Dear Readers,
We hope to hear your semester is going well.
Scrim Club recently finished a Bake Sale and
we would like to thank everyone who
supported our successful fundraiser. In
particular we would like to thank Denise
Hesselton, Janelle Wilson, and Marie Hamlin
for donating baked goods. A special thanks
goes to Tami Vatalaro, our departing
Soc/Anth secretary, for her help throughout
the school year. We truly appreciate your
kindness Tami! Scrim Club would also like
to extend an invitation to anyone who would
like to help or donate to our upcoming
Sandstone Food Drive. Newcomers are
welcome to get involved with any Scrim Club
project or activity. For more information you
can check out our webpage which is attached
to the Sociology & Anthropology website.
We hope you enjoy the second edition of The
Scriminal.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Swalboski
INTERESTED IN LAW
ENFORCEMENT?
By: Tim Picha
In the State of MN you have to be certified by
the MN Board of Peace Officer Standards &
Training (POST). There are both academic
and skills aspects to being POST certified.
Some schools only offer the academic
portion, but Fond du Lac Tribal &
Community College (FDLTCC) is a school
that offers both the academic and skills
portions of being POST certified. Fond du
Lac is in Cloquet, MN about twenty minutes
south on Interstate 35 from Duluth. If you go
to Fond du Lac many of your classes that you
earn at UMD can count towards an AS or AA
in Law Enforcement, plus your skills
certificate. Set up an appointment with Scott
Lyons (Duluth Police Chief, ret.), the
FDLTCC Law Enforcement Director, to
determine what classes you still need and if
you meet the requirements to be a Peace
Officer in MN. To learn more information
about the Law Enforcement program at
FDLTCC, come to the informational meeting
at UMD on April 2, from 2-3pm in Cina 202
or call Scott Lyons at 218-879-0849, email at
slyons@fdltcc.edu. For more information
about the MN POST visit
www.dps.state.mn.us/newpost/posthome.asp
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
By: Samantha Hicks & Courtney Rolfe
After speaking to
Sheryl Grana one
wishes that there was
more time in the day.
Her enthusiasm and
passion for
criminology and
sociology is
astounding. Sheryl
came to UMD in
1991 teaching for a
number of years before she became
Department Head and then Associate Dean of
the College of Liberal Arts. She has now been
back as a part of the faculty for approximately
4 years; Sheryl stated that “it is a gift to be
part of the faculty again”. We are glad to have
her back.
The combination of Sheryl’s family and
growing up in Detroit, Michigan during the
1967 riots gave her a sense of social justice,
which motivated her to study sociology in
college. In graduate school she was
introduced to the “second wave” of feminism.
These ideas have greatly influenced her and
continue to influence her teaching and
research.
Throughout her years of teaching Sheryl
has seen many different cycles of student
activism. She is seeing more participation
and is hopeful and excited to see what will
happen during President Barack Obama’s
term. Teaching during the more conservative
cycles was more difficult and challenging;
however, she looks forward to challenges
from students. Her “second wave” of
feminism education has taught her that
learning should be an interchange between
student and instructor.
Through teaching Sheryl hopes to show
individuals that there are other ways to look
at the world and other ways to think. She does
her best to inform her students to think about
issues. Sheryl hopes that through her
teachings individuals will get involved and
make the world a better place. Opening minds
is a goal of her teaching and research. Sheryl
explains that “change does not have to come
about with 100% agreement”. Hopefully
students will look at the world with a more
open mind after taking her classes or reading
her research.
Sheryl has written a number of different
articles in publications such Sex Roles, the
Journal of Family Violence and the Midwest
Feminist Papers. She has two books, both
socio-legal texts – The Social Context of Law,
and Women and (in) Justice the Criminal and
Civil Effects of the Law on Women’s Lives;
both books can be found in the UMD Library.
Sheryl is currently conducting research
on the Agunah in Jewish law. An Agunah is a
woman in a suspended state of divorce in
Jewish law; she cannot remarry until her
husband provides her with a “get.” She is
comparing the difference in the United States
and Israel in terms of our civil and state laws.
She is curious to see if there is a relationship
with Agunah being pushed towards criminal
behavior in Israel.
Outside of UMD Sheryl is involved with
a number of activities. She participates in
many activities with her temple. Sheryl sits
on the Board of Directors and the Finance
Committee at SOAR Career Solutions. She is
particularly interested with SOAR and their
involvement with getting offenders back into
the community
It is important to know that Sheryl looks
at the world through rose color glasses. She is
optimistic and looks for the good in
everything. She is also about trying to find
justice in all social issues. This is extremely
crucial when dealing with sociological and
criminological issues because injustice can be
overwhelming at times. We are lucky and
proud to have Sheryl as an instructor at UMD.
LAKE SUPERIOR REGIONAL FAMILY
JUSTICE CENTER
By: Courtney Rolfe
In December 2008, the Justice Center
opened its door to provide families in need of
abuse intervention. Cathryn Curley, one of
the center’s committee members calls it a
“one stop shop” for domestic violence
victims. At the center, women have access to
women’s, children’s, and legal advocates, as
well as the police, doctors, and many other
agencies. This is to relieve some of the
complications women face when going
through the legal system. Before the center
was opened, Duluth women had to visit over
15 different agencies to meet their needs. This
can be quite difficult when juggling childcare
and transportation issues. The center brings
all the necessary agencies to one public
location so it is easily accessible to women.
Transportation and childcare can also be
provided.
Approximately 2,500 women and their
children are expected to be served by the
center each year. Christina Williams, a
volunteer at the center and a UMD Sociology
student, had this to say about her experience,
“The center is very warm and homey. The
people working there are great and have
taught me a lot about the intake and legal
process for domestic abuse cases.” While the
center is publicly located at 414 West 1st
Street, it is a locked facility to ensure the
safety of the women, their children, and those
working at the center. The Family Justice
Center is planning for more expansion to
provide victims of domestic abuse further
assistance in ways that are continuously
changing. For more information, go to
www.safehavenshelter.org.
CRIMINALIZING DISSENT
By: Jenny Swalboski
& Coly Wentzlaff
In early February Scrim Club co-
sponsored an event called The
Criminalization of Dissent which addressed
the case of the RNC 8. The RNC 8 is the
name given to the eight protesters that were
arrested when the police preemptively raided
three houses only days before the Republican
National Convention. They were said, by
police, to be the leaders of the RNC
Welcoming Committee which is an
anarchist/anti-authoritarian organizing body
that coordinated food, housing, and
transportation, as well as was the general
voice for RNC resistance.
The affidavits that supported search
warrants and arrest warrants were based on,
“paid, confidential informants who infiltrated
the RNCWC on behalf of law enforcement”
(rnc8.org). The informants said members
were supposedly planning to kidnap
delegates, assault police officers with
firebombs and explosives, and sabotage
airports in St. Paul. There was no physical
evidence released to corroborate the
allegations that were the basis for searching
the three houses and arresting the eight
organizers. The items seized in the three
house raids consisted of, “glass bottles,
charcoal lighter, nails, a rusty machete, and
two hatchets…” (rnc8.org). The items seized
are obviously common items found in
households.
The RNC 8 is the first to be charged
under Minnesota’s Patriot Act for conspiracy
to riot in the 2nd degree in furtherance of
terrorism. Ramsey County Attorney Susan
Gaertner added three more felony charges
December 2008. Usually these charges
would carry only 7.5 years in prison but under
Minnesota’s PATRIOT Act, “A person who
commits a felony crime to further terrorism
is guilty of a crime. The statutory maximum
for the crime is 50 percent longer than the
statutory maximum for the underlying crime”
(609.714 Minnesota Statues). This means
that, if convicted, the RNC 8 could be given
a sentence up to 12.5 years in prison.
Two of the four statues the RNC 8 is
being charged with were created in response
to the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks
on the World Trade Center. Under this
interpretation, the PATRIOT Act is being
used to criminalize peaceful citizens who
wish to exercise their right to organize and
express their dissent. It equates civil
disobedience with major acts of violence.
Although these are the worst charges against
RNC protesters there were over 800
protesters arrested during the RNC. The
majority of the 800 protesters were arrested
for Unlawful Assembly but it remains unclear
how many were actually charged.
The RNC 8 was brought here by The
Sociology and Anthropology Department,
Scrim Club and The State Suppression of
Dissent Project. John Hamlin and Dan Martin
are the researchers involved with The State
Suppression of Dissent Project. If you are
Q: What can others do to become Scriminal
interested in the study of state repression you
may contact Dan Martin or John Hamlin. of the Month?
A: That’s a good question. I would keep on
For more information on the RNC 8 go to volunteering and participating in the activities
rnc8.org and planning that we do.
UPCOMING EVENTS
 March 23 – April 10 Sandstone Food
Drive – Going door-to-door
 April 7th at 1:00 PM – Undergraduate
Research Opportunity Grant (UROP) &
Department Honors Project Information
Session. Guest Speakers Janelle Wilson &
Jerry Pepper. Room TBA
 April 9th at 5:00 PM – Scrim Meeting
Room TBA
The Scriminal
Editor in Chief: Sam Hicks hicks076
Layout & Design: Tim Picha pich0066
Scrim Club Contact Info
President J. Swalboski swalb003
VP C. Wentzlaff wentz041
Treasurer J. Adams adams491
Volunteer Chair C. Rolfe rolfe015
Fundraising Chair L. Miller mill4112
Website Design J. Wine winex004
For more information:
www.d.umn.edu/socanth/Scrim/index.html
or email scrimclub@d.umn.edu
THE SCRIMINAL OF THE MONTH
By: Jenny Wine
One of the on-going
features of The
Scriminal is the
Scriminal of the Month,
where we dub one of
the Soc/Crim majors the
title and then do a short
interview to provide
insight to their career
aspirations and life.
This month our
Scriminal is Tim Picha.
Q: What does Scriminal of the Month mean
to you?
A: It’s an honor; it is a reminder to me that
every person is important and can play a big
part in volunteering and trying to make a
difference in our community.
Q: In what ways will you take your
“Scriminal of the Month” title to the next
level?
A: I will strive to do my part in keeping
people informed on the activities we are
involved with and the information we come
across in Scrim Club.
Q: What are your career aspirations?
A: I would like to eventually get into Law
Enforcement at the federal level, but any law
enforcement until then would be solid.
Q: What Social Organizations do you
support?
A: The Machinist Union and The Wilder
Foundation.
Q: How can we all be better Scriminals?
A: We can all be better Scriminals by getting
involved. Get involved with social issues that
interest you. Things will never change if you
stay quiet.
WHAT TO DO WITH THAT CRAZY
SOCIOLOGY/CRIMINOLOGY
DEGREE
 Victim Service Worker
 Revenue Canada Investigator
 Lobbyist/Civil Liberties Assistant
 Urban Planner
 Human Resources Administrator
 Marketing Research Analyst
 Peace Corps Worker
 Political Systems Researcher