The Miscellany News miscellanynews.org
Vassar College’s student newspaper of record since 1866 Volume 153 | Issue 4
February 20, 2020
Vassar stores Native remains, artifacts Lucy Leonard, Aena Khan, Jessica Moss, Frankie Knuckles Senior Editor, News Editor, Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor
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Courtesy of the Federal Register.
assar College is situated on Delaware Nation, Delaware Lenape Tribe and Stockbridge-Munsee Mohican lands. On Wednesday, Feb. 12, President Elizabeth Bradley released an emailed statement to the faculty and student body detailing the discovery of Native American human remains and cultural artifacts in a campus building. She stated that storing the remains, which had been acquired in the 1980s and 1990s, violated the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). NAGPRA was enacted by the 101st U.S. Congress in 1990, and dictates that human remains—which fall under the classification of cultural items—shall be expeditiously repatriated to the direct lineal descendants of the individual or tribe who controlled them (Cornell Legal Information Institute, “25 U.S. Code § 3005. Repatriation,” 11.16.1990). Bradley affirmed that Vassar is committed to complying with NAGPRA guidelines moving forward, beginning with the repatriation of these remains and cultural
artifacts. As Vassar has contacted NAGPRA authorities about this violation, it is now officially in compliance for the next six months. The first step in adhering to NAGPRA standards is contacting the relevant tribes about the objects, a process known as “summaries.” Native groups, not the College, are responsible for determining which items are of cultural significance. Vassar is currently working with a NAGPRA consulting firm, Bernstein and Associates. Bernstein and Associates is contacting the Alaskan Office of Fish and Wildlife, who in turn are contacting the community from whom the remains were taken. This regional branch of Fish and Wildlife is the same branch that requested the professor excavate the remains in the 1980s, and they have asked to write summaries of the objects in place of the College. Regarding the ongoing efforts, Bradley stated, “We are moving as fast as NAGPRA is allowing us to move … We will not be the ones slowing it down.” Since Congress passed NAGPRA in 1990, permits allowing the collection of Native
Volleyball StuMu nurtures sundry sounds electrifies Kenyon A Meghan Hayfield Reporter
Jonah Frere-Holmes Sports Editor
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he buzzword “electric” is abused in college writing. Used as a synonym for exciting, funny, absurd or just eye-catching, undergraduates reach for the word like a trusty blanket when they need to describe a remarkable situation. But thesaurus crutches like these are usually popular for a reason—they’re apt. In brainstorming adjectives to describe Vassar men’s volleyball 5-set defeat to the Pride of top-ranked Springfield College, I can’t describe the events of Wednesday, Feb. 12 with any other word. The game was electric. Springfield ambled off the bus and into Kenyon Hall with the bold swagger only a team ranked first in the nation could own. Because, as it was, they were ranked first in the nation. Vassar, ranked second nationally, was unimpressed. After all, Springfield only held the number one ranking because the Brewers toppled the old top dogs, New Paltz, earlier in February. When Springfield entered the gym, they faced an unusual phenomenon at a Vassar sporting event: a packed house. The bleachers, which cover one side See Springfield on page 14
t Vassar, there are bands. There are loud bands, singer-songwriter bands, solo artists, bands you don’t know the name of but recognize from that one TH party or Mug event. In an era of music streaming services, the fluidity of uploading music is reflected in live performances. New student musicians keep surfacing on both streaming platforms and physical stages. Taking this ethos to heart, the Student Musicians’ Union (StuMu) offers extensive opportuni-
ties for students to learn how to write music or hone their skills. They provide studio spaces in Blodgett’s basement as well as workshops in songwriting and sound production. And once you’ve practiced and written a few guitar chords, you can perform at one of StuMu’s frequent showcases. At one of these showcases on Thursday, Feb. 13, singer-songwriter duo Max (Eliot ’21) and Claire (Furtwangler ’21)—two members of band The Morning Moon, whose third member is currently abroad—sang warm
On Thursday, Feb. 13, StuMu showcased a variety of student artists. Yvette Hu/The Miscellany News.
See StuMu on page 5
B-ball seniors raise parting glass Jackie Molloy, Alessandra Fable Assistant Sports Editor, Columnist
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or the seniors on Vassar’s men’s and women’s basketball teams, the past four years have been anything but consistent. Both teams have experienced coaching changes, the departures of teammates and myriad frustrating injuries. Yet their bond with each other, their dedication to the sport and their drive for success have been nothing if not consistent. Love of the game has propelled them through four long, grueling seasons and finally to their Senior Day, which took place this past Saturday. On the women’s team, the close-knit friendship between Jackie Cenan, Sophie Nick and Isa
Peczuh is immediately evident. When the triumvirate of captains isn't leading the squad in both minutes and points, they live together and often spend leisure time with one another. Speaking about their connection, Cenan was definitive: “We are very complementary.” Nick added, “We have very different personalities, we play different positions. I think it’s easier to be a cohesive unit because we’re not competing a lot.” Peczuh concurred “We are living together this year, which makes it really nice just to talk all the time and get to know each other.” This interconnectedness that the trio demonstrates—as if they are always on the same page—was on display throughout our time with the big three. Every one of
our questions was followed by a spirited roundtable discussion, one Brewer building off the other, creating a nuanced yet cohesive reply. It was most obvious when each of the trio was asked to describe their program in three words. Instead of answering individually, they opted to build their list together, responding one after the other, compiling a list that would make any athlete want to join their team. Their answers of “supportive,” “dedicated” and “evolving” offered a glimpse into not only the care and tenderness they put into their craft, but into each other and their team. On the men’s side, seniors Josh Brownridge and Kyle Kappes bonded over nagging injuries and becomSee Seniors on page 15
artifacts have changed. Explaining how human remains came to be on campus, Bradley described, “The professor collected these as part of their research, under permits that were legitimate at the time, but are absolutely not now. These are old, worked on long ago. The permits are very clear, and were attained in a way that had some regulation around it, but clearly other things should have happened in 1990.” The NAGPRA infraction is not due to the acquisition, but due to the fact that the professor did not adhere to the terms of the excavation by returning the materials after NAGPRA was passed. Bradley also expressed sympathy toward Vassar’s Native American community in her emailed statement: “We are also dedicated to intentional processes of healing. Let us be present with each other and mindful of how this may affect our community.” She offered to open her house to students on Sunday, Feb. 16 as a place for discussion. Dean of the College Carlos Alamo-Pastrana contacted students whom the College lists See NAGPRA on pages 2 and 3
Inside this issue
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FEATURES
No Such Organization (NSO)wants to make nerd culture accessible to all.
10 HUMOR
I can't help but notice that the workforce seems to be getting younger and younger...
12
OPINIONS
Are Bernie and Trump two sides of the same coin? Maybe not, but they’re definitely both populists.