Grinnell in the News

Jonathan Larson, assistant director of off-campus study, authors new book "Critical Thinking in Slovakia after Socialism"

physicgi — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:21:06 +0000

"Critical Thinking in Slovakia after Socialism"

University of Rochester Press

Rochester, N.Y., United States

May 3, 2013

Critical thinking is the civic virtue of a liberal democracy. Citizens who think for themselves, cooperate, and can agree to disagree are the hallmark of a self-governing society. People from undemocratic societies, however, are often believed to lack this virtue, because authoritarian regimes smother critical discourse through fear and dull critical thought through the control of information and propaganda. After the end of Communist rule in 1989, Western agents of democratization and educational development chided the residents of the former Czechoslovakia for this deficiency, claiming that the Slovaks' inability to think critically was the reason the nation struggled to integrate with Western Europe.

Critical Thinking in Slovakia after Socialism examines this putative relationship between critical thought and society through an ethnographic study of post-1989 Slovakia. Drawing on original fieldwork and anthropological theories of language and culture, Jonathan Larson uncovers patterns of social analysis and criticism in Slovak political discourse. He exposes ways in which these discursive practices have been misinterpreted and explains their underlying dynamics in Slovak society. This important volume, bringing together scholarship on East Central Europe, liberalism, education, and the public sphere, gives students of modern history, politics, and culture a fresh perspective on a skill essential to civil society.

Jonathan Larson, assistant director of off-campus study

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Erin Sinogba '06 on color-oriented tropes that dominate Pinoy media and popular culture

physicgi — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:21:45 +0000

Nancy Binay memes and us

Rappler

May 15, 2013

The Nancy Binay hatefest on Twitter is just a painful reminder that the landscape of Pinoy popular (and political) culture is dotted with references to skin color and its relationship to beauty, status, and goodness.

Skin whitening products have been marketed for decades, under the premise of achieving "Tisay" beauty and earning the respect and desire of peers. Before Bayo, many local clothing brands had employed the services of models of mixed heritage, before looking outside the Philippines for non-Filipino celebrity endorsers.

Ang pagmamahal ng sariling atin only seems to apply to our consumer habits – not the faces and bodies that reflect and represent us in our daily lives.

There are many theories. One may argue that our obsession with skin color, particularly the positive values attached to whiteness, is a post-colonial residue, an inherited pre-occupation equating lighter skin tones with desirability and power.

Others may say that our attitudes toward skin color are shaped by messages from cosmetic companies and the fashion industry, which use mass media to create and perpetuate artificial demand for unrealistic beauty standards.

Erin Sinogba '06

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Okkar Kyaw '15 pens piece for the Myanmar Times, urges that it is 'Time to stamp out racism'

physicgi — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:30:15 +0000

Time to stamp out racism

The Myanmar Times

Burma/Myanmar

May 13, 2013

To the citizens of Myanmar, we ask you to believe in a democratic Myanmar, a country where democracy is not used as an excuse to take what you want or act as you like. For the first time in decades we have a chance at freedom so let us seize this opportunity and not allow all those years of bloodshed and hard work go to waste. Instead of having to spend money feeding displaced people in relief camps and rebuilding homes, let us move past the violence and instead rebuild our economy through investments in education and healthcare. The world is watching us as we finally transition from a dictatorship to a democracy. Let us eradicate the racism of the past and work together toward a new beginning.

Okkar Kyaw '15

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Laura Krull '13 is first Grinnell women's tennis player in modern history to qualify for NCAA Division III National Tennis Championships

physicgi — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:02:15 +0000

GRINNELL’S LAURA KRULL BECOMES FIRST PIONEER WOMAN IN MODERN HISTORY TO QUALIFY FOR NCAA TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Oskaloosa News

Oskaloosa, Ia., United States

May 14, 2013

Krull, ranked ninth in the Central Region with an 18-4 record, is one of 32 players to make the singles field. Prior to competing at nationals, she and her Pioneer teammates will compete in the NCAA Regional Championships this weekend in Chicago, Ill.

Krull made history last fall when she became the first Pioneer woman to win the USTA/ITA Midwest Regional title, which sent her to the national event. She then became the first Pioneer woman in modern history to win a match at the national level, and went on to finish sixth in the nine-player field.

Laura Krull '11

Andy Hamilton '85, men's and women's tennis coach

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Dorje Gurung '94 is freed by Qatar after international outcry

physicgi — Mon, 13 May 2013 17:02:44 +0000

Grinnell College alum accused of insulting Islam is freed by Qatar after international outcry

Des Moines Register

Des Moines, Ia., United States

May 13, 2013

A swiftly assembled grassroots, global coalition of Grinnell College alumni and their allies likely helped win the freedom of a fellow graduate, Dorje Gurung, who had been jailed in Qatar under a charge of insulting Islam.

Gurung, 42, a native of Nepal, was nearing the end of a two-year stint teaching chemistry at Qatar Academy in Doha when he was arrested and detained May 1. He was not charged until May 9.

"All of us got a little bit worried," said Rupesh Pradhan, a fellow Grinnell grad and lifelong friend who attended school with Gurung in Nepal, Italy and Iowa, "because that can be a pretty devastating charge."

Pradhan, now CEO and president of his own IT consulting firm in Minneapolis, helped to rally Gurung's supporters across continents.

Their far-flung effort seems to have paid off. Gurung has been released and at this moment is on a plane bound for Kathmandu, Nepal. The charge against him reportedly has been dropped.

Angela Onwuachi-Willig, a University of Iowa law professor, was Gurung's classmate at Grinnell and helped to coordinate a legal defense.

"He just had a really good aura about him," Onwuachi-Willig said of her friend. "He's one of those people that you meet who's a genuinely good person."

The charge against the teacher, according to Gurung's supporters and news accounts, was sparked by confrontations last month with some of his 12-year-old students who had been taunting him. Despite the fact that Gurung is Nepalese, the boys called him Jackie Chan (after the Hong Kong movie star). They allegedly pulled his hair and shoved him.

"It actually got physical," said Pradhan, who coordinated release efforts with some of Gurung's fellow teachers in Doha. "It was not just verbal."

Gurung reportedly sat down with the students in question and tried to calmly reason with them. How would you feel, he asked them, if somebody stereotyped you as terrorists?

"That was the wrong thing to say in the wrong country," Pradhan said.

One of the student's parents reportedly complained, and the incident spiraled out of control until Gurung was perceived as having said unequivocally that all Muslims are terrorists.

So within a few days Onwuachi-Willig and others hired the best possible attorney in Qatar — Dr. Najeeb Al-Nauimi, a former Qatar justice minister-turned-human rights activist — and drafted documents in Iowa to launch a nonprofit that would have been used to raise funds for the teacher's defense.

Gurung's supporters were daunted by the prospects of navigating Qatar's legal system. But it was good, Onwuachi-Wilig said, that Qatar has cultivated a reputation as a modern nation, and she "was hopeful that the leaders there would be concerned about the image of the country if this were to go further."

"I am very thankful to the Qatari government and leaders and to the administrators at the Qatar Academy for their work in ensuring Dorje's freedom," she added.

There was plenty of online clamor in Gurung's favor. An online petition, "Government of Qatar: Release Dorje Gurung," gathered nearly 14,000 signature within a few days. An open Facebook group, "Free Dorje Gurung — Grinnell College Supporters," attracted more than 300 members, and another "Free Dorje Gurung" page drew a couple thousand likes. There's also a tumblr page.

"There is no question that the awareness and the campaign done in these three days was what caused (Qatar) to say, 'We shouldn't touch this,'" Pradhan said.

The idea that somebody dedicated to education across cultures would have to wrangle with such an accusation left Pradhan stunned. Since his days in Grinnell, Gurung has worked in Malawi, Kazakhstan, Norway, Australia, Hong Kong and New Mexico.

"If there's an international, multicultural person in action, it's him," Pradhan said.

Gurung's own thumbnail bio on his website highlights his global view:

I am a Tibetan-Buddhist science teacher with a Jesuit education in a Hindu country (Nepal), an international education in a Catholic country (Italy), a liberal arts education in the bastion of freedom and democracy (the U.S.), with teacher-training down under (Australia), but whose choice of musical instrument is Australian (the didjeridoo), choice of sports is American (ultimate frisbee), choice of dance genre is Latin American (merengue and salsa), and yet, still, has faith in the permanence and power of change!

Gurung already had been making plans to return to Nepal this summer to help educate neglected and underprivileged children in his native land. His website also explained how he made his way to Iowa in the early 1990s:

"I was in fifth grade (in the Nepalese educational system) when the idea of going to the United States of America for tertiary education, and make something of myself and my family, first occurred to me," he writes. "For a kid from of my background, the dream was not only unheard of but near impossible! What drove me however was that very fact — it being near impossible!"

Editor Notes:

República, "Back home, ex-Qatar Academy teacher plans to devote life to charity." May 15, 2013.

Dorje Gurung '94

Angela Onwuachi-Willig '94

Rupesh Pradhan '95

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Angela Onwuachi-Willig '94, Frank Thomas '71, and Sheena Thomas '71 discuss interracial marriage on 'Today's Talk of Iowa' (AUDIO)

physicgi — Mon, 13 May 2013 16:21:39 +0000

Interracial Marriage in the US

Iowa Public Radio

Iowa City, Ia., United States

May 6, 2013

Although interracial marriage has been fully legal in the United States since 1967, these unions are still rare since the overwhelming majority of Americans marry within their own race.

Today's Talk of Iowa explores interracial marriage and multiracial families in present day and throughout history. University of Iowa law professor and author Angela Onwuachi-Willig discusses her new book on interracial marriage and multiracial families, "According to Our Hearts: Rhinelander v. Rhinelander and the Law of the Multiracial Family." Also, Des Moines couple Frank and Sheena Thomas discuss their life as an interracial couple who has been together since 1968. (AUDIO)

Angela Onwuachi-Willig '94

Frank Thomas '71

Sheena Thomas '71

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Dorje Gurung '94 jailed on charges of insulting Islam while teaching in Qatar

physicgi — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:59:33 +0000

Qatar jails a Nepali teacher on charges of insulting Islam

The Washington Post

Washington, D.C., United States

May 9, 2013

A Nepali teacher who taught chemistry at Qatar Academy has been jailed in Doha on felony charges for insulting Islam.

Dorje Gurung, who has taught chemistry to middle and high school students in the United States, Britain and Australia, appeared in a Doha court on Thursday. If convicted, he could face up to seven years in prison, according to Doha News.

Gurung was fired from Qatar Academy after arguments with students on April 22 and 23. Although he was set to leave the country, he was summoned by the police and has been jailed since last Wednesday, according to The Himalayan Times.

Gurung has been accused of comparing all Muslims to terrorists. But two of his friends shared Gurung's version with Doha News:

On Monday, April 22, Gurung said he had a sit-down chat with three 12-year-old boys who were making fun of him. Among other things, the seventh graders poked fun at his appearance, calling him "Jackie Chan," a famous Chinese actor.

On Tuesday, April 23, the mocking again began in earnest while Gurung was in line for lunch. At first, he said the teasing was light-hearted, but then one student put his hand on Gurung's shoulder and a finger in his nose. At this point, Gurung grew agitated and said remarks to the effect of, how would you like to be stereotyped i.e. called a terrorist?

Gurung has no legal representation, but the Nepali embassy is seeking permission from the Kathmandu government to meet with Gurung, Doha News reports. Without a lawyer, Gurung's friends fear he would not get a fair trial. The court would rely on the complaints from Qatar Academy's students, they said.

News of the charges spread quickly to Nepal, where Gurung attended the prestigious St. Xavier's School and later won scholarships to study in Italy and the United States.Friends say Gurung's words were taken out of context. "Because of his education, his travels and the worldly students he teaches, one can say that he is one of the most cosmopolitan, open-minded and fair persons," Ashutosh Tiwari, who attended school with Gurung and works on water issues in Nepal, said in an e-mail. "He is a kind, gentle person who loves nothing more than teaching chemistry to students and getting them excited about science."

Gurung maintains his own Web site, where he blogs about chemistry, his classes and the state of education in Nepal.

Gurung's friends say he was planning to return to Nepal to start a school for neglected Nepali children. "He is very much in touch with where he came from and how he made his life better despite all odds of being born in a low socio-economic family, " Jay Shrestha, who said Gurung was his best friend while attending St. Xavier's in Kathmandu, said in an e-mail.

Religion is a sensitive issue in Qatar, the U.S. State Department notes and recommends that "discussing religious issues, or answering questions about a religion, should be treated with care and sensitivity."

The country also strictly controls freedom of expression, especially when it comes to the leadership. Earlier this year, Qatar jailed a poet for allegedly attempting to overthrow the government, after finding a YouTube video of him reciting a poem criticizing Qatar's ruler, Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani.

Dorje Gurung '94

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Veronika Platzer '87 accepts coaching post at Community Rowing, Inc.

physicgi — Fri, 10 May 2013 13:28:33 +0000

UMass Lowell's Platzer Accepts Coaching Post at Community Rowing, Inc.

Go River Hawks

Lowell, Mass., United States

May 9, 2013

Veronika Platzer, head coach of the UMass Lowell rowing program the last four years, will step down at the end of the spring 2013 season to accept a coaching position at Community Rowing, Inc., in Brighton, announced Director of Athletics Dana Skinner.

Platzer, who also served as the director of the Bellegarde Boathouse, will begin her position at CRI in June. CRI is the largest public club in the country and the first public rowing club in Boston.

"Veronika's passion for the sport of rowing has been evident every day she's been on the job," said Skinner. "She's been an energetic and positive advocate for the University during her time here and I wish her every success in her new position."

Veronika Platzer '87

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Aca-Media interviews Theresa Geller, film theory and history, and her students after presenting research at national film conferences

physicgi — Thu, 09 May 2013 15:16:30 +0000

Aca-Media Episode 4: Please Mister, We'd Like to Put on a Show!

Aca-Media

Austin, Tex., United States

May 8, 2013

This episode features an interview with David Scott Diffrient about his recent Cinema Journal article on the controversial 1970 sex comedy Myra Breckinridge. We also bring you a report on the recent SCMS Undergraduate Conference held at Notre Dame, a "Vox Scholari" segment on the texts that got us interested in studying media, and an Aca-Media Bites in praise of administrative assistants. (AUDIO AT 26:50)

Theresa Geller, film studies and history

Victor Kyerematen '14

Brian Buckley '14

Vilma Castaneda '14

Benji Zeledon '14

Claire Fleckenstein '13

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Time magazine talks financial aid with Joe Bagnoli, vice president for enrollment and dean of admission

physicgi — Wed, 08 May 2013 15:06:47 +0000

Yes, Really: Private Colleges Offering More Financial Aid Than Ever Read more: http://business.time.com/2013/05/07/yes-really-private-colleges-offering-more-financial-aid-than-ever/#ixzz2SiHL4mFG

Time

New York, Ny., United States

May 7, 2013

Admissions and financial aid officers said that approach is only likely to work if the student's request is need-based— especially now that they are making increasingly generous merit-based offers upfront. "We don't go out with a low ball offer and then wait for students to appeal," said Joe Bagnoli, vice president for enrollment and dean of admission at Grinnell College, a private liberal arts school in Grinnell, Iowa, that participated in the survey. This year he said the school received about 150 appeals from families looking to increase the amount of aid they were awarded, up from 90 last year.

Joe Bagnoli, vice president for enrollment and dean of admission

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