My Work About Me Contact

My Work

Note: some articles link to html webpages because they were originally published on webpages which are no longer available. 

The Scarlet and Black •

Cameron Leung - The Scarlet and Black

Cameron Leung `22 had a secret plan. For the past few years, he’s been saving Joker cards from 52-card decks. He knew that one day, he would find a use for them; he just didn’t know when. Leung moderates Nerf@Noyce. In a game called Traitors in Terrorist Town (TTT), every player is divided into two teams. Each player receives a card, and if the card is a joker, then that player is a traitor to their team, unbeknownst to anyone else. “And one night, we decided to change all of the cards into Jo
The Scarlet and Black •

Micaela Daney - The Scarlet and Black

Micaela Daney `22 was flattered, but perplexed, when I told her she was nominated for the Scarlet & Black Senior Issue. She was even more flattered when I told her I had nominated her myself. Daney majored in English. She’d always loved to read and write, and because of that, she began writing a novel in the spring of her second year. Recently, she completed a first draft of 80,000 words. After she completes several rounds of edits, she said she hopes to publish the book via a traditional publi
The Scarlet and Black •

Grinnell track and field teams produce multiple record-breaking performances at Mustang Open - The Scarlet and Black

Grinnell women’s track & field finished second of 11 teams at the Mustang Open at Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids on Saturday, April 9. This is the first non-optional meet in the outdoor track & field season, and the weather at the Open was brisk but sunny. “Everybody got sunburned,” said Sadie Staker `24. Staker championed the 400-meter hurdles with a 1:08.31 time, the third best in Grinnell’s history. Staker has held the 3rd place standing since the Midwest Conference South Division C

Book Review: “American Sonnets for my Past and Future Assassin” - The Scarlet and Black

Book Review: “American Sonnets for my Past and Future Assassin” “Why are you bugging me you stank minuscule husk / Of musk, muster & deliberation crawling over reasons / And possession I have & have not touched? / Should I fail in my insecticide, I pray for a black boy / Who lifts you to the flame with bedeviled tweezers / Until mercy rises & disappears,” writes author Terrence Hayes in the fourth sonnet in his 2018 poetry collection “American Sonnets for my Past and Future Assassin.” Whether

Two defendants sentenced in Michael Williams’ murder; one defendant to stand trial

Two defendants sentenced in Michael Williams’ murder; one defendant to stand trial Julia Cox, 56, and Roy Lee Garner, 59, were sentenced to seven and nine years imprisonment, respectively, for their roles in the 2020 murder and abuse of the corpse of Grinnell resident Michael Williams. Both defendants pled guilty under a plea agreement in which their respective attorneys requested probation. Poweshiek County Courthouse Judge Shawn Showers, who argued that the defendents’ actions showed a profo

“The Divine Feminine” explores diasporic identity with vibrance and heart

Before the Spanish colonized the Caribbean in the 15th century, the Taíno people were the principal inhabitants of Puerto Rico, Jamaica and the Lesser Antilles. The Taíno peoples held a strong artistic tradition and thrived on matrilineal systems of kinship and inheritance. However, at the hands of Spanish imperialists, 90 percent of the Taíno population were destroyed over the next two centuries from slavery, violence and foreign illness. Today, descendants of the Taíno live across the Caribbea

As local journalism declines, the Grinnell Herald-Register plows on

As local journalism declines, the Grinnell Herald-Register plows on When Peggy Elliott teaches her yearly guest lecture to fourth graders at Davis Elementary School, she makes sure they know two things: first, that everyone has a story and second, that to tell someone’s story, the writer must dig deep, ask precise questions and paint a mural with their writing. Moments like these, she said, are the most rewarding parts of her job. Elliott is the managing editor for the Grinnell Herald-Registe
Times Republican •

MCC moves toward federal HSI designation

As Latino and Hispanic enrollment increases at Marshalltown Community College (MCC) every year, the school moves closer to being designated a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), a federal recognition for colleges and universities which have a full-time undergraduate enrollment of at least 25 percent Hispanic students. If MCC reaches that percentage, it will be the first HSI in Iowa and join the ranks of over 400 in the United States. “I think getting this designation would help community membe

Austin Frerick `12 launches state senate campaign

On Oct. 16, in the atrium of the Humanities and Social Sciences Center (HSSC), Austin Frerick `12 and his groom became the first couple — though certainly not the last — to marry in the HSSC. “I’m forever grateful to Grinnell. A Liberal arts education forever changed my life,” said Frerick on his choice of venue. His husband, a Middlebury graduate, agreed with the sentiment. “We actually got engaged in Middlebury and married in Grinnell.” An extraordinary venue is not the only thing Frerick to

College gives little explanation for some students’ hundreds of dollars in unpaid wages

College gives little explanation for some students’ hundreds of dollars in unpaid wages Lilli Morrish `25 worked 42 hours as a Scarlet & Black staff writer in the fall semester. In September, she received paychecks from the College for the wages she earned during the first two pay periods. Then, in October, the College stopped paying her. Morrish started sending emails to the payroll office and to her supervisor Ashley Adams, associate director of student involvement, to solve the problem. Mor

Breaking: Face masks optional in most indoor settings at Grinnell College starting March 7, including classrooms

Breaking: Face masks optional in most indoor settings at Grinnell College starting March 7, including classrooms Face masks will be optional for all students in nearly all indoor environments, including classrooms, effective Monday, March 7, unless a student is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or has been released from COVID-19 isolation in the past five days. Students will still be required to mask in the Student Health and Wellness (SHAW) office and in the Athlete Testing Center. This modifica

Outdoor learning environment to be created at Ahrens Park

Outdoor learning environment to be created at Ahrens Park A one-acre public outdoor learning environment with animal habitats, sandboxes and waterways will be built by the Ahrens Park Foundation using $3,500 from the Grinnell College Community Mini-Grant Program. The funds were awarded in December 2021. “This is a continuation of creating a warm, inviting environment as you come to the park, whether it’s for athletics, for gardening, for childcare, or if it’s just to walk your worries away,” s
Times Republican •

MCC club provides mentorship, support for pre-health students

Over the last four years, Marshalltown Community College’s (MCC) Pair a Docs club has thrived in providing pre-health students peer support and professional mentorship. What began as a peer support organization for pre-veterinary students has expanded to grant all MCC pre-health students, including those in the pre-dentistry, pre-pharmacy, and pre-medical fields, access to advising, job shadowing and trips to pre-health conferences across the country. Danielle Kness, a Professor of Biology at M
The Scarlet and Black •

Scouting for cookies? Here’s how to get Girl Scout cookies in Grinnell this spring

Grinnell Girl Scouts are back! Thin Mints, Samoas, Tagalongs, Trefoils and eight other flavors will be available beginning Feb. 5 in Grinnell and at tables across Poweshiek County. While the Girl Scout process may sometimes seem mysterious, don’t worry: the S&B has you covered. And when it comes to cookies, if there’s a will, there’s a way. Cookie sales officially began Feb. 1, but tabling didn’t start in Grinnell until Saturday, Feb. 5 when cookie boxes arrived from Des Moines. Cookie sales l
PolitiFact •

PolitiFact - Iowa GOP deceptively edits Abby Finkenauer's comments on Build Back Better

The Republican Party of Iowa wrote in a press release on Jan. 24 that Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abby Finkenauer said, "Well heck, I don’t even know what’s in it . . ." when asked if she supports President Biden’s Build Back Better plan. "While Finkenauer botched her answer, Iowa Democrat candidates Liz Mathis and Christina Bohannan have yet to say whether or not they support Biden’s legislation. "It shouldn’t surprise Iowans that Finkenauer doesn’t know what’s in the bill even though sh
PolitiFact •

PolitiFact - Iowa broadband touted by Republicans was funded by Democratic votes for American Rescue Plan

More than $210 million was awarded to 160 applicants for new broadband infrastructure in Iowa as part of the state’s Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grant Program, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced in a press release on Tuesday, Jan. 4. "These grants will bring more than $526 million of new broadband infrastructure investment to Iowa, serving over 39,000 homes, schools, and businesses." In response, Democrats ranging from state legislators, running for the Legislature and party activists said on F
The Scarlet and Black •

Book Review: This book is bleeding in my hands.

“The Accusation” (고발) by North Korean author Bandi bleeds pain. The dissident short story collection is currently the only work of fiction successfully published internationally by a North Korean author still living in North Korea. Bandi, whose name is derived from the Korean word for “firefly,” is affiliated with the state sponsored Chosun Writers’ League Central Committee and has defected from North Korea out of fear for retaliation against his family. Bandi was born to Korean parents in 195
The Scarlet and Black •

Emma Schaefer represents Grinnell College cross country on national stage

Emma Schaefer ‘23 competed at the NCAA Division-III National Championship for Cross Country last Saturday, becoming the first Cross Country athlete to compete at the championships since her coach, Sarah Burnell `14, competed in 2013. “I’ve never been in a race where you’re around so many people at the same time who are running the same pace as you,” she said. Surrounded by so many others, Schaefer said she didn’t think she went out as fast as she wanted to, but that she closed the gap as the r
PolitiFact •

PolitiFact - Build Back Better tax break in play for some millionaires

The U.S. House passed President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better plan 220 to 213 on Friday, Nov. 19. The bill now heads to the 50-50 Senate, where it is expected to face unanimous GOP opposition. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, has been critical of the bill, tweeting on Nov. 16: "Hardworking #Iowa taxpayers shouldn’t foot the bill for millionaires to get a tax break, but that’s exactly what Democrats are proposing in their reckless tax-and-spending bill." She also tweeted on Nov. 18: "D.C. Democrats wa
The Scarlet and Black •

Steven Vogel convicted of first-degree murder of Grinnell resident Michael Williams

Steven Vogel, 32, was found guilty on Tuesday, Nov. 16, of the first-degree murder of Grinnell resident Michael Williams and of abuse of a corpse. Williams’ body was found burned in a ditch near Kellogg, Iowa on Sept. 16, 2020. Officials identified strangulation as the cause of death and believe that he died four days prior. The trial began Friday, Nov. 10. The prosecution presented evidence that Vogel had allegedly admitted to murdering Williams out of anger involving a “love triangle” with V
Load More Articles

Copyright © 2021 Nina Baker