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