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The Miscellany News

Volume CXLVII | Issue 12

February 5, 2015

Since 1866 | miscellanynews.org

Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY

Collegiate liquor bans Grads return to Vassar for jobs reach peer institutions Eloy Bleifuss Prados Reporter

Bethan Johnson

Contributing Editor

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n the wake of an investigation by the Department of Education of a civil rights complaint stating that its administration failed to adequately respond to instances of sexual assault, the president of Dartmouth College announced a ban on all hard liquor that fits into a growing trend of elite universities in recent years.

When enforcement begins in late March, Dartmouth will officially join the ranks of Bates, Bowdoin, Colby and Providence colleges in a hard liquor ban, as well as a trend towards stricter alcohol policies found at Brown University and the University of Virginia. While these

institutions all claim that bans targeted on hard alcohol or on increasingly harsh enforcement for any alcohol consumption as a method for reducing instances of sexual violence and general student misconduct, Vassar College continues to endorse a ban on all kegs and a Good Samaritan policy. Since its 2011 Alcohol Task Force regulations assessment, the College has not announced any upcoming plans to join the movement by its peer institutions.

On Jan. 29, Dartmouth announced its plan to become a hard liquor-free institution in a document titled “Moving Dartmouth Forward,” a text written based See LIQUOR BAN on page 3

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cap and gown in the spring does not always come with a plane ticket home for all seniors.

Every year some members of the graduating class stay in Poughkeepsie not as students but as Vassar College employees.

A year ago, as she neared graduation, neuroscience and behavior major Kelly Harrington ’14 was

considering applying to research positions until an opportunity presented itself in an unexpected place: right here on campus.

“Then, halfway through senior year, I kind of felt like I wasn’t ready to leave Vassar and so I entertained the idea of looking for jobs here,” Harrington explained in an emailed statement. “I attended an event hosted by the [Career Development Office] about post-grad positions

at Vassar,” she continued. “That’s where I was introduced to a Vassar grad who was working in the Admissions Office. From then on, the idea of working in admissions intrigued me.”

Harrington applied for a job as an admissions officer and was hired.

She has been working on campus ever since.

For the students who do find jobs See GRADS on page 8

Rhys Johnson News Editor

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n response to the recent criticism by students of the Administration’s failure to address and take responsibility for charges of institutional racism and misogyny, an email was sent from the Office of President Catherine Bond Hill to the campus community on the subject of how the College intended to move forward in the new semester and the coming years.

In the all-campus email sent on Jan. 29, Hill wrote, “As we move into the

new semester, I believe we will make further progress in building a community that supports everyone. I appreciate the hard work of many on campus toward this goal, and I am very much looking forward to continuing to engage with you in this effort.”

Hill’s words have often been taken skeptically by students, many of whom have denounced her and other upper level administrators for hiding behind words and emailed statements rather than actually confronting the See WEBSITE on page 4

Emily Lavieri-Scull/The Miscellany News

President disseminates campus climate website

Kelly Harrington ’14 returned to Vassar after graduation as an employee in the Admissions Office. Like other returning alums, she is still navigating what it means to be a part of campus life when not a student.

En garde: sad farewell for seniors Tournées Film Festival features offbeat love O Ashley Hoyle Reporter

ne of the most memorable moments of the 2015 season came at the VC Fencing Challenge, where the athletic department and both teams took the time to honor their

graduating seniors. The women said their goodbyes and thank yous to a graduating class of five: foilists Anveshi Guha and Janelle Washington, sabre fencers Kathleen Konno and Anastasia Stevens and épeéist Megan Lewis. Stevens and Konno

served as captains for coach Bruce Gillman in the 2015 season, contributing leadership both on and off the strip. The men only bid farewell to two seniors: foilist Tre Artis and épeéist Roberto Maiocco.

See FENCING on page 18

courtesy of Vassar Athletics

Vassar honors its departing seniors, from left to right, Anastasia Stevens, Janelle Washington, Megan Lewis, Kathleen Konno and Anveshi Guha. The group performed well at the VC Fencing Challenge.

Inside this issue

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Teague the go-to hairdresser for FEATURES VC students

15 ARTS

Vassar-Bardavon to present two shows on racial identity

Emma Rosenthal Arts Editor

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lthough the average movie-goer might be intimidated by the idea of six French films, the organizers of the Tournées Film Festival: Love in the 21st Century are making it accessible to all. The event, which kicks off on Friday, Feb. 6 with an opening reception at 5:15 pm will be bringing together not only students and faculty from different departments within Vassar, but also the greater Poughkeepsie area for a month of French films.

Visiting Assistant Professor of French and Francophone Studies Anne Brancky was the main organizer of the festival and wrote in an emailed statement, “The Tournées festival is a wonderful opportunity to bring some of the most celebrated and talked-about films in French of the past several years [to Vassar].”

Brancky was joined along with Visiting Assistant Professor of French and Francophone Studies Michael Reyes in her preparation for this event. Reyes wrote as well in an emailed statement about what he anticipates about the festival, “We hope that the Tournées Film Festival will bring together people from throughout the community in their discovery of (or continued interest in) French cinema...Faculty from Vassar, Bard

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and Smith Colleges will provide brief introductions and help to moderate post-screening discussions.”

Brancky commented on the reasons she wanted to expose Vassar to French cinema, saying, “This year, we had access to some very important recent French-language films that have caused quite a stir among both the film community and general audiences for their daring subject matter and their innovative filmmaking.”

She continued, “Many of them raise important questions about love and sexuality, class and aging, and family relationships, among other topics. We felt that these were themes that could inspire rich and lively discussions among our faculty members, students and the broader Hudson Valley community.”

Before the organizers could consider the films within and a theme for the festival, there were ample arrangements which had to be made to even get it to Vassar’s campus. Screening of these films is a highly sought-after privilege, and Brancky explained what the process was to obtain it, “Our department was fortunate enough to receive two grants, one from the Tournées Festival through the French American Cultural Exchange of the French Embassy and one from the New York Council for the HumanSee FILM on page 16

Freshman swimmer finds family in new SPORTS swim team

The Miscellany News

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February 5, 2015

Editor-in-Chief Palak Patel

Critically Rewatching ‘Gilmore Girls’ Carrie Plover Main Circle Blogger

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s I embarked from New York for my fall semester in Paris, I vowed that I would limit my Internet usage while abroad. After all, I’d presumably have access to Netflix for many years to come, but only to the River Seine and Centre Pompidou for a handful of months.

Then the aforementioned streaming service released Gilmore Girls, and my resolve crumpled like a paper crane in the hands of a petulant four year old. Over the course of an exceptionally dreary November-December, I devoured the first two seasons of the series, all of the episodes of which I had seen before.

Several times.

I can remember the first time I heard of Gilmore Girls: I was probably seven or eight, and had been spending time with my neighbor—a girl two years my senior who I thought unfairly cool.

One day, sitting regally atop her beige bedroom carpet was a disc jacket for one of the show’s seven seasons. My interest in the program piqued – if she thought it worth watching, I certainly would too – I began to observe a new ritual with religious fervor.

Every weekday at 5pm when the show aired, I took a seat inches from my puny living room TV, ready to follow the program’s every plot twist and turn.

Before long, I forgot that my neighbor had first introduced me to Lorelai and Rory

Senior Editor Noble Ingram

Gilmore: I formed a relationship of sorts with the two characters that superseded a transient childhood one. Soon after starting the series, I began to deeply admire Rory, the show’s beautiful and brilliant protagonist, who aspires to attend Harvard (she later settles for Yale). As a shy, brainy kid, I hoped that if Rory had it all – straight A’s, an Ivy League acceptance letter and a cute boyfriend to boot – I could, too. I similarly looked up to Lorelai, realized by actor Lauren Graham, whose fashion sense and confidence I hoped to emulate.

—Read about the rest of Carrie’s re-exploration of the TV classic “Gilmore Girls” at maincircle.miscellanynews.org

Contributing Editors Bethan Johnson Meaghan Hughes Marie Solis

News Opinions Arts Humor & Satire Sports Design Photography Online Social Media Copy

Rhys Johnson Joshua Sherman Emma Rosenthal Chris Gonzalez Zach Rippe Elizabeth Dean Samantha Pianello Gwendolyn Frenzel Maddy Vogel Ashley Pecorelli

Crossword Editors Collin Knopp-Schwyn York Chen Assistant Design Sarah Dolan Assistant Social Media Hannah Nice

courtesy of Oddysey Online

Get involved with The Misc!

Want to dive in to campus life and get journalism experience?

Write for our Features section!

Reporters Amreen Bhasin Julia Cunningham Emily Hoffman Penina Remler Alex Trunnell Columnists Delaney Fischer Sam Hammer Sarah Sandler Claire Standaert Design Sixing Xu Photography Alec Ferretti Emily Lavieri-Scull Copy Hallie Ayres Claire Baker Antigone Delton Shelia Hu Anika Lanser Cody Duan-Mcglashen Macall McQueen Alessandra Muccio Kelsey Quinn Jessica Roden Emma Roellke Sophia Slater Rebecca Weir Laura Wigginton

The Miscellany News does not expressly endorse any of the opinions of the columnists featured within the pages of the paper, except for the staff editorial.

email masolis@vassar.edu or come to paper critique: 9 p.m. on Sundays in the Rose Parlor!

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

LETTERS POLICY The Miscellany News is Vassar College’s weekly open forum for discussion of campus, local and national issues, and welcomes letters and opinions submissions from all readers.

Letters to the Editor should not exceed 350 words, and they usually respond to a particular item or debate from the previous week’s issue. Opinions articles are longer pieces, up to 800 words, and take the form of a longer column. No letter or opinions article may be printed anonymously. If you are interested in contributing, e-mail misc@vassar.edu.

February 5, 2015

NEWS

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Gowrinathan lecture scrutinizes gender and violence Emily Hoffman Reporter

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courtesy of Yale School of Public Health

n Wednesday, Feb. 4, Visiting Research Professor at the Colin Powell Center for Global and Civic Leadership at City College New York, Dr. Nimmi Gowrinathan, gave a lecture entitled “Understanding the Female Fighter: Women in ISIS.” Gowrinathan is an expert on gender and violence and is also the creator of deviarchy.com. The website explains that the term “deviarchy” draws on the symbol of the goddess Devi as embodying both the strength and the consciousness to challenge multiple forms of rule. The website features artwork and writing that aims to understand the experiences in and around conflict that leave a mark on women’s emotional, physical and political selves.

Gowrinathan is currently directing the Politics of Sexual Violence Initiative at her home institution. She is also the Executive Producer of the Vice News Women in/at War Series. She has recently been the Gender Expert for the United Nations Human Development Report on Afghanistan and a policy consultant and analyst for the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue and the International Crisis Group, analyzing gender inclusion in peace building and women’s insecurities in conflict zones.

Gowrinathan has lived and worked in Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan, where she supported community-based organizations while serving as Director of South Asia Programs at Operation U.S.A. She has published articles for Foreign Affairs, Huffington Post, World Policy Institute and gawker.com, among others, where she has examined the impact of militarization, displacement and sexual violence on women’s political identities.

Her most recent article in Foreign Affairs, “The Women of ISIS,” examines the political identities of women in violent movements.

Gowrinathan is also interested in the overlapping discourses of civilian agency and a critique of humanitarian aid and intervention,

Expert on gender and gender-based violence Nimmi Gowrinathan will speak at Vassar about the subject of her most recent article, women actively supporting the rule of an Islamist rebel group. and has hosted conferences drawing together scholars and practitioners to broadly examine the politics of aid as well as address more specific issues like reimagining refugee camps.

On her website, deviarchy.com, Dr. Gowrinathan says, “I have tried, and continued to try, to take the lived experiences of women and insert them into multiple discourses and dialogues— highlighting insights with the potential to shift perspectives and policies.” She goes on to assert, “As a writer I have drawn on women’s stories to challenge perceptions in academic and policy spaces, while pulling out the richness of their narratives in nonfiction writings” (deviarchy.com, “About Nimmi”).

In “Understanding the Female Fighter,” Dr. Gowrinathan aims to answer the question as to why women would choose to join a politi-

cal struggle, that oppresses them. She articulates that such a question reveals a certain set of assumptions about women, that they are not only inherently more peaceful than men, but also that women who participate in armed rebellions like those of ISIS are working toward a dead end because the movement’s goals, if achieved, will not benefit them.

Gowrinathan asserts that these assumptions prove to be false when considering the women of ISIS. She goes on to portend that, “If policymakers overlook such motivations, treating female fighters as nothing more than instruments of male leadership, they will find it difficult to prevent female extremism. As Jane Harman, president of the Woodrow Wilson International Center, wrote in a recent op-ed, countering radical narratives requires understanding the

radicalized” (Foreign Affairs, “The Women of ISIS: Understanding and Combating Female Extremism,” 08.21.14).

Gowrinathan was first invited to speak this week by professor of history at Dutchess Community College and current president of the World Affairs Council of the Mid-Hudson Valley (WACMHV), Dr. Andrew Rieser. WACMHV is a non-partisan, non-profit organization serving Dutchess, Ulster and Orange Counties.

The council was founded in 2003 but is part of the World Affairs Council of America based in Washington, D.C. that was founded in 1918.

WACMHV organizes about six or seven free, public lectures per year.

Rieser spoke about his connection with Gowrinathan: “I first learned about Dr. Gowrinathan when I was looking for panelists for last September’s ‘Slavery Today’ event at Dutchess Community College, which focused on the scourge of human trafficking. A colleague provided me with her name, and she was an outstanding panelist. We asked her to give a talk at Vassar on topics related to the ‘Women of Isis,’ the title of her latest article in Foreign Affairs magazine. We’re fortunate to have her.”

The lecture will be co-sponsored by the Poughkeepsie Branch of the American Association of University Women, the Department of Political Science, the International Studies Program and the Women’s Studies Program.

Gowrinathan has been a fairly frequent guest in many Vassar classrooms, including a Political Science seminar, “Political Violence in Comparative Perspective,” where she spoke about her research on women in conflict zones and also shared her reflections with students about working in international NGOs. Chair of the Political Science Department Katherine Hite wrote in an emailed statement about the upcoming lecture: “Given the interest and saliency of the topic and Dr. Gowrinathan’s expertise, I imagine her lecture will draw a sizable audience on Wednesday.”

Northeast colleges address concerns of sexual assault LIQUOR BAN continued from page 1

release of a “rape guide” affiliated with the institution. Alongside this policy are plans to ban fraternity and sorority pledging and to institute mandatory four-year sexual violence prevention programs for all students. A senior media relations officer at Dartmouth Amy Olson said, “Policy and enforcement are highly correlated with a substantial reduction in consumption and many fewer negative consequences, like sexual assault, missed classes, regretted actions and hangovers” (ISA Today, “Dartmouth bans hard liquor in effort to end high-risk and harmful behavior,” 01.31.2015).

The report also states, “High-risk drinking, sexual assault and lack of inclusivity are inter-related problems” (Dartmouth College, “Moving Dartmouth Forward: Final Report from the Committee,” 01.29.15).

Meanwhile, Brown announced its shift in alcohol policy following two accusations of sexual assault in fraternities last semester that occurred

at parties where alcohol was present. According to reports, the university heavily sanctioned both fraternities, members of which allegedly slipped GHB into women’s drinks, and views this new alcohol policy as a method for preventing such incidents in the future.

Although crafted as a method of addressing systemic issues of sexual assault and violence on college campuses, these new policies have been opposed by many students who have questioned the link between alcohol and sexual violence.

Brown student Emma Phillips ’17 explained, “We need to be really careful that we’re not conflating alcohol with sexual assault and understand that those are separate issues” (The Brown Daily Herald, “Undergrads question new alcohol policy,” 01.22.2015).

Dartmouth student Will Alston ’16 also argued that Dartmouth’s new ban would increase class-based divisions in a school already accused of exclusivity. “You can buy a cheap handle of

Sam Pianello/The Miscellany News

upon recommendations made by a special committee of faculty, staff, alumnae/i and students.

The new regulations state that the consumption or possession of any alcohol 30 proof or higher is unequivocally banned and that those discovered with hard alcohol will face increased penalties.

Meanwhile, just one week earlier, Brown unveiled a new alcohol policy that bars all registered events with alcohol from residential areas, including program and Greek houses, that alcohol may be served by student organizations on university grounds only in designated “party spaces” and if the organization has committed no prior infractions. If a student organization fails to comply with these rules, it will now face harsh sanctions on their presence on campus.

The university also announced further shifts in alcohol and social events policies in the spring following the conclusion of a one-year external review of its current regulations.

Medical professionals argue that these enforcement plans may be the only way for colleges to effectively reduce high-risk alcohol use.

Studies show that, due to the high proof of hard liquor, many students find regulating their intake difficult. According to expert on high-risk drinking from the University of Denver Sarah Belstock, “The research shows if you don’t have strong policies and enforcement that matches those policies you’re not going to get anywhere” (The Boston Globe, “Dartmouth bans hard alcohol, forbids Greek life pledging,” 01.29.15).

Unlike institutions with alcohol bans like Brigham Young University, this current trend largely originates out of complaints about institutions’ inability to properly regulate student misconduct and criminal activity. Dartmouth convened the committee whose recommendations inspired the hard alcohol ban to discuss methods of reducing sexual violence on campus following accusations of insufficient handling of complaints of sexual assault; reports

by The Boston Globe and USA Today state that the university has faced heave media backlash and a reduction in applications following last year’s investigation into the administration’s treatment of sexual assault complaints and the

Many Northeastern colleges have recently moved to ban hard alcohol on their campuses citing instances of misconduct and sexual assault. Vassar, however, has put forward no such policies.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

vodka for ten bucks, but that won’t buy you very much beer” (USA Today).

Brown and Dartmouth are not alone in facing accusations of insufficient treatment of sexual violence complaints. Currently, the federal government is investigating more than 100 institutions of higher education for such issues.

However, Vassar has maintained an almost oppositional attitude to that of the recent trend.

The College places no limit on legally-owned alcohol, with the exception of kegs. The College implemented its keg ban in 2011, in the hopes of reducing incidents of misconduct.

Vassar subsequently studied its alcohol policies using a joint student and administration group, called the Alcohol Task Force, in 2011.

After obtaining a substantial grant funding and utilizing a multi-step analysis of Vassar’s drinking culture, the task force reported that students engaged in riskier drinking behavior over the course of their time at Vassar, more than half consistently participated in pregame drinking and that Vassar’s environment encourages a “blackout culture” (The Vassar Student Associate, “ATF Memo,” 04.17.2012).

Moreover, the report stated, “Nearly 1 in 5 respondents reported a sexual experience they later regretted while intoxicated last year, and roughly 8% reported feeling sexually violated while intoxicated last year.”

In response to these findings, the Task Force recommended that the College increase funding toward promoting alcohol-free events and including more frequent discussion amongst students about safe drinking practices.

While, currently, no plans have been made to alter the College’s current policies, the same circumstances that prompted peer institutions to shift policies are present as well at Vassar, and have been noted even this year. Within the oneyear studied published in 2011, eight percent of students reported feeling sexually violated following an intoxicated sexual encounter, echoing the motives held by Dartmouth and Brown. Last semester, the College reported higher numbers of EMS calls, particularly from the freshman class, as compared to previous years, with more students being sent to the hospital for treatment.

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NEWS

February 5, 2015

Strengthening Vassar highlights administrative initiatives WEBSITE continued from page 1

and other senior-level administrators, on issues of race and inclusion.

The primary focus of Mask’s and Mampilly’s positions is the heading of research toward the creation of a senior-level officer position for institutional diversity and inclusion, which would be tasked with coordinating anti-discrimination and anti-harassment efforts to ensure a more welcoming campus.

“If the College hired a chief diversity officer,” Mask commented, “or took some steps toward having a coordinating and centralized office that would address issues of diversity, that would be a major shift. It would mean that there would be parties and individuals assigned to make diversity a priority. It wouldn’t be a piecemeal project any longer.”

Another listed action taken was the establishment of a Mental Health and Wellness Support Fund in reaction to claims by many students that the College’s provision of such services is severely lacking.

As the website claimed, “[The] Mental Health and Wellness Support Fund [will work] to eliminate financial barriers to accessing [mental health services] both on and off campus, including resources to cover transportation and co-pay expenses.”

Also completed was the increase of several academic-year-only positions in the Office of Campus Life and Diversity to full-year status. The positions include the Directors of the ALANA Center, LGBTQ Center, Women’s Center, the Office of Health Education, the coordinator of the Sexual Assault and Violence Prevention program and the Rose & Irving Rachlin Director for Jewish Student Life.

Many students, however, hold strong reservations in trusting the Administration’s reported progress and determination to be more proactive in their approach to handling students’ concerns. Hill’s email was sent only slightly over a week after the Vassar Student Organizers, who have won the support of over 250 community members, disseminated an all-campus email condemning the College’s current leadership and calling for the immediate replacement of Hill and Dean of the College Chris Roellke.

“While many of these changes we see as positive, they are not new,” the email read.

“Incompetence, lack of imagination, and a profound absence of care on the behalf of the senior administration have brought us to where we are today. President Hill and Dean Roellke have both admitted that they have failed at their jobs of making Vassar a healthy and safe environment for all students.”

The email continued, “This affording of third, fourth, and fifth chances when those most harmed are the most vulnerable in our society is a bedrock of racism and misogyny. We are calling for new senior leadership.

Enough is enough. For the same reasons that President Hill and Dean Roellke have failed at their jobs in the past, we have no reason but to believe that they will continue failing in the future.”

Other community members, however, have seen the website and Hill’s email as a commendable break from the Administration’s

pattern of inaction last semester and a valuable advancement in diversity and inclusion efforts on campus. Rob Carpenter ’18 commented, “[Upper-level administrators] have a really tough job and they’re definitely not the worst at what they do. There’s a lot of things to consider, and this effort shows that they’re at least trying to work towards making amends and creating positive change.”

He continued, “This was an encouraging move. There’s no doubt about that. I think it’s undeniable that there’s still a long ways to go and that administrators can definitely try harder, but this is a good start.”

Mampilly wrote, in an emailed statement, “As has been clear from student activism, we have a long way to go. It will take years. But I’d rather we as an institution go through this often wrenching process than pretend that we can avoid the glaring issues of race and class that have become even more prominent nation-wide over the past decade.”

courtesy of the ALANA Center

issues disillusioned students face. In spite of such past accusations, however, the email announced the creation of a new website aimed at working towards fulfilling Vassar’s commitment to its goals of diversity and inclusion for eveyonce.

In her electronic letter posted on Dec. 10, Hill wrote, “We know that many of our students don’t feel this sense of belonging, don’t see the college as a home, or Vassar as a community. Instead, they feel frustration and pain. I am so saddened by this. These issues are important to me, to you, and to Vassar.”

The creation of the website, named Strengthening Vassar, will keep students updated on the progress of promises made to students by the College and will notify students of dialogue and diversity events throughout the spring.

Among some of the goals listed on Strengthening Vassar are the provision of bystander intervention and sexual assault prevention training for all students as well as a victim-centric approach to sexual assault response. The move would require the Administration to work closely with the Vassar Sexual Assault Response Team and to fill the open position of Assistant Director of Counseling Services.

Also mentioned was the intention of the Administration to ensure a greater presence and involvement by the Board of Trustees, which the Administration reports has been closely following the events of the past semester, on campus and with student issues.

The website announced that Chair of the Board of Trustees Bill Plapinger and other Trustees will visit campus early this semester to meet with students and other community members to hear and discuss their concerns.

Some of Strengthening Vassar’s listed goals have already been accomplished. One of the completed tasks was the appointment of Director of Africana Studies, Associate Professor of Political Science and Chair of the Committee on Inclusion and Excellence Zachariah Mampilly and Associate Professor of Film Mia Mask to advisory positions, both to Hill

With the creation of the Strengthening Vassar website, which allows students to track the College’s progress on issues of diversity and inclusion, the Administration has moved to create genuine change.

Outside the Bubble Boehner, House Republicans Snub White House in Netanyahu Invitation House Speaker John Boehner has circumvented the Obama administration to invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to speak to a joint meeting of Congress. This was seen as a stern rebuke of President Obama’s plea to Congress not to interfere with ongoing negotiations with Tehran given Netanyahu’s opposition to the negotiations. “I did not consult the White House,” Boehner said. “[Congress] can make this decision on its own” (The Washington Post, “Republicans invite Netanyahu to address Congress as part of spurning of Obama,” 01.21.15).

The Republican-controlled Senate is planning to vote on legislation that would impose new economic sanctions on Iran early this year. In his State of the Union address, Obama threatened to veto any new sanctions bill passed by Congress. He remarked, “[The United States has] a chance to negotiate a comprehensive agreement that prevents a nuclear-armed Iran; secures America and our allies—including Israel; while avoiding yet another Middle East conflict” (The Times of Israel, “In State of the Union, Obama reiterates vow to veto Iran sanctions bills,” 01.21.15).

This bill is seen by many as a response to a lack of visible progress on negotiations with Tehran.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest has publicly declared that this act is not part of typical protocol. In addition, Earnest has stated that the President will not meet with Netanyahu when he visits in March. Relations between Netanyahu and Obama have been contentious in recent times, and Netanyahu has been a vocal critic of Obama’s negotiations with Iran.

However, the White House has said that the reason for the lack of a meeting is that they do not want to interfere with upcoming elections. Netanyahu will make the speech two weeks before elections in Israel, and has been perceived as using this moment for political reasons.

Netanyahu, however, has denied that the lack of a meeting between the two is political. He declared, “I will go anywhere I am invited to enunciate the state of Israel’s position and in order to defend its future and its existence” (The New York Times, “Netanya-

hu Talk Stirs Backlash in Israeli Race,” 01.27.15). Netanyahu has received criticism both in the U.S. and domestically, and, according to some reports, his actions might only worsen relations between the Israeli government and the Obama Administration.

Apart from reflecting these strained relations, these new developments also allude to bigger issues facing the federal government and the current state of Washington.

Boehner invited Netanyahu without advising either Obama or Democrats in Congress. Many believe this rejects the president’s hopeful message of bipartisan compromise. Some also fear a Republican retaliation which would eliminate the possibility of diplomatic talks with Tehran, a possibility which would cause further division and polarization in the federal government.

Scientific Report Declares Global Aquatic Life at Risk of Extinction A recent report published in the journal Science, titled “Marine defaunation: Animal Loss in the Global Ocean,” has found that life in the ocean faces mass extinction (Sciencemag.com, “Marine defaunation: Animal loss in the global ocean,” 01.16.15).

The report, the product of Rutgers University marine biologist Malin Pinsky’s and University of California Santa Barbara ecologist Douglas McCauley’s research on a number of environmental indicators on the subject, calls attention to the precarious state of much of the world’s aquatic life.

Most experts agree upon the extreme difficulty in gauging to what extent the world’s oceans have been affected by man-made pollution, though without questioning the danger of current practices. According to science writer Carl Zimmer, “Dr. Pinsky, Dr. McCauley and their colleagues sought a clearer picture of the oceans’ health by pulling together data from an enormous range of sources, from discoveries in the fossil record to statistics on modern container shipping, fish catches and seabed mining. While many of the findings already existed, they had never been juxtaposed in such a way” (The New York Times, “Ocean Life Faces Mass Extinction, Broad Study Says,” 01.15.15).

Although unsustainable fishing practices have been the chief practice responsible for the decline in marine life, other threats have begun to cause concern among experts.

One such example from the report pointed out that even though most whale species are no longer hunted as heavily as in the past, noise pollution and oil exploration, which interfere with many of their basic abilities to find food and mate, and which also cause mass beachings, now pose other deadly risks to global whale populations.

Such problems have even been exacerbated by the increasing effects of climate change and other kinds of pollution. Pinsky stated, “If you cranked up the aquarium heater and dumped some acid in the water, your fish would not be very happy. In effect, that’s what we’re doing to the oceans” (The New York Times, “Ocean Life Faces Mass Extinction, Broad Study Says,” 01.15.15).

However alarming, the report did reflect some positivity among experts that the factors threatening mass extinction can be reversed. McCauley and Pinsky have claimed, “The impacts are accelerating, but they’re not so bad we can’t reverse them” (Al Jazeera, “Study: Ocean life faces mass extinction,” 01.16.15).

One advantage is that oceans are still wild unlike on land, where humans have caused mass extinctions of animal life.

The authors of the report advocate for programs that restrict the overfishing and the industrialization of oceans to certain areas, while creating regulations that allow the threatened species to recover in sanctuaries in other regions. The report also calls for a major reduction in emissions on land to help combat climate change.

Despite the hopeful tone of the report, experts agree that serious efforts must be made if any positive changes are to be made in the future. McCauley wrote, “Human dependency on marine wildlife and the linked fate of marine and terrestrial fauna necessitate that we act quickly to slow the advance of marine defaunation” (Science, “Marine defaunation: Animal loss in the global ocean,” 01.16.15).

– Sebastien Lasseur ’16, Guest Reporter

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Several Killed after Metro-North Commuter Train Strikes SUV At least six people were killed, and at least a dozen more injured, when a Tuesday evening Metro-North commuter train struck an oncoming SUV in Valhalla, N.Y. Soon after the collision, a fire began at the front of the train that engulfed the train’s front two cars.

The crash took place at 6:30 p.m. when the 5:44 p.m. Harlem Line train out of Grand Central Station struck a black Jeep Cherokee at a small, two-lane street crossing. Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokesman Aaron Donovan said, “The gates came down on top of the vehicle, which was stopped on the tracks. The driver got out to look at the rear of the car, then she got back in and drove forward and was struck” (The Journal News, “At least 7 dead, others hurt as Jeep, train collide in Valhalla,” 02.03.15).

At least 400 passengers were on the train, most of whom attempted to evacuate through the rear of the train after an emergency stop was made when the engine and air circulation began to shut down. Upon overhearing that there was a fire at the front of the train, 26-year-old Justin Kaback and others moved quickly to find the rear emergency exits.

Kaback later remarked, “Nobody wanted to yell out ‘The train’s on fire’ because there would have been a panic. It looked pretty bad. They couldn’t put it out right away” (The Wall Street Journal, “Metro-North Train Crashes Into SUV in Valhalla, N.Y., Killing Seven,” 02.04.15).

About 10 minutes after the initial collision, emergency officials arrived on the scene to help evacuate hundreds of traumatized passengers from the burning train. Passengers were then taken to shelter in a local rock-climbing gym, where buses arrived later to move them to Pleasantville, a nearby town.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo later said in a news conference, “This is a truly ugly, brutal sight.

The third rail of the track came up from the explosion and went right through the car, so it is a devastatingly ugly situation to see” (NBC New York, “7 Die When Packed Metro-North Train Hits Car on Tracks, Sparking Fiery Crash,” 02.04.15).

– Rhys Johnson, News Editor

February 5, 2015

FEATURES

Page 5

A cut above: Teague reigns as students’ go-to hair guru Marie Solis

Contributing Editor

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Marie Solis/The Miscellany News

t was a typical evening in early September—campus was still vibrating with the excitement of new classes and negligible amounts of homework. Dorm rooms and campus apartments were sticky with the waning summer heat. In Townhouse 46, the front door was open to cool down the kitchen but also to let out the smell of bleach and hair dye.

Jackson Teague was multitasking, dyeing Lorena Lomeli’s ’15 bangs and giving Kiran Kawolics ’15 a cut and color. Wearing paint-splattered overalls, Teague chatted animatedly about campus goings-on, mutual friends, work. As he brushed out Kawolics’ hair, he paused occasionally to see if the bleach was taking to Lomeli’s bangs.

Teague does not go to Vassar, but he has become dozens of students’ go-to hairstylist, making midnight drunken haircuts in the Cushing bathroom a thing of the past (for the most part).

But before he was executing professional-quality ‘dos on friends, his younger sister was his number-one client.

“I really owe a bunch to my little sister Simone for letting me start doing hair on her and her Bratz dolls,” Teague wrote, estimating that he started experimenting with hair at age 11. “ “I probably did so much damage to it at the time, but it looks great now, so whatever,” he joked. He added that he would even fashion makeshift weaves for his sister’s dolls, braiding yarn and gluing it to their heads. “That was probably around the same time I started working on my own hair, just after the last time I had been to the hairdresser. I think a lot of wanting to do it myself came from me always feeling uncomfortable when I was in the chair as a young kid,” Teague said.

He went on to explain, “I used to have beautiful flowing ringlets past my shoulders, [but] then one day my dad...took me to a barber shop in the Fort Greene area in Brooklyn and had it all cut off.”

Throughout his adolescence, Teague’s list of clients grew little by little. His family owned a restaurant for 10 years, and, when the staff came over to his house for any reason, Teague would break out his rudimentary salon kit—a brush, a comb and children’s scissors—and go to work. He admitted to having a couple missteps, but for the most part, his customers were satisfied.

“The better [haircuts] would come back to me telling me they had friends and other co-workers who would rave about their new cut, asking for details, only to find out about the 16-year-old who had cut their hair with purple safety scissors,” said Teague. His next big break arrived with the onslaught of prom season. Remembering the flurry of updos he completed during that time, Teague said it was the first time he felt “official.”

“It was just this really natural progression. As I grew up, I grew more confident in myself and my work, so that eventually I was going up to people at parties saying, ‘Oh,

Jackson Teague has become students’ go-to for cuts, colors and the latest hairstyles. Offering affordable prices and an inspired vision, his client base has been steadily growing on campus and beyond. your hair is yellow but you wanted blonde?

Let me fix you up.’”

Though interested clients can now find out about Teague’s hair styling on his Facebook page, Jackson O. Teague Hair, this is how most of Teague’s networking happens— at a Townhouse or off-campus party or by word of mouth.

“I [first] saw Jackson around Joss with his friends,” wrote Jess Mitchell ’15 in an emailed statement. “I saw his personal style and learned after hanging out with him a bit that he was getting into hair. Our relationship began when he was coloring my hair. Later, it grew into haircutting and styling.”

Nataly Castro ’15 had a similar experience, stating, “I found out about Jackson through a couple of friends who had previously gotten their hair done by [him]. We’re also friends so he had talked about doing my hair. I’m very overprotective of my hair, so I don’t let many people cut it because I’ve had a couple bad cuts. But I trust Jackson, so I let him do what he believes would look good on me. He has yet to fail me.”

Aside from his technical skill, students said they go to Teague for his familiarity with emerging trends.

“I recommend Jackson simply because he cuts hair at salon quality, but with a youthful, creative edge. When I return home to my old hair stylist, I feel like they don’t understand the looks and choices I go for with my hair,”

courtesy of Vassar O. Teague Hair

Pictured above are photos from Teague’s Facebook page, Jackson O. Teague Hair. There, potential clients can see samples of some of Teague’s most successful hair transformations.

said Mitchell.

Though it is typical to go to a hair salon with specific instructions for the stylist, most of the time Teague’s customers brainstorm new looks together or let him have free rein.

Wrote Alix Masters ’15 in an emailed statement, “We’ve always been pretty collaborative on the various styles he has gifted onto me (although I think he did convince me to dye my hair purple once, which, for the record, was before Kelly Osborn or Nicole Richie ever did it). I went to him wanting extensions and we both sent each other inspiration photos before coming to an agreement on the correct hair vibe[s].”

She added, “That said, I’d let him do basically whatever he wanted with my head, brain, mouth, ears [or] body.”

Lomeli agreed, affirming, “The first time he cut my hair, I definitely gave him the freedom to do as he pleased. He can tell what will look good on you, but also what goes best with your style and personality. This past semester, I have been slightly more specific with what I want, but it always looks great in the end.”

Lomeli said she had always wanted bangs but didn’t think they would look good on her. At the end of spring semester last year, Teague reassured her that he knew what to do and cut v-shaped bangs. This past September, he dyed them turquoise. “I never in a million years thought I could have bangs and somehow he made it work,” said Lomeli.

Teague is perhaps best known for his vibrant dye jobs: His Facebook page boasts photos of clients sporting emerald green, lavender, hot pink and blue hairdos. With both cuts and dyes, though, Teague said he is still pushing himself to learn new and different techniques.

“Since I started off cutting my and my sister’s curly hair, I consider that a specialty of mine. With curly-haired clients, I just wing it because I’m so familiar with it—how it twists, falls, springs back up. For other hair types, I’ll be on YouTube for hours looking at different techniques and then trying to find my own way to translate them into something I like,” he said. Currently, his favorite method is balayage, what Teague describes as a freehand method of painting on highlights to create a softer look.

While it is easy to consider hair from a purely aesthetic point of view, Teague believes hair can be a crucial part of one’s identity. He admitted that even though one of his mantras is “It’s just hair,” hairstyles have been formative in his own personal growth.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

“Speaking for myself, my hair has always held significance as far as my gender goes. It felt stifling and oppressive as a child going to the barber shop for regular buzz cuts.”

Teague remembered dyeing his hair black in middle school when he experienced depression; styling it in high school to project heterosexuality; cropping it when he came out senior year; shaving it off before college as a “cleansing;” experimenting with color and fauxhawks.

“As for right now, I’m letting my hair grow out its natural color. That’s come out of recent steps I’ve taken in finding out what it means for me to be Black and white, queer and gender fluid, and accepting all of that,” he said. Recently, Teague has even taken on making his own wigs.

“It’s an immediate—well, after the hours it takes to make one— feeling of slipping into a skin that feels so your own you’d swear that shit were growing right out your head,” he said. “I can only speak for myself though— I’m always more interested to know other people’s hair stories and the significance it plays in their own identity.”

Many of Teague’s clients are friends, and many friends are his clients. These friendships, Teague explained, are partly due to his particular relationship to Vassar as a space and institution.

Growing up in Poughkeepsie, Teague said the campus’ museums were a common field trip destination, but later, the College came to play a different role in his life and in the lives of his friends.

“Toward middle school and the end of high school, Vassar was a paradise, especially when students were on break. It was a playground for me, where my friends and I spent many a night exploring, taking walks that lasted hours,” he said. As a kind of liberal niche in the greater community, Vassar campus began to be an escape, Teague explained. “I could walk around smoking weed and drinking and not be looked at twice for being not-straight.”

As time passed, many of his friends began attending Vassar and he got involved in a relationship with a student. “Its meaning changed. It was no longer my home away from home. I was being introduced to people, being shown around the campus and being asked what my major was. I was an outsider in my one-time safe haven. This was something I struggled with for years. I eventually made my own friends on campus; only this time, Vassar was no longer an escape, but a huge part of my world.”

Teague said this shift became complicated, especially when students had negative reactions to Poughkeepsie or treated him as an outsider.

“I was always at the risk of being told how much someone loved that I ‘had the nerve’ to hang around and go to Vassar parties. It was always a possibility that I would open the doors to a massive bashing of the town I grew up in depending on how I answered the question, ‘Do you like living here?’ And I was always perplexed by how terrified students were at the idea of walking down Main Street or in downtown Poughkeepsie,” said Teague.

Nonetheless, he said he was happy to find a safe space where he could grow, stating, “I was able to find and connect with like-minded people, something that I’m sure other queer people, people of color, people playing with gender, and other minorities struggle with in small towns everywhere.”

For Teague, being the campus hairstylist has been a way to reclaim a familiar space on his own terms. Now that the majority of his friends are seniors, Teague said he can’t help but feel like he is on top of the world again.

“Now, instead of being someone’s townie best friend or boyfriend, I have a facet of my identity that I created for myself,” he said.

Teague said he is not sure what is on the horizon for his hairstyling pursuits, but he is eager to see how it will unfold.

“I think I might want to get my license, but honestly I know I still have a lot to learn and I don’t necessarily want to go to school for it right now,” said Teague. “I really am open to following the natural progression of this freelance hair business I’ve started and having it evolve as I do.”

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February 5, 2015

Course examines Judaism’s intersection with current issues Megan Forster Guest Reporter

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She wrote, “What I want them to see is that religion, a tradition in general, is very wide.”

People less familiar with religion often see it as a set of rules, a way of life or laws that must be followed, but Vetö hopes to complicate those assumptions. Though theory and academia can be helpful, Vetö said, most of all, it requires honesty.

She elaborated, “While we have to be honest about the limitations a tradition imposes we should strive to see the possibilities these traditions can potentially offer.”

As such, Antelyes noted that the class will raise some difficult but important questions.

He elaborated, stating, “It raises so many central questions: What does it mean to be a queer Jew and what does queer Jewishness have to teach us about normative, institutionalized Jewishness? What roles does/did, and can/should, queerness play in Judaism?

What connection might one make between queerness and Jewishness as angles of vision and subject positions?”

While this course focuses on Judaism as it pertains to the relationship between queerness and religion, Professor Vetö stated, “We should be talking about how another religion queers and how Judaism queers, both are very important.”

Though the course focuses on contemporary issues, Vetö stated that she believes Queering Judaism deals with the same issues that have been rampant and recurrent throughout history.

She continued, “I think that it’s a good class at any university, especially at a liberal arts college. I think that is because queering is such an important topic. Gender, sexuality, what is queer, who is queer, how do we queer someone, and how religion queers someone.

It’s very important for us just as it was a hundred years ago.”

To compose the curriculum for this course, Vetö said, “I conceived of this course as a way to join together material and topics which students are interested (gender, sexuality, feminism, politics, contemporary sociology) with texts that are truly ancient and

courtesy of Central Queens Y

ollege courses, especially at a liberal arts schools like Vassar, give students the opportunity to either explore topics that are completely new to them or delve deeper into a subject they have encountered before.

This semester, a new course cross-listed with the Jewish Studies and Religion departments, brings two topics into a new focus.

Queering Judaism: Contemporary Issues explores what happens when the traditional tenets of Judaism come face-to-face with current events and emerging questions of gender, sexuality and family and social life.

Professor Ági Vetö teaches the 200-level class and noted that many of the course’s major themes have personal resonance.

In an emailed statement, she explained, “My own odyssey to the study of Jews and Judaism is complicated, since I am the child of a Jewish father who converted to Catholicism and raised me as a Catholic in Socialist Hungary.”

Growing up in this political climate meant that Vetö and her family had to keep their religious identity hidden. She wrote, “We were not supposed to talk about religion— we were doing it in a whisper.”

Even though Christianity was also part of her background, Vetö added, “I’d always been aware of my Jewish background but it became more and more important to me, and my path ‘in’ to Jewish life was through Jewish learning. The traditional sources appealed to me tremendously, both the languages and the texts, texts about which there is a lot to talk, but at which few in my environment, and almost no women, were adept.”

She spoke to teaching this course at Vassar, adding, “I am so pleased at being able to transmit that knowledge (in translation, of course!) to students.”

She went to Israel for three and a half years to study the Talmud and then came to the United States to write her Ph.D. Vetö said, “I am writing about the male body, the conceptualization of what is the male body

in Judaism.”

Nonetheless, Vetö added, “My other interest was always feminist theory, and related to that, queer theory.”

Many factors contributed to Vetö’s construction of Queering Judaism’s curriculum.

For students who have grown up with Judaism as a prominent part of their upbringing, Vetö said she hopes to create a new framework though which to think about those traditions and experiences.

She described her vision, saying, “I’d also like to help people to make them think about something that they are familiar with, by a path which is unfamiliar to them.” Jews and Judaism are often a topic of study and discussion at universities, but a new light is shed on the subject when it is analyzed in combination with gender and sexuality.

Vetö said her own studies were influenced by intellectuals including Lacan, Derrida, Irrigaray, Sedgwick and Butler. “As a result, I sought places in which this very traditional Jewish textual learning coincided with, interpreted, challenged and was challenged by this very cutting edge theoretical material,” she elaborated.

She continued to talk about how the particularity of this moment in academia can make it difficult to develop a curriculum that speaks to students.

“It’s a very hard time in history where the humanities can be undervalued, to interest students in anything old, even when the material is...about postmodern issues,” lamented Vetö. Despite these broader limitations, Head of Jewish Studies Professor Peter Antelyes maintained that the course is invaluable to the department. He stated, “It doesn’t only enable us to include a generally neglected perspective toward Jews, Jewishness, and Judaism; it also unsettles the field of Jewish Studies more generally.”

In addition to emphasizing a less-studied aspect of Judaism, Vetö explained that she hopes her students leave with a broadened understanding of religion in general and what its potentialities are for one’s identity.

Professor Ági Vetö is teaching Queering Judaism: Contemporary issues this semester. yet have resonance for contemporary Jewry.”

Though the course combines a number of different branches of knowledge, Vetö maintained that it is the interdisciplinary theory that provides the common thread.

“The glue that holds it all together is the theory, both gender theory, feminist theory, and queer theory, and literary and historical approaches to studying an integrating the ancient literature,” she wrote.

Ultimately, Professor Vetö said she hopes students leave her class prepared with the tools to think about Judaism as something current and evolving, rather than as something trapped in history textbooks and religious tomes.

She concluded, “What I hope students get from my course is a really rigorous and textbased introduction to some very ancient, traditional material in a way and applying to topics that are as fresh as today’s newspapers and blogs.”

Crepes, a happy accident for one pancake-loving cook Penina Remler Columnist

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courtesy of Dishmaps

ver since I was little, making pancakes has always been a pastime of mine. My friends always insisted on sleeping over at my house because no one was allowed to leave the next morning on an empty stomach. This meant waking up to pancakes of all kinds—chocolate, banana, blueberry, raspberry, sprinkles and so forth. On rare occasions, I would make the switch to Belgium waffles, but I could always rely on my pancakes to impress even the pickiest guests.

However, one morning I added too much water to the pancake mix and everything changed: This was when I accidentally discovered the crepe. As I poured the mix into the pan, I quickly realized that something was off— my top notch pancakes did not contain their usual fluffy factor, and, instead, I found myself cooking up a rather flat pancake which resembled a crepe, something I had never tasted before. To this day, I consider this the best mistake I’ve made in the kitchen.

Rather than questioning my “skinny pancakes,” my friends lit up at the idea of crepes and I decided to go along with it. In truth, my first few crepe attempts were rather elementary. I wanted to master the classic crepe (accompanied with maple syrup), before I dove into anything fancy.

Eventually I graduated from the classic crepe and discovered something bigger and better—agave­ ricotta cheese crepes topped with roasted pears and honey.

Because of their French origin, many people mistake crepes for being “too fancy” to whip up themselves. However, this is not the case.

What makes this dish so appealing is not only its irresistible flavor, but also its simple production.

As long as you have the appropriate sized frying pan and an understanding of the perfect “flip,” mastery of the crepe will follow.

The first thing to take note of is crepe batter.

The key to conducting the ultimate batter is formulating the perfect texture—neither too thick nor too thin. Once you reach an ideal consistency, the crepes will be easier to flip and you won’t

have to worry about having them fall apart. The batter includes milk, flour, one egg, vegetable oil, baking powder and sugar. After mixing these ingredients into a bowl, be sure to whisk all the components together and avoid any lumps in the batter whatsoever.

Next, heat your non­stick frying pan (spray it with oil spray just in case) and distribute your batter onto the pan as soon as the stove top has heated up. In order to produce a proportionate crepe, shift the pan from side to side and cover the surface area of the pan. After two to three minutes, flip the crepe onto the other side where it will only need one to two minutes to finish cooking. The most strategic way to go about flipping your crepe is by finding the perfect angle on one side until you reach the center and can lift it off the pan.

After cooking your crepes, it is time to whip up its filling. This includes ricotta cheese, agave nectar, two sliced pears, butter and honey. Begin by heating up the cheese and agave nectar together in a heated skillet pan. As soon as the two components dissolve into a liquid and smooth texture, remove them from the stove top to cool. As the ricotta and agave combo cools, the liquid will eventually transform into a solid (don’t worry, this is supposed to happen).

In another pan, heat up your butter and add in the sliced pears while the butter simultaneously melts. The pears will need around five minutes to cook on each side.

Depending on how hot your stove top gets, you can cover the pan with a lid, but be sure not to burn the pear slices! After cooking the pears on both sides and reaching the perfect roasted—but not yet burnt—appearance, remove the pears and immediately top them with honey. Coating the pears with honey will create a sizzling effect and caramelize the fruit.

Lastly, unite the ricotta and agave combination in the center of each crepe pancakes and then fold each crepe in half and then once again to create a triangle shape. Top your filled crepes with honey and the prepared pears and enjoy.

The Ingredients

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Crepe Batter: 2 cups milk 1 1/3 cup flour 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 2 tablespoons sugar Agave­Ricotta/ Pear filling: 1/2 cup ricotta cheese 1 tablespoon agave nectar 2 pears, cored and sliced 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons honey

FEATURES

February 5, 2015

Page 7

Breaking out of the carrel: History majors travel for thesis Claire Standaert Guest Reporter

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courtesy of Vassar Admissions

he philosopher Saint Augustine understood the process of learning when he claimed, “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” In trying to emulate this idea of education intertwined with travel, Vassar’s History Department has given major students the opportunity to visit places of academic interest under the Clark Fellowship to do research in the United States and abroad.

The Clark Fellowship went to Hannah Van Demark ’15 this past year. Although the phrase “go to the source” is common in academia, only a few observe it in its most literal sense. Van Demark did just that. This past October, she went to Little Rock, Ark. to conduct original research at the Clinton Presidential Library. Professor of History Sumita Choudhury insisted, “It is a travel fellowship, not a thesis fellowship.”

Choudhury, who gives out the grants, said the benefits of traveling for research extend beyond a student’s ability to access official documents. Some of the best moments can happen in the everyday. She said, “It’s great meeting people and going to monuments.

Just walking around in the neighborhoods.

You have to bring the place to life.”

Little Rock got Van Demark’s attention when its Clinton Presidential Library released thousands of Clinton records, which included never before seen details behind the United States’ consideration of military action in Haiti in the early 1990s. Van Demark had already been researching U.S. foreign policy during the Clinton administration before her travels. “Thus,” Van Demark said in an emailed statement, “writing on the 1994 U.S. intervention in Haiti seemed like a natural topic after hearing about the newly released documents this past summer.”

Most people rely on the Internet for im-

portant historical documents, but the documents that aren’t on the Internet are, in fact, absent for a reason. Because the government controls the accessibility of certain documents, historians often find information-gathering difficult. Given these thorny parameters, Van Demark said she was excited at this opportunity to see the unseen, to study the formerly hidden. “I was in Little Rock for four days and spent each of the days in the Clinton Archives from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.,” she said.

Four collection lists were particularly useful to Hannah’s research, including “the National Security Council records regarding Haiti, communications between Clinton and his National Security Advisory Anthony Lake regarding Haiti, the Administration’s record on President Jean-Bertrant Aristide of Haiti, and the records of Clinton’s National Security Council Foreign Policy Speechwriter Anthony Blinken.” Specificity, it seems, is the key to seeing history in its most honest form, Van Demark suggested.

In this case, due to the Clark Fellowship, specificity was Hannah’s friend. The Fellowship provided her the time and access to dig into primary sources that others who have written on the topic have never seen before.

She said, “I was surprised where the research took me and how it ultimately made me shift the direction of my thesis.”

Though ideas and outlines can change along the way, in order to receive the Clark Fellowship, its applicants must be thoughtful about what they want to get out of the experience. Choudbury said, “The applicant must have a plan, like an itinerary. The selection of a recipient has a lot to do with clarity, goals of the project, and feasibility of the project.”

Van Demark was well prepared. Because of the sheer amount of information that can be found in archives, she contacted a few of the archivists before she arrived in Little Rock,

Hannah Van Demark is the most recent recipient of the Clark Fellowship. This past Oct., she traveled to Arkansas to do research for her history thesis on U.S. foreign policy under the Clinton administration.

Ark. She said, “This enabled me to prioritize the folders that I hoped to read at the library before arriving in Little Rock.”

While the tedium of research may not sound exciting to many people, Clark fellows are grateful for the chance to do what esteemed historians are doing. Van Demark stated, “It gives students an opportunity to do something they never imagined they could do.”

The past Fellowship recipient reports echo this tone of gratitude. In her post-travel report on the Hungarian Emigration after the 1956 Revolution, Sarah Siaz ’10 wrote in an emailed statement, “Without [the Clark Fellowship] I would not have the unique opportunity to research at such a great source of

information as the Open Society Archives (in Budapest), that provided me with inspiration for my topic, primary sources, and with what would have been extremely hard to find, sources and information in English.”

Many of the topics researched by these Vassar students can be complex, gritty and surprising—and previously unexamined by other historians. But people like Van Demark and other Clark Fellowship recipients are doing their part to fill in the gap.

Van Demark concluded, “After being told by the History Department to ‘go to the source’ for three and a half years, having the opportunity to do original research at the Clinton Library was an incredible way to finish out my senior year.”

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Page 8

February 5, 2015

Tinder is the new LinkedIn: Alums acclimate to campus Networking for the millennial life as College employees Megan Forster Guest Reporter

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s of last year, over 332 million people are using LinkedIn. As undergraduate students at Vassar, we are all looking to begin networking and searching for a great summer internship or possible job opportunity. Is curating a LinkedIn profile necessary for success?

Resources on campus for job-hunting advice and more include the Career Development Office (CDO) and, of course, more seasoned upperclassmen and alumnae/i.

Assistant Director Jannette Swanson often conducts workshops and one-on-one appointments with students and is considered the resident LinkedIn expert by colleagues.

“In this day and age, it is important to be found online—and to be found in a good way,” said Swanson. She recommends that Vassar students fully embrace the site in their time here, and early on. Just last weekend, Swanson helped organize the office’s first-ever Sophomore Career Connections event on campus. The CDO staff hired a photographer to take LinkedIn headshots for over 100 sophomores in attendance.

For current seniors like Nathan Bazan ’15, graduation is nearing and the time has come to make future plans. Having recently landed a job with Microsoft, Bazan emphasized the necessity of a polished online image. “It makes the process of networking a lot more simple and easy to navigate, “ he said. “I think the main benefit of LinkedIn is in having a professional online presence that doesn’t carry any of the risks of a casual networking site like Facebook.”

However, as a computer science major, Bazan does not use LinkedIn as his go-to platform for online networking. Instead, Bazan maintains a personal webpage—which tech companies expect to see—as well as an account on GitHub, which serves as a repository for coding projects.

Bazan does not discount the value of online networking sites such as LinkedIn, though. “I do think it is an incredible thing for our generation to have,” he said.

Even so, networking and job opportunity does not always materialize in these conventional online spaces for some students.

Jack Owen ’14 is an alum of Vassar whose twin brother found a job through Tinder. As he explained, “Basically, he was just messaging with a guy on the app and mentioned that he was home

in the DC area looking for a job...there were some openings for positions at the organization where he was working.”

Owen said his brother proceeded to land an interview without ever meeting his Tinder contact in person. “[It was] kind of an offbeat way to find a job, but I actually know multiple people who have found jobs through apps like Tinder,” he remarked.

Though we often think of LinkedIn as a main database for networking and job searching, there are many other ways to represent yourself positively online. Owen said he has used Idealist, Monster and Facebook to find jobs. “To get an internship or job, you have to put yourself out there and cast a wide net. Focus on actually getting offers before you start making decisions based on location, pay and passion,” Bazan advised.

Owen added, “Remember that people find jobs in the most random circumstances. When looking for a job, don’t undervalue yourself.”

Though online job hunting can be valuable, networking often lands students an opportunity.

The extensive network of Vassar alumnae/i is a valuable resource. The CDO as well as the Alumnae House provide opportunities for exposure to the network for students.

“Given that a majority of job and internship opportunities are never posted online, we recommend that students take advantage of the Vassar network to work their way closer to internship and job opportunities,” said Jannette.

To do so, the CDO recommends their wide array of resources such as the Alumnae/i Directory, Alumnifire and VCLink—all accessible on their website. Owen and Bazan both agreed on the importance of taking advantage of Vassar’s network of alumnae/i, both while at Vassar and after.

Furthermore, Bazan stressed the importance of building relationships with professors. “It’s also important to talk to your professors about the process of getting an internship or job because they usually have connections in the field and can give you a better idea of what to focus on in a resume for your particular field,” he said.

Once you have found the internship or job opportunity though, Owen reminds you to stay aware. He warned, “Of course, few entry level jobs are going to be glamorous, but really take the time to think about what you’re signing up for and if it’s a position and environment that will be good for your overall well-being.”

GRADS continued from page 1 at Vassar, the position often comes as a surprise.

Like so many other of his peers, Errol Khuns ’14 faced his very last days as a college student with uncertainty. “I graduated with a job, but only just,” wrote Khuns in an emailed statement. “Vassar made an offer late in the afternoon on Friday, May 23. I graduated on Sunday, May 25. Knowing that I’d return to campus really allowed me to enjoy those final days.”

Khuns currently works as the post-baccalaureate Fellow in the Career Development Office (CDO), helping students with their internship and job searches and promoting CDO events.

“Working in the CDO has allowed me to develop certain skills I’ll need as a grad student, most notably public speaking, and given me some valuable insight into how a college administration works,” he wrote.

Other recent graduates have been thrown into positions more unexpectedly. Nick Jasso ’13 thought he would be volunteering as an assistant men’s tennis coach for a short period after graduation while he was still in Poughkeepsie. Jasso was a former member of the team and captain, so the position made sense. That summer, however, both the assistant and head tennis coach left in quick succession to pursue other jobs, and Jasso was promoted to assistant, making him responsible for the entire coaching duties until Vassar hired an interim head and finally a full replacement in November.

Along with leading practices, Jasso also handled recruiting, compliance with the National Collegiate Athletic Association and lots of paperwork. “I had coached before but I had never been in charge of so many things,” he said.

Some aspects of life still remain reassuringly familiar to the experience of being a student. “I still go to the Retreat for lunch and go to the gym after work. I attend Vassar events when I can and sometimes spend time with current Vassar students,” wrote Harrington.

Some things, however, have changed. For instance, the hectic juggling of classes, extracurricular and social obligations calms down. “The biggest change for me is not running around to five different activities and rushing to classes on opposite sides of campus every day” Harrington wrote. “I was a very busy student and was always running somewhere. Now, I’m pretty much in my office every day and only go between the Admis-

sions Office and Main.”

The daily pattern can become more repetitive though. “I wake up at 7 a.m., work 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., don’t ever go to the library, don’t live and spend hours with my friends on the daily, don’t take classes,” wrote Khuns, describing a typical weekday for him.

Elizabeth Ruiz’s ’14 job, however, takes her out of the office regularly. An environmental studies major, she is responsible for monitoring the Casperkill and Fonteynkill streams that run through campus. The position is made possible thanks to the College’s Environmental Research Institute’s Collins Fellowship. In addition to the stream monitoring, she also works as a teaching assistant for Environmental Studies 124: Principles of Environmental Science, along with raising community awareness about the importance of the local environment. As a senior, Ruiz conducted a nationwide search for jobs, and although she said she received several different offers, it was the position at Vassar that interested her most.

Said Ruiz, “Socially, it was a little weird to be on campus immediately after graduation, I won’t lie. But I’ve been able to remain comfortably connected to Vassar with other graduates, the students I’ve worked with, and especially Strong House Team.”

All the graduates said that they still keep ties with current students. “I love visiting with friends who are still students and catching up on all of the Vassar gossip,” wrote Harrington. “There are boundaries of course. I can’t show up to a TH party at 1 a.m. and mingle with friends as though I am still a student, but I have dinner with friends on multiple occasions.”

Similarly, Jasso eventually realized that to be a good coach he had to impose some distance between himself and his former teammates. “That was incredibly difficult,” said Jasso. “I honestly still feel bad about it to this day...that I kind of had to stop talking to them and put aside our past relationship, and build this newer, more professional relationship with them.”

In addition to these shifts, there is still some uncertainty that comes along with these post grad positions. Just like where she was a year ago, Ruiz is back to sending out job applications. She hopes to find another position doing environmental monitoring and research. Wrote Ruiz, “I’ve been applying for jobs all over the place, I’m excited to see where I end up next.”

talking about her latest book, “Unrequited: Women and Romantic Obsession.”

In the past, Oblong has hosted book launches and signings from both regional and national authors. But if you’re just looking to buy books and not looking to move too far to do so, Oblong does have an option to order online, and it also sells eBooks.

Another bookstore that offers online ordering is the Inquiring Minds Bookstore.

This independent bookstore, located in New Paltz, is the largest independent bookstore in the Hudson Valley. Their website states, “No matter what you love, we have the book for you.” In addition to their own author events, Inquiring Minds also offers book selections from the American Group Psychotherapy Association (APGA) Conference and the AAPCS booklist. They offer books from a wide range of genres, however, and are happy to serve their customers.

For a completely different experience, and one closer to home, The Bookworm is an independently owned bookstore located about ten minutes away from Vassar. It is a bookstore that recycles books, so allowing you to purchase used books and use your unwanted books as currency.

The store will give you credit for 25 percent of the publisher’s original price for every book that you donate, and everything The Bookworm sells is half-off cover price. That means you won’t have to worry about spending all of your dwindling money at the Bookworm, even if you leave the store with stacks on stacks on stacks. The Bookworm carries hardcovers and paperbacks of any genre, from classics to contemporaries. You’re cau-

tioned to buy only one or two books by popular authors, however, so they can maintain their stock.

The Bookworm carries the ambiance of a small-town, low-key bookstore. The location is a modest building located along Route 376, but, once inside, though, you’ll find yourself in literary heaven surrounded by thousands of books. Handmade signs points you toward what you’re looking for, or the staff, who has personally chosen every book on their shelves, can guide you in the right direction.

Those lucky enough to have tracked this bookstore down have found a new go-to spot to do their book shopping.

Closest to home, of course, is the Three Arts Bookstore next to Babycakes Cafe. Because of its small size, students receive personalized service and leave with a book selection handpicked by the owner.

Besides books, they sell postcards, old maps, some magazines, prints and watercolors of historic Vassar images.

Many professors choose to order their course texts to the Three Arts, as they can be helpful in finding older, more obscure books there that they wouldn’t be able to find anyplace else. Not to mention that you can dig into your books as soon as you buy them because of the Three Arts’ proximity to campus and the dorms, or you can walk right over to Babycakes and settle down with a cup of something warm.

Getting into a good book can sometimes be vital in the dead of winter at Vassar. On the off chance that snow will get a class canceled, you’ll wish you had something other than a textbook to read.

Hudson Valley Ventures Julia Cunningham Reporter

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s students, we always have enough to read, whether it is the next four chapters of your microeconomics textbook or 200 pages of the manuscript that you can barely lift.

No one wants to recline on their bed Saturday afternoon with a cup of hot chocolate and Level Three Calculus Edition VIII. The fact of the matter is that the pleasure of reading gets lost in our busy day-to-day schedules.

But if you need a stress buster or just something to rekindle your old-fashioned love of books, there are plenty of opportunities around Vassar to do so.

If you’re up for a drive, Oblong Books & Music is a little over half an hour away in

Rhinebeck. This is one of two locations in New York, the other being in Millerton. Since 1975, it has persisted as the largest independent bookstore in the Mid-Hudson Valley. In addition to a bevy of books and music for all ages and interests, they offer events for the region’s bookworms.

Coming up this month, local author Jennifer Donnelly will present a presentation of her book, “A Northern Light,” at Clinton Community Library. David Leeming will also be talking about his book, “James Baldwin: A Biography,” to celebrate Black History Month at Oblong’s Rhinebeck location.

If you need an adventurous idea for Valentine’s Day, journalism professor at SUNY New Paltz Lisa A Phillips, will be at Oblong

Courtesy of twintravelconcepts.com

Poughkeepsie and its surrounding towns offer a bevy of independent bookstores for students to visit. The Bookworm, pictured above, lets customers swap unwanted books for store credit.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

OPINIONS

February 5, 2015

The Miscellany News Staff Editorial

Call to replace admins has no substance

L

ast week, a group of student organizers, operating under the name “Vassar Student Organizers,” reached out to the Vassar community, asking students and alumnae/i to sign their name to a letter addressed to Chairman of the Board of Trustees William Plapinger. This letter called for the replacement of President Catharine Hill and Dean of the College Christopher Roellke, and outlined a number of concerns, most notably the, “Incompetence, lack of imagination and a profound absence of care on the behalf of the senior administration.”

We at The Miscellany News have equal concerns about the efforts of “senior-level administrators” over instances of racism on campus and their ability to foster a safe and open campus. However, while we are in agreement with many issues brought forward in this letter, we do not feel the solution lies in asking the Board of Trustees to fire President Hill and Dean Roellke, but instead lies with a better, more constructive dialogues with senior administration and the trustees, as well as the speedy efforts of President Hill to accomplish her Campus Action Plan.

First, we are in full agreement with those who drafted and signed their names to this letter that there ought to be open, honest dialogue with not just the senior administration, but also with the Board of Trustees. We also want to emphasize that as a student organization, we are in full support of any efforts that will help create, as the student organizers write, a “healthy and safe environment.” An important starting point for such efforts begins with a dialogue that gives students an opportunity to speak to trustees and administrators and have the intention to carry out positive change on our campus.

We believe, just like the organizers, that this dialogue ought to occur with not just senior administrators, but with the Board of Trustees.

This space must foster voices for all identities, rather than a collective sense that you are to support students or support administrators. By creating a binary, an “us versus them dichotomy,” these student organizers are closing down avenues by which dialogues can be started.

We also feel that the perceived swift call for the firing of these two administrators serves to shut down serious discussions with the Board of Trustees. While we acknowledge that both administrators have expressed their awareness of their failures to address systemic issues that have

plagued the campus for years, we also believe that the Board of Trustees will fail to earnestly consider the automatic termination of two highly placed individuals. It seems highly unlikely that the Board of Trustees would carefully weigh the benefits and detriments of the organizers’ proposal as it would not only mark a very public acknowledgment of the College’s shortcomings, something students have often noted as a major issue by those responsible for running this institution, but also plunge the College into a protracted and unplanned search for two important positions simultaneously.

Given these concerns, we feel that such a request will do little to cause change and may in fact work to discredit the voices of other student activists as they make appeals to the Board. While we encourage students to advocate for actions that push the College to live up to the pledges of equity and diversity in its mission statement, we must also consider the most effective methods of bringing about such critical changes.

Due to these concerns about the letter’s perceived effect on other student organizers, we also question the degree to which the individuals responsible for the letter should be considered representative of the student body. While presented as a letter that students could opt to send to the Board of Trustees, the email reads “Vassar Student Organizers.” This is a title used by many more individuals than those included in this letter and fosters the sense that those who drafted the letter are representative of students.

This is not entirely correct, as only a select group of students participated in this process and the group was self-selecting. We feel that this limits the diversity of opinions considered in the letter, preventing it from being a letter that truly represents the will of Vassar students.

It is also clear that President Hill, since her Dec. 10 letter to the campus, has been making efforts to implement changes that she states are intended, “to make Vassar the supportive, compassionate community we all want.” Hill’s new website, “Strengthening Vassar,” outlines the core changes proposed, and whether they have been accomplished. Over the last two months three of the eight changes proposed have been implemented, though many more—including the addition of a senior-level officer for inclusion and diversity—have yet to be completed. We feel a dialogue with administrations and the Board of Trustees over these goals, their expected date

of completion, and whether they are satisfactory changes is a necessary conversation that should take place as soon as possible.

As Vassar’s President, Catharine Hill is a representative of the College, a fundraiser, and an executive officer. Hill is nonetheless responsible for the actions of staff and administrators on this campus, especially when they harm the quality of life for other students. We do, however, question whether the optimal solution to affecting change on this campus begins with the removal of two senior administrators who expressed a commitment to change this campus.

The problems that have been on the forefront of the campus consciousness in the last semester are systemic issues that pervade more than just the offices of the President and the Dean of the College. We encourage critical analysis of their actions in the coming weeks, and ask them to demonstrate their commitment in actions now that they’ve expressed it in words.

President Hill also ought to be more transparent about what recommendations she has received from appointed advisers, and what actions she is considering to take in order to improve this campus. This effort begins with a show of trust on the part of President Hill in order to demonstrate to concerned student groups of her continued commitment. We also feel this effort will be further demonstrated by how quickly President Hill carries out her remaining goals in “Strengthening Vassar.”

Ultimately, we are in favor of what creates a better campus for the community members that create it. We understand the frustration and anger that spurred the creation of the Vassar Student Organizer’s letter, but feel that there is a more constructive way to call for change.

Calling for the replacement of two senior level administrators won’t solve anything. Instead, we would like to call for more dialogues between the students, faculty, staff, administrators and Board of Trustees. We believe that President Hill and Dean Roellke are working to make change on campus, but we know that more can be done.

We want to urge students to continue to push for more campus dialogues, but to also be receptive to the steps that are currently being made by members of the administration, as that does show progress in the long run.

—The Staff Editorial represents the opinions of at least 2/3 of our Editorial Board.

Participation not always easy for students Angela Della Croce Guest Columnist

M

ore often than not, professors will incorporate class participation into your grade for the course, ranging from a mere five percent or so to a significant component of class, such as 30 percent of the overall evaluation. I assume the professor’s intention is to motivate an engaging experience for the entire class. The requirement to contribute also offers an incentive to keep abreast of readings and assignments and encourages students to stay on-task, attentive and respectful during class. These objectives are completely understandable, and it would seem that obligatory participation would be an effective way to achieve these goals. However, the fact that participation is graded based on a professor’s narrow definition of what adequate class engagement looks like is an undue burden on many students, does not necessarily make way for an engaging, fruitful classroom experience, and should be reassessed.

Though some may view class participation as an easy grade booster, others view this is as a substantial stressor, especially if professors take this portion of the grade seriously. Because participation is often a graded component, it is commonplace for professors to standardize or generalize what is considered an “acceptable” form of participation that will receive good marks, which is often confined to some sense of verbal questions, comments or arguments delivered during class. Thus, essentially, those who are loud and vocal get points for participating.

There are several problems with this. Students may have come from conditions that either facilitated or prevented the establishment of an environment where their input was en-

couraged and respected. One of the many ramifications of living in a patriarchy is that women’s voices are often perceived as less important, less desired to be heard, and that they are a spectacle to be observed. This can make women feel more insecure about their input in a class. Meanwhile, men tend to feel more entitled to their opinions and may therefore have an easier time confidently expressing their thoughts in a classroom atmosphere.

Additionally, students could simply be introverted or extroverted—a biological difference.

Introverted individuals often find it very difficult, over-stimulating or even paralyzing to speak in class. Verbal participation, even something as simple and seemingly undemanding as answering a quick question, is often perceived as more than a mere contribution. Students may see it as an evaluation of their beliefs, a measure of their intelligence, or demonstration of how well they have grasped the material at hand by both their peers and their professor. Thus, many will be more fixated on saying the “right” or “safe” thing instead of what actually piques their interest or confuses them—if anything at all.

Moreover, students who raise their hand often are not necessarily offering a fruitful supplement to the course; verbosity is not inherently equated to substance. There is also power in body language that displays attention and interest, such as eye contact, a forward lean or nodding. These signs of engagement may not be as obvious but can display active participation. I feel that these non-verbal indicators are too often overlooked as too inadequate for a good participation grade.

One could also argue that perhaps professors should not feel the need to dictate class contribution. The incentive to participate is often there to

enrich the classroom experience, yet the desire to have an enriched experience should perhaps be at the discretion of the students. That said, I do still believe that engagement in course material is important and class discussions can be riveting and insightful; I simply believe the way we define “participation” and the clout it can have on a student’s grade should be reexamined.

One way we can improve our approach to measuring what constitutes as participation is by expanding its definition to include body language, email transactions, use of office hours and so on. Professors can also make participation a smaller component of the grade—5 percent or less—but let students know that they are encouraged and expected to contribute on a regular basis. This would incentivize those already inclined to contribute, allow more introverted individuals to feel comfortable not verbally participating, and mitigate the instances of people who contribute for the mere sake of participation credit. Providing a welcoming and low-key environment that invites rather than dictates participation would probably be more fruitful and less anxiety-provoking for students. These are some of the many ways we can change how we view participation.

Grades are, in theory, a representation of one’s mastery of the material at hand. Participation can surely exist without making it a component of one’s overall score. By instilling a more forgiving, flexible and broad view of class participation, we can make it a less stressful and forced act and a more inviting and attractive one instead.

—Angela Della Croce ’15 is an economics major.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Page 9

Letter to the Editor To many individuals at Vassar, The United States of America is a country that has failed its citizens. They see a society torn apart by income disparity and injustice, a universe in which police stalk the streets on the hunt for minorities while whites walk untouched. They see a country dependent on corporations; an octopus of sorts with tentacles stretching all over our lives.

Students compose their hatred toward our nation in a variety of ways. Sometimes they engage in protest, be it verbal or otherwise. Oftentimes, they write condemning remarks on social media, where their friends, comrades in their great struggle, “like” and “share” their words. These activities, however harmless by themselves, serve to ferment a particularly dangerous attitude.

But this attitude is not present in the majority of freshmen, who come from largely tolerant neighborhoods that encouraged conversation on all topics. However, once these students go through their first year, their gift of flexible views morphs into what can only be called “relative tolerance.” While claiming to have “recognized their privilege,” “become a minority ally” or “joined the fight against the patriarchy,” these students have done nothing more than surrender their ability to say what they wish. More important is the impact that their concession has on students who don’t necessarily agree with the majority opinions at Vassar. What occurs after the paradigm shift is nothing less than censorship, carried out by students, but implicitly encouraged by professors administrators too. Students who publicly state an idea not recognized by this relative tolerance are shamed and verbally abused with words once reserved for true monsters, “racist” and “misogynist” being the most popular.

There is value in political correctness, but I argue that at Vassar College, an institution that should espouse discourse from all spectra, the obsession with political correctness must take a backseat to freedom of speech.

This country was founded on compromise, and encouraging single-minded fanaticism is not only un-American, but it prevents any real discussion beyond the statement of the majority opinion.

I am not on the radical right. Heck, were I to walk into a GOP conference and give a speech, I would most likely be tossed out.

One would think that this would be a prerequisite to engage in relatively nonpartisan debate. However, I cannot count the number of times that when I was speaking to a student, they would storm away as soon as I started talking. This behavior, besides being extremely rude, is unfair to me. My opinions can come across as offensive, but is it possible for you to give me the benefit of the doubt and trust I have a reason for them?

I try to get information from every source imaginable—I actually read more left-wing publications than right-wing—and only after careful review do I then present my opinion.

It is incredibly degrading when students, after reading Huffpost, Vice, The New Republic, or BuzzFeed, then go on a crusade, treating me as some ignorant racist white man bent on the oppression of all others. Far from recognizing the bias in their selected publication, they tout it as the one and only “truth,” and then attack those who present the contrary. I find it hard to believe that students are purposefully trying to limit debate, due to the high level of intellect present at this campus, but I fear that pressures from a vocal minority stifle any attempt of revolt against the status quo.

This note is not meant to be similar to the aggressive article penned by the Princeton student who railed against the liberal perception of privilege, nor is it meant to offend anyone. This letter hopefully serves as an appeal primarily to the freshman class, many of you who may feel your voice stifled and your former beliefs not accepted. Recognize that the loudest are rarely rational, and anyone attempting to alter your opinion without listening to yours doesn’t deserve your time.

After all, if you want to flirt with extremism at Vassar, at least try both sides of the coin.

You might just be surprised at what the other side holds.

—Pieter Block ’18

OPINIONS

Page 10

February 5, 2015

Virtual reality a powerful, complex tool for courtrooms Delaney Fischer Columnist

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owadays, it seems like I can’t go 24 hours without needing to update an app. Similarly, when I get a new piece of technology, soon after I unsurprisingly find out that a newer model of whatever I just bought has come out, and my technology is quickly old-fashioned soon after. Technology changes so quickly, and it seems like I can’t keep up. Remember when having a the latest flip phone was so cool?

With every type of technology, updates and changes are constantly occurring as engineers and scientists look to create “the next best thing.” These days, virtual reality platforms seem to be the new “it,” and multiple companies and organizations are working to take virtual reality to a place it’s never been before, such as the Vassar students that founded vcemo, which was featured in a December issue of the Misc (“Students stay ahead of curve with virtual reality start-up,“ 12.03.14).

“Remember when having a flip phone was so cool?

Virtual reality itself is nothing new. The idea has been used in literature since at least the 1930s, and the first demonstrated use of an actual virtual reality system occurred in the 1960s, with Thomas A. Furness III inventing virtual flight simulation for use by the U.S. Air Force (Samuel Ebersole, “A brief history of virtual reality and its social applications,” 1997). However, since the emergence of virtual reality, it has also been altered and enhanced endlessly to match with the technology of the times or specialize the tech for

specific fields.

But here’s a question about virtual reality besides how interesting it is: Should virtual reality be used in the courtroom? Researchers from the Institute of Forensic Medicine, Virtopsy, and the University of Zurich in Winterthurerstrasse, Switzerland are leaning towards yes in their recently published study, “The forensic holodeck: an immersive display for forensic crime scene reconstructions.”

(Forensic Science, Medicine, and Pathology, 10(4), 2014) The study in question investigates how the use of virtual reality could be used instead of other modalities to reconstruct crime scenes for the jury. The use of a virtual reality headset in the courtroom would allow jurors to be simulated into the crime scene and gain a deeper understanding of the situation they are evaluating (Popular Science, “Scientists want to take virtual reality to court,” 01.09.15).

The device used in the study was a headset originally developed for players of computer and video games to enjoy and be immersed in all sorts of virtual worlds. The subtraction of video games and addition of 3D modeling software allows for the virtual reality product to be useful at a relatively low cost. The 3D software allows one to easily reconstruct a scene, such as a shooting, which was the scene used in the study by the researchers.

Imagery and other information can be collected to provide as realistic a space as possible for the jurors to experience.

The study has received a lot of positive praise, and Director Jeremy Bailenson of the Virtual Human Interaction Lab at Stanford University has suggested this technology may be the best new addition to any trial’s analytical arsenal (New Scientist, “Forensic holodeck to transport jury to the crime scene,” 01.09.15).

The idea with virtual reality in courtrooms is that this advanced technology will give ju-

rors a more comprehensible idea of the scene they’re asked to imagine in a trial, but despite its effectiveness, I still have my doubts.

One of the large issues I have with the idea of bringing virtual reality into the courtroom is what exactly jurors would be presented when they put on the goggles. Would they be looking at a crime scene that has been highly suggested to be correct by a strong backing of evidence or are they looking at a possible framing of events that may or may not be a correct theory from the prosecution? There would need to be a set standard of what exactly from a crime scene is allowed to be replicated in the virtual reality courtroom world for me to feel comfortable with the technology even being introduced. I think it is important to know exactly what the jury is being presented virtually.

“I think it is important to know exactly what the jury is being presented virtually.”

Another issue I have with the introduction of virtual reality is how the jury physically views crime scenes in the recreated space.

Are jurors going to view the crime scene from the accused’s point of view? The victim(s)’?

Perhaps from a third party bystander’s point of view? Are jurors going to be able to flip through different viewpoints? The angle and perception from which a juror is able to view a crime scene could lead to large biases and once again, standardization would most likely need to occur.

I would also be interested to see which viewpoint(s) would be selected as well as the

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MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

justification of why that viewpoint has been chosen by the prosecution, defense or another party. These seemingly minute differences in a virtual reality space can have a serious impact on how the jurors interpret and understand the incident.

What we must also consider is the effect virtual reality may have on jurors not only while making their decisions of whether someone is guilty or not guilty, but also the effect of experiencing a replicated crime scene in such a vivid, realistic space. If a juror is involved in a gruesome murder case and is forced to watch the replication in virtual reality, it could have a serious impact on their own life or mental state—effects that our legal system can have on jurors have been constantly assessed and evaluated for years, particularly with photographs.

Some in the legal system even note that in many cases the impact of photographs may even not be worth it, depending on the trial at hand and how it would affect the jurors. It is predicted that virtual reality will face the same issues and need the same sort of evaluations (Lect Law, “Virtual Reality Evidence: Jeffery A. Dunn,” 2014-2015).

While I clearly have my doubts about virtual reality being implemented into the courtroom, I would not be surprised if I soon read that it’s already happening. There still appears to be a lot of kinks in figuring out how it would be best to utilize this technology in the legal system, but just like the apps on our phones, updates to virtual reality in the courtroom will probably be often and altered for each specific case. It will be interesting to see how the technology continues to develop, and how long it will be until it’s officially introduced to the courtroom and concerned a part of the norm.

—Delaney Fischer ’15 is a neuroscience major.

February 5, 2015

OPINIONS

Although transparent, calorie counts on menus may worsen, not improve health Sarah Sandler

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Columnist

n the past, if you were curious about how many calories were in your meal at a fast food or chain restaurant, you had to search for a pamphlet or on the establishment’s website. Now, it is becoming more and more common that calorie counts are listed right on the menus, forcing you to take notice while you think about what to order. In November 2014, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that establishments with 20 or more locations that sell prepared foods will have to post calorie counts in plain sight for customers to see, “clearly and conspicuously” (Boston Globe, “New FDA rules will put calorie counts on menus,” 12.01.14). Not only does this mean that places like Burger King or Panera Bread will have calorie counts on display, but convenience stores and grocery stores with prepared foods will have to show calorie counts as well. Even amusement parks and vending machines will have calorie counts shown.

Some may argue that this development promotes eating disorders or that people ordering unhealthy food don’t care much about calories anyway. It’s also possible that establishments that didn’t post calorie counts previously will lose some business due to their customers’ newfound awareness. However, I believe that this information will do a lot of good for people’s health and peace of mind.

Many people that eat at fast food restaurants frequently do so because of the low prices or out of convenience. The greasy, fried food tastes good, fills you up and only costs a few dollars. It would be unrealistic to do away with fast food restaurants altogether because they really do serve as an important way to easily get food, but putting calorie

counts in plain sight could encourage those who do eat at fast food restaurants often to make healthier choices. More and more fast food and fast casual chains are incorporating healthier items salads, fruit and other foods into their menus crafted with lower calories.

Chain restaurants like Applebee’s are creating menus that fit a certain calorie budget.

For example, Applebee’s has a new “Pub Diet” menu section that is supposed to be under 600 calories, and Red Lobster’s menu contains the “Lighthouse” section that is coordinated with FDA-recommended daily nutritional values. These could gain popularity when the unhealthiness of some other items is emphasized. Also, just the fact that people are paying attention to the number of calories in their food will likely inspire fast food places to continue to add healthy options.

When people go to restaurants like Panera or Chipotle, they may think they are ordering something healthy but end up consuming way more calories than they intended to. Many places offer things that sound nutritious and not too high in calories when in reality, they are much worse than they seem. People who are not as knowledgeable about food but want to maintain a healthy lifestyle often order these things, sabotaging their goals. Knowing the number of calories in a meal when eating out will help people to make choices that actually are healthy.

While the FDA’s decision is a step in the right direction, the rules are shaped so that they leave out many areas where people could still make unhealthy decisions. The ruling excludes foods that are intended to be eaten by more than one person or to be eaten over a longer period of time. For example, an item from a salad bar will have its calorie count posted, but if they same item is sold in a large

container, it will not. It’s understandable that it would be really bad for a store’s business if an item had a thousand calorie label, but it means that people will continue to be less educated about the food they are buying.

Another loophole is the regulation that the law excuses “food served on forms of transportation” (Boston Globe, “New FDA rules will put calorie counts on menus,” 12.01.14).

This means that calorie counts will not be displayed on prepared foods served on planes or trains. In this context, I think including calorie counts would be really helpful. Not many airlines serve meals anymore unless you’re in first class, but they do have snacks or snack boxes for a fee. When your choices are limited on a train or plane, it would be helpful to understand what the healthier options are.

This rule also applies to food trucks, which I find illogical because food trucks are often where you can find the most indulgent, high-calorie offerings like an array of fried foods, some probably making you worse off than a McDonald’s meal would.

Being forced to display calorie counts on their menus imposes a large burden on fast food and chain restaurants. Most of these establishments have hundreds of variations on their menu items, making it arduous and expensive to calculate the calories for all of their options. Despite this difficulty, making calorie counts readily available will be very beneficial for Americans as a whole.

It will motivate those who don’t already to eat healthily, increase nutritious options on restaurant menus and make it easier for healthy-minded people to stay on track, decreasing our country’s health issues overall.

Zack Struver

“E

nd Cappytalism!” read one of the posters that students carried with them at a protest in December 2014 as they occupied Main Building and stormed administrative offices in anger and frustration over racism, sexism and oppression at Vassar. Many of my friends took part in that protest, and although I believe that we ought to share responsibility for the marginalization of members of our community, rather than place the blame with the College’s most visible administrators, I agreed with many of their critiques of the College’s administration. Vassar, like every other university and college in America, handles sexual assault and violence pretty poorly. It’s inexcusable that Vassar lacked a Sexual Assault Violence Prevention Coordinator for an entire semester and that Vassar continues to conduct procedurally flawed sexual assault hearings. Historically and presently, Vassar has also been a less than ideal place for students of color. Racial profiling has no place at Vassar or anywhere, and college administrators should have listened sooner to those who complained of its presence on our campus. When it came to the main focus of the protest — critiquing the way that Vassar as an institution has handled sexual assault and racism — I was pretty on board. However, I was confused then, and I’m confused now, by that poster, which now hangs on the wall of the office in which I’m writing this article.

I’ll admit that I think the idea behind the poster is cute—”End Cappy” plus “End Capitalism” equals “End Cappytalism”—but I’m not sure what’s particularly wrong with “Cappytalism.” If ending Cappytalism entails ending need-blind admissions and increased access to higher education for students from low-income families, then I most certainly do not want to end Cappytalism. I don’t think that the group calling itself the “Vassar Organizers,” which recently wrote an open

letter/petition to the Board of Trustees calling upon them to fire both President Catharine Bond “Cappy” Hill and Dean of the College Christopher Roellke, would want to end “Cappytalism” either. After all, they ask that the trustees replace President Hill with an administrator who has “a history of commitment to marginalized communities and their economic access to higher education.”

To find a college president more committed to access to higher education than President Hill would be next to impossible. Vassar isn’t arbitrarily the college with the greatest economic diversity in the United States—President Hill is one of the foremost experts on the economics of access to higher education.

I would hope, then, that the end game of the “Vassar Organizers” is not to fire both the president of this college and the dean of the College to one of the top liberal arts colleges in the United States. If they believe that the Board of Trustees would ever consider taking such an action—which would be both a publicity nightmare and detrimental to the stability of the College—then they are seriously deluded. As a vote of no confidence, however, this petition is effective. The problem is that a vote of no confidence means nothing if it is not accompanied by a set of clear demands that are actionable upon by college administrators.

As both President Hill and Dean Roellke have expressed publicly, students have not engaged with the administration to fix problems at Vassar. On the other hand, Dean Roellke, President Hill, and other administrators have reached out to the entirety of the sophomore class, student and administrative leaders in the ALANA and LGBTQ Centers, and alumnae/i. In response, the “Vassar Organizers” have merely blamed Cappy and Roellke for the presence of rape culture, misogyny, racism, sexism, homophobia, trans-phobia, etc. at Vassar. To be fair, it seems that neither Cappy nor Dean Roellke are well-versed in identity politics (as illus-

Word on the street What water infusion should the Deece do next?

“Pineapple.”

—Alex Masters ’16

“Berry blend.”

— Anna Brashear ’15 and Kira Greenberg ’15

—Sarah Sandler ’18 is a student at Vassar College.

Petition blame-game promotes anger at administrators above reconciliation Guest Columnist

Page 11

trated by Cappy claiming that being a woman allows her to understand what it’s like to be Black), but that doesn’t make them bad people. Both have expressed a willingness to listen and learn, and both have recognized that they have failed in significant ways. Indeed, how many college presidents and deans would be willing to get in front of a crowd of angry students and admit that they’ve messed up?

The sort of blame-game evident in the “Vassar Organizers” petition pushes campus discourses surrounding racial and gender-based violence toward anger and resentment, rather than reconciliation. It is counterproductive to critique without advocating for either a method for systemic change or tangible reforms, to advocate for reactionary solutions to nuanced situations.

Blaming President Hill and Dean Roellke for structural problems is like blaming the contractor who has been asked to install ferns in the Raymond bathroom for foundational problems that are causing the building to collapse.

That’s not to say that the building is collapsing. Vassar has strong roots in social justice, and though members of our community have been hurt by racial profiling, sexual assault and various other forms of violence, our community continues to strongly condemn those who threaten the safety of its members and support victims of violence. In an emailed statement to me, Dean Roellke expressed his hope for a better future for all at Vassar: “I [know], and I know my colleagues will agree, that the only way to move forward productively is to do so collaboratively, sensitively and with the best interests of our students, our community and our college at the forefront of all of our deliberations.” To fail to work together on this continuing effort is to condemn our community to fragmentation, to anger and to hate.

—Zack Struver ’15 is a history major.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

“Mint something something.”

— Jacqueline Geoghegan ’16

“Strawberry.”

— Stephanie Giessner ’16

“I don’t think I’m ready for any new frontiers.”

—Drury McAlarney ’16

“The only thing that comes to mind is tar.” ­­— Catherine Zhou ’15

Christopher Gonzalez, Humor and Satire Editor Sam Pianello, Photo Editor

OPINIONS

Page 12

February 5, 2015

Television advertisers must be considerate of message Joshua Sherman Opinions Editor

I

s it the Super Bowl, or is it the #brandbowl?

Depending on what moved you to watch last Sunday’s game, you were either rooting for the Seahawks, the Patriots or for the best ad on TV, the last of which a growing attraction for the 114 million to sit in front of a TV each year.

Since the Super Bowl has such a captive audience, its ads cost a pretty penny—$4 million to be exact—and advertisers each year are under pressure to think of new and creative ways to captivate The Big Game’s audience and ultimately win us over as consumers.

While some ads were noteworthy, and some just plain sucked, one in particular was not just bad, but demonstrated what happens when advertisers go too far with the content they create. This ad was with Nationwide, and I think shed light into the power of social media, the power of authority in advertising as well as an important fact advertisers should remember when they choose to air controversial ads.

For those who missed the Nationwide ad, it was clips of a kid, well, being a kid. Or was it— because the kid at the end explains they were actually dead all along, a victim of an accident.

This probably sounds ridiculous as a textual translation of a 30 second commercial, but the idea is that Nationwide was sharing the statistic that the leading cause of death among children is accidents. According to Politifact, the statistic is “mostly true,” and was responsible for 6,455 deaths among those 18 years or younger in 2013. Nationwide ultimately defended its decision to create such an ad, arguing it was making others aware of this issue, advocating the hashtag #makesafehappen for families to be considerate of their children’s health and

“Mackerelmore.

2naChainz. Fishie Smalls”

safety (“Nationwide Super Bowl ad claims accidents are leading cause of death in children,” 02.03.15).

Many Super Bowl viewers did not respond positively to the ad. A great thing about social media is its power to offer a spontaneous way to communicate with others in similar situations. Responses ranged from support of the ad to complete outrage. It’s not fun watching sad ads on TV, and many used the Nationwide hashtag on Twitter to go as far as even mock the insurance company, and mock the child who explained they were dead. Any quick search of #makesafehappen on Twitter reveals the extent of the discourse, now not just on Twitter, but prevalent in major magazines such as Fortune and Adweek too.

As it turned out, Nationwide didn’t just speculate such a negative backlash, but expected it.

In a NBC News story published that evening after the Super Bowl, the ad agency that produced this controversial ad had an in-depth explanation about the events leading up to the ad’s publication. In a way, this coverage was less so much news as it was a blend of public relations and marketing. Nationwide knew this ad would polarize viewers, so they took up the opportunity of an exciting news story to talk about their thought process and justification for the advertisement.

I don’t want to focus this column on whether or not it’s right for people to appropriate an ad that mocks the idea of children being victims of accidents. I don’t want to focus on the ad’s own backlash either, but instead point out one specific concern I have had in the wake of this. It’s about the identity, purpose and trust of a company that chooses to place an advertisement. Nationwide is, for those who don’t

know, an insurance company. They sell auto insurance, homeowners insurance, as well as life insurance. I think it’s particularly noteworthy that a company advertising the importance of preventable death sells insurance in the event you die accidentally. This is about the fact that Nationwide is a for-profit company, advertising an issue that should be reserved for not-forprofit advocacy.

“This is about the fact that Nationwide is a for-profit company... .”

An ad about the importance of safety around children is one thing. It’s an entirely different thing to be a profit-bearing agency communicating this to an audience to sell your brand, not the safety of others. Sure, Nationwide’s efforts may help prevent deaths, but to make an ad appropriating this issue is wrong. It’s also something that’s entirely different if you are a not-for-profit advocacy firm.

A great example is another ad from this past weekend’s Super Bowl, which addressed the issue of domestic violence. It showed a very explicit ad recreating an instance where someone called 911 to report domestic violence as if they were ordering a pizza. This organization, No More, does not profit from this ad they produced in collaboration with the NFL. Their interest is exclusively to prevent instances of domestic violence, not to sell life insurance.

Whether or not you like that it was an ad on TV, there is a significant difference in authority between these organizations and their ad-

by Collin Knopp−-Schwyn and York Chen

Bach pieces brings to the yard 47 Sweet tuber 32 Bridge 1 “Lara Croft: ___ Raider” 49 Kind of destination, maybe 33 Old uke cousin 5 The Hoover one is damn big 50 Uncontrolled muscle contraction 34 Newts 8 Chinstrap, e.g.

53 Cephalopod and rapper that 35 Confused 13 Pi*r², maybe released “Man on the Moon”?

38 Wander 14 Lady with a “Poker Face” 59 Your largest artery 39 Art today?

15 Reigned 60 Old, to Robert Burns 44 The world, vis-à-vis you 16 English author of nonsense,Collin Knopp−Schwyn 61 Burden and York Chen46 Pages of a math notebook limericks, and nonsensical limericks 62 MI6 Agents 48 Get big 17 “And friends,” in papers 63 Nurse, as a beer 49 Like many a dime novel or tree-bark ACROSS 64 A lung to a fish 18 Stadium 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 "Lara Croft: ___ Raider" 19 Frank Ocean and his fishy cohorts?

65 Eavesdrops 5 The Hoover one is damn 21 How a greenhouse might smell?

66 See 14 13 big 22 Keyboard “pad” 67 Certain eye affliction 23 Something 53-Across might8 release, Chinstrap, e.g. if startled?

DOWN 13 Pi*r², maybe 17 16 24 Coffee preparation method14 Lady with a "Poker 26 “I Jake the Snake ’em, ___ ’emFace" in 1 Soapstone mineral 19 20 mausoleums” (Killer Mike, 2014) 15 Reigned2 Sweet sandwich?

28 Luxury hotel Burj Al ___ 16 English 3author Honeyof alcohol 32 Slick snow 4 Upchuck 22 nonsense, limericks, and 34 “Fear of Flying” author Jong nonsensical 5 Piece of info limericks 36 Hubbub 6 Petri dish growth medium 17 "And friends," in papers 24 25 26 27 37 Sean Combs enjoying some18 fugu?

7 People born with only one Stadium 40 Consumed X chromosome, 19 Frank Ocean and his probably 32 34 33 41 Waits on hand and foot 8 Brains’ fishy cohorts? beefier 42 Metal impurity counterpart might 21 How a greenhouse 43 Infamous Roman Emperor 37 38 smell? 9 Bathtub exclamation 45 Buffoon 10 Protected from wind 22 Keyboard "pad" 46 Pianist Gould who performed many 11 Tear apart 41 40 23 Something 53−Across 12 Date of Normandy might release, if startled?

Answers to last week’s puzzle landings Love on Top? 24 Coffee preparation 45 43 44 14 “Rise and shine!” (2 A S I F A Pmethod P T H U M B words) B A L E W E E E E R I E 26 "I Jake the Snakewe’re ’em,usually in?

20 States 47 48 49 A R I D M A G M A Y A R N ___ ’em in mausoleums" 23 Monroe’s lasted seven C I A O P R E E N A K I N (Killer Mike, R A R E L Y I N K years 2014) 50 51 52 53 54 28 Luxury hotel Burj Alyear R E D S E A B A R M 24 Take a gap B O H R A U L D___ O M A N 25 Soccer equivalent of an B L 32 T I D A L B A A E ESlick D snow 60 59 ump.

K A L E T A P E E T N A 34 "Fear of26 Flying" Makes author raisins or leather B A B Y S C E N I C Jong 27 Sick burn 63 62 B A M A K O O H O 36 Hubbub29 Noble basement gas W R A P W R U N G E P I C Sean Combs enjoying 30 Piles it on L A S T B O 37 R O N T A S K 66 65 some fugu?

31 What my milkshake E R I E O M E G A A R T

Mackerelmore. 2naChainz. Fishie Smalls.

S

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—Joshua Sherman ’16 is an English major.

The Miscellany Crossword

ACROSS

© CC-BY 4.0

vertisements. One is showing a phone number where you can get support if you need it and the other is trying to elicit and emotional response with no explicit call to action.

I’m not going to make a stance that it was a good or bad ad, or that it’s right or wrong to support the ad or vilify it. What I’m getting at is that advertisers working with for-profit companies ought to be more self-aware of what they are advocating. To take an issue that I’m sure is a very big deal to thousands of families each year and promote your brand around it is, to me, concerning. I do think brands and companies can support issues like preventable death and advocate for organizations that work towards it. However, Nationwide is not doing this; they are using the issue to exclusively profit their brand and no other third-party or not-for-profit association.

Nationwide’s website, makesafehappen.com, doesn’t explicitly state they will donate to notfor-profits when you buy a policy. The project’s plan is to raise awareness, but also to put Nationwide’s brand before those of not-for-profits who have been advocating to help prevent accidental deaths. Nationwide does practice corporate citizenship, but this advertisement—the key word being “advertisement”—has nothing to do with these efforts. Nationwide’s usage of this issue so directly to promote its brand is distasteful and ought to be criticized.

This also is a reminder to advertisers: Brands advocating for serious issues need to seriously remember that they represent profitable companies. If you’re making money off the issue and not giving money to a not-for-profit, you better be ready for the backlash.

A SConsumed T 40 41 Waits on hand and foot 42 Metal impurity 43 Infamous Roman Emperor 45 Buffoon

© CC−BY 4.0 MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

DOWN

1 Soapstone mineral 2 Sweet sandwich?

3 Honey alcohol

27 Sick burn 29 Noble basement gas 30 Piles it on 31 What my milkshake

smoothie 50 Obi 51 He might be Innocent, Urban, or Hilarius 52 Solo singer’s big number 53 ’Tude 54 Remark with wit 55 Metal teeth 56 Circle where r = 1 57 “___ noted, boss.”

58 It may be emerald or royale 8

9

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29

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15 18 21 23

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42 46

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56 Circle where r = 1 57 "___ noted, boss."

58 It may be emerald or royale

HUMOR & SATIRE

February 5, 2015

Page 13

Breaking News From the desk of Chris Gonzalez, Humor & Satire Editor Trailblazers of ‘activism’ Vassar Student Organizers to further abuse campus listserv with LinkedIn requests The Misc’s Guide to: those 4 ‘I’m sorry, I <3 you:’ terrified students who make life hell senior emails thesis advisor Kayla Lightner

Renaissance Student

W

ith the new Ice Age upon us, there’s a chance you’ve yet to have all of your classes. Spring semester: different classes, new professors, a chance to up your procrastination game, more tearful phone calls home, more watching Netflix in the nude...

I digress.

We all know the drill, but in case you forgot: You go over the 10-page syllabus, which is presented as your finite Bible for the next 14 weeks and somehow magically changes three times by the next class. The professor makes a good joke and everyone genuinely laughs, or the professor makes a bad joke and everyone politely chuckles while internally cringing from the overbearing awkwardness. Some noob comes in 15 minutes late. Sometimes you’re that noob. Ultimately, the first day of classes is an unfortunate but necessary evil; however, it allows you to sum up your other classmates! Are they a potential friend or pain in your ass? Your next hookup or replacement drug dealer? Only one way to find out.

1. The Know-It-Alls

I know you’ve had to put up with these arrogant boobs since grade school, but they’re still here. Only worse. Whatever class you are taking, the Know-It-All is probably there because it has something to do with their major. In their eyes the class was tailor-made for them, and they insist that everyone else— roommates, classmates, the kid passed out in the Mug, the random squirrel they encounter and especially the professor—accepts that as well. The professor can’t even scratch their left butt-cheek, let alone finish a sentence without the Know-It-All chiming in. They do shit like cite the reading or talk about an “interesting” documentary that vaguely (but not really) has something to do with the current discussion.

The Know-It-All talks so much in class that eventually you forget who’s the student and who’s the professor.

2. Pac-Men

This kid’s got smarts and snackage. Constantly littered with ridiculous amounts of sandwiches, cookies, coffee, chips, sodas and

pretzels, their desk is a postmodern bodega.

When the aroma of their Nilda’s peanut butter chocolate chip cookie wafts over to where you are sitting, your stomach might swan dive deeper into a void of hunger. But even if you want to give them a bitter side-eye, when they walk in late with a coffee and oatmeal cup, no notebook or pen in sight, a stylish scarf pulled taut around their crumb-coated neck, you’ll be giving them the thumbs up.

3. Houdinis

Now you see them, now you don’t. Typically found in a lecture setting, this kid will be there on the first day—but don’t get your hopes up thinking you’ll see them again. They didn’t drop the class (they will occasionally ask you when a paper is due), they just never care to show up. On the rare occasion they do come to class, it feels a lot like spotting a unicorn or getting to pet a womp-womp—it’s a magical experience. Even the professor is a little thrown off by their presence, clutching their heart in shock. On the more common occasion when they are not there, you find yourself wondering: Where the hell do they go?

Are they passing? I bet I could skip class! No, I need a good grade in here. But maybe just once? Just to sleep? Maybe I should ask the Know-It-All. He sat next to Pac-Mac, are they friends? Who are these people?

4. Wrong Class Charlies

These students are painfully easy to identify because once the professor starts talking about the class, their eyes widen, they shift uncomfortably in their seat, and they start looking desperately around the room for points of exit. Some just put their head down and charge out of the class, while others do an awkward crab side shuffle along the wall until they get to the door. Some are too terrified to move so they just hang their heads in shame until class is over. Sure, it is easy to laugh at these poor souls, but one has to remember that it can happen to anybody. For some reason, the first day of classes erases any sense of direction you might have had, the campus turns to goo and suddenly all the buildings are impossible to navigate. Especially Blodgett. Godspeed to those of you in Blodgett.

Chris Gonzalez

Thesis-Writer, Coffee-Drinker, Sleep-Needer

G

ood morning, Professor, It’s a beautiful day today, isn’t it? Well, I mean, if you consider snow beautiful, which I do. I mean, don’t we all? Ha. So, yeah, about that chapter draft. Of course I’m going to get it to you! No worries on that front. Everything is so peachy-keen I’m basically experiencing spikes in my blood sugar. You’ll get it by the end of the week, I swear.

And, just to be clear (though I’m sure this doesn’t even need to be said), I wasn’t avoiding you over winter break. Ha. So silly. Why would I do that? No reason, none at all. Which is why I didn’t. The Internet was broken and I couldn’t access the Moodle or my email thingy.

My mother was in the hospital like every day for three weeks. I mean, she’s a nurse so that’s kind of her job. Ha. All is well.

Stay warm!

Good evening, Professor Hope you’re well!

That’s not to say that you shouldn’t be well or anything. I want you healthy. I mean, I don’t know your health, I don’t know your life. But I want to.

So: that chapter draft. It’s coming along. I think. Just wanted to let you know in case you thought you weren’t going to hear from me.

Oh, if you see this email after you get the next one, just discard it. Don’t even worry about it. So silly.

Hello again, Professor, The draft was due yesterday? Oh, wow.

That’s so so strange. I could have swore it wasn’t due until tomorrow. How funny? Isn’t that just so funny? Um. Yeah.

I’ll turn it in tomorrow for sure! That’s okay, right? I mean, that’s the day we agreed upon, I thought. So we’ll go with that.

Will this snow ever melt?

Professor, I know it seems a little, well, how can I put this—odd—that I would react to bumping into you by doing a roll from the second floor of the College Center down into the Retreat. That kid sure was mad I ruined his Chili Wednesday. Of

course that had nothing to do with you or the fact that I was seven hours late handing in my chapter draft. But, hey, if it’s any consolation, I got a jump start on the next chapter! I’m sure you’ll love it—I’m using your book as my main source of theory.

So, let’s do coffee, huh?

Prof, Wow, OK. Went a little hard there with the comments, don’t you think?

Professor, Please forgive me. That previous email was not meant to be sent. I am so sorry.

Professor, What do you mean when you say I needed to do more preliminary research? Was that a suggestion or a demand? I’m not being lazy. I’ll do what needs to be done, but come on, it was totally a suggestion, right?

Professor, Your book is basically my thesis. Your book.

My thesis. I literally have nothing else to say about this topic that you haven’t already said.

Further, what’s the point of an undergraduate thesis when there are dissertations written on the same subject; they make our little theses look like popcorn shrimp in a bucket floating next to a giant squid. Who happens to be taking steroids. And doing lifts.

Professor, Look.

I get it.

I suck.

You hate me.

Why did I decide to do this?

I suck. You hate me. I get it.

Ha. Ha. Sob. Professor, I are thesis.

Hello, Professor, Hope you’re well. Would you like to meet sometime this week in the Retreat for coffee. I could really use some help going through your most recent edits of my chapter draft.

AskBanner: the Misc’s “Weekly” “Advice” Column

by Banner, Thief of the Cookie from Your Cookie Jar Banner, I’m a senior living in Noyes House. I have a small problem (no, it’s not about my friend group, which I lack). You see, my room looks directly into a room in Cushing, which I didn’t realize was a dormitory until just last semester. Anyway, every night I catch a glimpse of this totally super hot dude undressing. He’s never not naked. So, like, obviously I’m gonna take a peek when I can. Duh. But I feel wrong, dirty. How can I stop my voyeuristic stirrings?

Signed, Peek-A-Boo

Hey Ban-Ban, The registration period is about to end and I’m only enrolled in one class. Ok, ok, you don’t have to yell at me. I know I should have been meeting with my advisor instead of staying up all night to finish season three of “Friends” on Netflix. My Ross and Rachel feels are too strong. Any tips on how to get into a class that may or may not be closed and is taught by a professor who may or may not detest my soul? Any tips at all will help.

Thanks, Unenrolled

Banner of Ask, I come to you, for you are the bearer of all things wise. Valentine’s Day is on the horizon and I need your guidance. What shall I do? I am lonely, Banner, single and unhappy. How can I get a date in time for this yearly celebration of love? When will someone swoon beneath my tender touch? When will I finally meet my true love at last? When will this condom I took out of my student fellow’s door freshman year be put to use?

All the best, Tender is the Night

Dear Banner, Dude. Alright, so here’s the thing—not a big thing, mind you, but thing enough for me to make it a thing. Ok. So, the other day I was talking to my best friend about how much I hate hate hate eating alone in the Deece. It’s like the modern day equivalent of having the Bubonic plague! I mean, right? It’s basically telling everyone around you to back the fuck off. But I’m not diseased, I swear. All my friends have different schedules. Help?

Signed, The Larger Side is Vast

Peek-A-Boo, We all feel a carnal pull to flesh, visually and physically. When we’re not getting any, the days grows longer and the world seems a little colder. Banner knows, sweetie. Oh, how he knows. I suggest stripping down in front of a mirror and staring at yourself for hours.

What will that solve? Not a damn thing.

Dum-Dum, To be a student, you have to take classes.

Your only option is to grovel in email form or at the door of your professor’s office. Maybe they like chocolate? Or vodka? Maybe you should take your parents’ hard-earned cash and do something more productive with it: like throw it into a blender and press “cream.”

Tough Love, Dates grow on trees, so I’m sorry but the Ban Man can’t help you. But you know what?

On Valentine’s Day, go treat yourself. That’s right! Do you, ‘cause no one else will. Nab a ticket to “Fifty Shades of Grey” and kick your feet up, smack dab in the center. Feel free to say hello—I’ll be sitting closest to the exit.

Vastly Wasting My Time, Eating alone ain’t a thing at all, buddy. You should be doing cartwheels! You get a breather in the middle of the day. Just ask Peek-ABoo what it’s like to eat a meal or three a day alone. Nothing makes his day more. People are tiresome and their shit gets old fast. Trade in the friends for an extra helping of me time.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

ARTS

Page 14

February 5, 2015

Hirsch shares poetry collection remembering life of son Charles Lyons-Burt Reporter

S

courtesy of edwardhirsch.com

tudents, faculty and pedestrians alike flocked to Room 212—the Sanders Classroom Auditorium—mid-afternoon on Saturday, Jan. 31 to hear a renowned guest and literary authority relay his wisdom. The guest was poet Edward Hirsch, who, as introduced by Professor of English Paul Kane, maintains several honors, including a Guggenheim Fellowship and a MacArthur “Genius” grant, as well as a longtime professorship at the University of Houston. Hirsch achieved widespread notoriety in the late ‘90s for writing a how-to guide called “How to Read a Poem: And Fall in Love with Poetry.”

But Hirsch did not come to Vassar to speak about his past work, nor his many accomplishments. Rather, the poet, though celebrating the September 2014 release of his latest collection, “Gabriel: A Poem,” was here to discuss more somber matters.

Almost four years ago, Hirsch lost his 22-yearold son, whose name is the title of his new book.

Gabriel underwent a seizure and subsequent deadly cardiac arrest as the result of taking a drug, and Hirsch’s work explores ideas of fatherhood, child-rearing, resentment, acceptance of mistakes and miscalculations, and the grief and trauma that arises from such a tragedy. “[It was] so grief-stricken and so relentless,” Hirsch said of the process of collecting and composing the content of the book, as well as of the aftermath of his son’s death more broadly.

While the content of the poem deals with quite heavy subject matter, Hirsch’s poetry transcends cliché. Jacqueline Krass ’16 attended the event and wrote in an emailed statement, “Hirsch’s writing carefully avoids sentimentality, in part, I think, because it would make writing a book like this impossible. The poems themselves don’t avoid emotion, though, expressing Hirsch’s conflicted and unresolved reactions to his son’s death and refusing a sense of closure.”

The poet formed “Gabriel” in three stages: First, he aggregated information and observa-

tions about his son previously unbeknownst to him from family and friends that knew him.

Then, he wrote a series of poems from his own perspective regarding the death, his feelings and his struggles to connect with Gabriel. Finally, the poet attested to taking material from the first part of the process, filtering it through the unique perspective etched in his second stage, and then crafted all of it into the nearly 100-page book.

“It’s a modernist break…and truly American,” Kane said of Hirsch’s approach to writing, and its uniqueness in comparison to that of other poets, past and contemporary alike. Few in the field of poetry, Kane pointed out, mix biographical detail and factual reporting with elegiac and unsentimental emoting in the way that Hirsch does in “Gabriel.”

Though the subjects on the roster for the discussion were understandably grim and serious, Kane stipulated at the beginning that he intended the conversation to have a casual and informal tone. Nonetheless, Hirsch and his interviewer, both students of poetry and literary experts in their own rights, proffered a deep discussion of the formal and stylistic elements of the book.

The lecture’s structure lent itself to a more open atmosphere for those who attended the event. Krass agreed, writing, “I really appreciated the conversation format, especially as Professor Kane and Edward Hirsch already knew each other and seemed comfortable talking together; it’s unusual, and exciting, to be able to just listen to a famous poet talking about his work and process.”

Another attendee, Dylan Manning ’16 found the conversation to be a complete change from other lectures he had attended in the past. “Unlike previous readings...this one was conducted entirely as an interview instead of the poet reading a large selection of [their] most recent poems,” wrote Manning. “Hirsch did end up reading some poems, but it was always a kind of backwards process; Professor Kane would ask him something about the process or a motif he noticed, and Hirsch would find a relevant poem to read aloud and then discuss it a bit.”

Edward Hirsch, a nationally acclaimed poet, came to Vassar to have a conversation with Professor Paul Kane this past Saturday. They discussed his new book of poems about his late son, Gabriel.

“Gabriel” is not only possibly unprecedented in its poetic form but also in its subject matter. “I had only written two poems about [Gabriel] previous to his death,” Hirsch attested, suggesting that the event was a crucial turning point in his career and artistic mentalities.

Hirsch stylistically likened his own work to Alfred Tennyson’s “In Memoriam A.H.H.,” a Victorian-era extended poetic requiem for a dead friend and colleague, but rejected its ending for its surrender to perhaps easy emotionalism and an overly sentimental tone. “[‘Gabriel’] is not intended to console the reader,” Hirsch frankly stated, adding, “It’s a multi-moded book.”

This wide potential for interpretation and vastness of scope was on display in the audience Q&A portion of the talk.

A few audience members then shared with the room their reaction to the book, breaking down into tears and imploring the author how affecting his new book was for them, and how truly it spoke to their own dealings with loss and mourning.

Krass added, “Many people in the audience seemed to relate very deeply to Hirsch and his work, perhaps because of the total inconsolability and anger Hirsch expresses in his book over his son’s death.”

By these accounts, Hirsch’s visit ultimately stayed true to Modfest’s goal as an event to unite a community through art and widen peoples’ conception of the possibilities of a connection to an artwork—though “Gabriel” is an unquestionably personal venture for its author and its words have clearly sheltered many.

Art Center brings 50 years of history to Hudson Valley Saachi Jain

Guest Reporter

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arrison, N.Y. is a quaint town located in the Hudson Valley and just happens to be the home to the Garrison Art Center.

The Art Center, which is less than 45 minutes from Vassar’s campus, is more than an just an ordinary art gallery in the Hudson Valley.

It houses numerous exhibitions by local artists and more well-known artists alike, as well as hosting art classes, auctions and several other special events.

Recently, the gallery celebrated its 50 year anniversary, which the executive director, Carinda Swann, believes is partially due to the nature of the town of Garrison, being as small as it is, as she stated in an article in the Hudson Valley Magazine. “We serve as an info center and a bathroom, as well as the art community,” she said.

The Coordinator of Public Education and

Information at The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, Margaret Vetare, to whom the Art Center was an important touchstone for many years, further attested to this by stating, “Their geographic draw might surprise you.

In fact, when I was taking a class in mosaics a couple of years ago, I met a woman in a ceramics class who actually rode the train up from Manhattan because she preferred the classes and instructors at GAC to some she had experienced in NYC.” She continued, “So here is this small, kind of funky Victorian building wedged in the narrow strip of land between the river and the rails, functioning at this very high level with excellent teachers, varied and well thoughtout exhibitions, and equipment like kilns and printmaking facilities that make these pursuits accessible to many, many people.”

The Art Center originated from the community’s desire for access to a thorough and

courtesy of Paul Clay

Garrison Art Center recently celebrated 50 years of bringing art to the town in the Hudson Valley.

The Center features local artists as well as widely acclaimed artists in multiple exhibitions every year.

exemplary art education. It started in 1964 through funds collected from a show of local artists at the Garrison School, which were used for both the art center and art fund of the school itself.

The Garrison Art Center doesn’t just function as a museum, it also houses a variety of activities for community members to participate in. Art classes were the center’s primary endeavor for the first several years, and today the center has classes such as “Introduction to Watercolor,” “Pottery” and “Sculpture Workshop,” as well as more unexpected ones such as “5-String Banjo” and “Making Comics From Life.”

Vetare emphasized the uniqueness that the Art Center brings to Garrison, “Between the GAC and the Depot Theater just across the street, it’s like there’s a wonderful artistic heartbeat pulsing away in this spot and for me it feels like a physical and cultural anchor in a geographic location that can otherwise feel a bit diffuse.”

However, over the years it has expanded to open galleries and many other local projects.

“All their offerings, whether classes or exhibitions or annual events, are of a very high level, and they bring an artistic richness not just to the tiny hamlet of Garrison but to the whole surrounding area,” commented Vetare.

The Art Center’s galleries, called the Riverside Galleries, contain three exhibition spaces—The Trudy and Henry Gillette Gallery, used for larger exhibitions, The Anita Hart Balter Gallery, used for smaller and more intimate exhibitions, and the Studio Gallery, used for larger educational exhibitions. The exhibitions are comprised of a wide variety of artistic styles, from paintings to sculpture to photography.

On the method of choosing the artists to display, Administrative Assistant at the Garrison Art Center Julia Famularo commented, “The process of selecting artists for exhibition in our galleries begins with the artists themselves who apply. The Art Center’s Gallery Committee meets in the Fall and reviews all of the applications for consideration of a

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

gallery show. Occasionally a member of the Gallery Committee may recommend an artist for exhibition.”

In addition to the variety of artistic styles, the galleries also feature a variety of artists from more local artists in the nearby community to nationally and internationally renowned artists.

“Some of the most exciting exhibitions at the Art Center in recent years have included an exhibition of paintings curated by Sean Sculley in 2013, and in 2014 collages by Ivan Chermayeff and recently prints by Judy Pfaff.

You may see our entire 2015 exhibition calendar on our website,” said Famularo.

In addition to those artists, Grace Knowlton, a well-known New York based artist, also had a solo exhibition in 2007.

The current exhibition being hosted at the galleries, from Jan. 24 to Feb. 15, is “Carry On”

by Rob Swainston.

The show is described on the Art Center’s website. A recent post read, “In this exhibition viewers can see numerous printmaking techniques, often within the same piece. Rob Swainston’s mastery at combining multiple techniques creates a complex layering of processes and media culminating in a richly painterly print not often accomplished with this level of virtuosity.”

Coming up after “Carry On” are “Rooted/Forest Portraits” by Julie Ann Mann and “Ladder to the Sun” by Gabe Brown, which start on Feb. 21 and go through March 15.

Aside from its exhibitions and art classes, the Garrison Art Center hosts events such as the Riverside Art Auction, the Annual Riverside Crafts Fair and the Holiday Pottery Sale.

For part of its 50th anniversary celebration, the Art Center organized and launched a free steamroller printmaking festival called “Rollin on the River.”

For 50 years, the Garrison Art Center has contributed to and expanded the art community of the town of Garrison, and with its rich galleries, exciting events and excellent educational opportunities; perhaps it will continue on for 50 more.

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February 5, 2015

Page 15

Vassar–Bardavon collaboration engages racial identity Yifan Wang Reporter

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courtesy of VassarMedia Relations

oing to the Shiva or Powerhouse Theater to see a show on weekend nights is probably no strange idea to Vassar students. However, going to the Bardavon, an opera house in downtown Poughkeepsie for a performance might be a whole new experience. This February, Vassar will collaborate with the Bardavon Theatre and the City of Poughkeepsie School District to present two award-winning programs that address racism in America and encourage honest conversation about prejudice. “Rhapsody in Black,” LeLand Gantt’s one-man play about his life as an African-American seeking to transcend racism, will be shown on Friday, Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. “Through a Lens Darkly,” the first documentary film to explore the critical role of photography in shaping African-American identity from slavery to the present, will be presented on Feb. 20.

The first event, “Rhapsody in Black,” allows the audience to follow the performer’s spellbinding life story—from an underprivileged childhood in the ghettos of McKeesport, Penn. to teenage experiments with crime and drugs to scholastic achievement and an acting career that lands LeLand Gantt in situations where he is the only African-American in the room. Gantt, the performer and creator of “Rhapsody in Black,” wrote about how he considers the show, “The message of my show is worthy of display and conversation anywhere in the world...I’m hoping to stir a conversation surrounding racism and social discrimination in this country, and other forms of rising discriminations.”

He continued, “I want to supply information that debunks people’s misinformation and an indefinite lack of information they have about the other culture or person. And this information hopefully can take us to the understanding that basically we are all human beings.”

Executive Director Chris Silva initiated the programs and, along with the Bardavon, played an active part in the one-man play. He said, “We have a long relationship with the Actors Studio

Poughkeepsie high school students, Vassar college students and the Hudson Valley public are brought together to witness two race-focused programs, “Rhapsody in Black” and “Through A Lens Darkly.” in New York City.... So, over the last year, we’ve been working with Estelle [Parsons] and LeLand to develop the piece further and to create two versions of it, a 60-minute version targeting high school students and the full-length version.” Silva then approached Vassar to get the campus involved as well. “I’ve been trying to involve Vassar for 20 years at the Bardavon. And very recently in the last year, we brought into our Board of Directors two Vassar professors. It was really them who made it happen and we’ve had much support from Vassar.”

The two Vassar members on the Board of Directors at the Bardavon are Leslie Offutt, Associate Professor of History, and Miriam Mahdaviani, Visiting Assistant Professor of Dance. They joined the Board Opera House last June and work with the Bardavon on a regular basis. Offutt and

Mahdaviani were excited about what these two shows could bring to both Vassar and the local community. “With the goal being to foster greater conversation and understanding about the issues of race and discrimination that touch us all…[w] hat we hope to do here is to stretch that, by bringing members of the Vassar community–students, faculty and staff–into a larger conversation with members of the Poughkeepsie community, to break down the walls and get Vassar people more cognizant of issues that affect the community in which Vassar is embedded.”

Mahdaviani also hoped to draw audiences’ attention and enthusiasm to the panel discussions following each showing. “I think its important to note that the panel discussions provide a unique opportunity for dialogue with people with whom we might not usually interact at Vassar—African

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American high school students, community leaders, members of the Poughkeepsie community... understanding their motivations should help us dispel false assumptions the next time we encounter a person of color whom we don’t recognize on campus.”

In order to achieve such goals, the event is free to the public, and there will be free transportation from Vassar to the Bardavon on the two nights of the event. Financing these arrangements has been made possible through the “Dialogue and Engagement Across Differences” program, a grant program available for innovative programming.

Offutt and Mahdaviani stressed the significant role of this program in organizing these two events. “We applied for a ‘Dialogue and Engagement Across Differences’ initiative, which is designed to facilitate conversation within the Vassar community about the racial issues the College has seen surface, and needs to address, because it seemed that these two events offered the opportunity both to stimulate conversation on campus and with the larger community. We’re excited about the fact that these two events are designed to get Vassar students off-campus, breaking out of the bubble,” they said in an emailed statement.

The Director of Education and Community Services at the Bardavon, Kay Chirchill, also approached the Poughkeepsie City School District to extend the influence of these programs to young people. And as a result, an abridged version of “Rhapsody in Black” will now be shown in Poughkeepsie High School the evening before it is shown at the Bardavon.

With the showing of “Rhapsody in Black” around the corner, Silva commented on the piece, “It’s a very powerful piece, especially for our time right now. The issue of race is always going be relevant in our societies, but things are happening that are bringing it back to a stronger focus. It’s also very funny, moving and surprising. As LeLand says, “he’s really just trying to start a conversation and he succeeds.”

Gantt concluded, “I have confidence in what I have to say and it will hopefully be well-received.”

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ARTS

Page 16

February 5, 2015

French films Historic war film achieves grand scale facilitate dialogue Meaghan Hughes

Contributing Editor

Unbroken Angelina Jolie Legendary Pictures

FILM continued from page 1

ities, as well as the generous support of the Film Department and the Dean of Faculty to put on the festival,” she said.

Once the Department was able to secure this exciting opportunity, they were then given creative authority with the films. Associate Professor of French and Francophone Studies and the Chair of French and Francophone Studies Vinay Swamy was very involved with this festival as well and commented on her role in the process, “They have a list of several films that they sponsor and we can choose from the list and curate our own festival.”

On selecting an overarching theme for the festival, and consequently a title, the curators of Tournées had to look no further than the films themselves. Brancky wrote about the reasoning behind the name Love in the 21st Century, “As we thought about the films we were interested in and wanted to share with our community, we started to see the theme of love emerge from our selection. Since the festival will take place over the month of February, the month of Valentine’s Day, we thought that this would be an exciting thread to connect these diverse films.”

Reyes and Swamy commented as well on this evident theme shared by every film in the lineup, which includes (in order) “Polisse,” Maïwenn; “Declaration of War,” Valérie Donzelli; “Amour,” Michael Haneke; “Blue is the Warmest Color,” Abdellatif Kechiche; “Mauvais Sang,” Leos Carax; and “The Past,” Asghar Farhadi. Reyes wrote, “I think one of the most important things for us...was trying to make the festival as accessible as possible. I think that many, if not all, people have strong thoughts and feelings about ‘love,’ whether it’s the longing of romantic love, the heart-sundering pain of love lost, or perhaps more overtly political concerns about whose love gets to be recognized by the State.

Swamy said, “One of the things that we are so used to thinking or hearing about is this word ‘love’, and we think that it is the core of our identity in some ways. But a lot of the representations of love on the ‘big screen’ are very much weighted towards a certain kind of romantic notion of what love is all about.”

He continued, “And especially when you see mainstream Hollywood cinema, one of the things that I think the people who curated this festival in the department felt was that France has a very different way of representing love... they also have a way of thinking about other ways in which love can be important in people’s lives.”

With all planning, selecting and designing out of the way, the organizers of the Tournées Film Festival now look to enjoy the festival themselves and hope that the community will do the same. Brancky wrote about what aspect of the festival she is anticipating most. “I am most looking forward to seeing students, faculty and the community interacting in the post-screening discussions following each film. Many of these films raise important questions and universal issues that I hope will incite interesting discussions,” she saud.

The organizers aren’t the only ones looking forward to the festival; Delphine Douglas ’18, a French student at Vassar, wrote about her excitement for the festival. She said, “I’m really excited for the festival! I’ve seen three of the films they’re showing and really enjoyed them, so I’m looking forward to seeing the other three. Sometimes it’s hard to find ways to watch foreign films, and this seems like a great opportunity to see them. It’s easy to forget that other countries make really cool films so it’s nice to be reminded of that.”

The festival is free and open to the public, and each film has subtitles so there is no need to know French to enjoy and appreciate the films.

On a final note, Swamy commented on what he hopes viewers will take away from the festival, “I think this is a wonderful way for us to actually reflect on the different issues that are presented by the films and my hope is that we will not just be thinking about French cinema as something thats produced out there across the Atlantic...but actually maybe these discussions will lead us to think about what our own society does and how it’s constructed.”

T

he first word that comes to mind when describing the movie “Unbroken” is “big.”

Many of the scenes span vast landscapes, and even those depicting cramped and confined prison camps still capture a sense of ceaseless repetition in settings that are just one part of a global conflict. Though the story itself takes place primarily within a period of less than five years, it still feels big. It’s as though this small portrait can speak to an entire generation in a very specific time when many soldiers on both sides of WWII were enduring terrible hardships. It’s understandable, then, that the film received an Oscar nomination for cinematography.

One of the only aspects of the film that is not big, however, is the cast. The main character, Louis Zamperini, is played by British actor Jack O’Connell, a relatively unknown actor in American cinema. In fact, the only actor I personally recognized was Finn Wittrock of “American Horror Story: Freakshow” fame. It took me a while to get over the initial shock of seeing the face I had associated with the intensely frightening Dandy on the screen, but Wittrock does a great job of playing Zamperini’s companion, Mac. I had a problem with one of the characters, that of the evil and seemingly psychopathic Mutsuhiro Watanabe, played by novice actor and Japanese singer Takamasa Ishihara. The acting itself was incredible, and Ishihara does an admirable job leading the audience to despise his character and his motivations.

But I had trouble believing that a single person could be entirely and almost superhumanly evil. The only humanizing moment in the film was when Zamperi-

ni finds a picture of Watanabe standing beside who we assume to be his father.

And yet this brief moment fails to provide much respite from the personalized hatred that the officer has for the prisoners, and specifically for Zamperini.

Of course, the film is based on the true story of Zamperini’s life, as written by author Lauren Hillenbrand, and as such, I feel uncomfortable questioning how Zamperini remembered his traumatic experience in the POW camp. However, there is something to be said for the historic demonization of Japanese soldiers in the decades following WWII. Additionally I can’t help but think of the thousands of American citizens of Japanese heritage who were kept against their will in internment camps in some of the most remote parts of the United States.

“I have trouble believing that a... person could be... super-humanly evil..”

What complicates this further is that “Unbroken[’s]” director, Angelina Jolie, has said repeatedly that the story of the film is about forgiveness. Yet, in this regard, I feel the film falls a bit short. Without giving away the ending, there is a brief clip at the movie’s close explaining that some of the Japanese officers from the camp either moved to the United States or greeted the veterans in later years and asked for forgiveness for their brutality.

Without this short flash of words upon the screen, the entire film would be primarily about one man’s struggle to continue to survive the constant hardship thrown his way.

Jolie does a fantastic job at capturing these challenges in a simple yet very striking way. For the entire duration that Zamperini and his comrades are strand-

ed at sea, numbers flash in the corner of the screen chronicling the days they have spent in the middle of the ocean without food or water. In this way, the audience is hit hard by the real intensity of the situation without being hit over the head by dramatic music or a voiceover for additional added effect.

On that note, I was not surprised to find that the film had also been nominated Oscars for Sound Editing and Mixing.

Though these may not be the most exciting or talked-about award categories, they certainly seemed to be a clear instance in which the diagetic and non-diagetic sounds worked together to create an atmosphere or mood for the audience without being too traditional to the point of being cliché.

As someone who has seen quite a few war films—with many of those taking place during World War II—I found this story to be refreshingly exceptional and incredible. Unlike some films that focus on miraculous events that did or had the potential to change the outcome of an entire war, “Unbroken” centers around a group of men, though perhaps most exclusively on one man, as a means of retelling a story of survival. Zamperini’s experience may not be one that many can relate to, but if anything, it puts into perspective our own personal hardships.

Watching three men surviving on minimal rations and resorting to eating a raw fish certainly made me think twice about complaining when having to withdraw money from my savings account to pay for my weekly groceries.

Overall, the film is well-done, and though some might argue that it is limited in perspective, the story is inspiring and touching. I will neither confirm nor deny that the film’s final scene, which utilized real footage of Zamperini nearly 40 years after the war, made me tear up. The audience is left feeling grateful for what Zamperini endured and, more importantly, relief from the fact that the ordeal is over.

Third Rhimes series displays potential Connor McIlwain Guest Columnist

How to Get Away with Murder Peter Nowalk Shondaland

M

y friends and I spent one of our last few days on campus before break huddled over a laptop in one of Cushing’s parlors binge watching ABC’s “How to Get Away with Murder.” Dubbed a hybrid between “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Scandal,” the show delivers in most respects.

We see sex, drama and, of course, murder happen at fictional Middleton University’s prestigious law school in Philadelphia.

Here, five of Professor Annalise Keating’s top students get the opportunity to work closely with her on many thrilling cases.

In each episode, the gang takes on a new client while one ongoing case is drawn out.

The show revolves around one particular case. In it, Lila Stangard was found dead on the roof of her sorority house and her friend Rebecca Sutter is a prime suspect.

Keating and Co. willingly take on the case, defending Rebecca.

As the case unfolds, Keating’s husband Sam’s role in the murder becomes increasingly apparent. He was Lila’s professor and the father of her unborn child. The two had been having an affair and on the night of her murder, Sam mysteriously left his New Haven hotel in the middle of the night and drove back to Philadelphia.

The show left off with a heated argument in the Keating household that left Sam dead and Rebecca and four of the law students scrambling to cover up their crime.

After a brief hiatus, the show is back

in full force. The premiere centers on the Stangard case and with the trial rapidly approaching, Keating has little time to get the charges against Rebecca dropped. The show focuses on the struggles Keating faces, both in trying to maintain her public appearance as a stoic and hard-to-please lawyer and teacher while continuing to deal with the major revelations about her husband and his infidelities from the first half of the season.

Meanwhile, the group frantically tries to cover their tracks in the murder of Sam Keating. It is here that we see a full range of emotions through the four law students.

From fearful to straight-edged, the four actors are finally given something more to work with to stretch their acting chops.

And as usual, Annalise Keating continues to keep secrets from her students. Her endgame is never known. As Rebecca’s attorney, she benefits from proving her husband killed Lila, but with her husband missing, it is never clear whether or not that helps Keating in her personal life. It is also unclear how she could possibly stand to benefit from keeping his murder under wraps.

If anything, keeping the murder a secret would harm her case. Sam lashed out to keep a flash drive (with allegedly incriminating evidence on it) away from the team.

This conflict led to the altercation that got him killed. Uncovering his behavior could potentially help prove he murdered Lila. Sam’s sister, Hannah, arrives unexpectedly in the last scene to further complicate things. She tells the police that whatever Annalise has told them is a lie and that her brother is not a murderer.

The usually stoic Annalise is visibly shaken by this news, even though the team is finally under control. Michaela’s wedding plans are back on track, Connor is on board and Annalise has promised to help

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

them all get away scot-free. Hannah’s arrival is poised to shake things up but there is no more threat of mutiny.

Thus far, the show has been met with positive feedback. Viola Davis delivers in her role as Annelise Keating. Both authoritative and vulnerable, Davis does an excellent job portraying this complex character and where her various loyalties lie. She leads the cast, while Matt McGorry and newly introduced Alysia Reiner (both from “Orange is the New Black”) add friendly faces to the mix. “How to Get Away with Murder” has an intense plot—lots to keep us on our toes from episode to episode.

Whether it’s the legal jargon, hookups or just its sheer entertainment value, the show is bound get you hooked.

While it has all the juiciness of its predecessors, “Scandal” and “Grey’s Anatomy” (Shonda Rhimes produced all three shows), it also has some of their pitfalls. For starters, there is the annoying, all-consuming relationship between two characters.

Even then, Wes and Rebecca are certainly no Meredith and McDreamy or Olivia and Fitz. Instead of running the Free World or saving lives in the O.R., they are caught up in a web of lies and bad decisions and are wrapped around Keating’s finger. There are several other hookups between characters like Frank and Laurel and Connor and Oliver that have the potential to become redundant if mishandled.

In terms of the show’s longevity (it was just renewed for a second season), there is the question of how far the Stangard case can really be dragged out before things get too far-fetched. We can only hope it doesn’t get to the level of hospital shootings and secret government operations. Until then, however, you’ll probably find me somewhere in Cushing cradling my laptop every Thursday night.

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February 5, 2015

Page 17

Oscar favorites prompt mixed reviews Reid Antin

Guest Columnist

The Academy Awards Neil Patrick Harris ABC Studios

W

ith Oscar season in full swing, and having last week proclaimed “Mommy” as the best film of 2014 (despite it being completely snubbed), I thought I’d proffer my thoughts (in no particular order) on 10 more of the best films to come out last year. I can’t remember a recent year where more than two or three of my personal top 10 made the Oscar shortlist, but no less than five are in the mix out of the eight for this year!

Like all exemplary films, the following are paragons of the equal, symbiotic harmony that arises between style and substance to create a whole masterwork not dominated by one or the other.

The great gamut of possibilities that the cinematic medium affords its filmmakers is represented in the dichotomy of styles between Alejandro Inarritu’s “Birdman” and Damien Chazelle’s “Whiplash.” In addition to both being hellish portraits of the artistic process, their coexistence in the same year manages to portray them as two extreme sides of the same coin of cinema. The former is comprised of a few long takes meant to take shape as a fluid whole. The latter is elementally built note by note, piece by piece like a jigsaw puzzle of thousands of shots.

Clinically, one views “Birdman” as if their eyes were being forcefully held open “Clockwork Orange”-style, and “Whiplash” as if they were blinking rapidly in an epileptic seizure.

But while each film is rooted in a masterful, calculated style, neither are by any means chained down by it. One manages to become so sucked in by each film’s adrenaline-inducing events that on first viewing, one feels guilty for not being able to take a scientific approach in analyzing the rich techniques in and of themselves.

While both are arguably the two best films

Campus Canvas

nominated for Best Picture, neither will win the big award (though both are a shoe-in for the lead and supporting male acting categories, respectively). This is because at the end of the day, as should be no surprise, Academy members vote with either their sentimental hearts or with their social consciences. The good news is that this year, two quality films comprise the realistic front-runners: Linklater’s “Boyhood,” brilliant though it is, almost doesn’t play fair by the fact that everybody can relate to it, thereby making it the surefire front-runner to win. From a technical standpoint, the gimmick of shooting over twelve years is a cinematic first, and in my opinion, despite the film’s PR agents trying to paint its success as a surprise, its sheer obvious novelty essentially secured the film’s nomination from the moment Linklater announced the project. The miracle, then, is how I hardly ever mention its technique when talking about it. The true triumph is in the way Linklater manages to dissolve the glass barrier represented by the screen in order to create less of a film, and more of a purely emotional experience, especially in its earlier scenes of elementary school wonder.

Everybody can relate to growing up, and unlike a Blockbuster that tries to be universal in its blandness, Linklater manages to make the film universal in its specificity.

Of course, contrary to what most Oscar-prediction polls think, I believe this could certainly be upset by the most politically important film this year, DuVernay’s “Selma.”

The first major fiction film to be made about MLK would serve as a historical event at any time, but it also happens to possess an added resonance by being released in the middle of today’s climate of heightened racial tensions.

While it notoriously failed to be nominated in any of the other major categories, the outrage that stemmed from such a snub is unprecedented, and perhaps would remain silenced if not for the wonders of social media.

I retain a firm belief that between now and then, Academy members will hear this dissent loud and clear, and from a social conscience point of view, to say nothing of the film’s complexities and quality, will think

twice before voting for “Boyhood.”

The last nominated film on my list is Wes Anderson’s wonderful “The Grand Budapest Hotel.” Essentially an orgasmic variety of Andersonian tropes, the film’s nomination is its win, and is basically the Academy voters coming about ten years too late to the party in thinking Anderson is cool and cutting edge.

(Where were they when “The Royal Tenenbaums” actually deserved that description?)

One film not nominated for Best Picture is the deliciously smarmy and thrilling “Nightcrawler”—perhaps the best satire of the media since 1987’s “Robocop.” From the first frame to the last, the viewer is thrust into the point of view of a completely compelling yet unsympathetic, psychotic, ambulance-chasing protagonist. Go in as cold to the plot as you can. At the very least, it will make you say, “wow, now THAT’s a film!”

The foreign film nominees “Ida” and “Leviathan,” both of which are devastatingly depressing, stylistically complement each other beautifully in their presentations of a protagonist’s internal struggle. “Ida” is a short, stylized, brisk, powerfully to-the-point novella-esque portrait of a nun who makes a life-changing journey before taking her vows.

“Leviathan” is a lugubrious, naturalistic, but haunting landscape painting of a man constantly screwed over by the corrupt local governments that pervade modern Russia.

“Under The Skin” is an ambitious hybrid of verite footage and video art that needs to be experienced more than understood.

And last but not least, P.T. Anderson’s divisive “Inherent Vice.” Essentially an avant-garde episode of “Dragnet” with stoners, the film needs to be seen twice (and wouldn’t be on this list if I hadn’t), not necessarily for its intentionally convoluted plot, but rather to understand where it’s coming from structurally.

One has to realize that, much like the characters it presents, the film exists in its own universe contrary to everything else being done in cinema today. It’s challenging and dense—perhaps the most demanding film on this list—but it’s well worth the time, as are all of the above-mentioned cinematic jewels of last year.

A weekly space highlighting the creative pursuits of student-artists

Excuse me, Describe Modfest in five words or fewer.

“High schoolers with violins.” ­­— Nick Burka ’17

“Don’t know what that is.”

— Sophie Koreto ’18

“Totally underrated.

I’m a performer.”

— Ethan Cohen ’16

submit to misc@vassar.edu

“I think it’s about France?”

— Miranda Fetterman ’18

“My Hebrew class is participating.”

— Amy Lieber ’18

“I Woke Up Standing.”

December 2014, Approximately 24x25x30”, Sculpey, clay, pine.

I like the titles of my images to describe a scenario or a part of a story that is specific to me and may be unclear out of context. I made most of this sculpture in my room one very long day - I spent 8 hours rolling the tiny clay pebbles. The next morning, I woke up from sleep walking. I had both feet in the sculpture and was trampling all of my work from the previous day, completely ruining the entire thing (luckily, I had already taken photos.)

Though I have always been a painter, I have recently ventured into mixed media sculptures and am very excited with the results. I have been making floppy, sad little animals, like this weather vane, out of Sculpey clay and environments for them to live in. I enjoy putting excessive work into small details that may not come through in the finished product. This week I am beginning work on a new piece; I have already cut several hundred small bricks to scale with these animals. I am aware of and enjoying the imperfections in the materials I am working with - though I could work them out, I personally like to see the materials reacting to each other exactly as they want to.

- Gianna Constantine ‘15

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“Talent. Music. Creativity. Collaboration.

Hype.”

— Alex Gittens ’17

Sam Pianello, Photo Editor Emma Rosenthal, Arts Editor

SPORTS

Page 18

February 5, 2015

NFL looks to Last play incites Super Bowl conspiracy clean up its C image Alex Voynow

Guest Columnist

Robert Carpenter Columnist

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s the last seconds counted down in the NFL Super Bowl, it seemed only fitting that the season surrounded by controversy would end in a minor brawl. Now that the season is officially over, many fans have the opportunity to say good riddance and hope that the NFL cleans up its act this off-season. Looking back on the Super Bowl and the entire season, the league certainly has a long way to go. Still, the future for the NFL and America’s faith in it is bright.

We can’t forget that even though the season ended with confetti and a legendary Super Bowl game, the NFL had major problems this year that require fundamental changes to their system.

According to Spotrac.com, 49 players were suspended this season for a combined 215 games.

An increase from the 2013 season that only saw 43 players suspended for a total of 167 games. In addition, the NFL collected $2,528,705 in player misconduct fines for violations ranging from wearing the incorrect brand of socks on game day to cursing at referees or shoving the quarterback after he throws the ball away. These violations can hurt the game and the players if they run rampant, but compared to the now infamous Ray Rice domestic abuse scandal that came to light at the beginning of the season, these other infractions seem petty and inconsequential.

The scandal that involved former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice striking his then girlfriend in a hotel elevator alarmed the entire country and exposed problems in the league’s administrative conduct. At first, the League chose to only suspend Rice for two games. When the full tape became public, the league moved to suspend the former player for an entire year, a more fitting punishment. This double-take decision would lead to an appeal and eventually a cancellation of any suspension based on the NFL committing double jeopardy in their disciplinary actions. Ray Rice never played a snap in the NFL season, but the way in which the League managed the situation concerned many and raised alarms. Fans were concerned that the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell saw all of the evidence but attempted to quiet the situation by giving Rice a small penalty. The NFL needs to become more transparent, spend less time policing insignificant game conduct violations and devote more time to preventing their players from committing crimes that transcend the sport itself and throw the legitimacy of the entire league into question.

Still, I believe that football has potential to make a positive, long lasting impact on the country and its fans.

Since the NFL doesn’t allow players to come straight into the league, it has more players with college degrees than most other professional sports leagues. The NFL has the quality of employees and leadership required to set a positive role model for young football fans, but often fails to do so. San Francisco 49ers wide-receiver Anquan Boldin described this responsibility in a USA Today interview, “Whether we want to be role models or not, we are. A lot of us don’t choose to be on TV and [don’t] want to be mimicked by kids, but the simple fact is, we are, whether you want to be or not.”

The Night before the Super Bowl Sunday, Carolina Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis was acknowledged for the work he does off the football field in his community. During Davis’ acceptance speech for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, he challenged all NFL players to “step up and be a village of guys who make a difference and change this world.” He called on all of the league’s players to recognize the role they play in their communities and to rise to take actions that would serve the people within them. As Davis said, “Let’s show these kids how much we care about them.”

I hope that led by structural improvements that facilitate positive player behavior, the NFL commits to Davis’ challenge and improves the sport the country loves so much. Then finally, as Davis said, the NFL could “give the media something positive to say about us instead of always bashing us.”

onspiracy theories abound in our society—there are too many question marks, uncanny happenings, and outcomes and justifications that we just cannot accept. It follows, then, that sports are fertile ground in American society for these stories to germinate. On platforms large and small, athletes, coaches and administrators of leagues do what they can to leverage favorable outcomes. In sports, a favorable outcome is victory through fair and skillful maneuvering and play. Throughout sports history, however, that has appeared to not always be the case. Stories of rigging, point-shaving and shady agreements appear every so often. According to The Nation’s David Zirin, a prolific political sports writer, this pattern of less-than-fair play allows for the production of theories of conspiracy when there are not any obvious signs of foul play.

An uncanny, highly unlikely event happened in this past weekend’s Superbowl, and David Zirin, among many others, is calling foul.

If you’ve been in the digital proximity of any sports news source, or if you watched the Superbowl yourself, you’ll know what happened in the last play of the game. If not, this is what went down: On second and 1, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll opted for quarterback Russell Wilson to pass for the potential touchdown. This was instead of letting their running back Marshawn Lynch, considered by many to be the best in his position in the NFL, take the ball across the line in the three chances they had. The pass was caught, but by a Patriots cornerback, not a Seahawks receiver. The interception sealed the Patriots’ 28-24 victory. This play, for those unfamiliar with the game of football, does not make sense. It lacks reason to such a degree that it has opened the play and Superbowl XLIX to theories of conspiracy.

Before I explain the logic behind this the-

ory, I want to defend why it may not have been pre-conspired. According to coach Pete Carroll, the play was supposed to be a harmless effort where their offense attempts to make the easy pass—either it is caught or it is dropped, and they have two more downs in which Lynch can score. The pass, however, against many odds and strategical contingencies, was intercepted. Carroll could also have been channeling a memory of his role as coach of the USC team in the 2006 national championship, where his call to run the ball across the line ultimately failed. Lynch, speaking after the game, did not feel upset or slighted, but rather explained that it was part of a whole-team effort that went wrong. Otherwise, it can be pinned to the unpredictability of the game, and other, regular factors of any outcome in football.

The conspiracy gains its footing when one realizes that football is much more than a game. The NFL is a powerful, multi-billion dollar, somehow tax-exempt corporation.

As much as it is a sports league, it is also a deep and complex web of sponsorship deals, government investments, broadcasting agreements and merchandise production. It is governed by money, and the harm that the league does to its players, documented now in countless sources, is argued away by the money pumped into the players’ contracts. Money is used to leverage players’ compliance to what the NFL wants them to say and do. The players are the public reflection of the league, and it is in the league’s best interest to have the players portray what will end up causing the least monetary loss.

According to NFL.com’s Mike Silver, an anonymous and “upset” Seahawks player seemed to consider the idea that the play may have been an attempt of Carroll to frame Wilson as Seattle’s hero and savior. Still, his response was surprisingly vague and passive as he declared, “That’s what it looked like,” via

NFL.com Other players on the Seahawks, however, particularly Marshawn Lynch and Richard Sherman, are defying this corporate mandate.

They are calling attention to the egregiousness of the league’s media policy, its racism, its exploitative relationship to college football and its traumatic brain injury problem. They are trying to hold the league accountable for its horrible, historical transgressions, and the league will naturally want them to lose the height of their platform. So, if the Seahawks were to win, the MVP should be Russell Wilson, to whom the trophy would go, if only he completed his second and 1 pass. Russell Wilson does not rock the boat, and him being MVP would not set a positive example for others that defy the league. If Marshawn Lynch ran the ball in from the 1, winning the game, he would have been named MVP. As mentioned in last week’s Misc column entitled “Silent Lynch not rude, simply speechless,” Marshawn Lynch is a righteous opponent of the NFL, the last player to which league commissioner and corporate crime-monger Roger Goodell would want to hand the MVP trophy. Pete Carroll, being the Seahawks’ head coach, is attuned to the desires of the franchise and the league in general, and knew the ramifications if Lynch became MVP. This theory is easy to dismiss, whether because you want to believe that Carroll was earnest in his decision to pass, or that you cannot allow yourself to consider the wrongdoings of the NFL. Maybe you want to believe in the purity of this very, very American game, maybe you’ve been denying the league’s racism for the past month or so, or maybe you’re more trusting than I am. Either way, the conspiracy theory may not be true, but the real issues that inform it and make it even a possibility have been more true and more glaring than ever this past NFL season.

NBA All-Star weekend returns to roots Sam Hammer Columnist

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his year’s NBA All-Star weekend will take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. The festivities this year will include the celebrity game, Rising Stars challenge for younger players, the shooting stars challenge, skills challenge, three-point contest, dunk contest and, of course, the All-Star game itself. For the casual basketball fan, the only events that are worth watching are the threepoint and dunking contests and the all-star game. Steeped in tradition, these events have come to define NBA’s All-Star Saturday Night.

Who could forget Vince Carter’s reverse 360 windmill or Michael Jordan’s tongue-out, one-handed free-throw line dunk? And what about Larry Legend? Bird tore up the threepoint contest with a dramatic finish back in 1988. These iconic moments have helped define the modern era of the league and inspire generations of aspiring fans and players to the extent that more recent contests have featured tributes to past dunks.

By 2015, though, even the dunk contest is beginning to lose its luster. There are only so many dunk variations, and after several decades of the contest, there is little originality left. Another issue with the dunk contest is that the best players in the league rarely participate in it. This year’s contestants include Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, Zach LaVine of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Victor Oladipo of the Orlando Magic and Mason Plumlee of the Brooklyn Nets. While these are all young, athletic and exciting players, it would be quite a stretch to label any of them as stars. Not to mention they all come from rebuilding teams that are not in contention this year.

Still, the return to a traditional two round, four dunk format should help breath life into the stale contest as it will bring it back to its roots. Gone are the teams, the “battle rounds” and the “wheel.” Without these novelties, the league and its fans should be able to see who the real best dunker is.

On the other hand, the three-point contest this year should be very entertaining. Unlike

the dunk contest, which frequently changes the rules and can often be repetitive, the rules of the three-point contest have remained consistent. This makes the competition more fair and competitive. The competition this year should be particularly exciting, since it will be headlined by the best shooters in the league, including Steph Curry and Klay Thompson from the Golden State Warriors and the Atlanta Hawks’ Kyle Korver, whose transcendent shooting this season has helped elevate his team to “contender” status. Korver is currently shooting a ridiculous 53.4% from the three-point line.

For many NBA fans, though, the most intriguing part of All-Star weekend is not the game itself, nor the competitions and challenges that surround it, but the controversy over who is chosen to be an All-Star. The five starters for the Western and Eastern Conferences are chosen by online fan voting. Fans are asked to vote for three front-court players (forwards and centers) and two guards for each conference. The fan vote is the most controversial aspect of the All-Star selections due to the fact that fans tend to choose players whose name they recognize or who play for big market teams over the players who might deserve to be chosen.

Although the All-Star game itself is meaningless and often lacks serious competition and defensive effort since the players are trying to avoid injury, being chosen to play in the game is a big deal for players. Being an NBA All-Star even for one season provides a large boost to players’ legacies, especially when they become eligible for inclusion in the Basketball Hall of Fame. The pitches for potential Hall-of-Famers typically include statistics on how many All-Star games they played in.

This is why it is frustrating to see fans vote in a player based on legacy, such as Kobe Bryant this year, taking away a spot from a more deserving player. The All-Star game is meant to reward players for their performances in the current season, not for their legacy. Players who miss substantial games in a season, or who play for non-competitive teams, should not be included either.

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The most glaring fan selections this year were Kobe Bryant for the Western Conference and Carmelo Anthony for the Eastern Conference. While Kobe deserves credit for being able to play so vigorously coming off of surgery, his performance is simply not up to the standard set this season by other guards in the Western Conference such as James Harden, Klay Thompson and Damian Lillard. Lillard shockingly did not even make the roster as a reserve. Lillard’s Blazers have gotten out to an impressive 32-16 record as of Tuesday, good enough for the fourth seed.

In the case of Anthony, while he has been playing well, he is also the best player on a terrible Knicks team, who, at the time this article was written, are 9-38 and have been a tremendous disappointment.

For those that do not know, the All-Star reserves are selected by league coaches who are able to select two guards, three frontcourt players and two wildcards. The other restriction is that coaches cannot choose players from their own teams. While it is hard to say that any of the reserves selected this year were not worthy, one reserve selection that stands out is Kevin Durant. Although Durant is having an incredible season so far statistically, his injuries have caused him to play in less than half of the Thunder’s games this season. It is difficult to consider someone an All-Star when they are unable to contribute to their team on a regular basis. Clearly Kevin Durant is an exceptional talent, and is also the reigning MVP, but at the same time, his inclusion to the roster took away a spot for a player such as Portland’s guard Damian Lillard, who has been having a fantastic season as well, playing regular minutes for a championship contending team.

Despite any controversy of roster selections, the talent pool in the league this year has been outstanding, and the All-Star game should be entertaining. The question now is whether the Eastern Conference team will be able to hold off the incredible talent of the stacked Western Conference, whose roster includes James Harden, a potential MVP, coming off the bench.

February 5, 2015

SPORTS

Page 19

Freshman Strand makes VC hosts final tournament, waves on men’s swim team excels against competition Erik Quinson Reporter

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s the men’s swimming team gears up for their season finale at the Upper New York State Collegiate Swimming Association Championship, there’s one freshman swimmer who’s been making a splash. Jonah Strand was awarded rookie of the week for the third time this season last week.

Strand’s performance at Roger Williams University last weekend earned him his third recognition. He won his first meet of the day in the 200-yard individual medley and took home silver in the 100-yard breaststroke.

Swimming, so often considered an individual’s sport, is built around a strong team base.

Strand could not be happier with the Brewers that he competes and trains with. “The team is incredible! I’ve never met a nicer bunch of people. They’re my family. The coaches are equally great. They can be very tough but they’ve pushed me this season to be a much better swimmer than I’ve been before,” Strand wrote in an emailed response.

Strand first caught on to the idea of pursuing swimming when, in tenth grade, his coach at that time said he could swim at college. His high school did not have a team, and so he swam for a club.

Senior and captain Chuck Herrmann could not be happier with the addition of Strand to the team. “He is an amazing teammate, always supportive and motivating. He is a solid base to the team during meets, in just his first year I think most of us have come to rely on him for his extremely fast swims, which have only gotten faster as the season has progressed,“ Herrmann wrote in an emailed statement.

The improvement that Herrmann notes can only be put down to Strand’s attitude, which both captain and coach appreciate.

“Jonah applies himself consistently to his in-water training as well as his weight room training. He is coach-able, looks for advice, applies what he hears and doesn’t look to cut corners,” Coach Prater-Lee said. While Herrmann is impressed by his wells of energy, “Jonah is one of the hardest workers that I have seen on the team in my four years here. He will come into practice sore, but still push his body to the limit, I have no idea how he does it sometimes.”

The greatest achievement for an individual swimmer is to compete in the post-season at the NCAA championships, a feat not yet accomplished by a male Brewer, although Vassar has had swimmers and divers at the pre-qualifying round. Such a goal, as Coach Prater-Lee acknowledges, is a big step, but not one that’s out of reach.

Strand has some smaller steps to make first.

He has his own personal records in the 100yard and 200-yard breaststroke, both of which Prater-Lee sees as possibly beatable in the upcoming UNYSCSA championships. Prater-Lee also credits Strand with adding two strong legs to the 200 and 400-yard medley relay, with the possibility of breaking VC records in those as well.

The current 100-yard breaststroke record, set by Tom Liu in 2009, is 59.31 seconds, and Strand’s personal best in the event is 59.96.

Only time will tell if the rookie can knock off those remaining .65 seconds. In his meet against Roger Williams, despite winning the event, his time was 62.47.

Just looking at those times, one can see why Prater-Lee is excited by Strand’s abilities.

“Not only can Jonah be the best breaststroke swimmer Vassar has had (i.e. school records), he can develop into one of the best in the 15 men’s teams UNYSCSA championships.”

FENCING continued from page 1

These seven athletes have had three seasons’ worth of exposure to the fencing world and athletic community at Vassar and are all the wiser for it. Athletics have been part of their education.

“The most important thing I have learned from the team is that even if you do your best, you can do even better when there are people encouraging you every step of the way,” said Konno, “It is my personal goal in my senior year to make sure that the underclassmen get to experience the support that I had while improving these past few years.” Konno focuses on how she can help younger students learn the lessons fencing has taught her, but Lewis has found much more personal growth, saying, “I’m a pretty quiet person, but I’ve filled a couple leadership roles on the team in the last two years. I thought that kind of thing would be difficult for me, but I learned that I can fill a leadership role comfortably under the right circumstances.”

Each lesson learned came with hard work.

Konno explains what she might have done differently if she were able to start over, “I would have started as a sabre fencer from day one. I transitioned from foil to sabre fencing in the middle of my freshman season, and it was a great decision that renewed my passion for the sport.” In a time fraught with her own goodbyes to her teammates, Lewis looks back on her time spent with seniors graduated in years past, “I’d spend more time each year with the class that was about to graduate. I miss a lot of the fencing alums, some more than I thought I would.”

Both captains have given much thought to the way their team has impacted their experience at Vassar. “My favorite part of my athletic experience has been the opportunity to grow and bond with my teammates,” said Konno, “Being a team is not only competing together, but learning to appreciate each other and spend time as

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a group.” Lewis found that it was not only emotionally helpful to have a support group in her team, but they also helped her build her skills. “I love that the fencers here have very mixed backgrounds. At practice, I can be very challenged by some fencers who have been coached for years, and I can also spend time helping newer fencers grow into very challenging opponents,” she said.

Both captains have been appreciative of Vassar’s athletic department. “Over the last few seasons, I’ve been excited to see the growth of Vassar athletics as an increasingly important contribution to campus culture,” stated Konno.

Lewis added, “I’ve found athletics to be [extremely supportive] of its athletes as individuals as well as its team. All of the coaches, sports medicine staff and communications staff took the time to look after my individual needs.”

Konno emphasized commitment on and off the strip. “Our coach encourages us to give our best both in our bouts and in our classes. We always are sure to be respectful to our opponents, and I believe our team has gained a positive reputation due to that emphasis on sportsmanship.”

Or maybe just the food perks. “Vassar athletics has the best food,” said Lewis, “Every time we go to a tournament, we have by far the best spread.”

However, the memories are not all good. Athletes often battle stress and fatigue as they try to balance all of their commitments. “The most challenging part of being a collegiate athlete is the time management,” explained Konno, “It is extremely hard to balance multiple clubs, classes and a job on top of a busy competition schedule. It has required a lot of trade-offs, but the result is very rewarding.” Lewis has found similar struggles in her experience, saying, “It can be tough to find time to get everything done, especially with tournaments every weekend. Balancing sports and academics and everything else is stressful a lot of the time but worth it.”

SPORTS

Page 20

February 5, 2015

VC Squash boasts newly re-split teams, maintains bond Zach Rippe

Sports Editor

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courtesy of Vassar Athletics

ast season proved quite unusual for the Vassar squash team. Due to both graduating seniors and study abroad commitments, the men’s and women’s teams combined with one another, forming a single squad. This made it hard for many of the female players, who now had to fight for playing time. Thankfully, the women’s program garnered enough interest this year for head coach Jane Parker to reinstate the women’s team in what has effectively become a “re-splitting” of the program. This “re-split” is not without its challenges, but has proven quite constructive for the Brewers.

The women’s team currently sits 4-4 on the year. The opportunity to train and compete with the men’s team last season seems to be paying off for the women as many players have gained valuable experience. Freshman Hannah Nice (Full disclosure: Hannah Nice is a member of the Miscellany News Social Media Team), has been particularly integral to the team’s success thus far. Nice, a Squash Scholar-Athlete for three years in high school, has been playing at number one for the women’s team and holds a record of 9-3 on the year. Although she is still a freshman, she gave her thoughts on the “resplit,” explaining: “[It] has allowed for the players on the women’s team to really hone in on their skills. It’s also great to have more women around—we all relate well to each other and have formed a nice support system for one another. But, it’s great how the men and women’s teams still get to practice together—everyone has distinct styles of playing, so it’s great having a large pool of players to practice with; it really steps up the training.”

Junior Tim Veit weighs in on the changes as well, believing that while the split has been good for both squads, it has benefited the women more. He elaborates in an emailed statement: “Last season, the men and women on the team had to compete for spots on the squad and because the coed team were facing mainly all male teams, it left only a few women to compete because they were being outplayed by the

Freshman Hannah Nice winds up for an impressive hit. Nice, an experienced squash player and former Squash Scholar-Athlete, has been an integral part of the women’s success this season. men who are used to a game of a faster pace.

Not to say that the women on the team are not skilled players, but male and female squash are two totally different games and now that there are two teams again, more women are able to compete in the matches.”

Yet despite being separated in competition, both teams maintain a strong bond with one another. Senior captain David Garfinkel believes the split went smooth as well. He wrote, “We had a lot of new players, men and women, join the team this year so more of the focus was getting them assimilated to the Squash team.

Additionally, both the men’s and women’s teams are very supportive of each other, so its almost like the split didn’t happen at all.”

The men stand 2-9 on the year so far, facing several tough opponents. Despite these losses, Coach Parker finds a silver lining. “One could think that having a poor win/loss record would

have a negative effect on the team,” she wrote in an emailed statement. “It seems however to have produced more motivation to improve.

Losses, after an initial grieving period, are generally treated as free lessons. This attitude has helped to deflect a downward spiral in player confidence and team morale.”

How, then, does Vassar squash look to improve both its team and program going forward? Coach Parker stated, “The simple answer would be to recruit a higher caliber of squash players to Vassar. Obviously, achieving this is not that simple, as we would already have done it!” Parker went on to add that there is only a small pool of academically-qualified high school seniors available to play for Vassar amidst a growing collegiate squash organization. Still, Vassar continues to promote itself to the junior squash world through events like camps, clinics and tournaments. This has al-

Winter storm blows in tough competition Amreen Bhasin Reporter

Men’s Basketball

The Vassar College men’s basketball team split a pair of Liberty League games this weekend.

On Friday, January 30, they fell to the Skidmore Thoroughbreds 62-48. Senior Luka Ladan had a team-high 15 points for the Brewers. The next night, the Brewers defeated Union College in a thrilling 69-67 victory at home.

The Brewers out-rebounded the Union College Dutchmen 42-29. The Brewers also racked up 19 assists, marking the highest total assists for Vassar against a Liberty League foe this season.

Ladan had 10 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Senior Alex Snyder had 10 points, 15 boards and six assists. Freshman Jesse Browne had 14 points and three assists.

Ladan was named to the Liberty League honor roll for is performance this weekend. Vassar hit the road to play Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on Tuesday, February 3. They fell 78-50.

Women’s Basketball

The women’s basketball team this weekend also went 1-1 against their Liberty League foes. The women began with a stunning 61-40 defeat of Skidmore.

The Brewers upset the Thoroughbreds and managed to hand Skidmore their first League loss. Freshman Ariella Rosenthal had a phenomenal game. She had 20 points and five rebounds.

Junior Rose Serafini had 10 points, nine blocks and eight rebounds. Junior Colleen O’Connell had eight points and seven rebounds. Junior Caitlin Drakeley had 10 points, six boards and four assists. Junior Alex Moon had seven points, five rebounds and two assists and had an amazing zero turnovers all game.

The next day, the Brewers fell to Union

College 51-44. Drakeley had 17 points and nine rebounds. Senior Allyson Pemberton had 14 points, two blocks and two steals. Rosenthal had eight points and five rebounds. After the weekend Rosenthal earned honor roll accolades from the Liberty League.

Men’s Swimming

The men competed in the Skidmore Sprint Invitational. They took first place out of four teams after scoring 469 points.

Skidmore took second with 361 points. Senior Luc Amodio won three individual event victories and set the pool record in the 50 yard backstroke.

He had a season best performance in that event. He also took first in the 100 backstroke and the 50 breaststroke. Sophomore Anthony Walker took first in the 100 butterfly, 50 fly and finished first in his season-best time in the 200 free.

Freshman Jonah Strand and fellow freshman Kyle Gray took first and second in the 400 IM. Strand also placed first in the 100 breaststroke and second in the 50 breast.

In the relay event, in the 200 Yard medley, Brewer squads took 1st and 3rd. Amodio was named the Liberty League Swimmer of the Week and Strand was the conference’s top rookie for the second week in a row.

Women’s Swimming

The women also competed at the Skidmore Sprint Invitational. The women placed 2nd with 528 points. William Smith College placed first with 542 points. Junior Marie Schmidt had a season best time in her first place finish in the 500 freestyle.

Freshman Cali Corbett was second in the event. Sophomore Julia Cunningham (Full Disclosure: Cunningham is a writer for The Miscellany News) had a new meet record in her first place finish in the 400 yard IM. Cunningham also won the 50 butterfly and was second in the 100 IM. Junior Milee Nelson had a season best in her 100 butterfly 1st

place finish.

She also claimed third in the 100 backstroke. Junior Anna Kuo had a lifetime best, second place finish in the 100 breaststroke.

Junior Maya Pruitt won the one-meter dive event and senior Kelly Wilkinson took 2nd.

Wilkinson won the three-meter dive event and Pruitt went 2nd. The 200 medley relay teams went 1st and 2nd.

lowed them to already recruit a strong female and male to start next year. Parker adds that the team may get some more via regular decision.

Veit, too, looks to something more internal.

“I’d have to say [the high point] would be the growth of the new male and female players in the program, who have been able to accomplish so much because of our coach Jane Parker and our new assistant coach, and former touring professional, Shahid Khan,” he wrote. Khan, formerly from England, has played in the Professional Squash Association and was ranked as high as 114 in the world in 2007. He has played and coached squash in both Philadelphia and Rye Brook, N.Y. and taught a few sessions at Vassar last season. This is his first year working frequently with the Brewers.

Despite their records, the Brewers’ focus this year has been on improving and coming together as a team. Where there is effort, there is progress. As Nice wrote, “I feel like there haven’t been any lows; everyone’s focused on grooming their skills, and takes each match as a growing experience. Win or lose, we all take the time to reflect on what we did well and what needs improvement. We try our hardest each time we step on court and view every match on its own. So, when we reflect on our previous matches and compare it to our more recent ones, and do see improvement in certain areas of play, it’s really exciting!”

This year has proven to be an effective transition period for the teams. They still have both Team and Individual Nationals to look forward to and do not seem to be doing so in angst. As freshman Hannah Nice concluded, “That’s the nice thing about playing squash: there are both individual and team aspects to it. On court, we push ourselves as hard as we can, knowing that stepping out of the match, each of us will have either won or lost, and regardless the outcome, the rest of the team will be there supporting us, cheering loudly. So, for the rest of the season, I hope (and know) that we’ll maintain our optimistic attitudes, continue to take everything one step at a time, learn from our prior matches, and finish out strong—with no regrets.”

Weekend Scoreboard MEN’S BASKETBALL VASSAR

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RPI

Men’s Volleyball

On Thursday, the men’s volleyball team had a huge upset and defeated No.10 New York University 3-2 in their home opener.

This was the first win for the Brewers over the Violets since April 2013 and their first in the regular season since January 2012.

This was also the first win for the Brewers over a ranked opponent since defeating the Violets, also then No. 10, in the UVC Championships two seasons ago.

Junior Reno Kriz paced the Brewers offense as he had 13 kills on 30 attempts and he added six digs as well. Freshman Matthew Knigge hit at a team best .556 and had six assisted blocks. Freshman Jorge Rivera had nine kills and six digs. Freshman setter Zechariah Lee had 36 assists and posted seven total rejections.

The Brewers split their road games this weekend. They fell to No. 3 Springfield College 3-0. Sophomore Christian Lizana had seven kills and had one of the team’s two service aces. Kriz and Sophomore Quinn Rutledge had four kills and three digs each.

Lee had 19 assists and had five assisted blocks for the Brewers.

The Brewers then defeated Elms College 3-0. Knigge had six kills on nine attempts.

Rivera had four kills. Rutledge had eight digs. Lee had 24 assists. He also had five total blocks. Lee was named the United Volleyball Conference Rookie of the Week. This is just the second rookie of the week selection for Vassar ever, the first game last week from Knigge’s selection.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

50

78

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL VASSAR

VS

48

RPI

58

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL VASSAR

3

VS

GLMS COLLEGE

0