The Miscellany News
Since 1866 | miscellanynews.org
Clark Xu
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
Loeb exhibit revives French fashions Andrea Yang
& Francophone Studies (FFS) Susan Hiner with the assistance of Emily Chancey ’18, the exhibit showcases a diverse range of media such as prints, drawings and photographs in various styles. The artworks transport one to another era and offer insight into the life of French people from different status and social backgrounds. Hiner revealed the secrets behind the making of “Accessorizing Paris” and acknowledged that it has been See FASHION on page 6
ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR
Exhibition “Accessorizing Paris: Fashion and Art in the Nineteenth Century” is currently on view through March in the Focus Gallery at the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center. Juxtaposed with Chinese landscapes in the neighboring room, “Accessorizing Paris” provides a snapshot of the French fashion culture and allows viewers a glimpse of the past. Organized by Professor of French
Stroker defies ableist limitations Matt Stein
ASSISTANT ARTS EDITOR
When Ali Stroker was growing up, she had a dream of being on Broadway. Already a challenging feat, Stroker’s goal seemed even further away since she was confined to a wheelchair, having been paralyzed from the chest down in a car accident when she was two years old. Nevertheless, in 2015, Stroker became the first actress in a wheelchair to appear on Broadway, originating the role of Anna in Deaf West’s revival of “Spring Awakening,” achieving her dreams and defying the odds. On Sunday Feb. 11, actress Ali Stroker will be headlining the 16th annual Modfest at 3 p.m. in the Martel Theater. Stroker will give a performance followed by a discussion with Professor of English Leslie Dunn and recent graduate Christian Lewis ’17. Tickets are available through the Vassar Box Office. Co-directed by Christine Howlett and Tom Pacio, Modfest’s theme this year is “Adapting.” Howlett is Associate Professor and Chair of Music and Director of Choral Activities and Pacio is Interdisciplinary Arts Coordinator of Creative Arts Across Disciplines. Pacio explained why Stroker’s artistry and advocacy made her the perfect fit to headline this year’s Modfest: “Ali is a very successful performer and activist, as her bio will show. Her message, ‘Make Your Limitations Your Opportunities,’ seemed a perfect fit for the Adapting theme
Courtesy of Brigitte Jouxtel via Vassar College
to Vassar last year (Harvard Business School Faculty and Research, “Lauren A. Taylor”). Bradley and Taylor’s research identified a larger ratio of spending on professional healthcare to total health spending in the United States than in any other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) country. Stated in dollar terms, the differences between the U.S. and other OECD countries are quite drastic. Bradley clarified, “In the U.S., for every $1 spent on healthcare, about $0.90 is spent on social services. In the rest See BRADLEY on page 4
In the meditative evening glow of the Class of ’51 Reading Room, President of the College Elizabeth Bradley addressed a lecture about her book “The American Healthcare Paradox: Why Spending More is Getting Us Less” to the campus community on Monday, Feb. 5. The book, which was co-authored with Lauren A. Taylor, was published in 2013. Taylor is currently a doctoral student at Harvard Business School, and previously studied public health at Yale University, where Bradley taught for many years before coming
Volume CL | Issue 12
February 8, 2018
Bradley speaks on healthcare reform
Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
Broadway actress Ali Stroker, renowned for her fearless defiance of ableism within the world of theater, will perform at Vassar on Feb. 11. for 2018. My hope is that different people will connect to different parts of her story and journey. Some of it is very clearly related to the theme, while other aspects may be more personal to each audience member who attends. I think that is part of the magic of live performance—each person ‘adapts’ what they see and hear to their own experiences and points of view to make it personal.” Stroker has defied the assumptions of someone living with a disability. In 2009, she became the first actress in
a wheelchair to earn a degree in Fine Arts from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and in 2012, Stroker was a contestant on “The Glee Project,” finishing the show as a runner-up and making an appearance on “Glee.” In 2014, Stroker appeared on the MTV comedy series “Faking It.” She has given solo performances at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and New York’s Town Hall and made concert appearances at Lincoln Center. See STROKER on page 14
Queer love poignantly represented Doctor guilty of assault Sasha Gopalakrishnan ARTS EDITOR
“Not only a symbol of stability, we are the ‘go to’ couple for both our families and our friends alike…But in 2008, as the only same-sex couple, we were the ones without the federal rights. Those who were on their second, third and fourth tries at lasting relationships had more rights and recognition than we did, and it all seemed so unfair,” reads the introduction of photographer B. Proud’s culmination of 10 years of work, “First Comes Love.” A riveting collection of photographs and stories of enduring LGBTQ+ relationships, the “First Comes Love” project, along
with being a published anthology, is a traveling exhibition that has now made it to Vassar. It is a project that aims to celebrate the trials and triumphs of these relationships, represent their beauty and complexity and, ultimately, showcase how the status of a relationship, LGBTQ+ or not, really has no bearing on what comes first—love. While 34 of B. Proud’s portraits will continue to be on display in the Palmer Gallery till Mar. 5, 2018, an opening reception, featuring an appearance and book signing by the artist herself, took place in the gallery on Feb. 1, 2018. With members from the Vassar community as well
as the larger Poughkeepsie community in attendance, the reception was an opportunity for viewers to engage with the artist herself, while simultaneously immersing themselves in stories that highlight the sheer multidimensionality of relationships. Representing love across boundaries of race, class, sexuality, age, access and more, the show had the overwhelming impact of depicting a breadth of human experience, as people delved into what it meant to be romantically involved with another person—what it meant to take on another’s good times and bad times as one’s own, to share moments and See LOVE on page 16
Sumiko Neary/The Miscellany News
“First Comes Love,” a travelling exhibition, is a project by photographer B. Proud that celebrates the endurance of long-term LGBTQ+relationships. The moving portraits are on display in the Palmer Gallery from Jan. 25 - Mar. 5.
Inside this issue
7
Mock Trial takes journeys with aspiring FEATURES attorneys
9
Columnist discovers the science OPINIONS behind lovers
Kelly Pushie
GUEST REPORTER
“I’ve just signed your death warrant.” These resonating words came from Judge Rosemarie Aquilina after a long week of testimony, as young women stood up on the podium and recounted chilling experiences of sexual assault from USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University sports physician Larry Nassar. Two weeks ago, Nassar was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison after pleading guilty guilty pleas to sexual assault over the past two decades (CNN, “Larry Nassar sentenced to up to 175 years in prison for decades of sexual abuse,” 1.24.2018). This week, Nassar was sentenced to another 40 to 125 years by a Michigan judge in a second trial (NBC News, “Larry Nassar gets another 40 to 125 years in sex abuse case,” 2.5.2018). Over the course of seven days in Nassar’s first trial, 156 young women lined up to deliver their victim impact statements. Their testimonies explained how they would go to Nassar to receive treatment for injuries. Nassar then sexually assaulted victims under the guise of a form of “treatment,” through fondling and digital penetration (Reuters, “Ex-USA Gymnastics doctor gets up to 125 more years in prison for abuse,” 2.6.2018). The court only expected to hear from 88 victims, but as the women began giving their statements, more women started to come forward (CNN, 2.5.2018).
14 ARTS
The 156 testimonies do not even cover all of the women Nassar abused. In total, Nassar has been convicted of sexually assaulting 265 women and young girls, and there could be countless more who have yet to come forward (NBC, 2.5.2018). One of the women who has stepped forward is Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles. Weeks ago, Biles gave statements to media explaining Nassar’s abuse towards her and fellow teammates. However, Biles was not ready to attend Nassar’s sentencing, adding that it would be stressful for her, especially since she is still in Olympic training at this time. “If I went there I think it would take me back, and I’m trying to move forward,” said Biles (CNN, “Simone Biles: I wasn’t emotionally ready to face Larry Nassar again,” 2.1.2018). The first woman to speak at the trial, Kyle Stephens, explained the overwhelming impact sexual abuse can have on a person. “Sexual abuse is so much more than a disturbing physical act,” Stephens said. “It changes the trajectory of a victim’s life, and that is something that nobody has the right to do” (CNN, “Victims confront Larry Nassar in court: ‘Little girls don’t stay little forever,’ ” 1.16.2018). After hearing the victims, Nassar issued a statement of regret. “There are no words that can describe the depth and breadth of how sorry I am for what has occurred,” Nassar stated. “An See NASSAR on page 18
Multimedia exhibition has political ambition
The Miscellany News
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February 8, 2018
Editors-in-Chief Emma Jones Elena Schultz
Senior Editor Talya Phelps
Contributing Editors Eilís Donohue Rhys Johnson
News Laurel Hennen Vigil Humor and Satire Leah Cates Yesenia Garcia Arts Sasha Gopalakrishnan Sports Mack Liederman Photography Sumiko Neary
Courtesy of Noah Purdy
Noah Purdy recently arrived in Paris, France, for his semester abroad. He writes, “For now, I’ll hope to continue feeling less like I’ve been uprooted and more like I’m branching out, adding new tastes, sights and sensations to those I’ve already acquired from my native terre. Of course, in case of utter failure, there’s a McDonald’s and a Burger King within walking distance. For now, though, I’m opting for the pain au chocolat.” Read more about Noah’s adventures, plus those of his classmates, on farandaway.miscellanynews.org!
The Miscellany News 08
February
Thursday
Megan Price HSW lecture 5:00 p.m. | Rocky 300 | Mathematics Dept
A Celebration of Black History 7:00 p.m. | AULA | Office of Alumnae/i Affairs and Development
Weekender_ 09
February
Friday
Megan Price HSW lecture 3:00 p.m. | Rocky 300 | Mathematics Dept
10
February
Saturday
24 Hour Play Festival 7:00 a.m. | Rocky 200 | Unbound
Vassar Smasher #8 MODFEST 7:00 p.m. | KH Dance Theater | Dance Dept
An Evening of Poetry with Denice Frohman and Paul Tran 7:00 p.m. | Rocky 300 | QCVC
Administrator Hot Seat 9:00 p.m. | Rocky 200 | Big Night In
Basketball (W) vs. Rochester Institute of Technology 4:00 p.m. | Fit Center Gym| Athletics
Basketball (M) vs. Rochester Institute of Technology
12:00 p.m. | CC 204 | Vassar Smash Club
Modfest: Community Youth Concert 3:00 p.m. | Skinner Recital Hall | Music Dept.
11
February
Assistant News Clark Xu Assistant Features Imogen Wade Andrea Yang Assistant Arts Izzy Braham Matt Stein Assistant Online Jackson Ingram Abby Lass Assistant Design Rose Parker Assistant Copy Claire Baker Jessica Moss Technical Advisor George Witteman
Columnists Jimmy Christon Jesser Horowitz Steven Park Sylvan Perlmutter Blair Webber Design Maya Sterling Scarlett Neuberger Copy Isabel Bielat Natalie Bober James Bonanno Teddy Chmyz Jillian Frechette Abigail Knuckles Anna Wiley
Sunday
An Afternoon with Ali Stroker: Making Limitations Your Opportunities 3:00 a.m. | Martel Theater | Drama Dept.
Miscellany News Paper Critique 9:00 p.m. | Rose Parlor | The Misc
Modfest: Cabaret Night 7:00 p.m. | Skinner Recital Hall | Music Dept.
Basketball (W) vs. RPI 12:00 p.m. | Fit Center Gym| Athletics
Basketball (M) vs. RPI 4:00 p.m. | Fit Center Gym| Athletics
7:00 p.m. | Fit Center Gym| Athletics
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
CORRECTION POLICY The Miscellany News will only accept corrections for any misquotes, misrepresentations or factual errors for an article within the semester it is printed. The Miscellany News is not responsible for the views presented within its Opinions pages. The weekly staff editorial is the only article which reflects the opinion of the Editorial Board.
February 8, 2018
NEWS
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Filmmaker presents documentary on refugee crisis Youngju Chang GUEST REPORTER
Courtesy of Vassar Refugee Solidarity
On Wednesday, Jan. 31, filmmaker and comedian Ben Tumin gave a lecture about his new documentary discussing a resettlement of refugees in Germany and United States. This lecture is a part of “Monsters to Destroy,” or M2D, a multimedia performance tour conducted by Tumin and Human Rights First and Vets for American Ideals (Monsters to Destroy, “About”). In addition to giving a speech, Tumin also utilized the documentary, photographs and recordings to convey his opinion about refugees. The event was organized by Vassar’s History Department and Vassar Refugee Solidarity. Tumin started his presentation by introducing a quote from John Quincy Adams: “Wherever the standard of freedom and independence has been or shall be, there will her heart, her benedictions and her prayers be. But she goes not abroad in search of monsters to destroy.” Tumin explained that this quote can support the argument of isolationists who believe refugees should be kept out from United States. They believe refugees are security threats, do not give back and are not like us. However, through interviewing five refugee students from Syria, Tumin created a documentary opposing the isolationists’ arguments. In his film, several students discussed the dreadful condition endured by refugees in their home countries. One student described his memory of escape. “They started to move a truck and there was only a one small tiny window. There was not much oxygen and I really thought that I’m just gonna die now...and children were crying and some women were also like yelling, and for me it was just more stressful.” Another interviewee recalled, “You should follow ISIS, government, and the opposition, or if you don’t, you would be brought in prison, tortured, and slaughtered, and everything. It was not nice.” Furthermore, one student clearly expressed his opinion that he would never go back to his country unless it abandons dictatorship and restores
democracy. Tumin said that these anecdotes are shocking but at the same time, they are real stories. He also touched briefly on economic impacts of refugees. Tumin pointed out the arguments of isolationists that refugees do not give back. He acknowledged that refugees can cost a certain amount in a short term, but emphasized that it cannot be a justification to stop accepting refugees. He also argued that, in the United States, refugees are expected to work for a certain amount of time and pay back the price their resettlement cost. Clearly, as he pointed out, the opinion that refugees do not give back is misleading. Tumin talked about how refugees are not threats and are similar to those in the countries giving them refuge. Many of his interviewees were happy to move to Germany since they could receive the humanistic respect that was often violated in their home countries. As a result, Tumin said, rather than breaking the laws or creating a disorder, refugees are people who try their best to adapt and follow the new culture. Moreover, the documentary discussed the hardships refugees face in dispelling negative stereotypes. One interviewee told him that after horrible crimes committed by ISIS, normal Muslims were forced to justify themselves to people that they are not related to ISIS; he emphasized that ISIS has not only forced refugees to flee their countries but has also destroyed Muslim community. Tumin also said he loved spending time with the refugee students he interviewed because they were such great people and shared many similarities with him. For example, in the video, students were interested in American drama series “Murder, She Wrote,” heavy-metal music and casual youth culture. During the lecture, Tumin connected what the experience of his interviewees to his own story as a descendant of a refugee family. His ancestors were Jews who fled from Nazis. Thanks to his great-great uncle, who found a way to escape Germany, some of his family members were able to flee to the United States. However, some were un-
On Wednesday, Jan. 31, filmmaker Ben Tumin presented a documentary he made on the resettlement of refugees. The event was hosted by Vassar Refugee Solidarity and the History Department. able to get out of Germany and were sent to concentration camps. Tumin talked about his grandfather who was the first generation in his family to settle in America and who tried his best to incorporate American culture in his life and family. Because of his personal background, Tumin said he felt deeply connected with the refugee students whom he interviewed. He said, “These affected me because I understood the fear and I also understood their [the students’] responds.” At the end of the lecture, he pointed out that all questions about the refugee crisis cannot be simply answered by yes or no. “Do we want refugees in here, yes or no? I’ve learned that even for someone like me, informed people who support refugees, this question is overly simple,” he said. He emphasized that the refugee problem should be considered as a complex issue with no simple
answers. The refugee crisis has also had an impact on Vassar and Poughkeepsie. A little over a year ago, a branch of Church World Services (CWS), an organization that helps resettle refugees, opened in Poughkeepsie with hopes to resettle 80 refugees in the Mid-Hudson Valley. Working with Vassar Refugee Solidarity and other local groups, CWS was able to welcome a Congolese family of five to the area before President Trump’s initial refugee ban in January 2017 (The Miscellany News, “Refugee ban takes toll on local area,” 02.08.2017) Since then, it became much more difficult to resettle refugees under the Trump Administration, and the Poughkeepsie office of CWS was forced to close (The Poughkeepsie Journal, Refugee resettlement office closed in Poughkeepsie,” 12.07.2017).
CDO hosts alums for panel on creative career paths Pazit Schrecker GUEST REPORTER
On Saturday, Feb. 3, students gathered in the College Center Multipurpose Room for a panel on creative careers. The 11 a.m. event was the first of three professional development panels this month organized by the Career Development Office. The Creative Careers panel featured three Vassar alumnae/i and one local community member who currently works in Poughkeepsie. The panel was opened by Elizabeth Boyce-Jacino ’18, who spoke briefly on the event’s topic concerning the incorporation of the arts into economically sustainable careers. The first speaker on the panel, Tina de Leeuw, is a board-certified music therapy specialist with a private practice in Poughkeepsie. According to the American Music Therapy Association, “Music Therapy is an established health profession in which music is used within a therapeutic relationship to address physical, emotional, cognitive,
and social needs of individuals” (American Music Therapy Association, “What is Music Therapy?”). She introduced music therapy with an interactive exercise. She tapped on her lap in a slow rhythm, or a walking pace. The students and professors in the audience were invited to join in as she increased the pace to the “midterms rhythm.” From there, she began to dial back the tapping. She described the use of music and rhythm to invoke feeling and change the mood, stating, “We take where we are, we meet our clients there, then we use music to take our clients where they need to be.” After the interactive beginning, visual artist and founder of 1Future Cannon Hersey ’99 explained how he got where he is now, in response to a question posed by the panel’s host. Hersey described his career path as it began at Vassar. During his senior year, he and five friends founded a non-profit organization and within three years of its establishment, they launched an online magazine and organized a film festival. He went on to organize
Sumiko Neary/The Miscellany News
On Saturday, Feb. 3, Vassar’s Career Development Office hosted a panel on pursuing a creative career that featured three Vassar alums and one member of the Poughkeepsie community.
social and government events and began to sell his artwork. Today, his company is a combination of these two interests, and it works toward social progress through the use of visual art, music, education and photography. The next to respond to the same question was Jason Healy ’89, who detailed his non-linear career path. As an English major at Vassar, Healy first worked in journalism after graduating but soon realized that this was not what he wanted to do with his life. After an independent study in art, he worked as an artist and sold his work until the economic collapse of 2008. He went back to school to study social work and eventually combined his passions to become an art therapist. Similar to music therapy, art therapy utilizes art—often visual art—to help patients undergoing counseling. Healy now works in the counseling center at Lesley University as an art therapist. The final panelist was Niya Nicholson ’14, who entered the creative world when she began dancing at age three. After graduating from Vassar with her bachelor’s in psychology, Nicholson went on to complete her certificate in education. After seeing the differences between the way art was presented in public and private schools, Nicholson began work to integrate arts into education. While her interdisciplinary work began in the classroom, Nicholson’s commitment to the intersections between various forms of art has led her career today, working not only as the development manager at Gibney Dance and chief of staff at MOVE(NYC), but also as a freelancer helping individual artists and small arts companies find funding. Nicholson then opened the discussion up to the importance of using artistic experience and careers as a way to impact a greater community. Specifically, her work has helped provide funding for those who don’t know how to get it for themselves. She helps people get their foot in the door and provides the opportunity to experience art to those who wouldn’t otherwise be able to. Hersey related his own experiences, describing Cross-Path Culture, a group he founded with his company, meant to support visions of other creative people. He described the feeling of helping others in the art world, explaining, “It’s incredible to work with artists and see them grow.”
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
Both de Leeuw and Healy have used their artistic abilities to help others by combining their respective artistic fields with therapy. Healy spoke of his career shift, stating, “I was painting, selling my stuff, doing pretty well. I was supporting myself, but I’m not a loner. And when you’re doing art you’re alone a lot.” De Leeuw’s story was similar, as she found music therapy after realizing as a junior in high school that she didn’t want to be a concert pianist, despite dreaming of this career since age eight. Still, she wanted to work with music everyday. In this way, the panelists not only pursued creative fields in their careers, but contributed to the creation of these positions. At this point, the panel took questions from the audience. De Leeuw was the first to respond to the question “How [does one] pursue a creative career when [their] family is not supportive?” Her family still doesn’t understand what she does, she replied, and suggested sharing stories of those who have found success in careers off the beaten path. Hersey added on, and proposed partnering with other people in similar fields to help expand opportunities for everyone involved. Nicholson offered her own story in response to the question: “To this day, my dad still thinks I’m going to go to law school. They’re your family, so even if they don’t understand what you do, they’ll hopefully understand your values. No matter what field I’m in, I’m trying to create change that’s beyond me.” Near the end, the panelists gave advice about finding communities in the art world. Hersey referenced the history of art as a reflection of this concept. He explained that art has brought different peoples together, in groups and movements throughout history in the art world. Thus, in the art world, communities naturally flourish. Nicholson stressed the importance of building lateral connections and investing in peers, even those outside of one’s major. De Leeuw ended the panel by stating the two most important rules for building a community of people. First, she noted that physical proximity is unimportant. Rather, it is critical to reciprocate the support received in your community, wherever they may be, and it is important to give back in the art world. Finally, she summed up an important piece of advice for graduating students: “Struggling is not failing, it’s trying.”
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NEWS
February 8, 2018
Bradley discusses paradox inherent in U.S. healthcare BRADLEY continued from page 1
these groups don’t work well together is that they’re sociologically totally different. Medical models have been dominated by heavy science, started more male, there’s lots of degrees you need, it’s very elite. And social services, their history is totally different. Social services grew out of charity, or pity, or get your act together, it grew out of something that’s not a commodity that you would trade, mostly dominated by women.” Bradley continued, “Americans tend to be kind of suspicious of social services … I think it’s hard to transfer funds from healthcare service to social serves we don’t trust.” For this reason, developing the existing links between healthcare professionals and social workers may be one of the best ways to increase the impact of social services in the United States. Bradley’s comments about increasing the role that social services play in public health were positively received by the audience. Emerita Professor of Political Science Mary Shanley suggested, “Listening to Bradley’s talk, I could think of many examples where her point about providing social services as a way of improving health would play out at the local level. Take housing. A drug addict is not going to find it easy to end their addiction if they don’t have access to rehab and then an affordable place to live. As a society, we need to provide support at the community level to break destructive cycles.” Shanley has published extensively on American family structure and studied the impact of culture on societal wellbeing. A change in cultural perspectives on health and healthcare that sees social services as a holistic treatment of what Americans traditionally view as individual problems may have the far-reaching effects that Bradley proposes. Likewise, Community Works Campaign Chair Karen Getter noted, “President Bradley presented her argument on providing health instead of healthcare in a clear and understandable manner. I found that her comments about using social services to extend health benefits resonated with my experience of local communities.” Getter helps finance community projects by running fundraising campaigns and evaluating the best distribution of these funds to local initiatives. Community Works has supported nonprofit organizations such as Literacy Connections, Community Family Development and Ulster Immigrant Defense Network that provide the types of social services Bradley describes as crucial to improving public health in the United States. Bradley said of some of these vital social ser-
Sumiko Neary/The Miscellany News
of the OECD, for every $1 spent on healthcare, about $2 is spent on social services.” A literature review of the Journal of the American Medical Association and of other medical periodicals cited in Bradley’s study found that the most important social services for health measured in infant mortality, birth weight, premature death and life expectancy are supportive housing, nutritional assistance, community outreach and job training. Bradley estimates that these environmental and sociobehavioral factors determine 60 percent of health quality, compared to 20 percent for genetic factors and 20 percent for professional healthcare. The United States’ overspending on professional healthcare arises from misplaced financial incentives and skewed medical models. Professor of Economics David Kennett stated, “The American healthcare system is characterized by very high physician salaries, even compared to countries with equivalent GNP per head and huge profit margins on drugs, because we can’t use countervailing powers in negotiation.” Healthcare professionals and pharmaceutical companies have little financial incentive in the U.S. to change. While the U.S. spends more on professional healthcare than any other OECD country does, its total healthcare spending is just average. Bradley summarized, “The truth is, we’re spending in the middle and getting lousy outcomes.” Putting the tradeoff in the U.S. between professional healthcare and social services into perspective, Bradley contrasted, “One emergency department visit is one month of rent. Two hospitalizations is one year of child care. Twenty MRIs is one social worker for a year. Sixty echocardiograms is one public school teacher for a year.” A key decision for policymakers in the United States is finding a way to strike the right balance in the American healthcare portfolio. According to Bradley, American culture is a root cause of underfunding for social services in the United States. In Scandinavian countries where governments dedicate two-thirds of total health spending to social services, the World Values Survey reported that Scandinavians associate democracy with income equality, literacy and population health. Americans, on the other hand, associate democracy with national defense, neighborhood safety and economic growth. Another factor contributing to this is that in the United States, there has historically been a divide between medical professionals and those working in social services. Bradley explained, “One of the reasons why
On Monday, Feb. 6, President of the College Elizabeth Bradley discussed her 2013 book, “The American Healthcare Paradox: Why Spending More is Getting Us Less” in the Vassar library. vices during her talk, “The WIC program has been with us for decades, it’s a really good investment ... Meals on Wheels is a tremendous program, it keeps people out of nursing homes and saves a ton of money. And lastly, also case management and community outreach programs, which we have these all over the country, sometimes they’re done out of hospitals, sometimes they’re done out of United Way, sometimes out of churches, sometimes out of community vans, which really make a very large difference.” The healthcare discussion also encouraged students concentrating in the physical sciences and preparing for medical careers to think more broadly about the social effects of their future work as practitioners. Samanvaya Sharma ’18 reflected, “This talk, her book, and related books have made me question how doctors think about themselves as individuals practicing in their little community, not really connected to the outside world, the bigger systems. As a doctor, I now want to be engaged in the larger discourse on healthcare in the United States because that, at the end of the day, should also be a part of my goal rather than focusing on my personal practice.” From 2003 to 2012, the 2013 Vassar Fact Book recorded that each year between 29 and 49 students of the graduating class are admitted to medical school. Other students focused on the implications of healthcare reform on the quality of care. Eli
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
During her talk, Elizabeth Bradley explained that the United States spends much more than most other industrialed nations on healthcare, but our healthcare system is much less effective. Bradley partly attributes this to the divison between medical professionals and social services.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
Schwamm ’19 responded, “By and large, smaller community-level healthcare is being replaced by larger conglomerates. I see a little bit of a conflict. On the one hand, large healthcare conglomerates are going to be less integrated in the local communities and have less social relationships with, for example, NGOs that work on housing or immigration. On the other hand, there is a large increase in interoperability among primary healthcare providers and specialists.” While there is ambiguity about final outcomes, changes to the healthcare industry often bring opportunities for improved services. In a society that increasingly centralizes medical services, Bradley cautions against the exclusion of marginal populations from healthcare access and the national discourse on healthcare reform. Noting a flaw in healthcare access shared by Scandinavian countries and the United States, immigrant populations who do not fit a stereotypical national image often find themselves excluded from fully sharing in education, safety, job opportunity and ultimately health. Emphasizing the importance of inclusion, Bradley argued, “One of the important things is being able to insure everybody, whether it’s through a lot of companies or through a single-payer system. If the United States could commit to insuring everybody, we would have an incentive to care for everybody’s health.” In her research, Bradley made an effective use of statistical methods common to social science research, such as 10-year panel data analyzed for fixed-effects in a lagged model, to support her claims. Many of her findings on the positive effect that social services have on health in OECD countries were confirmed in the United States using data gathered from the 50 states. Emeritus Professor of Astronomy Fred Chromey indicated, “I especially appreciated President Bradley’s application of statistical methods to a very complex social issue. I usually see these methods applied in astrophysics and I was pleased to see the same methods in the context of healthcare policy. If you don’t have the data to back up your arguments, and if you don’t have a solid method for arguing from your data, you’re not going to be convincing. I think Bradley’s combination of quantitative and qualitative argument makes for a very convincing piece of research.” Despite significant results from OECD and state-level data sets, Bradley pointed out that quantifying the health benefits of a per-dollar increase in healthcare spending versus a per-dollar increase in social service spending remains an open research question. But it seems clear that the healthcare paradox in America needs an answer. Bradley continued, “Changing our mental models, health and social services are different levers to achieving the same end.” Bradley and other audience members described this change as a paradigm shift in our collective understanding of health. Considering future developments in healthcare reform, she concluded, “It’s tough, it’s culture change … We have to know it’s a long haul with a lot of stuff.”
February 8, 2018
NEWS
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Updates from the VSA VSA Appointments The Board of Elections and Appointments is currently looking for applicants for four positions! Do you want to get involved with Vassar’s student government? Do you routinely read the Misc’s VSA Senate live-tweets? Are you free Sundays at 7pm and also other times throughout the week? Take a look at the position descriptions to see if you’re interested in applying. All positions will be filled via appointment, meaning that once you submit an application, you will be interviewed by BoEA, and if chosen, you will then be appointed, subject to VSA Senate confirmation. After choosing a position, just use THIS LINK to apply!: https://docs.google.com/ forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfI1zDPni8M223C_av9VA0cXMdyP-ePQBuOpGgz4xxJjhU5Ig/ viewform The application will be open until this Thursday, Feb. 8, at midnight! (P.S. - If you’ve applied for a position already, we will be contacting you soon!) Chair of Planning (open for classes of 2018, 2019, 2020) - In addition to sitting on the VSA Senate, the Chair of VSA Planning shall: - Set the agenda for and chair meetings of the Planning Committee. - Sit on the Board of Strategic Planning. - Manage long-term planning initiatives of the VSA. - Oversee the annual budgeting process in conjunction with the Co-Chairs of Finance. - Work with the College Planning Senators to ensure that the long-term plans of the VSA align with those of the College. - Sit as a student representative on the Master Planning Committee.
- Coordinate with other VSA Committees on long-term projects. 2020 Senator for Student Affairs - The 2020 Senator for Student Affairs represents their class in working to address issues of student life in an intersectional manner across committees. - This senator sits on 2 committees within the Board of Student Affairs: - Academics Committee - Equity and Inclusion Committee - First Year Programs Committee - Health and Wellness Committee 2019 Senator for Student Affairs - The 2019 Senator for Student Affairs represents their class in working to address issues of student life in an intersectional manner across committees. - This senator sits on 2 committees within the Board of Student Affairs: - Academics Committee - Equity and Inclusion Committee - First Year Programs Committee - Health and Wellness Committee 2020 Senator for Strategic Planning - The 2020 Senator for Strategic Planning works on behalf of their class to manage the internal affairs of the VSA in relation to the plans of the College. -This senator sits on the 2 committees within the Board of Strategic Planning: - Operations Committee - Planning Committee If you have any questions or want more info on any of the positions, please email me at vsaelections[at]vassar.edu or VSA President Anish Kanoria at vsa[at]vassar.edu. —Nora Eigenbrodt, Chair of the Board of Elections and Appointments
Ride the Bus for Free - Vassar has partnered with the Dutchess County Public Transit system. This means that we now get free rides to the train station in addition to a whole bunch of other cool places. - Simply show ID card to the bus operator on any Dutchess County Public Transit bus to receive a free ride. - The route operates Monday through Saturday only. - The route runs hourly with the bus stop on Collegeview Avenue near Fairmont Avenue (for travel eastbound to Kmart, Stop and Shop and Adams Fairacre Farms) and at Fairmont Avenue near Collegeview Avenue (for travel westbound to Poughkeepsie Transit Hub and Train Station). Contribute to the Senior Gift! -You can Venmo at Senior Gift Venmo Account: [at]VCSeniorGift -Or contribute through the Senior Gift Website if students don’t have Venmo: vassar.edu/ 2018gift -The title of the gift: The Class of 2018 Scholarship Fund -This kind of senior gift is going to directly benefit a student’s financial package The Listening Center - The Listening Center is back every night from 8pm to 12am for the rest of the semester. Go online to www.7cups.com/p/thelisteningcenter/, enter the passcode “Vassar” and click “chat now” to chat anonymously with a peer listener. Conversations Unbound: - Looking to join a growing non-profit organization founded at Vassar, working in the economic empowerment of displaced people
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through college language courses? We are looking for team members! We have opened positions to our team to assist with university expansion, both our Arabic and Spanish language programs, and with our financial department! For more information, email info[at] conversationsunbound.org or visit our website at www.conversationsunbound.org. Here is the link to our application, apply as soon as possible for consideration: www.tinyurl.com/ joinCUteam —Anish Kanoria, VSA President VSA Sesquicentennial
As VSA President Anish Kanoria mentioned in his email over the weekend, the VSA recently observed the 150th anniversary of its first constitution. Stay tuned for special programming in recognition of this milestone! Committee on Equity and Inclusion
To mark Black History Month, CEI and SAVP are cosponsoring two screenings of NO! The Rape Documentary, a 2006 feature length film that explores the international atrocity of heterosexual rape and other forms of sexual assault through the first person testimonies, scholarship, spirituality, activism, and cultural work of Black people in the United States. NO! also explores how rape is used as a weapon of homophobia. Produced, written, and directed by Aishah Shahidah Simmons. There will be one screening in February that will center the perspectives of Black women and/or femme, held in the ALANA Center on Saturday, Feb. 10 at 12 p.m. Another campus-wide screening will follow in April. (Questions? Email Chair of Equity and Inclusion Tamar Ballard ’19 at vsaequity[at]vassar.edu) —Julian Corbett, VSA General Intern
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February 8, 2018
International spotlight starring Vassar’s Korean students Duncan Aronson GUEST REPORTER
Both of them disagree with this image. Josh Kim argued: “A lot of Korean students end up hating math or giving up math.” He also commented: “Just because our E-Sports industry is #1 in the world but doesn’t mean the general public is all good at games to such [a] professional level.” Han noted that students at his high school were very extroverted, sociable and athletic, much more so than Vassar students, in his opinion. Josh Kim also commented: “There’s a huge club culture and hiphop culture in Korea.” The three students did indirectly concede, however, that the stereotype may have a kernel of truth. Han described his school as quite homogenous, both ethnically and culturally, and Josh described his as having students from mostly similar backgrounds. By contrast, Josh Kim remarked: “Vassar has students with diverse ethnic, social, religious, political etc. backgrounds.” He suggested that this may create more dynamic social interactions. Although their focus was mainly on differences, Josh Kim highlighted that there is still common ground, not just between Vassar and Korea, but between students worldwide. From an academic standpoint: “Students start[ing] homework a day before classes, com[ing] in late for classes and
skip[ping] classes are UNIVERSAL.” From a social standpoint, Josh Kim and Han agreed that drinking is prevalent in both environments. Each student had some advice for any current or future Korean international students who might struggle transitioning to Vassar. Alex felt particularly homesick toward the end of the first semester. Her tried-and-tested remedy was interacting with other Korean international students, calling parents and eating Korean food, which is conveniently delivered by H-Mart in New Jersey. Han, on the other hand, considered Vassar to be a much friendlier and more welcoming place, where it is difficult to get homesick if one gets socially involved. Josh offered many tips which, if compiled, could be used to make a Fresher’s Guide to Vassar, including keeping in touch with old friends, keeping up with the same Korean dramas and eating Asian cuisine around campus. He also recommended interacting with other international students from different cultures, especially with the interns and other people affiliated with the Office of International Services. Another six percent of the Vassar student body is international, so luckily interacting with the international community is not too difficult a feat.
Courtesy of Duncan Aronson
Since the mid-1970s, the student bodies of American colleges and graduate schools have become increasingly foreign. The last decade or so has seen a particularly large surge of international students, surpassing the 1 million threshold and accounting for five percent of undergraduate and graduate enrollment. Relative to America’s total international student body, Koreans comprise the third-largest nationality at roughly 10 percent. This statistic becomes quite astounding upon closer inspection. Even though Korea is much farther from the likes of Canada and Mexico, has a smaller population than Japan, Mexico and Brazil, and has a relatively old population, it still manages to send more students. Adjusting for population, measured in “Students in the U.S. per 100,000,” Korea is top at 144.6. Vassar has been a microcosm of the general trend in accepting more international students. Vassar’s student body was three percent international in 2000; now, it is nine percent. Rather than just pass on a quantitative understanding of this growing demographic, the International Spotlight aims to impart a qualitative understanding of the experiences of our international students on campus and to gain a new perspective of Vassar as an educational institution and as a community. Assisting in this endeavor are Josh Kim ’20, Alex Kim ’21, and Roger Han ’21 who agreed to share their experiences and insights as Vassar’s Korean international students. Educationally, Vassar is on the opposite side of the spectrum compared to Korean schools. According to Alex Kim in an email statement: “Asking questions is also not very encouraged in Korea. Korean schools have a lot of materials that require rote memorization as a main study habit. However, Vassar really helps students think critically, rather than just memorize the materials.” Josh Kim agreed with this general assertion, but believes that this is changing. He personally experienced a Korean education that has incorporated America’s critical thinking, with a course system and a class similar to Vassar’s liberal arts and independent
study, respectively. Interactions with faculty members are also very different. As Alex Kim pointed out: “Students don’t usually go to school teachers/professors and talk about their personal matters,” something that she has done frequently at Vassar. Josh thought that this is tied to language: “[The] U.S. doesn’t have a separate formal language we use to the elderly or the seniors, so it seems like relationships with professors are more casual.” As for interactions with the rest of the student body, the competition is much fiercer, a sentiment seen as fact by all three interviewees. At Josh Kim’s school, a GPA under 3.9 (out of 4.0) was not considered to be “top-notch,” which left students scrambling for the last point to boost up their scores. Han remarked that the fiercer competition was centered on getting into top colleges. He commented that when it came to anything that pertained to college applications, such as competition for club leadership spots, students never helped each other out. Because of this, the students at his school would do anything they could to obtain good grades, resulting in lots of cheating to do well on tests without truly mastering the material. While it’s difficult to overstate the competition in Korea, Josh Kim cautioned against understating the competition at Vassar, which he described as subtle and indirect. He cited evidence such as: “[A] taboo on talking about GPAs, fierce competition for professors’ office hours, [and] competition in classes that have curves.” Josh Kim noted that Econ was an example of this, as a subject that gives out As to only 1/3 of the class. Despite the undertones, the overtones of their education may have fed into a dime-a-dozen, nerdy Korean stereotype. Americans, a category that by no means excludes Vassar students, assume that, in Josh Kim’s words, Koreans are good at math, science and any other quantitative field of study. They also assume that the general Korean public all excel at computer games. Furthermore, Han observed that Americans believe Koreans to be introverted, shy and not athletic.
International students form a strong and lively community at Vassar. In the picture above, Duncan Aronson ’21 and Josh Kim ’20 are seen laughing with friends.
French fashion exhibit: that’s so nineteenth-century FASHION continued from page 1 an exciting yet complex journey that involved contributions from many. Curator of Academic Programs for the Loeb Elizabeth Nogrady first invited Hiner to collaborate on this project. Together they worked with Drama Lecturer Kenisha Kelly and Costume Shop Coordinator Pam Prior to select an array of physical objects like hats, leather gloves and a parasol for display. The preparation involved sorting through “a treasure trove of interesting pieces” and providing a detailed description that delineates the historical background and impact of every work of art. The labels remind the audience that accessories served not only practical functions but were also indicators of wealth, manners and taste. One of the labels reads: “Like hats, gloves reflected propriety and were essential accessories for nearly every occasion…[signaling] a lady’s non-working class status.” Hiner elaborated on the significance of these commonly worn accessories in an emailed
statement: “Both gloves and réticule (small handbag) are from the fin de siècle. These objects add a material dimension that helps shape our understanding of the artworks, a space for exploration and even fantasy between the material object--who used it? in what context? what is it made of? how did it feel? what impact did it have?--and the representation of the object in artworks.” Hiner emphasized the rareness of the pieces due to their delicacy, saying, “It was amazing that the three nineteenth-century ladies’ hats that we used were as intact as they are. They are built on straw frames and are embellished with fragile silk ribbons, netting, feathers and artificial flowers.” Associate Director of the Library for Special Collections Ron Patkus helped with providing the fashion plates featuring in the center case. The curators tried to maximize the variety of accessories illustrated while dealing with the limitations of space and practical concerns, in
Courtesy of Susan Hiner
Intricately constructed hats dating from nineteenth-century France. The craftmanship and materials are of the highest quality and the items have survived the passing of the centuries unscathed.
order to preserve the artifacts. Often utilizing the Loeb’s resources in her teaching, Hiner noted that the exhibition corresponds to her FFS seminars and that the artworks themselves inspired this theme. Furthermore, she explained that the exhibit relates closely to her research field and subject of her first book, “Accessories to Modernity,” published in 2010. She argued that the prominence of accessories paralleled the decorative role of women, whose social function was to identify the standing of their husband and family. Hiner explained: “In the book, I explore the cultural history of each of the accessories I analyze, paying special attention to the symbolic function of the objects in novels of the period and linking them to contemporaneous fashion journals. Bourgeois women were loaded up with fashion accessories in this period— shawls, fans, parasols, handbags, and of course, hats. Each of these objects contributed materially and symbolically to a mythology of respectable femininity, which ended up being the engine of a consumer revolution. Even though they were consuming ‘agents,’ bourgeois women were, essentially, ‘accessories’ to their male counterparts.” At the same time, the exhibit highlights the societal and historical importance of accessories. According to Hiner’s research, fashion offered a legitimate career path to working-class women and over time became a powerful economic force, giving rise to the modern bourgeois shopper. The artworks depict comportment from all walks of life—from the aristocrats at the opera to the southern peasant and seamstress doing chores. As part of her Independent Study in FFS, Chancey worked on researching and handpicking the artworks on view. She spoke of her involvement via email: “My study abroad program in Paris involved a three-month internship working in fashion. A few of the projects I worked on while interning focused [on] the intersection of art and fashion. My experience there really piqued my interest in the subject.” Chancey described “Accessorizing Paris” as an immersive experience. She shared: “I think
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
the exhibition is quite interesting thematically, as each wall or section of it highlights a different aspect of fashion and accessories in 19th-century Paris: fabrication, public spaces versus private spaces, caricature, peasantry, etc.” She added, “Having the chance to work on this project hands-on and to learn via experience was incredible. The learning experience, the opportunity to better understand the process of curation was the most rewarding part.” Out of the various artworks, Hiner drew attention to Edouard Vuillard’s “La Couturière.” She stated, “I’m partial to the Vuillard lithograph from a purely aesthetic point of view. I love his evocation of the fabric and silhouette of a filmy dress with graceful lines and dots of ink on the skirt, the top of her dress more delicate than the skirt, the delicate puff of a big sleeve—indicating that she’s current with her fashions; the accoutrements of her work all around her—swatches of fabric pinned up along the wall next to the window, folded bolts of colored fabric next to her, more fabric on the work table.” Chancey continued, identifying the sense of motion in the still image, “It has so much to say in spite of its quietness: we see a solitary seamstress from behind—anonymous in that we can’t see her face and she is called simply ‘the seamstress’—she is identified solely by her function, her job. And her posture signals her work, her concentration. She has a tidy hairdo and a graceful form, but she is not eroticized in the way so many fashion workers (and other working women) were throughout the nineteenth century in visual culture. The print reflects a respect for the work and shows us a woman actively at work—creating fashion and thus participating in one of the most important industries and economies of nineteenth (and twentieth) century France.” On Feb. 21 at 4 pm, Hiner is going to present a Gallery Talk on “Accessorizing Paris,” focusing on a few objects from each genre and illuminating the connection between them. It will be a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the exhibit and the history of French fashion.
February 8, 2018
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A guide to navigating Vassar’s culinary landscape Imogen Wade
ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR
Sumiko Neary/The Miscellany News
Puzzle: Sometimes the smell emitting from the building is pungent even meters away. Often, depending on that day’s delicacy, the odour intensifies upon entry and clings to your clothes. You enter and the lights flash at you like a spaceship. Your eyelids furiously blink to adjust to the brightness. The wave of noise hits you. What am I talking about? You’ve probably guessed it: the Deece. Navigating the Deece is difficult, strenuous and stressful. I would like to lead you through a series of food hacks, both to increase your enjoyment of the culinary facilities and the nutritional benefit of the sustenance you consume. 1. No, you don’t have to be sensitive to allergens to eat at Oasis. Also, they stock delicious non-dairy yogurts in the fridge. If you ask a staff member, you will be presented with yogurt flavors as varied as blueberry or coconut. There is also a small sign detailing what else is available. 2. Now, I have seen people using the self-cook stations, so this is not so much a hack as a reminder. You can make some basic recipes with ingredients obtained from the salad bar, such as scrambled chickpeas or crispy tofu. There is a small collection of herbs, spices and oils. If you want to be in charge of your meal and see exactly what goes in it (as well as how much oil), the self-cook station is an excellent avenue to explore. The sight of raw broccoli, more specifically the pieces that festoon the salad bar, do little to tantalise my taste buds. However, Kendall Jenner once told us to eat our vegetables, and who are we to disagree? I’m sure we can all agree that there are some vegetables that shouldn’t be eaten raw. So fire up that hot plate and get stir-frying. 3. Don’t sleep on the Kosher soups. They are divine. They can be distinguished, by a sensitive or even a brute culinary palette, from the soups offered by the sandwich section. The lentil soup and the wild rice soup remain two of my favorites.
The familiar sight of the Deece salad bar, unripe for consumption. Raw vegetables don’t have to stay that way and can be prepared yourself at the stir-fry station; just fry them in a little oil. 4. Sushi bowls. Okay, okay, so this isn’t exactly glaring news to any Vassar student with two eyes and taste buds. However, eating solely with meal swipes and never entering the Deece is also an option for those of you with strong opinions about the food on offer. The crispy tofu and kimchi bowls are tasty and filling. An excellent choice! 5. Be nice to the staff. Be nice because you are, I hope, a fairly nice person and recognize the taxing nature of their jobs. If you are nice they will be more inclined to be nice back. For example, if you are a non–meat eater and the previous occupant of the pan you now wish to fill with tofu was chicken, kindly ask them to switch pans and it is likely they will oblige. 6. Tasty Tuesdays. I have two words for you people: Love Fest.
7. Fruit, glorious fruit. So of course you could pick up two pieces of fruit at Express, but there are very few people who select both their side options as fruit. However, remember that the meal plan gives us unlimited access to the Deece. Very few people truly take advantage of that. It’s expensive enough without occasionally buying breakfast at the Retreat or snacking at the vending machines when you can’t be bothered to leave your dorm. Embrace the Deece! Walking into that vast building for a single bowl of pineapple or a slice of toast need not be a source of awkwardness. There is plenty of space upstairs and it is often empty. Take a book up there and eat your melon in peace. Alternately, make a habit of stocking up on fruit when you visit so you always have a free supply of apples in your room. Not only is it good for you, but
eating more fruit at the Deece at whatever time of the day you like is cheaper than getting another packet of chips from the vending machine. 8. Now, I have already briefly mentioned the upstairs space of the Deece. Not only a second but also a third floor awaits you. Grab a book and make yourself comfortable, as you make your way sporadically downstairs to forage for snacks. 9. On the subject of feeling peckish, the gluten-free fridge often stocks cereal bars and packaged snacks that are perfect to grab in a hurry. 10. Drink more tea. Who else has seen that fancy wooden tea box they introduced? Unlike some of the water from the fountains in the dorms, which can often border on the cloudy, the Deece appears to filter its water. Make the most of this and drink up! Green tea aids digestion too, so if you’ve stuffed yourself with fries and then immediately regret it, you know what to do. 11. Make the most of what you have. The Deece is what you make of it! Since adopting this attitude, I have been more creative with my meal choices and now enjoy the time I spend there (and what enters my gob) much more than before. 12. On a similar note of financial sagacity rather than culinary creativity, remember that your meal plan has already been paid for. A friend of mine alleged to have calculated the cost of the meal plan per day; the sum was around thirty dollars. If you eat less than this amount of food you are wasting money. If you eat more, you are getting your money’s worth. Of course, habitually stuffing yourself is never a good idea. However, sneaking the odd food item into your backpack to be consumed at a later date always is. Armed with your new-found knowledge and incitement to enjoyment, please venture into the culinary landscape of Vassar armed not with Tums but with a knife and fork. This is how it should be! The Features Section’s new slogan is “Make the Deece Delicious.” The power is in your hands.
Org of the Week: Mock Trial hones future legal talent Briana Serradas GUEST REPORTER
For witnesses like Kerry Bell Leon (Stephanie Palma ’20), Bailey Bell Leon (Hanna Hertzler ’21) and Morgan Jones (VP of Finance, Pietro Geraci ’20), their goal is to appear as the most believable witness as they tell their side of the story. Most of our non-attorney members play more than one character, sometimes even on opposing sides. Witnesses can range from victims and friends to highly complicated experts. They are often doctors or individuals who work in the sciences and are hired by each side. They attempt to use the technical aspects of the crime in order to advance a certain agenda, namely whichever side of the case they have been paid to represent. This year, we have three experts, two in telecommunications and one in the barely pronounceable field of pharmacokinetics. As our pharmacokinetics expert, played by Imogen Wade ’19 [Disclaimer: Wade is an Assistant Features Editor for
Sumiko Neary/The Miscellany News
Mock Trial is a world in which fancy suits, fast talkers and infuriating objections collide to form an experience which is anything but ordinary. On any given day, you can walk into practice and see a witness crying on the stand or hear objections that range from the serious to the absurd— for example, arguing over the witness’ capacity to judge a person’s eyes. It all begins with a case packet, a hauntingly bulky thing which spells out the case we will be trying and offers affidavits for all of the key witnesses involved. This year, our fictional defendant, Dylan Hendricks, is charged with the attempted murder of Kerry Bell Leon, the spouse of an individual he met on Tender, the mock trial version of Tinder. It is thus our job to take these affidavits along with the evidence we have been provided and structure our own argument. The case file becomes as familiar to us as a well-read book, and Dylan and Kerry as familiar as old friends. Lawyers practice their speeches to their roommates, and witnesses recite their lines to their friends. Over the course of the year, the legal system takes on a very different meaning for us. No longer something that operates in an unconnected sphere from the reality of our lives, we must know the court room and the intricacies of a trial inside-out. We imitate, on a small scale, the legal quest for truth, justice and answers. The case itself is fascinating. The spouse who allegedly ordered the murder of her scorned partner is in South America and is unavailable for questioning, whilst the only two witnesses of the crime were under the influence of a memory-altering street drug. The case packet is filled with tantalizingly specific details: the defendant, Dylan Hendricks, owns his own soup truck. On the night of the alleged attack, Kerry Bell-Leon bought a chowder dish prepared by the individual she would later accuse of attempted murder. The best part of Mock Trial is that each team gets the opportunity to try the case from both sides, playing prosecution and defense. Even among ourselves, we are separated into prosecution and defense teams, meaning that there is always a playful rivalry that exists among us as
we each attempt to advance our side of the case. By this time in the Mock Trial season, the characters have become much more than just words on the paper, and even I can admit, as a member of the defense, that I get a little touchy when the prosecution makes jokes about our client Dylan Hendricks. While many people think about lawyers when they hear Mock Trial, our witnesses are what make our case shine. Each witness is only given a small amount of background information and a two or so page account of what happened through the point of view of their character. They are then tasked with the job of inhabiting this person, taking on their traits and attempting to answer questions in the way their character would. It is they who withstand the fire of the opposing team’s cross examination and are forced to rise to the challenge, often stumping the opposing lawyer with their crafty answers.
Mock Trial members sit through a run-through of the previous week’s dress rehearsal. Comments are always positive and constructive, but the atmosphere remains tense before the big tournament.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
The Miscellany News], can testify, being a witness is much more than just learning lines. Wade had to learn about the pharmacokinetics herself, even decoding an enigmatic formula that her character used to conduct their analysis. Wade remarked: “Constructing a character for the witness I am playing is incredibly rewarding. I have decided to play Doctor Ryan Reeves as arrogant, intelligent and umcompromising. It is liberating to have this freedom with a character as an actress. I know I can take it in any direction I like. I have also really enjoyed working with the Mock Trial team this year, as the atmosphere is welcoming and relaxed.” I can certainly “testify” to the veracity of this statement. Personally, I find the org inclusive. As long as you are passionate and dedicated, you will be welcome. I am hoping to specialize in Constitutional Law, and I welcome the opportunity to add relevant experience to my resume. It is the job of attorneys, such as myself, to lead our witnesses in direct questioning and protect them from traps during cross examinations. Being an attorney means always having your ears pricked and never fully sitting back in your chair. You never know when you will have to leap up and shout “Objection!” Coming up with ways to prevent harmful testimony from being entered is often a combination of well-reasoned objections and some more questionable ones. Our prosecution attorneys this season are Mock Trial President Jesser Horowitz ’19, Vice President Jemison Tipler ’20 and Suhas Yernool ’21. I work for the defense alongside Secretary Dylan Hendricks ’20 and Charlotte Waldman ’21. It is a dynamic and exciting team, filled with big characters and talented lawyers. This year’s Mock Trial tournament takes place between Feb. 24 and 25 at Princeton University, where Vassar will compete in the same league as other teams such as West Point and Yale. Despite being a relatively new team, we are confident in our preparation and look forward to being able to show our skills. If you are interested in learning more about mock trial, please contact any of our executive board members. Who knows, next year it could be you!
FEATURES
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February 8, 2018
“A Matter of Life and Death” by Eden Forbes
submit to misc@vassar.edu
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February 8, 2018
OPINIONS
Page 9
The Miscellany news Staff Editorial
In wake of Nassar case, examining complicity is crucial It is the case that has shaken the American public to its very core. Sports physician Larry Nassar, a man once entrusted to protect the well-being of athletes at USA Gymnastics and Michigan State, has been convicted of sexually abusing at least 265 women and young girls. Over the course of two decades, Nassar molested victims in what he categorized as standard “treatment” for injuries. He will serve two sentences of 45 to 125 years in prison (NBC, “Larry Nassar gets another 45 to 125 years,” 02.05.2018). The Nassar case is harrowing and extremely difficult to digest. Many people have never fathomed that sexual abuse could take such a form. The grave extent of the manipulation, and the systemic complacency of so many, adds layers of complexity to this story. What we must do is offer our fullest support to the victims and their loved ones, applaud the bravery of those who have spoken out and stand by those who have chosen not to step forward. We must, then, broach a conversation that our society should have begun a long time ago. One of the most shocking aspects of the case is that Nassar was able to utilize the cultural fabric as his greatest protector, to support and conceal his abusiveness. The high-pressure, competitive atmosphere of gymnastics created the ideal breeding ground for his behavior. At the peak of their careers, most gymnasts are still only children or teenagers. In children’s sports, it can be difficult to draw a line between tough love and harmful coaching. Athletes are taught that a certain amount of grit, perseverance and “playing through the pain” are necessary to excel. Competitive sports require extraordinary levels of effort and strength. That said, there are times when a coach’s harsh words or unwillingness to acknowledge pain can be injurious. There is a culture of expecting children to take the physical and mental strain of competition in stride and to let nothing affect their performance. In an interview with the GymCastic
podcast, he himself acknowledged that the mental health of athletes is often grossly overlooked (Deadspin, “In One Interview, Larry Nassar Laid Out Exactly How He Gained Gymnasts’ Trust,” 05.01.2017). This expectation of excellence at all costs often begins very young, and as athletes grow up and persevere in their sport, these demands become the norm. As a result, Nassar’s victims were groomed not to speak out, and were judged and criticized when they did. This is unacceptable. The culture of youth sports has so often fostered a sense that winning and surviving is more important than well-being, and we should question this underlying dogma. Athletes are conditioned from a young age to believe that it does not matter if they are hurt, stressed or tired, as long as they can physically continue; if they do not push themselves, they will not excel. In team sports, there is a pressure not to let down your teammates; in solo sports, the athlete is often loath to disappoint their coach or parents. The harmful dichotomy between athlete and coach is only heightened in gymnastics. Coaches at the highest levels are often older men with long tenures in the sport. What is fostered is a very limited personal relationship. At the same time, the physical relationship is intense. Coaches work extremely closely to their gymnasts, correcting their stances, analyzing their bodies and directing countless repetitions for hours on end. Female athletes are particularly encouraged to relinquish some control over their own bodies, so it follows that these young competitors would not recognize—or at least not question— abuse (Slate, “How Larry Nassar Got Away With It,” 11.29.2017). Nassar, as a doctor, a profession that is already culturally profiled as an unquestionable figure of authority and trustworthiness, was able to successfully navigate this environment. Physicians are supposed to be the trustworthy, the ones that are working without
competitive interest, with the sole objective of protecting the health of the athlete. Unfortunately, the Nassar case shows how deeply flawed this assumption is and has been. This abuse of power does in no way stop at Nassar. From coaches all the way up to top administrators, complicity has been the norm. For decades, Michigan State and USA Gymnastics officials ignored the warning signs, or even dismissed and silenced Nassar’s victims (The New York Times, “It’s Time for Michigan State to Clean House,” 01.31.2018). Clearly, administrators valued their positions and status over the people that they had sworn to protect. This becomes all the more clear in the defense statements many have pushed in the wake of allegations of mismanagement. The Nassar case has shown that little has been learned from Penn State, and that abuse of this systemic magnitude does not begin or end with Nassar. It makes us stop and think that these abuses may indeed be more common than we are led to believe. As much as we can assign blame and call for the firing of those directly responsible for abuse, many of those whom were complacent, and continue to be complacent, will never face justice. Blame-shifting is too easy of a solution that does not even scratch the surface of the problem. This knee-jerk reaction has resulted in unfair judgement of the parents of the victims. As this case develops, more parents are admitting that they were in the room while the abuse occurred, or that their child told them what had happened and they did not believe it. While we do not suggest in any way that the parents were complicit in Nassar’s atrocious actions, they were likely guilty of feeding into the “suck it up” attitude that goes along with raising a competitive athlete. We at The Miscellany News call upon parents and other adults involved in youth athletics to listen to and support their children, and to choose their words, methods of encouragement and discipline with a mind to
the health and safety of young athletes above all else. The reputation of a coach, doctor or other adult in charge of caring for and interacting closely with children must not take precedence over the experience of the child. Although this particular case manifested itself in the realm of sports, the problems behind it pervade society at large. Every instance of abuse is absolutely the fault of the abuser. That person made the decision to violate the rights and autonomy of another. However, the volume, extremity and prevalence of abuse in this country is made possible by a culture of willful negligence. Oppression of minority groups and discreditation of underrepresented voices is a vicious cycle that keeps certain people down and lifts others ever higher. People have fought this injustice for decades, if not longer, yet in an age of social media and instant information, people can unite and disseminate messages faster and more effectively than ever. The #MeToo movement is one influential part of this shift in thought, encouraging survivors of sexual abuse and harassment to share their experiences and out their abusers. Giving agency to victims, accepting their stories and removing abusers from positions of prestige and power are all ways to dismantle this toxic culture. We must have the bravery to question authority figures who we believe are in the wrong, no matter the consequences. We must listen to our loved ones and people we trust and believe them when they confide in us. We must support people who speak out about abuse and harassment and never shame those who cannot or do not want to speak. Shifting a cultural paradigm that has seeped deeply into the cracks of our society must continue to be a monumental team effort. There is strength and solidarity in numbers. —The Staff Editorial expresses the opinion of at least 2/3 of The Miscellany News Editorial Board.
Science explains love just in time for Valentine’s Day Steven Park COLUMNIST
Ah yes, Valentine’s Day: a precious little holiday where young couples try their hardest to prove that their relationship is special. It’s not really surprising that so many people are invested in the idea of Valentine’s Day as a sacred time of love. After all, billionaire corporations like Hershey, Hallmark Cards, Victoria’s Secret and Tiffany & Co. have been promoting this time-honored tradition for decades and making more than $18.2 billion during this one day (National Retail Federation, Valentine’s Day,” 2018). Nothing says “I love you” quite like rampant consumer capitalism. But whether we like it or not, we are a species that is in love with the idea of falling in love. From Hollywood movies to mediocre young adult romance novels, nothing is as widespread as this notion of two strangers becoming infatuated with each other. And yet, the media seems very uninterested in what happens after the couple officially gets together. That’s a shame, since so much of what makes a relationship interesting is how the couple behaves in this new situation and the quality of their interactions over a long period of time. Just because a romance seems perfect in the beginning doesn’t mean it will stay that way permanently. According to a longitudinal study by Stanford sociologist Michael Rosenfield, unmarried heterosexual couples have a 60 percent chance of breaking up within just the first year together (Wiley Online Library, “Couple Longevity in the Era of Same-Sex Marriage in the United States,” 09.02.2014). Given how tumultuous dating can be, why do some romantic relationships last only for a month while others last for decades in harmony and bliss? Thankfully, researchers working in the niche field of relationship science may have some answers. Established as recently as the 1980s, relationship science is a rather interesting branch of psychology that aims to understand the structure of close relationships and how they operate, as well as the effects a certain type of relationship has on other people (Annual Reviews,
The Psychology of Close Relationships: Fourteen Core Principles,” 09.01.2016). According to the experts in this field, countless different factors play into how well a romantic relationship can turn out, and some of them are rather intriguing. In a 2013 study, researchers found that heterosexual couples where the female partner is more attractive than the male partner reported higher levels of satisfaction (The Huffington Post, “Men with Attractive Wives Report Higher Levels of Marital Satisfaction, New Study Finds,” 11.19.2013). “[These results seem to indicate] that partner physical attractiveness played a larger role in predicting husbands’ marital satisfaction than it did in predicting wives’ marital satisfaction,” the study authors concluded.
“Nothing says “I love you” quite like rampant consumer capitalism. But whether we like it or not, we are a species that is in love with the idea of falling in love.” Surprisingly, the same results were reported in a similar study in 2008 by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (The Huffington Post). The theory seems to be that men may feel more invested in their romantic partner if they believe that they had “lucked out” by marrying such an attractive wife. Unfortunately, the opposite occurred when the husbands believed that they were more attractive than their wives, and thus they were less willing to help their wives. Typical male behavior. Psychologists also suspect that money has a huge impact on the stability of a relationship. According to a 2009 study by the University of Michigan that involved more than 1000 married and unmarried adults, researchers found that people who are dissatisfied with their spending
habits tend to gravitate towards their spending opposite in love. In other words, those who spend money luxuriously may end up in a relationship with someone who budgets carefully, and vice versa (LiveScience, “Tightwads and Spendthrifts Attract, Marry, Fight,” 09.01.2009). However, this study also showed that these relationships often fail: “Even though a spendthrift will have a greater debt when married to another spendthrift than when married to a tightwad, the spendthrift is still less likely to argue about money with the other spendthrift,” stated leading author Rick Scott (LiveScience). Another interesting observation is that birth order may influence the happiness level of a relationship. According to psychologist Linda Blair, one of the happiest pairings is between a first-born child and a last-born child. The explanation? She believes that the success of these relationships come from how the relationship consists of one person who is used to taking care of others and one person who enjoys being taken care of (Inc., “Want a Fulfilling Relationship? Science Says the Happiest Couples Have These 13 Characteristics,” 12.31.2017). And of course, there are countless studies that show that having sex often significantly improves romantic relationships. Probably one of the most famous papers on this topic is the 2004 study by the National Bureau of Economic Research, which sampled 16,000 Americans and found that for both men and women, “The more sex, the happier the person” (The National Bureau of Economic Research,” 05.2004). But is this conclusion really true? Apparently so, for a 2015 study that surveyed more than 30,000 Americans for 40 years found that couples who have sex once a week are the happiest (EurekAlert!, “Couples Who Have Sex Weekly Are Happiest,” 11.18.2015). However, the researchers stated that there was a limit to this happiness and that having sex more than once a week didn’t really increase happiness. It’s also important to point out that a 2012 study by Cornell University found a positive link between waiting over a month to have sex at the beginning of a relationship and long-
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
term satisfaction (The Huffington Post, “This is the Happiest Relationship Ever, According to Science,” 01.23.2014). Regardless of what all these theories say, however, it doesn’t change the fact that all relationships are different and none of them can exactly be boiled down to a formula. However, there does seem to be one characteristic that seems to be present in almost all happy relationships. This characteristic is called self-expansion, and it is the idea that the perfect romantic partner is not someone who makes you comfortable but someone who makes you a better person.
“Given how tumultuous dating can be, why do some romantic relationships last only for a month while others last for decades in harmony and bliss?” According to a 2017 study, researchers discovered that the strongest and most fulfilling relationship was between two people who felt like their ideal selves in their relationship rather than their actual selves. “[The results of our studies] contradict the popular sentiment that relational authenticity lies in “being yourself” in the relationship,” the study authors noted (Sage Journals, “Being Your Actual or Ideal Self? What It Means to Feel Authentic in a Relationship,” 02.13.2017). So, what makes a romantic relationship “perfect”? Despite the various outside forces that seem to be in play, it’s more likely that a couple’s happiness depends on how they help each other reach their full potential in both their ambitions and their personal life. Perhaps it’s this partnership in continual self-improvement that makes a relationship between two people truly special.
OPINIONS
Page 10
February 8, 2018
Campus inclusivity dampened by mass drinking culture Jesser Horowitz COLUMNIST
There are many reasons why a Vassar student might abstain from drinking or events associated with alcohol. They may have a moral opposition to drinking excessively or while underage. They may be taking medication or have a condition that would make any alcohol consumption potentially deadly. Or they may be fine with drinking but be uncomfortable with the noise and crowd level of parties or Mug nights. Whatever the reason, the decision not to partake in mainstream drinking culture should always be respected. In my experience, Vassar students tend to adhere to this philosophy. I have never felt pressured to drink or stay in a space that I was not comfortable in by my peers; in fact, on several occasions, friends and strangers have gone out of their way to make sure that I was comfortable and that I was enjoying myself even when not drinking. While I am sure that some people reading this have had different experiences, I have never seen a Vassar student try to pressure other students to do things they don’t want to do where alcohol and drugs are concerned. Where Vassar lags behind, however, is in its treatment of and general attitude toward so-called “alternative programming.” While individual students don’t pressure one another to drink, Vassar creates an intense implicit pressure to drink by recognizing it as the norm and abstaining from alcohol as the “alternative” choice. This creates a toxic drinking culture in which people consume alcohol not in the course of normal college experimentation, but under a sense of obligation. I don’t take any personal issue with drinking. Since I turned 21, I haven’t felt any need to actively abstain from it. Drinking can be a perfectly fun and safe activity if done in moderation. I don’t find the concept of a drinking culture particularly objectionable either. Many college students drink. Naturally, alcohol consumption is an important part of our school culture, and complaining about it seems a little futile. After all, our founder was a brewer, and so is our school mascot. There’s nothing inherently wrong with a drinking culture. Yet, there is something wrong with it when it feels compulsory. There is something even more wrong with a culture that infantilizes non-drinking while enforcing drinking as an established and celebrated norm. The solution
doesn’t necessarily have to be a campus culture that discourages drinking, but rather one that at the very least considers both choices to be equal options. From early on, however, drinking is promoted and enforced as the norm. Early in my first year at Vassar, I remember seeing a presentation about drinking responsibly on campus. I can’t remember if it was overseen by the Vassar Student Association (VSA) at large, my dorm, or some other official body, but I remember it being explained to me that there were two extremes: binge drinking and not drinking at all. It was explained to me that the ideal was in between these two points: specifically, drinking somewhat, but not too much. Perhaps it was just a slip of tongue or perhaps I just didn’t understand what they meant, but it seemed odd that such an event would actively promote drinking. However, even if this was just a Freudian slip, it seems to me like an oddly self-fulfilling prophecy. We assume that first-years will begin drinking, and through this we create a feeling that people are obligated to drink. If someone feels like everyone around them is partaking in an activity, they are more likely to think that they’re supposed to engage in it even if they don’t really want to. At college in particular there is a feeling that we’re supposed to be experimenting and doing new and different things. I have certainly felt—and I suspect others have too—that if I’m not at least trying alcohol, then I’m not making the most out of my time at college. Ultimately, the mere act of consuming alcohol is not the biggest issue with drinking culture at Vassar College. The main problem, to be clear, is programming. There is a serious lack of options, especially on major occasions, for students who do not want to engage in mainstream drinking or party culture. The options that do exist end early and are far too often casually dismissed. While there have been some recent efforts to provide this alternative space (huge shout-out to Big Night In), the college is still not at a point where non-drinking students have equal opportunities to have fun. Now, I want to define what I mean by “mainstream drinking culture.” What I mean is not a few friends having a beer in their room during the weekend. While that is a definite part of life of Vassar, it is not indicative of mass drinking culture. “Mass drinking culture,” for the purposes of my argument, will be defined as elements of Vas-
sar in which drinking occurs en masse—usually centered around a certain event or a larger party culture. Mass drinking culture is not necessarily indicative of all drinking culture at Vassar. A lot of parties are smaller and don’t involve a kind of high school party atmosphere of binge drinking, loud music, and turning its location upside down. In fact, those parties are very likely more representative of Vassar party culture. But these are also not the most visible elements of Vassar drinking culture. Mass drinking culture on campus is most visible on occasions such as Halloween and Founder’s Day. It can also be observed on any typical Mug night and throughout the early part of the fall semester. Now, I understand none of these events are inherently tied to alcohol. People can—and I’m sure people do—go to the Mug or Halloween parties sober or abstain from drinking on Founder’s Day. These events are not necessarily related to drinking or drug use. Practically, however, they are. The Mug, for example, is indicative of the kind of club environments that are often associated with drinking, and pregaming is very common. Yet, that’s not to say that everyone who enjoys going to the Mug does so after drinking. That is, many students abstain from going to the Mug or Halloween dance or Founder’s Day not because they want to actively abstain from alcohol use, but because those spaces are often not accessible or enjoyable. I am autistic, and while I can sometimes tolerate crowded spaces with loud music, I generally don’t like them. A lot of people, disabled and otherwise, not only don’t like those kinds of spaces, but cannot physically handle them. I personally find the Mug to be extremely suffocating and unsettling, and for that reason I have abstained from Mug nights. For those like me, another option would be valuable. Unfortunately, there often simply isn’t one. Herein lies the greatest problem with mass drinking culture at Vassar: alcohol and parties have become such an inherent norm that people don’t think about the need for an alternative. Because of that, there are not nearly enough spaces on campus for people who do not want to engage in what is generally considered to be the dominant option. For a while, if you didn’t want to attend the Halloween party, or go to the Mug, or go to Founders’ Day, you had to choose your own alternative, since the VSA didn’t view your needs as important enough to acknowledge.
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MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
That is a kind of ableism, for it holds up bodies for which these kinds of events are accessible while ignoring those for whom they aren’t. There are many students on campus who make a conscious choice not to drink or attend these events. There are also many students for whom drinking or going to the Mug or going to some similar event isn’t an option. To not prioritize those voices, to not acknowledge them to be just as valid as any other voice, is dereliction of duty on behalf of the student body and the VSA. We’re finally starting to get those alternatives, though. Big Night In orchestrated a great event at the same time as the Halloween party that was well-organized, fun and (seemingly) well-attended. That event was the first time I felt like I had really celebrated Halloween on this campus. Big Night In organizes quite a few events, and while I don’t go to many of them, I very much appreciate what they’re doing. They provide an alternative for students who want to enjoy themselves without needing to participate in mass drinking culture. However, it remains a great shame that Big Night In is considered “alternative programming.” It is unfortunate that what Big Night In does is considered so outside what we have constructed as “Vassar” that their substance-free events are not a celebrated outgrowth of our school culture, but an alternative to the mainstream. Abstaining from “mainstream” programming is considered, in that sense, an abstention from Vassar as a whole. This isn’t Big Night In’s fault; of course, they are a wonderful organization that is doing great work. Rather, it is the fault of a campus community that undervalues the need for substance-free programming. I call upon the VSA to value and invest in alternative programming. I call upon the broader Vassar community to consider carefully how we have constructed what it means to be a student here, and the role that alcohol consumption plays in that. I’m not suggesting that we embrace temperance or even cut down on our drinking, but rather that we do our part to help change Vassar culture for the better. A Vassar in which all lifestyles are equally valued and equally considered a part of our campus culture is in everyone’s best interest. In order to realize that Vassar, however, me must insist that our student representatives take on this issue and fight for more substance-free events.
February 8, 2018
OPINIONS
Little Free Library well worth investment Catherine Bither GUEST COLUMNIST
Strolling placidly down the sunny streets of my hometown, I am startled by the gleaming white box before me. A nearby sign declares: “Take a Book, Leave a Book.” How could I have forgotten! Having not been home for a few months, I am delighted to come upon a Little Free Library. In need of new reading material and desiring to clear space in my loaded bookshelf, I browse the selection. Among the children’s books and a huge volume of Poe, which I do not feel like tackling in my last week of winter break, glitter the words “ ‘My Life in France’ by Julia Child.” I’m hooked. Eagerly, I skip down the street, grasping my new treasure, and contemplate which novel from my home library I will part with next. Over the next few days, I devour the book, marveling at Julia’s wit and ability to see every situation in a positive light. I figure that a close family friend, Maria, with whom I share a love of cooking, baking and reading, would love the autobiography. Shortly after I finish the book, I stop by Maria’s house. I explain how I found the autobiography in the Little Free Library down the street and urge her to read it while I am away. “The Little Free Library down the street?” she says, “I put Julia’s autobiography there a few days ago!” Call it serendipity or just a coincidence, but I marveled at the connection we had made over literature over the next few days. What Maria felt like passing on to the world, or at least to her neighbors, I had found. She got rid of a book she felt a need to part with and I happily scooped it up. It felt as if the universe had presented me with just what I needed in that moment in time. I hoped that the book I left at the library would find a lucky passerby in the same way. Coming back to Vassar, I wondered why this school, seemingly dedicated to learning and community-building, did not have such a library. Burdened with classes, clubs, sports and other commitments, Vassar students rarely have time to read for fun. “Does our library even have fun, out-of-classroom literature?” I wondered. “If a Little Free Library were placed within the vicinity of Vassar’s campus, would passersby even stop by to browse the collection and, perhaps, pick up a book?” I searched to answer these questions during
the first few days back in class. Though still pondering these dilemmas, I have come to the following conclusion: a Little Free Library would be beneficial for Vassar students and those in the local area. For one, most students are here at Vassar because of an innate desire to learn. Whether it be biology, philosophy, music, drama, language or computer science, Vassar students love to learn. A Little Free Library would give students a chance to do this, but in an out-of-classroom fashion. Secondly, Vassar students desire to share knowledge with others. Walking through campus, I hear students engaging in conversation about topics ranging from their crazy weekends to fascinating labs and mind-blowing lectures. Students relate to one another over movies, TV shows, music, academics and literature. A Little Free Library would give students a chance to get a feel for the interests of people around campus. With an ever-changing selection of books, stories and poems, Vassar students would be exposed to a great deal of material they may have never found on their own. Students would be able to connect over literature not present in any course syllabus. Thirdly, I believe that Vassar needs more opportunities for community outreach. I don’t think that the majority of Vassar students know the town in which we live. I, and surely many others, would like to get familiar with the town, the culture and the community in which I will be spending most of my time for the foreseeable future. By installing a Little Free Library close to campus and in an area accessible to the citizens of Poughkeepsie, Vassar students would not only connect more to one another, but to those with whom we share a town. Setting up a Little Free Library is relatively easy and cheap to make. Essentially, it’s just a box made of plywood, hinges and plexiglass, and the decorations are up to the maker. The Little Free Library website has many tips and tricks for making these libraries. The only cost comes from materials and a one-time registration fee of $40 to the Little Free Library website. The only complications would arise from zoning laws. Though some towns are strict about zoning, most towns follow this set of rules cited on the Little Free Library Website: “Little Free Libraries are considered as an accessory use, and are permitted in any zoning district; provided that, all such libraries meet the following placement requirements: Shall
not be located within or overhang the public street right-of-way or any public easement; Shall not obstruct vehicular, bicycle or pedestrian traffic, either physically...Shall not obstruct access aisles or paths utilized by persons in wheelchairs or for ADA accessibility.” Currently, Poughkeepsie only has one Little Free Library, which is located on private property. There are three others in Hyde Park. All range from three to six miles away from Vassar. According to a local Little Free Library builder, two of the three libraries in Hyde Park are on public property—one is in a Rite Aid parking lot and the other is in a Stop and Shop parking lot. Both are managed by Hyde Park Free Library. If the library were installed on campus property, yet in close proximity to the town of Poughkeepsie, such as the North Gate, the library would be in compliance with zoning laws. However, if zoning laws can be avoided, a great spot for the library would be at the intersection of Fulton and Raymond, an area close to campus, yet accessible to those in the town. Though this complication would need to be discussed with Vassar administration and Poughkeepsie town officials, the product would be worthwhile. With a little bit of elbow grease—and, of course, permission from Vassar, or the city—a Little Free Library could be installed near Vassar very soon. The Little Free Library adventure is exciting. First comes finding the treasure hunt of finding the library itself, and then the journey of selecting a book. Then, the exchange: what type of book do you think the community will benefit from? Something lighthearted and fun? Something more current and thought-provoking? The choice is yours to make. There is a certain anonymity surrounding the connections forged through Little Free Libraries. Had I not told Maria about Julia’s autobiography, I would have never known that it was she who shared the book with me. This is one of the defining aspects of Little Free Library. You have no clue who a book belonged to before and who a book will belong to afterwards; it’s all up to chance. Through serendipity, luck, coincidence or universal occurrences, you just might connect with someone unexpectedly over literature. You may get a chance to make a new friend. But, even if you don’t, you still get the opportunity to read a wonderful, new book and to pass along a story or message you believe would benefit the community.
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Word on the street What is your catchphrase? “OHHH SHIT.....OHHH FUCK” — Atticus Koizumi ’20
“Dumb birds have to fly first” — Yuming Ren ’21
“I dig it” — Andi Goss ’20
Military action in Venezuela unacceptable Sylvan Perlmutter COLUMNIST
Over the weekend I had the troubling experience of reading an article by Ricardo Hausmann entitled “D-Day Venezuela” in which he argues that the situation in Venezuela has grown so dire that it is time to seriously consider a military intervention by regional forces as the best possible solution (Project Syndicate, “D-Day Venezuela,” 01.02.2018). This is a rash and destructive idea, and it is deeply unsettling to hear it coming from a highly respected former Venezuelan minister and a current professor of economics at Harvard. Although I certainly cannot claim to have the same level of expertise as Professor Hausmann, I hope I can offer a few critiques of the article in question. Hausmann does accurately detail the tragic extent of the devastation Venezuela has endured under the weight of economic crisis and authoritarian repression. Between May 2012 and May 2017, “the minimum wage…measured in the cheapest available calorie, had declined from 52,854 calories per day in May 2012 to just 7,005” (Project Syndicate). Venezuelans are frequently malnourished, and this has combined with the government’s inability to provide basic medical services, such as basic vaccinations, to produce atrocious health outcomes. Tens of thousands of Venezuelans are pouring across the country’s border seeking security in neighboring countries, including Colombia and Brazil. Meanwhile, oil production, the centerpiece of the Venezuelan economy, is in decline. The precipitous drop in Venezuelan living standards created a massive opposition movement that called for an end to the incompetent and kleptocratic government of Nicolás Maduro and the United Socialist Party, but instead of responding to the legitimate grievances of millions of his fellow citizens and reaching some form of
compromise with the opposition, Maduro and his inner circle jailed their political opponents and spent limited resources on “Chinese-made military-grade crowd-control systems to thwart public protests” (Project Syndicate). The United Socialist Party–aligned military has gained ever more control over daily life and is now in charge of food distribution and rebooting the national oil company. While Hausmann is mostly correct in his analysis of the conditions in Venezuela, the solution he prescribes would only lead to more suffering. The ideology propagated by the ruling party since the days of Hugo Chávez is that Venezuela is a heroic revolutionary socialist country under siege by reactionary forces in the world led by the United States. A military invasion by regional forces, which would unofficially require the approval and support of the United States, would reinforce this narrative and could make many Venezuelans convert to the side of their government. Warfare in the urban centers of Caracas and Maracaibo would result in civilian casualties and provide further fodder for Venezuelan government propaganda. It is also highly likely that the Venezuelan government and the military would seize the opportunity presented by an invasion to stamp about the little independent civil society that remains and fully consolidate an authoritarian system of rule. Hausmann seems to assume that an intervention would be carried out with minimal expenditure and loss of life because the great mass of Venezuelans would welcome them as liberators. However, he underestimates the extent of support the socialists continue to have, even if it is not enthusiastically given. Millions of Venezuelans owe their jobs to networks of government party patronage and many would probably decide to stick with the devil they know, especially because they can expect retribution from Venezuelans who were
not incorporated into patronage networks and all the benefits they provided. One must remember the plight of average members of the Ba’ath Party in Iraq who were barred from many avenues of employment after the fall of Saddam Hussein. Furthermore, there remains a dedicated core of people who truly believe in the revolutionary ideology of Hugo Chávez and would be willing to fight to continue his Bolivarian Socialist project. Although pro-regime Venezuelans probably do not constitute any significant majority of the population—accurate statistics on the matter are hard to come by—they are a large enough segment of the population to indicate that any war would be a protracted and bloody struggle that would leave very little of Venezuela left to save. There is also no desire on the part of Latin American countries to take part in any military action against Venezuela. Many are still struggling with the legacies of U.S.-backed coups, and the most powerful South American country, Brazil, is preoccupied with a long and convoluted domestic political crisis. When Trump broached the topic of intervention in August 2017, numerous Latin American countries swiftly repudiated his statements (Reuters, “Latin America rejects Trump’s military threat against Venezuela,” 08.11.2017). The possibility of intervention must be decisively taken off the table, and thought-leaders such as Ricardo Hausmann should redirect their ample energies away from warmongering and towards consideration of more peaceful options. For example, finding a way, perhaps through the pressure of sanctions, to make the Venezuelan government accept a greater degree of humanitarian assistance, or perhaps inducing China to exert its leverage as one of Venezuela’s biggest creditors to push for reforms. There are numerous ways to approach Venezuela. We need not take the warpath.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
“Shit happens” — Tanya Kotru Gode ’20
*tongue pop* — Henery Wyand ’20
“Imma manolo you” — Jami Joy Gibson ’20
Leah Cates, Humor & Satire Yesenia Garcia, Humor & Satire Hannah Benton, Photography
HUMOR & SATIRE
Page 12
February 8, 2018
Breaking News From the desk of Leah Cates and Yesenia Garcia, Humor & Satire Editors Punxsutawney Phil predicts six more weeks of impromptu ice skating, emergency Baldwin visits Students plan to improve FBI agents assigned each their lives this semester other’s laptops, fall in love Blair Webber
REPORTING ON RESOLUTIONS
The start of every semester offers new opportunities for Vassar students to grow and change. Whether it’s getting involved with a new org, or simply re-committing oneself to long hours in the library, spring semester provides a second chance to perfect the art of learning. Junior Nick Liebniz has embraced this ideal and has created a plan to kickstart himself into healthy habits. “Procrastination is definitely a big thing I struggle with, so my goal for this semester is to not do that,” Liebniz said. When pressed for details of how precisely he plans to end his old habits, Liebniz offered only cryptic clues about the master plan he had devised. “Well, starting early, for sure. That’s a good way not to procrastinate. I have a paper due...I’m not sure when, I’ll check the syllabus, but I’ll probably start it...I don’t know, I usually start it the night it’s due. But since I’m not procrastinating, I won’t start it then. I’ll start it early. That’s really the key, I guess, to fighting procrastination, is to start everything early,” Liebniz elaborated. Never one to underachieve, Liebniz has greater plans in the works than simply to end his procrastination. “I want to be on the frisbee team. I need to be on their email list, I guess, so that I know when practices are and stuff. I’m not yet. I think I have a friend on the frisbee team. I could ask him. I could ask him tomorrow,” Liebniz announced. When confronted with the frightening reality that waiting to ask his friend about frisbee emails tomorrow is a form of procrastination, which Liebniz had previously and vigorously forsworn, Liebniz answered with his usual, unflappable voice of genius. “We’re not really friends; we just sit next to each other in this one seminar. I don’t even have him on Facebook, so I can’t ask him today because I’m not really sure who he is,” Liebniz clarified. Not everyone is as gung-ho about doing away
with poor academic strategies. Freshman Annika Jamison recently decided to do the unthinkable: to drop a class. “I just have too much going on. If it means taking 4.5 credits instead of 5, I guess that’s the sacrifice I have to make for sanity. “ Jamison continued, “Not that it’s done a whole lot for my mental health so far. I haven’t slept in days. I’m terrified of my roommate, Jen, so I just stay in the 24-hour section of the library all night. I’ve gotten a lot of homework done. I’ve actually finished all the assignments for all my classes, including the reading. But I know Jen won’t be in our room because she has class from one to three on Thursdays, so really that’s my only chance to get any sleep.” Unlike Liebniz, Jamison adamantly refuses to take any steps toward fixing any of the issues in her life. “I tried to change rooms, but I didn’t have any evidence of what she’s been doing, so I can’t leave until I prove it’s her. She’s really good at not getting caught, though. She insisted the spiders ‘just came out of the radiator.’ ” Jamison stated. Jamison continued, “I’ve just quit going to the room at all unless I know she’ll be gone, which makes it impossible for me to catch her doing anything. It’s better than being there. Room draw is soon, I can try for a single next year. I did hear her bragging about her ‘cool new shoes’ that have my name stitched into the sides. She used a seam ripper to get the stitching out, though, but it just shows she’s getting sloppy.” While Jamison allows her problems to fester, Liebniz continually attempts to improve himself. “I used to not go to class. It was a pretty bad habit. I would just hang out in the Deece instead. They have french fries pretty much all day, it’s great.” Liebniz continued, “I made it to class a whole half hour after it started today, though. Turns out assignments are way easier when you’ve heard the lecture. I think doing the reading might help, too. I’ll try doing that in a few weeks, maybe, when I ask my friend about frisbee.”
Izzy Migani CYBER SLEUTH
BREAKING—Two FBI Agents Fall in Love After Being Assigned Each Other’s MacBook Airs NEW YORK—Having graduated New York State Police Academy, local man Matthew Crispi was handpicked from a pool of applicants to audition for the FBI New York Division. “It’s a great school—a great school...I heard it had three fivestar reviews on Yelp,” said Director of Admissions William F. Sweeney on his recruitment choice. Having prepared for the usual rigorous assortment of tests, Crispi was reportedly surprised to find the recruitment process had been altered by the now-retired James Comey amid Twitter backlash: “A lot of us found that actually training the FBI agents in their field was too harsh, so now we have them sing ABBA songs instead.” He paused to add in his YouTube review of the GOP memo, which he claimed should have a 2/5 rating instead of its 3.3/5 on GoodReads. Having completed a spectacular rendition of ABBA’s “Angel Eyes,” Crispi was immediately inducted into the 1,500-person team assigned to monitoring citizens through the cameras on their Macbook Airs. “We don’t f*ck with Dell,” James Comey commented. On the grounds that our head reporter do a two-minute lip sync of “Take a Chance on Me,” we were granted permission to accompany Crispi on his first assignment. NY POLICE HEADQUARTERS—SOMEWHERE IN THE BASEMENT—“I’m really excited—it’s my first assignment,” Crispi added as he waited for his computer to locate a nearby MacBook. “Yeah, so right now I can see that they are Googling ‘Do Women Have A Prostate,’ ” he continued. This was met with whispers of doubt across the room. “Don’t they?” asked an agent who wished to remain anonymous. “Okay…so I just have to turn on this webcam and then we can get to it,” Crispi added, flipping several switches. However, the image on the screen was met with a resounding “oh sh*t” from the room. On the monitor appeared an image of the entirety of our camera crew and the back of Crispi’s head, and a woman stationed at a monitor several feet behind suddenly yelled “Sh*t, I was hoping he was cute.”
10 MONTHS LATER—HILTON HEAD, NEWARK, NEW JERSEY—We had the pleasure of briefly attending the wedding between two fellow FBI agents, Matthew Crispi and Olivia Liebler. Despite the reported rocky start to the relationship, we are happy to find that their wedding was a beautiful affair, held at the luxurious Hilton Head in Newark, New Jersey. “Nothing makes people fall in love like intrusive surveillance,” Comey added, shedding a single tear. COMEY RESIDENCE, WESTPORT, CONNECTICUT—We attempted to follow up with former FBI Director Comey about the incident, traveling to his Connecticut timeshare last Sunday. Upon arrival, our news van passed several tastefully-placed calacatta marble statues of his beloved pomeranian, Stefán. Coming to the door in stocking-clad feet to avoid detection, Comey peeked out of Stefán’s doggie flap and demanded that we take our Girl Scout cookies elsewhere, he is stocked with Samoas for the next three decades. After much reassurance that our news team was not affiliated with the Girl Scouts, the IRS, or the Megyn Kelly segment on TODAY, Comey agreed to answer some of our questions. Although the inside of his timeshare wasn’t particularly remarkable, one of our interns commented that it looked suspiciously like Pottery Barn’s October 2017 catalogue. As we were led into his dining room, where Stefán sat in an embroidered Versace doggie cushion, Comey agreed to answer several of our questions. When asked about the accidental union of his agents Crispi and Liebler, he replied “It’s times like those where you really come to love your job as FBI director.” Our assistant reporter Kevin then asked: “Weren’t you fired though, Mr. Comey?” after which we were promptly asked to leave the premises. As we were leaving, I caught the eye of Stefán, still sitting on his $2,000 cushion. His cold, calculating and eerily human stare met my own, and it has haunted many of us months after the visit. ADDENDUM Several of us have reported hearing voices, having excessive night terrors and have heard small pitter-patters in the night.
Jamison’s sneaky roommate uses a seam ripper to defile her personalized shoes. Confused by this cartoon? Then you’d better check out Blair Webber’s investigative reporting on resolutions. Look up and to your left. There it is. Cartoon courtesy of Samana Shrestha
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
HUMOR & SATIRE
February 8, 2018
Page 13
Sincerely, me: a candid open letter to Evan Hansen Leah Cates
MANAGER, LOST AND FOUND
Dear Evan Hansen, June 11, 2017 was a good day, and here’s why: because on that day your musical won the Tony Award for Best Original Score. But…Original Score?! Really? Frankly, words fail, because reality seems to be all but lost on the Tony nominating and voting committees, Broadway critics, musical theater aficionados and Alex Lacamoire. One can only hope that it will be found. But more on losing and finding in a bit. My grandmother, a lifelong Broadway fanatic, mailed me your soundtrack, followed by a slew of texts and emails: “Everybody needs to hear this. I can’t stop listening to this soundtrack. Take 56 minutes. This will make your day.” I acquiesced and could only assume that the following group of people wrote about your story: A small army of deeply cynical songwriters, eager to gross easy millions of dollars by spoon-feeding to the public overworked, superficially empowering lyrics and melodies guaranteed to melt in your ears the moment their saccharine sound bursts through your headphones. So I was shocked when Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, your soundtrack’s creators, accepted the Tony sans cynicism. Which made me sort of like them. But not their music. No offense to you personally, Evan. In fact, I’m thrilled that you’re a voice for those who struggle with anxiety, depression and loneliness. Since you’re probably into truth-telling after the whole Connor-and-I-were-best-buds debacle, I’ve got a confession: I’ve never actually seen your musical. However, it’s evidently lauded for its groundbreaking portrayal of social media on the stage, and apparently Ben Platt was the most poignant, emotionally potent and altogether epic Broadway phenomenon since Lin-Manuel Miranda chopped off that perky, 18th century ponytail (though even the casting was safe; Platt, who originated your role,
essentially played the same character in the “Pitch Perfect” flicks and “The Book of Mormon”). That’s good for you. Good for you, you, you. But I’m not here to critique staging, set design and acting. We need to get candid about the soundtrack. Everyone’s gung-ho about “Waving Through a Window,” which bursts with more cliches and contrived energy than any other Broadway outcastloner-angst-woe-is-me soliloquy I’ve heard. As the bridge builds into a blaring crescendo, Evan, it appears you’re bellowing “When you’re falling in a forest and there’s nobody around / Do you ever really crash or even make a sound? / Did I even make a sound? / Did I even make a sound?” What you really mean is “When you’re concocting a cathartic song with comfortable, easy lyrics and there’s everyone around / Do they thrust their fists high in the air and scream along really loud? / Are you engaged and invigorated now? / How about now?” The cheapest, safest and most vanilla Broadway company empowerment anthem I’ve ever heard is “You Will be Found.” Your schoolmates might as well be screaming, “This is the most inspirational and exhilarating end-of-act-I showstopper ever, right? Surrender your better judgement, your discriminating taste and allow our empty, mind-numbing words to move you!” Furthermore, while I do endorse lost and founds for objects, I’m not buying into this vague concept of human lost and founds. Evan, you seem pretty confident that “You will be found.” My question is, by whom? The passive voice is a cop-out. Plus, what if “they” don’t find you? I wonder what Amelia Earhart, Henry Hudson, or the victims of “forced disappearances” in Sri Lanka, Colombia, and North Korea would have to say about this song. We’ll never know for sure, given that they were not found. In a more general sense, I am fairly certain that I have previously heard every one of the following lyrics from a big purple dinosaur, a little red mon-
ster, or Fred Rogers: “All you do is just believe you can be who you want to be.” “You still matter.” “You are not alone.” “No one deserves to be forgotten.” “Today at least you’re you, and that’s enough.” As for the latter lyric, I actually feel sorry for Ben Platt[itude] who must somehow transform this cornball into the final, moving proclamation. Since Pasek and Paul are evidently unconcerned about trouble with the PBS Kids copyright lawyers, I think I’ll likewise forgo consideration of copyright laws, and will print the words on posters in big block letters, stick a picture of a digitally enhanced sunset in front of them, and sell it at Walmart for $2.99, plus tax. And then there’s the incessant metaphor-making with sun and sky, light and dark. I’m not suggesting that Pasek and Paul should’ve pulled a Sater and Shiek and authored lyrics dense with ethereal nature metaphors based on the likes of Shakespeare, Dickinson, Baudelaire and Keats. Still, I thought that a Tony would require more than tired phrases about forests, trees, and falling from trees in forests. “But Dear Leah,” you might say, “My lyrics offer clean, straightforward family fun teeming with positive messages!” Indeed, I applaud your show’s capacity to empower people who are misunderstood, excluded and bullied. However, Evan, along with the lyrics’ utter lack of sophistication comes an unabashed appeal to the “mainstream.” Pasek and Paul evidently felt they had to keep the predominately white, affluent playgoers comfortable. Your fans claim you’re reaching all of us, Evan. However, in truth, yours is yet another Broadway show made by white people, for white people. I’m more invested in Alana’s story than yours. I wish you were “the friend” in a musical about the challenges Alana faces as a student of color in what is apparently an otherwise all-white student population. Maybe Pasek and Paul could replace some of the losing and finding, disappearing and reap-
pearing with lyrics about intersectional feminism. However, that would take real moxie and ingenuity, and then your creators would risk effortlessly hooking millions of listeners the moment they press “download.” I’m also concerned about your show’s use of a public health crisis—suicide—to spur the plot in motion. I might think differently about the play itself. but as for the soundtrack, your show marginalizes and glorifies a national tragedy. There is one song that makes me chuckle—“To Break in a Glove” offers some delicious, if unwitting, irony. It’s the one where your pseudo-Dad teaches you about “patience” and “perseverance.” Yet falling in love with “Dear Evan Hansen” requires neither. The moment those timeworn words and melodies hit your ears, you’re senselessly inspired. You want to sing along. You’re hooked. There’s no deeper meaning, no reason to re-listen to the soundtrack beyond ephemeral pleasure, no room for lyrical interpretation. The song sermonizes about the “hard way” and the “right way” to break in a glove. The hard and right way to listen to a soundtrack involves room for struggle, for occasional boredom on the first runthrough, for multiple, thoughtful listens before you appreciate the lyrics, and begin to make them your own. Evan, your show shamelessly takes advantage of America’s weakness for simplicity and safety, and for people telling them exactly what they want and expect to hear, no matter how syrupy, banal and unoriginal that message might be. Sincerely, Me PS-I didn’t drag myself to the theater to watch “The Greatest Showman”—Pasek and Paul’s most recent hit-making enterprise—but I did muddle through the painfully formulaic and artificially empowering soundtrack, all of which fail to mention that P.T. Barnum horrendously abused and exploited people with disabilities, including an enslaved woman, and animals. Classic.
HOROSCOPES Hannah Gaven
AMATEUR ASTROLOGIST
ARIES
March 21 | April 19
TAURUS
April 20 | May 20
GEMINI
May 21 | June 20
CANCER
June 21 | July 22
LEO
July 23 | August 22
VIRGO
August 23 | September 22
Things seems to be piling up on you this week even though the second semester has only begun. Taking care of piles, especially laundry piles, will leave you looking and smelling good. Your peers and professors will notice your good smells, which will help you land in their good graces.
LIBRA
The waning moon leaves you with waning energy. You know going to bed at 3 a.m. isn’t helping anyone, but you can’t seem to shake these bad habits from last semester. Do us all a favor, Taurus, and take a nap.
SCORPIO
People may misjudge you as “two-faced” because you’re a Gemini. To those people: I suggest you whip out your sassy, fabulous alter-ego and tell them how wrong they are. It’s a new year, so let the new you shine through. As they say in “Toddlers in Tiaras,” “Sparkle, baby!”
SAGITTARIUS
You may be looking for a fresh start this semester. As a water sign, your best course of action is to start carrying around a water bottle. Not only will drinking water help your brain function, but it will also give you an excuse to take a five minute pee break halfway through class.
September 23 | October 22
October 23 | November 21
November 22 | December 21
CAPRICORN
December 22 | January 19
This week you may feel some part inside you telling you to explore. Follow that little inner voice. Explore the basement of Blodgett, look for a bathroom in the back of the library, try all of the different butters at the Deece, walk through the Shakespeare garden at night, and communicate with the ghost you know is haunting your room.
AQUARIUS
Virgo, you probably don’t lock your door. The start of the semester is a great time to change your habits to keep you and your favorite stuffed bear safe. Your lucky numbers this week are 1, 2, 3 and 4. Consider making that your new phone passcode. It’s super safe and unhackable.
PISCES
January 20 | February 18
February 19 | March 20
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
The start of the semester will bring many challenges. Most importantly, you won’t be able to casually flirt with your crush who traveled abroad this semester. No need to panic! Instead, get up the guts to friend them on Facebook so you can continue the stalking.
You may have given up on your New Year’s resolution to work out daily because you are too busy. Don’t let your schedule keep you from the gym. Instead, don’t go to the gym because it’s too cold to walk there. The walk is a workout in itself.
Deece food may seem a little disappointing after eating home-cooked meals for the last six weeks. You can spice up your meals by trying the sushi at The Retreat. Or you could actually try to cook something like gluten-free vegan brownies. However, those are gross, so maybe don’t try that.
Capricorn, the start of the new semester can be more than a little stressful. You can de-stress by scrub-a-dub-dubbing in one of the Raymond bathtubs. Remember to bring your rubber duckies! Anyway, as Hamlet would say, “there’s the rub.”
The cold may be getting to you, Aquarius. The freezing air makes it impractical to walk to the Deece or even to class. My recommendation: lock yourself in your room and never leave. If you get lonely, you can FaceTime your friends. It’s honestly better because you can continue playing solitaire the entire time you’re talking to them. You know what you need this next week? Alone time and a new show to start binge-watching. As I suspect, you may be falling behind on Netflixing since the start of school. Since you do have a busy schedule, I suggest investing your time in a screening of “Ella Enchanted” and the second season of “One Day at a Time.”
ARTS
Page 14
February 8, 2018
Modfest’s multimedia show awes and awakens audiences Izzy Braham
ASSISTANT ARTS EDITOR
Courtesy of Karl Rabe
Powerful. That is the only way to describe Vassar’s Modfest event “Music, Words, and Images,” a performance that helped kick off the festival on Feb. 2. Modfest is Vassar’s annual art celebration of 20th and 21st century art. For two weeks, the festival presents musical, oral and visual events in which the theme of the festival is explored. “Music, Words, and Images” was a collection of songs, piano, small lectures, animation, poetry, and acting all relating to the theme of “adapting” and featured faculty, guest artists and students alike. “Music, Words, and Images” was divided into five mini-pieces. The first piece was entitled “Three Painters,” and was inspired by a quirky painting. The piece was comprised of a song sung by Courtenay Budd and piano by Zachary Wadsworth. Next came “Cristalli,” which consisted of a brief lesson about the nature of crystals and an animation timed with a piano piece played by Wadsworth. Artist and photographer Barbra Proud gave an introduction about “The First Comes Love Project” that features black and white photographs of same-sex couples. The exhibit is currently being displayed in the Palmer Gallery. Next came “Four Women,” an excerpt from a larger piece called “Mean to be Free” that was developed by a class of Drama 228 students. The piece comprised writings from Black writers such as James Baldwin, Zora Neale Hurston, Charles Johnson, Tony Morrison and Alice Walker and explores different hardships of Black womanhood. Lastly, “Music, Words, and Images” showcased German songs by Wadsworth and Brahms that featured sentiments about homoerotic love. Faculty members Cortenay Budd, Mary Nessinger, James Ruff and Robert Osborne sang while Darren Motise and Zachary Wadsworth were on the piano. Evidently, “Music, Words, and Images” is an annual event that goes further than simply showcasing art in all its forms, but aims to provide the audience with a in-depth, explorative experience. The different pieces meld together and add to
each other, each providing their own take on what it means “to adapt.” This year’s theme of “adapting” speaks to the current political climate and the changes on Vassar’s campus. Modfest Co-Director Tom Pacio commented, “When we were thinking about the theme for 2018, we thought about how we are a year into this big change [politically] and that our campus is going through a lot of changes too. We are doing a lot of adapting as a campus community so it felt appropriate.” Moreover, the central idea for the event was heavily inspired by the “Four Women” piece. “There was a course taught last spring by Tyrone Simpson and Shona Tucker that focused on African American literature being adapted to dramatic art. They made a devised theater piece that was the springboard for the theme,” commented Pacio. While “Four Women” was a literal adaptation of written texts to dramatic script, it also centered the constantly adapting strength of Black women in the face of problematic conceptions of Blackness. It began with a song by alumnus Logan Pitts and was followed by a dramatic interpretation of readings by African-American writers performed by five students, four of which were Black women. Miranda Amey ’20, a student who performed, discussed her role in the piece: “My role is the ‘tragic mulatto’ or the person who exists as mixed race. One of my lines is ‘my skin is yellow, my hair is long’ which are things that are often upheld in Blackness as good features. But essentially, [these features] are just attractive because they are closer to whiteness.” Together, the roles within the “Four Women” piece aimed at making the audience think about the demeaning ways society views Black woman. Amey reflected on what she hoped people would take away from the art, saying, “I would like for [people] to think more about who constructs these characters and who makes [African Americans] into these characters. I don’t think any of the four women are the four women because of themselves. They are forced into these roles by society. And I think people should think about how this
“Music, Words, and Images” is an annual event that is part of the tradition of Modfest at Vassar. Performed on Feb. 2, this show highlighted the Vassar community as well as outside talent. impacts [African Americans].” The depth and complexity of “Four Women” meshed well with the other pieces in the event. “All of the pieces were very nontraditional,” Amey asserted. “The piano piece with the art projected (Cristalli) was a combination of multimedia. [The event] was all about mixing—mixing different media, different performance styles. It was about pushing beyond what would be expected and I think that was also true for our piece as well.” Likewise, the final piece in the show “Walzer einer neuen Liebe” built on this idea of mixing. “Zachary Wadsworth had found this poetry from 1900 that had homoerotic language in it. He was able to apply to some Brahms waltzes, so the concert was composed of alternating pieces of Brahms and Wadsworth,” said Pacio. This piece
specifically complimented Barbara Proud’s discussion of her work centering around people “who had clearly done some adapting,” as Pacio put it. Thinking about what stood out to him, Pacio reflected, “I think my favorite part of it was just the breadth of the event. It was really varied.” He also commented on ways in which he hoped the event would improve in future years: “What I would like to see more of is faculty performing with the students and I think ‘Music, Words, and Images’ is a great opportunity for that to happen.” Audience member Tabraiz Lodhi, commented on the finale, stating “I really liked the German love songs and the nontraditionality of the piece. Overall, the event was fascinating and the combination of different mediums exceeded my expectations.”
Broadway star overcomes inbuilt ableism of the arts STROKER continued from page 1
Last year, Tony–award winner Audra McDonald headlined the 15th Modfest, which revolved around the theme of “Raising Voices.” McDonald performed selections from her favorite musicals, including “The Glamorous Life” from Stephen Sondheim’s “A Little Night Music” and “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” from Rogers & Hammerstein’s “The Sound of Music,” while interweaving anecdotes about her career and motherhood. Afterward, McDonald held a moderated discussion with Professor of Film Mia Mask. Pacio believes that Stroker’s story, fueled by her motto of “Make Your Limitations Your Opportunities,” will deliver an encouraging message for the audience: “I hope the audience is entertained, moved, and inspired by Ms. Stroker’s story. I had the great pleasure of working with Professor Leslie Dunn on an artist’s residency for deaf poet, Peter Cook, who along
with his long-time interpreter, Kenny Lerner, came to campus in 2015. I could think of no one better to lead an open conversation with Ms. Stroker. Dunn will be joined by recent Vassar alum Christian Lewis [’17], who also has a deep interest in disability studies, paired with a love for musical theater. I think the combination of these three is a unique and powerful recipe for some wonderful conversations. Also, Ali can really sing!” Modfest started in 2003 when Dee Wilson ’69 and Professor of Music Richard Wilson wanted to establish a festival to explore and celebrate the arts of the 20th and 21st centuries. Beginning with the Music Department, the festival has grown to incorporate other Arts departments as well as language departments in the various creative projects and performances through the years. For the last two years, Howlett and Pacio have been directing Modfest; however, the Wilsons’ retirements have been
Courtesy of Vassar College
Last year, Audrey McDonald headined Modfest as its theme revolved around “Raising Voices.” With this year’s theme being “Adapting,” Broadway star Ali Stroker makes an appearance.
honored with an annual concert as part of the festival. Pacio talked about how Modfest has become a lasting fixture for the Vassar community thanks to the efforts of the Wilsons: “I think the history of Modfest, as built and run so beautifully by Richard and Adene ‘Dee’ Wilson for 14 years, speaks for itself in the caliber of talent brought to campus. I also think that Dee’s efforts in reaching out to the community to share some of Vassar’s artistic resources has inspired other efforts on and off campus. I hope that we can continue these traditions of quality and meaningful programming for years to come.” Most recently, Stroker appeared in the ABC show “Ten Days in the Valley” with Kyra Sedgwick and in an episode of Fox’s “Lethal Weapon.” Stroker is a Co-Chair for Women Who Care, which supports United Cerebral Palsy of NYC, and was one of the founding members of Be More Heroic, an anti-bullying campaign that tours the country. Dunn spoke about how Stroker’s performance and conversation will hopefully address the conversation at Vassar surrounding ableism: “I hope that her performance and the Q and A afterwards will raise awareness about issues of access and inclusion for people with disabilities, not only in the performing arts but also at Vassar. At the moment there is very little if any institutional conversation around issues of disability and ableism at Vassar. I would like to see that change.” Dunn’s concerns reflect a growing transformation of initiatives on campus on approaching the topic of ableism. At Vassar, two student organizations, ACCESS and the Disability Rights Coalition (DRC), have been at the center of this arrangement. In November 2017, the latter group worked with the Office of Health Education to present the exhibit “Unmasking Stigma: Ableism & Ability Through Student Art” at the Old Bookstore. While ACCESS is more advocacy-focused through tangible policies, the DRC is centered on community building and creating a safe space at Vassar for members of the disabled community to exist and belong. Vice President and Programming Director
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of the DRC Carina Cohen ’19 spoke about how Stroker’s journey resonates personally with her own life. “Two of the big things in my life are disability advocacy and music, so when I heard about this event, I was like, ‘Oh my God! I need to come to this. This is perfect.’ On top of that, when I was little, my dream was to be on Broadway. And once I got sick a decade ago, I realized that I could never pursue that dream. Actually hearing someone who’s gone through fighting this disability label and to be successful I hope is going to be inspirational and informative.” This semester, the DRC is planning on hosting a film screening in Blodgett Auditorium on Saturday, March 3 of “Unrest,” the 2017 documentary directed and produced by Jennifer Brea about her struggles with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, with a moderated talk afterwards about disability and the media and a panel the following day comprised of students, faculty and alumni on how to address disability at Vassar. President of the DRC Robin Corleto ’19 addressed how Stroker’s motto “Make Your Limitations Your Opportunities” is incorporated with the assumptions surrounding disability that the org hopes to disprove: “We were talking about ‘Mean Girls’ and how this applies to the DRC, that ‘The limit does not exist.’ Basically I think that once you’re labelled as having a disability, you’re immediately assumed to not have the capability of doing certain things physically, mentally, emotionally.” The DRC also hopes to work more closely with various departments and committees on campus, particularly the Office for Accessibility and Educational Opportunity, to increase awareness as well as create a stronger sense of community and address various issues of accessibility that are prominent throughout campus. “Disability is everywhere. It’s not just one subset tucked away in a corner,” Cohen said about the assumptions surrounding disability. “It’s not that we’re limited. It’s not that we automatically are less. It’s just that we have to go about things differently and that’s what society doesn’t understand. We’re not less, just different.”
February 8, 2018
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Literary genius Le Guin passes, yet her legacy persists Jimmy Christon COLUMNIST
The Left Hand of Darkness
Ursula K. Le Guin
Courtesy of Flickr
It’s celebration time. One of the brightest literary stars of the last century passed away recently, and it’s time to sit down and praise the works she’s left for us. Ursula K. Le Guin was a stalwart defender of genre fiction for decades and helped to set the bar for what good, thoughtful science fiction could be. That is, Le Guin was an icon who paved the way for some of the most excellent literary works of our times, not to mention her own. My favorite part about Le Guin’s works is just how thoughtful and compassionate they are. Science fiction is a boundary-pushing genre, but it is plagued by ejecting the human element of stories in favor of the quest for getting “out there.” Even worse, the human elements that used to dominate the genre were those of the white conqueror. Classic “golden-age” sci-fi was about space and rockets, sure, but it was also about entitled white men strapping into their ships and fighting or fornicating with whatever they could find out there. Le Guin wasn’t the first to push against this idea of sci-fi, but she was one of most prominent proponents of tearing it down. She was also, in my opinion, one of the only sci-fi writers to routinely excel in her portrayal of her characters. From the shores of “Earthsea” to the forests of Atshe, Le Guin never let the readers forget about the human (or alien) souls that inhabit these words. It’s a beautiful gift that Le Guin expressed wonderfully. Even outside of fiction writing, Le Guin displays a sort of affinity for understanding characters in our world and the worlds of others in a way that makes me green with envy. Her takedown of Philip K. Dick’s early books and her critique of Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina” make me practically water at the mouth for their emotional clarity.
Literary icon Ursula Le Guin passes away, leaving behind a legacy of incredibly provoking science-fiction novels that redefine and push the boundaries of the genre. With a career as prolific and influential as Le Guin’s it’s impossible to pick any one book and say, “This is the book which has all of Le Guin in it.” So instead of trying to justify my choice for Le Guin’s best novel (which is found somewhere in “Earthsea”), I’d like to focus on Le Guin’s most popular work: “The Left Hand of Darkness.” If you’re a fan of worldbuilding and worlds filled to the brim with imaginative creation, then “Left Hand of Darkness” should be your bible. Book series like “The Lord of the Rings,” “Song of Ice and Fire” and “Dune” are intoxicating for the feats of creation that happen within them, but they are undoubtedly bloated books. Le Guin, in this masterpiece, amazes readers with the leanness of her creations. Everything in “Left Hand of Darkness” is there for the sheer necessity of it being in that specific place.
Along with this leanness, Le Guin imbibes a feeling of refreshing originality in the text. The concept of ice planets is one of the tritest tropes in all of science fiction, but Le Guin manages to make the tundras of Gethen feel as fresh as the snow that continually covers the planet. Over the course of the book, Le Guin and protagonist Genly Ai transport us from equator to ice caps and back again, showing us the vast depths of culture that stem from Gethen. Prophecy is shared with mythology, politics with adventure, and all culminate for a finale that forgoes the more animalistic drama for a transcendental experience (transcendental by way of Whitman, not Kubrick). So far, this review has made the book sound like “Walden” by way of Hoth-esque adventure, but there are other aspects of this book that push it out of the orbit of other sci-fi novels and into a realm of
its own. I’m talking here of the characterization of the protagonists and the race of aliens on display. First off, the protagonist Genly Ai is one of the only Black protagonists in science fiction to come from this era. This book does not explore any sort of contemporary Black experience, but rather, features a Black protagonist as a response to the rampant whiteness of the genre at the time. With Genly Ai, Le Guin was stating that for a genre attempting to get as far away from Earth as possible, holding whiteness as the status quo was a way of subliminally reasserting the hurtful histories of Earth’s past onto a genre attempting to move past these traumas. The other, more celebrated aspect of this book is the aliens of the novel. It’s kind of hard to discuss this aspect because the novel’s popularity brings with it a misconception of the aliens. I’ve heard this book described as “the one with the trans aliens,” and while that technically isn’t wrong, it implies a sort of disrespect that just isn’t there. People only care about the queerness of the aliens as much as they can discredit it as another “weird” sci-fi novel. But it’s an attitude like that that Le Guin is writing against. I loved learning about the Gethens, and still find them to be one of the most fleshed-out alien races in literature. The supremely ironic fact about this novel’s popularity is that for all of its gender-bending aliens, the book is primarily concerned with the male character’s masculinity and how he presents it. I’m not saying this because I’m a man and I think that the male is the most important part of the novel or anything to that effect. Rather, I think that what Le Guin meant to portray with this book was that gender fluidity and queer identity weren’t the things that needed to be critiqued, but it’s the novel’s sole male character’s ideas on these topics that need to be rethought. This book pulled at my heart in ways few books ever had. I felt this familiar tug when I learned that Le Guin had passed. The world would be a better place if more people read Le Guin’s books, and I hope that this review has turned some people on to her works.
Meticulous storytelling: Swift’s most candid album yet Leah Cates
HUMOR & SATIRE CO-EDITOR
reputation
Taylor Swift Big Machine Records
are knockouts. Besides the epic rap pre-chorus of “King of My Heart” (I’ll salute you anytime, Queen Tay), I like the part where she and her boyfriend are on a roof, drinking beer out of plastic cups. They don’t care that it’s not the classiest for two stars because they fancy each other more than fancy stuff. And all at once, that’s enough. Full appreciation of “Dress” necessitates an understanding of Swift’s enduring obsession with dresses, which have symbolized her vulnerability and girlish innocence. But in “Dress,” Swift insists “Only bought this dress so you could take it off” as she spills wine in a bathtub with shaking hands. This flawlessly produced slow jam is full of surprises, particularly the plot twist—Swift is not singing about a drunken hookup, but instead a committed relationship and 3:01-3:03 (I won’t spoil it). Tay finally scolds Kanye in the third to last song. This one packs a particularly powerful punch because Swift is fun when she’s mad and self-righteous—two emotions lacking in “reputation,”
compared to her other albums. Swift has enjoyed infantilizing him since “Innocent” (2010). This time, she passive-aggressively condescends, “This is why we can’t have nice things, darling / Because you break them / I had to take them away.” Tay’s cackle? Downright evil. Yeezy better watch out. The story concludes with “New Year’s Day,” where Swift cleans up that drunken party she threw on “reputation.” As her boyfriend helps collect empty bottles, Tay promises, “I will hold onto you.” And though she’s now alluded to lying, I believe her. There’s no high scale production, just Swift’s soft voice and a piano. It could be a different artist than the sadistic songwriter of the beginning. In a sense, “reputation” is what Swift has been doing all along: crafting a meticulous, self-aware narrative that reflects the previous years of her life and responds to the public’s view of her, carefully attempting to shape that perception. But this story is more self-effacing, genuinely romantic, witty, and honest than ever before.
Courtesy of Wikipedia
“You’ve been calling my bluff on all my usual tricks / So here’s the truth from my red lips,” Taylor Swift raps on “End Game,” the second track of her killer album “reputation.” Of course, Swift’s “truth” can be somewhat ambiguous (as with anyone who shares their life stories with a scrutinizing public). But on “reputation,” Swift admits to telling the occasional lie, helping to make it her most candid album to date. Add it to the endless list of fascinating Swiftian paradoxes. Speaking of lies, remember when the Kardashian-Wests tried to out Swift as a liar, and the world declared her a snake? Taylor Swift does. She’s probably quite pleased with the debacle, since she’s transformed those snake emojis into a “reputation”-era symbol and made millions off of them. But “reputation” has little to do with celebrity feuds. As always, everyone else is a prop to tell a story in which Swift is the star. After all, Tay is most interested in herself, and she knows critics and fans are, too. If there is a second character, it’s “they” or “everyone,” who’s watching, judging and poised to attack Swift’s every move. “Their” presence is subtle, but the more you listen, the more menacing it becomes. Eventually it’s enough to give you a small, poignant, dose of Swift’s paranoia. Six albums in, Swift’s impeccable crafts(wo) manship is stronger than ever. “reputation” brims with catchy and addictive hooks, intimate details that any other songwriter would deem too mundane—or too personal—to feature in a song, larger-than-life choruses, plot twist bridges, intricate production, Oscar-worthy vocal dramatics, Swift’s obsessive attention to detail and a strategic song order that tells a gripping story. Swift’s dedication to the quality of her product shines through, as well as her passion for album crafting; Tay had fun crafting this epic project, and it shows, especially in the album’s wackiest and riskiest moments.
“…Ready For It?” is the worst song to kick off an incredible album since, well, Tay launched “1989” with “Welcome to New York.” Is the bridge even a bridge? Did Tay rip it from “The Hunger Games”? But “...Ready For It?” effectively heralds the “reputation” era, from the suggestive lyrics to introducing Taylor as a transgressor. In the album’s first half, Taylor adds a new persona to her already intriguing, deca-faceted character: the rebellious, mischievous, vengeful instigator. She’s breaking hearts for sport, toying with older guys and narcissists and hanging out in bars. When Tay acts bad, she sadistically snarls “I’d do it over and over and over again if I could.” Whether it’s a satirical play on her tabloid reputation, a genuine reflection of her character or a delicious combination of both Swift leaves up to interpretation. Goodbye, self-righteousness and breakup anthems. Hello, self-deprecation and love songs. Note Swift’s newfound obsession with alcohol, present on nine of the 15 tracks. Tay claims she was “feeling so Gatsby for that whole year,” but she seems more enthusiastic about a bottle of whiskey as a “reputation” era symbol than she does about actually sipping from it. Which is so Taylor Swift. Halfway through “reputation,” the narrative shifts slightly (as do Swift’s production and songwriting partners in crime, from Max Martin and Shellback, to predominately Jack Antonoff). Part two is where the album goes from interesting to unforgettable. Swift remains a drinker, a thief and a cheater, but she develops a conscience, and she falls in love. For real this time. This isn’t the fairy tale princess romance of albums past, but instead a long-term, adult relationship. Tay meets the guy in “Gorgeous,” a keenly selfaware parody of her early teenage crush songs which demonstrates Swift’s genius at getting you on her side, even when she’s in the wrong. Everything about “Gorgeous” is perfect, from Tay’s shout out to her cats, to how she melodramatically declares that her life is ruined and she’ll drown and die, which is followed by an upbeat “ding!” That’s our girl, caring long enough to craft an incredible couplet, but getting right over it because she’s too darn resilient, and CEOs of their own multi-billion dollar companies just don’t have the time. Most of the tracks on the latter half of the album
“reputation”—Taylor Swift’s most substansive, self-deprecating, honest and genuinely romantic album to date—showcases the pop phenomenon’s creativity, wit and self-awareness.
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February 8, 2018
Perfume Genius live: from immersive to impeccable Olivia Feltus COLUMNIST
Live performance
Perfume Genius
I am not the most experienced live-music-goer. In my life, I have seen a total of six concerts, Perfume Genius included. Luckily, this seems to be changing at a rapid pace, and I am learning how much my experience with an artist can change by hearing them perform my favorite song live. My friend (with very good taste in music) and I were aware of this, so we decided to buy tickets to see Perfume Genius during exam week. It was worth it.
In anticipation, Perfume Genius’s new album, “No Shape,” had dominated my Spotify the week prior. Unlike “Too Bright,” the singer’s third album, half of which focuses on lightweight, relaxing melodies, and half on heavy, dark, electronic emotions, some of “Slip Away” generally has a cheerful tone, as evidenced in tracks like “Just Like Love” and “Slip Away.” Other songs, such as “Die 4 You” and “Valley” have heavier tones at parts with general shifts throughout. However, Too Bright has hallmark songs like “Queen” and the titular “Too Bright,” both of which were performed at the show. Upon arriving, we found ourselves right up against the metal banister that was about 5 inches from the stage, alarmingly close to some very large speakers. But we were in the perfect spot. The center of the stage featured a large red keyboard, and around the stage were various instruments and microphones scattered about. A drumset with
Courtesy of Olivia Feltus
Watching Perfume Genius perform live at the Music Hall Of Williamsburg on Dec. 13, 2017, as he played an array of compelling and upbeat songs from across various albums.
a pink Perfume Genius logo sat towards the back center of the arena. Soon the opening performer stepped on stage, clad in Commes de Garcons: Lydia Ainsworth, self described in her Instagram bio as a singer, composer and producer. Immediately, all eyes were drawn to the right of the stage. Though only utilizing a keyboard, an iPhone and a mic directly in front of where my friend and I stood, she enchanted the audience with multiple original songs. Throughout most of her performance, a dancer emerged stage left wearing all black with a mask on—reminiscent of imagery presented in some of her songs. The dancer was enthralling with her quick and mechanical fluid movements, while Ainsworth had lighting effects projected on the wall behind her. Her set ended with a cover of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game,” sung solo while she played the keyboard. There was a brief respite between acts and after what seemed like about 30 minutes, Perfume Genius entered; his energy struck me the instant that he walked onto the stage. The crowd erupted with excitement as he opened up with the song “Otherside” from his most recent album, No Shape. Wearing a silver, long-sleeved knit shirt with black leather pants, Perfume Genius made quite an entrance. Songs interspersed in the set included “Wreath,” an upbeat song from Slip Away, “Normal Song,” (from Perfume Genius’s second album, Put Your Back N 2 It) an honest guitar track and “Body’s in Trouble,” a morphed cover of Mary Margaret O’Hara’s song from 1988. A very notable song that followed was “My Body,” my personal favorite song from Too Bright. In this song, a lot of noise happens at once and I did not know how well this would translate into a live performance since I have been listening to it since 2014 on the default Apple headphones that came with my phone. I was not disappointed, though. I was thrilled. Vibrations buzzed in the audience’s ears, and it seemed that many people had never felt more alive. Perfume Genius’s stage presence was undeniably one of the most enthralling things I have viewed in my life. Though not particularly inter-
active with the audience (besides his facial expressions, body language and the one time my hand brushed up against his foot when he was half off the stage dancing directly in front of my friend and me), his soul seemed to stretch throughout the entire room through his choreography and lyricism. I asked my friend who was in attendance, Susannah Atkinson ’21, if they had any final remarks regarding the experience. Their response was “I had to lean back to keep his crotch from hitting my face.” The lighting throughout the show fluctuated through purples, pinks, reds and blues that varied from song to song, each alluding to and blending with the singer’s ambiance. Both obvious and subtle changes were prioritized in presentation, and there were many unforgettable moments, of which two stand out in particular. Primarily, during the first encore song, “Learning,” when the singer sat down at the big red keyboard and the primary keyboardist walked over and sat down next to him. He then introduced the keyboardist as “Alan,” the namesake of a different Perfume Genius song as the two played the upbeat yet somber piano melody. The next was the last of the encore songs, which is one of his most powerful: “Queen.” Possibly the most well known, it discusses identity through heavy synth chords and pure vocals. It was a perfect note to end the show on. There were many times I had to catch myself from just staring in awe at the performers. One thing in particular I kept noticing was how perfectly Perfume Genius’s distinctive voice lined up with how it sounds in recordings. Everything in the show was noticeably the same as what I have been listening to for years. At one point, a cellist, violinist and flautist appeared to accompany the main band, even further proving the authenticity of sound. In conclusion, the entire experience was immersive, beautiful and overall amazing. Atkinson seems to reinforce this, as they said “Olivia’s face was periodically stuck in an ‘o’ of wonder at how amazing they were in person.” And my face was—there was constantly something new and wonderful happening. I left the show smiling earto-ear. It was a magical night.
Photography exhibition celebrates LGBTQ+ relationships Arts Across Disciplines (CAAD). Each year, it brings a series of artistic events to campus, and this year’s theme is “Adapting.” Interdisciplinary Arts Coordinator Tom Pacio commented on how the theme emerged particularly strongly in the wake of the 2016 election, in a time when the world and people’s perspectives on it are changing, and how it’s pertinent to talk about what it means to be in the process of adapting when we are a year into this new way of thinking and being. Pacio further elucidated how “First Comes Love” seamlessly ties into the overarching goals of Modfest 2018: “Entering the Palmer Gallery and seeing the series of photographs that recognize these longstanding relationships — all of which have had to adapt over the past several years — it’s a unique celebration of partnership, and until it’s commonplace to talk about and see queer couples that are together for 50 years in the same way that many heterosexual couples are, it deserves a little bit of a spotlight if you ask me. We really wanted Modfest to act as an avenue through which we could shine a light on the remarkable and underrepresented voices and stories that might not have gotten it otherwise.” The innovative and moving nature of B. Proud’s work has led to a collaborative initiative between the LGBTQ+ Center and the student photography org, Phocus, to create “Vassar: First Comes Love,” which will go on display in the College Center, rather appropriately, around Valentine’s day. With plans to facilitate photography sessions with Vassar folk who are members of the LGBTQ+ community, this project hopes to highlight not only the long-term relationships that some LGBTQ+ faculty, staff and administrators are in, but also the relationships that the queer, trans and non-binary students on our campus have experienced. In this way, the collaborative effort — one that spans a Campus Life center, a student org, a gallery, and Modfest — hopes to reconcile a generational gap within the community, uniting younger and older people across similar powerful experiences. “There’s usually a bit of a disconnect with
older folks in the queer community,” explained Director for LGBTQ+ and Gender Resources Jodie Castanza. She elucidated that the generational representation offered by Proud’s work has the extremely potent ability to connect to the experiences of Vassar youth, and perhaps provide them with some hope regarding what healthy, long-lasting queer relationships could look like for themselves too. Proud herself drove home the importance of acknowledging the varying experiences of the LGBTQ+ community as one moves from generation to generation. “I hope what Vassar students take away from this is an understanding of the generational aspect of our community and what it takes to make these relationships endure over such long periods of time,” articulated Proud. She further elaborated on her perspective: “Nowadays the social climate has started to change in terms of acceptance, but the fact is
a lot of these people depicted here didn’t have that sense of freedom when they were in college. For their relationships to have persisted against all odds, in those days, is a really beautiful thing.” Castanza, conveying her final thoughts on “First Comes Love,” mentioned that she and her family were planning to have their photos taken for Vassar’s version of the project, partly due to the moving nature of the original concept: “It’s hard not to have emotions rise, especially as a member of the queer community, when you’re surrounded by pictures of LGBTQ+ long-term relationships. I can’t really explain what it means to stand in a space filled with pictures of people who share an identity with you that is often marginalized, and not often represented well in the media. To then have these beautiful pictures and wonderful stories of them is a really touching thing, and it’s what we want to recreate with Vassar’s community members.”
Sumiko Neary/The Miscellany News
LOVE continued from page 1 lives, to be united in common identity as well as in celebration of each other’s diversity. Proud emphasized how important it was to delineate the “normalcy” of these LGBTQ+ relationships: “When I first met the people in these photographs, I asked all of them what it takes to be in a long-term relationship, and none of them said sex or even mentioned their sexuality. They talked about respect and they talked about trust. There’s nothing more or less special about these couples than any others, except perhaps the endurance of their relationships.” Proud continued, “That’s why I made all the portraits black-and-white. A lot of the time, LGBTQ+ couples are only portrayed in the context of rallies and marches, waving the pride flag. You don’t see this; you don’t see them as real people. I wanted to strip away all the rainbows.” Associate Director of the Palmer Gallery Monica Church reinforced this sentiment, mentioning her thoughts on the works displayed: “I just think it’s about love. When I read these stories, all I think is, ‘This is what it’s all about.’ B. Proud has got a way of making a subject that is political—that I don’t think should be political—about what it really is. Moreover, B.’s experience as a documentary filmmaker, commercial photographer and educator really comes across in her work given that all her photographs are technically gorgeous, in terms of their composition and vision.” Church also elaborated on her hopes for the Vassar community’s relationship to the show: “We’re trying to host shows that are about art but also about social issues and I think this is a really important one to support, especially with the college’s active LGBTQ+ community, as well as our access to the general Poughkeepsie community.” Additionally, the exhibition held significance within the theme of this year’s Modfest. An annual festival at Vassar that celebrates and explores the creative arts in the 20th and 21st centuries, Modfest involves collaboration between Vassar’s Music Department as well as Creative
Renowned documentary filmmaker and photographer B. Proud displays 34 of her prints in the Palmer Gallery, depicting an immense range of queer and trans relationships.
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February 8, 2018
Campus Canvas
ARTS A weekly space highlighting the creative pursuits of student-artists
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Excuse me, If you could design a new course, what would it be about?
“Community leadership” — Stephen Palencia ’20
“Costume construction...but for drag queens” — Noah Pliss ’20
“We definitely need more fashion design courses” — Jake Foster ’21
“How to do small talk” — Mojan Farid ’20
“The neurological basis of mental disorders” — Gaby Coste ’20
Emma Brodsky Class of 2020 Sociology Major with a Hispanic Studies Correlate The outdoor shots are from this summer when my family took a trip down the coast in California along route one. The indoor shots are from home over Thanksgiving break, shot with expired film which I enjoy because it gives them a nostalgic feel.
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“A media study course on the creation of memes” — Diego Martin ’19
Leah Cates, Humor & Satire Yesenia Garcia, Humor & Satire Hannah Benton, Photography
SPORTS
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February 8, 2018
Women’s squash sweeps Seven Sisters, men struggle in LL Fiona MacLeod GUEST REPORTER
Sumiko Neary/The Miscellany News
This past weekend, the Vassar women’s squash team traveled to Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, in order to participate in the annual Seven Sisters Championship tournament. Entering the weekend, the Brewers were impressively ranked 29th by the College Squash Association. As second seed, Vassar first competed against the Smith College Pioneers, the fourth seed. The women collectively dominated the competition, going undefeated in all nine matchups. The team’s impressive adaptability allowed them to overpower the competition on the Pioneers’ own courts. “Everyone was extremely focused throughout the contest against Smith,” recalls senior captain Hannah Nice. “Each player was able to make great use of the courts’ depth, which worked especially well, since the ball appeared to die easily in the courts’ back corners.” Advancing after their first win, the Brewers next took on the first seed, Mount Holyoke College. In this competition against the Lyons, the women were met with competitive opponents, ultimately being defeated 2-7. Nice and fellow senior captain Emma Glickman were the only two women to secure a win for the Brewers in this matchup. Both individuals won their fierce matches in five games, attributing their successes to mental and physical perseverance. “I played each point with the same level of focus and intensity,” explained Glickman. “Each point matters. By my fifth point, my opponent was mentally and physically drained, and I knew that the momentum had changed.” Nice shared a similar mentality throughout her own five-game battle, noting, “By the fifth game, I was pretty tired. I think what got me through the match was sheer grit.” While only Glickman and Nice secured close wins against their opponents, the remaining Brewers faced tough competition as well. Sophomore Sydney Nemphos, Vassar’s third player,
played a particularly competitive match against her opponent, winning her first of four matches 13-11, and narrowly losing the next 12-10. “My competition was a really great player,” she said. “To play her well, I really had to work to take control of the court. I’m definitely very happy with my match, even if I didn’t win.” Exiting the Seven Sisters Championship with one win and one loss, the Brewers have more clear individual and team goals for their upcoming matches against Hamilton College and Colgate University. These games will carry a lot of weight for the Brewers, as they are the last games they will play before heading to national championships. As a general personal goal, Nemphos tries to elevate her game from weekend to weekend. “My goal for our team’s upcoming matches is to keep improving my game, so that I’m playing my best squash for nationals,” she said. Currently, the team has 13 wins on the season, closely rivaling on the school season record of 14 wins. With the matches against Hamilton and Colgate, the Brewers could potentially set a new school record. “Although these will be competitive matches, our team is hopeful, and will give our heart and soul on the court,” assured Glickman. As the women split their matches at the Seven Sisters Championships, the men’s squash team hosted the 2018 Liberty League Championships at home. The players competed against Bard College and Hobart College on Saturday, and Saint Lawrence University and the University of Rochester on Sunday. On the opening day of the championships, the men were defeated 0-9 by both Bard College and Hobart College. Vassar’s top three players battled throughout their matchups, but were overpowered in three games against both rival colleges. The following day of competition opened against the University of Rochester. Sophomore captain Viraj Nadkarni played a competitive round of games against his opposition, trailing
Sophmore Viraj Nadkarni hits a low shot in a match over the weekend at the Liberty League championships in Kenyon Hall. At first singles, Nadkarni was a key contributor for the Brewer team. 6-11, 8-11, and 7-11 throughout. “I knew this match would be extremely difficult,” Nadkarni said. “However, I played well against my opponent and had good rallies. While it was impossible to match his level of skill, I played a few good points throughout the match.” First-year Mathieu Rizk also proved to be a fierce competitor during his games, narrowly losing his first round 10-12, then falling 3-11 and 4-11. Overall, the University of Rochester was able to secure the victory. Following this match, Saint Lawrence swept the Brewers 9-0, earning the Liberty League Championship title for the fifth season in a row.
The Saints are currently ranked 4th in the entire country by U.S. Squash. After battling against stiff competition in the Liberty League, the Brewer men will look to improve their play while travelling with the women’s team to play at Hamilton College this upcoming weekend. “Our match against Colgate will be a good one, and one that we can win,” Nadkarni said. “Hamilton is an extremely good team, and while the match against them is tough, we are just hoping to play good squash.” The Brewers will next be in action in Clinton, New York, to take on both Hamilton and Colgate University at 11:00 a.m.
After harrowing testimonies, Nassar finally faces justice NASSAR continued from page 1 “An acceptable apology to all of you is impossible to write and convey. I will carry your words with me for the rest of my days” (Fox, “Former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar gets 40 to 175 years in prison,” 1.24.2018). However, this statement came after a letter that Nassar wrote to the court, in which he defended his methods of medical care. He explained that he felt,“manipulated” into pleading guilty. He went on to express that he felt the women were lying (Vox, “The sex abuse scandal surrounding USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar, explained, 2.6.2018). Judge Aquilina read this letter to the court before she delivered her sentence. Speaking to Nassar after reading the letter, Aquilia said “You still don’t get it...I wouldn’t send my dogs
to you” (The New York Times, “Larry Nassar Sentencing: ‘I Just Signed Your Death Warrant,’ ” 1.24.2018). A major issue that came out of this investigation was the fact the concerns of many women about Nassar’s treatment were ignored or not taken seriously by USA Gymnastics, Michigan State University and the US Olympic committee. In one of the victim impact statements, Amanda Thomashow expressed how Michigan State University turned a blind eye to her complaints. “Michigan State University, the school I loved and trusted, had the audacity to tell me that I did not understand the difference between sexual assault and a medical procedure,” Thomashow stated. “When I found the
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
From left to right, Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas and Madison Kocian celebrate following their team gold medal in the Rio 2016 Olympics. Biles and Douglas have both come forward as Nassar victims.
strength to talk about what had happened I was ignored and my voice was silenced” (CBS News, “Did Michigan State ignore sexual abuse claims against Larry Nassar?,” 1.18.2018). In the wake of the Nassar trial, many have called for the removal of Michigan State’s highest ranking officials, along with all those at the university who been complacent with allegations of abuse. On January 25, Michigan State President Lou Anna Simon resigned. Monday was the first day for interim President John Engler, who called for the school to preserve all documents related to Nassar that could used against the institution in investigations (Deadspin, “MSU Interim President John Engler To School Employees: Don’t Destroy Documents Related to Investigations”, 2.6.2018). At USA Gymnastics, the organization has stopped using Karolyi Ranch as the women’s teams national training camp since reports of abuse at that location have come out. Three members of the board have stepped down as well. The US Olympic Committee expressed their desire for the rest of the USA Gymnastics Board to resign. According to a statement from USOC CEO Scott Blackmun, the USOC has, “strongly considered decertifying USAG as a National Governing Body.” In the same statement, Blackmun also explained the necessary launch of an investigation to find out how the abuse went on unnoticed for so long (CNN, “USA Gymnastics cuts ties with Karolyi Ranch and its memories of abuse”, 1.19.2018). Outside of this trial, Nassar already has another sentence of 60 years in prison for federal child pornography charges. Additionally, he has pleaded guilty to three charges of criminal sexual misconduct in Eaton County in Michigan (The Detroit News, “Nassar faces reckoning at federal child porn sentencing”, 12.6.2018). Between his three sentences, Aquilina said that Nassar will never get out of prison. One of the many people who commented on the importance of this case was attorney John Manley. “I think what we’ve seen over the past week
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
may have been a watershed moment in our country,” Manley said. “(This happened) because these women had the courage to get up and speak” (CNN, 1.24.2018). One of the women who stood up to speak against Nassar was two-time Olympic gold medalist, Aly Raisman. She stood strong in her testimony against Nassar and explained the shift of power that was taking place. “Larry, you do realize now that we, this group of women you so heartlessly abused over such a long period of time, are now a force and you are nothing. The tables have turned, Larry. We are here. We have our voices, and we are not going anywhere. And now, Larry, it’s your turn to listen to me,” Raisman said in her statement (Time, “Read Aly Raisman’s Testimony at Larry Nassar’s Sentencing”, 1.19.2018). Raisman also criticized the lack of attention on behalf of USA Gymnastics and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) to keep its gymnasts’ safe from abuse. “Neither USA Gymnastics nor the USOC have reached out to express sympathy or even offer support,” Raisman noted (Time, 1.19.2018). She went on in her statement to explain that there had been women who spoke out against Nassar, but their complaints were ignored and investigations were refused. In her statement, Raisman made it clear that the women who suffered years of abuse, did not suffer in vain. Raisman’s testimony, and the 155 other testimonies, prove that these women are not victims, but a band of survivors that have shown they are stronger than Nassar and the systems that allowed this abuse to take place for so many years. “All these brave women have power and we will use our voices to make sure you get what you deserve – a life of suffering spent relaying the words delivered by this powerful army of survivors,” concluded Raisman(Time, 1.19.2018). With the support of one another, these women finally saw justice handed down. After over two decades of abuse, and its systemic cover-up, Nassar has finally been silenced.
February 8, 2018
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Super Bowl LII, as told by a Giants fan Despite loss, are Patriots a NFL dynasty? Jonathan Levi-Minzi GUEST COLUMNIST
This Super Bowl, contested by the imperial New England Patriots and the underdog Philadelphia Eagles, was a worst-case scenario matchup for me. I join the rest of the country outside of Massachusetts in possessing an acute distaste for the Patriots, and, as a New York Giants fan, I revel in the Eagles’ (former) historic futility. Stopping a good team seemed a bit more to ask of fate than relieving a bad team of their hope, so I told my friends that I was rooting for the Patriots. When watching a competition, one waits for the David to show some foreboding cracks in the armor. The first sign was the Eagles’ failure to capitalize on their promising, opening drive with a touchdown. A pass out of the side of the end zone is what brought up fourth down. I thought that Foles just didn’t have it. How could he? This is a man two years deep into backing up quarterbacks—second string. Then the venerated Tom Brady comes to the field, a wily general standing tall, as if still a young man, behind his front line. You get the sense that the battle on the line develops more slowly when you keep your eyes on Brady’s collected presence. He has all the Hall of Fame confidence in the world, that no one will touch him, despite a series of harsh injuries sustained throughout his long career. Watching the Patriots’ offense is occasionally witnessing individual brilliance, but much more often it is witnessing an easy rhythm. The receivers and running backs always seem to catch a flick of a throw from Brady in capacious spots of the field. The defense falls into some suggestive formation, or for a choreography of movements miming another stratagem, or for merely a deft shift of the eye, and we, the general audience, are suddenly beholding an understated magic trick. It’s been out in the open for many years, the NFL’s worst kept secret: the Patriots look to get a step ahead, sometimes in unsavory ways. The corollary to that drive for strategic advantage, though, is the fact that the Patriots really are a step ahead. But against odds, throughout every twist and turn of the game, the Eagles hold on against Go-
liath. Fearsome tight end Rob Gronkowski can’t get open over the middle as cornerback Jalen Mills jumps his route, and the Patriots begin to appear a little bit human. The defense looks ready to deny Brady, but there isn’t really enough yet to believe until Foles launches a perfect back-shoulder long-ball to Eagles standout wideout Alshon Jeffery as he runs into the endzone. Now the question is, how are Nick Foles’ Eagles thriving in the Super Bowl? This is the question, but it has to be rhetorical at this point. Foles mercilessly battered the stout Minnesota Vikings defense just two weeks before. The man once threw 27 touchdowns to two interceptions in thirteen games of a season. Head Coach Doug Pederson has arrived at this stage on the back of a career’s worth of inducing successful quarterback play, and he has a sneakily worthy acolyte. Towards the end of the second quarter, the Eagles threaten to pull away, but an unfortunate ball tip by Jeffery leads to an interception, and puts the initiative back into Tom Brady’s hands. Gronkowski hasn’t been afforded any pass interference calls yet, but on 3rd and 6 with yet another incomplete Brady laser, Chris Hogan draws a defensive holding penalty. Right then is where the Eagles’ defense seems to suddenly lose all of its physicality-fueled brinkmanship. For the rest of the game, Brady stretches around and punches through the Eagles’ linebackers and secondary. All the Eagles defensive line can do is line up again and again; there is an inexorable quality to their pressure coming up just short, and almost is not enough against the imperturbable Brady. The Patriots score, leaving the Eagles up three with a long field and a short clock. But the Eagles keep their foot on the gas. Foles is also putting the opposing defense on their heels, and he brings them into the red zone with time running out. The Patriots gain a fourth down like they did in the beginning of the game, and one suddenly gets the very familiar feeling of... watching the Patriots, as they inch into a pole position with the close of the first lap. Pederson knows this. He sees the Patriots on his back shoulder, and he decides to ride hard into the dangerous turn. All are left incredulous as Foles catches a touchdown pass from
tight end Trey Burton. It is nothing other than a fourth down trick play! The Eagles announce that they won’t go quietly. The second half opens with a resounding reminder that the Patriots won’t either. Brady connected with Gronkowski on four consecutive catches for a touchdown. The third quarter is where the game, which ultimately sets the record for most total offensive yards gained, becomes an absolute shootout. By the time the Patriots take a 33-32 lead early in the final period, the audience has long abandoned the traditional premise that New England will seal a victory by virtue of their preeminence. This is a free-forall. As the reins of time tighten, though, so do the offenses. The Eagles face a 4th and 1 with minutes left, down a point. All of a sudden, the tide looks so vulnerable to turning. It’s a reminder—I imagine an especially acute one for Eagles fans—that do-or-die situations often arrive with little warning. Two linemen catch Foles flush, eliminating his routes of escape from the pocket, and you understand momentarily that the Patriots have anticlimactically seized a decisive advantage. Foles is throwing because he has to. But then the veil comes off for old Giants fans. As tight end Zach Ertz catches Foles’ lastditch pass and gets tackled in mid-air, it becomes apparent that the Eagles are writing this story. Ertz converts a smooth (or smooth to everyone not conflating his effort with Pittsburgh tight end Jesse James’ different catch during the regular season) touchdown pass-and-catch to give the Eagles their final lead. As if on cue, Brady’s last stand is complicated by immense defensive line pressure. Defensive lineman Brandon Graham strip-sacks the general, and Philadelphia collects its first Super Bowl. The Patriots kept the pace for the entire game, and Tom Brady’s offense deserves credit. But the team never seized the initiative for more than a moment’s time. The story is of an underdog Eagles team that played with the strategic moxie of a favorite. All a Giants fan can do is applaud quietly and politely—and pray that Odell Beckham won’t hold out of camp until Eli Manning agrees to no more dancing at practice.
Welcoming back the Champions League Myles Olmsted GUEST COLUMNIST
In four of Europe’s top five soccer leagues, the title races are virtually decided. Manchester City has dominated the Premier League and lead by 13 points at time of publication (USA Today, “Man United collapse allows City to go points clear in EPL,” 12.23.2017). In Spain, the little magician Lionel Messi has Barcelona riding high, 11 points clear (The Sun, “Barcelona may be 11 points clear”, 1.22.2018). In Germany, Bayern Munich are 18 points clear (Chicago Tribune, “Bundesliga Recap”, 2.03.2018). In France, Paris Saint Germain also lead by double digits. Only Italy still features a tight race at the top. But do not fear, soccer fans, the Champions League is back. The Champions League, congregating the best teams and players from across Europe, always brings a certain magic. What soccer fan doesn’t get chills when they hear the famous Champions League anthem? This year, the lack of competition in the domestic leagues makes the return of the Champions League all the more a welcoming sight. The round of 16, to be contested across two legs beginning Feb. 13, is filled this year with especially mouthwatering matchups and storylines. The marquee matchup is Real Madrid vs. PSG. It is a contest between two giants, a game worthy of the competition’s final, featuring some of the sport’s brightest stars. As delectable is the matchup between Madrid’s Ronaldo, Bale, Benzema and Ramos and Paris’ Neymar, Mbappe, Cavani and company, the real drama may transpire off the pitch. Massive clubs have massive expectations. Losses at this early stage have serious consequences. The Parisians, on one hand, are built with the Champions League, and only the Champions League, in mind. The Qatari ownership group didn’t spend a hundred king’s ransoms to bring Neymar to Paris just to score the fifth and sixth
goals against Toulouse. To win matches like this, against the world’s best, is the true goal. Yet PSG have fallen short in years past, famously to Barcelona at this same stage. Another failure may spell the rolling of heads in Paris. For Real Madrid the implications of a loss could be similar. After winning the treble last year, Los Blancos are suffering through an abysmal league campaign. To add to their league misery, local minnows Leganes ousted el Real from the Copa del Rey. Given standards in the Spanish capital, manager and club legend Zinedine Zidane might see the door should his side fall to the Parisian side, despite the accomplishments of last season. Beyond the colossal clash between Madrid and PSG, the upsurge of English teams in the Champions League makes this year’s knockout stage especially enticing. Between 2005 and 2012 at least one English side made every Champions League finals bar one. However since Chelsea’s improbable run to glory in 2012, only two English teams have managed to reach the semi-finals. Analysts both amateur and professional offer explanations for the recent impotence of Premier League teams in Europe: they play too many games, there’s too much competition domestically, they’re not developing talent well, so on and so forth. Yet five English teams have reached the knockout stage this year, the first time five teams from a single country have accomplished this. And they’ve done so in confidence-inspiring fashion, with Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham all claiming top spot in their respective groups. Will this English upsurge carry on into the quarterfinals? American audiences, loyal disproportionately to Premier League clubs, sure hope so. The chief English contender, Manchester City, should comfortably dispatch with Basel. Running away with the Premier League, City
are deep, play an attractive, attack style and have Pep Guardiola. Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United, their already star-studded roster just boosted by the arrival of Alexis Sanchez, will expect to advance beyond Sevilla. Fourth-place Liverpool, too, will feel confident going into their matchup with Porto. The other two English sides face tougher challenges. A clash with perennial Champions League contender Juventus looms for Tottenham. Yet Spurs, having battled Real Madrid impressively in Group H play, seem up to challenging il Bianconeri, who have so far this season lacked the defensive stability they’d become known for. In fact, it’s reigning Premier League champion Chelsea who look most likely to bow out of European competition. Finishing second to Roma in Group C could prove fatal to the London side, as it landed them a date with Barcelona. Chelsea’s history against Barcelona is encouraging; fans will remember Fernando Torres’ goal to send the Blues through to the final in 2012, and marvel that Messi has never scored against Chelsea. But history means little in sport. Messi and Barcelona haven’t lost a league game all season and recently added Philippe Coutinho to their potent attack. While Barcelona soars, Chelsea sputters. Although they remain in the top four, the month of January saw a string of soul-sucking goalless draws, a Carabao Cup exit, and to cap it all off, a disconcerting 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth (BBC, Chelsea 0-3 AFC Bournemouth, 1.31.2018). To completely count out an Antonio Conte side with talent like Eden Hazard and N’Golo Kanté is unwise. But amidst the team’s struggles and the club’s drama, an in-form Barcelona over two legs looks a very tall order. Bringing together PSG, Madrid, Barca, Chelsea, and 12 other European heavyweights, the round of 16—and its aftermath—promise plenty of fireworks.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
Daniel Bonfiglio GUEST COLUMNIST
In professional sports, it is hard to win. Ask Cleveland football fans, who have watched their team only win one game in the last two years. Even the newly crowned Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles had never won a Super Bowl before in its 51 previous incarnations. The team they beat, the New England Patriots, had won their division 15 of the last 17 years, with eight Super Bowl appearances and five Super Bowl victories. The Patriots are the most dominant American sports team since the turn of the millennium, and they are a football dynasty. Dynasties in sports are extremely hard to come by. The very nature of sports makes it difficult. The better the player, the more money a team has to pay them. Thus, a team can often only afford one or two true stars at a time, making it impossible to sustain a championship-level team. But the Patriots never had to worry about this problem. For the last 17 years, they have had both the greatest quarterback and the greatest head coach in football history. And with Tom Brady, the reigning MVP. and Belichick, his usual cold self, the Patriots were once again Super Bowl contenders. Everything is great, right? Well, maybe not. When Patriots owner Robert Kraft hired Belichick to coach, he gave him control to run the team. Belichick’s unrelenting drive to win quickly became apparent, and his status as football’s greatest coach did too. Kraft never once questioned Belichick, and that worked just fine. Kraft had the best quarterback and the best coach. The only thing to question was just how long could Brady maintain his elite level. He was 35. Then he was 38. This year, he is 40. The Patriots now had star backup Jimmy Garoppolo on the bench, wasting away his not-quite-so young-anymore career. Belichick had a decision to make, as the burdens of a dynasty came upon him. Garoppolo was about to ask for a lot of money: more than the Patriots could pay him, but what he deserved. In Garoppolo Belichick saw an opportunity to keep the dynasty. Someone who could keep bringing them Super Bowls for the next 15 years, not the optimistic four or five that Brady offered. But Brady is the best quarterback of all time, and as of yet has shown no signs of being slowed by age. How could you trade the face of the dynasty? And then the drama began. Tom Brady attributes his success to his incredible training regime. He and his personal trainer Alex Guerrero began selling their TB12 training brand, and it was what Brady swore by—so much so, in fact, he began pressuring players to use his training services in place of what the team offered, putting teammates in an impossible position of choosing between their quarterback and their coaches. Garoppolo refused treatment from the TB12 staff, suggesting Brady tried to compromise the man who was challenging him for his job. The divide between Brady and his coaching staff tore open. A few weeks later, an incident in which Brady hurled profanity at his offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was well-publicized, and only heightened the tension around the team. Eventually, Garoppolo was traded out of the way to a struggling San Francisco team for a second-round pick. The Patriots acted like all was back to normal. Nope. For one, a second-round pick for a Garoppolo was not an even trade, and one a great mind like Belichick would likely not normally make. So why did he? Let me offer a theory. Belichick has always done what was best for the team, whether it made him popular or not. So he decided to keep Garoppolo for the shot at another decade of dominance. Kraft, a close friend of Brady’s, made both a personal and business decision to deny Belichick’s wishes and keep Brady. After all, he’s Tom flipping Brady. Belichick, to get back at Kraft, traded Garoppolo for nothing, and to a team that the Patriots won’t have to play. To go even deeper, I’ll say this: You have two men, the greatest ever to do what they each do, with egos to match. Who is responsible for the dynasty? They each must think they are. Here was a shot for Belichick to prove it by getting rid of Brady, and Brady by promoting his brand across the whole team. After all, it’s a dynasty, and a dynasty can never have two kings forever.
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Why
we
Bryan Rubin & Andrea Han GUEST CONTRIBUTORS
challenging situations simulated the real problems of college student-athletes by throwing us off our game and forcing us to respond in a timely and confident manner. A typical scenario would proceed as follows: “Let’s say there is a verbal or physical conflict between two friends or teammates, a problematic incident on the playing field or even a racially motivated issue on campus. How would you respond? How could you diffuse or mediate the situation? Who would you go to for help? How might a situation impact your team or campus culture?” We were pushed to think outside of the box and come up with ways to remedy the situation—an emotionally taxing venture. College athletes are a tough bunch. Opening up, especially to athletic peers, isn’t always the
easiest thing. One of the most memorable parts of the event was that the NCAA facilitators created an environment in which leaders were comfortable being vulnerable. In our opinion, this is what made the event so special. After only three days, and a lot of difficult conversations with people we had never met before, we felt a deep connection with some of the most motivated, talented team leaders in all of college athletics. A huge part of the experience was our study of The Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. After studying his speeches, we competed in timed challenges to see which of the various groups at the event could assemble the most community service packages.
Bryan Rubin, baseball captain, Andrea Han, women’s golf captain, and Matt Righter, baseball coach, along with representatives from other Liberty League institutions at the 2017 NCAA Leadership Forum.
These care bags, consisting of basic necessities such as toiletries, warm clothing, blankets and hand sanitizer, were all sent to a local homeless shelter upon completion of the conference. We were proud to help assemble several hundred of these bags in only an hour of timed packing! After our study of Dr. King’s leadership values and the community service portion of the trip, we were lucky enough to go see the recently constructed monument of Dr. King on the National Mall. Not only was our field trip to the monuments a highlight of our free time there, but it was also a fitting end to our experience in D.C. Finally, during our time at the conference, every scenario was geared toward what we would do to tackle dilemmas at our individual colleges. Therefore, part of our duty in attending the forum as representatives of Vassar was to use our platform to highlight issues that require student-athlete leadership on campus. As Vassar student-athletes, we recognize that tension between the athletic community (around one-fourth of the student body) and the remainder of the general student body is a very real issue at our school. Through talking to other athletes from elite liberal arts institutions, we learned that this issue is clearly not exclusive to Vassar. As student-athletes, we are proud to say that our Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and the Vassar Athletic Department are prepared to work together to bridge this divide on campus. Members of SAAC have even started reaching out to VSA to talk about the divide. As athletes who have sometimes felt alienated from the rest of the community, this is exciting, real-time progress! We are so grateful for our experience and proud to represent Vassar on the national stage. At the same time, as campus student-athlete leaders, we are persistent in our hope to bring transformational positive change to certain aspects of our campus culture.
Women’s Basketball
Men’s Basketball
Vassar College 55, Skidmore College 51
Vassar College 72, Skidmore College 71
February 6, 2018
February 6, 2018
Vassar College #
Bryan Rubin & Andrea Han
Courtesy of Bryan Rubin
Every four years, Vassar sends two student-athletes to represent the school on the national athletic stage. Bryan Rubin (baseball junior) and Andrea Han (women’s golf sophomore) recently traveled to Washington, D.C. to attend the 2017 NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum. In this week’s Why We Play, they detail their journey to D.C. and recount their experiences at the forum. While we were both honored and excited to represent Vassar on the national stage, neither of us knew what to expect when we arrived in D.C. for the 2017 NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum. Having just met each other at the scene of our early-morning departure from Vassar, we were thrown into the fire with no prior warning from the NCAA on what we would be doing there. We thought, naturally, that the forum would be a relaxed retreat where we would be able to hang out with other student-athletes at the expense of the NCAA. Boy, we were wrong! Our time at the forum was full of long, demanding days, all the while pushing us beyond all previously conceived limits to think, act and train as leaders. After arriving at the Gaylord Hotel in Oxon Hill, Maryland, we met the best and brightest leaders in all of college sports. We couldn’t believe that we were two of the only 300 people representing over 460,000 NCAA student-athletes in Divisions 1, 2 and 3 at the event. Upon arrival, there was no rest for the weary. We were quickly put to work in a series of intense workshops designed to dissect each person’s individual leadership qualities. As the sessions progressed, NCAA facilitators worked with each athlete to formulate strategies for defining and then bringing back their own leadership styles to campus. A huge part of the workshops consisted of working through real-life leadership scenarios with fellow attendees at the conference. These
play
February 8, 2018
Player
Skidmore College
MIN TO AST STL PTS
Vassar College #
Player
MIN TO
Skidmore College
AST STL PTS
MIN TO AST STL PTS
#
Player
MIN TO AST STL PTS
K. Donnelly
38
4
0
2
23
2
J. Browne
32
3
3
0
20
10
E. Rupkus
25 0
0
3
22
#
Player
35
2
1
1
16
5
31
A. Rosenthal 28
4
2
0
13
33 V. Moceri
40
3
1
0
15
34
P. Grinde
33
2
4
1
14
2
D. Yiljep
23 1
0
1
13
11
S. Cook
30
4
2
0
6
13 C. Opfer
24
0
1
2
5
11
B.J. White
24
1
2
0
12
5
N. Meren
25 1
1
0
7
4
N. Teta
27
3
4
0
5
4
A. Fustini
36
2
3
2
4
33
Z. Bromfeld
21
2
2
0
10
11
M. Jackson
23 0
0
1
7
12
J. Cenan
11
0
0
0
4
24 H. English
38
2
3
0
2
23
L. Tebay
27
1
1
0
6
15
C. Ta
35 0
5
1
6
20 I. Peczuh
18
2
6
1
3
15 T. Ong
8
1
0
0
2
42
M. Dyslin
16
0
0
0
5
23
P. Gallagher
18
0
1
0
6
21
6
1
0
0
3
32 L. Berg
12
1
1
2
0
5
O. Murray
23
2
2
0
3
14
J. Byrne
24 0
0
0
5
4
1
0
0
3
20 J. Centore
4
0
1
0
0
10
A. Seff
15
1
2
0
2
3
B. Louchheim
4
0
1
1
3
23 K. Romanoff 27
4
2
0
2
3
K. Kappes
5
0
0
0
0
4
M. Bedulskij
9
0
3
0
2
24 M. Sussman
14
1
1
1
0
30
S. Palecki
5
0
0
0
0
12
T. Lamport
14
0
1
0
0
Totals.......
200 23 18 3 55
72
Totals.......
12
7 71
32 S. Nick
J. Roellke
30 R. DeOrio
Totals.......
200 13 10 8 51
Totals.......
201
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
12 16 1
200 2