Misc 02.20.20

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

V

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

T

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

F

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

8

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.

Page 2

February 20, 2020

THE MISCELLANY NEWS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MANAGING EDITOR SENIOR EDITORS CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Jessica Moss Frankie Knuckles Duncan Aronson Lucy Leonard Isabel Braham Leah Cates Sasha Gopalakrishnan Mack Liederman

Tiana Headley Aena Khan Olivia Watson ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITORS Gillian Redstone Janet Song OPINIONS EDITOR Jonas Trostle ASSISTANT OPINIONS EDITOR Abram Gregory ARTS EDITOR Taylor Stewart HUMOR EDITOR Francisco Andrade SPORTS EDITORS Jonah Frere-Holmes Dean Kopitsky ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR Jackie Molloy SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Natalie Bober PHOTO EDITOR Yvette Hu ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR Grace Rousell ASSISTANT DESIGN EDITORS Mohtad Allawalla Rose Parker Lilly Tipton GRAPHICS EDITORS Julian Aguilar Ciara Murray-Jordan ASSISTANT COPY EDITORS Jacqueline Gill Phoebe Jacoby Caitlin Patterson VIDEO PRODUCTION MANAGER Alexis Cerritos AUDIO EDITORS Alex Barnard Kyle Chung LIVE EVENTS CHAIRPERSON Benjamin Scharf BUSINESS MANAGER Robert Pinataro NEWS EDITORS

REPORTERS

COLUMNISTS

PHOTOGRAPHER GRAPHIC DESIGNER COPY STAFF

CROSSWORD

Delila Ames Carissa Clough Olivia Diallo Rayan El Amine Meghan Hayfield Sara Lawler Madison Caress Lindsay Craig Rohan Dutta Ivanna Guerra Xin Rui Ong Alice Woo Sherry Liao Juliette Pope Nina Ajemian Taylor Gee Jason Han Emma Kahn Tiffany Trumble Frank

CORRECTION (02.18.20): Language in the online exclusive article entitled “Vassar stores Native American human remains, launches NAGPRA investigation” has been altered to indicate that Blodgett Hall was purposed for euthenics, but was also home to eugenicist courses. The portion of the article which cites 1914 “Faculty Notes” from The Miscellany News was updated to include a greater portion of the relevant quote.

Ellen S. Richards was not a faculty member at Vassar, but an alumna. Greater specificity was added to the citation “(Richards, 1910)”; it now reads “(Richards, “Euthenics: The Science of Controllable Environment,” 1910).” Dr. Elizabeth B. Thelberg was not a professor, but was instead the College physician. A citation was added to substantiate this information. A revised and expanded edition of the article appears in this issue under the headline "As College works to comply with NAGPRA, community interrogates institutional, academic history."

CORRECTION POLICY The Miscellany News only corrects for any misquotes, misrepresentations or factual errors.

As College works to comply with NAGPRA, Continued from NAGPRA on page 1 as Native American/Indigenous/Alaskan Native in another email following Bradley’s in which he encouraged them to reach out for any support they felt necessary and informed them of upcoming events regarding NAGPRA. In an interview with The Miscellany News, Associate Professor of Anthropology April Beisaw explained that she was the first to raise concerns related to the storage of remains in the basement of Blodgett Hall. Beisaw teaches the only undergraduate course in the country that solely focuses on repatriation and has published multiple papers on the subject.

“It’s been difficult for me as my suspicions turned into assurances, and as I tried to get to the point where I had enough evidence to convince my colleagues that I knew what I was talking about and that I wasn’t wrong,” she described.

Beisaw was hired to replace Professor Emerita of Anthropology Lucille Lewis Johnson, who had gathered the remains as research materials during excavations in Alaska. Johnson, who joined Vassar College in 1973 and retired in 2014, taught ethnography, defined as the descriptive study of living or recent cultures, in multiple archaeology and Native studies classes, though none specialized in Alaskan Native studies. She also published a paper titled “An Archaeological Survey of the Outer Shumagin Islands, Alaska” through Vassar in 1984. Her biography on Vassar’s Anthropology Department page states, “Her archaeological research has taken her to many parts of the world with particular focus on insular Alaska and the mid-Hudson Valley and has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the National Geographic Society and Vassar” (“Faculty and Staff,” Vassar Anthropology).

When she was first hired, Beisaw noticed that boxes of items were disappearing from Johnson’s office but no tribe representatives had come to campus to retrieve them. She brought these concerns to her superiors in the Anthropology Department. “Some of my questions weren’t being answered to a level that I was completely comfortable with,” she said. “But it’s hard to put an actual time on it, because a lot of times my questions were answered, and in a way I thought it was fine.”

Only recently did Beisaw realize she had evidence to substantiate her suspicions.

When moving boxes in Blodgett last year, she saw items that gave her pause: “I started seeing things that were raising more questions, so I started asking more questions last year. [Johnson] stopped having answers.” After Beisaw convinced the department that enough evidence existed to claim Johnson had remains and artifacts in her possession, the department contacted Dean of Faculty Bill Hoynes in October 2019. Hoynes proceeded to contact the administration. “There wasn’t ever a time where there was an intentional cover-up, but there were 30 plus years of someone who was a respected member of the community reassuring people not to worry,” Beisaw summarized.

On Friday, Feb. 8, five days before Bradley emailed the student body, Johnson finally provided a list of her collections.

Beisaw indicated that she and other members of the Anthropology Department with archaeological backgrounds spent the weekend explaining the findings to administrators.

“Even now we don’t completely know what we have, because only she knows

what’s in all the collections,” said Beisaw.

Alamo-Pastrana confirmed that remains and artifacts, which include remains from more than one individual, were from Alaska, although neither he nor Bradley confirmed the name of the tribe to which the remains belong, the precise location of their origin, nor that Johnson had procured them. In deference to the tribe or tribes with whom the items be-

“There wasn’t ever a time where there was an intentional coverup, but there were 30 plus years of someone who was a respected member of the community reassuring people not to worry.” long, The Miscellany News will not disclose their name or names, and discourages members of the College from searching for or releasing such information.

In a Feb. 16 Vassar Student Association (VSA) senate meeting, Bradley, as well as Alamo-Pastrana, spoke to dozens of students in attendance about how the discovery of the remains and artifacts on campus was first brought to her attention, as well as the ongoing efforts to comply with NAGPRA. Bradley commented, “Dean Hoynes worked with [Associate] Dean [of the Faculty Kathleen] Susman to get NAGPRA involved immediately … We did not disclose it at the time, although we began taking care of it immediately.” The stated focus during this period was to ensure that all appropriate measures were undertaken properly. Speaking to this delayed reaction, Beisaw later noted, “I would have liked for things to move faster, but we didn’t have all the evidence until very recently.” A statement was released to parents and alumnae/i on Tuesday, Feb. 18.

Beisaw, like Bradley, emphasized that bringing collections into compliance with NAGPRA is a long process. “Some things other than bodies in Native culture are alive and are treated as if they are human beings or ancestors, so it’s not something that an amateur could just look at,” she said. Beisaw explained that the standard form of contact is government to government, saying that “President Bradley is our government, and communications that come from Vassar should come from her instead of every individual.” She stressed that students should not at any point try to contact the tribe.

At the same VSA meeting that Bradley and Alamo-Pastrana attended, students offered comments on Vassar’s response.

Phoebe Davin ’23 stated, “The amount [the College has] tried to protect the institution instead of the people we’ve robbed, especially their ancestors? I’m so disappointed

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

in this institution.” Several other students voiced the criticism that administrators had failed to maintain appropriate levels of transparency with students, faculty, parents and alumnae/i about the ongoing process of repatriating the remains under NAGPRA. Nika McKechnie ’21, who identifies as a Native woman, said, “Native people on this campus have so deeply been erased and violated to objects as past study.” She described the storage of the remains as “a violation of humanity, and of personhood, and it flattens these individuals until they’re nothing—just bones in a basement.”

Xade Wharton-Ali ’22, a Native-identifying student, shared similar sentiments during the period before the College notified parents and alumnae/i of recent events: “That the school kept this situation private for so long is extremely inappropriate and makes it seem like they value their reputation, how they look, more than their students. Also, the fact that [the administration] has not informed parents or alumnae/i of the situation points to the same lack of consideration.”

Additionally, many students pointed out the dearth of Native faculty members and programming to support Native members of the College. Referencing the Exploring Transfer program, Alamo explained, “We learned that [Native students] had specific needs about being back in touch with their homes and their communities that differed from the needs of other marginalized groups on campus.”

Immediately following the news of the discovery, the Native and Indigneous Student Alliance (NAISA) was reinstated by the VSA. Gabrielle James ’22, a Diné student, will serve as president. She described reviving NAISA as important in giving underrepresented members of Vassar’s community a voice and creating a safe space for Native and Indigenous students.

James stated, “NAISA will play a vital role regarding the promotion of education and awareness of Indigenous issues on campus and within the community.”

She continued, “Recruiting more Native American students and hiring more Native American faculty should be a priority. Until last week, I knew one other Native American student on this campus.

It’s unacceptable that it takes a horrible event like this for me to meet other Native American and Indigenous students at Vassar. Now, more than ever, our presence and voice is crucial on campus.”

In a later interview with The Miscellany News, Associate Professor of English and Director of American Studies Molly McGlennen, the sole faculty member who teaches Native Studies full-time, further emphasized not only the need for representation of Native people across all areas of the College, but for structural change to the College's very academic practices: “Where is the Indigenous intellectual leadership in any of this, when will this happen, when will this come? When will Native Studies be taken seriously? When will we have other Native professors and intellectuals on this campus to bring that leadership—to unsettle the colonial foundation, which continues to allow for this and justify these types of scholarly practices?”

The issue extends beyond regulatory changes or a single professor’s research.

Vassar has not only failed to adequately engage with Native communities in the present, but has participated in—even been at the forefront of—a long history of exploiting human bodies for purported

February 20, 2020

NEWS

Page 3

, community interrogates institutional, academic history academic ends.

Blodgett Hall, where the remains were stored, was originally purposed as Vassar’s euthenics building. It also housed eugenics classes. Euthenics, which is defined as “racial improvement through environment” (Vassar Quarterly, “The Clearinghouse Dedication of the Euthenics Building,” 05.01.1929) was founded by Vassar alumna Ellen S. Richards, who noted that the euthenics and eugenics would “go hand in hand” and that “by developing them together it will inevitably create a better race of men” (Richards, “Euthenics: The Science of Controllable Environment,” 1910).

Vassar’s particular history with race science and the dehumanizing use of human bodies for academic purposes neither began nor ended in Blodgett. In 1914, The Miscellany News’ premier weekly issue included a “Faculty Notes” section which describes case work for charitable foundations in the following manner: “The work extends more widely than the individual case which is investigated, having a very definite relation to larger movements, such as the movement for eugenics. The interest in case work is steadily increasing and its future is even greater than its past. But it must be strengthened by the assistance of college graduates as workers” (The Miscellany News, “Faculty Notes,” 05.08.1914).

While most mainstream academic institutions recognized eugenics as the fringe science it was—Harvard, for example, declined a $600 donation to found a course in eugenics in 1927 because “it cannot pledge itself to teach any particular branch of that subject” (The Miscellany News, “Harvard Rejects Legacy,” 11.05.1927)—race science was entrenched in the Vassar curriculum and faculty throughout most of the early 20th century. During the period between 1915 and 1937, as documented in Vassar Special Collections, Professor Aaron Treadwell of the American Eugenics Society taught the popular course “Heredity.” The course was described as “a study of heredity…and results of recent investigations and their application to Eugenics.”

In 1951, the language was changed to “how genes may be applied to some sociological, medical, and economic problems.” In 1964, the language was removed entirely.

The Zoology Department, predecessor to the Biology Department, housed classes called “Advanced Physical Anthropology,” “Anthropology of the Negro” and “Anthropology of the North American Indian.”

Examining the phenotypes and heredity of non-white bodies was a component of these classes.

Vassar’s Sister Schools had professors who participated in race science on an individual basis, and published papers in several eugenics publications, such as one paper that compared the decreased birth rate of educated women educated at Wellesley, Bryn Mawr and Mount Holyoke to those of non-educated women. At Vassar, Professor of Economics and Sociology Joseph K. Folsom alluded positively to the “far-reaching sterilization policy… of the Third Reich” as late as 1934, when he published his sociology textbook “The Family,” by which time national interest in the eugenics movement had mostly evaporated. Dr. Elizabeth B. Thelberg, who served as Vassar's college physician for 47 years (The New York Times, "Ends 47 Years at Vassar: Dr. Elizabeth B. Thelberg Is Honored as She Retires," 10.31.1930) gave public lectures in which she spoke about “shutting off the flood of defective races rapidly swamping the country,”

in the 1910s, in a personal report to then Vassar President James Taylor. Treadwell of the Zoology Department noted that his students were “hoping…to be able to control race themselves” for all “its strengthening and perfecting” (The Miscellany News, “College News: Lecture: Biology

by Professor Treadwell,” 05.01.1911). Vassar remains the only Seven Sisters college to include mentions of eugenics in their course catalogue.

Faculty were not alone in their propagation of race science on campus; students participated fully and enthusiastically as well. Several Vassar students in the early 20th century worked in the field after graduation by participating in a campus internship program hosted by leading eugenicist Charles Davenport (PBS, “The Eugenics Crusade,” 10.16.2018). One alumna, Elizabeth Howe, was elected to the Council of the American Eugenics Society (Vassar Quarterly, “Contemporary Notes,” 07.01.1931), of which Folsom would become chairperson in 1937 (Marriage and Family Living, “News and Notes,” 05.1941). While at Vassar, some students invited proto-feminist Margaret Sanger to campus under the title “Mrs. Margaret Sanger, President of the American Birth Control League for Racial Betterment” (Vassar Quarterly, “Babies, Brains, and Euthenics,” 01.09.1926). A science club was also devoted to “racial improvement,” which The Miscellany News spotlighted in an article chillingly titled “College Women Put Culture First” (The Miscellany News, 11.09.1921).

The broader field of anthropology itself has its roots in imperialism. When Europeans first came into contact with societies in the Pacific, the Americas, Africa and Asia, they not only extracted economic and thus social benefits from colonial hegemony, but sought to study the scientific and cultural evolution of so-called “exotic” societies. Many anthropologists in the 19th and early 20th centuries used models of human evolution to justify European biological superiority (Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia, “Anthropology,” 2003). Eugenics found many supporters among anthropologists during this time period (Journal of Heredity, “Anthropology and Eugenics: A Review of Some Re-

cent German Publications.” 09.1931). As Beisaw noted, “No discipline is necessarily innocent in the acquisition of other cultures, the use of bodies for teaching.”

The history of the academic disciplines and Vassar’s institutional history permeates through to the present: Bradley indicated that the reason she did not disclose the name of the building at which the remains and cultural artifacts were placed in her initial email was that the College must first “make sure that it isn’t just related to one place, that this isn’t one building,” suggesting that the College is uncertain if Blodgett is the only location that retains items in violation of NAGPRA. Beisaw expressed further concern about other possible NAGPRA violations on campus. Specifically, she pointed to the collection at the Frances Lehman Loeb Arts Center, which does not list a NAGPRA compliance policy on its website.

One item in particular, a Hopi katsina acquired in 2011, troubled Beisaw.

“Some Hopi katsinas are made for the art market, some art made for the tourist market for $5...but the actual real kastinas are sacred, and the only people who are supposed to see them are the people who are in the society representing the katsina,” she said. “When this collection was acquired, did anybody do the NAGPRA compliance on it? It might have already been done. But it might not have been.” Beisaw outlined the importance of taking this incident as a learning experience and ensuring that all departments examine their collections to verify compliance.

Alongside these specific investigations, McGlennen pointed to the need to interrogate colonialism inherent in educational structures. She explained, “We are all complicit in this whether we knew about it or not, because we are tied to this institution. If we truly acknowledge and honor Native peoples as we say we do in land acknowledgements, if we are serious about our Engaged Pluralism Initiatives, then we have to see that this is not just one person who made a mistake or a bad actor.

That, in fact, we have all turned a blind eye to this, ignored that this could take place in a colonial institution, when we know very well that this is what colonial-

Above, two plaques in the Blodgett Hall archway. The building was originally home to Vassar’s Euthenics Department and several eugenicist classes in the early 20th century.

The plaque on the right is curiously blank.

Frankie Knuckles/The Miscellany News.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

ism allows for.”

Moving forward with the case itself, Beisaw emphasized the importance of returning power to the tribe or tribes to whom the remains and artifacts belong— this transfer is at the root of the word “repatriation.” “The [tribe or tribes] are the ones in control now,” Beisaw explained.

“And if we try to push them to do things fast, to make decisions...then we’re going to do more harm than good.” Once the community has made their assessment, the College will be responsible for returning the remains through a courier service of which the tribe approves.

While she and Bradley acknowledged that NAGPRA compliance would take time, Beisaw is certain that the repatriation of the Alaska collection will proceed.

“That will occur, and I will take full responsibility to make sure that it happens,” she said. She also expressed that racism, not academia, was the primary culprit— archaeology was responsible both for taking these remains and for beginning the process to return them to their proper home.

To create spaces for students to react to the findings, the History Department and History Majors Committee co-hosted an open conversation about President Bradley’s announcement and NAGPRA on Friday, Feb. 14. The Anthropology Department plans to host a similar discussion on Friday, Feb 21. On Thursday, Feb. 20, Friday, Feb. 21 and Monday, Feb. 24, the students of Biesaw’s class Museums, Collections, and Ethics will host “crash courses” on NAGPRA and repatriation open to all students. In addition, the History Department announced that Dr. Rae Gould, a member of the Nipmuc Nation and Associate Director of Native American and Indigenous Studies at Brown University, would discuss NAGPRA on Tuesday, Feb. 24 in Blodgett Hall Auditorium. Gould will speak at an ALANA Center gathering the following day.

Beisaw listed ways in which she believed students could help right this transgression. “Generally Americans—and not everyone on this campus is an American— are only taught about Native culture and history in third and fourth grade. It’s like playtime. And then everything else in their lives...can just be a reinforcement that Indians are gone … But the exact opposite is true. There’s all of these vibrant cultures,” she said. “The students can’t go through the boxes and identify what is tribally important ... They can’t subvert the system and push for things to get done faster. But they can keep asking how the progress is going, and keep the pressure on that way, and they can become informed, at least on the areas here. They could invite guest speakers and they could ask for some sort of actual relationship between Vassar and Indigenous people in our area.”

The discovery of Native remains and their repatriation holds a two-fold significance in the history of the College. In addition to violating what is now long-standing federal law, the storage of the remains demonstrates casual disregard for the humanity of Indigenous people. When taken into consideration alongside the College’s physical presence on unceded Native land and past studies on eugenics, the remains emphasize the necessary labor that must be taken by Vassar College to correct previously accepted encroachment upon Native spaces. The case is currently being processed by federal officials of NAGPRA and any professors involved will undergo a research misconduct review.

NEWS

Page 4

February 20, 2020

Vassar commits to purchase solely renewable electricity Olivia Watson News Editor

V

The Groveville Hydroelectric facility.

Courtesy of Vassar Media Relations.

assar has entered an agreement with its energy provider to purchase only electricity generated from renewable sources. According to a press release from Vassar College Media Relations, this agreement with the provider EDF energy will go into effect in July 2021.

Vassar Director of Sustainability Micah Kenfield explained how this will expedite Vassar’s plan to be carbon neutral by 2030, as they previously planned to purchase re-

newable energy by 2022. “Vassar’s plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 takes a number of forms, and one key component has always been moving to 100-percent renewables,” Kenfield stated. “By taking this action now, we will save more than 2,500 metric tons of carbon emissions per year.

That’s almost a 10 percent reduction from our baseline year of 2005[.]”

Purchasing solely renewable electricity, which is produced by wind, sun or water, will be slightly more expensive than energy produced by carbon-generating sources.

However, Vassar Director of Purchasing Rosaleen Cardillo and Energy Manager Tom Strumolo managed the contract renewal in such a way that Vassar can take advantage of the state of the utility market to pay less than they currently do.

This decision comes in a series of movements made by the college as part of its $13 million plan to go carbon neutral. Other parts of the plan include changing all lighting to LED, updating the boiler system to use renewable fuel, and updating heating systems in several buildings on campus.

VSA's Seven Sisters Conference strengthens historical ties Taylor Gee

Copy Staffer

F

rom Friday, Feb. 7 to Sunday, Feb. 9, the Vassar Student Administration (VSA) hosted the annual Seven Sisters Conference.

The tradition began in 1915, when Vassar President Henry Noble MacCracken called together Wellesley, Smith and Mount Holyoke Colleges to discuss the quality of women’s higher education (VC Encyclopedia, “The Founding of the Seven Sisters Conference”).

In 1926, the Four College Conference expanded to include Radcliffe, Bryn Mawr and Barnard to become what are now known as the Seven Sisters schools. Since then, the gathering of the Seven Sisters schools has evolved into an event in which the student government associations (SGAs) of each college converge to commiserate and discuss the problems each SGA faces.

Because the host of the conference alternates each year, Vassar hadn’t held the forum since 2014. With little to no information on how Vassar planned the last conference, organizing this year’s event posed a challenge. When asked about what plan-

ning such a large event was like, VSA Vice President Jenny Luo ’20 described the process as “Stressful, but also fun. Because I feel like I had freedom to do anything.” The conference was organized with assistance from the Operations Committee. The committee brainstormed bonding activities ranging from a showcase of Vassar’s a capella and comedy organizations to a night at the observatory. However, time was of the essence.

There was only so much time to coordinate housing for attendees, cater meals and request rooms on campus.

The Seven Sisters Conference is typically held during the fall semester, so this year’s conference was unusually late. Ideally, the conference would have been planned during the summer. However, due to poor communication between the Seven Sisters schools, the VSA didn’t know Vassar was the proverbial chosen one until August, leaving little time for a traditional fall conference.

Communication issues continued when Luo mentioned the complications in reaching out to the six different institutions (Radcliffe College has merged with Harvard Universi-

ty). Despite the hiccups, the conference accomplished bringing 22 students together to learn from one another.

On Saturday morning, the post-breakfast ice-breakers gave way to a large circle discussion about the various compositions of each SGA. Some have organization senators, while others don’t. Some SGAs livestream their senate meetings; some meet Tuesday night, while others prefer a Sunday afternoon. The conversation flowed from government structures to projects. The group began discussing Barnard’s First-Generation Low-Income Partnership (FLIP) Library for accessible textbooks, then eventually found inspiration in the VSA Health and Wellness committee’s first-aid kits initiative.

Mount Holyoke’s Chair of Halls Dannye Carpenter ’22 was impressed by the work being done by the other Seven Sisters schools.

She remarked, “It’s a constitutional review year at Mount Holyoke, so it will be really good to implement some of the innovations that other schools, including Vassar, have into our SGA structure.” Whatever the topic, conversation centered around how to bet-

ter support students through governance.

Despite breaking off into smaller groups during lunch, the sound of students chattering echoed through the Aula well into the afternoon. Discussion wasn’t solely serious— bursts of laughter rang out, and there were whispers of tunnels underneath the Wellesley hills and stories of Mount Holyoke’s infamous Jorge “the Menace” goose. All too often, SGAs, and college students at large, are inundated with minute-by-minute agendas.

Take a look at anyone’s Google Calendar—so much of our time is structured. Instead, the Seven Sisters Conference encouraged unstructured conversation.

Dinner came and went. Afterward, the group continued the festivities with an impromptu “shindig” at the Days Inn, then rising early for Sunday’s closing breakfast.

As snow gently drifted outside the Ordan Meeting Room windows, the students inside spoke about anything from the projects they wanted to enact to their dogs’ cuteness.

At that moment, it felt more like a group of friends, sisters even, than a formalized conference.

Statement from Vassar to parents, alumnae/i on NAGPRA compliance Dear all, I am writing to inform you of a disturbing matter and to let you know what we are doing in response. Last semester, a professor of Anthropology told the Dean of the Faculty, who told me, that the professor suspected Native American human remains and cultural items were being stored in Blodgett by a faculty member, who had retired several years ago. We now believe that the remains were collected for research in the 1980s and 1990s at the request of the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), who owned the land and was concerned that looting and erosion were imminent.

When we were alerted to the issue, we immediately began our investigation. We took steps to safeguard the remains and notified the authorities that administer the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). It has taken time to understand (and we are still learning) the scope of the human remains and cultural items; time to secure them properly; time to collect all the records relating to them; and—most important—time to identify the communities with which the remains belong. At every step of the way, we have been guided by NAGPRA as we undertake the long process of repatriation.

The remains of these Indigenous peoples have not been afforded the dignity and respect that they deserve. This is not in keeping with the values that underpin the College, and it is not aligned with the community that we aspire to be. On behalf of the College, I apologize.

Passed by Congress and signed into law by President George H. W. Bush in 1990, NAGPRA is premised on the principle that human remains “must at all times be treated with dignity and respect,” and that human remains and other cultural items removed from Federal or tribal lands “belong, in the first instance, to lineal descendants, Indian Tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations.”

We are committed to ensuring, now and in the future, that Vassar fully, faithfully, and promptly adheres to NAGPRA. In addition, we have begun working with officials from the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), which is in contact with the tribal communities from which the remains came, to return them as soon as possible. We have learned from a NAGPRA expert and Indigenous cultural consultants that many specific considerations are critical to ensure that the repatriation is handled appropriately, and have been advised this will take some time. Please know that this is a priority for the College. We are proceeding with the utmost compassion and respect, following protocols set by NAGPRA, USFWS, and Indigenous cultural consultants.

Among the issues we have learned about in the process, for example, is that we should not identify the communities from which these remains came, but rather allow the tribal contact from the USFWS to speak first to the descendants in the villages. Thus, while some have asked us to identify the communities, please understand that out of respect for this process, and these communities, we cannot do this at this time.

While moving ahead on repatriation, we are also conducting a campus-wide assessment to determine whether other materials covered by NAGPRA exist on campus, and if so, make sure that they are repatriated properly. Additionally, we have started a Task Force (led by the Associate Dean of the Faculty, Kate Susman) to develop procedures and guidelines so this situation will not be repeated.

My heart goes out particularly to Vassar’s Native American students, faculty, administrators, staff, and alumnae/i, and I acknowledge and profoundly regret the pain that this has caused to the entire community. We are committed to affirming our responsibilities to Indigenous peoples in and of our community. We are also dedicated to intentional processes of healing.

Since the campus community was notified last week, we have taken a number of steps to reach out to members of our community. The history department has already convened a faculty and student conversation about what happened as well as how we can better support Native American and Indigenous communities and education in the future. The anthropology department has scheduled such a discussion with faculty and students. The Dean of the College, Carlos Alamo, and I attended the Vassar Student Association (VSA) Senate meeting to answer questions, and I held an Open House in the President’s House for the community to be present with one another and share our disappointment, anger, and sadness. Dean Alamo and the team in his office continue to meet regularly in small groups and one-on-one with students who

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

need support. Next week, Vassar will host Dr. Rae Gould, who is a Nipmuc National Enrolled Tribal Member and Associate Director of Native American and Indigenous Studies at Brown University, and the ALANA Center will convene for a talkback the day after the lecture.

Several people have asked why we did not notify alumnae/i or parents a week ago when we notified the campus community. Perhaps we should have; however, we focused first on the process of attentively informing students and faculty, face to face, before turning our attention to talking with the wider world.

As we go through this process, we are committed to being transparent; however, USFWS and previous requests from the communities have asked us to go slowly and not overshare details of the situation out of respect for the communities. We considered creating a website where we could post updates; however, because of our concern that such sharing would interfere with USFWS procedures and potentially be viewed by the affected communities as disrespectful, we do not plan to do this at this time.

In closing, I am immensely grateful to the professor who discovered this information and brought it to our attention. It gives us as an institution the imperative to examine the ethics of how knowledge is generated more broadly. The sadness, sorrow, and pain this has caused are unfathomable.

As always, if you want to be in touch, please reach out by email and I am happy to talk further.

— Elizabeth H. Bradley, President

February 20, 2020

ARTS

Page 5

Dorm-dweller, fledgling artist Musti raps revolution, career Rayan El Amine Reporter

H

e is nestled in the corner of an all-toomessy Toronto dorm room, pen on paper, eyes flickering left and right and back left again. His mind is moving faster than his hand can write, and the lines of scrawled lyrics start to blur together. He stops.

Mustafa Idris, stage name Musti, is fairly new to the rap industry. His musical projects date back to the eighth grade. He distributed makeshift mixes through Facebook Messenger. Now, his discography consists of two whole songs. Two full releases.

Barely five minutes of sound make up Musti’s oeuvre.

Regardless, he is on his way to being Sudan’s prodigal son of rap. One glance at his collaborations signals a career more promising than a mere pair of songs would suggest. He features on “A 24/9 Experience,” a collaborative Sudanese-produced, Sudanese-recorded and Sudanese-distributed album, place Musti in the same musical echelon as Aidyproof (a friend of the famed Dreamville Records) and Grammy-nominated Sudanese-American phenomenon Bas. In short, Musti’s partners in song represent some of Sudan’s best. For the 20-year-old from Khartoum, a short but bold discography is proof that he, too, belongs among this illustrious cohort.

Musti spoke intimately of the unity of his artistic circles. “It’s a brotherhood,” he told me when asked what making that album meant. “There’s a certain understanding between Sudanese artists and Sudanese people that connects us. It doesn’t matter where we ended up, our roads look real

similar.” That musical diaspora that he references, that expansive, intertwining road, is what inspired all 17 tracks in “A 24/9 Experience.” Headed by Aidyproof, a producer and recording artist from Sudan who has collaborated with rapper J. Cole, the album offered the artists’ distinct contemplations on the ongoing Sudanese revolution—sometimes allegorical in nature, sometimes right on the nose.

Musti made it clear that conditions back home were dire: “Sudan was stuck in this deep struggle, phone lines were cut off, there was no internet, people weren’t coming in and out of the country.” This album gave artists who felt their home being ripped from them the chance to speak out.

“It felt like the best way to put my footprint on the revolution,” affirmed Musti.

The young rapper, as well as the 17 other artists who came together for “24/9,” centered their Sudanese identity in a way that, at least musically, was totally unprecedented. Bas, the popular artist known for tracks “Costa Rica” and “Tribe,” rapped about “spending your uloof,” an allusion to his home country’s quickly depleting currency. The album represented a shift in both audience and artist. Musti, Bas and their collaborators weren’t worried about commercial success or Western influence when creating “24/9.” Instead, they raised a fist for their home.

To Musti, it is precisely this national pride that makes the album, and its artists, so special. “Sometimes you see musicians leave their hometown only to forget where they came from. Sudan isn’t like that. The journey from there to success in North

America isn’t easy at all, so it makes sense that everybody who crossed over wouldn’t forget,” he mused.

Even as a current resident of Canada, this idea of a difficult, trans-Atlantic path to success is something Mustafa continues to grapple with. Having lived in Toronto for nearly two years now, Musti juggles two daunting tasks: navigating his musical career and performing the quotidian duties of a college student. Although he now calls some of the fledgling stars of rap his coworkers, his life is not one of luxury. It’s one of hours huddled alone, a far cry from the prototypical partying college routine.

These empty hours in his dorm room turned into minute-long Instagram videos, in which Musti would freestyle over a popular beat and share the composition with his nearly 2,000 followers. It is with these short clips that Musti began building a fanbase.

“I wasn’t really doing it for clout, or so people could share it. I just would think up these ideas and would want to put them somewhere. I could never have imagined the kind of support that I got back. It was crazy,” Musti reflected.

These videos would be shared across dozens of Instagram accounts. The most popular of them attracted close to 5,000 views. In spite of often grainy visual and subpar audio quality, Musti’s talent was crystal clear.

He was a rising star, but it wasn’t until the release of his first single that he broke into the upper echelons of rap.

“Decisions,” which found a place on “24/9,” represented a significant departure from those dorm-room Instagram videos.

He stood up, as both a musical artist and

commentator. This was three minutes and two verses of unquestionable rap prowess.

Musti’s music is punchy, boastful and fast-paced, a brash burst of rhymes and metaphors that seems to shift between the gangster rap of the early 2000s and the trap music that dominated the following decade. Between his braggadocious lines, however, is intention. In “Decisions,” Musti explains that his passion and success don’t exist in a vacuum. He creates for Sudan, for his home. He explained, “The arrogance is necessary. I’m not being cocky, but I understand that this field is crowded. An artist can’t succeed without confidence, especially an artist that isn’t American.”

Despite his purported arrogance in song, talking to Musti, his humility is apparent.

He was hesitant to speak on his musical process, and was quick to compliment his fellow artists before himself. The kid from Sudan isn’t cocky, but his music can be. He isn’t loud, but his music sure is. He might not even crave celebrity, but his music found it.

The line between commercial success and peer respect is blurry. The former hasn’t caught up to college student/rap prince Musti, but for him, it’s never been a priority. “Man, I work at Walmart, I don’t really care how many streams I’m getting,” he laughed. “I do this because I love it, and if the other people around me love it too. I can’t ask for much more.”

To be represented by a young artist who wears his home on his sleeve, I’d like to think Sudan swells with pride.

“A 24/9 Experience” can be found on Spotify.

Vassar bands tackle folk, punk, breakups for Valentine’s Day Continued from StuMu on page 1 folk songs, bouncing between sweet sounds from their mandolin, cello and acoustic guitar. The Mug flowered with folk music. Listeners swayed to harmonies. Pink balloons scattered the floor in a vague attempt to convey the Valentine’s Day theme. Far more prominent than an amorous atmosphere were the lively, and wide-ranging, performances.

The atmosphere shifted quickly, though.

In the time it took to make the pilgrimage to the vending machine and watch a pack of sour gummy worms rewardingly make their way into my hands (dear processed sugar, if you’re reading, I love you), Milk took the stage, inviting everyone to stand up, to come closer. The crowd inched their way forward, hesitantly.

The room was just beginning to fill when I heard a somewhat familiar guitar riff I couldn’t quite pinpoint. I turned to Sophia, my best friend and date for the night. “What song is this?” I asked. “Kurt Vile?” No. “It’s Courtney Barnett!” Everything was suddenly electrified, the excitement of hearing an indie song you jump around to in your dorm room now brought to life by real people, real instruments, right in front of your eyes.

“It’s suddenly a rock concert,” Sevine Clarey ’20, Milk’s drummer, declared into the microphone. “Pedestrian at Best,” a Courtney Barnett song that thrums with angst and acerbic lyrics, filled the room.

It was a rock concert. In a crowd of two dozen, there were three emphatically shouting “Put me on a pedestal and I’ll only disappoint you” while channeling Barnett’s Australian punk, I-have-a-mullet energy. All of the earthy folk sounds had dissipated. The gummy worms were jumping with me. It was the magic of a good cover at work.

Following Milk, Lift the Moondog entered the makeshift stage. The crowd shifted forwards, as if by being closer to the speakers and to one another, an unassuming Thursday night showcase could match the energy of a TH party at 11 p.m. on a Saturday. From the reverb of the bass and the pounding of our feet on the tiled floor, humming boldly from a crowd of 20 or so, the music was kinetic energy.

From behind the drum kit, Chauncey Lo ’22 played into the Valentine’s Day theme, which was nearly forgotten as the pink balloons were kicked to the back of the room.

“Today’s set will feature five songs, I think?

Some songs will last longer than others, some will have clear stops and starts, some will blend into other ones but that’s just how love works. Look: It’s college, love is a messy affair, so basically if you mess up it’s all in the theme, baby.”

With that exordium the band flowed into the ’80s breakup classic, “I Will Survive.”

The musicians slowed the song down, urging the audience to dramatize the sappy lyrics. Then, Jack Rogers ’22 dove into an aching guitar solo, and once again the energy shifted. Suddenly the whole crowd reeled from a breakup, together finding the strength to console each other. Lift the Moondog certainly understood the power of collective emotion.

I spoke to Lift the Moondog before their set, and they were unapologetic in their commitment to having fun with their music. “We play loud,” Jack Rogers ’22 said. “We try not to take ourselves super seriously. A lot of bands at Vassar try to give off the vibe of being really artsy or pretentious, but we have no problem taking a song and having fun with it. Speeding up halfway through the song, doubling the tempo.”

Above, provisional duo The Morning Moon fills the Mug with folk harmonies.

Yvette Hu/The Miscellany News.

Their lighthearted attitude rubbed off on the audience. As the band members didn’t take themselves too seriously, listeners didn’t either, encouraging cheeky dancing and off-key singing. For Kara Lu ’22, treasurer of StuMu, this openness is palpable in the larger Vassar music scene.

“I often hear bands after sound check be like ‘Oh you did such a good job,’ and they genuinely mean it,” Lu said. “We’re all here to support each other.” Rogers agreed: “Showcases like this at other places tend to turn into battle of the bands no matter what.

I think it’s a bit special being at Vassar and having all the bands have some amount of mutual respect for each other.”

Aidan Bova ’23 is the newest addition to Lift the Moondog. The bassist, who joined just two weeks ago, met Kara Lu because they live on the same floor, and the band needed a bass player. This flexible, word-ofmouth interaction seems to be a trend for the formation of many Vassar bands.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Dusky Bruce, a group of four first-year students, took the stage after Lift the Moondog, covering Mac Demarco and “Put me Thru” by Anderson .Paak. I spoke to rhythm guitarist Jonah Samuels ’23 about joining a band his first year.

“I realized early on that Ronan [Sidoti ‘23] was a really talented guitarist, and I made myself as appealing and close to him as possible as a rhythm guitarist,” Samuels said. “When he started the band he looked around for a guitarist, I was semi-competent, and I was in.”

By 10:15, the crowds cleared out. The balloons flitted in the corner of the room and instruments were zipped back into their cases. At the top of the familiar and foreboding spiral staircase, I asked Chauncey Lo about Vassar’s music scene.

“There definitely is a scene,” he said.

“There is a scene at Vassar and it is at Vassar— and it’s got music. What else is there to say? I think that explains it all.”

ARTS

Page 6

February 20, 2020

Sundance spotlights underrepresented creators, stories Xin Rui Ong Columnist

S

lick Hollywood movie series and seven-digit box office smashes have no place at the annual Sundance Film Festival. The independent films showcased at Sundance are candid narratives, interlaced with artistry—audiences don’t need 3D glasses to stay rapt. With the 2020 presidential election looming, this year’s Sundance, which was held in late January, stressed the urgency of bringing unheard voices—those of female directors, disability advocates and young people—into public discourse.

Vulnerability tends to be a theme in movies presented at Sundance. For example, the confessions of yet-to-be independent young adults in Eliza Hittman’s newest drama film expose the financial and societal pressure that goes in hand with limited accessibility to health necessities. “Never Rarely Sometimes Always,” written and directed by Hittman, follows Autumn, a teenage girl from small-town Pennsylvania, and her cousin Skylar on a journey to New York City to seek a legal abortion. The title comes from the multiple choice ratings of “never,” “rarely,” “sometimes” and “always” patients answer on medical forms. Many women are confined by the limited, generalized choices offered by politicians on what to do with their bodies. The film reveals a contrast between the gravity of the girls’ situation and the mundane dialogues that accepts this cruel system that women face in this world—a juxtaposition Hitmman creates to convey the normalcy around life-changing periods of a women’s life.

During Planned Parenthood’s annual reception at Sundance, Hittman states that the film’s objective is not to convey her opinions or partisanship through Autumn’s decisions but instead to focus on the struggles and threats women face when making decisions about their own bodies, and is also an urgent call for policy

A festival volunteer outside of The Ray Theatre. Courtesy of Stephen Speckman. and regulations to assure women’s safety (The Atlantic, “The Particular Urgency of Sundance’s ‘Issue’ Films,” 01.30.2020).

The Sundance festivals also empower the voices of people with disabilities, bringing their experiences to the big screen. “Crip Camp” transports viewers to a ’70s summer at Camp Jened. Black and white vintage videos show teenagers who are often neglected by the abled industries finding themselves accepted into a community. They play sports, enjoy music and partake in other recreations that able-bodied people often take for granted. Scenes depicting the gentle joy of togetherness at camp transition to the individual battles disabled youths face in the real world—the job interviews, the narrow sidewalks, the stairs. The sudden shift into colored realities made the scenes in 1970s blackand-white seem far and unattainable.

Activists and co-directors Jim LeBrecht and Nicole Newnham commented after the film’s screening that “‘Crip Camp’ does for the disabled-rights movement what 1984’s “The Times of Harvey Milk” did for gay rights awareness. For the disabled, it’s been an even longer path to mainstream acceptance.” Efforts like “Crip Camp” continue to expose ongoing inequalities.

Many attendees of Camp Jened, includ-

ing co-director LeBrecht, pushed for the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990.

But words on paper don’t automatically generate independent-living options for those with disabilities, and activist films incite audiences to witness the continued urgency of a situation (Forbes, “Can ‘Crip Camp’ Become Next Netflix/Obama Oscar Contender, Or Even More?,” 02.01.2020).

“The Assistant” starts off in Midtown Manhattan with the set of tedious yet questionable duties that Jane, who holds an entry-level job in a big corporation, performs for her respected yet hostile boss. Jane’s chores, such as photocopying pictures of young girls and cleaning out her boss’s office only to find an earring, gradually reveal frightening instances of power abuse and sexual harassment committed by the movie’s unnamed tycoon, who inevitably reminds viewers of Harvey Weinstein. The film’s monotone colors—blunt gray office walls and pale faces—suggest a quietness and passivity, but beneath the muted scenes lie complex and pressing dynamics of power and gender that should not be covered up by silence.

Directed by Kitty Green, who is notable for emphasizing feminist movements in her films, “The Assistant” continues to challenge audiences with the question

that has stormed the media since the birth of the #MeToo movement: How could the victims continue their work without saying or doing anything? The film’s tension comes from Jane vacillating between the responsibility of being an employee and the need to stand up for herself and other women (The Atlantic, “‘The Assistant’ Is a Subtle Horror Film for the #MeToo Era,” 02.01.2020).

This year’s Sundance epitomizes activism through art. The featured directors use film to inform and inspire audiences, tapping into their lived experiences. The authenticity of these films forces audiences to look cruel structures in the face, but also propels them to consider a different, kinder future—and what they can do to bring such a future to life.

Above, directors/producers Nicole Newnham and Jim LeBrecht of “Crip Camp,” winners of the U.S. Documentary Audience Award. Courtesy of Caydie McCumber.

Gorillaz’s ‘Momentary Bliss’: the ‘Roger Rabbit’ of music videos Francisco Andrade Humor Editor

W

hen the animated band Gorillaz was first conceptualized back in 1998, creators Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett had a simple goal: break away from the lack of substance on platforms like MTV. The videos seemed disconnected from any part of the song, and there were so many that the mediocrity seemed non-stop. As a virtual entity, Gorillaz could make visually appealing music videos on a somewhat more limited budget than other bands. The format of the band also allows for a seamless transition in styles (such as musical genres and art styles) by adding storytelling elements as if presenting a cartoon TV show. Certain songs introduce new characters, or explore different backstories, while continuing to build the overall lore. This world-building gives depth to the cartoon members and makes the fans feel that at any point one of the members could walk among them, in the real world. Gorillaz as a concept required constant innovation, but most of all, the band craved inclusion in broader society—collaboration with “real” bands, receiving musical accolades—and it built its own little world in order to have it, a world where anyone can appear and multiple people can portray one character.

Aside from 2D, the dead-eyed frontman of the band who has always been voiced by Al-

barn, all other members have boasted other figures as their voice actors or musicians in the band’s 22-year run.

Gorillaz has had its share of gimmicks and silliness during these two decades.

They added an actual Powerpuff Girls villain to the band, though Ace (the leader of the Ganggreen Gang) was only temporarily filling in while usual bassist Murdoc was in prison. Then there was that “MTV Cribs” parody with Murdoc draped in a towel, showing the camera-crew around Kong Studios (their fictional recording company). Hijinks aside, Albarn and Hewlett have always managed to keep pushing the boundaries of their imagination, especially in the realm of technology. When they dropped “Stylo” 10 years ago, the video features 2D (the character), in a real car, interacting with real-life objects. Granted, the 3D rendering would be considered horrific by today’s standards, but it showed what Gorillaz really wanted to do: break from the cartoon world of its own creation and join its fans.

For an animated band, they had a deep yearning to belong in our living, breathing 3D world, yet they also wanted to remain themselves. So when animation tech kept evolving, Gorillaz kept knocking on the door to reality, and when “Humility” was released in 2018, the door swung wide open. The video showed the entire band in

Muscle Beach, California, frolicking, roller skating, touching real objects, interacting with Jack Black and weightlifters. The colors and lighting of the characters were perfectly placed; it truly felt like when the video was shot, the passers-by could see the characters in the environment. It was obvious Gorillaz had finally landed on the visuals they were so long searching for.

When they announced their “Song Machine” project in January, only mentioning that it would be a jam session with the band, fans had no idea what to expect. Maybe a behind-the-scenes production? Perhaps a look at the musicians as one of their songs was in progress? A few weeks later when the first episode (as of writing, the only episode), “Momentary Bliss,” dropped, it became clear that Gorillaz had found its proper showcase. The video, which takes place in a living room, very much feels like a group of friends just got together to jam— and some of those friends just happened to be animated. The informality of the location, and the opening scenes of people setting up the space, make for a sense of intimacy. Of course, unlike close friends, the people gathered in the room are cartoons.

2D, Murdock, Noodle and Russel seem to no longer occupy their own world separately. They are singing, dancing, drinking coffee, poisoning coffee (Murdoc isn’t the nicest guy in the world) and just perform-

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

ing normal tasks that one would see in any “Tiny Desk” video. And the human musicians who occupy the space also flare with cartoonish elements. Their eyes flatten, flare and glow, some have horse tongues and they touch animated objects around the room, all of which further solidifies the reality of this interaction.

“Momentary Bliss” is a perfect name for the first episode because it encapsulates the feeling I had when watching this as a long-time fan. It really shows how much personality and depth Gorillaz has given to its members over the years, so much that they could be animated characters hosting real bands as the featured acts, not the headliners. “Song Machine” is a fascinating experience because it represents the climax of this 22-year journey. It let Gorillaz break away from their lonely 2D world, where (lore aside) there existed no other bands or competition. It also represents a new path, in which we see how reality mingles with fantasy. Indeed, they can belong to our world; they don’t have to bring us to theirs.

Questions aside, this first episode made me feel like one day I could come across one of the band members walking in the city and ask them for their autograph. It’s exciting to see where they may go from this point, but after 22 years, I am happy that this point has finally been reached. And I can’t wait for episode two.

ARTS

February 20, 2020

Yenne Lee She/Her/Hers Adjunct Artist in Music A native of South Korea, Yenne Lee is a classical guitarist who enjoys playing other genre music as well. By arranging and playing popular songs, she wants to expand the audience base of the instrument, hoping that it will lead to more people learning the classical guitar.

Page 7

What past fashion trend would you bring back?

“Flappers.”

— Tammy Wang ’21

“Skirts for men need to be a mainstream thing.”

— Johnson Lin ’21

Her first album, “Beautiful” (2016), features her own arrangements of popular songs from the 1970s. Her second album, which was released in 2019, features her own classical interpretation of some jazz standards. Her music can be found on Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube and Bandcamp.

“I’d make sure low rise jeans never return.”

— Maya Allen ’20

Banner design by Juliette Pope/The Miscellany News.

‘1917’ is not about war. It’s about film.

Massimo Tarridas Guest Columnist

T

he first impulse I have after watching “1917” is self-destruction. This life is far too comfortable. Exiting the theater into an aseptic white hallway feels disrespectful.

Even writing longer sentences feels hideously indulgent. I need to find something real to complain about. This need for self-flagellation comes from a place of respect for people who have borne so much—the politics of the actual war are completely irrelevant. Our two protagonists’ goal is to reach point A by a certain point in time to prevent tragedy X from occurring. A selfless act.

Their vulnerability is all too palpable.

To see these pale hungry bodies trekking through an absolute wasteland makes the viewer giddy with tension. Decimated corpses litter the screen, and for a good part of the film, the only company present aside from our heroes are the occasional rats, bugs and stranded enemies. Brutal death is such a casual affair that it borders on the surreal; it is indeed no different than drinking a cup of coffee.

Aesthetically, no more can be desired.

The cinematography is a sublime mixture of “Dunkirk” and “The Revenant,” with the added technical wizardry of making the film appear (save a single purposeful edit) as though it was created in one long take.

“1917” (dir. Sam Mendes, 2020) is impossibly beautiful. The appearance of a single take has always been breathtaking, used here to fantastic effect: We do not cut from one barren trench to another, ignoring the hundred painful steps it took. Cinema’s greatest tool, a cut, forfeited in order to evoke the hourglass passage of time. A long take provokes suspense in two ways: “How on earth did they achieve this?” and “What could possibly

come next?”

The image of war as poetic cinema is a tired cliche, but it is a cliche for a reason. It recontextualizes our contemporary society into something primal and random, the same way that a volcanic eruption is awe-inspiring in spite of its destructive nature.I suppose that is the side effect of making something so magnificent; you risk accidentally glorifying it for your audience, try as you might otherwise. Despite their best efforts to portray war in all of its insufferable truths—such as mistakenly sticking a freshly wounded hand through the cannonball hole of a perforated carcass—I am still inexplicably drawn to a single, aforementioned word, and that is beauty.

“1917” fits into place with other brute showcases of pure style of the past decade; “Gravity” and “Mad Max: Fury Road” come to mind. Something sleek, efficient and muscular, extremely technical in its execution and without any real dependence on cumbersome dialogue. I wonder if this kind of filmmaking is the most cinematic breed, one which isn’t relegated to airplane viewings such as the usual familial drama or ro-

mantic comedy. Anything else can be seen on any screen; this needs to fill the room. A hundred years of spectacle have been condensed into shot-for-shot adrenaline, a complete suspension of disbelief and wondrous sacrifice.

Think of filmmaking as sacrifice—anything as sacrifice, really. A book requires X amount of dead trees, and Y amount of hours by a toiling author. Then, the question of film in particular must be scope: not only is there the writer but there is the actor, the director, the cinematographer and about a billion other professions scrolling by in small print font as the credits roll, with One Hundred Million Dollars sunken into the creation of a printed plastic spool, extremely flammable and prone to decay. A theater is an awfully big plot of land to sacrifice for an oft-empty room.

So then, after careful consideration of all of the sacrifices that must be made in order to enjoy something like “1917,” and after staring into the face of worldwide poverty and desperate times, I ask myself “Is it worth it?”

Ashamed, sheepish and guilty, I answer: “It is.”

“1870s for the menswear.”

— Lauren Yousha ’22

“Wearing fancy hats.”

— Susannah Atkinson ’21

“The cemetery.”

—Oz JohnsonCongleton ’22

Francisco Andrade, Humor Editor Sherry Liao, Photographer

Banner design by Frankie Knuckles/The Miscellany News.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

FEATURES

Page 8

February 20, 2020

NSO brims with planeswalkers, collaborators, nerds of all sorts Rohan Dutta Columnist

F

or most, Saturday is a day of recovery— nursing hangovers and the week’s pain in time to party again that night, or to just chill with friends. However, for the members of the No Such Organization (NSO), Saturday is a day of play.

At one in the afternoon, (“morning for college students,” one member declares) approximately 15 students sit around three card-covered tables in Main’s CC204. They are members of No Such Organization (NSO), one of Vassar’s largest student organizations. More specifically, they’re part of its Magic: The Gathering subgroup. Every Saturday, members play the popular card game for three to five consecutive hours.

Thankfully, free pizza and garlic knots from Bacio’s, provided by the club, sit within easy reach.

As a card game, Magic: The Gathering requires a “large financial investment,” as NSO Vice President Davis Fitzgerald ’22 described—approximately $100 USD for eight people. Thus, Fitzgerald elaborated that the NSO “lend[s] out decks every week…so even if you don’t have a deck, you can come play for free.”

However, the NSO does a lot more than just Magic. “We try to see ourselves as a place where students can come and…find something that interests them [in] geek culture, whatever that may be,” Treasurer Maia Thomas ’20 explained. Sub-organizations under the NSO banner include Mafia, Dungeons & Dragons and Video Games, along with others. While most are run by NSO members, some are effectively separate clubs. If the NSO doesn’t lead an event,

they can still support by purchasing materials (e.g. food, equipment, consoles) and safekeeping them in their office. In a sense, the NSO is the VSA for several small organizations.

This in mind, it’s not surprising that the NSO was created specifically to rival the VSA. “People were dissatisfied with the creation of the VSA,” explained NSO President Max Dubois ’20. “So the NSO was created as like, ‘We can offer funding, we can offer support for events.’” NSO was originally termed the Non Human Organization to express disillusionment with the VSA (mocking the VSA constitution, which declared its services for “the humans of Vassar”). They still support smaller clubs, but now focus specifically on nerd culture and maintain a positive working relationship with the VSA. Several decades after their initial clashes, the NSO also has one of the largest org budgets provided by the VSA. In years past, the majority of the budget went to the annual No Such Convention, a cosplay-packed celebration of everything nerd. However, a slowly declining audience and the immense workload involved in hosting the event lead them to cancel this year’s convention. “I watched for four years, whoever the [leader] was, they would be so totally drained,” Dubois said. “All of the NSO’s focus would go into the con and then after…there’d be like three weeks where everyone was still recovering from it.” This year, the group plans to focus on other ventures, before reviving the convention with better plans and less stress. To use the budget and time previously allocated for the convention, the NSO is organizing a smaller No Such Fair and catering all of

their programs.

Monday’s weekly board games night is one of the easier events to run. “Board games night is definitely where I’ve made most of my friends…it’s a very social setting,” Thomas explained. Friends play board games together in Raymond’s MPR, exchanging jokes about wizards as they play nearly-unheard-of board games. Vassar’s nerd culture lives and thrives in the den of the Rat King.

NSO has done many great things—bringing talents like Dante Basco, voice actor of Prince Zuko in “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” onto campus, entertaining thousands at once, and managing thousands of dollars for a litany of small projects—but those lofty achievements fail to encapsulate the true purpose of all that hard work. The calm in Raymond’s MPR, punctuated by laughter and games, is the core of what the NSO seeks to achieve.

Between regular events, the NSO teams up with other on-campus entities such as the ALANA Center and the LGBTQ+ Center to make nerd culture more accessible to all.

“In geek culture, [diversity is] a huge issue. I go to a lot of [conventions]...and so I really notice the lack of women or lack of people of color,” said Thomas. Fitzgerald added, “A lot of nerd culture ends up being for white dudes, right? And that really shouldn’t be the case. It should be for everyone. That’s really what the NSO stands for.” Some recent efforts to be more inclusive include seven-hour sessions of the game Be Gay, Do Crime, organized in association with the LGBTQ+ Center.

The composition of the NSO membership is highly queer. The org also strives to

appeal to people with marginalized identities of all kinds. As DuBois put it, “I don’t know why, maybe queer just attracts queer.”

He further noted,“Queerness is something we’re good at and proud of, but we’re majority white by a pretty large margin, which is something we have been trying to work on.”

Even without the added stress of No Such Convention, organizing and overseeing the club’s high quantity of events is difficult.

“It’s definitely a lot of work,” said Thomas.

Or, as DuBois put it: “I just suffer. I just get really, really sick. I work myself to death.”

Every officer is in charge of several events per week. The club requires two secretaries, focused on crafting emails that are, as Fitzgerald asked to be put on record, “the best written on campus.” (A recent general email subject-lined “One THICC Weekly” was 1,230 words long. Unique emails are sent at least once a week.)

However, the effort appears to be worth it—when talking to any of the executive members, it’s clear the group has made a large impact on their lives. “It’d be a lot harder to find people with common interests,” noted Thomas. “I might be something of a hermit,” added Fitzgerald. It doesn’t fill in a gap left by VSA anymore, but it still fills a gap for semi-regular members looking for their niche. Adonis Mateo ’22, a frequent member of the Magic: The Gathering sessions, described their events as “everybody having fun.” He went on to explain, “The NSO does a pretty good job … It’s a pretty good deal. And they get food sometimes.”

With the smiles ever present through the whole five hours of Saturday’s session and every other event they put on, it’s hard to disagree.

Above, NSO participants demonstrate their prowess in two dimensional combat during two NSO events—Magic: The Gathering and Board Games Night.

All photos by Rohan Dutta/The Miscellany News.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

February 20, 2020

FEATURES

Page 9

Hospitality: not just for boomers, but for you, too Lindsay Craig Columnist

B

efore I came to Vassar, the word “hospitality” conjured up images of put-together, middle-aged adults hosting ornate dinner parties and serving tea in clear crystal cups. I imagined a couple effortlessly preparing perfectly plated gourmet meals in their spotless suburban home as a Schubert tune hums in the background. Hospitality was a 1950s dinner situation—safe, clean and homogenous.

With these notions stubbornly engraved in my mind, I didn’t think “crystal cup” hospitality could fit into a college setting like Vassar—a place of borrowed spaces, cramped dorm rooms and crusty kitchens. Sure, many students have successfully hosted casual meals and birthday bashes over the years. But hospitality felt weightier to me—a power I wasn’t old enough to possess and enable the practice of at campus. However, for the past four years, I’ve watched radical hospitality unfold in every corner of campus: community dinners, House Fellow tea parties, professors’ office hours and my own hosting experience at my SoCo. My notions of what hospitality should look like have been narrow and false— shrimp cocktails and decades of experience are periphery. Hospitality is not only possible here, but essential for student flourishing.

To understand how students conceptualize and practice hospitality at Vassar, I talked to a few friends and professors. My housemate Penelope Mort Ranta ’20 said she didn’t fully understand how to be an accommodating host until she studied abroad in Morocco last fall. What struck her most was her newfound friends’ willingness to graciously welcome her into their homes and immediately open up to vulnerable conversation, often prompting her to get vulnerable, too. When she returned to Vassar last spring, Penelope decided to open up her dorm room in Main for a weekly book discussion group on “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan. Some of my richest conversations on faith and love to date unfolded on her oversized beige rug. After popping handfuls of

M&Ms into our mouths on her fluffy orange pillows, we left each Thursday awed by her facilitation of deep discussion in the intimacy of her own living space.

I also reached out to Assistant Professor of Psychological Science and Strong House Fellow Lori Newman. As both her former statistics student and Strong resident, I was struck by her ability to create hospitable spaces in her Olmsted office and in Strong parlor. Reflecting on her hospitality practices at Vassar, she wrote via email, “I don’t think hospitality necessarily has to be a planned event, but taking advantage of opportunities to be hospitable when they arrive … The most important part of hospitality is making your visitors feel comfortable engaging with you, and this often means finding topics of conversation that lead to connections.”

Her ability to create comfort in a space is Newman’s favorite part about hosting Strong House’s Teasdays, which she described as a “weekly student gathering for tea, cookies, and conversation.” During this time, neighbors and friends can engage with each other while sipping cinnamon spice tea and munching on buttery shortbread. “I don’t always know all of the conversations that happen, but I love that the students relax and have a setting to spend time with one another,” she shared. Besides the free food she offers, students come because they want to feel at ease and engaged: a touchpoint for connection amid a hectic week.

TA resident Kathryn Burke ’20, who has hosted community dinners for Vassar Food Community (VFC) throughout the year, also contributed her thoughts on creating space for connection through food and rich conversation. Last week a few VFC members came to her TA to cook ginger chicken with roasted tomato and curry chickpeas, finishing with the sweet citrusy goodness of orange-cranberry muffins. For her, hospitality is a way to recreate a sense of home at Vassar, especially for first-years. She expressed gratitude to upperclassmen and faculty who welcomed her into

Above, the writer (far right) and her dinner guests. Courtesy of Hazel Johnstone. their own spaces with hospitality, because it brought her college life a sense of home.

Now as a senior, she describes how it “feels so rewarding to pay it forward…for underclassmen who are still adjusting to campus life.”

While these friends and professors could practice hospitality with ease, I still didn’t think I was qualified to act as a host myself.

When I first decided to invite some friends over for dinner, I had never hosted anything before college and my cooking skills were still infantile. Previously unasked questions emerged as I prepared to welcome friends for dinner in my home for the very first time: Am I able to provide for my guests’ needs?

Will they think this space is too sparse? Is 68 degrees warm enough? Why don’t we have more than six cups in the cabinet?

After some wild, somewhat overcooked, but lovely dinners, I realized that the core of hospitality is generous reception, not put-togetherness. In fact, the word is defined in the dictionary as “the quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, generous way” (Dictionary. com, “Hospitality”). More than clean couches and good food, it is about letting people in both physically and emotionally. By nature,

it’s a vulnerable practice.

Hosting also made me realize that my space is not my own, and neither are my resources.

My parents bought the clothes on my back.

Vassar owns this SoCo apartment. My brother gave me this computer. The chili chicken in the fridge is left over from Meals to Go. Take away all the items and spaces I have been gifted over the years, and I would probably only possess a single strand of twinkle lights (not even twinkling because Vassar pays for the electricity). Life is hospitality, sharing.

Hospitality feels so uncomfortable because opening your space to another person feels dangerous, even invasive. I’ve wondered to myself: What if people take advantage of my generosity? What if they insult my faith in my own space? What if guests mock my house’s obsession with sloths and chore charts and outdated maps? By inviting people into our private sanctuaries, we are challenged to put down our public facades and expose our raw, uncurated selves. But ultimately, a host has the power to invite those who are worthy of space and time, of vulnerability and community. And even if they’re not, maybe the shared space will facilitate growth, one curried chickpea at a time.

Adjusting takes time. Orientation starts it, FYE fills the gaps.

Lily Conroy

Guest Reporter

W

hen I was choosing where to commit to college, the social life I envisioned for myself was probably disproportionately important to me. I left high school with really good friends, and I wanted a college experience that would let me match or exceed that. But when I arrived on campus for the fall semester, I didn’t immediately find those people. I was disappointed, even though it took me most of high school to arrive at the fulfilling relationships I had on graduation day. Going home for winter break felt like leaving summer camp. In August, I moved into a new space and met some new people.

The new classes were over, the new acquaintances were dispersed across the world, and I was back with my old friends in New Rochelle.

Now that I’m well into my second semester, though, things have changed. I’ve noticed new groups forming around me, as people look to expand their social lives beyond their fellow groups or work to extend relationships that didn’t go beyond the classroom last semester. The transition to college is so much more than an academic shift, and I think many of us underestimate the degree to which we’ll be affected by our social surroundings when we’re living away from home for the first time.

The First-Year Experience (FYE) program is one of the steps put in place by administra-

tion to make this transition easier. Associate Dean of the College for Student Growth and Engagement Wendy Maragh Taylor runs this program as part of a team of administrators who plan orientation, including Dean of First-Year Students Jennifer Herrera and Associate Dean of the College for Residential Life and Wellness Luis Inoa. Maragh Taylor considers orientation to be only the first step in the First-Year Experience (FYE) program, which follows students throughout their first two semesters. “Once [orientation] ends, we continue on in supporting our students and making sure that we’re involved and interacting with them in a way that helps them to thrive,” she said. The FYE program hosts events throughout the year aimed at helping first-year students adjust to college life. For instance, the program recently sponsored a conversation dinner with Professor of Psychological Science Abigail Baird where students discussed using psychology to navigate their first year.

Maragh Taylor told me that some of the most frequent challenges she hears about at FYE events involve social life. Those who are close with their fellow groups value those relationships but want to explore more.

Many of those who aren’t struggled to form a social group at all during the first semester and hope that they can change this during the spring. Soumik Saha ’23 and Peter Dull ’23 were both in the latter situation. “[Orientation] was kind of not worth it if you don’t

really get along with your fellow group,” Saha said. “I feel like I would benefit more if I met other people from other dorms [during orientation],” Dull added. They both wished that they had had more of a chance to branch out socially and meet people from other houses at the beginning of the fall semester.

This echoed a common theme that came up in my conversation with Maragh Taylor.

Maragh Taylor hopes that FYE programming might mitigate the lack of social experiences outside of fellow groups. “That’s part of the reason that we’re doing first-year experience programs, because they’re not student-fellow specific,” she told me. Instead, each program is open to all first-years. At a recent event, she told me, most students had not met each other before, but did not hesitate to share their personal struggles from the first semester.

She hopes that the honest conversations fostered in these environments will help students grow closer to people they might not otherwise have gotten to know.

Although I can see the value in the spontaneous conversations with peers that are facilitated by FYE events, most first-years I’ve spoken to have found social fulfillment in other ways. The continuity of shared experiences seems more conducive to deep connection than a one-off encounter. Rose Trammell ’23 told me that she’s made good friends through group projects in her drama class, while Saha and Dull both mentioned the importance of affinity spaces such as the Asian Students’

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Alliance. I have made some friends through chance meetings at campus events, but most relationships in which I feel comfortable are ones developed through repeated exposure in classes or at meetings for organizations.

For Maragh Taylor, however, the most important element of FYE is allowing firstyears to feel that they are not alone in their experiences. The creation of close friendships is a good bonus, but not essential for the experience to achieve its goal. Maragh Taylor also focuses on fostering relationships between students and faculty. Most FYE events are hosted by a faculty member or administrator, and she hopes that the opportunity to interact with these staff members in a relatively casual environment will help students connect with potential mentors on campus.

“I have found that there’s a different level of comfort and ease [between students and faculty] that happens in these small spaces,” she said.

Not every first-year met lifelong friends during orientation, attended every FYE event or found a faculty mentor. Somewhere along the line, though, an adjustment has happened for most of us. First-years have made their way onto club executive boards and into close friendships. It’s still easy to feel overwhelmed by the reality of college, but many of us are now looking toward putting down roots at Vassar. I’m not sure exactly what systems made this happen, but I’m grateful that they did.

HUMOR

Page 10

February 20, 2020

Breaking News

From the desk of Francisco Andrade, Humor Editor

With sausages and tacos everywhere, campus-wide orgy a huge success: Thanks to Bacio’s and La Cabanita for catering.

Senior combats rampant ageism in shrinking job market Blair Webber

Unemployed Reporter

A

s the CDO reminds us incessantly, graduating from college means finding The Hottest Job in your career field.

Seniors must buckle down, search for their dream job and settle for nothing less—because at this point if you aren’t completely and undeniably sure about what you want in your life, what have you even been doing this whole time? Having fun? Making room for growth and change? All entirely useless without a job that will make your friends, family and enemies say, “Wow, good for them.”

Emma Auguste ’20, a double major in Econ and Theater, has been doing just that.

“I started my job search my senior year of high school. As soon as I got into Vassar, I started looking into opportunities I could pursue once I finished college. You can never be prepared too far in advance,” Auguste said.

In spite of this ruthless, go-getter attitude that will surely take her far in any career, most jobs simply do not accept applications four years in advance. Auguste had to be patient and wait until her senior year to start applying to the jobs she had carefully mapped out four years prior.

“In my ideal world, I’d run my own theater company. But running your own theater company takes time to build, so I figured I’d start small by running someone else’s,” August explained.

But what Auguste found when sending out applications, however, shook her to her core.

“I knew the economy would be a factor in finding opportunities, but I didn’t realize how intense the demand for young people in these roles is,” Auguste said. “I thought it would work in my favor because I’m 22 but I just didn’t understand how young ‘young’ is. I mean, every major theater company is run by someone 16 or younger.”

In her job research, Auguste consistently came up against the wall of companies looking for faster, younger, more productive employees and leaders. At the advanced age of 22, everyone hiring assumed she could no longer keep up.

“I guess it’s a good press angle to have someone young and edgy run your company. People are more impressed by successful young people than successful adults or something. I got laughed out of one interview for still using TikTok. I thought TikTok was cool,” Auguste shared.

Auguste, unable to find fruitful employment as the director of a theater company due to our society’s fetishization of youth, turned to her fallback plans: lead soprano for world famous opera houses and venture capital firm partner.

“I thought I’d be a shoo-in for my audition for the Met because I was up against a four-year-old. But I guess we value being a toddler YouTube sensation over training and capability. And I had a seven-year-old

offer me a VC internship working as his assistant for the summer,” Auguste said, “but he asked if he could ‘level with me’ then went on to say that once they hired someone full time for that position, it’ll probably be his friend’s little brother. I guess he’s the tallest kid in his grade and that makes him a more desirable candidate for some reason.”

Auguste continued, “I wouldn’t want to work for that VC firm anyways. It’s literally a boys’ club over there.”

Auguste isn’t the only senior who’s noticed our society’s youth culture going to this extreme. Alyssa Nimm ’20 recently applied for grad school programs in climate research but got rejected from every program.

“I found out all the spots in Cornell’s program got filled by people under the age of 18. One of them figured out how to solve differential equations when she was eight.

I guess if I’d spent less time arguing with my friends about Tamagotchi and feeling bad for not owning any gaucho pants when I was eight I’d be in grad school right now,” said Nimm.

One senior applied for a small business loan only to be told the bank only considered applications from enterprising Girl Scout troops and middle school-aged software engineers.

“We always have a lot to learn from the next generation,” the senior commented, “and I guess it’s more important for them

to start schooling us than for them to have a childhood.” Following her rejections, Auguste has made plans to return to her parents’ house. She’s swallowed her pride and taken a job working for her younger sister’s tech start up.

“It’s not what I want to do long term,” Auguste said, “but I’m grateful she had room for a full-time employee and at this point I’ll take whatever I can get.”

Pictured above is the CEO of Google.

Damn boomers. Courtesy of Flickr.

For student who only eats meat, Vassar is a daunting place Francisco Andrade

Not just a piece of meat

V

assar College, a cultural melting pot of mostly white kids. The school prides itself on appearing inclusive to folks of all races, genders, sexual orientations and even dietary restrictions. However, things may not be as rosy as they appear to be in the suspiciously multiethnic brochure. This week, I tracked down Colby Beef ’21, who in turn was tracking down some deer near Sunset Lake. As I passed his pimped out and muddied up Ford F-150, which had been left running near the woodline, I witnessed him spit out his chewing tobacco and gesture at

me to be quiet. He pointed to a deer, which was close to a makeshift rope trap. The deer stepped over the trap and walked away.

His frustration was palpable as we walked back to his truck. He then noticed a “Go Vegan” sticker on his truck, and yelled “Dammit, not again!” as he ripped it off.

This was a normal day for Beef, who is Vassar’s only carnivore student. A junior who made the meat switch late last year after watching a variety of health food documentaries, Beef has decided that he isn’t going to listen to “facts” and “reason” because he isn’t a sheeple—he’d rather eat sheeple.

That is, he would rather eat sheep; he doesn’t

Look how yummy that lion looks. That’s my dog.

Francisco Andrade/The Miscellany News.

eat people. So he claims.

“Those documentaries are full of crap!” he ranted at me as we went out of our way to walk by Ferry House so he could flip it off. “Science proves that a meat-only diet is better for you. Like for example, look at a lion...I’d love to eat a lion.” At this point, Beef started drooling heavily, and I tried to direct his attention back to the interview.

“Look bro, humans have canine teeth.

Which literally means we have to eat meat, all the time, for every meal, just like dogs or wolves. On all levels except physical we are the same!” I asked him about all the teeth in the human mouth that are not canines. He responded with a very alarming “I DON’T USE THEM,” and proceeded to show me a set of teeth that closely resembled broken tic-tacs.

Wanting to move on from the image of his mouth, which frankly reminded me of Stonehenge, I asked him why, other than the lack of a dental plan, he feels that Vassar culture is so against him.

“Because, broski, there is no representation. Firstly, the Deece is a joke when it comes to my diet. They have the nerve to display all those raw veggies and salad options, as if to insult me. And none of the nutritional information for meat includes the raw sexual energy that you get from eating meat!”

At my puzzled look from this comment, he said he had, in his parlance, “a Facebook

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

group I should check out.”

Beef continued, “I get discriminated against all the time! I was told that I could not have a meat smoker in my room, to which the administration responded that the only variety of smoke appropriate for Vassar’s cultural values is pot smoke. Granted, I did light up a joint after that, so I was not too mad. But still it’s the principle of the thing, dammit!”

Beef ventured further and further from the provided interview questions with escalating anger.

“The laundry rooms here suck, too. Vassar thinks they can skimp out on good washers just because I’m the only one always drenched in blood,” he commented.

“There was also that time that I got kicked out of biology for bringing my fork to fetal pig dissection day. It’s not like they were gonna use them after the class!”

The Beefster (he insisted I call him this) then delineated the various ways his on-campus presence is actually a benefit to Vassar.

“Deer population is down, womp-womps are watching who they cross and when the bears come looking for the deer, Imma get in on that!” he whispered as he smiled a deep depraved smile.

I thanked Colby for his time, but decided it was best to wrap it up, as I had spilled some ketchup on my hand from my lunch and he asked, “Are you gonna finish that?”

HUMOR

Momus, Goddess of Satire was really late HOROSCOPES to answering questions so Ivanna took over

February 20, 2020

Page 11

Madi Donat

Astral Projector

ARIES

I make fun of Sagittarians further down by saying they aren’t as good as you, so my advice to you is to beware of angry Sagittarians. You’re better than them, though, so you should be good.

TAURUS

Apr 20 | May 20

MERCURY IS IN RETROGRADE. Machinery is not on your side. I’d say take precautions, but Eduroam is gonna go down regardless and there’s nothing we can do about it.

GEMINI

May 21 | Jun 20

People might speak to you in riddles. What could “I’d like an apology” possibly mean?

It’s incredible, the lengths people will go to confuse you. Do nothing; it’ll blow over.

CANCER

Jun 21 | Jul 22

You might be feeling spiritual, but try to keep your wits about you. Is everything actually a sign from the universe, or do you just travel in really niche circles?

LEO

Jul 23 | Aug 22

Alcohol is never the answer. Unless you’re playing Jeopardy! and the answer (question?) they give you is “What is Alcohol?”

Or if somebody asks what to use to disinfect something. Even then, don’t tell them.

VIRGO

By Ivanna Guerra (Speaker for the Goddess)

Mar 21 | Apr 19

Aug 23 | Sep 22

D

ear Momus,

I am naturally late to everything, but now that I am in my second semester (of my third year) I can no longer use the excuse that I didn’t know where a building was. What do I do?

Sincerely, Tardy Marty P.S. Please don’t ask me to be on time.

Dear Tardy Marty, Are you truly naturally late? Like, if you sent your DNA to some website will it tell you if you have the late gene? I just imagine people in white coats in a room somewhere being like, “Ah yes. He shows the common L8 phenotype. It can be a problem in his

college years.”

As a Mexican, I can tell you that L8 is common among my people, especially when it comes to parties. If you show up on time to a house party, you will still find the host in the shower. You know, my dad was the worst at this. He would literally show up to work one hour late even though he lived right above his office. All he had to do was go downstairs! I guess it worked because he was a doctor, and you really know a doctor is good if they are late. I mean, when have you seen a doctor be on time for an appointment?

I guess what I would tell you is to do what my dad did: Find a career where it is acceptable to be late. Everyone will just think you were busy saving a life or something, when perhaps you are like my dad, who took three hours just to put his shoes on because the episode of “House of Cards” was getting good.

by Emily Leserogol

Sep 23 | Oct 22

My roommate worries that my Libra horoscopes are about her, so this time they are.

I’m worried about the food in the fridge. If you don’t eat it soon, it’s gonna spoil.

SCORPIO

Oct 23 | Nov 21

Maybe you can answer this with your good intuition: Who should be my major advisor? Department doesn’t matter; they don’t even have to work here. Would your mom do it? Responses to mdonat@vassar.edu.

SAGITTARIUS

Nov 22 | Dec 21

When I tell people that I write these, they say I’m “almost as good as the girl who used to do them.” What a mean thing to say! Anyway, you’re almost as good as an Aries.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 | Jan 19 Stay hydrated! People are getting colds all over, so try to fend off those pesky viruses. Remember the acronym ACAB: All Cool people Always Be carrying a water bottle and drinking from it.

AQUARIUS

Jan 20 | Feb 18

Apparently, Pantone’s color of 2020 is “Classic Blue.” It’s kinda boring. Unlike you.

You’re very interesting and super unique.

You could still pull off the color, though. It brings out your eyes :-) PISCES

Feb 19 | Mar 20

Sincerely, Momus

h c t C i h B r r o a n s i cles s a V

Ah, the sign that most fits its stereotype. I’m sick of telling you to stop distracting yourself with work. No more bottling up your feelings. Do SOMETHING ELSE! Go spelunking! You’re exhausting me.

LIBRA

So, if your professor tells you that you being late is “distracting the teaching process,” all you have to do is say, “I’m training to be a doctor.”

If you are a humanities major, however, I say you can still use the excuse that you don’t know where a building is. For instance, I as a history major have never had a class in Sanders Classroom, Sanders Physics, Vogelstein (CDF?), New England, Olmsted, the Old Observatory and pretty much every building that is not Swift. I am not kidding when I say that I got lost in the literal long hallway that is the Bridge Building. If your professors tease you about this, then show them this message. You are not the only one.

If they wish to send me a compass and a map, I will gladly accept it!

Womp Womp World

by Frank

Communication is harder than ever right now. If this fact has you in a funk, try exploring some new music. Maybe put those albums from middle school on the back burner? Stream “Fine Line” (2019).

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

OPINIONS

Page 12

Quite Frankly Frankie Knuckles

Managing Editor Quality Advice-Giver

Hey Frankie, I like this guy and we say hi to each other every time we see each other. I’ve decided that I need to just make a move, so I’m going to send a flirtatious email.

I’m a little worried about how to act if he just ignores my email? Do I continue saying hi and pretend nothing has ever happened? Do I ignore him?

Sincerely, Erotic Emailer Dear Emailer,

Q

uite frankly, I deeply hope it’s not too late to stop you from sending a flirtatious email to someone you hardly know.

Please—and I cannot stress this enough— do not send a flirtatious email. For multitudinous reasons, this isn’t a good or appropriate way to make a romantic overture. 1) Email is usually not the place for solely personal correspondence, particularly when you’re in your late teens or early 20s. 2) Just, like, no. I’m sorry, but no.

I get that making a move in person is probably not the most alluring option because you’d have to put yourself out there and risk rejection to your face.

But there are plenty of relatively simple ways to test the waters and hint at your interest without pushing things into rejectable territory. Instead of just saying “hi,” for instance, you could ask how he’s doing, how his classes have been or engage in any number of small talk conversations that will convey that you’ve got more than a passing interest in dialogue.

Over time, as you have more of these kinds of conversations, your options will expand. You’ll begin to forge a deeper, more personal connection with him and the opportunity to broach the subject of your feelings may arise in person.

Just in case I’m too late to stop you from hitting “send,” I’ll give you some next steps. I would say you should probably acknowledge that sending an email was an odd thing to do, and apologize for engaging in behavior that may have made him uncomfortable. The best course of action is always to come clean as soon as you can, and directly. Find him in person and have the uncomfortable conversation. Explain that you wanted to get to know him more, but you understand now that emailing him flirtatiously was not an appropriate way to forward that end.

Hopefully, he’ll be willing to move forward after that. If, however, your email made him uncomfortable, you have to respect his wishes and keep your distance.

Best wishes, Frankie P.S. I guess it’s also possible that you already sent the erotic email and it went over well. In that case, I suppose just proceed however you see fit.

Have a question you’d like Frankie to answer? Scan the QR code to submit!

February 20, 2020

Sanders isn’t Trump, but they’re both populists Jonas Trostle

Opinions Editor

H

atred of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). A ravenous and uncouth fan base. A belief that an entire swath of the United States population shouldn’t exist. Government spending funneled to the politician’s strongest voting bloc.

These are all, of course, President Donald Trump’s positions, and they clearly show off his populist tendencies.

Populism has several definitions, none of which are exhaustive, but it broadly entails uniting a band of “common folk” against a smaller group. Think Trump and his “drain the swamp” attack against the Washington establishment, or his executive orders trying to punish those living in the United States without proper documentation. Even logical consistency is no match for the power of the majority ruling for the sake of the majority: Just look at the Republican Senate’s approval of the $28 billion handout to farmers from the party famous for opposing government welfare, or when Trump said “Who the hell cares about the budget?” after saying he would eliminate the nation’s $19 trillion debt in eight years (Reason, “Trump Has Fully Embraced the Idea That Deficits Don’t Matter,” 01.31.2020). This lack of principles is built into the system of a populist candidate: People are fickle, so wherever the people’s mood takes them, so goes their leader.

This would be uncontroversial among the left if Senator Bernard Sanders was any different. Sadly, however, Sanders is a populist, one who plays by the very same playbook laid out by Trump.

Take this quote, for example: “43,000 Michiganders lost their jobs due to NAFTA. I opposed that bad deal, [Hillary Clinton] did not.” Compare it to this one: “NAFTA has led to the loss of nearly 700,000 jobs.

[Permanent Normal Trade Relations] with China has led to the loss of 2.7 million jobs.”

Can you tell which one is Trump and which one is Sanders? Both take aim at an “elite” that they perceive to be taking advantage of U.S. trade policy (so-called globalists, in the case of Trump; multinational corporations in the case of Sanders), but the important thing is that they are interchangeable, America-First, protectionist politicians working to please their base by sticking it to the man and dismantling hard fought diplomatic victories for quick political clout.

You expect to see xenophobic opposition to trade in Trump, but Sanders’ fearmongering of the industrial sector has the same result. And in case you were wondering which quote belongs to whom, both quotes are from Sanders (Twitter, @[BernieSanders], 03.03.2016); (Huffington Post, “The TPP Must Be Defeated,” 05.21.2015).

The opposition to free trade that characterizes Trump’s and Sanders’ brand of populism is not the hallmark of a populist in and of itself. More evidence is needed to stake the claim that Trump and Sanders share common ground.

Anyone who has heard of Trump has also obviously heard “Make America Great Again (MAGA).” The campaign slogan appeared across every object the then-candidate Trump could afford. Noted for their brutishness, unwavering support and low level of education, the MAGA crowd is known throughout the cultural lexicon as unpleasant, to be avoided. Bernie Sanders’ analog is already quite clear for anyone who has followed his campaigns in 2016 or 2020, or for anyone who has tried to walk a distance greater than 30 feet without encountering a “We stan an activist” flyer.

Bernie Bros, as they are nicknamed, are famous for their stubbornness and zealotry.

No candidate has a higher number of voters who would stay home if another nominee won the primary (Newsweek, “Yang, Sanders supporters least likely to support any other Democratic presidential nominee, poll says,” 02.01.2020). Not by percentage, nor by raw numbers. People can absolve Sanders of blame for having voters with a Bernie-or-nothing mentality, but the truth is that Sanders’ populist campaigning style relies on forging a cult of personality that causes his supporters to be absolute in their faith. Sure, every candidate has a band of supporters like this, but Trump and Sanders are both famous for attracting those who want to tear down the system, and who will trample any “cuckservative” or “moderate coward” who gets in their way.

But Trump and Sanders also present a clear enemy to their followers. In the case of Trump, it’s the shadowy idea of the “deep state,” the swampy Washington establishment or oppressed people crossing the border for a safer life. Sanders crusades against corporations, big pharma and the 1 percent.

While the harms of income and wealth inequality in the United States are well known and Sanders is arguably justified to rail against those he believes are crushing the lower class, remember that Trump was right when he said how corrupt the U.S. Congress was. After almost three years of the Trump presidency and a near party-line removal vote in the Senate, is anybody really questioning whether Congress is corrupt and willing to allow any behavior so long as it gets the members a result they like? No. Trump and Sanders have both pounced on legitimate flaws, but their rhetoric and rallies instead focus on punishing the perceived enemy. When Sanders says, “I don’t think that billionaires should exist,” this is not a statement that explores how his plans will raise taxes for new social programs or allow people on the lowest rung of the economic ladder to be financially secure.

Instead, it’s a term of exclusion, that the rich have no place in the country he wants to shape. In the eyes of his supporters, it becomes less about helping others than harming those who oppose you.

Populism would be incomplete without rewarding your own followers. So long as you take from a politically unpopular group, there is plenty of opportunity to strip some wealth from them and redistribute it to your base without major repercussions. Trump did it by giving $28 billion dollars away to farmers, with a disproportionate amount to southern states that gave him more support (New York Times, “U.S.

Photos courtesy of U.S. Congress and White House via Wikimedia Commons.

Edited by Frankie Knuckles/The Miscellany News.

The opinions expressed above do not represent those of The Miscellany News as a whole.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Watchdog to Investigate Trump’s Farm Bailout Program,” 02.14.2020). Bernie Sanders wants to do the same thing, just with a more privileged group.

Consider college graduates: They are probably white, have higher than average incomes and are well educated by definition (The Hill, “Census: More Americans have college degrees than ever before,” 04.03.2017). They are also generally young, healthy and considered skilled laborers.

Such young people are basically the face of the Sanders campaign, and Sanders wants to reward them with a $2.2 trillion dollar payout (Vox, “Bernie Sanders’s free college proposal just got a whole lot bigger,” 06.23.2019). By canceling the student loan debt of every person in the United States, Sanders supercharges his own base. In a vacuum, student loan debt forgiveness is clearly a positive, but think of all the better ways to spend $2.2 trillion dollars. Think of how many homeless shelters, methadone clinics, prisoner rehabilitation programs and vaccines could be created with $2.2 trillion dollars. But instead the populist streak will take over and the upper-middle class will benefit at the expense of those who are not the fervent supporters.

Certainly, the moralities of each politicians’ policies aren’t directly comparable—Trump’s locking down of the southern border is not comparable to Sanders nationalizing health care, or vice versa. In spite of this distinction, we should still be worried about the Democratic party becoming subservient to one thought leader, or worse, Sanders’ base becoming the lodestar for the country as a whole.

Everyone has already seen how the populist instinct can lead to a small but cohesive group taking out its rage on smaller groups.

Sanders’ base already assumes that the time of moderates and moderation is over. By refusing to vote for anyone but Sanders, his followers imply that anyone to the right of Sanders is as bad as Trump. These are not just the people Sanders attracts, but the ones possibly laying the groundwork for future policy.

Trump’s and Sanders’ policies are not the same. But understand that the distinction between them is solely their targets, and not their approach. The question then becomes, what happens when Sanders or his fans choose a new target? How strong will Sanders be in the face of his base turning on him? The populist mob has no loyalty, except to inflict pain on its enemies.

Even with the best intentions, Senator Bernard Sanders has created a mob. What he does with it, or it does with him, remains to be seen.

February 20, 2020

OPINIONS

Page 13

Trump focuses on imaginary issues, punishes innocent people Sawyer Bush Columnist

I

n 2016, Donald Trump ran his campaign around a plan to buckle down on immigration and build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. Remember that? Well, here we are, four years later. Trump is in office and his administration plans to waive 10 federal laws in order to accelerate the border wall construction (Business Insider, “Trump administration will waive 10 federal laws to speed up border wall construction in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas,” 02.18.2020).

Worse than this disregard for procedure and laws, however, is the fact that now Trump is unleashing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids on immigrants in sanctuary cities in California, New York, Illinois and elsewhere throughout the country (The Nation, “Trump Is Unleashing Militarized Goon Squads Against Immigrants in Sanctuary Cities,” 02.18.2020). On the personal orders of the apricot authoritarian, the units will be employing techniques developed for confrontation with some of the most dangerous drug smugglers and cartels along the U.S.-Mexico border on these local civilians.

The vast majority of undocumented immigrants in these sanctuary cities are not drug smugglers or cartel criminals (Cato Institute, “New Research on Illegal Immigration and Crime,” 09.24.2019). These people

Immigration and Customs Enforcement has conducted raids throughout the country. are working here and making just enough to send some money home to their families, and keeping just enough for themselves to live on. These people are parents, they are grandparents, they are aunts and uncles.

They are families. President Trump has given a direct order to have squadrons go into these homes and treat these people, who have done nothing more than seek a better, safer life for themselves and their families, as if they were criminals of the state, as if they were pests necessitating extermination. He does this even as the places in which they live wish to welcome them and provide them security. It is disgusting, it is inhuman and it is not the image of America we wish to project.

This country has struggled with centuries of racial apartheid which nominally ended

in the 1960s. However, we have not delivered on that promise of equality. Immigrants who come here and do not speak English perfectly are treated as second-class citizens and even those whose great-grandparents grew up as slaves in this country are still held back by the structural elements of our country’s racist history. This country claims to be a beacon of freedom and encourages people to “lift themselves up by their bootstraps,” but our politicians time and time again express fear of innocent immigrant families and workers just trying to make a living and move up in the world. Donald Trump will not fight for an America that welcomes those who are different. He will not fight for an America where white is not dominant, numerically or politically. Donald Trump fights for an America of xenophobia, Islam-

ophobia, sheer racism and inhumanity.

Hey Donald, how about instead of targeting innocent workers and families, we go after the gun lobbyists who see the statistics about school shootings but still maintain that assault rifles fall under the protection of the right to bear arms? How about we target the fossil fuel and fracking industries that threaten our environment on a daily basis?

How about we fight the big business pharmaceutical companies that want to charge $750 for a singular pill of Daraprim, used by some AIDS patients (CNN, “Here’s what happened to AIDS drug that spiked 5,000%,” 08.25.2016).

How about instead of launching attacks on innocent families using your racist ideologies to call them all rapists and murderers, we launch attacks on these other real threats to our country? This is what threatens our country on a daily basis, and innocent immigrants seeking the safety of cities that welcome them do not fall into that category.

But none of these real issues are of concern for President Trump, because his fan base is more intent on harming those who don’t look like them than solving issues that are of real danger to them.

Let’s end a history of racism and xenophobia and acknowledge that immigrants are what makes America great. You want to make America great again? Tear down the walls, stop the raids.

There is no ‘us’ in ‘caucus.’ Primaries are the only way forward.

Josie Schermerhorn Guest Columnist

T

his primary season has seen substantial debate about whether Iowa, a mostly white state that has a complicated system for reporting results, should be the site of the first caucus or primary of the presidential election. Moreover, the Iowa caucus features an incredibly low voter turnout, with only about 17 percent of Iowans taking part in 2016 (UVA Center for Politics, “Primaries versus caucuses: The score so far in 2016,” 04.21.2016). Low voter turnout is not a problem exclusive to Iowa’s caucus, and Iowa is just one of many caucusing states with low turnouts that don’t represent the state as a whole. For states with primaries, the average turnout rate was 36.1 percent in 2016, while for states with caucuses, it was 11.3 percent (UVA Center for Politics). The people whose lives are often most affected by policies—people with disabilities, people who work evenings, parents with young children—are, disproportionately, the people who can’t access a caucus. I’ve seen this lack of accessibility first hand while volunteering at a caucus in Minnesota and through the experiences of my family members.

Caucuses prevent large groups of people from having their voices heard, which is why the process needs to switch over to being a primary-only system. Like with any change to the political system, there are barriers to overcome. Each state determines whether it uses a caucus or primary system. In order to switch from a caucus to a primary system, the citizens of states that still use caucuses would have to call for change themselves. Although challenging, this is not an impossible task: Minnesota swapped its system following the overcrowded 2016 caucus (StarTribune, “New law will shift Minnesota’s presidential caucuses to primaries,” 12.29.2016).

Minnesota has seen the highest voter

turnout rate in general elections of any state, with a 75 percent turnout in the 2016 presidential election, but the turnout rate for the 2016 caucus was only 10.2 percent, and even then locations across the Twin Cities were overwhelmed by the number of caucus-goers (FairVote, “Voter Turnout”); (Minnesota Secretary of State, “Historical Voter Turnout Statistics”). Even in politically active Minnesota, the turnout was lower than every state where both major parties held primaries (UVA Center for Politics).

“Low voter turnout is not a problem exclusive to Iowa’s caucus, and Iowa is just one of many caucusing states with low turnouts that don’t represent the state as a whole.”

In 2016, I was too young to vote, so I volunteered at the Democratic caucus that took place at my high school in St. Paul, Minnesota. The student-volunteers showed people which room they were caucusing in based on their precinct. As soon as the caucus started, people streamed in.

It didn’t take long before there were people

lined up in the hallways waiting to get into their room to cast their ballot. This wasn’t unique to my location; across the Twin Cities, caucus locations were overcrowded (Twin Cities Pioneer Press, “Huge crowds for Twin Cities DFL, GOP caucuses,” 03.01.2016). To make things go quicker, we started going down the lines with a checkin sheet, a coffee can and post-it notes for people to write down which candidate they were supporting because we had run out of actual ballots.

As I rushed around helping people find out where to vote, I noticed a person standing against the wall and I thought he looked a bit uncomfortable, but before I could make the decision to go over and help him someone else had approached me asking where to go. It was 10 minutes or so before I was back in the same spot and saw the man still standing there. I went over to see if he needed help, and it turned out that he needed assistance finding the room for his precinct, but, more importantly, he needed help navigating the crowd, which was making him anxious. As I walked him down the hallway, we chatted—although I often had to interrupt our conversation to ask people to clear a path so we could get through. As we talked, he mentioned that he had autism, which made this caucus especially anxiety-inducing for him, and I remarked that my brother has autism as well. We arrived at his room, which luckily did not have a line. Later that night, I talked with my family members about how crowded it had been at their caucus location. I thought about how my brother likely would not have been able to caucus if he hadn’t had someone with him to navigate the crowd.

My brother wasn’t the only member of my family who faced roadblocks to being able to caucus—my dad wasn’t able to vote because he was working that evening.

Luckily for my dad, brother and many other Minnesotans who faced challenges

The opinions expressed above do not represent those of The Miscellany News as a whole.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

related to caucusing, Minnesota passed bipartisan legislation to switch the state to a primary for nominating presidential candidates due to the large crowds at both the Democratic and Republican 2016 caucuses (Minnpost, “How Minnesota’s switch to a presidential primary might impact the 2020 election,” 04.23.2019).

Precincts still hold caucuses a week before the primary to discuss issues to add to the party platform and to choose delegates for candidates in state-wide races. Therefore, people who want to get more involved with the state party still have that option.

But on the day of the primary, people can go and vote throughout from morning until night, so there won’t be large crowds to push through, not to mention the absentee early voting options.

Minnesota was not the only state to recently switch over to a primary system. In 2020 only four states will not have a primary, so it may feel unimportant to push for a primary-only system, but two of the states that still hold caucuses are Iowa and Nevada which are two states whose results are given a large amount of attention (New York Times, “Besides Iowa, These Are the States With Caucuses,” 02.04.2020). The importance given to the results of these caucuses is an incentive for these states to continue using the system they have even though it results in lower participation. Ultimately the decision to switch is made not by the Democratic or Republican National Committees, but by the state parties and legislature (The Washington Post, “Everything you need to know about how the presidential primary works,” 05.12.2015). This makes it especially important for voters in states that still caucus to call on their states to change to a primary. Until they do, some people will be blocked from participating in the nomination process and won’t have a say in choosing which candidate best serves their needs and represents their values.

SPORTS

Page 14

February 20, 2020

#1 Springfield, #2 Vassar stir up raucous Brewer faithful Continued from Springfield on page 1 of Kenyon’s volleyball gym, were packed with two hundred-odd students clad in white. A friend of mine sat on the floor next to the bleachers, so packed were the stands. For two hours, Kenyon Hall was transformed into a box of noise and vibration, like a square alarm clock. Firstyear middle blocker Gavin van Beveren described the crowd: “I love home games, and it was really exciting to see a lot of campus, a good chunk of people there.” Senior outside hitter Kevin Ros said that “We definitely react to that energy,” and the Brewers backed up his claim by taking the first set in commanding fashion, 25-16.

Throughout the game, Vassar head coach Richard Gary maintained a cool

demeanor, sitting with his legs crossed and hardly uttering a word as his team tried to wrestle the nation’s top spot from the Pride. His laid-back style of in-game coaching is something his players appreciate greatly. First-year outside hitter Andrew Kim explained, “He doesn’t want to micromanage techniques, and as a player, you don’t want to be overthinking in the middle of a game.” Ros pointed out that Springfield’s assistants sit with computers in their laps and give real-time feedback to their players, making them aware of their own tendencies. These “micro-adjustments” are more commonly seen at the professional level, Ros said, and the Brewers know themselves well enough to prefer Gary’s zen to the Pride’s num-

Steven Koja ’23 tees-up Gavin van Beveren ’23 for a kill. Courtesy of Vassar Athletics.

ber-crunching. Van Beveren added, “If I were to receive too much information in the middle of a game, it might not be productive. For me this style of coaching is beneficial.”

Springfield roared back in the middle sets, taking the second and third by respective scores of 25-19 and 25-22. When Springfield outside hitter Jarrett Anderson slammed the ball into the floor on the Brewers’ side of the net to give the Pride a 2-1 lead, a deafening hush fell over the Vassar supporters. As Ros later reflected, however, “Yeah, they’re the number one seed, but they’re not unbeatable.” Van Beveren opened the fourth set with a thundering kill and kicked his right foot up like a pitcher delivering a windup, shouting in celebration as Kenyon erupted. The Brewers took the fourth set 25-22, setting the stage for a dramatic finale.

The fifth set couldn’t have been much closer. Springfield and Vassar traded points until the Brewers won three straight, capped off by a Kim kill. The Pride responded by running off three straight points of their own, taking a 9-8 lead. Every time a Springfield player served, the drumming of the crowd’s feet made the gym shake, and I couldn’t hear myself think. At 10-10, Vassar’s junior opposite Jefferson Waters slammed a kill and then crumpled onto the ground. Initial fears of a serious injury were assuaged when Waters’ calf began visibly pulsing as it cramped, sending disgusted but sympathetic tremors through the crowd. His strain sidelined him for the rest of the game, and first-year outside hitter Joseph Harrington took his place on the Vassar side. Van Beveren and Ros both said that Waters’ injury “disrupted our rhythm,” though they made clear in hindsight that they had overthought the substitution.

Vassar’s play was not hindered by the break. They took a 13-11 lead, and Springfield called a timeout with Vassar two points away from victory. The crowd started chanting, “Rattled! Rattled! Rattled!” The Brewers got three chances to close the game, leading 14-12, 14-13 and 1514, but the Pride kept their foot in the door and eventually busted it open. Undaunted by the crowd, which hurled varied, clever and generally grandmother-approved verbal abuse at the visitors, Springfield came back and took the final set, 17-15.

The disappointment was palpable as my classmates and I trudged out of Kenyon, but the Brewers kept their heads up. Ros said, “We focus less on the result and more on positives and negatives. We take it not just one day at a time, but one practice at a time, one lift at a time.”

One day at a time, the Brewers also mentor each other. Kim said, “One thing that’s different is you have 22-year-olds on the team. I don’t really consider myself an adult yet, so it’s great to have role models to talk to in this big transition year.” Ros concurred, adding, “It’s different being a first-year looking in and then being a senior looking at the other side of the fence.

My goal as a senior is to create an environment where everyone can be their best, and I want that environment to be around after I leave.”

So what’s next for the Brewers? A weekend series against Stevens and Elms Colleges (as of printing, the Brewers went 1-1), and then a long slate of games before conference playoffs begin on April 10.

Though they plan on making a run at an NCAA championship, the Brewers aren’t looking past the present. This is encapsulated in the team’s motto, which Ros shared: “What’s the most important day of the season? Today.”

Jackie Cenan Basketball

Cenan is a senior, captain and our Brewer of the week. Courtesy of Vassar Athletics.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Jackie Cenan, senior guard of women’s basketball, is your Brewer of the week! Laguna Beach’s finest capped her final regular season homestand with a pair of stellar games. Over the weekend, Cenan averaged a team best 18 points per game and corralled three steals in each bout.

The captain led her Brewers to dueling wins over Union College and William Smith. She was particularly on top of her game against the Herons of Geneva, shooting 10 of 17 from the field and picking the pockets of opponents thrice. Where the Brewers struggled from close range during the first half, Cenan plopped down her bankers box on her desk in the paint and went to work. Her four years in this hoop academy we call Vassar College were on display as she pulled off a slick fake pass for a lay-in that would’ve confused the baseline cameraman (if only we had one in the AFC). In the third quarter, she wove through a flock of Herons to get a tough, fading floater to go. This editor hopes her dominant play continues and leads the Brewers to more esteemed awards come playoff time.

SPORTS

February 20, 2020

Page 15

Seniors reflect on idiosyncratic years of Vassar hoops Continued from Seniors on page 1 ing the last players remaining in the class of 2020. “Coming in, we weren’t the closest freshman year, but each year we both realized that we are the same kind of dude as far as how we play and how we carry ourselves,” explained Kappes. Brownridge added, “We are both just unwilling to quit, and we really want to keep pushing ourselves. We’re quick to feed off each other.”

The two also bonded over having to start over with a new coach, as BJ Dunne departed for the apparently greener pastures of Gettysburg in the summer of 2018. Kappes described the feeling: “You don’t know who’s coming in, you don’t know if he’s going to like you. It’s tough to stay with it through that change, but I definitely appreciate what [Head Coach] Mee brings to the table.”

Brownridge continued, “You gotta prove yourself to a whole new coach, and I think Kyle and I really try to do that because the two choices are you either quit or you just embrace it.”

After four long years playing for the Brewer name across their chests, the seniors were full of memories. Each player talked about their moments fondly and graciously, dis-

playing with more than their words just how important their basketball careers have been in shaping their Vassar experience.

Kappes picked last year’s preseason trip to Barcelona as his favorite, while three of the four other seniors chose postseason moments. Peczuh reminisced on the team’s atlarge bid last year to the NCAA tournament: “I have to go with a classic: Just making it to the NCAAs last year. When we finally got there, it was just exactly how I pictured it with signs everywhere and our jerseys were washed really specially, and they smelled really good. I just remember all the details, and being really happy the whole time.” Nick elaborated, “Every one of our postseason games has been special, we haven’t always had success, but the excitement of knowing you can win that game and keep winning, there’s nothing really stopping you.” Brownridge said of his first playoff game, against RIT [Rochester Institute of Technology]: “That was a big moment where you can see how much hard work pays off during the season with the team, but then it all comes down to one game, the intensity and everyone was so locked in.”

Cenan picked a more personal experience:

coming back from an ACL tear to play in her last season healthy. She explained, “A part of me wants to say the winning streak from last year, but also this past weekend was big for me because I feel like I’m finally coming back from my ACL tear, and feeling really confident with the team’s chemistry this season and excited to see how this season will end.”

Senior Day marks the end of the regular season, and with it the hopes of competing in, and even winning, the Liberty League Tournament. This Friday and Saturday, the Brewers will take on Ithaca and RIT, respectively. The women have clinched their spot in the Liberty League playoffs thanks to their impressive 13-1 conference record. They hope to extract revenge on RIT, who took the Liberty League crown from them last season. This could be the year that they win an automatic bid to the NCAA Playoffs, instead of the at large bid that they earned last year.

The men will also be traveling to Ithaca and Rochester Institute of Technology this weekend for their final two games of the regular season. The team currently sits at 6-10 and will need to return to Poughkeepsie with at least one win if they want to compete in this year’s Liberty League Tournament. The 2020

tournament would be the first for both head coaches at Vassar.

We eventually had to address the elephant in the room: We asked all of the seniors if they were ready to leave Vassar and their teams.

Peczuh may have summed it up best, saying, “I think more so as a student than a player.

As a freshman, I was like ‘Seniors, what do you mean you want to leave here?’ but now I’m, like, ok, I am ready to get a job and have a new rhythm of life, but then imagining all of that without basketball is the scary part.”

Nick and Brownridge talked about the sacred bonds that teammates form—the part of Vassar they will miss most—while Kappes explained the bittersweetness of leaving.

“Could you ever be ready? It’s a guarded community here, it’s an awesome place. The real world is very different,” he said. “I think we're both happy to have figured out what we're doing next year, but you love college and everybody talks about how much they miss college and you're out of it.” However, this may not be the last time you see the Class of 2020 in burgundy and gray, because knowing this bunch, you will see them taking the court once again next year—this time as alums.

Family members, friends, professors and fans showed out to support their seniors on Saturday, Feb. 15 in the AFC. Courtesy of Vassar Athletics.

D

espite falling to William Smith in the Liberty League championship game, Vassar women’s soccer finished the season with a strong 11-8-1 record. The Brewers’ defense was particularly tough, forcing opponents into poor shots. Only 44.5 percent of the shots taken by Brewer opponents were on goal, the second-lowest percentage since 2000.

Wait. If the defense was so strong, then why did they allow their 7th highest goals per game among their last 17 seasons? I theorized that the low shots on goal percentage (SOGP) the Brewers held their opponents to might correspond to a high number of total shots allowed. World-class teams playing against vastly inferior ones can maintain accuracy while taking tons of shots, because they can get point-blank looks at the goalmouth at will. Alternatively, vastly inferior teams can manage very few shots, and they tend to be desperate 35-yard prayers because they can’t get closer to the goal. However, in evenly matched games like your average Liberty League contest, the more shots you take, the higher your divisor is for SOGP, and the lower your per-

centage of shots on goal will be. You are less likely to be accurate on any given shot, but more likely to score a goal over the course of a 90-minute game chock-full of shots.

The data support my theory (Vassar College Athletics, “Women’s Soccer Cumulative Statistics,” 02.16.2020). Opponents’ shots per game significantly predicted their SOGP, explaining 16.8 percent of the variance in their SOGP (r2 = .168, p = .10). For every extra shot taken, SOGP decreased by one percent on average. While opponents’ SOGP did not predict the amount of goals they scored per game (r2 = .005, p > .50), the amount of shots opponents took per game did, explaining 11.3 percent of the variance in opponents’ goals per game (r2 = .113, p = .19). For every extra shot taken, opponents’ goals per game increased by 6.5 percent on average.

It’s a simple case of expected value: If adding one shot decreases the accuracy (in terms of a shot being on goal) of all other shots, then the expected value of the new shot should be equal to or greater than the expected value taken away by reducing the accuracy of all other shots. For example, say

a team takes 50 shots one game at a SOGP of 40 percent. According to the model, if they were to try and take 51 shots the next game, their accuracy would likely decrease to 39 percent for all of those shots—is the expected value of another shot at an accuracy of 39 percent worth the one percent accuracy (and thus, expected value) it takes away

from the 50 other shots?

Another SOGP tidbit: Number of corner kicks per game significantly predicted SOGP, but not in the way you might think.

For each extra corner kick, SOGP decreased by .16 percent on average (r2 = .113, p < .10).

Taking an accurate shot off of a corner kick is hard!

Surprise, surprise: To score you have to shoot. Courtesy of Carlisle Stockton.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Page 16

February 20, 2020

Julian Aguilar/The Miscellany News.

The Miscellany Crossword

“Bear with Me” ACROSS 1. aka grizzly bears 6. stop, yield, one-way 10. specifies an unidentified item in a series of numbers 13. recorded sound 14. endangered Coca-Cola bears 16. an age or period of history 17. not in working order, unable to be used 19. MOM upside-down 20. Wizards of Waverly Place mom’s first name but spelled differently 21. embarrassed, ashamed, disconcerted 23. to position oneself in a chair 25. deceived or omitted truth 26. Egyptian cobra 29. falsetto without the autumn season 32. to grasp or hold tightly 34. an amorphous gelatin lump 36. past participle of lie 37. relating to birth, a kind of astrology chart 39. ‘pink’ in Spanish

Answer to last week’s puzzle

40. word said in cheers 41. a queue 42. top floor, usually storage space 44. in groups- a murder 46. extinct bird found by Phineas and Ferb 47. the body of a ship 48. angel’s headwear 50. nickname for grandma 51. organ of photosynthesis 53. percussion instrument 55. what a company does to superfluous employees, 2 words 58. exactly right, 2 words 62. a drunkard 63. before being able to read 65. to employ or utilize 66. material that rocket fuel cannot melt 67. an obsolete artifact 68. author of the School Survival Guide 69. Latin phrase for “and others” 70. smallest bears in North America

DOWN 1. incentive to enter trap 2. a magical symbol or letter 3. scent, often unpleasant 4. windshield, baby, makeup 5. Greek word referring to the perception of the mind 6. health, beauty, and relaxation establishment 7. an extremely small amount 8. fluent yet thoughtless 9. pertaining to the military at sea 10. most recent copy, 2 words 11. to clomp or step heavily 12. action after hemming 15. to officially quit 18. honey badger 22. common newspaper name

by Frank

24. substance used in food and ironing 26. city of the Taj Mahal 27. you would think these bears are lazy and slow 28. hypothesized 30. headwear for princesses and toddlers 31. paused, 2 words 33. endangered black and white bear 35. popular Irish Cream 38. Natalie Portman’s film debut 43. grabs or fastens 45. the most awful

49. excellent, incredible 52. one’s area of expertise 54. common edible mushroom 55. to misplace 56. the hands of the legs 57. tiny bug that runs away 59. musical meter in classical Indian music 60. relating to the ear 61. home to the throat and jugular 62. aka honey bear 64. sick