The Miscellany News
Since 1866 | miscellanynews.org
Volume CLII | Issue 5
October 3, 2019
Orange gives Starr Lecture
Proposals reimagine vacant YMCA center Lucy Brewster Guest Reporter
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Leila Raines
Guest Reporter Courtesy of Tiffany Trumble
he vacant, cement YMCA on Montgomery Street in the City of Poughkeepsie has been abandoned for nearly 10 years, but now there is hope of new life for the former community center. The city has received four main proposals since early April, each with a vision for how this space could benefit the Poughkeepsie community. The proposals include Eastman Campus, a robust community center with an array of services, an aquatic center with indoor and outdoor facilities and two different proposals for contemporary art museums. Eastman Campus, the project with the most public support, is the only proposal that offers an accurate construction timeline for the facility. Vassar College is part of the 35 Montgomery Coalition that is proposing Eastman Campus, but it has not yet pledged any funding for the project. A public information meeting will be held on Oct. 22 at Changepoint Church to solicit input from the
community. Public officials will attend and voice opinions after hearing the plans in more depth. Dutchess County Legislator Barbara Jeter-Jackson, who is on the advisory committee that will review the proposals, commented, “Although I’m interested in the applications presented, I also have further questions.” Some are most likely related to funding, given that none of the plans have a concrete budget, and many of them cite no sources of funding at all. Dutchess County has pledged $3 million to whichever proposal is selected, but rebuilding the YMCA is a huge financial undertaking, and most proposals will likely cost far more. However, President Bradley has written in the College’s statement of support for the project that Vassar is “not in a position to provide funding for the project,” adding that Vassar’s involvement in the creation of Eastman Campus seems to be limited, with the college focusing on their own upcoming construction projects. In a letter of support, President See YMCA on page 4
Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
Renowned author Tommy Orange, above, reads a passage from his bestselling novel “There There” at the William Starr Distinguished Lecture. The novel was the common reading for the Class of 2023.
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ack in June, as summer began and the countdown to movein day commenced, I, like the rest of the Class of 2023, received my copy of Tommy Orange’s debut novel “There There” in the mail. When I pulled the paperback book out of the big envelope, the bright orange cover and yellow spine instantly struck me. Three See LECTURE on page 6
Flavored e-cig ban angers students Aena Khan
News Editor
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n Sept. 15, I awoke to the steady sound of buzzes emitting from my phone. A quick look through my texts and news headlines provided me with the cause of the furor. Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) had just issued an executive order banning the sale of flavored e-cigarettes. Among the
memorable responses were, “Who the fuck does Cuomo think he is?” and “Can’t adults enjoy fruit flavors too? Goddamn.” Although the Trump administration and FDA announced a plan to ban many flavored e-cigarettes from the market—including mint and menthol—New York became only the second state to formally announce regulations, effective
since Sept. 17, 2019. Likewise, the decision followed New York State Legislation S.2833/A.558, wherein the minimum legal age limit to purchase tobacco will be raised from 18 to 21. An estimated dozen vaping-related deaths across the nation further prompted the decision (USA Today, “New York adding menthol to flavor e-cigarette See E-CIGS on page 3
Exhibit fuses dance, photography Costume shop stitches together past, present Carissa Clough
Guest Columnist
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o communicate without speaking: an idea that sings of freedom and power to a young boy who is bullied for the way he speaks, an idea that provides expression and release to dancers across the globe, an idea that Steven Caras discovered when he first observed the art of ballet on the Ed Sullivan show when he was a child.
The dream of becoming one of these master-communicators was immediately born, and Caras became obsessive over the idea of being a ballet dancer for the first 15 years of his life. Once he realized his dream of taking a ballet class, his love affair with classical ballet was finally underway. Caras continued his dance journey, going on to study at the Joffrey Ballet School. He would eventually dance for the New York City
Yvette Hu/The Miscellany News
“Steve Caras: A Dancer Captures Dance” is on display at the Palmer Gallery in the College Center through Oct. 18. The exhibit provides a rare, intimate look into the enigmatic world of ballet.
Inside this issue
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Police unions have two goals: raise your taxes, OPINION and evade officer punishment
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Ballet, under the guidance of the company’s influential co-founder George Balanchine. When Caras was 25, he lost his favorite role to a newcomer in the company. It served as a rude reality check for Caras, and reminded him that ballet careers are shortlived, or in the way Caras states it, “The wings loosen and then they fall and then you join the planet with the rest of the mortals.” To cope with his newfound mortality, Caras began exploring another passion and mode of communicating without speaking: photography. He went from the stage to the wings, from being applauded to being shushed, from having the lead role to being behind the camera. The side hobby of snapping photos between his parts on stage soon evolved into a fervor that consumed him. He began capturing everything he saw at the company. He caught moments of privacy, of performance, of posed technique. This new way of experiencing dance through photography catapulted Caras into a new creative career. People responded differently to his shots than they did to See DANCE on page 7
Woe is me, and probably you too! Overworked firstHUMOR year shares her plight
Delila Ames Reporter
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bustling, colorful workspace in the lower level of the Vogelstein Center for Drama and Film is unbeknownst to many Vassar students. Behind the scenes of every mainstage production, senior drama thesis and student performance, there is a team of dedicated workers who see the costume design process through from start to finish. The upper level of the costume shop is often abuzz with students engrossed in measuring and layering fabrics. According to Lecturer of Costume Design Kenisha Kelly, the costume shop has supported the Drama Department and its productions for many decades. She and costume shop coordinator Pamelia Prior are the backbone of the design department. Kelly does everything from teaching courses in the positioning and pinning of fabric and its design to gathering fabric from the Garment District in Lower Manhattan, while Prior coordinates and oversees all the dayto-day functions of the shop. Legend has it that the costume shop used to exist in the basement
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of the Old Avery Calisthenium where the Vogelstein currently stands. Students used old horse stalls in abandoned barns to store costumes. The collection that the costume shop maintains today has over 800 pieces and stretches across Vogelstein’s lower level. The vibrant array of outfits range in style from the early 1800s to modern day outfits to the garb of future worlds. There are six-foot hoops flowing with taffeta and chiffon, adjacent to the racks and rows of costumes, all organized by style and time period. The aisles are labeled with categories like “civilian overcoats,” “ecclesiastical” and “ponchos.” Wedding veils organized by color sit in boxes next to military helmets and leotards. “The stockroom is essentially the most meticulously well-kept thrift store I’ve ever seen,” commented student-worker Jake Foster ’21. The real gem, however, is deep in the back, hidden beyond the blue flannels and orange floral dresses: the historical collection. The pieces in this collection have been donated and saved over the years, with See COSTUME SHOP on page 11
Problem or plus? NFL players are retiring earlier SPORTS than ever