For most students, college graduation denotes the end of one experience and the opportunity to embark upon a completely new journey in a new setting. But for many current Grinnell faculty and administrators, commencement was not their final goodbye to Grinnell, IA. After doling out thousands of dollars in tuition, 16 alumni from the late 80s and early 90s can now even the score, gracing the college payroll. Looking back on their experiences, the alumni note how returning to Grinnell has changed and shaped their relationships with each other, their professors and the school itself.
Despite Grinnell's small student body both then and now, many members of this group did not know each other well as students. "I knew of a lot of these people but didn't have many close relationships within the group," said Henry Rietz '89, Religious Studies.
Director of Social Commitment Doug Cutchins '93 agreed, listing Reitz, Sarah Purcell '92, History, Dean for Academic Support Joyce Stern '91, and Director of Conference Relations Rachel Bly '93 as a few people with whom he was somewhat acquainted as a student.
But within this group of alumni, there were a few solid friendships such as between Bly and Purcell, who still retain a close relationship.
Special Assistant to the President for Diversity and Achievement Elena Bernal '94 also mentioned Bly as a good acquaintance while both were students, and now, as colleagues, the two occasionally meet for lunch. According to Bernal, she gets a "warm fuzzy feeling" when around Bly and other faculty with the same Grinnell-influenced mindset. This connection, she said "makes it easy to stay on the same page."
Bernal's return to Grinnell has been particularly unique among the group of alumni. As a student, she was a spokesperson for SOL and an outspoken advocate for social justice on campus. "It's funny that someone like me, who so was involved in so many fights with administration, is now a part of this very institution," she said, reminiscing about the shouting matches she had with former Vice-President of Student Affairs Tom Crady as a first year.
During her senior year however, Bernal's negotiations became more affable, and she said that Crady eventually "became my mentor." While first sitting down with Crady as a colleague "everything came full circle," she said.
Many alumni found similar familiar faces when they returned. Cutchins said that many of his favorite professors such as Marci Sortor, History, Bob Grey, Political Science, and Victoria Brown, History are still teaching. While his current position at the college does not usually involve working alongside these professors, Cutchins said that in his first year working for the college, running into some of his old professors "had the potential for awkwardness ... even more than I originally thought."
While many aspects of Grinnell may have carried over from 15 years ago, the alumni noted a few key changes. Many current Grinnell staples developed during their era, including Titular Head and Disco (Cutchins proudly boasted of his presence at Disco I). But even as late as 1993, apparent Grinnell mainstays such as 10/10 and Block Party had yet to be inaugurated.
While students at this time may not have spent the last day of spring finals week outside on High Street, there were also a few early 90s traditions which have since died out, such as an all-campus scream during finals week and an annual pig roast.
Perhaps one of the biggest changes to hit campus since the early '90s is the prominence of e-mail. While most students take e-mail for granted now, Bernal talked about the excitement it created when introduced in its initial form as a means of communication only between those on campus. "To us, it was the coolest thing," she said. "It was a lot like Plans. Sometimes we would send messages back and forth just for fun and as a means of procrastination."
Another major difference during this era was that Harris Center had not been built. This meant that not only had "Harris Hookups" yet to reach campus parlance, but also that dorms played an increased role in socializing. "I liked just hanging out with people in the residence halls ... and I really loved the goofy things we did," said Stern, describing one concept to which current Grinnellians can certainly relate.
So what is it that has drawn so many alumni from this era back to their alma mater? While few could pinpoint a specific explanation beyond the general characteristics that make Grinnell an appealing place to work, Reitz gave it the old college try. "I think it's just the serendipity of this place," he said. "It seems like strange things like this just happen here."
