Daniel Bartell '03
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- Kathryn VincentKathryn: -And your class year.
- Daniel Bartell & Kathryn VincentDaniel: Okay. My name is Daniel Bartell. I live in Chicago, Illinois, and I graduated ’03.Kathryn: Why did you come to Grinnell?Daniel: Well, I mean, it’s a very strong school, great for academics. I also knew it was just a very liberal environment, and honestly I- it had American Studies; it had a swim team, and it had everything I was looking for and I had, like, the best prospective student weekend ever here. Yeah, it was nuts. Yeah.
- Kathryn Vincent & Daniel BartellKathryn: What was your first memory of campus?Daniel: Well, it would probably be that prospective student weekend. What happened was, I was staying with the swim team and it was Mary B. James night, and the fact that like, I mean, everyone in the campus was dressing up and going to this, and like, the fact that they were holding it on a prospective student weekend, I was like, "Well, okay. The school must be very cool if they can trust a party like this." And- yeah, and just walking into Harris and seeing it packed, I was like, "This is the group for me. This is a fun group." Yeah.
- Kathryn Vincent & Daniel BartellKathryn: What are some of your best memories of your time at Grinnell?Daniel: Oh, I love those Harris parties. They were always a hoot. We always did something crazy.Kathryn: Mhm.Daniel: Like, the first one, it was like—just the first week of school—and I wanted to make myself very known and so I went to my first Harris Party in just my underwear.Kathryn: Like, underwear--?Daniel: Well, it was boxer shorts. It was Joe boxer shorts and there was just a big smiley face, and... Yeah, and so I was like, “Well, if- I’m gonna’ make an impression..,” and I definitely did and it was awesome.
- Kathryn Vincent & Daniel BartellKathryn: Describe one of your academic experiences or classes at Grinnell that was particularly memorable.Daniel: I took a class with Katya Gibel Azoulay and she... I remember being so scared of her, and she- I would cry after that class ‘cause she was so hard, and she demanded so much, but because of that I learned so, so much from her. I even signed up for a second one from her ‘cause I was like, “It's the worst thing ever but I learned so much!”Kathryn: Right.Daniel: And so I did a MAP with her and it was just me and her in a room, and I was- I just remember going- walking up that hallway and I was so nervous, and she would always be like, “What did you do this week?” And I would answer, and she always was like, “Is that all you did?” and I’d be like, “Oh, my God, I’ve been doing… I haven’t left the library!” So yeah, she was a great one, yeah.Kathryn: Cool.
- Kathryn Vincent & Daniel BartellKathryn: Were there any other professors or students, staff members who had a strong influence on your life?Daniel: Yeah, I would say her. I would say Erin Hurley from the swim team, and then, I was in the education program, and Jean Ketter and Carol Ikey were- they really solidified a moral... a sense of morality and social justice in me that I still, to this day, hold as one of the most important things in my life. So, yeah. Yeah.
- Kathryn Vincent & Daniel BartellKathryn: How has Grinnell changed?Daniel: Oh, you guys, it's so nice here now! You have... with the new dorms and the new central campus. I mean, when I was here we didn't really- we didn’t even have cell phones. I think cell phones were just getting out my junior or senior year, and so- But, because, to me, it's not— I've seen it very gradual though, because with the swim team we have an Alumni Weekend, and I came- this is probably my seventh or eighth time back, in the ten years, so it's not like- I've seen the slow progression... yeah. So, it’s good though. It's so nice, though. It feels like a country club here.Kathryn: Thanks.
- Kathryn Vincent & Daniel BartellKathryn: How do you compare the students of today to your classmates?Daniel: Oh gosh, I don’t want to say anything bad about you!Kathryn: Start after you graduated.Daniel: Okay, okay then. I mean, we were nuts. Like, I can’t imagine a Harris Party where we didn't end up streaking at some point, or like, I mean... and, now everything- I mean, it’s not really even the students; the school just has to crack down and you know, just everyone’s got to be accountable, so I just- I look back and it was just the craziest moments here, and I don't know if they’re having those anymore. I hope they are. I hope-- Yeah.Kathryn: Administration’s kind of cracked down a little bit, but...Daniel: Yeah, yeah.
- Kathryn Vincent & Daniel BartellKathryn: Did you have a favorite place on campus to study, hang out?Daniel: I was usually in Steiner. There's a Secondary Education room, and you had to have a passcode to get into it and so it was very, very private but it had big tables. And I- I’m the kind of person, I have piles everywhere and I would need to spread out, and so that's what I would do. Otherwise, I was in Burling, but I would never- I always worked on the first floor ‘cause it was so quiet everywhere else and I was always social. I wanted to talk to someone while I was trying to study.Kathryn: Right.
- Kathryn Vincent & Daniel BartellKathryn: What kind of memories or images do you have of the town of Grinnell?Daniel: Well, I mean, because I student taught here as well—I student taught in Marshalltown, but I definitely, you know, I stayed for that Ninth Semester, and so I was more of a townie that year. And I mean, the town was— there were some tense moments but also, I mean, it was just, when you met individuals and you got to know them, it was great. I would- used to go to this Italian restaurant every Friday and we’d have a blast there. The bakery, that guy, I can't believe he's still here, but we would do those bakery runs, and.. The town was—you know, we were a wild bunch! It's hard to keep us, but they handled us good.
- Kathryn Vincent & Daniel BartellKathryn: If you knew then what you know now, what would you have done differently during your time at Grinnell?Daniel: That’s a really good question! Huh.Kathryn: Any perspective you’ve gained in the last ten years?Daniel: Just, I mean, you’re here for school, so you’re studying, studying, studying, and that's so important, but I was so nervous about it always, as well, ‘cause I never really- I never thought I was smart enough to go here, and so I was constantly studying, and also afraid to- I think that just kept me from making some of the interactions I wish I had. I’m not really that much in touch with that many people now anymore. So, it was so great to see everyone here this weekend, but to really solidify those relationships, and, yeah, you know, if you get a B It’s not the end of the world. Like, just be okay with life, you know? So... yeah.Kathryn: Cool.
- Kathryn Vincent & Daniel BartellKathryn: We talked a little bit about student campus life as you experienced it. Is there anything else? You talked about Harris partying, streaking... Is there anything else you remember that was poingnant?Daniel: You know....Kathryn: Politically, or anytihng like that?Daniel: Oh, the politics here were so, so inspiring. We went to Des Moines a couple times to do some protests. There was- Fred Phelps came to the capitol to protest- Iowa, Lord bless Iowa. They had a new scholarship just for gay and lesbian students, and so he came to protest that and there was a huge bunch of Grinnellians that went to counter-protest him. But, I mean, just war protests; it was so inspiring and that's just a big part of who I still am. Yeah.
- Kathryn Vincent & Daniel BartellKathryn: If you were writing a history of Grinnell College, what would you include from your years here?Daniel: Hmm... I don’t know. That’s a tough question... Y'know, just... I would have to just think about, you know, just the craziness, and I mean, it was a study hard but play hard kind of mentality while we were here, and just... yeah, it was always extreme, always something was happening, and just creating our own little world here.Kathryn: Cool.Daniel: Yeah.
- Kathryn Vincent & Daniel BartellKathryn: Anything else you wanna share for the record?Daniel: No, no. I think this is awesome that you guys are doing this.Kathryn: Yeah, for sure.Daniel: So, yeah.Kathryn: Cool. Well, if you're finished, we'll have you say your name and class year one last time.Daniel: Yeah, it's Daniel Bartell, and I was class of 2003.
Alumni oral history interview with Daniel Bartell '03. Recorded June 2, 2013.