Jeremy Wiles Continues Adventures in Denmark!

This spring we'll be bringing you posts from a few Pioneers that are studying abroad this semester.  Linebacker Jeremy Wiles '14 is currently in Copenhagen, Denmark and this is his second installation:

          The last few weeks have been quite interesting. Part of this experience has me playing two roles. One is experiencing Copenhagen as a Tourist and the other is experiencing København as someone who is living here, aka a Local. I know it’s hard to think that a place can possible feel at home in matter of months but I am pretty good at getting comfortable and feeling at home in a new environment. So the adventure continues…

OHSO Tourist:

        During my early March Study break I was accompanied by my fellow GC Pioneer Footballer , Jayson Campos, to see the places around Copenhagen that were deemed good for tourists. This meant asking our American and Dane friends, navigating through tourist maps and getting immersed/lost  in the city but we managed to see some headliners like: The Little Mermaid statue,  The Botanical Gardens, The David’s Collection and the National Museum for Art (Stutens Musem for Kunst).  I mention these top places because they’re all worth seeing more than once, except the mermaid. That one is worth the one great time you check it out, take pictures and look at the other wonder fully epic statutes around it. The National Museum of Art was all 3 hours spent awe struck stumbling through Nordic and European art from 1300-1900 some of which were from my  favs Titian, Rubens, Rembrandt. Shout out to Grinnell into to art class for the refined taste.  Another must see is the The David Collection which does offer some European art but it’s claim to OHSO fame is the absolutely amazing collection of Islamic Art collection hidden there. The two places were a good mix and  the experience  was even more solid given the scenic walk through the Rosenberg Castle to get in between the two.

        There are plenty of castles but I’ll save that for a later post. The most memorable experience I had was walking up the golden steps of a spiral staircase a top the Church of Our Savior located in Christianhavn ( a district in København). The Church by itself has a decadent and completely astonishing interior design and two colossal elephants that seemingly hold up at wooden, super organ.  If you don’t know already I got a thing for elephants. They’re just too cool for school.

         Don’t forget the Shawarma and weinerbro. Most of these places where accompanied with a street hot dog, pastries filled with love or a fat shawarma from the one and only BURGER HOUSE located in Amager. They deserve a shout out because they honestly have the biggest shawarma in Copenhagen, someone please prove me wrong.

Living as a Local:

       Of course I’m still a student here and must do student things like study in the Studenthuset café. Drink a little more coffee than usual and catch the crammed 6a bus every morning. I almost got hit by a bike like 3 times in one day. Tell me why that is low for some people. I also managed to make friends with a group of three local guys heading to the part of town called the meat packing district, Meat City to the locals.The Story goes… the three were walking down the street making beats with their mouth together  and they let my friend Jerry and  a OHSO J Wiley  freestyle on the corner with them for 20 minutes.  I always get extra excited when I experience music with people. You make it hip hop and add the fresh approach to jamming out with three random musicians in the streets at 3am and I have nothing else to call it but an O.H.S.O. experience. So that is what the world of Jeremy Wiles in København consists of.  Good food, great places and even cooler people.

Mock Up of New Adidas Uniforms!

Here's another mock-up of the Adidas TECHFIT uniforms we'll be rockin' next fall, complete with the scarlet "Gun Show" undershirt!

Go Pioneers!

Grinnell Hosts Unified Sports Day!

Grinnell Basketball Player Dominique Bellamy gets into a twirling competition with a SOIA Athlete

Grinnell College's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) hosted its second annual Special Olympics Iowa (SOIA) Unified Sports Day on Saturday, March 2.

Approximately 50 SOIA athletes from Ames, Des Moines and Grinnell participated in the event with the assistance of 60 Grinnell College students.

The program is an initiative that brings together SOIA athletes and athletes without intellectual disabilities (called partners) on sports teams for training and competition.

“This is not a day of competition, but instead a day of awareness,” said Michelle Haney, SOIA Unified Sports Director Michelle Haney. “Grinnell College students were able to spend time with Special Olympics Iowa athletes and learn about persons with intellectual disabilities. The Special Olympics Iowa athletes in turn get to spend time with college students and learn about them.”

The event, which lasted from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., saw Special Olympics athletes participate in basketball, bocce, bowling, volleyball, soccer kicks and arts and crafts.

“I think that the event was a huge success in terms of being both fun and rewarding for Special Olympics athletes and volunteers alike,” said Karen Gogins '13, the Grinnell SAAC Community Service chair. “SAAC seeks to engage student-athletes in community service as a way to bridge the gap between the campus and the larger community. This Special Olympics event was a great way to do that, to give back to others, and to increase awareness and support for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

“Special Olympics Iowa was a great help to me in planning the event, a task that required volunteer recruitment and logistical organization,” she added.

SOIA, a statewide nonprofit organization, has provided sports training and competitions for children and adults with intellectual disabilities since 1968.

Nearly 11,000 athletes and Unified Sports Partners participate in Special Olympics Iowa events and competitions annually. For more information, call 515-986-5520 or visit www.soiowa.org.

Check out the Photo Gallery!

50,000 Views!

The Pioneer Football Blog has just hit 50,000 page views!  So pop the bubbly, let fly the confetti, or whatever you choose, just make sure to celebrate!

When we started the blog almost exactly 4 years ago to the day, we truly had no idea what we were doing, but thanks to our fans, players, families, alumni and other supporters we've kept getting better on the field and on the Internet.

Apparently we have a thing for round numbers.  50,000 page views of exactly 300 posts over almost exactly 4 years!  Joey Snyder's Senior Profile from October 2009 remains our most popular post ever with over 600 page views.  

Make sure to Like us on Facebook to stay up to date on all the happenings around the program.

We look forward to what the next 50,000 views will have in store for Grinnell College and Pioneer Football!

Go Pioneers!

Max Keller Abroad in Australia!

This spring we'll be bringing you posts from a few Pioneers that are studying abroad this semester.  Defensive back Max Keller '14 is currently in Melbourne, Australia and this is his first installation.

I was raised in a town of approximately 600 people, and to say the least I have been immersed into the country lifestyle. Though I have been able to experience city life a number of times, coming to Melbourne, a city of 4.5 million people has been an extremely refreshing change. While Australia is very much so “Westernized”, I learned quickly enough it is a mistake to perceive things here as “American”. Removing this perception allowed me to appreciate Melbourne, pronounced “Melbin”, for its diversity, history, and culture. Melbourne is a city full of Italian, African, Indonesian, and Asian descent and seeking out these pockets of diversity in the cafes, pubs, and suburbs of the city has made for a great experience.

The Beach at Torquay

You cannot help but fall in love with the Aussie accent and laid back lifestyle from the minute you land at the Tullamarine Airport. My study abroad program, IES Abroad, quickly had our group settled into our varying apartments or residential colleges. And after that it’s easiest to describe my time in Melbourne as a blur. My two week stay has included trips to St. Kildas beach (only a half hour away), walks through the Melbourne botanical gardens, and weekend stays at the seaside towns Anglesea and Torquay.

Melbourne's "White Night"

My first weekend in Melbourne was one I will never forget. The city annually hosts a festival called “White Night” that starts at 7pm and concludes at 7am. The festival included live music, great food, and light shows on the Yarra River. After a night of good music, new faces, great hospitality, and 2 hours of sleep, IES Abroad took us to the small seaside town of Anglesea. After arriving in Anglesea it wasn’t long before we found ourselves on a beach with wetsuits on and a board in hand. Being from Minnesota where water is abundant, but mostly frozen, this was something completely new to me.

Having only been to the ocean a few times I was keen to listen to our instructors about the dangers of the “rip”, which will pull you away from the beach and out to sea. One of my peers who was disappointed with the difficulties that come with learning something new, wasn’t so keen. Before long we saw him sitting on his board, head down, slowly drifting out to sea, with our instructor swimming to him. The entire time, completely oblivious as to what is going on around him, making for an entertaining story, and a lesson well learned. The struggles that come with learning something new, playing football, or adapting to a new area and culture will only be temporary if you paddle a little harder, and get up a little faster. If you sit around and let the waves hit your back, you’ll never get that opportunity to catch an interception, (even if it’s likely you drop it) or immerse yourself in a great culture, and you’ll most likely end up out to sea.

G’day from down under.

Max Keller

25 Amazing But Overlooked Colleges

Check out The Daily Beast's list of 25 Amazing But Overlooked Colleges You Haven't Considered But Should!

Liberal-arts schools without a core curriculum usually get credit for having the most free-thinking students (think Amherst, Hamilton, and Brown), but Grinnell empowers students in a novel way. The college is self-governed, meaning students are encouraged to solve all problems on their own, without invoking the administration or campus police. As part of this, students sit on university committees that oversee curriculum, budget, and residence-life decisions, as well as professor evaluations and student disciplinary actions.

Quinn Rosenthal Abroad in France - Part 2

This spring we'll be bringing you posts from a few Pioneers that are studying abroad this semester.  Center Quinn Rosenthal '14 is currently in Nantes, France and this is his second installation.  Read his first one here.

Well, let me first share the triumph that I have found the best sandwich in Nantes, the Grand Américain frites steak mayonnaise at the Machata Friterie. Of course, you have to go pretty far down an alley to find this place, its just a tiny window in the wall and there's usually several dudes with no teeth hanging around outside in hoods and sunglasses. So this monstrosity consists of a baguette, immense and delicious even by French standards, mayo, which is also surprisingly good in France, as many hamburger patties as they can shove in there, and a mountain of the best French fries you've ever tasted, yes, the fries are on the sandwich, its a game changer. Oh yeah, and then they grill it. And its four euros, which is not bad, especially considering you'll be full for about two days, or at least a lesser man would be. In general, French food is obviously awesome, but I don't love all of it. The things they do do undeniably well though, that I've discovered thus far, are bread, cheese, dessert, fries, and add to the list, sausage. 

Other stories: many have already heard about my Super Bowl adventure. All the american students from my program hang out a lot at this Irish pub called Fleming's, its kind of become our place. I made nice with the Canadian and British bartenders, and when I ran into one of them in the weight room, he said he would keep the place open late on Super Bowl Sunday so we Americans could watch. I didn't know until I got there at midnight on Sunday for the 12:30 AM kickoff that its actually illegal to keep your bar open past 2 in the morning in Nantes, as the bartender closed the blinds and explained to us that if the police knocked on the door, we all had to go hide in the cellar where they kept all the kegs. Luckily, this was unnecessary, although the game didn't end until 5AM. I had a great time, broing out with all the other anglophones, there were only two other Americans (I was the only guy in my program with enough 'Merica in me to stay out that late on a Sunday night) but also some English, Australians, and a couple random die hard French 49er fans. It was a great time, everybody was speaking English, buying drinks for each other, ogling at Beyonce, I took a nap during the infamous power outage, I'd definitely missed football. However I didn't end up going to bed till about 5:30 that night, and I had french class at 9 the next morning. But I made it through, I felt like I was doing Grinnell, hell, America, proud that Monday.

 What else? I've now taken two weekend vacations. The first was to Bordeaux, with some good friends from my program. We didn't do much touristy stuff, although we did get a nice tour around beautiful downtown Bordeaux. That weekend was more about wine tasting, relaxing after a whirlwind first couple weeks in France, and taking stock of just how lucky we are to have this opportunity to see the world with all its unique experiences. The second was a day trip with the program to Mont St. Michel, a 7th century monastery on a tidal island on the Norman coast. It lives up to its billing as one of the most beautiful sights in France, and you definitely felt the weight of being in one of the oldest churches in the world. I also ruined my shoes getting stuck in quicksand on the beach when the tide was rolling in, what can you do? After that we had a nice afternoon in the quaint beach town of St. Malo, where I again got stranded by the tide on a rock and had to swim back. There also just so happened to be a French carnival going on there that day so I was definitely not mad about a lunch of fresh fried sugar dough and cotton candy.

I wish I had more to say about the academic side of things. My classes are all interesting, taught in French and from a French perspective, and I'm getting along pretty well in them, except for maybe Medieval Heresy, my only class at the real French university. But, to be honest, in true French fashion, I haven't really been called upon to care about school that much yet. That is, except for my teaching internship. I'm still not sure why I signed up for it, or why I was given 10-14 year olds when I asked to be a language assistant at the college, but its really grown on me. My class of 10 year olds is actually my favorite. They're super interested in me and really easy to teach, and damned if I didn't feel it when I willed one of those little guys to say: "I...em...een...zee...riving...rroom." Because you know what that is? That's a complete sentence. Those little things that you didn't even know could get you so jacked.

A tout a l'heure!

Quinn

Grinnell Recommits To "Need-Blind" Admissions

For many months, Grinnellians have been actively engaged in a conversation about how to secure Grinnell College’s financial future. At its regular meeting on Saturday, February 23, 2013, the Board of Trustees acted on extensive market research, financial modeling, and feedback from alumni, faculty, staff, students, and other stakeholders.

It approved a continuation of need-blind policies for Grinnell's domestic students and the implementation of concrete objectives that will ensure the College's sustainable commitment to academic excellence and access at Grinnell.

Grinnell students graduate with an average debt of $15,720, the lowest in the state and nearly half that of Iowa's public university graduates. That's despite the college's $50,618 in annual tuition and housing costs — more than twice as high as state institutions. Grinnell students, on average, receive $35,388 in financial aid, and nearly 90 percent of students receive an award.

Read the entire official release here.

Webstore Now Open!

Check out the Pioneer Football Webstore through Decker Sports for the latest gear/swag that many of the Pioneers and their families and fans will be sporting this fall.

Act fast... the store closes on March 18th!

Grinnell in the Des Moines Register

Grinnell students, from left, Robert Logan, Eva Smith, and Tyler Smiley make cranberry muffins on Wednesday at Grinnell College in Grinnell. The students on campus practice 'self-governance' when planning and policing campus activities. / Bryon Houlgrave/The Register

Grinnell College has a unique and proud system of authority on-campus call "self-governance".  This facet of the College was the focus of a feature story from Sunday's Des Moines Register:

It’s called self-governance. Grinnell College students live by its tenets, or try to, and officials there claim the college is one of a handful to attempt the philosophy that it has promoted since its earliest days.

Self-governance is a fuzzy concept, but the basic idea is that students can govern themselves without the heavy hand of authority lording over them and putting the hammer down. Part of that freedom is a responsibility to others in the community — for example, owning up and paying for the broken water fountain so others can use it.

There's Something About Grinnell!

Best Value for Private Schools

Photo by Brieauna Bradley '13

Advice to families beginning the college search: Don’t screen schools based on published tuition prices, according to a USA Today report. And many students can get thousands of dollars — even tens of thousands of dollars — in grants that don’t have to be paid back.

Check out Princeton Review's Top 10 Best Values for Private Schools!  

PRIVATE TOP 10

1. Swarthmore College (Swarthmore, Pa.)

2. Harvard College (Cambridge, Mass.)

3. Williams College (Williamstown, Mass.)

4. Princeton University (Princeton, N.J.)

5. Pomona College (Claremont, Calif.)

6. Yale University (New Haven, Conn.)

7. Rice University (Houston)

8. Hamilton College (Clinton, N.Y.)

9. Claremont McKenna College (Claremont, Calif.)

10. Grinnell College (Grinnell, Iowa)

New Uniforms For 2013!

The Pioneers will be sporting new uniforms this fall.Best looking team in the MWC! #GCPride twitter.com/GCCoachP/statu…
— Jeff Pedersen (@GCCoachP) February 13, 2013

The new uniforms with Adidas TECHFIT technology will give our program as distinct an advantage as technology allows:


The TECHFIT jerseys feature multiple performance innovations to cut weight by 30 percent, including a streamlined fit, new fabric, minimal seams and an ultra-lightweight numbering system. Additionally, the jersey keeps players cool with integrated ventilation zones and moisture management fabric. Seam reduction and a restriction-free, high-stretch collar design increases range of motion to support player agility and speed.


The TECHFIT will fit us just like it did on Johnny Manziel:

Coach Pedersen... Still Tweetin'

Great day in Grinnell.Men and women run well at Darren Young Invite and men's bkb get big win over St Norbert on senior day.Go Pioneers.
— Jeff Pedersen (@GCCoachP) February 10, 2013

Jeremy Wiles Study Abroad in Denmark!

This spring we'll be bringing you posts from a few Pioneers that are studying abroad this semester.  Linebacker Jeremy Wiles '14 is currently in Copenhagen, Denmark and this is his first installation:

Skøl, Undskyld, and tak. Cheers, excuse me, and thank you have been two words that have been very useful in navigating Denmark. Part of my experience thus far has been spent out and about , getting lost  in the city and finding myself physically and mentally. More times than not, surrounded by warm hearted people who are curious to learn about American culture just as much as I am searching to learn about the Danish way of life. Before I dive into all the interesting characteristics of life abroad, I guess it only makes sense to reveal the resource that allows me to study and live in Copenhagen, Denmark.

          My program is called the Danish Institute for Study Abroad  or  DIS  for short. This semester DIS has taken about 997 students from various  colleges and universities from the states. 18 students from Grinnell and just about  7 student athletes within the Grinnellian group.

          My lastest experience during the week of Feb 4-8, took my Global Economics program across  Denmark to the mainland  (Jutland) to experience Viking history at the Jelling Stones Historical Site and the Aros Museum of fine art in Arhus, Denmark. Besides navigating through castles, museums and exhibits much of my traveling has consisted of visiting Suzlon Wind Turbine Company, a dairy manufacture, and Tom’s Chocolate Factory. Yes, that is right, a chocolate factory. Free samples rock but there were no little people with orange faces, just Danes.  

          When I’m not in class, taking tours in museums and or working out at Fitness.dk you can catch me at cafes, bars and clubs that offer some of the nightlife and food options that are pretty exciting and worthwhile. I have met more people named Jeremy in three weeks in Copenhagen, than my first 20 years of life but I am still the coolest one. This is subject to change. Just  Kidding. But besides meeting people named Jeremy- cafes, bars and nightclubs have been key places to immerse oneself  into Danish people and culture.

         Within some of these fine establishments, don’t be surprised when an average middle aged Local inquires about your political, economical, and cultural viewpoints regarding life in the States. My first cab ride from the airport consisted of my viewpoint on Obamacare and the current state of Health care services in the United States. Was a long ride but I digg (appreciate) the willingness to enter into a dialogue. They say Danes do not believe in small talk, so it is pretty common to dive into serious topics without conversations being too taboo or uncomfortable.  

         Its been 3 weeks or so and my highlights thus far have been having professors that double as professional business people and entrepreneurs; the occasional brew during or in between meals and the instant coolness factor that comes from being from California in a foreign place. It is quite interesting how media has constructed a stereotype of Americans that is much relied on here by locals. Not every stereotype is positive so I just smile often and that seems to make friends.  You add a few Skøls (cheers) and Undskyld (Excuse Me) here and there, with a bunch of taks (Thank you) and you have an experience of a life time that I like to call:  Originality Having Successful Outcomes in Danmark.

Peace to you from the OHSO Lifer Grinnell Pioneer,

Jeremy

Campus Benefit

Last week the Grinnell student-athlete community organized a benefit to raise money for an employee of the College who lost her home in a fire recently.  Pioneer Football players Isaac Chadri, Cody Weber, and Colton Feller were 3 of many of the performers.  Over 150 students, faculty, and staff came to support a fellow Grinnellian!  Check out the video from the Grinnell newspaper The Scarlet & Black.

Coach Pedersen on Twitter?!

Coach Pedersen, from Kremmling, Colorado, has finally joined the movement and is officially on Twitter.  He'll be kicking off his first day by announcing our Early Decision I commitments.

Welcome to the official twitter account of Grinnell College Football!Great off-season so far, happy to update all. #gcpride
— Jeff Pedersen (@GCCoachP) February 6, 2013

Make sure to follow Coach P to receive plenty more Pioneer Football information and to watch him misuse the hashtags.

Pioneers Release 2013 Schedule!

Coach Jeff Pedersen and the Grinnell College Football team has released their 2013 game schedule.  The Pioneers will take to the road six times this upcoming fall after having hosted as many games in 2012.  The countdown to September 7th is at 221 days!

Date                  Time           Opponent                                           Location

August 31         1:00             Intra-squad Scrimmage                     Grinnell
                                              (ATHLETE ALUMNI WEEKEND)

September 7      1:00            Carleton College                                Northfield, MN

September 14    1:00            Illinois College                                   Jacksonville, IL

September 21    1:00            Lake Forest College                           Lake Forest, IL

September 28    1:00            Beloit College                                     Grinnell
                                              (FAMILY WEEKEND)

October 5                             BYE

October 12        1:00            Monmouth College                            Monmouth, IL

October 19        1:00            Ripon College                                     Grinnell      

October 26        1:00            Carroll University                              Grinnell      

November 2      1:00            Lawrence University                          Appleton, WI

November 9      1:00            St. Norbert College                             DePere, WI

November 16    12:00          Cornell College                                    Grinnell