The Miscellany News
miscellanynews.org
February 24, 2022
Vassar College’s student newspaper of record since 1866 Volume 157 | Issue 5
John Leguizamo selected as Student shines in original album 158th Commencement Speaker Ganesh Pillai Arts Editor
Janet Song
Editor-in-Chief
O Photo courtesy of Guido Venitucci.
n Feb. 23, 2022, Vassar College announced that actor, writer, producer and director John Leguizamo would be the speaker for the 158th Commencement ceremony on May 22, 2022. Leguizamo is the winner of several awards including the Primetime Emmy Award in 1999 for his performance
on “Freak” and Special Tony Award in 2018 for his show, “Latin History for Morons.” He recently voiced Bruno from the Disney movie “Encanto.” The star, whose wife, Justine Maurer, is a Vassar alum of 1990, and whose son, Lucas, is a member of the Class of 2023, will replace Jeh Charles Johnson, who withdrew as speaker last week. An interview with Leguizamo and The Miscellany News is soon to follow.
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inding the right balance between school and a social life is the crux of the college experience. How do we achieve the exact right mix of fun and work to get the most out of these four years? While most of us are busy having our hands full with this, there are others who have their own creative endeavors that could further complicate this issue. Meet Adam Benamram ’22, who, simultaneously on the pre-med track, wrote, sang and produced his very own album “In the Dead of Night.” An admirable feat in itself, the high quality of said work makes such an endeavor that much more impressive and worthy of recognition. After listening to the album, I decided to sit down with Benamram and talk through his project, his process and his connection to music as a whole. Benamram’s music is the embodiment of deeply personal production, manifesting itself as a bedroom-pop style sound. While he takes influence from genres like R&B and pop, he explained, “There’s definitely a lot of bedroom in there because I do it all in my bedroom.” Since beginning to perform in musicals at an early age, Benamram has been honing his singing ability, later teaching himself to play guitar. Putting these skills together allowed Adam the creative
freedom to explore many varying styles of production to see what he felt best captures his vision. Benamram said, “At the end of the day, being able to make the music I want to listen to, rather than making as much music as possible, is really beneficial to me. So what does this translate to regarding “In the Dead of Night”? Benamram stated that his central idea he wished to communicate with this project was nocturnalism. “The big theme that runs throughout the album is just thinking, lying awake at night. Trying to sleep, and not being able to.” Benamram accomplishes this through his euphoric, hysteria-esque production. The spaced-out, upbeat production on songs such as “Anything You Know” or “Part III” perfectly captures the restless, hopeful energy that can consume oneself during a long, sleepless night. However, Benamram contrasts this with the equally applicable sensation of melancholic overthinking that can also occur. On the relatively somber “Firefly,” Bemamram croons, “And I’m staying up until it’s light / And I don’t wanna be by myself tonight.” Perhaps no song captures the sanguine ponderings of listless nights better than the titular track “In the Dead of Night.” The song’s subdued, resigned production, coupled with Benamram’s repeated “I don’t See Benamram on page 4
Spring break housing fee lowered SGE talks Safety and Security Will Sorge News Editor
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he cost of staying on campus during spring break has been reduced to $0 for students on full financial aid, as Assistant Director of Residential Life Kris Van Nostrand announced via email on Feb. 10. The reduction followed a Feb. 9 email detailing a cost of $45 per day, which would have scaled down with students’ financial aid to a minimum of $6.60 per day or $75 for the entire break. Associate Dean of Residential Life and Wellness Luis Inoa accredited the prior cost increase mostly to the meal plan, which had historically not been included in spring break living expenses. “The significant jump in cost is due to the inclusion of a meal plan. Previous generations of students who have stayed over spring break experienced food insecurity. We wanted to eliminate that,” he noted. The intention to limit food insecurity was agreed to in conjunction with the Break Advisory Group (BAG). Dean of the College Carlos Alamo-Pastrana noted, “This is the context for the room and board plan that we have developed in consultation with the student organization BAG for all the breaks not part of the room and board plan (summer, winter, and spring breaks). This plan, based on student financial need, helps to
offset a percentage of labor, food and housing costs.” President Elizabeth Bradley said feedback from students is always encouraged on all fronts. She said, “As we worked to address the issues brought to our attention, we made the decision to waive [fees] for this spring break for students on full financial aid because the information on [fees] was delayed and did not give students as much time to plan ahead.” Despite the intentions, several low-income students had reacted negatively to the prior cost increases. “My first reaction to the spring housing email was panic, and I’m sure I’m not the only one. Being out of state and also on significant financial aid, I don’t have the means to go home over spring break,” said Kiran Rudra ’24, adding, “Low-income students were totally thrown under the bus.” “I think we’re speaking for the majority of the [Working Student Coalition] when we say we were really taken aback when we learned break housing would cost almost $80 [for students on full financial aid],” added Noon Elmostafa of the Working Student Coalition (WSC), an organization which advocates on behalf of working-class and low-income students on campus. After hearing of the cost increase, Rudra reached out to Van Nostrand and Bradley. See Spring on page 3
Jacques Abou-Rizk News Editor
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eeking to cultivate a culture of care between employees and students, the Office of Student Growth and Engagement (SGE) presented “Conversations with Campus Safety”, an event aimed at growing trust and humanizing professionals in their roles at the College, on Thursday, Feb. 17. Director of Safety and Security Arlene Sabo and Sergeant Dyrell Walker, in addition to students and faculty, broke into groups and discussed possible benefits to meaningful collaborations with campus safety, obstacles to making these connections and initial steps to take in order to make such connections, according to Sabo. “We see this conversation as a foundation to build upon in order to find more ways to engage with Vassar resources such as Campus Safety,” Sabo stated in a written correspondence, adding, “We plan on joining in some events/meetings with the goal of continuing to get to know each other and to learn more about how we can best address the safety concerns of our community.” Sabo added, “The event went very well from our perspective. It was fun getting to know each other a bit and very rewarding to engage in such important conversation.” Walker said he hopes that this talk would
encourage more understanding between Vassar community members. He said, “I think the main thing I want to share from this talk is that despite any titles or confusion that may occur in our day-to-day interactions, at the end of the day, we are all humans.” He continued, “Overall we have the same goals of having a safe and healthy experience here as part of the Vassar community.” Anabel Varghese ’24, a student who attended the event, said, “I was never sure of what role Safety and Security played on campus. I’ve always been apprehensive about finding out because I thought they were like the police. I think the event helped clarify the role of Safety and Security on campus as more of an information source.” Sabo said, “I am impressed by our students at Vassar and my Vassar colleagues. I think Vassar at its core is made up of caring people who are always striving to do better. Meetings like this are exemplary of our core values.” Last semester, a number of incidents occurred between students and Campus Safety and Security officers, including an officer being hit in the upper chest with a bottle while dispersing an overgrown party in the Terrace Apartment (TA) outdoor space on Oct. 8. See SGE on page 3
Inside this issue
5
FEATURES
Hungry? Check out Guest Reporter Alex Yim and his interview with Chef David Cruz of Reconnect Foods.
Come learn the art of stink bug defense with Assistant Humor Editor Nicholas HUMOR Tillinghast.
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Read Assistant Opinions Editor Ben Goth’s response to the Comaroff letter written by OPINIONS 38 Harvard faculty members.
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February 24, 2022
THE MISCELLANY NEWS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MANAGING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Janet Song Sawyer Bush Olivia Watson Dean Kopitsky Alex Eisert Lucille Brewster Caitlin Patterson Annabelle Wang Will Sorge NEWS EDITORS Jacques Abou-Rizk Ben Goth ASSISTANT OPINIONS EDITOR Ganesh Pillai ARTS EDITOR Massimo Tarridas ASSISTANT ARTS EDITOR Monika Sweeney FEATURES EDITOR Doug Cobb SPORTS EDITORS Jackie Molloy Madi Donat HUMOR EDITOR Nicholas Tillinghast ASSISTANT HUMOR EDITOR Alison Carranza SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Acadia Case ASST. SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Charlotte Robertson ASSISTANT COPY EDITORS Sashinka Poor Sandro Luis Lorenzo GRAPHICS EDITOR Seowon Back GRAPHIC ARTISTS Tori Kim Aryn Lee Karen Mogami Ben Scharf LIVE EVENTS CHAIRPERSON ASST. LIVE EVENTS CHAIRPERSON Catherine Borthwick Will Hwang BUSINESS MANAGER Jack Rothenberg ASSISTANT BUSINESS MANAGER Chloe Gjoka WEBMASTERS Rohan Dutta Ian Herz VIDEO PRODUCTION MANAGER Grace Willoughby DESIGN EDITOR Danielle Recco COLUMNISTS Carly D’Antonio Arlene Chen Katie Gebbia Anna Kozloski Gwen Ma Sufana Noorwez Sam Patz Naima Saini Anica Acuna COPY STAFF Glenna Gomez Jason Han Sophia Jahadhmy Tori Lubin Bryn Marling Claire Miller Melissa Roybal Emma San Filippo Hadley Sparks Mia Stein Simon Goldsmith Danny White Ruby Funfrock DESIGN STAFF Maryam Bacchus Reese Collins CROSSWORD
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. Staff editorials are the only articles that reflect the opinion of a two-thirds majority of the Editorial Board.
Sandro Luis Lorenzo/The Miscellany News. MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
NEWS
February 24, 2022
SGE
hosts
Continued from SGE on page 1 According to Director of the LGBTQ+ and Gender Resources Danushi Fernando, the SGE’s main goal was to find meaningful ways for students, administrators and Campus Safety employees to work together in creating more caring interactions. “These incidents did come up during the conversation, but they were explored
Vassar
‘Conversations through a solution-focused lens,” Fernando said. Last semester, the Campus Climate Education and Support Team (CCEST) hosted “Vassar Culture: The Glows and Grows of Being on Campus, A Conversation about Campus Climate and Your Vassar Experience.” Fernando said the incidents also came up during that event. “Similarly, our conversation last week was
College
Continued from Spring on page 1 In particular, he recalled feeling dismayed with Bradley’s response to his complaints in a written correspondence to The Miscellany News: “It was really disappointing to receive such a dismissive response from PB. Her tone was disrespectful. After I sent her an email explaining why $6.60-45/day is not affordable, she replied, ‘For those with much financial aid, the price is $6.60 per day. That seems affordable for housing.... am I missing something?’” When asked about the complaints from students, Bradley said concerns about fees were resolved in less than 24 hours. “My first email to the student was to try to be sure the student understood what [Residential Life] had sent to students, as the original [Residential Life] correspondence was somewhat ambiguous,” Bradley said, adding, “My email was brief, and I realize in retrospect the student felt the tone was not helpful.” The administration attributed some of the backlash to the lack of a traditional spring break last year, when students were required to remain on campus for the entire term. “This institutional memory has faded
lowers
during the last two years of the pandemic, where we kept the Residential Houses open as a safety precaution and to limit travel,” Alamo-Pastrana said, adding, “You may recall that last year we did not really have a traditional spring break given the shift to the academic calendar.” Nevertheless, the administration took student feedback to heart in deciding to reduce the minimum amount. Alamo-Pastrana continued, “Student feedback is always valued and welcome. It helps us to do better and to better understand the needs of all of our students. In this case, I feel we could have done a better job in communicating these expectations to students in a clearer and more timely fashion, especially given the institutional memory gap I previously mentioned.” But for some students, their response hasn’t been enough. Rudra expressed, “I feel like admin’s response was not adequate but it was as expected. Scaling the funds for financial aid was a great idea, but I’m still not sure why students should be paying at all, given students already pay so much for their room and board for the semester, and spring break falls in the middle.”
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Campus
about giving students space to talk about what matters to them,” she added. While the event was not a direct response to the earlier incidents, she said, “[It] certainly is part of so many of our conversations this year.” According to Fernando, SGE will hold their next event in collaboration with Counseling Services and the Case Manage-
spring “The fact that low-income students were asked to pay anything at all to stay on campus, let alone [$75] (called ‘reasonable’ and ‘affordable’ by President Bradley), is nothing short of ridiculous considering that many of these students aren’t going home for break because they don’t have the means to do so in the midst of a pandemic,” expressed Elmostafa. In a collective written correspondence, the members of WSC stated, “Vassar made a promise of equity to its students in admission and in their time here. That’s a hefty promise to make, and they need to truly commit to fulfilling that.” All of this is not to say the administration’s response has been unwelcome. “Do not get me wrong: I am glad that they removed the mandatory minimums and scaled it to reflect financial aid, but it is disappointing to keep in mind that this is a unique case and in the future it will likely be raised to what was originally placed for us,” continued Rudra. Elmostafa said, “Considering their reactions to initial student concerns, you can say we were very surprised when admin changed their policy so quickly.” She added, “Although considering that there’s very
Safety’
ment, Advocacy, Resources and Education (CARE) Office, called “De-Stress Desserts” on March 2. She said, “Centered on demystifying mental health and wellness processes on campus… We hope to see many of our students and interested Vassar community members at the event.” Additional reporting by Will Sorge.
break
fee
little logic behind a mandatory minimum housing price while there’s no minimum to our incomes, admin’s reversal of policy made sense.” Rudra said, “I feel like I am exhausted in saying this but it feels like [Vassar] as an institution really does not care about low-income students at all. They just slap the phrase ‘need-blind’ everywhere and think that it covers it…It is ridiculous and disparages students who are already at a disadvantage at Vassar. Students should feel like they belong at Vassar; they should not just be told that they do.” Elmostafa noted that, while low-income students shouldn’t have to jump over hurdles like these for basic necessities, their experience has prepared them for these moments. She said, “Luckily for us, the nature of being low-income means being able to roll with the punches in adverse conditions.” Continuing with this idea, the members of WSC stated, “Still, we shouldn’t have to roll with punches only we receive because we come from low-income families. The [College] should extend every effort to aiding low-income students, which they fail to do now.”
Sandro Luis Lorenzo/The Miscellany News. MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
ARTS
Page 4
Adam
February 24, 2022
Benamram shines on ‘In the Dead of Night’
Continued from Benamram on page 1 know if you’re still in love with me,” convey the album’s emphasis on the telling nature of late-night thoughts. This track also exemplifies many other strengths of the project, notably the vocal effects that Benamram uses. While some songs feature more raw, pared-down performances, others fully utilize vocal editing to convey a grander, more full sound. On how he was inspired to make tracks with such messages, Benamram stated, “Accessing [my] own experiences is, I think, the best method I have ever used for songwriting.” This groundedness shines through in this project, as the listener feels like they can truly empathize. Crafting an album up to the standards that one sets for oneself is not an easy accomplishment. Benmamram described how he would sometimes go months without feeling inspired to create new music. Additionally, countless biology and chemistry classes on top of that only serve to potentially heighten the stress of such an endeavor. Benamram, however, does not think that it has to be that way. “I’m really appreciative of [making music] being a hobby and not my job … Inspiration hits when I’m not expecting it. I don’t necessarily feel
inspired all the time.” To Benamram, having music serve as an outlet, rather than his singular focus, fosters the healthiest relationship with it. Not feeling pressured to constantly be creating is what allows for his most truthful, meaningful story-telling. The last of my questions for Adam was how he wanted his listeners to view and interact with his album. And so, Adam concluded his interview by leaving me and oth-
“‘I would want [my listeners] to think of [my music] as a means to process their own lives... I would love [it] if people connected with it in that way.’” er listeners alike with a statement of intent; “I would want [my listeners] to think of it as a means to process their own lives…I would love [it] if other people connected with it in that way.” “In the Dead of Night” is available for streaming on all platforms.
Album cover of “In the Dead of Night.” Courtesy of Adam Benamram ’22.
‘Happier Than Ever’ tour embodies Eilish’s widespread appeal Ilana Frost
Guest columnist
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illie. A haunting, masculine voice welcomes one of Gen Z’s most acclaimed and eclectic icons to the UBS Arena stage, queuingher smash, oddball hit, “Bury a Friend” to open tonight’s stop on the “Happier Than Ever” world tour. Billie isn’t Billie though. She’s not the Vogue, Marylin-Monroe-imitating, platinum-curled and pink-laced Billie. She’s not the somber, blue-haired teen Billie with disturbing floods of black paint tears spilling everywhere in music videos. She’s not even the seven-time Grammy winning or 17-time Grammy nominated Billie. She’s just Billie with her classic dark locks pulled up in childlike pigtails and an oversized white T-shirt covered in DIY designs paired with white Spandex and chunky white sneakers. Despite the evolution of maturity
“She’s the divine focal point in this 18,000 person arena, but watching her feels closer to giggling with a friend at school than admiring a celebrity posing for paparazzi on the red carpet.” and womanhood that this album, “Happier Than Ever,” represents—and despite her twentieth birthday —it’s immediately clear that Billie is still the misfit, the depressedbut-fun-loving goth kid who’s tired of the real world so she creates her own. She’s all of us who came to the show. In exchange for two hours of painless volunteering for one of Eilish’s chosen nonprofits, Reverb, I got a free floor ticket to the show, and also a complementary
Reverb volunteer/Billie T-shirt. In their words, Reverb’s mission is “to partner with musicians, festivals and venues to green their concert events while engaging fans face-to-face at shows to take environmental and social action.” I enjoyed learning about her nonprofits on tour, engaging with fans and chatting with the other volunteers near my table, and we were conveniently handed our tickets about three minutes before Billie came on. As pop-punk star Willow Smith pulled out of the tour last minute, the opener I would miss was actually bedroom-pop musician, Dora Jar. In a rare instance for A-list pop stars, there are exactly three people on stage in this show: Billie; her highly sought-after artist-producer brother, Finneas; and the drummer. While typical top artists’ shows are packed with supporting performers, not one dancer or backup singer appears throughout the electrifying ninety-minute set, and not one is needed. The looseness of her T-shirt and the comfort of her Spandex reflect a pure freedom in her execution of movements that fill this entire stage. Eilish doesn’t need choreography because she’s a once-in-a-generation performer. The songs course through somewhere deep inside, and her body bends, clicks, runs and twitches with ease to the musical intricacies of each track. The set includes a healthy share of the star’s signature alpha, high-energy hits like “Oxytocin”; “you should see me in a crown”; “Therefore I am”; and obviously, the classique, “bad guy.” Her soft, more vulnerable moments in tunes like “Your Power,” “when the party’s over” and “Male Fantasy” expertly balance out the show, curating an audience experience that covers every emotion in its most acute state. The Billie croon soaked in slow vibrato and tears hardly ever wavers—an impressive feat considering not only a lengthy set, but such a physically and emotionally demanding tour. Eilish didn’t skyrocket to music elitehood with a polished, choreographed, bubblegum act; she’s the anti-pop popstar.
She’s notoriously ironic, quirky, “not like the other girls,” and tonight is no exception. Instead of strategic, scripted moments here and there throughout her concert, she makes out-of-the-blue comments like, “I don’t know if you guys have ever experienced this but…I have like a reverse wedgie right now?” and “I hate people who don’t participate. You’re not cooler than the rest of us.” She’s the divine focal point in this 18,000 person arena but watching her feels closer to giggling with a friend at school than admiring a celebrity posing for paparazzi on the red carpet. The whole show is a series of thrills, complete with themed video montages, colorful blinding lights, incessant piercing shrieks from the crowd and her two-person band throwing their sweaty bodies into every tune wholeheartedly. All the songs, however, are just mere appetizers for the ultimate feast—that delicious, exhilaratingly high, “Happier Than Ever.” Eilish waits until the very end of the night to complete the arena’s transformation from concert to congregation. When the Grammy-nominated chart-topper escalates from its ’60s-style introduction into 18,000 people animalistically screaming, “I DON’T TALK SHIT ABOUT YOU ON THE INTERNET/ NEVER TOLD ANYONE ANYTHING BAD,” a tsunami of catharsis obliterates any sense of social convention. Every suppressed negative feeling, every bit of messy personal history in the audience blasts out into this shared Long Island space for five holy minutes. This is pop music at its very finest—a religious experience. The popular girls are screaming and crying. The emo girls are screaming and crying. Whether it be alt boys, twelveyear-olds, forty-year-olds, liberals, conservatives, people of various races—there doesn’t seem to be one target audience for Eilish. On the 12:43 a.m. commuter rail home to Poughkeepsie, I decided there’s a sort of “Eilish equilibrium phenomenon” that allows her voice to cast such wide appeal. She’s simultaneously a veteran and fresh on the scene, a superstar that’s com-
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Photo courtesy of crommelincklars via Flickr. pletely authentic, a sophisticated woman with childlike energy, masculine and feminine, and an insider who got there by being an outsider. She’s not an easy popstar to categorize and these complexities are reflected in the crowd that comes out to see her breathtaking performance. The only simple thing about Billie Eilish is that she was born to write, sing and put on a hell of a show.
February 24, 2022
FEATURES
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Finding hyperlocality in the Hudson Valley Food Scene Alex Yim
Guest Reporter
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y first time visiting Vassar was on an unbearably hot Thursday in May 2021. Maybe it was a touch of fate from the Culinary Gods themselves that my initial flight was pushed back a week and I decided to skip my high school graduation for this visit instead—either way, it was through these series of events that I met Chef David Cruz of Reconnect Foods. Famished from my campus tour, I stumbled upon the Poughkeepsie Farmers Market. From its wide selection of local farmers to craftspeople and even a Tupperware salesman, the Poughkeepsie Farmers Market was the perfect indicator that Vassar was an ideal fit for me, though I was too busy at the time trying to find something to eat to make anything out of these observations. There it was, under a tent, with just a cooler and a whiteboard for a menu: Reconnect Foods. I bought an aguachile with hibiscus and mint as well as a delectable tamale, yet it was Cruz’s personality that left a lasting impression. His love for food translated into his cooking and hospitality; we talked about food for hours. Whether he was explaining his own sourcing methods and cooking processes or giving recommendations on chef’s knives for the regular home cook, Cruz’s food and personality remained with me after I left Vas-
sar. Since then, I eagerly awaited my next trip to the Poughkeepsie Farmers Market. I didn’t know this until our interview a week ago, but my interaction with Cruz happened during his first month of business with Reconnect Foods. But Cruz has always been working with food. Starting as a dishwasher at local Poughkeepsie restaurants throughout highschool, he eventually brought his experience and passion to the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in 2016, saying, “Once I knew [food] was my calling, I had to go.” At the CIA, Cruz learned technical skills such as plating and skills outside of the kitchen like sourcing ingredients, budgeting and building a network. While in culinary school, Cruz was given the opportunity to study abroad in California and Peru. “It was through these experiences that I learned how to acquire, source, and grow my own food, and it started my passion for farm to table cooking,” he shared. Before our talk, like many, I associated farm-to-table with overpriced tasting menus, looking to charge twenty dollars for two sauteed carrots. But Cruz has a different perspective “The concept of farm-to-table is what drives Reconnect, and it is my mission to create a web of hyperlocal connections throughout the Hudson Valley,” he shared. For Cruz, farm-to-table is more than just a phrase—it's a mission. Throughout our talk
there was a constant theme of hyperlocality, what it means, what he does for it, and what we, as consumers, can do for it. Stressing the importance of seasonality, Cruz explained, “I don’t understand what pico de gallo has tomato all year round; if it isn’t in season, don’t serve it. You see so many restaurants serving dishes with ingredients not in season. It doesn’t support the local community and the environment as a whole.” The example of pico de gallo struck a chord in me—my Chipotle order is dependent on the pico, after all. “We live in such a rich area for local ingredients, we should use it and support our farmers,” Cruz shared. As he told me of the wide variety of squash in the Hudson Valley, I began to understand what it means to Reconnect in our web of hyperlocal connections: food is grown by the farmer, served by the restaurant and eaten by the consumer. Now, what is our role in this hyperlocal community? “What you guys are doing with the farmer’s market is honestly amazing. So, continue asking for more. Advocate to your school the importance of buying and supporting local farmers and restaurants,” Cruz encouraged. Though the Poughkeepsie Farmer’s Market will not be opening until spring, Cruz, and many other food truck owners, are hosting a variety of pop ups around the Poughkeepsie area until then. As our interview came to an end, I decided
to ask a more “fun” seemingly simple question: “What are your top restaurant recommendations?” After thinking about my question for a while, Cruz threw a curveball: “Can I give farm recommendations instead?” This final question and response really cemented to me what it meant to be more educated about what I consume and just how important it is to know where food is being sourced. According to Cruz, passion emerges when working through the lense of hyperlocality: “Hyperlocating brings creativity and motivation for me. Creativity is being able to make dishes from ingredients that aren’t commonly associated with that food. Whether it be pico without tomatoes, or braised beet carnitas (which I can vouch for, are amazing), I am always learning, and I love sharing my knowledge to the community.” Speaking of his future goals, Cruz told me of his plans to create a more educational, lab-like learning space for food for up-andcoming chefs through classes, open kitchens and private dining experiences. According to Cruz, the most important thing is to reconnect the community to local dining, from the neighborhood farmer to the hungry first year looking for the best food in Poughkeepsie. For those looking to have their taste buds blown away, Chef Cruz recommends the 1915 Wine Cellar, Hudson and Packard, Rossi Deli or The Poughkeepsie Grind.
Photos courtesy of David Cruz. MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
FEATURES
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February 24, 2022
Library displays ‘Nature and Nature Defiled’ exhibition Angelina Papa Guest Reporter
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assar’s historic Thompson Memorial Library has become the stage for a battle of life and death. Works of art sit in glass display cases evoking melodic odes to nature’s beauty and simultaneously telling the horrific story of its impending end. Arrayed under the main archway of the library is Ilse Schreiber-Noll’s exhibition: “Nature, and Nature Defiled”. Schreiber-Noll, a Hudson Valley artist, has several items on display, including her original “Artist’s Books”, an artwork that utilizes the form of the book, as well as limited-edition prints and paintings, all of which highlight the beauty of nature while ridiculing the destruction humanity is imposing upon it. The exhibition’s juxtaposing sides intensify the nature of each book, coordinating with each other to create a tense symphony. The books representing “Nature” sit on the left and those representing “Nature Defiled” sit on the right. The exhibition begins on the left side of the archway with “Silent Sun”, one of Schreiber-Noll’s unique Artist’s Books. The linen pages of her Artist’s Books are thick with golden layers of paint, sand, woodcut prints and natural matter. Written on the opening page of this book is Walt Whitman’s poem, “Give me the Splendid, Silent Sun”—Whitman’s poetry makes continued appearances throughout her works. This poem is a love letter to the natural world, admiring mother nature from afar while being trapped in the steel cage of the industrial city: “Give me the splendid silent sun, with all his beams full-dazzling.”
Under the archway, across from this work, is a book representing the “Nature Defiled” portion of the exhibition. Its dark brown and black pages contrast against its neighbor’s gold and yellow suns. Standing between these two books is to stand on the precipice between life and death, to put your own humanity between the world and its demise. When discussing this book and its large, heavy pages, Schreiber-Noll said, “I think the soil is a sick and crusted surface. I think if [this book] feels like touching the soil, you are involved in those heavy surfaces, with the history of what happened.” The soil contains memory and life, and this book shows what happens when we destroy that life. As well as works centering on the environment, Schreiber-Noll eulogized the COVID-19 pandemic in her Artist’s Book titled “Loss”. A dedication alongside “Loss” reads: “This book is dedicated to the lives that were lost in the natural disasters and the pandemic in 2020 and 2021.” She made this book for all of the people who have suffered over the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the pain their families have endured as a result. Its pages are filled with woodcut prints of anguished faces and crying angels. Along with scenes of the pandemic, “Loss” also focuses heavily on the damage done by natural disasters,especially those caused by the effects of climate change. In the middle of the book is a print of an angel with the word “hope” hanging by her wings. In my conversation with Schreiber-Noll, she continuously emphasized the importance of hope when the future seems so bleak. She spoke about her fears for younger generations, saying with a tired smile, “We must
have hope. If we don’t have hope then living becomes unbearable, right?” Schreiber-Noll’s emphasis on hope always holds a place alongside her critiques of violence. She sees it as necessary to balance the world’s tragedies with our own sense of hope, something her own upbringing taught her. Schreiber-Noll was born in Germany directly after World War II. “I saw the consequences of war and the destruction and heartbreak it caused to my country and to others,” she shared. Her career in art was propelled by the ’60s protest movement. Her works are filled with outpouring of her anger and despair, and still flow with an immense beauty. Schreiber-Noll has been creating pieces related to environmental subject matter since 2012, when she participated in the Hudson Valley Artist exhibition at the Samuel Dorsky Museum in New Paltz. The title of the exhibition was “Dear Mother Nature,” and Schreiber-Noll contributed the first book of her “Oil Spill” series, which commented on the industrial disaster in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. “[I] find it very important to show the beauty as well as the destruction in juxtaposition,” she told me. “So the viewer is wondering and will ask the question: Why are we doing this to something so beautiful?” Even before making art on the matter of climate change, her work has been extremely politically oriented. She was heavily involved in artistic movements against apartheid in South Africa. Throughout that time she was constantly questioning the productivity of her and other artists’ works. “Artists from many countries, all over the world, people from all professions contributed and said: ‘We must help to change this terrible system.’
And it became [a]house we all built together,” she explained. In the 21st century, her art is utilizing its intensity to advocate against climate change. She views the fight against war and the fight against the destruction of the environment as having parallel ideology: Any contribution, no matter how small, can help to bring about change. In my interview with Schreiber-Noll, she shared her immense enthusiasm for this spring’s exhibition. “I am delighted and especially excited to show in a college,” she told me. Her artist career in printmaking and Artist’s Books began while she herself was a student at Purchase College. She studied under the late Uruguayan-American artist, Antonio Frasconi. Frasconi, the man she dedicated her book “Autumn” to, was a prolific woodcut artist and professor at Purchase College. Schreiber-Noll fell in love with the form of the book, and found inspiration in her mentor’s political activism. “My wish is that my work speaks to your generation. Giving something to the next generation is a privilege. So, I’m very thrilled about this exhibition.” Schreiber-Noll will be a panelist at the symposium, “Responding to Climate Change,” along with Laura Haynes of the Earth Science and Geography Department and Jeff Seidman of the Philosophy Department. The symposium will be moderated by Head of the Special Collections Library Ronald Patkus. The event will be taking place on Wednesday, April 6 at 4 p.m. in the Class of ’51 Reading Room in the library for those interested in the interdisciplinary discussion on the destruction and protection of our environment.
Photos courtesy of the Vassar College Library. MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
February 24, 2022
HUMOR
Page 7
Breaking News From the desk of Madi Donat, Humor Editor Critical thinking skills tabled as lizard brain takes over; thoughts now include “want noodles” and “want nap” How to make the most of your lonely Valentine’s Day Carly D’Antonio
Doing Just Fine, Thank You Very Much
A
s you all know, last week was the annual celebration of love where your mother sends you an obscene amount of chocolate in the mail and your dad sends you a card that probably cost $7. I have never been a fan of Valentine’s Day. It’s not that I am lonely–the day is a stupid corporate celebration with annoying decorations and annoying couples filling up Instagram for 24 hours straight. But this year, I decided to make the most out of this day with a little bit of fun and whimsy. I brainstormed how I could spend this day. At first, I thought that I would live out my Carrie Bradshaw dreams and skip across the quad in a ridiculous outfit and pretend it was the bustling streets of New York City. Another part of me thought it would be a good idea to spend the day researching the St. Valentine’s Day massacre and give a very in-depth presentation to my roommates at the end of the day. That idea was quickly shut down. Overall, I thought that it would be best to not have a plan and just see where the day took me. I started out with a lovely morning where I skipped my first class to gallivant around campus with a giant basket of cookies that my mother sent me. I must say it was quite lovely to look just a little bit crazy on this day, letting others think that you are just slightly
unhinged. I spent the rest of the day in class trying my hardest to pay attention while experiencing an extremely intense sugar crash. Then comes the time of day that I dread the most: dinner. Usually, I’m obliged to sit through my family talking about god knows what, just waiting until I can sneak into my room and avoid human interaction for the rest of the night. However, this year three of my friends and I decided to reinvent this usually mediocre experience. After making a reservation at a local Arlington Italian restaurant, we were struck with the brilliant idea of all dressing up as Steve Jobs. Yes, I understand how stupid this sounds and that this whole article so far has been a bit strange, to say the least, but I chalk that all up to the fact that we are in the dog days of winter, and every time I look out my window and see snow, a little part of me dies, and I start to forget what it feels like to be warm. Our meal was enjoyed by all who attended, and for anyone who is curious, nobody found it funny besides us. It was a very stupidly hilarious experience overall. At the end of the day, even though I usually embrace my cynicism and anguish on this holiday, this was the first year I actually had some fun. Maybe it was the time spent with friends, maybe it was the good food, or maybe it was the Steve Jobs cosplay. Either way, it was a well-spent Valentine’s Day.
Vassar, O Vassar, What Happened to You? Matthew Little Vassar, O Vassar what happened to you? New costs once again you decide to debut, Where a student could once stay for free, You went off and broke what we agreed Additional charges to stay over break, Over the coals my wallet you rake, Just as the price of laundry went up, I declare this a highway stickup You also went and chose a commencement speaker Who supports droning Americans and wanted to lock up asylum seekers Vassar, O Vassar, you are acting a hypocrite You took your reputation and lathered it in…poo Is the money just for kicks and drugs and booze? Don’t worry, I won’t tell; I don’t want to lose you But you’re making it hard to maintain my support If you keep it up, my graduation donation I will have to abort If it’s not money, could something else be making you blue? I know you dropped in liberal arts rankings to 22 Listen, it’s okay to be depressed Yet taking it out on us only makes everyone stressed You’re not the school I remember from my freshman year Your present nature merits only jeers Or maybe it was I who could not see The disappointing true nature of thee
Vassar Bitch Chronicles by Emily Lesorogol
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
HOROSCOPES
HUMOR
Page 8
February 24, 2022
Madi Donat
Astral Projector
If it seems like the world is out to get you, it probably isn’t. But, if it seems like someone in ARIES particular is out to get you, you can never be too March 21 | careful. Do a reflection this week: Who have April 19 you wronged? Who has a motive? Apologize to those people this week. Either that or watch your back. TAURUS
April 20 | May 20
GEMINI
May 21 | June 20
Some days it feels like everything in your life is slowly falling apart. And by that I mean, like, every physical thing in your life. My favorite pair of leggings have become a shell of their former self. My key lanyard looks like it was chewed up by a dog. Respect your possessions this week.
Light is very important for someone like me–maybe I’m part plant. Engage your inner chlorophyll by basking in the sun on the two days per week that it’s 50º between the five days per week that are 15º. Set up cute lights in your room. And TURN YOUR PHONE BRIGHTNESS DOWN!!!!!!
Everyone’s got a little impetus in them to participate in fiendish activities every once in a CANCER while. If you’re getting a little bit of an urge to… June 21 | pocket things that aren’t technically yours, for July 22 example or… investigate places behind locked doors, try to do so in a way that you won’t get caught. I will not be made liable. LEO
July 23 | August 22
It’s good to know your body. I, for example, am a very cold person. Maybe you run warm. Or maybe your temperature regulation is fine, but you are just very sweaty. Try and understand where your cells work and where they don’t. I have no fix for this as I am not a biologist. Just try your best.
Annoyances are running high this week, but never fear: I set up a support group just for August 23 | you and your grievances. For only $5 a minSeptember ute (which is given to me as payment for the 22 labor of writing these horoscopes) you can call 1-800-SO-UPSET to air your woes. We can’t solve them, but we can listen.
VIRGO
LIBRA
September 23 | October 22
SCORPIO
October 23 | November 21
SAGITTARIUS
November 22 | December 21
CAPRICORN
December 22 | January 19
AQUARIUS
January 20 | February 18
PISCES
February 19 | March 20
How many times a week do you feel like you want to lie down on the floor and just kind of stay there for a while? Listen to your body and maybe you’ll find a concrete amount. This is a very important number—use it to solve all of the math equations that have been haunting you. I’m a very good mathematician; trust me. Midterms are coming up, which means it’s undoubtedly time to write so, so many papers. And listen, I love writing but it can be spooky and scary sometimes. If you feel this way too, try my favoritest little trick: Just kinda sit there until the spirit comes to you. So what if it comes to you two hours before the due date! It’s what was meant to be. Are you feeling more bubbly and positive than usual this week? Channel that! Your aura has marvelous effects. Laugh into a mason jar and put the lid on, and then you’ll have happiness for days on end. Make sure to keep it in a cool, dark place though. You don’t want happiness to spoil; believe me. The other day I almost gave in to my whims and bought TikTok slime off the internet. It was a bad day for me. But listen: sometimes when we want to buy TikTok slime, it’s really our brain crying for help. Understand this, and use it to your advantage every time you think, “Maybe I COULD spend a lot of money on chai lattes.” I am constantly fascinated by the weird world around us. Like, who decided that some leaves should be fuzzy like fur? Or that some teeny tiny ants have the most painful sting ever? Or that poison dart frogs are so so cute yet can’t be my best friend? Life is so strange and wonderful. Admire nature this week, and take notes. Pop quiz next Thursday. What’s the name for that thing where Valentine’s Day is over but you still have all the leftover chocolate? Malaise, maybe. If you are falling into a malaise trap this week, know firstly that you are not alone, but secondly know that Easter is coming up soon, so there will be more candy before you know it.
Le (s)Tour de Grocery: A harrowing journey made Alyssa Willeford Olympian
T
he winter here at Vassar is cold; gray cold; dark; cold; unpleasant; and gosh, did I mention that it’s cold? Add COVID on top of that, and you’ve got what mental health professionals refer to as a “double-decker depression sandwich”—which means it’s important to safeguard your sanity during these difficult months! My process for doing this is simple: I do some serious introspection, looking within myself to see whether I have the things that make life worth living. Of course, by “myself” I mean the fridge, and by “things that make life worth living” I mean peanut butter, ice cream and peanut butter ice cream. When those crucial resources start to run out, I know I’m close to a crisis, which can only mean one thing: it’s time to go to the grocery store! My store of choice is Adams Fairacre Farms. It’s more expensive than the other options, but it’s possible to reach on a bike, unlike Target, which is too far, and Stop & Shop, which requires you to travel along roads that make the Indianapolis 500
look like childrens’ bumper cars. If I had a friend with a car, of course, I wouldn’t be so restricted. But if a frog had wings, he wouldn’t bump his ass a’hoppin, now would he? Of course, just because it’s technically possible to reach Adams by bike doesn’t
“By ‘things that make life worth living’ I mean peanut butter, ice cream and peanut butter ice cream. When those crucial resources run out, I know I’m close to a crisis.” mean the trip is particularly pleasant. There are some hills on the route in either direction, which wouldn’t be a problem on a normal bike. Unfortunately, I ride a
foldable model with one gear and wheels that the manufacturer got for cheap from a shopping cart factory. I always dress too warm for the trip because I forget how difficult the journey is, and any slight incline soon has me wheezing and sweating through my pullover. I have to be careful because drivers’ eyes quickly start to skip over me as they assume I’m just another grease slick on the road. None of that compares, though, to the excitement I find within Adams once I arrive. After locking my bike to a handy railing outside—not a bike rack, since there isn’t one, because I’m the only person in history ever to bike to Adams—I mask up and step through the door into the promised land. Food! Food aplenty! It’s just like the Deece, except that half the displays aren’t empty for no reason! I have a normal route through the store, but it’s stressful to follow because of the sheer concentrated humanity present in Adams at noon on a Saturday. I know that I want to get to the peanut butter, for example, but barring my way is
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
the deli counter, where entire elementary school soccer teams are jostling each other in an effort to nab a large post-game sandwich. I find that it’s important to keep one’s elbows out while grocery shopping. After checking out and packing my backpack in front of a very confused cashier, it’s time to go back to campus. Even though more of my route is downhill, I’m now loaded down with a spherical backpack filled with nutritionally questionable food items. Passing drivers likely confuse me for a particularly large and obese snail as I struggle up the many dreaded five-degree inclines that I’m forced to navigate, and I get even sweatier than before. It’s good that I don’t pass any pig pastures, because there’s a good chance that they would mistake my strained grunting for a mating call. At last, legs shaking, I wheel my bike back into the dorm and call it a day. Frankly, I don’t understand why people bike for fun, but at least I earn my ice cream, right? Until next time—and, if you do have a car, keep your eyes peeled for particularly large puddles of oil, because they might be me!
HUMOR
February 24, 2022
Page 9
The Nature Report: Learning stink bug self defense Nicholas Tillinghast Partial Artist
T
he stink bugs took a very short hiatus this winter. I have seen two in the past week, and I will recount one of those treacherous experiences. We were celebrating my roommate’s birthday last week in typical elementary school fashion (the birthday boy provided the cupcakes). For entertainment, I turned on the Team USA ice hockey game. While we were watching this momentous event, a brown marmorated stink bug made his way onto the mini cupcake container. An uninvited party guest can often be trouble, and this was no different. I had to deal with this situation as soon as possible to maintain consistent birthday mirth, but not all insect threats are created equal. A shifty wasp might require a tennis racket and open space to properly handle, while a ladybug requires no action. A stink bug requires delicate maneuvering as being stink-sprayed is a constant possibility. My initial thought was to knock it into a cup of soapy water and have the stink bug quietly drown. The problem then is that I would have a dead stink bug in my drinkware, which is something I would remember with future cup usage. Allen Hale ’25, an invited party guest, had a simpler idea. He suggested we simply remove the stink bug from the residence.
As not to fuss with opening our own window, we took the cupcake container with the stink bug on it to the nearby bathroom. We brought it to the fourth and farthest stall, right by the window—the stall with a view. We opened the window up to the frosty air and I beat the devil out of the cupcake container against the window frame, holding on tightly so as not to lose cupcakes to the forces of gravity. In retrospect, just flushing the stink bug down the toilet would have been equally sufficient, but here I was, dangling a cupcake container out of a fourth story window.
“An uninvited party guest can often be trouble, and this was no different.” I brought the container back in and checked the top. The stink bug was still there. I gave up. This was where Hale stepped in, who calmly assessed the situation and angled the lid up, knocking it against the window frame just one more time. And then it was gone, falling out into the winter air. After the fact, I asked Hale what he thought I did wrong in the moment. “I think that your distrust of the stink
Nicholas Tillinghast/The Miscellany News.
Nicholas Tillinghast/The Miscellany News. bugs ascended to the distrust of your own being. You didn’t feel like you could handle the issue of such a small, nonthreatening insect…you had a mental block in removing the stink bug,” he said. That may be so, but I’m left with a lot more questions than answers after that night. Where is that stink bug now? Can you call it a party if there are only three people there? Did the stink bug really ruin this birthday event? Or did it elevate it? In closing my brief conversation with Hale, I asked him if he had any advice on how people should defend against stink bugs in the future. “I think everyone should be confident in their own ability even if it’s a new skill … The most important thing is don’t hesitate, strike, take action first. Don’t get stinky.” Wise words. In other late-winter news, besides the enjoyable/concerning swing of mild, 50-degree days this past month, the biggest sign of an impending spring is the renewed chatter of birds—I overheard a persistent chickadee call while picking up locust pods this past Friday. Additionally, the robins have on occasion returned to the green ground, continuing their perpetual search for the worms. While neither bird migrates, they’ve made their presence known once again with the
Poetry Corner Anna Kozloski Intellectual Discourse The children hide beneath a sheet (The place where all true scholars meet) Then whisper all the words profane That saturate their clever brains.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
coming spring. This past Wednesday, I got to experience some indoor nature. I went down a special staircase to a very special place below the Bridge. Some might call it the “bio greenhouse.” I call it “the greenhouse that’s actually heated in the winter.” Having now toured it, I must say they have some pretty neat plants there. Most notably they have a single very large lemon. I’m talkin’ eight inches in diameter. While far from world record status (29 inches), I was still significantly impressed. I also discovered that an apparent bunch of sticks can be a living thing sometimes. This particular plant looked like a bunch of sticks and felt like a bunch of sticks, but it was not a bunch of sticks. It was alive. Some organisms use bright colors to tell predators not to eat them; others turn into a bunch of sticks. As not to reveal all of the Bio Greenhouse, I will conclude with just one last plant of note. It was a fairly standard-looking plant, but it had a fragrant scent of a pineapple, a scent far more appealing than that of a pesky stink bug. Most importantly, it was a scent that didn’t make me wanna toss the plant out of a fourth floor bathroom window in Main. Ah, the duality of nature’s smells.
OPINIONS
Page 10
February 24, 2022
Vassar should provide students with fentanyl testing kits Anna Meyer
Guest Columnist
A
s much as adults like to deny it, cocaine is not an uncommon sight on college campuses. Vassar is no exception to this, as drug use is pervasive in campus party culture. To promote the safety of students and mitigate the effects of risky behavior, Vassar should provide fentanyl testing strips to the student body. Between January and October of 2020, Dutchess County had 49 deaths due to accidental overdose—one of the highest rates of opioid overdoses in New York State. Many of the deaths were caused by fentanyl-laced cocaine. In recent years, fentanyl—a fast-acting synthetic opioid that can be up to 50 times stronger than heroin according to the CDC—has increasingly invaded the drug markets of New York. Though it is most common in heroin, fentanyl is becoming increasingly present in cocaine and other drugs. NYPD data from April 2021 shows that nearly one in every ten bags of cocaine in New York City now contains fentanyl. Drugs are most often sourced from major nearby cities, meaning that much of Vassar’s cocaine likely comes from New York City and contains fentanyl as well. Cocaine users are more susceptible to fentanyl overdoses due to their reduced tolerance for hard drugs such as strong synthetic opioids. According to New York City Health data, 81 percent of cocaine-involved overdoses in 2020 involved fentanyl. As cocaine grows in popularity, the risk of overdose due to fentanyl grows, too. A 2019 study showed that more than 20 per-
cent of the 1,253 students surveyed had opportunities to use cocaine in the past year. The 2019 National Survey Results on Drug Use reported a significant five-year increase in cocaine usage, with 6.5 percent of young adults using the drug in 2019. The possibility of the drug being laced with fentanyl is one major risk involved with the use of cocaine. The prevalence of drugs, such as cocaine and MDMA (also known as ecstasy or molly), laced with fentanyl is an issue that is uncomfortably close to Vassar. It is time to stop ignoring the issue of drug use on campus and instead take steps to ensure that the inevitable use of drugs is done as safely as possible—leaving the issue unaddressed exposes students to unnecessary risks. “I used to read statistics about the increase in overdose deaths, and it was concerning to me, but I naively and arrogantly didn’t think it would ever impact my life. That was until a childhood friend of mine passed away from an overdose,” Aislynn Russell ’25 said. “I think one of the biggest lapses in awareness comes in people not knowing just how common it is for drugs to be laced, particularly with fentanyl, and that it’s possible for most types of drugs to be laced.” Fentanyl is often used to cut, or mix into, other drugs due to its low cost and lack of smell or taste, making it difficult to detect without being tested. This lack of noticeable characteristics results in many drug users unknowingly consuming fentanyl. Fentanyl testing strips (FTS) are strips of paper that work to identify the presence of fentanyl in a drug quickly. They are rela-
tively easy to use and can be a valuable tool to help users avoid inadvertently consuming fentanyl. Multiple studies demonstrate the effectiveness of FTS. According to a 2017 study of 93 18- to 35-year-olds who used drugs in the past 30 days, more than 90 percent of participants said they were willing to use rapid FTS. These results indicate that the distribution of FTS would be an effective strategy in drug-related harm reduction for young adults. A study conducted at a safe injection site in Vancouver provided people with the opportunity to test their drugs. The vast majority of the drugs tested were laced with fentanyl, but a positive result for pre-consumption tests resulted in dose reduction, consequently lessening the odds of overdose. Though testing strips are inexpensive and can be legally acquired online, the stigma of purchasing them as well as the inconvenience of finding a location to purchase them can act as a deterrent. Fentanyl testing strips should be provided and made easily accessible to students in the same way that condoms are provided to lessen the risks associated with behavior typical of college students. “I think that the increased availability of FTS and naloxone would make a huge difference in the overall safety of the campus,” Russell said. “As overdoses increase and the prevalence of drugs laced with fentanyl increases, we need to respond by getting equipped with the tools and knowledge necessary in the case that we witness an overdose.”
Nonetheless, the occasional fentanyl overdose is still inevitable. As a contingency measure, Vassar should also provide naloxone, a medication that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. There is no risk to administering naloxone, even in cases where opioids are not present. The benefits are immense—it can save lives in the case of overdose. Thus, Vassar could further reduce the risk of overdoses if naloxone were made easily accessible on campus. Providing naloxone has proven to be an effective measure in other areas: a 2019 University of Michigan study found that distributing naloxone to those likely to witness an overdose—including police, firefighters and EMTs—was a cost-effective strategy in reducing fatal overdoses. “I often think about how [my friend’s] death likely could have been prevented if we had less stigma around addiction, more education around drug safety, and if we all carried naloxone,” Russell said. “I no longer go anywhere without it, knowing that with it I could potentially save a life.” Along with the distribution of naloxone, Vassar should also provide educational programming designed to teach students how to administer naloxone. This would enable students to act in the case of an emergency to potentially save a peer’s life. By implementing safety measures that make access to life-saving protection and tools available to students—providing fentanyl testing strips and accessibility to naloxone—Vassar could reduce the harm done by drug use and improve safety in our school.
Comaroff letter shows lack of concern for student well-being Ben Goth
Assistant Opinions Editor
[TW: This article discusses sexual harassment and sexual misconduct in an academic environment.] nce again, a sexual misconduct scandal plagues Harvard University’s grounds. The difference this time around is that the perpetrator—Anthropology Professor John Comaroff—finds himself surrounded by various supporters, including author Jill Lepore and former Harvard Dean Evelyn Hammonds, who decided to close ranks as signatories on a response letter. The letter’s uncritical engagement in various perspectives and indecisive tones make the signers appear uninformed. However, the letter doesn’t demonstrate a lapse in judgment among esteemed professional thinkers. Instead, the letter explicitly shows how the signers are more concerned with protecting their colleagues and discouraging scrutiny against them rather than the well-being of the student body. In August 2020, Harvard University placed Professor Comaroff on paid administrative leave following harassment allegations from three female students. Nearly 18 months later, in January 2022, Dean of Faculty of Arts and Sciences Claudine Gay placed Comaroff on unpaid leave and prohibited him from teaching required courses and receiving new advisees in the 2022-2023 academic year. The revolt from the faculty was noticeably faster than the investigation itself. Roughly two weeks following Gay’s announcement, 38 faculty members, including some of Harvard’s most eminent like Henry Louis Gates, Jr., drafted a letter inquiring the credibility of the investigation process while simultaneously vouching for Comaroff’s character. In doing so, these faculty members advocated
O
Kar . en M ews N ogami/T y he Miscellan for an account exclusively stemming from a single press release from Comaroff’s lawyer. The letter claimed the professor was cleared of the allegations and punished for warning a graduate student of gender-based violence risks if she traveled to certain parts of Africa as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. With this superficial account, each faculty signatory expresses “concern” for the criteria that caused Gay’s decision. Suffice to say, it is disheartening that renowned Harvard academics failed to critically examine the source of their letter—Comaroff’s lawyer—and their inherent bias. They ignored the racial politics of Comaroff unpromptedly describing sexual violence in Africa. Furthermore, they failed to acknowledge other outside sources, such as a more graphic description from one of Comaroff’s accusers in The Chronicle of Higher Education. According to the Chronicle, accuser Lilia Kilburn claims that Comaroff used the
phrase “would be raped,” which his lawyers deny and the signatories avert, demonstrating their failure to acknowledge other external sources, including accounts from students in The Chronicle. The academic world has its fair share of issues concerning power dynamics among students and instructors, particularly with credentials and age disparities. The “star system,” which functions as an academic oligarchy, encourages ambitious students to side with those in power. For example, female students in male-dominated departments might suffer from this dependence in a general sense, contending with incidents such as potential exclusion to physical danger. The academic “star system” recounts trends in numerous professional fields where colleagues close ranks to defend each other rather than holding each other accountable, such as when multiple authors, including J.K. Rowling, wrote an open letter
The opinions expressed above do not represent those of The Miscellany News as a whole.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
in defiance of political correctness. With this letter signed by some of Harvard’s stars, it is clear that the university faculty is willing to abuse the star system to shield accountability for their colleagues, continuing the power imbalance seen at higher education levels. If this abuse of power is kept up long enough, it will become increasingly difficult for other victims to share their stories. It should not have to be said, but any type of sexual misconduct carried out by a professor should be grounds for revoking tenure. Although this letter is not the most ideal or appropriate way to raise awareness of this issue, faculty members in universities nationwide still need to be better educated on Title IX policies, clarifying any ambiguities that remain. It is disappointing that some Harvard faculty members who advise students do not have the moral judgment to differentiate appropriate and inappropriate actions in their relationships with their advisees. By openly expressing support for Comaroff, the signatories failed their duty to take care of the students with whom they were entrusted. They revoked their credibility, demonstrating that even renowned academics can make an unforgivable lapse of judgment when handling genuine accusations; they disseminated these accusations to make any future letter that features their names less significant. Amid another emerging lawsuit involving Comaroff and a second response letter, all but three of the original 38 signers have issued public retractions. However, they will all need to be aware that they have already shown support to their colleague based on highly biased and limited information. A retraction will not change what they did, considering their previous and blatant support for Comaroff and their invalidation of the accusers.
SPORTS
February 24, 2022
Vassar
Brewers
Men’s Basketball
Page 11
Sports Roundup: Feb. 24
Feb. 22
Women’s Swimming
Feb. 16-19
LL First Round
Liberty League Championships
Vassar men’s basketball earned their first playoff win since the 2013-2014 season in epic fashion with Jack Rothenberg ’23 hitting a buzzer-beating three-pointer to give Vassar the 71-69 victory over Hobart in the first round of the Liberty League Championship tournament. In the first half, Hobart got out to a 20-14 lead, but Vassar stormed back to take a 31-28 lead into halftime. In the second half, Vassar went up by as much as 11 points, before Hobart fought their way back and had the lead with 33 seconds remaining. Zach Johnson ’23 then scored to give Vassar the lead, but Hobart hit a three to take a 69-68 lead with just two seconds left on the clock. After a Vassar timeout, Ben Freed ’23 inbounded the ball to Rothenberg who hit a fadeaway three at the buzzer to give the Brewers the 71-69 victory and advance them to the semifinals. Johnson had 20 points and nine rebounds, Avni Mustafaj ’23 had 19 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double and Rothenberg finished with a statline of 18 points and six rebounds. Vassar will now travel to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) where they will face Ithaca College in the semifinals on Saturday.
Vassar women’s swimming and diving finished fourth out of 10 teams at the Liberty League Championships this past week, with a score of 1055.5. The Brewers had a strong showing in a number of events. In the 100-freestyle, Abby Whittington ’23 took sixth overall with a time of 53.32. In the 200-backstroke, Jesse Ecklund ’22 defended her league championship title (her third overall) with a time of 2:01.74 and got an NCAA B Cut in the event. The first place finish earned her All-League First Team and Medalist honors. In the same event, Sarah Quintana ’24 finished sixth overall with a time of 2:08.40. Over in the 200-breaststroke, Lillian Lowenthal ’23 finished second overall with a time of 2:22.01, earning herself All-League Second Team and Medalist honors. Lowenthal also hit an NCAA B Cut. In the 400-free relay, the women’s A relay of Whittington, Ecklund, Lowenthal and Grace Myers ’23 earned second overall, All-League Second Team and Medalist honors with their time of 3:32.18. The next competition for the Brewers is the NCAA Diving Regionals on Feb. 25 and 26, followed by the 2022 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships on March 16-19. Women’s Basketball
Feb. 18-19
Clinch #2 Seed
Photo courtesy of Carlisle Stockton via Vassar College.
Vassar women’s basketball split their weekend games, beating William Smith 89-77 on Friday and falling to Ithaca 72-80 on Saturday. Despite the loss, the Brewers clinched the second seed in the Liberty League Championship tournament which earned them a First Round Bye, automatically advancing them to the semifinals. The Brewers went 17-7 overall in the regular season, including 16-2 in the Liberty League. This past Friday, the Brewers headed into the fourth quarter down 64-61 to William Smith, but had a dominant fourth quarter, out scoring William Smith by 15 to take the win behind a 27-point performance from captain Sarah Gillooly ’22. Saturday saw the Brewers take a three point lead of their own into the fourth quarter, before number one seeded Ithaca pulled away with a big final quarter. Despite the loss, the Brewers proved they can hang with Ithaca and established themselves as true contenders for the championship. Additionally, captain Dani Douglas ’22 set a new school record for single-season three pointers with her 84th of the year against Ithaca. This Saturday the Brewers travel to Ithaca, where they will face the third seeded St. Lawrence University in the semifinal of the Liberty League tournament.
Examining a win-win situation in Simmons-Harden Trade Frank Zhu
Guest Columnist
L
ast Thursday, the Brooklyn Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers made one of the biggest (and most public) trade deals in recent NBA history. The Sixers received James Harden and Paul Millsap, while the Nets received Ben Simmons, Seth Curry and Andre Drummond. The Nets also received a 2022 first-round pick (unprotected) and a 2027 first-round pick (protected); both can be converted into 2 million dollars in cash if the picks do not go through in either season. While the trade may seem in favor of the Nets at first glance, the truth is, neither team got the short end of the stick. Both Simmons and Harden have had conflicts with their respective teams for over a year, and their actions have brought the trade much deeper scrutiny from outside sources than what NBA commissioner Adam Silver would like. Last Tuesday, Feb. 15, Silver told Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports that he wished the trade was handled differently. He points out that even though he accepts and understands player empowerment, both Harden and Simmons have made the issues much more public than needed, stating, “I accept that there will always be conversations behind closed doors, when teams are unhappy, or players are unhappy, [but] the last thing you want to see is for these issues to play out publicly. One of the things that I continue to do in my role is to think about ways we can improve the system.” Still, this trade deal is not just the result of the players leveraging their abilities into forcing a way out of situations: 76ers President Daryl Morey was active and vocal
throughout the process. He went so far as to express his terms in an interview with SportsCenter, saying, “Every day, we are expecting Ben Simmons to be back here, or we trade him for a difference maker.” Let us take a look at both sides to see if the trade was worth his efforts. For the Sixers: The Sixers traded a lot to get him, but Morey has finally landed Harden, a former NBA MVP and All-Star shooting guard, on his second attempt. His first attempt last season lost to a surprising trade offer from the Nets, but the Morey-Harden relationship extends to when they were both on the Houston Rockets. They were reportedly very close, with Morey building the former team around Harden. And although Harden is no longer the same player as he was in his prime, he is still a Top 20 player and was selected to the All-Star Team for the tenth time by the coaches around the league. This season, he is averaging 22.5 points, 10.2 assists, 8.0 rebounds per game and a 24.5 efficiency rating, which is still super-star caliber considering that he is starting to move past his prime. Not to mention, the trade allowed the Sixers to move the deadweight salary from Simmons, who has not played a single game for them this season, in exchange for a player who is willing to play. Especially with the MVP caliber performance from Embiid this season, who is averaging 29.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game, the Sixers have become a true championship contender with the addition of Harden. However, Morey is also putting a lot on the line in his pursuit of the championship. Harden is known for his lackadaisical defense, and even if they have great de-
fensive players who can pick up his slack, it is never certain how that will play out. Harden is also more suited for a solo type of play, where his shot-creating abilities are put to full use, compared to a more team-friendly style. But the Sixers cannot waste the amazing performance by Embiid this season either, which causes the dilemma over how their styles will mesh together. Lastly, Harden, as part of the deal, will opt into his $47.3 million player option next season, which will put the Sixers at risk of paying big-time for a player who will no longer be worth that price by the end of his contract. Despite the downsides and potential disasters in the future, the Sixers’ plans seem to be revolving around the now. Now is their best shot at winning the championship, and if they do, the prices they pay in the future will all be worth it. As they say, “prices are temporary, but banners hang forever.” For the Nets: The Nets may seem to have gained a lot from this trade, with an All-Star defensive player in Ben Simmons, a deadeye three-point shooter in Seth Curry, and one of the league’s greatest rebounders in Andre Drummond. The two first-round picks from Philadelphia will also help replenish their supply, used to trade Harden from the Rockets last season. However, it is true that the Nets have also lost an offensive presence in Harden, who was a part of the Nets’ “Big Three.” With Durant injured and Irving being a part-time player (due to his vaccination status), the Nets now have a problem on the offensive side. The trade has also possibly taken them out of the running for the title this year, as they have lost a star player in Harden, but they
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
gain a greater possibility of a comeback next year. Thus, the Nets’ motives for the trade seem to be focusing on the long-term outlook, in contrast to the Sixers’ focus on the short-term. For example, the Nets have traded Harden, who is now 32 years old, for Simmons, who is only 25 years old. And while it is true that Harden offers a lot on the offensive side, the additions of Simmons and Drummond allow the Nets to improve their defense, which was ranked 20th in the league (no team has won the NBA championship title with a ranking worse than 11th). Seth Curry also helps pick up some of the offensive slack from outside the line, with a three-point efficiency of 52 percent. If Durant can recover from his injuries, if Irving can become a full-time player again, and if the players can have great chemistry with each other, next season, the Nets will become a serious championship contender once again. And unlike the theory of the “Big Three,” these possibilities hold much more promise. In the end though, only time will tell. In conclusion, both teams should be happy about the trade, and each focused on their own goals (in the short-term for the Sixers, and long-term for the Nets). Both sides are content with what they gained, and it means a lot for player empowerment that Simmons and Harden were able to force a trade through their actions. The only one who is disgruntled by the trade seems to be Adam Silver, but only because of the heavy public scrutiny. Hopefully, this will lead to an era of player empowerment, and everyone can enjoy playing a game that has been around for decades.
CROSSWORD
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February 24, 2022
The Miscellany Crossword “National Parks” ACROSS 1. Lo-calorie word 5. Extramarital relationship 11. “aye, there’s the ___,” (part of Hamlet’s famous speech) 14. LSD 15. HMS ______, Darwin’s ship 16. That, in Spanish (feminine) 17. *Features the Waterpocket Fold 19. Answer that was already filled in on the very first “Word-Cross Puzzle” 20. Put in, as a TV 21. Show the way 22. Inventor Howe 23. Oyster gems 25. Presentation parts 28. Less than 90º 29. Singer who won a Grammy for 2021 Song of the Year 30. *The smallest in the system 35. Big nest 38. “JK” 39. _____ day (every 24 hours) 40. *Only one with a commercial airport on its grounds 43. Ending for eight 44. Many TikTok users 45. It holds half of all national park land 48. Customer 50. Sooner’s opposite 52. “Boyz n the ____” 53. Alluring 57. Harry Potter’s friend 58. *Hemingway frequented here 60. Metaphor words 61. Lama’s chant 62. Relax
By Reese Collins
63. Salt, in French 64. Ship or bowl 65. Porter currently on the Warriors
DOWN 1. Actress Mosley 2. Go-getter’s claim 3. Pointers 4. Cut film, say 5. _______ ICE 6. Dude 7. Bus fees 8. Like some cheese 9. Land in l’eau 10. One with a whistle 11. Job testimonials 12. Regular 13. U2 and the B-52s 18. Story 21. Language of many mottos 23. Angel dust 24. German currency 25. Verb used often by Austin Powers 26. Ogle 27. Foolish 28. Regarding 31. Snake eyes 32. Little child 33. Sideshow performer 34. K-pop star Minatozaki 36. “_____ a drink!” 37. Biblical garden 41. Sports program “NBA on ___” 42. Untouched 46. Prof.’s talk 47. Chilean soccer player Vidal 48. Tennis great Evert
49. Not taut 50. Actor Tracy 51. Absolutely love 53. Thesaurus contents, abbr. 54. “____ the picture!” 55. Huge 56. This, in Spanish (masculine) 58. ID issuer 59. “Norma ___” (Sally Field movie)
Answers to last week’s puzzle: “Glazed and Confused” By Reese Collins
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE