The Miscellany News October 1, 2020
miscellanynews.org
Vassar College’s student newspaper of record since 1866 Volume 154 | Issue 5
In New York State, close races abound Carolyn Patterson Guest Reporter
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fter a “blue wave” in 2018, Republicans are seeking to regain control of the House. Seven of New York’s 27 Congressional districts are considered to be competitive, including the 18th and 19th districts that represent Dutchess County. The 18th District, which includes Vassar’s campus, is currently represented by Democrat
Sean Patrick Maloney. Maloney took office in 2012 after defeating incumbent Republican Nan Hayworth with 52 percent of the vote. President Donald Trump won the 18th district by a 1.9 point margin in 2016, making Maloney’s seat one of 30 Democratic-held House districts that Clinton lost. In November, Maloney will face Republican challenger See New York on page 4
County judge seat challenged Tiana Headley
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News Editor
s an up and coming female prosecutor, Jessica Segal knew she had to be the most prepared person in the room. Now, after 20 years as a prosecutor, civil litigator and defense attorney, the 47-yearold Democrat is running for Dutchess County Court Judge. Segal could be the second woman in history to hold the position. Only two justices sit on the
county bench. Segal’s win would be historic, but she says her gender should not be the only factor driving your vote for her: “We need someone who represents the people in Dutchess County beyond just the male perspective. I’m not suggesting people vote for me because I’m a woman, but I have the background and experience. I already have the skill.” The former Senior Assistant See Judge on page 5
Clockwise: 18th district Representative Sean Patrick Maloney, 18th district Republican nominee Chele Farley, Dutchess County Court Judge Peter Forman, Dutchess County Court Judge Democratic nominee Jessica Segal. Via Wikimedia Commons, Ballotpedia, Ballotpedia and Hudson Valley Press. Graphic courtesy of Juliette Pope.
New coffee shop may serve as campus hub Taylor Stewart
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Senior Editor
nna Guttman-McCabe ’22 and Xan Wolstenholme-Britt ’22 were both baristas in high school. As we talked, one of the first things I noticed was their enthusiasm for beans and milk and, preeminently, the socializing effects of espresso. Guttman-McCabe and Wolstenholme-Britt had been tossing around the idea of a stu-
dent-run campus coffee bar for a while now. I sat with them in the Sculpture Garden adjacent to the Loeb—this is where they plan to set up the bar, which they’ve christened, to my delight, The Vassar Brew Coffee Bar. We found a table, crossed our legs and shielded our eyes from the sun, and I imagined cradling a coffee between my palms. Xan related the origin story of the Vassar Brew (“the Brew” for short). He pointed to the roofed
patio space on the side of the museum building, miming the moment of inspiration: “I asked, ‘Wait, Anna, how cool would it be if there was a coffee shop out here?’” He walked over to the little alcove and continued, “And we talked over here saying, ‘What if this was here?’ and ‘What if this was here?’ And I was like, ‘Wait, are you joking?’ And she was like, ‘No, I’m serious,’ and I was like, ‘Me too.’” He repeated this last phrase with dead seriousness and
an air of finality. The idea was not unprecedented. Wellesley College, for example, has two student-run coffee shops, and Vassar has its own rich history of student- and independently-run coffee retail. From 1974 to 1986, Noyes House’s multipurpose room was known as the Epicurean East Coffeehouse, then as the West End Coffeehouse, a nonprofit that also served as an entertain-
Inside this issue
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Our new comic strip builds on the concept of a Bread Cat.
See THE BREW on page 8
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Senior captains endure Jackie Molloy
Assistant Sports Editor
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Julian Aguilar/The Miscellany News.
he first practice for any new senior team captain is a little nerve-wracking. That isn’t to say they’re not confident— after all, they are walking into their fourth year as true seasoned veterans. They know the plays, their coaches’ habits, even the dips of the field. Yet, donning that captain band requires not only enough physical and mental energy to carry them through the sweat, the callouses, the heartache, but also the responsibility of carrying the rest of their team. Top all of that off with trying to navigate practices during a pandemic and the reality of losing their last chance to compete as college athletes, and this year’s senior captains of Vassar athletic teams have much to bear. When the possibility of losing this fall season was raised, ath-
letes were not surprised, but the actual confirmation prompted a flood of bittersweet emotions. “When I first heard that our season would be canceled, I was honestly relieved. I was nervous about what the season would have looked like, but more importantly how we would have kept ourselves and the Vassar community safe,” expressed women’s soccer senior captain Ally Thayer ’21 via email. She also acknowledged the personal sorrow of losing the Fall 2020 season: “Soccer has been a huge part of my life, and this would have been the final season of my career. I definitely had to process that.” Co-captain Fiona Walsh ’21 shared her own disappointments, describing via email, “You work your whole life with the goal of being [able] to play in college. Hours and hours. And then you get here, right? See Captains on page 15
OPINIONS
A look down the ballot: writer identifies important races for Democrats to keep an eye on.
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NEWS
Check out our guide to voting at Vassar, both in and out of state.
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October 1, 2020
COVID19 AT VASSAR
OCTOBER 1ST DATA VIA VASSAR TOGETHER
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06
Total Tests Administered
Total Active Cases
For daily updates on Vassar's testing and cases, visit https://www.vassar.ed u/together/dashboard
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Total Student Cases to Date
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MANAGING EDITOR SENIOR EDITORS
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Total Employee Cases to Date
7,608
THE MISCELLANY NEWS
Friday
October Farmers’ Market The On-Campus Farmers’ Market brings a fresh taste of the community to campus throughout the fall semester. Four popular vendors will be offering baked goods, desserts and other treats, available for purchase with V-Cash. 10:00 am. | Noyes Circle
The CDO Presents: Resumes that Rave When a resume raves, it sings about you so that those reading become entranced with each drop so that by the end of the page their fists are pumping and you become the headliner of the applicant party. This workshop welcomes everyone no matter what your experience is with resumes. Newcomers to resumes are welcome because we will cover the basics! 12:00 p.m. | Virtual Event
Vassar Haiti Project Christopher Bjork, Professor of Education, Asian Studies and International Studies and Lila and Andrew Meade, the Co-Founders, will present opening remarks and reflections.. 6:00 p.m. | Virtual event
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Saturday
October Vassar Haiti Project Meet and greet with Haitian artists and gallery owners.
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October
Sunday
Tiana Headley Olivia Watson Lucille Brewster ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Janet Song FEATURES EDITOR Jonas Trostle OPINIONS EDITOR Meghan Hayfield ARTS EDITOR Nina Ajemian ASSISTANT ARTS EDITOR Isabella Migani HUMOR EDITOR Madi Donat ASSISTANT HUMOR EDITOR Alex Eisert SPORTS EDITORS Dean Kopitsky Natalie Bober SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Alison Carranza ASSISTANT SOCIAL MEDIA Sherry Liao ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITORS Grace Rousell Jacqueline Gill COPY EDITORS Phoebe Jacoby Caitlin Patterson Julián Aguilar GRAPHICS EDITORS Juliette Pope Alexis Cerritos VIDEO PRODUCTION MANAGER Alex Barnard AUDIO EDITOR Ben Scharf LIVE EVENTS CHAIRPERSON Emma Tanner BUSINESS MANAGER Logan Hyde ASSISANT BUSINESS MANAGER
COLUMNISTS
Vassar Haiti Project Raffle and closing remarks.
10:00 a.m. | Virtual Event
5 p.m. |
Virtual Event
A Prelude to Entrepreneurship in the Arts Dr. Yves Dharamraj, Adjunct Instructor of Cello, will lead a tele-workshop that introduces tools for helping creatives share their incredible ideas with the larger audiences they deserve. Open to students only, all majors welcome.
Aena Khan Ted Chmyz Taylor Stewart Abby Tarwater Duncan Aronson Jessica Moss Holly Schulman
NEWS EDITORS
REPORTERS
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Lucy Leonard
COPY STAFF
CROSSWORD
Delila Ames Alysa Chen Olivia Diallo Rayan El Amine Sara Lawler Leila Raines Francisco Andrade Sawyer Bush Madison Caress Doug Cobb Rohan Dutta Helen Johnson Xin Rui Ong Taylor Gee Jason Han Jake Johnson Emma Kahn Tiffany Trumble Frank
11:00 a.m. | Virtual Event
Families Weekend A conversation with President Elizabeth H. Bradley and three of the College’s deans, a faculty panel for families of first-year students, and a student panel about summer work during the pandemic. Open to students and their families. 12:00 p.m. | Virtual Event/Zoom links available in emails sent to families.
Vassar Haiti Project Live concert and interview with the Haitian singer, NAÏKA. 7:30 p.m. | Virtual Event
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
CORRECTION POLICY The Miscellany News will only accept corrections for any misquotes, misrepresentations or factual errors for an article within the semester it is printed.
The Miscellany News is not responsible for the views presented within its Opinions pages. Staff editorials are the only articles that reflect the opinion of a two-thirds majority of the Editorial Board.
VOTING AT VASSAR:
HOW TO CAST A BALLOT FROM THE BUBBLE Olivia Watson & Juliette Pope
It’s been said by both Democrats and Republicans : this is the most important election of our lifetimes. Whether or not Vassar students can physically go to the polls on Election Day is yet to be determined, but there are many ways for students to ensure that their voices are heard and votes counted. According to Democracy Matters co-President Cassie Cauwels ’22, Vassar students can vote either for candidates in their hometown district or in one of Poughkeepsie’s districts. One way to decide is through Voteology , a website that compares districts and calculates where a vote would have more impact. Below are details for both out-of-state and in-state voting.
VOTING IN DUTCHESS COUNTY: According to Cauwels, the Vassar administration is currently deciding whether or not students will be allowed to vote in-person. Administration is also considering allowing students to participate in early voting. However, Cauwels recommends requesting a mail-in ballot in case a campus shutdown or coronavirus breakout prevents students from physically attending polls.
IF YOU HAVE A NEW YORK STATE ID you can register to vote on the New York State Website.
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IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A NEW YORK STATE ID If you do not have a New York State ID, go to TurboVote and complete the application for a mail-in-ballot, then print it out and deliver the form to the gray box by the Information Desk in the College Center.
NOTE! Include dorm room #, dorm building and Vassar PO Box in address for application. You can still vote in-person if you request an absentee ballot. If you decide to do so, bring the absentee ballot to a polling location and a staff member can discard your ballot.
When you receive the ballot and are preparing to mail it back, free stamps are available from Democracy Matters and your dorm voting advisor. Stamps can also be purchased in the College Store. Deliver your ballot to the mail slots in the Retreat.
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The deadline to submit your application for a NYS ballot is Oct. 27. The Vassar Post Office must receive your mail by 11:30 a.m. to be postmarked for that specific day. However, it is recommended that you submit your application and ballot much earlier to give the post office adequate time to deliver it.
REMEMBER
Vassar is divided into different voting districts. If you have recently moved into the TAs, THs or SoCos, you will need to register in a new voting district. Just to be safe, it is also best to do this if you have changed dorm buildings on campus. The deadline to change your voting address is Oct. 14.
VOTING OUT OF STATE: 1
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All states have different voting deadlines: Be sure to check yours online.
States handle the application process for absentee voting differently; go to TurboVote and register to vote in your home state.
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Apply for an For some states that Double check absentee ballot are automatically the stamp and follow mailing out ballots, it is requirements for instructions. important to call your your state: Some Board of Elections and states have have your ballot prepaid ballots, forwarded to your while others Vassar address. require stamps.
Cauwels emphasized that if students have questions or concerns about how they will vote, they can contact Democracy Matters, their dorm voting advisor, or The Vassar Votes Team (Lisa Kaul, John Bradley, Sonia Santos, Jean Hinkley and Cassie Cauwels).
October 1, 2020
NEWS
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NY congressional races to watch this election season Continued from New York on page 1 Chele Farley, who previously worked in the financial services industry. Farley has heavily criticized Congressional gridlock and has also targeted Maloney for co-sponsoring Green New Deal legislation. New York’s 19th district is currently held by freshman Democrat Antonio Delgado. In 2018, Delgado defeated Republican incumbent John Faso with 51.4 percent of the vote. Delgado is one of three New York House Democrats supported by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s Frontline program. The Committee, also known as the DCCC, uses the Frontline program to provide funding and general campaign support to vulnerable Democratic incumbents. Many frontline candidates, including Delgado, represent districts that supported Trump in 2016. In the 19th district, Trump won 50.8 percent of the vote, while Clinton received 44 percent. In November, Delgado will face Republican opponent Kyle Van De Water, an Army veteran and a practicing attorney in Poughkeepsie. Democrat Max Rose is also a freshman Congressman and a DCCC Frontline candidate. Rose represents New York’s 11th district, which includes Staten Island and parts of South Brooklyn. Rose defeated Republican incumbent Daniel Donovan in 2018, becoming the second Democrat to represent the 11th district in 30 years. Rose is considered a vulnerable incumbent, largely because Trump won the 11th district by about 10 percentage points in 2016. The race is rated as a toss-up by the Cook Political Report and Inside Elections.
In November, Rose will face off against Republican Nicole Malliotakis, who currently serves in the New York State Assembly. Malliotakis ran as the Republican nominee in the 2017 New York City mayoral race, which she lost to incumbent Mayor Bill de Blasio. Malliotakis’ campaign has taken a law and order focus, and she has also pledged to fight for more federal mass transit funding for New York City. During her mayoral run, she received 67 percent of the vote in the 11th district, signaling her support in Staten Island and South Brooklyn. New York’s third DCCC frontline candidate is Representative Anthony Brindisi, who represents the 22nd district in central New York. In 2018, Brindisi won a tight race against Republican incumbent Claudia Tenney by a margin of just 1.8 percent. Tenney is now seeking to reclaim the seat. Trump won the 22nd district by 16 percentage points in 2016, and the seat is considered a toss-up by the Cook Political Report. After picking up 43 House seats in 2018, Democrats are primarily playing defense. However, the DCCC has included New York’s 1st, 2nd and 24th districts in their signature “Red to Blue” program, which provides Democratic challengers in competitive, Republican-held districts with fundraising and organizational support. In New York’s 1st Congressional district, located in Eastern Long Island, Democratic challenger Nancy Goroff is seeking to unseat Republican Lee Zelden. Trump won the district by 12 points in 2016, but recent polling suggests that Goroff’s campaign is
gaining traction. A likely voter poll conducted in August showed Goroff leading 48 percent to 46 percent. Republican John Katko is on the defensive in New York’s 24th Congressional district, which includes Cayuga, Onondaga, and Wayne counties in Western New York. Democratic candidate Dana Balter is challenging Katko for the 2nd time after losing with 47.4 percent of the vote in 2018. Katko has held his seat since 2014, but Democrats have won the district in the last three Presidential elections. The Cook Political Report rates the race as “Lean Republican,” meaning the race is competitive with an advantage for Katko. Contradictory polling has increased uncertainty over the race between Balter and Katko. The Balter campaign recently released a poll conducted Aug. 23 to 25 showing Balter leading 48 percent to 46 percent, with a margin of error of +/- 4.4 percent. However, Katko’s campaign released results of a poll conducted Aug. 12 to 15 showing Katko leading 51-40 percent. The latter poll had a margin of error of +/4.9 percent. An open seat in New York’s 2nd district has also become competitive after Republican Peter King announced his decision to retire after 14 terms in the House. In 2016, the district supported President Trump by nine percentage points after going to Obama in 2012. The open seat is considered a toss-up by the Cook Political Report. Democratic candidate Jackie Gordon is an Army veteran and former educator in the New York City public school system.
Gordon has focused her campaign on protecting affordable health care, expanding funding for public education and supporting veterans. Andrew Garbarino, the Republican candidate, currently represents Long Island’s south shore in the New York State Assembly. Garbarino recently released his first television ad, titled “Back the Blue.” The ad emphasizes Garbarino’s commitment to supporting police officers and decries calls to defund the police. Democrats are widely favored to maintain control of the House in November. The Economist election forecast currently gives Democrats a 98 percent chance of maintaining control of the House. Democrats also have history on their side after regaining the majority of the House in 2018, as the House majority party has not changed twice in a row since 1954. Majority control of the Senate is much more competitive, with 23 Republican Senate seats up for election. FiveThirtyEight’s Nate Silver currently gives Democrats a 62percent chance of controlling the Senate. Under Pelosi’s pragmatic leadership style, House Democrats have achieved record-breaking levels of party unity in voting. In 2019, the average Democratic House member voted with the party on 95 percent of votes that split the majority of Democrats from the majority of Republicans. Even if some competitive seats are lost, most legislation supported by Democratic leadership will likely pass the House with relative ease if a Democratic majority is maintained. The future of bills passed by the House will depend heavily on which parties control the Senate and the presidency.
Smythe v. Serino: NY’s 41st Senate district candidates on the issues Alex Wilson
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Guest Reporter
his November, local businesswoman Karen Smythe will face GOP State Senator Sue Serino in what will be her second attempt to flip District 41—the traditionally conservative stronghold in which Poughkeepsie is located—blue. Throughout her campaign, Smythe has focused her rhetoric on imperatives for racial justice reform, reproductive rights and the need for new leadership. Meanwhile, Serino has stuck to her small government instincts while criticizing New York State’s unilaterally Democratic leadership and their pandemic response. Below are the candidates’ views on some of this year’s most pressing issues: Racial Justice Smythe has marched with and expressed strong support for the Black Lives Matter movement. She feels that the state should work to reinvest in mental health support, which the police should not be responsible for, and that racial disparities in minor drug convictions must be addressed. Smythe hopes to create a community fund to give low-income, predominantly residents of color capital to start businesses and acknowledges the need to flatten racial inequities in early education and housing. Soon after the death of George Floyd, Serino spoke out in support of the movement for racial justice and took part in a peaceful prayer walk in the City of Poughkeepsie. Since then, she has voted in favor of bills requiring instruction on symbols of hate in grades 6-12, establishing a hate crimes training program for law enforcement and extending the definition of “race” and racial-based discrimiantion to hair texture and style. At the same time, Serino voted against S.8496, which authorizes disclosure of law enforcement disciplinary re-
cords, and S.6579, which limits penalties for marijuana possession. Reproductive Rights Smythe, who has been endorsed by Planned Parenthood, EMILY’s List and the National Institute for Reproductive Rights, supports the Reproductive Health Act (RHA), which codified Roe v. Wade protections into New York State law. She has emphasized the need to protect reproductive health care access and says that this health care should not be tied to employment. Serino, who opposed the RHA, insists that New York has “never done anything to roll back the clock” on Roe and, in 2018, said that she would oppose any measures restricting abortion access. Sexual Violence Smythe’s platform prioritizes zero-tolerance for sexual harassment, and she supports the work of the Military Sexual Trauma Movement, which lobbies for a regulative authority that would allow victims of sexual assault to report incidents outside of their chain of command. Serino has sponsored legislation to establish a sex trafficking awareness and prevention program, which prohibits sex offenders from being bus drivers and require sex offenders to verify their residence and registration on a biannual basis. Gender Discrimination Smythe supports equal pay for equal work policies as well as the strengthening of paid family and medical leave programs. She sharply opposes the GOP rollback of Obama-era protections for transgender Americans.Serino voted against prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity and designating offenses regarding gender identity or expression as hate crimes. Guns Smythe supports the work of Moms De-
mand Action for Gun Sense in America, New Yorkers Against Gun Violence and various other groups advocating for gun control measures. She believes that “protecting our kids from gun violence should not be a controversial or partisan issue” and claims that Serino continues to block “all” gun safety measures.Serino has co-sponsored legislation to repeal the 2013 SAFE Act, which the New York State Legislature passed after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting to increase penalties for illegal gun use and insists that the state should be focusing on mental health-related prevention. Serino also voted against S.8121, which ensures that convicted domestic abusers do not have access to firearms. In her most recent term, she opposed bills increasing penalties for improper gun storage, prohibiting firearms on school campuses and establishing 30-day waiting periods, while also voting to prohibit both bump stocks and 3D printed firearms and establish a firearm buyback program. Environmental Policy Smythe supports the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which sets binding goals for the state to achieve 85 percent emissions reduction by 2050 and ensures that at least 35-40 percent of climate infrastructure is directed to disadvantaged communities. Smythe also insists that we must invest in the region’s drinking water infrastructure, encourage regenerative farming practices for local farms and create jobs in the emerging green technology sector. Serino opposed the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. She voted to establish a small business energy assistance program and prohibit offshore drilling. Economic Infrastructure: Housing, Workforce and Broadband
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
Smythe has called for universal broadband access. In municipalities such as Poughkeepsie where many families cannot afford broadband, she suggests implementing a municipal broadband network. She asserts that while families and employers look to relocate outside of New York City, the Hudson Valley must leverage itself to attract emerging industries and make home ownership more accessible. Serino hopes to expand broadband access by exempting high-needs communities from a fiber optic tax, which she says has disincentivized broadband development. She opposed a bill extending eviction protections for tenants during the emergency shutdown. This year she sponsored legislation requiring state economic development agencies to provide preference to small businesses in the programs that they administer. Education Smythe supports implementing anti-racist curricula in every level of K-12 education and building a more equitable tax system that will flatten the inequalities between wealthier and poorer school districts. Smythe believes that the Excelsior Scholarship, which grants certain New York students tuition-free attendance at CUNY and SUNY schools, should be more inclusive of part-time students and hopes to direct additional resources toward alternatives to four-year colleges. Serino is a sharp critic of Common Core standards and is the creator of an Education Advisory Board that has proposed sweeping reforms to Common Core standards. She opposed granting undocumented immigrants access to higher education aid and establishing a school voter registration access program. Regarding the Excelsior Scholarship, Serino favors moving towards an “enhanced,” income based Tuition Assistance Program (TAP).
October 1, 2020
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Jessica Segal challenges Peter Forman for Dutchess County Judge Continued from Judge on page 1 District Attorney is up against 20-year judicial veteran and incumbent Republican Peter Forman. Forman has won endorsements from Republican County Executive Marc Molinaro, City of Poughkeepsie Councilmember Yvonne Flowers and several police associations. After 10 years on the county bench and years of judicial experience, many are comfortable with seeing him continue. Forman appeals to this desire for stability amid the pandemic in a recent campaign ad: “You have a lot on your plate right now. The last thing you need is to worry about your county court judge.” Dutchess residents have seen Forman preside over Family Treatment Court and Juvenile Treatment Court. They’ve also watched him divert non-violent offenders struggling with substance abuse away from incarceration and into treatment and monitoring programs. But Forman is also 65 years old. New York County Court judges must retire at the end of the calendar year they turn 70. If Forman wins, the county would later have to host an election to fill his place. Though her competition is tough, Segal offers experience many don’t bring as a first time judicial candidate. The Pace Law School grad got her start while interning with the Dutchess County District Attorney’s (DA) Appeals Bureau. There she reviewed appeals from convicted defendants. The DA’s office offered her a job upon graduation. “Prosecutors don’t often have that much turnover in Dutchess County,” she said. “They stay for a long time because there’s good benefits. So I took the job and stayed there for 17 years.” She first spent three years researching and writing appellate briefs in the Appeals Bureau, learning every mistake attorneys and judges can make over the course of a trial. She then moved to the Trials Bureau for 14 years as a prosecutor. There she revamped her love of animals from her days on the Pace Environmental Law Review. “My niche was vehicular homicide cases and animal cruelty,” she said. “I found that my passion for animal protection came in the form of prosecuting abused and neglected animal cases.”
“When I saw this attempt at voter suppression happening, I knew I had to fight for every voter to be heard, regardless of whether they voted for me or not. Segal said she’d seen people at their lowest over those 14 years. Sitting with victims of violent crimes showed her how crucial empathy is in law practice.
Above, Democratic newcomer Jessica Segal. Courtesy of Jessica Segal for Dutchess County Court. “There’s a real human connection to bearing witness to someone’s most tragic day of their life,” she said. “I found it very rewarding to help people through that traumatic process, and to be a voice for them when they couldn’t find the right words.” Segal later struck into civil litigation and criminal defense in 2017. Now on the other side as a defense attorney, she’s seen first hand the shame carried by those convicted of a crime. While talking through defendants’ childhood traumas, exposure to violence and substance addictions, Segal emphasizes that conviction or arrest doesn’t define them. “I’ve never approached my career as either a prosecutor or a defense attorney from a place of judgment...It’s just, how can we make the situation better?” When asked why she’s running for County Judge now, Segal said she wants to bring empathy to the bench: “I saw a lack of regard for treating people with fairness and dignity. [People] were just a number, every case was just a number to push through the system.” Besides her experience and values, Segal touts what she sees as a major track record difference between her and her opponent: She’s never had a case overturned for error or misconduct. Forman has had roughly five cases overturned between 2014 and 2020. In People v. Wright, Forman allowed the prosecutor to present evidence and argue that, because defendant Raymond Wright had committed burglary before, he had a propensity for this crime. The State Supreme Court Appellate Division ruled that “the prejudice to the defendant was so great here that it deprived him of the right to a fair trial.” Wright was given a retrial. In People v. Lambey, an undercover police officer and confidential informant signed affidavits saying that defendant Darnell Lambey was selling drugs and possessed a handgun. Forman denied the defendant a hearing on the warrant’s validity. He also denied Lambey’s attorney copies of the warrant. Lambey’s appeal for a hearing and the paperwork was granted. Defendant Masao Yonamine challenged Forman’s sentencing as excessive in Yonamine v. Forman, with the state Appellate Division agreeing and reducing the
sentence. Forman had two previous decisions upheld in January, despite errors in the proceedings. In People v. Leddy, Forman failed to inform defendant John Leddy that the waiver he signed as part of his plea deal would waive his right to appeal the sentencing. Despite these missteps, Segal projected her opponent’s judicial seniority and name recognition would win him the June 23 Independence party primary. Only registered Independence Party voters can participate in this election. As Forman, Segal and two elections commissioners processed votes, the incumbent contested many voters’ absentee ballots—a total of 105. Segal claims that Forman used his familiarity with those who’d voted for him in the past to distinguish those he didn’t know or thought had voted for Segal. She said Forman challenged ballots he believed belonged to the latter group, and contested errors or irregularities with their ballots. Forman released a statement on July 10 explaining the reasoning for the litigation that followed. “Due to some irregularities with ballots and voting machines, and the conduct of some poll site workers, I have filed a lawsuit in order to uphold the integrity of the election and ensure that every properly-cast vote is counted,” wrote Forman. According to case documents, Forman also challenged Governor Andrew Cuomo’s power to authorize that these absentee ballots be counted as unconstitutional. In turn, he argued that all ballots casted were invalid. Cuomo signed an executive order prior to New York’s June 23 primaries giving all New York voters the ability to request an absentee ballot amid the pandemic and community spread. He later signed an order sending postage-paid absentee ballot applications to all registered New York voters. Forman attorney called in New York City graphologist Roger Rubin to analyze the signatures on the absentee ballots and voter registration cards. Rubin is not certified by the American Board of Forensic Document Examiners. Judge Paul Marx allowed Rubin to give opinion testimony rather than forensic handwriting analy-
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
sis. Rubin asserted that signatures did not match “to his specially trained eye,” and repeatedly changed his observations. Marx rejected this testimony. Segal attempted to contact the people whose votes hung in limbo. Some testified the validity of their ballots either in court or through affidavits. By the end of the suit, Marx denied Forman’s request for a new election and his charge that Cuomo’s executive order was unconstitutional. With some ballots not opened, Forman won by 25 votes—601 to Segal’s 576. The newcomer knew he would win, but she prided herself on doing the right thing. “When I saw this attempt at voter suppression happening, I knew I had to fight for every voter to be heard, regardless of whether they voted for me or not,” she said soon after the final vote on Aug. 14. “It was the right thing to do and that’s the kind of judge I’ll be.” With election day almost a month away and a marginal primary loss between her and Forman, Segal is hopeful. After all, both she and the incumbent were rated “Highly Qualified” by the Dutchess County Bar Association. She also shared that her campaign took on new meaning after the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Segal, a single mother to teenagers, knows that she would not have the ability to run for office had it not been for Ginsburg’s trailblazing work. “[Her legacy] motivates me more to run because I want my children, grandchildren and young girls in the community to see that a woman can be a county court judge and that you can make a difference while raising a family.” Segal also emphasized the need for greater representation of historically underrepresented people in the legal field. “I think it’s important that there be fair representation in the courtroom of everyone...we need people of color and more women in judge positions across the state.” Even if the election doesn’t swing in her favor on Nov. 3, Segal said that her campaign is bigger than the win or loss. “For me it wasn’t really about if I’d win, it was that I wanted to try and be in the arena. I wanted to show my kids that if you have a dream, try and work as hard as you can.”
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Notes on a Playlist: “Soundtrack to Young Love” I fell for Frank Ocean in November 2018, around the same time I struck up my first romance. Gazing pensively out of the window as I drove to the airport for the winter break of my junior year of high school, I listened to “Ivy” by Frank Ocean and the breath caught in my throat when he sang “I thought that I was dreaming when you said you loved me.” I remembered the flurry of excitement, uncertainty and disbelief that rushed through my head when he said those words to me just a few weeks prior, after I’d spent a month dreaming of him and passing glances I imagined he would never return. I heard something different after New Year’s, when my romance crumbled as quickly as it had begun. “The start of nothing,” another “Ivy” lyric, described my new perspective on this fleeting relationship; it had been nothing significant from the start. I spent many nights around this time sitting awake in bed, writing poems until I could barely keep my eyes open, romanticizing memories of moments with my first love, and eventually processing his emotional manipulation. I used “Ivy” as a jumping-off point, using the aforementioned lyrics as the opening lines of my poems. I sought out music that encapsulated my emotions as life granted me more relationships, lusts and unrequited feelings. I wrote more poems inspired by the lyrics that resonated with me most. In retrospect, I created a soundtrack to my love life. The story begins with “Get You” by Daniel Caesar, remarking upon the awe of knowing someone returned my feelings, and how, instantly, everything felt right. Next comes “Dark Red” by Steve Lacy, seductive and lustful tones accompanied by the feeling that something dark is ahead. The darker times are represented by Frank Ocean’s “Ivy,” while Donna Missal’s “Hurt By You” finds strength in moving beyond painful memories. The playlist shifts in tone over time, evolving from dark, lusty RnB to Mitski and Snail Mail’s gentle sapphic yearning. It ends with “White Ferrari” by Frank Ocean, which contains the simple but provocative lyric “I care for you still,” evoking memories of the sweet, romantic relationship I left prematurely to come to Vassar. It brings to mind one particularly vivid memory of the day my significant other and I thought was our last together, in which we sat in traffic on the Pacific Coast Highway, hand in hand, with the windows rolled down, silently swaying to “GONE, GONE / THANK YOU” by Tyler, the Creator as I realized my feelings weren’t yet gone. In recent years, music and writing have allowed me to make sense of my feelings on a deeper level, as I’ve learned to love and allow myself to be loved. I carefully curated this playlist to embody the range of emotions I’ve felt over the whirlwind that has been my early adolescence. Listen to the intoxicating musings of Frank Ocean, Steve Lacy, Hozier, Mitski and more to feel desire, romance, empowerment, sorrow and yearning. Contact misc@vassar.edu to have your playlist featured in “Notes on a Playlist.”
October 1, 2020
Loeb exhibits migrant retablos from the border Massimo Tarridas
R
Guest Columnist
etablos, also called ex-votos, are votive paintings made to thank a religious figure for the future or past help during a difficult time. They’re usually painted on small sheets of tin with a depiction and written description of the event, the person’s name and an image of Christ, the Virgin or the particular saint to whom the retablo is dedicated. Retablos are hung in churches or chapels; as they accumulate on the walls, they become a display of folk art and a public record of collective troubles of the area in which they are found. “Miracles on the Border” is an exhibition in the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center that focuses on Mexican retablos made by migrants crossing from Mexico into the United States, from the United States back home, or even those who are dealing with hardships within the States. The collection spans the 20th century and represents a century’s worth of problems, ranging from giving thanks for the paperwork needed to buy a pickup truck to recovering from disease. One of the more harrowing paintings, commissioned by Concepción Zapata, reads, “I dedicate the present retablo to the Holiest Virgin of San Juan de los Lagos for having saved me from a Texan who tried to carry me off. I hid under a tree by the side of the road with my little brother.” Zapata made the retablo for San Luis Potosí. Their visual style is part of what makes them so
potent: with two-dimensional figures, tripartite backgrounds and a primary color palette, they’re sometimes uncomfortably frank expressions of suffering as well as recovery. Saints hover above the scenery, surrounded by clouds and gold. Bodies are painted delicately and without defining features. They’re almost always on their knees in prayer. To accompany this exhibit, the Loeb is screening a series of Mexican films in front of the Chapel. The first of these, shown on Sept. 17, was Maria Candelaria (dir. Emilio Fernández, 1943), the first Latin American film to win the Palme d’Or at Cannes and a classic of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. It’s a melodrama that portrays Indigenous people in a rural scenography whose composition takes great influence from muralism, in an attempt by Fernández to create a style of cinema that would be recognizably Mexican. Other films in the series of screenings include Nosotros Los Nobles (dir. Gary Alazraki, 2013), shown on Sept. 24, and an upcoming final screening on Oct. 1 of a film that has yet to be announced. (To attend this next screening you must RSVP). Nosotros Los Nobles is a dark comedy of manners that deals with shifting social classes, serving as a counterpoint to the more classic storytelling of Maria Candelaria and as an example of Mexico’s contemporary popular cinema. Next to the exhibit there is a small display of Mexican art from the Loeb’s permanent collection, the standouts among which are
a few small works by muralist Diego Rivera. One of these paintings, “Roberto Rosales” (1930), draws a clear connection to retablos in its inclusion of a scroll of descriptive text underneath the portrait of a young boy. Rivera was married to Frida Kahlo, and together they were the first collectors of retablos as art. Kahlo’s own work also includes influence from retablos, either conceptually, in the way she illustrates various illnesses throughout her life, or structurally, with text and use of colors reminiscent of popular Mexican murals. Once, Kahlo bought a retablo that depicted the accident she suffered in 1925 so closely that she only had to modify it a little – most notably, adding her famous unibrow onto the face of the victim and changing the destination of the tram she was on. “Miracles on the Border,” in conjunction with the screenings and accompanying selection of Mexican art, paints a multifaceted picture of Mexican culture in how it showcases both prominent painters and filmmakers alongside the more quotidian retablos. And as the years dating these retablos go up and up—1944, 1964, 1978, 1980— and the same depictions of being saved while crossing the Rio Grande reappear, a larger personal narrative is built, one that is impossible to convey in any other way else, since it is to these saints that people reveal their most intimate hopes, fears, secrets… It’s a rich expression of everyday life, a population painting itself.
Jumping into Vassar skateboard culture Nina Ajemian
Y
Assistant Arts Editor
ou hear them before you see them. The rumbling sound of spinning wheels gliding across cracks in the sidewalk. Sneakers hitting boards, boards making contact with pavement. At Vassar, it’s hard to walk around campus and not run into at least one skateboarder, whether they are on their way to class or practicing tricks in the middle of the road. There’s an element of coolness and quiet power in their presence as they fly past pedestrians. Rock music blasting from a nearby speaker grows louder as I approach Main Building on a warm September weekend. The afternoon sun is hot, and skateboarders Matthias Howley ’21 and Lucas Mann ’22 are dripping in sweat when I approach them. The two have been riding for years— Mann has been skating since he was nine and Howley since he was seven. I’m jealous of the ease with which they balance and the control in their fluid movements. The most skateboarding I’ve ever done, if you can even call it that, was standing completely still on a board, so I ask Mann and Howley to describe the feeling of riding. Howley answers, “It’s like you’re trying for hours and hours, day after day and then you finally land it perfectly—it’s like YESSSS. Oh my God, there’s nothing better than that. Better than any high. I think it’s the best feeling ever.” Mann’s take is equally vivid: “It feels like... lemonade on a hot day.” Their spot in front of Main is a favorite for practicing and, Howley notes, for meeting up with other riders. This social element is a key part of skateboard culture. Howley comments, “If you see us skating here, feel free to join us. We love skating with new people, teaching people tricks. We’re very open, friendly people. We’re not closed-off, like, ‘Oh, you skate worse than us,’” to which Mann adds, “No, not at all. Come skate.” As we’re talking, Howley and Mann
are fidgeting on their boards, itching to get back in motion. It’s almost as if the line between body and board has disappeared. Skateboarding, for them, is far more than a means of transportation—in fact, to my amusement, both Howley and Mann admit they just walk to class. Skateboarding is their lives and more. As with many subcultures on campus, there are skateboarder stereotypes. People often have an image of their head of a skateboarder, which Mann sums up, “I’d say maybe a stereotype is that they’re kind of dirty, they don’t shower, they just wear, like, shitty clothes. Clearly, true for me.” Howley comments on another aspect of skateboarder stereotypes, explaining, “I think there’s a lot of, like, ‘they do drugs and cause a lot of mischief,’ which is partially true. I feel like some skaters are assholes for that reason... but I feel like once you talk to them they’re actually pretty nice people. They’re down to earth, and if you can skate well, you have so much respect.” Mann and Howley described an ever-evolving quality that makes skateboard culture hard to define and multi-faceted. Mann muses, “What does it look like to me? A lot of rich kids starting to skateboard because it’s trendy, which is sick—I fuck with it, like go ahead, skate, I’m in favor of it. But I mean, it’s a trend—it’s just a trend.” Howley builds on this idea, explaining, “I’d say [there are] three types of people who skate: ones that ride to class on their longboards; people that over quarantine [were] like, ‘I wanna learn how to do an ollie.’ And I feel like there’s only a few people like us who have been doing it for years and years and do more advanced stuff. Not that the people who can’t skate are bad, it’s just all of a sudden everyone skates—like, where did this all come from? But I love it!” A new skater, Max Steiger ’24, praises the community that he has just recently joined. “Generally, it’s been really supportive…And I’ve really just approached people who…I see
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skating and I’m like, “Hey, can I skate with you?” Steiger explains that he had always wanted to learn to skate and was finally able to do so with his abundance of free time over quarantine. He has been riding for about four months now and likes skating to class: “I think it’s fast and fun and easy.” Being new to the community, Steiger hesitates to identify himself as a skateboarder. He elaborates, “Maybe I will, at some point. I mean, it’s [only] like four months into skating.”Another facet of skateboard culture is the boards themselves. From custom paint-jobs and stickers to the dents, scrapes and scratches, no two boards are alike, much like the riders themselves. Their designs are expressive and the brands often hold personal meaning. Stieger’s board is hand-painted by a friend, with a psychedelic design and cool color scheme. He explains, “I just got this like two days ago…because my other board snapped. And my friend Eleanor painted the bottom of it, actually. It’s really cool. She just did it for me and I’m super psyched about it…I just gave her the board and was like, do whatever you think is the cool thing. And I had no idea what it was going to look like.” Mann is currently riding a board by his favorite skater, Tony Hawk, while Howley is skating an Almost Board. He adds, “This is Lewis Marnell—he died back in 2013, so they made a bunch of decks. It’s thinner, it’s better for, like, flipping. But it’s going to break in about like two weeks; they last me about a month ... since I skate so much on them.” As I leave, I catch a last glimpse of the riders resting under the golden sun. Without their riding, there is quiet, and I miss the rhythmic sounds of wheels on pavement. Walking away from the skaters feels like I’m leaving a hidden universe behind, one where the rules of gravity don’t apply. The world slows down as riders grapple with boards mid-air. There’s permanence in this suspension, and I find comfort in the thought that no matter what, the rider and their board will always come crashing down again.
October 1, 2020
FEATURES
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HYPE encourages all to join them in distanced dancing Monika Sweeney Guest Reporter
H
YPE, Vassar’s only non-audition hip-hop dance group, welcomes students with varying degrees of dance experience. According to their Facebook page, this eclectic group of dancers includes “ballerinas, cheerleaders, hip-hoppers, modern dancers, capoeira-lovers, break-dancers, people who have never danced, people who ‘can’t dance’ and so much more!” The organization, which won the title “Vassar’s Best Dance Crew” in 2010, is always looking for new members. There are currently 15 HYPE members. HYPE President Onyinyechi Attah ’22, better known as “O,” notes, “A lot of HYPE members have graduated in the past two years, so now our main focus is on recruiting new members and rebuilding our ranks.” While HYPE welcomes dedication, it doesn’t demand it—some members attend every meeting and participate in every performance, while others attend sporadically. Once a week, HYPE leadership sends an email to all prospective members including upcoming programming and a selection of dances and performances to sign up for. Last week’s email came with some exciting news for members, as those in the studio will no longer be required to keep a fixed distance due to the campus’ recent progression through the VassarTogether Phases. The most recent GB meeting, which prioritized signing up new members, involved learning choreography to “Birthday Sex” by Jeremih. Practices, which are around an hour long, are held through a mix of Zoom meetings (tentatively on Tuesdays from 7-8 p.m.) and socially distant in-person practices in Kenyon Hall every Saturday from 12-1 p.m. Due to COVID-19 safety guidelines, the number of dancers in the studio per session is limited to 14, so those interested in participating in the in-person sessions must sign up in advance. HYPE has taken the initiative to open all windows for cross-ventilation and enlist a trained monitor to guarantee safe practices. To ensure those participating virtually are not left out, HYPE leaders also plan to introduce a handful of guest choreographers to lead a few virtual meetings throughout the semester. These practices are referred to as Gen-
eral Body (GB) meetings and members are encouraged to bring a friend. Two virtual GBs have been held so far, one in which members taught each other famous TikTok dances and the other in which they learned throwback dance moves such as the Dougie and the Moonwalk. Since HYPE is focused on learning dance through collaborative efforts, students also teach each other original choreography. As of now, only Executive Board Members are teaching choreography. However, as Attah notes, “Once we get into the swing of things, all members will be welcome to bring their own choreography to teach to the group.” After attending a minimum of two GB meetings a semester, members are eligible to be on HYPE’s performance team
“What we all have in common is that we all love to dance and have fun...we constantly work to make HYPE a space that allows that.” (PT). PT meets occasionally throughout the year to create and rehearse routines for special events, such as music videos or HYPE’s final spring performance. The number of meetings depends on when the planned event is taking place and the schedule of the choreographer. To ensure that everyone interested in performing is given that chance, there is no set limit of members for HYPE’s PT. Notable past events include collaborations with other dance groups on campus such as FlyPeople, Vassar’s student-run dance company; an annual fall music video that is released at HYPE’s showcase; performances at the ALANA Festival and Black Students’ Union (BSU); and a recital
at the Queer Coalition of Vassar College’s drag show, “Flawless.” This year, these performances will look a little different, as each is contingent upon which phase Vassar is in at the time. Nevertheless, Attah stated, “We’re hopeful that once restrictions ease up we will be back to performing in front of an audience in no time.” Since dancing is considered a higher-risk activity in the VassarTogether guidelines, a form on protocol has been distributed to HYPE members detailing mandatory guidelines. This includes wearing a mask, even when stationary and six feet apart outside; re-sanitizing hands every 30 minutes, as well as before and after practice; and recording attendance every gathering. This will all be overseen by a designated Safety Monitor, who remains present throughout the entire meeting. HYPE Choreography Captain Nanako Kurosu ’22 joined HYPE as a way to continue pursuing her love of dance as she did in high school. Despite being filled with anxiety when attending her first GB meeting as a first-year, Kurosu persisted and began a bond with her fellow dancers that has only strengthened with time. “The vibes were nothing but supportive and I felt welcome from day one,” she noted. Kurosu attributes the diverse dance selections in HYPE to the varying backgrounds and experiences of those involved. “What we all have in common is that we all love to dance and have fun, and with that in mind, we constantly work to make HYPE a space that allows that,” Kurosu stated. Kurosu recalled one of her favorite HYPE memories: Two years ago, a handful of HYPE alumnae/i returned to campus to host a series of dance workshops. Each alum taught a piece of their own choreography based on a different hiphop style. The group learned, rehearsed and performed these dances for the alumnae/i. “It was so cool to see a glimpse of the history of HYPE and how dance has continued to live on in the lives of these alumni,” said Kurosu. Since HYPE’s founding nearly 11 years ago, this organization has not only created an expressive outlet for many, but also established a place for members to escape the frequent stressors of everyday college life. Kurosu, whose primary goal is for members to have fun, emphasized the
importance of such activities. “Even if it is only an hour a week at GBs, having some scheduled time to move your body, laugh with friends and to have a change of pace from the rest of your day is really nice,” she remarked. Most importantly, there is no pressure to execute a dance perfectly or even quickly, as everyone’s top priority is to enjoy themselves and make memories. HYPE’s Co-Creative Director, Ilana Frost ’22, like Kurosu, has also been involved with this organization since her first year, but did not have much dance experience coming in. To her, “It’s all about having a good time and hanging out with Hype people.” Frost’s favorite HYPE memory is that of her first-year Flype performance, an event that combined the talents of those in HYPE and FlyPeople. Although Flype may not occur this year due to COVID-19 restrictions, HYPE’s yearly music video is already in the works, and the group has recently developed a new event: a collaboration with No Such Organization (NSO). NSO, advertised as “Vassar’s Catch-all Geek Organization,” hosts numerous events throughout the year, ranging from game nights to a shadow cast version of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” NSO President Davis Fitzgerald ’22 said of the upcoming event: “Collaborating with Hype has been wonderful, we’re excited to see students enjoy using our systems amid the pandemic.” On Oct. 2, the tents closest to Commencement Hill will be decked out with projectors, speakers and Wii consoles for a Just Dance party extravaganza. Attah explained that this unusual collaboration was created to bring people together through gaming and dancing in a time where it has been especially difficult to acclimate new members and provide them with opportunities to mingle with HYPE veterans. To Attah, who entered HYPE with no dance experience but became interested in dance after being introduced to K-Pop through her high school’s talent show, HYPE is “just an open space you can be yourself.” For those still unsure of whether or not HYPE is the place for them, Frost summed up the org’s easygoing essence and expectations: “Everyone is excited to dance, but there’s no pressure to learn the dances perfectly.” As Kurosu affirmed, “Someone will also always be HYPE-ing you up at any GB or performance.”
Each year, HYPE members stage various shows, including a joint show with FlyPeople. Courtesy of HYPE.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
FEATURES
Page 8
October 1, 2020
A bright future brewing for coffee connoisseurs Continued from the brew on page 1 ment venue. After some investigation, Gutman-McCabe and Wolstenholme-Britt encountered a roughly 30-year timeline up to the present: Decades ago, there was a Vassar dining-affiliated coffee stand, and later a coffee window where Express is and even one at Walker Field House with an espresso maker. Then came a coffee cart run by two alums that offered pour-overs at various locations on campus, functioning essentially as an independent contractor. Around 2011, an independently-run student cart briefly set up shop in the library and Main Building. And, of course, there was the mythic Matthew’s Bean, which now lies dormant in the library basement. According to Library Director’s Office Assistant Amanda Burdine, it closed in 2018 due to lack of traffic, and is currently a furniture storage unit. Burdine stated in an email correspondence with Guttman-McCabe, “[The Bean] was hard to staff, since it relied on student employment. It would inevitably close during study week and finals, which was exactly when students wanted it to open.” She also cited its less-than-appealing design: “They painted it yellow and it had ceiling lights and small spot lights, so it always felt dark and dreary in there.” The Bean’s fatal flaw—student staffing—would become the jumping-off point for the Brew. Similarly, the alum cart had to close because they ran into staffing issues. One of Guttman-McCabe and Wolstenholme-Britt’s main goals are to provide work study opportunities by employing students as baristas. The latter noted that work-study employment can be hard to find right now, suggesting that there is a dearth of service jobs and positions that aren’t specific to an academic department. In addition to enlivening work-study
options, the founders want to carve out a space for inter-org relations at Vassar. They raved about the prospect of partnering with a student organization for, say, one week a month, such that all of the revenue would be directed towards the organization’s charity of choice or future events. To this end, an org could table next to the bar on partnership weeks. Wolstenholme-Britt explained, “As it stands, you’re not allowed to give money directly to another org, but we’re trying to figure out ways to have the revenue go to other things they want and give back to the Vassar community.” Perhaps belatedly, I asked them what their inspiration was for this project. Why set up a coffee bar now, when person-to-person contact is more precarious than ever? Their motivations to start the Brew actually stemmed from the source of my concerns. Nowadays, a unified sense of campus culture is difficult to discern. Guttman-McCabe noted, “You kind of have to force a connection during these times. You have to make a plan to meet somebody and just sit on the grass outside, and there’s no seating.” In the future, the bar would serve not only as a retailer, but also as a sort of venue for student and community activity. She said, “We started to think of it not just as a coffee shop, but as a place for people to get good coffee. The pandemic has shown us that we need more ways, especially outdoors, for people to get together and have ways to connect.” In addition to the Brew ethos, the founders have, of course, mulled over the menu. They plan to offer “the full range” of espresso drinks. Here they started running through an encyclopedic list of coffees, several of which I’d never heard of: In addition to caf and decaf options, Wolstenholme-Britt said, there would be cortados, Americanos, lattes, cappuccinos, macchiatos, espresso
shots, mochas and then Chai, caramel and vanilla syrup drinks and loose-leaf teas. While drip coffee is not in the plan, they are thinking of selling by French press (as opposed to espresso). They affirmed that everything would be V-Card accessible (and possibly purchasable using Popup Bucks). The base principle of the Brew’s beverage service is recycling. The founders have been looking at precedents for student-sold coffee, sourcing old equipment and circulating funds. Currently, they are trying to track the espresso machine that was used at the old coffee window. “[With espresso, y]ou don’t have to buy a lot of new equipment,” Guttman-McCabe explained. “And the profit that we do hold onto would be put into a fund to save up for the equipment necessary to provide what the community wants. If they want smoothies, we would buy a blender, and buy fresh produce for that weekly.” As we delved deeper into their proposal, they only got more expressive—mime-tamping coffee, illustrating the ideal dimensions of the bar, pointing out a conveniently placed extension cord and even walking me through the garden to elaborate on seating. The Sculpture Garden, they said, is a good spot for club tabling as well as acapella concerts, standup, small plays, karaoke night, dance lessons, ballroom dancing night, early morning yoga on Sunday—all paired with brew. They expressed hopes of one day opening the garden gate to the street so that Poughkeepsie community members may visit. Wolstenholme-Britt pointed out an interesting paradox. As social exchanges have been pushed outside, the dynamics of campus culture are more readily visible: take a glimpse of Noyes Circle at meal times and you will see a good chunk of the student body in various modes of exchange. But be-
Anna Guttman-McCabe and Xan Wolstenholme-Britt. .Grace Rousell, cause of this, the lack of a “campus hub,” as the founders put it, is only pronounced. It seems that students have caught onto this decentralizing effect. A Brew interest survey that was sent to the student body has, as of now, received 363 positive responses. Over 150 of these students expressed that they would like to help institute the bar. Wolstenholme-Britt shared, “Not only is it going to be a collaborative space once it’s up and running, we really see this as a collaborative effort to build and create so that students are invested in it from the beginning.” Longings for caffeine and camaraderie abound at Vassar. The Brew hopes for a solution. Guttman-McCabe and Wolstenholme-Britt have pitched the idea to the Loeb Student Advisory Board and Campus Activities and were met with good reception. The Brew has also been approved as a full org by the VSA. For inquiries, reach out to thevas-
Blissful boba: homemade bubble tea in the dorms Gwen Ma
Guest Columnist
Missing those chewy tapioca pearls and sweet milk tea? Craving boba but can’t go off campus to hit up Twisted Soul? It’s time to start making boba in your dorm! Making your own boba is cheaper, more COVID-friendly and considerably more fun, especially during the pandemic. My friends Nehal Ajmal ’24, Maya Berle ’24 and I are here to teach you how to make delicious boba drinks that taste exactly the same as the ones you get from your local boba shop.
To make fruity boba tea, you’ll need fresh fruits, tea bags, juice, lychee tapioca pearls and boba straws. Nehal bought lychee tapioca pearls and straws from Amazon, I got green tea bags and juice from the pop-up store at Express, while Maya searched for free fruits on campus. Fruit-gathering proved the most difficult, as we wanted pineapples to add a tropical flavor to our boba drink—but the fruit cups from the Deece (should be called honeydew cups at this point) gave us only about one pineapple chunk each. We ended up using a Del Monte fruit cup Maya brought from home instead.
Nehal Ajmal, Maya Berle and Gwen Ma holding their fruit tea boba. Courtesy of Gwen Ma.
Procedure for making tropical lychee boba tea: Step 1: Boil water and drop in green tea bags. Step 2: Cut fresh fruits into small pieces. Make sure they’re small enough to be sucked up through a boba straw. Step 3: Pour juice of your choice (we used tropical mango and pineapple juice) into a pot and add green tea to taste. I would suggest tasting the mixture while you add more tea so that the fruit tea does not taste completely like juice. Step 4: Boil water again and put lychee tapioca pearls in when the water begins to bubble. The pearls will start on the bottom of the kettle but rise up to the surface when they’re ready. Step 5: Put boba pearls in cold water for 20 seconds and stir the boba while adding brown sugar. It should melt in the heat. Step 6: Scoop the gooey boba into a glass bottle. Add fruit chunks and then pour fruit tea into the bottle as well. Step 7: Insert a boba straw, take a picture, and enjoy! (Putting it into the fridge is always a good idea if you want it icy.) Tropical fruit lychee boba tea was a triumphant success, so Nehal, Maya and I decided to make strawberry milk tea boba with brown sugar tapioca pearls. Procedure for making strawberry milk tea boba: Step 1: Boil water and put in black tea bags. Step 2: Pour the FairLife strawberry-flavored milk drink from the pop-up store into a pot and add black tea to it. I suggest
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tasting the mixture as you add more tea so that the tea doesn’t cover up the strawberry flavor and vice versa. Step 3: Boil water and put in brown sugar tapioca pearls when the water starts bubbling. Again, The pearls will start on the bottom of the kettle but rise up to the surface when they’re ready. Step 4: Put boba pearls in cold water for 20 seconds and then add brown sugar. It should melt in the heat. Step 5: Again, prepare a glass bottle and scoop the gooey boba into the bottle. Pour strawberry milk tea into the bottle. Step 6: As with the other tea, insert a boba straw, take a picture and enjoy! (Putting it into the fridge is always a good idea If you want it icy.) You can always be creative when customizing your boba drink. For example, you can use the cookies and cream-flavored milk drink at the pop-up store to make milk tea boba and experiment with other juices as well. Isn’t it easy? Though it takes about an hour to make boba tea, the taste is still worth it. The whole boba-making process is so much fun, especially when you get to observe the tapioca pearls growing bigger in the boiling water and when your friends’ jaws drop as they take the first sip of your homemade boba. In fact, it’s not just about making boba but about bonding with friends and sharing what you like with them. After all, I not only became a boba-making pro but also felt that I grew closer with my college buddies through this fun experience.
FEATURES
October 1, 2020
Page 9
Deece doors open up problems of ableism Janet Song
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Features Editor
t the front of the Deece, Declan Cassidy ’22 feels an immediate sense of worthlessness as he stands near two massive doors in the middle. “They feel like gates to a holy land,” Cassidy lamented, “but you always feel too unworthy to enter because they never open for you for no goddamn reason.” This is the Deece Door Debacle, a problem that has devastated Vassar students for years. At the surface, it’s an inconvenience of two stuck doors that many Brewers struggle to open as they grab meals. But behind closed doors, the Deece Door Debacle represents flaws in Vassar’s historic buildings and the heirloom of ableism on campus. First-hand experiences of trying to pull the door open follow this pattern: the user walks up the stairs to the Deece, holds the knob and pulls, only for the doors to stay shut, not even moving a centimeter. “Anytime I try to open with one hand I push down and yank, yet to no avail,” said Trina Chou ’23, who discovered her inability to open the middle doors halfway through her first semester. “I learned to always let other people go in front of me .” It is not a matter of brute force, these doors. The knob is what Itamar Ben-Porath ’21 described as finicky. Even if you pull as hard as you can, many techniques must be tried in pressing the thumb latch—from the two thumbs trick to leaning backward with your full body— in order for the door to click and open. Injuries ensue, either from fumbling with the knob or having the door open from behind as one struggles with the latch. “Sometimes someone will push [the doors],” said Ben-Porath, “in which case you might end up with either a bruised noggin, a wrenched finger or two, or some other little injury.” Until recently, the doors haven’t been a problem. Students managed to circumvent the issue by using the two side doors, the entrances of which lack obstinate knobs and are thus much easier to enter. But with physical distancing guidelines, the side doors are now “exit only,” leaving students cursed to only enter through the infamous Middle Door. Consequently, exasperated students yanking at the doors are now a common sight. Yet many have taken comfort in knowing that the Deece Door Debacle is a shared experience on campus. “It’s nice to know my struggles with the door aren’t a result of lacking strength or stupidity,” said Simone Rembert ’21. “And there’s always a bit of a chuckle shared between people struggling to enter through those doors at the same time. Now that I think about it, most of my pleasantries with people I don’t know at Vassar arise from shared problems with dilapidated older buildings.” Rembert’s comment reveals an uneven balance between tradition and modernity in building designs. The Deece doors are one of the most manifest examples of this clash—a traditional classicizing doorway
that opens to a sterile, modernized dining center. When one exits the Deece, they might notice door-opening buttons, but only on the inside and not the outside. Outside, one accessibility button stands next to the right door of the Deece, but doesn’t seem to work when pressed. Students must pull on the agonizing middle doors to gain entry. This in turn leads to issues for students who require accommodations. Andrew Miller ’23 explained how the Deece doors in particular put him at risk for injury. “I have a disease called Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and one of its symptoms is that it makes me more susceptible to injury,” he said. “If I pull too hard on the door, there’s a possibility I could throw my hip out of whack and that could cause me to limp for days.” Ben-Porath is also affected by the Deece doors, due to Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), which can sometimes lead them to have less blood in their extremities. “[POTS] makes it really painful and unpleasant to put a lot of force on them, especially when it’s cold out,” said Ben-Porath. “...Anyone with chronic pain, chronic
““If I pull too hard on the door, there’s a possibility I could throw my hip out of whack and that could cause me to limp for days.” ’20, the president of Access, a new student group for those of all types of disabilities, highlighted the difficult battle between preservation and accessibility. Certain buildings on campus carry great historical significance, hindering the chances of large structural changes. “Legally speaking, we are bound to keep some places inaccessible,” Pappas-Byers explained. “Because it’s signed in as a historical [building] and there’s not much the College can do about that. For example, in Main, only the outside is considered a historical building. [Therefore] they are allowed to renovate the inside as long as the actual frame—outside of the building—remains intact.” Pappas-Bryers suggested finding cre-
ing on, some students urge current structures on campus, such as elevators, to be accessible instead of restricted. “I really wish that more elevators were available to students,” Miller expressed. “In Cushing, where I live, there’s a working elevator but only maintenance staff are allowed to use it. It’s not possible to even reach rooms on the first floor without using stairs due to the building layout.” He added that while he understands the historical value of buildings and the compromise of renovation, Vassar still has much to contribute for their students. “I know that there are lots of little things Vassar can do to make life easier for disabled students: replacing doors, allowing access to elevators—things like that.”
The dreaded doors. Janet Song/The Miscellany News. fatigue or any condition that makes it difficult in any way to apply a lot of force is gonna have some difficulty with it. I’ve dealt with a fair bit of structural ableism on this campus, and I’d never thought of it before, but those doors absolutely fit the bill.” To combat ableism on campus, it seems that the easiest solution would be to build accommodations into all of Vassar’s buildings. But Bronwyn Pappas-Byers
“Now that I think about it, most of my pleasantries with people I don’t know at Vassar arise from shared problems with dilapidated older buildings.”
ative means of implementing Universal Designs—environments designed for accessibility among everyone, especially disabled people—across campus. Vassar, they explained, can turn to the Committee on Disability Issues (CODI) for guidance. Since last year, CODI has been working on an accessibility guide audited towards every building within the College, compiling data last spring. “The [first] thing for the college to do to go talk to CODI, because they have all the information. The second thing [is to take] those considerations into account to go and talk with somebody who does Universal Design,” said Pappa-Bryers. It’s important to note that physical accessibility is just one layer of Universal Design. Some other components of Universal Design include having signs available in written and pictorial form for those who can’t speak the local language. As for what Vassar needs to start focus-
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
For students who aren’t disabled, another step in combating ableism can be kindness. Although she isn’t disabled, Rembert said, “It’s pretty obvious when a building doesn’t have a ramp, or a working elevator, or automatic doors, that it wasn’t designed with everyone in mind. Some of the accessibility challenges on campus can be alleviated with courtesy—holding doors open [or] helping someone navigate a space.” For now, the infamous Deece Door Debacle continues to create frustration among campus, and the sight of students pushing and pulling with all their might continues to be a common occurrence. Much will have to be considered in fixing the door while keeping the historic integrity of the dining hall But amidst the push-and-pull battle between preservation and accommodation, there is an opportunity for change behind closed doors.
HUMOR
Page 10
October 1, 2020
Breaking News
From the desk of Izzy Migani, Humor Editor
Touch-starved Vassar student actually excited about COVID-test nose swab Ramblings of girl robbed of wisdom…and solid foods Glenna Gomez
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Applesauce Aficionado
s I write this, I am experiencing excruciating pain—you know, as you do. I had my wisdom teeth removed on Monday, and to be honest, I was not expecting much beyond the ordinary discomfort of dentistry. But boy oh boy, was I hit with a lot of pain, tears and smoothies. I assumed I’d be back to normal by Friday. Ready to sink my (almost full set of) teeth into the college experience. This was not the case. While I vastly underestimated the recovery time, the days leading up to the surgery went pretty smoothly. I wasn’t too scared (honestly, just looking forward to some funny home videos), but I also did not fully grasp that I would not be eating any solid foods for a week. The surgery went...fine, I guess. I woke up with a headache, a mouthful of cotton swabs and a strong desire to eat a plate of french fries right up until someone said it would have to come from a blender. As someone who loves food more than the Vassar wasps do, I did not take this change in my diet lightly. It has only been three days, and there are eyewitness accounts of me crying over cake at the Deece. To be fair, nobody thought to tell me that the third day is the worst. I mean,
as a barely-17-year-old, I have never had to deal with this much pain, so this was a wake-up call. I have some perspective now. Ergo, I am a lady of many experiences and am almost an adult. Key word being almost. Back to the food.
“Smoothies: Are they actually unhateable, or are they simply the true neutral food?”
hating them...yet. They are definitely convenient when you can only open your mouth like half a centimeter to gently stick a spoonful of smoothie in. The flavor options are as follows: strawberry, strawberry and banana, pineapple, strawberry, PB & J (which is just strawberry with a glob of peanut butter) and more strawber-
Like any other person, I enjoy smoothies. Portable, tasty, look cute in a mason jar. I’m somewhat bad at making them, but I usually just go with frozen strawberries, some cottage cheese and yogurt or milk. My proportions are always wrong in the beginning, resulting in that horrible sound the blender makes when there isn’t enough liquid, but it eventually tastes pretty much like a smoothie, which gets a thumbs up from me. This week has been smoothie central. I haven’t started
Courtesy of Ginny via Flickr.
ry. Quite the variety. And then there’s applesauce. Ya know? Applesauce is like a show that you completely forget about most of the time, but when the new season airs you are back to being utterly obsessed with it. I go months without thinking about applesauce, and then one week goes by where I eat two industrial-sized jars from Costco. This week is definitely one of those weeks, although I’m not sure if it is truly me rediscovering my love for it, because I don’t really have a choice in the matter. Applesauce is just adult baby food, so it’s just kind of what one eats when you need to feel like a baby. It’s pretty good, too. I have now gone through a number of the snack-sized cups in order to have some food in my stomach before taking some meds, and I’m not too mad about it. It is, in general, a delightful little snack to have. I am now going to end these musings, leaving you with some spicy thoughts to think about. Smoothies: Are they actually unhateable, or are they simply the true neutral food? And is applesauce always in season? Hopefully next time will be an ode to cake and the many textures food can come in, but for now I am going to suffer slurping down my lukewarm soup. Have a good one, folks.
cats = bread by b Gomez
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
October 1, 2020
HUMOR
Dr. G’s Love Advice: Housemate Sex, Pandemic Style Dear Dr. G, The Community Cares Team Guidelines on safe sex during quarantine suggest that I have sex with people I live with, but my TH has 5 people and I only want to f*ck one of them. How do I start having sex with one of them but keep it from turning into a full-blown orgy? -Stuck in the Middle Dear Stuck, When selecting housemates, we often make the mistake of picking all the most “wifeable” friends from around campus to put under one roof (Wifeable: adj.- a term describing the hottest, funniest, most interesting, smartest, presentable and stable people you know. For further explanation, please see: any person employed as a Tour Guide by Vassar College). With the promise of good and interesting housemates, we accept the risk of wanting to f*ck them (and them wanting to f*ck each other). And so we are left with the age old question: How do I not f*ck all of them? Most of us are lucky, as housemates are not often sexually compatible. But some of us go from picky to horny pretty quickly, and your housemates may all be willing to try something new. And, let’s be realistic, you wanted to live with all of them so much you dealt with Rich Horowitz and Apartment Draw long enough to live with them, so at this point it’s natural to find them more than just a “good neighbor.”
My first suggestion is a classic setup for the “comedy of errors”-type semester we have all but agreed to at this point. Take your first roommate for example. Her name might be Lucy or Ella (because every other girl on this campus is named Lucy or Ella), and you might think she’s cute, and she might have the same feelings for you. I encourage you to follow your heart and your sex drive, hook up with her and afterwards express to her some anxiety that your fellow housemates will find out about your torrid love affair, causing her to swear to secrecy over the whole ordeal and any further indiscretions you may enjoy together Now, simply repeat the previous steps for every single other housemate. No one would dare stir the pot by telling everyone of your forbidden sexual relationship, to the extent that you can get away with banging 4/4 housemates while no one suspects a thing. However, remember that beds still creak in every house, and that if you discover your “secret” lover has three other “secret lovers,” and they happen to be the rest of your housemates, you should think of it as some sort of karmic retribution. Your second option is less glamorous. In order to avoid the risk of sexual pandemonium altogether, it might be wise to avoid having sex with any of your housemates. Yes, LucyorElla may be putting on the moves hard, but we have all felt that gross feeling after a hookup where the sexual spirit leaves your body and reason returns, leading you to finally see clearly the mess
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HOROSCOPES Madi Donat
Astral Projector
ARIES
Mar 21 | Apr 19
Motivation’s hard / (Mars is still in retrograde). / Keep a tight schedule. Make a brand new friend! / Do socially distant meals. / Tell them your secrets. TAURUS
Apr 20 | May 20
Buy yourself flowers! / We all know that you’re worth it. / Self-care is a skill. Naps are REALLY good. / Listen to your dreams at night. / Don’t be late to class. Above, a house orgy. Via WIkimedia Commons. you’re in. Perhaps this semester is just not the right time to connect with Vassar’s underground kink scene from the comfort of your common areas. After all, anyone who has been in quarantine can tell you that Health Services is under the impression that we wear masks in our living rooms and kitchens; we don’t want them to be too shocked. Maybe dating apps will help you find the satisfaction you need, but at the end of the day there’s nothing wrong with having the occasional orgy with your very closest of contacts. Just use protection, and as the CCT says, no rimming! Sincerely,
Dr. G
GEMINI
May 21 | Jun 20
Say no to drama. / You can’t solve all the issues! / Give yourself a break. Think inward this week. / How can you improve yourself? / Even small things count! CANCER
Jun 21 | Jul 22
Chase the things you want, / provided you understand / just what that could mean. Family’s everything / (Not just biological! / Air hug your best friends.) LEO
Jul 23 | Aug 22
You want a big love, / but small things can be just as / beautiful—nay, more. Take care of your brain: / Crossword puzzles, word searches… / I’m a puzzle fan. VIRGO
Aug 23 | Sep 22
Logic is your friend, / but you can’t rationalize / everything away. Take some slow, deep breaths. / Eat some bread and then maybe / it will calm you down. LIBRA
Sep 23 | Oct 22
Nostalgia is great, / but you can’t repeat the past. / Time just goes forward. Know your own power: / The squirrel outside my window / is chirping SO loud.
Frog and Toad are Frenemies by Julianna + Olivia
SCORPIO
Oct 23 | Nov 21
Write up to-do lists / for things you want done long-term. / Take some vitamins. In times of great stress, / walk to a secluded spot / and SCREAM to the void. SAGITTARIUS
Nov 22 | Dec 21
This week, your thoughts race. / Take the time to understand / what you really think. Use your creative / mind to your advantage. Make / something super weird. CAPRICORN
Dec 22 | Jan 19
Things are kind of bad / right now. You know what’s good, though? / Pasta. Just…pasta. Document all the / small, beautiful things in a / day: the clouds, the trees… AQUARIUS
Jan 20 | Feb 18
Honesty is key, / especially with yourself. / Lying is no fun! Ground yourself today. / Sit and breathe among nature; / let your worries go. PISCES
Feb 19 | Mar 20
Sit down with yourself. / Have a good conversation. / How are you doing? Cooking is a form / of a real, deep kind of love. / Make yourself ramen.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
OPINIONS
Page 12
October 1, 2020
Despite Republican opportunism, Ginsburg’s death is a tragedy Sawyer Bush
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Columnist
n Sept. 18, liberal America lost one of its greatest icons when Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed after a long fight against pancreatic cancer. From the left to the center, Americans mourned the loss of a feminist advocate and Democratic legend. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and their Republican allies wasted no time assuring their base that they would push through a Trump nominee to replace Ginsburg prior to the presidential election. On Friday night, in the same breath acknowledging Justice Ginsburg’s passing, McConnell declared, “Once again, we will keep our promise. President Trump’s nominee will receive a vote on the floor of the United States Senate,” directly against Ginsburg’s dying wishes, an action that sadly comes as no surprise from a leading member of Trump’s Republican Party. We faced a similar situation in 2016, the final year of Barack Obama’s presidency, when Justice Antonin Scalia died 11 months before the election. Immediately following Scalia’s death, McConnell stated, “The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice. Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president.” Other Republican senators made similar remarks in order to block Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland to the vacancy left by Justice Scalia. “I want you to use my words against me,” Lindsay Graham dared the public in a 2016 statement that a vote should not take place on Scalia’s successor until after the presidential election—implying that if a similar situation arose in 2020 with a Republican
president, he would hold his position and demand delaying a vote on a Supreme Court Justice until after the coming presidential election. Despite the hard, faux-moralistic stance McConnell, Graham and their fellow Republicans took in order to disguise their corrupt partisan agenda, they have now all reneged on their promises, rallying behind Trump and his efforts to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett. The false sincerity of their words in 2016 has come to light. Their absence of integrity leads them to place their party before any semblance of ethics. If the Republicans are able to push through a vote for Amy Coney Barrett before the upcoming presidential election in just 33 days, as they say they are going to, they would be establishing a strong and lengthy legacy for President Trump. This degree of rightward swing would result in the most conservative-leaning Supreme Court since at least 1950. Yes, though it appears Trump has already pushed the Court further right by placing two justices on the Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch both filled previously conservative seats. By contrast, a Trump nominee taking Ginsburg’s seat would establish long-lasting conservative rule on the Court. Such a conservative majority may force the hand of future Democratic administrations to increase the number of justices, a controversial and norm defying move. The bar to do this would be low: the cooperation between a Democratic president and a simple majority in the Senate. Progressives have of late criticized people for idealizing Ginsburg and mourning her loss, noting that she did not benefit Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities as much as she did white women and the LGBTQ community. In a
Washington Post op-ed titled “The flaw in the cult of RBG,” Alyssa Rosenberg found fault with the idealization of a Supreme Court Justice, claiming, “Turning public servants into cultural icons inverts the proper relationship between citizens and the officials who are supposed to work for them.” Rosenberg argues that a position with such immense power outside the realms of external accountability should demand more scrutiny, not less. So the far left criticizes those of us who mourn her loss by claiming we shouldn’t idolize her. Yes, Ginsburg was at times tone-deaf and insensitive—some may recall that she initially called Colin Kaepernick’s kneeling during the national anthem “dumb and disrespectful (a mistake for which she later apologized)—but if Republicans place a conservative justice in Ginsburg’s seat, we will be stuck with conservative rulings from the bench for years to come. The Supreme Court will no longer be a place with any semblance of representing the majority opinion of the American people (five out of nine of the justices will have been nominated by presidents who did not win by popular vote), but rather a hotbed for conservative ideology and an avenue for backing the new Trumpian Republican Party’s agenda. So yes, let’s acknowledge that Ginsburg was not a perfect Supreme Court Justice and wish for someone with a deeper understanding of the complexity of issues the BIPOC communities face—but don’t discount the severity of this loss on that account. Democrats must do everything in their power, be it bush-league delay tactics or impeaching Bill Barr, to prevent Republicans from pushing through a Trump nomination. If Democrats fail in blocking this premature vote, but Biden wins in Novem-
A Vigil to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Courtesy of Gayatri Malhotra via Unsplash. ber and the Senate flips, they must vote to expand the Supreme Court. We cannot afford 25 years of a Trumpian legacy. The lives of immigrant families are on the line. Roe v. Wade and women’s rights to bodily autonomy are on the line. Critical environmental regulations are on the line. We have to fight to restore the jurisprudential power of the Supreme Court and ensure that it does not become a long-term hotspot for the Trumpian Republican Party.
Forget liberal bias: ‘Bothsidesism” is the media’s real problem Henry Mitchell Guest Columnist
D
onald Trump’s antipathy towards the press is notorious. And he is not alone—Republicans have long criticised the “lamestream media” for its supposed liberal bias. As journalist Lawrence Light wrote in the Columbia Journalism Review, for many conservatives, “The existence of a liberal media bias is an established fact, like the temperature at which water freezes.” It is certainly true that the press is biased. However, intentionally or not, its coverage actually tends to benefit Republicans. As ostensibly nonpartisan media organizations
attempt to respond to conservative critics and remain “balanced,” many have adopted an approach that is both harmful and dangerous. Bothsidesism is the media’s attempt to treat both sides of an issue equally, even if one side is completely lacking in merit. Often the consequences include amplifying misinformation and validating bad actors by giving them equal airtime and consideration as actual experts. Crucially, by creating false equivalencies between the minor transgressions of Democrats and the major illegal and offensive actions of Donald Trump, media organizations played a
President Donald Trump has received billions of dollars in media coverage since the start of his 2016 election campaign. Courtesy of the White House via Flickr.
significant role in his election as president. Coverage of the 2016 presidential election was fraught with bothsidesism, which legitimized Donald Trump as a candidate in the eyes of many voters. The Trump campaign seemed to be a never ending controversy machine, with new horror stories emerging every day. He went on a racist tirade against a judge, mocked a disabled reporter and was accused of sexual assault by over 20 women, among countless other reprehensible occurrences. Trump’s common response when confronted about his actions during the campaign was some form of “But her emails,” referring to Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server during her tenure as secretary of state (which an F.B.I. investigation described as careless, but not criminal). Media organizations followed his lead. A study conducted by Harvard University found that media organizations actually spent more time covering Clinton’s email controversy than all of Trump’s scandals combined. This skewed coverage of Trump was unfortunately not isolated to his campaign, remaining present throughout his presidency. Even worse, it reared its head in a particularly ugly way during Trump’s impeachment proceedings. Take, for example, an article by The New York Times entitled “The Breach Widens as Congress Nears a Partisan Impeachment.” The article contains such gems as “The different impeachment realities that the two parties are living in” and “The very divisive impeachment debate.” The article was widely mocked for its blatant bothsidesism,
The opinions expressed above do not represent those of The Miscellany News as a whole.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
with journalist Mehdi Hasan calling it “One of the worst ‘both sides’ pieces I have ever read.” Unfortunately, however, it was just one of many flawed articles about the proceedings. Jon Allsup of the Columbia Journalism Review argues that this sort of language is dangerous and does not contribute to any standard of fairness. “Democrats, for the most part, are engaging with the factual record; Republicans, for the most part, are not. These positions are manifestly not equivalent.” The accusations made by Democrats during impeachment proceedings were accurate and simply not the same as the Republicans’ clearly partisan defenses of Trump, yet the media insisted on pursuing a narrative that this was just another partisan fight in which both sides had valid arguments. As Trump has disregarded every norm about how a president is supposed to act and drifted dangerously towards authoritarianism, it is clearly necessary for the media to alter its coverage of his presidency. Unfortunately, in many cases, news organizations have not recognized the need to adapt their language and, in doing so, continue to validate Trump’s actions. In their bid to cover “both sides,” they end up obscuring reality and enabling bad-faith actors. If you recognize that treating the possible mismanagement of an email server the same as dozens of sexual assault accusations, racist comments, lies and dangerous authoritarian rhetoric is wrong, you’d be considered a rational person. But you may not be cut out for the media.
October 1, 2020
OPINIONS
Page 13
Progressives should play close attention to these races Lucille Brewster Reporter
W
hile you would be hard-pressed to find anyone on campus unfamiliar with the candidates in the presidential election, competitive national Senate races are not filled with as many household names. Yet the makeup of the Senate will have huge implications for the political landscape of the next few years and beyond. If Democrats keep the House of Representatives and win the Senate and White House, it will be the first time Democrats have had full control of the federal government in 11 years. Especially if progressive Democrats push the party left, Congress could pass important legislation on COVID-19 relief, climate change, health care, police reform, economic reform, and expanding voting rights in the upcoming years. Just this weekend, President Donald Trump nominated conservative judge Amy Coney Barrett to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court, leaving many feeling anxious and frustrated with the political system. There are 35 Senate seats up for election this November, and Democrats are on the offensive, hoping to win a majority. Republicans are defending 23 seats while Democrats are defending only 12. To get a majority in the Senate, Democrats need to win four seats (three if Joe Biden wins the presidential election, as the Vice President breaks any ties). Sydney Leidig ’22, an intern for Senate candidate Sara Gideon and an executive board member of Vassar College Democrats, explained that phone banking is a great way to support Democratic Senate candidates this cycle. “Because of the pandemic, many field teams are relying on remote phone banking to get out the
vote. Links to sign up to phonebank are usually on campaign websites, and the Vassar Democrats also list a few phone banking links in their emails,” she said. “Campaigns are always looking to get students involved and many even offer volunteer leadership positions so you can gain experience while helping to elect the candidate.” For Vassar students looking for competitive races to give their time or resources to, here are a few of the Senate races to watch this November: Maine: Susan Collins vs. Sara Gideon In Maine, Republican incumbent Susan Collins is being challenged by the Democratic state House Speaker Sara Gideon. Collins frames herself as a moderate Republican but has lost popularity in her home state as she has fallen in lockstep with other Republicans to enable Trump over the last four years. She voted in 2018 to confirm Justice Brett Kavanaugh amid his sexual assault allegations, voted to acquit Trump on impeachment charges and voted in support of the 2017 Republican tax bill. As Speaker of the House in Maine, Gideon has pushed for climate change legislation that would reduce Maine’s carbon emissions and has passed health care reform that protects her constituents from being denied insurance because of pre-existing conditions. Arizona: Martha McSally vs. Mark Kelly One of the strongest Democratic candidates is former astronaut and gun control advocate Mark Kelly. He is challenging Republican incumbent Martha McSally in Arizona. McSally lost in 2018 but was appointed to the seat after Senator John McCain died in 2018. Kelly has outraised McSally and is consistently leading in polls, but no victory is secured in a state
that consistently votes for a Republican presidential candidate. Colorado: Cory Gardner vs. John Hickenlooper Democrats have also set their sights on Colorado. Former Democratic governor John Hickenlooper is challenging Republican incumbent Cory Gardner. Gardner, similarly to Susan Collins, has attempted to walk the line between keeping Trump’s base support and trying to win over new voters in a state that has become increasingly blue. Clinton won Colorado by five points in 2016, and Hickenlooper has been quick to point out Gardner’s support of Trump in his campaign. Iowa: Joni Ernst vs. Theresa Greenfield Iowa, a state Trump won by ten percentage points in 2016 after Obama won it twice, also has a competitive Senate race this year. Democratic real estate developer Theresa Greenfield is challenging Republican incumbent Joni Ernst. Ernst, who won her race in 2014 with corporate backing, has come under criticism for recent comments she made expressing skepticism about the COVID-19 death count. Greenfield’s campaign has emphasized her support of social security and unions, as she has argued that both helped her stay afloat after her first husband died in an accident working as a union electrical worker. North Carolina: Thom Tillis vs. Cal Cunningham Another Senate race that has been attracting attention is in North Carolina. Republican incumbent Thom Tillis is being challenged by Democrat Cal Cunningham, a former North Carolina state senator. Cunningham outraised Tillis last quarter and was leading in public polling, but this race has tightened as Trump
holds more rallies in the state. This race is shaping up to be the most expensive Senate race in the nation, with a total of $146 million having been spent and reserved so far in advertising. Alabama: Doug Jones vs. Tommy Tubberville Democratic incumbent Doug Jones faces the prospect of having his seat flipped in Alabama by Republican challenger Tommy Tubberville. Jones narrowly upset Republican Roy Moore in a 2017 special election. Moore was accused of sexually assaulting teenage girls during the campaign cycle and underperformed in the election. This contributed to Jones’ victory in this deep red state, and it is unlikely that his next challenger will be as widely unpopular as Moore. Other Senate races to watch out for are Democratic Governor Steve Bullock challenging Republican Steve Daines in Montana, Democrat John Ossoff challenging Republican David Perdue in Georgia, and Democrat Jaime Harrison challenging Republican incumbent Lindsey Graham in South Carolina. Democracy Matters Co-President Cassie Cauwels ’22 explained there are many ways for politically interested students to get involved in electoral politics this year beyond just voting: helping friends and family secure their voting plans, volunteering for a campaign, researching candidates and donating to a campaign if possible. “Above all, I strongly believe that Vassar students, faculty and administration should be using their privilege and influence whenever possible to make room for more erased and disenfranchised groups to share what matters to them,” Cauwels explained. “We collectively need to take part in the political process.”
Vassar reopened successfully, but most colleges are in crisis Karina Burnett
Guest Columnist
T
he “Vassar Bubble” has always been a common turn of phrase, but the term has never been more literal than in Fall 2020. While historically it just described Vassar’s echo chamber of privilege and left-leaning politics, the “Vassar Bubble” is now an actual physical delineation with a corresponding psychological distance from the rest of the world. In the confines of Vassar’s campus, with only 29 recorded cases and frequent testing, it’s easy to dissociate from the reality of the COVID-19 crisis. The softening regulations and slightly more relaxed attitude as we enter Phase 2 of the return to campus make the fact that the United States death count just passed 200,000 even more jarring and surreal. In fact, as Vassar’s case count has more or less stabilized, the country just had the highest case increase in a day since August 14. It’s hard to feel good about Vassar’s relatively contained COVID situation when spatial privilege and wealth is such a deciding factor in how the virus spreads. The relative success of Vassar’s return plan calls into question who gets to forget about the extreme consequences of this public health crisis and who gets to be sequestered within institutions that can afford to respond adequately. Not all small liberal arts colleges have the resources to provide students safety, however. Small colleges that were already struggling financially are going into debt, and many are facing potential closure because
of decreases in enrollment. Robert Zemsky, an education professor at the University of Pennsylvania, predicts that 20 percent of American private liberal arts colleges are at risk of closure. This not only affects small liberal arts colleges themselves, but also directly hurts the economies and cultures of the small towns they inhabit. On the other side of this phenomenon, larger universities are also struggling with reopening, with many blaming students for not following guidelines. Even wealthier universities like
20% of American private liberal arts colleges are at risk of closure. Princeton and Harvard face a reckoning as they shy away from dipping into their ample endowments and implement all-remote learning without lowering tuition. Big or small, prestigious or obscure, it seems that the overall reality of reopening schools is one of chaos and uncertainty. Even at Vassar, which has had a relatively successful return, it’s hard to ignore the sense of confusion and unpredictability. Some, like Professor Scott Galloway of
New York University, have described the effects of the COVID-19 crisis on colleges and universities as a long-overdue economic disruption of higher education—but I can’t help but wonder who will be left behind in this turmoil. Galloway, a marketing professor, argues that prestigious higher education institutions have been acting like luxury brands, charging ridiculous rates in exchange for name recognition and prestige, and the act is falling through in these tenuous circumstances. This all rings true, but how would this disruption really work? While enrollment has decreased across the board, small, less wealthy colleges seem to be the most at-risk institutions right now, while those with more name recognition have been able to charge the same—or more—for hybrid or all-remote classes. The question is how long students attending expensive higher ed institutions will accept this disparity, especially considering the staggering student debt crisis in the United States. While Vassar students may feel distanced from the reality of the crisis, one would be remiss to assume that this imminent disruption will leave any campus unscathed. Remote classes, high tuition rates and the looming presence of the virus has called all forms of privilege into question. In any case, the instability felt by many students and faculty is not just owing to a difference in surface-level campus regulations or class formations, but to the precarious standing of the unsustainable yet deeply entrenched higher education system.
The opinions expressed above do not represent those of The Miscellany News as a whole.
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Vassar’s idyllic setting and relative safety puts us at risk of forgetting the broader reality of COVID-19. Jonas Trostle/The Miscellany News.
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Page 14
October 1, 2020
Why patriotic songs at sporting events make me uneasy Alex Eisert
Sports Editor
O
n a bright, sunny summer day less than a year after a norm-defying election that profoundly shook my faith in humanity, I got uncomfortable at a Yankees game. It started with the national anthem played at the beginning of the game, but I grew more and more uneasy during the seventh-inning stretch. The stretch is a longstanding tradition in baseball, so named because it provides fans weary of sitting through lengthy games a moment to stand up and get their blood moving. A variety of songs have been played during the stretch; famously, broadcaster Harry Caray popularized the singing of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” in the 1970s. But while the ditty that is Caray’s personal favorite is cheerful and nostalgic, the latest seventh-inning stalwart conjures up very different feelings. Playing “The Star Spangled Banner” has been a pregame ritual since World War II, and it occasionally makes an appearance during the stretch. But it wasn’t until the Sept. 11 attacks, after which Major League Baseball required teams to play “God Bless America” during the stretch for the rest of the season, that the stretch became about more than just peanuts and Cracker Jack. At the time, it was a well-received and seemingly unifying gesture. New York baseball fans welcomed it, and the Yankees accordingly rolled out a host of other crowd-pleasing patriotic tributes over the course of the season. But the tradition of singing “God Bless America” during the stretch truly made its mark when the 2001 World Series came back to Yankee Stadium and a popular President Bush, who threw out the first pitch to chants of “USA USA USA,” looked on while the renowned Ronan Tynan belted it out in the seventh. Let’s fast forward. The end of Bush’s tenure saw his support dwindling as the U.S. War on Terror needlessly dragged on. He responded disastrously to Hurricane Katrina and was in office during the beginning of the most significant economic downturn since the Great Depression (at least until the current one). These crises disproportionately affected Black and impoverished Americans. Meanwhile, Ronan Tynan lost his gig at Yankee Stadium in 2009 after admitting that he made anti-Semitic remarks to a Jewish doctor. While 2001’s unabashed patriotism was generally perceived as powerful and noble at the time, there were clearly unresolved societal ills lying beneath the surface that, within the decade, would become stark. But these afflictions weren’t truly laid bare until the 2016 election, when Donald Trump won the presidency on a nationalistic platform. Post Sept. 11, people came together when faced with a common threat. Trump managed to convince nearly half the country that there was another such threat, a threat as dangerous as a terrorist organization, but far more insidious: it was anyone who wasn’t white, Christian and born in the United States. Hate crimes against Muslims, which skyrocketed after Sept. 11 but stabilized in the following decade, rose again after Trump’s election and remained high due to his travel ban and incendiary rhetoric. But while Sept. 11 mainly spurred anti-Muslim attacks, Muslims are just one of many groups that began to face a surge in hate crimes immediately following Trump’s election. In 2019, hate crimes reached a 16-year high. Now, the Trump campaign is specifically targeting minorities, especially Black voters who almost uniformly
vote Democratic, in their voter suppression efforts, just as they did in the last election by gaining unauthorized access to data on Facebook users. I maintain that real patriotism is loving everyone in your country equally, listening to all voices and being willing to share that love with anyone who wants to join. Trump’s fear-mongering brand of false patriotism has granted him the approval of more than 40 percent of Americans; I am uncomfortable joining in patriotic song with that 40 percent because the divide between our interpretations of the lyrics has grown so large. Back to that sunny summer day in 2017. Before we saw the highest yearly rate of hate crimes in 16 years. Before Americans’ right to vote was being threatened more than ever. Before a corrupt president was exonerated in an impeachment trial that was over before it even began. Before he grossly mishandled a pandemic, costing over 200,000 lives. We saw the warning signs right away. We immediately resolved to resist in any way we could, and witnessed astronomical numbers of donations and protesters. But on that day in 2017, tired of resisting, the most defiant action I could muster when we rose to listen to “God Bless America” was to mutter: “This is my least favorite part.” My cousin, standing beside me, overheard and asked why. I began to launch into my scripted rebuke of nationalism,
“I maintain that real patriotism is loving everyone in your country equally.” centered around how people are forgetting what happened the last time we allowed it to propagate unfettered. Before I could really get started, however, a man standing in the row in front of me wheeled around, red-faced. “Don’t you dare disrespect this country right now!” He said, his teeth clenched and finger pointing. Stunned, my face turned a vermillion to match his. Luckily, my father is a lawyer. “If I’m not mistaken,” he said calmly, “what this country stands for is free speech.” The man shook his head and, grumbling to himself, turned back around. The confrontation was over as quickly as it began. But despite the brevity of the confrontation, I remember the way it made me feel to this day: the initial shock when the man spun around, the embarrassment I then felt at potentially making a scene and my ultimately coming to the conclusion that I should keep thoughts like that to myself, at least in public. Although the memory has stayed with me, the feelings have faded somewhat over time. Meanwhile, the attacks on our democracy from so-called “patriots” have only multiplied and grown more urgent. Yet, the Yankees are the only remaining team in baseball to regularly play “God Bless America” during the seventh-inning stretch of their home games. Even after not one but two disgraced singers had to be removed. Even as a president from their city wreaks havoc. Even during a pandemic that our country has arguably
Courtesy of Henny Ray Abrams via Getty Images. handled worse than any other. Written by Irving Berlin, a Jewish immigrant whose family escaped Russian pogroms by fleeing to the United States, “God Bless America” was born from good intentions. But when the Yankees’ marquee live-performer, Tynan, admitted to denigrating the religion of the very man who wrote it, and the racist past of the singer for their oft-used recorded version came to light, there should have been a real conversation about making significant changes to their seventh-inning routine. Perhaps they will keep the song, but better acknowledge the flaws in this nation while singing it. It would be nice to see gestures like those we saw on opening day this year during the national anthem displayed more consistently and spread to the stretch as well. Even taking Trump out of the equation though, the Yankees have more than enough reason to implement changes. But in case they need some more, Jews have also been by far the most frequently targeted religious group, if not the most frequently targeted group, in the rash of hate crimes under Trump’s watch. This is not the America that Berlin had in mind, but his words are still being used in such a way that downplays attacks on his (and my) religion. For now, my sights are set on reconsidering the use of “God Bless America.” But the
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use of the national anthem is another story. Before Trump was even elected, NFL quarterback-turned-civil-rights-activist Colin Kaepernick had the right idea. He started kneeling or sitting when the anthem was played to protest racial injustice. Shortly after beginning his peaceful protests, Kaepernick appeared on the cover of TIME Magazine, accompanied by a promo video acknowledging the struggle inherent in his attempt to redefine patriotism. It was titled, “‘The Perilous Fight.’ That, of course, is a line from our national anthem.” In support of Kaepernick’s actions and just a month before the 2016 election, cornerback Richard Sherman noted that “people are still missing the point…You know, the reason these guys are kneeling and the reason why we’re locking arms is to bring people together and make people aware this is not right.” Reassessing the way we sing the anthem is a huge step towards creating a new type of patriotism. Some have even called for leagues to stop playing it entirely. Perhaps that is the solution for right now, but ultimately, I hope to get to a place where we can sing the anthem and maybe even “God Bless America” while also acknowledging our nation’s faults and working to improve ourselves. This will not be tied up with the blind and fervent nationalism that Donald Trump stands for. It will be linked to a newer, truer kind of patriotism.
SPORTS
October 1, 2020
Page 15
Forced to adapt, coaches weigh in on changes during COVID-19 Continued from Captains on page 1 And you work your whole college career with the goal of playing during your senior season. That’s really the pinnacle for most athletes. So, personally, I was left with this feeling of unfinished business, like the best was still yet to come.” Without a competitive season, Thayer, Walsh and their co-captains had little precedent to guide them through early fall. After having to accept and deal with their own grief, these captains spent September turning around and comforting their old teammates while also welcoming a whole new rookie class. Pre-season is often a firstyear’s introduction to and induction into their team, and is thought to be vital for building chemistry and communication early on. “Soccer, being a fall sport, has a preseason in early August where we all get to come early to campus and get to know each other,” explained Thayer. This year’s August pre-season was canceled due to COVID-19 safety regulations. Thayer added, “We have a very large first-year class this year, so it has been tough to not only meet one another but develop friendships.” Walsh elaborated on the importance of bonding and chemistry-building during preseason, but also found that the COVID-19 restrictions fostered a greater sense of community and trust within the team: “COVID-19 has created this sense of unity in looking out for one another’s health—and that extends beyond
just physical health—during these difficult times.” For winter and spring season athletes, the fall off-season (sometimes known as fall ball) is an opportunity to start training and build team relationships. Captains report that this period has also been inhibited by COVID-19 safety restrictions. Haydn Hallman ’21 and Alessandra Fable ’21, senior captains of women’s lacrosse (whose season takes place in the spring), expressed frustration at some of these challenges. Hallman explained via email, “We have made the most of the team bonding we are [allowed] to do while following the rules. It has added an extra layer of challenges though. It’s hard to bond when you can’t hug an upset teammate, give a high-five, or see your teammates’ smiles.” Fable described some of the tactical challenges that restrictions have imposed: “It is really hard to develop cohesion amongst players when defensive and attacking units cannot fully practice together due to smaller group sizes. A large part of fall ball is developing chemistry as new players are brought in and that is very difficult to do with restrictions.” Phase 2, the current stage in Vassar’s COVID-19 reopening plan, allows “varsity athletic teams to begin non-contact practices with a focus on small group work/ instruction maintaining a minimum of six feet of distance at all times.” For squash and other winter sports, midfall is when pre-season takes place, as competition begins in November. But since squash
“pInEaPpLe UnDeR tHe SeA” ACROSS 1. pet snail who says “meow” 5. -ll City, home to Neptune’s crown 8. bickered, disagreed 14. Spanish spiced stew 15. charge on food, income, property 16. someone who rents out their property 17. pig sound 18. fury, anger, wrath 19. 01110011 01110000 01101111 01101110 01100111 01100101 01100010 01101111 01100010 20. description of one who’s caught unawares 23. to grow pearly-whites 24. Khnamk, formerly 25. Noah’s boat 28. one who times actions concurrently 32. female deer 35. mild expletive like “darn!” 36. super-, or -Corps 37. majority Mormon state 39. nasal cavity 41. ticket, pay, your toe 42. drive lane at fast food places 43. couch 44. ‘- a magic man’ vine 45. decorative objects on tabletops 50. secs, mins, 51. fib 52. touring equipment manager for band 56. action denoting worrying 59. style of jazz, plural 62. Standing at the concession, plotting WHO’s oppression 63. harsh swallow sound 64. serving no practical purpose 65. 8 prefix 66. or... 67. owner of money business 68. what’s up?
is played indoors, the team is one of the few that haven’t been able to practice at all since returning to campus. Senior captain Milind Joshi of men’s squash talked about how his team has been working around staying safe while not having a training space: “The wait is frustrating and my team and I are hoping that things will change soon. The women’s team captains and I are a tight-knit group so as a way to get face-to-face interactions and some team bonding, we’ve been assigning random groups to do some fun activity of their choosing, with groups changing every week so that the first-years get to know their teammates.” Since entering Phase 2, teams have been able to ease into training the past few weeks, albeit with major changes to how practices operate. Most squads have been split into small pods where athletes are required to wear masks and social distance, and have focused on more individualized, non-contact drills. Still, the familiarity of being able to have some sort of training in their sports has introduced some normalcy in these strange times, and even cultivated new opportunities for student-athletes to think and discuss off-the-field matters. “I think the biggest advantage is that we now have structured time in our practice to talk about social justice issues and what it means to be a student athlete at Vassar,” explained Thayer. “In a pre-COVID regular season, we have not had the formal time designated to these discussions, so I hope this year will cause lasting
changes.” Captains have largely embraced the new demands of the pandemic, as they live through an experience that their predecessors cannot offer guidance on. “Being a captain is a lot different than I thought it would be. Because COVID has changed so many campus rules, there is a lot more responsibility for the captains,” said Fable. Joshi also went on to praise the adaptability of his teammates, saying “everyone is motivated and we’ve found some really creative ways to try and train without the courts being open.” Thayer expressed how she hoped the conversations she has helped start during this time will be carried on: “This year the focus is more heavily put on keeping everyone safe and healthy, maintaining mental and physical health, and having introspective critical conversations about social justice, racism and athletics both at Vassar and nationally. In previous years, we have not been good enough in these areas, so I hope future captains will continue the work we are doing when soccer games are reintroduced.” If these first few weeks are any indication, the captains’ ideals should certainly live on in their immediate successors, who they are currently leading. Joshi praised his teammates again, saying “I’m also very proud of how everyone has handled coming back during the pandemic, and we’ve made sure that we’re following the rules because campus safety and health is our priority, not athletics.”
The Miscellany Crossword by Frank
69. artificially colored
DOWN 1. date, leave, break 2. cut of skirt like first letter of alphabet 3. between lather and repeat 4. exonym for the group of Native Americans that Estanislao belonged to 5. installments of pay 6. big rabbit 7. high-paid company employee, abbr. 8. person with congenital lack of pigmentation in skin, hair and eyes 9. to limit after lack of control, idiom 10. Scooby group in Buffy the Vampire Slayer 11. United States, abbr 12. ever, archaic and abbr 13. a towels purpose 21. reserved or socially timid 22. The Imposter, from Molià ̈re, minus one f 25. essential transformative alchemical agent 26. multi-act theatrical compilation of dances, songs, and skits 27. Spongebob’s boss 29. made crunchy or well-cooked 30. capital city of Vietnam 31. and outs 32. nationality of the flying pirate 33. denotes one who is distinct or different 34. to work to deserve 38. simple shelter made of local resources 40. priest’s green room 46. for time to pass 47. one who does 3-down 48. long period of time 49. drooped 53. -dally 54. currently implemented
55. -on, i.e. instigated 56. trap that Patrick thinks is a carnival ride 57. fourth word in 20-across clue 58. Patrick’s name tag after the Fry Cook Games reads 59. is to sponge as pants is to square 60. estimated time of arrival 61. tub, trash can
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Answers to previous puzzle