Misc.05.17.24

The Miscellany News

May 19, 2024

Congratulations Class of 2024 !

Charlotte Robertson Editor-in-Chief

Four years after the COVID-19 shutdown that either modified, postponed or canceled high school graduations around the world, the Vassar Class of 2024 will walk Graduation Hill on Sunday, May 19. About 590 Vassar students will graduate, with about 3,200 guests in attendance.

“The Commencement for the Class of 2024 is particularly significant as it represents not just the culmination of their college education but also a return to cherished traditions that were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” wrote Associate Dean of the College Luis Inoa in an email correspondence.

“Many of these students missed critical educational milestones like high school graduations and traditional college orientations.”

“[My high school graduation] was a Youtube video that had our yearbook photos in a slideshow. I was in my living room, on my couch, just with my parents,” said Phoebe DiLeo ’24, in an interview.

“I’m excited to have a bigger celebration,” said Kyra Hoffman ’24, who had a 15-minute in-person high school graduation, in which her class was divided into 20 alphabetical groupings based on last name. Markus Skelton ’24 agreed: “I think [Commencement] will be a good capstone to the time at Vassar.”

Aidan Chismore ’24 said: “You could get away with not calling [my high school graduation] a graduation…We didn’t get a diploma or anything, they just had us walk across the stage to video us, and then I left. That was kind of sad.”

However, he added, he does not want COVID-19 to eclipse Vassar Commencement: “It’s something people always want to talk about, in connection to us, and I kind of hate it. Like, I just want to not ‘be Covid.’ I spent three years here that were not Covid-based.”

Additionally, Vassar’s 2024 Commencement stands out amidst continuing pro-Palestine demonstrations at academic institutions across the country; at UC Berkeley, hundreds of graduates chant-

ed over speeches, while Columbia University and the University of Southern California canceled their ceremonies altogether.

“Some of the national context makes it a significant Commencement, in terms of campus climate,” said Dean Inoa in an interview. He elaborated in an email correspondence: “This year's ceremony offers a vital opportunity for joy and celebration, acknowledging their achievements against a backdrop of both national and global challenges. It is a chance to celebrate resilience and success amidst ongoing adversities, providing a moment of communal joy and personal triumph for students and their families.”

The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. British actress and filmmaker Emily Mortimer will speak at Commencement. “I’m excited because it’s a name I know. I loved the Steve Martin Pink Panther movies when I was a kid,” said Skelton.

The 160th Commencement follows “Senior Week,” a time where the senior class spend their last moments amongst friends and

Vassar College’s student newspaper of record since 1866

Volume 161 | Issue 12

housemates. Organized by the Senior Class Council, the week is jam-packed with activities and traditions such as Formal at The Grandview, a celebration in the Susan Stein Shiva Theater, the senior streak, brunch at Savona’s Trattoria, a wine tasting in the Old Bookstore and class-wide laser tag.

For DiLeo, Senior Week has been extremely meaningful: “More than the graduation ceremony are all the senior events that I didn’t have in high school. All the senior traditions that are really more memory-making opportunities, and getting the closure.”

Hoffman, Skelton and Chis-

more all said that Formal, in particular, is an end-of-college highlight. Chismore also mentioned he was disappointed that some of the events from past years’ Senior Week, such as the 2023 Booze Cruise, were not on the schedule.

Reflecting on graduation, students expressed a combination of sadness and enthusiasm. “I’m going to feel sorry to leave Vassar. Over time, it’s gotten more fun, being here, so it feels like I could go for another year,” said Skelton. “But I think I am ready for everything next, the worklife.”

“I definitely feel sad, but I do feel ready,” echoed Hoffman.

"The End": A Graduating Senior Reflects on Four Years at Vassar

To the Vassar Class of 2024:

As I sat down to write this article, it hit me. This is the very last time I will ever write for a college newspaper—or complete any sort of Vassar College assignment— ever. I had the same thought the other night when I realized it may very well be the very last time I order Thai Spice, or even more

terrifyingly, this morning, that it could be the last time my friends are all in the same city at the same time. Anxiety and paralysis took over as I filled out yet another job application that would inevitably disappear into the void. I was overcome with worry—will I get a job? Where will I be living? What can I offer the world, outside of just being a student? These fears were beginning to drown out the joyous occasion that is college graduation—an accomplishment

that for most of us seniors is the biggest of our lives to date. Yet, even as I galavanted in the sun on Founder's Day, picked up my graduation gown, and turned in my senior thesis, I could not escape the horrifying prospect of becoming a "real adult."

This mixture of emotions is not unique to me. Speaking with my housemates, it seemed we all shared the same fears, worries, and excitement, just one week out from "the rest of our lives."

My friend and housemate Lola Wright '24 said she felt "a mix of excitement and anxiety.” She continued, “I think, you know, my entire life I've been doing school, and it's something that I've gotten really good at and really comfortable with. You know studying for a test or writing a paper—I know that that's something I can do. Moving into the adult world… it's a whole new set of skills that I have to master and get good at, and I have to be on my own doing

it. It's something that is really exciting but also gets me nervous every time I think about it because it's just change, and I think change is good but it's also really nerve-racking." Natalie Daigle '24 felt the same, saying she was "excited but nervous about starting a new chapter of [her] life."

But, fellow graduates, if we are going to have to accept the "end" of college and move into our futures with confidence and grace,

See Reflection on page 5

Seniors' creativity shines in capstone performance

Clara Alger Guest Reporter

On April 26, 2024, four Vassar seniors presented original full-length choreographic works in an evening dance performance titled “Why We Are.” In promotional material for the event, the choreographers explained, “In ‘Why We Are,’ we move to understand ourselves and traverse the complex terrains of identity, vulnerability, and societal con-

structs.” These culminating projects not only showcased these choreographer’s personal visions, but also how they have developed their artistic skill set through their time in the Vassar Dance Department.

The show began with a piece by Courtney Spero ’24, “Processing,” an exploration comparing human and computer memory. Next was “I dream in the color blue,” by Yoshi Sanders ’24, which traversed the journey from boyhood

to manhood and investigated the tension between social expectations and individual authenticity. After a brief intermission, the show continued with “∀∃ (For All There Exists)” by David Shively-Ertas ‘24, which cycled through depictions of waking and dreaming to ask how one processes the knowable and unknowable. The evening concluded with Camryn Spero ’24’s piece “It’s Not That Serious,” an exploration of personal sensitivity, performance

and dramatics.

All four choreographers developed these works as part of the semester-long course DANC-378: "Choreography, Performance and Production (CPP)”, advised by Professor Leslie Sachs. The course was piloted in 2022, and the choreographers noted that watching and being a part of those works their sophomore year inspired them to commit to creating their own full-length work. Camryn Spero ’24 added, “It also felt like

something that would be a challenge and the perfect conclusion to my Vassar experience of just pushing my choreographic inspiration and abilities to a feat that's not possible through any other course.”

The course kicked off with an open audition for dancers to perform in each work at the end of the fall semester. Starting in the spring, choreographers had four hours of rehearsal with their

See Dance on page 3

Yael Gelman Guest Columnist

Image courtesy of Flickr.

Misc wrapped Spring 2024

'Dear Sister' author Michelle Horton speaks to campus community

February 21, 2024

The College hosted Michelle Horton—sister of Nicole "Nikki" Addimando—for a talk about her new book, "Dear Sister: A memoir of secrets, survivals, and unbreakable bonds." The book largely explores Addimando's story; she shot and killed her late partner in an act of self-defense against domestic abuse and was sentenced to 19 years in prison. Horton recounts the efforts to secure Addimando's release from prison, including help from members of the Vassar community, where the former previously worked.

Leikeli47 brings attitude and inspiration to Spring Concert

April 17, 2024

On April 17, 2024, Vassar College Entertainment (ViCE) hosted their annual spring concert with headliner Leikeli47. The evening began with a student-run craft fair, then transitioned into musical performances by openers Sir J Cryptic and 454. Later, Leikeli47 took the stage—set up on Main Drive—to perform hits like the famous "Girl Blunt" amongst unreleased songs.

Vassar-Chadwick Chess Club seeks new members

April 17, 2024

Every Monday, the Vassar-Chadwick Chess Club gathers for an evening of chess tournaments, played by seasoned members and beginners alike. The lesser-known organization meets in Rockefeller Hall at Vassar in rooms 101 and 104. It was established in the 1930s by Stanly Chadwick, a Poughkeepsie resident who was involved in many other chess organizations. The club is now open invite, and welcomes any students or locals looking to showcase their skills or learn the game.

Senior reflects on community and Vassar and trees

March 27, 2024

As seniors head upwards and onwards, they often find themselves reflecting, and offer it to those remaining at the College for a year or more. Following notice that an investment group was purchasing surrounding properties, including a home traditionally passed down through students, Karun Krishnamurthy '24 shared a call to action regarding the interactions between the Vassar and local communities.

Hudson Valley hiking provides adventure

April 3, 2024

Vassar's Farm and Ecological Preserve provides a great outdoor activity as the spring weather unfolds. However, much else is to be found in hiking trails across the Hudson Valley, which also provide an escape from centralized campus life. Trails include Red Wing Lakes Loop, Sam's Point Loop, Lemon Squeeze and Breakneck Ridge.

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Four seniors present choreography to Vassar Dance Department

dancers a week, weekly one-on-one meetings with Sachs and weekly group meetings to talk through their process.

This course—along with the resources provided through the Vassar Dance Department—offers a unique opportunity to produce a dance performance at the professional level. Sanders said, “When else am I going to be in a space where I have all these resources, all these other creative people to collaborate with, and an incredible stage? That was really special.”

Although all four choreographers had already created works for Vassar dance organizations, including Vassar Repertory Dance Theatre (VRDT) and FlyPeople, the CPP course provided a much bigger canvas. While their previous works were all under 10 minutes, the CPP works ranged in length from 19 to 33 minutes. The choreographers utilized lighting, props, screen projections and costume changes to enhance their production.

This longer format offered new opportunities and challenges to the choreographers. Shively-Ertas said, “Part of what made this feel so different from my other work is just because my cast was so much larger. And that was by design, because so much of how I think of dance is very spatial and geometric and very formational, and I wanted to have the permutative power that

comes with a large cast in terms of formation work.”

For Sanders, the course provided a chance to try the opposite, and he chose to work with just four dancers. “I think I kind of purposely wanted to challenge myself by doing this smaller cast to go out of my comfort zone and instead really focus on creating material that is very unique and authentic to the dancers that are performing it,” he said.

In tailoring his choreography to his dancers, Sanders ended up creating most of his movement alongside them instead of preparing everything ahead of time. He said of this approach: “It helped me learn a lot about what I value in my creative processes and how I feel about collaborating in creative processes.”

Camryn Spero also commented on embracing the process of generating choreography in rehearsal, saying, “I feel like that was very scary for me just because it was so out of my comfort zone.” Yet the CPP course allowed more time for creation, and with time came opportunities to experiment.

Camryn Spero said the added time also gave the dancers more of a chance to shine. “I love seeing the dancers internalize their interpretation of the choreography. And I feel like this work really allowed room for that, because there was more time and just more content for them to chew on,” she

commented. In addition, the choreographers said that one of the biggest highlights of the process was the time spent with the dancers. Courtney Spero commented on how her cast of five grew together, saying, “It's just super beautiful to watch because they came out of that process such good friends beyond the stage, and you could tell when they were dancing, just how tight of a group it is.”

All four choreographers noted that they’ve been conceptualizing their pieces for a long time—for some, nearly two years. Courtney Spero’s ideas stemmed from reflections on her coursework, personal interests,and a MOMA exhibit on technology. Sanders’ piece was built around a solo he created during study abroad Fall 2022 that explored masculinity and authenticity. Shively-Ertas’ discussed how a period of intense meditation and learning about himself inspired the themes in his work.

Camryn Spero looked for themes in her past choreographic works to inform her, as well as building a playlist of inspiring music. All together, Courtney Spero explained, “You could see in all four works, that there's such personal importance and just how much of a crescendo it is in terms of our own personal growth as dancers and as people.”

Shively-Ertas commented on this growth, explaining how his experience at

Vassar has expanded his relationship with dance, exposing him to new styles and cultivating his choreography. He said of the CPP project, “It just felt like a very wonderful and natural progression, like everything that I was working on was building upon everything else that I have learned before.”

Sanders also noted how the CPP course is emblematic of the trajectory of the dance department, with a correlate sequence being added last year and talks of a major brewing. He said, “Even though it's not a major, we still approach it with the same level of rigor and seriousness that we would approach any of our other academic subjects.”

Camryn Spero additionally commented on the interdisciplinary nature of the project, noting how themes in her piece connected to her work in Cognitive Science, Media Studies and Film Studies courses. “It's basically a combination of not only my time in dance, but my time as a fully fledged Vassar student,” she said.

Building upon both their rich dance experience and academic growth, the CPP project demonstrates the importance of academic study of dance at a liberal arts institution. Sanders added, “I think, you know, we're setting a good example for what dance students at Vassar can accomplish, especially in their senior year.”

Avery Duer ‘24 Shines in Senior Organ Concert

Catherine Borthwick Guest Columnist

On Sunday, May 5th, 2024, over one 100 members of the Vassar and greater Poughkeepsie community gathered in Skinner Hall to attend Avery Duer’s ‘24 senior organ recital. The acclaimed musician, who has gathered numerous accolades—such as winning the Norwalk Symphony Orchestra Concerto competition and first prize for the Connecticut Bach Competition—is wellknown around Vassar for her musicianship skills. She has music directed numerous theater productions, toured Europe with the Vassar choir and played organ for the nearby Trinity Episcopal Church. Occasionally, she even appears with her famous keytar at house shows. To say that her senior recital, a culmination of her musical ventures at Vassar, was highly anticipated, would be a drastic understatement.

There was raucous applause as Duer entered with her organ teacher, Gail Archer, at the beginning of the program. On the Paul Fritz organ, Duer played four pieces, including the four part “Magnificat VII Toni” by Heinrich Scheidemann. The perfectly-parallel notes delicately chased one another in this piece; her performance felt destined for

the rainy Sunday afternoon. To close out the first part of the program, Duer played Bach’s magnificent “Toccata and Fugue in D minor,” which lit up the room with trills and ecstasy-ridden chord progressions.

The attendees and I walked to the chapel for the second part of the program, where Duer played the Romantic section of her program. Two pieces in particular nodded to her Russian Studies major, written by Russian Composer César Cui and Ukrainian composer Svitlana Ostrova, a Ukrainian composer. Duer played the final piece, “Martyrs” by Kenneth Leighton, alongside a close friend and fellow musician, Maria Cusick ‘26. It was the perfect way to end a brilliant program.

To argue that I am an unbiased critic of Duer’s work would be futile. By chance, we were roommates turned partners-incrime our freshman year, and we have never looked back since. We made it through the pandemic together, writing borderline absurd songs about things we spotted around campus during the days that we were confined to the COVID-19 bubble. One notable song was about a night Duer saw a cat, a dog and a mouse in quick succession. It became a smashing hit on Soundcloud, amassing a shocking three hundred plays (about two hundred and ninety more than we expected).

Yet no personal connection to Duer could possibly lead me to overstate the talent she demonstrated in her final recital at Vassar, because everyone in the room was truly blown away. As she stepped forward for her bow, the crowd was thundering with applause. Upon reflection, it is moments like this which make

college so special; witnessing such blooming talent and celebrating afterwards with a cluster of friends and family. As I took in the music, my heart could not help but swell at the chords, and most importantly, the great pleasure I have had in knowing Duer for the past four years.

Senior film showcase spotlights theses

Ben richardson Guest Columnist

On May 2nd, I attended the Vassar College Film Department’s Senior Film Showcase in the Vogelstein Center’s Rosenwald Theater. As someone who has recently begun taking film production courses, this showcase provided me with a great example of the types of projects I could be working on next year. I was delighted to take my seat beside my friend Kaila Dunn ’25, who coincidentally starred in two of the films that were to be screened. “Buzz Kill,” directed by Kaity Martin ’24, was the first piece shown during the showcase and told the story of a college student (played by Dunn) who uses partying as an unhealthy coping mechanism as she mourns the death of her former romantic partner. This film offered a realistic portrayal of what it is like to process deep emotional turmoil amidst the backdrop of college social life. Although Dunn seemed to be embarrassed beside me as she watched the final film for the first time, her performance was stellar and full of nuance as the inner life of her character slowly unraveled. Martin particularly appreciated the experience of screening this film and said “the best part of this experience was getting to hear the reactions of the audience at the senior showcase. Their laughs and gasps warmed my heart and reminded me that my art can resonate with people in a beautiful way.”

Following “Buzz Kill,” the next piece screened was “The View,” directed by Solomon Hess ’24. This film told the story of two childhood friends (Thomas Rombach ’24 and Levi Srebalus ’26) reconnecting after college and reflecting on their intimate but troubled past. This piece’s color and setting conveyed an overwhelming sense of nostalgia for something that could have been. This piece was followed by a screenplay thesis presentation titled “Sapience,” written and presented by Sean Griffiths ’25. Griffiths characterized “Sapience” as a detective sci-fi film that takes inspiration from other sci-fi films such as “Blade Runner” and neo-noir films like “Dark City” and “Devil in a Blue Dress.” This screenplay sounded fascinating

and I would love to see it produced.

Grifftith’s presentation was followed by “Dollhouse,” a documentary directed by

It was evident that extreme care and craftsmanshp were poured into the sets and costumes for these Barbie doll scenes.

Quincy Dossett ’24. Dossett's film focused on two elderly sisters who charmingly shared their experiences as gay women in the South. Per the title “Dollhouse,” this film cut between interview footage with the sisters and stop-motion scenes that utilized Barbie dolls to represent the stories and vignettes recounted by the two sisters. It was evident that extreme care and craftsmanship were poured into the sets and costumes for these Barbie doll scenes. This choice to cut between reality and the fantasy of the dolls was truly effective in conveying an overarching commentary on women and queerness in the mid-20th-century South. Some members of the audience were even brought to tears after this piece due to its heavy subject matter.

Following “Dollhouse,” two pieces directed by Lorelei Essman-Freeman ’24 were screened. Lorelei’s first screened film “Five Minutes” told the story of a young woman (Katie Gebbia ’24) anxiously awaiting the results of an at-home pregnancy test. Through the use of shocking hallucinatory scenes, this piece effectively conveyed the stress and immense pressure people face, often alone, when awaiting the results of such a test. Lorelei’s second film, cleverly titled “Touchy Subject,” was a documentary that featured interviews with various women about their experiences with masturbation. These interviews commented on the unfortunate taboo status imposed onto fe -

male masturbation by society, demonstrating how masturbation can ideally be used as a liberating tool of self love.

After a brief intermission accompanied by refreshments in the lobby, the second half of the screening began with a thesis presentation from Maya Page ’24 who shared her screenplay “Seasons Apart.” Her screenplay centered on two characters: a photographer named Eden and her daughter, Wren, both grappling with the death of Wren’s estranged father. It was very inspiring to see how much effort Page had evidently put in to cultivate a unique story with complex characters and richly emotional themes.

Following Page’s presentation, the documentary “Tara Byte,” directed by Leon Moore ’24, was screened. This piece followed Vassar student Soren Liu ’24 as he explored and expressed his identity through various multimedia art pieces and drag performances. As an avid fan of drag performance, I was particularly excited to see footage of Soren’s innovative drag performances as “Tara Byte.” Moore shared with me that “collaborating with Soren and documenting his journey from art to performance was incredible. I’m grateful to him and VC Royalty for welcoming me into their space to capture something so authentic.”

Switching back to fictional material, Grifftith’s second piece of the showcase, titled “Erasure,” told the story of a college girl (Grace Fure ’26) whose best friend and crush (Emma Lawrence ’25) starts to seemingly slip away from her. I was particularly impressed by the seamless special effects used to “erase” the protagonist from her friend’s mind in this film.

Following the screening of “Erasure,” Naomi Young ’24 presented her screenplay thesis titled “Hoarder House,” about two sisters who must clean out the house of their recently deceased mother, who was a hoarder. However, during their cleaning, the sisters realize that something much more sinister is afoot in their family home. I thought it was incredibly innovative to use the house of a hoarder as a setting for a horror film and would love to see this screen-

play as a produced film in the future!

The final piece of the showcase was “Krystal Unseen,” directed by Madison Powell ’24. “Krystal Unseen” followed the titular protagonist Krystal (Kaila Dunn ’25) as she navigates her late-teenage life amidst tense relationships with her family and romantic partner. Powell was able to convey a very realistic portrait of that uneasy feeling of in-betweenness one feels towards the end of their teenage years with their entire adult future ahead of them.

In addition to the pieces from this showcase I also had the pleasure of viewing “Corrosion,” a film directed by Preston Bowe ‘24 which was privately screened in the days following the showcase. “Corrosion” followed the story of Wallace (Levi Srebalus ‘26), a college swimmer, as he navigates a swimming injury and romantic tensions with one of his teammates. This film featured many underwater shots from the AFC indoor swimming pool that I thought provided a very professional touch to the piece.

I thoroughly enjoyed all of the films and screenplays presented at this showcase. The scope, attention to detail, and creativity

I thought it was incredibly innovative to use the house of a hoarder as a setting for a horror film and would love to see this screenplay as a produced film in the future!

present in all of these pieces made me think bigger about the possibilities of student film; I feel incredibly inspired to contribute to projects that will be featured at this showcase next year.

Image courtesy of Emily Tieu '24.

FEATURES

Senior looks back through college career

we might as well make the most of these last few precious moments while we have them. And we must remember, as much as we possibly can, the good, the bad, the cringe, and the ugly—college life in all of its glory. Maya Levine '24, a volleyball captain and med school hopeful, said that she had "some amazing memories here with some great friends and some great teammates, and honestly some great professors too." She reminded me that she can carry those relationships with her; "it's not like they're just going away." I realized that while this pivotal moment is shrouded with fear and dread, because it feels like Vassar is "ending," our connections and memories aren't just going to disappear after we walk at Graduation Hill. Really, this is the end of Vassar College and the beginning of our lives as Vassar Alumni.

This reflection, though, would be incomplete without acknowledging one of the most impactful aspects of the Class of 2024's experience—a first year completely overtaken by COVID-19 protocols, and for many of us, the illness itself. It affected every facet of college life, which was

confusing and difficult for a class that had nothing else to compare it to. We arrived on campus with masks and negative tests in tow, completing Orientation week on our laptops and attempting to make friends from a healthy distance on picnic blankets outside. For many of us, this experience has continued to affect our memories of college. But it has also made us grateful for what we have now, as Wright said, "I think going through the 'Covid year' helped me have expectations that could be met through college because, you know, freshman year wasn't that eventful so the rest of college has felt really amazing and I felt so lucky to be experiencing it." Because of this, I think that the Class of 2024 has a unique grasp on what a privilege it is to be students here. When campus opened up and we were finally able to attend classes in person and meet each other with our masks down, we began to really experience Vassar. And boy did we savor it! It is part of what makes this class so special—we know that there are many unknowns in life—we had to be grateful for each moment we got to spend with each other on our beautiful campus, learning as much as we could, and

taking it all in. I cannot speak for everyone in our class when I say this, but I know that for me, Vassar College has been nothing short of incredible. Yes, there were bad moments— exams slept through, deadlines pushed, friendship and relationship dramas so earth-shattering we may have thought we would never recover. But we danced the nights away at Mole Mole, The Juliet, The Academy, and Mahoney's, or won Trivia Night at Juan's. We have danced, sung, and acted on stage. We have watched bands play or performed in crowded TAs, THs, or off-campus basements, or scored the game-winning goal in the Liberty League tournament. We have been published in the Miscellany News, the Vassar Student Review, or Grey Matters, or plastered our art up on the walls of the Deece. We have challenged our administration—standing up for what we believed in and hoping that it would represent us, the students. We watched or joined when students pitched tents on the Library lawn or wore red in support of our female faculty's fight against wage discrimination. In our first year at Vassar, many of us voted in our very

first Presidential Election. And, many of us learned what it is that we are truly passionate about, whether it was through a beloved professor, a favorite class, or personal discovery. The ups and the downs have both undoubtedly made us better—more steadfast in our values, and more sure of our individual personhood. And regardless of how it happened, or what we had to go through, we are GRADUATING COLLEGE. And that is no small feat. I feel so proud of every single member of the Class of 2024, and, dare I say it, I feel proud of myself. I can't wait to see what we accomplish in our sure-to-be bright futures. Lastly, I am proud to join a new family with you all– the Vassar Alumni network. If I know anything about us Vassar kids, we're probably in good hands.

So, at least for now, let us forget about our fears (student debt, taxes, and what am I doing with my life??). And let us celebrate this moment. Because we deserve it.

IT'S HERE! Graduation. And it's exciting. And it's very scary. And WE DID IT!

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Love, Yael Gelman '24

Tori Kim/The Miscellany News.

Top 5 wise things that Milo P. Jewett's ghost said to me this year

Oliver Stewart Humor Editor

As the 2023/24 academic year comes to a close, we all find ourselves reflecting on the key moments which made it what it was. For me, as for all of you, many of those moments involved the ghost of Milo P. Jewett, first President of Vassar, appearing and sharing words of wisdom. Here are the top 5 wise things that the ghost of Milo P. Jewett said to me this year, ranked from least wise to most wise. I hope that they provide you with as much help and guidance as they did for me this year.

#5: “E=mc2.”

In hindsight, this one was not actually all that wise. I was sitting in my chemistry midterm, and the very last question required me to use the formula for photosynthesis, which I did not know even a little bit.

“Damn,” I said. “What is the formula for photosynthesis?”

It was then that the ghost of Milo P. Jewett appeared to me and spoke, his voice booming through the lecture hall like thunder.

“E=mc2,” he said, before vanishing into thin air.

I was pretty sure at the time that this was not in fact the formula for photosynthesis, but I’m ashamed to say that it was a desperate enough moment for me to take him at his word. I plugged the terms of question into E=mc2 as best I could, handed in my test and left the exam room. I looked it up later, and it turns out that E=mc2 is actually Albert Einstein’s equation for mass-energy equivalence, which is not even close to what I needed.

I didn’t even get partial credit on that question. Thanks for nothing, Milo.

#4: “If you will establish a real college for girls and endow it, you will build for yourself a monument more lasting than the pyramids; you will perpetu-

ate your name to the latest generations; it will be the pride and glory of Poughkeepsie; and honor to the state, and a blessing to the world.”

This one is a solid quote, but in context it was kind of a non sequitur. Early one morning, I heard a tremendous noise and I woke up with a start to find the ghost of Milo P. Jewett looming over me. Through the remaining fog of sleep, I mumbled something unintelligible, but he completely ignored me and said:

“If you will establish a real college for girls and endow it, you will build for yourself a monument more lasting than the pyramids; you will perpetuate your name to the latest generations; it will be the pride and glory of Poughkeepsie; and honor to the state, and a blessing to the world.”

I mean, sure, but I’m not sure what I was supposed to do with that information. I looked it up, and apparently that was part of what he said to encourage Matthew Vassar to endow a college in Poughkeepsie rather than a hospital. I can’t afford to endow either of those things, so this one was kind of wasted on me. I’m also a little offended that he’s recycling quotes on me rather than providing original material. Milo, I’m sorry, but this is another miss.

#3: “D-Backs in six.”

Actually, on reflection, this one wasn’t particularly wise either. One night, some friends and I were talking about the upcoming World Series between the Texas Rangers and the Arizona Diamondbacks and making predictions. I hadn’t spoken yet, and was considering what to say. Neither team had been expected to make it as far as the Fall Classic, and though the Diamondbacks had an exciting young lineup, the Rangers’ thrilling seven-game defeat of their state rivals the Houston Astros was fresh in my mind.

These were the thoughts running through my mind when the ghost of Milo

P. Jewett once again appeared in front of me and began to speak.

“D-Backs in six,” he intoned imperiously. That seemed plausible. Corbin Carroll and co. were a fun team to watch, and a 4-2 series win seemed like a reasonable enough outcome. It didn’t occur to me at the time that Jewett, who died in 1882, would probably not have been aware of the 2023 ban on the shift and introduction of the pitch clock to Major League Baseball, let alone all the other rule changes that occurred in the 140odd years prior.

I repeated his words, confident in the prediction, and the Rangers went on to defeat the Diamondbacks four games to one, making me look like an idiot. I didn’t even ask for Milo P. Jewett’s help in the first place. I guess he just wanted to feel included.

#2: “Do, or do not. There is no try.”

Okay, actually, forget about the “ranked least to most wise” thing, because I’m remembering some of the things the ghost of Milo P. Jewett said to me this year and he’s really starting to irritate me in hindsight. This one came during one weekend during cricket practice. I dropped an easy catch and started berating myself, and all of a sudden, the ghost of Milo P. Jewett appeared to a fanfare of spectral trumpets.

“Do, or do not,” he said. “There is no try.”

Not only did I find this profoundly unhelpful at the time, but I immediately recognized it as a quote spoken by the great Jedi master Yoda in the classic 1980 film The Empire Strikes Back. Even in its original context, I find this quote a little condescending, but I have to admit that Yoda really pulls it off. He’s an ancient little green guy with immense charisma, and when he says something like this you just have to nod your head and smile. Coming from the ghost of Milo P. Jewett, though—a bespectacled, white-bearded theologian—this quote really grates. Also, not only is he recycling

quotes, but now he’s straight-up plagiarizing them too? Seems like somebody needs to take another look at Going to the Source: A Guide to Academic Integrity and Attribution at Vassar College, by Rebecca Edwards, Matt Schultz, Debra Bucher and David T. Bradley.

#1: “Don’t you dare publish that article, you insolent little…”

This article was originally going to be titled “top 4 wise things that the ghost of Milo P. Jewett said to me this year,” but then he came in at the last minute with one I knew that I had to include. I guess he realized that the article didn’t paint him in the most flattering light, so just as I was about to send this off to the editors of The Miscellany News, the ghost of Milo P. Jewett appeared.

He really pulled out all the stops this time. The spectral trumpets and tremendous noise from some of his previous appearances were back, but now they were accompanied by a flickering of the lights and a spine-chilling wind for increased effect. I was sitting on my bed putting the finishing touches on the article when he appeared and roared:

“Don’t you dare publish that article, you insolent little…”

I didn’t hear the rest of what he said, because I had scurried under my bed in fright, but I can only assume that he didn’t take kindly to the contents of this article. Despite my initial fear, I was determined to push forward and take the article to print to show that bold investigative journalists like myself cannot be intimidated into silence. I’m a little concerned about what this interaction implies, though—either the ghost of Milo P. Jewett is watching me all the time and read this over my shoulder, or he has access to the contents of my Google Drive. Can we get Computing and Information services to look into this?

Hot takes on the holidays

Nicholas Tillinghast Humor Editor

Happy late Mother’s Day. I hope your Mother’s Day was fruitful and not totally derailed by having your last final project due on that day. Love them or hate them, holidays happen when they happen, to my dismay. This year though, I’ve been gathering all of my grievances on every holiday and I’m not holding back.

Groundhog Day

I have no qualms with the optics of groundhog day. Celebrating any groundhog at any time ever is pretty cool. I think the whole shadow is pretty metal too, and I don’t even mind that that leads to weather predictions. My thing is, how the hell do you differentiate between six more weeks of spring and not six more weeks of win-

I think we should really get more out there with the whole letting animals predict between two incredibly different options.

ter? There is a canyon between those two things. What if it is spring for the first five weeks and then there’s a winter snow storm during the last week? Is it still an early spring? Is it an early spring if it starts just under six weeks since Groundhog day, like, a day early? Does anyone even care at that point?

I think we should really get more out there with the whole letting animals predict between two incredibly different options. I think we should let lobsters predict when the next recession will be. Will it be in four years or in three days? No in between.

I looked it up and apparently Punxsutawney Phil has a lifetime 39% success rate. Why are we trusting this dude every year? Meanwhile, my boy Poughkeepsie Paxton the lobster has a 41% lifetime success rate of picking recession dates, which is still worse than if you just bet against him, but he’s still more accurate than Phil’s dumb ass.

St. Patrick’s Day

St. Patrick’s day is basically just leprechaun awareness day. I spend 98% of the year not thinking about leprechauns at all, and then for one week it’s all I can think about, and then I go back to non-leprechaun thoughts.

I think It’s pretty cruel to make a holiday about finding clovers right after the grass has been marred by snow for months on

end. Whose idea was that? I would move St. Patrick's day to mid May when the ground isn’t so gross. I also think it’s kind of weird that snakes have essentially no significance in the semiotics of St. Patrick's day, despite snakes being a huge part of St. Patrick’s shtick. Bring back snake theming!

Any B.S. Fake Holiday

While I’m a fan of new federal holidays as much as the next guy (Election Day, where you at?), the democratization of holiday-making in the internet days has produced some truly maddening results. I learned today that December 4th is National Dice Day, a fact validated by multiple websites for no apparent reason. Why are dice worthy of any sort of celebration? How does one even celebrate such an occasion? They are almost always the side piece to any game, except Craps and Yahtzee, and one of those is a completely garbage game, so you might as well just call it National Yahtzee day.

Don’t get me wrong. I like using dice, I think they are great. But you cannot tell me that a single solitary soul looks forward to National Dice Day each and every year. No one is mourning the end of National Dice Day, bemoaning the fact that there are 364 days until the next National Dice Day. I’m willing to compromise though. I could accept a National Dice Hour, on one particular day of the year, and this policy goes for

National Thesaurus Day, National Meatball Day and National Biodiesel Day as well. New Year’s Day

I actually really like New Years because of how it relates to Christmas. I think it makes people get rid of their Christmas tree. When the year has literally changed since you’ve put a tree in your house, the tree must be disposed of. New Year’s is like the Anti-Arbor day. I think Arbor Day should counter by lowering the year number down by one every year, so we're just stuck on the same year forever.

Earth Day

This is probably my least controversial take. Turn Earth Day into Earth Week. I am surprised by Earth Day every year. Earth Day has really just become for me “Feel Bad About the Earth and Then Don’t Do Anything About It” Day. In Earth Week, the first six days, I’ll procrastinate helping the Earth and feel bad about it. Then the remaining day I’ll be actionable. Like having something due in a week and then not doing anything about it until the last day. Oh shit, can I get an extension on Earth Week? Anyways, I hope this article made you rethink everything. Time is always fleeting, and whether you want to spend thinking about leprechauns, or cherishing your precious dice, it will not matter when we all become dust.

SPORTS

Vassar men’s volleyball makes historic run

Henry France Sports Editor

No team in Vassar College Athletics history had ever made it to a national title game, until April 28th, when the Vassar men’s volleyball team went head-to-head with California Lutheran in Dubuque, Iowa. The match was a gritty, three-set contest that ended up crowning Cal Lu national champions, but what preceded the match was a historic and unprecedented run from a team that graduated 85% of its offense—including two all-Americans—the year prior. Head coach Richard Gary told The Miscellany News, “It was one of those wild years where we could miss the NCAA's all together or we could win it all.” This was undoubtedly a special year for Vassar Men’s Volleyball, and the senior class made sure of that. Captain Jacob Kim ’24 told The Miscellany News how he and the senior class had established a winning culture. “From the beginning of the year, we knew that we had something special going on. Since we were first years, my group of seniors and I knew how we wanted to set the culture of the team to help us be a blue blood Division III men’s volleyball program. We were a team who wanted to lead with love and truly play for each other. Not just because they were our teammates, but because they were our best friends.” Kim had been a pivotal piece in not just Vassar Volleyball, but Vassar Athletics, posting one of the most outstanding careers in recent Vassar Athletics history. Kim finished his tenure at Vassar, among an array of accolades, as 2021 and 2023 United Volleyball Conference (UVC) Champion and 2023 UVC Championship Most Valuable Player, 4x UVC Player of the week, 2022 and 2023 All-UVC Second Team, 2023 Betty Richey Performer of the Year, 2024 All-UVC First Team and Player of the Year and 2024 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) First-Team All-American. Vassar Men’s Volleyball prolific standing within Vassar is testament to Kim’s experience and ability. But it was more than just Kim. Vassar had a special postseason, and that was due to their entire senior class’s versatility.

Vassar’s run started weeks before the game. On April 10th The Miscellany News published an article that outlined the incredible season the Brewers had enjoyed, underscored by lofty expectations, strong leadership and

talented rookies. The Brewers entered the UVC playoffs as the top seed with the opportunity to earn a NCAA National tournament bid by winning the UVC championship. 16 teams earn bids to the NCAA Division III men’s volleyball tournament, and they can punch their ticket two ways. First, if a team wins their conference championship, they automatically qualify for the tournament, and second, the remaining (X) spots are filled by the NCAA selection committee, composed of coaches. The Brewers remained undefeated on their home court in Kenyon Hall all season. With a chance to defend their UVC title against NYU in the UVC title game on Sunday night, the Brewers dropped three straight sets after winning the first to lose in four sets. The Vassar men’s volleyball team had lost their first home game in two seasons, simultaneously forfeiting their automatic national tournament qualification. Now, the Brewers would have to rely on an unknown committee of coaches to deem them worthy of one of a few remaining spots. Seniors Jacob Kim, AJ Erickson, Vaughn Ramsey, Colin Jones and Andrew Guaragno would spend the evening wondering if they had played their last game of volleyball for Vassar, as the at-large bids would be released at 10 am on Monday morning.

Sitting in my 9:00 AM Econometrics class next to my roommate and Vassar Men’s Volleyball player, sophomore libero Casey McMenamin, we tuned into NCAA.com at 9:58, sharply breathing, hopeful to see “Vassar College” appear in one of the few open spots on the bracket. As the selection show continued, teams had their names called and McMenamin looked at me anxiously as Vassar’s chances dwindled. Finally, “Vassar College'' appeared on the screen, up againstNichols College in the first round of the national tournament at Wentworth College. Casey and I exhaled a sigh of relief, and looked back up hoping Professor Paul Johnson didn’t notice our three minutes of high stress and tension. Vassar was in, and the seniors’ final season was extended.

On April 19, Vassar took on the Nichols Bison in the first round, defeating the Bison in five sets. The Brewers’ high-powered offense was on display in the first round, with Gavin Akoto, Colin Jones, and Vaughn Ramsey all hitting above .500, and Jacob Kim accounting for 13 kills and 21 assists. But, Vassar was

just getting going, and they would face third ranked Wentworth in the next round. Wentworth finished the season 31-2 powered by AVCA Player of the Year, Jacob Labouliere. Vassar was going to need to play their absolute best game, and then some—and they did. Even with their incredible performance, the game’s margin throughout the game was razor thin. Three of the five sets were twopoint margins. Coach Gary was enamored by the match, telling The Miscellany News, “Wentworth may have been the most wild game I've ever been part of … there were just so many moments we hoped and prepared for that came to fruition. Andrew Guaragno's front row play, Payne [Lounsbery]'s serve, [Ramsey]'s whole game, Kim and Erickson's confident and focused leadership, Toby [Clark]'s clutch serving, Billy [Fan]'s whole game-bombing serves, passing dimes, executing on every play. It was everything we could have hoped for, win or lose, and to make the run to Iowa was like another complete season added onto the end of things.” Coach Gary’s comments make it clear that Vassar’s victory over Wentworth necessitated every member of the team. Freshman Armaan Desai came into the high-pressure affair and absolutely rose to the occasion, hitting .421 on nine kills, Sophomore Casey McMenamin stepped in on numerous occasions as a serving substitute— what the announcers called “the hardest job in the game of volleyball” – and executed his job at a high level, powering a late-set three point run. Finally, junior Toby Clark stepped up in the biggest way with a clutch serve to win the match in the fifth set, sending Vassar to the final four for the second year in a row. Vassar now had the opportunity to win their first ever set in the national semi-finals, but more importantly, against the team that robbed them of the UVC title, New York University.

The Brewers had a week to recoup in Poughkeepsie before their flight to Iowa. Heading into their match against NYU, their loss to Violets just two weeks prior was still fresh in their minds. Advancing to the first national championship in program (and Vassar Athletics) history would require another high-powered performance. All around, the Brewers played well. Coach Gary told the Misc, “Six match points, with some really memorable plays to save the effort for our side. NYU was electric in some phases of the

game, and our guys just kept responding and digging deep to find answers. It was a really special team effort.” Among the plethora of players to step up was senior Vaughn Ramsey who hit .409 throughout the tournament. After a tight five-set duel, the Brewers re-established their dominance of the Violets, punching their ticket to their first-ever NCAA tournament championship match. They would play California Lutheran, who they fell to early on in the season.

Cal Lu was a strange opponent, playing a very different schedule compared to Vassar as a west-coast school. Vassar was walking into a unique test on the biggest stage. After an unforgettable and historic season, Vassar was defeated by California Lutheran in three sets, losing the second two by just two points in each set respectively. The game was closer than the box score indicated, and Vassar was just barely edged by the Kingsmen. But the loss does not subtract from the unparalleled season for the Brewers that reflected so much about what was not a team and coaching staff but a family. In my role as media manager for the squad throughout the year, their camaraderie, trust and drive is clearly the root of their success. In the hottest, most tense moments, Coach Gary is cool and composed, nodding and watching from the bench, and the bench is standing on the side loudly cheering on whoever is stepping up at that given moment. Ramsey looks back fondly on the post-season running, telling the Miscellany, “It was definitely a fulfilling experience to end my career on. Being able to step in and make a difference when it counted felt unreal, and it took everyone on the team performing in clutch moments to get there.” Jacob Kim echoed Ramsey’s sentiments by stating, “To end my college career with this group of guys has been a rollercoaster of emotions for me. Knowing that the seniors and I finally created the culture we hoped to be a part of as first years feels amazing, but not being able to share that with this team for more than a year is saddening. I have no doubt in my mind that Vassar will continue to be a top 10 team in the nation for the foreseeable future and that is all because of the fantastic group of guys that we have here that are bought into loving the game and loving their teammates.” It is clear that Vassar Men’s Volleyball’s run this year was more than an anomaly, a surprise or even history… it is now the precedent.

MISCELLANY NEWS

Nicolas Villamil/The Miscellany News.

SENIOR RETROSPECTIVES

Taking an unexpected journey from science to journalism

Sufana Noorwez

Ihavesat down many times over the past few weeks to see what I might want to reflect on in this piece. This piece will likely be the last one I ever write in The Miscellany News, and it is certainly the last piece I will write as a student at Vassar College. So I would love to give a proper send-off to this paper that has welcomed me with open arms.

I have wanted to be a writer all of my life, but I have never written as much in my life as I have during my past three years as a member of The Misc. I fell into it accidentally, since I never considered journalism as a direction that my life would lead. At this point post-pandemic, it seems cliché for me to reference its deep impact on my college career, but without the pandemic I am not sure if I would have ever found my way into journalism. Sometime in 2021, I found myself deeply troubled by the misinformation that was rampant on the internet—both on social media and in formal journalism—regarding COVID-19 and the vaccines that were rolled out to combat it. It was this turmoil that led me specifically to the Opinions section of the newspaper, where I felt that I could combine both objective fact-checking and research with my own subjective opinion regarding the pandemic and the way that we were, at the time, treating it.

My original intention was to be only an occasional writer for The Misc. I always thought that as a student of biochemistry, and not something like English or political science, there was no space for me in The Misc. However, as I began to write more and interact with the people on the editorial board at the time, I found myself thoroughly enjoying the time I spent writing and editing my articles. I also began to expand the content I wrote about. For a long time, I remained within the niche of scientific opinion writing because I thought it was the only topic that I knew enough about to be able to write a cohesive, informed article. I quickly found that it was equally as fun and as important to research other topics that I had opinions about and formulate

well-crafted arguments.

As I expanded the topics I wrote about, I also expanded my involvement within the organization. I started first as just a columnist, but quickly moved up the ranks to Assistant Opinions Editor and then Opinions Editor for three semesters. Those three semesters were amongst the most fulfilling I have had in my time at Vassar. Every week I looked forward to sending my weekly email, receiving enthusiastic responses from writers new and old, editing articles on a range of diverse topics and putting them all together in a cohesive print layout. In my last semester at Vassar I decided to move up to Senior Editor, allowing me to be much more involved in the logistics of the newspaper.

It is hard to put in words what I have gotten from this newspaper. On an objective level, I have improved my writing skills, and I have learned that wanting to be a scientist does not diminish journalism’s importance to myself. In fact, good scientific journalism is something that I think we need more of.

But more importantly than that, I have gained friendship and love from the others on The Misc. While writing is fulfilling on its own, I never would have given as much time and effort to The Misc as I did if not for the people I have met during my time on the Editorial Board. Throughout my whole journey, I have had the support and encouragement of the others on the editorial team, and I have loved getting to know people as they have moved into new positions on the Editorial Board. I have even had the privilege of becoming close friends with some of the people on The Misc, and I will carry these friendships with me for the rest of my life.

It is hard to encapsulate the past three years of my life in one article, but at the end of the day I am, above all, grateful for the opportunity to have been involved. I will miss The Misc with all my heart, but now it is time to go. I will never forget what I have learned and the friends I have made, but now it is time for someone else to love The Misc as I have done these past years.

The Misc has been my one constant in college

Will Sorge

Ilooked back at the first email I ever sent about The Miscellany News. It was addressed to Fall 2020 Editor-in-Chief Lucy Leonard, announcing that I was planning to attend the Ed Board meeting that Wednesday night. It read, “I hope you're having a nice weekend so far! I'm a firstyear planning on joining the Miscellany News, and I wanted to reach out and let you know I'm planning to attend the next meeting this coming Wednesday. I meant to go last Wednesday but I got bogged down in studying for my Econ midterm the next day. Just wanted to let you know in advance so you know to expect me!”

Who was I, even? I’m actually perplexed by the confidence that first-year me possessed. Little did I know how fateful that email would be.

Not long after this, I’d email Lucy with an article idea. I wanted to write about campus reactions to the 2020 presidential elections. I’d had my nose in the New York Times page covering the elections for the better part of a week, so nothing made more sense than to channel it into an article of my own. I reached out to a handful of campus orgs, some of which are now

defunct: Vassar Democrats, Vassar Leftist Union, even Vassar Republicans (yes, that existed).

I wrote a tome. I think I approached it more like a passion-project-turned-research-paper than a news article in a campus publication. I remember the moment I opened up the Google Doc to a slew of edits. The editors took out whole paragraphs, rearranged whole sections. It was that moment when I realized the Misc meant business. This wasn’t your run of the mill campus newspaper. This was real journalism. And it was exciting.

I wrote some of my favorite articles my first year. Interviews with Arlington businesses struggling during COVID, updates about the campus vaccine rollout. There was trial and error for sure, but I enjoyed the process. Speaking to members of the community brought me out of my comfort zone, and helped me stay on the pulse of campus during an isolating time. I loved seeing my work in print, feeling like a part of this monumental weekly effort.

My sophomore year, I was asked to apply for News Editor by outgoing incumbent Annabelle Wang. This came as a big surprise. From my perspective, I hadn’t done a whole lot. But evidently the work I had

done was enough for them to take note. It was validating. The Misc has always been rewarding in a way that academics couldn’t be. More immediate, more tangible, more personal.

My first editorial position was a trial by fire. As co-news editors, Jacques and I were forced to deal with our share of scandal.

The JCJ controversy, a fatal shooting in Poughkeepsie, COVID and then COVID some more. There were times of imposter syndrome, wondering if I was the best person for the job. My time as News Editor overlapped with a really challenging period in my academic and personal life. Adjusting to college in the post-pandemic period was harder than I give myself credit for. I suffered more than a few heartbreaking losses, failed friendships and disappointments. The Misc was the one thing I had energy for week after week, the constant that kept me somewhat sane.

I took a step back from the paper when I went abroad, but I missed it. Something about the stillness of not having the Misc in my life was off-putting to me. I dove headfirst back into it as Managing Editor the following fall; I felt so privileged to have been entrusted with a position like this. Like my time served as News Editor, my time on

exec was both challenging and rewarding. We entered amid a campus upheaval in response to rampant gender pay discrimination at Vassar, which several professors had bravely sued to redress. Then, we had to grapple with the onslaught of news and opinions on the nightmarish war in Gaza. Those were difficult weeks, and we had our moments of doubt and frustration. But I think we left the paper stronger than we found it, establishing a formal comment policy and hate speech policy for the first time ever. I’m proud of the work we did. I’m sad to be saying goodbye to this paper that was there for me through some of my hardest times at Vassar. I love journalism and I want to keep writing, but I’m not sure right now what form that will take or what venue best suits it. I just know I’m glad I took the opportunity while I had it, and I’ll always be grateful to the Misc for that. I cherish the friends I made on this paper. I’ve had the privilege of knowing so many kind and driven people through the Misc, the kind of people I look up to. I’m in awe of each and every one of you.

Pour one out for the Misc, Will Sorge

Maryam Bacchus/The Miscellany News.

SENIOR RETROSPECTIVES

This is not a goodbye…or maybe it is

Monika Sweeney

I’ve never been good at endings. Sometimes when I was little, I would skip the last few pages of a book and pretend that it never ended. Pretend that the princess did, in fact, always live happily ever after and that nothing bad, sad or worrisome happened. When it came time for my grandma, or aunt, or anyone who was visiting my house to go back home, I couldn’t just give them a hug goodbye. Waving from the front door as their cars pulled away wasn’t enough either. No, I would run down the block until they reached a main road, flailing my arms, shouting goodbye as many times as I could. I even cried when I turned ten because I realized that I would never be a single-digit age again. In short, I never liked goodbyes.

To me, goodbyes were sad. It meant that something good was ending, or someone was leaving. Of course, The Misc isn’t ending. The Misc has been here long before me, and will surely continue to thrive long after I have gone. Instead, I am leaving. I am the one who has to leave and say my goodbyes. It is only fitting that my goodbye is in the format of a lengthy, verbose article. So, for the last time as an active member of The Misc, here goes:

At The Miscellany News, I found my voice as a writer, dove into various facets of journalism and met wonderful future journalists. Throughout the past four years, I’ve been able to explore numerous sections of The Misc. I’ve written for News, Opinions, Humor and even made a few crosswords. I was a copy staffer and guest reporter, a member of the Editorial Board, and a member of the Executive Board for four consecutive semesters. But really, I am most grateful for my role as a Features writer. This is where I found my voice.

In Features, I was pushed to be creative and think outside of the box. I wrote about campus culture, the fascinating people around me and even about myself. What other newspaper would let me write about the day that dozens of geese took up residence on our beloved quad or about my unrequited love for ice cream?

Features challenged me. When I first asked what exactly Features was, I got a variety of answers ranging from, “I’m not really sure…You can write about anything? Nothing? Maybe everything?” to “It’s nebulous…ask Janet.” These inquiries brought me to the conclusion that this is the section that could be whatever I wanted. I took these descriptions to heart and truly wrote about anything and everything that was

on mind. Sometimes my articles verged on News, and others veered into Humor territory. Features was exactly what I needed: spontaneous, ever-changing and exciting. As someone who typically thrives with clear directions, guidelines and a five-page rubric, this section pushed me to be more creative, take risks and have fun with writing. Half of the time, as Wednesday Ed Boards rolled around, I had no idea what I was going to write for that coming week. But, inspiration always struck. And if it didn’t right away, all I had to do was go outside.

Vassar’s campus has been an endless source of inspiration. While some days I was tempted to walk to the Deece with my head down, hoodie up and AirPods in, being a part of The Misc forced me to break from that bubble. It pushed me to engage with my surroundings, be curious, ask questions and explore. On one of my many walks to the Deece, I saw a mini pink lamborghini zoom by: Inspiration. While sitting at a Deece booth, I overheard a group of girls complain about the lack of pockets in their shorts: Inspiration. As I sat on the quad doing homework one sunny afternoon, I saw a cat on a leash: Inspiration. What some may brush off, ignore, or perhaps not even see because they’re trapped in their own, personal bubble, I had opened my eyes to all the corners of Vassar’s campus. Writing for Features allowed me to engage with Vassar in a way that fostered an even deeper connection and appreciation for our campus, its people and even its geese.

Beyond finding my voice, The Misc allowed me to explore journalism at my own pace. At The Misc, I’ve been a writer and an editor, helped amend bylaws and conduct interviews, all while balancing highs (preparing interview questions for Meryl Streep) with lows (addressing serious issues, such as plagiarism). I spent long nights researching my latest article, copy editing a section and or laying out Features. I spent time creating and publishing the weekly e-newsletter. I’ve helped distribute hundreds of copies of The Misc, recruit new writers and edit more articles than I can count. I’ve seen The Misc at every angle and in every season. It truly is an incredible paper filled with inspired writers, hardworking editors and passionate staff members. It would be impossible to devote as much time to The Misc as I did without genuinely enjoying the people I was surrounded by. Paper Critiques, Production Nights, Editorial Boards and Journalism Dinners would be dull without the vibrant editors, writers and staff members that came through The

Misc during my four years here. Before I was inspired by Vassar’s campus to write about the newest org or event, I was inspired by the members of The Misc. Their unwavering support, commitment to ethics and passion for writing inspired me to be a better journalist.

Even before Matriculation, I knew that The Misc was home to very special people. Before I committed to Vassar, I reached out to current members to ask about The Misc and how I could get involved. I’ve always loved writing, and while I had no idea where I wanted to go to college or what I wanted to study, I knew that I wanted to keep writing. I knew I wanted to be at a school where the newspaper was a voice for the students. I knew I wanted to be a part of that newspaper, writing stories every week, interviewing students, and sharpening my journalistic skills. I knew that this newspaper was going to be a huge part of my life. I put this unknown newspaper up on a pedestal before I even knew what it was. And yet, The Misc delivered.

The Misc not only gave me the opportunity to write, edit and write some more, but the opportunity to meet new people who shared the same passion for writing as I do.

Here, I’ve had mentors who have walked me through the editing process, uploading order and InDesign tricks. I’ve had mentors who were simply a listening ear, always happy to let me vent about a frustrating experience with layout or an issue with an article. Eventually, I became a mentor. I met with first-time writers to choose their first article, trained future editors and watched The Misc continue to grow, expand and thrive. I realized that as I left each role, jumping into the next, I hadn’t even bothered to say good-

bye. Instead, I took a leap of faith into the next role, and then the next, and the next. Each role was even better than the last. Each role stretched, tested and challenged me in new ways. Each role pushed me to be a better writer and editor. It wasn’t sad to move on, it was exciting. It meant that my world was opening up. There were new opportunities to seize, people to meet and articles to write. I’m glad that I didn’t stay stuck in one role forever. Instead, I was able to leap from copy staff and guest reporter to Features Editor and eventually Managing Editor (with a few more leaps in between, of course).

So, I guess this kind of turned into a goodbye, huh? Well, that’s okay. I’ve come to terms with it. I’ve come to terms with the fact that goodbyes aren’t worth crying over. Goodbyes are a way to close one chapter and open another. Without goodbyes, there wouldn’t be room to explore new places, meet new people and grow as a person. What I didn’t realize as a little girl was that with every ending, comes a new beginning.

Every closed book simply means that a new book can begin. (Btw, when I eventually discovered that books can turn into trilogies and series, my world was rocked).

Beyond how to conduct an interview and where to place a hyphen, The Misc taught me that each sunset promises a sunrise. Sure, they may be a little different, but isn’t that exciting? Tomorrow brings hope, excitement and intrigue. I don’t know exactly what tomorrow will bring, but if my time at The Misc has culminated in a sunset, a place where I found my voice, deepened my passion for journalism and met lifelong friends, I can only imagine what beautiful sunrise awaits.

A copy editor-at-heart says farewell in fifth article in four years

Throughout my four years at Vassar, The Misc has been one of the most consistent parts of my life. Among changing classes, dorm rooms and friendships, I have always contributed to The Misc. Even before I started at Vassar, I knew that one organization I wanted to be part of was the newspaper. My first-year org fair was on Zoom, as many of my first Vassar experiences were. As I sat homesick in the dorm room that I barely left, looking for community in what would become my new home, the first link I clicked on was the one for The Miscellany News. I dropped my email in the chats of various breakout rooms and nervously spoke to a couple of editors. Although I had been on the staff of a magazine in high

school, The Misc seemed so much more professional, and a little intimidating. I joined the copy staff, doing remote shifts every week, sitting on a Zoom call for 45 minutes while reviewing articles. My experience—while quintessential for those who started college in 2020—was probably quite different from how others joined the staff. Despite this distanced participation, I had a sense that there was a deeper feeling of community among Misc members. As I became more involved with the newspaper, more of this community was revealed to me. I joined the Editorial Board and met other editors, in addition to learning the intricate workings of the paper. While I was abroad, I missed my weekly routine of going into the Misc office and reading the issue’s articles, rush-

ing through Wednesday’s final print edits while trying to catch every detail and spending my Wednesday evenings with the Editorial Board. I looked forward to coming back, knowing there would be a place for me on the staff, but I didn’t expect to become even more involved than the semester before.

When I started my position as Senior Editor, I was once more intimidated. I had only written a couple of articles, as most of my experience was in the copy editing section. The others on the Executive Board had both been News Editors and had written many articles, making them, in my view, much more experienced and qualified for their positions. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to contribute sufficiently. Once again, however, I was welcomed with

open arms. I got to know each member of the Editorial Board, bonding during fun production nights and working through difficult decisions together. Over the past year, I have devoted more time to the Misc than ever before, and I could not be more grateful. I have become closer than I could have imagined with my fellow Editorial Board members, all while greatly enjoying the work I was doing. Even when we were facing great difficulties and complex decisions, I was encouraged by the work done by the rest of the Executive and Editorial Boards. I have felt some of the strongest support and friendship throughout this year from those on The Misc. I cannot imagine this year, let alone my entire experience at Vassar, without The Misc, and I will miss it dearly. I already do.

Sashinka Poor

Image courtesy of Monika Sweeney '24.

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