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The Miscellany News

Students demand College accountability Palak Patel and Rhys Johnson Editor-in-Chief and News Editor

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n Jan. 26, a letter was electronically disseminated to the campus community which called for a major change in the upper levels of administration at Vassar. The letter, authored by the Vassar Student Organizers, outlined multiple situations from the past in which the Administration has failed to prompt change on campus and led to further anger and distrust between students, faculty and administration.

Volume CXLVII | Issue 11

January 29, 2015

Since 1866 | miscellanynews.com

The letter, distributed as an email, states, “We are calling for new senior leadership. Enough is enough. For the same reasons that President Hill and Dean Roellke have failed at their jobs in the past, we have no reason but to believe that they will continue failing in the future.” The Vassar Student Organizers entreatied students, faculty and alumnae/i to forward the letter to Chair of the Board of Trustees John Plapinger, President Catharine Hill and Dean of See LETTER on page 4

Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY

Debate attends world tournament Sarah Sandler Guest Reporter

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any college students’ winter breaks include some sort of traveling, whether to a foreign country, or just somewhere a train ride or road trip away. Less often does this almost six-week stretch of time comprised of a nearly 24-hour plane ride and the opportunity to go to one place where there are people from over 90 nations. On Dec. 27, three students from

the Vassar Debate Society arrived at the Worlds Debate Tournament in Malaysia, where they would test their prowess against teams from around the world. Of these was Hannah Matsunaga ’16, who wrote in an emailed statement, “[Sophia Pitcairn ’16, Max Moran ’16 and I] were chosen as representatives because of our performance at previous tournaments and commitment to the team.” The Vassar Debate Society tries

to send a team to the Worlds Debate Tournament at least every other year. However, the Worlds tournament uses British Parliamentary style debate, which is not common in the Vassar’s team regular competition circuit in Northeast United States. This style of debate includes four teams of two speakers each with a first proposition, a first opposition, a second proposition and a second opposition. Matsunaga explained, See DEBATE on page 13

ResLife tackles spring housing shortage Noble Ingram Senior Editor

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Courtesy of Max Moran

n Jan. 15, the Office of Residential Life sent an unexpected announcement to students returning to campus from abroad or otherwise for the spring semester. These students received an email explaining that, although traditionally the Office of Residential Life could guarantee singles or single equivalents to juniors returning from abroad, the Office would be unable to do so this year. This revelation marks only the most recent struggle with regards to ensuring on-campus housing for all students, as Residen-

tial Life faced a similar housing issue in the fall of 2014. In the days following this most recent announcement, amidst anger and concern among both returning juniors and underclassmen who would be unexpectedly receiving upperclassmen roommates, Residential Life administrators have worked to provide as many juniors as possible with singles while also placing additional upperclassmen in the necessary group housing situations. As the email read, “At our most recent count, there are only 84 singles and 40 beds in apartments, suites See HOUSING on page 3

The Vassar Debate Society sent Hannah Matsunaga ‘16, Sophia Pitcairn ‘16 and Max Moran ‘16 to the Worlds Debate Tournament in Malaysia over Winter Break. The three debaters competed against students from over 90 nations.

Gregoline thesis fuses text, image Athletics Department embraces young talent W Emma Rosenthal Arts Editor

hen many Vassar students hear “graphic novel,” they immediately think “Fun Home” by Alison Bechdel. Now, there is a new graphic novelist on Vassar’s campus–and she’s a student. Emma Gregoline ’15 combined her love for art and passion for writing to make a unique senior thesis: “Living in Ink: Embodiment in the Diary Comics of Julie Doucet and Gabrielle Bell.” “It’s an illustrated, visually-narrated

critical study of the ‘diary comic’ form that examines the work of prominent ‘comic diarists’ Gabrielle Bell and Julie Doucet under a feminist lens,” Gregoline wrote in an emailed statement about her thesis project. However, before this project came into her mind, and even before Vassar, Gregoline had art and writing in her sights. “I’ve always been interested in art for as long as I can remember. I was lucky enough to have a mom who read me tons of storybooks.

“Even in high school, I kept these really secretive diaries where I would draw and write down everything that happened to me, even memorable things that I ate,” she wrote. At Vassar, Gregoline continued working with the marriage of art and writing. She commented, “I’m an English major with an art minor. I’ve always felt a little deficient in both— it’s funny because when Alison Bechdel came to Vassar to speak, she shared See GREGOLINE on page 16

courtesy of Emma Gregoline

Emma Gregoline ’15 blends passion for art and love of writing to create a graphic essay for her senior thesis. Pulling from favorite authors and class work at Vassar, she created learned and created graphic novel style and content.

Inside this issue

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Winter Break travellers explore TRAVEL world sites

14 ARTS

Local musical acts descend on Mug for No-Vice show

Erik Quinson Reporter

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his semester, Vassar Athletics is joined by two new faces. Mike Callahan will be coming in as the Assistant Director of Athletics for Sports and Recreation, while the training room will be accepting Ian Shultis. Shultis will be replacing Josh Bellavance, while Callahan will add to the core of the staff of the Athletics Department who will soon be waving goodbye to Roman Czula, Vassar’s Life Fitness Director. Mike Callahan has some xperience working at Vassar before being hired this year. He served as the Summer Sports Camp Manager during the summer of 2011, from April to August. When he starts this semester as Assistant Director, Callahan, among many other obligations, will again be responsible for the summer sports camps, a prospect that drew him back to Vassar. The strong academics and athletics that Vassar has to offer also helped to bring Callahan to campus. In an emailed response, Callahan cited Vassar’s resources as one of its strong points. “The athletic facilities here at Vassar are top notch, which will help make my job much easier,” he explained.

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Before he began work at Vassar, Callahan worked at Iona College for three and a half years as Coordinator for Recreation and Intramurals. While there, he looked after far more than just the intramurals program. He organized game day operations, transportation for 21 teams, and a host of other responsibilities, including the coordination of over one hundred student workers. With all his experience, Callahan is undeterred by his new challenge. At Iona, “I had to wear many different hats just like I am going to have to do here at Vassar,” he wrote. While Callahan is responsible for far more intramurals at Vassar, he says his main goal in the coming semester is to increase student participation in the intramural program. Callahan has big plans to make this happen. He intends to offer more leagues and tournaments. “Each league and tournament will have a playoff, a championship and each champion will be awarded a championship T-Shirt. I also planned to offer more leagues and tournaments.” Callahan wrote in an emailed statement. He also will introduce an Instagram page See NEW HIRES on page 18

Men’s volleyball aims to build on SPORTS previous season


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