stand for justice and social equality her entire life — on many issues. In recent years she protested the Iraq Surge with Seriously Pissed-Off Grannies at military recruitment centers and got arrested in the process. This was a group that would not yield because as grannies, they had nothing to lose. When Bonnie's attorney spoke to her of entering a plea and going to arraignment, her response was, "I'm a Tinker. Remember that black arm band case on free speech." They went to trial and the judge dismissed all charges on the first day.

There was an incredible sense of energy at the memorial service and moments when those of us from Grinnell felt like we were back on campus in 1968. There was enough history shared that we were reminded once again that we needed to take on the status quo to produce a more just and fair society. Bonnie, of course, took on more than most of us have and did so her entire lifetime.

Bonnie is survived by Sara Graham, her partner of 32 years, three children, three grandchildren, and a menagerie of pets. In 2004, Bonnie and Sara were married when Multnomah County issued marriage licenses to same-sex couples for a period of time.

The diversity at Bonnie's memorial service was high by any measure — age, race, sexual orientation, and shirt and tie/no shirt. Those who spoke, sang, played musical instruments, and performed demonstrated how many different communities and individual lives Bonnie touched. A young man who grew up next door to Bonnie and Sara performed an original rap song that described how Bonnie lived, how she impacted his life, and how he will live now because of her example. Many spoke of her empathy, and through their stories of Bonnie demonstrated how much she helped to expand and foster the common good.

Bonnie Tinker

Taken at the airport following the recent Grinnell reunion (left to right): Susan Shimp '70, Jennifer Riley '70, Barb Duhl '70, and Bonnie Tinker '69.
Photo by Angela Crowley-Koch '00 used courtesy of Jennifer Riley.

I am sad to note the passing of an inspiring Grinnellian, Bonnie Tinker '69. Bonnie made it her life's work to stand up for justice and to do the right thing, no matter how difficult or unpopular.

I met Bonnie in Portland, Ore., when we both ran nonprofits working to end the Iraq War. Working with Bonnie challenged me in many ways, and we did not always see eye to eye. Despite the fact that we disagreed — sometimes vocally — I always had great respect and admiration for Bonnie. Her ability to inspire the same people whose buttons she had pushed the day before is a testament to Bonnie's life and spirit.

In her work for justice, she did what we all felt in our heart was right to do, but didn't have the courage to carry out. Bonnie and her partner Sara stood in front of a tank during Portland's Rose Parade to protest the war. Bonnie was arrested then and other times with members of the group, the Seriously Pissed-Off Grannies.

She fought for civil rights through her nonprofit, Love Makes a Family. In the course of her work for civil rights, Bonnie came face to face with Fred Phelps and his religious hate when defending an Oregon school district's right to display a "Family Diversity" photo exhibit, but she helped the school district stand by its decision to keep the show.

Her participation in causes, actions, and protests are too numerous to list here, but her life was full of noble causes, as evidenced by the Quaker conference she was riding her bicycle to when she was hit by a truck in July. To the end, she lived a dedicated and honorable life. I hope to follow in her footsteps, both now and when I'm a seriously pissed-off granny.

Originally published as an online extra for The Grinnell Magazine, Spring 2009.

Joanna Harris arrived in Grinnell in 1855 at the age of 11, and did not venture much farther until her death at the age of 87 in 1931. She graduated in 1865 as the first female graduate of Grinnell College and one of the first women to graduate from a college west of the Mississippi.

Her family traveled by covered wagon from Mercer County, Pa., where she was born, to Farmington, Iowa. The family didn't stay in Farmington long, because their neighbors there were mostly pro-slavery. The Harris family "believed in freedom for both black and white," according to the funeral address given by Rev. E.M. Vittum, the family's pastor at the Congregational Church of Grinnell. The Harrises moved to Grinnell from Farmington because they liked the "New England colony" atmosphere of Grinnell.

After growing up in Grinnell, Joanna became a member of the first female class to attend Grinnell College. In the mid-1860s, most male students were off fighting the Civil War, and the school needed to increase enrollment. The women were allowed to study in a "ladies' course," in which they received diplomas, but not bachelor of arts degrees, at graduation.

Vittum remarked at Joanna's funeral that members of the first female class--graduating in 1865--was denied their degrees because the college officials "felt a little delicacy in declaring that the young ladies were bachelors of arts.

"Afterwards," Vittum continued, "they atoned for their neglect and gave the degrees the ladies had earned."

At Grinnell, Joanna met Robert M. Haines, who graduated with Joanna in 1865. They were married two years later in 1867, and Joanna, then 22, became Joanna Harris Haines.

Her obituary in the Grinnell Herald Register referred to Joanna a "natural teacher." At the time of her marriage to Robert, Joanna held a teaching position at the College, where Robert also worked. Before that, she spent two years teaching at a school in Troy, Iowa.

Her income from teaching helped support her family while Robert pursued a law degree at the University of Iowa. After receiving his degree, they moved back to Grinnell; they remained there for the rest of their lives, living in a house on High Street, a few blocks from campus. Robert would eventually become a trustee of the College, and Joanna would teach at Grinnell High School.

While living in Grinnell, Joanna and Robert raised six children. Following in their parents' footsteps, all of them attended the College and three of them married other Grinnellians. The Haines family ended up sending four generations of students to Grinnell -- more than 20 family members in total.

Originally published as an online web extra for The Grinnell Magazine, Fa;; 2009

This article appeared as a web extra for The Grinnell Magazine, Spring 2008.

All photos by Ari Anisfeld ’09

A traditional Costa Rican dance, which they presented for the Grinnell students the first day of their visit.

Parrots are extremely photogenic.

Matt Allen ’08 in the town.

Cutting down the palm fruit.

A portrait of a macheter, who cuts up downed palm leaves.

Two young men moving palm fruit from a tractor bed to a truck that holds more fruit.

Former Republican Senator Bob Dole at Grinnell's veterans' memorial, posing with Sarah Purcell '92, Director of the Rosenfield Program and associate professor of history (left); and Art Heimann, Mayflower resident and World War II veteran.

On Senator Chuck Grassley:
"You're getting your money's worth with him."

On bipartisanship:
"I'm an R and you're a D, but can't we work on this together?"

On his popularity in Iowa:
"I'm the president of Iowa."

On the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.:
"This memorial was not built by the government -- that's why it's still standing." Also, "It's paid for."

On the 10,000 American servicemen who lost their lives on D-Day:
"Ten thousand never drew another breath ... never had a chance to go to college ... to be fathers. ... There is no way to repay them."

On all the men and women who have died in the service of their country:
"They gave their lives for us ... You can't measure their sacrifices."

On our servicemen and women in Iraq and Afghanistan:
"They're the greatest generation now, and I think we're happy to pass the baton."

On Iraq:
"It's not over yet."

On the U.S. role in fighting world hunger:
"Whenever we had to -- whenever there was a crisis -- we were there."

On the American people:
"What a country! ... We're good solid compassionate peace-loving people."

More on the American people:
"We're doing all right in this country ... we like to complain -- that's an American tradition."

On the help he got during his recovery from war wounds:
"People are so good, wherever you live."

On President-Elect Barack Obama and his campaign:
"Obama was a good candidate -- he gave good speeches. ... Now he gets a chance."

On the 2008 Republican losses:
"I think the American people were a little upset with the Republican Party. ... We kind of lost our way on spending. ... We've got a big hole to dig ourselves out of."

On Republican nominee John McCain:
"He joins the loser's club."

On the bailout of the financial system:
"I don't know where we're getting all the money. Where does it stop?"

More on the financial bailout:
"What do they call it when the government owns your business? Isn't that an S-word?"

On his involvement in major farm bills as a senator:
"I was up to my ears in ethanol!"

This article appeared as a web extra for The Grinnell Magazine, Winter 2008.

This article appeared as a web extra for The Grinnell Magazine, Spring 2009.

Grinnellians, never known to pass up a good party, were well represented among the throng that streamed into Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20 for the inauguration of the United States' first black president, Barack Obama.

For those of us who couldn't be there, the next best thing is a postcard. We got a bunch of them from Grinnellians who were there.

Through dear friends I met while working in the U.S. Senate, I had the great fortune and privilege to be one of the people sitting on the inaugural platform, amidst former presidents, governors, senators, and others. The day capped three days of amazing energy, excitement, and camaraderie, starting with the concert at the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday where my partner and I were among the crowded, happy masses out on the mall.
The day of the inauguration started early and spun into a wonderful reconnection with many friends from the U.S. Senate, their families, celebrities performing at the inauguration or balls, and others there as fellow citizens. Our evening ended at the “Peace Ball,” where progressive entertainers, writers, and activists such as Joan Baez, Alice Walker, and Eve Ensler performed. The attached photo speaks for the inauguration itself -- an unforgettable experience. — Amy Fraenkel ’85

Here’s our view from the purple area of the Capitol grounds. — Tod Read ’81

John Malkinson ’79 and I attended a variety of inaugural events. Here we are Tuesday morning with the Capitol in the background (that’s John Malkinson in the foreground). — Ed Senn ’79

 

It is not often one has the opportunity to witness history. I spent an amazing week in Washington, D.C., during the inaugural celebration, including time with some great Grinnell friends. Here I am at the concert on the mall on Sunday with Ed Senn ’79 (Ed’s in the red hat, I’m in the black). Prohibitive airfare for three-day itinerary made a longer stay (cheaper rates) imperative ... and I was never so glad! Thanks to Ed and some of our own ingenuity, the week consisted of a non-stop wave of food, drink, and parties. I went to three inaugural balls, including a great ball at Union Station that I persuaded Ed we were able and needed to “crash”!
The Inaugural Concert on the mall was fantastic, and being there with Ed and the masses will be a lasting memory.
I had the good fortune to celebrate with a few politicians and celebrities, but the most amazing part of the week was experiencing the absolutely palpable good mood that enveloped the entire city during the days leading up to and surrounding the inauguration. Wherever one went, everybody in town was happy, talkative, and upbeat. Seeing the overnight transformation of the downtown area into military/police corridors was also an eye-opening experience.
Witnessing history together with good friends, that’s what it was all about! — John Malkinson ’79

I wasn’t at the inauguration, but I’ve got an interesting image nonetheless. I’m a graphic facilitator. I’ve got a great job where I get to think and draw for a living. While business folks are having strategy meetings, I’ll be at the front of the room, at a large piece of paper, mapping out the conversation while they are talking. This gets the work of the meeting on paper so people can see what they are saying. Normally, I do this work in real time with groups of people. On Jan. 20, I mapped Obama’s inauguration speech in my studio here in Chicago. — Brandy Agerbeck ’96

I watched the inauguration on a huge screen with a huge crowd inside the Newseum. This photo shows President Obama’s car driving by. A bit later, he got out and walked, to great cheers. All week, despite the difficulties getting around the city and the freezing cold, there was an amazing feeling of joy and unity. — Beth Preiss ’76

I was a field organizer in Clinton, Iowa during the campaign. Here I am with Allie Berger and Kate Morley (both ’08), alongside the Reflecting Pool during the We Are One Concert. — Maggie Potthoff ’08

On inauguration day, my husband, Matt, and I were on the National Mall. We live in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, D.C., so the decision to walk just a few blocks and brave the crowds to witness history was an easy one.
A few months earlier on Nov. 4, I was in Nakuru, Kenya, for work. It is impossible to overstate the excitement and pride Kenyans feel for Barack Obama. Although his father was a Luo, members of every tribe and the entire nation claim him as their own. One of my colleagues told me that we Americans could keep him for eight years, but then the Kenyans want him “back” so that he can be president of Kenya. — Joy Fishel ’96

Here we are (left to right) -- my son Peter, yours truly John Lom, and my other son Max. — John Lom ’76

Long cold drive from Ithaca to Maryland ... Monday night slumber party -- three generations spanning 60+ years -- in a convent in southeast D.C., guests of Sister Brigid, sole remaining occupant ... Awake at 4 a.m., on the streets before 5 a.m., waddling under layers of winter clothing. Two and a half miles, a straight shot to the Capitol, gleaming white in the distance ... Groups at each corner bus stop, all traveling in one direction ... Walking through the night, first dozens, then hundreds, then thousands, all moving together ... Sunrise on the mall, more and more and more people ... Standing together, waiting, singing, laughing, chanting ... Lifting up the kids to see the jumbo-tron images ... Ten hours in the cold, cold January air ... surrounded by hope, witness to history. The face of daughter Abby Katz, age 9 (see photo), reflects the joy and wonder many felt. — Ruth Katz ’83

Washington, D.C.’s Metrobus ran special busses on key routes all day, and to make life easy for everyone, offered special fares. We rode a special express bus down Connecticut Avenue from near our home in Chevy Chase, D.C., at 7:30 in the morning. Metro ran these every 10 minutes.
Connecticut Avenue is one of the major commuting routes into the city from suburban Maryland. But on Jan. 20, there was hardly any other traffic at all. It was a weird contrast to the normally crowded four-lanes of commuters! By the time we were one-quarter of the way downtown, the bus was standing room only, with people from all over the country.
We had purple standing room tickets, and on the way across the center of the city to our security screening station we crossed over the Third Street tunnel. This is what later became known as The Purple Tunnel of Doom, as thousands of frustrated people were trapped in it as screening stations completely broke down. Eventually, most of the people who were directed into the tunnel as a means to get into the inaugural missed it altogether. When we passed it at around 8:15 a.m., it was very quiet. We finally reached our destination, First Street NW, and were confronted with several thousand other purple ticket holders (see photo). We stood in subfreezing weather for more than 90 minutes and moved about 40 feet out of 500 toward our goal.
We finally bailed out and took refuge in a bar and watched the inauguration on TV. While the crowd was extraordinarily well behaved and festive, we were all tremendously frustrated at the complete lack of communication about what was happening and why the line was not moving. Thousands who had received tickets were unable to even get to the screening stations. Some people had already waited hours the previous day to pick up their tickets. And many of them wound up on long lines to get into inaugural balls that night and then again in Union Station and the local airports trying to get home.
But the mood downtown was festive, joyful, and peaceful. In spite of the cold and frustration, it still was a wonderful experience. — Barry Zigas ’73 and Jodie Levin-Epstein ’72

Entering the Noyce Science Center's northeastern stairwell, you may note a welcome change to the décor: 27 glowing firefly sculptures, made of wire and light-emitting diodes (LEDs), now line the banister. The fireflies are the result of a summer Mentored Advanced Project (MAP) headed by Janet Davis, assistant professor of computer science, and executed by computer science majors Tim Miller '09 and Pat Rich '10.