Misc 09.03.2020

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The Miscellany News miscellanynews.org

September 3, 2020

Vassar College’s student newspaper of record since 1866 Volume 154 | Issue 1

Students question ‘island’ model Tiana Headley

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Tiana Headley/The Miscellany News.

Off-campus students denied work-study Lucille Brewster Guest Reporter

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s September approaches and Vassar students begin to navigate the new normal, Student Employment is also adjusting to a number of changes and challenges.

After classes went remote last semester, Vassar still paid students an average of their weekly salary even though the vast majority of students were not on campus to complete their jobs. But for Fall 2020, out-of-state stu See Jobs on page 4

Sara Lawler, Annabelle Wang

HUMOR

Reporter, Guest Reporter

What if Frog and Toad were...not friends? A new comic strip explores the concept.

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OPINIONS

Blue no matter who? A columnist’s take on the limits of the ballot box.

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NEWS

Catch up on five Poughkeepsie rallies and protests from last summer.

bram Gregory ’21 thought he did everything right. When Vassar extended its open invitation to students for an in-person fall semester, the senior moved into a nearby apartment to limit his time on campus. He said the only moments he had been within six feet of anyone were with Fiona Walsh ’21, with whom he lives, and four golfers who had cornered him in the Terrace Apartments (TA) parking lot on August 19. Six days later, he tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The prospect of an in-person semester left those starved for an on-campus social life and an in-person education with cautious enthusiasm. When the College transitioned to distance learning on March 12, the United

States had logged at least 1,663 novel coronavirus cases. By August 8, the first move-in day, the United States approached 5 million cases and mourned over 160,000 deaths. Prior to students’ return, President Elizabeth Bradley announced that campus would assume the “island model” between Aug. 8 and Sept. 7. Students cannot leave, and the public cannot enter. But as Vassar inches closer to the first day of classes on August 31, many question the College’s enforcement of the purported “island.” Some students have witnessed their peers strolling back to campus with My Market bags and Crafted Kup coffee in hand, or walking about on nearby streets. “I commute from campus in a route that takes me down Raymond Avenue, and I’ve seen a few See ISLAND on page 4

First-year traditions take to Zoom Monika Sweeney

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Guest Columnist

bout two years ago, back when the Vassar Class of 2024 still worried about PSAT scores, Wendy Maragh Taylor, Vassar’s Associate Dean of the College for Student Growth and Engagement, began to develop the First Year Experience (FYE) program. This program, de-

signed to ease first years into college life while fostering a sense of community, support and care, was forced to significantly remodel this year due to COVID-19 guidelines and a number of students studying remotely at home. Regardless of the unexampled circumstances this year, those in the Office of Student Growth

and Engagement remain committed to the mission of the FYE program. Their goal is to create a safe, supportive space that will provide first-year and transfer students with the resources necessary for a successful first year and beyond. A wide range of virtual activities have been planned to introduce new stuSee FYE on page 8

Self-quarantine concerns abound

Inside this issue

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News Editor

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n an attempt to reduce the spread of COVID-19 at Vassar, the College is placing students who either test positive on campus, do not have negative test results when they arrive on campus, or have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive on campus in isolation. Some students have complained about food delivery, the logistics of moving into iso-

lation and communication with Health Service. As of August 28, 11 students have been placed in isolation, and 33 have been placed in self-quarantine. In accordance with New York State Department of Health guidelines, the College has defined the following terms as follows: Mandatory Isolation: Student has tested positive for COVID-19 or is displaying COVID-19 symptoms (e.g. fever of 100°F or highSee Quarantine on page 5

South Commons, a self-quarantine location. Annabelle Wang..

Athletes examine departmental practices, privilege [CW: mentions of sexual misconduct, sexual violence, racism, transphobia and discrimination.] Introduction This article was co-written by five current and former Vassar student-athletes: Claire Basler-Chang (volleyball), Lena Stevens (formerly volleyball), Reis Kissel (soccer), Liam Condon (squash) and Kai Mawougbe (track and field). We feel the need to address the prevalence of sexual assault and bigoted beliefs within Vassar’s athletic community by taking a hard look at how Vassar athletics functions at both the student and administrative level. We have combined our personal experiences as BIPOC athletes, research into Vassar’s Title IX policy as well as that of other

similar institutions, and data about the demographic makeups of student-athletes, athletic faculty and Vassar as a whole in this piece. It is important to acknowledge the factors that motivated us to write this piece. In early July, a few members of the Vassar baseball team sent an email alleging a cyberbullying incident to President Bradley and members of the student body. This email used racially charged language and stereotypes in a way many students viewed as harmful. The Vassar Insider published an article on the topic shortly after, which downplayed the vulgarity of the language used in the email. The article has since been removed from the Insider website. While the email and subsequent article

catalyzed intense debate within the Vassar community, it is clear to us that they are only symptoms of issues that have existed for decades—namely, Vassar’s perpetuation of white privilege and athletic privilege, especially as perpetrators of sexual violence. We seek to highlight the systemic nature of the aforementioned problems and call upon both the administration and all student-athletes to think deeply about what they can do to be part of the solution. As present and former athletes, we recognize how easy it is to homogenize the wide range of athletes’ identities and beliefs. It is our belief that the majority of athletes at Vassar do not hold explicitly bigoted beliefs, even if they do hold unconscious bias-

es as a result of instutionalized racism, but we feel it is time for every one of us to accept responsibility for our past complacencies and actively work towards change. Approximately 20 percent of Vassar students are involved with athletics. If one in five Vassar students is an athlete, it is unreasonable to assume that athletes on swim, crew or golf have any direct control over the actions of athletes on baseball, basketball or lacrosse and vice versa. They can, however, directly influence their own team culture, and in doing so indirectly influence the cultures of other sports. Passivity is privilege. We all have a responsibility to speak out against injustices we see in our community and to foster a See Athletics on page 14


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