Janice Binder::  My name is Janice Binder. I live in Mt. Vernon, Iowa and my class year is ’86 but well, I graduated in ’85 but I started with the class of ’86.
Chelsie Salvatera::  Okay. Cool. So the first question, Janice, is why did you come to Grinnell College and what is your first memory of the campus?
Janice Binder & Chelsie Salvatera::  Okay. It’s kind of a long story. I wen-
Janice Binder & Chelsie Salvatera::  Feel free.
Janice Binder & Chelsie Salvatera::  I went to a boarding school for my last two years of high school and we had to wear skirts and dress up, and boys had to wear ties, and I didn't want to go to college, but the Dean of the high school said, “Meet my niece. She’s weird too,” ‘cause she went to Grinnell. So I met her and I didn’t know that Grinnell was a good school or anything but I applied here and when I came out for my campus visit in my suit, sitting in the admissions office there were boys wearing kaftans with long hair smoking pot outside the window and I said, “I can do this. I can come here.”
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  Very good memory. Was there a professor, student or staff member who had a particularly strong influence on your life?
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  Yes and it’s really weird ‘cause I just saw him outside, and went to talk.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  Who was he?
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  Professor Kasimov, who I took a lot of religion classes with and he was very kind to me even though I seem to be like, having all these existential and religious and crisis, y’know, all the time in his class or in my life.
Janice Binder & Chelsie Salvatera::  He told me, even though I was becoming, like, a Buddhist or a Pagan or whatever it was that week, that- y’know, not to forget my Jewish roots and I actually listened to him and raised my kids as Jews even though I still do all that other stuff, and it’s been, it’s been hard for my kids to be like, the only Jews in small town Iowa but I did raise them as Jews and they have that like, strong connection to a culture and I don’t push the religious part of it on them but I think it gives them an identity.
Janice Binder & Chelsie Salvatera::  So, you're liv- are you currently living in Grinnell, Iowa?
Janice Binder & Chelsie Salvatera::  Mt. Vernon, Iowa.
Janice Binder & Chelsie Salvatera::  Mount Vernon. Oh, that’s what you said.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  So what are your best memories of your time at Grinnell College?
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  My freshman year on North Younkers, I had really a great floor and good people and I had lived in dorms y’know for a couple of years and was kind of hesitant about it, but I just had so much fun with people and I got to actually be a kid, and I hadn’t always gotten to be a kid so I started doing things like coloring or blowing bubbles and we’d run and go to the park, and we'd- y’know, do goofy things at night. I won’t tell you all of those, but-
Janice Binder & Chelsie Salvatera::  Well, one thing one of my roommates and I did, we took all of the furniture out of a lounge and put it in the middle of Mac Field, which wasn’t all that easy to do, y’know? Including a piano, and it was just me and her and like nobody knew how it got there. Or, one year we stole all of the hurdles and we put them some place - I can’t even remember - like, in some boy’s dorm.
Janice Binder & Chelsie Salvatera::  Oh my goodness.
Janice Binder::  Or... These one friends of ours, we had these practical jokes going back and forth, so they would put itching powder in our beds, and then we'd blow baby powder under their doors and me and Shauna, one of our friends we hung around with was, we were both really quiet so nobody expected it from us but we stole one of- some of the guys’ underwear and we dyed it all pink and then we stapled it up in the post office.
Janice Binder::  We were just like- like having a really good time and I hadn’t gotten to experience that before. With this group of people I felt so connected to- and I’m still connected to them. And I wish they were here. I was like- One of ‘em’s in Fairbanks right now and we were IMing this morning. I’m like, "You’re not here!" So. But, it’s given me a really good foundation to just feel comfortable, you know?
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  What dorm, what did your dorm room look like?
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  We had a triple and I got there last so I had the really bad part, like right by the door. The triples aren’t like they are now, ‘cause we’re all in one big room and, so it wasn’t a great-looking dorm room. It was kind of sucky actually, but we had a good time. And, one of my roommates talked the facilities people into painting our room yellow because it was like this blue and it was really cold during the winter.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  Okay. What kind of clothes did you wear every day as a Grinnell College student?
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  Well, I had started out being pretty- y'know, coming from this one environment, yeah - I was a little fussy still about my clothes and about, like, y’know, tweezing my eyebrows and shaving my legs. Like, I really learned a lot about what it means to be a woman and having to do that stuff or not do that stuff was a choice, Then I eventually just started dressing like a hippie and I still dress like a hippie. It’s embarrassed my kids, but now I have a job where I could go there in my pajamas and nobody cares, or wear my bunny slippers, so I really like that.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  So wait, what kind of jo- where do you wor- where are you currently working?
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  Well, I’m kind of a lawyer, but right now, because of the economy, I’m working for my friend’s archeology firm so I do their like compliance stuff and human resources and that’s pretty fun.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  How much would you say Grinnell influenced your career choice? Career path?
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  Well, it’s really cool to get to do something that’s actually related to my Anthropology degree.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  Yeah. Exactly, right. That's what I was thinking.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  Although, I didn’t get to do archaeology here. I just took a couple of classes with Professor Whittaker. But I-
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  Yeah.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  Yeah, I was afraid of statistics so I didn’t go that way.
Janice Binder::  But it’s really nice, and I’ve actually used my Anthropology in a lot of ways in my job as a lawyer because when I first got out of law school I went to Appalachia, and lived in Hazard, Kentucky and it was a really different culture. I didn’t even understand like, the language, even though it was English. I had to have a paralegal translate for me. A lot of- I would go in a room and say, “What are you- What is she saying?” And to be open to that environment and not judge people and understand, y’know poverty and how that influenced people’s choices, was really important.
Janice Binder::  And then, when I came back to Iowa, I’ve represented people in prison and for the last ten or so years I’ve been representing kids in the juvenile justice system. Like, abused and neglected and delinquent kids. Sometimes their parents, and I think there’s a lot of misunderstanding about different cultures and the county I worked in in Iowa had the highest disproportionate minority involvement of like, any county in the country for a while.
Janice Binder::  When you talk to people about like, what the different understandings are and how people treat each other, it’s amazing like not understanding different people’s culture, just like African American hair care becomes this huge issue between parents and foster parents. And, understanding why a parent will do something in one situation, then I got, like, a white social worker just out of college won’t understand why and instead of trying to get together and understand each other there’s a lot of judgment and a lot of discommunication and people pull apart from each other. So, I think my Anthropology degree has helped me a lot with that, although it’s not very apparent though, on the surface.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  Wow. That's a lot.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  I’m sorry. I’m rambling.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  No, it’s not. I'm really happy you're sharing all of this with me. What book influenced you in college?
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  Oh gosh. I don’t know. I think I spent a lot of time in Burling not studying but like, going through novels systematically, you know? And I think that was pretty helpful for me. I would just pull them off the shelves and read a lot of novels. That was kind of my escape. I think a lot of the Zen Buddhism books I read, a lot of the Anthropology books were really helpful to me.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  I see. How has Grinnell changed since you were a student?
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  It’s a lot less of a hippie school. It’s more mainstream to me. I spent time visiting because my son is here, and maybe it’s because I see it from a much different perspective because he’s really into athletics and I was never into that and he is like East Campus, and he's like, “You were a South Campus.”
Janice Binder::  But I- He talks a lot about how he still sees cliques at Grinnell and he tries not to be part of any particular group but to go between all different people and get along with everyone, and that that’s really who he wants to be. But he says sometimes that makes him feel like he really doesn’t belong anywhere, but on the other hand I’ve seen like more international students and that has been just amazing. I love that. He’s got a roommate that he had for two years who was from Bolivia and that he’s been really close to, and the roommate’s ex-girlfriend was originally from Nepal and now- and then from India and she’s really sweet. And I love this-
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  I know who you’re talking about.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  I love Biva! Yeah, yeah, and I shouldn’t put this on tape.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  So you're talking about Biva, Luis-
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  And then Gabe.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  I don’t know Gabe!
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  Ah! See -
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  I’m sorry, I’m gonna check him on the computer when we’re done.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  Okay. Check him out, 'cause-
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  I probably know- I probably see him around. I probably don't know him personally.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  Yeah.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  I'll go introduce myself to him when I see him.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  Oh good.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  Yeah. okay.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  Good. He needs cute women to give him attention. And I'm- yeah.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  So how do you know also- You must come here often, then.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  Not often, but like sometimes and then they’re my Facebook friends. I've had- Luis came to my house for a couple of days, and he was like cooking all this food for me.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  Yeah he just cooked here. We just had a barbecue with him the other day.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  Oh good. See, it was probably with my pans, y'know, ‘cause he took back like, my pans. I tried to send him with all this food and would t-
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  Did he leave? Did he leave already?
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  Yeah, he left.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  When did he leave?
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  Um, I think either Thursday or Friday ‘cause it was right before I came.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  (Gasp) I know Gabe! Wait- oh, no, I don’t know Gabe. Nevermind.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  Gabe’s driving around. Gabe’s like, tall and he just smiles but he’s kind of lai- He’s not like really outgoing.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  Don’t worry, I’ll figure it out. This is too funny.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  It is too funny and- Yeah, see- I was saying today to Gabe, like, "Why don’t you date Biva? I love Biva! I want Biva for a daughter-in-law!"
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  They broke up, yes.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  Luis-
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  Wait, this is still going! This is all recording right now! Cut all of this!
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  Please, all this (???) stuff! Yeah, OK.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  So did you meet your spouse at Grinnell by any chance?
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  No.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  OK. Nevermind.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  No. If I was smart I would’ve had my spouse from Grinnell.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  Why?
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  ‘Cause there’s all these guys, y’know, who I liked. But I didn’t- I was too uncomfortable in myself to think they would like me back.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  So if you knew then what you know now, what would you have done differently during your time at Grinnell?
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  I would’ve found a way to stay all four years.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  Oh you didn’t stay all four years?
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  No, I was here just like two and half years. I graduated in three years ‘cause I was worried about the money and everything, but I cut myself short and like the personal growth, and I wish I hadn’t done that. I really wish I had all the extra time, and I would’ve done the ninth semester and gotten my teaching certificate. And I would’ve just like hung out more and relaxed more. Been more outgoing, ‘cause y’know.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  It sounds like, your stories, you're pretty outgoing.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  No! I was so shy and so quiet, but y’know I had, y’know, I would go along and I would go and do pranks I would- Y'know, but I wasn’t talkative or comfortable in myself, kinda...
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  Describe student and campus life as you experienced it during your time at Grinnell.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  I think it was a really safe and welcoming place to be. I think it was like a place of tremendous growth and I- It’s amazing to me that a professor I had 25 years ago, y’know, he’s still around even though he’s retired and he kind of remembers me, probably ‘cause I was such a goof, y'know, but- The relationships between people, between students and students but students and faculty and acceptance is.. Y’know, everybody needs to belong and be accepted and here’s a place where you can do it, y'know, and not get lost.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  So, if you were writing a history of Grinnell College what would you include from your four- from your years here?
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  Gosh, I don’t know. I mean there’s like a lot, but that means so much to me, but I don’t know if it would mean something to anybody else.
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  What- what is something that means a lot to you? Maybe like your own little history?
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  For me, it was to have girlfriends, y’know? To have this group of girlfriends that, y’know, had my back at all times and let me be me, and it was like, y'know, we weren’t all homogenous or anything, but just really strong friendships there that we all had an influence on each other that you wouldn’t think coming in, y'know?
Chelsie Salvatera & Janice Binder::  OK, and that’s it.
