The Miscellany News
Vassar College’s student newspaper of record since 1866
November 16, 2023
miscellanynews.org
Volume 160 | Issue 10
Campus creates spaces for conversation on Israel-Palestine Jacques Abou-Rizk, Jyotsna Naidu Editor-in-Chief, News Editor
O
ver the last few weeks, faculty groups and student organizers have worked to create safe spaces to educate the community about the conflict between Israel and Palestine as well as expand conversation beyond the combative online narratives. On Oct. 31, a group of faculty led a teach-in held in Rockefeller Hall. Professor of Philosophy and Media Studies Giovanna Borradori,
Director of Engaged Pluralism and Professor of Religion Jonathon Kahn and Professor of History Joshua Schreier intended to help students to make sense of the violence in the region. Borradori said, “Such [media] narratives have not educated public opinion in an accurate and responsible manner, opting instead to inflame, indeed weaponise, a binary rhetoric. As a consequence, even more intensely than the public at large, college campuses have been asked to endorse opposing camps, in which the only position to take is
Karen Mogami/The Miscellany News.
‘for’ or ‘against.’” In response to the rise of community concerns, Dean of the College Luis Inoa, Chair of the Bias Incident Response Team (BIRT), has emailed students multiple times about a rise in antisemitic, anti-Israeli and anti-Palestinian hate speech. In an email on Friday, Nov. 10, he wrote, “Acts that dehumanize or disrespect others violate our community standards and undermine the very principles we stand for. Such actions, mainly when they target specific communities, are hurtful, escalate tensions and move us further away from listening to and empathizing with others.” The effort of a teach-in, according to Borradori, is to combat the polarizing language that is engulfing many students around the country, including here at Vassar. She said, “Such polarized and polarizing rhetoric lacks fundamental historical knowledge of how this conflict developed, regionally and geopolitically, its phases and motivations, which date long before Oct. 7, 2023. Therefore, in order to ‘respond to current violences with nuance,’ academic institutions need to honour their intellectual and pedagogical mission, not just in words but with their actions.” On Nov. 3, President Elizabeth Bradley called on faculty and staff to initiate the Restorative Response Group, a new short-term working group, to provide spaces for collective listening. The group hosts listening circles under the new Office of Restorative
Practices and shares mental and academic resources. “These circles are specifically designed for people at Vassar who are grieving the loss of life and want to process the current state of affairs by connecting with one another,” the website states. The working group welcomes input from the Vassar community as they continue to plan further restorative practices. Bradley, in a written correspondence with The Miscellany News, underscored that the teach-ins have been beneficial to creating safe spaces on campus. She said, “These are initiated by the faculty and we appreciate their efforts to teach about nuanced, complicated issues and also hold spaces for healthy and informed dialogue.” Additional assistance for students to process includes Vassar Counseling Services with daily walk-in appointments, academic extensions by talking to individual professors or the Class Advisor and submitting a report of bias to the Bias Incident Response Team. Rachlin Director for Jewish Student Life and Assistant Director of Religious and Spiritual Life and Contemplative Practices Rabbi Bryan Mann is also offering one-on-one sessions with students. Borradori emphasized how valuable experiences like these can be for students in such difficult and chaotic times, “The students that attended the teach-in asked critical questions that already showed superior historical See TEACH-IN on page 3
Meet Professor Rebecca Edwards, anticipated Town Supervisor Benjamin Savel Reporter
P
rofessor Rebecca Edwards has long been known to the Vassar community as an exceptional scholar of women’s history and 19th-century America. But, starting on Jan. 1, 2024, she will be taking a two-year leave of absence from the College after being elected as the next Town Supervisor of Poughkeepsie after the Nov. 7, 2023 elections. I sat down with Professor Edwards to discuss her thoughts on local politics and her vision on how to implement positive change for Poughkeepsie. Edwards has been involved in local politics for over a decade. She served as a Dutchess County legislator from 2016 to 2021, taught a class where students work with elected officials on policy and organized a local group called We Are the Town of Poughkeepsie to promote legislative transparency within the town. Throughout her time as a representative, teacher and advocate, she was surprised by how much can be accomplished purely through local engagement. “When you actually get to talk to people, you hear a whole diverse array of perspectives and experiences of what people are struggling with,” she said. Her most recent impact on local politics came when she organized a petition with the
group We Are the Town of Poughkeepsie. The town was going to borrow $54 million to move the police station, an enormously expensive project that would provide no new services to the community. With the group, she organized a petition with over 750 votes asking for more transparency on the issue. A few weeks later, the Town Board finally tabled the project. This success inspired Edwards to run for Town Supervisor, with one of her primary goals being to increase communication with the community. She stated that she wants to ensure “that every Poughkeepsie resident knows what’s going on, whether that’s through a smartphone app or through mailings,” for example. She emphasized that her first priority is making decisions open, accountable and transparent. Besides increased engagement with Poughkeepsie residents, Edwards has other visions for the town, including fighting for housing affordability, promoting engagement between the town and the three colleges within it and expanding opportunities for childhood education. “It’s hard to afford to live here. Senior citizens are worried about their homes as taxes rise,” she stated. “For some people, it gets to the point of homelessness because they can’t afford the rent anymore.” Edwards also wants to fund more enSee SUPERVISOR on page 6
Image courtesy of Rebecca Edwards.
Inside this issue
4
ARTS
Arts Editor Jesse Koblin discusses the implications of the new AIgenerated Beatles single, “Now and Then.”
8
HUMOR
Writer adopts digital pet, but immediately regrets her decision.
14 SPORTS
Vassar College’s Cricket Association wins their inaugural game against Colgate College, writes Copy Editor Caris Lee.
November 16, 2023
Page 2
THE MISCELLANY NEWS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MANAGING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR SENIOR EDITOR NEWS EDITORS
Jacques Abou-Rizk William Sorge Monika Sweeney Sashinka Poor Sarah McNeil Jyotsna Naidu Emma Adams ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Allen Hale ARTS EDITORS Jesse Koblin Kai Speirs FEATURES EDITOR Carina Cole ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITORS Luke Jenkins Sufana Noorwez OPINIONS EDITOR Nicholas Tillinghast HUMOR EDITOR Nick Villamil SPORTS EDITOR Tracy Cen SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Olivia Kahn ASST. SOCIAL MEDIA EDITORS Richard Lu Igor Martiniouk PHOTO EDITOR Nandini Likki DESIGN EDITOR Molly Delahunty ASSISTANT DESIGN EDITOR Caris Lee COPY EDITORS Julia Weinberg Anabel Lee ASSISTANT COPY EDITOR Sandro Lorenzo GRAPHICS EDITORS Karen Mogami Tori Kim ASSISTANT GRAPHICS EDITOR Catherine Borthwick LIVE EVENTS CHAIR Kai Chang WEBMASTERS Michael Yang Britt Andrade REPORTERS, COLUMNISTS Cassandra Brook Henry France Yaksha Gummadapu Anna Kozloski Emma Lawrence Gwen Ma Benjamin Savel Oliver Stewart Josie Wenner Andrew Chu CARTOONISTS Ian Watanabe Kathryn Carvel COPY STAFF Grace Finke Willa Jewitt Allison Lowe Claire Miller Ailynn O’Neill Emma Sandrew Emma San Filippo Edward Welch Morgan Sadie Keesbury CROSSWORD EDITOR
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.
Image courtesy of Natalie Sang ’27.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
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.
NEWS
November 16, 2023
Teach-ins
offer
Continued from TEACH-IN on page 1 knowledge of the region, without which no informed opinion can be formulated, or position taken. The exchange Professor Joshua Schreier and I had with the audience made me proud of teaching at Vassar, especially in the general political climate that, sadly, criminalises precisely such exchanges.” Schreier, who presented on the history of the Gaza Strip, stressed the importance of the presenters and academics of the region to not influence the teach-in with their own opinions. “We all agreed it was important to create a space where students coming from different personal and political perspectives could ask questions freely,” Schreier said. “Most of all, I wanted to try to answer questions the students had.” The nuanced student interaction also contributed to safety of the event. “The atmosphere was warm and supportive, emotional at times and devoted to an honest exchange of information and critical questions. I will remember this teach-in as a deeply moving occasion, in which the best of Vassar pedagogy was in full display,” Borradori said. The teach-in began with a clip of a video
collective
panel titled “Gaza In Context Teach-In: First Session, Gaza 101,” featuring academics in the Middle East hosted by an e-zine of the Arab Studies Institute, Jadaliyya. Kahn then opened the discussion by inviting students to engage with the teach-in from a position of “I don’t know.” “What I asked was that people listen and ask questions that emerge from a genuine place of uncertainty, and to consider just how enormous the amount of space this approach affords us to ask pointed and powerful questions,” Kahn said. Bradley commended the professors for opening up these conversations, saying, “Spaces where faculty encourage dialogue and expression of different points of view on complex, contemporary issues are very much in keeping with having an effective learning community. Having faculty engage in these conversations and teach-ins can be an effective strategy for modeling how to talk about difficult issues while centering care and compassion for everyone in our community.” Student organizers have also opened spaces for discourse. On Oct. 5, Vassar Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) hosted the New York City chapter of the Palestinian Youth Move-
spaces
Page 3
for
ment (PYM) to cover a brief history of the Palestinian resistance. Attendees learned the history of Palestine directly from Palestinians and Palestinian organizers in an effort to contextualize current violences. The teachin covered Palestinian history, modern day resistance efforts and the role of the United States in foreign affairs. “As of right now, we do not have more teach-ins planned, but we look forward to bringing in more community counterparts and hosting student-led teach-ins in the near future,” SJP said in a written statement. “We are also always open to request[s] from students or faculty on who they would like us to host or what they would like to learn about.” The safety of organizers and members was prioritized throughout SJP’s event. The group was offered security but, because the cost would come from the organization’s budget, decided against it and self-monitored the event. “We were not confronted with any direct threats to this event specifically, but Palestinian students and organizers and their pro-Palestine counterparts are highly vulnerable to harrassment and doxxing at this time. SJP members who attended the event remained
processing
active in observing who was attending the event, and luckily there was no disruption that occurred,” SJP said. Other groups on campus are also working to create spaces where students can feel comfortable engaging in discussions with their peers and professors. On Tuesday, Nov. 14, Schreier and Kahn, sponsored by the Restorative Response Group, the Office of Restorative Practices and Religious and Spiritual Life and Contemplative Practices, held a conversation dinner in Pratt House about building understanding across differences on the Palestine-Israel conflict. Borradori is working with the other professors to encourage more teach-ins and opportunities for students to engage in critical dialogue on Israel-Palestine. She said, “On a college campus, we need to be able to discuss the full and historically informed picture of the siege on Gaza, the status of the occupied West Bank and the role of Israel vis-à-vis both, without fear of being censured, doxed, disciplined or even fired. It is indeed disheartening to see the opposite: namely, colleges and universities all over the country caving in to external and internal repressive measures.”
Alum’s Moonburger pop-up lands at Late Night Makenna Monaghan Guest Reporter
A
t the Moonburger pop-up at Gordon Commons’ Late Night on Nov. 8, Vassar alum Jeremy Robinson-Leon ’07 brought a taste of his infamous milkshake and veggie burger joint to Poughkeepsie. The event drew hundreds of students to Gordon Commons, looking to try Hudson Valley’s finest burger. Robinson-Leon is deeply connected to the Vassar network. Having been previously involved with Sophomore Career Connections and the Vassar Innovation and Entrepreneurship program, he was excited for the opportunity to offer his menu to Vassar students. The conversation about bringing Moonburger to campus began in late August of this year when Robinson-Leon contacted Resident District Manager of Dining Steve Scardina and Executive Chef Anthony Legname. After multiple meetings and a review of the grill platform and equipment, the menu was de-
ROC Survey results will improve service Since early October, the VSA has focused their administrative review committee on reviewing the Residential Operations Center (ROC) and compiling constituent input to find ways to improve the student experience with the office. The ROC Review Committee is chaired by Class of 2025 Senators Mariano DeCarvalho and Emmie Jensen. The VSA reviews one
cided, featuring the classic burger, the classic cheeseburger, classic fries and hot fries. The restaurant prides itself on the experience of enjoying a Moonburger meal with its mission statement claiming, “At Moonburger, we’re all about open skies and open roads. Sunshine and moonshine. We stay boundless at every turn.” Gordon Commons was transformed into a classic burger shop as Moonburger chefs took over the kitchen, cooking their griddled Impossible patty up to perfection for the crowd waiting on standby. Scardina noted, “We anticipated the night would be busy, but we did not expect everyone to arrive half an hour earlier than the event start time.” With lines wrapping around tables, many students were left wondering if it was worth getting in line. To the students queuing, the answer was more often than not, yes. Kiri Hoerman ’25 stated affirmatively, “It was really good. The energy in the Deece was awesome—it felt like Christmas Day. It was a good line and a personable crowd.”
Part of the draw was simply the fact that it was not the usual offering, drawing in people who had never tried Moonburger. Allen Hale ’25 [Disclaimer: Hale is an Arts Editor for The Miscellany News] said, “I thought it was a pretty good take on a burger.” He continued, “Moonburger has its own style so if you want to go to a restaurant that’s different than a regular burger and has its own identity then it’s good for that. I liked it. It was a good experience and a good thing to try.” According to Scardina, Late Night typically garners around 315 to 320 students on any given Wednesday, but the Moonburger Pop-Up brought in over 400 diners. When discussing the success of the event, Scardina added, “I would also like to shout out the dining staff who worked the event—Linda K., Efrain C., Veronica W. and Isatu R.—and thank Jeremy and his team for providing the students with a wonderful experience.” The energy and enthusiasm present would not have been possible without their hard work. For students who missed the pop-up or
want more, in a few months Moonburger plans to open a third location in Poughkeepsie. The location will join the two other Moonburger locations: one in Kingston, which opened in 2021, and another in New Paltz, which opened in 2023. Both locations achieved almost instantaneous success, with coverage in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and listed in the Best of Hudson Valley 2023. Unlike neighboring locations, the Poughkeepsie location will offer a drive-thru, counter service and a full dining room to enhance the experience.
administrative office every year, and we want to know if there have been experiences with the ROC that can improve interactions in the future. The goal of this review is to ensure that administrative offices are serving students to the best of their abilities. The VSA sent out a survey to compile your experiences with the ROC, and we are grateful for the excellent feedback! We would like to hear more from you, so if you can take a few minutes to rate your experience, you can find a link to the survey in the email sent by VSA President Olivia Gross on Oct. 23. So far the committee has been able to use your feedback to come up with a tentative list of suggestions to enhance the student experience with the ROC. The committee is hoping that its work will help accommodate student needs and increase ease of access to the ROC in the future. If you have any experiences with the ROC that would like to
share, please fill out the survey! If you have questions, please email Class of 2025 Senators Mariano DeCarvalho (mdecarvalho@vassar.edu) or Emmie Jensen (ejensen@vassar. edu).
Casework:
Resolution allows established pre-orgs to apply for recognized status
Contact Us:
Good news for pre-organizations looking to secure Recognized status! The VSA Senate unanimously passed a resolution that allows pre-orgs that have been in existence for at least a full semester to be able to apply for recognized status in the fall rather than having to wait until the spring. This resolution is effective immediately. If you have questions, contact vsaorgs@vassar.edu.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
Igor Martiniouk/The Miscellany News.
ROC Survey:
ARTS
Page 4
November 16, 2023
The Beatles’ single ‘Now and Then’ tries bringing ‘then’ to ‘now’ Jesse Koblin Arts Editor
O
n Nov. 2, The Beatles, a band that broke up 53 years ago, released a new single. Billed as “the last song from the Beatles,” according to The New York Times, “Now and Then” is a fascinating case study for Beatles fans and those concerned with authorship and authenticity in music. This track has engaged listeners in a discourse surrounding modern musical ethics: When does a group author music, how should technology be used to manipulate and create music, and how does the release of “Now and Then” affect contemporary music? The history of “Now and Then” may be as intriguing as the music. The Beatles’ website states that in the late ’70s, several years after The Beatles disbanded, Beatles frontman John Lennon recorded a batch of solo songs at his piano in his New York City apartment using a low-fidelity handheld portable recorder. The songs were unissued at the time, and after Lennon’s tragic murder by a fan in 1980, his widow, Yoko Ono, gave these recordings to Beatles’ bassist Paul McCartney. In 1995, the surviving Beatles—McCartney, drummer Ringo Starr and guitarist George Harrison—produced a series of new Beatles “best of” albums called “Anthology.” As part of those records’ production, the three attempted to record new tracks on top of the 1977 Lennon demos. Embellished versions of Lennon’s “Free As a Bird” and “Real Love” were issued by the surviving Beatles as “new” singles from the band. However, the remaining Beatles passed on the demo of “Now and Then,” with Harrison, according to The Guardian, calling it “rubbish.” It is unclear whether Harrison did not like the
song or if he felt it could not be issued because the audio was so poor. Harrison died in 2001 of cancer, never able to offer a definitive stance on the track. In 2021, “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson released the documentary “The Beatles: Get Back,” in which Jackson used artificial intelligence (AI) to isolate the vocals from instrumental parts in post-production on the featured songs. With the new technology, McCartney had the opportunity to return to “Now and Then,” and he gave Jackson the Lennon demos to see if they could be salvaged. With the participation of surviving Beatles McCartney and Starr, and using the guitar track Harrison recorded in 1995, “Now and Then” has now been issued as a new song. The final product was significantly reworked since its original iteration. “Now and Then” also includes new instrumentals, vocal harmonies by McCartney and Starr, and strings reminiscent of famous Beatles songs like “Here Comes the Sun” and “The Long and Winding Road.” A section sung by Lennon was also cut out. Perhaps the most significant controversy surrounding the track has been the revelation that McCartney used Jackson’s AI technology to separate out Lennon’s vocals and “clean up” the old recordings. The first insight into the song’s production that many Beatles fans gained came from an interview McCartney gave with the BBC, which suggested AI played a significant role in the new song by The Beatles. While that headline is hyperbolic, AI was, in fact, employed as an advanced form of mixing. The recent release of “Now and Then” raises many concerns surrounding musical authenticity, which AI “art” has catalyzed. Is “Now and Then” a collective effort
by The Beatles or a worked-over Lennon demo? Indeed, The Beatles’ discography often features contrasting musical ideas within the same song, seemingly a way of reconciling the band’s artistic differences. Take, for example, songs such as “A Day In The Life” and “Happiness is a Warm Gun,” which bisect into musically and tonally distinct hemispheres that reflect Lennon and McCartney’s competing creativities. It is thrilling to conceptualize “Now and Then” as a collaboration in that same style between The Beatles’ members spanning 46 years, through which McCartney and Starr have the chance to complete their deceased bandmates’ work. However, listeners cannot know whether Lennon or Harrison would have agreed to release this song had they been alive now, especially when Harrison objected to its release in 1995. Although “Now and Then” is undoubtedly a beautiful composition, propelled by Lennon’s mournful vocals, it is not especially revelatory about who The Beatles were or what they would have done if they had reassembled. It also does not help that the song sounds incomplete. Previous Lennon/ McCartney collaborations have been intentionally disjunctive, with clearly delineated musical passages that call attention to their incongruity. Contrastingly, the luxuriant strings of “Now and Then” and Lennon’s iconic croon do not fully compensate for the ballad’s undynamic structure. These objections could have been curtailed if “Now and Then” had been billed as a Lennon/McCartney curiosity. Nonetheless, the single’s release under The Beatles moniker promises to make much more money for the participants involved. Ironically, John Lennon’s last words to
Paul McCartney before his death were purportedly, “Think about me every now and then, old friend.” The repurposing of Lennon’s final statement into the refrain of “Now and Then” is a melancholy torch-bearing moment—nonetheless, the cultural trauma of Lennon’s murder has long since faded. “Now and Then” represents the current iteration of an ongoing trend where the eminence of new artists is overshadowed by a returning act peddling out palliative, uncontroversial repetitions of older sounds. While contemporary and classic acts often “pass the throne,” as seen in McCartney’s collaborations with Kanye West, and Elton John’s work with Dua Lipa, the displacement of new talent by legacy musicians often enforces a musical gerontocracy in an industry where young musicians already
Although “Now and Then” is undoubtedly a beautiful composition, propelled by Lennon’s mournful vocals, it is not especially revelatory about who The Beatles were or what they would have done if they had reassembled. struggle. “Now and Then” may feature a nice John Lennon vocal, but it is also a harbinger of a trend that threatens pop music’s increasing inclusivity and originality.
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
ARTS
November 16, 2023
The
1975 Emma Lawrence Columnist
A
fter queuing for a grand total of three hours and 46 minutes, the doors finally opened to Amalie Arena, hosting The 1975’s “Still…At Their Very Best” tour. I felt as if I had been transported back to 2013— fans everywhere harnessed an emo Tumblr aesthetic for tonight’s performance. Donning satin chokers, Doc Martens and their favorite thrifted leather jacket, the crowd packed into the pit, and I attempted to find my place. Regardless of the humid Tampa weather, we were dressing to fit the aesthetic. Then the curtain dropped, revealing a scene depicting a sky of twinkling stars behind a house. Street lamps flickered with
brings
‘The
hazy smoke as classical piano music filled the entire arena. Various crew members began decorating the home as if they inhabited the set until a knock was heard. Matty Healy, the band’s lead singer, had entered the stage. He took his seat at the piano “downstairs,” and began plunking out “The 1975,” which is coincidentally the opening of their 2022 alternative hit album “Being Funny In A Foreign Language” and previous albums. In the past, the band has created a new rendition of “The 1975,” slightly altering it to fit their current style at the time. “I’m sorry if you’re living and you’re 17,” Healy repeats over and over again, empathizing with teenagers growing up burdened by social media and self-hatred. In the past, he joked that his music had an “apocalyptic sense of being a teenager in a
Emma Lawrence/The Miscellany News.
Soundtracking Sufana Noorwez Opinions Editor
I
can pinpoint the moment when I really learned what music was, and realized where my taste fit within it. It is not that I did not grow up with music—rather, I did not feel particularly moved by any of it until I gained access to social media and a Spotify account. The catalyst for these events occurred when the Spotify app was approved on my school iPad, since I did not have my own phone yet. It was 2014 and I was 12 years old. These events coincided with a massive public relations push by the one and only Taylor Swift to hype up “1989,” her first pop album after four albums and seven years of country hits. Thus, media exposure and relatively unfettered access to the Internet precipitated a series of events that have affected me to this day. I have cataloged every month of my life since 2014 in the form of a Spotify playlist. For those who do not want to do the calculations, that is 108 playlists, counting 11 so far this year and a singular playlist for 2014. Maybe this is not that special to most people; there are some prolific playlist makers out there. But I view my nine-year habit of playlist-making as something more than just a compulsive organizational habit: It is a musical soundscape of the events of my life. Whenever I feel moved—by the current events in my life, some remembered happenstance or the phase of the moon—I pull up the playlist from the point in my life that
my
life
accurately matches with what I am currently feeling, and all of a sudden I am 16 again, driving for the first time, or 18, realizing I will not be finishing up my senior year of high school in any meaningful way. I associate points in my life with the songs that I listened to while they were happening, so going through my playlists is the easiest way for me to reflect on what I have lived through, kind of like a journal. I have to admit that when I look back at these playlists now, I am sometimes assaulted by songs I no longer listen to, and have no desire to. There is a skip button for a reason. And sometimes this reason is a passing obsession with, for example, Fall Out Boy. But I am here for the highs and the lows.
If I cannot remember things of my own accord, my ear will remember what I was listening to at the time, without fail. Looking back at 2023, a standout is “Dreamer” by Laufey. I have always wanted to be into jazz, but I do not think I know enough about the genre to call myself a real listener, despite enjoying the limited jazz I have been exposed to. My recent foray into Laufey’s discography has taken me on a new journey into jazz, one that I have thoroughly enjoyed. My friends and I made a road trip
Sound’
Page 5
to
major key,” and this song reflects that sentiment. The music swelled to a crescendo, automatically leading into “Looking for Somebody (to Love),” for which Healy grabbed a red electric guitar and immediately got the crowd jumping. It felt like emotional whiplash in the best way possible. “Robbers,” a hit off of their self-titled debut album, put the audience in a trance. For this romantic song about a lustful yet melancholic bad boy, Healy belted every note into the microphone, causing an uproar among the fans. Fitting with the lyrics’ imagery of twirling revolvers and passionate affairs, the atmosphere filled with smoke as the lights dimmed for this moody number. Romanticising robbery and teenage angst, Healy continued with the iconic bridge: “And he’s got his gun, he’s got his suit on/ She says, babe, you look so cool.” As he finished the previous song, the entire stage went black, leaving everything to the imagination. Then, a wall of mesmerizing sound cascaded through the arena. “About You,” the sequel to “Robbers,” had begun. This number has simple lyrics that elicit more emotion than any of the band’s other songs: “I miss you on the train / I miss you in the morning / I never know what to think about / I think about you.” Only seeing the silhouette of the band enhanced the overall vibe—we all put our phones away and lost ourselves in the dreamy nostalgia that comes with seeing a former lover that you never really forgot about. This experience felt more like an art piece than a pop-rock concert. “Love It If We Made It” was a chaotic eruption of color where scenes from their iconic music video combined with key lyrics projected behind the band, immersing the crowd in the aura of the song. Providing an introspective look into how messed up our world is, The 1975 decorates misery in a series of ’80s synth
through
Bay
pop melodies. “Sex,” a brazenly titled song about teenagers in lust, was my favorite part of the concert. Strobe lights flashed on beat with the opening aggressive electric guitar chords, immediately setting the tone for the next three minutes and 35 seconds. Telling a provocative story of infidelity, Healy describes scenes with his literal lyrics, giving this narrative an added sense of realism: “Yeah, my shirt looks so good / When it’s just hanging off your back.” I screamed every word. The 1975 ended their concert on the B-Stage with their single “People.” A bold choice for their finale number, Healy threw a tantrum screaming this rebellious adolescent anthem. Ripping his vocal chords to shreds, he grabbed at the camera and shouted his confrontational lyrics concerning climate, culture, social media and everything in between. Writhing on a tiny stage covered in faux grass, Healy screamed this song with such passion that I am surprised he even had a voice to thank us all for coming once the show concluded. Brash, electric and nonconformist, a 1975 concert is necessary to experience at least once in your lifetime. You do not have to know every word to connect with the musicality of each piece—they are truly one of a kind.
Providing an introspective look into how messed up our world is, The 1975 decorates misery in a series of ’80s synth pop melodies.
Spotify
playlist for our drive back from Boston to Vassar after October Break. I put “Dreamer” on that playlist, and when it came on, I remarked to my friend that her a cappella group should do an arrangement of the track. Whether or not the Night Owls ever do the song is immaterial, but I will never forget the specific memory of driving down the Taconic, watching blurs of red, yellow and brown leaves whiz by on the way back from my last October Break ever. For 2022, my mind immediately goes to “Instant Crush” by Daft Punk, featuring Julian Casablancas. I spent the summer of 2022 on campus doing research in the Biology Department. “Instant Crush” reminds me of a few things from that summer. First, running around Olmsted furiously trying to get my yeast cells to grow. Second, wandering around campus doing laps and soaking in the atmosphere at a time I never usually see it, green and beautiful. Third, crocheting a humongous green and white blanket as my first (and so far only) endeavor into the world of fiber arts. The song that will forever remind me of 2021 is “Monster” by Exo. I am not the world’s biggest K-pop enthusiast, but I would be lying if I said I did not dabble in it now and again. This one, however, is embedded in my mind for a very unfortunate reason: I got into a car accident while listening to it. I was driving to my summer job as a florist’s assistant, and had to scoot my car out of the way of a giant truck, in the process scraping a gutter and dislodging one of the front panels of my car. Everyone and everything was
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
Tampa
playlists
completely fine, except perhaps my ego and my memory tied to that song. I cannot listen to it without thinking of my car accident. The year 2020 is represented by an album more than just one specific song. “Future Nostalgia” by Dua Lipa is a fantastic album to dance around your room to. Unfortunately, I did a lot of staying in and dancing in my room in 2020. However, I now irreversibly associate that album with the end of high school, the six months I spent at home and my move to Vassar. I could pull out associative memories like these for dozens of songs each year. That is exactly why I continue every month, building up an auditory soundscape of my life. If I cannot remember things of my own accord, my ear will remember what I was listening to at the time, without fail. For this I am grateful. During my journey with writing this piece, I listened to my “2014” playlist last. I was surprised and pleased to find not only the entirety of Swift’s first five studio albums on there, but also the song “Applause” by Lady Gaga. I am sure whatever I was doing when I first heard “Applause” was great, but now my memory of this song and this playlist has changed. When I finally saw Swift at the “Eras Tour” this year, “Applause” was one of the last songs played before she got on stage and dove into some of the hits that were on that same playlist, songs which have defined my life. Now I cannot think of anything else when I hear it. Even if music has stayed with me through the years, its meaning is always changing, and for this I am grateful, too.
FEATURES
Page 6
November 16, 2023
Professor Edwards to be Poughkeepsie Town Supervisor Continued from SUPERVISOR on page 1 gagement between the diverse groups that help make Poughkeepsie the town it is. “Poughkeepsie has been built by waves and waves of immigrants—Irish, Italian, Polish, Ukrainian, Greek and more recently Jamaican, Oaxacan, South Asian and East Asian communities. It’s an exciting thing to think about how we could celebrate that through food, music and sharing one another’s cultures if we had the civic base for it.”
“Local governments could do far more to tap into the energy and expertise that reside in these colleges,” Edwards commented.
Edwards also plans to remain connected to the town’s colleges, including Vassar, Marist and Dutchess Community College. “Local governments could do far more to tap into the energy and expertise that reside in these colleges,” she commented. “I hope to meet with all three of the college presidents soon to talk about their relationships with their town.” After being at Vassar for so long, however, Edwards still acknowledges that the extend-
ed departure might be difficult. “I’m going to deeply miss being in the classroom. I’ve been here for 28 years, and it’s going to be a big change.” Edwards should rest assured that her students will miss her as well. “I’m so grateful for the mentorship and support Prof. Edwards provides,” stated Leela Khatri ‘26, a former student. “She is truly stellar, attentive, and beyond caring. I’m excited to see what she will bring to the town of Poughkeepsie! ”
Literature and music unite in ‘Faust, Music, and Romanticism’ Duncan Beauchamp Guest Reporter
I
t was a reflection I never thought I would make, but as I sat in the library one evening, it struck me: “Wow, writing this essay is pretty fun!” I was writing said essay for the course MUSI 232: “Faust, Music, and Romanticism,” which I had the chance to take with Professor Kathryn Libin of the Music Department earlier this semester. This six-week-long Music/German cross-listed course caught my eye late in the add period, and once I noticed it, I simply had to take it. As a lover of both classic literature and music, it seemed to tick all the boxes. Reading a literary masterpiece? Check. Exploring musical interpretations of said masterpiece? Check. And my expectations were certainly met, if not exceeded. As its name implies, Professor Libin’s course centers around “Part One” of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s “Faust,” arguably Germany’s greatest literary work. Although it can at times be challenging, it is not a very long read, especially since we do not read the more complex and allegorical “Part Two.” Readings are usually coupled with listening, which consists of various Romantic compositions that depict certain scenes or characters in “Faust.” Class sessions are split up evenly between discussion of the play and then of the music. After the first few weeks of the class, the focus shifts to longer, more substantial musical works that explore the story of “Faust” as a whole, so reading assignments drop out in favor of more extensive listening or viewing.
I ultimately came away from the class with a greater understanding not just of “Faust” and its various musical adaptations but also of how to delve deeper into musical scores and music in general in order to analyze them within a literary context. Beyond these readings and listenings, the major assignments consist of four essays. The first three each focus on one of the play’s major characters and how the pieces from that week portray their specific traits. The fourth (the final for the class) allows you to build on your interpretation of one of these characters through a more comprehensive analysis that explores how certain musical compositions create their own unique visions of the character in comparison to Goethe’s vision. Intended
as a discussion of the connections between the literature and the music, these essays are all very freeform and do not require a particular structure, which made them particularly enjoyable. The feeling of laying out a thick packet of musical scores to parse through helped elevate the writing process and almost made it feel like a scavenger hunt where I had to find specific instances of the music that helped corroborate my understanding of Goethe’s text. In terms of accessibility, I came into the class with very limited music theory skills. My abilities do not extend far beyond identifying notes on the staff, though my understanding of rhythm is quite a bit better. Thus, I was initially leery of how out of place I would be amid higher-level music students. But I soon felt more at ease, and Professor Libin did an excellent job of engaging the class at a level accessible to non-music students. Even an amateur understanding of music allowed me to comment on the pieces we listened to. I should note, though, that reading along with the scores reminded me of when, in the past, I would follow along to YouTube videos of classical music with scrolling scores, so perhaps that familiarity helped me a bit. The inclusion of literature as a significant element of the course was also helpful, as it allowed me to comment on a subject I was more familiar with than music. However, I would still recommend at least some foundation in music; following musical scores (often for full orchestra) is a significant part of the class, and it is important to have some idea of what is happening in the sheet music in order to provide examples for the essays. In addition to being manageable in terms of workload, the course was great from both a literary and musical perspective. Analyzing “Faust” and its characters, with all their dark, philosophical complexities, was fun enough on its own. In fact, some scenes gave me that awesome feeling of “Damn, this is cool,” while others even made my heart rate speed up a bit. And the music that Professor Libin selects is similarly fantastic in its own right, but by putting it in the context of “Faust,” all the intricate melodic lines and rhythmic markings take on greater significance, which I think speaks to the heightened richness and depth resulting from the combination of literature and music. I especially enjoyed the transition from smaller pieces (Schubert’s “Gretchen am Spinnrade,” with its agitated piano line and haunting vocal melody, was a favorite of mine) to the longer, multi-act works that were the capstones of the course (Charles Gounod’s opera “Faust,” like Goethe’s play, had some scenes that were nothing short of epic). Studying both kinds of pieces allowed me to apply the themes of “Faust” in varying musical structures, which I appreciated. I ultimately came away from the class with a greater understanding not
As a lover of both classic literature and music, it seemed to tick all the boxes. Reading a literary masterpiece? Check. Exploring musical interpretations of said masterpiece? Check. just of “Faust” and its various musical adaptations but also of how to delve deeper into musical scores and music in general in order to analyze them within a literary context. If you haven’t guessed it already, I would definitely recommend this class! It was
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
one of my favorites this semester, and if I had to pick a single favorite, this might be it. The appreciation I had for the subject matter, the engaging assignments and the generally relaxed atmosphere of the course all contributed to my thoroughly positive experience. So those that are literary and/ or musically minded, take note! I’m not sure when Professor Libin plans to offer this specific class again, but I do know that she will be offering “Jane Austen and Music” in the spring, which is another six-week class and has a similar structural approach. She also informed me that she intends to premiere a new class in Fall 2024 which will have a different topic each time it is offered and, like this class, will examine musical interpretations of a specific work of literature. According to her, Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” may be on the agenda for next fall!
Image courtesy of Anchor Books.
November 16, 2023
HUMOR
Page 7
Breaking News From the desk of Nicholas Tillinghast, Humor Editor
Students disappointed: ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ is just 45 scary photos of Rocky Hall Help, I can’t stop watching ‘Shark Tank’ highlights Nicholas Tillinghast
Seeking $200,000 for 10 percent
I
’ve gotten off of Instagram. I’ve gotten off Snapchat. I’m largely off of Reddit. But there’s one app that I’m still glued to. As bad as its algorithm has gotten (and it is bad), I believe that I will be on YouTube until the end of time, constantly sucked into content holes and coming out the other side months later. One such content rabbit hole consists of >10-minute videos from shows that started in the late 2000s (“House M.D.,” “The Office,” “30 Rock”). All of these shows have been given new life on the ’Tube. One such show is “Shark Tank.” I talked to my friend Allen about how I was watching all these “Shark Tank” clips and I asked him if he had watched any. He looked at me, appalled, and said. “Why would I watch a show about a bunch of rich venture capitalists throwing money at start-ups?” Of course he was right, my connection to the show doesn’t make a lot of sense. Watching a bunch of “Shark Tank” highlights probably isn’t on anyone’s Vassar student bingo card, but here I am. The concept of “Shark Tank” is not inherently appealing to me, but the presentation and the small details of the show make it— in my opinion—one of the crown jewels of 2000s business-centric reality TV, up there with “Kitchen Nightmares U.S.” To better understand what makes “Shark Tank” good, it’s worth looking at the failings of its British counterpart. The British original, “Dragon’s Den,” which also has a fairly active YouTube presence, is a bloody boring show for me. No zany sounds effects every five seconds, no interesting characters, the lighting sucks ass… I could go on. Whenever I think Americans have something in common with the Brits, I realize that there are still major disconnects, like what we believe reality TV should be. Comparing the two shows’ IMDb scores, “Shark Tank” clearly is what more people want
from these types of shows. “Shark Tank” understands that reality TV shouldn’t feel real, it should feel hyper real. Sure, “Dragon’s Den” edits down the pitches, but where are the crazy sound effects to tell me how I should be feeling? I could watch “Shark Tank” with half of my brain removed and still get it. The other thing that makes “Shark Tank” not suck is that they put together a really solid cast of investors, or “sharks.” Kevin O’Leary is the arrogant one who gives terrible offers. Lori Greiner is into gimmicky home products. Mark Cuban is the shark that seemingly everybody would want to do a deal with because he has Dad energy
It’s frankly impressive that they gathered so many exorbitantly rich people together who can consistently keep their mouths shut. and owns the Mavericks. Barbara Corcoran goes out on every pitch but also has the lowest net worth, so understandable, I guess. Daymond John founded FUBU, which is kind of wild. Robert Herjavec is…I don’t know, he’s a nice guy. I like him. It would be a lot easier for me to quit “Shark Tank” if the sharks weren’t so good at not being scandalous. If you look up “‘Shark Tank’ politics,” nothing will jump out at you immediately. Sure, Kevin O’Leary recently attempted to run for president as a conservative, but that was in Canada, so does it really even matter? Mark Cuban thinks paying taxes is kinda cool. Barbara admires Trump as a fellow real estate mogul but isn’t delusional enough to say he was a good president. It’s frankly impressive that they gathered so many exorbitantly rich people
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. together who can consistently keep their mouths shut. With all the “Shark Tank” I’ve been watching, it’s inevitably entering my everyday thought processes. For example, I was waiting on the lower level of Grand Central Station the other week when a guy came up to me and handed me a tiny notepad. This, of course, is one of the great “Shark Tank” tactics—give the sharks some bullshit so they’re more willing to make a deal. Then this guy started pitching—he wanted $30 for his organization, Organization for a Greater Nigeria, or O.F.G.N. What does a shark like me do? He asks for the deets. “Do you have a website?” Oh, he does. It’s semi-competent. It even has videos on it. Well, I guess I’ll throw him three dollars because I’m too tired to be more confrontational than that. GoFundMe has a limit of five dollars. Shit, I guess I’m giving him five. He thanked me and I was left alone with my tiny O.F.G.N. notepad. This was a failed business interaction. I lacked Mark Cuban’s eye for scams (Nigeria shoulda been a dead-giveaway) and I forgot the magic initialism, FTRIO, “For those reasons, I’m out.” Why was I out? “I’m a broke college student,” “I don’t think you’re being truthful with me,” “This feels like a scam.” How could I be so stupid? Now, as deep into the “Shark Tank” as I am, I don’t believe in the hyperbole through which the sharks advertise “Shark Tank” to the public. “Shark Tank” is not about the American dream, as they’ve suggested on “Good Morning America.” I think that’s an idea the sharks just kinda stumbled upon.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
I can imagine the conversation backstage: “What’s good about our show?” “It’s about the American Dream, right?” “No, not really.” “But we could, like, say it is though.” “Shark Tank” is not inspiring. Are there moments of compassion on “Shark Tank” (pity deals if you will)? Yes, but way more often they give people absolutely terrible offers or pressure them into accepting one quickly. I think “Kitchen Nightmares” is a good comp here in terms of theming. That show is all a bunch of narcissist restaurant owners who get what they want at the end. Is it also kind of about saving restaurants? Yes, but the real catharsis of the show is in the middle sections when Gordon Ramsey finds a dead rat in the doorway, picks it up and yells at everybody in the kitchen. If “Kitchen Nightmares” didn’t have all the reno-work at the end of the episode and Gordon told the owner to fuck off instead, I bet the show would have about the same ratings. “Shark Tank” doesn’t have Gordon Ramsay or rats, though, so why do I care about it? Well, I love the stupid walk-up music before every pitch in “Shark Tank.” I love seeing Mark call out scams and then Kevin immediately give the same company an offer. I love when Barbara praises a product and then says that she’s out every time. I love when all the sharks cringe at bad sales numbers. Is the show about a bunch of stuck-up rich people? Yes, but the minute, cyclical details of the show still keep me coming back.
HUMOR
Page 8
November 16, 2023
Worst app ever! Whiny widget wrecks my week Emma daRosa Screenager
H
ow did I spend last week? What a beautiful question, thank you so much for asking, I would love to tell you. Was it studying for the chem exam I bombed yesterday? Was it dealing with the ever-growing laundry pile that’s taken over my coffin single? Was it having a nice time and enjoying my life? NO. No, dear reader. Instead of any of those things, I spent last week chained to my cell phone, imprisoned by a small beast. This beast was a widget that moved onto my home screen and went by the name of Huevo. You may be wondering, how did I acquire Huevo, or, more accurately, how did he acquire me? And what is he exactly? It was a glorious afternoon in the Deece. I had just finished a massive turkey sandwich, and my boyfriend and I were having a classic giggle sesh. It’s crucial for you to know, I had recently been in the emergency room for a concerning medical issue, and I think my boyfriend would’ve done anything to cheer me up. Thus, when I showed him a TikTok of another couple adopting a “widget pet” that they could co-parent between their two phones, he lovingly acquiesced, and we both downloaded the app. We set up our first free egg to hatch, boyfriend christened him “Huevo,” and we were off to the races! The first few hours were nothing but fun. Huevo was supposed to take 24 hours to hatch, but as we excitedly waited for his arrival, we watched every 30-second ad that we could. Each one brought us an hour closer to meeting our little guy. Finally, at 4:48 p.m., weighing a whopping 11 pounds, six ounces, Huevo came into the world. He was a tiny, perfect, adorable squirrel, and we couldn’t have been more in love. This love lasted roughly 27 minutes. Huevo was immediately a menace. The first thing he asked me to do was go visit boyfriend’s phone dressed in a Halloween costume to “prank him.” This so-called prank was, in a word, pathetic. He jumped up a little and said “boo!” Completely juvenile and not scary in the least. Boyfriend sent him back to prank me, but then we were done with the Halloween shenanigans. That’s when the whining began in earnest. What they don’t tell you in all these cute TikToks is that the widget is ceaseless in its demands. I think boyfriend and I would’ve had a better time caring for a newborn baby than we did maintaining Huevo’s delicate
constitution. It seemed that whenever he was on my phone, he was begging for food, a bath, help shitting, or help “relaxing,” which involved giving him either diet cola or milk to drink before bed. The kicker was,
Huevo came into the world. He was a tiny, perfect, adorable squirrel, and we couldn’t have been more in love. This love lasted roughly 27 minutes. I couldn’t get a break by sending the little creature to boyfriend’s phone, no, no, no. While boyfriend was spending hours upon hours completing endless assignments for computer science and number theory, Huevo would send me notes asking me to remind boyfriend to feed him. It became
tiresome immediately, but we brought this squirrel into the world, and we decided to wait at least a week before taking him out of it again. Huevo was a surprisingly picky eater for a squirrel. I look back coldly on the moment he asked me for grass for dinner. We were all out of grass, so I offered him the vaguely named “chowder” thinking that surely that would stave off his pangs of hunger. I was not so lucky. The app was quick to let me know. “Huevo doesn’t want to eat chowder. Please feed the food it wants.” Now, when I was growing up, my parents always told me they were not short order cooks, we lived by “get what you get and don’t throw a fit.” Apparently Huevo could not understand this age-old adage and would rather go on a hunger strike than be denied his grass. So, I bowed to the mechanical beast before me and watched a 30-second ad for a Candy Crush knockoff app so that my little boy could have his tummy’s truest desire. Boyfriend fared no better. Despite being a squirrel, Huevo whined for foods that are decidedly not part of the rodent’s natural diet. When he finally asked for something
we expected, boyfriend let me know “This is the first nut he’s asked for, the little bastard.”
We were all out of grass, so I offered him the vaguely named “chowder” thinking that surely that would stave off his pangs of hunger. Huevo continued his pleas for help, and the tiny monster, not even potty- trained after days of our help, begged boyfriend for more. Boyfriend resented this, telling me “Oh, and now he needs to shit. Bitch.” All in all, he was a pathetic, worthless and helpless little being. Boyfriend and I dedicated ourselves to being caring, attentive and present parents for a whole entire week. What did we learn? Well, it’s quite simple really. Wrap it before you tap it.
Image courtesy of Emma daRosa ’26.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
HUMOR
November 16, 2023
Hyenas,
yetis
Cassandra Brook Miss Information
I
n the 21st century, we all are aware of the dangers of the 24-hour news cycle. We are all cognizant of the fact that journalism is often tainted by a capitalist system that permits profit through sensationalized news rather than truth. Despite these unfortunate facts, I have decided to do exactly the same thing: overdramatize news in the hopes that YOU (the reader) will tune in to my ridiculousness. Here is a list of headlines and what they actually mean. Wild Hyena Roams Campus Screaming in Desperation Though this sentence evokes an image of a David Attenborough-narrated nature documentary like one with miserable and adorable penguins struggling to waddle up a colossal hill, I promise you this is actually an anthropocentric statement. Wild hyena roams campus screaming in desperation, in Vassar terms, refers to any singer croaking loudly on their way to the Deece. These off-tune musicians are often found walking alone, yet act as if they hold an audience beyond Matthew Vassar’s ghost. Despite the cacophony of these artists, I appreciate that their serenading wakes me up as I walk to breakfast, even better than the brisk wind does. The Yeti Runs Wild on Campus: Blizzard Consumes All Between climate change and the recent resurgence in the belief in mythical creatures (thanks to YouTube), this could very well be a serious headline. However, the actuality of this headline is much more mundane. It refers simply to the unbearable cold that de-
and
arsonists
vours this campus. Ever since the temperatures hit sub-40, I have been attacked by the cold, leaving my cheeks rosy red, as if I were in the 1800s and had scarlet fever or, more realistically, as if the Yeti has been slapping my face for the past hour. The blizzard is the inner emotions I feel—cold, freezing anger— every morning when I walk one minute (an eternity) to class. And I despise that I am in the transitional phase between jackets; either I wear a jacket that is slightly too cold and walk around with my hands shoved into my pockets like Bob Dylan or I wear a jacket that is so big it looks like I got eaten by Frosty the Snowman.
Page 9
terrorize
have the materials. And if, by chance, a real inferno does sweep campus, maybe then Raymond would get renovated. Though I haven’t actually seen a wild hyena, Yeti or inferno on this campus, I experienced each in my own way. Or maybe I did
Arsonist at Raymond: Inferno Sweeps Campus Now, this headline would be true if the fire alarms were set off by real fire. Instead, within the past week, the Raymond fire alarm has gone off three times (twice within one day) and there has been no fire in sight. I actually wish there were an arsonist because then I wouldn’t look so foolish outside at midnight on a Thursday, jumping around to escape the cold. And at least there would be real heat coming from the fire. It would be warm and toasty. As Nat King Cole famously wrote in his song, “chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Raymond burned from head to toe.” And, honestly, the chance of having a real fire in Raymond is substantial considering the age of the dryers and people’s general inability to take the lint out of the lint trap. If the dryers are shaking so much that it sets off a magnitude 7.0 earthquake, that is a sign you’re using the machine wrong. I have taken lint out of the dryer that is so thick it could be used to reconstruct the clothes it came from. If the Yeti needs a new sweater, the Raymond lint traps
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
campus
actually see a Yeti—you know what they always say, the Yeti is in the eye of the beholder. Now that I think about it, I did see a Yeti rap battle on YouTube in what looked like a Vassar dorm. And everyone knows about the infallibility of the exposure of cryptids on YouTube.
Ncholas Tillinghast/The Miscellany News.
HOROSCOPES
HUMOR
Page 10
November 16, 2023
Jordan Alch
Cruncher of Leaves
ARIES
March 21 | April 19
TAURUS
April 20 | May 20
GEMINI
May 21 | June 20
CANCER
June 21 | July 22
LEO
July 23 | Aug. 22
VIRGO
Aug. 23 | Sept. 22
Is your radiator clanging extra loudly this week? It’s because the radiator man (the little man who lives in your radiator who heats it up) wants a break and a snack. Who are you to deny him this? Let him out, let him roam, give him a snack. He deserves it.
Please stop talking at full volume in the library. I don’t know why people keep doing this. Nobody wants to hear about your petty roommate drama while trying to finish an essay. Most issues can be solved by a productive conversation, just not one in the library.
It’s time to start getting ready for the holidays. Put up some festive lights! Reminisce on your favorite memories from this time of year. For example: mine was when my younger sister broke my favorite Christmas ornament because she thought it would be funny. It was not.
Make sure that you’re eating enough fruits and vegetables. It’s easy to forget that you need various vitamins and minerals when you eat Annie’s White Cheddar Mac & Cheese Microwaveable Cups for an undisclosed number of meals. You can brave the Deece, it’s okay. I believe in you.
Winter is coming, so enjoy the fall leaves while you can. Have a leaf-crunching competition with your friends: Whoever gets the crunchiest leaf gets to throw the pieces of the broken leaf at the losers. That’s what happens when you pick a bad leaf.
Start doing morning affirmations. Say them aloud to yourself in the bathroom mirror, while making direct eye contact with the guy down the hall who is just trying to brush his teeth, if you so desire. He needs to know that you are working on self-improvement.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
LIBRA
Sept. 23 | Oct. 22
SCORPIO
Oct. 23 | Nov. 21
When making plans for this week, remember to check in with how you really feel first. Do you really want to get lunch with that person from your class? Or would you rather sit alone in silence and be horrified at the occasional acts of PDA in the Deece? The choice is yours.
Take the time to appreciate the people who made you the person you are today. Your parents, friends, teachers, childhood enemies and/or book or TV show characters. Send them a nice note, just like that segment that I think Jimmy Fallon does on his show. I wouldn’t know. I’ve never seen it.
Buy a snack from the vending machine. I usually go for a bag of Goldfish. A fun SAGITTARIUS little drink is always a good option. You Nov. 22 | really can’t go wrong here. Unless you buy Dec. 21 the pastry things that sometimes pop up. If you’re considering that, you may need to reevaluate your life decisions.
Join a tour group! Just start following CAPRICORN one around and see if anyone notices. The
Dec. 22 | Jan. 19
AQUARIUS
Jan. 20 | Feb. 18
PISCES
Feb. 19 | March 20
key is to trail slightly too far behind them so it looks a little off-putting, but close enough so people can tell you’re with the group. Anything to be mysterious.
Reflect on how this inconsistent weather makes you feel. Weird, right? Or maybe that’s just me. Combat the overcast skies and early sunset by doing fun things, like wearing a cool hat. Or drinking some hot chocolate, if that’s your thing.
Take the time to appreciate the new version of “Northern Attitude” by Noah Kahan with Hozier. Walk around campus playing it in some headphones. Or out loud, I don’t think that anyone would mind.
November 16, 2023
OPINIONS
Page 11
All opinions and Letters are submitted to The Miscellany News. The Editorial Board does not take responsibility for the views expressed in opinions articles.
Letter to the Editor: Professors address lawsuit dismissal request T
o the Vassar Community:
We write to express our disappointment with Vassar’s Oct. 13, 2023, letter to Judge Cathy Seibel, in which Vassar requested that the class action gender discrimination lawsuit against the College be dismissed. To be clear, the lawsuit is still pending and has the full support of the undersigned female faculty. Vassar’s request is plainly inconsistent with its public statements about the lawsuit, including the Board of Trustees’ assurance to the Vassar community that “Vassar would like to resolve and will continue working to resolve this disagreement with these valued faculty members.” Vassar’s most recent attempt to silence its female faculty—while publicly claiming to support us—is regrettably consistent with the College’s decades-long failure to act on our internal calls for pay equity. We are bewildered by the fact that the College has now publicly affirmed data that demonstrates a systemic, gender-based pay gap, has further acknowledged that the “faculty salary policies and practices were designed forty years ago and would benefit from a re-examination,” and yet continues to trivialize and obscure their role in denying equitable pay for the longest-serving women on their faculty. The
request to dismiss our lawsuit before it is heard is another glaring example of the current administration’s hypocrisy. In light of these most recent actions, we again implore Vassar to bring its own practices in line with its longstanding and very public commitment to gender equity. For that to be possible, however, Vassar must start exercising the views and values that it publicly espouses. Abigail A. Baird, Professor of Psychological Science Pinar Batur, Professor of Sociology Nancy Bisaha, Professor of History Giovanna Borradori, Professor of Philosophy Gabrielle H. Cody, Professor Emerita of Drama Eve D’Ambra, Professor of Art Leslie C. Dunn, Professor of English Natalie Priebe Frank, Professor of Mathematics and Statistics Rebecca Edwards, Professor of History
Rachel D. Friedman, Professor of Greek and Roman Studies
Margaret L. Ronsheim, Professor of Biology
Jean M. Kane, Professor of English
Miriam Rossi, Professor Emerita of Chemistry
Sarjit Kaur, Professor of Chemistry Eileen Leonard, Professor Emerita of Sociology Jenny Magnes, Professor of Physics Seungsook Moon, Professor of Sociology Lydia Murdoch, Professor of History Uma Narayan, Professor Emerita of Philosophy Molly Nesbit, Professor of Art Laura Newman, Professor of Art Nancy Jo Pokrywka, Professor of Biology Lizabeth Paravisini-Gebert, Professor of Hispanic Studies
Jill S. Schneiderman, Professor of Earth Science Kathleen M. Susman, Professor of Biology Shona Tucker, Professor of Drama Michele M. Tugade, Professor of Psychological Science Denise A. Walen, Professor of Drama Jennifer E. Walter, Professor Emerita of Computer Science Eva Woods Peiró, Professor of Hispanic Studies Yu Zhou, Professor of Geography and Earth Science Susan Zlotnick, Professor of English
Peipei Qiu, Professor of Chinese and Japanese
I may be quitting my smartphone, and why you should, too Ann Wilthew Guest Columnist
I
n your head, maybe you hear one of your baby boomer relatives’ voices when you read this title. You know the one. At the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, they will list Gen Z’s many delinquencies and short attention span, raving about “the TikTok” before playing Candy Crush on top volume. But before you scroll on, hear my somewhat manic, definitely not boomer thought. I spend a lot of time scrolling through social media. After classes, meetings, working two jobs, plant and cat momming, etc., there is no better time to scroll through Instagram Reels while a TV show plays in the background. It sort of feels like I am refueling all the happy-brain chemicals depleted through the shortening fall days. Of course, the concept of smartphone and social media platforms capitalizing on their hypermobility and dopamine surges to mold addictive behaviors is not new, according to Harvard. But I have not fully appreciated its sheer revolutionary force on our collective behavior until I forget my phone for one day or I have scrolled to complete exhaustion. Funny enough, I did not have a smartphone until I turned 19. Before I belatedly joined smartphone users, I used a flip phone or a “dumbphone” that lacked the sheer processing capacity of smartphones. I’d smack the screen shut after clicking the “seven” key four times to type the letter “S,” and ultimately, my online existence was solely tethered to the family computer and eventually a laptop purchased in my senior year of high school. Although I occasionally blogged cringey fiction, and my best friend and I occasionally recorded terrible YouTube acoustic guitar covers, the computer and I had a respectful understanding.
Although some may argue that laptops are addicting, smartphones have undeniably changed the concept of navigating through space and time with technology as inextricable objects from the self. Whether walking to class, going to bed or taking a study break in the library, a false sense of dual attention arises when you open your phone. Scroll TikTok while your TV show builds up its plot, look for jobs on LinkedIn while you are on the train, pull up Instagram Stories while the conversation lulls. The act of choosing limitless reloads of seconds-long content and passing images over other in-body interactions slowly chips away our lifespan from one landscape and piles it into another one.
The act of choosing limitless reloads of seconds-long content and passing images over other in-body interactions slowly chips away our lifespan from one landscape and piles it into another one.
I am not saying that smartphones are just terrible and unsafe. Maps help us safely arrive at our destination without printing out Mapquest; Google Translate crosses language barriers with incredible speed and ease. What I am saying is smartphones are wonderfully powerful tools for sharing immediate, collective knowledge to help me find the tastiest restaurants in New York City, and they are terrible and unsafe. In my perfectly calm realization, I furiously googled dumbphones that support safety features and useful tools like maps, maybe email and hey…why not Spotify, too? But finding a phone that supports some features without easily rebooting addictive apps was incredibly challenging. Still, I do not want to return to a flip phone and purchase a clunky GPS that I suction-cup to my car’s dashboard or my forehead. Where is that perfect hybrid
At least, that is the way I began to feel about it during my phoneless incident. Paradoxically, it is not the way I felt about it four days later when I spent too much time doing what felt truly like nothing because, for the moment, it felt like everything. Still, I went down a spiraling realization that technology has created a plump, palmsized universe that we are designed to fall into. How can we keep ourselves from falling into behavior designed to be addicting when that is the business model?
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
phone that does not reinforce addictive behavior? The LightPhone, a millennial-esque minimalist device that is pricey from its aesthetic, clean marketing? Perhaps a BlackBerry, that unsightly missing link between flip phones and smartphones, or the famously indestructible Nokia? Yet if there is anything true about capitalism, it can dream up and spit out products that fulfill our needs and desires. Case in point, glow in the dark toilet paper. Yet this ideal phone that we could collectively use as a healthy boundary with technology does not appear to exist because it is the least profitable to exist. This is why I most definitely should buy a dumbphone, and you most probably definitely should, if the ideal one should come to be. So if you see me around campus snapping a flip phone shut, know that I have cracked and joined the Luddite Club.
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
OPINIONS
Page 12
November 16, 2023
All opinions and Letters are submitted to The Miscellany News. The Editorial Board does not take responsibility for the views expressed in opinions articles.
Embroidered exile: Amplifying Palestinian voices through art Kenzy Aldaher Guest Columnist
R
asha Al Jundi, a Palestinian photographer and visual storyteller, brings forth a poignant project that transcends borders and generations. Her project, “When the Grapes Were Sour: Embroidered Palestinian Voices from Exile,” weaves together narratives of exiled Palestinians, echoing their shared struggles, identity dilemmas and unyielding resilience. Through her lens and the art of embroidery, Al Jundi crafts a vivid tapestry of stories that resonates far beyond the confines of geography. I encountered Al Jundi’s project amid a surge of political advocacy that appeared on my Instagram feed following Hamas’ attack on Israel and the retaliation in response on Oct. 7. During my own upbringing in Jordan as a displaced Palestinian amidst a predominantly displaced Palestinian community, solidarity for the Palestinian cause ran deep. In Jordan, the label of “exiled Palestinian” held no sway; we were united as one, a blend of Palestinian and Jordanian, bound by fraternity and sisterhood. Our hearts throbbed in unison for our kin in an occupied land, the only division being an arbitrary “border.” Now at Vassar, I admire those back in Jordan who harbored such a profound sense of pride and connection to a nation they only knew through the bitterness of loss that kept its memory alive. I often felt less tethered to that aspect of my identity. As I scrolled through my feed that evening, bearing witness to the horrors of the Oct. 7 attacks and the ensuing retaliations, fearing for the ethnic cleansing shrouded under the pretext of a war on terrorism, I found myself confronted with “the other perspective”—a surge of Zionism I was cognizant of but had never personally encountered. This marked a profound awakening of my new identity: that of an exiled Palestinian. On Oct. 20, I conducted a Zoom interview with Al Jundi, who is located in Nairobi, Kenya. I was keen on learning about her journey as an exiled Palestinian, how she navigates and champions this identity amidst a predominantly anti-Palestinian political climate today. Al Jundi’s path to becoming an artist was influenced by her upbringing and her deep-rooted Palestinian identity. Growing up
in the United Arab Emirates, Al Jundi’s family kept their heritage alive through literature and history, fostering a profound awareness of her Palestinian roots through art. Al Jundi noted, “From the moment I opened my eyes, I knew I was Palestinian… The whole history was on our bookshelves.” Despite studying nutrition, she described to me her 14-year journey in civil society work across the Middle East, North America and Sub-Saharan Africa. This diverse experience enriched her perspective, eventually leading her to her current residence in Nairobi, Kenya. The thread of art, particularly embroidery, was interwoven into her family’s heritage, influencing her artistic journey. “My father comes from the Hebron region (Yatta), my mother comes from Bayt Dajan, both regions well known for Palestinian embroidery,” she explained.
The embroidery, meticulously applied by hand, serves as a tangible bridge between her subjects’ stories and her own experiences... Each stitch carries symbolic weight... Al Jundi’s project arose from her desire to explore the complexities of Palestinian identity beyond conventional narratives. She sought to connect with fellow exiles who grappled with questions of privilege, survivor’s guilt and the persistent colonial lens through which their identity is often viewed. “Exiled Palestinians who felt the same agony, the same Qahir,” as she described them. The embroidery, meticulously applied by hand, serves as a tangible bridge between her subjects’ stories and her own experiences. “The embroidery is me putting myself in your story,” Al Jundi explained. Each stitch carries symbolic weight, referencing the regions and stories of the individuals captured through her lens. Al Jundi acknowledged the inherent complexity that accompanies a project of such sensitivity. While not explicitly conveying
a political stance, the stories depicted carry a dimension of political awareness and generational trauma, acknowledging the historical oppression and occupation of Palestine over the past 75 years. Rasha shared with me that, in light of the German government’s heightened scrutiny of pro-Palestinian activities, some individuals opted to step back from the project at different stages, fearing potential repercussions. I empathize with the fear that often restrains individuals from expressing their views. As an international Jordanian-Palestinian student, I was deeply disoriented to find my existence perceived as a threat or a “complex” subject matter in America. I had never anticipated the need to monitor my online presence or temper my opinions out of fear of being unfairly labeled. My views align with neither terrorism nor antisemitism, and yet the expression of my stance has been accused of being both. Each paragraph I write and every post I share online carries the weight of potential doxxing or inclusion on a list that vilifies those who speak out against human rights violations and injustice, as reported by ABC News. I turned to Al Jundi for guidance on how to boldly embrace our Palestinian identity and advocate against injustices in a world that often seeks to suppress our voices. While she emphasizes safety and well-being, Al Jundi also champions the necessity of being outspoken. In our interview, she underscores the erasure of Palestinian identity, urging individuals not to hide but to use their voices as a tool for change. The media has largely overlooked the crackdown on individuals, including employees and students, who stand in solidarity with Palestine, Al Jundi explained. This extends not only to the United States but also to incidents in Germany, where police forces and even dogs and water cannons were employed to quell protesters, according to France 24. In her perspective, these actions constitute further attempts to erase the Palestinian identity, instilling fear in both exiled Palestinians and their supporters. “There is an entire generation of parents that didn’t even tell their children that they are Palestinian out of fear and trauma.” Despite understanding their reasoning, Al Jundi disagrees: “To me, that is not the answer, we should be instilling that identity. Palestinians are not resilient, they are stubborn.
Palestinians are stubborn because we have a land that belongs to us and stubbornness breeds resistance.” Drawing inspiration from the Palestinian revolutionary and renowned author Ghassan Kanafani, Al Jundi affirms that words and pens can be as potent as any weapon in the pursuit of justice. “There is no peace, there is no talk between a colonizing case and the colonized persons. We will never win this ‘talk.’ Peace doesn’t exist at the moment and shouldn’t exist, any peace that comes about at this point is a white man’s peace.” Rasha’s remarks remind me of Kanafani, who in a 1970 interview staunchly opposed engaging in peace talks with Israel, likening it to “a conversation between the sword and the neck.”
While she emphasizes safety and well-being, Al Jundi also champions the necessity of being outspoken. “Embroidered Exile” serves as a bitter reminder that the Nakba, the Palestinian exodus of 1947 to 1949, endures as an ongoing event which haunts generations of Palestinians who have never stepped foot in Palestine. Al Jundi’s project challenges narratives that call for the displacement of Palestinians, emphasizing the need for a return to their homeland. “Amid the calls for opening up borders to Palestinian refugees, I hope this project shows the world why Palestinians should not leave their homes. These stories are the kinds of narratives that this will create. It will create people who are confused about their identity but will never stop holding onto it… The call for dispossession is not the solution. The solution is for us to return to our homeland.” It also seeks to bridge divides within the Palestinian community, reminding all that they share a common heritage and struggle. Through Al Jundi’s lens, the conversation about Palestine will persist, ensuring that the world never forgets the enduring spirit of the Palestinian people. Rasha often asks participants in her project: “When do you feel most exiled?” For me, that answer is today.
Kinks in VCycle bikes need to be worked out Lev Winickoff Guest Columnist
I
n the stretch of time between the installation of the VCycle racks and the arrival of the bikes themselves, many people, including myself, were excited about their promise to simplify commuting for Vassar students. I had my doubts—initially, the VCycle racks seemed to be making it harder for students to find places to lock up their personal bikes, especially when it came to the racks in front of Gordon Commons; one of the main racks that people had used for their personal bikes was replaced by a VCycle rack. When I saw people start to lock their own bikes to the VCycle racks, my concern grew. As soon as the VCycle bikes arrived, however, people began locking their personal bikes up mainly to the personal bike rack, and an email from the Vassar Student Association (VSA) seemed to have taken care of the confusion. There also seemed to be, to
my relief, enough space for people’s personal bikes despite the loss of rack space. Of course, there remains the occasional personal bike locked to a VCycle rack. This poses a hindrance to the system because if the spaces are occupied, the bikes cannot be properly returned and borrowed again. The location of the racks is perhaps the least controversial thing about VCycle. Since their arrival and the launch of the program, I have not met anyone who has tried out VCycle and not experienced some kind of glitch in the system. “I definitely have issues with VCycle,” Aidan Duffy ’25 said. “You are trying to get to class, and you think that renting a bike is going to get you there quicker than walking, and today that happened to me twice both before and after class. I tried to take a VCycle [bike] out and neither of them would load, both at [Rockefeller Hall] and the one by New England Building. That was pretty annoying because if I had known that that was going to
happen I would have just walked in the first place.” This experience was shared with other students I talked to, including Ben Richardson ’25. “Clearly there were many available bikes on the rack, but when I tried to unlock one of the bikes with the app it just loaded forever and would not actually show any of the available bikes, so I had to walk to [Rockefeller Hall] and try that rack, and that one worked,” Richardson said. Richardson expressed a similar reluctance to Duffy when it came to giving VCycle another chance. “I have wanted to try it again but sometimes I don’t know if I have time to deal with the app being slow,” they explained. Immediately upon downloading the app, Richardson noticed it was not very user-friendly. This is also something I noticed—it was awkward and confusing to figure out how to take out a bike the first time I did it, which I could have overlooked if it were not for the fact that it was completely
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
dysfunctional when I attempted to use it for its intended purpose. Another factor that has the potential of causing problems down the line is the additional stress VCycle may put on the bike shop. Fixing bikes can take time and money, and while this was likely factored into the VSA’s decision to adopt the program, it would have been impossible to predict exactly how much maintenance the bikes might need. This is not to say that I don’t see the value in a bike share program, or that I have given up all hope for VCycle’s positive impact on our campus. If the kinks are worked out, VCycle has the potential to reliably make faster transportation around campus more accessible. After all, according to Harvard School of Public Health’s The Nutrition Source, biking is much faster than walking, it’s great exercise and it’s a greener alternative to driving. The more people VCycle can get on bikes, the better.
November 16, 2023
SPORTS
Page 13
Vassar Quadball hosts annual ‘Butterbeer Classic’ Oliver Ryan
Guest Columnist
I
got up early last Saturday morning (10 a.m. for the non-Vassar students) to do something I had only previously thought about in hypotheticals. That is right, I was going to spectate a sport that, by my previous understanding, could not exist without magic: quadball (also known as quidditch). Now, you might be a little confused by this point, and to be honest, as I walked to the pitch, I was too. How was this non-magical quadball going to work? I was about to find out. As it turned out, the game was something unique but still wholly enjoyable. Quadball is an official sport, recognized by the International Quadball Association. There is a regulatory body, national tournaments and a rules booklet that is, astonishingly, over 100 pages long. I will get into this detail a little later, but for now, back to my chilly walk to the pitch, which was thankfully just behind my dorm. I chose to sit down with some older folks after their kind offer of a space on their picnic blanket, and I was unfortunately not able to partake in their second kind offer of an early morning mimosa—I had neglected to bring a glass, silly me—and got ready to watch watch the opening scrimmages of the Butterbeer
Classic, Vassar’s annual quadball tournament. It is hosted by the Butterbeer Broooers, our very own quadball team. I then had a quick chat with one of the team’s co-captains, Jesse Koblin ’25 [Disclaimer: Koblin is an Arts Editor for The Miscellany News], who kindly brought me up to speed on all things quadball, which I will now relay. Quadball is a full contact sport which centers around getting a colored volleyball-esque ball, known as the quaffle, through one of three hoops placed at either end of the pitch. Simple enough, right? Wrong. There are three other balls—hence the name quadball—which act functionally like dodgeballs. Hit with a ball? You have to trek back to your own central hoop and touch it, after which you can reenter the game. This is further complicated by the fact that players are obligated to keep a broomstick in between their legs, and if they drop it, they also have to make the trip back to their central hoop, tag it and get back into the game. Each player has a position, demarcated by a colored protective headband. Chasers handle the quaffle and score points while the Keepers guard their team’s hoops and act as a fourth chaser on offense. Beaters handle the other balls, trying to tag other players with them, and Seekers catch the flag runner,
which I will explain in a second. You may be asking at this point: Where does quadball factor in the iconic golden snitch? That is where the aforementioned Seekers come into play. At some point during the match, a flag runner with a yellow cloth in their waistband comes onto the pitch. The Seekers attempt to grab their “snitch” (the cloth) and score a hefty sum of points for their team. The scrimmages and matches I observed were a complex tangle of ball passing, shoving, maneuvering and masterfully executed scores. The Broooers were up against teams from Kutztown University and Cornell University and played against both schools in a mixed team for the final. I enjoyed watching much more than I expected to; the plays were chaotic, energetic and full of the players’ crystal-clear passion for the sport. On the topic passion, here are some testimonials from our very own Broooers, who were kind enough to reflect on how the team has grown on both a professional and personal level, as well as their experience in the Butterbeer Classic: “If I were to describe my experience at the Butterbeer Classic in one word, I would say ‘thrilling,” Zach Silbergleit ’26, one of the team’s co-captains, told The Miscellany News. “I had been looking forward to being able to play against other
teams. You feel a bit of a buzz when you finally get to play as a team against other teams instead of playing against your own team to practice.” Abby Kotar ’24 shared this sentiment, especially after spending last semester studying abroad. “I was especially excited to get back into playing quadball this year. The team has been really focused on improving our skills and overall competitiveness this semester, and I feel like all of that hard work really paid off in the tournament,” Kotar said. “Playing with and against Cornell and Kutztown was also a delight because we have been playing with them since my sophomore year. The friendship between our teams always makes the tournaments more exciting and enjoyable.” Koblin ’25 also found the event to be a success. “The Butterbeer Classic was wonderful this year,” Koblin said. “A major highlight for me was our evolution throughout the semester—we have really gotten much stronger as a team. Our progress coalesced in the Classic, as we were able to hold our own against Kutztown and Cornell and even win the mixedteam game 120-80!” These athlete accounts sum up the Butterbeer Classic, and the spirit of quadball, better than I ever could.
Image courtesy of the Butterbeer Broooers.
Men’s rugby wins Tri-State Conference Championship Sarah McNeil News Editor
T
he Vassar men’s rugby team clinched an important win over Hofstra University in the Tri-State Conference Championships earlier this month, marking the first time the team has won the tournament in six years of competition and earning them the Tri-State Conference Small College Title. Following a tumultuous second half when the team went down to 14 players because of a red card, the Brewers were able to not only recover the lead but end with triumph, winning 47-31. Tony Brown, who has served as Vassar’s head coach since 1995 on both the men’s and women’s side, likened the unexpected comeback to Harry Truman’s underdog victory in the 1948 election. After leading 12-0 in the first half, Vassar faced a hard battle in the second when one player received a red card due to accidental head-to-head contact. Hofstra made a comeback after trailing throughout the first half and managed to take the lead 31-19. TJ Usher
’27 shared, “With around 15 minutes left, we were down by a few scores, one of our players was ejected and the team morale wasn’t too high.” Despite the unexpected loss of a player and a 12-point setback, the team pulled off an impressive upset. Kiran Mullen ’26 shared in a written statement to The Miscellany News, “Everyone on the team rallied, though, and we scored four consecutive ‘trys’ with all the kicks being made which put us 47-31 ahead.” He added, “In the end, the last 20 minutes of good tackles by our forwards and the speed of our backs won us the game.” Bryce DiNardo ’24 said of the match, “We ended up making some big tackles after the red card and were able to steal the ball back. From there, we just played our systems and ended up scoring. From that point on, we kept the ball for almost the rest of the game and played together as a cohesive unit to come out on top.” The win was particularly special after Vassar lost to Hofstra the year prior. For the seniors on the team, the win also reflected
how far the program has come since the pandemic. DiNardo commented, “Vassar men’s rugby (and college rugby as a whole) was hard-hit by COVID-19, and growing the program back up has been a challenge.” He continued, “Additionally, this win really just goes to show how much heart and camaraderie we have as a team. Always undersized compared to our competition, we were able to work hard, play for each other and play our game, which, in the end, let us win.” Usher echoed similar sentiments saying, “This win is a step forward for our program.” He continued, “As players, it was an extremely satisfying victory. Not only does the win represent the amount of effort the team has put in over the season but also the coordinated systems by the coaches and staff.” Following the Brewers’ major achievement at the Tri-State Conference Championship, the team advanced to the National Collegiate Rugby Playoffs this past weekend, Nov. 11-12. Vassar’s lineup was missing seven of their starting players and ended up
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
losing to Roger Williams University. Mullen commented, “We had a pretty tough loss this weekend, but it was very expected because we were missing 7 out of our 15 starting players due to injury or other commitments. Considering the team we fielded, I thought we did quite well, and it definitely would have been a very close game with our full team available.” While the Brewers may not have had the result they hoped for at Nationals, the team still had a strong season. After five consecutive wins to open the season, including a victory against Marist College, the team lost a close away contest at Wesleyan University. After their first and only non-playoff loss of the season, the team responded with a semifinal victory in the Tri-State playoffs against Maritime College before winning the championship match. For the team, their 8-2 season is an impressive improvement from their 5-7 campaign last year. This year’s succesful season also marks the program’s best record since a 4-2 season in 2018 and a 14-4 season in 2017.
SPORTS
Page 14
November 16, 2023
VC Cricket Association wins inaugural match against Colgate Caris Lee
Copy Editor
T
he autumnal breeze began to bite, the spectators started to shiver, and still, the other team had not arrived. The Vassar College Cricket Association (VCCA) was warming up, their bowlers throwing balls across the field like a slingshot. The letters “V” and “C” were written on the players’ cheeks in black makeup. Someone had set up a portable speaker and microphone, and an impromptu emcee was entertaining the crowd with cheesy cricket jokes: “What is your favorite musical? Wicket.” “Why do grasshoppers not like soccer? Because they prefer cricket.” The small crowd kept their spirits high on the aluminum bleachers, discussing their (lack of) knowledge of the sport while huddled in their beanies and scarves. After 45 minutes had passed since the official start time, the Colgate team arrived, clad in their black uniforms and greeted by Vassar’s jersey-less, restless players with their impatient fans. Indeed, part of the criticism of cricket is the waiting around. Cricket began as a “gentleman’s game” in England, lasting as long as five days with tea breaks. In the 18th century, Lord’s became the home for cricket, located in St. Marylebone and named after cricket’s founder Thomas Lord, according to Encyclopædia Britannica. The sport became popular domestically, with university matches like the Oxford-Cambridge rivalry being highly anticipated in the summer. Soon, county cricket, where English counties played other counties, also boomed. And as Britain continued their imperialist ambitions, they spread cricket to their colonies. British colonies, like India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the West Indies and Australia, excelled at the sport, becoming even better than their colonizers. While England maintained the traditional rules of the game in Test cricket, with unlimited overs lasting up to five days, everywhere else—most notably India and Pakistan—established limited overs for a more modernized, competitive game that fans could watch in one sitting. In 1975, England hosted the first World Cup, composed of one-day matches of 60 overs a side. The West Indies won the first two World Cups, and in the third World Cup in 1983, England did not even make the finals. India won this World Cup, hosting the next World Cup in 1987, which was the first to be held outside of England. These wins
provided the impetus for cricket to be more than just an English gentleman’s pastime— cricket was a symbol for democratization and community. VCCA provides a space for this community at Vassar. Vice President of the VCCA Anshuman Das ’25 spoke to this sentiment of community, stating, “Cricket is more than just the sport itself. A lot of us grew up in our respective nations or have families that come from there. It’s a way to stay connected with our roots and the greater community, especially for people from the [Indian] Subcontinent.” The VCCA was co-founded last semester by Dan Kuruvila ’25 and Ibrahim Waheed ’25 to foster the cricket community that Das referred to. Kuruvila, who grew up in India, concurred with Das that cricket was a major part of culture and entertainment beyond being a mere sport. Kuruvila reflected, “When my family moved to the United States, I missed being part of a community that shared this passion [of cricket]. Later on, upon coming to college, I quickly realized that cricket was generally played informally, if at all, and mostly by international students coming from South Asia.” Despite initial resistance in establishing the organization because of its seemingly low popularity on campus, sufficient student interest supported Kuruvila and Waheed in establishing the club. Kuruvila continued, “Our main goal is to create an inclusive environment where everyone, regardless of their background, can learn, play and enjoy cricket.” Their first game was against Colgate College last Saturday, Nov. 11, on Weinberg Turf Field. The rules of cricket are complex, to say the least. The batting team has two players on the field on either end of the pitch, and on each side of the pitch is a wicket. A wicket has three stumps with two bails on top. Each batsman stands in front of their wicket. The bowler is the equivalent of a pitcher, who slings the ball in an overhand throw, bouncing once, toward the batsman. The batsman’s objective is to hit the ball and exchange positions with the other batsman on the other side of the pitch. Each exchange is one run. While the batsmen run, the fielders on the other team retrieve the ball and try to hit the wicket before the batsman returns to the side of the pitch. If they do not make it in time, the batsman is out, and a new batsman comes in. If the batsman hits it to the boundary of the oval field, they earn four runs. If
Image courtesy of VCCA. they hit the ball over the boundary, they get six runs. If the fielder catches the ball in the air, similar to baseball, the batsman is out. The bowler can get a batsman out if their throw hits the wicket behind the batsman, similar to a strike. If the batsman swings and misses the ball, they will not be out—so long as the wicket behind them remains unhit. The bowler can deliver only six pitches at a time, which is known as an over. After a bowler throws six times, a field player replaces him. When 10 of the 11 batsmen are out, or if the overs are done (the over limit can vary depending on the game)—whichever comes first—this constitutes an inning, and the other team bats. Typically, there are two innings. The team with the most runs by the end of the match wins. In the match against Colgate, there were 14 overs with a maximum of three overs per bowler (typically there is a maximum of four overs per bowler). As the fans googled the rules of the game and shared their findings to the stand, the emcee on the field also relayed a play-byplay, declaring (and then correcting themself on) how many runs the batter scored or if a batter got out. A portable scoreboard propped in the front further kept the fans up to date with this high-scoring game, and a “V-C-C-A” cheer resounded from the crowd every time Vassar scored a six. Perhaps this is most telling of the community cricket has garnered—players and fans alike, regardless of their knowledge of the sport, were able to come together
Image courtesy of Jade Hsin ’25. MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
and enjoy the afternoon despite the cold and other schoolwork they may have had. Kuruvila noted, “Our team went in with a mindset to have fun and give it our best shot, which was made much easier with the fans we had.” As the match came to a close, the players batting and bowling in the floodlights of the turf field since the sun had set, the final score ended up being 121-7 for Vassar and 96-4 for Colgate—this translates to 121 runs and seven wickets (seven players got out in the whole game) for Vassar and 96 runs and four wickets for Colgate. The win was an important one—their first match as an official organization was a crucial win to prove themselves to the community as a legitimate, serious team. Kuruvila followed up, “Our team performed exceptionally, leading to our first victory against a college team. This win was a big confidence boost for us.” After the match, VCCA and Colgate’s cricket club attended South Asian Student Alliance’s Mock Shaadi and then ate lunch together the following day. In the future, VCCA hopes to increase interest in cricket, planning collegiate matches a few times per semester and inviting students to learn how to play the sport. Current members of the team vary in experience level themselves, each with their own interest in cricket. Wicketkeeper Oliver Stewart ’25 [Disclaimer: Stewart is a Columnist for The Miscellany News], for example, expressed how he became involved on the team, stating, “I’m half English, so I remember visiting my grandparents and watching test matches on TV, which is probably my earliest and most prominent cricket memory.” He continued: “This was our first serious match, but everyone got really into it and we were all communicating well and supporting each other throughout the match. I also like how beginner-friendly the cricket club is—there are always people learning, and all of us are improving together as we play.” Eventually, with proper funding, VCCA hopes to join the American College Cricket League and gain club sports recognition. Cricket, though a sport originated in English imperialism, has demonstrated its ability to free itself from these historic roots. Beyond the intricate rules and extensive length of the game, cricket is a way for students to reconnect, whether that is with their own culture or with each other in finding a commonality they did not realize they had. VCCA continues cricket’s story and impact as the first cricket organization at Vassar, proving that a sport as seemingly niche as this one can still be a uniting force in the community.
November 16, 2023
GAMES The Miscellany Games Category Match By Sadie Keesbury
CATEGORY MATCH INSTRUCTIONS In the word bank below, there are 16 words that belong to four categories. Each word belongs to only one category. You don’t know which words belong together, nor do you know what the categories are! Try to find similarities between them and place them into four categories below. Answers (which words belong together, as well as the categories they belong to) will be revealed in next week’s issue. Have fun! Example category: 1: Toyota Car Models: COROLLA PRIUS TACOMA HIGHLANDER
WORD BANK SHIP CANADIAN NVM POLE ITALIAN REUBEN PANINI VIETNAMESE JK CLUB STONE CUBAN RANT BLT AFAIK IDK
WORD BANK DRACULA SHOES RIGATONI AROUND DRESS MOBY DICK SUIT PENNE NOSE DUNE HEELS SPAGHETTI BELOVED TOP HAT CAR BOWTIE
Answers to last week’s puzzles: By William Flachmeyer
“What’s My Name?” By Felix Mundy-Mancino
Vassar Categories 1 Answer Key: Websites: PITCHFORK, YOUTUBE, AMAZON, WIKIPEDIA Farm tools: PLOW, AXE, SICKLE, WHEELBARROW “Clue” weapons: ROPE, WRENCH, CANDLESTICK, KNIFE Things that have a lens: EYE, FEMINISM, GOOGLE, MICROSCOPE
Vassar Categories 2 Answer Key: AP class abbreviations: GOV, LIT, BIO, CALC Drunk: PISSED, WASTED, SHOT, TURNT ____ Girl: NEW, IT, MATERIAL, GONE Internet domains: COM, NET, ORG, EDU
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
Page 15
Page 16
GAMES
November 16, 2023
The Miscellany Crossword By Sadie Keesbury
“Hint” ACROSS 1. _____ off the old block 5. COVID nickname 6. Family symbol 8. Ms. in Madrid 9. Itinerary info
DOWN 1. Its emergency extension is 7333 2. Rideable animal 3. Not moving 4. Penne, spaghetti, bowtie, rigatoni etc. 7. Professor’s helpers (abbr.)
“Places” ACROSS 1. Convenience store acronym 4. Center located near the Powerhouse Theater 6. Where hair or nails might get done 7. “Divergent” faction that dislikes war 8. Cop agencies, for short
DOWN 1. Grab hard 2. Legitimate 3. Brats 4. Smooth _____ baby’s bottom 5. Whichever
More Miscellany Games Inside!
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE