College pamplets: Where Logic Goes to Die

The town I live in has a heavy agricultural background. The FFA fair is the biggest event of the year. Half the kids at my high school own goats, pigs, or cows. I have a few chickens of my own in the backyard, yet I was stunned by just how hickish Grinnell college's booklet was.

Grinnell College is located in the middle of Iowa, and they aren't ashamed. Every page displays a picture of a cow, some corn, or a farm. One page even features a collage version of American

Gothic.

Stylistically, some of the elements are very cool. The pages of the books are all fold out flaps, which, because I'm more easily fascinated than a six year old, kept me amused for way too long. The book itself looks good as well, but it's not put together perfectly.

At times, the page's picture has nothing to do with Grinnell or the page's topic. The page on financial aid proclaims "we are in search of those in search of wonder and knowledge. Students of life, lovers of learning, collaborators, and creators. People who want a profound liberal arts education." The statement does do a good job emphasising that they want students interested in education, and will help worthy students make it there. The picture is of a little boy eating corn. What? Forget that the lines aren't complete sentences (and really, should anyone go to a school where they can't even put together a proper sentence?), the little boy eating an ear of corn has nothing to do with financial aid.

Another page proclaims "Next door has an entirely different meaning here" and goes on to talk about their study abroad program. The picture is a cow with a saddle on its back. There's almost a connection there, but I can't quite figure out what it is. It's one of those "so close and yet so far" things that perplexes and annoys instead of...well, whatever it is a picture of a saddle on a cow is supposed to do.

My favorite page of all though, is a strange one. It has a picture of a woman swimming in a clear pool filled with gigantic beans. It's accompanied by the quote "Amber waves of grain, soybean seas of grain, one swimming championship after another." Once again, what? The inside flap features the headline "everyone plays." For someone like me, whose sports career ended after kindergarten softball-tee ball, this is just the tiniest bit intimidating. Less intimidating, soybeans.

Grinnell college is not ashamed to let their hick flag fly. It's also not afraid to defy logic and grammar. So, if you want to go to a school where ten year olds stand around eating corn, and girls swim with giant soybeans, that might be the place for you.