Chhayachhay Chhom
Members of SALSC pose at their meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 18.
Student Athletes Leading Social Change (SALSC) is hosting a “Fruit with Faculty” event on March 4, 2025 between 11:30am and 1pm. The event, which will take place in the Joe Rosenfield `25 Center (JRC) room 101, has been restructured from previous years to offer students more opportunities for individual conversation with members of the College’s administration.
SALSC leaders hope that the new structure — and the promise of enjoying fresh fruit alongside College administrators — will encourage students to engage in one-on-one conversation. The members of administration present will include Assistant Dean of Residence Life & Student Conduct Dennis Perkins, VP of Student Affairs & Dean of Students Ben Newhouse, Interim Dean of the College & Vice President for Academic Affairs Jerry Seaman and Mary Jane Shroyer, the director of the College’s health professions career community. Kyla Miller `25, the Student Government Association (SGA) president, will also be present at the forum. Faculty members invited by SALSC will also be in attendance.
SALSC President Alex Stein `25 said, “The main goal is to facilitate an open dialogue and conversation between the students and faculty that might not happen normally, and to give a space for this conversation to happen in a respectful and open way.”
SALSC was founded in 2015 with the goal of connecting Grinnell’s student athletes to community service programs and events. SALSC hosts several annual events, some of which include partnering with other campus organizations. Every fall, for example, SALSC partners with Grinnell Advocates to host a Sexual Assault Awareness Walk.
The annual spring student-faculty panel began in 2023. In its first two years, the event was structured as a panel moderated by cabinet members of SALSC. This included time for students to ask direct questions at the end, but was largely focused on listening to the panel speak.
This year, SALSC cabinet members decided to restructure the event, shifting it from an on-stage discussion between panelists into a more open format in which students can individually approach members of administration and faculty.
“We’re straying away from [the panel structure] so that there’s more participation and involvement,” said Events Chair Kate Bartz `25. “So kind of taking away that commitment to the whole thing, where you feel like you have to sit through something. Rather, it’s just time for open conversations, if you stay for 15 minutes or the whole time.”
Members of the SALSC cabinet also noted that “Fruit with Faculty” is open to any students who want to meet and have conversations with members of College administration, regardless of whether or not they are an athlete.
“It’s not tied to the athlete part, it’s more tied to the social change and awareness part,” said Luca Fornari `25, Campaign Chair.
“It’s really about the student experience and students advocating for themselves,” added Outreach Chair Kylie Galowitz `26. “And giving them that chance.”
SALSC has arranged to offer catering — featuring the event’s titular fruit. SALSC Treasurer Zak Serby `25 pointed to SALSC’s funding and event planning experience as a reason for the organization’s commitment to the event.
“I feel like SALSC is one of the few organizations that has the funding and the experience to do something like this,” he said. “We have experience with the sexual assault awareness walk and hosting other big events . . . We have the ability, so it’s something we look forward to.”
“If you want to meet people, or meet faculty, then know that this is an opportunity where you can. I think it’s a great opportunity,” Serby said.